Friday, May 29, 2015

Noodle Wave- Halal Thai Food in the DFW Metroplex

Restaurant: Noodle Wave
Address: 2775 S Central Expressway Suite #180, McKinney, Texas 75049
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 5/27/15



Photo Credit: http://s3-media2.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/Fox5CcpnsPHW7MZFT7J4DQ/o.jpg



Background:
Salam/hey guys! Welcome to my latest review! Today's review is (at long last) Noodle Wave. Noodle Wave has three locations in the DFW Metroplex: Richardson, Frisco, and McKinney. This review is for the McKinney location. This is somewhere I wanted to go to for a really long time. Everyone I knew back in Houston would tell me about this place and about how amazing this place was. I would always get recommendations from people back in Houston about this place. I never got the chance to try, because no one in my family except me likes Thai food ( I am not kidding). I remember my parents talking about how horrible it tastes. Plus I never had a car to myself for all the Dallas trips that I have made, At long last, the time came for me to try when I decided to go out an try a place and write up about it. This restaurant was the first one that came up to my mind. It was literally 10 minutes from my aunt's house in Allen. The drive was quite long though, mainly because I was on the feeder of US 75 and foolishly missed the Eldorado bypass. Nevertheless, I arrived at the place.



Let The Experience Begin!
Noodle Wave sits next to a bank and a Mattress Firm. Inside, the restaurant had a very nice ambiance. There was music playing, which made it soothing for the customers. I was immediately helped by a waitress. After looking at the menu and getting some water, I was ready to order.



Let's Eat!
I ordered the lunch special. It consisted of a spicy onion soup, chicken tun tac (Asian vegetables, bean sprouts, egg, peanuts, and thai seasongs stir fried with big flat noodles with chicken), herbal chicken, which was crispy chicken infused with Thai herbs and seasonings topped with crispy basil leaves. The last part of the lunch special was dessert, which I got chocolate ice cream. Normaly at Thai places, I would order the Pad Thai, but since the price of all this food was $11.80 (tax included), it was something that I couldn't resist getting. The waiting time was 12 minutes and 3 seconds. 



The menu here is more extensive than the other Thai places that I have been to. You even get specialties from southern Thailand. Fried ice cream looks really tempting to me. There are so many noodle options and curry options, some of which I had never seen before. I also like that this place has non-alcoholic tiramisu.


Photo taken from my Snapchat: halalreviewer

The Main Meal



The Verdict:
Needless to say, everyone who told me about Noodle Wave was roughly 90% right. This place IS REALLY GOOD, but for the most part. The chicken tun tac was phenomenal. It had a lot of flavor and the chicken was cooked perfectly. The vegetables were fresh also. I also enjoyed the egg roll. I find it interesting how they also put the nuts in the sweet and sour sauce. Note, if you have a nut allergy, you gotta warn the waiter/waitress about it. The only place that messed up though was the herbal chicken. It could've been better. It could use some more flavor. Overall, one thumb up for the tun tac and egg roll, and one side thumb for the herbal chicken. The ice cream was a nice end to the meal.
The service was very good and expedite. The waitress was friendly and I got my meal within 15 minutes.



Conclusion:
Everyone was right about Noodle Wave being good. Literally the only thing that has to be fixed was the herbal chicken. Nevertheless, it's now one of the places that I hope to go back again and eat at the next time I visit Dallas. I hope to come back and try their Pad Thai along with their curries and specialties. If you are in Dallas, whether you are staying somewhere or just need to take a quick break from driving if you are going out of state on US 75, then you should definitely give this place a try!



Grading:
Service: 8.5/10
Food: 8.5/10 (10/10 for tun tac, 7/10 for herbal chicken)
Total: 17/20 = 85% (B)



Restaurant Information: 
Noodle Wave
2775 S Central Expressway Suite #180, McKinney, Texas 75049
Phone: (972) 542-4542
Timings: Mon-Thu: 11 AM - 3 PM and 4:30 PM - 9:30 PM; Fri: 11 AM - 3 PM and 4:30 PM - 10 PM; Sat: 11:30 AM - 10 PM; Sun: 11:30 AM - 9 PM
Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook or Twitter, or email me!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

CLOSED: Ali's Mediterranean Cafe- A Cafe in the Middle of The Food Court in a Mall

Restaurant: Ali's Mediterranean Cafe
Address: Stonebriar Centre, Frisco, Texas
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 5/25/15



Photo Credit: http://s3-media3.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/TkSguta60XYTvhfr1vLFUA/ls.jpg
UPDATER 2/1/17: Per Yelp and Google, this place has closed down

Background:
Salam/hey guys, and welcome to my latest review! I am in Dallas for the next three weeks, so I hope to try some new places. The first legitimate review of this trip is a place that is located right in the middle of the food court. My cousins, aunt, and I had driven to Stonebriar Center in Frisco from Allen to do some shopping. We had gotten hungry, so we decided to use the mall directory to find somewhere to eat. My aunt then pointed out that there was a Mediterranean place, which turned out to be this place, and that there was a good chance that it would be halal. I then looked up on zabihah.com and confirmed the halal status of the restaurant. After looking at where it was, we then set off to the place.



Let The Experience Begin!
Ali's Mediterranean is located right in front of the food court. There are other stalls for Dippin Dots and Auntie Anne's and a cupcake place as well. The menu was right in front and was displayed electronically. After waiting in line for 5 minutes, we were ready to order.



Let's Eat!
I ordered the beef kabab plate with rice and garlic potatoes. My sister ordered falafel with rice and fries. My cousin ordered chicken shawarma with rice and fries. Finally, my aunt ordered chicken kabab with rice and hummus.We paid roughly $42 altogether (tax included). The waiting time was 11 minutes for all 4 dishes. While waiting, I sipped on my Sprite and my sister, cousin, and aunt talked about their shopping plans.



Menu: The way to order is that you pick out an entree and then a side. You get rice automatically with the entree. I like how it's displayed. I sure hope that one day that they have a mixed grill, because I would definitely want to try the other kababs that they offer instead of having to pay extra just to try another meat. I also don't like how they charge extra for single pita breads and sauces.


The Menu (click to zoom)


Beef Kabob plate


The Verdict:
Everyone, including me, enjoyed the food! The garlic potatoes were perfectly seasoned and the kabab tasted fresh. The vegetable were also good. I tried a bit of every other thing, and those tasted great. The most wonderful thing was that my cousin and aunt also enjoyed it, since they're usually not fans of anything that isn't Indian/Pakistani. Overall, two thumbs up.
The service was done quickly with a smile on the face. The person was really friendly.



Conclusion:
If you are in Frisco and need to do some shopping at Stonebriar, then this place to eat at would be perfect for you! You could easily avoid the long line at the other places and give this place a try! I hope to come back and try other things whenever I shop at Stonebriar again!



Grading:
Service: 8.5/10
Food: 9/10
Total: 17.5/20 = 87.5% (B)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Ali's Mediterranean Cafe
Stonebriar Centre, Frisco, Texas
Phone: (214) 444-8319
Website: none
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alismediterraneancafe/info?tab=overview
Timings: Mon-Sat: 10 AM - 9 PM; Sun: 11 AM - 7 PM
Caters: No

Feel free to comment below, tweet me, send me a message on Facebook, or email me!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Adam's Supermarket Restaurant- A restaurant inside the grocery store

Adam's Supermarket
12280 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77079
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 12/13/13


UPDATE 5/27/15: This place is under new management. The new management has now introduced Indian/Pakistani food items such as biryani, kabab roll, and tandoori chicken. I honestly hope that the Arab food would still taste the same. I knew the previous owner and his two sons. Very nice people. I hope to visit this place and update on how it tastes, and hope that the shawarma tastes good.

Background:
Salam/hey guys! So today I do not have a picture of the restaurant logo or the outside. I apologize for that. Anyways today I'm reviewing Adam's Supermarket. It's a family owned store that is located on Westheimer Road. Although it's a supermarket, there is a small restaurant inside. The supermarket sells Middle East products such as bread, pickles, olives, oil, and chocolateds. It also has a butcher that sells beef (including steak), chicken, goat, lamb, and turkey (Thanksgiving). I often come here to buy the bread for my family, but I decided to give the restaurant a try. Thankfully, I had time on my hand as I was very busy today with running errands and preparing for the Halal Food Festival that is occurring tomorrow. So as I came to buy bread, I decided to eat my lunch here.



Let The Experience Begin!
On one side is the restaurant and another side is the full grocery area. This reminded me of the supermarkets in Saudi Arabia, where these things were very common, and often everyone would come and eat while they shop. To order, simply go up to the counter, and the owner will come once he finishes with the grocery customers. The menu was simply on the wall. So after a brief wait, I placed my order.



Let's Eat!
I ordered a mixed shawarma. Basically, it is a shawarma but with both chicken and beef. Inside the shawarma were vegetables, a spicy sauce, and tahini sauce (a white sauce). To drink I got a Pepsi. Now the food you eat is added on to the amount you have to pay if you buy groceries. But if you just eat, you can also pay just for that. Nevertheless, the price was awesome (Price listed below on the menu pics). Instead of the shawarma meat on the vertical stand, it is cooked fresh in a frying pan. This prevents the meat from getting cold and having to reheat it to serve the customers. The waiting time was sufficient at 9 minutes and 25 seconds.



Menu:
The menu is like your basic Mediterranean restaurant, but the prices are great! To zoom into the pictures, simply click on them.


Sides

Sandwiches

Plates

Plates

The Shawarma

The Inside

The Verdict:
The food was very delicious! Everything was fresh, and nothing was leaking! The bread was very flavorful, and the sauces perfectly complimented each other. The chicken and beef were both tender and had a lot of flavor. Definitely better than Shawarma King. The food was washed down by a nice can of Pepsi. Overall, two thumbs up.
The service was great! The owner was extremely friendly! He greeted everyone with a smile and asked how they were doing today! Definitely something rare in most halal restaurants today. He actually helped people whenever they needed something, and he didn't mind having a conversation while packing the groceries for the customers. The only minor drawback



Conclusion:
If you are doing grocery and feel hungry, then Adam's Supermarket is a good place for you to grab a bite. Along with nice people, you get to eat some delicious food! I will definitely come back to do grocery and buy their food too.



Grading:
Service: 9.5/10
Food: 10/10
Waiting time: 10/10
Overall: 29.5/30 = 98.3% (A)
Pricing: $ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information
Adam's Supermarket
12280 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77079
Phone: (281) 249-0024
Website: none
Facebook: no
Timings: Mon-Sun: 11 AM - 9 PM
Caters: no

Prayer room available

Feel free to comment below!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Monday, May 18, 2015

Indian Grill - A Halal Restaurant in Greenspoint

Restaurant: Indian Grill
Address: 185 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77060
Buffet or a-la-carte: Buffet
Date of visit: 5/16/14




Photo Credit: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/06/a9/bf/e2/indian-grill.jpg



Background:
Salam/hey guys! After nearly a month away from blogging due to exams, I am back! Today I will be reviewing an Indian restaurant: Indian Grill. Quite generic if you ask me to be honest. Now why would I be reviewing a place near Bush airport and my old high school during my Summer Break? Well, it's because I was volunteering at Bayyinah's event at the Hilton Houston North, where Nouman Ali Khan was giving an in-depth look at Surah Yaseen (Chapter 36) of the Quran. There was food in the hotel, but the line was too long. Thankfully, this place was literally two minutes from the Hotel. After the break time started, I left for the restaurant.




Let The Experience Begin!

The restaurant is located in the same strip mall as IHOP on Greens Road right at the intersection at I-45. Inside was dead. There was barely anyone there. I was greeted at the door and asked what the price was for the buffet. After getting a reasonable answer, I sat down.



Let's Eat!

This place has a lunch time buffet, so I went for that. There were vegetarian options like daal and aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower curry). What I had was the chicken biryani, lamb vindaloo, chicken tikka masala, and the chicken chappli kabab. To drink, I had water. I paid a total of $10.81 (tax included)



Menu: http://www.indiangrill.net/

This restaurant has all the basics of an Indian restaurant, such as rice, vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries, appetizers, and a few Indo-Chinese dishes.




The Buffet



The Verdict:
Overall, the buffet was average at its best. The biryani barely passed. The butter chicken wasn't really that flavorful. A good chunk of the lamb pieces on the vindaloo mostly had bone instead of the actual meat. The chappli kabab was probably the best thing. I washed down the food with a nice full glass of water. Overall, one side thumb.
The service was normal. The owner seemed like a nice guy because unlike many other Desi restaurant owners, he was not rude and actually had a smile on his face. The person serving me was very nice.



Conclusion:
Indian Grill could definitely improve their buffet, as it is average at its best. Only the chappli kabab was the decent item on the buffet. If you want some good Indian food, then I would recommend you go somewhere else.



Grading:
Service: 8/10
Food: 6.5/10
Total: 14.5/20 = 72.5% (C)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Indian Grill
185 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77060
Phone: (281) 781-8718
Website: http://www.indiangrill.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndianGrill.Houston?fref=ts
Timings: Mon-Sat: 11 AM - 9 PM; Sun: Closed
Caters: Yes


Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook or Twitter, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Fresh Foods Co at Moody Towers: Not Great food for College Food

Fresh Foods Co.
Location: Moody Towers, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
Buffet or a-la-carte: None
Date of visit: 5/6/2015



Background:
Salam/hey guys! After such a really long time, I am back! The reason for the long absence was because of school. Anyways, I will be writing about Fresh Food Co. at Moody Towers. Last semester, UH Dining started serving halal chicken in the dining hall at Moody Towers at UH. It was started because of the high demand that Muslim students had for halal food availability on campus. At first, it used to be shared with the gluten-free table. Now, it has a separate section with a list of items that are available that uses halal chicken. I decided to go here mainly because of the fact that I was not allowed to go off campus to eat otherwise the delay would have been much longer. Also, Coreanos wasn't on campus and I didn't want to eat Tandoori Nite. I did remember people saying that Moody could be a hit or miss, so I decided that since I would most likely be transferring to Prairie View A&M University (Addressed on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram), I decided to give a try and see how they are doing. After studying for a while, I went.



Let The Experience Begin!
Well, there is really nothing experiencing about going to a school cafeteria. I just paid $8.66 (tax included) and went in. More description below.



Let's Eat!
Well, what's being done here is incorporating cafeteria style food and buffet together. This means that you get food served, but you can make as many trips as possible. They also have a self-service salad bar. I got the following: Cheese pizza, spinach and ricotta pizza, pasta and zucchini with garlic bread, salad, roasted veggie and feta sandwich, and the halal item, chicken stir-fry with pineapple rice (weird name really). The food was promptly served.



Menu: http://univofhouston.campusdish.com/Commerce/Catalog/Menus.aspx?LocationId=6884
Each day's menu is listed. You just have to click on either Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner.



Chicken Stir-Fry with Pineapple Rice


The Verdict:
I did have some of the vegetarian items, which were featured on my Snapchat at halalreviewer. Now that they're gone, I might as well describe how it was. The spinach and ricotta cheese pizza, the pasta and zucchini and the roasted veggie and feta sandwich were horrible. They were served cold and barely have any taste. The salad was not that great, but better than the first two items that were listed. At first, the sight of seeing "pineapple rice" really confused me. But it turned out that it was just rice with pineapple flavoring. In fact, the pineapple rice and chicken stir-fry tasted OK. The garlic bread takes the cake for the best item. Overall, two thumbs down for the vegetarian items and one thumb sideways for the halal item.
Service was nothing to write home about. I just got the food and ate. Thankfully the people serving the food had no attitude problems.



Conclusion:
Before actually eating here, I heard that Moody can be hits and misses. Those people are absolutely correct. I hope one day UH Dining actually listens to the complaints students have about the food and fix the food situation. Till then, I would rather use my money to go somewhere off-campus or to go to McAlister's, Jimmy John's, Pink's Pizza, or Cafe 101 on-campus and eat vegetarian or seafood. Needless to say, the quality of the halal food could have some improvement, but thankfully it wasn't as bad as some of the vegetarian items.

Just to clear a misconception, I still review halal places. This place has a separate halal station along with the vegetarian items (it's like a cafeteria)


Grading:
I honestly forgot the exact grading of the vegetarian items, but I remember the average was roughly between 30% and 40%. Since I emphasize using the exact scores I give, the grading will be done solely on the halal item. I also think the feedback would be important to them, since I and a couple of my friends actually met with the UH dietitian and discussed about what should be done to meet the demand a significant number of students had for halal meat on-campus.

Service: 7/10
Food: 6/10
Total: 13/20 = 65% (D)  (Exact scores of the other items would've meant a drop in the overall grade to an F)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Fresh Foods Co at Moody Towers
Moody Towers, Univeristy of Houston, Houston, Texas
Phone: (832) 842-6095
Website: http://univofhouston.campusdish.com/Locations/FreshFoodCompany.aspx
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uhdining?fref=ts
Timings: Mon-Thu: 7 AM - 12 AM; Fri: 7 AM - 10 PM; Sat-Sun: 8 AM - 10 PM
Caters: No (Separate catering by UH Dining; called Catering on Cullen)

Feel free to leave a comment below, message me on Facebook or Twitter, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed