Something for everyone
Written: Jun 27 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Surprisingly nice atmosphere, extensive menu
Cons: Hidden in a strip mall
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| xtal's Full Review: Andre's Gourmet |
Andre’s (Actually called Andre’s Eurasian Bistro) is one of those rare restaurants that really does seem to have something for everyone. The menu is predominantly Asian, but you’ll also find French, Italian, and Mediterranean touches. The restaurant’s statement is “At Andre's, we're bringing together two different elements -- Far East and Far West cuisine -- and creating an irresistible blend of flavors.” “Eurasian bistro” seems to cover it.
Atmosphere
Andre’s is yet another hidden strip-mall surprise (as is just about every good restaurant on the Eastside). You’d never notice it just by driving by, and it’s tucked so far off the road that it can be hard to find even when you’re looking for it. Once inside, you’ll find it spacious and clean with a modest, Asian-influenced décor. There’s a nice gas fireplace in one of the small dining rooms, and all of the tables seem to be in the quiet section. This is a casual restaurant (it actually doubles as a take-out joint), but they pull off a little bit of “classy” as well.
Food
The menu’s pretty extensive, and I haven’t been disappointed in a dish yet. As I mentioned, there’s something for everyone. The appetizer list is mostly Asian, featuring pork, shrimp, and vegan spring rolls, chicken wings and chicken satay, fried calamari, and a sample plate. They also serve several nice soups and salads. Try the yummy five-onion soup, one of the traditional Asian soups (miso, nam ky, or Beef Pho Bac Ky), or the chef’s special. Last fall they served a pumpkin bisque that was so good I asked for a gallon to go. (The waitress thought I was joking.) Then there’s your rice and sides. You have your choice of fried rice, jasmine rice, and Biryani rice, buttered noodles for the kids, soy sauce egg noodles, and bistro garlic bread and focaccia. There is a sizeable vegetarian menu, and several other vegetarian dishes can be found on other parts of the menu. The stir-fried tofu and the eggplant cheese napoleon are yummy, but I usually just forget the vegetarian thing for the night and order the crab ravioli, my favorite dish. Which brings us to meat dishes…. I’ll just list a few of the more exciting menu items: mango chicken, curry pork, Algerian lamb, iron grilled chicken and pork, Ha Noi beef, Hai Phong chicken, emerald birdnest seafood, Siam wrap, warm chicken baguette, pork tenderloin, hay and straw angelhair pasta, linguine alla puttanesca, grilled chicken fettuccini, and grilled yellowfin tuna. If you can’t find something on this menu, you probably shouldn’t be going to restaurants at all. And if you came looking for noodles, there’s still more—two kinds of phad Thai, as well as six or eight other different Asian noodle dishes. But save room for dessert: they make a good flan and a great banana bread pudding.
Service and value
The service staff has been courteous, friendly, and efficient on all of my visits. Most entrees are in the $6 to $12 range, with considerable savings (and a considerably smaller menu) at lunch. I consider it a bargain, because most entrees are big enough that I end up with enough left over for the next day’s lunch.
Other info
Open for lunch Monday through Friday, dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
Beer & wine only.
Web site: http://seattle.citysearch.com/E/V/SEAWA/0001/10/83/
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
xtal
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Location: Redmond, WA
Reviews written: 22
Trusted by: 7 members
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