Richard "B.D." S.'s Profile

The downstairs is noisy. On our visit last night it was also very crowded - a good sign. I much preferred the upstairs. It was more quiet and less busy. I felt like my party was getting better attention.

Drinks downstairs were very good. Upstairs, the drinks were not as good. The bartender also wasn't very good at interpreting drink requests (one of the signatures of the bar is that you can ask for a drink in vague terms and they'll find something for you) and he was slow. My guess is that he isn't as well trained as the person downstairs which is a shame because that is part of the attraction. Also, we were busy upstairs, but not so busy that the drinks would arrive so late.

Food: Very small portions. We share a number of dishes. All were good, but were appetizer portions and as far as that goes, small appetizer portions. It was nice that they came with side dishes, but there wasn't anything here to blow us away. All were priced at the same levels as main entrees at many restaurants. I don't mind paying more for a small dish, but I would expect it to be a little larger tastier. We had the butterfish, the fois gras, duck breast, pork belly, salad, and fried risotto balls.

Service: In addition to the bartender being slow, the waitress missed one entree. Considering that it is one of those places where the wait staff doesn't carry a pad, I'm not surprised by this. Also, the lack of tables upstairs for enjoying the dishes had to be overcome by moving items around.

Overall: I like the concept and not completely turned off. I'd go again for a drink and an appetizer, but enjoy a full entree elsewhere.

My friend and I ate here last Thursday after reading about it on Yelp. Being tucked away in the back corner of a strip mall in the Factoria area, they are a little difficult to find. The decor of the restaurant is nothing to write home about. However, the food is.

I began with the Manchuran veggies appetizers. What reached my table were some veggies rolled in a flour and topped with a sort of Indian barbecue sauce. It also had onions and green peppers in this sauce. Pretty darn yummy.

My dining partner had a chicken dish and an eggplant dish, both from their specialty menu. I had some spinach naan and a fish item from the specialty menu (normally, I'd order channa masala as my standard, first time dish). All of the main dishes were ordered a la carte and as such, each came with a plate of Basmati rice. The main course dishes were excellent. The spices were well mixed and these folks do not skimp on the heat. Even with the heat, I could discern the different spices in the dishes. The spinach naan was OK...not enough spinach for my preferences.

To drink, I had their salt lassi. A very tasty yogurt concoction with spices added to it. Both of mine were tasty, yet each had a different emphasis on the spices in it. So, consistency on these drinks was not there.

Service was very good. Our water glasses didn't empty, our orders were prompt, our plates were cleared properly, and we didn't wait long for the bill. It was a slow night, but people weren't slacking.

I'd recommend that people go here. It's very good on my first visit. I'll definitely be returning.

I ate here again recently and still love the food, but better yet - they now have a dinner buffet. My friend and I ate a ton of food, drank water, and left for under $20. No need to complain about the service when you do the dinner buffet.

I finally made the pilgrimage to Poppy. Having eaten at the Herbfarm restaurant in Fall City and again (twice) in Woodinville, I was excited to see what Jerry Traunfeld had up his sleeve this time. I was not disappointed.

Eating at Poppy was a lot like eating small portions of Herbfarm dishes mixed with some exciting new combinations. I knew what the Thali concept was like going into the place, so I wasn't disappointed about the prospect.

We began with Eggplant fries and were fans. Carrot coriander soup was reminiscent of the Herbfarm and had a nice fall feel to it. Persimmon, fresh huckleberry, and shaved fennel salad was fantastic. The beet-yogurt salad made me shrug my shoulders - good, but I make it at home. Chanterelle and beans gratins was quite tasty with fresh seasoned bread crumbs. The squash puree with rosemary, ginger, and (surprisingly spicy) roasted coconut flakes was fantastic and showed off Traunfeld's mastery of cooking with herbs. The cauliflower chutney with apples was very good. The fennel, lemon and black mustard seed sweet chutney was delish. The naan was good, but not outstanding as was the rice. The scallop served with celery root puree, cider sauce, and fried shallot was excellent. My partner had duck with her dinner, spice rubbed and served with cabbage and berries - she loved it.

We went with mixed drinks before dinner - a bourbon sour for her and The Elite (a concoction with Finlandia, St. Germain, Clear Creek Framboise, and lemon). Both were excellent. For dinner, we had the thali flight of wines and found them to be very good selections for what was on our plates (we split the flight).

For dessert, we were already quite full on the thalis, I ordered the dark chocolate terrine with creme anglais, sliced candied ginger, roasted pistachios, and toasted sesames. It sounds huge, but it was a modest portion that was perfect as a split dessert. We enjoyed a 10 year old tawny port with the dessert that was a great match.

I happen to like the atmosphere in the place. The clean look worked for me and I appreciate the subdued lighting. The music was an interesting and eclectic mix (much to my appreciation) that was kept at an appropriate level. The staff did a fine job of taking care of us. We found it attentive, useful, and friendly.

Went here for the first time. Service was excellent. My Tamarind Margarita and my partner's Mango margarita were very good. We split a spinach pear salad which was very good and a tad spicy. After the salad I was expecting my red chile enchilada to be a little spicy (even if the menu read that it was mild) and was disappointed. Live and learn.

I've enjoyed the hand shaved noodles with chow mein here several times. Friends have never been disappointed.

My partner and I ate here last night. It was a bit difficult to find. We were both tired and hungry and began getting a little short with each other. What we found inside after we entered was the perfect way to soothe our nerves.

We went here based on Yelp recommendations and were not disappointed. We shared a mackerel roll which featured some avocado as well. The fish was perfect. Then we had the "Special Roll" which featured a variety of seafood including salmon, tuna, and crab with avocado, cucumber, a spicy mayo, and tempura crunchies for the topping. Absolutely amazingly yummy! We also enjoyed a bowl (each) of miso soup and the miso used here had a less salty and more savory flavor than many of the yellow misos that I've tried. Finally, even though we were stuffed, we had to try the unagi. Best unagi ever! Tender, larger pieces than I normally see with a slightly sweet BBQ sauce on it. Fantastic.

Add the house recommended small chilled sake (perfect pairing, by the way and reasonably priced...and do much better than warmed sake) and we were out of there for under $40 plus tip. Stuffed, satiated.

I've stopped at this cafe several times on the way to Leavenworth. The service is consistently good. Coffee and tea are always served quickly and they keep the cup full. The omelets are well done. There's nothing surprising or fancy about the menu, but they do a good job at it.

As another reviewer noted, the bread is fantastic. Last time I was there they also had homemade freezer jam that was REALLY good.

Nice little family run business. The food was good. Nothing fancy here. Just well made breakfast fare American style. I had the vegetarian omelet, coffee, potatoes and walked away happy. One nice thing was that while the meal was large enough to fill me up, it wasn't the overly huge portions some restaurants dole out.

My one caveat concerned the speed. It seemed to take quite a while for the food to arrive at the table. Luckily, the waitresses were on top of things and made certain we had tea and coffee filled all of the time. The service was pleasant and the owner/chef greeted us and made certain to say goodbye as well. Nice folks.

I went here based on the reviews on Yelp. It's a good option for breakfast. Fast service, coffee never empties, good quality food. I won't rave about the food. It's standard American breakfast fare - with a lot of menu options - that's delicious, but not over and above any decent spot. Still, we were happy with the spot and would definitely go there again.