3 Stars For The Pink Door; Hotel Albatross Is All Over the Map

This past week, the city's restaurant critics reviewed The Pink Door, Hotel Albatross, and Kraken Congee. Here's a roundup of what they're saying:

After over three decades, The Pink Door has still got it, Providence Cicero says: "Tuna carpaccio made the loveliest spectacle of all. Gossamer slices of pale pink house-smoked albacore were drizzled with golden olive oil and crisscrossed with long, slender crostini seasoned with salt and fennel ... But it's not just the food that earns The Pink Door a three-star rating, up from the two-and-a-half stars it received when it was last reviewed in 1999. Service is thoughtful and smart." Three stars.

Angela Garbes judges that while some of Hotel Albatross's offerings are "highly craveable," the overall experience is hit and miss: "[Owner Zach] Harjo says they want the food to 'mirror the simultaneous intention, craftsmanship, and playfulness of the drinks and the atmosphere.' At this point, the playfulness is there, but the craftsmanship has some catching up to do. If [chef Chris] Howell cut his menu in half and focused on doing a few things really well—a larger selection of pinch buns, for example—I suspect the food at Hotel Albatross would greatly improve."

Allison Austin Scheff calls Pioneer Square's new Kraken Congee completely original comfort food, but you should know what to order: "The menu has pitfalls: gummy noodles and overcooked steak in the kare kare beef ($13), and one-note (that note being sweet) soy- and mirin-braised root vegetables dish. On the plus side: You cannot get better pork belly pinch buns (three for $8) in Seattle; soft, savory pork, pillowy dough—and a brilliant sour-tart calamondin aioli, made from the sour citrus fruit often found in Filipino food."