Yupha’s Thai Kitchen
1806 E. Elliot Road
Tempe, 85284
I have eaten Thai food in many different places both in and outside of Arizona, but this place is either at the top or almost at the top of Thai places to eat.
I was joined by two companions for dinner. I started out with the Thai rolls ($4.95). Beautifully crispy spring rolls served with a nice sweet chili sauce. Companions both agreed that these were really good.
Companion #1 ordered Pad Prik Khing, which was chicken sautéed in house curry paste with string beans, bell peppers and lime leaves. Companion was concerned about how spicy the food might be, but the cook made it to companions order and it was pronounced perfect. Companion completely finished the plate.
Companion #2 ordered Scallop Gra Prow, which was sautéed scallops with onion, bell pepper, Thai basil and Thai chili pepper. Companion liked the food on the spicy side, and the chef was happy to comply. Companion completely finished the plate.
I ordered Ped Khing Sod – crispy roast duck with ginger, mushroom, onion, celery, bell pepper, ground pork and bean sauce. The duck was fresh and cooked to perfection. I loved the sauce, and the veggies were properly crisp and cut into nice, mouth sized portions.
Both companion #1 and I ordered Thai tea, which is almost a necessity for removing the heat if it gets to be too much. I ordered my duck at medium heat, and next time I will order it at the hot level because I didn’t find it to be nearly hot enough for me, but then again, it’s a matter of individual taste.
About the only thing I didn’t really care for was the rice that was served with the dinner. It seemed to be overcooked and not at all like a good rice should be in texture.
We all decided to have dessert. Companion #1 had a concoction of grapefruit with a coconut macaroon, which was pronounced quite good.
Companion #2 had flaming fried ice cream, which was a whole world of difference from what is usually served as fried ice cream in other places. The batter was a totally different but excellent texture, and the waitress lit a cruet of rum on fire at the table and them properly poured it over the fried ice cream. Not only was the presentation nice, but the taste and texture were pronounced excellent.
For my dessert I ordered Crème Brulèe, which is not usually on the menu but is a special for this month. I’ve eaten this dessert across the states, and it is usually good, but in this case, it was outstanding. The crème was silky smooth and wonderfully thick with a not too thick layer of burnt sugar on top.
The place is nicely clean and the restrooms could be a model for a lot of other places – clean, fresh, and nicely appointed.
This is easily the best Thai restaurant in the valley, and matches or bests other places I’ve eaten at across the states.
5 stars for quality of food, cleanliness, service and ambiance.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Black Bear Diner
Black
Bear Diner
1809
E. Baseline Road
Gilbert,
AZ
In
my continuing quest for good food at reasonable prices, I was convinced by two
companions to try Black Bear Diner. They are a chain of about 50 restaurants in
the western states. We arrived at dinner hour and were promptly greeted and
seated. The atmosphere is a bit eclectic and kind of reminds one of a hunting
lodge in the mountains.
Our
waitress came promptly to the table and asked about drinks. The menu is written
on a kind of newsprint, and makes interesting reading. Apparently, each one is
tailored to the state it is printed in, and is replete with interesting facts
about the state.
Companion
1 ordered the Cobb Salad ($8.99). The portion size was enormous, and two could
have easily made a meal of it. Nice smoky bacon, a large portion of blue
cheese, and tons of assorted salad on a plate that was more than 12 inches across.
Companion 1 was unable to finish half of it and ended up with a doggie box to
take for the next day’s lunch. Companion 2 ordered the Bacon Burger ($10.49).
I’m not sure, but I’d bet that the patty was a half-pound of meat. By the time
it was all stacked up with all the fixings, I couldn’t figure out how anyone
could get their mouth around it – but companion 2 managed it along with the
cheese on it and a portion of onion rings instead of fries.
For
myself, I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak. It came on another huge plate (a
necessity for the size of the portion) along with mashed potatoes smothered in
gravy and fresh cooked assorted veggies. There was little doubt that the
veggies were cooked to order as they were still a little crisp and done to perfection.
All this came with a delicious corn muffin to add to the calorie count.
None
of us could avoid desert. Other than Washington State and Oregon, I’ve never
been served anything with huckleberries – perhaps it’s because the bears like
to eat them as much as the humans do, so they are expensive and hard to come
by. Nonetheless, they had huckleberry ice cream – the only correct word for it
was yum! Companion 1 had it over a deep dish cherry pie, and companion 2 had it
as a shake. Neither of my companions could finish their deserts. I had mine as
a simple ball of ice cream in a dish, and just managed to finish it.
Service
was outstanding, and everything was nice and clean. I give them 4 stars for
quality, portion size, and cleanliness.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
unPhogettable
unPhogettable
Mekong Plaza
66 S. Dobson Road
Mesa 85202
There are as many styles of the ubiquitous Vietnamese dish pho (pronounced PHA) as there are people that eat it, and of course, everyone has their favorite. Having eaten pho from one end of this country to the other, this is my favorite place to eat this wonderful dish.
We were seated immediately, and our drink order was taken. This isn’t a fancy restaurant, but you wouldn’t know it by the attentive service and spotless tables.
Companion and I started out with the Goi Cuon ($3.45), which are soft spring rolls filled with shrimp, pork and veggies and served with a delightful peanut sauce. If it were not for the fact that we were there for dinner, I’d probably have made it a double order and had just that, they were so good. Being made with soft rice paper brought a whole new texture to the party, and I loved the peanut sauce with it.
For main courses, companion ordered Pho Dac Bjet Bo Vien ($8.25) which is a soup tureen sized bowl of wonderful broth, filled with noodles, rare steak slices, flank, brisket, tendon, tripe, and beef meatballs, and asked for the tripe to be left out, since companion isn’t fond of it. It was no problem for the kitchen to prepare it the way companion wanted it.
I ordered the same thing but with extra tendon ($3.00), since I love the texture of this item.
In making their broth, it is simmered for a minimum of 24 hours, which results in a hugely flavorful base for the pho. For those that don’t care to have some of the more esoteric ingredients in their pho, there are many choices on the menu including a pho made with chicken breast and another one that is vegetarian. The pho is served with a plate of fresh Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime, and jalapeno’s for those that like to add to the bowl. I always add some fish sauce which is on the table because I love the flavor of it.
It’s hard to describe a bowl of pho except to say it is a meal in a bowl that is huge! If I eat this for lunch, my meals for the day are taken care of, since it is so big. (Yes, they will provide a take out for the rest if you need one.)
For those that prefer something other than pho (there are 16 varieties of pho), there are also15 other types of soup on the menu, as well as 11 types of salads, 6 vegetarian selections, and a number of steamed rice items as well. Kids are welcome and have their own selections.
Restrooms have always been clean when I have been there, and service is so friendly you feel almost like your eating in a friends house.
I give them 4 stars for service, quality of food, and cleanliness. (And a big YUM for flavor!)
Mekong Plaza
66 S. Dobson Road
Mesa 85202
There are as many styles of the ubiquitous Vietnamese dish pho (pronounced PHA) as there are people that eat it, and of course, everyone has their favorite. Having eaten pho from one end of this country to the other, this is my favorite place to eat this wonderful dish.
We were seated immediately, and our drink order was taken. This isn’t a fancy restaurant, but you wouldn’t know it by the attentive service and spotless tables.
Companion and I started out with the Goi Cuon ($3.45), which are soft spring rolls filled with shrimp, pork and veggies and served with a delightful peanut sauce. If it were not for the fact that we were there for dinner, I’d probably have made it a double order and had just that, they were so good. Being made with soft rice paper brought a whole new texture to the party, and I loved the peanut sauce with it.
For main courses, companion ordered Pho Dac Bjet Bo Vien ($8.25) which is a soup tureen sized bowl of wonderful broth, filled with noodles, rare steak slices, flank, brisket, tendon, tripe, and beef meatballs, and asked for the tripe to be left out, since companion isn’t fond of it. It was no problem for the kitchen to prepare it the way companion wanted it.
I ordered the same thing but with extra tendon ($3.00), since I love the texture of this item.
In making their broth, it is simmered for a minimum of 24 hours, which results in a hugely flavorful base for the pho. For those that don’t care to have some of the more esoteric ingredients in their pho, there are many choices on the menu including a pho made with chicken breast and another one that is vegetarian. The pho is served with a plate of fresh Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime, and jalapeno’s for those that like to add to the bowl. I always add some fish sauce which is on the table because I love the flavor of it.
It’s hard to describe a bowl of pho except to say it is a meal in a bowl that is huge! If I eat this for lunch, my meals for the day are taken care of, since it is so big. (Yes, they will provide a take out for the rest if you need one.)
For those that prefer something other than pho (there are 16 varieties of pho), there are also15 other types of soup on the menu, as well as 11 types of salads, 6 vegetarian selections, and a number of steamed rice items as well. Kids are welcome and have their own selections.
Restrooms have always been clean when I have been there, and service is so friendly you feel almost like your eating in a friends house.
I give them 4 stars for service, quality of food, and cleanliness. (And a big YUM for flavor!)
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Garlic & Shots - CLOSED
Garlic & Shots
909 E. Elliot
Tempe, 85284
I arrived by myself around 6:45 p.m. While the restaurant was somewhat busy, I counted 5 empty tables. The hostess wanted me to wait for 10 minutes, though I can’t for the life of me figure out why, when 5, clean tables were empty. About 3 minutes later she came back with the excuse that the people who wanted the table weren’t interested any more. What people? There were 5 open tables. She then went back to her perch on a stool with a laissez-faire attitude.
Fortunately, my waitress was a lot better. She arrived promptly and didn’t keep trying to push liquor on me, instead graciously accepting my order for diet Coke.
After giving me some time to look over the menu, my waitress took my order. I asked for the 8th Street Mussels ($10), Caprese Salad (?), and the Pork Chop ($10 I think)(not overdone) along with Pomme Frites.
While the web menu lists Lobster Bisque ($6), it was nowhere to be found on the menu at the restaurant. Shame, because I love a good Lobster Bisque especially when served with a bit of sherry. In fact, many of the things listed on the web menu are not to be found on the regular menu. This is not good for the person who likes to look at menus in advance and plan their dinner.
In a reasonable amount of time, my waitress brought the Mussels. They were tender and succulent and swimming in a very nice broth. No taste of garlic was present, but the flavor, was none the less excellent. It was served with a side of crusty bread covered in melted cheese. The bread was very good, but the cheese suffered from lack of flavor, and did not pair well with the mussels. The same bread served with some garlic butter on it would have been dynamite.
Unfortunately, the waitress brought out the Caprese Salad at the same time as the mussels. She took it back, but just put it in the refrigerator instead of throwing it out and making a new one a la minute. The result was a terrible tasting and looking Caprese Salad that I sent back. The cheese had fully absorbed the balsamic and discolored, and the chiffonade of basil was wilted and dried out.
Bussing was not a strong point, and I had to wait quite some time before my plate was removed.
Next was the main course, the Pork Chop. I must admit it was excellent. Cooked to perfection, covered in nicely sautéed onions and well seasoned. I had ordered Pomme Frites, but it came out with Garlic Sweet Potatoes, which were very tasty. They were quickly replaced with the restaurants version of Pomme Frites, which while nothing like the French or Belgian versions, was very tasty and arguably one of the highlights of the dinner. Served with a sweet chile sauce, they were absolutely divine. On the weak side, was the yellow squash which was flaccid and without seasoning. Yet the broccoli which was served with it was terrific, not being overcooked and nicely bright green. Obviously, the kitchen needs some consistency.
A live band was playing in the lounge, and thankfully, they were not trying to overpower the conversations in the restaurant as so many others do. I consider this a plus.
The restroom could certainly use a bit of cleaning up, as the trash can was overflowing and the sink had dirty towels in it.
The restaurant is wheelchair accessible, and most of the staff if very friendly.
Keeping in mind that this is a fairly new place, at this time I would give them 3 stars with the possibility of moving to 4 stars in the future as they become more settled in the menu and service.
909 E. Elliot
Tempe, 85284
I arrived by myself around 6:45 p.m. While the restaurant was somewhat busy, I counted 5 empty tables. The hostess wanted me to wait for 10 minutes, though I can’t for the life of me figure out why, when 5, clean tables were empty. About 3 minutes later she came back with the excuse that the people who wanted the table weren’t interested any more. What people? There were 5 open tables. She then went back to her perch on a stool with a laissez-faire attitude.
Fortunately, my waitress was a lot better. She arrived promptly and didn’t keep trying to push liquor on me, instead graciously accepting my order for diet Coke.
After giving me some time to look over the menu, my waitress took my order. I asked for the 8th Street Mussels ($10), Caprese Salad (?), and the Pork Chop ($10 I think)(not overdone) along with Pomme Frites.
While the web menu lists Lobster Bisque ($6), it was nowhere to be found on the menu at the restaurant. Shame, because I love a good Lobster Bisque especially when served with a bit of sherry. In fact, many of the things listed on the web menu are not to be found on the regular menu. This is not good for the person who likes to look at menus in advance and plan their dinner.
In a reasonable amount of time, my waitress brought the Mussels. They were tender and succulent and swimming in a very nice broth. No taste of garlic was present, but the flavor, was none the less excellent. It was served with a side of crusty bread covered in melted cheese. The bread was very good, but the cheese suffered from lack of flavor, and did not pair well with the mussels. The same bread served with some garlic butter on it would have been dynamite.
Unfortunately, the waitress brought out the Caprese Salad at the same time as the mussels. She took it back, but just put it in the refrigerator instead of throwing it out and making a new one a la minute. The result was a terrible tasting and looking Caprese Salad that I sent back. The cheese had fully absorbed the balsamic and discolored, and the chiffonade of basil was wilted and dried out.
Bussing was not a strong point, and I had to wait quite some time before my plate was removed.
Next was the main course, the Pork Chop. I must admit it was excellent. Cooked to perfection, covered in nicely sautéed onions and well seasoned. I had ordered Pomme Frites, but it came out with Garlic Sweet Potatoes, which were very tasty. They were quickly replaced with the restaurants version of Pomme Frites, which while nothing like the French or Belgian versions, was very tasty and arguably one of the highlights of the dinner. Served with a sweet chile sauce, they were absolutely divine. On the weak side, was the yellow squash which was flaccid and without seasoning. Yet the broccoli which was served with it was terrific, not being overcooked and nicely bright green. Obviously, the kitchen needs some consistency.
A live band was playing in the lounge, and thankfully, they were not trying to overpower the conversations in the restaurant as so many others do. I consider this a plus.
The restroom could certainly use a bit of cleaning up, as the trash can was overflowing and the sink had dirty towels in it.
The restaurant is wheelchair accessible, and most of the staff if very friendly.
Keeping in mind that this is a fairly new place, at this time I would give them 3 stars with the possibility of moving to 4 stars in the future as they become more settled in the menu and service.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Cornish Pasty Company
Cornish Pasty Company
1941 W. Guadalupe Road
Mesa, Arizona
We arrived on a Friday night at 6:00 as a party of 14. Probably not the most fair thing to do since I knew I was going to review the restaurant, yet it didn’t phase them in the least. While they take no reservations, they treated us courteously, and seated us after a short wait.
This is not the quietest place to eat at, as a lot of it has to do with the bar, which is very conducive to friendly chit chat, but overlooking that, it’s quite a charming place. There is seating outside, as well as in church pews inside, which makes for a cozy atmosphere as well as the possibility of having new conversations with people you have never met – something that Americans are not used to, but is very common in the rest of the world.
Everyone ordered soft drinks except for myself. I ordered a Strongbow to see if it was what I remembered from the U.K., and it was no different at all. A true hard cider with good flavor of apples.
For my main course, I ordered the Oggie, a mixture of steak, potato, onion and rutabaga, served in a pastry crust with a small cruet of red wine gravy. ($8.00) . I was instantly transported back to the U.K. with my first bite. It had great depth of flavor, and the red wine sauce was absolute dynamite. An excellent dish! I also ordered a side of Mushy Peas ($2.75) and a side of Baked Beans ($2.50). The peas had nice flavor and were exactly as served in England, but I didn’t care for the Baked Beans. There seemed to be an odd flavor associated with them that was off putting and which everyone agreed was not very tasty.
Other members of our party ordered the Italian, the Porky (pronounced as orgasmic), the Shepherds Pie, the Reuben (good corned beef), the Chicken Greek (said to be very tasty), and the Lamb Vindaloo (usually very spicy, but apparently toned down here for American palates). Two of our party ordered the Pilgrim, which is roasted turkey, sweet potatoes, grilled onions, stuffing and red wine gravy. One pronounced it terrific, while the other didn’t care for it.
The menu also includes a nice assortment of vegetarian dishes as well.
Most people didn’t have room for dessert, but a few did, with almost everyone sharing. One of the desserts was Banoffee Pie – a graham cracker crust, homemade caramel, whipped cream and fresh bananas. It was interesting to note that the whipped cream was unsweetened. When mixed with the other ingredients, it picked up it’s sweetness from them and tended to tone down the overall sweetness of the dish – a wonderful idea of what would otherwise have been an overly sweet dessert.
The other dessert that was ordered was the Apple Caramel Pasty – a kind of apple turnover pie crammed full of apples and cinnamon and covered with a homemade caramel sauce and served with a large scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream. Nothing could have been better, especially since the caramel wasn’t too sweet.
Considering how crowded the place was, service was not too bad, and certainly could have been a lot worse.
Perhaps the only fault I could find was with the ladies room. The paper bin was full to the top, and the rolls of paper were scattered around instead of being in holders. I have been in nicer restrooms in other restaurants.
Overall, this was a wonderful eating experience, with several authentic dishes on the menu as well as some creative ones. I recommend it highly and give it 4 stars.
1941 W. Guadalupe Road
Mesa, Arizona
We arrived on a Friday night at 6:00 as a party of 14. Probably not the most fair thing to do since I knew I was going to review the restaurant, yet it didn’t phase them in the least. While they take no reservations, they treated us courteously, and seated us after a short wait.
This is not the quietest place to eat at, as a lot of it has to do with the bar, which is very conducive to friendly chit chat, but overlooking that, it’s quite a charming place. There is seating outside, as well as in church pews inside, which makes for a cozy atmosphere as well as the possibility of having new conversations with people you have never met – something that Americans are not used to, but is very common in the rest of the world.
Everyone ordered soft drinks except for myself. I ordered a Strongbow to see if it was what I remembered from the U.K., and it was no different at all. A true hard cider with good flavor of apples.
For my main course, I ordered the Oggie, a mixture of steak, potato, onion and rutabaga, served in a pastry crust with a small cruet of red wine gravy. ($8.00) . I was instantly transported back to the U.K. with my first bite. It had great depth of flavor, and the red wine sauce was absolute dynamite. An excellent dish! I also ordered a side of Mushy Peas ($2.75) and a side of Baked Beans ($2.50). The peas had nice flavor and were exactly as served in England, but I didn’t care for the Baked Beans. There seemed to be an odd flavor associated with them that was off putting and which everyone agreed was not very tasty.
Other members of our party ordered the Italian, the Porky (pronounced as orgasmic), the Shepherds Pie, the Reuben (good corned beef), the Chicken Greek (said to be very tasty), and the Lamb Vindaloo (usually very spicy, but apparently toned down here for American palates). Two of our party ordered the Pilgrim, which is roasted turkey, sweet potatoes, grilled onions, stuffing and red wine gravy. One pronounced it terrific, while the other didn’t care for it.
The menu also includes a nice assortment of vegetarian dishes as well.
Most people didn’t have room for dessert, but a few did, with almost everyone sharing. One of the desserts was Banoffee Pie – a graham cracker crust, homemade caramel, whipped cream and fresh bananas. It was interesting to note that the whipped cream was unsweetened. When mixed with the other ingredients, it picked up it’s sweetness from them and tended to tone down the overall sweetness of the dish – a wonderful idea of what would otherwise have been an overly sweet dessert.
The other dessert that was ordered was the Apple Caramel Pasty – a kind of apple turnover pie crammed full of apples and cinnamon and covered with a homemade caramel sauce and served with a large scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream. Nothing could have been better, especially since the caramel wasn’t too sweet.
Considering how crowded the place was, service was not too bad, and certainly could have been a lot worse.
Perhaps the only fault I could find was with the ladies room. The paper bin was full to the top, and the rolls of paper were scattered around instead of being in holders. I have been in nicer restrooms in other restaurants.
Overall, this was a wonderful eating experience, with several authentic dishes on the menu as well as some creative ones. I recommend it highly and give it 4 stars.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Salvadoreno Restaurant
Salvadoreno Restaurant
303 E. Southern Ave
Mesa, AZ 85202
Having never eaten Salvadoran food before, I decided to try it, and am so glad that I did. This is totally different than Mexican food.
This is a relatively small restaurant, with a tiny kitchen, but don't let the size fool you - that tiny kitchen turns out some wonderful food. I noticed that I was the only gringa in the place - a good sign that the food it muy authenitico.
The waitress brought my drink along with a nice, crisp cole slaw type salad with some greens in it that I was not able to identify, but which gave it a nice flavor. Service is a little slow, but I attribute that to the fact that every dish is cooked to order - no steam tables here.
Next, was the main course. I ordered the Lengua Guisada ($9.95). Nice, big slices of tongue braised in a wonderful mild tomato type sauce, served with rice that had veggies in it, and small dish of liquified black beans along with two of the most succulent corn tortillas I have ever eaten. Instead of being crisp and crunchy, these were firm on the outside, and soft and tender on the inside. For the more adventurous, there is also hot sauce on the table. The flavors were all wonderful, and I used the corn tortillas to mop up all of the sauce on the plate. I would be lax if I didn't mention the fact the that food was served steaming hot.
I had to try the Pupupas, which are stuffed corn tortillas which are then grilled. I tried two different ones, and although I was entitled to get rice and bean with them, I opted not to have them because I was already getting full. The first Pupupas was stuffed with shrimp and cheese, and had a lovely texture and flavor. They have a tomato based sauce on the table that you can slather on your Pupupas if you so desire. I found that it really augmented the flavor and ended up using it on both Pupupas. The second Pupupas was shredded pork and cheese, and while tasty, wasn't up to the flavor profile of the camerones.
Unfortunately, by this time I was stuffed and had no more room to try anything else, but I will be back to try some more. Next time I want to try the Sopa de Pata/Mondongo, which is a hearty soup of heart and beef tripe, along with the Ensalada de Camarones Asados, which is a grilled shrimp salad.
It's hard to leave here hungry - you really would have to work at it!
Sanitation was good and the place is handicapped aware. They also will modify menu items to make them vegetarian.
I give them 4 stars for a really tasty meal that was muy authentico.
303 E. Southern Ave
Mesa, AZ 85202
Having never eaten Salvadoran food before, I decided to try it, and am so glad that I did. This is totally different than Mexican food.
This is a relatively small restaurant, with a tiny kitchen, but don't let the size fool you - that tiny kitchen turns out some wonderful food. I noticed that I was the only gringa in the place - a good sign that the food it muy authenitico.
The waitress brought my drink along with a nice, crisp cole slaw type salad with some greens in it that I was not able to identify, but which gave it a nice flavor. Service is a little slow, but I attribute that to the fact that every dish is cooked to order - no steam tables here.
Next, was the main course. I ordered the Lengua Guisada ($9.95). Nice, big slices of tongue braised in a wonderful mild tomato type sauce, served with rice that had veggies in it, and small dish of liquified black beans along with two of the most succulent corn tortillas I have ever eaten. Instead of being crisp and crunchy, these were firm on the outside, and soft and tender on the inside. For the more adventurous, there is also hot sauce on the table. The flavors were all wonderful, and I used the corn tortillas to mop up all of the sauce on the plate. I would be lax if I didn't mention the fact the that food was served steaming hot.
I had to try the Pupupas, which are stuffed corn tortillas which are then grilled. I tried two different ones, and although I was entitled to get rice and bean with them, I opted not to have them because I was already getting full. The first Pupupas was stuffed with shrimp and cheese, and had a lovely texture and flavor. They have a tomato based sauce on the table that you can slather on your Pupupas if you so desire. I found that it really augmented the flavor and ended up using it on both Pupupas. The second Pupupas was shredded pork and cheese, and while tasty, wasn't up to the flavor profile of the camerones.
Unfortunately, by this time I was stuffed and had no more room to try anything else, but I will be back to try some more. Next time I want to try the Sopa de Pata/Mondongo, which is a hearty soup of heart and beef tripe, along with the Ensalada de Camarones Asados, which is a grilled shrimp salad.
It's hard to leave here hungry - you really would have to work at it!
Sanitation was good and the place is handicapped aware. They also will modify menu items to make them vegetarian.
I give them 4 stars for a really tasty meal that was muy authentico.
Koy Wan Hibachi Buffet
Koy Wan Hibachi Buffet
945 W SR 436 Suite 1179
Altamonte Springs, Florida
407-628-8866
Five adults and a child were in the mood for sushi and oriental food, and made the trek to Altamonte Springs to visit the buffet. As a professional reviewer I don't normally evaluate buffets because selection of food can make such a large difference in how the buffet is perceived, but in this case, I was compelled to write a review.
We were promptly seated at a large round table, and assorted soft drinks and tea were quickly brought. Then it was time for all to attack the buffet. Most of the time buffets are mediocre food, some of which is either too cold or not hot enough. This was completely different.
Most of us started off at the sushi bar. To be honest, I wasn't expecting anything like the sushi I've had in Japan, but I was hoping for some good flavor, and I wasn't disappointed. Lots of tasty varieties to choose from, including Unagi (fresh water eel) and Tako (octopus) In fairness, this won't be the sushi you will get in the typical sushi bar, in that these will not be, in general, prime cuts of fish, but tasty, none the less. The marinated squid was excellent and had good spice to it.
I opted to skip the "Hibachi Buffet", but noted a huge assortment of meats and veggies available to be cooked to order on the teppan
Next, I went to the cold part of the buffet. Beautiful tender New Zealand Mussels nicely seasoned, followed by Spicy Crayfish that were delicious to suck the juice out of. There were many other cold foods to choose from, but I had to save room to try the hot food.
One of the highlights of the hot food group was the Spicy Blue Crabs. Simply wonderful to eat, and totally unexpected on a buffet. I also had the opportunity to have Deep Fried Frogs Legs, Spicy Hot Cray Fish, and lovely Manila Clams that were wonderfully tender. Other items on the buffet included General Tso's Chicken, Salt and Pepper Shrimp, assorted Steamed Fishes, and tasty Pork Tenderloin. There was also a nice selection of assorted Chinese Steam Buns.
For those who wish, there was an assortment of soups also available including Hot and Sour Soup, and Chicken Egg Drop Soup as well as the ubiquitous Won Ton Soup.
If you are hearty enough to tackle it after grazing your way through the buffet, there is a whole other selection of desserts to pick from!
I've eaten at buffet's before just to fill up, but this one not only was filling, but very tasty as well, to say nothing about some of the wonderful surprises on the serving line.
Sanitation was very good, and the bathroom was spotlessly clean.
4 stars for cleanliness, creativity. assortment of foods, and excellent flavor.
945 W SR 436 Suite 1179
Altamonte Springs, Florida
407-628-8866
Five adults and a child were in the mood for sushi and oriental food, and made the trek to Altamonte Springs to visit the buffet. As a professional reviewer I don't normally evaluate buffets because selection of food can make such a large difference in how the buffet is perceived, but in this case, I was compelled to write a review.
We were promptly seated at a large round table, and assorted soft drinks and tea were quickly brought. Then it was time for all to attack the buffet. Most of the time buffets are mediocre food, some of which is either too cold or not hot enough. This was completely different.
Most of us started off at the sushi bar. To be honest, I wasn't expecting anything like the sushi I've had in Japan, but I was hoping for some good flavor, and I wasn't disappointed. Lots of tasty varieties to choose from, including Unagi (fresh water eel) and Tako (octopus) In fairness, this won't be the sushi you will get in the typical sushi bar, in that these will not be, in general, prime cuts of fish, but tasty, none the less. The marinated squid was excellent and had good spice to it.
I opted to skip the "Hibachi Buffet", but noted a huge assortment of meats and veggies available to be cooked to order on the teppan
Next, I went to the cold part of the buffet. Beautiful tender New Zealand Mussels nicely seasoned, followed by Spicy Crayfish that were delicious to suck the juice out of. There were many other cold foods to choose from, but I had to save room to try the hot food.
One of the highlights of the hot food group was the Spicy Blue Crabs. Simply wonderful to eat, and totally unexpected on a buffet. I also had the opportunity to have Deep Fried Frogs Legs, Spicy Hot Cray Fish, and lovely Manila Clams that were wonderfully tender. Other items on the buffet included General Tso's Chicken, Salt and Pepper Shrimp, assorted Steamed Fishes, and tasty Pork Tenderloin. There was also a nice selection of assorted Chinese Steam Buns.
For those who wish, there was an assortment of soups also available including Hot and Sour Soup, and Chicken Egg Drop Soup as well as the ubiquitous Won Ton Soup.
If you are hearty enough to tackle it after grazing your way through the buffet, there is a whole other selection of desserts to pick from!
I've eaten at buffet's before just to fill up, but this one not only was filling, but very tasty as well, to say nothing about some of the wonderful surprises on the serving line.
Sanitation was very good, and the bathroom was spotlessly clean.
4 stars for cleanliness, creativity. assortment of foods, and excellent flavor.
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