Hunan Lion

Hunan Lion is always included as part of the upper echelon of restaurants around Columbus (see: Dispatch). The combination of tasteful decor with tasty Chinese and Thai dishes garners a lot of praise for this establishment. All the acclaim is deserved based upon my experience.

The restaurant is stylishly appointed. The service is courteous. Hunan Lion offers both dine-in and take-out options. The restaurant belies its strip mall exterior with detailed wood accents, dark colors, white table cloth and Asian light fixtures alongside a photogenic fish tank.

The server informed me that all menu items that did not list meat as an ingredient in the description were in fact vegetarian. There are many vegetarian appetizers in addition to the Thai and Chinese main courses on the menu.

The sesame noodles were delicious. Hunan Lion prepares the peanut dish hot with thick noodles, cucumbers and scallions. It is rich, mildly seasoned and deeply satisfying.

My main course was the Siam tofu. It was pan fried cubes of tofu in a brown Thai chili sauce with asparagus, red peppers, green beans, onions and baby corn. The tofu was crispy and not at all greasy. The sauce is a flavorful of green herbs, hot peppers and savory balance. The vegetables were a great blend. They demonstrated a focus on flavor more than a blind adherence to tradition a la the neighborhood take-out establishment.

Hunan Lion is more expensive than the typical neighborhood Chinese joint based upon the level of service, the decor and the quality of food. It is worth the price of admission.

Hunan Lion

Chile Verde Cafe

Chile Verde is tucked back in a shopping center on the endless strip mall that is Sawmill. The intimate eatery offers carefully prepared Southwestern cuisine.

This restaurant makes food that would be termed Tex-Mex or Southwestern cooking (they call it New Mexican cuisine). What separates them from the competition is the quality of the food. Chile Verde is a big step up from the everyday fast-casual Mexican eateries that permeate (some might say pollute) the nation.

On a hot summer day, few items refresh quite as effectively as gazpacho, a cold tomato soup that screams for warm weather. The Chile Verde version had big chunks of tomato, cucumber and onions. It was a soup of the day, making me glad I chose that day to eat at Chile Verde.

I ordered the veggie burrito with sides of peppered pinto beans and Southwestern mashed potatoes. The small burrito was more than enough with the side dishes included, leading me to believe that the large burrito is the size of a football. It was filled with green peppers, mushrooms, onions and zucchini, topped with melted cheese and a red sauce. The mashed potatoes were skin-on and moderately seasoned. The beans were vegetarian and delicious.

Chile Verde offers margaritas by the glass and pitcher. They feature on the rocks and frozen varieties made with blanco, reposado or añejo tequila, along with beer and Spanish and South American wines. The staff was exceptionally helpful picking out vegetarian items, and the menu offered a variety of appetizers, entrees and side dishes to sate your vegetarian appetite.

Chile Verde