Yummy or crummy?

Each week, the Volante will feature a review of a local restaurant. If you want us to review somewhere special, tweet us at @VolanteVerve.

The first restaurant in the Vermillion restaurant review series is Chae’s, one of the two Asian restaurants downtown. My friend and I were lucky enough to traipse in on a Tuesday night, when they were featuring Maki Rolls, (more commonly known as sushi.)

Even though we got there right at 8 p.m., when they stop serving the rolls, they let us order the sampler as an appetizer. They were amazing, but keep in mind that I’m a white girl from the Midwest. Ergo, I know nothing of real sushi.

We looked at the huge and diverse menu for way too long before we were ready to order, and even then, we asked our server, who was knowledgeable and helpful. I ordered Almond Chicken, but asked them to hold the almonds, which was no problem. My friend ordered Bulgolki, which is a Korean beef dish.

The food arrived at our table quickly, but not so fast you’d assume the kitchen is filled with frozen bags of food and microwaves. I checked out the short drink list and saw they offer a few beers and wines, sake and some teas and sodas. Even though the list was short, it covered all the necessary bases.

By the time our food arrived, our table had been cleared of the Maki Rolls and waters refilled. We were both happy with our entreé choices and both took some home. The Bulgolki was a mildly spicy dish with a savory brown sauce, while the Almond Chicken, sans almonds, was more mild, but still delicious. The most vital bit of information for any college student on a budget is that the food reheats well.

The price was pretty good, especially considering the amount of food we received, so I give this restaurant a solid A grade.