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SnappySammyOffline
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Post  Posted: May 12, 2008 - 11:13 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

zimbu wrote:
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...


I don't need you to agree with me. Who are you. Who cares what you think.

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MichaelOffline
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Post  Posted: May 12, 2008 - 11:15 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Had lunch at Pasti last week. There 68 RMB all you can eat buffet. Yes.. there was hot fresh baked break on the table which was good. The buffet was an antipasto buffet - grilled vegies, sliced cold meats, a couple of salad mixtures, fresh mozarella-tomato. Looked pathetic at first ( the whole buffet was layed out on 4 plates just slightly larger than a regular dinner plate). I guess they only wanted to put enough out so that it was fresh.

Anyway.. the grilled mushrooms, peppers, moz, and real artichokes were great. The meats were the real italian prociutto and hams.. very good. Just the artichokes all you can eat made it worth it. My only issue was they they needed a green salad on the buffet ( as I robbed all the greens from the garnish) .

On the corner of Bejing Lu and XiKang Lu.
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SnappySammyOffline
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Post  Posted: May 12, 2008 - 11:22 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

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.


Hey Troll
who's confused "GUACAMOLE + MAYONNAISE = GUACAMOLE DIP
Your words not mine

Zimba The Fraud
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boredengineerOffline
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Post  Posted: May 12, 2008 - 11:54 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Wow, I guess NYC'ers have major reading comprehension problems....
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zimbu
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Post  Posted: May 12, 2008 - 12:12 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Robtcb wrote:
...wonderful review, as always. Where, pray tell, is Pasti ???


1228 Beijing Xi Lu,
Jing An
near Xikang Lu, Metro Line 2 Jing'An Station
北京西路1228号
近西康路, 地铁2号线静安寺路站
6279-4726
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8lrr8
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Post  Posted: May 12, 2008 - 02:53 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

in the handful of times i've been to pasti, they failed to sufficiently drain their pasta (i.e. NOT al dente). and if i'm not mistaken, they use both barilla pasta and sauce. while barilla aint bad, they could've chosen a better brand.

having said that, i agree w/ our resident food critic that it's one of the better pasta choices in the city.
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RobtcbOffline
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Post  Posted: May 12, 2008 - 04:28 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Cool, thanks all. Ready to try it now when the Italian bug strikes the wife and kiddos and i !
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xueliOffline
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Post  Posted: May 12, 2008 - 07:18 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Glad you tried Pasti. Its my usual choice. Its not top notch excellent but with the price you pay and the quality you get worth the penny. Their pizza was nice too.

I found another spot is worth to try. A tiny Japanese place across Urbn hotel. I think its 176 Jiao Zhou Lu. No sign of English or Chinese. Their fried pork cutlet spot on. As aunthentic as you can get like in Japan. Simple nothing fancy.
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hc
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Post  Posted: May 12, 2008 - 08:33 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

I presume you guys know Da Marco right?

So far the best Italian I've been to.

Nuova Vita is also good for the meatballs, apparently other dishes have been a more hit and miss (havent tried)....

And Pasti's lasagna used to be great, havent been there in a while now....

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BuzzdOffline
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Post  Posted: May 13, 2008 - 12:36 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

szwliew wrote:
Wow, I guess NYC'ers have major reading comprehension problems....


Not all!
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Post  Posted: May 13, 2008 - 12:59 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Hey Zimbu... i do love your reviews, however, I am wondering about the drinks segment of Pasti v Pasta Fresca..

Cappucino's should never be served 'hot' unless specifically asked for by the customer.. they should be warm but nothing like the heat of a long black... you did mention luke warm, so maybe it was too cold, but i'm just wondering how hot the one at pasti was?

Yes, yes.. i'm a big dirty coffee snob.
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BuzzdOffline
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Post  Posted: May 13, 2008 - 01:04 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

zimbu wrote:
Quote:

I hope we are all clear on the guac dip topic now. I just wish someone would comment on a friggin' review...


That's the spirit boy! Good to have you back. After reading that all too syrupy and eloquent blurb of yours in one of the local rags, I had grown concerned!

Snappy Vs. Zimbu


Snappy comes out swinging hard. The New Yorker in him simply can't tolerate the words guacamole and dip in the same sentence. Zimbu attempts to deflect Snaps' offensive barrage, but Snap is relentless!

Round 1: a draw.

Zim is prepared to move forward, and is deep in thought for his next stellar review. Snappy refuses to let the subject die. He wants Zimbu's banana and tail served on a plate, with a side of official New York Guac*. Zimbu makes a hasty maneuver, as he wants none of Snappy's witticism's clouding his thoughts, and it appears like Snaps will be having Zim for his entree.

Round 2: Snappy Sammy

Moments before the chef is able to ring his bell, Zimbu's tail makes like Jackie Chan. Look out Snaps, it's the dreaded Drunken Monkey move. Snaps tries to counter, but in his haste to evoke Red Buttons (yet another reverred NY'er), he makes a fatal error with his verbage, and fails to read the entire posting! Zimbu unleashes his full fury in a fiery flurry, as his tail, banana, and linguistic abilities prove too strong for the venerable New Yorker. Down goes Sammy! Down goes Sammy!

TKO!

The winner and still champeen, Zimbu, by a knockout!
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zimbu
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Post  Posted: May 13, 2008 - 04:15 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

unoriginal wrote:
Hey Zimbu... i do love your reviews, however, I am wondering about the drinks segment of Pasti v Pasta Fresca..

Cappucino's should never be served 'hot' unless specifically asked for by the customer.. they should be warm but nothing like the heat of a long black... you did mention luke warm, so maybe it was too cold, but i'm just wondering how hot the one at pasti was?

Yes, yes.. i'm a big dirty coffee snob.


Well, based on what you describe above, I would say that Pasta Fresca's cap is too cold, and Pasti's cap is too hot. I just had a Pasti cap about two hours ago and it was nearly scalding hot.

So maybe the drinks round should be a draw...on the other hand, I think I would rather have a too hot cap than a too cold cap. You can wait for the hot one to cool down, but the cold one will never heat up by itself. (Too much heat damages the coffee flavor, blah, blah, blah. Actually, I am not much of a coffee drinker, so it doesn't matter much to me)

One additional point: I ordered the Brocolli Fusilli today at Pasti and it kinda bored me to death. Probably won't order that one again.
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zimbu
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Post  Posted: May 13, 2008 - 04:25 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Buzzd wrote:
zimbu wrote:
Quote:

I hope we are all clear on the guac dip topic now. I just wish someone would comment on a friggin' review...


That's the spirit boy! Good to have you back. After reading that all too syrupy and eloquent blurb of yours in one of the local rags, I had grown concerned!

Snappy Vs. Zimbu


Snappy comes out swinging hard. The New Yorker in him simply can't tolerate the words guacamole and dip in the same sentence. Zimbu attempts to deflect Snaps' offensive barrage, but Snap is relentless!

Round 1: a draw.

Zim is prepared to move forward, and is deep in thought for his next stellar review. Snappy refuses to let the subject die. He wants Zimbu's banana and tail served on a plate, with a side of official New York Guac*. Zimbu makes a hasty maneuver, as he wants none of Snappy's witticism's clouding his thoughts, and it appears like Snaps will be having Zim for his entree.

Round 2: Snappy Sammy

Moments before the chef is able to ring his bell, Zimbu's tail makes like Jackie Chan. Look out Snaps, it's the dreaded Drunken Monkey move. Snaps tries to counter, but in his haste to evoke Red Buttons (yet another reverred NY'er), he makes a fatal error with his verbage, and fails to read the entire posting! Zimbu unleashes his full fury in a fiery flurry, as his tail, banana, and linguistic abilities prove too strong for the venerable New Yorker. Down goes Sammy! Down goes Sammy!

TKO!

The winner and still champeen, Zimbu, by a knockout!


Thanks for the bizarre Zimbu-ish play by play. I particularly like the use of the word "champeen". Also liked the victorious ending!

Re "syrupy and eloquent blurb...in one of the local rags": What blurb? I don't think anything I have written has ever been published in a printed magazine. Maybe you mean my reviews posted on cityweekend's website? Actually, I just copied them from here over to there to make some more noise. But the only reaction I got over there was from some nutty in-house blogger of theirs. So I am still focusing on shanghaiexpat for now. Better discussion format over here.
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BuzzdOffline
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Post  Posted: May 14, 2008 - 02:12 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Well, I get bored too. Sometimes I read that gajunk that is impersonating literature in one of the the local rags.

zimbu:
Quote:

my reviews posted on cityweekend's website? Actually, I just copied them from here over to there to make some more noise.


They not only copied them, they printed them! They even included your avatar! Be careful what you wish for, because they're selling you short. Next time you forward one of those rags a piece of your mind, bring on the real deal. Down goes Zimbu!
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zimbu
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Post  Posted: May 14, 2008 - 07:40 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Buzzd wrote:
...They not only copied them, they printed them! They even included your avatar!


Really?! Which issue? I was not aware of this at all.

("gajunk"? I actually tried to google this word to figure out what in meant but still could not quite figure it out. Any hints for me?)
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zimbu
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Post  Posted: May 14, 2008 - 07:46 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

By the way, I am still laughing about this phrase: "full fury in a fiery flurry". Maybe I could work this line into some sort of theme song for Zimbu.
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emersonOffline
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Post  Posted: May 14, 2008 - 10:05 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

zimbu wrote:
Buzzd wrote:
...They not only copied them, they printed them! They even included your avatar!


Really?! Which issue? I was not aware of this at all.

("gajunk"? I actually tried to google this word to figure out what in meant but still could not quite figure it out. Any hints for me?)


Confirm that--not sure which local expat rag, but your name and avatar were featured in a restaurant review. Will see if I can find the copy tonight.
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zimbu
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Post  Posted: May 14, 2008 - 02:55 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

I found it...Just a tiny little blurb in Cityweekend about a Taiwanese place called Bellagio. I guess they did not want to print one of my more bombastic reviews for fear of scaring away their advertisers.
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xueliOffline
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Post  Posted: May 14, 2008 - 03:09 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

zimbu wrote:
I guess they did not want to print one of my more bombastic reviews for fear of scaring away their advertisers.


Never try never know
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boredengineerOffline
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Post  Posted: May 14, 2008 - 05:07 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Are you going to take it up with them about printing your review without permission? Or did you submit the review on their message board?
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zimbu
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Post  Posted: May 14, 2008 - 05:23 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

It was submitted on their website, which is one big message board. So no problem for me. I think legally they are within limits. But I would have expected them to send at least a notification email to me. Anyways, no big deal. I really don't take any of the local expat mags very seriously. (By the way, did the That's founder ever receive any sort of compensation or get back control of his magazine?)

It would be kinda cool if some magazine really printed one of my full reviews, but I assume they would ask for permission first.
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Swiss-JamesOffline
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Post  Posted: May 14, 2008 - 06:14 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Cityweekend are pretty clear that they might use any content on their site for the print edition I guess anyway.

Sometimes they send people gift vouchers for restaurants when they use em too.

There must be a magazine that's looking for a ballsy take-no-prisoners screw-the-advertisers kind of restaurant reviewer. Ya want me to ask around for you Zimba?!

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zimbu
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Post  Posted: May 14, 2008 - 08:22 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Swiss-James wrote:
...There must be a magazine that's looking for a ballsy take-no-prisoners screw-the-advertisers kind of restaurant reviewer...


Right. The ol' "screw the advertiser while giving away the magazine for free" strategy. I think all the magazines that tried that strategy are out of business already.


Last edited by zimbu on May 14, 2008 - 09:17 PM; edited 1 time in total
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Reg_ReaganOffline
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Post  Posted: May 14, 2008 - 08:45 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

SJ - Let's get fvciking ripped up this week, and then post something that is totally irrelevent, improper and intollertant.
IN???

Rejoice

Reginald Remington

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Go and get stuffed the lot of youse... now get me a KB woman...


Last edited by Reg_Reagan on May 14, 2008 - 08:46 PM; edited 1 time in total
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