Great lunch at affordable prices at Mr. Chan's Asian Bistro in Burlington

My coworkers and I are regulars at Mr. Chan's Asian Bistro, located in the large plaza on Middlesex Turnpike in Burlington (also another located in Milton).  The waitresses know our preferences; chopsticks, hot chili oil and extra vegetables in lieu of the rice for my tall friend.  We've been coming here nearly every week for the past year whether its just my tall friend and I for lunch or a company luncheon with the whole inside sales department.

Dim Sum at Bubor Cha Cha in Chinatown

It was JUST OK

We've been spoiled with the opening of China Star and never needed to go into Boston for dim sum.  

Today we happened to heading into Boston and stopped by Chinatown for brunch.  Parking on a Sunday in Chinatown is always a nightmare.  There are pedestrians aimlessly walking without looking both ways, cars double parked on the narrow roads with their hazard lights blinking, lots of construction and one way streets and of course, traffic.  After looping around the block a couple times, we were liked "Fuck it, let's just park in the garage!" Of course you can park at Chau Chow for only $10.00 but your car is usually blocked in and for ONLY an extra $1.00, you can get in and out of the parking lot on your own terms.

We originally had plans to go to The Gourmet Dumpling House but we walked by Bubor Cha Cha and the flyers on their windows appealed to me.

Lowell WinterFest Soup Bowl Competition

Every year the Mo and I go to the Lowell WinterFest North Bowl Soup Competition at the Masonic Center on Dutton Street.

"There's a lot to like about Lowell!" The WinterFest being one of many reasons to like Lowell!

The competition used to be held both Friday and Saturday night but this year it was only available on Saturday between 1:00 PM- 4:00 PM.  Admission price stayed the same at $5.00 per person at the door.

Since we had a late breakfast, we arrived towards the end of the event, yet there was still a line to get through the door!

The crowd ranged from toddlers to the elderly and every age group in between.  Everyone loves soup!

The air was filled with tantalizing aromas as the contestants quickly filled up their soup cups to move the lines.  The restaurants sponsors the competition by donating the soup to promote their local business.

Peephuptmei Cambodian Restaurant

One of the many Cambodian restaurants in Lowell

After a long night of drinking with friends at the house, the Mo and I ventured out to seek Cambodian brunch.  We first headed to Simply Khmer and there was no parking, we went to Phnom Penh on Westford Street, still no parking, so we finally went to Peephuptmei on Branch Street.  Parking was still a bit tough but we eventually parked over an snow/ice bank and made it work.

Chip's Family Restaurant and Pez Visitor Center in Orange, CT

The Mo and I was in Connecticut over the weekend celebrating my mother's birthday.  After a night of drinking, we headed to Chip's Family Restaurant in Orange, CT to grab a late breakfast.  Although I've only visited a handful of times, I can easily say that it's my FAVORITE breakfast joint in the world.  They won the Reader's Choice Best Breakfast for 2014 in Connecticut Magazine's awards.

Weekend Indian Lunch Buffet at Priya in Lowell

The Mo and I wanted to grab a quick Indian meal after our workout so we headed to Priya Indian Cuisine on 1270 Westford Street in Lowell (more like Drumhill).  It's a convenient restaurant for us to get our Indian fix and the prices are reasonable at $ 12.99 for their weekend lunch buffet that is served between noon and 3:00 PM.

Korean BBQ Buffet at Rega's Grill

The Mo's brother, Makara, organized a joint birthday luncheon for mom and dad today.  We were limited with venues as there were certain criteria; the place had to serve Asian food and it had to be able to accommodate a large party.

We considered the usual Chinatown eateries along with China Star in Lowell, but nothing really excited us.  Makara suggested Rega's Grill in Lawrence,  where he previously celebrated his birthday a couple of weeks ago with Paul and Lyna, who frequents the restaurant.  He raved about the "All you can eat Korean BBQ" food and service so we all agreed to give it a try!

Pan Asian Fusion cuisine at All Seasons Table in Malden

We were heading into Boston for a Celtics game with the Mo's little brother and girlfriend.  After a nauseating car ride and traffic in Malden, we arrived at All Seasons Table on 64 Pleasant Street in Malden. By the sound of the name of the restaurant, you wouldn't have guessed that it was an Asian restaurant.

Mee Ka La cold rice noodle vermicelli

Mee Ka La Noodles

My friend Soklim introduced me to this dish a few years ago.  Growing up, my mother made all sorts of cold noodle dishes served with fish sauce but I never had Mee Ka La.  Soklim tried to explain it to me, telling me there were noodles, fresh herbs, etc. and I kept asking her, "Are you sure you're not talking about banh hoi?", another cold noodle dish usually served with meat and fried eggrolls.

We went over for dinner one night and she

Delicious Duck Ramen

We had leftover duck from China Star last night so I thought I would whip up a quick noodle dish for brunch this morning.

A couple years back I posted

Great Cambodian food at Heng Lay Restaurant in Lowell

This Cambodian restaurant is on the corner of a busy intersection where School street meets Liberty street. It is literally 2 minutes from our house and it's our "go to" restaurant for Cambodian cuisine.  Most of the younger crowd prefer Simply Khmer or Red Rose  but we have been going to Heng Lay for years.

Heng Lay has

China Star, authentic "Chinatown" staple dishes in Lowell

This post is for the original China Star on Broadway street in Lowell.  If you are interested in learning about it's sister restaurant with the full restaurant service, bar and dim sum, go here to be redirected to China Star on Midddlesex St.

This has been our favorite Chinese restaurant in Lowell for the past couple of years.  We have been known to have drunk nights out in Downtown Lowell, order a couple of hundreds of dollars worth of authentic "Chinatown" dishes and come back home with friends for a night cap.  It's so nice to have a great Chinese restaurant in Lowell without having to drive to Chinatown for all the specialty items.

Although we typically order the Chinatown dishes

Green Forest Tea House 1, New Chinese Bakery in Lowell!

A few weeks ago, the Mo picked up Chinese Takeout at China Star on Broadway St. and noticed a new Chinese bakery that opened up next door.  The Green Forest Tea House opened its doors last Fall on 38 Willie Street and shares the same building as the popular take-out Chinese restaurant.

Fresh Sushi at Sushi Yanagi in Chelmsford

The sushi joint opened in the suburbs about a year ago and this post is long overdue.  The Mo and I like to visit Sushi Yanagi with friends when we are craving fresh sushi at affordable prices.