Clever Ramen is a fast/casual Ramen Style restaurant located in the ASU part of Scottsdale Arizona. Clever Ramen is a sister restaurant of Clever Koi, Fellow Osteria, and Across The Pond. These restaurants are by Born and raised Hospitality. Clever Ramen offers Pre-Built ramen bowls, build your own ramen bowls (confit chicken thigh, lemongrass chicken breast, karaage chicken, bulgogi steak, pork belly, tofu, and soy egg), a variety of fries, extra vegetables like Korean spinach, and grilled bok choy. Extras like crispy shallots and nori. They also offer steamed buns of pork belly, Korean hot chicken, and kimchi cauliflower. They also offer soft beverages and sake cups, and canned beer and wine. We ordered and paid at the counter.
We got our drinks and sat ourselves.
It’s modern and sleek inside.
It was a nice day so we walked threw to the patio. Within only a few minutes someone runs our food to us.
We started out by trying a couple of steamed buns.
Crispy (not crispy) pork belly & Korean Hot (but not hot) chicken steamed buns
They are small so you can eat one and fit in some ramen. The better one today was the Korean hot chicken. The chicken was developed with flavors and was tasty fresh and juicy. It was good with the tasty house made pickles. It wasn’t hot it was just tasty. They put only a scant amount of sauce on mine today….it was almost dry so I hardly got any taste of Gochujang.
It wasn’t the best day for anything pork…Instead of crispy pork belly today it was mushy and chewy. Maybe it’s usually better?
I thought the Pre-Built Bowl of spicy kimchi ramen with confit chicken thigh was pretty good!
The broth is well made and taste developed with flavors. The chicken is tender and delicious. I taste kimchi but it’s not over-powering. Chili crisp is there to heat things up. The soy egg is ok but is missing that ramen taste that only mirin can give……..The only thing that can really improve are the noodles. The noodles are slightly over cooked and don’t have the chew that ramen noodles are known for. The noodles here are more like collage noodles.
My husband tried the pork ramen. Today wasn’t the best day for pork.
The crispy pork wasn’t crispy today and was mushy and chewy. The broth was weak today and the mushrooms were soggy. Maybe tomorrow this dish might be better?
That was my trip to Clever Ramen in Scottsdale AZ.
The Dish Fest is a food and drink festival based on the January/February Phoenix Magazine article naming the one hundred and one best dishes picked by Phoenix Magazine editors. This festival was held February 27/2022 at the Clayton House in Scottsdale Arizona. Ticket holders were entitled to unlimited bites and sips (hard and soft) from participants. This was an indoor and outdoor event with food trucks. Some of the proceeds benefited the Joy Bus Diner.
Here is most of what I came across in no particular order, I did skip most of the libations because the point of being here was tasting today. I couldn’t taste everything but I did sure taste a lot.
Chef Christopherfrom Christopher’sPitchBlack SheepPostinoinsideWeft and WarpWeft and WarpWeft and WarpChula SeafoodValentineObonObonOakCitizen Public HouseCitizen Public HouseCaldwell County BBQCasa De FalafelAimees Swine HouseFlavors Of LouisianaSuperstition MeaderyPA’LACasa CorazonIsland Boys Jerk HutSalsa BitesAioli BurgersRandom AFTempura takeover
That was a little taste of the 2022 Dish Fest at The Clayton House in Scottsdale AZ.
I had a bag of potatoes and also some cheeses that I needed to use so this is what I came up with for today. OMG YUM! did this come out delicious…..Somehow everything just turned into a delicious tomato-ee, cheesy, soupy sauce with lots of potatoes. Gratinated means buttered crumbs. There is a small amount of buttered fresh bread crumbs on the top. Dauphinoise potatoes are a fancy French term for potatoes baked in milk and or cream and cheese. Serving size is always difficult to judge because I don’t know if you want a tiny dish or a big bowl. I used 6 medium sized potatoes so I am guessing a half potato a person so I will guesstimate 12 portions.
Ingredients for around 12 servings
6 medium sized russet potatoes – peeled and sliced thin one a mandolin
1 onion – peeled cut in half and sliced thin on a mandolin
4 garlic cloves – ground to paste
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 Tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 dried Calabrian pepper – crushed (or substitute a small pinch of crushed red pepper)
8 oz stracchino cheese thin slices (as best you can..this cheese is sort of soft)
5 oz taleggio cheese (sliced thin)
2 eggs – lightly beaten
10 oz. can cut tomatoes (whole can with liquid…..or you can use a large farm fresh ripe heirloom tomato that taste good)
6 oz tomato paste
8 oz heavy cream
1 Tablespoon of vegetable stock paste (soup paste)
2 oz parmesan cheese – shaved (I used a vegetable peeler)
non stick spray
small roll (almost 2 oz) – to grate for crumbs (topping)
Spray a large baking dish or half buffet pan with non stick spray.
In a large bowl mix together the cream, tomato paste, soup paste, and eggs. Mix Well.
Add the potatoes, onion, garlic, black pepper, salt, Calabrian pepper, stracchino cheese, taleggio cheese, 2 Tablespoons basil, and the contents of the can of tomatoes. Mix well. Put this mixture in you non stick sprayed dish or pan.
Top this with 2 oz parmesan.
Cover tight with foil.
This goes in the middle rack of your preheated 375 degree F oven for 90 minutes.
During this time grate around 2 oz of a good tasting roll ( I used a mini sourdough roll). The roll will be easier to grate if it is stale or partly frozen. Grate the butter into the crumbs and grate the cheese into this mixture and mix it up.
I spread this out on a baking sheet and threw it in the oven when the potatoes were at 80 minutes or ten minutes before the potatoes were done.The crumbs are super crunchy this way. Add the crumbs to the top of the potatoes when they are done.
Top with a little fresh basil.
Tomato and Cheese Gratinated Dauphinoise Potatoes Tomato and Cheese Gratinated Dauphinoise Potatoes
There is always something new, weird , different, limited, or special edition out there in the wonderful world of food. We never know WTFork we will come across when we shop for food. Here are a few of the food items I came across lately.
Up above is….
NEW – Big Cup Reese’s polluted ………. I mean stuffed with cheap filler…..I mean stuffed with potato chips Reese’s. Maybe you need to put on weight and candy stuffed with more junk food might help you full-fill your jeans……………(HA!)
NEW – Reese’s football looking peanut butter candies. ????? WHY??? Footballs aren’t appetizing. Arn’t they made out of pig skin that they don’t use for food? I guess someone there got a kick out of this one.
DIFFERENT – Hammond’s chocolate bars in coconut cream pie and bourbon pecan pie…..They sound delicious….. (I almost cracked and almost sent away for them…but didn’t)
DIFFERENT – Hammond’s Pigs N’ Taters….? Chocolate with potato chips and bacon FLAVORED pieces…..Not worth pigging out on.
DIFFERENT – Hammond’s Malted Milkshake Chocolate Bar…Ummmm sounds delicious but I haven’t tried it…….(yet!)
WEIRD – Hammond’s Chicken & Waffles Chocolate Bar. Chocolate with chicken, waffles, and maple syrup. This one is weird! I’m too chicken to put chocolate and chicken together….
LIMITED EDITION (bottle) – Danzeisen Dairy fruit drink with an Alice Cooper portrait. Well Alice Cooper is a long time Arizona resident…I guess that is why he is on the bottle???? Could have used a better picture of him….Like from the Goes To Hell Album….That would have been cooler.
LIMITED EDITION – Mtn DEW in a flavor called Spark (with raspberries pictured..???) and Major Melon that looks like watermelon flesh….I guess you never know what grows on a mountain these days.
Saw several different Goldfish crackers out there…..
NEW – Goldfish Mega Bites in Sharp Cheddar and Cheddar Jalapeño….Sounds tasty….I just think the mega bites in sharp cheddar should have been called SHARK CHEDDAR and shaped like sharks….
SPECIAL EDITION – Goldfish crackers with added Micky mouse red heads…..not for me but cute.
LIMITED EDITION – Goldfish Star Wars Mandalorian baked snack crackers…mixed with fish…????? Speaking of fish…….
DIFFERENT – Good Fish crispy Salmon skins in crispy lime flavor……????? I buy similar snacks for my dogs….
NEW – Lay’s Layer three cheese flavored crispy bites….I don’t know what these are! I thought Lay’s made potato chips. Guess they ran out of spuds
NEW Charms (CHARMS?) Fluffy stuff cinnamon churro cotton candy. …….? Too much of this and you will get fluffy too!
DIFFERENT – Clancy’s Kettle Chips in Cuban Sandwich flavored that is marked dairy and kosher on the bag….How can that be when Cuban sandwiches are made of ham?
DIFFERENT – Sabatino’s Paleo Organic Lemongrass Chicken Meatballs…Sounds tasty and different.
So far there has always been some sort of Oreo out there.
NEW – Artificially flavored Nabisco Toffee Crunch flavor creme Oreo Cookies. Holy poop they came up with artificial toffee flavor.
Oh GOD there are more Oreos…..
LIMITED EDITION – Nabisco ARTIFICIALLY flavored Ultimate Chocolate flavor creme Oreo Cookies. The ULTIMATE or BEST darn artificially flavored cookies. How lucky can we get!
Well that was the NEW, Weird, Different, Limited and Special Edition Foods for February 2022. Who knows WTFork I’ll come across next month?
Dining out with Dogs in Metro Phoenix AZ is just a “Fluff” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started with my dog Louie. He was elderly and diagnosed with aggressive cancer. We were told to only expect him to live 3 months more or maybe up to six. Louie couldn’t do a lot but he always enjoyed. eating and also enjoyed going out to eat so I took him out to eat as often as I could. Instead of the 3-6 month diagnosis Louie made it another 17 months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat when I can.
There are many things to know about dining out with dogs. One thing is that not all patios are dog friendly. You usually see a “Dog Friendly Patio” sign. If you don’t see a sign you must call the restaurant to find out if it is ok to bring your furry friend. It is also best to dine at off times and avoid as many people and other dogs as possible. It’s best to avoid people because some people out there really hate dogs and other people might be allergic to dogs. It’s best to avoid other dogs because dogs like to bark at each other and this can be a disturbance and you might be asked to leave.
When dining out with dogs here in Phoenix you have to consider the temperature because your dog is not as heat tolerant as you. Dogs wear fur coats, they can’t sweat and dogs also absorb heat up their paws. All people and dogs have different heat tolerances. In general 90 degrees F and higher is. too hot to dine out with dogs. When there is any doubt it is always better to keep your furry friend heathy and leave them safe at home.
Do you know that most food and drink that you consume can be harmful or even TOXIC to your dog? You need to get a list of safe foods and foods to avoid from your veterinarian. Usually a small lean piece of un-sauced meat is a safe bet. You should also bring a doggie water bowl with you so your dog can have some water.
Now that you have made to the restaurant patio with your dog you need to know that there are rules to dining out with dogs. Dogs must be close and by your side at all times. Dogs are NOT permitted to sit on restaurant furniture or eat off of restaurant plates.
Wraps ‘N’ Curry is an Indian fast food but made from fresh casual located in North Phoenix. They offer wraps on fresh made to order wraps, fresh baked other breads, and Indian dishes. They recently got a community patio at the strip mall near the restaurant so we took the dogs there.
Today I got the goa fish curry.
I think it’s tasty. I lick the sauce off of the fish for the dogs because some of the spices might not agree with them.
My husband had a spicy chicken wrap………sort of……He asked them not to put the sauce on…….but they did anyway.
It was dressed with mint mayo (and my husband won’t eat mayo) so he only picked at it and left the fresh made bread because of the mayo. (he ate something when we got home)
www.WrapsNCurry.business.site
4221 W Bell Rd PHX AZ
602-866-1907
Another restaurant that we went to was The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen in North Scottsdale. They are a craft American kitchen. They have a very nice dog friendly patio and the food is very good there. They also are a distillery too! One of their dishes that my husband LOVES there is the muffuletta and had it several times already. It’s served on house made herbed focaccia and he got it with their tasty house made potato chips.
I had the fish and chips….but without the chips and substituted a salad.
The Craftsman vodka crust on the fish is shattering crisp and fresh cod is the flakiest cod that I have ever had. The dogs enjoyed the cod ass well as some parts of the muffuletta.
www.TheCraftsmanAZ.com
20469 N Hayden Rd Scottsdale AZ
480-401-1102
We also went to Cucina Tagliani in North Glendale. They are an. American Italian Restaurant. They offer sandwiches, salads, build your own pasta dishes and offer more vegetable sides than most places that are similar. They also offer pizzas, pork ribs, a few steaks, some other entrees, and more.
I got a strawberry chicken salad.
The chicken was a little dry today but my dogs didn’t mind.
“Wining!!!!” “We get MORE chicken when it’s dry!” “WHOOHOO!”
My husband got the Stromboli today.
“Stromboli is always a good choice.”
“We are ready for some more chicken!”
www.CuucinaTagliani.ccom
17045 N 59th Ave Glendale AZ
602-547-2782
We also took the dogs to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They specialize in serving the Banh Mi Baguette sandwiches and offer around a dozen different varieties. They also offer other Vietnamese favorites except for pho.
Today I got the curry chicken with rice.
My husband got the beef banh mi (the beef really is very good here…….It’s tender like filet mignon but it is really ribeye)
Portions are very large (and prices are low) so we have plenty to share.
We always enjoy going to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery.
www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com
2340 W Bell Rd PHX AZ
602-843-3637
Well that was Dinning Out With DOGS inn Metro Phoenix for February 2022. We hope that you’ve enjoyed and we hope to see you next month!
The Forking TruthIn Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017
Harumi Sushi & Sake iis a small casual sushi restaurant that recently opened in North Peoria Arizona. They also have their first and original location in downtown Phoenix. Their sushi is a bit unique and differs some from most other sushi restaurants. It’s made with healthier purple forbidden rice that does have a slightly different taste. The big deal here is that the fish they select to use is from fresh and was never frozen. This kind of fish gives you that melt in your mouth texture…… They use shipped overnight Scottish salmon and Nova Scotian tuna. They top most fish with fresh wasabi that is not from concentrate. Sushi is a treat here!
Inside is small and tight.
We were packed in like sardines.
The tables were so close that we couldn’t get out until the table behind us got up.
Depending on where you are sitting plates might be flying over your head.
We started with a specialty roll called The Hot Havana.
It is hot but is made with the kind of fish that melts in your mouth. I like that they make the rolls with a thin layer of rice so you don’t get too stuffed. This Hot Havana Roll was made with yellowtail, cucumber, avocado, jalapeños and mango habanero sauce.
The yellowtail collar (hamachi kama) was fried and served in ponzu sauce with lemon.
Today this was overcooked and dry….Usually this is the best part of the fish because the collar is the most flavorful and succulent part……We weren’t checked on.
Our last plate was the blue fin tuna nigiri and seared salmon nigiri. (my husband said that he checked Toro and un-seared salmon……???)
Both nigiri were were melt in your mouth fresh.
Service today wasn’t the best. In addition to not asking how the collar was and possibly serving fish different than what we ordered…….the Forking Truth is that nobody even considered clearing out our three rounds of plates.
Service can use improvement but the sushi is what you come for here and really was melt in your mouth fresh.
They were still constructing a patio on our visit that might be ready by now?
First & Last at this time (Feb/22) is a newly opened modern American restaurant located in downtown Phoenix Arizona. They serve an ever changing seasonal menu of starters plates and vegetable plates, fresh pastas, and interesting and different entrees, cocktails, local beers, small production wines and more!
Innside might be shotgun style. The restaurant is mostly long and narrow but also is open and airy. There is a high ceiling with hanging plants and lanterns.
In the picture below if you look at the middle of the picture above the bar you might be able to see that they also have some seating above the bar.
They also have a small patio with a few smaller tables.
Tonight we sat inside.
We started out by sharing a vegetable plate of butternut squash.
Butternut squash
The butternut squash was adorned with a little heat from chilis, some sweetness from grapes, some yum from pine nuts and was tied together with a ras el hanout (Moroccan spice blend) vinaigrette. This was interesting and different and not too heavy.
But my GOSH!! The WINNER WINNER was the Chicken Dinner called Chicken Et Crouton. It was FORKING FANTABULOUS!
This chicken was developed with delicious flavors and was so tender and deliciously juicy…….It just was a YUM! DINGER! Chilis, crispy Swiss chard, sweet tomatoes, lemon and rosemary pan sauce just enhanced everything and there also was this fresh made focaccia in there that just soaked up all the goodness. I do have to say that this was one FANTABULOUS dish.
My husband tried the grilled quail dish. We both were a little worried that it would be dry because almost nobody knows how to prepare quail.
No worries here! This quail was moist and delicious! It came with a little spinach, goat cheese, truffle salt, farro porridge in a brown butter jus.
I made sure that I save a little room to try dessert. They only had one dessert tonight and it was a cheesecake. Generally we both are not fans of cheesecake but we were assured that the cheesecake here wasn’t the typical cheesecake that is heavy and dense (and taste sour to me).Tonights dessert was a lemon ricotta cheesecake with a little fig jam.
It’s not a beauty but……….
It was embellished with fresh whipped cream and a little sharp tasting fig jam. The cheesecake is LIGHT and fluffy, not too sweet, with a really great cheese taste……..(It taste like my own home made ricotta)………I have to ask about the cheese and I was right. The chef made the cheese too for this dessert. I can taste it. WOW! what a great dessert this was!
First & Last Restaurant Phoenix AZ – Fantabulous Modern American Cuisine – Worth a Fork!
Worth A Fork!
First & Last
www.FirstandLastPHX.com
1001 N 3RD AVE PHX AZ
602-975-8297
Parking may or may not be difficult because it is in downtown Phoenix. They have a few parking spaces by the entrance and there is a small free parking garage across the street.
Okomomiyaki are Japanese cabbage pancakes. They usually are drizzled with mayonnaise and okonomiyaki sauce that usually is a combination of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. I was about to fry up the pancakes and I could tell by looking at it that if I didn’t add more batter to them that they wouldn’t stick together and wouldn’t come out………So I figured I could bake them in a cupcake pan. AND THAT WORKED! Mayonnaise is very fatty and then I remembered mustard tofu sauce from a Michael Voltaggio recipe I followed for shishito peppers…that is creamy and healthier…But today I used Chinese mustard instead of dijon mustard and it was. even tastier. Instead of traditional Okonomiyaki sauce (ketchup, Worcestershire, soy, sometimes honey or sugar) I used a black garlic, ketchup, hoisin, Worcestershire and thought that was tastier. This recipe makes 8 small cabbage cakes so that will be around 4 side servings.
1/4 small cabbage – fine shred
3 scallions – sliced thin
1 teaspoon oil – canola or coconut
1 inch peeled ginger – grated
1 garlic clove – ground to paste
1 carrot – peeled – shredded
2 eggs – lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon Tamari (or substitute soy sauce)
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds (I did 1/2 white and 1/2 black seeds)
6 or 7 Tablespoons flour (your amount of cabbage might differ slightly…you might need slightly more or slightly less flour)
non stick spray
6 oz silken tofu
1 + 1/2 Tablespoons Chinese mustard (or to taste)
1 head black garlic – peeled
1 Tablespoon ketchup
1 Tablespoon hoisin
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
2 big pinches bonito flakes for finishing
2 big pinches crumbled seaweed sheets for finishing
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Spray 8 parts of your cupcake pan for your 8 cabbage cakes.
On medium heat heat up a small pan with the oil garlic and ginger..just heat until you can smell it. Or microwave it in a dish for a minute. Set to the side to cool.
In a large mixing bowl combine the cabbage, scallions, carrot, eggs, tamari, sesame seeds, flour, and garlic and ginger (now that it is cooler) mix well.
Pack them tight into the non stick sprayed cup cake pan.
Put them in a middle rack for 25 minutes. While they are in the oven you can make the sauces.
For the tofu mustard just blend together the tofu and mustard.
For the black garlic sauce blend together the black garlic, ketchup, hoisin, and Worcestershire.
After 25 minutes the cabbage cakes should be done. They need to cool off a little before you can remove them from the pan. You might need to use a butter knife and loosen them from the sides.
Serve them with the sauces and sprinkles of bonito flakes and seaweed flakes.
Okonomiyaki Style Baked Cabbage Cakes with Tofu Mustard and Black Garlic Sauce
I was food shopping at my local Fry’s supermarket and came across these Kroger Reuben Potato Chips…….I thought to myself I gotta try them. I glance real fast at the ingredients to make sure nothing really strange is in them.
They do have some chemicals in them……
Then I happen to notice that the chips are marked kosher and dairy.
I can be now be relieved that they aren’t made with castoreum (beaver butt juice actually from a gland by the butt) because beavers are not a kosher animal to eat. Castoreum is never listed as an ingredient because it is a flavoring. It is listed as natural flavor because that is what it is.
I get the bag home and take a whiff.
It truly DOES SMELL LIKE A REUBAN!
Incase you are not familiar with a reuben it is a sandwich made of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing on grilled rye bread or Russian pumpernickel.
The chips are slightly speckled, a little powdery, and are extra crisp.
I gobble a few down……
They are very tasty but at first they taste mostly like mild sauerkraut …….it maybe only slightly cheesy and laced slightly with a rye bread taste.
I eat one very slowly and it taste completely different.
When you eat them slowly you get the rye taste dominating the other flavors.
They are very tasty and extra crunchy.
Those were my Forking Thoughts on Kroger Reuben Potato Chips.
This is a pretty easy delicious recipe but it’s best if you make the pickled onions the day before. I originally made up this recipe for cauliflower and it did taste delicious but I accidentally made the cauliflower soggy so I never published that recipe. This chipotle lime butter works out better for green beans and I think it actually taste better on green beans. I used my chipotle flakes this time (instead of chipotle powder that I normally use) and it did come out slightly different than with the easier to find chipotle powders out there. I think the chipotle flakes seem spicier to me so if you use chipotle powder instead you might have to add more pepper seasoning. It’s difficult to judge serving size. Some people like a small side and other people want a whole plate. You will have extra pickled onions left over that you can use on a sandwich or a taco.
Ingredients for around 6 servings.
1 red onion sliced extra thin
1 cup white vinegar
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
2 sprigs thyme
1 lb green beans
15.5 oz can black beans (rinsed 3 times and drained….preferably reduced sodium)
2 Tablespoons chipotle flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 limes – juice and zest
2 tablespoons honey
4 oz sweet butter – melted
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
1/2 cup cilantro – chopped
optional – 4 oz queso fresco – crumbled to finish
Directions
The day before you make the green beans make the pickled onions
Heat up the vinegar, salt, sugar, bay leaf, black pepper, yellow mustard seeds, and thyme till sugar is dissolved. (you can do this stove top or microwave) Then add the red onion slices. Let sit on counter till room temp and refrigerate over night.
Put a pot of water on to boil. Then boil the trimmed green beans 2-3 minutes and drain.
In a large mixing bowl add the chipotle flakes, oregano, Old Bay, black pepper, cumin, onion, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, honey, melted butter, cilantro, and salt. Mix well. Then add the green beans. Top with some pickled onions. Finish with queso fresco if desired.
Chipotle Lime Butter Green Beans with Black Beans and Pickled Reed Onions
