Noodles and Company

Cloudy day in the Wednesday evening, tired from the whole day of work and feeling super hungry. Those are the excuses that I always use to end up treating myself into some good foods. As I was looking for restaurants for grubs, I realize that I haven't been to Noodles and Company for several years. So it's time to see what they changed.

Gyoza

Pad Thai with Chicken

Pad Thai with Shrimp

The last time I had Noodles and Company was back in the old college days. I reminisced that I wasn't a big fan for them. That's why I haven't try them in awhile. After this visit, it gave me a new perspective about this restaurant. First off, it's the Gyoza. Super juicy meat filling cover with crispy wrapper, goes very well with the sweet and sour dipping sauce. The Pad Thai was really good. Both of the shrimp and chicken were tender. Noodles are al dente with a lot of ingredient, bean sprout, crushed peanut, cilantro...

This will be a new place for me to grab a quick dinner, for those gloomy and lazy night. Also, they do have giant size of cookie and rice crispy available as little sweets after dinner.

Restaurant Info:

Noodles and Company

1528 Gemini Place

Columbus, OH 43240

The Walrus

Lately, I had been craving for some seafood. Plus, my friends told me their past experiences in Maine. Fresh seafood are spotted everywhere there, or so I've been told. Thus making me wanted to go there in an instant! But as of now, that's too far of a reach. Instead, I browsed through hundreds of menus from different restaurants to look for dishes that my friends have given me details about over the trips. After hours of research, I stumbled upon The Walrus. They have one of the snacks I've heard so much about from my pals, therefore I gave it a try!

Located toward the end of downtown, there lies The Walrus. If you can't find it, just look for the big sign with the little mustache man. When you first walk in, you can see a spacious waiting area. The interior is pretty classy and you can see all the bar-style table. If you just want to grab a drink, their bar is at the end of the restaurant so you could walk straight through there.

This place seems to be quite busy by the time I arrived, hence the noisy level is pretty high. After my friend and I were settled down with a table, the warm - welcoming server come to greet us. Their servers are really enthusiastic, seems to be very passionate, and enjoying their job! For that reason, the service was such a top-notch!

Portobello Fries

Our appetizer was Portobello Fries. It came out as hot as it's still in the kitchen. The breading is very crispy; however, it will be better if the breading is not as thick. It also served with chipotle mayo; without the sauce, the fries will be plain! As a result, the sauce is a must have!!

Lobster Rolls

Next, the entree, Lobster Rolls. The dish that I was curious so much about from my buddies. To be honest, this is the first time I had a lobster rolls. And seeing those big chunk of lobster nuggets sitting on top of a toast, make my mouth watering. As I took on the first bite, I can taste the crispiness of the toast. Separated from the super juicy, tender lobster nugget with a hint of lemon mayo sauce. It went so smooth when it was combined together yet, I can still taste different ingredients when it's being eaten. I would hate to admitted, but this is one of the greatest foods I've tried ever!

Lobster Mac & Cheese

As we were having the extremely yummy lobster rolls, Food Network is showing lobster mac & cheese on TV. Perfect timing, cause The Walrus have it as well. So we go ahead and ordered one. Creamy mac & cheese topped with crispy layer of cheese with chunk of lobster meat in between the macaronis. Personally, I'm not a big fan of mac & cheese. But this one will be an exception.

The Walrus is my new favorite place to go. Their food and service are both excellent. I also love the decorations inside as well as the lightning. Throughout the month, they will have artist performances as special events. Of course, you can also contact them and host your own event/party.

Restaurant Info:

The Walrus

143 E Main St,

Columbus, OH 43215

BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse

Another lazy Friday night, my fridge is empty from left to right. On top of that, I don't want to cook for this evening. So right after work, my friends and I head out for dinner. Downtown was our plan originally, but sitting in traffic, searching for a parking spot is not a good idea for me, thus we stayed in the Polaris area. 

On a typical Friday night, everywhere is quite busy, so we waited for about 20 minutes to get seated. One thing I like about BJ's is they have so much variety of foods and drinks. From burger to pasta, and other special cocktails and taps, it is hard to get bored with their menu.

The food didn't take too long to arrive after we placed our order. However, they brought out the wrong food for one of my friend. While my friend waiting for his food to come out, the manager came back and apologize for the mistake. He also offer a soup on the house. The management handled the situation exceptionally well for their staff mistakes!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

New Orleans Jambalaya

Jumbo Spaghetti and Meatballs

Cookies 'n' Cream Pizookies

The portion of their food is pretty huge. I like their Jambalaya because of the amount of different ingredients that they used [Grill chicken and shrimp, sausage, green pepper...] The only thing is they are pretty oily. Spaghetti and Meatballs is way too spicy. So please be cautious if you cannot handle spicy food.

We spend like quite some time in the restaurant chit-chatting. We left the restaurant around 9-ish and there are still a lot of people waiting to get seated. Overall, I like their variety choices on the menu and their staffs is very friendly as well.

Restaurant Info:

BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse

1414 Polaris Pkwy,

Columbus, OH 43240

Northstar Café

Toward the end of February, who can image temperature can go up to the 60F. It's just like someone press the fast forward button, and allow spring to join us in advance. I should not complain too much, since next week may go back to icy cold, winter weather. To enjoy such a beautiful day, my friends and I decide to head out to the Easton Town Center. Before we start our day off, they recommended an awesome place to fill up our tummy first.

Northstar Cafe located aside the Barnes & Noble in the South District. The bright open area and natural decoration gave me a touch of upbeat feeling. We get there around noon, but they are already pack with people. Not only that, there was a waiting line alongside the cafe as well. Even though it's a long line, it moved fairly quick. The staff will periodically comes out to give us the menu to look at while we waiting, just to speed up the order time. Their brunch menu is not big, and that's awesome for indecisive me. You order your food when you get to the cashier, find a table, and they will bring out the food to you.

[From Left to Right]Prosciutto and Poached Eggs ; Big Burrito

I would say that Prosciutto and Poached eggs is my favorite dish from this restaurant so far. Slightly toasted rosemary focaccia, bedded with parmesan, prosciutto and poached eggs. There are a lots going on in my mouth when I took the first bite. The crunchy focaccia, along with the savory prosciutto and the richness of the golden egg yolk. I think this can never go wrong with this combination. 

The Big Burrito filled with eggs, roasted sweet potatoes, sauteed peppers and onions... This was my first time trying sweet potato as an entree, thus I have to dislike this combination a bit. Mainly because I prefer sweet potato for deserts.

This cafe is a prefect spot for you to grab a brunch on the weekends. Additionally to their Breakfast and Brunch dishes, they have variety of freshly baked items from the bakery. One thing to be caution is they are quite busy during brunch/lunch hour.

Restaurant Info:

Northstar Cafe

4015 Townsfair Way,

Columbus, OH 43219

SuperChef's

Dc vs Marvel, one of the most intriguing debates, that people would discuss intensely over to this date. Fortunately at SuperChef's, a unique joint in Columbus, Ohio, offers a unique blend of both Dc and Marvel Comics breakfast atmosphere. Almost all of their dishes are named after the heroes from both sides. So with this fusion, I am safe to say, this is an awesome place for comic nerds [like me] to be in. Not only a spot for comic enthusiasts, but it does serve great foods as well. They have two locations, located in Downtown and Gahanna, in which I been to both of them. Personally, I prefer the Gahanna location, since they have bigger space and the restaurant is fully decked out with superheroes theme.

They are always packed with people waiting in line, so I went in kinda early this morning. Luckily, I got the last table right before the waiting list started. 

 Smoked Salmon and Cheese Omelet

The "Juggernaut"

Smoked Salmon and Cheese Omelet, was pretty fulfilling for a breakfast order. It is just a big omelet but wrapped inside it, was melted mozzarella cheese and smoked salmons with red pepper sauce all over the fish pieces. It brings out the juicy salmon's flavor. Overall, this dish was excellent except for the fact that, the potato comes along the side was a little bit cold. 

The "Juggernaut" is a waffle sandwich that stacked up with pieces of fried chicken, eggs, candied bacon and cheeses. On top of honey and syrup drizzle, it comes with a small container of strawberry jam. I like the combination of the savory fried chicken with the sweetness of the syrup. The height of this sandwich make it a bit hard to handle. Regardless of the big portion, this would make my top lists for breakfast must-try.

There are other options on the menu as well, so make sure you try different thing to keep yourself amazed. One thing to be caution is their service is under staff and the wait can be frustrated due to limited space. In the end, whether you're a pro Dc or a pro Marvel, just give this place a try for an astound time with amazing foods. 

Restaurant Info:

SuperChef's

[Downtown]
199 E Board St,

Columbus, OH 43215

[Gahanna]
1344 Cherry Bottom Rd,

Gahanna, OH 43230

Oscar's

It's Restaurant Week in Columbus!!! From January 18th - 23rd, more than 100 restaurants present their food into a special pricing three course menu, which range between $15 to $35. After going through a tough selection progress, I decide to give Oscar's a try.

As a starter, I decided to order a cup of cocktail pairing up with my entree. This is a cup of Caramel Delight. I like the creamy texture with a hint of caramel favor. To me, this drink is like Irish coffee.

One of the first course option is Black Bean Chili. A touch of sour cream give the chili a different favor compare to other chili that I have before. However, the proportion between the black bean to other ingredients is not balance.

 

Another option is the Thai Stir-Fried Calamari. This includes lightly deep-fried calamari combine with mix of julienne snow peas, carrots, and red peppers. I would say this is my favorite appetizer compared to other hors d'oeuvres. To me, it look like a calamari salad topped with crushed peanuts, cilantro and the sweet and sour sauce. All the favor of the ingredients balance out the oiliness of the deep-fried calamari.

Filet Mignon is the main course for the night. The meat was medium cooked. It was topped with stilton cheese, along with a sprayed out honey-garlic yukon potatoes and port wine jus. The crust of filet mignon and the potatoes create a mix of soft and hard texture. I would say the filet is a bit over done for medium and the favor of the stilton cheese is too strong for me.

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee and Chocolate Silk Explosion is the selection of dessert of the night. Nothing too fancy about the creme brulee, the taste is very common and smooth as always. As for the chocolate silk explosion, it is a big cylinder block of chocolate topped with whipped cream. The base is nuts crumble, with raspberry sauce. To me, it was too overwhelming as a dessert.

Overall, the restaurant is very busy on a Friday night. Maybe it is because of the restaurant week as well. I made reservation the night before and luckily that i took the last spot that they have available. I guess I underestimate the popularity of the restaurant week. But I am glad to have this experience tonight and will definitely be a part of this next year.

Restaurant Info:

Oscar's

84 N High St,

Dublin, OH 43017