Uncle Yip’s Seafood and Dim Sum Restaurant
10736 Reading Road, Evendale
Cincinnati, OH 45241
I-75 Exit 14 (Next to Papa John’s and Tokyo Foods)
513-733-8484
open M-Th 11-10
Fri-Sat 11-11
Sun 11-9:30

Post from: Blisstree

Uncle Yip’s, Cincinnati

Asiana Korean Restaurant is about 20 minutes North from the heart of Cincinnati, so that alone takes you away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. Located in a small strip off of Cincinnati-Dayton Road, it is a bit of a drive from many Cincy neighborhoods but not too far away as to be inaccessible.

The glass windows are marked “Chinese”, “Japanese” and “Korean” but having many other Chinese restaurant choices in the city, it would be best to come here when what you are craving for is Korean food. Since the offerings are comprised of three different cuisines, the menu is long. We were happy to select from the smallest section featuring Korean fare. Of course, I had to order Dol Sot Bi Bim Bop and the green onion pancake, while the kids, and Dad, ordered Bul Gogi and my oldest had her eel. We were provided with fragrant genmaicha, which we happily sipped as we waited our order. By the time the panchan came, we had learned (and gotten tired of) the Korean song playing in the background. I would say “broken record” except that I doubt anyone plays 45s or LPs these days. The music became less of a concern as soon as the bowls of panchan/banchan were set before us — familiar favorites were there, as well as a few we didn’t recognize. Particularly tasty were the steamed egg cubes. We were also intrigued by the jelly-like cubes atop some kochujang-like sauce, which the server explained to us was a mung bean preparation. I have tried to ask my favorite Korean storeowner how to make it, but I have not been successful in obtaining a recipe, as the language barrier is making it difficult. Perhaps I should buy some next time to take to her.

My order was excellent — veggies piled on thick, the egg adding a touch of richness to an otherwise plain dish. But of course the piece de resistance was the sizzling rice underneath. Breaking off in chunks as you mix everything up and add a dollop of their hot sauce, it is a meal that really should not be reserved for Mother’s Day alone — every Asian-food-loving mother should enjoy this as a treat on her day off. (I have not found the right stone bowl to make this at home or I would make this often.)

The bul gogi was deliciously seasoned, with a great balance of sweet and salty. However, the texture suffered from being too finely sliced or shredded. I was not able to detect a kiwi component to the marinade, which often causes meat to disintegrate; but I wouldn’t discount the possibility that it was used either. Of the eel I cannot say anything but praise. The skin was delicate as it was crunchy, the flesh generously thick, meaty, and meltingly tender. Leftovers, heated up in the oven, made a satisfying addition to dinner that evening.

Prices were not too steep, although we did end up with a slightly bigger bill ($90) than the one we got at Buga in California ($70). You can look at this two ways. It’s expensive in that the offerings are not as extensive, and the presentation not as traditional (read fun) as one might wish for. However, considering that Asiana is only one of the few Korean restaurants in Cincinnati, I find this to be very reasonable, so no complaints here. Add to that we were the only customers in the restaurant at the time, and so were given the best possible attention.

On Saturdays, be aware that there are Tae Kwon Do classes just two doors down, so depending on what time you get there, parking may get a little tricky, but should not cause problems for most.

Asiana Korean Restaurant
6875 Fountains Blvd
West Chester, OH 45069
(513) 755-9888

Post from: Blisstree

Asiana Korean Restaurant, Cincinnati, OH

Uncle Yip’s Fusion Cuisine/Seafood
7275 Dixie Hwy # A
Fairfield, OH 45014
(513) 942-6512
11:00a.m. – 10:00p.m.Monday – Thursday; 11:00a.m. – 11:00p.m.Friday – Saturday; 11:00a.m. – 9:30p.m.Sunday

Pacific Moon Cafe
8300 Market Place Ln
Cincinnati, OH 45242
(513) 891-0091
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

Grand Oriental Buffet
4800 Fields Ertel Road
Cincinnati, OH 45249
(513) 677-3388
11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday

Just Outside Cincinnati:

Cathay Kitchen
8049 Connector Drive
Florence, KY
(859) 282-0770
11:00 AM to 10:00 PM Monday through Thursday, to 10:30 PM Friday/Saturday, and 9:00 PM Sunday

Of these, our long-time favorite is the award-winning Pacific Moon Cafe, though we haven’t been there since we moved back to the area. It was a ritual we followed on Sundays after Mass — Mass at Good Shepherd on Kemper at 9, getting out around 10, just in time to get to Pacific Moon before the crowd started trickling in at around 11. The place can get pretty crowded, but since there are windows all around and table linens and settings are all in white, there is never a feeling of stuffiness. Get there early and sometimes even owner Alex Chin or manager Michael Ly will make the rounds, talking to customers and offering tea or simply saying hi. There’s also a bar where the singles usually meet, and the kids are always mesmerized with the huge aquarium right by the entrance. We are eagerly awaiting the Chins’ opening of a second Pacific Moon, this time at the Levee in Newport, KY — where the Newport Aquarium is located. Sometime this summer, we hear… (The Chins also own LuLu’s Noodle Shop, another Cincinnati institution, in Springdale.)

In the meantime, I continue my hunt for a dim sum place. My appetite was whetted over the weekend when a friend graciously fed us some char xiu bao from Grand. And I’ve got cousins coming in this weekend, so we’re looking for a place to take them…. dim sum just might be it!

Post from: Blisstree

Dim Sum Places in Cincinnati, OH

The first time we tried their food (take-out) was when we had just moved and the kitchen at home wasn’t completely operational yet. We enjoyed it so much we decided to eat at the restaurant itself. Our major complaint? Twice now we’ve tried to order stuff and were asked if we had tried it before. Since the answer is “no”, we’ve been gently told to try something else. So now my hubby’s asking, if we don’t ever order it, how will we know we like it?

We’re not newcomers to Vietnamese food, having had many meals at St. Louis’ Pho Grand which was, at the time we lived there, one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in the area. At one time it was the ONLY Vietnamese place, until Mei Li opened up on Delmar. Being Asian, Vietnamese food isn’t difficult for us to like. The only thing (so far) I haven’t really taken to are the raw pork sausages served to us once at a dinner by some Vietnamese friends.

The hot tea we ordered was served in large cappucino-type cups, which didn’t get refilled until we were almost ready to leave. Apologies were offered by the gracious hostess, though. I was also put off by the not-so-fresh lettuce and bean sprouts that came with our appetizers. Other than that we were happy with the menu selections — somewhat repetitive but with enough variety to please everyone — and the service. We didn’t order banh mi (a personal favorite) this time but when our daughter ordered it in February it got the thumbs up from the whole family. For the price and value, this is a nice introduction to the world of Vietnamese food. Apparently Vietnamese customers seem to think so as well, as there were at least 3 tables occupied by them that evening.

Another review here

Post from: Blisstree

Chopsticks Vietnamese Restaurant