pomegranate bistro

i recently visited this place with couple of my colleagues. it looks quite small from outside, nice entrance but looks cramped, you'll probably miss it, if you dont know it was there. as soon as we entered there were quite a lot of folks waiting to get a table, we were lucky to get a table almost immediately as we were only 3. we were seated at a really nice place where were able to see whatever was going on in the kitchen.

the menu arrived and it was quite disappointing to see only sandwiches, salads and me being me, i really thought we made a mistake coming to this place. probably that was agoodthing as it just removed whatever expectation i had of the place and i must say i was pleasantly surprised by the chicken pesto sandwich i ordered. it was delicious, juicy and one of the best sandwiches i had. within no time i finished it and wished had another one on my plate :)

by the time we finished, we saw a guy completing a frosting on a cake and dressing it, looked quitegoodat the end. overall a verygoodlunch !!

one of our favorite spots, its southern comfort food at its best.. so glad to have found this on the east side, and not have to drive to seattle anytime for agoodbrunch.

one of the fewgoodamerican restaurants on the eastside. first thing when i got into the store was to purchase my favorite cherry chocolate scones. their scones were not as soft and fluffy as murchie’s, but the flavors were very good, particularly the deep dark chocolate with the chewy dried cherries. they often sold out of this particular flavor scones as well. the three of us shared a firebread (thai peanut lime flank steak), salad (dueling wedges) and calamari appetizer.

second visit was wonderful. had lunch at pomegranate bistro today and it was really excellent. i had been earlier (april) and not been all that impressed, but today's meal was sogoodi'll definitely go again.

my husband and i shared one appetizer and two sandwiches, and all three were interesting, slightly different and delicious.

the lamb sliders (3) were outstanding - tangy slaw and tender, well-seasoned lamb. nice flavor mixture with the feta cheese.

the tuna melt was a special, and not at all the standard sandwich. it was open face on a thin crisp base and had a lovely mixture of soft and crunchy and the pickled onion slices really made the flavors shine.

the tequila rock shrimp firebread looked a little sparsely covered when i first saw it, but that was part of what made it work so well. the firebread was beautifully cooked - a little crispy, but not chewey or tough. the light touch with the toppings made the balance of flavors delicious - better than if they'd loaded on the shrimp.

i'd have loved to have room for dessert, but after we split these three things and each had some hot tea, we had no room.

service was prompt, pleasant and our questions were usefully answered. all in all a really excellent lunch out.


-----17 apr, 2011-----

good earthy food. my family ate dinner there last night and had agoodmeal. i'm not sure i'd go back again though as there was nothing that really said "wow" and the menu sounded better than the food tasted.

my kids are a bit picky and didn't care for the cheese quesadillas or pommes frites (i tried both and liked them a lot). sometimes the boring and expected is more palatable for kids. i can't defend their eating habits, but it helps when the kids menu caters to them, versus tries to improve their food choices.

i had the lamb shanks and they had been well cooked (fell off the bone) but if i hadn't read the menu that said "braised kaffir lime & coconut milk lamb shanks with jalapeño ginger basmati rice & organic vegetables" i would have just said that it was stewed lamb shanks. i got no hint of lime, coconut or ginger. so it was tasty but not really what the menu led me to expect.

my husband had the hard cider braised pork (which i tried). he really liked it, and i thought it was good, but again, no real hint of the flavoring beyond the pork.

we didn't have room for dessert - portions are plentiful.

awful. my friend and i went for lunch after readinggoodlocal reviews. what a mistake! i ordered a sliced steak sandwich with cheese. the bread was so old and overtoasted it cut my palate. the meat was so tough and dry that at the first bite all of it came out of the sandwich. the cheese? it might as well been painted on, there was so little. the whole thing was covered with some vinegary orange sauce that might have been from mcd. on the side were old stale potato chips. my friend's meal was just as horrendous. we contacted the restaurant to see if they could make it right and received no response. never again!

the food is prettygoodbut it seems like they're trying too hard to be original. and like others said it is loud and the service a bit unfriendly. vegans and those with dairy allergies stay away; you will go home hungry.

our standby. pomegranate is our go-to place whenever we want a nice meal with our young son. it's a rare combination of great food that's alsogoodfor kids. practically everything we try is great - the firebread, meats, vegetarian entrees and especially the dessert. if it's on the menu, make sure to try the fish tacos or the chocolate soup dessert.

don't judge the book by it's cover. i agree with the seattle weekly's opening lining above "don't judge it by its blah, office-park exterior". this is a real gem in redmond. the interior is industrial chic. it's always busy and forgoodreason. great food,goodservice. huge picture windows provide a view into the bustling kitchen, which is also part of lisa dupar's catering service as well. don't miss an opportunity to dine here.