Nerra Review – New (excellent) seafood restaurant in Durham

By Colin Ulin in Date Night, Restaurant Review

Location: Durham, NC
Date: 11/01/2025

Overall Impression

Cute little restaurant in east Durham that isn’t overly fancy and serves absolutely delicious seafood. It’s a newer place but they are nailing the flavors and plating.

Colin: 4.5 / 5
Leslie: 4.25 / 5

Ambiance

Located in the previous location for Krill (a Filipino restaurant), they haven’t changed much of their decor and it’s fairly casual, but still cosy and interesting. Understated ocean theme with a heated patio that is quite nice on a cool fall evening.

Service

The service was quick and professional and the waitress was very nice. Our only complaints were that they were slow to clear dishes and they should have provided serving utensils with the shared small plates.

What We Ate

  • Nerra Shrimp (small plate): Perfectly cooked shrimp with a delicious crab cake-like stuffing. They weren’t overly rich or buttery and the flavor was great. Leslie’s only issue was that it was too salty, but Colin thought the saltiness was appropriate for the dish and brought out the seafood flavor.
  • Bacon Wrapped Scallops (small plate): Also perfectly cooked, these scallops were wrapped in beef bacon and topped with mango which altogether was a perfect combination.
  • Cajun Seafood Linguine: Leslie gets seafood pasta dishes at a lot of places and this one was far less heavy and rich than most of the others (which she prefers). The portion size was great, the sauce was well spiced, and the seafood and sausage was well cooked and abundant.
  • Sesame Crusted Tuna w/ Crimson Harvest Sauce: Nerra has a neat “personalized” seafood option where you get to pick a fish, decide the method of preparation, and top it off with one of a few sauces. The tuna I picked was seared perfectly (in other words, it was raw in the middle and crusted in the outside) and the crimson harvest sauce added a great warmth and sweetness to it.

Thai @ Main Review

By Colin Ulin in Casual Eats, Restaurant Review

Location: Durham, NC
Date: 11/23/24

Overall Impression: 

Casual, classic American Thai food in the heart of downtown Durham. We think it’s the best Thai in the city. Or at least the best drunken noodles!

Leslie’s rating: 4/5 (for a casual spot)
Colin’s rating: 3.5/5

Ambiance:

You don’t go here for the ambiance. It’s quick, it’s not too expensive, and it’s great Thai food. 

Service:

We usually do takeout, but when we do dine in, the service is fine. Nothing to write home about.

What we ate:

  • Crab rangoon: Crispy, not too greasy, and the perfect ratio of crab to cream cheese.
  • Drunken noodles: Most casual Thai restaurants do not do drunken noodles well from our experience. They are bland and often overcooked and we just end up feeling disappointed. Thai @ Main always gets them right with lots of flavor and vegetables. The perfect comfort food when we come back from a trip or don’t feel like cooking.
  • Massaman Curry w/ Chicken: Thai restaurant classic that they do a great job on. Packed with flavor and creaminess.

Local’s Seafood Restaurant & Market Review

By Colin Ulin in Date Night, Restaurant Review

Location: Durham, NC
Date: 11/16/24

Overall Impression
Right by the front door of the Durham Food Hall, this tiny seafood spot serves up great and locally sourced fresh fish. Part market, part restaurant, they have a very small menu, but what they offer is excellent and so fresh.

Leslie’s rating: 4.5/5
Colin’s rating: 4.5/5

Ambiance
Casual bar seating and really loud since it’s a packed food hall. But we grabbed two seats at the bar and felt tucked away, like we were sitting in their kitchen eating a home cooked meal.

Service
A great group of guys took really good care of us at the bar. Lots of joking and shared appreciation of good food.

What We Ate

  • Spicy Scallops on Wontons: Fucking delicious. Super fresh (they were in season!) and perfectly fishy, served raw and paired really well with a crunchy wonton. The light spicy mayo sauce gave it the perfect heat without overpowering the freshness.
  • Fish Stew: A light, brothy soup with a TON of flavor. Perfectly smoky and delicious. Really tasty on a cold evening!
  • Fried Black Sea Bass Platter: Very lightly fried whole fish cooked to perfection. The meat fell off the bones. Paired with seasoned waffle fries and coleslaw. It scratched our fresh seafood itch so well.

NOTE: We revisited this restaurant in October, 2025 and got the special of the day (fried whole fish) and it was good, but not quite as good as our first experience.

Zweli’s Ekahaya Review

By Colin Ulin in Date Night, Restaurant Review

Location: Durham, NC
Date: 11/9/24

Overall Impression: 

A great date-night spot in downtown Durham if you want something a little different. Still new so working out some kinks but definitely worth a try!

Leslie’s rating: 4/5
Colin’s rating: 3/5

Ambiance:

A small spot in the Tobacco Campus in downtown Durham. Having lived in Kigali, Rwanda, it brought back nostalgic memories of nice restaurants in East Africa–traditional baskets on the ceiling and gourds on the wall. P.S. Great bathroom. 

Service:

Honestly, not great. A new restaurant so we’re willing to give them some grace and time to figure it out. The food took some time to get out, and the coursing wasn’t planned well (at all?). 

What we ate:

  • Butternut squash croquettes: Kinda boring, not well presented. Decent fall flavor with the butternut squash and nicely crispy.
  • Brussel sprouts: Nothing special but they do it well! The piri piri added a nice heat. A little too oily (probably not cooked at high enough heat).
  • Dovi cauliflower: DOPE. Good presentation. Good flavor. A really lovely mix of American vegetarianism (cauliflower as a “main”) with a delicious African peanut curry sauce. 
  • Rice Bomb: Really yummy. A really unique mix of a classic marinara sauce with a peanut fried rice ball. They could’ve elevated the marinara sauce by making it more interesting but definitely try it!
  • Oxtail ravioli: Very delicious. A little on the fattier side but that’s common with oxtail. The squid ink ravioli had great flavor with just the right amount of heat. Not all of the pasta was cooked equally but overall really good. 

A dad’s attempt at a practical baby registry guide

By Colin Ulin in Babies 0 Comment

Just a few months after finding out I was going to be a dad, I was laid off from my job and suddenly had a lot of free time on my hands. I could have spent that time job hunting (and I did do a lot of that) but my mind was fixated on the impending birth of my first child so I set to work researching every little possible item we could buy in preparation. What I immediately learned is that there are infinite things you can buy and infinite versions of those infinite things and infinite opinions about which/when/why you should buy anything. It’s stupidly overwhelming and unhelpful and impossible to figure out who to trust. I put this guide together in hopes of simplifying the registry making process and maybe making it a little less daunting.

So below is a slightly organized list of everything we bought (or I had thoughts about buying) in preparation to have a baby and some explanations as to why I would or would not recommend buying it. Throughout the list, I’ve linked to Amazon items to make it easier to add them to your registry, but you’ll be surprised to find how easy it is to find most of this stuff can secondhand  via Facebook Marketplace or your local consignment baby store.

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Grilled Tofu Reuben

By Colin Ulin in Food

Ingredients

Grilled Tofu

  • 1 block extra firm tofu
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp oregano

Sandwich

  • 2 slices rye bread
  • 1 tbsp thousand island dressing
  • 3/4 cup sauerkraut
  • 2 slices Swiss cheese

Directions

  • Slice tofu into 12-14 even slices and use a towel to press out excess water
  • In a bowl, mix together garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, dijon mustard, and herbs.
  • Put the tofu in a small sealable container and pour the mixture over it.
  • Seal the container and shake gently to evenly distribute mixture. Allow to marinate for up to 1 hour.
  • Lightly oil a baking sheet and spread the tofu out on the sheet.
  • Place under the broiler until you can see the soy sauce starting to caramelize and the tofu darkens (~4-5 minutes)
  • Take the baking sheet out and flip the tofu slices over with a fork.
  • Broil again for another 4-5 minutes.
  • Assemble the sandwich by toasting the bread, spreading the dressing on one slice, and adding the 6 slices of tofu, sauerkraut, and swiss cheese on top.
  • Before adding the top slice of bread, return the sandwich to the broiler briefly to melt the Swiss cheese on top.

Chocolate Tofu Pie

By Colin Ulin in Food

If you weren’t already convinced that tofu could be used in anything, then try this recipe out. This incredibly simple pie filling recipe takes only 4 ingredients and tastes amazing. It’s also way healthier than standard pudding filling recipes and, if you sub out the honey for agave nectar, you can make it vegan.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Filling

  • 2 blocks extra-firm silken tofu (I prefer the Mori Nu brand)
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp vanilla

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers
  • 1 egg white
  • 3 tbsp butter

Directions

Filling

  1. Blend tofu in food processor until very smooth.
  2. Add the honey, cocoa powder, and vanilla and blend until completely mixed (make sure to use a spatula to clean off the sides).

Graham Cracker Crust

  1. Preheat oven to 425F
  2. Beat egg white until peaks are just starting to form.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the egg white into the graham crackers.
  4. Melt the butter and add to the bowl. Mix with a fork.
  5. Pour the mixture into a pie dish and press into the bottom and sides to form the pie crust.
  6. Bake for 8 minutes and let cool.

Assembly

  1. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and spread out evenly with a spatula.
  2. Optional: Use chocolate syrup to make a fancy design.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Miso Egg Drop Soup

By Colin Ulin in Food

If you’re looking for a miso soup like you get at a restaurant with just a couple tiny cubes of silken tofu and a strip of seaweed, this isn’t what you’re looking for. This is my full-meal style Miso soup loaded with lots of veggies, tofu, and a poached egg.

Feeds: 4

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 6 cups veggie broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 5 baby bok choy
  • 1 block tofu
  • 1/3 cup red or white miso paste
  • 8 eggs
  • 2 cups white or brown rice, cooked per instructions

Directions

  1. Heat up the olive oil in a deep pot over medium heat and add the onion cooking until its translucent (about 5 minutes).
  2. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant (about 45 seconds).
  3. Add all of the liquids to the pot (veggie broth, water, vinegar, soy sauce, mirin), turn the heat up to medium high, cover, and bring to a simmer.
  4. Wash and chop the baby bok choy (white and green parts) into 1/2″ strips.
  5. Once the veggie broth is simmering, add the baby bok choy to the pot, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
  6. Dice the tofu into 1/4″ squares and add to the pot. Stir the pot being careful not to break up the tofu and allow to return to simmer.
  7. Scoop out about 1 cup of the broth into a bowl and mix in the miso paste (we do this because we don’t want the miso to boil or else it will curdle) until completely dissolved.
  8. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the miso mixture. Cover and set aside.
  9. In a smaller sauce pan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil and poach two eggs at a time.
  10. To assemble the bowls, add about 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pour the soup over the rice, and place the two poached eggs delicately in the middle so as not to break the yolk.

Grilled Brussels

By Colin Ulin in Food

I know a lot of people who say they hate brussel sprouts and I think I know the reason: they grew up eating them boiled. Please stop boiling your brussel sprouts. They lose all their flavor and smell bad. There are a lot of better ways to cook brussels, but this is one my favorites. It’s pretty quick and forgiving if you don’t have all the ingredients or leave them on the stove too long.

Feeds 3

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 bag fresh brussel sprouts
  • 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp for grilling
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika

Directions

  1. After washing the brussel sprouts, slice the stems off and then half them length-wise.
  2. Toss the brussel sprouts with the olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic powder, and paprika. Feel free to let this marinate for 30 minutes. I don’t usually have time to do that, but it wouldn’t hurt.
  3. Place a large skillet on the stove but don’t turn the heat on yet! Now, dump the brussels mixture into the pan and flip all of the brussel halves over so the flat side is down. It might not be possible to create a single layer of brussels, but try your best.
  4. Cover the skillet and turn the heat on medium.
  5. Wait until a fair amount of steam starts to escape from the under the lid (about 10 minutes). Mix the brussels, scraping up all the tasty stuff on the bottom. If the pan seems pretty dry or the brussels are starting to burn, add 1 tablespoon of water.
  6. Cover again and cook for another 3 minutes. At this point, you should be able to break one of the brussels in half easily with the end of your spatula. That’s how you know it’s done. If they aren’t done, add a tablespoon of water and cook for another 3 minutes.

How to make Eggs Benedict turn out right

By Colin Ulin in Food

Eggs Benedict is a notoriously difficult thing to make. I’ve screwed it up countless times and have come up with a few tricks I want to share here. This recipe focuses on the core elements of eggs Benedict (the Hollandaise and the poached eggs) but you can also mix up the English muffins (try a bagel or buttery biscuit) and the protein (I actually used arugula here but avocado and/or bacon also works great).

Feeds 3

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs + 3 eggs yolks
  • 3 english muffins
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika + more for garnish
  • 1 cup arugula (or avocado or bacon or whatever you’re feeling like)

Directions

  1. Bring a small pot of water to a consistent simmer and carefully drop your first two eggs into the water (I find releasing the eggs into the water as close to the water surface as possible helps to prevent the yolks from breaking).
  2. Once the egg whites have become opaque the entire way through, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and set aside. Continue like this until all 6 eggs are poached.
  3. In a separate, smaller sauce pan, whisk together the egg yolks, lemon juice, and water.
  4. While still stirring, heat the sauce pan over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken (stirring consistently throughout this step is extremely important, otherwise you’ll end up with scrambled eggs).
  5. Slowly begin adding the melted butter, stirring it in as you go, until all of the butter is mixed in.
  6. Continue stirring the mixture over medium heat until it thickens and starts to almost hold its shape.
  7. Assemble the Eggs Benedicts by placing arugula on top of each halved, toasted, and buttered english muffin. Then add a poached egg on top of each muffin half.
  8. Finally, drizzle the Hollandaise sauce over each poached egg and sprinkle with paprika. (NOTE: If the hollandaise has thickened up too much while sitting, add another tablespoon of water and mix).

Pro tip: Timing is super important when making Eggs Benedict. Ideally, you want everything to finish cooking at the same time so it’s all still hot while assembling. If you can, try to start the Hollandaise sauce before the eggs are done poaching.