Red 8 Kitchen

On Nov 26th, it was my first time eating at the Red 8 Kitchen, so I was very excited to see if it would be a new go-to restaurant for me. The menu items had variety, but I would love to have seen more non-alcoholic beverage choices. I ordered the lobster roll as the waitress recommended it. She described it as a fried sushi roll, so I imagined it to be crispier, but it was not. The flavor was lacking, and although the sauce added was delicious, it was sparse. While helping to pay for my friend’s meal, I initially selected no tip since my order would have the option to tip, but the waitress suggested I give a tip of 18%. Taste=5/10 customer service =6/10 Atmosphere=8/10

This restaurant is relatively new in the spot of the former PF Chang’s-Renaissance. Decor wise it feels largely the same, absent the giant horses! The hostess was very friendly and welcoming. We sat in a booth near the window. Our waiter, Kim, was prompt and friendly. Aside from the menus being sticky, things were definitely optimistic. There’s a wide selection of food options, including reasonably priced lunch specials for around $12. For appetizer we ordered the whole grilled squid, pork gyoza and edamame. I tried the sushi lunch special - selected two basic rolls and soup. Others at the table had a Thai fried rice and Mongolian Beef. The presentation of everything was great. You could tell that thought and care went into it. Unfortunately the taste did not match appearance. Squid, which I love, was covered in an odd sauce which completely took away from it. The sushi rice had obviously been left in the refrigerator too long . The mango sauce on the sushi is okay, not great. The beef had an odd flavor. The fried rice was good. For dessert we ordered Green Tea Mochi and the Mexican fried cheesecake Xango. In spite of being off theme, it was tasty. 3 stars for location and friendly staff. Hopefully the food will improve so that I can bump them up next time.

The atmosphere was nice and modern. The food was presented well but the taste, eh, passable. It wasn't as authentic as advertised. Growing up in Singapore and Malaysia, I've been excited about this restaurant but honestly it's a bit disappointing. Chicken satay looked and taste like chicken skewer from panda express or any generic chinese buffet restaurant. Curry powder on noodle doesn't make a Singaporean style fried lo mein. Sorry about it.

Great dining experience with friends. Our server made the meal so much fun. My favorites were the scallion pancakes, the red snapper and the mango salad. That being said, all the food we had was really done well and presented beautifully.