The Ladies Who Lunch (Part 3)

[KennethT]

4 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

@KennethTthe food on your trip looks fantastic.  I haven’t made the rice rolls in quite some time but I recall I used an 8” round cake tin sprayed with oil set in my big steamer.  Poured in batter to coat the pan and bobs your uncle, they were done.  So delicious even with just some chili crisp and no meat.  I think it is time to make them again and I will try the meat mushroom idea with green onions perhaps…I can’t buy decent sprouts here.

Yeah, the food on that trip was amazing.  We don't usually repeat trips to places, but if we were, Saigon would be high on the list, just for the food.  If you can get it, use Thai basil rather than green onion or a mix of the two?

[Anna N]

It seems to have been ages since @Kerry Bealand I enjoyed lunch together. So today was very welcome. We tried a new Korean place in Hamilton Click

I could not find the menu when I was trying to order some thing, but I desperately wanted to try Korean fried chicken, so I didn’t worry too much about the menu. 
The Korean chicken as it arrived. 
 

 

Kerry’s seafood, pancake as it arrived.  

 

Kerry’s plate. They were a bit mean with the banchan for sure.  
 

 

My plate with fried chicken, a taste of Kerry’s pancake and the very stingy banchan. 
 

I loved the chicken I would definitely order it again. Lots of leftovers.  

[ElsieD]

We love Korean fried chicken.  We go to a restaurant here on occasion that serves it with either a sweet soy sauce or a sweet and spicy sauce.  We usually get one of each.  What was yours sauced with?  I agree that the banchan looks very skimpy.

[Anna N]

2 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

We love Korean fried chicken.  We go to a restaurant here on occasion that serves it with either a sweet soy sauce or a sweet and spicy sauce.  We usually get one of each.  What was yours sauced with?  I agree that the banchan looks very skimpy.

It was sweet and spicy, but the spicy was barely there. I’m not complaining. I quite liked it but yes, the banchan was very disappointing. Kerry noted that inside the restaurant each table was being served 3 bowls! 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

8 minutes ago, Anna N said:

It was sweet and spicy, but the spicy was barely there. I’m not complaining. I quite liked it but yes, the banchan was very disappointing. Kerry noted that inside the restaurant each table was being served 3 bowls! 

I will never forget the first time we went to a Korean barbeque, half a century ago.    We were brought a slew, 8 or 10 tiny bowls of "little things".   Thinking them appetizers, we scarfed them up, praising them to our server, who just nodded and smiled vaguely.   Later we realized what we had done.    But they were delicious none the less.

[BetD]

That all looks very good to me… we have no Korean eateries in these parts that I know of, more’s the pity.

 

[Kim Shook]

On 12/4/2022 at 11:43 AM, Margaret Pilgrim said:

I will never forget the first time we went to a Korean barbeque, half a century ago.    We were brought a slew, 8 or 10 tiny bowls of "little things".   Thinking them appetizers, we scarfed them up, praising them to our server, who just nodded and smiled vaguely.   Later we realized what we had done.    But they were delicious none the less.

This is why I love when restaurants ask the question: "Have you ever been here before?".  Then, if I haven't, they can explain things like that.  

[Anna N]

This was truly the most amazing meal I have had in quite some time. It is from one of our favourite restaurants, Rose in the Kitchen. After giving out influenza  and Covid vaccines in Hamilton, @Kerry Bealdrove on lightly snowed on roads to my place bringing this.  I wish everyone a friend like Kerry!
 

 

As it arrived. 

 

 

Plated up by Kerry for me. Lamb chops with rice, roasted tomato, jalapeño, and salad. These lamb chops were perfect. Just enough fat, and all so perfectly cooked. 

 

 

Kerry had the cheese and sausage pide with some salad. 

Edited December 12, 2022 by Anna N
Typo (log)

[Anna N]

Once again, @Kerry Beal after vaccinating Hamilton’s most vulnerable and dealing with some family issues still made the time to pick up lunch and bring it over to my house on Sunday. Last week’s lunch was so amazing. Even the leftovers were delicious. But this week it’s a bit disappointing. We both decided it was the weather for pho. 
 

 

The two soups look almost identical so I will only show you one of them. 

Small well done and rare beef pho for me. Kerry had the beef and chicken pho. 

 

 

Summer rolls. 
 

The broth for the pho tasted overwhelmingly of star anise and nothing else. The summer rolls were almost impossible to eat. I think the rice paper was not properly rehydrated. They were chewy and unpleasant.  The company, as usual, was delightful. 
 

The pho bowl was hand made by @patris!

 

[ElsieD]

It's soooo disappointing when the food sucks. Have you had meals from them before?

[KennethT]

12 hours ago, Anna N said:

Once again, @Kerry Beal after vaccinating Hamilton’s most vulnerable and dealing with some family issues still made the time to pick up lunch and bring it over to my house on Sunday. Last week’s lunch was so amazing. Even the leftovers were delicious. But this week it’s a bit disappointing. We both decided it was the weather for pho. 
 

 

The two soups look almost identical so I will only show you one of them. 

Small well done and rare beef pho for me. Kerry had the beef and chicken pho. 

 

 

Summer rolls. 
 

The broth for the pho tasted overwhelmingly of star anise and nothing else. The summer rolls were almost impossible to eat. I think the rice paper was not properly rehydrated. They were chewy and unpleasant.  The company, as usual, was delightful. 
 

The pho bowl was hand made by @patris!

 

Getting summer rolls for delivery or take out is always a problem.  They're really meant to be eaten as soon as they're made.  Have you had pho from this restaurant before?  I don't know whether it was somebody's error that day or if that's just how they make theirs.  We were at a pho place in Saigon which was really strong with star anise... that was just their style and it seemed like the people who went there went there because of it!

[Anna N]

55 minutes ago, KennethT said:

Getting summer rolls for delivery or take out is always a problem.  They're really meant to be eaten as soon as they're made.  Have you had pho from this restaurant before?  I don't know whether it was somebody's error that day or if that's just how they make theirs.  We were at a pho place in Saigon which was really strong with star anise... that was just their style and it seemed like the people who went there went there because of it!

We have had excellent summer rolls for takeout from this restaurant and others. We are never very far from a restaurant, so it’s not a long journey to get here. There was definitely something wrong with these.  I have never had pho that tastes this strongly of star anise from any restaurant so again I think this was an error. I would be disappointed, by the way, if there was no evidence of star anise, but it should also taste of beef. 

[Anna N]

13 hours ago, ElsieD said:

It's soooo disappointing when the food sucks. Have you had meals from them before?

Yes. And they have been fine. This must’ve been a very off day.

[TicTac]

14 minutes ago, Anna N said:

We have had excellent summer rolls for takeout from this restaurant and others. We are never very far from a restaurant, so it’s not a long journey to get here. There was definitely something wrong with these.  I have never had pho that tastes this strongly of star anise from any restaurant so again I think this was an error. I would be disappointed, by the way, if there was no evidence of star anise, but it should also taste of beef. 

And a hint of cinnamon, a touch of clove - and some smokey ginger/onion in the back for support.

 

Pho is very hit or miss, some places have their stock locked down, others - a watery mess.

 

If you/Kerry are ever in the Richmond Hill area, check out "The Pho Restaurant" - not only is their pho broth excellent, their Bun Bo Hue is even better!

 

 

[Anna N]

For once @Kerry Bealgot her choice for lunch. Not that I was complaining in the least!

It’s been a while since we had anything from Lemongrass in Hamilton but today we had one of their specialties. 
 

 

Crispy duck!

 

 

Neither plate was very photogenic, but trust me we made short work of this. I did not photograph the peanut sauce that accompanied it. 

[Anna N]

While waiting for her order, Kerry chatted with another customer who had driven in from the other side of Toronto because she had heard this place was that good. The customer was entertaining messages from other countries. 
Here.
 

 

Lemongrass chicken bahn mie for @Kerry Beal.

 

 

Deluxe Saigon (pork) for me. 
 

Delicious and filling. I still have half for another meal. 

[Anna N]

Today @Kerry Bealand I had Korean food. There is a sad story behind our choice.  On Friday my granddaughter and I decided to order in.  It was my turn to choose so I suggested Korean food from the Owl of Minerva. It was later than usual when we finally put our order in. I wanted the beef kalbi and youngster wanted the shrimp tempura. 45 minutes later, the driver from one of the delivery services dropped off "our" order. The shopping bag sported  the McDonald's logo and contained a Filet-O-Fish (with extra cheese), an order of fries and a large Coke.  I'll leave you to imagine our disappointment. It was too late to get anything sorted out as The Owl of Minerva had closed!  I dumped the Coke down the sink, my granddaughter ate the  fries and I choked down the fish. So when it came time for lunch today, I tried once more for some beef kalbi. (Granddaughter was at the pool, renewing her first aid certificate.)

 

 

Kimchi soup for Kerry. This had some serious spiciness.
 

 

Beef kalbi for me. Also, on my plate is half of an appetizer serving of Korean fried chicken. The rest of the chicken and more of the beef kalbi are resting comfortably in my refrigerator!
 

 

 

[Smithy]

That was an outrageous error on the part of the delivery service. Had you already paid? Did you have any recourse?

[Anna N]

23 minutes ago, Smithy said:

That was an outrageous error on the part of the delivery service. Had you already paid? Did you have any recourse?

Yes, we had already paid. I had no direct interaction in this affair. I heard my granddaughter on her phone, reassure someone that these things happen. She told me that her money would be refunded without a problem. I had transferred money to her via Interact for my share and told her to just let it go through and that we would sort out any issues later. I know there is nothing else that can be done but a refund is of no interest to two hungry people at almost 10 o'clock at night. We remind ourselves that in the grand scheme of things this is just a blip. We both determined that it would not ruin the rest of the night.

[chromedome]

17 hours ago, Anna N said:

Yes, we had already paid. I had no direct interaction in this affair. I heard my granddaughter on her phone, reassure someone that these things happen. She told me that her money would be refunded without a problem. I had transferred money to her via Interact for my share and told her to just let it go through and that we would sort out any issues later. I know there is nothing else that can be done but a refund is of no interest to two hungry people at almost 10 o'clock at night. We remind ourselves that in the grand scheme of things this is just a blip. We both determined that it would not ruin the rest of the night.

It would be nice to think that you've utterly changed the life of someone who was expecting a Filet 'O' Fish and got kalbi instead.

[Anna N]

59 minutes ago, chromedome said:

It would be nice to think that you've utterly changed the life of someone who was expecting a Filet 'O' Fish and got kalbi instead.

Yes. I discussed that possibility with @Kerry Beal. But my sense is that someone who orders a fillet of fish with extra cheese might be a bit hard to convert.  But I'll cling to that as a slim possibility. The whole experience would be easier to swallow if one knew such a miracle had occurred. 

[Kim Shook]

6 hours ago, Anna N said:

Yes. I discussed that possibility with @Kerry Beal. But my sense is that someone who orders a fillet of fish with extra cheese might be a bit hard to convert.  But I'll cling to that as a slim possibility. The whole experience would be easier to swallow if one knew such a miracle had occurred. 

Me!!!!  Me, me, me!  I'd happily eat both the Kalbi and the Filet o' Fish.  My palate goes from White Trash to Piss Elegant.  😁

[Anna N]

 

 

A Thai feast. This is @Kerry Beal's plate. A penang chicken curry, crispy squid, beef salad, pad see ew with shrimp. 
 

My plate. 
 

 

Mango with sticky rice. 
 

I was too full for dessert but it's waiting for me in the refrigerator along with plenty of other leftovers!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

This morning I had a doctor's appointment, and the friend who took me suggested we have lunch afterwards.  I chose a Peruvian restaurant I've been wanting to try for years.  Of course, like the last time, the Peruvian restaurant was closed today.  She suggested a restaurant that overlooks the Delaware river...

 

 

My dish was lobster cake with spinach risotto.  Hers was grilled salmon and Caesar salad.

 

This marks the second time I have eaten in a restaurant since the start of COVID.  Food was good but I admit to disappointment at missing the chance of Peruvian cuisine.

 

[Anna N]

46 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Peruvian cuisine

I have to tell you that before we settled on Thai cuisine we did consider Peruvian. However, on both occasions when we have had Peruvian cuisine we have been greatly disappointed. This is not to say that there's anything wrong with Peruvian food just that we had not had a good experience with it. It would have been interesting to get your take.