El Pollo Rey

1101 Kansas Ave
Kansas City, KS 66105
(913) 371-4243

If you are wondering where to look for the best grilled chicken in Kansas City, El Pollo Rey is the place you are looking for.
This place is small, run by only two people (when I went there). They spoke little English, actually only one person (the cashier) who understood what I wanted. :)
I saw only few tables were set since the place is very small and right in the corner of S. 11th Street and Kansas Ave. It's right in front of Firestone Autocare. I didn't get a chance to take a picture of the restaurant, so the one on the right is taken from "Neal1960", who put the picture on his flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/neal1960/3543438471/).

No menu is necessary, because all they sell in there is grilled chicken. You either want it half or whole chicken. Half chicken costs $6.50 and whole is $12. They also do chicken wings with, I believe, their own creation of buffalo sauce. They accept CASH only. ;)

I did not order the chicken wings, so I won't comment on that.
However, the grilled chicken is absolutely delicious. It came with a small cup of Mexican rice, bean soup, salsa, tortillas, and sliced pickled red onion.
They know how to grill a perfect chicken, let's leave it at that.
It was smoky, tasty, and wonderful!

It actually reminded me of home. No, I wasn't born in South America. But, somehow the taste of the chicken was similar to the ones we have in South East Asia.
The tortillas that came with the chicken were different than what I would have gotten from chained restaurants. I may not be 100% in this, but I think they made their own tortillas or may be got them from an authentic Mexican supplier. It was freshly made!

Anyway, the Mexican rice was salty to my taste (because I only ate it like that). Until I put some chicken on the tortilla with the rice, red onion, and salsa. Absolutely delicious!!
I am not a big fan of pickled onion, so I did not eat a lot of them.
The bean soup was wonderful, as well. It had bacon in it and that made it different, I think. I could see the whole pinto beans, but they were very tender and tasty.

I loved just to eat the chicken and dip it in salsa. It's very addictive!
I could taste the sourness in the salsa, as well as the sweetness and not too overbearing spiciness. All in all, El Pollo Rey is now my number one favorite chicken place. You just can't get enough of them!

Pho KC Restaurant

315 Cherry Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
(816) 471-2224

Oh for the love of Pho! If you are looking for the best Pho in Kansas City, you have to go to Pho KC. Who would have thought that a small place lurking right there in the corner of 4th Street and Cherry Street served the best Pho in KC?

I first learned about Pho KC from my husband's hairstylist who was from Vietnam. I trusted her completely. A Vietnamese recommended authentic Vietnamese food? Hey, that's must be the real deal!

OK, let's talk Pho. I ordered a small bowl of Pho dac biet, the combination. It had eye of round, beef tripe, meatball, and some tendons. Their price was affordable. For a big bowl of Pho, combination or not, was only $6.39 plus tax. It's a huge bowl, complete with the fresh cilantro leaves and all the trimmings.
Their broth was simply "broth-taking"! Delicious! The broth was clear and you can really taste the beef flavor. I didn't have to add any hoisin sauce or any other additional sauce to enhance it. It tasted perfect to me. The noodle was thin, just the way I like it.

Other than that, I also had their appetizers, the Banh Tom Chien ( sweet potato shrimp fritter) and Fried quails.

Banh Tom Chien was alright. Their sweet potatoes were sweet, but I didn't think it was too special compared to any other Vietnamese restaurant out there. Price-wise, it was still cheaper than any other restaurants, though.
I do like their Fried Quails. The way they cooked them was interesting, I thought. I've had fried quails in Indonesia before. Of course it's totally different. The ones in Indonesia were way smaller than the ones in here (maybe because everything in Indonesia seemed smaller than here?). Anyway, the quails were very tasty. It had sweetness to it and very tender, too.

My husband ate their grilled pork with all the goodness. :)
That, too, was tasty. Although I still thought the Pho was their main star.

So, still looking for the best Pho in KC? Stop looking! Pho KC is the answer. Trust me! :)

One Bite Japanese Grill bites!

I just got bitten by One Bite Japanese Grill. Ouch!

Lunch went wrong when the co-owner of One Bite Japanese Grill suddenly decided to make a suggestion about how to handle children.
Instead of handling the okonomiyaki in the grill, she decided to interfere with parenting.

My two girlfriends and I were trying to get the kids settled down when the co-owner came (I was still standing). She said, "If I may make a suggestion, can you try to calm your kids when they cry so they don't bother the other customers. Because last week your kid was crying and there were customers complained they couldn't eat and hear their own voices."
I was there last week and my girlfriends were not. It was my son who cried and had a temper for less than 10 minutes.

However, as a co-owner of a restaurant, telling that to a customer was inappropriate. No apologies. No smiles. She even said that since there were no customers at that moment, it would be better to tell us in advance so we won't be embarrassed later. She also added that we should control our children, etc...etc..
My girlfriends started to protest and I was getting very angry. She pulled away my chair and told us whether we wanted to stay or leave was up to us. However, pulling away my chair was a sign that she did not want us to be there.

This place clearly does not welcome children. The claimed of child friendly restaurant is a FAKE.
They only have 1 highchair and 2 booster seats since 2007.

As a foodie, I was very disappointed at their treatment to their customers even before I began ordering the food. As a restaurateur, she should know better than to reject paying customers.
As a mother, I was very angry that she tried to tell me how to be a parent.

How sad that she doomed this restaurant.

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

After watching Julie and Julia movie, I was inspired to try Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. That recipe somehow stuck in my mind and I just had to try it myself.
So my husband got that particular recipe online and I was ready for battle in the kitchen with the infamous Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon.
I read and reread the recipe many times before getting on it. I followed the recipe to the 'T'.

There were many steps to the recipe, but the result was rewarding. It was the most delicious stew I have ever put in my mouth. The beef was fork-tender. The gravy was flavorful and unbeliavably tasty. I served it with roasted potatoes and it was perfect! So here's the recipe taken directly from Julia Child's recipe cookbook. I took NO credit whatsoever from this. It was all Julia's. Bon Appetit!
Note: I used Beef chuck roast for the beef, with beautiful marbling for tenderness.

What you need:
9- to 10-inch, fireproof casserole dish , 3 inches deep
Slotted spoon

Ingredients:
6 oz chunk of bacon
1 Tb olive oil
3 lbs beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tb flour
3 cups red wine (Burgundy or Chianti)
2-3 cups brown beef stock
1 Tb tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
A crumbled bay leaf

18-24 pearl onion, brown braised in stock *
1 lb quartered fresh mushroom sauteed in butter **

Directions:

1. Simmer bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.
4. Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
5. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.
6. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
7. Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
8. While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.
9. When the melt is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
10. Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

*Oignons Glaces A Bruns (Brown-braised Onions)
Ingredients:
18-24 peeled pearl onions (small white onions)
1 1/2 Tb butter
1 1/2 Tb oil

1/2 cup of brown stock
salt and pepper to taste
A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp thyme tied in cheesecloth

Directions:
When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet.

**Champignons Sautes Au Beurre (Sauteed Mushroom)
Ingredients:
4 Tb butter
2 Tb oil
1 lb fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large

Directions:
Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During the saute the mushroom will first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes, the fat will reappear on the surface, and the mushroom will began to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Note: Do not crowd the pan when you saute the mushroom. The mushroom must be dry and the butter must be very hot. Saute in several batches if you are preparing a large amount.

*Update coming soon*

I can't believe a new year is already here.
Yet, my latest blog was August 2008. Too much was happening during the last few months before the new year.
I went on the cruise to the Bahamas with Disney (which was awesome!). I went to Dallas again.
So the upcoming blogs will involve my adventure with Disney cruise and what I ate on board.
Plus I will also blog about the taste of Dallas, what I ate during my stay there.
I love Dallas. As I once said to my friend, Dallas had me at 'Hello'. :)

Stay tune, folks. I am currently writing my stories aboard Disney cruise, which I will post as soon as I finished.

Recipe: Fried Rice Omelette

Inspired by the American breakfast, Omelette, I wanted to make a Fried Rice Omelette. I think the Japanese have their version of Fried Rice Omelette (Omurice a.k.a. Omuraisu). Anyway I made my version of Fried Rice Omelette using the ingredients I have in my refrigerator. I am proud to say that this is one of my original recipes. :)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced cooked chicken breast/thigh
1/4 cup diced cooked ham
1/4 cup sliced Chinese BBQ pork (char siu)
2 plates cooked steamed rice (let cool)
1 shallot, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 T ABC Manis Pedas (sweet and spicy sauce)
2-3 T ketchup
3-4 T sweet soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
sugar as needed
Royco or dry Chicken Bouillon as needed

1/8 cup Fried shallots

2 eggs, beaten well with a little bit of water and salt & pepper.

Directions:
1. Stir fry shallot and garlic until fragrant in medium high heat. Add the chicken and other meat, stir fry until well blended.
2. Add the rice and other seasonings, except the Fried shallots.
3. When everything is cooked and taste good, add the shallot, turn off the heat.
4. Make an omelette. Place the omelette on a plate, put the rice inside half the omelette and fold the other half. Garnish with more shallot, ketchup, or mayonnaise.

Note: I didn't have enough time in decorating the plate, so it was very plain. But the taste was very good. Just ask my husband. :)

Buffalo Wild Wings

Who would have thought buffalo have wings? :)

I fell in love with buffalo wings when I was in college. It was Mojo's wings from Lawrence, KS who captured my heart at first taste. Too bad they went out of business for a while now. Their "Red Code" (the hottest wings on their menu) was divine. But, I am not talking about Mojo's now. I'm talking about Buffalo Wild Wings.

I normally avoid reviewing chain restaurants, but since I love wings so much and theirs have a lot of varieties of sauces, heck, I wanted to talk about them.
My favorite sauces are Mango Habanero and Asian Zing.

Mango Habanero is more like sweet and spicy sauce. It has the sweetness of tropical mango and a whole lot of spiciness of chili pepper. Asian Zing is a lot milder that that and has ginger in it that made it Asian.
And yes, I have tried their Blazin' sauce. I tried it with their drumstick the first time (because of their drumstick special day). It was a HUGE mistake.
Never try Buffalo Wild Wings sauce on a drumstick. They called it 'wings sauce' for a reason.

For a daredevil and stomach hater, Blazin' is actually the perfect sauce for you. No, I'm just kidding here. :)
Blazin' is a really hot and tangy sauce. I really want to re-try eating it one day and have my picture on their wall for taking the Blazin' challenge. :)

For the appetizer section, I liked their Fried garlic Mushroom. The batter is garlicky and somewhat tasty. It goes perfectly well with the cool Ranch dipping sauce.
By the way, Do not order their Desert Heat! They did not taste good. Seriously, they shouldn't even put that on their menu. It's a good thing they only had it for a limited time only.

Oh, their Primo Margarita was also truly a Primo Uno! :)
Buffalo Wild Wings is a great place to go for late snacks or to watch the game.
(I hope someone from the Buffalo Wild Wings reads my blog and compensates me for advertising their restaurant for Free or give me a coupon for a Free margarita. Now, that will really make my day! :) )

A new update (8/25/09)
Brought home three wings with Blazin' sauce today. I wouldn't take chances of having stomach-ache after eating too much wings, so I thought three were enough.
As I mentioned before, the sauce is very very hot and tangy. Not too tangy like regular buffalo wild wings, but enough kick.
The first bite was hard on my tongue. I felt it burned my mouth, my tongue and the whole throat. Then I felt it on my stomach, the burning sensation. I almost cried!
But I kept on going, finishing all three wings with head held high and eyes all watery.
Oh I forgot to mention, I ate them with rice! Yes... rice helped toned down the heat. Forget the basket of fries, forget the Ranch dressings (I ordered the Ranch, though). Rice helped, period!

Hubby asked if I would order wings with Blazin' sauce again, I said I would. But probably not anytime soon. My lips are still burning while I'm typing this. Goodness!

PS: They even put a warning label on the box. Awesome!