Hoban - Eagan

In recent months, I've been especially curious about exploring foods/cuisines that are mostly foreign to me (in the sense I have never tried much, or that it is sparse in my area.) After narrowing it down to Hoban in Eagan, Mr. H and I geared up for the drive on a Friday night, and off we went!

I've heard Hoban is one of the more authentic Korean joints in MN. I don't know much of anything about Korean food, but the selections looked appetizing. I was especially intrigued to see they had all different kinds of soju on their menu (Korean booze -basically high octane Japaense sake) and a lot of different Korean alcohol I have never seen or tried, so I was excited about that.

Upon entering Hoban, it was quite busy, and the smell was absolutely delicious. It 's a fairly spacious, open restaurant with larger tables in the middle (most were occupied with larger groups) and booths lining the walls. We waited 5 minutes or so, but were then seated by the very friendly host in a booth. At the table, there was a wine and beer list, but no list of all the exotic Korean booze I saw online. When our waitress came around, I asked about the soju and she said all they had was plain or yogurt, and it was $15 a bottle and not by the glass. I was pretty disappointed by this, and I didn't know anything about the other alcohols, so I just ordered sake and left it at that. (of which they serve almost to the brim in a wine glass.)

There was a lot to choose from on the menu. After a LOT of deliberation (and a lot of help from our waitress, who was VERY friendly and informative), we both decided on a Bi Bim Bap - I chose the Dolsot Bi Bim Bap (Sizzling rice topped with an assortment of vegetables and beef. Comes with an egg and a side of fiery hot sauce) and Mr. H chose the Seafood Bi Bim Bap (Sizzling rice topped with an assortment of vegetables and seafood. Seafood includes chopped calamari, shrimp, scallops, and mussels. Comes with a side of fiery hot sauce.) For our appetizer, we got dumplings, which are a staple of mine most any asian place I dine.

After a 10-15 min wait, our dumplings came out. They were probably one of my least favorite dumplings I've had. They were steamed, and not too flavorful. Dumplings are seemingly simple, but deceptive in this manner. It takes a lot to get a dumpling "right" (much like a spaghetti sauce, or any other "simple"recipe) and these were not terrible, but I've had better.

Our Bi Bim Bap came out about 15-20 minutes later; sizzling, smoking and popping in their hot pots, with many tiny bowls of accompanying sides. I am not familiar with korean food, and had to ask about each thing. The people were very nice and didn't make me feel like some dumb white chick about asking. In the sides there are (and I may miss some): peeled carrots, sliced daikon, pickled daikon (which were also flavored strongly with ginger - my favorite side!) kimchee, sprouts, cucumber, sliced ginger, cabbage and other stuff I'm forgetting. I was not sure how to apply these to our meal, but was assured it was ok to add them into our dishes. They also give you hot sauce and soy sauce for flavoring. Kimchee has a reputation for being quite pungent, and let me assure you right now: it is. I like strong flavors, but the fact that it's fermented makes it that much more pungent.

Dolsot

Seafood Bi Bim Bap

I decided to try my crackling bowl of BI Bim Bap (so fun to say!) plain first, and found it to be quite bland. I started to add some of the sides (especially loved the ginger daikon) and soy and hot sauce. The hot sauce was nowhere near hot, to my disappointment. The meat in my dish was very sparse and it brought nothing to the dish. One thing I did appreciate were all the components were sliced thinly, and easy to eat with chopsticks and take small bites. My big gripe with some asian places is they have BIG HUGE CHUNKS of stuff (brocolli anyone??) and you are forced to just chew one big hunk of that without eating anything else in that bite.

Regardless of the small slices, I found msyelf to be quite full halfway through my meal, so we packed it up and headed out. Hoban boasts a few karoake rooms in the back, so we checked them out on the way out. They are very impressive. Several different private rooms, decked out with dim fancy lights, swanky lounging and mirrors - the whole karoake 9 yards! I'm not sure of the price to rent these rooms, but it looks like LOADS of fun if you can get a group of people together for a night! I'm not sure what the song selections are, but they look to be mostly asian.

Overall, I liked Hoban and will definitely go back to experience more Korean foods - especially the kimbap, which is Korean sushi!

Greats:
-The smell in there is intoxicatingly delicious
-The staff is VERY friendly and accomodating
-The "do it yourself" aspect to the bibimbop
-The karoake rooms!!
-I'm sure if I ask more, I can find out about the Korean booze.

Not so greats
-The dumplings were just so-so
-The dish was bland on it's own, and the hot sauce..not so hot
-The lack of info on the korean booze!!
-It's far away from us

http://www.hobanrestaurant.com/index.html

Lola's Lakehouse - Waconia

My friends Mr. and Mrs. M suggested we go to Lola's for a Tuesday dinner. Being the skint that I am, I was pretty broke, and Lola's is expensive. No worries they assured me - we can split a pizza! I thought.."Just pizza..at a nice restaurant? Weird "But hey - beggars cant be choosers, so off we went!

I was actually quite comfortable upon entering Lola's. Lots of dark wood, nautical themes and exposed stone. We were seated in what is probably the most comfortable booth I've encountered in a restaurant. No easy task for me. The booths were roomy, not too high and not too low, and when I leaned back I wasn't immediately met with stiff wood. There was some give, and I was quite happy in my nook. The restaurant was nearly empty, which I liked. But It made me wonder what the vibe is when it's busy?

We arrived and perused the menu's. I was happy to see their signature drinks were around $6.
Not too cheap, but certainly not as expensive as other places I've been. They also have a nice affordable wine list. I ordered a glass of Cab, and was delighted to recieve it in a stemless glass (because I am a glassware NAZI.) Mr. H joined us, and he ordered a Sidecar.

Their pizzas come in small or large, and they have specialties or build your own. They have a goat cheese and chicken pizza that looks awesome. But we decided on the build your own, with pepperoni and andouille sausage. Yes - andouille. They have some nice topping choices, for $1 apiece!

I polished off my wine, ordered a French Martini and marveled at the lakeside view. They boast a long patio, running the length of the restuarant that is RIGHT by the water. The walls are basically windows, so even from inside you see the sparkling lake. I am not a huge nature person, but a good view is always appreciated and this was no exception.

Our pizza finally came. It was pretty good. Mr. M says he dreams about the pizza, he loves it so much. I'll agree that it's above average, but I can be a tough pizza-crowd. The toppings weren't overwhelming, which is a pet peeve of mine. The andouille sausage mimicked very thick pepperoni, but had that great andouille flavor you expect. The crust was traditional style, and was not too chewy or crispy - a fine balance between both. The sauce was a tad on the bland/sweet side, but the cheese was abundant and gooey. The thing I liked the most was the structure of the pizza. It wasn't messy, greasy, floppy or loose. It held together perfectly, and was easy to eat and hold. Not an easy feat for pizza and sandwiches of the food world. It's a simple pie that doesn't over or underwhelm your senses. You just ENJOY it.Overall, I liked Lola's a lot better than I thought I would. The view is awesome, the pizza is simple and good, and the interior is cozy. The only gripe I have is the wait. We waited a long time for drinks, which is inexcusable for a restaraunt that isn't busy whatsoever. Regardless, I'm eager to return in the warmer weather and sit on the patio!

Greats:
-Drinks are affordable - especially for the ingredients they use
-Super cozy atmosphere
-Comfy booths
-The bread comes with basil butter
-The pizza is quite good
-The lake view

Not so greats
-The service wasn't that prompt
-I'm scared of what the vibe is in busy summer months
-It's expensive, so I have to save up to go back!

http://www.lolaslakehouse.com/