Chef Change At Bistro Blanc; Marc Dixon To Balt.

The original chef at Bistro Blanc has moved to a Baltimore restaurant -- that's Marc Dixon heading to Bond Street Social, reports Richard Gorelick in the Sun.  Gorelick says the new chef at Bistro Blanc is Janny Kim.

Tian Trio: Fried Chicken, Black Beans And Pork

Black bean noodles

This is the season for comfort food, and you can get a lot of comfort at Tian Chinese Cuisine trying Korea's Chinese food -- with a side order of spicy chicken.

Tian is a modern casual restaurant in the same shopping center as Shin Chon Garden, and it brought Korean fried chicken to the county several years ago.  But the main menu offers the dishes that you'd find in a "Chinese" restaurant if you were in Seoul.

Korean fried chicken

We have just tried the basics at Tian.  With several friends, we started with with our standards:  the chicken and black bean noodles.  Korean fried chicken comes twice-fried and really crispy.  Tian's is not particularly spicy, but it's scrumptious, especially with one of the Korean beers like Hite.

The black bean noodles are a real central point for Tian.  They hand-pull the noodles in the kitchen.  You can hear the thwack, thwack, thwack if they're making them while you eat.  The tender noodles come topped with a thick black bean sauce -- a deep and complex flavor that makes clear that it is as "simple" as a terrific Italian tomato sauce.  At $7, the bowl is one of the greatest bargains in the county.  At any price, they're one of our favorite meals.

Sweet and sour pork

We tried something new by ordering sweet-and-sour pork or "pork tangsuyuk."  That was deep-fried chunks of pork -- crisp, but still tender inside.  We got the spicy version with a sticky sauce that came with dried red peppers and pineapples.

That trio would be a terrific start to anyone who wants to try Tian.  I think we did two noodles, two pork and a platter of chicken for six adults and one child.  We probably could have had a single pork.  Tian has a compete menu -- all in English - that you can explore.  On other nights, I enjoyed the stir-fried squid over rice.  But this trio -- noodles, chicken and pork -- are really accesible flavors for anyone who likes American Chinese food.  It's a great idea for anyone who wants to eat warm and hearty.

I know other folks have really enjoyed Tian.  What else do you recommend there?  Or at the other local Korean-Chinese restaurant, Hanjoongkwan on Rte 40 in Ellicott City?  How do they compare?

Storm Water Dining: The Next Way For Howard County To Puts Its Stamp On The Dining Scene

The pond behind Mango Grove

With a new year, I'd like to open a new chapter in suburban eating.  I want Howard County to put its stamp on dining and claim the title for "Great Meals Eaten While Overlooking A Storm Water Pond."

"Storm Water Dining" was a category coined by the immeasurable Wordbones about two years ago.  In his memory, I hope that you'll reach beyond the county's classic "parking lot cafe" options to recommend restaurants that offer the most-beautiful, completely-man-made scenery around.

Others may scoff.  They may claim food tastes better overlooking the Pacific or with idyllic wooded views.  But we have what we have:  Commercial developments where someone graded down the land and dug out a pond so that the neighbors don't flood.

Be proud.  Eat outdoors.  Enjoy the view.  I started off thinking that I'd find a dozen "storm water dining" locales, but I came up with only a handful.  There must be more, but these are my nominations:

• Eggspectations in Ellicott City.  This was Wordbones' inspiration.  They have outdoor seating, which seems like a plus, and the developer did truly create a water feature where many people would have just dug a hole in the ground.  Great for breakfast.
• Mango Grove in Columbia.  You get a picture window over the pond, not outdoor seating.  But you also get a terrific Indian restaurant with options than run from northern Indian curries to southern Indian vegetarian to Chinese-Indian fusions.  These folks renovated that space and clearly paid attention to the view.  I don't think any of the other restaurants in that row have rear windows at all.
• The Indian restaurant -- now maybe called Ananda -- coming to Fulton.  This new restaurant in Maple Lawn may take the cake.  The storm water pond is small, but Ananda (which people had been calling the Polo Club previously) has dug in dozens of bushes and trees.  And they installed enormous garage doors on their side room so that diners will have views and fresh air in good weather -- but toasty protection when it gets cold.

Where else can you recommend "storm water dining?"  Where else can you enjoy a meal while overlooking a man-made pond?  We have seen an egret hunting in the pond near our house.  Are there any restaurant overlooks that offer wildlife?

Of course, you should check out the parking lot cafe posts if you want to see the 2009 and 2010 posts that inspired this addition.  And if you didn't know Wordbones, you can see my post from last fall about how much I miss Dennis Lane and his Tales of Two Cities blog.

Yog Coffee & Crepes Coming To Hickory Ridge

There appears to be a new restaurant and coffee place coming to Hickory Ridge near the end of the winter.

Lochlann and Amber both emailed me photos of Yog Coffee and Crepes, which appears to be a storefront promising breakfast, lunch, coffee, Belgian waffles and desserts starting in March 2014.  Amber found a Web site that seems to be a similarly-named place in Baltimore that does frozen yogurt and crepes -- both sweet and savory.

Now, this is a shopping center bay between the Giant and Meadows Frozen Custard, a store that sells frozen custard, coffee and other desserts.  The yogurt-custard-coffee product lines seem so similar that I wonder if there is a joint ownership here.

The new Yog Coffee & Crepes is in the same shopping center as the Grille Chick N' Pollo that I wrote about this morning.  Hickory Ridge really does have a nice selection of food options.

Best Wry Comment About New Dining In Jessup

"Am I allowed to be excited about IHOP opening up at East Columbia Marketplace next to Advance Auto Parts?"

That's the best wry comment for recent HowChow.  Gayadnu made me laugh.  It's news to me that IHOP would be coming to the Jessup shopping area near Mom's Organic Market and Rte 175.  And folks can be excited for anyone and any place.

Also, Annie Rie reports on Twitter that the second Xitomate has opened in Turf Valley.

Go For The Chicken, Stay For The Fried Yucca, Plan For Grilled Beef Heart Next Time

Chicken, yucca and rice & beans at Grille Chick N' Pollo

You can buy roast chicken in so many places, but it is worth a drive to the Hickory Ridge village center  in Columbia for a Peruvian take -- and especially some Peruvian side dishes.

Grille Chick N' Pollo was one of the new restaurants for 2013, replacing a similarly-named restaurant that had occupied the space before.

This is casual, counter service.  They serve roasted chicken, and it's moist and cooked through.  Bones make such a difference.  Even the Chick N' Pollo white meat is a world better-tasting than the boneless, skinless breasts that I keep in the freezer.

To me, the stars are the side dishes.  Plain yellow rice, but they work when you mix in the black beans. They're rich and earthy.  Then you add the green sauce.  That's fiery and fresh.  Chick N' Pollo charges extra for extra sauces, and they're worth every quarter.  I added sauce to the chicken, the rice, and then used the rest for dipping the fried yucca.

If you like french fries, then you'll love fried yucca.  Chunks of starchy vegetable fried crisp.  They're one of my favorite foods if you can get them hot and spice them up with sauce.  Chick N' Pollo has those fresh sauces, and they fry yucca so that it comes out light and tender.

Grille Chick N' Pollo wants to be more than fast food.  They have some cool fusion ideas like a Thai burrito made with their chicken and salsas.  They serve desserts like flan and alfajores, the cookies that I had enjoyed at the prior iteration of this restaurant.  Next time, I will try the grilled beef heart.  Again, I had enjoyed the antichucos under the prior management, and I hope the current folks make the chewy, beefy cut as deliciously.

Hickory Ridge can be an overlooked food option in Columbia.  They have several other good restaurants, including Hickory Ridge Grill and Luna Bella Ristorante.  They also have Meadows Custard for dessert if you want to eat chicken, then enjoy a sweet as you sit on the plaza.

Grille Chick N' Pollo
6470 Freetown Road
Columbia MD 21044
240-755-0079

NEAR:  This is on the back side of the Hickory Ridge village center.  That's Cedar Lane between Rte 32 and Howard Hospital.  There is a Giant on the front side of the shopping center, and Chick N' Pollo is on the opposite side.  Park in back to be closest.

You Should Get Fried Chicken At Chick N' Friends

Fried chicken from Chick 'n Friends

Howard County plans to take over the Long Reach village center -- part of a long-term change in the retail life of Columbia, according to Luke Lavoie's story in the Sun.

It's an interesting story that says a church is filling the space that was once a Safeway and then a Korean grocery store and that the county may move its arts group to the shopping center.

But I was aghast at the bottom to read that business has dropped off at Chick N' Friends in that shopping center.  Chick N' Friends makes terrific fried chicken, and Long Reach is really easy to reach just off Rte 175 and Dobbin Road.  The takeout also roasts chicken and cooks fish, so there is something for everyone.  It's a serious little place that is absolutely worth checking out.  Fried chicken is just delicious.  You do yourself a favor and help keep open a local option.

Also in Long Reach is Kuramo, a restaurant that serves Nigerian and other dishes.  I posted about the egusi, curry and fried plantain.  I'd recommend a visit there as well.  It's an easy, casual way to explore foods that are pretty unique around here.

Cool Free App Claims To Translate Chinese Menus

There is a free smartphone app that claims to translate Chinese characters on restaurant menus -- letting you understand the words even if you don't speak the language.

I haven't used the Waygo app.  Mena sent me a link to a Saveur article with a short description and link.  I'll give it a try, and I figure other folks might be interested -- after the fun a few years ago when a HowChow reader translated the Chinese menu at Hunan Manor.  After all, the idea might have stayed underground.

That's one of the fun and powerful parts of the new media.  You can get an idea from, say, a Web site or a blog.  Then -- even if you write up the story yourself -- you can link back or just give a "hat tip" if you saw the idea somewhere other than Facebook, their Web site or word of mouth.  Voices bolster each other.  It's fun, and I think it does help everyone.

Unless, of course, you work for a big media company.  Then, I guess there must be policies to make it seem the company discovered something on its own.  That's how it was 20 years ago when I worked in a newsroom.  I'm always amused by the big companies.  They are the most-valuable voices around because they do the original reporting, but I find it interesting that they -- and I'm sure it's management -- are so reticent to give even a nod to media that they don't control.  

Just teasing, you know.  I have noted the "old media"-"new media" differences before.  I'm glad real reporters work in Howard County, and I know that staff folks can't shake up the scene.  ;-)

(Update:  This may not actually be free.  iTunes suggests that it is free to download, but then $2 to use it for a week.  I'll wait to see more reviews before I pay for it.)

Secolari Slips Into The Columbia Mall With Flavors

Oils at Secolari in the Columbia Mall

The new Secolari store in the Columbia Mall is a deceptively simple-looking place.

A large store with containers on two walls.  They sell olive oils, vinegars and pastas.  That could sound ridiculously simple except that Secolari's offerings are creatively complex.

Walk the store and taste everything.  Pure olive oils at the front that show off the range of natural flavors -- from mild to peppery.  Flavored olive oils along both walls -- ranging from fruits like lemon or lime to herbs like basil, garlic or rosemary to "spice mixes" like tandoori masala.  Then vinegars -- both white and red -- with flavors than run from fruits through exotics like spicy peppers.

Taste everything.  The Secolari folks are proud of their products.  They're also charging more than $20 per bottle.  So you can taste anything by pouring a dash in a plastic container, and they have water and bread to clean your palate.  Mix and match.  Try a dash of the lime oil and a dash of the hot pepper vinegar.  Try that same lime oil with a blackberry vinegar.

On the one hand, Secolari offers products for serious cooks.  They can try all these flavor combinations and come up with great ideas.  On the other hand, flavored oils and vinegars are a wonderfully simple tool for people who don't have great time for cooking.  Secolari has recipes, and those flavor pairs make really simple marinades or salad dressings even if you just mix a pair that you like.  By just shaking them together, you could jazz up salads, roasted vegetables, chicken, fish and so much more.

Again, it's more than $20 a bottle.  That even slowed me down.  I bought one of each, and I marinated fish Sunday night for fish tacos.  I'm a huge believer that great flavor takes time.  That's why I think you can great value from ingredients where someone else has already invested great effort -- like sausages, olives, sauces and oils or vinegars like these.  A few years ago, I discovered that an expensive bottle of balsamic vinegar was worth the investment because a few teaspoons transformed a plate of sautéed chard.  That has been a staple for me, and I could imagine these Secolari oils and vinegars filling similar roles.

Secolari has a working display kitchen in the back.  I assume they'll do demonstrations or classes.  My one tip:  Don't drink the oil or vinegar.  Push a dash in the plastic cup and then just touch the mixture with your tongue.  We tried almost two dozen different items, and it would have been too much if we had actually drank a shot of each.

Secolari
Columbia Mall
1300 Little Patuxent Parkway
Columbia, MD 21044
443-367-0010

NEAR:  Secolari is in the new "outdoor" section of the mall.  This is a long outdoor corridor that connects the parking lot between Sears and the movies with the second floor of the mall near Lululemon and J Crew.

Comments About Hawaiian Food, New Peruvian, Grille 620, "Fat Friar" Cookies, And More

An October photo of the new Nichi Bei Kei 

Steffi made my day with a comment on the post about the new Hawaiian restaurant Taste of Aloha.  I love hearing that people use HowChow to find something that they enjoy.  That powers me through when the hobby sometimes seems like freaky way to spend time.

As I have said many times, the comments include lots of great information from HowChow readers.  Check out all the folks making recommendations about Taste of Aloha and even a bakery nearby.  They have loco moco.  The mac salad is great.  Etc.

Patapsco Mike provided some other options for folks who want an oyster knife.  I still love the cast-iron knife that I bought mail order, but Mike has specific knives that you can buy for under $10.  Jeffery emailed me months ago about Salazon Chocolate Co. in Sykesville.  Has anyone been there for local cheese, wine and chocolate?

Anonymous asked whether anyone knows when the Buffalo Wild Wings will open.  The Target shopping center has that under construction and a space that used to be Chicken Out.  Does anyone know the plan there?

Does anyone know the timetable on the new Nicki Bei Kei on Sterrett Place?  Chuck sent me the photo above months ago.  I hope they'll open soon.  What about a new breakfast/coffee place in the Hichory Ridge village center that Anonymous mentioned.  While we're at it, how about the restaurant that used to be Turkshish Kebab or Kabob House -- the little place off Little Patuxent Parkway near Princeton Sports?  David noticed in November that it was closed, and neither of us knew if that was permanent or if anything was replacing it.

As always, there are many good local food voices if you look around.  We have a new food blog called My Soup For You with recipes (including a "bacon bowl").  You can find all the local food blogs on HoCoBlogs -- or look in the comments on HowChow like this sampling from recent notes:

• Dzoey and Hal Black have tried the new Pollo Feliz restaurant next to Teres Latin Market on Rte 40.  Dzoey found a mix of Mexican and Peruvian dishes and recommended variations on fried rice and pasta.  Hal reports the Mexican is similar to the market's taqeuria, but they don't actually share a kitchen.
• Jim S. suggests buying the "Fat Friar" cookies sold at the Shrine of St. Anthony gift shop in Ellicott City.  They're shortbread dipped in chocolate.
• Trip Klaus makes my life more difficult by revealing that each Whole Foods has a different sausage recipes.  That's one of my favorite items there.  He says the Kentlands market makes his favorite!  Now I need to sample.

Try The Best BYOB In Howard County Before It Disappears (And I Hope That It Will)

Wings from the kitchen, beer carried from home

The best BYOB in Howard County could disappear next week if Bon Chon Chicken gets it liquor license.

I hope Bon Chon gets approved at its January 14 hearing before the county liquor board.  That's a great little restaurant just off Rte 40, and you will have a great time there eating fried chicken and beer.  There is a wall-sized projection screen for football.

But until they fill their own bar, you should rush to take advantage of the best BYOB option in the county.  Park outside Bon Chon.  Send one person into the restaurant to get a table and order up the Korean fried chicken.  Send another person to walk 50 feet to Rte 40 and then down the shopping center to Jason's Wine & Spirits to pick out your own wine or beer.

Because Bon Chon opened without a liquor license, they have been very cool about letting people carry their own.  We have picked from Jason's enormous selection.  I also once brought a soft cooler full of beer and cider.  Mike and I drank a selection while his son drank apple juice.  You have to love a two-year-old who chows on spicy chicken and hangs out in the booth.

Seriously, Bon Chon is worth the visit any time.  But the BYOB window should close soon.

Does anyone else know good BYOB options in Howard County?  It's a standard option in Philadelphia, where there are many great restaurants that don't have a liquor license.  Alcohol isn't my biggest draw, but I'd love to know if there are other BYOB options around here.

(Update: I may have been wrong about the "best" BYOB.  Check out the comments for a bunch of interesting places where you can bring your own beer or wine.)

Check out that liquor board agenda to see other food news coming to Howard County.  Seasons 52 is coming to the Columbia Mall.  Curry & Kabob in Columbia appears to be getting a liquor license.  And there is Jailbreak Brewery, which I still need to write about! 

Marquee Spot Will One Day Become A Restaurant

Sara Toth has a story in the Sun about businesses closing on Main Street in Ellicott City, and she has an interesting restaurant tidbit halfway down.

New landlords have bought the building that houses the Taylor Antique Mall, and they told Toth that they're closing the antique shopping area and renovating the building so they can rent it to a restaurant.

That's a huge space.  It's also incredibly visible right where Main Street hits Old Columbia Pike.  Right across the street is Pure Wine Cafe.  The new landlords told Toth that they're already working with a local restauranteur to come up with "a cool concept."

I understand why Toth needs to write the standard story -- just like I wrote 20 years ago -- quoting the current people questioning change.  But Main Street could be really terrific.  I think it has improved in the past eight years since I started walking there, wondering who goes into stores where the displays are covered in dust.   Those dusty windows have become fewer and fewer (and they were never at Taylor, which I enjoyed nosing around).  We loved the Second Sunday market.  We always tell people to walk the trail up to the Breadery.  We have enjoyed some restaurants, and we want to try others.  A big restaurant at that big intersection could just continue the improvements.

Does anyone know who is working to open a restaurant in the former Taylor Antique Mall?  Anyone know the timetable?

Highand Inn Is Open; Nine More To Go

The Highland Inn has opened -- as seen by the photo from last night sent by Chris and as noted in Richard Gorelick's blog.

The new restaurant on Rte 216 in Highland leads a parade of new dining for 2014.  I wrote last week about eight places slated to open.  But the list has at least nine more.  (Update: Ten more. I added Ananda / Polo Club.)

• Tere's Latin Market -- really opened already, but I haven't been. 
• White Oak Tavern -- second week of January? on Rte 40 in Ellicott City.
• Petit Louis -- January? on the lakefront in Columbia.
• A new Indian restaurant called Ananda or Polo Club -- maybe February or March in Fulton
• Pisco in Elkridge -- Spring 2014. 
• Chutney -- not sure, replacing Akbar in Columbia.
• Buffalo Wild Wings -- not sure, coming to the Target shopping center in Columbia
• Nichi Bei Kei -- not sure, moving near the mall.
• "Japanese buffet" -- not sure, replacing Nichi Bei Kei in Columbia
• Seasons 52 -- not sure, coming to the Columbia Mall

Indian Lunch Buffets: If Mango Grove Were Not This Delicious, Then This Could Be A Bad Idea

Plate One from Mango Grove's lunch buffet

I never need a second plate of food at lunch, but I would never walk away from Mango Grove without two -- and a dosa on the side.

I don't know how Indian restaurants decided to offer all-you-can-eat lunch buffets, but I know that they'd be a bad idea if they weren't so delicious.  A few years ago, I enjoyed the Royal Taj buffet when they had a chef on the line making the crepe-like dosas.  Last month, I took a break from errands to eat at Mango Grove, and I left just as stuffed and happy.

The Columbia restaurant fills a wall with food -- a salad bar, soups, a long line of vegetarian curries, then meat curries at the end.  There is just something fun in filling a plate with all kinds of flavors -- a fried appetizer, salty lentils, spicy eggplant, some tandoori chicken, a little lamb.  Then the waiter delivered hot naan and a personal-sized dosa stuffed with potato and spices.

Plate Two

Everything was tasty, but Mango Grove stands out even more because their buffet offered at least two dishes that I'd never tried before -- a pumpkin curry and a spicy "Chicken 65."  Really spicy.  They have a wall of options, so they don't need to cook for the lowest-common denominator.  Some dishes are mild, some are spicy.  Some are meat, some are veg.  I grazed more than a dozen items, but someone could happily eat just tandoori chicken, rice and hot bread.

I love Mango Grove -- and pick it as one of my Top 10 -- because they have ambition and pull off exceptional food.  They will give you two menus: straight vegetarian under "Mango Grove" and a mix of Indian and Indo-Chinese dishes under "Mirchi Wok."  Dishes are bright and flavored with the variety of spices and herbs that makes Indian cuisine.  Plus, I ate lots of delicious vegetarian dishes, so I left feeling good even though you can see in the photos that I ate an enormous amount.

I recommend the local Indian lunches if you have some time and want to talk.  At Mango Grove and Royal Taj, I know you won't compromise on great food -- even while you eat off the buffet.  I haven't eaten at other buffets, but I have written that Indian is one of the county's three deepest cuisines for great food.

For dessert, Mango Grove served a terrific rice pudding.  A few spoons of that kheer was all the sweet that I needed, and it was probably all that I could have eaten as well.

Where do you recommend for Indian buffets?  Any specific dishes to recommend?  Any techniques for eating well without falling asleep in the afternoon?

I can think of five other Indian restaurants in Columbia -- House of India, Mango Grove, Royal Taj, Flavors of India, and Nepalese-Indian Curry & Kabob -- plus the new Chutney that replaces Akbar and quick service Tandoor Grill on Johns Hopkins Road that I don't think does a buffet.  On top of those, Ananda should open soon in Fulton, and it appears that the shuttered Akbar's will be replaced by a restaurant called Chutney.

EC Tasting Gallery: Pop-Up Dinners Bring Big City Ambitions To The Local Scene

If you're looking for a food adventure, check out the pop-up dinners offered by the former chef at Pure Wine Cafe who wants to pop into your life and pop great food into your mouth.

EC Tasting Gallery is an irregular offering of high-end dinners cooked by Kevin Brothers, his partners, and guest chefs.  I don't know all the details, but their Web site talks about trying to create price-fixe dinners in unusual locations -- offering you something that you won't get anywhere else.

Next up:  A truffle dinner hosted upstairs at Portalli's in Ellicott City on January 19.  There are a few tickets left.  They're $150 each, which gets you wine pairings as well.  Other EC Tasting Gallery dinners will be more like $100.  You can see a five-course menu for an October dinner where they served three crudos, fresh pasta, roast lamb and more.  I got one report, which said that dinner was delicious and fun.

Check out the Web site and follow their Facebook page.  I'd love comments reporting on the EC Tasting Gallery if anyone attends.

Lakeside Deli Is Moving, Not Closing Forever

The Lakeside Deli is moving off the lake, but you won't lose it forever.

The deli across the parking lot from the Whole Foods construction site in Columbia closed on December 20, as reported by Luke Lavoie in the Sun.  They're moving to a new location near Broken Land Parkway and Little Patuxent Parkway.

Will The Highland Inn Open On Monday?

The Highland Inn may open on Monday, reports Dara Bunjon as "solid rumor" on Twitter.

I'm a bit miffed because I have an awesome niece arriving in a few hours, and we're going to get a rush of new restaurants right after she leaves town.  I posted Wednesday about the eight -- no, nine! -- new restaurants coming to Howard County in 2014.

I look forward to the new places, but I'm not holding anyone to a specific opening day.  It seems really hard to open a restaurant, and my hope is that they'll all be around for a long time.  So I'm happy to have them open as they can.

Oysters And The Tool That You Need To Buy, Then Bring To Frank's Seafood In Jessup

Oysters and Seafood Hardware's cast iron oyster knife

On a visit to a friend in Nashville, I discovered a cool new tool perfect for the oyster-lover in your life.

Oysters on the half shell are a huge treat, and I love Frank's Seafood at this time of year for their selection of top-notch oysters.  The Jessup market is inside the wholesale seafood market off Rte 175, but you can shop there for fish, crabs and shellfish.

Last week, they had five local varieties, ranging from a salty, salty Sewansescott variety to several Maryland sweets.  They pick you good oysters.  You can buy a handful or dozens by the bag.  The selection lets you make a plate -- even for one person -- that contrasts the different flavors from the sea.

Oysters at Frank's

And now all that can be so much easier to open.

Frank's taught me to shuck oysters, and they sold me a small knife that remains the best way to worm into an oyster shell if it's really tight.  But a Georgia company sells a cast iron oyster knife that makes all the difference.  Its tip forces between oyster shells -- with a slight start by my shucking knife in the crazy few where the shell has grown around the hinge.  Then, the Georgia knife pops open an oyster easier than a key in a lock.

Cast iron makes all the difference.  That knife will never snap, and you will never cut yourself.  It's forged so that you push with your palm and thumb.  I can press hard to get into the oyster, then separate the shells with a twist.  Once open, I slice the meat from the shell with the shucking knife.  In Nashville, I did a dozen oysters like clockwork.

The one problem is that we need a Chesapeake version.  You can buy the original oyster knife ($29 with shipping) with a plain metal bar connecting the two sides.  But the Georgia company Seafood Hardware makes personalized versions cut with the outlines of Georgia, Texas and other southern states.  At a minimum, we need a DelMarVa version with the outline of the bay.

Seriously, I recommend the Seafood Hardware knife.  They hand-forge them in Georgia.  They're a cool gift, and they made me much more confident that I could open any oyster.

This is a job for Steve Vilnit!!  A Chesapeake or a Maryland version of the oyster knife could be a fun partnership with some of our local oyster companies.  That's fishery marketing!

Cool Kitchen Videos From Cha Ya Asian Bistro

For a look into a local restaurant kitchen, check out the string of videos that appear to be demonstrations from Cha Ya Asian Bistro in Columbia -- posted by "Siu's Cooking" on YouTube.

They're all straight-ahead videos with a chef demonstrating and talking -- although I rarely saw the chef or the filmmaker.  See him make pan-fried wonton, Hong Kong style lobster, beef chow fun, and more.  A few like General Tso's list the ingredients and have some quantities, but I also saw lots of work with a deep-fryer and a wok heated by a super-powerful gas jet.  These are restaurant dishes, not recipes for the home cook.

I did love the wonton-folding technique in the video above.  I never knew how to make the pinched shape, and the video does a nice job showing how they're folded, then seared and steamed.  I also love the gas jet under that wok.  That's awesome.

One warning:  Live shellfish are dismembered on camera.  You will want to skip seafood videos unless you're ready for those visuals.

Is anyone a regular at Cha Ya?  What do you recommend?  The lobster and wonton both looked delicious.  We ate there once on a holiday, and we probably didn't get the lead chef.  We ended up with a fried shrimp dish by mistake, so we would love any thoughts on lighter fare.

Hat tip to JessieX, who sent me last week's jalapeno orange chicken video, and the essential HoCoBlogs page.  You can also follow Siu's Cooking on Twitter for new episodes.  Cha Ya is on McGaw Road across from Wegmans.  It is in the same shopping center as Royal Taj, The Green Turtle and other restaurants.

Here Comes The Food: 2014 Should Bring At Least Eight New Restaurants To The County

The new facade at 

Welcome to 2014!!  This will be the year of Whole Foods in Columbia -- opening late summer or early fall -- and I'll start my shopping with their chicken sausage.

But the new food should flow as early as this week.

Above is the beautiful wooden facade that has gone up at the new Petit Louis coming to the Columbia waterfront.  The brilliant idea is that they have two doors.  One at the end that looks like it will be a bar or takeout area and then the main doors facing the lake.  I hope the takeout option opens the place to people who may not start with an expensive dinner, and I hope it keeps their cash register ringing all day.

Trip Klaus heard that the Columbia Petit Louis should open in January.  Clayton posted another better photo so that you can see the Petit Louis facade.  Their liquor license application describe patio dining, so good weather should only make that area more lively and fun.  Let us know if you know or see more.  As we plan for the year, there are a bunch of restaurants on their way:

• White Oak Tavern on Rte 40 says they're aiming to open the second week of January because they couldn't get an inspector to visit before the holidays.  Their Facebook page has photos, including photos of a trip to the Wagon Wheel Ranch. where you can buy locally-raised meat by the box.
• Highland Inn on Rte 216 still has "Opening Soon" on its Web site, and the Polo Club in Fulton will offer Indian in a really pretty looking building off Johns Hopkins Road.
• Tere's Latin Market was opening a restaurant in the adjoining space on Rte 40.  I found a Yelp post by Gerald E. that says the market's taqueria now shares a kitchen with a restaurant, so that may already be open.  But it'll be new to me when I go in 2014.
• Pisco in Elkridge now has signs in the window saying that Peruvian food and ceviche will arrive by Spring 2014.  This is the folks who run Facci, and I think Peruvian food could be spectacularly successful.
• Two new restaurants are going into the Snowden River shopping center with Pars Market and Azul 17.  An Indian place call Chutney will replace the shuttered Akbar, and there are signs for a Japanese buffet in the former home of Nichi Bei Kei.
• Nichi Bei Kei has a Web site saying that they're relocating, and there has been talk about them moving to Sterrett Road near the mall.
• (Updated:  Lisa reminded me in the comments that Buffalo Wild Wings is coming to the Rte 175 shopping center with Target.)

What are you looking to try in 2014?  I still need to try the Rumor Mill on Main Street in Ellicott City.  I also have some dishes to try at Yel Nal House on Rte 40.  This could be a big year for Korean.

Please comment below if you know the timing on any of the restaurants above -- or if you know other new places that will come in 2014.