Haruki East - @@@

On Wednesday, April 13, we had a psuedo team night at a Japanese restaurant called Haruki East.  I say it was a psuedo team night because it was more impromptu as opposed to planned however 4 of the 8 team members were present so can be classified as such (my rules).  This was a sushi themed Japanese restaurant as opposed to a hibatchi grill Japanese style.  I clearly did not select this place.

I was late getting to the restaurant due to some work that I needed to finish up.  When I got there, everyone had ordered some apps and sushi-ish items.  I tried a few of them, there were not too many memorable ones at least now.  I ordered a chicken spring roll that I knew was not the traditional spring roll format.  It had additional elements such as burdock(?) and lettuce.  I wanted to try it because it sounded different.  I did not finish it as I did not think it was that good, but the full disclosure here is that I wanted to try it out.

For my main meal, I ordered the teriyaki ribeye.  It was also served with potatoes and green beans.  The sides were pretty good, the green beans were still crunchy and the potatoes flavorful.  I thought the steak was really flavorful as well.  In addition to the slightly sweet marinade that it had, there were also full peppercorns giving it a peppery bite.  The flavor contrast worked well on the steak I felt.  Due to the marinade, I also thought the meat was very tender.  Ribeye is generally tender but the marinade enhanced and flavored the dish.  One interesting thing was that the meat was pre-sliced.  I am still undecided on it as I still cut the strips so it was not that it saved me time but rather more for presentation?  What do you think about pre-slicing your food at restaurants?

One other interesting item of note at the restaurant was the ordering process.  We have some coworkers that ask the server what they would recommend to eat and then take that.  It really elimantes the viewing of the menu and works well for those that either have restrictions (vegetarian) or are open to anything.  I like the concept since the server will usually pick a specialty or a personal favorite.  My coworker did this to our server tonight and the server was clearly stumped and confused.  He said he would take any sushi that she ordered for him and she did not understand this.  She named numerous fishes and sushi types and they were all fine for him.  After her initial confusion of the concept, she was able to order what my coworker said were good dishes.  An interesting ordering technique that I figured I would share...

This place was busy on the weekday even though we dined after 8 pm showing that it is a well-known place around town.  That is always a good sign.  I thought my ribeye was good and almost a 4, however the sushi aspect and non-memorable appetizers did knock it down a point.  I give it a 3 of 5.  I feel those that like sushi would appreciate it more and is really on the border of getting a 4.  I would recommend it to others looking for this type of food.

172 Wayland
Providence, RI 02906

Lili Marlene's - @@@

Wow, incredible backlog of restaurants to look at.  On Tuesday April 12, we went to a local bar called Lili Marlene's that is also on Federal Hill.  Even though there are mostly Italian restaurants in Federal Hill, there are the assorted other types too including Chinese and American.  I learned of Lili Marlene's online through yelp listing good burger spots and a coworker also said it was pretty good.

Walking in it was clear this was the dive bar that the online reviews noted.  It was a tiny spot with 4 tables.  It was also relatively dark similar in manner to Red Coat Tavern in Detroit.  We were able to get a table easily as it was self-serve seating and looked at their expansive menu.  And by expansive I mean hamburger, cheeseburger, fries, or rings.  They also had a few appetizer selections that were inspired by bar food.

To start, I ordered some sliced sausage with spicy mustard that was really good.  The sausage was cooked well and even though it was sliced it was still juicy.  The mustard was flavorful and added a nice, cool contrast to the warm sausage.

For dinner I opted for the cheeseburger and fries.  If the menu reminded you of Miller's Bar in Detroit, the burger presentation was similar as well in that it was simple.  Burger came with no-frills, just bun, patty, lettuce, and tomato.  One thing I noticed was the white American cheese that is always used out east.  I have not seen the yellow American used at all.  As for the taste, the burger was plain and simple, not overly juicy.  To me, it seemed like a normal burger that was on the smallish side.  I did order another one as I was pretty hungry that day.  I did like the fries as they were the thinner, crispier type that I prefer.  They were not shoestring size, but more the shape of McDonald's than anything else.

I thought this place was a good place to hang out and get some food and drinks.  They also have free pool at least on the day I was there which is always a bonus.  Though the burger was not outstanding, I thought overall it was a cool, local spot that I would go back to if I wanted to hang out in an informal setting.  With this, I give it a 3 of 5.

422 Atwells Ave
Providence, RI 02909