Valenca Restaurant
665 Monroe AveElizabeth, NJ 07201
(908) 354-4024
Archives for category: shrimp
So now it was time for lunch. The Chinese are really on top of lunch. If it were up to me we would work through lunch. I love to eat, don’t get me wrong but, when it comes to business, i have no time for food. I am not up for a multi course affair. I brought power bars and can soldier through..But, the guys I have encountered are very regimented. Lunch is at 12 or 1230 and they start to complain and get cranky if you don’t stop working. You can certainly use this to your advantage if you are negotiating at this point. “Just give me the nickel and we can go to lunch” sort of thing.
So we are literally in the middle of nowhere. We have driven down these dirt roads through places that look like they have been hit by bombs. i am really not looking forward to eating lunch. It also scares me that we are in this rural area that has lots of farms. There are also these standing swamps where I see all these people fishing in. I am hoping that we are not eating what is being grown and fished here.. Everything is covered in this film of dust and grime.. even the vegetables.
We walk into this huge empty building and there is nothing indicating it’s a restaurant. We notice this shady sort of pile of dishes with this crude hose sticking out of a wall. I am shaking my head, as I am getting really scared. We go upstairs and sit in this empty room with a lazy susan. I have no idea we are in for.
You know, the usual.. More cold goose:
I am not someone who really gets involved in these sorts of things but, the other day, I had a moment. I was at the grocery store and I decided to buy 4 or 5 different types of these things. I have had very limited exposure to instant ramen even. In fact, outside of the occasional bowl they provide you with on a flight to Asia, I don’t think I ever have had an instant ramen soup.
This was my first selection, I ate this the other day.. It was pretty much one of the more disgusting things I have ever eaten.. I mean, I have eaten grossing things but,this is the grossest like fresh out of the box, not intended to be disgusting, gross things.. I have had spoiled milk, cheese, rotten eggs, and fish.. I have had contests with my friends in middle school where the loser would eat gross stuff but, this was the grossest, hey this is supposed to taste good type things.
Annie Chung, I am sure at one point in the world, there was an Annie Chung. She was probably a wonderful cook and a great person, or maybe she is some cartoon character, but at this point, it’s pretty shitty. Like most of these dishes, there are dried noodles and a series of flavor packets and dehydrated vegetables.. The sour taste on this was so chemically, i had to toss it in the garbage.. The garbage outside, the one in the dumpster that is perhaps 20 yards away.
Even with the free fancy spoon, i was not impressed.
Last nights trip to the Chinatown Grocery Store yielded some fun items.
We have some toasted seaweed packets for lunch, spicy peanuts and anchovies in one container, spicy sichuan peanuts in another container,Sichuan peppercorns, live shrimp,Chinese broccoli, pea shoots, kewpie mayo, various chile oils, ginger and off camera, a big bag of garlic peanuts. Total cost 36 dollars.
Ayada Thai (Woodside)
78-03 Woodside Ave. (Woodside Ave & 78th St)
(718) 424-0844
It has almost been two years since I have last been here.
Last night while returning from the Berkshires, Miss A and I were switching drivers on the side of the road. Miss A is studying for her drivers test and she has been under my tutelage. Let me just say to all my fellow drivers out there, you are welcome. Thanks to me, there will soon by another super driver on the road. Right now we are learning the basics but, shoulder of the road driving, the art of the rolling stop, look both ways before you blow the red light, lessons will all be passed along in time.
So, as we were switching drivers we noticed how close we were to Elmhurst. At first we were on our way to my favorite Taste Good but, Miss A is starting a Juice Cleanse this week and last night was her last meal for a good 8 days.
We ordered all our food super spicy and they did not disappoint. This is one of the more spicy meals I have had in recent memory. Sticky rice and A Thai Ice Tea saved my life. We ate two sticky rices which really helped.
We started with the raw shrimp and the Thai Sausage.
Raw shrimp marinated in many things including lime juice and garlic. I love bitter melon and this is a great addition texture and taste wise. A little raw garlic to keep away the vampires.
Last night stopped by the Chinese Supermarket. In addition to seafood, i purchased a jar of XO Sauce. They keep the XO Sauce locked up like it is the cornerstone ingredient in the manufacturing of meth. You ask the cashier, she screams out something in Chinese, moments later, two people are inserting a key simultaneously to unlock the sophisticated alarm system. It’s all quiet impressive. XO Sauce is one of my favorite Chinese Sauces. It’s a little sweet, it has some heat and most of the flavor comes from dried scallops and shrimp,
My favorite use of the XO Sauce is when it is served in a Cantonese Restaurant over those giant steamed oysters. No oysters yesterday, we went with scallops. The dried scallop fresh scallop combo made for a wonderfully intense scallopalooza..
Scallops:
Not so pretty:
The misses came home last night and I wanted to have dinner waiting for her. She was out of town for a half a week. She arrived at Newark airport at 9 o clock which gave me about a half hour window to start the final prep.
Chick’s Seafood
230 Trumbull St
Elizabeth NJ
Cute little Portuguese Place.. I guess its pretty well known in Elizabeth.. It has changed owners a few times in the last couple of years but it still remains good.. I was sitting next to this guy in Las Vegas once at a Black Jack Table.. He was like, you work in Elizabeth, have you ever been to Chick’s Seafood.. I guess this place and a local strip club are high on the “things” to see list for truck drivers coming to the area..
They have a regular menu, but I find the specials come out more quickly…
We started with shrimp and garlic from the regular menu.. Garlic, wine, oil, shrimp, lemon and a couple shots of red pepper.. Whats not to love..
