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SubscriptionsSites I Read
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| In-N-Out Burger
Las Vegas, NV
When I went to Vegas this past December for my friend Ben's bachelor party, In-N-Out seemed to be a must stop for the majority of the guys. I've never been there before this trip and boy was I in for a pleasant surprise. I've been to many burger joints and I have yet to visit a fastfood place with this type of efficient and almost graceful-like service. As for the food.. let me tell ya!
Simple menu
Tons of workers (hard workers)
Piles of Fries
Double-Double anyone?
We ordered 4 fries and 4 Double-Double Burgers "Animal Style".. Luckily I was with my buddy Kaider who happened to be an In-N-Out connoisseur. He explained that there was a "secret menu" that only those in know actually know about. According to In-N-Out's "Not-So-Secret" online menu.. Animal Style is a "Burger of your choise with hand-leafed lettuce, tomato, a mustard cooked beef patty; add pickle, extra spread, with grilled onions." The inside of eat bun was nice and crisp which gave the juicy burger just the right amount of texture and crunch! Pound for pound this definitely one of the best burgers I've eaten.. and it costed nothing but a few bucks!
I don't know if it's the quality of the workforce on the Westcoast but I cannot stop raving about how well everything was prepared and presented. We need your establishment down here in New Orleans! Well done!
Overall Rating:  (out of 7)
Great impression and exceeded already high expectations
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Updated regularly, So eat up! =)
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| 1st Annual Louisiana Roadfood Festival
New Orleans, LA
It's festival time down in New Orleans! Many different food/music festivals like the Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest and even this newcomer.. the Louisiana Roadfood Fest. The premise is pick out where the foodies go.. not in terms of fancy eats, but more of the diners, drive-ins and dives kinda deal. Good ol fashioned home cooking!
On this day I sampled over 15 different things. One of my favorite items was the Jambalaya made by the people at the Tabasco Country Store tent. The Jambalaya was loaded with many different sausages ranging from Alligator to Andoullie! Strong cajun flavors along with a spicy but not too overwhelming finish made this one of my highlights of the festival!
For a more detailed coverage of
the Louisiana Road Food Fest click here!
Chef Eats' Directory:
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Updated regularly, So eat up! =)
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| Cafe Rani New Orleans, LA
I've been very disappointed with the quality of food and service as of late. I don't like to write bad reviews, but when it's necessary.. you gotta do it. Cafe Rani is a very nice looking restaurant nestled in a courtyard on Magazine Street. But that's pretty much where all of the good stuff come to an end. The services was passable even though our Spinach Dip appetizer didn't until after our entrees and not until we had to remind her. Who knows how long it's been sitting under the heat lamp..
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
As far as the quality of Spinach and Artichoke Dip was concerned.. you can see it in the picture. A few pieces of spinach mixed in with some thickened cream and some cheese. The flavors were average, but the look was a huge turn off. The best part had to be the wheat pita bread.
Crawfish Monica
Shrimp Eggplant Rani
Crawfish Monica, "Crawfish tails served in a cajun cream sauce with angel hair pasta, with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs". It was actually the highlight of the meal. The sauce was good and flavorful. Second was the Shrimp Eggplant Rani, "Layered medallions of breaded eggplant, portobello mushroom smoked gouda, roasted onions & peppers, wilted spinach with grilled shrimp and a pesto-alfredo cream sauce atop cappellini pasta" I've got to be honest.. it wasn't terrible. Could have used a bit more salt, but I didn't mind adding it.
Side of Broccoli
And we ordered a side of Broccoli and this is what we got. A plate with over-cooked dirty broccoli that to my culinary expertise, was thrown on a plate from 5 feet away. They might as well have thrown it from the kitchen. I guess the meal would have been more enjoyable if the service was more efficient and the spinach & artichoke dip were a little better, and maybe if the broccoli was prepared properly.. but please excuse the pun when I say, "it left a bad taste in our mouths".
This is why we need food bloggers in this world. We need to be held accountable for our actions. Chefs and servers should take pride in what they do, and when they don't.. people need to know.
Would you ever go back to a restaurant after having a bad experience? Another chance perhaps?
I don't know myself..
Meal Rating: 
no further comments..
Chef Eats' Directory:
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Updated regularly, So eat up! =)
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| GW Fins 7 Course Tasting
New Orleans, LA
Not too long ago I went back to GW Fins with Barry, an old culinary school buddy of mine. At Fins our friend Byron threw together a 7 course tasting for us. If this restaurant wasn't already one of my favorite places to eat in New Orleans, it's definitely at the top of the list!
Tuna Course
Scallop Course
We started with Smoked Sizzling Oysters. I failed to produce the pictures, I was a bit excited when they first came out. lol But they were indeed plump, fresh and juicy! The Tuna was served sahimi and tartare style. Delicious, fresh, and with a kick from the wasabi.. I liked it very much. For the 3rd course we had the Scallops in a buttery citrus sauce. Light, Perfectly cooked and seasoned.. it was the ideal dish to take us into the thick of the meal!
Pompano Dish
Snapper Dish
John Dory Dish
It seems GW Fins has alway had a touch of Asian in their dishes. The Pompano was served in a Thai-like broth, with a lot of fresh Asian herbs and even a flat rice noodle? I was very impress with the depth of flavors. And the fish was grilled very nicely! The Snapper was seared and served with some plump, tender shrimp.. The crisp skin gave the fish a great texture to match with the flaky moistness! And to round out the trio of fish, the John Dory fish is a deep sea delicacy. To put it plain and simple, it was cooked perfectly. The sear gave it a nice caramelized flavor and the meat was very tasty.
Mini Apple Pies
For dessert we had some Mini Apple Pies with gorgonzola and I believe it was browned butter gelato? At this point we finished a bottle of wine and had several other spirits and drinks. I apologize for the lack of memory on my part. But I do remember it being a delicious meal! If you've never been here.. my personal opinion is that Gw Fins serves the some of the best seafood in the city.
Meal Rating:
Chef Eats' Directory:
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Updated regularly, So eat up! =)
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| From Xanga to NewOrleans.comNew Orleans, LAI just wanted to thank all of you guys! I have over 700 subscribers and I just write a food review blog! I'm glad that people actually enjoy reading and visually eating what I eat. Special props to Xanga for featuring me on their homepage as many times as they did! I wouldn't have done it with out their massive reach.I've just been granted a great opportunity to do a chef's blog on NewOrleans.com! It's nothing like this blog.. it's more on chef/kitchen side of things. I will continue to do this blog on Xanga just because I believe in Karma.. they've given me more love and exposure than I could have ever asked for! One of these days Xanga will bring me on as their "Resident Chef".. until then, thank you for all of the support!
 My first blog with NewOrleans.com. It's called: "Running With Knives by Allen Nguyen"Please read and feel free to leave a comment! I've been a huge advocate of getting ya'll back into New Orleans and I've strongly given you reasons to visit if you've never done so before! At NewOrleans.com, we just want to tell you that it's ok to visit! We have beautiful architecture, great hospitality, and of course deliciously seasoned foods!! There's a culture like no other down here and I'm extremely proud to call it home. It's terrible that it took something like Katrina to put us on the map, but in a way.. I'm glad that it did. We're still here.. so please judge us for yourself.. firsthand! | | |
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