Sariwa?

where is it?

Now I'm confused...is 16th St. Gourmet now called Fez on PPW?

I had lunch there a few weeks ago in the back garden. It was good.

I had some of their food at the other location, but it used to freak me out to see them smoking out front, and then come back and handle food directly without washing hands (one of those things that obviously happens, but I don't want to see it)

okay, so all this talk of sariwa made me order from there tonight. here's my report:

the barbeque chicken was roasted in such a way that the meat fell off the bone. tender and juicy. however, its spice blend was bland -- not enough "oomph".

the lumpiang were great. little spring rolls made with pork and a spicy/sweet dipping sauce were yummy.

the pancit, a rice noodle & veggie dish was almost painfully bland. its ingredients never melded, and the string beans (there were other veggies, too, but this one stood out) were too raw for my taste to enjoy. they weren't "crisp-tender" -- they were raw.

side of jasmine rice was a generous portion. side of pickled veggies not so much.

so, overall, i think these folks may stand a chance, but only if they rework their recipes a bit. but they're brand new, so we'll have to revisit them in a month to see how things shake out.