Another week of take out, or as we like to call it, Dinner In. This week, we were still wanting some Asian food, and we went with Japanese from Ran Zan on Hope Street.
Providence is lucky to have plenty of options for Asian food in general, and at least five places that I can think of doing Sushi. Ran Zan is a great little place with nice servers, atmosphere, and great, simple food. It’s not full of college kids like Tokyo, and the servers are nice unlike Sakura. The food is great and the prices reasonable.
The Order:
Beef Teriyaki dinner (with soup)
Chicken Yakisoba (with soup)
Tempura Shrimp maki and a Yam roll
The Sushi
We wanted something warm, something cozy, so we ordered dinners. But of course, we couldn’t forsake sushi. While we love tuna and salmon and all sushi, to keep us feeling cozy, we stuck with the cooked rolls. Yam is always a favorite, no matter what mood we are in, and the tempura shrimp was a good complement. I think Ran Zan’s sushi is around the best in Providence, easily on par with Sakura. The couple that owns Ran Zan has been doing this practically all their life, and it shows in their food. Plus, I think I am too old to accept harsh service – it’s just not charming anymore.
Chicken Yakisoba
I don’t think I ever had yakisoba, and I don’t know what I waited so long. No doubt, I can partially blame my sushi obsession – another one of those things that I just have to order, even if there are other things on the menu worth trying. I’m glad I tried this one. The chicken was done well and still moist with some great flavor, and the dish was full of tender vegetables and noodles. I was pleasantly surprised.
The Teriyaki
Teriyaki is one of those things that I remember as a kid. I remember the beef on sticks with pork ribs dyed red and Pu Pu platters… of course, this is nothing like that. This is a serious dinner, the Japanese version of a steak and potatoes dinner: A large portion of steak marinated in a snappy and slightly sweet sauce, cooked medium and served with rice and broccoli. The meat was very tender and the sauce was not too overpowering. While I wouldn’t order it all the time, mainly for its $16 price tag, I was again pleasantly surprised and glad I did. Nothing against the price, I just think I’d be happier with $16 worth of sushi.
The verdict
All in all, a very nice dinner in. We branched out and tried a few things that we wouldn’t normally. I think dishes like the yakisoba would make me try more new things on the menu, and the sushi will always keep me coming back. To a take-out night on the cheap I wouldn’t get the teriyaki again, but I don’t regret a thing.
And even though we wanted to be cozy, we ended up having a few mochi – pounded sticky rice make into a dough-like envelope filled with ice cream… fantastic!
RI Foodies 