Fun Playing With African Eats at Choukouya Resto-Bar

Though Columbus Ohio has many African Cuisine dining options, until recently, all you could get in Cleveland was Ethiopian. Enter Choukouya Resto-Bar, which took over the old Nazca spot in Warrensville Heights last year, offering what it calls, "Afro-European Cuisine." The dishes come from a variety of regions in West Africa, and there are a lot of European touches folded in. We enjoyed vibrant flavors and a fun atmosphere. Check out their Facebook page for information on live music nights.

After ordering an African red wine that is served refrigerator cold (but it works and went very well with the spicy food), we were served seasoned toast and a delightfully garlicky dipping sauce. The same sauce is served with the Meat Pie appetizer, which we tasted from a dining companion (no picture) and the meat pie was very good, if served a little colder than it wanted to be.

The menu is divided into Appetizers, Salads, "Sauces" (which are like stews), Gourmand, Sea, Land, and Pasta, as well as Vegetables, Sides, and finally Desserts. The signature items are the grilled meats, which we didn't get to on this visit, but we'll be back to try them. 

On this chilly night, we were both seduced by the promise of a hearty stew and selected from the "Sauces."  My entree (picture above): Egussi (West African melon seed), cooked with fresh cut spinach, spicy broth with oil palm, and choice of protein. The Egussi seeds look like ground turkey in the stew, and tasted almost like ground meat. In fact, at first I thought it WAS meat. Oil palm aka elaeis guineensis, is a species of palm commonly just called oil palm, but also sometimes African oil palm or macaw-fat. It is the principal source of palm oil. It is native to west and southwest Africa. 

The diner is offered a heat scale of 1-10, and I asked for 5 hoping it would have medium spice. Well, it remained a very spicy dish, but so tasty! (Another dining companion had Egussi with chicken and asked for it "medium"; he also found it a little too spicy for his palate). 

The diner is also offered a choice of meat or aquatic proteins. The lamb was stew meat, with lots of connective tissue and fat, but much of that had melted in the cooking process such that it cut and chewed well, but it had an obvious presence. So, if that's not your thing, be forewarned. I really enjoyed it! I think the chicken meat my friend had was more typical filet cuts. 

The diner also gets a choice among 4 different rice preparations or 3 different types of Fufu, the classic African starchy side. I chose the Eba Fufu. The menu says that this Fufu is made with Gari stirred in hot water and slowly cooked. Further research suggests that Gari or Garri is a fermented and roasted food made from Cassava. Our server (who was also the bartender/mixologist and FOH manager that evening) said that their version of Eba combines the Gari with a bit of semolina. This gives it a nice firm texture that is easy to break off in little pieces with your fingers. It was the perfect foil to the spicy stew. Fun to look at, eat, and fun to play with!

Bob opted for N’Dole, a Cameroonian dish made with fresh groundnut and Cameroonian bitter leaves cooked in a sauce and choice of protein (lamb), served with rice or boiled plantain. He asked for "medium" spice, and his was spot on (not too spicy). It had a lighter flavor profile than the Egussi, but still distinctive and bold in its own right. 

For his starch, Bob chose "Wake Rice," which is pronounced wake as in "wake up!" Studded with tender black and other beans, and more seasonings, the rice had just the right amount of chew, and accompanied the N’Dole well even though they each had busy flavor profiles that differed a great deal from one another.

Service started out a little slow (hence the slightly imperfect meat pies), but fell into place by the time the entrees rolled out. Our server was very knowledgeable about the food and patient in answering questions and explaining things. Similar to Chinese manners, West Africans do not stand on ceremony when it comes to service - your dish hits the table when it's ready, even if other diners' food is not yet ready. This is totally fine with me, because I prefer to eat hot food from the stove, rather than having my plate sit under a heat lamp (or not), drying out and getting cold. So bravo to the manner of service that honors the food! Just be prepared for it.

I do hope they put a wine list together. The server asked what I liked and recommended a wine I really enjoyed ($9/glass), but I prefer to peruse a menu. At present, they have full liquor and wine service, but no beer permit. Hopefully, that will come to them soon, but there are plenty of satisfying libations as is. One dining companion enjoyed the Chi Chi Watermelon (which is made in a whole small watermelon rind and is easily shared by two), which features rums and watermelon juice right out of the gourd. 

A line dancing class took place while we were dining (one of our party stood up and boogied along). It was a little loud but not too off-putting, and the group of ladies was a lot of fun. But the restaurant was way too empty for a place serving food this delicious!

So get yourself out to the intersection of Warrensville Heights and Bedford Heights (same plaza as Brian Doyle's Cafe Avalaun) and try something that is a little different but loaded with lots of food (and other) fun!

Choukouya Resto-Bar

4620 Richmond Road Suite 290

Cleveland, Ohio 44128

(216) 245-6660

Monday -Friday     3pm - 1am

Saturday - Sunday  1pm - 1am 

Fun Playing With Rosh Hashanah Dinner At Blu

Regular readers of this blog know that I love to cook, especially for the Jewish Holidays. Love it and do it so well that I was fortunate enough to be featured in the Cleveland Plain Dealer doing it in 2011! But circumstances are not permitting this tradition to continue, at least in my current home.

Restaurateur Brad Friedlander to the rescue! After closing his iconic Moxie, the Restaurant in Beachwood Ohio earlier this year, he reinvented the space as Blu, the Restaurant and the emphasis of the cuisine to fish and seafood. Moxie had done Rosh Hashanah dinner for a number of years, and we sampled it once with friends. It was ok, but lacked profundity. 

Blu offered a Rosh Hashanah dinner this year, with essentially the same menu as Moxie had before. Given the home kitchen situation, we decided to give it a try, and it proved to be a winner. Not as good as mine, you know, but a lovely meal to welcome in the New Year. 

After making Gefilte Fish from scratch for most of my life, I find most others' versions range from lame to repulsive. Still, Blu specializes in fish. How could it be bad?

Gefilte Fish with Grated Beet and Horseradish

The answer is that it was light and fresh, and quite good. Not as good as mine (they probably didn't use any carp), but a delightful start to the holiday feast. I would have liked a higher ratio of horseradish to beets in the topping, but that's a quibble.

House made Challah followed the fish. We asked for honey and it was brought immediately. Lovely.

Next up, the big test. Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls.

Though not quite as special as mine is, this soup offered chickeny flavor, with a nice balance of sweetness from the carrots. The matzoh balls were softly textured and tasted great. I would eat this again.

Brisket Au Jus and Roasted Chicken 

I always made brisket for the entree. My mother would occasionally roast a turkey in addition to the brisket, but I never did. This brisket was more pristine, without the tomatoes that are a staple in mine. Still, it was cooked to melt-in-your-mouth tenderness, and the jus complimented it nicely. The roast chicken was a standout - crispy skin, deftly seasoned, and perfectly cooked. 

Green Beans Almondine

Carrots

We really enjoyed the vegetables. Somehow, despite the nearly full restaurant and the hustle and bustle of service, these plates were hot, but the contents were still al dente. So not only did they taste good and have great texture at dinner, the leftovers didn't turn to mush on reheating. Well done, Blu!

Roasted Potatoes

Accented with a generous hit of rosemary, the potatoes were likewise perfectly cooked. 

Sweet Noodle (Lokshen) Kugel (Pudding)

My mom (and I) never did noodle kugel, or anything too sweet for the main courses. My Russo-Hungarian dad was all about the pepper and salt, so we always made potato kugel. Nonetheless, this was probably my favorite dish of the evening. Eggy and creamy, with a little sweet and a nice hit of cinnamon, I would welcome this dish on my own table.

This brings us to dessert.

The menu said that this was Rugelach and Spiced Apple Cake. The Apple Cake is on the left. The honey went so well on it! The pastry on the right didn't resemble the Rugelach I grew up on. But the buttery rich flaky pastry, and infusion of what tasted like home-made preserves (prune and apricot, I think) made them a winner whatever they are called. 

Service, which had been poor on our first visit to Blu, was mostly excellent. We were glad to see they've worked those glitches out! And the portions - we had enough leftovers (about half or a little more than half) for dinner for the second night of Rosh Hashanah at home, and leftovers remained even after that!

So if you wonder how this dinner stacks up against mine, here are some links to previous dinners I've done at my house or my mom's. 2009, 2008, 2011 (at Mom's). But we had a lot of fun playing with Rosh Hashanah dinner at Blu, and a big thank you to Brad for doing it.

Oh, and here's what a fish dish from a non-holiday night looks like at Blu.

"Special" Swordfish, corn relish, avocado creme. 

Blu The Restaurant

3355 Richmond Road

Beachwood, Ohio 44122

(216) 831-5599

https://blutherestaurant.com/

Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday

Saturday dinner only

Closed Sunday

Fun Playing With Food in Destin, Florida - We're Baaack

We last visited Destin, the "Luckiest Fishing Village in the World," in February 2012. Since then, life intervened with some twists and turns. Beginning in December 2018, we not only returned to Destin, but for the first time, snowbirded there until March. We anticipate moving to the region sometime shortly. 

A lot has changed and a lot has remained the same, both culinarily and otherwise. Our condo overlooked the Gulf of Mexico and offered some lovely views.

From the terrace

From the private beach access

On the beach at sunset

We also took a short road trip to Delray Beach and Jacksonville, enjoying delicious eats along the way. 

Stone Crab Claws for dinner at Gleneagles Main Dining Room

Salvadoran Tamale at Rosy's, Jacksonville

The best plate of food from the trip? Was it this Chirashi at Sushimoto in Miramar Beach?

Or perhaps this whole Grilled Snapper at Christiano's in Santa Rosa Beach?

Or could it have been something we cooked ourselves, like this Seared Tuna sourced from Blalock's Seafood & Specialty Market in Destin?

Please join me in the posts to follow as we seek out Fun Playing with Food in Destin and its environs.

Fun Playing With Chinese Food at Aristo Bistro

We recently enjoyed a Chinese meal so good, it's driven me back to blogging! In the Cleveland area, get thee to Aristo Bistro in Westlake if you enjoy authentic Chinese food! Their one page web site describes the menu as, "Eurasian American & Authentic Chinese Aristocrat Cuisine." I call it delicious.

Our foursome met for lunch, but we ordered off of both the "regular" and "Chinese" menus. Images of those menus can be seen beginning here.

We wanted to try the Seafood King & Fish Maw Soup, but they were out of fish maw that day. So, we settled for the Seafood King Soup - rich with scallops, calamari and shrimp that actually passed the tripolyphosphate sniff test, a velvety broth accented with corn, and egg drops, with just the right kick of white pepper. 

The soup comes in this one large size only, which was more than enough for four people and a bargain at $13.95.

We ordered our meal Chinese style, meaning communal plates to be served as they are finished by the kitchen without regard to course. First up, an exquisite version of Clams with Black Bean Sauce.

Tender, sweet Manila Clams were tossed with onion and hot chilies, then bathed in the most sophisticated black bean sauce I've ever tasted. With nary a bean to be seen, the flavor and umami blast of the fermented pods were infused into a delicate, spicy sauce. This dish cried out for white rice to soak up the gravy, and the cry was answered a few moments after the plate hit the table. It was good to the last drop.

The clams were followed by a half order of sauteed Snow Pea Tips. 

The preparation of the Pea Tips was perfect. Thoroughly cooked, yet still with bite, and just the right amount of a subtle garlic sauce to round it off.

One of our party was hankering for curry, so we chose this Curry and added pork (from the choice of multiple meats or veggie options, including duck) from the "World of Noodle/Pasta" portion of the menu. The curry was pungent but not too spicy. The noodles were served on the side. 

Finally, a whole, deep fried flounder, with the "Chef's Special Sauce" on the side.

I neglected to photograph the sauce, but it was a fairly thin textured soy-based sauce that softened and soaked into the fried bits very nicely. We devoured this!

We enjoyed a pot of Po Lei tea with our meal. It is a fermented tea, produced in China's Yunnan province. I found it a little funky for my palate, but I'm glad I tried it. Other tea options are Oolong, Chrysanthemum, and Jasmine. They have a lovely bar area and say they are waiting on a liquor permit.

Finally, a photo of the "Chinese" Menu page. It is separate from the "regular" 6 page menu (which also contains a number of "authentic" dishes, including the soup we enjoyed, as well as the "Lunch Specials" page). 

Unfortunately, their website offers nothing more than the contact information. There is, however, a Facebook page with photos and a little more content. https://www.facebook.com/aristoyummy/ 

My only caveat is that they do not always open at the stated opening times. The first time we met our friends there at noon on a Saturday (which should have been the opening time per the Facebook page), it was dark and locked, and we left after about 20 minutes. Reached by phone later that day, they apologized and said they sometimes are delayed in opening by shopping for fresh product. Even the day we dined there, they opened about 45 minutes after the posted starting time of 11am. So, it may be wise to call before you go.

Our lunch composed of dinner foods ran $80 and fed the four of us with some leftovers. A bargain, given the high quality of everything, but especially the fish and seafood.

Aristo Bistro is a true "mom and pop" type operation, in a small, yet elegant and clean space with plenty of parking (though no close Handicapped designated spots). Our group thoroughly enjoyed every dish we sampled and we are eagerly looking forward to more. I'm a sucker for fresh flounder (it was a staple dinner throughout my East Coast childhood). Shirley, our delightful host and server, suggested that next time, we try their special flounder presentation, where the fillets are removed and deep fried separately, then tossed with vegetables and sauce and plated over the fried skeleton. Yes, please!! There is also kebab, and Hong Kong style Black Pepper Sauce, another favorite of mine, on the menu. But if authentic Chinese isn't your thing, there are plenty of the more familiar Americanized Chinese dishes also on the menu, as well as Schnitzel (chicken, veal, or pork), burgers (including a Ramen Burger), and a Lobster Roll. Vegetarians and Vegans are also accommodated. 

I can't wait to renew my West Side passport and visit Aristo Bistro to play with more of their Cantonese-Inspired Cuisine!

Aristo Bistro
25124 Center Ridge Road
Westlake, Ohio 44145
(440) 455-9900
Open 7 days; check their Facebook page for hours (and call first if you are going early).

Fun Playing With Food in South Florida

We did something completely different for Thanksgiving this year. Instead of visiting friends or Bob's family or cooking, we winged it to Highland Beach Florida and spent a long week and the holiday with my parents. My sister and brother also joined us for several days, so it was a nice family reunion. We enjoyed a nondescript Thanksgiving Dinner at my parents' club, then proceeded to do some playing with the local restaurant food. 

The siblings all stayed at Delray Sands Resort Collection in Highland Beach. This was Bob's first trip following cervical spinal surgery, and we were distracted by a few health issues over the first few days. But the weather was mostly delightful, as were the ocean views from the beachfront hotel.

We were even treated to some rainbows!

Our first meal outside the hotel was at the Green Owl Restaurant, a small, cash-only breakfast-and-lunch establishment in downtown Delray Beach.

Bob's Corned Beef Hash & Eggs,

Mine: Cheese Omelet with Grits

We each received a serving of rye toast on the side. Even though Green Owl is owned by Steelers fans, we recommend them for a nice breakfast and the lunch food looked good also.

Our first dinner out together was at City Oyster, also on the Atlantic Avenue strip in Delray Beach. 

Bread Service

We started out with a smoked fish dip for appetizer, which was accompanied by the most lovely house-made crackers.

Whitefish dip with homemade crackers and pickles,

Bob's:  Yellowtail Snapper Hong Kong Style

Bob's fish was pan roasted, and accompanied by Jasmine Rice, Sesame & Ginger Sauce, and Vegetables.

Mine

This dinner special of Swordfish over fresh tomato ragu and polenta offered a refreshingly different take on the fish dinner. Both dishes featured fresh fish prepared well. I couldn't finish mine and enjoyed the leftovers at my parents' place the next day. Yeah, City Oyster is a little pretentious and expensive - but the food and service were very good. 

Just a few doors down from City Oyster is a newish place called Tryst, where we had another aquatically themed dinner, this time composed of small plates which we shared. I confess, I missed the house-made crackers with the fish dip, but the dip itself was delicious. 

This dip, rather than relying on whitefish, was made from salmon and yellowtail. Different than the whitefish dip, but very tasty. 

IPA Steamed Florida Clams  with Housemade chorizo, serrano chile, basil, orange, blistered grape tomatoes & ciabatta

Plate-licking good, though they need to serve it with a spoon (or two). The only plate we came close to finishing (we were a little overly generous in ordering).

"Angry Pig" Slider: Sicilian Pulled Pork, Orange Marmalade, Pickled Fresno Chilies, Fennel Slaw, Basil

This sandwich is as small as it looks, but packs a lot of flavor! We split it in half and it was enough, given how much else we'd ordered.

Nueske's Bacon Mac & Cheese

Proving that I am capable of ordering a non-fish/seafood dish when in Florida. It had Neuske's bacon, after all! One of the best mac n cheeses we've sampled.

Tuna "Poke" Lettuce Wraps: Toasted cashews, pineapple sambal

More pristine fish with beautiful accompaniments. Tryst was my favorite culinary find of the trip.

On Sunday, we treated my parents to the Unlimited Champagne Brunch Buffet at Latitudes Restaurant, at the Resort. The Resort was formerly a Holiday Inn, but the entire property (including the food service) has been renovated over the past 2 years. My parents had brunched here before in the old incarnation, and we all looked forward to seeing what the renovations would bring. Given the $50 per person price point, I expected better than average hotel food service, and Latitudes did not disappoint. 

My "first course" plate

Though the sushi rice lacked profundity, the fish and seafood was of very good quality. The smoked salmon and trout, and seared tuna were nice, and yes, those are shrimp at the back of plate - no smell or taste of pyrophosphate on them. The crab gazpacho was mostly gazpacho and a little crab, but the shellfish was pristine. 

My "second course" plate

Staying with the seafood theme, I can endorse both varieties of scallop and shrimp on this plate. The pulled pork (which I put over potato cake rather than tortilla) and guacamole were both good but nothing to write home about. I did not care for the coconut crusted fish, left middle, which didn't taste fresh.

 The buffet included a selection of charcuterie, carved meats and casserole-type dishes.

And a bountiful selection of sweets, many of which were food-service grade. Despite it's likely Sysco origins, I really liked the red velvet doughnut.

The blintz, which is also offered on Latitudes's regular breakfast menu, was also food service and not made from scratch (the cheese filling suffered a little from the freeze-thaw cycle). The key lime parfait was very tasty. And of course, I could never say no to caramel.

Carmel Parfait

The Mimosas (and coffee, for those who care about coffee) kept on coming, and there were many other food options on the buffet that I didn't try or photograph, as well as an egg/omelet "made to order" station. We enjoyed our brunch in a most leisurely fashion and never felt rushed as we enjoyed the food, beverages and the built-in ocean view. We ate at Latitudes several times over the course of the trip, and the service was always exceptional and the food mostly good to very good. Prices were reasonable.

Our next adventure took us to Gary Rack's Fat Rooster, also on the strip in Delray Beach, for brunch. As of Thanksgiving 2015, they've eliminated separate brunch and lunch menus in favor of a single midday menu 7 days a week. Worked for us!

Fat Rooster has a "fun playing with food" feel and an eclectic environment and menu. Our server used to live in Northeast Ohio, near to us!

Bob's

This "Special" consisted of a housemade biscuit, pulled pork. 2 fried eggs, tomato, hollandaise, potato-sweet potato hash. 

Mine also featured their signature biscuit, topped  with Fried Green Tomato, Avocado Smash, Fried Egg, BBQ Hollandaise and served with the same potato-sweet potato hash. I loved this slightly lighter/smaller take on the typical Eggs Benedict.

For Bob's 65th birthday, my folks took us all out to City Fish in Boca Raton for dinner. And here I hit the culinary motherload: a perfect stone crab claw. I loved the way the fishes and seafood product were displayed where the diner can see them, and the server was expert on everything served.

A thing of beauty, loaded with sweet crab meat

This salad comes with every entree. Pre-plated and a little cold, but very nice.

Bob's: Blackened Black Grouper and Fries 

Mine: Sauteed Black Grouper and sweet potato 

My sister had to leave on Monday, but since Bob's actual birthday was Tuesday, we who remained assembled at Josephine's in Boca Raton for dinner accompanied by a song stylist. We had a great time, though I don't think I'd order fish there again (though the clams were excellent - the taste of the veal I sampled was even better).

You can see that the bread isn't really fresh; toasting saved it.

This clam appetizer was lovely; a shame that the fin fish didn't have the same freshness and skill of preparation. Beautiful shellfish, cooked just right.

The salad was way too cold, and a bit slimy. First fail.

Bob and I both got this; he ate his

Fish "special": Swordfish, olives, capers, tomato sauce, pasta. Fish was overcooked and old, pasta from a box nothing special. Mom gave me a few clams from her dish that she didn't want, and I was good.

For our last meal in Florida, we headed south on the Intracoastal to Prime Catch in Boynton Beach, where we enjoyed a lovely lunch. 

CRISPY THAI SHRIMP

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, Rice Paper & Scallions - this shrimp passed inspection, though frying does cover a thousand sins! The fried rice paper was a nice touch and deftly sopped up the chili sauce. A very successful dish.

Bob and I both had Yellowtail Snapper: Bob's grilled with the Thai Chili Sauce on the side and fries, mine pan seared with paprika, sweet potato fries. The oil must have been a little too hot when they dropped my fries, because they were a little overcooked. But other than that, a fresh and delightful lunch to see us out of town. We had fun playing with South Florida food!