This past Friday I went to Sushiism with a few of my friends. I had bought a groupon when they first opened a few months ago and it's time to use it! Looking at the menu, they have a pretty extensive list of options. Especially their specialty rolls...some of them sounded quite interesting!
Sushiism Restaurant & Social Lounge
1628 W Hebron Pkwy. Ste 120
Carrollton, TX 75010
(972) 395-7800
http://www.sushiism.com
Price: $$
The main downside to this place is that it's out in the middle of nowhere. It's really not that far from Plano if you map it out, but just seems like it's farther away. It's a big place with pretty good decor, very family friendly. As we walked in, we were immediately greeted by the hostess and another waitress. The place was pretty empty at 6:45PM on a Friday night. We opted to sit in the bar area because it was brighter and they happily accommodated.
We wanted to get there before 7PM so we could do happy hour, but unfortunately, if you have the groupon, the food specials do not apply. However, you can still take part in the happy hour drink specials.
We were pretty hungry so we got started!!
Seaweed Salad $3.99~ Pretty standard.
Broiled Cod Fish with Miso $8.99~
This was even smaller than I expected. :( But it was delicious. Cooked perfectly and so buttery it melted in my mouth. I would need like 6 of these to even fill me up though...
We ordered a bunch of Specialty Rolls:
Sushiism (tuna, scallop, shrimp tempura, cucumber, soy sheet, eel sauce, spicy mayo) $13.99~
I liked the large pieces of fish in here and they were pretty fresh. My friend thought it was a bit bland. But that's where the soy sauce and wasabi comes in! haha. I liked the concept of the soy paper, it changes things up a bit, but it was overall too soft. The roll as a whole needed a bit more texture. Not bad though.
Jade (yellowtail, avocado, wasabi flying fish roe, green onion outside) $11.99~
This was my favorite of the night. The fish was fresh and all the elements complimented each other. The avocado provided the right amount of creaminess and the roe added that "pop" of texture and a hint of wasabi flavor. If you like wasabi, try this roll. I would definitely order this again.
Spicy Tuna Tempura (spicy tuna, spicy mayo, deep fry whole roll, green onion, eel sauce, spicy mayo) $10.99~
My friend ordered this since he only eats fried spicy tuna rolls. haha. The presentation was nice with all the contrasting colors. The flavor was good but pretty normal as far as deep fried rolls go. It had a nice tempura crunch but the batter was a bit too thick. Good but not memorable.
Fire Snapper (shrimp tempura, wrapped with sliced snapper, baked with garlic olive oil, eel sauce, ponzu, spicy sauce, scallion) $11.99~
I ordered this by accident. I actually meant to order the Firecracker (see next item). And it was a mistake to order this. First of all, I think they forgot the snapper on top, which I didn't realize until I went back and looked at the pictures. It had a lot of different flavors and sauces on it and all got muddled. Plus the shrimp was small and too much batter. There was one piece that was all batter and no shrimp. :( Boooo.
Firecracker (salmon, cucumber, wrapped with sliced tuna, tempura crunch, spicy mayo, chili powder, eel sauce) $13.99~
Since we ordered the wrong thing, I decided to order this again. I really liked it. Again, it was very pretty to look at with all the colors. The tempura crunch on top definitely made it. The crunch was almost buttery tasting and added a textural contrast. Yum!
Caterpillar (spicy tuna, cucumber, wrapped with avocado, spicy mayo, sriracha sauce) $10.99~
The presentation was super cute. The eyes were made of cream cheese so unless you like to eat a scoop of cream cheese, you can set that aside. It's just for decoration. haha. It's not your usual caterpilla roll since normally they are made with eel. They seem to really like their spicy tuna here. It's in the majority of the specialty rolls. It was a good roll. The avocado was fresh and creamy and paired with the spicy tuna well.
This place is owned by a couple. The wife was out in the dining area while the husband is the chef. She came to talk to us several times. Very nice lady and gave us some interesting background on them and the restaurant. Her husband is Japanese and comes up with all the different ideas on interesting menu items. She told us that their ramen broth is made from scratch and takes over 8 hours to make so they get all the flavors developed. Sounds yum, I'll have to go back and try it!
I wanted some dessert (of course) and saw that they make their own ice cream in the restaurant and had some super exotic flavors!
Homemade Ice Cream $3.99~ each:
I got the Wasabi and Squid Ink ice cream. I've always wanted to try wasabi ice cream, but squid ink??? I've never even heard of that as an ice cream flavor.
The squid ink ice cream was uber black. A little scary yet I'm so excited to try it. I totally loved it! It was sweet and creamy but had an undertone of the sea. That's the best way I could put it without making people scared to try it. haha. There IS a hint of fishiness so none of my friends liked it. But I really enjoyed the sweet and savory nature of the ice cream. The term "umami" is often used in Japanese cuisine and it represents the "fifth taste" which is a combination of all the other 4 tastes together. It's something extra and not always achieved in foods. I experienced umami with this ice cream. I would totally have it again. And I urge all the adventurous foodies out there to try it as well. (Just FYI, it turns your entire mouth black, so keep in mind if you decide to take a date there! haha)
The wasabi ice cream was good as well.
The owner told us that you don't really taste much of the wasabi at first, but as you eat more, it'll definitely clear up your sinuses. It won't be like actual wasabi and bring tears to your eyes because the sweetness kind of cuts that. But it gets pretty close. It even had tiny bits of grated fresh wasabi in it. I liked it a lot too but I couldn't eat the whole thing. About 1/4th into the ice cream the wasabi impact was pretty strong! Worth trying out too just for the experience.
I liked the meal overall. The majority of the rolls were fresh and good and the ice creams were an experience. The rolls do get a little pricey though. Even with my groupon we still paid quite a bit. They gave us the ice cream on the house though! :) The service was good and the owner (wife) was really friendly. I hope their business picks up, they seem like good people. hehe. So next time you want sushi or something out of the ordinary, go check them out. I'll be back for their ramen and the squid ink ice cream again!!
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Yesterday was the first ever Downtown Frisco StrEATS festival. It was the first food truck event I've ever seen North of the George Bush Turnpike. I always think the food trucks are too far away so this was a great opportunity for me to finally try some DFW food trucks! I've been so behind on the Dallas food truck scene... I'm aware of most of the trucks out there, but this would be the first time for me to actually attend an event. Excited!! :)
The forecast was sunny and warm... It got a bit TOO hot actually, but the turnout was still tremendous. The event went from 3-7PM. I arrived with some friends around 2:45PM to find parking... there were already lines at the trucks when we got there!
I immediately joined my friend at the Coolhaus truck. This was the main reason I wanted to go. I've been to the Coolhaus truck and store in LA on multiple occasions. I'm always interested to see what new concoctions and flavors they come up with.
Coolhaus Truck (Specialty Ice Cream Sandwiches)
http://eatcoolhaus.com/
I got a Potato Chip Cookies with Fried Chicken & Maple Waffle Ice Cream $5~
Learning from my messy experience in sunny LA, I asked for my cookies separate and the ice cream in a cup. haha. I'm a bit of a neat freak so I didn't want ice cream running down my arms. You can see the potato chips in the cookie and you can taste the saltiness too. My friends and I all liked the cookie. The ice cream was interesting. At first taste, I only got maple syrup flavor. But as I continued to eat, I started getting bits of waffle and what seemed to be tiny bits of chicken skin? Not sure, but I got hints of the saltiness of the chicken. I wish there was a bit more salt though, after a while the ice cream became a little too sweet for me.
My friend got the Red Velvet Cookies with Brown Butter & Candied Bacon Ice Cream $5~
I totally recommended the candied bacon ice cream. I had it in LA and loved it. You can see and taste the bits of bacon in there. The Dallas sun was brutal and the ice cream melted faster than she could eat. haha. But she liked it overall.
Overall:
Nammi Truck (Vietnamese Fusion)
http://nammitruck.com/
I've had Nammi before and thought it was pretty good. My friend got the BBQ Pork Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich on 12" baguette served with garlic mayonnaise, cucumbers, pickled daikons & carrots, jalapenos, and cilantro) $7~
This was by far the best deal of the day. For $7 the portion was massive. For me, their bread is the star. I like the texture a lot and it's not as hard and thick as some other places. So it's easier to eat without potentially scraping up your mouth! The BBQ pork had pretty good flavor, but I thought the texture was a bit soft. That was the same issue for me when I had them the first time. But all in all, a very decent Banh Mi.
Overall:
Easy Slider Truck (Gourmet Sliders)
http://www.easyslidertruck.com/
This was another truck I really wanted to try. I've heard great things about them. They all sounded so good! Each slider is $3.50~
My bf decided to get 3 sliders:
The Roadside (angus beef, Tillamook cheddar, bacon, grilled jalapenos, fried onions, truck-made BBQ sauce). All the sliders have the same meat and bread. I liked the bread but it got heavy after a while. It definitely held up the sliders very well though. I liked all the elements of this slider but I couldn't taste them. I thought there was too much BBQ sauce and overwhelmed it all. :( The meat was juicy and cooked well though.
The 7 Layer (angus beef, guacamole, salsa, Tillamook cheddar, Fritos, truck-made black bean dip).
I guess this was my favorite out of the 3, but it definitely needed the Fritos for an added crunch...without it, the textures were all pretty similar and everything gets a bit lost together.
The French Revolution (angus beef, gruyere, prosciutto, grilled onions, dijon mustard).
I would've loved this if it wasn't for the dijon. I like dijon, but there was too much of it. That's all I could taste. But I liked the texture of the grilled onions with the meat.
Another friend of mine got 2 sliders:
The Sweet & Lowdown (angus beef, bacon, goat cheese, strawberry jam). I believe he got it sans the goat cheese since I'm not a fan and I didn't taste any. This was everyone's favorite. The strawberry and bacon together in the burger was interestingly fantastic. The sweet and salty all came together in that mini burger. Since my friend bought it, I tried hard not to take a 2nd bite. :P
The Nutty Pig (angus beef, creamy peanut butter, lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon). This was the one I really wanted to try since I love peanut butter. It sounds so weird but I liked it. Peanut butter and bacon together is a great combination. the only thing is that the pb slightly overwhelmed the rest of the slider. But since I love pb so much, it didn't really bother me.
The last 2 sliders definitely got more points for them. I wasn't really feeling the first 3...
Overall:
My friends all decide to line up for the Korean tacos next. They had probably the longest line in the whole event. I was quite impressed with the amount of business they were getting. They struggled a bit to get all the orders out in a timely manner though.
Ssahm BBQ Truck (Gourmet Korean Tacos)
http://www.ssahmbbq.com/
I found out that people in the Ssahm line were all waiting for over an hour for their food. Craziness! I met a very nice couple (who seemed to be foodies) who were waiting for their order to be filled. They said after they made their order, they didn't expect to be waiting another 20-30 minutes for the food! They also said that this was by far the longest line for Ssahm out of every other food truck event they've been to. That increased my expectations a bit!
Finally my friends made it to the front of the line. We got...
Kalbi Taco (marinated short rib, sesame soy vinaigrette salad, caramelized kimchee, cilantro and onion, Korean Salsa Roja, Spicy Mayo, served on 6" corn tortillas) $3~
Daeji Taco (spicy marinated pork, sesame soy vinaigrette salad, caramelized kimchee, cilantro and onion, Korean Salsa Roja, Spicy Mayo, served on 6" corn tortillas) $3~
I'm personally not a taco fan since I don't like corn tortillas but I still gave it a try. I have to say I wasn't impressed...not because of the corn tortilla but... one, I couldn't tell the beef and pork tacos apart. They looked and tasted the same to me. The salsa roja was a bit tart and there was too much of it. That was all I could taste. :( But some of my friends liked the salsa so they liked it a lot. Personal preference I guess. However, I really enjoyed the salad on top. It was crisp, fresh and added great texture to the taco. And for some reason, the taco wasn't hot when we ate it. They were making each taco to order, so we all expected it to be hot. Weird.
Kimchee Fries (fresh hand cut potatoes, Monterey Jack & Cheddar cheese, cilantro and onion, caramelized kimchee, spicy mayo) Small for $5~
Again, too much sauce on the fries in my opinion. I liked the fries on their own, it was fried well and had good flavor. I wish there was more meat and kimchee on top though. LA Burger's K-Town Fries are still better in my book!
Overall:
While my friends were standing in the Ssahm BBQ line, I broke away to try the vegan Zombie truck. I'm always interested to try alternative foods, healthier options, etc.
Zombie's Food Truck (Vegan)
http://www.eatatzombies.com/
I got the Seoul Survivor (Bulgogi-inspired grilled seitan with scallions, red onions, and mushrooms. served on a bolillo roll with fresh basil and sriracha-ginger mayo) $6~
Bolillo is a savory bread made in Mexico. It is a variation of baguette and the main ingredient in tortas. The bread was nothing like a baguette in my opinion, other than the shape maybe. It was soft and pillowy, not hard and crusty like a baguette. I prefer this bread better! It didn't remind me of bulgogi in any way but I actually really enjoyed the flavors. There was a spicy undertone which was quite nice. Seitan is basically wheat gluten, which is an alternative to soybean-based meat substitutes such as tofu. It is actually used in Asian cooking a lot. My mom has made it before at home. The sandwich reminded me a little of a dish my mom has made in the past in regards to the flavor. I thought it was yummy! And the price of the sandwich was definitely good for the size.
Sweet Potato & Turnip Green Mash $2~
This item is also gluten free. It was sweet from the sweet potatos, slightly tangy, and a little smokey. My friends all said it reminded them of barbeque. I didn't like the tangy element though. It was a good mix of textures with the soft mashed sweet potato vs the heartier/tougher turnip greens.
Overall:
I was sooo full after all this food. Considering the lines, I was impressed that I made it to 5 different trucks. I wish I had time to try some of the other trucks, but my stomach couldn't handle anymore. Plus it was just sooo hot! I think the sun was just beating everyone down.
The other trucks there included:
SoCal Tacos Truck (fish tacos, burritos) - http://www.eatsocaltacos.com/
The Butcher's Son Truck (brats, sausages, sliders, etc.) - http://thebutchersson.com/
Cajun Tailgators Truck - http://www.cajuntailgators.com/
Rockstar Bakeshop Truck (sweet treats, specializing in Whoopie Pies) - http://rockstarbakeshop.com/
Eat JoDawgs Truck (hot dogs, sausages, bratwursts) - http://www.eatjodawgssite.com/
I had a good time in general and I'm glad I was able to try a good amount of food. I guess I'll have to hit up the other trucks in the next food truck event. And we need a better game plan next time. It was a bad idea to all stand in the same line because we end up getting too much of the same thing so we couldn't try more variations. Next time we need to split up so we can try a bit of everything!! hehe.
The event overall seemed successful, but I hope next time they have a bigger location so the trucks can spread out a bit. The lines from the trucks were all intertwined with each other in the center of the location. It was hard to distinguish which one was which.
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Oh Shake Shack... It's the single most recommended place while we were in NYC. When the name was mentioned everyone started drooling and raving about how great it is and how it was worth waiting in the long lines for. At first I wasn't too into it, just because of all the hype and talks of long lines. Also it was compared to In and Out (even though everyone says it's WAYYY better). Just being compared to it makes me go bleh. (Can you tell I'm not a fan of In and Out?) haha. I just don't get why people go crazy about that place.
Anyways... last day there. We were eating in Eataly, just across the street from the Madison Square Park location of Shake Shack. It was raining and cold that day and we realized there was no line! My friend that was eating with us said it was amazing and we should go, even if it's raining and there's no covered seating for us to eat. She said it was worth it and she can totally eat standing up while holding on to an umbrella. hahaha. Hardcore fan!! So we decided to give it a shot, seeing how into it she was.
Shake Shack - Madison Square Park
11 Madison Avenue #1
New York, NY 10010
(212) 889-6600
http://shakeshack.com/
Price: $
Everyone says their burgers are simple, it is just great quality and delicious. They use 100% all natural Angus beef, no hormones and no antibiotics. And also offer fries, shakes, and other desserts.
So standing in the cold and rain with our 2 tiny umbrellas for 3 people.. we made our order. I'm so glad there isn't a line! But there were still plenty of people standing around waiting for their orders!
The wait to get the burgers was quite long. Very quickly, my feet was wet and my hands were numb with cold. :( And the number of people waiting on their orders quickly increased. So I wouldn't really consider this fast food... I think we waited at least 15 minutes before we got our order. They really should put out some big umbrellas in the seating area or something...
We got 2 Single Cheeseburger (with lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion) $4.05~ People were right. The burger is super simple but it was assembled nicely. The ingredients were super fresh. The meat was juicy and had so much flavor.
And the bread...OMG the bread! I think that was the best part. It was soft and fluffy but still was able to hold everything in. And the ingenious part was that one side of the bread (the bottom) was connected so it was basically like a bread taco and it held everything in. My friend and bf stood and ate while I held the two umbrellas up for them. hahaha. The bread held in all the juices...it wasn't messy to eat while standing!! Wow!
I got the 'Shroom Burger (vegetarian; crisp-fried portobello filled with melted Muenster and Cheddar cheeses, topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce) $6.55~
It just sounded good. And tasted even better! The stuffed portobello was fried to perfection. It was crispy down to the last bite! It had so much flavor I totally didn't miss not having meat. The cheese stuffed inside was hot and gooey and wasn't too overwhelming. Everything just came together. Awesome! I would eat that again any day. And for that 7-8 minutes while I was eating... I totally forgot about the wet and cold. haha.
It turned out to be better than I expected. It totally lived up to the hype and I can see why people line up for something as simple as this. It's just plain good! And even though we were freezing, it was actually a fun and different experience with friends. :) How often do you eat burgers while standing in the rain? hehe.
My bf said that was one of the best meals he had on the trip. I can't disagree...although we ate a lot of great stuff. We were still thinking of the burgers as we flew back to Dallas. It was a perfect ending to a great trip!! :)
Please open a Shake Shack in Dallas!!! Thanks~
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My friend that lives in NYC was the one that told me about Eataly. We went there twice during the course of our trip. First time was just to check it out and walk around and we went back on our last day for some lunch and souvenirs! I don't know HOW I didn't know about this place!!
Eataly
200 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10010
(212) 229-2560
http://eatalyny.com/
(Iron) Chef Mario Batali is the partner and co-owner. It's basically an Italian marketplace with restaurants all around. Like a mini-indoor Little Italy! They've brought together some of the best Italian producers from every region and some of the best chefs. Not only do they import great products but also have local ingredients, such as using New York flour for the breads, local dairy for the gelato and American beef and seafood.
It's such a fabulous place! Super packed with people so it was a little hard to navigate. But on Sunday when we went back, there were lots of samples! I had some of the best butter and ricotta I've tasted!
There are also several "restaurants" where you can sit and dine (with waiter service) or community seating where you can find your own seats. They have a pasta area, seafood, meat, deli, gelato, coffee... you name it. In the center is La Piazza where you see people standing around with meat and cheese plates while drinking wine. Very cool!!
There was a wait at the pasta restaurant so we decided to just pick up some sandwiches and find our own seats.
I Panini - Price: $
I got a Speck & Taleggio (smoked prosciutto with a tangy cow's milk cheese, served hot) $8.80~
It was pressed and warm and the cheese was nice and melty. The panini was super simple. Just meat and cheese and bread. But that's how they do it in Europe right? Simple ingredients that speak for themselves. I wished there was some arugula or greens in there though. Just personal preference.
My friend got the Porschetta (boneless whole roasted pork seasoned with garlic and rosemary, topped with giadiniera - spicy pickled vegetables; served cold) $6.20~
It reminded me of an Italian Banh Mi. haha. The ingredients were all really fresh. But I couldn't really taste much of the giadiniera...I wish they had put more of it. It was a good and fairly light lunch and just to be in that environment was very cool. I wonder if Italy is like this?
I love gelato. So while my friends got some coffee, I got me some gelato! :)
Gelateria - Price: $
Waffle Cone with Pistachio Gelato and Stracciatella & Banana Sorbetto $4.90~
The pistachio was their best seller and I know why! It was amazing. The best pistachio gelato I've ever had. Normally I don't get pistachio because I find the flavors very bland but this was not the case. It was bold and slightly smokey and FULL of pistachio flavor. The banana sorbet with chocolate chips was awesome as well. Both had great texture and full flavors. And for a giant 2 scoops and waffle cone it was only $4.90? It's cheaper than Paciugo back home!!
My bf said the Cappuccino he got was really delicious. And the foam art was perfect even the Barista took a picture of it before he served it to us! haha.
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