Rickshaw Chinese Restaurant

20150629:
For once having cash on me, I thought I would give this Chinese fast food place a try.

Unfortunately, the beef was a bit salty and chewy. However, I liked it better than the Mandarin chicken, which simply didn't taste quite right.

BBQ pork chow mein, Mandarin chicken, and
Beef with Broccoli (20150629)

Finally, the chow main was dry, but in this case it was a good thing.

Overall, it was a terrible lunch. 4:03PM PT

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20150918:
Today I gave the place another try. The BBQ pork chow mein was decent and the quantity of food given was generous.

When ordering the BBQ pork, I thought I would only get once piece, but the worker actually cuts up more than one piece.

BBQ pork chow mein, BBQ pork, and
Beef with Broccoli (20150918)

Unfortunately, I wish the pieces of BBQ pork were sliced thinner, like the way they're found in the chow mein.

Finally, the beef in the broccoli with beef was chewy and also too salty. 5:56PM PT

Overall, I'm guessing the quality of the food is affected by how it just sits around for a variable length of time. So you can probably get the most bang for your buck (cash only) if you come during peak lunch or dinner hours when the food has to be replenished most often.

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Rickshaw Chinese Restaurant

Relevant Links:
Rickshaw Chinese Restaurant - Pinole, CA (Yelp.com)

Dumpling Kitchen

20150908:
Today I went with my friends to one of their favorite places to eat, Dumpling Kitchen, where we ordered two #1's (Shanghai-style steamed pork dumplings (10pcs)), a #5 (Shangahai-style pan-fried pork buns (10pcs)), and a beef chow mein.

Shanghai-style pan-fried pork buns

The beef in the chow mein was chewy and the chow mein was a bit oily. I would probably not get it if I returned here.

Fortunately, the #1 was tasty and the #5 was also delicious, but I liked #1 more than #5.

Beef chow mein

Oh, we also ordered the honey walnut shrimp and the shrimp were outright lemony.* We thought it was weird.

*Apparently various recipes call for different ingredients: (INGREDIENT NAME:TALLY)
CONDENSED MILK:OOOOOOOOO
MAYONNAISE....:OOOOOOOOO
HONEY.........:OOOOOOOOO
LEMON JUICE...:OOOOOO
SALT..........:O

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Dumpling Kitchen

Shanghai-style steamed pork dumplings

Relevant Links:
Dumpling Kitchen - Parkside - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

Eggettes

20150907:
Today I had eggettes for the first time. Actually, it was also the first time I even heard about them.

Coconut Eggettes

Also known as an egg waffle, egg puff, bubble waffle, and puffle (Wikipedia.org), eggettes are essentially little hollow waffle balls. Of course, due to how they're made and served, eggettes are not soft and doughy like a thick waffle, but partially crisp and partially doughy like the edges of a thick waffle or a partially toasted Eggo.

Pouring the batter in... (20160816)

Starting with waffle-like batter, the employee pours the batter into the eggette maker. From afar, the eggette maker looks like a waffle iron, except the iron mold is a hexagonal array of hemispheres. It would seem, however, important to only pour enough batter as to thinly coat the mold in two layers, because when the mold gets turned around, some of the batter will fall to the other half of the mold (another hexagonal array of hemispheres).

Original Eggettes

Thus, when removed from the mold, the batter is an array of balls connected by a thin layer of batter. The employee then holds the array next to a fan, most likely to wick away some of the moisture and give the eggettes a crispier texture. A secondary purpose would be to keep the array in an arch. After manually holding the eggettes over a fan, they are placed on a tray where little computer fans continue to blow on them.

Ready to pull out... (20160816)

Overall, I liked the coconut-flavored eggettes most. They remind me of delicious pandan waffles. Then I like the original eggettes, and finally the chocolate eggettes.

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20160816:
Today I had eggettes for a second time, but this time they were a bit more doughy than the last time - perhaps the employee poured extra batter into the eggette maker.

Chocolate Eggettes

In any case, it was still a tasty snack and I would recommend everybody try it at least once.

[20160913]

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Eggettes

Relevant Links:
Eggettes Website
Eggettes - Outer Sunset - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

Sushi Zen

Sushi Zen

Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe) with Quail Egg

Relevant Links:
Sushi Zen - Parkside - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

20150907:
I ordered the Sunset Strip and amaebi (sweet shrimp); I got the amaebi because they were out of uni (sea urchin). In any case, I liked the amaebi that I had today more than the sweet shrimp I had at Gesshin, both the body and the head.

Sunset Strip Roll

As for my Sunset Strip, it was delicious, I enjoyed the texture, and the spicy mayo tasted great.

Menu Description:
Sunset Strip Roll: hamachi, mango & unagi inside, tuna & salmon on top with house sauce

In addition to my order, I had a piece of the King Kong, which Josh ordered, and thought it tasted good.

King Kong Roll

Menu Description:
King Kong Roll: soft shell crab, crab meat, avocado, unagi, tobiko on top

However, the tobiko (flying fish roe) with quail egg was the best. The softness of the smelt egg with the bursting yolk was pure joy swimming in my mouth. They're so good that I'd be crazy not to get a full order of it for myself the next time I come.

???* (left). Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp) (right).
*This looks most like Hamachi (Yellowtail)

While the quality ranged from good to great, the service was very unbalanced. Perhaps the establishment expects their customers to share sushi, but most everybody at our table of seven ordered for him/herself and the food came out in the order that the food was ordered. In other words, the second end of the table was waiting for food while the first end started eating, and then the first end of the table was done and waiting for the second end to finish eating. 7:17PM PT

Shrimp Heads

Matcha Love

20150906:
Today I had ice cream from Matcha Love located inside the San Jose Mitsuwa.*

While I neither like nor dislike green tea, I thought this matcha soft serve ice cream was absolutely delicious. My friend Kevin agreed and noted that the green tea flavor was not overly powerful. 6:35PM PT

I should note that there is a swirl option (mixing two flavors), but one can only swirl adjacent flavors. In other words, they have four flavors running on two machines, and a customer can swirl the two flavors in one machine or the two flavors in the other machine. Unfortunately for me, the Matcha was paired with the Black Sesame and the Hoji-cha was paired with the Madagascar Vanilla.

On a separate note, I got a small-sized ice cream, but I felt like I received a generous amount. In particular, Josh had ordered a large-sized ice cream, and later thought he should have just ordered the small.

*Apparently there's a Matcha Love in the Costa Mesa Mitsuwa as well.

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Matcha Love

Relevant Links:
Matcha Love - West San Jose - San Jose, CA (Yelp.com)

Mitsuwa Marketplace

Mitsuwa Marketplace

Trays and trays of Sea Urchin

Relevant Links:
Mitsuwa Website
Mitsuwa Marketplace - West San Jose - San Jose, CA (Yelp.com)

20150906:
So I grew up in Orange County and there was a Mitsuwa Marketplace not too far from where I lived. While I didn't go often, I would occasionally go there with friends to get a drink (soda, aloe, etc.) or snack from the market section, browse the stores, or order food from one of the various restaurants.

Mushrooms going for $50 a pound and $70 a pound.
Each of these trays is between $17 and $23.

In any case, today I was at the Mitsuwa located in San Jose and the sushi section captivated me. In particular, there were trays of uni (sea urchin) calling my name and I could hear their little voices saying, "Buy me! Buy me!"

At first I questioned whether or not the fish were kept cold and fresh enough to buy. But then my craving for the uni simply didn't care and I bought a tray.

Unfortunately, my original plan was to grab the tray, pay for it, and immediately eat it. Instead, I grabbed the tray, went to look for a drink to go with it, and then spent several minutes staring at the sake selection.*

Trays of Abalone.

In the end, the first few pieces tasted a bit watery (perhaps some of the ice had melted or there was condensation. In particular, I found the bottom/last two pieces tasted better than the first several pieces.

Of course, there were several key differences in the experience compared to my previous uni experiences. The first is that the pieces of uni seemed longer, perhaps more whole. The second key difference is that the uni didn't taste salty.

In fact, the tray was quite fishy and the pieces probably would have tasted better with some wasabi, soy sauce, or a drop of lemon juice. Actually, pickled ginger would have been the best. 6:20PM PT

The uni - just moments before I eat it.

*I did in fact end up choosing a bottle of sake. Unfortunately the eating area did not permit the drinking of alcohol.

[20151002]

Bill's Cafe

Bill's Cafe

Mexicali Benedict

Relevant Links:
Bill's Cafe - Willow Glen - San Jose, CA (Yelp.com)

20150906:
Today my friends and I went to the Bill's Cafe in Willow Glen. While Bill's Cafe has standard breakfast dishes such as pancakes, omelettes, and french toast, there is also a variety of Benedictions (eggs Benedict) to choose from.

Crab Cakes Benedict

After looking through the choices, I decided to order the Mexicali Benedict.

Menu Description:
Mexicali Benedict
Toasted English Muffin, pulled Pork Carnitas, Tomatoes, Avocados, Poached Eggs, topped with freshly made Salsa

Bill's Famous Mimosa

Overall, I thought the Mexicali Benedict was awesome. In particular, the carnitas tasted amazing. They were extremely moist and extremely flavorful. They might have been the best carnitas I've ever eaten, at least without being outright fatty. I suspect they were moist from having soaked up all the salsa.

Crab Cakes Benedict

In any case, together with the avocado and egg, the dish was superb.

In contrast, my friend Josh's Crab Cakes Benedict was underwhelming. I tasted the crab cake, but simply wasn't amazed.

Mexicali Benedict

Of course, if I remember correctly, I was given half a Crab Cakes Benedict (a fourth of two eggs per dish) as leftovers towards the end of the meal and ate it with much delight.

Menu Description:
Crab Cakes Benedict
Two Crab Cakes, two poached Eggs and a rich Hollandaise Sauce on an English Muffin

Banana French Toast

On a different note, my friend Thomas's Banana French Toast with its sliced bananas deliciously reminded me of banana bread. 1:49PM PT Were it not for the Benedictions, I would have surely chosen one of the French toast offerings.

Menu Description:
Banana French Toast
Thick French Toast topped with sliced Bananas, Whipped Cream, and Cinnamon.

Mexicali Benedict

To drink, I initially wanted to have an Irish Coffee (Jameson Irish Whiskey, Coffee, Whipped Cream), but after hearing Josh get a Mexican Coffee, I changed my mind and got a Mexican Coffee as well.

However, more popular than the Mexican Coffee was Bill's Famous Mimosa.

Crab Cakes Benedict

Menu Description:
Bill's Famous Mimosa
Champagne, fresh squeezed Orange Jucie & Strawberries, served in our giant "bowl"

[20151001]

Emmy's Spaghetti Shack

Emmy's Spaghetti Shack

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Relevant Links:
Emmy's Spaghetti Shack Website
Emmy's Spaghetti Shack - Bernal Heights - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

20150915:
After spending several minutes roaming around the area for a restaurant that would seat eight but was also tasty, we ended here at Emmy's Spaghetti Shack.

Somebody's dish. Looks good.

Looking through the menu, I wanted to order the Linguine w/steamed Mussels + Clams and Spanish Chorizo (in an herb butter + garlic white sauce). Unfortunately, they were out of it and I decided to get the Spaghetti + Meatballs.

Sign outside the restaurant.

Menu Description:
Spaghetti + Meatballs (3 Big Balls)
Marinara Sauce w/ Parsley + fresh Parmesan
Extra Cheese: $0.50
Extra Meatball: $2.50

While waiting, someone ordered garlic bread for the table and I tried half a piece. While I like the taste of garlic, I haven't eaten it recently and so I thought the garlic bread was a bit heavy on the garlic.

Huge Meatballs (the diameter is approximately three fingers wide)

In any case, when my spaghetti and meatballs arrived, I started with a piece of a meatball and I was amazed. The meatballs were delicious and had a delightfully soft feel to them.

Unfortunately, I like my spaghetti al dente and the spaghetti was overcooked (i.e., cooked soft).

Garlic Bread.

I had a bite of Kevin's Rasta Pasta (just a fork of pasta and sauce) and it had a nice spiciness to it. I would probably order it the next time I'm here.

Papalote Mexican Grill

Papalote Mexican Grill

Camarones Naked Burrito

Relevant Links:
Papalote Mexican Grill Website
Papalote Mexican Grill - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

20150905:
Today my friend and I got lunch here at Papalote Mexican Grill.

Guacamole & Chips

To start, we had some guacamole & chips.

Menu Description:
Guacamole & Chips
a heaping scoop of our fresh guacamole with chips

Dragon Kite

To eat, I ordered the camarones naked burrito with black beans. On its own, the dish was alright, but with the chipotle sauce, it was awesome.

Menu Description:
Camarones shrimp
sauteed with mushrooms and bell peppers in white wine & butter

Camarones Naked Burrito

Josh thought he should have gotten the tacos instead of the burrito because there were just too much black beans.

Overall, I felt the food had good quantity and I especially liked the chipotle sauce. 3:12PM PT

Please Take Flash Photo!

Primary Option:
Tacos (2): corn tortilla, pico de gallo & lettuce
Ensaladas: lettuce, jicama, black beans, pico de gallo & dressing
Quesadillas: flour tortilla & cheese
Burritos: rice, bean, pico de gallo & choice of tortilla
Naked: a burrito without a tortilla plus lettuce

Secondary Options:
Choice of tortilla: flour, whole wheat, roma tomato, spinach
Choice of beans: whole black, whole pinto, black refried

Aloha BBQ

Aloha BBQ

Relevant Links:
Aloha BBQ - Excelsior - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

20150904:
The macaroni salad tasted bland.

The chicken was not bad.

I found the chicken had less skin than the chicken at Ohana Hawaiian BBQ.

It was a very filling meal and the brown rice tasted good.

Unfortunately, this place made a lot of mistakes for our group's (GrubHub) order so we were dissatisfied. 8:49PM PT

List of Mistakes:
1) Kevin ordered chicken katsu, but it didn't come with any katsu sauce.
: When the delivery person came back with some of the missing order, there was katsu sauce, but Kevin already ate the chicken katsu. We were, however, expecting the restaurant would have provided a fresh order of chicken katsu.
2) Josh ordered two small items, one of which (onion pancakes) they forgot to bring.
: We called the restaurant and they said they would bring it when the delivery person was able.
3) The restaurant was out of a drink ordered, and they replaced it with a bottle of Snapple without asking what we might have wanted to replace it with.
: It was complimentary, but they still should have called to ask.
4) They were out of something. 9:05PM PT
: Like with the Snapple, they didn't charge, but they should have called and asked if we wanted to replace it with something else.

Smitten Ice Cream

20150903:
After eating dinner at Zachary's Chicago Pizza, my friends and I decided to walk across the street and get dessert at Smitten.

Like Creamistry, Smitten makes their ice cream with liquid nitrogen.

Looking through the menu, I decided to order a small cup of cookie dough. Overall, it was not overly sweet, which was good. In particular, I liked how the little bits of salt rounded out the flavor.

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Smitten Ice Cream

Relevant Links:
Smitten Ice Cream Website
Smitten Ice Cream - Rockridge - Oakland, CA (Yelp.com)

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Zachary's Chicago Pizza

Zachary's Chicago Pizza

Slice of the Carne pizza (Stuffed)

Relevant Links:
Zachary's Chicago Pizza Website
Zachary's Chicago Pizza - Rockridge - Oakland, CA (Yelp.com)

20150903:
This is my first time coming to Zachary's. A group of four, my friends and I order two medium stuffed pizzas. We decided to get a Carne and a Zachary's Special.

As it was my friend's birthday, the restaurant placed a candle on the pizza and the servers had the entire restaurant sing him the 'Birthday Song.'

Carne pizza (Stuffed)

Menu Description:
Carne Italian sausage, pepperoni, salami, chopped bacon and mozzarella
Stuffed: S $22.70 / M $27.85 / L $31.65
Thin: S $16.95 / M $21.50 / L $26.05 / XL $30.00

The Carne pizza was good and cheesy with a strong tomato flavor. I wondered how the Zachary's Special would compare.

Slice of the Zachary's Special (Stuffed)

Menu Description:
Zachary’s Special Our classic combination: Italian sausage, green pepper, onion and mushroom
Stuffed: S $22.15 / M $26.75 / L $30.95
Thin: S $16.40 / M $20.65 / L $25.45 / XL $29.00

Upon having a slice of the Zachary's Special, I thought it had more of a tomato flavor than the Carne and I focused on an ingredient that was crunchy. I did not, however, detect much meat.

Overall, I liked the Carne pizza more. In fact, eating more of the Carne, I began focusing less on the tomato flavor, and more on the bacon flavor.