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| - A warm greeting means alot, but if that's the best part of one's take out experience, the establishment probably doesnt warrant four or five stars. Portions are solid and prices fair, but there are a number of things Karey's could improve on.
First, the signature dishes we tried didnt have much wow factor at all. The cute little lumpia are like Sharon Stone in 'Basic Instinct'. Blonde and delicious on the outside, dark and horrible within. The pork paste, or whatever it is, might as well be dog food. Sorry, but that's my honest opinion. The authentic, custardy cassava cake was different (yay!) and cheap(yay!), but quite mild for a dessert, at least to my undiscerning, sugar-addled taste.
Our chicken sample was dry, the pork adobo and beef offered were better - the texture of the slow cooked beef reminded me of my mother's Yankee pot roast - only this had less flavor and seasoning. My unadventerous teen said his beef burrito was one of the worst meals he's had in a while...not much juicy meat taste and a ridiculous amount of cheese which overpowered everything.
Second, the free samples are fun and appreciated but the context in which they're provided is a little awkward. When we walked in, all the steamtrays were covered and there were no pictures of the food - at least not that I remember. Maybe there's a culinary reason for the covers, but you cant SEE or really SMELL any food! So you're kind of at Karen's "mercy" to provide you with these toothpick samples. She cheerfully offered three mainstays (chicken, beef, pork)...and then there was this sort of lull, where I guess we were supposed to "decide", despite a blackboard off to the side, listing four or five addtl specialties.
It's partly my fault. I asked about pancit and dropped a hint or two that I wanted to try a variety, but couldve been more forceful probing options. By this time, however, we had already eaten six skewers and I felt a little piggish asking for more. And Karen didnt offer more. Were we hard sold something we didnt want? No. But I felt gently steered toward a few standard selections and away from other (more exotic?) options, especially considering there was nobody behind us in line. If the covers were off, or there were pictures, I'd have been more likely to say, "That looks interesting" or "that smells good, what's that?". In lieu of a detailed, descriptive menu (there is none, although Karen was verbally descriptive and very helpful) I just think a customer benefits most from a visual display (think Miracle Mile Deli, Panda Express, etc) of ready to eat fare.
We stopped by around 5:30pm on a Thursday, and were at Karey's around fifteen minutes. There were no other customers. Zero. Tons of traffic driving home from work. And nobody. At this point, I think Karey's is a more sincere than genuinely savvy operation, but that could change by smoothing a few rough edges, showcasing all their recipes and maybe a spicier sauce or two.
Two minor glitches. We werent given a receipt copy for our take out order. Also, one of our plastic clamshells leaked on the way home. The sauce was filled near the brim, but it was messy and annoying. Good intentions...not so good execution.
There's definitely potential here and they're not too far from making this a terrific place with broad appeal. Who wouldnt root for a relatively unfamiliar cuisine served up by such friendly folks? But I think (for well intentioned Yelpers) to pretend they've already nailed it, largely on the strength of warm greetings and surprisingly mild fare with exotic names, may be setting Karey's up for a wave of unmet expectations. I know that's how we felt.
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