Posted by
Anny Chih on January 15, 2012 at 5:51 pm.
When kids play restaurant they think that by using pretty plates and tablecloths, describing their dishes in fancy ways, and charging higher than average prices, their establishment is automatically chic, upscale and worth every penny. They don’t usually think about what the plastic food tastes like because in pretend land, food is as good as the imagination. Sadly, reality isn’t quite the same.
Phil selected Refuel Restaurant for this month’s Dinner Club outing. Its website motto is “honest food relaxed atmosphere” and I don’t agree with either of those statements. The restaurant seemed to be suffering from an identity crisis; flipping between glorified dishes that all “taste beautiful” according to our server who was sporting a low-cut shirt displaying her breast tattoo, and over-priced bottled sodas paired with miniature dishes that were either over-salted, over-cooked, or tasted like broccoli (even though there was none in it). Based on taste alone, the dishes should’ve been served in take-out containers and with double the amount for half the price.
Posted by
Anny Chih on January 11, 2012 at 3:43 pm.
Our class began with an hour-long introduction to the basics of mixing drinks and an abbreviated history of cocktails. Our instructor, Micah, was enthusiastic about his profession and likened becoming a bar chef to a doctor deciding to become a specialist; every bartender can tend a bar just as every doctor can treat a patient, but bar chefs create cocktails using fresh ingredients that you would find in the kitchen, whereas mixologists focus on creating drinks that differ by their chemical structure, and beer pub servers know how to pour a lager. There were some amusing anecdotes thrown our way, but I did find myself wondering when we were going to start making drinks in this three and a half hour class.
Posted by
Anny Chih on November 1, 2011 at 1:06 pm.
Walking into Academie Duello for the first time was a tad intimidating. I felt completely out of place as I looked around at the walls of medieval weapons, corners with old torture devices, shelves of fantasy books, and a bunch of guys wielding swords. A wave of geekery like I have never known swept over me, and I felt like turning back around and out the door. I’m glad I didn’t.
Posted by
Anny Chih on August 17, 2011 at 2:14 pm.
Raise your hand if you don’t like ordering food at a Japanese restaurant? *raises hand* (Ang raises her hand too) There are simply too many options. How many pieces should I get? If I want sashimi and sushi, should I just get a combo box? But I don’t want tempura and they always have tempura. Should I order tofu? Or a sunomono? What goes with what? Does that even matter? I just want to eat, damnit!
Posted by
Anny Chih on May 9, 2011 at 6:04 pm.
Choosing a place that only serves raw organic food was definitely the most contentious decision in Dinner Club history. But hey, isn’t Dinner Club all about trying new things? We hadn’t gone to a vegetarian restaurant before — let alone a RAW organic restaurant, but we’ve had practically-all-meat meals at Memphis Blues and Old Bavaria Haus.
Posted by
Anny Chih on April 11, 2011 at 12:45 am.
This edition of Dinner Club was a particularly dangerous one where your faithful judges showed their undying commitment to finding the yummiest dishes in town regardless of the restaurant location, taking silly photos at the establishments that serve them, and satisfying any and all cravings at two in the morning even if it means they might end up in the hospital. Yes, that’s how dedicated we are.
Posted by
Anny Chih on March 16, 2011 at 12:19 am.
Aiya, this is a belated post. The whole Dinner Club gang met on Sunday to complete the cycle with Ang’s pick: J.R.‘s Taste of Ceylon. The main reason why this post is late is because my tummy was in an uproar about the vote and wanted to change my initial half vote to a full thumbs down. What a nice way to describe something unpleasant eh?
Posted by
Anny Chih on February 6, 2011 at 11:50 pm.
In case you’ve never been properly introduced to Ethiopian cuisine, here’s a quick brief: Ethiopian dishes are served on and with a spongy warm flatbread the size of a large pizza (injera). It’s soft, squishy, slightly sour, and can come in a light tan, brownish, or grey colour depending on the restaurant’s method of preparation. You eat the dishes much like you would eat Indian food, by tearing a piece of injera and using it to pick up some tibs (vegetarian or meat dish), wot (stew), or (if you really trust the restaurant) kitfo (raw marinated beef). There are no utensils and it’s more fun to go with friends, so make sure you have friends with good hygiene.
Posted by
Anny Chih on January 9, 2011 at 10:50 pm.
The Five Guys menu consists of burgers and fries (can’t say they have a misleading name), hot dogs, and sandwiches. You don’t have the option of choosing chicken, or vegetarian for your burger patty, but you do get to choose what ingredients you want slapped on. We ordered five burgers with just about every topping, one sandwich, Five Guys Style and Cajun fries, and soft drinks.
Ann had ordered a “Little” burger, but I’m pretty sure she got a regular sized burger instead. Kenny ordered a bacon cheeseburger but he’s “pretty sure they forgot the bacon”. And Ang ordered a Veggie and Grilled Cheese sandwich, but was pretty sure they forgot what food is.
Posted by
Anny Chih on November 14, 2010 at 10:47 pm.
We started with chicken lettuce wraps and a very spicy sweet and sour soup. To quote Kenny, “these might be the best lettuce wraps I’ve ever had.” Coming from someone with a Chinese background where you’re bound to have had a million lettuce wraps by the time you reach 30, this was quite a compliment. They were pretty good. I’m not sure if I’d say they were the “best”, but I could say with confidence that they’re in the top percentile. The wraps had a kick and included a medley of finely chopped vegetables and those crispy rice noodle strands that are so simple, but give the wrap a nice semi-crunchy texture. The soup didn’t receive the same reaction as the wraps since it was way too spicy to be a starter (I’m still not sure it should be called a sweet and sour soup — it’s mostly just spicy with a bit of sweet tanginess), but there was a general consensus that it was good. I especially liked the water chesnut in the soup.