Jason Ackerman 4/26/17 Jason Ackerman 4/26/17

Yafo Kitchen

Background:
Yafo Kitchen is brought to you by Frank Scibelli, the same restaurateur who pioneered other Charlotte staple restaurants like Mama Ricotta’s, Midwood Smokehouse, Cantina 1511, Paco’s Tacos and Tequila, and Bad Daddy’s, which he recently sold for beaucoups and beaucoups of money (shout out to Tyler’s uncle on S-Town). So, Scallionpancake clearly loves Scibelli and all that he brings to the proverbial and literal table for our burgeoning Charlotte food scene. But with Yafo Kitchen, he has clearly outdone himself. Yafo is billed as Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern, and Jason and I definitely took note of the Israeli flare, from both the food offerings (the chef is Israeli) and decor (check out the giant pic of halvah on the wall next time you go).

Basically, Yafo Kitchen is the Chipotle of Mediterranean food, and that is just a straight-up genius concept. You feel healthy AF eating here, even though the serving is enough for two hungry men, and the laffah bread probably has enough calories to sustain you for a week. But the fresh vegetables! The hummus! It’s the kind of healthy meal you would make yourself at home if you weren’t so much of a lazy bum.

Eat This:
It seems obvious that the only way to go here is the create your own bowl, right? Right. You can create the base of your bowl with hummus, babaganoush, tzatziki, salad, rice, or the seasonal grain offering--or you can combine any of those ingredients for a 50/50 bowl. You could even throw your ingredients into a laffah wrap, or you could just eat your laffah on the side, which is our preference.

What is laffah? So glad you asked. Laffah is similar to pita bread, but it is more dense and more delicious, basically. It’s also called taboon bread or Iraqi pita. You can watch the employees making the bread fresh while you wait--it is served hot and you will wonder why you have never heard of this magical bread before.

Magical sauces! They have granch (Greek yogurt ranch) and schug (cilantro jalapeno sauce). Get both of these and use them liberally.

The Sides! The greek yogurt mac and cheese with toasted bread crumbs is a definite winner.

Check out that mac and cheese! Photo courtesy of Charlotte Magazine — Check out that mac and cheese! Photo courtesy of *Charlotte Magazine*

You can also order a number of other items like sandwiches or a whole chicken with all of the mezze (side) dishes.

Dessert:
We can vouch for the chocolate chip cookies, which they also make in house. This place is the real deal, right?!

Drink:
Yafo has a fun drink counter, similar to Chopt’s offerings. You can get cucumber mint limeade, hibiscus tea, lemondae, organic unsweetened black tea, or regular sweet tea. They also have local beers!

Atmosphere:
Yafo is fast casual, so the decor is nothing fancy, but the layout is easy to navigate, and the tables are kept bussed and clean so the constant influx of customers can get in and get out with a belly (Scibelli) full of laffah. There are TVs if you would like to watch the game while you eat.

South Park Hospitality:
The folks behind the counter are a marvel of speed and efficiency. The line moves shockingly fast, considering how many add-ons and customizations can be used on each order (and many people are often ordering for a whole family). Yafo is a well-oiled machine, and we like that.

The only complaint is that it’s located in South Park, which is kind of off the beaten path for a lot of folks, and the traffic around that area can be a beast--not to mention the parking in the Morrison shopping center, which is a nightmare. This is going to get worse with the recent opening of Sabor right across the parking lot. We need more locations, Mr. Scibelli! If possible, one location should be in our kitchen. Thanks.

Frankie’s Notes:
Frankie and Frank Scibelli are going to open a fresh new restaurant concept this fall: Pugs ‘N Pops; Jason does not like halvah, blintzes, or cream cheese: is he really Jewish at all?; If S-Town Alabama had a Yafo Kitchen, would they still be S-Town?; What’s the deal with cousin Rita?; Did Tyler ever find the hidden treasure?; What can we do now with our lives now that S-Town is over?! Send all comments and suggestions our way.

Rating:
4 out of 5

Jason Ackerman 4/20/17 Jason Ackerman 4/20/17

Ivan Ramen

"The Art of the Slurp" -- art by Nathan Fox, photo courtesy of Glenwood NYC — "The Art of the Slurp" -- art by Nathan Fox, photo courtesy of *Glenwood NYC*

Background:
Most of the restaurants on Netflix’s Chef’s Table are prohibitively expensive, hard to get a reservation at, or both. Ivan Ramen, however, is neither. Ivan Orkin, featured on the third season of Chef’s Table, has a background story that makes you want to eat his homemade rye noodles and give him a hug. I won’t give any spoilers, but his narrative takes a turn that had Jason and I both tearing up.

The first Ivan Ramen opened in Japan in 2006, and Orkin tells the story of trying to gain acceptance and customers as an American Jewish man selling ramen in the birthplace of the cuisine. Orkin’s experience of being visited by a top Japanese food critic is as riveting and heartwarming as Ratatouille, minus all the rats.

Ivan making noods, photo courtesy of The Atlantic — Ivan making noods, photo courtesy of *The Atlantic*

Now, Ivan Ramen has two iterations stateside in NYC, the OG Ivan Ramen on Clinton Street, and an Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop on 11th Avenue. Jason and I visited the flagship location during our mid-tax season NYC visit, and we were so excited to attend our first food show restaurant.

Eat This:

Japanese Fried Chicken
Toasted garlic caramel, togarashi, shiso ranch

This app was slightly spicy from the togarashi (chili powder), and light and crispy. We loved this appetizer so much--it might have been the favorite for the table of the whole night!

Mushroom Tempura
Maitake mushrooms, white soy-koji dip

This was money in the bank. Orkin found a way to make mushrooms decadent in this light breading. What’s koji? Why, that’s a fungus that’s used to ferment lots of Japanese food, including the soybeans used to make soy sauce.

Scallionpancake is like Reading Rainbow for fat adults — Scallionpancake is like *Reading Rainbow* for fat adults

Pork Meatballs
Wasabi buttermilk, bulldog sauce, bonito

These were delicious, according to the guys. They pounced on the them so hard I don’t even recall trying one. Maybe next time?

Orkin’s ramen is distinctive for its homemade rye noodles, as most ramens are made with wheat or rice noodles. Ivan Ramen offers both versions, but the rye noodles were a standout: tangy, chewy, and satisfying.

Tokyo Shio Ramen
Sea salts, dashi + chicken broth, pork belly, soft egg, enoki mushrooms, rye noodles

Enoki mushrooms, egg, and roasted tomato!

Another unique element to Orkin’s ramen is his recommendation to add a roasted tomato to any ramen, which, having tried it, I would go so far as to say you should add two.

Dashi, by the way, is a staple Japanese broth flavored with seaweed and fermented fish--it is all umami, all the time.

Triple Pork Triple Garlic Mazemen
Tonkotsu broth, pork belly two ways, whole wheat noodles

As featured on Chef's Table! — As featured on *Chef's Table*!

The flavor in this dish is out of control, but with pork and garlic x three, how could it be anything but amazing? This option was perfect for Jason, who is not the biggest fan of ramen (or any soups), as the mazeman has only a minimal amount of broth, just enough to coat the noodles.

Chicken Paitan
Rich chicken broth, minced chicken, egg yolk, shio kombu, rye noodles

Our server told us that when Orkin visits the restaurant, this is the dish he usually orders, other than the traditional shio ramen. Both of our dining companions, Andrew and Vishnu ordered this, and they gave it high marks. What’s shio kombu, you might ask? I certainly did--it’s dried seaweed flavored with mirin, soy sauce, and sugar.

Dessert:
There was no dessert on the menu! In the immortal words of Cathy: ACK!

Image courtesy of Ms. Magazine — Image courtesy of *Ms. Magazine*

It’s okay though, as Ivan Ramen is located only blocks away from a location of our very favorite shaved ice spot--Snowdays!

Image courtesy of Yelp — Image courtesy of *Yelp*

The best thing at Snowdays is their Yeti Tracks--blueberry Oreo shaved ice! It’s a dream come true.

Drink:
The menu offers a selection of beer, sake, and sake cocktails. It was a cool and rainy night, so we split a couple of carafes of their only hot sake, which was warming and stood up to the flavorful dishes.

Any other night, Jason probably would have opted for one of the tasty-sounding nonalcoholic options, like an Ivan Palmer (iced barley tea with yuzu lemonade) or a lychee soda.

Atmosphere:
Ivan Ramen has a buzzing, exciting atmosphere. The kitchen is open, so you can see the chefs at work, and all of the patrons are happily slurping their ramen, as depicted in the awesome Nathan Fox comic strip that hangs above the bar area. Just like the chef himself, Ivan Ramen doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously, and that lends to a fun and relaxed dining atmosphere.

Image courtesy of Tasting Table — Image courtesy of *Tasting Table*

The only awkward part is the layout of the single-person bathroom--the line forms (and there will definitely be a line with only one stall) in between the bar area and the outside patio, so that area is packed with diners waiting and servers and other patrons trying to get through to the patio.

Jewish Japanese Hospitality:
Our server was awesome--he gave us excellent recommendations and was super patient while we took forever to order, and again when we hung around for a long while camping at the table with our sake and catching up with Andrew and Vishnu. The hostesses were also super chill and sat us before our whole party arrived (shh, don’t tell).

Frankie’s Notes:
When you dine with Party Suh, you get two carafes of sake; Why is it not socially acceptable to slurp all soups like ramen?; Where is the restaurant with the Japanese guy making blintzes?; Chef’s Table really makes you weigh the decision of staying in bed and being comfy, or trekking downstairs for a snack; Do you think ramen is on Cathy’s summer diet plan?; ACK!

Rating:
4 out of 5

Jason Ackerman 4/12/17 Jason Ackerman 4/12/17

Tavolo

Update: Tavolo closed in December 2017

Background:
Tavolo (pronounced “tah-vuh-low”), located in Uptown Charlotte, opened in December 2016 in the old Cosmos Cafe location at College and 6th street. Earlier this month, Tavolo extended an invitation to the Charlotte Food Bloggers to come and check out their wood fired pizza.

Eat This:
What makes Tavolo’s pizza special? They use a 50/50 blend of flour and semolina, make all of their sauces in house, and cook all of their pizzas in a fancy pants wood fired oven. All of the pizzas start out cooking in the back of the oven, and then they move them closer to the front near the end of the cooking process. The result is a slightly blackened crust, bubbly cheese, and that slightly charred flavor you can only get from a wood fire oven.

For their meats they use Boar’s Head products, and they get their spices from Motown Spice Provisions in Mooresville.

We got to design our own pizza, but I would love to try their prosciutto and fig pizza on my next visit!

Dessert:
We didn’t try dessert on this visit, but they have all the classics like tiramisu and cannolis.

Drink:
The bar at Tavolo is spacious and includes lots of fun cocktail options on the menu.

Atmosphere:
The kitchen is open to the dining area, which is nice. The decor is fairly simple--the only thing I wasn’t crazy about is the Italian writing on the back wall, which felt a little cheesy to me.

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Agenda — Photo courtesy of **Charlotte Agenda**

Italiano Hospitality:
Everyone was very gracious on our visit, and the staff was very energetic about getting people to know about Tavolo.

Frankie’s Notes:
I always have the best time when I am out with the Charlotte Food Bloggers--thank you all for being so awesome!; Extra dirty martinis remind me of Mrs. Dougbert; Does anyone else find it emotionally taxing to make homemade pizza at home? The dough always sticks to the stone and it ends me nearly crying and wanting Fuel delivered; maybe I need a 50/50 semolina/flour blend; When putting toppings on pizza, remember: more is more!

Disclaimer: This meal was provided free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are our own, and we were not compensated for this review.

Jason Ackerman 4/5/17 Jason Ackerman 4/5/17

Momofuku Ko

Japanese cheesecakes topped with shaved black truffles

Background:
David Chang is a food god, and Jason’s conduit to the world of fine dining [see our review of Momofuku Noodle Bar here]. We love his brash attitude towards vegetarians, his lack of adherence to silly rules of “fine dining” and his prolific nature in the restaurant business. If Chang opened it, we will come. Also, Jason has broken his “only sports” rule to allow us to watch Mind of a Chef (briefly, and only in between sporting events), the first season of which is hosted by Chang himself. There is nothing we like more than watching Chang slurp ramen all over the world, except for getting the chance to visit one of his restaurants and eat his delicious food!

Momofuku Ko is Chang’s fanciest restaurant--the only option is a 13-17 course tasting menu. Head Chef Sean Grey operates the kitchen with precision and grace, which we got to see first hand as we sat in the seats overlooking the kitchen. This is the best of both worlds--great food and getting to see how the sausage gets made (Hamilton reference in honor of the other cool thing we did that same weekend).

Jason visited the original location of Ko when they first opened--this location is much larger and features cool art from artist David Choe, and you can see the duck and beef aging in glass cases along the back wall.

We really pushed our limits of lateness with this visit--we had a 12:30 reservation and a 4:00 flight. We decided we were just going to go for it and take our time, and if we missed the flight, so be it. We were super casual until we almost actually missed the flight, and then we were those people frantically running through the airport and the gate door was closed literally right behind us. We cut it close but we made it, and we got to enjoy one of the best meals of our lives. Who says you can’t have it all?

Eat This:

Pomme souflée, lobster paloise, chicken oyster, white kimchi

It's a Sunday afternoon, baby, and I'm alive

These three amuse bouches were a favorite of the entire evening. The pomme souflée was essentially a crispy little potato chip filled with a delicious cream, and the lobster paloise was like a crunchy lobster roll. J'adore.

For the chicken oyster, we were instructed to eat the oyster, and then down the kimchi like a shot. As Jason's mom Teri would say, these three bites really "set the tone" (shoutout to wedding invitation stress flashbacks!). We were ready to eat until the lethargy and self-hatred set in. And away we go!

fluke -- barrel aged bonji

The fluke was presented simply--with only a brush of bonji. What's bonji, you ask? Why, only the liquid seasoning designed and trademarked by the man himself. Is there anything Chang can't do? We were told to dip the fish in the salt and eat it with the mustard greens. Yessir.

sea urchin -- chickpea, hozon

This dish and the next one have remained on the menu when many other options have been rotated out, according to the interwebs. The interplay of textures makes this dish truly special--the soft, springy texture of the sea urchin blends with the rich hummus-like hozon. Hozon is another Chang original seasoning that is akin to a miso paste. I read this review that likened this dish to being licked by a puppy. And while that may be a strange simile, it's not even slightly inaccurate.

ko egg -- caviar

Jason made the chef laughed when he said this one looked like pac man. Then, all I could see was pac man throwing up. All likenesses aside, a soft boiled egg with caviar and salty potato chips is a winning combination.

BREAD INTERLUDE (Cue the romantic music)

What's this? Why, just house made sourdough with butter that has been aged in a cave next to blue cheese. YUM.

beef -- au poivre

What's a fine meal without a simple rare-to-raw beef? Why, it might as well be Taco Bell, says Jason.

razor clam -- pineapple, basil

The light citrus flavor of the clams was just the thing after the beef. The drops of basil were fantastic--the flavor was so concentrated and fresh.

skate -- vin jaune
katsu roll

"But you had all those cappuccinos earlier?""Yeah, but that was like, you know, foam" — "But you had all those cappuccinos earlier?"
"Yeah, but that was like, you know, foam"

This dish was truly special. After preparing the huge Skate fillet, the chefs removed it from its fried breading, and told us that the fried coating is only to make sure the fish stays flavorful and doesn't dry out in the cooking process. The (naked!) fish is then covered with a potato foam that's been cooking away in a whipped cream bottle in a sous vide bath.

THEN, the chefs take the "leftover" fish skin and fill it with cabbage, thus creating the most delectable little "sushi roll," which is enjoyable both because it tastes fab and because you know nothing was wasted.

duck -- squash

The duck was the grand finale to end all finales, and Jason's favorite dish of the afternoon. We had watched the chef give tender loving care to this duck from the moment we sat down--grilling, roasting, seasoning. And repeat. And finally, here it was. Of course, it was cooked to perfection, and paired with the squash, which was cooked practically to the point of falling apart--well, the whole experience was divine. Sweet, but still filled with savory umami.

Dessert:

Japanese cheesecake with grated black truffles

Bouncy, flouncy, trouncy, pouncy, FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN

And this was my favorite. I have been dying to try Japanese cheesecake, which is a light, bouncy, fluffy thing--almost like a cheesecake souflée. The cake was only just barely sweet, and the truffles on top were the perfect complement. This was also a great gateway course--somewhere between an entrée and dessert.

foie gras -- lychee, pine nut, reisling jelly

Heaven is just mounds and mounds of shaved goose liver (see also: a vegan spooky Mormon hell dream)

What would you say if I told you that this was a sweet sorbet topped with frozen foie gras that is grated over the dish right before you eat it? Why, that's crazy, you might say! Straight from the mind of a chef, as it were, and this dish was the only repeat on the menu from when Jason ate at Ko years ago. We can see why it's a staple--we have never tasted anything quite like it. The foie gras melts quickly as you eat it, so the texture and flavors change with each bite.

wild rice --kombu

One of the chefs told us that this course was one of his favorites, and we agree completely. The nuttiness of the brown rice keeps the ice cream from being too sweet, and the topped rice adds texture and depth. We were, of course, terribly full at this point, but hey--you can always eat ice cream.

persimmon -- yuzu

Jason has a yuzu diffuser in his office now

...and more ice cream! The citrusy granita was a lovely finish and refreshing palate cleanser after a perfect meal.

Drink:
Jason and I both enjoyed some cocktails (he had non-alcoholic and I went for the hard stuff, per usual).

Drink up before you get on the plane: a life lesson in traveling

Atmosphere:
It’s modern and sleek inside Ko. The focus is on the front kitchen/prep area that the bar faces, which is really all the decor you need.

Chang Dining Empire Hospitality:
The staff was amazingly gracious to us--the chefs answered our questions (as they were cooking our food), and the servers never missed a beat on replacing the silverware, replacing napkins when you got up from the table, and overall making us feel like royalty. The best part? At the end, one of the hosts asked us if we wanted to see the back kitchen! Is that even a question?! We got to go into the back and see the behind the scenes prep happening, and also got to view their private dining room reserved for parties and such. This added such a special touch to our visit, and we were so grateful for the opportunity. We asked our gracious host if Chang still comes in often, and he said, “some might say too often!”

Frankie’s Notes:
When we were running through the airport I pretended that we were running late to catch our flight to Paris and we had left Kevin at home (but we didn't know it yet, naturally); I feel sad that Alexander Hamilton never knew the pure joy and beauty of a Japanese cheesecake; A David Chang musical would have a number with dancing ramen flavor packets; Jason and I have written a tax season musical, and the opening number is called: "It's Another Monday for Jason;" Seriously, our musical is legitimately amazing, and we only want it produced by Lin Manuel Miranda or Trey Parker & Matt Stone; We keep a block of foie gras on ice at all times now in case Chang ever drops by Charlotte. WE LOVE YOU, DAVID CHANG!

Rating: 5 out of 5 /two Michigan pugs