Friday, March 27, 2009

Lunch #71: Tenoch Mexican Grill

Tenoch Mexican Grill Today the MSG150 Japantown route took us south along an obscure block of 5th where a couple lunch spots have sprung up in recent years. The first on our tour is the well hidden Mexican burrito joint Tenoch. The MSG150 crew members are all well seasoned Tenoch lunchers, so today's outing was more of a formality than an adventure. So let the formality begin.

Tenoch Mexican Grill, Seattle
Address: 206 5th Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98104
Cuisine: Mexican
Average rating: 4.6 chopsticks
Lunch date: 3/26/2009 @ 11:40:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 0 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 0 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 25 minutes
Chopstix quality: Forks!
Do they use MSG?: No
Where is the owner/chef from?: Mexico
Number of tables: 9
Number of occupied tables: 4 (44%)
Number of business lunch tables: 4 (100%)
Number of "local" tables: 0 (0%)
Healthcode Score: 8
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon
Tenoch Mexican Grill

Luncher: Geary

Three tacos: Puerco en Pasilla, Pollo en Pipian, and Pisinan RoastLunch: Three tacos: Puerco en Pasilla, Pollo en Pipian, and Pisinan Roast - $7.15
Rating: 5 Chopsticks

Geary's Review

Tenoch is a small, owner run lunch spot with an assembly line service model copied from Taco Del Mar. On first glance you might mistake Tenoch for being unremarkable, even if you noticed the dried flowers hot glued to the small cactus on each table. However, it is far from a cookie cutter, same-ol' burrito joint. Tenoch offers eight different meat options plus two vegetarian. Four of the meat options are traditional preparations that you are unlikely to have ever heard of. Tenoch's selection of Mexican flavors is likely only matched by a handful of other restaurants in the state.

I'm a regular and eat at Tenoch about twice a month. I usually order a burrito and rotate through the meats. Today I went with the three tacos (with a different meat in each) so I could have recent exposure to the widest range of meats possible for this review. I had the Ropa Vieja burrito on Monday so today I went with Puerco en Pasilla, Pollo en Pipian, and Pisinan Roast for my tacos. They also offer grilled chicken, steak, Pollo Adobado, and Mole Verde (chicken), but these seem so common compared with the rest. Nothing is very spicy, but they all have deep, rich distinct flavors. Ropa Vieja is shredded beef cooked with tomatoes, onions, jalepenos, and cilantro. The Pollo en Pipian is grilled chicken in a sauce made from guajillo chillies, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and other spices. I have never been able to nail down a favorite but if pressed would lean towards the Ropa Vieja or the Pisinan Roast... but man, the Pollo en Pipian and the Puerco en Pasilla were pretty darn good. Be sure to grab a free side of the tangy corn salsa made with roasted corn, carrots, cauliflower, and squash.

Luncher: Emmett

Taco Salad with Pollo en PipianLunch: Taco Salad with Pollo en Pipian - $6.95
Rating: 5 Chopsticks

Emmett's Review

Tenoch provides some of the finest Mexican food you can find in Seattle. I always look forward to coming to this place and never leave unsatisfied. They serve tacos, burritos, rice bowls, and taco salads, each with a choice of eight meats or two vegetarian options. I usually go for the Pisinan Roast, which is marinated pot roast with orange, garlic, vinegar, and some other mexican spices. The meat falls apart and is fantastic. Today I opted for the Taco Salad with Pollo en Pipian - chicken with Guajillo chiles, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and some other spices. Don't be shy and get the home-made guacamole and hot sauce. This sucker was tough to finish but I did it, and am glad. My stomach hates me but I care not.

On other visits, I've tried the Steak Salad (not bad but I prefer the Pisinan), the Tortilla Soup (awesome), Quesadilla (easy to make, easy to please). You can't go wrong. Also, the ladies working this place are exceptionally nice and put care into the food.

This is one of my top 5 lunch places in town. I'll be back frequently.

Luncher: Adam

Burrito Bowl with Pisinan RoastLunch: Burrito Bowl with Pisinan Roast - $6.95
Rating: 5 Chopsticks

Adam's Review

Truely one of my favorite lunch spots in the ID. A very unassuming place that typically has quite an assuming line. The women working the counter are extremely pleasant and will eagerly listen and help with your meager Spanish skills.

At some point in the last year, I switched over to ordering the Burrito Bowl here (instead of the burrito), and I think it has to do with the fact that you can then cherry-pick what toppings you want in each bite. Normally, I would get one of the vegetarian options: one based on potatoes, and one based on garbonzo beans. Both of them are freakishly delicous, and I have a hard time deciding which to get. I went with one of the eight meat options this time: Pisinan Roast. I could see the roast sitting there looking delicious behind the window... and just couldn't resist.

Going down the toppings line, this is what my bowl was loaded with for me:

  • Pisinan Roast, Rice, and Black beans
  • Cheese, and a light dusting of sour cream
  • Pica de Gallo, Corn Salsa, and their hot sauce (Habenero-based, I believe)
  • There are other thing you can get in this, I just opted-out.

The roast was perfect: flavorful and tender. And the juice flowed around the dish a little bit and lent a great flavor to the rice. Their Corn Salsa is definitely something you need to try; it's a very simple side, with a great taste. And I love the hot-spicey food... so the habenero sauce was particularly delicious to me.

Luncher: Dave

Burrito Bowl with Pisinan RoastLunch: Burrito Bowl with Pisinan Roast - $6.95
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Dave's Review

look, i eat here at least once every couple weeks. it's great. the bowls are a good deal, and even if you just look at the basic combinations (10 fillings vs black/pinto beans vs red/green salsa) there are 40 burrito/bowl combinations to choose from. and i've yet to have a bad one. it's simple, fresh-tasting mexican food, and it's a keeper. as i write this, i'm looking out my cubicle window at tenoch, and a single tear of joy is coursing down my cheek.

okay, to be impartial, there have been a couple times when the rice hasn't been as warm as i might like, and it's not the most efficient place in the world so it can get a little backed up sometimes, but overall, dang. the pisinan roast is a great mix of spices and orange juice, giving a sweet and tangy kick to fall-apart-tender beef. the chicken in pipian is spicy and creamy, even though the sauce is primarily ground pumpkin seeds, not cream. the vegetarian potatoes-with-chipotle option is spicy and satisfying. seriously, i'm starting to think this is going to be a two-lunch day.

Luncher: Rob

Lunch: Veggie Burrito Bowl - $6.95
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Rob's Review

I'm not sure how kosher this is, me writing a review without having attended the MSG150 lunch proper (and not even being in the country at the time), but I've eaten at Tenoch so many times that I'm going to write one anyway.

When it comes to good Mexican food in Seattle, a phrase from high school Spanish comes to mind: En la tierra de los ciegos, el tuerto is rey. And yeah, Tenoch is king for me when it comes to Mexican lunch spots in and around the ID. The first time you go to Tenoch and order a burrito, you look at the enormous pile of food heaped on the tortilla, and the woman behind the counter gives you a sheepish smile as she tries to wrap it because there's just not enough tortilla -- you think that there must be a new person working who doesn't know that they've dished out too much. But when it keeps happening every time you go, you realize that that's just how they roll, so to speak. And then you switch to the Burrito Bowl.

There are two veggie options for the burrito. I prefer the potato-based one a little more than the garbanzo bean one, but you get so much food that with the potato option, it's just too much for me. So I usually get the garbanzo beans. And the hot sauce -- it's so rich and smoky and flavorful -- oh my. Not really too hot. Just right. I've also tried the fish tacos, and they're pretty good, but not good enough to make me switch from the burrito bowl.

I really want to give Tenoch 4.5 chopsticks, and I think I came up with a rule for myself to round down for halves, so Tenoch only gets a 4. Why not a 5? Silly reasons, mainly. It's just too much food; I always feel way too full after eating here. And the set up is just so inefficient. It can take a while to get to the register if there's a line, and when I go to Tenoch I'm very hungry -- I want my burrito bowl, and I want it now!

Well, thanks for indulging me with the remote review from the relaxing beach town of Villa Gesell, Argentina. Lounging around the beach, writing the occasional Seattle restaurant lunch review -- unemployment doesn't get much better than this.

Tenoch Mexican Grill Photos

Tenoch Mexican Grill
Tenoch Mexican Grill

Tenoch Menu
Tenoch Menu

The Tenoch Burrito Counter
The Tenoch Burrito Counter

Taco Salad with Pollo en Pipian
Taco Salad with Pollo en Pipian

Burrito Bowl with Pisinan Roast (Adam's Fixin's)
Burrito Bowl with Pisinan Roast (Adam's Fixin's)

Burrito Bowl with Pisinan Roast (Dave's Fixin's)
Burrito Bowl with Pisinan Roast (Dave's Fixin's)

Three tacos: Puerco en Pasilla, Pollo en Pipian, and Pisinan Roast
Three tacos: Puerco en Pasilla, Pollo en Pipian, and Pisinan Roast

Cactus + Hot Glue + Dried Flower
Cactus + Hot Glue + Dried Flower

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Lunch #70: Hong Kong Bistro

Hong Kong Bistro MSG150's ever vigilant International District Intelligence and Observation Team spotted a "Grand Opening" sign last week on Maynard under the Hong Kong sign. The previous ID grand opening was the Crawfish King which is oddly and unfortunately not open for lunch and thus not subject to the MSG150 shakedown impartial review. Hong Kong Bistro is, however, a lunch spot and today MSG150 showed up with a crew of five lunchers to put it to the test.

Hong Kong Bistro, Seattle
Address: 511 Maynard Ave, Seattle, WA, 98104
Cuisine: Chinese: Hong Kong
Average rating: 3 chopsticks
Lunch date: 3/19/2009 @ 11:50:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 7 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 10 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 55 minutes
Chopstix quality: Nice Plastic
Do they use MSG?: Likely, but the communication gap was too big ascertain definitively.
Where is the owner/chef from?: Hong Kong
Number of tables: 28
Number of occupied tables: 5 (17%)
Number of business lunch tables: 2 (40%)
Number of "local" tables: 3 (60%)
Healthcode Score: N/A
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon
Hong Kong Bistro

Luncher: Emmett

As You Like, Pick & Choose with (b) Deep Fried Pork Chop and (e) Curried Fish Balls on Rice NoodlesLunch: As You Like, Pick & Choose with (b) Deep Fried Pork Chop and (e) Curried Fish Balls on Rice Noodles - $5.25
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Emmett's Review

From the looks of this place I was expecting another turkey like KC Kitchen or Pacific Cafe. They have a massive (and impressive) sign outside, advertising where, exactly, they're from. :) As you go in - the place is HUGE. We counted 28 tables. And on top, the menu is massive -- containing over 300 items.

Paralyzed by choice, I went with the aptly named "As you like it" with Pork Chop, Curried Fish Balls, and Chow Fun. I was expecting a platter of some kind but they came in a soup bowl with some broth, and some bok choy. This was a nice surprise, and the flavors commingled well together for a tasty meal. The pork chop was very thin, fried, and a bit grisly. The fish balls were pretty standard for what you get at these places. The broth and noodles were good. All told, it was good value for the price.

Nothing special, but they good selection and price, so I'll be back. They have some Stone Pot rice bowls that look worth trying.

Luncher: Adam

58 - Super Thin Beef Rice BowlLunch: 58 - Super Thin Beef Rice Bowl - $6.25
Rating: 2 Chopsticks

Adam's Review

I had no idea there was even a new place here! It just opened on March 2nd (there are still "congrats flowers" in the front of the restaurant). When we walked in at 11:50AM, there was only one other table of people there, but by the time we left the 2 person wait staff was being overworked. This place almost feels too clean and "corporate" to fit into the ID; I'd peg the interior as Dennys-esque.

I ordered the "Super Thin Beef Rice Bowl"... which translates into Super Rice Bowl with Thin Beef. This was a large scoop of rice with some slices of (not-so-thin) beef and grilled onions, covered in an overly sweet sauce. The meat was stringy and not very meat flavor-y. Neither the onions nor the rice were good, but that have been a function of the overly-sweet sauce.

With over 300 hundred numbered items on the menu, I'm sure something at this place has to be good... but the Super Thin Beef Rice Bowl isn't it. I liked the look of the Curry Fish Balls, and want to hear what Geary and Emmett have to say about those.

Luncher: Geary

As You Like, Pick & Choose with (c) Chinese Cabbage and Prok and (e) Curried Fish Balls on Rice NoodlesLunch: As You Like, Pick & Choose with (c) Chinese Cabbage and Prok and (e) Curried Fish Balls on Rice Noodles - $5.25
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Geary's Review

I recognized it as soon as I entered. It's another Hong Kong Tea Cafe or cha chaan teng. These seem to be sprouting up everywhere offering a mixture of Hong Kong comfort food and western bastardizations like the ketchup omelet or egg toast. Hong Kong Bistro is ambitious with a huge dining room and an even larger menu offering over 270 entrees plus drinks and deserts. After getting lost in the 150s somewhere I gave up and went with the aptly named "As You Like, Pick & Choose" with (c) Chinese Cabbage and Pork and (e) Curried Fish Balls. And I chose the Chow Fun wide rice noodles as my accompanying noodle (they do deliver in the choosing).

The place was almost empty when we arrived but traffic picked up during the meal. Service was fast and friendly. My soup (I wasn't sure what form the "As You Like, Pick & Choose" would take) arrived quickly and had a nice rich aroma. The large bowl was chocked full with broth, noodles, small bits of pork, purple pickled cabbage, crunchy veggies, and curried fish balls. It was an odd combinations but somehow all worked well together. The fish balls were not too fishy and had a treat in the center and a tasty curry sauce poured over top. The curry quickly mixed in and became one with the soup. The pork was tender and the pickled cabbage added a nice tang to the mix. My hopes were low but Hong Kong Bistro came through. Based on the size of their menu and my past experience with this particular cuisine I'm sure there are duds and even dead zones on the menu, but the "As You Like, Pick & Choose" was not one of them.

Luncher: Al

Beef with Chinese Chives Noodle SoupLunch: Beef with Chinese Chives Noodle Soup - $5.25
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Al's Review

Many tables, many choices: picture looked better than food tasted: 3 chopsticks.

Luncher: Jared

Shrimp Wonton Noodle SoupLunch: Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup - $5.95
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Hong Kong Bistro Photos

Hong Kong Bistro
Hong Kong Bistro

Hong Kong Bistro under Hong Kong Sign
Hong Kong Bistro under Hong Kong Sign

Hong Kong Bistro menu
Hong Kong Bistro menu

Hong Kong Bistro menu (17-57)
Hong Kong Bistro menu (17-57)

Hong Kong Bistro menu (58-117)
Hong Kong Bistro menu (58-117)

Hong Kong Bistro menu (240-312)
Hong Kong Bistro menu (240-312)

Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup
Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup

As You Like, Pick & Choose with (b) Deep Fried Pork Chop and (e) Curried Fish Balls on Rice Noodles
As You Like, Pick & Choose with (b) Deep Fried Pork Chop and (e) Curried Fish Balls on Rice Noodles

Super Thin Beef Rice Bowl
Super Thin Beef Rice Bowl

Beef with Chinese Chives Noodle Soup
Beef with Chinese Chives Noodle Soup

As You Like, Pick & Choose with (c) Chinese Cabbage and Pr0k and (e) Curried Fish Balls on Rice Noodles
As You Like, Pick & Choose with (c) Chinese Cabbage and Pr0k and (e) Curried Fish Balls on Rice Noodles

Huge dining room
Huge dining room

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Lunch #69: Viet My

Viet My Fourth Avenue between Main and Washington is a mostly neglected, slightly seedy downtown Seattle block. But its fortunes seem to be rising. The new fire station to the northeast and the artist lofts and All City Coffee to the northwest are spawning a resurgence in the area. This block has only one, single story building which is currently home to one and a half operating businesses: The Viet My Vietnamese restaurant and the occasionally open, excessively sketchy Dome Stadium Tavern. There is new life coming though. On our way out to brave Viet My today we ran into Josh Henderson, of Skillet Street Food fame, working on his new kitchen and walk-up counter that will be the newest addition to the block. He said that they are trying to open up in early April.

We knew Viet My was there, but had not summoned the courage to visit until recently. After extending our range north there was no more ignoring this ID outpost. Today six brave luncher show up hungry and ready to serve (or actually be served).

Viet My, Seattle
Address: 212 4th Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98104
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Average rating: 3.5 chopsticks
Lunch date: 3/5/2009 @ 11:55:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 17 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 10 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 50 minutes
Chopstix quality: Nice Plastic
Do they use MSG?: Yes
Where is the owner/chef from?: Hanoi
Number of tables: 14
Number of occupied tables: 7 (50%)
Number of business lunch tables: 5 (71%)
Number of "local" tables: 2 (28%)
Healthcode Score: 0
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon
Viet My

Luncher: Adam

32 - Tofu SateLunch: 32 - Tofu Sate - $7.00
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Adam's Review

This was my second time to Viet My... so I've got a couple of data points to base my review off of. This time around the 2-person (maybe 3-person?) team was busy serving and cooking the nearly-full restaurant. The server (also the owner, I believe) would dash out with some food, then run back to help in the kitchen. We were allowed more than ample time to make our decisions for food, and I went a vegetarian option (because I miss Rob): Tofu Sate

So, I'm not sure I've ever eaten a Sate soup before (at least I've never had one like this)... but it's spicy peanut "broth" with noodles, veggies, and tofu. The noodles were a great firmness and were easy to scoop and chew... not rubbery at all. The tofu went well with the peanut flavor; the tofu was fried, and I think soft tofu may have been better... but that's totally a personal preference. If you like peanut-y things (like Thai swimming rama), you'll definitely like this dish. If you're allergic to peanuts, there isn't enough research going on at Duke to save you.

Don't let the exterior of the place scare you (like it did to me). Don't let the crazy ceiling tiles disorient you (like they did to me). Focus on the food, and you may very well find a keeper in your "I'm so hip because I know dingy restaurants with good food" repertoire.

Luncher: Geary

34 - Bun This Nuong - Grilled PorkLunch: 34 - Bun This Nuong - Grilled Pork - $7.00
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Geary's Review

Viet My is a bit like the Chameleon XLE, it's surprisingly nice on the inside compared with its dingy exterior. The first thing that caught my eye was the amazing faux painted tin ceiling with golden dragons on a bright red background, an obvious relic of a past occupant. There is art on the walls and plastic flower arrangements all around. It has a nice airy, clean feeling with the exception of the occasional fly that buzzed past. The place was about three quarters full when we arrived and grabbed the last large table. There were only two people, one server/cook and one cook, running the place and it showed. It took 15 minute before they even took our order. I went with the Bun noodles with BBQ pork.

The food arrived reasonably quickly once we got our order in. They got my order wrong, but politely corrected the mistake and expidited a replacement. The noodles and pork are presented in a fancy square bowl with crinkle cut carrots and daikon. The pork was a funny shade of maroon. (Luckily it didn't taste maroon.) The pork was very flavorful with lots of ginger and lemon grass and together with the cold noodles and sweet fish sauce made a tasty lunch, but something had a healthy MSG kick that got me all a tingly. Aside from the wait, it was a good meal.

Luncher: Emmett

33 - Bun Thit Ga - Grilled ChickenLunch: 33 - Bun Thit Ga - Grilled Chicken - $7.00
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Emmett's Review

I generally enjoy Vietnamese places over Chinese/Cantonese food because the dishes tend to be less fried, less saucy. I was excited for this place - another hole in the wall with a dumpy sign. We arrived and the place as quite full for the time of day. The service took forever - we probably waited 10 minutes to place our order. The poor guy behind the counter was working the whole restaurant it seemed.

I ordered the Bun Thit Ga. It was good - not Pho Bac but pretty decent nonetheless. There was a little less meat that I would have expected for the price, but the noodles were tasty, and the Nuoc cham had a nice flavor. I also wish there were more leafy greens.

If the service were quicker I might make this a more regular choice.

Luncher: Jared

29 - Chicken SateLunch: 29 - Chicken Sate - $7.00
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Luncher: Michael

47 - Banh Xeo - Chicken CrepeLunch: 47 - Banh Xeo - Chicken Crepe - $7.50
Fortune: Your lover will be true to you.
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Michael's Review

Funny story: The outside of this building is so run down and unapealing that the guys were afraid to eat here for more than a year. It all looks much better on the inside.

The service today was a bit slow - but the food got here in the end and it was good. My Crepe was big and tasty - but I've never really figured out what to do with all those extra green things on the side. If I try to wrap a bite of crepe up with the leaves and dip it in the sauce I always end up with a mess. A big mess.

Overall the food at Viet My is good. Darn good. But it doesn't stand out as any better than the other places in the neighborhood. I would go back, but it might not be my first choice.

Luncher: Dave

41 - Bun This Bo Loi Xa - Lemongrass BeefLunch: 41 - Bun This Bo Loi Xa - Lemongrass Beef - $7.25
Fortune: You can breeze through most of the day.
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Dave's Review

The place doesn't look too promising from the outside, but inside it's much more inviting. first, the service: it took waaaaay too long for us to have our order taken, but from that point the service was fine. there was a minor mix-up with geary's order, but it was quickly and painlessly resolved. i had some tasty lemongrass-beef bun, and it was as good as the bun is at nearly every other place i've had it in the ID. green leaf beats it, but not by a mile, and it's close to on par with pho bac. the sauce was a good balance of the four magic flavors (salty, spicy, sour, sweet), the pickled carrot and daikon were tasty, the lemongrass beef was well seasoned and well cooked. the only downside is that i think it's a bit more expensive than pho bac, but not substantially better. that said, if the crowd were going here, i wouldn't hesitate to come back.

Viet My Photos

Viet My
Viet My

Viet My Interior & Ceiling
Viet My Interior & Ceiling

Viet My Menu (oddly glossy)
Viet My Menu (oddly glossy)

Viet My Menu
Viet My Menu

Chicken Sate
Chicken Sate

Banh Xeo - Chicken Crepe
Banh Xeo - Chicken Crepe

Tofu Sate
Tofu Sate

Bun Thit Ga - Grilled Chicken
Bun Thit Ga - Grilled Chicken

Bun This Nuong - Grilled Pork
Bun This Nuong - Grilled Pork

Bun This Bo Loi Xa - Lemongrass Beef
Bun This Bo Loi Xa - Lemongrass Beef

Ceiling Close-up
Ceiling Close-up

Future home of Skillet Street Food's kitchen and walk-up counter
Future home of Skillet Street Food's kitchen and walk-up counter