Bulgogi Bento from Korean BBQ & Sushi Restaurant - $8.95

3 Liberty Plaza, Newark, DE - (302) 455-9100

Here's a lunch special from the only Korean restaurant I know of in Newark. Bulgogi is thinly sliced prime rib eye that's marinated in some special Korean sauce. It has a slightly sweet taste to it, Usually, if you eat in, they provide you the raw meat and then you grill it yourself at the table.

The rest of the stuff they give you is part of what I think is called banchan? It's just an assortment of little side dishes. I think this place always give you a fried shrimp, two sushi pieces, a scoop of rice, and kimchi. For those of you who don't know, kimchi is the reddish stuff in the 2nd picture - essentially, it's pickled cabbage.

The rest is random - I think this was the first time they gave me cantaloupe, and I usually get the sesame-oiled broccoli and those sweetened potatoes (not sweet potatoes, but sweetened).

Hualien Fare

Hualien City, Taiwan 

So the train after lunch at Mr. Brown’s coffee shop in Taipei, brought us to Hualien. Nice city / township, very small and quiet unlike Taipei.

It was dinnertime when we arrived, so we had a walk around the night markets to look for dinner. Stopped by a little restaurant whose name I’ve forgotten, and had regular Taiwanese food. They were advertising that they make their own noodles so we tried that.

To start I got us some century eggs. I love this shit, as you can tell from here. Apparently they are good anywhere around the world.

I had the seafood soup noodle. Not much seafood here, just a few squid rings and I don’t remember what else. Only so-so.

 

My friend had stir-fried vegetables with kimchi sauce on rice, I don’t know how that went. 

 

Some home-made noodle slices here in kimchi sauce, stir-fried as well. They’re probably not what you’d call noodles, just dough that’s cut into trapezoid slices. But this was good.

Then some stir-fried beef and vegetables to share, these were very flavourful as you can tell from the thick sauce. A tad too salty to be had alone but we all had noodle/rice so that’s fine. Not bad, I was satisfied.

Continuing on we had some dessert but I only have this one pic of hot Tau Fu Fa with peanuts. My friend had the other one, a black herbal drink that I didn’t try, and since it’s just a cup of black liquid I decided not to take any photos either.

While they were buying dessert I went across the street to the convenience store, Family Mart if I’m not wrong, to buy me some of my kinda dessert, the local brews. This was the only one left by the time we got back to the dorm. Seen here posing in front of the Laphroaig which I picked up at the airport on my way into Taiwan.

I am too lazy to go thru all my old posts to check if I mentioned this, but if not, another thing about Taiwan, alcohol there is so effin cheap, so cheap I want to move there. I’m serious too. I was totally entertaining that thought each time I step out of the 711 or bottle shop with a new purchase. This can? It’s 500ml, that’s a pint, and only $1.30.

DAAAAAAAAAAyyyyyyyymmmnnnnnnnnnnnnn……

Ramli Burger - $0.94

Outside Most 7-11s in Malaysian Cities

This… now THIS… yes this.. this is t3h bomb. Ramli burger. No Malaysian doesn’t know it. It’s the unofficial Malaysian dish. In fact maybe by the next generation it will be the official Malaysian dish, overtaking nasi lemak.

What I got this time is a “Burger Daging Special”. Daging = meat = usually means beef, special = means they will add an egg in. I wonder why I didn’t get the Burger Daging Double Special, which means 2 meat patties.

This here… cheap bread, REALLY cheap meat of questionable sources, cooked in butter, cucumber slices and sauce. Sound normal? Yes. However, the secret here is the sauce. Maggi brand soy sauce and ANY cheap-branded chilli sauce and mayonnaise (probably Lady’s Choice, a local brand). It’s essential. Try making a Ramli burger without these and it will fail MISERABLY.

What they do is take the burger buns/bread and put it on the giant wok/grill, that’s usually completely layered in butter. Then they take a piece of Ramli brand meat patty, slice it in the middle and slap it onto the grill. If you asked for a Special, which I did, they will crack an egg on too, and drop that piece of meat patty on top of it. Then right before the egg completely solidifies, they fold the egg over and around the meat, enveloping it.

The rest is standard fare; lettuce (sometimes) and cucumber on the now-hot-and-buttery bread/bun, put the meat on, squeeze your sauces and you’re good to go.

The pics show exactly how bad the “quality” of the burger is. However, its taste cannot, CANNOT, be rivaled. I mean I like my Mushroom Swiss from Chilli’s, or my occasional McD’s too, but this is a whooollleeee different story.

This is orgasm in every bite. This makes it into my list of top 5 stuff you HAVE to try in Malaysia.

If this is all a little incoherent, it’s cos I’ve had quite a bit to drink. And no that’s not what makes these so ridiculously awesome. I think.

Beef Noodle Soup from Shilin Night Market - $~1.40

Shilin, Taipei, Taiwan

Happy 2010 everyone, just back from a 3 week long trip around Taiwan. Well, 3 weeks ago, but I only have time to post now.

I’ve taken over 100 shots of the stuff I ate there, so I’ll probably be posting for weeks to come. I also probably won’t be as descriptive as before, and instead go ahead with mostly photos and accompanying captions. Since I don’t speak a word of Mandarin I should say now that I’ll be making up the names for most of the dishes. Also, I never took note of how much each and every dish were so guesstimates are all you’re gonna get. You’re welcome. Also, all the shots were taken using only a point and shoot. It may be a spectacular camera my S90, but with little to no photographic forethought before each shot, it can only do so much, so excuse the quality and lack of artistic flare.

We start off at Shilin Night Market, one of the more famous night markets in Taiwan. We went there on our very first night in Taiwan, but ended up there on our final night in Taiwan as well so expect to see more from this place much later on.

Here we have Beef Noodle Soup, from one of the many noodle stalls within the night market. More specifically, it’s beef chunks, tripe and stomach. You get to pick what type of noodle you want, for example egg noodles, rice noodles, vermicelli, etc. Nothing incredibly special about this. The price is between $1-1.40.

This is what my friend ate, rice with beef stew. Pretty unappetizing IMO. The beef stew was not all meat, half of it was fat. It’s not much of a complete meal, probably more of a snack or space filler or a deal closer and as such only costs about $0.60 maybe? I noticed it was really glistening with oil so I went to look for where this was prepared, and found the source. This is what the “stew” looks like. Ugh.. however I discover later that it’s sold all over Taiwan, so it must be a well known Taiwanese dish, and now I kinda regret not trying it.

Since I took a few more shots that night, I’ll include them in this post. It’s the only time you’ll see SLR shots of food, as it was the first day and I was excited enough to want to shoot everything  with the SLR.

The drink was a letdown, I think it’s supposed to be primarily kumquat juice with a bit of herbal tea and jelly. Well I only tasted the kumquat which is fine, but the jelly had no taste at all, yet it is served in pretty big bite-sized chunks. So when I was done with the drink I had about over a quarter cup of jelly with absolutely no taste. Probably cost me around $0.30 - $0.60.

The next you see someone frying vegetables and Ho Chien, or omelette with oysters which I believe is Hokkien. I never sampled it in Taiwan, cos from the many times I’ve seen   it cooked, I wasn’t really in the mood to. One thing I noticed about Taiwanese cooking, it’s oily as hell. I mean ridiculously oily. Like 7 layers of paper towel under this dish and it’d still soak right thru oily. But anyways we get this dish here in Malaysia so I’ll do a follow up one day.

Finally the last pic shows someone grilling Taiwanese pork sausages. These are available EVERYWHERE but I only ate this later on in the trip and not here where I took the pic, so I’ll post about it later.

The night isn’t even over yet, after this we walked on and found some more stuff to eat, but I’ll talk about that in another post.

See, told you I’d keep it short didn’t I?

Prosperity Burger from McDonald’s - $3.50

Any Malaysian McDonald’s

 

I’M BACK! For no good reason, really. The blog owner’s being a lazy a-hole and not keeping this site updated so why should I. But when I bought the Prosperity Burger I immediately thought of this blog and my previous post.

So here we go. The last post was about the DOUBLE Prosperity Burger, which somehow is not making a comeback this year. No matter, the regular is fine too. The usual McD’s critique, meat that doesn’t quite taste like beef (way too tender), black pepper sauce that tastes a little powdery, and of course the black pepper itself which I’m not a fan of. The diced onions were still crunchy so I guess that’s a plus point. Since this burger is more oval than it is round, it’s decidedly more filling than regular single-patty burgers.

It came with curly fries and coke, both not pictured. I’m not the biggest fan of this burger, or anything with black pepper really, but this is a seasonal set so I kinda HAVE to have it at least once a year to pay my dues to Ronald.

8 Ounce Wagyu Kobe Foie Gras Burger from Gallagher's - $24.95

1133 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ - (609)340-6555

"Topped with porcini mushrooms and fresh Hudson Vally foie gras."

Look at that price! Wow. So why did I buy a ridiculously priced burger in the first place? 1) It was my vacation and 2) I wanted to try foie gras for the first time.

Foie gras means "fat liver" in French. They force feed a baby goose or duck in order to fatten the liver and make it more supple. Therefore, the serving of this food is frowned upon by many, although highly desired at the same time.

Anyway, knowing that ahead of time, I might have been expecting more out of foie gras. And after tasting it for myself, I was highly disappointed. I didn't HATE the flavor, but I wasn't impressed by it either. I've never eaten liver before, but my friend said it tasted like normal liver but just a bit softer. And then I discovered this little article stating that people think it tastes the same if not worse than dog food. Greeeeat. Glad I spent $25 on it.

The rest of the burger wasn't all that bad. The kobe beef was very tender and practically broke apart the moment I gripped the burger and the fries were what you'd expect of fries.

Cemitas Atomica from Cemitas Pueblas - $9.00

3619 West North Avenue, Chicago, IL - (773) 772-8435

"Sesame seed bread layered with avocado, choice of meat, adobo chipotle peppers, fresh Oaxacan cheese and papalo (seasonal)."

For the meat, we chose the Atomica version which includes Milanesa (breaded beef fillet), Carne Enchilada (thin sheet of pork coated with chili pepper), and Jamon (a Spanish ham).

The sandwich was good, but in my opinion, over-hyped and over-priced, just because it was featured on the show Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives. Still, this Pueblan sandwich is supposedly unique to this single restaurant in the entire Chicagoland area so it could be worth checking out.

Beef Tenderloin with Bamboo Shoots from Lao Sze Chuan - $???

1331 West Ogden Avenue, Downers Grove, IL - 630.663.0303

The picture really makes this look more appetizing than it actually was. Not to say that the dish wasn't good, but all the oils made it lack any interesting flavors. It tasted just like what it was - beef and bamboo.

The appeal of this dish lies with its texture - juicy, tender beef chunks with softened, ever-so-slightly crunchy bamboo shoots. Drool...

Pinang Satay Beef from Pinang Asian Cuisine - $8.00

218 Louviers Drive, Newark, DE - 302.368.2298

The online description is "Marinated chicken or beef skewers, jicama and bean sprouts with shrimp pancake, sliced tofu, hardboiled eggs and chef's special sauce."

Obviously, that description doesn't match up with the picture because it's missing a lot of items (basically, everything listed between the beef skewers and the chef's special sauce). I ordered this dish about six months ago, so either they changed the item since then, or they completely messed up my order. I really hope I didn't pay $8.00 for this measly appetizer, even if it did taste very good, but I WOULD reconsider paying that much if I received everything on that list.

Anyway, the beef has a peanut-buttery taste to it, of which I am very fond, hence, my love for Thai food. So if I were taking only the food quality into account, I would rate this as a very good appetizer.

Beef Royale Jamaican Patty from Royal Caribbean – $?

A very small booth in a small airport in a somewhat small town in Philippines (Clark Airport, Angeles City).

 

I’m posting this in response to the post below this one. This is my only experience with Jamaican food. Judging from  where I got it, I’m guessing it ain’t too Jamaican. I can’t remember the price as it was months ago. But it wasn’t expensive… maybe around the vicinity of 1-2 dollars. Maybe. 

Just like any regular hot pocket, with the meat tasting like heavily processed (read: way too tender) road kill and the skin a little too hard from sitting in the heated erm.. window display for too long.

Oh, except this gave my friend and I the runs the next day. Luckily we only had 1 each. Tho I wouldn’t hold that against Jamaican food, cos I mean look where I bought it.

Since I don’t have much to say about this, but have 4 pictures to share…. I’ll just keep babbling on. The 2nd picture shows you the available flavours. Not everything was available at that time. I went with the Beef Royale as it had the word Royale, and the scene about Cheese Royale from Pulp Fiction couldn’t stop playing in my head immediately after reading the menu.

And this twisting text thing is giving me a headache.

Italian Beef from Johnnie's Beef - $???

7500 West North Avenue, Elmwood Park, IL - (708) 452-6000

Many people consider this to be the best Italian beef in the world. Indeed, I agree it was a fantastic beef. My friend and I were so pleased that we wanted to get another one on the way home but they had already closed for the night. However, I don't believe the gap in quality from Portillo's beef to make it worth the extra 40 minute drive.

This was also the first time that I had my Italian beef dipped and I had it double dipped. The bread came out very soggy to the point where it was falling apart and still, the Italian beef was outstanding.

I hear they have a superb lemon ice with beefy chunks of lemon, but I didn't try it that night since it was about 0 F outside. Maybe next time...

Note: I THINK they only accept cash so be prepared.

Beef Patty from D&H Jamaican Cuisine - $1.75

748 East Chestnut Hill Road, Newark, DE - 302.896.8826

There are just three words you need to know about this appetizer: ox tail gravy. This is just a beef patty deep-fried in batter, but then you drown that sucker in some ox tail gravy and you've got yourself a winner. I don't believe there is such a thing as "too much ox tail gravy" so go nuts. And if you have leftovers after you finish the patty, dump it on your entree. My coworker and I go so far as to get another bowl of oxtail gravy on the side to make sure our food is submerged.

How would I describe it? Meaty, oily, and yummy. I honestly can't explain it better than that. Just give it a try if you run across it and you'll see what I mean.

Beef With Chinese Broccoli Over Rice Noodles from Tong's Polynesian Village - $8.99

1239 East Ogden Avenue, Naperville, IL - 630.357.7120

Here's a dish I loved so much, that I still remembered its name even after it mysteriously disappeared from their menu. The owner couldn't locate the item on the menu either, but knew exactly what I was referring to, so he still had it made for me and charged me the same price as a similar item. Very nice people. It's a shame to see that their restaurant shrank since my previous visit about three years ago.

Anyway, the dish name is pretty self-explanatory. Chinese broccoli is sometimes referred to as kai-lan or Chinese kale too. These rice noodles are fluffier and stickier than the ones you might receive from a Thai restaurant, but I love them just as much, if not more. The sauce is just a typical brown sauce you get in a Chinese dish - probably oyster sauce - but when you put that with other three ingredients, it's magic.

One more thing to note - you can't tell from the picture, but the serving size is pretty enormous. It's tough for me to finish the entire thing in a single sitting, which if you've seen me eat, you know means a lot.

Sampler Platter from Uncle Bub's - $16.99

132 South Cass Avenue, Westmont, IL - (630)493-9000

The sampler platter comes with a combination of 3 BBQ back ribs, pulled pork, BBQ sliced beef brisket, ribtips, and BBQ chicken along with your choice of two side dishes. The side dishes we chose were the fried mac & cheese, and the chili.

Without trying to hype this place up, this is perhaps the best BBQ I've ever had. The sauce has this very unique flavor that I can only describe as "pruney." Prunes in BBQ may sound gross, but man, I was tempted to swig that stuff straight from the bottle.

Everything that came with the sampler platter was fantastic with the exception of the ribtips and the chicken. The ribtips were very tough and difficult to eat around the cartilage, and the chicken dried out quickly (I covered up the chicken problem the best I could by dousing it in more pruney goodness).

I read other reviews saying the service was terrible, but you pay at the counter before you receive your food so I don't think this is the type of place where you're expected to tip.

Big Italian Beef from Portillo's - $5.79 + $0.30

950 East Ogden Avenue, Naperville, IL - (630)961-1151

Philadelphia may have their cheese steaks, but Chicago has their Italian beef. I honestly don't understand what makes these so good since it's just bread and beef with the optional sweet or hot peppers, but they are.

Now if you'll look at the picture and direct your attention away from the Italian beef for a moment and look at the wrapper, you'll see that it's soaked with juices and oil. That's the sign of a rockin' Italian beef.

With all those juices, any ordinary roll would end up soggy and disgusting, but these rolls somehow maintain a crispy outer shell and the inside stays nice and chewy.

I don't believe I've ever tried an Italian beef with sweet peppers so I can't tell you what that's like. Instead, I always go with the hot peppers because it adds a zesty kick that'll make you sweat slightly on your brow. God, I love that feeling.

BBQ Cheddar Burger from Cheeseburger In Paradise - $8.49

40 Geoffrey Drive, Newark, DE - (302)368-9060

It's a yummy burger with what tastes like fresher ingredients. It's simply cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce, pickles, lettuce and fried onions so it's nothing extraordinarily fancy, but enough to give it character.

I was most impressed with how well they nailed my cooked-to-medium order which is why I felt compelled to show you a picture after I took a bite. That's about as perfect as you can get with medium.

Meatball Sub with Provolone from Capriotti's - $6.50

430 Eden Square Shopping Center, Bear, DE - (302)832-8132

If you couldn't already tell, I've been on a Capriotti's kick lately. That's because two smalls (9" apiece) fill me up well, they taste good without being overly unhealthy, and they have decent variety.

This time, I ordered the meatball sub with provolone. The meatball isn't really spiced in any way, so it tastes more like meatloaf than meatball - which is fine by me since I enjoy meatloaf sandwiches also. It's a messy sandwich so grab a lot of napkins.

Baconator from Wendy's - $4.59

90 University Plaza, Newark, DE - (302)366-8225

This right here is what dreams are made of - bacon. The baconator is layered as follows: bun, beef patty, American cheese, beef patty, American cheese, bacon, bacon, and more bacon, and then mayo, ketchup, and bun.

I love every inch of this thing. My coworkers have complained that the bacon is too flimsy, but I say that if you're trying to be a bacon connoisseur, you have no reason to be in a Wendy's in the first place. Another coworker said his son ordered it and asked for DOUBLE bacon. What a visionary! Somebody get that guy a medal!

Wendy's used to have an even better spicy version that had jalapenos on it and pepperjack cheese instead of American cheese, but I think it was for a limited time only. I'll try to update the price the next time my arteries can handle another one.

Double Cheeseburger from McDonald's - $1.00

1401 Governor's Place, Bear, DE - (302)836-1308

This has to be one of the best deals out there. It's two beef patties, onions, pickles, and American cheese. You can get full off of these for only $4!!

Capastrami from Capriotti's - $6.75

430 Eden Square Shopping Center, Bear, DE - (302)832-8132

This sandwich is comprised of pastrami, Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing. I only ordered the 9" sandwich because any more than that tastes too... saturated? heavy? I don't know, but the sandwich is good in smaller doses.