Soup of the Evening, Beautiful Soup

Note: this was originally written and posted last winter. Not so appropriate for June, but still, a bowl of soup might be just what the doctor ordered.

Before the sunny streak, this winter had been very much like the Shasta County winters Femme de Joie remembers from her childhood, when she had to walk five miles to school in a blizzard uphill both ways over hot burning coals -- whoops, sorry. That’s a different rant for a different time.

But it looks like this season's rainy and cold winter has resumed, and that makes M. de Joie think fondly of soup -- not just adding one can water to one can of Campbell's, but real soup, soup that comforts you when you are sick, warms you down to your popsicle toes when you’re frozen, rejuvenates you when things look bleak. While it’s quite easy to whip up wonderful, soothing, full-meal soups in one’s own kitchen with only a modicum of effort, there are certain soups most people don’t attempt at home, putting them instead on the lists of foods they only eat when at a restaurant. And there are times when you just don’t feel like cooking, or when you need lunch but don't want to eat so much you feel groggy the rest of the day.

If you’re out and about on a miserable winter day, or at home wishing you had a large steaming bowl of soupy comfort in front of you, here are a few of Femme de Joie’s favorites. Each is a meal by itself, reasonably priced, and most are just a bit more exotic than chicken noodle (though dear knows chicken noodle has its place on a list of favorite comfort foods).

ALBONDIGAS AT EL MARIACHI’S



Albondigas, $4.50/$7.50, served with tortillas. This savory broth is seasoned with oregano and includes generous chunks of zucchini, carrots, onions and tomatoes, plus large meatballs. It’s sophisticated enough for adults while also appealing to kids.

For the adventurous, Femme de Joie can't say enough good things about the ridiculously red giant bowl of menudo (not pictured) served daily at El Mariachi's. Hot tortillas and a side plate of lime wedges, dried chili flakes, minced onion and chopped cilantro allows the diner to enhance the soup to taste. Fat tender pillows of tripe -- without what a friend described as "that cow-stomach smell" -- bob in a rich chili base. $7.99 for an enormous serving; good whether you have a hangover or not.

VEGETARIAN CHILI AT GRILLA BITES



Every day, Grilla Bites offers a selection of soups -- mostly organic, always with a vegetarian selection, and some designated as gluten-free. The day M. de Joie visited, the offerings included vegetarian chili (pictured above), lentil, minestrone, and their signature Rockin’ Moroccan. $3.50 for a small bowl, $6.50 for a large serving; add $2.00 to be served in a bread bowl.

PHO AT PHO SAIGON



As the name indicates, pho is the specialty of this little cafe tucked away in a corner of a strip mall near Raley's. M. de Joie favors tai sach - variety beef cuts including tendon, tripe, meatballs, and flanken, along with rice noodles in a star anise-spiced roasted beef broth, side dish of bean sprouts, fresh cilantro, and hot chilis to add as desired.



For those who like fish and want to expand their horizons a bit, try pho hai san - shrimp, squid, fish cake, imitation crab meat with rice noodle. A small bowl is $7.99.

KHAO SOY AT 5 THAIS


Khao soy ($6.99) may look like square marshmallows floating in a bowl of chocolate milk, but one sniff, one taste, will reveal flavor combinations of coconut, red and yellow Thai curry, and onion that are simply out of this world. If tofu doesn't rock your socks, chicken and beef are alternatives. Also available at sister restaurant Racha Noodle.

If there’s a restaurant that makes a fine soup you crave, M. de Joie would love to hear about it. Meanwhile, give these places a try for a warming lunch or dinner that won’t break the bank. Call for opening days/hours and more information. Note: 5 Thais and Racha Noodle accept cash only.

Pho Saigon, 236 Hartnell Avenue, Redding; 530-223-9888

Grilla Bites, 1427 Market Street, Redding, 96001; 530-242-6656

El Mariachi's, 2914 Churn Creek Road, Redding, 96002; 530-224-1847

5 Thais, 1003 Dana Drive, Suite A, Redding; 530-221-8929

Racha Noodle, 2630 South Market Street, Redding, 96001; 530- 246-8730

Elegant Asian Dishes at Yuet Bistro

It's been noted before in this space that strip malls can be an unlikely place to find good food. The many vacancies and low rent in Redding make them ideal for small family-run restaurants. Yuet Bistro is one such place.

Yuet Bistro's interior is a bit more elegant and stylish than you'd expect given it's next to a tire shop and there's a parking lot just a few feet from the window. A long polished bar describes one wall; discreet hanging light fixtures cast a better glow on diners than ordinary florescent lighting. Lacquered chairs and tables are comfortably spaced apart so you don't feel like your neighbor could just reach over and take a bite off your plate. Service is prompt and ranges from friendly to perfunctory.



So the interior’s nice. But how’s the food? With a menu extended between dim sum, Thai, Cantonese, Mandarin and Szechuan, Femme de Joie was a bit concerned that the kitchen wouldn’t be able to successfully accomplish everything they advertise. But M. de Joie is pleased to recommend Yuet Bistro for lunch or dinner, or a dim sum extravaganza. Prices are right for a speedy bargain lunch, but this is no fast-food express joint: the cuisine is elegant enough to take a date or enjoy a special occasion with family.



Hot and sour soup - $3.50 cup, $6 bowl or available with lunch specials.

Though it could have packed more heat, this warming and filling soup was nicely sour and was brimming with lots of crunchy julienned vegetables. It was a pleasant surprise to find hot and sour soup is an option to go with lunch specials in place of the ubiquitous egg flower soup.



Singapore style noodles with pork and curry, $8.95

This was the weakest dish M. de Joie sampled at Yuet Bistro. Noodles, veggies, Chinese BBQ pork, and shrimp were all cooked beautifully. Unfortunately, the curry powder wasn't stirred in thoroughly. About half of the dish didn't have any curry and tasted very bland, and then suddenly there’d be a mouthful of pasty curry powder glommed onto the rice noodles. Too bad, because the other ingredients were perfect.



Ma po tofu -- lunch special, $6.95, including steamed or fried rice and a choice of egg flower or hot and sour soup.

This was a terrific deal -- a very large portion of cubed tofu, strips of tender pork, diced carrots and peas in a gingery, not-too-sweet spicy-hot sauce, along with a generous amount of freshly cooked fried rice. Even an unreconstructed carnivore would enjoy this hearty special vegetarian dish with meaty textures. Ma po tofu can be made sans pork for a vegetarian dish.



Salt-baked squid $8.95, enough to serve two or three as an appetizer to share.

Salt-baked squid is not, in fact, baked but rather deep-fried in a light, puffy coating, with lots of browned slivered garlic, salt, fresh jalapenos, and dried chilies thrown over the top and served with hoi sin, sweet and sour, and garlic-chili paste. Femme de Joie could hardly stop eating this delicious, intensely flavored dim sum. Amico del Signore is not a squid fan but he loved this.



Thai tom yum seafood soup, $8.95 for a very large serving.

M. de Joie loved this spicy and warming Thai soup, sour with limes in a strongly aromatic broth and filled with three green-lipped mussels and plenty of squid and shrimp. This is a soup for those who love assertive flavors and unexpected combinations of tastes.

Now that the Cypress Street Bridge is complete and there aren’t 20-minute delays crossing the river, Yuet Bistro is easily accessible from downtown for lunch, or make a special evening reservation and enjoy some sophisticated Asian food in an attractive dining room.

Yuet Bistro, 24 Hartnell Avenue, Redding, CA 96002. 530-222-8322. Open Sunday-Thursday 11 AM - 9 PM; Friday and Saturday 11 AM - 11 PM. Cash, cards; no checks. Ample onsite parking. Vegetarian and vegan options. Beer and wine. See menu at http://www.yuetbistro.com/