soy special

There’s nothing better than eating dinner with people who are not technically related by blood but seem like they could and should be. These are the people that you would say are a step above your “friends” and the ones who bring out the best in you. They’re the people that make you forget your cell phone and that the outside world even exists- they help you escape. I’m sure there are people in your life you could think of that fit this kind of description. Well, at least I hope you can.

So long introduction short, I got to spend a special Saturday night at Sushi-O in Edison with the thing that I’ve cared about for a long time and I’m not just talking about the sushi rolls that I ate.

To start this amazing, very fulfilling meal, we ordered the miso soup and the kani salad.

The servings were HUGE. This wasn’t just a tiny bowl of miso soup but a full bowl of warm, salty broth loaded with tofu and scallions. And the kani salad wasn’t just a couple pieces of crab broken up and mixed with spicy mayo. It was an entire dish of crab mixed with this creamy and spicy condiment over a huge bed of lettuce.

To follow, we ordered WAY TOO MANY sushi rolls. This is a perfect of example of our eyes being so much bigger than our stomachs.

That was just one plate.

There’s the second.

I won’t go through and bore you by naming and explaining each one. But the bottom line of the story is… Every roll and piece of sushi is very fresh. The rolls were intricately created, designed, displayed, and eaten. The sauces mixed together forming explosions of flavor in your mouth. From spicy to cool. From creamy to crunchy textures. From fried and battered to fresh and bright. This meal fulfills all of the cravings that you may have. We were full of food and full of happiness.

I know I have written about a few sushi places in the past but I can say that Sushi-O sticks out in my mind from all of the other places around because of its creative menu. It offers more than just the typical spicy tuna roll or California roll. There are full pages in the menu with specialty rolls that have creative names and combinations of different fish, rice, seaweed, soy bean wraps, and sauces. I’m sure all of which are equally as delicious.

Check out there soy special menu at Sushi O

now sushi-me, now you don’t

After a long, cold day walking around the city, nothing sounds better than a huge plate of carbs. Okay, fine… some protein too would probably be good for me too. My favorite way to combine the two food groups is through sushi. Right off of the Metuchen Train Station is a small little place, Sushi Suzuki, that called my name.

The space is definitely small but there’s nothing small about their plates of food and flavor. I had to quickly take a picture before the plate was devoured. Now you see me…

curry up, i’m so hungry

I’m one of those people you don’t want to mess with when hungry. I have a bad attitude, I don’t find anything funny, I’m snippy, and extremely impatient. Other people just have to understand this and make sure they hang around me when I’m eating or have just eaten.

For some, I will make an exception. For some, I will wait to be seated and wait for my food to be delivered to me all while feeling joyous, hopeful, and patient. Who gets to be so lucky, you ask? Thai Kitchen I in Bridgewater, NJ.  

I don’t know why I was surprised when walking into Thai Kitchen on a Saturday night that every single table was packed and people were waiting out the door to be seated. I had read reviews and even had this as take out once before and knew it was favored by many.

Well in my favor, since their staff is so efficient and meals are cooked in what seems like almost an instant- I was seated in less than twenty minutes since entering the door. While walking toward my table, I did the whole “look at everyone’s food to see what looks good and what I want to order” bit. EVERYTHING looked SO good. EVERYONE looked SO happy. I couldn’t help but think it was directly correlated with the food they were eating. So I knew the decisions would be tough…

First…

A Thai Iced Tea. A strongly brewed tea topped with evaporated milk and served over ice. The best part is getting to stir the milk that floats on top of the tea and watching it all swirl to perfection. Each sip is refreshing, cold, a light tea flavor, sweet, and a little bit thick. It’s hard not to guzzle it all down at once. But you must not do this because Thai dishes are typically spicy so this will be the perfect beverage to cool the flames in your mouth later on. (you’re welcome)

Then…

A table full of appetizers is my kind of table. Farther away are steam shrimp dumplings. Closer to you are curry puffs.

The shrimp is delicately embraced in a thin dumpling wrapper that when steamed, tastes like a very light pasta that holds small pieces of fresh shrimp in a perfect little pouch. You could pop these in your mouth or (depending on who you are eating with) you can dip part of the dumpling into the garlic soy sauce (left) and the other part into the ginger, peanut sauce (right). The dumpling soaks up all the flavor from the sauces creating an explosion of flavor and texture in your mouth-chewy, delicate, hearty, smooth, salty, garlic-y, peanut-y, slightly crunchy.

After finishing the dumplings, I headed right into the curry puffs. Now, I have to say, I have had curry puffs from other places and I have not enjoyed them so for me I was really feeling this one out with caution. These puffs are filled with chicken, potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery. In these puffs, the curry flavor is not overwhelming at all. It’s very subtle. These reminded me of empanadas with a slightly different take- and I LOVE empanadas. To counter the flavor of the curry and flakiness of the puff pastry, it was served with a cool cucumber relish. Perfect combination. I fear the curry puff no more.

Finally…

The main event. Pa Nang Curry dish with chicken. No this is not soup. The dish comes in a bowl because chicken, onions, carrots, and bell peppers are flooded with panang curry paste, coconut milk, and lime leaves. On the side is a dish of jasmine rice. All of which are extremely aromatic and enticing.

In order to eat this dish properly, first you must lay down the steamed, jasmine rice. Then, using a spoon, you dish all of the ingredients on top of the rice. Finally, put as MANY spoonfuls of the sauce as possible so that all of the rice can soak up that flavor. The chicken was so tender. I’ve never had more tender chicken in my life- seriously. The carrots and onions are cut julienne which I think adds to presentation and to the flavor when you take a bite. It’s not like “HEY there’s a carrot and onion in your mouth!!” which can be extremely overwhelming for some. The peppers are a little bit bigger but that’s okay because they keep their freshness and crunch this way. The best part is the sauce. It has so much depth and flavor you could get lost in it. It’s thick, nutty, spicy, (take a sip of your iced tea) a little bit grainy, and sweet too. It’s just so amazing, I could have this every day of my life.

I must say that when finishing, the owner came over to the table and informed me that the dish gets even better over night because it gives the flavors even more time to blend together. She also said that sometimes instead of rice she will eat it over pasta. VERY interesting an intriguing! I always appreciate workers who pay attention to their customers. It yields towards a very comfortable atmosphere.

Heck yes I was hungry- not hangry though. Because honey, some things are just worth the wait.

For more information visit: Thai Kitchen I

take out-fake out

So, is everyone turkey-ed out? Is everyone tired of standing in the kitchen? Need a break from cooking? Cleaning? Entertaining? Can you give yourself a break now?

I have the place for you.

Meemah’s Chinese and Malaysian Cuisine in Edison, NJ. This isn’t your typical take out cuisine. So, don’t be fooled by “take out”. It’s well prepared with quality products.

My favorite dish is the chicken in garlic sauce.

jalapeno grill

((You actually have to say that pun out loud in order to get it. Try it!))

Bagels, along with macaroni and cheese, are one of the few things that I absolutely cannot say “no” to when they are in front of me. I have to have it and if I don’t, I drive myself crazy with cravings until I can have my own. So, it’s better to just cave in to the bagel and have one when I want one.

Typically, I enjoy a good everything bagel because I love all of the savory flavors that are induced into your mouth at one time. Ever since seeing the many, many awesome posts from The Bagel Store in Brooklyn, I’m on the hunt for something fun and creative in New Jersey. I’m sure nothing will beat the Bagel Store’s rainbow bagel but there has to be something different but delicious out there for me. After googling and yelping for many, many days, I finally decided that the first new bagel place I wanted to try was “Knot Just Bagels” in Woodbridge, NJ. 

Knot Just Bagels received rave reviews for their french toast bagel. And although intriguing, I was more interested in the “Cheddar Jalapeño” review.  It looked delicious with pieces of jalapeño all throughout the cooked dough and topped with cheddar cheese baked right into the center of the bagel. I had also heard from locals in the area that although their french toast bagel was the most popular, all of their specialty bagels are gone by 9am on the weekends. So, I not only had serious cravings but now a sense of urgency to fulfill these cravings.