Category Archives: Asian

Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck, aka the restaurant in the ball

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Hi I’m so sorry I’ve been neglecting poor TFG, but I’ll be back in the swing of things SOON I hope. I hate not posting regularly on here, but such is life, right? Wedding planning is just baaarely beginning and so are many other things, but that’s for another day. Right now I’m focusing on squeezing in a blog post before I meet a friend for a margarita!

Last week my Dad came into town and took us to two nice restaurants. The first one I will tell you about is Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck.

Five Sixty

What: upscale Asian

Where: downtown Dallas

It’s been on my bucket list for years, so it was such a treat to get to take the elevator all the way up to this scenic spot in Dallas.

For those of you who don’t live in Dallas, you take an elevator all the way up what is called Reunion Tower (a.k.a. the ball) and once inside, the restaurant actually revolves a full 360 degrees every 54 minutes or so. It. was. trippy. But awesome.

We started with martinis.

They took about 45 mins to get them to us. But we weren’t too phased because of the awesome view that was constantly changing every minute.

Ryan and I both started with their white tuna roll. It was a little bit spicy, the fish was high quality, but the flavor and texture was a bit odd. The raw crunch of the asparagus almost catches you off guard–it’s nice to have a little crunch, but this is a huge contrast to the rest of the roll.

This is their calamari. Ryan didn’t have the best review on it, noting the calamari was extremely bland and had to ask for a side sauce to spice things up.

I had the chicken dumplings with a peanut sauce. This was a TINY dish as it was on their sushi menu, but I was expecting a little more for the $16 or $18 that it cost.

My Dad had their Wild King Salmon “Hong Kong Style”. It was a nice flavorful dish.

For dessert we had the Baked Alaska, and sadly, it did not come out on fire. But that’s ok. The merengue on the outside was great, as was the strawberry sauce. I was less than impressed with the dessert as a whole–the ice cream had that icy texture that reminded me of freezer burn. Time for some fresh ice cream in that freezer!

Overall, it’s a great experience up there in “the ball”. We left happy, but when reflecting back on the meal, it was so overpriced for not even great food. The service was just ok, but the view was spectacular.

Bon Appétit,

That Foodie Girl

A little Akumal, Mexico eatery called Gynn’Ak

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Hi, I’m back!

I went from Las Vegas, Nevada (stayed at the Cosmopolitan Hotel)

and then to Akumal, Mexico

It was my last spring break ever, so I figured I’d get two great spots in.

I apologize for my absence, but once I get the time back, I’ll be devoting much more time to TFG. I missed you all!

Some things I came back with from SB 2012:

  • a nice sunburn patch on my shin
  • a beautiful seashell Ryan found on the beach for me
  • some sand in my suitcase
  • relaxed muscles due to a beachside massage (thanks Laura!)
  • and finally a more functional left foot. (hallelujah)

I’ve got so many exciting posts for you all, so first we have:

Gynn’AK (pronunced [jean-awk]) <— ha don’t laught at my phonetics

Where: Akumal, Mexico

What: Thai/Mexican cuisine

A quaint little 5ish table restaurant in the heart of Akumal, Mexico rests Gynn’AK, the culinary product of Gynna Sainz. Cousin of Ryan Wolfe (my boyfriend), Gynna has been cooking for a long time and was formally trained at culinary school as well. She started out as a caterer and private chef, but she’s now open for business and is also rated #1 on Trip Adivsor.

She cooks the food, she seats you and her doggies and kitties will happily join you at your feet. It’s a warm place (quite literally) for an ice cold ginger lemonade and her house special: the lion fish. I started off with the hibiscus tea, better known as “Agua de Jamaica” if you want to sound like you know what you’re talking about.

Lion fish have said to have been released from an aquarium somewhere, and they now take over the seas in places like Akumal. Because their spines are poisonous, they dominate most sea life. Gynna and her family took it upon themselves to hunt each and every lion fish down, and she even serves it up at her restaurant.

I was all fished-out, so I went with her coconut curry chicken tacos with a side of the (amazing) Thai slaw. The slaw was the best part–slightly tangy with a crunch.

If you’re lucky, she will serve you the food herself. If you’re luckier, she’ll take a break from her lunch rush to sit and eat a bite herself:

Be sure to stop by if you’re near the Riviera Maya.

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

 

Thai curry crock pot dinner

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As promised, I now have the results of my first Crock Pot dinner. It was a little over a week ago, and Ryan and I had the boys over for dinner. Since this recipe makes 6 servings, it was the perfect amount and we even had leftovers the next day.

This dinner made for a great veggie-ful meal, and was very filling when served over rice. Only thing I’d recommend would use red curry paste, not yellow curry sauce. We used sauce thinking that would work, but it was rather bland. We had to top our bowls off with extra sauce and a pinch of salt.

Thai Curry Veggies & Chicken (from The Vegan Slow Cooker I believe)

1 large onion, diced
1 bell pepper, julienned
1 can (8 oz) bamboo shoots, drained & julienned
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1.5 packages (15 oz each) tofu (we substituted chicken)
1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 to 2 tablespoons red curry paste
2 cups of water
Juice of 1 lime
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
Fresh basil, for serving
1 lime, sliced, for serving

Combine the onion, bell pepper, bamboo shoots, cauliflower, chicken/tofu, curry paste, water and lime juice in the cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

About 20 mins before serving, add coconut milk and broccoli. Cook until broccoli is tender.

Hope you all enjoy!

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

b.b.bop: a fresh spot for stir fry

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b.b.bop

What: rice bowls

Where: Dallas

A little skeptical of the strange name, I saw the 50% off deal on my Scout Mob app, and had to give it a try. The name B.b.bop stands for Bi Bim Bap, the Korean version of fried rice. Makes sense now.

The restaurant itself is very tiny, but the inside is clean and casual, with booths and plastic tables. Many dine in for a quick lunch, and other choose to get take out. Either way, the service is fast.

Their menu is very simple. First, you choose your rice (jasmine, brown, house rice or fried), then you choose your protein (beef, pork, chicken, meatball, tofu, veggie) and finally, your veggies. They have a bar with all fresh veggies, and you can choose to have a fried egg on top of your rice bowl or not. If you’re not feeling creative, you can choose from one of their pre-selected bowls on their menu. Once your bowl is ready (it’s really quick), you go over to their sauce bar and choose a sauce, or choose to put multiple sauces. For mine, I chose the teriyaki.

I went to B.b.bop in search of a healthy lunch. My rice bowl consisted of jasmine rice and veggies, topped with their teriyaki sauce. It was a large portion, but completely guilt-free. Some of you may have been wondering what in the world B.b.bop is, and now you know. So if you’re searching for a delicious and nutritious Asian-fusion meal, look no further. Oh, and be sure to download Scout Mob on your phone and show it to them for 50% of your purchase. That means a less than $4 meal.

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

Pho is for Lovers

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Pho is for Lovers

What: Vietnamese

Where: Dallas

Located on Lovers Lane (fitting), Pho is for Lovers opened shop fairly recently and already seems to be bustling with in-the-know Dallasites. Now, some of you may be wondering what the heck is pho? Pho (pronounced [fuh]) is a traditional Vietnamese soup dish with rice noodles, chicken or beef (or anything else really), and green onions, basil, lime and bean sprouts.

After hearing only great things about this little pho shop on Lovers and Greenville Ave, I had to pop in and give it a try. I brought along my lover (because my boyfriend and I both appreciate delicious food) and we were greeted by a small and quaint restaurant with one menu board that offered only a handful of items. A simple menu that is easy to read, you have your choice of chicken or beef pho, different types of banh mi (their version of a sandwich made with baguettes), some noodle options and a few appetizers. The simplicity of the menu is like a sigh of relief, and the cleanliness of the place is comforting.

We both stuck with what we knew would be good, the chicken pho. The broth was delicious, the chicken just melted in your mouth and their were enough noodles to feed two. They brought out the garnishes that you can dress your soup with to hearts content: basil, lime, jalapeños, and bean sprouts. Mmmmmm.

The service was nice and fast, a perfect spot for a lunch break. You can even get pho to go. Now, where else in Dallas can you do that?

And finally, Vietnamese cuisine is super healthy, low-fat and satisfying to boot. This little pho eatery is run by a Vietnamese family (so you know it’s authentic) and the ingredients are only of the highest quality. You can tell.

If you’ve never tried Vietnamese food, this is your chance. Especially you SMU kids. It’s right around the block. Enjoy!

Please become a fan of That Foodie Girl on Facebook, and follow @thatfoodiegrl on Twitter for updates and fun foodie tips.

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

Delicious Thai food in La Jolla

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Chedi Thai Bistro

What: Thai (duh)

Where: La Jolla, CA

An interior filled with large modern lamps and sleek tables and chairs, I’m usually drawn into a restaurant just because of the looks on the inside of the building. Yes, I judge a restaurant by its looks. And by Zagat, too. And Chedi Thai (pronounced [je-dee]) lived up to its high markings on both Zagat and Urban Spoon (another one of my go-tos).

Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines–it’s almost always satisfying, yummy and it can sometimes be nutritious. But my favorite Thai dish has to be the Pad See Ew (pronounce however you please), with large flat noodles, chicken, egg, broccoli and a sweet brown soy sauce. Always great. Chedi’s Pad See Ew was good, but it was lacking my 2nd favorite part of the dish: broccoli. It had lots of asparagus, which was interesting, but I would have preferred more “trees”. The noodles and sauce were awesome.

We started with a few appetizers, one being the photo at the top of this post. Those are their steamed vegetable dumplings filled with mushroom, corn, tofu, spinach, peanut and garlic. They were just alright, but I had to show you all the photo of their innovative dishes that they use. Presentation is everything…almost. But I do love when a restaurant uses cool dishes. The photo above is the crispy root vegetable spring rolls with parsnip, carrot, beet, noodles and plum sauce. Those were a hit also, but the table’s favorite were the crispy corn cakes. Sounds weird, looked even weirder, but tasted amazing. I didn’t think I’d like them, but they were a surprising burst of flavor.

And for you meat lovers..above is the Panang Curry with Angus Beef. My cousin Phil seemed to enjoy it, and again, I loved the presentation of this huge bowl of curry. Looks good, huh? Ok, now I have to have Thai food for lunch. What are your favorite Thai food restaurants?

Please become a fan of That Foodie Girl on Facebook, and follow @thatfoodiegrl on Twitter for updates and fun foodie tips.

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

From West Village to the Upper West Side

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Hello everyone!

I’m finally in the Big Apple for the month of June and couldn’t be more excited. As Thatfoodiegirl, I will strive to bring you interesting, exciting, & delicious eateries that I find across the city that never sleeps. I will also report places you might want to skip.

Today my mom and I set up my apartment in West Village and began to walk down the street to find somewhere to eat lunch. We were starving and were willing to eat anywhere. Lucky for us, there was anything and everything within a 1 mile radius. THIS is why I already love New York City. We stumbled upon our first cafe and were nothing short of impressed.

Soy Cafe

Where: West Village. (Greenwich Ave & Jane)

What: healthy salads, sandwiches, smoothies, vegan options

It’s a tiny little coffeeshop/cafe, but the menu will knock you off your feet. A place anyone–including vegans–would be in heaven if you’re into healthiness, or if you’re into delicious and fresh food. So that about sums up everyone, right? I hope so. You can find paninis, salads, crepes and people sitting at tables with their laptops refilling their almond milk steamers. That’s right, they have everything from almond milk to flaxmeal wraps to “soyafrosts”, soy milk blended with ice and the flavor of your choice.

I had the autumn salad. As you can see, I got a heaping portion of fresh spinach with goat cheese, apples, grapes and walnuts. It was super fresh, fast and healthy. My mom went with the summer salad consisting of avocado, cucumber, apple, tomato and hazelnuts on mesclun greens.

Next stop: Josie’s

Where: Upper West Side (300 Amsterdam)

What: Asian/Mexican fusion

A cute and trendy restaurant with hip music playing, candles lit and a relaxed atmosphere, I knew I was in for a treat. I love the idea of Asian/Mexican fusion as Mexico is my second home, and I love Asian food. I went with the grilled citrus marinated natural chicken breast fajita. That’s a mouth full. Literally. It came with organic pinto beans, chipotle salsa, guacamole and whole wheat tortillas. The picture didn’t turn out (sorry). But, it was pretty good. The chicken wasn’t as citrus-y as expected, but the bell peppers were fresh and crisp and the guacamole way better than expected (being so far from the border). Yet, I wasn’t that impressed. My mom ordered the seared Asian tofu stir-fry, which was wok fried to perfection with ample veggies served over a bed of rice with a yummy ginger taste to it.

Best part: the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream pie. Say that 5 times fast. Oooohhh my goodness. It was AMAZING. Very decadent, with a cookie crumb crust, cookie dough on the bottom, ice cream with chocolate chips…must I say more? And if you’re vegan, or want something lighter, they have tempting sounding desserts that are without dairy–like the warm chocolate pecan pie.

And that sums up my first day of food in NYC. Hope you enjoyed it, and stay tuned for much much more. (Now I’m going to sign up for a membership at a gym so I don’t gain my weight in delicious food).

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

A Foodie Adventure: Phở

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Where: Bistro B (Dallas)

What: Authentic Asian food

When my good friend Danny Le invited me on trip to get some phở (pronounced “fuh”), my interest was piqued, as I’ve never tried the supposedly delicious traditional Vietnamese dish before. He drove us all the way to Richardson to Bistro B–being Vietnamese himself, this place had to be authentic. And it was. He suggested we order the #36, “Tai Bo Vien”, which came with thinly sliced steak and “beef ball” which I assume is similar to meatball. A large bowl of soup as you can see in the photo can be doctored up with all of the side toppings: bean sprouts, basil, lime and jalapeno.

The soup had a chicken broth flavoring and the bottom of the bowl was filled with vermicelli noodles. Yummm! It was a bit difficult to eat, but the perfect bite included broth with a hint of lime, sprouts, and a heaping amount of noodles.

We also tried the Thai tea with boba which made for an interesting, almost creamy taste along with the little tapioca balls you suck up through the wide straws.

The restaurant, located in north Dallas, is great for large groups and is open late (until midnight Sundays-Thursdays and 2 a.m. on the weekends). When we first walked in, we noticed it was mainly Asians dining there–thank goodness we had Danny and Harry with us to educate us on what to order. I wouldn’t have been brave enough to order myself! Other items on the menu include pork, chicken, beef, fish and noodle dishes, as well as stir fry dishes and fried rice. So, if you feel like truly exiting your comfort zone and trying something new–Bistro B is the place to do it.

Stay tuned for the next featured foodie product as well as a great Italian dish I cooked…

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

Octopus & Snow Cones

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Sorry it has taken me a while to post. I’ve been relaxing at home:

I promise I will be much better about posting when June rolls around.

Ok, so being a “foodie girl”, I figured it was time to try something crazy and completely out of my comfort zone. With the help of my friend Katherine Bell, the adventurous eater (who you will be hearing a lot more from come June–she will be my partner in crime during our hunt for the best food in NYC), we tried an off-the-menu item at Uchiko.

The baby octopus sunomono. When Katherine asked for something very different, that’s what we got. I got the close up shot so you could see the tentacles (which ended up making a not-so-pleasant texture. But, it’s personal preference I guess. There was a very odd flavoring, a slightly chewy texture and a little spicy bite at the end. Thanks to one of our servers, I can tell you what consists of the baby octopus sunomono. The base is made up of thinly shaved cucumber topped with a cucumber gel, shaved hearts of palm, akatosaka seaweed, charred octopus, topped with a sesame vinaigrette and red pepper. That’s a mouth full (no pun intended).

Along with the octopus, we got to try several dishes at Uchiko including my favorite, the “yokai berry.” If you get there between 5pm and 6:30, it’s on their happy hour menu for $6 rather than the full $18. It’s an Atlantic salmon sashimi with dinosaur kale, Asian pear and yuzu sauce. I was a bit hesistant with such thick pieces of raw salmon, but with the delicious yuzu sauce paired with the crunchy and salty kale, it was incredible. So incredible that we ordered another. If you get the chance to go here, order the yokai berry.

Afterwards, we decided to treat ourselves with a dessert at Sno Beach.

The one on the left is mine–pineapple and cherry sour. Mmmm, I think that was my best flavor combo yet. And Katherine’s is orange and leche quemada. A different flavor…”tastes like drinking a cosmo in a smoky Jazz bar,” is how she described it. Thank goodness she chooses all of the funky items on the menu. Makes for some interesting blog posts!

And finally, my father’s new obsession: his brand new coffee/cappuccino/latte machine complete with a little cappuccino cup warmer and a milk frother. Here’s my espresso I got to enjoy this morning:

Stay posted for my upcoming posts preparing for my trip to Hawaii!

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl