2013 Center City Restaurant Week @ Zento Contemporary Japanese Cuisine

Zento Contemporary Japanese Cuisine is one of the best sushi restaurants in Philadelphia! Of course, this is just my opinion on this topic. So, why am I so hooked on this place? Because they're not cheap when it comes to their sushi fillings and the taste is just magical! For an example, my favorite sushi roll is the spicy salmon roll. Surprisingly, this is not a roll that is served in many of the sushi restaurants in Philadelphia. So Zento already gets a star for just having it. Again, this is my opinion. But what makes their spicy salmon roll so special to me is the huge chunks of salmon pieces they put in it! They don't grind it up into a paste like some places I've been too and they don't skimp on the star of the dish. I fall in love with it every time I take a bite!

As I mentioned in my previous posts, restaurant week is a great time for anyone to go out and try new restaurants. I went on a Saturday night with some family members and I didn't expect them to be serving the restaurant week $35 dinner set because according to the Center City Restaurant week website, this event was only happening from Sunday to Friday for two weeks with both Saturdays excluded. So I was lucky to be able to try it! Below you'll find out what I ordered for my dinner meal at Zento during restaurant week.

2013 Center City Restaurant Week @ Max Brenner Chocolate by the Bald Man

As I mentioned in my previous post, Philadelphia's Center City District is hosting a restaurant week where a three-course lunch cost $20 and a three-course dinner cost $35. This was a great chance for me to try out a new restaurant without having to break the bank. Food events like this are especially helpful to recent college grads who have yet to find employment...an example would be me. Anywho! I made a reservation to eat lunch at Max Brenner Chocolate by the Bald Man with my boyfriend and another couple.

Once you enter the restaurant, there was a chocolate shop on the right where they sold their chocolates, hug-mugs, and any chocolate related souvenir they could think of. I really liked how they designed the place because it felt as if we were in a chocolate factory. To me, it was a bit of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory mixed with Alice in Wonderland. You'll see what I mean about the Alice in Wonderland part later on in this post.

Guess what? Philadelphia Restaurant Week - Center City District

Philadelphia Restaurant Week - Center City District Flyer from Opentable.com

First things first! Where have you been?
Hello everyone! I apologize for the long and unexpected hiatus from this blog. Lots of things happened since the last time I updated. During the last year or so, I had to put my focus on my final 5 terms of college and yes, there wasn't a lot of break time. My senior year wasn't too bad, but I'm glad I'm finished with homework, exams, and projects, especially my senior project. Now that I have some time from job searching, I want to start updating this again with FOOD!

So what's this Philadelphia Restaurant Week?
Each year, restaurant week is held in Philadelphia at least once. It's an event that gives people a chance to try new restaurants and enjoy good food with some good company. The one I'm talking about will happen in the Center City district. There is a list of participating restaurants in that specific district that will be offering lunch and dinner deals for about two weeks. The lunch cost $20 whereas dinner is $35. Each deal includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert. The event will be held from September 15-20 & 22-27. Please note that there are no deals on either Saturdays. I highly suggest making a reservation either via phone or www.opentable.com to ensure a table for you and your party, since some of these restaurants are extremely popular and may be fully booked. Check out the list of participating restaurants here:
http://www.centercityphila.org/life/RWRestaurants.php

There's also a contest that they're holding where you can win a dinner for a year.
Enter now at: http://www.centercityphila.org/life/RWContest.php

Stay tuned for some new food posts soon!

Maru Global turns Tokio Global

Remember my post on takoyaki from Maru Global?
If not, you can check it out here: 1st Takoyaki Place in Philly: Maru Global

For those that don't know what takoyaki is, here's a quick explanation: 
It's a popular ball-shaped dumpling that's typically filled with octopus. It originated in Japan as a street food sold by vendors, and now it can be found in Philadelphia! 

Maru Global started out at on 10th Street between Spruce and Pine, but now they've moved to Front and Lombard Street. It's not in Center City anymore, so it might be a bit harder for you to access. But there are some perks to the area! I went last night for dinner with the boyfriend and we had a great time! ;] 

Sadly, due to my low quality camera on the Ipod, I couldn't take any good pictures at night. But I'll take some next time I go when the lights are still out, and I'll post it up here.