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| - I really like the concept of Mashiso.
When you walk in and see the boards above the counter with the menu options the very first thing that comes to mind is Chipolte, but as the items suggest it's with Asian food instead of Mexican. And, for what you're getting it's not too bad, but there's definitely room for improvement.
Your fist decision in on the vessel your food will be served in: A bowl, a wrap, a bun (hoagie bun-ish), or a salad. From there you choose from sticky rice, fried rice, brown rice, or a lo mein type noodle. Meat options include beef, pork, chicken, and there's also a vegetarian option. You can then finish off your order with grilled bok choy, kimchi, or an Asian slaw. Sauces available are a pepper sauce, a Hunan sauce, and a few different types of mayo.
I had ordered the mushi pork and attempted to create a quasi-banh mi sandwich (sans the pate). The fixings for the sandwich were all really tasty, but the bun ended up getting soggy and fell apart on me. Completely my fault for making the request, and I realize that. Soggy bun aside, I really did like their kimchi, and the pork was very flavorful.
My friend had ordered a bowl with the mushi chicken, and she also liked the flavoring of her meal. She got half noodle, and half fried rice. She said that the next order she would just get the fried rice as the noodles didn't really add anything special to her meal.
The owner had also brought out some of their Yakis - which are a fried wontons filled with chicken, spinach, carrot, and noodles. They fried to a nice crunch, but the filling had little to no taste. I thought it was remarkably bland when compared to the rest of their food.
Thankfully, Mashimo has bottles of Sriracha (Red Rooster Sauce) out on their counters like Chipolte has bottles of Tobasco, and what doesn't taste better with sriracha sauce on it?
While the concept and formula is, by my account, a retread of the Chipolte model I do appreciate the idea of having a different option available.
For a fast, cheap, and convenient Asian inspired menu that is offered by Mashiso it's good to see that they are making things fresh, and not just deep frying prepared/frozen food like most every suburban Chinese food joints people run to for an Asian fix.
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