Ma-Der Ma-Der Sap House and Grill — Restaurant in Redding

I have been thinking about going to this place for quite a while. I saw the reviews and it seemed interesting and eclectic. When I got there it was mostly what I expected, a little small restaurant with some indoor seating and a lot of outdoor seating. The person at the counter was polite and friendly but I had a hard time understanding him. He talked fast, kind of slurred his words and seldom made eye contact. He suggested their most popular entree, the Sappritto, which included: 2 eggs; mushrooms; bell peppers; onions; tri-tip; Loa sausage; sticky rice and your choice of sauce. You can get in a tortilla or a "bowl".

I selected the bowl and it was served in a rectangular styrofoam container. It really looked unappetizing. The over-easy eggs were cooked on a flattop and most of the white were overcooked, black on the edges and greasy. The yolks were nice and runny which was a saving grace for the dish. The sticky rice was cold and dry, hard to enjoy. I was there within an hour of their opening but the rice was lukewarm and seemed old. I spent a lot of time in Japan and learned kept rice needs to be sprinkled with water every 30 min. in order to keep it moist.

The Loa sausage was really nice, good flavor and served hot. The tri-tip was another story. It seemed to be pre-cooked and then warmed on the flattop. It was over-marinated and tasted a little funky, kind of rancid. It was also over-cooked and the pieces were somewhat hard and burnt. This dish would be better in a tortilla as all of the ingredients would mesh together so you couldn't notice their individual faults.

When I was leaving the counter-man asked me if I loved the dish. I politely told him that I didn't like it and only ate half of it. He said nothing, not "I'm sorry that you didn't like it" or "What is it that we could have done better". Just nothing but blank stares from him and the cook.

Some of the things on the menu looked interesting, like the shrimp tacos. But to be honest, I think that I could make them better at home. I doubt that I will...

This was my first time eating here and I will definitely be coming back. First, let me talk about the service. My wife and I walked in the door to relaxing reggae music and a warm smile from the front of house staff. They were super friendly and were eager to explain the different choices. They seemed really nice and I got the feeling that these guys really care about what they do. Our food was ready quickly, and it was wonderful. I had the Sapprito with steamed rice (sadly they ran out of the sticky rice for the day, but the steamed rice was perfect). It had tri-tip and house-made Lao sausage with peppers, egg, mushrooms, and onions, all wrapped up in a really good burrito tortilla. The Lao sausage is delicious. It has tons of lemongrass flavor and was perfectly caramelized. You have the choice of a few different sauces to go with it depending on how hot you like it. I tried the honey sriracha sauce that they make in-house. It was sweet and a seemed slightly spicier than the rooster brand sriracha. My wife got the Lao sausage tacos, and they were equally delicious. The tortillas are fried in oil (big plus) and so they are both crispy and pliable. She got the Thai sauce, which is tasty and a bit hotter than the sriracha. She asked if she could try the habanero sauce, which they obliged, and it was also very good, but a bit spicier than I usually go. It wasn't crazy hot, but a good burn. Parking isn't the best, but you can park out on Placer. We can't wait to come back and try the Pad Thai along with the rest...

With all the great reviews, I thought this place would be better. I think they have some issues to work out in terms of how to get organized and really what they should be making. I have had multiple items on the menu and they all seem to be lacking a significant flavor - most items are bland including the sapporito - and it's quite a wait when you order. There's also no separate line for takeout orders so if its peak hours, expect a considerable wait (30-40 min) because you have to wait in line with everyone else ordering and their delivery of food to the tables. Really hoping these are just opening issues that they will work through, but in the meantime, not...