Flame Broiler: Healthy simplicity
BY SCOTT CHERRY World Restaurant Critic
Thursday, October 11, 2012
3/28/13 at 8:04 AM
Dining at the new Flame
Broiler doesn’t require making
many decisions.
For a meat, one may
choose among chicken,
Angus rib-eye beef or Angus
ribs. The meats come with
sauteed vegetables and
brown or white rice.
That’s what you get if you
order it in a bowl ($5.75 to
$5.95). If you order the plate
($7.25 to $7.75), you also
receive an Asian salad and
seasonal fruit.
The final decision comes
at the sauce station, where
you may dispense “magic”
sauce — a thick, dark, slightly
sweet soy-based sauce — and
a hot sauce.
That’s all there is to it.
We ordered two plates,
The Works with white rice
($7.45) and Angus rib with
brown rice ($7.75).
The Works included
basted chunks of chicken and
pieces of marinated rib-eye
steak mixed with broccoli,
carrots, cabbage and green
onions over white rice. The
ribs were Korean style, bonein
and cut thin, and came
with the same mix of veggies
over chewy brown rice.
The chicken and ribs both
surpassed the steak, in my
mind. Despite the thin cut,
Korean ribs most often are
rather tough, but these were
tender and flavorful. The
chicken also was tender, but
the steak was a little tough
and sometimes gristly.
Both plates came with an
orange and an Asian salad
with cabbage and carrots
covered with a tasty sesame
dressing.
In addition to the bowls
and plates, light eaters also
may order a mini bowl for
$4.50 to $4.65.
Beverages include a soft
drink station, iced tea and
bottled water.
David Lee and his wife,
Victoria, are the franchisees
for this Flame Broiler, which
operates 116 restaurants,
mostly in California.
The restaurant — the full
name is The Flame Broiler
The Rice Bowl King — was
started in 1995 in Fullerton,
Calif., by Young Lee, a
graduate in economics from
UCLA. As the story goes,
Lee found himself on the
road and often dining on fast
food, and came up with the
Flame Broiler idea as a more
healthful fast-food option.
The food is made without
dairy products, no trans-fat
and no MSG. Nothing is
fried.
David Lee said he and his
wife were looking for a restaurant
business to start, and
their pastor suggested they
investigate Flame Broiler.
“We found it had been successful
in other places, and
we think it will be in Tulsa,
too,” Lee said.
The dining room is painted
in lively, bright shades of red,
lime green, white and black.
Lee said furniture is on order
for the sidewalk patio.
The restaurant is located
in space that formerly held
a frozen yogurt shop, east of
Yale Avenue on 41st Street,
just north of a T.G.I. Friday’s.
The Lees’ children, Gloria,
9, and Matthew, 6, often are
around the restaurant after
school.
This is the first Flame
Broiler in Oklahoma.
FLAME BROILER
5355 E. 41st St.
918-728-8900
Food: 
Atmosphere:
Service: Order at counter
(on a scale of 0 to 4 stars)
11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Monday-Saturday; accepts
MasterCard, Visa.
Scott Cherry 918-581-8463
scott.cherry@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
The Works plate includes basted chicken, marinated Angus beef, sauteed vegetables and an Asian salad. JAMES GIBBARD / Tulsa World
The Flame Broiler dining room is decorated in bright shades of white, lime green, black and red. JAMES GIBBARD / Tulsa World
|
