Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Real Deal
I still haven't gained pounds from all the eating I've done in the past few weeks. I thought that I would have since I've been keeping on stuffing my mouth even more than my stomach's extent. Seriously, almost every single time that I came out of a restaurant, I would have a pudge and could barely breathe because my jeans became tighter in the waist area. What's worse is I usually wear skinny jeans too.
Eating at new restaurants, I would say, has become one of my favorite past times just because I started this blog. Although it's a hit-or-miss thing, I don't really mind just because I love food. True, it may be that I would encounter mediocre, or even bad places, but I wouldn't be able to find good eats that have become my favorites now. It's just a matter of loving what you do, and risking whatever you have to be able to find what you're looking for. Sounds heavy, especially for a restaurant review blog. But in my case, it's all about risking my precious taste buds. It's pretty scary if you think about it. It all boils down to making my taste buds suffer because of disgusting food, or making them sink into an orgasmic experience. Serious and heavy stuff, right? Ha!
Before, I didn’t really expect much from this whole review-a-restaurant-and-blog-about-it experience. I thought, “What the heck? I’ll just be eating. What’s the big deal?” I was expecting to have my fill, pay for my meal, and then write about how awesome or how gross the food was. It was such a natural thing to do. Everyone eats. And I’m pretty sure that everyone remembers his or her experience even a few hours after. The only difference is that normal people don’t jot them down. I guess you could say that I’m abnormal then. But, with the kidding aside, people actually remember whatever they felt in that point in time in that specific restaurant maybe in a conversation with a friend or something. However, problem was I didn’t even have set plans on where I’ll be going, or what I’ll be comparing my perspectives on. I was still not sure of what cuisines I’ll be focusing on. There was one thing I was certain of though: my best friend would be eating with me because of budget constraints. Seriously.
Now, I’m just so glad that everything fell right in their places. I would have to admit that starting this whole project was kind of rough. I didn’t know where to start. It was my first time to do it. I didn’t have a basis. I just looked at it as a trial and error activity. Throughout the ten weeks of going to different restaurants, I began to appreciate the various cuisines that I was exposing myself to. I know that everyone knows going to a fast food joint is a whole different experience from eating at a restaurant. However, what I’ve noticed is that, not only is the feeling not the same, but I actually believed that it was so much more worth the money you’re spending. True, you’re paying for the ambiance, but you’d have to think that you’re paying for real food, and leftovers too! Fast food places don’t have that.
Furthermore, I was able to understand that eating is not just stuffing your face with what you think is good. It’s about exploring the different cuisines that you can offer your taste buds with the interplay of all the ingredients. I learned that you should not just focus on your sense of taste solely. Eating is so underrated because of this. I believe that most of the senses have to partake in the entire dining experience to be able to judge if a restaurant is good or bad. Eating is all about that and so much more.
They say all good things come to an end. I say my blog might end just because of time constraints due to my hectic life of juggling being a full-time student and having two jobs. Despite that, I have no plans of terminating my never-ending quest for inexpensive, yet good eats. Life is pretty hard nowadays, and money couldn’t just be picked up on the street. However, because I exposed myself to this whole project or reviewing restaurants, I was able to have a new appreciation of not only food, but also the dining experience as a whole. I’m willing to save my hard-earned money to go out and eat a few times a month. As long as my best friend is with me, then I am bound to have a good time, and a restaurant to criticize. It may not be jotted down, but it will forever be stored somewhere in my head, ready to be filtered out when a conversation about it arises.
I am still going to wear skinny jeans when I go out to restaurants. It’s not really a sentimental thing because of my blog of reviewing these kinds of places, but because those are actually the only style of jeans that I have in my closet. I have a lot, so my only problem is to choose what color. Eh. I am still going to look forward to having a pudge and hardly being able to breathe due to stuffing my mouth extensively. I do have one thing I’m concerned about though. I know I’ll still be on my quest even a few years from now. However, although I don’t want to admit it, I’m pretty sure that my metabolism is going to slow down. I’ve been tiny my whole life, and I guess I’m not ready to change that as of yet. Hopefully, my body wouldn’t change how it works its wonders and I wouldn’t be gaining a countless number of pounds. I’m just crossing my fingers, and my toes too.
Extra Thoughts on Ms. DJ’s WWFF:
“Your job is straightforward: Point people in the direction of high-quality, brightly flavored fresh food, and paint a vivid picture so they can decide whether to go. You help consumers make informed decisions about where to eat. As a result, you may encourage them to try something new, educate them about new foods or cooking techniques, or inspire them to visit a new neighborhood.”
DJ’s theory of pointing people to good restaurants is extremely useful because it sheds light no the difficult problem of a reviewer’s job of making criticisms about the food, service, place, and experience. She could not have said it any better. Reviewing a restaurant is tough. You may encounter bumps and people might criticize your criticism. But it’s all a part of it. One thing should be the focus: the satisfaction of a consumer with his or her dining experience. That’s the main reason why people write reviews. This is why you should be honest with what you write. It’s all about relaying your escapade, and hopefully, your readers will thank you for introducing them to that certain restaurant that they tried because of you.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Dear Basil, Come Sweeten Up My Life
Thai Sweet Basil. Sounds inviting. It’s my last stop for Asian cuisines. It says so in the restaurant name. It’s the everywhere-you-look-there’s-probably-one-in-a-five-mile-radius restaurant. It’s pretty hard to find a really good one since they seem to be dotted all over the place. True, it may not be as much as Japanese and Chinese, but still all over Tampa, I would say. Looking for an awesome Thai restaurant is like a treasure hunt. I love Thai food. And I love treasure hunts, nothing wrong with that. Sweet.
Now, I’ve never heard of this Thai Sweet Basil until I came across it on UrbanSpoon. Oh, the wonders of the internet. How can we live without it, right? It wasn’t such an advertised restaurant. My best friend even said that it was a horrible spot to be in. I definitely agree. It was at a dead end in a small plaza. Like as if people would actually go to the very end to see what’s there. Honestly, I would just make a U-turn even before I hit that part. But I’m happy I already researched. I was going to this place no matter what.
Walking in the tiny restaurant was a whole different thing. We were welcomed very warmly. At first glance, I actually thought that I was underdressed or something. It looked so fancy, a simple yet classy kind of fancy. They had a few booths and a few tables. They also had some neat artwork hung up. The tables were even set up, and the napkins were folded really nicely. I thought we were going to have to pay a fortune for our food.
The menu didn’t live up to the whole fancy schmancy interior though. It was just like laminated pieces of paper. But whatever, it didn’t mind, as long as the food we’ll be getting is good. We didn’t have much to choose from too. They didn’t have that much variety. Just the usual, I observed, noodles, curry, and the like. It was really helpful that they put snippets of information about the dishes though.
Our server was really friendly and patient about explaining to us what the dishes were, and what dishes were spicy or whatnot. Thai food uses a lot of herbs and spices, and I guess Asians love their spicy food. I know I do. This time, we didn’t order any appetizers because we already knew what we wanted since there were only like ten things on the menu. Kidding. There were more than that. But, lo and behold, we order Pad Thai as one. I think that a Thai restaurant could prove itself in one ways more than one if their Pad Thai is good. C’mon, you seriously can’t say that you have eaten at this one Thai place if you haven’t tried that one certain dish at said restaurant. We had a choice of chicken, beef, pork, shrimp and even tofu or vegetables, for the ones who look out for their figure and can’t take eating meat. We chose chicken. I would say it wasn’t that much of an adventurous move.
It came to our table and it just smelled heavenly. Instead of an orgasm in my mouth, it somehow transferred to my nose. The smell made my mouth water. I couldn’t wait to dig in. The rice noodles, first off, were perfect. They were the right kind of gummy. It came with an egg, scallion, bean sprouts, and ground peanuts in tamarind sauce. The chicken came perfectly cooked too. It was obviously pre-cooked since the food came out in like two minutes, but it didn’t matter because it was extremely good nonetheless. The scallions added a little crisp to the dish and I loved how the fish sauce was not too overpowering. I could say it was one of the best Pad Thais I’ve ever had.
Our next dish was called Massamun Curry. It was your choice of meat simmered in curry paste with peanut, potatoes, coconut milk, onions, and topped with a deep-fried shallot. My best friend was the one who actually picked it. Since we both like spicy food, he asked the server to make it hotter. Also, since he’s a brat, he ordered both beef and pork. What’s good about this restaurant is you can easily add a different kind of meat for a couple of dollars, you can also tell them how spicy you want the dish. It’s very versatile and they can adjust the dishes to your liking. The creaminess was amazing. It was exceptional. My best friend loved it, but I kind of thought it was too sweet. I’ve been accustomed to really spicy and peanut-y curries, but it was still pretty good. The potatoes were cooked great although I didn’t really see the point of the shallot.
The last we got was called Pad Pring Khing. On creativeloafing.com, Brian Ries wrote a review, which states:
“That same heat is left wild and free in pad prik khing ($9.95). Every tender green bean and slice of mild chicken is permeated by brown sauce tinged with brick-red highlights. Each bite stokes the fire in my mouth higher and higher, but it's so good I can't help myself. Such delicious torture.”
First off, I deviated from the chicken and actually got the beef. The beef was very interesting and it wasn’t really something that I expected. It was tender, but the taste was something I haven’t encountered before. It had a lime-y taste to it. It was very different, but I could say that it was extremely refreshing. All the tartness was mixed with spiciness. The green beans were crispy, surely not overdone. Again, I love the heat in my mouth, so when Ries described it as delicious torture, I knew exactly what he meant.
All in all, this restaurant exceeded my expectations. I didn’t really imagine it to be that good just because it was at a place when no one can even see it. Not only that, I’ve never even heard of it before. But, all is well and good. From the ambiance, to the decorations, to the service, and the food... Thai Sweet Basil is definitely a restaurant one can visit not just one, but multiple times. Affordable food mixed with everything great. What more can you ask for?
Unfortunately, this amazingly fun project has run its course. Due to the lack of time, and our hectic lives, my best friend and I are finding it hard to find time to go out together to eat. I’m sure it won’t be the last of our adventures, but we might not be able to go to another Thai restaurant. Hopefully, we get to find time in the next few days though.
However, for now, my best friend and I are already more than satisfied with our find. The first thing my best friend said after our meal was, “I think I just found another favorite place!” I won’t argue with him at all. My experience at Thai Sweet Basil was awesome. Not only were we full, we can barely even walk, but also successful in finding the treasure in our hunt. Sweet!
Thai Sweet Basil
3875 Northdale Blvd., Tampa, FL 33624
Phone 813-961-8898
Extra Thoughts on Ms. DJ’s WWFF:
It’s a good idea to take notes, but not at the table, because you won’t want the restaurant staff to discover you. A notepad small enough to fit in your purse or pocket is a great place to assemble your impressions, preferably in a restroom stall. Or record your thoughts in a tape recorder after leaving the restaurant., perhaps in your car. Steal the menu if you can fold it up in your pocket or purse. If it’s only paper, don’t feel guilty. Later it will come in handy when you can’t remember the name or ingredients of the dish or when you want to evaluate the types of food presented.
DJ is right that you have to have a way to remember your experience in a restaurant, but she seems on more dubious ground when she claims that one should steal a menu if possible to see the variety of food and all that. This steal-the-menu idea is just crazy. First off, even if the readers of this book are most probably adults, it still shows the fact that stealing is okay, even though everyone should know that it’s not. In addition to this, I don’t know what restaurants you’ll be reviewing if their menus would be easily folded by paper. Usually, restaurants that deserve reviews have book-ish menus or at least laminated ones that you won’t be able to fit in your purse unless one has a bag for traveling or something. I totally agree with her about having a way to remember what you experienced as a whole in the restaurant. I have my own way, which I developed throughout the course of this. I actually take pictures when the server is away. Also, I pretend that my best friend and I are also taking pictures of us to make it less obvious. I take pictures of the menu too. By doing this, not only am I reminded of the taste of the dishes, I’m also sure I won’t forget the name and the ingredients.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sushi Alive (and Kicking!)
Still hung-over from the previous orgasmic experience that I had at Zen Bistro, I couldn’t think of any other place to top my encounter. I did my research online and saw one that caught my attention. Friends and colleagues have told me about this place. They actually said that it’s worth checking out. It’s name: Sushi Alive!
Once again, my best friend and I prepared for another Japanese journey. He still is, by the way, not over Zen too. But what the heck, right? The place we were going to was said to be only five minutes from us. Plus, we were fond of this certain Asian cuisine. In the end though, I think we just wanted more sushi. Yeah, I think that was the reason it boiled down to.
Looking and finding the restaurant was a breeze. You could see the bright sign. And the whole façade looked like every inch of it was covered in Japanese characters. There was instrumental music playing too. How very Asian of the place. Stepping inside was a feast for my eyes. It was a pretty small dimly lit room, but there were spotlights at just the right places. They shone only on the tables, just so you can see your food, I presume. The booths were very oriental, with a modern feel. Looking up, you would see inverted parasols adorning the ceiling. It was mellow and hip. The ambiance was amazing.
One thing that sparked my interest was their “table cloths”. They weren’t really made of fabric, but of something like a huge sheet of crafting paper. Every time a table was bussed, they just folded the whole thing and threw it away. They would just replace it with a new one for the next guest that arrives. I did not find it tacky at all. I thought it gave the restaurant an attitude. I kind of thought it was classy-slash-fun at the same time. It was like a huge placemat. Use, throw, replace. Genius.
I knew we were going to take a while to look over the menu and finally decide what we wanted for our main course, so I quickly scanned the appetizers. The gyoza seemed to call my name so, I immediately asked for that to start off with just when our drinks were being served. They didn’t have much on the menu. They seriously had two pages. Still, we had a hard time choosing just for the reason that everything seemed to be so good. Thankfully, our appetizer was deep fried so it bought us enough time to finally make up our minds.
Our gyoza arrived and I would have to admit that it didn’t really look that great to me. I looked at it as just fried things on a bed of leaves on a fancy plate. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve tasted a million gyozas in my lifetime. It’s just that it looked so normal and seemed as if there wasn’t going to be any flair factor to it. When I bit into it, I was glad to eat my previous words and bury them deep into my stomach. It was so delicate. The crispy covering was such a great way to introduce the perfectly seasoned pork concoction inside. The sesame ponzu sauce made it even more gratifying. I usually drown my gyoza with it, and this time around, that was still what I exactly did. The sauce was so incredible that my best friend didn’t want the server to take it away.
It was my turn to choose what sushi roll to get so, he ended up ordering the Tokyo Stir Fry. It was made with Japanese udon noodles with mixed vegetables in a sweet and tangy sauce, and guest’s choice of chicken, beef, or shrimp. It also included Miso Soup or House Salad. I made him choose the latter. Yes, I was the one who told our server that was what he wanted even if he already said “Miso soup.” I made the rules here. Ha. Just kidding.
Being the brat that he is, he asked our server if he could have half chicken, half beef. I’m glad our waiter was really accommodating and friendly. It made dining there a lot more enjoyable even though it was already pleasant as it already was. I was still looking over the sushi menu since I couldn’t decide which of the two recommended rolls I wanted to have when his House Salad came. It looked different in a good way. I would say that the bowl it was in didn’t really facilitate in the mixing of the ingredients, but it did not matter as soon as we sank our teeth into the crispy lettuce covered in their oh-so-heavenly Ginger Dressing. Believe me when I say I’m a die-hard Caesar Salad fan. Caesar, meet Ginger. I think my favorite dressing just met his match.
Just like the ponzu sauce, we asked for the remains of the sauce to be left at the table. As embarrassing as it may sound, we were taking turns literally drinking it like it was tea or something. By the way, when I said that my best friend is a brat, it was just half-meant. He would probably hang me upside-down as soon as he reads this post. I’m trying to do some damage control here.
My best friend’s Tokyo Stir Fry came with what I finally decided on, which is the Godzilla Alive! Roll. Let me describe his dish first. It looked very inviting, with so many different ingredients tossed on the thick noodles, which were, I must say, cooked perfectly with the right kind of gumminess that I think Asian noodles should have. The cucumbers and carrots were all right. They weren’t as crispy as I hoped, but they can pass because they tasted fresh. The mushrooms added were a plus for me. My best friend loved the beef and the chicken. I, on the other hand, wasn’t really a fan of the meat just because I thought both of them lacked taste or seasoning. Gratefully, my best friend was innovative enough to dip each in the ponzu sauce that we saved. I thought it was an absolute hit!
Now, moving on to my Godzilla Alive! Roll. The plating was very impressive and contemporary. That was, of course, the first thing that you would notice. I think it’s a brilliant idea to stir the sense of sight first before you indulge your sense of taste into the dish’s yummy glory. It was spectacular. Everything included in the sushi was cooked. It had tempura shrimp, crab delight, cream cheese topped off with grilled freshwater eel and slices of jalapeno. First, I had it as a whole. It was delectable. Then, I broke it down to every single ingredient to have a taste of each. I would say that the best parts were the melt-in-your-mouth crab delight and faint sweet taste of the fresh eel.
Mary Patrick’s review for the Tampa Tribune couldn’t have described it any better. She characterized the Godzilla Alive! Roll as such:
“The specialty rolls are the real treat for your mouth and eyes. The showstopper is the Godzilla Alive roll of tempura shrimp, crab delight, cream cheese, asparagus and fresh jalapeno topped with avocado, eel and atomic aioli. There's a lot going on in this roll, with a variety of flavors and textures and colors, but it works together perfectly.
How good is the Godzilla? After eating the Mexican roll and finding it all right, our sushi-doubting companion ate the Godzilla and became a sushi lover on the spot.”
I have nothing to contradict with her perfect depiction. I agree that the Godzilla Alive! Roll and the whole lot that comes with it works together in perfect harmony because my experience above confirms it.
I’m not really sure what’s up with sushi and orgasmic tastes in my mouth, but that’s just the only description I could find fitting for them. Orgasmic, according the Oxford American Dictionary, is very enjoyable or exciting. Well, that is what my taste buds have been experiencing with the sushi rolls that I have been eating.
The only thing that disappointed me is the fact that the food seemed to be not that filling. It’s either that or their portions were smaller than the ones that were served to us in previous restaurants. Sadly, Sushi Alive didn’t fulfill this end of the deal. I guess the roll wasn’t as huge as I expected it to be, and the stir fried noodles weren’t as much as it looked. Yes, the food is mouth-watering, but I would like to walk out with a happy stomach-slash-pudge and an addition box of leftovers for lunch the next day.
In my book, all in all, this restaurant just proved to me that Japanese cuisine is one of the few that genuinely tries to push for that extra oomph in everything, may it be in flavors, plating, ambiance, etc. Like the previous one I went to, I highly recommend passing by for a visit. True, it still didn’t top off Zen Bistro, one place that I am madly in love with now, but Sushi Alive came pretty close… It really came extremely damn close.
Sushi Alive!
15451 N Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, FL 33618
Phone (813) 341-5483
Extra Thoughts on Ms. DJ’s WWFF:
The best reviewers visit each restaurant at least two times, often three. If you go just once, you won’t know enough to make
decisions. Service, food, quality, and atmosphere may vary. One night service might be exceptional, and another night your waiter
may be off having a cigarette while you’re waiting for the bill.
First off all, I do not have the leisure of going back to the same restaurant. I’m doing this for fun. I don’t really have the money to
eat out every single night. Also, I don’t have that much time on my hands to do so. If it were that easy, heck I would review
restaurants for a living. However, I know that you have to have a name in order to have this job as a main resource to pay for your
bills. Since I’m doing this as something close to a pastime, I do not believe that I have to come back to do the whole thing all over
again. I must agree that seeing your server smoking a cigarette while in the process of waiting on you is extremely disgusting. I do
believe that first impressions last. So, restaurants better be on their toes and make sure that they give their best to every single
customer, may it be a critic, a regular, or even a child.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sit Back, Relax, and Take it All In
Yes, I will allow you to call me biased. I have come to the point where I have another Asian cuisine to criticize. It’s Japanese this time around. It’s my ultimate favorite. This could work both ways. Either I’ll say everything is good just because I love eating Japanese food, or I’ll be more critical of the flavors that interact with my taste buds. Hopefully, for the sake of the readers, it will be somewhere in the middle.
My first stop is Zen Bistro in what I could consider the classy area of Westchase. I would say that it’s roughly about 5-10 minutes away from Citrus Park Mall. I’ve heard so much praises about this restaurant for the reason that even my friends have urged me to go try it out. I guess this is the perfect time for it.
My best friend and I went here on a Saturday night. It was pretty late, but of course I made sure that they were still open. Luckily for us that day, they close at around 2am and they also had a sweet deal since it was Hospitality Night for people who work in restaurants. Heck, we were hungry, and what best kind of food to satisfy our urges, but Japanese cuisine. My best friend and I have this as a common favorite. That’s one thing that we would never seem to argue about.
From the outside, it looked like a normal restaurant with a dash of flair to it. There were some tables outside. It was cold so I didn’t really expect anyone to be dining out there. The moment my best friend opened the door, all I heard was people chitchatting. I still heard the faint music in the background, but I knew well that it was packed. Stepping inside was a whole different experience. Yeah, it was crowded, and there were only two or three tables, but I felt this weird, but good feeling of serenity. You might be thinking, “What is this girl talking about?” It was a small dimly lit place. It only had limited seating. Probably around around 12 tables, 4 booths, and a number of chairs at the sushi-slash-drinks-bar. I think what struck me was the Zen-ish interior, hence, the name of the restaurant. All I can say is that it had a modern Japanese feel and walking to our table made all the noise in the background just seem to fleet away.
I didn’t mind the business of the place. All I wanted was to eat some good Japanese food in my state of being at ease. Our server came to us for our drinks. She came off a bit bitchy at first. It might have been because she was busy. I didn’t know, or neither did I care. I couldn’t believe it myself. I was like, really? Passing off on a rude server? When did that start happening? Just now, I guess.
Looking over the menu wasn’t a chore as I expected it to be. They didn’t really have a huge selection of food, but it seemed like they added a twist on almost all their items. Even if there was not that much to choose from, it seemed like everything that you could possibly order off of the menu was good. I hoped so.
We started with the Curried Crab Dumplings. I was skeptical at first just because I have never heard of curry being used in Japanese cooking before. But I would say that I’m so thankful that my best friend felt adventurous this time around. It was marvelous. The crispy gyoza skin was fried perfectly, while inside was just oozing with deliciousness. The real crabmeat was paired perfectly with the cream cheese. I actually thought that the latter would overwhelm the previous since that’s what I usually experience in other places. The hint of curry was perfectly blended in this food masterpiece. In addition to that, the chili sauce served with it for dipping was gave it an extra kick. I was so excited for the next dishes. My mouth just had a delightful orgasm.
By this time, I noticed that our server finally got more comfortable. I guess the late-night rush got their food and were stuffing their faces already. With a smile, she asked me what I would like to get. I ordered the Zen Lettuce Wrap. It came with Miso Soup, which was what I tasted first. I was surprised how grainy the broth was. I have never really had it like so. I mean, I’m not really sure if I liked it or not. It was just different, or interesting, for lack of better adjectives. Don’t get me wrong though. The texture was not really what I’m used to, but I would have to say that the taste was really good. It had seaweeds and tofu in it too. I love how Zen doesn’t just go for normal dishes. They make it a point that they put their signature mark on it one way or another.
Now, about the Lettuce Wrap. I would have to admit that Laura Reiley’s brief review made me want to focus on this menu item. I would have to agree with the Times food critic when she said that this was the way to go if you happen to pass by. Goodness. I don’t even know where to start. There were so many various ingredients that I didn’t know how everything would fit into one leaf, no matter how humongous it may be. Every single one was fresh, with your choice of peanut hoisin, spicy sambal, and sesame aioli sauce on the side. It consisted of Japanese grain that I couldn’t even describe. It tasted good. They had their own take on their Asian guacamole and Asian slaw that I thought were better than their original versions. The dish also had normal bean sprouts and minced chicken. Although my main entrée already seemed so flawlessly appetizing, what made me love it most was the shredded apples, mangoes, and cucumbers. My whole life, I hated cilantro. And for once, I had to say, for the first and last time, that it was what made the whole thing phenomenal. It was just perfectly marinated with cilantro that it gave a whole new meaning to the word delectable.
Of course, the whole Japanese experience would not be complete without sushi. My best friend decided to try Eternal Bliss. Just how they named it made my mouth water a little bit. It was a roll full of yummy treasures including salmon, yellowtail, cream cheese, cucumber and masago. It’s tempura fried as a whole, and nothing is raw. I know some new sushi-eaters are very picky about that whole uncooked fish thing. Not only that, but their specialty rolls are huge. On Urbanspoon, Sara D. Eater put up a review describing Zen’s sushi rolls as heaven. I would have to agree and disagree with her on this one. She is on point when she described this certain sushi roll as heaven, but in my opinion, the tasty goodness was something I couldn’t really put into words. I would say it definitely lived up to its name, giving me a feeling of eternal bliss the whole time I was eating it. For the second time in the same restaurant, what touched my taste buds was orgasmic.
I don’t know in what other way I could express my delight. Everything did not just make me a satisfied customer, but my expectations were exceeded in more ways than one.
Driving out for dinner: Pricey.
Check for the food: In the budget.
Dining at a classy yet hip restaurant with not just good, but great food: Priceless.
I guess you just have to sit back, relax, and take it all in. That’s what I did.
Zen Bistro
9620 W Linebaugh Ave. Tampa, FL 33626
Phone (813) 792-8665
Extra Thoughts on Ms. DJ’s WWFF:
You could try taking one person who understands that you’re working. Old friends or colleagues may let you concentrate and feel
comfortable about not talking when you need to think. Most important is to choose people who will eat anything, and who will not
take offense at rabbit in cream sauce, offal or duck’s tongues during dim sum. Make sure they understand that you might ask them
to order particular dishes, not necessarily the menu items they’d like most, so that you can sample a variety.
Although I agree with DJ up to a point, a whole lot of her points actually, I cannot accept her overriding assumption that when you
need to think about something, you
tend not to talk. I’m not sure, but this doesn’t really work out well for me. I’m very vocal, and I tend to say things on my mind out
loud. That’s just how I think, I guess. Having my best friend with me, who completely understands that I’m reviewing restaurants, is
extremely helpful. It’s as if whenever I’m looking for the right word to describe something even if it’s in the tip of my tongue, he
does the job for me by saying exactly what the word is. We try to give each other a chance to alternate on getting something that we
really want or something that we really have to try just for the sake of criticizing it. He not only makes reviewing restaurants easier
for me, it makes it a lot more fun too. I think we got this whole thing down.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
It's Okay, But Not Really
I am not really sure if there is such a feeling of satisfaction and disappointment at the same time. Han-Il Kwan was my second Korean restaurant to visit for a review. I must admit that I was pretty excited because I’ve seen a lot of good reviews about it. My best friend and I journeyed through Waters Avenue to not see any sign of this restaurant. I used MapQuest and all, and I just pulled in this Korean-looking place hoping it was what we were looking for. I was so confused because this is America, and the sign for the place was in the restaurant’s language. Like really? How do they expect people to find it? I literally had to step out of the car to ask them what the name of the restaurant was.
Stepping inside was a whole new experience. It was a kind of small, but it was really appealing to the eyes. You can sense a modern-Korean feel. The same server who I asked if the place was called Han-Il Kwan greeted us warmly. She led us to the first booth. I couldn’t help, but look around ‘cause of the beautiful decorations and bonsais made of glass. It was just weird that we weren’t given our menus. We just had our utensils in front of us. I was like, “Okay. I guess they’re expecting us to eat the table or something?” After what seemed like forever, the server finally came up to us and asked for our drinks. She then realized that we didn’t even have menus to look at. We were the only ones there, by the way.
After a few minutes of trying to figure out the small selection they had, we decided that we needed to buy more time and started with the Mansu Soup as our appetizer. The server looked at my best friend’s menu, pointed to make sure that was what we wanted, and then took it away from him. Oh. My. God. I was foreseeing really bad service. To think that we even said beforehand that we still needed time for our main course, but wanted to have the soup first.
What they had wasn’t much. I would say there was an average of five to seven dishes in one category. They didn’t really have crazy dishes like the Asian restaurants I’ve visited before. They had a sushi menu though. But this wasn’t the right time. Even if I had a craving for weeks, I was still strong on focusing on Korean cuisine.
The Mandu soup finally arrived. I was surprised at how small it was, considering the price. It wasn't very appealing too. It just looked like broth with some greens and dumplings tossed in there. I would say that I had to eat all the words I just said when I tasted it. It was so flavorful. It was as if they boiled the meat in bone for hours on end to create the lovely broth. Biting into the dumpling was as good as it was for me to slurp the soup. It was a mix of different minced ingredients in a encased delicate film of wanton. Although I forget the name, it reminded me of a dish my mother used to cook in the Philippines; only, the wrapper was crispy and crunchy. I know I was eating Korean cuisine, but I’m quite glad that it kind of reminded me of home.
After finally deciding on what to get for our main course, we waited for our server to get to the table. It was all about waiting in this restaurant. I guess that’s the trend. We ordered Hoedeopbap and Pork Bulgogi. I know we got beef bulgogi in the previous Korean restaurant we went to, but we were curious about what take they have on the same dish with different meat.
I was pretty disappointed when they served our food to us. Aside from the extremely long wait, they just gave us 5 different side dishes, unlike the thousands that they gave us at Rice Restaurant and Lounge. In addition to that, they were not nearly as good. They didn’t really taste fresh. Even my kimchi-loving best friend had one bite of each of the two types they had. Their take on the seafood salad was so-so. The bean sprouts weren’t that good too. And the ginseng strips were still a no go for me.
I was already starting to feel bad for actually going here. And I wasn’t looking forward to our main course. I got the Hoedeopbap, a bowl filled with a lot of different ingredients. At least I could say that it sparked my interest. It was very colorful and appetizing. It mainly consisted of sashimi, which was fresh, thank God! There were imitation crabsticks, greens, cucumbers, tamago (sweetened egg), avocado, greens, fish roe, and topped with a little bit of shredded seaweed. The addition of the last ingredient made my day (Well, not really.. Just kind of.) I love seaweed and I used to much on them when I was a kid. The objective of this dish is to have the rice and the spicy sauce that comes with it mixed perfectly with everything else. I’d have to say that I agree with kcchoi on his review describing this dish as huge and well made. It was interesting, I must say. I wasn’t really impressed when I tried all of items individually. However, as a whole, it was phenomenal even if you can’t really tell the taste of which is which in your mouth.
The pork bulgogi was all right. That’s all I can say. The good part was that it was tender and spicy, but not as hot as qla at Citysearch characterized it to be. In my book, those are always good things when it comes to the food I eat. However, it wasn’t as great as I expected it to be, considering the fact that I was all praises when I ate the beef bulgogi at another restaurant. Also, I was kind of put off by the color. It was like a glistening red-orange. I wonder what stuff they put on the meat to make the dish look like that (It looks really yummy in the picture, but trust me, it wasn’t that appetizing in person.)
After eating our not-that-good-not-that-bad meal, we had to wait. What did we expect, right? When we couldn’t take it anymore my best friend finally stood up, asked for boxes and went to the our server to ask for the check. Seriously, we were irritated by their service. We were not really in a good mood anymore, but the table next to us had it worse. They had to wait 3 times longer for their sushi to arrive. Two people, I guess, ordered the exact same thing and the second one got his meal ten minutes after the first finished his. All I was able to do was watch the server and wonder what all the servers do while the customers are waiting. By the way, the whole hour and a half that we were there (including probably the different increments of 45-minute waiting) never came by our table to ask us if everything was fine. We had to wait and practically stand up and run to our waitress to get us more drinks and other things we needed. They had three servers on and two tables to attend to. Such. Great. Service.
I guess this experience proved that there is actually the feeling of satisfaction and disappointment altogether. In my mind, there might be a possibility for me to go back if the food was so-so, but the service was awesome. Too bad their food was all right, and their service was the worst I have ever had! My visit was okay since the food filled me up and kind of made my taste buds happy, but all in all, not really because I seriously did not enjoy every single minute that I had to waste waiting for everything. It’s such a shame because I think I could go to McDonald’s and get better service than that.
Han-Il Kwan
8104 W Waters Ave. Tampa, FL 33615
Phone (813) 806-1551
Extra Thoughts on Ms. DJ’s WWFF:
“As for how many people to take, there’s no right answer. Reviewing can be distracting. It’s hard to taste, observe, and simultaneously participate in the conversation around the table. When you go alone, it’s easier to soak up atmosphere, experience and energy level. On the other hand, you my hate dining alone, and the downside is that you can’t sample very much food.”
DJ is right that reviewing can be distracting, but she seem on more dubious ground when she claims that there no right answer as for
how many people to take. It just that you know you’ll be doing a review, then why would you even think of bringing a whole party
with you. That is just what I understand from this excerpt from her book. Like, really? If you do want to do a restaurant review, then
you should know well not to bring the whole gang so that you won’t need to participate in whatever everyone else is doing at the
table.
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