Lawrence's Indian Palace try the buffet to taste difference Indian spices and entrees /sides

We have been here to this one many times and the one in Overland Park. Both are excellent and always consistently excellent. We have been for dinner meals but more times for the buffets. The samosas (meat, potato or vegetable little pies) are crunchy and good. All the entrees are excellent and have just the right of Indian spices. The waiters are very friendly and helpful to point out if you don't know something or have a question. My wife loves the Lamb saag which is not often on the menu so check it out with the creamy spinach that integrates well with the lamb ( you can also get different variations the saag with chicken). (more on my blog). I love the condiments tray. Be adventurous try the different ones like the lemony tamarind or the mango chutney. They go well with the different dishes. I love them both with the samosas. I love rice pudding and there is none better then this dessert that make her. The tandoori (BBQ Indian ) chicken with its pretty reddish pink color is always good. The curries, vegetable dishes and the meat dishes are all consistently good. The buffet is a great way to come to test the different spices and entrees at a great price.

This location is cozy but I am not a fan of Starbucks coffee

Sorry but I never have and never will be a fan of the coffee. It just tastes wrong (has chicore or something in it). I have never been to any Starbucks location. But this location opened up and we had a free card, so we came to this very small, cozy little place. My wife liked the tea and I drank the coffee but I was not impressed. This time I came myself to read a little,check out the ambiance and try some different coffee. This place is small but has some nice sofa chairs, wifi (now) , take out window and a display of many of the coffees, teas, cakes and (this one now) has 8 breakfast items.Its quiet most of the time except when you hear the "shwooshing" of the specialty coffee machines and the clanking of pots/pans. I tried the Pike's Place (I've been there) coffee and was okay but I prefer MacDonalds coffee (sorry). I know they have “their bottom line” so they charge extra for more (regular) coffee. You can get a Starbucks card and their other perks as well extra refills. There are different types of teas, , fruit drinks and dessert type items so there is more then just coffee. I hope this location continues (seems to be doing okay) as I would like to come back and sip some coffee in the cozy chairs , use the wifi, and try a breakfast item. I can do that at home too but the ambiance is nice. So while I don't like the coffee much, I like the "inside" comfy feeling so I will have to give it a "thumbs up." There is something to be said for this location/place even though the main item is not my "cup of tea".

Bowlfood Cookbook by Lynne Argonson and Elizabeth Simon

I bought this book several years ago as it had looked like it had some interesting bowl meals that I could try and modify if needed. It has quite a few good recipes involving either soup, pasta,noodles. Also has dumpling and little snack recipes as well salad bowls and little spicy bowls, desserts called sweet bowls. So there is a lot to choose from and I have tried several. Great index, catalog of sources to find foods and even a conversion table of ingredients.The spicy peanut sauce, the mango vinaigette,chili marinade for seafood/ fish, jalapeno sauce, shanghai noodles I rated all of them so far from 9.5-9.6 out of 10 so that is pretty good. So there is lots to like about the recipes.Nicely written easy to read. No photos but well laid out and the price is a good one. I think you will like many of the recipes to try according to your tastes as I did. I am still looking for more eventhough I have many in many files, on the internet and computer already.

What's a Barramundi anyway? Isn't a truffle a fungi?

My wife and her pals went to Room 39 (Westport in Kansas City, MO) for one of their monthly outings. She usually brings back a sample for me to try and the menu (I collect them) so I can look it over. The menu changes daily (at the whim of the chef which is not all that bad!). This day there were 3 soups/ salads, 5 appetizers, and 7 (beef [kobe and ribeye], pork, fish, steak, seafood, risotto) entrees. My wife got the Barramundi. Isn't that the name for one of those furry fox like Rainforest animals that has a long tail? No. The Barramundi is a Australian fish which is considered one of the finest eating fish. It has a sweet mild flavor, delicate texture and is versatile for cooking. It is also healthly too because of its Omega 3 Fatty acid content. Barramundi was a pan seared entree with roasted potatoes (good) eggplant and oyster mushrooms (could not tell which was which) with a sherry - beet sauce (which my wife raved about). It was a thick chunk of fish the sample that I got, flavorful and yes sweet. Sorry but it reminded me of English "Fish and Chips " without the batter on the fish. She thought it tasted like trout but I did not think so.
Her friends had scallop etc which they liked. My wife said the desserts they tried were huge. She brought me home a truffle. My wife liked it . She said the chef kept bringing thing out for them to try like the truffle. I thought wow one of those mushroom things (the fungi mushroom that pigs dig up in France and are used in fancy recipes). No same name but they are chocolate. The one I ate was a dark one like the one in middle of the photo. I had heard about the name before. Round and very smooth chocolate flavor. I chewed it slowly like you are supposed to do. Very rich. Entrees ranged from $20 to $27 .


Barramundi
http://www.australis.us/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barramundi
http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/?action=ingredient_show&id=545&lg=en
here are two recipes if you ever found it or something like it
Pan-Seared Barramundi with "Caruru"
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_24260,00.html
Thai marinated BBQ recipe
http://www.lifestylechannel.com.au/factsheets/recipe.asp?id=1420
truffle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle
http://www.mykoweb.com/cookbook/truffles.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_29057,00.html