Jane "oasiszealot" a.'s Profile

I've been waiting to try Annisa for about 5 years now - and it was fantastic!  Splurged on the 7-course tasting and with the complimentary amuse bouche and post-dessert sampler, you get 9 plates in all.
To die for:  Foie Gras dumpling topped with seared foie gras.  The recommendation was to eat in one bite so as not to lose any of the broth inside - sage advice because losing one drop would've been a travesty.
Runner up:  Razor clam ceviche with hearts of palm and lime vinaigrette.
Special mention: the tiny fried frog leg - would've eaten the whole frog! - with the perfectly butter-poached lobster, grits, seared okra
I loved that a cheese plate is part of the 7-course tasting menu.

It was a packed house, but ate at the bar and the service was swift and great and the servers clearly enjoy their jobs.  This is now added to the list of "can't miss while in NYC" along with Jean Georges/Nougatine and Lupa and Les Halles Park Ave.

It's more 4.5 stars than 4, and not a 5 only because the service wasn't spot-on, but it was all still top-notch!  However, the super outstanding part was the breakfast!

1.  Great cup of coffee - dark, rich, slightly sour, but smooth and not bitter.  I asked for cream and got it (not milk)

2.  Lemon Ricotta pancakes!  Holy cow they were excellent!  I'm a huge pancake snob, but these were about as good as it gets!  They were thick and fluffy, golden brown on both sides, and had just the right amount of lemony tang.

3.  Pork sausage on the side.  Great way to balance the sweet with this savory.

Overall, a fantastic meal on my last day in NYC which I had just by walking in and sitting at the bar.  The lack of the .5 star was small small things like needing to ask for utensils or flagging down a few times for refills, etc.  But beyond that, service was friendly and great.  Cheers.

I said I'd follow Kru Victor anywhere, and I've done just that to land at his new Thai Boxing Institute.  It's rare to find an instructor who is not only a great fighter, but a great teacher as well.  He has an innate sense of how to correct your form yet motivate you to improve without ever making you feel you're not accomplishing the art.  

When I first took up Muay Thai, there were days I felt discouraged, but learning from Kru Victor changed that and has only inspired me to work harder.  He'll take into consideration your overall fitness level and ailments and help you get the most out of the workout to match your abilities.  He's able to keep classes intense and yet light-hearted and a fun learning experience.

The new location is not only a great space but the smaller classes make you feel like you're getting solid one-on-one attention and not feeling lost in the crowd.

If you've ever had an inkling about trying Muay Thai, or any martial art at all, but was feeling intimidated, give Kru Victor a chance.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at not only how good an instructor he is, but how much it'll change what you think of yourself and your abilities; I know it did for me.

Would rather give them 3.5 stars for not taking reservations but it's a solid 4 for the food and overall service.

The good:  Food was pretty good for the price including portions. Our server was really nice and spot-on.

The bad:  Having to wait for a table.

Overall:  We'll go back when we have enough time to kill before a movie.

Two of our crew had eaten here before and said that the food was pretty good. I looked online at the menu prior to coming so I was pleased by the offerings in that it was basic fare but it sounded like they'd put on the gourmet without being too complicated. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.

I was looking forward to having a burger or a French dip. I went for the lamb French dip, which I was a bit hesitant about since lamb can tend to be overly gamy, but the Tavern did a nice job. The lamb was moist and the caramelized onions paired well with the meat; the bread roll was fluffy and soft; biggest complaint is there wasn't enough horseradish and the amount of onions made the sandwich a bit too sweet but this is fairly minor problems. The side of fries were great - thin fries well crisped and none too burnt.

One got a rare steak prepared well, and I'll guess he liked it enough since he cleaned his plate. One got the salmon, and as he's practically a salmon connoisseur, I'll take his word for it that it was good. My aa got the braised short rib, and while I can say the presentation was a bit ludicrous and unnecessary, the food itself looked good - meat falling off the bone and topped over some mashy goodness.

In short, we enjoyed the Westside Tavern for its fare and for its convenience in location, minus the no reservations policy. It's worth trying if you've got the time to spare before a flick. Or, I guess if you just want to try the food, go by during an off-peak eating hour. It's worth a visit.

I bought a shaved ice about a week ago, and I was sad to discovered that they have finally watered down the delicious syrup that made this the only place to get an awesome Hawaiian shaved ice.

On top of that, the prices have been raised and separated into some serious retardedness - $2.20 for ice only!  Before you could get a whole shaved ice with flavors for $2.00.  Now, every flavor you want is an additional 65 cents or so.  

In short, never again... may Teri Hawaii RIP in my childhood memories.

More a 4.5 than 5 but...

The good:  The spicy crab soup was really tasty!  And all the sides are tasty; the simple noodle was tasty and the kim chee poh-kum-pahp was good too; among the pahn-chan was the raw marinated crab (geh-jang) which I LOVE; the shik-keh was excellent.

The bad:  While spicy enough, stuff with the spicy red bean paste tended to be a bit too sweet.  The area is a bit sketchy.

In short:  The portions are large, and our group of 5 couldn't finish the suggested X-Large order, so we'll get the Large next time.  I asked for Really Spicy and it was good - spicy but the kind that enhances the flavor (unlike Orochan which just tries to kill you with spice).  They don't skimp on the crab!  And we will definitely good back.  

I ate so much and I was so happy!

4 stars for the meat, apps, bread and sides.
3 stars for everything else.  So I'd give it 3.5 if I could.  Why?

The good:  Meat was tasty and cooked to order.  Totally fine Caesar salad and all the sides were good (loved my fried sweet potatoes but they shouldn't call them "fries" 'cause they ain't - more like sweet potato tempura, you know?) and their bread basket is tasty, esp. the pretzel bread.  
The bad:  Desserts were lame (cheesecake and pie were too sugary and the choco cake was dry) and they tried to cram 5 of us at a table for 4 and put us near the area where the food all came out.

In short:  We'd go again for the food, but definitely can skip the desserts.

Dinner for a friend's birthday on Sat. 5/9/09

The good:  
A handshake from Wolfgang himself; a sommelier who showed up without being asked.

The bad:  
Steaks not prepared as requested and, hmm... one too many visits to the bathroom after I got home that night?

Overall:
Service was courteous and friendly, but I was a bit surprised that our server didn't automatically recommend the Kobe and True Japanese Wagyu steaks be ordered to cook to Medium since the marbling of fat is best at Medium to melt.  One doesn't have to be a d*ck about it, but I've had servers "suggest" Medium with such explanations and I find that helpful.  To be asked how I wanted my Wagyu prepared made me raise my eyebrows.  Regardless, even when ordering Medium, I got it back Medium Rare.  The steak was good, but having it a tad undercooked meant the fat was just fatty versus being deliciously buttery.  

The sides were good but not fantastic:  I liked the peas, the mashed potatoes were ok, the mushrooms had too much soy sauce, and the fingerling potatoes were good.  

The desserts were alright - not great.  And the after dinner petit fours were refrigerated and not thawed to room temp which made for inedible pieces of caramel, while the yuzu and chocolate ginger ones were fine.

And I have no idea why, since we all shared our foods, more or less, but I spent a few too many hours in the bathroom that night.  While I thought it a fluke, a friend of mine just told me tonight that on her visit to CUT two weeks ago, she too had bathroom issues and a friend in her group threw up.  We can't explain it.

In short:
It's nice and good but the experience at CUT Las Vegas was much better - from the food preparation to the service.
I'll save my splurging occasion for the Vegas location in the future.

The good:  The results vary and take time, but it worked!

The bad:  Pricey, your lashes can grow at different times creating weird lash lengths.

Overall:  I was close to giving up since people were saying it takes 6-8 weeks before seeing any results, but I decided to keep applying nightly for another month.  By the third month, I stopped looking for results but kept diligent.  The one morning, it was like WOW.  My lashes had grown and even had a bit of a curl at the ends.  After I had applied my mascara, it was dramatically noticeable.  I FINALLY had long and full lashes.  I now use it for once a week touch-ups.
The lashes fall out and the uneven growth lengths are weird but the overall results are worth it.  There is a weird burning when you first start but it's very minimal and you do get used to it after the first week.

In short:  I will keep using this.

To be fair, I've eaten Pizzicato at multiple locations, but this is the location I have eaten from the most so this is the one I have chosen to write up my review.

The good:  The Puttanesca pizza is the BEST of the "gourmet" style pizzas I have ever gotten - so good, I have yet to really try their other ones.

The bad:  Pizzicato doesn't exist in Los Angeles.

Overall:  If you want a good slice of pie with a lot of cheese and pepperoni, go somewhere else.  If you want something different that is tasty with a thin crispy crust topped with good ingredients like artichoke hearts, olives, goat cheese, etc., this is the one for you.
My friend introduced me to Pizzicato upon my first visit to Portland, OR and I have yet to miss getting a slice on every subsequent visit.
The Puttanesca is a fantastic balance of sour (artichokes), salty (olives), mild (goat cheese) on a crispy thin crust.  I would be in trouble if Pizzicato existed in L.A.

In short:  I will never miss an opportunity to get their Puttanesca whenever I am in the city of Beaverton or Portland.  Never.