The restaurant isn't big but the over the top decor makes it appear much smaller than it really is. When I stepped in the door and there was a partition of fake plants at the front of the restaurant with barely a foot of space, I was a bit turned off and actually thought despite the open sign on the door that the restaurant might be closed. Looking past that, I will just say that the decorations were a bit quirky. I bet their decorator designs for a flea market.
Anywho, although the place wasn't packed, their were quite a few patrons dining so I didn't feel the urge to run in the other direction.
Once we were seated, we were done so by one staff member who subsequently took our drink order, but by the time we ordered our food, someone else took our food order. Both were really nice but I thought that was a bit weird. Our second server was extreme friendly and helpful in explaining the dishes and letting us know what she liked. She was very enthusiastic about her job which I love; it always makes dining so much better.
It sometimes hard to have dinner without a little wine, so to stay true to the Asian theme, I got some Plum Wine. If you never had Plum Wine before, it is really sweet and best described as a desert wine, however it can pair well with other food depending on sweetness. This one was fairly sweet.
I told you I was starving so an appetizer was a necessity today. We ordered the Pot Stickers. Their version is five homemade chicken dumplings which are steamed then pan-fried and served with a ginger dipping sauce. They were fresh and the sauce was good too. A basic dish that was satisfying.
For my dining partner's entree, he ordered the East West Combo. It is a dish made up of two grilled beef skewers marinated with lemon grass, garlic, honey and soy sauce, served with fried rice, Asian salad, and a fried spring roll. It was a well rounded combo dish with a nice mix of everything to create a balanced meal. The flavor were strong and I enjoyed but others might not. Taste was good, but I found the meat portion to be a bit small.
I decided to go a completely different route and get Pho (Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup). I choose beef, although you have other choices. It of course comes with the typical add ins of Bean Sprouts, Basil Leaves, a slice of Lime, and fresh Chili. The beef broth was very nice and most importantly, it can out piping hot. I enjoyed it. When ordering I was contemplating between small and large and because of the small price difference, I decided to go with the large, but it was more than large, it was huge. Large could serve at least two people if not more.
I'll admit there really isn't anything fancy or special about this restaurant. However, the prices here are really decent, the staff is really nice and the food is fresh. It's a solid place to dine out west if you are looking for a little east.
East West Cafe
8257 West Sunrise Boulevard, Plantation, FL 33322
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