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.

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!

42 - Izakaya Restaurant - San Jose

Last visit - November of 2009

1335 N 1st street, San Jose, CA. 95112, (408) 452 - 8751

Izayaka's website

We came here after a short road trip and we were a bit sick, as well as tired and hungry. The place is quite easy to find, right after the freeway junction and there is plenty of parking for a Sunday night. We got in there and it was tiny! But in a good, homey way. There was one waitress, two sushi chefs, and a person in the back. That was their entire operation, but it was quite efficient.

There were a couple of Japanese customers and people started coming in as we sat at the counter. The chefs spoke Japanese, and he reminded me of an old retired samurai in movies. He took my order of Maguro, Ika, Spicy Tuna, and Tamago rolls, while my girlfriend ordered the curry rice. The curry was a bit slow, but it really hit the spot for our trip. It was sort of like a comfort food for me, and my girlfriend said it helped her itchy throat. The Spicy Tuna was a bit too spicy, but the other rolls were good. I also tried their Chicken Teriyaki because they advertised as a "teppan" (iron pan grill) place and it was really good too.

They did a good job at the Izakaya, and I think they do that often. It's like a hole-in-the-wall, but their food is above par. If I go again, I'll try the grilled steak, Japanese style. This place seems like an all-around good find!

38 - Ajisen Ramen - Fremont

47890 Warm Springs Blvd., Fremont, CA., (510) 353 - 1133

Last visited - September of 2009

(Image from http://www.ajisensf.com/)

We went here by accident. I wanted to find Kuro-Ramen and instead we saw this on Yelp and got excited. We've had Ajisen at two other places before, Los Angeles and Melbourne, Australia. What a weird coincidence, we thought.

To disclose, this was supposed to be a light meal before a night of gaming and cocktails at Dave and Busters at the Great Mall. It turned out to be a lot more food than we thought. We found the place after a drive through the quiet city parts of Fremont. It was a starry night and we opened the moon roof to get a better sight of the sparkling sky. Boy was that a stupid idea, the smell of Fremont's garbage dumps could be smelled from afar.

We arrived at the restaurant and were seated by a young Chinese girl. I wasn't expecting a Japanese person, but she did have the usual "irashaimase" greeting from the Ajisen Ramen franchises. The Japanese beer posters and the giant banner that said "Kumamoto tonkotsu" style reminded me of Japan's ramen shops. We ordered our ramen, two beers, and a plate of their kara-age fried chicken. She took our order and we saw the cooks in the back making our order. They had an air of pride in their work. At least they dressed the part, like izakaya chefs in Japan.

The food came and it was pretty tasty. The noodles was not soggy and the broth was rich with flavor. I went for the miso and my girlfriend went for the volcano. She usually goes for the spicy stuff. Our ramen was good and the fried chicken was good too. It came in six giant pieces: each of them equal to the size of three chicken McNuggets stacked together. It became a hearty meal. We slowly enjoyed our meal, and listened to Jpop music coming from overhead speakers. It was a nostalgic treat!

36 - Mimosa Cafe - Oakland

462 Santa Clara Ave, Oakland, Ca. 94610, 510-465-2948

Last visit - October of 2009

Why do I find it odd to have Cantonese speakers in the American breakfast kitchen? I mean, they're people that have cooking skills too right? It's the fact that I'm Cantonese and I can hear what they are saying in the back that makes it weird. No bad talk about the customers, just your usual, "the egg sandwich customer wants some more coffee" kind of deal.

We went to Mimosa cafe Sunday for their breakfast because of the good feedback that its been getting on Yelp. A young Chinese guy greeted us and let us seat ourselves. I browsed the menu and saw some appetizing pictures of breakfast quiches and omelets. I asked the waiter what that was on the menu, and he actually said, "oh those are just pictures..." To that I had to take a bit of a chuckle. Rule #10 in the top 10 rules of opening a restaurant: Use the foods in your menu on your menu. From there I knew the day would be light-hearted and somewhat comical. I ordered the French Toast meal with a coffee. It came with a side of Veggie Sausages and an egg, which I took scrambled. My girlfriend ordered the scramble mix with a blue berry muffin along with a Mocha coffee.

The food came and everything was placed on Chinese dishes. The kind of plastic dishes with Chinese designs that I'm used to at dim-sum places. It was quite a site! I enjoyed it. The French Toast looked pretty dry, but it tasted a lot better than it looked. That's always a plus. They gave me way too much syrup, but it's good to know it's there. The winner of the meal was the blue-berry muffin that my girlfriend ordered, very soft and just enough flavor so that you're not dominated to blueberry. We ate to our heart's delight.

The place is a great place for vegetarians and baby lovers, as we saw three couples with their babies there that day.

34 - Katana-Ya Ramen House - San Francisco

430 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA. 94102, (510) 771-1280

Last Visit - June 2009

I first went to Katana-Ya to meet some old college friends I haven't seen in years so the event over-took the food. I enjoyed it, but the cramped seating kind of got to me. I'm used to this in Japan, but sometimes I prefer the giant booths you'd find in a regular Denny's restaurant. But the ramen was good and I did find it reasonable to go again.

On my second trip I went there and tried the spicy ramen. That was pretty awesome. The flavor was rich and the broth was thick with lots of seasonings. There really isn't much to say about it because many other people would've told you by now that Katana-ya is THE BEST RAMEN place in San Francisco (or the Bay Area as alleged by some). Go there and you can't go wrong with the food.

But anyway, on my second trip I appreciated the decor a bit more too as the meal proceeded. The room only fits like 10 tables and it creates a narrow pathway for the waitresses to move around. The chef looks like he's really Japanese, but I didn't want to make conversation with him. There is a counter for patrons to eat ramen in and behind the counter they hung a giant gilded Japanese screen. It was actually gorgeous and I felt it out of place for a Japanese restaurant. What made it even more weird were the christmas lights and the gaudy halogen light bars. I wasn't sure if I was in a Tokyo street vendor or an esoteric Japanophile's basement. There actually was a pair of Katana blades there too. To complete the look they should've added a train set like Izakaya Mai's. Either way, it was entertainment for the amount of time it takes you to finish ramen. The people come and go quick, so you'll have a fun time people gazing also. All in all, a winner for the people of San Francisco.

31 - Ramen Halu - San Jose

375 Saratoga Ave, Suite M, San Jose, CA. 95129, (408) 246-3933

Last visited - September of 2009

www.ramenhalu.com

(Ramen Halu at night, image from my own library) When you go out craving something to eat and end up getting something different, your judgment of a place will never be too objective. Here's the story, we drove down all the way to San Jose hungry for some "whole shibang" shrimp from the Boiling Crab, but when we got there the wait was two and a half hours. That's right, the girl said 2.5 HOURS! We couldn't wait that long, so we got two pounds to go for a later time and went to Ramen Halu for the first time.

The place was mentioned by my friend months earlier and I told her that I'd check it out if I was in the San Jose area. I guess I found the time to do so that night. The drive there was not too bad, but you'd never expect a ramen place on Los Gatos ave. So Ramen Halu is nestled between an Indian supermarket and a cash checking place. From across the way you can see a Casino and a hoff brau restaurant on its diagonal. When we drove in the parking lot we thought we went to the wrong part of town, nevertheless I heard Japanese folks speaking outside a small store front, and sure enough there was a Ramen restaurant.

The service is laid-back in Ramen Halu, they seem to have some really greenhorn waiters that take their time in cleaning off tables and checking up on the tables. The theme of the restaurant is beaches and surfing. The little eatery was lined with surfboards and they give you the check on a conch shell. And like the theme suggests, the waiters reminded me of chilled out surfers serving you on their own time. Luckily, they have a speedy kitchen and our ramen came pretty quick. I ordered the Ramen Halu, my girlfriend ordered the tan-tan noodles, and our other friend ordered the Ramen Halu with buckwheat noodles. Out of the three, I found the tan-tan noodles the tastiest. The Ramen Halu was supposed to be this healthy soup with noodles that'd make you strong and cleanse your system. Of course healthy food never tastes great. I found the soup simple and not enough flavoring. My friend thought it was a bit too oily for her and that the soup was dominated by the bamboo shoots' flavoring. It might have been saltier than one is used to also. Not to be unfair, the tan-tan noodles are really good and I recommend that for all those that are in the San Jose area. They probably have a decent ramen too, we just didn't try it that first time.

26 - Himawari - San Mateo

202 2nd Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401, (650) 375-1005

Last visit - July, 2009

There is a small ramen shop on 2nd ave. in the downtown district of San Mateo that everyone knows: Himawari. I've been there twice before, and today would be the third time in the last year or so. Himawari isn't too big, but there is a constant flow of patrons moving in and out. Usually they are happy. I like it's Ikea lighting and find the food pretty tasty. They serve ramen by the soup stock, and one of their specials are the "Tonkotsu" ramen that's famous in Fukuoka, Japan. I usually go for the Miso flavored soup with Chashu.

I went there meeting some old friends from Cal. It was literally a reunion of sorts, 10 years since met in our language courses in Dwinelle Hall (spell?). We've grown up, got embraced by the world, and found life's plus and minuses outside of school. After finding parking, the parking lot is free after 6pm by the way, we got in and ordered our food.

For appetizers we ordered the fried calamari, the buta kakunai, and the agedashi tofu: all simple dishes you'd see at an izakaya in Japan. They all came out pretty well, and the buta kakunai especially tasty. For a table of four, it was perfect because every one could try a piece without splitting. For ramen, I had what I usually have, and my buddies tried the tonkotsu ramen. We all had a good time. The price is a bit steep for ramen, but it seems like every store is heading into the $10 region for a good bowl of ramen. Just can't wait to pay half of that again in Japan - and the possibility of ramen refills.

25 - Luka's Tap Room - Oakland

2221 Broadway, (between Franklin St & Grand Ave), Oakland, CA 94612, (510) 451-4677

Last visit - June 2009

http://www.lukasoakland.com/

To snap my four month hiatus from writing about food I decided to write about Luka's in Oakland. This fine establishment located on the corner of Telegraph avenue and 22nd street, between Franklin and Grand. It is unassuming, but many a times I drive past it and the place is booming with customers and music. At night they have music venues that fill up the lounge. I am not sure of the name, "Luka's Tap Room and Lounge", but I guess they have tap dancing somewhere at some time?

I went there Sunday morning for their brunch and had a good time. They open at 10:30am, so it's not wise to go early like me. I waited in front of downtown Oakland in front of the newly constructed condos in the area. Not much goes on in this place on Sundays; most folks are at church. But by the time we got in, there were other patrons that got in with us. The tables filled up quickly and we ordered our food. I had the Scrambled Eggs with Trout and my girlfriend had the Eggs Bennedict with Catfish (fried). Both dishes came out quickly and were delightful to taste. My dish was a bit too creamy, but my girlfriend's catfish was really good. I also enjoyed their house coffee, which was a fine roast (perhaps the first roast of the morning?).

The last thing to say about this place (for breakfast at least) is that they serve a complimentary corn bread sliced into cubes as an appetizer. It's quite cute.

24 - Champa Gardens - Oakland

2102 8th. Ave, Oakland CA, 94606, (510) 238-8819

Last Visit - February 2009

Champa Gardens website

Champa Gardens is a small South-East Asian restaurant in East Oakland. It's not too far from Oakland Highschool, but is nestled in a deep residentual area, away from East 14th/International Ave. But it actually thrives. I have eaten food from there twice now, I guess it's Laotian or Cambodian flavors, and have no complaints. 

The food is amazingly fresh. The lettuce wrapped rice is really good for starters. And their curry is really good. We had the pumpkin curry, which was a part of their specials menu. Lastly we had the stuffed chickenwings. They're odd things, stuffed veggies and chicken used to remake a wing. It was quite tasty though. 

It just makes you wonder about what is Cambodian food? What kind of ethnic niche does it have against Chinese, Thai, and Indian. Or is it one of those types that are caught in the middle? I'll have to investigate this some more. 

As take-out goes, this would be a very safe choice.  

20 - Nanyang Burmese Restaurant - Oakland

6048 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618, (510) 655-3298

Last Visit: December, 2008

Burmese food is close to Thai food in my understanding. There's a bit of mango flavoring and also coconut. I went to Nanyang for a Christmas getogether this weekend with some old friends. The place is not too far from me and me and my girlfriend find it without difficulty. Right in the intersection of College and Claremont, next to Murasaki furnishings.

Two of the things I like about Burmese food are the flavored rices and the colorful salads. There are many kinds of these salads, Green Tea being one of them. With the proper ingredients, it can be quite delightful. Nanyang provides four types of rice in their flavored rice combo - spicey, brown, coconut, and red. I find the coconut rice done really well. It's exactly what it is, coconut flavored rice. Sometimes I feel like it should be a dessert. 

The entres came relatively fast. The mango noodles made a good impression with us, I didn't try it though. I realize that I can never appreciate mangos; maybe dried ones only. The grilled chicken was good, but nothing special about it. They had a fish curry dish, but I did not enjoy it so much. 

All in all, for a homey, modestly priced trial at Burmese food, Nanyang can be the place to go. 

Yelp's Review

18 - Oakland Grill - Oakland (Jack London Area)

301 Franklin St., (at 3rd St), Oakland, CA 94607, (510) 835-1176

Last visit - November 2008

The Oakland Grill locates amongst warehouses in the Jack London area of Oakland. You'd probably miss it if nobody pointed it out to you. Amongst the newly built condos and reconstructed brick houses, it nests behind long eves so you have to be on a lookout to find it. 

We walk in and are seated on the second floor. The crowd seems like the early-risers. They have their newspapers, books, and electronic gadgets laid out and slowly sip their coffee. A couple of tables are taken by officers, and there are a pair of officers sitting with us on the second deck. There's actually a third deck above us, but more like adjacent to us. 

We order our food. I  had the pancakes combo: two pancakes, two eggs, and two strips of bacon. My girlfriend opted for the waffles instead. Food came at a slow pace, but we found the view on the second deck quite entertaining as we watched the kitchen staff do their work. Not a easy place to work in. 

I think it's a good place to go if you're waiting for a movie at Jack London, or you just want to start your day with a nice plate of pancakes. Be extra careful there because it is becoming a regular joint for police officers. 

Before long, we finished our food and made our journey to the world of Emery bay. The fight with transaction refunds began and I will have to talk about that story another time. 

12 - Santa Ramen - San Mateo

Santa Ramen - 1944 S El Camino Real, San Mateo, CA 94403 (650) 344-5918

Last Visit: August 2008.


Finally I review Santa Ramen. Yes, it's Japanese, and yes it was good; but will I make a trip out to San Mateo for it? Not again. The story is that this place eluded my visits three times! I can't believe how unlucky I am with this place. The first time, they closed early because they ran out of noodles. The second time, they were closed because they were moving. And the third time, well, I have pictures to show. They moved and left me a note. I went to the new location, and damn it, it was not open for another week.

It took another two weeks before I made that journey to Santa Ramen. It was a weekend, and we had come back from a day trip to Fry's electronics. We weren't that hungry, but we were definitely in for a surprise. The line was out the door! Yes, it was open finally, and this time we had to see what the commotion was about.

A Japanese girl was tending to the people waiting in line, finding out the number of people in our parties and also giving us menus to browse through beforehand. I find more Japanese people in San Mateo Japanese restaurants than north bay area Japanese restaurants. We waited through and ordered our ramen.

Ramen from Santa Ramen was really good. The texture is strong and smooth, which is why they boast that they make their own noodles there. The ramen was highly customizable, where you had many ways to add to your bowl. Start with the soup, and add whatever you liked. I added kimchi and an egg to my shouyu ramen. It was good, and by the time we started eating, we were getting hungry. The 30 minute wait wore us down. There are some sides, but were didn't find them appetizing enough to try out. We finished and when we were about to go, the line to get in was wrapping around the corner. Word of mouth must have spread fast.

All in all, Santa Ramen is a great place to try, but don't go when you're hungry. You will collapse from the wait. With toppings, a bowl of ramen can get up to $10 easily. Now you're wondering, "is it worth $10 for a bowl of ramen?" That's something you'd have to conclude for yourself. But if you already tried ramen from Japan, you know how bad the yearning for the real thing can be. Santa Ramen might be the closest thing to it.

Yelp's two cents










The map they drew for us. Yes, a cute red arrow!













Disappointing. Closed for renovation, my third attempt.

09 - Zachery's Pizza - Oakland

Zachery's Pizza - 5801 College Ave., Oakland, CA 94618, (510) 655-6385

Last Visit - July, 2008

Zachery's Pizza website

“There’s something different about Zachery’s Pizza.” That’s what people usually say to describe Oakland’s favorite deep dish pizza. I can’t say it’s the best pizza out there, but there’s something about it that keeps people coming back to their little corner on College Ave. I mean, one step into their door and you see that they have more awards than types of pizzas. For the residents around there, there’s even a bit of emotional attachment to the hot pies. It’s usually bright eyes and smiles when you say, “Zachery’s for dinner” in Oakland.

In fact, the first time I had Zachery’s pizza, I was in High School. It made me realize that there are pizzas above and beyond the take-out giants. The deep dish feels like they made a gourmet sauce and just poured it onto dough. I recommend the Zachery’s Special, Pepperoni and sausage, and Spinach and Mushroom for vegetarians. There's something for every pizza lover.

I went there last weekend and it was packed as usual. The wait can get up to an hour or more. This was the caveat of Zachery’s, and any great restaurant for that matter; the wait was very long. Never go to Zachery’s when you’re truly starving. You’ll have to settle for the ready-made slices (which is still not bad).

Stores and eateries come and go on College avenue, but Zachery’s will always be there. They also have two branches at Berkeley and San Ramon. They don’t deliver, but you can order it for pick-up. I wish I can say more, but it's just one of those places that people love. They've just celebrated their 25th anniversary, I hope they'll be there for another 25 more.

Yelp's two cents

01 - Jim's Coffee Shop - Alameda

Jim’s Coffee Shop, 2333 Lincoln Ave., Alameda, CA., (510) 523-5368

Date of visit: June 14th, 2008

One of the things me and my girlfriend like to do is find breakfast diners on Saturdays and Sundays. It's odd, but there's not too many if you think about the bay area. We really like Ole's Waffle house, but it's always packed. This Saturday we went to Jim's Coffee Shop in Alameda. We had spotted it before with a line out the door the week before ~ what does that mean? good food.

We arrived through the back entrance. It's pretty shady in the back, it reminded me of diners along freeways between So-Cal and Arizona. But when you go inside, the place is booming. The clientele ranged from seniors enjoying the paper to punk-rockers eating pancakes, and of course there were families. This was around 1pm. The decor is retro stuff from San Francisco before the 50's. Old newspaper clippings from 1942 and old black and white photos from the 1907 earthquake can be found lining their walls. There's also a fervor about racing there, probably the owners sponsor cars for Laguna Seca raceway.

The food is good. I had the linguisa and eggs (x3) and was stuffed. Their portions are large, and quite cheap for what it is. The coffee is nothing to rave about, but service for it is spectacular. I think it's a great place for a morning conversation. She had a waffle, eggs, and bacon. She said the bacon was crispy and tasty, which made the trip worthwhile, "Good Breakfast find" was what she called it. And that's what it is.

Yelp's two cents