Tag Archives: #Glendale

My Trip to Slapfish in Glendale AZ – Cod do Better

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Slapfish is a fast food style sustainable seafood restaurant that recently opened in the Arrowhead Area in Glendale Arizona (late December 2018). This is a California based company that is in rapid growth expanding into many states across The United States and coming soon to The United Kingdom. On the day of my visit they offered a great variety of fish, shrimp, lobster that are served in a variety of ways. Again this place is very casual, order at the counter, pay, grab a beverage and number and then seat yourself kind of place.

I decided I’d try the The Grilled Fish Bowl with daily fish (salmon $2.00 extra), seasoned rice, herb sauce and hand picked salad ($13.00 + $2 for salmon).

It’s a nice big piece of salmon that was browned.

It’s slightly over cooked.

Here’s a close up. As soon as I saw the albumin (white protein) pushed out of muscle fibers I knew the fish was over cooked…….That wasn’t the biggest problem. I am undecided if this fish was spoiled or very close to being spoiled. (I wish it went to salmon else…….(excuse bad pun). I can tell you that it had a strong fish taste. Me and my husband couldn’t eat it. I wanted to tell someone about the fish…..But it’s a casual fast food type place here. During that time they had a line going to the counter and I thought if I brought up my bowl with smelly fish all the customers in line would leave and the people working at Slapfish might spit on the new plate of food that they would have to make me. Of course I don’t know if the cooks would get mad and act that way but I’ve worked in several restaurants and do know it takes next to nothing for a cook to flip out sometimes.

That said for the most part most things we tried faired well.

Except for the fish the rest of my bowl was delicious. I received a very nice fresh salad with fresh cut cucumber, carrots, radishes, a sweet tomato and honey lime dressing. The chewy short grain rice was seasoned nice and was topped with a yummy herb sauce. I would have loved this bowl if the fish was ok.

We also shared the Cold Pickles ($4.00).

Also the Natural Cut Fries ($4.00).

We both enjoyed the pickles. They seemed light and refreshing. My husband liked the fries but I was a little put off by the powdery texture. I thought the fries were slightly dry and not too potato-ee tasting like Burger King Fries.

My husband tried a Shrimp Burrito ($11.00).

He said his shrimp were fresh and were moist and not dried out. This burrito is different and is filled with rice, fries, salsa and pickled onion. He thought the burrito was seasoned nicely but also added he thought the tortilla was on the dry side. Neither of us were found of the chips and salsa.

Average pricing run around $12.00 a plate. Expect to pay extra for upgrading the fish, a side and a beverage. (About $20.00 per person or more)

Such a great idea for a restaurant but Cod be better……..(excuse bad pun)

www.SLAPFISHRESTAURANT.com

1/2 a Fork…

My first visit was Hit and Miss.

The Forking Truth is that EVERYTHING is Subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

After 4 Visits Haru Sushi & Grill in Glendale AZ is still Forking Awesome! Stunning Sushi!***update different ownership

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*****update******different ownership since I wrote review*******Haru Sushi & Grill recently opened in a strip mall in the Arrowhead section of North Glendale. You might think that this is an average sushi restaurant because it’s in a strip mall but you would be wrong. Once you step inside you see that the decor is modern, sleek and very clean. My pictures here don’t do justice. Natural light comes in from the large windows on one side but the bright light makes the room look darker than it truly is….

I didn’t try everything or everything I want to try yet but in four visits I tried many things.

This special order of Asian Style Poppers were incredibly delicious! They were filled with cream cheese and had a light crunchy coating….But it was the sauce that made it….The sauce was especially delicious with the cream cheese and everything. I don’t know what it was but it tasted like Gochujang (fermented Korean Spicy Chili Paste), Rice Wine, Soy Sauce, garlic and Ginger….It was just SCRUMPTIOUS!

We also tried Korean Style Wings….another winner….Really yummy with delicious flavors. It seemed a little BBQ-y, Gochujang-ee, a little sweet but not too sweet and other flavors. Also that  tender yummy moist scrumptious chicken…..

Here’s Tuna Tataki! This is so clean tasting and melts in the mouth. It lightly seared and seasoned.

I’m not big on most sushi rolls…..I usually just go for something like a basic spicy tuna….But I have to admit this one….The Spicy Awesome Blossom Roll was one of the most delicious Sushi Rolls I ever tried anywhere. It was spicy tuna, cucumber, spicy seared albacore, a mountain of the tastiest crisp fried onions you ever tried and yummy sauces to jazz it up more. You keep going back and forth between the tasty roll and the crisp tasty onion puffs..The puffed up onion crisps are tastier than popcorn…..This Spicy Awesome Blossom Roll is really like attending an event…..It has so much going on.

Tried a lunch Bento Box with Beef Bulgogi, a Spicy Tuna Roll, Tempura Vegetables and Rice. The beef was tender like butter and delicious. Spicy tuna roll was very good and most important to me…I learned from Masaharu Morimoto that the rolls shouldn’t have too much rice…(I’m kicking myself for not photographing  actual Morimoto sushi (YES MADE BY IRON CHEF MORIMOTO HIMSELF)….they were very unique and looked like thick small coins….like dime sized but really beautiful and filled with sushi that had a design.  Morimoto’s sushi rolls had just enough rice like the way the rolls are made here. Masaharu Moromoto used to be an actual working chef at his namesake restaurant in Philadelphia in China Town. I went there often enough that he would wave to me when I came in. Back then the only sushi I ate were the beautiful small rolls and I liked all the Japanese small plates. Getting back to the bento box I should add that the Tempura vegetables were delicious and seemed free of oil.

But Sushi is Forking Amazing Here at Haru Sushi and Grill!

On this visit we had Nigiri in Ocean Trout (on left that looks similar to salmon) Toro and Blue Fin….Behind the Nigiri Plate is the Spicy Forbidden Roll. All the sushi was the freshest tasting I ever had and just melted in my mouth….It doesn’t feel or taste like sushi from the surrounding sushi places. This sushi has a certain smoothest to it and clean tasting like no other…….After eating this sushi I don’t need to go to any other sushi restaurant. I can’t settle for less now.

******UPDATE*****A change in ownership since this was written

Haru Sushi and Grill is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

I haven’t found a website for Haru Sushi & Grill but they are on Facebook.

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

Angelina’s Pho & Grill in Glendale AZ – Modern Vietnamese – Worth a Fork!

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Angelina’s Pho & Grill & Sushi is a Modern Vietnamese Restaurant that is unlike any other Vietnamese Restaurant I know of………

It’s next to impossible to do a review on this restaurant because the menu as well as the decor of the restaurant  is always changing.

Maybe all the changing is to keep things fresh and new… or to keep a creative Chef creative! Angelina’s always offers something interesting that nobody else offers that’s delicious and very reasonably priced. Angelina’s Pho & Grill & Sushi just might be the most interesting restaurant in North Glendale.

On my most recent visit we shared an ahi tuna pizza. Have you ever seen a pizza at any other Vietnamese Restaurant?

This was tasty, delicious and really different! The Tuna was sushi grade, with a creamy spicy sauce and a unagi sauce….This was described as being served on a tortilla but it was unlike any tortilla I ever had….It had the texture of a crunchy cheese curl but had a really delicious flavor….I don’t know what it was but it seemed light, tasted very clean and it was delicious.

Most recent dining room photo

For my main I had the Fresh Salmon with Dill under Pho on the Menu.

My bowl was filled with lots of buttery soft melt in your mouth fresh tasting salmon, dill, onions, zucchini, potatoes, mushrooms in low sodium chicken broth with a serving of jasmine rice. It was all delicious and the serving was extra large….maybe it was two or three servings?

My husband had some sort of Pho.

I don’t know if the Ahi Pizza or the Salmon with Dill will be on the menu if you go to visit. Nothing but the basic Pho Soups seem to stick around on the ever changing menu for long.

Some discontinued DELICIOUS dishes That I enjoyed at Angelina’s Pho & Grill & Sushi were-

Crispy Edamame and Vegetable Pot Stickers

Bird’s Nest

Salmon Cakes

Saigon Cinnamon, Winter Vegetables, Green Tea Noodles and Chicken Thigh – This one was really Pho-nominal 

Wild Tuna and Garlic Soba Noodle with Asparagus

Tofu Stack – Eggplant Tempura, Shaved Beet, Cucumber, Gochojang, Garlic Aioli and Basil

Yellowtail Sashimi

The Chicken and Asparagus Salad from Angelina’s Pho & Grill Glendale AZ

They also offer an outdoor patio that is being updated now.

In the past I used to bring my dogs with me to dine here but always at off times so we wouldn’t bother anyone. Then for a long time it seemed like they didn’t use the patio so I stopped bring the dogs here.

I’m looking forward to the remodeled patio. I’ll be dining with dogs again here soon! I was told recently my dogs are welcome.

Here are a few other dishes we had here.

Chicken Pho

Rare Beef and Brisket Pho

Yellow Curry Chicken – super packed with mixed vegetables

Hot and Spicy

Yumi Signature Roll

Luc Lac Beef

I don’t have a good picture of the Cha Ca Thang Long also called Cha Ca La Vong or Hanoi Turmeric Fish with Dill. It’s the most popular dish of Hanoi. It surprises me that this dish is rarely found on Vietnamese Menus…..but it was here for a short time.

You can see that the food at Angelina’s Pho & Grill & Sushi is always delicious, It’s always Creative and It’s always changing.

I hate being honest but to tell The Forking Truth ……Service can be very hit or miss……but who cares……..the food is some of the better and more interesting food in this part of town.

I also note they they offer some lovely changing desserts in a dessert case but I have not tried dessert from here as of this post.

I have to say Angelina’s Pho & Grill & Sushi Modern Vietnamese is Worth a Fork and just might be one of the most interesting restaurants in North Glendale!

Worth a Fork!

I haven’t found a website for Angelina’s Pho & Grill & Sushi but they are on Facebook.

The Forking Truth is that EVERYTHING is Subject to CHANGE (and will for certain here) Your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth