Category Archives: Forking Restaurant Reviews

Honest unbiased reviews based on actual experiences

Halo Halo Kitchen Phoenix AZ – Filipino Food – Worth a Fork! Great Value Restaurant

Halo Halo Kitchen is a casual Filipino Restaurant located in Phoenix Arizona. You might be wondering WTFork is Filipino Food?…………. Filipino Food is a fusion cuisine that was developed from natural surroundings with influences from Spanish, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and American Cuisines.

When you walk in you see it’s a grocery store of different foods with a DJ Table in the dining room. You walk into a cafeteria line, a cooked fish case, a breakfast menu and pictures of food on the wall. There is much to absorb in this little place. If you are not familiar with Filipino Foods I recommend to research the menu some because it’s difficult to tell what the foods are by the pictures and the names. Everyone just points to what they want. I did some research and here is my cheat sheet of some of the offerings. But don’t worry….the people behind the counter are friendly and helpful.

When you enter it looks like this.

Then you walk threw the cafeteria line.

Bottom left is breakfast menu

Here’s a closer look at menu above.

Here’s the fish case.

This case sells out fast and had much more fish in there when I came in.

You pass these foods before you order.

It’s hard to tell what foods you are looking at.

We order, pay, grab a table number and find a table. There is what looks like a DJ Table and signs for karaoke next to a cabinet of liquors.

All the tables are filled except for one.

I ordered a fish that resembles a porgy and asked for rice and a vegetable.

The fish is served warm not hot but is fresh tasting and cooked well. The skin peels easily and the sweet moist meat comes right of the bones. This is a very good plate of fish. The vegetables are very homey and were braised in what taste like tomatoes, onions and garlic. In the mix are green beans, kabochca squash, eggplant and bitter melon…..The bitter melon was bitter for me.

My husband got the Sisig (sizzling pork).

He said it was tender delicious, very spicy and had an unexpected bitterness. The egg added that perfect sauce to it. He didn’t use what he thinks was a mayonnaise squirt.

Did I mention that there is a dessert bar in the middle of the restaurant?

This wasn’t my first visit to Halo Halo Kitchen but this was my first time trying the signature dessert.

Here is the Special Halo Halo………The regular Halo Halo is a dollar less and doesn’t have the purple yam ice cream.

Well here we go!

The top is purple yam ice cream. Next is a house made square of flan followed by sweet beans. The main part of the dessert is shaved ice with evaporated milk. There are pieces of coconut and jelled fruits and different beans. I think its a little too big for even two people but is very interesting. I like when you get a little tiny bit of flan or ice cream and a sweet bean with the creamy ice…that is good.

We clear our plates and head out passing some of the grocery goods.

That was my trip to Halo Halo Kitchen in Phoenix….. The fish entree and Sisig Pork and a bottle of water only cost $21.00 (subject to change) and the food was VERY GOOD and a GREAT VALUE! (special Halo Halo purchased separately at $5.50)

**********A FORKING GREAT VALUE!************

Halo Halo Kitchen is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.HaloHaloKitchen.com

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

The Forking Truth

FiGaMi Asian Fresh Restaurant in Phoenix AZ – Casual Asian – Worth a Fork – Try The Burmese Specialties***UPDATE Different now

FiGaMi Asian Fresh is a casual order-at-the-counter mixed Asian Restaurant located in Phoenix Arizona.

You probably are familiar with Japanese , Thailand, Indian and Chinese Foods but you might be wondering WTFork is Burmese Food? From what I read on Wikipedia Burmese Cusine is a fusion of Thai, Chinese, Indian, and other local influences from minorities and distant cultures.

FiGaMi Asian Fresh offers reasonably priced sushi, bowls, ramen, Asian Specialties and appetizers.

This is a small casual restaurant. It isn’t fancy but it’s neat and clean.

The appetizers were only priced at $3.50 each (subject to change) so I thought they’d be very tiny but I was wrong and tried three.

We started out by sharing the Chicken Meat Puff.

The Chicken Meat Puff Plate is quite large (it’s as big as a sandwich) and is actually TWO puffs. It’s made of puff pastry and is generously stuffed with Indian scented moist white chicken that’s studded with carrots and peas. This whole $3.50 plate is enough for a meal.

Next we tried the Chicken Dumplings ($3.50). (subject to change)

You can tell they are fresh made and are made with fresh juicy flavorful chicken.

The appetizer that was my favorite was the Burmese Style Fermented Tea Salad with Crispy Beans and Vegetables. ($3.50 – subject to change)

This is not like any salad I ever had before. It’s earthy, tangy, crunchy and refreshing. It’s made with fermented tea leaves, crunchy beans, I think peanuts, and vegetables. It’s very unique and interesting.

For dinner my husband had the Indian Style Seasoned Rice with Dark Chicken on the Bone.($8.00 subject to change)

The rice is fluffy and the chicken is moist, flavorful and everything is delicious. Not pictured is a spicy paste to enhance the meal.

I really enjoyed the Burmese Style Fish Noodle Soup. ($6.50 subject to change)nThe Burmese Fish Soup is also known as Mohinga and happens to be the National Dish of Burma.

It’s a thickened fish soup with thin rice noodles, an Asian Marinated jammy egg, crispy noodles and fresh cilantro. Dried hot pepper and a wedge of lemon or lime is served with this dish. I found this extremely delicious. I just love it!

Delicious fresh food that’s different and a very good value.

*******IT’S FORKING CHEAPER THAN FAST FOOD!*****************

All that food was only $25.00 before tax and tip!

The owner was happy to answer questions and served everything with a smile. šŸ™‚

******UPDATE****Went back and the food differed greatly. Prices went up slightly but the tea salad differed and the Burmese fish noodle soup isn’t as good now.

Fish noodle soup the two bowls on left. Top middle is the tea salad.

Worth a Fork!

www.FIGAMIAsianFresh.com

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

The Forking Truth

My First Taste at Casa Terra Vegan Restaurant in Glendale AZ – Worth A Fork!

Casa Terra is a fine dining vegan restaurant located in Old Town Glendale Arizona. This is small restaurant that offers fine mostly organic vegan Mediterranean – Mexican inspired foods. This is a small restaurant so it’s best to have a reservation to assure to be seated. They are without bar seating but cocktails and wines are available.

The building was built in 1940 and was originally a Smart and Final Whole Sale Company.

When you walk in you might notice to your left side a serving station, a waiting bench, and glass doors with a kitchen view of a wood oven.

The dining room is straight a head and it fills up fast. The old fashioned tables are small and plates might get crowded. Tables are close together but it’s charming and cozy.

They started us out with complimentary crisp flatbreads and tomatillo salsa verde. They were seasoned nicely and were delicious!

We then shared THREE appetizers, one dinner and one dessert. The appetizers we tried were all very small but all were delicious and very well seasoned.

My favorite appetizer was the Tapas Tacos ($9.00).

These are very small street sized tacos but are very well packed. The tortillas are house made and the filling is full of many textures and many flavors. They are delicious and very satisfying you sure don’t miss eating meat with this one.

The ping pong ball sized Truffled Arancini ($13.00). Were crisp, seemed free of oil and had a delicious mushroom taste.

The “Impossible” Albondigas with Polenta ($15.00) have spot on flavor that is exactly like chorizo. (also ping pong ball sized)

These albondigas have really great flavor but are on the mushy side today. The faux ricotta could pass for for genuine ricotta and is very good. The polenta was good but we both thought it was a scant serving as it only paints the plate. When I scooped up my half it amounted to about a teaspoon but it was good!

For dinner we shared the Chile En Nogada Special ($18.00).

We were told that depending on the size of the peppers the dish will be prepared with either one large pepper or two small peppers. We received two small peppers. The Chile En Nogada was filled with mostly bulgur and vegetables and was sauced with a creamy nut based sauce. It was sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and little cubed beets that look like gems.

I’m full by now but go for dessert anyway and try the Chocolate Torte.

I like the spiked vegan cream….It seems lighter and is more delicate than regular cream. The sauces and fruit is great too. The Cake is explosively steaming hot……This cake is made to order because of the hot steam coming out of it and we waited about 20 minutes for it.

Then with the check they gave us complimentary Convent Fudge (authentic Mexican Fudge) that was absolutely delicious!

I would say Casa Terra is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.CasaTerra.com

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

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Verdura Vegan Restaurant in Phoenix AZ – A restaurant to ROOT For

Verdura Plant Based Eatery recently opened in a shopping center on seventh street that is also known as the Phoenix restaurant row in Phoenix Arizona. Verdura is a popular name for vegan restaurants because Verdura translates to vegetable in Italian and Spanish. The menu is sort of melting pot American with global inspirations. The Atmosphere is mostly cool classic rock and roll with greenery accents. Memorabilia like records, album covers, concert posters and super star vocalist portraits grace the walls. Classic Rock and Roll Music fills the air not LOUD but on a comfortable level. Lots of bright light comes threw the large window front during the day.

Looks like this when you walk in.

You order at the counter, pay, grab a number with a classic rock star like Patty Smyth and seat yourself inside or on the patio.

They run your food to you when its ready and ask if you need anything and they check on you.

We started out by sharing the Kimchi Aranchini that comes over German Cucumber salad.

The fried rice balls (arancini) are filled with lots of carrots and some cabbage…They are lightly laced with kimchi essence. The rice balls are fried perfectly and seem free of oil and are tasty……They are GOOD and tasty……..but……. The taste to me was unexpected because kimchi is so strong, spicy and a pungent in your face flavor that I wasn’t expecting these rice balls to be so mild. Under the kimchi rice balls is an unusual pairing of creamy German Cucumber salad. The German Cucumber salad is very good. It’s just delicious! This cucumber is just right and flavorful. We both loved the German Cucumber Salad.

We also shared the General Pow Cauliflower.

We have roasted cauliflower, a mild sauce, nori peanuts, shishito peppers, chimichurri with rice, Korean pepper threads and Korean Brussels. The cauliflower and brussels are roasted nicely. The Shishito peppers add a different touch of mild heat too. My favorite flavor here is the chimichrri sauce in the front of the plate because it’s very bright and flavorful. Again a tasty vegetable plate….Not too much POW or General Tso to it but tasty and nicely prepared.

We also shared the Avocado Mofongo FT Jerk Jackfruit.

This is fried plantain that’s mashed with seasoning avocado It’s topped with pineapple corn relish, and Caribbean style jerk jackfruit. This was the most seasoned of the dishes we tried. It’s mildly spicy. To me its very mild to be jerk jackfruit but its an approachable tasty vegan dish.

Nicely prepared vegetables of different inspirations.

Worthy of a try!

That was my trip to Verdura Plant Based Eatery in Phoenix.

www.VerduraPhx.com

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

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Chino Bandido in Phoenix AZ – 90,000 Chinese/Mex Combos MOST are less than $10.00 each

Chino Bandido is a casual unique one of a kind restaurant located in North Phoenix Arizona. According to Food Network Chino Bandido is a Top Place to Eat. Chef Guy Fieri of Food Network said about Chino Bandido, “One of the most original on DDD.” (Food Network TV Show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives). You might be wondering??????….WTFork is Chino Bandito anyway?

Chino Bandido is a casual restaurant that serves a disjointed mashup of Chinese type food, Mexican-ish Food and Jamaican Jerk Chicken that comes to you in a foil pan plus more!. You have many choices when ordering. You have according to Food Network 90,000 choices. Chino Bandido offers 14 different entrees. You pick either one entree ($7.35) or a combo with two entrees ($8.90). The single entree comes with white rice. Whatever entree you pick you can add on to roll your entree into a burrito (.85 cents) or make it into quesadilla (.85 cents). The two entree combo comes with white rice and your choice of black beans or refried beans. You have your choice to upgrade the rice to plain fried rice (.85 cents), chicken fried rice (.85 cents) or jerk chicken fried rice (.85 cents). Prices are subject to change…

The entrees you get to pick from are -carnitas, chile relleno, Chinese bbq pork, egg foo yung, gringo chicken, hengrenade chicken, jade red chicken, Jen red pork, jerk chicken, emerald chicken, teriyaki chicken, veggies (basically a salad), pollo diablo, machaca. Somehow all the different combinations imaginable add up to 90,000 different plates.

Now you sort of understand……..Here’s how it goes! You walk in and wait in line.

You look up at all the different choices and wait till it’s your turn to order.

The person at the counter is helpful and walks you threw ordering. They also offer samples. You can fill out a sheet for your order but unless you’ve done it before it is too easy to FORK it up so you are better off if you let the person at the counter take your order.

Here’s the other ordering counter with a view of the kitchen…they have two lines. You pay here and they take your name. You get your drink and plastic silverware and seat yourself.

Maybe by the Bandido Panda Cowboy Mascot?………Chino Bandido himself?

Or by the fresco on the wall.

It’s not a fancy place but HEY…it’s not a fancy food place either…..but they do have an oil painting by the condiments of an Asian Panda eating a quesadilla from a big pan of food.

Soon someone runs our food out and calls our name.

My husband gets his pan.

He got a carnitas burrito, emerald chicken, jerk fried rice and black beans. He’s a fan! He said the carnitas burrito is really good and the white meat emerald chicken is moist and flavorful. He likes the black beans and said they are very tasty and of course he likes the jerk fried rice.

I got the Chile Relleno and hengrenade chicken with white rice and vegetables.

GOD this is a Forking ENORMOUS plate of food for only $8.90 and it comes with a fresh baked snickerdoodle cookie. The Chile Relleno is an Anaheim Chile Pepper that is stuffed with gooey melted cheeses. The coating is very unusual……The menu says its breaded and the coating appears to be made of LOTS of broken saltine crackers.

The hengranade Chicken is sliced chicken thigh that is spiced up and a little smoky. It’s very flavorful and moist but lacks sauce or something like sautĆ©ed vegetables to go with it. Perhaps the hengranade is a flavor that’s best for quesadillas?……….Or maybe better with beans to add that something I’m missing here. Got a mountain of white rice and a whole field of salad with fresh broccoli, and some pico de gallo. The salad is also served unadorned (with out a sauce) I was really hungry when we got here….Was only able to eat maybe half of everything. It’s quite a value. I think this plate is two dinners for most people.

We shared one of the cookies.

The snickerdoodle is large, but tasty.

Checked out The Great Wall of Chino when we left.


YEE HA!

That was my Trip to Chino Bandido! Fast food priced and better quality, value and taste than fast food!

www.ChinoBandido.com

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

The Forking Truth

www.FoodNetwork.com

2nd Trip to D&Y Chinese in Glendale AZ was NOT Fintastic

Rock Fish

D&Y Chinese Restaurant is located in an older strip mall in Glendale.

They serve Chinese Take Out Food and also a Chinese Menu of Canton and Mandarin Foods that include fresh live fish. It’s not a fancy place. On both of my visits the dining room is partially used for a storage room.

On my last visit I enjoyed a fresh killed tilapia. It was prepared to perfection and it was so fresh it melted in my mouth. It didn’t even seem like tilapia and even seemed like a more expensive fish. We also had a Black Pepper Beef Dish that was ok but chewy. On my last visit the fresh fish was the sweet spot here.

Tilapia
Black Pepper Beef

I decided to try fish again….I remembered from my last visit all the fish offered were extremely reasonable in price and varied from under ten dollars a pound to $15.99 a pound so I didn’t even question the price when I ordered the rock fish. Last years fish prices were crab $15.99 lb, tilapia $8.99lb. striped bass $10.99lb and red grouper $15.99lb. Last year I had to go with tilapia because it was the only live fish left. I was so thrilled to get rock fish because it’s a general name for fish that hide in rocks. Many different fish are considered to be rock fish….I know that grouper and striped bass can go as rock fish.

The fish price board wasn’t posted this time. (insert shark music like from the movie Jaws here)

I thought that it was odd that after I ordered the owner steps out from the kitchen at just stares at me………for a few seconds……and doesn’t say anything. Did he want to say something to me? ….. Then he goes back into the kitchen……

In reasonable time our vegetable dish comes out……The Shiitake with Asian Greens.

Shiitake with Asian Greens

This dish looks GREAT until I try to eat some………..The vegetables are in a sauce that is unusual in texture……….actually frightening in texture…….This is not a dish that we can eat because of the sauce………This might be a food that most Americans won’t eat……….and perhaps is for an inquired taste………It’s slimier than I can ever describe………..It might be great dish if you are accustomed to eating this sort of food…..But to me and my husband it was like snot mixed with a rubbery glue…..it has a frightful amount of boing to it like it’s shapeshifting………maybe Odo from Deep Space 9 is in here.

Now to the fish…….

Rock Fish…that didn’t rock my world.

I have no idea what went wrong here……..because anytime I ever ordered fresh killed fish anywhere the fish always came out really awesome……..The rock fish they served me came out very rubbery and tough……It was next to impossible to eat…..I think I pulled off maybe two ounces of flesh…..It didn’t taste so good either….It didn’t seem spoiled….but it also wasn’t sweet and mild either….and certainly didn’t flake at all………it was like rubber……..So sad….This fish died in vain…..I thought my husband might lose it as he gets very grumpy when he is hungry……..We also were having our meal extra late today and he was starving when we got here….. I was going to tell the owner how it was when he came around… Even though I do have a very strong fear of doing that because I have worked in restaurants and witnessed things that cooks do to food on re-fires…………When the man that I’m guessing was the owner walked by our table to ask how things were- ………… I couldn’t help it and made a face and probably rolled my eyes when he asked……………I was about to say something…….But my husband wanted him to leave, spoke up and just said, “ok” and the owner left real fast………………..

Our server didn’t ask how things were…..Our plates she removed were full of most of the food she served. She did ask if we wanted boxes but we declined.

When my husband got the bill he almost exploded.

Now be real people………From a place like this…..

Would you expect them to charge you $89.10 for a plate of rubbery tough fish that doesn’t even come with rice?

It was before tax and tip $116.13 all we ordered was fish, a vegetable plate and an iced tea and $89.10 was for the rubbery tough fish. I felt FORKING Bamboozled.

My husband would have complained about the fish if he knew how much they’d charge us for it…..He later was sorry that he didn’t complain. But on the other side it is expected that a meal that you pay for should be executed to at least technically passable.

I know now that in the end it is MY FAULT for not asking for the price of the fish.

We left hungry and with a much lighter wallet now.

I’m not a writer I just tell The Forking Truth.

My 2nd trip to D&Y Chinese was not Fintastic this time.

My 2nd Trip to D&Y Chinese in Glendale AZ was also NOT Worth a Fork!

NOT WORTH A FORK!

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

The Forking Truth

First Taste at Singh Meadows in Tempe AZ- Worth a Fork! Stunning Farm Fresh Vegetables

Singh Meadows is an actual farm with a little cafe that serves breakfast/lunch on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. They serve a weekly changing limited menu that is about eighty percent vegetarian.

You wait in line to order.

There are a few tables inside and a long high top table with a window that views a kitchen.

On the day of my visit they offered eleven menu items that are mostly vegetarian. One menu meat offering is masala spiced pork sausage and the other meat offering is Korean Style stew beef.

At the end of the line we pay and are told it will be around a twenty minute wait for our name to be called.

There are many seating options. It’s a very nice day today and nobody is sitting inside today. There’s a patio.

There’s lots of outside options. You also have the option of borrowing a blanket and finding your own spot in the meadow or by a duck pond.

I picked this charming table.

Around twenty minutes or so our name is called so we go to the pick up table.

We decided to share three plates and they all are very large. We start with the one that needs to be eaten hot….The Korean Beef Stew.

It’s a colorful bowl filled with all kinds of things. It’s mostly assorted vegetables and potatoes that are topped with sunny side up crisp edged eggs. The bowl is garnished with very crunchy rice crackers and underneath everything is a good amount of tender like butter stew beef. It’s slightly spicy and much more delicate with flavors than I imagined it would be. It’s a perfect beef stew.

Next we share the Swiss Chard Falafel Sandwich.

It’s a very large sandwich on a high quality crusty bun. It’s made with a very tasty sweet heirloom tomato, lacy greens, feta cheese, carrot raita and it’s served with a detailed grain salad. Everything is delicious! This vegetarian sandwich is also very hardy and can please a meat eater.

The Beet Toast was maybe the most stunning plate.

It’s pretty enough to be a picture!

All kinds of beets here. Raw, cooked, pickled and in cream cheese. It’s topped with what I believe to be fruity raisin-ee slightly spicy urfa pepper. The almonds and avocado go surprisingly well with beets. The plate is garnished with a couple fresh green beans. The green beans are unlike any green bean I’ve ever tasted before…they are so tender and so Forking sweet….Nothing like the woody ones I buy from the supermarket. This all rest on top of high quality grilled country bread.

Finish up by packing up a few things and walking around the market.

Lots of beautiful beets and farm eggs.

Beautiful assortment of breads.

Beans, dukkah seasoning, pastas.

All kinds of goodies here…pickled vegetables, hot sauces, desserts and more.

Hierloom vegetables.

There was so much to see and taste.

It all was just so beautiful and stunning. What a perfect place to entertain out of town guest…..or to celebrate a special occasion lunch….Or just have a nice day out….

That was my trip to Singh Meadows in Tempe AZ.

Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.SinghMeadowsTempe.com

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

The Forking Truth

Confluence Restaurant in Carefree AZ – Always Worth a Fork! Astonishing Masterfully Crafted Foods

Confluence is a small casual but upscale restaurant located in beautiful Carefree Arizona. They offer Painstakingly detailed farm to table elevated modern cuisine.

The atmosphere is classic with modern touches.

Seating is available at traditional tables, the bar or on the patio with mountain views.

Tonight they started us off with delicious crusty complimentary house made country bread with house made black pepper and lemon ricotta cheese.

We picked a cold appetizer of Ceviche.

The Ceviche was very unique and full of delicious changing flavors with different textures. It was made with a mild New Zealand Fish with black garlic, yucca, black beans, cilantro, onions that were turned into crisps, avocado, tomato and guajillo chili.

Next we shared the Sweet Potato Ravioli.

Wow! What an amazing dish. Even the radicchio is ridiculously DELICIOUS….I really had no idea how it was made to taste so good..The waitress told me that the radicchio was cooked with red wine and brown sugar….who knew…? Same thing with the leeks….they taste better than leeks…I should have asked how they make leeks taste that good. Everything on the plate was better than very good…it astonishingly spectacular food………This plate was pure bliss.

I had the Red Sea Bream with moscato raisin, turnip, jicama, haricot vert, meyer lemon and gnocchi.

Not only is this a stunning plate visually……..The Flavors are mind-blowing. The fish is perfect and seasoned perfect. The little green things are the green beans…….They aren’t like anything I can describe…….They almost pop or burst in the mouth with this most amazing slightly sweet pickled kind of taste that is very complex….And then when you hit another vegetable it just adds another interesting layer. Then there are the gnocchi….They really do melt in your mouth…They have a toasted exterior and inside is just melty cheesy goodness.

My husband had the Grilled Pork Tenderloin, pork ragout, pine nut, beet, polenta, bacon.

My husband just kept saying, “this is really good!” and “This guy can really cook!”

Dessert is just as great as the food courses so you have to get dessert.

Was torn between all four offerings but went with the one called Peanut.

It’s a mix of all kinds of things Peanut, Strawberry and Port. There’s semifreddo, brittle, fresh strawberries, crunchy strawberries, cold smooth peanuts, peanut crunch, peanut dust…the port….every bite taste different.

Service was friendly and efficient!

Dinner at Confluence really is like from another planet delicious….The way things get transformed into mind-blowing is thrilling! It seems like magic!

Confluence is always Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.RestaurantConfluence.com

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

Some prior dishes from Confluence

This Chicken Sandwich was MIND-Blowing like from another planet!
This Eggplant was also amazing

Snapper
Duck
Monk Fish
Guinea Hen
Fruit Granite
The Forking Truth

My Trip to Monroe’s Hot Chicken Restaurant in Phoenix AZ

Monroe’s Hot Chicken is Phoenix’s first Hot Chicken Restaurant. They describe their chicken as Nashville Style. According to the Nashville Coalition that means the chicken is fried and coated in a dry spicy sauce made with oil or fat. The Chicken should be very hot but also very flavorful and is typically served with white bread and dill pickles. Monroe’s Hot Chicken offers their chicken as a boneless breast sandwich, a boneless breast waffle sandwich or chicken tenders with fries. The chicken is offered in southern style (no heat) mild, hot, extra hot and the hottest as shut da cluck. They also offer sides, desserts, milk shakes and more. This is a casual small restaurant that’s artsy, gangster industrial style.

Al Capone also known as Scarface……….

…..Inside is busy and energetic with loud music.

As you enter you are welcomed from the kitchen. Next you order at the counter via a computer screen. Workers are there to guild you.

You grab your drink and pick a seat.

Light Rail is passing threw

You name gets called by someone with a microphone.

Order on the right….Pick up is on the left.

We split a few things and start with a Hot Chicken Sandwich Extra Hot. It served in a deep open box with paper wrap.

Here’s my half.

The sandwich is served on a soft shiny roll with aioli fresh slaw and pickles. On first bite the sandwich doesn’t seem spicy but the spice does build to spicy. The chicken has a little crisp to it but the chicken is not bad at all but slightly dry today. It’s a tasty sandwich. It’s a GOOD sandwich as far as Chicken sandwiches go but the chicken breast is not as developed with flavors as some of the other Nashville Hot Chickens I’ve tried that include Hattie B’s. (I do note that it’s a possible opening hiccup and it could be my luck I hit them when the kitchen isn’t in the rhythm yet…..or forgot to marinate or whatever)

We also shared the Chicken and Waffle Sandwich in the Shut da Cluck Hottest Heat Level.

Comes with a side of maple syrup

Here’s my half.

1/2 Shut The Cluck Chicken Waffle Sandwich

It is HOT….nose running hot…It’s builds to burning hot…..maybe nuclear…..a little past my comfort zone……There is an earthy flavor I didn’t pick up in the extra hot sandwich……..chicken breast meat is the same as the other chicken and is slightly overcooked.(a little dry)……chicken meat seems sort of plain. It sounds crazy but I think that warm spice could it be cumin??????……or maybe the spices are so toasted and I think I taste cumin??????…….. Waffles are tasty but are less cooked than I’m used too. To me the extra hot taste better than the Shut da Cluck…..I’m not a big fan of whatever that warm spice was.

We also shared one side and tried the Macaroni and Cornbread.

Fresh Herb topped creamy cheesy macaroni and cheese mixed with sweet corn bread. Different really different. I never tasted a macaroni and cheese that had a sweet salty thing going on. The macaroni was softer than I’m used to but I thought the flavors were very good. Fresh herbs added a nice freshness to it.

There are a few things that you might want to know before you try Monroe’s Hot Chicken. They are in downtown Phoenix and do not have street parking or a parking lot. You might consider using a parking garage at $4.00 an hour or hop on the Phoenix Light Rail and get there that way. Another thing you might want to know is when you order there are tipping options. The lowest easy to see option is an 18% tip (ours was $6.45 on $33.00 before tax). Normally I always leave at least 20% but here there isn’t wait service. YOU ring up your order and YOU pick up your food……so that means you are tipping the kitchen. One might prefer to leave a cash tip in the tip jar.

That was my trip to Monroe’s Hot Chicken in Phoenix.

I haven’t found a website for Monroe’s Hot Chicken but you can find them on Facebook.

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

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Chula Seafood – Fresh Fish Market and Restaurant – Uptown Phoenix AZ – AnyFIN is possible!

Chula Seafood is a high quality family owned casual seafood market and eatery. They have three locations……They have one in San Diego California and two in Arizona. One in south Scottsdale and a shiny newly opened location in Phoenix.***** Any “Fin” is possible!**** The ownership are very passionate about fishing. They hand harpoon swordfish and line catch other fish in San Diego and drive it back to Arizona for us to enjoy! The Phoenix location is larger with a larger kitchen so they are able to offer a larger menu of “Fintastic” things.

Today you can “Trout” yourself to something “Fintastic”
Plenty of “oppor-TUNA-ties” here!
You might even become a “prawn” again Christian…………..only “sqidding”
“O-Fish-al” fish line.

You start off by standing in line, order at the counter, grab a number and seat yourself at a table.

We shared two plates.

Smoked Fish Plate. ($25.00)

One 1/2 of the everything biscuit arrived with what looks like a missing bite….????? Wish I got a whole 1/2 and wished that this one went to “Salmon”-else.

The Chef’s Choice Smoked Fish today were salmon, salmon pastrami and trout. The plate also came with deviled egg mousse, pickled jalapeƱos, caramelized onions, chow chow, hot/sweet mustard, jalapeƱo jelly and an everything biscuit (that looks like it was bait for a fish. I have to be Forking honest here……You know this is The Forking Truth……….The sides are original and different. I think they are nice……even the everything biscuit with a fish bite. But the actual smoked fish I got on our tray were all dry….and not succulent…..These pieces of fish are like the type you add mayonnaise to become smoked fish dip. I also think the portion was on the small side compared to smoked fish plates I got from other Metro Phoenix Restaurants pictured below.

From Ocotillo in Phoenix. The Smoked Salmon $18.00 – Fish was succulent, moist and delicious!
from Scott’s Generations in Phoenix. The Smoked Fish Plate $20.00. Sturgeon, salmon belly and whitefish – all were moist and delicious.

Oddly nobody asked us how things were…..I noticed everyone around were asked. ?????

ANYWAYS….

We also shared the Tuna Confit Sandwich ($15.00) with Moroccan Carrot Salad.

The sandwich is described as Chula Albacore confit, greens, gardiniera, smoked paprika aioli, avocado on grilled Noble Bread.

I “Porpoise-ly” ordered this sandwich because I was convinced that this same sandwich I had at the original location was made incorrectly. I was right. To cut the story as much as possible our order at the other location was lost and they rushed out the sandwich with the driest tuna ever………….I am happy to report that this sandwich was a great improvement from my first Chula Tuna Confit sandwich……My husband and I both think they left out the gardiniera (opening hiccups) today but still we were happy that it was a tasty sandwich. The Moroccan Carrot Salad was made of deeply charred carrots and onions, peppers with raisins and was slightly scented. Here’s a close up of the carrots.

Afterwards I purchased some Black Cod to have for dinner. WOW! it “Cod”d’t be any better! The cod was Forking “FINTASTIC!” Never had Black Cod that was this melt in your mouth before.

That was my trip to Chula Seafood – Uptown Phoenix.

The Market is certainly Worth a Fork!

Any “FIN” is possible!

The Market is a true gem! Worth a Fork!

www.ChulaSeafood.com

EVERY FORKING THING is subject to change and your experience may or may NOT differ.

The Forking Truth