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yfunk3

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Everything posted by yfunk3

  1. Have never been here, but have walked by every time I'm in the area (which isn't much, to be honest). I DO have an anecdote and some maybe-interesting info about this restaurant though... Back a year and a half/two years ago, I had a rat problem in my apartment. Had the local pest control person come in, and he was really nice and chatty. He said he had to work that night at his restaurant job, and I obviously had to ask which restaurant he worked at. Well, it was Mexicali Blues, and I made a mental note to check up on the place one day since (at the very least!) it was bound to be pest-free! I mention this to a lot of people who live around here because everyone knows at least ONE person who is afraid of the "cleanliness" of certain restaurants (you know what I'm talking about! LOL). Despite the mediocre reviews of their food that I've heard/read basically everywhere, I always suggest this place to people I know to be squeamish about trying anything less than the fanciest of restaurants or chain restaurants. And they always end up liking it enough to go back!
  2. Love their breakfast tacos and had their pollo asada tacos for lunch once, which were delicious as well. My only beef is that they're woefully ill-equipped to deal with cash purchases. My very first time, all I had was $5, but I only wanted ONE breakfast taco. But they kept the entire $5 because they didn't have change and didn't even offer to give me a second taco to at least make up for the lack of change. I was running short on time, so just left it. I just brushed it off to them needing the $2 more than I did, but I'm not really in the habit of tipping 40% before I've had a chance to try the product... If you do go, pay with a credit/debit card. I think they prefer it that way, anyway! It gets really busy and it takes a bit for them to make your order, but it's a great deal for breakfast or lunch if you don't mind waiting. I wish I could go more, but sometimes my health takes precedence!
  3. I work in the area, so I've been to Slice n Dice often for lunch, but more for breakfast. Their breakfast sandwiches are great and a great value. Less than $3 for a big sandwich on either a delicious housemade biscuit or a good housemade bagel. I've been partial to the bagel lately, but you can't go wrong with their biscuits either. I love their bagels, but probably because they're freshly-made. Sometimes when I order just a bagel with nothing (no cream cheese, no sandwich, just a bagel), they hand me stale ones that had been made the previous day and kept in the fridge overnight...but I find that was just me going too early (right after they open at 7 AM). Their cheesesteak is great, and the best one I've had in the region so far (and I grew up in Jersey, so I know my cheesesteaks , even compared to Al's in Alexandria. It's a bit greasy, but hey...you're not eating a cheesesteak because you're on a diet. Heh. Chicken cheesesteak is overloaded on the pepper and not enough cheese in the least. The pepper was too much for me both times I've had it. Regular sub sandwiches...I've only had the turkey so far, but it was really salty. I'm fairly sensitive to salt, so it might be just me. But it's put me off their cold cut sandwiches...I do like their bread, though. Pizza looked WAAAAAYYY too cheesy for me. Like, dripping with cheese. As did their strombolis. Never tried them for this reason. Montgomery donuts are addictive. I try to stay away for the good of my already-hefty waistline, but every now and then I get the craving for a great, freshly-made donut that's not from a chain (which this region is surprisingly and sorely lacking). The owner is always around, but looking very serious and not interacting very much with customers unless they are short-staffed. And they are obviously VERY short-staffed a lot of the time. I would say it's a kink they need to work out, but they've been open for about a year now (maybe more? Can't remember) and they still don't have a great system for when it gets REALLY busy. It's just confusing, but not chaotic enough to turn me away. Bottom line: go for breakfast. You'll definitely get great value for your money then.
  4. I've been here twice, and I think both times were under different owners (but can't be sure). The first time when close to when it first opened. Food was great, if a bit pricier than other Indian places in the area (in fact, I would say it's only a couple dollars cheaper than Rasika's entrees!). But I had a great lamb curry that tasted much more complex and flavorful than what I've had at other Indian restaurants in the District and NoVa, and I left with a good impression. My friend had the biryani and was very pleased (she's Indian and prefers her mom's biryani, but she said this was a great version as well). Fast forward to last September. Brought a different friend there. First off, the service was horrendous. Took the waitress forever to get to us to take our drink orders, than took her a full ten minutes to get us water. Left immediately without taking our food order, but came back after another ten minutes (the restaurant was just us and one other party of two). When we finally ordered, my friend got the Chicken tikka masala and I got the lamb curry again. We plit a samosa as appetizer. The food...I can't even begin to describe it. The samosa was just fennel bursts in tons of undercooked potato. That was the only flavor, and it hit in HUGE, unpleasant bursts throughout the samosa. We didn't even attempt to finish it. The naan...was SWEET and too soft. It was obvious they had used a simple bread dough (possibly pre-made, like the Pillsbury kind) instead of making their own naan. The chicken tikka masala...tasted like it was made with spaghetti sauce. It had that sweet, basil-y, oregano-y flavor to it in addition to the typical Indian spices. Looked chunky like spaghetti sauce, too. My friend barely managed to eat half of her meal. The lamb curry also tasted like the spaghetti-tikka-masala sauce, only with lots of cream and more spices added. It also took forever for the waitress to get us the check when we were done, and she never once checked up on us. Our water glasses were empty immediately after the samosa and remained empty until 5 minutes before we asked for the check, and we were forced to sit there for over an hour because of the bad service. I know I should give a restaurant more chances, but this was like a multitude of sins piled into one experience, so I will definitely not be going back. The service I can forgive if the food was even average enough for me to like (I'm not that picky an eater!), but that was maybe the worst food I've ever paid for in my entire life, and that's saying something. I really wish there was at least one other Indian option near Old Town that didn't require a car for me to get to, because Raw Silk has fallen way off my radar screen.
  5. I always try to stop in here and get a couple scoops of the Hippie Crack (or a whole bag!) because well...the name says it all! Everything I've had here has been great: their iced teas, their quiches, their cookies. Surprisingly, I've never tried any of their cupcakes, but they sure do LOOK delicious. It is sort of hidden away...but with the Georgetown crowds, I sort of like it that way! I suppose it's selfish of me to want to keep this place all to myself (so to speak). Heh. A little anecdote: Was given a brief "tour" of their kitchen once when I was there with a couple of friends, and they keep the plastic spoon that Luke Wilson ate with on their wall. Very amusing. The staff is always great there.
  6. I've found that it's hit or miss at Malaysia Kopitiam depending on the time of day/what day you go. Lunchtime is typically weaker. The first time I went, it was around 2:00 PM on a Saturday and the mee goreng I had was totally and utterly flavorless. I don't mean just bland and needed salt...but completely flavorless. The following times, I've gone for early Saturday and Sunday dinners, and I've gotten great meals since. I'll just have to remember to never go there for lunch! Also, as someone mentioned previously, their roti canai is pre-made (probably the frozen kind). I wish there was a way to combine Penang's fresh roti canai with Malaysia Kopitiam. Then MK would be my favorite restaurant in the area (barring the distance from my apartment, that is)! For those who don't like spicy but love the big flat rice noodles, try the char kway teow. MK has a great one, and it's comfort food (for this Singapore-born girl, at least) at its best.
  7. Has anyone ever been to their $20 Sunday brunch buffet? I want a special meal for my upcoming birthday, and am set on Indian since I am just craving that complex mix of spices, but wasn't sure if the buffet was worth it. I haven't read too much about it anywhere else, and I'm not really trusting Yelp! these days. I've been to Rasika, but the Bombay Club buffet is cheaper. I also can't resist an Indian buffet. )
  8. Hi, everyone. Found out about this board via Chowhound (which has its annoyances, but it keeps me informed on the DC-area dining scene, along with Tom Sietsema's chats on WaPo) and can't wait to forage through the dining guide and posts. I grew up in the Chinese take-out industry (yes, I was that kid answering the phone, taking your order, delivering your food once I learned how to drive, etc.) and just have a general appreciation of food of all kinds and also of all aspects of the restaurant industry. Let's just say...I'm an over-tipper! LOL I don't often have the money or transportation to go to the more popular restaurants in the area, but wherever Metro and my feet can take me, I try to go.
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