foodie

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers
For this edition of Excited about Eating we visited Passage to India, located in the Campus Station Shopping Center in the University area of Charlotte. Now, I have to admit, I normally don’t eat at Indian restaurants because I have heard the food is very spicy. But today we were up for trying something different.

We were in luck. Instead of choosing just one dish, we were able to experience multiple items from their lunch buffet, and many of them were very good. My favorite was the Chilli Fish, fresh tilapia marinated with spices, fried and tossed with bell pepper and onions. The fish was lightly battered and perfectly cooked. Dora here. Tilapia typically isn’t a fish I’d choose, but I really liked this dish. Not too fishy and great flavor.

Another favorite was the Tandoori Chicken, marinated in yogurt, ginger, garlic & fresh spices and grilled in a clay oven. This dish was outstanding with the ginger and garlic shining through and the chicken carried a smokey favor. The Goat Curry, baby goat cooked in onion, tomato, and ginger gravy was great over the Basmati rice.

My wife’s favorite was the Chicken Tikka Masala, boneless chicken breast marinated in ginger, garlic, yogurt & spices and grilled in a charcoal clay oven. Dora here. The Chicken Tikka Masala was moist and tender, and sported just the right amount of heat. Unlike the Chicken Biryani which lit my mouth on fire! One taste of the Biryani and I was begging to switch my iced tea to diet coke. lol. And I really liked the Gulab Jamun, sugar-soaked balls shaped like doughnut holes, and that’s what they tasted like: dense, sweet doughnuts. Ernie wasn’t a fan.  

For dessert, we had the Mango Custard, made with fresh fruits. Not too sweet but just the right amount of fruit in a creamy milk sauce. Dora here. The mango custard was light and refreshing, not too heavy after eating from a buffet. And that’s another thing. Normally, buffets leave me stuffed and bloated, but neither of us felt that way when we finished eating.

Overall, this experience was enjoyable and I would eat Indian food again. I would rate this restaurant 4 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant that serves great food.

Passage to India on Urbanspoon

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers
This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to to Krazy Fish in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood. We arrived a little before noon on Good Friday and waited a few minutes to be greeted and seated. The first thing we noticed was the eclectic interior combined with junk art throughout the restaurant, and the musty smell was a turn off.
Interior
At the waiter’s suggestion, we shared the Neptune Platter which included fried fish, shrimp, calamari, scallops, and vegetables and also served with Krazy slaw, Mac n Cheese (our choice) and cornbread. Nuoc Cham (at least, that’s what we think it was?) and wasabi tartar dipping sauces were provided.
Neptune Platter

I don’t believe there is any way one person could have eaten this entire meal. It was huge. The fish was tender, the calamari crispy, and the fried vegetables were perfectly cooked with just the right amount of bite, the highlight of the dish. The two negatives of this dish were the Krazy slaw and the cornbread. The slaw had an unidentifiable spice and a “pickled” flavor which made it almost uneatable and the cornbread was very dry. Dora here. I’m not a huge fan of seafood in general, so it takes a lot to win me over. For me, the fish was a bit too fishy, and nothing on the plate really stood out or invited me to come back. Maybe I might’ve liked the grilled platter more.

I would rate this establishment 3 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving good food.Krazy Fish on Urbanspoon

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 4 Comments
This edition of “Excited about Eating” takes us to Pineville to Machu Picchu, Peruvian Cuisine, named after the ancient Inca City near Cusco, Peru. Now I can truly say, I have never had Peruvian food, but I am always up for trying something new and my wife was in an adventurous mood. Dora here. Haha! 

Machu Picchu

Just inside, we noticed pictures of some of the menu items on the wall and a picture page was included with the menu. This was especially helpful for us to understand the menu. Dora here. I noticed something else. The pungent aroma of seafood. And the interior is quite dim.

 I chose the Arroz Con Mariscos which consisted of yellow rice cooked with an assortment of seafood, mixed vegetables and spices. This dish was very good, not too spicy but very moist and tasty, and packed with perfectly cooked seafood. It would have been great if they reduced the massive portion size and included one of the interesting side items from the menu like fried plantains or yucca. 

Arroz Con Mariscos

Dora ordered Bisteck Apanado, lightly breaded deep-fried steak served with white rice and French fries. The star of this dish was the deep-fried steak, which had the right amount of breading, juicy, and so good. It was strange that this dish was served with both white rice and French fries. Dora here. This steak reminded me of Palomilla steak, my favorite dish from when we lived in Tampa. Tender and tasty, and I’d definitely order it again! 

Bistec Apanado

We opted for dessert instead of an appetizer this trip. At our waiter’s recommendation, we chose Alfajores, two shortbread cookies with Dulce de leche in the middle sprinkled with powdered sugar. A nice way to end the meal, just the right amount of crunch and not sweet. The dessert case was full of them, so obviously they sell a bunch. 

Alfajores

I would rate this establishment 4 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving great food.

Have you tried Peruvian food? What’s your favorite dish?

Machu Picchu Restaurant on Urbanspoon