Second Helping: Umami burgers are spicy, but not hot
BY SCOTT CHERRY World Scene Writer
Sunday, November 18, 2012
11/18/12 at 4:43 AM
Don't know what's for dinner? Find Scott Cherry’s restaurant guide.Original Print Headline: Burgers are spicy, not hot
This is a recap of Scott Cherry's restaurant reviews in last week's Weekend section. The full reviews are available at tulsaworld.com/cherrypicks.
TE KEI'S
1616 S. Utica Ave.
918-382-7777
Food: 
Atmosphere: 
Service:
(on a scale of 0 to 4 stars)
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; accepts all major credit cards.
Umami seems impossible to describe. In Japanese culture, it's considered to be the fifth taste, after sweet, sour, bitter and salty. The Umami Burger chain in southern California has built the idea into a hot commodity, loading up burgers with all kinds of exotic rubs, marinades, sauces and toppings.
Whatever umami is, if that's what the Kung Pao has, I'm a believer.
It started with a 1/3-pound ground beef patty topped with mushrooms, red bell peppers and white onions stir-fried with a Kung Pao sauce (cilantro, wasabi) and peanuts. A corn-dusted bun was slathered with cilantro aioli and wasabi sauce, and butter lettuce was the final addition.
With all the wasabi, I expected it to be hot, but it wasn't, and the flavors melded amazingly.
DEX'S MEXICAN GRILL
3148 E. 11th St.
918-938-6180
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Atmosphere:
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(on a scale of 0 to 4 stars)
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; accepts all major credit cards.
The recipes all come from family members, including several from (Corine) McGuire's grandmother, Leedoma Wallace, who is Hispanic.
We had the grande tostada and chili verde to go with one street taco and poblano-avocado cream sauce with tortilla chips.
The stew-like chili verde might win some chili contests I've judged. It was served in a bowl filled with slow-cooked pork that was simmered in a broth with what I assume to be crushed green chilies, salt, pepper, onions and perhaps a little cilantro. The dish had just enough heat to be interesting.
ROMANO'S MACARONI GRILL
6603 S. Memorial Drive
918-254-7800
Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:
(on a scale of 0 to 4 stars)
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. all week; accepts all major credit cards.
Carbonera featured a bowl of spaghetti alla chitarra with pancetta and Parmesan with a poached egg on the side. I still immediately broke the yolk and mixed it around as much as possible in the spaghetti. Chitarra refers to a machine that looks like guitar strings that the dough is pressed through to make the spaghetti.
Penne rustica is a staple. It included penne pasta with roasted chicken, shrimp and prosciutto in a rosemary cream sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan. A chicken Caesar salad with romaine, Parmesan and garlic croutons was huge and fresh.
Associated Images:
Chicken Milanese with arugula salad and rosemary potatoes at Macaroni Grill. MATT BARNARD/ Tulsa World
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