Restaurant Name: Nanking

Location: 3800 Indiana 26 Lafayette, IN  (map it)

Phone: (765) 449-8728

Cuisine: Chinese

Review: A mighty thank you is now going out to all my fabulous Lafayette Eats readers. When planning my evening out and looking for a good place to try on the east side, I sent a call into Twitter and Facebook and was deluged with many tasty options. I chose Nanking, though, because that was the only one that got four separate nods.

And wow, am I ever glad I took the advice! It was fantastic!

I guess I’ve probably driven by Nanking a million times and just never really paid attention to it. It’s got a giant sign and everything, but when I went to find it tonight, I had to really look. It’s on SR 26, just east of Creasy, on the north side of the road. Trying to get across 26 and into the parking lot is a bit of a challenge, especially at night, but if you can manage, it’s totally worth it.

We arrived and went in and found the restaurant really full of people. We were greeted quickly and given a table. I’m almost ashamed to admit how long it’s been since I’ve eaten at a Chinese Restaurant where you sit down with a menu. A mistake I don’t plan to make again for a while. After sitting down, a server immediately came out and filled our water glasses and then, before we could even think about ordering it, poured us two cups of hot tea and left the pot on the table. That was super cool! We were going to get tea anyway. And the tea was quite good as well.

I was told in both Twitter and Facebook that I should skip the standard menu and go with the traditional menu. I wasn’t sure what that meant when I got there, but when you open the menu, you do see all the standard American style Chinese food – beef with broccoli, etc. Several pages of it actually. But when you flip to the very back of the menu, there’s the “authentic Chinese dishes” that I heard about and that’s where we chose our meals.

I ordered the mixed meats with pan fried noodles. I was a little scared of the whole “mixed meats” thing – what kind of meat are we talking about here? But I’m glad I ordered it, it was really good. And the serving was ENORMOUS. The meats included shrimp, chicken, and beef and possibly pork but I wasn’t entirely sure. Broccoli, carrots, and then of course the noodles rounded out the dish. It was most excellent.

My husband ordered diced chicken in hot brown sauce. When they brought out the dishes, his looked amazing. I was actually jealous of what he ordered. He scooped a bunch of rice onto his plate, loaded it up with diced chicken and went to town. He reported that while it was hot (hence the name) that it was really good.

So after my first helping of my pan fried noodles I had my own helping of his dish to compare. And wow, it was great too!

The portions were huge, the food was amazing and it was a nice place to eat. It is now my most favorite Chinese restaurant in all of Lafayette/West Lafayette and I know we’ll be eating there again.

Kid friendly: Yes, if your kids will eat Chinese food. There were children eating there.

Price Range: Pretty cheap, I thought. We paid less than $20 for our two giant plates of food, with enough left over for lunch tomorrow.

Restaurant Name: Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Location: 135 S. Chanucey Avenue, West Lafayette, IN (map it)

Phone: 763-743-3100

Cuisine: American

Review: There has been a lot of hype around the addition of Five Guys to Chauncey Mall. Everyone I know that had been to one somewhere raved about it so I was pretty stoked when my husband suggested we go there for lunch the other day. It was during the winter break at Purdue, so we were lucky that it wasn’t too crazy over near campus.

We got good parking and it didn’t appear too crazy, but once we got inside, the place was PACKED. By the time we ordered, there was only one table left in the restaurant. I could not believe it was so incredibly full this soon after opening. Wow.

As for the menu,  it is as it states in the name, almost exclusively burgers and fries. They have a burger menu, a little burger menu, and fries. Coke products for drinks. You order at the register up front, then wait for your order at the other end of the counter. It’s self serve for drinks, etc.

When you order, you tell them everything you want on your burger – they have a big sign that all toppings are free. Heh. I figured I’d go simple, just a cheeseburger and fries. The cashier was very helpful in alerting us to the fact that the regular order of fries will feed 2-3 people. I wish she had been as helpful when ordering burgers, because mine was HUGE.

So onto the food. There are burgers and little burgers. The difference, apparently, is that the burgers have two meat patties and the little burgers only have one. As you can see from the picture above, the burger, was quite large. Way bigger than I needed, so I know for future reference, get the little burger.

All burgers are cooked well done, you don’t get to choose. One of the things my husband liked most about the burger was that the bun wasn’t huge. We’ve eaten at burger places where you have some meat, toppings, and then 17 pounds of bread surrounding it. This had the appropriate amount of bun.

And it was good. Really good. I said as much after my first couple of bites to my husband, then paused and said, “Does it remind you a little of Wendy’s hamburgers?” He agreed that it did. I’m not saying it’s the same as a Wendy’s burger. I’m just saying that there was something about the flavor that was similar. This was definitely a better burger, but there was something about it familiar too.

The fries were also very good, and the portion was way more than any one person should need.

This is going to be a neat addition to West Lafayette, and if the day I went is any judge, they shouldn’t have any problem staying in business! It’s definitely fast food, nothing fancy or elaborate, but if you are in the mood for a good burger, this is the spot. It definitely beats out AJ Burgers and Beef and Scotty’s Brewhouse as well, as far as burgers go.

Kid friendly: yes.

Restaurant Name: Greyhouse Coffee & Supply Co.

Location: 100 Northwestern Avenue, West Lafayette, IN (map it)

Phone: (765) 743-5316

Cuisine: Coffee

Review: After dining at Green Sprout, my friends and I decided to take a short walk over to Greyhouse Coffee for an after dinner beverage and dessert. I’d never been in Greyhouse before, so I figured it would be a treat and it sure was.

Greyhouse is really a delightful place. I’m sorry I waited so long to try it out. It’s beautifully laid out, with artwork on the walls, big comfy chairs arranged artfully around the place, and of course, lots of diverse, unique people to make it all fit. I ordered a Café Mocha. I was given the option for here or to go, so I chose for here and not only did I get quite a large drink, but it was artfully arranged with a heart on the top. It was almost too pretty to drink. My friend’s mocha had a leaf. And the two hot chocolates? They were delectable with chocolate shavings on top. I was a little jealous.

My friends also got some cake that they say was incredibly rich.

I really enjoyed the drink and the atmosphere. Even though I am older than most of the people there and so unhip it’s not even funny, I still felt comfortable and enjoyed myself.

Kid friendly: If by kid, you mean college students, then absolutely. I’m sure kids would not be unwelcome, but it is sort of a trendy college spot.

Price Range: Not any pricier than Starbucks.

Restaurant Name: Green Sprout Restaurant and Bakery

Location: 102 N. Chauncey Ave., West Lafayette, IN? (map it)

Phone: (765) 269-7393?

Cuisine: Korean

Review: Whenever I get the opportunity to dine out without children, I immediately start searching for places that I’ve never been because I love trying new restaurants. I remembered from back when I reviewed Maru and Fiesta Mexican Grill that there was some kind of bakery place in that area and thought tonight would be a good chance to try it out.

It’s on Chauncey Avenue, just down the street from Noodles and Company. When we arrived, it was fairly empty. It’s a casual environment, tables along a wall with a big bench and big comfy pillows along the bench. In the center of the restaurant was a table of fresh baked bread choices. The entire place was bright and airy with high ceilings and lovely colors. And also, very clean. I tend to check out the floors in restaurants, because often they are just disgusting, but these were quite clean.

It’s not a fancy place. You order at the counter and they bring the food to your table on trays. The food is served on paper plates for the most part. Their main draw is something called a Sushi Salad. It’s layers of sushi rice, shredded cooked egg, cucumber, seaweed with your choice of avocado,  shrimp, mushroom, eel, or tuna and your choice of sauces like spicy mayo, wasabi mayo, sweet sauce, kimchi sauce, and soy sauce.

They also offer a variety of hot choices served with steamed rice, the most popular being the Spicy Peanut Chicken. I ordered the spicy chicken and my husband got the sushi salad, so we could try the two specialties.  We also got a pot of green tea to share.

I really enjoyed my spicy chicken. It was exactly as advertised. My husband also really liked his sushi salad. The tea was also very good. We dined with a friend who ordered teriyaki chicken and some kind of beef dish, served with rice, and she was not as pleased as we were with our entrees. Whether that’s because the food wasn’t good or because it didn’t suit her tastes remains to be seen.

Because they claim daily fresh baked breads, I felt like I needed to try the bread before leaving. I went up to the register and had the clerk explain what all the different breads were. The choices included multi-grain cream cheese bread, red bean soboro, regular soboro, and something with coffee in it. I chose the one the clerk recommenced, the soboro bread. It was delicious. It had the consistency and taste of a croissant, but was shaped more like an extra large cookie and was topped with a crumbly topping that tasted almost like a peanut butter cookie. I really liked it.

Overall, I think it’s a nice casual place for a quick meal. I’ll definitely go again.

Kid friendly: It was definitely casual and kid friendly as far as the environment goes. I believe I even saw high chairs. Whether kids will eat their offerings, that will have to be up the parents to decide.

Price Range: We ended up paying about $22 for two meals, hot tea, and bread.

Restaurant Name: Hawaiian Hut

Location: 111 S River Rd, West Lafayette, IN?  (map it)

Phone: (765) 838-0310

Cuisine: Hawaiian

Review: After hearing about it for a while, I finally made it over to the Hawaiian Hut tonight. It’s located on the levee, in the strip at the corner of 26 and 231. Hard to get to in terms of parking, but they do have a garage you can park in once you figure out how to get into it.

I was shocked when I went into this little restaurant. I did not expect it to be so nice! It was lovely, with a waterfall, big ceiling fans, lots of neat tables and tiki bars. It was also completely dead. We were like the third couple there, and this was a Saturday night. I hope they got busier later, because it wasn’t busy when we were there.

You order at the counter and there is a big overhead menu. The cashier was very helpful, explaining that the overhead menu didn’t have a few of their entrées and even making a few recommendations. I love it when they make recommendations. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I’m in a restaurant and I asked the server what’s good and they don’t know. If you work there, you should know what’s good or have an opinion somewhat. If you don’t know, it makes me wonder what they are doing to the food.

I ordered the Teri Chicken and my husband ordered the pork. It came with a side of white or brown rice (I chose brown) and a side of pineapple. The chicken was pretty tasty. The rice was fairly bland (as plain rice tends to be). I did sneak a few bites of the pork, and it was delicious.

They also offer a variety of smoothies, soups, salads and desserts, although I didn’t try any of those. I can see how the price could get pretty high if you add a bunch of those. I thought the atmosphere was nice and the food was good and I’m sure I’ll go again.

Their menu is available on their website, but be warned that there is music that starts automatically with no shut off I could find. (I hate that. Music on a website that isn’t about music, just a bad idea. Especially if you don’t give me an off button.)

Kid friendly: Children’s menu was just smaller portions of the adult menu. My kids would be happy with just eating rice and pineapple.

Price Range: $6.95-8.95 for a small meal, $9.75- for a large

Restaurant Name: Exotic Thai

Location: 3614 State Road 38 E, Lafayette, IN (map it)

Phone: (765) 449-8898

Cuisine: Thai

Review: I used to eat at Exotic Thai quite frequently. Then I ate at Thai Essence and I decided that I never needed to eat at any other Thai restaurant for the rest of my life. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but I am such an overwhelming fan of Thai Essence, I really have stopped dining at other Thai places in town.

(Hey, do you all remember when there were no Thai restaurants in Lafayette? I sure do!)

So yesterday I was running errands right around lunch time and happened to be by the mall. Exotic Thai is located in a little strip across from the mall on 38. When I went in yesterday, I noticed that they’d remodeled since the last time I was there. They now have a sushi bar and have upgraded the place quite nicely.

I was seated immediately. I’ve never actually seen this place busy, but I imagine it gets a decent carry out business.

The menu has also expanded to include tons of Sushi and now even a complete lunch menu. It was almost a little overwhelming. Because I am (often) boring, I went with my normal Pad See Ew with chicken. I really love appetizers but didn’t want to spend much money and from what I remembered the portion sizes were good, so I just went with that.

I was brought my water and soup and salad very soon. The salad is just iceberg lettuce with a tomato and cucumber, and their house dressing. Nothing fancy. The soup was almost like a dressed up egg drop soup. It was hot, but had some kind of flavor I couldn’t quite place. Pretty good though.

When my meal came, I was really disappointed. Instead of the huge plate of noodles to which I’ve become accustomed, I got a smaller portion of noodles with a big side of white rice.

The food was decent, although my standards are pretty high from Thai Essence. The portion was small and did leave me a little hungry afterward. I did see on the menu that you could swap the white rice for fried rice for an additional charge, but they didn’t ask when I ordered so it didn’t occur to me until later. I’d have preferred fried rice.

The service is always good. One of the things I like about Exotic Thai is that they don’t hover. When I dine alone (and I’m the kind of geek who likes to go out to eat alone) I take a book and enjoy a good meal while I’m reading. Other places (I’m looking at you, O’Charley’s) have servers that are constantly in your face, asking you how everything is and if you need more soda, etc. I like to have my drink refilled quietly and only occasional interruptions, especially when I’m reading a book. But hey, that’s just my personal preference.

If you are on the east side, it’s a decent stop but if you are looking for great Thai food, head to the west side for Basil Thai or Thai Essence.

Kid friendly: No children’s menu, but I’ve taken my kids there. If they like rice and noodles they should be okay.

Price Range: Lunch prices are pretty cheap, mine was less than $7 (without a drink). Can get pricey if you add on appetizers and drinks. (Note: There’s a $10 minimum to use your credit or debit card.)

Restaurant Name: Khana Khazana

Location: 108 Northwestern Ave, West Lafayette, IN (map it)

Phone: (765) 743-1223

Cuisine: Indian

Review: Going into this review, it needs to be understood that I am not an experienced Indian food eater. I’m more or less a newbie. It took me twelve years to convince my husband to go to an Indian restaurant. So while I enjoy new experiences and have really enjoyed my adventures in Indian dining, I am, by no means, an authority.

Khana Khazana is in West Lafayette by Chauncy Hill on Northwestern Avenue. It’s got a big sign outside and it’s in a little strip mall near Panda Express (which I seriously did not know was there) and the Egyptian Hookah Cafe (which I need to try). Parking is somewhat difficult, so we hopped into the West Lafayette Public Library garage. Not sure if that’s allowed, but it seemed to work okay.

The restaurant itself is small with a number of tables all very close together. One corner of the restaurant has a buffet. We were greeted and told to sit where we like and help ourselves to the buffet unless we wanted to look at the menu. It was all very casual and laid back, not at all high brow.

We both opted for the buffet. While it was small, you could circle it on both sides so it used its space very well and had a nice range of choices. What I really liked was that each item had a big sign that not only told you the name of that food, but explained what it was. Which is really helpful for a newbie like me.

I filled up my plate and sat down and dug in and it was all really good. I’m not really sure what I ate, there was definitely chicken, rice, some kind of fried vegetable thing. It was all delicious. There wasn’t much in the way of service as this was a buffet, but I really liked that they left you a full pitcher of water on the table (the food is quite spicy, so I was grateful for the endless refills) and they were very good about replacing you pitcher when it got empty.

Interestingly, when you left you just went to the register and told the guy what you ate. I’m not sure if someone was tracking it, but it seemed a lot like the honor system to me. Lucky for them I have an overactive conscience, so I did not try to get away with anything and paid my bill.

It was a pleasant visit. The food was great. The ambiance was casual and I will definitely go again.

Kid friendly: Not really, unless your kids really like Indian food.

Price Range: around $20 for two dinner buffets and water

Restaurant Name: Great Harvest Bread Company

Location: 1500 Kossuth Street, Lafayette, IN (map it)

Phone: 765.74-BREAD (742-7323)

Hours: Monday – Friday: 7am – 6pm · Saturday: 7am – 4:30 pm · Closed Sunday

Cuisine: Bread, Sandwiches

Review: I have been a fan of Great Harvest bread for a while. I was impressed when I first went in and the owner spent time talking to me about how the breads are made. I prefer my baked goods to be without high fructose corn syrup and preservatives, and he assured me they were. One of the things I like about them also is that I can buy locally made salsas, butters, and sauces. I’m a big fan of purchasing local when it’s possible, so this is a great idea.

I actually hadn’t been in for a while because I’ve sort of been into making my own bread, but I kept seeing a sign outside when I would drive by. The sign read, “Best Sandwiches in Town.” I don’t know about anyone else, but when I see a claim like that, I feel an urgency to check it out. Today I finally stopped in to pick up a sandwich and figure out if they are actually the best in town.

The store is fresh, bright, and clean. You can see the bread making operation to the right when you walk in, and they have a display counter with fresh breads and sweets. I’m always offered a fresh slice of whatever is fresh. They don’t really  have a dine in area aside from a small bar with a couple of stools, but they do have a small children’s oven set with some toys in it, and my kids both love playing in it while we’re waiting to place our order. That place is always busy.

For sandwiches, they offer a variety of cold and hot sandwiches. (They have their menu online here.) They offer three varieties: signature sandwiches, classic sandwiches, and panini sandwiches. They’ve got simple sandwiches like PB&J to more elaborate options like the Boilermaker Roast Beef Panini. In all, a pretty wide variety of sandwiches.

I chose the Tuscan Chicken Panini. It’s a hot sandwich with chicken, provolone and veggies on Italian Herbed Focaccia. I opted to add a bag of chips for a $1. You can “Make it a Meal!” for $2.50, which adds carrots or a cookie and a drink for $2.50. Unfortunately, they offer Pepsi products so I had to take a pass on that. No offense Pepsi, but I’m a Coke girl.

I don’t know that I would go so far as to say it was the “Best” sandwich I’ve had in Lafayette, but it was pretty tasty. It was also huge. A really big sandwich that I could barely manage to finish. You don’t need to “Make it a Meal!” because it is one!

The service is always friendly, if not always the speediest, and I always enjoy stopping in. Definitely a good option for grabbing a tasty sandwich when you don’t want fast food but don’t want to “eat out” exactly.

Kid friendly: Yes

Price Range: $2.95 for PBJ up to $7.95 for some of the more expensive sandwiches. That price does not include drink, chips, or cookie.

Restaurant Name: Bruno’s

Location: 4212 Brown St. West Lafayette, IN  (map it)

Phone: (765) 743-1668

Cuisine: Pizza

Review: I love getting reader recommendations, so when an email came in saying I just had to review Bruno’s, I hopped right on it! (It helped that I had a coupon for free Bruno dough.) So tonight we went there for dinner; it seemed just the thing for a wet, rainy evening.

Unlike the other time we tried to go there, this time there was no wait. We were seated right away and given menus. Apparently Bruno’s is a very popular place for sports fans, as there were TVs in every direction and sports paraphernalia on every inch of each wall.

The menu had not only pizza, but pasta, salads, sandwiches, and other items called “Bruno Specialties.” I usually opt for one of the specialities, figuring that the people who make the food know best, but as this was a family outing, we went simple and ordered a pepperoni pizza. (And our free Bruno dough.)

The drinks and Bruno dough came out pretty quickly, and I found the dough rather tasty, if a little greasy. My kids were big fans, eating more than we did. I’d like an opportunity to try out a few other dip options for the dough.

We ate our dough and waited for the pizza and it took quite a while for the pizza to come out. It didn’t seem that busy and our order was pretty simple so I don’t know what the hold up was. Service overall was a bit spotty all  night, and I do recognize that usually has more to do with a particular server than the restaurant. Our server wasn’t great or particularly friendly.

The pizza finally came. It wasn’t cut into triangles, but into narrow rectangular slices. Interesting option and the kids really liked it. I really enjoyed the taste and flavor of the pizza; it was really good. I was a little less enthusiastic about the goop factor. Not sure how else to describe it, but the dough was floppy and the pizza was very limp. It made it harder to eat, but we ate it all.

Overall, I definitely think it warrants a second try. I’d like to try some of the specialities and see if the pizza is generally floppy or if we hit a bad night.

Kid friendly: Yes

Price Range: $10-$20 for pizzas