Kogiyaki Korean BBQ - Ellicott City, Maryland

Does Kogiyaki Korean BBQ look familiar to you? If it does, then you must remember Bean and Burgundy Bread (formerly occupied the same building). The difference between the two is that Kogiyaki focuses more on Korean and Asian cuisine than having a variety of American and Asian food items like Bean and Burgundy.

Even though the restaurant went through some rebranding, the interior is more or less the same - a large spacious room with a multitude of seating options and several televisions. It's a nice environment because it's never loud or noisy; the eatery has a relaxed and peaceful vibe.




I was enticed to eat at Kogiyaki by their lunch sushi buffet - sushi, Korean food, and a salad bar. For someone who is as hungry as I am, buffets are always worth the money.

I was pleasantly surprised with all the options I had to choose from:

California roll (far left) 

fried rice (bottom right)

Out of all these choices, I loaded up on just sushi and fried rice (way to be adventurous, right?). After all, it is called the lunch sushi buffet, so the sushi must be good.

The California roll consisted of imitation crab meat, avocado, cucumber, and fish eggs (tobiko). Some Asian restaurants don't put the fish eggs on the California roll, so I appreciate them using it here; it's 10 times more aesthetically pleasing with it than without it. Also, I loved how the subtle flavors and soft textures of each ingredient produced a delicious combination. Even though each individual roll was slightly thin and smaller than usual, the size of it didn't bother me because I could always get more rolls if I wasn't satiated.

The fried rice includes carrots, fried eggs, onions, and peas. The dish reminded me of the same type of fried rice from a Benihana or Sakura as opposed to that of a Chinese restaurant. Although the rice was filling, I would have liked the dish to have an abundance of different types of vegetables (the flavor would be more potent).

The miso soup came with the lunch buffet. The soup was served hot and didn't fail to disappoint. 

Overall, the massive lunch buffet didn't have any items that were a home run but didn't have anything subpar. If the lunch buffet isn't for you, they also have a dinner buffet and supposedly amazing Korean fried chicken. If anyone has tried these, let me know how they are in the comments.



- Thomas

Ellicott City Flood - Relief Efforts

Historic Ellicott City before the flood

It has been a week since the historic area of my town, Ellicott City, was devastated by a hideous flood. The storm destroyed much of the town, demolished sidewalks and the foundation of buildings.

Founded in 1772, the history of  Ellicott City pre-dates the Civil War - click here for more information.

We take great pride that many of the historic buildings are meticulous cared for and give our downtown its charm.

The aftermath of the flood left our town in pain. Two people lost their lives and countless businesses and homes were absolutely devastated. 

These streets housed a vibrant business district, including restaurants that we visited often.

It's really awful to see all the places you grew up with just obliterated. In just a blink of an eye, businesses, homes and two people, just gone.  It's really hard to even wrap our heads around that.

The road to recovery will be long but Ellicott City will #RiseAboveTheWater.

To help people and businesses get back on their feet, we are publicizing the following gofundme.com pages for the affected restaurants in the historic district (HT to Floria Volynskaya's Facebook page). Please help if you can.

Every penny helps to get these restaurants back on main street. So, let's all do our part in restoring the town we love back to its former glory.

Judge's Bench - https://www.gofundme.com/judgesbench

Ellicott Mills Brewing Company - https://www.gofundme.com/2hhhex8

La Palapa Mexican Grill & Cantina - https://www.gofundme.com/lapalapagrill

Tersiguel's French Country Restaurant -https://www.gofundme.com/2hkn2j94

Little French Market - https://www.gofundme.com/2hqefbg

Pure Wine Cafe - https://www.gofundme.com/2htkeac

Johnny's Bistro on Main (blog post here) - https://www.gofundme.com/2hvtrws

Sweet Cascades Chocolatier - https://www.gofundme.com/2hm8cwws

Tea on the Tiber - https://www.gofundme.com/teaonthetiber

The Rumor Mill Fusion Bar & Restaurant -https://www.gofundme.com/therumormillec
andhttps://www.gofundme.com/2hfdk6k

Cacao Lane Restaurant - https://www.gofundme.com/2hhmpbcc

Portalli's - https://www.gofundme.com/supportportallis

Bean Hollow Roastery & Espresso (blog post here) - https://www.youcaring.com/gretchen-shuey-614117

The Phoenix Emporium - https://www.gofundme.com/2hmcgtdg

Charles and Thomas at The Trolley Stop

Even though main street is closed, The Trolley Stop (read our 2015 blog post here) is one of the few restaurants still open in historic Ellicott City. Charles and I decided to show our support by dining there last night.

We will continue to share news and fundraisers about our town. Please contact us with information so we can get it out.

We are #ECStrong

- Thomas and Charles

America's Pie - Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

If you want a change from your typical boardwalk joint, head to America's Pie - where creativity and innovation are their speciality. Opened August 2015 on Rehoboth Avenue, America's Pie serves up a variety of hot entrees (wraps, traditional and original pizza pies, sandwiches, and more) by a warm and fun staff.






After the staff welcomed us, they walked us through all the amazing menu choices. There are some crazy interesting combinations like the beccaberry pizza (blueberries, bacon, basil, mozzarella, baby spinach arugula, topped with red wine reduction) or the George pizza (pistachio and arugula pesto, red wine and honey poached pear, prosciutto, mozzarella, ricotta, topped with red wine reduction). The subs, likewise, are comprised of traditional favorites and new twists.

 Charles, Thomas and America's Pie Ryan Lucas 

Even though the interior is quaint, the establishment utilizes every crevice to display decorations and photos. Like the titular name implies, the theme for all decorations is   American culture, and I love it! It's so awesome to order the James Dean pizza, sit down, then look up to find a picture of James Dean starring back at you. Even the logo protrays Uncle Sam  wearing a tank top carrying a surf board. Totally Americana.

Before I start talking about the pizza, let me just say how colossal each slice is. I'm a big eater and I usually scoff down 4 normal slices of pizza in order to be satiated. However, America's Pie issued a challenge to me: still be hungry after 2 slices. This was the first and last time I lost a competition to a slice of pizza.

The holiday white

Charles selected a slice of the holiday white - a white pizza with broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, and ricotta. Charles liked how the thin slice was mostly soft and with some crispiness added here and there. Even though we were among the last customers of the day, it tasted fresh. Charles' main gripe with this pizza type was that the ricotta and mozzarella cheese combination was, well, cheesy. He's not a cheesy guy. If you are, it will be a party in your mouth, for sure.

The crusty crab

 I ordered a slice of the crusty crab: crab cake mix, lump crab meat, mozzarella cheese, red pepper, celery, chives, and topped with bread crumbs. Even though this pizza is one of the most avant-garde, it's still in the experimental phase. For instance, it tastes exactly like crab or a crab cake, but it is incredibly dry. One of the staff members claimed that they are still perfecting the formula and hope to create the right balance between flavor and texture soon. But currently, this pizza just has a lot of potential.

The James Dean (bottom)
and the Idaho potato (top)

Charles selected the Idaho potato as his second slice - a mixed cheese pizza with potato, bacon and caramelized onions. Who would've thought a loaded baked potato on a pizza slice could create such a tasty combo? All the ingredients were densely packed on the thick slice of pizza,  leaving no spots absent of toppings. Bite after bite, Charles kept pondering if the item was more baked potato than pizza and vice versa. Although this one question remained an enigma, Charles knew one thing without a doubt: the pizza was delicious.

I chose the James Dean as my second slice: BBQ pulled pork (usually BBQ chicken but sometimes they change it), scallion, red onions, pepper jack, mozzarella, topped with chipotle ranch. Out of all the pizza Charles and I tasted, we can agree that the James Dean is the best. The pizza combines the best aspects of the aforementioned slices (soft, slightly crispy, and ingredients being densely packed) in tandem with a moist texture. Just one small caveat: grab a few napkins because it can get slightly messy.

America's Pie is one of the best places for traditional and original pizza at Rehoboth Beach. It's our new favorite place and we can't wait to go back.

This brand is here to stay. The workers revealed ambitious plans to expand to California and Towson, MD in the near future. 

- Thomas

Mimi's Kabob - Ellicott City, MD,

Mimi’s Kabob is an Afghan bistro that just expanded in the spring of 2014 to cover both Clarksville and the new Turf Valley site. My friend Ahmad raved about how authentic it is and offered to take me to the Turf Valley location, so naturally I accepted the invite (a food blogger never says no to a food excursion). 

Mimi's Kabob has a quaint interior packed with exotic decorations and patterns. It's a nice juxtaposition to see all this ancient culture showcased through the various items/artifacts alongside modern televisions and a soda machine.

If you're discouraged from the bistro by the seemingly small exterior, don't be fooled. The eatery has enough room for a plethora of tables, chairs, and booths. It's a shame that Mimi's Kabob has all these seating choices and cool interior decorations, but it seems that most people order take out rather than dine in (I prefer to dine in).

Kofta kabob

Ahmad selected the kofta kabob - flame broiled seasoned ground beef on skewers, salad, rice, and yogurt chutney. He liked how the kabob had a mild kick and smoky tang to it. When asked to describe the meal in one sentence, he replied: "it was an awesome blend of a tender texture mixed with a succulent flavor." He even gave me a small taste to review, and I have to say, he took the words right out of my mouth.

Lamb kabob

Craving lamb? Look no further to be satiated, the lamb kabob does the job perfectly - flame broiled marinated chunks of lamb, rice, salad, and yogurt chutney. I also really appreciate how moist the chunks of lamb were: bursting with juicy goodness on the inside as well as the surface. I only have a small gripe with the entree, I would've liked more salad and less rice (a more even ratio than the 75% rice and 25% salad given).

Tandoori bread

 The tandoori bread came with both of our orders and it is addicting to say the least. If you are as hungry as I was, you'll have a difficult time stopping yourself from consuming more and more of this delicious bread. The best part about this side is that it is always made fresh; it's prepared and cooked in the kitchen every day.

Overall, I would definitely return to Mimi's Kabob. Compared to some other kabob restaurants in the area, it stands out by having reasonable prices ($10-$20 range) for big portion sizes, an aesthetically pleasing decor, and a cozy atmosphere. I guarantee that you won't leave Mimi's Kabob feeling unsatisfied and famished, but rather, feeling content and wanting more.  

- Thomas 

 

Sneha Indian Cuisine - Catonsville, MD

2 Dudes Who Love Food finally take on Indian food at Sneha Indian Cuisine. The restaurant opened up last June and has been featured in the 50 Best Restaurants for the 2015-2016 year in Baltimore Magazine. Charles and I are not too familiar with Indian cuisine, so I invited my friend Vignesh.








The establishment is essentially one large, spacious, and dimly lit room. There's a candle on each table to compensate for the darkness, but the thick closed curtains in tandem with the overall dull light fixtures eclipse the brightness of the candles; the lighting remains faint.


The owner, Ravi Kuriseti, walked us through the menu and informed us, based on the spiciness and sweetness of the dishes, about which items we would prefer. According to Mr. Kuriseti, the crispy kale chat and kabob appetizers are very popular among customers, so that's what we selected for our first course.

Crispy kale chat

The crispy kale chat is comprised mostly of kale, tamarind, ground flour, and yogurt. This dish is very unique to say the least. The crispiness of the kale combined well with an extremely sweet sauce- intensely out of this world savory when it first hits your tongue but not sugary sweet. I would definitely get this unique appetizer again and recommend that any newcomer to Indian food order it as well.

Paneer tikka 

The paneer tikka (kabob appetizer) contains mostly paneer, onion, tomato, green pepper, and yogurt. In case you were wondering, paneer is a type of acid-set and unaged cheese common in South Asian cuisine. At first I was mislead by its taste into questioning whether it was some sort of meat (thick, hardy texture and taste could be comparable to a bland type of meat). However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn the aforementioned facts about it from my friend. Overall, I believe that it's a great meat alternative but not my cheese of preference.

Chicken tikka masala

 I selected the chicken tikka masala for my entree - mostly consists of boneless chicken, cream, fenugreek, and tomato. Besides the abundance of flavor in every bite, the best part about this dish was the creamy and rich sauce. Even when I had no more fork-tender chicken left to eat, I dipped the naan in the sauce to just savor the sauce another time, and again, and again (always wanting more from that last bite). My only gripe was that the chicken tikka masala ratio of sauce to chicken was about 3:1. Although I loved the sauce, I would have rather had more chicken.

Paneer makhni

Vignesh tried the paneer makhini (mostly paneer, cream, and tomato). Vignesh concurred with me about the creamy factor and added that it was not too spicy, but just right for this type of dish. By the way, if the entree I ordered and the one Vignesh ordered looks the same, it is because they have similar ingredients.

The naan was delicious!

Navratan korma

Charles selected the navratan korma (mostly mixed vegetables, cashew, yogurt, adn mace). Much like Vignesh and my dish, it was spicy creamy. However, Charles emphasized that it was too spicy. Vignesh and I had a taste and dissented with his statement. So, if you're not that into spicy cuisine, I wouldn't order this. In addition, Charles wanted a more thick texture instead of the more or less soupy nature of this dish. On the bright side, Charles enjoyed how he couldn't distinctively taste the cashew, but how its flavor influenced the entire meal.

Rabri

For dessert, we all shared the rabri. For such an amazing dessert, it has only two ingredients: milk and sugar. Like that wasn't special enough, the process of making a large vat of it takes almost half a day! The time put into this delicacy really shows as you can taste the variations of smooth to coarse textures and everything in between (not to mention the incredible sweetness).

If you're familiar with Indian cuisine or want to broaden your palette, I strongly suggest trying Sneha Indian Cuisine. Let me know what your thoughts are about the restaurant in the comments.

- Thomas