Comments on: Pan-Asian Tranquility http://www.saltshaker.net/20050930/pan-asian-tranquility Casting a little flavor (and a few aspersions) on the world of food, drink, and life Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:16:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: dan http://www.saltshaker.net/20050930/pan-asian-tranquility/comment-page-1#comment-210145 dan Fri, 04 Feb 2011 02:10:25 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20050930/pan-asian-tranquility#comment-210145 Dropped in tonight for the first time in about two years. Prices have gone way up - the springroll appetizer itself is more than the entire meal was the first time around - two apps, two main courses and two beers ran us 260 pesos. Quality has definitely dropped too - the springrolls came pretty much alone on a plate with two leaves of butter lettuce, only a single sprig of mint, soy sauce on the side, and no vegetable or anything else. Six potstickers cost even more and again served with nothing but soy sauce and some dried out slices of cucumber. For main courses, a 75 peso satai consisted of four small skewers of extraordinarily salted beef served with a trio of sauces - one of pureed cilantro, one of a decent hot sauce, and one of plain peanut butter thinned out with some water; and a 65 peso plate of rice topped with some sauteed chicken and cashews - decent flavor, but for the price, not a good value. Overall, disappointing. Dropped in tonight for the first time in about two years. Prices have gone way up – the springroll appetizer itself is more than the entire meal was the first time around – two apps, two main courses and two beers ran us 260 pesos. Quality has definitely dropped too – the springrolls came pretty much alone on a plate with two leaves of butter lettuce, only a single sprig of mint, soy sauce on the side, and no vegetable or anything else. Six potstickers cost even more and again served with nothing but soy sauce and some dried out slices of cucumber. For main courses, a 75 peso satai consisted of four small skewers of extraordinarily salted beef served with a trio of sauces – one of pureed cilantro, one of a decent hot sauce, and one of plain peanut butter thinned out with some water; and a 65 peso plate of rice topped with some sauteed chicken and cashews – decent flavor, but for the price, not a good value.

Overall, disappointing.

]]> By: SaltShaker » Blog Archive » In Comparison to… http://www.saltshaker.net/20050930/pan-asian-tranquility/comment-page-1#comment-190009 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » In Comparison to… Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:16:57 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20050930/pan-asian-tranquility#comment-190009 [...] leave trying other dishes for another night. And I would go back, because other than, perhaps, Buddha BA, and maybe Sudestada, nobody else is really doing interesting pan-Asian cooking here, and this [...] [...] leave trying other dishes for another night. And I would go back, because other than, perhaps, Buddha BA, and maybe Sudestada, nobody else is really doing interesting pan-Asian cooking here, and this [...]

]]> By: SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Lotus Blossom http://www.saltshaker.net/20050930/pan-asian-tranquility/comment-page-1#comment-168719 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Lotus Blossom Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:02:44 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20050930/pan-asian-tranquility#comment-168719 [...] Buddha BA - Mixed Chinese and southeast Asian cuisine, and not on the same plate, just a good number of options. Great service, delicious food, beautiful, tranquil atmosphere. This spot is still my favorite. You won’t be able to have a complete Thai, or Vietnamese, or other meal with a couple of dozen different choices from one cuisine, but you will be able to pick and choose and suit a variety of palates. The one thing lacking, there’s not a single truly spicy dish on the menu - not as if a dish that should be is lacking in spice, they simply don’t offer anything that would typically be a very spicy plate. [...] [...] Buddha BA – Mixed Chinese and southeast Asian cuisine, and not on the same plate, just a good number of options. Great service, delicious food, beautiful, tranquil atmosphere. This spot is still my favorite. You won’t be able to have a complete Thai, or Vietnamese, or other meal with a couple of dozen different choices from one cuisine, but you will be able to pick and choose and suit a variety of palates. The one thing lacking, there’s not a single truly spicy dish on the menu – not as if a dish that should be is lacking in spice, they simply don’t offer anything that would typically be a very spicy plate. [...]

]]> By: SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Three Torches of Fire http://www.saltshaker.net/20050930/pan-asian-tranquility/comment-page-1#comment-9158 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Three Torches of Fire Fri, 22 Dec 2006 12:42:30 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20050930/pan-asian-tranquility#comment-9158 [...] Buenos Aires - I received several e-mails from people asking me about fresh litchis (also lychees or laichis). I forget sometimes that having spent twenty plus years in New York City, most of it in restaurants, that much of what I take as commonplace is unusual or exotic for many people. A lot of folks had tried them in Chinese restaurants, sometimes in a sweet and sour dish, sometimes as part of some sort of fruit dessert. But that’s different than both seeing and eating them fresh. [...] [...] Buenos Aires – I received several e-mails from people asking me about fresh litchis (also lychees or laichis). I forget sometimes that having spent twenty plus years in New York City, most of it in restaurants, that much of what I take as commonplace is unusual or exotic for many people. A lot of folks had tried them in Chinese restaurants, sometimes in a sweet and sour dish, sometimes as part of some sort of fruit dessert. But that’s different than both seeing and eating them fresh. [...]

]]> By: SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Chinatown on Mondays http://www.saltshaker.net/20050930/pan-asian-tranquility/comment-page-1#comment-400 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Chinatown on Mondays Tue, 09 May 2006 16:05:24 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20050930/pan-asian-tranquility#comment-400 [...] Buenos Aires - Apparently, Monday is the Sunday of Chinatown here. Who knew that virtually every single restaurant in Barrio China is closed on the day of the moon? Met up with my friend Heather, planning on a lovely lunch at BuddhaBA it was closed, so was Siempre Verde, in fact, there were only 2 restaurants open on the entire strip that we saw. Even nearby Contigo Peru, for a casual Peruvian lunch, was shuttered for the day. Neither of the two open options looked overly exciting, but one of them at least had Chinese people eating in it, 3 or 4 of them anyway. Thankfully, Dragon Porteño Arribeños at Arribeños 2137, turned out to be a decent option. [...] [...] Buenos Aires – Apparently, Monday is the Sunday of Chinatown here. Who knew that virtually every single restaurant in Barrio China is closed on the day of the moon? Met up with my friend Heather, planning on a lovely lunch at BuddhaBA it was closed, so was Siempre Verde, in fact, there were only 2 restaurants open on the entire strip that we saw. Even nearby Contigo Peru, for a casual Peruvian lunch, was shuttered for the day. Neither of the two open options looked overly exciting, but one of them at least had Chinese people eating in it, 3 or 4 of them anyway. Thankfully, Dragon Porteño Arribeños at Arribeños 2137, turned out to be a decent option. [...]

]]> By: SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Another Stab at Southeast Asia http://www.saltshaker.net/20050930/pan-asian-tranquility/comment-page-1#comment-378 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Another Stab at Southeast Asia Wed, 26 Apr 2006 13:09:28 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20050930/pan-asian-tranquility#comment-378 [...] Overall, I liked the place. I might give it a few more points than I gave Green Bamboo just for creativity; but then, Green Bamboo’s food definitely has a more Vietnamese focus and traditional style. For really good creative Asian food and quality I’ll still stick with BuddhaBA or Osaka. By the way, the owner of Sudestada has just opened up a second restaurant kitty-corner from his first, called Standard, serving “Argentine comfort food of the ’50s and ’60s”. I’ve added it to my list to try. [...] [...] Overall, I liked the place. I might give it a few more points than I gave Green Bamboo just for creativity; but then, Green Bamboo’s food definitely has a more Vietnamese focus and traditional style. For really good creative Asian food and quality I’ll still stick with BuddhaBA or Osaka. By the way, the owner of Sudestada has just opened up a second restaurant kitty-corner from his first, called Standard, serving “Argentine comfort food of the ’50s and ’60s”. I’ve added it to my list to try. [...]

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