Sizzling Wok
7280 Michigan Road
Indianapolis, Indiana  46268

Sound familiar?  I review a Sizzling Wok a few months ago and really enjoyed it.  I am not sure if this one is any relation, but the menus are very similar.  But then again, most Chinese places in the area can say that.   I ate at this location about three years ago and had the Schezuan Beef (my litmus test) and it was horrible.   However, the place is kind of a hole in the wall and usually has a lot of customers, so I figured they had to be doing something right.

What I Got:  I love Potstickers so this was an easy choice for about $3.00.

To me, the art in a pot sticker is the dough.  I liked a little crispness to it and they nailed it here.  Standard pork filling, but that char on the outside had me at hello.  Above average and a good start to the meal.

Based on a recommendation from a reader (Hi Sarah), I ordered the Rice Noodle Combination ($6 or so).

Tender pieces of beef on a bed on vermicelli noodles, carrots, peanuts and a fried spring roll on top.  The “dressing” on the side wasn’t as spicy as it looked and to be honest, it didn’t have a lot of flavor to it.  However, while the dish was pretty bland at first, I dumped the dressing on it, tossed the noodles and it was then quite tasty.  In fact, really good.  I could have eaten double the amount of beef that was on it.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, easily.  Sizzling Wok is at the intersection of Super Cheap and Super Good.  Want to start eating local, but short on cash?  This is a good place to start.  I really enjoy the Thai/Vietnamese part of the menu.   I think their Pho (my wife ordered it) is as good as any other in the city and this was a tasty dish that I will order again.   However, the Chinese part of the menu continues to be pretty tragic…it’s actually pretty bad.

Be careful out there,
-wibia

Saigon Restaurant
3103 Lafayette Rd
Indianapolis, Indiana 46222

Yup, that is me…and my best Perez Hilton imitation.

Saigon is reviewed quite a bit, check out their page on Urbanspoon.  After reading Indianapolis Restaurant Scene’s review, I had to give it a try based on everyone LOVING IT!!!!!!

The interior of the restaurant was refreshingly clean.  The menu is big…Cheesecake Factory big.  I think over 140 dishes on the menu.   It took me about five minutes to get through, though the subliminal message of the sticker on the window led me to Pho.

What I Ate:  Appetizer Sampler $7.50.  #34 BBQ Pork and Seafood PHO.

The appetizer sampler included spring roll, egg roll, crab rangoon, rocket shrimp and fried dumplings.  Honestly, I wasn’t impressed by anything here.  I could squeeze oil out of the fried dumpling, the rocket shrimp were fried with a slice of onion mixed in.  The spring roll wasn’t bad, but not as good as others that I have had in town.   All in all, I was nervous to get my pho.

However, this arrived to quickly restore my faith:

The picture doesn’t do it justice.  The BBQ Pork was tender and excellent.  In fact, some of the best I have ever had. However, the general “seafood” title to the dish included shrimp, salmon,  and scallops.  The seafood was so overcooked that I found myself spitting out a piece giving my mouth a break from chewing.  The difference between the pork and the seafood was the food equivalent of Danny DeVito and Arnold Swarzenegger in “Twins.”

What really hooked me was the broth and the smell.  If I had a cold, I am 99% sure this would cure it.  I found myself just continually eating and drinking this broth…it was really something to talk about.  However, if you are not a fan of pepper, you might want to choose something else.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes.  With 140 menu items, I am going to assume there are a few misfires.  I would get PHO again, but skip the addition of any seafood.

Btw, did I mention how big this bowl was?  I was starving and this is all that I ate.  There were a ton of rice noodles, about a pack and a half of Ramen (couldn’t think of a better comparison.)  See, check it out including an awesome painted on mustache on mini-wibia (he is in disguise to maintain anonymity)  However, he is possibly the best future eater in the land:

-wibia