King of Dumplings--Newark (Chinese cuisine)

I've found another place that makes great noodles by hand. Located at 39229 Cedar Blvd. in the Quickly milk tea shop in Newark, I would have never known this place existed if not for a coupon I found online. For a place that specializes in dumplings, I was pleasantly surprised to discover everything else was good too. They also deliver on certain days and offer online ordering. This is not a fancy dining establishment. I would say it's more like home cooking, if my mom made noodles and dumplings from scratch all day.

http://www.kingofdumplings.net/

I've visited King of Dumplings a couple times now and here are some of my favorite things.

This is their Green Chives Pancake, which is a stuffed, savory pancake that is pan-fried and filled with fresh chinese chives and dried shrimp. The outside is nice and crispy and I feel like I'm getting a good serving of veggies eating one of these.

An entertaining part of coming here is watching the noodles get made. Each noodle is hand pulled until it's just the right thickness. It's amazing how uniform the noodles are and they have a great chew. This is the Bean Paste Noodle; one of my favorites. It comes unmixed and you toss it yourself. The sauce is savory and has a slight sweetness. Fresh cucumbers give it a nice crunch and the ground pork gives it a good heartiness.

This is the Beef Shank Noodle. Same noodle, just a slightly sweeter and thinner sauce, served as a cold dish. Also delicious. They also serve some really big bowls of noodle soups. I haven't tried those yet, but they look really comforting.

Of course, one cannot visit the King of Dumplings without getting some dumplings. These are also made from scratch. These are the Shrimp & Chive dumplings. The shrimp had a nice snap which indicated freshness and the skins had a nice chew. Nothing is overly salted or bland and each piece is a perfect mouthful. You can also purchase frozen dumplings to go and boil them yourself at home.

They also have regular, non-carb dishes like the Mapo Tofu. This is made with the silky version of tofu and has a spicy sauce with bits of ground pork. Perfect over some steamed rice.

The Mu Shui Pork was also very tasty. Basically it's scrambled eggs with pork, wood ear mushrooms, and cucumbers. Every bite was a little different but all delicious.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to be a "regular" here since it's close to where I live and look forward to many more wonderful noodle (and non-noodle) dishes in my future.

The Ace of Sandwiches--Palo Alto (Sandwich shop)

I seem to be on a sandwich kick lately and I recently discovered this tiny little family-owned sandwich shop at 3864 El Camino Real in Palo Alto. The place is about as big as my living room, but the service was very friendly and the sandwich making fast and delicious.

All their meats, breads and vegetables are super fresh.They also have quite an extensive selection on their menu with pre-set sandwiches or create your own from over 25 different meats and more than 18 different add ons like artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes. For a small additional charge, you can even get six ounces of meat rather than the standard four, widening your flavor options.

Their web site: http://www.theaceofsandwiches.com/

I ended up getting three sandwiches on this visit. This one was "The Sub" with ham, salami, prosciutto, lettuce, tomato, olives, pickles, dijon mustard, mayo, artichoke hearts, oil & vinegar. I opted to have this on Foccacia bread rather than the soft roll that it normally comes with. Delicious and a nice size. Eating the whole thing would have put me over the edge.

Sandwich number two was "The Ace of Clubs" with low-sodium turkey, honey maple ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, monterey jack cheese, mayo, and yellow mustard on a grilled soft roll. The soft roll was soft on the inside and had a nice crust on the outside. The bacon was nice and crisp too. Delicious.

Sandwich number three was my own creation. I opted to get extra meat. On a soft roll I had cracked pepper turkey, liverwurst, prosciutto, mortadella, mozzarella cheese, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomato, pepperoncini, mayo, lettuce, oil & vinegar. It was fantastic. They should name this sandwich after me (The Chu-wich or The Chu) and have it on a separate "$11 sandwich menu". I think it would be a hit.

Open seven days a week, you can get your sandwich fix any time. And judging from the sampling I had the other day, it will be good.

Chop Bar--Oakland (American cuisine)

After a whole week of being sick and not being able to taste anything, I'm slowly coming back to life. I felt well enough to venture out into the world last night, during a storm no less, to Chop Bar. Located at 247 4th Street in the Jack London Square area of Oakland, this was a teeny tiny place that looked like a garage that was transformed into this fantastic restaurant. No reservations are accepted, so come early or be prepared to wait, as seating is limited.

Their web site: http://www.oaklandchopbar.com/

I started off with a Basil Gimlet. With Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka, fresh basil, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur and lime juice, this was super crisp and refreshing.

I had to try the Charcuterie as a starter. A lightly toasted baguette drizzled with olive oil was centered amongst smoked pork tenderloin with sauerkraut, house-made pate, trotter terrine, house-pickled green beans and carrots and a very nice grain mustard. Everything on this board was fantastic. The pork was super tender and moist, the pickled veggies very crispy and tart, the pate soft and tasty, the terrine was an excellent mix of meat and veggies and it all went very well with the grain mustard. Yum.

As an ox tail lover, I had to have the Ox Tail Poutine. This was a super savory cream sauce topped with fresh french fries, chopped ox tail and Fiscalini cheddar. I think this is my new favorite cheese. It was nice and sharp and went very well with this dish. The ox tail was tender, but the sauce it came with really made this dish. I wished I had some bread or rice to sop up that sauce. Delicious.



I also ordered the Macaroni & Cheese as a side. This came bubbling hot in its own mini iron skillet with that super yummy toasted melted cheese on top and a cheddar, swiss and parmesan cheese sauce. The pasta was perfectly al dente, the cheese sauce was creamy and just sharp enough. So comforting. So good.

My boyfriend ordered the Rainbow Trout. Expertly cooked in butter and served with butternut squash, several varieties of cauliflower and a lemon dressing, this is what I would have ordered had I not ordered the Ox Tail Poutine. The fish was flaky, the veggies were seasoned well and the lemon dressing was light enough to complement everything without overpowering anything. Very nice.

Even though the portions of all the dishes were much larger than I expected, I had to try their Chocolate Bread Pudding for dessert. This was one of the best bread puddings I've had. Not soggy and not dry, this had the perfect balance of liquid to bread ratio. Nice and crusty on the outside with a wonderful drizzle of melted dark chocolate on top and served with fresh whipped cream with toasted hazelnuts and a fresh mint leaf. Absolutely devine.

I will definitely be coming back since their lunch and brunch offerings sound excellent. They also have a pig roast once a month during the warmer seasons. I can't wait till Spring.

Cafe Taxim--Palo Alto (Turkish cuisine)

While walking in downtown Palo Alto, a very colorful picture of a lamb gyro in a window stopped me in my tracks. I looked around, saw a few more pictures of various Turkish items and was drawn in. Located at 423 University Avenue in Palo Alto, this establishment boasts street food from Istanbul. The owner was a very nice lady who welcomed us warmly and answered all my questions with patience.

The format is to order at the counter, get your number, choose a table and proceed to drool from all the colorful pictures of Turkish food on the walls. Water with lemon is available self serve and beverages include Turkish beer and wine. I selected a piece of Pogaca (a mini pie of sorts with feta cheese and parsley encased inside), placed my order and took a seat.

For a look at their menu: http://www.cafetaxim.net

How can I describe the Pogaca? The texture was almost like a mix of a yeast bread and a pastry pie crust; I'm still trying to decide which. A tiny bit sweet with the tangy feta cheese inside and the nutty, toasted black sesame seeds on top, I immediately wanted more.

For my lunch, I selected the Iskender. This was a plate of marinated lamb and beef topped with a grilled piece of tomato and bell pepper. Bread cubes (homemade bread) are underneath soaking up the tomato sauce and served with a pyramid of perfectly cooked and tasty rice pilaf as well as a fantastic! homemade yogurt. The meat was tender and flavorful, the tomato sauce tasted homemade and I think I will be asking if I can buy a pint of that yogurt next time. It was so thick, rich, creamy and not too tangy. So good!

My boyfriend ordered the Lamb & Beef Gyro Plate. This was also with marinated lamb and beef, homemade bread, rice pilaf and a super fresh and lightly dressed salad. Very tasty.

Of course, I had to try the Baklava. Sometimes Baklava is a bit too sweet for me but this one was not. Wonderfully flaky, nutty and delicious.

Cafe Taxim was a great find and I look forward to returning to try their other offerings.

Veracruz Style Fish with Seasoned Brown Rice (Recipe)

After being back from Mexico for a few months, I've been thinking about this dish I had there and have been experimenting at home to try and recreate it. I think I've come pretty close, although I added my own little touches. Here's what I did:

I started out making the rice. I took 1 cup of brown rice and put it into a medium pot. I then took slightly less than 2 cups of water, added 2 tbsp. tomato paste, 1 tbsp. chipotle peppers from a jar, 1 tbsp. of butter and a pinch of salt and heated it for 2 minutes in the microwave to melt everything together. I added the liquid to the pot of rice and cooked it, covered, on low heat for 40 minutes.

While the rice was cooking, I took two 4-ounce tilapia fillets, patted them dry with a paper towel, sprinkled salt and pepper on both sides and pan fried them in a bit of olive oil for about 3 minutes, uncovered, on each side over medium heat. I then set that aside.

Then, I took the white part of 1 leek, cut it lengthwise and then into about half-inch pieces (half a regular onion can be used as well) and set that aside. I then roughly chopped 3 roma tomatoes and 1/4 cup of green olives, reserving about 2 tbsp. of the olive brine. I also cut into a small dice 1 small chili pepper (not sure of the variety since it was grown in my mom's garden). I then heated about 2 tbsp. olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat, added about 1/2 tsp. minced garlic and then added the leeks and sauteed them for about 3 minutes until tender.

Then I added the tomatoes, pepper, olives, olive brine, 2 tbsp. good tequila, 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice, 1 tsp. tomato paste, 1 tsp. dijon mustard, and 1 tsp. of the chipotle pepper juice and let it cook on high, stirring frequently, until the liquid reduced by half (about 3 minutes). After which, I turned the heat off, added salt to taste and a pat of butter to finish it off. Once the rice was done, I plated the rice and fish and topped both with the chunky sauce. Healthy, delicious and reminds me of Mexico.

Chow--San Francisco (healthy, high-quality, affordable comfort food)

Chow has been on my list of places to try for a long time now, and I finally got the chance. With four locations, I ended up in San Francisco at their 215 Church Street location. It was a small space that was bustling with chatter on a Saturday night. But after walking through the heavy curtains from the front door, I felt I had walked through the wardrobe into just the place I wanted to be. Even though it was busy, we were seated in about five minutes. The waitstaff was cordial and efficient and the food was more than I could have hoped for.

Their web site: http://www.chowfoodbar.com/church_menu.html

I started out with their Baked Goat Cheese with Walnut Toasts. This came out in a little ramekin of oozy goodness, topped with fresh, ripe cherry tomatoes and olive oil with a side of olives. The walnut toasts were perfectly crunchy, nutty and warm and did an excellent job of holding up to huge dollops of the goat cheese.

My friend's entree was the Lamb Burger. This came with a thick portion of their yogurt sauce with cucumber and mint and was served on a toasty bun and a fresh green salad. Very tasty.

My entree, however, was the highlight of my entire night. It was their Wood-Oven Fall Lasagna with squash and mushrooms. This came out looking a bit thrown together, but this was probably the best lasagna I've ever tasted. The pasta was al dente, the squash (butternut, I believe) and the mushrooms were fresh. But the sauce it came with was the most delicious sauce I would never imagine to be put on a lasagna. It was a very soupy and lightly creamy sauce that had some really savory aspects and also some buttery-ness and had a hint of brown sugar. I was trying my best to soak every piece of bread I could find into that sauce. Well done, Chow. Well done.

After licking my lasagna plate clean, I was too full for dessert. All of Chow's desserts are made from scratch in their Danville location, so I believe another visit is in my future.

Fist of Flour--various locations (Pizza gourmet food truck)

Fist of Flour was outside of Drake's Brewery (1933 Davis St., San Leandro) this past Saturday. Pizza and Beer. How can one go wrong? I have to give respect to a person who builds a wood-burning pizza oven in his own backyard. For step by step pictures of that building process, here is the link: http://www.wheresthefist.com/gallery/

To sign up for Fist of Flour's newsletter to get updates on their locations, visit their web site: http://www.fistofflour.com/

While at Drakes, I enjoyed a tasting of some of Drake's finest. Denogginizer, Drakonic Imperial Stout, Dry Stout, EXXpedition Ale and Jolly Roger Ale. They were all refreshing and tasty, as usual.

I also enjoyed two of Fist of Flour's choices that day. One was their Meat Pizza with sausage, mozzarella, mushrooms, fresh basil and garlic. Hot out of the oven, it was crusty and had a nice combo of toppings.

The other was their Veggie Pizza with potato, arugula, pesto, mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes. Also quite tasty. All the ingredients tasted fresh, had a nice balance and had that wonderful fresh-out-the-wood-burning-oven aroma.

I'm hoping maybe one day I can have a homemade wood-burning pizza oven in my backyard. But until then, I will enjoy Fist of Flour whenever I can.

Outerlands--San Francisco (Cozy, inventive comfort food)

When I saw this place on Check Please Bay Area, I had to try it and I knew I would like it. Located at 4001 Judah Street in S.F., this looked like the type of place one could go to for any occasion, even just a solo lunch by the beach. When I also heard the husband and wife owners make their own butter to go along with their homemade levain bread, I was sold. Being someone who enjoys baking bread and making little condiments as well, I can appreciate the time and effort it takes to provide these wonderful items to the masses.

For a look at their simple but also rustic and modern looking web site, visit: http://outerlandssf.com/

Nestled in a mostly residential area in the Sunset district, this place looked a bit out of place with its unfinished wood-plank walls and rustic appeal. Parking is not plentiful, but keep your eyes peeled for anyone leaving the beach area after surfing. This place does not take reservations, so be prepared to wait. They do try to make it a comfortable wait though with a cute outdoor waiting area with split logs around the trees and wooden seats on the sidewalk. You can also open a tab and get a couple drinks while you wait. The drinks are a bit light on the alcohol though, so this is not a place to get hammered. The emphasis is on the food and the high-quality, local, seasonal ingredients used for all their offerings.

I arrived at about 7pm on Saturday, so I ended up waiting for one hour. It was worth it though. I started off with one of their seasonal cocktails. Not sure what it was called, but it came in a cute little mason-type jar and had Rum, Armagnac, all spice dram, lime and nutmeg. The nutmeg was an interesting touch and it worked.

Of course, I had to order the Bread & Butter. I think the wait staff expect everyone to order this as well since our waitress finished writing it down before I even said the words. This was a lightly toasted, very thick, hearty bread that had a hefty crust and a nice toasty-ness to it. The homemade butter was soft, warm and sprinkled with a bit of flaky sea salt. Wonderfully comforting.

Next was the Little Gems Salad with turnips, fried pain de mie, fines herb, egg, and grain mustard dressing. The egg was medium boiled, which I prefer, the lettuce was fresh and crisp, and the turnips tasted a bit pickled. It also had just enough dressing. Very nice.

My entree was the Red Trout with Thompson grapes, sprouted nuts and seeds, preserved lemon, sunchoke puree and pomegranate. The combination of grapes and fish was new to me but this dish was so well-balanced, I was amazed at every bite. The different tastes and textures with the sweet grapes and crunchy, salty nuts and seeds, the tart pomegranate and the green garnish kept my palate interested with every bite. The fish was also well prepared and perfectly flaky. Fantastic.

My boyfriend's entree was the Birkshire Pork Belly. Super tender, moist and succulent pork belly was served with braised Savoy cabbage, maitake, pickled negi onion, huckleberries and Banyuls. This was also a very well-balanced dish.

It's interesting how they combine meat with vegetables and fruit to make a different twist on comfort food. Nothing was heavy or full of carbs, but everything was just really good and made you feel good.

The food portions were not enormous so I had just enough room for dessert. We shared the Coffee Creme Brulee with dark chocolate on the bottom, and a really flaky, melt-in-your-mouth passion fruit brown butter wafer. The custard was very light, creamy and smooth with a wonderful aroma of coffee. One of my favorite aspects of a good dessert is not being too sweet and this one came through for me in that regard as well as, again, having a wonderful balance of different flavors and textures.

I also had to try their homemade Apple Cider with bourbon (bourbon optional). This was another nice accompaniment to a very memorable meal.

Farmer Brown--San Francisco (Soul Food)

A couple friends and I visited Farmer Brown this weekend and we were not disappointed with the food. I love good fried chicken and I was hoping they would deliver....they did. Located 200 feet from the Powell Street BART station at 25 Mason Street in S.F., this place was easy to get to.

I would recommend making reservations since this place gets pretty packed during peak dinner time and seating can be limited, even though the space was larger than I thought it would be. Service was friendly and you can watch the game at the bar or view mute repeats of "In Living Color" in the dining area with up beat music in the background.

For more info, here is their web site: http://www.farmerbrownsf.com/

They start you off with a carafe of water infused with fresh slices of cucumber and a plate of tiny corn muffins. These little gems were fantastic. Light and fluffy with a hint of jalapeno, my appetite was whetted. These were also domed around a dollop of sweet butter, so it was nice and warm when you were ready to spread it on each little muffin. Very nice.

I started with their Pork Belly Confit & Apple Salad. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the pork belly was moist and tender, the apples were crisp, and the lettuce was fresh with a light coating of lemon-shallot cider vinaigrette. Delicious.

I got the Southern Fried Chicken with one piece of dark meat and one piece of light meat with ham hock greens and mac & cheese. That fried chicken was cooked just the way I like it. CRISPY on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. Finger-lickin' good. The greens were not cooked until mushy; it was still a bit crunchy with the subtle flavor of the ham hock.

The Mac & Cheese came in a small skillet and had a crusted topping of cheddar cheese. A nice side.

My friend got the Grilled County Pork Chop with Radicchio and mashed potatoes. She was nice enough to let me taste it and the pork was so tender and juicy. This was what I would have ordered if I hadn't ordered the fried chicken.





My other friend's Blackened Shrimp and Grits were also tasty. The shrimps were fresh and dusted with cajun seasonings and the grits were very moist and not gritty at all. Very well done.

Of course, we couldn't end the night without dessert. And of the three choices, we got all three.

Red Velvet Cake: This is probably the best red velvet anything I've had. The cake part was so moist and spongy and the frosting was fairly light considering it was a cream cheese frosting. It wasn't too sweet and it was just divine.

Pecan Pie: I am not normally a pecan pie fan. Period. I find them too sickeningly sweet and with no real flavor. This Pecan Pie, however, had a very aromatic toasted pecan flavor with a filling that wasn't overpoweringly sweet but held everything together. The flaky crust and vanilla ice cream all went exceptionally well together. I'm a convert now; as long as pecan pies are like this.



Sweet Potato Pie: I'm also not a huge sweet potato pie fan. This one was also not too sweet with a flaky crust. Sweet potato is something that is very bland and you can turn it into whatever you want. Farmer Brown turned it into a delectable dessert that can please even the most finicky palate.

The next time you feel like going to the city for dinner and feel like some good down home soul food, come to Farmer Brown. Forget about the car and worrying about parking; take BART and enjoy a nice evening with music and good food.

Oven-baked Pulled Pork (Recipe)

After experimenting several times with pulled pork, I've finally found a formula that works perfectly and I would like to share. In my opinion, the seasonings used isn't that important since you can always use whatever sauces you want after the pork is cooked to flavor it in any way you want. I also think the more plain it is after cooking, the more variety you'll have when serving later and the most important part is that it's tender and succulent. But I digress. Here's what I did.

I used a 6.67 lb. pork butt, and did not do any extra trimming of the fat. I started off making a brine. In a one-gallon zip lock baggie, I mixed 4 cups of water, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp. garlic powder, 2 tbsp. onion powder, 2 tbsp. chili flakes, 2 tbsp. ground cumin, 2 tbsp. ground coriander and mixed until the salt and sugar dissolved. I then carefully put the whole butt in the bag, squeezed out as much air as possible and sealed it. I then placed that baggie into another one-gallon zip lock baggie and sealed that as well for extra leak-proof assurance. Then I left the whole thing in the fridge for 24 hours; turning once to make sure the whole butt got properly brined.

After 24 hours, I removed the butt from the brine, patted it dry with paper towels and placed it into a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish lined with foil. Then I made the rub. In a medium bowl, I mixed together 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 2 tbsp. ground cumin, 2 tbsp. ground coriander, 2 tbsp. garlic powder, 2 tbsp. onion powder, 2 tbsp. paprika, 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp. salt and 1 tbsp. fresh ground pepper.

I poured half the rub on one side of the butt and massaged it in, turned it over, poured the other half of the rub on the other side and massaged it in. I preheated the oven to 225 degrees and made sure the fat layer was facing up in the casserole dish. Using this formula: 1.5 hours for every 1 pound of butt, I then placed the butt in the 225 degree oven and let it slowly cook for 10 hours, plus an extra 45 minutes just for good measure. When I took the butt out of the oven, my meat thermometer read 180 degrees from the thickest part of the butt. I think anything between 180 and 200 degrees make for good pulled pork.

After letting it rest for 30 minutes, I tore into that piece of meat. It was so juicy and so easy to shred with two large forks. Here were some of the dishes I made with it.


The butt out of the oven and resting.



Pulled pork slider with extra sharp cheddar cheese, sweet pickles and topped with bbq sauce.



Lavosh pizza with pulled pork, bbq sauce, cheddar cheese, salami and sweet pickles. Pickles were added after the pizza was baked.



Pulled pork taco with salsa verde on a corn tortilla.


I think I did pretty well with the variety of dishes. Especially since it was just my boyfriend and I eating this all week. Although next time I have a party, I will know what to make.

Mua--Oakland (American, with other influences, cuisine)

I've already been to Mua Bar & Restaurant twice in one month. It has such a fun and eccentric atmosphere. First, the place is huge; able to seat 500 guests. The space used to be an auto body shop and it took several years to convert it into it's current restaurant. There are many types of local artwork hung up all over the walls, including some very artful nude photography. The decor is all over the place in terms of style with a deer head in one spot and a punching bag in another. Definitely a place to come hang out with open-minded people who also appreciate amazing food.

Web site: http://www.muaoakland.com/

The name has Bar & Restaurant after it and I would put an emphasis on "Bar". There are two bars; one downstairs and one upstairs. Both are fully stocked with a wide variety of high-end locally distilled and other spirits, including my favorite, Hangar One Vodkas. They also have an awe-inspiring selection of bourbons and whiskeys, which I'm also acquiring a taste for. Over my two visits, here's what I enjoyed.

Ginger Julep (left): Bulleit bourbon, mint, ginger puree, lime, ginger beer. Tangy and sweet with the wonderful aroma and taste of mint. Their drinks are deceiving in that they come in a small glass, they taste amazing so you don't think there's much alcohol in there, but they pack quite a punch.

Billy Jean (right): Hennessy, St. Germain, lemon, sparkling wine. It's amazing how they can mix things that don't seem as though would go together, but it all works. This was very refreshing; like a grown up lemonade.

Lamb cheeks: Braised until falling apart tender and topped with tender parsnips. The sauce tasted like a very nice reduction of red wine, balsamic, sugar and other ingredients that I couldn't figure out. Very nice.

Beef Bone Marrow: Topped with garlic and herbs and served with thin, toasted slices of a very nutty, hearty bread. This was a very generous portion of marrow. Each cavernous bone was filled with the soft, creamy marrow that went excellent with the herbs and garlic. Probably an acquired taste for some, but if you want to try it, Mua is a good place to do that.

Vegetable Ragout: couscous, kale pesto, (wild rice, green lentil, kale, carrot, yellow squash, shiitake mushroom, vegetable broth). If I was a vegetarian, I would come to this restaurant a lot because their vegetarian dishes are phenomenal. Even though I am not a vegetarian, I'm more than happy to order their vegetarian dishes for this same reason. This dish was so savory, it was hard to belief there was no meat of any kind in it. Fantastic textures, everything was fresh and full of flavor.

Blackened Catfish: Served with dirty rice and aioli. I don't know what they put in their dirty rice, but I could've eaten that by itself. They must have had all kinds of little pieces of innards and broth cooked in that rice; it was so full of flavor, while also not overwhelming the taste of the fish. The fish was also expertly prepared. Cooked until just done, it was flaky and encrusted with spices that enticed me to eat the whole thing. Even though it was blackened, it had no burned taste, just a nice char flavor.

Tagine: Moroccan braised lamb shank cooked till falling off the bone and served with vegetables and couscous. This was the star of the show. It was so delicate, I have no idea how they got it out of the pot and onto a plate. I've had excellent lamb before, and this one is up there with some of the best lamb I've eaten. So tender, so moist, so succulent, so wonderful.

I was too stuffed to try dessert, but all the more reason to have to come back again. If you're in the mood for an excellent meal and you want to have the option to choose from what seems like over 12 different bourbons, brave the potential parking headache and visit Mua.