Food: 7 Presentation: 3 Decor: 2 Service: 2
Total: 14 out of 25: C+
Mikado has turned into a local chain of Japanese restaurants. It has a reputation of having good sushi. Given so many top notch Japanese restaurants in South Jersey and Philadelphia, let's see if Mikado rates up there.
The restaurant is not in a great location next to the mall. Walking into the restaurant there are three sections. Directly in front is the sushi bar. I guess front in center gets your attention. But if I were bellied to the bar, the last place I'd want to be is right in the front next to the people waiting for a table. Horrible location.
To the left is a long, narrow section of booths and tables. It's not very attractive at all. To the right is a separate section with the teppanyaki grills. That was the nicest section. Unfortunately, we were in the tunnel.
I order a California roll and tuna roll. My one table mate ordered a platter of sashimi. My other table mate ordered some form of tempora. All the meals came with hot tea, miso soup, and a salad. We also ordered edamame, chicken yakatori, and some pan fried dumplings.
The tea was generic "asian" tea. The miso soup was also generic with bits of seaweed and tofu. The salad was again generic with that ever-so-popular asian ginger dressing which somehow is bright orange. I could get all this stuff at the mall food court. Oh, and the soup and salad came out together.
Next was the appetizers, oh, and the main courses together. The place was busy but hey not that busy. The table was jam packed with dishes. Insane.
The edamame was fine. Yakatori was fine. And the dumplings were actually pretty good. I could have eaten 10 of them.
My rolls were very good. Not great, but very good. It seems the new way to make many rolls is to finely slice the cucumber/radish so you get a loose bite but a good snap. Same here. The tuna rolls were probably a bit too tightly wrapped. But it was all fresh.
My friend's sashimi was excellent. He commented many times on how good it was. He's very critical of food so this was a great endorsement of their fish.
My other friend was doing most of the talking and we didn't talk about his food.
The check came quickly even though the restaurant was emptying for lunch with no one waiting. The service could have been worse by being extremely slow. This was the opposite and definitely not welcome.
Except for the sashimi, the food was average to good at best. Given I like Japanese food, just not all sushi/sashimi, I was not impressed with Mikado at all. If all you want is raw fish, Mikado is a very good place. But if you're looking for a more balanced restaurant, keep moving.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Camden Children's Garden: A
I had heard about the Camden Children's Garden but didn't really know much about it. It is right next to the Adventure Aquarium. After looking it up, I decided to head over with my son, Brandon, to check it out. It was awesome!
First, the entrance is through the gift shop. In there they have a Thomas train table which is always a plus. Up along the ceiling is a large scale Thomas train running along a track and a mock up of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Equally cool.
Walking outside, the first thing to see is the fountains. These are the sculptures and holes in the ground that "spit" water every now and then. Kids were running through it, holding their hands over the holes, and getting water shot at them. Brandon could have stayed in this part forever.
Next was the train ride. They have a very nice 3 car train that goes around a very nice track. Throughout are small train tracks in village settings, one through a mountain, a waterfall, etc. Very cool. The ride is $1.50 for each passenger and goes around the track twice. Maybe 3 minutes. It was great.
They have a large covered picnic area which a school group was using. Next is a small butterfly greenhouse with dozens of butterflies and plants. Additional donations taken at the door.
There is a nice "tree house" which is really just a platform overlooking a maze. Kind of neat. The maze is pretty good. Lots of plants and flowers and paths. Some of the paths go through tunnels.
Other rides include a carousel that was unfortunately out of order. Another was a row of seats that shot up in the air and back down. That was off as well. Don't know why.
There is a storybook section which has some "scenes" from Alice in Wonderland, Jack and Beanstalk, and Three Little Pigs. There is also a secret garden to sit in.
The dinosaur section was neat. They have a large brontosaurus metal sculpture. A stone dinosaur with some empty eggs next to it that kids can stand in. And a sand pit with fake bones to discover.
There is also a stage area. There were no shows that day but it was a nice area that could easily hold 100+ people.
Throughout the Gardens are of course plants and flowers. Signs abound on what they are and perhaps some information about them. So, if you looking for garden ideas this would be a good place to take a look.
Overall, the place was awesome. It could use a food court. It is an excellent place to take toddlers through grade school children. Getting there and out are a bit difficult as Camden has no direct route to the riverfront. But, parking is plenty with a garage and ground lot right next to the gardens and aquarium. Also, the price is right. $6 a person. Children 2 and under are free. And a year long family membership is a paltry $40. (All prices from 2007). So, head on over. It's well worth it.
First, the entrance is through the gift shop. In there they have a Thomas train table which is always a plus. Up along the ceiling is a large scale Thomas train running along a track and a mock up of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Equally cool.
Walking outside, the first thing to see is the fountains. These are the sculptures and holes in the ground that "spit" water every now and then. Kids were running through it, holding their hands over the holes, and getting water shot at them. Brandon could have stayed in this part forever.
Next was the train ride. They have a very nice 3 car train that goes around a very nice track. Throughout are small train tracks in village settings, one through a mountain, a waterfall, etc. Very cool. The ride is $1.50 for each passenger and goes around the track twice. Maybe 3 minutes. It was great.
They have a large covered picnic area which a school group was using. Next is a small butterfly greenhouse with dozens of butterflies and plants. Additional donations taken at the door.
There is a nice "tree house" which is really just a platform overlooking a maze. Kind of neat. The maze is pretty good. Lots of plants and flowers and paths. Some of the paths go through tunnels.
Other rides include a carousel that was unfortunately out of order. Another was a row of seats that shot up in the air and back down. That was off as well. Don't know why.
There is a storybook section which has some "scenes" from Alice in Wonderland, Jack and Beanstalk, and Three Little Pigs. There is also a secret garden to sit in.
The dinosaur section was neat. They have a large brontosaurus metal sculpture. A stone dinosaur with some empty eggs next to it that kids can stand in. And a sand pit with fake bones to discover.
There is also a stage area. There were no shows that day but it was a nice area that could easily hold 100+ people.
Throughout the Gardens are of course plants and flowers. Signs abound on what they are and perhaps some information about them. So, if you looking for garden ideas this would be a good place to take a look.
Overall, the place was awesome. It could use a food court. It is an excellent place to take toddlers through grade school children. Getting there and out are a bit difficult as Camden has no direct route to the riverfront. But, parking is plenty with a garage and ground lot right next to the gardens and aquarium. Also, the price is right. $6 a person. Children 2 and under are free. And a year long family membership is a paltry $40. (All prices from 2007). So, head on over. It's well worth it.
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