BYO

BYO, Eating out, Food, Korean, Restaurant, Reviews

Mokja, Modern Korean – Ambler, PA

August 28, 2021September 1, 2021 ILoveEatingOut

“Traditional Korean meets American favorites”

I have never been a fan of Korean food. One taste of kimchi many years ago and I was out. Then I found out about this little spot hidden down on Main Street in the great food town of Ambler. My husband is a fan of Korean food and he convinced me that I would like it if I tried it so here we are at Mokja.

The menu is small but that’s ok, its packed with big flavors. We decided to try a couple of the appetizers. We started with the “mokja fries” for $7. The menu reads they are hand-cut fries with Korean chili and fresh garlic. First off, delish they were, however, I will have to disagree with the hand-cut aspect. They seemed like they could be frozen. Also, they lacked the fresh garlic. I honestly don’t know that I even tasted garlic. But don’t get me wrong, they were tasty (and very greasy) but they weren’t what I expected or as described.

The next appetizer was the Truffle Edamame Mandu for $10. The menu describes it as truffle edamame dumpling with bulgogi mushrooms. See pic below….NO MUSHROOMS. I’m more angry now about it as I type. When we were eating I did say “hmmm, I thought it was supposed to come with mushrooms”, but the dumplings were still yummy. The inside was super creamy with just the right amount of truffle flavor. I will say that the idea of it being accompanied with bulgogi mushrooms does sound quite fine so I’m annoyed that it was left off. Moving on…

Edamame truffle dumpling MISSING PROMISED MUSHROOMS

It’s entree time. BIBIMBOP! A must try for real. This is such a lovely dish. All of the food groups in one hot stone bowl for just $14.

The bowls comes with rice, lettuce, and various veggies. These bowls included rice, zucchini, carrots, sweet potato, mushrooms and scallions. Also included is a fried egg served on top to provide the creamy, dreamy, silky, sauce which mixes in nicely with the spicy bipimbop sauce served on the side so the eater can determine the spice level.

The protein I chose was tofu and it was really good. It was fried so the outside was crispy and the inside was creamy. Dan got spicy pork and he loved it. I tried it and it was ok. A little fatty and chewy for my taste.

Now the restaurant space itself……….

It was hot outside. Probably one of the hottest days of the year. (Actually I think the news said it was the hottest day in the last 3 years). With that said, it was warm in the dining room even with the air conditioners blasting at full speed. They were trying. The windows, glasses, and the floors were wet with sweat, so much that one of the servers slipped and fell right before our eyes. But she is probably 18 years old soooooo she bounced up like she tripped on a flower. It didn’t help that our delicious bowls were so hot because they were stone. They just exuded heat as they should! It was just a really exceptionally hot evening.

Final thoughts…its BYO so bring your fave beverage. We brought a chilled Rose and they kindly brought an ice bucket and glasses with NO cork fee!! This little spot is very cool (figuratively not literally). It’s small. Only about 10-12 small tables inside. I believe I saw a few outside but it was so freaking hot I don’t think anyone was into that. Because of the size, I would make a reservation. I’m not really sure how busy this place gets so it’s better to be prepared than to have to find another spot on a moments notice.

Dessert time!! The server was ready to check us out without mentioning dessert and I swear it was because of the heat but my husband loves dessert so I had to ask. She rambled off two different types and we chose the fried dough which is accompanied by a sugar sauce and a chocolate sauce.

In conclusion, the food was delicious. What I didn’t like was the false advertising. (NO hand cut fries and NO fresh garlic. Also, missing mushrooms on the dumplings!!). Besides all of that, it is a nice little spot for Korean food lovers or those looking for something a little different. I would totally return because there is so much more on the menu I want to try and I love to try new foods. So for my one time experience at Mokja, I give 3.5 out of 5 forks. The lower score is purely for the missing ingredients from my dishes. The servers, the food and the environment (except for the extreme heat) were lovely. So please check this place out.

Welcome back to dining out! Thank you so much for reading and eat out more often folks!!

BRUNCH, BYO, duck, Eating out, Escargot, Food, French, Philadelphia suburb, Reviews

La Provence – Ambler, PA BYOB Series

May 25, 2021 ILoveEatingOut

If you are looking for fine French cuisine, La Provence is a spot for you to try. It is located in an old railroad track stop right on Butler Pike in Ambler, PA. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating available, and reservations are suggested.

We were first greeted by our server and offered an array of water. We chose good ole’ tap. The liquid delight was delivered along with some freshly baked, warm French bread with a room temperature whipped butter. Very comforting indeed.

The Hubs is a true fan of escargot and whenever we go to a French restaurant, he is sure to order the edible snails. The escargot was served traditionally prepared baked with parsley-garlic butter for $15. He described them as “very good”. I on the other hand am not a fan of escargot so I passed on trying this dish. I do like eating out but there are a few things that I just won’t eat, and snails are one of them. I have tried them, and I just don’t like em’ but hey I’m not yuckin’ your yum. If you like them, get them!

Mmmmmmmm pate’ now you’re speaking my language. I know, I won’t eat snails, but I’ll devour a plate of pate’. To each his own my foodie friends! “Pate’ De Campagne” was on the appetizer menu so of course I had to partake. The pate is a pork and chicken country pate, served with a petite salad, cornichons, mustard, and red wine shallots for $14. I really enjoyed the array of flavors and textures. It was quite satisfying. My only critique would be that it only came with one little, tiny crisp of toast but the server brought me some more of their delicious sliced French bread and I didn’t even have to ask! I wonder if I made a face or said something to my husband and the server overheard me? Well, it’s for sure possible but I call that being super observant and that is perfect when you are dining out. Good job server friend!

For my entre I had “Mussels Marinieres” which is mussels served in white wine and garlic with a side of thin, crispy frites. Honestly, I cannot remember the exact cost but I believe it was $22. I went back to their website and I don’t see this on the menu so it must have been a special that evening. Anyway, they were the most tender, soft mussels I ever had. They were grand quality and cooked perfectly in a lovely broth which I sopped up with even more French bread and my salty fries.

My Husband ordered a chef special for the evening. It was a blood orange crispy duck served with braised purple cabbage and mashed potatoes. I tried this and it was mouthwatering. The duck was perfectly cooked, and the potatoes were so creamy just to die for. This was a pure masterpiece for I believe $29.

To finish off this fine meal we decided to share a creme brulee…of course we would get this, it is a French restaurant after all. BUT THEN the server described a dessert special that sounded fantastic, so we decided to try it. I don’t remember what it is called, and I have search and searched online. I have found numerous photos of this dessert but NO NAME! With the number of photos, I have seen online, it makes me believe it’s a “special” on many nights. So I guess you could say it’s “the not so special special” 😆…for $10 bucks.

The dessert was smooth and creamy (almost flan like) vanilla pudding served with a very thin (almost too thin) vanilla sauce. It was good and it was nice to try something different, but I think next time I’ll try the creme brulee for sure. Don’t fix it if it ain’t broken I guess. But no, seriously, it is important to try different dishes I truly believe.

So here are a few tidbits I think are important to mention. First and foremost, it does not seem like the best place to bring kids (or babies – gotta mention that too) so get a sitter and leave them at home. It is a very quiet, dark and romantic place. The outside is decorated so lovely with candles on the tables and lights strung about. So, save dinner at La Provence for a date night or even a nice evening out with some special friends. Second, its BYOB so be sure to bring your favorite French vin to your special dinner. And lastly, brunch is offered on Sundays. Perhaps if you must bring the kiddos, brunch could be an option but I’m not too sure yet as I haven’t experienced it myself. In closing, I give La Provence 3.75 out of 5 forks. Not the best but not a bad score. The food was good but not spectacular. The fries were a bit underwhelming and the dessert wasn’t my fave. The prices seemed fair for the food that was delivered, the service was phenomenal and the ambiance was lovely. I’m not over-the-moon about this place but it was still a nice, romantic spot and I’ll definitely hit it again. Totally worth a try.

Hey thanks for reading and eat out more often folks! Bon appétit!😉

BYO, Eating out, Italian, Philadelphia suburb, Restaurant, Reviews

Arugula Ristorante-Plymouth Meeting, PA

May 6, 2021 ILoveEatingOut

HELLLOOOOO Everyone! It’s so good to be dining out again! Wow what a trying time it has been for all of us foodies. I must admit, however, I didn’t just cook at home the last 400+ days. Noooo Way Jose! We contributed quite a pretty penny to many of our favorite local eateries and got take-out many times. While I enjoyed most of the orders, I was really missing going out so now here we go!

Recently, I have slowly made my way back to the outdoor dining scene since I’ve been fully vaccinated and more and more folks are being vaccinated. I feel I am finally ready to get back into doing what I love to do…EATING OUT AND TALKING ABOUT IT!

First stop…Arugula Ristorante in Plymouth Meeting. To my surprise I have never done a review on Arugula and it really is one of our favorite local Italian restaurants. So what better place to start for you with this “welcome back, happy vaccination, enjoy eating out again” dinner.

Arugula Ristorante is located in the Cold Point Village near the intersection of Plymouth Road and Butler Pike. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating. I’m still very cautious and prefer to eat outside but Arugula’s indoor seating is very comfortable as they have floor to sealing windows which they will open weather permitting. Outdoor seating is first come, first serve so by the time we got there it was full so we decided to eat inside and sat right by one of the open doors/windows and it was absolutely the best seat in the house.

Our server, who was clearly from Italy, greeted us with a small plate of complimentary bruschetta. One perfectly sized piece for each of us. He opened our special bottle of red………IMPORTANT MESSAGE!!! IT’S BYO!!……..Shortly after, he also brought us freshly baked Italian bread with a side of high quality olive oil.

Our first course is an all time favorite of ours…the grilled octopus. It is not on their regular menu. It is only offered occassionally as one of the appetizer specials. Since we love it so much we always ask if they have it and when they do we order! This dish is fresh, cool, lemony and briney. The ingredients all go together so well. It’s simply freshly grilled octopus tossed with peppery arugula, ripe diced tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, salt, pepper, lemon and olive oil. (I’m no chef but I think that’s the ingredients😆). The portion is very generous so it can easily be shared between two people. If you are watching your weight you might even consider it as an entree. I know I have BUT the entree dishes are way to good to pass up. The cost was $19 (I believe) and worth every single penny. (The picture below is only my portion so more than double it and that’s what we were served…score!).

My husband’s entree was the Vitello Milanese which is breaded & pounded bone-in veal chop, pan seared and topped with chopped arugula & tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil & lemon juice for $27. I personally am not partial to veal but my husband really enjoys it, especially this dish. He craved it over quarantine and was so happy to finally be able to enjoy this meal. It was as amazing as it looks. The chop was cooked perfectly with a deliciously seasoned crispy brown crust. The fresh salad on top was the perfect accompaniment to the chop.

I ordered the Pollo Romana which is sautéed chicken breast with mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, topped with asparagus spears and melted mozzarella cheese in a shallot brandy tomato cream sauce for $21. Man was this good. Seriously the brandy cream sauce was absolutely delicious. The chicken was pounded thin and was super tender and not overcooked one bit. The sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms complimented each other perfectly. However, I don’t recall any asparagus on this plate. Very odd 🧐. Seriously though I didn’t miss it because they added homemade mashed potatoes and broccoli which were both mouthwatering. The portion was huge. I was able to get three meals out of this bad boy but that’s because I ate bruschetta, bread and oil, and octopus all before this was served. I also ordered us a side of broccoli rabe (see below) sautéed in garlic and olive oil. I don’t know about you but broccoli rabe is hard for me to cook so I never prepare it. When I do see it on a menu I make a point to order it as a side. Arugula’s brocolli rabe was sooooo garlicky and juicy and satisfying 🤤.

As their website states, “EXPERIENCE EXQUISITE AMALFI COAST ITALIAN CUISINE” for reals. I highly recommend this place. Their website also indicates that they offer family style meals for larger parties. They also offer private party space but I think you might have to book the entire restaurant floor since it is not very big but don’t quote me on that one. Now I don’t know about you but I’m definitely keeping that in my back pocket for when I have a special occasion to celebrate. Me likely Arugula so much that it is getting a pretty good score based on this (almost) perfect experience (where’s my asparagus??). 4.5 forks out of 5 forks!! Well that’s all for now folks. Thanks for reading and get out there and EAT OUT!