There’s a lot of good food here in the Red Stick. But for many locals, there’s one food experience or memory that stands out among the rest. So 225 asked a few leaders from the Baton Rouge culinary scene to tell us about their most memorable food moment at a local restaurant. The next time you’re on the hunt for a new food obsession, check out one of these dishes—if the experts love it, you probably will too.
Stephen Hightower, managing partner with City Group Hospitality
The memory: Traveling back in time with Mimi’s lima beans & shrimp at Philay’s Catfish Restaurant in Gonzales (although the wings at Triplet’s Food Mart/The Blue Store are a close second.)
“A friend of mine told me about it, and it quickly became a dish I dream about. It reminds me of a dish that mom will only make for us on special occasions. Philay’s was the closest I had to my mother’s, and I can’t wait to get some again!”
Jordan Ramirez, owner of Chow Yum Phat and Yuzu
The memory: Venturing across town for the dosa at Swagat Indian Cuisine
“Being that [Swagat] is 25 minutes from my house here in Mid City, it’s taken me a while to get over there. The entire meal was incredible. But the one dish I tried, which I’ve never had before, was the dosa. It’s this giant, thin, stuffed crepe. We ordered the one stuffed with cheese, potatoes and onions. I’ve been thinking about it ever since. In my opinion, the best food in Baton Rouge is generally found in these unassuming restaurants pumping out delicious food at great prices.”
Thien Nguyen, executive chef at Kalurah Street Grill
The memory: Slurping down the drunken noodles at Soji: Modern Asian.
“From the unique texture of the noodles to the tender sirloin steak, I still remember the first time my tastebuds made their way into this dish. Because they use a traditional wok, the noodles have an authentic taste only achieved by using high heat and a carbon steel wok. To top it all off, the perfectly fried sunny side up egg adds the perfect fattiness to accompany the spicy and sweet stir-fry sauce enveloping every bite. Also if you’re there, don’t skip out on the cauliflower!”
Originally published by 225 magazine, read the full story here. To get the latest on Baton Rouge food and events, subscribe to the free 225 Dine e-newsletter.
