Lil' Bistro 33
33-04 36th Avenue
Long Island City
718-609-1367
This was my second time at Lil' Bistro. The first time, I thought the food was good, but not amazing (Snowman, on the other hand, looooved it), but I liked it nonetheless since we sat at the bar and chatted with the chef/owner the whole night.
Which must have left an impression because when we went back last week he presented us with a "compliments from the chef" amuse bouche of mushroom jelly. I know, that sounds disgusting, but if you like mushrooms, you can get over the jelly part pretty quickly. It was actually smoky and delicious.
For an appetizer I had the crispy tofu salad, which was basically sticks of tofu, lightly breaded and fried, served with field greens and a chunky dipping sauce/dressing. It was really good. The tofu was just crunchy enough, but not so fried that I lost the taste of the tofu. The dipping sauce was sweet and tangy and was particularly good with the greens.
As an entree, I got the special, which was crawfish etouffé. Much as I can't resist a bistro frisee lardon salad, I also cannot resist an etouffé. And I'm glad I did not. It was perfectly spiced and creamy, but not overwhelmingly heavy. The crawfish were firm and plentiful. I ate too much.
Despite the fact that at this point, I was too full to eat anything else, I split the white chocolate soufflé with Snowman. I'm not a big fan of white chocolate so I was reluctant, but this actually tasted more custardy than chocolately and it was really delicious. A crunchy, chewy top with a warm creamy center.
My only complaint? The decor is pretty unfantastic. The chairs are really ugly—like those ones you find at a buffet restaurant in Delray Beach. And it is small. But they're just over a year old, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume there is a renovation in their future.
Grade: B+/A
Long Island City
718-609-1367
This was my second time at Lil' Bistro. The first time, I thought the food was good, but not amazing (Snowman, on the other hand, looooved it), but I liked it nonetheless since we sat at the bar and chatted with the chef/owner the whole night.
Which must have left an impression because when we went back last week he presented us with a "compliments from the chef" amuse bouche of mushroom jelly. I know, that sounds disgusting, but if you like mushrooms, you can get over the jelly part pretty quickly. It was actually smoky and delicious.
For an appetizer I had the crispy tofu salad, which was basically sticks of tofu, lightly breaded and fried, served with field greens and a chunky dipping sauce/dressing. It was really good. The tofu was just crunchy enough, but not so fried that I lost the taste of the tofu. The dipping sauce was sweet and tangy and was particularly good with the greens.
As an entree, I got the special, which was crawfish etouffé. Much as I can't resist a bistro frisee lardon salad, I also cannot resist an etouffé. And I'm glad I did not. It was perfectly spiced and creamy, but not overwhelmingly heavy. The crawfish were firm and plentiful. I ate too much.
Despite the fact that at this point, I was too full to eat anything else, I split the white chocolate soufflé with Snowman. I'm not a big fan of white chocolate so I was reluctant, but this actually tasted more custardy than chocolately and it was really delicious. A crunchy, chewy top with a warm creamy center.
My only complaint? The decor is pretty unfantastic. The chairs are really ugly—like those ones you find at a buffet restaurant in Delray Beach. And it is small. But they're just over a year old, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume there is a renovation in their future.
Grade: B+/A
posted by MXF at 8:33 AM
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