Cook’s Restaurant–Clovis, NM

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Steve

Cook’s Restaurant

4700 Mabry Dr.
Clovis, NM
(575) 762-9423

Cook’s Restaurant

Probably the biggest factor that makes Cook’s Restaurant popular is the fact that it is open from 6:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. daily (and open 24 hours Thursday night through Saturday night-Sunday morning). This is a diner and truck stop located about halfway between Clovis and Texico, New Mexico, but is close enough to Clovis to be considered one of the city’s local hangouts.

When I entered the restaurant somewhat close to 10:00 P.M. (on a day they were open 24 hours) one side of the restaurant was filled almost to capacity (the other side is presumably open when they are even more busy such as at breakfast time). I did not make note of whether breakfast is only served during certain hours, but it seemed to be a large part of the food served here. In talking to the employees they indicated that some of the breakfast dishes were quite popular.

I also noted that over half of the late night crowd appeared to be eating Mexican food, so I naturally assumed this was one of the most popular items on the menu. They do have a large menu of American diner-style items, so I think there is something for everybody here.

Chips and Salsa

Chips and salsa

Having decided to order one of the Mexican dinners, I was given some chips and salsa which turned out to be excellent. The salsa was not on the spicy side but had a robust flavor that I would call New Mexican style (the chiles were fresh and seemed to be sourced from somewhere nearby).

Red Enchiladas

Red enchiladas

I do not remember the entire Mexican food menu, but the best options seemed to be a choice between red enchiladas or green. I chose the Red Enchiladas which were served with beans and rice (they said the green was not spicy). I noted on the menu that the dish came with “Red Chili” (the Americanized spelling of “chile”) so this was somewhat of a red flag, but is really the standard spelling I have seen in eastern New Mexico.

I really have mixed feelings about this dish because it was certainly not the best example of New Mexican food I have had, but it was New Mexican food nonetheless. The waitress said it was New Mexican red chile, and this was borne out when I tasted it. While New Mexican style enchiladas have either a red or green chile sauce, though, this was more of a gravy that was thick as if they put a filler in it. I have seen this style of New Mexican food before, most notably in Tucumcari, but it is a style of food I do not find very satisfying. There was enough chile “bite” in the dish, but I did not find the flavor to be very good.

The beans were good, but the rice was burned along the edge (about half of it was edible).

There was really nothing else open at that hour and I was glad to get a meal. Enough of it was good that I enjoyed the food (particularly the chips and salsa). For New Mexican food, though, I had a better experience at Leal’s (located a couple of miles west on the same highway but not open as late in the evening).

RATING: 17

Cuisine: American and Mexican New Mexican
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily (open 24 hrs. Thu.-Sat.)
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking

Most Recent Visit: Nov. 30, 2017
Number of Visits: 1
Best Items: Chips, Salsa

Mexican Food Details

Chile Index:

**Special Ratings**
	Red Enchiladas
	Chips
	Salsa

Family Pho–Weatherford, OK

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Steve

Family Pho and Rolls (Closed)

1021 E. Davis Ave.
Weatherford, OK

Family Pho and Rolls

Family Pho and Rolls follows a popular trend in serving both Vietnamese food and sushi (at least the style of sushi that includes California rolls, etc.). Outside of a couple of Chinese restaurants I think this is the only Asian restaurant in Weatherford, so I think it makes sense for this restaurant to provide any other dishes they can that would be popular in this small college town.

While Chinese food tends to become more Americanized in smaller towns, Vietnamese food has tasted pretty much the same everywhere I have tried it (but the menu choices are more limited in small towns). This is good for me because I love what most Vietnamese restaurants are serving, and these tend to be reliable choices even where Chinese restaurants are not. Family Pho was exactly as I thought it would be–good food but with a rather small menu.

After my comments about Chinese restaurants I need to point out that I have liked the ones I have tried in Weatherford. My favorite place in town, Young China, has closed, but the people at Family Pho told me the owners have now opened the Hibachi Buffet.

Vermicelli Bowl

House vermicelli

The type of dish I was wanting happened to coincide with what seemed to be the restaurant’s special dish, the House Vermicelli. This did not come with my normal choice of chicken, but the pork they served had a very good flavor and is another type of meat I like. It had the added benefit of an excellent spring roll. The fish sauce was very good, and I especially liked the chile sauce (which can be seen in the small bowl on the lower right side).

Two things I normally like in a vermicelli bowl were lacking–peanuts and mint. Everything else was good enough that it pretty much made up for these deficiencies (I can say for sure that the spring roll was more satisfying than the peanuts would have been). Overall this was definitely a very good vermicelli dish.

Tea
I was disappointed that they did not have any hot tea, but iced tea was available. I would say this made the restaurant somewhat Americanized, but the food was good and it did not have a great impact on the meal.

An Assessment
Everything I had was good, but the negative aspects were the things I was not able to have (peanuts, mint, hot tea, etc.). In spite of this I would not hesitate to come back. At restaurants I usually like to order things again that I enjoyed previously (in this case it is the House Vermicelli). They do have other types of vermicelli bowls, though, as well as other items (mainly the pho and rolls implied by their name).

RATING: 23

Cuisine: Vietnamese
Cost: $$
Hours: Closed Mon.
Accessible: Yes, but maybe the sidewalk is a little steep
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: N/A

Most Recent Visit: Nov. 30, 2017
Number of Visits: 1
Best Item: House Vermicelli

Asian Food Details

Tea:	Iced Tea
MSG:	No
Buffet:	No

**Special Ratings**
	House Vermicelli

Sushi Neko–Oklahoma City, OK

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Steve

Sushi Neko

4318 N. Western Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK
(405) 528-8862

Sushi Neko

My review for Sushi Neko is in two parts due to making visits around 2005-2006, and again in 2017. In that time the menu changed, prices increased, and I felt that it had become more upscale (I think they just dropped some of the less expensive items from the menu). This is a fairly common trend with restaurants, and it seems to fit the neighborhood along North Western Avenue which is known for having some of the city’s most popular upscale restaurants.

Sushi Neko offers both sushi and grilled items, and in this respect has not changed since its early days. Musashi’s across the street (owned by the same people) has a different concept by putting on a knife show and cooking the food on a grill in front of your table, so there is a choice if you are looking for a Japanese-themed restaurant.

Rear entrance to the restaurant

A change in the menu items was really the biggest difference I noticed between the early and later visits to Sushi Neko. Earlier I saw quite a bit of similarity between Sushi Neko and Tokyo Restaurant, offering a wide variety of cooked items that made them similar to West Coast Izakaya style restaurants. However, there now seems to be a distinct difference between these restaurants with Tokyo keeping its emphasis on both cooked items and sushi, while Sushi Neko has now streamlined its menu of cooked items and seems to have added more sushi items, particularly the popular “rolls” (such as California rolls).

I have not tried the standard sushi (nigiri, sashimi, etc.) recently, but on previous trips it was one of Oklahoma City’s best. The cooked food I tried was good on all of my trips.

Tea

Green tea

The Green Tea was expensive and did not seem to have a corresponding special quality that elevated it above other green teas. It was very good, though, and they gave me a to-go drink in a very nice paper cup that I ended up using for the rest of the day (so I really got my money’s worth).

Appetizers

Edamame

The Edamame was better than most I have had, but to me it was hard to justify paying extra for this when some restaurants (such as Tsubaki Sushi) give it to you free with the meal.

Miso

Miso

Miso comes free with the meal, and I wrote in my notes that it had a “thick and flavorful broth” (a rare enough occurrence at restaurants that it is noteworthy when I find it).

Sushi

Philadelphia roll

The Philadelphia Roll I was able to sample was really quite good, and I won’t make any comments other than this was one of the better ones I have encountered.

Grilled Salmon

Grilled salmon

I came here expecting the salmon teriyaki I had ordered on a previous visit, but found that it is no longer on the menu. Instead I was able to order Grilled Salmon from the lunch menu which was somewhat comparable because it came with a glaze that was a good substitute for the teriyaki sauce. I thought the salmon here was probably more impressive than at Tokyo (where I usually like to get salmon teriyaki) and the presentation was very nice (I especially liked the bok choy). This was quite a good lunch although a little expensive compared to places that serve teriyaki salmon (such as Tokyo).

Overall Assessment
The salmon was really so much better than at most other restaurants I thought it was well worth paying a higher price for it. At the same time, though, I cannot afford this often so I treat this restaurant as a “special occasion” place (there was really not very much on the menu that would be any less expensive).

The thing I missed, though, was the “box lunch” concept they have at restaurants such as Tokyo where the lunch comes with side items such as a salad, tempura, or gyoza.

The service was good here, and I was glad I was able to experience the “new” Sushi Neko.

RATING: 23

Cuisine: Japanese
Cost: $$
Hours: Closed Sun.
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking

Most Recent Visit: Nov. 29, 2017
Number of Visits: 3
Best Items: Grilled Salmon, Miso

Asian Food Details

Tea:	Green (brewed)
MSG:	No
Buffet:	No

**Special Ratings**
	Grilled Salmon
	Miso
	Philadelphia Roll

Das Boot Camp–Norman, OK

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Steve

Das Boot Camp
229 E. Main St.
Norman, OK
(405) 701-3748

Das Boot Camp

The official name of this restaurant is Das Boot Camp Restaurant & Bar, and I think the key part of it is the “Bar.” When I visited late at night on the way back from Dallas it was one of the few restaurants in town that was even open, and they were running a special on large servings of beer in a boot shaped glass (they could not have been making a huge profit from the prices charged for the beer but it seemed to also get people in to try the food).

For most people (in Oklahoma, at least) it does not take much persuasion to get them to order some good German food, and of course it is a natural to go with beer. Das Boot Camp happens to be an outgrowth of Royal Bavaria, a standard dinner style restaurant in Moore, and the German food at these restaurants is well known as being the real deal. The menu at Das Boot Camp is scaled down from the larger restaurant, and is more of a bar menu, but there are still enough choices for a full meal.

When I went to Das Boot Camp I did not have a huge appetite and I was not looking for the type of full meal that is served at Royal Bavaria, so for me Das Boot Camp was perfect.

Schnitzel

Wiener Schnitzel

Wiener Schnitzel was one of the six or so items that are served as dinner items (the rest are sandwiches, soup, appetizers, etc., although they also have bratwurst plates). I thought that this was as good as any schnitzel I have had in Oklahoma, with good meat and a good breading.

The more disappointing part of the meal was the spätzle (I have had others with a better flavor). I ended up ordering fries, the side that normally comes with the schnitzel (they substituted the spatzle for me), which I thought went better with the dish. Overall this was a very satisfying meal and still at a good price.

Other Comments
If you go to Royal Bavaria instead of here you will have other dinner choices such as Hähnchenbrust and cordon bleu. Das Boot Camp advertises that all of their items are under $10, so you just get basic German food here (although it is the same as Royal Bavaria in terms of being authentic).

I think one of the biggest advantages of going to Royal Bavaria is in the side dishes. Royal Bavaria has items such as Bavarian potato salad which I thought was excellent (and may be the same as the potato salad served at Das Boot Camp), but the large menu at Royal Bavaria makes me fairly certain that whatever you want you would be able to get there.

I need to try more items at both restaurants to make a fuller comparison, but it seems that the main difference between the two restaurants is that Royal Bavaria Restaurant has a larger menu with more expensive and fancier items.

Das Boot Camp definitely serves my basic needs for German food, though.

RATING: 23

Cuisine: German
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily (food served until 11 PM)
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Beer

Most Recent Visit: Nov. 28, 2017

Number of Visits: 1

Best Item: Wiener Schnitzel

**Special Ratings**
	Wiener Schnitzel
	Spätzle

Jeng Chi–Richardson, TX

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Steve

Jeng Chi

400 N. Greenville Ave.
Richardson, TX
(972) 669-9094

Jeng Chi

When I have a great experience at a restaurant a lot of it has to do with ordering the right items. Before going to Jeng Chi I read numerous reviews recommending the xiao long bao (steamed dumplings with soup inside), and I also know that there are a very limited number of restaurants in the United States that serve them. I had already tried them at Kirin Court, located a few blocks away in Richardson, and this just encouraged me even more that another experience would be worthwhile.

Part of the “Chinatown” strip mall in Richardson

If I were not on this particular mission it would be quite difficult to even choose Jeng Chi as a destination. It is located in the “Chinatown” strip mall which is filled with Asian restaurants and shops, quite a few of which also have cuisines which are as hard to find as the one served at Jeng Chi (xiao long bao is known as Shanghai cuisine although Jeng Chi’s web site says the restaurant has authentic food from Taiwan and mainland China).

The block long shopping center does have an air of authenticity in which you are unlikely to find any Americanized food, but rather a mixture of traditional foods from various parts of China and other Asian countries. Internet reviews also indicate that this is the case, but of course I hope I get the chance to confirm this on subsequent trips.

I happened to arrive at Jeng Chi at just about the only time it is not open–between 2:45 and 4:00 P.M. every day (but of course this means they are open the rest of the time every day). Although closed they let me sit in the lobby and relax while waiting for service to resume, and I will have to say that for me it was worth the wait to eat here. The combination of having outstanding food, prices that were commensurate but not inflated, and the right portion sizes gave me no regret that I passed up the other nearby restaurants.

Tea

Chur she jasmine tea

Before ordering the food I was asked to make a decision about a drink. This is because some of them take a while to prepare, but also they have some very special teas such as the Chur She Jasmine Tea I ordered. This was prepared in an infuser, and even with additional hot water it maintained its flavor. A wide variety of other drinks are available including tea, beer, and wine.

Xiao Long Bao

Xiao long bao

Xiao Long Bao is the unofficial specialty of the restaurant, and I say this only because so many people have reviewed it. Listed on the menu as “small juicy steamed dumplings” (which come in an order of 8), these are different than many others because they have soup inside. I thought they lived up to the hype, partly because they give you a ginger dipping sauce that adds to the flavor. They also instructed me about how to use the plastic spoon to trap any juice which spills from the dumpling so that none of it is lost.

One comment I would make is that they actually serve seven types of “Juicy and Steamed Dumplings,” as well as a large selection of boiled dumplings. A group of people could order several of them to sample, but I think it is hard to go wrong with the one I ordered.

Pork with Garlic Sauce

Pork with garlic sauce

I am sometimes known to go overboard on ordering food when I am in a place that has especially good choices, such as Jeng Chi. By ordering the Pork with Garlic Sauce, though I felt that this along with the dumplings was not really too much food if I considered it to be the main meal of the day (which it was). In any case, I got an unexpected taste experience which in some ways was equal to the dumplings.

Pork with garlic sauce is a somewhat standard dish that I order in many restaurants, but this one was different in that it had a red color. When I asked about this they said it was because of the chile (which is mixed into the sauce). It was quite strange because it looked like the red sweet and sour sauce found in many restaurants, but the complexity of the flavor in this dish placed it far from the ordinary experience of getting something with a red sauce. The chile level was about four out of five, and the meat was very good quality in keeping with everything else I experienced.

Additional Comments
I had a large enough sample of the food to make me think that this is not a restaurant that specializes only in one dish, but rather I believe everything is good. This is how I think Chinese restaurants should be, so that I am free to order according to my appetite rather than choosing among the few items they do well.

The dumplings lived up to my expectations, but the pork with garlic sauce was also the best presentation of this dish I have found in any restaurant. This might not have been the traditional Chengdu version of the dish, but it was so good that for all I know it may be totally authentic (but just not a way that other restaurants do it). The balance of garlic, ginger, and other flavors, though, did seem very authentic to me even though visually it was different from any others I had tried.

The dining room

The restaurant is very comfortable and fairly upscale, although I was happy that the prices seemed to be at the level that you are only paying for the food and not the atmosphere.

One reason I liked the restaurant is that they explained everything, such as how to eat the dumplings, etc. They have a seasonal menu and probably items that are not on the menu (I did not ask about this but I am very sure they will work with you to get the type of food you want).

As of the date of publication of this article I am giving Jeng Chi the highest rating of any Chinese restaurant on my blog. This is not necessarily because I think it has the best Chinese food I have ever had, but because this excellent food is combined with ease of ordering and prices that do not make it for special occasions only. I think many Chinese restaurant have excellent dishes, but this is one place where I think most people can actually find them and know what they are ordering.

RATING: 28

Cuisine: Chinese
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Beer, Wine

Most Recent Visit: Nov. 28, 2017
Number of Visits: 1
Best Items: Xiao Long Bao, Pork with Garlic Sauce

Asian Food Details

Tea:	Jasmine (brewed)
MSG:	N/A
Buffet:	No

**Special Ratings**
	Xiao Long Bao
	Pork with Garlic Sauce

Sam’s Southern Eatery–Bossier City, LA

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Steve

Sam’s Southern Eatery
2910 Barksdale Blvd.
Bossier City, LA
(318) 658-9980

Sam’s Southern Eatery

Sam’s Southern Eatery is a chain of Cajun style restaurants based in Shreveport, and which consistently shows up on restaurant review sites as a readers’ favorite. There are several locations in the Shreveport area, and they appear to be individually owned although linked to the chain through the supply of shrimp they receive as well as following the same recipes for cooking the food.

One feature pointed out to me that made this location unique was its sale of freshly made home made cakes. The regular menu appears to be the same at all Sam’s locations, although I did notice some differences between this restaurant and the one I had previously tried in Oklahoma City (the OKC restaurant served fried rolls and this one did not).

When I went to this location in the evening hours it had already run out of some items. They had run out of red beans and rice, and they initially said they were out of gumbo but then said I could have the gumbo but they were out of the rice that went with it (I gladly accepted this offer).

Gumbo

Gumbo without rice

The Gumbo was my main order, and it was a very good one. They were out of the rice that usually came with the order, but I thought the gumbo was very good anyway. The flavor of the roux was really a lot better than the one I had tried in Oklahoma City, although the shrimp and other ingredients were about the same at both restaurants. This was not the largest size gumbo they had, but was nevertheless filling if you ate it with side dishes.

Fried Shrimp

Medium sized order of fried shrimp

The sign on the front of the restaurant says “Home of the Jumbo Shrimp,” and this is to be taken seriously. I think these are actually prawns, but in any case this order of eight shrimp really seems to be enough for three people although two of us with great effort managed to eat it (and enjoy it very much).

My dining companion ate the side dishes, and they were reported to be very good as I have found them to be in the Oklahoma City Sam’s.

Cake

Chocolate cake

This location features home made cakes made by a third party, with about eight or ten varieties available. The restaurant recommended peanut butter and reviews also indicate this is one people particularly like, but I thought the chocolate I ordered was quite satisfying (you probably can’t go wrong with any of the flavors).

General Comments
This was not the absolute best fried shrimp I have ever had, but it was close, and I can see why it is the featured dish of the restaurant. Keep in mind, though, that the pieces are quite big. In my mind about three or four pieces per person is about right if you eat it with side dishes or a small gumbo.

The gumbo is what I enjoyed the most, though. I feel that it is a special treat to get gumbo as good as the one here, and ones with comparable flavor are not available in most parts of the country.

RATING: 23

Cuisine: Cajun
Cost: $$
Hours: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM (closed Sun.)
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: N/A

Most Recent Visit: Nov. 27, 2017

Number of Visits: 1

Best Items: Gumbo, Fried Shrimp

**Special Ratings**
	Fried Shrimp
	Gumbo
	Chocolate Cake

Blu Basil–Lafayette, LA

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Steve

Blu Basil

5451 Johnston St.
Lafayette, LA
(337) 456-1120

Blu Basil

Although I know Lafayette is the center of Cajun food, music and culture, this is certainly not the only type of food worth exploring in the area. I had read many good reviews of the Asian restaurants in the city, and Blu Basil seemed to be at the top of the list.

Blu Basil is a Vietnamese restaurant that also serves “Asian Fusion” (according to Yelp). My take on it is that it is Vietnamese food plus other items, rather than the Vietnamese food being Americanized into a fusion cuisine. The atmosphere is quite elegant, giving the customers the feeling that they are at a “special treat” Asian restaurant, yet the prices are moderate (they are higher than I would want to spend every day but are far lower than I have seen for special occasion type Asian restaurants in various cities).

Some on-line reviews indicated that Blu Basil had one of the most extensive Asian food menus in the city, and this is one of the things that initially drew me to the restaurant. When talking to the waitress, though, I found out that some of the more interesting Vietnamese dishes had recently been dropped from the menu due to low demand by customers (one of these was the Banh Xeo). Although I was disheartened by this (thinking that every city deserves a good Banh Xeo), there are other reasons Blu Basil is still a good choice.

I experienced quite heavy traffic throughout the city as I made a tour, aggravated largely by major construction zones as well as what appeared to be major population growth around a street system which had been designed for a much smaller city. Although it is good that some of these problems are now being resolved, I was made more aware of the fact that Blu Basil offers a tranquil haven of good food, soothing jazz music, and friendly employees. The nicely decorated interior made me think I was going to have to pay quite a bit for my meal, but it turned out to be pretty reasonable (I was too late for the lunch specials which are served until 3:00 P.M but dinner is not much more expensive).

Vermicelli Dishes

Grilled chicken bowl

One of my favorite dishes at Vietnamese restaurants is the vermicelli bowl, and Blu Basil had several from which to choose. The Grilled Chicken Bowl actually had the extra bonus of coming with spring rolls, and although this almost made this dish too much for my appetite, I certainly thought it was enjoyable. The good points of the dish included high quality meat, a good mixture of vegetables, a good fish sauce, and of course the very good spring rolls. The negatives included the fact that they did not offer lemongrass chicken and the fact that the dish did not include mint among the mixed vegetables. Neither of these detracted greatly from the dish, although if I lived in the area I would hope these would be available in the Vietnamese food.

Tea

Jasmine tea

For hot tea the restaurant serves a very high quality jasmine tea served with loose leaves. I was somewhat amused by the lemon and honey they give you to put in the tea, but it was quite good without these additions (but at least everyone has a choice). In addition to the jasmine tea I ordered they also offer green and chrysanthemum hot tea, Vietnamese iced coffee, iced tea, orange juice, and freshly squeezed lemonade. All of these items currently cost $3.50 and at least with respect to the jasmine tea, I thought it was well worth it.

Further Comments
In a sense I felt that the food here was really better than in other Vietnamese restaurants to which I have given the same rating, but it is taking into consideration the fact that Blu Basil does not have as large a choice as other restaurants (such as the fact that no lemongrass chicken is available). I will say, though, that adding the spring rolls on top was an unexpected bonus that few other restaurants include.

The menu included quite a few dishes that either looked like more exotic Vietnamese dishes or were “fusion,” so I think if you come here expecting to pay $$$ instead of $$ you might well find some very good dishes.

They have a large variety of pho, and it seems as if they have the basic dishes well covered as well as the more expensive and elaborate ones.

RATING: 23

Cuisine: Vietnamese
Cost: $$
Hours: Closed Sun.
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Beer, Wine, Full Bar

Most Recent Visit: Nov. 27, 2017
Number of Visits: 1
Best Item: Grilled Chicken Bowl

Asian Food Details

Tea:	Jasmine (loose leaves)
MSG:	No
Buffet:	No

**Special Ratings**
	Grilled Chicken Bowl

Poche’s–Breaux Bridge, LA

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Steve

Poché’s
3015 Main Highway
Breaux Bridge, LA
(337) 332-2108

Poche’s Market, Restaurant and Smokehouse

Poche’s has become one of the best known places to get Cajun food, having been featured on Globe Trekker as well as countless travel books and guides. Located a few miles east of Lafayette, Louisiana, I watched in mid-morning as much of the local community and possibly a few tourists such as myself congregated at this “market, restaurant and smokehouse” for its popular plate lunches, with even more people picking up Poche’s famous sausage and other items to go. One of the best aspects of it is that it is not a tourist destination, but it provides an insight into the local Cajun culture which is steeped in tradition, nowhere more evident than in its food.

The entrance to the restaurant and meat market

The food served here requires hours of preparation for most items, mainly because most items contain sausage or other types of smoked meat. I can say that sausage is the best item here, but really it is the delicious dishes that contain sausage and other smoked meats such as the richly flavored red beans and rice (served as a plate lunch on Mondays) or the gumbo (a seasonal dish served in the winter). I feel that I hit the jackpot by being able to try both of these dishes, but I am sure there are others that are equally good.

The selection of plate lunches

The plate lunches, served from 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM, are arrayed in a counter where you can pick out a main dish and two sides. This is served daily, with a different menu each day of the week. Dinner is served after 2:00, with the same menu every day. Seasonal specials, such as the gumbo, are available all day until they run out, and do not come with side dishes.

I was happy I came during the time they had plate lunches. Not only are they reasonably priced, but I got to see a sample of true Cajun food even though I was not able to try everything.

Red Beans and Rice

Red beans and rice plate lunch

The Red Beans and Rice plate lunch was something I was able to try, and found that the sausage in this dish is probably my favorite (the menu just calls it “Sausage”). I loved the flavors of this dish, and thought that even without the sausage this would have been the best example of red beans and rice I have tried. This was one of the items on the Monday menu, though, and is only available for a three and a half hour period once per week. (The ladies told me, though, that you can go earlier than 10:30 and still get many of the plate lunch items).

Gumbo

Gumbo available as a seasonal dish in winter

I ordered Gumbo thinking that it would be a light lunch (really breakfast for me), but the generous servings of meat in it provided a quite filling meal. It appears that they sometimes vary the meats, but this one had chicken, sausage, and tasso (all were excellent). The flavor of the roux, though, made this the best dish I tried and quite possibly the best dish at the restaurant.

Boudin

Boudin

Although I really did not have the appetite for it, I did not want to miss a chance to try Poche’s famous Boudin sausage. There is no doubt they know what they are doing in their sausage making, although being the first time I had tried boudin I don’t have any others with which to compare it.

The Market
Poche’s also sells food (mostly smoked meats) to go, and a good selection of grocery items including some specialty items such as Poche’s Pralines. Many items are also available by mail order.

The Overall Picture
In my opinion Poche’s is the quintessential example of Cajun food, much as Chope’s is for southern New Mexican cuisine. I have not tried very many other Cajun restaurants, and I am not sure Poche’s is the best, but I believe it is enough to demonstrate what Cajun food can be if prepared properly.

The rating for this restaurant (one of the highest I have given to any restaurant) is based on the fact that the right combination of ingredients (such as in the gumbo or red beans and rice) provided an experience as enjoyable to me as a top quality steak or similar examples of other cuisines. I do not say that Cajun food is better than other cuisines, but prepared as it is at Poche’s it can certainly be equal to others.

The fact that the gumbo is a seasonal dish and red beans and rice are only served on Mondays causes me to be a little cautious in determining the rating, but I am still confident that other dishes are of similar high quality.

RATING: 26

Cuisine: Cajun
Cost: $$
Hours: 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM (6 AM to 7 PM Sun.)
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: N/A

Most Recent Visit: Nov. 27, 2017

Number of Visits: 1

Best Items: Gumbo, Red Beans and Rice, Sausage

**Special Ratings**
	Red Beans and Rice
	Gumbo
	Boudin

Little Chinatown–Kenner, LA

Posted on November 26, 2017 by Steve

Little Chinatown

3800 Williams Blvd.
Kenner, LA
(504) 305-0580

Little Chinatown

I should probably explain that while I hope my articles will be of interest to as many readers as possible, my choice of restaurants to visit is ultimately based on my own interests, including what I wish to discover about dining in various cities. Probably my number one passion is Chinese food, and when I heard from the people at Bao & Noodle that there was another Chinese restaurant in the New Orleans area that I should visit (at least that they told me about), I thought I should check it out (although at the expense of some of the local cuisines due to my time limitations).

In Oklahoma City I found that the best seafood was at Chinese restaurants, and the same proved to be true on my New Orleans visit. Little Chinatown in Kenner (near the New Orleans Airport) had some of the best and definitely some of the freshest seafood I have ever experienced, and with the bonus of being prepared Chinese style this was really hard to beat.

The dish I ordered (a seafood hot pot) was the most expensive item I saw on the menu, but was recommended by the waitress as one of the ones she personally liked to eat. My standard practice is to ask employees at a restaurant which dishes are their favorites, and when one of them turns out to be as outstanding as this one I think it is perfectly justified to give the restaurant one of the highest ratings possible. I recognize that many other dishes are probably not going to be this good, but I assume that some probably will (thus I feel fairly confident in the rating I have given).

In any case, seafood is one of the local specialties of New Orleans, and Little Chinatown for me did a better job of presenting it than any other restaurant I visited.

Seafood Clay Pot

Seafood bean noodle clay pot

The Seafood Bean Noodle Clay Pot was a typical Chinese dish in that I did not really understand what would be in it until it was set on the table (although I took their word that it would be very good). The seafood consisted of some items that I believe were local and some that may not have been, but all were extremely fresh (or I will at least say that enough of them were that this was an outstanding dish). The bean noodle was a glass colored vermicelli style noodle that although having a good flavor, mostly served to highlight the main ingredients of the dish.

This was a spicy dish (about four chiles on my “5 chile” scale), so they were obviously not trying to make it so spicy it was hard to taste the seafood. I did enjoy the balance of flavors, however (and would recommended it spicy to anyone who does not have a problem with spicy food).

This is a Hong Kong style restaurant, but they do serve spicy dishes such as this one.

The Restaurant
In contrast to Bao & Noodle, Little Chinatown is larger, has a more varied and extensive menu, and I would say more reasonably priced (although both restaurants are a good value for what you receive). Bao & Noodle is exclusively spicy food (except for the bao) and the spicy dishes Little Chinatown has do not seem to have the full-blown type of heat I found at Bao & Noodle. In any case, these are two very different types of Chinese restaurants, but I thought both of them were excellent.

Little Chinatown said they do not use MSG, and this seemed to be the case with my dish.

Although the menu at Little Chinatown is limited compared to the the high end Chinese restaurants on the west coast, and the setting is definitely not the same, I thought the food here was of a comparable quality.

RATING: 26

Cuisine: Chinese
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: N/A

Most Recent Visit: Nov. 26, 2017
Number of Visits: 1
Best Item: Seafood Bean Noodle Clay Pot

Asian Food Details

Tea:	Jasmine (bags)
MSG:	No
Buffet:	No

**Special Ratings**
	Seafood Bean Noodle Clay Pot

White Cap–Gulfport, MS

Posted on November 25, 2017 by Steve

White Cap Seafood Restaurant
560 Beach Dr.
Gulfport, MS
(228) 604-4444

White Cap Restaurant

It is common knowledge that there are a large number of tourist traps when you look for seafood restaurants located on the beach, but on the Mississippi Gulf Coast it seems that this is where almost all the restaurants are located. This being the case, though, there are some that the locals and many tourists do not consider to be a tourist trap. I believe that White Cap is such a place, and the fact that it is on the beach with views of the Gulf of Mexico is something you can enjoy with no guilt that you will have to “pay for it.”

I learned that White Cap is one of the oldest restaurants in the Gulfport area, and that it has relocated twice due to being knocked out by hurricanes. The latest one was Katrina in 2005, and the owners had to display great hope and optimism just to reopen after the great devastation when so many other businesses and residents have not continued in the area.

At first I wondered if I had made a mistake in coming here when I found out the fried shrimp was not freshly caught. It seems that almost all of the restaurants in the area serve fried shrimp that has been frozen, based on information I heard from a local source (the exception is apparently Steve’s Marina Restaurant in Long Beach). I found out, though, that there are other seafood dishes much better than fried shrimp which are freshly caught, and that these are the favorites with locals. I was a little disappointed by the situation with the fried shrimp, but it was definitely offset by the other food which is served here.

Soups and Appetizers

Salad

I did not come to the coast to eat salad, but one person in my dining party ordered it so I am including the photo. It was said to be very good (and I noticed there was no cheese on top of it, which to me is definitely a good thing!).

Crawfish and corn bisque

One item I tried, though, was the Crawfish and Corn Bisque. This had a cheese flavor with very good crawfish, and is one of the reasons I think White Cap is a worthy place to try (notice that I am not totally opposed to cheese, it just needs to be used appropriately).

Gumbo

The Gumbo was not quite as impressive as some that I tried, but every recipe is different and I enjoyed the one here. It had a dark roux, several types of meat, and did not have an excessive amount of spices (nothing at all to complain about but perhaps the crawfish bisque is better).

Shrimp

Fried shrimp

We ordered the Fried Shrimp after being told that it was not freshly caught, and I enjoyed it for what it was without feeling that we were victims of unrealistic expectations. My advice, though, is to possibly get fried shrimp as an appetizer but not a main course (the one pictured is a main course).

I also need to mention that the Hushpuppies were a real disappointment to me. This is one Southern food that was common in Oklahoma when I was growing up there, and based on this I thought the ones at White Cap fell short.

Boiled shrimp

The Boiled Shrimp was definitely the standout item I tried at the restaurant. They obviously use the freshest and best quality shrimp possible, and this clearly rates as one of those meals that I enjoyed a lot more than I thought was going to be the case. There can be too much of a good thing, and even though I shared the plate there was still way too much for us (I don’t know if we misunderstood how big the serving was or if this was all that was available at dinner time, but I would have been very happy with a serving about half this size).

I was lucky that I went with a person who knew the local food because I probably would not have tried the boiled shrimp on my own, but this was definitely what I will remember from my trip here.

Desserts

Lemon meringue pie

Lemon Meringue Pie was one of the dessert choices available, and I thought it was very good. They had several other choices but did not seem to have any particular one that was a “house specialty.”

General Comments
I did not have a chance to try other restaurants in the area, but it definitely seems that White Cap is one of the restaurants trying to maintain its quality for repeat customers (and is definitely not a tourist trap). When I changed my expectations from wanting fried shrimp to being open to try the boiled shrimp, this was definitely a very enjoyable experience. Although I went at night when I could not enjoy the seaside view it did not matter (the food was worth the money without this “bonus”).

RATING: 24

Cuisine: Seafood
Cost: $$$
Hours: N/A
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: N/A

Most Recent Visit: Nov. 25, 2017

Number of Visits: 1

Best Items: Boiled Shrimp, Crawfish and Corn Bisque

**Special Ratings**
	Fried Shrimp
	Boiled Shrimp
	Crawfish Bisque
	Gumbo
	Cole Slaw
	Hushpuppies
	Lemon Meringue Pie

Steve's Food Blog

Savoring the Local Flavor of the American Southwest and Beyond

Monthly Archives: November 2017

Cook’s Restaurant–Clovis, NM

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Sushi Neko–Oklahoma City, OK

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Sam’s Southern Eatery–Bossier City, LA

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Poche’s–Breaux Bridge, LA

Little Chinatown–Kenner, LA

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White Cap–Gulfport, MS