KoMex is Fusion Gone Wild in Las Vegas

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At KoMex Express, the fries adopt the flags of several nationalities

At KoMex Express, the fries adopt the flags of several nationalities

As the name suggests, KoMex Fusion is all about mixing ethnic cuisines. Obviously, there’s a Korean component—witness kimchi and bulgogi—and Mexican standards like enchiladas and burritos, along with some cross-breeding of the two at this little strip-mall diner in Las Vegas. Chimichanga with marinated cabbage anyone?

But at KoMex, the boundaries have been further expanded to embrace Chinese (wonton soup) and American cuisine. All this comes together in my Bulgogi fries—with melted mozza, meat, pico de gallo, jalapenos and Korean hot sauce all soaking into a mound of fries. It’s a surprisingly good, filling amalgamation. The substantial order is only $6 and, along with complementary chips, salsa and guacamole, is a substantial lunch.

The owners are in the throes of expanding their boundaries beyond Vegas. Here’s hoping they don’t lose that grunge attitude of experimentation at their flagship shop.

KoMex Fusion
633 North Decatur Boulevard (one other Las Vegas location)
Monday to Saturday 11 am-8 pm. Closed Sunday
KoMex Fusion on Urbanspoon

Bachi Burger in Vegas Puts Asian Twist on American Classic

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Bachi Burger's glorious wagyu patty, loaded with onion rings and an egg

Bachi Burger’s glorious wagyu patty, loaded with onion rings and an egg

When I see oxtail chili fries on the menu, I know I’m in for a decidedly different dining experience. And Bachi Burger certainly delivers, bringing an Asian twist to American classics like burgers, fries (there’s also a truffle version) and sliders—here converted to a steamed bun containing, say, Peking-style duck. The list of cocktails and beers also includes drinks like black milk tea and cherry yuzu soda.

My miyagi-sans burger features a wagyu patty that is rich, moist and just past the advertised medium pink. The crispy onion rings and thick pieces of caramelized bacon provide some crunch to offset the fried egg and splash of chili mayo.

The poor Taiwanese-style sweet bun takes a bit of a mauling, and I eventually resort to knife and fork to savour small bites. This is one great, complex burger, and I’m glad there’s no cheese, lettuce or other paraphernalia to distract me.

Bachi Burger
470 East Windmill Lane (two other Las Vegas locations)
Sunday-Monday 11 am-11 pm, Tuesday to Thursday 11 am-midnight, Friday-Saturday 11 am-1 am
Bachi Burger on Urbanspoon

Keeping Customers Happy in Ashton, Idaho, the World’s Seed-Potato Capital

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Talk about cute: Coffeecake served inside a mug at Chocolate Moose Royale in Ashton, Idaho

Talk about cute: Coffeecake served inside a mug at Chocolate Moose Royale in Ashton, Idaho

As she hands me my Americano, the barista in Chocolate Moose Royale looks at me expectantly and says, “Let me know if you like it.” Why? “I’ve been told to ask that.” What a concept: Customer satisfaction.

Owner Beth is also willing to help customers concerned about their waistlines. Don’t want a full slice of Ann Oldham’s homemade pie? No problem. You can just order a sliver for $1.65. The inventive baked goods include a red velvet cake and a coffee cake served inside a mug. Enjoy it all in this cozy café inside a restored, century-old hotel in Ashton, Idaho (“World seed-potato capital”), an agricultural town on Highway 20 between Idaho Falls and West Yellowstone.

Chocolate Moose Royale
406 Main Street, Ashton, Idaho
Weekdays 9:30 am-5:30 pm, Saturday 10 am-4 pm. Closed Sunday

If you pine for the days of bobby socks and school fight songs, fret not. Just head straight over to Ashton’s Frostop, a drive-in that’s been providing car-window service for burgers, shakes and root beer floats since it opened in the mid-1960s.

Frostop Drive-In has been providing car-window service since the 1960s.

Frostop Drive-In has been providing car-window service since the 1960s.

Frostop Drive-In
26 North Highway 20, Ashton, Idaho
Daily 10 am-10 pm
Frostop Drive In on Urbanspoon

Parking Lot Grilled Chicken in Yakima, Washington

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Fresh-grilled chicken at El Parrillon Loco in Yakima, Washington

Fresh-grilled chicken at El Parrillon Loco in Yakima, Washington

I’m looking for a place called El Parrillon Loco, in Yakima, Washington, but damned if I can find it in a strip mall of Mexican joints. But I finally spy what I’m looking for: a parking-lot grill loaded with big pieces of browning chicken. And then, at the attached retail space, I see the name I’m looking for, in small print, above the rest of the title, which is de Tom and Jerry.

Don’t ask me what that name stands for, or much else. “Authenticamente Mexicano” the business card reads. No kidding. After I ask the server a few questions en Englais, she heads to the back for a younger woman whose English is far better than my Spanish.

In any event, it’s not hard to know what to order—a quarter pollo, con arroz y frijoles (rice and beans), along with grilled tortillas for a grand total of $6.29. Nearly everyone in the place has ordered variations of the same thing and are waiting expectantly for the current batch of chicken to come off the grill.

Tending the parking-lot grill

Tending the parking-lot grill

Which gives me time to watch an industrious woman tending the grill. She dumps a bag of charcoal into an attached hopper, shovels glowing embers from said hopper under the grill and whacks cooked chunks of chicken with a cleaver, flipping the resulting smaller pieces with tongs into takeout cardboard boxes.

The finished chicken is so tender and flavourful, I pretty much ignore the perfunctory rice and beans, other than to sample odd mouthfuls seasoned with house-made sauces of varying intensity.

Fall-off-the-bone result

Fall-off-the-bone result

El Parrillon Loco de Tom and Jerry
511 North 1 Street, Yakima, Washington
Open at 10 am till early evening

El Fat Cat Grill Putting a Spin on the Taco Truck

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Chef Felix Sanchez mixing Mexican and Asian influences at his El Fat Cat Grill truck Asian fare

Chef Felix Sanchez mixing Mexican and Asian influences at his El Fat Cat Grill truck in Kennewick, Washington

*El Fat Cat Grill is far from your typical taco truck. Yes, the Kennewick, Washington (Tri-Cities) joint does offer tacos, burritos, tostadas and quesadillas. But co-owner and chef Felix Sanchez has mixed Mexican and Asian influences to come up with a splendid menu all his own.

El Fat Cat Grill is a big step beyond your typical taco truck

El Fat Cat Grill is a big step beyond your typical taco truck

Thankfully, the gracious server and friendly fellow customers are most obliging in providing suggestions of what I should order. “I always get the porky adobo”, in a garlic chipotle cream sauce over rice, says one customer. “The burritos, man,” offers a companion.

They look tempting, as does Felix’s take on tortas, the Triple Threat combining pork, ham and bacon. Add some sautéed onions and fixings, and you’ve got a honking big sandwich for $7. The burritos (including one with grilled baby red potatoes) are equally substantial.

I go for the wonderfully named Scary Roy Chilada ($6)—three crispy tortillas smothered in pork, chipotle mole sauce, cotija cheese and jalapeño coleslaw, with some house-made sauce for added heat.

The Scary Roy Chilada is three crispy tortillas smothered in messy goodness

The Scary Roy Chilada is three crispy tortillas smothered in messy goodness

The only problem is these loaded beauties require a handful of napkins, and then some. Think I’ll walk over to the carwash next door.

El Fat Cat Grill
539 North Edison (behind the Edison carwash), Kennewick, Washington
Weekdays 11 am-7 pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Cash only
El Fat Cat Grill on Urbanspoon

Wallowing Through Wonderful Walla Walla, Washington

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Good breads, pastries and sandwiches at the Walla Walla Bread Company

Good breads, pastries and sandwiches at the Walla Walla Bread Company

Here’s what the wine industry can do for a place. As recently as the late 1990s, Walla Walla was a relatively sleepy farm town that produced wheat and its signature sweet onions. Oh, and it had maybe three wineries.

Fast forward to today, when the number of area wineries has exploded to more than 200. You can tour a good number of them over a few days. Or you can take the more efficient route and stumble through a dozen tasting rooms in a couple of downtown blocks.

Walla Walla has a few other things going for it. Like gorgeous surrounding farmland and an impressive, well-kept downtown, with wide, shaded streets and lots of restored, historic brick buildings. It thus attracts not just wine sippers but also a growing number of retirees.

Dog sculpture in Walla Walla's lovely historic downtown

Dog sculpture in Walla Walla’s lovely historic downtown

Where there’s good wine, there’s invariably good food (you have to pair those merlots and chardonnays with something!) And while the wine crowd tends to prefer haute cuisine, enterprising road trippers can find some great, creative eats at most reasonable prices.

Could you resist this fresh fruit pie at Walla Walla Bread Company?

Could you resist this fresh fruit pie at Walla Walla Bread Company?

Besides the places I’ve been writing about the past week, I would add Olive Marketplace and Cafe (try the wood-fired pizzas) Walla Walla Bread Company for pastries and sandwiches and the unique Walla Walla Worm Ranch, serving good Mexican inside a bait-and-tackle shop. Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include a streetside dog at Walla Walla Sweet Onion Sausage.

Beautiful deli display at Olive Marketplace and Cafe

Beautiful deli display at Olive Marketplace and Cafe

Overall, I’d rate Walla Walla a top road-trip food destination for a city its size (population 32,000) in the Pacific Northwest.