Vegas Meanderings

Recently I had a trip to Buldogi's Gourmet Hotdogs, and if you refer to my last review, the hotdogs themselves lived up to expectations but the angry kimchi fries were kind of a let down.  So on this visit we gave the Euro fries a try for a chance of redemption and boy was that a good choice!

The official name for these fries are the "Euro Special."  The fries are potato unlike the angry kimchi's sweet potato.  The order is covered with pork belly bacon, fresh herbs, cheddar cheese and garlic mayo.  Fries covered in cheese and bacon is a classic comfort food pairing and is always welcomed.  The fact that it's pork belly bacon steps this up a notch and has a nice fatty meat that's satisfying to each bite.  The herbs and seasoning on the fries adds  spice and that kick of flavor making this order even more unique to any other french fry concoction.  Garlic mayo over top finishes it up with that pungent garlic flavor, bringing all the ingredients together.  These were much better than the angry kimchi fries, although a lot more simple.

Buldogis Gourmet Hot Dogs
2291 S. FORT APACHE RD. #102
 LAS VEGAS, NV 89117
(702)570-7560

Driving around the area I live(Henderson), I noticed a small shop in a strip mall that said Seafood Market over the top and Hawaiian Pokē on the door.  Given the odd location and the ambiguity of the signage I figured it was worth a quick look.  You walk into this shop and there's literally nothing but a few items on the wall, a few pictures and a cold case with a register.  Looking in the cold case there are a few Tuna Pokē and a few Octopus Pokē.  For those who aren't familiar,Pokē is a raw fish salad sometimes served with other meats such as octopus or even beef.  What caught my eye about this place were the huge cuts of tuna they used so with this I put in an order for a regular Shoyu(soy sauce,) Ahi(tuna,) Pokē, what most would consider to be the most classic style of Pokē.

What started as a curiosity turned out to be a venture into one of the best Ahi Pokēs I've ever had.  The tuna was fresh and cut into big bite pieces,  later I was told the tuna's ordered fresh from California and this really showed in the quality of the fish.  The shoyu was exceptional, not too salty(which I hate,) with a slight sweetness to it.  There were also fresh green onion and red onion added in that provided a great bite to the salad.  Although I am not completely sure what it is, there's definitely a slight crunch in texture which at first I thought was the black and white sesame, but after a few more bites I realized it was more reminiscent of rice powder which I would bet it actually was.  Whichever it may be it added a nice contrast of texture and flavor that prevented the salad from becoming boring after a few bites.  Last but not least, at the end of each bite you get a bit of roasted sesame flavor, and when you get a little bit deeper into the sauce of the salad you realize that there's a nice portion of sesame oil which adds a depth of flavor that I've never really had in my Pokēs.


This place is definitely good, and if you're in Henderson looking to venture out a bit, give this a try!  Talking to the owners they told us they just opened up a few months ago so they could definitely use a little traffic.  They plan to add some hot foods to their menu on top of their extensive list of Pokē flavors.  And for those wondering, each Pokē is about $12.95/Lb, which is actually pretty standard for the good stuff.  Small bites like this can really get those cravings going that I'll definitely be Nursing again soon!


Hawaiian Style Pokē II
1647 W. Warm Springs Road
Henderson, Nevada 89014

The Joy of Discovering a Food Startup

If you were in Vegas last week, you were very aware of the festival happening at Silverton Casino.  It is afterall, right off the 15 on the way to the strip.  The festival was Las Vegas Foodie Fest, calling upon all foodies to taste the offerings of food trucks originating from Vegas, California and everywhere in between.  I came to try trucks from everywhere except here but got hooked on a local start-up shop.

From across the way, the big yellow sign really caught our eyes.  "Kaba Curry," tugged at our curiosity and we made our way in that direction.  So here we were, finally figuring out they serve the beloved Japanese style curry.  The curry itself comes with the standard bits of beef and veggies(carrots/onions/potatoes?) for $5.50 which can be dressed up with corn, cheese, rakkyo(pickled scallions,) spinach or the traditional pickled ginger, each for less than a dollar.  For protien you have the option of chicken katsu or marinated beef, being a huge fan of katsu curry that's what we went with, even opting for an extra serving of katsu for a buck.






This is what our order came out to look like, a nicely sized bowl with a scoop of rice immersed in curry with katsu pieces floating up top.  For less than $7(because we added extra katsu,) this was a perfect serving.  Before taking my first bite, I had one question to ask..."Is this made from scratch?"  Seems silly but you'd be surprised with the lack of commitment to fresh ingredients these days, luckily this was not a problem for Kaba Curry, the answer was a definitive yes!








The biggest test for me was the curry itself obviously.  The curry sauce did not disappoint, with excellent balance of consistency.  I get turned off when the sauce is too thin, a sign of diluted flavor, or too thick where it's simply overpowering.  With Kaba, you get a great curry flavor from their scratch-made sauce, where garam masala really comes through but not soo much that you're afraid to speak to people after eating because of the smell.  The tender bits of beef and veggies are a nice compliment to the sauce and the little chicken katsu nuggets were tender, playing their role as the meat compliment to the dish.  Overall a definite Success.

After investigating a little more, we talked to Keiko who I am convinced is one of the owners, to find out more about Kaba Curry.  Keiko said that they started out as a clothing design company, taking their Hippoe mascot and talents to the stove.  After much trial and error they found a curry they can call their own and Foodie Fest sprouted their first vending location.  I feel like nothing is more pure than a start-up food spot.  A commitment to fresh ingredients and flavor, not soo jaded over the money side of the food business.  Ever since the fest, I've seen little spots on the internet proclaiming their love for Kaba Curry, and they have every reason too.  I hope they get their truck soon and we will all be able to find them on the streets of Las Vegas to fulfill our curry needs.  Who knows, maybe I'll be nursing that craving with a curry topped with cheese soon!

Kaba Curry
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or Follow their TUMBLR 

My Original Vegas Favorite

Before I was living here, I frequented the Vegas Area on a whim.  I mean, it's only 5 hours or so from San Diego, never a big deal.  On the recommendation from locals and family, Bachi Burger became a traditional stop each time I was in the area.  I'm always bothered that this place is considered as either over-rated or extremely popular, I always go with the latter.

Bachi is an abbreviation of Hibachi, the Japanese style of grilling.  With this in mind, the most important thing to first note about Bachi Burger is that they use a mixture of ground chuck and 21-day aged rib-eye glazed and caramelized with a soy-mirin-sake marinade.  Even though I've been here a LOT since I've found out about it, I'll talk about the first burger I tried here, the one that got me hooked.

 

This is the KiKi burger, obviously everyone will have their preferences, but for the first 5 trips or so, this is the only thing I would let myself order, one of those situations where you know what's good so why tamper with it?  On top of the unique burger patty, we have a Gruyère cheese, offering a slightly sweet and salty cheese with a nutty finish.  On top of that is carmelized bacon, real smoky adding that pork dimension a burger has to have.  The next layer are sauteed Shiitake, Enoki, and Eryngi mushrooms mixed with carmelized onions, a classic pairing kind of kicked up a notch with Asian flavored-earthy dimension.  On top of that we have spring greens, and although I'm usually a purist, on this trip I couldn't help myself and added a couple fried onion rings for a nice crunch to the burger.  What brings it all together is the bun, and it's no simple bread either, the only way I could describe them is by comparing them to Chinese baked pork buns.  They're soft, and a little sweet with a bit of a sugar glaze over the top then crusted on the inside from the grill.  If you're interested there's even a garlic chili aioli on the side so you can bring add that hint of garlic spice to the burger.  Although the KiKi may seem a little complex in flavor, taking a whole paragraph to describe, it's simply delicious.

So what's a burger without fries?  Here at Bachi they have sweet potato, salt and pepper garlic, and truffle parmesan.  I always opt for truffle parmesan fries with sun-dried tomato aioli.  The fries are crisp and has just enough salt from the parmesan, then there's a drizzle of truffle sauce over top that gives you an amazing truffle flavor that really goes well with the potato fries.  Even when you realize you've eaten that top layer of truffle goodness, you have a nice sun-dried tomato aioli to take you the rest of the way.

I always appreciated Bachi Burger for it's unique delivery of the classic burger.  I can't think of a place that employs Asian-fusion on a burger to begin with, but besides that, Bachi just executes at a high level.  I never understood the whole "over-rated," title this place gets sometimes but in my book this place is simply a winner.

Bachi Burger

470 E Windmill Lane, Ste 100
Las Vegas, NV 89123

(702) 242-2244

http://www.bachiburger.com/

The Local Favorite

When I first moved to the Henderson/Vegas area, one of the first things I noticed was that there's a big Hawaiian community and with that quite a few good Hawaiian food spots.  Talking with a few locals, one consistent place that came up was Ross J's Aloha Grill.  Lucky for me this is right down the street from school and in that same sense less than 10 minutes away from the house!  I frequent Ross J's, with their huge menu, great portions and great tasting food, this place is a no brainer on "too lazy to cook," days.

 

I usually start off with the spam musubi, a thick slice of spam over rice glazed with a sweet sauce all wrapped into a sheet of seaweed.  The size of this $1.50 treat is a small brick at the least, definitely worth it.  The spam is cooked so it has a nice little bit of crust on each side from the flat top and with the salty flavor, it's mellowed out by the rice and sweet sauce.  Nothing extra special about this compared to others I've tried, but worth getting if you're a little extra hungry that day.

This is a standard 2-item combo ($8.95,) my must have is the spicy Korean chicken but on this day I opted to try the meat jun which is all over a big bed of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad.  The spicy Korean chicken has chicken thighs(possibly a Korean marinade?) with a sweet soy flavor and a hint of Korean chili at the end, although not very spicy a great mix.  The best part about the chicken is that it's cooked skin down on the flat top creating a crispy crust with the sugars caramelizing adding that little extra bite.  If you aren't feeling too hungry you can even get the spicy Korean chicken alone over rice for under $4, and don't let the price fool you this thing can fill you up!

Next we have the meat jun, and honestly when I ordered this I had no idea what it was.  So the best I can describe it is a thin slice of beef, tenderized, dipped in an egg wash which is then directly cooked over a flat top and served with a small side of teriyaki sauce.  This is way better than I thought it would be, first the egg is cooked nice and crisp with a slight flavor of mirin (sweet rice wine,) that goes well with the meat.  The beef is tender and pairs well with the sweet egg outer layer along with the teriyaki sauce.

This local favorite has been my go-to and to me is the epitome of comfort food.  Not only is this place affordable but the at home quality goes a long way when you want something to remind you of home.  I'll be back, possibly for the exact same order, guaranteed to have the spicy korean chicken in the mix to nurse that craving!

Ross J's Aloha Grill

4650 E Sunset Rd
Ste A
Henderson, NV 89014

(702) 435-5600

A Seafood Delight: Inka Grill

Peruvian food definitely ranks as a high favorite of mine with it's unique flavors and preparations.  Their cuisine is interesting as they fuse Latin, Asian, Iranian, African and Portuguese flavors.  Inka Grill, formerly known as Little Dumpling, is a little hole in the wall in Henderson that really gives off that mom and pops restaurant feel. I remember at one point we even saw a little grandma chef come out of the back! Always a good sign.  Now that they've changed to Inka Grill, regulars will notice a few changes, minor in detail including decor, staff and a few dishes with smaller servings but some dishes with larger portions.  One post definitely doesn't do any justice, but hopefully I can highlight a couple dishes because I always find myself back for more.

  

 This dish is Chicharron de Calamar.  I've ordered this before and Inka Grill definitely serves this one generously.  The base of this dish contains chunks of fried Yucca, which are potato-like with a more mild starchy flavor and fibrous texture.  Next is a layer of fried calamari, and they aren't cheap calamari steaks, they actually have fresh calamari sliced into rings and tentacles(my favorite!)  The calamari is topped with a very important layer of salsa criolla which is a preperation of tomato, purple onion, peppers, cilantro quickly pickled in lime and vinegar.  This is the perfect contrast to the fried seafood, as we all know a little acidity is the perfect pairing, it doesn't hurt that I'm a fanatic for purple onions either.  The last component are the canchitas on top.  These are fried chulpe corn kernels which remain unpopped then seasoned with salt.  This is served traditionally with Peru's famous ceviche but I suppose that's a post for another time.  For the masochistic like me, you can request some aji pepper sauce, this is yellow pepper based.  They have a mild and very spicy version with even spicier peppers added in, just let em know you like it hot!  For those not so willing, keep in mind a little bit is sprinkled over this dish.

I'll definitely have more reviews for Inka Grill, there are at least 5 more essential dishes to cover (Lomo Saltado, Tallarines Verdes, Arroz Chaufa, Papa a la Huancaina and Aji de Gallina.)  All running the gambit of Chinese to Latin preparations.  Exciting but sadly I'll leave you with this dish tonight, until next time, let's all Nurse our cravings!

Inka Grill

9400 S Eastern Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89123

(702) 614-8818