After eating here tonight, I'm convinced this has to be one of the best values in town! Seating was a little hectic and I ended up being asked if I mind sitting with a table of ladies who had an open seat at their table for six. All of the waitstaff here are super friendly, if not the most efficient, but cut them some slack, they're culinary students who may never have waited a table before in their lives.
Just so you know in advance: Don't come hungry; the wait between courses can be quite lengthy as the restaurant usually fills up. Also, don't come when you're pressed on time. I'd say the dining experience here can take around two hours.. so take someone you enjoy being with! An awkward dinner could seem like forever here..
All meals are a three course affair from a prix fixe menu for $7.95 p/p and all tips (cash only for tips) go towards a scholarship fund.
I went for the dinner that is available on Thursday nights featuring their aromatic menu. I believe the menus change according to semesters.
For my appetizer tonight I had the crabmeat soup with soy bean curd. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting as it came with a clear broth that seemed to be flavored with doenjang, a Korean fermented bean paste. While the crab was fresh, the broth itself was much too salty. I love salty.. but this was an overload! Especially since my water didn't get a refill throughout dinner since our waitress was so busy. Most of the other diners at the table opted for the cream of mushroom soup which they said was delicious, and the salads that I did see looked crisp with some endive leaves thrown into the mix.
For the main course I opted for the grilled beef tenderloin with potatoes au gratin and zucchini. The various steaks that were deposited around the table were very inconsistent as far as how they were done, but somehow it ended up that everybody got their preference. I myself prefer a rare steak, and my piece was a medium, but it was still the rarest on the table. The beef itself was flavorful and so so tender! The potatoes could have gotten a lot of help from some salt, and the zucchini was julienned beautifully. Other options were a scallop and shrimp scampi (jumbo scallops.. I had some regret over my steak when I saw these) with an asiago polenta cake and asparagus spears, and baked herbed chicken with pan gravy and morels.
For dessert there were three options as well: a chocolate mousse dome, lemongrass spongecake and a pear tart with vanilla ice cream. I went for the lemongrass spongecake as that sounded a little different from the norm and I'm so glad I did! I didn't get much lemongrass coming through, so it was very subtle, but the cake itself was moist and delicious! And this coming from someone who doesn't care for dessert! All options were ordered, and all around the table were oohs and aahs.
Three courses, great quality, $8. They take credit cards too!