Stir Crazy!!!!!

I just have to absolutely rave about Stir Crazy! Altho its not my favorite Asian restaurant, it definitely takes second. HuHot will remain #1. But anyways, last week Monday, Kathy and I decided to go to dinner at Stir Crazy at Brookfield Square. It's in the parking lot on the Boston Store end. Come Christmas shopping season, good luck finding parking there. Between Flemmings and Fresh Market, its already at a premium.

So we arrive and walk in and immediately the smells overwhelm me and I know I'm in for a treat. The bar is an oval to the left of the entrance and it seems like their specialty is wine - Yay! We are seated at a booth that is large enough for 8 when its only teh two of us. No lie - you could fit 8 but it was set for 6. So I'm looking around trying to figure out what is all going on. The entire back wall is a kitchen area and poeple are going down an assembly line and standing in front of woks and stuff. I was really confused as to what was going on and couldn't wait for our waitress to come and tell us about it.

She arrived and explained that there are two ways to order. You can order straight off the menu or enjoy their market bar in which you fill a mini wok with all the veggies you want, choose a meat and a sauce and carb (noodle/rice) and then a master chef will cook it for you to perfection. Kathy and I both decided on this and some martinis. (sorry wine - I'm ready for you next time.)

So she brings over our woks which are placed on a metal rack with handle and has a sauce cup and tells us to go load up and wait in line. So we went up to the veggie bar and I loaded up on bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, celery, carrots, snap peas, pineapple, broccoli and probably something else. Then I choose my sauce - they had about 6 to choose from. I mixed the traditional chinese sauce and terriyaki sauce so that it wouldn't be too salty. Kathy chose peanut sauce. (I'm always leary of peanut sauce being to spicy and overpowering my food!). Then I garnished with a little garlic and ginger root and waited for a wok to be available. I chose to add chicken and flat rice noodles.

I believe there were 8 woks and 4 chefs. Each chef managed two woks and had to clean and prepare our meal at the same time. Kathy got to a wok first and the second hers hit the pan, I was in heaven. The smell was amazing. I got mine in a wok a few seconds later and was just amazed at their chopping and flipping skills. They didn't lose any of my veggies!

So we get back to the table and our drinks have arrived. Kathy ordered a Strawberry Gintini - I'm not a fan of gin, but she loved it. I ordered a green dragon which was an appletini with midori melon liquor added. Double yum for adding the melon. It was amazing! We enjoyed our food and didn't do too much talking because we both loved it so much. I tried her peanut sauce on lo mein noodles and it was just right. Just enough spice but not too much that you didn't taste anything else. I'm glad I dulled down my teriyaki because I had the best stir fry I have ever had! And I had enough for dinner the next night too!

During our meal, I began to hear a loud banging on a gong sound and look up to see a master chef indeed banging on a large gong. When he stopped, the remaining chefs all lit the woks on fire for a show. It was really cool to see a wall of flames in the kitchen. Definitely added to the atmosphere. They did it again while we were enjoying dessert, so I'm thinking once an hour maybe???

And of course we had to indulge in dessert - because why not! We ordered the chocolate fondue with pineapple, mango and bananas! The chocolate was ok - nothing too spectacular, but the fruits were wonderful. I was stuffed and when the bill came I was a little scared, but much to my surprise it was very manageable. Two entrees, two martinis and dessert for $55!

My only complaint was the noise level. It's styled in the new open concept restaurant fashion with high ceilings and open duct-work, so it makes for a lot of background noise. However, I never heard specifics of other people's conversations, just an overall noise. The gigantic chopsticks and shrimp on the ceiling were a fun little addition. I hope to go back soon, if not before Thanksgiving, then I will wait until after Christmas, because I hate struggling for parking!