Hit or Miss at Media Asian Restaurant

If you’ve been following the Foodie Girl’s pictures, descriptions and accounts of the dining game you have probably read mentions of Peking/Tokyo Restaurant in Media. Typically we tap Margaret Kuo’s location on State Street for takeout on Friday evenings. She loves the sushi and I often opt for a trio of appetizers. (Beef Negamaki, the carnivore’s version of sushi, a dumpling called ‘Wasabi Shumi’ and Chicken Yakitori) This past Friday we braved the cold to dine in with our three year old.

We’ve actually been going to Peking for about 10 years or whenever it first opened in the mid-90’s. This location was remodeled and updated about three years ago to resemble an upscale Asian bistro reminiscent of Old City. It really is stylish inside.

All of this leads me to the comment I need to get off my chest. As much as we enjoy this place, love the new décor and especially the folks who work there, it has become wildly inconsistent in both food and service. Let me explain.

One of my traditional favorites was the Chicken or Filet Mignon Teriyaki. I could count on this consisting of a good size portion of chicken or filet served over grilled onions, with an ample amount of their delicious teriyaki sauce. It would also include a green salad, a small ‘side’ portion of dumplings or something similar, a steamed veggie like corn on the cob or carrots and finally steamed rice. Lately however, the grilled onions are gone, the sauce is barely there, the ‘side’ dish is gone, and the veggie is either gone or barely steamed to the point it is hard. What happened?

In the case of this past Friday, I once again opted for the Filet Teriyaki. When the plate arrived the filet looked different than what I expected but very good so I went with it. About half way through I realized that I was given the Filet with Bourbon Sauce instead of what I asked for. It was delicious but clearly different that what I requested. None of the other goodies they previously included the Teriyaki Dinner were anywhere to be found.

The Foodie Babe has also noted on numerous occasions that the attention to detail on her sushi rolls is not always there. While it is always very fresh she recalls that the rolls were always much neater and appealing to the eye in the past. (Apparently that is very important to sushi lovers)

Let me say again that the folks who work the front of the restaurant have always been terrific. This is a busy place on the weekend. Carol is the quarterback of it all and always double-checks our carryout order. She’s also quick with a treat for our little Foodie-in-Training. However, the service at the table is clearly hit or miss.

One last thing I wanted to get off my chest. What is up with the town of Media? They are calling themselves “America’s First Free Trade Town.” I have no idea what this means. Apparently it is not some sort of historical designation. It’s a riot to see these ‘Free Trade’ signs covering the windows of all the empty storefronts. I guess they’re just waiting for another mega bank to move in. It’s even funnier that most of the retail stores were closed at 8:00 on a Friday night during Christmas shopping season. Can someone help me to understand this?

Thanks for listening. I feel better now. Time to put the little one to bed.

Yo!
The Foodie Hubby