Ethnic stores/restaurants – Page 7 – Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Eats

Batuqui

Batuqui on Larchmere Boulevard does a good job filling the void left by Sergio’s Sarava. It moved into the charming restored Victorian house that used to house the Vine and Bean. The building is small yet cozy with lots of dark wood molding. I easily found parking on the cross-street and simply crossed the street to meet my dining companions. We were greeted warmly and seated in the back room, but they happily moved us to the front room once another larger table left (two of my dining companions needed chairs with backs due to various health issues, so the bench seating wasn’t a good choice – it’s worth mentioning if you have an issue). Once comfortably situated the service, food and atmosphere all exceeded our expectations.

When in Brazil order a caipirinha. Caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail, made with cachaça, sugar and lime. Cachaça, also known as pinga, caninha, or any one of a multitude of traditional names, is Brazil’s most common distilled alcoholic beverage. It is one of my favorite alcoholic beverages, and it is executed here perfectly.

It is worth noting that a lot of the entrees are dairy-free and gluten-free. I am definitely keeping this place in mind for dining out with my DF/GF mother. Dietary choices are well-marked in the menu, which I love.

I ordered the Bolinho de Bacalhau (cod fish croquettes) with the table. They were perfectly fried, not too greasy, and the filling with light and fluffy. I loved that they served lime wedges with it. The lime was a very nice complement that brightened the croquette. I very much enjoyed this appetizer and can recommend it. My vegetarian dining companion also ordered some fried yucca without the linguica sausage. It too was really delicious, very creamy and flavorful. The photo isn’t very appealing so I’m not posting it, but the taste was great.

I had a tough time deciding on my entree. While I love a good Fejoida I was very curious to try the Moqueca Baiana. It is a seafood stew with either shrimp or fish or both and cooked with tomato, green pepper, coconut milk and dende oil and served over white rice. I chose the version with shrimp, and I am so glad I did! I loved every bite of this. The creaminess of the coconut milk worked really well with the shrimp, and the seasoning was perfect. The portion size was also ideal. I didn’t need to take home any leftovers, but I also wasn’t too full.

My vegetarian friend ordered the Prato Misto, a savory vegetarian dish of pinto beans, Brazilian rice, red onion rings, seasonable vegetables, farofa and fried spinach. It is dairy-free, vegetarian and can be vegan. She loved her meal except for the strange flash-fried spinach, which she found a bit off-putting.

One of my pickier dining companions ordered Carolina’s Pasta, which features fettuccine pasta mixed with seafood, tomatoes, onions in a cream sauce. Her version had calamari, which were perfectly cooked and not at all rubbery, but the current version features shrimp and smoked salmon. She enjoyed the flavor, and I liked the bite I had.

They have several delicious-sounding desserts, but we were too full. The caramel flan and the passion fruit mousse both sound amazing. They also serve fresh fruit with passion fruit glaze for those who like fruit for dessert.

Since I love a good Brazilian steakhouse I can’t wait to go back and order either the Linguica sausage or the Picanha steak. I might even order the Churrasco Misto, which features top sirloin, chicken and sausage, if I can’t decide which I am in the mood for. The sausage is juicy and flavorful – similar to a good kielbasa. The chicken and steak were good, but not as good as the sausage.

Left: Linguica sausage, Rigiht: Churrasco Misto

The patio in the summer is a really comfortable place. They have a large tented area as well as individual tables scattered in the backyard. The tent is ringed with lush hanging ferns. The patio makes it as lovely a spot ambiance-wise in the summer as the cozy house is in the fall and winter.

Since the place is tiny it is highly recommended to make a reservation. An 18% gratuity is automatically added for groups of 6 or larger, but since we usually tip 20% and up (lots of former servers and restaurant workers in the group) that isn’t a problem for us. I wanted to mention it in case it is an issue.

Desserts
Left: Brigadeiros (Brazilian Chocolate Bonbons, Right: passion fruit mousse

Contact info:

Batuqui
12706 Larchmere Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44120
(216) 801-0227

Chagrin Falls location
17 E Orange Street
Chagrin Falls, OH 44022
(440) 600-2122

Shabu-shabu at Ushabu

I love any and all forms of Asian cuisine, so I was excited to hear that Cleveland was getting a shabu-shabu restaurant. Shabu-shabu is a Japanese hotpot dish of thinly sliced meat and vegetables boiled in water or broth. The meats are cooked piece by piece by the diner at the table, by submerging it in the broth and stirring it. The cooked meat and vegetables are then usually dipped in sauce before eating and served with a bowl of steamed white rice. Once the meat and vegetables have been eaten, leftover broth from the pot is combined with the remaining rice (and in this case the udon noodles, which are at the bottom of the vegetable bowl), and the resulting soup is eaten last.

Ushabu opened recently in Tremont, and several of my friends and I went there to check it out. It is located on Professor in a storefront that I could swear used to be an art gallery next to the old Cookie and a Cupcake store. So the place is very small, and reservations are a must. There are about four or five booths and counter seating. The tiny restaurant seats 25 people, and they were turning folks without reservations away on a Sunday night. Edsel made a reservation for 4 at 6 PM, which was perfect because we finished at 8 when they closed. If there are two of you, you might be seated with some strangers in one of the larger booths, which is okay with me since that’s a fun way to meet people. Dante was seated two booths over from us. His restaurant has been serving shabu-shabu to diners for a while now, so if he was here eating on a Sunday I can’t think of higher praise. As it was, we had a cozy little booth up against the window. The windows steamed up from the steaming broth once things started cooking.

We started out ordering appetizers. I gave in to the peer pressure and ordered the scallop appetizer. It had a gorgeous presentation, but I honestly wasn’t too jazzed about the taste of the scallop. I normally love scallops, but didn’t love this. The scallop was cut in half and topped with a quail egg and tobiko and garnished with a couple bites of pork belly. I liked the pork belly part the best. I might try the chawanmushi next time, because it looked delicious. Kind of a savory custard with a shrimp in it. My other dining companions enjoyed their clam appetizer, although the edible sand took a little adjusting to.

After poring over the menu and Yelp photos beforehand, I started getting excited about the ginger chicken soup base and tried to figure out what to order first. I ended up going with the seafood combo, since ginger and seafood is just about the perfect combination for this sushi and ginger addict.

Since I was new to shabu-shabu it took some adjusting to figure out how things work and how long to cook everything. I think my next time will be more successful. In addition to three different dipping sauces (a ponzu, a sesame and a soy), they bring out the soup base, a separate bowl of vegetables to cook in and flavor the broth, and a bowl of white rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds. Each diner gets their own, although our dining companions split one and were given an extra bowl of rice and their own dipping sauces. That was a nice touch. With their appetizer and splitting a beef and pork combo with a fish add-on, they found it was just enough food for them.

Onto how things work! Once the soup base gets up to a boil in the induction burner cubbyholes built into the table, it’s time to get cooking. They suggest you put in the more sturdy vegetables like the carrot, corn, cabbage, bok choy, onion and radish first, then move on to the more delicate mushrooms, tomato and tofu. After a few minutes of cooking the meats are then swirled in the broth and dipped in a sauce and eaten with rice. I enjoyed the sesame dip the best, but all three were very good.

The seafood combo came with 3 clams, 1 scallop (cut into several thin slices), 3 tiger shrimp and what I think was salmon and flounder. I was told to start with the clams first and then branch out to the other seafood on my plate. It took a while to figure out how long to cook my seafood. It took longer than what they said. For instance, it took a little while for the clams to finally open, and my first tiger shrimp was raw and cold in the middle. I put it back in to cook up a little more. It wasn’t a big problem for me since, like I’ve said, I’m a big sushi fan and don’t mind raw seafood or a raw sear. Once I got the hang of it I very much enjoyed it. I will say that I won’t boil my broth as much next time, because the end broth was too salty to eat. I ended up taking it home and cutting it with water the next day.

I finished the meal with a nice scoop of Sesame ice cream made by Mason’s Creamery. It was a nice creamy finish to the meal.

In short, I enjoyed myself and look forward to going back. I can’t wait to try the wagyu beef. The restaurant is also vegetarian friendly, as they offer a vegetarian option with the veggies and broth. Two of the three soup bases – the spicy miso and kombu dashi – are vegetarian-friendly.

Contact info:

Ushabu
2173 Professor Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113

Bonchon

I had no idea what Bonchon was, but one of the people I follow on Instagram checked in here on its opening night. It looked delicious so I googled it.

Several of us met there (on Broadview Road in Seven Hills) a few days later to check it out. It is an Asian fusion restaurant with a wide variety of menu options, but they specialize in Korean fried chicken and wings.

The parking lot was packed, but they offered complementary valet. I’m not sure if it will continue, but it was nice to drop off the car and run in since I was running late due to traffic. It was the night of Game 3 of the World Series, so the TVs were going and once the game started it got pretty loud.

Let’s talk about what they do best – the fried chicken. The chicken is dipped in corn starch and double fried. They are super crispy and packed with flavor. We ordered a ton off the menu and shared a lot of it. The chicken is delicious. A++ Would order again. We ordered a medium half and half combo – half spicy and half soy garlic. The spicy was a nice pleasant heat that wasn’t overwhelming. It is served with a small bowl of pickled radishes that help extinguish the heat.

The “drums” are full-sized drum sticks. My friends who ordered this in a combo had the drums brought out first since they were finished already. They enjoyed them just as much as the wings.

My friend and I also split an order of potstickers. The potstickers also come in the spicy and soy garlic flavor offerings. Once again we ordered half and half. The wrappers were a little thicker than I like, but the filling itself was flavorful and firm. You could tell they were made in-house due to the lack of uniformity. I always like to see that.

I was less impressed with the Japchae (more like a teriyaki noodle bowl – I think it was a bit overcooked last night) and shu mai (I’ll try them fried next time, they were too delicate steamed). Others at the table ordered sliders, bulgogi, and tteokbokki. I’ll definitely be back. Our waitress was super competent and deftly handled a table of 8. They are still in “soft opening” mode and will be gradually adding things to the menu. Be sure to check it out. I may head there again tomorrow for some more wings. They are that good.

Update:
I can highly recommend the Salmon-Avocado Ball. I got one to go on Superbowl Sunday 2017 along with some wings and loved every bite. I paired it with Triscuits, but it is served alone in the restaurant. So good!

Contact info:

Bonchon
7581 Broadview Road
Seven Hills, OH 44131

Seven Roses in Slavic Village

There is no better deal in Cleveland than the lunch buffet at Seven Roses in Slavic Village. For a price ranging from $8.99-14.99 you can eat your fill of hearty Polish food. I had eaten at the Seven Roses in Beachwood back in the day, and always try to hit their stand at local Oktoberfests because the food is good.

My friend Kat’s summary best describes our experience, so I’ll start you off with that:

Had I not read some of comments on Yelp, I would have been totally confused. We sat ourselves and waited a short time for someone to come out of the kitchen. An elderly lady came out and asked if we were having soup. Sure. She brought out 2 flavorful cups of cabbage soup and then asked “Pepsi?” Sure. A bit later she brought out small plates of very creamy potato pierogi and a crisp potato pancake for each of us. (Ask for sour cream if you go, btw) We then helped ourselves to the buffet…because both this [Cleveland.com] review and Yelp told us they had one. Very good, as mentioned. When through, we were each brought a couple of pastries. I had a short conversation with the owner when I asked if there was vinegar in her soup. She asked if I’d ever had dill pickle soup. I hadn’t. When we went to the counter to get the bill, she had a quart container of some ready and gave it to me. Very sweet of her. We enjoyed lunch very much and for sure will be returning. Now you know the drill. Just nod, say “sure”, and enjoy.

Now for the particulars of our visit. The cabbage soup was the absolute highlight for me. It was simple, but had a great flavor to it. I definitely could have eaten a bowl of it. I wasn’t too keen on the choice of Pepsi, especially because I was so thirsty and there was no air conditioning (only fans). Next time I’ll ask for water as well.

The potato pierogi were indeed creamy, almost slippery in texture. They were obviously homemade and were very light. They weren’t as good as Sokolowski’s, but whose is? The potato pancake was delicious as well, and I didn’t really need the requested sour cream.

The food that is served varies, but the kielbasa and stuffed cabbage appear to be a constant. The buffet was in a little corner and featured some small stuffed cabbage, some meatballs of some sort, what I think were broasted chicken thigh, kielbasa and sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, spaetzel, and super-dried-out mixed vegetables. I particularly enjoyed the chicken, stuffed cabbage and kielbasa. I had filled my plate and my eyes were actually larger than my stomach. I did not go back for a second round and could barely finish the first one.

After we were finished they brought us a small plate of Polish pastry, which I wrapped up and took home for later. I particularly enjoyed the poppyseed cake.

Like I said, pricing is hit or miss. It’s cash only, and you pay at the register when you are done. We paid $14.99 while others have reported paying $8.99 for the same experience. It’s a mystery. That said, it’s still a steal with the amount of food you get for the low price.

Contact info:

Seven Roses
6301 Fleet Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44105

Taj India Palace

This little unassuming restaurant in a strip mall by Richmond Square Center blew us away the other night. I chose to eat there because it had ample parking close to the restaurant (I’m currently on crutches). I’m so glad I did, because the food was absolutely delicious. They serve both south and north Indian dishes, and there are lots of choices (both veg and non-veg) to choose from.

We started out ordering some appetizers. My friends ordered the Vegetarian Platter, which features samosa and potato, cauliflower and eggplant pakoras. I jokingly referred to it as the big plate of fried stuff. Well, they certainly fry things well. My friends raved about the vegetable samosa, so I ended up ordering a serving and eating one and taking one home. They also let me try a pakora, and it was lightly fried and not at all greasy. It had a crisp exterior and a light and fluffy interior.

I ordered the Garlic Naan, and my friend’s husband ordered the Peshwari Naan. He enjoyed it, but I can’t say anything about it since I didn’t try it. I was all about my Garlic Naan. The bread was fried light and thin and was very garlicky. I went home reeking of garlic and had plenty left over for the next day.

While looking at the menu online I noticed they had my favorite, Chicken Saag, on the menu, so I knew what I would be ordering. I liked the saag, which is chicken cooked with spinach. It was billed as medium hot, but there was no spice to it at all. I think I will ask for them to bring it up one notch next time. It was kind of bland and boring without any spice.

However, I was also in the mood for a mushroom dish and was dining with some friends who are vegetarians, so I decided to also order the Peas and Mushrooms, which are fresh peas and mushrooms in a “mildly spiced creamy sauce.” I am so glad I did, because this particular dish was mouthwateringly good even without the spice. My friend kept sneaking spoonfuls of it because she liked it as well. In return, I was able to get a bite of her Bombay Potatoes and try the sauce from her husband’s Malai Kotta (which was slightly sweet and very creamy).

We were hell bent on leftovers, so my friend also ordered the Masala Dosa. Honestly I have never been a fan of dosa. I have several friends who are crazy for them so I’ve had them before at several places. I have found the crepe to be somewhat dry and the filling quite meager in the Indian restaurants that serve them here. I now understand the love for Masala Dosa, because this dosa was so delicious. The potato and onion filling was plentiful and extended almost all the way through the dosa. The filling was also extremely buttery in flavor, with the onion almost carmelized and sweet. The bite I had was moist and delicious, and I was thrilled to learn they serve them along with the lunch buffet.

I don’t know what spices they use, but everything was extremely delicious. My friends, who love Indian food, were extremely impressed with the place, and so was I. I was so excited about the leftovers that I ended up eating them for breakfast the next day and enjoyed every single bite.

They also offer a lunch buffet for $8.99, which I went back for several days later. The lunch buffet on the day I went there included tandoori chicken, butter chicken, a peas and saag dish, chana masala, utthapam (the pancake-looking bread), a cabbage dish (hidden under the utthapam and naan) that I very much enjoyed, naan, rice, some yogurt-based salads, a delicious rice pudding (kheer) and several other options. They also have a Grand Buffet for $10.99 on the weekend.

So if you are on the east side and are looking for some good Indian food, definitely be sure to check this place out!

Contact info:

Taj India Palace
5156 Wilson Mills Road
Cleveland, OH 44143
(440) 461-3737

Hofbräuhaus

Anyone who has paid attention to this blog knows that I am a German translator. I lived in Austria for a year and Germany for six years, so I am very critical when it comes to German/Austrian food. I was really excited to hear about the Hofbräuhaus opening and was there on the first day it opened (standing in line with everyone else). Unfortunately they still had a bunch of kinks to work out, and there was a limited menu at the time. We still enjoyed our pretzels and Obatzda, beer and Schnitzel. I just wasn’t super impressed. I‘ve been to the real Hofbräuhaus in Munich several times as well as the ones in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati (technically Covington, Kentucky). Obviously nothing compares to the real Hofbräuhaus. It is five floors of beer halls and has outstanding food and service. The beer gardens in Cincinnati was also a really good time, and the food was a welcome respite in Pittsburgh. So I was confident that the Hofbräuhaus would find its footing, and it has. I am pleased to report that they brew their beer on-site.

It should be noted that this incantation has absolutely nothing to do with the old Hofbrau Haus at E. 55th and St. Clair, which closed in 2000. The Hofbrau Haus, run by German immigrant Steve Bencic, imported Hofbräu beer but never produced it on-site. It also had no official ties to Munich. This is an official franchise of the 427-year old Hofbräuhaus (the “ducal brewery” in German) in Munich. It was founded in 1589 to serve beer to the Duke of Bavaria and eventually the people of Munich. They have a tent at the Munich Oktoberfest, and you can smell it from a mile away. Lots of drunken idiots. I always avoided it. The current Hofbräuhaus is part of a franchise chain, which started in 2003, but not in the sense that they are everywhere. They seem to be particular about where they open a location.

On my first visit I was so excited for the Jägerschnitzel that I was absolutely crushed when I was told they didn’t have it available yet. I ordered the cordon blue Schnitzel and the roasted potatoes (I hate German potato salad in the States. It shouldn’t be sweet). I was underwhelmed by the meal. I am used to Austrian schnitzel that is pounded super thin and hangs off the plate. The schnitzel here was a little greasy and smaller than I am used to (and I suspect that it was food service schnitzel), but from the photos on Yelp it appears that was just opening week. The schnitzels look less uniform now, as they should.

Obatzda, which is a fave of mine, is a cheese mixture of brie or camembert (they use brie), cream cheese, butter, onion, seasonings like paprika or caraway, and some beer. It is usually served with bread or pretzels. The Hofbräuhaus’ version was just as good as I had hoped it would be. The pretzels were delicious and were a great accompaniment to the Obatzda. They were fluffy with just the right amount of crust and salt.

I was thrilled to be able to order a Radler, which is a mixture of soda and beer (a shandy). I drink fairly slowly so a liter is wasted on me as it warms up. I prefer the half liters so I can drink them cold. The Radler was the perfect size for me, and came with a lemon and a lime garnish, which was honestly a little weird. You drink Kristallweizen with lemon – not a shandy. But hey, it’s Cleveland, not Germany, and I’ll cut them some slack. I’m happy to report that my most recent Radler was not served with any garnish.

Flash forward to now. One of the people I follow on Instagram posted a photo of the Currywurst the other day. I love Currywurst, which is a Frankfurter or brat that is fried, sliced and doused in curry powder and a curry sauce. It is a German fast food delight when you’ve been drinking and comes accompanied with fries. I went there the next day for lunch to order one. It was as good as I had hoped. I was thrilled. The Wurst had a nice snap to it from the casing, the curry powder was present and the sauce was a nice accompaniment to the Wurst and the fries. I finished all the Wurst and half the fries. I think the true lunch portion would be perfect, since it only uses one sausage. Two and a mess of fries was a bit much.

Since I’m not a total glutton I ordered a side salad as well. It was a nice mix of fresh mixed greens accompanied by a red pepper ring, a couple cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices and croutons. I ordered the hot bacon dressing and was very happy I did. It was nice and warm with a sweet creaminess that was a nice topping to the salad.

I wish parking wasn’t so difficult, but that’s the way things are in downtown Cleveland. I’ve managed to find street parking and walk a few blocks to the restaurant. There are lots of parking lots in the area, but they can be quite pricey. And they offer valet service, but I have no idea what that costs. If you are going to drink and not have a designated driver you can hop on a bus or call Uber. In any event, I definitely enjoyed the lunch time ambiance better than the party ambiance of the evenings. There was no live band, everyone was low key, no one was dancing on the tables, and there were no shot skis being shared. But if you are in the mood for a lively evening the Hofbrauhaus is the place for you.

I’ll be back to try some more of the entrees. If you want to be adventurous I suggest you order the Schweinshaxe or Leberkäse. If you want something lighter go for the Wurstsalat. I had it at a German Cultural Garden event, and it was quite good. Vegetarians will love the Käsespätzle. They also have a vegetarian schnitzel.

In any case, Mahlzeit und Prost!

Contact info:

Hofbräuhaus Cleveland
1550 Chester Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
216-621-BEER (2337)

Russo’s Kitchen

Russo’s Kitchen is a unique restaurant that straddles the border of Peninsula and Cuyahoga Falls on State Road (aka Akron-Cleveland Road) near the intersection with Seasons Road (Route 8 is close by). I learned about it from a fellow diner at a wine dinner at The Blue Door. He and his wife raved about the food and said they were there every Saturday. Sure enough, when I went there they were sitting at the bar around the open kitchen. We were sat at the counter and felt lucky. The place was packed so there really weren’t many available tables (it seats 97), but the counter overlooks the open kitchen.

Russo’s has great food and friendly service, but it can be quite loud and hard to hear your dining companions when it is busy. The food theme is Italian/New Orleans fusion, so there is something for everyone. In the mood for seafood? They have some amazing seafood choices like perch and oysters or grouper. Want pasta? How about cavatelli pomodoro with meatballs or meat or spinach and cheese ravioli?

I love New Orleans. It is my favorite city in the U.S., and I’ve been there several times (and going again in September). I went to Russo’s with a friend who used to live in New Orleans, so naturally we focused on the Creole menu.

Of course I had to order a Hurricane. It is my absolute favorite drink, and this one was made without mixes and syrups. It was absolutely delicious and packed a wallop. It was possibly even better than the Hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s.

The bread service is a homemade foccacia with olive oil dip. You could tell it was fresh and was very flavorful. It had a nice consistency to it and was toothsome on the outside and soft on the inside.

My friend started off with the Gumbo Ya-Ya, which was very flavorful. She said it rivaled the gumbo down in NOLA. I had a house salad that featured fresh greens and a delicious White French dressing. The waitress offered fresh cracked black pepper, and I couldn’t resist.

I decided to order the New Orleans BBQ Shrimp appetizer to save room for dessert. The appetizer was filling all on its own. The BBQ sauce was thick, silky, and absolutely delicious with a peppery bite and a hint of sweetness. It had a great flavor to it and was not too spicy. The shrimp were a decent size and perfectly cooked. I also really liked the grilled foccacia garlic bread they served with it to sop up the sauce. I would order it again in a heartbeat.

In fact, my friend enjoyed the meal so much she went back a week or so later and ordered a variation on the same meal, this time lake perch and scallops with smokey baked 3-cheese macaroni, grilled seasonal vegetables, and chipotle tartar sauce.

We splurged on dessert and ordered the bread pudding. It was deliciously creamy and luscious. I would order this one again too, but I also hear the peanut butter pie is delicious.

In addition to the main restaurant there is also a more casual eatery with 60 seats called Bacchus in the back. It serves pizza, fried chicken and burgers as well as a few Creole and Italian choices. It is open for lunch and dinner, unlike the main restaurant which is only open for dinner service. Bacchus has a happy hour Tuesday through Friday from 3-6 PM. They have some drink specials (including some $5 cocktails) and select food choices ranging $3 for a slider to $6 for wings with hot pepper relish.

My only word of advice is to not go here if you are in a hurry. Service is also very southern, and they give personal but slow service. It didn’t bother us because we had made a special trip there, but if you are stopping there on your way to Blossom plan to get there really early and plan for maybe 1 1/2-2 hours depending on how many courses you order.

Contact info:

Russo’s Kitchen
4895 State Rd
Peninsula, OH 44264
(330) 923-2665

Nam Wah in Berea

Growing up we never went out to eat. We couldn’t afford it, and it also wasn’t as common to dine out as it is now. We would go out to eat every six weeks to celebrate our good grades on our report cards, and my sister and I usually chose The Ground Round or Nam Wah. I don’t remember if they had Vietnamese food on the menu, but they served Chinese food. American-Chinese food (obviously). It was nothing spectacular, but most restaurants weren’t back in the 70s/80s (shhh! let’s let my age be our little secret). Back then, Nam Wah was a tiny little hole in the wall in the strip mall behind McDonald’s on Bagley Road. I remember it being dark with a lot of Asian flair. Over the years they expanded the space, making the restaurant industrial and no longer cozy, and the quality declined. I am happy to report the restaurant is under new management, and they have expanded the menu to include a lot of Vietnamese choices. There is still not a lot of ambiance (there are booths lining the wall to the right behind a little partition), but the food is definitely much improved. The new owners appear to be a couple young guys who are really friendly and enthusiastic.

Back then, I was addicted to their shrimp with lobster sauce. I never got anything else. I thought I was being so fancy ordering shrimp and lobster. I would get the combo platter with fried rice and an egg roll. I loved mixing the rice with the sauce. My sister stuck with chicken chow mein or chop suey. We weren’t that adventurous back then. Chow mein at home meant opening cans of water chestnuts and chow mein noodles and mixing it with celery and a meat. Tasteless and bland. It was different here, more flavorful.

I ordered my shrimp with lobster sauce for old times sake the other day despite the fact that I am allergic to egg and no longer like lobster sauce. It turns out I don’t like other restaurants’ lobster sauce, but the one at Nam Wah is still as good as I remember. It isn’t spicy and can be a little bland, but you can always add mustard sauce or sriracha if you like it spicy. I still love it anyway. I enjoyed making a perfect bite by mixing the pork fried rice and the sauce. The egg roll was nothing to write home about. It was pretty bland and mostly filled with cabbage.

My first visit back in probably twenty years or so was on a cold and rainy night for a bowl of pho. I am happy to report that the pho is delicious. The broth had a good flavor to it, and the meat was plentiful and a little thicker than at other pho places. I think it is even better than Superior Pho, because the broth is just deeper and richer. I could taste the cinnamon, Chinese 5 spice, and star anise in the broth. They serve the pho with the accompanying plate of add-ins, but the add-ins include an herb called culantro, which is a kind of cilantro, in addition to Thai basil. That was definitely unique. No other place I know in Cleveland serves it like that. This is definitely a great bowl of pho. I will definitely be going back and ordering this again.

They serve four different kinds of bahn mi (deli sandwich, grilled chicken, grilled pork and grilled beef) – and it comes with or without a fried egg on it. Do yourself a favor and make sure to break the egg yolk before you bite into it. Otherwise it will come shooting out and drip down your shirt and your hands. I was a mess, but it was worth every bite. The creaminess of the egg mixed with the grilled pork and fresh vegetables. All of the bahn mi include carrot, cilantro, cucumber, daikon, homemade pate, and jalapeno. The bun was soft, and the flavors melded well together. The next time I go I will be ordering the pho and the bahn mi again. I want to try their one of their Dac Biets, which I hear are fantastic.

On my Chinese-focused visit I ordered a cup of wonton soup with my shrimp and lobster sauce to warm me up, and it came served with a side of very flavorful shrimp chips. I had completely forgot about the shrimp chips we used to eat as kids. It was always served like bread or chips and salsa – as a taste teaser. The wonton soup was good. The noodles were more noodle than filling, but the shredded pork and green onions are nice additions to the broth.

I can recommend their unsweetened iced tea. I believe it is made from jasmine tea and is quite delicious. If you want soda it comes in a can. The hot tea is strong and flavorful as well and is served in metal teapots like you find at most Chinese restaurants.I’m just thrilled that folks on the West Side of Cleveland have access to a good Vietnamese restaurant. I hope they take advantage of it.

Contact info:

Nam Wah
392 W Bagley Road
Berea, OH 44017
(440) 243-8181

Campus Grille

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Closed in December 2021

I’d been hearing good things about the Campus Grille, so I knew I had to check it out. The restaurant is located in the old Pizza King building on Seminary Street in Berea. I met some friends there on a dark and rainy night and was happy to have a parking spot so close to the building.

They had a lot of Puerto Rican sodas to choose from, so I ordered the Pineapple and the Lime sodas. Both were good, but I preferred the Pineapple soda. It also paired really well with my Coco Tropical, which is a split rotisserie chicken served over coconut rice and topped with spicy pineapple and mango chutney. The chicken was perfectly cooked, the coconut rice was delicious and the chutney had a little kick to it but not too much that I couldn’t enjoy it. It was also a lot of food, and I ate the other half for lunch the next day.

One of my friends ordered the tostones (fried plantains) and guacamole and let us try some. It also happened to be the last order of the night because they ran out after our order. The plantains were nicely fried and not too greasy. They were definitely enough to share among those of us at the table.

I was able to try a bite of my friend’s vegetarian mofongo, and I LOVED it. So much so that I went back and ordered one for myself. I actually prefer it over the mofongo at Rincon Criollo. It is really flavorful. The plantains are fried and mashed with garlic and chiccarones (although I think they omitted those in the vegetarian mofongo too). I didn’t even miss the pork in the vegetarian mofongo, but it sure was nice in the one I ordered. Mofongo is their most popular dish, and I can see why. It is served with a side salad, and the greens were fresh.

Another friend ordered the pork shoulder with yellow rice and Spanish-style beans. He ate the entire thing, which was pretty amazing. It must have been good.

The restaurant is vegetarian-friendly and can customize most of their dishes to accommodate vegetarian and gluten-free customers. One of my friends ordered the Farmer’s Plate, which features lime-infused cilantro rice, black beans, baby spinach, tostones & Monterey Jack cheese. She also enjoyed it and took home leftovers.

The empanadillas also looked good, and they are available savory or sweet. The desserts are a little pricey, but they are big enough to share or to take home and eat for several days. One of my friends did just that, bringing a flan home.

I highly recommend the Campus Grille. The ambiance leaves a little to be desired, but the food is fresh and delicious as well as inexpensive and plentiful.

Contact info:

Campus Grille
10 Seminary Street
Berea, OH 44017
(440) 243-4229

Momo’s Kebab

Momo’s opened last year on Lee Road in the space that I think used to be Golden Dragon. The chef/owner prides himself on using the freshest ingredients and buys his vegetables every day. It is also halal, which adheres to Islamic law. My Muslim friend appreciated this a lot. The quality just shines through. The first time I went I met some friends for dinner. The decor is warm and inviting, with two couch areas with Moroccan seating covered with Moroccan textiles. It invites you to sit and relax with a pot of tea and enjoy some good food.

I ordered the mint tea and was completely blown away. It is strong and hot while also being perfectly sweetened (using organic sugar). The tea is extremely refreshing and addictive. A small pot is enough for two, but I could easily drink it by myself. They had no problems IMAG4956 refilling it for us either.

I ordered the chicken kebab (one piece is missing in the photo because I shared it with my friend before taking the photo). The dinners come with Moroccan bread, salad, basmati rice, and grilled vegetables. The bread is a homemade flatbread. It is an unleavened circle of bread cut in half. It was quite nice. The salad has some mint in the light dressing and chopped up radish, tomato, cucumber, crumbled feta, and black olives. It was not overly dressed and was a nice start to the meal. The kebabs were perfectly grilled and came with a spicy dipping sauce. The rice and grilled vegetables were a great complement to the kebabs and were also perfectly cooked.

The beef kebabs were just as delicious and just as tender. The chef marinates all the meat overnight, so the marinade tenderizes the meat and then the grill puts on the finishing touch.

When I saw that the Saturday special is tagine I knew that I had to come back with my friend who introduced me to tagine. She had made it in her own tagine pot and we ate it with our hands. I remember what a special evening that was and remember how amazingly delicious the tagine was. She makes hers with preserved lemon. The Saturday special is “beef and veg,” which was carrots, potato and olives. It tastes like an amazing beef stew. The meat was tender and fell apart with the fork. The flavor was delicious. The vegetables were also perfectly cooked – not too hard and not too soft. I loved every bite.

My friend ordered their second tagine of the day – a sweeter tagine with lamb, caramelized onions, stewed prunes, honey, cinnamon, sliced almonds and sesame seeds. She offered me a taste of the lamb, which was amazingly tender and had a delicious sweeter taste. She loved it and said the tea and the tagine brought her back 15 years in time when she and her Moroccan boyfriend drank mint tea and made tagine. She also spoke with the owner about her visits to southern Morocco, while he is from the north.

I highly recommend Momo’s Kebab. The food is fresh and delicious – and super-affordable. The chicken kebab was $9, and the beef kebab platter was $9.50. My tagine was $12.50, M’s tagine was $15, and our tea was $5. Not bad for a Saturday night dinner. Word to the wise: they don’t serve alcohol, but that doesn’t bother me a bit. The hours are also extremely generous for a Mom & Pop restaurant. They are open every day from 11 a.m. to midnight except Monday when they are open from 4 to 11 p.m. and Sunday when they close at 11 p.m. too.

Contact info:

Momo’s Kebab
2199 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 932-3512