Nachos at Distrito

Check out their website for the full menu.

I thought Distrito was OK the first time around and didn't really want to go back to it. But one hot summer day, I found myself willing to give it another shot. Well, I went back and I think I found my favorite dish on the menu. It may seem pretty simple but the Nachos Libres Encarnacion is a great dish. What makes it fantastic is the burnt cheese that gets stuck to the skillet. So, after you've had the tender slices of steak, refried beans, and cilantro, you can also enjoy that wonderful cheese. As a side, try the Aguacate Y Jitomate, which seems to be avocado and tomato in some oil with a dash of lime and cilantro. I still think the place is a bit overpriced but I'm sold on going back for a more filling meal soon enough.

Amada

Amada

217-219 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia PA

(Check out Amada online.)

This visit to Amada was part of our "Bobby Flay & His Challengers" tour.

I came to Amada with high hopes. It is, after all, part of Jose Garces's line of restaurants (I previously visited Distrito). Garces was a chef challenger on Iron Chef America and beat Bobby Flay in "Battle Mellon" (and brain freeze too).
Begin your experience at Amada by trying their sangria (a mix of wine, fruit, herbs, orange liqueur and Spanish brandy). There are a few options by I was fortunate enough to sample the "Blanco" - white wine with apples, pears, and oranges - and "Tinto" - red wine with oranges, apples, and a touch of cinnamon. Both were wonderful and refreshing. Perfect for a summer day.

Since Garces beat Flay in a battle with melon as the secret ingredient, we had to try the Melon Con Jamon" - slices of melon (cantaloupe) wrapped with Serrano ham and lightly drizzled with a yogurt and sherry reduction. It was exquisite. It was so exquisite that my dining companion and I considered ordering a second dish.

Luckily, we didn't do that because we had quite a feast ahead of us. Next came the Ensalada Verde, which was a green salad with asparagus, fava and green beans, and avocado. This also came with slices of cheese, which complement the flavors very well. Beware as this was quite the stack of greens. The nice fresh taste of this dish certainly helped with the other dishes that we ordered. The richest of those was probably the Pulpo A La Gallega or Spanish octopus. This came in a sizzling plate with what seemed to be little wedges of potatoes. The octopus itself was wonderfully succulent but I was glad to have the potatoes to help tone down the saltiness. I wish they had given us more of those potatoes. The dish might have been small but it was well portioned as the octopus was really rich.
The Almejas Con Chorizo (clams & chorizo) also came on a sizzling plate. This was terrific as well. The chorizo was just so tasty and the clams were delicious. I'm not sure how to describe one of the best dishes I've had. It probably wasn't all that great for me but it sure was a wonderful experience. Our final dish was the Escalivada, a medley of roasted peppers, eggplant, Cippolini onions & confit tomatoes. The onions were almost creamy on the inside and just perfect.

And then there was dessert. My dining companion and I tried the "Arroz Con Leche," which is a saffron rice pudding with blackberry compote, lemon jam, cinnamon bric, and fromage blanc. No, this is not your regular rice pudding. My companion, who had been a little hesitant with the saffron rice, loved it. But I also really liked the "Crema Catalana De Chocolate," which is a caramelized dark chocolate custard with strawberry gelee, and a berry sorbet. This was just fabulous. The sorbet had a really fresh taste the the custard itself was just perfect. It was rich with chocolate, very slightly crispy on top, and moist inside. A wonderful way to wrap up a fantastic meal.

Yes, Amada is a little pricey but you rarely get a treat like this.

Rangoon

Rangoon
112 North 9th Street
Philadelphia
(Between Arch & Cherry Streets)

We continued with the "Asian tea leaf salad," which was made from real tea leaves, cabbage, tomatoes, sesame, peanuts, lime, garlic, friend onions, and fried shrimp. I thought the first few bites were good. This dish really has quite a strong flavor too. A little later, i realized that it was a bit strong for me. I can handle the lime and everything else but I think I would prefer my tea leaves to be in tea. That said, it would make a good dish for a big crowd (where everyone just takes a few bites).

One of the best dishes at Rangoon is the "thousand layer bread." This is a bit like "nan" from Indian restaurants but it is a bit oilier and stickier and gooier. It is fantastic. The texture is just right. Now, you could eat this on its own but why would you do that when there's so much that can go with it? For an appetizer, there are a few sauces that go with the bread but I ordered the chicken curry, which was a solid dish with chunks of dark meat chicken in it as well. For dessert, the bread comes with a coconut syrup which is drenched over it. Now, I think maybe some sweetened condensed milk might have worked better because the coconut syrup was a bit wet but this was still a very good dessert.

The Burmese spare ribs were also interesting. The ribs were done very well and came with a glaze of basil, coriander, garlic, and some other seasonings. The result is that eating the ribs produces a layered taste. You're hit by the heat and the salty tastes and then the sweeter part of the glaze appears just as you taste the sour too.

Desserts were a bit of challenge and my companion ended up ordered the "farluda," which is apparently rose syrup, milk, ice cream, pudding, raisins, tapioca, and assorted jellies all in one big glass. I suppose you're supposed to mix it all together like a milkshake with multiple other items thrown in but you can't really stir anything around in there without something falling out. A bit hard to eat but it was tasty. Probably good on a hot summer day (and there are a lot of those in Philadelphia). I don't think we got the raisins though.

Rangoon

Rangoon
112 North 9th Street
Philadelphia
(Between Arch & Cherry Streets)

What are you doing for dinner tonight in Philadelphia? Drop your plans and head on down to Chinatown and check out Rangoon.

I wasn't sure what Burmese food was when I went into the restaurant. Burma is between Thailand and China. Was it a mix of the two cuisines? I wasn't sure about Burmese food the same way that I wasn't sure about Philippine food. What on earth is that? I don't think I've ever seen another Burmese restaurant and I don't think I've seen a Philippine restaurant.

But enough about cuisine limitations. On with the review. Rangoon is a bit out of the way in that it's not where the row of restaurants are in Chinatown but come over one more street and it's right there. The setting is very nice with some artifacts from Burma. The service is fast and they leave a whole pitcher of water for you at the table. I think that's because some of the food can be quite spicy.

I started out with the "festival fish noodle soup." I wasn't sure what the festival was but this was a fantastic dish and I think it was my favorite. The fish is all minced and is mixed in with the broth and rice noodles. You get a scent of lemon grass, ginger, and wonderful amounts of minced and fried or toasted garlic. Seasonings include lime, cilantro, and some amazing little peppers that are really red hot. Try just a little bit because those chillies have a heck of a kick.

My companion started out with a pumpkin soup. Now, that may sound traditionally American but it wasn't. This pumpkin soup probably had ten different spices in it. The ingredients made it rich, different, and a great way to start the meal. Toasted garlic (and onion?) topped off this tasty dish.

Distrito

DISTRITO
"Modern Mexican"
3945 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia

This hip new place near UPenn's campus has a lot of buzz about it. Wait till school starts and there should be plenty of action on this block. The restaurant/bar has two floors and is apparently what counts as trendy these days. I'm not sure why there's a VW bug in the side window as a special seat for four patrons but it might be a draw for the kids. The rest of the place really isn't kid friendly. Let them come back in a few years when they've got some money to spend and have a taste for alcohol. The bar lines one whole wall and is decorated with movie theater signs and fruit. It looks very nice and all but the place was too dark for me. If you get seated at a table that faces the bar, then you're going to be sitting in line because they haven't quite worked out where to place the chairs without obstructing the bar area.

The Tapas was pretty good. I ordered a few dishes to try including the extremely tasty Encarnacion Nachos made with skirt steak, refried beans, queso mixto (mixed cheeses), chile de arbol (green chilies), cream, and cilantro. I would have been happy with just the skirt steak and the cilantro and cheeses but this blend was really quite terrific. I think it was also the dish that was most worth the price.

The Camarones Ceviches (shrimp in a spicy, tangy tomato sauce, with slices of avocado and served with plantain chips) were OK but not special.

I also had the special tacos of the day, which were made of among other items, grouper, corn nuts, and mango salsa. A very tasty treat that should be on the regular menu as far as I'm concerned.

For dessert, the caramel flan is pretty good but the pastel de chocolate (made of chocolate cake filled with chili spiced chocolate goo, and served with lime sorbet and avocado and lime puree) wasn't bad and more interesting than the caramel flan.

I wasn't in the mood for an actual drink so I tried the Jarritoes, which is described as a fruit punch with watermelon soda. Do not get this. The drink is actually a carbonated drink in a bottle and doesn't taste all that great.

You'll have good food at Distrito but be prepared to drop mucho dinero. Probably not worth the price for a regular visit.

Marathon Grill

Marathon Grill
40th and Walnut
Philadelphia
(Check out their website for other locations around the city)

I've had a bunch of salads from the Marathon Grill recently. This is the Provence steak salad. It's basically skirt steak and bacon bits over arugula and grilled asparagus. I told them to hold the parmesan and white beans (comes with the regular salad). I substituted some roasted peppers for the rest. The salad came with the lemon-dijon vinaigrette. Nice overall but the arugula was a bit overpowering.

Marathon Grill

Marathon Grill
40th and Walnut
Philadelphia
(Check out their website for other locations around the city)


This is my favorite salad from the Marathon Grill. It's called the Marathon Chopped Salad and comes with an option of turkey or grilled shrimp. The basic salad is $8.95 (add $3.00 for turkey or $5.50 for shrimp). The basic comes with avocado, chopped tomatoes, diced eggs, sliced mushrooms, bacon bits over garden greens. All this is mixed with thousand island dressing, well mixed in. I've had it with the turkey a few times and am very impressed. Be warned that this is a giant salad and will fill you up very easily.

Aqua Malaysian & Thai Restaurant

Aqua Malaysian & Thai Restaurant
705 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA

This was a disappointing meal. My dining companion and I ordered two drinks, two salads, and two desserts. Maybe half of those would get a passing grade.

The coconut drink was basically coconut juice in a can win some coconut meat along with it. Not bad but it really did not taste as fresh as the real deal. Now, I have seen coconuts in Philadelphia so how hard could it be to offer fresh coconut juice in a Southeast Asian restaurant?

The mango juice was OK but my companion did not really like it. I thought it was pretty refreshing and a better deal than the coconut drink.

We ordered the Thai beef salad and the green papaya salad. The first one was edible and I loved the copious amounts of romaine, tomato, and onion. The sauce was a bit on the sweet side and for an almost $9 dish, they might have offered more meat. The green papaya salad was not very good at all. My companion complained that it left an after taste that reminded her of fish food and I tend to agree. Having never had papaya salad before, I don't know what to compare it to but I doubt that it is supposed to taste like this.

We ordered the fried banana and roti banana for dessert and enjoyed one of them. The fried banana was in a strange batter that made the fruit turn out red. It also seemed to absorb all the tasty goodness of the banana (maybe it was unripe) and really did not make a good impression. The roti banana, however, was pretty good. This is a cripy/sticky pancake dough stuffed with coconut paste and banana. It was also offered with just the coconut paste and this would have been fine. Good texture and not too sweet, this was my favorite dish there.

Overall, I was quite disappointed and was even less inclined to return when I got the bill. For the value and quantity of food that we got, I don't see how that could have equaled $40.

Bistro La Viola

Bistro La Viola
253 South 16th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102

This “bring your own wine,” cash only restaurant in downtown Philadelphia is a great place to dine if you like a cozy atmosphere and some tasty veal. The dining room can only fit around 70 people and it gets very tight very quickly on busy evenings so go early. On nice days, one might be tempted to sit outside but there, one might be distracted and annoyed by the city traffic.

Start with the Grigliata Di Calamari (grilled calamari marinated in lemon juice, garlic and peppered extra virgin olive oil) and you’re on your way to a wonderful evening. The calamari is well grilled with some charcoal taste that is not overwhelming. They might add a bit more lemon though as the dish can verge into the too sweet category. The dish is not filling and leaves plenty of room for the Vitello Alla Viola (veal medallions with fresh mushrooms, garlic and prosciutto in a rich veal sauce). What can I say about this except that I am craving it now. The thinly cut veal is perfectly cooked and is juicy and tender. The sauce brings out the rich taste and the mushrooms compliment the dish perfectly.

The tables fill up quickly and since it is “family style,” you may end up with some happy couple sitting next to you as you are enjoying your food. A small price to pay though as the food is terrific and the waiters watch over you like hawks.

(Image by AG)

Kabul

Kabul
106 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA
(Check out their website!)

This Afghan restaurant off of downtown Philadelphia came highly recommended to me. Having had a wonderful Afghan meals years ago, I was eager to see what Philadelphia had to offer. The restaurant was a bit dark for my taste (no pictures) but it probably looks fine during daylight hours. I was told that they had good appetizers but, not being all that hungry, opted to wait for the main dish. I had the Bandenjan Chalaw, which is a dish of lamb cooked with eggplant in a tomato sauce with onions and various spices.

The dish itself was great and the taste was pretty good although I expected more of a dance for my taste buds. Now, the dish is hot and you wouldn’t want to eat it alone but I was expecting more of a complicated taste what with all the spices and all. The rice was a bit dry though and wouldn’t have been great if I hadn’t needed it to sooth my burning tongue. As it was, I consumed all the rice with the dish. Not too much of a feat though, given that the dish was not all large and I though they had just brought out a sauce container before realizing that that was what I had ordered. Given the quantity, $15 seems a bit steep.

For dessert we had the Firnee, which is an Afghan pudding with pistachios and almonds. I wasn’t impressed with this dish. I’m not sure what it was. The texture was OK but the taste just didn’t feel right. It was a bit too strong, I’d say where a good pudding’s flavor should be more subtle. Still, my dining companion loved it so that’s a positive endorsement there.

I’ll give Kabul another try probably but my first impression wasn’t entirely positive.

Metropolitan Bakery and Cafe

Metropolitan Bakery & Cafe
4013 Walnut St.
Phildalphia, PA
(Check out their website!)

this chain of Pennsylvania bakeries is a fine establishment if you want a good pastry, cup of coffee, or a sandwich. I'm not sure if each of the branches has a different menu but the one I tried in University City was pretty good. The menus are not extensive but they offer a pretty good selection. They do breakfast bagels and toast and salads but I was in the mood for lunch. I ordered the roast beef panini and this came with grilled onions, smoked Gouda, and Dijon mustard. A fresh mixed green salad came on the side with balsamic vinaigrette. All items tasted very good.

My dining companion had the roasted red peppers panini and this was served the marinated artichokes, goat cheese, and black olive tepenade. Generally I don't care for goat cheese but the mix of flavors really blended well. She also had the lemon vinaigrette on her salad and that had a zesty taste to it as well.

One complaint though. The panini were too crispy for my taste. Though my dining comrade tells me that the panini was well done as it wasn't greasy, I have to disagree. The crispy bread did a number on the inside of my mouth and I'm still feeling the scratches.

Penang (Philadelphia)

117 N. 10th Street
Philadelphia, PA
(Visit their website!)

This chain restaurant is pretty tasty. Some of the menu items may be missing depending on where you go. The quality across stores, however, seems to be consistent. I have been to the Boston and the Philadelphia branches and have been impressed by both. I think I have had a slightly better experience with the service and tastiness of the meals in Boston though.

In Philadelphia my dining companion and I treated ourselves and ordered the Hainanese chicken with rice. The rice is nicely seasoned with oil (or butter?) and the sauce that accompanies the chicken is a very mild soy sauce of some sort. The texture is terrific but I wish there had been a choice of dark or white meat on the chicken. The problem with white meat, again, is that it is often cooked too dry. The secret is in the sour, spicy orange sauce that you dip the chicken in or mix with the rice. Overall, the dish is a good one.

Delicious!

The chicken with rice should have been the entire meal but we also had the mango fish. We were both expecting to get the whole fish on a platter but they served us with deep fried chunks instead. Now, they gave us a choice of catfish, red snapper, or striped bass but what does that matter if they were going to deep fry it beyond recognition anyway? The mango itself wasn’t ripe enough and it was a bit hard to get through. The whole dish was covered in this really sweet and somewhat tangy sauce, which, I’m sorry to say, did not aid the flavor. The basket (fried wanton?) it came in was nice but it didn’t really offer any taste of its own.

My dining companion and I also had the Chinese broccoli stir-fried with garlic. The dish was OK but it lacked punch and wasn’t as filled with garlic as we would have preferred. My companion, who had been here before, introduced me to the coconut rice (rice cooked in coconut milk?) and that was a nice, sweet treat.

Maybe I’ll give their noodles a chance next time.

(Images by AG)

Dahlak

Dahlak Restaurant & Bar
4708 Baltimore Ave.
Philadelphia, PA
(Visit their website!)

This restaurant is situated amidst a bunch of other African restaurants in this cute Philadelphia neighborhood on Baltimore Avenue. The inside was a bit dark at night so I couldn't take any pictures. Most of the seating areas are traditional - short, backless chairs and basket-like tables.

I was with a bunch of friends and one commented that it was odd that an Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurant would have Italian food. Of course, we came to the historical reason for this at about the same time and it was a pretty funny bit of dark humor. Do most Ethiopian restaurants have spaghetti?

We ordered a bunch of dishes. The fish of the day was quite good. I'm not sure what fish it was but it was cooked with garlic, onions, and spices. Someone else ordered the chicken tibs, which were OK but not spectacular. the lamb chops (bite sized) were OK too much they might have been better if we didn't have to watch for the bones. The injera was OK too although not spectacular. The food, overall, was decent enough but I had a bit of a problem with the price. So, there were four of us and we ordered four dishes. All the food came on one tray and the presentation was typical of Ethiopian restaurants. But there seemed to be too little of it. At the end, after having consumed much of the injera on the bottom, we were still somewhat hungry. Was this Ethiopian food or tapas?

I think I would go to Dahlak again but there are also other restaurants in the area to try.

Pho Cafe Saigon

Pho Cafe Saigon
4248 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(Between S. 42nd and S. 43rd)


This is an avocado milkshake and it is delicious. I don't know if it is actually Vietnamese since it seems like many stores serve it but this particularly good one is at a Vietnamese restaurant. The "bubbles" are actually tapioca balls. They don't have a taste in and of themselves but they absorb the flavor of the avocado and when you suck them in and chew on them, you're rewarded with just a terrific dining experience. Yes, they make this from real avocado. From what I could see, they just scooped avocado into a blender and mixed it with crushed ice and added the "bubbles." (Did they add a bit of sugar?) This can be a meal in and of itself. Tasty and filling and healthy too. Oh, the cravings I've had for this wonderful treat. Of course, if you don't like avocado, they also have other options like mango and pineapple.

(Image by AG)

Greek Lady

Greek Lady
222 S. 40th Street
Philadelphia, PA
(Check out their website)

This busy hangout for Penn students is also a good place to get lunch or dinner. The restaurant has both a well-lit and stylish inside seating area and a comfortable spot for those who want to be outside. The marble (they look like marble!) counter tops are shiny and attractive while the roasting spits of lamb and beef behind the cash register are just so tempting. They have a grill and cooking area behind that so you can see the sizzling meals as they prepare them. Don't worry, the ventilation is pretty good because the place does not smell of cooking food at all. The place gets excellent marks for atmosphere.

On my first visit I tried the mousaka, which is ground beef with eggplant and mashed potatoes topped with bechamel sauce. This came with a side of lemon roasted potatoes and roasted peppers. Now, the latter is OK but this place has terrific lemon roasted potatoes. I don't know where they've been my whole life but these spuds are just wonderful. The lemon flavor teases your taste buds and then the well-cooked potato just brings it home. The mousaka itself was OK but not spectacular.

My dining companion and I also shared a salad of greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, a hard boiled egg, and stuffed grape leaves. (I believe this was the Greek Lady Salad.) The salad would have been a full meal on its own and we should have known that. I was glad that we ordered the mousaka though because it really boosted the flavor of the meal. The salad isn't their specialty and it was a bit bland. All the meals by the way come with white or wheat pita. At least we had leftovers.

Here's the salad with cheese on the side. Did I mention the shiny metal trays? Classy!

I was really impressed with the restaurant on my second trip when I ordered the T-bone steak. The meat was tender and the blend of the steak with the lemon roasted potatoes, and the green beans (with tomato sauce) was just wonderful.

(Images by AG)

Zinc

Zinc
246 South 11th St.
Philadelphia, PA
19107
(Visit their website)

My dining companion and I had not intended to go to Zinc. While wandering around looking for another restaurant, which apparently no longer exists, we came across this establishment. Pressed for time and hungry, we decided to give the cute looking place a bit of our business. We were not overly impressed.

Zinc - cute enough but we were not impressed with the service or the food.

The restaurant/bistro/bar is charming enough and, for a Sunday afternoon, it was doing brisk business. Unfortunately, the management had not counted on having so many people. Otherwise, they would have had more than one server on hand. The service was slow but we were the lucky ones. There was a patron who was sitting outside, hoping to get some sun and some service. She got the sun but was ignored by the server. She came in to remind the server of her existence at least once and then just gave up and came in to sit inside.

We ordered water with lemon and the server basically ignored us. It was not until my dining companion ordered a beer that we saw service. By the way, the other tables got their beer, drinks, and bread, well before we did. Not fair and we were not impressed.

How was the food? I had the lobster bisque with chunks of crab meat. It was tasty enough, I guess but it was a bit heavy and a bit too creamy. There is no need to overload the diner's system, is there? My dining companion had the Trevisse Rotie Au Fromage, which was basically a roasted radiccio covered with cheese and Saucisson. She said that the Saucisson supplied the salty taste but since the radiccio was grilled and the cheese was melted, there was no balance of tastes. "It was just more salty," she said.

For our lunches we tried to Les Escargots "Pastis". They basically put cooked escargots on top of delicate, cute little puff pastries and topped it off with garlic almond butter sauce. Not a bad dish but not overly impressive either. The rest of the menu was seriously overpriced and I doubt that the portions were large.

Overall, I wasn't impressed with this place. Maybe others who are not in a hurry and just want a place to watch pedestrians while sipping drinks will find Zinc to their liking.


(Images by AG)

Mantra - Entree

Mantra
122 South 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(Visit their website!)

The salmon fillet sandwich is a real treat. I was afraid that the bread roll would be too tough and hard but I was pleasantly surprised. My dining companion could not finish the sandwich, so I had almost half to myself. The salmon is well cooked and was neatly wrapped in the roll with greens, green chili peppers, and cilantro. There was also a light dressing that I couldn’t quite identify but it complimented the meal. We had a side order of sweet potato fries, which was topped with a sweet and hot sauce. One problem with order: we were told that we had a choice of greens or fries or something else. My companion ordered the sweet potato fries but when we got the check we found that there was an additional $2.50 charge for them. What’s up with that?

Fuzzy Navel

The Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant
247 S. 17th Street
(17th & Latimer, between Spruce and Locust)
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(Check out their website!)

One problem with Typhoon in Boston. These guys messed up my fuzzy navel. How do you mess up such an easy drink? There's peach schnapps, orange juice, and vodka. To make a great one, add ice. That's all there is to it. Why on earth would the people at Typhoon add Bailey's Irish Cream to my drink? It completely ruined it. Sorry, Typhoon but that's a strike against you. There is an impressive bar at your place but if your bartenders can't make a simple drink, that's not good.

The folks at the Black Sheep Pub in Philadelphia know how to make my drink! Well done!

(Image by AG)

Mantra - Entree

Mantra
122 South 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(Visit their website!)

I had the Mongolian meatballs with lomein and enjoyed it thoroughly. There was nothing particularly special about the meatballs but the combination of lomein and vegetables in a light sweet sauce was pretty good. The taste was nice and not overpowering, plus the noodles were not too dry. Good dish to order.

(Image by AG)

Mantra

Mantra
122 South 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(Visit their website!)

Willing to spend a little bit of money on lunch in downtown Philadelphia? This tasty spot is a great place to sit and relax at any time but especially when it’s over 80 degrees outside and you can’t stand being in the sun for another second. The restaurant is a bit dark on the first floor (looks like there is additional seating on the second floor) but nicely decorated. Its “pan-Asian” theme allows for a blend of decorative styles. Combining glass marbles, mirrors and paper umbrellas, they also use Japanese screens, martial arts clippings (someone is a Jet Li fan), and a few Buddha statues to spice up the place.

But I wouldn’t go there just for the décor. The place is too dark for my taste. Hey, I want to see what I’m about to put in my mouth. Even though I am seeking refuge from the sun, I still need some light. I wouldn’t mind sitting there to read but with the bits of light that make it in, I would get a headache pretty fast. Good coffee though.

The food is terrific but, as I said, a bit pricey. My dining companion and I started with the Kinki Rice Bowl Salad. This dish comes with some perfectly prepared tuna (Kinki?). The fish is almost raw in the center but well cooked and a bit crispy on the outside. The sticky rice was great and I thought they had lightly grilled it although I may have been mistaken. Rice and fish combined with seaweed and a light sweet sauce made this a great combo. There were also slices of pears, nectarines, and cucumbers to go along with the salad. Squeeze a bit of lime and you’re good to go.

(Images by AG)