All Entries in the "Asian" Category
Restaurant Review: Thai Lotus
Good Thai Food is so hard to find, and I’ve been fortunate to find a number of good places lately. One I’ve been to several times because of their good food and friendly owners is Thai Lotus (13336 66th St, Largo, FL 33773-1815, (727) 531-3448), a strip mall Thai joint that’s a bit tough to find but worth being a regular. Because of their location, not a lot of folks know this place exists. In the year they’ve been around, it’s been difficult for them to stay open because most of the busy Ulmerton Road traffic simply passes them by. From what I’ve seen, regulars keep this place around and we all share in the little known secret that is Thai Lotus.
The atmosphere is probably a bit classier than it needs to be, including fancily decorated tables with individual bamboo shoots and folded napkins into towers. The glass tops make for easy cleanup and lots of little accents make the room a subtle but enjoyable one. Being that it’s rarely busy makes everything about the environment almost eerily quiet, but comfortable.
The husband and wife team that run Thai Lotus are always smiling, always happy to great new customers. When I come in, they know exactly who I am and what I have. Before I even get to the table, they are there to great me, asking if I want my Pad Thai hot or “Thai hot”. While I definitely recommend the Pad Thai, today I’d like to review my other favorite dish there, the Pra Ram Kai.
The wonderful medley of Chicken cooked in red curry with peanut sauce, coconut milk, broccoli, bean sprouts, zucchini and carrots is divine. There’s a very prominent taste of peanuts throughout, giving every bite the kind of taste that I love in Thai food. As it comes, it’s very subdued, but you can order it hot if you like. The side of rice comes on it’s own plate and in a heart shape, imprinted with the pan they are formed in. It’s a delicate touch and one worth taking in before you eat your meal.
Every dish made at Thai Lotus is made without MSG, so everything tastes like it was just made. In a dish like this, the red curry blends so wonderfully with the coconut milk that it’s a completely new taste than either ingredient should be able to make. I’ve asked for Pra Ram Kai at other places and no one knows what it is, but it’d be silly to try anywhere else because this is very, very good. My only complaint is portion size. At about $13, this dish isn’t what I’d call cheap and you don’t get a lot of it. That said, it’s a reasonable value for the money and I will often get a second one to take home knowing that I’ll eat it a few hours later.
While enjoying the meal, the man of the house continually brings out more water, checking on you frequently. He’s so charming and sweet about everything, a true gentleman that always makes sure his guests are comfortable. When you complete your meal, he quickly runs to your table to collect the tab and return with a smile. “Man thanks, and do come again.” he says. He knows I will.
Restaurant Review: Hook’s Sushi Bar and Thai Food
If you’re looking for a sushi bargain in St. Pete, you’d be hard pressed to find a higher quality of food at a moderate price than at Hook’s Sushi Bar (1210 9th St. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33705 (727)898-HOOK). The story of Hook’s reads like a Shakespearean novella. A cook working for the sushi place across the street (also good food, by the way!) felt scorned by the owner a few years back and opened up Hook’s on the opposing side of MLK Blvd. Many of his customers followed him and Hook’s has been a success story ever since. I’ve eaten here a few times now and the place is always packed with happy people enjoying fresh ingredients, marvelous presentation and good company. Why the owner Hook Atsavinh passed away earlier this year, the legacy and quality of his food lives on.
While Hook’s is decently priced as it sits (about $25 for me to eat very well), they also have excellent deals going on, such as $1 sushi on Wednesday.
I enjoy sitting at the bar to watch the craftsmen at work. These guys are incredibly skilled, as you’d expect any sushi chef to be. All of their ingredients are cut fresh in batches every few hours, placed in a cooler for all to see. Since they continually produce fresh sushi throughout the day, the ingredients don’t sit around long enough to be anything less than delicious.
To start my meal, I ordered the ginger salad. They make the ginger dressing fresh daily, so what you get is a pulpy and delicious dressing that is thick and rich without being overly sweet. The salad itself is practically a work of art, slivers of vegetables the perfect size for chop sticks. Every face of the presentation in the salad from perfectly chopped lettuce to crinkle-cut cucumbers make this $3 salad seem like a much bigger value than you pay for.
When it comes to the sushi, I decided to pick two of their big rolls, the Dragon Roll and the First Love Roll. Normally, 3 or 4 sushi rolls is what it takes to make me feel satisfied, but these rolls are approximately 30% larger than what most places serve so two rolls was just about perfect. When the plate came out, I was overcome with it’s beauty. I honestly felt bad for having to eat it, because this would be just as at home as a centerpiece of a Japanese themed home as it would in my belly. A delicate flower (edible!) topped a bit of sweet yellow ginger in the middle and a dab of Wasabi completed the center piece. The rolls ran yin and yang to the sides of the plate, complimenting each other beautifully.
The Dragon Roll, a head and tail of Tempura Shrimp with Asparagus, salmon and avocado is an artistic marvel. To look at it, you would recognize the imagery of the dragon instantly. From the first bite of fried shrimp through the last, this roll eats like a delicacy.
The First Love roll lives up to it’s name, giving me a reason to fall in love with sushi all over again. Eel fills the insides, laden with cream cheese and avocados with fresh raw salmon draped over the roll. The roll had a freshness and succulence to each bite that made me incredibly pleased. At most sushi places, I find myself drowning the sushi in soy and wasabi. Neither of these rolls needed the fodder, though I did sneak in a few small bits of wasabi after the rolls were gone because it was exceptionally hot and pungent. It’s so rare to find good wasabi that isn’t born of reconstituted paste.
Hook’s is a place that I’m putting on my short list for when I’m in St. Petersburg. Whether you’re looking for a quick and healthy snack or a whole meal, the presentation and attention to detail bring extraordinary value to an already reasonably priced meal.
Restaurant Review: Thai Corner
Nestled in Tampa’s downtown on a one way street, Thai Corner (713 N Franklin St., Tampa, FL 33602, 813-228-6801) is a hidden gem that bares a repeat performance. When I walked in, I was immediately recognized by the owner. He lives down the street from me, but I had no idea he owned this place. We exchange pleasantries and he welcomed me into his place. It was empty, as there had been rain showers coming down all day and there’s no a lot of close parking, so people don’t always go out of their way. For the food I had, they definitely should.
The environment is upscale, perhaps a bit too upscale for a guy like me. Good thing the prices were low and the service quality outstanding. The environment had traditional bamboo encased in a light green backlit backdrop, refined matched seating and delicate crystal wine glasses at each table. It’s obvious that care has gone into making this a place that anyone could enjoy themselves, regardless of how professional you might need to be or how much you need to wind down.
Great Thai is equal parts art form and quality ingredients. You have to ride that razor’s edge of what’s hot and what’s not, as a Thai person’s Hot is generally way, way too hot for a “white person”. I may be one of the few exceptions as I like it hot and made sure he knew it. The food he brought out was spicy, not knock-down-hot, but I doctored it up easily with the set of spices he brought out for me. Along with fish oil and red pepper sauce, there were also red pepper flakes and a vinegar oil. I was definitely able to accommodate my need for heat.
Service was quick, and friendly. It probably helped that the owner knew me from the neighborhood, but he came by every few minutes to check on me, refill my drink and talk to me. I decided to try something special, and he recommended the Thai Tea. Brewed three times, sweeted and mixed with cream, this layered drink has a strong tea flavor with that creamsoda head to it. This may be the greatest drink that I’ve had in years, as it was the perfect combination of sweet and tart. Every sip made me want more. Infact, as I write this, I’ve made up my mind to go back today just so I can drink more of the tea.
He brought out a round of dumplings with my tea. They were just right, a nice outer shell feel that was soft and supple while still holding the meat inside together. The meat itself was mild and watered down, as you’d expect from a dumpling, but a quick bath in the soy brought out the flavor and texture I wanted. These were good dumplings, and I’ve never been a fan of dumplings.
After a few minutes, he brought out my Pad Thai. Much like the other great Pad Thai I had just a few weeks ago in St. Pete, this compilation of fresh ingredients included all of the standards of noodles, peanuts, fish sauce, red chili pepper, bean sprouts, shrimp and coriander. The seafood was steamed just right, not overdone and not chewy. The peanuts, while used sparingly, were the right level of crunch to compliment the noodles and their heat. I ended up spooning five more spoons of red pepper sauce and some more fish oil into the mix to make it just right, but this was a great baseline to start with.
When I left, I noticed I was sweating a little bit from the heat. It was the perfect level, not “dripping from your nose and eyes teared up” hot but enough to remind me that I had just eaten a good Thai meal. Everything settled well, which is a rarity for spicy foods with me, and I’m looking forward to my next trip back.
Restaurant Review: Sushi Rock Grill
Last night, Dereck and I went to Sushi Rock Grill (1163 9th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33701, (727) 898-7625) before attending Supernova Sundays. Serving up a mix of Thai, sushi and other Asian specialties, this restaurant features both tasty food and excellent service.
I found it strange that this place was directly across the street from another sushi place. We were originally going to the other one, but they were too busy to serve us. Luckily, the move to Sushi Rock Grill was a good one.
When we came in through the door (and past the outside seating), we were immediately met with a friendly smile and were sat immediately. My first impression was that this was a very high end restaurant. Blue fabric filled the glasses and the room was dimly lit, providing a calming atmosphere. The smell of sesame oil and sushi filled the air, reassuring me instantly that this was going to be a good meal.
Our server was friendly and helpful, even offering suggestions and leading us to our final choices. Neither Dereck or I had a lot of money with us, so we opted for lower cost favorites. I had the Pad Thai and Dereck chose the Korean Bulgogi.
The Bulgogi was what Dereck described as “home cooking for me”, as his parents used to make food like this for him when he was growing up. The large serving consisted of Marinated beef sauteed in a hot and spicy Korean sauce served with sauteed vegetables with white rice. At $20, this was a decent price for a large meal that he enjoyed.
I opted for a two part dish, starting with a house salad with ginger dressing. The ginger dressing was amazing, a sweet and pulpy concentrate that brought out the lush taste of the greenery. I’ve had ginger dressing before and wasn’t impressed with it, but this was exceptional. The salad was a great start.
My main dish came out and I couldn’t be happier. Typically when I order Pad Thai, I’m overwhelmed with carbs and underwhelmed with taste. This Pad Thai may very well be the best I’ve had in Florida. Every bite has a heaping pile of oily flavor from the thai rice noodles. The bean sprouts, green onions and egg add texture that many other Pad recipes lack. The taste of peanuts were very strong in this dish, which was a welcome departure from what I’m used to.
I chose the chicken Pad Thai and I wasn’t disappointed. The chicken was tender and plentiful. My only complaint with the meal was that it simply wasn’t hot enough. When I ordered it, I was asked if I wanted “no heat, small heat or medium heat”. I ask how hot medium was and was told, “It’s very hot”. When I bit into it, it wasn’t as spicy as I like when I order Thai. The waitress brought me both a red pepper sauce and a hot oil which made it just right. With the addition of the heat, this became a perfect example of Thai cuisine.
Restaurant Review: China Garden
I’m a glutton for buffets, and china buffets tend to be the most accessible because they are cheap and everywhere. I decided to try my chance at China Garden (10019 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, (813) 968-4899) one day while I was out shopping. We got there just as they were opening, so I hoped for fresh food and lots of flavor.
When we first came in and sat down, they brought us drinks quickly. Since the food wasn’t out yet, we waited about 10 minutes before they started bringing it out.
The first set out was the soup, so I opted for some Hot and Sour soup, a favorite of mine. This soup wasn’t particularly great. It was oily and had too much fatty content floating. Even after a good stir, it still didn’t taste quite right. The mushrooms were flavorless and the broth didn’t have any of the signature sour taste I had come to expect. I ate about 1/3 of the bowl before decided to pass.
By the time I was done with the soup, I went up for my 2nd round as food was coming out.
This second round was all about protein. I pulled orange chicken, chicken wings, salmon, meat sticks and spring rolls. The orange chicken wasn’t half bad. It was sweeter than I like, but not overly done or too crunch. The chicken wings were unremarkable, devoid of taste and too oily for my liking. The salmon was absolutely inedible. It was baked in a tub of butter and water, giving it a completely disgusting and homogenous texture. The meat sticks weren’t bad, on par with the orange chicken. Lastly, the spring rolls were dry and bland.
Thinking my third plate would offer a better selection, I decided to mix it up a bit. This time, I went with barbecued pork, wontons and seafood medley. The pork was actually quite tasty. I wish I had just eaten pork, as it was the only thing I felt really good about eating. The wontons were useless, being completely noodle with very little filling. I’ve always enjoyed wontons because of the meaty center, but these were devoid of any such luxury. The seafood medley was alright, again focusing on being bland.
Kara stuck to what she knew, the orange chicken and eggrolls.
All in all, the whole experience can be wrapped up as “bland”. What do I expect from a chinese buffet anyway?
Restaurant Review: Crazy Buffet
Being that yesterday was my 29th birthday, I decided to take Crazy Buffet (2702 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33607, (813) 998-9228) up on it’s “Free Birthday Dinner” offer. Essentially, if you bring a paying guest, you get to eat for free on your birthday. It’s a pretty good deal considering that dinner is about $20/person normally and it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Crazy Buffet is billed as an “Asian Bistro” and that’s a pretty accurate description. Several sushi chefs continually produce fresh sushi for the bar, which you help yourself too. Aside from the sushi, there is a grill where chicken and steak are turned out to order. A slew of Chinese and Japanese favorites fill the back wall, as well as fresh fish, shrimp and crab. The whole process is quick, well stocked and never leaves you wanting. Even their dessert aisle is impressive, offering many kinds of cake, pie and ice cream.
I take the All-You-Can-Eat Mantra to heart, and to stomach. It’s a personal challenge to me, and for my health’s sake I don’t do it very often. But being my special day, I decided to go all out with an onslaught of steak and sushi.
Kara took it easy on her first round. The California rolls and eel sushi, shown here with pickled ginger and another unidentified but tasty roll, were as good and fresh as you’d expect. These were just made moments before by the island of sushi chefs.
I, however, didn’t take it easy. What you see here is a bacon wrapped ribeye covered in hot steak sauce, tuna sashimi, salmon sashimi, california rolls, avocado and cucumber rolls, ginger and dragon rolls.
Kara’s second plate took a lean towards traditional Chinese takeout, this time combining noodles, puffed doughed, eggrolls, sushi and more eel.
I’m pretty predictable. My second plate had two more big pieces of steak, more sashimi and more eel. You’ll see to the right my concoction of wasabi and soy sauce. That hot and salty combination is perfect for dipping. I always end up eating more wasabi than I should, and this was no exception.
To finish off her dinner, Kara decided a pile of brown sugar laden ice cream with a side of pie was in order. I couldn’t stop laughing at the ridiculousness of this combination, but she seemed to like it.
I finished off with a big bowl of ice cream and left full and satisfied. It was a mighty great birthday indeed.