Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Kenzo Sushi

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Tonight we met up with my mother in law for my husband’s birthday dinner at Kenzo Sushi Bistro. I haven’t been here since they opened a long time ago so I don’t have anything to really compare to last time. I really liked that you could enjoy the happy hour prices in the main dining room without having to sit at the bar. We ordered a variety of things off the happy hour menu and really enjoyed ourselves. The food doesn’t take too long to come out and everyone was really nice.

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We started with the Crab Puff $3 (Crispy wonton puff filled with crabmeat and cream cheese). I really liked the lightness of the puff and that it was not dripping in grease. The dipping sauce is excellent there’s a subtle sweetness with the spiciness. 

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Gyoza $4 (Pan Fried Pork Dumplings) These where a good value for the cost.

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Spicy Tuna Roll $4 (left) Spicy tuna and cucumber and Spicy Salmon Roll (right) Spicy salmon and cucumber. These rolls where ok, a little less filling then I thought they would have. I expecting maybe an additional 2 pieces instead of just 4.

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Cougar Roll $7 (IN: Spicy tuna and cucumber TOP: peppercorn tuna, avocado, spicy ponzu, and spicy sesame oil).

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Rock & Roll $5 (shrimp tempura, masago, and cucumber with spicy mayo and teriyaki sauce)

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Spider Roll $6 (Softshell crab tempura, masago, and cucumber with spicy mayo and teriyaki sauce). I felt like it could have had a little more filling, but it was a good flavor with the teriyaki sauce.

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Westside Roll $6 (IN: snow crab, avocado, and cucumber TOP: shrimp tempura, spicy mayo, and teriyaki sauce). This was one of my favorite rolls.

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Shaggy Dog Roll $6 (IN: shrimp tempura and avocado TOP: shredded crabsticks, spicy mayo, and sweet teriyaki sauce). I loved this roll and would order it again.

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I really enjoyed our experience with the restaurant their food is really well priced and they where even kind enough to bring my hubby a really rich brownie with ice cream for his birthday. We will go back another time to try other dishes they offer.

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Sunday, May 6, 2012

Dim Sum King

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Today we had a very special treat! D and I are always looking for new cuisines to try and it’s even better when you have a guide that will take you to the more authentic places. With us today was our neighbor and good friend Lin. He and his wife where kind enough to take us to lunch at one of their favorite places Dim Sum King. 9160-B Bellaire Blvd, Houston, Texas 77036 713-270-6788 Open 6 days a week, closed on Tuesday.

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I wasn’t sure what to expect or if any of it would be in English. To our surprise they did have half of the the menu in English and they have pictures on the menu, so I feel confident about being able to go back and enjoy another fantastic meal.

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They have a sheet of paper that you mark what you want and how many of each.

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While we waited for our food, Lin ordered a pot of Jasmine tea and explained a little more about his culture and tips and tricks such as tapping the table twice which means thank you.

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Once the food started coming out we where immediately excited. The serving sizes are traditional so it’s easy to taste several dishes to see what you like the best.

Off of the small menu, which is $2.08 per plate, we ordered Crab King Shiu Mai, Steam Pork Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce, Steamed BBQ Pork Bun, Sticky Rice Roll, Deep Fried Veggie Egg Roll. I was surprised about how filling the Sticky Rice Roll was, the rice was nice and sweet like it was flavored with tea. I enjoyed the BBQ buns as well.

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Off of the medium menu, which is $3.28 per plate, we ordered Steamed Taro Cake, Steamed Shrimp Dumpling, Stuffed Shrimp Eggplant, Deep Fried Shrimp Ball, Foil Wrapped Chicken. I would probably pass on the foil wrapped chicken next time. D isn’t a big eggplant fan, but I loved the dish. The fried shrimp balls and taro cake are both amazing.

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Off of the large menu, which is $4.18 per plate, we ordered Steam Shrimp Rice Noodle. OMG I think this was my favorite thing of the day! The flavors are so simple yet amazing and light.

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I honestly can’t wait to go back and try some of their other dishes. The people who work there are very friendly and even though the place is small, you never feel rushed. I highly recommend trying this restaurant.