The buzz coming out of the Blue Taleh last night was intoxicating. Or was that the mai thai bartender Matt threw my way? The curved bar at the newest dining spot was rocking w/ the likes of downtown big wigs, denizens, Auditorium staff, a Dracut superintendent and a spirited crew from chlelms. Besides the great drinks, sushi chef Preecha Suksomboon, aka Mike, stole the show when he torched a plate and va-va voom the Volcano, my new fav. dish, was ready! This towering sushi sampler lit aflame imparted smoky, shrimpy delightfulness. Props to owner Steve Ramirez for insisting this celeb. dish get top billing. We started w/ gold bags (sounding vaguely obscene) i had to try them. These crisp, hot dumpling/eggroll hybrid stuffed w/ chix/shrimp/corn and h20 chest. was a great way to start. Im told the dumpling soup imparts a lemongrass kick that will knock you into a warm splendor. The sushi was clean and powerful and the pad thai, too filling to finish. On the way out one diner carped "i had better sushi last week in Naples. I give it a five."
She must not be livin' in DTL. I give this place a 10. It hits on all the right points. It may never be Michelin-rated, it doesn't have to be, The BT is a boon to struggling Kearney Sq.
What's really exciting is the space and the vibe. The lighting is low/but not too low. I couldn't help but get a NYC hit. On a Thurs. night all the action was at the bar — offset w/ high bistro tables and a nicely appointed flat screen — a good place to catch the game. The lover's nook in the big bay window seems to be the power seat. Dress well if you plan on snagging this fish tank. Opening party includes live jazz tonight and a sushi bowl on sunday. 15 Kearney Sq.
Taleh on fire
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I too was there Thursday night and will second the delightfulness of the Volcano. The toasted tower of tuna is served atop a warm and spicy bed of scallop and crab. We nearly licked the plate clean. The Alligator maki was good too.
I HIGHLY recommend a drink called the Thailand Toddy. It will shake off the winter chill and cure what ails you. Hot green tea, honey, lemon, ginger, and brandy.
I'm also very glad that they're open later than most other downtown establishments. Not many choices for a late evening snack. This will be a new favorite spot. Can't wait until the weather warms up for canal-side seating.
Great place! My husband and I were there the other night and tried sushi, basil rice and some appetizers, all were excellent! Atmosphere was very warm and relaxing, this will be a regular place for us.
We tried this place last night and came away very impressed. The atmosphere is relaxed hip. The service was eager to please. The menu is expansive and has many different price points. I'm not a martini guy but the Thai Tini was really good. We started with the spring rolls--piping hot and tasty. I then had the chicken basil fried rice. The veggies were fresh and I loved the flavor. Although I thought it would be more spicy. Surprisingly we had dessert. Fried ice cream and some torte. We cleaned our plates. The owner chatted with us. She's genuine and obviously hopes for success. Once the street finds out it'll be tough to get a seat.
Had dinner there on Friday night and was impressed. No more schlepping to great lengths to get fresh sushi. The atmosphere was hip but inviting, as was the staff...very friendly and accommodating. The food was delicious. We had a couple of apps. (the crispy chicken wings were great), martinis, sushi and pad thai. All were very tasty. Too full for dessert, but we'll give it a go another time. Can't say enough about the sushi...I'm still giddy over it!
DTL has finally done it! Hopefully Blue Taleh is here to stay. We've vowed to visit regularly to keep it going and spread the word. Good luck!
Anytime you write such a glowing review of this place, the very least you can do is tell us that its owned by your boss' brother in law. How soon would you be on the unemployment line if you did a Paradiso style hatchet job on the joint?
Maybe everything you say about it is true. I will definitely try it out because my wife and I are huge sushi people. But this review holds absolutely no credibility in my eyes. The words of the other folks here are the ones I'll choose to believe.
Jumpin Jack,
Are you suggesting this blog is slanted? I assure you the publisher's relationship to the owner of the BT carries zero weight on my review. That's the beauty of this blog, it is my opinion, not the papers. I doubt the sun's publisher even reads this blog, the cfo didn't know we had blogs until a month ago.
Yes it is that good. Don't believe me, listen to the others.
just keep coming back!
GG
I don't doubt the authenticity of your review, or your desire to remain impartial. However with all the press this place gets in the paper and now this blog, its hard for anybody to take these glowing words seriously unless they've checked out the place themselves. By not even divulging the fact your boss' family owns the place, you leave yourself open to questions about journalistic integrity.
I guess the real test will come when you have a bad experience there, or when the service isn't as impeccable as you'd like, as happens everywhere from time to time. I dare you to rip them like you did Paradiso then. Let's see how long you keep your job.
Jack,
I didn't "rip" Paradiso as you keep saying. I held back my vitriol believe me. Check the comments others have made on that post, they all agree the servous/product is lousy. Now here comes the best rest. to open in Lowell in yrs., and just because the sun publisher has ties to the owner you think I'm being unfair.
And why are you so intent on me losing my job? This is a no-spin zone.
GG
Would never want you to lose your job. I even agree with everything you say about Paradiso. I thought the place was overated to begin with. Still waiting to try out "The Blue Publisher" for myself, but those I talk to say nice things about it, too.
However, you and everyone at the Sun needs to acknowledge the ties when you write about this place. Even then, your impartiality may be called into question, but at least you will dispaly some type of ethics.
We went there there Thurs. the 31st and found some of the same things everyone else did..good food..attentive owners and wait staff. There were a few concerns though. It seems like the sushi chefs are very close to the bartending area. They were trying to avoid each other and getting slowed down. Also, our food came before our drinks did. And there was no one in the dining area (we were in the lounge). Maybe the bartender will make drinks and try not to put on a show.
We'll be back though..I think they're workable problems
Went here for Valentine's Day with my sweetie. The food was outstanding and reasonably priced. A former server myself, I will say that service is lacking, and the drinks are OUTRAGEOUSLY priced for Lowell ($9.50 for a martini is VERY steep, $8 is much more reasonable). We waited quite a while for our food — almost 30 minutes for our first appetizer — and our sushi was brought out with our entrees (my biggest pet peeve). We also had empty water glasses for about half our meal. These are little kinks that I hope will be worked out over time, as the restaurant is new. But the food speaks for itself. It is worth it to suffer through service that is "just ok" for food that is out-of-this-world delicious. I hope that the owners (who were very friendly and accommodating) are reading reviews, because with a strong waitstaff, this could easily be one of the best restaurants in the area.
I had the WORST experience at the Blue Taleh in Lowell and I will never return. My boyfriend and I tried it for the first time last this week and it was a terrible experience. Despite its very cool and welcoming atmosphere, it was some of the worst service and food we've ever had. We walked in and there were only 2 other parties in the whole restaurant, yet it still took at least 10 minutes for a waitress to come over and give us a menu as we were not given a menu when we were seated. Then when she finally came back to take our order it then took another 45 minutes to get our sushi. The waitress never came over to apologize for such a long wait, she never came over to check to see how our food was or to see if we needed anything else, and she was a bit rude when she finally came back over to give us our check, which also took an abnormal amount of time. I certainly understand waiting if a place is busy and packed, but both other tables already had their food before we even ordered. On the way out we casually voiced our disappointment to the manager who didn't seem to care much that we were unhappy with our first experience. The biggest disappointed was the service and the food which was nothing to brag about. Not to mention we both ended up sick with terrible stomach pains for the rest of the night. Bad service, bad food, and a place that makes me sick...3 stikes you're out. I will never return to the Blue Taleh again and I plan to tell everyone about my experience!
I had the WORST experience at the Blue Taleh in Lowell and I will never return. My boyfriend and I tried it for the first time last this week and it was a terrible experience. Despite its very cool and welcoming atmosphere, it was some of the worst service and food we've ever had. We walked in and there were only 2 other parties in the whole restaurant, yet it still took at least 10 minutes for a waitress to come over and give us a menu as we were not given a menu when we were seated. Then when she finally came back to take our order it then took another 45 minutes to get our sushi. The waitress never came over to apologize for such a long wait, she never came over to check to see how our food was or to see if we needed anything else, and she was a bit rude when she finally came back over to give us our check, which also took an abnormal amount of time. I certainly understand waiting if a place is busy and packed, but both other tables already had their food before we even ordered. On the way out we casually voiced our disappointment to the manager who didn't seem to care much that we were unhappy with our first experience. The biggest disappointed was the service and the food which was nothing to brag about. Not to mention we both ended up sick with terrible stomach pains for the rest of the night. Bad service, bad food, and a place that makes me sick...3 stikes you're out. I will never return to the Blue Taleh again and I plan to tell everyone about my experience!
Shocked about the experience Sue had at Blue Taleh. My husband and I have been there for dinner and drinks at least once a week since they opened. Food is ALWAYS amazing and we've tried quite a few of the menu items. Drinks are delicious and service is usually very good unless they are completely packed; which is understandable. We have never left there unhappy and will continue with our weekly visits. Just this morning I was telling our new neighbor how great it is and suggested they give it a try. They are planning to check it out this weekend and I'm sure they will love it too!