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Dining review: Exotic flavors mingle at Pacific Grill

Tribune photo by JIM REED

Clockwise from top, a sashimi boat, Japanese noodle salad and traditional Korean Hot Stone Pot dish at Pacific Grill in Valrico.

By SHANNON BEHNKEN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 5, 2009

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VALRICO - Pacific Grill is a welcome diversion from the same old chain restaurants we're all used to seeing in suburbia.

Located at the busy intersection at Bloomingdale Avenue and Lithia Pinecrest Road, the Asian bistro has two distinctive personalities: It's casual and family friendly during the day, and more upscale but still casual at night. It's perfect for a quick bite with the family or to spend time in a quiet booth sipping sake or wine with friends.

The menu offers a variety of Asian entrees and appetizers alongside a popular list of sushi and sashimi prepared fresh behind a small bar.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, we started with Chinese spring rolls and Japanese yakitori. The rolls were stuffed with shrimp and vegetables, and the tangy plum sauce was a big hit. The yakitori, bite-sized pieces of grilled chicken glazed with teriyaki sauce, was served on skewers. The generous amount of chicken made it a bargain and a good choice to share.

Next came the soup.

We tried miso and Crunch. The traditional miso includes tofu, seaweed and scallions in fish stock with a soy bean paste. It was OK, but the Crunch soup was much better. It included shiitake mushrooms and scallions and lettuce in a chicken broth. It's comfort soup.

For entrees, we asked for the Bulgogi — a traditional Korean dish of grilled, marinated beef with soy sauce and vegetables — but were disappointed to find the kitchen was out of it. We wonder what we missed.

As second choices, we chose the Thai Coconut Curry with chicken and the Bourbon Chicken. The curry sauce was among the best we've had, with just the right amount of heat and coconut. The bourbon sauce was equally good.

Both dishes came in boxy, red-and-black serving trays that presented well and added an extra touch of authenticity.

Our little one chose the macaroni-and-cheese dinner — not what you look for in an Asian bistro, but we were glad it was available. Other children's choices: chicken nuggets, California sushi, Bourbon Chicken, tempura shrimp and General Tao's Chicken.

All the children's entrees come with a drink, fruit and choice of steamed rice, fried rice or French fries. (At night, children receive chopsticks, which ours found mesmerizing.)

One drawback is that the restaurant is small, with limited seating. During lunch, that means it's cozy and private. But prepare for a wait at night, especially on weekends. The restaurant accepts reservations during the week, but not on weekends.

On another visit, we tested the night-time atmosphere.

We tried the Teriyaki Salmon dinner. It's slow-roasted and coated with Japanese bread crumbs, shiitake mushrooms and teriyaki sauce. It comes with steamed or fried rice and vegetables. It was tasty but a step down from our other entrees.

For dessert, we tried the green tea ice cream, which came drizzled with chocolate syrup. It was refreshing yet sweet and a great way to end a meal.

The real hit at our table, though, was the strawberry ice cream wrapped in rice paper. Small dollops of ice cream were individually wrapped, which kept it from melting fast — and that was good, considering we all wanted some. The rice paper also added a nice texture.

The staff was friendly and attentive on both visits.

One big plus was the portion sizes. You won't leave this restaurant hungry and will likely take home leftovers. Another plus is price. You can spend a little or a lot and leave satisfied either way.

DINING REVIEW

Pacific Grill

BOTTOM LINE: Traditional Asian dishes and sushi in hip, casual atmosphere.

WHERE: 3452 Lithia Pinecrest Road, Valrico

HOURS: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday; dinner: 5-10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday, 4-11 p.m. Saturday and 4-10 p.m. Sunday

CREDIT CARDS: All major

RESERVATIONS: Sunday through Thursday only

CHILDREN'S MENU: Yes

ALCOHOL: Wine, beer and sake

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes

PRICE: $5 to $39

CALL: (813) 657-8744

Tribune reviewers eat anonymously. Shannon Behnken can be reached at (813) 259-7804.