My Favorite Foods: Indian Cuisine

For this entry, I wanted to experiment with multimedia, so I decided to make a small video. I know some of my viewers have short attention spans, and rather see pictures than read (haha). I typically use programs like iMovie, so I felt very limited using Windows Movie Maker. I hope to do more video projects in the future, but for now, here is my Indian food experience:

List of Indian restaurants I’ve been to, featured in the video: 

Laxmi’s Indian Grille – 4425 Main Street Philadelphia, PA

Nanee’s Kitchen – 12th and Arch Philadelphia, PA

New Delhi Indian Restaurant – 4004 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA

Shere-E-Punjab – 208 West state street Media, PA

My Favorite Foods: Thai Cuisine

Siamese Princess

If someone asked me to name my favorite foods of all time, like yourself, I would hesitate at first. However, I would be able to name my favorite food cuisines. Hands down, I would choose Thai, Malaysian, and Indian food. This entry will be part of a three-part series, “My Favorite Foods,” in which I feature a few restaurants that I’ve visited recently, all Thai, Indian, and Malaysian.

First up, Thai food. From a very young age, I had always loved what I thought to be Chinese food, only to find out that it was really watered down, American-Chinese. Growing up in a diverse community on the outskirts of Philadelphia, I grew accustomed to different types of food. As I mentioned, American-Chinese food was the closest thing I had to being cultured. Needless to say, I had a lot to learn and much more to eat! Thinking back to my teenage years, Thai food was probably a catalyst for what currently could be described as an eclectic palate.

So, what do I like about Thai food?

Simply, everything! From its colorful dishes, which prove both tasty and healthy, to its variety of ingredients piled onto one plate, Thai cuisine has something for everyone, even the picky eaters. It only makes sense that a cuisine that has been influenced by so much culture, would blossom the way it did. Thai food has been shaped by the cooking of various neighboring countries, such as Burma, China, Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia. It has even been touched by cooking traditions found in India. For instance, look at a menu of any local Thai restaurant. You will find many dishes serving different types of curry. This is not to say that Thai cuisine is the same as Indian, or the other aforementioned cultures. No, Thai food is very unique in itself. If you have not tried it, I encourage you to do so. Here are some places I’ve had the pleasure of visiting!

Image 1 - Vegetable Pad Thai (Little Thai Market)

Image 2 - Massaman Curry (Siamese Princess)

Image 3 - Drunken Noodle (Siamese Princess)

Overall, I’ve discovered that Thai food can be very inexpensive. One of the cheapest eats that I came across on my journey, was Little Thai Market, which is located at the Reading Terminal in Center City Philadelphia. If you’re looking for a good lunch to fill you up, I recommend this “little” place. On an average of $6 per meal, their portions outweigh the price, and their ingredients are very fresh. Depending on the time of day, expect a line. This is a very popular spot!

Another aspect of Thai food that I enjoy, are the vegetarian options. Although I am not a full-fledged vegetarian, still eating poultry and seafood, there are numerous meatless dishes. Other traditional dishes that use meat, can often be substituted with tofu, such as Pad Thai, a favorite mine (Image 1).

Do you like rice dishes? Try Thai! Siamese Princess, in Ardmore, PA has a delicious dish, Massaman Curry with tofu and vegetables (Image 2). What about noodles? Try Thai! Drunken Noodle, a stir fried rice noodle dish with exotic flavor, will put your local Lo Mein to shame (Image 3). Even if you’re just looking for something light, there are many delicious Thai soups. One of my favorites, is a shrimp coconut soup that Little Thai Market offers.

If you’re looking for other amazing Thai restaurants in the area, view my list below. You will not be disappointed!

Heng’s Thai – (1156 Baltimore Pike – Springield, PA)

Nooddi-Thai Chef (42 East State Street – Media, PA)

Pattaya Thai Cuisine – (4006 Chestnut St – Philadelphia, PA)

Mikado – – Thai Pepper – (64 East Lancaster Avenue Ardmore, PA)

La Crêperie Café

Voilà. This quaint spot, which prides itself with having the “finest crêpes in town,” is located at 1722 Sansom Street in the Center City section of Philadelphia. A restaurant that went unnoticed to me for several months, sparked my interest the second I received a Groupon offer for $15 for $30 worth of French inspired cuisine. Needless to say, with such a bargain, this place was worth giving a chance.

Upon entering the location on a Tuesday evening, I noticed very few people dining in. I would learn later on that this observation could be evidence of a restaurant lacking a strong presence. First, the food I had at La Crêperie Café was not bad. In fact, my entree, La Rebelle, was scrumptious. A pizza like crepe with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and an assortment of vegetables, La Rebelle served as a good introductory dish for those who may be a little hesitant about the foreign taste of the menu.

La Rebelle

Foreign indeed. Keep in mind that La Crêperie Café’s menu, aside from meal descriptions, is in French. So if your high school knowledge of the language is a little rusty, the majority of the appetizers, entrees, and desserts will be hard to pronounce.

Nutella et Coco

To accompany my savory crêpe, I also had the Soup Campagnarde. Served in a wide, plate-like bowl, this soup included leeks, carrots, asparagus and potatoes. I noticed while eating, some additional seasonings in the dish that made it a bit overwhelming. If you’re looking for a starter to your meal, I would pass on this one, unless you’re a fan of austere soups. To finish the meal, I tried one of many sweet crêpes the restaurant had to offer. Nutella et Coco, a light dessert stuffed with the famous hazelnut spread and coconut, was simple, but delectable. Not too heavy on the nutella, but enough just to blend nicely with the coconut shreds, Nutella et Coco was another winner.

The food that La Crêperie Café had to offer was good overall, but it was the service that stumped me. As I mentioned earlier, the atmosphere was quiet. After being seated, our waiter disappeared for almost ten minutes, with no one else to ask us if we wanted a beverage. First strike. When our food was finally delivered, the waiter neglected to place the food directly onto the table. In fact, we were expected to retrieve everything from his hands. At one point, he waited for a few seconds as we looked in confusion. Fortunately our plates were not too hot! Second strike!

So, there was no third strike, but the the first two gave me reasons to not return to La Crêperie Café. Besides the poor service, the prices did not match up to what I would expect for the portions we received. If you’re a fan of crêpes and see a coupon floating around on the web, give it a shot as I did. Maybe you’ll receive better service, but hey, C’est la vie.