HalMadDad's Profile
Substitute for Trader Joe's in Austin?
I'm a serious Trader Joe's junkie, thinking about moving to Austin but sad that one of my all-time favorite grocery stores has yet to open up in Texas. Is there anything even approximating the vibe of T.J.'s in Austin? Any other local stores/chains that are well-stocked with high-quality ingredients? Think Andronico's in Berkeley, Byerly's in Minneapolis, Fairway in NYC, Larry's in Seattle, Gelson's in L.A., etc.
Ruth's Chris (Woodland Hills) or Morton's (Burbank)??
I haven't ever been to Morton's or RC but if you're already willing to travel to Woodland Hills you might also consider Fleming's (www.flemingssteakhouse.com). I've been to several locations of this chain and have found them all to be consistently very good. Their focus is really on nicely aged, well-cooked meat with a lot of flavor. Like others I am not a big filet eater but had one that was offered as a special last time I was there and it was really good.
Curry laksa, curry mee, la sa ga, or khao poon??
No wacky drinks, just an iced tea. I'll have to give them a try next time. Any recommendations? How is the store, we were on lunch from work and didn't have time to browse?
Curry laksa, curry mee, la sa ga, or khao poon??
I had lunch at Simpang Asia today and had the Laksa (it's on the menu in the "soup" section). Though I have never been to S.E. Asia and this was my first time eating said dish, I must say it definitely satisfied the craving I've had ever since reading that article in the NYT. The broth was a light green coconut milk with just a hint of creaminess, filled with shrimp, shredded chicken, sliced fish cake and hard boiled egg. All of the ingredients were fresh and seemed high-quality, especially given the price (six and change). Wasn't as spicy as I would like, but it came with a very tasty and fiery green chili concoction on the side that took care of that problem nicely. Also, I would have liked more noodles, but I probably didn't need them since I'm still full an hour and a half later... I will be back there again soon to sample other goodies on the menu.
