Inkwatu » Asian food

Lucky Star Hong Kong Style Chinese Restaurant

Hilton Kean Jones — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:04:16 +0000

If you’re in the mood for authentic Cantonese on the St. Pete side of the bay there’s really only two places: ABC Seafood, reviewed earlier in Inkwatu, and the Lucky Star Hong Kong Style Chinese Restaurant (4175 66th Street North, St Petersburg, FL 33709-4915; 727-381-8888‎; map).

On the Tampa side of the bay, my favorite is China Yuan, but over here in St. Pete, I’m partial to Lucky Star, not only because of its food, which is so flavorful you never even think of reaching for soy sauce, but also because Lucky Star, in its earlier incarnation on 34th Street before their fire and relocation, was my introduction to authentic Cantonese food in St. Pete. The earlier restaurant was one of the many little experiences that accumulated to inspire me to move to St. Pete.

I was introduced to it by a friend whose father had had a similar restaurant while my friend was growing up. He showed me the dishes that the Lucky Star had that made it a special place and helped me to feel comfortable there. Sadly, by the time I moved to St. Pete my friend had, himself, moved to a different city and the Lucky Star had closed because of a kitchen fire. Then, the owners finally reopened up on 66th Street, north of Tyrone Mall. It’s been a favorite of mine ever since and I’m remiss in not having reviewed it earlier.

It’s open 7 days a week, but only in the late afternoon and evenings (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 3pm to 1am; Tuesday 3pm-11pm; Saturday and Sunday 1pm-1pm). Notice that it’s open into the wee hours for late-late dining. That truly makes it a special place.

But, it’s the food that really makes it special. Here are just a few of the dishes, from their large menu, that you won’t find on less authentic restaurants around town:

Shark Fin Soup
Jelly Fish
Spicy Duck Feet
Fried Chitterling
Spicy Chicken Feet
Preserved Duck Wing
Blue Crab
Pepper Corn Squid
Sautéed Conch
Bird’s Nest Seafood
Razor Clam
Braised Sea Cucumber
Snail w/Black Bean
Frog with Chinese Chive
Steam Salted Fish with Minced Pork

Lest you think the Lucky Star’s appeal rests only upon these more exotic dishes, let me stress that it’s the taste that keep me coming back there. And, the dishes that I, myself, order are the ones that are a little less adventuresome: the casseroles, vegetables, and sizzling plates.

A friend and I, who have, several times, gone there for their whole roast duck, which is spectacularly crunchy, were there again recently and were blown away by two of their sizzling plates: Sa Cha Eggplant and Garlic Shrimp. There wasn’t anything left by the time we were finished eating. We were dickering over who got to lick the plates.

They also have a number of fried rice and noodle dishes. I’m a fan of both those, especially noodles, so I’m slowly working my way through them. Next time I go, I’m going to try the Cantonese Pan Fried Noodles.

They seem to have two menus, one that’s more authentic foods and one that caters to the typical American-”Chinese” fast food tastes. It’s fun looking at that second one, too. That one actually has five chop suey dishes!

The origins of the dish, “chop suey,” are not clear. I make that plural because, as the Wikipedia entry (Chop suey) points out, some think it originated in San Francisco during its early days and some say it came from Taishan, in Guangdong Province. Adding to the confusion is that some early Chinese restaurateurs in the US served a dish of mixed entrails, calling it “chop suey.” This, the Chinese, themselves, did not eat. So, there’s a lot of confusion around the term.

I assume that chop suey is really kind of a late-19th century/early 20th century American-Chinese food, much lacking in authenticity…about as authentic as the game mah jong, which is to say, Not much! But, for me, there’s considerable nostalgia in the dish. When I was a little kid, when our parents would take us into the city (St. Louis) to eat, chances were we’d eat at a huge, Art Deco style cafeteria. My favorite dishes there were egg fu young and chop suey. I’m not sure why. I think it was the sound of the words and a taste for the exotic even at age 5.

Now, that version was definitely of the non-authentic (but not entrails!) type, typified by this Woolworth’s recipe. I love the opening ingredient in that recipe: “1 tablespoon lard or Crisco shortening.” This was in the days of a St. Louis that still had electric buses that click-click-clicked around town. I tried to identify the name of that old Art Deco cafeteria (it wouldn’t exist now, of course), but couldn’t. However, my searching did turn up a neat page–a list of defunct restaurant chains (see Defunct restaurant chains of the United States).

I was also pleased to discover, during my couple years residence recently in Hawaii, that Honolulu sports a number of restaurants exclusively devoted to chop suey (see this Google search). So, if you get a hankering for chop suey, check out what they have at the Lucky Star.

However, I recommend you try one of their more authentic dishes. Everything there is good. You simply can’t go wrong. I very, very highly recommend the Sa Cha Eggplant sizzling plate.

(Note: Urbanspoon and some other websites incorrectly list the Lucky Star as the Luck Star–there’s a missing “y.” Why?)

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Philfest 2010

Hilton Kean Jones — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:50:26 +0000

Can there be any doubt that the mix of family, friends, and food is one of life’s greatest pleasures? One look at the pictures accompanying this article should be proof. Those smiles are deeply felt. Joined in common cause, these families and friends celebrate their Filipino community while preparing their culture’s foods.

“Backstage” is where all the most intimate and exciting photographs can be taken. That’s mostly what you see here. That’s where huge woks and enormous vats of hot oil, open flame grills and all-day barbeque smokers, contribute their heat to the intensity of the festival food preparations. Elbow to elbow everyone works to prepare for Philfest 2010.

Philfest (www.pcfitampa.org/philfest/philfest.html)–the annual Tampa Bay Filipino festival–is held at the 5-acre outdoor facility, called “The Village.” It is part of the Philippine Cultural Foundation (http://www.pcfitampa.org/home.html) Philippine Cultural Enrichment Complex and adjacent to its Bayanihan Arts & Events Center (www.bayanihanartscenter.org/bac_2006_home.htm). The Arts & Events Center houses a 9,900 sq. ft. convention, exhibit, and event hall, called the Grand Sampaguita Hall.

The Philfest grounds have had recent improvements, particularly concrete walkways that make experiencing the festival more enjoyable. The backdrop of the performance stage is an immense mural by Jonathan Jennings (see photo at end of article) that captures the essence of the land and peoples of the Philippines. That stage was the setting for numerous performing acts throughout the festival. Packing every remaining square inch of the site were dozens of booths offering Philippine crafts, souvenirs, and food!

Many non-Filipinos are unfamiliar with Filipino cuisine simply because there’s not that many Filipino themed restaurants in the mainland USA. Notice, the word, “mainland,” in that sentence. In Hawaii, Filipino restaurants abound because of the history of immigrants to the islands working on the plantations.

Here are a few websites that have information on Filipino immigration to Hawaii, in particular, and the U.S. states, in general (note: Canada, also, has a large Filipino immigrant population):

Asian Nation (www.asian-nation.org/filipino.shtml)
The Philippine History Site (opmanong.ssc.hawaii.edu/filipino/)
Filipino American History (www.csuchico.edu/ncpaso/filipino.htm)
Filipino American (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filipino_American)

One more list: some good websites with information about, and recipes for, Filipino cuisine. Give them a try. Filipino cuisine is rich and flavorful. Asian, but with a unique quality, and definitely the food of an island nation.

Philippine cuisine (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_cuisine)
Pinoy Recipe (www.pinoyrecipe.net)
Pinoy cook (pinoycook.net)
Filipino Food Lovers (www.filipino-food-lovers.com)
Filipino Mix–Recipes ( www.pinoymix.com/recipes/)

Throughout this article and the website links, you’ll see the word, “Pinoy.” This means Filipino. It also means Filipino male (female is pinay).

Every Asian culture’s eggroll is different. There’s a distinctly Vietnamese eggroll, a Chinese eggroll, and a Thai eggroll; there is also a Filipino eggroll, called a “lumpia,” which is long and narrow with a unique taste, quite different from other Asian eggrolls. If you ever get a chance to sample one, don’t hesitate; you’ll be very surprised at how tasty and savory it is.

used by permission of the artist, Jonathan Jennings
This article and its photos will be appearing in Asia Trend Magazine. See page 18 of the March 2010 online issue.

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Perk up your sandwich with kimchi

Hilton Kean Jones — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:00:02 +0000

Anything tastes better rolled in a tortilla or layered into a sandwich. That basic truth is helping me to eat more vegetables. I sometimes even find salads tedious to eat, but when I roll them into a tortilla, I love them ever bit as much as an unhealthy burrito.

This post isn’t even a recipe, it’s just a tip based on the above “anything tastes better…” truth: try putting kimchi in your sandwich or tortilla wrap. One of my favorites is a microwaved Morningstar Farms® Chik Patties® Original piled high with Publix cold kimchi (pictured here) right out of the fridge.

Kimchi is pickled, fermented cabbage usually served as a side dish in Korean restaurants. But, you can buy it at Publix in the same section where you usually find things like sprouts, plastic jars of peeled garlic cloves, and various other non-mainstream refrigerated items. It will be in the type of refrigerated area that’s open, not the kind with the closed doors. It comes in mild and spicy. I’d suggest starting with the mild, but you’ll discover that the spicy really isn’t that spicy.

This will work with any meat or meat substitute. In fact, it’ll work in any situation where you might use pickles or sauerkraut…after all, what is sauerkraut, but pickled, fermented cabbage?!

I heartily recommend this tip. It transforms a plain sandwich, gives you extra fiber and extra vitamins, and you’ll discover a new food you’ll love.

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TC Choy’s

Hilton Kean Jones — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:00:19 +0000

A FEW KITCHEN SPECIALS: (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) SALT & PEPPER SHRIMP, FRIED TOFU STUFFED WITH SHRIMP PASTE, CHINESE BROCCOLI IN OYSTER SAUCE, EGGPLANT STUFFED WITH SHRIMP PASTE

I’m proud to announce that the September 2009 issue of Asia Trend Magazine carries my first article and photos as one of their contributing food writers. Asia Trend Magazine is out of Winter Park, Florida, but has a circulation that covers the entire state. You can pick up a copy of the magazine, for free, in most Asian establishments. You can also see my article online in an Adobe Flash version, or you can read it below where I’ve reposted it with permission of Asia Trend Magazine. If you really want to make yourself hungry, you can view a full-size slideshow of the photos in the post as well as the original photos that comprise the collage photos. (I really recommend the slideshow–it’s mouthwatering!)

THE OCEANIC FAMILY

The website for the Oceanic Oriental Supermarket contains this evocative phrase: “From its humble beginnings as a small dry goods store over the years to an indispensible Tampa establishment providing products from rosewood furniture to fresh fish to imported and locally grown produce…”

I remember that small, humble store well. I shopped there often over the years and watched as it grew to its present, supermarket size. Shopping at Oceanic was always an exciting experience and it still is. Most recently, Oceanic’s growth has extended into an entire family of related businesses, which includes not only the Asian grocery, but also a restaurant equipment supply store, a video and stationary store, and T.C. Choy’s Asian Bistro, Tampa’s premiere Asian restaurant.

INTERIOR VIEWS OF TC CHOY’S

T.C. CHOY’S ASIAN BISTRO

T.C. Choy’s hits that sweet spot between Eastern culinary authenticity and Western dining expectations—it fully satisfies both. The decor is subdued with muted earth colors highlighting an impressive translucent mural isolating the main dining area from a small liquor bar. Soft music plays in the background, (J.S. Bach, the day I was most recently there) while off to one side of the main dining area there is a sushi bar. There is also a small, beautifully appointed, secluded private dining room for special occasions. In the main dining room, behind the sushi bar, is an open kitchen where cooks prepare traditional as well as innovative Asian dishes. T.C. Choy’s website (www.tcchoysbistro.com) details their entire, extensive menu. But today, I would like to call your attention to their dim sum.

EXAMPLES OF DIM SUM IN CARTS: (LEFT) STEAM MEAT ITEMS, (RIGHT) BAKED GOODS

DIM SUM

Dim sum, in case you’re not familiar with the term, is a Chinese dining tradition during which a number of small dishes are served with tea, not unlike tapas in Spanish cuisine. The customers select these dishes from carts that are wheeled around the room from dining table to dining table. These are shared, family style, among the friends and family who have gathered at table. One of the things that’s especially nice about T.C. Choy’s is that they have preserved the custom of carts pushed around the room. These days, too many restaurants that serve dim sum, simply bring a short dim sum menu from which you order and then the ordered dishes are brought to your table. In keeping to tradition, T.C. Choy’s emphasizes the freshness and temperature of the dim sum they serve.

Now, you must understand that dim sum is a shared event and it’s done leisurely, with much good conversation and goodwill. The result is that a seemingly gargantuan amount of food is consumed. In preparing for this review of T.C. Choy’s, I sampled their baked barbeque pork buns, sesame seed ball in lotus paste, siu mai (pork & shrimp dumpling), steamed chicken feet with black bean, steamed spare ribs with black bean, pan fried turnip cake (daikon radish cake), pan fried chives dumpling with shrimp and mushrooms, shrimp and rice-noodle roll, steamed tofu-skin shrimp and pork rolls, and sticky rice (with chicken, shrimp, mushroom, and pork sausage) wrapped in lotus leaf.

And, it didn’t end there! I also sampled a type of dim sum of T.C. Choy’s own invention which they call Kitchen Specials. Pictured are four Kitchen Specials: salt & pepper shrimp, fried tofu stuffed with shrimp paste, Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce, and eggplant stuffed with shrimp paste—all very tasty and worth the little extra they cost.

DIM SUM ON TABLE

Sharon Choi, manager of T.C. Choy’s, assured me that in addition to their selection of dishes which are usually vegetarian, they will happily modify any dish to make it vegetarian. For instance, the pan fried chives dumpling with shrimp and mushrooms—a new dim sum dish for me and an instant, new favorite—can be made without the shrimp.

The steamed chicken feet were the best I’ve had anywhere, including Beijing. They had just the right texture (I like them “fluffy”). One has one’s favorites, of course, but everything I sampled was extremely good. I recommend T.C. Choy’s dim sum very highly. It’s served daily. Weekends are quite busy, so you might want to excuse yourself from work for a leisurely mid-week, extended lunch of dim sum at T.C. Choy’s. Just be sure you don’t have too much work planned for the afternoon because you’ll be serenely floating after swallowing clouds of dumplings.

T.C. Choy’s Asian Bistro (www.tcchoysbistro.com) is located at 301 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, FL 33606-1728; (813) 251-1191. The Oceanic Oriental Supermarket; Oceanic Restaurant Equipment Supply; and, Ocean Video and Stationary (www.oceanicmarket.com) are located at 1609 N. Tampa St., Tampa, FL 33602-2646; (813) 228-8110.

STEAMED CHICKEN FEET WITH BLACK BEAN

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Thai Kitchen

Hilton Kean Jones — Wed, 20 May 2009 08:32:06 +0000

statue just inside entrance

On 62nd Avenue North, not far from Phat Phap Temple, the Vietnamese Buddhist temple, is a small, but very good restaurant, the Thai Kitchen (1126 62nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33702-7422; 727-525-8748). I definitely recommend it, not only because it’s very good food at reasonable prices in a very congenial atmosphere, but also for the breadth of its menu, which includes a number of items I’ve not seen in other restaurants around town. Just a few examples–out of many more–are the kaprao frog’s legs, the pho taek soup, the stuffed chicken wings, the crispy noodles with shrimp (mee grob), mussels, scallops, fresh snapper, and boneless duck. It’s an impressive menu, well prepared. There are a number of vegetarian selections. While I was there, several women were placing a large advance order for a vegetarian dinner party. The Thai Kitchen lunch and dinner menus are available from their website. Thai Kitchen is small–I’d estimate it seats only about 4 dozen diners, but, you won’t be disappointed in the quality of its food. It’s very tasty.

I’ve often seen the Thai Kitchen when traveling down 62nd Avenue, but I’d never stopped in. I guess I was afraid it was just a fast food joint. (It’s definitely not–it’s a small, but “legit” restaurant, complete with beer and wine license!). Then…just a couple weeks ago, I needed to have some pants hemmed. (How’s that for a non sequitur?)

my take-home green curry, tom yum, and spring rolls

I checked Google for St. Petersburg clothing alterations and picked one at random that I thought would be easy to find: Alterations by Pat (1237 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33710; 727-551-9408). At Pat’s, it was such a treat to be greeted at the counter by a smiling Thai woman who pointed to my neck and said, “Thai gold!” Peeking out from under my collar was the chain of a necklace I’d bought in Thailand. We talked as if we were old friends sharing stories of Thailand, the local Thai temple, and Buddha necklaces. Among the services that Alterations by Pat offers, in addition to alterations and wedding services, are imported Thai items.

While we continued to chat, I got measured for my alterations. On my way out, Pat gave me a paper menu for their family restaurant–the Thai Kitchen! I finally stopped at the Thai Kitchen and I’m so glad I did. This time I did take-out and brought home some tom yum soup, a lunch portion of green curry and rice, and a couple Thai egg rolls. But, it is really a dine-in restaurant. Their dining room is full of authentic Thai decorations, mosaics made of tiny pieces of mirror on lustrous metal backgrounds. There are pictures of the beloved king, Rama V. There were at least three generations of the owner’s family working when I got my take-out; I enjoy that family restaurant feeling. The Thai Kitchen is open for lunch, Monday through Friday, 11am to 3pm, and for dinner, Monday through Thursday, 5pm-9pm, and Friday and Saturday, 5pm to 10pm.

Thai Kitchen

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A progressive Vietnamese lunch-break

Hilton Kean Jones — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:45:41 +0000

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HERBAL DUCK SOUP AT BEN THANH

A “progressive dinner” is an affair where a group of friends decide to have appetizers at the home of one of the friends, the soup or salad course at another’s home, the entree at another’s, and dessert at another’s. You “progress” from one home to another. Seems like they were more common back in the 70s and 80s, but they still probably happen today. Recently, a friend and I wound up having a “progressive lunch-break” by eating our soups in one Vietnamese restaurant and then our sandwiches in another.

For some time now, one of my friends has been telling me “Ben Thanh is open again!” Never having eaten at the original one, which is now closed, I’d say “Yeah, yeah” but not make a firm date to try the new one. Finally, everything aligned just right and my friend and I headed out to the new location of Ben Thanh Vietnamese Restaurant (4200 62nd Ave. N., Suite C, Pinellas Park; 727-526-3051).

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CHAR-GRILLED PORK & CRISPY CHOPPED EGG ROLLS ON THIN VERMICELLI SALAD
AT BEN THANH

I’m so glad my friend persisted in prodding me to try this restaurant. It’s a cozy little place, tucked into an unassuming strip mall up on 62nd Avenue. The owners proudly displays a framed copy of this St. Pete Times article about their reopening. The article is a good one that I hope you read; it fills in details on the history of the restaurant.

My friend had the Hu Tieu hoac Mi Vit Tiem (herbal duck soup). That’s the first picture in the post. You can see the steam rising off it. I had a sip. It was fantastic. I had Bun Cha Gio Thit Nurong (char-grilled pork & crispy chopped egg rolls on thin vermicelli salad), which is one of the dishes I usually order when I’m trying a new Vietnamese restaurant. It gives me a yardstick to compare different places. This is the second picture in this post. It was right up there with the very best I’ve ever had; the fish sauce was perfect.

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The owner of Ben Thanh, Susan Nguyen, is a very personable young woman. We got to talking when she was serving us. Their menu states that if you’re interested in a dish not on the menu, just ask, and they might be able to make it for you. Since I’ve been on a quest to find the best Vietnamese sandwich (banh mi) in St. Pete, I asked her if she made them. She laughed and said no, she loves them too and she buys hers at Banh Mi Saigon (8730 49th St. N. #11, Pinellas Park, FL 33781; 727-549-9121). That got my attention because it was the second recommendation I’ve gotten for this place. The other was from my favorite Vietnamese hairdresser at Ann’s hair salon next to Ichiban’s Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar.

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MENU AT BANH MI SAIGON

So…after finishing our excellent soups at Ben Thanh, my friend and I drove up to Banh Mi Saigon. The idea was to just check it out…that became getting a sandwich for each of us to take home…which progressed to having a second course of eating a sandwich, NOW!

There have been other Inkwatu articles on banh mi in St. Pete (see The Land of Missed Sandwiches and Pho 97) which include some excellent links to non-Inkwatu articles giving detailed and extensive information about, and recipes for, this wonderful type of sandwich. Sadly, Cantho Oriental Market, mentioned in The Land of Missed Sandwiches, seems to have recently succumbed to the recession and closed its doors. I will check to see if, perhaps, it’s just moved–I’ll report back on that. Just this week, I ran across this post (The Evolution of Banh Mi) on 8asians–a blog I follow and enjoy very much.

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BBQ PORK BANH MI

Check out Banh Mi Saigon’s sandwich menu pictured above (be sure to click on the picture for larger, more legible version). They have all the different types of banh mi. (And look at the prices! It’s hard to find a better deal in town.) Pictured immediately above is what my friend got: BBQ pork (thit nuong). The photo immediately below is the sandwich I ordered: the special (dac biet). They were made in the real Vietnamese style with more veggies than meat (think of the meat as a garnish). I’m not positive, but I think the baguettes may be of the authentic recipe of half rice flour and half wheat flour. They were very light, very crisp, not heavy and tough.

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SPECIAL BANH MI

When we were waiting for our sandwiches to be prepared, a young workman came in and ordered a BBQ pork banh mi. He was very much a salt-of-the-earth Florida good-ol’-boy–albeit a young one–who looked as if he might usually order a burger and fries somewhere. As he and I waited for our orders, we started chatting. He told me that he’d never had a banh mi until just a few weeks before. He’d thought it was fantastic and had been waiting for an opportunity to return and get another one. If you’ve never had a banh mi, I hope you give one a try sometime. I predict that, like the pizza, the taco, the frankfurter, quiche, and the countless other comfort foods of America’s various ethnic émigrés, the banh mi will enter the everyday lexicon of the American national menu. If you come across other banh mi in St. Pete or Tampa you think I should try, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

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INTERIOR OF BANH MI SAIGON

Had we not been sated from our spectacular soups at Ben Thanh plus our sandwiches from Banh Mi Saigon, we could have easily continued our progressive lunch-break by getting some item at Dong A II, next door to Banh Mi Saigon. We contented ourselves with just wandering around the grocery for a while, enjoying the smells and sights. There are at least two Dong A groceries in St. Pete (the “A” in Dong A is pronounced “ah,” as in when the doctor says, “say ah…”). They are an excellent Asian grocery store. I am a big fan of Asian groceries: you can get interesting veggies at them, good bulk teas, and the prices on items such as sesame oil are a fraction of what a big national chain charges. Plus, you’re supporting local commerce by shopping at an ethnic food store.

Also next door to Banh Mi Saigon, is a Thai restaurant, Pu Thai (8730 49th St. N., Pinellas Park, FL 33782; 727-547-6556), with a lunch buffet! I’ve not eaten there yet, so I don’t know if I can recommend it. But…you can bet I’ll be going there soon! I’ll let you know if I think it’s a good place to eat.

The hours of operation for Ben Thanh are Tuesday-Friday, 11an09pm, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-9:00pm, closed on Mondays. Banh Mi Saigon is open 7 days a week–call 727-549-9121 for exact hours. I definitely recommend both restaurants.

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DONG A II

Dear Readers, I’m conducting an experiment for a while. I’m configuring this blog to only show the opening of the post in blog readers and emails so that, in order to read the full post, the reader must click on the title, which in turn takes them to the actual Inkwatu website. I’m doing this because when people read the entire post in an email or a reader, they never see the actual Inkwatu website–ever! They miss a lot of things available on the website such as special information about the area, photos, links, etc.. In addition, they never have the opportunity to click on advertisements, which is the only way bloggers earn even a few pennies (literally, just a few pennies—certainly not dollars). As time goes by, please let me know if you find this new configuration too bothersome. If enough people complain, I will go back to the other approach. Hopefully, however, this new approach, will bring us all added benefits.

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BKK Thai Cuisine and Sushi Bar

Hilton Kean Jones — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 10:00:06 +0000

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SPICY LIME GROUPER

One of the most convincing reviews I ever read once was, “Just go!” I’m going to quote that author here regard the BKK Thai Restaurant (5267 Park St. N., Pinellas, Florida 33709; 727-545-1781): “Just go!”

BKK is the designation for the Bangkok airport. The last time I had Thai style fish this good was in Bangkok. This restaurant is what my son would describe as a “good restaurant to take a date to”–quiet, dimly lit, nice furnishing, cloth napkins (don’t laugh…not all restaurants have them). The main attraction, for me, of the BKK is its fish menu. Their grouper in a spicy lime sauce with celery, fresh garlic, galangal root (a Thai spice similar to ginger), kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, chilies and lime juice is my absolute favorite. It’s beautiful on the plate. It tastes even better.

Most Thai restaurants have two, maybe three fish dishes. BKK has seven. Next time I go, I want to try their fish in tamarind and pineapple sauce. Doesn’t that sound good? Their menu has a number of dishes that I’ve not seen on other Thai menus about town, such as a red curry fish cake and string bean appetizer in plum sauce on cucumber salad (tod mon pla) or a deep-fried roast duck salad (yum ped yang).

There are even inventive fried rice dishes such as black-olive fried rice with minced pork, Thai sausage, cashew nut and string beans, or their BKK Supreme fried rice with crab, shrimp, chicken, Thai sausage, cashews, pineapple and raisins. The four different duck entrees (tamarind, panang, red curry, basil sauce) are all moderately priced and look interesting. Of course, the BKK has all the usual dishes including Drunken Chicken, another one that’s usually not on menus.

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BKK INTERIOR

Often, desserts are the shortest suits for Asian restaurants. Not so, BKK; they have nine. I adore their green tea ice cream. If I can ever tear myself away from that, I hope to try their pumpkin custard, or fried cheese cake…or maybe the mango and sticky rice.

I guess you can tell I like this place. It’s a bit out of the way–it’s in a strip mall just south of the intersection of 54th Ave. N. and Park St. N. It’s a bit of a trek from downtown, but if you’re at the beach, it’s much closer than you think–just come across 150th Ave (Bay Pines Blvd.) to Park St. and turn north, or come across Park Blvd. from Redington Shores through Seminole to Park St. and turn south. If you’re downtown or in south St. Pete, you’ll have your favorite ways to get to Park Street, then just head north.

They’re open for lunch Monday-Sunday, 11:3am-3:00pm and dinner Monday-Thursday, 4:30pm-9:30pm, Friday-Saturday, 4:30pm-10:00pm, and Sunday, 4:30-9:00pm. That it’s open for late suppers is another plus. I’ve never tried their sushi but it’s an extensive list and even includes several eel selections (I love eel); I would assume their sushi is of the same quality as their Thai dishes.

They take credit cards, and their entrees are mostly between $15 and $20; however, there are a number of simpler entrees in the $10-$12 range and I’ve seen families with kids there more than once, so it is possible to dine there quite affordably. The portions are large. I always take home half for lunch the next day!

I recommend this restaurant very highly.

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BKK EXTERIOR

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Nitally’s Thai-Mexican Fusion Cuisine

Hilton Kean Jones — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:52:24 +0000

NOTE: Nitally’s has relocated to bigger and better quarters at 2462 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL. Same good food, just more of it and more space and parking too!

Nitally’s Thai Coffee House (~~1040 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33701~~) offers something I have never heard of before, nor could I find it anywhere on the Internet: Thai-Mexican fusion cuisine.

I found Thai fusion. I found Mexican restaurants in Thailand. But not this—Thai-Mexican fusion. It’s a natural. Both cultures share one important spice: cilantro. They also share a taste for spicy foods, although, of course, Thai is typically much spicier. But the owners, Nit (Thai) and Ally (Mexican), have created a concept that I hope makes them famous and an entrepreneurial success.

Consider these dishes:

• Chorizo Fried Rice
• Panang Burrito
• Green Curry Burrito
• Yellow Curry Burrito
• Spicy Basil Beef Taco
• Spicy Basil Chicken Taco
• Panang Mole

Just contemplating them makes my knees weak. Culinary beauty,

Of course, Nitally’s has the usual authentic Thai offerings. You can download a PDF of their menu here. This visit, I chose from those and had the chicken salad, which was a perfect blend of red peppers and lime juice. It was extremely good. On my next visit, and there will be another visit soon, I’m headed for the Spicy Basil Chicken Taco…or maybe the Green Curry Burrito…or maybe the Chorizo Fried Rice.

In addition to the usual hot teas and Thai iced Tea, iced Coffee, and iced Tamarindo, they carry something dear to my heart: pearl tea, also called boba tea, or bubble tea (see SPIFFS — 2nd Annual Asian Pacific Rim Festival 2008 for a full explanation of boba tea). Nitally’s selection of boba tea flavors is considerably wider than usual: Espresso Mocha, Cappuccino, White Chocolate, Green Tea, Honeydew, Watermelon, Strawberry, Thai Tea, Thai Coffee. Some of those I’ve never seen used as boba tea flavors before. If you’re never had boba tea, give it a try. It’s a textural treat as well as a flavorful one.

Nitally’s is very small: exactly two tables inside, four stools along a bookcase width wall counter, and one table on the sidewalk for alfresco dining. Parking is also minimal; just a couple spaces in front and then along the side avenues. But, it’s worth the trouble to find a place to park. This restaurant really is a “find.” I hope they succeed. Their concept and product are first rate.

Nitally’s will make most entrees vegetarian or vegan upon request. They also have a myspace page: myspace.com/nitallys. In addition to their 4th St. restaurant, which is open Tuesday-Friday 11am-2pm/6:30pm-9pm, they also have a stand at the Saturday Morning Market at Al Lang Park.

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SPIFFS — 2nd Annual Asian Pacific Rim Festival 2008

Hilton Kean Jones — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:22:08 +0000

This past weekend, October 11th and 12th, SPIFFS (the St. Petersburg International Folkfair Society) presented its 2nd Annual Asian Pacific Rim Festival 2008. I was fortunate to be able to attend their first one last year. It was a good beginning and this year was even better. I hope this becomes successfully established and as much of a community tradition as SPIFFS’ larger, annual International Folkfair (see SPIFFS — St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society).

SPIFFS (330 5th St. N., St. Petersburg, FL, 33701; 727-552-1896), lists a significant number of Asian member organizations:

• Suncoast Association of Chinese Americans
• The Fiji Club of Central Florida, Inc.
• Filipino-American Club of Pinellas County
• V.I.C.A.S.- Volunteers of India Culture & Art Society
• Korean American Association of West Florida, Inc.
• Laotian American Association of Florida, Inc.
• Florida Hmong Community Association
• Polynesian Connection Club of Vaepopua
• TACO (Taiwanese American Cultural Organization)
• Thai Association of Tampa Bay
• Tongan Cultural Organization of Florida, Inc.
• Vietnamese-American Association of St. Petersburg

By far, the most extensive presence at the fair was the Thai Association with multiple tents, flower collections, carved fruit, steam tables of an entire Thai menu, and gifts. I confess a fondness for Thai culture, attitudes, and cuisine. It pleases me to see how their presentation at the fair has expanded.

I’m not sure exactly what portion of the St. Petersburg population is Thai, but I suspect (along with Vietnamese) it is one of the groups with the highest representation.

According to the 2000 census data (see Hello St. Petersburg), this is the composition of St. Petersburg’s Asian population:

Asian: 6,640 (2.7%): Asian Indian: 867 (0.3%)
Chinese: 544 (0.2%)
Filipino: 798 (0.3%)
Japanese: 151 (0.1%)
Korean: 317 (0.1%)
Vietnamese: 1,910 (0.8%)
Other Asian: 2,053 (0.8%)
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 130 (0.1%)
Native Hawaiian: 27 (0.0%)
Guamanian or Chamorro: 13 (0.0%)
Samoan: 13 0.0%4,858 (3.9%)
Other Pacific Islander: 77 (0.0%)
Some other race: 2,661 (1.1%)
Two or more races: 5,397 (2.2%)

Tampa: Sa Ri One Korean Bulgogi Restaurant

Hilton Kean Jones — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 09:43:16 +0000

Sa Ri One

In an earlier post on Atlanta’s Seoul Gardens Korean Japanese Restaurant, I talked about bulgogi, Korean barbeque.

A restaurant in Tampa that I’ve gone to ever since it opened is Sa Ri One Korean Bulgogi Restaurant (3940 W. Cypress St., Tampa, FL 33606; 813-874-2911). It’s a little pricey, but not so much at lunchtime which is when I usually go. It’s an excellent restaurant with really good food that I’ve introduced many friends to over the years. I don’t get back as often as I’d like since moving to St. Pete, but when on the Tampa side, if possible, I try to contrive to be in Sa Ri One’s neighborhood around lunch.

Please give it a try. It’s small, intimate, family owned and operated, and they’ve always been very helpful if there was something I didn’t understand or a side dish I couldn’t figure out. Although bento box lunches are Japanese, not Korean, at lunchtime, they have all their dishes available bento style, with a little of this, a little of that, plus the traditional Korean side dishes (banchan). It’s the best deal price-wise.

Kamja Jeon

I usually get the chicken bulgogi, but one day, I was feeling sort of “off my feed,” a bit out of sorts and not terribly hungry. The waiter suggested I try their potato pancake, kamja jeon. It was a good call: light, nourishing without being filling, very fragrant, very tasty. I suppose one large very thin pancake could be split—as a side dish or appetizer—by two people, but it was just right as the main fare for me, alone. I was also in a “vegetarian” frame of mind that day (I’m not always) and the waiter assured me it was vegetarian. Here’s another recipe for Korean potato pancakes at Skindleshanks blog.

I suppose one reason the kamja jeon had such a “comfort food” effect on me was that our family often had potato pancakes when I was a child (rural preacher’s families often only had potatoes and onions in their larder in those days). Nothing better than a potato pancake on a cold Saturday morning, topped off with apple butter!

Potato pancakes are, of course, a comfort food for just about every culture that grows potatoes. Jewish Latkes, Swedish Rarakor, German Kartoffelpuffer! Indian, Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian cuisines also have their own style of potato pancakes. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true for many other cultures.

Hilton’s Experiment

Earlier this year, I tried making the Bobby Flay recipe, Blue Corn Crab Cakes
with Mango-Green Onion Relish, for a friend and myself. They tasted great, but somehow I didn’t get all the relative proportions of ingredients correct because, they completely fell apart. They looked horrible but they tasted great!

Well…writing about the potato pancakes at Sa Ri One made me terrifically hungry for potato pancakes. Alas, no pancakes in this home, nor have there been for decades, other than the occasional sweet potato. But, I happened to have some leftover brown rice in the fridge. So, I climbed on the Internet and started searching for rice pancakes. There are such things–mainly Thai is what I found–but every recipe I found had sugar in it. I was in the mood for “savory,” not “sweet.”

I decided to try the recipe for Korean potato pancakes from a food blog with a very nifty niche, Pancakes at Dawn, but substituting leftover brown rice for the leftover potatoes. The results were just like my failed crab cakes. They completely fell apart, but…they tasted great (snapshot immediately below).

I suspect there’s more starch in potatoes than in rice and that would hold the ingredients together better. I’m going to buy some potatoes and try the Pancakes at Dawn recipe again. I suspect they’ll turn out great if I follow the recipe.

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