Hajime Japanese Ramen Bar

Anyone who has been around long enough will know that this joint was the site of the previous BJ Roosters... It was not a sports bar, but they had water sports and complimentary knee pads. From the name of it you would think they would have some sick fwied cheekan... Do not eat anything that might sound like chicken inside a banana hammock, it might spit in your face. So, they finally moved down the street where it's more their demographics and at a more appropriate area for their activities... Somewhere in my sick and twisted mind, I still kinda wanted them to stay and watch all these super straight crackers coming out of the Tara and walk in thinking it's a sports bar and come right back out and vomit on the sidewalk. That is fun for me, I could do that all night.
Continuing the trend of the great ethnic migration, more and more Asian restos are moving intown... This new ramen joint by the Umaido crew has finally set up shop and serving all sorts of bowls of ramen and snacks that include chicken karaage... I like cheekan. The interior is totally redone and there are no signs of the previous Go Go Boys bar... It's open and full of cement and wood, so there's nowhere for the twirling Speedos flying across the room to hide. They're in their soft opening stage (touche), but the full menu is available. I have sampled some of their ramen at Japanfest where they were doing a preview of this new ramen shop... But now, I can finally try out some other stuff on their menu. Will eating their fried chicken nuggets here bring back haunted visions of a cock in a hammock? Let's go find out if the pouch will come running outside and vomiting on the curb after the first bite or will it actually be good and not water down like all the other ethnic restos that wants to cash in on the hipster trend intown passing off really shitty food as authentic...

Tori Karaage. Fried yardbird? Yes, pweez. Presentation looked pretty decent, the colors on this dish were nice. They obviously thought this out but will they continue to do this multi step presentation if they get popular. The chunks of chicken were pretty large, not like the karaage found at most joint where they're more nugget size. If there are gonna keep it this large, might as well keep the bone in and fry that fucker whole. The batter was pretty crispy and light, I kinda liked it... But the large chunks of chicken were more than a bite full. A chicken karaage should be bite size. It's a pretty good fried chicken but work on the smaller pieces which will make it look like a bigger portion and more nuggets mean you can share with the table. And the salt was really good and a must with this dish. They had a Japanese Chicken Wing app but it literally said on the menu "Cook Time Too Long"... Come back 5 hour, maybe they will be done by then. No thanks.

Tonkotsu Ramen. "Umaido original tonkotsu broth" with slices of roasted pork, tree ear, garlic oil, bean sprouts, seasoned 1/2 hard boiled egg, scallions and sesame. You can also make it a "Rich soup" for an extra dollar... I would recommend doing that for that extra richness of fat and collagen. The broth itself was pretty good, but could use more stickiness from the collagen... C'mon, who am I to complain to have only one of a handful of places that does tonkotsu intown? Errr, I should just keep my fat mouth stuffed with more spoonfuls of noodle, broth and pork. They also used the correct thin and straight noodle for the tonkotsu broth... Their housemade noodles were toothy but it didn't have that spring to it like the superb Sun Noodles. It was not bad but I just hoping they would get the all important noodle correct. This bowl of tonkotsu was totally acceptable and the location and convenience played a big part of it. Was it one of the best bowls of tonkotsu I have ever had, fuck no, but I would totally get it again if I needed a quick fix.

Honey Miso Ramen. "Umaido original tonkotsu broth" with honey soy bean paste, slices of roasted pork, sweet corn, seaweed, bean sprouts, seasoned 1/2 hard boiled egg, peanut oil, scallions and sesame. This bowl was just with the regular strength broth, no rich soup option with this one because it would drown out the honey miso aspect of this bowl... It's suppose to be sweeter. And it was. The broth is their standard base with the sweet honey miso paste mixed in. The corn gives it a lil sweetness as well. The noodles were the same thin straight ones used in the tonkotsu but for a miso ramen the noodle should be a bit thicker and curly. Since, the noodles they make in house looks to be only thin and straight, you really don't have an option for this bowl. It's a light sweet bowl of ramen, good for warmer days.

Ultra Spicy Ramen Level 2. "Umaido original tonkotsu broth" with Umaido original hot sauce, chilli oil, slices of roasted pork, seaweed, white onion, bean sprouts, seasoned 1/2 hard boiled egg, scallions and sesame. A buddy got this level 2 version which wasn't spicy at all... They don't do level 100 anymore, it's only up to 50 now. But they do do a chef's spicy ramen challenge for $20, it's twice the size of a normal bowl, they won't tell you how spicy it is and you have 20 minzies to finish it, if you complete it, it's freeeee... Yelpers eyes just opened up real wide. If it's free, it's for mee! If you're just gonna do the regular spicy ramen bowl, start at level 25 and work your way up to 50... Anything under 25 is just too weak. Oh, the spicy ramen noodles are also red, yeah, the color of the noodle is red, well more like a dark pink and they're also thin and straight.

Japanese Chicken Wing.. "Cook time Too long". Fucking hilarious... I really wanted to see a "King Crap" on the menu, too. Will be back to try the other dishes.

I think they will do good business here since there's not many places that have ramen on a consistent basis... It's intown and in an area that is still old school hip with a little bit of skanky even though most of the area has seen massive new development. They also make their own noodles which is kinda respectable... They got a noodle room full of bags and bags of high gluten flour... I guess that will keep a lot of that self made condition people out of this place. The noodle options are limited but I hope that will change as time goes on. I do like that they opened a spot intown because no one wants to drive all the way upstate to Suwanee for a bowl of ramen but let's hope they keep their game up on the product. It still needs work but it's on the right track... Keep working on it and don't die on me or else there will be hell to pay.

2345 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE #101
Atlanta, GA 30324
http://hajime.us/

Frog's Leap Public House

Stopped by this tiny country town on the way to Asheville for a quick bite for lunch... I swear they filmed Footloose here. I better not breakdance, especially my specialty, poppin' -n- lockin'... Or else the law will be on my back and sentenced to forced labor at the local grit mill. Just move slowly and don't make any sudden moves and you'll be alright. The main town area has kinda that Back to the Future vibe which was cute... But I would never be able to live or survive here, there's no Chino grub here. This joint is one of the nicer restos in this cozy town, has a pretty decent menu and they got their own retail meat market downstairs. Since, I was short on time and on a very tight schedule to eat and drink everything in Asheville, I just wanted to sample a couple things since I heard good things about this joint in the middle of nowhere... And then keep on going.

French Onion Grilled Cheese on Annie's Sourdough. The caramelized onions and the gooey gruyere were really good... Had that dericious sweetness from the onions with a little punch of nutty and earthiness from the gruyere. The sourdough was a nice vehicle to trap all that gooey yum yums inside, also had a really nice color and crisp to the grilled bread. It was a really good grilled cheese.

Nashville Style Hot Boneless Fried Chicken Tenders. I knew going in that they were gonna be boneless but I couldn't resist any type of hot cheekan, when you throw the word "Nashville" in there, I'm sold like Chubsy Ubsy in a Baskin-Robbins. I don't know what it is in NC but their version was more like a heavily seasoned crust/coating with a pronounced sweetness to it (almost candied crust) vs. the fiery cayenne oil that is poured all over the chicken in Nashville. It's not spicy at all and kinda thin/flattish pieces but they were still pretty tasty and had a nice crispy crust. Would I get them again? Prolly not because I'm spoiled by the real bone-in spicy hot cheekan that can not be duplicated outside of Nashville... It's like NYC 'ZA, it just can't be done outside of NYC.

I liked this place and I would go back and try the dinner menu if I was ever back in this area of the mountains... But we all know damn well that will not be any time soon in this life or the next. It looks like they are doing pretty well in this small town with the limited choices for upscale casual joints. Rock on.

44 Church St
Waynesville, NC 28786
http://frogsleappublichouse.com/

Shoya... Again

This little piggy went to market,

This little piggy stayed home,

This little piggy had roast beef,

This little piggy had none.

This little piggy went ...

Wee, wee, wee, all the way to Shoya!

Yep, back again to one of my favorite nosheries... Let's see what's new on that ginormous picture menu. I'm not even gonna comment on the dishes, just gonna let my one reader drool over these delectable morsels...

Scallop & Octopus Carpaccio.

Unagi.

Chicken Heart.

Ika Maruyaki. 

Yakisoba.

Gizzard. Ok, I will comment on these, they sucked balls on this visit.

Fish Cake filled with Roe.

Chicken Karaage. Mmm, fwied cheekan.

Assorted Sausages.

Salmon Belly.

Sea Salt Chicken.

Ankimo.

Pork Belly in Hot Sauce.

Ebi Karaage.

Tonkotsu. They still serve a decent and consistent tonk that you can get everyday.

I can't believe I didn't get the sashimi deluxe on this visit but they still kick ass after all this time... The menu is so damn big that some items are bound to have some issues. But overall, the shit they pump out is consistent and cheekan lips smacking guud.

Burp.

Peachtree Pavilion
6035 Peachtree Rd A101
Atlanta, GA 30360
http://www.shoyaatlanta.com/

Nightbell

This late to the game speakeasy style joint is from the people behind Curate... And according to the bearded hillbilly goats around these here parts, this place has good street cred for their new American bar food and craft cocktails. Shit, I'll tell you foot stomping basket weaving woodchucks if this place is legit or not. The vibe kinda reminds me of the Patternson House in Nashville, you know, the whole secret under the radar drink and grub spot that you have to be or know a super hip cool dude to know where,when and how to get in... Luckily, this place was pretty accessible even by a cretin like me. I like the decor inside, I like how it's upstairs versus in the basement or behind a phone booth with a secret code... That's like so 25 minzies ago, plus, I can't fit inside a phone booth anyways, let alone dial a rotary phone with my sausage fingers... So, their wide staircase was very hospitable for my extra wide load.  
The menu is approachable but don't let that fool you, some dishes are exactly what they say it is and some have a little twist. It's a suitable menu, not too extensive and not boring, for a classy hipster joint like this. The bar is pretty nice and the dining area is spread around the room with a giant communal table in the back. This was the see and be seen place in town and it was a total pussy magnet. If you can't get laid buying broads drinks here, you may get kicked out because your mom called and it's your bed time, loser... I bought a lot of drinks, didn't get laid, but I did do some heavy petting with a very sexy girl's labrador walking outside afterwards. Jesus, my life really sucks pathetic ass... I guess I'll do what depressed oinkers do best in the comfort and privacy of their homes... Eat obscene amounts of sugary and fatty shit and be merry as fuck while doing it behind closed doors. Yes, I'm part of that tribe but you will never see me eating a fucking salad in public like all the other fatties pretending they're watching their "diet". You're not fooling anyone, beastling, if all you ate were salads, I wouldn't have to roll you in flour to find the wet spots. Luckily, this place didn't have that many porkers inside... At least they have the decency not to embarrass themselves in a place like this with a room filled with skinny, horny, fluid, giddy, young chippies in the smallest outfits that would put Borat's neon green one piece to shame.... Speaking of shame, I have none, so let's order a bunch of shit and pig out...

Coconut Ceviche, yellowtail with a coconut lime ginger ceviche sauce, jicama, seasonal stone fruit, serrano pepper, red onion, and micro cilantro. This looked like a dead albino rat on a plate but it tasted real good. The yellowtail was firm and fresh, had a real nice texture to it. The sauce pulled everything on the plate together. This was a winner.

Foie Gras. This was not on the menu but as an addition to the burger... That would be some topping for a burger but I rather have it on it's own. So, I asked for an a la carte order and they said, no one has ever asked for this before but sure, why not! How the fuck can no one has ever ask for this as an app? It proves my point that most people here are not here for the food, but for the scene. The presentation was a bit interesting, I guess they had to come up with something on the fly. Some chips and a chunk of honeycomb. The honeycomb worked with the foie gras but the hipster chips were a letdown that just didn't work. The foie gras was seared spot on with a delicate and savory interior. It was a decent sized portion for $10. Get rid of the chips and put some toast points on there instead.

Steak Tartare, feuille de brick cones, hand cut brasstown beef ny strip with smoked horseradish cream. This take on the steak tartare was kinda insulting to me... But the table with the bachelorette party behind me were sliding these meaty cones down their glory faceholes with enthusiasm and elysium... Darling, you got a little of horseradish cream on your chin there. That's it, use that tongue your mama gave ya. The cubes of raw beef were a bit chewy and didn't have much flavor to it... It's a cute dish in a Hello Kitty/Alinea kinda way but the entire execution fell flat... Unlike the bridesmaid's rack of mams pouring out of that halter top. These things reminded me of those filthy marshmallow cones that I used to feed the hood rats with when I was kid.

Deviled Egg, warm corn sabayon, sunburst smoked trout gravlax + trout roe in an egg cup. This ain't your shitty foul smelling deviled eggs that people who can't cook always brings to a dinner party... This was a sabayon in a egg cup, period. A frothy airy whipped eggy custard concoction that was just ok, nothing deviled about it. It didn't have that punch like in other sabayons because it didn't have wine or booze in it. I haven't made a sabayon in years but there really is no reason to these days. 

Grilled Maitake Mushroom, glazed with sesame oil and fish sauce, finished with orange zest, togarashi, and a garlic cream sauce. These fucking shrooms were cumworthy... I mean like primo beat off material. They are basically hen of the woods shrooms, same fucking difference but both taste damn good. Simplicity is the key here to cooking these shrooms, over an open flame to get some char on there. They are great with just salt and pepper and lil olive oil but their finishing ingredients took these shrooms to another level. Really good dish, simple is always better... But the togarashi, sesame oil and fish sauce made this dish.

Drunken Fried Chicken, buttermilk soaked leg and thigh, spiced with cardamom, star anise, and pimenton, garnished with thyme, and a seasonal beer syrup. If there's fwied cheekan on the menu it's going to be on my table and gone in 60 seconds. The crust was crispy and flavorful from the spices but they also made the crust a bit too dark... Trying to be all fancy pants with the exotic spices. The buttermilk did a minimal job on tenderizing the flesh itself but it was still pretty good. I would get them again if I was 4 cocktails in.

Morning Buzz, coffee-glazed, tobacco-infused french broad chocolate mousse cake, donut cremeux, and strawberry pink peppercorn sorbet. It tasted like a fancy Borg-like Ding Dong... One bite and next! The pink peppercorn sorbet was pretty good, though... Except not enough of it.

Their cocktails are on some type of weird scale with 6 being the most boozy... Fuck that shit, my scale goes to 11. That's 1 more than 10. I requested an old fashioned made to their top of the scale 6 and it was good but still a bit weak, so I asked them to make me another that goes to eleven to give it that extra push over the cliff. They tried and almost succeeded. Almost.

It's a fun and unique spot for this town but it's not as hip and trendy as they think they are on a national level... They are a few years late to the whole speakeasy game and you can see it in their clientele. It's mostly young millennials who wants to be in the scene using daddy's credit card mixed with a sprinkling of seasoned veterans who actually gets this idea/concept. The menu is on the right track and still developing, the cocktail program is pretty good but the whole boozy scale thing is just a silly gimmick... Just make a fucking proper cocktail and I'll be happy... But my scale still goes to eleven, eleven hundred pounds, bitches. Fuck, why am I so goddamn fat.


32 S Lexington Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
http://thenightbell.com/

The Admiral

This place looks like a total dump... And I'm digging it already. This space feels more like an underground cockfighting arena than a resto with it's location right next to a shitty garage/used tire shop. The inside is like Clermont Lounge meets Moe's Tavern... And I love it. It's dimly lit with a nice long bar, a bunch of booths line the wall with a few stand alone tables in the middle and a really shitty ass tiny kitchen layout that is basically in the dining room (that can't be up to code, bro)... It's an ultra old school hip and trendy worn out diner from the 50's. I'm liking this place more and more... Does that make me a hipster? Fuck no, I'm too fat to fit into skinny jeans and I don't have enough hair to use cum as hair gel. But I will eat the shit outta some tasty vittles they're slinging out of the kitchen. This menu is really respectable... There's a lot going on here from the pretty ordinary to the adventurous. When I say ordinary here, it doesn't mean it's crap, it just means that it's safe for all the boring whities that want to seem cool but can't eat with the big boys... And I mean big plump husky boys. I wanted to order everything here but I have a long list of other places to eat after this... Blah blah blah, no one cares, just get on with it so da pouch can give it's one reader the scoop on the best places in this one horse town...

Excellent menu, I can see the pouch ordering and eating almost everything on here.

Foie Gras, Nutella, pickled cherries, brioche. Talk about skid mark central... It looks like Mr. Hanky slid into 2nd base for a bit of that trim. Even the brioche was cut into triangular pieces of trim. This was brown on brown S&M. Jesus, why do I want to just muff dive my fat face into that chocolaty snatch... Oh, behave, there's other people around and they're starting to talk about the fat kid in the room. Of course, the perfectly seared foie gras was dericious with the Nutella, just remember to slice it thin so that you can get a bit of everything on that brioche trim... It's a pretty tight V formation so careful not to overload it... Or just say fuck it and lick the damn plate. 

Fried Smelts, chili powder, cilantro, lemon aioli. Smelt gets a bad rap... Whoever smelt it dealt it. Fuck yeah, bro, it's all me... Along with that plate of dericious crunchy fried fishlings. I wish they would give you more because smelt is cheap as fuck, it's a trash fish... Anyone who orders them obviously loves them, so don't be chintzy.

Beet Carpaccio, spicy micro greens, smoked honey, almonds, pecorino. It's a nice presentation but it's quite deceiving... It's not a lot of morsels on there. They're pretty thinly sliced and fanned out to give you that optical illusion that it's a hefty dish. It's a good tasting dish but damn, yo, you can be a little more generous than that. Beets are cheap as fuck, yo, we know this plate had a food cost of maybe 80 cents.

Sweetbread Fettuccini, housemade pasta, artichokes, parmesan, sesame seed. Why didn't I think of this dish... I have dumped almost every other offal with noodles and they all work. Including this one which was really really good. Ultra rich and savory and the pan jus may look thin but mix all that shit up together and it glazes the pasta ribbons nicely and lubes your throat just enough to slide down that noodle with ease like a pro. Good shit.

Oxtail Ragu, rigatoni, ricotta salata, pesto, nuts. Oxtail prices keep going higher and higher... Stop this insanity. I don't know a single person that goes and buys oxtails to make shit at home except me. This dish was another winner. The colors were rich and decadent, along with savory... You just want to take a bite and keep that tail meat in your mouth and not even chew it, the oxtail ragu will chew it for you. Even though rigatoni is such a blah pasta overall but in this dish it worked out pretty well with the yum yums getting all up in that pasta's hole and all over it's business... Then it proceeds to go in my face hole which got me all hot and bothered. This dish ain't rock science, it's simple but packs a shitload of flavors in there. Real good shit.

I love this place, the ambiance fucking rocks, the tiny open kitchen is mysteriously putting out incredible dishes (even though some are a bit chintzy on the portion)- I don't know how the fuck two cooks can do that so consistently. They got their shit down, they don't even have to talk to each other.
The whole set says alternative hipster west Asheville cool, they ain't down with the mainstream hipsters, fuck that noise, just good cocktails and good food with playful ingredients. I would come back definitely.

400 Haywood Rd
Asheville, NC 28806
http://theadmiralnc.com/

Tupelo Honey Cafe

If you ask a bunch of urban hipster mountain dwellers where the best place for breakfast was in this town, the number one answer would prolly be... Survey says, Tupelo Honey Cafe. And possibly Sunny Pointe Cafe and Early Girl Eatery... But I didn't go to these other two, so I can't say whether their shit was good or not. I did try to get into Sunny Pointe Cafe but it was a total shitshow inside with a goat rodeo on the outside. I didn't have my whip and top hat with me so I moseyed along to Tupelo. It was pretty crowded inside but did manage to grab a couple seats at the counter... Perfect, that's where I prefer to eat anyways. I sat right next to the pass, so it was nice to see all the different kinds of morsels coming out and going to the tables of lumber sexuals in wait. Everything looked pretty good, but first things first... BOOZE. I got their Bloody Mary which was pretty decent, not very strong but good flavors incorporated within it. The menu is pretty extensive and there's shit to eat for everyone... And of course, my beady little eyeballs focused right on the fried chicken. Tempting so tempting at 10AM...

Tupelo Bloody Mary. No self-respecting transplant to the south can eat brunch without a boozy liquid drink in hand. Did I really say that? What kinda fucking retard am I... Don't answer that, we all know already that I'm a fat slob-like alchie. Can't hide from that fact... Let's face it, I can't hide much anywhere except behind a barn or a 747 hangar. Another Bloody Mary, pweez, and make that with 4 ounces of vodka this time.

Biscuits. Not too shabby, crusty, fluffy and moist. Just don't overload on these gluten puffs or else you won't be able to enjoy your real meal.... But the fatties in here can't resist free fluffy things because they remind them of themselves... They both have butter and grease between their nooks and crannies.

Pickled & Fried, an assortment of pickled and fried veggies served with scratch-made Ranch. Fried pickled shit is always a treat... Shit, fried anything is always a treat. I would eat Van Gogh's ear if it was pickled fried... Even Holyfield's ear all chewed up in Tyson's mouth. Just spit it in the batter you high pitch mongoloid, it's all good, bro. These fried veggie disks were pretty good, they're a tasty snack to nibble on while you wait for your main attraction. They're not gonna win any awards but they're nice. The homemade Ranch was pretty damn good and I don't even like Ranch that much... It reminds me of manjuice.

Super Southern Breakfast Bowl, salsa verde black-eyed peas and SC stone-ground goat cheese grits layered with two all-natural, farm-fresh over-medium eggs, maple-peppered bacon, cheddar and salsa. If all that crap in a bowl wasn't enough... I had to go and ask for a side order of their Curried Fried Chicken Thighs with fresh mountain apple salsa... Because ordering the full dish would just be overkill. This is why I am so damn fat... Always going Obeast Mode. Ok, I was curious about their curried fwied cheekan... they were boneless and deep fried with a curried seasoned batter. It was heavy on the curry but just enough hints of spices that made it pretty tasty. I wish they were bone in though, that woulda been the tits. I always need a fleshy bone in my mouth, musta been my upbringing or the all the gay porn that inadvertently watched. The grit bowl was pretty hefty, it is your arteries worst nightmare... And I'm Freddy Krueger, bitch. The bowl was great on paper but it just only decent in real life. The grits were good but the presentation and the lay out really didn't really work for me... Why would you melt the cheese on top of the bacon? The entire bowl basically melted within itself, there were no distinct flavors even though there were so many different items in there. If they put this entire thing in a blender, it would taste exactly the same. Luckily, I got the fwied cheekan on the side or else this review would have gone much much worse... I coulda got medieval on your ass. Grit bowl, thank mistor cheekan that you didn't get worked on by a coupla hard, pouch-hittin' fatties with a pair of pliers and a blow torch. You hear me talkin', hillbilly boy? As Flo would say, kiss my grits.

Famous Sweet Potato Pancake, whipped peach butter, spiced pecans. This double layer of spongy brown thing was huge... I don't know if I should sit on as a cushion or eat the fucking thing. I mean this would be a perfect yarmulke for Rocky Dennis' giant head if he was Jewish. It looks so soft and comforting like a memory foam. I did press my finga in it and it bounced back like a fucking Tempur-Pedic. It's a good pancake and pretty packed with the sweet tater flavoring but you're still gonna load it the fuck up with the honey, jams and syrup on this beast.


I hate brunch but I like this place... The place was jamming and the line cooks were killing it from my view at the counter. It's obviously very popular with the Guy Fieri crowd, it was in tourist central after all. And I got suckered in with their shtick and fell in like with this place. I don't love it yet, but maybe with their upcoming Atlanta location I might be. 

12 College St
Asheville, NC 28801
http://tupelohoneycafe.com/location/downtown-asheville/

Ben's Tune Up

I have no fucking clue how this tiny one horse town can sustain so many goddamn hipsters... How do they do it? It's like a friggin bearded terrarium. It baffles the mind. I need a drink, bad... But not another beer. Had so many damn beers in this town already, time to switch it up... How about sake? Yes, there is place in this town that makes sake, American sake... By ultra white hipsters. Fuck it, I will try anything once. Of course, this place was another hipster central. But this place was a throwback to the grungy, army boots, flannel, denim jacket, ripped jeans, dirty, greasy hair, shitty ugly hats, fake musician, surfer type of style... It all sums up to the image of a filthy Matt Dillion. And I kinda like it. It felt like I was on the set of "Singles", they even had Eddie Vedder playing in the background. They got a beer garden and a sake brewery and ramen! This shit was calling my name...

Ben's Ramen. House smoked pork, crimini shrooms, 63 degree egg, napa cabbage, carrot & scallion, rich pork broth. It ain't the ramen you're thinking of... It's the Americanized hipsterized version... And it's not that awful. Everything was as advertised but the 63 degree egg was cold in bowl full of hot or warm ingredients. You bite into the egg after you have just slurped a few bites of noods and broth and it's ice cold, it was like drinking a Slurpee real fast in the summer. If the egg wasn't ice cold it woulda been pretty nice, it had a real nice creamy and velvety consistency. The criminis were flavorful and the pork broth was salty but rich. The noodles were a bit curly and acceptable for the location. It is what it is for $12... But it will definitely fill you up. If you're drunk this would be awesome to you.

Ben's Sake- American Heavy, Natural Unfiltered Nigori, Pineapple Jalapeno. I was kinda intrigued with all the different flavors they had... I had to try a flight. The heavy was pretty dry and kinda dull, a typical generic sake. The pineapple jalapeno was interesting with the sweet and the heat, even though it wasn't spicy. The nigori was my favorite, shit, any unfiltered cloudy nigori style sake is my favorite.

I like this place, it's a cool little hangout... If they only served shitty beers and crappy burgers, it would still be ok but they make their sake and attempt to do Asian food on the menu which gives them some balls of respect. Midway thru my visit a party of 8 came in and they were senior citizens... I was like WTF?! That was pretty radical to see the blue hairs taking over the joint and showing off their saggy applesacks. Bad grandpa! Now, I would definitely go back again and try some other flavors of their sake.

195 Hilliard Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
http://www.benstuneup.com/