This review is a very long-awaited continuation of my Oklahoma City Chinese food reviews that I started back in January with Fung’s Kitchen. I must apologize! In any case, this week I present to you a review of Chow’s Chinese Restaurant.

I first visited Chow’s about 2 years ago. The first thing I realized when driving up to the building is that it looks like an old IHOP. I also noticed that there aren’t any other Asian restaurants around because it’s situated a few miles west of the Asian District. Though Chow’s may seem a bit out of place, it knows no shortage of patrons on the weekends. So, if you want more individual attention, come on a weeknight.

For late-night owls like me, this place is one of the very few food establishments in OKC that’s open past 9pm. Bless restaurants like this!

Max Chow, owner and namesake of the restaurant, hails from Hong Kong which is said to be the culinary capital of the Asia. In the Cantonese style of cooking, freshness is paramount and the wait staff isn’t shy to communicate that Mr. Chow only uses the best ingredients.

To illustrate this point, they fly in fresh lobsters from Boston every Thursday or Friday, so don’t wait until Wednesday to get a taste of their lobster dishes. In fact, Mr. Chow might not even sell them by then because they won’t meet his strict freshness standards. The staff claims that their lobster and their oysters are their specialties. I haven’t tried the oysters yet, but their lobster is delicious (more on that below).

On a recent trip to Chow’s I ate family-style with 2 other friends. We started off with the Crab Meat with Fish Mau Soup ($8.95). Now, if you haven’t had much Asian food, the consistency of this soup might be a bit odd, but it’s quite delicious and the portions are definitely enough for a party of 4. My only complaint this time around was that the corn starch wasn’t completely dissolved and it was a bit lumpy.

Next up we ordered the Pork Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce ($8.50), Chicken Pan Fried Egg Noodles ($7.95), and, finally, the Hot and Spicy Fresh Lobster (price varies from $15-18/lb).

Mr. Chow uses fresh, whole garlic cloves in many of his dishes and it provides a good, pronounced flavor. Being Korean, I LOVE garlic, and I would just eat raw garlic all day long if I didn’t have to worry about scaring my co-workers and any potential vampires.

Although Chow’s doesn’t have a saltwater tank in the front of the store to display their fresh lobsters, Mr Chow’s attention to freshness will assure that every lobster they serve is alive when you order. The hot and spicy lobster is prepared with a tempura batter and lightly fried. It’s served with onions, whole garlic cloves, and cilantro.

Out of our three dishes, my friends considered the pork spare ribs their favorite while I thought the lobster was the most delicious. Honorable mention must go to the chicken pan fried noodles because it’s very satisfying to the palate with its very tender white-meat chicken, fresh vegetables, and crispy egg noodles that eventually soften with exposure to the tasty white sauce poured over the dish.

On a subsequent trip, I ordered to-go for myself only and had the Seafood Pan Fried Noodles ($11.95) with the rice noodles instead. I found it to be a very satisfying meal in itself. The dish consists of fried fish, shrimp, squid, scallops, ginger, whole garlic cloves, cabbage, carrots, celery, broccoli, bamboo shoots, and onions. I think this is a FAR better option than the typical American-style dishes that I prefer not to order. Sure, call me a Chinese food snob, but I could eat Chow’s pan fried noodles all day long.

To wrap up my review of Chow’s, I need to mention that their service is excellent. The waiters have great knowledge of the dishes they serve and can offer good recommendations for what to order if you’re unsure of what you want. Although the decor is sorely lacking and the hours are limited to dinner-only (except on Sundays), they are open late and they serve quite possibly the best Chinese food in the state.

If you’ve had a good (or bad) experience at Chow’s, we’d love to hear what you have to say. So please leave a comment below!

It may be a bazillion degrees outside, but that doesn’t stop many of us from enjoying a nice, steaming bowl of our favorite soup — Pho. Now, if you’re new to Pho or if you haven’t ever heard of Pho, you should probably check out our previous review of Pho Lien Hoa which will give you a little primer on the subject and convince you why you need to care about this Vietnamese specialty that we’re so abundantly blessed with here in Oklahoma City.

But if you’re already a Pho devotee like us, then perhaps it’s time to shake things up a bit. After all, that 100th bowl of the P11 at Pho Lien Hoa, while tasty, can start to loose it’s luster. So, let’s widen our Pho landscape. We have the answers for you. Here are a couple of Pho alternatives to try at Pho Cuong.

#39, aka “Banh Tam Tom Thit Nuong” is what I order most every time I go here. It consists of thick vermicelli noodles over a bed of romaine, pan-fried shallots, cilantro, bean sprouts, peanuts and cucumbers topped with grilled shrimp and pork. It comes with coconut syrup and diluted fish sauce on the side. Mix all that together and you get something delicious and healthy for just $6.25. If you want to spice things up a bit, try adding a few squirts of Sriracha (a.k.a. rooster) sauce.

Now the #39 is not so much a soup, so it can really give you some nice variety in your Pho shop visits. However, if you still want a soup but crave something out of the ordinary, Pho Cuong offers the #28 “Bun Bo Hue” ($6.50). Tim tried this once and had this to say about it:

“My Vietnamese friends tend to get the Bun Bo Hue and one told me this was the thing to get at Pho Cuong. I have to say, it is definitely a departure from the standard Pho. It is very spicy and the broth is delicious. However, there are some items floating in this soup that I didn’t recognize, but no matter. Just eat them up and enjoy!”

Although Pho Cuong offers some nice Pho alternatives like #39 and #28, they also have standard Pho, of course. They even nicely break up their Pho menu into sections based on how “experienced”  you are with Pho dining. Section one, “for the beginners,” has items #1-#4 which include the steak/brisket Pho (#2) that would be comparable to Pho Hoa’s P11. The menu then progresses to sections titled “A little bit of fat?” and “The Adventurer’s Choice” where you’ll find all of your tripes and tendons and what nots. I think this menu layout is pretty clever and really handy for people who are just getting started, so beginners have nothing to fear at Pho Cuong.

I have tried some of these standard Pho options here and will say that they are pretty much on par with Pho Lien Hoa. Honestly, I think Pho Cuong’s cuts of meat might be of better quality. However, the portions seemed a bit smaller so I guess it’s kind of a wash. While I believe Pho Lien Hoa will likely always retain its top status in the OKC Pho world, and so we are obliged to compare most other Pho Houses to them.

Pho Cuong is small, cozy, and full of life on Sunday afternoons. I’ve never had to wait to get seats even at 12pm on weekends unlike Pho Lien Hoa which can be a madhouse sometimes. It is important to note that Pho Cuong accepts credit cards, which gives it a pretty major advantage over Pho Lien Hoa, which is still cash and check only.

Like most Vietnamese restaurants, Pho Cuong also sells a nice assortment of fresh fruit smoothies ($3.25). If you’re feeling a bit daring, go and try the avocado or durian/jackfruit smoothies.

Overall, Pho Cuong is another great Pho House in the Asian District of Oklahoma City. Their quality Pho and their tasty alternatives to the standard are both great reasons to check them out. If you’ve tried Pho Cuong, let us know what you think in the comments.

“Wow! That’s a nice tv!”

That was the first thing my friend and I said when we walked into Republic. You can’t miss it. It measures 23′ (yes that’s feet!) diagonally and is powered by a Christie theater-quality movie projector that costs about the same as a well-equiped Mercedes. Now add the other 4 plasma TVs at 6′ apiece and the 20 or so LCD TVs placed all around the place and you have a room perfectly suited for any sports fan.

Oh wait! This is a food review website isn’t it? Then again, we review restaurants, so I guess it’s relevant.

“A contemporary American Public House bridging the gap between beer bar and upscale eatery,” is how Republic describes themselves. Looking at all the steel, glass and high-end video displays used in the restaurant’s design, I agree that this place is definitely a contemporary and modern approach to the typically rustic images of the European pub. The wall display that features bottles from around the world and anchored by the line of taps below it reminds every guest what this place is really all about: beer.

Republic has around 100 beers on tap and if that’s not enough to quench your beer thirst, they also have around 250 beers in bottle form to choose from. If beer isn’t your favorite libation, they also have a nice selection of wines and cocktails. Although Tapworks in Bricktown has a larger selection of beers on tap, Republic is cleaner, cooler and has a much better menu.

“So what exactly is a ‘gastropub?’” you ask. Well the name is a combination of pub and gastronomy and a gastropub concentrates on quality food. With that in mind, let’s talk about the food.

I heard that this place was all about its burgers so I decided to get the Republic Burger ($8). All of their burgers are made with natural Black Angus meat that’s handmade into patties every morning and they are served in on toasted pretzel buns — very tasty! The Republic Burger is made with caramelized onions, apple wood smoked bacon, relish, arugula, blue and gruyere cheeses and topped with a fried egg. “A fried egg?” you say. Yes, a deliciously fried egg.

It was love at first bite.

My friend and I both agreed that this was one of the best burgers we’d ever had. The gruyere helps neutralize the strong flavor of the blue cheese. Towards the last few bites, however, the cheeses became a bit overpowering. My suggestion — if you come with another person, order the Republic Burger and something else like the fish and chips and just split both between the two of you.

Now, for people who don’t have an affinity for foreign cheeses, the Republic Burger might not be the burger for you. So, another option is to stick with the Just-A-Burger ($6), which is the same great burger with more traditional toppings.

Adding to this burger goodness, I tried a side of elbow mac and cheese with bratwurst ($3) and it was equally delicious, though not as hot out of the kitchen as I hoped it to be.

Although I haven’t tried anything else on their menu, I’m looking forward to trying the fish & chips ($12) and their ale braised & glazed ribs ($19) during my next visit.

With so many food and beer combinations I see myself dining at Republic pretty regularly. Although the place has more dining space than bar space (I feel it could benefit from more bar space considering the place is called a pub), the Good Egg Dining Group has done a good job with Repbulic, creating nice, new addition to the OKC dining scene and the developing Classen Curve area. Once the new Whole Foods opens up across the street from it, it will be very hard for me to avoid stopping by Republic every time I decide to go food shopping.

What’s your experience with Repbulic? Leave your opinions in the comments below.

PLEASE NOTE: Cocina Guatelinda is no longer in business.

I first caught whiff of Cocina Guatelinda from a co-worker who had told me of a great little Latin American restaurant serving up a delicious, spicy soup that knocked his socks off. I tried their Sunday stew special and, though I didn’t find it to be spicy at all, it still made for a great meal and an interesting dining challenge. I’ll describe this experience in more detail in a bit.

The restaurant is designed with an open-kitchen concept. The last time I visited a place this open was at 105 Degrees where you can literally see the chefs making the food right out in the open. If you’re the paranoid type, this is great because you’ll know if anyone does something unpleasant to your food. Seriously though, it’s really cool to see your food being prepared out in the open, especially in a restaurant setting since you can see all the hard work being put into making your order. The experience is akin to being in your mom’s kitchen and watching her cook dinner.

Every patron here is treated to a fresh basket of chips, tortillas, black bean sauce, a roasted chile salsa, and escabeche. If you’ve never heard the term escabeche, it’s made of pickled jalapeños, carrots, onions, cauliflower and cabbage. This side dish is a specialty of the mom in this family run place and it goes deliciously well with everything I’ve had here. You’ll also notice that the tortillas aren’t your typical store bought Mexican variety. These are particularly thick and have some weight to them and you can definitely tell each one is uniquely handmade. While you’re waiting for your food, you can also catch up on your monthly dose of Latin American music videos playing on either of the two flat panel TV’s hanging on the walls.

I’ve had the opportunity to try the Tuesday Special — Jocon  (chicken simmered in tomatillo sauce for $6.99) and the Carne Guisada (beef and potatoes in sauce for $6.99). Both of these dishes are served with potato salad (carrots, potatoes, green beans and onions) and rice pilaf. The Jocon came with two small pieces of chicken and left me wanting a bit more meat, but with all the other food on the table I was still able to satisfy my big appetite. The Carne Guisada had a good flavor to it and was definitely fulfilling. All the flavors from the dishes to the sides and salsa all meld together nicely and you can tell everything is made with a mother’s touch.

Now, on to the stew. It has been a while since I’ve eaten a meal and looked like a complete idiot trying to figure out how to eat it. This was the case while I was trying to eat their stew.

With my spidey sense, I could feel that some of the workers were laughing at me while I was trying to eat their Sunday special, Caldo de Gallina Criolla or hen stew ($7.99). The meal comes in a bowl on top of a larger dish and is filled with hen along with ginormous chunks of carrots, chayote (kind of like a summer squash), yucca and potatoes. It also comes with a separate plate of rice, diced onions, cilantro, a wedge of avocado and lime, not to mention all the other condiments I mentioned earlier.

Overwhelmed with so many possible ways to consume this delicious goodness, I thought, “Hey! There are tortillas in a basket and meat in the stew, why not make a taco?!” I later realized that traditionally these tortillas are treated like you would a treat a basket of bread at an Italian restaurant. That is, for dipping in sauce and eating — not so much for making stew tacos.

I asked my server what the proper stew-eating technique was, and I think her response was something like “Yes! It’s very good, yeah?” After I was unable to conquer the language barrier, I just continued working at my stew with my taco technique. Fortunately, the son in the family who works there noticed that I was about to make a mess of my white shirt and instructed me on the proper form. I will pass on his advice to you so you can avoid my stew etiquette faux paus.

First, you get all the chunks of vegetables and put them around the outside of the bowl (that’s why the plate it’s resting on is so large). Then you put the rice, onions and cilantro found on the other plate into the soup according to your preference. Give a nice squeeze of the lime and you’re ready to eat. Don’t forget to grab some of the tortillas and dip them into the bean sauce or salsa.  Simple, right? Now you don’t have to be a fool like me when trying their daily soup specials. By the way, the son assisting me also noted that Monday’s Caldo de Res (beef stew) was his favorite.

Not everyone is a fan of horchata (a cinnamon rice water beverage), but I usually try to get it with my Mexican food and have been quite disappointed with a lot of the places around town. At some places it’s too sweet or not sweet enough or just straight out awful. But Cocina Guatelinda serves horchata that’s just right, and they also gave me free refills! That made me a particularly happy camper. I hate having to pace myself to make sure my horchata lasts for the full meal and Cocina Guatelinda removes that limitation.

If I had the choice between this place and Café Antigua for Guatemalan food, I’d say this place has better flavors and has more reasonable operating hours. Don’t get me wrong, I still think Café Antigua has great food for breakfast, but since they open at 8am and close at 5pm I can never make it in time for a meal during the work week.

I have yet to be disappointed with the food here and will definitely dine here again. If you’ve had the chance to dine here and especially if you have your own special dining technique, please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

In the search for the best Chinese food in town, I think I’ve narrowed my choice down to three restaurants: Chow’s, Golden Phoenix and the newly reopened and relocated Fung’s Kitchen.

In what was last Crawdaddy’s and before that Pizza Hut, Fung’s Kitchen has done a fine job of renovating the interior, but they still need to do something about the out-of-place pier decking in front. Perhaps they can expand to have some outdoor dining when the weather is nicer.

As one of our readers mentioned in our comments section on another post, you can tell a good Chinese restaurant by the quality of its chopsticks.  I’m glad to report that Fung’s Kitchen has nice chopsticks and even goes so far as to include a ceramic stand for the spoon and chopsticks.

Before I go any further in this review, I must mention that the best way to truly enjoy restaurants like this is by coming with your entire family or a large group of friends. I made the mistake of ordering just the Bitter Melon Spare Ribs Hot Pot ($9.95) for dinner the other day. It was served with a bowl of rice and was good up until I was halfway done when the bitterness really started to shine through. If this were shared along with 4-6 other dishes I’m sure I wouldn’t have had the same flavors stagnating in my mouth. The dish is made of slow-cooked pork spare ribs in a black bean sauce with ginger and an herb garnish and the pork was quite tasty. I also liked how the ginger helped break up some of the bitterness towards the end.

Another time I went to Fung’s I was with just one friend. We ordered the Crab Meat and Asparagus Soup ($7.95) to start and had the Roast Duck and Roast Chicken 2 Choice BBQ Combo ($9.95) and Soft Shell Crab in Salt and Hot Pepper ($12.95). I’m not sure if the chef had a cold that day or something, but all the food seemed really bland. What made things worse is that the salt and pepper shakers have such miniscule holes that I had to literally use my entire body to get a few crystals of salt and specks of pepper out of them. Being a somewhat sodium-conscious person, I like how the food wasn’t overly salted and that I can flavor my food to taste. However, for my own sanity, I hope my next visit doesn’t require me to look like I’m having convulsions to add salt and pepper to my food.

Even with the two of us, I felt that we didn’t have the variety of dishes I typically enjoy at family-style places like Fung’s. The soup was large enough to feed at least four people. The asparagus in it isn’t your typical grocery store variety. This is the more yellowish variety and is more bitter in flavor. I’m hoping to try the West Lake Beef and Egg Swirl Soup ($6.95) the next time I visit.

The BBQ combo comes out as a plate of just meat. No sauces or garnishes, just straight meat. While on the topic of BBQ meats, this place is similar to Golden Phoenix where they have a glass display showing off the hanging cuts of pig, duck and chicken. Some might be turned off by it, but it makes me salivate every time I pass by the display.

I was really looking forward to the soft shell crab, but was a bit disappointed because it wasn’t what I was expecting it to be. I was hoping for the dish to be a like a saucy-spicy garlic mixture with salted and fried crabs like I’ve had before in San Francisco and L.A. Instead, it was just salted and fried soft shell crab with slivers of hot chili peppers. Despite my failed expectations, this was by far the most flavorful of the dishes I had that day.

Now, the biggest treat is that Fung’s also offers Dim Sum on the weekends. To get in the mood for dim sum, I like to play this song on my way to eating it. It’s really all about the dim sum carts if you’re going to eat dim sum. Not only do those carts help keep the food warm, but they also keep the food moist. At Grand House, servers bring the plates out directly from the kitchen, and if they’re walking around the whole place with no interested diners, the food gets old and stale — not very appetizing. Because of this, I never even bothered eating dim sum in OKC because it tended to be cold, dry and way too salty. Now that Fung’s Kitchen is offering a dim sum alternative with carts, I’m pretty sure I’ll be eating it more often.

If you’re not into the whole dim sum thing and you decide to crave some food here, don’t worry, you can order off the regular menu as well.

Well, that’s my Fung’s experience. In spite of a few disappointments here and there, I still consider it one of my favorites for authentic Chinese in OKC. I look forward to returning with a larger group to experience a larger sharing of different tastes. Have you been to Fung’s? How was your experience? Tell us what you’ve tried and what you thought about it in the comment below.

Lately, I’ve been tired of cooking for myself and have had an insatiable desire for Asian food.  I have a string of Asian restaurant reviews coming soon and hope I don’t have a heart-attack from all the MSG I feel like I’m consuming (just so you know, it makes food much more delicious despite what critics of the flavor enhancer say).  Anyway, several people have dropped the name Lido around me so it sparked my curiosity enough to give it a try.  Legend says that Lido was the original Vietnamese restaurant to open up in Oklahoma City with success.  The influx of new immigrants, however, has allowed newer and better restaurants to open up around Oklahoma City. In my experience, Lido is an ok option, but there are many other places that offer better Chinese/Vietnamese food, often for less money.

If you look at the sign outside of Lido, it says “Vietnamese, Chinese and French Cuisine,” but when you look at the four items found in the “French Specialties” section on their 164 item menu, you’ll see Diced Filet Mignon, Mushroom Pork Chop, Mushroom Garlic Shrimp . . . and then you’ll notice Korean BBQ Beef ribs.  The last time I checked, Seoul is about 5,500 miles from Paris.  I don’t know about you, but I was scratching my head on that one.  I was hoping that the food wasn’t going to be plagued with the same sense of culinary confusion.

Besides the frog leg dishes, all the menu items were typical of most Chinese/Vietnamese restaurants. Nothing really stuck out.  However, conveniently located under the tabletob glass are various specials that actually caught my attention.  For $12.95, I had the Sizzling Fish Special.  You can choose from various types of fish, so I went with salmon in the mushroom garlic sauce (mushroom black bean and sweet & sour sauce are also available).  It also comes with your choice of steamed or fried rice and soup (egg drop or hot & sour).

The hot & sour soup I had was disappointing.  I’ve had Chinese delivery soup with much better flavor.  But I held out hope that the sizzling fish would surely change the course of this meal.  It came out similar to how Mexican fajita dishes are presented, nice and sizzling hot on a metal skillet. The sight of it definitely whetted my appetite.  It had a nice array of vegetables (baby corn, cilantro, peas, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, celery, bell peppers and spinach) with deep-fried, crusted fish covered in sauce.  Unfortunately, it looked a little better than it tasted, but it was alright. At least it satisfied my big appetite.

I’d heard that the vermicelli noodle dishes are the best thing to get at Lido, so I decided to visit one more time.  I ordered the charbroiled shrimp bowl ($8.95 dinner, $7.55 lunch).  The dish includes your choice of meat or shrimp, with cucumbers, carrots, and peanuts on a bed of thin vermicelli noodles, plus bean sprouts and shredded lettuce.  This includes a small bowl of Nuoc Mam (watered-down fish sauce) that you pour in the bowl to add flavor, and to help loosen up the noodles.  This dish was ok, but the shrimp was overcooked and the flavors didn’t really pop out to me.  It’s worth adding a few squirts of Sriracha sauce (Vietnamese chili sauce) to give it a little kick if you like a bit of spice. I’m not saying it was bad, but I just think many places, including Pho Cuong (3016 N. Classen Blvd. – review to come) up the street, offer better, and cheaper, variations of this dish with more flavor.

Since I haven’t even come close to making a dent in the massive selection of dishes, I know I can’t give a fully comprehensive review of Lido, but based on the few things I have tried and the less-than-satisfied comments from a few friends of mine, I know there are several other restaurants that do a much better job with Chinese/Vietnamese food.

That’s my take. What’s yours? If you’ve had a better (or worse) experience at Lido we’d like to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

I’ll sum up this review in the following sentence — eating at Fusion Café reminds me of eating at home, but it’s better than my mom’s cooking.  Please don’t tell my mom that I said that. She might cry.

From the outside, the restaurant is pretty non-descript with the exception of the obvious orange signs outside.  The ambience inside is a stark contrast to the plain exterior. You can come here for a meal or just come to read a book while sampling the various flavored teas or milk teas on their inviting sofa or typically empty tables.  This is a café after all.

However, if you’re going to come to Fusion Café just to enjoy their drink bar, then you’re totally missing out!  This is one of only a few restaurants in OKC that offers teriyaki bowls ($6.95-7.95) or Bento “rice boxes” (also $6.95-7.95).  For the most part, this place is a fusion of Korean and Japanese-style food with a pretty equal distribution of the two cuisines from sushi to bulgogi.

The ultimate stars of this restaurant, however, are the spicy potato stew ($6.95) and Chef’s Specialty ($10.95) — aka “goat” stew.  I’ve had the pleasure of trying both and I must say that both are superb!  The owner mentioned that once you try the goat stew, you won’t want to go back to the spicy potato. I have to agree. Their menu describes the Chef’s Specialty this way — “Rich soup made with tender goat meat and traditional Korean spices and seasonings.”  I can’t really figure out all the ingredients that go into the dish, but the one ingredient that has a prominent presence is perilla leaves (an herb that is a member of the mint family with an aroma reminiscent of apples and mint).  The slow-boiled goat meat is super tender and absolutely delicious.  I ordered it with medium spice and it had just the perfect blend of seasoning and heat (of course, I like things spicy, so keep that in mind).  If you prefer less heat, the spicyness can be adjusted when you order but Korean food is generally known to be pretty spicy.

The spicy potato stew is described this way — “Traditional Korean hearty stew with rich savory broth. Made with pork neck bones and potatoes.”  It’s not as delicious as the goat stew, plus this dish requires a bit of work to get all the meat out of the neckbones.  Depending on how meaty the neck bones are you might get more or less meat. Nonetheless, I usually go home pretty satisfied with the portions. Each bowl includes an entire potato, sliced onions, and chilis. 

I went to get the goat stew the other day and they had run out (which goes to show you that if you’re REALLY craving the goat stew, it’s best to call ahead to make sure they have some ready). Since my mom and I drove all the way down there to try the goat stew and came up lacking, I think they gave us extra meat portions in the Potato Stew we ordered. I must say, I was quite happy with that addition.

If you happen to come with a friend or a significant other, you can go off menu and get the ”jung-goal” or family-style versions of the stews that can easily feed 2-3 people.  The stew is actually cooked on your tabletop with one of those portable butane cooktops.  Once you’ve dished out most of the stew, the server comes with a platter of veggies and rice to stir fry into the pot and finish up whatever is left.  My friend and I were pretty full from the stew already and didn’t realize how much more food would come with the stir-frying.  Family-style prices for the the spicy potato and goat stews are $20 and $29 respectively.

Both stews come with a bowl of rice and an accompaniment of Korean side dishes.

Fusion Café is a family run business with good service. They are proud of the fact that none of their food contains any MSG — just like mom would like.  One would be hard-pressed to find tastier potato or goat stews even among the larger Korean communities in LA or New York.  Let us know what you think about it in the comments section below.

Wow, since the last time I reviewed a frozen yogurt establishment I think the number of open stores in the city have now almost tripled!  Many of them are in Northwest OKC and Edmond, which is good news for the residents there.

Lushberries opened in Edmond in July and it was quite the hangout on the Sunday evening when I visited.  In fact, the owner was so busy that I didn’t really get a chance to ask him anything about the business. This, even while they were fully staffed with five other busy bees.  I guess this goes to show that the market for fro-yo is still healthy, plus I think that these guys definitely have one of the more convenient locations as they are right on Broadway in Edmond.

So, what sets this store apart from all the others you ask?  From a fro-yo perspective, they’re the only ones to offer Acai Berry and Taro.  I’m sure you’ve all seen commercials about the health benefits of Acai (honestly, I think it’s all hype and marketing).  It had a subtle berry flavor and I think it adds something unique to their lineup of flavors.

As I was enjoying my fro-yo, I think I heard over ten people asking themselves, “What the heck is taro?” Well folks, it’s actually a root, popular in Asia, that tastes a bit like cookies ‘n creme.  I sampled it and it had a nice bit of tang compared to the more sweeter concoctions of taro I’ve had.

The mango flavor here was also quite tasty and I have to admit — I think they’ve got the best mango flavor of all the places I’ve visited.

They also offer two sorbet flavors — green tea and pink grapefruit. These are non-dairy and non-fat.  The flavor of the green tea was pretty strong and I wasn’t quite sure how well it would jive with any of the toppings.  Honestly, I think the sorbet flavors are best by themselves.

The ten flavors offered on the day I went were: original, acai, mango, vanilla, strawberry, taro, lemon-raspberry, chocolate, green tea and pink grapefruit.  As is typically of fro-yo stores, Lushberries changes their selections on a somewhat regular basis.

The most unique items Lushberries has to offer are their crepes. They’ve got five crepe varieties to choose from, including Nutella (peanut butter, jelly and caramel).  I didn’t get a chance to try them this time around, but if they are anything like the crepes I’ve had in San Francisco or NYC, then I’ll be all over them!

Like Pink Swirls and Orange Tree, Lushberries operates on the pay-per-ounce system.  They charge $0.38 per oz. which is two cents more than Orange Tree and three cents more than what Pink Swirls charges (I heard that Pink Swirls recently lowered their pricing to $0.35 per oz. — competition is a good thing).

Lushberries’s variety of toppings (24 fresh fruit and 18 dry topppings) was better than what I’ve seen at other stores, which gives them another leg up.  Two unique fruit toppings they offer are lychee and jackfruit.  Lychee is a common tropical fruit in Asia that tastes delicious.  If you can overcome the odd look and smell of jackfruit (it’s the size of a basketball with hundreds of spikes — people in Vietnam call it the “lonely fruit” for its … um, unique … odor, but delectable flavor) it actually makes for a good fruit topping.  Fortunately, the consumer will never have to have an Andrew Zimmern (host of Bizarre Foods) experience with the exterior of a jackfruit since everything is nicely prepared for you in Lushberries’s various fruit topping tubs.

If you thought the cup sizes at Pink Swirls were large, come to Lushberries and you’ll find they’re even larger.  At least they offer the convenience of sample cups.  For the sake of the environment, it would be nice to offer smaller cup sizes. Sure, I understand that the larger cups coax consumers into buying more yogurt, but let’s be reasonable here.

Overall, I think Lushberries might just have the best fro-yo in town, but Pink Swirls is still very close behind. And, the lower pricing at Pink Swirls gives them a definite edge. Beyond that, it comes down to the extra features. As a sushi lover, I would likely choose Pink Swirls over Lushberries for their sushi menu. However, if you love crepes, Lushberries would definitely be your winner. Bottom line, the two are very close in the fro-yo department so it comes down to personal preference.

Of course, with all the new fro-yo shops opening up, there will likely be more contenders on the scene in the future.  If you have an opinion about Lushberries or your fro-yo preferences, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Isn’t it weird how sometimes you overlook places to visit that are the closest to you?  Having lived in the Deep Deuce for a few years, I’ve only visited the Deep Deuce Bar and Grill just twice, which seems odd. Not only that, but Sage has been open for a few months now and I haven’t been able to push myself to eat there until just recently.   I don’t know if it’s the fact that dining in Bricktown typically costs an arm and a leg or if the view of the wall full of alcohol through the windows made Sage seem more like a bar than a restaurant, but something has kept me away … until now.

The fact that Sage is also a ”market” did peek my interest since OKC has a dearth of healthy, organic markets (Whole Foods are you reading this?!).  I put market in quotes because the market section at Sage probably isn’t much bigger than my kitchen.  In spite of its size, they do offer a selection of goods that can’t be found at your normal supermarket or Wal-Mart.  They feature locally grown organic foods, a nice selection of cheeses, gourmet dressings, organic coffee, oils, and even beer.  Speaking with the sous chef, I found out that the owner has plans to expand the market in the future once the other tennant in the building ends their lease, but that’s still a few years in the works (unfortunately).

So, how’s the food?  Well, Greg visited on a separate occasion and had this to say:

“I had the 3-cheese mac and cheese ($9 for lunch and $11 for dinner) and thought it was wonderful. The gorgonzola gave the whole dish a great tang that really differentiated it from “normal” mac and cheese. The dish was very heavy, though, so I could hardly imagine it as an entree. I really thought it worked best when shared. It might be too rich for me to eat all alone.

I also tried the roasted seasonal vegetables ($7.50), which were pretty good. I was less impressed by the eggplant, but the green tomatoes were a revelation. Sweet and tart, warm and crisp. I would get this dish again in a heartbeat. Also great was that it came with a small side of hummus, which was thicker and tastier than some I’ve found locally.

Wrapping up my appetizer meal were the Greek turkey meatballs with tzatziki sauce ($7.50). They were dense, but flavorful, and the sauce really added a nice, fresh burst. The best part was, by sharing with friends, my bill was only $9 — pretty good for a fancy lunch.

Looking around, I saw some giant sandwiches that I am eager to go back and try. The roast beef was piled high and the portobello sandwich was really calling to me as well. Almost any sandwich topping is also available on a salad and the Ahi tuna salad looked pretty appetizing, but I’ll have to go back for a taste before I can pass judgment.”

I have to agree with Greg about the mac and cheese dishes, they’re pretty good.  I had the Grilled Shrimp Pesto version ($10.50 for lunch and $13 for dinner) and was definitely satisfied with the taste.  The accompanying waldorf salad (celery, apples, walnuts, grapes in a light mayo sauce) matched well with the mac and cheese and kind of helped to break up the heavy creamy flavor. I just wish it came with a bit more salad.  If you’ve ever read the menu and wondered why their mac and cheese is called “The Original” it’s apparently because (they believe) Sage is one of the original and only restaurants in OKC to offer gourmet mac and cheese.  I’m interested to see if there are any other readers or restaurants out there who might debunk this claim.

Talking about original offerings, Sage also has a salt bar where you choose from three of their eleven premium salts from around the world for $2.  I honestly don’t know what these different salts will do to change the flavor of my food, but it’s definitely something I’d like to try out another time.

On a subsequent visit during happy hour (everyday from 2-6pm) I was happy to find the $3.50 margaritas and mojitos.  I think everyone needs to try out the mojitos because they come in an awesome mason jar!  Honestly, it’s a nice touch.  I also made a meal of the $3.50 appetizer selections.  The grilled chili lime chicken wings and greek turkey meatballs are definitely enough to share with several people.  If you want to enjoy this happy hour deal, make sure you place all your food orders before the cutoff because the computer will automatically adjust prices at 6pm sharp.

Now, for the bad news. If you’re looking to visit Sage with a large group, be advised — I had a birthday party with a group of 13 and I must say the service was less than stellar.  I reserved our spot a good week ahead of time so I feel the staff had plenty of time to prepare for our party.  To start, those ordering mac and cheese dishes were told that they were out of the accompanying waldorf salad (disappointing news), but then one of my friends got some other person’s dinner and it came with the waldorf salad (aggravating news). In addition, I think our server took everyone’s orders about 3 or 4 times and blamed the ticketing system that was acting funny (this is the second visit on which I’ve encountered issues with the computer system). As a result, we all sat around waiting much longer than we really wanted.

I know big groups are always a challenge, but at a higher-end establishment like Sage, you expect them to be a bit more prepared, especially with advanced notice. My friends were pretty disappointed with the service, but I still think the quality of the food might bring some of them back again.

Overall, Sage offers unique dining, a convenient gourmet market and mini-deli, a pretty nice bar and some pretty good desserts choices. Aside from sub-par service with a large group, I can’t offer much complaint.  I will continue to anticipate the expansion of their market or just hope for a Trader Joes or a Whole Foods to open up.  If you’ve had a good (or bad) experience at Sage, we would like to know your thoughts.  Please leave us a comment below.

PLEASE NOTE: Orange Tree has changed its name to Peachwave, which now also has multiple locations in Oklahoma City. This review may not be an accurate reflection of Peachwave.

This is part three of the Oklahoma City fro-yo smackdown where I review some of the upcoming frozen yogurt establishments in Oklahoma City. In this post, we’ll take a look at Orange Tree, which opened up in Edmond last April.  Click here for part one in the series, covering Passionberri. Click here for part two in the series, covering Pink Swirls.

So in my quest to hunt down the fro-yo places in OKC, I drove all the way up to Edmond twice in search of Orange Tree.  My first attempt failed because I decided to do some other errands and forgot to get directions. Instead, I decided to drive all the way up and down Broadway thinking it was sure to be on that street. Nope. Eventually, I found my way into the Spring Creek shopping plaza.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the store was the wall full of fro-yo dispensers; 14 in all!  Could life get any better?  Flavors include: Chocolate, peanut butter, white chocolate, cheesecake, original tart, coffee, cherry, mango tango, blueberry, strawberry, lemon, banana, orange and finally peach.  I couldn’t possibly sample them all so I just stuck with the original tart, mango and strawberry.  There’s space for 15 different fruit/wet toppings and another 15 spaces for dry/candy toppings.  However, I was quite disappointed that they didn’t have any mochi. Despite the lack of one of my favorite toppings, the topping spread was sufficiently stocked and kid-friendly.

Like Pink Swirls, Orange Tree operates on the pay-per-ounce system.  They charge $0.36 per oz which is three cents less than what Pink Swirls charges.

If you come to Orange Tree expecting anything else besides fro-yo, I’d suggest you go to the Starbucks next door because unlike the other fro-yo places we’ve reviewed, they only offer fro-yo and nothing else.  No teas and no shaved ice. For a Hawaii-based chain (that’s right, Orange Tree is a franchised chain), I’d expect them to offer shaved ice, but they don’t. They also have no wi-fi (you can get the Starbuck’s wifi signal from next door) and, of course, no sushi (Pink Swirls is the only fro-yo / sushi combo in town and likely the only one we’ll ever see).

So, how’s the fro-yo taste you ask?  I thought that the original tart was perfectly yogurty and tart.  The strawberry tasted a bit too sweet, but maybe it’s because I added strawberries and kiwi to the mix.  The mango tasted similar to the one at Pink Swirls, and was the best of the three in my opinion.

The strawberry toppings tasted like they had some additional sweetener added to them, making them a bit too sweet for me.  I’m not sure if any of the other fruit toppings were also this way, but if so, it’s a bit disappointing since one of the draws of a fro-yo establishment is the healthy and fresh aspect of what’s being served. Adding sugar to fruit that is already naturally sweet seems counter-productive to me.

The bottom line? Well, I already declared the smackdown winner in my review of Pink Swirls, and that decision still stands for me. Of course, mine is just one opinion and the smackdown is open for all of your to weigh in with your own opinions in the comments. But here’s the argument I’ll make.

Although they have six more flavors of fro-yo and charge less per ounce than Pink Swirls, I think the greater variety of toppings and other menu items (including sushi!) still puts Pink Swirls on top. This, plus lets not forget that Orange Tree is a chain. Now, we’re not completely anti-chain around here. We don’t oppose them at all costs. But, if it comes down to choosing between a locally-owned place and a large, national chain, we’re going to pull for the local guys.

That said, until Pink Swirls expands north (which I hear may be soon), Orange Tree is the only place to get your fro-yo fix in Edmond and it does a pretty decent job filling that need as long as fro-yo is all you’re craving.

Share your thoughts about Orange Tree in the comments below. And, if you spot any other fro-yo places that need to be included in the smackdown, be sure to let us know.

This is part two of the Oklahoma City fro-yo smackdown where I review some of the upcoming frozen yogurt (fro-yo for all you cool people) establishments in Oklahoma City. In this post, we’ll take a look at Pink Swirls, which has recently opened up in Midwest City with plans to expand to other points in the metro.  Click here for part one in the series, covering Passionberri.

I think I’m going to start off by immediately declaring the smackdown winner.  *Drumroll please* … and the winner is … Pink Swirls! Now hurry up, pack up your significant other and/or your kids and go make a trip right now!

Alright, that may be a little premature. After all, we haven’t quite finished our fro-yo tour (many have been telling us that Orange Tree in Edmond is a definite contender), but I can at least say that, in my opinion, Pink Swirls beats Passionberri, which was featured in part one of this series.

My rationale for choosing Pink Swirls over Passionberri is simple — eight organic, healthy, nonfat, live culture fro-yo choices (such as chocolate, mixed fruit, banana berry, pomegranate, mango, passionfruit, regular and more), numerous choices of fruit, candy, and nut toppings, all available for self-service and in whatever mixture and combination your heart desires for just $0.39 per ounce (that means a very generous cup weighing a pound will cost you just over $6).  Plus, unlike some other fro-yo places, Pink Swirls uses real fruit puree to flavor their products (with the exception of the chocolate).

If you can’t decide which flavor to dump into your cup, grab a spoon and put a little taste of fro-yo into your cup to sample. They’ll even provide you with small sampling cups if you wish.  Just make sure you’re not pouring fro-yo straight into your mouth like a kid or sampling more than you really should. Obviously, it would really get costly for the owners if everyone did that. But otherwise, reasonable sampling is allowed and even encouraged.

My personal favorite flavor has to be the mango yogurt. I like it topped with mochi, kiwi and strawberries.  I’m not too sure if they’re going to be rotating other flavors into the mix, but a flavor I’d like to see is Taro (a root that actually tastes kind of like cookies n’ cream and is popular in many asian smoothie and boba shops).  Pink Swirls also offers shaved ice in three different sizes with up to five toppings.  A winning combination for this treat is mochi, strawberries, kiwi, frosted flakes, red bean (if they have it, but I didn’t see any when I visited), and a healthy squirt of condensed milk.  They also offer smoothies, waffles and hot/cold teas.

Plus, if that’s not enough to whet your appetite, just work your way down to the end of the counter to their sushi bar. Wait a second … did I just say sushi? At a fro-yo place? That’s right, Pink Swirls serves sushi, compliments of their joint venture with Mr. Sushi.  They have a total of 19 rolls with prices starting at $4.95 for the California Roll on up to $10.95 for the Oceanic Roll (spicy scallops and asparagus topped with salmon and scallions).  Though they don’t offer any fried food/tempura selections due to its incompatibility with a fro-yo environment, they do also offer nigiri.

The store itself has a very white and clean decor with bright colors typical of many fro-yo establishments.  It seems like there is a lot of under-utilized space and that’s because they’re currently awaiting word from the Fire Marshall to determine total allowed seating capacity, but once they get that number they will be able to legally accomodate more seating.

For the Tinker folks, they offer a 10% military discount.  For everyone else, make sure to ask for the frequent buyer’s card — eight stamps and you get a free cup.  I spoke with the owner (who also happens to own Asian Market and Golden Phoenix restaurant on Classen) and he plans on opening a few more stores in Edmond and OKC in the next few months so his fro-yo can be more conveniently enjoyed by the rest of the OKC community.  Until then, it’s worth it to make your way down to Midwest City to experience the goodness of Pink Swirl’s pay-by-the-ounce fro-yo.

My only real gripe about this place is the fact that I’m going to be coming here every other day and spending all my hard-earned money on fro-yo and sushi since it’s right next to my work.  Wait, I have one more complaint and it’s about the size of the sushi bar section.  The bar can only accommodate four people so the lunch crowd wanting to eat at the sushi bar will have a difficult time getting front row seating.  Smart people who read and heed the words of this review will call in an order 30 minutes ahead of time and then grab an open table once they arrive. By the way, images of the sushi menu can be found here on urbanspoon.

Our editor, Tim, tried Pink Swirls as well and loved it. For him and his kids, this is the place. He loves the pay-by-the-ounce model because he can get smaller quantities (closer to 4-6 oz.), and he loves the kid-friendly flavors and toppings as well. On the other hand, his one complaint is that they don’t have any small yogurt cups. Even the small size is pretty big. It’s good for business because it sort of tricks you into adding more yogurt to your cup, but it’s kind of annoying that you have to put your reasonable portion of yogurt into a giant, cavernous dish. If you want to get a small portion for you or your kids, you’ve got to force yourself to shut off that spout when it looks like there’s hardly anything in your huge cup. Buyer beware.

Pink Swirls offers greater selection, better freedom of choice and cheaper pricing than Passionberri, making them a strong competitor, especially if they ever expand down to Norman. They offer free wifi and, once they’re able to get more seating, they will provide a great option for your summer hang out.  Pink Swirls has a knockout business model and I’m just happy to have such convenient access to their delicious fro-yo!

Share your thoughts about Pink Swirls in the comments below. And, if you spot any other fro-yo places that need to be included in the smackdown, be sure to let us know.

So, there’s been a few Southern California-style fro-yo places popping up in the metro recently. This, plus the fact that we’re heading into summer and in need of cool treats, inspired me to create a little series where we review and compare the fro-yo options. Since Passionberri was the first one I heard about, they will get the first review. But stay tuned as there will be more fro-yo smackdown published in the days ahead.

I heard about Passionberri through the grapevine and decided to give it a try when I was down at OU for the weekend for grad school.  I’ve been surprised that fro-yo places haven’t hit OKC until just recently.  I’ve been to one in Tulsa called FreshBerry that was pretty decent, but I’m not gonna drive all the way up there to get my fro-yo fix.

On my several trips back to L.A., I’ve been to Pinkberry, Red Mango, Yogurtland and a few other wannabe Pinkberrys. I guess you could say that I’m a fro-yo afficionado.  So, in true afficionado style, let me offer a little history.

Pinkberry, aka “Crackberry,” actually started the fro-yo craze in the U.S. back in 2005, and it is one of the fastest developed franchises I’ve ever seen.  Red Mango was already a well established franchise in South Korea and I’m pretty sure the owners of Pinkberry (also started by two Koreans) thought it would be wise to open up something like it in L.A. and eventually other cities across the U.S.  Now, there are several dozen (at least) spin-off versions of Pinkberry in existence. It’s like people are crazy for it, but with good reason. Who doesn’t love that perfect union of fat-free dessert topped with healthy fruit?

So, four years after the U.S. craze begins, Passionberri boldly goes where no other fro-yo shop has gone before — to Norman.  On my visit, I was kind of in a rush to get back up to OKC, so I focused on my usual fro-yo order: a medium-sized plain yogurt topped with strawberries, kiwi and dduk (small balls of soft rice cake).  The price came out to $4.27 — a steal compared to the $8-10 you’d pay for a similarly designed cup at Pinkberry. Green tea and pomegranate are the other yogurt flavors at Passionberri and other toppings include blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, nuts and a few more I just can’t remember.  I’m just glad it’s strawberry season again because the fruit they had was perfectly ripe and delicious.  Although their plain yogurt isn’t as tangy as Pinkberry’s, I actually prefer my fro-yo to be a little more plain and enjoyed what Passionberri had to offer.

Tim, on the other hand, told me that he visited Passionberri and was pretty disappointed. That was primarily because he went there with his kids who were looking for things like chocolate yogurt and crazy, kid-friendly toppings. In his opinion, it wasn’t the most kid-friendly place and the mild flavors weren’t what they were looking for.

I’m sure that most people who venture here for the first time will get the fro-yo, but they also offer smoothies, teas and coffees. Honestly, I glossed over the entire right side of their menu. Tim said he did have the “Passionberri” smoothie — a mixture of fresh fruit blended up with plain yogurt for around $4.50. It was tasty and fresh and more tart than sweet, which he liked. One negative is that it only comes in the one size which is really big. But, hey, I guess you could share it if you weren’t there with people under seven years old.

Passionberri has ample seating and also have free wi-fi so once summer arrives you can just lounge around and spend your entire afternoon here.  Now, if the owners of Passionberri were smart, they would open up a few more in Edmond, OKC and Moore so everyone can conveniently enjoy fro-yo goodness! However, I’m afraid some others may be beating them to it as we’ll see in future fro-yo reviews.

My favorite fro-yo joint in L.A. has got to be Yogurtland.  Why?  It’s because they actually charge you by the ounce, weighing your yogurt and toppings all together. They also have 10 different flavors of frozen yogurt and their choice of toppings was more than I can count with my hands.  In contrast, Passionberri has only three, mild yogurt flavors, and they’ve gone for the full service model, charging based on dish size and how many toppings you choose to put on. So, if you’ve been spoiled by the pay-per-ounce model of some other fro-yo places, prepare to be disappointed. On the other hand, if you’re used to the Pinkberry/Red Mango model of business, you’ll be happy to find the pricing substantially cheaper at Passionberri.

Bottom line: Passionberri is a decent fro-yo option with quality ingredients and competitive pricing. But, its limited selection of flavors and toppings combined with a non-pay-by-the-ounce pricing model may leave it vulnerable when compared to other fro-yo options we’ll explore in this series.

Stay tuned, and let us know what you think about Passionberri in the comments.

Ok, so I know I just did a review of the OK Ko Mart which is just around the corner, but Seoul Garden offers selections that the Ko Mart doesn’t have and is actually a good supplement to the food you can find at the Ko Mart.  So, if you’re not in the mood for Jja Jjang Myun or Jjam Ppong, drive around the east side of the building to Seoul Garden.

The ownership of this restaurant has actually changed twice in the last year.  The original owner sold it and then bought it back a few months ago. The ordering process changed with each iteration of ownership.  Currently, ordering is done up at the front counter and then you sit and wait for the food. Service is similar to the Ko Mart in that you make your own miso soup and help yourself to drinks and table settings.  They have iced barley tea in water pitchers. It’s really quite refreshing if you’ve never tried it before.  I think it goes really well with Korean food.  One unique thing about Seoul Garden is that they also have a nice selection of novelty Japanese sodas if you’re into that sort of stuff.

Every meal comes with a complimentary egg roll and two pork tempura balls with a bland sweet and sour sauce.  Seoul Garden has beef/pork bulgogi and bibimbap like the Ko Mart and, honestly, I prefer eating these at Seoul Garden because they offer a wider variety of traditional side dishes called ban-chan.  They also offer different menu choices like tang-soo-yook (battered pork in sweet and sour sauce), pan fried seafood (mixture of squid, octopus legs, carrots, and onions — this can get pretty spicy), gal-bi-jjim (slow cooked beef and vegetables marinated in soy sauce marinade), jap chae (sauteed vermicelli glass noodles with onions, carrots, shittake mushrooms and garlic — more of a side dish than a meal), pork and chicken cutlets, kim-bap (Korean-style California rolls), California and Tuna maki, fried fish, various soups and a few more obscure items.  Dishes range from $6-7 and this is a pretty good deal in my opinion.

I normally like to get the pan fried seafood and the kim-bap to share with others at my table. I know a plate of octopus legs and pieces of squid might sound creepy to you but it’s actually quite delicious. If you’re too scared to try it then just go ahead and select from numbers one through five off of the menu to be safe.

While many other people go to Korea House (map) for lunch, Seoul Garden is a lot less crowded, cheaper and better tasting in my opinion.  On the other hand, ordering food can become a little problematic if it gets too busy because the owner wears multiple hats including cashier, server, clean up crew, and, on occasion, cook.  I’m sure if it gets consistently busier she’ll hire additional staff, but their slightly obscure location hinders people from locating this place. Luckily, you now know about it, so give it a try, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Growing up on Korean food all my life, the thought of living without it, especially Kimchi, is unbearable.  Luckily, we have a small community of Koreans spread throughout the area who also have the same insatiable desire for Korean food.  Upon a recommendation from a Korean friend of mine who grew up here in Oklahoma City, I decided to check out his favorite Korean restaurant, Ok Ko Mart.

Ok Ko Mart’s main business is their fairly small market.  From the signage outside, you would never expect to find a restaurant inside, but I think of it as a pearl hidden inside an oyster.  The restaurant is towards the back of the market and it was recently expanded, doubling the seating area from about 10 seats to 18-20 now.  I believe it’s run by a husband and wife team with the guy doing all the cooking and the lady operating the market and busing the tables as time permits.

There are no menus besides 8 pictures on the wall that separates the seating area from the kitchen.  From left to right are: Kalbi oogoji tang (cabbage leaves with short ribs in bean curd soup), hot bowl Bibimbap, regular bibimbap, beef bulgogi, pork bulgogi, soybean noodle soup,  jja-jjang myun and cham-pong.  There are also a few items without pictures that I have yet to order but will definitely try to get next time.  There are no prices posted (which I find a little annoying) but the prices range between $7-9 with the meat dishes being the more expensive.

The most popular dishes appear to be the cham-pong and the jja-jjang myun.  Cham-pong is my favorite.  It’s a spicy rice noodle soup made with onions, kimchi, baby octopus, jalapenos, shrimp, carrots, zucchini, oysters, green onions and red pepper powder.  If you have no affinity for spicy food, I would suggest you pass on this and stick with the jja-jjang myun.  It is also a rice noodle dish, but made with a black bean curd sauce and a mixture of beef and vegetables.  Beware of eating these while wearing anything white because they have a tendency to splatter on clothes as you slurp the noodles.  All of the noodles are made in-house which adds to the quality of both these dishes. These two dishes are also served with kimchi and pickled radish.  

This brings me to my biggest gripe.  The kimchi here is pretty bad.  Ok, I know most Americans can’t even stand the smell of it, let alone eat it, but even a seasoned kimchi eater like myself prefers to avoid their kimchi.  There is a Korean market in Moore (1224 N. Eastern Ave, 405. 799.1945) that has excellent Kimchi and if only Ok Ko Mart could somehow use their Kimchi to complement their food I would be in heaven. But I digress.

For a more typical Korean meal, beef bulgogi and bibimbap are excellent choices.  Bulgogi (literally translated “fire beef”) is a dish made with thin slices of beef (typically ribeye) and onions in a soy-sauce marinade and served with rice.  This comes with a more expanded set of side dishes than the noodle dishes.  If you’re in the mood for something healthy with lots of veggies, bibimbap is the way to go.  It includes rice topped with julienned carrots, cucumbers, radish, kimchi, spinach, and pieces of bulgogi.  This is usually mixed around with red pepper paste and sesame oil.  For a crunchier version, get it in the heated stone bowl as the bowl crisps the rice and keeps the food warm as you eat it.

Ok Ko Mart’s restaurant is pretty much self-serve. So, if you expect stellar service, don’t.  Help yourself to the table settings and drinks (water or sodas from the adjacent fridge).   It’s pretty much a no-frills place that just serves good food (sans the kimchi).

A couple of final notes. First, not all of the dishes will be available during the lunch hour as I had some trouble ordering the kalbi oogoji tang. Also, another quirk is that you pay up at the front cash register as if you’re buying groceries from the market. Just tell the cashier what you ordered.  It’s typically cash only with the exception of orders more than $10, which is their required minimum to use your Visa or Mastercard.

Now, go forth and eat Korean food! And, of course, let us know what you think in the comments.

Hailing from Los Angeles, I’ve been to my fair share of all-you-can eat sushi restaurants. Chain restaurants like Todai have certainly brought a bad name to all-you-can-eat sushi, and I avoid them like the plague. At the same time, it’s imperative that my friends and I get a sushi fix at least once a month. So, it was with great pleasure that I heard from a co-worker about Sumo, an all-you-can-eat sushi place in Edmond offering heavenly bliss for just $19.99. Most places I know have either stopped the all-you-can-eat  option (because of sushi gluttons like myself) or have started charging $30 or more. I had to find out for myself if Sumo would truly be able to satisfy my insatiable appetite for raw fish!

There’s nothing too extravagant about the exterior beyond the  signage outside. Inside is a rather large interior divided into two sections: regular dine-in / bar / sushi bar and the hibachi/dance floor areas. The restaurant is certainly big enough to host a wedding reception or dance party for those interested.  I like the fact that this restaurant can satisfy those Americans who like the whole hibachi / teppanyaki show, yet also caters to purist sushi eaters like myself. If you’re after sushi like me, ask the host to seat you in the sushi area.

Now this is important — you won’t find the all-you-can-eat sushi special on the menu. You need to ask for it. When you do, your waiter should bring you the all-you-can-eat order form and a pencil. Everything on the front and back of the list is fair game with the exception of the “Special Rolls.” These rolls should be crossed out on the list indicating you can’t order them in the all-you-can-eat special. That’s fine by me since I’d be happy consuming a slab of raw salmon with wasabi, soy sauce and ginger. You’ll also notice some handwritten notes on the bottom saying “$0.25 rice and $0.50 sushi roll pc.” This is outlining how much you’ll be charged for any leftover balls of rice or pieces of sushi rolls if you went in over your head and ordered too much food. My suggestion: don’t order all your food at once. Instead, order in phases. I usually order a whole bunch of nigiri (fish pieces on top of balls of sushi rice) and a few rolls like the spicy tuna rolls and salmon skin rolls (which are both excellent).

EDITOR’S NOTE: One of our readers, Andrea, sent us a scan of the All-You-Can-Eat menu as of April 26, 2009. Thanks, Andrea. Click here to view the menu for yourself.

Included with the meal is a small salad (iceberg lettuce, cucumber and tomato) topped with ginger dressing and a bowl of miso soup. The soup was a little bland and definitely not as good as the one offered by Tokyo, but hey, for $20 all-you-can-eat sushi, I can cut them a little slack in that department.

There are usually two sushi chefs preparing food and it took about 20 minutes to get our first batch. Our initial order amounted to about $65 in value from my quick calculations. Most subsequent orders took no more than ten minutes because we only ordered about $20-$30 worth. Remember to pace yourself and don’t leave any leftovers!

The salmon, scallops, red clam and tuna nigiri are excellent. I thought that the yellowtail tasted a day too old. I really wish they offered toro, which is the belly of the yellowtail and one of the tenderest cuts of fish, but it’s more expensive and not cost-effective for all-you-can-eat. The octopus seemed a little overcooked and the eel selections were a little too fishy for my taste. Overall, the quality was very good, but I must say that some of the rolls really start to taste the same after a few pieces, especially the ones that have the fish, cucumber and avocado in them. It would be nice to be able to order some of the special rolls since they offer a little more variety of flavors, but I guess I can’t get everything my way, right? Another thing I like is that Sumo doesn’t pad the sushi with excess rice to fill you up faster like many other all-you-can eat establishments try to do. In fact, the salmon nigiri I had took me extra time to chew because the cut was enormous and could have easily been a little thinner.

Sumo’s wait staff is prompt, friendly and, oddly enough, they seem very eager to make sure that the customer gets the most out of the all-you-can-eat special. By the end of the night, the job was done. The two of us easily consumed $100 worth of sushi for $40. You just can’t find a deal like that anywhere else, especially with the quality of sushi that Sumo has to offer. I usually like to end a meal like this with some hot green tea to cleanse the palate and aid in the enormous digestion that’s about to take place. I skip on the dessert since a well executed all-you-can-eat sushi night places full emphasis on fish and not filler. Plus, I’m usually too full to consume anything else.

If you’re a true sushi lover like me and have that insatiable appetite for fish, Sumo is the only place to go in OKC. They regularly offer 20% discounts for UCO students and they also have coupons for regular menu items in Entertainment Book if you decide to forego the all-you-can eat menu. But why would you, when all-you-can-eat sushi is so heavenly?

Let us know what you think of Sumo in the comments.