La Arepa | Pawtucket

Arepas are wonderful white cornmeal sandwiches served with a variety of fillings and are native to Venezuela and Colombia. I am a big fan and lucky enough to have had them in Caracas (slideshow of Venezuelan food here). But when I have a craving locally - and that's often - this little restaurant is my destination.

Photo above shows three arepas: one with shrimps (camarones) and one with shredded roast pork (pernil), and lastly one with chicken salad with avocado called "Reina Pepiada" - considered the best after a late night - you know - after dancing your feet off and drinking whiskey all night. :-)

But u can eat them fine without all that. I recommend them. Go and be fed.

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Phoenix Dragon | Providence

Dim Sum Dim Sum. Fun to say. Fun to eat. In RI it's hard to find it but Phoenix Dragon on Broadway is a great destination locally for this Chinese treat. For those of you who haven't had Dim Sum - think Tapas but Chinese style. Nearly everything is served in a small dish - in a bun or a dumpling or rice noodle wrapping. You dip in soy sauce and later compete with your fellow dinners for the last pieces. When in Boston, I will detour to Chow Chau City - but in RI the Phoenix Dragon fills the gap nicely. Order some baby bok choy (off menu item) stir fried in garlic to round out your feast.

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Sura Korean BBQ | Johnston

Saturday night I picked up my cousin who was visiting for the weekend and we wanted to get supper and so I was looking for something close to Smithfield RI when I remembered passing Sura Korean restaurant - which was close by.

Worried that it would be stranded in the middle of RI with no patrons I was pleased to see a full dining room and people happily eating very yummy looking foods.

We opted for dolsot bibimbap which is a mixture of vegetables and meat (wiki), a Korean barbecue chicken (there's a hot plate in the center of each table!) and a potato noodle dish. Everything was fantastic and the service was cheerful and helpful. It's on my short list to return here as soon as possible. Kim chee for all!

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