Eat Me

Jazmine Café, 614 South Carrollton, New Orleans, LA 70118

2005-08-20T12:45:00.000-07:00

I’ve been in this office too long, been out of the jungle too long. Everyday I sit here I get weaker; everyday Charlie squats out in the bush he gets stronger. You can’t go in the river because they’re in the water; you can’t go outside because they’re in the trees. Waiting; waiting with their knives, their bamboo poles, and their…spring rolls. Agent Orange-induced hallucinations aside; Jazmine Café is one Vietnam flashback you’ll be happy to have.

The biggest attraction to this establishment is its somewhat misleadingly named five-dollar lunch menu. In reality the menu starts at five dollars and goes up to eight, but if it’s a light lunch you’re after, you can certainly come here without experiencing an uncomfortable burning sensation in your wallet. There is a wide variety of different dishes to choose from such as grilled pork and noodles, grilled chicken with noodles, avocado and noodles, and spring rolls and noodles. As you might guess, noodles accompany a few of the menu items so they deserve some description. The noodles have a very subtle flavor and slightly chewy texture that I would call al dente were that term not wildly inaccurate from an ethnic standpoint. In fact, most of the dishes don’t have a strong flavor on their own, but each is accompanied by a well-matched dipping sauce. The appetizers offered are quite similar to those you would see at a Chinese restraunt: egg rolls, pot stickers, spring rolls, and fried wontons. They are also reasonably priced with a plate of seven pot sticker-style dumplings costing around four dollars.

Another interesting part of the menu is the drinks section. Jazmine Café offers that drink of rising popularity – bubble tea. For the uninitiated, bubble tea is a kind of tea with tapioca beads piled on the bottom. Now, I don’t have the qualifications for explaining the charm of a drink that you can choke on, but it seems to be popular with the hipsters, at least.

While the food and service are of good quality, the space of the restaurant leaves some to be desired. The main dining area is quite small and the tables are set rather close together. If I wanted to be optimistic, I’d say that this gives the area a close, friendly atmosphere, but seeing as how at any given moment I’m likely to say something that would get me brained by a piece of furniture, it’s a poor setup for my tastes.

All in all, Jazmine Café is a fine place to go for a quick and relatively cheap lunch, and, being near to the soon to open Cold Stone Creamery (which must be saved for another review), you’ll be able to get your sugar fix without having to go very far. One piece of advise, though, the servers don’t appreciate being asked how long they’ll love you.

Tandoori Chicken, 115 University Place, New Orleans, LA 70112

2005-08-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

When you visit Tandoori Chicken, you may at first think you're in the wrong place. The restaurant is located at the end a narrow hallway up a twisted flight of stairs, but follow the smell of curry and you'll find yourself in a miniature nirvana. There is nothing spectacular about the decor, or the room itself, although there's always the latest Bollywood soundtrack playing in the background.

What's striking about Tandoori Chicken is, as you might expect, the food. The dishes are prepared by the Sikh family who, as far as I can tell, take turns being head chef. This results in a slight variation in the spiciness (from makes-you-nose-run to tongue-numbing) of the dishes from night to night. Make sure you get an order or two of nan (a flat, fried bread, perfect for soaking up sauces) and some lassi (a thick yogurt beverage) to counter the heat.

My last visit, I ordered Lamb Vinda Aloo, which is a lamb and potato dish labelled as "Extremely Hot." It definitely lived up to its claim. The lamb, which can be gamey if not handled properly, is mild in flavor and fall-apart tender, and the starchiness of the potatoes helps to balance the spiciness. But for flat-out best food-for-money rate on a weeknight, go with the dinner-for-two platters, either vegetarian or non-vegetarian. The dinner includes samosas, several samples of entrees, lentils, rice, nan, and dessert.

On Sunday nights, there is a $12.99 buffet with both vegetatian and non-vegetarian items, which I have a tendency to frequent and have found to be incredibly satisfying for both palate and budget.

All in all, Tandoori Chicken is a wonderful culinary experience, one which I would reccommend trying at least once, whether on a slow Sunday night, or the next time you're running a little early for that show at the nearby Saenger or Orpheum. You won't be disappointed.

Ninja Restaurant, 8433 Oak St, New Orleans, LA 70118

2005-08-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

Ninja is an excellent restaurant, specializing in sushi and other forms of Japanese cuisine. It is one of the most popular restaurants in the Uptown/University area, especially among college students, and is one of my personal favorites.

The restaurant is bright and modern, with a sleek, simplistic look. Right away, one is greeted with menus and a hot washcloth. The refirigerated windowed shelves along the bar are kept clean and clear, showing off beautiful fish that looks so fresh it may have been frolicking through the water just hours before. The chefs themselves are friendly and talkative, always willing to answer questions about whatever delightful feat they are in the middle of creating.

The dinner staff I have found to be pleasant, timely, and helpful, and sometimes so subtle with their serving that bowls of miso soup or fresh beverages seem to appear out of thin air.

Unfortunately, I have not found the same attentiveness in the lunch staff. Both times I have eaten lunch there I have been dissatisfied with the service, but today's visit was by far the worse offense. Incorrect drink orders are one thing. I have been a waitress, and realize that mistakes happen. But between receiving tea instead of water and the deliveryof the bill, I saw my waiter only once. That one time, I had to stop him as he rushed past to ask about the miso soup one usually receives while sitting at the bar. I was informed that my family (in town for a visit) and I had not ordered enough sushi to warrant miso, as we had ordered three rolls between us, and two rolls per person are apparently the required minimum. Now, this may be a new policy on Ninja's, but it is not one that I have ever heard, and it was certainly not in effect when I lunched there two weeks ago. Even so, the one bowl we had earned was not even mentioned until I asked, and since it is rather awkward for three people to split one bowl of soup, we decided to let it go. No refills were offered on the drinks, and the wait on the bill was longer than the wait on the food. It is a shame to have had such shoddy and nearly nonexistent service, because the food is really so good.

I myself had the usual bowl of natto, and a salad roll (crab stick, shrimp, cucumber, asparagus, and radish, seaweed outside). It was light and refreshing, just the thing for a summer lunch. Mom oredered the spicy crab roll, which was consumed with greatest vigor and appreciation. My brother ordered the white tuna roll, which he declares, "tasted the way sushi would taste if I made sushi that tasted the way I like it."

Ninja is, on the whole, a wonderful, easy-going restaurant with outstanding cuisine that captivates both the eye and the palate. But I, for one, will be sticking to the dinner hour.