Koreatown 2nd Review

Koreatown

1832 W Broadway Rd.

Mesa, AZ 85202

I have eaten at Koreatown a number of times since my last review and a number of us ate there tonight. I'm sad to report that this business has not kept up to their original standards both in service and in food quality.

First was our server Kim. Not only was she rude to people at the table, but she left us feeling like she was doing us a service by waiting on us and that we were bothering her. Christmas music was playing, and it was so loud that we had to shout at each other to be heard. It resulted in one of the orders being a mistake, which Kim just snipped at the customer about and said it was the customers fault!

While portion sizes were still more than adequate, food flavor and cooking has not kept up with what it used to be. My Dak Bulgogi had no flavor at all, and the onions were all raw. Instead of coming on a sizzling platter as usual, it was in a pool of bland, watery sauce. No amount of soy or gochujang improved it.

One of my companions had Bibimbap and was disappointed by the pool of broth at the bottom which prevented the rice from caramelizing and being sizzling. Soggy rice is not enjoyable in this dish.

We were also very surprised by the BanChan. Not only was it served differently, but there was less of it and we were charged 50 cents for daikon. A staple of the cuisine and always included at no cost in the past.

We were surprised by an automatic tip added to the bill for 5 people of 18%. Quite unusual for a party this small, though in reality we would have given a standard tip of 20% had that not been on the bill.

Because of the service and food prep, I have had to lower my rating from the original 4 stars I gave them before.

2 stars for a mediocre meal and poor service.

Yupha's Thai Kitchen - pandemic update

I have reviewed Yupha's before, and while I don't go out to eat during the pandemic, I still enjoy restaurant food and ordered it for delivery.

We started with the Chicken and Vegetable Gyoza's, which came with a dipping sauce and even though it was in a take out box was served on a banana leaf.

Companion ordered the Himalai which is sauteed chicken with cashew nuts, onions, mushrooms, celery, scallion & bell peppers. Companion pronounced it delicious, and left nothing for me to even taste of it!

I ordered the Panang curry in coconut milk with string beans, bell peppers & lime leaves. This came with Jasmine rice. I asked for it to be Thai Hot, and while it was excellent, I'd have liked a few more peppers in it.

Companion wanted dessert, and ordered the Sticky Rice With Mango. Companion had never had this before and loved every morsel of it.

Even on take out, Yupha's is a class act that is hard to beat. Our food was packed nicely so it could not spill, and while presentation can't be like eating in the restaurant, it was creative and nice.
5 stars again for excellent food, quick preparation, and creativity.


พวกเราบางคนอเมริกันชอบอาหารไทยที่แท้จริง เมื่อคุณสร้างจานที่เป็น Thai Hot โปรดทำให้มันเป็น Hot Hot อย่างแท้จริง บางทีให้พริกไทยพิเศษตามคำสั่ง ขอบคุณสำหรับมื้ออาหารที่ดีอย่างแท้จริง

Los Dos Molinos Mesa

Los Dos Molinos
260 S Alma School Rd
Ste 137
Mesa, AZ 85210

I had not been to Los Dos Molinos in many years (they still had a restaurant in NYC), and it was time for my fix of New Mexican Chile.

Companion and I arrived at 5:45 to an almost packed restaurant on a Tuesday night.

We were seated immediately, and a bowl of beautifully thin tortilla chips was set on the table along with red and green bowls of salsa. Warning: This isn't the tame salsa you get in other places. This has character and tons of flavor along with some decent but not overbearing heat.

Companion enjoyed the green salsa, but ordered a taco salad because of fear of heat. A huge taco salad with excellent guacamole and crema was brought out.

For myself, I ordered the Pollo Fundido which is a huge amount of white meat chicken, wrapped in a tortilla, in a pool of green chile with rice and beans. This was the best Pollo Fundido I have ever eaten. Full of flavor, not too spicy, and a huge portion. While I did not eat the rice, the frijoles were wonderful.

The meal reminded me of eating in a place in Lordsburg, New Mexico that was my previous best Pollo Fundido.

In spite of the crowd, service was excellent, the food was hot, and the place was clean.

5 stars

The Capital Grille revisited

This is my 3rd review of The Capital Grille. Companion and I arrived at 5:30 and were seated immediately. Our waiter was Derick.

We started off with fresh bread and salted butter and the offer of drinks. Since we were driving, we declined the cocktails and ordered soft drinks.

Our first item was an item that was not on the menu, but is often available, Lobster Bisque. A pale pink pool of lusciousness with nice sized pieces of lobster swimming in it. A pour of sherry into it provided a perfect accoutrement.

Next, both of us ordered the 2 pound lobster. Why such a behemoth you may ask? Because this is one of the only places in the valley that prepare a perfect broiled lobster. Most places provide either a boiled or steamed lobster, but lobster aficionados prefer it broiled with lots of real salt butter to dip it in. Not the most slenderizing dish, but absolutely delicious. We added sides of creamed spinach and roasted mushrooms. The Creamed Spinach was adequate, with my preference being the creamed spinach from Lawry's Prime Rib, but he mushrooms made up for it and were perfectly cooked and seasoned.

Dessert was the Apple Crostata, with ice cream slowly melting over it.

A good waiter or waitress can easily make or break a meal, and Derick was an outstanding waiter, bringing food as it was ready, and observing from afar if we needed anything without being obtrusive.

5 stars for outstanding food, great service, and excellent cleanliness