Taste of Asia

We started going to Taste of Asia on Main in Mishawaka for their Chinese food, but have kept going back for their Thai food. It's not that their Chinese food isn't delicious, because it is, but the Thai food is that much better! So good, in fact, that we have eaten there twice this week (perhaps I shouldn't admit that, though). My hubby got the drunken noodles with pork and had the noodles fried crispy, which was a great recommendation, I don't even eat noodles and I thought they were really good. This Thai dish didn't have traditional noodles, they were large square cut noodles, mixed with lots of veggies and a mildly spicy sauce. I confessed to eating their twice a week, the other secret is that it was on hubby's suggestion, so that should tell you how good his food was!

I had the Pad Kra Tiem, and if you are a garlic lover this dish is for you! It is your choice of meat with sliced, fried garlic, which takes on this caramelized outside and softened inside that is so good and so unique. I have tried this dish with shrimp, beef, and during this latest trip, pork (you can also get chicken, tofu, or tilapia), all have been delicious, but the pork was especially tasty. It is served with jasmine rice and a sweet, cilantro laden sauce (you can also order the sauce hot, but I'm a wimp), that is the perfect compliment to the slight spice of this dish.

If you are looking for a change from your ordinary, Chinese take-out, give the Thai menu at Taste of Asia a try. Even if you don't want to stray from the beaten path, check out Taste of Asia for their delicious, well made Chinese dishes.

La Esperanza

Chipotle, Hacienda they're good at what they do, but they just don't have the authentic cuisine that this area boasts. There are enough carnicerias, taquerias, and restaurants run by Latino families in this county that you could spend a good month eating nothing but tacos, enchiladas, carne asada, tamales, chorizo, guacamole, and well, I could go on and on, but the point is the Elkhart area has a plethora of delicious Mexican food. La Esperanza on Jackson in Elkhart was no exception to this rule! We started with delicious chips, that were seasoned with something more than salt, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what that was (we had take out so I couldn't ask) and some very fresh tasting guacamole, the salsa was good, too, but a little too spicy for my taste. Mr. Albert let me order his dinner as we didn't have a take out menu, so I chose a combo dinner with a chilli relleno (a pablano pepper stuffed with cheese, dipped in batter, and fried) and carne asada, accompanied by refried beans and rice. He was introduced to the chilli relleno by his dad and has searched for a good one in this area as long as he and I have been together, and La Esperanza's version did not disappoint. He really liked the carne asada, which was actually a steak and not the diced beef that we are accustomed to in our tacos. The beans looked a little runny, but he assured me that they were actually pretty good.

We are tamale lovers in this house so I was excited to find them on the menu, and though I love the thrill of unwrapping them from their corn husks, I have learned to love the unwrapped version and the red sauce many restaurants top them with. I had a pork tamale and a chicken one, the pork had a little bit of a kick to it, but both were incredibly tasty. I also really liked the rice on the side, it was delicious, although I skipped the refried beans as the texture of them doesn't do much for me.

Next time you are craving a burrito, just keep driving up Jackson street past Hacienda to La Esperanza where you will be greeted with delicious Mexican food in a clean and pleasant dining room.

Puerto Vallarta Express

We are big fans of the build your own burrito style restaurants, and while I do think Chipotle has a great concept and delicious food, we aim to eat local and support local business, I mean what better way to pour into your community and local economy, right? So we were excited to find yet another local version of the Chipotle chain, Puerto Vallarta Express, which was definitely more authentic and had more options.

My hubby jumped right in to build his shelless burrito, with Spanish rice, Carne asada, cheese sauce, black olives, cilantro, salsa verde, black beans, shredded cheese, tomatoes, and, of course guacamole. His bowl was huge, and from the bite (or three) that I stole of his carne asada I can tell you it was delicious. Heck, any time the man can have guacamole and black olives he is a happy camper!

 

I love chimichangas, so when I saw it on their special board I jumped on the opportunity to have a chorizo chimichanga, a dream come true that I don't think I have ever seen on another restaurant menu. While the chorizo was a little greasy, it had an excellent flavor and just a little kick to it, and was great in the crispy tortilla. I was also impressed with the Spanish rice I got on the side and would probably choose that over Chipotle's cilantro lime rice, it was cooked perfectly and had a wonderful flavor.

We also got a side of chips and guacamole that was delicious, the guacamole had a very fresh, natural taste, and though it had a few jalapenos it wasn't overly spicy. Puerto Vallarta Express really was a great fusion, of what I guess to be an American concept, the build your own burrito restaurant and traditional Mexican cooking. Next time you need a meal that is quick, but not fast food or are craving a giant burrito, look off the beaten path (or Hickory Road in this case) for Puerto Vallarta Express, South Bend's local alternative to Chipotle.