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.
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.
Chilli King is a tiny postage stamp sized family ran Asian Take out restaurant located in Glendale a couple miles from Old Town Glendale. This restaurant is mainly for take out but does have four small tables inside that are for dining in. They offer a mostly American – Chinese Take Out menu with some other Asian additions like Thai coconut curry, Korea spicy chicken, Singapore rice noodles, fried eggs and tomato, and spicy boiled beef or chicken. Soft bottled and canned beverages are available. There is also a children’s menu of orange chicken and honey sesame chicken.
pretty much the whole inside
We ordered and I was told that I can upgrade my steamed rice to fried rice or chow mein. So. we picked one of each so we could try them…….Latter I read on the menu that steamed vegetables are an upgrade too! We paid at the front desk and sat ourselves at one of the tables.
Shortly our food arrived safely packed.
We tried the crispy chicken dumplings.
They were tasty and didn’t seem greasy at all and came with dumpling sauce for dipping.
My husband tried Szechuan beef.
The beef is tender and is developed with flavors…..It is a little spicy but not nearly as spicy as the Korea spicy chicken.
This is very spicy and delicious…..(also an ultra large portion………)
Here is the fried rice and chow mein.
The chow mein is extra mild so it can go with everything. The fried rice has a good amount of egg in it and is accented with a few peas here and there…..it’s a little different…..maybe a little tomato-ee?
We went back and ordered some take out.
Take out has some rules here that might not be explained to you………..They don’t start making your order till you pay……That means if you are are doing take out you need to pay by credit card…..Or you will have to wait a half hour or so if you pay by cash when you get there.
Everything was very flavorful and delicious!….The portions were extra-super large…….You. get two thru more servings…………The spicy boiled chicken was very spicy and really great! It was far better and far more spicy than the last one I had at Mekong Plaza somewhere. (But I think the owner at Mekong mellowed it down when he looked at me……IDW that happens… but that kind of thing has happened to me several times)……I guess I just look like a person that can’t handle spice and heat…..Or maybe the type of person that would complain about spice and heat???????????
I have to say Chilli King Asian Food is Worth a Fork! Everything was very flavorful and they offer the Ultra Spicy! Prices are low and portions run extra large.
Worth A Fork!
www.ChilliKing.US
4721 W Olive Ave Glendale AZ
623-440-1900
I do note that hours on their website and hours on menu do differ both are different and do differ from actual hours….It seems that they did change their hours a few times. I recommend to call them for their hours. At the time of my visit they open at 1:00 every day.
Wren & Wolf Restaurant is located in Downtown Phoenix Arizona. It’s a very swanky spacious restaurant that serves craft cocktails and food.
It’s a mix of fancy and rich inside accented with taxidermy and paintings of wolves and wren and has a sort of retro feel.
We try craft cocktails called Fredricksons.
It has one single large ice cube. This is really strong but very smooth and not sweet. It’s the type of drink that might make you sprout hair on your chest. It’s made of rye, vermouth, Alpine & French liqueurs, saline, and citrus smoke.
For dining we started with the full bread service and stuffed peppadew peppers.
On the top tier are small puffy cheesy pao de queyo breads (Brazilian cheese breads). They are nice and light and go with the truffle butter in the fancy egg shaped container. I’ve had Brazilian cheese breads before and these are much puffier and lighter. There also is sweet chili butter in the ramekin that goes with the bing bread (flat breads……the bing bread today is a little too greasy for me) On the lower level and on the right side is a generous amount of fresh grilled local Noble Bread that is very good. This really is too much for two people but it’s a treat and we don’t mind bringing the leftovers home.
The stuffed peppadews are really great with all kinds of flavors and textures dancing around in your mouth. The peppers are stuffed with local Crow’s Dairy goat cheese. Charred romesco, Marcona almonds and local citrus enhance the plate.
For dinner I tried the wild Tasmanian salmon.
The salmon is prepared a tad over done but is reasonably well prepared. It’s a little different with bitter arugula, curry finagling potatoes and finished with serrano lime glaze. They must have accidentally gave me extra potatoes….They sure are way more than I can eat. I didn’t mind bringing them home for another time.
My husband tried the dry aged meatloaf and they were nice enough to let him substitute their mac’n’cheese for the buttermilk mashed potatoes that are normally served wit it.
Great Swap!!!! That macaroni and cheese is really very good! I was told that the meatloaf had a really great sauce one it……but it was an off day for meatloaf because my husband said that its was the driest meatloaf that he has ever tried…….The management apologized sincerely and made things right with us the best that they could.
Tonight I really. didn’t have room for dessert but. the manager insisted that we try one. The house specialty dessert is a bourbon butter cake with lots of ultra rich toppings, like cream cheese frosting, bourbon caramel, bananas foster, and candied pecans…… that might be delicious and did sound hard to pass up…….We tried the lime tart that seemed a little lighter and refreshing.
This lime tart really is VERY GOOD and is among the better lime tarts that I have tried. It’s not too heavy or too sweet with a nice bright lime taste. It also has a very tasty pecan crust.
That was a little taste of Wren and Wolf Restaurant in Downtown Phoenix AZ
www.WrenandWolf.com
2 N Central Ave Phoenix AZ
602-562-3510
You can get validated parking at Renaissance Square Garage on 1st Ave
Hula’s Modern Tiki Restaurant is a Tiki Bar type restaurant with three locations. They have two locations in Phoenix and one location in Scottsdale. The North Phoenix location on High Street by Desert Ridge has an indoor outdoor bar and wrap around patio and is casual and airy inside.
Natural light come in the glass front during the day. You also get a view of the farmers market on Sundays.
They offer and all day menu and the weekend brunch menu. Both menus offer starters, sides, bowls, tacos, burgers, and sandwiches. The all day menu offers more starters like ceviche, poke, and wings. fresh fish, jerk plates, and Hawaiian kalbi ribs.
I tried the spicy Thai chicken bowl.
I received a generous amount of sliced chicken breast, fresh shredded cabbage, creamy fried plantains, beans, avocado, soy glaze and Thai Sauce. I was surprised that this wasn’t spicy. The sauce today doesn’t taste Thai to me but does have something soy or soy sauce like in it. This dish is not for me and I would not order this again but have heard that this dish has been a beloved favorite from this restaurant for over twelve years. I did enjoy the plantains….they had a nice creamy texture and a natural sweetness to them. They seemed less starchy than others I’ve had.
My husband enjoyed the hunkin Samoa burger. he did much better than me.
This burger came with jack cheese, fried Spam, linguisa sausage (he said it was very good), sunny side up egg, and Hula sauce (ketchup, mayo, ginger, other ingredients).
That was my trip to Hula’s Modern Tiki in North Phoenix.
Lutong Bahay Filipino Asian Restaurant & Minimart is located in Glendale Arizona. It’s very casual here because the restaurant food is served cafeteria style. Maybe your not so familiar with Filipino food? You should not be afraid to try something…..Filipino food is all inspirations from multiple cultures such as Spanish, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and American.
You decide if you want one, two, or three entrees (prices are subject to change but on my visit they were one entree $6.75, two entree $8.99 and three entree $14.99)
On our visit we couldn’t see the food because all the pans were covered. They do have names of the dishes written on the clear plastic sneeze guard in front of the pans. Most of the names of the dishes I wasn’t familiar with so you ask for the type of meat that you are interested in such as fish, chicken, beef, or pork…..and you get your choices that way.
Today my first choice was something chicken….They only had one chicken dish today. She lifted the lid so I could see it. It looked like chicken rice soup. I was in the mood for something different and I went with the fried tilapia.
I have no idea on how they make any money selling me this for only $6.75. The fish is seasoned nice and it doesn’t even seem fried. It’s not oily at all. The rice seems fresh made.
My husband tried the dinoguan (beef) and pork adobo with two scoops of rice $8.99.
The meats are both succulent and tender….They are both good but kind of plain and very mildly seasoned……
We walked around a little to check out some of the groceries.
They have a bit more than I photographed…Frozen meats, fish, packaged goods.
That was my trip to Luton Bahay Filipino-Asian Restaurant & Minimart in Glendale AZ. Lowest dining prices in town! My whole fish with a scoop of rice was only $6.75! That’s cheaper than fast food! Go here instead!
NoRa Asian Fresh is a fast growing chain of fast/casual restaurants that offer limited sushi, American Chinese and other bowls, ramen, Asian Entrees, soft beverages, and more. At the moment (subject to change soon) there are around a dozen locations of NoRa Asian Fresh in the valley and two locations in Texas.
It’s very casual here. You order at the counter and seat yourself.
A few minutes latter our order arrives.
We tried a nigiri combo (It’s tuna and salmon at this location)
nigiri combo
The fish is clean and fresh tasting today! The rice under the fish holds together very well without falling apart. The wasabi paste is a bit on the dry side. You have to add the wasabi paste under the fish if you like it seasoned that way.
We also shared a tuna lover roll (spicy tuna topped with fresh tuna)
tuna lover roll (spicy tuna topped with fresh tuna
It’s mildly spicy. The rice holds together very well and doesn’t come apart. They don’t have chopsticks here so you have to pick up pieces with a fork. The tuna doesn’t look like hand cut tuna?????? I’ve never seen tuna cut so perfect before. Looks like it was cut on a slicer but I don’t know how they did it.
We also tried a chicken egg roll and chicken dumplings.
chicken egg roll and chicken dumplings
We both didn’t care for the egg roll or either of the dipping sauces. The chicken dumpling were fried nicely but were just ok.
While the sushi we tried is not high end sushi it was fresh and clean tasting. There is something to be said for that! Many of the sushi restaurants in this area didn’t serve me sushi as fresh tasting. So this seems to be a quick low priced option.
That is a little taste of NoRa Asian Fresh in North Phoenix.
www.NoraAsainFresh.com (locations differ slightly with prices and menu items)
