If you read this blog, you know that Flavors Indian Cuisine is one of my favorites. Well, that may be changing. I went there a few weeks ago with my mom, and it was totally different.
I went during the week, instead of a weekend. When I got there, there seemed to be a nice Indian couple running the place. But there was a Hispanic server and the person who brought my food from the kitchen was Hispanic. Usually it's Indian guys.
The food was not good. The samosas were the same as normal, but I don't know if they make them on-site or just fry them on-site. Same for the naan. I got my normal Korma, which I love, and mom got Curry. The Korma was really pale and I'd ordered it medium heat and there was no heat. Mom's Curry was supposed to be medium, and she said parts of it were spicy and parts of it weren't. It was very thin and you could see tomato pieces in it. It didn't taste right either.
Anyway, I'm disappointed.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Monday, August 8, 2016
Havana Tropical Grill Restaurant
This place is located in Rogers, kind of on the NE corner of Walnut and 13th. There's a Waffle Hut on the corner, and some kind of Rent-A-Center place, and then a little strip mall next door. Havana is in that strip mall.
The place is nicely decorated with wood and kind of an Afro-Caribbean theme. When you walk in, there's a bunch of tables. The restaurant wraps around the side where there's a bar, and I didn't really see past that. There were several TVs around the bar.
I was getting a little hungry when we arrived, about 4:30 pm on a Saturday. And that means my blood sugar was dropping. So I was a little annoyed by how loud the music was. That's mostly just me - I carry earplugs for just that reason. After a bit they turned it down. Frank said it was probably loud because we got there during the lull time.
A young guy showed us to a table and gave us menus. Then a woman came around to get our drink orders. Guy delivered the drinks, and woman took our food order, and guy delivered the food.
The ice tea was okay, but not great. Frank couldn't tell the difference, but he's not a connoisseur. We ordered the Cuban Sampler and the Cilantro-Lime Shrimp.
Oh my god! I've never had Cuban food before, but it was amazing! The smells passing by our table were driving us nuts before we even got our food.
Here's the sampler:
We were supposed to meet up with friends, who ended up having to cancel. So we'll probably be back with them really soon! Overall, I'm going 4-1/2 stars. The food was that good. The pork in the sampler was outstanding. I'm not sure what all of the spices are in Cuban food, but now I really want to find out!
The place is nicely decorated with wood and kind of an Afro-Caribbean theme. When you walk in, there's a bunch of tables. The restaurant wraps around the side where there's a bar, and I didn't really see past that. There were several TVs around the bar.
I was getting a little hungry when we arrived, about 4:30 pm on a Saturday. And that means my blood sugar was dropping. So I was a little annoyed by how loud the music was. That's mostly just me - I carry earplugs for just that reason. After a bit they turned it down. Frank said it was probably loud because we got there during the lull time.
A young guy showed us to a table and gave us menus. Then a woman came around to get our drink orders. Guy delivered the drinks, and woman took our food order, and guy delivered the food.
The ice tea was okay, but not great. Frank couldn't tell the difference, but he's not a connoisseur. We ordered the Cuban Sampler and the Cilantro-Lime Shrimp.
Oh my god! I've never had Cuban food before, but it was amazing! The smells passing by our table were driving us nuts before we even got our food.
Here's the sampler:
Picadillo
Lechon Asado
Ropa Vieja
Black beans
Maduros (sweet plantains)
Here's my shrimp:
Shrimp with lots of garlic
Black beans
Tostones (green plantains)
The food was incredible! The spices were wonderfully done and melded well together. The maduros plantains went perfect with Frank's dish, while the tostones were just right with mine.
We were supposed to meet up with friends, who ended up having to cancel. So we'll probably be back with them really soon! Overall, I'm going 4-1/2 stars. The food was that good. The pork in the sampler was outstanding. I'm not sure what all of the spices are in Cuban food, but now I really want to find out!
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Huong Que
This is a relatively new Vietnamese restaurant in Rogers. I cannot tell you how excited I am to have 4 freaking Vietnamese restaurants in Benton County!!! This one is on Dixieland, just north of Walnut. There's a strip mall with a few Hispanic markets, a panaderia, and an Asian market.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures, so it's just my words this time.
This place is located in the center of the strip mall. When you go in you can go right or left. To the right is the restaurant. To the left is pool and billiards, some machines (video poker?) and the beginnings of a karaoke area. They're still fairly new, and it looks like the left side isn't complete yet.
Now, this is a small restaurant in a strip mall. It's a little bare bones. There's tiled carpet and the walls are pretty bare. It's a long and narrowish space, with the cash register at the back, with a big TV over it. No music. There were some tables for 4 down the middle, most of them pushed together. Tables for 2 were spaced along each side wall. The tables had napkins in a dispenser, chopsticks, straws, and condiments.
There was a kid watching a baby at the cash register when we arrived, which definitely means a family-run restaurant. In my experience, that's a good thing! A lady came out and we grabbed a seat and got menus. I had heard there's a "secret" menu for Vietnamese customers. I asked, but it's not in English. She offered to translate, but we figured since it's our first time, we'd use the regular menu.
The menu is a bit small. It's got all the basics: pho, bun, sandwiches, spring rolls, etc. I got hot jasmine tea and Frank got iced jasmine. I ordered the spring rolls, but I asked if I could get fish sauce instead of peanut sauce. I got the bun, which came with grilled pork, pork skins, maybe pork belly, and a cut up egg roll. Slightly different from my normal bun. Frank got the pork soup.
The spring rolls were really good. And Oh My God, the fish sauce!!! Finally!!! The lady brought the fish sauce out in 2 bowls, and it had garlic and peppers in it. She asked if that was what I wanted and I was like Hell Yeah! Okay, I didn't say that out loud. But I could smell the fresh garlic in it and the sauce itself. When I've gotten fish sauce at Miss Saigon Pho and Pho Thanh, it just tasted really watery. This was exactly what I was looking for and I dipped my spring roll in it like a madwoman!
My bun came out in the bowl and was also really good. It had chopped up carrots, bean sprouts, and some chopped cucumbers. But no lettuce. I was actually kind of glad. I like the bun at Miss Saigon Pho, but it seems to have a ton of lettuce in it. I poured the rest of my fish sauce over my bun and I was in hog heaven.
Frank had the pork soup and it was what he calls his normal pho. It had many thick slices of pork loin, 4 shrimp, 4 pieces of squid, and 2 quail eggs. Plenty of noodles. Parsley, bean sprouts, and lime. Frank says, "There was no basil, but I didn't miss it." There were also "no fucking jalapenos." Frank doesn't like those in his veggies. He also didn't have to add fish sauce to the soup. Overall, it was yummy.
Overall, everything was yummy. The total bill was $24. Service was a little slow at times, but it was one woman running everything and checking the kitchen. And everyone was really friendly. We will definitely be back! I'm going 4 stars and right now this is my favorite Vietnamese place in Benton County.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
DeVito's of Eureka Springs
A friend and I went there during the week. We were wandering around Eureka and needed something to eat so we had lunch there. This is still pre-season for Eureka, so they weren't packed. We got a nice table by a window and ordered.
When you walk in, there's a bar, and you go right to the restaurant section. The front section only has about 6 tables, but there's also a back section. I didn't peek, so I don't know how big that is.
I got the California Club with Cole Slaw and ice tea, and she got a Monte Cristo with Potato Salad.
I enjoyed it. I had them hold the gorgonzola. There was a lot of romaine lettuce on it. Some bacon, but not as much as I expected. And the chicken seemed to be sliced off of a chicken breast, which I really liked. The cole slaw was of the tarter variety, not the sweet kind. The ice tea was decent.
The Monte Cristo was made panini-style and my friend said the potato salad was really creamy, like it was also made with milk. She wasn't entirely sure what type of dressing came on the side, but she said it tasted home made and was good.
Overall, it was decent. The server had a few problems, like not knowing who had which food or which bill (or which change). Nothing really stands out though. Three and half stars.
When you walk in, there's a bar, and you go right to the restaurant section. The front section only has about 6 tables, but there's also a back section. I didn't peek, so I don't know how big that is.
I got the California Club with Cole Slaw and ice tea, and she got a Monte Cristo with Potato Salad.
I enjoyed it. I had them hold the gorgonzola. There was a lot of romaine lettuce on it. Some bacon, but not as much as I expected. And the chicken seemed to be sliced off of a chicken breast, which I really liked. The cole slaw was of the tarter variety, not the sweet kind. The ice tea was decent.
The Monte Cristo was made panini-style and my friend said the potato salad was really creamy, like it was also made with milk. She wasn't entirely sure what type of dressing came on the side, but she said it tasted home made and was good.
Overall, it was decent. The server had a few problems, like not knowing who had which food or which bill (or which change). Nothing really stands out though. Three and half stars.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Cafe Amici
Cafe Amici is located in the Bella Vista Country Club, but it is open to the public, not just to Bella Vistans.
Okay, so a friend of mine loves Cafe Amici,and she knows I food blog, so she asked me to eat there with her and blog about it. Unfortunately, I didn't like it.
We showed up at 11am, on a sunny weekday in January. It's quite a large area. There's 2 sides to it, one with a bar. And the lower section is right in front of the windows, with a great view over the golf course.
When we arrived, we were the first ones there for lunch. The tables were covered in white tablecloths, which my friend said were new. As soon as we sat, the server brought us some glasses of water. The silverware was rolled up in the napkin, along with the straw.
The service was really slow. I mean, really slow. At one point my friend even got up and whistled to try and get some attention. We ordered when the server brought the water, otherwise it might have taken forever. When the food was ready, she brought it out, but after that she vanished again. My friend went searching for an ice tea refill, but couldn't find a pitcher. Eventually the server showed up and we asked for refills. It took forever for her to return, which is when my friend started whistling to attract anyone's attention.
When we were ready to leave, we sat around, waiting, and finally gave up and went up to the cash register. A different server came out and said we could pay at the table. We said our server had vanished, so she found her in the kitchen so we could check out.
The food was okay. I ordered the Chicken Marsala, which came with a salad. My friend tried to order blue cheese dressing, but was told they didn't have it anymore because the servers were wasting it. (They put the dressing on the salad for you.)
Here's a picture of my meal. Tell me if you notice anything wrong with it.
Did you find it? Apparently, the noodle portion of your dish is spaghetti with sauce. The bread was pretty good. The marsala was okay, if a bit strong and buttery. Probably because there were no noodles with it. Even the spaghetti was alright. But how hard is it to keep a pot of noodles with butter going, that you can throw some marsala over? Especially if you're keeping the spaghetti going for every plate.
Overall, I was not impressed. I'm giving it 2-1/2 stars. The food was okay. The service was really bad. Someone said they hire people with disabilities to work there, which is great, but you still need to train them. Our waitress didn't know how to take an order. She just stood there and stared at us. We finally started telling her our order. When I placed my order, she wrote it down, and stared at me. I had to ask if it came with a salad. And then what the dressings were. It was very odd.
The place had been open for a while by then, but apparently no one is training the servers. The servers seem to take your order, then reappear when the salad is ready, then reappear when the main meal is ready. Otherwise, they seem to hide out in the kitchen, where you can't reach them. If they can fix their server problem, I would consider going back to give them a second chance.
Okay, so a friend of mine loves Cafe Amici,and she knows I food blog, so she asked me to eat there with her and blog about it. Unfortunately, I didn't like it.
We showed up at 11am, on a sunny weekday in January. It's quite a large area. There's 2 sides to it, one with a bar. And the lower section is right in front of the windows, with a great view over the golf course.
When we arrived, we were the first ones there for lunch. The tables were covered in white tablecloths, which my friend said were new. As soon as we sat, the server brought us some glasses of water. The silverware was rolled up in the napkin, along with the straw.
The service was really slow. I mean, really slow. At one point my friend even got up and whistled to try and get some attention. We ordered when the server brought the water, otherwise it might have taken forever. When the food was ready, she brought it out, but after that she vanished again. My friend went searching for an ice tea refill, but couldn't find a pitcher. Eventually the server showed up and we asked for refills. It took forever for her to return, which is when my friend started whistling to attract anyone's attention.
When we were ready to leave, we sat around, waiting, and finally gave up and went up to the cash register. A different server came out and said we could pay at the table. We said our server had vanished, so she found her in the kitchen so we could check out.
The food was okay. I ordered the Chicken Marsala, which came with a salad. My friend tried to order blue cheese dressing, but was told they didn't have it anymore because the servers were wasting it. (They put the dressing on the salad for you.)
Here's a picture of my meal. Tell me if you notice anything wrong with it.
Did you find it? Apparently, the noodle portion of your dish is spaghetti with sauce. The bread was pretty good. The marsala was okay, if a bit strong and buttery. Probably because there were no noodles with it. Even the spaghetti was alright. But how hard is it to keep a pot of noodles with butter going, that you can throw some marsala over? Especially if you're keeping the spaghetti going for every plate.
Overall, I was not impressed. I'm giving it 2-1/2 stars. The food was okay. The service was really bad. Someone said they hire people with disabilities to work there, which is great, but you still need to train them. Our waitress didn't know how to take an order. She just stood there and stared at us. We finally started telling her our order. When I placed my order, she wrote it down, and stared at me. I had to ask if it came with a salad. And then what the dressings were. It was very odd.
The place had been open for a while by then, but apparently no one is training the servers. The servers seem to take your order, then reappear when the salad is ready, then reappear when the main meal is ready. Otherwise, they seem to hide out in the kitchen, where you can't reach them. If they can fix their server problem, I would consider going back to give them a second chance.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Flavors Indian Cuisine
If you liked the old Taj Mahal restaurant on Walton (which is now Miss Pho Saigon) then you're in luck! They're still here. They had to move and are now called Flavors Indian Cuisine.
We went there on a Saturday, about 5pm. They had just opened and were a bit slow. There was a jug of water on the table, labeled as Culligan. The menu is gigantic! It takes a long time to go through it all. And there is a huge vegetarian section, too. I recommend viewing it ahead of time.
There are booths on the outside of the room and tables on the inside. It connects to an area next door, which is their party room. I think the lunch buffet is there, too. There was Indian MTV of some variety playing on the TVs.
We ordered Vegetable Samosas, Lamb Curry (a la carte), Naan, and Goat Saag (thali). You have the option of ordering A La Carte, which is your curry and a bowl of rice, or Thali, which comes with rice, naan, soup, dessert and some other stuff. You'll have to see the pictures below.
The Vegetable Samosas were great! They were actually kind of spicy, which I'm not used to. They came with tamarind and mint sauce. Well, they called them chutneys, but they were more like a sauce.
The Lamb Curry was really good. I ordered it Medium, which was just right for me. I could taste the heat, but it wasn't so hot that I couldn't eat it. The lamb was "diced" into small pieces, kind of like small stew meat size. My basket of Naan had 4 pieces (a full round naan).
Frank had the Goat Saag. It was also in small pieces, but his had some bone in it, too. He figured that wasn't unusual if you were hacking up a goat joint. Also, check out all the stuff in the Thali selection below! There's rice, naan, some kind of soup - maybe lentil, some yogurti thing, and fried okra.
The okra was sliced up and fried in a skillet, not deep fried. And it was really good. It looked kind of weird, like it might be burnt, but it was delicious. No slime! Frank put some yogurt stuff on it and that was good too.
Frank got his goat Hot, and the waiter warned us it was Indian Hot. We found it amusing, because we're used to spicy foods, but if you're from this area or the Midwest, please be careful how hot you order your food. The Hot was very hot, because Frank had a good burn and his nose was running.
The food was really good and the ambiance is fine. The old building was orange on the outside and this one is orange on the inside. The service was a bit slow, but they had just opened for supper, so I don't hold it against them. They don't currently have a takeout menu, so use the website for any To Go orders. Overall, I'm giving them 4 to 4-1/2 stars.
Quality Update: https://laurenseatingout.blogspot.com/2016/09/flavors-update.html
We went there on a Saturday, about 5pm. They had just opened and were a bit slow. There was a jug of water on the table, labeled as Culligan. The menu is gigantic! It takes a long time to go through it all. And there is a huge vegetarian section, too. I recommend viewing it ahead of time.
There are booths on the outside of the room and tables on the inside. It connects to an area next door, which is their party room. I think the lunch buffet is there, too. There was Indian MTV of some variety playing on the TVs.
We ordered Vegetable Samosas, Lamb Curry (a la carte), Naan, and Goat Saag (thali). You have the option of ordering A La Carte, which is your curry and a bowl of rice, or Thali, which comes with rice, naan, soup, dessert and some other stuff. You'll have to see the pictures below.
The Vegetable Samosas were great! They were actually kind of spicy, which I'm not used to. They came with tamarind and mint sauce. Well, they called them chutneys, but they were more like a sauce.
The Lamb Curry was really good. I ordered it Medium, which was just right for me. I could taste the heat, but it wasn't so hot that I couldn't eat it. The lamb was "diced" into small pieces, kind of like small stew meat size. My basket of Naan had 4 pieces (a full round naan).
Frank had the Goat Saag. It was also in small pieces, but his had some bone in it, too. He figured that wasn't unusual if you were hacking up a goat joint. Also, check out all the stuff in the Thali selection below! There's rice, naan, some kind of soup - maybe lentil, some yogurti thing, and fried okra.
The okra was sliced up and fried in a skillet, not deep fried. And it was really good. It looked kind of weird, like it might be burnt, but it was delicious. No slime! Frank put some yogurt stuff on it and that was good too.
Frank got his goat Hot, and the waiter warned us it was Indian Hot. We found it amusing, because we're used to spicy foods, but if you're from this area or the Midwest, please be careful how hot you order your food. The Hot was very hot, because Frank had a good burn and his nose was running.
The food was really good and the ambiance is fine. The old building was orange on the outside and this one is orange on the inside. The service was a bit slow, but they had just opened for supper, so I don't hold it against them. They don't currently have a takeout menu, so use the website for any To Go orders. Overall, I'm giving them 4 to 4-1/2 stars.
Quality Update: https://laurenseatingout.blogspot.com/2016/09/flavors-update.html
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Miss Pho Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant
This place just opened up in Bentonville and we've been itching to try it! We went there about 5pm on a Sunday. They're open 7 days a week, from 10:30 am - 9:00 pm. The place is so new I had to add them to Urban Spoon, and their website doesn't appear to quite be up yet.
This used to be an Indian restaurant, I think it was Taj Mahal. It was orange. The outside has been repainted and the inside has been redone, but no extensive changes have been made. There is a large, brightly lit sign advertising them and a drive-thru window.
There are booths around the outside walls and tables in the center. Vietnamese music plays in the background, and there's a large flat screen TV behind the register, which was showing some kind of Asian show.
The wait staff was very friendly and many of them had English as a second language. There were also a lot of Asians getting to-go orders. We ordered hot tea. They were out of Jasmine so we had green instead.
Frank got the H4 which is Egg Noodle with Wonton Soup. The soup is described as "Clear or egg noodles with BBQ pork, shrimp, squid, crab meat in chicken broth, served with bean sprout, lime, jalapeno, cilantro." He really liked it! The crab was Krab, which is fairly typical. And he said the wontons were sort of like shumai; they were twisted up, not how he was expecting them. There were 4 shrimps, 3 pieces of squid, 3 Krab, 2 quail eggs and a buttload of pork! The quail eggs were soft boiled and tasty!
I got the B5 Grilled Pork and Grilled Shrimp. It's described as "Vermicelli noodle with lettuce, mint, cucumber, carrot, daikon pickle served with homemade fish sauce." It was also tasty! There where 4 shrimp. These weren't the tiny shrimps either, they were a bit larger. I did have to peel the tails off. The shrimp and pork were grilled very nicely. The homemade fish sauce was rather mild, and there seemed to be more noodles and less veggies than I'm used too. I still haven't decided if that's good or bad.
We were so excited to be eating Vietnamese that I almost forgot to order Spring Rolls! I had to call waitress over again and order some. And the food came out really fast. I got my Bun before the Spring Rolls came out. We were so stuffed from eating our food that we got Spring Rolls to go. And Frank got his broth to go too! I haven't eaten the Spring Rolls yet but they look really good. We got the A1.
They did have a vial of regular fish sauce at the table, but I forgot to try it. Frank put some in his broth and it tasted yummy! Also, they give you real wooden chopsticks, not the cheesy break-apart kind.
Overall, we really liked the place. I'm giving it 4 stars. I believe I gave other Vietnamese place in Bentonville 4 stars as well (it's just a few doors down from this one). I will say, the quality seemed better at Miss Saigon Pho. It was very clean and crisp looking. We will be going back soon!
This used to be an Indian restaurant, I think it was Taj Mahal. It was orange. The outside has been repainted and the inside has been redone, but no extensive changes have been made. There is a large, brightly lit sign advertising them and a drive-thru window.
There are booths around the outside walls and tables in the center. Vietnamese music plays in the background, and there's a large flat screen TV behind the register, which was showing some kind of Asian show.
The wait staff was very friendly and many of them had English as a second language. There were also a lot of Asians getting to-go orders. We ordered hot tea. They were out of Jasmine so we had green instead.
Frank got the H4 which is Egg Noodle with Wonton Soup. The soup is described as "Clear or egg noodles with BBQ pork, shrimp, squid, crab meat in chicken broth, served with bean sprout, lime, jalapeno, cilantro." He really liked it! The crab was Krab, which is fairly typical. And he said the wontons were sort of like shumai; they were twisted up, not how he was expecting them. There were 4 shrimps, 3 pieces of squid, 3 Krab, 2 quail eggs and a buttload of pork! The quail eggs were soft boiled and tasty!
I got the B5 Grilled Pork and Grilled Shrimp. It's described as "Vermicelli noodle with lettuce, mint, cucumber, carrot, daikon pickle served with homemade fish sauce." It was also tasty! There where 4 shrimp. These weren't the tiny shrimps either, they were a bit larger. I did have to peel the tails off. The shrimp and pork were grilled very nicely. The homemade fish sauce was rather mild, and there seemed to be more noodles and less veggies than I'm used too. I still haven't decided if that's good or bad.
We were so excited to be eating Vietnamese that I almost forgot to order Spring Rolls! I had to call waitress over again and order some. And the food came out really fast. I got my Bun before the Spring Rolls came out. We were so stuffed from eating our food that we got Spring Rolls to go. And Frank got his broth to go too! I haven't eaten the Spring Rolls yet but they look really good. We got the A1.
They did have a vial of regular fish sauce at the table, but I forgot to try it. Frank put some in his broth and it tasted yummy! Also, they give you real wooden chopsticks, not the cheesy break-apart kind.
Overall, we really liked the place. I'm giving it 4 stars. I believe I gave other Vietnamese place in Bentonville 4 stars as well (it's just a few doors down from this one). I will say, the quality seemed better at Miss Saigon Pho. It was very clean and crisp looking. We will be going back soon!
Long Hiatus
Okay....it's really been a while since I posted. I have been going out and eating, I just haven't been updating the blog. Partly it was because of the photos. I've gotten used to showing photos of my food, and I really enjoyed it. Then I got a new phone in 2012 and it was such a pain in the butt to get the pictures off of it!
My old phone, I just plugged it in and it worked like a hard drive. My new phone required much more effort. I had to plug it in to my computer, then tell the phone that I had plugged it in. Then tell the phone I wanted to use it as a device. That took a LOT longer than it sounds like it should. Or maybe I had to tell the phone first, then plug it in. All I know is that I kept doing it the wrong way. And once it was done the wrong way I had to reboot the phone before I could do it the right way. And even if I did it the right way, sometimes it didn't work.
Anyway, now I have another phone and I can transfer my pictures over WiFi. So hopefully I'll be blogging more!
My old phone, I just plugged it in and it worked like a hard drive. My new phone required much more effort. I had to plug it in to my computer, then tell the phone that I had plugged it in. Then tell the phone I wanted to use it as a device. That took a LOT longer than it sounds like it should. Or maybe I had to tell the phone first, then plug it in. All I know is that I kept doing it the wrong way. And once it was done the wrong way I had to reboot the phone before I could do it the right way. And even if I did it the right way, sometimes it didn't work.
Anyway, now I have another phone and I can transfer my pictures over WiFi. So hopefully I'll be blogging more!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
May Hong
This is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Albuquerque. But first, some background and disclaimer. I used to live in Albuquerque and May Hong opened up shortly after I moved there. We started eating there the first week they opened, and for about a year, we were regulars and ate there once a week. It was also some of my first Vietnamese food.
The place is small, with about 10 booths around the outside walls and 8 tables in the center. The booths are the originals from 1999, and are starting to show their age. They have some kind of Vietnamese pop/rock playing in the background.
They have really good soups here, so Frank got some kind of chicken soup. It comes with noodles and a side of sprouts and greens (cilantro, etc.) to put in it. The serving is huge - it was great!
I got the vermicellli (bun) with grilled pork and shrimp. In the past, this came on a platter with the vermicelli in woven mats and large pieces of lettuce, and you would make lettuce wraps out of everything. This time, it came in a large bowl, with loose noodles and the lettuce and cucumbers were all chopped up. You also get a side of fish sauce. [When I was in Houston, the Vietnamese restaurants I ate at there all used bowls, too.] It tasted great!
We also got an appetizer of spring rolls. These are the noodles and grilled pork and shrimp and mint rolled up in the clearish wrap. And the fish sauce was a bit spicy too, and delicious.
They have ice tea, but it's Jasmine tea with a slice of lime. It was okay.
So, how do they rank now, compared to 1999? If I hadn't been there before, I would say it was really very good Vietnamese food. But since I have been there, I compare it to how it used to be. The food still tastes really good, but the quality has gone down slightly, possibly because of the recession. That said, I'd still give them at least 4 stars now. They're much better than any Vietnamese place I've eaten at in Northwest Arkansas. So, 4 to 4-1/2 stars. Oh, and did I mention our bill? Total cost $23!!!
The place is small, with about 10 booths around the outside walls and 8 tables in the center. The booths are the originals from 1999, and are starting to show their age. They have some kind of Vietnamese pop/rock playing in the background.
They have really good soups here, so Frank got some kind of chicken soup. It comes with noodles and a side of sprouts and greens (cilantro, etc.) to put in it. The serving is huge - it was great!
I got the vermicellli (bun) with grilled pork and shrimp. In the past, this came on a platter with the vermicelli in woven mats and large pieces of lettuce, and you would make lettuce wraps out of everything. This time, it came in a large bowl, with loose noodles and the lettuce and cucumbers were all chopped up. You also get a side of fish sauce. [When I was in Houston, the Vietnamese restaurants I ate at there all used bowls, too.] It tasted great!
We also got an appetizer of spring rolls. These are the noodles and grilled pork and shrimp and mint rolled up in the clearish wrap. And the fish sauce was a bit spicy too, and delicious.
They have ice tea, but it's Jasmine tea with a slice of lime. It was okay.
So, how do they rank now, compared to 1999? If I hadn't been there before, I would say it was really very good Vietnamese food. But since I have been there, I compare it to how it used to be. The food still tastes really good, but the quality has gone down slightly, possibly because of the recession. That said, I'd still give them at least 4 stars now. They're much better than any Vietnamese place I've eaten at in Northwest Arkansas. So, 4 to 4-1/2 stars. Oh, and did I mention our bill? Total cost $23!!!
Twisters
This is an Albuquerque chain, and we always go to the one on Juan Tabo, near the interstate. If you've never had a New Mexico breakfast burrito, then you've really never had a breakfast burrito. Twisters offers a huge variety, with different meats and chiles. My personal favorite is a relatively new creation, the El Nino breakfast burrito for kids. Every time we visit Albuquerque, we buy a huge pile of breakfast burritos for our drive home (it's about 12-13 hours) and that's literally all we eat on our drive home.
So, the El Nino. Supposedly this is a child-sized burrito, but it's much bigger than anything you get from your regular fast food places. If I'm hungry, I can just eat 2 of them. The ingredients are Carne Adovada and fried potatoes. Carne Adovada is pork that is slow roasted/stewed in New Mexico red chile sauce. Combine that with fried potatoes in a burrito and you have heaven! I swear, Carne Adovada is addictive! The last time we were in Albuquerque, I had El Ninos for 7 out of the 8 days we were there! That's how good they are!
The El Ninos cost about $2 each. The regular breakfast burritos on the menu run more like $4.50 each. Before you freak out about the price, remember, these are not the little skimpy fast food burritos you are used to. These are real breakfast burritos that are designed to fill you up. So you get plenty of food for your money.
I also like to get my green chile chicken chimichangas here too. They are really big and very tasty!
I haven't eaten inside in years, usually we just go to the drive-through. The service is generally fast and friendly. And they now carry sweet tea too! So I'm going to give them 4-1/2 stars.
So, the El Nino. Supposedly this is a child-sized burrito, but it's much bigger than anything you get from your regular fast food places. If I'm hungry, I can just eat 2 of them. The ingredients are Carne Adovada and fried potatoes. Carne Adovada is pork that is slow roasted/stewed in New Mexico red chile sauce. Combine that with fried potatoes in a burrito and you have heaven! I swear, Carne Adovada is addictive! The last time we were in Albuquerque, I had El Ninos for 7 out of the 8 days we were there! That's how good they are!
The El Ninos cost about $2 each. The regular breakfast burritos on the menu run more like $4.50 each. Before you freak out about the price, remember, these are not the little skimpy fast food burritos you are used to. These are real breakfast burritos that are designed to fill you up. So you get plenty of food for your money.
I also like to get my green chile chicken chimichangas here too. They are really big and very tasty!
I haven't eaten inside in years, usually we just go to the drive-through. The service is generally fast and friendly. And they now carry sweet tea too! So I'm going to give them 4-1/2 stars.
Los Cuates
Unfortunately, this restaurant is in Albuquerque, not NWA. I've labeled this restaurant as New Mexican, not Mexican, because there is a difference. That difference is Chile!
We went to the restaurant on Menaul Blvd, for a late lunch. They have a number of lunch specials, but these specials make you choose between rice or beans; you don't get both. So I opted for a regular entree and got one of my favorites: a green chile chicken chimichanga.
Everyone probably knows what a chimichanga is by now - a fried flour burrito. Well, when you're in New Mexico, you also get a choice of chile to put on your order - red or green or both. If I remember correctly, it's the same chile pepper, but the green chile is green because it's harvested early. The red chile is after the green has ripened. There's a huge chile industry in New Mexico and these chiles are NOT the same as you get elsewhere in the US, like in California. If someone tells you they're the same, they're wrong.
Anyway, back to the food. They brought out the ubiquitous salsa and chips, but their salsa was so hot I couldn't eat much. The ice tea was okay.
The chimichanga was amazing! It was huge, and the chicken wasn't dry but nice and moist. The green chile was a bit mild, but that's fine because it tasted great! Mine came with a side of guacamole, which was also good. The beans and rice were your basic beans and rice.
Frank got a burrito that consisted of ground beef and fried potatoes. He said it was well seasoned and since it was the lunch special, larger than he was expecting.
Overall, I liked the place. The only problem was that the service was really slow. But very friendly! But the food was good enough for 4 stars.
[I don't think I have photos for this one.]
We went to the restaurant on Menaul Blvd, for a late lunch. They have a number of lunch specials, but these specials make you choose between rice or beans; you don't get both. So I opted for a regular entree and got one of my favorites: a green chile chicken chimichanga.
Everyone probably knows what a chimichanga is by now - a fried flour burrito. Well, when you're in New Mexico, you also get a choice of chile to put on your order - red or green or both. If I remember correctly, it's the same chile pepper, but the green chile is green because it's harvested early. The red chile is after the green has ripened. There's a huge chile industry in New Mexico and these chiles are NOT the same as you get elsewhere in the US, like in California. If someone tells you they're the same, they're wrong.
Anyway, back to the food. They brought out the ubiquitous salsa and chips, but their salsa was so hot I couldn't eat much. The ice tea was okay.
The chimichanga was amazing! It was huge, and the chicken wasn't dry but nice and moist. The green chile was a bit mild, but that's fine because it tasted great! Mine came with a side of guacamole, which was also good. The beans and rice were your basic beans and rice.
Frank got a burrito that consisted of ground beef and fried potatoes. He said it was well seasoned and since it was the lunch special, larger than he was expecting.
Overall, I liked the place. The only problem was that the service was really slow. But very friendly! But the food was good enough for 4 stars.
[I don't think I have photos for this one.]
Duffer's Cafe
This is a small restaurant in a strip mall in Bella Vista. I went there for an early lunch one day, and returned with my husband to get his impressions too. They're open from 6 am - 3 pm.
It has a good atmosphere. There are tables scattered throughout the place, with a few nooks and crannies if you want to be more isolated. The menu is hanging in large print on the back wall, and there are daily specials too. You order towards the back right of the restaurant, and pay when you order. They give you a cafeteria tray and a flag with a number on it. Then you get your own drinks and silverware and grab a seat. Put the flag in the holder on the table so they can find you. They also have pastries in a case by the cash register. And there are coffee pots on the left side of the restaurant, so you don't have to walk across the room when you need a refill.
Frank got a half-Reuben with a side of potato soup. He said the Reuben had lots of dressing, but it was a decent dressing. And he really liked the potato soup.
I had a small fried chicken tender salad. It came with mushrooms, craisins, coated walnuts, and 2 small slices of cheese. The tenders were okay, but the coating wasn't my favorite. We also got a small piece of cranberry bread and orange bread. I think they came with my salad. The cranberry bread was pretty good, but the orange bread was a little generic.
Overall, I liked the place. It's a small, local business and the food is decent to good. Four stars.
[If I find the photos I took, I'll post them later.]
It has a good atmosphere. There are tables scattered throughout the place, with a few nooks and crannies if you want to be more isolated. The menu is hanging in large print on the back wall, and there are daily specials too. You order towards the back right of the restaurant, and pay when you order. They give you a cafeteria tray and a flag with a number on it. Then you get your own drinks and silverware and grab a seat. Put the flag in the holder on the table so they can find you. They also have pastries in a case by the cash register. And there are coffee pots on the left side of the restaurant, so you don't have to walk across the room when you need a refill.
Frank got a half-Reuben with a side of potato soup. He said the Reuben had lots of dressing, but it was a decent dressing. And he really liked the potato soup.
I had a small fried chicken tender salad. It came with mushrooms, craisins, coated walnuts, and 2 small slices of cheese. The tenders were okay, but the coating wasn't my favorite. We also got a small piece of cranberry bread and orange bread. I think they came with my salad. The cranberry bread was pretty good, but the orange bread was a little generic.
Overall, I liked the place. It's a small, local business and the food is decent to good. Four stars.
[If I find the photos I took, I'll post them later.]
Friday, March 15, 2013
I'm still here . . .
I've been to a few places I haven't reviewed yet, because I just started up my Who Knew? NWA site. Stay tuned for Duffer's Cafe in Bella Vista and Hibachi Grill in Rogers.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Whole Hog Cafe
We went to the one in Bentonville, towards the end of a UA football game. This is another restaurant where you place your order at the front and they call your number. You get your own drinks and silverware. There were 6 booths, a bunch of tables, and some bar stools, too.
I got sweet tea and it ended up being unsweet, but not bad. We both ordered the Pulled Pork, because, let's face it, pulled pork rules! It was moist and tender, and not a strong flavor. The Potato Salad was one of those loaded baked potato style ones. The Coleslaw was good. Too many places have really crappy coleslaw, but I liked this one; it wasn't too sweet. The Baked Beans were okay.
It gets interesting with the sauces. There are 6 of them in a container on your table, and you have the option to ask for a really really hot one at the order desk. We tried most of the 6, but didn't bother with the 7th one. I liked #1 because it was sweet and tangy. Frank used #3 and said it was good on the beans, that it added some good heat. They had different flavors, from maple to mustard, which I really liked. I got a brownie for dessert and it was very good.
Overall impressions: Not bad. This is a chain restaurant, and for a chain it was pretty good. But it wasn't outstanding. The people were friendly. They actually messed up my sandwich by adding the coleslaw to it, but they fixed it very fast. I think the main problems for us were that acoustically it was very noisy, and there's no real service. You get all your own stuff, including your food. Also, I've just heard so much hype about this place and how awesome their food is, that I was expecting it to be better. Don't get me wrong - it is good barbeque! But I didn't think it was great barbeque. So, because of the hype and no-frills and their side dishes, I'm going to have to say 3-1/2 stars.
Note: Photos to be added.
I got sweet tea and it ended up being unsweet, but not bad. We both ordered the Pulled Pork, because, let's face it, pulled pork rules! It was moist and tender, and not a strong flavor. The Potato Salad was one of those loaded baked potato style ones. The Coleslaw was good. Too many places have really crappy coleslaw, but I liked this one; it wasn't too sweet. The Baked Beans were okay.
It gets interesting with the sauces. There are 6 of them in a container on your table, and you have the option to ask for a really really hot one at the order desk. We tried most of the 6, but didn't bother with the 7th one. I liked #1 because it was sweet and tangy. Frank used #3 and said it was good on the beans, that it added some good heat. They had different flavors, from maple to mustard, which I really liked. I got a brownie for dessert and it was very good.
Overall impressions: Not bad. This is a chain restaurant, and for a chain it was pretty good. But it wasn't outstanding. The people were friendly. They actually messed up my sandwich by adding the coleslaw to it, but they fixed it very fast. I think the main problems for us were that acoustically it was very noisy, and there's no real service. You get all your own stuff, including your food. Also, I've just heard so much hype about this place and how awesome their food is, that I was expecting it to be better. Don't get me wrong - it is good barbeque! But I didn't think it was great barbeque. So, because of the hype and no-frills and their side dishes, I'm going to have to say 3-1/2 stars.
Note: Photos to be added.
Aroma
This is a Pakistani-Indian restaurant in a strip mall in Bentonville. It's fairly small. There were 7 four-person tables, and 2 larger tables. The buffet is up front and is also a little small. This is more of a "hole-in-the-wall" type of place.
We got there a few minutes before supper officially started, so most of what we ate was actually the remains of the lunch buffet. And it was still good! There was no one about, so we sat ourselves and then got our own drinks. I'm not sure if you usually get your own drinks or not, but it is very small, and a family-run place. The buffet officially started at 6 pm, but they were running about 15 minutes late. There only seemed to be one person there, so we understood.
My favorite was the Chicken Qorma. It was really good and actually hot, too! They also had a Chicken & Mutton Biriyani, something called Nahri (I hadn't heard of that one before) and some Egg Curry. The owner came around and brought us some fresh Samosas and fresh buttered Naan. They were both excellent. Overall, the flavors were good and some dishes had a lot of spice!
It's a bit hard to judge the restaurant because we were still eating the leftover lunch buffet. But that was good enough for 4 stars. Provisionally, they might even go 4-1/2 stars for the fresh buffet.
Note: They do take credit cards, but the receipt did not have a tip line.
Note: Photos to be added.
We got there a few minutes before supper officially started, so most of what we ate was actually the remains of the lunch buffet. And it was still good! There was no one about, so we sat ourselves and then got our own drinks. I'm not sure if you usually get your own drinks or not, but it is very small, and a family-run place. The buffet officially started at 6 pm, but they were running about 15 minutes late. There only seemed to be one person there, so we understood.
My favorite was the Chicken Qorma. It was really good and actually hot, too! They also had a Chicken & Mutton Biriyani, something called Nahri (I hadn't heard of that one before) and some Egg Curry. The owner came around and brought us some fresh Samosas and fresh buttered Naan. They were both excellent. Overall, the flavors were good and some dishes had a lot of spice!
It's a bit hard to judge the restaurant because we were still eating the leftover lunch buffet. But that was good enough for 4 stars. Provisionally, they might even go 4-1/2 stars for the fresh buffet.
Note: They do take credit cards, but the receipt did not have a tip line.
Note: Photos to be added.
Pho Thanh
This place is in the old Taco-Tico building on Walton Boulevard. It's a bit bare bones. There are napkin dispensers on the tables and small tables throughout the area. Classic rock was playing when we were there.
I often measure restaurants by their tea. The ice tea here was a bit off, but not too bad; I could drink it. We ordered spring rolls which come with a peanut sauce. They were good, and had lots of shrimp in them. I prefer fish sauce with my rolls so we got some of that too. It was really good - I was actually wondering if was home made.
For dinner I had the Grilled Pork and Shrimp Bun (noodles). It was pretty good. It came in a big bowl with veggies and I poured a lot of fish sauce over it.
Frank had a soup with pretty much everything in it. It was a dark broth, but it was light and rich. Frank said it had a good flavor and wasn't Americanized. There were a variety of textures too, so he felt it was done properly. He liked it a lot better than the Chinese/Vietnamese place on College in Fayetteville (Red Saigon?).
Overall, it was pretty good. There were a lot of Asians eating there, which I always think is a good sign, and a lot of people coming in to pick up orders. And there was a ton of food. We really enjoyed it, and have gotten takeout several times since them. Four stars.
Note: Photos to be added later
I often measure restaurants by their tea. The ice tea here was a bit off, but not too bad; I could drink it. We ordered spring rolls which come with a peanut sauce. They were good, and had lots of shrimp in them. I prefer fish sauce with my rolls so we got some of that too. It was really good - I was actually wondering if was home made.
For dinner I had the Grilled Pork and Shrimp Bun (noodles). It was pretty good. It came in a big bowl with veggies and I poured a lot of fish sauce over it.
Frank had a soup with pretty much everything in it. It was a dark broth, but it was light and rich. Frank said it had a good flavor and wasn't Americanized. There were a variety of textures too, so he felt it was done properly. He liked it a lot better than the Chinese/Vietnamese place on College in Fayetteville (Red Saigon?).
Overall, it was pretty good. There were a lot of Asians eating there, which I always think is a good sign, and a lot of people coming in to pick up orders. And there was a ton of food. We really enjoyed it, and have gotten takeout several times since them. Four stars.
Note: Photos to be added later
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Who Knew? NWA
Be sure to check out my new blog: Who Knew? NWA. I'm compiling a list of parks, fairs, festivals, lakes, caves, etc. that you can visit in Northwest Arkansas. I'll also post my reviews after I've visited them.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Zary's Acropolis
I love gyros and hummus (although I prefer Lebanese) so I've really been wanting to try this place. I went with my mom and my cousin, right in the middle of lunch, on a weekday. The place has booths around the outside, with tables on the inside, and it was seat yourself. There was also a bar at the back. It was a little warm inside. It wasn't full or anything, but the server was not that friendly.
We ordered 3 chicken gyros, ice tea, and hummus. The tea was a little bitter.
The hummus was a bit bland, by our standards. My mom said in her experience the Greek hummus is blander than the Lebanese hummus. We added lots of lemon juice to it. The pita bread was warm and a bit thick - it was good.
The gyro came with french fries, which were fine. The gyro had chicken, lettuce, onion, tomato, and sauce on it. It was okay, but nothing special.
Overall, if you're looking for Mediterranean food, I would eat here. But I did find it a bit generic. 3-1/2 stars.
We ordered 3 chicken gyros, ice tea, and hummus. The tea was a little bitter.
The hummus was a bit bland, by our standards. My mom said in her experience the Greek hummus is blander than the Lebanese hummus. We added lots of lemon juice to it. The pita bread was warm and a bit thick - it was good.
Overall, if you're looking for Mediterranean food, I would eat here. But I did find it a bit generic. 3-1/2 stars.
Panda Express
I go to the one on Walton Blvd. And after reading the reviews on Urban Spoon, I was really shocked! Most of the reviews were negative, which is completely the opposite of my experience there. Granted, I only use the drive-thru, but even those reviews were negative.
I've been to this Panda a number of times over the last few months, and every time they've been friendly and courteous, and relatively fast. Occasionally they've heard my order incorrectly over the speaker, but I put that down to being new and training people.
Their food is relatively good. I don't like all of it, but I love the Orange Chicken. It's a little sweet and has some spice to it too. The fried rice is okay, but I didn't like their noodles. I usually just get the steamed rice. The egg rolls are a bit generic, but not bad. Frank has eaten a number of different dishes from there and liked them all.
On the back of the receipt is a phone number for a survey, which only takes a minute or two and gives you a free entree, if you order a 2-entree meal. I've been so pleased with Panda Express, especially considering that it's fast food, that I'm giving them 4 stars. It seems like I'm going to a totally different place than everybody else.
I've been to this Panda a number of times over the last few months, and every time they've been friendly and courteous, and relatively fast. Occasionally they've heard my order incorrectly over the speaker, but I put that down to being new and training people.
Their food is relatively good. I don't like all of it, but I love the Orange Chicken. It's a little sweet and has some spice to it too. The fried rice is okay, but I didn't like their noodles. I usually just get the steamed rice. The egg rolls are a bit generic, but not bad. Frank has eaten a number of different dishes from there and liked them all.
On the back of the receipt is a phone number for a survey, which only takes a minute or two and gives you a free entree, if you order a 2-entree meal. I've been so pleased with Panda Express, especially considering that it's fast food, that I'm giving them 4 stars. It seems like I'm going to a totally different place than everybody else.
Eastern Hibachi and Grill Buffett
West Monroe, LA
In general, I'm not that fond of Chinese buffets. In my experience, they tend to be rather bland and Westernized. That said, this one is okay. They have the usual Chinese decorations and red tassels, there are booths and tables to choose from, and there was some kind of Chinese sounding instrumental flute music playing.
Food-wise, they had large and small noodles, which I appreciated. There's sushi, which seems to come standard on Chinese buffets these days. Overall, the food was okay, the ice tea was okay. It was your regular generic Chinese buffet. 3 to 3-1/2 stars.
In general, I'm not that fond of Chinese buffets. In my experience, they tend to be rather bland and Westernized. That said, this one is okay. They have the usual Chinese decorations and red tassels, there are booths and tables to choose from, and there was some kind of Chinese sounding instrumental flute music playing.
Food-wise, they had large and small noodles, which I appreciated. There's sushi, which seems to come standard on Chinese buffets these days. Overall, the food was okay, the ice tea was okay. It was your regular generic Chinese buffet. 3 to 3-1/2 stars.
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