Good Resturant For V-Day! (Meridian, Franklin: for sale, house, wedding)

[kimbercutes824]

Valentines day is my 4 year wedding anniversary. We plan on going out on Friday to avoid the huge crowds.

What is a good fairly inexpensive resturant that we should go to?
We had some in mind but what to go to a good place that you have tried and like.

We were thinking either Japanese or Vietnamese (but we are keeping our options open) and we were thinking of spending no more than $50.

What are some good places that you would suggest?

[ThePolyPrincess]

I don't know about Japanese or Vietnamese, specifically, but my DH and I always enjoy Outback, Goodwood, Texas Roadhouse, the Cheesecake Factory and PFChangs.

We used to go to Sakura (and sit at their hibachi tables) for anniversaries and V-days and NYE, but their service (never being that good to start with) went downhill. We were bummed. My sister likes their sushi.

There is a 'hole-in-the-wall' Vietnamese restaurant off of Curtis and Franklin that is supposed to be pretty good. I don't normally eat Vietnamese so I don't know if it's considered good food or not.

HTH

[TohobitPeak]

Check out Kyoto on Fairview Ave.

[kimbercutes824]

Originally Posted by TohobitPeak

Check out Kyoto on Fairview Ave.

We have been to Kyoto many times but we do love it!

[kimbercutes824]

Originally Posted by ThePolyPrincess

I don't know about Japanese or Vietnamese, specifically, but my DH and I always enjoy Outback, Goodwood, Texas Roadhouse, the Cheesecake Factory and PFChangs.

We used to go to Sakura (and sit at their hibachi tables) for anniversaries and V-days and NYE, but their service (never being that good to start with) went downhill. We were bummed. My sister likes their sushi.

There is a 'hole-in-the-wall' Vietnamese restaurant off of Curtis and Franklin that is supposed to be pretty good. I don't normally eat Vietnamese so I don't know if it's considered good food or not.

HTH

This may be odd but we hate Goodwood and PF Changs! Very overrated and overpriced! PF Changs is just a little better quality than Panda Express! But thanks for the suggestions! We love the Cheesecake Factory and OSF and Texas Roadhouse!

We used to like Sakura too but the service is bad and the wait staff are rude! We were thinking of trying the Tepanyaki there.

[palangga]

For Vietnamese food, we like Pho79 on State and Glenwood. We also like Pad Thai house on 5 mile and Overland. Sakura is nice, but I wouldn't consider it inexpensive.

[kimbercutes824]

Originally Posted by palangga

For Vietnamese food, we like Pho79 on State and Glenwood. We also like Pad Thai house on 5 mile and Overland. Sakura is nice, but I wouldn't consider it inexpensive.

I love Pad Thai house we go there and/or Chiang Mai about 2 times or more every pay period! I will check out Pho 79 or the Vietnamese resturant on Franklin! But for tonight we deciced to go to Mcgrath's for our anniversary!

[Torrie]

We go to Pad Thai house too, love it!

[Jarndyce]

Originally Posted by kimbercutes824

PF Changs is just a little better quality than Panda Express!

This is laughable. Panda Express wouldn't make the cut for prison food. PF Chang's is a pretty good "date" option as far as chains go.

Support local places or else they go away! Try the fondue place downtown..that looks like a pretty cool spot for a date. Or go brewpub and hit Sockeye...they were advertising some kind of "sweethearts deal"...

[ramenfan]

I think Pho 79 is better than Vietnamese Restaurant in terms of food and atmosphere, but I don't find VR to be a bad place per se. I've noticed a sign that's been up for a good while now at the Asian market on Orchard/Emerald saying that Pho 79 is for sale. I'm not surprised as there's never been more than a handful of other customers when I've gone in. I'd normally say to go there fast, but like I said the sign has been up there for months now. With a pretty decent-sized Vietnamese population in town (seemingly the largest Asian population in the valley), I don't think we'll ever be hurting for good Vietnamese.

I went to Paid Thai House once and thought it was alright. Their hotness meter (mild, medium, hot, and authentic) is misleading though. Thai hot is REALLLLLLY hot. Painfully hot for many who aren't accustomed to it. I got a "hot" appetizer which should have triggered my tear ducts but was more mild/medium and a "medium" entree that barely registered any heat on my taste buds. If I ever go back, I need to get everything "authentic" on the heat meter, and I better be in pain when I'm done eating. But for better quality, I would prefer Sa Wad Dee on Fairview in Meridian or Pat's Thai Kitchen in the same strip mall off Broadway with The Ram and Hollywood Video.

Japanese? Ech. Not everyone will agree with me on this, but I'm a real stickler for authenticity. I'm a transplant from a cultural melting pot, so I'm used to Japanese people cooking Japanese food and Thai people cooking Thai food, etc. So it's kind of aggravating to me that of all the Japanese restaurants we have in the valley, I've only found TWO staffed or owned by Japanese (I have my ways of finding out). Shige at Shige's is Japanese, though I haven't been as fond of the place as others in town have. The other is Sono Bana on Orchard, and that's the one I patronize. Some of the servers aren't Japanese, but the people making the food certainly are. The food isn't mindblowing, but I don't think any of the Japanese food here is. And Sono Bana serves stuff like takoyaki and ramen and sushi done omakase style (if you give them advance notice) that no one else around here will bother with. There are very few Japanese in town, but the ones I see showing up at restaurants show up here.

As an aside, it's too bad there are no Korean BBQ places around town (in fact, I don't think there are any more Korean restaurants around period). I think this style of food and preparation could be such a hit if people only knew about it. I would love to get "in" with a Korean family here or the people who own one of the two Korean markets in town, and just be able to gorge on food with them on an occasional weekend.