Wednesday, August 11, 2010

New Jersey's best restaurants

Hello everyone,

I know it has been a while since I posted and I will post a review soon. Meanwhile I want to share this with  you guys. Is New Jersey's 25 best restaurants.

Please click in the link. New Jersey's 25 best restaurants. I have been to Fuji in Haddonfield so I recommend this one. I will post a review on it soon.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Bonao Restaurant





In an area where there is an overabundance of Hispanic restaurants; Bonao is the needle in the haystack. Bonao is not a fancy restaurant, more like a hole in the wall.  Maybe just a bit bigger than a living room. But their amazing food makes up for the lack of atmosphere.



349 Oak St
Perth Amboy, NJ 08861
(732) 442-6490
Dine in or Carry out

Bring CASH they do not take plastic!

This restaurant unfortunately is not wheelchair assessable. There are some steps into the restaurant, and it’s tight to move around. Even reaching the narrow bathroom it’s a bit of a hassle. But if you are willing to take your time to figure it out you will be fine. Chairs are wood and strong with a cushion. Tables are a little close but if I could fit so will any person. There is no need to wait for seating.  There’s table and counter sitting available. 







Around this area there are too many Hispanic restaurant but that does not mean they all cook the same food or well. For along time I have been looking for a Dominican restaurant that will assimilate to my grandmother food. No other Dominican restaurant compares to this one.

My partner in crime this time is my sister and my 6-month-old cousin.  This place is usually pack between 11am and 1pm and 3pm and 6pm. We were lucky enough to stop by just as lunchtime was winding down. This restaurant has a great and simple menu with very affordable prices as well.



My sister and cousin.

The menu is extremely simple but their flavors are a definite win. After we sat down they were kind enough to give me a peeled orange to feed my niece. The little monster smelled the familiar food and started to cause a ruckus. We had already talked about what we wanted to eat. Our main goal: GOAT STEW!!


I smell food! Feed me!

nom nom nommm



mmmmm



Happy! ^_^ lol

To some this is an exotic or strange dish. To my family and me this is a treat. We are fans of a good goat stew with rice or yucca and lots of sauce. Yummm!
We made our order that consisted of white rice for my sister, yellow with corn for me, red beans, goat stew, and an extra side of Chicharron. Dominican chicharron is a beautiful thing. A section of pork belly cut in to cubes, seasoned and pan-fried to perfection. The end result is a beautiful rainbow of goodness: Crispy skin, glistening fat, and tender meat. Nothing better than to take a piece and soak it in lime juice, and take a big bite. Letting the saltiness and fat of the meat come together with the sourness of the lime becoming a whole new experience.

White Rice



Yellow Rice with Corn


Red Beans


Goat Stew


Chicharron


With every bite you can taste the cilantro, garlic, peppers, and onions used to season everything. Each plate on its own was a pleasure but once you make the perfect bite of rice, meat, and beans it becomes a symphony of taste. The yellow rice with sweet yellow corn it’s a delight. With every bite not only you get the savory taste of the seasoned rice but a burst of sweetness every time you bite a cornel of corn. The rice goes well with thick sauce of the meat and the beans.














Chicharron is not the only specialty in this place, but their fresh natural juices are also a treat. They are squeeze or blended in front of you. My favorite is the carrot and orange juice. They are all refreshing and delicious.

Orange and carrot juice
( Sorry I remember to take a pic after I had drank more than half lol )

This place might not look fancy but if you are looking for extraordinary Hispanic food this is the place to go. Good prices and amazing food!!


































Please remember to feed the fishes!! ^_^

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Midori Sushi Fusion Style Japanese Cuisine.

 I found Midori while looking for a good sushi restaurant that delivered.  The first time I placed a delivery order I fell in love with this place. The food was fresh and delicious. It made me want to check it out and see if the place was as good as its food. 

Midori Sushi 
Fusion Style Japanese Cuisine 
237 Raritan Ave, Highland Park, NJ 08904
Telephone: 732.246.4511
Dine in or Take Out;
Free Delivery with $15 minimum purchase
Hours:    Lunch,   Mon - Sat 11:00 to 3:00pm
Dinner,  Mon - Sat  4:30 to 10:00; Sunday, Noon to 9:00pm


After 7 pm parking is easy to find. You have to park on the street. But there are parking meters everywhere and a parking lot close by


This time my sister and cousin came along.

 Midori has dim lighting that gives it a very cozy and comfortable feeling. You have to wait to be seated. Chairs are armless, sturdy wood with cushion. I found them very comfortable. The place is not to big but it’s very easy to move around. Any handicap person can easily maneuver this restaurant. However, facilities might be tight for a wheelchair.


Once we got seated a waiter came and gave us warm disposable wet napkins and green tea to start our dinner. The restaurant got a little busy and the service got slow. Our tea cups were filled quite frequently. We took that time to really look over the menu. They have a very extensive well put together menu. Giving a wide range of choices. 

We chose our appetizers Edamame, Gyoza, and Scallop Butter Yaki.















Edamame like always very addicting! Wished it had been a little more salty on the outside but that’s my preference not their fault. The Gyoza were light, crispy and very tasty.  The scallops were a real treat. The scallops were marinated in teriyaki sauce and then pan friend. They had a wonderful crispy edge and tender in the middle. 


 
Edamame
Gyoza
Scallops Butter Yaki

Our plates were cleared and we placed our entree order. We took advantage of their combination roll dinner special. Three rolls for $13.95 one roll for each of us. It included 1 spicy tuna roll, 1 California roll and 1 Alaska roll. 


I had seen something in the menu that caught my eye. It was the tuna tartar with mango & avocado with a raw quail egg. This dish was beautiful and it tasted amazing. The spiciness from the sauce, the fresh tuna, the creamy avocado and sweet mango was a new taste and an orgasmic combination.  With every bite I fell in love with this dish. I was the only one brave enough to try the raw quail egg. And I am happy I did. It added a whole new texture and level to the dish. This became my favorite dish at this restaurant.





Our main dishes came Katsu Don, Beef Yaki Udon, and Yosenabe. Each dish came with salad w/ sweet ginger dressing, and miso soup with pieces of kombu and tofu. We decided to eat and trade. My beef yaki udon was very tasty and the beef very well done. The udon was chewy and well seasoned. My cousin ordered the katsudon. I have ordered this dish before. And I have to say that everyone has a day off.  Today was that day. Katsudon is a popular Japanese meal. It is  a bowl of rice topped with a crispy pork cutlet with a fried egg, green onions, fish cake, onions, and different vegetables. Seasoned mixture of soy sauce and sugar. This time the over did it. And it was  to sweet to really be appreciated. My sister had ordered the Yosenabe. The broth was amazing. It tasted like ocean should taste; fishy (in a good way), and salty. The soup was full of shellfish, fish, vegetables, glass noodles and tofu. 


Beef Yaki Udon
Katsudon
Yosenabe

After this meal my cousin and sister could not leave with out having tempura ice cream for dessert.  And I was looking forward to fried bananas and ginger ice cream.


 
Tempura Ice Cream

Fried Bananas w/ Ginger Ice Cream

Overall it is a great place to have a great meal and a great place to be. 

A few weeks after our visit we made a delivery order for my mom. We had some of the same food, and some new stuff. Like the Triple Layer Tartar; three thick home made potato chips dipped in tempura batter and topped with Spicy tuna, spicy salmon, and yellow tail tartar. Also a new desert Dora Yaki; a Japanese style pancakes with red bean filing.

Naruto Roll and the Pink Lady Roll