Rangoon

Rangoon
112 North 9th Street
Philadelphia
(Between Arch & Cherry Streets)

We continued with the "Asian tea leaf salad," which was made from real tea leaves, cabbage, tomatoes, sesame, peanuts, lime, garlic, friend onions, and fried shrimp. I thought the first few bites were good. This dish really has quite a strong flavor too. A little later, i realized that it was a bit strong for me. I can handle the lime and everything else but I think I would prefer my tea leaves to be in tea. That said, it would make a good dish for a big crowd (where everyone just takes a few bites).

One of the best dishes at Rangoon is the "thousand layer bread." This is a bit like "nan" from Indian restaurants but it is a bit oilier and stickier and gooier. It is fantastic. The texture is just right. Now, you could eat this on its own but why would you do that when there's so much that can go with it? For an appetizer, there are a few sauces that go with the bread but I ordered the chicken curry, which was a solid dish with chunks of dark meat chicken in it as well. For dessert, the bread comes with a coconut syrup which is drenched over it. Now, I think maybe some sweetened condensed milk might have worked better because the coconut syrup was a bit wet but this was still a very good dessert.

The Burmese spare ribs were also interesting. The ribs were done very well and came with a glaze of basil, coriander, garlic, and some other seasonings. The result is that eating the ribs produces a layered taste. You're hit by the heat and the salty tastes and then the sweeter part of the glaze appears just as you taste the sour too.

Desserts were a bit of challenge and my companion ended up ordered the "farluda," which is apparently rose syrup, milk, ice cream, pudding, raisins, tapioca, and assorted jellies all in one big glass. I suppose you're supposed to mix it all together like a milkshake with multiple other items thrown in but you can't really stir anything around in there without something falling out. A bit hard to eat but it was tasty. Probably good on a hot summer day (and there are a lot of those in Philadelphia). I don't think we got the raisins though.

Rangoon

Rangoon
112 North 9th Street
Philadelphia
(Between Arch & Cherry Streets)

What are you doing for dinner tonight in Philadelphia? Drop your plans and head on down to Chinatown and check out Rangoon.

I wasn't sure what Burmese food was when I went into the restaurant. Burma is between Thailand and China. Was it a mix of the two cuisines? I wasn't sure about Burmese food the same way that I wasn't sure about Philippine food. What on earth is that? I don't think I've ever seen another Burmese restaurant and I don't think I've seen a Philippine restaurant.

But enough about cuisine limitations. On with the review. Rangoon is a bit out of the way in that it's not where the row of restaurants are in Chinatown but come over one more street and it's right there. The setting is very nice with some artifacts from Burma. The service is fast and they leave a whole pitcher of water for you at the table. I think that's because some of the food can be quite spicy.

I started out with the "festival fish noodle soup." I wasn't sure what the festival was but this was a fantastic dish and I think it was my favorite. The fish is all minced and is mixed in with the broth and rice noodles. You get a scent of lemon grass, ginger, and wonderful amounts of minced and fried or toasted garlic. Seasonings include lime, cilantro, and some amazing little peppers that are really red hot. Try just a little bit because those chillies have a heck of a kick.

My companion started out with a pumpkin soup. Now, that may sound traditionally American but it wasn't. This pumpkin soup probably had ten different spices in it. The ingredients made it rich, different, and a great way to start the meal. Toasted garlic (and onion?) topped off this tasty dish.

Café 88

Café 88
923 Preston Avenue
Charlottesville, VA

I have long complained about the dearth of good Chinese food in Charlottesville, but the opening of Café 88 requires me to revise my assessment of the town's offerings. True, Charlottesville doesn't have large Chinese restaurants like the ones I grew up with in California, but Café 88 - a small, spunky, innovative little restaurant - substantially raises the bar.

Café 88 offers - as its menu attests - Dim Sum, Snacks, and Chinese Bento Box.

I've tried a range of their dim sum offerings.

Crispy Chicken is a delicately fried chicken, spiced with basil. As with all of their other offerings, the food is handled with extreme care and attention.

I loved their Scallion Pancake, which had a perfect finish to it.

Spring Rolls are another strong suit - a wonderful contrast to the factory-made rolls I've encountered elsewhere in town.

Under Bento Specials, there are a variety of chicken and pork dishes. I've tried Wonderful Chicken and Amazing Chicken. In both cases, the chicken was prepared just right - with a crisp, thin crust on the surface and tender meat inside. Also - Bento specials are served with rotating side dishes, most memorably fried eggplant.

I'm consistently impressed with the degree of attention each dish receives. The chef holds herself to high standards.

Café 88 is, in short, must-eat Chinese - and an ideal lunch stop. It is located at 923 Preston Avenue, next door to Integral Yoga.

China Rose

China Rose
42 Bath Rd
Brunswick, ME

I'm not sure what these people put in their food but they have the best Chinese buffet that I've ever had. And the fancy dishes are not in the seafood or anything like that. Rather, their chicken spring rolls are just fantastic. I have never had a fried spring roll like the ones that they make here and they must lace it with something illegal because they are so good. They are nice and crunchy on the outside while being filled with goody vegetables and minced chicken on the inside. The buffet also boasts very tasty, non-Chinese meatballs. They are tender and cooked a slightly sweet sauce, which is just heavenly. The buffet offers some stir fried shrimp in a white sauce with vegetables, which is quite refreshing. A soda fountain and plenty of dessert items round this bargain out but I'm happy with just the spring rolls and the meatballs. Not very healthy? Sure, but one deserves a treat every now and then, right?

Distrito

DISTRITO
"Modern Mexican"
3945 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia

This hip new place near UPenn's campus has a lot of buzz about it. Wait till school starts and there should be plenty of action on this block. The restaurant/bar has two floors and is apparently what counts as trendy these days. I'm not sure why there's a VW bug in the side window as a special seat for four patrons but it might be a draw for the kids. The rest of the place really isn't kid friendly. Let them come back in a few years when they've got some money to spend and have a taste for alcohol. The bar lines one whole wall and is decorated with movie theater signs and fruit. It looks very nice and all but the place was too dark for me. If you get seated at a table that faces the bar, then you're going to be sitting in line because they haven't quite worked out where to place the chairs without obstructing the bar area.

The Tapas was pretty good. I ordered a few dishes to try including the extremely tasty Encarnacion Nachos made with skirt steak, refried beans, queso mixto (mixed cheeses), chile de arbol (green chilies), cream, and cilantro. I would have been happy with just the skirt steak and the cilantro and cheeses but this blend was really quite terrific. I think it was also the dish that was most worth the price.

The Camarones Ceviches (shrimp in a spicy, tangy tomato sauce, with slices of avocado and served with plantain chips) were OK but not special.

I also had the special tacos of the day, which were made of among other items, grouper, corn nuts, and mango salsa. A very tasty treat that should be on the regular menu as far as I'm concerned.

For dessert, the caramel flan is pretty good but the pastel de chocolate (made of chocolate cake filled with chili spiced chocolate goo, and served with lime sorbet and avocado and lime puree) wasn't bad and more interesting than the caramel flan.

I wasn't in the mood for an actual drink so I tried the Jarritoes, which is described as a fruit punch with watermelon soda. Do not get this. The drink is actually a carbonated drink in a bottle and doesn't taste all that great.

You'll have good food at Distrito but be prepared to drop mucho dinero. Probably not worth the price for a regular visit.

Sweet Leaves for Dessert

Sweet Leaves
22 Pleasant St.
Brunswick, ME
(Check out their website for menus and upcoming events)

Sweet leaves has a good dessert menu, which I believe changes daily as well. Pictured here is their beet ice cream which was absolutely wonderful. Now, I'm no fan of beets but this is really good. It's creamy and very refreshing. I can't explain the taste except that the beet is well represented. Also, their ice creams are home made. Keep room for dessert and remember that since it is a tea house, get some tea along with your sweets.

Sweet Leaves

Sweet Leaves
22 Pleasant St.
Brunswick, ME
(Check out their website for menus and upcoming events)

This cute little tea house next to the Brunswick post office is a nice little place for tea or lunch (I can't speak about their dinner menu). I can imagine sitting down with a pot of tea (there is a large selection to choose from) during one of those freezing cold Maine winters, springs, and falls. For summer, the iced teas are quite refreshing. For the kids, there are little board games to pass the time while adults might enjoy the evening music series. There are some items that don't change but the menu does get a new look every day.

Pictured to the left is their seafood sampler with cooked scallops, shrimp and mussels in a light cream sauce and smoked salmon. The dish came with a small side salad and bread. A tasty meal but a bit on the small side and maybe just a tad expensive. Still, worth the money if you want a nice, light lunch.

Pictured to the right is also one of their salads with walnuts, goat cheese, and grapefruit. Very refreshing dish and the side of cold cucumber soup also made the hot summer day an enjoyable one.