August 12, 2005
Bugaboo Creek Steak House
So for my mom's birthday we went to Atlanta. We went to Ikea and the Bugaboo Creek Steak House. This place is amazing. I had the New York Strip.
That's a 12-Ouncer, cooked to medium-rare perfection
I haven't been to a place with a strip like that in a long time. Since it was my mom's birthday we had them sing and do their thing. At the end of their song they all shout "Kiss The Moose" and a giant hand puppet of a moose is offered to the face of the birthday-person. My mom went for it. Bigtime.
Wow...
The food was terrific and I would recommend this place to anyone.
Posted by akijikan at 9:08 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 28, 2005
Shalamar's
My girlfriend was really wanting to try Indian food and she had read a lot of great reviews about this place here called Shalamar's. Supposedly it is very authentic.
I ordered this dish. It is beef kimaloo (I think it's called kimaloo...I really can't remember that well because it was a while ago!). It's pieces of beef in a spicy tomato sauce.
My girlfriend ordered this chicken dish of which I can't remember the name. It was kind of gross.
My girlfriend and I didn't really like the place. Was the food bad? We didn't like it, but we may not have a taste for traditional and authentic indian cuisine. It could be excellent Indian food. So I can not speak to how authentic it is. Only that it did not fit our unexperienced palettes.
And about the chicken; My girlfriend could not eat all of that. So we took some home and put it in the fridge. The next day we opened the ridge and all we could smell was the chicken and everything in the fridge had that flavor on it. Opening the fridge also caused the whole kitchen to have that smell. It was horrible.
Again, if you're looking for authentic Indian food, this is probably your ticket. We think we just don't like Indian food.
Posted by akijikan at 9:00 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
February 26, 2005
Red Lobster
So I recently went to Red Lobster as it was my brother's birthday. I enjoyed this place so much. Much more than I usually do. My norm has always been the Mix'n'Match shrimp, but I went for something different this time. We also tried a new appetizer.
This was great. It was a thin, almost tortilla-like crust with lobster, cheese tomato, and basil. Parmesean was the over-lying taste, and it made everything taste like cheese. All the other flavors were almost covered up, except for the basil. When you were biting into the pieces of lobster meat, it was exquisette.
Since I was looking for something other than my norm for my entre, I had a hard time choosing. In fact, I couldn't even order when everyone else did and when the waitress came back I still wasn't really ready, but I threw out the Broiled Seafood Platter.
This consists of Scallops, Flounder Stuffed with Deviled Crab, and Shrimp Scampi with a side of fries.
The Scallops were great. I love the texture of scallops and the flavoring of these was great. Of course I enjoyed the shrimp scampi as it is one of my favorites. However, I did not enjoy the flounder. It tasted way too fishy. Now I know that sounds like an odd complaint about fish, but it's true. It was too fishy for me.
I probably would not order the Broiled Seafood Platter next time I go to Red Lobster.
Also, I completely forgot to take a picture of this because I saw it and I wanted to eat it so badly. For Desert I got the Apple Overboard. It's a beggar's purse-style apple pastry topped with vanilla ice cream. It was amazing.
Posted by akijikan at 7:02 PM | TrackBack
February 12, 2005
Taco Bell's Chicken Enchilada Burrito
Taco Bell has introduced a New Grilled, Stuffed Burrito. It's the Chicken Enchilada Burrito. If you know me, I love Enchiladas (especially the cheese ones) so I thought I would give this a shot. It's chicken breast meat, enchilada sauce, mexican rice, cheese and sour cream. I opted to skip the sour cream.
sorry for the bad picture
This is pretty good. It does taste like an enchilada. I like the chicken. Maybe next time I'll ask for less or no rice though. The mexican rice flavor doesn't mix right withe enchilada flavor, I don't know what it is, but they don't go together well. Maybe if they had used plain rice with enchilada sauce on it. I got full before I finished it too. Very filling Give this a shot though, over all it's good.
Posted by akijikan at 11:32 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 9, 2005
China Rose
This is from a while ago, but next to where I work is a delightful little Chinese place next to where I work called China Rose. It has a simple 10 item menu and available sodas. I got the spare ribs with chicken fried rice. Delicious!
such generous portions
It was expensive though; something like eight dollars. I can never, ever eat all the rice I get with any meal.
Another interesting thing is I heard there's another hole-in-the-wall chinese place like this down the road that has the exact same menu. Not just the same menu, but even the same picture display to order from.
Posted by akijikan at 11:13 PM | TrackBack
February 3, 2005
Getting to know your Sushi Chef
Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite food (to which pizza is a close second) is sushi. And if you know that about me you probably know my favorite place to eat it: Sekisui.
I like Sekisui for its tasty food and great atmosphere but most of all the chefs are great! Anyone who knows anything about sushi restaurants knows the best place to sit is at the bar. Only there can you enjoy the chefs, from watching their great skill to exchanging witty banter. The bar is great seating for beginners especially because there is no better guide than the sushi chef. Ask him any questions you have, and always ask "What is good today?"
If you are a regular visitor the chefs might get to know you and you'll find yourself being greated when you walk in with calls of "Irasshai!" A greeting used with customers they know. The best chefs learn your preferences and can come up with something even when you tell them "Omakase" which means "chef's choice". This can be a wonderful way to order at the sushi bar. When chefs know you, you'll often find yourself recieving gifts at the bar of small apetizers or desserts or other things.
On a recent visit my favorite chef, Yama, wanted to test out a new roll on me. I was very honored by this because it meant he trusted my taste for sushi.
Yama-san's wonderful creation
Of course it was awesome. Thanks Yama!
Posted by akijikan at 12:32 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
November 26, 2004
Sekisui
I took my girlfriend on a date while she is here and we went to Sekisui, one of three sushi restaurants in town. We also went to Ruby Falls Caverns, but that's another update.
We ordered two appetizers. We got one called Shupai. It was crab meat dumplings with soy sauce to dip in. It was very tasty.
We also ordered gyoza, but I never took a picture of it.
We took recommendations from the the head chef and ordered the Volcano and Smokey Mountain rolls. The Volcano roll is simply a California roll that is tempura-fried and covered in spicy mayonnaise and something else.
The Smokey Mountain roll was just avocado and cream cheese on the inside and salmon on top of the outside. We aren't fans.
The head chef was very nice and it was a pleasure being served by him. I don't know if he always serves you personally if you sit at the bar, but the place was nearly empty.
They have an extensive list of desserts, ice cream, and sorbets. We were interested in the Cheesecake Tempura, but they were out. I got Ice Cream Tempura and my girlfriend, Christaheena, got Red Bean Ice Cream. I got a picture of mine.
My girlfriend was also looking especially hot that evening so I got a picture for you all to see.
Posted by akijikan at 2:36 PM | TrackBack
October 24, 2004
Kanpai of Tokyo
Because its my birthday, I got to pick a place to dine. Since I love "japanese" food, I choose Kanpai. Don't worry, I know. Hibachi isn't real japanese food.
this place has the best decor
a kimono(?)
the seating area
this was our chef, his name is hiro
mmmmmmm shrimpies
This man moves fast, but I appreciated the motion shots.
no tails allowed!
So these dinners are a bit of a show as well as food. The Hibachi chefs have 3 tricks. I only captured one because I was fumbling with the camera the other two. One I didn't get a picture of was with the shrimp appetizer. He flames them with a fammable oil or something. Pretty cool. The other is a trick where he flips an egg on his spatula a bunch of times then turns his spatula so the edge splits the egg. In this one he constructs an onion volcano.
OoOoOoOo
cooling off
Shrimp was one of three things included in my Tokyo Combo
making fried rice
the fried rice fortress
a smorgesboard
I like this picture
already finished my shrimp, starting in on my filet minion, nummy and I had chicken after that!
It was awesome.
Hey, so you know, my girlfriend is where its at. Later cats.
Posted by akijikan at 11:15 PM | TrackBack
October 18, 2004
Stefano's Chicago Style Pizza
So, if you know me, it's quite possible that you know pizza is my favorite food. Ever. And if you know that, then surely I've told you that the best pizza to be found is Stefano's in Knoxville. When we were coming back from Norris we ate dinner in Knoxville. So we went for Stefano's of course.
The other two that I've been to were out of the way so we went to this one which I've never been to. But they all taste the same (that is, delicious).
see those pizza ovens on the left? that's where round flat goodness is born
all Stefano's have big screen TVs so you can enjoy THE game
OMGWTFBBQ
This pizza is so good. The Crust is so thick and the sauce is so amazing. The crust we get is one of two options. You can get wheat or white. We get wheat because it actually has a sweeter taste to it. The sauce compliments the crust so well too. It's a little tangy and always a nice thick red. I love it when I eat the pizza down to the crust and there's a little bit of sauce left on it. Mmmmmmmmmmm.
Posted by akijikan at 4:38 PM | TrackBack
August 31, 2004
Oishi desu! (or Saturday, in the park, it wasn't the 4th of july)
Sorry it's been so long since I last updated. And yes, this is a food entry, though its not a food only entry.
So My girlfriend and I went back to Nabe. I was interested in trying some types of sushi I hadn't tried yet. My girlfriend and I also got my mom to come along this time.
I didn't get a picture of the entrance last time
We chose to sit and the sushi bar this time and we got to sit in front of Miho again. Yay!
chicken teriyaki appetizer
When this came, Miho handed me the ground pepper. It was almost like she could sense my tastes. Of course I covered my chicken in it...yeah I know...this isn't anything special...
crazy roll
I ordered the crazy roll...this was good and I liked it alot. The smelt eggs don't really offer a taste, just a texture really.
the philidelphia roll
My mom got this. The Philidelphia name is probably because of the cream cheese? It has some really good salmon on it. When my mom let me try it, the salmon slipped down the back of my throat before I chewed it, and I started choking. I hope I didn't offend Miho. My mom thought it was okay. I can tell she's not a sushi person.
the spyder roll
My girlfriend ordered this. It's soft shell crab with cucumber and avacado. Delicious. This might be something I really enjoy.
octopus
My girlfriend also ordered this octopus nigiri. I liked this a lot. I had octopus sashimi before and liked it, so I expected I would like this.
After dinner we went to a near-by antique shop to look around. It was so neat.
neat stuff antiques
this is a really good picture of my girlfriend
I snagged tons of pics in this place of random stuff. There were some funny signs which I'll post here...the rest you can see in the gallery: http://gallery.greatestjournal.com/thumbnails.php?album=97253&page=1
I forgot that the flash would reflect off the glass, but somehow I think it happened it then apropriate place
Also I have twelve gmail invites at my disposal. Here's how I'm going to distribute them. If you have a high traffic web site, I will give you two invites for a link on your front page. If you don't have a high traffic web site, offer me something and I'll see if I want it. Contact me by my e-mail on the right.
Posted by akijikan at 9:18 PM | TrackBack
August 24, 2004
Sushi Nabe
Saturday evening, I went to Sushi Nabe [sushiamerica.com] with my girlfriend. She made a good dining partner here because she is a quater japanese, and knows some japanese culture from her (full-japanese) grandmother. I was excited about trying this place because on their website, it says the chef used to have a restaurant in Washington DC, and the Japanese Emperor himself liked it so much he ate there 5 nights in a row. Wow.
the waiting area and (drink) bar
Apparently he handled some of the local chefs very well in a local competition called "Cast Iron Chef" similar to what they have on the TV show "Iron Chef." I'd love to catch one of these local version of the competition.
We first told the matre'd that we'd take first available seating (sushi bar or table) but when were seated at an open table, I became disappointed that we did not wait for the sushi bar to open up. I informed the matre'd and he told us it wouldn't be a problem to wait at the table and change when the sushi bar opened up. Wonderful.
While we were waiting at the table, they brought both us a warm, damp and towel that smelled soapy (though it wasn't sudsy). I didn't know what to do with it and I was watching my girlfriend to see what she would do. Apparently yo just wipe your hands with it. Must be a traditional Japanese thing. It left my hands feeling...ah...refreshed.
I think this was nice
Soon the seats at the bar opened up and we moved. They had two sushi chefs (who happened to be both women (nothing wrong with that)).
this one seemed double-long compared to what I've seen before
They had a lot to choose from and we had a hard time deciding what we would have. They have a wonderful variety of Roll-style, nigiri and sashimi. They even have some cooked things for those who are accompaning their sushi loving friends but can't bring themselves to eat sushi (though I don't understand that). ;)
what to get?
The selection was made a bit easier by the help of the Miho. She was the sushi chef working infront of where we were sitting on the bar. She was very nice and explained any questions I had. She was even willing to let me take her picture. When she found out what it was for (this blog), she wanted the web address to see what I would do with it.
We stalled by ordering a gyoza appetizer. These are beef dumplings, but they were out of the beef so they made it with pork. It was still good.
we split five pieces
My girlfriend came up with her first order. She asked for the hot crunch roll. It's just a California roll that's been battered with tempura and fried. Miho informed us that this was more American-ized sushi.
the hot sauce on the side of the bowl was a good touch
I then made my first selection of the salmon skin roll. This was great, though my girlfriend refused to try it. ;) Miho told us that this was a more traditional japanese sushi.
this was really good
My girlfriend then decided to give the shittake roll a try. This was one of their vegetarian offerings that was just mushroom and "japanese mayonaise" (I wonder if that's real japanese or also just American-ized) in the rice & seaweed.
these are cut taller than some other rolls
I decided to finish with some shrimp nigiri.
there was more, I just ate it before I remember to take the picture
We were interested in desert, particularly red-bean or tempura ice-cream. They were previously on the menu, but they were crossed out now. Miho explained to us they couldn't afford to store ice cream because they needed the space for something else. She told us they had chocolate cake, cheese cake or the "chef's special." We decided to split the chef's special. They don't always have the chef's special and it isn't always the same thing, so don't go in and ask for it expecting to have what we had.
It consisted of ice cream cake (layered blueberry and vanilla), chocolate mousse sandwiched between white cake, and chocolate mousse sandwiched between brownies. It was garnished with strawberries, whipped cream, whipped cream, and green tea powder.
this was so good, thanks Miho
One of the most interesting things was a rack full of chopsticks. These were personal chopsticks that people used when they came in. You could buy a pair of chopsticks for ten dollars and they keep them there. You use them when you come in and you get a ten percent discount.
that's a lot of chopstick
The chef-owner is very nice and is constantly coming around to check on the customers. He's a nice man who will talk to you about almost anything. I didn't get a very good picture of him but here he is on the left in this photo of the waiting area I snapped as we were leaving.
maybe that's him? maybe not?
I recommed this place highly. Check out the link at the top of this entry to visit their website.
Posted by akijikan at 10:05 AM | TrackBack
August 10, 2004
Safe House in Milwaukee, WI
During my recent trip to Wisconsin to visit my girlfriend [greatestjournal.com] we decided to pay a visit to a special restaurant called The Safe House [safe-house.com].The place is very inconspicuous. In fact, it's hidden. You have to go down an alley to this otherwise blank door that has a simple sign next to it. You'd never guess it is a restaurant.
the sign on the door says "we import and export" and lists the hours
the sign directly left of the door...sorry for the poor quality
There is a foyer once you go in, and when we went inside, we were asked for our ID. This was a gag, because its not bar-age limit or anything. We also had to pay a one dollar cover, but we later were able to take this off the dinner bill. To gain access to the restaurant, you had to say the password. Since we did not know the password, we had to do a special task. We had to bend over, arms drooping and act like gorillas. It wasn't too embarrassing considering we just had to do it in front of one person. Once that was done, we were allowed in. She informed us that the password could be found in Nixon's speech bubble in a political cartoon in a room with a green ceiling. She pressed a button that opened a bookshelf behind us. This lead to a hall with no doors at the end. At the end of the hall it said "Safe House" and pointed to the left wall. I decided to touch the wall...and the wall to the right opened to the restaurant. To our demise the entrance was next to the bar. Everyone sitting at the bar started laughing at us and impersonating our gorilla act. Great...the whole thing was on camera.
The first thing I did was find the password. Here's the cartoon.
sorry for the flash reflection...of course I blurred the password...I won't let you get off that easy
We noticed one of the bar stools had something interesting embroidered on them...most of them were blank on the backs though.
there was also another one that said James Bond...I didn't look around to see if the other Bond actors had special chairs
We ordered drinks. My girlfriend had a virgin bloody-mary (which I can't stand) and I had a virgin strawberry daiquiri. Sometimes I think we could get away with out ordering virgin drinks because they seem they think I'm old enough. My girlfriend will be old enough in October.
I appreciate it when they serve you a full glass instead of some dinky cocktail glass
When we ordered food, I was interested in the ribs, but I didn't want to waste my money ordering them without tasting the sauce...I've been disappointed before. So asked the waitress if I could sample the sauce before I made my decision. I was very pleased that they were accommodating in allowing me to do so.
this sauce is very good
So I did order the ribs. It came with a soup. It was amazing. It was called Chicken Tortilla soup and it tasted so good. If I come back, I may just have a bowl of this for my meal...it was so awesome!
the tortilla chip topping is just colored...no special taste.
My only disappointment of the night came with the ribs, and it was not with the taste, as they were delicious. They price the ribs at the level most places would charge for a full rack. They delivered a half rack (and the menu didn't specify...next time the menu says nothing, I'll ask). The also placed the ribs on top of the fries...now why would they get barbeque sauce all over my fries? I want to enjoy those with ketchup. These were only minor issues though and I did enjoy the ribs.
if you know me...you know I didn't touch the veggies...heh
My girlfriend also ordered the Chicken Tortilla Soup and The Far East Chicken Salad. This salad consisted of Asian-esque ingredients. It also came with two dressings on the side so you could choose one to toss on. One was a sweeter soy dressing, and the other was a ginger dressing. My girlfriend preferred the soy dressing.
I can not stand salads, and yet this appears appetizing to even me
Supposedly, there's a secret exit through a telephone booth. We wanted to use it but we followed the exit signs to a normal exit...my bad. Overall I would recommend this place to everyone. It is a fun experience, awesome atmosphere, and great food. Visit their website for details on the place.
Posted by akijikan at 6:08 PM | TrackBack
July 14, 2004
Outback 5-21-04
Yet more old stuff...these are blurry, sorry, I didn't know how to use my girlfriend's camera well.
To remind, be aware that you may now click any photos for the full size version in my GJ Gallery.
Our waiter, I can't remember his name
My girlfriend (
) got a bloody mary...gross!
The bread here is pretty good. I know its not baked in-house though, its wrapped in plastic in the kitchen then they just warm it
gets eaten-up quickly
We ordered the fried mushrooms. They are so delicious and the way the batter's crispiness goes with the shrooms' tenderness just works magic in your mouth. Seriously...
not magic ;)
I ordered the sirloin and my girlfriend got the burger. She swears by their bugers. The steak is good too, but mine was underdone. I like it just a little more cooked than pictured. Medium rare is good for me. Thats closer to rare. It was even pinker in the middle of course.
yeah I know, blur city
looks better than my steak
I enjoyed this trip because I was with my girlfriend and eating good food...what more can you ask?
Posted by akijikan at 11:48 AM | TrackBack
May 10, 2004
Udder Creamery and Cafe
My family went to the place only after we discovered our favorite, Marble Slab, was out of chocolate ice cream for the day. My mom could not go without chocolate.
There was a wide variety of ice cream available:
these were gelato which is supposed to be an italian specialty that has a more intense flavor and density
normal ice cream
I was wanting peach ice cream because that was my usual at Marble Slab. So I choose the only peach flavor they had, peach gelato.
Along with your ice cream selection, you get one "mix-in". These are different candies, nuts and etc.
sorry for the blur action
My standard is almonds, just because I love them so much. After you choose your flavor and "mix-in" you choose if you want a cup, waffle-cone or waffle bowl. I chose a plain waffle-cone, though they had dipped cones with dark, milk and white chocolate. I wish I had tried a waffle bowl, because I'd never seen them before.
seems unweildy to wrap them, though they must be looking to keep them fresh
After that, they mix the ice cream and "mix-in" on a cold slab, where you can watch(the other place uses a marble slab, hence their name)
this sad excuse for a picture was lightened with Microsoft Photo Editor
all ready to be devoured
I thought that the jars of fruit in the back must be used to make the ice cream.
looks forgein
I didn't like it as much as marble slab.
Pepper jelly tomorrow!
Posted by akijikan at 11:15 PM | TrackBack