Hixson restaurants Archives - Page 3 of 7

Little Tokyo Express (Hixson, Tennessee)

November 25, 2015

Little Tokyo Express is a quick, tasty, casual, and reasonably-priced hibachi-style restaurant located in Hixson, Tennessee.

A few weeks ago I blogged about Soho Hibachi in Hixson. Someone commented on my Facebook post that she liked Soho but preferred Little Tokyo Express. We’d visited Little Tokyo several years back (before Chattavore sprang into existence) and as I recalled we liked it fine, but for some reason we hadn’t been back. We decided that it was time to go back and give it another try.

Little Tokyo Express is located on Hixson Pike in a building that used to be Wendy’s. It’s pretty basic inside, but clean and well-kept. The menu is limited, which is always a good thing: a regular menu with about ten items, a children’s menu, and a menu of sides. You order at the counter, get your drinks from a fountain, and are given a number to put on your table for the food to be delivered. The cooks are located right behind the counter, so you can see everything that they are doing as they are prepping your order (if you are so inclined, anyway).

I decided on the teriyaki chicken. All orders come with fried rice, but you can add noodles if you prefer for an uncharge. You can also order your meal with mixed vegetables (broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, and onions). I ordered mine with mixed vegetables. The chicken was well-browned and tender, coated with a light, sweet and savory sauce. The rice was well-seasoned and had just a few peas and carrots in it. The vegetables were well cooked and lightly seasoned, except for the onions, which could have used a few more minutes of cooking. They were still a little crunchy and had a bit of a raw onion bite to it. I didn’t eat very many of them.

Philip ordered the steak and chicken. He also got mixed vegetables and rice. If we had realized before we ordered that we could have gotten noodles, one of us would have ordered them to try, but I didn’t know until I saw that the couple who ordered before us had noodles on their plates. His rice, vegetables, and chicken were essentially the same as mine. The steak was cut into thin slices that were about 2 inches square. Like the chicken, the steak was lightly browned on the outside and was also very tender.

Here in the South, the white sauce or “Yum-Yum sauce” is very important. So far, I have not found any white sauce at a restaurant that quite measures up to the white sauce served at Typhoon of Tokyo (or the white sauce that I make myself), and I’ll be honest…Little Tokyo’s doesn’t quite either. It’s good, but a little sweeter than I prefer; it had a good consistency. I mixed a little soy sauce into mine to make it a little more salty and a little less sweet. That worked out well. They are very generous with the white sauce, as they have lidded containers of it next to the register as well as pump containers on the counter with the forks, napkins, etc. where you can serve yourself more if you need it.

For teriyaki chicken, a steak and chicken meal, and two waters, our meal was $17.87 before tip….not a bad deal for the large portion of food that you are given (to-go boxes are readily available near the counter if you need them). The staff was friendly and the food was tasty. I’ll admit that Typhoon is still my favorite but I would definitely go to Little Tokyo again. Little Tokyo Express in Hixson, Tennessee serves good food at a good value.

Little Tokyo Express is located at 4516 Hixson Pike, Hixson, Tennessee, 37343. They are open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can call them at 423-874-0500. There is a Facebook page that appears to be for Little Tokyo Express, but the information is not accurate as the website points to a restaurant in Pittsburgh.

Soho Hibachi (Hixson, Tennessee)

October 26, 2015

Soho Hibachi is a popular hibachi and teriyaki restaurant that provides tasty food and quick service on Highway 153 (near Target) in Hixson, Tennessee.

As I type this, I am lamenting the fact that tomorrow is the last weekday of my Fall break. I love my job, but the chance to stay up late then sleep in (8 a.m. is sleeping in for this old girl) and hang out doing whatever I want is pretty much my favorite. On top of that I visited the Small Business Development Center earlier this week and got several ideas for building this blog thing into something larger than life.

Anyway, it’s Thursday right now and tomorrow we are going apple picking at Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge, Georgia. We decided to go grocery shopping today so that we wouldn’t have to do our usual Friday night shopping trip after our day trip. Before we shopped, we decided to eat a late lunch at Soho Hibachi since it is right next door to Aldi, where we do as much of our shopping as possible.

I’ve been hearing good things about Soho for a while, but we generally only go to that little plaza on Friday nights when it’s pretty crowded, and if you know anything about me you know that we avoid crowds like the plague. It definitely wasn’t crowded when we got there at about 2:00 on Thursday afternoon so we waltzed right up and placed our order.

They have a lunch special of two Japanese spring rolls for $1.50. We generally order spring rolls, summer rolls, or egg rolls at any restaurant where we dine that serves them. The spring rolls came out quickly. They were small, wrapped in very thin spring roll wrappers and fried until shatteringly crisp (and mouth-searingly hot!!). They were vegetarian, filled mostly with cabbage, and were very good but not exceptional.

When ordering you are given two menus from which to choose: hibachi or teriyaki. The lunch special is chicken, either teriyaki style or hibachi style, for $5.95. I am a fool for teriyaki, so I chose teriyaki. You can choose steamed white or brown rice, fried rice, or noodles. I decided on the noodles. The chicken was white meat chicken, cut into thin strips and seared till brown along with broccoli, zucchini, and onions, then tossed with a sweet but not overly so teriyaki sauce. It is definitely not the thick and sticky sauce that you get at a store and was quite delicious. The noodles (udon, for the record) were a little chewy, well-seasoned, and delicious, mixed with wilted Napa cabbage.

Philip decided to go for the hibachi-style filet mignon with fried rice for $9.25. The filet was cut into small chunks and seared on the hibachi along with broccoli, zucchini, and onions. Everything was seasoned well and cooked to a perfect texture. The fried rice was also well-seasoned, with carrots and peas, and cooked to a good “chewiness” level.

Soho Hibachi has a “serve yourself” condiment bar where you can get white (yum-yum) sauce, ginger sauce, duck sauce, Sriracha, etc. We tried the white sauce (of course) and thought that it was quite good-a little salty, a little sweet. Not as good as what is served at Typhoon of Tokyo, which will always be our gold standard for quick hibachi food, but good nonetheless.

The decor in Soho Hibachi was nice…simple, basic, clean with a few embellishments. The service was quick and professional and there were quite a few people picking up carryout orders while we were there. At $18.03 before tip, the price is competitive with other similar restaurants in the area. For a quick hibachi or teriyaki-style meal in the Hixson area, definitely check out Soho Hibachi!

Soho Hibachi is located at 5510 Highway 153, Chattanooga, TN 37343. There are open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. You can all them at 423-877-8808. They do not have a website or a Facebook page.

Formosa Chinese Restaurant

October 5, 2015

Formosa Chinese restaurant is a dining-out institution in Hixson, Tennessee. They serve delicious Chinese food with great, friendly service.

How have I not written about Formosa Chinese restaurant? That’s a rhetorical question, I suppose, but Formosa is one of Hixson’s longest-standing restaurant and (since Mandarin Garden closed) the place that we generally go to get Chinese food close to home. However, every time that we’ve gone I, for one reason or another, haven’t been in a blog post mood (it was never because I didn’t like the food, but, for example, I remember that we went there one time the night before I had surgery).

It was raining cats and dogs Saturday and I was definitely not feeling going out of the Hixson area, particularly not to any spot where we would have to do a lot of walking (i.e. downtown). We considered the tiny handful of Hixson places that we still have yet to visit and Philip pointed out that we really should go to Formosa, considering how long it’s been around. It’s really a Hixson institution. Please excuse the awful photos in this post….it’s very dark in the restaurant.

We were seated immediately and given lunch menus, since it was only around 1 p.m. The lunch menu is considerably smaller than the dinner menu, with a few specials (mostly chow meins and egg foo young plus few other standards like sweet and sour chicken) listed on one side that included either an egg roll or soup and then another list of entrees on the other side. My favorite thing about Formosa (I’m just being honest here) is that they bring you a bowl of fried wonton strips (which I call Chinese potato chips). Those things are just addictive. They also bring sweet and sour sauce to dip them into, but I really am indifferent to that.

We ordered our meals off the specials menu. We both wanted soup and and egg roll so we ordered egg rolls separately. I like that their egg rolls don’t have any weird pink meat (the meat is pink because of curing salt, but that doesn’t make it any less bizarre in my opinion). They are filled with ground pork, baby shrimp, and cabbage. They were brought out immediately, which might make you worry that they wouldn’t be fresh, but they were fresh, crispy, and hot. The server brought us some hot mustard too, but aside from a tiny fingertip dab that I tasted it was too hot for me. I ordered egg drop soup, which was hot, well seasoned, and had lots of egg and green onion in it. Philip had wonton soup. He said that the wontons seemed housemade and that the soup was also tasty and well-seasoned.

I decided to get the chicken with mushrooms, which is described in their dinner menu as “sliced chicken breast sautéed with mushrooms, water chestnuts, and snow peas in a light sauce”. There were also carrots and pieces of cabbage in the sauté, and it was served with fried rice. Their fried rice is more basic than most, basically just seasoned and fried and not mixed with carrots, peas, and eggs, but still quite good. The portion of sauté was fairly large, large enough for me to bring home probably more than half of it to have for lunch the next day. Everything was well cooked, the vegetables just crisp tender (besides the mushrooms, which were very tender) and the chicken very thinly sliced and very tender considering that it’s chicken breast, which tends to be dry. The sauce was indeed light and not overly salted. The thing I like about Formosa is that I don’t feel bloated and icky like I do after eating at some Chinese restaurants (I think it’s MSG that makes me feel that way, though I know a lot of people dispute the whole MSG negative effects theory).

Philip had the beef chow mein, which is very thin slices of beef sautéed with Napa cabbage, onion, zucchini, and carrots and is also served with fried rice. The meat was incredibly tender and the sauce light and nicely seasoned. The vegetables were nicely cooked, crisp-tender just like mine were, and Philip also had enough to bring home for lunch. My friends, it is never sad to have leftovers to throw in the microwave when you arrive home starving after church.

Like I said, the dinner menu is much larger than the lunch menu, with soups, appetizers (including chicken fingers and fries, which always makes me laugh), family dinners (for families of 2, 4, 5, or 6), vegetable dishes, Chef’s Specialties (including sesame chicken and General Tsao’s-their spelling-which is different from what is served at most Chinese restaurants, as it is thinly sliced instead of just spicier sesame chicken). They have sections of seafood, chicken, beef, pork, duck, plus chow meins, lo meins, chop suey, fried rice, and egg foo young.

The decor in Formosa Chinese restaurant, I’m not going to lie, is a little dated. Honestly, I don’t think it’s changed one iota since I was a kid in the eighties and would go in with my parents to get take-out (not that I ever ate it, I wouldn’t have touched that stuff with a twenty-foot pole as a child). I don’t really care too much about decor, though. I mean, if a place has great decor, I’ll notice, but I’m more concerned about the food and service. Our service was quick and friendly (if very business-like) and the food is consistent and always good. I know it’s “American Chinese”, but where do you find anything but around here? Formosa Chinese restaurant is a great place…it’s not going anywhere any time soon.

Formosa Chinese restaurant is located at 5425 Highway 153, Hixson, Tennessee, 37343. They are open daily from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. You can call them at 423-875-6953. You can view their menu on their website, formosa-restaurant.com. You can also like Formosa on Facebook.

Mimi’s Deli & Bakery (Hixson, Tennessee)

January 26, 2015

Mimi’s Deli & Bakery is a great, family-owned sandwich shop and bakery in Hixson, Tennessee. I think they have the best sandwiches this side of the county!

A few years back, Mimi’s Gluten-Free Market opened up in Hixson, right next door to O’Charley’s. Though we aren’t gluten-free, we went in several times then sort of inexplicably stopped going…I have no idea why. They carried quite a few products that we couldn’t find anywhere else without having to drive to Whole Foods or Earth Fare. They mentioned to us on one visit that they were hoping to eventually add housemade sandwiches and baked goods to their offerings…then one day we drove by and noticed that the place was no longer Mimi’s Gluten-Free Market but rather Mimi’s Deli & Bakery.

So it turns out Hixson wasn’t quite ready for such a niche market, and the family that owned the shop decided that rather than close their business they would change their business into a restaurant. It took me a while to go in, though I’m really not sure why. Let me be clear….this isn’t Mimi’s Gluten-Free Deli & Bakery, though you can have your sandwich on gluten-free bread if you so choose, and the bakery case is full of gluten-free options like big, gloriously iced cupcakes, brownies, and cake pops (plus a few gluten-full items for those of you who are a little frightened of the gluten-free offerings).

In the back of the space, there’s still a small area selling some food items, including prepared gluten-free breads and frozen items and baking items. The rest of the place is full of tables. The seating is ample, so you can find a spot after you place your order and pay at the counter. The menu items are written on a gigantic chalkboard wall, but for details you can grab a menu at the counter to peruse. There are sixteen sandwiches, five hot dog options, burgers, salads, soups, and sides.

The lady at the counter recommended the cheesesteak, with sliced beef, onions, peppers, Provolone cheese, mayonnaise, and a house seasoning blend on an 8-inch hoagie roll. I have a hard time passing up a well-made cheesesteak, though they are admittedly difficult to find. I am usually sorely disappointed by cheesesteaks that are full of tough meat, not enough cheese, and barely cooked vegetables served on a dry and overly crunchy roll. This was not one of those sandwiches. The meat was perfectly cooked-so tender and deliciously seasoned. The vegetables were caramelized with just a tiny bit of crunch, and there was a ton of cheese melted on top. The roll was chewy but soft enough to bite through and the whole thing was hot and fabulously delicious. I’ve been watching my caloric intake, but I threw that out the window for this meal and ate the whole thing. And I didn’t regret it even a little bit.

Philip is a sucker for a Reuben, so he took the lady’s other recommendation and ordered the Reuben (the traditional Reuben with corned beef, not the California Reuben with turkey). The Reuben was made on grilled marbled rye with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and house made Russian dressing. Everything was well-heated through (unlike some other places that serve Reubens with cold corned beef in the center where the grill just doesn’t quite get) and the ingredients were well-balanced-not too much or too little of any one item. The Russian dressing was tasty…the best Reubens are always made with house made dressing. We also ordered a basket of hand-cut natural fries, which were tossed with house seasoning. They were skin-on, which you guys know that I love, perfectly cooked, and deliciously seasoned.

One other thing! I had to take a picture of the ketchup. Unfortunately, a lot of times when you eat in restaurants you are assaulted with cheap food-service ketchup (a lot of times that’s bottled as “fancy ketchup). Not here. The ketchup was Hunt’s! My BFF is a ketchup connoisseur, so I had to text this to her as I knew it would make her smile.

I’m going to take a leap here and tell you that Mimi’s Deli & Bakery has the best deli sandwiches in Hixson, at least from what we’ve experienced.

The people were very friendly and are obviously committed to serving a quality product. The prices were good as well-for our sandwiches and fries (we drank water), we paid about $17. There were quite a few people in and out while we were there, so this place is not a secret…but the service was impressively quick. Get to Mimi’s, you guys!

Mimi’s Deli & Bakery is located at 5036 Hixson Pike, Hixson, TN 37343 (between O’Charley’s and The Bread Basket). You can call them at 423-877-8700. They are open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additionally, they offer delivery (!) Monday-Friday, 11-2 p.m. as well as call-ahead ordering. You can find more information on the Mimi’s Deli & Bakery website, including their menu. Be sure to like Mimi’s Deli & Bakery on Facebook!

Noodle and Pho Vietnamese Cuisine

November 9, 2014

Noodle and Pho Vietnamese Cuisine is a small, locally-owned restaurant that serves great Vietnamese food in Hixson, Tennessee.

Okay, I’ve actually been to Noodle and Pho once before, but it was when I was seriously absorbed in my new-car purchase and couldn’t bring myself to think about writing a blog post. Why it took me more than three months to get back there is beyond me. Actually, I don’t even know how long Noodle & Pho has been in Hixson (in the Hobby Lobby complex on 153), but it’s been there for a while and it’s shameful that it took me so long to get there. According to some reviewers on Urbanspoon, it actually used to be called Sushi and Pho, but after they stopped selling sushi they changed the name (good choice, though Philip maintains that they should have renamed it “What the Pho” since pho is pronounced “fuh”).

There are always several people in the restaurant when we go in…not a huge crowd, probably because of the location and the fact that Hixson is not exactly a hotspot of people seeking Vietnamese food. There are regulars, including a couple of ladies who were there today as well as the last time we were in there. It’s a very clean restaurant with decor that, while not completely “tied together” is still welcoming. Definitely look at the three metal signs by the “employees only” door to the kitchen. Very out of place and good for a laugh (I wish I’d taken a picture!).

I apologize for the glare on these menu photos!

The menu at Noodle and Pho isn’t huge-just appetizers, pho (which is Vietnamese noodle soup), vermicelli (rice noodle) dishes, and rice dishes. We decided to order the summer rolls, which we ordered the other time we dined here as well. Our server checked to make sure that we understood that summer rolls are not fried, so I suspect that a few people have been disappointed to get the chewy rice paper wrapped rolls instead of the shatteringly crisp spring rolls that they were probably expecting. We definitely wanted summer rolls, though. The summer rolls are rice paper wrappers, shrimp, a little bit of pork, vermicelli, and lettuce with a sweet/tangy dipping sauce laced with sriracha. They’re extremely fresh, light, and delicious. The slightly spicy sauce is the perfect complement to the rolls.

I decided to get the pho tái, or rare beef noodle soup. This is a gigantic bowl of broth with vermicelli noodles, slices of rare beef, sliced green onions, sliced red and white onions, and cilantro. It’s served with a plate of bean sprouts, basil, lime, and more cilantro. I shredded all of the cilantro and basil into my bowl, squeezed the lime wedge over, and added a big handful of the bean sprouts. Then I dipped into the soup. The thing that amazes me about pho (the experience was very similar at the Vietnamese Bistro in Dayton) is how rich and aromatic the broth is. I love the smell, and it tastes just like it smells…almost like it has cinnamon in it, but it’s actually infused with lots of delicious things like fish sauce (which smells terrible but adds a wonderful flavor to pretty much any savory thing), ginger, cloves, and star anise. The beef was perfectly tender and all the herbs, onions, and noodles just add to the amazing flavors and textures. It’s not an easy dish to eat by any means…basically I had to use a fork to eat the noodles (I’m too green to use chopsticks) and the little spoon they give you to slurp the broth, herbs, and meat.

Philip decided to go for the bún bò xaò, or stir fried beef vermicelli. This was a gigantic bowl of rice noodles with strips of beef, chunks of cooked onion, shredded carrots, shredded lettuce, and jalapeño with a thin sauce on the side. The lady told Philip to pour all of the sauce over the bowl and mix it well before eating. Most of the components of the dish were cold, with the meat, onions, and green onions warm. It was basically like a beef summer roll in a bowl, with the sauce adding just a little bit of sweet, tangy spice as well as moisture. Delicious.

In addition to the regular menu, there’s a board hanging above the aquarium (near the restroom) with a few different dishes written on it. I’m not sure if these are specials or if they’re regularly available items that just didn’t make it into the menu. Bánh mì, a French-influenced Vietnamese sandwich, has been on this board both times we’ve been in and next time I go I think I’ll try it. I feel pretty certain that no matter what I try, though, I’ll be happy. This is very fresh, beautiful, and amazingly tasty food. I can’t attest to its authenticity, but it this is Vietnamese food then count me in. It’s also very affordable-our lunch was around $23 pre-tip.

Get to Noodle and Pho!

Noodle and Pho is located at 5450 Highway 153 (in the Hobby Lobby complex near the dress shop and the Dollar Tree), Hixson, TN 37343. You can call them at 423-531-3462. Unfortunately, they do not have a website or Facebook page.

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