Kitchenette
156 Chambers St, New York 10007
212 267 6740
Food 4
Ambiance 4
Service 4
Overall 12
Good for heavy greasy leaden diner inspired brunch
So I realized when arriving here last Sunday, that I have visited the Morningside Heights branch of this establishment many times before. However, the Morningside heights branch has never left me so sorely disappointed. We arrived there fairly late, my husband, sister and my mother around 3 pm. We were quickly seated at a small corner table ,with a window to the super cramped kitchen. When you enter this place you are reminded of country diners gone awry. To your left, is glass area of baked goods , cakes, cupcakes and cookies that look fresh and delicious. The rest of the decor is a mishmosh of garage finds and colors. Pinks,red,yellow and greens. Well battered and used kitchen items. The menu is fairly priced, most brunch items starting in the ten dollar range with some in the early teens. The food is basic with some attempted creativity thrown in. Plates come heavily loaded and and the food is just plain heavy. My sister had the $11.50 sweet potatoe waffle, my mom the $12 chicken cobb salad, my husband $11.50 blackberry and cherry pancakes , and I had the $10.25 Turkey sausage, cheddar and potatoe omelet. All of our food came out within about 15 minutes, which made me a little suspicious as to how fresh everything was. The plates looked large and potentially appetizing, though clearly this kitchen is not about finesse. Food was just plopped on the plate, diner style. Where to begin on this journey of sublime disappointment. I will start with my mother's skimpy Cobb salad. The thing about Cobb salad is it should be very hard to screw up. Load up the plate with onion, bacon, cheese, tomatoe, avocado and chicken. And voila you have salad. However, when my mom's salad arrived all ingredients were barely there. 4 pieces of tiny chicken, a few tomatoes, smattering of onion, no celery and very little blue cheese . It was amazing that compared to all other brunch items they were so pathetic in the salad. Aside from the general paucity of ingredients, the dressing and taste just were plain not too good. On to my omelet. Greasy and heavy. Like coal landing in my stomach. Some foods are greasy bits of heaven. This wasn't one of them. Barely seasoned, poor quality cheddar. The biscuit was even worse. I knew there was a problem when I picked it up and could sense its weight. Problem No 1. Problem No2 is it tasted as leaden as it looked. My husband's pancakes continued the theme of leaden food. No air or fluffiness is these pancakes. Just wood. My sister fared almost worse than all of us. The waffle, which had not taste of sweet potatoe just the orange color, was denser than both of our brunch entrees. Service was barely present most of the brunch. I noted that when were leaving we were the last in this place and the waitstaff looked ready to go with us.
Needless to say we left with all of our plates half full. Our stomach's questioning the wiseness of the decision to eat even that amount.
I would definantly caution anyone searching for a satisfying brunch to avoid this place.
The Quest continues.....
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Craftbar
Craftbar
900 Broadway St
NY,NY
212 461 4300
Food 7
Ambiance 7
Service 6
Overall 19
Good for trendy tasty enough dining in Union Square for couples or groups, no Top Chef here though!
I promise a Brooklyn review soon. I have somehow been hanging out in Manhattan more than usual these days. Anyways we went to Craftbar super early last Friday on our way to a wine class through NYC wine class at 7 pm. Our dinner reservation was for the ungodly hour of 5:30 pm and apparently 3 people called my husband to confirm our open table reservation. With this kind of annoying followup, we expected the place to be packed on our entry and where surprised there was only 1 other table with clients. Now of course I went here to sample the famed cuisine of Tom Collichio, now also know for his co judge role on Top Chef. He owns 2 other places in NYC, Craft steak and Craft, and Craftbar is described as the most casual of all 3. I must say if this is casual cuisine I am very intrigued to find out what his other restaurants look like. When you enter, the space is decidely modern. A little too much for my taste..large red canvases distributed throughout the sleek wood and metal interior with a few pops of green. I think the place is an homage to nature and the waitstaff were dressed in casual teeshirts and pants in brick red and green. Dimly light . Well cushioned faux leather banquet seating. We were quickly seated and perused the fairly small menu .
Prices are average for this level of Manhattan cuisine. Appetizers ranged $9-13 and mains $18-24. The menu leans towards Mediterranean, focus on French and Italian cuisines. Although they have a fairly large wine bottle menu with a good price range, the wines by the glass were more limited although a good range of a few varietals in both red and white categories. We decided to share a half portion of the beet casunzei as our appetizer. I started with a $9.75 glass of the Muscadet white and my husband had $14 Crozes Hermitage white. I later had a $9.75 Manchuela red. The wines were fine, nothing spectacular but ok for simple dinner accompaniments. The Casunzei was essentially beet ravioli. The half moon shaped dough was a little undercooked, beyond al dente firm. It had the suspicious taste of wonton wrappers- often substituted for fresh made pasta. The half portion came out to 4 fairly small ravioli. Not bad for an appetizer portion but for a pasta main, doubling that, would still be puny. The filling was a lovely sweet fresh tasting mix of beet and ground lamb served with a light butter sauce. I found the taste subtle but not as simple or great as the best Italian pastas I have had. I am not sure why American chefs have to make all pasta so complicated. Seems to me the rule of three, or 3 ingrediants maximum which works so well in Italy should work here. On to the mains. I had the toro tuna , essentially a nicoise salad and my husband had the branzino. Both were fairly small portions and not exquisitely fresh. My toro was perfectly cooked but the presentation and taste were very boring and basic. I have had tuna nicoise raised a notch before, and unfortunately for 20 plus dollars a pop this was not that. My husband's branzino was over cooked, not to the point of dehyrdration luckily. His dish was better flavored with more complex spice combinations. But this was definantly no Top Chef moment. For the buzz of this chef, I must say overall I was unimpressed. Its not that the food was bad, it just wasn't top notch by any means. We continued on to the desserts, because we were both still hungry after our puny meal. The dessert selction is skimpy. I am hoping there is no dessert chef with these pathetic dessert options. I opted for an olive cake with ice cream and my husband had the brownie with ice cream. Both came out looking like unkempt messes. My olive honey cake looked strangely like a tiny dunkin donuts muffin. Unfortunately it was half as good as one. Very disappointing. Not very moist or tasty. The brownie was an average brownie with a chocalate sauce that tasted too similar to Herschey's chocalate sauce. The star of both was definantly the ice cream. And would definantly recommend if here getting their trio of icecreams.
I have to say the level of cuisine at this place is not making me want to rush out and spend more dough at Craft or Craftsteak anytime soon.
If you are in Union Square and are dying to sample Collichio cuisine for not outrageous prices in a cool enough atmosphere, check this place out.
The Quest continues.....
900 Broadway St
NY,NY
212 461 4300
Food 7
Ambiance 7
Service 6
Overall 19
Good for trendy tasty enough dining in Union Square for couples or groups, no Top Chef here though!
I promise a Brooklyn review soon. I have somehow been hanging out in Manhattan more than usual these days. Anyways we went to Craftbar super early last Friday on our way to a wine class through NYC wine class at 7 pm. Our dinner reservation was for the ungodly hour of 5:30 pm and apparently 3 people called my husband to confirm our open table reservation. With this kind of annoying followup, we expected the place to be packed on our entry and where surprised there was only 1 other table with clients. Now of course I went here to sample the famed cuisine of Tom Collichio, now also know for his co judge role on Top Chef. He owns 2 other places in NYC, Craft steak and Craft, and Craftbar is described as the most casual of all 3. I must say if this is casual cuisine I am very intrigued to find out what his other restaurants look like. When you enter, the space is decidely modern. A little too much for my taste..large red canvases distributed throughout the sleek wood and metal interior with a few pops of green. I think the place is an homage to nature and the waitstaff were dressed in casual teeshirts and pants in brick red and green. Dimly light . Well cushioned faux leather banquet seating. We were quickly seated and perused the fairly small menu .
Prices are average for this level of Manhattan cuisine. Appetizers ranged $9-13 and mains $18-24. The menu leans towards Mediterranean, focus on French and Italian cuisines. Although they have a fairly large wine bottle menu with a good price range, the wines by the glass were more limited although a good range of a few varietals in both red and white categories. We decided to share a half portion of the beet casunzei as our appetizer. I started with a $9.75 glass of the Muscadet white and my husband had $14 Crozes Hermitage white. I later had a $9.75 Manchuela red. The wines were fine, nothing spectacular but ok for simple dinner accompaniments. The Casunzei was essentially beet ravioli. The half moon shaped dough was a little undercooked, beyond al dente firm. It had the suspicious taste of wonton wrappers- often substituted for fresh made pasta. The half portion came out to 4 fairly small ravioli. Not bad for an appetizer portion but for a pasta main, doubling that, would still be puny. The filling was a lovely sweet fresh tasting mix of beet and ground lamb served with a light butter sauce. I found the taste subtle but not as simple or great as the best Italian pastas I have had. I am not sure why American chefs have to make all pasta so complicated. Seems to me the rule of three, or 3 ingrediants maximum which works so well in Italy should work here. On to the mains. I had the toro tuna , essentially a nicoise salad and my husband had the branzino. Both were fairly small portions and not exquisitely fresh. My toro was perfectly cooked but the presentation and taste were very boring and basic. I have had tuna nicoise raised a notch before, and unfortunately for 20 plus dollars a pop this was not that. My husband's branzino was over cooked, not to the point of dehyrdration luckily. His dish was better flavored with more complex spice combinations. But this was definantly no Top Chef moment. For the buzz of this chef, I must say overall I was unimpressed. Its not that the food was bad, it just wasn't top notch by any means. We continued on to the desserts, because we were both still hungry after our puny meal. The dessert selction is skimpy. I am hoping there is no dessert chef with these pathetic dessert options. I opted for an olive cake with ice cream and my husband had the brownie with ice cream. Both came out looking like unkempt messes. My olive honey cake looked strangely like a tiny dunkin donuts muffin. Unfortunately it was half as good as one. Very disappointing. Not very moist or tasty. The brownie was an average brownie with a chocalate sauce that tasted too similar to Herschey's chocalate sauce. The star of both was definantly the ice cream. And would definantly recommend if here getting their trio of icecreams.
I have to say the level of cuisine at this place is not making me want to rush out and spend more dough at Craft or Craftsteak anytime soon.
If you are in Union Square and are dying to sample Collichio cuisine for not outrageous prices in a cool enough atmosphere, check this place out.
The Quest continues.....
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Lady Mendl's Tea Salon
Lady Mendl's
56 Irving Pl, New York, NY
(212) 533-4466
Food 6
Ambiance 8
Service 4
Overall 18
Good for half way authentic pricey tea in a proper British setting
So one thing you will learn from reading my blog is that there are certain foods I am ,one might say, obsessed about. All things cue, as in bbq, fall in that catetgory as well as all things pork . Another area of intense obsession is English tea and anything that involves clotted cream. For those who have never tasted clotted cream, I am sure the word clotted and cream do not sound appetizing. In fact, writing this, I must confess it conjures up the image of a rotten dairy product. But clotted cream is like the sinful marriage of butter and whipped cream. Cousins that should not mate but wickedly do. The result in my opinion is one of the few food treasures the British have given humanity. I wonder if the Queen has knighted clotted cream's first maker.Bizarre to say I cannot even recall the first time I tasted clotted cream or sat at my first English tea. All I know is , that despite the fact that I have never experianced love with a man at first site , I am much easier when it comes to food. Love at first bite, sights, whiff- I fell hook line and sinker for the pomp ,circumstance and sheer food delight of my first English tea. Ever since then I have roamed the world in the search for a tea experiance that will sweep me off my feet again. On occasion, I have been know to throw a tea party myself. And while I can make a mean scone and some tasty sandwiches, my personal take is that half of the love affair of high tea is being waited upon, properly and obviously. What girl can resist that!
Lady Mendl's is a lovely historic inn in a brownstone off of Union Square. The entrance is discreetly marked with a golden address plaque with only the words Lady Mendl's. Definantly not a place to be recognized unless you are in the know. Be forewarned that since they have two tea services at 3 and 5 pm in a fairly small room, reservations are definantly needed. When you enter, you feel immediately that you are visiting the home of your well off British aunt. It is a well preserved, dimly lit brownstone with ornate wood molding, period furniture, elegant gold flowered wallpaper and lovely wood floors. Certainly the first impression is that the door magically transports you into your own private English oasis . Our reservation was confirmed by the host and after a short bit of waiting, we were led to the Tea Salon. The Tea Salon consists of 2 fairly small rooms set up with small tables covered in white tablecloths. Most can fit very tightly two people although there are a few larger tables. Each room can hold about 15 people at most.
The tea is a set five courses for 35 dollars. After sitting, they offered us the option of a glass of champagne for an additional $10 which we declined. The tea menu is varied and offers many options- black to green teas and many herbal flavors as well. I decided on a Lavender Tea and my mother opted for an Black tea with rose petals. Of note, the tea is served in teabags which in my mind is a major no no. Loose leaf measured tea make for a much more delectable tea experaince. Our table was set with lovely gold rimmed china plates and silver plated utensils. Although service was present, throughout the tea there were significant lapses for a place that is cultivating the air of gentility. The wait between each course was fairly long and we were missing simple things like cream or lemon on the table when our teas were brought out or clotted cream and jam when our scones were served. Also the place is somewhat on the cheap side. After I finished my first round of tea which I did not love, I asked to switch to the Lord Mendl, a lapsang souchong tea. At first my waiter hastily told me that it is not permitted to switch teas. When I asked why not, he did end up changing my tea. .As we were leaving, I heard the table next to me complaining that they had been charged for additional scones they had asked for although noone had told them this would be the case. Nickel and diming is not very highbrown in my book.
In any case, back to the tea itself. All tea services I have attended tend to serve the core part of the tea in a tiered serving platter so you can sample the different parts of the tea at will. Typically most teas offer an assortment of tea sandwiches, fresh baked scones and sweet pastries. Some who want to increase the number of courses will add a salad or another savory treat which can be served separate to the core tier. At Lady Mendl's everything is served in sequential order. Once you are done with sanwiches, no going back. I found this lost alot of the charm of a typical service for me.
We started off our tea with a vegetable samosa wrapped in filo dough with a little lettuce. Tasty although mildy undercooked, I would venture that this was not made in house. Then we continued to the sandwiches- 4 choices of an openfaced salmon on pumpernickel or rye bread with butter, cream cheese and cucumber on white bread , turkey on wheat bread, and egg salad on white bread. Your first round you are given 4 portions of your sandwich of choice. All were tasty,although I was surprised at the poor quality of smoked salmon used. You then have the option of one other go around with the sandwiches. Then we had scones, a plain and one with cranberry, served with berry jam and clotted cream. Fairly moist but super tiny. Each was maybe an inch in size. After this ,we were served a mutiple layer crepe cakes, crepes with a lightly flavored whipped cream interspersed. The final course were a few cookies and a chocalate covered strawberry. Overall most of the food was well prepared and tasty, although not the most generous of portions . But that is fairly typical for most teas. Despite some drawbacks, I would say Lady Mendl's is a good bet if you are looking for a unique and historical setting with fairly well prepared tea snacks in the heart of New York City.
The Quest continues
56 Irving Pl, New York, NY
(212) 533-4466
Food 6
Ambiance 8
Service 4
Overall 18
Good for half way authentic pricey tea in a proper British setting
So one thing you will learn from reading my blog is that there are certain foods I am ,one might say, obsessed about. All things cue, as in bbq, fall in that catetgory as well as all things pork . Another area of intense obsession is English tea and anything that involves clotted cream. For those who have never tasted clotted cream, I am sure the word clotted and cream do not sound appetizing. In fact, writing this, I must confess it conjures up the image of a rotten dairy product. But clotted cream is like the sinful marriage of butter and whipped cream. Cousins that should not mate but wickedly do. The result in my opinion is one of the few food treasures the British have given humanity. I wonder if the Queen has knighted clotted cream's first maker.Bizarre to say I cannot even recall the first time I tasted clotted cream or sat at my first English tea. All I know is , that despite the fact that I have never experianced love with a man at first site , I am much easier when it comes to food. Love at first bite, sights, whiff- I fell hook line and sinker for the pomp ,circumstance and sheer food delight of my first English tea. Ever since then I have roamed the world in the search for a tea experiance that will sweep me off my feet again. On occasion, I have been know to throw a tea party myself. And while I can make a mean scone and some tasty sandwiches, my personal take is that half of the love affair of high tea is being waited upon, properly and obviously. What girl can resist that!
Lady Mendl's is a lovely historic inn in a brownstone off of Union Square. The entrance is discreetly marked with a golden address plaque with only the words Lady Mendl's. Definantly not a place to be recognized unless you are in the know. Be forewarned that since they have two tea services at 3 and 5 pm in a fairly small room, reservations are definantly needed. When you enter, you feel immediately that you are visiting the home of your well off British aunt. It is a well preserved, dimly lit brownstone with ornate wood molding, period furniture, elegant gold flowered wallpaper and lovely wood floors. Certainly the first impression is that the door magically transports you into your own private English oasis . Our reservation was confirmed by the host and after a short bit of waiting, we were led to the Tea Salon. The Tea Salon consists of 2 fairly small rooms set up with small tables covered in white tablecloths. Most can fit very tightly two people although there are a few larger tables. Each room can hold about 15 people at most.
The tea is a set five courses for 35 dollars. After sitting, they offered us the option of a glass of champagne for an additional $10 which we declined. The tea menu is varied and offers many options- black to green teas and many herbal flavors as well. I decided on a Lavender Tea and my mother opted for an Black tea with rose petals. Of note, the tea is served in teabags which in my mind is a major no no. Loose leaf measured tea make for a much more delectable tea experaince. Our table was set with lovely gold rimmed china plates and silver plated utensils. Although service was present, throughout the tea there were significant lapses for a place that is cultivating the air of gentility. The wait between each course was fairly long and we were missing simple things like cream or lemon on the table when our teas were brought out or clotted cream and jam when our scones were served. Also the place is somewhat on the cheap side. After I finished my first round of tea which I did not love, I asked to switch to the Lord Mendl, a lapsang souchong tea. At first my waiter hastily told me that it is not permitted to switch teas. When I asked why not, he did end up changing my tea. .As we were leaving, I heard the table next to me complaining that they had been charged for additional scones they had asked for although noone had told them this would be the case. Nickel and diming is not very highbrown in my book.
In any case, back to the tea itself. All tea services I have attended tend to serve the core part of the tea in a tiered serving platter so you can sample the different parts of the tea at will. Typically most teas offer an assortment of tea sandwiches, fresh baked scones and sweet pastries. Some who want to increase the number of courses will add a salad or another savory treat which can be served separate to the core tier. At Lady Mendl's everything is served in sequential order. Once you are done with sanwiches, no going back. I found this lost alot of the charm of a typical service for me.
We started off our tea with a vegetable samosa wrapped in filo dough with a little lettuce. Tasty although mildy undercooked, I would venture that this was not made in house. Then we continued to the sandwiches- 4 choices of an openfaced salmon on pumpernickel or rye bread with butter, cream cheese and cucumber on white bread , turkey on wheat bread, and egg salad on white bread. Your first round you are given 4 portions of your sandwich of choice. All were tasty,although I was surprised at the poor quality of smoked salmon used. You then have the option of one other go around with the sandwiches. Then we had scones, a plain and one with cranberry, served with berry jam and clotted cream. Fairly moist but super tiny. Each was maybe an inch in size. After this ,we were served a mutiple layer crepe cakes, crepes with a lightly flavored whipped cream interspersed. The final course were a few cookies and a chocalate covered strawberry. Overall most of the food was well prepared and tasty, although not the most generous of portions . But that is fairly typical for most teas. Despite some drawbacks, I would say Lady Mendl's is a good bet if you are looking for a unique and historical setting with fairly well prepared tea snacks in the heart of New York City.
The Quest continues
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Les Sans Culottes
Les Sans Culottes
1085 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10022-2004
(212) 838-6660
Food 2
Ambiance 6
Service 4
Overall 12
Good for spending your money on some of the worst food the city has to offer
Although I ate there only this past Monday, writing this review makes me feel like I am a tragedy survivor.
There is just a singular word to describe my experiance at this french cuisine travesty: disgusting. The word is neither original or memorable. But it is just. There are few things worse than bad food and bad wine. Les Sans Culottes is a master in both.
Let me back track by saying I had walked by this genteel looking french establishment many times. It always had a good amount of patrons and showcased 3 separate prix fixe meals starting at their basic $25. The menu has many French bistro staples so I figured it was a safe bet. Midtown east and french. Usually a good pairing.
We made a reservation for Monday at 8:30 and arrived slightly early.
Two other tables were there but otherwise the place was deserted. The place has the feel of ghosts. A place whose better days are long past but noone has told them yet they are off the most wanted list. Dingy and dusty. A forgotten attic of treasures. The ambiance must have been charming some years ago I think. The wallpaper and posters. Bright red and black. Small tables nestled closely together. The place was dark and silent. I remarked on entering it felt like we were no longer in NY. At the time, I thought this could be a good thing. By the end of my meal, I wanted my visa burned and revoked.
We settled for the 25 dollar prix fixe.
This started with a appetizer of crudites, terrine and sausages. The terrine was old and crumbly although not horrific in taste, served with cornichons and an off tasting mustard based sauce. 3 types of massive sausages were brought to the table hanging from a 6 inch contraption. We were to take each and slice at will. The sausages were neither french nor good. Some poor deli version of salami. The piece de resistance was their wild crudite platter. Whole vegetable and fruit, not cut or prepared, just tossed into a large basket. The whole thing had the feel of those bad movies showcasing barbarian lords eating big boned meat with their bare hands. I paused fearing my main course would require me to depluck a chicken.
We had ordered wine with our meal. A chardonnay for myself and a cabernet for my husband. My husband took 2 sips of his vinegared wine and stopped, seeking refuge in the stale bread served. My chardonnay was unmemorable but drinkable.
I ordered the trout meuniere. A filet of trout came out, fresh but pan dehydrated beyond compare,served with a lemon acid congealed sauce coating , insipid grey potatoe mash and a tablespoon of fresh vegetables. Looking at the meal, it did not inspire confidance of any tasty revelations. It tasted worse than it looked or smell. After 4 bites I was done and thankful we had feasted elsewhere on a plentiful bar appetizer 1 hour before. My husbands entree was another altitude of problematic. He ordered the chicken cordon bleu, which was served with the same sad sides as my trout. His was also laced with some off white congealed sauce. Both also had been served with an additional side of fries and rice. My husband attempted to eat a third of his chicken and I fancied a taste. What happened next is almost too disturbing to write let alone remember. I reflexively spit it out. The taste was so nauseatingly awful, a strange unfresh melange of chicken,ham and cheese that had gone terribly wrong. Thankfully, my reflexes were good enough to have the offending food hit the plate and not the diners next to me. After recovering from the shock of what had just happened, I wanted to leave. I figured the desserts would be as awful as everything else. My husband reminded me that since I was planning on reviewing this place, I should sample it all. So we continued our feeding torture with chocalate mousse and creme caramel. More revelations of badness.
As I left the restaurant dazed and appalled, I wondered how does a place at this magnitude of incompetance at these prices on the Eastside manage to stay in business. Can it really only be tourists who dine here or uninformed NY customers? Writing this review I was shocked to see so many positive reviews ,recent as well, on menupages and tripadvisor about this place. Sometimes a place can have a bad night and be off its game. But the complete lack of anything approaching decent for all three courses leaves me convinced that nothing good can come out of this place. Maybe a new owner and a facelift can reinvent the place and bring it back into its hey day. Until then, book your trip to France with another restaurant.
The Quest continues..................
1085 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10022-2004
(212) 838-6660
Food 2
Ambiance 6
Service 4
Overall 12
Good for spending your money on some of the worst food the city has to offer
Although I ate there only this past Monday, writing this review makes me feel like I am a tragedy survivor.
There is just a singular word to describe my experiance at this french cuisine travesty: disgusting. The word is neither original or memorable. But it is just. There are few things worse than bad food and bad wine. Les Sans Culottes is a master in both.
Let me back track by saying I had walked by this genteel looking french establishment many times. It always had a good amount of patrons and showcased 3 separate prix fixe meals starting at their basic $25. The menu has many French bistro staples so I figured it was a safe bet. Midtown east and french. Usually a good pairing.
We made a reservation for Monday at 8:30 and arrived slightly early.
Two other tables were there but otherwise the place was deserted. The place has the feel of ghosts. A place whose better days are long past but noone has told them yet they are off the most wanted list. Dingy and dusty. A forgotten attic of treasures. The ambiance must have been charming some years ago I think. The wallpaper and posters. Bright red and black. Small tables nestled closely together. The place was dark and silent. I remarked on entering it felt like we were no longer in NY. At the time, I thought this could be a good thing. By the end of my meal, I wanted my visa burned and revoked.
We settled for the 25 dollar prix fixe.
This started with a appetizer of crudites, terrine and sausages. The terrine was old and crumbly although not horrific in taste, served with cornichons and an off tasting mustard based sauce. 3 types of massive sausages were brought to the table hanging from a 6 inch contraption. We were to take each and slice at will. The sausages were neither french nor good. Some poor deli version of salami. The piece de resistance was their wild crudite platter. Whole vegetable and fruit, not cut or prepared, just tossed into a large basket. The whole thing had the feel of those bad movies showcasing barbarian lords eating big boned meat with their bare hands. I paused fearing my main course would require me to depluck a chicken.
We had ordered wine with our meal. A chardonnay for myself and a cabernet for my husband. My husband took 2 sips of his vinegared wine and stopped, seeking refuge in the stale bread served. My chardonnay was unmemorable but drinkable.
I ordered the trout meuniere. A filet of trout came out, fresh but pan dehydrated beyond compare,served with a lemon acid congealed sauce coating , insipid grey potatoe mash and a tablespoon of fresh vegetables. Looking at the meal, it did not inspire confidance of any tasty revelations. It tasted worse than it looked or smell. After 4 bites I was done and thankful we had feasted elsewhere on a plentiful bar appetizer 1 hour before. My husbands entree was another altitude of problematic. He ordered the chicken cordon bleu, which was served with the same sad sides as my trout. His was also laced with some off white congealed sauce. Both also had been served with an additional side of fries and rice. My husband attempted to eat a third of his chicken and I fancied a taste. What happened next is almost too disturbing to write let alone remember. I reflexively spit it out. The taste was so nauseatingly awful, a strange unfresh melange of chicken,ham and cheese that had gone terribly wrong. Thankfully, my reflexes were good enough to have the offending food hit the plate and not the diners next to me. After recovering from the shock of what had just happened, I wanted to leave. I figured the desserts would be as awful as everything else. My husband reminded me that since I was planning on reviewing this place, I should sample it all. So we continued our feeding torture with chocalate mousse and creme caramel. More revelations of badness.
As I left the restaurant dazed and appalled, I wondered how does a place at this magnitude of incompetance at these prices on the Eastside manage to stay in business. Can it really only be tourists who dine here or uninformed NY customers? Writing this review I was shocked to see so many positive reviews ,recent as well, on menupages and tripadvisor about this place. Sometimes a place can have a bad night and be off its game. But the complete lack of anything approaching decent for all three courses leaves me convinced that nothing good can come out of this place. Maybe a new owner and a facelift can reinvent the place and bring it back into its hey day. Until then, book your trip to France with another restaurant.
The Quest continues..................
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
La Rioja
La Rioja
3305 Broadway
Astoria,NY 11106
718 932 0101
Food 7
Ambiance 6
Service 6
Overall 19
Good for tasty cheap tapas for a couple or a small group of friends
So I must confess that my main reason for going to La rioja is they advertised serving the famous iberico jamon de bellota, this black pig found only in a specific part of Spain whose diets is primarily acorns. I had just seen a few weeks ago a Gourmet Foodie TV special about the jamon and saw it featured in another magazine article where everyone was raving about the exceptional and unusual taste of this jamon. So one thing to know about me is that I love all things pork and all things rarified. I will eat anything once. And eat it again if its tasty, whatever it is. Plus I love the idea of tapas because you really get a nibble of so many dishes and get a real idea of what a kitchen can do.
So we arrived on last Thursday night around 8 pm without reservations. The place was fairly empty when we arrived although it filled up by the time of our departure at 9:30 pm. The restaurant is small, maybe 10 tables total tops. Standard unoriginal decor. Yellow walls, wood molding, ikea looking wood chair/tables. Nothing inspires you to think you are in Spain except you have a nice view of the little deli area in the back which showcases the jamon hanging from the ceiling and a pantry filled with a variety of resonably priced Spanish stapels from cheeses to chorizo, paprika to canned pimenton. In any case, I came to eat ,not to shop, so we quickly set down to the business of ordering tapas. I glanced at the main entrees, which were standard grilled meat entrees and a few paella. Nothing tempted enough to deter me from the tapas agenda. Before launching into our tapas forray, I must note this place is still awaiting a liquor license. Knowing this beforehand we came with a tasty Calfornia Merlot and were not charged a corkage fee. Throughout our tapas, the waitstafff was very good at keeping our wine glasses full.
Now back to the tapas. We started of course with the 20 dollar plate of jamon Iberico de Bellota. Now I was a little askance at the price and was expecting a few slices of the pricey jamon as my reward. Instead we were served a heaping plate of about 20 thin slices of the ham. It was interesting and different, sweet somewhat nutty flavor that melted easily in the mouth. The consistency reminded me of delicate smoked salmon. Now sometimes things are so hyped up that they can never reach the expectation created in the mind. This was unfortunately my experiance with this jamon. Very tasty but not something to fly to Spain for. Upfront I must say that we loved all the tapas with the exception of the $7.95 shrimp in garlic sauce. This was well spiced garlic olive oil goodness save the rubbery shrimp. They tasted previously frozen and were just not good quality,surprising given the quality of everything else.
We continued with $7.95 white anchovies with avocado, which were simple and unexpected. The white anchovies were marinated in a light vinegar sauce and were served on a bed of diced tomatoes with a squiggle of avocado sauce in top. The combination of the subtle sweetness and tartness of the tomatoes with the smoothness of the avocado highlighted the slight saltiness and creamy texture of the anchovies. We also had the $7.95 spicy chorizo with potatoes, which although it sounded like it might be very basic and boring turned out to be basic but definantly not boring. The chorizo was soft and spicy with its paprika soaked orange juices seeping into the potatoe mash underneath. At first bite, I though they had used sweet potatoe,because the mash became that sweet orange color and taste of the yam. The combination of the light mash with the spicy chorizo was simplicity at its best. Another tapas that was delectable was the $7.95 grilled squid, a la plancha. Super fresh and tender, with just enough hint of garlic and olive oil to add to the tasty char. I have only 2 complaints about this tapas. One was the pathetic bread they were served with. Although it was warmed, it was essentially somewhat stale basic dinner rolls. Second, although I am not a vegetarian, I do like my veggies, and the tapas selection is devoid of anything strictly veggie. After the quantities of food enjoyed, we were absolutely stuffed, but I decided to soldier on and taste a dessert. The waiter steered me to the crema catalana, which was an unimpressive creme brulee. Not bad, just nothing to get ecstatic about.
Service throughout friendly and attentive.
Although the tapas are not super inventive and creative, they are without question some of the best tapas I have had in some time. Simple, fresh, well cooked and seasoned with generous portions for the price, there are alot of reasons why I will certainly be coming back to this space. Hopefully, they will soon get a liquor license and charm up the ambiance but in the meantime I will return with a good rioja and baguette ready to sample more tapas.
The Quest continues........
3305 Broadway
Astoria,NY 11106
718 932 0101
Food 7
Ambiance 6
Service 6
Overall 19
Good for tasty cheap tapas for a couple or a small group of friends
So I must confess that my main reason for going to La rioja is they advertised serving the famous iberico jamon de bellota, this black pig found only in a specific part of Spain whose diets is primarily acorns. I had just seen a few weeks ago a Gourmet Foodie TV special about the jamon and saw it featured in another magazine article where everyone was raving about the exceptional and unusual taste of this jamon. So one thing to know about me is that I love all things pork and all things rarified. I will eat anything once. And eat it again if its tasty, whatever it is. Plus I love the idea of tapas because you really get a nibble of so many dishes and get a real idea of what a kitchen can do.
So we arrived on last Thursday night around 8 pm without reservations. The place was fairly empty when we arrived although it filled up by the time of our departure at 9:30 pm. The restaurant is small, maybe 10 tables total tops. Standard unoriginal decor. Yellow walls, wood molding, ikea looking wood chair/tables. Nothing inspires you to think you are in Spain except you have a nice view of the little deli area in the back which showcases the jamon hanging from the ceiling and a pantry filled with a variety of resonably priced Spanish stapels from cheeses to chorizo, paprika to canned pimenton. In any case, I came to eat ,not to shop, so we quickly set down to the business of ordering tapas. I glanced at the main entrees, which were standard grilled meat entrees and a few paella. Nothing tempted enough to deter me from the tapas agenda. Before launching into our tapas forray, I must note this place is still awaiting a liquor license. Knowing this beforehand we came with a tasty Calfornia Merlot and were not charged a corkage fee. Throughout our tapas, the waitstafff was very good at keeping our wine glasses full.
Now back to the tapas. We started of course with the 20 dollar plate of jamon Iberico de Bellota. Now I was a little askance at the price and was expecting a few slices of the pricey jamon as my reward. Instead we were served a heaping plate of about 20 thin slices of the ham. It was interesting and different, sweet somewhat nutty flavor that melted easily in the mouth. The consistency reminded me of delicate smoked salmon. Now sometimes things are so hyped up that they can never reach the expectation created in the mind. This was unfortunately my experiance with this jamon. Very tasty but not something to fly to Spain for. Upfront I must say that we loved all the tapas with the exception of the $7.95 shrimp in garlic sauce. This was well spiced garlic olive oil goodness save the rubbery shrimp. They tasted previously frozen and were just not good quality,surprising given the quality of everything else.
We continued with $7.95 white anchovies with avocado, which were simple and unexpected. The white anchovies were marinated in a light vinegar sauce and were served on a bed of diced tomatoes with a squiggle of avocado sauce in top. The combination of the subtle sweetness and tartness of the tomatoes with the smoothness of the avocado highlighted the slight saltiness and creamy texture of the anchovies. We also had the $7.95 spicy chorizo with potatoes, which although it sounded like it might be very basic and boring turned out to be basic but definantly not boring. The chorizo was soft and spicy with its paprika soaked orange juices seeping into the potatoe mash underneath. At first bite, I though they had used sweet potatoe,because the mash became that sweet orange color and taste of the yam. The combination of the light mash with the spicy chorizo was simplicity at its best. Another tapas that was delectable was the $7.95 grilled squid, a la plancha. Super fresh and tender, with just enough hint of garlic and olive oil to add to the tasty char. I have only 2 complaints about this tapas. One was the pathetic bread they were served with. Although it was warmed, it was essentially somewhat stale basic dinner rolls. Second, although I am not a vegetarian, I do like my veggies, and the tapas selection is devoid of anything strictly veggie. After the quantities of food enjoyed, we were absolutely stuffed, but I decided to soldier on and taste a dessert. The waiter steered me to the crema catalana, which was an unimpressive creme brulee. Not bad, just nothing to get ecstatic about.
Service throughout friendly and attentive.
Although the tapas are not super inventive and creative, they are without question some of the best tapas I have had in some time. Simple, fresh, well cooked and seasoned with generous portions for the price, there are alot of reasons why I will certainly be coming back to this space. Hopefully, they will soon get a liquor license and charm up the ambiance but in the meantime I will return with a good rioja and baguette ready to sample more tapas.
The Quest continues........
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Spot
The Spot
417 Prospect Place
Brooklyn,NY
718 638 1733
Food 6
Ambiance 7
Service 6
Overall 20
Good for drinks and appetizers, if needed a basic cheap dinner
I went to the Spot this past Halloween Saturday for dinner with my mother and husband to check out this fairly new American Bistro in Prospect Heights. It is a really sweet small cozy space with touches of red and brown highlighted by candelit tables. There are odd artistic touches thrown in as well, like a withered brown tree painted on a white main wall. We got there at almost 10 pm and the place was almost empty, although this is a part of Prospect Heights that is just developing its restaurant row. We were seated promptly and since we were real hungry eagerly perused the menu which had a American Deli feel because of the abundace of so many cuisines represented. Appetizer ranged from lots of fried seafood to ceviches in Mexican or Peruvian style while mains included various pastas and basic grilled meats and fishes. They have an fairly small wine menu and focus more on potent cocktail combinations. We settled on sharing the $9 Mexican ceviche as a starter. My husband opted for the $11.95 grilled pork chop with mashed potatoes and asparagus, I had the $14.95 short ribs with spinach and rice and my mother had the $15.95 grilled shrimp with plantains and spianch. My husband and I both opted for 2 strong cocktails ,both of which were cheap, sweet ,strong and tasty- in other words my kind of drink! Our ceviche came out a heaping portion of fresh seafood - a mix of shrimp, squid, scallops, and fish swimming in a spicy tomatoe sauce peppered with cilantro, lime and tobasco sauce. I was surprised at the size of the ceviche and was thankful we had not ordered another appetizer. This single serving gave us each an ample well flavored appetizer portion. Although the ceviche was a bit vinegary to my taste and the sauce was a bit too ample, it had nice taste and overall flavor for the pricepoint. Our mains were less impressive. My husband's pork was seasoned with simple salt and pepper. Though moist, it was a bit overcooked and looked more fried than grilled. His asparagus were nicely sauted with basic flavorings although a very skimpy portion of only 4 asparagus. The mashed potatoes were pasty and unappetizing, reminding me of store bought box rehyrdated potatoes. My short ribs were tender with moderate seasoning of a little garlic, maybe some parsley and salt and pepper. I found them too tomatoey in taste and stringey in texture. The rice was basic diner rice. The spinach was lightly seasoned and beautifully cooked. Probably the best part of the meal. Which is not faint praise since many places know how to kill some lovely spinach. Of all the mains, my mother's was the best. Her grilled shrimp were seasoned with a distant taste of cajun with nice even char. They were moist and not over cooked. The plantatins were not too greasy , and were nich thick chunks of sweetness. By the time dessert rolled around, we were just too full and a bit tipsy to order anything more.
Throughout, our waitresses were very attentive and helpful.
For the price, its not a bad deal. Nothing extraordinary but a good place for cheap good drinks and maybe seafood appetizers. If you must get a cheap dinner here. But there are so many places so close that can give you a great dinner experiance, really why bother
The Quest continues.................
417 Prospect Place
Brooklyn,NY
718 638 1733
Food 6
Ambiance 7
Service 6
Overall 20
Good for drinks and appetizers, if needed a basic cheap dinner
I went to the Spot this past Halloween Saturday for dinner with my mother and husband to check out this fairly new American Bistro in Prospect Heights. It is a really sweet small cozy space with touches of red and brown highlighted by candelit tables. There are odd artistic touches thrown in as well, like a withered brown tree painted on a white main wall. We got there at almost 10 pm and the place was almost empty, although this is a part of Prospect Heights that is just developing its restaurant row. We were seated promptly and since we were real hungry eagerly perused the menu which had a American Deli feel because of the abundace of so many cuisines represented. Appetizer ranged from lots of fried seafood to ceviches in Mexican or Peruvian style while mains included various pastas and basic grilled meats and fishes. They have an fairly small wine menu and focus more on potent cocktail combinations. We settled on sharing the $9 Mexican ceviche as a starter. My husband opted for the $11.95 grilled pork chop with mashed potatoes and asparagus, I had the $14.95 short ribs with spinach and rice and my mother had the $15.95 grilled shrimp with plantains and spianch. My husband and I both opted for 2 strong cocktails ,both of which were cheap, sweet ,strong and tasty- in other words my kind of drink! Our ceviche came out a heaping portion of fresh seafood - a mix of shrimp, squid, scallops, and fish swimming in a spicy tomatoe sauce peppered with cilantro, lime and tobasco sauce. I was surprised at the size of the ceviche and was thankful we had not ordered another appetizer. This single serving gave us each an ample well flavored appetizer portion. Although the ceviche was a bit vinegary to my taste and the sauce was a bit too ample, it had nice taste and overall flavor for the pricepoint. Our mains were less impressive. My husband's pork was seasoned with simple salt and pepper. Though moist, it was a bit overcooked and looked more fried than grilled. His asparagus were nicely sauted with basic flavorings although a very skimpy portion of only 4 asparagus. The mashed potatoes were pasty and unappetizing, reminding me of store bought box rehyrdated potatoes. My short ribs were tender with moderate seasoning of a little garlic, maybe some parsley and salt and pepper. I found them too tomatoey in taste and stringey in texture. The rice was basic diner rice. The spinach was lightly seasoned and beautifully cooked. Probably the best part of the meal. Which is not faint praise since many places know how to kill some lovely spinach. Of all the mains, my mother's was the best. Her grilled shrimp were seasoned with a distant taste of cajun with nice even char. They were moist and not over cooked. The plantatins were not too greasy , and were nich thick chunks of sweetness. By the time dessert rolled around, we were just too full and a bit tipsy to order anything more.
Throughout, our waitresses were very attentive and helpful.
For the price, its not a bad deal. Nothing extraordinary but a good place for cheap good drinks and maybe seafood appetizers. If you must get a cheap dinner here. But there are so many places so close that can give you a great dinner experiance, really why bother
The Quest continues.................
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Shangri La
Shangri La Restaurant
7415 Roosevelt Ave
Jackson Heights, NY 11372-6529
(718) 424-8900
Food 6
Ambiance 4
Service 6
Overall 16
Good for a casual cheap weekday meal for small group of friends or a couple
So my husband and I checked out this place last week Wednesday for some authentic Tibetan cuisine. Although it has a selection of Chinese,Nepalese Indian and Tibetan food, I am assuming it is owned by Tibetans as Dali Lama pictures were prominently displaced. I have only had Tibetan food once before at another Jackson Heights restaurant and was underwhelmed. I figured for these prices, most meals under 10 dollars, I would give it another whirl. Shangri La is a medium size restaurant with another smaller area for takeout orders. Wednesday night our meal was accompanied by a live singer. I am not sure where he was from although the music reminded me of some Indian songs I have heard performed. A little loud for the space, but I always enjoy live entertainment with my food. The restaurant is nothing fancy. Simple tables and chairs with a few decorations on the wall. The ceiling needs serious repair and the floor is basic bathroom brown tile. Not quite a hole in the wall but certainly not the place to go to if you are looking for ambiance.
The menu, serving a variety of dishes from 4 countries is extensive but not overwhelming. Each country gets its own page of about 12 dishes. They also offer, surprisingly, some cheap wine by the glass(5 dollar) and really cheap beer (3.50 Heinekan!). We decided to experiment with the Tibetan Butter tea- which thankfully before serving us 2 whole portions our waitress suggested we try a small amount first. It tasted like a buttery soup. Good for warming the belly in cold weather. Not particularly good for my tastebuds as a meal accompaniment. We opted for the sweet tea, a basic black tea with milk.
We started our meal with pan fried Tibetan chicken dumpling. Half moons of fresh thin dough stuffed with fragrant chive garlic seasoned ground chicken ,expertly fried. They reminded me of really good Chinese dumplings, except fresher and better seasoned. This first dish defiantly left us anticipating the rest of our meal. Most of the Tibetan dishes were beef heavy, very few chicken , seafood or vegetarian options.We opted for a classic Tibetan house made noodle with beef, spinach and mushroom and a beef stew with daikon and spinach served with rice. We also sampled a Tibetan steam roll- tingo. I was surprised to find my noodle dish essentially a soup- which was not described on the menu. Contrary to the well spiced dumplings, I found the soup very light on flavor, even after adding hefty doses of soy and chili sauce. Also when my soup arrived, it was missing mushroom and spinach. When I asked our smiling waitress if maybe the wrong order had been brought out, she informed me that the kitchen was out of spinach and had substituted small bok choy instead. She was happy to get extra mushrooms to supplement in the soup. While it was a little annoying she did not inform us of the spinach substitution and that my dish was a soup, she was very helpful throughout. She ended up giving me an ample side portion of nicely seasoned mushrooms. My husband's dish was more to my liking,although again it could have benefited from greater seasoning. Both were ample portions. We also both loved their version of Tingo. The one other time I had this , I was really unimpressed because it tasted like unseasoned dough. I had initially not wanted to order the tingo because of my prior experience. Thank goodness we did. Their tingo was a light airy dough subtly salted and truly delicious. I was tempted to get it to go and experiment with it as a breakfast bread.
While the space and the food were not perfect, I appreciated the kind service, excellent prices and overall tasty food. Check this place out if you are in the neighborhood and looking for a cheap meal deal.
The Quest continues.......
7415 Roosevelt Ave
Jackson Heights, NY 11372-6529
(718) 424-8900
Food 6
Ambiance 4
Service 6
Overall 16
Good for a casual cheap weekday meal for small group of friends or a couple
So my husband and I checked out this place last week Wednesday for some authentic Tibetan cuisine. Although it has a selection of Chinese,Nepalese Indian and Tibetan food, I am assuming it is owned by Tibetans as Dali Lama pictures were prominently displaced. I have only had Tibetan food once before at another Jackson Heights restaurant and was underwhelmed. I figured for these prices, most meals under 10 dollars, I would give it another whirl. Shangri La is a medium size restaurant with another smaller area for takeout orders. Wednesday night our meal was accompanied by a live singer. I am not sure where he was from although the music reminded me of some Indian songs I have heard performed. A little loud for the space, but I always enjoy live entertainment with my food. The restaurant is nothing fancy. Simple tables and chairs with a few decorations on the wall. The ceiling needs serious repair and the floor is basic bathroom brown tile. Not quite a hole in the wall but certainly not the place to go to if you are looking for ambiance.
The menu, serving a variety of dishes from 4 countries is extensive but not overwhelming. Each country gets its own page of about 12 dishes. They also offer, surprisingly, some cheap wine by the glass(5 dollar) and really cheap beer (3.50 Heinekan!). We decided to experiment with the Tibetan Butter tea- which thankfully before serving us 2 whole portions our waitress suggested we try a small amount first. It tasted like a buttery soup. Good for warming the belly in cold weather. Not particularly good for my tastebuds as a meal accompaniment. We opted for the sweet tea, a basic black tea with milk.
We started our meal with pan fried Tibetan chicken dumpling. Half moons of fresh thin dough stuffed with fragrant chive garlic seasoned ground chicken ,expertly fried. They reminded me of really good Chinese dumplings, except fresher and better seasoned. This first dish defiantly left us anticipating the rest of our meal. Most of the Tibetan dishes were beef heavy, very few chicken , seafood or vegetarian options.We opted for a classic Tibetan house made noodle with beef, spinach and mushroom and a beef stew with daikon and spinach served with rice. We also sampled a Tibetan steam roll- tingo. I was surprised to find my noodle dish essentially a soup- which was not described on the menu. Contrary to the well spiced dumplings, I found the soup very light on flavor, even after adding hefty doses of soy and chili sauce. Also when my soup arrived, it was missing mushroom and spinach. When I asked our smiling waitress if maybe the wrong order had been brought out, she informed me that the kitchen was out of spinach and had substituted small bok choy instead. She was happy to get extra mushrooms to supplement in the soup. While it was a little annoying she did not inform us of the spinach substitution and that my dish was a soup, she was very helpful throughout. She ended up giving me an ample side portion of nicely seasoned mushrooms. My husband's dish was more to my liking,although again it could have benefited from greater seasoning. Both were ample portions. We also both loved their version of Tingo. The one other time I had this , I was really unimpressed because it tasted like unseasoned dough. I had initially not wanted to order the tingo because of my prior experience. Thank goodness we did. Their tingo was a light airy dough subtly salted and truly delicious. I was tempted to get it to go and experiment with it as a breakfast bread.
While the space and the food were not perfect, I appreciated the kind service, excellent prices and overall tasty food. Check this place out if you are in the neighborhood and looking for a cheap meal deal.
The Quest continues.......
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Jade Eatery and Lounge
Jade Eatery and Lounge
1 Station Sq., Queens, NY 11375
at Continental Ave.
718-793-2203
Food 7
Ambiance 7
Service 5
Overall 19
Good for groups and pairs who like cool vibes and asian tapas and cheap sushi
So my husband found Jade when we were looking for a cool lounge in Queens to hang in. We ended up going to another place that night but wound up here for dinner last week Saturday night with a 7 pm reservation. Jade is in the pricey Forest Hills Gardens area of Queens. It boasts a large restaurant with a separate Morrocan lounge and focuses on pain asian cuisine. The interior is modern and sleek with a dash of Asian provided by the multiple Buddha statues throughout. Low white chairs and wooden banquets. Dim lights and clubby music combine to make it a funky place for groups. When we arrived the place was virtually empty and quiet.As the night progressed and more people arrived, the heavily windowed space maintained a quiet noise level. We were seated promptly and were somewhat overwhelmed by the expansive menu which was everywhere in terms of price.
Tapas start at 6 and go up to 15. Mains were usually starting at 12-20 dollars. Sushi was generally 3 dollars a piece with rolls only 4 dollars, except for signature rolls which were 20 dollars. The menu is primarily chinese and japanese, with a few indian and thai inspired entrees. They also have a good size dselection of sakes , white and red wines at reasonable prices. We decided to chow on tapas and cheap sushi, as the main entrees sounded fairly standard , without any compelling taste combiantions. We sampled 3 sakes, the ozeki unfiltered , a asian pear flavored one, and a more basic clear sake. All were pretty tasty and complemented our foods very well.They also have a standard martini menu but surprisingly NO sake inspired cocktails which I though was very odd and a missed opportunity for some creative bartending.
For tapas, we had scallion pancakes, red snapper tacos, tuna tataki, grilled shrimp skewers, dim sum dumplings and a special broiled scallop appetizer. We also ordered salmon and yellowtail sushi, a shrimp tempura roll and a crunchy spicy tuna roll. Of the tapas menu, the stars were the tuna tataki , the dim sum dumplings and the shrimp. Although the tataki was a very small portion and somewhat drowing in the sauce it was served with, it was perfectly cooked and seasoned with an interesting combination of soy, ginger, sugar and maybe cilantro. The dim sum dumplings were my husband's favorite, thin doughed dumplings filled with a ginger garlic mash of chicken or beef. I found them tasty but not extremely original in flavoring or presentation. My favorite of the tapas was the grilled shrimp, a lovingly charred sizable order of 5 mildy spicy sweet shrimp .The scallion pancakes were of the unfortunate greasy and doughy variety.The red snapper won for the worst tapas award,with virtually no snapper they were overfilled with a peculiarly flavored avocado mash layered in stale tasting corn taco shells. The broiled scallops were a surprisingly good portion of 8-10 medium sized scallops flavored with orange, light soy and some spice. Well cooked but not ultrafresh. As you can tell none of the tapas were very inventive or jaw dropping in taste. When you look at the tapas menu it is basically standard appetizers from many Asian cuisines with a few variations throw in for dramatic effect.
The undisputed star of the meal was really the sushi, which came ultra fresh with fairly sizable portions for the price. At the price point and for the ambiance of the space, it is an excellent deal..
Service was very attentive througout. My only issue with the service is that after being seated at our table, I noticed our chair backs were crazy low providing no back support . Since I have a bad back, I asked our waitress if we could switch to the banquet sitting. At this point the restaurant was still very empty. She looked at me blankly and just kept repeating "but that is not my section". I persisted and she with an exasperated look stated she needed to speak to the manager for his royal ok. When he comes over, he starts repeating the same mantra that this is not her section but finally relented. It was weird because after we finally moved she stayed on as our waitress.
So skip the tapas, get your mains at a cheaper authentic Asian restuarant and focus on good bargain price sushi with tasty sake in a chill atmosphere.
The Quest continues.....
1 Station Sq., Queens, NY 11375
at Continental Ave.
718-793-2203
Food 7
Ambiance 7
Service 5
Overall 19
Good for groups and pairs who like cool vibes and asian tapas and cheap sushi
So my husband found Jade when we were looking for a cool lounge in Queens to hang in. We ended up going to another place that night but wound up here for dinner last week Saturday night with a 7 pm reservation. Jade is in the pricey Forest Hills Gardens area of Queens. It boasts a large restaurant with a separate Morrocan lounge and focuses on pain asian cuisine. The interior is modern and sleek with a dash of Asian provided by the multiple Buddha statues throughout. Low white chairs and wooden banquets. Dim lights and clubby music combine to make it a funky place for groups. When we arrived the place was virtually empty and quiet.As the night progressed and more people arrived, the heavily windowed space maintained a quiet noise level. We were seated promptly and were somewhat overwhelmed by the expansive menu which was everywhere in terms of price.
Tapas start at 6 and go up to 15. Mains were usually starting at 12-20 dollars. Sushi was generally 3 dollars a piece with rolls only 4 dollars, except for signature rolls which were 20 dollars. The menu is primarily chinese and japanese, with a few indian and thai inspired entrees. They also have a good size dselection of sakes , white and red wines at reasonable prices. We decided to chow on tapas and cheap sushi, as the main entrees sounded fairly standard , without any compelling taste combiantions. We sampled 3 sakes, the ozeki unfiltered , a asian pear flavored one, and a more basic clear sake. All were pretty tasty and complemented our foods very well.They also have a standard martini menu but surprisingly NO sake inspired cocktails which I though was very odd and a missed opportunity for some creative bartending.
For tapas, we had scallion pancakes, red snapper tacos, tuna tataki, grilled shrimp skewers, dim sum dumplings and a special broiled scallop appetizer. We also ordered salmon and yellowtail sushi, a shrimp tempura roll and a crunchy spicy tuna roll. Of the tapas menu, the stars were the tuna tataki , the dim sum dumplings and the shrimp. Although the tataki was a very small portion and somewhat drowing in the sauce it was served with, it was perfectly cooked and seasoned with an interesting combination of soy, ginger, sugar and maybe cilantro. The dim sum dumplings were my husband's favorite, thin doughed dumplings filled with a ginger garlic mash of chicken or beef. I found them tasty but not extremely original in flavoring or presentation. My favorite of the tapas was the grilled shrimp, a lovingly charred sizable order of 5 mildy spicy sweet shrimp .The scallion pancakes were of the unfortunate greasy and doughy variety.The red snapper won for the worst tapas award,with virtually no snapper they were overfilled with a peculiarly flavored avocado mash layered in stale tasting corn taco shells. The broiled scallops were a surprisingly good portion of 8-10 medium sized scallops flavored with orange, light soy and some spice. Well cooked but not ultrafresh. As you can tell none of the tapas were very inventive or jaw dropping in taste. When you look at the tapas menu it is basically standard appetizers from many Asian cuisines with a few variations throw in for dramatic effect.
The undisputed star of the meal was really the sushi, which came ultra fresh with fairly sizable portions for the price. At the price point and for the ambiance of the space, it is an excellent deal..
Service was very attentive througout. My only issue with the service is that after being seated at our table, I noticed our chair backs were crazy low providing no back support . Since I have a bad back, I asked our waitress if we could switch to the banquet sitting. At this point the restaurant was still very empty. She looked at me blankly and just kept repeating "but that is not my section". I persisted and she with an exasperated look stated she needed to speak to the manager for his royal ok. When he comes over, he starts repeating the same mantra that this is not her section but finally relented. It was weird because after we finally moved she stayed on as our waitress.
So skip the tapas, get your mains at a cheaper authentic Asian restuarant and focus on good bargain price sushi with tasty sake in a chill atmosphere.
The Quest continues.....
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