Mosa Asian Bistro

Mosa Asian Bistro
850 S. White Station Road
901-683-8889

Mosa has been on my list of places to go forever. The monkeys (Satchel, 12 and Jiro, 10) and I finally made it there last Saturday afternoon.



Mosa was originally on Poplar near Kirby, and was opened by Mr. Eddie, who you may know from the old Formosa on Summer Avenue. (Sidenote: My sister, a few friends and I totally pretended we got lost on the way home from a field trip in high school so that we could go eat at Formosa. I have no idea why they let us drive ourselves. Do they still do that? Anyways, we all got suspended.)

When Mosa was on Poplar it was one of those order at the counter and sit down places. Now it's a sit down place. It's in the shopping center near Poplar & White Station behind Bed, Bath and Beyond.



Once inside, we saw several of our Midtown friends. Definitely a good sign. My friend, Mairi, even gave me a few menu suggestions, including the Thai tea.

I was able to get Satchel excited about eating here with the promise of chicken wings. We did not see them on the menu, but thankfully I noticed we walked right past this sign on our way in.



Both monkeys were hungry, so we ordered 4 wings of each flavor and an appetizer of dumplings. Jiro also ordered a kids' Teriyaki chicken and Satchel ordered the Niew Ro Mein, which is a soup. I ordered the Thai tea and the hot & sour soup as Mairi suggested.



The tea was very yummy. The waiter said it was an orange spiced tea with half & half. No wonder! The dumplings were also a hit.



We immediately had to decide how many everyone was getting. I agreed to only have one. After one bite Jiro said, "That's sooooooooo good." Satchel agreed that they were better than the ones at Fresh Market. (We get those to go and cook them at home sometimes.) After his final bite, Jiro said, "That was the most delicious thing ever."

Next up, some spiced peanuts and a cucumber/pickle salad that we were told was the appetizer for Satchel's soup. How awesome is that?



Then came the chicken wings. OH MY GOODNESS.





I am torn as to how I feel about the sauce being on the side for dipping. On the one hand it makes the wing eating experience a little neater. On the other, it really just made me want to slather MYSELF in the Rainbow Panang Curry sauce. IT'S SO GOOD. SO. SO. GOOD.



It's sweet, spicy, tangy--it's just everything all at once. I want to marry it. The Sriracha style sauce was fine, but it paled in comparison.

The monkeys just ate the perfectly fried wings plain, which meant I got ALL of the sauce.

We were still working on the wings when everything else came out. Jiro's kids' meal had a lot of vegetables. When I noted it, he said, "Yeah, I guess I'll eat it anyway." Ha!



Satchel's soup looked great, and contained stew meat, which he loved.



Jiro also wanted some of it and Satchel agreed to share after I agreed to get six more chicken wings.



My hot & sour soup was just ok. It was a little peppery and boring after what we'd already had. I passed it to Jiro, and he ate the tofu out of it.



Our total bill was $43.15, which really isn't bad considering how much food we ordered. We are totally going back. And I will marry that sauce!

4Dumplings

4Dumplings
6515 Poplar Ave. Suite 115
(901) 762-4184

The JCC pool opened on Memorial Day, so I finally had an excuse to take the monkeys (Satchel, 12, and Jiro, 10) to 4Dumplings across the street.



It's in a strip mall as you can see. The inside is bright and airy, yet stark. There was only one other couple there when we arrived, but it was a holiday and mid-afternoon.



The menu is projected on a large screen TV, and you place you order at a small counter.



The menu is pretty simple, so it was easy to decide. Jiro wanted chicken dumplings, Satchel wanted pork, and I opted for shrimp. The menu says that the chicken dumplings come with celery, and Jiro tried asking to have his without that, but I explained that it was probably already mixed in. He decided to just go with the flow. We all got waters and the total was $27.86.



It took us a minute to decide on a table because they were all a little wobbly. (I noticed the same metal tables on El Toro Loco's patio on Tuesday. Maybe they do better outside.)

The cashier, who is also a chef, according to the website, brought our waters right away. Soon, the only other employee in the store brought our dumplings. It literally took less than 5 minutes. I'm assuming they are already made and they just give them a quick steam. I loved the presentation (minus the styrofoam bowls).



The letters indicated which was which, and we all grabbed our steamers.



Jiro gave the chicken dumplings a thumbs up, despite the presence of green stuff. (His must not have been as hot as ours, because neither Satchel or I could use our fingers at first.)



"It has all the stuff I don't like and it's good," he said. (I love this kid!) He gave me a bite and the flavor reminded me of chicken noodle soup.

Satchel was eager to dig in and I was scared to get my fingers too close to him.



There were three cups of Asian slaw hiding behind the steamers, but I was the only one to partake. It was delicious and fresh.



I was surprised to see egg mixed in with my shrimp, but it was ok.



It was better with a touch of hot sauce from the cute little bottle on the table. (There was also soy sauce, I think, but none of us used it.)



Each dumpling was about two inches long and very plump. None of us was able to eat all six, although the boys managed 5 each. Jiro and Satchel were both fans of the "skin" so maybe I should get them noodle dishes next time?

We discussed the name of the restaurant and Jiro noted that they named it 4Dumplings because they offered four kinds of dumplings. I pointed out that there were actually 5--pork, shrimp, chicken, beef, and vegan (made with tofu and chickpeas). He said, "Vegan doesn't count."

4Dumplings thinks it does, and they seem pretty serious about offering healthy choices. I am down with that.

On the back of each chair it read: "Eat Responsibly." I wasn't quite sure what they meant, but the website is clear:

We strongly believe a healthy and productive life begins with healthy eating. At 4Dumplings, our chefs design low fat, low calorie and high fiber recipes and choose one of the healthiest, cleanest and the most traditional cooking technique, steaming, to finish all the dumplings. There is no MSG or butter in our dumplings and we don’t fry at all.

4Dumplings promises you we will not serve any food or drink that is not healthy and we ask you to do your part – to eat responsibly.

What you eat today can either help or harm your future health.

Eat Responsibly = Healthy Choice + Moderation. It is so important for children to develop a healthy eating habit at early age. Parents and schools play critical roles.

We'll be back.

Panda Express

Panda Express
585 North Germantown Parkway
901-751-1370

Panda Express is a chain that the monkeys (Satchel, 11, and Jiro, 9) visited on their month long roadtrip out west over the summer. They raved about it and have been dying to go to the one here and get the "Family Feast."

On Saturday, Satchel and I found ourselves waaaaaay out east at the Super Target finishing up a little school shopping, and decided to pop in to Panda Express for a late lunch. (Jiro was off having a super fun last weekend of summer with his best friends so we didn't feel guilty.)



I asked Satchel if it was like Subway where we just picked what we wanted on our rice or noodles, but he said no (and probably rolled his eyes).

Inside it's decorated pretty cute, if you think "sparse" is cute. (I do.) There were a number of seating options--tables, booths, tall counters, and even patio action.

It's an order at the counter type place, so I thought it might be more like Pei Wei. I took a minute to look at the menus hanging on the wall. Nope. Well, maybe a little, but the food is already cooked.




Satchel, who thought I was being slow, made it easy. "We are getting the bowls," he said. As we approached the counter, he said I could pick a base and then one dish to put on top, then he told the woman, "We'll have two bowl meals."

Yes, my baby ordered for me! I loved it.



I decided on fried brown rice with the Samarai surf and turf they were advertising on top. Satchel got chow mein noodles with Beijing beef on top, because that is what Warren ordered the first time they went and he loved it.

After completing our transaction, I decided that Panda Express is like a Chinese buffet with very strict rules.



Yes, Satchel carried the tray and even got my drink for me. (We both got waters since we had a soda at my mom's house earlier in the day.)

Here's my surf and turf. Hard to see the rice under there, but it definitely took up 3/4 of the bowl.



And here's Satchel's Beijing beef.



Overall it was pretty tasty. We even switched bowls for awhile.



Each bowl cost $5.59. There was a $1.00 upcharge for mine, I guess because of the shrimp. Our total was $13.31. (I saw no tip jar or tip line on the receipt.) Not bad, right? However, I do realize we probably could have gone to a real Chinese buffet for the same amount. But then we would have really stuffed ourselves.

We were both super full and neither of us could finish. My immediate thought was, "They must have put a lot of MSG in the food." But maybe the soda and Pancho's cheese dip snack we had an hour or so before at my mom's just ruined our appetites?

We went to wash our hands and I noted that there was not a changing table in the restroom. I did see highchairs in the dining area.

I can't see making a special trip to Cordova to eat here again, but it was TOTALLY worth going just to have Satchel show me the ropes.

Mulan Bistro

Mulan Bistro
2149 Young
347-3979

On Saturday night, we decided to try the "new Asian place" in Cooper-Young. Take one look at the sidebar there and it's pretty clear that we are serious fans of Asian food.



Cooper-Young is fairly bustling on Saturday nights and it took us a few trips around the block to find a parking spot...about three blocks away. When I told Satchel (age 9) that we had to walk three blocks he reacted as though I had just told him I had killed a puppy. Having spent three weekends in New Orleans this month, where I (happily) did quite a bit of walking, I simply ignored his protests. I also had to assume he was starving. The three block walk was actually full of angst on everyone's part. "Let's go eat and I promise we'll all be in a better mood on the walk back," I said optimistically.

It was about 8:30pm when we arrived, and the restaurant was quite full, despite not having a beer license yet. (What!) The space is very large, so we were thankfully able to get a table right away. I didn't spot any other families, but it was a tad late. We were seated next to a large table of first and second generation Chinese people, which always bodes well at an Asian restaurant.

Warren ordered some tea, and we tackled the menu.



Jiro (age 7) had been craving sushi, and since the restaurant has a large sushi bar, he requested a crunchy shrimp roll. He was pretty hungry too, so he asked for miso soup and chicken fried rice as well. Warren always likes to get pork fried rice, so they had to come up with a compromise: Spam fried rice! Warren lived in Hawaii as a child, so Spam is like comfort food to him.

The menu also featured traditional Chinese dishes like Chongqing Style Boiled Blood Curd, Szechuan Spicy Sauteed Pig Intestine and Steamed Fish Head With Pickled Chili Sauce. Warren was definitely attracted to the racier dishes, but opted for #74 which was braised pork and buns. (Coincidentally, the table next to us also ordered this so Warren felt like he made a good choice.)

Satchel was uncharacteristically decisive and asked for sweet and sour chicken. (We went to Pei Wei the night before with some friends, and he may have had a taste of it there.)

I wanted a tofu dish, but the waitress didn't have answers to my many questions about what was included. ("Crispy tofu" wasn't descriptive enough for me.) So, I just bit the bullet and went with tofu in curry sauce.

The monkeys' soup came out right away and Jiro was stoked that the miso soup came with "crunchies."



It was also at this time that everyone unwrapped their silverware. "Look! Fish!"



The waitress also brought over some pickled cabbage for us to nosh. It was tasty.



There was a little excitement at the table behind us. The waiter delivered a giant hot pot and accidentally spilled a good bit of it on his wrist. I felt bad for him, but was impressed that he managed to keep his shit together. Had he flinched just a bit more, the whole pot could have gone flying. I'm not sure the people at the table were as impressed with his composure as I was.

Warren noted that Hawaii 5-0 was playing on the TV. (Cool.)

The manager came by several times to check on us. (Nice.)

Shortly after polishing off the soup and cabbage, our entrees started arriving. My curry tofu was first.



I thought it looked very pretty. It tasted ok, but the tofu was really spongey. I think it would have been better with crispy tofu. (Or maybe the tofu was crispy at first and it soaked up too much sauce?)

Next up was the Spam fried rice, which Jiro quickly declared to be the best fried rice ever. (It was good, but Spam is damn salty!)



Oh, and if you haven't noticed from the quality of the photos, they keep it fairly dark in the restaurant at night.

Next was the sweet and sour chicken.



Even though this is basically the chicken nuggets of Chinese cuisine, it was really good. Maybe because it came out hot & crispy. Satchel noted, "I always order the good stuff and you guys act like vultures." Hilarious.

Next to arrive was Jiro's crunchy shrimp roll, which I asked for without cucumber. He loved the presentation and the unagi sauce on the side. Jiro went on and on..."This is fantastic! This is delicious! I have a party in my tummy!" Adorable.



The last dish to come out was Warren's pork.



The kids were a bit baffled by the buns, but when I explained that it was just bread, they were all over them. The pork was very tasty and the manager said it could be eaten on the bun like a sandwich or with rice. By the time it came out, I think we had already thoroughly stuffed ourselves, so we only ate a little. "Bring the buns home!" Satchel demanded.

While we waited on the check, we discussed what to wear in a zombie apocalypse. Warren said he'd wear body armor if possible. If not he'd wear one close fitting outfit with baggy clothes on top. I could see the monkeys taking note.

Our total came to $61.00, which is about what we'd spend at Sekisui. So, Mulan has been put in our "special occasion" file, which is good since Jiro emphatically said, "I'm probably coming here on my birthday." (That is high praise!)

Warren and I may go for lunch.

A few final notes:

We requested to go boxes, which were polystyrene. However, the server packed up our leftovers, which is always a nice touch.

Satchel and Jiro both got the same fortune in their cookies. It said that in exactly three months they would have a great surprise. I marked my calendar for June 24th.

There is no changing table in the women's restroom.

As we walked back to the car, everyone was happily chatting and carrying on. Told ya so.

Noodles Asian Bistro

Noodles Asian Bistro
7850 Poplar Avenue, Suite 12
755-1117




After an afternoon of bowling in Cordova, we decided to eat dinner at a little Asian bistro by my mom's house in Germantown called Noodles. My mom had been a couple of times and reported that it was good. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to try a new Asian place!

It's in a strip mall, and fairly generic on the inside. It's basically a Pei-Wei type place. However, at dinner they have servers rather than letting you order at the counter. The service was nice, but a little slow. My mom thinks it goes quicker when you can order at the counter.

Before eating we made a bathroom run to wash the bowling alley off of our hands, and I noted that there was a changing table in the handicapped stall. I like this arrangement much better than having it near the communal sink. (My diaper changing days are over, but I remember what a nightmare it could be when dining out, so I look out for my readers with babies and toddlers!)

Back at the table, things were off to a bit of a rough start. The monkeys (Satchel, 9, and Jiro, 7) were freezing because Noodles was blasting their air conditioning. (It was one of the first cool days we had outside which made it worse.) My mom offered Satchel her jacket, but it was just a rain slicker and offered little warmth.



Jiro had to go sit outside with his arms inside of his shirt.



The worst part about the plunging temperature was the fact that we ordered the monkeys each a bubble tea! If you've never had bubble tea, it isn't really tea at all. It's basically somewhere between a smoothie and a milkshake with large tapioca pearls, aka bubbles, inside.

Satchel basically said he was too cold to drink his, but Jiro soldiered on. My mom had never seen bubble tea before, so the boys tried explaining the tapioca bubbles to her. "They feel like a snail turd or an eyeball," Satchel explained. Surprisingly she still tried it. Then Jiro commented, "Next time get my tea without the gum."




We ordered Satchel some emergency egg drop soup once we determined that he could get it without the unusual add ons of scallions and chicken. It's hotness finally calmed him down and he told us, "The soup tastes like hot and sour soup but egg droppy," which I thought was hilarious.



Noodles did have a kids' menu which was pretty decent. For $4.95 you had a choice of brown or white rice, a drink, and an entree (Sweet & Sour Chicken, Chicken Lo Mein, Chicken Nuggets & Fries, Honey Seared Chicken, Broccoli Chicken, and Chicken Fried Rice). I hate to see the chicken nugget option, but I'm sure there are just as many parents who need it in order to survive the meal. Satchel wanted Sweet & Sour Chicken and Jiro opted for Lo Mein.

My mom, Warren, and I decided to split three entrees and ordered three appetizers. We were all way hungrier than we thought. We pounced on the appetizers as soon as they arrived.

The edamame was standard issue. Jiro ate almost all of it.



The fried tofu was a little more breaded that what you find in midtown, but we ate it up. The sauce and the sweet pepper and onion mixture on the side made it extra yummy.



The fried calamari was also more battered that I would have expected and had the same pepper and onion relish on the side. Despite the presence of jalapenos, it wasn't too spicy.



There was a bit of a wait between the appetizers and the entrees, but our waitress appeared every so often to let us know that she hadn't forgotten about us. Eventually everything came out together and we dug in.

Satchel's Sweet & Sour Chicken came out with lots and lots of onions. Thankfully, he didn't complain since they were easy to eat around. (Do any kids actually like onions?)



Jiro's Lo Mein was also a little sophisticated. It had mushrooms, carrots, onion, and a teeny tiny bit of chicken. He basically ate a few mouthful of noodles then picked out the chicken.



The dishes the adults chose to split weren't the best ever, but good enough. I think we all liked the Thai Mango Chicken the best. (You could get it with beef, shrimp, or tofu too. Had I known the chicken would be fried, I probably would have chosen a different option.)



The Wok-Charred Beef was pretty good, but would have been better with a little more kick. (We ordered everything mild since my mom has delicate taste buds.)



My second favorite was the Szechuan Street Noodles with fried tofu. We ordered it mild too, but they made it pretty fiery. My mom couldn't eat it, but Warren and I had no problem polishing it off.



We all ended the meal full and fairly happy with a good amount of leftovers. It took a good long while for us to get the check and then pay and get our card back. So long that my mom, who had her own car, decided to go ahead and leave! Our total came to $65 plus tip, which is definitely a bit high for dinner, but considering we had an extra adult, three appetizers, two bubble teas, and enough leftovers for another meal or two, I couldn't moan too much.

If we go back, and I'm not sure we will, I'd probably have the monkeys split a dish and go easy on the appetizers. Also going at lunch and ordering at the counter would reduce the tip from 20% to 10%. Since it is close to my mom's house, I might give it another try. The menu is pretty extensive and I feel sure I missed something fabulous.