Many people spent this past weekend celebrating the Chinese new year with, well, Chinese food. Despite this being the year of the rat and being a rat myself, I did not celebrate with Chinese food. But I did have some "Asian" food.
I'm not typically a fan of using the word "Asian" as a blanket descriptor, but that's the term they use at Basil Asian Bistro, where the SO and I dined Friday night. I started out with vegetarian spring rolls and a few bites of the SO's coconut tofu soup and had tofu vegetables for dinner with a side of brown rice. Everything was delicious, but I was particularly pleased with the soup. I wished I'd ordered a cup for myself instead of having to bogart the SO's.
The restaurant itself was dimly lit for a nice, romantic dinner. Despite its openness, the tables were well-spaced for a reasonable amount of privacy. The service was attentive but may have been a little overworked that night as it was a tad slow at first. I'd heard good things about the restaurant, but really knew I'd made a good choice when I was spotted by Claudia of cook eat Fret. She said it's one of her favorite places in the area and she knows her food, so that's quite an endorsement.
Saturday afternoon, the weather was lovely for February and it made me want to eat al fresco. Given that there aren't a lot of patios open this time of year, we decided to get take-out and head for a park. I got a falafel plate from up the street at Gyros International (the SO got beef gyros--yuck). The falafel is prepared (by an ever-so-friendly and accommodating man) when you order it so you have time to pop in next door at the African grocery and get some plantain chips and ginger cookies. Unfortunately for me, that day the grocery was also filled with what appeared to be boxes of charred chickens or ducks. The smell of crispy fowl was not pleasant. But the people who work there are pleasant, so I smiled, paid for my desserts and got out ASAP.
Saturday night, we ate out yet again. This time, we were in my neighborhood since we had plans to see a show at the Exit/In later. So we opted for a healthy but filling dinner at Miss Saigon. I got one of my two usual favorites, the #10 mixed tofu with vegetables over vermicelli and convinced the SO to try the lemongrass tofu. The #10 was good as always and the lemongrass tofu was roughly the same dish except that the vegetables are topped with the tofu and a sauce rather than just mixed (shredded) tofu and peanuts. It was very good, but had a kick. There was still some lemongrass stinging the SO's lips for a while after dinner.
Dinner didn't take long, so we got down to Elliston Place a little earlier than expected. So we headed over to Cafe Coco for some caffeinated beverages to help our old bodies stay awake past 10pm. And much to my amazed delight, there were still several pieces of Italian wedding cake in the cooler. The SO had never had it before, so I talked him into sharing a piece.
If you've never had Italian wedding cake, I am very sorry. Because it's amazing stuff. Years ago, I had it and was so taken with it, I decided to make it myself. And then I read the recipe. So I have never made it and only rarely eat it. Take a look at the recipe and you'll see why. But I will occasionally calorie-splurge when I see it available in an establishment with trusted desserts (such as Cafe Coco). Needless to say, after eating half that piece of cake plus a small soy chai latte, I was rarin' to go for the next few hours. I think I finally settled down (read: crashed) around 1am. I can hardly fit in my jeans today, but that cake was oh so worth it.
As for Sunday night, I cooked at home. Vegetables and cornbread. It was the beginning of the detox from the excesses of the weekend. More on that later.
Showing posts with label miss saigon nashville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label miss saigon nashville. Show all posts
Monday, February 11, 2008
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Miss Saigon (the restaurant, not the theatrical production)
I still haven't really got the hang of this foodblogging thing. I have this tendency to dig into my food and get halfway in before I realize that I neglected to take a picture. Such is the case for a lovely Bibb lettuce salad I had at Green Hills Grille earlier this week. Note: the vegetarian menu there is separate from the main menu so you have to ask to see it. Frankly, I think they should have the vegetarian items on the main menu; even omnivores like to have fresh, healthy, meat-free meals once in a while.
I did, however remember to take pictures during yesterday's lunch with my friends, Emily and Tabitha. We went to my favorite local Vietnamese restaurant, Miss Saigon. Where the vegetarian section of the menu is thoughtfully placed on the very first page, directly underneath the appetizers.
Tabitha and I started off the meal with an order of vegetarian spring rolls. We were both ready to dig in, so I neglected to get a picture of them. But they're very large and filled with lettuce, vermicelli, shredded carrots and cucumbers, and shredded tofu. A note on the tofu: I don't know how they prepare it or where they get it, but it has the consistency (al dente, that is) of pork. So much so that the first few times I ordered the appetizer, I had lengthy discussions (okay, inquisitions) with the staff to make sure it was really tofu. They're delicious and at two for $2.75, a bargain. They come with a soy-sauce type dipping sauce which I have not yet asked about. There's no oiliness about it, so I'm hopeful it's vegetarian. I've been reluctant to ask, though.
For lunch, I ordered the tofu and vegetables with vermicelli (AKA #10). It's a bowl dish with layers of vegetables, the thin white rice noodles, tofu and some toppings. At the bottom is a layer of shredded lettuce and bean sprouts (both crunchy, not soggy), then a layer of vermicelli, and topped with shredded carrots, shredded cucumbers, chopped peanuts, the same shredded tofu that's in the spring rolls, what I think is carmelized onions (crispy and brown) and a garnish of chopped fresh mint leaves. It comes with a sauce that's similar to the spring roll dipping sauce, but I usually just use my leftover dipping sauce so that I don't have a soup in my bowl. This is one of my favorite dishes at this restaurant. It's light but also filling and very satisfying. And only $5.95!
Emily ordered the lemongrass tofu (AKA #12). She opted for the vermicelli, so it comes prepared in a similar way as the tofu in vegetables, with the key difference being the preparation of the tofu. Instead of shreds, it's sticks of tofu breaded and fried with essence of lemongrass, which gives it a citrusy and spicy kick that is very yummy. It also comes (as you can see) with large chunks of stir-fried onions and the same sauces at the #10. I highly recommend it, but note that it's a heavier dish than the #10.
Tabitha ordered crispy noodles with shrimp, so we won't talk about that. Except that to say that minus the dead crustaceans, looked quite yummy.
Getting to Miss Saigon can be an adventure if you don't know where you're going, too. It's in a shopping center that's not really visible from the road, so the best directions I can give to locals is that if you're driving west on Charlotte from White Bridge Road, stay in the left lane and right before it ends, turn left up the hill into the shopping center. Miss Saigon greets you as you crest the hill. And be sure to leave some time to stop in to the K & S World Market next door. They have an incredible selection of international foods and drinks (real Pepsi with sugar!) and an impressive produce section. Sometimes, the stench of the dying or dead seafood at the rear of the store is a little overpowering, so beware.
Update: Miss Saigon is closed on Tuesdays.
I did, however remember to take pictures during yesterday's lunch with my friends, Emily and Tabitha. We went to my favorite local Vietnamese restaurant, Miss Saigon. Where the vegetarian section of the menu is thoughtfully placed on the very first page, directly underneath the appetizers.
Tabitha and I started off the meal with an order of vegetarian spring rolls. We were both ready to dig in, so I neglected to get a picture of them. But they're very large and filled with lettuce, vermicelli, shredded carrots and cucumbers, and shredded tofu. A note on the tofu: I don't know how they prepare it or where they get it, but it has the consistency (al dente, that is) of pork. So much so that the first few times I ordered the appetizer, I had lengthy discussions (okay, inquisitions) with the staff to make sure it was really tofu. They're delicious and at two for $2.75, a bargain. They come with a soy-sauce type dipping sauce which I have not yet asked about. There's no oiliness about it, so I'm hopeful it's vegetarian. I've been reluctant to ask, though.
For lunch, I ordered the tofu and vegetables with vermicelli (AKA #10). It's a bowl dish with layers of vegetables, the thin white rice noodles, tofu and some toppings. At the bottom is a layer of shredded lettuce and bean sprouts (both crunchy, not soggy), then a layer of vermicelli, and topped with shredded carrots, shredded cucumbers, chopped peanuts, the same shredded tofu that's in the spring rolls, what I think is carmelized onions (crispy and brown) and a garnish of chopped fresh mint leaves. It comes with a sauce that's similar to the spring roll dipping sauce, but I usually just use my leftover dipping sauce so that I don't have a soup in my bowl. This is one of my favorite dishes at this restaurant. It's light but also filling and very satisfying. And only $5.95!
Emily ordered the lemongrass tofu (AKA #12). She opted for the vermicelli, so it comes prepared in a similar way as the tofu in vegetables, with the key difference being the preparation of the tofu. Instead of shreds, it's sticks of tofu breaded and fried with essence of lemongrass, which gives it a citrusy and spicy kick that is very yummy. It also comes (as you can see) with large chunks of stir-fried onions and the same sauces at the #10. I highly recommend it, but note that it's a heavier dish than the #10. Tabitha ordered crispy noodles with shrimp, so we won't talk about that. Except that to say that minus the dead crustaceans, looked quite yummy.
Getting to Miss Saigon can be an adventure if you don't know where you're going, too. It's in a shopping center that's not really visible from the road, so the best directions I can give to locals is that if you're driving west on Charlotte from White Bridge Road, stay in the left lane and right before it ends, turn left up the hill into the shopping center. Miss Saigon greets you as you crest the hill. And be sure to leave some time to stop in to the K & S World Market next door. They have an incredible selection of international foods and drinks (real Pepsi with sugar!) and an impressive produce section. Sometimes, the stench of the dying or dead seafood at the rear of the store is a little overpowering, so beware.
Update: Miss Saigon is closed on Tuesdays.
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