percebes's Profile
Sichuan Gourmet: Lucky Brookline
Lucky Brookline? My first impression was that the food is surprisingly bland. We ordered several of the spicy dishes (on 2 occasions) and emphasized that we like it spicy and the taste was pretty bland (certainly not better or more exciting than Chef Chang's). Service is still chaotic, but the owner seems very nice. There are better chinese options in Brookline village and Allston. How has your impression been?
O ya Restaurant - Leather District
The atmosphere at O YA carries a New York-hidden secret-flair: surrounding brick walls, large atelier-windows showing the facades of the buildings opposite the street. The food is delicious, the size of the servings is tiny and the prices are excepitonally high. Having dinner at the Clio, what we did the weekend before, or at the Oishis South End location is a bargain in terms of price comparisons. This statement has also to be extended to the NYC Nobu on Franklin/Hudson St. The Oya is very expensive when you intend to really eat, not only to take an apero spoiling your apetite. After having ordered six dishes per person we headed to the No. 9 Restaurant to really eat dinner. The portions though delicious are absolutely tiny. Ordinary suhsi rolls do not exist.There is nothing on the menu that would be suitable for fighting hunger. Our recommendation is to stick with the dishes that you find on the first side of the menu. The nigiris and sashimi named dishes are superb. the warm dishes from the second page are by far not as special. The porc ribs are mediocre, the chicken dishes average. All in all a great place to have some delicious appetizers before heading to a real dinner.
Restaurant recommendations for Marbella, Puerto Banus or Sotogrande?
Does anybody know any great restaurants or cafes in the area between Sotogrande and Marbella? Which is the best tapas place? Which is the best up-scale restaurant? Which is the best typical Spanish restaurant? Thank you very much in advance!
Taberna de Haro: worst dining experience ever
Thank you for all these replies! You are right that the owners were always very nice and they obviousy were not around yesterday. We paid the tip that was imposed to the bill yesterday simply to avoid a further unpleasant argument, because the mannor of the waitress was even beyond rudeness. All the other times that we have been to that restaurant there was no "flat rate 18% self-imposed tip" added to the bill. Yesterday, we were just to shocked to argue and we will never return to this restaurant.
Taberna de Haro: worst dining experience ever
We love Spain, we love Spanish food, we love Spanish wine. We want to love this restaurant, but the attitute of some of the waitresses is continously so unbearable, that we just cannot go there anymore. Our last dining experience there was so awful that we simply have to share it: we entered the place and we felt like offenders when we asked for a table outside. We were told without a smile, that we have to consume for 20$ each. Allright, same start as always at this restaurant, but still in high spirits. Once we sat down we ordered a sangria and some tapas. The sangria tasted bad and flat, completely different as usually. When we asked about the unusual and flat taste, the waitress told us, that she knew about that already, because they had run out of some ingredients and they have just put in different stuff like ginger ale and she will bring us now a new one. When I complained why she did not tell us that when she brought the drink in the first place, she got upset and started yelling at me in front of all the other tables. She did not serve us at all after all, she just put our dishes at the other end of the table and we were supposed to help ourselves. We were not able to order more food or drinks or bread. At the end she brought the check and had already added 18% tip for our party of two. The food was greasy and average as most of the times (although we had occasional fairly good Gazpacho/Paella), but the service was a really a disgrace. We watched several people leaving early this evening because of the rudeness. In the future we will have to go to Toro although we live close to the Taberna de Haro and really wanted to like this place.
Resveration for El Bulli for May 2008
Does anybody have any advice for getting a resveration at the El Bulli restaurant for 2008? I have heard so many different things about how it works, but I could not figure out what the most promising way is to ask for a reservation. Does anybody know about their opening hours in May/June next year? Thank you very much in advance!
Wooden cabin right on the shore where fisher boats arrive and fresh seafood is sold to eat there?
We were wondering if there is a place close to Boston right on the sea shore / on the water / on a beach, etc. where there is that kind of unfancy wooden cottage where they sell fresh seafood (oysters, lobsters, clams, ..) that they receive from fisher boats which land right there? We are thinking of that kind of place where you sit on old wooden boxes, have some paper plates with simple seafood and can watch the sea (and can bring a nice bottle of wine, etc.). Something like this must be somewhere on the coast around boston, but we have not found it, unfortunately yet. We found a place like that on Marthas Vineyard. It ist close to Menemsha and is called Larsens. This place is wonderfully relaxed, the food is great and you can watch the fisher boats unloading while sitting there having some mussels. Thank you very much in advance for any recommendations!
Where to find artichokes prepared in whole piece?
Tahnk you very much for this great recommendation! We have been to the Chart House and we ordered 4 artichokes! They were exactly what I was looking for.
Where to find artichokes prepared in whole piece?
Does anyone know if there is a place in Boston where they artichokes cooked in the whole piece, which you eat then leaf by leaf, dipping it into a sauce and after finishin the leaves only the bottom of the artichoke remains - the perfect delicacy! Is there any place where this traditional and simple French preparation is served? Thanks for your advice!
Restaurant recommendation for Sotogrande?
Does anybody know some great restaurants around the Sotogrande area (close to San Roque and Algeciras and Estepona and Gibraltar)? We would appreciate any good recommendation, either for a local hangout or an upscale restaurant. Is there a nice place somewhere around where it is possible to sit on the beach and having a nice grilled, fresh fish? Thanks for all recommendations!
Best poached eggs in Boston?
Does anyone know where to find the best poached eggs dish in Boston? I am thinking of the kind of dishes that "Pastis" and "Balthazar" in Manhattan are serving with creamy spinach or creamy polenta or sauce bordelaise, etc. I have tried the Petit Robert on Kenmore - their eggs Benedict with spinach are nice, but far from what I was looking for. Does anybody hava a good recommendation?
Help with New York May visit?
We are visiting New York in Mai and would appreciate adivce for our restaurant bookings. We will go to the Nobu on Franklin Street one evening and would like to have a good advice for the other nights. The restaurants should have great food, should have a great atmosphere and should not be too expensive (not the per se for example). Thanks for your advice.
Where to find Khao-Krep in Boston?
Does anybody know where to find good khao-krep in Boston? They are the white, light, puffy Thai chips. Khao Sarn serves them together with there papaya salad, but this salad is not very typical Thai in its taste. Thank you.
Beurre demi-sel
I really like the the french beurre demi-sel. Any idea where you can get it in Boston/Brookline? Thank you for your input.
New Mexican on Beacon Street?
It was some kind of sampler to get an overview of what they have to offer. Fiesta plate sounds familiar, maybe that is was what I got. Maybe I should give it a second chance, given the positive response from the community.
New Mexican on Beacon Street?
very nice staff, but the food is unfortunately very greasy and not very tasty. If you look for a very filling meal without too much excitement for the taste buds, it is probably allright.
