Circles

It's hard to get delivery (from a restaurant I'd want to eat at) where I live. We're juuuust out of delivery range for most Center City restaurants. So, when I found out that Circles Contemporary Asian Cuisine, a casual Thai take-out in the Newbold neighborhood delivers to my area, I was on it.

I cannot tell you what Circles looks like, because I've never been there, and probably never will. That's the beauty of delivery — they come to me! From what I hear it's a corner take-out joint with a glass partition separating the cashier and kitchen from walk-in customers and the waiting room, so don't head to Circles for a romantic evening of dining out.

The vegetarian summer rolls are standard fare with vermicelli noodles, carrots, scallions, lettuce, and basil. I would have loved less lettuce and more herbs. The peanut dipping sauce is sweet with crushed peanuts.
Fried tofu with a side of thin, sweet and sour sauce with crushed peanuts arrives extra crispy thanks to the the corner of the Styrofoam box that is thoughtfully cut off to allow the steam to escape. At $2.95, the fried tofu is a great deal.
Massaman curry with fried tofu, potatoes, onions, and peanuts is aromatic and creamy, but lacks the rich depth of spices I so love about massaman curry. Circles' massaman curry is heavy on some spice giving it a strong citrus flavor, perhaps galangal or lemongrass. While a perfectly fine massaman, Circles' rendition doesn't match up to my first and favorite massaman, and I am always on the quest to find "that" massaman.Circles' tofu pad Thai gets major props for perfectly balancing the sweet, spicy, sour, and salty components of pad Thai sauce, and also for saucing the noodles perfectly — not too dry, and not too wet. Green mango slices, a lime wedge, crushed peanuts, scallions, and julienned carrots and cabbage top off the noodles.

I can't think of a better pad Thai I've had in Philadelphia. Maybe at Chabbaa Thai, but it's in Manayunk, which I don't consider the city proper, and Chabbaa Thai certainly doesn't deliver to my house.

Spice levels at Circles seem to change daily. I always order medium, and sometimes it comes mild, sometimes it comes spicy.

Circles always quotes me 40 minutes for delivery, and always delivers in under 40 minutes.

There's also a $2 delivery charge included on your ticket, which may or may not be include on the over-the-phone total quote. The first time the delivery guy came to the door and asked for more money than I was quoted, I was a bit suspicious, but after inspecting the receipt I found the $2 delivery charge.

Is Circles the best Thai in the city? I think Circles is about on par with any good Thai restaurant, but the fact that they come to my house puts them at the top of my list, and makes them my go-to Thai restaurant.

Circles Contemporary Asian Cuisine
1516 Tasker St., Philadelphia, PA 19145
215-687-1778
Mon: 5-11 p.m. Tue-Sun: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Thai Tea Ice Cream

Behold the first ice cream of the season! I call it Thai tea ice cream...or "the ice cream that didn't wanna." Let me explain...

This ice cream officially kicks off my 2009 ice cream making season, but was supposed to kick off the 2008 ice cream season. I had been dreaming of Thai tea ice cream all 2007/2008 winter long, and when the weather warmed up and it was time to break out the ice cream maker, I could not for the life of me find Thai tea any where.

I could find individual packets of instant Thai tea, but no bags of loose leaf tea and spices, or what is sometimes called Thai tea powder. And I'm fully aware of the awesome powers of purchasing goods online (Amazon is my savior), but was determined to find the tea at one of the many Asian markets along Washington Ave. in Philly. It was a principle thing. There's also Thai tea syrup, and you can even make it yourself.Well, I never found the tea all summer long (didn't look too hard, just whenever I was in a store). Cut to this past winter, and the tea magically appeared at some market the boy was shopping at, and he thoughtfully bought me a pack since he knew I had been on the hunt for quite some time.

Yes! Thai tea ice cream is going to happen!Not so fast! Doh, I forgot to put the ice cream freezer bowl in the freezer. The bowl usually lives in the freezer all the time, ever at the ready, but I took the bowl out for the winter to make more room in the freezer.

Plans dashed, I settled on a day late. I tweaked a Vietnamese coffee ice cream recipe from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop, but the ice cream turned out way too sweet and too strongly tea flavored. Ugghhhh!

The next day, work got in the way, so there was no re-do.

Finally, the following day I tweaked my tweaked recipe and made a Thai tea ice cream that's fit to show off. One year and a couple of tries later.

I hope you enjoy the recipe; it's quite good, and is possibly the most anticipated ice cream of my ice cream making career. Worth the wait? I would have preferred to have it last year!Thai Tea Ice Cream
makes about 1 quart

After steeping the loose leaf tea, you'll need some way to strain the tea. Many who regularly make Thai tea have these large tea socks that do the job. I did not have a tea sock, nor did I want to buy one. I found that the coffee press I had worked just fine.

1/3 cup loose leaf Thai tea
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup half and half

• Add 2 1/2 cups of hot/boiling water to loose leaf Thai tea, and steep for 20 minutes (this is more water than the brewed tea called for in the recipe, because some of the water will be absorbed by the leaves). Strain tea (I pushed the French press plunger down) and let cool to room temperature.
  
• Mix 1 1/2 cups brewed tea, sweetened condensed milk, and half and half in a large bowl.
• Process mixture in an ice cream machine. Chill overnight in the freezer before serving.

My Favorite Eats...Ever!

OK, so I've told you on this blog that I'm originally from South Carolina, but I've never mentioned what town. I was born, raised, and spent the better part of almost three decades in Columbia, the capital of South Carolina. With the seat of government, the main campus of the University of South Carolina, and the Army's basic training facility, Fort Jackson, Columbia is filled with mostly government workers, students, and army families.

Columbia is not at the white sand beaches, nor is it in the rolling foothills of the mountains, but smack dab in the middle of the state, and, I might add, the hottest most humid city with nary a breeze you will ever set foot in. (People from other Southern towns and Southeast Asian countries never believe that statement...until they've spent a summer there)

Really, there's no reason for you to go to or be in Columbia (I'm not dissing Columbia; all of my childhood and young adult memories are there, and I love them all), but if you ever do find yourself there, the following are my three favorite restaurants of all time, and, really, the only reason (besides family) that I return. I dream of these restaurants and their food -- all ethnic and all hole-in-the-wall/casual. Old location.

My absolute number one favorite restaurant in Columbia is Touch of India (link for address purposes only; ignore the poor reviews by people that have only been there once), a restaurant run by Devi, the sweetest woman ever. Devi and her family only serve Southern Indian dishes, and I have never eaten at an Indian restaurant that serves food as good as hers. Fresh and with love. I kick myself for not taking cooking classes with her, but I took all her food for granted. We would line up before she opened her doors at 11 (show up late, and it's gone) almost every Sunday for their small, but quality lunch buffet.

My favorites from the menu: mysore masala dosa, dahi puri, and cabbage (not on the menu, but cabbage will pop up occasionally as the veggie of the day).Sadly, I didn't make it to Touch of India this last go round, but that picture above is from a trip to her buffet the last time I was in town (buffet plates are never pretty). Since the last trip, she has moved her operation out of the most run-down, dismal, dead strip mall behind a dead strip mall you've ever seen to a brand new building. Yay! She worked for it. Next up is Bangkok, one of Columbia's first Thai restaurants that still sits in the same strip mall near Fort Jackson Army Base and does a bangin' take-out and sit-down lunch and dinner business. Same cooks, same servers (now with more gray hair!), same stains on the walls and carpet. Massaman curry...mmm.

There's nothing fancy about this place, but they dish out some good food. Is it better than your favorite Thai restaurant? Probably not. But it was my first, and I judge all Pad Thai and Massaman curry (my favorites) by their versions. Still, many people in Columbia love their dishes and proclaim them the best Thai, and that many people can't be wrong. I know I'm never wrong.Blue Cactus is probably the quirkiest restaurant in town, but is a must. You'd never know from the name or the outside of the restaurant that Blue Cactus serves Korean, Cuban, and Southwestern food. This restaurant is run by Lloyd (loves spicy food), who is a one-man show at the stove in their open kitchen; his wife (so quiet and cute, I've never caught her name) who brings her Korean expertise; and their daughter, Julie, who has been single-handedly waiting on your sorry ass since Blue Cactus opened in 1994. It's a family serving food they know and love, and doing it well.
Lloyd in his kitchen.

A few things to know before your first visit to Blue Cactus:

• Blue Cactus has a motto and its: Good food takes time...and we're real good! Lloyd is the only guy cooking, and his wife does the non-cooked dishes like kimbap and bibimbap, so if you go in at prime lunch time, you may be there for one and a half hours...or more! If you're in a hurry, go late in the afternoon, or just go when you have time. Oh, and so you don't waste more time, go to the register when you're done, and tell them what you ate; they don't bring you a check.
  

• Lloyd loves spicy food. Ask for it hot and it'll burn. There's a whole shelf of hot sauces if you'd like to try them...and bring him a bottle, too.

• Blue Cactus is not a traditional Korean restaurant. Don't go in expecting twenty complimentary banchan dishes. Kimchi is on the menu, if you want it.

• The Reese family is super nice (Julie even remembers my name and order after being gone for so long), but are not your bitches. Julie waits on you like she's a normal person (and like I would to if I were a server), so will roll her eyes if you ask her a stupid question. Remember Blue Cactus' motto? If you call the restaurant on your cell phone from your table to ask where your food is (true story), Lloyd will escort your ass out of his restaurant. It's sort of like Shopsin's in there, except I think Kenny Shopsin is missing a few screws and is unnecessarily harsh, and the Reeses have all of their mental faculties and you've got to be a real ass-wipe to get the Reese family smack down.

My favorites:
Bibimbap with tofu and without the fried egg, Kimbap just made by Mom so the rice is still warm, and Japchea with tofu.

Soybean Asian Grille

Look at me! Back on the Pad Thai and Massaman curry hunt so soon.

Soybean Asian Grille, a new Thai place in Pike Creek Shopping Center outside of Wilmington, recently opened. I took one of those miserable, all-day-downpour days off from work (working in the rain sucks) to check things out.

Tucked in a large strip mall between Wilmington and Newark, Soybean Asian Grille is quite nice inside in that brand-spanking new, clean walls, crisp lines, dark lighting, I’m-trying-to-be-a-real-restaurant way. They need some wall hangings, though.

There’s a tiny bar right when you open the door that’s partitioned from the main dining room. Not sure why it’s separated, but it is. At 12 noon the lights were low, and gave an intimacy to the room and the impression of dinner dining.

If you dine in for lunch, a nice little side salad is included with your entrée. My salad came with tofu. Not sure if tofu is standard. I figure that the server astutely deduced from my two orders with tofu (one for there and one to go) that I would not be eating meat. The dressing was described as a peanut sauce. This dressing was thick and sweet – really the same sauce you get when you order saytay – not the lighter, tangier peanut sauce on some Thai salads. Either dressing suits me fine.

Confession: I eat fish sauce in Thai food when I’m dining out. I prefer not to, and I don’t like the taste or smell of it, but I can’t resist Thai food. It’s my one little vegetarian concession – a few micro milliliters of fish essence a year. Yep, I’m going to hell.

Fish sauce smells like wet dog to me, and I can easily detect it’s presence in dishes. Soybean Grille’s pad Thai reeked of fish sauce when it was set in front of me. I would say it was moderately heavy on the fish sauce compared to all the pad Thai’s I’ve eaten. The good thing about fish sauce is that after the first couple of bites, the smell disappears. Or maybe you just get used to it.

The noodles were too saucy; the sauce dripped off the noodles. The sauce also was too sweet. I like sweet pad Thai, but this crossed into the realm of too sweet. Ultra sweet could be your thing, though. Not mine.

There was a myriad of vegetables mixed throughout the noodles of the vegetable pad Thai: baby corn, carrots, broccoli florets, broccoli stems, button mushrooms, black mushrooms, red pepper, bok choy, green beans, and mung bean sprouts, not to mention two types of tofu. The variety of vegetables was a little overwhelming, but I didn’t mind too much. If you’re a purist and only like scallions and mung bean sprouts in your pad Thai, speak up.

Even though the pad Thai was enough for two sensible meals, I ordered the massaman curry to take home for dinner. A side salad does not come with your take out lunch orders.

Amazing! Light + camera = decent photo

Hey, look! All of those vegetables in my Pad Thai are in my massaman curry. I don’t like it when restaurants do this. It smacks of cheapness. It’s a one-size-fits-all solution, and means I can expect all of my dishes to be similar.

Usually only potatoes, onion, and peanuts, sometimes cashews, and your protein of choice accompany massaman curry. There were a few potatoes and peanuts in there, but only a few.

The sauce was not as thick as I like, but not thin enough to complain. It was a happy medium of thickness. The curry tasted good, but ever so slightly like a cross between massaman curry and penang curry. If the curry didn’t have the mélange of vegetables, I would have been pretty darn happy. But that’s not to say that I didn’t eat all of it.

In conclusion, I would not order the pad Thai at Soybean Grille again, but I would order the massaman curry. In reality, though, Soybean Grille is not conveniently located in my usual travels, so I don’t see myself returning. If I worked in one of the stores in Pike Creek Shopping Center, I would certainly order take out once a month, though.

Soybean Asian Grille
4702 Limestone Road, Wilmington, DE 19808
302-636-0800

Chabaa Thai Bistro

We met a couple of friends on Main Street in Manayunk for dinner at the highly praised BYOB Thai restaurant, Chabaa Thai Bistro. This was my first time on Main Street, Manayunk, and I have now seen firsthand the drunken frat boy stereotypes that are rumored to rule these parts. The rumors are true!

Duck into the tiny, warm Chabaa Thai to forget the world around you, but get a reservation first! The downstairs of Chabaa Thai is tiny. A slightly larger, but still small dining area is upstairs.

Our server was friendly, and even recognized our friends who have dined there maybe four times previously. The white wine we brought along was plunked in a tableside ice bucket, which we only appreciated a week later when we did not get such a luxury at a couple of other BYOB’s.

For a starter, I wanted the shrimp and tofu fresh spring rolls (sans shrimp), but the rolls are pre-made, and cannot be made to order. Boo, hiss!

Instead, I ordered the garden salad with crispy fried tofu, dressed with a light, tangy peanut sauce. This salad is large and should be split. The salad consisted of tomato, cucumber, shredded cabbage, shredded carrot, broccoli, lettuce, and tofu.

I’m still on my quest (it’s slow going) for a Thai restaurant with Pad Thai and Massaman curry made to my liking. Chabaa Thai does not have Massaman curry on the menu, so no matter how good their Pad Thai is, Chabaa Thai can never be my regular Thai place for those times when I waver between my two favorite Thai dishes.

A large pile of noodles hides behind the veggies.

How is their Pad Thai? It’s a damn shame they don’t have Massaman curry, because their Pad Thai is my favorite so far.

I ordered the garden Pad Thai, beautifully presented with a wedge of lime, mango, lettuce, scallions, shredded carrots, purple cabbage, and red pepper to the side of a generous pile of perfectly sweet and tangy noodles.

If I had known that the vegetarian Pad Thai came with so many veggies, I would have skipped the salad starter. I also should not have eaten the entire dish, but it was just too good to stop at pleasantly full!

Our friends also ordered the garden Pad Thai and the crab Pad Thai. I think Chabaa Thai knows their Pad Thai is good, because they have many to order – chicken, beef, shrimp, seafood, salmon, scallop, king prawn, crispy duck, vegetarian, and one particularly interesting Pad Thai wrapped in an egg crepe.

The boy ordered the Penang curry with fried tofu, onions, and peas. While not Massaman, Penang curry might be my next favorite Thai coconut curry, and Chabaa Thai’s Penang curry is medium bodied (I hate thin sauces), and comes with a nice heat.

Not sure how often I’ll be in Manayunk, but if you find yourself on Main Street, Chabaa Thai is not to be missed!

Chabaa Thai Bistro
4371 Main St., Philadelphia, PA, 19127
215-483-1979
Mon., 5-9 p.m; Tues, 5-9:30 p.m.; Fri. 5-10 p.m.
Sat. 1-10 p.m.; Sun. 1-9 p.m.
BYOB

Sweet Basil

Update: no longer open.

I still haven’t found a favorite Thai restaurant in the area, but it’s not because of a lack of effort. The latest effort was at Sweet Basil, a BYOB Thai restaurant that opened up last year in a tiny, PA strip mall just over the border from DE.

The interior is sparse, yet clean and elegant. Part of the sparseness if because two of the four walls are windows looking onto the parking lot. We sat a few feet from a line of SUVs with blinding headlights on our visit, and, from that experience, I’d strongly suggest the owners move the blinds from the top of the window to the middle of the window – and pull them down!

The menu at Sweet Basil looks abbreviated compared to the menu books you get at most Thai restaurants, because Sweet Basil does not place the same dish under five different meat headings like many restaurants. There is no vegetarian section, either; you have to ask. You’ll find most of your Thai favorites on Sweet Basil’s menu, though.

We tried to start with summer rolls, and asked our server if they could be prepared without shrimp, but she finished our sentence before we could, and laughed, saying that she gets that question all the time, and, no, they can’t. Hmm… if you get that question all the time, you might want to consider making summer rolls to order!

If only I could have coordinated the picture taking with the headlights...

From there, we ordered two of our favorite Thai dishes – Pad Thai and Massaman curry – and my litmus test for new Thai restaurants.

I had to ask for the Pad Thai to be made vegetarian. There was definitely fish sauce in the Pad Thai, but I accept fish sauce when dining out. If you don’t, of course you already know about fish sauce lurking in vegetarian Thai dishes, and to be very clear when ordering.

The pad Thai came with slices of chewy fried tofu, and the sauce was almost near perfect to my liking (I'm in the sweet and tangy camp), but perhaps a little too salty. I would have liked a lime to squeeze over the dish, and maybe a few more leaves of cilantro other than the few that were obviously decorative. Really, these are small qualms!

You have to ask for the Massaman curry to be made vegetarian, as well. Vegetarian Massaman curry usually has fried tofu, potatoes, onions, and nuts. Cubed silken tofu strangely showed up in this dish, along with a ton of onions, a couple of cashews, and nary a potato. Silken tofu is squishy and disgusting, that’s why fried tofu is king. We love onions, but this was too much, especially since some still had a raw edge. The scant sauce covering the plate was actually very good – just the right thickness and balance of coconut, sweet, and spicy.

Normally, the reason I can’t find a favorite Thai restaurant is because the sauce on pad Thai and Massaman curry is just not right for me. With Sweet Basil, the sauces were near perfect, but there were faults elsewhere.

I just can’t win, but I'm not a quitter!

Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine
275 Wilmington-West Chester Pike (US 202), Chadds Ford, PA, 19317
610-358-4015
Tues.-Thurs, 11:30 a.m. -3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-11 p.m.; Sun., noon-3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m., Mon., closed.

The Road Not Taken

My life could be very different right now. I could be living in Austin, Texas.

Back in the mid-‘90s, I had a love affair with Austin. I visited a few times, stayed with friends, rode my bike along the urban Barton Creek Green Belt, traipsed the city, ate at loads of veggie-friendly restaurants, and decided that I’d like to move to this warm climate city (warm climate was a prerequisite).

I went back out there, found an apartment, put down a deposit, and came back to the east coast to pack.

I chickened out and ended up staying on the east coast. Why am I such a big loser? I had no job prospectives in Austin, and rent in Austin (thanks to their ‘90s dot-com boom) was 3-4 times what I was paying back home (I had ridiculously cheap rent).

It’s been about ten years since I’ve been to Austin, but I went last week – ‘cause it really is a great city!

My favorite restaurant from my previous visits is Thai Noodle House, which is tucked behind a 7-11 on the main drag near the University of Texas campus. I went back to see if I could find the dish I loved so much – a cold noodle dish with a tangy sauce. Ten years is a long time to hold on to the memory of a dish you’ve only eaten five or six times, and the dish I chose didn’t seem to match my memory. Oh well. Maybe it’s not me. Apparently the shop has switched owners, and not everyone is happy about it. Our meal was good.

I’ve had Indian in Austin, but never at The Clay Pit. This place has to be the largest Indian restaurant I’ve ever been to. And the busiest. We went on a Thursday night during UT winter break, and it was packed. The food is dubbed contemporary Indian, since it incorporates non-traditional ingredients like salmon and mussels. The Northern Indian food at the Clay Pit is solid.

El Soy y La Luna is a funky Tex-Mex joint in the artsy, indie SoCo area. The menu is extensive, and they even serve breakfast all day. I went with the black bean taco and the soy chorizo taco from the a la carte menu. One thing I love and remember from previous visits to Austin is the abundance of soy chorizo at restaurants. Austin is very veggie-friendly!

I’ve been on a “where’s a veggie hot dog” quest for many years, and the quest is surprisingly difficult. So far in my travels, the Midwest is a veggie hot dog hot spot. Dog Almighty in South Austin serves beef, turkey, and veggie hot dogs with a long list of toppings. Anything on the menu can be made vegetarian. (Did I mention that Austin is veggie-friendly?) I had The Classic with chili, onions, cheese, and mustard, and The Pflueger Dog with kraut, onions, and mustard. The dogs and buns were grilled to perfection. Almighty Dog made my day. Will someone in Philly take this idea and make it happen?

I’m back in Wilmington/Philly now. Back to my life that actually happened. Austin is great, but I’ve got a Philly love affair going on now – despite that it's cold as fuck here.

Riverfront Market

Wilmington has its own version of Reading Terminal Market, only it’s called Riverfront Market, and it’s miniscule in comparison.

With only twelve vendors along the two aisles in this restored historic warehouse on the Christina River and Riverfront Park, you’d be mighty disappointed if you were expecting an eating destination as large and varied as the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.

But if the crowds at Reading Terminal Market make you avoid that market like the plaque (like I do), you’ll find the Riverfront Market in Wilmington charming.

There’s this riverfront revitalization project going on in Wilmington (like every city in the U.S.), where they put in walkways and landscaping along the riverfront and called it the Tubman-Garret Riverfront Park. At one end of this park you have a small outlet mall (don’t bother), and really cool cranes on the waterfront from WWII when they used to build ships. On the other end (almost the end) you have the Riverfront Market. In between are businesses and a few restaurants that have tied their landscaping in to the park.

About four years ago, before I even lived in Wilmington, I got intimate with the park when I, along with two other women at the landscape company I briefly worked for, spent a week hand weeding the entire park. I pull weeds all the time – and love it – but this was one of the least enjoyable things I’ve ever done.

I particularly did not enjoy having strangers repeatedly ask me if I was hot in my Carhartt coveralls (I’m never hot. Mind your own fucking business), being sexually harassed my bums (Dude, I’m dirty and in coveralls! Raise your standards.), and being leered at by people leisurely enjoying their late afternoon cocktails from patio tables (I was jealous).

This week of weeding four years ago acquainted me with the Riverfront Market. We stopped in a couple of times for hot chocolate. Once, I even forwent my bagged lunch and grabbed some sushi from the sushi stall and a cookie from the Amish bakery and deli. I haven’t eaten there since.

The week before Christmas, I stopped by the Riverfront Market on three separate days to see what a vegetarian could scrounge up. Here’s what went down:

Day 1

I circled the entire place (quick trip) to see what I could eat:

Market City Cafe – slice of pizza
Eeffoc's – coffee
Jeenwong Thai Cuisine– eggplant and tofu stir-fry, veggie fried rice, veggie lo-mein
Olde World Cheese Steak Factory– veggie cheesesteak
Lapp's Kitchen – salad
Tokyo Sushi – veggie sushi, edamame, seaweed salad
Jona Miller’s Butcher and Bake Shop – pastries, Garden Griller panini
Riverfront Produce – fresh and dried fruits, nuts, candy, bottles of fresh squeezed juice
P&S Ravioli Company – eggplant parmesan sandwich, veggie rabe sandwich, ravioli in containers from the deli case that they’d heat up.

If it were up to me, I’d eat the sushi, but I’ve already had the sushi. My blogger-self tells me to try something else. I’m not eating fruit, nuts, or pastries for lunch. I’m not eating a lame salad, or an even lamer slice of pizza.

I go for the small Veggie Rabe sandwich ($3.95) at P&S Ravioli Company. The Veggie Rabe has breaded and fried eggplant, broccoli rabe, roasted peppers, and provolone. It’s a sandwich. Very Italian. If I were to order it again, I’d ask for some tomato sauce. (I don’t know why people make sandwiches without any sauce or spread. Inconceivable!)

Day 2

I’m curious about Jeenwong Thai Cuisine. They have a small steam table with serving trays filled with the day’s offerings behind a glass pane separating your filthy face from the food. It’s mostly meat.

I ask the jovial guy behind the counter what’s vegetarian. They have an eggplant and tofu stir-fry, veggie fried rice, and veggie lo-mein. You can get some meal deal, but there aren’t enough veggie options to make a meal deal I’d be interested in, plus I don’t really need that much food.

I opt for the eggplant and tofu stir-fry, and ask for the smallest container. He asks me if I want just the stir-fry in the container, or some rice, too? I’ll take rice, too. Steamed or stir-fried? Steamed. He rings me up for $2.75!

The stir-fry contains firm fried tofu, eggplant, cauliflower, red peppers, and onions atop short grained white rice. The stir fry is very mild. If it weren’t for the lemongrass, I’d say this was a stir-fry at a Chinese restaurant. I do appreciate the rounded, short grain white rice at the bottom.

There were other dishes, like the curries, I would have rather tried, but they were not vegetarian. I do like the friendly guy behind the counter, the price, and the authentic rice.

Day 3

Am I really going back? My masochistic, semi-obsession with veggie cheesesteaks is telling me to go back and try the veggie cheesesteak at Olde City Cheesesteak Factory. Uhg, ok.

First, I peak to see what’s offered at the Thai place, since the first two days I went they had the same eggplant and tofu stir-fry. The steam table is completely different from the days before, but I don’t see any veggie option other than the fried rice and lo-mein. Bummer.

At Olde City Cheese Steak Factory, the girls at the counter are very nice. I ask what’s on the veggie cheesesteak ($6.75). Onions and peppers done up Cajun-style with cheese. If you want to add mushrooms or anything else, you can for a charge. I’ll just do it up normal with Provolone. Do you want ketchup on that? Uhhhh... How about on the side? OK.

Everyone who ordered before and after me has already gotten their sandwich. I’m thinking that veggie cheesesteak stuff (I’m assuming there’s some soy or seitan involved) must be frozen, or something. Really, it’s not that long of a wait.

What I have to wait on is a table. Tables with tops depicting historic photos of life and industry in Wilmington are clustered at the ends of the market and off the side towards the center. These tables are all full. There’s also a sweet upstairs level with seating (only plain tables here), and an open center that overlooks the lower level of the market. This is where I like to sit, and these tables are full, too.

I wait at the bottom of the stairs and P&S’s deli case to keep an eye out for people leaving from the upstairs. I notice that water is dripping from the upper shelf in P&S’s deli case onto the unwrapped plate of chicken cutlets on the bottom of the case. Gross. I know lots of unappetizing things happen in kitchens that I can’t see, and eating it makes me stronger, if not sick, but I do not like to see this.

A ten minute wait, and I’ve got a seat upstairs. I open my sandwich, and it’s grilled onions, peppers, and melted cheese. No fake meat. So much for assuming. I pick up my onion and pepper sandwich to find the bottom of the roll disgustingly soggy. It could not have been wetter if I had thrown it in the river outside.

And what’s this Cajun-style the counter person was talking about? I assumed Cajun spices, but there were no spices. I don’t think anyone from Louisiana or Philly would claim this sandwich.

I’m perusing Spark (Wilmington’s free weekly that insists on putting scary photos of local “models” on every issue cover), and there’s a piece about Riverfront Market in the dining section. How timely. They say the Garden Griller panini ($6.50) at Jona Miller’s Deli pleased the vegetarian in their crowd. Did I miss the Holy Grail?

I went downstairs for sandwich #2! One asparagus, avocado, roasted pepper, grilled onions, and pesto on grilled sourdough, please. They also throw in a pickle and a bag of Kettle Chips. I don’t eat chips often, so hate the free bag of chips deal at delis. I would have loved a cookie, though.

The bread is crisp. The pesto and avocado combo is a little odd, but tasty. The asparagus spears are awkward when you think you’ve bitten through a spear, but the whole thing pulls out of the sandwich and hangs from your mouth like a limp cigarette.

This is my favorite sandwich out of the bunch, but I don’t think I’d go out of my way to eat a Garden Griller. The asparagus also makes for technical difficulties when eating the sandwich.

Well, that was my week at the Riverfront Market. My initial instincts of eating sushi four years ago were probably right. The market is a beautiful building on a riverfront park. And the park, I must say, is a nice place to eat lunch outside when the weather is nice.

But, you wanna know why you really stop in the Riverfront Market to grab a quick bite to eat?

You’ll need some fast food after you’ve squandered your entire lunch hour at the best Salvation Army that’s directly over the bridge from the market.

This place is HUGE, well organized, and always has what I need. I’ve found ski bibs that fit me; a pretty blue rain coat (a real one) for work; a red wool pea coat; a punch bowl for a party that I’ll never use again, but that’s ok, it was cheap; don’t know how many skirts; pretty plates… oh it just goes on. They even have couches that I'd sit on.

This is one place Wilmington does have over Philly.

Riverfront Market, 3 S. Orange St., Wilmington, DE, 19801
Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun., closed
Some vendors open at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast

Thai-Style Chicken Soup

The Thai-style chicken soup featured in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of Cook's Illustrated Magazine is my new favorite soup! I’ve made it three times already! (Well, my partner made it twice, and I made it once.)

Mushrooms and chicken (seitan) swim in the rich, creamy, coconut-based broth infused with lemon grass and lime. Red curry paste and chiles add a pleasant spiciness.

The first time we made the soup, we followed the recipe to a tee, with the exception of substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth, seitan for chicken, and soy sauce for fish sauce to make the dish vegetarian.

The second time, we added thin rice noodles to the soup for bulk.

The third time, we added rice. We also substituted low-fat coconut milk for whole coconut milk, and green curry paste for red curry paste.

I liked the addition of rice the best. Low-fat coconut milk is obviously not as rich as whole coconut milk, but does not compromise the soup. Pick your favorite curry paste. I have no preference for green or red curry paste, so enjoyed them both equally.

Thai-Style Chicken Soup
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
serves 4

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 lemon grass stalks, bottom tender 5 inches halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
3 shallots, chopped
8 sprigs of cilantro, chopped coarsely
3 tablespoons soy sauce (originally fish sauce)
4 cups vegetable broth (originally chicken broth)
2 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar
½ pound button mushrooms, sliced
1 pound seitan, sliced or cubed (originally boneless, skinless chicken breast)
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste

Garnish
½ cup cilantro leaves
2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced
2 scallion, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

• Heat oil in a large saucepan and add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Cook over medium heat until softened, 2-5 minutes.
• Add vegetable broth and 1 can of coconut milk; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Pour broth through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Return broth to saucepan.
• Add remaining can of coconut milk and sugar to broth and bring to a simmer.
• Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, and cook 2-3 minutes.
• Add seitan, and cook for another 1-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a small bowl; add to soup.
• Garnish individual soup-filled bowls with cilantro, chiles, and scallions. Serve soup with lime wedges.

Massaman Curry

Want to make Thai curry that tastes like the ones you eat at restaurants? The secret is to use the same curry paste and tofu as they do.

Grinding curry paste with a mortar and pestle is a lot of work. Make life easy and use the Maesri curry pastes. That’s what restaurant’s use. I’ve asked.

You can’t miss the small cans of Maesri curry paste in the Asian market; there’s a picture of a woman on all the products. I like to think of her as the Betty Crocker of Thailand. (Be careful with these curry pastes if you’re vegetarian, as some contain fish.)

Go ahead and buy fried tofu, too. Because, unless you have a deep fryer, you’re not going to fry up tofu in a skillet and get the same texture you get at restaurants.

I wanted to be lazy and just link to a Massaman curry recipe, but I couldn’t find one as easy as the one I use. So, damn it, I have to write it out. Of course, I’m subbing Maesri Massaman curry paste.

The recipe is adapted from Thai Vegetarian Cooking by Vatcharin Bhumichitr. This beautiful book, filled with vegan Thai recipes, was given to me in the early ‘90’s. Unfortunately, it is out of print, but you can find it used. These recipes are the real deal - not hokey, vegan re-do’s of Thai food.

Massaman Curry

Massaman curry is traditionally made with meat, potatoes, and peanuts, but feel free to add vegetables. I recommend trying it without vegetables first. Use full fat coconut milk for the best flavor; it makes a difference. I use reduced fat coconut milk when I make it for myself, but full fat when serving the dish to others. It’s impossible to make food and not eat it right away, but save some for lunch. The flavors are vastly superior the next day.

2 tablespoons oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 ounces Maesri Massaman curry paste
8 ounces coconut milk
⅔ cup peanuts or cashews
1-2 potatoes, chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 ⅓ cups ready-fried tofu
3 shallots, sliced
1 tablespoon tamarind juice, or lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar

• Heat the oil and fry the garlic until golden.
• Add the curry paste, stir briefly, and then add the coconut milk. Stir well.
• Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked al dente.
• Serve over rice.

Siam Lotus

I judge Thai restaurants by two things – Pad Thai and Massaman curry. Massaman curry is a Muslim-influenced, Thai curry that contains the aromatic spices cardamom and cinnamon. I haven’t had the Pad Thai at Siam Lotus, but I've heard it's good. The Massaman curry is one of the bests I’ve had. So many places do it incorrectly – usually too watery and no depth of flavor. Siam Lotus’ Massaman curry is thick, rich, and right on.

Siam Lotus is on an uninviting block of Spring Garden St. - not that any block on Spring Garden is attractive. At night, neighboring businesses are locked down, and you feel as if you're in a desolate area of the city even though you're only minutes from Center City. Get past this, and enjoy some tasty Thai food surrounded by schizophrenic decor - homey, cute wainscoting and mod, plush wall hangings. A small bar and a DJ table up front transform the restaurant into a nightclub. I just went for the food, though.



Siam Lotus, 931 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA, 19123
215-769-2031
Lunch -Tues.-Fri. 11:30AM-2:30PM; Closed Mon., Sat., Sun.
Dinner - Sun., Tues.-Thurs. 5:30-10:30PM; Fri.-Sat. 5:30-11PM; Closed Mon.