Nation's Giant Hamburgers

20160625:
Although I lived in the area for over a year now, today was my first time going to Nation's Giant Hamburgers.

While several signs suggest their pie is delicious and they had a wide selection of breakfast items, I decided to get a chili hamburger.

Menu Description:
Chili Hamburger $4.75 open-faced, a hamburger and chili lover's delight

The smell filled my car on the way home and I was anxious to try the burger. I was a bit surprised to find it was served open-faced, but happy to dig in all the same.

For the most part, the chili hamburger tasted decently good and it was most certainly filling.

Given the simplicity, however, I'd opt for making a chili hamburger myself by buying a burger and heating up a can of chili.

With that being said, I intend to try a couple other items from Nation's in the near future and see how it compares to other fast food restaurants.

[20160629]

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Nation's Giant Hamburgers

Relevant Links:
NATION'S Giant Hamburgers Website
Nation's Giant Hamburgers - Tara Hills, CA (Yelp.com)
Nation's Giant Hamburgers (Wikipedia.org)

Spiral Japanese Cuisine

Dragon Roll (20170522)

20160622:
Today I saw the Westlake Shopping Center for the first time and it appeared quite huge. Among the various food choices, my friend and I thought it was best not to eat at T.J.Maxx, Walgreens, or GNC, and instead ate here. Seriously speaking, Blue Line Pizza was a mentioned option, but we both preferred Spiral Japanese Cuisine over it.

Eating sushi at almost every opportunity, I looked through and decided to have the Sunflower roll. Meanwhile, my friend got a bento box with salmon teriyaki and tempura (shrimp and vegetable).

Menu Description:
Sunflower (imitation crab meat, tempura shrimp, unagi, avocado, cucumber, and tobiko sesame unagi sauce)* 13.50

(20160622)

When the sushi arrived, the amount of panko bread crumbs on it was a bit overwhelming. Nevertheless, it was reasonably tasty.

However, my friend's bento box was much better tasting. First, there was the miso soup, which I had a couple spoonfuls of and with delight it didn't cause any discomfort in my mouth. Next was the tempura, which was light, but crisp. Finally, the salmon was cut a bit thinner than my liking. But on a positive note, I was under the impression it tasted better than the salmon teriyaki I would sometimes get at Niwana when I lived in Baltimore.

*Technically it could read "..., tobiko, sesame seeds, and unagi sauce."

[20160629]

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(20170522)

20170522:
The beef teriyaki was okay; it was chewy.

The chicken katsu tasted better than the beef teriyaki.

The flower roll tasted good.

The dragon roll was delicious.

The salmon was not bad, though it may have been too soft.

(20160817)

The tempura was okay; it used to be better.

Unfortunately, the service was not great today. In particular, they didn't bring a separate sauce like we wanted, they forgot to bring out tempura sauce for the tempura, and they never refilled our water.

[20170724 Edit]

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Spiral Japanese Cuisine

Relevant Links:
Spiral Japanese Cuisine Website
Spiral Japanese Cuisine - Daly City, CA (Yelp.com)

(20160817)

Perilla Vietnamese Cuisine

20160622:
Looking for food before heading to the San Francisco Botanical Garden, we walked east along Irving Street (from Funston) and ended up at Perilla (between 10th and 9th). Prior to choosing Perilla, we had gone into Irving Subs and Cheese Shop, but moved on after taking a quick glance at their menu.

In any case, we first decided to split a bowl of chicken noodle soup. That was then followed by choosing a starter, from which I decided on the papaya salad with shrimp (I banked on the salad being tastier than the spring rolls).

Menu Description:
Papaya Salad with Poached Shrimp (Goi Du Du Tom) Julienne papaya, basil, carrots, peanuts, and fried shallots.

Phyllostachys Nigra (Black Bamboo) @ SF Botanical Garden

When the salad arrived, I was a bit surprised that the papaya was raw and not cooked. However, I should have fully expected the papaya would be raw (standard Vietnamese/Asian salad). In any case, it wasn't bad and I thought it was a good supplement to the pho.

As a side note, there was plenty of salad leftover which I took home in a container (and forgot in the fridge for a week before tossing it out).

Menu Description:
Chicken Pho (Pho Ga) Shredded free range chicken with chicken broth noodle soup.

The broth of pho left a clean palate, but the amount of chicken felt sparse. On a positive note, at least the chicken tasted good (I'd rather have quality over quantity). Then again, perhaps it only seemed like there wasn't a lot of chicken, because the strips were thin and probably portions of the dark meat as opposed thick and dry as one might get if eating a portion of the breast.

Puya Venusta (Chagualillo) @ SF Botanical Garden

I'm not sure if it's a Northern California trend, or coincidental, but I noticed the restaurant had served us slices of lemon instead of slices of lime.

Finally, at some point I stopped and commented on how the cucumber water clashed with the meals. While cucumber water is tasty, I don't want to be drinking cucumber water with my bowl of pho. My friend, however, was under the impression that we were just served regular water. To be sure, I tried her glass of water, but it tasted the same as mine. Just then the waiter was passing by and, out of curiosity, I asked him if something was in the water, specifically cucumber. With a smile the waiter nodded and replied affirmatively; at the same time, I could see cucumber slices floating in the pitcher of water he carried.

I couldn't help but laugh, because for a moment I began to believe I was just imagining the water was anything but plain.

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Perilla Vietnamese Cuisine

Anigozanthos @ SF Botanical Garden

Relevant Links:
Perilla Vietnamese Cuisine (Irving) Website
Perilla Vietnamese Cuisine - Inner Sunset - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

Hornbill Burmese Cuisine

20160619:
Searching around the area, I stumbled upon this highly-rated (4.5 stars on Yelp) Burmese restaurant. Looking through the menu, I decided to try the lamb kebat (mild) and the spicy shrimp. As a filler I got the Burmese Indian rice, and to drink I got a bottle of Myanmar.

Burmese Lamb Kebat

Menu Description:
Burmese Lamb Kebat Marinated lamb stir-fried with paprika, masala, tamarind, green chilies, mint leaves, tomatoes, and cilantro 13.00

Both the kebat and rice smelled amazing. Among the spices used, I could distinctly smell the distinct aroma of cloves coming from the rice. According to the waiter, other ingredients in the rice are cardamom, raisins, and saffron. 3:37PM PT

Burmese Indian Rice

The lamb in the kebat was chewy, yet somewhat enjoyable. Meanwhile, the rice tasted delicious. After consuming several bites, I tried squeezing some lemon onto the lamb and that was surprisingly good. Adding to the lamb's flavors, the tomato in the dish was simply bursting with sweet juiciness.

As requested, the dish was mildly spicy. 3:45PM PT

Hornbill Spicy Shrimp

Menu Description:
Hornbill Spicy Shrimp Wok sauteed shrimp served with onion, garlic, and jalapeno 13.00

Taking a sniff of the spicy shrimp, the fried garlic didn't release any discernible smells, but it looked amazing. 3:37PM PT

After getting a satisfactory amount of lamb, I moved onto the spicy shrimp and as I ate, I realized I was not crazy to use jalapeños when I had cooked shrimp several months prior.

Fried Pudding with Mango Ice Cream

Of course, the preparation and presentation of this dish with the fried garlic and strips of onions (as opposed to diced) tasted delicious and looked pleasing, respectively.

Furthermore, I liked the addition of basil, which I should use more in my own cooking. 3:49PM PT

For dessert, I adventurously ordered the fried pudding. However, what came to my mind when I read "fried pudding" was fried custard - perhaps like a cream puff but with custard inside.

A look at the "pudding" part of the fried pudding...

Instead, the dessert was more like fried gelatin, with the gelatin being extremely firm (not yet stiff). Casting my expectation aside, the dessert was still disappointing. Similarly, the mango ice cream only tasted okay.

When I asked what I thought of the dessert, I told the waiter that I was disappointed and he said he would have recommended the fried banana, or even better, the plata. 4:33PM PT

[20160627 Edit]

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Hornbill Burmese Cuisine

Burmese Lamb Kebat

Relevant Links:
Hornbill Burmese Cuisine Website
Hornbill Burmese Cuisine - El Sobrante, CA (Yelp.com)

Original Mels Diner

20160616:
Every once in a while, as I'm traveling down Fitzgerald Drive, I'll see the big sign reading Mels on what clearly appears to be a diner and I'll momentarily think about going. However, never in the past one and a half years of living in this area (until today) have I gone.*

In any case, while walking in from the parking lot, I noticed the words "Old Fashion Shakes & Ice Cream" and decided to order one - choosing vanilla to easily compare it to other establishments. As for the main course, I went with the Chorizo & Eggs with Mels potatoes and a flour tortilla.

The vanilla milkshake was thick and tasted good. As a measure of thickness, I tried using the wider water straw, but it easily collapsed inward. Actually, even the thinner straw collapsed. Regardless, the whipped cream didn't taste like it came from a can of Reddi Wip, but I could be wrong. I was under the impression that it was creamier. 5:57PM PT

Menu Description:*
Chorizo & Eggs Three farm-fresh scrambled eggs with authentic chorizo. Served with refried beans topped with cheese, sour cream, fanned avocado, a sprinkle of green onions, salsa and corn

Taking a big whiff, the plate of chorizo & eggs smelled like corn beef hashed - a meal I try to only eat two or three times a year. Unfortunately, the scrambled eggs were a bit dry. Fortunately, the potatoes were good. Unfortunately, they eventually became boring. On a neutral note, the refried beans were average. 6:15PM PT

Overall, it was a disappointing meal and I was underwhelmed. I love getting breakfast food, but these bigger chains (IHOP, Denny's, etc.) can often be hit-or-miss (though usually a hit after a long night of fun and a miss at all other times).

*It's funny that the menu description explicitly says "fanned avocado."

[20160618]

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Original Mels Diner

Relevant Links:
Original Mels Diner Website*
Original Mel's - Pinole, CA (Yelp.com)
Mel's Drive-In (Wikipedia.org)**
*Remark: While writing up this post I learned this location (as are many others locations) is a 24-hour restaurant.
**Explains relationship between Original Mels Diner and Mels Drive-In.

Dickey's Barbecue Pit

20160518:
The beef brisket (top) tasted like vienna sausage. It was, however, also a bit dry. In contrast, the pulled pork (middle) was moist and tender/soft. Actually I might have the beef and pork mixed up because I can't tell the difference without any visual cues.

Finally, the spicy cheddar sausage was interesting. From what I can remember, it's the first time I've had a sausage with cheese bits in it. 7:00PM PT

Trying the sweet barbecue sauce, I found it was too tangy.

Meanwhile, the sausage had become unappetizing when it was at room temperature.

I also noted that the dryness of the brisket was more noticeable when it was cold. 7:14PM PT

Normally I don't waste an ounce of food, but the remainders of this meal would be torturous to complete. As such, I discarded a couple of pieces here and there.

On a positive note, the beans were good. 7:29PM PT

There was complimentary soft serve, which I ate, but I don't completely remember what I thought. I vaguely recall that it was icy, but enjoyable.

[20160625 Edit]

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Dickey's Barbecue Pit

Relevant Links:
Dickey's Barbecue Pit Website
Dickey's Barbecue Pit - Pinole, CA (Yelp.com)

The Creamery

20160611:
Looking for some lunch, I stopped in at The Creamery and got a roast beef sandwich on wheat with a salad and a pint of Ballast Point Big Eye.

While the sandwich looked standard, my teeth managed to sink into a tasty cut of it on my first bite and the subsequent first half was a good experience.

Looking for a fault, I found the meat was usually soft but occasionally difficult to tear. With that being said, the use of combining one thick slice of meat together with three thin slices of meat was interesting.

After finishing the sandwich, I decided to wait and enjoy the taste of the beef for a moment or two before finishing my beer. Whatever seasonings or sauces used to prepare the beef was spot on. 2:04PM PT

[20160621 Edit]

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The Creamery

Relevant Links:
The Creamery Website
The Creamery - SoMA - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

Bun Mee

20160608:
On my way home, I decided to stop in and order a sandwich from Bun Mee. Unfortunately, as cha lua (Vietnamese pork roll) wasn't available, I decided to order the grilled lemongrass pork sandwich. Fortunately, it was surprisingly good.

Among the ingredients, the mayo-based sauce tasted good, had an almost liquid consistently, and used sparingly.

While the sandwich had a modern taste, the pickled vegetables (carrot & daikon) would spark moments of authenticity in my brain.

In any case, the meat was good and the jalapenos helped retain the sandwich's heat. There was also a noticeable, yet reasonable, amount of pepper. 7:57PM PT

Menu Description:
Grilled Lemongrass Pork Grilled lemongrass Kurobuta pork, garlic mayo, shaved onion, pickled carrot & daikon, cucumber, jalapenos, and cilantro. 7.25

[20160621]

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Bun Mee

Relevant Links:
Bun Mee Website
Bun Mee - Financial District - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

Ramen Underground

20160608:
The tonkotsu ramen had a salty taste which was right on the border of enough and too much. Next time, I'll have to try a chicken broth ramen. With that being said, the kakuni (braised pork belly) was absolutely delicious. Both it and the chashu (BBQ pork) were tender.** 3:12PM PT

As a side note, the menu clearly states boiled egg, but in the context of ramen I fully expected to get a poached egg. Thus, when the bowl came out and I saw the egg boiled instead of poached, I was a bit disappointed.

Menu Description:
Tonkotsu* Broth Ramen Toppings: 1pc BBQ Pork, 1pc Kakuni, Green Onion, Mushroom and Spinach. Tonkotsu Ramen 12.95; Tonkotsu Miso Ramen 13.95; Tsukemen 13.95

Note that the restaurant charges 35 cents when using a credit card. While this practice inconveniences me as a heavy card user who prefers not to carry cash, it appropriately spares cash users from the overhead of credit transactions. 3:14PM PT

*"Tonkotsu is pork bone used in Japanese cuisine." (Tonkotsu, Wikipedia.org)
**While I've used the word repeatedly, today I had second thoughts on what the word "tender" meant. By definition, tender - when it comes to foods - means easily chewed, or soft. As such, I believe I've used it appropriately thus far.

[20160624 Edit]

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Ramen Underground

Relevant Links:
Ramen Underground Website
Ramen Underground - Chinatown - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

Catahoula Coffee Company

20160606:
The coffee here at Catahoula Coffee Company smelled great and hit the spot. 1:51PM PT

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Catahoula Coffee Company

Relevant Links:
Catahoula Coffee Company Website
Catahoula Coffee Company - Richmond, CA (Yelp.com)

Philadelphia Hoagie Station

20160606:
I forgot if I was in an the area for a specific reason, but I decided to give this place a try and got the bellpepper steak with everything on it (cheese, onions, tomato, and lettuce).

When the sandwich arrived, I thought it smelled like a Big Mac from McDonald's. I proceeded to eat half of the sandwich plain and thought it tasted good. I then ate the second half with ketchup and Tabasco and it tasted great.*

I would, however, note that the size of the sandwich was on the small side, but I've been eating less so I was satisfied.

On an unrelated note, the cook was preparing a lot bacon at the time and the smell of bacon that filled the room was pleasing.

Overall, I would come here again and next time I would like to try the mushroom steak. I might also consider adding some extras like bacon, egg, and/or avocado. 12:15PM PT

All that bacon...

As I was finishing my sandwich, another customer had come in and ordered a shake. Curious about the quality of the shake, I decided to order one on my way out. After making the shake in a steel cup, the cashier poured out all of its contents into the paper cup past the cap line and handed me a cap and straw separately. For the most part, the vanilla shake had a reasonable consistency: drinking the unmelted shake through the straw was quite slow. As the weather outside was hot, I ended up finishing the shake before getting to my car. 12:26PM PT

Note: The restaurant is cash only.

*As a remark on my personal tastes, I'm used to having a sour component in a sandwich, like adding pickled vegetables in a banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) or pickled jalapenos in an American sub. That's probably why I liked the addition of the Tabasco sauce.

[20160624 Edit]

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Philadelphia Hoagie Station

Relevant Links:
Philadelphia Hoagie Station - Richmond, CA (Yelp.com)

Park Chalet

20160605:
At first Ada and I planned on eating at the Beach Chalet, but our hungry mouths led us to being seated down at the Park Chalet instead.

Menu Description:
BUTTERMILK FRIED CALAMARI Lemon, Fresno Chilies, Basil Aïoli ~ 13

The calamari wasn't too bad, but the breading would fall off and wasn't crunchy. On the other hand, I'd rather have the breading be too thin than too thick.

Menu Description:
PACIFIC CLAM CHOWDER San Francisco Sourdough Bread Bowl, Manila Clams, Celery, Potatoes, Hobbs’ Smoked Bacon ~ 10

I had a taste of the clam chowder and it tasted great.

Menu Description:
SEARED AHI SANDWICH Sushi-Grade Ahi Seared Rare, Pickled Vegetables, Red Onion, Cabbage, Sriracha Aïoli, Potato Pepper Bun, Chili Lime Chips ~ 18

In contrast, my seared ahi tuna sandwich was just okay. First, the meat wasn't as soft as I'd like (possibly overdone). Second, the sauce provided most of the flavor. However, since there wasn't much sauce, the sandwich often tasted plain.

[20160606][20160624 Edit]

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Park Chalet

Relevant Links:
Park Chalet Website
Park Chalet Coastal Beer Garden - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)