Please note, the giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to comment #44!
DH and I were lucky enough to be invited back to preview Del Mar Rendezvous’ Restaurant Week menu and host a giveaway for dinner for 2 at DMR.
DMR continues to remain one of the very few non-traditional Chinese restaurants I enjoy dining at. I’ve enjoyed a lot of the dishes I’ve tried and like how there are constant changes being made to improve the restaurant.
This time around, DMR will be offering their restaurant week menu until the end of January, so you can still visit DMR for Restaurant Week specials after the two weeks of the official Restaurant Week are over.
They are also offering three different menu price choices: $25, $30 and $38 prix fixe menus.
BBQ Short Rib Slices
One of the restaurant week exclusive dishes is this short rib appetizer. The Korean-style bbq short ribs are served without the bones. I’ve never enjoyed having to gnaw or cut off the meat from the short rib pieces when eating Korean bbq, so I was excited to see just the lean pieces of meat served. Much cleaner and simpler to eat.
Taste-wise, this was your typical average Korean bbq short ribs. Slightly sweet, marinated grilled meat.
Salt and Pepper Lobster Tails
The restaurant week exclusive entree this time is a salt and pepper lobster tails dish which I was really excited to try out (part of the $38 priced menu). The dish contains two Maine lobster tails, totaling 12-14 oz, accompanied with onions and bell peppers.
I’ve always favored the Chinese sauteed lobster preparation. It’s my second favorite way to eat lobster after eating it just simply steamed. So I was really excited to taste DMR’s version of it.
The lobster tails were chopped into smaller chunks, lightly battered and seasoned with a mix of salt, garlic, pepper, chili. It’s a very similar preparation to how lobsters are prepared at traditional Chinese restaurants in terms of flavor, though the Chinese preparation is usually a little wetter.
I thought DMR did a really good job. The flavors are slightly stronger but understandable given their general audience. I liked the dry preparation as it’s far less messy. The best part is that there are two generous-sized lobster tails in the entree.
Usually when this is eaten at a Chinese restaurant, it’s a dish included on one of the banquet menus or the higher priced large group menus. It’s traditionally 1 or 2 whole lobsters (since Chinese culture likes displaying the entire body with head on their sea and animal dishes), that is chopped up. Since it’s eaten family-style with such a large group, each person only gets one or two “good” pieces beacause the majority of the dish is chopped up parts of the lobster that have little or no meat. So it was definitely a treat to have two entire lobster tails in this dish and only have to share with one person. This was by far my favorite dish of the night.
Most surprisingly though, it was also DH’s favorite. He usually doesn’t care for lobster. When we get surf and turf dishes, he’ll usually give me his lobster tail. He really enjoyed the lobster preparation here though, preferring it over the broiled and butter or other Western preparations we’ve had.
Mongolian Rack of Lamb
The lamb chops were cooked to a perfect medium and very tender. The sauce was just alright for me. It was also served with sauteed green beans which I really enjoyed. I’ve been really surprised at how many Chinese restaurants in San Diego ruin sauteed green beans, but the ones here were cooked just right. They were tender without being too mushy or too oily.
Crispy Chilean Sea Bass in Yu Hsiang Sauce
There are three entrees priced at the $38 level and we were lucky enough to sample all three. Out of the three, I thought this one was the weakest. While the fish was very moist and tender and the filet portion quite large, the sauce was a little too sweet for me. The fish also lost most of its crispy texture due to it being drenched in the sauce.
Another option DMR is offering customers during Restaurant Week, is that you can skip dessert and get $3 off your check. This may be great for those who are too stuffed, still keeping to their New Year’s Resolutions, or maybe just don’t have a sweet tooth. Of course none of those things describe me, so we went ahead with dessert. DMR is offering all of their desserts to choose from for Restaurant Week.
Mud Pie
It’s hard to go wrong with ice cream and mud pie is essentially an ice cream pie. The hefty serving seems daunting, but we managed to polish it off.
Mango Sorbet
I’ve always enjoyed the mango sorbet here. The generous scoop of mango sorbet is served in a real mango skin shell.
Extra tip: If you plan on drinking while dining here during Restaurant Week, you should sign up for their Loyalty Program. It’s completely free to join and you accumulate points for each dollar you spend. But what I really liked is that they are always featuring some deal for loyalty members when you dine in, so that you don’t have to wait until you collect enough points to get something. For instance, while we were there, we saw they had discounted the lobster dish for loyalty members. Also for Restaurant Week they are offering half priced wine bottles and .88 cents on a second round of sake, beer or wine for members.
You can view the full Restaurant Week menu here.
Now onto the giveaway. DMR has generously provided me with a gift certificate for two to dine at their restaurant for Restaurant Week (which runs through January 31). The gift card allows the two diners to dine at the $38 menu option. My giveaway will run until Sunday, January 20 8pm PST. I will then draw a winner via random.org. The winner must contact me within 24 hours so that I can mail them the gift card right away. Otherwise I will draw a new winner. This should give the winner enough time to redeem the gift card before the end of the month. Good luck!
To enter:
1. Leave a comment at the end of this post, telling me which dish you are most interested in trying from DMR’s Restaurant Week menu.
2. For an additional entry, like this post on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment at the end of this post telling me you’ve done so. Make sure it is a separate comment from your other comment entry so that it is counted separately.
3. For an additional entry, tweet the following message “Win a dinner for 2 at Del Mar Rendezvous for SDRW https://bit.ly/10a7ZfJ @kirbiecravings” Then leave a separate comment at the end of this post telling me you’ve done so. Make sure it is a separate comment from your other comment entry so that it is counted separately.
Please note, my meal was complimentary. My opinions, as always, remain my own.
Del Mar Rendezvous
1555 Camino Del Mar
Suite #102
Del Mar, California 92014
https://www.delmarrendezvous.com/
I also tweeted this post
https://twitter.com/unicornMafia
I liked the post on fb. thank you!
I’d like to try the lobster!
tweeted on twitter!
Liked on facebook!
Liked the post! Thanks!
Seafood xo looks delightful! I’m definitely heading out to get in on some of this restaurant week action this weekend!
It might be a last minute decision, but both the lobster and the lamb look amazing!!!
Just liked your page. Aaron
Definitely lobster tails yum!!!
I also liked on FB!
I think I would have to go with the Salt and Pepper lobster tails!!! Yum!
I liked the post on facebook! I’d also love to try the mud pie!
My husband and I would definitely want to try the lobster tails!
I liked the FB post! ba da boom!
I tweeted! @sdfoodtrucks
salt and pepper lobster tails look great! I would pick that. 🙂
The salt and pepper lobster tails. Mmm.
Wow! The salt-and-pepper lobster looks great!
Yeah! lamb Chops
I liked the post on FB.
Thank youu!!!!!
Forget entrees, I want to try that mud pie! I have actually never heard of it before, but I love ice cream cakes so I figure it would be just as good.
Thank you for the contest!!!
Salt and pepper lobster
I liked this post on Facebook
Liked on facebook too!
The lobster looks so yummy! Thanks for another awesome giveaway.
FB post has been liked!
The lamb by far is my #1 choice. The chops in the photo look so succulent!
I liked your facebook post and I’m dying to dig into that lobster!
Oh, I won this one last time you did it, but it was so magical I’d love to try and win again 🙂
Lamb Chops!
I tweeted the message.
I liked your post on FB.
I like to try the Salt & Pepper Lobster Tails.
I liked the post on facebook.
I’d like to try the lobster!
I would order the lobster in a heartbeat! And I always make room for dessert.
I would love to try the Mongolian Rack of Lamb and the Salt & Pepper Lobster Tails.
I liked the post on FB under Lalita Dadlani Malone, I am following you on Twitter and tweeted the message under @LalitaMalone1.
Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
I liked this post on facebook
It has got to be the lamb chops!
The sea bass
Like on FB as well 😀 Would love to use this as date night!
Salt and Pepper Lobster Tails!
I would love to try the Mongolian rack of lamb and the Salt & Pepper lobster tails. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
Liked the post on FB under Lalita Dadlani Malone.
i want to try the rack of lamb. looks like a giant spider
Chilean sea bass!
I want to try them all. We have never been there, even though we are in the area a lot.
I would love to try the lobster tails, I love lobster and have never had them prepared that way!
I “Liked” the post on Facebook. 🙂
Salt & Pepper Lobster Tails would be something I’d love to try, and the Crispy Chilean Sea Bass. Oh, and I also noticed Duck Wraps on their menu. Yum!
I tweeted the message. 🙂
I “liked” the post on Facebook!
I would love to try the Salt & Pepper Lobster Tails! But the Crispy Chilean Sea Bass in Yu Hsiang Sauce looks fantastic too!
HI Kirbie – I’m very interested in trying that lobster tail dish! And the short ribs too!
I also retweeted this post on Twitter!
LAMB!!! I love lamb 🙂
I have posted a tweet on your behalf at https://twitter.com/xtina_love/status/291557095571062786
I have liked the facebook post!
I love Chinese style prepared seafood (lobster, crab and calamari especially!). I would love to try DMR’s version of Salt and Pepper Lobster Tails. I can imagine the flavors melting in my mouth already!
We used to live in San Diego….your photos make me miss it sooooo much:)
I liked your post on FB! =) Thanks again for hosting this awesome giveaway!
WOW! That Mongolian Rack of Lamb looks fantastic. I’d love to try that. And this is a great giveaway! Thanks for sharing.
As you can see, I’m quite diligent. I also retweeted your post on Twitter. I bet my bf would salivate at the Korean ribs you pictured earlier. haha
I went ahead and liked the post on Facebook. First (haha), hope that counts for something. I’ll be sure to retweet your post!
OMG, your picture of the lamb really did me in. That’s what I’d order too!