Category Archives: Asian

July 16, 2012 · 8:20 pm

Date and girls night

Mondays always seem to come around so quickly, but I like to see that as the sign of a great weekend. Kevin and I jumpstarted our weekend Friday evening with a trip to Shin. The weather that evening was surprisingly nice with a break in the humidity and a breeze in the air. We took advantage of the weather and sat outside. Coincidentally, Kevin’s parents drove by while we were eating. They were planning on grabbing dinner just two doors down from us at Citrus…and they were meeting my parents there. What a small world. We swung by to say hello after our meal. Is it embarrassing that our parents were out later than us?

We started out our evening with some drinks. Kevin ordered a giant beer, and I ordered lychee sake. I love the difference in our drink sizes.

Shin - Drinks

Of course, I ordered sushi at Shin. Shin is quickly becoming my favorite sushi place in Orlando. I ordered their spicy sandwich (spicy tuna and avocado between rice and bean sheets) and a rainbow roll. Shin’s sushi always tastes so fresh, and I love the originality of their menu.

Shin - Sushi

Kevin ordered the chicken katsu, which he really enjoyed.

Shin - Katsu Chicken

What a perfect start to the weekend. On Saturday, I was busy in the kitchen using two of my favorite ingredients:

eggs

bacon

I attended a girls get-together Saturday evening and wanted to bring an appetizer. My friends Katie and Sharon hosted the party, and we seem to always order deviled eggs when we go out to eat (example here, here and here), so I decided to make a homemade batch. I found a recipe for bacon cheddar deviled eggs. The recipe is super simple to follow. My only modification was that I used extra sharp cheddar cheese to really make sure the flavor came through.

bacon cheddar deviled eggs

I used a frosting piping bag and tip to fill the eggs. They were a hit at the party. Of course, I had to conduct some quality control before I served them to the girls.

plate

These are truly delicious. It was hard for me to not eat them all before the party!

How was your weekend?

6 Comments

Filed under Appetizer, Asian, Eating In, Japanese, Sushi

July 9, 2012 · 9:09 pm

Fondue and quinoa

How is it Monday again already? I have a feeling this work week will require extra caffeine after last week’s mid-week break for the 4th of July. Luckily, I took full advantage of last weekend. We got a lot of wedding details done, including going over some details with our officiate/family friend and wedding band shopping. I also finally got to lay out a little poolside, so my skin no longer looks like I live on the moon.

I spent Sunday by the pool, so what’s the most natural thing to do Saturday evening? Stuff my face, of course. Our neighbors invited us over for fondue night at their house, which was a blast. I ate way too much.

Course 1

Course 2

Course 3

I seriously felt like I was at The Melting Pot. It was probably even better than The Melting Pot because we got to make everything ourselves. Our neighbors did an amazing job with the fondue recipes. They melted down gruyere with white wine for the first course, simmered together broth, mushrooms, garlic  and probably a million other delicious ingredients a la coq au vin for the main course, and who could forget the chocolate course?

I baked up a batch of brownies, courtesy of Duncan Hines, to dip in the chocolate.

brownies

I’m so thankful that we have such fun neighbors. I feel so spoiled by their generosity. Saturday was actually Kevin’s first time trying fondue, and he probably ate his weight in steak. We were both pretty happy campers.

Tonight’s dinner was a tad lighter. I might still be a little full from Saturday! I decided to try a new recipe by using the fried rice recipe I’ve always made but with quinoa instead of rice. I learned how to make fried rice by watching my grandma, and I’ve always winged it using whatever ingredients I have on hand.

Quinoa Fried Rice

Quinoa fried rice

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 16 ounce package of pre-cooked ham, cubed
  • 2 eggs
  • Assorted frozen vegetables (I used green beans)
  • Soy sauce to taste

Directions:

Rinse quinoa thoroughly. We found it helpful to use a sifter. In a small pot, bring quinoa and water to a boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

While quinoa is boiling and simmering, heat vegetable oil over medium heat in pan and add onions. Sauté until translucent. Add ham and sauté together. Crack eggs into small bowl, and scramble with fork. Pour over onion and ham mixture. Mix to cook egg. The egg should coat the onion and ham as well as create scrambled egg bits.

Lower heat to medium low. Once the quinoa has absorbed the liquid, add to pan. Add frozen vegetables, and stir until they are soft. Season with soy sauce to taste. I used about six tablespoons, but Kevin added a little extra to his portion. Stir to incorporate soy sauce.

Serve and enjoy! This was my first time cooking with quinoa, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a little pricier than rice, but it has more fiber and is easier to digest.

Have you ever cooked with quinoa?

11 Comments

Filed under Asian, Chinese, Eating In

July 3, 2012 · 9:01 pm

Differing opinions

A few months ago, my coworker asked for a Chinese restaurant recommendation. She’s relatively new to the area, so I directed her to our go-to Chinese place, Lam’s Garden. A few other coworkers echoed my recommendation. The next day I learned that she and her boyfriend hated it.

Whoops.

I started second guessing myself. It had been a little while since I had been there. Maybe it wasn’t as good as I remember. To put my internal debate at rest, Kevin and I headed to Lam’s tonight for dinner.

Lam’s Garden has two menus: one with typical Chinese-American favorites and one with more authentic items. Kevin ordered sweet and sour chicken, and I ordered walnut shrimp. We also split chicken lo mein.

Lam's Garden - Sweet and Sour Chicken

I really like Lam’s Garden because their food isn’t as salty as most Chinese restaurants.

Lam's Garden - Walnut Shrimp

The walnut shrimp was something different but very good. The toasted walnuts added a smoky flavor. The large shrimp had a light and flaky crust then was tossed in a creamy, citrusy sauce.

Lam's Garden - Chicken Lo Mein

Even though I like that Lam’s is less salty than most places, I did find the lo mein to be slightly under seasoned. It was just a tad bland for my taste.

We ordered way too much food and have plenty of leftovers. The trip was a success, and I will continue to recommend Lam’s (with the caveat that other’s may feel differently about their food). Be warned that most of their menu items are very traditional.

Yesterday, I received the best news. My friend is out of his induced coma and mostly breathing on his own! He is still in ICU and has a long road to go, but he’s awake and seems to recognize his friends and family, although he currently can’t speak or communicate. I can’t believe so much progress has happened in just nine days. Even the neurosurgeon was surprised by how well he has been doing. It just goes to show the power of prayer and positivity. What an amazing way to start off my week.

Is there any restaurant that you love that others seem to dislike? Honestly…I love Taco Bell! I just stay away from it because I know how unhealthy it is.

8 Comments

Filed under Asian, Chinese, Mills50

June 12, 2012 · 8:26 pm

Tako Cheena

Tako Cheena is a tiny eclectic restaurant off Mills in the heart of the Mills50 district that melds together Asian and Latin American cuisines in unusual ways. This is another restaurant that everyone seems to rave about. We headed over on Saturday evening for dinner, and the place was packed. There aren’t many tables in the restaurant so it fills up quickly. We had to wait a little while, but the wait staff was incredibly friendly and brought us drinks while we waited for a table.

They serve bottled sodas, which is fun.

Tako Cheena - Diet Coke Bottle

They always have empanadas on the menu, but the filling changes daily. Their special that day was an Italian (cuisine type #3) empanada with sweet roasted red peppers.

Tako Cheena - Italian Empanada

The crust around the empanada was nice and flakey, however the red pepper sauce was a little too overpowering for the ground beef.

Kevin ordered two braised beef tacos. He wasn’t a huge fan of the flavoring on the beef. It was very sweet, and I found the meat to be a little dry.

Tako Cheena - Braised Beef Tacos

I ordered the panang curry burrito with tofu.

Tako Cheena - Panang Curry Tofu Burrito

The burrito was huge, and I really liked that it was pressed. The browned areas of the tortilla had a lot of flavor. Although I liked the flavor of the filling, it didn’t taste like the Panang curry I was used to. It almost tasted more like a peanut sauce. I found it to be overpoweringly sweet. Most of the burrito contained rice. I would have enjoyed more tofu throughout the burrito, since the tofu bits I did get were delicious. I ate half of the burrito then unrolled the rest and picked out the tofu.

Everyone seems to love Tako Cheena, but I only found my experience to be mediocre. I think I need to give it one more shot based on all the rave reviews and try a few other menu items.

I love the concept, the atmosphere and the location. Hopefully next time I’ll love the food as well.

If you could mash up two of your favorite cuisines, what types would you choose?

5 Comments

Filed under Asian, Mexican, Mills50

May 16, 2012 · 7:08 pm

Boston Bakery

I’ve been on a roll with Vietnamese food lately.  I had been wanting to try Boston Bakery in the Mills50 area since they got voted the best banh mi sandwich in Orlando by multiple polls and publications. I’ve also been wanting to try a banh mi since I heard of them. So naturally, my first banh mi had to come from Boston Bakery.

A banh mi is a traditional Vietnamese sandwich served on a French baguette with some sort of steamed meat and vegetables. Boston Bakery is located in a strip mall on Colonial Drive. I have no clue where the name comes from because it’s very Vietnamese (not Bostonian) and it’s not really a bakery. It’s a really small shop with only a couple of tables for eating, so I recommend taking your order to go.

I wanted to try as traditional of a banh mi as possible so ordered a sandwich with all the typical fixings: pork, liver pate, pickled vegetables, cilantro and jalapenos.

Boston Bakery

First of all, the bread is amazing. It’s a typical French bread, so nice and crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Upon my first bite, I learned that raw jalapenos are definitely too spicy for me. I promptly picked the rest out and continued enjoying the sandwich.

The pickled vegetables added a ton of flavor. If you think liver pate weirds you out, I challenge you to try this sandwich. The pate doesn’t stand out at all. It melts in with the bread and meat and just tastes like butter. It’s incredibly rich and delicious.

Boston Bakery 2

In general, I’m actually not a huge fan of sandwiches, but I may have found a favorite. The best part? This massive sub was only $3! I’m so happy I finally saw what all the hype was surrounding Boston Bakery and banh mis.

What is your favorite type of sandwich?

4 Comments

Filed under Asian, Mills50, Vietnamese