The Bangkok Brings Tasty Thai & Vietnamese To Melrose

Good things something come in small packages.

The Bankgok is a small, new Thai/Vietnamese restaurant on West Wyoming Avenue, near the railroad tracks, in Melrose, that opened around mid-March. There are about five small tables, for two people, in the restaurant and they have room to put up another couple tables if they get busy. They also do take-out and delivery, though delivery may be limited to the evening hours. I've dined there on multiple occasions, mostly during lunch time, and including getting take-out one evening.

Their website has little information about the restaurant beyond the necessary basics, though you will find their full menu online. Some research indicates that corporate officers are also connected to Pho & Rice in Somerville and Thana Thai Kitchen in Arlington. In the near future, I will try to speak with the owners for more background on the restaurant but for now, I'll primarily deal with their food and service.

The Menu is extensive, with plenty of Thai and Vietnamese options, and is very reasonably priced, with no dish costing more than $15. The Menu categories include: Appetizers ($5-$7), Salads ($7-$8), Soup ($4), Vietnamese Pho & Thai Noodle Soup ($9-$12), Stir Fried Noodle ($10-$14), Fried Rice ($10-$14) Bun-Vermicelli ($9-$11), Rice Plates ($10), Sautéed ($11-$14), Curry Dishes ($11-$14), Bangkok Specials & Seafood Entrees ($11-$15), and Sides ($1-$3.50).

They don't have a liquor license but their drinks menu includes items like Bubble Tea, Smoothies (though it appears they are not available yet), Thai Iced Tea, Lychee Juice, Vietnamese Iced Coffee, Coconut Juice, and more. It is nice that they usually bring a large bottle of water to your table, though you drink it out of a paper cup.

They have about thirteen Appetizers and I've tried several of them. The Roti Curry Sauce ($7) is a  Fried Scallion Pancake served with a Green Curry Sauce. The pancakes are fresh, light and flaky, and not greasy. They make an excellent vehicle for dipping into the sauce, with its tasty flavor combination of coconut, lemongrass and mild spicy heat.

The Moo Pbring ($6.50) are grilled skewers of lemongrass marinated pork, accompanied by a smoked chili and tamarind sauce. These were excellent, with lots of tender, moist and flavorful pork and the sauce added some sweet & spicy elements. Forget those dry beef teriyaki skewers you get at other Asian spots. These easily put them to shame.

The Gyoza ($5), which you can have steamed or pan-fried, come as either Pork & Chicken or Vegetarian, and are served with ginger soy sauce. I opted for the pan-fried Pork & Chicken and they were tasty, filled with plenty of meat, and fried just enough to add some crispness to the gyoza skin.

The Sai Grog Issaan ($6) states it is "Sausages fermented Pork and Glutinous rice" but appears to be sliced sausage with lettuce, cucumbers and peanuts. The sausage was tender and spiced well and the veggies were fresh.

As for the Soups, I tried the Soup Hoanh Thanh ($4), which are pork and shrimp dumplings gently boiled in clear chicken broth with lettuce, onion, scallion and cilantro. You receive four plump and meaty dumplings and the broth is clean and mild. This would be especially good on a chilly day.

The Pho Gar ($9) is a Chicken Noodle soup with shredded chicken, rice noodle, onion, cilantro, and scallion with aromatic chicken broth, accompanied by some bean sprouts, herbs and lime. The broth is intense with flavor and there is plenty of chicken within the soup. The noodles had a nice chewiness to them.

The Mi Hoanh Thanh ($10) consists of pork and shrimp dumplings, yellow noodles, sliced pork, scallions and cilantro in a chicken broth. This is a hearty dish, with several slices of tender pork and plump dumplings. The noodles are thinner than the ones in the Pho but still had a nice texture and chew to them. There was plenty of flavor in the broth making this a very compelling dish.

The Rice Plates ($10) come with Traditional Vietnamese Grilled meat (chicken, pork or beef) accompanied by steamed Jasmine Rice, fresh tomato, cucumber, sliced lettuce and their Fresh Homemade Sauce (Nuoc Cham). You can also add a Fried Egg ($2). Above is the dish with the grilled chicken and egg. Another excellent dish with plenty of tender, flavorful chicken, enhanced by the egg, and the veggies were fresh and crisp. There was plenty of rice below all of the toppings. A good value for only $10.

I enjoyed a few other dishes, but which I don't have photos. The Grapao Gai Sub ($11) is stir fried minced chicken with fresh chili and basil. A spicy dish, it was very good layered over some rice. The Com Chien Fried Rice ($10) is Vietnamese fried rice with a combination of shrimp, chicken, Chinese sausage and mixed vegetables in Vietnamese chef's special sauce. Lots of flavor in this rice dish as well as plenty of meat. It tasted very fresh. The Chicken Pad Thai ($10) consists of stir-fried noodle with egg, bean sprout, turnip, and scallion in a Thai tamarind sauce topped with ground peanut. A nice choice as well.

The restaurant has a special, second menu which you probably won't receive unless you are Thai. It's only written in Thai and they don't have an English translation though your server will explain it to you if you ask. You can see there are sixteen options, priced $7-$12.

Fortunately, Pai Chourattana on Facebook generously provided me a translation of their menu which will help you navigate this special menu.

Off this special menu, I tried Nheam Kra Dook Moo, sour pork ribs (#6 on the menu), which were accompanied by some cucumber slices and lettuce. You need to gnaw the meat off these small pieces of ribs, which have a mildly sour flavor to them. These would make for a nice bar snack.

Also off the special menu, at #16, is the Garlic Pork Over Rice, which also comes with a few cucumber slices.  It's a simple dish, pieces of slightly fatty pork with crisp pieces over garlic over white rice. But it is hearty and tasty, perfect for a rainy day.

The Garlic Pork dish also comes with a small bowl of soup, a slightly soup broth.

I'll be sure to try more items off this special menu as there are plenty of other dishes that interest me.

Service is very good, personable and attentive. Overall, I've been very pleased with the quality and taste of the food from The Bangkok. It is fresh, with clean flavors, and there is enough diversity for all preferences. I've already been recommending it to my friends and I'll also continue regularly dining there. It is a welcome addition to the Melrose area.

Want Lunch? Just Say Phu Ket!

Within a five minute walk in Wakefield, you will now find four Thai restaurants, one of which recently opened. Is that too many? Should this new Thai spot have opened up in an area which already had three other Thai places? Why didn't it choose Reading or Stoneham, which both only have a single Thai restaurant?

Of the three prior Thai spots in Wakefield: I like the food at the Duck Walk but find it pricey. I like the food at Porchai's Thai Cuisine though the ambiance is lacking. I am not a big fan of the Red Sugar Cafe, finding the food to be uneven. So for me, there is room in Wakefield for a new Thai place which can excel.

Phu Ket (which lacks a website) took over the spot of the former Zalek's Roast Beef at 21 Princess Street in Wakefield. It is a small, L-shaped restaurant with an outside patio and its large exterior windows make for a bright spot which seems larger than it is. I have dined there for lunch three times so far, and each experience has been positive, satisfying me more with each visit.

They serve beer and wine, though I didn't order anything on my visits. A quick scan of their offerings showed most of the usual suspects, and nothing which really excited me. Their food menu is fairly extensive including sections for Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Noodles & Fried Rice, Curry Offerings, Grilled, Sauteed Specialties, Seafood Offerings and Sides. For lunch, they also sell numerous bento-style boxes, which come with crispy rolls. Prices are reasonable, especially considering the portion size you receive. Appetizers generally run $6-9 and most lunch dishes also run $7-$10. Dinner courses generally run $10-$19.

From the Appetizers, I thoroughly enjoyed the Saigon Dices ($7), diced beef marinated and sauteed, over a bed of cucumber slices. The tender pieces of beef had a compelling dark gravy which was tasty over rice. Highly recommended. The Tenderloin Pork & Sticky Rice ($8) have slices of tender pork, in a light, delicious gravy with a chunk of sticky, white rice. Another recommended dish. The Steamed Wontons ($6) are filled with pork & shrimp and come in a red vinegar soy sauce while the Pork Dumplings ($6) and fried and accompanied by a sweet, soy sauce. Both are good, though not much different than what you will find elsewhere. The Whale Tails ($7) are better, plump shrimp wrapped in crispy, egg roll skins with a sweet plum sauce. The Fresh Garden Wrapped ($7) was also an excellent choice, a crunchy treat of grilled chicken, lettuce, carrots, rice noodles and cucumbers wrapped in a fresh rice paper. Though the wrapper is a bit sticky, this is a healthy and tasty dish which comes with a light sauce, with ground peanuts, for dipping.

They have five different Soups, all for $5 except for one at $7. The Wonton Soup was a large dish of savory broth with several shrimp & pork wontons and baby bok-choy. The broth had far more flavor than many of the other wonton soups you find elsewhere. The Spicy Lobster Soup ($7) was phenomenally good, with lobster pieces and jasmine rice in a spicy, coconut lemongrass soup. Though I would have preferred it to be hotter, the melange of flavors impressed me, as well as the amount of lobster in it. There was a prominent coconut flavor, a nice spiciness and hints of lemongrass. Highly recommended.

The Noodles With Tender Beef ($8) are stir fried rice noodles with beef, egg, bean sprouts and broccoli. The noodles seem to be Biángbiáng, which are very wide, ribbon cut rice noodles. They are very filling and I might have preferred a thinner noodle. The beef though was excellent, tender and quite full of flavor. I could have easily devoured a huge bowl of the beef alone. The Masaman Curry with Chicken ($7), comes with carrots, sweet potatoes, potato, onions and peanuts. The curry sauce had a dominant coconut flavor with the addition of other complementary spices. The chicken was tender and plentiful, and the veggies too were cooked nicely.

Service was excellent, pleasant and responsive. Though new, Phu Ket is already presenting some delicious food at good prices. I feel confident that the restaurant will get even better with a little time to work out any initial kinks. It is a worthy addition to the Wakefield restaurant scene, despite the presence of the three other Thai spots. Phu Ket also delivers within a two mile radius and is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Give Phu Ket a try.

The Flavors of Los Angeles: Cafe Dulce, N/Naka, Night+Market & The Bazaar

From the South Bay to the Valley
From the West Side to the East Side
Everybody's very happy
'Cause the sun is shining all the time
Looks like another perfect day
I love L.A. (We love it)
--Randy Newman, I Love L.A.

As I wandered around the streets of Los Angeles, the lyrics of Randy Newman's paean to L.A. echoed through my mind, and visions of its music video accompanied those lyrics. I spent several days in Los Angeles attending the Design Bloggers Conference, a fun and fascinating event that would not seem my usual interest. However, I was there to make a presentation, How to Differentiate Yourself In a Crowded Online Marketplace, which entailed speaking about Sake and Blogging.

At its most elemental, all of the design bloggers and I are lovers of beauty, just in different areas, so we have much more in common than what it might seem on the surface. That shared aesthetic sense binds us on a deeper level than our mutual use of the same tool, blogging. As I spent time chatting with a number of the attendees, it was clear that we did share much, and that they were eager to learn and share their own passions with me.

While I was in L.A., I enjoyed some delicious meals, snacks and drinks. It was my first time in that city but I would like to return again to check out more of its culinary scene. I only checked out there merest fraction of what the city has to offer. During my culinary experiences, I did not take my usual detailed notes and photographs, desirous more of experiencing the meal and socializing with my dining companions. However, these spots are all worthy of mention.

Adam Japko, the founder of the Design Bloggers Conference, and I wandered around Little Tokyo one afternoon, checking out the sights. This is a great neighborhood with a myriad of Japanese shops, restaurants, and attractions, including the Kinokuniya book store (one of my favorite book shops), Mitsuwa Marketplace and Koyasan Buddhist Temple. One of my favorite finds was the Cafe Dulce, situated in the Japanese Village Plaza. 

Cafe Dulce is a coffee shop and bakery that creates a wide variety of baked goods and sandwiches, from roti buns to donuts, cakes to breads. It was a small, clean shop and you could watch them baking numerous items. Service was also very friendly and helpful. A very cool, independent shop. Adam raved about the Vietnamese Style Iced Coffee while I enjoyed some unsweetened iced tea. We tried a couple roti buns (which seem to have a Malaysian origin), including a basic roti and a green tea one. Lightly sweet, they had a slightly crisp outer crust with a softer interior and a very pleasant flavor. They were also very fresh. Think of it as a mildly sweet and flavored bread roll.

What really excited me though were the Bacon Donuts! This was a yeast donut, topped by a sweet glaze and plenty of bacon crumbles. A perfect combination of sweet and salty, atop a soft, fresh donut. Even without the bacon, this would have been an excellent donut. I found them very addictive and bought some to take back to the hotel. I have previously eaten the Maple & Bacon donut at Voodoo Donuts in Portland, OR, but I much prefer this bacon donut. I have never been a big fan of maple, and the lightness of this donut was compelling. They sell other donuts too, some covered with breakfast cereals, green tea donuts, cream filled and more. They looked as good as the bacon donut and I wish I had more time to explore all of the flavors. If you visit or live in L.A., then you must check out Cafe Dulce.

For my first evening in Los Angeles, Adam and I chose a special place to dine, N/Naka, a kaiseki inspired Japanese restaurant which has earned many raves. Adam also ran a contest on Twitter, giving the opportunity for a couple design bloggers to join us for dinner. The winners were Amy, of House of Wentworth, and Kelley, of The Hidden List, both who are from Dallas, Texas. It was a superb evening, with incredible food, great Sake and wine, and very pleasant conversation.

Chef/Owner Niki Nakayama, a Los Angeles native, has trained in Japan, including under Chef Masa Sato in the art of kaiseki. Kaiseki is a traditional Japanese practice, involving a multi-course meal that emphasizes presentation, taste, seasonality, local ingredients and balance. Each dish is a work of beauty, from its presentation to the complexity and balance of its taste. Chef Nakayama's first two restaurants, Azami Sushi Cafe and Inaka, did very well and N/Naka is the natural extension of those two endeavors. Their website states that "..., Chef Niki Nakayama is committed to creating a meal that will engage your attention — it's about enjoying the moment, the current offerings of the season, and ultimately, the food in front of you."

The restaurant is very unassuming from the outside and we drove right by it initially. Inside, it has a more spartan decor, yet provides a warm ambiance. It is a relatively small place, with a limited amount of seating, yet the tables are spaced far enough apart to give some element of privacy. In one room, there is a glass wall showing their wine cellar area and I was excited to see all the Sakes mixed in with the wines. For dinner, you basically have the choice of a nine, ten (vegetarian), thirteen or sixteen course meal, so you need to plan for a 3.5 to 5 hour dining experience. It is well worth your time.

Our server, who actually had only been working for four days, did a very good job, acting very courteously and professionally. The entire service lacked pretension and we were made to feel very welcome by all of the staff. We opted for the 9 course meal and you can check out this menu for more detail of what that can entail. The menus change regularly, especially considering what is seasonally available. Everything was amazing and I cannot recommend N/Naka enough. Enjoy the photos of many of the dishes we savored.

What colors! And love that Uni.

A piece of art.

Very fresh fish, from Big Eye Tuna to Hamachi.

Maybe my favorite dish of the evening, with abalone and garlic.

Incredible Nigiri.

A compelling version of Chawanmushi.

A simple but delicious dessert.

Our drink choices well accompanied the food. We selected a single wine, the 2009 Bodegas Paso Robles "Dona Blanca" ($28), a Grenache Blanc/Malvasia Bianca blend from one of my favorite Paso Robles producers. I previously tasted the 2008 vintage and the 2009 was equally as compelling, with lots of complexity, great flavors and a satisfying finish. Everyone very much enjoyed this wine. And as the wine retails for about $18, the restaurant is offering it at a low markup. Highly recommended!

We started our Sake enjoyment with a glass of the Sawa Sawa Junmai Nigori, a Sparkling Sake, that was lightly sweet, effervescent and fruity. Next, we ordered a bottle of Shichida Yamahai Junmai Karakuchi, a dry, umami rich Sake with elements of anise and licorice on the finish. This would be excellent with mushrooms, beef or other umami-rich dishes.

We ended with a killer Sake which impressed everyone. The Denshin Natsu Daiginjo Nama is a rare Sake, with only 420 bottles made each year. It is produced by the Ippongi Kubo Honten brewery, which was founded in 1902, in the Chubu region of the Fukui prefecture. The brewery sits at the base of Mt. Haku, deep in Echizen, which is known for its crystal clear water. It was made from the famed Yamada Nishiki rice, which was polished to 50%. Incredibly complex, great fruit flavors, crisp, clean and smooth. A "Wow!" Sake, sure to impress, and which all of us loved very deeply. It receives my highest recommendation though it may be difficult to locate.

The next night, a group of about ten of us, went to Night+Market, a Thai street food place. Their website describes the type of food they create: "In Thai, it's called 'aharn klam lao' which roughly translates to 'food to facilitate drinking.' That's at the heart of what we do. We make food for drunkards." Unfortunately, we arrived at the restaurant past 9pm, on a Sunday, and didn't know that the place closed at 10pm. So we were a bit rushed, though the restaurant allowed us to stay a bit past 10pm.

The basic menu includes about 25 different items, from small plates to heartier entrees, and there was a Specials menu with 6 additional items. We selected some dishes and also asked our server to bring us a bunch of his own recommendations. In the end, we received a nonstop parade of dishes, which probably constituted at least 80% of the menu. Overall, the food was quite tasty with only a couple dishes which were merely average. We received a great variety, including many spicy dishes, seafood, pork, beef & vegetables. Be wary as several of the dishes are very spicy and you may need something to mellow the heat in your mouth.

My favorite dishes were the Fried Pig Tails, Beef Grapow and Whole Fish Sam-Rod (with a delectable cripsy skin). Everyone who tried the fried pig tails loved them, though a few people refused to even tast them. Other delicious dishes included the Koi Pla (salmon ceviche), Tendon Panang with Roti, Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodles with short ribs), the Pork Toro (grilled fatty hog collar), and Kar Moo Parlow (braised pork hock). The most disappointing dish was the Nuoc Mam Chicken Wings, which were very ordinary, especially when compared to the wings from Pok Pok in Portland, another Thai street food place.

Service was very good and it is a cool place to grab a bite and a drink. Most of the dishes are very well prepared, with an intriguing blend of spices, and none of the dishes were bad. They were merely ordinary. Night+Market earned my recommendation.

My final dinner of my trip was another small plates restaurant, The Bazaar by Jose Andres, which serves incredible Spanish Tapas. There were about twenty of us, including singer Patti Austin (who was a down to earth and fascinating person). Located in Beverly Hills, the restaurant decor is extremely compelling, chic without being ostentatious.

A tasting menu was prepared for us, with eighteen courses, and we ordered our own wines. Overall, the meal was delicious and certain dishes even brought my mind back to Spain. I liked their creativity as well in the nontraditional tapas. Everyone I spoke to at our table was very pleased with our dinner.

The menu included:
American Caviar Cone (like a salty ice cream cone)
Sweet Potato Chips (excellent!)
Jamon Iberico with Pa'amb Tomaquet (bread topped by rubbed tomato with silky ham)
King Crab Can (served in an actual can, tasty sweet crab meat)
Mussel Can (also served in a can)
Market Fish Ceviche & Avocado Roll
Not Your Everyday Caprese (cherry tomatoes & little balls of mozzarella that squirt in your mouth, so tasty)
Ensaladilla Rusa (potatoes, carrots, tuna belly and mayo)
Bunuelos (codfish fritters, very good)
Papas Canarias (salty wrinkled potatoes with mojo verde, quite addictive snack)
Seared Mary's Farm Chicken (meaty, tender, juicy, cripsy skin, quite compelling)
Catalan Spinach
Wild Mushroom Rice with Idiazabal cheese (creamy, umami rich and also addictive)
Braised Wagyu Beef Cheeks (tender, meaty and tasty)
Philly Cheesesteak (very interesting, nontraditional dish)
Pan con Chocolate
Traditional Spanish Flan
Special Chef's Selection Dessert (a mousse-like pudding of some type)

With my meal, I primarily drank Sherry, introducing the rest of our group to some excellent selections. Our first two choices were both from Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana, one of my favorite Sherry bodegas. We had the Manzanilla La Gitana and the Amontillado Napoleón, both different in taste yet good choices for the tapas dishes. We also had the E. Lustau Palo Cortado Almacenistas Vides, a superb Sherry with a great depth of flavor which was the favorite of a number of people at dinner. Palo Cortado is one of my favorite types of Sherry and the Almacenista was very well made.

We had excellent service and I was thoroughly impressed with the restaurant. It too receives my highest recommendation.

I left Los Angeles, with a full and satisfied belly, singing "I love L.A."

3 Country Bistro: New Asian in Woburn

Downtown Woburn, a strip on Main Street, is becoming a mecca for small restaurants, from Brazilian to Mexican, from Pizza to Asian. I have recently had my eye on two new restaurants, the Brickyard and 3 Country Bistro. The Brickyard will be a pizza and burger joint, scheduled to open in the beginning of May. 3 Country Bistro just opened about a week ago and I stopped by yesterday for lunch.

The restaurant is small, seating only about 18 people, and offers Japanese, Thai and Korean cuisine. It is a casual place, with a tiny sushi bar, and is open for both lunch and dinner. They do takeout and also deliver within Woburn. It is a BYOB spot, so you can bring your own wine or beer.

It has an extensive menu, with plenty of sushi options, especially makimono, sushi rolls. Sushi prices are average, and sashimi orders consist of five slices of fish, not the usual three at most other places. There are five Korean entrees, ranging from Bi Bam Bab to Bulgogi.  Thai entrees include about twenty choices, including four curries and a few Pad Thai options. I was disappointed though that they did not have Massaman Curry. Japanese entrees include Tempura, Teriyaki and Agemono. Many of the lunch choices are under $10, and most dinner options are under $15.

For lunch, I tried some sushi, including maguro, unagi, tamago and a sweet potato tempura maki. The maki was so-so, with not enough sweet potato and lacking a sufficient crispness. The other sushi though were tasty, good-sized and seemed fresh.  I also tried a few of their appetizers, Gyoza, Tatsuta-Age and Tempura. The fried Gyoza were cooked well, plump and with a nice crunch. The Tatsuta-Age were larger pieces of chicken than many other places serve, which I like, and it had a pleasant tasting coating over moist, white meat. The tempura was good, though the batter could have been a little lighter. Presentation was very nice, with some nice mukimono, vegetable carvings, on the sushi plate. After lunch, they served me a dish of fresh, sliced fruit, with some fruit carvings.

As the restaurant has only been open for a week, matters could change. Hopefully it will improve over the next couple months as they work out the initial kinks. I had enough tasty food here that I will return to try more of their dishes, maybe some Thai next time. It may not replace any of my local Asian favorite restaurants, but it is worth checking out.

3 Country Bistro
379 Main Street
Woburn, MA
Phone: 781-376-8030

Upcoming Sake Events

March is shaping up to be Sake Month in the Boston area as I will be presiding at several sake events, including a class, a couple tastings and a dinner. These should all be fun, informative and interesting and I hope to see many of you there.  This is the perfect time to learn more about sake, and to correct your misconceptions about this compelling drink.  Plus, there are more potential events in the near future which should prove equally as interesting. 

1) Want to learn more about Sake? Then you can do so at my upcoming "Chilling With Sake" class at the Boston Wine School on Wednesday, March 16, at 6:30pm. This will be a fun introduction to the realm of sake, covering diverse topics such as sake history, the brewing process, sake types, rituals & customs, terminology and much more. No prior knowledge of sake is required to take this class.  We will taste through a number of sakes, as well as enjoy sushi. Don't be intimidated by sake any longer. Instead, arm yourself with the knowledge you need to safely navigate a restaurant's sake menu or a wine store's sake selection.

2) After the recent fun and success of the Sherry and Thai dinner, I will be returning to Ronnarong in Somerville on March 8, Thai Tapas Tuesday, for Sake and Thai. The details are still being worked out, such as which Sakes will be poured, but mark down the date on your calendar. Space will be limited so once sign up starts, you should reserve a space quickly to ensure you can be there. Thai Tapas Tuesdays are held on the second Tuesday of each month. Order a drink and your tapas is free! (drink price must equal or exceed tapas price)

3) Almost in my backyard, I will be presiding at a Sake tasting at the Wine Cellar of Stoneham, located in the B.J.s Wholesale Club in Stoneham, tentatively scheduled for March 20, from 1pm-3pm..  The store was a Runner-Up Discount Wine Store in my 2010: Favorite Wine & Spirit Related Items.  They have excellent, discounted prices and the sakes I will be pouring will have some of the lowest prices in the state.

4) Pizzeria Posto, located just off Davis Square, was one of my Favorite Restaurants of 2010, and has a top notch brunch, delicious pizzas and killer pasta. I am currently working with Chef/owner Joseph Cassinelli on a Sake-paired Italian dinner for a likely Tuesday or Wednesday night during the last two weeks in March.  This multi-course dinner will showcase several different sakes, presenting how sake can pair well with Italian cuisine. Think umami, as that fifth taste will be put to the test.  More details will soon follow and I think this dinner will really be an exciting experience.

5) Very tentatively, there could be a Sake-pairing dinner in the future at The Melting Pot.  First, Sake and cheese is a great pairing so a cheese fondue would work well with sake. Second, the entree fondues certainly resembles Japanese shabu-shabu, and sake would likely pair well with that too. The type of fondue broth would certainly dictate the type of sake to pair with it, but that would just be a matter of the proper combination.  And there are dessert-style sakes you could pair with chocolate fondue too.  So, when I know more details about the possibility of Sake & Fondue, I will post about it.

6) There are a couple other potential events that I am working on, but can't reveal the details yet.  Please also remember that if you want to run a sake-event at your wine store, restaurant, school, function, etc., please contact me to discuss it.  Sake is a very versatile, diverse and delicious beverage.

Sake and Thai: Ronnarong in March

After the recent fun and success of the Sherry and Thai dinner, I will be returning to Ronnarong in Somerville on March 8 for Sake and Thai.  The details are still being worked out, such as which Sakes will be poured, but mark down the date on your calendar.  Space will be limited so once sign up starts, you should reserve a space quickly to ensure you can be there.  

Ronnarong has other interesting Thai Tapas Tuesday events coming in the near future. Thai Tapas Tuesdays are held on the second Tuesday of each month.  Order a drink and your tapas is free! (drink price must equal or exceed tapas price)

February 8:
How HOT Can You Handle? A Thai Spice Challenge
Attendees will test their mettle as we turn Chef Ronnarong loose with his home grown chiles, mortar and pestle.
Salvation provided by Dave Keating of Berkshire Brewing Co. who will pour three Berkshire brews to soothe enflamed palates: Lost Sailor IPA, Traditional Pale Ale and Russian Imperial Stout.

April 12: 
Celebrating Spring with Sparkling Thai Cocktails

May 10:
Patio Season - Opening Party with Pretty Things Brewers

Ronnarong: Sherry & Thai Success

Tuesday night, there were plenty of happy diners at Ronnarong, a Thai restaurant in Union Square, Somerville.  I was the host for this month's edition of Thai Tapas Tuesday Series, pairing Spanish Sherry with Thai dishes.  The event went very well, and the attendees gained an appreciation for dry sherry. I had fun talking about the basics of sherry while also relating anecdotes from my prior trip to the sherry region this past September. 

As I have said before, Spanish sherry pairs well with a wide variety of cuisines. But too many have the mistaken perception that all sherry is sweet so they rarely consider pairing sherry with dinner. Dry sherry though is very interesting and delicious, and can pair well with lots of foods. This event was an opportunity to show the versatility of sherry, to introduce people to its possibilities, and it was successful with a number of attendees telling me they would now be seeking out sherry.

The evening began with a tapas of fried vegetable Thai roll and then moved onto three classic Thai dishes: seafood lad nah (mixed seafood with asian broccoli, wide noodles, and oyster sauce), beef with Ronnarong's red curry, and a larb (very spicy ground chicken dish).  All of the food was quite tasty, spiced well and it was a nice sampling of the restaurant's cuisine.

We began the evening, pairing some Manzanilla with the Thai rolls and lad nah.  Manzanilla can only be legally produced in a single city, Sanlucar, in the entire world, making it a special wine.  I love its taste, which often reminds me of a briny green apple. We had three Manzanillas, including from producers Bodega Hidalgo La Gitana, Pedro Romero and Barbadillo Solear. It went well with the crunchy Thai roll and the seafood in a savory sauce, and the La Gitana seemed to be the favorite of the three for the attendees.

With the beef and red curry, which had a bit of a hot spice to it, I chose to pair it with Amontillado, and we had bottles from Lustau and Barbadillo. Amontillado seems like the best of both worlds, a mix of the best qualities of fino and oloroso, and it is very food friendly.  This was also the top pairing of the evening, with lots of raves.  The Amontillado was able to tame the spice of the dish, and was not overpowered by the curry. The restaurant may even add Amontillado to their wine list after seeing how well everyone enjoyed this pairing.

The lab, a very hot and spicy dish, was paired with an Oloroso, and again we had examples from Lustau and Barbadillo.  Though people did like the Oloroso, it didn't work as well as hoped, being more overwhelmed by the intense heat of this dish. It probably needed a bit of a sweeter sherry, maybe a Pale Cream or Medium Sherry to better combat the spiciness.  The Oloroso would have worked with the red curry, but it is a fine balancing act, where the dry sherry works well with some heat, but not too much.  

It was great to meet the attendees, and there were plenty of interesting food and wine conversations, and not just about the sherry and Thai. I was glad to see all of these adventurous people, willing to try something new, willing to put aside their preconceptions.  Thanks to everyone at Ronnarong for helping to put this event together, and I recommend that you check out their restaurant.  Plus, you might see me there again in the near future, hosting a Sake pairing dinner!

Thai Tapas Tuesday: Sherry & Thai

As I have said before, Spanish sherry pairs well with a wide variety of cuisines.  That belief will now be put to the test, as we see how sherries match up to Thai food.  Would you like to participate in this intriguing event?

On January 11, 2011, Ronnarong, a Thai restaurant in Union Square, Somerville, will host their next edition of Thai Tapas Tuesday Series.  For this edition, three sherries will be paired with four dishes, and I will be the guest speaker, giving you an introductory lesson into the realm of sherry, an underappreciated but worthy wine.  I'll discuss the basics of sherry, from its fascinating history to its diverse styles.  
 
The delicious food will include a tapas of fried vegetable Thai roll and then move onto three classic Thai dishes: seafood lad nah (mixed seafood with asian broccoli, wide noodles, oyster sauce), beef with Ronnarong's red curry, and a larb (very spicy ground chicken dish). The sherry selections will include a Manzanilla, an Amontillado and an Oloroso, affording attendees a broad introduction to sherry types.  I previously tasted these three dishes, and then selected the types of sherry I felt would go best with them. You can tell me whether I succeeded or not. 

The event will begin at 7pm and the cost is $30 per person (plus tax and gratuity).  It is by reservation only, with seating limited to 30 people, so make your reservations early before it sells out.  To make reservations, please call 617-625-9296.

I hope to see you there!

Bangkok Bistro in Burlington, Vermont

When you have a craving, just go with it.

On my recent trip to Vermont, I stayed the night in Burlington, a city I have visited often in the past. One of the main thoroughfares for pedestrian traffic is Church Street, where you will find a plethora of shops, restaurants and bars. While meandering down the street, I was stopping in some of the various shops, considering where to eat. What type of cuisine did I crave? What most called to my hunger?

Bangkok Bistro. Thai cuisine beckoned to me and I heeded its call. It is a small restaurant, though with a patio and bar. It was fairly busy, though it was also a Saturday night, but we were able to get a table. I first perused the drink menus and was surprised, and very pleased, to see that they carried a good selection of Saké, and fairly reasonably priced.

Unfortunately, they did not have my first two selections in stock. I ended up with the Taisetsu Junmai Ginjo ($15/300ml), which is aged in an igloo-like ice dome, and the Shirakabegura Tukunetsu Junmai ($15/300ml), an old favorite. They brought individual containers to keep both of them chilled, which was a very nice touch.

Besides Thai, they also have a lengthy sushi menu, from nigiri to maki. I tried their Sweet Potato Roll ($4), which was very nicely presented, and tasted very good too. Plus, that is a very reasonable price for such.

An intriguing appetizer was the Pad Thai Gyoza ($7.50), fried gyoza but with the flavors of Pad Thai, as well as bean sprouts and peanuts. The flavors enhanced the gyoza, which was fried well, with a nice crunch to them. There were plenty of gyoza in the dish and once again, I thought it was reasonably priced.

The Chicken & Rice Bowl ($12.95) was a good, but not impressive dish. It tasted fine, the veggies were crisp and fresh, but there was nothig exciting about the dish. Just a simple dish, executed well.

I ordered the Chicken Massaman Curry ($16.95), which is one of the dishes I often order at a Thai restaurant to see how it measures up to other similar restaurants. This Massaman stood up well to the others, with plenty of tender chicken and a delectable spicy curry sauce with a dominant coconut flavor. Not all Massaman dishes are spicy, but I do enjoy when they are. I eagerly devoured this dish, making sure to pour some of the sauce atop my white rice. It definitely will be added to my list of top Massaman Curry dishes.

Service was excellent, and I found the food tasty and reasonably priced. It was also very nice to see they carry some good Saké. This certainly satisfied my craving and would recommend it to others as well.

Bangkok Bistro
144 Church St
Burlington, VT
Phone: (802) 951-5888

Bangkok Café: Summer Thai

Beginning June 1st and continuing through Labor Day weekend, you can enjoy summer dining selections of Pan-Asian Thai fare at Bangkok Café, prepared by Chef/owner Raungdet “Danny” Titisuttikul. From Tuesday to Thursday, you will be able to save money in different ways at this restaurant.

Thai Tapas Tuesdays
Every Tuesday, guests can share and partake in a number of Thai tapas all for $4 per dish. Chef Danny encourages enthusiasts of Thai food and those new to the cuisine to taste the line up of tapas, such as Fresh Rolls, Siam Chicken Wings, and Paradise Beef to name a few.

Two Travel to Bangkok Every Wednesday
Make your Wednesday night a casual and relaxed one while experiencing The Two Travel to Bangkok menu. From 4pm-9pm every Wednesday, this prix fixe menu will feature Cafe Sampler Appetizer for two, any soup or garden salad for two and two entrees from the Oodles of Noodles or Creative Cuisine menus for only $29.95.

Half-Off Thursdays
Experience the cuisine of Thailand at Bangkok Cafe. Every Thursday, when two entrees are purchased, the second entree will be 1/2 priced!

Bangkok Cafe
25 Popular Street
Roslindale, MA
Phone: 617-327-8810

Stoneham Sun: U-Me

My new column of "A Passionate Foodie" can be found in the August 12 issue of the Stoneham Sun newspaper. This is a weekly column that concentrates on reviews of local restaurants though it also sometimes touches on other food and wine topics.

The new column has been published today and will be available online soon. The new article is a restaurant review of U-Me, a new Asian restaurant in Stoneham. Try some of their delicous Japanese, Thai or Korean cuisine in their elegant setting. A perfect place for an intimate date or to bring your family.

If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here.

Dine with passion

U-Me: New Asian Cuisine in Stoneham

It surprises me sometimes how new local restaurants seem to hide under the radar of many local residents. I'll talk to local people about a new restaurant, that might have been open for a few months, and a significant number of those people did not even know the restaurant existed. This is especially true if the restaurant is not on the main street of the town.

U-Me, a new Asian restaurant in Stoneham is located on Franklin Street, across from a public parking lot. It is not too far from Main Street but still seems a bit off the beaten path. But it is worth seeking out. U-Me primarily serves Japanese, Thai and Korean cuisine as well as sushi. The Korean owners have operated two previous restaurants in Arlington and Cambridge and U-Me seems to be truly run as a family business.

When you walk into the restaurant, you will first be struck by the beauty of its decor. It is a beautiful place, with an elegant and tasteful look. It is actually fairly large, and a couple of the dining areas look out onto Franklin Street. Despite its elegance, it is not pretentious. It still has a homey feel, good enough for an intimate dinner for two or a family with several children.

Rather than sit at one of the tables, you can take a seat at the marble-topped sushi bar where you can watch the cooks prepare your nigiri, sashimi and makimono.

The bar is also marble-topped and there is a large-screen TV in the bar area. They have a full selection of liquor with a lengthy and diverse selection of cocktails, wine, beer and sake. Most of the cocktails, the martinis, polynesian drinks and others, cost about $7-11. There are about fifteen different wine choices, glasses at $7-9 and bottles at $22-$28.

There is a Happy Hour at the bar each day from 5-8pm with $3 appetizers (9 different ones available). They also have live jazz music on Thursday nights.

As a sake lover, I was pleased to see they carry six types of sake, ranging from $4-13, and a few being very tasty. Plus, they understand the best way to serve chilled sake. The small pitcher, pictured above, is chilled and has an interior pocket where ice can be placed. This keeps the sake chilled without diluting it with melting ice.

The food menu is extensive, including appetizers, salads, soups, noodle dishes, fried rice, curry dishes, teriyaki, tempura, and various special entrees. Prices are comparable to similar type restaurants. Though you can easily find Thai and Japanese cuisine elsewhere locally, you probably will have more difficulty locating Korean cuisine. And it may be tougher to find all three cuisines on the same menu.

They have a lengthy lunch menu, with nearly all dishes under $10. You might want to try one of their special Lunch Boxes ($9.95), which includes miso soup, salad, dumplings, rice and your choice of entree.

Their sushi seems fresh, is reasonably priced and they have a diverse selection of maki rolls. Above, starting in the top left hand corner and proceeding clockwise, you have Idaho Maki (fried sweet potato), Maguro (tuna), Unagi (eel), Tamago (egg) and Sake (salmon). The fish is good-sized though the amount of rice beneath the fish is a bit smaller than usual.

Of their Appetizers, my favorite choice is the Szechuan Wings ($6.95) which is pictured above. These are exceptionally good, pieces of fried chicken with a slightly sweet sauce that also has a tinge of spice. The crisp, crunchy batter is perfect, and rather addictive. It makes regular chicken wings seem so boring. It is almost impossible for me to go to U-Me and not get an order of these wings.

The Pa Jun ($7.95) may be better known to you as Scallion pancakes, and they are large, light and delicious with large, fresh scallions. As for other appetizers, I also would highly recommend the Dumplings ($5.95) and Shumai ($5.95).

As for entrees, I have not had a dish I did not enjoy. Their Pad Thai with Chicken ($8.95) was plentiful, fresh and very tasty. Their Masaman Curry with Beef ($11.95) is another excellent choice, the curry sauce having a nice coconut flavor to it and the beef was very tender. I am very picky about my shrimp tempura and U-Me's Shrimp Tempura ($14.95) passes my strict standards. The tempura batter is properly light and crisp, not the heavy covering lesser tempuras sometimes possess. The Crispy Chicken Basil ($12.95) is another winning dish, which comes with a sweet chili sauce.

The Galbi ($17.95), which is pictured above, is a famous Korean dish, grilled marinated short ribs. The dish consists of three long, thin strips of tender beef and a couple bones with a bit more meat. There is also a salad and some veggies. The beef was flavorful and sure to please any carnivore.

Service is very good and the waitstaff is very attentive. The variety and diverse selection available on their menu is compelling. Almost everyone should be able to find something they want. Plus, the delicious food should please most everyone. If nothing else, you have to go to try the Szechuan Wings.

U-Me
19 Franklin Street
Stoneham, MA
Phone 781-850-3444

Duck Walk: Thai in Wakefield

One of the most popular restaurants in Wakefield center is the Duck Walk, a Thai place. It is a medium-sized restaurant with a large and hip-looking bar. It presents an elegant ambiance, resembling a place that would fit into Boston. They seem to be seeking to present a more high-end feel in the suburbs.

When you are seated, you are presented with a food menu and an extensive wine and alcohol list, including many high-end options. But the wine prices are expensive, generally seeming to be triple the usual retail cost, especially for their least expensive wines. Thus, I would not recommend ordering the wine unless you are willing to really overpay for it. In addition, I don't think this restaurant needs such an extensive list. They may have over 100 Cabernet Sauvignons for example, and I really don't see any need for all of those similar wines. I somehow doubt they get that much call for all of those Cabernets.

Food prices tend to be on the pricier side as well, making this one of the most expensive Thai restaurants I know. But, on the plus side, the food is excellent, high quality food that is likely to please, making the high prices a bit more palatable. On a recent visit, I began with the Chicken Fingers and Pan-Fried Dumplings, both around $8 each. The Chicken Fingers have a thinner batter, which I prefer, than what you find in many Chinese restaurants. So when you bit into it, you get far more chicken than batter in your mouth. The crispy batter covers moist white meat and there is a delicious sweet sauce for dipping. I definitely recommend these. The Dumplings were good too, though not exceptional.

For entrees, we had the Tamarind Duck and Garlic Shrimp, each around $22. The Duck is a half duck, boneless, with a delicious crispy skin covering a meaty duck breast. The Tamarind sauce has a nice sweetness to it and there is a hint of spiciness too. There was a lot of duck on the plate and it was well worth the price. I have had this duck before and it always has been very good. The shrimp was also an excellent choice, with plenty of shrimp in a mound of veggies with a flavorful garlic sauce.

On previous visits, I have almost always enjoyed the dishes I ordered. The food is consistent and service is usually very good. Besides the high prices, there is little to complain about. And the prices don't seem to keep the people away as it is often quite busy, especially at the bar. I do recommend this place with the caveat about their prices, especially in these leaner economic times.

Duck Walk
397 Main St.
Wakefield, MA
Phone: (781) 246-3715

Stoneham Sun: Taste of Siam

My new column of "A Passionate Foodie" can be found in the November 26 issue issue of the Stoneham Sun newspaper. This is a weekly column that concentrates on reviews of local restaurants though it may also touch on a few other food and wine topics.

The new column has been published today and will soon be available online. The new column is a restaurant review of Taste of Siam, a brand new Thai place in Stoneham. It occupies the location that used to house Georgie D's Place. It is a delicious place and a welcome addition to the local culinary scene.

If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here.

Dine with passion.

Taste of Siam: New Restaurant in Stoneham

Stoneham is seeing the opening of a few new restaurants lately or in the near future. One of the openings that most excited me was Taste of Siam, a Thai restaurant. Stoneham did not previously have a Thai place so I was intrigued by what this place might be like. It has now been open for a couple weeks and I have already eaten there a few times, for both dinner and lunch.

Taste of Siam occupies the previous location of Georgie D’s Place, so it does have a bit of a parking issue. Though they are supposed to be having valet service in the near future which will help to alleviate much of that problem. Plus, as they are still very new, they don't have their liquor license yet, though that is forthcoming.

Only some minor changes have been made to the interior of the restaurant, including adding some tasteful Thai decorations. They did place a small section of wall in the front dining room to block off the view of the kitchen.

They are open for both lunch and dinner and their menu is fairly lengthy and diverse. There are appetizers, soups, salads, curry dishes, noodle dishes, fried rice, healthy stir fry dishes, and entrees specials. Prices are very reasonable with appetizers averaging $6 and most dinner entrees costing under $15. Lunches range $8-10. You will find many standard Thai dishes as well as some of their own creations. There should be something for everyone there.

To start your meal, I highly recommend the Thai Chicken Wings ($5.95) appetizer. They are your standard fried chicken wings but covered with Thai spices and a delicious and slightly sweet sauce. They were fresh, meaty and very flavorful. The sauce elevates this appetizer above the usual wings you get elsewhere. They are messy though but you will probably just lick the delicious sauce off your fingers.

The Shrimp Tempura ($6.95) was good, though the batter was a touch heavier than I prefer. I am very picky about my tempura. Kyotoya in Stoneham still has one of the best tempura around, just so light and crispy that you crave piece after piece of it. The Chicken Coconut Soup ($3.95) has slices of white meat chicken in a broth made of coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal and cilantro. What I especially liked was that I could taste all of the individual ingredients and they mixed well in the soup. The Bangkok Dumplings ($5.95), deep fried, were small dumplings filled with pork that were okay but nothing special.

As for their entrees, they really excel, providing fresh, delicious food in good-sized portions. There are two standard Thai dishes I use in comparing Thai restaurants, Massaman Curry and Pad Thai. If a restaurant can do those dishes well, then there is a very good chance the rest of their menu will be as good. For both dishes, Taste of Siam passed with flying colors.

Their Massaman Curry with Chicken ($12.95) comes in a porcelain bowl sitting above a candle to keep it warm, a cool presentation. Though the bowl at first may seem shallow, it actually contains a ton of food and sauce, more than you get at most other Thai places. It comes with potatoes, bell pepper, carrots, peanuts and basil leaves in a superb coconut curry sauce. Everything seemed very fresh and the sauce really pleased me. I was extremely happy with this dish and highly recommend it.

They have a few different versions of Pad Thai. The traditional Pad Thai ($10.95), is a rice noodle dish with chicken, shrimp, egg, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts and scallions. A nice touch was that the sprouts were on the side so they remained crunchy. This was another large dish of food with plenty of chicken. Also quite delicious and recommended. Their Pad Thai Basil Noodle ($10.95) comes with rice noodles, egg, and some veggies, but also thin slices of a tasty, crispy chicken cutlet. This dish does not come with bean sprouts and I very much liked it, especially the crunchy batter on the chicken.

One of their lunch specials is Gai Kapow ($7.95), ground chicken stir fried with Thai chilies, garlic and basil leaves in a spicy sauce and served atop jasmine rice and with some veggies. This dish was spicy hot though not so overwhelming that you lost the flavors of the dish. There was certainly plenty of food on the plate and it is a perfect dish for a cold afternoon when you want something to warm and satisfy your belly.

They have nine desserts available, from Homemade Thai Custard to Fresh Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice. I tried the Fried Banana ($5.95), which includes several pieces of banana fried in light and crispy spring roll wrappers accompanied by a large scoop of vanilla ice cream with some chocolate sauce and whipped cream. A decadent dessert that you could share, though you might want it all to yourself. It was not as good as the similar dish I recently had at P.F. Chang, but it still was very good and worth ordering.

Service has been very good, despite the fact they don’t have their full staff working yet. Overall, I was impressed with this restaurant. It is an excellent place for reasonable prices, delicious food, and good-sized large portions. It is off to an auspicious start and I look forward to returning there soon to try more of their menu.

Taste of Siam
499 Main Street
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 438-4001
http://www.tasteofsiamstoneham.com/ (Note their website does not appear to be working yet)

Kayuga II

While passing through Arlington over the weekend, we decided to stop for dinner. There are so many restaurants on Mass. Ave that I have yet to try. I was in the mood for Japanese food so decided to give Kayuga II a try. I have never been there before but the menu looked interesting.

Kayuga is a small restaurant with large windows overlooking Mass Ave. They are open for both lunch and dinner, and even have delivery within two miles. Their menu includes Japanese, Thai and Korean dishes as well as nigiri sushi, sashimi and makimono. It is quite an extensive menu so there are plenty of choices and everyone should be able to find something to their liking.

We began with the fried Pork Gyoza ($5.75) which includes six gyoza. They were good though much the same as any other Japanese restaurant. That is not a bad thing, it is just that they were not special in any way. The Tatsuta Age ($6.50) were better than average, a nice mound of fried chicken nuggets with a nice flavor to the batter. The Miso Soup that came with our entrees was also better than average, with a delicious broth and it came out properly hot, not lukewarm as some places do.

They have a lengthy list of Makimono, sushi rolls, including many of their own invention. We had the Idaho Maki ($3.25), deep fried sweet potato and eel sauce, the Patriots Maki ($6.50), eel, fried sweet potato, cucumber and eel sauce, and the Red Sox Maki ($5.75), deep fried shrimp, crabstick, cucumber and spicy katsu sauce. I have no clue why the last two Maki are named as such. Their contents don't seem to have much to do with either sports team. But, they were quite tasty. All of the maki rolls were plump, with a nice mix of flavors and textures. You get six pieces of each and they are a good value for the price. I would highly recommend the Makimono.

We only had one type of Nigiri, the Tamago ($3.95), an egg omelet. It also was very tasty, one of the fullest flavored tamago I have had, though the pieces were a bit thin compared to most other places. I am curious about the size of the rest of their Nigiri.

The Pad Thai ($10.95) was a large plate of food and my wife felt it was one of the best Pad Thai dishes she has had, and she is a big lover of Pad Thai and has tasted it in many places. (Too many veggies for my preferences.) I had the Sesame Beef ($11.95) which was also a large plate with plenty of bite size pieces of sesame beef atop bean sprouts and carrot slices. It was easy to eat this dish with chopsticks and the sauce on the beef was very good, slightly sweet and not too thick and cloying. A very good dish.

My only significant complaint was with their Iced Green Tea ($2.50). It was quite good, unsweetened and seemed fresh brewed. But, they charged me for the three glasses I drank. Most places give free refills on iced tea, especially fresh brewed, and I have castigated other restaurants which charge for multiple glasses. Tea is so cheap that it seems like robbery to me to charge for three glasses when it probably did not cost 50 cents to make it.

Overall, I was pleased with this restaurant. Service was very good. Most of the food was excellent, reasonably priced and good portions. My only pet peeve is with their iced tea.

Kayuga II
444 Massachusetts Ave.
Arlington, MA
Phone: 781-648-4848