Food Review: Milford Track Restaurant- The Best Homemade Pasta Around!

I’ve eaten in central Arkansas my whole life, but have never even seen a sign for Milford Track nor driven by it. So, I  was clueless about this hidden gem. I finally heard about it through another local food blogger and added it to my list to try.
On my first trip back out into the restaurant world since quarantining and only living on cooking and the very rare take-out, I put a lot of thought into where I would meet my mom for lunch. Looking into Little Rock’s best patios, because I still don’t feel comfortable eating indoors, I learned Milford Track has a great one, so this was an easy decision. Here’s the breakdown:

LOCATION:

This restaurant, or more like a lunch eatery, is located in the Executive Center Plaza 2 building in the Westlake Corporate Park. Google Maps brought me to this parking lot, where I just had to walk around to the other side and enter where you see the large patio and tables. It faces a small pond and is a great area to enjoy a meal.

MENU:

Milford Track has so much to offer! Besides a daily special and many family dinner options each week you can order to take home, there is a large breakfast menu and a very large lunch menu of sandwiches, soups, salads, and HOMEMADE PASTA.

I must explain how awesome this pasta menu is. First, you pick your pasta (flavors today were spinach, lemon pepper, rosemary basil, whole wheat), then you pick your sauce (flavors today were basil pesto, tomato pesto, cilantro pesto, low-fat alfredo, parmesan parsley, pepper garlic, marinara, black bean, or Raphael). For just the pasta and sauce, it is $8. Or you can add grilled veggies OR chicken for $10. If you want both chicken and veggies, it is $12.50. or you can get salmon and veggies added for $16.
No matter what, the portions are HUGE. Both of us easily had two meals out of this.

FOOD:
*I must mention this is no quick lunch stop. It took about 25 minutes for everyone’s food to come out, without a crowd. So, just be prepared.*

Rosemary basil pasta with pepper garlic sauce and added veggies:

The pasta was cooked to perfect aldente and the veggies were charged perfectly with a lot of flavor. The pepper garlic sauce definitely was not very garlic-y, but was still tasty. It tasted more like an alfredo sauce with a slight kick.

Rosemary basil pasta with cilantro pesto sauce with veggies and chicken:

My entire dish was unbelievably good. The pasta was again, perfectly aldente. The veggies were the second best part- so much flavor and cooked perfectly. The chicken was good, but there wasn’t very much of it. The cilantro pesto was very flavorful, I loved it! I didn’t even have to add any salt or pepper, which says a lot.

There was so much food, I had this much to take home to Drew after I was stuffed.

OVERALL:

I loved this place! It was perfect for patio seating (though they do have limited indoor seating as well) if you have an hour for lunch or breakfast. I’m afraid I’ll never be able to order one of their amazing sandwiches or salads, because I HAVE to order the pasta always. So, let me know if any of their sandwiches are a must-try.
The service was slow, but friendly. The food and prices just couldn’t be beat!

Food Review: Aji Ramen Bar in Little Rock

I finally got to try Aji Ramen Bar for a small birthday dinner. We all really liked it! Here’s the breakdown:

ENVIRONMENT

Located in the Shackleford shopping area, between Star of India and Jason’s Deli, this is an easy spot to hit up in Little Rock.

The inside is small, with mostly tables for 2-4 and a bar. We were lucky to find one table to fit all 6 of us.

MENU

https://www.facebook.com/Aji-Ramen-Bar-709585816084060/menu/

The menu can be found on their Facebook page, in the link above. It not only has seven types of ramen to choose from (and an all-vegetarian one not listed on the menu with veggie broth, broccoli, and fried tofu!),  it also has two rice bowls. Plus, there are many unique appetizers to check out, if ramen is not your thing.

FOOD

Takoyaki, $5.95
Description: 5 fried octopus balls, served with green onions and creamy sauce.

Unsure of what to expect, we first tried these fried octopus balls. While I’m not a fan of octopus, the picture on the menu looked too good to pass up.
These bite-size balls are covered with, what I can only imagine are thinly sliced fish, flakes that are still moving…and they don’t stop! They smelled pretty fishy. However, the toppings, sauces, and the balls were a delicious combination. Nothing tasted fishy about this dish.

The texture inside was soft, almost like mochi, with a crunchy exterior and a small piece of octopus in the middle. These were very unique and tasty. I suggest you give them a try.

Vegetable Croquette, $4.95
Description: Fried mashed potatoes mixed with vegetables.

These pretty large croquettes were very good! Very crunchy on the outside, and extremely creamy with mashed potatoes mixed with a few veggies in the middle. They come with what I assume is a “yum yum sauce” and some shredded lettuce. Everyone loved these.

*My friend also tried the steam bun with pork belly and loved them! She said the pork belly was melt-in-your-mouth. I will definitely try these next time.

T1 Cha-Siu Ramen, $10.95
Description: Rich, creamy pork broth with pork belly, soft boiled egg, green onion, black mushroom, corn, seaweed, and chili hair.

This ramen was delicious! The broth was more flavorful than any other ramen broth I’ve tried around central Arkansas (I’ve tried about 3 others). The noodles had a perfect chew. The pork was tender. The eggs weren’t overcooked, like they sometimes are. The chili hair was a nice addition to give just a tiny bit of heat and flavor. The rest of the toppings were pretty typical, and created a great bowl of ramen! I will definitely get this again!

*They also give you some red chili paste if you want to add heat to your ramen. I added the smallest amount, maybe a teaspoon, and it brought the heat! It was perfect for me, but be careful with this stuff. A little goes a long way!

OVERALL/SERVICE

The space is small, and was packed when we arrived for a Tuesday dinner at 6:30, but it had cleared out around 7:30-8:00.
The service was extremely helpful. The waiter asked if we had any questions, he explained everything we inquired about in detail. Our waters were never empty. And they were FAST! We got our appetizers in lightening speed and right after, our ramen arrived. Great for a quick lunch!
If you haven’t given this place a try, you’re missing out.