Fish Ball All Kind, 5.99. (H Mart in Chicago.)

I have a best friend, and his name is Joe. Joe lives in Chicago, and I like to try to visit him at least once a year. Our time is effortlessly focused on good talks, food, playing pool, lots of imbibing, and more food. This trip around, he was excited to take me to a new-ish Korean market called H Mart!

Pictured above is a lady making kimchi. It’s neat to see them making it right before your eyes. Honestly, I didn’t try or buy any. Growing up in a Chinese Korean household, with your mother making damn sure that the table was never missing this fermented cabbage, I have been kimchied out for plenty of years now. (Don’t tell my mom.)

When we stepped inside I was quite surprised at the size of the supermarket. It’s massive, with more than plenty of fresh selections. The entire store was very organized and clean. 

A lady making a ton of banchan, traditional Korean side dishes. 

H Mart also has a food court! I was elated. There were many different restaurants, all featuring different Korean foods,  Chinese, and Japanese.

This is what Joe was most excited for. The gentleman that owns the store called What A Dumpling makes all the dumplings he sells, and there were plenty of different kinds! He also packages them up so you can take them home. Yummy stuff, for sure. It was fun sharing several different kinds, and we each had our own favorites. I know earlier on I was inadvertently not so inadvertently dogging kimchi, but I freaking love it in dumplings.

There is also a large section of retail stores, selling everything from electronics to kitchenware to beauty products. I took a couple of photos but there were people either ducking or covering their face in each one so I opted not to post them. Shy or annoyed people not wanting to be in a total stranger’s picture, because you know, Asians just don’t take enough photographs, ever. What a bunch of jerks.

H Mart is a great market! Obviously I don’t shop there often, so the whole experience was just fun for me. The food court alone makes me want to go back the next time I’m in Chicago. Hopefully Joe’s obsession for those dumplings is true love and not just fleeting infatuation.

Thai Express. Maybe the Most Authentic Thai Fare in Town?

Update 9/6/18:

I wanted to update this entry, because this place is really one of my favorite Thai restaurants in town. They don’t use fish sauce, which is the only thing I dislike about their menu. Otherwise the food is fantastic, and the service is always good and friendly!

They also moved locations, just to the stripmall behind their previous location on Kalamazoo Avenue.

CHICKEN LARB

Chicken Larb, which is my favorite dish here. I eat it with steamed rice.

MANGO SALAD

Their Mango Salad is delicious!

Now back to the original post:

Located in a nondescript little building on Kalamazoo Avenue, I have driven past this little restaurant countless times without truly noticing it. Now, after having dined here one time, it can safely be said that this place is in my top two of Thai eateries in Grand Rapids.

Tod Mun

I suppose the best way to describe this appetizer is as a fish cake. A mixture of fish, herbs, and vegetables. Tasty and chewy, mild but still flavorful. The sauce that accompanied it was delicious, with peanuts and cucumber chunks. I could have eaten it alone.

Nam Kao Tod

The salad was interesting. It was good, but certainly not my favorite dish. Rice with red curry, ground chicken, onion, ginger, green onion, lime juice and peanuts on top of lettuce. I had a little left over the following day and enjoyed it more cold, as the dish was served warm.

Spring Roll.

If you order a specialty dish, you receive a complimentary spring roll. It wasn’t the tastiest spring roll ever, but the skin was crispy and light and it made me wonder if they make their own.

Pad Bai Gra Phao

Holy basil leaves, mushrooms, and onions stir fried in a ginger garlic sauce. I added beef and tofu. As far as the spice level I ordered, whatever it was, most likely it wasn’t hot enough since I don’t remember it. I enjoyed the meal, and the large mushrooms were quite nice. The beef wasn’t the most tender, however. But don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t chewing on overdone beef, either.

Thai Sweet Iced Tea

They offer Thai Sweet Iced Tea with free refills! That was something different. Always so tasty.

Complimentary Dessert.

Another pleasant surprise was the free dessert they give with your meal. There were a couple of choices, and I went with the old school ice cream sandwich. They also offer those gross pastel mints you always find at Asian restaurants. I’m a little shocked that they still exist.

There wasn’t anything I raved about. Some things I enjoyed, and others were just okay. So why do I hold this establishment at such a high ranking? At the risk of sounding amateur, looking over the menu gave me the sense that this place has more authentic offerings than any other in town, even if it’s just a couple items. Without exaggeration, there were so many different choices I wanted to try. That is usually a good sign of a great menu! A small little casual spot with very friendly service, and I would say low to medium price points. I very much look forward to going back and trying the other five+ dishes I wanted to try the first time!

“Warmth of the Mitten, Soul of the Boot” Shown By Osteria Rossa.

A new Italian eatery is in town! Located downtown in Grand Rapids, this casual yet beautiful and modern establishment features small plates, pastas, wood fires, and seasonal dishes using plenty of local ingredients for their menu.

For a starter, Nathan and I decided on their Crostini, where there are several different choices for an accompaniment. We chose the Roasted Mushroom and the Whipped Baccala. I think the cheese that came with the mushrooms was goat cheese. Whatever it was, it was incredible, and I rarely say anything that positive about cheese. The whipped fish with potatoes was delicious as well. Salty but not overly so for the small amount and I really enjoyed the texture. The crostinis were pretty much perfect. Not too greasy or the slightest bit stale.

The Clams Pizza featured not only clams but also Calabrian chilies, dried tomatoes, olives, and asparagus. To my relief and joy, the peppers actually had some heat to them! The pizza was delicious, and there wasn’t anything I disliked about it. The seasoning that comes on the side, however, was too salty.

Unfortunately I can’t recall the names but their signature cocktails were good and for dessert, I ordered the N.V Giuli Cocchi Brachetto. It was okay but nothing I would order again. I much prefer indulging in my sherrys and ports.

I always say that I got tired of Italian food years ago, and I rarely ever crave going out for it, but Osteria Rossa is different. Service was friendly and prices quite reasonable. The only issue I had with the new establishment is that it was quite noisy. There were times when Nathan and I had a hard time hearing each other from across the small table. Overall everything was very enjoyable, but there is something else about it that has made me want to go back since we went. What is it?! I don’t know. Maybe I’ll figure it out the next time I go.

Toast in Ferndale.

Toast is a popular breakfast and lunch spot in Ferndale, and one of the other places Nathan used to frequent while he lived on the other side of the state. Breakfast items such as Huevos Rancheros, omelettes, sandwiches, soups and salads make the menu here. The space is small, with a bunch of different vintage toasters adorning the wall. The look and feel is an artsy, hipster one. We came in on a Friday afternoon and got really lucky with getting a table immediately, as this restaurant tends to be packed more often than not.

The Cure.

Home fries topped with sausage gravy, green chilli, fried eggs, and cheddar cheese. Sounded amazing, but unfortunately I wasn’t crazy about the dish. I couldn’t get over how sweet the potatoes tasted (I am incredibly sensitive to sweetness compared to others). The cheese on top was quite hot but the inside of the pile of food was lukewarm. The eggs were done easy. Once I got to the green chilli, I enjoyed the dish much more. It brought everything together, but at the end this was one meal I actually did not finish. It became too rich for me from the eggs and cheese.

This place wasn’t anything special. Nathan really likes the joint so I’m not opposed to trying it again. We’ve got a couple more concerts in Detroit to go to pretty soon so maybe we’ll stop in for another try.