DERU

Reviews 6

CA

Carlos Morishita

I heard about this place when it first opened and was extremely confused by the different descriptions I heard. I was unsure if it was a bakery or some sort of small deli that mostly sold food in boxes for you to take home. Well its that and more!! Its also a sit that restaurant, and while you still order at the counter they seat you and bring your food to you as any normal restaurant would. Lets talk about the food, because lets be real thats what really matters. They offer a pretty full menu that you can find online, but the real treat is the daily special which are written on a black board inside the restaurant. The last time we went in they had a delicious seared halibut over a mango salsa. The fish was cooked perfectly, the salsa gave it a nice tropical sense on that summer night. They also offered a hangar steak served over a medley of fine diced zucchini, green beans and some other green vegetable, and topped off with a green salsa (chimichurri). The steak was nicely cooked to a med rare, and the combination of vegetables were a nice addition. I am not personally a fan of zucchini or really anything in the squash family but I must say the fashion in which it was prepared in addition to the flavors of the green salsa made me eat the whole thing. Anyway I could go on and on about their food, point is its delicious and must try. Deru is located in the industrial side of Kirkland kind of an odd location but everytime Ive been there is a line of people waiting for tables. The service is always friendly and very eager to help. I have yet to have a less then perfect visit.

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AN

Anon Ymous

I have very happily been coming to DERU Market for the past two years. I love their food, they have maintained pretty good staff, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. Unfortunately my problem as of recent, is that they (or at least the past two times I have gone) no longer allow substitutions. Now, before people jump down my throat- I asked to substitute one cheese for another (a dairy free option.) Thats it. I did not make a request to change the entire entree. Just one component, to fit my dietary restrictions. I understand that the chefs take pride in pairing certain ingredients, aromas, and flavors together... but it left a bad taste in my mouth that I am now very limited to what I can get here due to the lack of tolerance for minor substitutions. I would understand if the food item I requested to be changed was already pre-prepped, or baked into an item. But it was very truly, crumbled cheese on top. The only option I was given- was to leave out the cheese. Which leaves me wondering- if you can easily leave it out, why can you not substitute it? And to still charge me the same price after taking away an item... Perhaps I will try my luck in a few months- but I truly was disappointed at their lack of accommodation.

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AM

Amos Yuen

Cam here for dinner on a Thursday night with another friend. Its randomly in a residential neighborhood with just a bunch of houses around. While there wasnt really a line almost all of the tables were taken. Theres a couple parking spots in front oh the place and more along the residential streets. We expected it to be more of a fancy, small portion, expensive place, but it was surprisingly filling and all the food was fresh and tasty. OUTSTANDING * Focaccia bread - One big round for $3.75 is a solid deal. Nice slightly crunch crust with soft light springy inside. Amazingly delicious on its own but even more so with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. GOOD * Rosemary Cream Pizza - Creamy parmesean flat bread pizza with a nice rosemary flavor. * Giant Meatballs - Theres actually 2 of them in a bowl. Probably the size of a ladys fist. They have a firm, dense texture, but are juicy and have a simple but tasty meaty flavor. They come with marinara sauce and cheese sprinkled on top. * Farm Salad - The small portion was plenty for two of us. Very fresh with a nice light vinaigrette and great sweet heirloom tomatoes. They also have large cakes and tasty looking cookies, next time will save some room and try their desserts.

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ST

Steve Ayres

My wife LOVES this place but I dont get it. To me it is an overrated Pasta and Co. with too few tables, and nowhere to park. Ive been here 3 or 4 times and have never had a great experience. I got the pizza this time having never tried it before. Its the wood-fired style, like Tutta Bella or Mod Pizza (both of which are better). But this is supposed to be a "special" foodie kind of place right? Like with hipster service staff and visionary chefs? Why is pizza such a big part of the menu? Just cause they sprinkle some arugula on it? My wife got a Cauliflower Chowder which was admittedly pretty tasty. Unlike Pasta and Co, they serve beer, which is a plus but the selection is limited and boring. We got a slice of coconut cake for dessert. It was gigantic but it was a little stale. My wife and I split it but I did not finish my half, too dry. The staff is very nice at least but I would not come here if it wasnt for my wife. And believe me, I always try to talk her out of it. Every time. Never works. So well be back. Please dont spit in my food. Im just being honest.

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RY

Ryan Smith

Love the food here, with the price but expect a lighter wallet. It is a bit strange in that you have to order to be seated. Also the service is a bit hit or miss in general. Ive seen it range from usually attentive and really quite good to having to get up and walk to the bar to ask for things. It didnt appear they were under staffed either. The biggest thing that grinded my gears was asking for a refill of iced tea. I asked a waitress behind the bar and was told refills were a dollar. I pondered for a bit and stood back in line to exchange money for the refill on one of those bad days for service. When I finally made it to the counter, I was rudely informed there were no refills on iced tea and only coffee had refills for a dollar. Now Im perfectly fine with being charged for refills, but when Ive been told contrary several minutes earlier, I feel the proper thing to do is honor it but provide the correction with the drink to inform me that what is happening isnt normal. Oh well. On a happy note, the desserts are pretty phenomenal.

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JO

John Ohta

I really, really wanted to love DERU, because its in my neighborhood and they seemed to care about the quality of the foods they put out. I like it, but dont love it. Cheese Pizza - I love wood fired pizza for the smokey taste it imparts, but the temp is so high that the oven attendant must watch it and turn it quickly. My pizza came out charred black on one half. We cut off the burned part and the rest was tasty enough, but something (cheese?) was so moist that the crust from the center out was water logged and mushy. Vegi Quiche - No crust - its my favorite part. Instead of the egg being the star, it was the cheese. Besides being cheesy to the extreme, it was also very herbacious. Rather than a quiche, I would call it a savory cheesecake. Blueberry Hand Pie - Now this was very good. The crust was delicious and baked just right. The berry filling had the perfect tart to sweet ratio.

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