Went here for dinner the other night on a whim, as I happened to be at the CC mall playing padel. We had planned to go to Din Tai Fung, but there was a 2-3 hour wait. Yes, I know you can get in line via the Yelp waitlist ahead of time, I just forgot to do so.
It was better than I expected. None of the food was bad, some of it was great. The weakest point was the service, which was a tad lacking both in attentiveness and knowledge/detail.
It’s certainly better than the average mall restaurant. I would still pick Din Tai Fung most of the time, but it’s a nice addition to what is a surprisingly good mall dining scene.
Sesame Marinated Cucumbers
Light and refreshing. I would still pick Din Tai Fung’s cucumbers over these, but these were decent.
Savory Donut
It looks like an empanada with katsu breading. Tasty though unremarkable for the first few bites, then it gets old. Maybe worth trying if you have a large enough group where everyone can have one or two bites, not worth getting with a smaller group.
Really Spicy Bluefin Tuna Kimbap
Echoing what others said, this was absolutely not “really spicy”. It was just barely spicy. And I say that as a white guy with a low to moderate spice tolerance. That said, it was tasty. Well made and the ingredients seemed fresh.
Australian Wagyu Beef Kimbap
Usage of the word “wagyu” gave me pause - are they just chasing clout - but this was really great. Tender, flavorful, well seasoned beef.
Quinoa & Greens Bowl, add Shrimp Skewer
This is what I wish a bowl at Sweetgreen tasted like. High quality ingredients, plenty of sliced properly ripe avocado, well cooked shrimp. I don’t eat mushrooms but my companions said the pickled shiitakes were fantastic. Nice mix of flavors and textures. This ain’t no slop bowl.
Grilled Striped Bass
Well cooked, no residual fishiness, sauced nicely but with appropriate restraint. The skin was even slightly crispy! Accompanying broccolini was decent.
Lobster Noodles
Enjoyable, but not worth the price IMO.
Crushed Fingerling Potatoes
Fantastic crispy exterior and soft interior. Cooked wonderfully, but just a little over salted/seasoned. I imagine you could ask them to go light on the salt/seasoning.
Herbal Tea
Herbal tea is herbal tea is herbal tea.
This was plenty of food for 4 people.
No alcohol, just the tea.
$75 per person after tax and tip.
