Marc Wallace's Profile
Help us (veggie folks) navigate Oakland Chinatown and Fruitvale Asian spots...
I'll give a second for both Shan Dong's dry braised string beans and their vegetarian steamed buns. The string beans are one of the dishes I order every time I go there (unless I'm just picking up frozen dumplings).
A surprise at Le Cheval
*blink* Wow, a good meal at Le Cheval?
I will say that I like their hot'n'sour catfish (although I like that most places), and the clay pot is pretty good (I had a mixed version last time). Perhaps you stumbled across their good dishes!
Organic Produce Delivery
I started buying from Farm Fresh at the beginning of the year and have had the same problem with quality. They're quite friendly, always chat, are accommodating at leaving out items you don't want (or even replacing them in the next shipment), but usually there is one dead item and another that starts going moldy in a day or two. Their packaging isn't great either; two times the strawberries were practically jam when they arrived. The peaches they have sent have always been rock hard.
I love the idea of the service, and did enjoy it for a few months, but no longer think the price/quality ratio is worth it. Perhaps they were just better in the winter when seasonal things are less crushable.
Food near BART
I bet some folks here could easily flesh out the Oakland Fruitvale BART station area? (it's been too long since I have been down there)
Thai Thai in FiDi?
I think their cooking is fine (although from the meat you can tell they cater towards faster preparation rather than longer stewings), but they can't make anything spicy to save themselves. I have asked for my curries extra spicy, was pleased when I was asked back "American hot or Thai hot", answered "Thai hot!", and ended up being served something that would be considered mild at most Thai restaurants.
That said, if you can stand a mild curry, their red pumpkin curry is quite tasty.
KQED Check Please 5/15/09: Hayes Street Grill, SF; Mama's On Washington Square, SF; Sahn Maru Korean BBQ, Oakland
As it is probably my favourite soup, I must ask: at what other places do you like the Yuk Geh Jang? I used to love it at Sam Won (26th+Tele) but it has not seemed the same in recent visits.
Uncle Vito's Pizzeria
I actually loved their veggie pizza, but ordered it with no bell peppers and with fresh garlic. It is quite possible the garlic did the trick for me. Their all-meat pizza.. eh, it was okay.
The crust wasn't crispy in the middle when I went, being soggy instead, but the outer two thirds of the pizza was exceptional. I liked it, and if I worked a mile closer and had more time for lunch I'd be back fairly frequently.
Stockton - poss late Sun evening
Outlaw BBQ seems to be really named "Most Wanted BBQ" (and their phonebook ad suggests they used to be Lee's or something). It's right before an IGA grocery store (driving east), and the lots connect in case you miss it. The ribs are indeed incredible, as is the service. The tri-tip, eh, kind of rubbery and vinegary, but the ribs were fabulous. Huge portions.
18884 N Hwy 88
Homemade frozen dumplings in East Bay?
It also depends on whether you want sauce or not. Minus sauce it was $21 the last time; with "just some" sauce $24, with the normal amount (good for 1.5 bags at my rate of consumption) $26. But their price does vary.
12-packs of dumplings there are around $7.
(Yes, I buy a lot of dumplings from them for when I come home exhausted from work.)
Sadly no more Mixt Greens for me!
Yes -- the few times I think "fine, it's just downstairs from my office, I'll go there" I am amazed at the high prices and at how my scoop of cherry tomatoes only has three tomatoes. It's the only game in the northern FiDi area, though.
Cantonese Classics @ Sam’s Restaurant in Oakland
Yes, Sam's replaced that horrible steam table place about two or three years ago. I've been there a few times, and it has always been good. Their takeout containers are huge, unlike a lot of places that give you less food. The outside still looks the same, though. I only found out about it because the first week they were open someone was handing out menus on the sidewalk in front of it.
Mijori Grand Ave Oakland
Neighborhood was why I went there, until their bento boxes became overpriced and their service declined. Parking near there can be a nightmare, but if you can walk...
Best Thai in Oakland?
If you're good with a place that serves both Thai and Laotian, Champa Gardens often gets good reviews. Their mango shrimp curry dish (forget what it's called) is excellent. Another Thai/Laotian place, Vientian Cafe, has great tom kha gai, although their curry was a bit bland. Otherwise when I want Thai I head to Berkeley (or Pinole, actually).
Vo's in Oakland has re-opened
You're kidding. Finally? They almost made "in June".. just a year off. Do you have a menu/card that indicates hours? I can't make it weekdays anymore, but if they are open on weekends, would try them out to compare quality. Parking is certainly easier there than at Binh Minh Quan, and BMQ has not been exciting me recently.
San Buena Taco Truck not so Buena (FiDi)
I actually like them, but they're the only game in the area -- I wouldn't go out of my way to go there were it not the only taco place near where I work.
The al pastor is the best, although greasy. Carnitas comes out in large chunks (like two chunks per taco), and wasn't crispy. The carne asada was insanely salty the two times I tried it, but the pollo asada was pretty good. Spicy isn't terribly spicy there. I usually ask for an extra container of the hot salsa and pour a bunch over.
San Leandro restaurant recommendations
I'm fond of Luke's Grill (mentioned in two of the above threads) for Greek. Their soups, although salty, are both excellent, and they give generous portions. Service isn't fast, though there is parking. There is also a Thai place within two blocks (sorry, the name is something generic like "Thai Satay") that has a good tom yum gai.
Emeryville: Wally's Cafe and The Bank Club - a roadhouse with Lebanese Mexican food and draft Trumer Pilsner
I found a lot of parking on the diagonal street just south of there (Adeline, I think), just in back of the restaurant. You can't get there directly from said parking spots (have to go around the block), but there were a lot of spots even Saturday at 1pm, and you don't have to brave crossing any streets.
(sorry -- was trying to reply to the below post from lacerise, somehow it attached it wrong)
Emeryville: Wally's Cafe and The Bank Club - a roadhouse with Lebanese Mexican food and draft Trumer Pilsner
It was hard considering ordering anything other than Lebanese, which is pretty much vacant in the Oakland area, but I'll try a tamale next time. Not sure I can finish a kebab plate and a tamale, but there are always takeout boxes. A good source of tamales is worthwhile.
Outside seemed like an option, but for the first visit I wanted to make sure service would be good. It looked like outside tables got good service as well (although more sporadic), so I'll try that next time.
Korean BBQ Tofu House (Oakland)
Sahn Maru makes a good yuk gae jang. I like it a lot at Seoul House and Sam Won, but only because they've learned that when I ask for it extra spicy, I really mean it. That can be a problem some places. "You want that? It's spicy. Are you sure?" Pshaw. Jong Ga, as I recall, made it fairly mild when I went.
Korean BBQ Tofu House (Oakland)
Yuk gae jang (or however it is Romanized) is a soup with a blindingly red broth due to hot pepper flakes and no doubt other spicy influences -- not miso-like at all. I doubt you would find it bland. The beef doesn't come on the bone, and the veggies tend to be scallions and some tubelike thing that is apparently fern-based. Glass noodles, too.
Emeryville: Wally's Cafe and The Bank Club - a roadhouse with Lebanese Mexican food and draft Trumer Pilsner
Ate there yesterday afternoon, and didn't need to eat supper. Definitely a good find. I liked the light kick from the lentil soup, and the chicken schwarma is (in my opinion) much better seasoned than the standard Greek style you get most places. I didn't get the fries, but the woman next to me did, and the size of the basket was amazing: a "side" could easily feed two or be split by four. Very polite staff. A bit noisy sitting on the side near the bar, but late Saturday afternoon I might expect that.
It didn't seem that hard to find, but I was going north, so saw the patio before the bar. I think there was a sign there. Not sure, it just looked like the right place, since people were out there eating and there are no other restaurants on that block.
Szechuan in SF?
Note also that there are two or three more Henry's locations, one closer to BART (somewhere on Kearny? not positive).
Seoul House (Oakland Chinatown)
The menu is kind of half Korean and half Japanese, or it was when I walked by a month ago. I gave up on it after the third incarnation of Soju Bang, when they brought me miso soup rather than panchan.
Name Change!! La Cenaduria de Ana = Santo Coyote
Stumbled across this place quite by accident today (stupid brain, thinking the restaurant area was around 48th instead of 38th.. sigh). The enchiladas were indeed tasty, both the picadillo and pollo, and my pastor huarache was huge and well-balanced. Nearby tables were having puposas and beer, but I didn't have room to try a puposa.
The rice and beans, though.. not particularly special.
Food-themed Walking Tours
There's at least one place that does the Mission: http://www.foodieadventures.com/2008_FOODIETOUR.pdf
I've never taken any of their tours, though, so cannot vouch for them.
Seoul House (Oakland Chinatown)
Ah -- Gigul Gigul is new; I hadn't known Le El had failed. Gaboja.. that's the renamed Core Lounge? I wasn't impressed by that place, but maybe they have a new owner and chef along with the new name?
Do Ha Na became Don Day last year, if memory serves, and only offers Korean burritos at lunchtime. Do Ha Na was excellent about four years ago, and then their portions and number of panchan started to suffer.
So I guess there are other options, but in my book Seoul House has dominated for the last few years. When I was working downtown and wanted Korean, it was Seoul House, or hop on the 1 bus and go up Telegraph.
Seoul House (Oakland Chinatown)
If it comes in the bento-style box the panchan are few and small. I usually get a soup there; then you get.. five separate bowls of panchan. Still very minimal, but better than three, and there really aren't many options in downtown Oakland. And they're willing to make the yuk gae jang extra spicy for me, which gains them a point...
Ghazal Indian Restaurant, Downtown Oakland
Does anyone know if they have a lunch buffet on the weekend?
La Cocina Orinda Update
The one time I forgot it was Cinco de Mayo and went to a normally good Mexican place, the food was pretty mediocre -- I think they just get overwhelmed.
Jong Ga House in Oakland
The mushrooms are definitely good there. I've had both the mushroom bi bim bap and the mushroom yuk gae jang, and they were quite tasty. The dol sot bi bim bap is also good. A friend said the kal bi was amazing, and the bite I had did seem better than most places -- it's just not my favourite dish.
I've only been there for lunch (as my wife doesn't eat Korean), but if a group were going there for dinner, their menu (and off-menu items) looks extensive.
