Restaurant

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!!

Beer, Eating out, Food, Restaurant, Reviews, Wings

Order Take-Out or Delivery TODAY! We did! The Whitpain Tavern / Blue Bell, PA

March 28, 2020May 3, 2020 ILoveEatingOut

Wing pic from their website…to put you in the mood.

We are all feeling it. This quarantine is trying in so many ways. Beside all of the other issues like employment insecurity, financial burdens and mental sanity to not say the least, not being able to eat out really hurts. It’s changed my routine for sure. Listen I’m not complaining, just stating a fact. This blog’s name for goodness sake is ILoveEatingOut….so duh.

Now is the time for us to buy at least one meal a week from your favorite local place to give them a little helping hand. You want them to still be in business when all of this craziness is past us right? You might have a concern over ordering take-out right now and I do too! I have copied a couple of Q and A directly from the CDC website regarding this so hopefully it will ease your mind if you have concerns. See below.

“Q: Can I get sick with COVID-19 from touching food, the food packaging, or food contact surfaces, if the coronavirus was present on it?

A: Currently, there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19. Like other viruses, it is possible that the virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on surfaces or objects. For that reason, it is critical to wash your hands often, including utensils.

Q: Can I get COVID-19 from a food worker handling my food?

A: Currently, there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19. However, the virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person-to-person in some communities in the U.S. The CDC recommends that if you are sick, stay home until you are better and no longer pose a risk of infecting others.

Anyone handling, preparing and serving food should always follow safe food handling procedures, such as washing hands and surfaces often.”

AND back to my thoughts…

Listen, it won’t hurt to follow some basic precautions while getting your take-out. While I’m certainly not an infectious disease expert by any means, I have the internet and TV to inform me (LOL). No seriously, I read and heard that stomach acids will kill the virus so there doesn’t seem to be any risk in investing it. Just be careful when you get your food home. Empty the food directly onto your own plates and discard the containers. Heat up your food in the oven for a bit or even microwave. Again, I’m not an expert and I don’t know if this will help but I can’t imagine it will hurt. WASH YOUR HANDS after handling the containers and before you eat.

The Hubs and I ordered from one of the local watering holes The Whitpain Tavern in Blue Bell, PA. We love to go there and listen to live music and just chill with some wings, fries, drinks whether its just us or with some of our neighbors. It was really nice of them to offer us delivery without a charge. I’m not sure what their requirements are but you probably have to be pretty local to qualify for this free service. Note they do have curbside pick up too if you need to get out and take a drive. OH! And they also delivered a 6-pack too so that was very convenient.

I’m lacking pictures this time folks sorry but I can tell you our food was great. We had hot wings, hot BBQ wings, and Shane’s French Onion Fries. The wings are always big and meaty. They are fried and generously tossed in your sauce of choice. The Garlic BBQ sauce is so good. Little pieces of real garlic mixed into the traditional BBQ sauce makes this very special. Wings are served with celery and blue cheese. The fries we got are sidewinder fries which are basically curly steak fries crispy on the outside and soft and hot on the inside. On top they melted provolone and Swiss cheese and then covered it with a layer of crispy onion straws and its served with the most delicious beef gravy I have ever had. Really if it was acceptable, I’d drink this gravy from a cup. Mmmmmmm drinkin’ gravy from a cup…LOL. I should mention that the fries weren’t as delicious as when they come directly from the kitchen to the table but that’s ok, they were still very satisfying.

Alright enough of my rambling. It’s getting close to dinner time so start thinking about what restaurant you want to support and I don’t mean McDonalds or Wendy’s people! I mean those small businesses that have delicious food we crave along with the warm environments we love. Help keep these places above water until they can get back on track. Thanks for reading folks and we will be eating out more often soon enough! Stay safe everyone.

Eating out, Philadelphia suburb, Restaurant, Reviews

Restaurants Closed…WHAT!?

March 17, 2020March 17, 2020 ILoveEatingOut

I’m gonna write something light and simple to get some of the (you know what) cleared from the blogs and the facebook feed. Speaking of feed, I’m a professional feedee. ILoveEatingOut, as you all know. So with restaurants closed I’m having a hard time adjusting. I mean besides my regular WaWa trips (there is one across the street from my work), I look forward to meals out with the Hubs and friends and family. This may present as a challenge for me in a few weeks. It’s been 10 days since my last meal out (besides the one pizza we ordered) and we have been doing pretty good setting so far but I thought it would be a good idea for us to share some recipes so that we don’t get bored with the same old stuff. We all have our regular go-tos like spaghetti and meatballs or sausage, tacos and baked salmon but what else I ask you. Help me set my table please. Some restaurant quality recipes would be awesome…so we can pretend!

Also, with all that is happening now we are trying to limit our trips to the market so we are really trying not to be wasteful, to use what we have, and to not throw out any food. With that said, today I am preparing a simple slow cooker beef stew. It’s a great dish for those lonely root vegetables you have just sitting around waiting to be loved. I was lucky enough to have a beef stew seasoning mix packers so I didn’t have to mess with anything else but a little water. But beef stew is very forgiving and you can use what you have. Spices like thyme and ground mustard go nicely in stew…fresh or dried spices will do! A can of beef broth or a bullion cube or two will add lots of flavor as well. Don’t forget the salt and pepper my friends.

You can serve this as is or over noodles (egg noodles are my fav) or rice or even another grain like barley or quinoa. Really whatever you have will work.

The veggies I am using are onions, parsnips, potatoes, carrots and celery. I’m not picky. In addition to a new onion, I’m using a half of one that was in the frig that was a little wrinkly. Also threw in there about 10 baby carrots that were left in the bag in the veggie drawer along with 3 fresh carrots. My point is that this is a dish to use up those “old veggies”.

I’m very excited to share this post with you before my meal is ready so we can all start sharing our ideas. I do have one photo and that’s the before. And here it is!

I hope this rough and unprecedented time passes soon and we can all be out and about meeting our friends and family so we can share a cocktail (OMG the liquor stores are closed too) and some delicious and prepared by someone else…food. Thanks for reading folks. We will be eating out more often soon enough. Stay healthy.

Eating out, Food, Philadelphia suburb, Restaurant, Reviews, scallops, steak

White Dog Cafe, Haverford, PA

October 3, 2019 ILoveEatingOut

There were four of us that met out for dinner at White Dog Cafe in Haverford. We started with Sandy Ridge Farm Deviled Eggs for $11 which included a half dozen, cage-free eggs with an assortment of seasonal fillings. Ours included caviar and chives, a crispy potato crumble and a blue cheese and bacon topping. These were fantastic and unlike any deviled eggs we had ever had. They were so creamy and the toppings were unique and complimentary.

We also shared Parmesan Fries with truffle oil, grana, and chives for $8. They were cooked just right and were served with care. However, they could have used a bit more truffle oil. You could barely taste or smell the truffle oil but they were still tasty.

The Hubs ordered the Butcher’s Cut which was a filet mignon. It was served with locally sourced, shallot butter, house made steak sauce, truffle fries and arugula salad. The plate looked nice but the filet was overcooked. He ordered medium but there was no pink inside. The Hubs isn’t a complainer but I could tell he was a bit disappointed.

I had the Locust Point Farm Chicken served with goat cheese whipped potatoes, baby spinach and mushroom marsala for $27. Now this chicken could not have been cooked more perfectly! It was so tender and juicy and the skin was so crispy. The potatoes were a little runny but I think that’s because the chicken on top was so juicy. The flavors were divine. I would order this again.

Our friends ordered Yellowfin Tuna Tartare served with avocado salsa, sesame soy emulsion and true leaf micro cilantro for $16 (no photo taken). They also ordered the special appetizer for the evening. It was a Tempura Battered Cauliflower all sauced up.

For their entrees they ordered the Cape May Scallops served with sweet corn ragout, basil charred tomato romesco sauce and almond crumble for $35 and the fish special which was swordfish with various accompaniments. They enjoyed their entrees although they (and we) struggled to finish them as we had so many apps and a few cocktails. We were even all so full and content that we skipped dessert!

The decor was very warm and comforting. There are a few rooms available for dining. We were seated in The Living Room. It was super crowded so make sure you make a reservation. There are adorable pictures of dogs a dog related art throughout the restaurant and I loved it. I even enjoyed my trip to the ladies room because I got to enjoy more of the dog related decor.

The bar is small and it was crowded. The bartender and the servers were personable, attentive and knowledgeable. It’s a great date place and a nice place for friends to gather. I do not think it’s a good place for small children so best to get a sitter. I give White Dog Cafe in Haverford 4.5 out of 5 forks. It’s a bit pricey but totally worth it. Thanks for reading folks and eat out more often!