Koreana II - Louisville, KY

If you're ever in Louisville, KY and want some really good Korean food, you should try Koreana II. It's a little scary from the outside. It's in the same outlet as a western wear shop and a plasma center, but the food is definitely worth it. I loved how much panchan (side dishes) they gave, and the food tasted fantastic. If you've never had Korean food before, then I recommend getting dolsot bibimbap. It's a mixture of rice, veggies, and usually an egg on top. It comes in a hot pot that makes the rice on the bottom crispy. Mix it all together with a little gochujang (hot pepper paste) and you're good to go. If you're lucky enough to eat at the Koreana II, get it with seafood. mmm....

If you're in the mood, this place also offers Korean BBQ and karaoke. ;-)

The Rating

The Info

Koreana II

5009 Preston Hwy

Louisville, KY 40213

502-968-9686

Workingman's Friend

After my disappointing visit to Boogie Burger, Jamie and I were in need of a really solid burger. We met for lunch at Workingman's Friend close to where I work. It's another one of those blue collar hole in the wall that you could very easily miss when you're driving. The restaurant sign is an old school sign with a giant Pepsi logo and their very faded name. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm pretty sure they serve Coke products. Be sure to stop at the ATM because this place only takes cash. It's probably because of the old school cash register that the bartender still uses. It kind of looks like this:

The atmosphere is relaxed. The servers are friendly. And if you order a tea, it'll come in a mason jar. :-)

They are known for their double cheeseburgers and tenderloins. Personally, I don't care for their tenderloin - you should just go to John's Famous Stew or Bourbon Street for that. So I only get a double cheeseburger there. They cook the burgers on a griddle so the patties have a really crunchy crust and crispy bits around the edges.

I got the double cheeseburger with everything on it. That includes lettuce, tomato, and onions. Jamie got the jalapeno burger, which I didn't even realize they had, but it's basically the regular cheeseburger with pepper jack cheese instead of American.

1. Were the patties juicy and well seasoned? They're not oozing with juice because they're thin, but they're definitely not lacking in flavor!

2. Did all the extras balance well with the meat? I thought so. They're your standard toppings. The lettuce and onions were crispy. The tomato was surprisingly not gritty. The cheese wasn't overwhelming. Kind of perfect actually.

3. How did the bun hold up? The bun is also standard, and it was all you needed. It was soft. It didn't fall apart. It didn't turn to mush. It did its job. A+

This is one of those places that I crave. You might too after trying it. ;-)

The Rating

- Of course I'm giving it 2.

The Info

Workingman's Friend

234 N. Belmont Ave.

Indianapolis, IN 46222

317-636-2067

www.workingmansfriend.us

Sizzling Wok - Michigan Rd.

I'm still trying to make it a habit to take pictures before eating food...so when Jamie and I got take out from the Sizzling Wok on Michigan Road, I had a setback in my habit progress and forgot to take any pictures...but luckily, the Indystar took some great pictures of a couple of the dishes we had.

Before you judge the amount of food we ordered (and devoured), Jamie ordered enough food for 3 people, but P ditched us. We were going to be nice and leave P some, but all of the dishes were so delicious that when we paused and assessed the situation, all of the food was gone...oops...

We ordered the goi rolls (pictured on Indystar). They're like spring rolls with a sweet dipping sauce.

We tried the rice noodle combination (pictured on Indystar). We didn't get as many garnishes as pictured, but I didn't miss them. The broth was so flavorful, I was drinking it by the end of the meal. Definitely my favorite dish.

The lemongrass chicken was also really good (pictured on Indystar). It was a good balance to the rice noodles.

All of the food was really well cooked and had a ton of flavor. Nothing was too salty, and everything had a good amount of heat with the option of adding more. I really loved it, but I usually love the shady looking whole in the wall places.

The Rating

Info

Sizzling Wok

7280 Michigan Rd.

Indianapolis, IN 46268

317-298-9001

John's Famous Stew

Sorry for being a few days behind. Had a busy weekend filled with Lady Gaga (Be jealous!), steam vac-ing, taxes and studying. I bet you're not so jealous anymore...

At the request or complaining of some people, there will be no more nicknames. Maybe, I'll bring some of my faves back when I'm feeling nostalgic. ;-)

For lunch on Thursday, some of my co-workers went to John's Famous Stew. This place that my friend would call very "blue-collar" is one of those places where I CRAVE the food. I can't give a full review because I only order one thing everytime I go there: The Tenderloin Supreme.

It's a giant tenderloin slathered in stew that has lots of onions, peppers, and other veggies. And it's gooooood...Out of the 7 of us there, 5 of us ordered the tenderloin supreme. That should tell you something. The other 2 both ordered the stew, and it also looked really good. Since they are co-workers, I held back and didn't ask if I could try it. I haven't introduced them to "Sharing is Caring" yet. They both said their stew was delicious...maybe next time....

What adds to the experience here are the waitresses. They love the regulars (one of my coworkers is a regular), and hate you if you're difficult. You're not going to get super polite servers that do the most for you. You'll get gals that tell you how it is and give you "that look" if you try to make their life difficult. So make sure you know what you want. ;-)

And in case you were wondering, I indeed ate all of my tenderloin....mmmmm.......(Z-Weesy could not. ;-) )

The Rating

- Good and decently priced. Most of my coworkers gave this same rating.

Info

John's Famous Stew

1146 Kentucky Avenue

Indianapolis, IN 46221

317-636-6212

indysfamousstew.com

Coupons are available on their website and on coupons4indy.com