Dinner at Bubur Cha Cha

Dustin & I were in Chinatown the other night and we were going to go to Penang (one of our favorite places), but on our way we passed by Bubur Cha Cha and Dustin recommend we try it.  I am always up for trying something new so in we went.  The decor was a little over the top, but fun & bright.  I kind of felt like I was in Epcot Center.  They also had a few flat screen televisions which was great, because the Patriots game was on.

(picture via Bubur Cha Cha)

We got two appetizers.  The summer rolls, steamed roll filled with jicama yam and bean sprouts, with a spicy sauce on top.  I love these, they may not be as good a Penang’s rolls, but definitely worth getting.  We also got the Penang Satay Beef Skewer and those were perfectly cooked, seasoned well, and every bite was juicy.The only thing weird about them was the sauce that accompanied them; it was a mysterious flavor and chunky.  We skipped that.

Dustin got the Mango chicken, a sautéed chicken with shredded mango in sweet and spicy mango sauce.

I got the Sesame Chicken for my entree.  The chicken was sautéed with sesame seeds in a rich brown soy sauce.  The portions here were enormous.  I had this for lunch for two days!  The service was decent and attentive.  I would probably go back here, but if I had to choose would probably go to Penang first.

(Steven)

Dinner at Toro Bravo

Last night Justin and I rode our bikes to North Portland for dinner at Toro Bravo, a Tapas restaurant that has won numerous awards, including the Willamette Week’s Best Restaurant 2007.  The place had been HIGHLY recommended to us by many of our friends, and reading the Yelp reviews had us salivating before we even left the apartment.  We arrived around 5:30 and the place was already packed, so we put our name down, strolled down the street, and grabbed a quick drink while thinking about the tiny plates we’d be savoring later in the evening.

Some of you may know that Justin and I met while we were studying abroad in Valencia, Spain.  I was, regrettably, a vegetarian the entire time we were in Spain, and since our return to the States, we’ve both been trying to recreate the magic of Spanish cuisine (especially the meat) to take us back.

We took our seats at the bar, and decided to get a bottle of Bereziartua, a Basque sidra that has a very dry, tart taste to it, that put us right back in the Spanish mindset.  We perused the very extensive menu, and decided we’d go for the tasting menu - 7 plates of heaven.

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Yelp Brunch at The Rattlesnake

I love Yelp.  A friend of mine, Erik, told me about it a long time ago and I would look at it occasionally if I was curious about a restaurant or a store that I wanted to go to, but never took it seriously.  I never created an account, because I never felt like I had anything to add.  Well, that has all changed now, and for a little over a year now I have been writing small reviews on Yelp.  I also became a Yelp Elite member the beginning of this year which has tons of perks, the best of which are their free events!

On Sunday, I went to the Yelp Elite Brunch at The Rattlesnake, where Chef Brian Poe has taken over the kitchen and changed up the menu.  I went to the Rattlesnake a long time ago and didn’t remember what my experience was like, but friends of mine (Sara and We Are Not Martha) have been since the change and highly recommend it.  They say Poe’s Kitchen at The Rattlesnake (new name) has the best nachos in the city of Boston.  I am dying to go back to try those and if the weather in Boston continues to be as nice as it is eat them on their rooftop dining area.

I went to this event with Dustin, who is also a yelp elite, and we arrived shortly after they started letting people in.  Yelp events are always crowded and this was no exception.  We checked in and went straight to the bar where there was quite a back up.  We waited and checked out the drink menu which included drinks all featuring Beija Cachaça (so delicious! check it out if it’s available near you).  I got the recipes for the Beija cocktails so you can make them on your own.  I tried the Rejuvination and the Quentao, but never had a chance to try the Eastern Persuasion (I hear that one was yummy)

Beija Rejuvination
1 1/2 oz Beija Cachaça
3/4 oz Mandarin Juice
1/2 oz Agave Nectar
3 oz Prosecco

Beija Quentao
1 1/2 oz Beija Cachaça
4 oz Hot Apple Dider
3/4 oz Cinnamon, clove, and star anise syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Beija Eastern Standard
2 oz Beija Cachaça
1/2 Lime, quartered
1 oz Simple Syrup
1 oz Kiwi Puree
4-5 Green Grapes (muddled with Limes)

What we noticed was different from many other Yelp events was that it was a little disorganized.  It seems to me that it was a well thought out event (Leighann of Yelp always puts on great & well organized events. Always!) that at the last minute seemed to get a little out of control.  I believe the restaurant was completely understaffed and the lack of stations, one more bartender would have also been helpful and, perhaps, the buffet tables could have been arranged in a different way so that the line could have gone on both sides or stations which I believe where in the original plan.

Anyway, once we got drinks, we went over to the food line and waited there until we got food.  The one thing I like about Yelp events is the mingling, but with all the waiting that made it hard.  We did end up mingling a little with the people standing in line near us which was nice, and of course Sara and Leighann.

The food was delicious and was definitely what made the event.  It was a southwestern style brunch complete with tortillas, salsa, and the works!  They also had some other traditional brunch items.  The bacon (love you bacon!) was well cooked, the scrambled eggs were good, especially for brunch scrambled eggs which are notoriously dry or watery, and the home fried potatoes we just right.  I loved the Eggs Benedict served on a grilled green chile cornbread.

(Me looking goofy)

(Dustin finishing up his meal)

I am really excited about the Rattlesnake and I am dying to go back there when the restaurant is running in its regular way.  I am so fortunate to be a part of the Yelp community because it is one of the best social networking/food sites out there. What they offer their members is far beyond what any other FREE website offers their members and I love them for that.

(Steven)