From left, Naf Naf loads up its tasty plates, Bonchon scores for food and service, and Teriyaki Madness brings “mad” spice to its bowls.
Want a good excuse to avoid cooking for a couple days? Visit Naf Naf Grill and order the Pick 2 Plate plus a basmati rice bowl. You’ll be set for at least four meals, each tasting just as good—or better—than the first. Naf Naf, which translates to “fan the flame” in Hebrew, keeps its Middle Eastern-focused menu simple, but with enough mix and match options for bowls and plates to never approach boring. For the Pick 2 Plate, generous portions of chicken shawarma and steak are sublime and join basmati rice, hummus, purple cabbage, chopped salad, Middle Eastern pickles, tahini and one of Naf Naf’s pillowy pitas for $11.95. Loaded with crispy chicken schnitzel for $11.25, the substantial rice bowl is made even better with the addition of a creamy garlic sauce. The falafel, with hints of jalapeno, is not to be missed, and wasn’t, thanks to a last-second add-on at the suggestion of the friendly employee at this suburban Minneapolis location, one of 35 in the emerging franchise.
The upshot: For those unfamiliar with the flavors of some of Naf Naf’s cuisine, don’t be afraid to ask for help in assembling a bowl. The brand might consider adding some composed dishes to its lineup. —L.M.
It felt fitting that a song by K-pop band BTS was playing when I walked into the Roseville, Minnesota, location of Bonchon, a Korean fried chicken concept. My colleague and I ordered Shrimp Shumai, fried shrimp dumplings drizzled with honey Dijon dressing for $7.25. The sweet and savory combo of the sauce, along with the satisfying crunch of the breading, made up for the fact we only got eight dumplings to split. A 10-piece order of the boneless wings with soy garlic came out a little lacking on the sauce, but an extremely nice staff member offered to brush more sauce on top since he wasn’t allowed to give us a sauce cup as a side. The $10.45 lunch special also came with seasoned fries. An order of the plain house-fried rice cost $9.25 and came with onion, egg, red pepper and cucumber. It made for great leftovers on my weekend camping trip. Bonchon’s interior was classier than I expected, with wooden tables, white sharing plates, chop sticks and a big neon sign above the bar that said #EatHappiness.
The upshot: Though I’d come back for the food alone, the amazing staff cemented a 10/10 score by going above and beyond with service, including accommodating my colleague’s allergies. —C.E.
A few months ago, I broke a seven-year streak of vegetarianism (and a brief stint in veganism) because I wanted some chicken. The change of morals was well worth it once I tasted the spicy chicken sandwich I picked up for lunch that day. It was like the past seven years never happened. Now, if my first post-vegetarian meal was Teriyaki Madness’ signature teriyaki chicken bowl, I would’ve regretted my decision almost immediately. The bland sauce that accompanied the otherwise decent chicken and sad array of stir-fried veggies did not leave me wanting more. However, the side of “mad” sauce I got to accompany my bowl added the burst of heat and flavor it was originally missing. The junior bowl I had delivered for dinner was a decent size for the $7.99 price tag, but it was hardly enough food for how ravenous I was after browsing the website. I also tried the mad spicy orange chicken bowl, which was a lot more flavorful. The mix of orange sweetness and spicy mad sauce was the perfect flavor combination.
The upshot: I’d return for the mad orange chicken—although maybe then I’d order the regular size, and upgrade to their “all broccoli” vegetable accompaniment to get back to my meat-free ways. —E.W.