Eat Me: Mekong Asian Restaurant

Greetings one and all to a very long anticipated article on Pittsburgh Underground’s favorite secret dining spots for anyone who loves Chinese cuisine done right. Mekong (located at 1429 Potomac Ave, Dormont PA 15216 / 412 531 8066) is literally the very best in the city of Pittsburgh for those who want a family friendly dining experience, the most flavorful food on the planet, and don’t want to break the bank while doing so.

Nestled as a cornerstone of Potomac Avenue, Mekong specializes in the tastiest Asian treats that surpass what most American’s know as ‘asian-fast-food’ into some of the most pleasurable and carefully constructed dishes that only the proprietor, Thanh Nguyen (better known as ‘mom’ ) could make. Born in Saigon, Ms. Nguyen opened Mekong in 2000 and has been delighting patrons with her decadent dishes ever since.

An intimate dining experience that truly feels like visiting old friends is the best way to describe Mekong. Mekong is all about the homemade food (always from scatch) from mom and the personal service provided by mom’s kids - Theresa, Lisa, and Phero who always greet us with a big smile, lots of conversation, and amazing memories! The gang here at good ol’ PU have never been to a restaurant that not only remembers us as patrons, but also the dishes we’ve tried and our individual preferences for what we can now no longer live without.

When asked what got her started, Thanh replied that when she moved to the states she wasn't educated & couldn't speak English. She already knew how to cook Vietnamese food and learned how to cook Chinese food from other Asians. With her love of cooking, it only made sense to try and make a living at it. The name ‘Mekong’ was taken from the delta that runs through north and south Vietnam where mom lived growing up. She wanted pay tribute to her childhood she named her restaurant after it.

Generous portions of unrivaled appetizers always start our epicurean journey from Dragon-Phoenix soup, steamed dumplings, and egg rolls as we patiently wait for more of mom’s cooking to grace our table. We tried so many dishes that we love that no words can truly do them justice so to be fair, let’s describe some of our favorites...

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WITH MEKONG ASIAN RESTAURANT REVIEW...

Artsty Fartsy: Pittsburgh Puppet-fest begins TODAY!!!

Pittsburgh Puppeteer Tom Sarver & Pal

Greetings gang! This week for five straight days Pittsburgh will be hosting four puppet-centric events around town!

The first event kicks off tonight from 5:30 to 9PM where the locally produced These Aren't Your Kids' Puppets! takes over Carnegie Museum of Art's monthly Culture Club happy hour. This 'puppets for adults' event is lead by Pittsburgh-based puppeteer Tom Sarver, who participated in Polish artist Paulina Olowska's performance Museum Piece (For Margo Lovelace) during the opening of the 2013 Carnegie International. Join Sarver and original cast members Kristen Barca and Joann Kielar for a reprise of Museum Piece. Travel back in time and place to the birth of Dadaism during Sarver's new show, Flight out of Time, which features fellow puppeteer Mike Cuccaro. Chat with Culture Clubbers about what makes puppets fascinating, and create an original puppet for the stage. Admission: $10 (includes one drink ticket).

Heather Henson's Flight: A Crane's Story

The fun continues on January 18th (8 p.m.) and January 19th (2 p.m.), for the Pittsburgh debut of Heather Henson's Flight: A Crane's Story. Taking place at Charity Randall Theatre in Oakland, this brand new environmental spectacle is the brainchild of IBEX Puppetry, the company run by Jim Henson's youngest daughter. Exploring nature's mysteries and the cycle of life on Earth via the story of a crane named Awaken, the interactive performance uses puppetry, kiting and music from indigenous North America. Theater-goers will watch as environmental changes brought about by human activity force Awaken's family to abruptly depart for their annual journey south. Suddenly orphaned, the young crane must learn to fly, navigate and migrate amidst windstorms, directional loss and loneliness. Experience Awake's journey from adolescence to adulthood, as she encounters Mother Earth, receives ancient Turtle Wisdom, finds her inner compass, and rejoins her family. Admission: $8-$25.Check this Brian Edward interview out with Heather Henson courtesy of 'Burgh Vivant.

Heather Henson - Founder Director, IBEX Puppetry

Interviewed by Brian Edward; Courtesy of 'Burgh Vivant

Wrap up your week of puppet wonder on January 20th at Puppet for Kids, held in conjunction with Carnegie Museum of Art's ARTventures: 2013 Carnegie International Family Day. Explore the playful side of the International with engaging artmaking, a self-guided gallery hunt and engaging performances. At 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m., storyteller Alison Babusci will perform Peace Tales and other stories in the galleries. At 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., puppeteers Tom Sarver and Mike Cuccaro of The Puppet Happening will host a chat with puppets about works of art featured in the exhibition, and will perform stories from the Middle East, Africa and the US. Free with museum admission.

Announcement: Happy New Year From PU!!!

Well gang - despite the bumps and bruises, we survived another year on this fine floating rock called earth!

With that said, the gang from Pittsburgh Underground wish to extend our best to all our readers as we slide into 2014. We hope you've all had fun during the holidays - hung out with friends and family and had some time to rest up and relax in your own special way to help recharge the batteries for the year ahead.

As always, we'll be here doing our thing here in the underground so stop by when you're looking for a laugh, some info on what's shaking around Pittsburgh, and as always, a healthy dose of the crazy.

See you in the new year! Your buds at Pittsburgh Underground!