Yen Sushi and Sake Bar in Phoenix

Yen Sushi and Sake Bar Review

Yen Sushi and Sake Bar is nestled in a small strip mall in north west Phoenix. It’s rather unobtrusive from the outside but once a new customer opens the tinted door they easily come to realize that the unobtrusive nature is strictly intentional. It’s is peaceful, quiet, and dim, just perfect for some perfect sushi.

The interior of the restaurant is dimly lit. Shades hang down the entire expanse of windows, keeping the restaurant cool as well. Don’t worry about the darkness though, apart from a handful of patrons the only thing it’s hiding is some of the best tasting sushi in the Phoenix area.

As usual we started with an appetizer, this time it was the Crunchy Calamari ($5). The discounted prices on the happy hour menu just made it taste even better. The calamari was served in 5-6 separate battered and deep fried pieces with a special thin sauce. They were good, but not spectacular. I guess in the future we might want to avoid deep fried… well, perhaps anything? If I felt just a little bit let down it didn’t take long to recover.

Not more than a couple of minutes after the appetizer was delivered to our table by a smiling hostess that same hostess also delivered the first roll of sushi, the Philadelphia Roll ($5). It included 8 pieces of rice wrapped avocado, asparagus and cream cheese topped with thin slices of pink, tender salmon. It was magnificent and the Crunchy Calamari was pushed out of the way and replaced by this wrapped, smooth, tasty piece of sushi accompanied by soy sauce, wasabi and sliced, light ginger.

Calamari Tempura Roll (back) and Spicy Tuna Roll ($5 each)

The Philadelphia Roll was just about ready to disappear for good when the rest of the sushi was brought out. It was a combined plate with a roll of Calamari Tempura ($5) and a roll of Spicy Tuna Tempura ($5). My clear favorite of the two was the Calamari Tempura. It was smooth and rich. The taste of calamari was clearly present but not so strong as to offset the tastes and texture of the rice and other ingredients. The fried Spicy Tuna didn’t quite ring my bell. The texture of the roll had not quite reached the point that I felt it would be best eaten at and instead of blending with the sushi the fried portions seemed to put on a taste of their own.

Philadelphia Roll with Salmon, Avocado, Asparagus and Creme Cheese ($5)

In general I would still highly recommend Yen Sushi and Saki Bar. While not everything ordered was outstanding, those sushi rolls that were more than easily picked up the slack for the rest. The Calamari and Philadelphia rolls were top notch and I don’t think it will be too long before I find myself sitting once again in it’s dark interior.

This is an unpaid review of Yen Sushi and Sake Bar at 17037 N 43rd Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85308. If you are associated with a restaurant, or know of a restaurant in the Phoenix valley that you would like us to review please contact us at Troy@Phoenix.org and we will see if we are able.

New Asian Kitchen Outside Photo

There is a hidden gem in north Phoenix. Situated in a strip mall, the restaurant is a quaint 25 feet wide, squished between a cigar shop and a carpet liquidator, yet although New Asian Kitchen is stuck in such a small building, it carries big flavor. Now, it may not win any national awards for Asian cuisine, or fill the restaurant’s seats seven days a week, but when you combine taste, portion size and cost almost any critic would admit that the New Asian Kitchen is a winner.

New Asian Kitchen is located in the southeast corner of the junction of Bell Road and 43^rd Avenue. If you are still having a hard time finding it (as we did), then look for the Taco Bell; they share a parking lot.

The first thing we noticed when we walked in the door was the small number of customers. Our addition to the restaurant increased the patronage by 50%, bringing the total to three occupied tables out of perhaps 12-15. Usually only three groups of patrons in a restaurant is a bad thing. In our case though, it just meant fast food, and I mean really fast food.

Pu-Pu Platter ($3.25 per person)

We were seated immediately upon entrance and the drinks followed quickly after. Once it was time to order it took all of two minutes and twenty eight seconds for our appetizer, the Pu-Pu Platter ($7.50) to arrive. When the platter appeared we happily ignored the name and had no trouble eating through the selection of egg rolls, fried shrimp, crab puffs, BBQ pork and beef skewer with a side of sweet and sour sauce.

The appetizers in the Pu-Pu Platter, like everything else we eventually ate, were hot, really hot. While the fried shrimp was a little thick on the breading, the shrimp inside was large and moist. The crab puff was filled with sweet crème cheese and small bits of crab meat. The egg rolls, like their platter partners, were piping hot and filled to the brim with fresh veggies complemented by a crisp outer roll. Mine was stolen more than once from my plate by my dining companion wanting “one more taste”. The beef skewer was probably the least enjoyable part of the appetizer platter; it was still good, just outshined by the other foods. The final portion of the platter was the BBQ pork. It filled a small dish and was lightly dusted in a sweet, dark sauce. The meat was soft, perhaps a slight bit too soft, yet certainly enjoyable enough for it to disappear in quick time.

Pot Stickers with Soy Sauce ($4.50)

We hadn’t found the time to finish the appetizer platter yet, and believe me, we were making good time, when a plate of six fresh pot stickers ($4.50) was brought to our table. We happily made way for this lovely new addition which was served on a bed of shredded cabbage. On the side was the best soy sauce I’ve ever tasted—soy sauce with floating green onion slices. The pot stickers had a small touch of salt on the outside with cooked vegetables and pork on the inside and like all proceeding portions, were piping hot. A large enough portion for two to suggest leftovers, we thought we might have some. We didn’t.

All this and we hadn’t been served main course yet…

The entrées came just as quickly and just as hot. Full of authentic taste, the dishes were a plate of Mongolian Beef ($7.95) and Pineapple Chicken ($8.95). Each plate came with an endless bowl of sticky rice. The Mongolian Beef was composed of tender slices of beef accompanied by white and green onions as well as a spicy sauce.  The entire repertoire of flavors blended wonderfully and the white rice added to the satiation of the meal without diluting the taste.

Mongolian Beef ($7.95)

Pineapple Chicken ($8.95)

The pineapple chicken included deep fried chicken with pineapple, carrots, green pepper and onion, all with the same sticky rice to accompany it. The carrots, peppers and onion all tasted fresh and crisp, unfortunately that couldn’t be said for the pineapple, which in all likelihood came from a can. It was certainly enjoyable and disappeared quickly enough, but fresh pineapple would have been a wonderful completion to the dish.

Overall thoughts…

New Asian Kitchen was great. The service was outstanding, the food arrived quickly, the prices were extremely affordable, the portion sizes were large for Asian restaurants and the food quality was terrific. While I probably wouldn’t drive across town to dine at New Asian Kitchen, if I were in the neighbor hood of Bell Road and 43^rd Avenue in North Phoenix, it is a choice that I would be happy to make again.

Unlimited Sticky Rice (Free with Entree)

During the time we were in the restaurant we saw a handful of patrons drop in to pick up take out as well as saw a delivery driver return from delivering an order or two.

If you would like to get in contact with New Asian Kitchen use the info below:

• 4231 W. Bell Rd.   Phoenix, AZ 85023
• (S.E. Corner of 43rd Ave & Bell Rd.)
• Bell Plaza Shopping Center
• Phone: (602)-938-0848

This is a free review of New Asian Kitchen provided by the staff of Phoenix.org. If you own or are associated with a restaurant and would like Phoenix.org to provide a review please contact us using the submission form found at http://phoenix.org/contact/.

We do not charge a review fee.

Schnepf Farms Peach Festival May 2011

The Schnepf Farms Peach festival participants may enjoy countless peach centered activities. Some of the activities include peach centered games, peach pie spitting contest. A peach pie eating contest. There will also be demonstrations by well known local chefs at 10am on each day of the festival. The festival occurs on May 14^th, 15^th, 21^st, 22^nd.

Make sure to bring your kids as well. Attendance is free but there are many activities to participate in that do require a small fee such as a ride through the orchard on a train that is $3 per person. There is also a small roller coaster, a honeybee adventure, and giant slide and more. Unlimited ride wristbands can be purchased for only $10.

For more information contact Schnepf Farms at 480-987-3100 or visit their website at http://www.schnepffarms.com/.

Additional Information:

Dates: May 14,15,21,22

Hours: 7:30am-4:00pm

Admission: Free

Phone: 480-987-3100

Location:

Schnepf Farms

24810 S. Rittenhouse Road

Queen Creek, AZ. 85242

Sample Fuego Bistro Discount Card

Fuego Bistro and Phoenix.org have teamed up to offer residents of the Valley of the Sun with a 50% discount at Fuego Bistro’s wonderful eatery. If you have not eaten at Fuego Bistro then you are missing out. Their Latin fare will rock your mouth and send you into a state of perfection that one rarely experiences. From their signature empanadas served with homemade BBQ sauce to the mouthwatering Green Chilli Cheese Burger made with real Angus beef, Fuego Bistro is a great place for a date with your special someone or just a great local to hang out with the friends.

The deal that Phoenix.org is offering you is good for a 50% discount on your complete dinner order (up to a $100 value and excluding alcohol). To make sure that you experience as much as Fuego Bistro as possible the discount is broken up into 5 different uses. This means that you can visit Fuego Bistro, order $40 worth of food and only pay $20 for it and you can do this five different times! Lets see, that means you can try the Angus Grilled New York Strip Steak,  then the Jumbo Sauteed Prawns followed by Pan Seared Blackened Ahi Tuna and then possibly the Natural Farmed Chicken Breast… the combinations and choices go on and on!

OK, so what is this $100 value going to cost…

Easy, just $9.99!

Yep, you read that right. For just $9.99 you can save up to $100 eating at Fuego Bistro, one of the tastiest restaurants in Phoenix and it is all brought to you by Phoenix.org.

• Fuego Bistro
• 713 E. Palo Verde Drive
• Phoenix, AZ 85014
• 602-277-1151

Still not sure if Fuego Bistro is the kind of food for you? Then take a minute and read some of the overwhelmingly positive reviews all over the internet.

Fuego Bistro Yelp Reviews

Fuego Bistro AZCentral.com Reviews

Fuego Bistro Urban Spoon Reviews

You can purchase the discount card via paypal using the “Buy Now” link below. Because the discount card is a professionally made physical card and not simply a printable page it is necessary that you provide us with your address so we can mail it to you. The card will be mailed within 24 hours of payment.

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