Mary Ashley makes sure I get plenty of opportunities to eat Asian food. She wears me out on it. Upside is that I know where all of the good spots are 🙂
My kids wear me out on Asian food. I love it, but not EVERY.SINGLE.TIME we get to go out to eat. But, knowing this, I use this to get them to go on errands with me that they’d rather not do. Give and take.
This place I didn’t mind going. It’s new to us, it’s in Birkdale Village..and turns out it is awfully good. Everything we had was delicious and you can bring your dogs with you and sit on the patio. It was a perfect night for it, too.
We started with Dumplings. The waitress advised us to get the pan-fried ones because the steamed dumplings got cold and gummy. She was right. Those little pork filled nuggets were warm, just crispy and perfect when dipped in the sauce. That was a favorite.
We also tried the Spicy Wontons. I thought wontons were like those above, but here they were steamed and very pliant. Even though it wasn’t what we thought, these soft pillows filled with pork and shrimp were incredible and we all agreed (even our seafood hater!) that we’d get them again.
For my dinner, I had the Tom Yum Noodle Bowl. It was so spicy and delicious! Sour broth chock full of homemade noodles, shrimps, bok choy and flavored with lemongrass. If I ever get sick, someone better bring me this soupy goodness. It’s miracle healing level good.
Ty got his standard…ahem… Thai/Ty dish: Pad Thai! He said it was sweet and delicious, with peanuts, chicken and chewy noodles. It came with 2 limes to counter balance the sweetness of the sauce with a little added acid. Perfect!
Mary Ashley got her standard: Sushi. She had two rolls. The first was called Bubba Shrimp roll. It was tempura friend shrimp in the middle, with ebi shrimp on top, covered with shrimp sauce. It was her favorite. She wouldn’t let me try it. Her second roll was a Volcano roll, which was a friend roll with crab and crab salad. She did let me try that, and it was really really good. Especially with the cream cheese inside. Loved!
For dessert we got Bubble Tea! The tea part was delicious, but I’m on the fence about those bubbles. They are gelatinous masses (Tapioca pearls, I’ve heard) that are barely flavored and just make your drink chewy. I don’t get it. Anyway, we got Thai tea flavored and Mary Ashley got Taro. Hers was the best…it tasted like a sugar cookie.
The service here was also impeccable. The place is smallish on the inside, but it was not overflowing with folks when we got there. Lots of windows and high ceilings do a lot for not feeling crowded. We’ve found a new favorite spot.
I love love love Ree Drummond! That sweet disposition, that beautiful smile, that fiery red hair. She’s just a delight. And it doesn’t hurt that she’s a heck of a cook. Anyway, she is my hero, honey.
This post is going to be all of the recipes of hers that I try. You’ll love it.
First up: Simple Sesame Noodles. You’ll love them. We ate ours with teriyaki chicken.
Jia is one of my favorite restaurants in Gastonia. The only problem is it is nearly in Cramerton, so if I’m out shopping on the main drag (read that Franklin Blvd.) then it is kind of a haul. But, lucky me, my sister is in Cramerton, so I usually stop by pretty often 🙂
The restaurant is small and unassuming, but we’ve never had a bad meal here. I’ve worked my way through most of the menu, and some of my favorite dishes include the calamari, spring rolls and hot and sour soup. The calamari is crispy and spiced perfectly. The spring rolls have pork and shrimp and are served with the most delicious sweet chili sauce for dipping. But my favorite appetizer is the Hot and Sour Soup. It is chock full of mushrooms and tofu and comes with crispy fried noodles. Perfect for winter!
Hot and Sour Soup
The sushi at Jia is among the best I’ve ever had. The fish is fresh, and the rolls are innovative. If you will check out the Specials board when you enter, you’ll see some specialty rolls that aren’t on the menu and even some that are with lower prices.
I’ve been hearing about P.F. Chang’s for quite a while.Usually I turn my nose up at chain restaurants. I have been proven wrong. We visited for the first time today after living here over a decade. What was I thinking? All of this time I’ve missed!
The interior is richly appointed with dark woods and a couple of statues of Chinese warriors. The setting is elegant, though when we visited at 3pm, we and most everyone else were dressed casually. I’d dress a little more “nicely” for dinner.
The service here, from management to wait staff was exceptional. Everyone seemed to work together in perfect synchronicity to make the dining experience all it could be. Seriously the best I’ve been treated in a long time!
We were informed that they had a new menu, and they have this “Dinner for Two” deal on the back where you get 2 soups, 1 appetizer to share, 2 entrees and 2 mini desserts. All for $40. It was a deal! It also gave us an excellent sampling of all of the great dishes we’d heard so much about.
Hot and Sour Soup
We selected the Hot and Sour Soup and the Egg Drop Soup. The Hot and Sour Soup was dark and flavorful and properly tangy. The Egg Drop soup was lighter, but had no less flavor. We both agreed it was the best of both soups we’d eaten.
Lettuce Wraps Unassembled
Lettuce Wraps Assembled
For our shared appetizer we chose the lettuce wraps. Don’t miss this! Small dices of water chestnuts, chicken, mushrooms, scallions and seasonings accompany leaves of iceberg lettuce, which you assemble like a taco. Fresh, light, crisp and wonderful!
Kung Pao Scallops
We had Kung Pao Scallops and Mongolian Beef for our entrees, and of course shared. The scallops were my favorite. They were fried, but not over cooked, and then tossed in a hot and sweet sauce with peanuts and chili peppers. It was fabulous. The Mongolian beef was so tender, you cut larger pieces easily with a fork. It was garnished with scallion tops and both were served with steamed white rice.
I wish I could comment on dessert, but they were out of mini desserts, so our server gave us the option to have our soups deducted from the over all price to compensate for it. We were so stuffed, we readily agreed.
I ate there 12 hours ago and I’m ready to go back 🙂
barenakedchefsaidso.com 