Mariam – Page 95 – Yogurtsoda

Myung Dong Tofu Cabin

January 6, 2010January 7, 2010

At any given time, I’m probably craving Korean food. It’s just one of those cuisines that I can’t get enough of. Unfortunately, Korean food is hard to come by if you happen to be outside of the East Bay or San Francisco. All of my favorite Korean restaurants are in Oakland, but when I recently found myself in San Mateo with an insatiable craving for Korean food, I decided to try Myung Dong Tofu Cabin.

Myung Dong Tofu Cabin is located in one of San Mateo’s countless strip malls, and as the name suggests, they excel at tofu soup and stew.

Upon being seated, I was brought a tray of banchan, the delicious cold and crunchy small dishes of food that are served with every Korean meal.

Most restaurants bring at least ten plates of banchan, but here, I was served seven. That’s okay though, because I needed to save room for my tofu stew.

Next came my cauldron of hae mool soon doo boo, or seafood tofu stew.

As is standard, I cracked a raw egg into the bubbling vat of stew and gave it a good stir. It’s a good thing I added the egg too, because the stew would have probably been too spicy for me to bear without it. Eaten with a bowl of purple rice, this spicy, briny dish is the ultimate cold weather comfort food.

The prices at Myung Dong Tofu Cabin are very reasonable and the service is friendly. And while they really do excel at their tofu stews, I’ve made the mistake of ordering dishes like bulgogi here and was disappointed as the beef was dry and tough. Stick to what they do well though, and you’ll walk out more than satisfied.

Flavor Bistro

December 17, 2009

I’m probably going to get a lot of flack for saying this, but Flavor Bistro is overrated. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good, but too many people in Sonoma County talk about Flavor Bistro as if it is the only restaurant serving good-quality, local fare. When it opened in Santa Rosa a few years ago, it was an instant hit and has stayed consistently busy ever since.

I should start by saying the food is usually good. On my last visit, I ordered the butternut squash ravioli.

These ravioli were fresh-tasting and the pasta was cooked well, albeit a little too sweet for my taste.

The serving sizes at Flavor Bistro tend to be small. (Why yes, those three ravioli are considered an “entree.”) And sometimes, what you order can be a complete miss, like the duck ravioli I ordered several months ago. There was little duck to speak of.

Perhaps it’s just me, after all, Flavor Bistro’s business is testament to its popularity. And the ambiance is pleasant – a quintessential Wine Country restaurant in the heart of downtown Santa Rosa. I know I’ll be back soon enough and next time, maybe I’ll order a sandwich instead.

Tuk Tuk Restaurant

November 30, 2009

I generally stick to reviewing restaurants in the Bay Area, but Tuk Tuk Restaurant is one of my favorite places to eat in Sacramento so I’m making an exception. Besides, Sacramento is close enough to the Bay Area, so it sort of counts, right?

The first thing that stands out about Tuk Tuk is its elegant interior. Located in a newish strip mall in the Natomas area, a trendy dining ambiance is not the first thing one would expect when walking in. But the restaurant is stylishly designed with dark wood furniture, colorful pillows and dusky lighting.

The menu has all the usual Thai classics, plus a few dishes less commonly seen on Thai restaurant menus. My dining companions and I shared three entrees, starting with the pad makur.

The pad makur, or stir-fried Japanese eggplant, is extremely spicy. Like, tongue-numbing, sweat-inducing spicy. Stir-fried with loads of basil and chili peppers, the eggplant is tossed with browned ground beef before being served.

We also ordered the pra ram beef, or beef with spicy peanut sauce.

Served on top of a bed of steamed spinach, this is the go-to dish that I usually order at Thai restaurants if I’m not ordering noodles. I love peanut sauce, and Tuk Tuk’s version had a good coconut flavor to it as well.

Lastly, we sampled the rad nah, or soft rice noodles, fried noodles and chicken in a savory and spicy coconut sauce.

Tuk-Tuk’s menu describes rad nah as a “soothing food. I guess it is the warm gravy and the soft noodles.” I don’t know about soothing, but the sauce, or gravy, is indeed delicious. This was my favorite dish out of three.

I’m not nearly as familiar with the restaurant scene in Sacramento as I am in the Bay Area, but if you ever find yourself in our state’s capital and are craving Southeast Asian cusine, Tuk Tuk Restaurant is a solid choice.

Mingalaba

November 22, 2009

It’s only in the past few years that I’ve been introduced to Burmese food, and I wish that the Bay Area had more restaurants outside of San Francisco offering this delicious but underappreciated cuisine. For those in the Peninsula, there is Mingalaba restaurant in downtown Burlingame. They’re always busy, and for good reason.

During my last visit, I started with the lap pat dok, or tea leaf salad. I devoured it before remembering to take a photo, but believe me that this mixed salad of Burmese tea leaves, tomatoes, cabbage, dried shrimp, fried garlic, sesame seeds, peanuts and yellow split peas is incredible.

For my entree, I tried Mingalaba’s house special noodles:

Made of flat noodles, coconut chicken, lime leaves, yellow split pea flour, onions and fried noodles, this dish was a wonderful combination of savory, sour, salty and ever so slightly sweet.

Mingalaba offers a menu of classic Chinese dishes as well, but stick with the Burmese specialties here. Although Burmese food has been influenced by the cuisines of China, India and Thailand, it retains its own distinctive identity, particularly in its unique presentation and distinctive ingredients. While Burmese cuisine isn’t as popular yet as I wish it was, Mingalaba is doing a fine job of spreading the word.

Imperial Tea Court

November 19, 2009

Located in Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto, Imperial Tea Court can be easy to miss. Tucked away above a Asian-themed garden, the restaurant provides a welcome refuge from busy Shattuck Street. I ate here one late morning weekend, right as they were opening for lunch.

As their name suggests, Imperial Tea Court’s emphasis is on tea. While perusing their menu, I ordered a cup of Superior Yunnan Tea, and the server patiently showed me how to properly allow my cup to steep, while I ordered my lunch.

The tea was excellent, with a gentle aroma and sweet taste. A small pot of hot water allowed me to enjoy ample refills.

For lunch, I started with the chicken potstickers:

I was initially apprehensive about these since, well, chicken potstickers are usually so run of the mill. But these had a wonderfully thin and crispy wrapper, and filled with a juicy and delicate meat filling. It was hands down my favorite part of the meal.

Since it was a chilly day, I had also ordered the hand-pulled noodles in broth:

See those pepper flakes? I removed most of them before mixing my bowl and it was still almost too hot to bear. Despite the heat, the noodles were chewy and had a great texture, even if I was a little disappointed by the greens taking up most of the bowl. (Don’t get me wrong, I love my greens, but I love my noodles even more.)

Service is slow at the Imperial Tea Court, at least when I visited, so make sure you’re not too famished before dropping by. If you’re looking for a break from the crowded streets and good cup of tea though, then Imperial Tea Court is the place to go.