Fearless Kitchen

Restaurant Review: Minsok, Brookline MA

Overall            Our experience at this restaurant as a whole	I first tried Minsok near the end of my previous incarnation.  It was pretty much right across the street from my office.  Many years before I had lived in the area.  At that time, the site was a kosher Chinese restaurant that I never, ever even thought of trying on the advice of numerous neighbors.  Ten years later, upon finding myself in the neighborhood and without a bag lunch for the day, I decided to give it a shot.  I was hooked!  I soon began turning to Minsok for frequent lunches.  The staff was kindly and friendly, and the food comforted me for the difficulties of my job.  It seems a little silly writing a review, since there's no way I could possibly be objective, but I guess this isn't a journalism site so I don't have to be objective.  So there.  Tthhpptt!  Anyway, one of the things that I miss about that previous incarnation was Minsok.  The other is the many friends I left at that job.  I had the opportunity to mix them both for a recent lunch, and it is this experience that I will review here.
Food             The food we ordered while eating at the restaurant.  Pork Bento Special Closeup - Pork Bento Special Bibimbap	I haven't tried anything at Minsok that I haven't been happy with, but I'll cheerfully admit that I fell into the habit of getting one of two dishes from the lunch menu.  One was a spicy beef soup.  The other is the Pork Bento.  The Pork Bento is what I ordered for my most recent visit.  The pork is cooked in a delicious, slightly spicy sauce and served with an ever-changing variety of sides.  The only constant with the sides is the miso soup, which I love.  Other patrons ordered other dishes.  One friend got the chicken bento, which she let me try.  It was delicious - not as spicy as my pork dish, but very flavorful.  The chicken was not at all dry.  Another of my friends ordered the japchae, which I did not try but smelled delightful.  The remaining two companions both ordered the bibimbap, a delicious rice-based dish that both thoroughly enjoyed.
Bar   n/a     The variety and quality of beer, wine, and/or liquor available at the restaurant	Sad to say, I've never taken much note of the bar.  I've always gone here for lunch, either while I was on the clock or with people who were.  I can tell you that they do at least have a beer and wine license and offer sake.
Menu             The variety and originality of items on the menu	Minsok specializes in Japanese and Korean cuisine.  They offer a lot of sushi items, and I've been pretty happy with the sushi when I've ordered it.  There is a good variety of dishes on the menu from both cultures, and you should be able to bring your vegetarian friends here without a problem.  The lunch menu is what I'm most familiar with, but it does offer many options.  I've heard a few complaints that the menu isn't "authentic" Korean food, but I'm not in a position to pass judgement on that.  It tastes good.
Service               The service received while dining at the restaurant	I've generally been pretty happy with the service at Minsok.  I think that they might have been late with a take-out order once, but honestly I got take-out from them so often that I think they're batting something like .998.
Atmosphere             The experience of eating at the restaurant, including decor, comfort, and dress code	The atmosphere is generally pretty good and mellow.  As I mentioned, I've only ever gone here for lunch, so the crowd is probably a little different.  I was particularly pleased to note, when I arrived early the last time, that the big-screen tv in my dining area was showing ESPN.
Ease of Access           How easy it was to get to and get into the restaurant, including parking and wait duration	I'm basing this entirely on location - I've never had a problem getting in.  Minsok is located on Harvard Ave in Brookline, between the Brookline Village (D line) and Coolidge Corner (C line) T stops.  Parking is on the street and I can assure you from personal experience that the Brookline traffic and parking department is zealous.  The 66 bus does stop right in front.
Value for Money              Our assessment of whether the dining experience at this restaurant was worth the price of the meal.	Again, I'm basing this entirely on my lunchtime experiences.  The dishes on the regular menu seem a little steep, but I don't know what comes with them.  The lunch specials are probably one of the best values for money in the area.  Most of the lunch specials are under $11 and come with a wide variety of sides.  You will not leave hungry.  Even the lunch soups come with sides.  Furthermore, the side dishes change every time you go, which gives you the opportunity to try several new treats.
Location and contact information	92 Harvard St Brookline, MA 617-783-8702
Menu available?	No
Reservations	Various dining sites suggest reservations are accepted.  I've never tried or needed them.
Hours	Monday - Saturday 11:30 AM - 12:00 AM Sunday 11:30 AM - 11:00 PM

Restaurant Review: Great Bay, Boston MA

Overall        Our experience at this restaurant as a whole	My husband recently obtained tickets to watch our beloved Yankees play at Fenway Park.  I'd heard good things about this place, and it was located close to the ballpark, so we decided to give it a try.  While they were not offering the happy hour prices we were expecting, we left with a very favorable impression of the restaurant.
Food         The food we ordered while eating at the restaurant.	As the name suggests, Great Bay specializes in seafood, although they do appear to offer  things that inhabit dry land as well.  We didn't try them.  We decided to get a couple of appetizers and share them.  We ordered the Shrimp and Lobster Dumplings and the special octopus ceviche.  The dumplings were spectacular.  I loved the dipping sauce, and the flavors inside the dumplings were memorable.  The ceviche, pictured left, was not at all what we've come to expect from ceviche, having no noticeable citrus flavor at all.  That said, it was amazingly good.  Those little dots on the side are a tamarind sauce that was just out of this world.
Bar         The variety and quality of beer, wine, and/or liquor available at the restaurant	The bar was well-stocked, the wine list was respectable and their list of "signature" cocktails was extensive and creative.  Unfortunately, the prices for everything else were so exorbitant that I didn't feel comfortable spending the extra $3 for a cocktail and had a beer instead.  Their beer list was not particularly memorable.  While they had some decent beers available, they were in bottles.  I can drink bottled beer at home, for a lot less money, and there wasn't anything on the beer list that I could buy for home consumption.
Menu         The variety and originality of items on the menu	The menu was creative and was strongly influenced by Asian flavors.  I wouldn't say that there was a lot available to non-fish eaters, although they weren't hung completely out to dry.
Service          The service received while dining at the restaurant	The service was impeccable.  The host staff and the wait staff were all top-notch.  There was no reasonable expectation of service that they did not match.
Atmosphere         The experience of eating at the restaurant, including decor, comfort, and dress code	The decor was great.  It had a very distinctly "fishy" theme.  Even the overhead lighting resembled fish bones, and some shimmering lights had been projected onto the wall in such a way that it resembled fish scales.  The seating was comfortable.  Unlike many restaurants, they haven't crammed tables into every available space.  This makes the restaurant feel less crowded and cuts down on some of the noise.  I could live without the background music that they had on; I'm biased against music that's designed to fade into the background and not be noticed.  It's hard to rate the clientele or dress code, because many of our fellow patrons (like us) were there before the game.  I will say that since the restaurant was in a hotel, there were more of my fellow Yankee fans in there than I would have expected, which was very refreshing.
Ease of Access       How easy it was to get to and get into the restaurant, including parking and wait duration	Since Great Bay is part of the Hotel Commonwealth, parking is available although you will have to pay for it.  It will be less expensive than parking for a Red Sox game at one of the other area lots.  Hotel Commonwealth is right in the middle of Kenmore Square, right on top of the Kenmore T station and bus nexus.  We did not have to wait for a table, despite it being game day.
Value for Money         Our assessment of whether the dining experience at this restaurant was worth the price of the meal.	I kind of feel bad giving such a low rating for Value for Money.  We went in there expecting their happy hour prices and found out that they were not offering those prices on game night, so our perceptions were clouded.  Not only were we paying a lot for our food, we were expecting to get a good deal.  That said, the portions were very small for the price we paid, and while the quality was very high it wasn't high enough to justify, in our minds, the miniscule quantities.  Yes, we ordered appetizers.  At most establishments, two appetizers would be enough to at least sate us for the game, but we were still hungry when we left Great Bay.  The cocktails weren't that overpriced, but the beers were.
Location and contact information	500 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA 02215 617 532-5300 www.gbayrestaurant.com
Menu available?	On website above
Reservations	Call phone number or reserve through Open Table
Hours	Bar: Monday - Wednesday: 5pm - 11pm Thursday - Saturday: 5pm - Midnight Dining Room: Monday - Wednesday: 5pm - 10pm Thursday - Saturday: 5pm - 11pm

Technorati Tags: Restaurant reviews,Great Bay,Kenmore Square restaurants,seafood restaurants

Restaurant Review: Avenue One, Boston, MA

Overall   Our experience at this restaurant as a whole	I went to Avenue One on a whim.  I knew I wanted to do a Restaurant Week lunch that day, this place accepted online reservations through OpenTable and the other places I'd tried were either booked or I couldn't get through.  I should really send both of the other restaurants I tried to book thank you cards, because I would probably never have tried Avenue One otherwise!  I don't know if I enjoyed myself so much because I had no real expectations, but I had a wonderful experience here.
Food   The food we ordered while eating at the restaurant.	Since this was part of Restaurant Week, I ordered from the special Restaurant Week Lunch Menu.  For my first course, I had New England Clam Chowder and the proscuitto-wrapped arugula and asparagus salad.  The chowder was perfect - everything that I wanted chowder to be on a damp, chilly afternoon in Boston.  The vegetables were a surprise.  While the arugula came off a bit sandy to me, it was full of flavor.  The grilled asparagus was mild, but still exciting, with an almost sultry feel to it.  The whole was tied together very well by the tangelo vinaigrette, which nicely offset the fatty feel of the proscuitto.  For a main dish I ordered the grilled vegetable flatbread, which they did not in any way try to bill as a pizza.  The picture at the left doesn't really do it justice, but it's what I could accomplish with my camera phone.  The flatbread was grilled on its own and topped with the grilled vegetables and cheese.  The veggies were well cooked and flavorful, and the balsamic reduction was not only pretty but tied the whole dish together very well.  It was a little messy to eat, but if I was worried about that I wouldn't have ordered flatbread.  For dessert, I ordered the Deconstructed Strawberry Tiramisu.  I like things that are deconstructed.  It makes me think of my own housekeeping skills.  Seriously, though, I think that "deconstructing" a dish can allow the individual flavors to shine through beautifully, and that's what happened with the strawberry tiramisu.  The amaretti were too dry to eat with a fork, so I had to eat them with my hands.  That's how a cookie should be consumed.  The strawberry filling was phenomenal - delicate, almost feminine, but not too mild for my palate.
Bar   The variety and quality of beer, wine, and/or liquor available at the restaurant	I did not check the bar as part of my Avenue One experience.
Menu    The variety and originality of items on the menu	One of the things that I like best about being an American is the fact that my fellow countrymen have their origins anywhere and everywhere.  Avenue One bills itself as "American cuisine" and I think that their menu fits that description of "American."  Influences from all over the world are pooled in creating the regular menu and even the Restaurant Week menu.  The menu didn't offer so many choices that I would have been overwhelmed  but accommodated a wide range of preferences.
Service    The service received while dining at the restaurant	The only way I could have been happier with the service here would have been if the maitre d' could have gotten me a job with the Yankees as a cook.  Seriously, I could not have asked for better service.  I was in and out well within the one hour allowed for a normal person's workday lunch break, all without ever feeling rushed or hurried.  My food was punctual.  My waiter was personable and friendly.  The host staff was courteous and pleasant.  I honestly felt like my business, even though I was a lone diner on a weekday afternoon, was important to them.
Atmosphere    The experience of eating at the restaurant, including decor, comfort, and dress code	The only thing that I couldn't rave about was the atmosphere.  The decor, particularly the upholstery, reminded me that I was in a hotel, and the music playing in the background was the kind of modern "jazz" that exists only to fade into the background and makes my teeth itch.  On the other hand, the part of the atmosphere that had something to do with people was relaxed but professional.  The dress code is listed as business casual, but I felt perfectly comfortable in a suit.  People seemed relaxed and happy.  The music, while not what I would have chosen, was played at a good volume and didn't drown out conversations.
Ease of Access   How easy it was to get to and get into the restaurant, including parking and wait duration	I love being able to reserve a seat online through OpenTable.  There was no problem reserving a seat for a party of one, and there was no wait for my table when I arrived.  Avenue One is located in the Hyatt Boston, which is in that part of Boston's Financial District that threatens to eat Chinatown.  On-street parking is therefore tight.  However, if you are willing to pay for parking the Hyatt does have a garage.  It is easy to get to the Hyatt from the Downtown Crossing stop on the MBTA Red or Orange line, although you should know that the restaurant is on the third floor and you'll need to take the elevator.
Value for Money   Our assessment of whether the dining experience at this restaurant was worth the price of the meal.	The Restaurant Week menu was a great deal for the money.  The regular prices are a little steep, although not exorbitantly so when considered with the dish you're eating.  A Kobe Beef Burger will always be expensive, and it's difficult to think of a Lobster Grilled Cheese Sandwich as being good value for the money under any circumstances (this was not on the Restaurant Week menu, btw.)  That said, the portions were well proportioned. I could easily have brought home half of my flatbread, but I was afraid of leaving it on the T.  I did catch a look at what other diners had ordered, and it seems that those portions were also decently sized without being absurd.
Location and contact information	One Avenue de Lafayette Boston, MA 02110 617-422-5579 www.avenueoneboston.com
Menu available?	www.avenueoneboston.com/menus
Reservations	Call 617-422-5579 or visit OpenTable.com
Hours	Breakfast: Monday - Saturday: 6:30am - 11:30am, Sunday: 7:00am - 11:30am Lunch: Daily: 11:30am - 3:00pm Dinner: Nightly: 5:00pm - 10:00pm

Technorati Tags: Restaurant reviews,Boston restaurant reviews,Avenue One Boston,Hyatt

Restaurant Review: Lala Rokh on Beacon Hill, Boston MA

Overall Our experience at this restaurant as a whole	Thanks to Restaurant Week, I found myself with an excuse to go back to Lala Rokh on Beacon Hill.  I had been there once before with my younger sister, but that was a couple of years ago.  I was able to convince a friend to head into Boston with me to try the restaurant.  Overall, I would say that we had a good experience.  The restaurant wasn't too crowded but wasn't empty, the place was well kept, and we were well treated.  The food, of course, was excellent.
Food   The food we ordered while eating at the restaurant.	My friend and I ordered from the special Restaurant Week menu, which offered a selection of specialties.  For the appetizer, my friend ordered the Salad-e Makhlute, which was pretty much a garden salad with a vinaigrette dressing.  I ordered the Kashk-e Bademjan, which consisted of roasted eggplant with caramelized onions, goat's milk yogurt and mint oil.  It was phenomenal, and something that I probably wouldn't have thought of making at home.  My friend's entree was the Khoresht-e Ghormeh Sabzi, which was boneless lamb with greens and spices.  She let me try some and I was very impressed.  The lamb was tender without being dry, and the flavorings were delicate but noticeable.  I ordered the Morgh Pollo.  I'll admit that I was suckered in by the promise of rose petals.  They didn't tell me it would have the additional flavor of barberries, a rare treat for me.  I was ecstatic!  It's unusual for me to enjoy a chicken dish, but this was so moist and flavorful that I couldn't help but like it.  Both entrees were served with rice, but the rice was prepared in ways that matched each dish.  This shows a great attention to detail and care for the food that goes beyond what one would expect in many restaurants.  We decided to splurge on dessert.  There were three offerings on the Restaurant Week menu, and since we couldn't make up our minds we decided to try them all.  I definitely liked the chocolate cake best - the whipped cream was amazing and the raspberry sauce far superior to my own efforts.  This should by no means detract from the delightful creme caramel, which had a light and lemony flavor that surprised me, or the baghlava, with its cake-like texture and delicate rosewater syrup.  I would not be surprised to find that they made their own dough.  Some pictures of the desserts are in the left-hand column.  I apologize in advance to people looking for "food porn" - I was so distracted by the tasty treats that I forgot to take pictures of the entrees.
Bar   The variety and quality of beer, wine, and/or liquor available at the restaurant	I didn't even look at the wine list.  My friend had already arrived by the time I made it through the door, so I just ordered what she was having.  I can say that when I was there with my sister, the wine list was decent.  They do have a fully stocked bar; on my last occasion I had a pomegranate martini to die for.  It seemed a little inappropriate for lunch, though, especially since my friend had errands to run afterward.
Menu   The variety and originality of items on the menu	I'm giving Lala Rokh three stars for the variety of their menu, but a lot of that is based on memory from my last visit.  As I mentioned before, the Restaurant Week menu is a limited selection of their usual offerings.  The dishes were all unique, and certainly more than I would have thought of at home.
Service   The service received while dining at the restaurant	Finding a restaurant that takes reservations, at least for parties of less than six, is a rarity in Boston.  At least, it's rare for the type of place I usually patronize!  I have absolutely nothing to complain about with regards to the service.  The maitre d' was friendly and brought me immediately to my table.  Service was unobtrusive.  Our waitress was friendly and helpful.
Atmosphere   The experience of eating at the restaurant, including decor, comfort, and dress code	The atmosphere at Lala Rokh is comfortable.  Dress is business casual.  Lighting is soft but bright, so you can see your food without wanting sunglasses.  The decor is pretty neutral, although a variety of prints representing Iranian history and archaeology are tastefully hung on the walls.  People were cheerful, but not loud - there was no problem conversing with my friend.  The music was tasteful, subtle and very good.
Ease of Access How easy it was to get to and get into the restaurant, including parking and wait duration	The good: they accept reservations (through OpenTable, no less, so you don't have to call!) so there was no wait.  Located on a side street right off Charles Street, they are pretty much at the center of Beacon Hill.  You can get there easily from Boston Common and from the MBTA's Red Line (Charles/MGH Station).  The less-than-stellar: Parking is on-street, although valet parking is available at a cost of $14/vehicle.  Also, Lala Rokh on Beacon Hill is on Beacon Hill, which is... well, it's a hill.  The Mt. Vernon St. hill definitely qualifies as steep, and the sidewalks are brick.  This was not a problem for me, but I would not have been able to bring my grandmother (who, being relatively fearless herself, would otherwise probably quite enjoy Lala Rokh.)
Value for Money Our assessment of whether the dining experience at this restaurant was worth the price of the meal.	It feels a little silly rating Lala Rokh on their value for money when I went there for a special, prix-fixe event.  The prix-fixe deal is definitely a bargain, by the way, and if you have an opportunity to make use of it I would highly recommend doing so.  Lala Rokh is definitely not a cheap-eats kind of place.  Portion sizes are decent, but they're not massive.  You're not going to feed yourself for a week on the leftovers (if you do, get help.)  However, you will not leave hungry by any stretch of the imagination.  The quality of the food is high and the special attention paid to each dish (see my earlier comments about the rice side dishes) makes the price well worth the money.
Location and contact information	97 Mt. Vernon Street Boston, MA 02108 617-720-5511 http://www.lalarokh.com/contact_frame.htm
Menu available?	Not online
Reservations	617-720-5511
Hours	Lunch: Monday-Friday from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM Dinner: Every Night from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM

 

Technorati Tags: Boston restaurant reviews,Beacon Hill restaurant,Persian food,Lala Rokh

Restaurant Review: Brookline Family Restaurant, Brookline MA

Overall Our overall experience at this establishment	I was first introduced to Brookline Family Restaurant, or BFR as my friends affectionately called it, when I started working around the corner.  I was very pleasantly surprised by what looked like, and in a lot of ways is, a diner.  I haven't managed to make it back during dinner hours, but I've been back a few times during lunch hours and I've been pretty happy.  I went back recently with a former co-worker, providing me with a convenient excuse.
Food   The food we ordered while eating at the restaurant.	I had intended to order a vegetarian dish.  I was sucked in by the word "okra."  Had I actually read the description of the dish, I would have realized that the dish included lamb.  Oh well, I guess I'm going to Hell.  I'm actually very glad that I misread the description, because I otherwise would never have tasted the tasty, tasty lamb.  It came with a basic rice pilaf and some sort of bright orange substance I couldn't identify.  I do know that it contained carrots, though.  My friend got a kebab sandwich.  She seemed pleased with her dish, although she didn't get into specifics.
Bar The variety and quality of beer, wine, and/or liquor available at the restaurant	I feel kind of bad giving them one star for the bar, since I've never paid much attention to the bar.  I'm pretty much always driving.  That said, the bar seems to be kind of an aside here.  I did notice some wine bottles perched precariously on a ledge, indicating the selection available.  It wasn't great, although it did include Metaxa brandy which surprised me.  I didn't notice any hard liquor and I didn't see any taps for beer.
Menu The variety and originality of items on the menu	I really like the variety of dishes on offer at BFR.  There's a good combination of standard diner fare and Turkish specialties.  The spread between diner and Turkish is more equal at lunch, should you need to feed someone who is unlikely to order something they can't pronounce.  They also offer a wide variety of specials which do appear to change frequently.  Plus, they offer okra.  Anyone who has visited this site before knows how much I love okra.  BFR gets that fourth star just for having an Okra Entree.  Had I bothered to read the menu beyond the word "okra," I would have indeed realized that the lunch menu contains six vegetarian sandwiches, vegetarian wraps, and a couple of other vegetarian options.
Service The service received while dining at the restaurant	The service here is informal, particularly for lunch.  You order your dish from the person at the register, who may send you to the cooler to get your own beverage.  You then wait for your number to be called by the man at the kitchen window, and bring your food to your own table.  You bus your own table when you're done, too.  The evening service is a little more formalized.  That said, we didn't have much to complain about when we went most recently other than a certain distraction on the part of the woman at the register when we first arrived.  Our food was prepared promptly and no one laughed at my pronunciation of the yogurt drink, ayran.
Atmosphere The experience of eating at the restaurant, including decor, comfort, and dress code	This is not the place to come if you're looking for ambiance.  It's pretty much a diner, and the lighting and decor really reflect that fact.  There is no dress code.  It is, on the other hand, very clean.
Ease of Access   How easy it was to get to and get into the restaurant, including parking and wait duration	Brookline Family Restaurant is located right in Brookline Village, although it's a couple of blocks from the subway station of the same name.  This would be a great place to go before a Red Sox game.  It's near the Green Line, which will take you right to Fenway Park, but it's far enough from the stadium to keep you away from the loud crowds of drunks, and because there's no dress code you wouldn't feel weird showing up in all your Sox regalia.  Unfortunately, parking was somewhat at a premium, even in the middle of the afternoon.  They have no parking of their own.  There was no wait.
Value for Money Our assessment of whether the dining experience at this restaurant was worth the price of the meal.	Prices for the entrees and lunch dishes were pretty standard for this type of fare.  However, since you aren't paying for fancy decor, a lot of ambiance or someone whose whole job is to refill your water, all of that money is going into the food, and I for one noticed the difference.  Portions are generous, and the food is delicious.
Location and Contact Information	Brookline Family Restaurant 305 Washington Street Brookline, MA 02445 617-277-4466 http://brooklinefamilyrestaurant.com/
Menu Available?	On website, select by meal
Reservations	Unknown
Hours	Sun - Wed - 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM Thur - Sat - 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Technorati Tags: Restaurant review,Boston area restaurant,Brookline MA restaurant,Ethnic food: Turkish,Turkish food