Existential Eating #38

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Existential Eating #37

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Existential Eating #36

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Dinner Out @ Via Vite

We'd had a restaurant.com coupon for a while for Via Vite, and a 7:30pm concert:nova show at the Mercantile Library last night was a perfect opportunity to eat and then walk across the square to the event.  I'd heard mixed reviews, and now that I've been I'd say I'm not surprised.  There was nothing terribly wrong, but nothing excitingly right either - par for the course.

The Food:  We ordered the grilled asparagus salad to share, and then two pasta dishes - pappardelle and tortellini - for our mains.

The asparagus comes with roasted beets and goat cheese.  The presentation was nice, but that was probably the best thing.  Salt was helpful on everything we had, and in general there just wasn't much flavor popping from this plate.  Shame on us for ordering asparagus out of season, I suppose, and thankfully if you put enough goat cheese on anything it can't be horrible (and they do give you a lot of goat cheese).

We ordered the pappardelle in part because it was house-made (only a couple of the pastas are), and it comes with Italian sausage the waitress said is from Findlay Market (I'd guess Kroeger & Son's, but can't say that for sure).  It was a "pasta e fagioli," which basically means that it's got beans in it, something that I would have liked to have known initially (I just Googled it) because, try as I might, I just am not that big of a fan of beans as a main component of dishes.  There were big cherry tomatoes that had been cooked with the sauce as well, and they were one of my favorite things.  The pasta was cooked well, and overall the dish was solid, but the flavors just did not pop at all for me.  I was hoping for more.

The tortellini was another "fresh" pasta option, and it was my preferred dish.  It was very creamy, as the menu noted, and had sundried tomatoes and basil.  The tortellini were filled with what I believe was ricotta cheese, but I didn't ask so can't be sure.  The pastas were delicate and the cheese sauce was very savory.  I'd say it was a couple notches above a good macaroni and cheese (the creamy cheese sauce reminded us of mac & cheese), but again, nothing special.

The Ingredients:  There is a quote prominently on the menu from the chef saying that they "never take shortcuts and import the finest products that Italy has to offer."  I wonder where they get their tomatoes?  Seriously though, nothing on the menu about local or organic ingredients.

The Story, Setting, & Service:  The space is quite nice - open, well put together, modern and sharp without being over-the-top.  Windows onto the square are a plus, except that when seated next to the window we were cold the entire meal.  I'm generally a warm person, so if you're a cold person, definitely ask for a table away from the glass.  Service was fine, nothing notably good or bad.

If you planned ahead and got a reservation outside or upstairs overlooking the square on a busy day, I think that could be pretty cool.  On this night, it didn't add much since it was dead - in large part due to the fact it was very chilly out.

The Last Bite:  I'm not sure what I'd order if I went back - maybe try the penne with bolognese, which the waitress said was good and there are some other good reviews about.  But, realistically, I don't think we'll go back.  There are plenty of places in the same price range where I'm confident I'll get a better meal, and while Fountain Square is an understandable draw - especially if you have someone in from out of town - it's just not my thing.  Disappointing but true, this was probably our only visit.

Existential Eating #35

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Lunch Out @ T.J.'s Korean Restaurant

I walked by this place on Court Street the first time a week ago and then did a double take before stopping to go in, look at the menu, and ask the lone patron how it was.  He said great - with a look and a tone like he'd stumbled upon something that only he knew about and he was very happy about.  I was on my way to a different lunch spot, otherwise I would have tried it on the spot no question.

Today my friend/colleague and I stopped in for lunch and I am so happy this place exists!  I've lamented for a while not having a good, affordable Korean place in town - and it seems like this is going to fill the void.  Sung and Riverside are both great, but they're also both pretty expensive for an "everyday" meal.  I haven't been to Bento Korean (I've heard mixed reviews unfortunately), so that's on my list to try as well.

T.J. took our orders and was very kind and energetic.  There was a woman doing the cooking who brought us our food - she was also very nice.  We ordered "Vegetable Bi Bim Bap" (in parentheses because it also has beef in it, although that's not listed on the menu sheets) and Pork Bul Go Gi.  At $8 and $6 respectively, both had plenty of food, and T.J.'s thus propelled itself into my cheap-Asian-take-out-go-to list - Thai Express and Cilantro being my two main choices (I'm still seeking a consistent Chinese spot).

The bi bim bap comes in a large bowl with a fried egg and runny yolk - sprinkled with sesame seeds and nori pieces - on top of beautiful, separated helpings of bean sprouts, carrots, spinach, mushrooms, and beef.  All of this is on top of a mound of rice (which is not crispy as it is in the frequent variation - dolsot bibimbap, although it did definitely have sesame oil in it).  They give you a sauce on the side that is sweet and spicy and thick and brings everything together once you mix it all up.  Great flavors!  I asked if they had any tsiracha or anything for the side to spice it up even more (my friend thought it was hot enough), but I'm not sure if they understood and said no.

The pork (we split both dishes) is wonderfully juicy with this Korean barbecue-esque sauce and cooked with onions.  With rice and a small portion of snap peas and cabbage too - along with a small salad (ranch or Italian dressing options :), one pot sticker, and two bites of "T.J.s Chicken" (a sesame chicken-esque boneless bite with a thick sweetish sauce), this is an absolute steal for $6.  I thought the bi bim bap was solid, but this meat was bursting with flavor!

As if all that isn't enough, both dishes also come with a small bowl of soup - seemed like an egg drop variation.

I will definitely be back here, and probably sooner rather than later.  I want to try everything on the menu (I am posting a picture of the menu here too), but I'll certainly be getting that bulgogi again.  Get over here and help make sure this place sticks around - please!

Lunch In @ Pho Lang Thang

Count me as one of the many who waited patiently for Pho Lang Thang to open up at Findlay Market.  I had just eaten lunch prior to a trip to Findlay a few weeks back when they had a soft opening, but this weekend I knew the time had come.  I'd hoped to be wowed, or at least thoroughly pleased, by my visit, but it turns out I'm still in the boat of being patient and hopeful.  It's clear they've got some kinks to work out, and they're very new, so grace is clearly in order.

The Food:  I asked for the most flavorful thing on the menu, and the young woman at the register quickly suggested the banh mi thit nuong - a baguette sandwich with grilled lemongrass marinated meat, garlic butter mayo, do chua (pickled daikon and carrots), cucumber, and cilantro.  They asked if I wanted jalapenos and pate as well, and I went for it.  I also ordered goi cuon or "salad rolls" with sliced pork, whole shrimp, vermicelli noodles, cilantro, and lettuce wrapped in rice paper with a sauce on the side.

I hate to say it, because I wanted so much to love it, but the sandwich was disappointing.  I told them to choose whatever meat was the most flavorful, and I'm not sure if it was a mistake or on purpose, but I got mostly beef and some pork too.  Neither really stood out, so no recommendation there.  The bummer was that the sandwich just wasn't that flavorful.  Nothing popped.  Maybe it needs more of the mayo, maybe a higher ingredients to bread ratio, maybe more salt, maybe all of the above.  I put some sriracha on after I ate the first half and that helped a bit (I could barely taste the jalapenos - maybe that'll change when they're in season next year), but something was still left to be desired.

The best thing I got was the order of salad rolls.  The shrimp were perfectly cooked - not tough - and the slice of pork adds some additional weight to sink your teeth into.  The hoisin and peanut dipping sauce was pretty thick (too molasses like for my taste), and the peanuts were nearly nonexistent.  If I could have Pho Lang Thang's roll with Cilantro's sauce, I'd be especially happy.

The Ingredients:  Nothing noted about local or organic ingredients.  They do make note of some vegan and vegetarian options, which I'm sure many people will appreciate.

The Story, Setting, & Service:  Several of the initial reviews have noted this, so I guess I'm going to have to pile on.  I ordered my food at 1:20 and was told it'd be ready in 30 minutes.  That's a long time to wait for take out.  When I was told that, I thought "ok, they'll under-promise and over-deliver."  I actually waited 40 minutes.

The space they have at Findlay is quite large, with lots of tables to the right and left of the kitchen and counter.  I don't know if they have too many tables and not enough cooking space, or they haven't been well prepared (banh mi and salad rolls shouldn't require anything other than composition of pre-made ingredients), or they don't have enough staff, or all of the above.  But, they've got their work cut out for them.

The Last Bite: I think they'll get things figured out because they seemed like nice people and there plenty of good signs - a thorough menu with plenty of options, a well put together restaurant space, etc.  But, for the mean time, I'm still a Cilantro guy.  But with my office in OTR and no banh mi at Cilantro, I'm looking forward to Pho Lang Thang living up to its potential.

Dinner Out @ VanZandt Restaurant and Tavern

Cincinnati Magazine's 40 best burgers article a while back was fantastic because, even for someone like me who pays probably too much attention to dining options in our fair city, it unearthed several new places to try. One of the top choices popped out quickly for me, a Northsider now - North College Hill's ZanZandt Restaurant and Tavern, which was ranked 5th.  Sarah and I finally made it up this past week, and while I don't think it's the 5th best burger in the city, it was very good and it's worth a visit.

The Food:  We went for the burgers and we ordered the burgers.  They did have some other food on the menu, but I didn't really pay any attention.  They have an 8oz. and a 16oz. option, and then it's a build your own situation, with about 20 toppings to choose from.  Burgers start at $8 and then each ingredient adds 50 cents to a dollar.  Two burgers (fries come free) cost us $21.  But I digress...


I got my burger with bacon, gorgonzola, and sauteed onions and asked for it cooked medium.  When the meal arrives open-faced, the potato-chive bun stands out as unique and they aren't skimping on the toppings.  Cutting into my sandwich, it clearly was done past medium, and the juiciness did suffer (Sarah's was overcooked a bit too).  But, that is a relatively small quibble with an otherwise very tasty burger.  They don't do anything too special to their patties that I could tell, but this is a great tasting burger.  All of the ingredients could be identified and nothing overshadowed anything else.

I'd put this burger in the same category as a Gordo's burger, if you've been there.  Ours definitely weren't in the Terry's ballpark, but maybe the Cincinnati Magazine folks went on a particularly good night.

The fries are the kind that are battered a bit - we thought they were done in the same oil as the onion straws, and that was not a bad thing.

The Ingredients:  Nothing local or organic here that we heard about or saw.

The Story, Setting, & Service:  We arrived at about 5:30 for dinner, so there was no one in the bar area, and in the dining room in the back (which we didn't know existed at first - it's kind of hidden around a corner) there were only a couple people.  It has a bar and grill feel, with nice new decor and a a couple flat screen TVs at the bar.  The service was prompt and kind, nothing notable really.


They just celebrated their 1 year anniversary, but I hadn't heard of it until the Cincinnati Magazine article.  I haven't heard anyone talk about it, and as close as it is, that's too bad.  Hopefully the word will get out, because it'd be great to have this option near by for years to come.

The Last Bite:  I can't speak to anything else on the menu, but VanZandt is worth a trip for their burgers.  Load it up or keep it simple - either way you won't leave disappointed.

Existential Eating #34

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Lunch Out @ Mekong Thai

I've been kicking around the idea of buying an e-reader, and a buddy of mine is as well, so we scooted up to Barnes & Noble in Kenwood to check out the Nook.  We wanted to grab a lunch afterward, so I did a quick Yelp search on places close by - Mekong Thai stood out with respectable reviews, great proximity, and low prices.  I don't know how often I'll return, but the dishes we had were good, and I'd recommend it if you want an alternative to the chains in the area - whether you're a local or a shopper.

The Food:  The menu is pretty straightforward, with mostly Thai and then some Vietnamese mixed in as well. I ordered the pad kee-mao and my friend ordered the yellow curry.  We had a starter of fried tofu too.

The pad kee-mao was very tasty, and quite spicy too.  A few reviews said that they weren't joking about their heat, and I found that to be the case.  It is a 1-3 scale, and if you don't really like it hot, don't get a 3.  Others also mentioned that it was pretty oily, but I didn't find it to be that bad at all.  The noodles were well prepared - cooked, but not overly slimy like is sometimes the case - and the big pieces of basil added a nice flavor.  I found that a bit of soy sauce brought out more flavors, as is the case when you add a bit of salt and sugar to just about anything.  I went the veggie route and chose tofu to go with the broccoli and cabbage.  I would definitely order this again.

I can't say as much about the yellow curry because I only had one bite, but apparently it was quite tasty - buttery and flavorful, which I can attest to.  The fried tofu we had was simple and good as well - it came with a nice peanut sauce that we both enjoyed.

The Ingredients:  Nothing notable here - no local or organic options listed.

The Story, Setting, & Service:  The restaurant is very simple with about 10-15 booths lined up in a narrow space.  There is a TV at one end that had ESPN on at lunch time.  There must have been another TV or a radio in the foyer though, because when I noticed the sounds it was Barack Obama talking while I was clearly watching SportsCenter.  Who knows, maybe Barack just gave up and decided to pursue his true passion.

The waitress was kind and knowledgeable, and our food came quickly (it was a late lunch, so there were only a few other people there).

The Last Bite:  I'm interested in trying more of their menu, and since Trader Joe's is just down the street and it is a regular stop for us, I am likely to be in the area again.  But, I'd definitely confidently order that pad kee-mao again and be plenty happy.

Existential Eating #33

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Existential Eating #32

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Existential Eating #31

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Yelping It

I thought some of you may be interested in the fact that I've been using Yelp more lately.  It's a couple steps simpler than writing a blog post of the quality I've attempted to maintain here, and that has been attractive lately.

Here is my profile if you're interested in seeing a handful of reviews that haven't made it here to the actual blog.

If you haven't used Yelp, I'd recommend it.  I've found it to be a good community of folks that share their opinions and help you learn about new possibilities.  It certainly has vastly more functionality than Urbanspoon (although Urbanspoon has its benefits too).

Existential Eating #30

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential       Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Existential Eating #29

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential       Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Existential Eating #28

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential       Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Dinner In (the car) @ Taqueria Yolandita

I caught this place out of the corner of my eye on the way to a poker game up Queen City Boulevard a couple months back.  I didn't notice the taco truck at first, just Tienda la Centro Americana next door (a little grocery) - luckily one of the people in the car does some organizing with Latina/o folks in the city and mentioned they had tacos there, and that they were pretty good.  So, I've been wanting to go back for a while now, but never could overcome my fear of the unknown streets of the West side until tonight - and I'm glad I did.

The Food:  On the side of the trailer there are pictures of tacos, quesadillas, tortas, and burritos, each for $6-7.  The woman (could it be Yolandita of Taqueria Yolandita fame?) rattled off the standard list of taco meats available (chorizo, tongue, chicken, etc.) and we ordered 2 barbacoa, 2 carne asada, and 2 al pastor tacos - a grand total of $12.

Sarah and I both agree, the barbacoa choice was the best.  The meat was moist and flavorful and wasn't nearly as fatty as what I've gotten used to a Taqueria Mercado (which I still like, but it is a bit offputting).  Al pastor was second, with more flavor but the texture wasn't as good.  And the carne asada was our least favorite - not horrible, but definitely overcooked and pretty tough, without too much flavor.

All the tacos come traditionally with cilantro, avocado, and onion.  The key limes on the side were juicy for the squeezing, and they also put lemon and radish in the carry out container - something we hadn't seen before.  Also, both the red and green salsas were quite tasty, adding a nice burst of flavor and kick of heat to all the meats.

The Ingredients:  No idea.  Hard to imagine organic, local meat was being served - but maybe I'm just a hater (99% probably not).

The Story, Setting, & Service:  If you want a TRUE taco truck experience, this is the only one in Cincinnati that we're aware of.  I want to like Senor Roy's, but that's just not traditional (and wasn't good when I went).  All of the trucks taco or otherwise - at least that I'm aware of so far in Cincinnati, are catering to a more upscale/American clientele.  In the original sense, trucks were a cheap way to start a business and often meet some ethnic or working class group right where they're at rather than try to hold down a lease.

Taqueria Yolandita, planted squarely in the middle of nowhere on the near West side, is by all appearances as authentic as they come.  Oh, and you can buy perfume from a suitcase off the counter too if you're stopping by on your way to a hot date and need to freshen up.  It's also next door to a Mexican grocery that isn't huge, but seems to have a good little collection of foodstuffs if you're interested in more than the "Mexican" aisle at your local Kroger.  Hours are 10-6pm every day of the week, although the proprietor said she goes to church on Sunday night, so they close a little early.

This trip left us wondering if there are other gems on the West side, which really isn't far from our house in Northside at all, but we're just too afraid of getting lost to find them.  If you've got suggestions, please let us know.

The Last Bite:  I suppose we might try a burrito or torta someday, but there doesn't seem to be any reason to stray from the tacos here.  Next time, we'll likely get a whole bunch of barbacoa ones and pig out happily, knowing we're part of a very small number of people who even know this place exists (until you go and tell all your friends - which you'll probably want to).

Existential Eating #27

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential       Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Dinner In @ NorthSlice Pizza

When I heard NorthSlice was opening, we put up a post spreading the word.  Northside shines on Independence Day weekend, and that's when NorthSlice opened up.  So far, they've been rocking the pizza window - no dining room just yet.  We've had a chance to stop by for a few slices, and recently ordered a full pie.  This pizza is worth driving across town for, but thankfully, we live right around the corner!

The Food:  The only thing we've had (the only thing they make thus far, I think), is pizza.  Our classic order is pepperoni and green olives, and this time we got one half with cheese.  What stands out about this pizza stands out right away - the freshness and flavor of the ingredients really pop.  We were told before that they don't cook the sauce, and the tomatoes are a bit tangy and sweet, very good.  They go pretty light on the cheese and ingredients, which also leads to the sauce standing out.  Plenty of fresh herbs on top of the pizza add to toppings we chose.  Just as we'd been expecting, the crust is not too thick, not too thin.  But because that crust is doused in herbs and salt and crunchy cornmeal, it has a nice crunch (especially around the edges) and a great taste.  Overall, it comes together quite nicely.

The Ingredients:  When we spoke with Mike, the owner, initially, he talked about buying local ingredients, doing his own herb garden, and more.  I'm not sure how that's panned out so far.  Next time I see him I'll try to get some more info on how the sourcing is going.

The Story, Setting, & Service:  Read all about the story of NorthSlice in our original post.  We're excited that they appear to have gotten off to a good start, and are hopeful for more over time.  As I mentioned above, it's only a pizza window right now, but you can peek in at the graffiti walls and see the hip logo and know it'll be a cool hang out some time soon.  The owner is a really nice guy who has been a fixture in Northside for many, many years, and I've had nothing but smiles and kindness from the other folks I've encountered so far.

The Last Bite:  This is definitely the best pizza in Northside.  It's true that it is more expensive than NYPD, but the quality is simply far better.  Whether you're stopping by for a quick slice mid-day or late-night, or ordering a whole pizza for dinner, you won't be disappointed by the fresh flavors at NorthSlice.  For convenience plus taste, this has clearly moved into our number one ranking for pizza in Cincinnati.  Check the menu in the slideshow below.

NorthSlice Pizza

Existential Eating #26

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential       Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Dinner In @ Thai Namtip

I had a quick (unsuccessful) tryst with an Android phone, and it certainly does have some nice toys.  The Yelp app was one of them, and when we plugged in "thai" searching nearby our house, Thai Namtip came up as the closest option.  As it turns out, the map was wrong and its not as close as we thought, but since we'd already put the call-in order in, we gave it a shot.  If you're a West-sider in particular, then you'll definitely want to read on, as there aren't as many Asian options on your side of town.

The Food:  We ordered a pad thai with tofu and a panang curry with chicken over the phone, without even seeing a menu.  After snagging a to go menu, I can say they do have a full, if pretty typical, selection of dishes to choose from.

The pad thai was solid.  It didn't jump out at me in any major way.  Not as sweet as the way I like it, but you can't make everyone happy.  If you like it spicy, I'd go for a pretty high number on their scale - they didn't seem to trust me that I wanted a kick.  As for the curry, it was flavorful and had a decent stock of vegetables - cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots.  Those veggies were overcooked though, which may have simply been a function of us driving home for 15 minutes, but I don't think so.  Plenty of flavor though, and definitely not bad.

We also ordered spring rolls, which were nicely filled and crunchy.  I didn't like their sauce as much as Thai Express' (although I didn't take specific notes, so I can't remember why exactly) - Thai Express is my gold standard generally in this town.

The Ingredients:  No mention of local, organic, or sustainable ingredients.  If we ever go back, I'll ask, but I would be very surprised if this was something they do and don't publicize.

The Story, Setting, & Service:  Thai Namtip is sitting in a strip mall just as North Bend Road takes a bend, about 3.5 miles southwest of College Hill.  We got our food to go, but while it is unassuming on the outside, it is quite large and well decorated on the inside.

Probably the most surprising thing to me was that they had a sushi bar as well.  I have been seeing this more and more lately, after my recent read of Zen of Sushi, which in part discusses the expansion of American interest in sushi to the Midwest, I am especially in interested in what kind of operation they run.  Could the fish possibly be fresh?  Could the sushi chef possibly be good?  Who knows.

The Last Bite:  If you live on the west side, then this may be your best option for thai food.  As is for us, we can make it to Clifton or Hyde Park in just as much time, where there are better options, so I doubt we'll go to Thai Namtip again any time soon.  But, nice to know that the option is there.  I'd be satisfied sticking with pad thai and curry at Thai Namtip, but if I go again I'll probably give the sushi a try and branch out a bit on the menu after talking to them about any specialties they may have.

Existential Eating #25

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential       Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

How to Eat Sushi: A Book Report

I really enjoyed reading Fuchsia Dunlop's Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper recently - an autobiography where Fuchsia tells of her culinary and cultural travels over a decade or so in many of China's provinces.  So if you like one book and you want to find another one that is similar, what do you do?  I'm sure there is some sort of fancy web-based software or algorithm, but I went the old fashioned route.  I called a librarian.

See, I've been really digging the downtown public library lately - they have an amazing collection of cookbooks, and of course, much, much more.  So, now I have a couple of autobiographical food-related books on India due to some clever catalog search tools by said librarian.  And yet, my most recent book, Zen of Sushi, I found the old fashioned way - browsing the meager shelves at the Northside branch around the corner from my house.

Zen of Sushi follows a group of students at the California Sushi Academy in Los Angeles as they go through a 12 week course, and along the way you learn everything from the science to the art of sushi.  There are a whole lot of learnings in this book, but here's some quick, simple things I gleaned that I bet you might be interested in if you ever go out for sushi:

- don't rub your chopsticks together to get rid of the splinters, its considered rude
- eat at the bar so you can get to know your sushi chef, and they can get to know you
- order "omakase," putting it in the chef's hands to choose the best, freshest options for you
- it's typical to eat nigiri (rice with something - usually fish - on top of it) by picking it up with your hand - the rice may fall apart if picked up with chopsticks, but sashimi is picked up with chopsticks
- disposable wooden chopsticks are horrible for the environment, take your own or ask if they have plastic ones you can use
- miso soup comes last, not first
- dip your fish in the soy sauce, not the rice, and don't put ginger in the soy sauce
- crisp nori is prized, so if you aren't sitting at the bar don't order a typical roll because by the time it gets to you the nori will already be too moist
- ginger is for cleansing your palette between fish, not an appetizer
- eel sauce is sweet and tasty, and it's made with eel brains
- if you're interested in more of this basic etiquette, stop in at the library and read the appendix of this book - it'll take you 5 minutes

Got any food-related book suggestions?

Existential Eating #24

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential       Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Lunch Out @ Grand Oriental

After an awesome first dim sum experience in San Francisco recently, I was writing a post about it and was about to say "it's too bad we don't have a place with dim sum in Cincinnati," and then - as one should do when one wants to be sure about information on anything - I googled.  And it turns out, you can get the dim sum experience (the fact that it is an experience is key - it is more than just the food), at Grand Oriental on Fields Ertel just off I-71.  A group of six of us went this past Sunday and we had a great time - I'd recommend you try it too.

The Food:  At Grand Oriental, you don't choose food from a menu, you choose it from carts.  Each cart carries 10 or 12 options - one carries silver steaming containers, another has plates of meats and buns, another has rice soup, and the list goes on.  As each cart comes by, the waitress shows you what she has and does her best to explain what is in each dish (some waitresses spoke better English than others).  I said to our car as we were coming in that I think the trick is to be patient, review all of your options, and then choose.  But, so many things look appealing, and the people offering the food seem to want you to take it so much, that I forgot my own advice and just ordered constantly.  Thankfully, while in SF it was about $70 for 2 of us at lunch, this was $70 for 6 (you can ask the prices, but they don't have numbers right on them, so if you're not careful you could go overboard).

In our first round of choices we took sticky rice, which is (duh) sticky rice with some sort of beef and comes wrapped in a lotus leaf and was very good.  Next was BBQ pork, which is glistening red on the outside and in a brown sauce and quite tasty.  I realize only now that I did't try the ribs with black bean sauce, but I did have the bean curd meat roll and it had a unique texture that I liked and bet I would like even more if I had it again. Texture is big with authentic Chinese food, and while it may take some getting used to for many people, it is definitely worth an attempt or three.

In another wave of ordering we got shark's fin dumpling (not actually shark's fin, they just look that way - its shrimp and cilantro), which was an excellent example of how well done we've found dim sum shrimp dishes to be.  They're so succulent and delicate, never overcooked.  Jellyfish was offered, and I'd never had that, so what the heck (it reminded me of the texture of pickled radishes that is called for in some pad thai recipes - kind of firmly gelatinous - I liked it).  At some point we got some spring rolls that were normal and good, as well as two uses of the same BBQ pork - one that was cooked in a roll that was glazed with something very sweet and another in a steamed bun.  Niether of these were big hits at our table - the balance of sugar and salt didn't seem quite right.  Oh, and a shrimp and chives dumpling that was another great choice.

I'm sure I'm forgetting things - we ate a whole lot of bites.  And just as we were thinking we were done, we were brought some sesame balls for dessert - they're a doughy ball a bit smaller than a racquetball that is rolled in sesame seeds and has a sweet red bean paste in side.  It tastes almost like fig, but not so strong.  I actually like it best without the bean inside, but it was good either way.  We were sure it was over until one more plate arrived which was a delicious bite sized custard tart - just barely sweet and at the same time accentuating the egg that made the custard possible.

All in all, an excellent meal!

The Ingredients:  There is no menu on Saturdays and Sundays when they serve dim sum (although after we asked our our 20th question they gave us a list of the offerings and their prices), but there was no mention of any local or organic ingredients - and since that usually leads to higher prices, most places usually tell you, so I'm going to guess they don't use any.  But, we will definitely be back, so we'll ask next time.

The Story, Setting, & Service:  Grand Oriental is located in between a car wash and a HH Gregg (go left at the entrance after the car wash - you can't see it easily if you just came from 71), and it is easy to get lost out amongst all the strip malls.  From the outside it is nothing special, but when you walk in it is actually full of character.  Ornate walls that are carved so you can see through them are painted with reds and blacks and gold, and help the space feel cozy and expansive at the same time.

You sit down at Grand Oriental, and simultaneously your drink order is being taken as waitresses with carts are lining up around your table.  With at least 400 people at the place we ate in SF, there were at least a dozen different kinds of carts.  There were only a handful here, but that makes much more sense seeing as there were maybe 50 people in the restaurant.  Going with a group turned out to be a good decision because you get to sample a lot of food without paying too much.

The staff here was very friendly, and really seemed to enjoy that we were enjoying ourselves.  We were talking on the way home about how much of a difference that makes, when the staff enjoy themselves and smile.  One of the owners, Kenny, helped explain what several dishes were, and then happily brought us 2 desserts on the house.  He seemed to particularly enjoy our reactions to eating things that are clearly not on the average menu - I'm thinking of the jellyfish first.  Explaining that some things are acquired tastes, he told us that someday we'd like the chicken's feet too.  I believe him.  As we were paying, the other owner, Kenny's brother Henry, recommended an article from the Wall Street Journal on dim sum which I haven't read yet, but I'll check out soon.  Between the owners and the waitresses, they made this meal a lot of fun and we really appreciated it.

The Last Bite:  Other reviewers had noted that the BBQ pork was a favorite, and everyone at our table really enjoyed that dish.  But, the sticky rice, shark's fins dumpling, and bean curd meat roll were all happily gobbled up, amongst others.  The experience is different and fun, and if you haven't tried it I think you simply must.

Lunch Out @ Pomodori's

I used to pick up pizza by the slice every now and then from Pomodori's several years back, and Sarah remembered it being good many years ago, but neither of us had visited in a long, long time.  Restaurant.com provided the ridiculously cheap coupon (I think it was $3 for a $25 coupon), and we decided to give it a go.  We've visited enough pizza places in the past several months to have a pretty good idea of what spots may stay in our rotation, and it doesn't look like Pomodori's will be on that list.

The Food:  We started with the Bruschetta Caprese - a crusty ciabatta with halved grape tomatoes, bits of fresh mozzarella, and herbs.  It was fine, but there was something about the flavors that just didn't quite mesh.  It could have used more salt.  Then, about half way through eating this and deciding on pizza, we realized that the coupon makes it so you have to order $35 of food, so we ordered enough for 2 lunches for 2.

A caesar salad was our next choice, and it was straightforward and good.

For pizzas, we picked from the wood-fired choices - a "Spinach" (which is not nearly so simple - it has mushrooms, red onion, garlic, and bacon) and a traditional "Margherita."  We had a problem with the Margherita - there was a very bitter aftertaste that we are pretty sure came from the tomato sauce.  It made it hard to enjoy any of that pizza.  For a pizza place to have sauce that has gone bad, that is pretty disappointing.  Plus, the "fresh mozzarella" did not have have the consistency of what we know as fresh mozzarella.  It seemed more like the typical mozzarella you'd find often find shredded and ready for pizza topping.  But, the Spinach pizza was actually quite good.  Every bite was buttery and the crust was nicely bubbly and soft.  This was the only redeeming part of the meal.

The Ingredients:  No mention of local or organic ingredients here.  Unfortunately, as I mentioned above, while they talk about fresh ingredients on their menu in several places, we were served some not-so-fresh options.

The Story, Setting, & Service:  Pomodori's is located across the street from the humongous chunk of vacant land between McMillan and Calhoun streets in Clifton (what the heck is going on up there - weren't they supposed to build a park or something?).  It's sort of an odd shaped building (inside and out), but it has plenty of parking.  The service was fine, nothing of note.

The Last Bite:  There are so many better pizzas within minutes of Pomodori's (ZZ's, Dewey's, and Adriaticos to name a few), let alone further away, that I don't think we'll return.  But, I can see how students around UC might make the choice.  If you do go, we'd recommend the "Spinach" pizza.

Existential Eating #23

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential       Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Lunch Out @ Cathay Kitchen

After a recent trip to San Francisco, where we were blown away by an exciting dim sum lunch, as I was writing the post-trip blog post, I googled dim sum in Cincinnati.  The clearest option for dim sum (carts and all) was Grand Oriental, but Cathay Kitchen was also listed as a choice.  Since we were meeting some friends for lunch, Cathay Kitchen was a closer option (they were at the Florence Antique Mall, which was their favorite part of the trip) and we went for it.  I even called ahead to make sure they had dim sum, but I should have known better when the response was a yes, but not a confident one.  This trip turned up some respectable, somewhat authentic Chinese food - but not carts and options galore for dim sum.

The Food:  We had hoped not to order off a menu at all, but since there were no carts (more below on the setting), we settled in for a more typical meal.  The one note of dim sum on the menu was a starter of dim sum, which we ordered.  We also chose some chicken curry pot stickers and shumai dumplings, trying to recreate the multitude of appetizer options we had come in hopes of.  Then, we ordered 3 entrees to split - Mongolian beef, kung pao chicken, and sweet and sour pork.

The chicken pot stickers came first and were straightforward and good.  They came with a simple gyoza-esque sauce that was mostly soy sauce.  Next up were the shumai dumplings, which are one of the many kinds of beautiful looking bites that are about the size of a marshmallow.  The dough that holds the pork inside is twisted at the top and they came in a steamy silver container.  One member of our table (cough *Ben* cough), bit into one just a bit too quickly and then just about spat it back out it was so hot (not spicy hot, but the juices inside the dumpling were scalding).  After learning from that mistake, we all made little holes to let out some steam and then enjoyed the dumplings just fine.  Lastly, the dim sum, which was made up of two different dumplings - one was a light shrimp offering and the other was some sort of sausage with water chesnuts that looked like a little tree stump.  Both of these were just OK in my opinion.

Our three entrees came out and we dug in.  The Mongolian beef was probably my favorite option - the meat was very tender and along with stir-fried onions and chili peppers it had just a bit of a kick.  Kung pao chicken (which I've been meaning to cook for a while, as it is Ezra Klein's favorite - and then I just learned his recipe was adapted, just barely, from Fuschia Dunlop's) is a simple dish, and they did a nice job with small, succulent pieces of chicken to go with the peanuts and chilies in a brown sauce.  I led our dining team astray a bit with the choice of sweet and sour pork.  I was imagining some of the pork I'd been reading about at over-the-top Chinese banquets, not pork that was battered just like sweet and sour chicken at Panda Express at the mall.  It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't very exciting either.

The lunch specials also came with egg rolls, which were standard.

The Ingredients:  Nothing listed as local or organic here, and the language barrier was pretty substantial with our server, so I don't think we would have gotten far in asking.  If we ever return, maybe we'll try.

The Story, Setting, & Service:  Cathay Kitchen is smack dab in the middle of a strip mall, just off the interstate.  It's next to an empty storefront and several other small businesses.  We walked in to a completely empty dining room at noon (which did have about 5 tables full at 1:30 when we left).  Needless to say, this is not a place you'd likely come for a romantic dinner (even if the website tells you that's the case).

Our server was kind and smiled sheepishly just about every time we talked (the language barrier was substantial).  There was another staff person who came over to answer some of our questions when we asked about what was the most authentic on the menu, what she liked, that sort of thing.

The Last Bite:  It's highly unlikely we'll be back to Cathay Kitchen because it is so out of the way for us and doesn't have anything special that we could tell.  If it was in Cincinnati and within 10 minutes of Northside then it just might be the best Chinese restaurant around (until I try Chung Ching in College Hill, which I've heard is good).  If we do go back, we'd probably stick to the Mongolian beef.

Tasty Links #14

These links are awful old, but that doesn't make them awful.  I've been not posting this for too long...

1)  The politics of sustainability in academia (hat tip: Twilight Greenaway)  They'r complicated - and the Farm Bureau has a lot to do with it.
2)  A great review of Farm Fresh Delivery by wine me, dine me.  Another excellent option to increase your local food consumption, especially if you're busy!
3)  Maybe you caught this in Saveur, but Barry Estabrook's explanation of how food get's to your plate is very cool.

And now your video - very loosely connected to food...

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

Dinner Out @ Yat Ka Mein

I had been to Yat Ka Mein one time several years back, and since that was before I was really, truly paying attention to what I was eating, and certainly before I'd read Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper and been really interested in Chinese food, it was time for a return visit.  I've been on the lookout for some authentic options, and I was hoping this visit might take me in the right direction.  A recent trip to Cathay Kitchen in search of dim sum did not turn out as planned (post coming soon), but Yat Ka Mein did not disappoint - in fact, it was very good!

The Food:  Taking a quick scan of the dinner menu, Yat Ka Mein has a good mix of typical American Chinese options - sesame chicken, sweet and sour chicken, etc.  But, they've also got enough things you probably have not heard of that made me believe their might be a higher level of authenticity here.

We ordered the brisket soup, ho fun with chicken, and veggie fried rice (so we'd have something with a bit of vegetables).  The ho fun came out first, and it had tender chicken, thick tasty noodles, and was was covered in a light gravy-like brown sauce.  I added sriracha to give it a kick, while the crisp bean sprouts and carrots add texture.  Our brisket soup followed quickly, and had a lightly aromatic broth (I bit into a small piece of anise that gave away that secret).  This was very good - Sarah tasted first and said "oh, you're going to like this."  Meat was flaking apart, and went well with the Chinese broccoli and thin ramen-esque noodles.  Finally, the fried rice was simple and tasty and came with lots of veggies - we found zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, onion, napa, bean sprouts, peas, scallion, and carrot.  It tasted super fresh, and was the best fried rice I've had in quite some time.

To top it all off, even the fortune cookies tasted good!

The Ingredients:  There was nothing on the menu about local or organic ingredients.  Par usual, we'll have to ask the next time we come.  It always feels like it would be an extra imposition/hassle to ask about ingredients on the first trip to a place, especially one where you're paying $8 for an entree.  But, ask we will - on the next trip, and then we'll update the post.

The Story, Setting, & Service:  Sitting in the same strip mall as the Aveda Institute and Penn Station, it would be easy to live around the corner from Yat Ka Mein and never give it a second thought.  It's also a stone's throw from Wild Ginger and Lemon Grass - two Thai places - and a handful of other restaurants.

They proudly advertise "noodles for your noodle," and their kids menu is "for the growing noodle," showing their sense of humor.  Our server was very nice, and had a jovial, helpful energy.  He said their Cantonese, but they have food from several Chinese provinces as well as other places across Asia.  If you're in the neighborhood, they deliver for $2 as well. 

The Last Bite:  Yat Ka Mein offers a simple, pleasant ambiance and kind service.  The food is fresh and tasty, and has some great flavors happening.  We'll definitely order the beef brisket noodle soup bowl again - the meat was tender, the broth had great depth, and the anise made it a bit aromatic as well.  Interesting flavors that are not easy to find in Cincinnati.

Lunch Out @ Lucky John Slow Market

Lucky John Slow Market opened in Walnut Hills within the past year or so, and serves a lunch/early dinner menu along with its offerings as a local market with everything from produce to household items.  We went in on a quiet Thursday for a late lunch recently, and found the food to be quite good.  With minimal foot traffic in their area, it will be interesting to see how LJSM does, and how well they are embraced by the surrounding neighbors.  Their commitment to local, sustainable food is definitely to be applauded!

The Food:  Even though I was a vegetarian for a few years, when I see a menu that is all veggie, I do get a bit worried.  I've been to enough places in town with a vegetarian where the options are super weak, that I'm a bit gun shy I suppose.  But, with the "haute vegetarian movement" on the rise, where vegetables are being discussed as the next pork belly, it's about time there are more solid options in town.  And from what we can tell, these are indeed those solid options.

I ordered the BLT with "bacon," which the server described as being one of the most flavorful dishes on the menu.  It had fresh heirloom tomatoes that were great, as well as a garlic mayo and black pepper jam that gave it some interesting kick.  In fact, I would have liked more of those condiments.  The fake bacon wasn't an offense to the real thing, and while it was a bit tough, it did add a nice texture of crispness to go with the soft oat nut bread.  I wouldn't rave about it, but this is a nice lunch option, especially for a vegetarian.

Sarah chose the chick pea and spinach wrap, which came with paneer, roasted peppers, and seasonal herbs inside.  This was the big winner of our lunch - it was very flavorful, full of fresh ingredients, and was filling without being heavy.  Also, I'd never had paneer (a cheese probably most famously a part of saag paneer at your local Indian restaurant) used in that way, and thought it was done quite well.

Lunches come with side options as well, and we chose the kale.  It was lightly dressed with a vinaigrette and the vegetable was bright green and extremely fresh.  We got a bit burnt out on greens from our CSA last year, so it was refreshing to have them be so tasty.  There were also a handful of green grapes on each of our plates.

The Ingredients:  Many of the ingredients are sourced locally, and are available for purchase in the store that the cafe sits in.  The menu doesn't explicitly state where everything is from, but they seemed to happy to answer any of our questions.  We were glad to see another local option for buying local produce and other sustainable products.

The Story, Setting, & Service:  As I mentioned above, we went on a Thursday at about 1pm, and Walnut Hills was very quiet at that time.  There was one other pair of diners at LJSM when we were there, and they were in a lively conversation with the chef/owner's son.  I was on the lookout for the owner's son, because one of LJSM's vendors' (Trades Point Creamery) sales folks I've exchanged some emails with had been talking up both the place and the idea behind it, and in the process had mentioned that the owner's son was likely soon coming back from New York City, where he went after going to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

The interior of LJSM is simple and eclectic at the same time, and with just a couple of booths, it is cozy as well.  The service was very nice, and while we'd heard concerns that they lived up to their name a bit too much and that food was very slow to arrive, we didn't have that problem.

The Last Bite:  Lucky John Slow Market is worth a stop, especially if local food is a priority for you, and even more so if you are a vegetarian or love vegetarian food.  We'll likely return to LJSM, but it's hard to imagine it being a frequent stop because its not super convenient for us Northsiders.  The spinach and chickpea wrap is great go to ordering option, one we happily endorse.

Existential Eating #22

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below.  Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry.  If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential       Eating comic strip.  Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Dinner In @ Lemon Grass

Lemon Grass is solid, dependable, and makes Sarah's favorite pad thai in town to date.  Lately we've been using it as a take out option, but they also have space to dine in.  This post has been in draft form for a long minute, so I'm glad it is finally making its way to you!  It's a simple one.

The Food:  As I said above, Sarah loves the pad thai at Lemon Grass (it reminds her of the pad thai she loves best, at her old haunt in Sarasota called Thailand), while my favorite continues to be at Thai Express.  And Sarah was out of town when I made this order, so this is a Gavin only review, and I tend to enjoy Lemon Grass' curries the most.

I ordered a pad thai, spring rolls, and sesame noodles, although my typical order is curry (I am especially a fan of their massaman).  The starter, sesame noodles, was very sweet and covered in a thick peanut sauce.  There was a crunch from the scallions and iceburg lettuce at the bottom of the to go container, and small bites of chicken on top.  I usually think of sesame noodles as being a round lo mein-style, but theirs are made with a flat egg noodle, and sprinkled with black sesame seeds as garnish.  The noodles were a bit overcooked too unfortunately.

I had straightforward but good spring rolls and dipping sauce (which is thicker than the sauce at Thai Express), and then ate the pad thai.  Lemon Grass' version of this thai standby has quite a bit of egg, and has noodles that I felt were less sticky, but more slimy in texture.  Also, their pad thai is not nearly as sweet as at Thai Express.  They also use a bit of cilantro, and I've found that I need to go a bit higher on the spicy scale at Lemon Grass then at other spots locally to get something as hot as I like it.

The Ingredients:  There's nothing on the Lemon Grass menu about local or organic ingredients.  I'll have to ask on the next trip.

The Story, Setting, & Service: The interior is very simple - no frills, and smells great.  It's always calm and quiet inside, and yet there always seem to be people coming through.  I've gone many, many times and have never had a wait.  The service is straightforward.  Maybe most important of all, Lemon Grass is open Sundays and Mondays, making it one of the few options to choose from on both of those days.

The Last Bite:  Honestly, most of the time we end up at Lemon Grass because it's the only place open - it's become a Sunday dinner option a few times recently.  I've never had anything bad at Lemon Grass, and that consistency means something these days.  Plus, with reasonable prices and a favorite Thai dish as well in our household, we will certainly be back.  Do you have a favorite Thai place we should try?