If you’re ever in St. Louis and are looking for some yummy Vietnamese food, Pho Grand is it! I was surprised that there are even ethnic restaurants in this city, but after my second visit to Pho Grand and comparing it with another V-restaurant just down the street, I definitely recommend this one. Better food, service, prices, clean atmosphere and with a steady stream of customers, it keeps people coming back!

My second time at Viceroy’s, I came to see what the lunch buffet was all about. Although there seemed to be a wide range of dishes to choose from, none of them were exactly what we had wanted. So we asked for a menu instead, and they happily accepted our request!

I am definitely a fan of the interior itself, but I think the lighting becomes even more romantic with lit candles at night, from what I remember last. I am also a fan of the host – he has a quiet, gentlemanly air about him that makes you feel like you are enjoying fine dining.

Hai Yen was by far the cleanest restaurant I have ever been to in V-Town. Upon walking in, you see very simple, cherry wood colored tables and chairs, each table decorated with a vase of a single pink carnation and baby’s breath. The tables are spread out with enough space between them, unlike most of the restaurants in V-town, which made this restaurant stand out.

The food definitely caters more to the American palate – it has a sprinkle of the westernized flavor both in taste and presentation, which I actually appreciated. The service was friendly and conversational, and we were checked upon frequently enough to feel like we were really being helped.

This was my first time at the Wabash branch of the Bongo Room and although the location is different, I was expecting to find the same menu as the branch on Milwaukee. But I could not find the CHOCOLATE TOWER! I was devastated. This could have been just a fluke and maybe I should have inquired further, but I went ahead and tried something else on the menu.

Pineapple and rhubarb French Toast with vanilla ice cream – sounds mouthwatering, right? Very disappointing. The French toast was too dry and coarse, even after letting the ice cream soak through (very different from the delicious chocolate imbedded French toast of the chocolate tower) and the pineapple and rhubarb sauce did not complement the toast well.

The winner of my visit was definitely the omelette. You can pick up to 3 fillings and add extras for $1 each. We chose broccoli, cheddar cheese, bacon and mushrooms – the combination was scrumptious! Robiniferous (fellow menuism reviewer and friend) kept commenting on the freshness of the broccoli – fresh ingredients indeed.

Next time, I hope they bring back the chocolate tower!!!

Fabulous Brazilian buffet. Everything from top sirloin wrapped in bacon to filet mignon and an amazing salad bar for $20 (lunch only, dinner’s a different story). Chic and trendy atmosphere, pleasant service, and a great view of the salivating passersby, Brazzaz delivers. My only minor gripe with the restaurant was that for a “buffet,” they charged extra for drinks and dessert. Dessert, however, was my favorite part – I had some type of mango mousse that was light, fluffy, and easy on the stomach after a filling meal – I wouldn’t miss out!

I like the ambience of Francesca’s more than the food… The food was good, but it didn’t wow me as I had expected from one of the “best” Italian restaurants in the city. Maybe a case of having too high expectations? Or their selling point is that the food tastes like it was prepared at home… not necessarily a bad thing.

What is fun about the place is that the menu changes everyday. The dish I had was called something along the lines of “Cavatelli con Gamberi” – dumpling like pasta with large shrimp, topped off with lobster cream sauce. I was definitely a fan of the humongous shrimp. But shrimp tastes good without the extra garnishes! The pasta didn’t quite fit the image of “dumplings” but overall the dish was good. It definitely had the feel of homestyle cooking.

For the same price, I’d be more willing to try other places… Nonetheless, the service is great!

This place literally looks like a shack on the outside right now with its camouflage olive green painted exterior and wooden boards guarding the entrance. I could hardly make out the “Bongo Room” sign. But when the place is packed at 9:30a.m. on a Saturday morning, you know it’s gotta be gooooood.

As everyone reviewed, Bongo Room is a MUST TRY brunch place. Our party got a main dish for each individual person plus a chocolate tower to split between 3 people. Each bite was a mouthful of absolutely delicious, guilty pleasure – loads of eggs, sauces, chocolates – mmmm, I’d do it all over again!!

Geja’s Cafe was on a list of “must try” restaurants in Chicago as I googled places in the city suitable for a large party of 8-10 people. A lot of reviews label it as a romantic place, and while it does have a very romantic feel about the cafe, I wouldn’t completely rule out a fun get together with your friends. However, their largest table does fit 8 people so try to limit the number to that.

What a hidden treasure! I absolutely loved the dim, candlelit setting (almost like entering a secret cave or den of sorts), a casual bar in the back to hang out and chat with friends, the live solo guitarist playing beautiful soft background music, and the slightly curtained off and cushioned booths for a more intimate table of 2.

You have a few different types of fondue to order although our large group just stuck with regular chocolate fondue. The premium fondues are super pricey (check out the website) but if you have a date to impress, I say go for it!

One note: maybe it was because we stayed till near closing time, but the wait-staff rushes you a little to get cleaned up (which was a little bit irksome)... could be an isolated incidence.

One of three restaurants combined into what is known as the “Italian Village”, La Cantina is exactly how I would imagine a traditional, authentic Italian restaurant to be. La Cantina itself is at the ground level, which attempts to replicate the traditional wine cellars of Italy with beautiful brick walls, archways, scattered small aquariums, and romantic, candlelit aura. Superb service, genial host, excellent food and desserts, awesome ambience – there are only good things to say about this place!

I will say this: there was a small piece of foil stuck to the bottom of my salmon dish as soon as I cut it, but the staff immediately took it away, brought a brand new dish of salmon, apologized appropriately and handled everything professionally. I did not feel disgusted or offended at all (unlike other places I have had similar experiences at) because of the way they conducted themselves. I still give this place 5 stars!!

I don’t remember the exact name of the dish (due to its long, Italian name) but it was grilled salmon with green beans. Just fabulous. The salad recommended by the waitress with Italian dressing: one of the best Italian dressings EVER! Desserts including tiramisu and rum cake: excellent! I am a fan of that rum cake in particular.

There’s always a first time for everything and what a knockout way to enjoy your first Ethiopian experience!! No utensils – just your hands and soft, fluffy (almost foamy) textured “bread,” shaped like a tortilla, to grab the main dishes. As the pictures reveal, each person can order an individual main dish e.g. lamb, beef, chicken, vegetarian, etc. but the food comes in a large platter with the “bread” as the bottom layer and each dish separated into small heaps, to be shared between 4-5 people. The bread, therefore, soaks up all the sauces and flavor of the dishes you order. Extra bread accompanies the meal. It’s such a fun way to eat for all ages and you can have even more fun trying to feed each other, as tradition recommends. Definitely a gem, this Ethiopian Diamond!