What To Have

Dinner at Fins again. I cant get enough of this place. This experience was exceptional as well, with one notable suprise. I started with the hot and cold seafood indulgence. I’ve had this before, but i think i called it hot and cold fishes.

After the seafood.. i moved on to the sashimi plate. Literally some of the best sashimi i’ve ever had. I would match this against anything in town. An extra treat was the blue fin toro. All of the fish on the sashimi plate was amazing, the addition of the blue fin took this to another level. The toro tasted like it literally melted when you ate it. It’s hard to desribe, but if you’ve ever had really good, really high quality toro you know what i mean.

I wasn’t sure i could eat more after these two. Honestly I didnt want to turn an amazing meal into something just ok, so i didnt know if i wanted anything else. I took a chance and got the beef lamb kefta burgers. WOW. Gourmet Sliders is the only way i can think to explain these. They start with three small patties, hand made with fresh meats. They’re topped with a fresh made salsa and a small portion of cheese, then placed in lightly toasted buns. Three of these are served with some wilted greens. Amazing, just plain amazing.

–Matt

Fins is now open for lunch. A large group of us from the office wen there today and I was thoroughly impressed. The service was great (even with 12 people) and the food was exceptional.

We started with chicken satay’s. These were large chicken skewers served atop a fresh peanut sauce. The sauce was very tasty, the chef added small peppers to give it a little kick.

Next up was what they said was one of their most popular dishes, their daily hot pot. This is a large bowl, meant to be shared by 2-3. Although if you’re having it with a meal, it can easliy serve 3-5. Today’s hot pot was a creamy mushroom soup. Starting with chicken stock, the chef mixed coconut milk, spices and tons of different mushrooms. It had a hint of curry taste (because coconut milk is used so often in curry) but that taste didnt over power. My favorite part was the ample amount of mushrooms. Everything from shitake to oyster mushrooms filled the bowl and added texture and taste to the soup.

My main dish was their burger. It’s prepared to order (i had medium) and it tastes that way. In NC you can have ground meat prepared how you’d like as long as the meat is ground in house. They make their own burgers at Fins, therefore the ability to have it medium. I was not disappointed. The bread was fresh and toppings were exceptional. I would classify this as a gourmet burger, time was taken in the preparation and presention of this traditionally quick dish. I’ll have this again.

–Matt

I’ve been trying some new things at 5 Star recently. They arent on the menu, but they’re run as specials occasionally.

They are making a really good curry right now. One of the cooks likes to experiment with different ingredients and I’d say he’s doing a fine job. This meal was presented in a long plate with three different “courses”.

The first two were meant to be eaten together with the third serving as a means to calm down the palate. Item one was fried rice with crispy ginger and garlic. This wasnt traditional fried rice you’d find on a chinese buffet. This rice was still white, but the garlic and ginger slices were crispy fried and mixed in. Onions and black seasame seeds completed the rice. Very tasty, “fried” but not heavy soy like other dishes with the same name.

The second part to the meal was curried seafood. This was shrimp and tilapia in a red curry sauce with onions, chili’s and peppers. A traditional curry, but the heat of chinese chili’s and jalepeno’s added noticeable spice to this dish. Everything melded together well in dish, the spicy peppers of the curry matched well with the ginger in the rice.

The last part of this dish was rice cooked with coconut milk and pineapple. It’s to cool down after the heat of the previous two items. I really appreciate the thought that goes into this type of presentation. It’s the type of meal that has extreme’s (bold and spicy flavors) but still provides a means to reign in the taste’s so that at the end of the meal you dont remember one specific flavor, instead you’ve enjoyed the whole experience.

This is probably a one time thing, but i’d eat this all the time if offered.

–Matt

Yet another enjoyable dinner at J Betski’s tonight. Started with their smoked sausage special. According to the waiter, it’s a bit spicier than the regular offering. It was served with their homemade sauerkraut and spicy mustard. Did not dissappoint at all.

The main course was something new. Beef brisket with a sweet sauce, cabbage and speatzle. The brisket was fork cutting soft. The highlight was the sauce. It was sweet, with candied orange peel and matched very well with the brisket. Whenever i make brisket, i usually go for a spicy sauce, but this example gives me another direction to try. It was accompanied by braised cabbage and some homemade speatzle. When they have it, give this one a shot.

–Matt

Hello, everything will be back shortly, we’re converting the site to something that offers more flexibility.

–Matt