| rev:text
| - Rereading my post, I'm aware that my review may sound to be a negative one, but I want to make it clear that I did enjoy the flavors of the dishes I tried. It was the less-than warm reception to the questions I had asked- a perception I haven't had in a VERY long time (all the venues I've been to for many months, a few years, even, have been quite accomodating), and the long wait times I encountered affected the tone of this review.
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I've had this "Taste of Phoenix" giftcard (purchased through Costco) good at restaurants such as Tapino, Picazzo Gourmet Pizza, Medizona, and Little Rangoon since pre-Christmas, so I decided to go for my first LRvisit last Friday. Alfred, who I later found out is one of the venue's two owners (found a business card w/ his name on it), showed me to one of the corner tables (there were two occupied tables indoors and a full table outdoors).
After food allergy issues were covered, I ordered the two items I spotted on the online menu beforehand- Chicken satay app and Dhal curry. I was starving and was thankful for the complimentary fried wontons and questionary dipping sauce. It looked somewhat akin to Chinese duck sauce and was sure to contain allergenic ingredients (Alfred didn't check on the info). Though I was almost starving, I had to ask Alfred to take the plate away, even though 2/3 of the wonton chips remained. Thankfully, the two menu items I ordered almost arrived simultaneously, albeit after what I thought was a long wait for an app dish and soup (15 minutes for homemade soup I can understand, but 15 minutes for an appetizer of four 4"x1" skewers of grilled chicken skewers?). Though it wasn't as dark in the restaurant as my photos would lead you to believe, the somewhat fatty satay skewers didn't have that gorgeous caramelization I'm used to seeing in other venues and as such did not strike me as "grilled to perfection" as stated on the menu. The serving temperature of the skewers also seemed closer to room temperature than straight from the grill, but at least I was able to eat these right away since the Dhal curry was so hot, I had to let it cool for at least ten minutes. The paratha that accompanied the curry was nicely plump and flaky when it first arrived, and, fortunate for me, I tore a piece and tried it with the too-hot curry then and so was able to enjoy its flakiness. After devouring the slightly luke-warm satay skewers, which were very good when paired with the DELICIOUS peanut sauce (although I found it visually off-putting), I turned my attention to the curry soup, which was still very hot, but was so tasty that I decided to plow ahead (an almost visual truth since I was hungry!). The split pea and lentil soup was a satisfying meal, yet I was expecting a more viscous consistency, closer to hummus, although I cannot fathom why, since dhal/daal curries of Indian cuisine are also on the watery side (at least Pasand's and Udupi Cafe's were, as I recall). The cooled paratha was disappointing at this point since the flakiness was almost nonexistent, and the bread's texture was now almost pasty. Should I order the dhal curry dish again, I'll have to ask that the paratha be brought out after the soup's cooled for a few minutes.
I hope to visit soon for lunch where I hope I'll be able to give a higher rating. In the meantime, please enjoy the pics I've included! :) Be warned- it took at least fifteen minutes for my check to arrive, despite the fact there were only three or four tables occupied at any given time (around ten people or under that). Thought I'd also mention that while the take-out menu only indicated two dessert items (Sanwin Makin and Mango-coconut pudding), the server did show me a menu with many intriguing gelato desserts ranging from $3 scoops to $5-$8 sundaes and other creations! Since I had the impression that Alfred didn't appreciate the food allergy questions I posed to him earlier, I wasn't in the mood to go into more detail with the gelatos' ingredients. 'Twas a shame, since my sweet tooth was raging after having consumed the spicy curry soup.
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