New Joe Shanghai CLOSED

[sara]

Hi

I was planning to celebrate my birthday with 15 friends at New Joe Shanghai in 2 weeks, and they just CLOSED! So, please, quick, I need some help. Here are the criteria:

1. Must be able to accomodate 15 people on a Saturday night (around 8 pm).

2. Price per person excluding drinks, no more than $15.

3. Would prefer that alcohol is served, but BYO is ok.

4. Not in the 'burbs since we'd like to go bar-hopping afterwards.

5. Must have something on menu that vegetarians can eat.

6. Good food.

I'm not picky about type of food, area of town, etc. SUGGESTIONS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

Sara

[Holly Moore]

I'm liking Pad Thai alot of late. On Second, just below South. Was there last Saturday night and the place was just about empty. Which is too bad. Excellent kitchen. They're posted for a license, but BYO for now. Should fit your budget, though maybe not with BOTH apps and desserts.

[herbacidal]

yea, i just noticed that they were closed last week. can't say i'm suprised, except that i wasn't expecting it for a few more months.

as far as sara's dinner, any place in chinatown can work.

places I'd recommend

Chinese: Ocean Harbor, Golden Phoenix, Tai Lake, Ocean City

Malaysian: Penang

Vietnamese: Xe Lua

Indonesian: Indonesia (yea I know); rijsttafel if you want that route

At any of these, don't trust any of their wine lists, there are no microbrews nor draft beers, bottles would be Bud, Lite (either Miller or Coors), Heineken, Tsingtao plus a few others maybe.

just ate at Golden Phoenix tonite.

PM me if you want menu assistance with Chinese.

I'd make it a party nite with a dinner in Chinatown. With money saved, you can drink more afterwards.

[KatieLoeb]

I'm liking Pad Thai alot of late.  On Second, just below South.  Was there last Saturday night and the place was just about empty.  Which is too bad.  Excellent kitchen.  They're posted for a license, but BYO for now.  Should fit your budget, though maybe not with BOTH apps and desserts.

Holly:

I live all of half a block from Pad Thai and a couple of weekends ago when I was feeling under the weather (and lazy), I decided to call for takeout. A nice young man answered the phone and took my order and my phone number, and said it would be about 10 minutes. I was working at my computer and hadn't noticed the 10 minutes passed and the phone rang. It was the nice young man telling me my food was ready. I hobbled up the block and went into Pad Thai for the first time. Looked everywhere for the nice young man who helped me to thank him, but there was no male waiter, maitre 'd or manager in sight. Only once I began chatting with the waitress and the bartender did I recognize the bartender's voice. Very pretty and smooth skinned young drag queen in residence. Looked fabulous in that tube top and sequined skirt I might add. Only once I recognized the voice did the telltale oversized feet and hands and hint of an Adam's Apple give him away.

[Holly Moore]

I couldn't figure out how to speak to that bit of ambience tactfully. But it was definitely a topic of conversation at our table. Totally cool.

[sara]

Herb, I actually haven't been to ANY of the places you mentioned in Chinatown except Penang, and am admittedly a little less confident bringing a large group of friends to a place I haven't been before. However, I could be convinced... how do these places stack up to Lee How Fook (which I'm considering for their great hot and sour soup, and head on shrimp, but wish they served alcohol) or Vietnam (which has those fun drinks, but a menu of mixed quality). In particular what is the take on Indonesia?? Particular things you like about it?

I really wish I could go somewhere like Azafran, or Porcini, but they're obviously too small.. I've done these dinners at Cibucan and Valanni in the past, but both times the food was mediocre... Any non-Asian suggestions?

Thanks

[sara]

I was just thinking that an Afghani place might work...Does anyone have any suggestions? Is Ariana the best, or the one near it? Do you think they are big enough? Which one isn't BYO?

[stephenc]

Herb, I actually haven't been to ANY of the places you mentioned in Chinatown except Penang, and am admittedly a little less confident bringing a large group of friends to a place I haven't been before. However, I could be convinced... how do these places stack up to Lee How Fook (which I'm considering for their great hot and sour soup, and head on shrimp, but wish they served alcohol) or Vietnam (which has those fun drinks, but a menu of mixed quality). In particular what is the take on Indonesia?? Particular things you like about it?

I really wish I could go somewhere like Azafran, or Porcini, but they're obviously too small.. I've done these dinners at Cibucan and Valanni in the past, but both times the food was mediocre... Any non-Asian suggestions?

Thanks

How about Vietnam Palace (across from Vietnam). Or the old standby, Continental.

[coolgeek]

Only noting this because you went to Salt with all female companions, but Pho Xe Lua may be a bit, um, visceral for an all female crowd dressed for bar hopping. I'd suggest Vietnam (across from Vietnam Palace) instead. You just can't go wrong with Vietnam.

Also, Sang Kee is great and cheap Chinese.

[KatieLoeb]

I couldn't figure out how to speak to that bit of ambience tactfully.  But it was definitely a topic of conversation at our table.     Totally cool.

Did I manage to do that tactfully? How unlike me!

The bartender's presence and flamboyant wardrobe definitely did add a certain je ne sais quoi to the place, I must say...

Plus the food was quite good! My yardstick first order at any new Thai restaurant is the chicken coconut soup (Tom kha gai) and an order of Pad Thai. If they can't do those things well, I'm outta there. This was very tasty and fresh and the portions were of reasonable size. I had the rest of the Pad Thai for lunch the next day.

Sara I suspect you'll find the staff far more gracious and accomodating than your last experience at Salt. Not that the bar is set too high given that experience , but they were really very nice at Pad Thai AND it's BYOB to boot. Seems like a good choice. And I disagree that Pho Xe Lua is too "divey" or visceral for a group of young ladies, provided that they are adventurous. It's certainly slumming compared to Pad Thai or Penang, but certainly no more so than many Chinese restaurants in Chinatown. And the food is phenomenal as anyone that attended the DDC bash there in November 2002 (sheesh - was it really that long ago ) can attest. Certainly one thing it has going for it is that you can eat like a king on a pauper's budget! The soups are delicious and it's always worth checking out the specials on the board on the wall. Ask to be seated upstairs and I think you'd be fine there as well.

[sara]

Well, it's a completely different crowd of friends going to this dinner--definitely not ALL women, and definitely not dressed up. So that matters less here...

Thai's just not exciting me at the moment, since I get that and Vietnamese on a nearly daily basis in my neighborhood...I'm still thinking about it...my friend Carman suggested Judy's--any thoughts on that? Anyone been for a birthday? And was there any reaction to the Afgani idea? Kabul vs. Ariana--can I start a debate there??

[katbert]

If you like seafood, Tai Lake is one of the best Chinese places that I've visited; I thought it was better than LHF or Ocean Harbor-- I don't remember specifically what I had but it was probably some version of the set menu plus a few extras.

Other thoughts-- Nodding Head- I saw them do a group of >20 the other night in the side room

-- Copabanana if you want to start out with margaritas

kt

[herbacidal]

OK,

Here are the parameters and impressions I'm going on:

Sara is the primary vote on dinner choice, and the only one that matters.

All others will be listened to, b/c she doesn't want to make her friends uncomfortable, but not necessarily counted.

Based on her initial choice of Joe Shanghai, I was suggesting restaurants of a similar guise, ambience, mood, price range, etc.

Which is why I went with any number of places in Chinatown.

She may have Vietnamese frequently, so I can understand wanting something more special.

For the same reasons, she may not want Chinese.

However, the Chinese I recommend (lamb cook it yourself hot pot, eel with black bean sauce, razor clams with XO sauce, snow pea leaves with garlic sauce, etc.)

I would guess she may not have as often.

BUT the Chinese I recommend, her friends may not be into, although if they were willing to try Shanghaiese food, then why not.

Kabul is good. Tried it once years ago, liked it, don't remember much else.

Judy's is a good solid little place (a great bargain during the week, as they give huge discounts for your next visit), as is Nodding Head; the Head is a noisy place that may be a regular bar haunt, so it may not as special.

[sara]

Herb

You've pretty much right on-- I'm dealing with a diverse, pretty difficult crowd, and after all, for once it is MY birthday...So I went ahead and made a reservation at Ariana. However, if anyone's been lately and it's not been good, please speak up!! I'll certainly be willing to switch to somewhere else given that kind of info.

Thanks everyone!

[herbacidal]

ariana should be fine.

and you get to join the crowd in all the old city bars to hop around to afterwards.

[mrbigjas]

Ariana is a good choice, if they have room for your whole party. I do think it's BYOB, although I could be wrong. There's a liquor store nearby on 2nd street if it is.

I find that Afghan food is great for diverse parties, because it is:

1. vegetarian friendly

2. not full of strong or unfamiliar spices

3. not real spicy-hot

4. not full of duck feet and pig uterus and sheep brain the like (at least not in the usual Afghan restaurant cuisine in this country)

5. still freakin delicious

Edited January 8, 2004 by mrbigjas (log)

[herbacidal]

i forgot about marrakesh and fez.

eaten at fez, but only with 1 friend, like 7 years ago.

never eaten at marrakesh.

but everyone always says it's a blast with a group.

a few people I know prefer fez though.

anyway, since it's a reasonably large group, i'd suggest one of those 2, not to put ariana down.

the whole sitting on pillows, eating with hands, middle eastern vibe has gotta be really cool as a group for a birthday party.

[KatieLoeb]

i forgot about marrakesh and fez.

eaten at fez, but only with 1 friend, like 7 years ago.

never eaten at marrakesh.

but everyone always says it's a blast with a group.

a few people I know prefer fez though.

anyway, since it's a reasonably large group, i'd suggest one of those 2, not to put ariana down.

the whole sitting on pillows, eating with hands, middle eastern vibe has gotta be really cool as a group for a birthday party.

I've had group dinners at both Marrakesh and Fez. I thought the food and atmosphere at Fez was superior, even though the menus were virtually identical. This is a great suggestion. It's definitely fun with a group and I think Fez still has belly dancers on the weekend.

[katbert]

I've tried Marrakesh three times and I haven't really liked the food with the exception of the chicken pastilla (warning: it always seems to arrive on the table straight out of the oven so wait a while before trying to dig in). I find the pillowy seating isn't particularly comfortable although I usually I like to either sit on floors or with my feet up, it's a little too dim, and not totally vegetarian friendly. Also generally speaking the menu is set and I remember the group dinner prix fixe is $20. OTOH, the mint tea pouring bit is pretty cool.

kt

[sara]

The same group of people had a dinner at Marrakesh a few months ago, and while it was fun to sit around those little tables together, I really thought the food was uniformly awful. As was the wine. Several of us had much difficulty shelling out even $20 for that stuff. But I do appreciate the suggestion--that is definitely the kind of track we're on...

Ariana's manager was extremely nice when I called, and 15 people wasn't a problem at all, so much so that I may make it 20. And, I know everyone will bring some good wine to share, so that'll be nice. I'll definitely report back.

[brescd01]

Why did Joe's Shanghai close? What was the true reason for the controversy on Chowhound about shilling for that place?

[sara]

What controversy about shilling for Joe Shanghai? I posted a review on Chowhound about it once, my posting was promptly removed without explanation. I was later told it was because "there'd been too many positive reviews"!!! ?

Anyways, let's not bother attempting to delve into the insanity of that site. I learned my lesson fully last time.

[herbacidal]

must..........refrain..........from........commenting.......

so.......hard........

cannot...........give.......in.......

have............to...............be..........strong

................AARRRGHHHH!!

Edited January 15, 2004 by herbacidal (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

Give in, Herb. You know you want to; and you're among friends here. Plus, I want to hear what you have to say. Don't worry, it's cool.