Chicken & Upo

Some of you might be thinking....."What the heck is upo?". Well, for those of you that don't know, it's a light green squash (kind of like a giant zucchini) that's used in a lot of Asian dishes, like Filipino dishes.

No, I didn't cook this dish myself, even though I know how to. I visited my sister and her family today and they apparently made a Filipino dish called "chicken and upo".....at least I think that's what it's called. Upo goes well with chicken in a stew type of dish like this one. Served over rice, this meal is delicious.

Here are the ingredients:

• whole chicken chopped up into different pieces (you can any parts you want)
• upo
• tomato
• garlic
• onion
• chicken stock (optional, there's already enough water from the chicken and veggies)
• patis (fish sauce.....but also very optional and only in a small amount)

Just brown the chicken in a pot, making sure it's covered during the process because you don't want to lose any of the water. After they look brown and halfway cooked, chop up the upo into small cubes, dice up the other ingredients and throw them all in the pot. Let simmer until the chicken is tender. Enjoy!

Jones

I'd like to post a review of a small chain restaurant in the city that serves up some extremely tasty BBQ. I'm talking about Jones BBQ. There are only a few of these in the city of Seattle, and they are known for their own BBQ sauce.

This is one of those order at the counter, take a number, and seat yourself type of establishments. The inside is very clean, open, comfortable, and nicely decorated. As you enter through the front doors you'll see a refrigerated display case of pecan and sweet potato pies, which you can buy by the slice or the whole pie. You'll also notice a small area on one of the walls displaying proudly their awards of supposedly serving "Seattle's Best BBQ".

The menu has everything BBQ related, from chicken to brisket, to ribs to hot links, etc. The food is usually served with a side and white or wheat bread. Their BBQ sauce is so good that you'll have to pay extra for a side of the tasty stuff.

They have reasonably priced (for BBQ) dishes for the generous portions they serve up. If you have a hungry crew, it's probably best to go with the 3 or 4-way family orders. It's quite a bit of food.

Let's review/rate this restaurant using my 5-doughnut system, shall we?:

• Service, 3 doughnuts= Although you get your own utensils and drinks in this restaurant, they still take your food out to you and ask you if you need anything else for a better dining experience. The service was friendly and nice. They were even accommodating by turning off one of the ceiling fans directly above the table because it was a little too windy/cool.
  
• Atmosphere/Location, 2.5 doughnuts= I was at the one located on Ferdinand Ave in the Columbia City neighborhood. It's not in a very obvious spot (situated between different restaurants/buildings on a road that's not considered a main thorofare). There's usually ample street parking, but if you can't find any there's a big pay parking lot right across the street that's only about $1/hour. The atmosphere is pretty nice for a BBQ joint (total opposite from the BBQ place I reviewed in the previous posting). It's actually pretty upscale compared to other BBQ joints.
  
• Food Presentation, 2.5 doughnuts= It's BBQ, what can you expect? However, the brisket, chicken quarters, and ribs were nice and evenly fanned out on the platter, and the sides were all laid out in their own separate dishes. The BBQ sauce was smothering the food and looked so tasty.
  
• Taste, 4 doughnuts= Mmm, good BBQ. Their sauce is truly a masterpiece. It'll make you salivate for more. The meats were all well smoked/grilled, tender and tasty.
  
• Cost/Value, 3 doughnuts= I think it was a pretty good value, considering how much food was served up. BBQ is usually a little pricey since meat (like ribs) is not cheap. Always make sure you get a dish that comes with sides.
  
• Originality, 2 doughnuts= Nothing really original about this BBQ place besides their own homemade sauce.
  
• Overall, 3 doughnuts= Great BBQ place. Buy a bottle of their mild or spicy sauce and take it home to use for your next BBQ. You won't be sorry. Also, their desserts are just as tasty. Southern BBQ should always end with pecan or sweet potato pie!
  

Be sure to check out their website at http://www.jonesbarbeque.net/.

-N