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Posts tagged ‘Oklahoma City food’

Food Friday: Hummus Mediterranean Cafe

I am a fan of Mediterranean food. I know it’s odd but I just love how the flavors come together. I finally had a chance to try Hummus Mediterranean Cafe a few weeks ago with family and we loved it.

We started with the plain hummus with warm pita. This was amazing. It’s hard to find good hummus unless it’s made fresh, and they make theirs every day. The warm pita worked so well with that fresh hummus, I could have eaten so much more if given the chance. While Miss Mae ordered the Akawi pie, me and Big K ordered the combo platter with Kofta and Shish Tawook. We also all got the mint lemonade as something different to drink. Because of a bigger order for a table before us, it took a bit longer than normal but the food was worth the wait. Let’s start with the Akawi pie, this is like a Mediterranean version of a pizza. Akawi is a brine cheese named after the Palestinian town Akki (now part of Israel). I had a bite, it was good. The cheese has a Feta type consistency and flavor. Overall, Mae loved it. The combo platters we ordered were good as well. They came with vermicelli rice, grilled vegetables, and baba ghannouj with pita. Kofta is a type of meatball with spices. Shish Tawook is marinated chicken, grilled to a perfection. Everything on this platter was amazing. The rice was perfect, the Kofta was good as was the Shish Tawook. Big K loved his platter as well. As for the mint lemonade, this was different, but it works. You have the fresh lemonade with the freshness of mint. It was just a flavor explosion that I had never experienced before but would definitely drink again.

We had a great night, just sitting as a family and enjoying a good meal. They are a bit hard to find if you don’t know what you are looking for, tucked into the corner of a strip mall. They also have a second location in Moore. I am ready to visit again to try more options on their menu. I am giving them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 3000 W. Memorial Rd., Oklahoma City; 811 SW 19th St., Moore.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Asian Buffet

All of Oklahoma City gets excited when a new buffet opens and a few months ago all the talk was about the new Asian Buffet on NW Expressway. On their opening weekend there were lines out the doors with wait times as long as two hours. I personally saw the lines when I tried to check it out. I waited a couple months and tried again, this time with no wait.

I was met with a pleasant woman who was very nice, you pay first, then are escorted to your seat. Everything was well stocked on the buffet and I had to try a bit of everything. I immediately fell in love with their bacon wrapped shrimp, of course. The cheesy seafood casserole was another favorite that also got a second helping. I also loved their pineapple chicken and their version of sausage with onion. They had some decent sushi, I tried most of their cooked varieties. Their General Tso chicken as well as the sweet and sour chicken were ok but I’ve had better at other Chinese buffets. Same with the crab rangoon and egg rolls, good but I’ve had better. They did have crab legs and to be honest, I love crab but hate the work to get the meat out.

The service was incredible, our drinks were kept filled and dirty plates vanished without us realizing it. The restaurant was clean and the buffet was full every time I went for refills. The decor is wonderful, love all of the dolphins decorating the buffet. Overall, is it the best Chinese buffet in town, no but it ranks in the top 5. It is a bit pricey but everything seems to be going that way. I recommend a visit so you can try it for yourself, I’m giving them 5 strips of bacon wrapped around that shrimp.

Address: 5702 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Tikka Craze

Craving some Pakistani/Indian food? Well I found a small place on North Portland Ave that serves some really good food and it’s not a buffet.

We have been meaning to try Tikka Craze for quite a while, honestly keep forgetting. So one Saturday night, while out taking pictures of historic places, we both remembered and stopped in to try it out. Once again, another case of we should have stopped in earlier. Located in a big shopping center, there is a small dining room and you order at the counter. The girl who took our order was super nice and understanding. The have a big selection on their menu so we decided to try the combo meal with 2 entrees. I got sweet butter chicken and spinach with potato while Big K got grilled chicken tikka also with spinach and potato. The combos come with biryani and rice as well as a warm pita. It didn’t take long for us to get our food. My butter chicken was great, had a lovely sweet taste that I had not experienced before. The spinach with potato was great as well, had a buttery base that enhanced the flavor. The biryani and rice did have a bit of heat to it but nothing overwhelming. The highlight was the pita. So fresh and light, just the right amount of butter melted on top. It truly made the whole dinner. Big K loved everything in his combo. He agreed about the pita. The servings are huge and we both took home leftovers.

Tikka Craze is a really good place for Pakistani/Indian food. It helps if you know what you are getting, if you aren’t familiar with the food for this region I do suggest a buffet to try first. I’m giving them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 4104 N. Portland Ave., Oklahoma City; 301 S. Bryant Ave., Edmond.

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Social Capital

I’ve heard about Social Capital for a few years, they had huge watch parties for the Thunder games over the summer. On a trip downtown I decided to stop in and see what they were about.

It was about lunch time on a Saturday afternoon, so it wasn’t real busy. First thing I realized right off the bat, this isn’t really a restaurant. It’s more of a gathering place with a bar and food. All the tables are for multiple groups and even seating areas for more of a gathering than dining. We ordered off their limited menu, a shrimp taco, pork belly taco, and nachos to share. The food was delivered quickly. We both loved our tacos, lots of flavor and great taste. The nachos were the true star of the show. The chips were made from flour tortillas and the white queso was amazing.

Like I said, it’s really not a restaurant but a great place to gather with friends and family. I love the fact that it is built in an old service station that dates from the 1960’s. Before that the area was residential and a house was on that site as late as the 1950’s. As the area turned industrial, more homes were replaced by businesses. Now almost all the homes are gone as are many of the businesses. Across the street there is the beautiful Scissortail Park. I will give them 5 strips of bacon, they do have good food and a huge beer menu.

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: SAT Asian Seafood

About a month ago a new seafood restaurant opened on NW Expressway. SAT Asian Seafood is originally out of the San Antonio area but have expanded to Oklahoma. I gave it a few weeks before we tried it out.

Located in the old Red Lobster, we stopped in on a quiet Friday night. I love all of the decorations, the light up lobster as you enter is just fun. We were seated quickly and had a server immediately. My one downside is this restaurant does specialize in seafood boils. I’m just not a fan, so that limited the menu for me pretty quickly. We ordered crab rangoon and mozzarella sticks to start while we looked over the menu. The appetizers came out pretty quickly and were good. I got the fried shrimp basket while Big K went with the fried catfish basket. These were pretty run of the mill fried seafood baskets. The shrimp were huge but nothing really special. Big K loved his catfish.

Service was great. SAT Asian Seafood is ok but their fried menu didn’t hit it out of the park for me. I’m giving them 4 strips of bacon because the service was good.

Address: 4243 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: China King

I love a good Chinese buffet. Hunan Wok in NW Oklahoma City has been my go to for almost 30 years. There are a few that have gone that I loved and a couple still around that I enjoy. One I hadn’t tried yet is China King on North Penn near Memorial, so on a Friday night we decided to check it out.

Located just in front of the Walmart, the parking lot wasn’t very full so maybe a red flag but we’ll see. We were seated immediately but there were very few diners. The buffets were full of steaming food, so we tackled them. The had so many of my favorites- General Tso’s chicken, seafood casserole, sweet and sour chicken, fried shrimp, egg rolls, crab rangoon. I liked most of it. The chicken was a bit dry, even the gooey General was tough. The seafood casserole needed something, just couldn’t place what it was. Even the crab rangoon was a bit flavorless.

Now the service was incredible and friendly. The restaurant was clean. I feel like if they improve the food, they might get more business. So I’m going to give them 3 strips of bacon, just for the service.

Address: 13220 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City.

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Billy Sims Barbeque

I am a lover of good barbeque. Some brisket, pulled pork, sausage, or hot links, don’t care, I like it all. As strange as this comment might seem, it is hard to find in Oklahoma City. Yeah, we have lots of burger places but really only a few barbeque joints. Billy Sims Barbeque has been around for a while. I stopped once and wasn’t impressed but was in the mood, so I thought I would give them another try.

On a quiet Saturday night, we stopped in for dinner. The place was empty, so it didn’t take long to order or get the food. I just went with a sliced brisket dinner with loaded potato salad and mac and cheese. The brisket was good, not overly flavorful though. I did need the hickory barbeque sauce to liven it up. The Loaded potato salad was excellent, tangy with bacon bits. The mac and cheese was edible. Not my favorite but not as horrible as a frozen diet lunch I had a few weeks ago. I absolutely hated their bread, it could have been buttered on both sides when they toasted it, too dry. Big K got a combo dinner with sliced brisket and hot links with the same sides as well. He liked the brisket, thought the hot links were good but not too spicy.

Billy Sims is a football legend in Oklahoma. He was a running back for the University of Oklahoma from 1975-79, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1978. He went on to play with the Detroit Lions for a few seasons before retiring after an injury. In 2004, he opened with the first location in Tulsa. Since then the franchise has spread to six states. I will give them 4 strips of bacon. It wasn’t horrible but could be so much better. There are 22 locations in Oklahoma, with 12 more in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan.

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Barbeque in Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: City Bites

It has been hard to find a good locally owned sandwich shop in the Oklahoma City metro. Yes, we do have a few but they are scattered all over town. One that I keep forgetting about it one that has been in the metro for years, City Bites. Well no more forgetting for me since one has opened close to the house.

They are actually a popular sandwich chain here in the metro. Our visit on a Sunday morning proved that they bring in the customers. I ordered an egg salad sandwich with a small side salad while Big K went with an Italian also with a side salad. The order came out quick and I was impressed immediately. Both sandwiches were huge and the side salad was a perfect size as well. I tackled the salad first, it was good. Fresh veggies with a good amount of ranch so I don’t have to taste the fresh veggies. Then I started in on that sandwich. I love a good egg salad sandwich and this was one of the best that had crossed my lips. The egg salad inside was perfect and it was placed inside two pieces of buttery, toasted sourdough bread. I loved every bite. Big K got his Italian on jalapeno cheddar bread and it was good as well. Stuffed with meat, cheese, and veggies, he loved it. Said the best part was the fresh bread, hard to find a good sandwich with fresh bread. We had a great visit and I will be back more often.

City Bites has been around since 1986. It was started by a group of brothers as a way to get some extra income. Their whimsical interiors make them memorable as well as the food. I actually ate at the first location, located in Bethany, back in the late 1980’s with my dad. I liked them then and have eaten at some of the other locations over the years. But like I said, I also forget about them because there wasn’t one close to my house. With the recent opening of their newest restaurant on Memorial at Rockwell, I don’t have far to go. They will now be in a regular rotation, especially when I just want a good sandwich. I’ll be giving them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 1430 N. Santa Fe Ave., Edmond; 3601 S. Broadway, Suite 100, Edmond; 2005 E. 2nd St, Edmond; 1804 S. Broadway St., Moore; 425 E. State Highway 152, Mustang; 2001 W. Main St., Norman; 6801 W. Memorial Rd., Oklahoma City; 2804 NW 122nd St., Oklahoma City; 7020 N. Western Ave., Oklahoma City; 13425 N. MacArthur Blvd., Oklahoma City; 7701 S. Walker Ave., Oklahoma City; 211 N. Robinson Ave., Suite 120, Oklahoma City; 3939 N. MacArthur Blvd., Warr Acres; 700 Garth Brooks Blvd., Yukon; 2603 N. Kickapoo, Shawnee; 3570 N. Woodlawn, Suite 500, Wichita, KS.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: OK Ramen & Sushi Bar

For the past few years I have heard about a great sushi place in Moore. I don’t get to the southside of the metro often and when I do it’s to go to Norman. So I was excited to learn they were going to open a location just a couple miles from me in NW Oklahoma City.

We went on a Friday night just a few weeks after their opening. We were surprised to be the only people there. They brought complimentary tempura crab stick stuffed with cream cheese. I have had this a other sushi restaurants in Oklahoma City and love it every time. Thiers was just as good, if not better than what I’ve had in the past. We ordered a shrimp roll, sunny land roll, OK special roll, and Thunder roll. Didn’t take long for us to get our food and wow was it amazing. The shrimp roll was tempura fried, was really delightful. The sunny land roll was topped with coconut which gave it a sweet crunch. The OK Special roll had a bit of a spicy kick to it. The Thunder roll was awesome as well with lots of crunchies on top.

Overall, we loved OK Ramen & Sushi Bar. We were stuffed when done and the waitstaff was amazing. We will definitely be back soon. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 13325 N. MacArthur Blvd, suite 10, Oklahoma City.

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: bb.q Chicken

I don’t normally review chain restaurants but there have been a couple that have come to Oklahoma City that I think are pretty good. If you are a fan of Korean chicken or if you have never tried it before, bb.q Chicken is a great place to try.

We stopped in on a blustery Saturday afternoon. Cold and hungry, we ordered cheesy chicken bites and onion rings to start. These came out quickly. The cheesy chicken bites were good but not overwhelming. The onion rings were perfect and came in a huge basket, way more than I was expecting. The were light with a great taste. For the chicken, we tried the cheesling and Gangham style. I was blown away by both. Now I do always get my chicken boneless, I’m one of those strange people who hates bones in their food. The cheesling was my absolute favorite. Not only crispy fried chicken but with a sweet cheese powder all over the breading. I loved every bite, and it held up later as leftovers. I also loved the Gangham style. It had a bit more heat to it but not bad at all. The crisp fried chicken was covered in a black pepper sauce with garlic and onion. They come in huge portions so it’s easy to share.

The service was great and the atmosphere was nice. They are right in the middle of a strip mall north of Quail Springs Mall. This chain was started in 1995, by a chef in Seoul, South Korea. There locations not only around the country but around the world. I was excited about their food and plan on stopping in again for more juicy but crisp fried chicken. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 2424 NW 150th St., Oklahoma City.

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Oklahoma

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