taterjane's Profile
Authentic Asian Noodle Soup West of Boston?
Pho and Spice in Waltham had excellent pho the one time I went there. I think the owner also owns Pho and Rice in Somerville.
Belmont/Watertown lunch
Thank you for making me giggle.
Is Strip-T's serving lunch at 3? I thought dinner was when the special stuff came out.
31st birthday!
What a lovely idea to do a special celebration.
I still remember the one meal I had at Bergamot about a year and a half ago. I started with a salad that had a fried/poached egg on top. It was like nothing I'd ever tasted before, in a very good way.
I wasn't crazy about the room (very noisy, tables close together) but I went when it had just opened so I don't know if that has changed. But the food....oh boy. I'm afraid to go back there again in case it can't live up to my memory.
Maki Maki - AYCE sushi buffet, Brighton
My parents and I went to Maki Maki tonight a bit before 5:30pm. There was no wait.
The only other sushi AYCE buffet that I have been to is Minado. Maki Maki is set up exactly like Minado: hot entrees on the right, then soups, then salad line, oysters/cold stuff/sashimi, sushi, desserts.
Main differences between Maki Maki and Minado:
- Maki Maki has ginger/scallion lobster at dinner (key tip: as soon as a server takes away the platter bearing lonely lobster heads, start lining up for the fresh batch. It goes pretty quickly.)
- Minado has more cakes for dessert and the crepes
- Maki Maki does not advertise handrolls, but according to a waiter, they will make whatever handroll you want if it's based on the sushi rolls they already have
- Maki Maki has a lot more interesting maki, and a lot more non-raw maki
- No grill at Maki Maki
I do not eat raw fish but my parents reported that the sashimi was fresh and good. My father did not like how they cut it, though. He said it was cut very small.
Minado's food looks better, but I think Maki Maki's tastes better. Some of the items included snow crab legs, asparagus, chinese broccoli, shrimp and snap peas, flounder and random things, the usual fried rice/noodle stuff, oysters, shrimp tempura, 3 savory soups (miso, seafood, and fish maw) and 1 sweet soup of taro and tapioca. My parents didn't really bother with the raw maki and stuck with sashimi. I enjoyed the non-raw maki, though a lot of them seemed to feature mango and fried tempura.
I think we all skipped the salads.
For dessert there were 4 types of little cakes, all red and all highly uninteresting, standard ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry -- would it have killed them to get in some red bean/green tea/ginger flavors?), and the usual fruit: melons, grapes, strawberries, oranges, pineapple. Tea is extra and they do not serve alcoholic drinks.
The room is smaller than Minado's, and when we left around 6:45, all the tables were full and people were waiting. This may be because they are offering 10% off until tomorrow.
One minor quibble: the sign at the front of the restaurant said they had an opening special of 10% off, and seniors were 20% off. Well, no - turns out seniors are the regular 10% off, and then they take another 10% off after that which is not as much as taking 20% off the regular price.
We enjoyed it, but wouldn't make a special trip for it. As long as you're not a vegetarian, you can certainly eat enough to make up the $30.95 sunday dinner price, particularly if you keep your eyes peeled for the lobster and don't mind being a jerk and grabbing a bunch at once (I think there was one woman there who pretty much swept the platter clean when it came out).
Sunday Lunch in Watertown
2nd Red Lentil. I've only been there twice for brunch and never for a non-brunch, but I've loved everything I got. Cute and cheerful room, also.
New posts aren't marked anymore
It happens on all boards; it's just that I usually only look at that boston board.
Just now it also happened on the iPod touch for the first time. My name shows up in the corner but the site doesn't flag the new posts. Oddly, I am able to view all the posts I ever responded to by clicking on my name, so it's almost like I'm partially logged in. When I tried to reply to this post, I kept getting an error message.
On the mobile site, there is no logout button so I had to go to create a new post, at which point I was asked to log in even though my name had been showing up as though I was logged in
Once I re-logged in, the new posts showed up as flagged and I was able to reply to this thread. So the error appears to be more that the site has somehow only partially logged me in (I can view my posts but not see new posts flagged).
I will try logging out from the desktop computer later today, but it likely won't be until late at night.
New posts aren't marked anymore
About a week ago, I stopped being able to see new posts flagged on the Greater Boston board. I can see new posts fine on my iPod Touch using the Safari browser, but when I use Firefox on my desktop PC, everything looks the way it would appear if I wasn't logged in - except I am logged in. Any suggestions?
Strip T's increasing funkiness
I'm hoping to try Strip-T's for dinner soon, but the menu seemed kind of sparse for my vegetarian dinner companion (not sure DC will go for the eggplant banh mi). Anyone know if they offer more salads or veggies for dinner that aren't listed on the dinner menu online? Oddly, the lunch menu seems much more vegetarian-friendly...but no burger available then, which is what I want!
Where to buy Fresh Soy Bean Milk in Waltham and Watertown?
Are you averse to making your own? The soy milk maker was quite easy to use.
Where to buy Fresh Soy Bean Milk in Waltham and Watertown?
I find that fresh soy milk is a bit thick for me. I've recently decided to go with tj's unsweetened, refrigerated soy milk also, and it has almost a cleaner, thinned taste (which I prefer) compared to fresh. I was never a fan of the Chinatown fresh soy milks, though I like the sweetened kind at Taiwanese brunch, and I also had a soy milk maker and made it myself for a while. It didn't take long but the machine was a pain to clean (in addition to tasting thick) so I stopped using it.
Arlington grocers
I usually go to Trader Joe's and Market Basket. Wilson Farms on the Lexington/Arlington line might be a possibility for you - their fruit is quite good and the produce is better than at Market Basket.
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Wilson Farm
10 Pleasant St, Lexington, MA 02421
30 Day Ethnic Food Challenge
I am greatly enjoying this thread but maybe I missed something - how are you able to hit so many restaurants in varying locations every day? Do you have the month off from work?
Lunch Near the Children's Museum
If it's nice out, there are tables outside Flour where you could sit. Or do what my nephew did -- he was 2 years old at the time, fell in love with the regular brioche at Flour, and just sat in his stroller outside the Children's Museum and gobbled that sucker down.
Pork Floss, 'Rousong', or meal wool in and around Boston?
Any Asian supermarket should carry this, but my two containers of pork floss have lasted me for years so I haven't looked lately for it. I like it on buttered mantou bread (the frozen white, oblong buns).
Tea shop search
I buy from Upton, but last summer at the Lexington Farmer's Market, I picked up some Notting Hall tea (Dragonflower blend) and it's one of my favorites.
Golden Garden in Belmont - ok for people who can't tolerate spice?
Many thanks to all who responded. We did end up going and had no problem with spice levels - we just stayed away from anything in red on the menu. We don't have any issues with garlic.
We got:
- pork, leek, shrimp dumplings. Just okay - didn't seem to have quite enough pork and was mostly leek
- green bean noodle with sesame sauce. Not at all what we were expecting. These looked like cubes of jello. The sauce, however, was excellent.
- beef with scallion (and onion). Very good -- just like how my mother makes it.
- whole fish with ginger and scallion. Sauce excellent again, but I think they said the fish was tilapia and it was fishier than I like, and also cooked just a shade too short. It was a little bloody inside.
- sauteed pea pod stems. Fine. Not bad, but not the best I've had, either.
- shredded potato. Father loved this. I am a big potato fan (see my name) but didn't care for this as much because it just didn't taste like potato.
- white rice. This was, very surprisingly, the worst part of the meal. We arrived around 11:30 today, and were one of maybe 3-4 occupied tables until we left an hour later. The rice looked kind of old, as it had that dried-out look to it and was kind of discolored like it had been scraped from the bottom of the rice cooker.
Overall we enjoyed it, though I'm not sure I would make a special trip here. I'd be more likely to go to Mulan instead (haven't been to Shangri-La in ages, so can't compare).
Sadly, I didn't see aromatherapy's recommendation of the meatballs until I got home - we actually had been considering that as one of our dishes but weren't quite sure about it, and went with the beef with scallions at the last minute.
Golden Garden in Belmont - ok for people who can't tolerate spice?
I was thinking of taking my parents to Golden Garden tomorrow, but was wondering how the food would be for people like us who can't tolerate spicy food at all. (Yes, I am that annoying person who goes to Indian restaurants and has to ask for it "very, very mild - bland if possible" and then thoroughly enjoys my meal.)
Would this be a good idea for us, or should we skip it?
Thanks.
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Golden Garden
63 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA 02478
Bunless in Allston
My parents special-order wheat buns from Yi Soon on occasion, and when they called Saturday to place an order for Sunday, the person there said something about the machine being broken, but they'd have the buns Monday (today). We weren't able to go today, so I have no confirmation. I hadn't realized they were actually closed part of the time, though.
Pig Roasts at Boston Area Restaurants?
Were you in the group mentioned in the Globe?
http://www.boston.com/ae/food/restaurants/articles/2011/03/23/pig_roasts_for_dining_parties_capitalize_on_nose_to_tail_consumers_and_locavore_cooking/
I need to find at least 8 more people to pig out with me.
Rosie's bakery
Someone brought a carrot cake from Rosie's to a party recently, and I thought it was fantastic.
once yearly dinner for two, for less than $100?
I've been to Istanbu'lu once and the food was great. However, it felt more like a casual, snacky kind of place (most of the dishes were dip-like and we ate them with bits of bread) and it definitely is a place you could bring kids. If getting out with only your spouse is an incredibly rare opportunity for you, maybe a more adult place like Bergamot (which I also greatly enjoyed) would be more special?? Just not sure what you're looking for.
December Openings and Closings
Yes -- I asked at the Cambridge restaurant at the end of October. Same owner.
market basket strength/weakness?
Yup, I was there today and overheard 2 employees telling other customers that Sunday was the big day. Old location closes early Saturday evening, presumably to get the goods moved over. Surprisingly, people were still stocking the shelves of the current location, although stuff like the rotisserie chickens were gone.
How far can $50 stretch at Oishii?
Not far. I guess it may depend which Oishii you're going to, but I'd say $50 per person would be closer to reasonable than $50 shared between two people. And you probably still wouldn't leave full.
Bad dinner at EVOO
Definitely true that off nights happen. It just stinks that it happened on my birthday, and on my first visit there.
Am probably going to do what opinionatedchef suggested and go out for a much more casual meal at some point. I'm thinking Fuddruckers at Jordan's Furniture in Reading (what can I say, I'm a sucker for their burgers and fries, and there won't be any waiters/waitresses involved.)
Mulan in Waltham, replacing Beijing Star
We went to Mulan in Cambridge today, and the waiter confirmed that the waltham location is a branch of the Cambridge one with the same owner. He thought they might open before thanksgiving.
Bad dinner at EVOO
I went to EVOO for my birthday dinner, and was initially very excited. I'd never been before, but have wanted to try it for a long time. My boyfriend made reservations.
We showed up and our table wasn't ready. This hasn't really happened to me before at other places, but ok, things happen, this was probably out of their control. 20 minutes later, we can see two two-tops set and ready for customers, but the hostess is getting coats for someone, then leisurely helping set a 4-top, then getting another customer her coat, and by then my boyfriend and I are standing up, wondering if she's ever going to seat us, because the small waiting area is pretty packed.
We get seated and the hostess mumbles, "sorry for the wait," and she's off. Because we've had so long to look at the menu while we were waiting, we both already know what we want to order. Eventually a waitress kind of ambles by, walks past our table, then stops short and turns around and comes back to us and says she'll be our waitress and do we want still or sparkling water?
We make our water selection, and I tell her we're ready to order. She does not write anything down as we order, which for some reason appears to be de rigeur at "nicer" restaurants, but always makes me paranoid they're going to get something wrong.
I am lactose-intolerant, so I need to check if the sides that come with my preferred entree have cheese or cream in them. I ask if the chicken chorizo risotto is made with Parmesan cheese. She says no. I ask about the "creamy tomato salad" and if there is a way to have it without the cream, and before I've even gotten out my question, she says there is no way they can make it without cream. But they can give me a different vegetable instead.
When she comes back with the water, she tells me the risotto does have cheese and they'll give me more vegetables instead. Then she says that the bread basket will be brought with some oilive oil, balsamic vinegar and cheese, but that she'll be right behind the bread guy with a dip without cheese. I don't hear this part clearly, and it's my own fault for not asking for clarification, but I'm so confused as to why they can't just bring me the cheese-free thing in the first place that I don't really hear what she's said until she's gone.
Bread arrives-- bread sticks with some cheese and salt on them, which the bf pronounes very good, and some plain white bread. Dip arrives with it, and I eat it anyway because we're both initially under the impression that the white flecks in it are garlic, not cheese.
We consume the entire bread basket and my boyfriend has finished all his water before we spot the waitress again. She confirms she meant to bring us cheese-free dip and says she will get us some immediately even though I say not to bother anymore since I've already eaten it.
Appetizers arrive and are set in front of the wrong person by a server, not our waitress. Not a big deal, but when entrees are brought by a different server and again set in front of the wrong person, this seems weird to me. I mean, even Applebee's gets this right.
Pete and Jen's pig pate is fabulous, though I could have used twice the amount of bread that comes with it. Pate is perfectly seasoned and the dollop of grape jelly that sits on top of it goes very well with it. Appetizer of 3 different spring rolls is unremarkable. Cute idea, cute presentation, but we had no idea what most of the fillings were, and the boyfriend appeared to enjoy the garnishes (parsley, mint, basil, lettuce) more than the actual spring rolls, and normally he shuns all vaguely-vegetal items.
Entrees arrive. My arctic char has the creamy tomato salad sitting on top of it, and so I go to the manager and explain, as nicely and politely as I can, that it is my birthday and this is my birthday dinner and the service has been bad so far, and that I would like this night to be salvaged, if at all possible. The manager does everything right-- she immediately takes my entree away for a re-do, even gives us a new waiter though I say that's not necessary, apologizes profusely, and later comps my meal.
Boyfriend finishes his meal before I get my new plate. Chicken breast -- tender, yet lacking some tiny flavor that would have put it over the top (perhaps a sweeter, stronger sauce?). Broccoli rabe which he ignores, though I think he picks out and eats the bits of bacon scattered throughout, polenta which he says is very crispy on the outside, smooth on the inside, and good.
My arctic char returns, accompanied by bacon-less broccoli rabe, a piece of fried zucchini, tomato salad minus the cream (look at that, it CAN be made without cream!). Everything tastes fine, and it is not the manager's fault that by now, my stomach has twisted itself into knots of anxiety from having to say anything, from having to say it in front of my boyfriend, from having made the birthday take on too much importance in my mind, from wondering if I have totally overreacted.
We leave after I've taken a few bites of my meal, and skip dessert, because I just want to go home.
Lessons learned: tell restaurants about my lactose intolerance ahead of time by making the reservations myself, and don't risk trying a restaurant for the first time on an important occasion. I'm kind of wishing I could have a do-over on this one.
Toraya
Wow, I didn't even know they had omakase (but I also don't eat raw fish. Horror, I know.)
I do like Toraya. I go there with my parents, who do eat raw fish and enjoy it. Just keep in mind that the restaurant is quite small.
26 hours, 4 restaurants - I'm still stuffed.
Loved your reviews, not just of the food, but of the whole kid experience. Very funny!
Also, my favorite lines:
"Is it that hard to stencil a “men” and a “women” on the appropriate doors? Why must I try to figure out if the woodcarving is Sir Lancelot or Lady Guinevere? Do I use the restroom with the picture of the mermaid or the one with the sperm whale?"
You've hit on a major pet peeve of mine. Sometimes when you need to go, you just want to go..not stand out there for five minutes trying to determine which door you should be walking through.
Rio's Brazilian BBQ in Quincy?
Anyone been lately? Just saw a review in the Globe today:
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/quincy/2010/10/by_kathleen_mckenna_globe_corr.html?p1=Well_Food_links
Previous reviews on chowhound appear to be from before they switched to the more traditional waiters-walking-around-style, but they weren't glowing, so I was hoping someone here had been more recently. Also, I am a big fan of fried plantains and wondered if they had them!
Their website appears to just go to the google maps location, oddly.
