Review: Plymouth Grilled Entrees and Dishes

The Maillard reaction: This simple process is responsible for making grilled food taste delicious. When our food browns and caramelizes, it undergoes an amazing change—perhaps best conceived when we grill meat over the crackle of a hot fire. With the science lesson out of the way, here are some of our favorite local grilled dishes.   Tandoori Chicken TikkaIndia Palace Indian cuisine is one of our favorites, especially when cooking tandoori style. Technically a tandoor is an oven, but I like to think of it like a vertical grill. The base of the oven is filled with piping hot charcoal and skewers of meat are placed vertically in the clay oven. The meat browns and chars quickly. Combined with the tasty spices, this is a craveable treat any day of the week. If you haven’t had Indian food before, you might be under the impression they specialize in knock-your-socks-off spicy foods. While they do serve foods incredibly rich in flavor, the spicy hot flavor can be customized to your liking. While the chicken we had was wonderful, this would be an excellent stop for vegetarians and those on a gluten-free diet. $12.99. 4190 Vinewood Ln. N.; 763.383.1880; indiapalacemn.com  Grilled Pork Banh MiGion The melding of cultures can be a fabulous thing as the French colonization of Vietnam resulted in one of the greatest sandwiches around. There they eat it for breakfast, but the combination of sweet, spicy, sour and savory make this a delight any time of the day. Combining crunchy veggies, spicy jalapenos, refreshing cilantro, a generous portion of sweetened grilled pork and the perfect crunchy on the outside/pillowy soft on the inside baguette results in a marriage for the ages. The French’s deft pastry skills combined with the Vietnamese tradition of fresh and flavorful is out of this world. Stop by and try one; you’ll be back. $5.75. 9422 N. 36th Ave., New Hope; 763.951.2829; gionrestaurant.com   Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs Jake’s City Grille Jake’s has a huge variety of food from which to choose, including burgers and chicken sandwiches to wood-fired pizza and tex-mex. Nestled within all these choices is one of their signature dishes: the garlic lemon chicken kabobs. This is one impressive dish; with an appetizer, it is definitely something to share. Two huge skewers of nicely charred white-meat chicken sit on top a generous portion of roasted veggies and dirty rice alongside some house-baked flat bread. Bringing it all together is their secret garlic lemon sauce. We highly suggest you make little sandwiches with the flat bread, chicken and veggies—but if you are sharing, make sure you get your portion of the secret sauce. $15.95. 3005 Harbor Ln. N.; 763.559.1595; jakescitygrille.com   Hibachi Dinner, Filet Mignon and Lobster TailKobe Restaurant With a grand entrance and a spacious interior, as soon as you walk into Kobe, you know you are in for something special. We highly recommend enjoying an evening out with girlfriends, a small birthday party or even a get together for the little ones. The beauty of Kobe is the wide variety of interesting foods you can try. The signature option is the hibachi-style dinner. Choose from a wide variety of proteins, such as lobster, scallops, shrimp, salmon and of course their signature Kobe beef tenderloin. The show is fun, the food is delicious and your group will leave smiling. $33.50. 15555 34th Ave. N.; 763.559.9999; kobemnusa.com  Hanger SteakEat Shop Homemade everything is the mantra at Eat Shop. The extensive menu features loads of unique items that are prepared daily with the delicate touch of a trained chef. Chef Jeff Anderson created the menu with loads of standout items. They do everything well, including house-smoked fish, excellent hamburgers and a great selection of approachable yet unique entrees. In that last group, you’ll find the hanger steak—also known as the butcher steak. Butchers were known to save it for themselves since it has such great flavor. Eat Shop’s version is expertly seared on the grill, and served with a pad of onion butter and a side of fries or their take on mashed potatoes. We recommend you opt for their house-made ketchup if you choose the fries. $22.95. 16605 County Rd. 24; 763.270.5929; theeatshop.com   Burnt Ends AppetizerFamous Dave’s Those of you who have traveled to Kansas City probably know about Burnt Ends. These tasty little morsels are part of the reason Kansas City is a BBQ mecca for many. Thankfully, our very own local chain has created a version that doesn’t require an eight-hour car ride. This fork-tender cut of brisket is slow smoked for hours and finished on the grill while their sweet and zesty BBQ sauce tops off these meaty cubes of tastiness with a delicious caramelization. The sides of tart pickled onions and hellfire pickles perfectly balance the rich brisket. $8.99. 11308 Minnesota 55; 763.525.0500; famousdaves.com/plymouth   Wood-Fired SalmonGrizzly’s Grill When you enter the newly renovated Grizzly’s, you’ll notice two things: the huge fire pit and the wonderful smokiness that comes along with it, then get settled in for some wonderfully grilled food. One of the few places that is cooking over real wood—which means you’ll benefit from all the flavor the red oak imparts on the thick-cut steaks, the whole roasted chickens and even healthy fish. The salmon is a great pairing for the wood fire. The generous portion of fish is expertly grilled and topped with roasted corn salsa, shoestring potatoes and their signature wildfire sauce. Served with a side of veggies, this can be a healthy yet delicious choice. $16.99. 220 Carlson Pkwy. N.; 763.476.1011; grizzlysgrill.com