Recipe: MJ's Fab Tuna Cakes

MJ brought in this fabulous meal for lunch the other day and to my surprise, they were leftovers from dinner the night before! I wish my leftovers looked this good! She was kind enough to share the recipe as I was sadly heating up a $1 Banquet boxed meal (which was so small and unhealthy and unsatisfying).

1 small can of solid white tuna in water

2 tbsp. unsweetened yogurt

1 egg

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 tbsp. each of minced onion and celery

couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce

dash of Old Bay seasoning

(or garlic powder/pepper)

Add extra breadcrumbs if it seems to runny. Make 2 patties about the size of a hamburger and saute in olive oil or Pam til golden brown on both sides. Put a lid on for about a minute so it gets hot inside.

For salmon lovers (like me), you can make salmon cakes by substituting the can of tuna with salmon! Add a side of veggies, like steamed broccoli and you've got a delicious & healthy meal for lunch or dinner. So easy! Thank you MJ! 

Special Guest Review: Ninja New York

HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY to a special young lady who now no longer needs a fake ID........ MY SISTER [DOCTOR]!  Since the day she was born, she's always been well beyond her years, so technically she's been 21 for years now.  She's one of a kind, loud & crazy, but I'm glad to have her in my life! Happy birthday [doctor]!  Thank you for sharing your wonderful birthday dinner experience with me and my readers. 

So I'm proud to present to you my very first SPECIAL GUEST review for:

Ninja New York by [doctor]

Nestled right in the heart of TriBeCa, Ninja is one of the best Asian dining experiences you can get in New York City. I was brought by my boyfriend, Scari, on my 21st birthday and he could not have chosen a better place! At first, we were immediately attacked by a ninja host upon entering the restaurant, and I screamed like a baby panda even though I knew that was going to happen. We crept through a "secret passage way" that was like a dark cave with stairs going up and down which also smelled funny. Every step we anticipated another ninja attack but it didn't happen. By the end of the tunnel, we were once again surprised but not surprised to get attacked by the same ninja that "greeted" us.

When we finally got to our table, I said the atmosphere reminded me of an old Chinese film's prison, but in a cute way. Each table had its own private area and a sliding door. Ninjas came around and frightened us with fake, but shiny swords and yelled "hiya!" every moment you least expected. We ordered drinks, and of course, I was not carded like I wasn't all day :(. Anyhow, I ordered the Rin, a fruity concoction I described as alcoholic candy. Scari, a beer. 

As for food, we ordered artichoke dip (to keep it consistent with all Littobite's reviews), the salmon star, shrimp tempura, and teriyaki chicken to start off. The artichoke dip was so amazing I forgot to take a picture until the end! There was definitely crab meat in it which made it simply mouthgasmic. Then we got all our other food at once and devoured it almost too fast that we became stuffed within 15 min. The shrimp tempura sauce changed into 3 different colors as it somehow transformed into 3 different sauces. The teriyaki chicken had 3 different types of chicken meats and the thigh was the BEST. I had to take a food break aka rest my head on the wall and continue drinking my cocktail. Scari liked his salmon star a lot, probably because it came in a box..with shelves! Then after a few "you eat it" and "no you eat it!" we finished it all. 

Our plan was to order more as the night went on  but I had a food baby, and Scari was overwhelmed. While finishing up our adult beverages, a quirky non-scary ninja came over and performed a few magic tricks for us (which I cannot reveal because that would be sharing intellectual ninja property). We were impressed; Scari even looked up his website immediately after he gave us his business card! Legit. When we thought all the fun was winding down, 3 singing ninjas came over to our cell and sang me happy birthday while presenting me the perfect sized fruit plate I had room left for in my belly. It's like they just knew. I blew out the candle and was so glad Scari chose Ninja. He was as well. (I secretly think he chose this place because I too only wear black and am super sneaky.) I was ready to be rolled home but that's always the most satisfying feeling to me.

25 Hudson St.

NY, NY

$$$$

Special Guest Grade: A+

This reviewer does not have a mature palette and may have been under the influence when grading

Where did you go for your 21st birthday dinner?  And where did you party afterwards?

Thrice: Brio Tuscan Grille

Let me start by saying: This is the third time I've eaten at Brio Tuscan Grille at the Christiana Mall (hence the title Thrice).  The first two times did not make me want to go back because the food I ordered were not good.  They say the third time's a charm... well, it may be true but not charming enough!  In my opinion, Brio is like Olive Garden's big sister.  The restaurant is more upscale, bigger bar area with huge flatscreens to watch sports during happy hour, nicer decor, has a nice patio to eat outside, more interesting/special dishes, pricier menu, and better wait staff.  But what good is all of that when the food is just average.  I keep thinking, "I just ordered a dud. I should have ordered X instead."  I wasn't even going to post this review because this is a chain restaurant and I didn't have too much to say about it.  But I can't be raving about every restaurant I go to, now can I?  Continue reading if you want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Appetizer: Roasted Garlic, Spinach & Artichoke Dip $10.95

The dude (aka DB) and I always order Spinach & Artichoke dip as an appetizer whenever we go out.  It's something that has been going on since the first day we met, when I introduced him to this delicious appetizer on our first date at Home Grown!  Ever since then, he was spoiled by the best spinach & artichoke dip, so nothing can compare to that first bite.  Brio's version was still good, the wow factor being that they used crispy flat bread instead of pita or toasted, sliced Italian bread.  It's no Home Grown, but at least the cheese isn't greasy or too heavy like some places (aka Applebees).  As far as appetizers go, I can recommend their Margherita Flatbread, which I had during my second visit and that was the one thing that I really enjoyed that night!  I do recall grabbing for the Calamari Fritto Misto during the second visit as well.

The first time I dined here, I ordered the Pasta Pomodoro with Chicken, which was a huge mistake on my part.  I like tomatoes, chicken, pine nuts, and cilantro pesto sauce, but it did not mix well together at all!  The bed of angel hair only made the dish worse.  I remember how sad I was eating the bland pasta with bites of sour tomatoes here and there, and just wishing I chose something else!  For my second Brio experience, I chose another regretful dish, Chicken Limone.  Three words: dry sour chicken.  So behold, I finally chose the right entree... but it took me three tries.

Entree: Grilled Salmon $21.95
(*Romano crusted tomatoes, citrus pesto, asparagus and shoestring potatoes) 

My salmon was a good choice, but I actually did not like the crispy potato shoestrings all that much, really wish it was not there.  It was nice for garnish (if they add so much of it) but I didn't really want to eat it.  The fried tomatoes were definitely unique and presentation wise, it was really gorgeous!  I did enjoy my grilled salmon and tomatoes, but not the party of string thin fries on top.  I was also fine with the side of fresh asparagus, but they weren't magical or anything.

Pasta Fra Diavola $19

(*Penne with a spicy tomato cream sauce and green onions)

The dude's pasta was penne with a bland cream sauce that a little bit spicy and lots of grilled chicken and big shrimp. I commend them on the portion size and lots of good shrimp, but the entire dish was just okay.  After my dude's first bite, his facial expression said it all, "Meh, it could be better."

I think going there for lunch would be good because the first time we went, the table next to us were raving about the Brio chopped salad and this time, the couple next to us were in love with the Brio salad too, as well as the lobster bisque soup!  For us, we'll stick to Olive Garden for dinner because Brio is expensive for the mediocre entrees they serve.

Overall Dude Grade (food, service, decor): C-

Originally just a "C" but got bumped down because he did not enjoy all the tables being packed together, "The tables were way too close together.  It's like we were dining with strangers!"

*Descriptions taken from Brio Tuscan Grille's website

Yellow Fever: Le Shio

My first official meal of 2012 was lunch at Le Shio. I could not believe I never heard of this new Asian Fusion restaurant. To add onto my disbelief, I realized it's located in the Fairfax Shopping Center on Rt. 202! Anyone who lives near Rt. 202 knows that it's not known for any special restaurants unless you cross the border into PA, or drive down further southbound to the Independence Mall shopping center. It may seem out of place near a Dress Barn and Five & Below, being more on the contemporary as far as decor is concerned, but that did not affect the fresh sushi they served.

First things first, DB had to order a shrimp roll ($2) as soon as we sat down! I also ordered a plate of Gyoza (fried dumplings), six pieces for $5.50. These are very common appetizers on any Asian menu and you can never go wrong with it... right? First off, I would like to say that $2 is actually expensive for a normal shrimp roll. It doesn't matter how delicious the shrimp roll is, it is still overpriced (unless they used jumbo shrimp or different fillings besides cabbage)! On that note, DB shook his head and didn't even finish the last bite because he didn't like it. I can't comment because I didn't have any, but he's eaten a lot of shrimp rolls in his day and one that he likes to rave about is from Ming Garden. No other shrimp roll can compare to Ming Garden's crispy golden roll that's generously stuffed with shrimp, cabbage, lots of different seasonings/spices, handmade (and handrolled) by their cooks and paired nicely with a homemade duck sauce. And that one was $1.55!


Moving on to the fried dumplings: lightly pan fried at the bottom, tasty ball of filling that had a bit of a bounce when you bit into it, and a thin wrapper skin that was crisp and light, did not tear until you chewed on it. The key to a good dumpling, whether steamed or fried, is having a bit of elasticity inside, so the meat does not crumble when you bite into it nor should it be chewy or too dry. It should be "dan hou", which literally translates to "bouncing in the mouth", almost like a rubber band that bounces back when you pull on it. If you're used to thick dumplings that come out drenched in vegetable oil and burnt at the bottom, Le Shio will be a breath of fresh air.

The infamous General Tso's Chicken ($13) that DB got was not surprising at all. Now, I understand why this is almost everyone's favorite dish and why it's so highly rated, but it bothers me that there is a misconception that this particular chicken is authentic Chinese food. If you are reading this and actually believe that Chinese people eat battered chicken, fried and glazed with a spicy red sauce, then I shall bang my head at the keyboard this instant! Continue reading if you wish to learn about its American origin and the beef I have it.

Actually, its origin is not very accurate as many Asian American restaurants claim they were the first to create this dish. Peng's Restaurant in NYC would be one of them, says Wikipedia. The man it's named after, this so called "General Tso" may not have existed as there is no proof (just a name pulled out of thin air because it sounds good). Speaking of the name, how many times have I heard it pronounced incorrectly? More than I can count on my fingers. You would think that if you really loved a certain food, you would learn the right pronunciation instead of making up your own way of saying it. General Teeso's Chicken. Teechow's. Cho's. Chow's. I'm pretty sure waiters don't correct these people because they enjoy laughing in their heads, but they really should not let these people go around saying they want General TeeChow's Chicken! (FYI: the "T" is silent) Also, Chinese people that live in Chinatown, San Francisco or NYC do not eat this. It was only made for American tastebuds. And if you are shocked and still not a believer, go to China and order General Tso's Chicken. They will most likely not have it and when you get your check, there will be no fortune cookie sitting on top of your bill either. Sad right? That's how I felt when I learned from the Bloggess that chalupas were created by Taco Bell! But, if it's good, then who cares if it's authentic or not.

Back to Le Shio. Obviously, I am not a fan of this dish, so I have asked DB to say a few words about his favorite Asian chicken before departing from this topic. Although, I can say that the side of fried rice (charged extra to come with fried rice with veggies) was yummy.

DB's review:"Good, crispy, real white chicken, big portion"

We also ordered Spicy Tuna roll and Salmon roll to share. Each were $5.50 and came with 8 pieces of fresh fish goodness. Most of their basic rolls were around $5.50, which is fair. As for their Specialty Rolls (Dragon Roll, Spider Roll...etc), most were a steep $15! If you are looking for an affordable sushi place, I would recommend Sushisumo on Kirkwood Highway instead. Since I did not order their special rolls, I cannot say if it is worth $15 or not.

Now for the dish I keep thinking about and the one I gave a sneak peek at in my last post and even tweeted about, the Bird's Nest! When I first read the description, I thought it was going to be a roll, but instead I got this little bundle of joy! It should really be called "Fish Nest", as there are pieces of salmon, tuna, white tuna, and yellowtail mixed with spicy mayo neatly tucked inside the makeshift avocado walls. It was beautifully displayed on top of crispy rice paper with black & red caviar for some color. It tasted as good as it looked! And the best part? It was only $8! This was equivalent to a special sushi roll except for half the price! If you like avocados and raw fish, I highly recommend ordering the Bird's Nest!

I shall be back for this nest of goodness!