Royal Buffet - New Hope

Click the following link for a review of the recently opened Royal Buffet in New Hope:

http://80buffets.blogspot.com/2009/07/royal-buffet-new-hope-mn.html

Saigon Restaurant - St Paul

Update July 1, 2009 - Visits 3 and 4

We've tried Saigon twice since they relocated a couple blocks west of their former location. The first time we had mixed reviews figuring they were still trying to re-establish the old magic. During this most recent visit, we concluded it was a thumbs in the middle to thumbs down.

As usual we started with the staples.

Vietnamese egg rolls or cha gio. In my past review I was disappointed these were not hot enough. Today's was definitely hot enough but the filling when to pot. It has the airy filling that has a textural feel of paste. A good cha gio should be dense with substance and complex flavors working in synergy. The accompanying fish sauce was timid, watered down from the vibrant, tart, and spicy flavors I expect.

Banh Mi. The good: The baguette was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The bad: I believe that I've never had a banh mi I didn't like but this was the closest I've come. To me, the standard plethora of vegetables always makes a banh mi sing a sweet melody and slows me down to a cud chewing pace to fully enjoy every bite. The fillings in this sandwich today just left me cold. Where was the crescendo of flavors? I found myself eating it faster believing the next bite would uncover the treasure. Alas, disappointment.

Pho. Previously I considered Saigon's pho to rank near the top in the TC. On this visit, the pho fell from grace. If the noodles weren't the same as the vermicelli they use in the bun, then it's very close because we had both to compare. The noodles were soft and lacking any snap. The broth was lukewarm and ordinary not offering its former deep comforting made with love taste.

We tried a bun and a noodle soup dish but they were also average, not what we had expected from Saigon.

I don't know what happened here. In my opinion, the service is better than it was at its former location but the food has declined significantly. New cooks? Young cooks? What is it? I don't have the answers. I just know that one of my favorite eats is no longer so, that the prices have gone up, and there's still plenty of competition out there that easily step up to the plate.

Scrooge

Visit 2 - September 8, 2008


In the background is Goi Cuon or fresh spring rolls ($3.25). Seeing how good their food has been in the past and the popularity of this appetizer, I was disappointed by the size and quality. I've bought spring rolls in sold in plastic wrapped styrofoam trays at Shang Hur that have been fresher, tastier, and chockful of large shrimp and fresh vegetables bursting with vivid flavors. These had overcooked smaller sized shrimp and weak tasting vegetable.

Com dac biet ($6.75), the platter pictured in front, consists of grilled pork, 2 shrimp, shredded pork rind and egg. I enjoyed the grilled flavor of the pork and need to determine what marinade they use for the grilled pork. I also enjoyed the pork rind which adds a mouth pleasing texture in combination with the rice. They use ordinary long grain rice as opposed to broken rice like some of Saigon's competitors. Broken rice tastes the same but it adds a mouth pleasing texture that ordinary rice does not. The egg and shrimp were very ordinary.

We also had the Pho but not the Cha Gio this time. The Pho didn't taste as good or comforting as during the previous visit but it was more than acceptable, still better than some of its competitors.

Saigon will be moving to a different location in the near future. They had the new address posted but I didn't write it down.

We've been here a number of times but during this visit, the quality seemed to have slipped. Is it because of the impending move, just an anomaly, or a sign of things to come?



December 17, 2007


It becomes quickly evident driving along University Avenue that St Paul has no dearth of Vietnamese restaurants. One of the more frequented and well known is Saigon, a standalone light green-blue building resembling a residential house at the northeast corner of University and Dale.

We ordered the Banh Mi Saigon - the Saigon Specialty Sandwich ($3.50) - the most expensive of their sandwiches otherwise starting at a measly $2.00. The Banh Mi consists of a crusty French baguette with the soft middle partially scooped out for the filling. The Specialty consists of grilled pork, pate, cucumber, pickled carrots and diakon, cilantro, jalapeño, and a velvety mayonnaise. The initial bite through the crusty exterior is noisy and satisfying but someone tasteless. The subtle flavors begin to evolve as you chew and hit their peak just as you swallow. This creates an almost insatiable cycle that is sated with the very last bite.

The extra-large Pho Saigon dac biet or Saigon Special Pho rice noodle soup ($6.00) was the best I've had so far in the Twin Cities, consisting of fresh eye of round, flank, brisket, tripe, tendon, and sliced beef meatballs. The soup came out piping hot with a crisp light nongreasy refreshing taste. The noodles retained a touch of bite, just right. The Thai basil and bean sprout accompanying the pho lacked vibrant freshness but was more than acceptable. It was a pleasant surprise to find they did not hold back on the meats. The tripe was texturally satisfying with its cut size and little nibs. The tendon was comfortingly soft. The round and flank were not particularly tender but it was better than average for the Twin Cities area.

If there was any disappointment, it was the Cha Gio or Vietnamese Fried Egg Rolls ($2.75). An otherwise good presentation of the egg roll with pork, cellophane noodle, carrot filling and accompanying fish sauce dip, it came to the table lukewarm, fried in advance for the anticipated crowds.

Except for a $12.00 sampler type platter, everything else on the menu is priced $8.50 or less.

Scrooge Rating: Whip out the wallet without reservation!

601 University Ave
St Paul, MN 55104
651.225.8751

Mandarin Kitchen - Bloomington

After dropping off friends at the airport, we stopped in, not having dined here for almost 3 years. Things certainly have changed. They've undergone significant renovation with a koi pond and a stand offering roast pork and duck. It certainly is spacious and classier. The bathrooms are now decent. Has business been that good? I have a theory where they got the money for the remodeling...more later.

We ate at a time when just about everybody else was having dim sum. We ordered Crispy Pork, Hong Kong Style Beef, and a Seafood Hotpot. The prices had gone up significantly from what we recalled and were above competitor prices. My belief is that sometimes you pay just a few extra dollars and you get a quantum leap in quality. Mandarin has been one of our favorite TC Chinese restaurants and this had always held true. How would three years change things?

The Crispy Pork came out soggy drenched in garlic sauce. It had a nice semi-peppery flavor but some of the pork had a slightly odd off taste bordering on stale.

The Hong Kong Style Beef comes with a sweet sauce just coating the surface. The beef was tender but lacking deep flavor. Some of the beef also tasted slightly off.

The Hot Pot was fairly decent with lots of seafood including squid and bountiful scallops and shrimp. The flavor wasn't deep as usual with hotpots.

At the beginning I said I had a theory how they got their money for the rebuild. When you eat dim sum, they automatically add 15% tip to the bill. We didn't have dim sum and they still automatically added 15% tip to the bill. This wouldn't be so bad except wait staff was mediocre to bad. When we called one of the wait staff over near the end of the meal, his tone and words were a rude "What you do want?". I always sensed a certain arrogance from the people here but I'm also willing to put up with it if the food is worthy to counter. It wasn't.

Bottom Line: Mandarin Kitchen use to be one of our favorites but I won't be returning on my dime. Mandatory tip? Screw it. Average food for above competitive price? Screw it. Bad service? Screw it. The TC has other Chinese restaurants with better food, better prices, and better service and they don't tack on a mandatory tip.

8766 Lyndale Ave
Bloomington, MN

Khoury's - Inver Grove Heights

Khoury's is a family restaurant serving food that is comparable to the offerings of a Perkins or Country Kitchen. They don't offer any dishes that I would consider outside the zone of the stereotypical Midwest palate except maybe the Monte Cristo. That probably explains why each time I've dined there the majority of customers appear to fall into one of two categories: Young midwestern families who would never consider dining at 112 and customers old enough to have dined with the Disciples...Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.

I had the Monte Cristo previously. It was good but it was so heavy and it sat uncomfortably in my stomach for hours. Today, I tried the Khoury burger ($9) consisting of a char broiled Angus patty bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, Dijon mayo, and grilled Parmesan wheat bread. The burger was an average rendition of a burger, nothing bad, nothing good. The patty was well done, bland, and on the dry side. The only distinctive note of flavor came from the Dijon. The grilled wheat bread was textural distraction and I would have preferred a quality hamburger bun. Overall the value factor wasn't there. Better burger values can be had at Sonics and American Burger.

If you're looking for safe comfortable food, Khoury's is your stop. If you're looking for food that makes your makes your taste buds dance, there are other stops in the TC.

5660 Bishop Avenue East
Inver Grove Heights, MN

Willowgate - Roseville

It was by chance that I was driving along and semi-lost only to find Perimeter Road with a slew of restaurants. Perimeter Road could be considered a mini Eat Street in the middle of nowhere.

Willowgate serves mostly Chinese food with a limited Thai selection. I tried the Thai Masaman Curry for $5.25 includes the curry with a choice of meat (chicken), steamed rice, soup, and a pork egg roll. It sounds like quite a bit but volume wise it was moderate. Scrooge Squared chose the Pad Thai.

The Masaman curry was ordered mild and it truly was. It would have been bettered off ordered medium. The Pad Thai dish was better with a mild wok hay flavor.

Willowgate won't win the title of the best Chinese restaurant in the TC but it does a better job than many of its competitors. It serves Minnesota Chinese with just a smatterings of authentic Chinese.

I'm very pleased with the taste and the value. The waiter was friendly, humble, and unpretentious. Kudos to the waiter.

Willowgate
1885 Perimeter Drive
Roseville, MN

Taste of the Nation - June 12, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:

Amy Edens

Taste of the Nation Co-Chair Amy.Edens@genmills.com

Christina McCalla

Taste of the Nation HOTlist Event Chair

Christina.McCalla@genmills.com

TASTE OF THE NATION HOTlist EVENT RETURNS TO END

CHILDHOOD HUNGER IN MINNEAPOLIS AND ACROSS AMERICA

Annual Event for Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation^® Minneapolis

to be held at the Hotel Minneapolis on Friday, June 12, 2009.

[Minneapolis, MN] — With flavorful food and a passion for helping hungry children, Minneapolis’s hottest chefs and restaurants will gather for Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation HOTlist. Taste of the Nation HOTlist Minneapolis will raise the critical funds needed to support the national organization’s efforts to end childhood hunger in Minneapolis and across America. This year’s event will take place on June 12, 2009 at the Hotel Minneapolis, from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm.

Many of Minneapolis’ finest restaurants and mixologists will participate in the culinary event that will highlight one of the hottest trends in food: crafting unique food and drink combinations. Chefs will have the option to use alcohol as a unique ingredient in their culinary creations or create a paired drink option for guests to sample with the food. Guests will also be provided with a premium drink selection of Brown Forman cocktails and Belgian beers, including Hoegaarten, Leffe and Stella Artois, during the event.

Along with Chef Wilhem Borgstrom of Restaurant Max at Hotel Minneapolis, participating restaurants include Chambers Kitchen, Café Ena, Gardens of Salonica, Corner Table, Rinata, and Crave Restaurant.

In addition to fabulous food and drinks, the event will also feature a live mixology competition between mixologists Andrew Engebretsen from Bradstreet Craftshouse and Johnny Michaels from La Belle Vie. The competition will be led by the evening’s Emcee, Tim Laird, Chief Entertaining Officer and Chief Cocktail Officer of Brown-Forman. Other entertainment includes music and an exciting raffle where all ticket sales benefit hunger relief efforts. The raffle prizes include tickets to Sample Circuit (where guests can experience more of the Twin Cities’ finest dining) and a 1-month unlimited yoga membership at Core Power Yoga.

“We’re honored to be part of this nationwide movement to end childhood hunger in America,” said Christina McCalla, Co-Chair of Taste of the Nation Minneapolis. “Taste of the Nation brings together the finest of the Twin Cities’ culinary world to help the children in our community who suffer from hunger every day.”

With 100% of ticket proceeds going back to fight hunger, this is a cause everyone can rally behind. This year’s proceeds will go to support hunger relief efforts in the Twin Cities through grants to Second Harvest Heartland, Legal Services Advocacy Project and the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. Since its inception 21 years ago, Taste of the Nation has raised more than $70 million for organizations in the United States, Canada and abroad. In Minneapolis, Taste of the Nation has granted over 1.5 million dollars to local Twin Cities grantees.

Taste of the Nation is nationally sponsored by American Express, Sysco, Food Network, Brown-Forman Corporation and Anheuser-Busch. Local Taste of the Nation Minneapolis HOTlist sponsors include Hotel Minneapolis, Tastefully Simple, Kitchen Window, Metro Magazine, and Niedorf Photography. Because of this generous support, 100 percent of ticket sales help ensure no kid in America grows up hungry.

The statistics are staggering: more than 12 million children are facing hunger in America today, an estimated 1 in 10 children in Minnesota live in poverty, and 1 in 3 children qualify for free or reduced price lunches. Taste of the Nation events such as HOTlist promote awareness and raise critical funds to support the most effective organizations that feed hungry children, as well as support advocates that are pursuing long-term solutions for hunger relief, both locally and nationally.

“An end to childhood hunger in the United States is within reach,” said Bill Shore, Founder and Executive Director of Share Our Strength. “With all the participants in Taste of the Nation Minneapolis sharing their strengths, we are creating more resources for the greater good of the Twin Cities and our great nation.”

Tickets for Taste of the Nation Minneapolis are $38 (General Admission) and $48 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling 1-877-26-Taste or visiting www.tasteofthenation.org/minneapolis.

###

About Taste of the Nation

Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation® is the nation’s premier culinary benefit dedicated to making sure no kid in America grows up hungry. Each spring, the nation's hottest chefs and mixologists donate their time, talent and passion at more than 45 events across the United States and Canada, with one goal in mind: to raise the critical funds needed to end childhood hunger. Taste of the Nation is nationally sponsored by American Express, Sysco, Food Network, Brown-Forman Corporation and S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water. Since 1988, Taste of the Nation has raised more than $70 million. Funds raised in 2008 supported 156 organizations in the United States, Canada and abroad. To purchase tickets or to get involved, visit TasteOfTheNation.org.

About Share Our Strength

Share Our Strength® is the leading national organization working to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry. We weave together a net of community groups, activists and food programs to catch children at risk of hunger and ensure they have nutritious food where they live, learn and play. We work with the culinary industry to create engaging, pioneering programs like Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation®, Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale®, Share Our Strength’s A Tasteful Pursuit®, Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out ®, and Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline®. Visit Strength.org.

To schedule interviews with chefs or grant recipient representatives, please call: Amy Edens at 202.997.6294.

JT's Hamburger - West St Paul

Dive! Dive! Dive! This is classic dive food with commensurate dive quality. It's also classic dive cheap at $4.99 for a Deluxe combo with a drink.

There's no mistaking this for a gourmet burger. Think premium White Castle Slider burgers. The patty is lost in the bun, tomato, lettuce, and cheese eliciting the ghost of Clair Peller's Where the Beef? When you manage to find it, you'll quickly notice the patty is heavy in filler and light in beef. It's a delightfully airy burger for those with a penchant for White Castle. The burger is made on the spot for you and ready within a lightning quick 2 minutes.

The onion ring side is huge. The rings have a heaviness of batter that holds the grease. It won't win any awards but if you have a hankering, it makes for a gut filling eating.

Want to know what food was like in the 70's? Stop in at JT's where time has stood still.


1224 Robert St S
West St Paul, MN

North China - Maplewood

Scrooge Squared had been shopping too long. I asked what was for dinner, given the dearth of good, different independent eateries in Maplewood. Squared suggested North China which would be swing in-swing out convenient on the way home. It had been around for a long time but we had always driven by believing it to be another American Chinese joint. Walking in and looking at the big takeout poster confirmed my suspicions. It also had a buffet station.

I wasn't thrilled with the offerings so I told Squared to order whatever she wanted. She ordered Mongolian Beef, Sweet and Sour Shrimp, and Pork Chow Fun. As we waited for the takeout, I walked down the buffet line. Hmmm...

I was ravenous by the time we got home. I tore into the cartons and was pleasantly surprised by the appearance of the food. It looked a lot better than what was in the buffet station, however, the true test would be in the eating.

Mongolian Beef. Nice thinly sliced but large cuts of tender beef. No rough dry cuts of beef. The green peppers were sliced right and cooked well. The brown sauce was just right the right combination of sweet, salty, and spicy.

Sweet and Sour Chicken. Nice nugget sized chicken breast with a light batter. The sauce was subtlety sweet and sour rather than an overpowering sweet and sour.

Pork Chow Fun. This was the most pleasant surprise. First, I'll say that it was missing that all elusive wok hay taste. However it was still very good with all the right ingredients. Two things really surprised me to my liking. Instead of using precut rice noodles, they used rice noodle sheets that they cut/tore resulting in noodles of varying width. The pork wasn't pork as I had expected but rather Chinese BBQ pork and good quality BBQ pork at that.

No doubt North Chinese caters to customers who expect fried rice, kung pao chicken, and the like. To me that usually means mediocre quality. But North China is a pleasant surprise in the Twin Cities sea of Americanized Chinese restaurants. If what we ordered today is representative of the quality they normally serve when ordering from the menu, I would definitely recommend it and would continue to order from here.

Prices are competitive and they serve a good quantity for the money.

North China
3070 White Bear Ave N
Maplewood, MN 55109

Trung Nam French Bakery - St Paul

The chain link fence protecting Trung Nam piqued my curiosity every time I drove by. Why was it put up? What was the purpose behind it? As much as I was intrigued, the fence on a subconscious level was an imposing barrier that kept me away. Simultaneously, it was magnetic...

Today after we ate at the newly relocated Saigon Restaurant, we took a quick walk over. I can only beat myself for not trying this gem eons ago.

They have limited hours from 8 AM to 1 PM. Arriving at noon, the trays behind the display case were fairly empty. We picked up a Croissant, Almond Croissant, and Banh Mi sandwich.

The Banh Mi sandwich was very good but being that the baguette had probably sat around for over four hours, it had lost much of its oven fresh goodness. The exterior was crusty and the interior semi soft. The filling of the usual vegetables and the pate was fresh and tasty. I would have preferred a bit more filling but at $2.25 I was content.

The Croissants. Where do I begin? I haven't been to France but I can't imagine croissants getting much better. Again the croissants had been sitting around a few hours but I can imagine what they were like immediately out of the oven.

The regular croissant, $1.50, was a combination of chewy and flaky, buttery without feeling greasy. The initial flavor of the croissant was mild but with each chew, a little more of the flavor was released until at mastication completion, all the flavor was released in waves of esophageal joy...I need a smoke.

The Almond Croissant at a princely $2.75 was intensely almondny tasting from the start and the equal of the regular croissant. Whereas the regular croissant was like a sucker punch, the almond croissant was a full frontal assault from the get go.

My advice: Stop in early, as soon as the doors open.

739 University Ave W
St Paul, MN

La Casita - Roseville

I wasn't sure what to expect but the large parking lot should have been a hint to what was to come. Nonetheless we arrived for an early lunch and the lot was essentially empty.

The vibe I got when I walked in was that it was an Mexican American restaurant much the same as Chi-Chi's or Acapulco. The relatively limited menu selection confirmed my feelings and the clientele walking in nailed my first impression.

After too much time trying to pick good different cheap selections and testing the patience of the waiter, we finally settled on the Mexi-Club, Seafood Enchiladas, and the No. 6 Combination.

The Seafood Enchiladas, consisting of two tortillas with crab meat and shrimp, were mundane tasting and on par with servings by competing Mexican-American restaurant. If anything, it was a bit below par with its popcorn shrimp. Come on, give me at least a 40 count shrimp size.

The No. 6 Combo consisted of a flauta, grilled steak taco, and a enchilada. This was the most expensive of the three entries but a step up in taste from the Seafood Enchilada. Here the food was beginning to shine and we thought better in quality than competing Mexican-American restaurants.

Finally we get to the best of the bunch, the Mexi-Club, toasted whole wheat tortilla filled with marinated grilled chicken breast, cheese, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, crispy bacon and Chipotle ranch dressing. This was different from that served at other competing restaurants. It was a synergy of a crispy shell with a medley of wonderful filling flavors accentuated by the pico de gallo. Eerybody agreed it was the best. I had to parry the forks that kept making their way toward my platter.

There certainly was much food that we couldn't finish. The waiter asked if we needed boxes. Scrooge Squared pointed out the waiter knew we were cheap because 1) we ordered only water for our drinks and 2) he didn't even bother to ask if we wanted desserts.

Bottom line: It's better than its Mexican American competition. The Mexi-Club was a hit. Still I prefer the real deal.

1925 Perimeter Rd
Roseville, MN 55113

Mystic Lake Casino Buffet - Prior Lake

Mystic Lake Buffet is too good of find to just contain in our buffet blog. This one deserves a shot even by non-buffet foodies. Click here for the Mystic Lake review.

JJ Fish & Chicken - Maplewood

I wish the TC had places like JJ Fish & Chicken at every street corner, not to say that JJ is located on a corner. It's the concept of a family owned independent that sells good street food at good prices.

Gyro Combo. The TC has many burger joints and not enough gyros joints so I'm glad that one more can be added to the count. The gyro is on par with what I've had at other places in the TC. It's my way of saying if you've had one gyro in the TC, you've had them all -please prove me wrong. However at $5 bucks for a gyro, fries, and pop combo, this may be the cheapest and best gyro deal in the TC. So now I can get my gyro fix with the least amount of drive and dollars shelled out.

Fish Combo. Despite fish being prominent in the restaurant name, the fish was the least outstanding of the food we ordered. The fish came out mouth burning hot but the batter was heavy, the amount of fish left wanting, and overall too salty. The fries were crispy and perfectly seasoned.


The TC has a severe dearth of good Philly Cheesesteak joints, which is surprising considering the taste coincides with Midwest palate tastes. Come to think of it, I don't know of any place in the TC that's known for its Philly cheesesteak. Not having eaten the real deal, Pat's or Geno's Philly, I can only compare against what I've had before. The best I've had was in Phoenix made by a former east coaster. JJ's compares favorably but I was a little put off by the roll which had like an egg washed shiny exterior. The taste and texture of the roll didn't synergize with the otherwise excellent filling.

Bottom Line: I like this place. The food isn't awesome but it is good with prices to match. The $5-$6 bucks per combo prices are better than most in the TC but still don't match the bargains in other big cities. If I'm in the Maplewood Mall area, this is the first place I'd stop in for lunch.

3094 White Bear Ave N
Maplewood, MN