Who Is Getting Atwaters To Open In Howard County? Sandwiches Break Tradition, Still Excel

A Cuban sandwich that doesn't look like a Cuban, but tastes delicious

Who is working on getting Atwater's to open in Howard County?

The Baltimore bakery chain has a location in Catonsville.  I annexed Catonsville a while ago -- along with Sykesville and the AA and PG areas near our Laurel.  But I hadn't eaten in Catonsville recently until we stopped again at Home Anthology to nose around for modern furniture.

First lesson of the day:  Furniture shopping changes when you bring a toddler.  Like, it cuts to 15 minutes and out.

Second lesson: A few blocks north of the store, Atwater's makes delicious sandwiches -- and some jams that would make beautiful holiday gifts.

Atwater's sandwiches stood out even though they were on the wrong bread.  Mrs. HowChow and I split a Cuban.  We have finally learned that Lil' Chow isn't going to eat much of a grilled cheese sandwich so we each got a slice of that as well.

A traditional Cuban sandwich comes on length of split crusty bread, normally squashed by a hot press to make a crispy top and a heated sandwich.  Atwaters substituted slices of their own white bread that were probably pressed on something like a hot skillet.  But they made up for variation by hitting it out of the park with the ingredients.

Really good pork loin, ham, cheese and pickles.  The menu says pickled jicama.  It's a take on a Cuban sandwich, not a Miami local, and I'll take one any day.  That was a fresh, meaty sandwich that had the hallmark of "I couldn't do that at home" -- down to the pickles that at least tasted like they were made in house.

Those sandwiches make me confident that the rest of the menu -- from salads to cool-looking "tiffin" lunch combos -- would be worth exploring.  Plus, Atwater's is a friendly little joint.  Tons of seating upstairs with art by local high school students.  Our niece ordered a salad.  She complimented the dish, although I didn't take enough notes to remember why.

A few doors down from Atwater's are several dessert options.  including a candy store and You Scream Ice cream.  I'd always recommend a weekend visit to Home Anthology and then lunch on Frederick Road. You could even go for the food alone.

Seriously, Catonsville is an easy drive from most of Howard County, and it's worth the visit to check out food like Linsy's tacos and Hang Ari's noodle soup.  I still haven't had time to shop at the Chinese grocery store Great Wall.  Click here for all the Catonsville reviews.

Atwater's
815 Frederick Road
Catonsville, Maryland 21228
410-747-4120

NEAR: Atwater's is on Frederick Road just west of I-695. This is downtown Catonsville. There are a few blocks of stores and restaurants to stroll and window shop.

Two Kinds Of Hand-Made Noodles In Catonsville; Or "Pair Your Clam Soup With Clam Pancakes"

Hang Ari's clam soup

I have raved before, and I will rave again:  Something terrific is going on at Hanoori Town in Catonsville.

The three restaurants have been revamped in the Hanoori Town section of the H Mart's shopping center.  Hang Ari's hand-cut noodles are the shiny new star.  Imported from Los Angeles.  Unique in the area as far as I know.

But they're not the only hand-made noodles in town.  Chan Mat -- the restaurant in the back -- appears to have chef Chang Yon Huh banging out the noodles for black bean noodles as well.  Those are jajangmyeun, a cornerstone of Korea's Chinese restaurants.  The chef works in an open space where you can see and hear him throughout the dining room.

Hang Ari's clam pancakes

Seriously, these are exceptional, reasonably priced, casual meals.  I treated my parents to lunch of Hang Ari's clam soup and a clam pancake.  One order of each served three of us.  The clam broth alone is worth driving to Catonsville. The bowl can filled with tender clams and again had perfectly-cooked squash and potato.  The noodles are slightly chewy and contrast beautifully with the briny flavor of the clams.

The clam pancake was just as perfect.  Imagine chopped claim with just enough batter to brown and crisp.  The minimal-filler construction of a great crab cake.  That means they don't stay together like a finger-food latke, but they're delicious cut with a fork and dipped in a sauce.

New parenthood definitely makes blogging tough.  We are still learning to be efficient enough to have any free moments.  So I'm writing short posts this weeks on the theme of two items that you could buy at a single stop.  At Hanoori town, you could pair clam soup with clam pancakes or order one dish from each restaurant and pair Chan Mat black bean noodles with Hang Ari's noodle soup.

These are videos below of both the hand cut and "Chinese" noodles being made.

Is It Worth The Trip? Emily Checks Out Great Wall, The Chinese Supermarket In Catonsville

Great Wall has Chinese duck, pork and chickens

Our options keep expanding faster than I can check them out.  Like the Great Wall Supermarket in Catonsville that opened in late 2013 -- and that I still haven't visited.

Luckily, I got an expert report from Emily of the Howard County Cook blog.  Emily is a first-generation Chinese-American who was born in Chicago and raised in Houston, home to one of the largest Chinatowns in the United States.

Emily's parents originally immigrated from Taiwan for graduate school.  She and her family -- including a husband and two kids -- moved to Maryland about five years ago.  She volunteers at local shelters, their school and church, and she has blogged about all kinds of eating and recipes, including red cooked pork belly and a yellow curry with squash and chicken.  She also wrote a great series based on the finds in her Breezy Willow CSA.

Emily and I got to talking about Great Wall, which is a Chinese-run grocery on Rte 40 just inside Rte 695.  I'm a huge fan of the Korean-run supermarkets like H Mart and Lotte, and they both offer Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese and other cuisines.  But I wondered what finds might make it worth driving past both to try a market aimed at a Chinese market.  Emily checked out Great Wall, giving her report and suggesting some items just like the Unmanly Chef wrote up the Caspian Market last month:

Even though I live five minutes from the Lotte close to Rte 29 and Rte 40, I usually travel to H Mart about 15 minutes away because I know where everything is.  I find the produce to be more consistent on any given day, and it’s small, which means there is a higher turn around on their produce.

I was a little worried I would find Great Wall to be too far. It really wasn’t. I drove past H Mart, past Rte 695, and there it was, just inside 695 on the left. Google told me it would take 22 minutes. Google was about right on. I realized I had been there before -- at the Asian grocery that was there previously, but apparently had closed.

Once inside, I was impressed by the variety of produce, all looking fresh. Check. The prices looked good too.  There were some really great deals, and some fair prices, comparable to the other Asian stores. I was VERY happy to find a huge stack of perfect Japanese eggplant. Not bruised, not wrinkled, perfect. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about, was that many of the leafy Chinese vegetables were pre-packaged into plastic bags. That sort of thing drives me nuts. I like to see, touch, examine, and pick my own produce, so I wasn’t a fan of that. Not all of the produce was that way, just most of the green Chinese veggies. I'm not sure why, and I hope they do away with that.

Hang Ari's Noodle Soup And The New Hanoori Town Restaurants Are Worth Your Attention

Hang Ari's noodle soup and dumplings with a side dish of cabbage and radish kimchis

I don't know exactly what is happening at Hanoori Town, so I'm looking to stir up interest to help us all figure it out.

New and revamped restaurants are opening in the Catonsville space.  One is a unique hand-cut noodle restaurant opened by folks who own a similar spot in Los Angeles.  Just next door is a restaurant doing sushi, Korean kimbap and Korea's Chinese food -- including the addition of hand-made noodles at the base of our favorite, black bean noodles.

Bottom line:  This is a spectacular find if you like good food.  You can eat for $10-15 a person.  Casual.  Accessible.  Completely kid-friendly, and you can hope for the entertainment of seeing a guy bang out the Chinese noodles.  This is one of those places like R&R Taqueria -- worth your visiting and hopefully worth a run up the media chain.

Let's back up.  I'll tell you what I know, and I hope people will try these places and fill in the details.

Hanoori Town is a space in the same shopping center as H Mart at Rolling Road and Rte 40.  Downstairs, it is a kitchen goods store along with people selling housewares and clothing.  The kitchen store is worth checking out -- especially for bento boxes to pack your lunch.  Upstairs are three restaurants and a tea and doughnut joint.  They're all Korean.

The restaurants have revamped in recent months.  One closed.  It was replaced by Hang Ari, the hand-cut noodle restaurant coming from LA.  One revamped their restaurant and may have recruited a chef from Jang Won in Catonsville.  My first inkling came from Lisbeth of Lisbeth Eats.  She sent me information about Hang Ari and wrote a nice run-down about the Hanoori Town restaurants.

When we visited last month, the whole place seemed changed in an exciting way:

• Bu Du Mak is closest to the window.  They specialize in a cold noodle soup called naeng myun, Korean blood sausage called soon dae, and traditional Korean soups and stews, according to Lisbeth.  We recommend naeng myun, but we haven't tried this yet.
• Chan Mat is facing you as you walk in.  In the past, I think they had been limited to Korean dishes, but they now do Korean foods along with sushi, Korean rolls called kimbap and Korean-Chinese dishes -- including those black bean noodles.
• Hang Ari sit between them.  This is the LA import, specializing in hand-torn noodles that they make in the kitchen.  Most are served in soups variations.

The scene is completely casual.  You order at one of the three counters, pick a table to eat, then go back for your order.  Most of the dishes are under $15, so it's a terrific place to try Korean food -- especially if you might want to explore a few menus at once.

Hang Ari's dumplings

The food is absolutely worth that exploration.  Hang Ari alone is worth a trip from Howard County or Baltimore.  For lunch, we split pork dumplings and a basic soup with hand-torn noodles.  It's one of the best meals that I have eaten recently.  A rich broth filled with thick sheets of noodle, potato, zucchini, green onions, kabucha squash and seaweed.  Each vegetable is cooked perfectly.  The noodles and potatoes are filling.  The thin pieces of squash are slightly sweet.  The onion gives a little bite.

I'm unabashedly hoping that bloggers or critics will  check out Hang Ari because the other soups -- seafood, clam, spicy and other variations -- look like you could fill a table with delicious flavors.  These kal guk su noodles are an absolute find.  Fork tender, but thicker than most noodles.  Like getting great pasta at Cinghale, except you can feast for under $15.  They're unique as far as I know in this area.

And I think Hanoori Town has more.  Chan Mat sports a special cooking station that looks like a place to make noodles for black bean noodles or jajangmyeun.  I've talked these up before at Tian Chinese Cuisine in Ellicott City, which also makes its own noodles.  They're delicious.  They're earthy.  They're not spicy so they're accessible to anyone who likes pasta.

Chat Mat has posted a clipping of a 2006 Sun article by Karen Nitkin about chef Chang Yon Huh making noodles at another restaurant.  It looks to me like Chang is handmaking the noodles here.  You'll know when you hear the bang, bang, bang of jajangmyeun noodles being stretched.  The traditional pair for jajangmyeun is a sweet-and-sour pork dish.  Fried pork, so done right it tastes like an Asian cousin to clam strips.

Red-bean-filled donut holes

Oh heavens!  I almost forgot the donuts!  Go to Hanoori Town for all that food, but leave room for the donuts.  Just to the right when you enter is a little store that I think was selling bubble teas and donuts.  Fried donut holes filled with sweet red bean paste.  Save room, and split an order as you leave.  Two holes was a perfect sweet.

Again, this Hanoori Town lineup seems worthy of the type of food writing scrum that spread the word about Grace Garden in Odenton.  Noodles are accessible to anyone willing to try new food.  The prices make this friendly to families, students, anyone else around.  This weekend, Lisbeth posted her own description of Hang Ari,  complete with photos and descriptions of dishes.

Now, I hope other people could tell us more.  I'm looking at you restaurant writers -- maybe a little reporting here, some interviews?  Any other food bloggers want to weigh in?  Anyone else want to add comments to this post?  Recommended dishes?  Back story about the change?  I am imagining some Korean-American student at UMBC who has worked through these menus with more expertise than me.  How are Chan Mat's noodles?  What did you think about Hang Ari's soups?

If you want to know more about Hang Ari's LA cousin, check out the One More Bite blog and Yelp reviews.   If you want more Lisbeth, check out her blog -- or check out her restaurant opening this winter in Federal Hill.  Lisbeth and her husband are opening The Local Fry.  She posted about it two weeks ago.

Cold Soup For You: Naeng Myun To Remember Next Summer At Bu Du Mak And Other Spots

Naeng myun -- cold buckwheat noodle soup -- at Bu Du Mak in Hanoori Town

I'm out of season, but I can't wait for the summer heat to talk up one of our discoveries of 2014.

One basic Korean dish is a cold buckwheat noodle soup called naeng myun that makes a terrific entry into Korean cuisine or a new frontier for folks who already love the barbecue and tofu soups.

This is part of a series of guest posts by Howard County bloggers.  For local food blogs, check out the HocoBlogs food page.

Lisbeth of the Lisbeth Eats blog was nice enough to talk up naeng myun -- specifically the soup at one of the restaurants in the Hanoori Town food court area down from H Mart in Catonsville.  That's Bu Du Mak, the restaurant just to the left as you walk into the Hanoori Town area and right next to the new Hangari Noodle.  Prices start at $9 for the basic bowls or $12 for samples of two varieties.

Naeng myun is often a great summer food.  But you could follow Lisbeth's advice and eat off-season.  We ordered naeng myun last month with barbecue at Honey Pig, and I'll post about that meal later:

Every summer there are two dishes that I just have to have, Maryland crabs and naeng myun.  And when I say I have to have it, I’m talking multiple times.  Maryland crabs are world famous!  But what in the world is naeng myun?

Naeng myun is a Korean cold buckwheat noodle dish and is typically served in two styles, as Mool Naeng Myun or Bibim Naeng Myun. 

Mool Naeng Myun literally means ‘water cold noodles.’  This version is served in a cold broth made from beef or Dong Chi Mi (white radish water kimchi) and topped with sliced pickled radish, julienne cucumbers, sliced pear, sliced boiled beef brisket and a hard boiled egg.  The soup is often slushy or served with ice cubes.  You adjust the seasoning of the broth with vinegar, Korean style hot mustard or mustard oil before eating.  

Bibim means ‘mixed,’ like in bibimbop. W ith this version the cold buckwheat noodles are topped with the same ingredients, but instead of being served in a cold broth, it is served with a spicy go chu jang, Korean red-pepper-paste-based sauce that you mix together with the noodles.  Sure does sound strange, doesn’t it?  I agree that it does, but it really is quite delicious. 

I mean, who would’ve thought kimchi, a super stinky fermented Korean pickled cabbage, would be so popular and widely accepted around the world. They even offer four different varieties of kimchi on the pickle bar in Whole Foods.  So don’t be afraid to try out naeng myun  no matter how strange it sounds. 

Mool naeng myun

Hang Ari Noodle Company Bringing Hand-Cut Noodles To Catonsville As Early As This Weekend

Hang Ari Noodle Company chef rolling out the noodles

Back with more news about Hang Ari Noodle Company, the new restaurant bringing hand-pulled noodles to Catonsville from Los Angeles and opening as early as this weekend

Lisbeth of the Lisbeth Eats blog had sent me a report that I posted last month.  Now, she is back with the name -- Hang Ari Noodle Company -- and some details about the house-made noodles at the center of the new place.  This will open in Hanoori Town, the cluster of restaurants a few doors down from the H Mart in Catonsville.

(Update:  I've gone back and forth on the capitalization of the restaurant -- Hangari or Hang Ari.  Either option is acceptable coming over from the Korean, but I'm trying to use Hang Ari because that is printed on their business cards.)

Lisbeth reports that the owner/chef has been in the restaurant business for more than 20 years in LA.  The new Hang Ari Noodle follows the concept of his current LA restaurant -- focusing on two types of noodles and serving them in a variety of broths and sauces.  This sounds like a cool addition to the Rte 40 corridor -- noodles that are rolled, cut and boiled only after you order.

As I hear (not from Lisbeth), the soft opening will be Friday.  So watch for a full opening as early as this weekend.

Please don't hold me to consistent Korean spelling.  Transliteration of Korean words can lead to multiple spellings.  Lisbeth and I use different versions at different times.  Just check out what she says:

The owner/chef owned and operated Curry Hyang in Korea Town in LA, a popular Japanese restaurant specializing in curry and Japanese style noodles. After many years there, he sold the business and went on to open a kalgooksoo restaurant, with a business partner, in Korea Town called “Hang Ari Kalgooksoo.” 

This talented chef used the training he acquired in Korea under veteran chefs from historically famous kalgooksoo restaurants to great success. Right now, The Korean Daily (Joong Ang Ilbo) newspaper in LA named Hangari Kalgooksoo as the busiest restaurant in LA with the longest lines. 

Photo from the tasting, I think

The chef is bringing the same concept to the East Coast with his new restaurant, Hang Ari Noodle Company. The restaurant will feature two distinct categories of noodle dishes – kalgooksoo and Mil Myun. 

Kalgooksoo (literally “knife noodle”) is a noodle soup that is made using fresh hand-cut wheat flour noodles. It is served in large bowls of delicious broth and topped with garnishes that enhance the dish. The kalgooksoo menu will feature various flavor options including chicken, clam, seafood, kimchi and beef.

Mil Myun is similar to naeng myun (literally “cold noodle”), but the incredibly thin noodles are made using the same dough used for kalgooksoo  The mil myun menu will feature various options such as Mul Mil Myun (noodles in a chilled broth), Bibim
Mil Myun (noodles in a spicy sauce), Kimchi Mil Myun and Hong Uh (Skate) Mil Myun. 

A unique business strategy that the chef is taking will be offering customers a traditional Korean appetizer of bori bop (brown rice), dwen jang (Bean Paste) and yul moo  kimchi (young radish stem kimchi) free of charge with each order of noodles.  Because the noodles will be rolled out, cut and boiled fresh to order, the appetizer will keep customers happy while they wait for their food. 

Hang Ari  Noodle Company is bringing a new concept to the area that I’m sure will be a hit! Koreans in the area with be delighted to finally have a kalgooksoo and mil myun speciality restaurant open in Maryland. And for non-Koreans, this restaurant will be a great new cuisine to try.  They are set to open very soon, with a tentative date for this weekend. 

I heard they had a secret tasting with the chef’s family over the weekend and everyone loved it.  I personally can’t wait to try their clam kalgooksoo!

For more about the LA restaurant and this cuisine, check out the One More Bite blog and Yelp reviews.

LA Chef Bringing Handmade Noodles To East Coast; First Step: Catonsville's Hanoori Town

An Los Angeles chef is opening his first East Coast location in Catonsville -- and bringing hand-cut noodles, reports Lisbeth of the Lisbeth Eats blog.

Lisbeth and I actually emailed weeks ago, and I overlooked her report about a new restaurant going into the shopping center with H Mart in Catonsville.  Down from the supermarket is a space called Hanoori Town that has three restaurants and a frozen yogurt store upstairs and a housewares store in the basement.

A Korean-Chinese restaurant in Hanoori Town has closed, and a new restaurant specializing in handmade noodles is opening there.  The noodles are kal guk su, a Korean noodle dish served in large bowls of broth.  I don't have full details, but it's exciting enough that folks should know.  I'll update as I learn more.

Here is Lisbeth's full email with a quick description of the restaurants in the Hanoori Town down from H Mart and some news about the new noodle restaurant that is coming:

When you're standing in the parking lot facing Hmart, Hanoori Town is to the right.  There's a Korean food court on top with Korean retail stores (Asian housewares, gifts, beauty products, clothes and bedding) below.  When the place was called Besesto, I think everything was under the same person.  But it was reopened as Hanoori Town under new management about five years ago, and I think each individual shop is sub-leased under one owner. I think the owner wanted to create a space where different ethnicities could come together to shop and eat.  Hanoori means 'Us as one.'

On the top floor there are actually three different restaurants -- two to the left and one facing you as you walk in.  When we went there [in August], I heard that a new restaurant is going into the second space. 

So as you walk in, the first restaurant to the left is Bu Du Mak (closest to the window). They specialise in a cold noodle soup called naeng myun, Korean blood sausage called soon dae, and traditional Korean soups and stews.

The restaurant next to Bu Du Mak was a Korean/Chinese noodle restaurant that specialised in jja jang myun (black bean noodles), jjam ppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) and typical Korean/Chinese dishes like Hanjoonggwan in Ellicott City.  But they are no longer there.  A new kal guk su restaurant is going into that space.  The new chef/owner is famous in LA for his fresh hand pulled noodles and soup, and he's bringing it to the East Coast with his first location in Hanoori Town. I was told that it should be open in roughly late September. 

I love kal guk su  so I'm very much looking forward to checking them out. Kal guk su is well known in the Myung Dong neighborhood of Seoul. 

The restaurant facing you as you walk in is called Chan Mat and they offer all sorts of Korean food, Japanese sushi lunch buffet and I saw new signs for Korean/Chinese cuisine on their wall. I 'm guessing when the Korean/Chinese restaurant in the middle closed, Chan Mat added those items to their menu. 

I like the housewares store and the Korean bedding store in the basement. I got my shabu shabu pot from there and the Korean bedding shop in the back corner has lots of gift items and comfortable blankets, mats and pillows for the house.

Great Takeout Salad: The Seasonal Hwae Dup Bop You Can Carry Out From Catonsville Lotte

Hwae dup bop from Rainbow Sushi inside the Catonsville Lotte

We have a new option for easy, healthy takeout now that we have learned about hwae dup bop carryout at the new Lotte in Catonsville.

This is a salad of shredded lettuce and vegetables served with sliced sashimi-style fish, rice and a spicy sauce.  We ate it at Yetnal House last month, but we enjoyed it again last night when the Cordis Couple invited us over for impromptu dinner.

It's super easy dinner in minutes.  You get a takeout container packed with shredded lettuce, carrots, cucumber and other vegetables along with bite-sized slices of tuna and other fish.  You also get a package of cooked rice and a dollop of spicy red pepper sauce.  Mix to taste with a dash of sesame oil, and we ate beautifully.

Pre-stirring

The Cordis couple buy the "sashimi salad" at the Rainbow Sushi stand in the back right corner of the new Lotte in Catonsville.  Order.  Then shop for 10 minutes while the sushi chefs slice the fish for you.

The package serves three adults, they said.  With a little more cooked rice, they mixed up a bowl that served four us comfortably.  That's a deal at about $11.

Apparently, Rainbow Sushi only sells hwae dup bop in the summer and fall.  So go try now.  I thought the ingredients were delicious.  Crisp vegetables.  Tasty fish.  They stirred until everything mixed, and the sesame oil made a light dressing with the spicy sauce and some of that orange roe.

Honestly, I enjoyed this as much or more than the Yetnal House version.  I don't think we mixed our first hwae dup bop well, and the shredded vegetables made it easier to ensure that everything was coated with dressing and that every mouthful came with fish and vegetables.  Lisbeth had posted about her favorite version, extolling the shredded iceberg lettuce at Han Sung.  She is onto something, and the Rainbow Sushi version mixed several kinds of lettuce with radicchio and other vegetables.

I really recommend the Lotte in Catonsville.  The Ellicott City branch work great for quick shopping, but the new Lotte is worth the drive because it's bigger and has enormous selections of Indian, Korean and other ethnic items.

New Chinese Supermarket Has Opened In Catonsville; What Does It Add To Lotte?

A new Chinese supermarket appears to have opened in Catonsville -- giving you a supplement to the Korean-run markets that already make Rte 40 a terrific place for food.

Great Wall Supermarket appears to have opened this week.  This is a chain with several locations in Virginia, and I love the Asian supermarkets that often have products that run from Iran or India through Korea and Japan.

Already, H Mart and two Lotte on Rte 40 are terrific places for everything from produce to packaged goods, fish to frozen dumplings.  The new Lotte in Catonsville has incredible Indian options.

In Virginia, the Great Wall overlapped with H Mart, but then had many Chinese ingredients and foods that weren't in the Korean-run stores.  I saw some Yelp posts that suggest the opening may have been rough, but that say the Great Wall will have roast duck and roast pork.

Hat tip to Cornelia, who posted on the HowChow Facebook page.  Please comment about what you see at Great Wall and what you recommend.  You need to drive past Lotte and H Mart if you're coming from Howard County, so I assume that our locals will go there mostly for items that aren't available at the existing places.

Great Wall Supermarket
5510 Baltimore National Pike (Rte 40)
Catonsville, MD 21207
410-788-888

NEAR:  Great Wall appears to be on Rte 40 just inside the Baltimore beltway.  From Ellicott City, it probably makes sense to drive east on Rte 40.  From southern Howard County, consider just going north on I-95 and curving around on I-695.

Linsy's Store: Another Casual Taqueria That You Need To Hit Up For Delicious Mexican Food

Tacos at Linsy's Store

This blog is a hobby, and I get paid with fun ideas.

Linsy's Store in Catonsville is a casual Mexican restaurant where the tacos match anything around here.  Evan Brown of Portalli's gave me a gift when he told me that the guys who work in his kitchen swear by Linsy's when they want Mexican food.  Now, I can share the gift with you.

These are ideal tacos.  Soft, pliable tortillas with corn flavor.  Savory meats -- a little char to the barbacoa and a nice grill on the chicken.  Then talented fresh toppings -- cilantro for flavor, a cooked green onion and sliced radish for crunch, and a fiery green salsa to squirt on yourself.

Linsy's sits on Rte 40 in Catonsville.  Until Evan, I had driven past dozens of times coming home from H Mart.  The market is hidden behind a Popeye's franchise.  The restaurant is hidden in the back of the store.

You need to search the place out if you like R&R Taqueria in Jessup or Tere's Latin Market in Ellicott City.  I love both those places, and Linsey's are just as delicious.  Different kitchens.  Different meats and garnishes.  But this was a perfect lunch of two tacos and horchata that they ladled from a pitcher into my cup.

You can't beat fresh tacos.  The flavors pop off the plate.  The salsa alone would have made the meal.  They have basic chicken, beef and pork tacos, although they didn't have pork when I visited.  The Spanish menu also lists tongue and options that translate into "ear" and "assorted."  I can't recommend this enough.  Even if you don't love this as much as I do, you can eat for $10.

Linsy's offered a full Mexican menu with counter service.  They had a range of dishes from small tacos or tostadas to full meals like grilled pork, seafood soup, enchiladas, or al pastor shrimp.  They do breakfast.  I ate lunch on a Sunday, and the six tables were full of kids and families.

While you're at Linsy's for tacos, check out the other business nearby.  Patel Brothers is an Indian grocery with vegetables, rices, spices, and other Indian items.  Next door is Paradise Biryani Pointe, which I added to my "to do list.  Biryani is an Indian rice dish, and the menu has a bunch of dishes that are new to me.

Linsy's Store, Restaurant & Deli
6400 Baltimore National Pike (Rte 40)
Catonsville, MD
(410) 744-6412

NEAR:  This is Catonsville, but it's a reasonable drive from Ellicott City -- and great fun if you pair eating tacos with shopping at H Mart or Lotte.  Linsy's is on the north side of Rte 40 just west of Rolling Road, but you can't see it from the road because it is blocked by a Popeye's.  Turn right from west-bound Rte 40 after the Popeye's, and your car will be aimed at Linsy's as you drive into the parking area.

What I Did This Summer #3: Tamales, Fried Chicken, And More Great Restaurant Questions

Corn tamale at Huajicori in Catonsville

We did a little bit of old and new this summer -- hitting up comforting standbys and stepping outside our regulars.

Bon Chon fried chicken is one of the happiest places to return -- although their missing "local options" make it harder to return that often.

Bon Chon chicken

Bon Chon is a pleasure.  Their chicken comes incredibly crisp, and there is skill in everything from that chicken to the coleslaw.  It can just be really, really hot.  Well, it's either garlic-soy or spicy hot.  Just two flavors of chicken.  One is a bit mild, and the other starts at fiery delicious, then becomes just too much to handle.

My advice is order half-and-half or even one-quarter spicy (if they'll do that).  My other advice is to ask for the pickled radish side dish because crunching radish cubes can cool down your mouth.  The Rte 40 restaurant offered "Old Bay" and "honey-hot" flavors for a few weeks this summer, but those are gone now.  I get the idea that the franchise got heat from the central Bon Chon company.

But what about new places this summer?  How about Catonsville?

We had a light lunch at Huajicori, a casual Mexican place that replaced the El Nayar on Frederick Road.  We went with our vegetarian niece, and we discovered a terrific tamale.  Straight corn flavor steamed in a leaf.  Mrs. HowChow learned tamales at LA farmers' markets, and she thought the Huajicori dish measured up.  Between our snack and good salsa, it seems like a place worth checking out again.

We also ate at Catonsville Gourmet.  We both had good fish there, and it seems like a nice place if you want something classy without driving into a city.  But it's priced like the city, which always makes me ask the "Woodberry Kitchen question" like I did in 2010.  For $50-75 per couple, the best local restaurants need to compete with kitchens in two cities.  Since we eat like that only a few weekends a year, we often find ourselves willing to drive into town.

What places are good enough to draw you out for high-end meals?  We have Aida Bistro, Bistro Blanc, Tersiguel's, Portalli's and many other options.  The Highland Inn is supposed to open soon -- at least according to its Web site.  What do you recommend?  What makes your special dinner near home?  What do you know about the Highland Inn?

Fried Chicken From Honey Chicken In Catonsville

Fried chicken and pork at Honey Chicken

Once upon a time, we had to go to Woodbine for special fried chicken.  Now, the crispy treat is running up and down Rte 40.

The newest entry is Honey Chicken -- a counter in the new Lotte in Catonsville -- and we used a Groupon for an entire platter of chicken and pork.  Some wings, some legs, pork cutlets stuffed with cheese, and a mix of spicy and mild white-meat.

This is a nice addition to the Korean fried chicken at Tian Chinese Cuisine and Bon Chon in Ellicott City.  It's not a restaurant.  It's more a lunch spot.  Or takeout.  We ate our chicken at one of the two tables before shopping at Lotte.

Our favorite of the Honey Pig chicken was the white meat nuggets.  Mrs. HowChow generally prefers white meat, but I usually go wings.  I snapped up the bite-sized pieces.  The spicy wasn't that hot -- nothing like Bon Chon's over-the-top.  But I bought an extra hot sauce to spice it up.

The Honey Chicken sits next to the Honey Pig Dumpling counter.  They're both great spots to eat before you fill your shopping cart.  They're also good for takeout.  A little steam reheats the dumplings, and the chicken stayed crisp even after a little while in the oven.

Honey Chicken (aka Honey Pig Chicken)
6600 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville, MD 21228
(443) 341-6355

NEAR: Honey Chicken is inside the Lotte Supermarket on Rte 40 in Catonsville. It's an easy drive from Ellicott City. Lotte is on the left side just after the first car dealerships. Inside Lotte, go to the left wall. Honey Chicken is next to the Honey Pig Dumpling stand.

Party Food: Honey Pig Steamed Buns At Lotte (And Look For Fried Chicken In Catonsville Soon)

Takeout stuffed buns from Honey Pig at Lotte

The newest party food for the HowChows comes from the newest big supermarket, and the food looks like it just keeps getting better.

The steamed dumplings at the Honey Pig counter were a hit on our December's first visit to the new Lotte in Catonsville.  They're softball-sized buns with light steamed outside wrapped around a range of chopped meats and vegetables.

(Update: Honey Pig Dumpling -- and the chicken place -- closed later in 2013.)

On Sunday, we turned a snack into a party.  We got a dozen wang mandu to serve for Korean New Year and steamed them at home.  Seriously, this is easy and delicious.  A few minutes in a steamer warmed everything, and we served a crowd by slicing the dumplings in half.  It's showy fun.  It was delicious dinner for 10 people with leftovers for lunch.

These dumplings are easy party food.  Some rice and kimchi could make a simple lunch.  Or you can get a little complex with a soup or chapchae or bulgogi.

I have a steamer from my fun with Andrea Nguyen's cookbook Asian Dumplings.  Buy one a little farther east from the new Lotte at the Hanoori Home Plaza, the Asian homegoods store in the shopping center with H Mart.

The new Catonsville Lotte is spectacular, and I'm thinking about a bunch of posts fromt here.  But the big news looks like Korean fried chicken may be coming to the Lotte has well.  Honey Pig has a sign on the space next to the bun counter that says "Honey Pig Chicken Coming Soon."

That could be the greatest takeover ever -- steamed dumplings and spicy fried chicken.

Home Anthology -- Get A Cool Kitchen Gift (Or Buy Chairs Like We've Done Long Past Reason)

Do you need a gift for a modern cook? (Or a molded plywood chair?)

Home Anthology in Catonsville is one of the coolest places that you'll ever find -- if you're into used stuff with a sense of style.

Just off the main drag in Catonsville, Home Anthology is a spot to buy furniture that runs from mid-century modern through 1970s Scandinavian.  Owned by a couple.  Open only Saturdays and Sundays.  This is a place to look around for iconic chairs, vintage sofas, and sleek-lined tables or storage pieces.

Over the past year or so, Rob and Nini have expanded into housewares -- cups, pots, fondue sets, tea kettles and other items that will be charming if you're into modern design and nostalgic if you grew up in a 1970s kitchen.  They're great for your kitchen or as a unique gift for someone else.

Like all of Home Anthology's stock, the housewares are used but good condition.  Rob and Nini will tell you what they know about the items.  They'll point out the history and any wear, and they'll show you how to care for it.  They charge fair prices aimed at folks who want to use this stuff -- not ridiculous price aimed at collectors.

Housewares give me a HowChow angle, but I actually recommend Home Anthology as a weekend adventure for anyone who likes modern furniture.  Beds.  Desks.  Dining room pieces right out of Scan circa 1972.  And, of course, chairs.  Chairs made of plywood, molded plastic, cantilevered metal, or the imagination of Charles and Ray Eames.  Just click on their "sold" section to sample cool stuff that got away -- and that might come back another weekend.

As I write this, I'm sitting in a desk chair at we bought there.  There is a green leather rocker behind me that we rushed up to get one Saturday.  Over years, Mrs. HowChow and I have slowly outfitted our house with chairs -- a few slightly chipped, one almost pristine, and mostly just chairs that look like they've been used for years.  (It's more chairs that you'd ever think reasonable.)

Checking Home Anthology's Web page for new arrivals has become late-week fun for us.  Sometimes we stop in Catonsville to nose around.  Sometimes, we're standing outside before the doors open because we've decided to splurge on something beautiful.  Talk to Rob and Nini.  They're friendly, knowledgable, and approachable.  You can truly find something unique, and you'll have fun while you're there.

Home Anthology
91 Mellor Avenue
Catonsville, MD 21228
410-744-0042
Open 12-5 on Saturdays and Sundays

NEAR:  Home Anthology is in a commercial building a few blocks south of Frederick Road.  There are three ways to get to Catonsville.  Use a map to find your best way -- and pick something cool to eat along the way.  First, you can take I-95 to I-695 and then go west on Frederick Road into Catonsville.   Second, you can go through Main Street in Ellicott City and then up Frederick Road.  Third, you can go east on Rte 40 and use Rolling Road to connect to Frederick Road.

New Lotte In Catonsville -- Honey Pig's Steamed Dumplings Headline A Party For Food Lovers

New Lotte in Catonsville

If you love food, then you should be checking out the new Lotte Market in Catonsville this weekend -- with a first stop at the Honey Pig dumpling stand on the left-hand wall.

Lotte is a new Asian market on Rte 40.  Great produce.  Great seafood.  Wide aisle after wide aisle of food from America, Korea, South Asia, Latin America and around the world.  I just loaded up the fridge with fun, and I'll post more next week.

Wang mandu from Honey Pig

You will not be disappointed.  They were sampling dumplings, noodles, and more around the store -- to the delight of Mrs. HowChow -- and you can nose around from sweets to meats, Japanese noodles to Indian banana chips.  (See this post about reasons to shop Asian markets.)

The Honey Pig dumpling stand is a new extension of the barbecue chain.  Steamed dumplings -- wang mandu in Korean -- stuffed with chicken, bulgogi, pork or other fillings.  They're $2.  They're the size of a softball.  And they're delicious.

We got a chicken mandu just as Honey Pig sold out tonight.  Shredded chicken cooked with . . . .  Oh, dear.  We ate with plastic spoons so quickly that I didn't take notes.  It was a bright, rich flavor, and we will be going back for more.

Thanks for Kevin, who tipped us to the Honey Pig mandu.

(Update:  Honey Pig Dumpking closed later in 2013.  The Lotte remains open and wonderful.  They installed a casual Korean restaurant where Honey Pig had sold dumplings and then fried chicken.)

Lotte Catonsville
6600 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville, MD 21228
410 - 750 - 3951

NEAR: Lotte Catonsville is on Rte 40 just over the bridge into Baltimore County.  It's on the left, and they renamed the shopping center as Lotte Plaza so it's easy to spot.

Coming Soon: Huge Lotte In Catonsville

Just a reminder that Lotte is building a new, huge supermarket on Rte 40 in Catonsville.

I love the sign on the current Ellicott City Lotte, which I understand will stay open even after its big cousin opens down the road.  I love that they translated "grocery store" into seven languages.  That's the kind of place where I want to shop.

Anyone know the timeline?  The Sun reported in February that it would open in the summer.  I haven't driven past in a long time.  Is it already open?  Anyone know how the new store will be different?  I assume a larger store means a larger selection.

The Breadery -- Across The Border And Worth It

Sourdough from The Breadery

For someone who eats all kinds of food, I'm remarkably catholic about my views on bread.

Crust.   I like crisp crust and a mild crumb.  I range from baguettes to sourdough to rolls to Italian loaves, but I don't go for sweet breads or soft, multigrain loaves.

Grilled cheese on Breadery sourdough

That's why the new Breadery seems to great to me, even if it is a little farther away.  The Breadery used to be on Rte 40 in Ellicott City, and it moved last year to Oella (or Catonsville as it likes to say). With the new location, they're baking new breads.

They're still making the whole grain and sweet loaves from the old location.  Cheddar parmesan, cinnamon raisin walnut, whole wheat.   They mill their own flour at The Breadery, and those loaves look great if you're into that kind of thing.  But they have a new kind of oven as well, and it turns out my kind of crisp-crust loaves.  Baguettes, Italian, sourdough.

It's Rambutan Season At The H Mart

Rambutan at the H Mart

Rambutan has burst on the scene at the H Mart in Catonsville, and you could hit up the spiny Asian fruit for some adventure and good eating.


Rambutan are sort of like hairy, brightly-painted grapes.  A moist firm fruit inside a stiff red shell covered with bristles.  They're not sharp.  They're actually fun to cut open and pop out the fruit.

This is fun for a foodie dinner.  It's fun to pop a few for kids game to try something new.  They're fragile and expensive to ship, which means that they're available most of the time but really plentiful and fresh in high season.  A few years ago, I paid $7 a pound.  They were about $4 a pound this weekend.


Pick fruit that are relatively heavy and don't have any soft spots.  Just a few make a fun dessert if you pair them with some cookies or candy.

If you go the H Mart, check out all the H Mart posts, especially about the ToreOre fried chicken that you can buy there.  If you go to Catonsville, check out the shopping center -- Mangoberry for yogurt, the Golden Krust for takeout Jamaican, and the houseware store in the basement area down from H Mart -- especially for bento boxes.

H Mart800 N. Rolling RoadCatonsville, MD 21228443-612-9020


NEAR: Rte 40 just west of I-695. If you are driving east on Rte 40 from HoCo, you'll see a Starbucks and a FedEx at the end of the shopping center. Turn right immediately after the Starbucks. If you miss it, just turn right at the next intersection.

New Lotte Market Coming To Catonsville

The Lotte chain that already operates in Ellicott City will open a new Catonsville grocery in the space being vacated by Toys R' Us, reports Brian Conlin in the Sun.

Obviously, this is farther from Howard County than the Ellicott City store at Rte 40 and Rte 29.  But I have to admit that isn't my favorite store.  If the new Lotte were larger or more appealing, then it could attract people willing to drive an extra five or 10 minutes.  Conlin reports that Lotte hopes to open next summer.

ToreOre Fried Chicken At H Mart

Fried chicken from ToreOre 

While we're waiting for Bon Chon to open, it's time to check out the other Korean fried chicken options nearby.

H Mart has a stand in the back corner where they sell ToreOre chicken -- a variation on the Korean friend chicken of made-to-order, double-fried birds with spicy, sweet sauces.  We split a medium box on out way back from the greatest furniture store ever in Catonsville.

The box comes with a red ribbon.  Seriously.  It's the coolest fast food box that we have ever seen.

The box pops open to reveal fried chicken coated in ToreOre's sauce.  We went sweet and spicy (#2), and there was spice there.  Enough that I appreciated that the ToreOre woman shook us away from the really spicy sauce.  They're frying it special, so it takes 20 minutes to cook.

Hot fried chicken is delicious.  We tore through the entire package.  It's moist meat with a crunchy coating.  They pour on a bunch of sauce, so get a pile of napkins.  The bird is chopped into more pieces than just "leg, wing and breast," so you'll get a mix of white and dark.  It's piping hot, and we pulled meat off the bone, laughing and talking about what food we were going to buy.

Honestly, the chicken at Tian Chinese Cuisine still rates best.  The coating there is super thin and crispy, and the sauce has a fresher, less-sugary flavor that makes the unique Korean fried chicken experience.  ToreOre is more like a good casual lunch.  This is thick crust, not the brittle edge at Tian.  That makes this more like Harvest Fried Chicken in Woodbine -- with, of course, the sauce on top.

My suggestion is that you split some chicken and then shop at H Mart.  To order, you go to the ToreOre counter in the back right corner.  Ask there for someone to take your order.  You pay at the main register, pick up at the counter, then eat at the little restaurant next to the produce section.  (To wash the sauce off your hands, go to the bathrooms next to the produce section.)

ToreOre Chicken & Joy

inside H Mart

800 N. Rolling Road

Catonsville, MD 21228

NEAR:  The H Mart is on Rte 40 at Rolling Road in Catonsville.  It's easy to reach from Ellicott City -- just head east on Rte 40.  You turn right into the H Mart shopping center.  There is a Starbucks on the end.  The ToreOre counter is in the back right corner.