Rishi Vanka and Eleanor McAden sample nearby spots to grab a bite
To Bing or to Bao?
Eleanor’s Evaluation
Bing and Bao was the first restaurant Rishi and I visited, and it was a good start to our whirlwind food tour of Idylwood Plaza. Even though Rishi went traditional and ordered a regular bing, I decided to one up him and build my own. For context, a bing is a type of mung bean and wheat based bread, similar to a crepe, but of Chinese cuisine. Inside the bing I got chicken, lettuce and cucumber. At $8, it was a good amount of food for the price. The outside was soft, but the wonton crisps sprinkled in among the other ingredients gave it a nice crunch that was the high point of the meal. My business partner Rishi called me out for being an “Anglo-Saxon” and pulling out a knife and fork to eat it, because it is traditionally eaten without them. I also bought a bao, which is a fluffy flour bun with filling. In this case the filling was pork, cabbage, scallion and ginger. The bun of the bao was slightly sweet, which contrasted well with the savory pork. However, to answer the classic question, to bing or to bao, I would bing. The bing had a wider range of flavors and textures, so if you have a more diverse palate, I recommend ordering it as well.
Rishi’s Review
I got the Traditional Bing, which was a kind of wrap that I had no clue how to eat. I made the mistake of eating it with a fork and knife because I saw Eleanor do it. I should’ve eaten with my hands, especially because the wonton crisps in the bing made it difficult to cut through the whole thing with a flimsy plastic knife. Eleanor probably had a great time eating her chicken bing with a fork and knife, but I struggled. The food itself was great—I loved the sour flavor and the contrast between the soft bread and the crispy wonton inside. The Traditional Bing was just under $9, so it was a good deal for a decent amount of food. We got Snow Donuts to share and they were delectable. The donuts had powdered sugar on top, and in the center was a banana custard filling. I highly recommend the donuts especially with warmer weather coming because they were cool and refreshing.
Is Taco Bamba really the Bomb-a?
Rishi’s Review
I got the Camarón a la Diabla at Taco Bamba, which the menu said would have spicy shrimp. The shrimp was not spicy. It was really good, but didn’t deliver as advertised. Eleanor got a cauliflower taco and chicken for the second day in a row and continued her streak of not being able to finish her food while I, the superior eater, devoured my taco. In total I spent just under $11 (the taco was around $4 and the juice was $7) and was happy with what I got in return, except for the misleading shrimp taco. While the taco was great and I’d recommend it to people who like shrimp, they should also know it is unlikely to deliver on the spice promised in the menu.
Eleanor’s Evaluation
After a long day at school there is nothing like a couple of tacos and a refreshing, almost frighteningly neon lime Jarritos. I got the Tinga taco with braised chicken and the vegetarian Iron Mike with roasted cauliflower. The chicken had a strong, chipotle flavor and was the better of the two tacos. Still, for a cauliflower taco, the Iron Mike was also amazing; if you are a vegetarian I would highly recommend getting it. I am a fan of roasted vegetables and I enjoyed the crispiness of the cauliflower, although it was not as warm or filling as the Tinga. Rishi, on his quest for shrimp, secured a “spicy” shrimp taco. Rishi and his monstrous appetite quickly knocked out his meal, but my inferior appetite left me with half the Iron Mike to take home.
One Small Step for Chicken, One Giant Leap for Chicken-kind
Eleanor’s Evaluation
Excitement about Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken always finds its way into the journalism room come production week, when we stay and eat after school working on the magazine. Naturally, I had high hopes for a restaurant which claims to be out of this world. I ordered two pieces of dark chicken and an Oreo donut. I would say I have a sweet tooth, but this chicken had me questioning. I somehow managed to order chicken at every place Rishi and I visited, and the chicken at Astro was light years ahead of the chicken at any other restaurant. The Oreo donut was chocolate-heavy and was not as refreshing as the Bing and Bao donuts. The donuts at Bing and Bao had refreshing, cool custard, while the Astro donut was a little bit of a mouthful, with no custard savior—for $4. It was good, but not worth one third of my hourly wage at my job.
Rishi’s Review
I had the highest expectations for Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken of the four restaurants we went to, mainly because my sister said she liked it when she was in high school. I ordered the Asteroid sandwhich and a Tropical Crunch doughnut. We ate in Eleanor’s car, unlike all of the restaurants we had been to, because we didn’t feel like it was a place where we could sit down and eat. When I looked at my food, I saw they didn’t give me my doughnut. I was disappointed, but decided to eat my sandwich anyway and see how that was. It was amazing. Finally, after two restaurants in a row who’s claims of spicy food fell short, I felt the heat. The chicken was well-cooked, and the brioche bun gave the whole thing a slightly sweet finish after the spice from the chicken and sauce. Unfortunately, the Asteroids could not save my experience as a whole from being soured. I did go back later and got my doughnut, but to my disappointment it was not up to par with the Asteroid. It was visually pleasing, but it had a yellow glaze on top that turned out to have an artificial citrus-like flavor. Overall, the Asteroid carried the experience.
Two’s Company
Rishi’s Review
Noodles and Company stands out among the other restaurants we visited because of its popularity. I ordered the Shrimp Scampi, and the food came fast. The speed concerned me at the time because I got shrimp, a risky item to get at a restaurant. However, the shrimp was well cooked and easily the meal’s highlight. Sadly, there wasn’t much else I liked. Eating a bite with both zucchini and tomato erased the flavor from the shrimp, reducing it to a watery mess. The shrimp could still have been alive with the amount of water it was swimming in.
Eleanor’s Evaluation
To end our journey Rishi and I had to go to the timeless Noodles and Company. At this classic establishment I decided to get their mac and cheese, regular size. This quest has brought to my attention that my appetite is incredibly small, as the meals I ordered at every restaurant defeated me, leaving me with leftovers. However, at Noodles I finally was victorious. In fact, I ate it a little too fast, considering I hadn’t eaten all day and devoured it within minutes. Even though I felt sick afterwards, it was worth the battle. Their mac and cheese is warm, cheesy (but not too cheesy) and filling. The ratio of noodles to cheese was perfect, and if you’re looking for a basic, filling meal it is the first place I would look. Sometimes you need a simple, comforting meal to get you through the day—I know I certainly did. Rishi, on the other hand, stuck to his mission, and ordered another meal with shrimp to conclude our review.