Archive for "Food and Drink"
The Hungry Heart
Posted on July 3, 2016 by Ching under Food and Drink, Reviews.
Brian and I finally got around to checking out the Hungry Heart by the arena. It’s in the space formerly occupied by Jettys Pizza, which didn’t last very long. You can kind of see the Jettys sign faintly coming through in the photo above. I’m hoping the Hungry Heart doesn’t share the same fate because they’re actually really good. I would hate to see them close specially since we just now discovered their amazing food.
Brian and I started with the award-winning Asian wings.
Our very nice server told us that the wing recipe won a prize at last year’s Wingapalooza. Naturally, we had to try it. We weren’t disappointed. I think, out of everything we tried that night, these wings were our favorite.
Brian had their pulled pork sandwich for his meal. He said it was amazing. The sandwich consists of 20-hour smoked pork shoulder with tangy coleslaw and house-made BBQ sauce on a pretzel bun. You can select from various side options. Brian opted for the house-cut fries. They are homemade and awesome. They rank up there with some of the best fries I’ve had in town.
I had the Korean short ribs, which had excellent flavor. It normally comes with regular rice but I subbed it with the cilantro rice. I think I should have stayed with the regular rice though because the cilantro flavor didn’t work as well with the sweetness of the ribs.
I wasn’t sure how I would like the spicy cucumber pickles so I ordered the Asian green beans at first. However, after getting a small sample of the cucumber, I decided they actually weren’t too spicy for me. I kind of liked their sweet, spicy flavor so I ended up getting them anyway.
The green beans were really good too, but the flavor of the cucumber went really well with the short ribs. It’s clear that they put a lot of thought into what kind of side dishes to serve with each entree. If and when you go, my suggestion would be to stick to exactly how it’s prepared and not make any substitutions or changes unless you have allergies or specific dietary restrictions.
I plan on going back and ordering the Korean short ribs again without messing with the dish. I want to try the food just as the chef intended and I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. The seem to know their stuff.
Here are some pictures of the restaurant’s interior.
This is the host desk.
Brian and I like to eat early supper so we were the one of the first people in the restaurant for dinner that day. It picked up a lot as Brian and I were finishing our dinner.
There’s not much to their decor but the food is phenomenal.
Brian and I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at the Hungry Heart. Not only was the food great but the service as well. Everyone was super nice, not just our server. If there’s anything that I was disappointed about, it’s that we didn’t try this place sooner. We will definitely be back.
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Uno Mas
Posted on June 21, 2016 by Ching under Food and Drink.
Pictures from my first Uno Mas experience. I tried them a couple of weeks ago. I believe it was their first time at the ICT Pop-up Urban Park.
I’m not sure if they’ve been back at the park. I haven’t been by because it’s either raining cats and dogs or it’s way too hot to walk over. That’s Kansas weather for you.
They gave me a sample of agua de melon while I waited for my to-go order. It reminded me of the melon juice we used to drink in the Philippines. Except we put actual strings of cantaloupe in ours. The familiar flavor brought back fond memories.
I really wanted to try the jalapeño cilantro fries but it didn’t look like you could order them separately. From looking at their menu, it looked like the only way to get them is to order one of the two sandwiches. I really didn’t feel like eating a sandwich that day.
I wanted to try their tacos. I got one barbacoa (shredded beef) taco and one carnitas (braised pork) taco. They were a pretty good deal for only $3 each. The tacos were on the small side (compared to the tacos I get from Funky Monkey Munchies and the Flying Stove) but they were packed full of flavor. I definitely get why they named their truck Uno Mas. After eating the two small tacos, I definitely felt like I eating one more.
Fortunately for me, I got my order to go so I couldn’t get another taco without having to walk back to the park. I say that’s fortunate because, while I was craving one more taco, I really didn’t need it. LOL.
Looks like they were back at the ICT Pop-up Urban Park yesterday. I’m not sure where they will be the rest of the week. I highly recommend checking them out, though. You can follow their Facebook page to get updates about where the truck will be next.
Judging from the recent pictures, it looks like portions have gotten bigger since opening week. That’s a good thing because I eat a lot. I’ll be seeing you again soon, Uno Mas!
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Riverfest Sundown Parade
Posted on June 9, 2016 by Ching under Events, Food and Drink.
Both Westar Energy and the Kansas DUI Impact Center participated in the Wichita River Festival Sundown Parade again this year. Last year Brian and I both walked with Westar. Since the two groups staged right by each other, I actually thought of walking with both — walking with one part of the way and switching to the other the rest of the way. However, I realized that they were actually going to be far apart in order. The Kansas DUI Impact Center was toward the front of the line, while Westar Energy was almost at the very end. Realizing this, we decided to split up.
Brian walked with the Westar group.
My little sister Nickira and I walked with the Kansas DUI Impact Center.
Figured she would like it better because (a) they had a cool ballon arch, bead necklaces, and noisemakers, and (b) they ha fun tailgate with hotdogs and chips. Nickira had some chips but passed on the hotdogs because she said, and I quote, “I’m picky about hotdogs and these have cheese inside.”
Who knew my little had such discerning taste? LOL. 😉
Nickira rode in the trailer, which was completely packed. I walked the route and was starving by the end of it. I opted out of the hotdogs too because I knew, according to the schedule, that Kamayan Truck would be at the ICT Pop-Up Urban Park. I totally underestimated the time it would take to walk in the parade, though. It was almost eight o’clock in the evening by the time we finished. It didn’t help matters any that we started a little late. Though I’m not really sure. Maybe the groups ahead of us just moved very slow. We might have started on time. The only thing I know is that it was almost seven by the time the Kansas DUI Impact Center group started moving.
It was well past eight by the time we got to the park. Lucky for us, the Kamayan Truck was still there and they still had food to sell.
Predictably, Brian got ribs and I got porchetta.
Nickira got the Asian tacos.
And, the mango watermelon salad, which she thought was weird.
And, some watermelon juice.
It’s been mayhem downtown due to Riverfest week so neither Brian nor I have been back. Plus, I was supposed to be in Topeka this week so I didn’t schedule anything with Nickira. Besides that, we actually have something going on just about every night.
Nickira and I pick back up again next week. Until then, I hope you guys enjoyed the photos. (NOTE: The first two are Joe Montiel‘s photos. That’s why they’re good. I highly recommend hiring him if you need family, engagement, senior, or wedding photos. He does an amazing job.)
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Fork & Fennel
Posted on June 5, 2016 by Ching under Food and Drink, Reviews.
Brian and I got to try a new restaurant a couple of weeks ago. We were supposed to got to the Andover Rotary Club’s summer picnic but it was canceled due to weather. Plan B was to hit Central Standard Brewery, which is where the Flying Stove usually parks on Thursday nights. We texted them to see if they would be out but they hadn’t made the call yet. It was pretty clear on our side of town so we decided to go for drive and swing by CSB. We were so disappointed to find the truck absent. Apparently, though the weather was pretty clear downtown and on the East side, it had rained hard on the West side of town were the Flying Stove guys are from. They were worried that things would get worse so they made the call to turn around and cancel for the evening.
Brian and I were already out but didn’t really have an alternative plan in mind. We were driving East on Douglas, toward our house, when we came up Fork & Fennel. Neither of us had been there but I’d heard great things about the restaurant. A potentially stormy night seemed like the perfect time to try it. LOL.
The restaurant has a pretty cool interior, which is a huge departure from the old decor. The restaurant used to house a taco joint years ago.
It’s been completely transformed and looks great. I love the lighting and metal chairs. Note that the lack of people is not because the restaurant isn’t any good but because we were supposed to be in some kind of thunderstorm watch.
Here’s a glimpse of the menu which Brian carefully studied, as we should since we are first timers at the Fork & Fennel.
Brian and I had to try the waffle chips and dip. I’m glad we did because it was amazing. The waffle chips are like waffle fries but thinly sliced and crispy. The chips were great alone but phenomenal with the house dip, which had excellent flavor.
To keep ourselves from overeating, Brian and I decided to split the smokey bleu and bacon. I don’t particularly like onions so I would have them hold the red onion marmalade next time. Other than that, the burger was amazing.
The burger normally comes with a side of waffle chips but, since we had already stuffed our faces full of it, we opted for a side salad. For a nominal fee, they halved our burger for us and we each got our own salad.
The salad was amazing. I loved the pecans, blackberries, and cheese crumbles. We probably could have done with just one salad though, because Brian didn’t really eat his. I think it was too frou frou for him.
Anyway, if you’ve never been to Fork & Fennel you have to check it out. The food is delicious and the restaurant ambiance is unlike anywhere else in town.
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Date Night – Salina
Posted on June 3, 2016 by Ching under Food and Drink, Reviews, Things to Do.
Brian and I had the opportunity to watch Kathy Griffin’s stand up performance at Stiefel Theater in Salina a couple of weeks ago. Neither of us had been to the Stiefel Theater before. We actually thought the drive there would be longer. It’s really only a little over an hour. Anyway, we decided to make a night of it.
We decided to eat dinner at Tucson’s before the show because it’s pretty close to the theater. We also checked online and the restaurant had pretty good reviews.
Here are some pictures of our food.
I had the tilapia with rice and veggies.
Predictably, Brian got chicken tenders. He really should have ordered steak. It is a steakhouse after all. But neither of us that fond of beef. Why we picked a steakhouse to eat at for dinner, I have no idea. LOL.
I suppose we wanted to avoid fast food and there really weren’t that many options.
Here’s a picture of the sign in front of the theater.
This is where everyone congregated as we waited to be let in to the auditorium.
Here’s a picture of the theater auditorium.
It wasn’t too obvious from the previous picture but there’s also a balcony area.
We got really good floor seats. We were only seven rows from the stage.
Obligatory pre-show selfie.
And just in case some of you are not familiar with Kathy Griffin, I took a picture of the flyer. She’s semi-famous. LOL.
She’s also super hilarious. I really like her conversational, story-telling style. I don’t feel like I’m watching a stand-up comedian. It just seems like you’re listening to a friend tell you stories, except they’re juicy and funny and entertaining.
We drove home immediately after the show because we both had to work the next day. It was a long night but totally worth it. If you get a chance to see the “Like a Boss” tour – I think she’s hitting 80 cities on this tour – you should. Brian and I give it two thumbs up.
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