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NoraLyn Ltd.
6322 S Sky CT
Gilbert, AZ 85297
(480) 840-3420
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A blog of extraordinary destinations, food and wine,
meetings, incentives, travel topics, etc. etc. | Home > Where and What In the World |
Where and What In the World
Where and What In the World is a group blog which will relate to extraordinary destinations, food and wine, meetings, incentives, travel topics, organizational development, team building, consulting and whatever else seems appropriate. We, the staff of Noralyn, Ltd., hope you enjoy and we always welcome comments and stories.
Brenda and I prefer to focus on positive aspects of travel, food, and all aspects of life. We do acknowledge that the negatives happen and when we feel the need to address this aspect, we will try and present it with humor and creativity. In other words - "What's good about it?" Norm excels at business writing and current life and health insurance issues.
Generally, I look at destinations and products from a meeting or incentive viewpoint. Brenda brings them alive with personal feelings. Norm compliments us with his historical approach. Together, we hope to provide a complete picture. At times, we will feature contributing writers.
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Tastes, Hong Kong Bistro, Chandler, AZ
Having traveled around the world with many trips to Asia, I am partial to excellent Chinese food. Also, I'm quite critical of restaurants that do not measure up for me personally. But, when you come across any of my reviews, they are positive—if I don't like the establishment, I don't take the time to write about it.
Since we moved to Gilbert, AZ in April 2006, Norm and I have been searching for an exceptional Chinese restaurant in the East Valley. Several times, we passed Hong Kong Bistro on the corner of N.W. corner of Chandler Heights and Gilbert Road. In early Spring of '08, we decided to give it a try. Our search resulted in an experience that was right on the mark. Hong Kong Bistro is a terrific value for the quality of its food.
We've returned to the restaurant more times than I can count. I'm open to trying something different each time, but Norm tends to prefer the Mo-Shu Pork, while tasting my entrees.
Hong Kong Bistro's menu has everything that most Chinese restaurants feature. The unexpected comes with the Chef Specialties that are more than special. Among our favorites are: Happy Family which is a combination of of shrimp, scallops and chicken with vegetables is a chef's sauce; Double Pleasure where shrimps and scallops are combined with vegetables in a special hot sauce; Sizzling Rice Combo is a delight of jumbo shrimp and chicken breast with fresh Chinese vegetables sauteed in a smooth delectable sauce, served over sizzling rice; Sizzling Seafood Platter is a combination of scallops, shrimp, lobster tail and crab meat with Chinese vegetables brought out on a hot platter where you can hear everything sizzling. It is topped with a delicate oyster sauce.
While not on the specialty list, certainly one of my favorites is Walnut Shrimp. These jumbo shrimp feature a mayonnaise sauce topped with deep fried walnuts and served with broccoli. It is delectable. The Orange Chicken and Mongolian Beef are more of Norm's favorites.
For $1, you can add an appetizer, soup, and fried rice to your order. We enjoyed the hot and sour, won ton, and egg drop soup, all which were wonderful.
Presentation on all the dishes we’ve seen served is lovely, with meticulous attention to detail. What impressed me tremendously was the preparation of everything. Even deep fried food is lightly battered and flash fried so as to produce a light creation, not a heavy battered oil-soaked dish which is frequently found elsewhere. In addition there are many light entree choices. Even better, Hong Kong Bistro does not use MSG. Its ingredients are fresh and you can taste the difference.
There are many more selections for us to try on an ongoing basis. It is difficult for us to move beyond some of our favorites, but Michelle Zhen, who owns Hong Kong Bistro with her husband, keeps encouraging us to try different dishes. They encourage their customers to ask for something not on the menu if a particular dish is desired.
The atmosphere is relaxing and comfortable, a cut above most Chinese restaurants.
Michelle and her husband purchased the Golden Canyon in Mesa in 1999. Its continued success encouraged them to buy Hong Kong Bistro in 2008. We are glad they did and encourage you to try it. The drive to Phoenix's S.E. Valley is well worth it, and you'll savor every bistro bite.
Hong Kong Bistro
4990 S. Gilbert Road Suite 8, N.W. corner of Chandler Heights Road and Gilbert Road
Chandler,AZ 85249
480 802 1818Labels: Chinese Food, Food Writing
posted by Maralyn 6:48 PM
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Travel & Tastes, Where: Sarasota, Florida, and her Islands; What: Best Fish and Chips this side of London and Sydney
Taste the crispy, crunchy, fries and cod and seafood bites from the bait shop.
What a thrill to read that my once secret seafood dive was featured in one of my favorite magazines, Coastal Living, http://www.coastalliving.com/coastal/travel/bestofthecoast/article/0,14587,1726572-3,00.html.
A true beach shack, I did not mention it on our website on purpose. I wanted to savor it all for myself. But, now the word is out about the New Pass Grill, www.newpassgrill.com, in Sarasota, Florida--between Lido and Longboat Key--on the way to the famed Mote Museum and aquarium.
The locals refer to this casual, 1929, barefoot beach bargain as the bait shop. Next to the fresh fish cafe is the City Island bait shop. You can buy bait, go fishing, hire a captain, rent a boat, take a nature walk, buy an oyster knife, pack a picnic, borrow a book and devour the best casual coastal cuisine in Sarasota.
I love the breakfasts... fresh eggs, cooked to order, crisp bacon, melted cheese on a bun with freshly brewed coffee. I perch on a wooden bench and watch the birds and seagulls, while the silver fish jump.
Lunch, despite the long line in season, is award winning burgers and the coldest beer in town.
Coastal living uncovered the real special... Old English Fish and Chips, three generous chunks of plump, battered cod over crispy fries with gourmet malt vinegar, lemon and tarter sauce (not needed).
Only one thing is missing, if one has lived in England. The fish is not wrapped in the London Times.
New Pass Grill, 1505 Ken Thompson Parkway; 941/388-3050 or www.newpassgrill.com.
Brenda C. Hill
www.noralyn.com
www.noralyn.com/blogger/blog1
posted by Brenda 10:45 AM
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Tastes & Travel - Farm to Fork... First Hand
Tastes & Travel - Farm to Fork ...First Hand...
Happy Cinco de Mayo...
How could I, a true foodie, resist the May issue of Gourmet Magazine, http://www.gourmet.com/, featuring 45 Memorable Cooking Vacations?
The cooking school options are worldwide, from luxury to adventurous.
Maralyn and I are fortunate to have tried a few of the healthy cooking schools Gourmet recommends, along with some others in Thailand Singapore, Chicago and New Orleans, not on this list. There is one that I recommend so highly, that I have been there twice.
The writer, Christian L. Wright is right when she calls Ranch La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico, a health farm http://www.rancholapuerta.com/.
The first time I crossed the border to discover Ranch La Puerta I knew that I had found a second home. I was so fascinated with the Chef, Bill Wavrin, his personality and his cooking, that Maralyn and I delayed the publishing of our book, Our Love Affairs with Food and Travel, in order to include Bill's low guilt, healthy and delicious, fresh orange lime cheesecake recipe.
I recently returned to the ranch, now 68 years old, to experience the new cooking school and culinary center...La Cocina que Canta http://www.lacocinaquecanta.com/. Chef Jesus Gonzalez is personable, innovative and a sheer delight to know.
After a sunrise hike, I spent the early morning in the six acre organic garden, finding baby beets and chard in a rainbow of orange, purple, red and gold. Later we gathered in the Cocina to watch the chef perform his magic with fresh garden herbs, crispy greens and veggies freshly harvested from the garden... the true meaning of "farm to fork." The joy of digging in an organic farm at sunup, then watching Chef Jesus turn raw food into a delicious meal, is the essence of Rancho La Puerta.
Guest chefs, such as Molly Stevens, the 2006 International Association of Culinary Professionals Cooking Teacher of the Year, are invited to cook and teach several times a year. Molly is the author of my favorite cookbook about slow food called Braising http://www.mollystevenscooks.com/books.php.
I met many men and women from every walk of life, who said they loved the heart healthy vegetarian cuisine. Yet, they ventured to Rancho La Puerta for other reasons. Favorite activities include the "Road to Wellness" lectures, sunrise hikes, stretching classes, yoga and deep tissue messages.
I was never idle, yet enjoyed a relaxed and balanced week... When not walking in the garden, cooking or hiking, I swam laps in the Olympic size heated pool, learned to make jewelry, read from the many books in the library, and danced my heart out in bare feet to the beat of African drums. Sometimes I simply lay in solitary silence in a hammock under a shade tree.
In the words of owner Deborah Szekely, founder of the ranch, "By day one feels the spell of the sun and the ever-blue sky, the vivid green trees and vineyards, the fragrant fields."
Although Gourmet explored 44 other cooking schools, we are partial to Mexico's explosion of diverse flavors.
Maralyn learned to perfect her mole sauce when she visited Puebla, Mexico. Maralyn stayed at the Mesones Sacristia www.mesones-sacristia.com and attended the cooking school they offer. She will be telling us more about Chef Alonso Hernandez soon in another post along with the recipe for Mole Poblano.
I am currently seeking out the legendary Marilyn Tausend at Culinary Adventures in the beauty of colonial San Miguel De Allende http://www.marilyntausend.com/. I cannot wait to walk the old cobblestone pathways with a camera or sketch pad. I will learn first hand the art of roasting chili's.
What better way to celebrate the food, culture, cooking schools and the people of Mexico.Labels: Cooking Schools, food, Mexican food, travel
posted by Brenda 3:00 PM
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