CHOSUN KOREAN BARBECUE

Recently being back from LA and having explored the food scene, in a true Food Blogger style, Korean Barbecue was high on our minds. My husband had found about this joint in KC which was really well known for their Korean Barbecue. Mind you, we were still under a food coma of Koreatown in LA so the stakes of comparison were a bit high.

We were accompanied by our friends. So it was 4 adults and two toddlers who were dinning that night.

Chosun Korean Barbecue is located in Overland Park . The exterior is so dimly lit that you could even think that the place is closed for business. We had to step in to find out whether they were open or not. First Red Flag.

I wanted to taste some Korean Beer. But our server seemed absolutely blank when I asked him about beer options. He kept repeating the options, which I can probably pick up on a Friday evening, from my local Walmart.

Last of all, my husband asked him if he had anything special in Beers. I am very patient with people who might find it difficult to understand English, so we worded the question differently. The server came back with two Japanese Beers  for me and Hubs. I didn't want to argue any further.

We started off with the BibimBap. Its a bed of steamed rice, topped with a variety of fresh seasoned vegetables, beef and topped with a panfried egg. I had requested the server that I need to photograph the food, before he serves it, as I am a Food Blogger . I explained further that its my job to write about Food. Probably he didn't take me seriously or didnt understand. My husband explained in clear terms that he needs to wait for us to tell him when to serve the food. Despite all the ardent requests, he was in such a mad rush to serve up the BibimBap. Hence no picture of it. Coming to taste, it wasn't out of the world.

It was already Three Red Flags.

For our Main Course, we opted for Combo 2 of  Korean Barbecue: Large Beef Rib Eye, Beef Ribs, Bulgogi. Pork Belly and Pork Shoulder. It serves 3- 4 people according to their Menu. Korean Barbecue involves table side cooking. So every table has a pit in the table, fitted with a grill. yes, you got to be very careful with toddlers. The waiter brings in your share of tenderized and marinated cuts of meat, which are then cooked and rested in front of you, by the server. Somehow our server was not very keen at all, on having us cook our own food. We have done that in the past in many different eateries across the mainland. Interactive barbecue. So we didn't bother arguing any more with him. 

Salad and Banchan(Korean Side dishes) are complimentary with Barbecue. The Kimchi and the fluffy egg were quite good to nibble on, as we waited for the first of our meat to be grilled.

The Rib Eye was grilled last and it rounded off the meal well. It was a meat overload in a good sort of way. The meat were seasoned well, and grilled to perfection. And the portion size was good enough for 4 adults.

By this time, our bellies were full, but we weren't too happy with our server. The restaurant was almost empty  and they were in a rush to see us off ,we felt. The Manager Kevin Wong, proabably sensed something was wrong. He came up to out table to talk to us and introduced us to the owner Carrie. They were very proud and insistent that they serve only USDA Prime. Now that's where I need to differ. I know my meat well. While I am not arguing that the meat was good, but no way was that Rib Eye USDA Prime as they kept on stressing. Carrie and Kevin are good hosts, but their servers need to be more attentive and receptive . Service needs to improve.

Will I be going back? Yes, I will, at least once, To check whether this time around the service is better for me to enjoy my Beer and Barbecue on a Friday night. 

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GAROZZO'S RISTORANTE: KANSAS CITY RESTAURANT WEEK

Kansas City Restaurant Week is currently on. It started off from January 16 and shall continue upto January 24th. A great celebration of local food, for every foodie worth her/his salt. We like to take our picks every year and try out a few joints. Sometimes, we will be repeating our favorites and sometimes, trying out something new. Last year, we had been to Garozzo's for lunch during the Martin Luther King long weekend. We had been to their College Boulevard location, among their three locations in town. It was a reasonably warm Winter afternoon, and we were looking for some food to warm our souls. I checked out the KCRW Menu for Garozzo's this year and saw that they have exactly the same menu for lunch. So if you are planning to sample their KCRW Lunch in the next few days, it could give you a foodie insight. Garozzo's is a family owned Italian restaurant which enjoys a high Zagat rating and has won multiple awards over the years.

We started off with the customary warm bread and butter. The KCRW lunch menu is priced at $15 and the dinner menu is priced at $33 for three course, excluding any alcohol or other drinks.

We started off with Canneloni, which is a Pasta Crepe, filled with Chicken, Beef and Veal. Served in a tomato cream sauce. If the menu had not read, three different kinds of meat, I would have probably not understood that. No, my tastebuds aren't that immune to flavor subtleties, its only that the canneloni was too doughy for my taste.

We ordered Baked Ravioli with Meat for my daughter, from their Children's Menu. It came with some house made marinara. She was more interested in the sauce than the pasta itself.

I opted for the Linguini Alla Fruiti di Mare. I love my seafood. It was linguini served with clams, shrimps, scallops, tomatoes and mushrooms in a light bechamel sauce. I really enjoyed it but the portion size for a bit too large. Seafood pasta loses its charm if it starts getting cold. The seafood flavors were beautfully paired with the bechamel sauce.

Our daughter's Children's Menu meal came with a serving of the famous Spumoni Icecream, which wa sbasically cherry flavored ce cream, mixed with fruits and almonds, surrounded by chocolate and pistachio ice cream. The Children's Menu is not a part of the KCRW special fare. Three different ice cream flavors, churned into a single dessert. It was also one of the dessert options in the three course Lunch Menu we had opted for. I had a bite from my daughter and was pretty darn impressed.

For his main course, my Husband had opted for the Vitello Parmigiano. It was Milk fed-Veal breaded and sauteed in Maggie's Sugo with melted Fontina cheese and served with Pasta. It was a handsome serving, I must say. I am not much of a fan of breaded meat for lunch,but the meat was juicy and tender.

We ended our Three Course KCRW meal with a serving of Cannolis. This was the Cannoli to blow your socks off. I loved how luscious the secret filling was, yet not too sweet and clawing. A few nibbles of Cherries added just the right touch of acidity.

My husband opted for the Limoncello Torte, which was layered with mascarpone cheese and white chocolate shavings. Simple inrgedients but such a complex flavor profile. My favorites of teh three course KCRW Lunch at Graozzos had to be the desserts.

The portion sizes of every course was quite impressive, and I had to box up my main course for my left overs. The first course was the least impressive of all, with it being so doughy. As they have the same menu for KCRW this year, I am probably going to be checking out a few other places. But I do want to sample their famous Stuffed Artichoke for dinner someday. 

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CHAR BAR, KC : EATING OUT

Weeknights and eating out are fairly common for us, like most other suburban families. Be it exploring a new joint downtown, or going ahead to the neighborhood favorites, we make sure we are sampling something from someone else's kitchen. Its nice to sit back, relax and have someone cook for us and even serve you at the table. And don't worry about dishes and cleaning up the table. Last week I was attending the launch of THE BLOG GUILD downtown, and the Man and our daughter were spending some quality time, while running errands. So we decided to head out to dinner after all our individual plans for the evening had concluded.

The man had been talking of going over to CHAR BAR and this seems the perfect opportunity as we were almost in the neighborhood. So Thursday became a barbecue dinner night for us.

The large parking lot was indeed a blessing as most places downtown have a huge struggle with that. you often have to park at a nearby lot and walk up to the restaurant of your choice.But CHAR BAR had a personal, and fairly large parking lot of their own. Which meant we had to walk less.

The decor was like a typical gastro pub but I loved the brick walls all round. Gave it an old school rustic charm I felt. It was pretty spacious, with outdoor seating and even some option of some outdoor games to keep you busy while you wait for your food. Or if you just want to indulge in a game bout with your buddies while chugging on some local brews. Smoked Meats and Amusements, as their website claims.

When it comes to menus, the first thing we look for, are the options for kids. We opted for SMOKED MAC CHICKEN NUGGETS for our daughter. Rather than being nuggets, there were more more big chunks of country fried, smoked chicken pieces. It came with a flight of sauces or dips to dunk your chicken in: Buffalo Mayo, Spicy BBQ, Buttermilk Chive and Carolina Gold.

 The Crust had a good crunch to it and the smokiness are all prevalent. Maybe a bit too strong  for kids. But for a typical Barbecue loving toddler Kansan, it was right up the alley. The picky eater was surely digging in. Bon Appetit, Mommy said in her mind  !!

We started off with LOBSTER DEVILED EGGS. If deviled eggs were not decadent enough, then you add lobsters to it. I felt the presentation as way too sloppy. It looked like a thirteen year old, was having a first go at making deviled eggs, in terms of presentation. They would have looked better if the boiled egg yolks had been piped in, using a curly or star piping tip. Would have looked more professional. And the sauce was hastily smeared below. It looked very sloppy and unprofessional. But taste wise, they were pretty decent. The pea shoots added a nice crunch.

I had been sipping on some wine, at THE BLOG GUILD LAUNCH, so I opted for a beer to pair with my eats. ODELL'S MYRCENARY  DOUBLE IPA. The man was driving so stuck to his iced water. And boy did the Beer pack a punch. It was not your regular lighter beer which you can chug all night long, without even realizing anything This was strong and had a few layers of taste , when it hit your tongue. I am surely gonna be looking for this beer whenever I eat out next.

For our main course, we opted for the BBQ TRAYS with a choice of three meats. They came with a side of pickles and Texas Toast, a choice of sides. We decided on CRISPY JO- JO POTATOES for our side, which came in a nice mug. the LO made a dash for the mug the moment it arrived at our table. For our meats, it was BLACK ANGUS BRISKET , PULLED PORK BUTT and HAND CRANKED SAUSAGES . 

As Kansas City is the city of Barbecue, you always tend to compare the fare with the other local favorites. The brisket was the best of the three and had a nice smoke ring on it. The Pulled Pork was a tad bit dry and the sausage was  just about so so. Had we just opted for the Brisket, it would have been a smarter choice on our part.

The service was great and our server kept checking in on us, without being intrusive. I had a mind to try  my hand at the outdoor amusements in the backyard, but it was already getting late on a weeknight. Maybe next time. Want to check out their brunch fare, maybe on a cool crisp Fall Morning. Cant believe how short this Summer is turning out to be.

CHAR BAR
Website: http://charbarkc.com
Address: 
4050 Pensylvania Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64111

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post and the dinner was paid for us in full. The opinions expressed are those of mine. 

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RYE, KC : EATING OUT

If you're a foodie in Kansas City, then you should make a stop at RYE, in Leawood, Kansas. And the next stop should be BLUE STEM, in KCMO. Both these restaurants are owned by Megan and Colby Garrelts. Not to forget that the Colbys have James Beard wins and other laurels , snug in their kitty. They celebrate Midwestern food in their signature style. Jazzed up comfort food, with a hint of Farm to Table thrown in the mix.

We decided to dine in RYE for my birthday last year. It was a typical cold Midwestern evening, and we wanted some comfort food, which was also special and suited the occasion.

While the BLUE STEM spells out, fine dining in every way, RYE is more casual, in both its decor, approach and menu. As we had a toddler in tow, we gave up the lure of settling down on the bar stools, and opted for a comfy table in the dinning room. Recycling vintage wine bottles for water was such a great idea. I am surely gonna try this at home, sometime soon.

As it was a special night, it had to be spirited. We decided to skip the traditional choices and asked our server to surprise us. She had a quick chat with us, regarding our favorite flavor profiles and alcohol choices and then came up with her suggestions.

The Man opted for COFFEE AND CIGARETTES and I opted for PIM'S PUNCH. Mine was nice and fresh and fruity but it was the man's cocktail which blew our socks away and got the party started. It was complex, yet smooth, smoky and everything nice. We had to drive, so we didn't dare order for a second round. But I am surely going back to RYE, in a cab, to try out a few rounds of COFFEE AND CIGARETTES. Our best regards to the bartender .

Whenever we dine out, its always great to know, where is our food coming from. In a true Farm To Table strain, RYE gives due recognition to all the farms who were catering to the kitchen and to our table. Did I mention, that my favorite farm, GREEN DIRT FARM, was  also on the list .

We started off our daughter with some MINI SLIDERS AND FRIES. But she was more interested in our choice of Appetizer.

We decided to get the party rolling with the RYE BUTCHER BOARD. That was literally the Midwest, served on a plate for us. The choicest selection of cured meats, with a generous helping of pickles, spicy and coarse grain mustard  and not to forget the crostini. It was literally meat heaven. And did I mention, that Food Coma had already started to creep up its head.

But wait, the main course,was yet to arrive. We had opted for two different entries, rather than opting to share. What were we thinking?

The man opted for SMOKED PORK SPARE RIBS which came with a choice of sides and pickles. He went ahead to order a LOADED POTATO with it. Yes, with the extra sharp Cheddar Cheese, fried Bacon and scallions. Coming back to the Spare Ribs, they fell of the bone, at the slightest tough, yet had a great texture, when you took a bite. Not overtly sweet or clawing in any way.

I decided to go with SHRIMP AND GRITS(WITH PULLED PORK). The reason why I mention the Pork in a bracket, is that I had forgotten to read about that in the menu. While I thought, I am better off, ordering simple small plate, what came to me, was the Chef's version of a SURF ' N ' TURF. But the foodie in me was not complaining in any way. The Grits stole the show for me, in the first place. Sometimes, its the easiest of things,which are the most difficult to cook with, or infuse flavor into. Grits is a case in point. If you are not an expert, you will land up with a  rubbery gloopy mess on your plate. The grits melted in my mouth and I knew the rest had to be good. The BARBECUE SHRIMP did have a Southern flair to it but the Pulled PORK screamed Midwest in all its glory. It all went down together pretty well. Now thats's how Birthday dinners should be.

We were pretty full by this time, and would have had trouble, getting off our seats, with our super full tummies. But there had to be dessert. Twinkling candles and decadent desserts complete the birthday party for sure.

PEACH COBBLER with SUMMER ICECREAM  for Mommy and Daddy and an order of CHEF MEG'S SPECIAL COOKIES for our darling daughter. We had heard that Chef Megan uses pure lard in her Pies and Crumbles and Cobblers, and when we took our first bite, we knew we had heard right.

Every course was thoughtfully crafted and beautifully presented. The portion sizes were quite generous. And it was great to see that the Chefs had paid such attention in designing the kids menu as well. A great dinner and some lovely memories.


LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS POST: 

RYE, KC : http://www.ryekc.com

DISCLAIMER: This is not a Sponsored Post. The opinions are of those of mine and mine alone. The Dinner was paid by us, in full.

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P. F . CHANG'S CHINA BISTRO, KC : EATING OUT : FATHER'S DAY DINNER

 

It was ages since we had dined at P. F .Chang. You always tend to overlook the obvious choices and go for the fancier ones. But there are times, when you want to get back to the familiar places and have some good old family time. So some of my mom friends and me decided to treat the Dads for Fathers Day. And as it was a surprise and all the Dads have very different tastes in food, we thought of sticking to common grounds. Everyone likes Chinese, right. P. F . Chang's it was. It also meant that we could all squeeze in some typical KC Photos with the Plaza Fountains before or after dinner, if the girls were in the mood for it.

It was almost a year after we went to P F Chang's. It always holds a special place for me, and my expectations were pretty high.

They had a new menu for smaller plates, but we opted for the regular menu as we were 12 of us(including hungry children), and surely needed bigger and wholesome helpings.

We started off with SALT AND PEPPER CALAMARI, CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAP AND DYNAMITE SHRIMP. The Calamari was tender and not rubbery and just had a hint of seasoning. I could do with a  lil more salt. I personally prefer the Beef Lettuce Wrap but the chicken one didn't disappoint. The disappointment started with the Dynamite Shrimp. It used to be served in a Martini glass and used to have a good hint of spice to  it. The current version was served in a plate with some crisps. And it was clawingly sweet. Did I mention I hate my non vegetarian fare to be sweet. It somehow kills my appetite for me. But I let it go, thinking, that maybe it was one dish which was bad. But I was clearly mistaken on that. It was just the beginning of the food disasters which were to follow. So much for a special night huh !

SALT AND PEPPER CALAMARI

DYNAMITE SHRIMP

CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAP

For the main course we ordered CHANG'S FRIED RICE, SINGAPORE STREET NOODLES, HUNAN FISH, CHANG'S SPICY CHICKEN and GARLIC NOODLES.

CHANG'S FRIED RICE

Chang's Fried Rice was nice and light and the kids seemed to love it. We had requested that our food be MSG free as with kids and allergies its best not to take chances.  It was almost like a typical egg Fried Rice that you might find at every Chinese joint across the globe. Nothing special about it.

The Singapore Street Noodles always make me feel as if I am on a vacation. I have never been to South East Asia, but whenever I taste this noodles, it makes me feel thats this is what street food would taste in that part of the world. The shrimps in the Singapore Street Noodles were a decent size and overall the noodles packed a punch in terms of taste.

I hate food photography with flash, but the restaurant had really bad lighting in its private dining area,so had to use flash for some photographs. My apologies for that.

SINGAPORE STREET NOODLES

HUNAN FISH

If the Dynamite Shrimp was a let down, then the Hunan Fish and Chang's Spicy Chicken were a disaster. First of all they tasted exactly similar. It was almost tasted like both had been doused in the same sauce and just plated differently. This was clearly not the first time for us in P F Chang, so we know our sauces and at least their signature dishes. Secondly, both the fish and the chicken were super sweet.  What's with the name tag of Spicy and having a Chili sign next to the entry on the menu.

CHANG'S SPICY CHICKEN

With kids and four families, we had to re-order a few things. So we opted for LOBSTER FRIED RICE and another round of SINGAPORE STREET NOODLES.

The Lobster fried rice was a nice and buttery and the natural sweetness of the lobster was a good compliment to the fried rice. It was pretty balanced and I could make a meal out of just this.

But the star of the show was surely an old favorite of ours, which luckily still is good. Its GARLIC NOODLES.  These are noodles, which are cooked with a heady mount of garlic then tossed with ed chili flakes and served with cucumber juliennes to cool it all down. Its a vegetarian noodle dish, but its so good, that you can actually eat plate full of it. The noodles have a good kick to them, and while you might feel hot, you will still reach out for more.

GARLIC NOODLES

We finished off dinner with huge slices of decadent CHOCOLATE CAKE which I decorated with some candles, to make it more apt for the occasion.  The Restaurant didn't have any candles even for special occasions.

It was a great time with friends and family, as Four Dads celebrated their special day together. But in terms of food and service, P F Chang's has literally gone down the hill. What was the need to re-formulate the recipes of popular dishes which everyone loves so much. And our server was so in his own world and didn't do anything to make the special time a bit more special. This is clearly not the service one expects from a chain like P F Chang. 

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