I finally made it to Thai Orchid.
The restaurant is located in one of the classic downtown buildings. The high ceilings and open space give a relaxed, welcoming feel.
I started with a fragrant pot of tea.
The lamb masaman was superb, the best masaman I have ever eaten. The flavors are deep and complex: savory, coconut, a hint of sweet, and a bouquet of spices. I used my rice to wipe the bowl clean.
I did leave room for a taste of dessert. My coconut cake was also superb: rich coconut flavor with a very fresh coconut topping, very moist cake. I ate some and took the rest back to my room for breakfast. This was a truly outstanding meal.
Luella's is a nouvelle BBQ outfit on the north side of Asheville. It is nestled among the trees in a lovely neighborhood. The restaurant has lots of windows for inside seating and plenty of outside seating. Service was courteous and amazingly fast. This is a combination plate with pork and brisket. Both were very moist and tender. For the pork, I tried both the mild and hot vinegar sauces. To my surprise, I preferred the milder one because it didn't assert itself too much. I enjoyed the spicy tomato sauce for my brisket. The hushpuppies were very good. The fried okra was fresh out of the fryer and excellent. The slaw was of the vinegary variety, which I usually enjoy, but this version is heavy on the white stuff and didn't have quite enough variety in tastes for me.





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