Category Archives: Pacific Rim

Commentary, Pacific Rim

Streaming and dining: Korean drama imparts a crave

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

I had never envisioned myself as a fan of South Korean K-dramas, but that was before a Netflix promotion drew me into the fictional life of Extraordinary Attorney Woo.

Now I’m almost through binging this sweet, sometimes challenging drama about the brilliant 20-something Korean attorney Woo Young-woo (played by Park Eun-bin), who, as Netflix explains it, “faces challenges in the courtroom and beyond as a newbie at a top law firm in Seoul and a woman on the autism spectrum.”

Before long I had added a Korean module to my Duolingo routine so I could learn characters in hangul, the Korean alphabet. And most of all, I found myself deeply craving the only food item that Young-woo enjoys: Kimbap. Continue reading Streaming and dining: Korean drama imparts a crave →

$$ Modest ($30-$50), Northeast Metro, Pacific Rim, St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs, World Food

Bahn Thai & M returns Thai flavor to Holiday Manor

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

It’s not usually difficult for a restaurant critic to learn about new eateries around our town. Either the owner or chef clues me in with an email, text, or news release, or I’ll hear about it on social media or the Louisville HotBytes forum.

Now and then, though, an appealing new place will fly under the radar until, like Columbus “discovering” America, I stumble into it myself.

So it was the other day when I rolled into Holiday Manor, planning a quick run to Kroger, when I suddenly noticed a bright new storefront sign: “Bahn Thai & M.” Continue reading Bahn Thai & M returns Thai flavor to Holiday Manor →

$$ Modest ($30-$50), Pacific Rim, St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs, World Food

Tasty Vietnamese fare and cool cocktails elevate District 6

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

Not long after the turn of this century, I’m not sure that many of us would have predicted the rise of St. Matthews as one of the city’s most active bar and nightlife zones.

So I guess it shouldn’t surprise us that this suburban village has suddenly become a go-to zone for Asian eateries with estimable bars.

Say what? Continue reading Tasty Vietnamese fare and cool cocktails elevate District 6 →

$$ Modest ($30-$50), Downtown, NuLu and Butchertown, Frankfort Ave., Clifton, Crescent Hill, Hot Chicken, Pacific Rim

We enjoy the chicken and the egg at Chik’n & Mi

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

I’m not going to say I’ve solved the ancient riddle about whether the chicken or the egg came first, but I can tell you that we enjoyed both those good things and more in a delicious brunch at Chik’n & Mi.

It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the fare is excellent at Chik’n & Mi, as it’s the only local eatery I know of where both owners/chefs – the husband-and-wife team of Jason McCollum and Aenith Sananikone McCollum – are graduates of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Continue reading We enjoy the chicken and the egg at Chik’n & Mi →

$$ Modest ($30-$50), Hurstbourne, Middletown, Jeffersontown, Pacific Rim

VinBun Vietnamese introduces us to bún and more

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

We’ve learned to love Vietnamese food. We’re big fans of pho, and we’ve learned to call it “phuh” when we order it.

Now let’s warm up to Vietnam’s other iconic dish, bún, which rhymes with “boon.” Want to get to know bún? You can’t go wrong by trekking out to the metro’s newest Vietnamese eatery, Vin Bun in Middletown, where the name of the dish is part of the restaurant’s moniker! Continue reading VinBun Vietnamese introduces us to bún and more →

$$ Modest ($30-$50), Pacific Rim, South End, World Food

Vietnam Kitchen stayed, and we are so happy

The rumors started more than four years ago, and they spread quickly: “Vietnam Kitchen is going to close! The owner wants to retire! Next time they close for vacation, they won’t open again!”

The fear was real. Vietnam Kitchen – VK, as its fans invariably abbreviate it – is the longest-standing Vietnamese restaurant still open in Louisville. It was founded in 1993 by Vietnamese immigrant Alex Lam and his family. Continue reading Vietnam Kitchen stayed, and we are so happy →

$$ Modest ($30-$50), Baxter, Bardstown, Highlands, Pacific Rim, Vegetarian/Vegan

Delicious tofu takeout at Heart & Soy

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

I’m pretty sure I unleashed a small rant last autumn when the Delta variant was coming on, threatening to retreat into takeout dining until things blew over a bit.

I didn’t actually do that. I’m vaccinated, and now boosted too, so what, me worry?

But the other day, eyeing news reports about the Omicron variant and rising positivity tolls, I started thinking about takeout again. Continue reading Delicious tofu takeout at Heart & Soy →

$$ Modest ($30-$50), Baxter, Bardstown, Highlands, Germantown, Pacific Rim

For a good pho, call Eatz Vietnamese

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

Last week I had to try calling Vietnam Kitchen a half-dozen times before I could break through the busy line. I guess I wasn’t the only Louisville foodie aching to find out for sure if they were really back from a month-long vacation.

But one reality remains: Vietnam Kitchen, the beloved South End storefront eatery that introduced many of us to Vietnamese cuisine, isn’t going to stay the same, assuming it stays at all. The shop is definitely on the market as a turnkey operation, and owner Alex Lam will eventually either hand it over to new owners or close it.

We wish the Lam family and Vietnam Kitchen’s many fans well, but let’s face it: If you haven’t done this already, it’s past time to begin exploring the metro’s other Vietnamese restaurants. There are at least a dozen, and each has its own particular pleasures. But when I’m hankering for pho, the traditional and soul-consoling Vietnamese soup, I head for Eatz Vietnamese. Continue reading For a good pho, call Eatz Vietnamese →

$$ Modest ($30-$50), Hurstbourne, Middletown, Jeffersontown, Pacific Rim, St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs

Simply Thai makes takeout delicious and easy

Now that I’ve resumed dining in with last week’s Monnik Beer Co. review, it’s back to sitting down at a restaurant table every week, right?

Well, no, not necessarily. This week, for instance, I got takeout from Simply Thai. Before I tell you about the food, let’s talk about this. Continue reading Simply Thai makes takeout delicious and easy →

$$$ Upscale ( $50 - $80), Pacific Rim, St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs

hiko-A-mon’s fine Japanese style rewards our eyes and palates

It’s hard to believe that Louisville got its first sushi bar, of sorts, as recently as the middle 1980s. (It’s also hard to believe that I’ve been writing about food and drink for that long, but that’s another story for another day.)

Back when Louisville had its first taste of locally-made sushi, served over a Fourth Street drug-store lunch counter on Thursdays only, the idea of sushi was a bit divisive. A few of us yelled “Yay!” A substantial percentage responded, “Yuk! Raw fish!”

Times have surely changed. Continue reading hiko-A-mon’s fine Japanese style rewards our eyes and palates →