0 Soup ‘n Wraps – Eden Prairie, MN

I’ve heard (from people I trust) that there’s this new amazing Indian fusion restaurant. But it’s filled with wraps and bowls. Yes, my intrigue-level was ramped up very quickly. I finally got a chance to sneak there (despite missing out on multiple invites I’m now kicking myself for). When Fire Wally told me this place is in a strip mall, I knew it was going to be good.

When I walked in, the woman asked if she could help me, and I confessed I hadn’t been here. I recommend doing this, frankly, so you get the full treatment and don’t miss out on something amazing. She explained all of the options. I could get a bowl - which I’m pretty sure is a Styrofoam to-go container with two entrees and rice; you can get a “business lunch” – which is kind of a sampler platter; or you can get two wraps with any ingredients inside. The very patient and kind woman explained the vegetarian options and also the meat options. They’ve got palak paneer, various dals (lentils), aloo gobi, butter chicken, chicken reshmi, tikka masala, lamb curry, and chicken 65. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you, but chicken 65 is my favorite of all the numbered chickens. I needed some chicken 65.

They also had samosas, which I almost got. And a samosa wrap – I can’t even picture what that would be!. And chai. And Mango Lassi. They apparently have everything (except kheer). This place is wonderful.

I decided to go with two wraps. Each one with different fillings. These aren’t small wraps, either. They’re 8 inch crosses between naan and tortillas. I don’t know what they’re called, but they’re plenty big and hearty. I got one with chicken 65 and one with lamb curry. They asked if I wanted cabbage – yes, I did. They asked if I wanted sauce – yes, I did. One was a chili paste, one was a chimichurri, and one was an unnamed dark brown sauce. They warned me the chicken 65 was medium hot, but I had them add the chili paste anyway. They wrap it right in front of you, so you can see what you’re getting. Then they give you a small side dish of yogurt in case you need to dip your wrap into something cooling. The whole thing came to $7.50. That’s amazing.

The lamb curry wrap was really quite good. The wrap didn’t get soggy and held up, even with my erratic dipping into the yogurt sauce. No bones, a touch of cinnamon, and some heat from the chili paste. Wonderful!

The chicken 65 wrap was even better!!! Wonderfully flavorful chicken bites with no gristle at all. It had some pretty solid heat, so if you’re not a heat person, don’t get the chili paste. I loved every bit of this thing. I even considered getting another pair of chicken 65 wraps. It was a tough call, frankly. When I got up to clear my tray into the garbage, I warned the staff (the chef had come out to chat) that I would for sure be back. I can’t wait to tell everyone about this place. And, they extended their hours so they’re open for dinner most nights, as well. I’m not sure what the fusion part of this place is (maybe wraps), but this is one of the best lunches I’ve had in a really long time. Hit this place up as soon as you can.

6403 City West Parkway

Eden Prairie, MN 55344

www.soupnwraps.com

Detail: Soup ‘n Wraps – Eden Prairie, MN

0 Hattie B's Hot Chicken - Nashville, TN

When someone says you have to try the Hot Chicken in Nashville, you just do it. I assure you, you can't go wrong. We got fantastic recommendations about Hattie B's, so I rounded up D.Rough and A-Wow and we Uber-ed right to the front door. And, before you ask, yes, there will be a line out the front door.

Deciding on the hot chicken is the easy part of the menu. Deciding which side items you'd like is the really hard part. I went with collard greens, since we're in the south, and also the potato salad.

We found a spot on the enclosed patio and simply watched other people enjoying their food. Everyone had smiles and were talking excitedly about their food. When ours came out, we knew why.

The hot chicken is beyond comprehension why it is so good. I think the chicken is seasoned, and then the batter is seasoned, and then the seasoning is seasoned. Depending on your level, it's going to be hot. I ordered some sort of middle of the road and it was perfect. Amazingly tender chicken and the perfect amount of breading to not hide the chicken, but simply protect it. It's amazing. My lips were tingling but my eyes weren't tearing up. Like I said, some of the best chicken I ever had.

The collard greens were done right - like they know how to do in the south. A little kick of pepper and some bits of meat in there. Excellent.

The potato salad was good. No complaints. Nothing I haven't had before, but it was a great accompaniment to the spicy chicken. I'm glad I got it.

And then, when you're done, you can sop all the extra juice from the chicken up with with what bread it's served on. That's one of my favorite parts of southern cooking - the soppin'.

A-Wow would also recommend the extreme rootbeer float he ordered for dessert. It helped cool his face down after all the hot chicken.

I'd recommend Hattie B's to everyone I get a chance to talk to about it.

Top 5 things about Hattie B's Hot Chicken
1. Hot Chicken
2. Collard Greens
3. The menu is thorough
4. White bread for soppin'
5. They DO have beer

Bottom 5 things
1. You WILL wait in line here (but you won't complain once you have food in your mouth)
2. ...And then you might wait in line to get a seat after you order
3. I tried really hard to find other bad things, but there aren't any

www.hattieb.com

Detail: Hattie B's Hot Chicken - Nashville, TN

0 Gyropolis – Minneapolis, MN

This place had continuously popped up on my radar when searching for food place and I was finally in the neighborhood to check it out. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when I pulled into the parking lot, it was packed. When I tried to get in the front door, it also was packed. This place does phenomenal business during the lunch hour.

Thankfully, standing in line gave me ample time to check out the menu thoroughly and make up my mind. …which I changed right at the exact moment I was ordering. Hahaha.

I went with the spicy gyro sandwich. It was enough of the basics to be able to compare it to other places, and then with enough zing to make sure it was going to have some flavor. I also upped it to the meal deal they had and got some seasoned fries and a drink (can or fountain pop).

There wasn’t any place to sit, so I got it to go and headed back to work to eat in the parking lot sunshine and listen to music. I apologize for the photo looking green – it is the sun tinting at the top of the windshield that I didn’t notice until after I had wolfed down the sandwich and looked at the photo with tzatziki-covered fingers.

The gyro itself was really good. The meat was fantastic and had some crunchy bits on it – my favorite. There were some red and green peppers on it, as well, which I love. The pitas are fried a bit on the flat top, so they have some more flavor. But the real gem of this was the spicy tzatziki sauce. I thought it was going to be like sri-racha mayo or something, but it isn’t. It actually has some heat and amazing flavor! Best spicy tzatziki I’ve ever had. I really enjoyed this gyro and will now try to find a reason to trick A-Wow or M.Giant or FlameRetarded into going there with me.

The seasoned fries were good. Not great, but just good. The seasoning was a little sparse and they needed some ketchup. But they were still good to have with the sandwich. I’m really happy with this place and look forward to heading back!

Good showing, Gyropolis!

Gyropolis

2325 W. 90th St.

Minneapolis, MN 55431

Detail: Gyropolis – Minneapolis, MN

0 Paseo – Key West, FL

D.Rough and I managed to get far out of town on a mini-vacation and drove down the coast of Florida to Key West. We did some online review checking and this place called Paseo kept popping up as a place to go. We had the time (mainly since we were just relaxing all day and had no agenda/itinerary), so we checked it out.

Paseo is mainly Caribbean cuisine in sort of a walk-up-counter small corner shop. There are menus at the beginning of the line so you can decide before you get to the cashier/order taker. D.Rough wanted the Caribbean Roast, which the cashier told us was one of their top sellers. I got a West Caribbean Bowl. We also decided to split a roasted ear of corn.

We found a spot outside at the patio tables and waited just a short while for our food to arrive.

D.Rough’s sandwich was pretty impressive. It was slow-roasted pork shoulder slices on a toasted baguette with aioli, cilantro, pickled jalapenos, lettuce and large slices of caramelized onions. The pork was delicious and was complemented well by the aioli and jalapenos. And the bun wasn’t overly toasted, so it didn’t cut up the roof of your mouth. Great sandwich!

The roasted corn had some white cheese partly melted on it, with some cayenne/paprika mix with cilantro. It was really delicious (and I got it all over my person – thankfully, I was shirtless the whole time I was in Key West) and had some serious heat to it. We both loved it.

The West Caribbean Bowl was almost like a deconstructed nacho bowl. It had rice and beans, salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream, and jalapenos with a chicken thigh and tortilla chips. The meat fell right off the bone, so it was easy to pull apart and eat with the chips and toppings. I loved this thing. I left them an empty bowl, which I’ll guess happens a lot. The chicken had great flavor, which was sort of the highlight of the bowl. Fantastic lunch!

I’m glad we decided to check this place out. Sometimes, we ended up getting burned on listening to online reviews, but this place was everything it was claimed to be and more. Really nice people working there and amazing food. It was also REALLY reasonably priced, We couldn’t find a copy of the menu online before we got there, so I grabbed a menu and scanned it. You’re welcome.

No Top 5 , just go here. You won’t regret it!

www.facebook.com/paseokeywest

1000 Eaton Street

Key West, FL 33040

Detail: Paseo – Key West, FL

0 B-52 Burgers and Brew – Inver Grove Heights, MN

I had a free night, so I headed to a place I had meant to go to for some time – B-52. I really wasn’t sure what to expect, aside from a serious burger menu. The restaurant is located right next to a movie theater that I’ve attended frequently, so it isn’t usually far from my mind.

The inside was different than I expected. From the outside, it looks like an medium-scale place, like a more affordable Granite City or Pittsburgh Blue. But once inside, it is much more low-brow than that. It’s really dark inside with some dark wood, and almost… I hesitate to say… divey (but a comfortable divey). It’s 1000% a sports bar, however. In fact, you know how in Vegas, all the booths in a place face the band’s stage? B-52 is like that, but all the booths face a wall full of television screens. MANY screen. You can’t look anywhere in the place and not accidentally view some sort of sports. While I was there, I was fortunate enough to see the Lady Gophers, the state hockey tournament, Minnesota Wild, some baseball game from last season, and a half dozen other sports. If you aren’t into sports, then this is NOT your place – be forewarned. To their credit, it isn’t particularly loud or dirty or anything, just really dark and set up like no restaurant I’ve ever been to.

The menu has a lot of things happening. Lots of wraps, fried appetizers, flatbreads, bigger entrees, and of course burgers. Lots of burgers. Also, they have a mac and cheese of the week – which I was tempted to get, but felt I owed it to the place to give them a burger review. They also have a Friday night all you can eat fish fry that I REALLY wanted, but still went with the burger. Next time, I’m going fish fry. Additionally, I was a little bummed at their beer selection. It’s got “brew” in the title of the place, but they had a pretty white bread selection of the standards. Not much local and not much weird.

I needed about 90% of the burgers on the list, but finally decided on the B-52. It’s got roasted jalapenos, banana peppers, pepper jack cheese, chipotle mayo, and B-52 sauce. I saw they had “the Mother of All Burgers” on the menu, which is a pile of stuff with 2 pounds of burger between a giant bun, but I wasn’t in the mood to die this particular evening. I also decided on sweet potato fries, since I’m always a big fan.

There was some interesting entertainment aside from that on the TVs in the place, so I enjoyed myself listening to a relationship end, a bunch of d-bags talk smack about their girlfriends who were sitting next to them, and a particular couple trying to do karaoke to the sound of the music on the sound system in the restaurant. Sound like every night is an enjoyable time at B-52.

The food came out and despite the dark, it looked pretty good. The bun is branded with the signature B-52 logo – a classy touch that I enjoy. There were also a handful of pickle slices which were REALLY thick cut and tasty. I was also amazed at the amount of sweet potato fries that were included here. Almost the amount you give someone to prove they can’t finish them – almost. There were a ton.

The burger itself was pretty good. Not in the Top 5 in the world, but pretty darn good. The combination of ingredients was fantastic and the meat was flavorful without being greasy. The ratio of toppings to burger and bun was spot-on, as well. There was a good amount of spice, but not enough to make me sweat (again, I’m not originally from Minnesota, so I actually do have a developed spice tolerance). Great work on the burger.

The sweet potato fries were great. They had good seasoning to them and were not floppy, nor crispy. Perfectly cooked. The seasoned mayo/sour cream that came with to dip made everything that much better, also. It was difficult to not blow through the small-ish container they gave me, but next time, I will ask for two. There are a lot of fries, and I hate holding back on my fry coverage.

Overall, I had a pretty darn good meal here. The server made sure I was well taken care of and didn’t even mock me for coming in solo. Looking around, I wasn’t the only one. I’m looking forward to heading back to this place before or after a movie sometime. Maybe on a Friday night when they have the fish fry or when they have some awesome mac and cheese special. It’s worth the trip from the Downtown area, if that’s where you’re at. Lots of things to choose from. But again, be forewarned, this place is a sport bar on crack.

Top 5 things about B-52 Burgers and Brew
1. Sweet potato fries and dip (amount and flavor)
2. B-52 burger
3. Really good menu with a lot of options
4. Really friendly staff
5. If you like sports, I’ll give you the fifth slot on the Top 5

Bottom 5 things
1. If you don’t like sports, I’ll give you the number 1 spot on the Bottom 5
2. It’s realllly dark in there
3. visually distracting with all the televisions showing every sport in the known universe
4. The B-52 war-time imagery that the place is named for is very much lost on the walls due to the televisions
5. Lackluster beer menu, considering “brew” is in its name

www.b52burgersandbrew.com

Detail: B-52 Burgers and Brew – Inver Grove Heights, MN

0 Teque Arepa – Eden Prairie, MN

I’m a big fan of arepas. I’ve had arepas from maybe ten different places, so I’m not an expert or anything, but I know what I like. For those not familiar, arepas are sort of like tacos, but on a corn starch circle of bread that looks like a large English muffin or a pita. They’re hold-able sandwiches filled with a variety of toppings. Arepa shells (are they called shells? that, I don’t know, actually) are either deep fried in oil or cooked on a flat-top.

A new Arepa place opened up in Eden Prairie in the old Roly Poly (which I was super sad to see leave) and I was dying to try it. I pulled into the parking lot and there was a car next to me with the menu held to the dashboard with a band-aid. That guys is SERIOUS about trying everything on the menu. I like your style, good sir.

The menu on the wall of the restaurant is comprehensive (the photo is from the small take-home menu). Lots of different fillings for your arepa, lots of sides, and lots of juices and drinks. A very nice gentleman at the counter welcomed me and asked if I had had Venezuelan food before. I told him I had had arepas before but not some of the other items, and I was looking forward to trying them. I ordered a Pabellón arepa (he said they were his best seller) and some Queso Blanco Empanadas. Sadly, the man told me the fryers weren’t working right now and I couldn’t get those, nor the fried plantains, nor the fried desserts (tequeños). He seemed as bummed as I did. But he did suggest, “maybe you just order two arepas!” – and that, I did, my friends. So I went with the Rumbera arepa. I had heard people raving about the lemonade with sugar cane in it, so I got one of those as well – called a Papelón con Limón. He asked if I wanted hot sauce or garlic sauce, and then he said, “maybe I just put them on the side. You can choose how much.” Great idea and thank you!

I was a worried when the order came out because the drink looked like a tamarind drink I saw some people drinking. Thankfully, it wasn’t – I’m not a fan of tamarind, no offense. But this was like a lemonade I’d never had before. Very sweet without being sickeningly sweet. The sour of the lemon balanced it all out – I was extremely pleased with this beverage choice. Although, next time, I want to try the soursop shake and pretty much every juice smoothie and shake they have.

The Arepa Rumbera was packed full. Sliced roasted pork and cheddar cheese busting out all over the place. I tried a bite to see if it was as good as it looked. The shell wasn’t greasy like some of the arepas I’ve had before at other places. Very light and just slightly grilled on each side, leaving marks. Crunchy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. The meat was extremely tender and flavorful and I just couldn’t get enough. I tried some with the garlic sauce – Winner. You need to use the garlic sauce. I tried some with the hot sauce – Winner. You need to use the hot sauce, as well. It isn’t like a salsa, it’s like a South American version of Frank’s Red Hot. Vinegary with heat, but also good flavor. Fantastic arepa!

The Pabellón was even better. I think this one is more traditional, based on others I’ve had. It has black beans, shredded beef, white cheese, and sweet plantain slices. I loved that with every bite, there would be this delicious sweet plantain flavor right at the end of the chewing. This one got a little messy, but only because it was packed full, like the first one. Again, the garlic sauce and the hot sauce jazzed it up (not that it needed it) just right.

There was a Venezuelan guy sitting behind me explaining all things Venezuelan to his coworker. Normally, I would have been annoyed, but he was extremely knowledgeable and thorough. I soaked it all up. He talked about how he makes arepas the easy and fast way for his kids every Sunday morning, but Teque Arepa makes them the traditional and better way. They were also playing Venezuelan music on the speakers inside and he commented that what they were actually playing was traditional Christmas music in Venezuela – he was amused.

There were tons of Spanish-speakers eating lunch here, which I was really happy to see. The dining room was decreased since Roly Poly moved out, but there are still 6 or 7 small tables to sit at – all of which were full. Man, I hope this place stays open forever!

I think I just found my new favorite lunch place.................


Top 5 things about Teque Arepa
1. Pabellón arepa
2. Rumbera arepa
3. Lemonade with Sugar Cane - Papelón con Limón
4. Really friendly staff
5. Very generous portions

Bottom 5 things
1. Bummed about the fryers not functioning – but totally forgivable
2. I wish I had a fork. None was brought out and none were provided near the counter
3. Very small dining room
4. So many things, it’s hard to decide – just keep going back!
5. This place is far from my home, but very close to my work. Dang it, now I’m going to want to go to work ALL THE TIME…

Teque Arepa
7733 Flying Cloud Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
(952) 405-8092

Detail: Teque Arepa – Eden Prairie, MN

0 Smalley’s Caribbean BBQ and Pirate Bar – Stillwater, MN

D.Rough has had a hankering for Caribbean cuisine for a few weeks and we thought we’d try a new place. We love the Minneapolis authentic offerings of Marla’s and Harry Singh’s, but I had my eye on this pirate-themed restaurant and bar out in Stillwater. She finally caved, especially after we found out Monday’s are all day happy hour (food and drinks in the bar only).

The restaurant is in a brick building with a shared hallway space with a bunch of retail shops. It’s easy to drive past, but if you know it is the first building on the right-hand side of the road when you enter Stillwater (like I’m telling you right now, so you’ll know), it’s really easy to find.

The menu has a LOT of things on it. Enough to cause you to change your mind at least ten times. We started with the happy hour menu to figure out what we should focus our attention on. We started with some rum based drinks (it’s a pirate bar, after all). I got the Sunsplash (rum and pineapple juice punch) and D.Rough got the Cabin Boy (some juice and four various shots of rum). We couldn't tell which one was which, as shown in the photos below. This place has a huge list (like in a fancy wine-list sort of book) of rums. You need to try them all.

We had conch and corn fritters in mind when we sat down. But the server talked us out of them by using this line, “those aren’t on the happy hour menu. Order something on the happy hour menu and when you come back (you’ll be back, I promise), you can order the fritters since they’re always regular price anyway.” Not sure of the logic, but for some reason, we bought into his strategy. We ordered a couple of jerk chicken wings (medium jerk spice-level on the house sauce) and two jerk pork tacos. That was just until we could figure out what we really wanted to eat for dinner. Thankfully, it didn’t take too terribly long. We went with the BBQ combo – Ribs, Beef Brisket, and Pork Shoulder. We went with the hot jerk seasoning on everything. We assumed the medium jerk spice would be too mild for us. And for our two sides, we got the beer battered plank fries and the roasted sweet potatoes with caramelized pork and sausage.

And because I’m a 5 year old, I ordered the full bar-sized portion of mac and cheese, complete with all the toppings – which I will explain in a second.

The jerk pork tacos looked pretty darn good. They were larger than I expected them to be and they were actually much more full of pork than I expected them to be. The flavor was good but not too spicy. It was a really good sort of pulled/shredded pork with some cilantro, crumbly Chihuahua cheese, lettuce, and some tomatoes on top, all wrapped in a soft flour shell. I’m glad we tried these. Not spicy, but quite good (and probably more filling than I expected them to be.

The jerk wings were actually fantastic. It’s hard to see them in the photo, since they look BLACK, but they’re not burned. That’s just the sauce on them. Great meat flavor and the spice was pretty awesome. These were D.Rough’s favorite part of the meal. I’m not kidding. We should have gotten more of these.

The combo came out and we were ready to dig into it. The first thing I noticed was the cornbread with candied jalapenos. I saw it on the menu as a side, but didn’t know it came with the meal. It was delicious.

The roasted sweet potatoes were also really delicious. There was more meat than sweet potatoes, but I didn’t mind at all. Delicious chunks of various meats intertwined with large chunks of sweet potato. I might need to figure out how to make this one.

The beer battered plank fries were much better than I expected them to be. I’m not a huge fan of fries all the time, but these were quite good. The batter absolutely made them. Well done.

The pork shoulder was shredded (not what I was expecting, honestly), but you could tell was seething with spices. Remember, we decided we didn’t have a typical Minnesota palate, so we went with the spiciest jerk sauce they had. D.Rough took one bite and suggested maybe we should have gotten one level down. Seriously, this stuff was tear jerking and sweat creating spicy. But I will also say this – it is some of the best flavored seasoning I’ve had. Especially on pork shoulder. It’s even made with imported pimento wood, so it’s actually authentic jerk flavor. So the strategy is basically take a bite and then make sure you have some of the sides to help your taste buds reform. Repeat. Seriously hot, so if that’s your thing, get it. But also, REALLY good flavor on them. We put back plenty of this meat.

The same thing went for the beef brisket – shredded and cooked in hot jerk sauce. Also incredibly flavorful but painfully hot. I honestly loved it. It was pushing the bounds of my heat tolerance, but I kept eating it. You just had to pace yourself and add some sides to get the heat levels timed right. Once you figure that out, you will be home free. The jerk sauce here is really awesome.

We needed more drinks, about half way through these spicy meats. I got a Dirty Wench – passion fruit and mango sparkling rum-ita. D.Rough got a Gringo Margarita – gold tequila, orange liqueur and scratch sour. Both wonderful. Both refreshing.

The spare ribs on the plate didn’t seem to be as hot as the other two meats. Maybe we had blown out our taste buds already. Hahaha. But the meat was smoky and sweet. Just chewy enough it didn’t fall off the bone, but you didn’t have to fight it off the bones. Whatever seasoning they used on these ribs was about perfect. They weren’t nearly as spicy as the other two meats. Not the best ribs in the Twin Cities (see the Bar-B-Quest 2013 reviews to find out who is), but they did a darn good job on them.

And finally, the Mac and cheese I ordered. I knew from reading some reviews how to order this dish. You get all the fun accoutrements put on it. Bacon – check! Roasted green chilies – check! Cheetos – check!

Yup, you heard me right. Cheetos. When they brought it out to our table, we got some oohs and aaaahs from the fellow diners who didn’t know this thing existed. It was really fun presentation and added some unusual but great crunch to the mac and cheese. Both D.Rough and I thought the mac and cheese was going to be pretty standard issue, but it’s one of the better ones in the Twin Cities. It’s homemade with actual cheddar and the addition of some (but not too much) of the chilies and bacon made it even better.

I really liked this place. This place is different than the other Caribbean places in the Twin Cities – those places are very authentic and the people are from the Caribbean. This place is more focused on the BBQ and the meats, but have done a fantastic job of slapping the authentic jerk flavors throughout the menu. The servers were nice, the ambience is pirate-y but not too over the top. It’s kind of the boat-life crowd since it’s walkable from the docs. Not too expensive, but still great quality. Fun rum drinks and mojitos. Patio in the front for dining. A separate pirate-themed bar in the back (yup, business in front, party in back!).

This place is worth the trip.

Top 5 things about Smalley’s Caribbean BBQ and Pirate Bar
1. Jerk Pork Shoulder and Beef Brisket – I like them both equally
2. Jerk wings (according to D.Rough)
3. Mac and Cheese

4. Sweet Potato and Caramelized Pork and Sausage

5. Great menu, happy hour menu, rum selection, and beer list

Bottom 5 things

1. The Pirate Bar was shutting down when we left. Or was it opening up? Either way, the door was locked and they were sweeping up.

2. Sooo difficult to decide what I wanted from the menu. Even the salads looked good

3. I wish I knew what the chalkboard behind the bar meant. I should have just asked
4. It can get loud in there during Monday night football with the happy hour crowd
5. I’ve never seen a website more difficult to get to than this one

http://smalleyscaribbeanbbq.com/

Detail: Smalley’s Caribbean BBQ and Pirate Bar – Stillwater, MN

0 Haiku Japanese Bistro – Inver Grove Heights, MN

D.Rough and I noticed a new Japanese restaurant going in a strip mall near our house. When it finally opened, we knew we needed to try it, especially since we were in need of a sushi fix. When we got there, we were impressed with how full the restaurant was – it seems to be doing good business. We were also impressed with the lighting in this place. A considerable amount of tho0ught and money went into the lights, which are everywhere: on the ceiling, no the floor, on the pillars, behind the bar, above the bar, under the bar, in the food – yes, some of the bowls and glasses are lighted. It’s crazy and very modern without being corny. Nicely done.

The menu has a lot of appetizers and entrees on it, some hibachi items, and sushi. A nice mix, so you’ll get fed no matter what you’re in the mood for. They also have a pretty significant cocktail and drink menu, including a couple Japanese beers and sake drinks. D.Rough and I had to narrow down what we wanted, but it didn’t take us terribly long. We went with a Kani Salad (D.Rough’s favorite salad of all time), and a few sushi rolls, a Rainbow Roll, Sweet Potato Tempura Roll, Tuna Family Roll, and Slamming Salmon Roll.

I will suggest you ask about the Crazy Spider Roll. I didn’t and I should have. On the menu, it says it’s a tempura spider, which I assumed was a typo. When I checked out the website, sure enough, it still says tempura spider. If you order that, please let me know what you get on your plate. I’m verrrrry curious.

The Kani Salad arrived and was different than we’ve had in the past. We expected a layer of seaweed, but there wasn’t one – no bother there. Thankfully, the shredded crab meat was quite tasty and was mixed in well with shredded cucumber and likely some jicama, and then some spicy mayo and masago crumbs on the top. It had a great flavor, but it was a tiny bit dry. We mentioned next time, we might order a seaweed salad to accompany the Kani Salad and mix bites of it for more moisture. But honestly, the Kani Salad was tasty and we wolfed it down very quickly. And the spicy mayo had a hidden kick that we both loved.

In order of how I liked our sushi rolls (least to best):

The Tuna Family Roll was alright. Not my favorite. It had a lot of wasabi in it (wasabi mayo, to be exact), which isn’t my favorite. The spicy tuna inside the roll was quite good though. I liked the pepper in the pepper white tuna, as well. Mainly, my issue was with the overpowering wasabi.

Slamming Salmon Roll, my third favorite of the rolls. This had some great flavors on the inside, but it was masked by the wasabi mayo and then the wasabi tobiko crumbs on the top. I figured if you were going to double up on the wasabi items, you’d scale back their potency – not so in this case. And the amount of wasabi crumbs on top, made this roll difficult to eat. There were crumbs all over the table and in my lap, no matter which direction you turned the roll, there were crumbs falling. Again, the spicy salmon on the inside of the roll was quite good, as was the pepper tuna on the top. A decent roll, but probably more so if you really like wasabi a lot.

The Sweet Potato Tempura Roll was much better than expected. It’s also very inexpensive. And quite good. It’s got a smokey flavor from the sweet potato and is more heavy duty than most rolls I’ve had, but it’s really worth getting.

The Rainbow Roll was the best of the rolls. Each fish did taste slightly different and there was plenty of avocado to add a little bit of interesting texture and flavor without being too much. They’re good sized rolls, so we were really happy to see that. I was happy there no wasabi, frankly.

Overall, I feel like the flavors were somewhat muted and not bright and vibrant. I’ve had sushi that puts a smile on my face and makes you feel like you’re ALMOST eating a healthy snack with all the vibrant pops of flavor. This sushi wasn’t bad, it was just middle of the road. It is better than buffet sushi, without a doubt, and there really isn’t anything wrong with it. But I didn’t feel like it was a happy and light meal. Of course, I’ll be back, and am looking forward to it. There are a lot of things on the menu that I want to try and those cocktails may be calling my name here in the near future…

Top 5 things about Haiku Japanese Bistro
1. Rainbow Roll
2. Sweet Potato Tempura Roll
3. Atmosphere is pretty cool
4. Thorough food and cocktail list
5. Kani Salad flavor

Bottom 5 things
1. Heavy on the wasabi
2. Blinking neon lights in a bowl of king crab legs MIGHT be a little over the top (I was going to say jumped the shark, but that, my friends would be too many seafood references and thus, jumping the shark)
3. Kani salad was a tad dry
4. The bar area seems a bit jumbled with bottles randomly stuck on the short wall in front of the pretty purple wall
5. Still curious about a tempura spider…

www.haikujapanese.com

Detail: Haiku Japanese Bistro – Inver Grove Heights, MN

0 EE Sane Lao-Thai – Milwaukee, WI

EE Sane is one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Milwaukee (yes, they have a Lao influence in their cooking, but I generally think of it as Thai). We have a long history together, so naturally, I wanted to bring D.Rough and some others there to share in the experience. We dragged along Fluzzi with us and called Rita to see if she wanted to meet us there. Oddly enough, her kick-ass friend Bromar had taken her there and they were already eating! Hilarious coincidence!

The place is sort of known for its surly service. That’s all I’ll say about it, so don’t expect over-courteous servers and such. Just deal with it and enjoy your food - it's never bothered me in the past, and sometimes, it's really hilarious. Also be very wary of the spice level here – you get to choose between 1-10. They sometimes tell you 3 is "medium". I’d start on the low end if you’re scared of some heat. Anything above 5 will make you cry and may possibly be inedible. I’m not joking.

We pulled up some chairs with Rita and Bromar (and somehow Fluzzi backed up right as I took the photo), and set about the menu. It’s a large and comprehensive menu, so it’s tough to decide. But I finally settled on some curry with chicken pork and beef, and D.Rough got Pad See Ew and Fluzzi got the Volcano Tofu (but then ordered a low spice level, smart move). D.Rough and I love our fresh spring rolls, so we got one of those, as well.

The food isn’t fast, but it’s tasty. The spring roll was massive: burrito sized. It was a lot of filler (lettuce), but it had a great flavor and they didn’t skimp on the peanut sauce. Pretty good showing on the spring roll.

The dishes came out next. My curry was really quite awesome. I could have gone with a 5-level spice, but was pretty happy with the heat it did have. Very good and deep curry flavor and the meats were good quality. No gristle or chewy bits. Plenty of other veggies in this dish, as well. I’m a fan of the curries here and this was one of the best things I’ve ever gotten at EE Sane.

D.Rough’s Pad See Ew was just ok. It lacked some color and also some flavor, but the noodles, even though they looked floppy and puffy, were actually cooked pretty darn well. The spice was a little safe on this one, but I think with a higher number and maybe if you ordered ti with extra vegetables, you’d be raving about this one.

The Volcano Tofu was decent. The tofu is fried really awesomely crispy and the sauce on it I’m guessing could pack some heat if you get above 5 on the scale. As it was, it was above average but not life changing.

Thankfully, no one ordered anything they couldn’t eat – I have witnessed (and been part of) this in the past. You just kind of have to get it dialed in over the space of a few trips. I’m certainly willing to go here as long as it takes to get the spice level right. Again, be patient and you’ll eventually get served and taken care of.

Top 5 things about EE Sane
1. Chicken, Pork, and Beef Curry
2. Fresh spring rolls
3. Bromar raved about the peanut sauce (which I KNOW is delicious)
4. It’s not expensive
5. Really generous portions

Bottom 5 things
1. It’s hard to get the spice level right on the first shot
2. The spice level CAN be dangerous – to the point of inedible – order accordingly
3. Could use some vegetables in some dishes both for color and flavor
4. Service is just something you’re going to have to get used to being not there
5. Menu is REALLY large


EE-Sane
1806 N Farwell Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Detail: EE Sane Lao-Thai – Milwaukee, WI