Cucina Alessa

20150331:
For an appetizer, my friend and I ordered the shrimp scampi. While the number of shrimp may have been reasonable with respect to the restaurant and quality, I couldn't help but feel like unsatisfied.

Scampi Capri

With that being said, at least the sauce that the shrimp came in was good and we used it as sauce for the complimentary bread. 7:52PM PT

Menu Description:
SCAMPI CAPRI
Shrimp scampi sautéed with garlic, chili flakes, tomatoes lobster reduction sauce.

Grigliata di pesce

When my entree arrived (grigliata di pesce = grilled fish), I first tasted the pasta. The pasta with (homemade almond) pesto was nice and creamy. The salmon, however, was a bit plain and broken in texture. In addition, the first bite had too much of a grilled flavor.

Menu Description:
GRIGLIATA DI PESCE
Fresh Salmon filet, Diver scallops and large prawns, marinated with garlic, white wine, lemon sauce, and parsley grilled, served with linguine with homemade almond pesto.

Pork chop

Then I tried a bite of my friend's pork chop (he ordered the special of the day). I liked the seasoning.

Returning to my dish, I found the pasta to be deliciously creamy. Furthermore, the scallop was good and the prawn was also good.

Josh, who said he's ordered my exact dish two or three times before, said the salmon wasn't as good as the other times he's had it.

Brussels sprouts

In any case, today he ordered a side of brussel sprouts and I thought they were good. 8:13PM PT

I hadn't realized until a couple bites in that there were bacon bits (technically it was pancetta, which is like Italian bacon). Nice. After having some of the brussel sprouts, I finished my creamy pasta. Yum. 8:20PM PT

Grigliata di pesce

To close, I would say that the pork chop seasoning was really good. 8:24PM PT

Menu Description:
BRUSSELS SPROUTS, GARLIC, PANCETTA,* SAGE BUTTER

*Pancetta is "Italian bacon". See also Pancetta (Wikipedia.org)

A shrimp from the shrimp scampi capri.

Oh, and as beer wasn't really an option here at Cucina Alessa, my friend and I split a bottle of wine: 2010 Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso. While it was expensive, it had a great taste and we enjoyed it.

[20150331][20170113 Edit]

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Cucina Alessa

Relevant Links:
Cucina Alessa Website
Cucina Alessa - Huntington Beach, CA (Yelp.com)
Cucina Alessa (Google Plus Page)

The Kroft

20150328:
Today my family and I came to the Anaheim Packing District and it was so crowded that after circling the area for parking, we returned to the main parking area and decided to use the valet.

Fried Cheese Curds

Entering the building, I found that the lines inside were as gruesome as the parking outside. I could only hope that the food would be worth the wait.

After walking around and checking out the various options, my family and I decided to try the food at The Kroft (except for my mom who's vegetarian).

After looking at the menu, we decided to order a prime ribeye dip with cheese, a short rib melt, a porchetta sandwich, and fried cheese curds with pineapple (?) sauce.

Short Rib Melt

First up was the porchetta. It had a great smell and the first bite was really good. The next bite didn't taste as good, but it was still delicious.

Next up was the braised short rib. It was soft, oily, and my taste buds focused on the onion flavors.

Finally, there was the prime ribeye dip with cheese. I thought it wasn't bad and the dip tasted just as good as any prime ribeye dip I've ever had.

Prime Ribeye Dip with Cheese

Overall, I liked the porchetta best, then the braised short rib, and then the prime ribeye dip with cheese. With that being said, they were all tasty.

While I didn't take any notes on the fried cheese curds, I recall they were nice and crisp. The dipping sauce, whose consistency was like ketchup, was also good.

If you've never had fried cheese curds before, I would describe them as shorter mozzarella sticks, and, due to their small size, have a higher crust to cheese ratio.

Prime Ribeye Dip and Short Rib Melt

[20150422 Edit]

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The Kroft

Porchetta

Relevant Links:
The Kroft Website (Status as of 20150422: Coming Soon)
The Kroft (Facebook Page)
The Kroft - Anaheim, CA (Yelp.com)
The Kroft (Anaheim Packing District Website)

Turtle Tea

20150326:
Step 1 Choose your tea
Peach Oolong.

Jars of the available teas that you can open and smell.

Step 2 Choose your flavor (plain is an option)
Mango

Step 3 Choose your topping (the first topping is free, $0.50 added for each topping)
Aloe Vera

Step 4 Choose your sweetness (unsweetened is an option)
Mild*

The store charges 10 cents for credit purchases under $10.

This tea is good! 7:26PM PT

*I didn't know at the time, but unsweetened is an option.

[20150326 Assumed Entry Date][20191024 Edit]

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Turtle Tea

Relevant Links:
Turtletea (Facebook.com)
Turtle Tea - Garden Grove, CA (Yelp.com)

Matsu

Matsu

Fried Shrimp (top), Sweet Shrimp (bottom)

Relevant Links:
Matsu Website
Matsu Restaurant - Huntington Beach (Yelp.com)

Mixed Sashimi Salad

20150326:
Today was my first time coming to Matsu; in fact, it was my first time even hearing about it. 5:41PM PT

Tuna Tataki

I liked the tuna tataki. It had a great smell and taste. As for the Sabrina roll, I found it was juicy and delicious.

Sabrina Roll

Unfortunately, the fried shrimp was so crunchy that it tasted like a chip. Fortunately, the sweet shrimp (dipped in ponzu sauce) had a tasty, creamy flavor.

Fried Shrimp (left), Sweet Shrimp (right)

Having had another piece of the Sabrina roll, I again found it to be nice and juicy.

Overall, I enjoyed the sweet shrimp best, then the sabrina roll, and then the tuna tataki. 7:05PM PT

85°C Bakery Cafe

20150326:
I've been here and had food from here several times before. However, for whatever reason, I never thought to blog about the experience. In any case, today I got an Iced Sea Salt Coffee and egg tart. 5:39PM PT

Initially I left the sea salt on top and drank the coffee and cream separately. After a couple of sips, I carefully swirled the two parts together. Ultimately, the drink is just interesting for its uniqueness.* Otherwise there's nothing particularly amazing about the coffee.

Iced Sea Salt Coffee (20160329)

Similarly, I enjoyed the egg tart, but it wasn't amazing. With that being said, the crust had a nice soft, flaky texture, and for $1.50 I suppose I'd get it again.

I should, however, note that the only reason I got the egg tart was because my friend wanted to buy something for dessert and the restaurant we just came from, Capital Seafood Restaurant, had run out of them.

Possibly a blessing in disguise, I later read that the egg tarts at Capital Seafood did not have the nice flaky crust expected of an egg tart.

*That is, until 7 Leaves Cafe opened where you can get a sea cream black coffee.

Strawberry White Chocolate (20160329)

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20160329:
So last year an 85°C Bakery Cafe opened in Berkeley and this is my second time coming to it.

One interesting note is that the location lacks extremely long lines. I would attribute this either to the audience - college students - or the selection of food.

In any case, I got some sort of strawberry-based dessert which primarily tasted like the same strawberry syrup found swirled in the strawberry sundae ice cream cups (the ones you eat with a wooden spood out of a plastic cup). In addition to the strawberry syrup, there was also a subtle white chocolate flavor and some moist sponge cake sitting in the center. Oh, and to my surprise, I could also taste what seemed to be a pineapple syrup in parts of the sponge cake. Overall, it was delicious.

Iced Sea Salt Coffee (20150326)

My friend, however, got a less exciting green matcha red bean dessert. For the most part, it only lightly tasted like matcha and the red bean wasn't so sweet. With that being said, mixing the layers of the cup did seem to help improve the taste.

And last, but not least, I had the iced sea salt coffee which comes in two layers: the coffee on bottom and the sea cream on top. Failing to realize this, I poked the top open with my straw and took a sip of plain coffee. As such, I carefully swirled the coffee around and let the cream mix into it. Interestingly, the mixture is a suspension and not a solution; after some time the two layers will separate.

Note I find the sea cream has a creamy, soft consistency as opposed to whipped cream (e.g., at Starbuck's) which has a thick, heavy consistency.

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85°C Bakery Cafe*
*Everybody I know refers to it as "85 Degrees."

Green Matcha Red Bean(20160329)

Relevant Links:
85°C Website
85C Bakery Cafe (Wikipedia.org)
85°C Bakery Cafe - Irvine, CA (Yelp.com)
85C Bakery Cafe- Downtown Berkeley - Berkeley, CA (Yelp.com)

Capital Seafood Restaurant

20150326:
My friend lives in Irvine and wanted to eat somewhere in this area. Unfortunately, had I known he was interested in the type of food available in this area, I would have suggested we go to Westminster or Garden Grove instead.

Har Gow (right and top right) and Shumai (top left)

In particular, for dim sum there's Seafood Paradise, Seafood Cove, or Yum Cha Cafe (cheap dim sum located inside My Thuan Market).

In any case, this was my second time coming here and overall the food was good, though possibly overpriced.

Pork Belly

The first thing I ate was the pork belly and it was delicious. But my personal favorite is the shrimp noodle, that was also good.

Now I also like har gow, but when I was eating the har gow here today, there was a slight tinge of dissatisfaction.

BBQ Pork Buns

The shrimp balls were tasty, but that's mainly due to the mayonnaise sitting in the center of them (which is disgusting).

Having enjoyed the pork belly, we ordered another one. I also got another plate of the shrimp noodle. According to the waitress, it was the last one they had.

Shrimp Noodle

Just about finished, I inquired about their egg tarts and unfortunately the waitress said there were none left. 3:23PM PT

Like getting cream puffs at L. P. Steamers, I always look forward to getting egg tarts after I eat dim sum. Of course, while Capital Seafood had run out, 85°C Bakery Cafe swooped in and saved the day.

(more) Pork Belly (top left) and Shrimp Balls (bottom left)

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20150327: (leftovers)
By the end of lunch, we had a shrimp ball and two pieces of shumai left. Having had bad experiences with shumai in the past, I was unwilling to try them while at the restaurant, but was all for trying them in the comfort of my own home (the experience varies from restaurant to restaurant, typically depending on the type of oil used). In this situation, I ate the shumai without any trouble.

(more) Shrimp Noodle*
*supposedly the last one they had for the day

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Capital Seafood Restaurant

Relevant Links:
Capital Seafood Restaurant - Irvine, CA (Yelp.com)

Tachikawa

20150324:
The texture of the albacore tataki was a nice mix between cooked salmon and smoked salmon (in hindsight, this makes sense because the albacore was probably seared).

The nine-piece sashimi combo had salmon, tuna, and super white tuna.

Albacore Tataki 5 (20150324)

The tuna tasted okay, and I liked the salmon's texture more than the tuna's texture, but I felt like both the salmon and the tuna were not as fresh and not as tight as they should be. The super white tuna tasted a bit of fishier (not necessarily good) and was a bit tougher (good) than both the salmon and the tuna.

Furthermore, I disliked the taste of the restaurant's ginger, though perhaps I was being overly critical.

In any case, I ordered a dragon roll before the sashmi combo was brought out, thinking I would be hungry. However, I was quite content after having the albacore and the sashimi. 2:01PM PT For the record, in addition to the albacore and sashimi, I originally wanted uni (sea urchin), but they were out of it.

Sashimi Combo - 9 pieces 13 (20150324)
Salmon (top left), Tuna (bottom), and Super White Tuna (top right)

When the dragon roll arrived, I found it had a strange presentation: long and skinny. The rice tasted a bit soggy and perhaps there was not enough vinegar. Actually, perhaps the vinegar was okay, but the avocado was a bit ripe.

As I reached the end of the roll, I found it taste a bit better, but I also felt there might have been too much avocado. Overall, I thought the dragon roll was just average, if not slightly below average. 2:11PM PT

However, I'd place the overall experience as average.

Dragon Roll 13 (20150324)

[20151009 Edit]

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20150919:
Today I was craving sushi and decided to come back to Tachikawa and give it another try.

Unfortunately, having ordered the twelve-piece sashimi combo, I was quite disappointed.

Starting with the salmon, I essentially encountered the same problem today as my last visit: the salmon did not taste fresh and lacked flavor.

Sashimi Combo - 12 pieces (20150919)

The white fish was relatively softer. The tuna (dark red) had a nicer, thicker texture. Finally, the remaining variety tasted best, mainly due to the texture.

Before making a second round, I noted that the wasabi here was mild.

During the second and third rounds, I noted that the white fish tasted much worse than the salmon, and that the tuna was more or less on par with the salmon.

Unakyu Roll (20150919)

While still finishing the sashimi platter, I tried ordering uni and tamago nigiri, but they had neither, and so I ordered an unakyu roll (eel and cucumber) instead. When it arrived, I gave it a taste and had to focus intently in order to taste the eel.

Overall, I came due to my craving, but the food here was a bust. 7:12PM PT

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Tachikawa

Relevant Links:
Tachikawa Website
Tachikawa Japanese Restaurant - Pinole, CA (Yelp.com)

Venus Restaurant

20150318:
Today I came and ordered a pork loin dish.

Menu Description:
Grilled Balsmic [sic] Glazed Pork Loin with red wine pomegranate reduction and sauteed veggies, served over Lundberg organic brown rice 15.50

While I found the pork loin was decently tasty, I didn't think it was worth 15.50. In general, for such a price, I'd rather go to Belli Osteria.

I would, however, consider coming to Venus again for the occasional change in scenery and menu choice. Furthermore, Venus is probably a better breakfast restaurant than a lunch or dinner restaurant.

[20150401]

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Venus Restaurant

Relevant Links:
Venus Restaurant
Venus Restaurant - Berkeley, CA (Yelp.com)

Perdition Smokehouse

20150313:
Today I ordered a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and chose the mac and cheese for my side.

Pulled Pork Sandwich (20150313)

While the pulled pork was a bit dry, it tasted better with the Brew BQ sauce.

As for the mac and cheese, I found the cheese was a bit grainy and I didn't really like. 4:48PM PT

Mac and Cheese (20150313)

[20150328 Edit]

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20150317:
The last time I came here my coworker got the brisket and it looked so good that I was anxious to try it. Unfortunately, the restaurant had run out of the sliced brisket. Fortunately, they were serving chopped brisket in a special they chose to name "The Smokey Joe."

For $10, you get chopped brisket sandwich with coleslaw, a bag of chips, and a fountain drink (or a pint of Moonlight Death & Taxes, Fort Wipeout, or HenHouse Saison for $3 more).

Interested, I ordered The Smokey Joe and decided to have the Henhouse Saison.

While I had to wait for buns to arrive, when my sandwich came I was delighted. In particular, I found the meat was tender and tasted delicious. 3:24PM PT

The place has great decoration and a large selection of beer on tap. Then, while the food is good, the place is also quite empty around lunchtime.

[20150329]

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Perdition Smokehouse

Pickles (20150313)

Relevant Links:
Perdition Smokehouse
Perdition Smokehouse - Berkeley, CA (Yelp.com)

Chez Panisse Cafe

20150311:
Today was my first time eating at Chez Panisse Cafe. The restaurant was a bit far away, but the experience was certainly worth the walk.

Between water and sparkling water, my friend and I chose sparkling. Looking at their draft beer selection, I decided to get the Russian River Blind Pig IPA.

To eat, I ordered the pork loin. When it came out, I gave the dish a whiff and mostly smelled the meat and the pepper. Giving it a taste, I found the pork loin was delicious, I liked the polenta, and the mustard greens were slightly bitter, but I liked their texture (I don't like the texture of certain vegetables, I love asparagus).

In particular, I like the herbs which covered the pork loin. Awesome. 6:19PM PT

Menu Description:
Grilled Llano Secco [sic] Ranch* pork loin with mustard greens, polenta, and black olives $25

*Rancho Llano Seco is a producer of meats (pork and beef).

[20150326 Edit]

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Chez Panisse Cafe

Relevant Links:
Chez Panisse Website
Chez Panisse Cafe - Gourmet Ghetto - Berkeley, CA (Yelp.com)
Chez Panisse (Wikipedia.org)

Jupiter

20150305:
Today was my first time going to Jupiter and although it was only lunchtime, I couldn't help but take advantage of the restaurant's wide draft beer selection. To drink, I had the New Belgium Oscar Worthy Coffee.

Sausage & Swiss Sandwich (20150305)

To eat I ordered a sausage & swiss sandwich, which for some reason I thought would have sliced sausage in it. However, in a more standard fashion, the sausage comes in the form of a sausage patty.

In any case, it wasn't half bad. In particular, the patty had a mild spiciness. 1:07PM PT

Menu Description:
SAUSAGE & SWISS Spiced calabrese sausage, swiss cheese, aioli, roasted peppers and fresh basil served hot on a bun. 8.50

Galileo (20160209)

[20150320]

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20150807:
Today I had half of the Galileo pizza (13") and enjoyed it. Actually, I initially didn't like it, but later I found it tasted better. To drink I had the Grimm Super Going.

(20150305)

Menu Description:
GALILEO Artichoke hearts, spinch, mushrooms, garlic, diced tomatoes, fontina and aged asiago on an olive oil crust 9" 11.75 13" 18.75

[20160311 Edit]

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20160209
Having remembered liking the Galileo, I recommended it (8") and ate two or three slices of it. In addition to the Galileo, I also had a slice or two of the Circe (8"). To drink I had the AleSmith Speedway Stout. 1:17PM PT

Menu Description:
CIRCE Shrimp, garlic, butter, green onion, red chili flakes and cracked pepper with mozzarella on an olive crust. 9" 14.95 13" 19.95

Circe (20160209)

From what I can recall (as of 20150311), the Circle tasted good, but it was also heavy. I vaguely remember tasting a lot of either the garlic or butter. It was highly likely that I only ate a single slice of it.

Luckily, my company and I had the Galileo to fall back on. With that being said, I had an abnormally small appetite today and felt I hardly ate anything at all.

[20160311]

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Jupiter

Relevant Links:
Jupiter Website
Jupiter - Downtown Berkeley - Berkeley, CA (Yelp.com)