Half Price Sushi...Winner!

Nagoya
404 East Route 70

Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

On the final Saturday that my coworkers and I had to work this tax season, a group of us that had been going out to lunches every Saturday decided to end our Saturday lunches with a trip to Nagoya in Cherry Hill for some sushi. I love sushi, so I was extremely happy about this choice. I was also happy because I was going to be eating a roast pork sandwich later that night, so eating something healthy like sushi for lunch always makes me feel better about my choices later in the evening.

The place was empty when we went inside, and it was probably a bad idea to go to lunch with 10 people since we only have and hour for lunch, but we went and I ordered 3 sushi rolls; the volcano roll, the Godzilla roll, and the pepper tuna roll.

All three rolls were fantastic. I always make a mix of wasabi and soy sauce that is about 4 parts wasabi and 1 part soy sauce. It’s more of a paste than a sauce really, but I love horseradish and wasabi, so the more the better! I usually order sushi rolls that are spicy by themselves, and I did this time as well. Two of the rolls had a spicy sauce on top, so the combination of the spicy sauces and the wasabi really kicked it up a notch for me.

The pepper tuna roll had shrimp tempura in it, as well as spicy white tuna, crab, avocado, and pepper tuna on top. The volcano roll contained spicy, crunchy tuna with avocado and spicy sauce on top, and the Godzilla roll had tuna on the inside and rice and it was deep fried with the spicy sauce on top. All three of the rolls were incredibly fresh since they were made to order.

The only complaints that I have about Nagoya is that the service was pretty slow, which normally wouldn’t have bothered me, but since I had to be back at work in an hour it was a bit of an inconvenience. Also the sign in the window says that they offer half price sushi, and maybe I should have asked if that applied to all the rolls, but no one told me and I wound up paying full price for my sushi when I only would have ordered 2 rolls if I had known I was playing full price. That being said, I definitely think that it was some of the best sushi that I have ever had. I would recommend it to anyone that is looking for good sushi, and if you are looking for cheap sushi just make sure that you ask what rolls qualify for half price so you don’t make the same mistake that I did! Cheers!

Best of Philly Reviewed

Blackfish Restaurant

119 Fayette Street

Conshohocken, PA 19428

blackfishrestaurant.com/

The same day that I had my Pho experience, I had dinner reservations with my girlfriend in Conshohocken, PA at a restaurant called Blackfish. This restaurant had a lot of buzz around it because of Philly magazine’s choice to rank it as the number one place to eat right now in Philly. We were both very interested to put it to the test, so we headed there during the Main Line’s restaurant week.

The chef at Blackfish worked at both Le-Bec-Fin and Vetri, two of the best restaurants in the area, so we knew that the food was going to be good. On our walk in we noticed that the restaurant is very beautifully decorated and we took our seats with great anticipation.

You could order an appetizer, entrée, and dessert for 50 dollars, or order off their usual menu, which is set up very similarly to Le-Bec-Fin’s in that they offer 5 and 7 course tasting menus for a pre-set price. We simply ordered off of the restaurant week menu which meant that we ordered 6 total dishes; yellowtail kingfish, shashimi style, with radish, yuzu and orange; smoked salmon with a deep friend egg, potato crisp and microgreens; skate wing with lentils, frisee salad, and cracked mustard jus; chicken poulard with quinoa, white asparagus, and fava beans; and the two dessert courses, a flourless choclate cake with vanilla gelato, and a semi frozen white chocolate with pistachios, whipped ricotta, and preserved lemons.

Both fish dishes were very good. Mine was particularly good because of the taste that was brought by the smokiness of the salmon. The deep fried egg paired way better with the salmon than I thought that it would. The runniness of the yolk paired perfectly with the fish because it allowed me to use the salmon to soak up all of the yolk.

My next dish was the skate wing served over lentils with a cracked mustard jus. It was really fantastic! I had never had skate wing before and was surprised that it tasted a bit like sea scallops, but it was very tasty. The crispy skin on the outside gave a nice texture contrast to the flaky skate wing. The lentils were cooked perfectly as well, but the best part of the dish was the mustard jus. It had so much flavor and it was mustardy and gravy-like in the same instance! It was so amazing!

The dessert that I had was incredibly well done as well. The white chocolate was cold and creamy, and the crushed pistachios on top added a texture contrast as well as a touch of saltiness that was very welcomed.

Blackfish really might be the best place to eat in Philly right now. I have not eaten at enough places to really make my own decision, but I can tell you that I liked the food better there than I did at Le-Bec-Fin, and I promise you I will continue trying new places to find "the best restaurant in Philadelphia". Blackfish is definitely worth a try if you are in the Conshohocken area, so get out there and try it! Cheers!

OPA!!

Lourdas Greek Taverna

50 N. Bryn Mawr Avenue

Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

www.lourdasgreektaverna.com/

I had been having a difficult couple of weeks when I went out to eat because I gave up red meat for Lent, but it was never harder than it was when my girlfriend and I went out to eat at a restaurant in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania for Greek food. Greek restaurants always offer incredible lamb dishes, and it was even more difficult for me when my girlfriend ordered the lamb shank special that they offered on the evening that we went. The lamb shank looked incredibly delicious and my girlfriend said it was melt of the bone tender, but I persevered however and ordered the shrimp lourdas, the signature dish of the restaurant.

The restaurant was decorated in such a way that made it feel like you were dining in a restaurant on the shores of Greece. There were pictures all over the walls of Greece. It was beautifully decorated on the inside. We were very excited to try everything as we enjoyed the wine that we brought with us.

The appetizer that we split was a tasting plate called Pikilia. It included dolmades, which are stuffed grape leaves, tzatziki, which is a creamy cucumber dip, melitzanosalata, which is an eggplant dip similar to babaganoosh, and a Greek caviar spread called taramosalata. Every dip was very good. They served them all with pita bread, and they each paired very well with the dips. The tzatziki was creamy and full of garlic flavor. The melizanosalata was extremely flavorful as well. The eggplant flavor really showed at the forefront and it was the perfect addition to the pieces of warm pita. The most interesting and my favorite dip though was the taramosalata. It had a hummus-like texture but with bolder, saltier flavor.

My main course was simply phenomenal. The shrimp lourdas was sautéed shrimp with scallions, parsley, tomatoes, garlic, and feta cheese served over orzo and a white wine sauce. The shrimp were some of the most perfectly cooked shrimp I have ever had. They were super tender and very large, the perfect combination of sweetness to mesh with the saltiness of the cheese and the white wine sauce. I sopped up every bite of this dish, and I would order it again and again.

For dessert we split an order of baklava and I was very happy with it. The phyllo dough was very crispy, and the filling was super sweet and had just enough flavor to bring the whole dessert together.

Traditional Greek food is really a wonderful treat. When it is done right it really can change they way you feel about certain ingredients and meals. If you are looking for authentic Greek food in a great atmosphere, go try Lourdas in Bryn Mawr and let me know what you think! Cheers!

Good Morning Vietnam!....

Pho Barclay

1409 Rt. 70 East

Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

www.phobarclay.com/

I have always been a huge fan of Asian food, and one dish that I have been longing to try for quite some time is the Vietnamese soup called Pho. I have seen it talked about on tons of Food Network shows, and it has always been described in a way that intrigues me quite a bit. A few weeks ago I got my first opportunity to try the Asian soup at a restaurant called Pho Barclay in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

A lot like Sammy Chon’s Korean restaurant, Pho Barclay is full of Vietnamese diners, which always makes me realize just how authentic the cooking must be. The restaurant offers all types of Vietnamese fare, but the Pho is the only thing that I had on my mind (other than the bon mhi, but that is a post for another time). I ordered the grilled pork pho, and I could not have been happier with my choice.

The pho was very hot to begin with, and the soup held the heat well the entire duration of my meal. I added a few dabs of sriracha to my soup, and I immediately dug in. The soup was fantastic! The broth was full of flavor, the noodles were cooked perfectly, and the scallions and cilantro added a robust, rustic flavor to the dish. My favorite was the sliced jalapenos that I added. They added a nice spicy and crunchy element to the soup.

The real kicker to the whole dish was the pork. Somehow they had grilled the pork so perfectly that it remained crispy even while sitting in the broth. Usually crunchy items have a tendency to become mushy in a broth, but not this pork. I ate the entire huge bowl of soup, and I drank down every last ounce of the delicious broth.

Pho Barclay is really a hidden treasure in Cherry Hill. If you like authentic Asian dining in terms of taste and ambiance, get out there and try this Vietnamese place as soon as you can! Cheers!

Diner Dining at its Finest...

Red Lion Diner

Rt. 70 Circle

Medford, NJ 08055

Growing up in New Jersey taught me a lot about diners considering it is the diner capital of the world. After hockey games on Saturdays and Sundays, my team would eat at any and every diner in the Jersey area. Many people that have not experienced diner dining think that it is just cheap food. Those people are wrong. Diner food is sophisticated and unique and it is truly a wonderful thing to experience.

On a Sunday a few weeks ago, my family and I went to one of our favorite diners, the Red Lion Diner, for Sunday dinner. Back in the days of hockey games and eating at diners almost every weekend, I did not have the food appreciation that I have now. When we went to the diner on Sunday, I looked at the menu with my new perspectives, and I saw some things that I never even would have glanced twice at before. I ordered the Louisiana tuna with sides of potato salad and asparagus with hollandaise sauce.

The tuna was unlike any tuna I have ever had, but in a good way. It was crusted in a homemade bread shavings and potato crust that was mixed with creole mustard. The saltiness and crunch of the crust was a great pairing for the tuna, and the smear of cocktail sauce over top was the final ingredient that rounded out the dish in amazing fashion.

The potato salad was very well done as well. The potatoes were soft and tender, and the mayo and seasonings enhanced their flavor the way a great potato salad should. The asparagus was good as well, but I could have done without the hollandaise. It simply was not as rich as it should have been, and it did not add a whole lot to the flavoring of the asparagus.

The Red Lion Diner has been one of my favorite diners for a very long time. Not many people outside of the Medford area know about, but now that you do, you should get out and try it whenever you can! Cheers!

Tis the Seasons...

Seasons 52

2000 Route 38

Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

http://www.seasons52.com/

A few saturdays ago, my family and I went to a fundraiser at Miles Technologies in Moorestown, and before we went there we went out to eat dinner. I have been to Seasons 52 a few times now, and I really enjoy the way that it is set up and run. For those of you that have not been or heard, the restaurant only offers items on its menu that have less than 475 calories. The menu changes with each season, incorporating seasonal items into each new issue of the menu. I enjoy going out to eat, and when I can do it while remaining healthy, I like it even more.

The flatbreads offered at Seasons 52 are incredible.

We always order two for the table to start out, so we ordered the spicy pork taco flatbread and the garlic chicken flatbread. Both were very delicious. The spiciness of the pork was an incredibly welcome taste in addition to the creaminess of the sauce and the saltiness of the pork. The garlic chicken was savory and tasty and a perfect topping to the crunchy flatbread. My cousin ordered mushrooms stuffed with crabmeat and shrimp as well. I only had one, but they were some of the best mushrooms I have ever had. My issue with mushrooms usually is that they are rubbery and that they create a textural problem for my palette. However these mushrooms were not only cooked and seasoned perfectly, but they had the perfect amount of snap and texture to them.

For my main course I ordered the cedar plank salmon with baby carrots, red bliss potatoes and fresh asparagus. The cedar plank salmon was cooked to perfection, and the roasted flavor of the salmon was scrumptious. The baby carrots and asparagus were clearly very fresh, and they were cooked until they were super tender. The potatoes really were fantastic too. Creamy, rich, and succulent, the potatoes were the perfect side pairing for the broiled salmon. My girlfriend ordered scallops (surprise surprise), which I thought were just okay, but the polenta they were served over was delectable. I am quickly realizing that polenta done the right way is hard to beat.

The desserts at Seasons 52 are perfect because they are served in shot glasses and they offer the perfect amount of sweetness that I am looking for after my savory meal.

I ordered the peanut butter chocolate mousse because I am a sucker for anything reminiscent of Reese’s. It was quite delicious, and it ended my meal in the perfect manner.

Seasons 52 is a great idea in the restaurant world, and they really have a mint on what they are doing. No one does healthy great tasting food the way that they do, and they will continue to flourish for much time to come. Get out and try the one in Cherry Hill, or anywhere else for the matter, and let me know if you feel the same way! Cheers!

Negative for Nunzio's

Nunzio's Ristorante Rustico

706 Haddon Avenue

Collingswood, NJ 08108

www.nunzioristoranterustico.com/

All week long before I went to Nunzio’s in Collingswood, people had been telling me how good it was. Everyone that I talked to said that it was a great meal and that I would love it. A restaurant has to mess up pretty bad to make me unhappy, and that was not the case Nunzio’s, but I was definitely not as satisfied as I thought I would be. The meal as a whole was simply average at best, and for the price that my uncle paid for the meal, I definitely do not think it was worth it, but there were definitely some highlights.

The grilled calamari appetizer was not very good. The calamari had flavor, but it lacked texture and seasoning. My cousin’s tuna carpaccio was phenomenal though. I ordered the dover sole filleted tableside for my main course and I was extremely pleased about that. It was so tender and full of those typical Italian flavors: olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. It paired even better than I could have imagined with the Italian long hot peppers that I ordered as a side dish. They were fried to perfection, and their intense spice went together well with the mild, delectable flavor of the perfectly cooked sole. I also happened to try my cousin’s bronzino and it was good as well, but definitely not as good as La Locanda’s or Tre Famiglia’s.

The one star of the meal for me was the dessert that I ordered. I ordered a chocolate soufflé cake with strawberries and a vanilla gelato on top. The entire dessert was incredibly rich and decadent. The molten chocolate center oozed all over the plate and when it mixed together with the vanilla gelato, a match made in heaven was born.

Nunzio’s was an average meal for way too high of a price. I know that there is better Italian in the area because I have tasted it. Give Nunzio’s a try once if you really want to see for yourself, but you would be better served to go to Tre Famiglia or La Locanda for a cheaper and more delicious and authentic Italian meal. Cheers!

Not Your Traditional Barbeque Joint

Sammy Chon’s K Town Barbeque

404 Rt 70 East          

Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

http://sammychons.com/

I am not much of an expert on Korean food, but I had a phenomenal experience at Sammy Chon’s K Town BBQ a few weeks ago, and I have been back twice since and I have to say that I am now obsessed with Korean food.

The menu at Sammy Chon’s is incredibly diverse, and the atmosphere is fantastic. Everyone that works there is Korean, and the first time that I went with some co-workers for lunch, we were the only non Korean people in the entire place! Usually that is a great sign about the authenticity of the meal you are about to take part in.

Each table is served complimentary sides that are very delicious. Everything from the famous Korean side dish kim chee to pickles in a spicy sauce, black beans in a simple syrup, cabbage in a vinegar soup, and many other options to choose from.

They offer a special sandwich called a Korean hoagie that I wound up ordering. It was a hoagie roll stuffed to capacity with spicy and sweet barbequed pork and fresh vegetables. They served a side of sauce to pour over it that was a cream based sauce with a few spices in it. In addition the owner told me to add the pickles covered in a similar sauce that the kim chee was cooked in to my sandwich.

Everything worked so well together. It was truly one of the best sandwiches I have ever had…period. I would order it again and again, and I am sure that I would never be disappointed.

The authenticity of this restaurant, combined with the service and atmosphere make it an absolute home run. I never would have known about it, but I am so glad that I tried it because it truly is amazing. If you like Korean food, or have always wanted to try it, I would recommend trying Sammy Chon’s whenever you get a chance. I can almost guarantee that you will fall in love with this place the way that I have. Cheers!