Even Our Bok Choy Is Locally Grown

If you think Asian vegetables are only grown in Asia, think again. Lin Zhang, co-owner of Zhang and Yang Farms, is a third generation farmer in California. His company is one of the largest producers of specialty vegetables in the state. The company's farms grow bok choy and 14 other hard-to-find Asian veggies. Bytes Café is proud to serve the produce of Zhang and Yang Farms in many of our locations around the United States.

Zhang shows off the fruit of his fields

Lin Zhang said:

“It’s wonderful that Bytes Café is helping to raise awareness of the benefits of bok choy and other specialty vegetables with its new Asian menu. These vegetables are often misunderstood and overlooked here in America, but they are delicious and packed full of vitamins and nutrients. It has been my life's work to carry on my family's company, and we take pride in ensuring the quality of every single vegetable that comes from our farms.”

Try This Refreshing Recipe From India

We hope you are enjoying your flavor journey this summer with Bytes Café. Here’s a delicious and easy recipe for Strawberry Lassi to try at home. Lassi is a yogurt-based drink from India that’s often served as a light summertime dessert. Enjoy!

Strawberry Lassi

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 9 ripe strawberries, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 1 cup low-fat yogurt
• 3 ice cubes

 Directions:

1. Cut 3 strawberries into small pieces and set aside. In a blender, place the remaining strawberries and sugar; blend on high speed for 30 seconds. Pour in the milk and blend another 30 seconds. Add the yogurt and blend on high speed for 1 minute.
2. To serve, place 1 ice cube in each of 3 glasses and pour in the lassi. Top with the strawberry pieces and serve.

Calories per serving: 111

Variety is the Spice of Life

Greetings, Bytes fans.

For my first guest post on the Bytes Café blog, I’d like to discuss an issue that is near and dear to my heart: food. I love food, which may surprise you. But I’m not a picky eater, I just play one on TV. For me, savoring food is one of the best ways to take in a new place, but it can also remind us of home. In Paris, I ate crepes at a sidewalk café. In Germany, I ate schnitzel with noodles. And even to this day, nothing makes a rainy day better than tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.

Not everyone has the opportunity or desire to travel, but I would encourage you to savor food and savor life. Take a chance on that unusual restaurant, or order one of the new Asian items at Bytes Café. After all, variety is the spice of life.

—Jim Parsons  

Save Money and Eat Healthy with Seasonal Produce

Our food experts at Bytes Café recommend choosing fruits and vegetables that are in season in order to save money and eat healthier. These foods are often fresher because they are available locally, instead of spending several days in transport to get to the produce aisle of your local grocery store. They also have more nutritional value because they are allowed to ripen on the vine. WiseBread.com recommends these veggies for your May meals:

• okra
• zucchini
• rhubarb
• artichokes
• asparagus
• spring peas
• broccoli
• lettuce

For a full list of what to eat and when to eat it in the U.S., visit www.wisebread.com/fresh-fruits-and-vegetables-by-the-month.

Byte into Something New This Summer

New Garlic Ginger Chicken

Bytes Café has teamed up with gourmet chefs from the continent of Asia to create an exciting new summer menu, and you’re invited to join us on this fantastic flavor journey. Grab a Vietnamese drink, order an entrée from Thailand and have a sweet treat from China—without ever leaving the country! Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the authentic tastes of zesty curry, fresh coconut, garlic ginger and more. Plus, all our dishes are made with U.S.-raised meat and locally grown veggies, and many of them are under 500 calories.

What are you waiting for? Visit our website for a full list of the new menu items, or stop by a Bytes Café near you to take your taste buds on a tour of Asia!

First Commercial Starring Jim Parsons Airs May 10

Here at Bytes Café, excitement is growing for Thursday, May 10. Why you ask? Because our first commercial starring actor Jim Parsons, known for his role as the quirky Sheldon Cooper, will air during the season finale of CBS's "The Big Bang Theory." Watch for it on Thursday, and we'll post it online soon so you can enjoy Parsons' wit and comic humor again and again.

Here are a few fun facts about Jim Parsons:

• He's from Houston, Texas
• He fell in love with acting after playing a bird in a school play when he was 6 years old
• He was voted "friendliest" by his high school graduating class
• He loves eating at Bytes Café

The Future . . . Now Available at Bytes Café!

Reuters News Agency recently posted an article about a new payment system in the works in Canada that will make cash obsolete, calling swipe-and-go mobile phone payments the wave of the future. I guess that means we're ahead of the curve here at Bytes Café! All of our locations accept payments via the Google Wallet app, and we're excited to begin accepting Isis Mobile Wallet payments this summer. (P.S. You can already pay with Isis at our Austin, Texas locations, where the app is currently being beta tested!) 

Read the article here to learn about the payment method of the future.