Lunch Time at the Office Product Review: Maruchan Yakisoba

As of last week I've lost over 47 lbs since April. Part of my strategy to help me stick to the Weight Watchers points target is to not get lunch out more than once out of the 5 days a week I come in to the office. The old me tried to brown bag it a lot too in order to save money, but eventually I would get tired of eating the same old things or not have time to make a lunch before I went into work. But since I've been having so much success I've really decided to stick hard and fast to my 1 day a week rule. One of the things I've found that has made it easy is Maruchan's Yakisoba.

You may already be familiar with Maruchan from their line of cheap package ramen and "Instant Lunch", but the Yakisoba line is a little newer and much more tasty. Sure it's definitely not the traditional real yakisoba noodles you'll find in a good Japanese noodle shop, but the bottom line for me is that I can grab it quickly before I head out the door, it's ready in 4 minutes, the prep is easy, it's tasty, and it is only 14 WW points for a container.  It comes in multiple flavors, but my favorite is the teriyaki beef and the shrimp is a close second. It comes in brightly packaged container that acts like it's trying to trick you into thinking it is something cool you'd buy at an Asian grocery, but truthfully I'd need some cartoon cats and robots to be more convinced. Each package is noodles that comes with a flavor packet and a packet of dried veggies (and sometimes protein). Just at the veggies to the noodles and cover with a cup of water and nuke for 4 minutes. After a couple of cool down minutes where the temperature decreases from surface of the sun/hot pocket levels you can add the flavoring and mix. This results in tender noodles with a little broth.  The tang and sweetness of the teriyaki flavoring is superb to competing products that use liquid sauces. The only drawback is the noodles. If you don't add enough water they can be undercooked and crunchy, and also dried noodles just don't taste as good as the fresh ones that come in competing products. The best part however is the price. Maruchan Yakisoba packages run anywhere from 79 cents to $1.09 a piece. This is less than half the price of similar brands like Simply Asia or Annie Chun's.

Writer's Note: I've decided to change my rating system on product reviews since the blog relaunch. From now on instead of a 1-10 grade I will simply label products either Must Buy, Give It a Try, or Pass It By.


Rating: Must Buy

Review: Drake's

Castleton. An indy neighborhood where there is shopping, traffic, and very few good food options or independent restaurants to satisfy all those shoppers and rat racers. It's sad really, but everyone who lives or works on Indy's North side knows that Castleton, food wise, has fast food and chains but little else. There are some notable exceptions like a couple of sushi bars and the Castleton Grill, but if you want a good sitdown meal you don't have a lot of options. That brings me to today's review which is a place that is trying to change that landscape a bit...Drake's.

Drake's is located in the strip mall on 82nd right before you get to the green bridge, and right behind the old Music Mill (now the not so impressive Brewstone). Drake's certainly isn't anything revolutionary. Their menu basically consists of burgers, chicken, salads, and the usual appetizers, and interestingly enough sushi. While the sushi certainly sets it apart I didn't try it on this particular visit so I can't really comment. What I did try was their fried pickles (annoyingly called frickles on the menu) and their Tavern Burger.

The fried pickles were delicious because well...fried pickles are always delicious, but here at Drake's I thought they were even a little better than the ones I've had elsewhere. First of all these pickles were cut lengthwise instead of in to chips which I think made them more crispy during the frying process and the pickles weren't so overwhelmed by the breading. The breading itself was also very well seasoned, appeared to be hand battered, the breading didn't slough off when you took a bite, and the sauce they served with them was different and better than the typical ranch you get at most places. Definitely had a mild but nice litle extra kick. My only quibble was that the cost of this app was 8 bucks which seemed a little high, but it's probably comparable to other similar restaurants.

The Tavern Burger was something I wanted to like was more than I actually did. The concept sounded great. Thick burger, pepper jack cheese, spicy remoluade sauce, and grilled onions.  It was served with either fries or tots and I chose tots.  When the burger came to my table it certainly looked big and appealing, and I could definitely tell it had all the elements just like the description stated. However, what was missing was something you can't see. Flavor. Despite the grilled onions, and sauce, and cheese it was just kind of bland. It wasn't as if the condiments were covering the flavor of the meat because I wasn't getting the spice I expected from the cheese or the sauce either. I will say that it was a very juicy burger even though it was cooked to well done without an option as to how it could have been prepared. The bun was toasted and was ok but it may have been a bit too large. I also wish the onions had been grilled and caramelized a little more. I think just a couple more minutes would have let them add that nice sweet flavor they can contribute. The tots were tasty and well seasoned, but they were your basic tater tots.

Even though maybe the burger was only a little better than okay I will say I liked eating at Drake's quite a bit. It was a nice day so we walked in and seated ourselves in front of the bar area and right near the open "garage doors" that make up the front of the restaurant. I like the semi al fresco dining experience a lot more than places that have patio seating under umbrellas. Our server was nice and service was prompt. I think Drake's is definitely worthy of another shot especially if I can gather some friends that will share some of that sushi with me.

Rating 6.5/10

A Dog Even Mitt Romney Wouldn't Leave On Top Of The Car: Zacky's Hot Dogs and Smokehouse BBQ

There has been some discussion on the Twitters lately about what one should order when trying out a place they haven't eaten at before.  Should you order what are the consensus strengths of the restaurant's menu, or is it ok to be the guy who orders stir fry off of the pub's menu because hey if they put it on there it should be good right? Truthfully I'm not sure there is a good answer to that question, and I tend to think the answer varies based on what kind of place your dining at and other factors (See my first post about pulled pork at the Ale Emporium).  I bring this up because Zacky's is a small yet popular little place in Carmel that specializes in hot dogs, but they also have some bbq options such as pulled pork and ribs.  As you probably know I love me some bbq, but I decided in this instance to go with one of Zacky's specialty hot dogs and leave the bbq for another day. 

Zacky's has several specialty hot dogs, and if you prefer to eat like you're a 5 year old you can even get one plain. The hot dogs are Vienna Beef and have different preparations along with different toppings.  In order to satisfy my lingering desire for bbq and smoke I decided to go with the ZQ Dog.  This was a deep-fried hot dog, bacon, cheddar cheese, and bbq sauce.  I made mine a combo with fries and a drink for an extra 2.99. If you're so inclined you can swap out fries for various other sides including sweet potato fries.  I might have done just that except there is something you should know about Zacky's.  If you go on a Saturday afternoon the atmosphere in the place is a bit manic.  It's fairly small, and there were a lot of people wanting to get their grub on including quite a few kids.  Such a secenario doesn't give one the time to peruse the menu that otherwise might be available.  Also, the number of tables is somewhat limited so beware of that if you aren't getting takeout. 

Despite the busy surroundings our food was ready in a prompt manner.  I was wondering if one hot dog was going to be enough to placate my hunger, but luckily it was a good sized dog and the portion of crinkle cut fries was more than adequate.  This was my first time ever having a fried hot dog, and while I didn't find it as rave-worthy (cool points for made up words!) as other people I did like the texture.  The flavor was just what I was looking for.  The smoky bacon paired well with the cheddar and the sweetness of the bbq sauce.  Also, the flavor of the hot dog wasn't lost under the toppings.  While the fries weren't of the fresh-cut variety I always dig crinkle cuts served in a basket.  That's 'murican right there. 

Taste 8/10 Exceeded expectations for my first visit in spite of the fact that hot dogs usually aren't a go to lunch for me.  I can't wait to go back and try some of their bbq offerings.
Value 6.5/10 Zacky's is putting out some dang good hot dogs, but they are a bit pricy. A hot dog combo ran between 6 and 7 bucks.  An above average value for sure just not by a lot.

Grocery Review: Banquet Spaghetti and Meatballs

One thing I will freely admit to up front is that I'm not very good at either preparing my lunch at night for the next day or getting up early enough to prepare something to bring to work.  What happens as a result?  I either have to go out for lunch or have things I can grab quickly to prepare at work.  Seeing as I don't have an endless supply of moolah (donations in the interest of culinary discovery accepted) to spend on lunches out I usually find myself doing the latter.  Maybe it's not for everyone, but I have happened across a few items in the grocery store that I have found are pretty good for a quick lunch and I wanted to share some with you.


Our first product on the judges table?  Banquet's frozen spaghetti dinner.  I know some of you probably think I should be  better than the guy who eats microwavable frozen meals, but 1.  You're wrong.  I am exactly that guy and 2.  It's lunch at work.  I'm not about to try too hard.  Also, this may surprise you, but the Banquet spaghetti dinner is not that bad.  As a matter of fact I would say it might be one of my favorite things to bring for lunch.  The prep time is short.  It only takes about 4 and a half minutes.  The flavor of the red sauce is nicely balanced yet strong with hits of herbs, garlic and onion.  The pasta isn't too mushy, and the meatballs included aren't great but I'm not going to throw them away.  If I have something to complain about it would be that the portion size is too small for me, but it probably should be adequate for lunch.  If I had some garlic toast to go with it it would be ideal.  It's also important to not forget that the cost per meal is only 98 cents (sometimes on sale for 88) which is a pretty good buy in my book.  It may not be something you want to incorporate into your daily diet, but for a running-out-the-door lunch once or twice a week I highly recommend it.