Archive for the ‘BYOB’ Category

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Revisiting Miran Korean Restaurant

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

miran korean restaurant
We first tried Miran Korean Restaurant back in 2005 and enjoyed our meal there. But for some reason, Picky convinced himself that his review was incorrect and he didn't actually like his meal, causing him to avoid it ever since. Messy corrected him a couple weeks ago while we were jonesing for some Korean food and he happily obliged a trip back. He was happily reminded of the deliciousness that is Miran. After sitting down in a mostly empty space (we got there for a late lunch), we were greeted by a bevvy of traditional Korean panchan, complimentary appetizers. Front and center are merruchi, dried anchovies in a sweet and spicy sauce. Oh how Picky loves him some merruchi and it was all for him!

miran korean restaurant
For his entree, Picky opted for his standby at Korean restaurants: dol sot bibimbap, the hot stone bowl of mixed rice topped with a fried egg. The bowl is crazy hot and you mix in the hot pepper paste – he asked for a second plate of it – and the rice gets nice and crispy and the veggies cook down a bit while in contact with the scalding hot stone bowl. This is a shot of the dish before the paste is added.

miran korean restaurant
Messy really wanted the jajang myung, buckwheat noodles in brown sauce with freshly chopped veggies, but they were all out, so she opted for the tofu chige, soft tofu soup in spicy broth. It ended up being a little too spicy for Messy's still-adapting-to-Picky's-heat-tolerance-after-seven-years palate. She added in the bowl of rice to bring down the heat to a more approachable level. Although she found it a little too tofu-heavy, the dish did well to warm her up for the rest of the afternoon of errands about Center City.

miran korean restaurant
Here's a shot of Picky's halfway mixed bibimbap after adding in the hot pepper paste. He gobbled this up quickly and had plenty of room to have about a quarter of Messy's soup.

miran korean restaurant
A shot of the empty restaurant as we were about to leave. By that time, it was when they were getting ready to change over to the early dinner crowd. Usually, there are much more people in there.

Messy ***1/2
Picky ***1/2

The final, final word: Authentic, spicy Korean food at a nice price.

2034 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 569-1200
Mon – Sun 11am – 9pm

Posted in BYOB, Center City West, Korean | 6 Comments »

MINAR PALACE: REDUX

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

minar palace
The doors to Minar Palace [1304 Walnut St] have been open for a while now and we've dined in and taken out there a few times. The interior of the new restaurant is a complete 180° from the old hole-in-the wall over by 16th and Sansom Streets. Shiny new paint on the walls, brand spankin' new seating and tables to match, a newly designed menu . . . and styrofoam flatware and plastic utensils??? The new digs has its share of hits and misses.

minar palace
There's ample seating, maybe for 75 or more, and we've never seen the place completely full while walking by. That might be a result of Minar Palace's customers used to delivery or takeout orders.

minar palace
Messy's Shahi Paneer, from the menu:

homemade cheese cubes cooked w/bell peppers in a tomato based sauce

This dish was absolutely delicious and is now Messy's Minar Palace stand-by (along with the yummy samosas covered in chickpea and yogurt sauce — an appetizer big enough to share with a few friends). However, Messy grabbed a taste of a friends Malai Kofta (Messy's all time favorite Indian dish) and found that it couldn't hold a candle to Tiffin's.

minar palace
Messy's sister's meal Saag Alu, from the menu:

Creamed spinach cooked with potatoes

minar palace
Picky's Chicken Vindaloo, from the menu:

Boneless chicken cooked with morsels of potatoes in a highly spiced sauce

Picky's bouts with the vindaloo since the reopening have been varied. In the restaurant, it's been mediocre. Takeout, on the other hand, has been better. It might be his distaste for the unfinished vibe of the restaurant (hello, styrofoam and plasticware?).

The general feel of the sit-down experience, unfortunately, takes away from the meal a great deal. During the day, there is no table service — you order at the counter and bring a tray back to your table, cafeteria style. At night, there is table service but not much else is changed. Opting for the call ahead takeout (or delivery if you don't want to preemptively work off some calories) will allow you to eat on some real plates with real utensils and drink out of real cups. We also felt like our serving sizes were bigger with the takeout. You can think back to their hole-in-the-wall digs at 16th and Sansom Streets from a few years back when others would scoff at ordering from such a dive (and we'd smirk back).

Messy ***1/2
Picky ** 1/2

The final word: Good solid takeout, but where are the good solid plates and forks?

Minar Palace
1304 Walnut St
215.546.9443
Mon – Fri: 11.30am – 9pm
Sat: 11.30am – 7pm
Menu .pdf | flash

Posted in BYOB, Center City East, Indian | 1 Comment »

ARIANA RESTAURANT

Monday, March 12th, 2007

ariana
We ended up at Ariana because we found ourselves quite hungry in Olde City on a Friday night, without reservations or boatloads of cash. After peeking into restaurant after restaurant, we glimsped some free tables at Ariana. Since neither Messy, Picky nor our dear friend LB, a restaurant aficionado, had ever had Afghani food, we were all happy to give it a try. Messy had been wanting to try Afghani food for many years – ever since she showed up to Hamid Karzai's brother's restaurant in San Francisco six years ago only to find it closed. [Apparently, the Karzai owns a string of restaurants, one of which is in Baltimore.] The rest of Messy's family ended up eating there without her on another trip and all Messy heard for a while was how delicious Afghani food was and what an amazing pumpkin dish someone had there.

The first thing we noticed was that Ariana has a very cozy atmosphere. The interior is small but not exactly cramped. There is a special no-shoes window table up front facing Chestnut Street, which appeared to seat six. The three of us had a cozy table in the back.

One of the best things about Ariana was the abudance of delicious free bread. We gobbled up so much of it neither one of us was able to completely finish our meal. We began with two different kinds of yummy sambosas, which was the highlight of the meal for Messy. When it came time to order our meals, Messy could hear her brother and sister's voices in her head raving about pumpkins, so she decided to try the pumpkin and yogurt sauce dish (Chalow Kadu, $12), even though she generally does not love anything in the squash family. The dish was tasty enough, but if you don't like pumpkins (and Messy can now confim — she doesn't) you won't particularly like this dish. It was a lot of pumpkin. Picky opted for the Lamb Corma – large cubes of lamb served with a heaping of basmati rice. All in all, this was a good hearty meal with hearty proportions. We don't know anything about Afghani food, but Ariana gave us a decent — if unspectacular — meal.

Messy ***
Picky ***

The final word: Hearty portions in a cozy atmosphere. A plus if you like pumpkins.

134 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3009
(215) 922-1535

Posted in BYOB, Center City East, Middle Eastern, Olde City | 6 Comments »

MORNING GLORY

Monday, September 18th, 2006

morning glory
We have been hearing great things about Morning Glory ever since we moved to Philadelphia. Unfortunately, we are slow moving late sleepers on weekends and everytime we got our act together enough to try to go to brunch at Morning Glory, there was always a significant wait time. Thankfully, a visit from KT promted us to arise early enough to get there at a decent brunch hour. Our wait on a Sunday at about 10.45 a.m. was, miraculously, not too bad — about 20 minutes. There were five parties ahead of our party of five, but we must have gotten there just before the huge rush and after the early risers. We chatted for a bit under the canopy in the cement courtyard and the time went by quickly until our name was called. There were plenty of places for waiting people to sit, and there was even a basket of toys for fidgety young children.

The menu, which is fairly concise, has more satisfying choices than a typical diner; for example, there were several creative varieties of frittatas to choose from. The food was on the slow side coming out, but with a constantly packed house on the weekends, this was understandable. Everything looked to be extremely fresh and made from scratch — no unfreezing and nuking here. Our server was attentive to coffee and water levels throughout the wait and the meal.

Picky had the Bayou Fritatta, which was special for the day. It consisted of pan fried andouille sausage, crab meat, potatoes and onions. It came with an enormous buttermilk biscuit, which was really good, especially the crumbly top. Also accompanying the frittata was a solid helping of tasty, nicely cooked red potatoes. Picky has since decided that fritattas aren't his favorite thing for breakfast/brunch — having nothing to do with the quality at Morning Glory, it's just not for him. Next time, he'll order one of those tasty looking sandwiches or get some eggs any style.

Messy has to be honest. The aromas in this restaurant made her want to eat bacon. She had originally planned to order an egg sandwich on focaccia bread, but one of the specials caught her eye. After much hemming and hawing and a little bit of peer pressure, Messy fell off the wagon and ordered the 9th Street Special with turkey bacon. Messy has no regrets because the sandwich, which consisted of a fried egg, garlicky sauteed spinach, provolone cheese and [turkey] bacon on focaccia bread was outstanding. It also came with red potatoes, and the serving was too big for Messy to finish. We both tried the homemade ketchup, which was served in a wine bottle. Messy found it to be too thin and vinegary, she wanted something thicker to glob on her potatoes. Picky, who prefers hot sauce on his breakfast foods, found that the selection wasn't great. There was only a papaya-based sweet/mild one and the omnipresent Vietnamese red-rooster emblazoned one. [Picky likes habañero hot sauce with his eggs.]

We sat by the west-facing window where all the awards from the last decade or so are up. City's Best, Best of Philly, Zagat's. . . This place has weathered the critical Philly crowd and deservingly picked up prizes along the way. It didn't live up to the insane hype we'd previously heard of, but still a very solid brunch. Also, there was a friendly note on the menu to please be mindful of the people waiting and leave promptly. Messy actually prefers eating at a less in-demand place where there is no rush to leave the table so she can keep refilling her coffee and flapping her gums. Perhaps a weekday visit would allow for more time to linger.

Messy ***1/2
Picky ***1/2

The final word: A very yummy breakfast, but not quite up to the hype.

735 S. 10th St @ Fitzwater St
Philadelphia, PA 19147-2741
(215) 413-3999

Tu – Fri: 7am – 4pm & 6pm – 10pm
Sat – Sun: 8am – 3pm

Posted in American, Bella Vista, BYOB, Diner | 3 Comments »

TAMPOPO ASIAN GRILL

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006

tampopo asian grill

We were so excited to learn that Tampopo opened up a second restaurant East of Broad Street, and even more excited to learn that this time it is more than just a take-out joint; it's a classy spot with table service and a menu that is somewhat more expansive than the original Tampopo's. Nestled in an unlikely spot on Jeweler's Row, Tampopo is a great space with a cool minimalist/modern interior. It is a very spacious setting, complete with a sushi bar with polished chrome stools with comfy-looking padded seats jutting out from under the counter. On the night we went, there was hardly anyone else in there, and we were seated at a cozy booth. We did notice, however, that some of the chairs at the smaller tables looked uncomfortable — they were a kind of backless, wooden, one-person bench.

Our server brought us a bowl of complimentary edamame, which was quite tasty, better than either of us expected. This was a surprising treat since edamame is listed as an appetizer on the menu. We also ordered vegetable Korean pancakes (bin dae duk), one of the items that is not on the menu at the original Tampopo. It was a good sized portion for the two of us, but was a couple minutes undercooked which significantly took away from the texture and flavor. (It should be firm on the inside and very crispy on the outside for a nice initial crunch.)

Messy ordered avocado rolls, which she has had at the original Tampopo many times. They were good, and seemed to be a little bigger than those at original Tampopo (although we did not perform an actual side-by-side comparison). Picky had the hot spicy beef don, which is also on the menu at original Tampopo. Picky found it to be basically the same as regular Tampopo's except not as spicy. And as an added bonus, this location is BYOB. We didn't bring anything to drink though, and we didn't ask if there was a corking fee either.

For dessert, we each had two delicious scoops of green tea ice cream. It was quite yummy, but Picky's had a little bit of ice in one of his scoops.

If you work near Jeweler's Row, this is a great idea for a lunch hot spot considering the good portions of healthy dishes at reasonable prices.

Messy ***1/2
Picky ***1/2

The final word: Everything the original has — plus chic ambiance.

Tampopo Asian Grill
719 Sansom St (Jeweler's Row)
(215) 238-9373
Lunch: Mon – Sat: 11:30am – 3:30pm
Dinner: Mon – Sat: 5:30pm – 10pm
Sun: Closed

Posted in BYOB, Center City East, Japanese, Korean | 1 Comment »

JAMAICAN JERK HUT

Tuesday, June 20th, 2006

jamaican jerk hut

We've been to Jamaican Jerk Hut twice, both times for outside gatherings on beautiful days. Although the inside of the restaurant is somewhat cramped, the patio and garden are spacious and welcoming. On our first visit, we were served free chips and some kind of spicy mango salsa-esque dip.

There aren't a ton of vegetarian options on the menu, but Messy lucked out on the first try with a delicious and just-spicy-enough vegetable Roti. She also had a super-strong, authentic ginger beer. (They also offer the less intense, and less expensive, bottled kind– but the homemade version is worth it.) On our second trip, Messy had just a vegetable pattie as a snack, but it was sadly mediocre. On second thought, Messy realized she should have ordered a side of cornbread instead — one of our group gobbled down three giant pieces. The side menu at Jamaican Jerk Hut offers plenty of smaller snacks, like bread baskets and fried plantains.

Picky had a jerk chicken breast — a large helping of chicken served with some nice and spicy Jamaican jerk seasoning. A bed of delicious rice and two sweet plantains joined the main portion on the plate. All of the items were served atop a steamed banana leaf. On the second visit, he tried a beef pattie which came out just about instantaneously. It too was nicely spiced. Just a little kick to add a little extra flavor to the treat. It's a good size as well. A good fulfilling snack if you've had a little to eat beforehand and are headed over with a six-pack to meet some friends who have already started munching.

Both of the groups we went with brought along beer, which our server gladly placed in buckets of ice. (There is an uncorking fee, and a 20% gratuity was included in the price for a large group. We didn't mind the extra charges that much, since we have no spacious garden of our own in which to entertain large groups of people.) Members of both groups enjoyed the jerk chicken and jerk shrimp, although some people found the jerk shrimp too spicy. The seafood cerviche did not receive such high praise. All in all, the quality of the food did not matter so much as the great atmosphere.

Messy ***1/2
Picky ***

The final word: A great outdoor space, especially in the summertime.

1436 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146
215-545-8644
Mon – Th: 11am – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 3pm
Sun: 5pm – 10pm

Posted in BYOB, Carribean, Center City West, South St | 1 Comment »

KISSO

Monday, April 17th, 2006

kisso

After wandering around Olde City on Easter Sunday when most of the restaurants that were open had hefty price-tags, were were hesitant to try Kisso at first. But we were also really hungry, and Messy was craving Japanese, so we figured we'd give ourselves a treat. To our pleasant surprise, Kisso is not super fancy: the inside is all rusty orange colored walls with no decorations save for one set of shelves displaying fancy sake bottles. (As far as we know, these bottles were for show only, as Kisso is BYOB). Everything is minimalist and clean (except for the carpet, which is kind of dingy). The space is quite intimate, with room for maybe 30 people or so. The sushi bar was manned by two chefs and a host and hostess who cheerfully greeted each new set of patrons.

The service was absolutely excellent. Our server refilled our water as soon as we got down to 3/4 of a cup. He kindly let us know that our sushi was ready and asked if Messy would prefer to finish her salad first. Speaking of Messy's avocado salad – it was awesome. Not only did it include a full sliced avocado, but it also had all kinds of other goodies like cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, carrots, asparagus, lettuce, and a piece of lemon, all topped with a delicous carrot-ginger dressing. Messy also enjoyed the veggie maki, which managed to fit in an inordinate number of fillings: avocado, cucumber, asparagus, tomato, lettuce, and at least two unidentifiable pickled vegetables. It was only five pieces, but they were large and filling. In fact, they were a little too large for Messy to comfortably eat in one bite. Messy also had the inari: tofu skins stuffed with rice, which were sweet enough to eat as dessert.

Picky is slowly branching out in his liking of Japanese fare which is normally relegated to California rolls. After our trip to Morimoto where Picky had his first spicy tuna roll, he's wanted to try another one. He ordered a spicy tuna roll, a California roll and a Philly roll. The Philly roll consists of crab strips, cucumber and cream cheese in an inside out roll, which makes for an odd taste and texture combination. Picky's food was brought out artfully, on a large black stoneware circular plate. The mini kettle holding the soy sauce was an elegant black stoneware piece as well.

Kisso is no Morimoto, but what is? Kisso wins out in it's intimate setting and if you snag a window seat on a nice Spring day as we did, you get a gorgeous view of cherry blossom trees. Neither of us are fans of slabs of raw fish on a hunk of rice so we can't tell you how their nigiri is, but rest assured that the maki we sampled were great.

Messy ****
Picky ***1/2

The final word: Japenese food that looks and tastes good, in a simple, welcoming atmosphere.

Kisso
205 N 4th St
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-922-1770
Lunch: Mon – Fri: Noon – 2.30pm, Sat & Sun closed
Dinner: Mon -Thu: 5pm – 10pm, Fri – Sat: 5pm – 11pm, Sun: 5p – 10p

Posted in BYOB, Center City East, Japanese, Olde City | 3 Comments »

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