Sunday, March 31, 2013

"Melting Pot" Month-Week #1: Jenny's Kuali Authentic Malaysian Cuisine


Jenny's Kuali
Authentic Malaysian Cuisine
102 E. 4th St.
Bethlehem, PA  18015
710-758-8858 
Hours:  Mon.-Fri. 11a-8p   Sat. 11a-9p    Sun. Closed 

Evans' Eats Spoon Rates:   

Last post, I featured a true "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant on a Malaysian river.  Thanks to our ever-increasing international cuisine right here in the Lehigh Valley, we have our own Malaysian hotspot.  Ideal for Lehigh University students or those who are in this southside neighborhood, Jenny's has been open since Summer, 2012.   I don't know a lot about Malaysian food other than their popular noodle-based dishes often accompanied with spices like curry & turmeric.  This seems to be a solid selection and would be a recommended Asian alternative for those wanting a break from their local chinese take-out. 

Jenny's is cozy, clean and modern in its aesthetics (I especially loved the red chair cushions!) and has a 
 reasonably-priced menu (average dish $8-$10).   

A highlight was the appetizer menu.  We settled on vegetable steamed dumplings ($5) and curry puffs ($2) filled with chicken, curry & potatoes.  These were enjoyed with their complimentary sauces  If we return, we may just choose a sampler of appetizers and take the opportunity to try one of their soups ($1.50-2.50).  

 Jenny's provides a variety of  vegetarian, beef, chicken or shrimp dishes that come with white or brown rices.   The noodle dishes come with your choice of lo mein (egg noodles), mai fun (rice noodles) or chow fun (flat rice noodles).  Our orders of vegetable mai fun and shrimp noodles with chow fun almost came too quickly (recommended if you are on time constraints!) & were OK. (Again, the highlight was the appetizers.)  

Evans' Eats has also started a long overdue rating system.  Here are the standards that will be used & listed at the beginning of each post.:


 5 Spoons: I loved it. Can't wait to go back & take a friend.

4 Spoons: I really liked it & will return.
3 Spoons: I liked it. Worth a visit & might return. 
2 Spoons: OK, but probably won't return.
1 Spoon: Don't bother.
Jenny's Kuali on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Evans' Eats: Lehigh Valley and BEYOND....

Hole in the Wall
Langkawi, Malaysia. 
 
Wishing I could have joined one of my readers in Langkawi, Malaysia.  So thankful she passed on this great picture-and her review of a recent dinner at this floating restaurant on the Kilim River.  Its creative name "Hole in the Wall" certainly fits the theme of Evans' Eats.    She enjoyed Tom Yam soup and curried chicken or prawns.  She wishes to inform any readers willing to make the trip that this restaurant is BYOB--bring your own boat!  I stumbled across this video which gives us a greater peak into this intriguing dining experience.  Thanks, Pat! 
 

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Gourmet Comfort Food: PA Soup & Seafood House

Pennsylvania Soup & Seafood House
22 S. Main St Doylestown, PA  18901
215-230-9490
Hours: M 11a–3 p, Tues. 11a–7p; W & Th 11a–8p; F & Sat. 11a–9p; Sun: Closed   

One of the joys of having this blog is having others make personal recommendations for places to try.  A shared meal or enjoying a favorite spot with others is a small piece of offering one's self to another in relationship.  It's personal, making the experience that much more meaningful.

A friend & co-worker shared this gem in Doylestown, a town already stacked with hot dining spots.  Inside the Main Street Marketplace is an open, yet cozy spot for a quiet lunch or an out-on-the-town dinner.  

Creamy Crab
Its menu takes bar & comfort food to a sophisticated level.  Some of its offerings include:  Potato-encrusted crab cake entree ($14.99), pan seared scallops ($16,99), crab-topped sirloin steak burger ($10,99) and a variety of sandwiches offered on focaccia bread or a wrap ($8.99-11.99)  

Minestrone
A highlight of the menu was its soup selection.  Wow--a perfect lunch on a cold, winter day--but how does one decide between the 14 options on the menu?  Thank goodness for samples to experience more than one.  While the butternut squash & minestrone sounded delicious, I settled on a bowl ($7; cup: $4.25) of the Creamy Crab, in keeping with their Name: "Soup & Seafood."  Made on the premises & a generous-sized bowl, this soup was completely 
satisfying.

A favorite highlight was the all-you-can-eat, self-serve bread bar.  Olive oil & balsamic vinegar accompanied these delicious freshly-baked selection of bread.  A perfect addition to complete an enjoyable lunch.  I can't speak for the rest of the menu, but if you're looking for a soup that bring the comfort of home with a modern gourmet flare, this is an ideal choice.


Pennsylvania Soup & Seafood House on Urbanspoon