Another One Bites the Dust?

There's a sign on the door of Grasshopper that it's closed for renovation.  I'm thinking that means it's down for the count.  Which is a shame: it was all handmade, pan-Asian food.  Frrrr-instance, it was the only place I knew of where the dumplings were handmade, instead of those things you get at most Chinese restaurants when you order "pan-fried dumplings," which I suspect are usually frozen.  I think the place suffered from some bad press early on.  The opening was a little strange, anyway: I think it was supposed to be a collaborative effort between George Bakatsias and some other folks, but within about three months, the other folks pulled out.  A new chef came in, and the menu was redone.  I never had any of the food there within the first 90 days (although I'd heard bad things), but the post-transition stuff I had was good.  Since it was not mainstream, stereotypical Asian, I think some of the dishes could be surprising to people (including me), but some dishes were more main-line.  Maybe those first three months were enough to do the place in. 

There's a paranoid part of me that thinks something else: Not too long ago (maybe a year or two?), China Inn on Hillsborough Road closed.  China Inn had been around since at least 1979.  Their food quality went downhill in the late 80s, but then got better.  Maybe they were damaged by Highway 147 essentially cutting them off from easy access to Duke.  Or maybe they were damaged by the huge influx of Mexican restaurants, one of which replaced China Inn in the same location.  But the Mexican place that went into China Inn's location also closed -- it's currently a barbecue place, I think.  I'll check on that for you. :)

And, on the third tentacle, there are other Asian restaurants in town that seem to be doing fine.  Pao Lim "Asian Bistro" has been going strong, despite (or maybe because of) relentlessly average food for what, like 5 years?  Mt. Fuji -- another "Asian Bistro" -- has been around less time, and has even more mediocre food (does "more mediocre" mean anything?).  Cafe Zen at American Tobacco -- well, I don't know how they're doing, and I couldn't bring myself to go in yet another "Asian Bistro."

I'm sure a professional would put some sort of gloss on all this, and try to tie things into a neat bundle for effortless public consumption.  But since I don't understand what's going on, I can't do that.  And I don't like to make stuff up just to make myself look better, or to make my writing more palatable.  So the best I can do is say "It's a mystery, and so is mankind."  And I'll keep going to Chopstix, Shanghai, Neo-China, and Yamazushi, all of which I think are good to fine.  And I'll keep my wok handy. 

Comments

[Lenore]

Eastern Lights, on University Drive (close to Pier One), also makes their own dumplings. I'm headed over to eat some right now!

[Joe]

Lenore, thanks. I haven't been in Eastern Lights in a long time (in fact, either they moved, or I'm thinking of the wrong place), but the last time I was there, I liked it just fine.

[Matt]

Never made it out to Grasshopper, though I have coworkers who liked it. I don't know how Cafe Zen stays in business - if anything, their lunch offerings are remarkable for being so uniformly unremarkable. My current favorite is Chai's on Erwin Road.

[Eric J]

Seems like Durham really needs a Thai place.

[Celeste Copeland]

Grasshopper is in fact closed, according to Bull City Rising: http://www.bullcityrising.com/2007/06/ninth_streets_g.html

Grasshopper was only okay to me. Mt. Fuji is also only okay. Cafe Zen really sucks, but it's also in my building and makes for easy carry out so I eat there periodically.

As far as Thai food, we have two very good options in Durham now - The Thai Cafe at the corner of University and 15-501 business across from The (Original) Q-Shack, and now there's Twisted Noodles in the same shopping center as Saladelia. The latter I've only been to once, and they have no A/C which made it a rather uncomfortable experience given the current temperatures, but the food was really good. I'm told that the wait staff at The Thai Cafe eat there, which should say something.

[Rob Clough]

Thai Cafe is really excellent. Moderately priced, some interesting surprises. It's definitely in the top half of Thai places I've eaten at in the country, and since it's my favorite cuisine that's a lot of places. I'll definitely have to try Twisted Noodles, Celeste.

Chai and Mt Fuji are only OK in my view; I ate at both because they had at least some Thai dishes before Thai Cafe opened up. Pao Lim is pretty relentlessly average and way overpriced. Mt Fuji has decent sushi, at least.

Of course, for gourmet/fusion cuisine, Lantern is pretty unbeatable. Went there for my birthday a couple of years ago and it was fantastic. Great bar, too.

I ate at Grasshopper early on and had a negative experience with a manager who was hitting on one of my friends. It was all a bit too cutesy there and also felt overpriced to me.

Shanghai is still really solid. Their steamed dumplings are super-tasty.

[Joe]

Another odd thing about the Grasshopper story is what came before it: Pizza Palace was an old-line Durham institution that seemed almost moribund when they left the location that became Grasshopper. Pizza Palace wound up reopening up Guess Road in a bigger space, and they now seem to be doing much better than before moving.

[Joe]

After another visit to the former Grasshopper location this evening, I found that the sign on the door had been changed to indicate that a seafood restaurant and bar named, I believe, "Blu" is supposed to be opening there in July. (<2 months seems like a really small amount of time to open a restaurant, but whatever.) I was told by someone next door at Vin Rouge that the new place is not associated with George Bakatsias, other than having someone who was working at Vin Rouge at the new place. I'm also told the seafood is to be "Key West" style, but I admit to having no idea what that means. I'm sure we'll be stuffing our gullets there soon enough.

[Jack]

A good Asian restaurant not mentioned yet in these comments is Kim Son on Guess Rd, just south of the I-85 overpass. The service is sometimes spotty, but the food is always good. Very quiet during the summer. I recommend the Pho.

Also, in regards to the China Inn/Big Pig on Hillsborough Rd. at Oakland/Trent - I believe that it is somehow connected to the tienda across the street, the Taco wagons seem to be parked in either spot from time to time. Doesn't seem to do much dinner business, but appears busy at lunch - and late nights on weekends. It seems to function as a social space (music, dancing, etc) for the Hispanic community in the area. I could be wrong of course, these are just assumptions gleaned from casual observation.

[Joe]

Jack: Thanks for reminding me of Kim Son. I, too, have had the pho and liked it. [A friend of mine once quipped that since he liked the pho so much, he thought next time he'd get the five. :) ] Kim Son is Vietnamese, but IIRC, there's some Chinese food on the menu (I haven't been in in a while). If it's still run by the same people, it's run by a Vietnamese woman who used to work for Duke, but left to open Kim Son. She supposedly makes all her own stock every day. Again, this is another place I didn't write about because I didn't know much about it, but thanks for the reminder and the additional information.

[Michael Bacon]

I'm pretty lukewarm on Chinese food in general, unless it's exceptional. (If you're ever in San Francisco, look up House of Nanking. Holy moly...)

The one Asian food option I really wish Durham had is a cheap Vietnamese or Japanese noodle shop. But, I guess, small Asian population, limited Asian food options. Oh, well.

Much as I love Thai Cafe (and that's a lot), and have had very good recommendations of Twisted Noodle, the Lantern is likely going to be wearing the pan-Asian crown for a long time now. On the other hand, it's a different sort of beast. Given their shared chef ancestry, I'd say the best way to describe it is that the Lantern is to Asian food what Magnolia Grill is to southern food. It's kind of unfair to compare Thai Cafe to the Lantern -- that'd be like comparing Bullock's to MG.

[Joe]

I actually haven't made it to the Lantern, because they were closed the one or two times I went. But they're in Chapel Hill anyway. :) Gourmet Magazine does have them at #47 in the country.

[merry]

Wow, thanks to the person who mentioned Twisted Noodle. I didn't even know it was there until I read about it here. We carried out from there tonight and are really enjoying it.

It's not in Durham per se but for Vietnamese we like 9n9 in the park - Miami Blvd and TW Alexander.

[Joe]

Haven't been there, but what the hell: Twisted Noodles. Be there or be... twisted? :)

[Joe]

For you Thai Cafe fans: It looks like they're expanding into the small space between them and the end of the strip mall they're in.

[Walt]

I want to second Lenore's comments about Eastern Lights. I've found it's by far the best Chinese food in the area. Great service, authentic dishes, great prices.

[Joe]

This now has nothing to do with Asian restaurants, but Blu Seafood now has a web site up: http://www.bluseafoodandbar.com/. They claim they'll be open today (11 July 2007). They had no signage up to that effect on the previous Sunday, but someone was working there -- on a Sunday. :)

[LBR]

Actually, I don't think the Thai Cafe is expanding. Rumor has it that someone is opening a wine bar in that small space at the end of the strip mall.

[Joe]

Thanks -- I'll check it out. I could easily be in error: I said that from driving by, and noticing that the inside looked a lot like the Thai Cafe next door. I probably should have been more careful.

[Angie]

I was just in Thai Cafe last night and they have indeed expanded. Seemed to have some really great specials as well.

[Joe]

Angie: Thanks -- now I don't have to go out there and check. ;)

[Hannah]

I'm bummed about Grasshopper. They had the *best* bloody marys. Not that I've tasted a bloody mary at any other durham bar, but I can't imagine anyone could have beat Grasshopper. I always dreamed about going back there for another pitcher of bloody marys, and some very tasty, if spotty (depending on what you ordered) food, if I ever got another babysitter and could go out w/o my kids.

BTW, I also agree that Thai Cafe is really excellent. I haven't had better Thai in the Triangle, although the place over in CH is pretty good too. I used to live in Portland OR and the Thai food there was stupendous, but I am very happy w/Thai Cafe, not so keen on Chai's.

[Joe]

Hannah, I was next door in Vin Rouge the other day, and the person behind the bar was someone who used to work at Grasshopper. You might want to go in VR some night and ask around a bit -- you might be able to get that bloody mary just the way you like it.

[Phil]

So many restaurants, and so many opinions!

My meals at Thai Cafe have been OK. My meal at Twisted Noodle was nasty (there was soap in the tofu bin and all those dishes got recalled only AFTER we complained).

I'm delighted to hear about Eastern Lights.

I was very sad at the death of Grasshopper.

I only eat at Pao Lim if I'm feeling very very friendly toward whoever says, "hey, let's eat at Pao Lim". It's like somebody took all the bland out of SE Asia and dumped it on the south side of 15-501 business.