9200 N Lamar Blvd
837-4898
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men's room rating: 2.
The Mongolian BBQ on North Lamar is not one of the most attractive places in town: it badly needs a paint job and some work on the floors.
It is, however, one of the cheapest places to eat in town: one pass at the buffet line will run you about $10 (with soup, dumplings, tea, and tip): all you can eat is about $2 more.
There's a fair variety of veggies and meats (the lamb and "krab" in the evenings are a nice touch) as well as condiments: I suspect meat-eaters, followers of odd diets (like "The Zone") and all but the most anal of vegetarians would be happy here.
The only real drawback I've found (besides the general run-down ambiance) is that the service can be a little spotty, especially when it comes time to pay the bill: you may be better off walking the check up to the front counter.
Another restaurant with a simple (if exotic) idea, well executed. Borrowing their technique from the nomads of central Asia, all the cooking at Mongolian BBQ is done on a huge, heated metal drum. You go through a buffet line, picking out your fixings (meat, noodles, mushrooms, onions, etc.), choose which sauce(s) you want on them (hot, garlic, soy, vinegar, etc.), then set down your bowl to have your choices grilled on the drum. The results are tasty, and come served with rice, some nice dumplings, and some pita-like flatbread, all at a very affordable price. Despite a slow start, the service was very good as well. Well worth a visit if you're looking for affordable non-pho Asian food in generous quantities.
There's another Mongolian BBQ downtown, but unless you work there you're better off going to the Lamar location, which is cleaner and more attractive.
Previously visited: November 14,
1998.
13812 Research
257-1200
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men's room rating: 2.
I rather like Saccone's thin crust (as well as the thick, which we had previously. However, I was shocked to discover that their 18" pizza wasn't enough to feed four people: even though I had a salad with my meal, I was still hungry when we left.
Granted, it isn't like this was a $30 meal (closer to $10), but my recommendation is to go with the thick crust, or split the thin crust pizza two ways instead of four.
Evidently "New Jersey pizza" means "very greasy." Once you get past the grease, it's not bad, and reasonably cheap, but Reale's, Nikki's, and Hoak's (to name but three) all do a better job.
Previously visited: July 19, 1997.
7858 Shoal Creek Blvd.
302-4600
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men's room rating: 3.
The nicest thing I'm willing to say about Suzi's is that they did a reasonably good job of converting an old Coco's. Well, okay, and the hot and sour seafood soup isn't bad.
The rest of the dishes, however, are pretty much indifferent renditions of Chinese food: one of our fellow diners called it "nuevo Chinese". That would be fine, if it were well executed: at Suzi's, it isn't.
The only tang I detected in the tangy spicy dumplings was the tang of peanut sauce: I don't share Lawrence's dislike of nuts, but the sauce pretty much overwhelmed every other flavor in the dish. The pan-fried dumplings were mostly competent, but not memorable. My main dish was the "Bejing Pork", which, as far as I could tell, was a failed attempt at updating mooshu pork. While the pork was supposedly cooked with plum sauce, it really needed an additional dose of hoisin (not served with the rice pancakes). And what were you supposed to do with the rice noodle sticks served with the dish? Put them in the pancake, for an odd textural combination? Eat them with the dish, and skip the pancake?
The worst aspect, from my point of view, is the prices: $2 to $3 higher than equivalent places in Austin, and not justified by the quality, service, or ambience.
Skip.
Good Chinese food in a fairly elegant atmosphere at reasonable prices. My only real complaint was that the peanut sauce came smeared all over the dumplings rather than in a container off to the side (since I don't like peanuts). Still a notch or two below Pao's, but they give Tien Hong a good run for second place. (Now if they only offered Dim Sum...)
Previously visited: December 13,
1997.
5406 Balcones Drive
454-2666
Pepper grinder rating: 2.
Men's room rating: 2.5.
Outside of a dining conspiracy, I almost never go to Chez Zee. This visit reminded me of why: and it isn't the reason you might think.
My meal (a grilled "Tuscan T-bone") was actually quite pleasant, and the service was attentive almost to the point of obsequiousness. So what's wrong? The menu seems to me to be too limited. Other than the T-bone and prime rib (which I believe were actually "specials"), I was unable to find any other main course that excited me. There's certainly a good variety of desserts and appetizers, but man does not live by those alone. Cafe Spiazzo, just around the corner, does a greater variety of food in a smaller space.
Chez Zee isn't bad. But it isn't first rank Austin dining, either.
Although not as innovative as Cafe Josie or Castle Hill Cafe, Chez Zee remains a firm fixture in Austin Fine Dining Continuum. Our crab meat quesadillas were good (if not as tasty as the ones at Cafe Josie), as was the salmon-on-foccacia appetizer (though not as good as they version they used to serve at the late Stelline Pasteria). The salads were good as well, despite consisting of trendy looking greens (both Andrew "Road Rash" Wimsatt and myself remarked on what looked (but didn't taste) like giant mint leaves). My prime rib was quite satisfying, though perhaps not in the same league as that served at Louie's 106 or the Outback Steak House. The creme brule was quite good, and is just one of a wide variety of dessert offerings (hence the "Dessert Bakery" tag).
This outing exhibited both Chez Zee's main strength and main weakness: Their food has an admirable consistency, putting them far above the likes of East Side Cafe or Zoot, but lacks the flare and originality of that shown at Cafe Josie or Castle Hill. A little bit more imagination in the kitchen here could go a long way. Still, good food and generous portions at what other places charge you for four ounces worth of entree artfully arranged on a trendy plate.
See the logs for March of 2000.
See the logs for January of 2000.
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