Archive for the ‘Restaurant Reviews’ Category
-->
Apr
02
Posted by Larry Cragun
www.sushiman-issaquah.com 425-391-4295
Sushiman’s host is Robert Suetsugu, and a very involved one a that. It is not unusual to see him there. “Bobby”, as the menu refers to him, was Seattle born but ventured to Japan and became a sumo wrestler. After ten years he took up a new interest and served as an apprentice with a Sushi chef in Tokyo. Issaquah residents are now benefiting from the expertise he aquired.
We invited friends to go with us because we are not very educated in sushi and one of these friends lived in Japan for a long time. We thought we needed some help in ordering. We have not acquired the taste for raw fish, but there seems to be an explosion of people who have. Fortunately they have things on the menu we understood and were cooked. We ordered Beef Teriyaki (new york cut steak) and Tonkatsu. Our friends ordered the appetizers for us, Salmon Skewers (in teriyaki sauce) which I didn’t expect to like but was my favorite dish of the evening. The Gyoza were very good. Our friends ordered the Sashimi Plate, Chef’s Choice of Fresh Raw and Cooked Fish and Rice. They said it was tender and fresh.
For desert we had Coconut Ice Cream, Mango Ice Cream and Mochi. The Coconut Ice Cream was delicious, the Mango was underflavored. If you are a fan of Mochi, they have chocolate, vanilla, green tea, kona coffee, mango, red bean, and strawberry. We had the Mango Mochi. Yum!
The prices are higher than we expected, and it is hard to know that ahead of time because the website has the menu, but no prices. It would be nice to have them on it. I would ask to have my beef teriyaki more rare next time.
Sushiman host ” Bobby” is very congenial and mixes with the patrons. He has lost a lot of weight and no longer looks like a sumo wrestler. He credits Kangen Health Water for changing his life, and in fact has a demonstration every saturday at 11:00AM at Sushiman Restaurant about this water. www.KangenWater.us.
The restaurant interior is unusual, Japanese and looks great. The Sushi Bar is very prominent as you walk in the door and is very long and spacious.
If your party has more than 4 people, reservations are recommended. Located behind John L. Scott Realty
-->
Mar
17
Posted by Larry Cragun
If you are trying to decide where to go tonight, you might try Pogacha in Issaquah. The Cutters will perform Irish music from 6:30PM - 11PM. Put on some green and show up at 120 NW Gilman Blvd. For information and reservations (if it is not too late) call 392-5550.
If you are interested in food, Pagocha’s is one of my favorite places in Issaquah. www.pogacha.com Northwest Cuisine with an Adriatic Flair. The word pogacha means “flatbread” in Croatian. These are made by hand into individual pizza’s with the most delectable toppings of your choice. These are not your usual red sauce type pizza’s but if you insist you may add that. You don’t need to. They don’d need it. There are 13 different varieties on the menu and if you can’t make up your mind, they have the Four Seasons that gives you a taste of four of the most popular ones.
The menu is much more extensive than that and they have a friendly and warm decor. They have appetizers, soup, salads, pasta and specialties. Try the Fresh Basil & Tomato Soup. Their Spinach Salad has grilled chicken breast, dried apricots, red onion, red pepper and candied walnuts. They also have a Chopped Salad that I want to try. Pasta’s have names like Pear-Gorgonzola Ravioli and Lasagne Bechamel, Salmon Fettuccine (with sundried tomatoes and goat cheese). Just a few of the specialties offered are Lamb Chops Chimichurri or Tenderloin Steak with Gorgonzola.
They have four dishes that are in their Favorites Catagory, Sherry-Basil Chicken, Chicken Parmesan, Grilled Vegetable Skewer, and Northwest Phad Thai. All except the Grilled Veggies are only available at Pogacha of Issaquah. I am getting very hungry just writing this.
I can’t vouch for desert here because I never leave room for dessert. I think you will love this restaurant. I have never been disapointed. I am, however staying home tonight even though I am Irish. Probably everywhere tonight will be too wild and noisy for me. Restaurants Undressed in Issaquah.
-->
Mar
09
Posted by beta
Taqueria La Venadita is new in Issaquah. Jeffy said it was good, so I decided to give it a try and get take out for lunch. It is Authentic Mexican Food not americanized mexican food. Jeffy is right, it is good. I ordered things I knew what they were. Tacos, I ordered 4 kinds: chicken, steak, sausage and pork. Our favorite was, hands down, the sausage with steak next best. I also ordered Carne Asada, tasty and tender. The service was pleasant and helpful, he even gave me a taste of Rice Water. It looks like milk with ice in it but has cinnamon and sugar. 730 NW Gilman Blvd C107…. 425-391-6480
I think I was the only one in the place that couldn’t speak spanish. Even the TV “spoke” spanish! Not to worry. They speak english. They also have a Mexican Store at the same address a few doors down.
-->
Mar
02
Posted by issaquah_new
Restaurant Review in Issaquah for this week is Coho Cafe, 6130 East Lake Sammamish Parkway SE, Suite A, 425-391-4040, www.cohocafe.com. They define their restaurant as “Pacific Northwest Seafood with Asian & Southwest Influence”. We define it as one of Issaquah’s best. The list of things we like here is long. Small Plates are perfect when you want a real treat but not a heavy dinner. Steamed Manilla Clams are the best I have ever had. The sauce is to die for. Seafood Bisque and Asian Chicken Salad are our perfect takeout to share. Crab Cakes and the Crab, Spinach and Artichoke Dip get a thumbs up too. We want to try the Wood Grilled Jalapeno’s and the Smoked Chicken & Fruit Salad. Those come highly recommended. Hard to resist are both the Ahi Tacos and the Halibut Tacos.
Larry had the Asiago Grilled Talapia on our last visit. He gave me a little bite, what are husbands for? We need to try more of the main dishes, as we seem to always go for the smaller fare. Perhaps someone out there could give us their reccommendations?
COHO.COHO.COHO.COHO.COHO.COHO.COHO.COHO.COHO.COHO.
COHO.COHO.COHO.COHO.COHO.COHO.COHO.COHO.COHO.
COHO!!!!!! Thumbs up. The only negative is when it is full it is noisy. There is a nice fireplace you can get a table next to if you are freezing in this winter weather.
-->
Feb
24
Posted by Larry Cragun
It seems we missed a few places, plus we got some more info on good places to eat in Issaquah. We promise to get the name of that new mexican restaurant Jeffy mentions. OK, All you other people out there with opinions on food. Let’s here from YOU! Thank you, Jeffy, for your comments! We appreciate them. We totally agree with his comments on Nicolino Ristorante Italiano. Our favorite is Chicken Marsala. It is not always on the menu but they have usually been willing to make it for us. One restaurant guide only gave them 2 stars. They have obviously never eaten there, and their list was full of places that haven’t been around for years. Get your info from the locals!
Comments jeffy
Posted February 20, 2007 at 1:37 am | Permalink
-->
Feb
21
Posted by Larry Cragun
The first restaurant we have chosen to review in Issaquah is Thai Ginger. 4512 Klahanie Drive SE, Issaquah WA 98029, 425-369-8233, Sunday- Thursday 11am-9:30pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10:30pm, You can visit them on the web at www.thaiginger.com
Thai Ginger seems to do a lot of take out orders. We have noticed that most people come in, order, wait and leave with their food. The good thing about this is that they have a very large, attractive dining area so even on busy nights you can bring friends and find a table (only at the Issaquah location). The service is friendly and efficient. We give a big thumbs ups to the food. They have an extensive menu and we haven’t tried them all, in fact we usually come back to our favorites which are: Phad Thai, Chicken Nut Cashew, Ginger Prawns (friends of ours love the Garlic Prawns, we found them too strong of garlic), Chicken Curry, Tom Kha Gai. A few nights ago we were waited on by Micol. He was friendly and helpful to our friends. Our biggest question was how many stars of spicyness should we get? The menu states that 1-4 is the range but Micol told us about one customer who always orders 20 stars! He consumes copious quantities of water! We settled on the 2 - 3 stars range.
For desert we tried the Black Rice Pudding (topped with Coconut Milk) Yum! The Ginger or Mango Ice Creams are tasty too. They also do catering. Other locations are on their website.
Have you been to Thai Ginger? Since this is a blog and is interactive, you can click on comments and send us your opinions. They are most welcome.
The Boarding House Restaurant - wonderful simple tasty food
Flying Pie Pizzeria - best pizza in Issaquah, hands down
Issaquah Cafe - great diner fare. sourdough pancakes, yum!
Jak’s Grill - no surprise there’s always a line
Mandarin Garden Restaurant - American-style Chinese food at its best
Nicolino Ristorante Italiano - oh, swoon. Best restaurant in Issaquah.
Stan’s Bar-B-Q - the sides are generic, but the meat is yummy
Sweet Addition - cakes and cheesecakes are the stars, but soup, salad, and sandwiches are good too
12th Avenue Cafe - another great diner
Plus, you missed:
Issaquah Brewhouse/Rogue Ales - huge selection of good beer and upscale pub grub
Shanghai Garden - more traditional and healthier than Mandarin
Noodle Boat Thai - best Thai in Issaquah. Fresh and tasty food, friendly service
That new mexican place between Round Table and Denny’s is good, don’t know the name of it.