Get your chopsticks ready for Colala on Washington (near Lincoln)
"Chinese/Japanese" or maybe it was "Japanese/Chinese"
We have an awning - We have free delivery
original thread:
Former site of Island Taste on Washington
http://brooklynian.com/forum/prospect-heights/former-site-of-island-taste-on-washington
so exciting!
I hope it is good Chinese/Japanese, because we already have a few sit down places that do a good job with Japanese food, but a lousy job with Chinese food.
Any restaurant that's "This + That" is automatically not going to do a good job with anything.
eastbloc said:
Any restaurant that's "This + That" is automatically not going to do a good job with anything.
it sounds as if you have recently eaten in one of those Burrito + Kung Po chicken joints.
They are horrible.
The characters
WN: It looks like you guys are almost ready to open
AGs: Almost. We still have a while.
Dude: (Wags tail)
Ags: (Pet Dude)
WN: Do you know how soon?
Ags: Not yet, boss gets to decide
WN: Good luck
Ags: Thanks
you talking about Yummy Taco or Fresco Tortilla?
Fresco Tortilla has sort of an interesting story
"The proliferation of fast-food Mexican outlets run by Chinese operators reflects how Asian immigrants are finding it difficult to succeed in the city's crowded field of Chinese restaurants."
Where East Meets Tex-Mex
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/02/nyregion/where-east-meets-tex-mex.html
while we're at it http://fortunecookiechronicles.com the Book was a pretty good read too...
enetrating this subculture by traveling the world (and almost every American state) in her quest to understand Chinese food and the people who make it.
"Her journey took her to the hometown of General Tso (a military hero immortalized as much for crunchy chicken as his conquests), the surprising origins of the fortune cookie (it’s not China), and to six continents in search for the world’s greatest Chinese restaurant. The book also sparks debates as to who really invented chop suey and why Jews love Chinese food, or as she puts it: Why is chow mein the chosen food of the chosen people?"
"Asian" sounds so generic doesn't it?
I prefer referring to it as the Chinese/Japanese restaurant.
i'm willing to wager that the owner is Japanese...
I am going to call it "The New Asian Place by Teddy's"
greek-chinese-japanese fusion
oh yea!
(go armchair warrior!)
Looked like they were doing some work in the place to the right of Colala too.
Update: November 12, 2011, approximately 9 PM.
1. A guy arrived on a scooter. He used keys to unlock the pull down gate, opened said pull down gate, and entered Colala.
2. A guy who witnessed the above put his cell phone up to the window and took a photo of the interior.
3. The guy then posted the photo to a neighborhood message board.
Menus on table: check.
Tables and chairs: check
Pictures of things that might be dragons: check
guy who rides scooter: check
We only await more staff members, and the ingredients for Sesame chicken.
...this place looks like it will open within 2 weeks, at the most. Sit down chinese will soon be here. 
I recently spent a few weeks in a small(ish) town in VA. One of the worrying trends that I noticed - EVERY Asian restaurant had "and Sushi" appended to the name. Well, not quite every restaurant - there was a Pho house that didn't have "and Sushi" on the sign. Unfortunately, it had recently gone out of business.
...but yes, I have to agree with eastbloc and say that the safe money is on none-of-the-above being worthwhile when a restaurant needs/wants to cobble together different types of cuisine.
Why don't we all wait till they open. Go a couple times, eat something and then pass judgement on whether it's good or bad.
I only hope they serve a good wor-shu-opp.
There are plenty of food items within either type of cuisine to fill out a restaurant menu several times over. That they need to resort to both is a sign that they lack confidence and direction, neither of which is good. Could they churn out dishes better than some of the bullet-proof Chinese joints? Sure, but that's not exactly a yard-stick for excellence.
Excellence has a different yardstick on Washington Ave.
The proprietors suspend their dreams and settle for me as a customer, and I do the same.
A good wor shu opp has become all too hard to find, as Cantonese cuisine has given way to Schechuan, Taiwan and other more of the moment varieties.
recently
travel back in time to 1916
View from Lincoln Place
Key Food on right, used to be a theater!
Then, Love's Liquors, sans Capt Morgan
fun with google:
<small>View Larger Map</small>
I was told they hope to open as soon as this weekend.
Thanks whynot!
What about the Italian place?
I have no new info on the former site of Teddy's, other than construction seems to be ongoing.
Are you coming to Festivus?
Thanks for the invite --but I can't make it --- i should go to one of these Brooklinian shindigs though.
It is now open!
Grand Opening is today: 12/15/2011
Mrs. Whynot and I ate there tonight.
7 Random facts:
1. They have another location, but it is named something else. I know this because they offered me a 2012 Calendar that listed both locations. However, I did not accept said calendar.
2. They passed out menus in the neighborhood today, and -as a result- we were not the only hungry people there to welcome them to the neighborhood. They are already doing deliveries: 718-399-7999, 718-399-7998, 718-399-7797
3. The framed wall hangings I looked at from outside and thought might be dragons, are actually paintings of plants.
4. Food is primarily Chinese. Sushi bar in back.
5. I had the Szechuan Beef combination, and Mrs. Whynot had Mu Shu Vegetable. We felt the food was good.
6. Bill was $21, before tip.
7. Elementary age children of asian decent were doing their homework in the back.
#7 LOL
Thanks so much for the review ---
No placeholder on Yelp yet.
Looking forward to it.
LOL - I got the calendar in my take out -- I just hung it up in the apartment's recycling room.
I like how the receipt is printed out in Chinese (and English)
I placed an order for pickup and they hung up on me before I could give my name or ask How Long (ha!)--- in any case this usually means that the food will be ready in no more than 20 minutes--- sure enough the food was ready and waiting for me at the register no later than 20 minutes after It was placed.
What no fortune cookies? No Crispy Noodles?
I agree, the food is "good" ---
I believe (don't hold me to it) that Colala is run by some of the same folks from Kam Hong
http://brooklynian.com/forum/prospect-heights/kam-hong
but clearly a different cook as Kam Hong was mediocre at best.
Dragon House next to Key Food is abominable and this will likely force Dragon to put a couple of new tables and chairs in their place and perhaps remove the bullet proof glass --- when they find out that no one wants to sit there or shoot them it would probably be too late to realize that the food is the problem.
Now we need a bagel store or a half decent pizzeria to move into Dragon House - I give Dragon House 1 year before it folds.
Colala is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
Going there of lunch today!
Had their cold noodle last night- it was really good, not nearly enough sauce though.
4/5 stars for Prospect Heights
3/5 Stars for Chinatown
4/5 stars for Prospect Heights
3/5 Stars for Chinatown
yup
whynot_31 said:
Excellence has a different yardstick on Washington Ave.The proprietors suspend their dreams and settle for me as a customer, and I do the same.
apparently this place is going to be italian... saw a worker outside there today who confirmed as much...
bkhoosierfan said:
apparently this place is going to be italian... saw a worker outside there today who confirmed as much...
I think you mean Bar Corvo --yes
http://brooklynian.com/forum/crown-heights-and-prospect-lefferts-gardens/al-di-la-coming-to-teddys
http://prospectheights.patch.com/articles/al-di-l-names-new-restaurant-bar-corvo
If Colala had an Italian Menu tomorrow that would be just too funny.
Chinese can do a (half) decent Mexican though!
Update: Whynot's Mother In Law gave Colala a ringing endorsement over the weekend!
"It's pretty good for your neighborhood. They deliver fast."
I shared their vegetable lo mein and the general tso's tofu lunch specials yesterday with my gf. Pretty good! Would definitely try again.
This place continues to do a steady delivery and take-out business, but rarely (if ever) is full of eat-in customers.
Mrs. Whynot reports that they have recently added bubble tea, and predicts it will be popular this summer.
....Mrs Whynot loves bubble tea.
Colala has definitely become the "go to" for delivery in the neighborhood now that Hing Lung has closed, but man... i still really miss Hing Lung.
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