This email came to me from a reader and I’d like to get your input on it. Do you agree, not so much about Los Compadres as about the dumbing down of ethnic food?
Further, I’m doing a wrap-up of the best ethnic restaurants in town as part of our year-end restaurant picks. If I’m not reviewing a restaurant, I’m either cooking at home or eating Indian, Mexican or Thai food somewhere. Tell me your favorites, because time is running short and if I’m missing a good spot, I need to get there and try it out soon.
Here’s the email:
Have you noticed lately, more than the usual for Memphis, that local area ethnic restaurants are dumbing down their fare with their sites on profits? Take Los Compadres at the corner of Union Ext and Poplar. When they were first conceived, as I understand it, it was because multiple disgruntled employees formerly from another popular Mex restaurant banded together to form an alternative place to go with better food and service. Clearly this was an opportunity for Memphians to get good Mexican fair without the long lines experienced at say El Porton. The focus was on the food… in fact if you had already had two beers they wouldn’t ASK if you needed another drink. Then, there was a shake down of the original partners/ families in management and the resultant managing family (owners) installed a beautiful patio and turned the place into another terrible food *Mexican style* drinking place with poor service. What gives… is this what Memphians really want?? Plastic tubs of refried beans and powdered chickn soup mix and gristly cheap meat mixtures covered with wilted lettuce? Served with cheap tequila flavored alcoholic margarita mixes?? Hey, profits win as long as nobody says anything about it because we all vote with our dollars and Los Compadres now enjoys those long lines that started this establishment in the first place!! Seems that Memphis can’t handle decent ethnic restaurant food. Or maybe they go ˜longingly so in hopes that the good food will magically reappear. Still, Los Compadres is a great place to meet friends and have a drink and perhaps some chips but I miss the ( good ) old food terribly! Please charge more for GOOD food if you need to. BUT have good food. And whats with the tubs of institutional refried beans?? Never seen them in Mexico. Pinto beans aren’t really that hard to serve, are they???
Restaurant business
Responses to “Let’s talk ethnic”
November 20th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Everything you need to know about the dumbing down of ethnic food can be summarized in one sentence:
There is an hour wait to get into Olive Garden on a Friday night.
November 20th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Just go to Guadalapana on Summer and give it a rest. Did you really expect that much from a bunch of people associated with El Porton … please?!
That restaurant long before it’s current incarnation as a lame Margarita joint was a very nice Cuban restaurant … now that was authentic … and it went under.
Even Guadalapana has started offering queso which is an attempt at making more money off lame American diners.
However, their core is still their core … authentic Mexican. At least as authentic as anything here in Memphis.
November 20th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
also let me recommend La Playita (Macon, east of Sycamore View) for great seafood and Las Delicias, om Mendenhall south of Winchester.
November 20th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Bring on the Indian, the Thai, Vietnamese Chinese, Japanese and the rest, too…
November 20th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
See my comment on Fred’s Saigon Le review for my feelings around Vietnamese.
How’s Chao Praya off Winchester? Not been there since it was a very respectable Dim Sum place. Oh, dim sum! At least we have Lobster King.
Chinese = One of the family of Asian Garden’s (either in Bartlett or Germantown). Nice Guangdong-style dishes with some Chao-tzo style to boot. Some of it is really rare for this part of the country. I’m thinking their bean plants in garlic in particular.
What’s the name of the Indian place on Houston Levee way out off Nonconnah? There is a Vietnamese place next door called Green Bamboo which has some promising items.
November 20th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
I have two favorites for Asian food, the Edo (Japanese) on Summer and the Asiana Garden (Korean) at the corner of Mt. Moriah and Ridgeway. The Edo is my favorite place, period; I don’t know what I’m going to do when the owners retire.
One of my pet peeves is the many Memphis-area restaurants serving “Japanese” food where the owners are Chinese or Korean or Indonesian and the “sushi” is plain white rice without sushi vinegar, which any actual Japanese person would laugh at, with the money being made from grilled steak and chicken (if you put some sauce on it, you can call it ‘teriyaki’ and most Americans won’t know the difference) and giant rolls invented in America, made with anything from ham to BBQ sauce. Not to mention, I’ve been in several pricey restaurants in Memphis (Pacific Rim is one of the worst sinners) where the fish was soggy or spongy, destroyed by improper freezing and thawing, the gyoza were right out of a bag of frozen dumplings, and the tamago (egg custard) was purchased pre-made. Thanks, I don’t really need to pay that much for frozen food!
Anyway, the Edo serves actual Japanese food made fresh by cooks who are actually Japanese. Plus, their fish is always nice and in good condition, something you can actually enjoy eating. The people who work there love to eat there.
Right now I don’t have a favorite Mexican place; can anyone recommend one, cheap and casual but authentic? I used to love the Cancun in Collierville, not the most recent incarnation, but the one that was torn down and replaced by an O’Charleys when their landlord refused to renew their lease.
The last time I was at Chao Praya was quite a while ago, but the food was delicious. They aren’t kidding when they say a dish is hot, which I like. The owner and his wife are lovely people.
Regarding Chinese places: Memphis used to have dozens of delightful Chinese places, but so many of them have gone to the buffet style, which caters to the lowest common denominator. And there’s another factor, which I discovered by accident, while dining at an odd hour: SOME “CONSULTANT” GOES AROUND TELLING ALL THESE PLACES WHAT TO PUT ON THE MENU! It was twisted sitting there listening to him advise the restaurant owner to take anything even remotely interesting off the menu if he wanted to make money. If you’ve ever wondered why every little Chinese place in Memphis now has the same clone menu, this “menu consultant” guy is the secret.
One unsung hero in the field of cheap Chinese takeout is the little place (I’m afraid I can’t remember the name) behind the McAllister’s on Kirby Parkway. They have all the standard stuff on the menu, but they also have a charming cook who will cook you anything you want if you ask him.
Does anyone know a Chinese place that serves baozi, those big steamed dumplings filled with stuff? Not the little premade ones that some places serve as part of dim sum, but the big ones? Chao Praya used to serve them but they don’t anymore, and I haven’t found a place that does.
November 20th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Allie, I couldn’t be more with you on Edo. It’s been a family favorite for 20 years or more. Any day I’m off work (except Mondays, when they’re closed), I try to meet my daughter there for lunch so I can have the Chicken Tokyo, which is not on the dinner menu. But I’m on the Sakura sauce wagon for now–can you imagine how much fat is in that??
November 20th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
For Mexican, I would have to recommend Mariscos El Mazatlan on Winchester at Hickory Hill (across the street from Guadalapana #2) and El Taco Loco on Lamar just north of I-240 for inexpensive, authentic food. Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana on Germantown Parkway is authentic, but more high-end.
Shahi House in Barton, MS (10 minutes south of 385 on Byhalia Road) serves wonderful Indo-Pak food. It looks like they’re currently closed for expansion construction, which I take as a good sign.
Casablanca Cafe at Cooper and Young and Jerusalem Market at Summer and Mendenhall are both really good Mediterranean food.
November 20th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
I’ve been disappointed with Memphis Mexican food since I moved back in January.
In Murfreesboro, there was a restaurant called Camino Real which had the best Mexican food I’ve ever had.
The college kids at MTSU were split, though. If you wanted cheap drinks, you went elsewhere, but for quality of food you went there.
They do a Tacos de Carne Asada that will blow your mind. I was always disappointed that it didn’t come with shredded cheese, but I always ordered some extra. It came with the soft tortillas filled with the carne asada steak and sides of beans and pico de gaillo (bet I butchered that spelling… I don’t know spanish, German and Japanese are my languages of choice). I just had a pang thinking about it.
November 20th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Haha! Jennifer, I know what you look like now! I’m “the woman with the guy with the long red hair.”
November 20th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Having spent 10 days in Mexico,which obviously makes me an expert on their cuisine, I discovered an amazing fact - they have regional cuisine much like we do. I was in the Yucatan where Mayan cuisine reigned supreme. I haven’t found any of that since I’ve been back. Having said that I adore Guadalupana - they serve Coca Mexicana (coke like we used to have it - sugar not high fructose corn syrup). I also love the Deli Mexicana (can’t remember the real name) on Germantown Parkway next to Waffle House. Shang Hai has the best Hot and Sour soup and egg rolls in the city. Osaka gets my vote for sushi along with Do, but I do love the non-traditional aspects of Do’s sushi.
November 20th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Molly, I don’t think a lot on Memphians realize Mexican food is regional. We really only see one region here in town anyway. As for my favorites, Guadalupana WAS one of mine, until the “gringo influx” which caused a change in the quality and flavor of the food. You wouldn’t notice it unless you had been eating there since it opened. I like El Gallo Giro on Lamar and another restaurant closer to home. El 7 Mares on Jackson is fairly good too. Either way one should know that a proper taco has no lettuce and cheese, lol!
I’m a bigger fan of Mexican and Caribbean food myself and would gladly trade Los Compadres for the Cuban joint that was there previously….or any anything but GringoMex food. Instead, I’m left to make my own pernil, ropa vieja, arroz and tostones until another Caribbean place opens up.
November 20th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
I particularly enjoy the guacamole at La Guadalupana & I like the agua drinks at Las Delicias a lot. The people there are friendly & they were nice enough to bring me a small sample of each of the aguas so I could order the one I liked best when I first tried them. The same friend was with me at both places & she tasted the sauces so I would know which ones were really hot & spicy before I tried them & they set me on fire. I liked the Cuban place that was formerly in the Los Compadres spot & was sad to see it fold. I think Los Compadres must do a lot of business on game & fight nights when they fill the place with sports fans.
November 20th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
I love La Espiga, at Summer & Graham, for authentic Mexican. Tacos are served with fresh, soft corn tortillas (made on site!), onion & cilantro, and wonderful salsa verde. They have fantastic lengua, carnitas, and barbacoa tacos, and the chilaquiles are not to be missed (try them with salsa verde and eggs). I’m often one of the only “gringos” eating there, and I frequently have to order in (limited-vocabulary) Spanish.
Lobster King rules for great Chinese food.
Pho Vietnam is, IMHO, the best Vietnamese in the city (its former incarnation was Pho Pasteur, at the spot now occupied by Lobster King). They have a great duck leg soup, and the soup base for their standard fare of Pho is very flavorful.
I’m with Allie on Chao Praya — they’re the only place in town I have found that really believes me when I say I want it spicy. Hurts so good. Bhan Thai has very tasty Kee Mao (drunken noodles).
I agree that Los Compadres is a dumbed-down version of Mexican food, although I went when it first opened, and formed that opinion then. Good Tex-Mex is a whole ‘nother category, but none of the places here really excite me.
I think this is argued about in another thread, but is regional European food considered “ethnic”? Bari comes to mind as a restaurant that showcases the food of the Puglian region of Italy, and they do it extremely well. All the hallmarks of excellent Italian cooking — fresh ingredients prepared simply with cooking methods and spices that best highlight the qualities of the ingredients.
November 21st, 2007 at 10:42 am
Michael, the Indian place you refer to on Houston Levee is actually on Hacks Cross Road, south of 385. It is Swagath Indian Cuisine, and it has become my favorite. I’m not typically a big buffet eater, but their buffet is actually pretty good. They are not afraid to turn on the heat on the buffet items.
We see Green Bamboo just about every time we go to Swagath, and we keep intending to try it when we’re not in the mood for Indian (when the heck is that?!)
We have yet to make it down to Lobster King…can those of you who frequent Lobster King tell me your favorite dishes there?
November 21st, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Jamie - my Lobster King favorites are Cranberry Shrimp, the pineapple fried rice (served in a pineapple after being baked) and the sauteed long beans.
As for Middle Eastern, don’t forget about Al Rayan on Cleveland. I used a coupon on the back of a grocery receipt to try it, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
November 21st, 2007 at 12:14 pm
I’m big on dim sum at Lobster King. I love, love, love the turnip cake (ask them to bring vinegar and make a dipping sauce of soy, vinegar and the peppers). The shrimp in fried bean curd (something like that, sounds pretty unappetizing) is great. Good sticky rice. The fried taro root puffs I actually prefer at Nam King on Summer (weekend dim sum only).
And Al Rayan is the best! It’s a frequent lunch run around here, and then we all smell like garlic all afternoon.
Jamie, I reviewed Swagath a few months back and I agree: Even the buffet is good.
Has anyone tried the new Indian restaurant on Poplar in Collierville?
November 21st, 2007 at 12:24 pm
I guess I’ve lived in California too long now since I have a hard time seeing Mexican food as “ethnic” anymore. Good Mexican food is something we have on every corner - and I can pop over to the Mission District any time I want when I’m at work in SF - and it’s easy for me to forget how hard it was to find when I was back home in Memphis. I’m spoiled now.
The best Mexican food I had in Memphis was a hole in the wall taqueria called The Acalpulco on Jackson, south of I-40 but north of the National Cemetary. A friend of mine lived down there and took me. This was a place where I had to order in (my very limited) Spanish. So, I know authentic Mexican exists in Memphis, but at least back when I still lived there, you had to work for the really good stuff.
I don’t even know if that place is still there, though.
I suppose it’s only fair, though. I have a heck of a time getting good BBQ out here, and if I want collard greens and cornbread (without cooking them myself) I have to possibly weigh my life’s importance to me. It’s all a trade off 
November 21st, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Acapulco is now called El 7 Mares, I believe. I agree that El Porton is not very good, lately I have gone to El Puerto on Highland, and I used to be a semi-regular at Los Compadres.
November 21st, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Fredric, what was that great Vietnamiese restaurant on Summer in the old Dunkin Doughnut building near the former Fred Gattas store? I think it was called the Lotus.
Is Nam King, the chinese place on summer near the former K-Mart still around? has it relocated to another area? That was a really good chineese restaurant.
November 21st, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Fred, Lotus is still there, although I never eat there so I can’t comment on it. Nam King has moved a little west down Summer, to the shopping center where Steinmart was for so long. Same dim sum it’s had for years.
LWC: What’s the deal on El Puerto? Is it authentic? This is a new one on me.
November 21st, 2007 at 2:13 pm
I have been going to Al Rayan too, ever since Jennifer talked about how good it is. I like to sit at the counter & watch them cook while I wait for my food to go. One of the cooks chops onions by hand with the precision of a Cuisinart! They sometimes put coupons in the Friday Playbook as well as on the backs of grocery store receipts. Molly, thanks for the recommendations at Lobster King. I’ve been wanting to go but didn’t know what to try.
November 21st, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Thanks Jennifer, I was afraid the years between when I last went to both places was too long to ask anone other than Fredric.
The Louys used to have (cant comment on now) the best selection of oriental non-chinese food and for a long time the only Vietnamiese food. Nam King had absolutely the best Dim Sum (you mentioned) and Mai Fun.
Here in Jackson TN, on fridays, a little gas station store has the best Lo Mein and Sweet/Sour Chicken anywhere. The owner is from Korea(??) and she personally cooks the stuff. SHe also has the best Chicken Strips. It is called the Parkway Phillips/Conoco Market.
November 21st, 2007 at 5:27 pm
Kristie L., I may have a deal for you. If you’ll go onto Food TV website for Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives,” you’ll see an episode on BBQ. It has aired a couple of times recently & they are rerunning a lot of the episodes (I have memorized all the Thanksgiving ones!) Guy went to a place called Jay Bee’s, & the owner is the sister of Jim Neely, who owns Interstate BBQ here in Memphis. They were serving up pulled pork, greens, & good looking ribs on the segment. She said they use the same recipes for their sauce, dry rub, etc. I can’t remember which town in CA they said it was in, but maybe that w/be on the website. I hope it’s in YOUR part of CA - good luck!
November 21st, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Carole, it’s in Gardena (LA area), which is southern California. Way too far for me to go 
We have Memphis Minnie’s here, which I’ve been told is quite good, but I don’t get over to the Haight very often. I HAVE found some very good BBQ - Everett and Jones in Oakland - but it’s not the same as Memphis-style and it won’t fill my cravings when they get really bad. At least I had Pig N’ Whistle when I was back home in August.
On an unrelated note, as much as I like Guy Fieri, I was incredibly underwhelmed at my meal at Tex Wasabi’s (where he is one of the owners). It was so disappointing. Boooo.
November 21st, 2007 at 6:23 pm
The Moroccan cuisine at Casablanca Cafe is my favorite food in Memphis, bar none. When I took a relative there for my birthday dinner I was thrilled to find out that they’ve put an old favorite special, seafood tagine, on the regular menu. The lamb chops are the tastiest I’ve had in the city, perfectly grilled with a mango sauce (and I’m very picky about that dish since I tend to like my own better than most restaurants’). Also, really good lentil soup and falafels.
On the Asian restaurant front, Bhan Thai would get my vote for best Thai food (their Tum Yum soup is out of this world) and Do in Cooper-Young for best sushi. I can’t claim the latter is all that authentic since I’ve only seen one Asian chef out of five or so, but the fish seems to have an edge in freshness over other sushi bars I’ve tried and the food combinations are more inventive and unusual.
November 21st, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Sorry, Kristie. Have you tried ordering from one of the BBQ places that ships overnight via FedEx(Rendezvous, Corky’s, or Interstate, that I know of)? I guess that would be better than not getting a fix when you’re really craving it. Or you might get somebody to send you some sauce from your favorite places & use that on some meat you grilled yourself. Or whoever comes to visit you next needs to bring you a CARE package like Fred takes to his friend from Saigon Le (in another posting).
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:02 am
Oh, I brought home a stash of Neely’s sauce last time I visited my parents. I cherish it
November 22nd, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Here is an interesting spin on ethic food, St Louis Style Pizza/ This pizza has a thin cracker crust and uses Provel cheese. The closest location to Memphis of Imos, the most famous of ths St Louis Style Pizza restaurants is Cape Girardeau
November 22nd, 2007 at 4:59 pm
I took my dad and mom and wife to Cajun Cookers in Jackson TN for thanksgiving.
Thye promote winning the Memphis BBQ contest in their lineage, which is a good indication of taste.
They had every veggie dish ever thought of and EXCELLENT dressing.
The meats were smoked ham, smoked turkey, beef brisket, tenderloin, ribs, and of course BBQ. We got there at 11:99 and it was packed in a reservations only operation.
I FINALLY got to have a slice of their chocolate Ding-Dong Cake. It was amazingly good.
I suggest this place to anyone that loves smoked or BBQ meat.
November 24th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
I just got back from a week in Minneapolis/St. Paul and the number and variety of ethic restaurants there are amazing. Had a great lunch yesterday at Shish (as in kabob) - wonderful falafel, hummus, and kabobs. There is nothing like going to another city to make you shake your head at the poor ethnic offerings here in Memphis.
But if appears that Williams Sonoma is trying to export “ethnic” Memphis food to the world. I got the catalog when I returned and saw that you can order Germantown Commissary BBQ from them - 3 lbs for just $79. (it is 7.95 lb at the GC)
November 24th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
The sad thing is that people will probably actually order Germantown Commissary BBQ from Williams Sonoma at 3 lbs. for just $79.
November 26th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Carole, your comment made me hit the Williams-Sonoma website just to see what you were talking about, which led to the discovery of the following piece of information:
For Hanukkah delivery, please order by Noon (PST) Tuesday, November 27.
Which made my day. Thanks!
November 26th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Yeah, but keep in mind the cost of sending it FedEx and packing it so it doesn’t spoil is what adds up, too. Interstate isn’t much cheaper if you go directly through them, as a comparison.
Believe me, I’ve looked into it in moments of weakness
December 2nd, 2007 at 10:30 pm
Fred, I’m a HUGE Imo’s fan and have been eating it for about 20 years. We go to Cards games almost every year. Fino’s sells Imo’s pizza sauce and uses provel on their pizzas. You can also buy provel at Schucks. My brother went to STL for a concert last week and brought me back a large Imo’s pizza.
35 comment.