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korean noodles

A Second Helping of … North China Restaurant

August 22, 2014 By The Food Adventures Crew Leave a Comment

Mu-Shu Pork before it goes into the "burrito wrapper"

Mu-Shu Pork before it goes into the “burrito wrapper”

The best deserves a second mention.  Our feature article spinoffs, called “A second helping of “ are made for such occasions.  You may recall our article over 3 years ago where Food Adventures proclaimed to the world that “North China Restaurant has the best damn egg rolls ever!”  We decided North China is worthy of our “Second Helping” feature.  So hop on on our Food Adventure and grab some chopsticks, as we break through the Great Wall.  Let’s dive into a second helping of one of our favorite places in the Miami Valley, NORTH CHINA !

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

— Things have not changed a at North China a bit since our 2011 article, and that’s how we like it.  We have visited North China dozens of times since the last article.  Whether carryout or dine-in, we are never disappointed.  The food quality is still amazing and so is the consistency.

— The service remains top notch.  Your water glass is never empty, and you will never have that “where is our server” look on your face.

— This Centerville eatery is closed every Monday.  Also, every year during July, they take a family vacation and close the restaurant for about 10 days.

— Family owned for almost 30 years, you get to know the family when you come here.   They are friendly and the place is full of regulars who have been visiting for decades.

The Big Ragu happens to be one of those regulars, and we have eaten almost every item on their extensive menu since 1987.

So now, it is time to list the one-of-a-kind, earth shattering, ground breaking… MUST EATS for North China !

 

MUST EATS:

— MU-SHU PORK:  Like little crepes from the heavens.  These delicacies are made table side and are the Chinese version of burritos.  First, the tortilla like wrapper is primed with a plum sauce.  Then, a stirfry mix of pork, cabbage and veggies are loaded and wrapped.  Be careful eating these.  The burrito wrapper can also double as a water slide, shooting soy sauce and goodness down your shirt.  Big Ragu has a closet full of stained shirts that have been”touched” by his North China Mu-Shu Pork adventures.

— ZHA JIANG MIAN:  Say what?  We just call this #7 on the Korean Menu.  It is “lo mein” type noodles served with a sauce of black bean paste and stir fried pork.  This is a special dish that you must ask for.  One of the “secret tips” at North China is that they have a Korean Menu by request only.  In the mood for an exotic and authentic Food Adventure?  Get the Zha Jiang Mian, but make sure you ask them for hot sauce and the dry hot pepper too.  Being authentic, it is a little bland but a couple of spoonfuls of hot sauce brings this dish alive !

— THE EGG ROLLS:  Handmade, freshly made, every day.  The killer ingredient is the peanut dust or peanut paste used in these egg rolls.  Dip them in a mixture of soy sauce and sweet and sour, or mustard sauce.   The Big Ragu has such a strong addiction to these that we have written letters to Dr. Phil about it.

Mongolian chicken - omg good

The Mongolian Chicken is beyond amazing.

— MONGOLIAN CHICKEN: A honey-like glaze sauce on shavings of white meat chicken, over a bed of crispy noodles.  You can ask for it “spicy” like the Big Ragu does.  It is a perfect mixture of sweet and heat.

— ORANGE BEEF: Lightly fried strips of beef that curl when cooked.  This mouth watering dish is made with fresh orange peels, and a homemade brown sauce.  The incredible taste of this entree, makes it a favorite.

— CRISPY SHRIMP:  A deep fried dish that Big Ragu dreams about every other night.  This sweet concoction has a sauce with a yellow tint, and a tiny hot pepper kick.  If you wanna play naughty, get this offering over some white rice and go downtown to China Town.

— CRAB RANGOONS or CRAB ANGLE: Hand made every day by the owners.  If you order them, you will be fighting over the last one.

Honorable Mention:

Chicken Wings – Those damn chicken wings they serve you at lunch are so deliciously sticky, but you only get one served with a small crab rangoon.  Don’t fear friends, you can actually order a plate of these tremendous, sweet wings.  Or you just be a pain in the azz and ask for two wings and no crab rangoon with your lunch.

Pot Stickers – Yet another incredible appetizer from scratch.  They are steamed, then pan fried for that brown crisp edge.  The special soy sauce served with them is the secret to bringing out the pork flavor.

Hello noodles - the Korean Menu is good - tip: It needs some hot sauce

North China’s Korean Menu is by Request Only. Our favorite is this dish, #7 Pork Noodles with Black Bean Sauce (tip: add hot sauce to this dish to enhance flavor)

House Noodle Soup – We have been enjoying this masterpiece since the late 1980’s.  It is a huge portion at a cheap cost.  The big soup bowl is filled with noodles, shrimp, beef, scallops and a few veggies.  Such a large serving that The Big Ragu always takes about half of it home.  We suggest you get the “spicy” version, but you have to ask for it.

Szechuan Chicken or Shrimp – The best in Dayton, hands down.  Deep fried and a comforting mix of hot and sweet tastes.

Sizzling Rice Soup – The only kind like it in Dayton.  Been serving it since 1987.  Chicken, broth, light veggies and rice.  Makes you feel warm inside.

It was hard for us to just name a few of the menu items, because everything is so good here.  But we gave you a decent map to the dishes “you gotta try.”  Explore the menu, we have for almost 30 years!  So please, head to North China and as we always say .. “Wok dont run.”

 

A little note on what makes Food Adventures unique:

As our fans know, we don’t go to a place, get a couple of entrees and an appetizer, then write an article.  No, no, no.. we are different, we are Food Adventurers.  That means we visit a restaurant many times, different days, different times and eat practically everything on the menu before it becomes a feature story on Dayton Most Metro.  That’s what’s needed to get a feel for a restaurant.  That’s the difference when you are reading Food Adventures.  No drive-by visits or shared photo from a restaurant’s Facebook page.  Fanatical foodies appreciate the little known secrets and the inside scoop.  We do things you won’t see anywhere else: original stories, original events, and original ideas.  No stock photos here.  This philosophy isn’t something we ripped off or started yesterday. We have been doing this since 2008.  Food Adventures isn’t our job, it is our hobby and passion, so there is no agenda.  We can be honest about what restaurants we love without worrying about advertising or if they belong to a local club.  We are independent and free to write about whatever foodstuffs we want. That being said, please LIKE US ON FACEBOOK if you haven’t already !

Also, check out our photo gallery below of all things good at NORTH CHINA restaurant in Centerville.

[flagallery gid=103]

Filed Under: Food Adventures, The Featured Articles Tagged With: #centervilleohio, #daytonfood, #daytonfoodies, beef, Big Ragu, Cantonese, Centerville, chicken, Chinese, crab angle, crab rangoon, Dayton, DaytonDining, dinner, egg roll, egg rolls, Food Adventure, Food Adventures, general, general tsao, house noodle soup, Korean, korean noodles, Lunch, menu, mongolian, mu shu, North China, orange beef, pork, pot stickers, restaurants, rice, shrimp, sizzling rice, soup, sweet n sour, swwet and sour, szechuan, The Big Ragu, tso, wing, wonton

Kabuki: Colorful Plates, IncredibleTastes

May 24, 2012 By The Food Adventures Crew Leave a Comment

Sushi is probably one of the most beautiful foods that you will ever eat.  Whether cooked or raw, nothing beats the taste of freshly made sushi.  Chef House, Hungry Jax, The Big Ragu know two types of people, those who love Kabuki Korean & Japanese Restaurant in Centerville, and those who have not been there.  In a small, stand alone building on 848 S. Main St, Kabuki offers up Korean and Japanese specialties with an extensive and inventive menu.  They make great fresh food, and they do it right.

The Rock n Roll Sushi Roll, beautiful and delicious

Jax loves to indulge in the “Rock n Roll” sushi roll.  This colorful display consists of flying fish roe, shrimp tempura, crab, & cream cheese deep fried then topped with three kinds of sauce.  Definitely one of the most flamboyant and tasty dishes you will ever have.  Chef House enjoys the “Boston Roll.”  This is a simple sushi roll combining the tastes of cooked shrimp, lettuce, avocado and cucumber with Japanese mayo sauce.

The Spider Roll at Kabuki Korean and Japanese Restaurant

The Big Ragu would recommend you try the “Spider Roll”, which is made with Soft Shell Crab for an extremely delicate and a rare tasty treat.  Is fresh raw sushi your gig?  If so the Big Ragu would recommend the salmon, tuna or any sashimi listed on their menu.

This restaurant serves miso soup or spicy noodle soup with entrees and sushi dinners.

Kabuki has much more than just sushi or soup. They offer a Japanese Dinner menu with Teriyaki dishes and many more entrees.  Kabuki also features a Korean Menu with noodle specialties and other dinners like Hue Dup Bop.   Sounds like a Hanson song, but instead it is mixed raw fish and vegetables over steamed rice served with Korean sweet & spicy sauce.

The common denominator of the menu items is that they are fresh, tasty, and presented well on your plate.  Every time we have been to Kabuki, the servers were friendly and attentive.  Check out this family owned restaurant for a romantic date, or a fun culinary experience.   It may be a small place in size, but Kabuki delivers big on flavor.  We cannot think of a better place for a true  FOOD ADVENTURE!

“Like” Food Adventures on FACEBOOK by clicking here !!

[album: http://www.daytonmostmetro.com/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/dm-albums.php?currdir=/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/kabuki/]

Have  you been  to Kabuki?  Please  share your opinions below !!

 

Filed Under: Food Adventures, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Big Ragu, boston roll, Centerville, chef house, Food Adventures, hungry jax, Kabuki, Korean, korean noodles, nigiri, rock n roll roll, salmon, sashimi, shrimp tempura, spider roll, sushi, tuna

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