HG Bistro
Where: 1618 E. Main, Puyallup, 253.845.5747, www.hgbistro.com
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Lounge may stay open later pending level of business. Brunch and live music on the weekend.
Cuisine: Northwest cuisine with global influences. Steak, seafood, pasta, burgers, appetizers. Many items made in-house. Lunch and dinner daily, variety of desserts.
Scene: Casual dining with Tuscan vibe makes for a semi-intimate dining experience. Family-friendly though not child-focused.
Drinkies: Full bar, coffee, tea, juice, soda.
Prices: $5-$38

ANNOUNCER: Located on East Main Street, HG Bistro is not new to Puyallup. In January 2011 Nicole De La Paz became executive chef. De La Paz has introduced new dishes to the menu while keeping guest favorites intact. Northwest cuisine is served for lunch, brunch and dinner in a comfortable dining setting. Live music, a popular happy hour and a spacious lounge help make HG Bistro a destination for diners and those seeking weekend entertainment in the Puyallup Valley.  Joining Jason De Paul this week is food and lifestyle writer Jennifer Johnson. Jake De Paul is playing hooky.

JASON: In June, a lunchtime visit yielded quick service and food delivery. The simple mixed green salad and house-made soup was satisfying for a light eater, but needed more. Initially skeptical, the Brie crostini with pulled pork, jalapeno aioli and an apricot/cranberry vinegar slaw made me a believer.

JENNIFER: I would have liked the bun toasted longer on my burger. However, seasoned well and packing good flavor, I definitely wanted my Kobe/Wagyu burger patty grilled a lot less. A Saturday evening visit in July also  saw overcooked tenderloin medallion in the surf ‘n' turf appetizer. Standard deep-fried coconut prawns and a Dungeness crab roll were improved by a dunk in sweet chili sauce. Soy glaze was too heavy; cilantro jalapeno sauce seemed out of place on this platter.

JASON: Served in a bowl, dark chili prawns swam in a reddish cream sauce rich with spicy flavor, sliced almonds and chives. It brought to mind East Indian cuisine. Bread sopped up leftover sauce. A huge ahi entrée salad features pepperoncinis cut in ribbons, almond slivers, parmesan cheese, tomato, red bell pepper and onion on a mixed green bed dressed in white wine vinaigrette. Perfectly rare, the blackened fish was divine on its own or dipped in creamy wasabi sauce served on the side.

JENNIFER: In August, we were told Chicken of India is a guest favorite. Consisting of marinated chicken breast, jasmine rice and green lentils in yellow coconut curry, celery and red bell pepper slaw crown the dish.  I loved the differing flavors and textures. Service was fairly prompt and helpful on all my visits.

JASON: Yeah, mostly prompt, but at other times staff was unexplainably slow and disinterested.

Unlike your burger, my flat iron Wagyu steak was cooked precisely medium rare. My knife slipped it and blood ran out. There's such a difference in taste and feel between this beef and others. Broccolini had a pleasant snap. Utterly bland mashed potatoes lacked even salt; our server confided that kitchen staff had forgotten to add any. Disappointing is an understatement for such a rookie move.

JENNIFER: Overcooked anything is a travesty. Luckily, campanelle pasta in the smoked sage dish was pleasingly al dente. Smoky sage whispered in an uber light lemony, olive oil herb sauce. The flavor combination of red peppers, zucchini and yellow squash was boosted higher by salty feta and buttery pine nuts. Besides your steak, Jason, this simple dish might be my favorite.

JASON: A signature martini bore the strong metallic taste of canned pineapple. There was zero visible sage or muddled lime, no elderflower, no gin and certainly no passion fruit liqueur. I'm uncertain if there was any, and I do mean any, liquor in it at all. I opted for a classic gin martini.

JENNIFER: That's what you get for trying to be fancy, Jason.

JASON: Lemon lava cake packs a nice balance between sweet and citrus, set off by toasted coconut snow. Lemon coulis gave it the moisture it needed. Sugared cinnamon sprinkle graced sparsely frosted carrot lava cake. Thumbs down on Cool-Whip like whipped cream.

JENNIFER: Peanut butter cream chocolate fudge pie reminds me of a big, cold, creamy Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. I could eat 10.