dumplings | Mass Food & Wine

Hibachi Tuna Steak from Takara in Worcester

Takara Sushi Restaurant is located right in the middle of Kelley Square and is a combination hibachi grill, where they cook in front of you, and sushi bar.

For an appetizer, I had the Gyoza. Pan fried pork dumplings served with vinegar and soy dipping sauce and a small lettuce salad. This was the perfect size for an appetizer. The dough was thin and cooked perfectly with a little char and good crunch. The meat/veggies inside were tender and juicy. The dumplings were big enough to satisfy my urge, but not so big as to interfere with my dinner. Overall, a very good appetizer.

For dinner, we were seated at the hibachi grill and everything is cooked in front of you, with a little flair and entertainment. The fried rice and mixed vegetables were seasoned and cooked nicely, with a portion size that was about right. Not too big, not too small and a very good complement for my main meal which was the Hibachi Tuna Steak. A decent sized sushi grade tuna steak was seasoned, cooked and cubed in front of me. I had it medium, with a nice pink center and it was delicious. The tuna was cooked to perfection, both tender and juicy with a good pop of flavor. The seasoning was minimal, just enough to bring out the natural tuna flavor. Overall, I was very happy with the meal and I would return to get that again.

Chicken + Dumplings from The Urban on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Foodies 2015 is off to a delicious start with yet another great venue. This month – The Urban Kitchen + Bar located on Shrewsbury Street. The Urban Kitchen + Bar promises ‘refined comfort food’ and I would agree they absolutely do!

The décor is slightly industrial simplistic, the staff was attentive, welcoming, and knowledgeable. The menu was extensive with many unique items. It was a tough decision on what to order, but I decided to go with the restaurant week menu.

Appetizer – Salsify Clam Chowder -manilla clams, bacon, thyme, cream, housemade oyster crackers. This was such a fantastic clam chowder; you had to deshell the clams, which added to the excitement of the dish. The flavors were perfect, the bacon added just enough smoke, the thyme was not overwhelming, and surprisingly the broth was not extremely heavy. This was not your average clam chowder; it was as they state, ‘refined’.

Main – Chicken + Dumplings – mushroom consommé, swiss chard, beech mushrooms, toasted garlic. I am a huge fan of bone in chicken, if cooked to perfection, and this was spot on! There was a fair amount of broth, although it was a tad bit salty. However, the balance of all the flavors combined was just delicious. The mushrooms and swiss chard were a perfect complement to the chicken. I did not have many dumplings, but I was not disappointed in this, as I really could have had the dish without. This dish was excellent! I also ordered a side of Brussel sprouts to share, roasted with pecorino and lemon. This was a great twist to roasted Brussel sprouts. They were slightly crisp with a fantastic balance of cheese and lemon. I really enjoyed them.

Dessert – Carrot Cake – candied pecans, cream cheese gelato. I typically do not order dessert but it came with the restaurant week option so I thought I would have a bite. Or two, three… The carrot cake was the perfect size, just enough for one or to share. The gelato was the star on this plate; it had perfect flavors to accommodate the carrot cake. The cake was moist and full of flavor, not too sweet. Excellent finish to a fantastic meal.

I will definitely be back to The Urban Kitchen + Bar. As they promised ‘refined comfort food’ and they get that right!