Diamond Bar Restaurant week
This week, the city of Diamond Bar is celebrating Restaurant Week — seven days devoted to showcasing the city’s best restaurants. With variety from quaint cafes to the ever popular Chili’s, the event brings to hungry customers the best of Diamond Bar through social media and discounts. We have reviewed some of the lesser known restaurants on the list.
October 13, 2016
Dilliwala Indian Kitchen:
While not cheap, Dilliwala Indian Kitchen offers an array of delicious authentic Indian cuisine as well as impeccable customer service.
On the corner of Golden Springs and South Diamond Bar Blvd., the small restaurant is home to spicy flavorful meats, sauces, different curries, and light fruity lassis, and desserts.
The restaurant is filled with the warm smell of spices. I especially enjoyed the Butter Chicken, garlic naan, and Kheer- a rice pudding dessert with nuts and raisins.
The menu also offers extensive choices for vegetarians to pick from and enjoy.
The price for most of the entrees varied between $12-18. The quiet environment of the restaurant was peaceful but made me and my friends self-conscious about how loud and obnoxious we were being.
Overall, the helpful,friendly staff and the tasty Indian dishes call for another visit–when I have saved up a bit more money.
The Attic:
Kid-friendly and packed with families, The Attic was welcoming from the moment I walked in. The Asian fusion restaurant serves both Asian and Western appetizers and entrees.
The appetizers were probably the highlight of my meal, as both my $5 orders of sweet potato fries and Japanese style Takoyaki balls–crunchy balls of batter and shrimp chunks–were absolutely delicious.
My drink, a $5 carrot and orange juice blend, tasted fresh and refreshing. The entrees themselves did not disappoint either.
I ordered a pesto pasta with mushroom for $12, which although rather a bit plain, was still a tasty selection. My dad ordered a Spanish dish of pork ribs with garlic sauce, which was tender yet a bit salty.
The dish cost $13 and included a small mound of rice. Both entrees came with a small salad with your choice of either sesame, miso, or soy sauce dressing.
We topped off our meal with a $3 green tea cheesecake, which despite being delicious, was very miniscule. The restaurant includes a playground complete with slides and a ball pit for children attached to the side.
Overall, the bright family friendly environment of the restaurant in addition to the tasty appetizers guarantees another visit from me and my family.
The Whole Enchilada:
Located in the middle of Diamond Bar, The Whole Enchilada serves an diverse assortment of tacos, enchiladas, burritos, tamales, and taquitos that range from $11-$30.
On the Friday night that I visited the restaurant, a majority of the tables were filled, but the place wasn’t packed. I thought the decor was outdated and tacky, although it did have a homey feel.
I decided to try the Whole Enchilada meal, which allowed me to pick three different items for my meal.
I selected a chicken taco, a beef enchilada, and two taquitos, and munched on the complimentary crunch chips as I waited for my food to arrive.
I didn’t have to wait long, though, as the food arrived almost immediately after we ordered.
For $12, I received more food than I could finish and had to take home leftovers.
The taco, with its crunchy shell and moist interior, was the highlight of the meal.
While I found the enchilada too greasy, overall it was well seasoned. The biggest disappointment was the tasteless taquitos, which I found to be bland, dry and underseasoned.
While the dishes might not be authentic Mexican food, I was satisfied with both the flavors and the service at The Whole Enchilada and would possibly consider returning.
Encore Teppan:
Open for less than a year, Encore Teppan serves a wide variety of sushi platters and teppanyaki dinners.
Most of the dishes range from $10-$30, which is reasonable for a Japanese restaurant, although there are a few pricier exceptions as well.
Encore Teppan hosts a modern design and helpful staff, but the unremarkable food leaves much to be desired.
During our visit, the interior was noticeably empty for a Saturday night.
Regardless, we chose to sit in the small but aesthetic patio with a fireplace, and ordered the dragon rolls, teriyaki chicken dinner, and the Hirame Usuzukuri sashimi platter.
The food arrived promptly, within only 15 minutes of ordering. The crunchy and flavorful dragon rolls were a well-spent $12, but unfortunately, I was unimpressed by the other two dishes.
For $18, the teriyaki chicken meal includes multiple courses, but the actual chicken was very dry and lacks a unique flavor, and while the $15 sashimi platter had a nice and tender texture, it was overpowered by the spicy jalapenos that topped it.
Although I was left impressed by the outstanding service, the mediocre food makes it doubtful that I will return to Encore Teppan in the future.
