Rate-A-Restaurant, #109 in a series
Restaurant: Blue Hen
Location: 1743 Colorado Blvd. (Eagle Rock)
Type of restaurant: Vietnamese
We stipulated: It was a busy weekend -- I had press tour for much of it, while Maria was left to mostly deal with Evan's fever. So we decided to treat ourselves to an early Sunday dinner -- and we've wanted to try Blue Hen, as we continue to eat our way through neighboring Eagle Rock.
They stipulated: Almost everything is organic, including the chicken, tofu and dairy. Also, no reservation is necessary -- and kids are welcome; there's even an item on the menu for the little ones.
What we ordered: Fresh Spring Rools, $5.75 (Vietnamese spring rolls stuffed with organic chicken or tofu served with a peanut and soy butter sauce); Carmelized Ginger Chicken and Tofu, $8.75 (Braised organic chicken and tofu served with rice and side of market greens); Tomato and Basil Tofu, $9.25 (Slightly crispy organic tofu with tomato and served with rice and a side of market greens). For Blogger Baby: Baby Hen, $5.25 (Vietnamese noodle soup with fries). To drink: Lime Tonic, $2.50 (Fresh squeezed organic limes and sparkling water)
High point: The service was great, as the waitress -- herself a new parent -- brought out crayons to entertain Evan.
Low point: Unfortunately, the stellar service and pleasant decor couldn't mask the lackluster food. The chicken was dry and tasted old (not exactly organic); the tomato tofu was nothing special; and the brown rice we ordered (50 cents extra) was dry.
Overall impression: In the battle of the new, hip neighborhood "Vietnamese" spots around our neck of the woods, Indochine easily has Blue Hen beat, no contest.
Chance we will go back: Not likely.
posted by Mike @ 12:59 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
Right on.
I didn't even finish my food. It was that bad. No return here either.
I have nothing but GOOD to say about this place. The first time I went I had dessert and tea only...banana bread pudding ....I am not kidding, but this was the BEST dessert I've ever had. Now I've tried pretty much everything vegan on the menu and I can't complain about any of it. Everyone is always extremely nice and helpful. The art and decor is very nice as well...the place has a very nice vibe. I hope you will go support them because they are doing good things by supporting local/organic farmers and artists.
ENJOY!
PEACE,
eleen
i love this restaurant. i find the food quality is very consistant. the greens are really yummy. i love the fried imperial rolls, chicken sandwich, pho, chicken curry, mama lu's tofu. it's my favorite eagle rock restaurant.
I'm with the anonymous that loves the place. Our family would wither up and die without Blue Hen. If you can find a better chicken broth, I'll eat my hat.
Vietnamese food for white people; not a bad thing, but certainly no sense of culinary authenticity here that one might find in San Gabriel or Alhambra. For exceptional REAL Viet cusine drive by this over priced joint and head over to Saigon Noodle on Raymond Ave. in Pasadena between Colorado and Union (East side of the street.) Their combo pho is God-Head.
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cottonseed and sesame oils and Annie's Ketchup. on rare occasions Heinz if the Annies isn't in.
I hope they change their oil. Organic food shouldn't be "cheap".
Slowly a cheaper cost cotton-gin-trash-based vegetable oil has been slipping into more and more food products unknown to most persons that should raise some serious health and consumer concerns.
Cottonseed oil is exactly what it says it is; oil made from the cottonseed. However few in the public realize that until a serious toxin in the oil, gossypol is removed, that cottonseed oil is actually so toxic that it is often used as a pesticide. Further since cotton crops are under far less chemical regulation that other other crops used specifically for food, many pesticides or chemicals can be used on cotton crops that are illegal for use on food crops, yet the cottonseed can find it's way into the food chain because of this major legal loophole in the regulation of food and chemicals by the FDA. Some serious pesticides or chemicals could resist processing and find their way into the food chain because of this.
It is often products such as potato chips or snack crackers where cottonseed oil is turning up most often, however more and more consumers need to be wary of cottonseed oil being substituted for far more healthy oils such as soybean, canola or sunflower oil in many cheaper cost food products. Generally if a consumer sticks with health food store brands of snacks or other products, cottonseed oil is never present in such premium quality foods, unlike cheaper foods where this cheap oil is growing more and more common.
Regardless of the chemical, pesticide or toxic concerns related to cottonseed oil, there are other serious health concerns for consumers to be wary of as well. Cottonseed oil contains over 50% in Omega-6 fatty acids, which should raise health concerns if a person consumes this oil in large amounts.
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