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CIA
LoopKicker
Joined: Mar 23, 2008
Posts: 887
Location: Least Expect
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 Posted:
May 07, 2008 - 01:07 PM |
 
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| KJ wrote: |
| We're had fresh salsa that's great for some time now. Use it with the beef wraps and when we do soft tacos for breakfast on occassion. |
Ken, I've got an absolutely killer guacamole dip I'd love to 'add' to your establishment. I know that everyone says that type of shite, I've got the best this and I've got the best that.... But, seriously this is something that you might want to look into.
We've got some mutual friends too, although I don't spend as much time as I'd like out at HQ.
PM me if you're interested, I'd love the opportunity to help. |
_________________
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| Every evening I died, and every evening I was born again, resurrected. |
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zimbu
Reacher
Joined: Oct 13, 2006
Posts: 242
Location: Stop poking my tail with your eye!
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May 07, 2008 - 02:47 PM |
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| CK1 wrote: |
With all this talk about 'corruption' in the restaurant review sections of local magazines, it must be asked......
with this recent spate of good reviews from Zimbu, are there some back-handers going on here too?  |
I wish! |
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zimbu
Reacher
Joined: Oct 13, 2006
Posts: 242
Location: Stop poking my tail with your eye!
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| Posted:
May 07, 2008 - 02:53 PM |
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| CIA wrote: |
| ...I've got an absolutely killer guacamole dip I'd love to 'add' to your establishment... |
Hmmmm...the word "dip" is of some concern. Normally guacamole + mayonnaise = guacamole dip. |
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zimbu
Reacher
Joined: Oct 13, 2006
Posts: 242
Location: Stop poking my tail with your eye!
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May 07, 2008 - 03:00 PM |
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| happyhere wrote: |
ZImbu and others -- I would be interested to know if you've been to Olives at the Novotel in Pudong and what you think about it.
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Never heard of it or been there.
Sounds like they are following the recent trend: "double localization".
First they replace the expensive but highly qualified expat managers with locals. Then those locals replace the expensive but highly tasty food items with white bread rolls, corn soup, spaghetti w/meat sauce, and Great Wall white wine. |
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Robtcb
Reacher
Joined: Nov 15, 2005
Posts: 287
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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May 07, 2008 - 03:01 PM |
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| CIA wrote: |
Ken, I've got an absolutely killer guacamole dip I'd love to 'add' to your establishment. I know that everyone says that type of shite, I've got the best this and I've got the best that.... But, seriously this is something that you might want to look into. |
Calling it dip isn't a strong start. Don't remember my Mexican granny calling it dip. |
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happyhere
Seeker
Joined: Jan 27, 2007
Posts: 47
Status: Offline
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May 07, 2008 - 03:09 PM |
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Zimbu it is not quite (yet) at that level you describe; I hope it doesn't get to that level (they do have a decent wine list) ; there still may be hope for the place. Maybe if they saw a critical public review of the place; they might turn things aroud. Still if you have the chance to go please do and write a review.Would like to hear what you think. |
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zimbu
Reacher
Joined: Oct 13, 2006
Posts: 242
Location: Stop poking my tail with your eye!
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May 07, 2008 - 03:25 PM |
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| happyhere wrote: |
| ZImbu and others -- I would be interested to know if you've been to Olives at the Novotel in Pudong... |
To quote Shanghai's most highly regarded restaurant critic: "Personally I feel like I am going to shiny glass metal dusty hell whenever I go to Pudong, but I know some people really like it over there."
I'll try to check it out someday. |
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CIA
LoopKicker
Joined: Mar 23, 2008
Posts: 887
Location: Least Expect
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May 07, 2008 - 05:05 PM |
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Dip is just what you do to the chips you eat it with, it's usually used in 'western' context when discussing things that go on chips (and I don't mean french fries).
Nevertheless.
Potato / Potatoe
We'll see what people think in a blind taste test.  |
_________________
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| Every evening I died, and every evening I was born again, resurrected. |
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CIA
LoopKicker
Joined: Mar 23, 2008
Posts: 887
Location: Least Expect
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| Posted:
May 07, 2008 - 05:07 PM |
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| zimbu wrote: |
| CIA wrote: |
| ...I've got an absolutely killer guacamole dip I'd love to 'add' to your establishment... |
Hmmmm...the word "dip" is of some concern. Normally guacamole + mayonnaise = guacamole dip. |
Cancel that mayo shite, that sounds like a "European" version....... yuck. |
_________________
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| Every evening I died, and every evening I was born again, resurrected. |
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CIA
LoopKicker
Joined: Mar 23, 2008
Posts: 887
Location: Least Expect
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May 07, 2008 - 05:08 PM |
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| Robtcb wrote: |
| CIA wrote: |
Ken, I've got an absolutely killer guacamole dip I'd love to 'add' to your establishment. I know that everyone says that type of shite, I've got the best this and I've got the best that.... But, seriously this is something that you might want to look into. |
Calling it dip isn't a strong start. Don't remember my Mexican granny calling it dip. |
Do you prefer sauce or spread or paste...... wtf do you call it then ??? |
_________________
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| Every evening I died, and every evening I was born again, resurrected. |
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Robtcb
Reacher
Joined: Nov 15, 2005
Posts: 287
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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May 07, 2008 - 08:37 PM |
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sorry...too many experiences going to the whitey grocery store and seeing Guacamole Dip (made just the way Zimbu describes) on sale in plastic containers, ready for dipping. Just "guacamole" is fine.
I guess I just rub people wrong. We hinted to the Peter's Tex Mex guys last month that my Mom and I might be available for consultation (since we're card-carrying Mexicans and all) for tightening up some of his offerings. Poor guy thought we were saying his food was crap (which it isn't, just needs a little tweaking). Oh, well ! |
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BS
Reacher
Joined: Sep 12, 2007
Posts: 238
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May 07, 2008 - 08:50 PM |
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| CIA wrote: |
| Robtcb wrote: |
| CIA wrote: |
Ken, I've got an absolutely killer guacamole dip I'd love to 'add' to your establishment. I know that everyone says that type of shite, I've got the best this and I've got the best that.... But, seriously this is something that you might want to look into. |
Calling it dip isn't a strong start. Don't remember my Mexican granny calling it dip. |
Do you prefer sauce or spread or paste...... wtf do you call it then ??? |
And I thought Spanish was the second most spoken language in the USA...
aguacate mole = guacamole |
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SnappySammy
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Nov 01, 2007
Posts: 9601
Status: Offline
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May 07, 2008 - 09:14 PM |
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| CK1 wrote: |
With all this talk about 'corruption' in the restaurant review sections of local magazines, it must be asked......
with this recent spate of good reviews from Zimbu, are there some back-handers going on here too? |
Absolutely |
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boredengineer
SuperStar
Joined: Oct 17, 2007
Posts: 1344
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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May 09, 2008 - 04:52 PM |
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Based on a recommendation in this thread earlier, I tried the fish and chips at Kakadu. Pretty good, the batter on the fish was good though the freshness of the fish wasn't great, but to be expected in China. The fries were great.
Portion of fish was about 2/3 of what I'd expect in another country.
I asked for vinegar and they brought me a dish of olive oil with a few drops of balsamic vinegar. They said they didn't have the 'white vinegar', I'm not sure if it was a miscommuncation or if they didn't really have it.
This review might sound a bit negative but I did enjoy it and I will go back for it again. I'll probably bring my own malt vinegar too. Price was 88RMB i think. |
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SnappySammy
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Nov 01, 2007
Posts: 9601
Status: Offline
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May 09, 2008 - 10:42 PM |
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[quote="szwliew" the fish was good though the freshness of the fish wasn't great, but to be expected in China.
Portion of fish was about 2/3 of what I'd expect in another country.
.[/quote
I don't inderstand how you can get fish that is not fresh. I eat fish almost evey day in China. The fish is always swimming in water when I enter the restaurant. I don't know how much fresher then that you can get.
I am a big eater and I have never had a problem with the portion sizes in China.
If you are having fish that is not fresh please don't reccomend that place only because it is cheap. |
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Yank My Doodle It's A Dandy |
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boredengineer
SuperStar
Joined: Oct 17, 2007
Posts: 1344
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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May 09, 2008 - 11:16 PM |
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No, the locals wouldn't know fresh fish if it was still squirming on their plate (parasitic worms included).
This isn't a chinese restaurant, there were no swimming fish there.
BTW I won't eat those either, never had any good fish in China. I usually stay away from fish here but for fish and chips, I get cravings so I caved. Perhaps I shouldn't just say fresh, I also mean clean, healthy, and good tasting fish. Those fish swimming around are already dead and rotting inside... |
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SnappySammy
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Nov 01, 2007
Posts: 9601
Status: Offline
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May 09, 2008 - 11:54 PM |
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Now I understand. I don't eat meat in China. Now thanks to you I will add fish on my do not eat list.... I do get some Kobe beef. If its not what I think it is, please don't tell me. |
_________________
Yank My Doodle It's A Dandy |
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Gazza
Raver
Joined: Jan 10, 2008
Posts: 397
Location: The Tokyo Slums
Status: Offline
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May 10, 2008 - 03:22 AM |
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The fish n' chips at Kakadu is the best I've had in Shanghai. According to the menu it's barramundi so I'm guessing they import it frozen. |
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SnappySammy
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Nov 01, 2007
Posts: 9601
Status: Offline
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May 10, 2008 - 08:34 AM |
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I'm thinking I should import Peanut Butter and Jelly |
_________________
Yank My Doodle It's A Dandy |
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zimbu
Reacher
Joined: Oct 13, 2006
Posts: 242
Location: Stop poking my tail with your eye!
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May 11, 2008 - 11:14 AM |
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Pasti v. Pasta Fresca Hong Mei
You two. Fight to the death!
Round 1, Decor:
Pasta Fresca comes out swinging with a bag full of faux tricks. The whole place is designed like some sort of faux Italian palace or whatever. Big chunky stone walls, stone floors, parabolic-shaped arch ceilings, two ton cast iron chairs, etc. First impressions are nice but after a while the massive fauxness begins to wear on your mind. The strangely shaped ceilings are nice to look at but have an amazing ability to channel sound from that big mouth Chinese-American lady sitting three tables away. While it is interesting to know that she has a back problem and thus needs to raise her desk a few inches...well, it's not that interesting. The sofa booths are also a problem. They look nice but as soon as you sit down, you realize the dimensions are way off. You end up sitting way too high over the table and struggle to find a comfortable position.
Pasti goes with a clean, medium woody, non-faux approach. Its second floor location requires a climb up an interesting wooden staircase. Paintings and photo prints on the wall give it a more modern and young feeling. Plenty of plants are scattered around also. The antipasti (dustipasti) salad table is positioned in maximum dust-catching location, but that can be ignored if you avoid ordering it.
Pasti just barely wins this round.
Round 2, Bread on table:
Pasta Fresca, slightly discouraged by the first round results, makes a rather weak effort with a small basket of sliced baguette with simple toppings. One appears to be a feeble attempt at garlic bread. The other has some cheese. There is some paprika sprinkled about the place. The impression is of bread slices for kindergarten kids.
Pasti, on the other hand, plonks down a plate of big fresh steaming bread chunks, served with oil/vinegar or olive mushanini. Fresh and chewy and fragrantly breadish. Good stuff!
Round 2 goes to Pasti again. Pasta Fresca had better wake up before this turns into a blowout.
Round 3, Salad:
Pasti's Ceasar salad comes in a big white urinaliscent bowl. The lettuce is sometimes fresh, sometimes not. The Ceasar dressing appears to be from that younger fake Ceasar (the one who tortured and killed Vorenus' brother-in-law with Pullo) rather than the real Ceasar who was stabbed repeatedly into a bloody mess in the Senate building. Too liquidy and not enough taste...the Ceasar dressing, not the bloody mess in the Senate.
Pasti's dustipasti salad, mentioned earlier, is also not a winner.
Pasta Fresca finally finds something they are good at: salads. A range of salads are available and all of them are excellent. The mixed platter is my favorite, but the tomato/cheese thing is also very good.
Pasta Fresca finally takes a good swing and wins Round 3.
Round 4, Soup:
Both contestants offer up the classic minestrone with nearly identical results. Pasta Fresca adds a nice tablespoon of pesto on the top, which catches Pasti off guard. Pasti responds with fresher, slightly crispy vegetables which give just the right "bite" and taste to their offering. Which is more important to minestrone: The little touch of pesto on the top or the taste/freshness of the vegetables?
Pasti takes round 4. Pasta Fresca develops a small cut over the right eye. Cut man, Chuck Bodak, goes to work to repair the damage.
Round 5, Pasta:
Here's where Pasti really begins to beat on Pasta Fresca. I have had 4 different pasta dishes at Pasti, and each has been nearly perfect. Perfect al dente-ness, perfect sauce, good size portion. Perfecto-ni-ma-de-misimo!
Pasta Fresca is a little more iffy. Sometimes it's ok, and sometimes not. Tortellini have been overcooked in the past. Creamy pesto sauce a little sticky and stanky. Seafood sauce is usually nice, but one some occasions, a few of the seafood pieces were not freshimisimo enough.
Pasta Fresca takes a standing 8 count. Pasti wins this round handily.
Round 6, Drinks:
Can only compare the coffee drinks from my experience. Pasti cappucino arrives hot with a nice authentic taste. Pasta Fresca, on the other hand, has given me a lukewarm cappucino at least 50% of the time I have ordered it there. What's the problem? I have no idea. Can't they steam the milk right or what?
Pasti gives Pasta Fresca another whoopin' in this round.
Round 7, Staff:
The Pasta Fresca ladies, perhaps upset by the result of previous rounds, look to be totally depressed. Sure, they hover appropriately and will get you what you want, but they barely crack a smile throughout the meal. Which is strange since you would think that one or two of them would be in a good mood once in a while. But no. Either they have been trained for blank-facedness, or they are hired based on their sour personalities.
Pasti ladies. on the other hand, are simple country girls, happy to be working somewhere other than a Shenzhen shoe factory run by angry, strip-searching Koreans. None of them (the girls, not the Koreans) seems to be more than five feet tall, which is not important to know, but curious nonetheless. When the shift manager (Italian?) young lady is working and whispering instructions in their ears, they do a very nice job. Just about everything is done correctly. Plus they are happy and friendly and smile when appropriate (and not strip searched by angry Koreans). The bad news is that they tend to get a little chatty when the shift manager is not around. Last time I was there they were all standing around the counter loudly commenting in Chinese that they hope business will be good today so that the boss can pay the suppliers and the suppliers will then not cause any problems yelling for payments....uh, not such a good advertisement.
Despite the Chatty-Kathy-ness of the Pasti ladies, I still give this round to them.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. The winner and new world champion is...Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiii! |
Last edited by zimbu on May 12, 2008 - 10:59 AM; edited 1 time in total |
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SnappySammy
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Nov 01, 2007
Posts: 9601
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
May 11, 2008 - 12:04 PM |
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| zimbu wrote: |
| CIA wrote: |
| ...I've got an absolutely killer guacamole dip I'd love to 'add' to your establishment... |
Hmmmm...the word "dip" is of some concern. Normally guacamole + mayonnaise = guacamole dip. |
There's no Mayonnaise in Guacamole" dip. " |
_________________
Yank My Doodle It's A Dandy |
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zimbu
Reacher
Joined: Oct 13, 2006
Posts: 242
Location: Stop poking my tail with your eye!
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| Posted:
May 11, 2008 - 06:08 PM |
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| SnappySammy wrote: |
| zimbu wrote: |
| CIA wrote: |
| ...I've got an absolutely killer guacamole dip I'd love to 'add' to your establishment... |
Hmmmm...the word "dip" is of some concern. Normally guacamole + mayonnaise = guacamole dip. |
There's no Mayonnaise in Guacamole" dip. " |
OK, if it means that much to you, I'll agree... |
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yu888
Board Deity
Joined: Jan 25, 2003
Posts: 17929
Location: ZhongShanParkArea SH
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May 12, 2008 - 10:30 AM |
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Guacamole is a dip so I suppose the addition of the work is a bit redundant. But mayo? blah. I like mayo, but not in my guac thanks... |
_________________
Thoughts & updates about Shanghai On my Blog for more details:Random Thoughts about Living in Shanghai...and more |
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Robtcb
Reacher
Joined: Nov 15, 2005
Posts: 287
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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May 12, 2008 - 11:00 AM |
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well, SOMETHING's making it watery, when you buy that dip stuff. I just made some guacamole on Friday, and damn near wore my arm out squishing and whipping the stuff to get it the right consistency. And it still wasn't watery and runny.
Aguacate and Mole: hmm, never thought of it that way. But I supposed you could be right. Although the thought of associating mole with avacados grosses me out. Hate mole.
Mole (at lease from my neck of the woods of Northern Mexico) was chicken mixed with this horrible peanut/chocolate/chile pasty stuff. Mexican's love it....very popular for events like weddings, parties, even funerals (which is the last event I was at where it was offered to me). I'm a black-sheep mexican for not liking it.
ZIMBU: wonderful review, as always. Where, pray tell, is Pasti ??? |
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zimbu
Reacher
Joined: Oct 13, 2006
Posts: 242
Location: Stop poking my tail with your eye!
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| Posted:
May 12, 2008 - 11:09 AM |
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| yu888 wrote: |
| Guacamole is a dip so I suppose the addition of the work is a bit redundant. But mayo? blah. I like mayo, but not in my guac thanks... |
Snappy is confused. I was not saying that guac has mayo. I was saying that guac with the word "dip" attached probably is a cheesy marketing way of selling lousy guac with mayo or some other filler substance added.
I hope we are all clear on the guac dip topic now. I just wish someone would comment on a friggin' review... |
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