Best of Restaurants: Asian

January 16, 2018July 20, 2022 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

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 🙂

Pink Volcano Roll at Joe’s Asian Grill in Mooresville, NC

Crunchy Roll from Jia Asian Fusion in Gastonia, NC

The “Prime Time” Filet and Lobster Roll at The Cowfish in Charlotte, NC

Dumplings & Tom Yum Noodle Bowl at Kung Foo Noodle in Huntersville, NC

Spicy Crab Roll from Sake Sushi

Pad Krapraw & Chu Chee at Thai House in Cornelius

Ginger and Garlic Miso Ramen at Ramen Soul in Mooresville, NC

Chicken Hibachi at Hasaki Grill in Charlotte, NC

Crab Rangoon Roll at Monsoon in Mooresville

Thai Tea at the Thai House in Cornelius, NC

Hot & Sour Soup at Kung Foo Noodle in Huntersville, NC

Sushi Salad at Japan in Denver

Lil Bastard Roll from Pisces Sushi Bar and Lounge-Lake Norman in Mooresville

Bang Bang Shrimp Roll at Sushi O in Raleigh

Veggie Spring Rolls at Barrel and Fork in Cornelius

Kei Krob at Phoenix Thai in Mooresville

Crab Fried Rice from The Goodyear House in Charlotte

Basil Chicken from Rai Lay Thai in Charlotte

Crunchy California Poke Bowl at Be Em Asian in Charlotte

Taro Bubble Tea from Pho NC in Cornelius

Soy-Glazed Spare Ribs from Seoul Food Meat Company in Charlotte

Pork Belly Bun at CO in Charlotte

Chicken with lemongrass (Com Ga Nuong Xa), Com Bo Nuong Xa (Beef Skewers) & Spring Rolls at Lang Van in Charlotte

Orange Chicken from The Cheesecake Factory in Charlotte, NC

Dim Sum from Surin West in Birmingham, Alabama

Crispy Fish from Oishi in Panama City Beach, FL

Huntersville

Kung Foo Noodle in Birkdale Village

October 14, 2017October 14, 2017 Suzanne Strength1 Comment

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.

Charlotte · Restaurants

The Cowfish

November 26, 2014 Suzanne Strength3 Comments

Are you looking for an eclectic cuisine that fuses two well loved foods into one delicious dish? No? Nor was I. I just wanted to try food at a place called Cowfish. So glad we did!

We wanted both burgers and sushi, of course, so we opted to try the mini burgers of the week for our appetizers and each got a fancy sushi roll for lunch.

The Burgers of the Week happened to be blue cheese burgers. Dustin was not a fan of blue cheese, but still managed to down two of them. They were cooked well, and very juicy. I loved them, but they were a little drippy (which all delicious burgers should be.) The Cowfish sauce was tangy sweet mayonnaise and the slaw was divine, even to someone like me who is usually pretty indifferent to slaw.

My sushi roll, The “Prime Time” Filet and Lobster Roll, was one of the best things I’d ever had. And clocking in at $22 for one roll, well it should be. But, I’m telling you, one is all you will need. It is very huge and quite filling. The inside was comprised of buttery lobster and crisp, fresh cucumber matchsticks. Atop this were rare (yet in my case, I asked for medium) strips of filet mignon and strips of smoky slices of portabello mushrooms that were panfried in the juices from the steak, then tossed in truffle oil. This tasted like bacon! Bacon veggies! Brilliant!

Dustin chose the Blackened Tuna Roll. Inside this is delicate lump crabmeat, gently mixed with cream cheese to make a delicious, light salad with a slight crunch from the tempura flakes. Topping this are strips of blackened tuna, a dollop of guacamole and a fresh sliver of jalapeno. Talk about the perfect bite! Everything was fresh and delicious.

For dessert (yes, we did) we shared an order of Apple Pie Wontons. Holy Moly. Homemade apple pie filling encased by a wonton wrapper and flash fried. As if that wasn’t enough, they serve it with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream that is surprisingly light and airy and drizzled with a caramel sauce. You can’t really go wrong with a fried wonton, but this one was so rich, with the crispy wrapper and the apple pie filling was sweet with just enough tart to balance. It was plenty big enough to share.

The restaurant is much bigger than it appears from the outside. We even sat on the patio and it had plenty of heaters out there to keep us warm. Our service was amazing, we lacked nothing during our visit. We will be back soon!

Gastonia · Restaurants

Jia Asian Fusion in Gastonia, NC

January 29, 2014September 16, 2017 Suzanne Strength3 Comments

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!

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.

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