Tasca ChiNO
I was so intrigued to try Tasca Chino, especially because Sushi Samba was closed for so long. When a restaurant closes, my favorite part is the excitement that goes through my mind as I anticipate the next opening. When is it opening? What kind of food? Will it be expensive? Will they take reservations?
Tasca Chino was interesting to say the least. First off, our table was situated next to four giant Mao Zedong portraits. Not going to bring politics into this, but let's just say I was not a fan of him or communism.
The overall decor of the restaurant was pretty funky. The bathroom was cool and I really liked the ceramic plates (Pottery Barn perhaps?).
It took a good 10 minutes for a waiter to come over to our table, another 15 minutes for our drinks to come and then another hour for our food to come out. Not to mention, everything came out all at once. Aren't tapas supposed to come out as they're ready? The menu was also... interesting with Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican and Italian influences. Random, but all my favorite cuisines, so I tried to be diverse with my ordering. Since everything came to the table at once, see below for the order I wish my food came out:
Edamame Dumplings with Sweet Pea and Mint - These had absolutely no flavor.
Wild Mushroom and Truffle Dumplings - These were better, but probably because the truffle spoke for itself.
Chicken, Caramelized Onion, Manchego and Bean Sprouts Flatbread - This was my favorite tapas dish, but tasted like it should have been from Domino's. Always love a good Domino's flatbread, but I thought I was at a Spanish/Chinese restaurant?
Chinese Noodles with Lotus Root, Carrots, Bok Choy, Mushroom and Soy Milk Broth - sounds a lot better than it looks. This was probably my least favorite dish. I thought it'd be dominantly noodles, but it was 80% broth. They should have called it "fancy noodle soup, light on the noodles."
Curry Roasted Cauliflower & Couscous - this was good, but something I could have made at home, and I am not a great cook!
The best part of the meal was the Churros! They were crisp and came with hot chocolate and whipped cream. Too bad I didn't order these as an appetizer.
I think it's safe to say that I will not be returning to Tasca Chino. I would have given it a "One Night Stand," but I loved to Churros and the "Domino's" pizza wasn't bad either. The food was very MEH, the service sucked, the decor was all over the place, so it gets a disappointing 3/10.
