Restaurant Review: Sunny Restaurant

With Uncle Paul (frequently mentioned in these parts) and my Aunt Elena in town for the better part of a week, we decided to hit up one of Utica's many Asian restaurants.

Admittedly, this wasn't my first time to Sunny. I had been there once before, with a handful of friends, but plum forgot to post up my thoughts after the fact. All for the better I suppose, this allowed me to sample a few more dishes to mention here. Either way, the fact that I wanted to take my guests to this spot is pretty good indication of what I thought of it.

Sunny Restaurant is located in east Utica, just off of Bleecker Street, one of the main drags in the city. It doesn't look like much from the outside (admittedly, most places in Utica don't) and it can be easy to miss, the sign isn't immediately visible from the street. Remember to go in the door FACING Albany Street, as some might be tempted to go around to the other side.

Anyway, Sunny features a small cozy interior, with perhaps a dozen small tables (maybe less). It fits the description of a hole-in-the-wall, but germaphobes need not worry, Sunny is kept pretty clean, and the glass-top tables were spotless.

Sunny's menu features Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Cambodian, and Vietnamese dishes. The menu, as you could imagine with such a lineup, is extensive, featuring a good five pages of various fare. Images of little chili peppers, 1 (mild) 2(medium) and 3 (hot), are placed next to each dish for those conscious of spiciness. The menu also has a long list of appetizers, though I failed to try any of these either time.....too many entrees were on offer.

Well, I am no expert at reviewing restaurants (this is the first one, after all), but I can say this: Sunny Restaurant's food is VERY good. I cannot speak for the Japanese food, but my two times to Sunny have seen me sample all the others, and I wasn't disappointed with any. Any of the Thai and Vietnamese noodle dishes are a safe bet (though my friend Nick wasn't a massive fan of the Udon (very thick) noodles that came with our Satay (a Thai dish), but mainly because their texture put him off.....no-one else took issue), though I recommend the strangely named Strange Flavor, a semi-spicey (it earns 2 chili peppers) Chinese barbeque sauce over Udon noodles, veggies, and your choice of meat (noodle dishes generally come with either chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or a combo of the first three). It is definitely a unique taste, and was a hit with everybody. The stir friend Cantonese noodle, chosen wisely by my Aunt Elena, was another favorite. The dish, again served with your choice of meat and an array of vegetables, features fat noodles, almost like the kind put on lasagna, and a tangy sauce. The only Cambodian dish tried thus far was something called the Beef Loc Lac-cubed beef stir fried in an oyster sauce and served on a bed of lettuce. This wasn't as interesting as some of the other dishes, but also didn't disappoint. A Chef's Special, Loc Lac was one of the pricier items at 13 bucks. Most of the others come in around 8 or 9 bucks, making Sunny an affordable night out. Also, dishes also come with the obligatory bowl of rice.

Wait staff is minimal, unsurprising, given the small size. However, they are all very friendly and attentive. The first time there it took more than a half hour to serve our food, really the only complaint I can have (they of course apologized). With Paul and Elena though, service was much more prompt. There isn't much of a desert menu, only fried ice cream, but this isn't the type of place one should come looking for an awesome sweet.

Sunny Restaurant is a revelation in an area that is over taken with sub-par Italian or American food joints and chain restaurants. The food is delicious, interesting, authentic (none of the greasy, oily, hastily-made food so often found in Asian restaurants in the US) and quite cheap. All those who joined me (besides Paul, Elena, and Nick, my friends Walter and Elizabeth) also gave it a high thumbs up (Nick didn't let his dislike of the Udon noodles sway his overall opinion). Its not in the nicest of areas (it looks a bit rough around the edges, but any time during the day and early evening you really don't have anything to worry about). Parking isn't very convenient, you have to park on the street, but don't let this turn you away. Sunny is a place that really shouldn't be missed.

Score: 5/5
Location: 530 Albany Street, Utica, NY.
Link to Menu: http://sunnyrestaurantasiancuisine.com/menu.pdf

All Jazz Sax

Sorry for the wait y'all. A busy week had me down in Virginia for work, then the weekend flew by as I attended to important matters. Foremost among these was my impending trip to Russia (oh, have I not mentioned it yet, well, here it is!). I am trying to make my way into Russia on July 12, where I hope to not only see its two main cities of St. Petersburg and Moscow, but also see my friend Ivan, a classmate from my days in China. I just applied for my visa, so keep a look out for news regarding that soon.

Anyway, to the title of the blog post. Four Corner's contributor and general partner to Your Correspondent in crime, Uncle Paul, as just joined the blogging world. His blog, All Jazz Sax, will primarily look to provide reviews of jazz albums and other materials. Jazz aficionados should definitely give it a shout, but even just regular fans of music could learn a thing or two. You can take a look, already outfitted with his maiden post, here: http://www.alljazzsax.blogspot.com/

Movie Review- The Raid: Redemption

I mentioned in the last post that I would have an Indonesian movie to tell you all about, and here it is.

The other night I sat down to The Raid: Redemption (also known as Serbaun Maut in Bahasa, the main language in Indonesia). The Raid, directed by a Welsh dude, Gareth Evans (I've never heard about him either, so don't worry) carries a fairly simplistic storyline: A team of SWAT officers goes into a rundown apartment building to reclaim it from a crime lord and his army of thugs who control it. Rama, a young SWAT member, is the central character.

Words fail me. Incredible. Amazing. Insane. I don't know, take your pick. This movie has to be the most high-octane, balls-to-the-wall, no reservations action film -I've ever seen. Silat, an Indonesian martial art, plays as heavy role in the film, and is used in many of the fight scenes. Its pretty nuts, a lot like the martial arts on display in the Bourne movies.

I'm not really going to make any attempt to describe this film in any depth. Its pretty much just non-stop action. When the crime-lord discovers the presence of this squad of SWAT officers attacking his building, the place pretty much goes into lock-down, and gun and machete-wielding bad guys rain down on the cops, and pretty soon it becomes Rama and the officers that survive the initial assault trying to escape the building. The action progresses from gun-play, to knife fighting, to hand-to-hand. Its exciting stuff, and the choreography was for the most part solid.

I have a couple of complaints, but nothing that takes away from the film. There were a couple moments when the choreography was a bit off, and the fight scenes looked a bit wonky, but I can understand this, when the film is pretty much just one big action sequence, it can't be perfect. Some of the fight sequences  I thought dragged on for a bit too long, and realism was pretty much thrown out the window in a few instances (I didn't really care though...it was awesome). Also, there was a ton of yelling during the fighting, which got a bit annoying. Maybe the idea was to portray adrenaline-filled characters, but still. There was also some plot pieces that  I lost track off, but I attribute this to the poor translation  I had for subtitles, but in the scope of things, it didn't really matter.

I feel like I am missing something here, and that is probably the case, but, The Raid is just something you have to see on your own. Its not you "A Separation" type of film, but this is definitely my favorite action flick. The fighting is both pulse-pounding  and fun, some of the kill moves very creative, and its, its, its just awesome. Oh, decent soundtrack as well, went very well with the action. When  I watched the trailer for this flick,  I was pretty stoked. It definitely didn't let down.

Verdict: Yeah, you gotta see it. Grade: A

If you liked this movie you might also like: "Hard Boiled" featuring Chow Yun Fat as Inspector Tequila is nothing like this movie, but is comparable for its intensity and almost non-stop action.

By the way,  I am in Norfolk, Virginia at the moment for work. Didn't arrive until after the three, but was still able to fit in dinner at an English-pub for dinner, where I had fish and chips followed by a desert of bread pudding and chocolate brownie (I shared with a colleague). It was all good.....but I think  I feel a coma coming down.....

Ann Arbor photos....and others

So....its would appear that I have been out of the game for a couple of weeks. Apologies for the absence, but a lack of worthy material and a busy schedule have kept me off these spaces. No worries though, hopefully I can get back into writing mode, starting with today.

First off, some minor changes to this blog. I will no longer be reviewing mainstream American films. I figure there is really no need.....so I will be sticking to foreign films, or indie, small market American movies. I will also try to include more international politics/current events discussion, to continue the "internationalization" of this blog. Also, I may squeeze in a restaurant review here or there. I have recently found out that, despite the general despair that it invokes, the Whitesboro-Utica (well, Utica really) area is home to some neat hole-in-the-wall ethnic restaurants, a product of the area's immigrant community. I recently sampled one last Saturday, and was very impressed, and plan on trying more.

And finally, some photos. Contributing writer Uncle Paul was recently in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and volunteered to snap some pictures of the area, which he and my Aunt Elena give high marks to, so that the Four Corners could post them up. Now, I have yet to go to Michigan (well, I've been in the Detroit airport nearly 10 times), but given Uncle Paul's plaudits, parts of it definitely look worth a shout. The pictures act as solid evidence as well. Take a look below for photos that they took during Ann Arbor's Saturday Farmer's Market. Oh, and another thing, look here later for a movie review....an Indonesia film is on deck tonight.....