castaway's Profile
KoMo KoMo in Cary
I've been to Korean restaurants where they gave wheat tea to Asians but provided water by default to non-Asian customers.
I assume that was because, to most non-Asians, it looks like muddy water and it is an acquired taste.
I read the yelp reviews and it isn't clear what the Korean customers were being offered.
Maybe the complementary dessert in question wasn't a creme brulee but a mochi or equivalent and they were assuming non-Koreans wouldn't care for it?
"Hole in the wall" Indian in Triangle area?
Chatham square in Cary has several authentic restaurants.
Cool breeze serves Chaat and Thali and is vegetarian.
The place directly across the square from it (Biryani house?) is very Northern Indian, not vegetarian, and is pretty spicy.
I've only had the buffet but they do have a menu.
Taqueria concept coming to Rockwood area of Durham, NC
The palleteria is in the strip mall across the parking lot and facing Compare foods in the shopping center with the Big Lots.
They also have ice cream and it's all made in house.
Taqueria concept coming to Rockwood area of Durham, NC
I haven't been to Super Taqueria in over a year, but the last time I was there no one working there spoke English.
I've also been to Los Comales at times when no one there spoke English.
Does the young guy who speaks English work there every minute they are open?
It's disingenuous of you to claim that all of the places have people that speak English when many of them don't or only do sometimes .
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Super Taqueria
2842 N Roxboro Rd, Durham, NC 27704
Los Comales
2103 N Roxboro St, Durham, NC 27704
New Asian Big Box Grocery in Durham
We've stopped at the bakery and eaten lunch there a couple of times in the past few weeks.
The bakery is a little smaller than what Grand Asia offers but quality and prices are very similar.
I'm not a huge fan of Asian pastries because I don't consider a hot dog bun squirted full of red bean paste to be a pastry, but if you do like Asian pastries, these are pretty good.
We've had lunch from the hot trays and the offerings are very similar to what Grand Asia has although you can also order off a menu at Grand Asia and that doesn't appear to be an option here.
We won't be driving to Grand Asia nearly as often now that it is available.
Durham Food Coop?
There will be a food coop on Mangum after they find the money to build the store.
It's arrival is not imminent.
Here is their website:
http://durhamcentralmarket.org/
Treats to bring in to work along commute - N. Raleigh to Downtown Durham
The Mexican panaderias/tortillerias usually sell cookies and pastries from a case.
Most places I've seen have 20 to 30 different choices.
They are generally not very sweet and are good for breakfast or a snack with tea or coffee.
Depending on the place, they cost $.33 to $1 each and some will be larger than your hand.
I'd ask if they use lard, but these days most of them don't.
There's a sticky bar, sometimes with raisins, that's like a bread pudding,
There's a cookie that's like a large pecan sandy.fl
There's a heart shaped flaky cookie.
There's a bar cheese pastry that's like a bready cheesecake.
Most of the filled and colored pastries are kind of blah.
Seeking one lunch in Durham, NC
Los Comales on Roxboro is open for breakfast.
2103 N Roxboro St
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Los Comales
2103 N Roxboro St, Durham, NC 27704
Local recommendations-Columbia SC
DJ House on Decker for really good Korean.
Side dishes change regularly and we've yet to have a bad meal there.
new asian grocery store megaplex? (NC, Triangle)
http://www.bullcityrising.com/2010/08/international-grocery-to-take-old-circuit-city-site.html
Triangle Gyro Redux
Bosphorus, the Turkish restaurant in Cary, has made in house doner (Turkish version of gyro) on Sundays from 3 PM until they run out.
The service is slow and they get crowded. I'd suggest going early if you're going.
Their bread is excellent. I believe they make the bread themselves but I'm not sure.
Grand Asia Market Recs. (Cary, NC)
The pastry area is a separate business from the grocery store, so you pick up a tray and tongs and put things on your tray and then pay at the checkout to the left of the pastry shelves.
I don't care that much for Asian pastries as the texture, sweetness, and contents are different than what I'd expect at an American or European style bakery. For instance, one of the pastries they might have is basically a hot dog bun filled with sweet red beans.
The steamed buns, fresh tofu, and lunch counter are the same business, so you pay for things together there.
I've always ordered the steamed buns and/or tofu by standing in front of the steamers and waiting for someone to come over, but that might not work too well if they are busy.
You order from the lunch counter by picking items from the steam table or by ordering cooked to order dishes at the register. I've gotten the boxed lunch several times. They do have things like tripe and intestine in some of the dishes so you might want to ask if you're unsure about a dish. Some of the items are an acquired taste. For instance, I didn't care for the tofu knots because the consistency was chewy and a little gritty.
I last ordered a cook-to-order dish about two years ago.
When they finished making cooked to order dishes, they brought it to the glass over the steam table and called out the dish. What they called out wasn't in English.
If you don't hear them, can't understand what they are saying, or they are busy and several people have ordered the same dish, you may have to be aggressive to get your order in a timely manner.
I haven't tried the dim sum but if you're there on the weekend, the spicy fresh tofu is very good.
taco trucks in Columbia SC?
There's at least one taco truck that sets up on Decker Blvd in NE Columbia.
I haven't tried it.
Korean BBQ in SC/Savannah?
I made it to Hero in the spring.
It's in an old steak house like a Ryan's or Golden Corral which was also once a Lizard's Thicket.
Inside, they've renovated and redecorated with marble floors and wicker furniture. I'd guess they did the work themselves because the finish work wasn't very good.
The menu is smaller than most of the Korean restaurants and the prices were somewhat higher. There was a selection of Korean dishes on the menu, but there were many non-Korean dishes as well.
I'd guess we spent around $50 on 3 dishes including tax and tip where at most of the restaurants it would have run $40.
The menus were in English, but the Korean dishes weren't well described and differed from the other restaurants we'd visited.
The food we had was good and the portions were large. They did have several tables where you could grill at the table but we didn't try that.
Due to the limited menu and higher price, I'd go back to try the grill tables but if I just wanted Korean I'd go to one of the other restaurants.
Chaat
Cool Breeze has a menu full of different types of chaat.
That's a little different than offering one type.
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Cool Breeze
740 E Chatham St Ste E, Cary, NC 27511
Indian Food Truck in Durham, NC
I picked up food there Sunday evening just before 6 PM.
It looks like there is one guy in the truck taking orders, making food, and handing out the food and taking money, so I see the potential for him getting backed up if he has too many customers showing up at the same time.
I wanted to order the samosa chat, but he said "the first item is almost the same."
After a few seconds, I realized that he meant he didn't have samosa chat. I ordered the tikki chole chat which was two potato patties covered in the same chick peas, onions, and sauce as the samosa would have been.
I also ordered a dosa and the chicken curry.
I waited about 10 minutes for the food to be ready and then drove 5 minutes to get home.
When I got home, the dosa was already getting soggy due to steaming in the box. I don't think it's a good takeout item unless you're going to eat it almost immediately.
The chicken curry with rice had large chunks of white meat which was a little dry. I think dark meat and/or smaller pieces would have been better. The serving of rice was fine. The chicken curry was in a half pint Chinese soup container so it was a relatively small serving. The curry was extremely oily.
Since the chicken curry was $6 and the dosa and tikki chole were $5 each, I'd say it wasn't as good a deal.
The tikki chole chat was excellent.
Everything was about the spice level I'd expect. The tikki chole was very spicy. The chicken curry was a little spicy. The dosa wasn't that spicy.
For $17, there was enough food for my wife and I to have a nice dinner with a little left over.
He had chana masala, beef curry, and a spinach dish on the menu and said that the menu would be changing occasionally.
Speak Greek? (NC -Triangle area)
I'd call the restaurant to confirm they take restaurant.com coupons before purchasing them.
Based on what I've heard, many restaurants are listed on restaurant.com that no longer accept or never accepted their coupons.
GO Grocery Outlet, Asheville?
There is a GO store/chain in that area.
There's one in Brevard.
I think they changed owners a few years ago and, from what I saw, they had fewer gourmet items and fewer wine deals than in the past.
Speak Greek? (NC -Triangle area)
I don't recommend Spartacus in Durham due to condition of the place, variability in service, and variability in quality of food.
I'm amazed they are still in business.
Does it need to be Greek or is Mediterranean okay?
Try appetizers and drinks at Parizade.
Try Mediterranean Deli in Chapel Hill (410 West Franklin Street).
The food is consistently good and it's reasonably priced.
They have beer and wine.
You can window shop on Franklin Street or go to a bar or dessert place after dinner.
Nikos Taverna is very good but it's not cheap and it might be a little fancy for what you want.
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Parizade
2200 W Main St, Durham, NC 27705
Mediterranean Deli
410 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Nikos Taverna
905 W Main St, Durham, NC 27701
Saffron - Chapel Hill - Coming Soon!
While Pao Lim is/was owned by the guy who has/had the Indo-chinese place in Winston-Salem, I didn't see anything on the menu at Pao Lim that struck me as Indo-chinese.
I don't think it's claiming to be an Indo-Chinese restaurant, so you may have to ask for specific dishes if that's what you want.
Pao Lim was offering a wide variety of Asian cuisines at prices higher than I'd expect at an Asian restaurant and quality and taste worse than I'd expect at an Asian restaurant.
Pao Lim was wildly popular at one point with some people in Durham but I could never figure out why.
I don't know if they serve them, but some popular Indo-Chinese dishes are "chili " and "65" and "manchurian" plus noodles such as hakka noodles.
Saffron - Chapel Hill - Coming Soon!
Some of the Indian people I eat lunch with really like Inchin and tell me it is fairly authentic.
I like Indian food. I like Chinese food.
I didn't care for Inchin. The sauces were extremely thick and gloppy. The food was relatively bland.
The portions were relatively small given the prices.
When they opened, they were extremely slow and service was hit or miss but more recently they seem to have solved those problems.
It would probably be my third or fourth choice of places to eat in that particular strip mall.
Saffron - Chapel Hill - Coming Soon!
Tower is a vegetarian restaurant.
While Tamil food isn't as spicy as some other Indian cuisines, Tower is a little closer to Indian than some of the places here, so it may be spicier than some of the places people have been.
Sitar is owned by a Catholic family from Kerala. Religion specified only because it can affect which dishes they serve.
In the past, the buffet has been fairly generic Indian but they do have some Southern Indian dishes on the menu.
The Indian grocery store in the little strip mall next to Spartacus sometimes has biryani for sale on Thursdays and Fridays.
If you're a meat eater and looking for authentic Northern food, Biryani house in Chatham square is pretty authentic and spicy. I think it's run by Punjabs.
Saffron - Chapel Hill - Coming Soon!
Yum Yum is/was owned by the people that run Thai Villa.
Yum Yum was a bit dumbed down the few times I was in there, but it's a much prettier space than Thai Villa which is old and badly needs renovated.
Thai Villa is across the parking lot from Grand Asia.
Sawasdee opened another restaurant on 70 which is much closer than the other Raleigh location.
Ordering off the menu at Saffron is very different from having the buffet.
The Saffron chef is New York and India trained and many of the dishes are more upscale and fusion-like than a normal Northern Indian menu.
Looking for a gathering place (drinks & light food) for a largish group after work in Durham or Chapel Hill after work…
Satisfaction might do.
So might Parizade.
Don't try Revolution...
Parizade and Satisfaction both have semi-private spaces that they don't charge for, last I'd heard, but I doubt they'd fit more than 10 to 20.
If you're in the public space, they both have layouts amenable to walking from table to table to chat.
Hard to say what would work without having a ballpark size for the group.
You could call one of the larger Mexican restaurants like Torero's on 15-501 and see if they are willing to cordon off part of their dining room or reserve a side room for an hour.
After work is a dead time for most Mexican restaurants and most have cheap drinks.
Tasu -Brier Creekin Raleigh
It's Asian with Chinese, Japanese, and Thai (and other?) menu items.
I think they frequently have buy 1 get 1 on sushi.
I've eaten there for lunch occasionally and it has been fine but I certainly wouldn't drive far to go there.
I thought there price point was a little high for lunch but I can't give you any particulars.
Most places that do varied Asian don't do any of them particularly well.
If you want Thai, there are definitely better places closer to you than this place.
Where to buy in Durham/Chapel Hill/Raleigh?
It's "Mariakakis" not "Mariakis" just in case anyone is searching for it.
I've been underwhelmed by the Japanese grocery store in Cary.
In the past, many of the items in their store have been past their sell by date and some of the dates were artfully concealed by price stickers.
Churros in Chapel Hill?
Super Tacqueria on the corner of Roxboro and Bon Air(???) (slightly south of Murray) has a sign in the window for Churros.
Durham - rumours of Kenyan food?
Yes, I was thinking of Palace International.
Sorry about that.
I doubt Safari is still open as the last African restaurant downtown was Palace International and they were closed for a few years before moving to the current location.
I'm not sure they are Kenyan, either.
Found a phone number for Safari if they're still open; the website doesn't exist:
Safari Cuisine - A Taste Of Africa
101 East Chapel Hill St
Durham, NC 27701
(919) 680-2170
www.a-tasteofafrica.com
Safari closed in 2006:
http://groups.google.com/group/triangle.dining/browse_thread/thread/582ebb83e69a2062/d5b414c923515b5f?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=Safari+group:triangle.dining#d5b414c923515b5f
Latin restaurants in Durham, NC
Los Comales has gotten some compliments on their tacos. The place is usually crowded. I tried them and thought they were similar to all the other places.
Mama Nori's is on the access road to the Compare foods shopping center that goes up beside the Autozone. It's a sit down restaurant and the food is good. They sometimes have limited availability specials on the weekend.
Super Taqueria has gotten good reviews. They have an extensive salsa bar and also sell the traditional fruit drinks. Last time I was in there, the people working didn't speak any English and ordering was a challenge.
El Custcatleco on Roxboro in the Kroger shopping center serves Salvadoran food. It's the second location for the restaurant. I think the food at the Garret Road location was less Americanized.
On the corner of Club and Roxboro there's a taco stand, Tacqueria La Poblana with minimal inside seating. The food is good overall. There is usually a teenager there who speaks English. The best thing there is the tamales but they only make them on Saturday and only if you've requested them in advance. i.e. stop in and order them Friday and they'll have them for you on Saturday.
