Chen’s Dumpling House is a quaint little restaurant on State Street that features non-Americanized Chinese cuisine. Despite its quirks (e.g. napkins are behind the register, the open sign is never turned on, etc.), it’s worth a visit, especially for the dumplings. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Chinese’
Chen’s Dumpling House
Sunday, July 8th, 2018Taiwan Little Eats
Sunday, February 4th, 2018
Don’t confuse Taiwan Little Eats‘ name as meaning appetizers. Here, you’ll find a full menu–which was updated in late January–of “night market fare” and teas.
For example, items in the “Little Eats” and “Big Bites” are large enough for a full meal. The Tainan braised pork ($8) is super tender and flavorful, and it’s served over rice alongside veggies and half a tea egg. The dish would have been worth its price with 25 percent more pork.
The black pepper beef ($12) also is tender with a little bit of char, and it’s coated in a thick sauce. The beef is indeed peppery, but not in a bad way. I don’t think the entree needed the lightly cooked onions, which were very pungent.
The unifying theme of the pork and beef, along with other entrees, is that they rely on the julienned carrots and broccoli to fill in for the lack of the main item. On my first visit, I noticed how many people didn’t finish the filler veggies or the overabundance of rice.
I highly recommend the coffin toast ($7), which is a chicken potpie served in toast that’s shaped like a rectangular box. The pot pie is creamy and tastes like corn chowder, with the only imperfection being the giant pieces of potatoes. The toast tastes just like fried dough sticks, commonly found in dim sum menus.
The vegetarian cold noodles also hit the spot ($9), though I’m not sure why this dish costs more than the heartier coffin toast. Anyways, the sesame paste was strong but not overpowering, and the fresh carrots, cucumbers, bean sprouts and cilantro added to the enjoyment of this dish.
“Nibbles” include BBQ pork sausages ($5.50) and popcorn chicken ($5.50). Other than the $1 tea egg, which was too dry, nothing on the menu is less than $5.50. That includes the fried squid balls ($5.50), which are golden-fried, meaty and slightly salty. However, they’re smaller than average, and you only get six of them.
For drinks, you have hot tea, milk tea, smoothies and fruit tea. You can choose from a variety of fruit choices, including mango and passion fruit. The lychee fruit tea ($4.15 for 16 oz., $5.15 for 24 oz.) was refreshing and had a strong lychee flavor. It had diced coconut jellies instead of pearls.
Taiwan Little Eats is open every day for lunch and dinner.
***
See more photos in our Taiwan Little Eats Flickr album.
Koi Sushi
Sunday, July 30th, 2017
Koi Sushi, like its sister restaurant Chili King, combines multiple cuisine types into one menu. Thus, you’ll see a variety of lunch specials, teriyaki dishes, tempura dishes, “American” Chinese dishes and of course, sushi.
Sushi choices are comprised of regular rolls (e.g. California roll), sushi/sashimi (e.g. yellowtail), assorted platters and special rolls. The Crazy Roll ($12.99) has a good crunch from the shrimp tempura, creaminess from the avocado and a little kick from the spicy tuna. It’s all wrapped together in pink soy paper and drizzled with eel sauce.
The Godzilla roll ($14.99) is similarly large and decorative. You can really discern all the components, including the eel, cream cheese and tempura batter; other ingredients include crab and white fish. The spicy sauce and eel sauce combine to add more flavor than heat. Other rolls in this category include the Golden Dragon (salmon and white tuna, $15.95) and the Black Thunder (shrimp tempura and spicy tuna, $15.95).
As previously mentioned, the rest of the menu presents a robust selection from which to choose.
Hot appetizers include gyoza ($6.95) and beef nagimaki (thinly sliced beef with green onions, $8.95). The tempura squid ($8.95) is a nice alternative to fried calamari. You get giant chunks of squid that are not overly battered and go well with a little soy sauce. The dish also comes with tempura veggies.
Based on their size, the entrees are really meant for sharing, which means you should order several items for communal eating. Under the Famous Sauteed section, I got the spicy fried eggs ($9.99), which are simple but satisfying. It’s a heaping plate of scrambled eggs mixed with sauteed peppers, including jalapenos that give this dish some heat.
You can read about other entrees in my Chili King review (they have similar menus).
Koi Sushi is open every day for lunch and dinner.
***
See more photos in our Koi Sushi Flickr album.
-
You are currently browsing the EatDrinkMadison.com blog archives.
