Fukusuke Japanese Ramen Dining

20160730:
We were looking for a Japanese restaurant and Josh remembered one he had been to a while back. However, when we arrived, the place he had remembered had been replaced by a different Japanese restaurant.*

I got the tonkotsu, substituted the chashu with pork belly chashu, and added a boiled egg.

Tonkotsu Ramen with pork belly chashu and boiled egg

The house hot sake was smooth. Perhaps one of the better, smoother house sakes I've had.

The Firecracker was delicious. Josh says the quality of the Firecracker here was the same at a nearby place, but the price of the Firecracker here was more expensive.

Internet Description:
Firecracker Deep fried Jalapeños topped with Bansankan Eel sauce and Spicy mayo that will gives you richness of hot and sweet.

Firecracker

When the ramen arrived, I tried it and it tasted good.

In addition to the house hot sake, I had a glass of (cold) sake** and Josh had a white peach chuhai. The sake was smooth and had a cool flavor with a strange fruity taste. I was uncertain if I liked it. It may have had a subtle spice. 8:26PM PT

Note that I had sake served to me in a box for the first time while at Kamza Sushi Palace. At the time I learned that the box was used to catch any spillover which occurs when pouring the sake. I suppose it also makes for a cute presentation.

Sake

Tip: At any given time, pick up and drink from just the glass or the box. While I was initially successful in picking up both and drinking from the glass when it was full, I eventually got to a point where some of the sake in the box spilled out onto me.

Anyways, the ramen was good. The ginger was often a surprise, but I liked the bamboo shoots and chashu. Furthermore, the broth was not overly salty and enjoyable. 8:26PM PT

*Yelp reviews for Fukusuke started February 2016. Yelp reviews for Momoya Japanese Cuisine & Bar (AYCE option) range from April 2015 to January 2015. Yelp reviews for Yotaro Ramen from October 2013 to April 2015.

Pork belly chashu

**Probably Ninki-Ichi Daiginjo.

[20160820 Quick Edit]

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Fukusuke Japanese Ramen Dining

House Hot Sake

Relevant Links:
Fukusuke Japanese Ramen Dining Website*
Fukusuke Japanese Ramen Dining - Fountain Valley, CA (Yelp.com)

*As of 20160821, their website doesn't seem to fully reflect their current menu. On a different note, access the restaurant menu by clicking on the menu bar in the top right and choosing "MENU" from the dropdown.

Submarine Crab

20160729:
Looking through the menu, my cousin, her fiance and I decided to order a variation of the first combo: 2 pounds of clam and 1 pound of shrimp in their torpedo sauce. 7:04PM PT

Combo #1

Menu Description:
Combo#1 1 lb Clams with 2 lbs Shrimp or Crawfish $33.99
Combos come with 4 slices of sausage + 2 corn or 2 potatoes**

Unfortunately, the shrimp, as my cousin also said, was overcooked. I later identified it by being dry.* The clam was probably also overcooked. I recall it was also dry. Fortunately the sauce was good.

My pile of shells, heads, and cob.

Unfortunately, the sausage was average. Fortunately, the corn was good.

One of my cousin's fiance's friends said it was a good deal because the combo prices already include some sides. In contrast, every extra (corn on the cob, sausage, potatoes) at Boiling Crab is an additional cost. 9:05PM PT

Dry Ice Bubbles

After we were done eating, the waiter brought out glasses filled with soap water and dropped a cube of dry ice into each glass. In time, soup bubbles began forming on the solution's surface and after enough bubbles accumulated, one after another we'd scoop up the mound of bubbles and cleanse our hands of seafood.

*I didn't know the correct term until talking with my dad.
**According to an old menu, Combo#1 used to cost $29.99 and all combos used to come with 3 potatoes, 3 corn, and 6 slices of susage.

[20160820 Quick Edit]

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Submarine Crab

Relevant Links:
Submarine Crab Website
Submarine Crab - Garden Grove, CA (Yelp.com)

Miss Tomato Sandwich Shop

20160726:
Today my friend introduced me to Miss Tomato Sandwich Shop and I decided to get the Flying Dutchman on wheat.

Flying Dutchman on wheat (20160726)

It was good. There was a green sauce which was good. I thought perhaps the roast beef would be thick, but instead it was thin, which was still fine. What mattered was that it tasted delicious. The meats were spread evenly. 11:21PM PT

Menu Description:
Flying Dutchman Roast beef, pepper jack cheese, pastrami, pepperoni, turkey, ham, bacon, lettuce, jalapeño peppers, tomato, and Miss Tomato's secret sauce on your choice of bread. $6.99

[20160819 Quick Edit]

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20160812:
While I was initially intending to try a sandwich place called Calabria Bros., I was pressed for time and instead opted to get sandwiches from Miss Tomato.

Wasabi Roast Beef (20160812)

I got a Wasabi Roast Beef with no onions and no peppercinis.* The roast beef was delicious, but the wasabi wasn't strong.

The sandwich had diminishing returns on the second half.

On a different note, my friend Josh liked the rosemary bread with his Six Filthy. 1:28PM PT

Menu Description:
Wasabi Roast Beef Roast beef, red onion, wasabi, pepperoni, Swiss cheese, and Miss Tomato's secret sauce on your choice of bread. $6.99

*I asked for it on wheat but didn't receive it on wheat. :(

[20160819 Quick Edit]

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Miss Tomato Sandwich Shop

Relevant Links:
Miss Tomato - Daly City, CA (Yelp.com)

Jollibee

20160719:
By recommendation, I got the Fiesta Noodles and it was tasty. Of course, I do have a soft spot for any noodle-based dish. In any case, it had a nice flavor to it - especially when adding the packet of lemon juice.

Chickenjoy

While my initial impressions were positive, I eventually found fault in the noodles being soggy, implying the noodles had already been cooked and have been sitting around soaking up more liquid. As this might be expected of a fast food restaurant, I'd refrain from being overly critical; the Fiesta Noodles were good as far as fast food is concerned.

Ada ordered the two-piece chicken combo which comes with corn and mashed potato and we more or less shared it; she ate the breast and I ate the leg.

Unlike the heavy breading found on fried chicken from KFC,* the fried coating of the chicken here at Jollibee was thin and crisp.

The corn tasted average. Elaborating, I would establish canned corn as tasting average and this corn was probably canned corn.

Fiesta Noodles

Ada also considered the mashed potato tasting average, but I thought it was creamy, buttery, and smooth (though there was the occasional uneven chunk here and there). It wasn't bad for a fast food chain (especially if you like creamy mashed potato as opposed to mealy mashed potato or chunky mashed potato).

I wondered how many locations Jollibee had in the USA and where. Their store locator indicates the following: Northern California (10), Southern California (12), Hawaii (4), Nevada (2), New Jersey, New York, Texas, Washington, and Virginia.

Menu Description:
Fiesta Noodles Traditional noodles in a garlic sauce with pork cracklings, sauteed pork, shrimp, parsley flakes, and slices of egg.

In any case, Ada said next time we should try Goldilocks.

*I tend to order the grilled chicken from KFC in order to avoid the excessive breading. I do, however, like their chicken strips.

[20160727]

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Jollibee

Relevant Links:
Jollibee Website (USA)
Jollibee (Wikipedia.org)
Jollibee - Daly City, CA (Yelp.com)

Long Bridge Pizza

20160709:
The sausage pizza smells amazing. I like the thin crust. The crust is not burnt.

Sausage Pizza (20160709)

In a hurry to eat the pizza, I burnt my tongue with the hot tomato sauce. Fortunately, the second piece was cool enough to eat without having to blow on it. 12:58PM PT

Menu Description:
Sausage Mozzarella, Tomato Sauce, Smoked Mozzarella, Sausage, Red Onion, Roasted Pepper, Parmesan

Mushroom Pizza (20160714)

[20160817 Quick Edit]

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20160714:
Today I came here and split a pizza with my date (Ada) but we both only ate one or two slices each. This, however, came to me as a bit of a surprise because I was previously able to finish an entire small pizza here on my own.

Sausage Pizza (20160709)

Menu Description:
Mushroom Mozzarella, Tomato Sauce, Mushroom, Garlic, Thyme

Note: It's possible I ate less due to fear of eating garlic and having garlic breath.

[20160817 Quick Edit][20180430 Edit]

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Pesto Pizza without cheese (20180319)

20180319:
Today Ada and I came here for some pizza. The place has changed since the last time we were here (over one and a half years ago).* More specifically, it expanded and took the space of the place next to it.

In any case, I got the sausage pizza and Ada got the pesto pizza without cheese. I love the pizza, especially the thin crust. I thought Ada's pizza was okay. 5:44 PM PT

Sausage Pizza (20180319)

Online Menu Description:
Pesto Tomato sauce, Garlic, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Red Onion, House-made Pesto Small $14.06, Large $26.04

*As for Ada and I, we've since engaged and planning our big day! We also ordered two pizzas and ate most of it.

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Long Bridge Pizza

Relevant Links:
Long Bridge Pizza Website
Long Bridge Pizza - Dogpatch - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

Taqueria Guadalajara

20160714:
After working and having coffee nearby, I walked along Mission and decided to get food from Taqueria Guadalajara.

Super Tacos: Al Pastor

Not feeling particularly hungry, I simply ordered two al pastor super tacos without sour cream.

While waiting for my order, I munched on their tortilla chips which tasted similar to the Mission Tortilla Chips available at the supermarket.

After my order came, I bit into one and it was absolutely delicious. In particular, I liked the fact that it had pineapple - pineapple makes many dishes better.

Tortilla Chips

And, although delicious, it also had onions which I feared would later upset my stomach during my date [with Ada].

[20160802 Edit][20180428 Edit]

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Super Burrito

20180227:
Note - Received 20180228 2:05 AM PT:

Ada got two shrimp tacos. I got a super burrito with pork (pastor). I ate half of it with a knife and fork. it was delicious. it was juicy with sauce. the burrito was filling. I didn't need to use any extra salsa when eating it.

Shrimp Tacos

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Taqueria Guadalajara

Relevant Links:
Taqueria Guadalajara - Excelsior - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous

20160709:
This sweet cream ice cream tastes amazing. The cone also tastes good and has a perfect thickness. Overall, the sweet cream combined with the cone had just the right amount of sweetness. 1:19PM PT

Sweet cream ice cream on a waffle cone

[20160817 Quick Edit]

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Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous

Relevant Links:
Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous (Facebook Page)
Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous - Dogpatch - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

Taqueria Dona Maria

20160705:
In the same area as Hornbill Burmese Cuisine, Taqueria Dona Maria went on my list of places to try.

Tacos with Grilled Prawns

Eating there for the first time today, I decided to have two tacos with grilled prawns and a tacos de plazas with al pastor.

Tacos de Plazas with Al Pastor

The complementary tortilla chips were thick, crunchy, and not stale (in contrast to those at a place I went to recently).

The place also had some tasty lemon-infused water.

Tortilla Chips

The shrimp (prawn) taco on its own tasted plain, but adding salsa from the salsa bar gave it the right taste. I should note that I squeezed lime onto both of the tacos with grilled prawn.

Menu Description:
Grilled Prawns soft hand made corn tortilla or flour, grilled prawns with sweet pepeprs, onions, pico de gallo and avocado - Crispy corn shell available EACH 4.75

Taco with Grilled Prawns

The tacos de plazas with al pastor (without any additional salsa) was delicious. As an observation, the al pastor was cut up smaller and was more tender than the al pastor I recently had at El Metate.

Menu Description:
Tacos De Plazas choice of meat, onions, cilantro and salsa de tomatillo EACH 1.50

[20160815]

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Taqueria Dona Maria

Salsa Bar

Relevant Links:
Taqueria Dona Maria - El Sobrante, CA (Yelp.com)

El Metate

20160703:
Due to the restaurant's floorplan, I wasn't sure if I should sit or order first. However, upon asking one of the employees, I determined I should order first, then sit, and then someone will bring the food to the seating area (and call a number).

Al pastor taco (center)

While waiting, I got some salsa from the little salsa bar and munched on some tortilla chips. The tortilla chips were thicker than average, tasted slightly stale, and reminded me of Fritos, except not as salty.

Between the two tacos, I decided to start with the al pastor taco in the middle and it was delicious.

El Metate menu

Both the meat's texture and taco's sauce were on point. Even portions of the pastor which were hard somehow complemented the meat's taste as opposed to detracting from it.

In contrast, the pork in chile verde taco was noticeably dry (at least relatively speaking).

Tortilla chips and salsa

In any case, I was close to full after finishing the second taco.

With that being said, this second al pastor taco was still delicious. However, the tacos flavor seemed to stem from the sauce (which had a light spiciness and perhaps the meat's juices) as opposed to the meat itself. Perfect. Thumbs up.

Pork chile verde taco (right)

Overall, the restaurant had a nice atmosphere and I'd strongly consider returning. 6:23PM PT

[20160812]

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El Metate

Relevant Links:
El Metate Website
El Metate - Mission - San Francisco, CA (Yelp.com)

La Palma

20160703:
Coming into the city to work, I stopped by La Palma for lunch and ordered a (spicy) Super Burrito with (beef) birria and black beans in a flour tortilla.

Super Burrito (outside - tightly wrapped)

While I was initially confused about where to order and pay, the process was simple: order in the back, pay in the front, pick up at the side. If desired, one may pay in advance. In that case, the cashier will stamps the receipt as paid. On a different note, there is a ten dollar minimum for credit cards.

Menu Description:
Super Burrito Choice of Meat, rice, breans, guacamole, Sour cream, cheese, lettuce & Salsa Fresca $7.99

When the order was ready, my number was called, I picked up the order, and took a seat at one of the tables outside.

La Palma

Opening the burrito wrapper, I was happy to find the tortilla was tightly rolled. Taking a bite, I could only describe the burrito as having a (nice) subtly oily taste.

Continuing, I liked the guacamole, while the black beans and birria had a relatively dry taste.

Overall, I initially felt out of place, because there were many customers ordering in Spanish, order numbers were called in both Spanish and English, and the menu was written in Spanish.

Super Burrito (inside)

However, in the end it's about the food and the burrito had a good taste and was filling - I could barely finish the last bite of it.

While I was walking back to my car I could feel the various oils in the back of my throat; I thought about how good it would have been to have a bottle of Corona or Coca-Cola.

[20160811 Edit]

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La Palma

La Palma

Relevant Links:
La Palma Website
La Palma Mexicatessen - Mission - San Francisco.com (Yelp.com)

Bubble Loca

20160701:
I got the original milk tea with boba. The drink was simple and the boba was chewy. Overall, the drink didn't have much going on and it only had a light tea taste.

With that being said, I wouldn't mind coming back; the drink quality was decent and the place was good for getting work done.

[20160731]

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Bubble Loca

Relevant Links:
Bubble Loca - Richmond, CA (Yelp.com)

Fil-Am Cuisine

20160701:
Between Big Joe's (brunch) and Fil-Am (Filipino barbecue), Ada and I decided to go to Fil-Am; Ada had been several times before and she wanted to take me there. In any case, upon arriving, I listened to a description of the various options and there were so many good choices.

When it was our turn to choose, I went ahead and got the BBQ pork skewer while Ada got the BBQ chicken skewer.

Pork Skewer

Initially tempted to get a second skewer, instead, I simply opted for a side. For sides I got the pork adobo and Ada got the mungo (mung bean soup).

Finally, to accompany all the food above, we also got a small order of pancit (which was plentiful considering we already ordered a lot).

Pancit

In any case, my first note was that the food was delicious, but the skewers would have been easier to enjoy at home instead of at the restaurant.

While I didn't try the chicken skewer, I liked the pork skewer and would recommend it to others.

Mungo (Mung Bean Soup)

The mung bean dish was also good, especially considering that sometimes I have an aversion to mung beans (a type of legume).

It, however, paled in comparison to the pork adobo which I absolutely enjoyed. Explicitly, I liked the sauce which had a nice sour kick to it.

Pork Adobo

Finally, the pancit was good; I would recommend using two utensils to scoop it up.

The restaurant was not so busy at the time and there weren't many seats in total, but there'd be sitting room here and there. As for the line, despite its length it moves fairly quickly since the food is constantly be cooked and replenished so the general bottleneck is the rate at which customers order and pay.

Chicken Skewer, Mungo, Vinegar + Soy Sauce

Oh, we also got a maja blanca for later. The dessert was rather sweet, even for my tastes. However, I've been saying that a lot recently, so it's possible I've managed to reduce my cravings for sweets over the past two years.

[20160801 Edit]

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20170107:
Today we stopped by Fil-Am Cuisine to get dinner and this time I paid particular attention to the taste of the barbecue pork and barbecue chicken. After today, I gathered that the barbecue pork was absolutely delicious, but mainly due to the pieces of fat. While I would have previously consumed the fat without worry during my keto diet, I now had to be wary and remove every chunk of fat I came across since I had reintroduced carbs to my diet.

As for the chicken, it was less flavorful, but lacked the trouble of having to find and tear away any pieces of fat.

Moving away from the meat, there were two other dishes to try. The first was pinakbet with bittermelon and pork and the other was pork afritada.

When eating the pinakbet, I didn't realize it had bittermelon until I bit into one. Although bittermelon isn't my favorite vegetable, the dish as a whole was a good source of vegetables.

As for the pork afritada, I was already quite full from all the barbecue pork and chicken, but I tried some and it was good, too.

[20170211 Edit][WIP]

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Fil-Am Cuisine

Relevant Links:
Fil-Am Cuisine Website
Fil-Am Cuisine - Daly City, CA (Yelp.com)