25th Annual Golden Fork Awards
Posted on October 1, 2019 by Fox Cities Magazine
Best Seafood: Big Pot & Grill
For many years, the local supper club circuit dominated the Best Seafood category. In 2019, things look a little different – the fork for Best Seafood went to the Fox Valley’s first and only Viet-Cajun restaurant.
Viet-Cajun style cooking combines Vietnamese and Southern cuisine, particularly that found along Louisiana’s Gulf Coast. The star of Big Pot & Grill’s menu is the seafood boil, which is prepared in the restaurant’s signature Viet-Cajun spice blend. Customers can choose from either a seafood combo or one of their favorite seafood items such as crawfish, shrimp, crab, mussels or lobster tails. Once boiled, the seafood is topped with the flavor of the customer’s choosing. Options include garlic butter, lemon pepper, lemongrass garlic, Thai chili and hot and sour. The spice level is customizable.
“People love what we are offering, especially the flavors. It’s very unique and different from what you find in a supper club or chain restaurant,” says owner Yee Lee Vue, who also owns Bowl Ninety-One. “It’s not just a side of butter you dip the seafood in. Customers get to crack, peel and suck juice from the crawfish head. It makes it really fun.”
Napkins, bibs and gloves are offered, but Vue says more experienced diners often forego them.
“We have noticed as people become more comfortable with the seafood boil, they don’t use gloves anymore. They just want to lick their hands,” she says.
But serving up seafood in the Fox Cities isn’t always easy.
“Going into the seafood industry was a challenge for us in the Midwest. We don’t have access to fresh seafood daily,” Vue says. “It’s very complicated to get the quality of seafood we are looking for.”
Luckily, Big Pot is up to the challenge. Vue works with vendors in Chicago who deliver seafood to the restaurant two to three times a week to maintain freshness. The seafood options change based on availability.
In addition to the seafood boil, Big Pot’s menu includes curries, pho and grilled items.
“For a lot of our Asian customers, the other Thai dishes are more like sides. Like if you go to a supper club you get coleslaw and mashed potatoes, they order noodles on the side and a seafood dish,” Vue says.
The coconut seafood curry, with mussels, fish meatballs and shrimp, and the seafood Tom Yum soup are two new menu items that are especially popular.
Big Pot has become a go-to for birthday celebrations. The restaurant offers a Birthday Boil which includes one-pound of free seafood. The offer is valid up to five days before or after your big day. –ACW
Q&A: Lisa Nakashima
Manager at Katsu-Ya of Japan, Best Sushi
FCM: In your opinion, what keeps the community coming back for your sushi?
LN: I think our guests like that we have a very versatile menu and we always provide quality and fresh ingredients. I think you can definitely taste that throughout our sushi menu.
FCM: I can definitely see that versatility across the new menu items Katsu-Ya released in late February, with unique and appealing flavors like curry, seared beef and sweet/savory blends. How do guests like the changes so far, and what are some considerations when making a menu that appeals to the community’s wide range of sushi fans?
LN: Our guests have been loving the new sushi rolls. I think we provide a menu to satisfy everyone’s taste palate, in terms of fish, raw vs. cooked, and vegetarian options.
FCM: What’s good for someone visiting for the first time? And what’s a good choice for a sushi lover searching for something new?
LN: The spicy shrimp tempura maki for a first-timer. It’s cooked, has lots of flavor with mild spice. For something new I would recommend the yuzu natsu roll. It’s one of our new rolls that has salmon and yuzu (Japanese citrus fruit) that has a very light and refreshing flavor, different from any of our other rolls. –CW
Best Waitstaff, Best Sandwich, Best Bar & Grill & Best Happy Hour: Greene’s Pour House
Best Worth the Drive: Black Otter Supper Club, Hortonville
“The king cut prime rib is out of this world delicious. Cooked perfectly and enough food for three meals. The care they put into their establishment and food is exceptional.” –Sean Moore, Menasha
Food & Dining
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