Mike R.
Yelp
This was a surprise! Walking past the Galleria's retail concourse, which was such a thriving place 25 years when I worked in the area, I was surprised to find it almost entirely abandoned. Julie's Kitchens' signboard on Post Street caught my eye because the photographs of the menu offerings looked so inviting. I did a quick Yelp search and saw that the place gets good reviews, so decided to buy some bento to take home to my wife and mother in law.
I went upstairs and found the restaurant, which is only one of two now operating in the Galleria ghost town, tucked up into a third floor corner on the Bush Street side. During Covid it is operating only as a takeout counter, but, peering inside the restaurant, I could see warming tables for a buffet-style operation for happier times.
The menu offers about a dozen bento combinations, nearly all of a Korean-Japanese bent, with only an otherwise inexplicable shrimp and grits plate departing from this norm. I chose the poke combination and got two teriyaki chicken bentos for my wife and mother in law.
The food was packaged for me quickly and the staff is very friendly. Portions are quite generous: While I consumed the poke meal in a single setting, the chicken teriyaki boxes each made for two meals.
The food is pretty exemplary.
The poke had fresh ahi, perhaps a bit underdressed, but flavorful. The sides included two credible California roll pieces, a creamy avocado salad with a shrimp, some spicy salad with tofu, a simple cabbage salad, and rice.
My wife and mother in law raved about the chicken, which came with a decent jabchae, the same avocado salad with a shrimp, the same cabbage salad, a jalapeno stuffed with sausage, tempura, and rice. My wife gave me her stuffed jalapeno and tempura; I found both to be credible.
The restaurant also threw in a karaage piece, which we split between us and loved. I look forward to trying the fried chicken plate because it was thar good.
So, the food rates a solid 4, at least. I am giving the place 5 stars, though, because, for the quality and quantity of food, this place is downright inexpensive. The plates were between $13 and $15, before tax and tip. Downtown, my walkabout disclosed, you are lucky to find a burrito, rice plate, burger, or sandwich for that kind of money. The pricing is particularly remarkable considering how little traffic there is in the Galleria in particular and the FiDi in general these days.
I have to head back downtown next week. Although there are several other temptations in the neighborhood, I will be heading home with more bentos from Julie's Kitchen.