bluerhapsodies "everyone should own a Menuism hoodie"

This place takes the MS prime card so I thought I’d try it out. I was quite disappointed.

The food was pricey and not well-prepared or tasty. Our nonchalant waitress provided below-average service. The decor and atmophere were neither upscale, nor original/warm. With that kind of prices, I think they’re positioning themselves as a high-end restaurant, but instead, this is an unwelcoming place with overpriced meals.

I don’t think I’m going back, and I can’t imagine going there without the prime card.

If you happen to be in this neighborhood and you like korean food, don’t forget to pop by one of the neighborhood restaurants like this one!

This place is in the same plaza as 99 Ranch. We were in the neighborhood for WhirlyBall (yeehaw!), and what could be better than treating ourselves with some yummy korean food after all that hard work? This place is just a few blocks away and their stuff is yummy, authentic (stone-pot rice, and the appertizer fish that comes with the combo is served whole), and economical. You don’t come here to wine and dine, you come here for an authentic treat.

This place feels like a family-owned restaurant that tries too hard to look and feel fancy. In my opinion they should either be down-to-earth and run like a mom-and-pop restuarant or hire more professional wait staff, not be something in-between.

Perhaps I’m just biased. I went by to order take-outs and was going to run an errand instead of waiting there. The place was empty and the phone was silent. I made my order and gave the waitress my credit card. Instead of taking care of me first, she took a long delivery order on the phone, holding onto my credit card, and had me standing there the whole time. I didn’t find that very professional.

This place has changed owners relatively recently. I never saw this place full or crowded and it seems like it is still the case. Perhaps most of their customers do take-outs or delivery.

All that said, their food is not bad and not expensive either. The general lack of restaurant variety in the north rosehill area makes this place worth a try.

They do free delivery within a 2-mi radius, minimum order $25.

Ambience: quite lacking but at least spacious. The tables are far apart so there’s quite a bit of privacy. There’s also a semi-private room (that seats about 10) and a couple of (fake :)) Japanese-style rooms so it can be good for groups. However, I find the interior to be quite bare and the decor to be quite lacking. They could definitely use some new table cloths too.

Service: pretty good! They’re very nice and very attentive. A while back when I went with a group they took a polaroid picture of us and the picture is still there. They take pictures of their customers sometimes and collect and display them at the front entrance. Pretty neat – I was like, hey, that’s me!

Food: average but on the pricey side. They have a variety items, including sushi, rolls, bento boxes, teriyaki dishes, udons, etc. But I find the prices to be higher than expected, especially compared to other nicer Japanese restaurants in the Bellevue and Kirkland area. For instance, a dinner bento box (with average items) is about 20 bucks.

Location: in the same strip mall as the BRIEF encounter cafe. It’s pretty hidden and it may be hard to notice it’s a restaurant.

I had gone to the market portion of this store before but somehow did not realize that it was a deli as well. It’s probably just my general lack of peripheral vision. :)

They have a great selection of sandwiches and entrees (duck, lamb, etc). In every respect – ingredients, presentation, and taste – the food is really on par with, or perhaps better than, much fancier restaurants! It’s a great dining experience really – great, fresh food with a classy but casual ambience. The combination just works!

If you like coffee, don’t forget to grab yourself one. They make good coffee there!

I would give it a 5 if it wasn’t because I feel that the staff can be a bit friendlier. They weren’t mean or anything, but I think a friendlier staff could really add to the warmth of the place!

I never come to this restaurant unless others suggest so and I think I finally figured out why…

First, the location is just a bit “off the grid” (sorry i just saw the latest warren miller movie :P). Though close to the crossroads mall, it is pretty hidden within a very quiet block. That, and I was just never impressed with the restaurant enough to actually remember it whenever I thought about Chinese food.

Second, I don’t find the restaurant that comfortable. It’s a very old-style Chinese restaurant, with a low ceiling and not very comfortable lighting. But that may not bother everyone.

All that said, the food is actually quite authentic and tasty. In terms of food, it’s probably one of the better Chinese restaurants in the area! The service is okay. Last time they messed up our birthday ice-cream cake (they put it in the fridge even though we told them it was an ICECREAM cake!) and did not seem to feel very bad about it. We ended up scooping the melted cake with a big spoon…

I went there as a tourist… which girl wouldn’t want to after seeing Meg Ryan perform her memorable little act in “When Harry Met Sally”? J/K. :) Though this place in reality is more like a run-down cafeteria and does not resemble the diner in the movie, let alone inspiring the “what she’s having” sentiment. :)

The checkout system is somewhat confusing. You have to know where to line up and to remember to keep the ticket until the end of your meal. But if you do visit New York as a tourist, you can certainly consider stopping by for a meal and a “I lost my ticket at Katz’s” t-shirt as a souvenir. :)

Though there’s no doubt that the meats are tasty! This is the kind of Deli that we Seattleites do not see often enough.

This is Japanese pub-style food. It’s not just a meal, it’s an experience. It’s sort of like having tapas or dim sum – there’s a social element to it. When you have a large group, you also get to sample many dishes!

Everything here is well-presented and tasty. You have kababs that are served in a kabab-length dishes, pieces of cow tongues that you have to grill yourself, and items that you don’t expect to see in a Japanese restaurant, like fried Brie or seafood paella. Each dish is a conversation piece – so maybe it’s also a good place to take your blind date or people you know that are really boring then? :P

But most of the dishes (at least the ones we ordered) are deep-fried or greasy so a meal at Guu may not be the most satisfying. Also, although the decor is fairly nice and trendy, the restaurant smells a bit greasy. Those are reasons why the place didn’t get 5-stars from me.

This place has been around for a long time and is pretty much the only authentic Chinese restaurant in this area. The food is definitely up-to-par, and the owner lady definitely tries her best to make sure you have an enjoyable dining experience.

This restaurant is very spacious and is great for both small and large parties. You can choose to be seated at a regular table, a booth, or the bar area, where you can enjoy your cocktail and their dumplings (which they make from scratch – yum!), while watching your favorite program on their flat-screen TV.

I had no idea about this place until a friend brought me there recently. What a great find!

The place is simple – it is definitely not a place you’d bring a date but definitely a great place to have a casual dinner with a small group of friends.

The food is cheap and yummy. Their menu is the pictures above the cashier counter. You go up to the counter to order and pay for your food, grab your own cup water or hot tea, and then grab your own table. They then bring you the Korean small dishes and then your food.

Oh, note that the $12 meat dishes are probably enough for 2.

I’m really happy I found this place! I thought it was just a coincidence that they were playing operatic gospel music, but I read other reviews and found out that it is apparently what they do! It kind of fades into the background after a while though. :)