Pacific Rim Cuisine

 

10

48

Cindy L.

Centreville, VA

I really wanted to like it, but I just can't.  The decor is very tropical, with bamboo, a koi pond with live fish, etc. and they have live music on the weekends.  That's the plus.  On the negative side, the service is slooooow.  (Diners were walking up to the host to remind him that they were seated, so please send someone over to take their order.) After we sat down, we waited 15 minutes for water and someone to take our order, another 30 minutes or so for appetizers, and another 20 minutes after we finished our appetizer for dinner to arrive, after we asked for the check, we waited 15 minutes for the check to arrive and another 10 minutes for them to pick up the check and run the credit card.  We wanted to see a movie and allowed 2 hours to eat dinner before the movie started.  With the wait for the table and the slow service, dinner took 2 hours and 15 minutes.  I would have been willing to put up with slow service since the restaurant was so neat looking and it had live music, but the food was just mediocre.  Pan-Asian shouldn't be a code word for mediocre Chinese, Thai, Japanese, and Hawaiian food.

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Elite '08

27

164

Tara S.

Fairfax, VA

Oh, I feel bad. It is like going to see your child in his school play and trying to be supportive and telling them it was just like seeing "Les Mis" even though the performance was awkward and a bit scattered. But, you love them and you know they really gave their best but alas, Broadway it was not. Pacific used to be amazing but now seems a little rough around the edges.

Last night I ate here with the husband and BIL. For a Thursday evening, I was surprised by the number of empty tables. Nevertheless, the gracious owner sat us quickly. We started with a tropical drink; mine was a delicious Lime Daiquiri and the husband got the Mai Tai. The BIL opted for cold sake. For appetizers, the guys started with the Tidbit platter (dipping sauces, duck rolls, chicken satay, and two halves of hollowed-out sugar cane stuffed with seasoned shrimp). As a vegetarian, I opted for the Vegetarian spring rolls (stuffed with minced, yet crisp veggies and cellophane noodles). The appetizers were all very good and came quickly to our table.

For main courses, the BIL ordered the Sea Bass, the husband got the Thai Chicken with Basil (made super hot), and I opted for the Vegetarian Pad Thai. I asked for my Pad Thai to be prepared spicy yet it was quite mild.  My dish was kind of a let down, but the flavors were still nice and the veggies were crisp and delicious.

To complete our meal, we finished with green tea ice cream and the husband got French coffee. I love how the coffee is prepared table-side. The owner does a wonderful flaming liqueur presentation in the Irish coffee glass before pouring in the coffee and adding the whipped cream. I like watching the flames turn a vibrant blue. Very cool.

Now, here is where our experience gets a little wonky. Our service seemed very hit and miss. Our first server seemed a little distracted and did things kind of hastily. Maybe he just wanted to go home after a long day. Our second server was lovely and made sure everything was okay regarding our meals, drink refills, ordering dessert etc.

Another thing, and this is NO fault on part of Pacific, was that a couple came in around 9 p.m. with a toddler. The entire time they were in the restaurant, they allowed this kid to run around the place and scream at the poor koi fish swimming in the pond that was by the front entrance. Poor fish. Talk about animal abuse! They did not deserve to be traumatized like that! Nevertheless, it was time to pay the bill and go home anyway.

I hope last night was a rare occurrence and not an emerging trend. It would be a shame for this restaurant to fall to the wayside. The service needs a little polishing and some of the entrees need to be enhanced regarding their flavors. I would go back again, probably on a Saturday night.

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3

73

Hosun L.

McLean, VA

This is a very cool looking restaurant.

From the outside it looks like a standard chain restaurant.

You walk inside and boom - it's a weird mix of asian cultures. Bamboo, Hawaiian shirts, etc. It's a very nice decor.

The menu was interesting too. I thought the menu would be gigantic, but there's only 4 or so cultures represented, with about 5-6 items per culture. It's still a pretty diverse menu, so everyone should find something they want.

I ordered the scallops. It's supposedly herb-fried with a tangerine sauce. I also ordered the appetizer sampler.

The appetizer was nothing special. Shrimp on bamboo, chicken satay, and spring rolls.

My dining companion ordered the crispy beef. Which was okay, but not remarkable. Very mild flavor.

The same went for my scallops, the few that I got. I think there were maybe 6 scallops total on my plate. They tasted okay, but the small portions disappointed me. More importantly, they weren't filling.

The prices were reasonable, about $10/plate, but I can't see myself going back unless I'm on some diet that requires me to eat small portions of bland food.

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Elite '08

5

57

Joanna C.

Boston, MA

So I go to this place for special family gatherings because they offer a wide variety of dishes and the atmosphere is a lot of fun for the out-of-towners. Yes, the food is far from authentic, but that isn't to say that it isn't tasty (hmmm... too many double negatives). What I'm trying to say is that, the food is good (3-4 stars depending on the dish) and it's just a family-fun kind of place... Think Polynesian decor, Filipina piano singer and an old man that lights your dessert on fire table-side.

I decided to go ahead and offer Pacific a 5 star rating because I've been to the Sunday Buffet and it pretty much rocks. I love buffets. Although the food isn't necessarily to die for... it's great for a buffet. All you can eat crab legs.... Unlimited pecking duck style "tacos"... that's my kind of breakfast!!!!

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Elite '08

85

272

Veronica G.

San Francisco, CA

In the land of chain restaurants this place is a gem!

After living in Sterling,VA for almost a month I whole heartedly believe that this area is the capital of the world of chain restaurants. My coworker (who is a chain devotee) was in heaven. I of course, after one too many trips to TGI Friday's, Applebees, Red Robin, Friendly's (the list goes on and on...and on) finally clawed my way out of the rental car and BEGGED her to stop here. I just had a good feeling that this place wouldn't have a 10 minute lunch special.

The interior is reminiscant of that of any good tiki bar with it's waterfall, the smooth jazz piano Hawaiian style, low lighting, flowers and stuff everywhere. The food on the menu is an eclectic mix of Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Hawaiian, Malayasian, Filipino and Japanese dishes. I had the lettuce cups, Siam salmon and I believe sweet and sour pork. My coworker ordered garlic and macadamia nut chicken and all the dishes were delicious. Our server was attentive without being overbaring and he laughed at me bouncing in my seat (I was happy to be away from burgers even for just one meal). Plus you get a lot of food per dish so it's allright for sharing. This place has been ranked one of the top 50 restaurants in No. VA a couple of times. The experience I had and the lack of variety out here totally makes me see why this ranking is WELL deserved.

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Elite '08

42

100

Rowena E.

McLean, VA

Good food and good atmosphere. Decor and ambiance are nice too with a fairly large dining room and separate bar. Think Hawaiian tiki lounge without Don Ho, but they do have a nice piano singer who plays some smooth tunes while you dine on weekends. Serving asian and pacific rim cuisine, I usually stick with the seafood, but standard dishes (i.e. sesame chicken) are actually pretty tasty too. Yummy dessert options like the coconut cake (not too sweet but just right) and the bananas or cherries foster (prepared at your table) always end the meal right. Heard that they have a buffet here too, but haven't tried it yet. Service and staff are really friendly and helpful.

FYI: Pacific is also great at accomodating large parties. I've been to last minute gatherings (i.e. 10-20+ people) with only a few hours call ahead, and they were really awesome at accomodating us. They even have a side banquet room if you want more privacy.

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18

103

Lucy L.

Stephens City, VA

Sorry, not very impressed.

The service was wonderful and the atmosphere pleasant.  But, the food is what ultimately counts the most and it was generic.  I hate it when restaurants try to be Thai, Hawaiian, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese all at the same time because they end up being true to nothing.  I ordered the Thai Basil and Chili Shrimp and it resembled typical Chinese buffet fare. Thai food should be fresh and spicy but this was way oversauced.

Won't be back anytime soon, I would rather drive in a little further for the real deal.

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Elite '08

73

327

Lynn S.

Reston, VA

What a delightful interior, you forget you are in the suburbs of Northern Virginia and drift to Hawaii. The service was pleasant, with tablecloths and every platter decorated with a baby orchid! I can recommend the honey walnuts and large shrimp served on a bed of green broccoli florets. Even dining alone, I felt perfectly welcome. It's close to the new Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Northern VA Community College, and adjacent to a small mall.

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9

46

Steve C.

Abilene, TX

a unique family-owned restaurant with great eclectic menu.  one of our very favorite places to eat out.

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