Sunday, March 30, 2014

Dinner #2 of 2014 - Hanjan

In early February, a former colleague (in town from DC) and I made it to Hanjan. On a random Monday night, the place was packed. And it was a nice crowd with a comfortable layout. Overall, we were happy with the meal, though it wasn't good enough to seek out again. Hanjan is has a better environment, but remains in the The Kin Shop strata for me: happy to go again, not great enough to make a point to go back.

We started with the cold tofu, which was nice but not comparable to Hibino. Then the Korean pancake (call it Pajeon!) was probably the most memorable. I love the crisp exterior with the soft, unctuous interior. Finally, our entrees were fine but completely not memorable. Both the kimchi/beef fried rice and the Bulgogi were fine, but not memorable.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Dinner #1 of 2014 - Uncle Boon's

We visited Uncle Boon's early on a very cold Friday in January (I guess they were all very cold this January) with our former neighbors (we moved, not them.)

For food, Uncle Boon's was fantastic from beginning to end. The least enjoyable dish we ordered - Northern-style golden curry - was style delicious. Dishes like the charcoal-grilled octopus, seared chicken liver, and kabocha squash were fantastic. All the classic thai flavors were strong and pronounced. All the meats were juicy. Everything had great texture and enough sauce to complement.

The cocktails were not good. They were fine. I think if you're charging at or close to Weather Up, Pegu Club, Evelyn, then the drinks should be close. These were not.

We arrived and it was pretty empty (6:00). By the time we left, it was full with a considerable looking crowd.

2014 Restaurants

Three months late but the list exists! The 12 restaurants I'd like to try this year.
  1. Han Dynasty
  2. Hanjan
  3. La Vara
  4. Maison Premiere
  5. Mission Cantina
  6. Mission Chinese (if they reopen this year)
  7. Pok Pok
  8. Purple Yam (holdover from last year)
  9. RedFarm
  10. SriPraPhai (holdover from last year)
  11. Uncle Boons
  12. Xi'An Famous Foods (seems like they're everywhere now - even on the radio)