586626 Fri Jan 09 19:20:27 -0800 2009 19 6 Southwest 0 4312695 We're new to the area but thanks to our friends at Chowhound and Yelp, we've already compiled a few faves around town... Sweet Republic for gelato (my wife is addicted to the bleu cheese & fig ...). This place is probably my favorite ice cream/gelato place of all time. Such creative flavors and the owner is awesome... we're talking several times a week (much to the detriment of my wallet). El Nopalito...you can't beat a fantastic Mexican dinner for two, for less than 10 bucks! Yasu's Sushi Bistro - the nigiri...and the black cod...wow Davang for Pho... my wife is a pho phanatic and is always trying to trick me into going more frequently. Christo's for Italian - this one is an oldie but a goodie for us... always came here with the fam when I was little (think 20 years ago), but always good, great service, and reasonably priced...such a great little neighborhood place. Still looking for great that, chinese, korean... help a brother out!!! Fri Jan 09 19:20:27 -0800 2009 150385 dombey 1 4312721 Inquiring minds want to know - what city is this? Fri Jan 09 19:31:52 -0800 2009 4312695 42664 DebitNM 2 4312744 Phx/Scottsdale. Dombey, just like on the Midwest board, it helps folks here if you identify the city/metro area in your post title. Welcome to Phx and the SW board. :-) Fri Jan 09 19:41:42 -0800 2009 4312721 86822 hohokam 3 4313306 haha, it's 6:45am on saturday and I'm awake - woke up thinking I forgot to put "PHX" on my post. Looks like you guys beat me to it. I've been to Chino Bandido - that place is pretty awesome but since it is by my work, it is more of a lunch place for me. As a result, the lines are insane, so I haven't developed a true addiction yet. My wife is Korean so I can guarantee you that if there is good Korean in the valley, we'll find it and report back.,, thanks guys Sat Jan 10 05:43:37 -0800 2009 4312744 150385 dombey 1 4312907 For Chinese, we like Super Dragon at 12th St and Northern. Great Wall has pretty good dim sum. We went last week and really enjoyed it. I haven't been to Christo's, but the other pics are among my favorites. Sweet Republic is great. Last time we went, they gave us free samples of a smores thing made with homemade marshmallow. Davang is where I sneak off to when my g/f works on Saturday. She doesn't like Vietnamese, so I can get my banh mi and pho on when I can. For a really great meal, hit Noca. I"m sure you've seen the thousand or so accolades for them on this board. Fri Jan 09 20:50:44 -0800 2009 4312695 21290 Firenza00 1 4313057 There really is no good Chinese in the Phoenix area. The best you'll find (with apologies to all things previously described as "best") include Lao Ching Hing for Shanghainese and Asian Cafe Express for Cantonese. Maixm and Com Tam Thuan Kieu have the best Vietnamese in the Valley -- with the former having some of best pho in these parts. As far as good Korean. Good luck. You'll have more luck finding an igloo in the Mojave Dessert. Fri Jan 09 22:27:59 -0800 2009 4312695 11583 ipsedixit 2 4314728 My wife grew up on authentic Korean food, and we both love Takamatsu on the west side, not Chandler. Lots of Koreans there, which is a good sign and they'll make it very authentic if they know you like it that way... Sat Jan 10 16:03:19 -0800 2009 4313057 65085 ejs1492 3 4314823 I've been meaning to try Takamatsu. What do you recommend? Sat Jan 10 16:59:31 -0800 2009 4314728 11583 ipsedixit 1 4313128 I greatly enjoyed Diamond's for more authentic Chinese. Been a while since I've been there, but it has all the trappings of a good real Chinese dive. Get the lobster from the Chinese menu... stir-fried lobster in ginger sauce for 10 bucks. You can tell it's real lobster due to the large number of them in tanks on your way in. If you need another addiction, I can heartily recommend Chino Bandido Takee-Outee, with locations at 19th Ave and Greenway, and a second at Chandler Boulevard and Dobson. They serve up Chinese/Mexican/Caribbean combo meals... all on one plate. We're talking a machaca burrito, sweet & sour pork quesadilla, Cuban style black beans, and jerk chicken fried rice, all on one plate. Oh yeah, and a snickerdoodle for dessert. Fri Jan 09 23:59:23 -0800 2009 4312695 10996 JK Grence the Cosmic Jester 2 4315442 Is this the same restaurant you are referring to? http://www.maricopa.gov/envsvc/envwebapp/tabs/results.aspx?navigatedFrom=inspectionResultsDrillDown&in_insp_id=1085843&cat=02&type=01 Sun Jan 11 00:34:38 -0800 2009 4313128 172899 aztami 3 4315465 Like I said, all the trappings of a good real Chinese dive. Sun Jan 11 01:24:33 -0800 2009 4315442 10996 JK Grence the Cosmic Jester 4 4316516 Any Chinese joint worth its salt will fail a health inspection at least once ... every week. Sun Jan 11 13:13:53 -0800 2009 4315465 11583 ipsedixit 5 4343612 JK: How long ago has it been since you've been to Diamond's? I went around last Chinese New Year hoping for some good food to celebrate the occasion but was sorely disappointed. The crab with green onions and ginger was not fresh, sauce was thick and starchy and there were no green onions and barely any ginger. Other dishes did not fare any better. Gourmet House of HK seems to have taken a similar dive in quality. Dombey, my faves are: Asian Cafe Express - inexpensive authentic Hong Kong-style diner food, meaning extensive menu and Chinese-Western dishes like Baked Pork Chop Rice - deep-fried tenderized pork chops over egg fried rice covered with tomato sauce and oven-baked for 15 min - brings back memories of growing up in Hong Kong. The other is Szechwan Palace - authentic numbingly spicy Sichuan cuisine. Anything "water-boiled" (a major understatement) is delicious. Next time you come into Sweet Republic, we can talk about this in more detail. Oh, Asiana Market in Mesa is a great place for Korean groceries especially all grades and cuts of beef. Wed Jan 21 01:32:08 -0800 2009 4316516 223103 heleny 6 4344356 It's been a while since I've made it to Diamonds... thanks for the Downhill Alert. Szechwan Palace is pretty close to my new digs, I'll have to check them out. Wed Jan 21 09:13:32 -0800 2009 4343612 10996 JK Grence the Cosmic Jester 1 4313409 Sweet Republic is indeed wonderful, but the owners might be a little dismayed to hear their product classified as gelato. They've deliberately tried to differentiate themselves from all those who are jumping on the gelato bandwagon. Ask next time you're at the shop, and they can give you a helpful, detailed breakdown of the differences between gelato, ice cream, etc. For Chinese, I'll echo the mentions of Super Dragon, Asian Cafe Express, and Lao Ching Hing. I'll also say that Jade Palace, which is right next door to Sweet Republic, is quite good at what it does: Americanized Chinese food for a risk-averse neighborhood crowd. It may be a case of the tail wagging the dog, but we occasionally eat at Jade Palace simply to justify the drive to Sweet Republic. By the way, if you eat at Lao Ching Hing, make sure to try a few items from the secret Chinese menu. There is a rough English translation of the menu available online. Print it and out and bring it along. Ironically, the translation was done by one of the owners of Sweet Republic: http://tinyurl.com/6orza2 Sat Jan 10 07:00:42 -0800 2009 4312695 26466 silverbear 2 4343754 Seeing that this thread has been bumped, let me add one bit of advice about Jade Palace based on a recent visit: Avoid the lunch specials at all costs. They are all virtually flavorless. We've had decent dinners there, though. Always order from the full menu or go into Sweet Republic first and ask for their guidance about what to order at Jade Palace. Wed Jan 21 05:15:03 -0800 2009 4313409 26466 silverbear 1 4314532 As you are new to Phoenix you will find that the best local restaruants from mid May through September are the ones with the best air conditioning. Sat Jan 10 14:39:21 -0800 2009 4312695 140140 mrbigshotno.1 1 4355364 Just spent one week in PHX/Chandler area and found Sushi Eye on W Buffalo St in Chandler to have excellent sushi. They get a good crowd for lunch and dinner - I'm picky about my maki sushi -the place was clean, the fish fresh and great staff. I ate there 4 times. Sun Jan 25 04:58:34 -0800 2009 4312695 67159 ardath 2 4355952 That one would be Sushi Eye In Motion, Sushi Eye's second location. The original Sushi Eye is over in Tempe, and does not have kaitenzushi (the conveyor belt sushi delivery system). Sun Jan 25 10:22:53 -0800 2009 4355364 10996 JK Grence the Cosmic Jester 3 4356011 I was planning on going to the Tempe location today, only to learn they are closed on Sundays. Annoying! Sun Jan 25 10:40:47 -0800 2009 4355952 67548 azhotdish