NC Triangle Dining

Find the Best Restaurants, Food, and Drink in Raleigh, Durham, Cary & Chapel Hill

by

Media: Sushioki in RTP – Durham for Fresh Flavored Sushi Burritos

Front of Sushioki in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Front of Sushioki in Durham – nctriangledining.com

When it comes to foodie trends in the Triangle, one item that’s been popping up on my radar screen: sushi burritos, otherwise known as sushirrito! Usually limited to a poke restaurant or as an add-on to a Japanese restaurant, it seems like the time has come for the first dedicated sushi burrito shop, Sushioki! Luckily an invite from the two owners (Jeff and Lawrence) hits my email inbox so it’s time for a preview visit to the new Sushioki in Durham…

Entry-way to Sushioki in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Entry-way to Sushioki in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Thankfully I’m pretty familiar with this area of S. Durham at the intersection of 55 and 54. It’s a busy area with lots of little ethnic restaurants and small, shopping plazas. Sushioki is located in the same plaza as Brigs if that helps you at all! Inside Sushioki you’ll find a quick casual set-up in a very light lime-green dining room, it all feels very modern and light. At the order counter, you’ll find a HD panel overhead with the menu and it’s pretty basic, covering eight types of sushirrito rolls, rice bowls and rice chips!

Making sushirittos at Sushioki in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Making sushirittos at Sushioki in Durham – nctriangledining.com

The food is freshly prepared right in front of you on lime-green sushi roll mats (I see a theme here!) and with wonderfully fresh ingredients rolled in nori (seaweed wrap). I suspect most of the food here will do well for vegetarians and gluten-free diners given the heavy rice and seaweed components. The menu here at Sushioki is split between raw (fish) rolls and cooked rolls (pulled pork, fried chicken, bulkogi, tempura shrimp) primarily in an Asian theme.

At the counter, I put in my order for the Oh-my-gaashi, a fried chicken sushiritto with lettuce, pickled cucumber, kimchi slaw, hot gochujang sauce along with some barbeque rice chips. Rolls are priced in the $9 to $12 range and you can make it a meal (chips-drink) for an additional $2.50. The cheerful order-taker hands me my change and a cup, it’s time to self-serve my drink and hang out to wait for mah food! There’s a soft drink dispenser in a corner of Sushioki’s dining room for patrons.

Fried chicken sushiritto at Sushioki in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Fried chicken sushiritto at Sushioki in Durham – nctriangledining.com

My food is brought out on a plastic tray and I’ve got a substantial 9″ roll wrapped in white, service paper along with a wax paper bag of rice chips, it’s time to eat! Biting into the sushirrito for the first time is an interesting experience. Your mind says burrito while your mouth says sushi so there’s a bit of cognitive culinary dissonance there for a moment. But once you figure it out, it’s all quite tasty combining Japanese flavors and textures with core savory ingredients. The sushi-burrito concept actually works quite well once you figure it out. Sushioki wraps up its rolls and ingredients with great balance providing enough savory protein and fresh vegetables surrounded by the carbalicious rice and chewy nori wrap. And I do like the slightly Asian flavor combinations which are quite playful. I think you may need to find the flavor combination that works for your palate since they are all quite different.

Rice chips at Sushioki in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Rice chips at Sushioki in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Beyond the food at Sushioki, there’s a very human and community element to their story. I get a chance to chat with the owners of Sushioki, Jeff and Lawrence. They are both members of the Waypoint Church and are committed to providing a living wage for their staff. Sushioki is also committed to helping refugees so a good portion of their hires are from this immigrant group. Jeff and Lawrence decided to launch Sushioki after a trip to the West coast along with help from Lawrence’s sister who develops the recipes and roll combinations! All I can say as a foodies it that it’s an interestnig food concept and certainly a worthwhile social mission. So if you’re curious about the newest foodie trend in the Triangle, check out Sushioki out in RTP/Durham sometime soon. Tasty, healthy Asian-fusion rolls served with a smile will keep you happy!

 

Sushioki

4900 NC-55 Suite 510

Durham, NC 27713

919.405.7121

 

Location on Google maps

by

First Take: Cool Ambiance and Tasty Meats at Southern Charred in Raleigh

Dining room at Southern Charred in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Dining room at Southern Charred in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

With all the building going on in Raleigh downtown, it feels as if areas like Glenwood South gets left out but that’s certainly not the case. While there may not be many high-rise buildings going up here, there’s plenty of construction at a lower level. And a recent spate of new restaurants in this hood has brought a new barbeque and meats offering to the area, Southern Charred! Brought to you by the folks from Bunch of Fives Hospitality (Anchor Bar, Milk Bar, MOFU Shoppe), Southern Charred is doing things quite differently when it comes to que joints. Here’s how my visits have gone down!

Dining room at Southern Charred in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Dining room at Southern Charred in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

As a fairly long-time resident to the area, you’ll recognize Southern Charred’s location as the old Red Room tapas bar. But there have been SIGNIFICANT changes to the space. Brick pillars have been removed at the sidewalk opening up the patio. Inside you’ve got several roll-up garage doors for air and sunshine and a large, slick white bar has been put in back. Wood paneling, floors and tables complete the look for a more mod and hip space. And there’s a handful of TVs to catch the latest game, overhead. And I’ll admit, it threw me for a bit. In my head I was trying to decide if Southern Charred was more of a bar or restaurant. Let’s just say it walks a fine line between the two.

Bar at Southern Charred in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Bar at Southern Charred in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Southern Charred has one menu but is open for both lunch and dinner serving up a good variety of Southern barbeque (pork, brisket, chicken, ribs) along with a selection of sides (collard greens, Carolina slaw, baked beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potato tots, mac n cheese, cucumber-onion salad, brunswick stew and potato salad). Meats are available as plates, combo plates and sandwiches! And prices are quite reasonable with appetizers from $6 to $12 and sandwiches-plates from $9 to $20. Southern Charred is open for lunch but does not have a special menu for your mid-day meal.

Smoked wings at Southern Charred in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Smoked wings at Southern Charred in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

For my visit I decided to stick to the basics ordering up the smoked wings and a barbeque sandwich. My smoked wings comes out, five on a brown-paper lined tray and served up glistening with some Alabama white sauce. The chicken meat is nicely cooked and the skin is scored with dark char marks. But I’m curious about exactly how the meat is prepared here, how it’s smoked and prepared. Overall a nice job, the meat is tasty but a bit plain and simple on the flavor.

Barbeque sandwich at Southern Charred in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Barbeque sandwich at Southern Charred in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

The barbeque sandwich looks great, served up on a puffy, sweet brioche bun and topped with slivers of carrot and slaw for some texture. Southern Charred is serving up some tender pork but again, I’m finding it hard to find much flavor or smokiness that you would usually find in some good que. I toss on some sauce to amp up the flavors a bit but I usually try not to sauce my meat up, too much. But definitely a thumbs-up for the hushpuppies and honey butter that come with the sandwich! The beans and bread-butter pickles are pretty solid sides to the overall meal here.

Brisket w pimento cheese sandwich at Southern Charred in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Brisket w pimento cheese sandwich at Southern Charred in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

A second visit turns up a decent brisket sandwich covered in pimento cheese. The meat is reasonably tender but again, doesn’t show off much flavor so I find myself reaching for the barbeque sauce again. Service for both my visits was ok but a bit unseasoned and overly casual (IMO), they still seem to be finding their legs here. Southern Charred is doing a decent job with its food but I definitely see room for improvement. While the food is reasonable along with the prices charged, there are some misses with the food (watery white sauce, smokiness to the meat). There are also opportunities to improve the service, which could be more professional. So I’m curious to see what happens over time. I’m not entirely sure if Southern Charred is more restaurant or bar, only time will tell…

 

Southern Charred

510 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 101

Raleigh, NC 27603

919.758.8851

 

Location on Google maps

by

First Take: Get Your Chicken On at Heavenly Buffaloes in Chapel Hill

The new Heavenly Buffaloes in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com
The new Heavenly Buffaloes in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

When you think of the ubiquitous chicken wing, you usually think of sports bars and chain restaurants but every now and then, you find someone who really steps up their chicken wing game! And that, my friends, is what Heavenly Buffaloes is all about. The first and original Heavenly Buffaloes was quietly opened up back in 2014 and people loved their wings. But as a tiny, take-out only spot, I admit that I only ate there a couple of times as much as I like my wings. Fast-forward to 2018 and Heavenly Buffaloes is now opening up it second location in downtown Chapel Hill, hooray! And believe it or not, there will be seating in this location. So of course it’s now time to get my wings on at the new Franklin Street location of Heavenly Buffaloes!

Order counter at Heavenly Buffaloes in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com
Order counter at Heavenly Buffaloes in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

Oftentimes when I review a restaurant, I try to give hints on how to find the place but you will have NO problems finding Heavenly Buffaloes Chapel Hill! Decked out in near-fluorescent orange, green and blue, this brightly colored location will beckon to you from the street. A covered patio up front and inside, Heavenly Buffaloes strikes a balance between quick-casual restaurant and sports bar with a handful of screens tuned to the latest sports. And no surprise, there’s a decent line inside since it’s opening week!

Dining area at Heavenly Buffaloes in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com
Dining area at Heavenly Buffaloes in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

The one good thing about there being a line is that you get to review the Heavenly Buffaloes menu that’s on the wall. While the menu is simple: wings, waffle fries, chicken sandwich and salad, there are about 20+ choices for wet wing sauces and another 6 dry rubs. So you’ve got some decisions to make, my friend! The standard bone-in wings come in odd increments of 7, 13, 25, 51 103 and 251 (Party! Party!) and prices are consistent over different quantities, a little over a $1 per wing. If you want to mix and try out multiple flavors, I’d recommend doing multiples of 7 wings given the pricing. For my first visit, I order up the garlic parmesan dry rub along with a small order of waffle fries. Extra blue cheese, ranch or sauce is .50 per cup. I’d have to say the menu here is pretty quirky overall at Heavenly Buffaloes!

Garlic parmesan wings at Heavenly Buffaloes in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com
Garlic parmesan wings at Heavenly Buffaloes in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

Waiting for my food is a bit tough. Heavenly Buffaloes is pretty busy and I’m sure they’re still working out the kinks to their operations so my food takes 20+ minutes to come out. I get two baskets lined with red and white checked paper for my wings and fries. Heavenly Buffaloes’ wings look awesome! I’ve got a good mix of drums and flats in my basket and they are well coated with the dry rub. Heavenly Buffaloes obviously uses high quality chicken and they are meaty pieces raised on local farms according to their website. I take a bite and the wings are certainly a bit crispy with the dry rub. The garlic-parm dry rub is solid and not over-powering but I am a garlic fiend and would have like more flavor!

Waffle fries at Heavenly Buffaloes in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com
Waffle fries at Heavenly Buffaloes in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

And while the chicken is really good here, I’m even more enthused about the waffle fries which are nice and crisp with a tender interior. I go with the basic Idaho potato waffle fries but note there’s no ketchup on the tables. You’ll have to request it from a manager or order some side-sauce for some dipping. Overall I still like Heavenly Buffaloes a lot. They do one thing and do it very well. Heavenly Buffaloes is certainly not inexpensive and you can’t be in a rush for your food since it’s cooked to order. But for sure, the wings here are some of the best you can find in the Triangle so when you’re in the mood, you’ve now got a second great location in the Triangle to get your wings on! Enjoy….

Heavenly Buffaloes Chapel Hill

407 W Franklin Street

Chapel Hill, NC 27516

919.914.6717

 

Location on Google maps

by

In Praise of Poutine! Some Great Options for Fries, Gravy & Cheese in the Triangle

Who here likes fries, raise your hand? And how about some brown gravy, raise it up high! So what would you expect would happen when you combine the two?! We’re talking about pure deliciousness here and by gum, they call it poutine! Brought to you by the people north of our border, this Canadian treat (Quebecois, to be exact) has been landing on menus all throughout the Triangle! And I’ll confess to loving this meaty treat and I’ve been searching around the Triangle to find the most delicious version of poutine around.

Oxtail poutine at the 41Hundred in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

Oxtail poutine at the 41Hundred in Raleigh – $13

Out in North Hills you’ll find the 41Hundred located in the Renaissance Hotel. Part bar, part lounge and part restaurant, the 41Hundred offers an array of small plates, sandwiches and appetizers at very reasonable prices. But what caught my eye (and stomach) here at the 41Hundred is its oxtail poutine, whoa! While I first tried this dish for a media event, I came back for a second go-around and it was still great! Thin skin-on fries covered in a deep brown, oxtail-laden gravy with pieces of white cheddar?! Sign me up, please. If you haven’t tried oxtail before, you’ll be blown away by its deep meaty flavor and luscious richness when slowly braised. And it works perfectly for this poutine, don’t miss out! I just wish that I didn’t have to walk by the 41Hundred every time I leave my gym, way too much temptation.

Poutine at the Bottledog Bites and Brews - nctriangledining.com

Poutine at the Bottledog Bites and Brews – $9

Further west you’ll find the very under-rated Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary! Why’s that? It’s a humble little bottle shop on the side of a plaza so unless you’re looking for it, it’s very unlikely you would stumble in on the place. But here’s where things get better. While Bottledog offers up some stellar craft beers, it also has some of the best poutines around along with delicious flatbreads, hot dogs and beaver tails. They’ve got 5 or so poutines on the menu ranging from your basic fries, gravy and curds along with some spin-off options that include Montreal smoked meat (pastrami-like) and even hot Nashville chicken. But whatever version you’ll choose, you’ll love the rich gravy over tender potato. Give me a fork and I’ll jump right into this platter!

Poutine at Oak & Dagger Public House in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

Poutine at the Oak & Dagger Public House – $7.50

Next up on the poutine list is the Oak & Dagger Public House in Raleigh! Known for their beers and bar food, I decided to stop in after a reminder online. Oak & Dagger is doing their poutine a bit differently using waffle fries for the potato base and a more lightweight, tangy gravy! Along with the curds and scallions, you’ll dive into this meat and potatoes dish. And while I certainly liked this poutine plate and price, it was a bit light on curds so I’ll have to put this plate behind the other three on this list.

Poutine at the Jack Tar and Colonel’s Daughter – $10

Well we’ve covered poutine in Raleigh and Cary, but what about Durham? Recently I tried the poutine at the new Jack Tar and the Colonel’s Daughter in the Bull City. This nouveau-diner is doing quite a few classics that have been twisted up in gourmet fashion but their poutine stays pretty true to form. Thin, skin-on, nicely browned fries covered in a light gravy and yellow cheese curds, yum! While this version is pretty solid, I would have like a more hot gravy to cover and melt the cheesy bits, more effectively. And a bit more depth and savory to the gravy would have also been nice. But still a very tasty starter at the Jack Tar and Colonel’s Daughter for a reasonable price.

So if you’re dying for some fries and gravy, what are you waiting for? Time to visit one of these great restaurants for a big ol plate of poutine. There’s a handful of other places I need to check out for this list (Milltown, Townhall Burgers) so I’ll be adding to it! Which I am certainly looking forward to because who can resist potatoes and gravy?!

A Plethora of Poutine Plates in the Triangle

by

First Take: Zanyu Asian Noodles For a Beautiful Bowl of Flavor

Front of Zanyu Asian Noodles in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Front of Zanyu Asian Noodles in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Most of the time when people think about noodles or pasta, Italian cuisine comes to mind. But the reality is that in Asian cuisine, noodles come in a huge variety of forms and flavors. Up in N. Raleigh you’ll find the new Zanyu Asian Noodles which pays homage to this humble creation. Opened in November of 2017, Chef Michael Bongiorno had spent many years in S.E. Asia running kitchens for major hotels before settling down in Raleigh. And Zanyu Asian Noodles is designed to bring some of that great food he experienced while living abroad. I think you will be very pleasantly surprised by the taste and authenticity of the delicious eats here!

Interior of Zanyu Asian Noodles in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Interior of Zanyu Asian Noodles in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Head on over to Lafayette Village and in a corner location that used to house JoCa’s Gourmet Dawgs you will find the new Zanyu Asian Noodles. The set-up here is pretty basic: counter order with table service. Given the long, narrow shape of the restaurant, seating is limited (around 24 seats) although in warmer weather you can spill out onto a patio. Decor is modern with hints of red along with large format black & white photography of past kitchens that chef-owner Michael Bongiorno has worked in. While the space is oddly shaped, it works fine for the quick-casual service that Zanyu Noodles is aiming for. Order at the counter (thankfully the menu is small: 4 appetizers, 10 noodle bowls) and your food will be brought out to your table.

Perfect edamame at Zanyu Asian Noodles in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Perfect edamame at Zanyu Asian Noodles in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Over the course of a couple of visits, I was able to sample a good selection off of Zanyu Asian Noodle’s menu. First up was a nice bowl of steamed edamame, plump soybean pods lightly sprinkled with yuzu salt. A super simple starter but very well prepared at Zanyu Asian Noodles. It’s important for a restaurant to pay attention to the small details and Zanyu Asian Noodles executes well on this simple appetizer.

Dry wanton noodles at Zanyu Asian Noodles in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Dry wanton noodles at Zanyu Asian Noodles in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

My main, the dry wanton noodles was extremely satisfying! A colorful bowl of tender noodles topped with perfectly fried wantons and thick, juicy pork slices. The noodles are not really dry but served with just enough of a soy sauce broth to keep it covered. Given how flavorful the broth is for these noodles, I enjoyed how simple the preparation was for the pork and wantons. And the mix of baby bok choy and fried shallots on top just completed a wonderful meal. It’s a wonderful melange of textures and tastes for your chopsticks ranging from savory pinks, chewy greens and crunchy yellows!

Niku udon at Zanyu Asian Noodles in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Niku udon at Zanyu Asian Noodles in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

A return visit to Zanyu Asian noodles allows me to try out their Niku udon which is on daily special. This bowl is OUT-standing and will hopefully make the regular menu. We’re talking about braised beef in a dashi broth with caramelized onions and tender, thick noodles. It’s a wonderful umami bomb with the sweet, savory and sour coating your tongue all at once! Or maybe an Asian rendition on French onion soup? Whatever comparison you want to use works for me, it’s just plain delicious! The super, thinly sliced beef soaks up the broth well, try it out if it’s ever on the menu again…

Seating at Zanyu Asian Noodles in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Seating at Zanyu Asian Noodles in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

So wow, I really enjoyed my two visits to Zanyu Asian Noodles. While the seating isn’t ideal, the noodles and food here are outstanding. Given the quick casual service I can say that it certainly accomplishes its goal of getting you in and out fairly fast, similar to what you might find at a gourmet food stall in SE Asia. And I guess it fits what Chef Michael is probably shooting for: a modern rendition of a casual noodle spot similar to Noodle Blvd out in Cary. So don’t be put off by the casual set-up here at Zanyu Asian Noodles. The simplicity of Zanyu Asian Noodles belies the talent in the kitchen serving up some amazingly slurpable noodles, just go, eat and enjoy!

Zanyu Asian Noodles

Lafayette Village

8450 Honeycutt Road, Unit 112

Raleigh, NC 27615

919.803.1340

Location on Google maps

Connect with NCTD

NCTD Email Subscription