Yamitsuki Ramen

We grabbed an earlier dinner at Yamitsuki Ramen (1028 Arch Street) based on a recommendation of a friend. When we went on a Friday, it was pretty empty. Maybe because it was still early for dinner. We were seated in the front of the restaurant where the high tables were. The place was clean. It had a nice modern hip vibe. Below is what I ordered. 

I got the Vegetarian Japanese Curry Yasai Ramen with an egg. It came with spring mix, Inari tofu, menma bamboo, bean sprout and my added egg. I would like my noodle soup to be very hot when it comes out. I would like my noodles to slowly cool down as I blow onto it and eat it. I didn't get this here. I thought the broth was not hot enough for me. It was more on the lukewarm side. Maybe all the ingredients were cold so when you pour the broth over it it significantly cools down the whole dish. My friends thought it was fine even though it that wasn't really hot. I have not been to many ramen places but do ramen usually come out not very hot? Overall, I thought the ramen was okay. The broth is more on the bland side which I didn't mind. I didn't think the toppings were very fresh. The noodle did taste better than the instant noodles. It was a little firmer and chewier than instant ramen noodles. Overall, I thought the dish was okay. Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough for me to be wanting more or coming back for more. 

Vegetarian Japanese Curry Ramen

The dessert we ordered was the Matcha Snow Ice. This on the other hand was life. It was topped with herbal jelly, fried mocha, red beans, and condensed milk. I can say this is the best matcha snow ice I have ever had. It also looked very different from the other snow ice I have ever order before (see below). I am not sure if making it as layers of web shape contributed to this awesome texture or not. It's like semi creamy and melts in your mouth. It was not overly too sweet.  The herbal jelly, red beans, and fried mocha enhanced the experience. I would admit I was very doubtful of the fried mocha at first, but was very pleasantly surprise. It was one of the best things I have tasted even though it was not crispy like you expect fried foods to be. It was softer and more gooey than regular mocha and had a hint of sweetness. I enjoyed this dessert very much and this is something I would come back for. It was phenomenal in my opinion. 

Matcha Snow Ice

CoZara

CoZara (3200 Chestnut Street) is a relatively new Japanese Tapa style restaurant in University City on Drexel's campus. My friends and I went there for happy hour for my birthday last month even though I didn't order from the happy hour menu. I am a pescarterian; however that day I was eating a vegan diet. I actually decided in advance on this restaurant for my birthday happy based on a friend's recommendation. I didn't want to change the restaurant at the last minute and there were vegan options on the menu that I can eat. Below you will see how I wished I had changed the location.

For my first dish, I ordered a vegan roll- Veggie Deluxe Roll (crispy shallot, asparagus, carrot, shiso, wasabi stem dressing, micro greens, and ginger dressing. So when they say tapa style, they really meant it. The rolls were super tiny and there wasn't much of it- only 6 rolls!  I felt like the diameter is just a little bigger than a quarter. The ingredients were fresh and tasted alright. They was nothing special about it, though. It was basically all the ingredients rolled up together and the sauce wasn't unique or anything. These days a lot of place offer sushi made with fresh ingredients. I could have gotten a good amount of better quality specialty vegan sushi for a better price elsewhere. One place I can think of off on the top of my head is BubbleFish in Chinatown. Their Green Peace vegan roll is the bomb dot com. It's cheaper. They give you more rolls and they are much thicker rolls. In addition, their sauce for their sushi is awesome. 

Veggie Deluxe

Lastly, I got the Vegetarian Mazemen. Based on the menu there were supposedly going to be arugula, pickled red cabbage, and miso in it. I beg the differ. It was basically ramen noodles with mix greens not arugula (I feel like when menus say arugula they give you arugula not mixed greens with arugula with other greens in it, no?), fried shallots, alfalfa sprouts, pickled red ginger not pickled cabbage, and sesame oil not miso. I didn't really taste the miso. I just tasted sesame oil with the noodles. I let my friend try it and she agreed with me. At the bottom once I finished eating the noodles, there was more of a tangy flavor like vinegary maybe that was the miso or where the miso was.  I felt like I could have easily made this at home. I already have ramen noodles, fried shallots, and sesame oil at home. I just needed to get some pickled ginger, alfalfa sprout, and mixed greens from the supermarket which I can do so for cheap. This was not worth $10. The amount was little and this just simply was not an exceptional quality dish in my eyes. As I mentioned, I could have assembled this entree myself. 

Vegetarian Mazeman

Not sure, if I didn't order the right things.  Maybe my standards are too high. Maybe they placed more focus on other dishes. My friends who ordered the fish and meat dishes seem to enjoy them. I, on the other hand if you can't tell already, was highly disappointed at this restaurant. I don't think I have ever been so disappointed at a restaurant before. Even though the food was fresh, the quantity was small (okay that was probably given because it was tapa) and it was expensive for not very unique food. I guess with all the competition out there and for them to be tapa style,  I just expected alot more. I would think the establishment would want to differentiate itself with their offerings or their taste of the food but I didn't find this here. I will not be returning and I would not be recommending this place to anyone. There are far too many better restaurants in this city of Brotherly Love. 

Monk's Cafe

One day I was very busy at work and when I finally had some time to eat, I was very hungry. Without any snacks on hand or home brought lunch, I ordered a Seitan Cheesesteak from a restuarant nearby, Monk's Cafe (262 S. 16th Street). I just happened to stumble upon that vegetarian option on their menu while looking at menus of restaurants close by. The establishment, however, is known for their large selection of beers and also I think for their mussels.

I ordered the Seitan Cheese Steak (seitan sauteed with onions and mushrooms served on a long roll topped with Grueyere cheese). It came with a hand full of plain lettuce as a side. The cheese steak looked really very appetizing and promising. The roll was very soft. The texture of the thinly sliced seitan and sauteed onions and mushroom were good and be can passed for real cheese steak; however, the seasoning was too salty for me (I guess not all things taste better when you are hungry). I am not sure if it was from the cheese or from the combination of the seitan and cheese. I still ate it all and the side salad because I was famished and it was quite pricey for the portion size (at least to me it was). Sadly after that lunch, I don't think I will be visiting Monk's Cafe again. I was disappointed with the portion size to price and the saltiness of the meal.

Seitan Cheese Steak

Miles Table

My friend and I stopped by Miles Table (1620 South Street) for lunch. At Miles Table, you order at the counter and then they bring the food to you. My friend and I were unsure of what to get then we notice the half off burger lunch special. Of course, our frugal asses went with that option. The veggie burger that they had was the falafel burger- good thing I love falafels.

The presentation of the falafel burger looked great; however, I thought burger was okay. It didn't have the spices I was use to in falafel like cumin and coriander or at least I didn't detect any. I also didn't think the texture was like the falafels I am familiar with which were more firm. This burger was crispy on the outside but the inside was mushy like hummus. The favors tasted like hummus to me too. Nonetheless, I guess it was good on its own way. The fries were delicious. Overall, I can't complain much for the price I paid. For like five bucks, I got a good burger and great fries. It was an awesome deal. Even though it was cheap, I would not get it again. I rather get a falafel sandwich from one my favorite food cart. I do want to try other thing on their menu though like their breakfast item. Based on yelp, it appears they have awesome aoili for their homefries.

Falafel Burger with French Fries

Village Tavern

Village Taverna (769 E. Passyunk Ave) is Mediterranean restaurant located in the Queen Village area. We decided to do an earlier dinner there one day. We arrived when the establishment just opened for dinner (that's how early it was). The place had modern decor. The ceilings were high and the tables were well laid out, creating a roomy and open feel. Below are the foods I indulged in it. It was more of an appetizers kind of night.

We ordered Pikelia (assortment of dips, feta, and olives). It came with Hummus(blended chickpea dip), Tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber, garlic dip), Tyrokafteri (spicy feta dip), and Melitzanosalata (pureed roasted eggplant dip) as well as pita bread. The Hummus was okay. It was comparable to store bought hummus (eg. Athenos brand). The Tzatziki was good. It was creamy and refreshing with very light seasoning. The Tyrokafteri was yummy. It tasted like semi creamy lumpy feta cheese with a kick. For the Melitzanosalata, I had to compare it to Baba Ganoush which I am actually more familiar with. The Melitzanosalata was very bland in comparison to Baba Ganoush but then again the Baba Ganoush
has more additives, especially the Tahini which is not present in Melitzanosalata. The pita was delicious, warm, and toasty. My favorite dip was the Tyrokafteri while my least favorite was the Melitxanosalata.

Pita Bread and Assorted Dips

Oddly I did not see one of my favorite stuffed grape leaves on the menu, but luckily it was a special and of course, I had to get them. They were wonderful. They were tender and had the appetizing mildly sour taste I like. For some reason, I think I can never go wrong with stuffed grape leaves. Although the stuffed grape leaves differ a bit at every restaurant, I have never been disappointed by any thus far.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Finally, for my entree, I ordered the Octopus (char-grilled, greek-style with lemon). It was firm and chewy but yet tender (if that makes sense). The light lemony seasoning also complemented the octopus well.  It was quite enjoyable. 

Octopus

Overall, I thought the food was good but not amazing. I don't think I would come back; however, I would recommend this place. That might sound contracting but I think others should have the opportunity to try good food and judge for themselves.

Rooster Soup Company

Rooster Soup Company (1526 Samson Street) is a relatively new and awesome restaurant doing good in the community. The establishment was started by Federal Donuts and Broad Street's Ministry along with crowd funding supporters. Federal Donuts donates chicken bones to the restaurant for soup production. 100% of it's profits goes toward Broad Street's Ministry's Hospitality Collaborative program which helps and provides resources to the less fortunate. If you love helping people and love good food, I definitely recommend supporting Rooster Soup Company. Below is more detailed information about Rooster Soup Company as well as what I ate there.

The Smoked Matzo Ball Soup was one of the best I ever had. The aroma and favor of the soup was wonderful. Unfortunately, I could not distinguish any of the seasonings in the soup but trust me, it was delicious. The texture of the matzo ball was great. It was firm and had a nice bite to it. Usually matzo balls don't really have any taste. The broth is what really makes the dish and this broth was everything. If you are uncertain of what to try on the menu, I highly recommend the Smoked Matzo Ball Soup. 

Smoked Matzo Soup

For my entree, I ordered the Bacon, Latke, Tomato Chive Mayo and Green Tomato without the bacon of course. I mainly got this because I like potatoes. The sandwich came with plain kettle potato chips. Overall, I thought this was okay. The sandwich was a little overpowered by the pickled green tomatoes. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't really taste the latke. Nonetheless, I still finished the sandwich. Even though the pickled green tomato was somewhat salty, it was very addictive. My friend ordered the special pasta that night and she really enjoyed it. I think next time I will try another sandwich or a pasta dish. 

Latke, Tomato Chive Mayo and Green Tomato Sandwich

Hummusology

Hummusology (1112 Locust St) is relatively new restaurant. Former the restaurant was a cafe (Cake and the Beanstalk). My friend and I decided to get dinner here one evening after work. The seating area and the counter were separated by a partition wall. You basically walk in past the seating area and make a left to the counter to order.

I ordered the Vegetables Rave (creamy hummus topped with warm chickpeas and fresh herb roasted vegetables, sprinkled with paprika and a pinch of cumin, olive oil, green sauce, and a dollop of tahini). It came with a baked pita and a bowl of Israeli salad with olives and pickle. For the hummus, you can choose warm or cold. I choose warm. All the roasted vegetables were tendered and delicious. I was not too fond of the hummus. It was very creamy and rich. It tasted like peanut butter to me. I think they used alot of tahini.  I prefer my hummus a creamy light with some lemon flavor. The pita bread was fresh, soft, and good. The pickled salad was appetizing. I ate alot of the vegetable and the salad but I could not finish the hummus in one sitting.

Vegetables Rave Hummu

My friend and I also shared a Potato Burekas (fine potato stuffed puff-pastry) served with a side of hummus, tahini, a hard boiled egg, and Israeli salad. The Potato Burekas tasted like what it was- a flaky pastry with a thin mash potato filling. It was okay. Even though I never had Potato Burekas, I wasn't really impressed. There was no special seasoning. It was two basic ingredients combined together. 

Potato Burekas

The most enjoyable for me during this meal was the Israeli salad and the roasted vegetables. Since I didn't like the hummus which was the main focus of the restaurant, sadly I don't think will come back.