City Diner

Decent enough, nothing special

Lucky Market Asian Deli

Today I was flying solo so I took a trip to the Lucky Market on a tip from a fellow co-worker and friend.

This little hole in the wall type restaurant is located in a strip mall on Arctic St. near the International Airport Rd. intersection. From the outside, I was expecting a tiny, dim, somewhat shabby interior but classic good eats from a place only the “locals’ know about.  Since it was really sunny outside, it took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the interior lighting and what I saw pleasantly surprised me! It was not dingy, nor was it shabby. In fact, the roomy establishment was brightly lit and welcoming! It has obviously been recently remodeled and looked clean, and extremely inviting! 

They have a small but adequate menu but the main attraction is the deli for a quick lunch. For $6, you can get your choice of chicken fried rice or stir-fry noodles with one entree of your choice.  For only $1 more, you get to entrees! Naturally I choose the 2 entree meal. There were 15 different entrees to choose from. I just went with the classic Kung Poa Chicken and Teriyaki Chicken to keep thing simple. As well as the Fried Rice, I opted to add a Shrimp Dumpling, Spring Roll and Filipino Sausage to my meal.

You can take this to go or eat in. Since the tables were sparkling clean, I choose to eat in. There are 3 big screen TV’s on the wall broadcasting the daily news along with a photo gallery of the menu items.  (Great Idea!) 

I sampled the Shrimp Dumpling first and considering I am not a huge fan of shrimp, the fact that I greatly enjoyed this was wonderful! Next time I am getting 2!

But I was hungry, after all, it was 3pm and I had not yet eaten that day so next I practically dove into the the rice and Kung Poa! Over all the meal was very satisfying. Given the fact I was well past the traditional lunch hour, my chicken was a bit tough but I will forgive that small flaw. 

My first experience eating a Filipino Sausage was,..... Interesting. It was not bad but not my “thang”. And I would not recommend the Spring Roll.  I did grab a  menu while paying and noticed they serve a Pho Noodle soup. Given the fact that the meal was repeatable, I think I will take my husband here to review the soup. 

Next door to the Lucky Market Asian Deli is, the Lucky Market, naturally.  I had to tour this site as well, always on the look out for something new and interesting. We also happen to feed our doggys RAW so ethnic markets are a most excellent place to grab some bizarre food stuff for a varied diet. They have some very bizarre meats and organs with decent prices. Their isles were not crowded and the store was very clean. It did not have the fishy smell that often accompanies most Ethnic Markets. Even though it was small, there was a wonderful selection and the produce looked very fresh, maybe it was local?

Yak and Yeti

Want to try something new but not sure where to go?
How about some Himalaya food?

The Yak and Yeti on Spenard is in a cute little red building, and if you blink you will miss it but trust me this place it worth a U-turn!

I met my Husband here for lunch a few months back and enjoyed the quiet serene atmosphere. The walls were painted in deep soothing colors accompanied by many pictures depicting life in the Himalayas' and Nepal.

We were lucky enough to be seated by the Chef's Husband and accepted his assistance in selecting the perfect meal.
I am a Chai lover so naturally I accepted the suggestion of some Darjeeling Chai Tea! The house blend. I was presented with one of the most aromatic teas which tastes nearly as delicious as it smelled. :)
Our Lunch arrived quickly, Lamb Curry and Tibetian Chicken Curry. Both were exeptional in flavor, aroma and presentation. The meat was so tender that you did not need a knife at all, simply a bit of pressure with your fork. Both dishes were served with rice and buns. It simply melted in your mouth.
One of the House specialties is Goat and I will most certainly try that the next time we are in.

One of the most memorable things, which is such a small thing really, was they served the water in metal cups. Very cute!

The prices there are a bit higher then most restaurants but only by a $1 or $2. However, the food was totally worth it! Why spend $9 at Wendy's when you can eat Lamb for lunch?

One thing the Yak needs to work in is their signage. You cannot see the sign at all when traveling South on Spenard, so keep an eye out for a short cute maroon/red building in the curve!


Located at
3301 Spenard Rd

www.yakandyetialaska.com

Bombay ~ Indian Food

A few months ago, back when it was still cold and dark outside, my husband took me out to eat at the Bombay for dinner. I have been wanting to try Indian food for years now and never got around to it. I was under the impression Indian food was really spicy since a friend of ours from India cooks authentic foods and they are definitely not for the timid! So, we waited until we had a "date night" to enjoy some Indian Cuisine.
Upon entering the Bombay, you are surrounded with lush rish colors in a very welcoming atmosphere. The background music is Indian and full of chimes and enchanting sounds. The owner was our host and very gracious. We had no idea what to oder so we left our dinner in his capable hands. He suggested 2 delicious meals made from 2 different curries along with Garlic Naan, the wonderful Indian bread cooked in the Tandoori.
I enjoyed a heavenly scented Tea before our dinner arrived. It was the house blend and heavy with cardamom.
Our dinner arrived rather quickly and it came served in wonderful tin bowls so we could share! I really appreciated that part, as my Husband and I do share our meals so we can both taste something different. My husband took the Lamb Masala and I had the Chicken Curry.
Each dish was so delicious in it's own way and accompanied by some of the best Basmati Rice I have ate. I was shocked to find the food to be not spicy (in a hot way) at all. I suppose we could order our meals with more heat next time round.
During our meal, the owner came over the check on us a few times. He was always pleasant and quick to offer suggestions for next time. I rather like that man.

A few weeks later, we returned for try out the lunch buffet. They have a small but decent selection of Indian delicacies to choose from. Tandoori Chicken and Raita (a lightly spiced yogurt mixed with tomato and cucumbers) as among my favorites.
We have since eaten at the Bombay Deluxe about 5 times, however, 4 of them were for the lunch buffet. I have gotten worn out on the sameness of all the flavors being offered on the buffet and am growing very tired of the lack of something new and different from the menu being offered during the buffet.

Still, the Bombay attracts quite an eclectic crowd and seems to be doing quite well for itself.
I would go again and this time make it a new dinner date!

Located in the Valhalla Center
555 West Northern Lights Blvd.

Soprano's Pizza and Philly's

Finding a place to eat in Anchorage is easy enough, finding a GOOD place to eat can be rather difficult.
Normally I like to enjoy my lunches with my husband or friend but today I was starving! I needed to get something to eat and decided I could not wait for a "lunch date".
Since we live on the east side, the west side does not get a lot of my attention...........today I was near Spenard and decided to pull into Soprano's Pizza and Philly's restaurant.
Well, to be totally honest this was one of the top 3 best Philly sandwiches I have ever eaten!

So, to start off, the restaurant itself it nothing fancy but it was clean and that is what really matters! Just get your food to-go! I ordered up the Soprano's Philly which is steak, mushrooms, jalapenos and onions. All sandwiches come with fries too!
Since it was early in the day and they had just opened, I think I was the first customer! The cook also took my order, (probably was the owner) was very nice. He went right to work crafting a first class lunch.

I stepped in next door while I was waiting for my sandwich to cook, when I came back the room was filled with the delicious scents of grease, salt, steak, and onions! Oh, my mouth was watering already, especially when I heard the crispy fries being tossed in a metal bowl with salt.
Next thing I know I am in my car burning my fingers and tongue on hot, perfectly cooked fries.
The Philly was also impressive! I did not even make it out of the parking lot before digging right in! This amazing sandwich was served in a small baguette of fresh french bread. Flaky crust and melt in your mouth soft dough, it had to have been baked that day! The cook split the bread on top and pulled out some of the insides, stuffing it full of steaming hot steak, mushrooms and cheese! Lots of glorious cheese.
I have to admit though, that they are very liberal with their ingredients. I love hot foods but even I had to pick out a lot of those jalapenos! My mouth was on fire but that dang sandwich was so awesome I kept eating it! There was no stopping me! I was like a crazy women under a cheese and steak spell! LOL

I have had a lot of Philly's and while I have never been to Philly to have a "real" one, I do know a great tasting sandwich when I eat one. And like i said before, this ranks in there in the top 3.

I will definitely be going back to Soprano's Pizza and Philly's. Next time I plan on sharing this with my husband too! Everyone needs to eat here!

Located at
3505 Spenard Rd
Ste C