Noi's Little Thai Takeout - Baywood Park, Los Osos

                                      

Sometimes a Staycation is just what you need to clear out the cobwebs and jumpstart creativity. I was in a writing funk after committing and finishing that horrible Grey series (bad writing is NOT good for writers, even if it does make one randy). My girlfriend Deb (the Gluten Free founder of La Pizza Senza Glutenata) told me I needed to sample the wonder that is Baywood Park, so we set out of a small adventure in a quaint town. 

Baywood Park is on the bay side of Los Osos, an oasis with a gentle lapping shore and the sound of the seabirds resounding at each cove. We started with a hike around the neighborhood with a combination of beach shacks, creative architecture, sweeping colonial dwellings, charming Inn’s and a few eateries, I was enchanted. I toured the Baywood Inn Bed and Breakfast and instantly booked the Quimper room for the weekend to finish a writing project that had been evading my brain. This is a perfect place to escape, unwind and restore with its sweeping views, full breakfast, wine and cheese in the afternoon and such delightful chambers (www.baywoodinn.com). 

With a “Sawadee” (hello in Thai) we settled into enjoy Little Noi’s Thai Takeout for lunch. This Thai palace is also an art studio, Zen garden and yoga cottage, using small space to effect large tranquility. As a food-to-go place with a few tables outside and all food served in take away containers, the sheer volume of customers surprised and delighted me. The menu is simple and straightforward with a different curry being made every day of the week. 

We started with a set of vegetarian egg rolls that came with a spicy/sweet sauce that I poured over left over rice and devoured. I ordered the Pad Prik King that is a spicy combination of chopped chicken, sautéed with cut green beans, curry and ribbons of lime leaf. I ordered mine “Thai Hot” as there is a difference between American and Thai hot and I prefer the fiery version. Served over jasmine rice gave it the cooling factor to make it complete.  My friend had the Pad Thai, a classic dish made different by every Thai cook, but I adored the authenticity of this one with crushed peanuts, small rice noodles, chicken (you can choose any meat or vegetarian), scrambled egg, green beans and onions. Garnished with cabbage to squelch the small blaze, this is a dish I would return for. We also shared the Tofu Stir with peapods, cabbage, broccoli, onions, green pepper, tofu and ginger. The ginger added a real snap to this delectable dish. 

      

I talked with Noi and Ron Miner (the owners, she is the cook) and they told me that they designed the space with bits and pieces of Asian artifacts, art and collectables to enhance the Thai food experience. Their main focus is to serve the highest quality rice and noodle dishes with pride and to foster warmth and good feelings within the diner’s heart and soul. This is rare and wonderful trait in a chef. 

After the meal, we strolled the Monday Farmer’s Market (having celebrity sightings of almost every great chef in the area buying delectable vegetables and fruits). I perceived why the food was so fresh and wonderful at Noi’s. This huge market is seeded with amazing farmers offering the best of Central Coast produce, spices and treats. I bought 10 pounds of Empire Apples (the best apple in the world) from Sea Canyon, tuberose soaps shaped like mermaids, a blueberry/lemon custom made peanut butter cup from the Joycup Company and a bourbon/maple salt from Anna’s Spices. Then I had a delightful fresh pressed juice from Heather’s Healthy Living, bought some custom Lemon Pepper spice (which I put it on my popcorn) from Spice of Life and argued over which onion was the sweetest. We ran into more chefs, shared recipes and literally filled my trunk with organic veggies for the week. 

I returned with the grandson for a hike thru the elfin forest and to try the Masaman Curry on Thursday. I dream about this bisque and haven’t had it prepared fittingly since I returned from Thailand. Noi’s offers this comforting soup with flawless flavor. Chopped chicken swimming in a coconut milk, tamarind juice with a Masaman curry paste with red potato, peanuts, and onions. We spooned it over brown rice and delighted in this ideal technique of paring food with a serene sense of beauty. The boy impressed them with his proper “kob kun kaa” (thank you) when they brought his chicken and rice kids meal.

If you go to Noi’s, you must be prepared. They only take cash and if you are in a hurry, call ahead as even in this tiny town, this small restaurant has many patrons.  I have become one of the regulars. Noi’s Little Thai Takeout is located at 1288 2nd Street, Baywood Park; call them at  (805) 528-6647. They are open Monday thru Saturday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Kuma Sushi Rolls and Bowls

RAMEN

Some restaurateurs instinctively know how to create a culinary tapestry of success. From simple burgers that can cure any hangover to an upscale and fantastic sushi bar and ramen noddle empire, the genius behind Kuma Sushi Rolls and Bowls is Brain England. Brian had a sushi bar in 2004, but he has been focusing on Sylvester’s Burgers. For this new venture, he scanned the county and found two of the best sushi chefs that know fish and how to make a dish so pleasing to the eye it is a work of art. Sushi Chef’s Hidehiko Nogi and Jeff (Razor) Fujiwara have been featured in the best fish palaces and now have combined their talents to dazzle the entire patron’s at Kuma.



I revere sushi, it is my culinary utopia. And to have these masters offering an Omakase (special selection offered by the chef) got my palette watering.

OMAKASE

A piece of raw fish is remarkably near the nexus where life suffers death so that it can feed another life. It’s where the circle of life stops and starts, the end beginning.

Razor wanted to make sure I received a full sampling of the menu so I let him pick our menu. We started with a sample of the Ramen Noodles, both pork and chicken. The ramen is cooked in house daily with pure pork. They use all the highest grade, fresh ingredients. The Ramen broth is traditional Japanese broth that is reduced for 24 hours in order to achieve maximum flavor. The Shoyu is the staple pork stock with a soy addition served with egg noodles. I had them add all the extras, garlic chip, shoyu egg, nori, sweet corn and spicy kimchi. The chicken was a flavorful comfort food. Razor presented us with colorful dish of Tuna Poke. Raw tuna is cut and shaped like a rose. Pokē is the Hawaiian verb for "to slice or cut". This was served with a mango salsa with a bit of cayenne and macadamia nuts, resting on a seaweed salad. It was a delectable combination of flavors. The next dish the Loco Moco was Hawaiian in its influences with a large mound of white rice, resting under 2 slices of Spam, savory gravy, sliced pineapple and a poached egg. My dining companion had never had Spam before and loved this combination of salty, savory, sweet and comfort dish. I would drive here from Pismo just for this delectable grouping. 

LOCO MOCO

Out came the next offering, a plate of sushi called the Kuma Omakase that was a work of art. On the huge platter were Nigri’s, Scallops on rice with lemon, salmon roe and tobiko. The lemon was carved into a swan and the wasabi snowman was displaced as most dramatic by celery whittled into a tree. There were two fish favors crafted into a rose was Seared Albacore with onions and raw Ahi Tuna. A roll with local fresh out of the bay halibut and the top had avocado, spicy Sriracha sauce, and pomegranate seeds. Each portion of this blew our minds are we devoured this objet d'art.



I brought back my husband the next night and Razor presented him with the Kuma Cake as he sat down. This large and equally beautiful dish consisted of chocolate and vanilla ice cream in between a pound cake that is then deep-fried and covered with chocolate, raspberry syrup and topped with powdered sugar. This trip we dipped into the vast sake supply. Sho Chilly Bai served cold and is a 16th century sake, botanical and smooth it paired well with the Shishito Peppers. This time our Kuma Omakase contained a perfect rose constructed out of Hamachi tuna, seared albacore With polar bear roll that had smoked salmon and cream cheese inside and crab and jalapeno slices on the outside. The accruements were a carved radish and statuesque celery.

At Kuma, the service was outstanding and attentive, the sushi chefs both talented, funny and know fish, the food was as picturesque as it was delicious. I am a devotee. Kuma is located at 2011 10th Street in Los Osos, you can call them at 

(805) 528-6767, 
they are open everyday from 11:00am until 9:00pm.