Wow - it's been over a week since my last blog entry! I'll "blame" it on the following:
- being sick (that's a pretty good excuse right?!?)
- The History Channel - for sucking me into a re-broadcast of the miniseries "Band of Brothers" (it originally aired on HBO in 2001 but this was my first time watching it)
- and most of all...good old PROCRASTINATION! =)
Here's a brain dump...
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About a week ago, Patty and I went to
Little Saigon for dinner. It was our second time there. We ordered Spring Rolls, Banh Xeo, and Lemongrass Chicken.
The spring rolls were fantastic. They were freshly made and served with a delicious peanut/hoisin sauce (I also tasted a hint of coconut in the sauce which made it even better).
Next up was the Banh Xeo. When the server (the owner) first dropped off this dish, I immediately wondered if she had mistakenly heard that I wanted two orders. Most places serve one banh xeo but Little Saigon serves two per order. It was really good - much better than the one I had at Noodles Ranch a few weeks ago (see my Noodles Ranch posting
here). Here's a pic (FYI - this is what Banh Xeo
should look like):
The Lemongrass Chicken was also great. We first tried this dish on our last visit and were blown away by the fantastic flavors.
The rice (Jasmine rice) was also good.
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I made halibut for the first time last week. I found this
recipe for grilled halibut w/ a butter/lime/cilantro/garlic sauce. Although I overcooked the fish a tiny bit (
oops!), it turned out pretty good - the sauce was really tasty.
This past weekend, I made french toast for the first time (using this
recipe). I'd say it was a success for my first time. Here's a pic:
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I'd been reading many good things about
Hana Japanese Eatery, a place that opened a few months ago in mid-town Phoenix. Patty and I went there for dinner last Friday.
We ordered:
- seaweed salad
- salmon nigiri
- Caterpillar roll
- Hana Pecha roll (shrimp tempura, crab, asparagus)
Sorry, no pictures - we sat at the sushi bar and I felt strange about taking pictures in front of the sushi chef/owner.
We were given a complimentary "poke chip" appetizer. Basically, some poke on top of a chip. It was good, although I think it would be better if they made the chips smaller.
The seaweed salad was good, though I thought it was a bit expensive for what you got.
The nigiri and rolls were all good. The fish tasted (and looked) very fresh.
Patty and I had the same opinion - everything was good but we weren't particularly "wowed" by anything.
For dessert, we went to
Mary Coyle's, a classic ice cream shop right across the street from Hana.
We ordered a cup of chicken noodle soup (for my cold) and a brownie sundae. I forgot to take pictures this time. Both items were good.
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Yesterday I met up w/ Matt and Hyung-Joo for lunch. Matt was in town (he lives and works in Taiwan) and I hadn't seen him since May of last year.
We went to
delux, a place I've been to many times before. In my opinion, they have the best hamburger in Phoenix.
Matt and I both ordered the delux Burger. Hyung-Joo had a fish sandwich. We got a basket of mixed fries (regular and sweet potato) to share. For drinks, we all had root beer (on tap).
The regular fries were pretty good but I thought the sweet potato fries were a bit soggy (they are usually very crispy). Here's a pic:
The burger was great, as usual. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the burger. I didn't try it but Hyung-Joo and Matt said that the fish sandwich was really good.
We met up again for dinner (w/ Patty this time) at
Bravi, a fast-casual Italian restaurant. Patty and I have been to Bravi many times before - it's one of our "go-to" places for good, reliable, and reasonably priced Italian food.
We ordered the following to share:
- Sweet Gorgonzola and Pear Salad w/ Candied Pecans
- Spaghetti w/ Marinara Sauce
- Lasagna al Forno
- Italian Sausage and Carmelized Onion Pizza
Everything was great, as usual. Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the food (must be getting old...).
It was great to see you guys! It's always nice "re-connecting" with friends that you haven't seen in a while.
Hyung Joo - I'm still cracking up from "What's the biggest Japanese holiday?"
Matt - see you again in a few weeks! (Patty and I will be going to Taiwan next month)
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I know, probably a mess to read and follow but at least I'm caught up! WOO HOO!
