Thai Orient: Still Great

It has been years since I've been to Thai Orient in the Valley Centre Shopping Center in Owings Mills. And today, I visited the restaurant and found that not much has changed. I also enjoyed a delightful lunch there. My guest and I ordered two entrees. Each entree came with either an egg roll or soup. Knowing that Thai Orient made some delicious chicken corn soup, I had to order one of those today while also getting an egg roll.

The chicken corn soup was exactly the same as I remember it: totally delicious! I am dead serious about this. I've had chicken corn soup from many Chinese restaurants before and Thai Orient's chicken corn soup is absolutely the best out there. Moving on to the entrees... we had an order of Pad Thai and an order of Scallop Pad Ped.

The Pad Thai is sweet and savory and the crushed peanut gives it a delightful texture. The meat used in this dish, chicken and shrimp, can be done a little better. But overall, I enjoyed this Pad Thai very much.

Next is the Scallop Pad Ped, a scallop dish with mixed vegetables in a Thai curry sauce. The scallops used here are very nice and fresh and have a very good texture, which is hard to say for every Asian restaurant. I think the sauce was done very well here. The spice in the sauce was good, especially when you pair it with steamed rice.

This was a very good experience for me, returning to Thai Orient for the first time in years. The service is great. The restaurant looks nice. The food tastes good. And the price is decent, under $10 per entree. It's good to see how this place hasn't changed much and stayed true to its ways, especially when it produces delicious Thai food.

Thai Orient

9616 Reisterstown Rd

Owings Mills, MD 21117

410-363-3488

I ❤ Sushi Ya

I absolutely love Sushi Ya! I've been coming to this cute little local restaurant that provides good quality sushi and good quality service for over 10 years. It is located in the Valley Center Shopping Center in Owings Mills. The setting of the restaurant is perfect for a date at night and also relaxing for lunch with co-workers or friends and family. The place is attractive and sets a good mood. Today I went to Sushi Ya for lunch for some delicious sushi.

After trying almost everything on the menu, my mom and I just hand selected a couple rolls off the sushi menu. We chose the rainbow roll and the soft shelled crab roll along with some salmon nigiri sushi. The soft shelled crab was fried very nicely, crispy and tender, making the roll very enjoyable. The rainbow roll was decent, only lacking in the quantity of fish. Comparing to China Moon where they make the best rainbow rolls I've ever tasted, I thought Sushi Ya did ok with that roll. Lastly, the salmon nigiri was fresh and delicious. I could feel the salmon melt in my mouth.

After our lunch, we ordered a black sesame ice cream. It was surprisingly good with no overpowering taste of the black sesame. It was the perfect dessert to complement our meal. I left Sushi Ya very satisfied and I can't wait to go back again.

Sushi Ya Japanese Restaurant

9616 Reisterstown Rd

Owings Mills, MD 21117
410-356-9995

Dry-fried Beef Ho Fun

Ingredients:

• ho fun/rice noodle crepe
• beef eye round
• been sprouts
• green onions
• oil
• soy sauce
  

Quick Directions:

1. Cut beef into thin slices about 1/4 inch thick. Marinate beef in soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch.
2. Cut rice noodle crepe into strips about 3/4 of an inch to an inch wide to get ho fun.
3. Cut green onions into two-inch long pieces.
4. Heat oil in wok over high flame.
5. Stir fry beef slices until they're cooked. Remove from heat. Set aside.
6. Insert oil, bean sprouts, and green onions into the wok to stir fry. 
7. Add in ho fun and cooked beef and stir fry along with soy sauce until ho fun softens.
8. Remove from wok and plate.

Five Guys: A Greasy Bag of Yummy Goodness

Five Guys Famous Burgers & Fries is one of the best places to go for a burger. It is several cuts better than fast food burgers while still providing quick service and inexpensive deal for a meal. The burgers are simply amazing and you can choose as many toppings as you want for free. The beef patties are great and the melted cheese provides the perfect harmony. This just might be the best cheeseburger I've ever eaten. The fries are fried nicely and seasoned to perfection. A regular fries consist of a cup of fries plus an extra scoop into the bag. It's more than what one person would be able to eat in one sitting; perfect for two. Everyone's favorite thing about this place is the fries. They are pretty amazing. Five Guys's menu is small but it hits all the necessity for a burger joint: burgers, hot dogs, fries, and soft drinks. The end product is a greasy bag of deliciousness. Five Guys is definitely a must-eat restaurant for meat eaters.

Five Guys

11708 Reisterstown Rd

Reisterstown, MD 21136

410-526-8975