Phở Như Vũ - That's Vietnamese for "Noodle Soup"

Honestly, I have no idea what it means, I just know that Phở Như Vũ is the (relatively) new Vietnamese restaurant in Bear, Delaware. I find some sense of irony that it is sandwiched in between a China Buffet and a Hibachi grill. The first thing that struck me walking in was that there were many Asian costumers in the building, something you'll never see inside of a China House #1. Sir Forksalot and I grabbed a table next to the window, and the perky waitress promptly brought us a pot of tea.




The menu isn't very Americanized. Read: For those ignorant of Vietnamese cusine like yours truly, you'll need to rely on your waitress and fellow diners to point you in the right direction. At the incouragment of the couple next to us, we tried #5 Grilled Beef Wrapped with Grape Leaves $5.95 for an appetizer. The #5 is served with a sweet and sour dip that is very similair (if not just a slightly more watery version) of the dip served at Tasti Thai. The grape leaves are covered with crunchy peanut bits. The beef is saturated with flavor, and surprisingly tender. The production is an interesting combination and reminds me very much of the greek dolmades. I enjoyed the way the delicate sweetness of the peanuts contrasted with the more robust flavor of the beef.


For our main entrees, we shared #20 Grilled Chicken & Eggroll $7.95 and #31 Steak & Brisket Pho. I also had a #89 Strawberry Pearl Smoothie.



I tried the Steak & Brisket Pho first. A huge bowl of Pho was placed infront of me, the broth steaming into my nostrils was full of the smell of fresh herbs and vegtables. It smelled fresh and delicious. I promptly slurped up a noodle so long that the end flew up and hit me in the eye. This is how I learned that the cilantro was indeed very fresh, by the burning sensation in my eye. The soup was surprisingly mellow in flavor, especially when compared to the intense smell. It was easy to imagine eating the soup on a cold winter day with the warmth of the broth and cilantro to warm you up. Sir Forksalot complained that the meat was too fatty, although it did have a good taste. He especially enjoyed the flavor of the broth.

Sir Forksalot had #20 Grilled Chicken and Springroll bowl first. First thing that struck him was the visual appeal of the presentation. He was unprepared for the vermicelli to be cold, however. The bowl is very generous and served with slices of crunchy carrots, beansprouts and cucumbers along with cilantro, red onion slices, and several chunks of marinated chicken breast. The marinade was sweet and the chicken tender. Though all of the flavors in both dishes were very good, they were subtle to the point of being bland. However we both agreed that the waitress may have steered us in this direction because we were obviously new to Vietnamese food. The portions were on the humungus side of big, and we had plenty of leftovers. However I still set some stomach space aside for dessert, in the form of #90 the Flan. While not the best I've had, it was pleasently smooth. Another fine surprise came with the check. The total for two entrees, appitizer, dessert, and fancy drink? $26.85.



All in all, a very pleasent introdution to Vietnamese dining.

Ole Tapas Lounge & Restaurant: Amada of Newark?

Given the recommendation of a friend, Sir Forksalot and I decided to check out Ole Tapas Lounge & Restaurant in Newark, Delaware (pernounced New-Arc, not to be confused with New-werk, NJ). New-Arc is a college town, home to University of Delaware and few thousand obnoxious co-eds who filter out of the bars and into such fine eating establishments as Cluck-U and D.P. Dough. However Newark has aquired several more promising eateries, including Sofrito's and the ultra-hippie delite Home Grown Cafe.

Like many of my favorite places, Ole Tapas doesn't look like much from the outside. Settled into a mini mall next to a income tax place, Ole Tapas looks positively tiny from the outside. Step inside and you'll be surprised by the spacious place, including a lounge area that looks almost too fancy to sully with your drinks. The space is decorated in warm hues of red and clay, splashed with bits of purple and blue. Crescent shaped booths flank the left wall, facing the bar. The booths are comfy, something that my tush values greatly. Our waiter, whose name I did not catch, was polite and attentive. Our waters were never less than half way empty, and any request was met promptly.

They serve a complimentary bread plate, which consists of thinly sliced crusty bread spread with a tomato and pesto. Upon examining their online menu, I believe that it is their Pan Con Tomate. The spread was positively yummy with a strong garlic flavor.

After mulling it over, we decided to go with three Tapas. Setas con Chorizo, Tomate con Cangrejo, Pulpo a la gellega, and Chicken Croquettes. In other words, wild mushrooms and chorizo, crab stuffed mushroom, grilled octopuss with paprika and... chicken croquettes.


From top left: Pulpo a la gellega, Chicken croquettes, and Setas con Chorizo.



Sir Forksalot and I had differing opinions on each tapa, so we'll go one by one.

Pulpo a la gellega: This was a dish I had vied for, and I was rather disappointed. I felt there was a lack of flavor, especially when compared to other things we sampled. The octopus was on melted cheese that I felt over powered the weakly flavored meat. Furthermore, the cheese had a grainy texture to it.

Chicken Croquettes: This was first on Sir Forksalot's list. My biggest complaint was the breading. Between the breading and the oil it was fried in, it reminded me of something you'd get a fastfood joint drive through. The filling was however a cream and smooth mixture of potato and chicken.


Setas con Chorizo: The mushrooms were nice and tender, not cooked till mush or burnt. The flavor was a mixture of garlic, parsley and something stronger I could not identify. The chorizo was tasty, but lacked the ball busting spice I've come to expect in chorizo. The mushrooms were truely exellent, and I could easily see them spread over a fine cut of steak.

Dizzzurt!


Sir Forkalot's after dinner treat. Chocolate stuffed flatbread.



Churros and Spanish Hot Chocolate

Sir Forksalot's dessert we tried first. The chocolate drizzle is a sweet milk chocolate, and the flat bread is stuffed with a very dark chocolate with chopped nuts. The flat bread is crispy and is slightly sweet with a touch of cinnamon. It's absolutely divine.

I'm not saying I enjoyed my dessert best, but I will say that the hot chocolate itself was so delish I wanted to tap a vein and have it flow directly in. My judgment may have been slightly swayed due to the extreme chocolate craving I was under going, however Sir Forksalot agreed that it was spectacular. It was mixture between dark and milk chocolate, sweet but still maintaining the bitterness of dark chocolate. The Churros were crispy on the outside, with a soft sponge cake like consistence inside. Something that caught my attention was the freshness and sharpness of the cinnamon used. Often the cinnamon used to flavor desserts is so weak you wonder what floor it was swept up from.

Ole Tapas Lounge & Restaurant, I dub thee worthy of a return trip. Even if it's only for dessert. MmmMm.

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Ikea Restaurant - I got your swedish meatballs right here, baby.

On a recent trip to everyone's favorite Swedish build-it-yourself furniture store, Sir Forksalot proposed that we sit down to a fancy dinner... at the Ikea cafeteria. Sir Forksalot holds the Ikea cafeteria in high esteem, having been won over years ago when he discovered their breakfast deal: Two eggs, two bacon strips, home fries for $.99.

We each grabbed a tray and went through the cafeteria selecting our dinners. We each got our own entree, shared a bowl of soup and drink, and I had dessert.




Sir Forksalot selected Chicken Marsala over rice with mixed veges. Surprisingly, ordering an Italian dish from a Swedish furniture store doesn't inspire much confidence. However the Chicken Marsala was surprisingly good by my take, better than some I've had at actual Italian establishments. The veges were cooked within an inch of their existence, however. Sir Forksalot proclaimed it not spectacular, but the chicken was tender and tasty. The final word was that it "couldn't be beaten for the price", which sums up this dish. Incidentally, the price was $4.29+tax.

The soup was a hearty vege-lentil mix that I thought was very good, but Sir Forksalot proclaimed it "blah". This recollection is odd, seeing as how I remember him finishing the soup quickly. However, it's my blog not his, so I give it a thumbs up. Soup $1.79 + dinner roll $.35 = Damn fine dinner for roughly $2.




I went with the quintessential Ikea dish, Swedish Meatballs with gravy and mashed potatoes. This is a hearty, stick to your ribs meal that filled me up easily (and then some) with the "small" portion that consists of 10 meatballs. $4.29, and served with a dabbing of their lingonberry sauce. Now while I enjoy lingonberries,at least I do while I'm at Ikea, I have no idea what the hell these things actually are. Are they even an actual berry? Did the Swedes just make this up to screw with us?

For dessert I had the Apple cake, which is absolutely delish. I wish I'd had asked to have it heated, but even cold it was well worth $2.29. I'd actually put this above any of the samplings I've had at the Pinky Rose Pastry shop. The apples still have a bit of crunch to them, and they resist over sweetening them. Instead, they're heavily dosed with cinnamon and a vanilla sauce tops the cake providing much of the sweetness.

Together, we shared a lingonberry/sprite drink at $1.29

All together, including tax, our meal came to about $15.30 for both of us. So although Ikea might not be the world's most memorable dining experience, it is a great place for some good cheap eats.

Ikea Restaurant, giving you fuel for assembling your new entertainment system.

The Factured Prune - Shut your fried cake hole!

During the annual Beach Week (this year hosted by ChopStixx) I got the opportunity to sample several eateries. For the record, The Frogg Pond IS a gay bar, the service there is slower than molasses in winter, and their crabcakes are the salty bits of shit. Claws has the best dinner special in Rehoboth (I'll be reviewing them in a later blog).


There is one place in Rehoboth that I've passed wanted to try for several years now, but always managed to either forget or catch them when they were closed. Just past the turn off for Rehoboth Ave, painted a horrid purple&green and surrounded by flags is the visual assault known as: The Fractured Prune.


Photo Courtesy of Richard Kaszeta, and his food and travel blog Offbeat Eats


If the jarring neon green and grape jelly building doesn't get your attention, the name certainly will. The full story behind the name can be found here, but the summerized version is this: The doughnut shop is named for a Prunella Shriek, a woman who lived in Ocean City, MD during the late 1800's. She competed in dangerous athletic competitions such as skiing and ice skating raced alongside men well into her 70's, often resulting in injuries. As a result, she was dubbed "Fractured Prunella". The Fractured Prune takes it's name from this apt nickname.

I found myself there one morning on my way to soak up the sun. After all, what makes you more ready to slip into your monokini than eating a deep fried circle of dough? Once I made it past the nausea inspiring decor, I saddled up to the counter and found myself viewing a wide variety of glaze and topping options. Unbeknown to me, the Fractured Prune prides itself not only in hot hand dipped doughnuts, but they are also custom made for you with your choice of glazes and toppings. You can also order from a list of specialty doughnuts such as the Blueberry Hill (blueberry glaze, powder sugar) or Chocolate Covered Cherry (cherry glaze, mini chocolate chips).

The clerk greeted me politely and asked if it was my first time. I wasn't quite ready to be on that personal a level with the clerk, but blabbered out "Yes" anyway. A shout of "FIRST TIMER!" cut through the air, and the crew in the kitchen area launched into action. I was more than a bit embarrassed, my Fractured Prune virginity being announced to everyone, but it was made worthwhile when I realized that as a "First Timer" I was entitled to a free doughnut of the day. I knew saving myself for a meaningful fried-dough relationship would pay off.

The sample doughnut I received happened to be one of the doughnuts I was considering ordering, the "Ocean City Sand". It's a cakey doughnut covered with a honey glaze, cinnamon and sugar. They live up to their promise of hot, hand dipped donuts as the O.C. Sand was served warm, the glaze sweet and gooey. It took me several minutes to decide on what to order, but I settled on the French Toast:


Photo Courtesy of the Fractured Prune website.

The clerk took my order and handed me a playing card, the four of diamonds, and told me my card would be called when my order was up. This is kitschy, and we all know I love kitsch. I will take a few moments to bitch though, the location I went to didn't have skim milk, and these donuts are far to heavy to eat with 2%. I settled down and waited for my doughnuts. Blurry photo to follow:



*sigh* I seriously need to keep my digital on me at all times.

The OC Sand was warm and goey, sweet enough to give you diabetes, and heavy as lead. I was only two bites in before my card was called, and my French Toast doughnuts were up.




The French Toast is served with a maple glaze, cinnamon and sugar. It tasted like French Toast, gone naughty. The doughnut was moist and warm, very cake like. The maple glaze was perfect, making me visualize big breakfasts with syrup soaked pancakes. They were a true delight. As I enjoyed the doughnuts, I looked around the interior and discovered that they also offer a treat called "Hole in One". It's a doughnut of your design, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and served on a Fractured Prune logo frisbee. Freakin' awesome!

The Fractured Prune: Diabetes tested, Fox approved.

Beau Monde - Gettin' Snooty with it!

Just when you thought the only places I reviewed were greasy spoon type dives that offered cheap booze and cheaper food, I bring you a review of a fancyshmancy french rest-aurant! Okay, I admit it: It's not really fancy, but it is french!

Beau Monde, roughly translated to "Beautiful People" thanks to Babelfish is a hipster creperie (that's creperie, not crapery) just off of South Street at 6th & Bainbridge that I've wanted to try for ages. Often passed over in favor of the old reliable South Street Souvlaki I finally bitched, and whined, and stomped my little feeties until my eating companions caved.

We sat out on the patio to enjoy the be-a-u-tiful weather that day. We also got to see a car get towed for illegally parking, something that brings a tear to my eye. The patio is small, so make sure you choose eating companions who:
a) You really like.
b) Bathe regularly.

Fortune smile upon me as I sat down to a late lunch with Sir Forksalot, CreampuffGrrl and Spoons Macgee.

The waiter was pleasant and promptly brought us a round of water. I believe that they must have some sort of filtration system in place since their water was tasteless and most Philadelphia water needs to be chewed. Chewless water is obviously a bonus. Under the recommendation from the lovely lass at Passional, CreampuffGrrl and I ordered the Ace's Hard Cider. Yum-Yum-Yummity-Yum! I've never tried this stuff before but I was very impressed. I will be serving it the next time my family invades my house for Thanksgiving! According to Sir Forksalot they also had nice clean bathrooms.

CreampuffGrrl ordered an appetizer of a crepe-pizza. There was a fancy name for it, but alas, I didn't write it down. I am really falling down on the job.



The buckwheat crepe came topped with a tomato sauce with slices of red onion mixed in it. The red onion really brought out the sweetness of the tomato. The cheese was very mild, but yummy all the same and not over powering. I did feel that the spinach could have been sauteed a bit more as it was slightly soggy. CreampuffGrrl said that she felt like a bit of a heel for saying it, but the crepe wasn't quite tough enough to hold up to the toppings. Perhaps a slightly thicker crepe would make it easier to eat. Yes, we both realize that thicker crepe would indeed be a pancake.


Sir Forksalot ordered a cup of French Onion Soup. Crappy picture to follow.

This is what I get for forgetting my digital and having to use a disposable instead. Sigh.


He deemed the soup very good. This was a departure form the French Onion Soup I am used to, as anytime I have encountered it is has been in a beef based broth and BeauMonde was using a poultry stock. While not disagreeable, it wasn't what I was expecting and I was a bit disappointed. Further disappointing me was the lack of Gruyère cheese which I believe truly tops off French Onion Soup with the right amount of robust flavor to offset the sweetness of the onion. Rather, they used emmenthal cheese instead which has a much more mild flavor. This could be because they were afraid of over powering the flavor of the much milder poultry based soup. I think they'd do better to relabel this "White French Onion Soup", as those of us expecting a robust flavor punch were sadly disappointed.



Spoons Macgee skipped the appetizers and went straight for the meat, just as soon as he got done throwing his Red Stripe on me. He had a Ham & Cheese. No, really.



It was according to him both "Cheesey" and "Hammy". Not over sized, he easily finished the entire thing by himself save for a bite given to CreampuffGrrl. Though a source of bitterness, she did not receive a bite that had adequate Ham&Cheese to her liking. She did say it lacked the smokey flavor she expects in ham.

Sir Forksalot ordered the Beef Bourguignon.
That's fancy french talk for "Beef Stew with Booze".



This was probably my favorite of the crepes I personally tested. Sir Forksalot has an annoying habit of ordering things that I like better than what I ordered myself. He felt it was under stuffed. Sir Forksalot, CreampuffGrrl, and I all agreed it needed SALT. The flavor was very good, but lacked the "umph" to put it over the edge of full out toe-curling delicious goodness. The smell and flavor of wine was strong and brought together the rich flavors of beef, carrots, mushrooms and leeks in harmony. It just needed a little more seasoning to be perfecto.


Onward to the "Special".

You can even see my notebook and hard cider in the background! Yay!

CreampuffGrrl and I both ordered the special. A buckwheat crepe stuffed with tomatoes, ricotta, spinach, and prosciutto. CreampuffGrrl was not amused with the abundance of fat and grizzle left on the prosciutto. I have to say I wasn't too amused either, but found it less offensive then she. I understand that prosciutto is a fatty meat, but it should be trimmed down. The spinach again should have been sauteed longer to prevent it from becoming soggy. The flavors were subtle but good, and I did enjoy my leftovers for the next morning's breakfast. CreampuffGrrl and I were also quite astonished at the $17.50 price tag when our bill came. Ours contained no meat or exotic ingredients yet cost almost 50% more than Sir Forksalot's Beef Bourguignon! Bad show, Beaumonde, very bad show.


Sadly, we had to skip out on dessert. We have all decided that next time we'll skip eating our meal there and instead just head over for dessert.

Blue Moon Diner - Gem of Gardner

On a recent trip that took me to New-Fucking-Hampshire I had the occasion to get up at 6am one morning, still very hungover, and leave my hotel room in search of something to eat. For reasons I won't bore you with, I happened to be staying the the small hamlet of Gardner, MA. Gardner is best known as the home of the world's largest chair (Or at least it was around the turn of the century). I drove aimlessly around Gardner in hopes of finding something more promising than the Dash-In/Dunkin'Donuts. I found my way to The Blue Moon Diner. As soon as I turned onto Main Street and saw the pre-fab building of the with it's yellow and blue colors, I knew I was home.

I settled up to a seat at the grill, and was promptly handed a menu by the woman working the counter, who just as quickly filled my request for coffee. First good sign of the day was the coffee which wasn't too hot, too weak, or too strong. Perfect cup of diner coffee. The fact that she promptly recognized my need for extra extra cream, also won me over that much more.

I feel madly in love with the "Ten Commandments" listed on the menu that included "Thou Shalt not covet fast food convenience". I wish I could remember all of them, but I was hunger over and without a note pad. The breakfast selections are named for 50's icons. This is a tribute to the establishment itself, which has been around in varying forms since the 1950's. Charm out the wazoo, it's walls are decorated with editorials, reviews, and old advertisements for The Blue Moon. I selected the "Big Bopper" breakfast with a side order of a pancake. The "Big Bopper" consisted of two eggs, toast, home fries, and corned beef hash. This is where I began to get really giddy: the girl working the grill asked me if I wanted the homemade style corned beef. Turns out they make they actually make their own corned beef hash on site. This was the second sign of a damned fine eatery.

While I waited for my meal, I sat front in center at the grill watching the potatoes cooking on the back of the stove and listening to the chatter between the waitresses and the regulars who trickled in. I learned a long time ago that if you want to find a good place to eat, ask the old locals. That is, ask anyone over the age of 60. Reason being they've been around long enough to know what's good and they know what's hearty rather than hip.

My meal arrived and my eyes grew wide with excitement. The pancake was huge, moist, cakey, and settled in my stomach with a nicely unlike some diner pancakes that hit you like a lead brick. The potatoes were crispy and well seasoned. I believe I detected a hint of onion in them. The corned beef hash...I'm drooling on my keyboard thinking of it. The corned beef is cooked with long thin slices of onion in it, and cooked in a fashion that leaves it soft on the inside with a crispy shell. It was well seasoned with that familar spiciness that good corned beef is known for. I especially enjoyed the fennel seed which really brought out the flavors.




My bill including coffee, extra pancake, and tip came to under $13. This place was truly a delight, and I'll be sure to visit them should I ever land anywhere near Gardner again.

Pink Rose Pastry - Almost Quaint

I'm going to have two blogs featuring places I ate at on a recent South Street trip. Yes, I do eat on South Street fairly often. Shopping at Passional makes me hungry, and they always require you to eat before making a visit at Infinite or Body Graphics. Since these are the top three reasons I go to South Street, it leads to a lot of noshing in Philly.

Today I'm going to feature The Pink Rose Cafe. Sir Forksalot, CreampuffGrrl, and SpoonsMacgee went there one evening after a day of shopping. I've been there twice in the past. Once I was ignored by the two people working behind the counter for so long I skipped out and went across the street to Famous 4th Street Deli for cookies instead. The second time, I had a very nice time and the service was friendly. However on the third time out of the gate, I think I have to give up. Our waitress acted very put out by our presence. My original selection wasn't available, so I asked for a few minutes longer to decide. I went to the counter to tell her my order (as she was the only one there and currently getting our drinks) and she ignored me, walking by me twice.

The decor is done in a shabby-chic french countryside look, heavy on the pink. This look would be better accomplished if you couldn't see into the very industrial, cramped, dark, almost dirty looking kitchen area. This would be a fine time to invest in better lighting or block off that area from view. They also have a large snapple refridgerator that throws off the look as well, not to mention causing the place to lose several notches in my book for serving snapple tea rather than the real deal.

Their bathroom is a tiny closet tucked away in the corner. The sink leaks, and the this literal water closet (it's as small as one) reeks of my Grandmother's house - like stale cigarettes. Using the bathroom is a challenge for anyone who weighs more than 150lbs, as you will have to twist yourself inside out to get into the facilities.

If you take the time to walk through the bakery and read all of the plaques on the wall, you'll realize the bakery has actually won many awards for it's baked goods. Look a little closer, and you'll notice the dates which tell you this place used to be a really awesome place to eat....In the late 90's.

Here's the lowdown:

-Iced coffee is so bitter you'll wonder what tar pit it was scraped out of. I like strong coffee, but this stuff could have powered my SUV for at least five miles.

SpoonsMacGee had an Ultimate Brownie:


Price: $4

He deemed it "delectable". Obviously too large for a person to eat in one sitting, unless said person had recently had a bad breakup or was suffering from an especially heinous case of PMS, this brownie is meant to be shared. He said it felt like once it hit his stomach, it expanded like a ballon being inflated. Despite this statement, we have no reason to believe he is a drug mule, simple that this is one heavy piece of chocolate goodness.


Next up, Sir Forksalot's Millinais:


Price: $2

What the hell is a Millinais? It's a french hazelnut flavored sponge cake. That's how the menu described it, although Sir Forksalot said it ate more like a pound cake. Very dense, crispy on the outside and moist in the center, covered with powdered sugar. This was the smallest of the desserts we ordered, and could be easily enjoyed in a single sitting. I had a bite, and although I wasn't blown away it was an enjoyable bit of sweetness that would go well with a good cup of coffee and morning paper. Obviously, not coffee that you got at the Pink Rose.


CreampuffGrrl ordered the Raspberry and Creme Napoleon.


Price: Err... I forgot.

According to her, it was dynamite. Right mixture of Raspberry Preserves and Creme, it had a light taste and a touch of tart from the raspberries. However, due to the toughness of the pasty, you needed a steak knife to eat it. Her attempts at using a fork and butter knife left her looking like she'd been involved in a cocaine bust. I did get to enjoy a bite of hers, and I will say I was envious of her pastry choice.

And finally, my Signature Eclair


Price: $7

The picture doesn't quite capture how incredibly massive this thing is. It's literally the size of a softball, and then some. I only ate a quarter of it, and forced CreampuffGrrl to take a quarter of it home with her. The cream is isn't overpoweringly sweet and the chocolate is semi-sweet, however I wish they'd top it with more strawberries to give it a better balance of sweetness. My main axe to grind was the puff pastry. Any part not covered in chocolate was stale as a crouton. Not enjoyable at all. It seems that although enjoyed by my companions, the Pink Rose Cafe and I are doomed to dislike each other. Especially after I read that the Signature Eclair is mentioned in the book "Good In Bed" that I particularly hated.


Though my dining companions might not agree, my final vote is to skip this wanna-be tearoom and head across the street to Famous 4th Street Deli where they give you a smile with your cookies.