Against my better judgment, I tried my luck and ordered lunch from Full Moon Asian/Thai Restaurant. Let's just say, my gamble "crapped out."
This time, someone whose first language is English answered the phone and took my order. I knew I would have trouble when I ordered the fried squid (which was supposed to come w/pineapple, ginger, peanut and sweet chili sauce). I specified twice, nearly thrice, that I wanted the FRIED appetizer.
OVERALL IMPRESSION THUS FAR: DISAPPOINTED; WON'T RECOMMEND TO ANYONE.
I had a reasonable expectation of some squid rings and tentacles to be either lightly battered or merely dusted w/cornstarch and deep fried, not to mention the pineapple et al in the appetizer I ORDERED. You guessed it, the order was INCORRECT, and I ended up with the GRILLED squid appetizer, no pineapple, and was unsettled by the pork patty. There had to have been enough rings and tentacles from two small squids. They were cooked until barely opaque (stay tuned if I get sick from this), and it wasn't as substantial as I hoped. As a result, I had to raid the vending machine here at work.
I also ordered up the Tom Khar Gai, a chicken soup w/coconut milk and fresh lime juice. Flavor wise it was nice enough; the color was murky (as if it were made perhaps YESTERDAY), and despite me asking for it to be "spicy," it was dishwater bland. Tasty, but blandish for tom kha gai. This was the least expensive thing in today's lunch, at $5.
COST: $$: The squid appetizer mix up was $9, not inexpensive for an appetizer. Their spring roll selection is just as pricey--$7 for the least expensive spring roll type appetizer. For $9, I hoped to have gotten a hopper of fried squid deliciousness dripping in chili sauce and studded with pineapple and peanuts; and let's just say I got the antithesis of that.
When asked how business has been their first week since opening, the gal (who rang me up) quipped about business being poor, and suspected it was due to the Jewish New Year holiday. Funny thing is, where the restaurant is located is in the heart of a rather depressed part of White Plains, as it's near: transitional housing, family court & probation, Open Arms men's shelter; a few blocks from the old "drop in center" around the corner, and about two blocks from the projects.
They obviously have not done any market research in: what their projected clientele would be (subtext: predominantly business folks, and city/county/and state workers within walking distance); and they haven't searched out what the market should bear in regards to pricing the items on their menu.
White Plains is not completely without Thai food; as on Broadway we've got Reka's, an established Thai eatery (plus Reka gives instruction via classes thru the local college etc, or HAS in the past), with quality products, good service. I would visit Reka's MORE; however, I'd need to drive to get there from my office.
If I am going to pay $15 (like I did just for this soup & appetizer I had for lunch), I'd just assume to go Reka's for one of their $9.95 COMPLETE lunches (price might be higher, as I have an old menu on hand here), which includes: Soup of the day or Rekka's Green Salad, a main course, dessert of the day, and hot tea or coffee.
Despite their intention to make the restaurant itself really beautiful--and IT IS quite nice to look at while you're in there; the kitchen hasn't gotten its act together.
The only GOOD thing I can say about today's lunch experience is that it got me to take my take out menu out of my file, and I think I'll be going to Reka's this week to enjoy some truly wonderful Thai food, and to rinse the Full Moon disappointment out of my mouth.
On second thought, I think my time and money would be better spent patronizing businesses which are established, respected and present delicious food (and are not affected by constructive criticism). Here are a few spots I will continue to spend my money:
Reka's Thai Restaurant
(914) 949-1440(Thai)
2 Westchester Avenue, White Plains
Siam Orchid Thai Restaurant
(914) 723-9131(Thai)
750 Central Park Avenue, Scarsdale
Swaddee House Of Thai Food
(914) 769-8007 (Thai)
886 Franklin Avenue, Thornwood
Thai House . . . (914) 674-6644(Thai / Vegetarian)
466 Ashford Avenue, Ardsley
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Mix It Up: A Salad Boutique, White Plains
Though I had designs on having Thai today for lunch, that fell through, so I had to get something reliable from an established eatery. I ran some errands and popped into Mix It Up on Mamaroneck Avenue in the downtown area of White Plains to get a salad.
Normally there is a crowd/line right up to the door, but today, I lucked out and there were about six people ahead of me in line. Luckily at my "knit night" last night, my friend and I were discussing local eateries for lunch, and Mix It Up came up in conversation. So I already had a taste for their City Center salad (arugala, dry cranberries, goat cheese, grilled chicken). While I stood in line, I decided I wanted a few more add ins: candied walnuts, croutons, red onion, and their raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
I've been to Mix It Up more than one or two dozen times. They're consistently good salads with fresh ingredients.
Cost:
I'd put it on the higher end (for salads locally). My City Center salad with the extra add ins (3) and one peanut butter cookie cost me nearly $13. I don't have it in my budget as an every day expense, but it's nice that it's available.
Quality/Quantity:
They offer a good variety of "designer" salads (i.e., chef; "bistro"--which is a take on a traditional Nicoise; Calabrese, Cobb, and Greek, to name a few) or you can design your own with the assortment of greens and add ins and dressings. All delicious. Quantity, to me is a great selling point. I have often joked with friends and co-workers that these are some hefty salads. I've threatened to bring my kitchen scale into work one day just to WEIGH one of these salads. Easily I guess there's about 1-2 lbs of stuff in each salad. I could be wrong, but they are really hearty portions.
Offerings:
Salads are their primary focus, however, I do believe there are paninis and even soup on their menu. Some baked goods are offered up by the front register (i.e., choc chip, oatmeal or peanut butter cookies, as well as their chocolate cheesecake brownies, which I have on good authority are quite good). Today I ordered up a peanut butter cookie and it lived up to my expectations.
Location:
The "boutique" is conveniently located on Mamaroneck Avenue, easily accessible on foot for the many folks who work in the downtown area, and there's metered on street parking in front. The decor isn't much to speak of, but a nice attempt was made to make the interior cheerful and modern. There are about two tables located as soon as you enter the boutique, so needless to say their focus is heavily on take out customers.
Note:
This place is only open during the day, and appear to close up towards the late afternoon. So their focus is on the lunch rush.
Overall opinion:
Good solid, dependable, delicious, hearty. This is a place I have gone to many times in the past, and plan on continuing to keep it in my "lunchtime rotation."
Normally there is a crowd/line right up to the door, but today, I lucked out and there were about six people ahead of me in line. Luckily at my "knit night" last night, my friend and I were discussing local eateries for lunch, and Mix It Up came up in conversation. So I already had a taste for their City Center salad (arugala, dry cranberries, goat cheese, grilled chicken). While I stood in line, I decided I wanted a few more add ins: candied walnuts, croutons, red onion, and their raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
I've been to Mix It Up more than one or two dozen times. They're consistently good salads with fresh ingredients.
Cost:
I'd put it on the higher end (for salads locally). My City Center salad with the extra add ins (3) and one peanut butter cookie cost me nearly $13. I don't have it in my budget as an every day expense, but it's nice that it's available.
Quality/Quantity:
They offer a good variety of "designer" salads (i.e., chef; "bistro"--which is a take on a traditional Nicoise; Calabrese, Cobb, and Greek, to name a few) or you can design your own with the assortment of greens and add ins and dressings. All delicious. Quantity, to me is a great selling point. I have often joked with friends and co-workers that these are some hefty salads. I've threatened to bring my kitchen scale into work one day just to WEIGH one of these salads. Easily I guess there's about 1-2 lbs of stuff in each salad. I could be wrong, but they are really hearty portions.
Offerings:
Salads are their primary focus, however, I do believe there are paninis and even soup on their menu. Some baked goods are offered up by the front register (i.e., choc chip, oatmeal or peanut butter cookies, as well as their chocolate cheesecake brownies, which I have on good authority are quite good). Today I ordered up a peanut butter cookie and it lived up to my expectations.
Location:
The "boutique" is conveniently located on Mamaroneck Avenue, easily accessible on foot for the many folks who work in the downtown area, and there's metered on street parking in front. The decor isn't much to speak of, but a nice attempt was made to make the interior cheerful and modern. There are about two tables located as soon as you enter the boutique, so needless to say their focus is heavily on take out customers.
Note:
This place is only open during the day, and appear to close up towards the late afternoon. So their focus is on the lunch rush.
Overall opinion:
Good solid, dependable, delicious, hearty. This is a place I have gone to many times in the past, and plan on continuing to keep it in my "lunchtime rotation."
Full Moon Asian/Thai Restaurant, White Plains
Today is their opening day, and as far as my lunch, it didn't even "make it out of the gate."
I called Full Moon Asian/Thai Restaurant to place an order. After the phone rang for up to ten rings, I was speaking with someone who hardly spoke English, who then put another person on the phone who spoke only marginally more English than he, to inform me that (despite it being on their take out menu) there was no tom kha gai, and rushed me off the phone, as if I didn't have other things I wanted to order.
Not a good first impression. But afterall it IS their first day, and rarely do restaurants get their act together for their opening day.
I wasn't feeling well today and knew that a hot steaming bowl of tom kha gai would have made me feel a bit better, a bit more human (assuming of course, it was authentically made).
I'm not going to harp on the disappointment. But it was their first day. However, I will not further frustrate myself, and will give it a week or two to get its "sea legs" before I attempt to order lunch from them.
Stay tuned.
I managed to salvage my lunch by running errands and picking up a "bucket" of salad from Mix It Up: A Salad Boutique. SEE ALSO: Separate review for Mix It Up.
I called Full Moon Asian/Thai Restaurant to place an order. After the phone rang for up to ten rings, I was speaking with someone who hardly spoke English, who then put another person on the phone who spoke only marginally more English than he, to inform me that (despite it being on their take out menu) there was no tom kha gai, and rushed me off the phone, as if I didn't have other things I wanted to order.
Not a good first impression. But afterall it IS their first day, and rarely do restaurants get their act together for their opening day.
I wasn't feeling well today and knew that a hot steaming bowl of tom kha gai would have made me feel a bit better, a bit more human (assuming of course, it was authentically made).
I'm not going to harp on the disappointment. But it was their first day. However, I will not further frustrate myself, and will give it a week or two to get its "sea legs" before I attempt to order lunch from them.
Stay tuned.
I managed to salvage my lunch by running errands and picking up a "bucket" of salad from Mix It Up: A Salad Boutique. SEE ALSO: Separate review for Mix It Up.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Tarry Lodge, Port Chester
One place I've been to repeatedly so far has been Tarry Lodge in Portchester. It's owned by Bastianich and Batali, and it's become one of my favorite rituals. After the husband and I go for our chiropractic visits, we then head off for our lunch date at Tarry Lodge.
Between the two of us, we have tried an assortment of things on both, the regular menu as well as their lunch/brunch menu specials. Things that have been "repeats" for us have been the gazpacho w/lump crab meat (for him), the beets agrodolce (for me), and sharing the chocolate cake w/blood orange marmalade and house made pistaschio gelatto.
My favorite starters have been (as mentioned above) the beets agrodolce, the lump crab w/piquillos, the melon w/shrimp, and this weekend, I had something off their brunch menu, which was mussels and baby clams in a garlicky broth--of which, I needed more bread (to NOT sop up the broth would be a total waste. It was great.).
We have tried the lion's share of their pasta offerings, with our favorites so far being the black tagliatelli w/lobster, and this week's take on tagliatelli which was plain tagliatelli (non black) w/a buttery affectation (I wouldn't call it a "sauce" as it wasn't really saucy). The dish had a buttery taste to it, with slivers of garlic and fresh parsley, a light hand of julienned jalapeno (not really overly so, trust me, it was nice) and roasted sweet corn. Not a kernel was left in the dish, trust me.
We've also tried an assortment of meat dishes, ranging from hen, and branzino, to pork, with our favorites so far have been the variations/offerings of lamb (especially the one w/a puree of fava beans!), and this week we had the pork chop, which came with sauteed Swiss chard (I believe) and sweet peaches.
And bucking our habit for the chocolate cake (which I believe we've had three times; the other times we've had the panetone bread pudding, lemon cheesecake, and gelato), we opted for the peach crostino (peach cobbler/buckle/brown betty. It was crunchy on top, hot and bubbling full of peach slices below, and was topped with a scoop of house made vanilla gelatto. Delicious, but still, I think next time, we'll go back to the chocolate cake! It truly is the best dessert of the lot.
Cost: An affordable luxury. I wish I could afford to eat there every day, but I am glad that it is accessibly priced for a good lot of people. Your meal can be as pricey as you want it to be, whether you come in for drinks and appetizers; come in for one of their lovely pizzas; or a multi-course dinner. I believe it's reasonably priced, not overly or underly so. It is priced JUST RIGHT.
Quality: The food is, in a word: EXCEPTIONAL. We have gone perhaps a half dozen times so far, and they are consistent, without a problematic meal in the bunch.
Quantity: No "nouvelle" or "haute" cuisine sized portions here. Hearty sized portions.
Service: Exceptional, agreeable, helpful, prompt, courteous, and un-intrusive.
Location: Corner of Mill and Abendroth in Port Chester. On street metered parking, with a lot across the street in two locations.
End Result: I've gone about a half dozen (or more) times, and was satisfied each time. I'm already planning my next trip there. I am ALSO planning on making that corn and tagliatelli dish here at home. It was delicious, and I can't wait to try to duplicate it!
Between the two of us, we have tried an assortment of things on both, the regular menu as well as their lunch/brunch menu specials. Things that have been "repeats" for us have been the gazpacho w/lump crab meat (for him), the beets agrodolce (for me), and sharing the chocolate cake w/blood orange marmalade and house made pistaschio gelatto.
My favorite starters have been (as mentioned above) the beets agrodolce, the lump crab w/piquillos, the melon w/shrimp, and this weekend, I had something off their brunch menu, which was mussels and baby clams in a garlicky broth--of which, I needed more bread (to NOT sop up the broth would be a total waste. It was great.).
We have tried the lion's share of their pasta offerings, with our favorites so far being the black tagliatelli w/lobster, and this week's take on tagliatelli which was plain tagliatelli (non black) w/a buttery affectation (I wouldn't call it a "sauce" as it wasn't really saucy). The dish had a buttery taste to it, with slivers of garlic and fresh parsley, a light hand of julienned jalapeno (not really overly so, trust me, it was nice) and roasted sweet corn. Not a kernel was left in the dish, trust me.
We've also tried an assortment of meat dishes, ranging from hen, and branzino, to pork, with our favorites so far have been the variations/offerings of lamb (especially the one w/a puree of fava beans!), and this week we had the pork chop, which came with sauteed Swiss chard (I believe) and sweet peaches.
And bucking our habit for the chocolate cake (which I believe we've had three times; the other times we've had the panetone bread pudding, lemon cheesecake, and gelato), we opted for the peach crostino (peach cobbler/buckle/brown betty. It was crunchy on top, hot and bubbling full of peach slices below, and was topped with a scoop of house made vanilla gelatto. Delicious, but still, I think next time, we'll go back to the chocolate cake! It truly is the best dessert of the lot.
Cost: An affordable luxury. I wish I could afford to eat there every day, but I am glad that it is accessibly priced for a good lot of people. Your meal can be as pricey as you want it to be, whether you come in for drinks and appetizers; come in for one of their lovely pizzas; or a multi-course dinner. I believe it's reasonably priced, not overly or underly so. It is priced JUST RIGHT.
Quality: The food is, in a word: EXCEPTIONAL. We have gone perhaps a half dozen times so far, and they are consistent, without a problematic meal in the bunch.
Quantity: No "nouvelle" or "haute" cuisine sized portions here. Hearty sized portions.
Service: Exceptional, agreeable, helpful, prompt, courteous, and un-intrusive.
Location: Corner of Mill and Abendroth in Port Chester. On street metered parking, with a lot across the street in two locations.
End Result: I've gone about a half dozen (or more) times, and was satisfied each time. I'm already planning my next trip there. I am ALSO planning on making that corn and tagliatelli dish here at home. It was delicious, and I can't wait to try to duplicate it!
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