We are moving into mid-spring and here are some sights of the flowers currently in bloom. I love how the Hot Lips salvia is moving from a solid, brilliant red bloom to the customary bi-color flowers. The yellow tulip pictured arrived about late last week and is a bright spot in an otherwise green flower bed (B4). Finally, after the windy storm last Thursday, I spotted the first Dutch irises in bloom among the narcissi in B3.
I am lucky to have a hubby who was happy to indulge me these past few days by visiting two local sushi joints, one in Plano and one in Allen.
424 Jupiter Rd. Ste. 203
Plano, TX 75074
(972) 424.5350Sushi Heaven used to have a secret identity: mild mannered donut shop by day, unassuming sushi shop by night. A few months ago, Sushi Heaven (formerly Sushi Donut) finally divested themselves of the donut business and went full tilt into the sushi business.
Hubby and I finally got to visit them again after their brief identity crisis. Gone are the donut cases and in their place, a wall of photographs and menu descriptions. The restaurant was still spare and unobtrusive, but it was clean, brightly-lit and lacking that fishy odor that one might expect of a hole-in-the-wall sushi shop.
We came here for cheap sushi, so let’s get on with the menu. I’m disappointed to see the lack of smoked salmon and mackerel on the menu…items that are likely considered too ethnic for the Caucasian traffic that’s expected to visit here. For starters, we ordered the Stuffed Jalapenos, Soft Shelled Crab and Edamame. Hubby in typical fashion ordered Salmon sashimi. For our rolls, which seems to be the restaurant’s focus, we selected the Salmon Volcano and the Dragon Roll.
Our server quickly served us hot tea, which we pretty much ignored, since we weren’t tea drinkers. I even ended up spilling some on accident when I proffered the kettle to dear hubby. Luckily, we managed to clean up the mess before the courses arrived.
I was happy with both the crab and jalapeno appetizers; the latter lightly battered and full of cream cheese to tame the heat of an obviously fresh jalapeno. The crab, while tasty, was less crunchy and a just a tad bit soggy…thought that may be attributed to the crab stuffing. Still both appetizers were delicious.
As the sashimi arrived, the salmon volcano came hot on its heels and minus the spicy sauce, as we had requested. Both hubby and I were delighted by this rendition, and both agreed that this was an excellent deal. (Nothing on the menu was priced over $10 last I checked.) The Dragon roll was an acceptable preparation, reliably tasty, though not as heavy on the unagi as we’ve experienced at Kobe. The salmon sashimi looked and tasted clean and fresh. The owner chef was amused upon seeing hubby’s sashimi-wrapping ritual. Maybe it might inspire him to create a roll on this idea in the future. After quizzing the chef-owner further, he indicated that he had another branch set to open in an Asian market off Custer and Spring Creek. We’re both happy to hear that his restaurant looks to be successful.
Hubby and I both walked out of Sushi Heaven much happier that we hadn’t blown over $50 for sushi and with intentions to come back should our cravings for Japanese strike again.
My rating: stars
201 E Bethany Dr
Allen, TX 75002
(972) 396-7600Our Sunday quest for late lunch/early dinner took us into the direction of Allen. Hubby and I stumbled onto Hibachi Rock, and DH made the executive decision to pull up and dine, despite my reminder that Japanese restaurants don’t typically open until 5pm for dinner (it being 4pm on a Sunday afternoon).
We almost ended up in the adjoining Thai restaurant, but DH was insistent that Hibachi Rock was open. A quick scan of the restaurant sign revealed that HB was not only open, but open all day. Intrigued, we went in and sat down for the eponymous hibachi.
Hibachi Rock is subtitled Live Grill and Sushi Bar. Walking through the front door, we were confronted by a stage-and-light setup, suggesting live music and/or karaoke played here. Happily, there was no stage show today, and we were grateful for the relatively quiet and subdued atmosphere. Our server led us through the table and tv-studded bar area to the back where the grills were.
While our server brought out our sodas, we were confronted by the variety of grill items and roll options. I was determined to sample their Thai Style Fried Beef for an appetizer. We then finally narrowed our hibachi choices to Salmon Teriyaki and Filet/Scallops/Shrimp and ordered 2 rolls, Bethany and Caveman, for accompaniment.
The miso soup accompanying our hibachi entrees was warm and thick, though slightly saltier than I’m used to having. Both hubby and I dug into the light ginger-dressed salad hungrily. Apparently, the dressing wasn’t too overpowering for hubby to consume. The fried beef appetizer tasted great, slightly crispy, and enhanced by the sriracha dressing on the side. It paired well with the fried rice that our hibachi chef delivered.
On to the hibachi…normally, the show put on by these hibachi restaurants don’t grab my attention, usually proving more of a distraction to the meal. But our hibachi chef went straight into his performance without prompting and persuaded us to be entertained. He proved adept with his flying spatulas, the egg-toss-into-the-hat routine, and cracking the egg at the tip of his blade (though I would have to deduct points for some shell bits that he had to clean up). He made our food dance on the grill top, and while the delicious rolls came to divert us, he made sure to command our attention with the delicious aromas wafting from the grill. He proved to be attentive to demographics as well; he later entertained a family at another table, making sure to impress the kids with darkened lights and a train whistle.
Onto the food. The filet mignon came medium rare as requested. The scallops and shrimp however tasted slightly undercooked and may have benefited from a little more grill time, though they were no less tasty. My salmon teriyaki came out excellent: moist and delicious. I was glad to discover that the teriyaki sauce was not thick and cloying like some places.
The first roll delivered to our table was the Caveman roll, a seaweed topped eel roll that surprised both of us. The use of cream cheese seemed to tie the whole roll together, giving a slightly sour note to the overall sweetness of seaweed and eel. Both of us agreed it was an amazing roll. The second roll was their Bethany roll, a baked salmon special topped with mayo sauce. It came served on a charger dish, and the server warned us that it was temperature hot. Again, we were bowled over…the crab/salmon and mayo combo melted in my mouth, the flavor combinations were extremely satisfying.
In the end, I had to cry no more, having cleaned off my plate and consumed more than my belly could handle. DH was pleasantly surprised that I had reached my limit. We both agreed that we had made a delightful discovery in our neck of the woods, a short drive from Wylie into Allen. We’ll definitely be back for more!
My rating: stars
– Dash hopping over the back bed fence after digging up the flower beds
– Doogie destroying hubby’s new bluetooth earpiece
– Dill dilligently divesting himself of the bandage on his paw
The third one really has both of us puppy parents in straits. I think it’s been 2 months or more that we can’t get Dill’s right paw to heal. The vet suggested that he might be licking it out of obsessive behavior…and really, we needed our vet to tell us this? We’ve gone through a month’s supply of bandages and dressings with no luck. Dill has also managed to find a way past his neck cone to lick at the paw at every opportunity. It’s maddening.
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
7651 Campbell Rd
Dallas, TX 75248
(972) 407-0007I saw this new fast food restaurant on the corner of Campbell and Coit, on my way to the local Home Depot. The parking lot looked almost full and the drive-thru had a line wrapping around the building, so I resolved to stop by before going back to work.
Well, I was pressed for time, so I decided to go through the drive-thru. I beheld their menu and thought: “Chicken fingers? That’s it?” Yep, that’s all you get. They had a chicken finger sandwich, but most of their combos was a variation on the theme of chicken-fingers-in-a-box. Six menu items, a small number of sides, standard fountain drinks, lemonade and sweet tea by the gallon. Okay, at least I’m not confronted by a multitude of choices…decisions, decisions, what do I get? Oh, the chicken fingers.
So I ordered my 3-finger combo, pulled up, was accosted by a cheery lady and my meal. Good thing they take plastic! But as I received my receipt, the window girl asks me to verify what I ordered…then proceeds to hand over another bag. Perplexed, I pulled out of the drive-thru and did a quick inspection: yep, 2 combo meals for the price of one. And no cole slaw. In either box.
I tried to back up to pull into a parking space, but I was already cut off by another vehicle behind me. My turning options were extremely limited, the parking lot was small, the road was narrow. So much for running in and returning the spare meal. Besides, I was already late for work.
So as I sat down in my cubicle to partake of the meal, my coworker remarked that Cane’s was “pretty good” chicken. The chicken was indeed tender and moist, and of a nice size and color. The batter was non-descript, lacking a crunch factor that might’ve improved the eating experience. The sauce seemed decent, a bit peppery, but nothing too impressive considering its mayo base. Much is written about how Cane’s ripped off their “secret sauce”…but really, who cares? It worked well with the crinkle fries (somewhat bland) and the chicken fingers. Did I mention those chicken fingers were moist and juicy? I’m happy to say it wasn’t overcooked and didn’t taste like it sat frozen overlong.
The success story behind Cane’s is probably what keeps this chain in business–I read on the net that this chain has over 50 locations in the US, mostly centered in Louisiana and the south. Limited menu options aside, Cane’s must be doing something right.
My rating: stars
For most of last week and this current week, I am pleased to report on the many salvias in bloom in the garden. The Thalia daffodils are continuing to putting on a robust multi-flowered show in S1 and B3, suffering only minor bruising due to repeated canine incursions. The Accent daffodils finished their run just as the Thalia daffodils started their display. The muscari armeniacum are starting to wind down. The white muscari however are popping up here and there, mostly in B3 in the shadows of the Thalias, reminding me again of their late-blooming nature. I wish I could produce a denser stand of these white muscari, but it just seems like this particular cultivar isn’t as aggressive. Another disappointment are the dutch and bearded irises, which have failed to show–they are usually evident about this time in the season.
I finally got the ajuga planted in S1, after cleaning up the remains of 2 more hapless victims of the vicious plant destroyer (an ajuga and a newly purchased purple salvia greggii). The ajuga that I purchased from Sooner are in full bloom, displaying intense blue flower spikes under 6 inches tall. Another happy sight: the first leaf shoots from the Fire and Ice Hosta are popping out of the ground.
I still need to purchase more bags of regular garden soil to level the beds in S1 and B5. I’m also searching the local nurseries for 2 specimens of white salvia to plant in S1 and B2.