Craig and Sally's 9 $$$$

Craig and Sally's is a nice family owned restaurant in the Heart of French Town in St. Thomas. Set back from the trendy waterfront Craig and Sally's doesn't look like much from the outside. But what they lack in exterior charm they make up for in execution, presentation and taste. Craig and Sally's boasts a different menu every day depending on the catch of the day the season and the freshness of the produce. When you ask the locals they tell you to visit Craig and Sally's.

My husband ordered Sea Scallops with pollinate in a spinach black bean sauce. The scallops were cooked to perfection, just the right amount of grey in the middle and a surprisingly large serving. The black bean sauce was a little over powering and I would have preferred something a little lighter to compliment the fresh buttery taste of scallops but it was a nice dish.

I had two smaller dishes, a deep fried soft-shell crab on top of a apple and turnip salad with a sweet chili sauce and hush puppies. And then the Sally's signature dish; the eggplant cheesecake in a corn crust with fresh tomato salsa and basil. The soft-shell crab was cooked whole and breaded along with fresh spices. The crab was moist and fresh, though not locally caught and had to by flown down from Main. Still it was days younger than the soft-shell crab you get in California. The Cheese cake was a dream. It comes out as a thick slab and piping hot. The cheese melts in your mouth with delicate notes of tomato, basil, eggplant, oregano and rosemary. The texture is rich but it tastes so light and fluffy, like whipped cream. Though this dish was exceptional, the taste diminishes rapidly as it cools to something still extraordinary but extravagant so enjoy quickly.

For taste I give Craig and Sally’s a 9. They gave me a few surprises and a few disappointments but it was still delicious.

For atmosphere, I rate them at a 8; Romantic or more casual seating inside and an alley way outside. Considering the usual state of the streets in St. Thomas though, all the streets are alleys. There are nice murals inside to give the illusion of a beautiful view of the ocean front and tented ceilings but some more routine cleaning and dusting is needed. (I could complain about this in every restaurant though, they always forget to dust fan blades and light fixtures)

Amenities: I briefly mentioned the alleyway street in front of Craig and Sally’s which is not unusual in St. Thomas but just was a word of caution, there are two one ways streets here, no thing but street parking and if there is a ball game going on it the field adjacent to the restaurant you may have to park in the neighborhood somewhere.

The cost of two people eating there with a glass of wine and bead was $$$$.

Overall I rate Craig and Sally’s at 9. I was wonderfully surprised, they came highly recommended and the best of what is on the island. Everything tasted fresh and was cooked well. The service was prompt and the meal was prepared in record time.

Cuzzin's St. Thomas 6 $$$

Cuzzin’s
This Restaurant is supposed to epitomize the local cuisine of the Caribbean. But located in busy down town it looked more like a tourist trap than a favorite of the locals. Here the food is made as authentically as possibly while still being palatable to tourists. What that meant to me was that it was non of the dishes had any of the spice, kick or flavor the Caribbean is known for.
I ordered the Cuzzin Nemo, a conch, shrimp muscle and lobster stew over angle hair pasta with a side of fried plantain and provisions. Provisions being mashed sweet potatoes. The provisions and plantain were the best part. Anytime I had ever had plantain it was bitter and crispy like a chip, in St. Thomas, plantains are fresh and ripe before they are battered and fried. They come out hot, sticky and sweet on the inside with just the right taste of banana while being crunchy on the outside. The provisions were sweet and were kicked up with large dashes of cinnamon. Really it tasted more like dessert than a vegetable side dish. In contrast the stew tasted more like seafood stroganoff. The creamy sauce was just that, creamy and flavorless. The seafood may have been fresh and juicy and tender but drown in all that cream who knows what it really tasted like.
Kris’ conch stew with sweet chili sauce and pineapple was similarly disappointing and tasted like sweet and sour conch from the local hot wok express. Sweet and otherwise flavorless.
For taste I give Cuzzin’s a 6 their side dishes having saved them from a even worse ratting.
Price is $$$ for two people. Entrees are more than enough food including a salad course.
The atmosphere was actually cute. Old brick building in down town, Cuzzin’s is picturesque in that Caribbean way.
Overall I give Cuzzin’s a 7.

Han Cang 9 ($$)

Han Cang Restaurant

This Restaurant serves traditional Hakka cuisine. Located along the water front of HouHai Lake this restaurant is the perfect place to rest in the shade and enjoy the view. This restaurant is most well known for their three cup sauce roasted duck, foil wrapped fish and salted shrimp. I have eaten here twice now and their food has been consistently delicious.

I highly recommend the fried pork ribs, the three cups sauce duck and the shrimp. Everything was very flavorful, and very mildly spiced. The beer here is served very cold and on a hot day by the lake it tastes so refreshing.

There was only one dish that I found disappointing, the soft shell turtle. I had never had turtle before and I was feeling adventurous, but I expected it to taste fresher, and less chewy. It actually had a taste similar to chicken heart and cartilage, but a little muddier. I am not familiar with how fresh turtle tastes, but I would guess that it had been frozen too long.

For taste, excluding the turtle I give this Hakka restaurant a 10.

I love the mellow, drinking beer by the river feeling of this restaurant. All the tables and chairs feel like they are at the right height with enough space for your legs between them (rare in China). And due to its location on the eastern side of the lake this restaurant stays cooler during the day. Atmosphere rates an 8.

The cost of two people eating here is a little under $$. And a great deal for the amount and quality of the food.

Overall I give Han Cang Restaurant a 9 out of 10. Eating here is very enjoyable. It is my favorite place for lunch on a hot day. After lunch there are plenty of shops and boutiques in the area to explore as well and the river front to walk along. If you are tired of walking its really easy to get a ricksaw and just enjoy the ride.

Hatsume 7($$$)

Hatsume

The best sushi in Beijing…

….was disappointing.

Hatsume is well known for being the best in Beijing but it was quite a few steps below the neighborhood sushi restaurants back home. But considering it is the best, I would defiantly avoid any other sushi place in town.

Despite the quality of the fish this restaurant is pretty busy during the dinner hour. Reservations are absolutely necessary.

On this occasion Kris reserved the traditional sunken Japanese dinner table. We took off our shoes and climbed under the table hand picked out chopsticks from a little presentation and then ordered four dishes. Braised salmon and tuna in garlic cream miso sause, a salmon tuna roll in spicy 119 (911 in china) sauce, a roast duck and cucumber roll and tempura sweet potatoes.

In the taste category Hatsume warrants a 7. It was not that bad, in fact I did enjoy the braised salmon and tuna with garlic cream miso sauce. But their sushi grade fish was not what it should have been. The duck roll was actually the better of the two rolls, with is saying a lot for the duck and not a good review of the fish. I usually hate sushi rolls with anything other than fish it them.

For two people we spent $ for two people including a decent bottle of French Riesling. It was paired perfectly with the salmon and tuna but did not pair as well with the roast duck roll.

The atmosphere was kind of cute, it had little fountains and zen sand walkways but it was currently under construction or renovation so half the walls and ceiling were covered in painters tarp. Hopefully they will finish it soon.

Overall I give this restaurant a 7 out of 10. It was ok, and probably a little better than I give it credit for, but I have come to expect top rated sushi places to be absolutely exceptional. The quality of the fish is everything, and the variety and creativity of the menu should come second.

TimeZone 8 Editions 9($$)

Timezone 8 Editions

This restaurant is in the heart of the 798 art district, part restaurant part art book store. We picked Timezone because it was the busiest restaurant on the little strip; as they always say, “follow the locals”. This particular day was so beautiful! We sat outside in the cool weather at a little bistro table and just enjoyed the scenery. Kris ordered a hamburger steak, I ordered a pepperoni pizza and we shared a plate of fries.

The pizza was a tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, fresh cut tomatoes, pepperoni, green peppers and parmesan cheese. The crust was baked perfect, on a real pizza stone. I personally prefer thin crust pizza but this fluffy and evenly baked crust did not fail to impress me. Timezone sure knows how to make a classic just right.

The hamburger steak was not an all beef patty, most likely a pork blend. But it was still thick and juicy and so delicious. It came out with steamed vegetables in vinegar dressing and a wheat bread roll.

For taste I rate Timezone a 9 out of 10. Everything was unusually good, and the vegetables were an especially good touch.

For Price Timezone receives a $$ which is very common in China.

Over all I give Timezone a 9 out of 10. Surrounded by book stores and art galleries, lunch or supper here has that exclusive beatnik art scene feeling. I would say that a lot of the art galleries here are over rated, but dinner here will not disappoint.

Tree 10 ($)

Tree

This place is more of a bar than a restaurant, their Belgian beer menu is extensive, while their food menu is limited to pizza a few pastas and some snacks.

We ordered a pizza with pepperoni, artichoke hears, . It was decent, and baked on a think crust wich I prefer. But it wasn’t enough, and I was still hungry after we had finished the whole pie. We hand to order a plate of steak fries to finish up.

The beer on the other hand was exceptional. The Orval I had was almost its own meal it was so rich and smooth. The head lasted the entire drink it was so thick. This beer is a must try, it had absolutely no bite and it drink like milk. Perfect pairing for anything.

The atmosphere in tree gets pretty busy on weekends and is very popular amongst the other ex-pats in Beijing. It has the feeling of a local pub. It is though a little off the beaten trail, that means that only seasoned Beijiners go here and it had a little bit of a locals only feeling.

For taste I give Tree an 8. It was pretty good, but it’s a much better bar than a restaurant.

Overall I rate Tree a 10, but go for the drinks and not for the food exclusively.

Xiao 9($$)

Xiao

This restaurant serves food from Guizhou province. Traditionally food from this area is very similar to Shichuan food, but is usually served in small bite size pieces. This restaurant is located in the popular Gulou area of Beijing surrounded by trendy clothing stores, guitar shops and bars. The restaurant has a most interesting interior architecture. The dinning floor is set on four levels; four tables on each level.

We ordered three dishes and it was more than enough food for two people. Ham and Chicken soup, Pork Spare Ribs and Mint Chicken Wings. Everything was very good, and definitely had a distinguishable flavor different than typical Chinese food.

I was most impressed with the Mint Chicken wings. They were marinated in a spicy sweet sauce and stir fried, fresh mint added last to keep the flavor. The mint gave the spicy chicken a cool almost basil flavor reminding me of some Indian dishes. The pork was breaded with a flour and pepper crust and then fried in little pieces. It was wonderfully spicy, crisp and a perfect balance to the sweeter cool taste of the chicken wings. This restaurant is most famous for their soup, particularly their sour fish soup. But we ordered ham, I thought is was refreshing and the broth was very good, but it wasn’t really all that unusual or special.

For taste I give Xiao a 10, it was an adventure in taste well worth the visit. In fact it may be my favorite restaurant experience so far in Beijing. Everything was hot and so good!

For atmosphere I give it a 7. Xiao has that little family owned restaurant feeling. The tiered dinning levels were definitely a home job and it’s a little weird that the kitchen is located below the floor but every thing was very clean. One major down side though is that there is not a bathroom on location, you have to walk a block to get to the nearest public toilet, not really a problem for locals but a little inconvenient for foreigners.

For price Xiao gets a $ and ½$ for two people; about $30 American dollars in total.

Overall I give Xiao a 9. I loved the flavor and variety that this restaurant has to offer. It was a treat to try something different. But I did not like having to run around the corner to go to the bathroom and the facility was terrible, which has no reflection on the restaurant other than the fact that they didn’t have one, but I would walk the extra block to go to the public bathroom with the doors on the stalls.