toofacetious's Profile
Dim Sum on the way to dropping me off at the airport?
Zen Peninsula in Millbrae opens at 10:00 or 10:30 and has very good dim sum. We ate there two weeks ago and were pleasantly satiated by their offerings. Of special note was their Hom Sui Gok (Fried dough ball filled with savory pork) - hot out of the fryer and delicious, and the Siu Mai was one of the best I've had in recent years too.
Chicken Pot Pie/ Berkeley or Oakland Area
I second Pot Pie Paradise as well. The Thai Curry Vegan is a favorite (and I'm not even a Vegetarian). Prices are reasonable too for a "gourmet" pot pie. I think they're either $5 or $6 for an individual one.
Dungeness Crab Prices '10
$2.49lb yesterday for live ones at Lucky Seafood Market. 8th Avenue between Broadway and Webster in Oakland's Chinatown.
Desperately Looking For Good Chinese Restaurants in East Bay
East Ocean is great at dinner. My go to place for well executed traditional Cantonese fare.
Sapporo Ramen @ Ozumo in Oakland
do you have a choice in the sushi for the AYCE, or is pre-determined?
Oakland: Holy Land - The mint lemonade is magic
Ditto on the Berkeley branch. Hubby and I both ordered the Falafel plates last week and they were wonderful. Four hot crunchy Falafels with hummus and a nice fresh salad. The bread (pita) and herb/oil sauce were great accompaniments too. And yes, the lemonade was nice.
Need recommendations for Oakland trip Dec 27 -30- nothing elegant!
Love Pho Ao Sen.....probably the best Pho in Oakland. But the lack of cleanliness in the restaurant can be a turn off. Know that going in and you'll be fine.
2 nights/ 1 day in Yountville
I second Ad Hoc. Even if it's not Fried Chicken night, it should still be on your list. Their Sunday Brunch is great too and might be a better option.
Tony's Pizza Napoletana. Expected weeknight wait before 6pm?
Four of us are planning to go on an upcoming Thurs night. If we arrive no later than 6pm, would we have a long wait for a table?
Thanks
Berkeley Bowl West - The promised land ... west of Eden
Saturday morning 10am......easy parking in main lot and 113 spaces available in garage. Not many people inside.....eerily empty. Free bags still being handed out.
Bakesale Betty- Fried chicken sandwich, am I missing something?
We went last week around 2pm and had a really good chicken and brisket sandwich. it had been over a year since the last time which was extremely disappointing (it was a zoo and everything was pre-made). Maybe this time it was better because there wasn't a line and it was assembled to order.
KQED Check Please 5/15/09: Hayes Street Grill, SF; Mama's On Washington Square, SF; Sahn Maru Korean BBQ, Oakland
I've been to Sahn Maru maybe 3-4 times in the last year, and though I've never had any outstanding dishes, I enjoy the restaurant. They truly have the most hospitable service around. Very welcoming. I hope they do get some extra business from the show.
The entrees are about average to good, standard fare. Perhaps I haven't ordered the right things. I have had the short ribs, jap chae, and tofu soups in the past. Pyung Chang Tofu House a block away has excellent tofu soup, so we mostly go there when we have the craving. The sweet dessert drink that Sahn Maru gives you after every meal is refreshing and a nice touch you don't see in most places.
Bellanico or Marzano?
For a special dinner such as your birthday, Bellanico would probably be the better fit. I like the food at Marzano (try their rotating chopped salad when you go), but the seating is uncomfortably close.
In regards to the other posts, I am not a huge fan of either Dopo or Corso. Both are very similar to me: expensive for the portions, average food. I have not tried Adesso yet but would like to soon. Another option is Camino. If you can get a separate table (in lieu of the communal seating), and don't mind a limited menu, I think the food is wonderful.
Duck Jook @ Just Koi in Dublin
Two noodle soup dishes. The first one was a shrimp dumpling noodle soup, and the second was the beef stew noodle soup. The shrimp dumpling was good and had a clean tasty broth and was probably the better of the two. The beef stew was a bit sinewy and tough, though decent flavor.
I work nearby so it's a convenient place to frequent. I just wish the chairs were more comfortable and that the waitstaff paid more attention.
Duck Jook @ Just Koi in Dublin
I think their food is good enough, but the service is non-existent. I've been there twice for lunch and each time, we had to flag down the servers multiple times to order, get the check, etc... If they improved their service, I would be more inclined to return or recommend Just Koi.
Korean Restaurants in Oakland
For tofu soup, we love Pyung Chang! They have awesome panchan--very fresh and homemade. Sahn Maru is good but haven't been too impressed with any specific dish. They're very friendly though that we go back just because they're so nice.
Heaven's Dog
With the above selections, one order of rice, and two bottles of Hitachino beer, $81 before tip. It felt appropriate for the quality, amount of food, and the more casual setting compared to Slanted Door.
Heaven's Dog
Unfortunately, I didn't pay attention to the tea selection as I wasn't interested, but I imagine it would be pretty good.
Heaven's Dog
We went last night and ordered:
shrimp and chive dumplings
salt and pepper calamari
vermicelli noodles with shrimp and pork in curry flavor (singapore rice noodles)
organic pea shoots
thai basil ice cream
overall, a nice modern space with very good food.
the shrimp and chive dumplings were a slight disappointment as they didn't have a ton of flavor. the wrapper was a bit hard on the edges and they were soy sauced a bit too much.
on the other hand, the calamari was fantastic, especially if you like the heat of the fried chili and scallions on top. i've had my share of s/p calamari, but the greaseless light touch from the deep fryer had the best texture ever. it's a must order.
the vermicelli noodles (singapore rice noodles in actuality) scored well as did the fresh pea shoots which had a nice flavoring of carmelized shallots.
we finished with the thai basil ice cream. creamy consistency coupled with the right amount of frozen hardness. for some reason, they did not have decaf coffee in any form... only tea. a let down, but i just had a few sips of my hubby's french press. not sure if this is something they're going to rectify or if it simply is not an offering.
i'd definitely stop by for a meal again if in the area, though i probably wouldn't go out of my way to make a special trip. i'm sure it'll become a fave destination for the people that work and live nearby, and rightly so.
Fringale
We went to Fringale a few weeks ago and completely agree on the Calamari. Absolutely delicious. I was also very pleased with my Chicken Breast entree. Normally I would order something other than Chicken, but I was trying to stick to a New Year's diet. It was flavorful and moist and would order again. Two people in our party ordered the steak and though I don't recall any specific comments, the appearance alone seemed mediocre.
"Gravy Master" in East Bay?
Thanks for all the tips. I think if I do make it tonight I'll just skip the alternative Kitchen Bouquet and maybe use a bit of soy sauce.
"Gravy Master" in East Bay?
Saw an Oxtail Stew recipe I want to cook this weekend and one of the ingredients is 4 tbs of "Gravy Master". Has anyone seen this product in a local Oakland or Berkeley grocery store where I can purchase? I googled it and it's available online, but I need it today. Thanks!
ISO "normal" but good food in Dublin/Pleasanton
If she likes Mexican food, the best in the area is Blue Agave Club on Main Street in downtown Pleasanton. They have a beautiful outdoor patio in front of the restaurant that is one of the best features. For lunch, they have the basics, but done very well. Their dinner menu is where they focus on their specialties.
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Blue Agave Club
625 Main Street, Pleasanton, CA 94556
Chinese Restaurant in Rockridge?
I would recommend skipping Becky's and travel a bit further up College Ave. to Shen Hua. Becky's is very mediocre at best, even for Americanized Chinese fare. I've enjoyed some tasty dishes at Shen Hua, including Beef Chow Fun that tastes pretty authentic to this ABC. Their stir fry dishes are good too. And nice size portions.
I've only been to Great Wall once and was pretty disappointed. Much of it tasted under-seasoned.
Recs for good eats by the Warfield Theater
I would second Farmer Brown simply for the close proximity. The food didn't impress me much (fried chicken was slightly dry, collard greens very salty, jambalaya just ok), but its got a nice funky vibe and the bar seems pretty lively.
Tacubaya vs. Dona Tomas? No contest
I finally got to try these two "sister" restaurants for the first time (in the same week no less!) since moving back to Oakland a year ago.
And my favorite after one meal each is............Tacubaya!
What a gem! Hubby and I wandered in early for lunch on Saturday and ordered Huevos Nortenos and the Torta al Pastor. We were blown away with both. The Huevos Nortenos was perfectly cooked and had the right ratio of Nopales to Egg. They were fluffy and yummy. The creamy black beans were delicious as a side too. The Torta was amazingly flavorful. I loved the savory pork filling and the grilled bread (bolillo) was nice and crunchy. Mmmm, why did we wait so long!
On the flip side, two friends and I went to Dona Tomas for dinner last night. Not knowing how busy it would be on a Wednesday, I made reservations two weeks ago for 6:15pm. They called the night before to confirm and all was well. When we showed up, they had no record of it. Luckily, we were early enough to where it didn't matter. But...off to a sour note already. Second sour note was my Pacifico. The Waitress delivered it in a room temperature bottle and accompanying glass. I should have sent it back, but did not want to make a fuss in front of my friends.
For our entrees between the three of us, we had the Enchiladas, Carnitas, and Carne Asada....all recommended by the Waitress. The Carne Asada was the most flavorful, followed by the Enchiladas, then the Carnitas. The Carne Asada had a nice grilled flavor and was dressed with an avocado sauce. The Enchiladas had a nice spicy red sauce and a generous portion of chicken as filling. This was my dish and I enjoyed it. it was nice to have some sauteed spinach as a side. The Carnitas were terribly dry. No wonder my friend had about 4 glasses of water with his dinner!
I'd go back to Dona Tomas someday, but with much lower expectations. Tacubaya on the other hand will be a regular stop!
Hiros is now Rikyu
We went last night (Friday) around 5:45pm and it was virtually empty as well. Service was friendly and efficient. I recognized the Sushi Chef as being from Kirala, which we thought was a good sign.
We ordered the regular Sushi Dinner (7 pc Nigiri and one Spicy Tuna Roll), and one Deluxe Sushi Dinner (8 pc Nigiri and one Tuna Roll). I would definitely say order the Deluxe for the extra $4 as the selection was far more appealing.
With dinner we were first served a salad and miso soup. The salad had a few nice segments of orange, a little bit of seaweed, and a few cherry tomatoes. Not sure what the main flavor in the dressing was.....perhaps a mild yuzu vinaigrette? And the miso soup was ok, but on the weak side as well. I prefer mine a bit heartier. The waiter then brought out a bowl of very flavorful edamame, "compliments of the chef". Really nice touch.
The sushi itself was unfortunately disappointing. I had really hoped we could find a place close to home that had comparable sushi to Kirala. I know alot of CHs don't think Kirala's worth the hype or wait (and some nights when you want an easy walk-in, it's not), but I've always been a fan and still hold East Bay Japanese restaurants to their standard. Rikyu's sushi was at best good to at worst sub-par. On the regular sushi dinner, the standouts were the squid nigiri, snapper nigiri, and spicy tuna roll. Everything else (maguro, salmon, etc) was not very tasty or overly fresh. I left one piece (not sure what fish it was--opaquely beige) because the texture and color were too unappetizing. My hubby's deluxe fare looked much better. Among his selection he had a very fresh ikura (which he easily traded me for my tamago), seared tuna and hamachi nigiri, and others I forget. But being the pickier of us two, he ended up leaving two unfinished nigiri on his plate.
Maybe we should have ordered sushi ala carte, but being our first visit, I wanted to see and taste a cross section. Not sure how they would do on their cooked menu items and may give them a shot next time. But we're in no hurry to try sushi again at Rikyu's.
Favorites on current Incanto menu?
I went there for the first time myself about a month ago, and absolutely loved the bucatini with egg yolk and tuna heart. I would definitely order that again!
Orson.....thanks, but no thanks
$125 before tip with one bottle of San Pell and two beers. I wouldn't say it was dreadful, just disappointing.....especially with all of the other options around.
