hapatite

I went to go lease an apt. last week and the leasing officer (?) had a box of six sitting on her desk and offered one to me.

I tried the coconut one and it was very sweet and on the small side. The cake was very moist, but not in a good way, almost as if they use to much oil in the recipe?

This will be dangerous to be in Clarendon though. Even if they're mediocre cupcakes, I could see myself eating them far too frequently if they were just downstairs from me. I don't know if I'll be moving into Zoso though, the apartment I tried to lease--the tenants changed their mind at the last minute and now it's no longer available.

Other places in Zoso:

American Flatbread (not that good, WAY to expensive for what it is!)

Artisan Confections (1/2 of ACKC! I wonder if they'll bring the cocoa bar? Dunno if thats AC or KC)

Rustico AND Buzz Bakery will be coming to the Ballston/Va Square (halfway b/n) area 2010 summer, which will be MUCH better on both counts (American Flatbread and BakeShopDC)

I braved the crowds and checked this out with a friend yesterday.

I was actually a judge at the festival this past Saturday. The whole experience was surreal, I got to judge with Nycci from thelistareyouonit.com, Amanda from Metrocurean, and Marc Silverstein. I was really the small shrimp compared to them--other people recognized them and came up to them whereas I just didn't fit in

Also, they've been having the same judges for the past five years, so the judges mostly knew how everything was going to taste (a lot of people didn't change their dishes OR they changed them for the worse!) Some of the judges were done very quickly, but I wanted to taste all the dishes and make sure that we had the best idea of "best" appetizer, entree, and dessert. I also didn't have time to take pictures of any of the dishes! I thought we were going to have 10 tastes each (I received 10 tasting tickets from CityPaper), but we had volunteers that went and brought every dish to us, so that meant fifty dishes. There were 60 dishes on the menu, but like every year, some changed their offerings or didn't offer both dishes.

I went last year and had a blast (You can see my full account here).

As opposed to last year, there weren't any real plates where I was like "oh my gosh, this is great. This is so worth the five dollars". There were a lot of "ew, this is disgusting." (a lot of the seafood dishes that I had were 'fishy' tasting, and I'm quite picky on what seafood I put into my mouth based on past experiences). Bourbon Steak definitely had the best presentation. The shrimp lettuce wrap was laid out pristine-ly (tasted fishy though, about half the table had great shrimp and the other half--me and Marc--had fishy shrimp). I had a love/hate relationship with the pudding, but I really liked the complexity of flavors and textures (pumpkin bread, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and an at-times-too-rich, but well pronounced butterscotch pudding). The pudding won for best dessert. I liked the pad thai from bangkok joes because it was nice and warm; the Morton's sandwich was disgustingly cold and too chewy, I couldn't even rip a bite off and the meat was too rare for my liking; Clyde's lobster roll was good: nice warm buttered bread and a lot of lobster that wasn't drowned in dressing. the lobster was nice and fresh, but needed a little more seasoning (best entree); Morso's Olive-oil poached octopus won for best appetizer. I really liked the texture of the octopus because it was perfectly tender and not chewy at all, but it was too smoked for my taste. I only ate one piece of it.

The worst ones all around were the bacon lollipops (tasted like liquid smoke almost! and the apples tasted chemically); fig leaf-wrapped prawn (bad texture to the prawn and the mushy lentils were not appetizing); Nick's ribs (too much sauce--drowned out the meat); almost all the sliders except Rugby's which were tender and juicy; Bodega's paella was too mushy and had a slightly rancid strong fish taste; Mie N Yu's kimchi was good but the bulgogi was too mushy (liked the marinade's flavor though)--their tofu hot n' sour soup was bad. Neyla's chicken shwarma sliders were a favorite of the table, but I didn't like them. The chicken was a bit dry and the slider lacked juice, crunch, and aromatics. Fahrenheit's pulled pork slider was too salty, their dessert looked store-bought and too-safe. J.Pauls' crabcake/slider combo was bad as well.

Close runner-ups were:

- Hook's Sweet Potato Pie

- Baked & Wired's Dessert Plate (I loved the apple pie because it was creamy and crunchy at the same time and not too tart, but I didn't like the cherry pie at all)

- Rugby's Slider

- I *loved* Gtown's pumpkin spice cupcake with maple frosting. I liked the crunch on top of the hazelnut cupcake as well. (We received 6 different cupcakes to try: pb fudge, red velvet, pumpkin, hazelnut, chocolate ganache, vanilla/vanilla)

I had a wine tasting and a beer tasting and didn't care for either (not big red wine or beer fan!)

Anyone else have thoughts on ToG'09?

I bought the LAC recently off of Amazon because they were having a 30% off sale.

http://www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/ricecookers/ns_lac.html

I tried 1 cup of white rice on white rice setting (not quick rice), and it was about 45 minutes.

The rice came out MUCH better than my cook/keep warm Cuckoo cooker--no burnt or crispy parts and no excess moisture.

I'll continue to use it and see if it lives up to the price tag though.

I hated the service at SEI, it really irked me throughout the whole evening.

The food was just okay, but I had been expecting more because it's by the same people as OYA.

Wasabi guac had no taste of wasabi, just avocado; sliders were over-done and greasy with hard buns.

Like I said, everything else was just okay.

We had a Fish and Chips roll, Kobe beef roll, Spicy Salmon Mousse, and Shrimp Tempura roll for the sushi. The kobe beef was very chewy, okay tasting, but nothing special. The spicy salmon was a sushi that I had campaigned for, trying to convince my boyfriend to order it, and I ended up hating it. The mousse itself was very weird tasting–it had a very strong musky taste and I couldn’t eat more than two pieces. Fish and Chips was okay… nothing special (It sounded oh-so special on the menu). Shrimp tempura was over-cooked and dry, but the rice was okay.

Service was ridiculous. Our waitress came by about three times within our first dish arriving, asking us if she could take our soy sauce plates, our napkins, our silverware–she was trying to remove every piece of everything we weren’t using. Also, everytime she came she moved the plates to ‘reorganize’ the table, even if it was a milimeter. Then she disappeared for a while and when our table got cleared, it was like a circus! Three people, from all sides of me were clearing the table–they really wanted us out of there quickly! The thing about service is that you should take it for granted. Excellent service should be seamless and go unnoticed. The fact that I noticed our service was bad means that it was really bad.

Also, I’m a big stickler for ‘owning up’ to the language. If you’re going to claim to be Japanese cuisine and use Japanese ingredients and names, then at least spell the menu correctly. I mean, even my boyfriend noticed it and he’s not even versed in Japanese, let alone Japanese ingredients. They butchered “Chichai Sara” and then spelled ingredients like “daikon” incorrectly. One thing can sum up my experience there: *sigh*.

I had hoped so much for SEI to be good, especially after their abbreviated review in the Post (how the ostrich leather was supposed to muffle the sounds), but it was everything Oya isn’t. The chairs also have the handles on the back, but have laces up them. I liked the wall between the lounge and the dining area that was constructed out of red coral, but when you get close to it, you could see that it was really half-assed and the coral was sticking out all over the place at the top. When I went, you couldn't really see the restaurant from the outside, we had to identify it by the valet sign, but I walked by recently and they seem to have corrected this.

I went back to Restaurant 3 last night and sat outside.

The outdoor seating is pretty nice, I like the raised patio but don't like the hightops. The chairs were pretty comfortable even though they looked like they wouldn't be.

I had a white russian that had almost no alcohol in it and then had the ginger-lemon drink. The ginger-lemon drink tasted a tad like pine-sol, but after the ice melted into a bit, it was fresh and strong. The new fashion (syrup and orange juice with blackberries) was gross and I sent it back. I also had the andouille burger. It was big and messy and pretty good. The curly fries made the dish though!

I saw the manager on my way out and said Hi to him and let him know that we came back and the burger was good.

Both were a steal during the Monday happy hour, when all appetizers are half price (other days have different specials, like $5 martinis, but beer and wine are always discounted).

So, the bottom line for me is that this is a solid neighborhood restaurant, with a well done beer program (I haven't yet paid much attention to the wine list during my visits), and a happy hour that's an absolute bargain.

Were you able to get the HH specials in the restaurant?

We were told they were bar-area only, which was packed.

Are you really accusing the restaurant of served Crisco instead of butter? Not to mention that your picture shows the butter to be a bit yellow.

Taking photos in a dimly-lit restaurant usually turns out yellow. The "butter" was white and had no flavor.

How can something taste like mashed potatoes or polenta? Are you talking about the consistency or the actual flavor? Potatoes certainly do not taste like corn from where I come from. I could certainly see the grits tasting like polenta since, well, they are both basically the same thing.

Texture. The grits did not taste like corn nor potatoes.

Were you expecting boneless fried chicken? And the chicken was too savory to be balanced by the waffles? I just don't understand that statement.

The chicken in your picture certainly does not look too dark to me.

Yes, I was expecting boneless. All other places I've had this dish at served it boneless. When I eat chicken and waffles, I want the savory and sweet to be equally balanced. The scale was tipped too far in favor of savory to be deemed balanced, even after the addition of syrup.

This chicken is the darkest fried chicken I have ever had. The meat itself was nice, but the breading was too much for me.

And after you had your entire meal comped, you still felt compelled to come online and post in this manner? Amazing.

My boyfriend and I actually didn't want the meal to be comped and mentioned to the server and the manager repeatedly that we wished to pay for the meal, but the manager would have none of it. We did pay for the beer and tipped on the full amount. I wrote this review in response to Don's statement about consistency to see if the restaurant was having an off night or if this was standard. I had originally resolved to be like "darn, oh well. Won't come here again, at least I know now", but figured that after the rave reviews about these dishes and the manager talking to us that it must have been an off night.

If this is typical fare, I think it fair to post. I also think it fair to post that a restaurant can be inconsistent and that the manager can take responsibility and apologize. I have been at many establishments where this exact same situation has happened and the waiter did not pass on the information or the manager didn't care and I have paid my bill. I also didn't specifically ask for the manager nor for the meal to be comped, so I don't see the issue here. Should I not post bad experiences ("off-night" or not?) here? Seems there will always be someone that will dispute my claims that the food was sub-par, but I don't care. I ate it, and I know it was bad. I've eaten a lot of food and I know what's great, good, bad, or just my personal taste/preference.

I believe that some can like the food here or maybe the food can be cooked well (In fact, I plan to go there again for the sandwiches). I don't drink that much so a Happy Hour environment or deal can't redeem a place for me. I think this is a fair post because I told the entire truth and how my mind was changed by the manager.

P.S. my "mehs" were as follows:

"How was everything?"

"Um...."

"Was something wrong?"

"Well...It was okay. I didn't like the breading on the chicken because it was too-seasoned and very dark. It was kind-of hard to eat because it was so large and the bone was in. But it was okay"

"Oh, well sorry to hear that"

"The breading was kindaof like on those frozen chicken patties, you know?"

"We do all the breading ourselves"

Commentary on the trout was given to the waiter by my boyfriend, so I won't say anything on that

"Just curious, what's this?" (Points to butter)

"Butter"

"What kind?"

"It's butter and we whip it to make it nice and soft"

"Oh"

"You didn't like that either?"

"I liked the cornbread!"

Can it possibly be this good on a consistent basis?

Oh no! We went to have the Smothered Trout and Chicken & Waffles last night and it was a sub-par experience.

Parts of the dinner were fine, some were good, and some went as far as disgusting.

My boyfriend made ordering the Smothered Trout a requirement after reading your review, and I ordered the Chicken & Waffles since they were recently part of an online debate.

Even though a whole dining room was empty, we had to wait. The service was awkward and abrupt, as if reading from a script unwillingly while trying to be forcefully friendly.

Bread was fine, I actually really liked the warm cornbread, but the "butter" was disgusting. It tasted like Crisco out of a jar. When the server cleared the bread basket at the end of the meal, I asked him what "it" was and he said "Butter, but we whip it to make it nice and fluffy." I must have had an incredulous look on my face since he said "What, you didn't like that either?". This butter was white, and was just a chunk in a silver container. It was flavorless and greasy--no, I didn't like it.

The food came incredibly fast, too fast. I've seriously had to wait longer for burgers at McDonalds (which means they already had these plates started before we placed our order). When the plate-messenger put the plates down, I confirmed with him that it was the "Smothered Trout"-- I couldn't even see the fish on the plate. The waiter confirmed that we got our dishes by glancing at the table while walking by, but didn't ask us how everything was until we were finished...

The whole plate was disgusting to look at. The skin of the fish, once found, was soggy and oily. The fish itself was very small for the price--less grits, more fish! The shrimp had no meat in it and it made me sick to my stomach to look at it. The grits didn't taste like any grits I've ever had, and I'm from the South! It tasted more like polenta or mashed potatoes, but they actually tasted alright. The sauce was nice and flavorful, but I didn't understand where it was supposed to go on the plate because there was just too much of it.

Good ol' Chicken and Waffles. I'm glad that syrup won the debate over gravy as the topping. The waffles were okay, but I've made better back when I was a student and used those cafeteria waffle irons. They tasted like they were frozen and then reheated--in fact, I had one bite that was slightly cold. They weren't crunchy at all and soon were quite soggy. The chicken was a huge hunk of meat in comparison to the triangles of waffle beneath it. The chef likes to heavy-hand the parsley as a garnish as can be seen on both plates. When I eat chicken and waffles, I want to be able to slice through both and get a nice perfect bite. But this huge hunk of meat, with the bone still in, prevented me from doing that. The breading was thick, overly seasoned, and too dark. It was similar to the breading found on frozen chicken patties, though when I said this to the waiter, he assured me that they "do their own breading" (not the response I was looking for...). The chicken was so savory and the waffles weren't substantial enough to balance them out, but I forced myself to eat the empty calories so I wouldn't waste food. I honestly didn't want to eat anymore since it wasn't enjoyable, but I had to get my money's worth.

Thankfully, the waiter voiced all of our "meh"s to the manager and he came over and talked to us. He's a really nice guy and his talking to us changed our minds about whether we would return again or not. He told us that he didn't want to charge us for a dinner we didn't enjoy, which was fair. We complemented him on having Allagash and warm bread, and actually paid for the Allagash and tipped on the full amount of our original bill.

Has anyone else been less-than wowed at Restaurant 3?

This phrase is very commonly used around here. I have no idea of its uses in other parts of the country, but I certainly had not heard of this phrase used before coming to DC. I still associate dim sum with Cantonese foods, so I am always thrown off when someone asks me if I want to go have some cruellers and "Northern-style dim sum." *sigh*

Yeah, I'm of the school of thought that Northern-style dim sum = not dim sum.

And, I might go as far as to say Northern-style dim sum = bad.

It was just too traumatizing an experience for me.

I went here a while back for the "Northern-style dim sum". That phrase itself should have set some flags off. What I got was an extremely crowded place with no carts, and there were none of my familiar dim sum dishes. Oh yeah, that's because my family is Cantonese and we only go to Cantonese dim sum places. The word "dim sum" is Cantonese, this should be called "dian xian" or Northern Style small plates.

The steamed ribs were disgusting to me, but the thousand layer pancake was alright. Shredded pork ear was alright--glad I tried it but won't order again. This bad experience kept me away for quite some time, but after hearing friends' cravings for A&J I figured they must be doing something right.

A&J is really good to go to for what they do best -- Taiwanese and Northern Chinese food.

I went back here with a friend recently to try their Sunday breakfast menu and all of it was delicious.

Various steamed or fried breads with fillings, what could go wrong?

Menu attached.

(P.S., the whole menu is vegetarian!)

I've been to Eventide twice, both times on the roof.

The first time was for dinner on the roof. They didn't tell us until we sat down that there was no kitchen on the roof so everything would be served cold. I though that they might do some interesting things, but one bleh salad and a thoroughly disgusting cold glue-like potato soup later, we left.

The roof at night (after 10pm) is great for drinking though.

I tried Eventide a few weeks later with a friend. She loves brunch and rooftops, so I took a chance. I didn't think that the rooftop would be open to have food on since before I was told that the roof didn't have a kitchen and they didn't want to transfer food between floors. But, we did get hot, delicious food on the roof and it was a beautiful, sunny and warm day out.

Eventide is on my list again (after redeeming itself) to try for second-floor dining room. The decor is amazing and I hear the food is equally so. Hopefully I won't run into any of the service or noise problems that I've heard others have experienced.

Can't vouch for the quality of the bento (mmm, daifuku), but I can vouch for the quality of the music. It will be beautiful. Okamoto-sensei is a delightful player.

(Disclaimer: I play with the Koto Society. I won't be playing at otsukimi, though.)

Haha, I plan to bring my own o-bento, as I figure that I can make one for cheaper and maybe (?) better tasting...

I think the bento are for family or groups that plan to stay for the whole event as this does span dinner time.

Update: The event is now sold out.

I went to Willow last November for my then-company's Orientation/Training dinner.

I did not care for my food at all, in fact I didn't like any bit of it. I remember the scallops being slightly cold and having large amounts of grit in them. I don't care for wine (other than ume-shu or sparkling), so that's not a redeeming factor for me.

Even though my boyfriend and I plan to move to Arlington and we both used to work there, I have no intent on ever going to Willow.

I have tried to forget my bad dinner there, so forgive me for lack of details.

This may be a tad late, but I really like the retractable cord function. It's easy to store and get out of the way when you unplug it. At Maxim's in Rockville this wknd, they had the 10-cup versions for $169. Maybe you can price-point that way.

I think I'm going to go with the NS-LAC05.

I absolutely refuse to get anything over 5 cups though! That's just a waste because even with a 3-cup machine I rarely make over 1 cup and I freeze the leftovers. At that point, even though the one you showed, goodeats, it'd take up more space than it's worth. I think I'll try to make it out to Lotte (they have the best selection in Virginia that I've found) and if that doesn't work, it's Amazon for me!

My experiences are the same as Dan's - no carryout at all on the buffet unless they charge you. Maybe next time ask for less naan rather than write off the restaurant forever? Seriously, it seems odd to be so negative about what is probably less than a penny's worth of ingredients.

And was the food "interesting" in a good way, or a bad way? How did it compare to other Indian restaurants you've tried? I haven't been to SpiceXing, but I am considering it for lunch with a friend next week.

The naan wasn't part of buffet, it was offered to everyone that ate lunch, regardless. I wasn't trying to take any food from the buffet home.

I didn't request the naan, it's "service" provided by the restaurant. I was thinking that they offered a full basked of naan to me (1 person)--I don't understand why I couldn't take the one-and-a-half pieces I couldn't finish (as a result of the buffet). Are they going to reuse it or something? They've lost the naan already, whether to me or the trash, once they served it. Maybe they should make a practice of giving less naan, especially if you're getting the buffet. Or only giving naan if you don't get the buffet and providing naan at the buffet for those that are partaking and are interested.

I just hate the idea of wasting (edible) food.

The food wasn't disgusting, but it wasn't great. I've had better Indian food for around the same price and I've had better lunch buffets (regardless of the price).

And yes, little things like this can really sour an experience for me. Things like this, or being seated next to the hostess stand/door for a pre-noted special occasion with refusal to change tables, or the attitude of a waiter, or the lack of service, or having to send back food because it's cooked incorrectly, or having dirty silverware--those little things bother me.

I was forwarded this email from JICC:

JASW with support from the National Arboretum present:

Otsukimi

Moon Viewing at the U. S. National Arboretum

3501 New York Avenue, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002

Saturday, October 3, 2009

5:30PM-8:00PM

*Event held rain or shine

Join the Japan-America Society of Washington DC (JASW) and the U.S. National Arboretum for an exclusive nighttime opening of the Arboretum as we celebrate the ancient custom of admiring the Harvest Moon. There will be a full moon that night. Families are welcome, and children 15 years of age and under are admitted without charge. Parking is free.

Attendees may bring their own picnic dinner or order an obento (lunch-box with Japanese food) through JASW. JASW will provide sake (many thanks to Hakutsuru), soft drinks, and daifuku. Obento orders MUST be received and paid for in advance no later than Monday, September 28. There is no special obento for children. Vegetarian obento is available by request only. Obento cancellations after September 28 and no shows cannot be refunded.

This year we will have lots to do during JASW’s Otsukimi event!

• The National Arboretum’s Bonsai Museum will be open during Otsukimi with docents on duty.
  
• The Washington Toho Koto Society will play and inspire all of us to write haiku as we gaze up to the stars.
  
• We will be introducing Shodo (calligraphy) demonstrations, Otsukimi Origami, and a new game called “Otsukimi Karuta”.
  
• Obon dance. We will teach you Japanese obon dances. Wear your yukata and join us!
  

Click here for online registration

Register by Monday, September 28.

Flyer attached

091003OtsukimiFlyer.pdf

I work in Rockville so went here for the lunch buffet.

The food was alright. Even though I don't eat that much food, I chose the buffet so that I could try a bunch of different things. The eight or nine dollar price point is fine considering that's what a sandwich runs you these days at places like Panera or Cosi.

Food was interesting, but the lamb dish I tried had some cartilage in it that I had to pull out of my mouth. The chutneys were delicious.

The only thing that irked me was that I received naan, and I couldn't finish all the naan (let alone go back for seconds to the buffet). The one-and-a-half pieces of naan that I couldn't finish aren't going to be reused, they're going to be thrown out because they can't be served to anyone else. And yet, my waitress wouldn't let me take them home. I'm not trying to abuse the system--I didn't fill up my plate at the buffet and then ask for the check and a box, so what gives? This really put a bad taste in my mouth about the whole experience.

Even though I work in Rockville (walking distance from the Town Center), I don't think I'll ever go to SpiceXing again. I had heard great things about it, but I can just go get a sandwich at Potbelly for cheaper and not deal with awkward service.

This might be an atypical experience since others might have eaten all of the food or gone for dinner.

This place is a'bustling on the weekend. I love that it's quite authentic, so you can go here and get your pastry/deli fix.

I went here as part of a Yelp Cupcake Crawl and tried the raspberry and caramel cupcakes. Both have fillings and both were just 'meh.'

I wouldn't come here for the cupcakes and it isn't metro-acessible, but I do give them credit for the no-frills nostalgia factor. The bagels and bread here are very nice, soft, and flavorful. Even though the place was packed, the line moved very quickly. There is also some extra seating outside (where mosquitoes like to chomp on patrons)

Is there an easy reference guide to determine what spices go best with what food?

I made this cabbage-potato-smoked sausage concoction tonight. The only spices I added were: S&P, garlic, and a bay leaf. (I have no idea what flavor bay leaves are to impart; it just seems that everybody ultimately adds a bay leaf or two to most dishes.) I t was okay, but it needed something. I don’t know what. Just something.

How do I know – sans the trial and error route – what spices compliment certain foods? I could scour a score of recipes and get a general idea of what works. But, when you’re trying to throw together something quick, time is of the essence. There must be an Internet resource out there.

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs

I'm thinking about getting a new rice cooker.

It's just 2 people eating, and usually only 1 person (me) eats rice

It's between Zojirushi's

- NS-LAC05

- NS-VGC05

Anyone have experience with any of these models?

Here's the comparison chart Zojirushi provides (attached).

The only difference I can tell is that NS-VGC05 is a little smaller than LAC05 and cooks cake and rinse-free rice and has a detachable cord.

NS-VGC05 is nice looking and cooks brown rice, but no cake or rinse-free rice. It has a retractable cord and I don't think I'll ever cook rinse-free rice or cake in it, so I don't care about those features. It is a little bigger than VGC05 but has a color LCD screen.

Both of them have quick-rice and half-cup options, which I like, as well as timers.

Right now I have a Cuckoo rice cooker that makes a cup of rice in about 15 minutes (I don't always let it "rest" after cooking). It only has "cook" and "keep warm" options. It was about $30 from the Lotte in Fairfax.

Also, do you think the local asian marts will have these models, and if so, at the same price or different prices?

Shilla is open until midnight and has frozen yogurt and shaved ice.

I don't know if we're all going to the same Sea Pearl, but I loved my experience there.

I hate sea bass, but I ordered it begrudgingly at the waiter's recommendation and it is seriously one of the best fish dishes I have ever had.

The restaurant isn't overpriced at all, it just depends what you order. I think the quality of food is just right for the price point--similar prices and food can be had at a Great American Restaurant

The space is very nice, especially the lounge area, but the main dining room is a little big and awkwardly laid out.

I really like the decor by where we sat, it reminds me somehow of 2941

I'm really eager to try this place, but the opening date for September has been changed to Fall '09.

Anyone have any inside knowledge as to when-abouts it'll be open?

I'm just saying don't go to Kora and expect Farrah Olivia.

Unfortunately, I went to kora only because I love Farrah and because I needed some Morou while it's closed.

Service was laughable as the staff didn't even know what the dishes were on the menu.

In the time that it took you to confirm what I guessed "semi-freddo" was (partially frozen), I saw a table order it and eat it.

The decor was also nice from far away but sitting *in* it for a meal made it loose some of its charm and I was able to see how cheap and shoddy some aspects were put together. I did like the homage to Farrah Olivia in the front with the branches, but they were covered up by their huge pizza oven.

Here's a quick collage I made of their decor. These pictures, from their site, are actually very true to how the place looks in real life.

Here's our scenario. Family of 3, including a vegetarian almost-teen who wants to start making her own cucumber rolls for lunch. She generally prefers brown rice (inc. for sushi). Does a 5.5 "cup" induction machine look like the best bet for us? I tend to be lazy about rice (sometimes substituting Israeli couscous when I make Indian food, just because it's faster and easier and still tastes good), although I actually appreciate lots of different kinds when someone else makes it. Risotto and biryani are all-family faves in case that makes a difference (e.g. if some cookers handle more complex main dish recipes better).

Any brand preferences? Or brands to avoid?

You can pick up a 3-cup rice cooker for about $30 at any local Asian Mart. (even Target or online too)

If you get a smart rice cooker (fuzzy) that can cook brown and regular and sushi rice, it'll be like $120.

I know with the standard 1 button cook/warm cookers you can cook pasta, hard boil eggs, and make rice and then mix things into it (ex: byriani)

If you make rice at least once a week, it's worth getting a cheap rice cooker for the consistency, speed, and ease.

If you want to do fancier things with rice and plan to use it more frequently (every day, every other day) or want to have a timer so that it will automatically make rice ready by dinner time or in the morning, get the more expensive, fuzzy one. I will be jealous.