Jul 08 2012

Bangkok 54, Durham, NC

Last night, I decided to try a different Thai restaurant in Durham, NC. Bangkok 54 is technically in Chapel Hill, NC, but it is so close to interstate 40 that it is really six or one-half dozen. The first thing that I immediately noticed when I went inside is that they didn’t have the air conditioning on. Yesterday, it was approximately 38°C (~100°F), so walking into a restaurant that was only slightly cooler than it was outside really didn’t help the appetite. Anyway, though, the restaurant is a bit on the small side, with about twelve tables or so, the front bar (which didn’t offer seating), and the kitchen behind it.

I went to Bangkok 54 because I was really craving Pad see ew (ผัดซีอิ๊ว in Thai, also known as Phat si io), which is a noodle dish that is heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine. It literally means “Fried soy sauce,” but the soy sauce is not the typical thin sauce typically produced by companies like Kikkoman and found in bottles in just about every Asian restaurant globally. Instead, the sauce used in Pad see ew is called Kecap Manis (pronounced KEH-chup MAH-nees), where Kecap simply means sauce. It is a thicker glaze that has the consistency of molasses, and a sweeter taste than the other soy sauces. In with the broad rice noodles and Kecap Manis, they mixed Chinese broccoli, egg, and (in this case) chicken (I know it’s strange that I didn’t go for tofu, but they deep-fry theirs, which is a big turn-off to me).

Pad see ew
A typical plate of Pad see ew
(Unfortunately mine wasn’t as elegant)

Anyway, the dish was decent at best. The noodles were cooked for slightly too long, (which resulted in the infamous noodle blob), and the chicken was a little tough (also indicating too long of contact with the wok). The worst part, in my opinion, was that they used far too much oil in the dish. Granted, one needs to use some oil in order to get the correct consistency, but this was bordering on greasy. The portion size was pretty big, but not for the price of nearly $11.00 USD. I would have expected a little more refined of a dish, especially for the price and the reputation of the restaurant. Though I was glad that I found a place serving one of my favourite Thai dishes, I don’t think that I can recommend it due to the atmosphere (incredibly hot), the somewhat small portion for the price, and the quality of the preparation.

Cheers,
Zach

Jul 07 2012

Wine tasting review – 07 July 2012

As summertime nears its peak, and temperatures sore into the high mid-to-high 30s, many of the local wine shops are focusing more on crisp, refreshing whites and rosés than on heavier reds. Though I strongly prefer deep, dry reds, it is nice to experience some of the others of which I wouldn’t typically purchase bottles. This week at HV Bottle Shop, the emphasis was on rosé. In fact, all five of the wines fell into the category, though they were each a little bit different.

HV Bottle Shop tasting - 07 July 2012
Wines are discussed from right to left

The first wine of the day was a 2011 Rosé of 100% Pinot Noir from County Line in the Anderson Valley, California. Interestingly, I had never had such a wine before, and was pleasantly surprised by the body. It had thin, medium-quick legs, and a very faint pink colour–almost clear, in fact. It was highly acidic, which made it quite refreshing in this heat. The citrus (primarily lemon) in the finish was a bit odd to me, and didn’t round off the flavour profile as nicely as I think some other nuances would have. Overall, though, it wasn’t bad.

The second offering was a 2011 ‘Les Griottes’ from producer Pierre-Marie Chermette in the Beaujolais region of France (southeastern, and northwest of the Rhône River Valley). It was 100% Gamay, and was very light pink. It had significant floral and fruit aromas, and slightly thicker legs. It was light as well, but not as crisp as the Noir. Also, the prominent flavour was the wild strawberry and Morello cherry. Though it was refreshing, it almost seemed a little heavy for the heat.

The third Rosé of the day was from producer Château d’Oupia in the Minervois region of France (quite far south, bordering the Mediterranean Sea). It had a faint peach colour, which was significantly darker at the edge, and the slowest legs of the five wines today. It had a beautiful tropical fruit aroma, and a great taste of passion fruit. Considering it had one of the lowest price points (at around $10.99 USD / € 8), I found it to be one of the most enjoyable Rosés that I’ve had of late.

The fourth wine was one that, like the County Line Pinot Noir, surprised me, as it was 100% Montepulciano. Montepulcianos are some of my absolute favourites, so it was a bit disappointing that this Rosé didn’t really strike me; it seemed to lack a lot of the structure and depth of flavour that I’m used to experiencing in this great old world wine. It was from producer Garofoli, and had a very light peach colour to it. It had medium legs that were still quick, and left a solid ring. There were mild scents of strawberry and raspberry, coupled with a dry yet fruity finish. As mentioned, I was hoping for a little more substantial flavour profile from this wine.

The last wine of the day was Cochon (from producer Odisea, in Napa Valley). I recently had this wine at a previous tasting, and reviewed it in that post. However, to revisit it, it had wonderful raspberry flavours (though the producer indicated melon as well, I didn’t find it prominent) and some subtle vanilla up front. It was nice to have it again, and it solidified my previous tasting notes.

Overall, I still wouldn’t consider Rosé to be my favourite wine, but it is a very nice alternative to whites during the hot months of summer. Just as a little lesson, Rosés are produced in ways that would normally produce red wines (such as maceration), but not to the degree of reds. Those processes result in a colour ranging from a light pink to a deep salmon, peach, or even slightly orange colour. Interestingly, there are three primary methods for making Rosés:

  • Maceration – the skins of the red/black grapes are left in contact with the juice, but not for a long enough period to result in a red wine.
  • Saignée – French for “bleeding,” this method takes some of the pink juice from barrels of to-be red wines and bottles it separately. This intensifies the final red wine, and also creates a nice Rosé as a by-product.
  • Blending – this method (which is HIGHLY discouraged) involves blending a red and white wine together. It is so discouraged, that it is actually forbidden in certain regions (especially in France).

Cheers,
Zach

Jul 06 2012

Graffiti frozen yoghurt in Durham, NC

Recently, I posted about a frozen yoghurt place called Menchie’s in Durham, NC. It wasn’t all that bad, but not great either. I figured that there had to be some better places for the delectable treat in the area, so I went out looking for a new spot. That’s when I stumbled upon a brand new premium frozen yoghurt stop called Graffiti. A word of advice is that, at the time of writing, the site is under construction and the colour/pattern combinations against the logo background may be a little much for you to handle. 😉

Graffiti Frozen Yogurt, Durham, NC

Anyway, I had a coupon for 2 free ounces of yoghurt, so that even further sweetened the deal. When I entered, I was greeted by a very pleasant staff, and directed to the machines and the cups. Interestingly, they didn’t have any sample cups, but she said that I could put one of the spoons under the machine in order to try a couple flavours. I was immediately impressed with the number of fat-free flavours that they had, and while they often change, the staff member assured me that the majority of their offerings are fat-free. I, of course, went for the cheesecake as it is one of my absolute favourites. The machines were a bit over-powered, so the creamy treat came out with significant force (and a bit ended up on my shirt… oh well, some for later). The flavour was very authentic, and the texture was the key selling point for me–it was incredibly creamy with absolutely no grit (which is sometimes a downfall of frozen yoghurt).

The only disappointment to me was the topping selection. I generally like some fruit toppings and something along the lines of graham cracker crumbs or fat-free granola. However, the fruits did not seem very fresh, and the more decadent toppings were things like cereals and candies. I ended up just having the yoghurt without any toppings. Overall, it was very good, and maybe the toppings will change by the next time I visit. I would recommend Graffiti as one of the better premium frozen yoghurt venues in the area, and if you happen to be in the neighbourhood, you should stop in.

Cheers,
Zach