49 - Powderface Cafe - Oakland

3411 E 12th St, Oakland, CA 94620, (510) 536-3223

Last visit: July, 2010

(Image source: Yelp.com) This seems like a great place to have a cup of coffee and enjoy a pastry. Their beignets are really good and reading from what others have said, it's becoming a bit of a phenomenon for east Oakland. Order a set up and you get three made for you then and there, not pulled out of a Cost-co tray. These are really good, and the powder sugar makes a fool out of your face.

Let's be real, this place can charge $5 bucks for their delicate sugar triangles if they are transplanted to College Avenue or Emeryville's Bay Street, but it's in East Oakland and it doesn't seem to be moving. I really want to urge people to go out there try the cafe regardless of your fears of the area. The Cafe is located in a plaza and the clientele ranges from construction workers hurrying for a cup of coffee to kids studying for their school work. The store is new and built with clean counters and comfy chairs. To give it character, the owner(s) lined the walls with photos of past customers who have enjoyed a powdered face. That face can be yours, so please give them a shot!

48 - Santouka's Ramen - San Jose

675 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129, (408) 446-1101 (Located inside the Mitsuwa super market).

Last visit - July of 2010

(Image from Yelp.com) The hardest thing in getting right for a great bowl of ramen is getting it all to balance well. Santouka does almost everything right, from the noodles all the way to the little piece of pink and white fish-cake left floating around in the bowl. I always save that for last. It's definitely been awhile since I've had that authentic a taste in ramen, and Santouku sends me back to Japan with the first spoonful of the rich miso flavored soup. The chashu is chunky and tender, and evenly cured so that even the fat parts are tasty. The noodles do not cling together and gives a resilient bounce every time you lift them from your chopsticks. I have to say that this place does a great representation of good ramen noodles. You'll have to check it out if you're in the south bay. It's a bit pricey, but worth the extra buck or two.

OK, one gripe. Why do they give out such a cheap plastic spoon instead of setting a batch of actual soup spoons? Oh well, nobody's perfect.

48 - Chef Lau's - Oakland

301 8th St, Oakland, CA 94607, (510) 835-3288

Last visit - March 2010

Chef Lau's was very accommodating. While the parking is scarce in the primary areas of Oakland's Chinatown, Chef Lau's is worth the wait. They have a very small restaurant and not more than twenty tables exist inside. Plastered along the wall are seasonal specials that don't have subtitles. If you want frog or other delicacies, you better bring your Chinese friend with you.

We had the lamb claypot, the lobster noodles, the Chengdu spare ribs, steamed oysters, an egg souffle-like dish, honey walnut prawns, and beef and Chinese broccoli. They also gave us complementary soup and dessert; which were both good that night. That was enough food for 8 I think, but there were only 6 of us, so we were really stuffed towards the end of the meal. The beef was good and so was the lobster. Lobster noodles is a new find for me, and I will definitely order that again the next time I go. The Chengdu ribs were tasty too, enough sweet and sour sauce but they didn't overdo it to make you feel like you're biting on candied pork.

They did a good job and I definitely will go back again. Spacing is really limited, but that is a testament to their popularity. Maybe we'll try the frog next time. There's also a dish that comes in a conch shell and with a mini burner. There's a lot of goodies in the shell, and the burner keeps it heated. I'll have to go back for that one too.

47 - Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe - Emeryville

4081 Hollis Street, Emeryville, CA. 94608, (510) 594-1221

Last visited: February 2010

When you reach Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe, you'll wonder, "Why is there so many people in a cafe that's in the middle of nowhere?" But the question that's equally important is, why is there SO MANY people?

I went there for the second time on Valentine's Day 2010 and our wait was an estimated 40 minutes for a table of 6 plus 2 kids. Luckily we were the vanguard and the second half of our party didn't have to bear the wait. They carried the two young ones, so the less waiting, the better.

We got our table and ordered breakfast. They had a plentiful menu of morning food which included: eggs hollandaise (homemade sauce) and many breakfast burrito variations. The grits were actually pretty good. They also make mini cornmeal waffles there that reminded me of Eggo minis.

I ordered from the lunch menu because it was about noon time. I had the Ranchero burger which came with onions, the usual fixings, and a homemade barbecue sauce. The sauce had a little kick to it, which made it really good. I ordered a cherry coke, but they didn't have any left, so they recommended a black-berry coke. I've never had that before, but it was actually pretty good too. It would be unfair of me to not mention their helpful and accommodating staff. They did a lot of little things to make our breakfast as relaxed as can be with an infant and a toddler.

They have an open terrace for smokers and very limited seating inside. The decor is punk-rock like and the clientele is very eclectic. They also open (with breakfast) until 1am. I'm pretty sure I'll revisit this place, but hopefully the wait won't be so long next time.

Lastly, if you're creeped out by barbie dolls, you should avoid this place. Otherwise, enjoy!

46 - Arizmendi's Bakery - Oakland

3265 Lakeshore Ave, Oakland, CA 94610, (510) 268-8849

Last visit - February 2009

400 reviewers say this place is above par, and I have to agree. They make good tasting food that makes you feel better after. Going to get their cranberry muffins have become a Saturday ritual for me for awhile, and I don't plan on stopping. They have a great window counter for you to watch people and their pastries never disappoint. It's great seeing the passersby from Grandlake move about their business.

The last time I was there I tried their cornmeal muffin and blueberry muffin: both good, but not as great as the cranberry one still. Their pizzas are good even if you don't like veggie pizzas. I often go with a slice if I'm in a lunch mood. For some reason, pizza and coffee don't turn out too bad there. The place is employee owned? I'm not positive about that but I know that they are amazingly friendly. The evil inside me wants to see if I can get away with pilfering a muffin, but it's like attacking a mac computer with a virus - why? People will always love Arizmendi's and they don't need many words to justify it, great food from great people.

45 - Geta Sushi - Oakland

165 41st St., Oakland, CA 94611, (510) 653-4643

Last Visit: January 2010

(Image from Yelp.) This place can fit about six tables and a counter, but they do really well with customers out the door on most nights. I have to say the sushi is really good for this hole-in-a-wall place.

The wait is long because the sushi is actually on par with a lot of higher priced sushi places in the area. The staff is friendly, but they are usually too busy to help you in a bind. You're better off getting tea by yourself if you know what I mean. I've tried their rainbow, spicy tuna, and spider rolls and they all came out fine. Their best one are the blue fin tuna dish, which is quite expensive but it's worth the two pieces. I know, we're trying to stop the killing of blue fin tuna, but if only their evolutionary edge wasn't being delicious.

In addition, I've tried their chicken teriyaki, spicy chicken appetizer, and katsu curry rice. The spicy chicken is probably the best, and it's something of a house special. I've never seen it done that simply anywhere else. Watch out, it's a hot one!

Beer is served as well as take-out, so stop on by if you have a chance.

44 - Banh Mi Ba Le - Oakland

1909 International Blvd., Oakland, Ca. 94606, (510) 261 - 9800

I just can't give four stars to a little restaurant shop! It pains me to not do so though, because this place lives up to its hype.

This little shop for the frugal spender is a piece of heaven in east Oakland. They sell Vietnamese sandwiches and little snacks of all sorts. I've been there a couple of times now and every time more and more people seem to be there. They have about six small tables for people sit-ins, where they actually have pho' noodles as well as beef stew, but a majority of their operation runs on selling sandwiches to people on the go. Parking is getting more and more limited as more foodies have discovered this place. I mean, last time I went in, some guy ordered 18 sandwiches to go, so yeah, it might take awhile on bad days.

There are 10 primary sandwiches which you can order by number, but they have added six more unorthodox sandwiches to their menu. I mean, I don't necessarily want to have a sunny-side up egg sandwich or a grilled eel sandwich, but I'm glad I know where to get one now. They have blow-up pictures for all of them so you know what you're getting.

Lastly, I'll have to say that they brew a good cup of Vietnamese coffee. It's about $2.25 ($2.50 is the price of their sandwich, but with a $5 spot, you can get a nice meal). Definitely give this place a try if you're in the area or on a budget!