Maru Global

Specializing in takoyaki, a popular Japanese street food of bite-sized dumpling balls fried in special molds and topped with various sauces, Maru Global should be open for business in about a week. (Feb. 1st opening got pushed back.) is open today!

Even without ever tasting takoyaki, I was poised to pounce when they opened, so was pleased when Maru Global offered a focus group taste test this weekend to get feedback from the public. I signed up for the vegan seating.

Takoyaki batter is traditionally made with egg, but the owners of Maru Global make a slightly costlier vegan batter upon request (this is clearly printed on the menu). Tofu is a protein choice for many dishes, and baked goods from Vegan Treats are also available. Maru Global is clearly vegan and vegetarian friendly.

The vegan takoyaki pizza balls filled with vegan Mozarella and topped with tomato sauce and basil coulis taste like a grown-up version of Pizza Rolls. Soft, warm dough encases melted vegan Mozzarella, while sweet tomato sauce and vibrant basil coulis steals the show.
A steaming bowl of shiitake soup studded with onions, mushrooms, and vegetables swimming in a delicious and complex broth flirting with the edge of sweetness was simple, but outstanding.
Red bean rice is a simple side consisting of nothing more than sweet sticky rice and azuki beans. The sweetness of the rice may throw Westerners, as the dish is almost dessert-like. A rice bowl with firm fried tofu, shirataki noodles, and carrots with a thin, non-salt-assaulting soy sauce is a perfect meal in a cup. I could eat this everyday and be happy. If you are a rice lover like I am, you'll appreciate the short-grain glutinous rice used in the rice bowls and elsewhere on the menu.

Most people will flock to Maru Global for the takoyaki, but don't discount the rest of the menu which also includes yakisoba, salads, and fries. Dishes are well under $10, and bento boxes and meal combinations will only set you back $8-$12. Very reasonable.

Reflecting their concentration on take-out and delivery, Maru Global's atmosphere is extremely casual. There are about six or so two-top tables for dining in, if you so please.

Maru Global
255 S. 10th St., Philadelphia, PA 19107
267-273-0567

Chai Pani

Chai Pani, a new Indian restaurant specializing in Indian street food opened up in downtown Asheville, NC, since my visit to the small mountain town a year ago. A lover of all Indian food, and now on a quest to sample the recently popular-in-America cuisine, Indian street food, we hit up Chai Pani.

Unlike Philadelphia's recently opened Tiffin Etc., which specializes in Indian street foods of the pizza, kati roll, and stuffed paratha sorts, Chai Pani serves up Indian sandwiches, chaats, parathas, uttapams, tandoori specials, and thalis — sort of a mix of street foods and items found at most Indian restaurants.

Service is casual: order at the counter and food is brought to your table in no particular order with large gaps between one dish and the other.
We started with the crispy, julienned Matchstick Okra Fries sprinkled with salt, chipotle seasoning and lime. With little flavor other than salt, these could have used a dipping sauce or a handful more of lime wedges. Quite good, though. Unlike most, I'd take fried okra over fried potatoes any day. Touted on the menu as a Mumbai favorite, Pav Bhaji is a hash of spicy potatoes and mixed vegetables cooked down into a mush on the grill and served on, at Chai Pani at least, two small Hawaiian bread buns. I would have been in favor of a neutral bun instead of the sweet Hawaiian bread, but overall not a bad way to eat a curry — especially if you were standing on the street. The Masala fries seasoned with fresh cilantro, salt, and lime were perfect and more than plentiful. The mango (?) sweetened ketchup went well with the Indian flavors of the fries. If I had known about the mango ketchup, I would have asked for some with the okra fries.
If Dahi Puri is on a menu, I will order it, so I've eaten my share of this chaat. The potato, chickpea, yogurt, sweet tamarind chutney, spicy cilantro-mint chutney, and crushed sev toppings that make up Dahi Puri matched most Dahi Puris I've had, but the fried puris at Chai Pani were not the usual thin, light, crispy puffed domes. These were thick, flat, hard and overly fried. The usual sprinkling of fiery chili powder was also missing. The Paneer Upattam, an Indian rice and lentil flour crepe topped with Indian cheese, cilantro, and fried onions was amazingly greasy from the ghee on the griddle, so I only partook in a few bites. A liberal dunking in the Sambar and coconut chutney is recommended to give flavor and spice to the mild toppings.

Chai Pani
22 Battery Park Ave., Asheville, NC, 28801