Several in person visits to Saigon Noodle Bar. I actually like it more than the original in San Telmo, more just the layout and the feel of the place, and, of course, it’s a lot closer to home – I can walk to it in about 20 minutes. Favorite lunch on and off has become an order of summer rolls and a banh tom salad of prawns, herbs, greens, and peanuts. What’s not to love?

A revisit to Niño Gordo – the chef’s recommended Tataki de Bife – Yema – Wasabi – Shiso or Beef Tataki – Yolk – Wasabi – Shiso. Excellent. Tender slices of raw beef, just seared on the outside, egg yolk, crispy shallots and sesame seeds, dots of wasabi mayo, and shreds of shiso leaves, all over sushi rice. 330 pesos. And, the Pho Agripicante de Pato, or Spicy-sour Duck Pho, loved the broth, that sour bit is just a perfect note, not as spicy as I would have liked, even though the cook in front of me warned me it was super spicy after drizzling about a half teaspoon of sriracha sauce over the dish – I asked if I could have more, he handed me the bottle, I added about a tablespoon more, that gave it enough picante to taste. But I found the dish a little lacking – not enough noodles, way too many beansprouts, and hardly any duck at all, just four thin slices off of a small duck breast – you can see them at the back of the photo. So, while tasty, not a dish I think I’d order again. 360 pesos.

I’ll still be critical where deserved, but I’ve come to really dislike just writing an all around bad review, i.e., trashing a place that I’ve only been to once, even if it was really bad. And at the same time, I don’t want to go back and give them another shot just to see if it was a one-off problem. It’s a conundrum.

It also, unfortunately, but a reality I have to consider, has an impact on my own place. More than one person who is either owner or chef of a restaurant I’ve given a negative review to has gone out of their way to then go and post negative reviews of Casa SaltShaker, even though they’ve never been. I hate to bow to that kind of potential pressure, but it’s a reality that hits in the wallet, versus a blog I write for free.