Fuji San, Cockeysville

Fuji San on York Road in Cockeysville is my go-to place for Thai food (though they also serve Sushi and other Japanese items).  The restaurant itself seems to be more of a carry out joint, but I’ve eaten here a bunch of times as well.  Though it lacks a bit in ambiance, the service definitely makes up for that.  Oh, and last time I was there, it was a BYOB as well!  

 Pad Thai with Chicken

Do you have one of those restaurants where you can only order the same thing every time you go?  This is how it is for me at Fuji San.  I am sure I would love all the other menu items, but I can only ever order the Pad Thai ($6.95 for lunch, $9.95 for dinner) because I know how much I love it.   There’s a light sweetness to the noodles and a lovely crunch from the peanuts and bean sprouts, and there’s plenty of chicken.  I am always more than pleased when I have this. The portions are HUUUUUGE by the way, so I would recommend splitting a soup and an entree for a good meal.

Tom Kha Soup

My friend and I also shared some Tom Kha soup ($3.95 with Tofu or Vegetables, $4.95 with Chicken, $5.95 with Shrimp, $7.95 for Seafood medley)– traditional broth flavored with Thai herbs, coconut milk, mushroom, lime juice and a touch of chili with chicken.  This was a creamy but light soup, with a slight kick from the chili that is balanced well by the coconut milk.  One slight complaint is that there was not enough shrimp in the soup.  I don't remember exactly how many, but it definitely wasn't worth the extra $2.  I would probably try it again with Tofu.  By itself, this soup would be a wonderful lunch choice, especially if you had a piece of homemade bread for dipping.  

One day I will try something new from here.  I'm always leaning towards a curry, but I never remember whether it's the Green (Gang Khiao Wan), Red (Gang Ped Dang), Gang Panang or Yellow (Gang Lhiang) one that I love...I also know that I don't like one of those choices as well!  I get unreasonably upset when I hate my dish, so I am not willing to guess!  I need to go to a Thai restaurant with someone and weasel them into ordering a curry and then ask to sample :)

 

Havana Road Cuban Cafe, Towson

Yucca Fries

Havana Road Cuban Cafe is a charming restaurant in Towson, a place I would love to revisit often.  You can tell someone put a lot of thought into the design of this place.  The colors on the walls are warm, the lighting is dim, and on each table is a Cuban Cigar box full of photographs from Cuba.  What a great touch!

Oh yea, and their food is delicious :)

To start, we ordered some Yucca Fries ($4) and I must tell you that these were AMAZINGGGGGGG!!!!  Soooo soft on the inside, almost gooey in fact, and yet so crispy on the outside.  It's everything you want in fries!  We also tried the Tostones ($4) which were also crispy and perfectly seasoned. 

Carne Con Papas

Carne Con Papas ($14.50) - Cuban Beef Stew served with a side of plantains, rice and black beans (only available Thursday, Friday and Saturday).  This was an EXCELLENT entree, and one that really covers all the bases of everything I wanted to try - meat, beans, rice and plantains :)  The stew was succulent and hearty and the beans and rice were perfect complements - they didn't try to steal the show.  The plantains were a nice added bonus.  This was a hefty portion, you could easily take some home the next day for lunch!

Since the restaurant is a BYOB, they smartly offer virgin Sangria, Mojito and Margarita mixes.  I tried the Sangria mix and it was light and fruity and paired well with my red wine.  You can buy it by the pitcher or glass.  If you're going in a group, I would recommend getting the pitcher :)

Important note: This place is small! I would recommend going with 4 people at the maximum, and to make a reservation because this place can get busy.  The service was a bit dodgy when we went, but I will chalk it up to it being our servers first night, and will say nothing more.

Overall, I loved our time at this restaurant!  The atmosphere was so inviting, and the food is so delicious!  Oh yea, and next time I am going to order the Cuban Hot Chocolate and Churros ($5.50).  I am slightly angry at myself that I didn't save enough room for me to try it!!! :)  I can't wait to come again!

Kathmandu Kitchen, Towson

Lamb Momo

Recently I went to Kathmandu Kitchen in Towson for some Indian/Nepalese food, and I was not disappointed!  Not only is this place a BYOB establishment, but it has fantastic service and just wonderful food.  If you've never tried Nepalese food before - definitely give this place a try!  If you like Indian food - you'll love this too!

For an appetizer, we chose the Lamb Momo ($9.95) - Minced lamb with onion, garlic and Himalayan spices wrapped in dough and steamed. Yes, it’s basically a lamb dumpling and it’s YUMMY.  I didn’t really think it tasted anything different from what you find in an Asian restaurant, but I still loved it all the same and glad we ordered it to try.

Shirmp Biryani

Dan excitedly ordered the Shrimp Biryani ($14.50) – Basmati rice cooked with pieces of shrimp, nuts and Nepalese spices.  The Biryani was AWESOME. Probably the best I’ve tried at a restaurant (not the best in the world, that would be my grandmother’s/mother’s version).  This was spiced really well, and I loved the sweetness that came through with the raisins.  I really can’t say anything bad about this dish – if you are new to Indian/Nepalese cooking and you love rice, this is a great first dish to try!  I would suggest, however, to actually order the Raja Biryani ($14.50) instead, because for the same price you get Chicken AND Shrimp, and I think Lamb as well. 

Khasi Ko Masu

I ordered the Khasi Ko Masu ($13.95) – Goat meat cooked with tomatoes, green onion, cilantro, ginger and garlic, a House Speciality.  This reminded me of Rogan Josh a LOT….so I am curious as to try their version of that.  It was a mild tomato sauce (I asked for it that way), with yummy chunks of goat meat.

Just for fun, our table ordered some Chicken Vindaloo ($12.55) and we asked the waitress to make it “as hot as possible.”  It was actually VERY tasty, but definitely not as hot as they could have made it.  Now I can say that I’ve tried it!

What a lovely dinner I had with great food, good friends and some yummy wine as well!!!!  I would absolutely come back again.  They have a lunch buffet on the weekdays ($7.95) and the weekends ($8.95) that would be fun to come to, but I would definitely come back for a laid back dinner as well.  This place is great, I am so glad we went!!!!

Green Leaf Restaurant, Hunt Valley

Green Leaf, an Asian (including Thai and Japanese specialties) BYOB restaurant in Hunt Valley, was such a nice little place to go to dinner one night.  It's intimate, yet large enough to be comfortable, and full with regulars on a Friday night (always a good sign!) How do I know they were regulars?  Well, judging from their location, in the corner of a shopping center away from the main Town Center, it's not going to capture many visitors to the area, which is a shame.

We ordered 2 appetizers: the steamed shrimp shumai ($4.95) and the crispy wontons ($4.95), filled with crab and cream cheese. Both were yummy, and a pleasant starter to the meal.  I would probably get the shumai again, but that's because I loooooooooooove shumai.

I ordered a salmon avocado roll  ($5.50) and the yellowtail roll ($5.50), which I thoroughly enjoyed. Also pictured is my mango iced tea, which contained real mango pulp, though no taste of tea.  It was lovely and refreshing (and made up for the fact that I didn't know it was BYOB!)

Dan ordered the Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken ($11.95) and though it wasn't as crispy as usual, he still thoroughly enjoyed the sweetness of the sauce.  Besides, we both agreed that less crispy is better than overly crispy.  The portion of rice was a tad too small, but you can order more.

My friend ordered the chicken dish pictured above (I think it was the Japanese Pan Noodles,$14.95, my bad...I completely forgot!!!!)  The nest of noodles was a lovely presentation, but not so delightful to eat, though the actual chicken + veggies were good by themselves. 



Overall, this place is a nice BYOB Asian restaurant in the Hunt Valley area, with plenty of health options (in fact, they have a whole section of their menu devoted to healthy options called Green Leaf Spa Cuisine) and very attentive and friendly staff. However, is it worth it driving from the city to the 'burbs....not really, but if you're in the area, it's definitely worth seeking out. 

House of Kabob, Parkville

For our date night last week, Dan and I went to House of Kabob in Parkville. We both LOVE kabobs, or really just any type of Middle Eastern food, so we were happy to give a new place a try (plus, we had a coupon for a free entrée courtesy of The Entertainment Book!!!)

Our appetizer sampler- what a great deal!

We ordered the appetizer sampler for $6.99 which allowed us to pick 3 appetizers. We choose the hummus, kashk o’ bademjan (dip made of sautéed eggplant mixed with garlic and onion) and stuffed grape leaves. The sampler came with pita bread, and we got a second plate of pita without asking!

The hummus was very creamy and I could definitely taste the garlic and lemon. The kashk o’bademjan was hands down my favorite, Dan’s too. It was such a wonderful dip – you could really taste the roasted flavor of the eggplant. The stuffed grape leaves were not my favorite, I think it is an acquired taste, but I suppose I'm not a fan of the mint and dill combination.

In the forefront is the kabob platter, and the fesenjune is in the middle. Look at that rice!

For dinner I ordered the chicken fesenjan ($10.99) which is described on their website as sautéed chicken tenders and walnuts simmered in a sweet and sour pomegranate sauce. This actually doesn’t really describe it well. The sauce is made of walnuts and pomegranate sauce, which gives it a thick nutty consistency from the blending of both ingredients. The chicken was a bit dry and quite plain, but the sauce was sweet and well made.

$10.99 for this dish is a steal, as it is usually much more expensive at other Iranian restaurants. However, (and I REALLY hate comparing restaurants) I would probably go back to Orchard Market and Café if I craved this dish, though it is more expensive ($16-17). I must say, I was able to make this into 3 meals since there was so much food and after the chicken soaked in the sauce overnight, it was much more flavorful!

Dan ordered the Koobideh (ground beef kabob) and Chicken kabob combination platter for ($12.75). The platter was immense! I’ve never seen so much rice and meat at a kabob place before!! The koobideh was my absolute favorite. It was perfectly spiced and grilled. The chicken was good, but I’m not really a grilled chicken fan – but Dan is, and he loved it.

We were both WAY too stuffed to even consider dessert, but if we had room we both agreed that the Akhbar Mashti ($2.95), or Persian ice cream mixed with fresh cream, saffron and rose water would have been our only choice since that and the Faloodeh (lemon flavored ice with floating sweet noodles- so says the website) are the only options made in-house.

Next time, I think we are both going to stick to kabob platters, especially the Koobideh. YUM! Also, it's a BYOB (with no corkage fee), so that's a great plus as well!

Yamato Sushi, Timonium

We get carry out from Yamato Sushi, so thought I would write a quick note about them.

They are delicious! I love their shrimp tempura, their salmon and avocado and their california roll.

Also, it's nice to note that every time my husband picks up an order, he always comments on how pleasant and friendly all the employees are.

The restaurant itself has plenty of other dishes to try, plus they are a BYOB with no corkage fee.

Thanks, Yamato Sushi, for making delicious meals for me to eat in front of my TV :)

The Orchard Market and Cafe, Towson

Don't be fooled by the name. This place is neither a market nor a cafe, and they don't have an orchard in their backyard. This is a delicious Persian restaurant in a REALLY random strip mall (you know me and my love for random strip mall restaurants).

I've been wanting to go here for so long, and finally decided to when I was in the mood for something ethnic and Chili's wasn't going to cut it :) I am SO glad we came. This really is a gem of a place and I hope that it continues to thrive. First of all, I must mention it is a BYOB and so I brought along that delicious Argentinian Malbec that I blogged about previously. It went great with the food. But, let's start talking about it.

We ordered two appetizers, the Mango Shrimp ($8.95) and the Hummus ($4.95). The mango shrimp was Dan's favorite, and mine was the hummus. I felt that the shrimp, which was made with with onions and vegetables in a mango chutney and garlic sauce, was waaaaaaaaaaaaay too saucy, and almost too sweet. There also wasn't enough shrimp for the sauce, nor enough bread. OK, this sounds like I don't like it...and I admit I wasn't floored- but Dan loved it.

There was a substantial amount of hummus, and I wished there was more bread. I didn't really understand the whole deal with the pickles, but I kept going. Overall it was a very smooth and yummy hummus, with a mint flavor to it which threw me off a little bit. I think, if I had the choice I wouldn't order either of these and order this choice instead: Haleem Bademjune
A dip of eggplant and beans with sour cream, garlic, walnuts and spices. Similar to baba ganoush.
($5.95). Mmmm doesn't that sound yummy?

For the main meal, Dan chose the Mixed Kebobs dish which came with beef tenderloin, ground beef, and chicken breasts ($16.95). Overall, this was very tasty and prepared very well but I think because I can get the same thing at Moby Dick's in Silver Spring for half the price...it underwhelmed me.

Oh dear, this doesn't seem like a positive post, does it? I think this was a really good meal, but not something I would order- so I guess that it's hard to recommend it. If you wanted to try Persian food for the first time-- this is the way to go to be introduced to the flavors in a very safe way. Oh yea, and rice was cooked perfectly!

But here is where I first saw fireworks. The Chicken Fesenjune ($16-17...i forget). AMAZING. AMAZING. YUMMY. DELICIOUSNESS ALL AROUND. Chicken Fesenjune is chicken in a walnut-pomegranate sauce. This sauce is probably the most incredible sauce out of the history of all sauces. There's a perfect balance of tangy and sweet from the pomegranate, while the walnuts gave the sauce good body. The chicken was amazing! It was falling from the bone and every bite in my mouth was heavenly. I really cannot get over this dish.

This is saying a lot because I've had this dish many times, in fact it is my favorite Persian dish-- and this meet my expectations and more. I WHOLE HEARTEDLY recommend this dish to you. Please try it and let me know what you think. It's a classic Persian dish that I think a lot of people wouldn't think twice about ordering. Please think twice!

You'd think that after that culinary delight, my senses wouldn't be able to handle anything else....oh but I HAD to try dessert! When you ask for the dessert menu, they actually bring a tray out with all their desserts, and there were quite a number of choices (mostly cake-like). The napoleon was also on the tray, which was a flaky pastry stuffed with saffron ice cream and topped with candied orange peel.

YUM. I WISH A PLATE OF THIS WOULD DROP IN MY LAP RIGHT NOW AND FALL UPRIGHT WITH A SPOON SO THAT I CAN EAT IT.

The saffron ice cream is subtle but flavorful and pairs incredibly well with the light pastry. The candied orange is a reallly nice touch, and even though it may have been mostly for a garnish-- i still polished it off. But honestly, the ice cream is really where the love was. I pretty much gasped with delight at each bite. Oh yea, and Dan loved it too :O)

Please go there and support this delicious restaurant!!!!

Iggie's, Mt. Vernon

Holy crap. This is it! I have found my favorite pizza place EVER!!!!!!!!! Not only is this the cutest pizza place in the city, but it has the most delicious gourmet style pizza. I am vowing to myself to try every single one on their menu. The pizzas themselves come on thin crust pizza and it's a self serve sort of place, and a BYOB so there is no extra charge with tips etc. It's a very warm atmosphere-- and dogs are allowed!

We tried the Pera Saporita which has gorgonzola cheese and pears and a balsamic reduction (the half eaten one in the picture). Let me tell you something, I don't like the gorgs, but I LOVED this pizza. The gorgs wasn't overwhelming AT ALL and all the 3 ingredients created this wonderful melody in my mouth.
We also ordered a pizza with cheese, basil and tomatos-- YUM. I can't find it on the menu so I don't know what it's called, but you can find it! It's delicious and definitely my favorite of the three that we ordered. The cheese was just the right amount, and I love basil so much so the amount on there made me glow.

The last pizza we ordered was the Quatro Formaggio, 4 cheeses, roasted garlic and sea salt. Boy they did not lie about the garlic. This was a really yummy pizza, but VERY garlicky, so beware if you're on a date!

These pizzas are pretty expensive compared to regular take out. The large pizzas (the best for sharing) cost anywhere from $14-17, so be prepared! They also donate all tips to a different charity every month (this month was Beans and Bread Outreach).

Overall, this is a wonderful neighborhood gourmet pizza joint with heart and soul! I loved it.

Pasta Blitz- Lutherville, Maryland

Well, first of all this place has one thing going for them right off the bat-- it's a BYOB. I love BYOB's because then I don't need to spend a fortune just to have a nice glass of my own wine. The place itself is in a random shopping center that you would probably only know about if you lived around this area....or maybe if you wanted to visit the Jewelry Behemoth otherwise known as Smyth's. I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana for $11.95 and my hubby ordered the Pollo Caprese for $13.45.
The Chicken Parmigiana was really good, the actual chicken that is. The sauce was very plain and reminded me of Prego or something equally nondescript and the spaghetti was not anything I was in the mood for.
The Pollo Capreses which was a chicken breast drenched in a white wine sauce, roma tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese was really yummy. I liked this chicken a lot because it actually had some flavor to it. However, the sauce was more buttery than wine-y, and that's not good!
We then ordered dessert which now, when I think back to it, I probably should not have. They do not make any of their desserts on site, and the one that I chose was apparently flown all the way from Italy. First of all, that is not a happy thing for anyone trying to cut down on their carbon footprint, but it also means that there was intense freezing going on. I ordered the "Profiterole cup" which really tasted like a little cup of vanilla icecream (albeit kinda creamy and delicious) with a chocolate topping and little bits of stale pastry within. Why did I do this to myself? I really just wanted a profiterole. Flaky pastry filled with cream and topped with decadent chocolate sauce mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

No. Dessert here did not deliver.
One thing that was truly delicious? The bread they serve before your food.

I am sad this post is mostly negative, but I will have to say this. If you are in the area and want authentic Italian food, I would probably choose Macaroni Grill over this place, and that is mostly because this restaurant likes to come off as "Authentic Italian" but then loses all that credibility with artwork from Santorini, Greece and Provence; Prego-tasting Marinara sauce; and Italian desserts flown in from Italy.

I'd say skip this, unless you were really into finding an Italian BYOB, then come here and order a pizza or something that you won't be disappointed with.