Review: Original Dim Sum Garden

Hello there, good to see you again.

Original Dim Sum Garden

59 N 11th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

(215) 923-8880

An amazing authentic dim sum place in Chinatown, Philadelphia! If you don't know this place, it's a hidden treasure. The food is excellent, so it is strange that it's not a widely known place. The location is a bit discreet, but it's not hard to find. So here I present to you the very best dim sum place in Chinatown Philadelphia

The Original Dim Sum Garden.

They serve you with aromatic jasmine tea, very soothing and relaxing.

Their menu has a very nice variety to choose from, and prices are not bad at all. They also have their special of the day too, so be sure to check that out.

Let's start with scallion pancake: crispy on the outside, and in the inside not too rich, just perfect.

I made a mistake here: the fish ball soup costs $4. That, my friend, is something you should avoid. It sure tastes good, but $4 for soup? I think not! So just order seaweed soup which is only for $1.95. It tastes intense with its broth of goodness.

Roasted duck is one of my favorite dishes of all time, and this dish here doesn't disappoint.

This item is a MUST! The legendary shrimp dumpling the flavor explode in your mouth the richness 

of the sauce and firmness of the shrimp it is so good!!!

Here is the star of tonight: the pork and crab soup dumpling! The goodness of gelatin collagen soup with slowly steamed pork and crab meat is just perfect in a way that you want to come back for more and more!

Ahh!!! It is so delicious!

So I will give this place 8/10, points taking out for the location and the bathroom (well, it's chinatown after all). The staff was very nice, so this place is perfect for good taste, but not really for comfortably hanging out.

 Eat and enjoy the authentic tea time snack food!

Review: Taiko Japanese Restaurant

Taiko Japanese Restaurant

Outer Banks Mall, 5000 S Croatan Hwy, Nags Head, NC 27959

(252) 449-8895

One of my favorite Japanese Restaurant of the east coast.... Taiko!
(The name Taiko is an Japanese drum instrument)

And here is their full menu:

The menu has a large selection to choose from, and also they alcoholic drinks they have imported Japanese beers and sake (Japanese rice wine).

When you go to eat sushi or sashimi (raw fish) it is crucial that the sanitation of the restaurant must be perfectly safe. Taiko is certified for sanitation, so have no worries, they are very clean and safe.

The restaurant is decorated very nicely and the environment is very calm and peaceful. I do have to pint out that they don't filter their water, so that was a little disappointing to me, but the food compensated that fact.

You can tell the taste of the whole restaurant by their soup, and this miso soup (soy bean paste soup) is executed nicely, not to watery while not to strong.

The lucky cat!

Beef Yakiniku.... a little bit spicy.

Rice is cooked to it's perfection.

This Yakisoba (fried noodles) is a must! The noodle is nice and not soggy,

Pork Katsu: Deep Fried Pork Cutlets

Chicken Teriyaki: it's really good.

Ah, sushi! Just look at how the chef presents the plate. It's worth taking thousands of pictures, and the taste is exceptional!

Tempura Ice Cream: Deep fried ice cream!

Red bean ice cream!

Green tea mochi ice cream: mochi is Japanese rice cake. It's very soft and stretchy and it creates very nice sensation in your mouth.

Bottom line is this place is a must visit, you won't regret it!

Review: The Colington Cafe

The Colington Cafe

1029 Colington Rd, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

(252) 480-1123

This place is an upscale restaurant (so dress a little bit nicer than usual!) from the Outer Banks, North Carolina. This place is a must try. Every time you drive pass this place, it always captures your attention because it looks like a cute little house and very peaceful place. Reservations are strongly recommended because they are so popular.

They also have a nice little gift shop for you to explore while you are waiting to be seated.

Oh, yes, and also a very nice back garden.

Here is the menu:

As you can see, for an upscale restaurant the prices, are not so bad. Inside the restaurant is kind of small and tight but still very comfortable.

So we start with the appetizer.

Scallop Rumaki with Teriyaki ginger sauce.

Cook perfectly! The chef of this place is very skilled.

Dinner roll fresh from the oven.

And now the stars for the show!

Filet Mignon!

Tuna Steak!

Blue Crab Parmesan and Salmon!

Sword fish and Filet Mignon!

Filet Mignon is a MUST! And has to be rare, it's so good that it almost melts in your mouth! It is served with bearnaise sauce, which is hollandaise with tarragon.

As you can see, cooked perfectly!

The foods are exceptional, and the vegetables are great too.

And here is a selections of the desserts; they are all really good.

Coconut Pie.

Cheese Cake.

My verdict is 9/10 - the only downside is when it's busy, it becomes pretty loud in there because of how small the place is, but other than that, this place is a must try when you visit OBX!

They have sense of humor in the bathroom!