I'm not the biggest believer in Tampopo. Sure, the food is good enough, but there are better options. Typically I find the chicken a little too dry and the portions a little on the small side. This evening, however, I tasted their gold standard.
To be honest, yesterday I went for some Teriyaki Chicken mainly because it's close and inexpensive. Someone had ordered a Fresh Tuna Bi-Bim-Bop which looked simply amazing -- I quickly developed "order jealousy."
As I walked home today, something was pulling me towards Tampopo. Vic? Not today. Palumbo's? How much Chicken Salad can one person eat? Primo's? Like they'd be open at night. And as I appreciate food as much as the next person, Wawa Mac N' Cheese wasn't going to do it for me. So I walk into the minimalist space, run up to the counter, and get the Tuna Bi-Bim-Bop. Extra Tuna for $2.00 extra. Brown rice. And I wait... and wait... and 10 minutes later, they call my name. In the elevator, I'm trying to figure out how to take a picture of it, as it looks so good, it could be a display piece. Large morsels of rich deep pink floating over a bed of green and purple, red sauce, and brown rice on bottom. Magnificent.
I open up the plastic dish and immediately the smell of fresh tuna and spicy sauce comes flying out of the container. I mix the cabbage, avocado, lettuce, rice, and other greens in this atypical bi-bim-bop (remember, Tampopo is not a traditional restaurant by any means). The taste is incredibly fresh, if not overly spicy. The fresh fish has great bite, and the portion is very generous for $10. The veggies provide a nice crunch, the avocado (a fruit), a nice fatty contrast to the lean fish. Too much hot sauce marred the dish, but not enough for me to lose the fact that underneath that mask was a perfect combination of food.
Full and inspired, empty plate in front of me, I'm back to blogging.
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1 comment:
Tuna Bi-Bim-Bop sounds delicious! My favorite meal there is their Hot and Spicy Pork - - It's only about 500 times better than the chicken. It's mixed with Onions and a sauce that simply tastes better with pork than any other meat. Enjoy!
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