Apparently I've Lost My Mind

Maybe it's a sign that I've been blogging too long, but something happened that has never happened to me before. I forgot that I had previously been to a restaurant. 

And it gets worse...

I named that restaurant to my 2021 To Dine Challenge list of 10 restaurants to dine at this year. *face palm*

As Mr. H and I drove to Han Chinese Kabob & Grill to pick up our takeout order, I got a gut feeling and sure enough...before we even pulled in, I knew I had already been there (in 2014, to be exact, if you'd like to read more about that visit).

The good news? Only one of the five items we ordered was something I'd had before (Lamb Kabob).

We had asked our friends (thanks Joe and Laura!) for recommendations, and got several things from their list: Dry Chili Chicken ($14.95), Fried Chinese Potstickers ($5.95), and Wonton with Chili Oil ($5.95). We had wanted to try the Salt and Pepper Prawns they suggested, but the restaurant was out of them that night.

The last dish we tried was the Spicy Duck Dry Pot ($15.95). This dish was a huge bust for us. Every piece of duck had multiple small shards of bone in it that were impossible to eat around. There's no pulling the meat off the bone on your plate, there's too many small pieces to navigate around in your mouth if you're attempting to chew the meat off and remove the bone...am I missing a logical way to eat this??? Help! 

My favorites were the Wonton and the Chicken (although it's very spicy so beware). 

So, it wasn't my first visit there as I had intended when I added it to the Challenge. Does it count? Do I replace it with another restaurant? I'm stuck. New waters here on this old blog, haha.

Han Chinese Kabob and Grill
3710 Payne Ave #110
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 769-8745

Tales from Social Distancing...

As we enter Week 11, it still seems a little surreal that it's been that long. I drove a car this weekend for the first time since March 16. Weird to think about. 

But we're hanging in there in at home. Now enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of full-blown Spring.

There are still a handful of chilly and damp days, so one of those evenings we ordered in Gnocchi al Burro from Trattoria Roman Garden in Little Italy. I can't speak to the rest of the menu, but that gnocchi makes an appearance once a year for us!

Do you remember when I recently visited Tapatia's Taqueria? Well we discovered their sister restaurant Hacienda Tapatia, and it was just as good. I still prefer the Chile Poblano from Cozumel, but their version of Chile Rellenos slid into the #3 spot for me (close behind Luchita's).

We're still supporting The Black Pig once a week, and we recently enjoyed their Pasta Night for 2. Their house made pastas have always been excellent, so it was great to experience them again.

I have always loved getting lost in a good book and used to devour 5-7 books a week when I was a kid on summer break, but as an adult I don't read much fiction anymore because I have a hard time putting a book down once I'm reading. It often leads to staying up into the wee hours of the morning until I finish, and then I pay the price for days. With self-quarantine, I decided it was a perfect time to distract my mind and dive into a couple of books. My new gorgeous bookmark from Oceanne makes it feel extra special. Any recommendations?

One of the things I'm enjoying about takeout these days is focusing on foods that we (by "we" we all know I mean Mr. H) don't make at home. Indian falls into that category, and we enjoyed Chicken Tikka Masala from Tandul in Tremont. They have the best Garlic Cheese Naan that I've had locally.

I'm really missing "my people" during this. So Mr. H and I decided to take a random day off of work, whip up some Ramp & Spinach Pesto (thanks for the recipe, Meghan!), and deliver jars with a note to a few of our favorite neighbors. It felt great to take that time to step away from the stress of work to do something nice for people we care about and miss.

The last takeout experience that I want to share with you is the Walnut Shrimp from Li Wah in AsiaTown. It's always been my favorite dish there if I'm not doing dim sum, and after eating it again, it inspired us to try and make a version at home this week. Fingers crossed!

Stay tuned later this week, because I've been slowly starting to tackle takeout from 2020 To Dine Challenge restaurants to still try and complete the list this year. Only 5 more to go!

Li Wah
2999 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114

Tandul
2505 Professor Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113

The Black Pig

2801 Bridge Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113

Trattoria Roman Garden

12207 Mayfield Road
Cleveland, OH 44106

Hacienda Tapatia
1572 W. 117
Lakewood, OH 44107

LJ Shanghai

I finally got my butt to LJ Shanghai to try these soup dumplings they've been known for since they opened on Superior Avenue in AsiaTown (next to #1 Pho).

A small menu, but filled with pictures to help you decide what to order. I settled on the Shredded Pork and Pickle Noodle Soup ($8). The bowl was huge for the price, the noodles were a perfect texture, but the broth was a little too mild for my taste. So I just kicked it up with some spicy chili oil that was provided on the table. Easy fix!

But, let's be honest...we were there to try the Soup Dumplings ($5 for six).

From what I've read online, there is a trick to eating them properly. They are filled with a piping hot broth, so you poke a hole in the wrapper or bite the top of it off to let the broth out onto the spoon. It's suggested to dip in soy sauce and vinegar prior to opening the dumpling, and both were provided on the table.

Now, maybe we made a mistake by not eating them immediately, but the dumplings we got did not have "broth" inside of them. The meat filling was moist, but certainly no significant juices came out. Is this normal? 

Either way, they were delicious little nuggets, and that vinegar sauce provided was amazing. I could pour that on just about anything. Eating these just wasn't quite the experience I thought we were in for. Was this exactly what it should have been, was this batch just off a bit, or did we do something wrong in how/when we ate them? Educate me if you know more about these famous soup dumplings!

LJ Shanghai
3142 Superior Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 400-6936

Koko's Bakery

Mr. H and I knocked another stop off of my 2017 To Dine Challenge list on Sunday by popping in to Koko's Bakery in AsiaTown.

When you walk in the door, you're immediately greeted by this impressive and mouth-watering case of pastries and buns.

You grab a tray and make your selections, before making your way over to the counter to pay. Where then you are tempted by this bright and colorful selection of desserts.

They also have sandwiches, rice bowls, a lengthy list of bubble teas, and smoothies that you order at the counter. The shop is much larger than I imagined, and there are plenty of tables for dine-in. There is also a small lot in front, so parking was easy and free. It's in the same building as Han Chinese Kabob and Grill, and Map of Thailand.

We had just finished Easter brunch, so we were only interested in a couple of items to-go. We selected a Pork Bun ($1.75)...

...and a Ham and Cheese Bun ($1,75) to split for lunch on Monday.

We also took home a 3-pack of BBQ Pork Steamed Buns to make later. Both of the buns we had so far were very good. The dough is so light and airy, and they certainly made me want to go back!

Koko's Bakery
3710 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114

Han Chinese Kabob and Grill

I love to try new foods, and new restaurants. However, Chinese is one cuisine that I am not drawn to. I'm often intimidated by the menu (usually very little descriptions, and I'm unfamiliar with classic dishes), and I don't typically spend a lot of time exploring Cleveland's AsiaTown. But, shame on me, because there are a lot of wonderful gems in that area. However, I can always count on my AsiaTown buddy, Michelle, to go on these adventures with me.

This time, it brought us to the new Han Chinese Kabob and Grill, after reading Doug Trattner's article in Scene.

The restaurant was easy to find on Payne Avenue. There is a small parking lot in front of the restaurant, and the restaurant's sign is pretty large on the front of the building. The restaurant is very clean, modern, and welcoming. You won't find your typical Asian flare decorating the walls and surface areas here.

We had done some research on what to order, thanks to social media.

We decided to share some smaller items, to get a better taste of their menu. We started with Sliced Pork Belly with Garlic ($5.95).

Warning- must.love.garlic! The pork belly was topped with a sizable pile of diced raw garlic, which was very potent. We happen to love garlic, and this dish was one of our favorites.

We ordered Spicy Cool Noodle ($5.95).

Another favorite, this dish was smothered in spicy chili sauce.

We also shared the Stir-fried Noodle Skin ($10.95).

Don't be scared by the name, I didn't find any "skin" in the dish. While this was okay, we both agreed that we probably wouldn't order it again. There was an overload of onions, and there was something about the flavor of the sauce that we just didn't care for.

Lastly, we couldn't not order a kabob. If you have kabob in your name, then it must be ordered. We decided to share the Lamb Skewer.

We had the option of ordering it "spicy" or plain, and we selected spicy. It included six skewers of meat that were still moist when they arrived, but seemed to dry out towards the end of consuming them. They were okay, but I'd honestly probably skip them next time.

Overall, it was one of my favorite AsiaTown experiences. The first two dishes were very good, and I'd order them again. Service was attentive and relatively quick, and the meal was very reasonably priced for the amount of food that we received.

Han Chinese Kabob & Grill
3710 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
216-769-8745

Miega Korean BBQ

One of the last places that I hit on my 2013 To Dine Challenge was Miega Korean BBQ. It also ended up being one of my favorite restaurants from the list. Luckily, I had two friends that were willing to join me for lunch. It was quite the fun excursion!

It wasn't as easy to find as I had hoped. It is one of several businesses (including a huge Asian market that I must go back and visit) located in a renovated factory building in the heart of Cleveland's AsiaTown. My GPS has just dumped me on the street about half a block down from the actual building. It is on the second floor, with signage in the windows. Parking is free in the large parking lot.

I admittedly struggle with most Asian cuisines. Often, I don't know what the menu items are (poor descriptions, in many cases), and I hesitate to jump in and order something that I haven't had before. Korean is something that I haven't had a lot of, so I headed to social media (and a text to a friend) before the trip. My friend had a great suggestion, and luckily Foursquare echoed his recommendation at Miega.

But, before that, I started with an order of the Pa Jun ($9.95)- a Korean-style pancake with spring onions and kimchi.

It was a tad greasy, but heavenly. The soy dipping sauce was great with the kimchi and green onions.

An assortment of side dishes appear with any order. The selections change, but it's always something fun to add to your meal. Also, each lunch order included a small bowl of soup (that none of us touched- so much food!).

Now, here's what I ordered for lunch. I got the Dol Sot Bi Bim Bop ($9.95)- rice topped with vegetables, meat, red pepper paste, and served in a hot stone pot. Does anyone else get creeped out when menus list it as just "meat" when other items include beef, duck, chicken in the description?

It arrives deconstructed with a raw egg on top, and piping hot. You stir together all of the components, while the clay pot crisps the rice, heats the vegetables, and cooks the egg. Add in some hot sauce, and this is what you get:

It was so delicious! The best part was the crispy rice that had browned right up from the heat of the pot. Still no idea what the "meat" was. I'm hoping beef, since it was brown in color.

Based on this first experience, I would love to dine there again. I'd like to try one of the dishes where they cook the meat tableside.

Have you ever had Korean food? What's your favorite dish?

Miega Korean Barbaque
3820 Superior Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
216-432-9200

Sunday Funday- Dim Sum

Have you ever done dim sum at Li Wah? The restaurant is located in Asia Plaza on the corner of East 30th and Payne. They do dim sum every day from 10AM - 3PM, but not like they do it on Sunday.

Sunday, the restaurant is packed and employees push around cart after cart of interesting Chinese treats. The dim sum dishes come in four sizes: Small ($2.25), Medium ($2.75), Large ($3.95), and Special ($6.95). Almost everything on the carts is in the small or medium category, so you can order and order and still walk away with a reasonable bill.

Last weekend, it was my first time experiencing their dim sum. It was overwhelming at first, but we got in a groove. Sometimes, you aren't quite sure what is being offered to you. Most of the time, the server could roughly tell us what it was (only once did we have complete miscommunication). Or, you can choose to be bold, and just not ask and let your eyes do the ordering.

Between three of us, we ended up sampling 13 dim sum dishes off the carts.

We enjoyed Steamed Pork Buns (middle), Sesame Balls (left), Sticky Rice with Lotus Leaves (top left), Fried Taro Dumplings (right), Egg Custard Tarts, Baked BBQ Puffs, Taro Cakes, Vegetable Dumplings, Shrimp Dumplings, and Beef Balls. A couple of them we got a second order of, and almost all of them I would order again. Our total...$46.60. So cheap for feeling so stuffed!

So, if you're in the mood for some Chinese this Sunday--head to Li Wah and they will add a "Funday" to your Sunday.

Li Wah
2999 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
216-696-6556

Wonton Gourmet in AsiaTown

I don't have a lot of experience in Cleveland's AsiaTown. Actually, looking at this helpful guide, my experience is even more limited than I thought. A go-to lunch spot for Foodbank employees was #1 Pho, and I am a fan of Li Wah for Chinese. But, until recently, that was my short list of visited restaurants in the neighborhood. And Tastebuds, but does that really count?

Lucky for me, a friend took "R" and I to Wonton Gourmet & BBQ. First, I love that all of the menu items are pictured on the wall. It's a little overwhelming for a first-time diner, but helpful! We decided that the best route to go was to share several items.

Turnip Cakes and Chive Potstickers started us out.

"R" and I both love a good steamed dumpling, and these were some of the better ones that I've had locally. I don't like the completely meat-packed versions as much, so this was perfect for me.

Wonton Soup was next, which was plenty to share for three people.

We decided on two main dishes, the Mixed Seafood and Chinese Vegetables in XO Sauce and "R" ordered a Short Rib dish that I didn't catch the name of.

As you can see, the seafood dish was packed with different types of seafood. The only one I didn't care for was the white fish. It was a little chewy. But the flavors of the sauce were enjoyable, and the vegetables still had a nice firmness to them and weren't overdone.

"R" was really the only one eating the short rib dish. Notice the bones still connected to the meat? They had cut the meat into small pieces, but left the bone down the center. The meat was fatty and difficult to chew, so removing it from the bone proved challenging at times. I actually spit out my one bite, which is not something that I normally do. The texture of the meat just wasn't pleasing, for me personally. Too bad, because the sauce was tasty.

Overall, I really liked everything that we ordered. I think that I still prefer Li Wah, but I'd go back for more. Also, it's worth noting that the bill was incredibly cheap for three diners and the amount of dishes that we tried. Really, I should just try a new place and attempt to tackle more on the list.

What's your favorite spot in AsiaTown?

Wonton Gourmet
3211 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
216-875-7000

A Taste for Your Buds

Only open for lunch Monday-Friday from 11AM-2PM, family-owned and operated Tastebuds in Cleveland has quite the following. Tucked away in an industrial warehouse, near Asiatown and bordering downtown, it certainly isn't easy to find. But word does spread quickly amongst people that work in the area- at least that is what happened to me. The whisper of "Tastebuds" on my co-workers lips almost felt like a secret they were letting me in on. You see, our office used to be much closer to the restaurant and it was a daily hot spot for many of our employees. But then we moved a little further east, and trips became infrequent. It took about two years of being employed there before I was finally introduced to this great lunch joint.

But that one trip was all it took for me to understand.

Tastebuds offers a range of gourmet salads (which I hear are amazing), soup, pizza, hot sandwiches, wraps, desserts, and daily specials. You may find it strange, but I have only tried one dish in all of my lunch trips. Other items are always tempting, but at the suggestion of a co-worker...I ordered the warm Greek Pasta with penne tossed with Roma tomatoes, spinach, artichoke hearts, black olives, red onion, olive oil and garlic and then topped with grilled chicken, feta, and pine nuts ($9.50).
This dish has great flavor and texture, and is truly unique. The spinach, pine nuts, and feta cheese are my favorite components. When paired with the pasta, you get a mouthful of creamy, crunchy goodness. Lucky for patrons, it is a daily special and always available.

The restaurant is colorful and fun, decorated with vibrant artwork done by the owner/chef herself. Once you order at the counter (from one of the lovely McGinty family members) and receive your food, it's seat yourself and please remember to pick up your table after you finish. Also, don't forget to grab one of their homemade chocolate chip cookies by the register on your way out. They are a perfect balance of a crispy outside and soft (almost undercooked, but in a good way) center. They are hard to resist!

So if you are in the area for lunch, go check out Tastebuds instead of nearby Superior Pho, #1 Pho, and other Asiatown options. This restaurant is worth finding in my opinion.

Tastebuds Restaurant
1400 East 30th Street
Cleveland, OH
(216) 344-1770

Li Wah

One of my favorite lunch spots relatively close to work is the Chinese restaurant Li Wah, located in the Asian Plaza on 30th and Payne in downtown Cleveland. Serving authentic Chinese cuisine, with other Asian-inspired hints (such as Pad Thai), and their famous Dim Sum. I have yet to try their Dim Sum- but I will!

Dim sum is the Cantonese term for a type of Chinese dish that involves small individual portions of food, usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate (Wikipedia). Which in Li Wah's case translates to a roaming cart steaming with tasty treats. A staff member pushes the cart slowly through the spacious restaurant, and diners can choose from hot buns, dumplings, turnip cakes, rolls and much more.

With plenty of seating, speedy and pleasant service, and reasonable prices- it is a popular restaurant for many. The lunch special that includes a small bowl of your choice of soup and white rice with your entree (with the option to make it a combo platter with fried rice and an egg roll for only $1.50 more), has made Li Wah a great stop for us to grab a quick, cheap, filling meal during the workday.

One of my favorite entrees is the Orange Beef (pictured above), but if you are in the mood for a unique dish then try their Walnut Chicken or Walnut Shrimp. Served in a creamy white sauce, it is slightly sweet and quite different than any other standard Chinese dishes that I have tried in the past.

Two of us popped in there yesterday for lunch, and I am suddenly really looking forward to the leftovers that I have waiting for me in the refrigerator. Lunch time!

Li Wah
2999 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216)696-6556

#1 Pho- #1 in my heart

I fully admit that I do not have a ton of Vietnamese dining experience under my belt, but I have to believe that #1 Pho on Superior Avenue is one of the best in Cleveland. My opinion is not only based on personal experience, I have read several reviews that rave about this little hot spot as well. It is tucked away on the corner of Superior and East 31st, and you almost feel as though you are walking into a different world when you enter. The atmosphere is great- light and airy with an Asian twist that does not at all feel "chintzy". The menu is reasonably priced (approx. $10 for lunch) and delicious! I have yet to venture away from my lemongrass shrimp vermicelli with crispy spring roll, but have had the pleasure of sampling dining mates' dishes and everything has been very fresh and flavorful. The sweet and sour sauce is light and tangy, with a hint of orange. If you're in that area for lunch, I highly recommend stopping in.

3120 Superior Ave
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 781-1176