Ming's Noodle Bar: Heritage Fresh Chinese/Japanese Cuisine and Cocktails!

        

                                                   Ming's Noodle Bar...amazing decor and art, phenomenal food and I didn't even try the noodles yet! But I plan to go back and try the different varieties!






     So I finally tried Tulsa's newest fresh made-from-scratch Asian restaurant. You can taste the freshness in every bite.  So, both owner and chef/owner were present...yet another sign of a restaurant that will succeed. The best restaurants always have the presence of one or all owners...it's the only way to ensure good food is going out and service is meeting the patrons' expectations.  Both chef/owner and owner came to my table and I had the privilege of meeting them and shaking their hands.  Super nice folks.

     As always, I asked the server Marsha, who was a stellar person by the way, to bring me the best or the chef's favorite on the menu. When Chef Fai Jow came over and started telling me what his favorite dish was...I could see the passion he has for not only the food, but specifically these dishes. The main dish he promoted was the Spicy Asparagus Chicken, which I had as my main course.  Here's what I started with...Hot & Sour Soup, Roast Pork Plate, Kimchi, and Spicy Asparagus Chicken.

Hot & Sour Soup-With lily flower, wood ear mushrooms, diced tofu, fresh bamboo shoots and a sprinkle of green onions with a drizzle of sesame oil. (You can see the oil in the center...mmm, sesame oil.) Small $3.50/large $5.50

Roast Pork Plate- Made fresh in-house, served with a side of sweet and sour apricot sauce, finished with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onions. $6.50

 Kimchi- House made with seasonal vegetables and seasonings. $3.50 (I ate some of this with the roast pork.)

 Asparagus Chicken-With shitake and crimini mushrooms, shallots, red bell peppers, fresh bamboo shoots, purple onions, julienned  carrots. $13/ exchange shrimp $16

     The entire meal was what you would get in a big city top chef restaurant. And the decor, wow.  But before we move on to the coolness that is the inner Ming's Noodle Bar, I need to add the following to what made this meal beyond foodie-gasm sensation.

     You see, Chef Fai Jow created a sauce that he actually bottles and sells.  Say hello to my lit-tel friend, Dragon's Chili Oil. A little goes a long way. It's not too spicy but packed, I mean loaded with flavor. I added it to my rice, I sprinkled some on the roast pork...AH-MAY-ZING!!!!

      There were a couple of other condiments...one was a house-made orange marmalade, not too sweet but mellow, and just right. I also spooned some of this over the rice as well as the roast pork.  The other was a sweet soy concoction...I'm embarrassed that I took notes as I ate and sampled, and then, I left my notes there on the table :-(. So I'm going purely by memory.

      A few known facts about Chef Fai Jow like his family opened THE first Chinese restaurant in Tulsa...yep, true story. AND, because of his immense talent and years of experience, as owner/chef of Ming's, he brings us all of that goodness and transfers it into every dish he makes.  The flavors are vibrant, fragrant and layered so nothing gets lost but rather infused. 

     There's a very nice patio outside with flat screen TVs and a HUGE bar inside. You can enjoy the food at the bar, on the patio or, in the beautifully decorated restaurant.  Check out the photos of the artwork and especially the ceiling mural, that is still in the process of being completed...it's gorgeous!

 The Patio

 The Art Work

 The Restaurant 

The Bar

     Ming's Noodle Bar...a new Tulsa favorite of not only foodies everywhere, but people that love and appreciate good, quality food. 干杯！ (cheers!)

Polo Grill...Rich Food, Rich Taste

     It's been YEARS since I've visited the Polo Grill. A staple in Tulsa's Utica Square, it was nice to revisit, recall and rejoice in the flavors! :-)

     And my date...(this was our FIRST date), soon realized what it means to eat out in the company of a foodie with a blog.  I think there was a hint of embarrassment when I pulled out my Canon, but he got over it and even adjusted his plate so I could get a great shot...yep, he's real catch!

     My date decided to start off with the Oven Roasted Tomato Bisque...it looked amazing, so I took a sample with my spoon, only after he offered. He gets me, which makes him even more awesome.

 Oven Roasted Tomato Bisque- $8

     Next, he ordered the Chef's Grilled Salmon, with sauteed seasonal vegetables, aged balsamic charred roma tomato, and lemon caper gremolata.

Chef's Grilled Salmon-$17

     I opted for the Grilled Salmon Salad with grilled asparagus, Yukon Gold potatoes, Kalamata olives, and field greens. I had mine served up minus the Yukon Gold potatoes. This salad is typically served with chilled salmon so I liked that they asked me if I wanted the salmon hot or cold. I had mine hot...so glad I did. You could taste the buttery, flaky, richness of the salmon as it melted in my mouth. I don't think it would've been as tasty served up cold.

Grilled Salmon Salad-$15

     The food was great, the service a little rocky in the beginning. Our server approached us and after making us wait  a bit, he acted irritated when we took our time. I mean, we were on a date, that was obvious. I was like, DUDE, please!  Not sure if he was having a bad day but he ended becoming more patient and friendly before it was all said and done. Service itself is amazing. You never go without water in your glass or an empty beverage.

     I'm excited to go back for a dinner date...hopefully with the same person ;-) Bon appetit!

Bluestone Steak House and Seafood...Under New Ownership with Higher Standards!

Bluestone Steak House and Seafood is one of my new if not, THE new favorite restaurant and for so many reasons. The owners, Bill and Sharon Tackett, are friendly and passionate about the food and wine. They have dedicated the quality of food by specializing in "scratch cooking" with all food, including sauces, prepared on-site from fresh ingredients. 


     Little side note, they actually provide reading glasses...no other restaurant does that. Ah, it's the little things that mean so much and adds the right touch...yes that rhymes, they don't call me the queen of cheese for nothing.

     I wasn't able to meet Bill's other half, Sharon, but was fortunate enough to get some time to chat with Bill.  Friendly as he is passionate about the food, wine and success of his restaurant, he indulged us with his knowledge and future plans.  His description of the selection of ingredients was so enticing, and even though the beautiful, aromatic plates of food were arriving at our table, I found myself engaged in our conversation about all of the above. 

     One of Bill's extensive experiences in the restaurant industiry is with beef. He has many years with one of America's largest food service providers, where he introduced Certified Angus Beef to restaurants in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri and parts of Arkansas...GANGSTER BEEFOLOGY! This in and of itself is THE reason one knows, when ordering steak at Bluestone, rest assured, it WILL BE THE FINEST anywhere within hundreds of miles.

     A another reason of many, for dubbing this my new favorite, is Tackett's passion and knowledge of wine.  Me loveth the wineth and if you're a wine lover, you'll definitely appreciate the Bluestone’s dedication to the best wine drinking experience. Wine is decanted in lead-free crystal imported from Reidel , a 300-year old Austrian crystal maker. “The serious wine person ,” says Tackett, “can taste the difference between wine served in glass and wine served in crystal. It tastes different. It tastes better. I ripped this off their "about" section from their website, but he also verbally reiterated it to me.  My response was, "I knew it! I've told people I can tell the difference of how the wine tastes based off what it's served in!" Crystal is my choice for taste...he proved I wasn't crazy, well when it comes to wine that is. :-)

     

     In my usual routine of first time visits, I wholly trust and leave it up to the owner or chef to suggest their absolute favorites or customer favs.  Prepared by chef Jose Garcia, owner Bill Tackett suggest we start out with the Roasted Tenderloin with Remoulade Sauce, served with crostini.  Yes, we totally sopped up that plate of remoulade 
creamy-ness with that bread/crostini. The delicious memory of rich goodness continues to haunt me...I'm sure it'll stop haunting me as soon as I go back for seconds!

     Next, Bill suggested we try the Artichoke Chicken...it's a large organic chicken breast, lightly floured and baked in the oven with artichoke hearts and mushrooms, sauteed in a lemon butter creamy sauce, served with the absolute BEST garlic mashed potatoes you'll ever have and grilled asparagus. 

     Next, our gracious host and owner asked us what we wanted for our entree...we were getting to the "stuffed" point so we opted for a salad so we ordered the Spinach Salad...but of course, we just had to add the "Certified Angus Beef Steak". Wow...baby spinach, tossed in warm mustard pancetta dressing, and topped with fried onions, flash-fried crimini mushrooms and diced tomatoes. (Fyi...the crimini mushrooms are hand picked and sorted, so you're getting THE top picks, literally.)

     In between our meals, Bill wanted us to try one of their many refreshing cocktails offered in their restaurant and mixed up at their HUGE bar...

Ah...oh so delish on a hot day...OJ with Disaronno. Cheers!

     And alas, the desert. What to choose, what to choose?!!  Since Bill had mentioned to us earlier that they use vanilla beans imported from Madagascar, then ground to a fine paste, we said yes to the Vanilla Creme Brulee. I don't even know where to start in my attempt to do this heavenly, creamy and decadent dessert justice. Perfectly "set", creamy and with a nice, thick torched sugar crust...wow. WOW...Wow!! Uh, yeah, so I definitely had to refrain myself from re-creating that Meg Ryan/Billy Crystal cafe seen in 'When Harry Met Sally'...it would've just been weird with Ashlei sitting across from me :-(

     Equipped with a huge bar with an amazing wine selection, it makes for a perfect location for wine seminar/tastings and wine dinners, which Bluestone is planning to place on their calendar of events in the near future.   Bluestone Steak House and Seafood serves up an amazing Sunday Brunch with a buffet that includes un-cured, nitrate-free honey ham. They're also enhancing their lunch menu, adding more organic selections. Visit their website for more info.

      Thanks to Bill Tackett for an amazing experience in foodie heaven. Also, thanks to Vickie, our server for being awesome and Ashlei Kramer, for the GREAT wine and fun conversation. The food was top notch, the service was great and the atmosphere was cozy, romantic and THE perfect place for conversation, food and wine. Bon appetit!


 

Bogey's Burgers in East Tulsa...You Know How to Whistle, Don't Ya...

     ....You just put your lips together and blow, but not before you take a huge bite of cheeseburger deliciousness.  I've lived in Northeast Oklahoma for 3/4's of my life and have NEVER heard of this place. It's a bit of a time warp...from the decor, to the old fashioned burgers and curly fries. But you know when you bite into one of those old fashioned cheeseburgers and you just know, you're in 'Merka (America) and life is good? Yeah, I had one of those moments :-)

     A last minute "what's everyone doing for lunch?" question and co-worker Brenda says "Bogey's!".  I was like, "where? what?" never heard of this place.  So glad we went. I ordered the classic bacon cheeseburger and had a bite of Kristi's fries and a couple of Dawn's onion rings. I didn't realize I was craving this place until I bit into my burger...YUM!

Kristi and Brenda 

The "Gang", Kristi, Brenda, David, and Dawn

      Brenda's chili cheese burger and fries...she was our VIP and the only one the owner "Mel" personally delivered food to...wonder what he would've done if I'd told him to kiss my grits? :-D

     Everyone should try this place at least once. Nostalgic, retro food as is the theme, it's good 'ole American food and just one of those occasional life "must haves". The company was awesome as was the plethora of "cheat day" goodness :-D  PLAY, I MEAN, MAKE... IT AGAIN SAM, AND PUT SOME CHEESE ON IT!