Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Dinner at Medjool, San Francisco, CA
We went to Medjool for a friend's birthday tonight. We'd never been there before, but we'd heard only good things about it. Unfortunately, we found it to be incredibly overrated. The service was pretty awful. We are aware it was a tapas place, but they still should have placed the food in from of the people who ordered it. It was haphazard at best.
Grilled Baby Octopus $12
The octopus were tender, but there were only 2 of them, and the main flavor profile was salt.
Clams with Serrano Ham and Chili-White Wine Sauce $12
A bit scrawny, but they were pretty tasty. The sauce and ham was pretty good.
Hangar Steak with Sauteed Spinach $14
Pretty tasty, overall.
Brined Pork Tenderloin with White Beans $14
The pork was a bit salty and dry, and the beans were a bit undercooked. This dish was better in concept than in actuality.
Lamb and Fig Tagine $15
A large portion for a decent price. This was actually very good. The meat was tender and flavorful.
Website
Health Code Violations
Grilled Baby Octopus $12
The octopus were tender, but there were only 2 of them, and the main flavor profile was salt.
Clams with Serrano Ham and Chili-White Wine Sauce $12
A bit scrawny, but they were pretty tasty. The sauce and ham was pretty good.
Hangar Steak with Sauteed Spinach $14
Pretty tasty, overall.
Brined Pork Tenderloin with White Beans $14
The pork was a bit salty and dry, and the beans were a bit undercooked. This dish was better in concept than in actuality.
Lamb and Fig Tagine $15
A large portion for a decent price. This was actually very good. The meat was tender and flavorful.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 1
Service: 0
Food: 1
Decor: 1
Service: 0
Health Code Violations
Labels: African, Decor: 1, Food: 1, Middle Eastern, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Dinner at Byblos, Prague, Czech Republic
Finally some good guidebook advice in the form of a great Lebanese place. Oddly located inside of a mall, it was a bit hard to find at first. The interior was covered in plants and had multi-level seating, making it seem as if you were not in a mall. In any case, we ordered the Lebanese menu for 2 and we each had a few drinks and the meal came to only $40--a steal for the amount of food we got.
Dolmas
Pleasantly briny and not very much rice, which was nice.
Babganouj
Giao found it a bit to lemony, but Alexis thought it was delicious. Very smooth.
Hummous
Not as good as Alexis', but still tasty. Also very smooth.
Tabouli
This tabouli was mainly parsley with very little bulgar, which was a nice surprise and make this a very refreshing side dish.
Pita
Standard.
Spinach, Lamb and Cheese Dumplings and Lamb Kefta
Our favorite were the lamb dumplings, but all were good. These were very similar to empanadas.
Lamb Sausage and Grilled Chicken with Garlic Aioli
Very tasty. All of the meat was juicy and perfectly cooked.
Dolmas
Pleasantly briny and not very much rice, which was nice.
Babganouj
Giao found it a bit to lemony, but Alexis thought it was delicious. Very smooth.
Hummous
Not as good as Alexis', but still tasty. Also very smooth.
Tabouli
This tabouli was mainly parsley with very little bulgar, which was a nice surprise and make this a very refreshing side dish.
Pita
Standard.
Spinach, Lamb and Cheese Dumplings and Lamb Kefta
Our favorite were the lamb dumplings, but all were good. These were very similar to empanadas.
Lamb Sausage and Grilled Chicken with Garlic Aioli
Very tasty. All of the meat was juicy and perfectly cooked.
Ratings:
Food: 2
Service: 1
Decor: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Decor: 1
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 2, Middle Eastern, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Friday, May 25, 2007
Dinner at Saha Arabic Fusion Restaurant, San Francisco, CA
We were on our way to Brick, a place we'd been to and liked before, when we realized that Saha, a place we'd been meaning to try for a while, was right next door. We were seated in less than 10 minutes, despite having made no reservation. The service was very friendly, however, it was a bit slow. They seemed understaffed, which may have been the case since this was the beginning of a long holiday weekend. The decor was chic and sophisticated without being stuffy. Giao and Alexis each ordered the prix fixe menu, which included choice of soup of the day or salad, a small plate and an entree for $35. It was quite a good deal seeing as the cheapest combination of those dishes was at least $40 and our options included just about everything on the menu. Also, it was an even better deal for us, since most 3 course prix fixe menus include a dessert as the third course, which we generally choose not to partake in. Overall the food was good, but I think we'd stick to small plates if we go a second time.
Bread (gratuit)
This bread smelled oddly sweet, although it didn't taste sweet.
Olive Oil and Spices Dipping Sauce (gratuit)
Pretty tasty.
Mixed Green Salad with Gorgonzola, Roasted Golden Beets and Blueberry Vinegarette
This salad was a pleasant surprise in that the dressing was not nearly as sweet as once would have expected. The ingredients were fresh and all of the flavors melded well.
Fatoush
A chopped salad with tomatos, onions, feta, kalamata olives and quinoa, dressed with a rather tart combo of lemon juice and olive oil. Pretty tasty.
Seafood Kibbeh
This cracked wheat dumpling liberally stuffed with crab and shrimp was quite delicious. Served over a thin layer of lobster bisque and topped with a tart, herbacious sauce, this was Alexis' favorite dish of the meal.
Tiger Prawns
These simply prepared prawns were fresh and not overcooked at all. The buttery, garlicky, herby dipping sauce was finger-licking good, literally.
Beef Rib Tangine
Tender beef in a stew of prunes and almonds, this was a bit too sweet for our taste.
Mansaf
Tender cubes of lamb and caulflower in a yogurt based sauce. The harissa added quite a pleasant kick, and this dish was ok, but it wasn't a standout.
Bread (gratuit)
This bread smelled oddly sweet, although it didn't taste sweet.
Olive Oil and Spices Dipping Sauce (gratuit)
Pretty tasty.
Mixed Green Salad with Gorgonzola, Roasted Golden Beets and Blueberry Vinegarette
This salad was a pleasant surprise in that the dressing was not nearly as sweet as once would have expected. The ingredients were fresh and all of the flavors melded well.
Fatoush
A chopped salad with tomatos, onions, feta, kalamata olives and quinoa, dressed with a rather tart combo of lemon juice and olive oil. Pretty tasty.
Seafood Kibbeh
This cracked wheat dumpling liberally stuffed with crab and shrimp was quite delicious. Served over a thin layer of lobster bisque and topped with a tart, herbacious sauce, this was Alexis' favorite dish of the meal.
Tiger Prawns
These simply prepared prawns were fresh and not overcooked at all. The buttery, garlicky, herby dipping sauce was finger-licking good, literally.
Beef Rib Tangine
Tender beef in a stew of prunes and almonds, this was a bit too sweet for our taste.
Mansaf
Tender cubes of lamb and caulflower in a yogurt based sauce. The harissa added quite a pleasant kick, and this dish was ok, but it wasn't a standout.
Labels: Decor: 2, Food: 1, Middle Eastern, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Lunch at Samovar Tea Lounge, San Francisco, CA
We'd been to this tea house a few times for tea and it was quite pleasant and served good tea. This time, Alexis went for lunch with an old friend. The food wasn't as good as the tea, unfortunately.
The Japanese Tea Service $16:
This tea served was served with a choice of any green tea--Alexis chose genmaicha , a very tasty toasted rice green tea.
Seared Ahi (tasty), Beets (blah), Seaweed (tasted of the sea, in a good way), Shrimp (well cooked and well seasoned), Fried Tofu (fairly flavorless), Forbidden Rice (nicely salted on top, but flavorless on the bottom)
Green Tea Brownie
Actually quite tasty as the bitterness of the matcha tea offset the sweetness of the chocolate.
Grilled Feta and Vegetables (tasty, if a bit salty), Dolmas (very good), Chevre Stuffed Dates (delcious), Homemade Baklava (lighter than most, and very lemony).
Ratings:
Food: 0
Decor: 2
Service: 2
Website
Health Code Violations
The Japanese Tea Service $16:
This tea served was served with a choice of any green tea--Alexis chose genmaicha , a very tasty toasted rice green tea.
Zuchinni Soup
Tasty and light, but a bit too salty.
Tasty and light, but a bit too salty.
Seared Ahi (tasty), Beets (blah), Seaweed (tasted of the sea, in a good way), Shrimp (well cooked and well seasoned), Fried Tofu (fairly flavorless), Forbidden Rice (nicely salted on top, but flavorless on the bottom)
Green Tea BrownieActually quite tasty as the bitterness of the matcha tea offset the sweetness of the chocolate.
Moorish Tea Service $18:
The Moorish tea service was served with a very flavorful mint tea.
The Moorish tea service was served with a very flavorful mint tea.
Grilled Feta and Vegetables (tasty, if a bit salty), Dolmas (very good), Chevre Stuffed Dates (delcious), Homemade Baklava (lighter than most, and very lemony).
Ratings:
Food: 0
Decor: 2
Service: 2
Website
Health Code Violations
Labels: Decor: 2, Food: 0, Japanese, Middle Eastern, restaurant, review, Service: 2
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