Dragon Eighty-Eight — Restaurant in Kingston

The "fine dining" experience (and I use this term loosely.) Shame on you for calling this experience "fine dining", at those prices, for that quality. Unbelievably poor execution and delivery. My wife and I arrived at 630pm and were informed that despite there being several clearly open tables, we could not be seated until 7pm. Fine. Staffing challenges, I kindof get it. More on this point later. We were seated about 7pm and generally speaking, our waiter did well enough. When you want to call yourself "fine dining", you should NOT be selling a "bread flight" at $8.00 and present two measly buns on a plastic tray. Those buns are cheap batter, likely microwaved, and in a "fine dining" experience, this should be just part of the meal. Incongruent with "fine dining". I had the Crab to start, and the bread to come together for the table. The bread came 10 minutes before the crab. Timing was off. My crab took a long time to eat through, so I was a bit frustrated that they brought our mains long before that crab was finished. Not only does that mean the food is going to sit and go cold, it was awkward because there were so many plates on the table that it was uncomfortable and crowded. I would blame management for not creating the environment for the wait staff and the kitchen to communicate better on things like that. My wife ordered the Oso Bucco, and she completely enjoyed that meal. The portion was generous and the meat was exquisite! Great job there! I was planning to order the 14 oz Rib Eye. I decided not to (more on this in a bit), and instead went with the Rack of Lamb. My lamb was not cooked medium rare as it said on the menu, it was medium to well done, only slightly red, not pink in the middle. It was encrusted with some kind of batter, and coated with a gravy. I would suggest to the kitchen to omit the batter, as for me it ultimately made me think I was eating a veal cutlet, which was not consistent with a fine dining experience. The lamb itself was tender, delicious and enjoyable! (Extra reason to omit the batter, as the meat stands on it's own just fine!) The broccolini were stone cold from their long wait, and the mushroom risotto had consolidated into a clump because that's what a starch does when it goes cold. The mushrooms in the risotto were delicious, and the flavor of the broth the rice was cooked in was also good, but the risotto itself was undercooked and inedible. Oh boy. So. Between my crab munching and the various courses, we had quite the show in that restaurant. There were 7 total tables seated and exited while dining that night. Observing the interactions at those tables, there were one or more errors made by the service staff at 6 of 7 tables. (Sat customers without giving them menus, forgot wine orders, confused 2 individuals as one party when they were two separate parties, not being proactive about a food allergy, and more.) It was shambolic. About the steak. I was watching another customer across the way chewing through a steak, and I could see that the knife barely cut through the beef, and he was chewing for a VERY long time. He was clearly not enjoying that experience. He explained to your staff what he experienced, but that just went in one ear and out the other (young guy). Please train your younger staff to say "yes", "no", "please", "thank you", and "you're welcome", not "nope and yup". I am grading this experience harshly because your management team positioned this as "casual fine dining". This was not that. If you presented, priced, prepared and used ingredients commensurate with "casual dining", this could have been a 3 or 4 level experience. You set the expectation bar way too high. If you are having staffing issues, close, or reposition your marketing to level-set the appropriate expectation to your guests. Oso Bucco kept this from 1 star, though this should really be closer to a 0.5 star because of the smoke infiltration from the...

On Valentine's Day this year (2025), we decided to eat at Dragon Eighty-Eight, which is located in the Point Casino. In fact, during our last visit in January 2020, I recall the restaurant being called Little Boston Bistro.

We were seated immediately with menus. Our server, Jypsie, greeted us and asked about our drink orders, which were just waters with lemons!

I recall seeing some delicious items on the menu, and I almost chose the "Wok Your Way" option. However, I ended up ordering chicken lettuce wraps instead. In hindsight, I realize I should have chosen something that isn't typically eaten with my hands!

So, as you know, I ordered the Chicken lettuce wraps and my hubby ordered the Surf and Turf.

The chicken lettuce wraps were really tasty, and I ended up eating them like a salad since they were too messy to pick up with my hands and eat like a taco, haha. They were beautifully presented alongside a sweet chili sauce. However, I couldn't really taste the Thai basil or lemongrass; nonetheless, the overall flavor was good!

The dish consisted of five individual lettuce wraps with diced teriyaki chicken, Thai basil, red onion, water chestnuts, lemongrass, and cilantro, all layered on hearts of romaine lettuce.

My husband's Surf and Turf featured Szechuan-style cubed New York strip, shrimp, and clams mixed in a spicy coconut curry broth. It was topped with Thai basil and roasted tomatoes, all served with a side of vegetable fried rice. There was a choice between the fried rice and jasmine rice.

His only minor complaints were that he preferred strips of beef instead of cubed beef, and he would have liked the shrimp to be served tail-free since it was all mixed in the sauce. Overall, he enjoyed the unique flavor.

Our server, Jypsie, was attentive and friendly. The restaurant was clean, with sticky-free menus, and it was less smoky this time. However, the casino was still inundated with smoke, and a disappointing aspect was that you have to walk through part of the casino to reach the restrooms. If you are sensitive to smoke like I am, just be aware of this.

Dragon Eighty-Eight is a smaller restaurant that requires no reservations. However, if you have a large party, it is advisable to call ahead to confirm.

Parking is not an issue, as the casino has a very large flat parking lot. You may need to walk a bit, but I doubt you'll have trouble finding a space.

Due to the fact the restaurant was extremely busy, I didn't feel comfortable taking any pictures of the inside

If you are interested in checking out The Point Casino or Dragon Eighty-Eight you will find them located at 7989 NE Salish Lane, Kingston, WA 98346.

And don't forget, Be kind to ALL...

While I don't typically share negative feedback, I must say I was disappointed with my recent dining experience. I ordered the Thai cucumber salad, crab rangoon, and a half California roll, requesting that the appetizer be served before the main course. My partner ordered the Wok This Way with chicken. Approximately five minutes later, all our dishes arrived simultaneously, despite our request. We had hoped for the appetizer to be served first. I was underwhelmed. The Thai cucumber salad consisted primarily of cucumbers, sliced onions, and peanuts, similar to what one might find in a Dairy Queen ice cream sundae. The presentation lacked refinement. My partner chose four vegetables for his meal, but I found it odd that additional vegetables were added, appearing to be a frozen mixed vegetable blend containing corn, peas, and carrots—ingredients not listed in the description besides those selected when ordering. The crab rangoon and California Roll also lacked flavor. The flavor was rather bland. Furthermore, while we were dining, the hostess used a vacuum cleaner, and we could detect its scent, which was unpleasant. There was also a long-haired dog in the restaurant that seemed to be shedding, and the vacuuming appeared to distribute the dog hair throughout the dining area. Concerned about potential food contamination, we decided to end our meal. Although the Thai cucumber salad was left untouched, we were still charged for it, which I understand. I hope my next visit to the restaurant is...