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Move over, pho--a new beef noodle soup is in town. This one is Indonesian in origin, and it's darn good.
Gula is a new(-ish) bubble (or boba) tea/coffee place right behind U Village, up the...
Move over, pho--a new beef noodle soup is in town. This one is Indonesian in origin, and it's darn good.
Gula is a new(-ish) bubble (or boba) tea/coffee place right behind U Village, up the little slope from the parking garage (go left/north out of the garage if you are driving). So, if you are willing to walk one "block" from Crate and Barrel, potentially you don't have to suffer from the Overpriced Fake Asian Food Syndrome at Zao Noodle Bar. At the intersection of 30th Ave NE & NE Blakeley St, it's pretty much across the street from the mall, next to Table Top Shop.
The location was formerly occupied by Black Cat Cafe and later Bangkok Bistro. The somewhat Euro-ish decor hasn't changed, and they decorated the place with posters of some Hollywood blockbuster movies and neon signs. It has cafe chairs and tables spread out w/ lots of room, a couple of comfy leather chairs, and some counter seats.
Their strength is in the drinks and the food, although the food selection is limited since it's just a cafe. This is a self-service cafe, but if you place a food order, they usually bring it out for you. The food quality is great for the price. The fact that it's small contributes to its strength in that the food tastes like you are eating at someone's home in Indonesia.
The drink selection is extensive, including various flavored tea, fruit mix tea, fruit yogurt tea, milk tea, shakes, and real fruit smoothies; each category includes 10-15 varieties. My favorites are hot Honey Lemon Tea and cold Longan Tea--Honey Lemon is so lemony with lots of real lemons, and Longan Tea has actual chunks of longan! Sosro Indo Tea is also recommended; it's an Indonesian sweet black tea drink w/ a savory fragrance.
In your drink you can choose to add boba (tapioca) or different jellies (e.g. coffee flavored), much like other bubble tea places. Their tapioca pearls are big, plump, and chew-worthy, resulting in their humongous straws.
The distinction here is that you don't see those powder mixes some cheaper bubble tea places use. They use real stuff (though I can't personally vouch for the things involving milk since I can't have dairy). They even have Durian shake (for the uninitiated: durian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian is a stinky Southeast Asian fruit that is said to be so good it's addictive), made from fresh durian. Not that I'd drink it personally, but it's impressive. Asian pear shake is also delicious and unusual.
Due to my dietary restrictions I was shying away from their food menu until today, except for Ketan, which is a sinful sweet black rice dessert served warm with coconut milk. Ketan is to die for.
Then they came up with a new menu item, Beef Noodle Soup, which I was able to try. It has HUGE chunks of fall-apart-tender meat (not for calorie-conscious--fatty parts included--think pulled pork, except it's beef) and delicious soup, which included tomatoes and carrots. Think of the best slow-cooked beef soup you've made by just plain patience (or a crock pot). It's now my favorite winter comfort food - for a mere $6.40. This soup compelled me to write this review because I want other people to try it, spread the good thing.
For food allergy reasons I haven't tried them, but they also have Gyoza (homemade pot stickers), Bakmi (chicken and mushroom noodle soup w/ veggies and tea-boiled egg), Kari (Indonesian version of curry), and aforementioned Ketan. The meals cost $6-$7.
Of course they have wi-fi, and even have a public laptop you can use to quickly check your emails. They also have a coffee/espresso menu and a handful of homemade baked goods (their lemon bar looks really good at only $1.50).
Sure, Zoka has good coffee, but if you want to study in peace with more elbow room, want to have a cushion under your butt, or taste a bit of Indonesia, head to Gula. The folks there are always really genuine and friendly--definitely not monotonous like Starbucks. We go there 2-3 times a week for good bubble teas and now the Beef Noodle Soup, despite the fact we live on top of Zoka. And to play Battle Ship.
P.S. You can see a photo here: http://seattle.wifimug.org/index.cgi?GulaCafe
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I'm not sure where in Seattle you live, but the practice I go to is pretty nice. It's at NE 45th and Union Bay Pl/Sand Point Way (right by University Village Mall, the medical building across the...
I'm not sure where in Seattle you live, but the practice I go to is pretty nice. It's at NE 45th and Union Bay Pl/Sand Point Way (right by University Village Mall, the medical building across the street from Baskin Robbins - note: the Judy's Book map comes up wrong, so you may want to mapquest).
The clinic is run by Dr. Mindy Blaski, who is board certified in family medicine & geriatrics. I think she's taught or led a research team, or something along those lines, at UW. She seems to be a very laid back, caring person. She's my husband's doctor. I usually see Jennifer King, who is the nurse practitioner there, and she is very nice and capable, much better than some HMO doctors I've seen.
The office just had one receptionist, so you usually talk to the same person - so they don't act like strangers every time you call. I also appreciate you don't have to go through a silly voice prompt menu (e.g. press 1 for directions, ...).
Other people seem to have been coming to this office for quite some time (they bring flowers they grew for Dr. Blaski, etc.), which is a good sign that this is where you can build a relationship with your care provider.
Another nice thing about this clinic is that the lab is located right upstairs, so you can just walk up to the lab if full blood work is needed. And Victoria, I think that's her name, who runs the lab by herself is very nice as well. (Good phlebotomist! Good at poking/finding your vein - I should know; I've donated lots of blood and the tissues around my veins have been hardened so it's hard to get to my veins for most young phlebotomist. Victoria is an old pro)
The only thing I would change about the clinic is the fact that a nurse asks me what I'm allergic to each time I go in. I kind of feel like "wasn't that the whole point of filling out those paperwork in the beginning?!", but I guess it is better to be sure than sorry. :-/
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Good for you, Emily! I hope you have a very romantic getaway... I realize you said "in Seattle" - to be honest I haven't stayed in any B&B in Seattle, sorry, but I do know that AnnaLea's B&B...
Good for you, Emily! I hope you have a very romantic getaway... I realize you said "in Seattle" - to be honest I haven't stayed in any B&B in Seattle, sorry, but I do know that AnnaLea's B&B http://www.lodgingsinternational.com/lodgings/040.htm (note: their own website doesn't seem to be working too well http://www.annaleas.com/annaleas_f.html ) in Victoria is too great not to mention. Went there some years ago, and Anna and Lea are just great, charming hosts with lots of attention to detail... The house is immaculate, and Lea even makes all their stained glasses - he makes a different heart one for Anna every Valentine's (awww). Their breakfast is great, too, and the rates completely reasonable.
It's a very small Victorian with only 3 bedrooms, so it's guaranteed to be quaint.
I don't think we can post Canadian addresses yet, so I'll post the contact info here:
Address: 856 Wollaston Street, Victoria, BC, V9A 5A8 Canada
Telephone: 250 381-1195
Toll Free: 1-877-381-1195
Fax: 250 381-1195
"Nearby Attractions: Only minutes from the Inner Harbour via a beautiful sea walk that follows the coastline, and a small ferry called the 'boom-boat', AnnaLea's is uniquely situated for visitors who wish the peace, tranquility and informality of Esquimalt combined with the quaint hustle and bustle of nearby Victoria."
Whatever you find, have fun!
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Shun (meaning "fresh/in season" - pronounced more like shoo-n) is a welcome addition to Seattle's Japanese food scene despite its pun-prone name, located just north of U-Village at 25th & Blakeley...
Shun (meaning "fresh/in season" - pronounced more like shoo-n) is a welcome addition to Seattle's Japanese food scene despite its pun-prone name, located just north of U-Village at 25th & Blakeley behind the 76 gas station (across from Roundtable Pizza). It's a nice enough restaurant to take a date to with nice, solid Japanese food, minus all the ego that sometimes seem to accompany some of the Japanese restaurants in Seattle (naming a restaurant after oneself is usually a dead giveaway for those).
It seems like Japanese restaurants in Seattle usually fall into one of two camps:
- Fancy and expensive with often "inventive" approach or "cool" menu; nice (expensive) interior touches; location, location, location in a nice neighborhood; usually started by someone who claims to be skilled and famous; OR
- Old-fashioned, often dingy/hole-in-the-wall, "traditional", with good homey food.
I'm of course generalizing and there are others which are good and fall somewhere in between like Kisaku and Hiroshi's, but they tended to have a more decidedly casual feel. Shun is none of the above. It has nice enough understated interior - its minimalist and not over-the-top, dark colored wood accents and nice subdued lighting tell you you're not necessarily paying for the expensive antique tansu they bought to be extra cool. It’s still somewhat casual and laid-back but much nicer than those really casual restaurants which are not even trying, and it’s nice enough to make the meal into a nice date (when you’re not feeling kitsch to go to somewhere like Maneki).
They have 8 sushi bar seats which fill up pretty quickly despite the fact it just opened, and maybe 15 tables, with a few more on the patio. The patio faces a pretty busy street and past that is Burke-Gilman Trail and Silver Cloud Inn Hotel and U-Village, so maybe it doesn't have the best view, but it’s decent when it’s nice out, and the service was just as attentive as inside.
The food has been very fresh and authentic. No gimmicks or tricks here. Good solid sushi (very good toro – they have had o-toro, which is the highest grade of toro, and they can serve it up to you both fresh and flash-broiled for variety in texture) and very pleasant sushi chefs. Kotaro-san, part owner/chef, used to work at Shiro’s, but he’s not the kind to brag about it. Ryuji-san is another modest chef who’s eager to please. (Only 8 seats at the bar and the small size of the restaurant work well – it’s probably about the max capacity which can be handled satisfactorily with two sushi chefs.) We’ve come across good o-toro, aji, hokki-gai (surf clam), and sweet shrimp. You can then ask them to cook the sweet shrimps’ heads in one of couple of ways (fried, salt-broiled, etc.) and eat them like crackers, just like they would in Japan. The only glitch I’ve encountered when sitting at a table was when we had an omakase sashimi plate, which included excellent o-toro, but the fillets looked more like kiriotoshi (end cuts) – so the presentation wasn’t perfect, but the flavors were good.
The cooked food is equally good. Nasu dengaku (broiled eggplant) with two-colored miso was fresh tasting with one of the miso incorporating shiso flavor. A good smooth chawanmushi (Japanese hot custard) without su (air pockets in hardened custard caused by too high a heat/pressure) is hard to make, but they passed that test, as well. They are still working out some kinks in the kitchen and service, so it took them a long time to arrive (and one of the waitresses didn’t understand what I was trying to order at first), but we were profusely apologized to and compensated by free desserts. Their osuimono (clear soup) with clams is also good and a nice break from the standard miso soup. Grilled fish like cod kasuzuke are also very tasty.
Sake and beer selection is nice and sufficient (about 8 kinds) and it goes up to some good ones like Mu if you want to splurge; certainly not as extensive as a place like Saito’s (and a bottle of Mu costs $5 more than one at Chiso), but for a neighborhood restaurant it’s more than enough, and you can have them in a masu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masu , which is a bonus.
I’m admittedly biased as they are within walking distance from our home, but all in all they have disappointed me (picky eater from Tokyo) very little and the experience has been more pleasing, to a surprising extent. I’d say Shun is a truly welcome addition to the Seattle’s often limited Japanese food scene.
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**Update as of 7/14 (the original service was rendered 6/29) - they gave me my money back along with an apology, so I'm updating my review. It doesn't change my original experience, but they did...
**Update as of 7/14 (the original service was rendered 6/29) - they gave me my money back along with an apology, so I'm updating my review. It doesn't change my original experience, but they did the right thing. Please see my last comment below.**
When people keep saying “It’s not THAT bad,” you know it’s got to be at least kind of bad. I went to Studio 904 http://www.studio904.com/index.html in Pioneer Square based on other JB’ers' reviews. The idea sounded promising: the Japanese owner promoting the “kaizen” (improving upon oneself) approach to business, team of staff working on salary, no tipping policy but guaranteed good service, and giving back to the community. I wanted to like it so much. I wanted to love it in fact. It hurts me to give it a bad rating. Well here was my experience, so you be the judge.
I should preface my review by saying that I’m a discerning (= picky) customer with special needs – having grown up in Tokyo, arguably one of the world’s most competitive cities when it comes to hair salons and new technique/technology, I have been spoiled. Also I’m an Asian girl with naturally curly/wavy hair (in case you haven't noticed, it's rare). So even if I was lucky to find a Japanese hairstylist who can cut straight hair well, chances of me running into a phantom stylist who can hold up to my standards at a good price AND optimally do a good dry cut on curly/wavy hair (so they cut hair when it’s dry where it falls naturally, not when it’s wet/combed and can’t see the curls/waves) is like finding a unicorn.
So, I wasn’t expecting anything perfect, but even then I was a bit disappointed (understatement). In fact I felt like crying walking out the salon. But I feel like it’s my fault for falling into the latest gimmick (I’m also about the easiest person to market something to) – “weave perm” – so I felt stupid and didn’t feel like complaining (when it’s for a worthy cause/nonprofit or for someone else I complain and fight like heck, but for myself I’m so Japanese and passive!).
"Weave perm" is apparently another way of saying only perming parts/select strands of your hair, so it would blend in with your natural curls/waves and “enhance” them while "retaining natural look" to make styling easier. It sounded perfect for my half-hearted curly/wavy hair.
First, the “team” approach. It would work well if the team actually talked a lot more in a multi-stage process. I was under the impression the first person I was talking to (Miriam; very nice) would cut my hair, so I explained to her with several pictures what I was going for – then we agreed upon what we would and wouldn’t do. Then I had two people putting rods in my hair, after Miriam exchanged just a couple of sentences with the gentleman. I tried to stress my hair perms easily (along with the past horror story) to Miriam and that the hair should be rolled loosely with big rods, so I trusted them. (But I was nervous, because ignoring my natural curls, they rolled my bangs in the completely opposite direction of my curls. And I didn’t have cotton at first around my face, only after the fact, so when they poured the solution it dripped into my eye and mouth. Ouch.)
Then someone else rinsed my hair and did the gloss, which was fine, and then yet another person – Rachael (also very nice) showed up and told me she would cut my hair. All this without warning or explaining of the process. So I kind of assumed Miriam and Rachael talked to each other about what I’d wanted – so when she asked me what I was going for, I was briefer, because I talked in length with Miriam, though I did try to show Rachael the same pictures. (I was also tired of explaining all over again and coming to an agreement – my mistake; I should’ve been more thorough, but why should I have to go through it twice???)
Let’s just say my newly found bangs are fighting my natural curls (because it was rolled in completely opposite direction) it’s winding in weird directions; it got lopped off at a weird spot in the middle of a wave (you girls with curly hair know what I’m talking about), and it’s too short for the amount of curl and in regard to what I discussed with Miriam/Rachael. It looks kind of silly. I’m pinning that up until it grows out.
And despite the fact I pointed to this nice, big wavy hair picture of Molly Sims in the catalog Miriam brought out to pick the size of the wave – and despite the fact I explained multiple times my hair takes perm easily – my hair looked more like Nicole Kidman’s in 80's, when she was actually a redhead with natural curls. (Good look on her with small head, tall statuesque body, longer hair, but not me: short body, big Japanese head and shorter hair.) And although I pointed to pictures with nice cascading layers throughout with longer length in the back, it looks nothing like the pictures, partly due to the kinky curls – it looks mostly like it’s one length except for around my face.
Then they offered, “It looks really cute! And the curls will loosen up some”… Nothing takes away dignity from a PMS-y girl more effectively than a bad haircut complete with poodle perm. So I paid my dues and left. On their website http://www.studio904.com/index.html they advertised they would take 20% off a weave perm with a haircut, but I only realized I didn’t get that 20% off when I got home – by then I was too hurt and tired to complain (a bad haircut makes me act like a dog with the tail between her legs).
They were all nice and perfectly pleasant with chamomile tea and all, but hair is their business, not a cafe, and the “team” process didn’t work for me. Perm technology is much better in Japan, salons having done lots of “body perm” to give bigger, subtle waves to straight or slightly wavy hair, but I guess having a Japanese owner didn’t mean that the salon had it down.
I stress this was just my experience – others with straight/different type hair or doing just a single process may have a perfectly good time with them. And the “no tipping policy” is in fact nice as there are no guessing – but as much as I earn for consistent service without worrying about tip, maybe there’s something to working hard for a good tip.
Good location, they validate $1 of parking, the salon is clean (in a back-to-basics, exposed brick, industrial loft kind of way) and pleasant. They use and sell Aveda products.
For now, I’ll just wash my hair and wait for it to relax and grow out :-( I wish they could reimburse me for the retail therapy and hair clips I bought to get over this period.
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**UPDATE**
I guess I wrote my review a bit too late and they were lacking the mojo to beat the tough competitions. Black Cat Cafe CLOSED its doors on June 30, so DON"T GO. The space has been...
**UPDATE**
I guess I wrote my review a bit too late and they were lacking the mojo to beat the tough competitions. Black Cat Cafe CLOSED its doors on June 30, so DON"T GO. The space has been sold to another party who will open "Bombay Bistro" in late July :-(
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…and they are made with all real ingredients, not powder! Well, I haven’t been to McDonald’s in years so I don’t know how much Egg McMuffins are now, but Black Cat Café’s breakfast sandwiches are $1.95. (This could be a weekend menu item.)
Franked between Zoka and Tully’s Coffee in the triangle area just north of University Village with two Starbucks’s, Black Cat Café faces some stiff competition. Unlike other coffee shops, this is a full-service, European style café – and the décor matches that, with mustard and deep red paint colors, black moldings and wrought iron (finish) fixtures, fireplaces and some stuffed chairs. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, but the wait staff is usually wearing a white shirt and a tie with an apron. They have the wi-fi area off to the side for patrons who want to linger more, with bar-height table and chairs. Other seating area consists of regular bistro tables and chairs.
With all the talks that went back and forth recently on JB about the sad state of customer service/service industry in Seattle, Black Cat Café is a breath of fresh air – here the owners actually care about how you are eating, and they are going around the restaurant constantly – pouring water, wiping tables, asking you how your meal is. And it’s not even a nice Tom Douglas restaurant! The wait staff is equally polite and attentive. Our favorite waitperson, Jana, has such a happy, polite disposition, even if you’re having a bad day you would feel like smiling back at her. If you’re having tea, she’ll ask you first if you want more hot water without having to ask for it.
They usually have fun drink specials, in cold weather things like caramel apple cider steamer or Mexican hot chocolate, and in warmer weather smoothies and frappes. I venture to guess most of their drinks are cheaper than Starbucks drinks, and you get much more service. Their brunch menu on weekend is equally well-priced – with the breakfast sandwiches (simple egg with ham, bacon or sausage, on your choice of bread) starting at $1.95, egg scrambles at $6-7.95, and they usually have other items on the menu like seasonal French toast. The French toast with mixed berry compote I had at my last visit was $4.95. Everything is made from scratch.
The food and drinks are not extraordinary – they are usually pretty simple and straightforward – but what makes them special is their care and service. I might suggest not using so much Windex (or similar smelling cleaner) in the dining area right before patrons sit down, but other than that, Black Cat Café is easily one of our favorite neighborhood cafés.
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Thai Ku
Category:
Restaurants
5410 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, Washington 98107
(206) 706-7807
…For all the good drinks, that is. Fu Kun Wu, a.k.a. Dr. Wu @ Thaiku, is a neat lounge that's made to look like a Chinese apothecary tucked away in the back of Thaiku Restaurant. It has its own...
…For all the good drinks, that is. Fu Kun Wu, a.k.a. Dr. Wu @ Thaiku, is a neat lounge that's made to look like a Chinese apothecary tucked away in the back of Thaiku Restaurant. It has its own little entrance off 22nd Ave, easy-to-miss on purpose, to increase that mysterious factor (kinda cheesy but oh well). Inside it’s dimly lit with a small bar space and little round tables tucked away in corners, with teak drawers lining up the walls as decoration. The very Asian space kind of looks like the chief designer of Cost Plus went to town. Once seated it’s very cozy. They also have a narrower space downstairs with a few booths to spill out to when it’s really crowded - darker and smaller, the space reminiscent of an opium den.
They have a variety of very interesting drinks made with herbal elixir. My favorite is Oolong teani – a sweet Oolong tea martini-like concoction with bits of crushed ice. If you’ve gotten hot from drinks at other bars, it’ll cool you down right away. Definitely have a couple of those. Their famous Yohito, which is a Mojito made with Yohimbe herb, is also very good (and big). You're only allowed one Yohito per night because Yohimbe in it is supposedly very potent. The drink named something flower (okay, maybe by then I was a bit drunk) is also delicious.
Having the restaurant attached to it has its benefits – you can get very good bites, obviously. But the drinks are very good they can stand on their own. I’m glad I visited, and I’ll be back for more Oolong teani’s.
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In our feeble attempt to feel young and single (it's a fleeting thought), went to The Bal-Mar Lounge this past weekend. A stone's throw from Thaiku just off Market, where all the bustle is in...
In our feeble attempt to feel young and single (it's a fleeting thought), went to The Bal-Mar Lounge this past weekend. A stone's throw from Thaiku just off Market, where all the bustle is in Ballard, it's in an excellent location.
Admittedly we started early, but it wasn’t very crowded, even later in the night. The girlfriend I went with had her boyfriend’s birthday party there earlier this year on a Friday, and she said it was much more packed and meat-market-like then. (They have a “game room” upstairs with its own bar, the back space accommodating private parties up to 30.)
The lounge has a decidedly relaxed feel with airy space surrounded by exposed brick walls. It has all the elements of a modern cocktail bar: low connected seating (black leather), nice wide-plank hardwood floor, industrial unfinished metal used as architectural elements. Reminded me of cocktail bars that popped up in other cities, like Tokyo or New York a while back. I don’t mean to be cynical, but it almost feels like they’re trying too hard to be hip/urban and loft-y, from the unfinished wooden doors in the bathroom to the rugged-looking metal rail of the staircase.
We tried some small plates from the happy hour menu earlier in the night, which are definitely more decent values. Steamed clams with white wine were not memorable, but the pieces of oven-grilled bread that accompanied them had a good smoky flavor. We also had spicy BBQ meatballs made with “Kobe” beef - although there are many different grades of Kobe, mincing Kobe into meatballs or hamburger is not something a chef with some dignity would want to admit. Aside from insulting the ingredient, the meatballs had a nice, substantial, if not predictable, flavor. Crispy-fried potstickers with soy-chili dipping sauce are fine in flavor, but definitely a bar food (potstickers are much better pan-fried and then flash-steamed or plain steamed). They also had a special, little Bruschetta topped with Dungeness crab and artisan cheese – they were uniformly drenched with olive oil, the fragrance of too much oil overpowering flavors of the toppings and little pieces of bread soggy. Overall the food didn’t go up to the standards of a restaurant/lounge, but definitely made good, interesting attempts for bar food. (= Good for little bites, but wouldn’t substitute for a good meal at a restaurant. But I'm picky.)
They have many interesting original cocktails ranging $7-9, classic cocktails, bourbons, scotch, brandies and a decent selection of wine. A beer selection is not too big. They did make good martinis, which were what we were going for, so we were mostly happy. The service is attentive; they're definitely eager to fill you up on the drinks. The music selection is nice as well.
We left as we were literally cornered in by a large bachelorette party group (it started with a woman waiting for the rest of the party in a skimpy black dress, reading “How to Reach Better Orgasms” book). The rest of the crowd was varied - some couples, some professionals in their 30’s, etc. In a nutshell, I imagine this is the gist of what people would be thinking:
20’s – “Dude, this place is really cool and mature-seeming, compared to the dives I used to frequent where I had my PBR’s. And they have interesting food to brag about, like fries with banana ketchup.”
30’s – “This place has a nice vibe and it’s a good hangout/hook-up potential.”
40’s – “We feel young and hip coming to a cool neighborhood lounge like this!”
50’s – I don’t know if they get people in their 50’s.
And I’ll say good-bye to you with that.
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Nishino
Category:
Restaurants
3130 E Madison St
Seattle, Washington 98112
(206) 322-5800
Went to Nishino this past Friday to try out their omakase’s, and I’m not in any hurry to go back. While none of the food was terrible – it was on a better side – the service was sub par at best for...
Went to Nishino this past Friday to try out their omakase’s, and I’m not in any hurry to go back. While none of the food was terrible – it was on a better side – the service was sub par at best for the kind of price we were paying, and I saw no genuine interest on their part to please us with food, either. To me it was another effort by an owner-chef who thought he could replicate Nobu Matsuhisa’s success, and it came up painfully short and left me unsatisfied.
I was in a mood for good Japanese food and sushi or sashimi, so when it came time to dine with some out-of-town friends who were doing work for Microsoft short-term, I figured I’d give the place a try since it’s one of the top-rated places in town.
I was admittedly cautious – I’ve seen many a chef who have worked for Nobu, who thought they could perhaps replicate Nobu’s success by taking certain formula, and maybe even do it better. (After all, who wouldn’t want a multi-million dollar revenue and prestige and recognition that come with it?) What they tend to forget is that along with street credit and passion for mixing in worldly ingredients with Japanese food (Nobu spent time in Peru and Argentina), he had an intense desire to please those he was entertaining at his restaurant, sparing no effort on his part. Also he was usually aided by a professional maitre d’ who painstakingly managed the service. You could always get better Japanese food, but those were the things people took notice of at his original L.A. establishment (whose characters would get diluted over time as it became a franchise). My impression is that Nishino is a neat Japanese restaurant with nice décor and good, fresh ingredients along with some solid skills, but lacking in the department of wanting to please customers with the aforementioned desire and service.
Although we showed up somewhat early for our 8:30 reservation (given the fact they say they only hold reservations for 15 minutes – a trademark Matsuhisa touch), we were seated relatively shortly. That was nice, but IMHO the 15-minutes rule only makes sense to customers for restaurants with a ton of people queuing up to eat – although it was a Friday night, I didn’t see many people waiting.
The advantage of omakase’s in this type of restaurant (Japanese, predominantly raw ingredients) is that you can customize the meals to the particular customers’ likings. So naturally, I was prepared to talk to the lead chef who would be preparing our meals (whoever that may be) or the server about what our courses would and could entail. The hostess mentioned I might be able to talk to Tatsu about our meals, so I inquired with the server if Tatsu would have a hand in our meals. He laughed (through his nose, kind of) at my inquiry, saying, “No, Tatsu doesn't cook your food – a bunch of the other chefs are,” as if Tatsu was too cool to touch our food or even talk about it. (The correct answer would’ve been something like “Tatsu would be overseeing all omakase’s and help as needed, but other chefs are preparing the food tonight – what did you have in mind?” – an owner chef should NEVER become “above” customers, no matter how cool they feel their restaurant is at the moment.) Then he went onto describe the menu, a cookie-cutter approach, but no offer to talk about our preferences. The first disappointment. What's the point in having omakase if you don't get to work with the chef to create your own?
Then our food came out one by one – some good, some not so special, with lots of hints taken from Nobu (use of jalapeño, garlic, salsa and cilantro, buttery sautéed dishes). The appetizers (white salmon “carpaccio” with ponzu, ankimo w/ momiji oroshi, wrapped snow crab with wasabi mayo) were promising, if not too simplistic in their approach, but after the hamachi sashimi (predictably with jalapeño and cilantro, along with a roasted garlic chip) and katsuo tataki salad, things got a little heavy and dull. The flavors were fine (although it’s hard to screw up asparagus and morel mushroom buttery sautéed), but to me omakase’s should be designed to show off chef’s skills, not an occasion to bring out two heavy, buttery sautéed things out of the back kitchen late in the course. The halibut cheek which was fried in saffron curry batter was good in flavor, but composition-wise, too heavy a dish to bring out as the 6th course – and it topped buttery Swiss chard with mushrooms, repeating the flavors from the 4th course, squid with morel and asparagus. This 6th dish came with another creamy wasabi sauce. Not very appetizing at this point.
The sushi’s were fine, although the waiter couldn’t even tell what one of the rolls were (he described them as “…and some other creation he made”). I could tell that they were tuna and takuan pickles rolls (why combine those two things, I’ll never know), but it seems like the server should’ve asked the chef if he didn’t know what something was. This was a sign of lack of server education, which seemed to come from the apparent lack of a professional manager.
The grand finale was mochi ice cream and fresh fruit, which I could’ve prepared myself with store-bought mochi ice cream, but they are a crowd-pleaser, so what can I say.
Never once, throughout our meal, did someone come ask how we liked the dishes. Nor did they ask how we were doing with our sake (served in a cool bamboo carafe, another element taken from Nobu, who started this trend by working with a supplier in Kyoto) or if we liked it. We ran out of sake towards the end, but who cares, right? The food came out one by one, in pretty dishes at a pretty restaurant, and someone was constantly pouring us water, but we never had any hint of them genuinely caring about our dining experience. Some of us got up to go to restroom, but no one came to re-fold the napkins (which is the level of service I’d expect from how much we were paying).
Chefs are craftsman by trade, so when they decide to be businesspeople by opening up their own restaurant, they must realize they may need help from professional service/management staff. Tatsu Nishino coolly hovered around the restaurant, sitting on his laurels, occasionally talking to people he must already know and some chefs, but not managing to oversee the service (or lack thereof). Food was good and ingredients fresh, with usually nice presentation - so if you want to feel “cool” by being in the “A-list” restaurant while eating decent sushi, go for it. But the service was bad and I don’t particularly feel the need to feel like a cool money bag, so I’m not in a hurry to go back.
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Having worked at a very good sushi restaurant and being from Tokyo makes me admittedly picky. Even accounting for that, Nijo Sushi Bar & Grill disappointed me. I recently had a friend visiting from...
Having worked at a very good sushi restaurant and being from Tokyo makes me admittedly picky. Even accounting for that, Nijo Sushi Bar & Grill disappointed me. I recently had a friend visiting from Tokyo who was staying at W Hotel, so we thought we'd try something within walking distance. They are off Spring St right by water (@ Western Ave), just steps from 1st Ave, which is a great location.
We both had "omakase", which stands for chef's choice menu as many of you know, one with the "premium sake collection" to go with it. Having had a fair number of omakase's, this one is relatively cheap - $50/pp ($75/pp with sake). In my mind this is the way to eat sushi, since they will try to showcase what's freshest.
We later found out the executive chef had "just come off vacation and been taking care of odds and ends which went haywire in his absence", and that he didn't cook our food - which in my mind is no excuse for not overseeing omakase, since the restaurant was not that full, being Tuesday.
The menu had a promising beginning with fresh approach, with thin daikon wrapped rolls with different flavored house cured tobiko. The tataki - sheared albacore- was decent, but I wouldn't pair it with a bed of cheap seaweed salad. The flavor was fine. Another appetizer had fresh king crab meat and house-cured ikura (salmon roe), which is notable, since so many places would buy already cured roe in a tub from a supplier, which is not as fresh and plump. Things went downhill when chawanmushi (Japanese hot egg custard with dashi) came out. The surface was overcooked and the inside undercooked, due to too much sake in the mix, which there shouldn't even be. Chawanmushi's are supposed to be soft, smooth custard with no hardened parts. So they took those back and presented us with another dish, which was a tempura fried rolls of sorts, except done with panko (Japanese bread crumb) on the outside of nori. The material in those rolls, such as cucumber, is not suited for flash-frying (too much moisture seeping out). So "the fresh idea" wasn't based on good education about ingredients IMHO. Also at that point in the meal the dish was too heavy. Eager to please us, they tried to get us what we might like, but they kept missing the mark. For example, fearing "maccha tiramisu might be too heavy", they brought us green tea ice cream with strawberry sauce on top (eek) and fruit (ok), despite the fact I mentioned I was lactose intolerant.
The sakes paired with the meal was decent, but it was more like a couple of big cups (chugs!) of sake, plus nigori to go with dessert - if it were me I would pair smaller samplings in ochoko (those tiny sake cups - nice little sips!) with each dish. That would make the experience a little more special.
To give them some credit, they do try to please and ingredients are relatively fresh. So if you are looking for just a regular sushi fare, this place could fit the bill fine. I just wouldn't expect a fine Japanese dining experience, and chefs (at least the ones we had) are not particularly skilled. Our server was lovely and had a great sense of humor, very charming and service oriented, so she gets high marks. They did take a percentage off our meals, since they want you to be "nothing but delighted" for omakase, and the executive chef came out and chatted with us some, seeking improvement. So they're trying.
Having been in the hospitality industry, I know how hard restaurant business can be, and I think we could nurture this place to be better (if you're so inclined). The dining would not be seamless if you expect fine entertaining, but the convenient location and relatively fresh ingredients will serve them well for now.
(FYI - the original review was from April - but I noticed a duplicate listing for this business, which prompted me to post this review. Have written to JB staff about duplicate listings. Hopefully in the future we can avoid such duplicates.)
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