Thai Archives - Queen of the Food Age

CO

March 28, 2014

So I’m a recent Vietnamese food convert. I’m kind of surprised it took me this long, but nobody’s perfect. I’ve been eating banh mi for a couple of years now, and am obsessed, but I never really ventured any further into Vietnamese cuisine until one fateful day back in December when I stumbled on a tweet from Foodmancing The Girl talking about how much he loves Pho.

You had me at “free dumplings.”

That first lunch was awesome. I took Foodmancing’s advice and got the pork belly buns (pork belly, pickled cucumber and carrots, hoisin, cilantro, $6), and those suckers were on point. The buttery bread, the perfectly cooked pork, the crisp pickled veggies…I’m drooling a little just thinking about them. If it wasn’t Friday during Lent, I’d probably head there for lunch right now.

Seriously. They’re so good.

The main purpose of my visit, however, was to try Pho for the first time. I was a little intimidated because I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. I opted for the beef pho (rare beef, rice vermicelli, bean sprouts, cilantro, thai basil, scallions, beef broth, $12) which was so good it’s sinful. Not really knowing what the protocol was, I just dumped in all of the accoutrements, including lots of hot sauce, which added a little more heat to the broth than I was prepared for, but it was still delicious. The beef was sliced really thin and cooked perfectly and the flavors of the soup came together perfectly. I was instantly a fan.

My strategy for most things is “throw everything in there and hope it tastes good.”

When Naomi came to visit, we were excited that CO had a vegan menu for her to choose from. We started out with a couple of fancy cocktails, which were delicious. Naomi really enjoyed her asian pear cider (spiced rum, schnapps, asian pear, cinnamon, $9) and I thought the spiced mandarin caipirinha (cachaca, grand marnier, muddled mandarin & lime, star anise simple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, $9.5) was pretty unique and awesome as well.

Look at that smile!

and then ordered some Tofu buns (crispy tofu, pickled cucumber and carrots, cilantro, $6) which were really good (although not as good as the pork belly. But as a carnivore, I might be biased). My only complaint is that without the hoisin sauce, they were a little dry.

Tofu and I have an uneasy truce.

I was trying to branch out and try something other than my usual pho, so I deferred to the waitress who recommended the hanoi noodles (spicy yellow curry, onion, carrots, zucchini, rice noodles, shrimp, shanghai sausage, $14). I really liked it, although the flavors started getting a little overwhelming towards the end. The shanghai sausage wasn’t my favorite, but the shrimp was perfectly cooked and really delicious. Also it’s asian food, so there’s a lot of grease.

Still delicious, though!

Naomi was really sad that the green curry was not vegan for some reason (and they never responded to my tweet asking them why), so she ended up ordering the vegan yakisoba (rice noodles, tofu, cabbage, carrots, onion, zucchini, garlic, sweet mirin soy sauce, $14) instead. She absolutely loved it and was basically licking the bowl by the end. I really liked how well they cooked the tofu, which is high praise coming from me.

Gotta love a restaurant that gives you plenty of cilantro with every dish.

Next time I go, I really want to try the curry laksa (shrimp, shredded chicken, bun rice noodles, shredded cucumber, thai basil, baby bok choy, spicy coconut broth) and the mapo doufo (ground pork, tofu, edamame, carrots, black bean garlic sauce), which both sound delicious. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend you check it out, especially their new $4 happy hour special weekdays from 4-7.

Plus the space is just so sexy!

CO
340 King St
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 720-3631

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Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup: Too Much Food, Too Little Time

March 24, 2014

I spent most of last week sitting in bed with a wicked chest cold, but Friday night, Lily and I met up with Lauren, Shay, and Marlowe in Columbia to see the Divergent movie (since we’d all read the book). Before the movie, we got sushi (and delicious cucumber mojitos) at Miyo’s. My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach, and I ended up giving most of my sushi away because I was too full. After dinner, we walked to the theater and settled in for the show. Shay & I were really pleased with the movie, but Lily, Marlowe, and Lauren all had some serious issues with it. Either way, if you read the books, I think it’s definitely worth the watch!

If for nothing more than to stare at Theo James for 2 hours.

Saturday morning, we had a pretty disappointing lunch at Copper River Grill before spending a couple of hours wandering around the mall. We all went our separate ways around 3 (except Lauren who had to leave at 5 am to go be in a parade), and I spent most of Saturday afternoon laying in bed catching up on Grimm and eating the edible fruit bouquet that my parents sent me.

Because nothing says “get well soon” like chocolate covered pineapple slices shaped like high heels.

Around 9, I met up with people at a friend’s house where they were having a wine and cheese night to celebrate a new job. We hung out there for a while before meeting up with Cullen & Taylor at The Alley to get a few drinks to celebrate Taylor finally being 21! We ended the night at Butcher & Bee with a burger, some buffalo fries, and a lamb gyro. It was pretty delish. We also met up with them Sunday morning at Lost Dog Cafe for brunch before they headed back to Greenville.

Oh, sweet nectar of the gods.

After brunch, I took a cooking class at Southern Season entitled “Asian For A Crowd.” We made a cold Thai noodle salad, Korean beef bulgogi, Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, bok choy kimchi, and a floredeliz salad for dessert. I immediately regretted the decision to get brunch before the cooking class because I was stuffed for the rest of the day.

There was enough food for a crowd, but only 2 people to eat it.

After the cooking class, I met back up with Lily to see Muppets Most Wanted, which was entertaining, but nowhere near as good as the first Muppet movie. We also celebrated my sweet kitty, Fezzik’s, birthday. I can’t believe he’s 3 already!

Look at those eyes!

Here’s hoping that everyone has a great week and that I finally kick this cold!

Charleston, SC Restaurant Reviews

Dell’z Uptown

March 14, 2014

One of my favorite places to order from for lunch or stop by late night after the bars close, is Dell’z Deli. Dell’z specializes in delicious healthy fare and it is spot on every single time I visit. When Naomi came to visit, I was excited to take her to Dell’z Uptown to try some of their vegan specialties. I’m neither vegetarian nor vegan, so I was a little worried about a meatless menu, but I put my faith in Dell, and boy did I make the right decision.

I mean, people this beautiful couldn’t possibly make a bad sandwich. Photo from Dell’z Website

So let me preface this by saying that Naomi, Lily, and I went to Dell’z 2 days in a row, and Naomi and I got Dell’z late night a 3rd night, and we probably would’ve gone a 4th time if Dell’z had been open on Sunday. It’s that good. On day 1, we started with an order of the black bean hummus (topped w/ fresh veggies. served with garlic pita chips, drizzled w/ lime & avocado, $7), which is definitely in my top 3 favorite foods of all time. I’m not even exaggerating here. I don’t think I can accurately describe what makes it taste so good, so you should probably just go order some for yourself. You can thank me later.

Seriously. Go order it right now.

For my meal the first visit, I decided to try something new and ordered the Lucky Bowl (black eyed peas, red and green peppers, red onions, creole, turnip greens, brown rice, vegan bacon crumbles, $9) because it looked delicious. And boy, was it. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the vegan bacon, but it added a good level of smokiness to the heat of the creole spices. I would order this again for sure.

Plus I love those marinated tomatoes they put on everything.

For their lunch on day 1, Lily and Naomi both got the acorn bowl (sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, quinoa, and onions served inside half an acorn squash, $12 I think), which was on special. I don’t usually like mushrooms, but this dish was so delicious. Naomi and Lily were basically licking their plates by the end of the meal.

This picture is from the Dell’z Uptown Facebook page

On day 2, Naomi, Lily, and I decided to try out the vegan nachos, despite the fact that Naomi kept saying that “vegan cheese is nasty” and that we probably weren’t going to like it. Boy was she wrong. In fact, if I didn’t know otherwise, I never would’ve guessed that it wasn’t real cheese. I think we polished these off in less than 5 minutes.

Next time, I want to try the vegan spinach & artichoke dip.

For our entrees on day 2, Lily and I both went with my usual Dell’z order, the Hummer wrap (black bean hummus, cilantro, salsa, tomatoes,
sprouts, cucumbers, carrots, avocado, fresh field greens, drizzled w/ fresh lime, $8). When I order from Dell’z Deli, I usually add chicken, but it’s just as good without the chicken, I promise.

Gosh it’s so beautiful.

Naomi decided to try the My Thai Bowl (zucchini, squash, vegan sausage, brown rice, cabbage, spinach, pasta, topped with mango salsa, $10) for her entree the second day. It was a really interesting combination of flavors: smoky, sweet, spicy, and savory all at the same time. The “pasta” that they mention is Thai-style rice noodles, which I thought really added another level of dimension to the texture. I don’t know that I would order this again, but if I was with someone who did, I’d definitely steal a forkful (or two!).

And it comes served with pita wedges!

After spending a few days eating at Dell’z with Naomi, I came to the conclusion that I could definitely become a vegan, and even enjoy it, if I could eat at Dell’z for every meal. So if you haven’t stopped by Dell’z Uptown or Dell’z Deli yet, you’re really missing out. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some black bean hummus to order.

I don’t remember what used to be here, but I definitely don’t miss it.

Dell’z Uptown
511 Rutledge Ave
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 641-0352

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Charleston, SC Restaurant Reviews

Zen Asian Fusion

August 3, 2011

The sushi at Zen is amazing. There are no two ways about it. I’ve been there like 6 or 8 times and only once has a roll disappointed me flavor-wise. I like my sushi rolls to have a little bit of crunch to them, whether it be from tempura flakes, cucumbers, fruit, etc. The Sweetie roll, although described as containing “spicy crunchy tuna” was not crunchy at all. It tasted fine (if you like tuna, which I do), but I just didn’t like the lack of crunch. Although, the roll itself was very pretty.

Perfect for the single-cat lady looking to feel extra lonely on Valentine’s Day.

The rolls at Zen are all very pretty. They like to use different color soy papers instead of the standard black seaweed, so the different rolls are different colors. They’re all about presentation. My favorites are the King’s Speech, the Paradise Roll, and the Holy Moly. My dad is obsessed with the King’s Speech. He didn’t even like sushi before we came to Zen, and now he’s a sushi addict.

“Hi my name is Russell, and I have a sushi addiction”

The King’s Speech is tempura shrimp and green apple wrapped in Soy Paper, topped with king crab salad and red tobiko. The sauces are really delicious, too. They’re all different colors. One of them is a light green wasabi with honey, one is a mango sauce, and one is an eel sauce. They complement the sushi roll perfectly. The Paradise roll is unlike any roll I’ve ever eaten anywhere else. It’s a spicy lobster salad, shrimp tempura, and banana tempura wrapped in soybean paper and topped with a mango sauce. It’s the perfect blend of spicy, sweet, salty, and banana. I can’t even describe the flavor, you just need to try it. The Holy Moly roll is tuna, crab, avocado and greens, rolled in seaweed and deep fried. It’s served still warm, and crunchy on the outside with a creamy garlic sauce. This is one of my mom’s favorites.

King’s Speech on the upper right, Paradise on the lower left. Delicious all around.

Also, if you go, you need to get the Tuna-tini appetizer. It’s amazing. Becca and I ate one apiece when we went there. It’s basically tuna and crunch and crab salad with ponzu sauce and and seaweed. But it’s so delicious and flavorful and I could eat 10 by myself. It’s so good. So good, in fact, Becca and I are going to go eat there tonight! (all this talk about sushi has got me craving it, and the hot pocket I had for lunch just isn’t cutting it). The service has also been really good every time I’ve been there. The waiters and waitresses are attentive, courteous, and personable. The atmosphere is really nice, as well. It feels very asian inside, with a lot of dark wood and gold accents. It’s very classy.

Oh, snap! Is that Dexter on that TV screen? How much classier can you get?!

The Thai food from Zen isn’t very good. I got the pad Thai one of the first times I went there, and I could barely finish it. They added something to the sauce, something smoky that rendered it almost inedible for me. And if you know me, you know that something has to be really terrible in order for me to not eat it. I’ve never had any of their Chinese food, or any of the other Asian food they serve, so I can’t speak to how well they do in that aspect. I will say, however, that the sushi is AMAZING (in case you haven’t gotten that from my earlier ravings).

I love sushi like a fat kid loves cake.

Zen Asian Fusion
2037 Sam Rittenberg Boulevard
Charleston, SC 29407-4601
(843) 766-6331

1 Comments