jscarbor

I know it is impossible to compare a restaurant to another based on a buffet but I had the buffet at Vung Thai on the loop yesterday and could not have been more disapointed. It was just plain boring. They had two at best decent soups and I guess something they were trying to pass off as pad thai that was nearly inedible with tofo and another crappy tofu dish. Thats it! I've had a regular dish here once and it was good but this buffet sucked so much I don't think I can go back.

I've been pretty down on thai food lately. It seems all the thai restaurants in Houston are pretty much the same, insomuch the menu's are almost identical. Sure a few do something a little different like the great eggplant/basil dish at erawan or the soups at kanamwan but alas they pretty much all run together. I've had the pleasure of dining at Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas where you have a northern thai pork stew that is awesome, or the soft shell crispy fried shrimp, not to mention the crispy rice and sour sausage. I also was lucky enough to drag some friends in Chicago to Spoon Thai where I had the one bite salad, the best Laarb (pork neck meat) I've ever had and banana blossum salad that was to die for. Why can't houston do thai like this? Thai Corner on Bellaire behind Sinh Sinh isn't much different than any of the others in Houston really but they do a couple dishes that I don't think I have seen. One is a very simple sounding dish of water spinach in this spicey sauce. It is so simple yet really amazing. The other was a mango salad with crunchy fish in a lime chile dressing. This dish wasn't the tables favorite even though I likes it. But what was really great is that they are doing some different dishes at this tiny little thai joint. We had some nice laab along with an avg fish in chile sauce dish and some thai jerky that was accompanied by a great little sauce as well as satay which was good, just like every other thai joint in town.

How about Indika on Memorial fo kind of a new take on Indian cousine? Churrascos on Westheimer and Gessner for terrific s american cousine. One of the best steaks you can get in town along with other very good dishes.

Very nice! What a great picture. What abpout a recipe?

Pollo Riko is the best.

Its been way too long since I ate at Da Marco. I'm thinking a meal here is in order in the near future. The one time I did eat here it was fantastic. What I remember is I had the ravioli with quail egg and truffle and I ofrget the entree. My wife had the artichoke and the sea bass with grapefruit. Both were great.

Decided to have lunch friday with an old dining buddy I met some time ago on chowhound. Both he and I have been dining out a little less lately and it shows. Ive dropped 10 pounds and he dropped a good 70. I guess we both know that if we are a little healthier we will have a longer period of time here on planet earth and can enjoy food longer. That being said it didn't stop us from ordering like a couple of pigs. I arrived at the restaurant a little early and a guy who I later came to find out was the chef/owner Kaiser, he asked if I wanted the special. I told him I was waiting for someone. My friend called and told me to go ahead and order a few dishes. From across the room I told the chef we wanted to try the chicken biryani, chapli and chicken mara masala. My friend arrives shortly and listens to what I ordered and he just knew he had to try the Hunters Beef as well. He told the stunned chef of are wishes and disappeared into the kitchen. The first dish was some excellent chicken Biryani. The chef sat down and told us why it was so good after we were ohhhing and awing. To tell the truth I didn't really here what he had to say I was eating. The second dish that came out was the chapli. Earlier I told Kaiser I liked spicey food. Evidently he didn't believe me, either that or Robb Walsh, who had reviewed this place a month or so ago, is a wuss cause there was only a hint of spice. This dish was served with some flatbread/naan and a cucumber onion salad and a green mint sauce. Chapli is a burger of sorts so I mixed up the mint sauce in the cuc mixture and added the beef and the cuc mixture into some naan. This turned out to be a great burger even if it missed some of the spice I was looking for. The next dish was a powerful chicken mara masala. Similar to tikka masala only it was a greenish colored curry. This was probably my fav dish. Last was the hunters beef and although good it didn't have any of the cilantro of peppers that walsh wrote about. Next time I'll make sure to really express my sincere intrest in SPICEY food. The dish is likes chipped beef or hash and is served with a redish yogurt sauce. Again it was very good, I just wanted some spice baby. After lunch we packed up some leftovers (you didn't think we would eat all that or leave it there for that matter did you?) and spoke with the chef for awhile. He was really nice. There were not many customers the time we were there from 12:30 to 1:30. I did notice a lot of takeout though. Kaiser said he gets a late crowd. For that reason he stays open pretty late, midnight on the weekends. He also asked us for good late night joints because he likes to eat out after he closes. I basically froze and could only mustard Mais. I need to put my thinking cap on and give him a few more choices like bibas etc.

Texas Rotisserie Chicken in Sugar Land had good chicken back 10 years ago when I lived there. I bet its still pretty good. Costco roasted chicken is very good and a great bargain. Pronto cucina's roasted chicken I hate to say isn't very good IMO. I really enjoy the chicken vincent and a couple other things but how can they serve such mediocre chicken when thats a family specialty?

Fish steaks are said to be easier to grill than fillets, since fillets can fall apart a lot easier. But I've never had any problems with fillets, as long as I grill them over "indirect" heat heat -- that is, put the coals to one side, and place the fillets on tinfoil (well oiled), away from the coals, and put the lid on the grill. How did the panko play into your recipe, did you just satee them separately, and add lemon zest and rosemary to it, and drizzle it over the salmon after cooking? ← So with the filets you have better results of the fire in tin foil? I figured I should do that but thought I wouldn't have a problem. The panko played fantastically. I sauteed in EVOO with crushed garlic and a sprig of rosemary. It was finished off by taking out the garlic and rosemary and adding the lemon zest.

Its actually HEB product but I have to say that the fully cooked smoked briskets are wonderful. I bought one yesterday and have to say its better than all but 2 of houstons briskets at BBQ joints. Has anyone else tried this?

A couple nights ago I made a salmon recipe from this months food and wine. its a grilled salmon with a lemon honey glaze and some sauteed panko's with lemon zest and rosemary. The dish was wonderful! I served with a 2003 Hayman Hill Pinot Noir that was great. The wine was a suggestion from one of the wine experts at Specs Warehouse in Houston, the best liqour store in the state. I believe it was $10-11. It tasted like a $20-30 bottle. Anyway WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GRILL FISH? i DIDN'T WANT TO START A NEW THREAD on this but figured some here would have a good suggestion. Do I need a fish basket? did I try to pick it up to soon(I didn't want overcooked salmon)?

Fav roast chicken? Thats easy. Chicken with mashed up tamlaes with butter and stuffed under the skin. Then near the end of roasting the bird cut up some tamales and roast in the chicken fat. The cut up tamales kind of get a nice caremalied crunch to them. And the stuffing fkavors the chicken and keeps it moist.

My mom always made me Dr Pepper cake which is certainly has to be a classic Texas cake?

to night I plan on my first post here with pictures. I have always just done the written word only. Tonights a pretty simple dinner that should be very tasty. I'll be making seared filets in a concentrated wine sauce served with broiled asparagus with shaved parmesan and roasted regular and sweet potatoes. Alas I planned no dessert tonight .

Tafia or Aries would fit the bill for local ingredients place. Marks is a little more sophisticated food and they do have local ing in addition to flying more exotics in. Tampico is the place for a killer fish night out. Get the snapper al la plancha. Sit upstairs on weekend. Breakfast at the Breakfast Klub is great. Topwater is great for a little excursion. Really good seafood in a cool old school bay atmosphere. RE River Oaks Grill, I hear they are really focusing on the ladies of the night atmosphere these days. Anyone else hear that?

A couple weeks ago I took my son along with my sister and her family to Topwater before we went to Kemah for the kids. My BIL and I shared a dozen grilled oysters rockefeller and 1/2 dozen grilled oyster mojo d ajo and both were incredible. I want to get back this weekend just to order these oysters but wonder what the oyster crop looks and tastes like now. Anyway, the rockefeller oysters were close to perfect, maybe a wee bit more shrimp and a wee bit less cream. Along with the bacon and cheese these bad boys were delicious. How many "rules" does this dish break (cheese/cream and seafood). After this I had the fried shrimp which were great, only to be surpassed last week at another dining establishment that will surprise the heck out of you in my Cat Spring/New Ulm report. BIL had a broiled red fish with drunk sauce and it was wonderful as well. My son (almost 2) and nephew (4) ran around the whole time scaring the bejesus out of me. The docks have no railing on them and the patio railing has about an 8 inch space making it easy for a youngster to fall through. Thankfully all was fine but I certainly wont be letting him of my site until he is a little bit older. This place really makes me want to live in this area. I'm not a big clear lake guy, i just see too much I'm to cool for you guy, trashy girl stuff that turns me off. But this place has soul and the foods great to boot. I just love it. Next time here I will get the shrimp brochette.

I think Houstonians hate Ferttita because he has made a few wonderful places that were near and dear to are hearts and made them aweful. His restaurants can't even boil shrimp properly for christ sakes. The Mandola family is more hands on in all thier operations. And I think the Ragun Cajun isn't all that as well.

I would say no on bacon. The initial smell of bacon is great but within a few houors it is fairly geasy smelling. I think a bread would be great. and there is never a bad time to make choc chip cookies.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned the CM corn chips or not but they atre very good.

On the advice from me by way of eG, I told my sister to pick up this book because we decided to braise for easter this year. Being that we are eating around lunch time I talked my sis into the braise because it can be made ahead of time since we are planning on church that morning. The only downfall to this type of cooking is the fact that I am sure it will be a muggy 80+ degrees next week and braises just seem better with a nice chill in the air. Anyway. she picked up the book and decided on the 7 hour leg of lamb. Anyone touch this yet? Any advice?

Tonight I made a roasted chicken, which in and of itself is fairly mundane, but tonight at the suggestion of a texas frurmn member (I believe it was fifi) I stuffed under the skin with some tamales that I mashed up with a little butter. I then stuffed the cavity with lemons and roasted. About 2/3 of the way thru I took out the lemons and stuffed the cavity and the outside of the bird with even more tamales. The tamales I put around the chicken ened up frying in the chicken fat and were wonerful! This was truly one of the best chickens I have ever had. The tamales I had were left over from an open house I had and had been frozen for a week or so. These are by far the best tamales I have ever had. Its a little tamale shop in houston and the main flavors are chicken mole and pork verde tamales.

Would the pieces of tamale be someting you would eat along with chicken? Ir are they really just flavoring?

Tealas is on W Dallas but Tilas is on Shepherd.

I just picked up 4 dozen tamales from here yesterday for a Broker open house (trying to sell my townhome) and thankfully I had a bunch left over! I can't thank the people at Dona Tere enough for putting a location on the SW side of town. These bad boys are simply awesome.

For BBQ I couldn't think of a worse place to send you then Drexlers. Instead go to Williams as Kerr suggests or Thelmas. At both places you get very good Brisket and ribs. Both places are traditional east texas, black BBQ. Basically the style is good smoke and sweetish bbq sauce. The sides and Thelams are amazing, especially the potato salad and the okra. For Tex-mex I woul hit either the original Ninfas on Navigation, not far from the Goerge R Brown, only this location is to be eaten at. Or El Tiempo on Richmond for the best chicken fajitas. This is the only place I get chicken! Also, Hugos is great for upscale authenticish mexican. Its in the Montrose area near downtown. Churrascos on Westheimer for Churrasco Steak and tres leches is a real gem of a restaurant.