Payathai Restaurant

Last night, the girls and I went out to this local Thai restaurant, Payathai. I had never been and you know me when it comes to trying out new places.

Susan and I started out with trying a Thai beer called Chang (pronounced Chung). I would say it is a light beer and if you are looking for something heavier then I would recommend taking a try at a different beer. It does not have an overpowering flavor to it, which is nice. For food, I ordered the sushi roll known as Sex on the Moon, which is their most popular option. It has the following items in the roll: Shrimp tempura, eel, crab, cream cheese, asparagus, cucumber, avocado I/O with tuna, tempura crunch, scallion, flying fish roe, eel sauce, and spicy mayo on top. And for the main course, I had ordered their Hot and Sour Seafood Noodle Soup which, to be honest, was nowhere near Hot or Sour. I had to add in 4-5 spoonfuls of chili paste into the broth to make it somewhat spicy. The soup had imitation crab chunks, mussels, shrimp, scallops, noodles, green onions, etc.

Overall, it was a good meal. I would say the menu was very competitive in terms of price, but the service...was good, not great. The server could have come around for drink refills a little more frequently, but in terms of food...I'd go again.

http://www.payathairestaurant.com/

Dinner with the girls.

Headed down to Deck 84 in Delray last night for dinner and drinks. When going to Delray, be careful about where you go if you are on  particular budget restraints, as Delray can get pricey (quick).

Tuesdays at Deck 84 is Unlimited Taco night for $13. The girls I went with last night drink Michelob Ultra and, outside of Happy Hour, run you $5 a bottle. For the tacos, they serve you 3 at a time (1 of each unless you ask for a particular selection, and there are 3 types) and then if you order more, they come 2 at a time.

I, of course, tried all 3 plus 4 more...needless to say it was decent. They have a chicken, shredded pork shoulder, and a steak taco. The chicken was my least favorite, it was dry and chunky which made eating it a little more difficult. The pork taco had pickled red onions on top along with a few drops of pineapple, delicious. The steak tacos were good but overall, I don't know that I would write home about them.

Overall, between the ambiance of being on the water and dining with friends, I had a great time. They have a slightly tilted menu towards seafood but do serve burgers, salads, etc. (And as a side note, I highly recommend ordering their guacamole). The other perk to being out on the deck is that they provide treats and water bowls if you bring your dog.

Delray Beach Restaurant - Deck 84

The Office.

I went to The Office today in Delray Beach, which happens to be my food haven. Gotta check it out, but be careful what you order.

For starters, I ordered a few Blue Moons (of course with an orange slice). And for food, I ordered their Chicken Shu Mai Dumplings. They came in little wonton wrappers and had chicken bites inside the wrappers. On the side, they had sweetened soy sauce. You get a serving of 6, but for Happy Hour...it is definitely worth checking out.

THE OFFICE | Prime Burgers, Craft Beer

Best Ribeye in S Florida (believe it).

I went to Cut 432 in Delray for my birthday last year, so this review is long overdue.

Cut 432 has the best Ribeye steak I've had in S Florida. Not only was the steak cooked to perfection but it was charred on point and was also served bone-in.

Everything is a-la carte but well worth it. I ordered the Truffle Fries and the mushrooms...great, but the steak was enough. That is all I needed. For dessert, I did order their Banana Cream Pie...ehh, I would maybe skip this one next time.

Cut 432 - Romantic steakhouse Restaurant - Delray Beach, Florida

Brunch (Asian style)

If you have ever been to an Asian fusion restaurant and taken a look at the menu and wondered "Why are there French Fries, Chicken Tenders, and Pizza on this menu?", then you are not alone because I do that all the time. Yes I am Korean, but I was adopted so my love for all things Asian food has been evolving. But take it from me, this place is pretty good.
We started out with a side order of Pork Belly skewer and Kimchi. They serve the skewer with a side of dressed up soy sauce and green onions. Then we moved onto a shrimp appetizer and pork dumplings, otherwise known as Gyoza. Both were delcious, although I tend to favor the Gyoza.
For our entrees, Cristen had the Pad Thai (Veggie style) and I had their Char Siu Pork Buns. I didn't try the Pad Thai but apparently it was amazing. But my pork buns were a deconstructed version of a traditional pork bun. Gone were the marinated pork bites, there was no roll-like appearance, and they did not come in a plastic bag. These pork buns came in the form of a sticky, dough-like open faced sandwich...genius! There were slices of green onions, peppers, a white sauce you could apply, and shreds of pork piled high. You also had a few slices of jalapenos on the side too.
I'm all about places that serve cutting edge food, the type of food you can't find at a Duffy's or Olive Garden. Don't get me wrong, if I want a burger, wings, or Soup and Salad, these are the places people go...but if you want great, trendy Asian food, check out Palm Sugar. They seem to have worked out their previous issues.

Palm Sugar Menu - Urbanspoon

Grocery Run (Asian style)

Took Suzanne (and Courtney) to my little Asian market, Fortune Cookie Oriental Market, for some grocery shopping for Korean spices.

First of all, don't put too much stock into the online reviews. Take it from 2 Asians...yes, the store does smell and 1 of 2 things will happen, 1. You walk out the same door you came in, or 2. You deal with it and enjoy the experience. The reason for the smell is you are surrounded by fish, dried fish and other items...shocker, they smell.

Now, if you are local or wish to take a drive...it is worth it. I managed to get sticky buns, which for anyone who does not know, they are buns with pork inside. Get 2 and lunch is taken care of. (And they get a fresh delivery on Saturdays). I also got a Grass Jelly drink to go with. When getting one, please remember to shake well and grab a straw. The jellies may come through quickly-be careful. It's a sweet drink too. Start with 1 and see how that goes.

Our trip was successful, found my buns, Korean Chili Powder, Kimchee, and Chopsticks. Check it out, at least for the experience.

Fortune Cookie Oriental Supermkt 2700 Forest Hill  Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL

"Avoid at all cost" kind of place.

Listen, I like a great dive bar, a place to grab good bar food, and cheap drinks, but the "transformation" of Rum Shack to CJS Island Grill should maybe try again. It is an unfortunate situation because it has a fantastic location on the strip and has a lot of space...maybe too much space.

First, they try to lure you in with various drink specials but even with the specials, my Magic Hat beer was still double the cost of a domestic and that is ridiculous, you may as well go to World of Beer...continuing on.

My friend and I decided to attempt the egg rolls with the plum sauce to test out the food. If they turned out to be decent, I would attempt the entrees. The egg rolls had dried out chicken pieces in the roll, they came out lukewarm, and the plum sauce tasted like it literally went from the jar/can to the serving bowl to my mouth...no attempt to doctor it up. Lame.

The overall menu is a sad attempt at being "island like" but I would just keep your money and go elsewhere. And don't even get me started on their Ribeye that has more mango like things on it than all of Miami. Lake Worth has plenty of other places to go for Happy Hour or drinks in general.