Dazzling Hot Pots; 'Kinks in Execution' at Tray Kitchen

Seattle's restaurant reviewers have been busy. Critics recently visited Bellevue's Tavern Hall and 99 Park, Tray Kitchen, Boiling Point, and Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot.

Providence Cicero of The Seattle Times scoped out Bellevue's new massive Tavern  Hall, with its 30 televisions, shuffleboard, and pool. Cicero braved the holiday crowds to take in the "9,500 square feet of mayhem." Overall, she describes the food as "better-than-average pub grub" and gives the restaurant 2.5 stars.

Julien Perry has a brief review of Bellevue's 99 Park in the January print edition of Seattle Magazine, which she says is "off to a laudable start." Perry praises 28-year-old chef Quinton Stewart: "His plates are well composed, his menu approachable, and his flavor profiles nailed."

Nicole Sprinkle at Seattle Weekly visited Tray Kitchen, which has "some kinks in execution." Sprinkle found issues with pacing and says the menu is confusing, though when it comes down to the food, "if time is not an issue and you’re totally up for going with the flow, the experience can in fact be a fun one." She summarizes her meal, saying the food is "actually quite notable and balances bold flavors in a way that few restaurants are pulling off."

And at The Stranger, Angela Garbes compares two restaurants serving up variations on the traditional Mongolian hot pot. She starts with Boiling Point, which seemed full of "hundreds of Asian youths." Garbes felt stressed out by the din surrounding her dining experience despite her soup being "hearty and full of treats." Next she headed to Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot, a calmer and more traditional spot. The soup here is "startlingly excellent" despite the fact that the restaurant chain is owned by Yum! Brands Inc., the conglomerate responsible for Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. In the end, she felt "fortified for the cold days and months ahead."