One Good SPIN deserves another

  Yes, I know that I just blogged on SPIN the other day, but this place deserves another go around.  But, I'll try to make this shorter than the last.  Let's cut to the chase.  The first thing I want to recommend is to sit at the bar, the middle of the bar, so you can watch these chefs work.  Its amazing how fast, calculating and yet almost whimsical they make cooking complex dishes seem.  I recommend sitting front and center because all the chefs (from what I'm told) use to be sushi chefs at other esteemed restaurants before venturing to SPIN and if you've ever been to a sushi bar you know that every once in a while the chefs will give you tastes of other dishes...free.  And the last I checked, getting food for free is good.  Anyway, long story short...sit front in center, you'll get dinner and a show...and maybe if you're lucky some free grub.  So now for the rest of the blog.

   Appetizer:  We ordered the "Gai Tot Nuggest: fried chicken bites in a spicy, salted soy bean and ginger vinaigrette with rhizome and sesame seeds."   In a word....Delicious, two words...mouth watering, in three...well you get the point, its good.  The chicken was nicely breaded and lightly fried and had a nice clean crisp texture.  The nuggets were topped with sesame seeds and rhizomes which cut through what little oil that remained in the batter (A rhizome is...its basically a relative of ginger). Dip the nuggets in the plum sauce that its paired with, you won't be disappointed.

  Tasting Plate:  We didn't have one of these last time.  It was describe to us as "bigger than an appetizer, but smaller than a full plate that is meant to be shared."  So we ordered the "Quail: whole quial marinated with rosemary and lemongrass, seared and served green apple puree, shaved fennel, yellow zucchini, grilled sous vide leek, Thai stir fried kimchi and house boudain panko balls."  The quail had a very flavorful crispy skin and was juicy and not overly cooked.  The green apple puree actually accentuated  the rosemary in the Quail and gave it another dimension of flavor .  The stir fried vegetables weren't extraordinary, but still quite tasty, but the fried boudain panko balls were just about as good as the quail.  My only criticism was that they didn't give us more.  Give the Quail a try, it shouldn't be missed either.

   Full Plate: My sister ordered the "Full SPIN:  Slow roasted brisket, marinade in garlic, lemongrass, rosemary and Thai spices, with seasoned rice and a house chili paste, candied bacon, fried egg, grilled negi, purple cabbage salad and side sauce of ume, Thai chili, mint vinegar and cilantro."  Now from what the Executive Chef told us (that's another plus to sitting at the bar, you can converse with the chefs) the "Full Spin" will be soon off the menu to be replaced with something new.  According to the Chef, the menu is continuing evolving and when new items are introduced, other items are removed.  But I'm getting off topic.  To enjoy the full spin, you need to get a little bit of everything from the plate onto your spoon, at least that's what we were told....again by the Chef.  Well instead of describing every single item on the plate, I'll just describe the combination of all of them in one bite.  It was like introducing your tongue to parade float of flavors that combine the individual intricate tastes to become a unique and awesome single flavor.  So get your FULL Spin on while you still can.

 

   Full Plate (2):  I ordered the "Seared Duck in Pineapple Curry: Duck breast, cured with 5-spice, pan-seared and served with a spicy pineapple curry, kaffir lime, grapes and pieces of pineapple, garnished with Thai basil and toasted bread."  Though this was a still a very good plate, I think I liked the "Belly on Fire" that I had last time better.  The only reasons why I say that is because the Duck Breast, though very moist and perfectly cooked and had a good amount of flavor (when eaten by itself) was lost in the spiciness of the curry.  And the only other criticism I have of this dish is that it wasn't as spicy as the Belly on Fire, even though they both have the same spicy rating (two chilis).  Overall the seared duck with the pineapple curry worked as a dish, I just wouldn't choose it over the Belly on Fire.

  Remember how I said sometimes chefs give you stuff for free....well the Sous Chef did just that...he gave us the "Kabocha: crispy tempura Japanese pumpkin topped with green onions and a side of ajad cucumber sauce."  Ajad cucumber is just pickled cucumber.  Anyway, though I was already pretty full, I "forced" myself to try and finish off the Kabocha.  The pumpkin flavor was very prevalent even after being lightly fried.  I highly recommend saturating your pumpkin into the dipping sauce because the sauce brings out the pumpkin flavor even more and it cuts through the savory aspect of the dish with its acidity.

  Dessert: Read my last blog on SPIN...We ordered the Coconut Pannna Cotta. ... here's yet another pic

   Well since this is the first time I've ever blogged about the same place twice, you should definitely try this place out.

So until next time, I wish y'all happy eating.  

-Henry

SPIN Modern Thai Cuisine

  My Sister, being the smarter of the both of us, recommended SPIN Modern Thai Cuisine (http://spinmodernthai.com/) for dinner, and my taste buds and stomach are elated that she did.  Its been awhile since we've been to a restaurant that all three courses(appetizer, main dish, dessert) were superb.  So basically if you don't want a dinner destination to have great food and ambiance do not read any further...go ahead, I'll wait...3...2...1....and here we go

    SPIN is a small, almost hidden, restaurant in North Austin / South Cedar Park that, upon opening the door, has inviting decor with wonderful aromas that hit you in the face like a flavor sledge hammer.  But what makes SPIN extraordinary is, of course, the food.  SPIN blends traditional Thai ingredients with Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and even French cooking methods that produce flavors that are very pleasing to the palate.

    Appetizer:   We wanted to order the "Gai Tot Nuggets" but they were sold out, so we ordered the "Sweet Corn Taro Tempura: Crispy fried taro and corn fritter in a sweet chili vinaigrette, topped with green onions and crushed toasted peanuts."  The vinaigrette had a sweet, yet tart flavor that blended very well with the crispy fried taro and corn fritters.  We actually found ourselves eating the small crumbs of fried taro and fritters at the bottom of the bowl that were soaking in the vinaigrette without even realizing it.  I highly recommend this appetizer.

   Main Course:  My sister had the "Rib Ping: char-grilled pork ribs with Spin's herb BBQ sauce topped with yellow onions sauteed in butter and balsamic vinegar." The flavors were outstanding!  There are a lot of people out there that can say that their ribs are fall off the bone, fork tender....but I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant that had ribs that are fall off the bone, chopstick tender.  Yes my sister and I (being full Chinese and are very proficient at using chop sticks) found that when picking up the ribs, the meat literally fell off the bone while trying to pick them up with the chop sticks.  The 1/3 rack of rib meat itself had a nice little kick and the BBQ sauce made it even better.  Its not your regular BBQ ribs, but it will not disappoint.

   Main Course (continued):  I ordered the "Belly on Fire: Panko breaded pork belly, smothered in Spin's special curry sauce, with fresh julienne green beans, sauteed cipollini onions, Thai basil and toasted chili."  The pork belly was moist, full of flavor and melt in your mouth with a perfectly seasoned crunchy/crispy crust.  The curry sauce was delicious and had a nice bit of heat.  I found that the entree actually became spicier as I ate, by the time I was done with the dish, my mouth had a nice burn.  The sauteed cipollini onions when eaten with the pork added a nice snap texture on top of the crunchy and crispiness of the panko.  And the fresh (the chef actually hand picks the micro greens in front of you) micro greens add a light touch to the fatty pork. But, again, I would highly recommend this dish, you taste buds will thank you if you do.

   Dessert:  There are only two desserts on the menu, so we decided to get both. 
and the "Fried Ice Crea: scoop of strawberry ice cream rolled in a pound cake and tempura batter then deep fried.  Served with candied pecans, marshmallows and gold raisin puree."  Though the concept of this dessert was good, I think that this dessert could have been better if a thinner batter were used.  Though it still tasted good, the ice cream shell was a little think and therefore absorbed a lot of oil.  At least too much oil to me for a dessert.  The candied pecans and marshmallows, as well as the raisin puree was actually inside the shell.  But if you don't mind an oily dessert, the combo of ingredients melded together tastes decent.

 

  

    Dessert (Continued):The "Coconut Panna Cotta: panna cotta made with coconut milk, ginger consomme gel, candied pecans, preserved lemon, mint and carmel tuile,"  It was just delicious.  I have to admit that I do not like coconut or coconut milk, or coconut water, or coconut flesh...basically anything coconut, so when I say this dessert was fantastic, you'll understand how good it really is.  It was sweet, had a great texture, had a distinct, yet mellow coconut taste (yeah I know, I didn't think something could be mellow and distinct at the same time either) and if you add the ginger consomme...just pure coconut dessert perfection.

   Well folk's that it for SPIN Modern Thai Cuisine. I for one will visit this restaurant again.

So until next time, I wish y'all happy eating.  

-Henry

(Oh and if you're reading this Elysha, I think you and Bart would  really enjoy this place, there are dishes that you and he would be able to have that have some nice heat to them and flavor to them).

Salty Sow

  Howdy folks, yesterday (Feb 16) my sister and I decided to try dining at Salty Sow (saltysow.com).  I chose this place after looking at the menu and being intrigued by the idea of traditional French cooking techniques being used on local produce and meats.  I know that there are plenty of restaurants that use local ingredients, but we chose this one because I wanted to see what the food from a 28 point out of 30 on the Zagat scale tasted.
   So first things first...on a Saturday night, if you're not willing to wait around for about an hour (our quote time for a table for walk-ins) then I would recommend you calling in for a reservation.  I'm usually pretty good about planning and thinking ahead but for some reason or another I didn't think to call and we waited about 45 minutes for a table.  But I can tell you that the wait was worth it.
   My sister and I started with drinks...I had my usual Long Island Iced Tea and my Sister had one of their signature drinks the "Mr Shaw" which is comprised of Jasmine Green Tea Liquor, Bullet Rye Bourbon, Honey and something else that we don't remember.  My Sister said that her drink was tasty and my Long Island went down smoothly.

   As far as appetizers go we had the "Triple Fried Duck Fat Fries: and the "Truffled Deviled Eggs."  Both the appetizers...or "Hors D'oeuvres" as the menu puts it, were delicious.  The Deviled Eggs were delicious and the truffle oil didn't overwhelm the delicate flavors of the stuffing (which didn't use mustard and a definite plus for my sister and I, whom do not like the flavor of too much mustard).  The Triple Fried Duck Fat Fries were awesome.  The fries were very crispy, while still being soft in the center (not as easily done as one might actually expect) and I contribute it to use of duck fat.  And the cold Bearnaise that accompanied the fries paired very well with the yolk of the "110 minute egg" that was on top of the fries.  I would absolutely recommend both of these dishes.

  

   For entree's we both had the "Beef Shoulder Slow Cooked" with "Yukon gold mashed potatoes, glazed root vegetables and neck bone gravy."  Sadly this dish wasn't that great.  The gravy and the vegetables were tasty and cooked well, but the actual Shoulder (which was slow cooked in what tasted like a red wine) was over cooked...dry.  The fried egg didn't really add to the dish either.  I don't really understand how a slow cooked piece of meat would be dry, but in any case, the flavor was good, I just don't think that I'd order it again.  The actual entree was served in a small metal pot, which was surprising to me.

   For dessert we had the "Bananas Foster Beignets."  I personally didn't like the actual beignet itself, it was way to heavy and oily for my tastes, but the nutmeg vanilla ice cream that came with it was outstanding.  If I could order dessert all over again, I would just order the ice cream, yes it was that good.  It was light, creamy with just enough nutmeg to recognize it was nutmeg. 

  Well bottom line is that Salty Sow has decent food and I'm glad I had a the opportunity to dine here, but I don't think that its necessarily a place that I would routinely frequent.  But I would recommend trying this place out at least once.  

Until next time...I wish y'all happy eating.

-Henry

Jack Allen's Kitchen

   One of January 2013's 38 essential Austin restaurants, Jack Allen's Kitchen is well deserving of being on this distinguished list of eateries...It also doesn't hurt that they source most of all their ingredients within 150 miles of the restaurant.   I'm going to make this blog short so here's the meat and potatoes of our experience (my Sister and I).
   House made Pimiento Cheese spread with flatbread crackers:  I didn't much like the cheese, because well I don't really like pimiento, but Julia seemed to enjoy the flavor.

   Appetizer: Smoked Beef Rib Quesadilla With pepper jack cheese, onions, peppers, and JAK’s slaw:  The slaw wasn't as good as I was expecting, kinda bland.  But the beef ribs were very tender and the spicy honey bbq sauce that it was glazed with gave it an even better flavor than just the smokiness of the rib meet.  The pepper jack cheese, onions and green peppers/chillies gave the quesadilla's a nice little spicy kick as well as some contrasting texture. So a very good appetizer.

  Main Course: Seared Scallops and Crispy Pork Belly: "Richardson" house cured pork belly, Texas butternut squash puree, "Oak Hill Farm" crispy fennel chip, Local greens:  The scallops had a great sear on them and were cooked perfectly.  The Pork Belly was fork tender and jam packed with flavor.  Add the butternut squash puree to either the scallops or the pork belly and your tongue will thank you.  The puree itself seems to be seasoned with curry powder, which gives it some spice.

   Dessert: Well apparently I don't remember what this dessert was called, but it was outstanding.  It was a peanut butter, chocolate, graham cracker crust pie with a raspberry and caramel sauce, topped with peanuts.  This dessert...one minute it was there...the next it was gone.

Alrighty, So this place has great food, an excellent waitstaff and was reasonably priced for the quality of food that your receive.  I'll definitely visit this place again. I hope you enjoy this eatery location like Julia and I did.
Enjoy,
-Henry

Gourmands Neighborhood Pub

    So today after class a few of my classmates and I decided to grab a few beers after a long hard week of studying, quizzes and exams.  One of my classmates suggested a little pub that was down the street that he'd seen on the way to class, but had never been, so that's where we went, Gourmands Neighborhood Pub (http://www.lovethysandwich.com/).
    At first glance and because of its location, the pub itself looks kinda shady, but traverse inside and you'll be rewarded.  This is a bar that is what is it, a bar.  It has a few 4 seat bar tables, a few actual sit down tables and a juke box.  The box plays good music, but that's not why you're reading this blog...you want to know about the food and or beer.
   I honestly can't voice my opinion of the entrees because...well...I didn't have any of the main courses.  I did however have the Double Decker Nachos..."Double layered tortilla chips smothered with queso. Topped with poblano peppers, diced onions, chopped black olives. Dressed with sour cream & pico de gallo."  The nachos were delicious, but of course I have to put my little twist to it.  After the first order was devoured in a mere 5 minutes, I opted to buy another plate...except instead of using tortilla chips, I substituted their homemade potato chips.  The potato chips gave a better crunch than the tortilla and gave the appetizer one more dimension of flavor.
   Now I have to admit that I am not a big beer drinker, so I'm not the best person to ask about the selection here.  I can tell you that if you go during happy hour 4pm-7pm they have pretty good specials.
   Anyway, sorry I didn't remember to snap any pictures.  I promise to have some for my next blog.  But to sum up everything, this place is a great hole in the wall pub that I would recommend to anyone that lives/works close by to south east Austin.
-Henry
  

Chez Zee

   I'll try to make this blog shorter than my last two.  Chez Zee, my sister and I came here for brunch today and the food was absolutely unbelievably delicious.   Though this place was more expensive than I originally expected, I'd gladly come back.  I don't mind paying a bit more for good food.  My sister and I both had a peach Bellini (I know, I know, not the most manly drink, but hey whatever) and we both ordered and individual triangle of Creme Brulee French Toast with Meyer's Rum Sauce.  And for our entrees, my sister ordered the Beef Tenderloin Benedict and I ordered the Surf and Turf Benedict.

 

   The Creme Brulee French Toast: a little dense, but it was extraordinary.  It's safe to say that I could've just eaten slices of that French Toast for the rest of the meal and I would've been completely content.  I would've never thought to make french toast by soaking it in creme brulee custard.  Genius

Because I had the Surf and Turf I was able to get to enjoy both the Beef Tenderloin Benedict and the "Southern" Crab Cake Benedict.  Let's start with the Tenderloin Benedict; the beef was cooked perfectly, the poached egg had a text book poached texture; the creamed spinach wasn't drenched in heavy cream like most creamed spinach dishes that I've had; and the Bearnaise sauce was way above par.  Now for the "Southern" Crab Cakes Benedict: Again, the egg was poached perfectly, runny in the middle and firm jacket of egg white; the actual crab cake was delicious.  I love me some crab cakes and this was probably one of the best I've ever had.  To put it in perspective, Julia (my sister) doesn't like very much seafood and crab cake isn't an exception, but she loved the crab cake.  The cake is indeed that good, seasoned perfectly, the lumps of crab stood out, but not so much to where it masked the other ingredients.
As for the home style potatoes that came as a side dish with the Benedicts, great crispy exterior with a soft interior that were seasoned so well that no dipping sauce (IE. ketchup) was needed to enjoy.

   This is a must try restaurant. 

Blue Baker Bakery, Pizzeria, Deli, Cafe

   As some of you know or may not know, I'm a second semester Paramedic student.  Why do I mention this?  Because I do not have many chances to just drive around with my sister to find a new place to grub down.  And as I have mentioned in a previous post I love pizza, so when we were driving past the Arboretum, the Blue Baker pizzeria obviously caught my eye, so I made my sister turn around and turn into the bakery/pizzeria/deli/cafe.

I of course order my favorite meal...pizza.  I ordered the 9" Three Meat Pizza, but not after much deliberation.  I wasn't expecting the plethora of options that I was awaiting me when I opened the menu.  Not only are do they have pizza, they have sandwiches, pastries, lots and lots of artisan breads and soups.  I even ended up buying a loaf of sourdough bread to go.  But before you say "a 9" pizza isn't going to fill you up," I also ordered a cup of broccoli cheese soup.

   The pizza was okay.  It wasn't the best I've ever had, but it wasn't the worst either.  I would have liked the sauce to have more of a kick, something a bit spicier.  The mini pepperonis didn't really have too much flavor, but they did add a great crunch.  The Italian sausage actually tasted pretty good, again not spicy but still good.  And my favorite ingredient for pizza...bacon was very crispy and I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of bacon that ended up on my pizza. The crust was a little under-done and probably could've used about 5 more minutes in the over to crisp up.  So between the lack luster 3-meats, the just barely par pizza sauce and the wobbly crust (not even a New York style type of crust), I'd only have to rate the pizza a grade of "C"
   But I did say that I ordered a soup, the broccoli cheese soup.  The soup had a great flavor, but I would have liked to have some broccoli pieces so to have something to bite into.  The soup actually was the best part of my dinner; it was creamy, rich and had me actually wanting more.

   My sister ordered the Grilled Indigo sandwich...except instead of focaccia bread (because they were sold out of it) she had it on sourdough.  I didn't try her sandwich, but from what I saw, I'm sure she would've appreciated the sandwich more if the sourdough was toasted(I only know that because I know that my sister loves toasted bread for sandwiches).  However she seemed to like the sandwich nonetheless.  She too had the broccoli cheese soup as her side, but she did have bite sized pieces of broccoli in hers opposed to mine which had none.  Though she had pieces of broccoli in her soup, she couldn't enjoy it because the pieces were fibrous and inedible.

   Even though the pizza wasn't exactly mind blowing or anything, I wouldn't mind coming back to try some of the other menu items, including some amazing looking tarts that were resting on full sheet pans for their public debut (the next day).  I don't know how long this place is going to last, its has quite a few restaurants surrounding it; Macaroni Grill across the street, the Cheesecake Factory behind it, another Italian restaurant right next door, Amy's Ice cream right next to Five Guys Burgers, which is next to the Cheesecake factory.  I won't even start mentioning the places right down the street.  So I guess I'm saying that if you really want to try this place, do it soon, 'cause you don't know how long it'll be there.

 

Hyde Park Bar and Grill

   After work on Thursday, I was craving the salty and savoriness of a good plate of french fries.  I like to believe that french fries are one of the best comfort foods that you can get your hands on, that is, if you don't consume too many of sweets (like me). 
   So after doing a bit of research, my sister and I decided to go to Hyde Park Bar and Grill (http://www.hpbng.com) for dinner.  I'd heard good things about this Austin Originally eatery, but the most exciting thing to me was "the best french fries in Austin."  
    I ordered the blackened Fish Tacos with a side of fries...mainly because my sister probably wouldn't let me just order 3 orders of french fries for dinner.

   The tacos tasted great; the ploblano coleslaw was surprisingly cooling instead of spicy, which complemented the slight kick of the jalapenos marinated tomatoes, red onions and tomatillo salsa.
The fries: seasoned, battered and lightly fried with a Hyde Park Sauce.  The flavor of the fresh cut fries was quite tasty, but I would have liked them to be crispier.  Though the fries were seasoned well, the real star was the dipping sauce that came with them.  It was a mayo based dipping sauce that had, pepper, salt, I think some cayenne pepper, with maybe some jalapeno blended in with the mayo.  I couldn't deconstruct it completely, but just know it was good.

   My sister got the Turkey burger and I have to confess, it did taste pretty good.  I didn't recognize that it wasn't beef at first.  The turkey was moist and very well seasoned and had a great flavor.  But since I only had a bite, you'll have to ask her more about it.
   I usually don't like talking about the decor or atmosphere or a restaurant, but it makes me think of an slightly upscale version of Kerbey Lane Cafe (the original Kerbey Lane, the one actually on Kerbey Lane)

Man Bites Dog...

   Hi my name is Henry and I recently had the opportunity to visit a little place cleverly named "Man Bites Dog."  This eatery is basically a  fancy hotdog joint that offers a unique twist on your regular everyday dog on a bun.
    Its my first time to eat here, not bad.  I had the "hair of the dog" which was really juicy and tasty.  However the pulled pork Mac n' Cheese lacked anything to be desired.  Though the Macaroni was actually cooked well, it sat in an oily, bland "soup" of coagulated cheese.  And the minute amount of pulled pork that was added did nothing to improve the flavor profile.  But the fires were good, crisp and not too oily and I also liked the selection of Maine fountain drinks (Root beer, Doppelganger, Mexicane Cola and Diet Mexicane Cola and a few others that I don't remember).
    So overall I'd visit again, but I'll make sure to get the tater tots next time, that is if I'm in the neighborhood.  Till next time Happy Eating.

-Henry

New Blog

Hi there!

Julia here...we (as in me and the brother) have decided to start a food blog.  We figured we cook, bake, and eat out a lot...why not share?  This will be filled with random musings, recipes, and food reviews of restaurants mainly in the Austin, Texas area. 

Enjoy!
Julia