First Time at Red Lobster

One of friends wanted to go to Red Lobster (1 Baltimore Pike, Springfield PA 19064) for her birthday. Considering that I have never been to Red Lobster, I was all for it. The only thing I really know about Red Lobster is that they offer these awesome unlimited cheddar bay biscuit. I yelped the place before we went and based on the poor service and subpar food reviews, I did not have any high bar for this place. On the other hand, the place when beyond my expectation. Contrary to the reviews, we experienced awesome customer service. Our waitress was super nice and kept bringing us extra biscuit. Our waitress and her colleagues even sang happy birthday to my friend. In addition, the food was really okay. 

I ordered from the lunch menu. With lunch, you get a salad- a choice of Caesar or garden salad. I actually wanted the garden salad but I told the waitress I will have want my friend was having without realizing she actually got the Caesar salad. That was totally my fault and I didn't want to have to send it back. The Caesar salad was actually really good. It was cool which made it feel refreshing and appetizing. The lettuce was crisp and fresh. The sauce was creamy and cheesy with the added fresh parmesan cheese. The croutons were crunchy. I had the salad with their famous cheddar bay biscuit. The biscuit was warm, soft, and very tasty.  I had not complaints with the salad and biscuit. 

Caesar Salad and Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit

For my entree, I got the Sailor's Platter which came with garlic shrimp, broiled flounder, and battered fried shrimp. For my side, I picked broccoli. The portion side was good. The broiled flounder was mediocre and bland. There wasn't much seasoning. The garlic shrimp was soft and very oily. The taste of oil overpowered the taste of garlic. I would say both the flounder and shrimp were not fresh but frozen. The battered fried shrimp was crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside. It was good. You can't really good wrong with fried foods. The cocktail sauce for the fried shrimp was delicious. It was cold and refreshing savory and mildly sweet concoction. I forgot how much I like cocktail sauce. The broccoli was very tender. I think it was steamed or boiled and seasoned with salt. Overall, the meal was okay. I wouldn't say it was one of the best foods I ever had but I would say it was acceptable. 

Sailor's Platter with Broccoli

Ramayana- Indonesian Food

My friend recommended this Indonesian restaurant name Ramayana (1740 S. 11th St.)  that is conveniently located in my neighborhood. I visited the establishment with my friend on a Saturday. Although on the door it says that it opens at 12 PM, it was not; however, my friend and I heard the vents running. Hoping that they will eventually open soon, we went to get coffee first and plan to come back later. When we came back around at 1PM, they were still not open. We waited a little outside and then eventually decided to leave. As we walked toward the end of the block, we heard the rolling shutter going up. Ramayana finally opened after one and a half hour later than when they were suppose to. Lesson learned here is don't try to go here at the supposed open time. Come a hour or 2 later!

The place was small with a total of 10 seats. It was buffet style. You can either order 2 or 3 sides with rice. The sides that my pescatarian self could eat were kale, young jackfruit, egg foo young, tofu, and salmon. I decided to get kale, tofu, and salmon. It came with a side of what I believe is Sambel. I never had Sambel but it tasted like the garlic chili paste/sauce that you can get at the Asian Supermarket. Overall, the food was tasty, but I don't think it was spectacular. The kale and tofu were good. I think the salmon was either not fresh or they fried it too long because it was a little harder than I would want it to be. In addition, the salmon was mostly salmon stomach which I was little disappointed about. My friend did mention the rendang was awesome. If I have to compare this place to Sky Cafe, I would choose Sky Cafe. Although both are reasonably priced, I felt the food at Sky Cafe were fresher and space was cleaner and nicer. 

Rice with Kale, Tofu, Salmon, and Sambel