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.

37 - Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot - Fremont

215 S. Ellsworth Ave, San Mateo, CA. 94401, (650)343-2566

Last visit: October of 2009

(image from Yelp.com)

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot is where I first tried bamboo for dinner. The insides of bamboo is white, film-like, and tastes like tofu. We dipped it into the hot pot for a couple of minutes and pick it back up with our chop-sticks and it is drenched in the flavor of the chili filled broth. It's not bad, not bad at all. Bamboo, and a host of other Chinese-Mongolian foods can be ordered for hot pot at Little Sheep.

I went there with my girlfriend's family and we ordered two pots for two tables. The hot pot came with a divider because we wanted a spicy soup as well as a mild flavored one. They do refill the broth, but it doesn't hurt to request it. We ordered the lamb shoulders and some beef for our meats.

The dishes of uncooked food came and we had a nice time dipping things in and waiting for it to heat up. All the dishes are heated by hotplates on the tables and we just left it on the highest temperature. Cooking meats and noodles are fun, but waiting for shrimp and seafood to boil isn't. I recommend trying the bamboo (insides of bamboo) because it sucks up the flavor of the soup. We liked the beef and lamb, but everything else was so-so. The spicier (red) flavored soup is better than the mild (white) soup.

It's a fun place for kids as they get to see things get cooked. If I had a kid, I'd threaten to cook them in it whenever they get out of line.

32 - the Candy Bar - San Francisco

1335 Fulton street, San Francisco, CA.94117, (415) 673-7078

Last visited - August 2009

(image from curbednetwork.com)
One look inside you'll notice something different about the bar. It's clientele? Preppy and in their early 30's. The food? Desserts that people don't think about would taste good, but it TASTES GOOD! The ambiance? dimly lit with hints of artificiality. It took me awhile, but the bar didn't look out of place, it WAS out of place. It's the type of bar you'd find in L.A... but in San Francisco.

I did like the fact that they had board games in the bar. It seemed like a good idea to be able to play some Monopoly or Yatzee while sipping on some cocktails, but the tables were amazingly cramped. I guess they wanted to pack more people in, but it's a small issue. We ordered our food and it arrived promptly. My girlfriend had the nacho sundae platter (is it a play on the words "not your sunday"?), our friend had the matcha green-tea cake, while I had some fruit tart thing that's served in a little jar, the white chocolate mousse it looked like creme' brulee. It was made of three layers and garnished with the white chocolate mousse on the side. Reviewing their menu online, I learned that the three layers were Blue berry compote, Kalamansi Sorbet, and Candied Parsnips. Upon the second spoonful I realized it was the Kalamansi sorbet that really excited me. It was amazingly smooth and the chill kept the whole dessert together - a tingling delight at every bite. The blue berries were fresh and the parsnips were delightful. I almost forgot about the mousse. The sorbet was a true winner, and I had a cup of coffee with it that went together really well. The cake was mediocre for the price, but my fruit snack and my girlfriend's nacho desserts were both tasty.

Lastly, I enjoyed the food and the presentation of the food, but I wouldn't make a trip to San Francisco for it. Now if I was already in town, it would be a different story. Bon appetite!

28 - Sura - Oakland

4869 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94620, (510) 654-9292

Last visit - August 2009

(image from SFcitizen.com) As for safe Korean cuisine, Sura will be a pleasant choice. You're definitely going to be treated to a cornucopia of "banchan" side dishes as appetizers. I just have to say that of them all, I didn't enjoy that many of them. The kobocha pumpkin were good, but they didn't have the caramelized potatoes and I didn't find their kim chi very tasty. So I guess that makes it so-so at best. They usually give you a free steamed egg dish if you go in large parties and for birthdays you might get another treat.

I went with a huge party of ten and we ordered a bit of everything. The BBQ spicy chicken is a must, and I think it's their most delicious dish. Their bogulgi beef on a sizzling platter is pretty good too. The Bi bim bab is always safe when ordering Korean food, but it was not spectacular. I tried some of their clay pot soups, spicy tofu with mixed seafood, and that tasted pretty good. It gave my stomach a bad feeling though.

Now here's the thing that gets most people, their service IS slow. No matter how many times people try to be nice about it, they will fail to give you that "rest assured, you're in good hands" feeling that better restaurants can give you. They even have the service call button on every table, but pressing it will only alleviate your urge to press something. Not only that, they tend to mix up their orders. I have only been there twice, but both times they either gave us something extra or forgot to give us everything; albeit I went with big groups on both occasions.

I heard they have a grand ladies' restroom, but that never gave me a reason to visit a restaurant.

23 - the Hob Nob - Alameda

1313 Park St,(between Alameda Ave & Encinal Ave), Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 769-1011

Last visit: January, 2009

the Hob Nob's website

The Hob Nob is a place where food, games, and drinks meet in Alameda. They actually have a server and a kitchen, and I found it interesting that they have daily specials. It's a dimly lit place that caters to who seem to be regulars there. They have one flat-screen that shows predominantly hockey for some reason. It's good that there's only one screen I guess, nowadays places are decked out with five or six at least. 

We get there early and the eating crowd is still there. I order their Blue Berry Mojito, which came with too much blue berry. My friends order their tequilla and Tecate combo and a pink cosmo-like drink. The drinks are pretty strong at the Hob Nob, so don't go crazy in ordering your cocktails. I try their Long Beach later and it has a bit of a kick to it. 

Our food comes in due time. I recommend the garlic fries. Quite a treat while watching the games on TV. They have the usual sports bar menu with daily specials. I have to try the burgers next time. 

Board games are in the back, and so are some in the front of the bar. We check out the scrabble and began our night of word banter and stories over drinks. I would like to go there again. 

22 - the Boiling Crab - San Jose

1631 E Capitol Expressway #101, San Jose, CA 95121

Last visit: January, 2009

their website: http://www.theboilingcrab.com/

"We're going to dinner at a seafood place in the south-bay," said my girlfriend as we got into her sister's car. The BMW sprung out of the small streets of East Oakland and onto the freeway energetically, like a dog waiting to go for a walk. I was kind of tired that night, but it felt like it was going to be a place that I would blog about later, so I was looking forward to that. We drove down the 880 freeway, passing my workplace in San Leandro, and then Fremont. As the ride went on, I realize that we're  moving through area-codes at the speed of light. Where the hell is this place?

Reaching the Boiling Crab took us 30 minutes, and the wait was another 40. I guess it's the kind of place people will make a trip out for, because the place was packed! And the first thing that you think about is, "Why are they all Asians?" Thats the way it was. I was trying to track the UNC vs. Wake Forest game, and good thing they had flat-screens all over. They lost that night.

We sat and ordered our food, which came in buckets by the pounds. Sitting there reminded me of Forrest Gump and how his buddy Bubba started listing all the ways to make shrimp. We ordered Shrimp, Crawfish, Crab, and some fries. Not really a veggie lover's place. But the seafood was really good. I think I ate a pound of shrimp, but also used a pound of napkins too. It's definitely a place where table manners were lax. You're encouraged to make noises while sucking on crawfish and build a mountain of shells on your area. They didn't even give us plates. Food was brought out in plastic bags. It's funny, but it's almost part of the culture. 

We started with a round of raw oysters, which were pretty good. I like their sauce, which was better than the regular tobasco sauce. I tried them back to back to compare. We then went onto the shrimp and crawfish. I recommend trying the regular with the "whole sha-bang" which means the combination of all their spices. Mild spiciness had a nice kick to it and Medium meant taking breaks for me. I couldn't fathom the hell it would be on our tongues if we ordered the XXX spice. It was definitely an experience, but I didn't think it would be a regular thing. 

Final thoughts? I never knew how good corn with cajun sauce was until then. Might be a good idea to make some. 

Yelp's Review

19 - Zen Restaurant - Alameda

2315 Santa Clara ave, Alameda, CA. 94501, (510) 521 - 7070

Last Visit - December 2008

Zen is a small Japanese restaurant in Alameda off Park Avenue. The decor is actually something to talk about. Most things are red and black, and there seems to be some effort made in the setting and utensils of the restaurant. In some ways it's fusion because of the cocktail menu and their small alotment of wines. The theme is Zen, which is in some ways "non-traditional" in this sense. The places are not completely round or the glasses not in orthodox shape. 

I went there for the second time with some friends last week. We ordered the yam fries and a salad as an apetizer. The lamb came next and my friends ordered some of the wasabi shu-mai. I ordered the mentaiko spaghetti, one of my favorite dishes. All was well. I had a cranberry cosmo and my friends had some mohitos. The drinks are not too strong, which is usually the Japanese way. Desserts are pretty good, but I haven't tried many. 

I don't think this place is much of a bar, but for a small snack and conversation it's not bad. For Alameda, it's definitely a place to try some day. 

Yelp's Review

14 - Osha's Thai Restaurant - San Francisco

Osha's Thai Restaurant - 696 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94102, (415) 673-2368

Last visit: August 2008

Osha's website

Osha's Thai restaurant rests on top of a small hill between Geary and Leavensworth in San Francisco. The clientele are your typical hippie west coast connoisseurs. I get there at a quarter to seven and I sit down to order food with my friends; one of them is from Texas.

The food is good. I never tried papaya salad before, and I always thought that it was like the sweet papaya, but it was actually really refreshing. The texture is like turnip, but it soaks in a lot of taste from the salad dressing. I order a Barbecue chicken dish, which is nothing like the chicken that you drench in sweet and sour BBQ sauce. It turns out to be grilled chicken with BBQ sauce on the side. My friends like it though, as we cleaned up the plates.

One thing that I notice is that there are no pictures of the Thai King in the restaurant. That's actually a funny observation that my friend Ivan proclaimed, all Thai restaurants have a picture of the Thai leader put up. Another one is that Thai restaurants require actual Thai people to make their food. It's odd, but it's mostly true.

Oisha's is a good place, and just far enough away from the hustle and bustle of downtown San Francisco.

11 - Izakaya Mai - San Mateo

Izakaya Mai - 212 2nd Ave., San Mateo, CA 94401, (650) 347-2511

Last Visit: July 25th, 2008

Izakaya Mai's Website

We were going to Santa Ramen. Yes, it would be the third attempt in finding the mysterious Santa Ramen. We missed it the first time because they ran out of noodles; so we went to Himawari. Next, we went there, and found out that they were closed, I guess they were renovating. Now this time we had our hopes up. We got to the address, after a bit of stumbling around... only to find that it was closed, again! This time there was a clue, they left a map of where they relocated, astounding! I took a picture of the hand-drawn map (complete with a big fat red arrow), and we got back on the road. We pulled up to the address, found parking, and our jaws dropped. Yes, they were closed for renovation until August 1st. How can this be? My luck with this restaurant is close to nil. We saddled up and drove for the restaurants near Himawari.

This time we decided to try Izakaya Mai's. I liked the sound of the place (Izakayas are drinking bars in Japan, where it literally means a place to sit and drink). After the twenty minute wait, the waitress seated us at the edge of the bar. The owner seemed to like toys as there were toys laying around the areas as well as a train circulating above the bar. Most of the decor was in wood, giving it an authentic Izakaya feel. There was a TV broadcasting NHK. Needless to say, I liked the vibe.

The owner took our sushi order, I guess his name was Yoichi Ito. The workers called him Ito-san. Nice to see authentic Japanese people working in Japanese restaurants! Our food came accordingly. I ordered a lot of Izakaya foods out of my memories from Japan. We had the butta-kimchi (pork and kimchi), kara-age (fried chicken), fried shu-mai, a rainbow sushi roll, and two onigiri rice balls. We had a beer and a small bottle of hot sake' rice wine. It was a really good meal for two, and we actually cleaned up everything.

I actually really missed onigiri, what I called "poor-man's food". It was pretty much what I survived on when I was living at the student quarters. I lived close to a convenience store, and when I was hungry I would just walk over to get ramen, onigiri, or fried chicken. Ahh, "Everyone", or as we called it "E-bo-ri-wan"... or "E-bo-ri" for short. It was my mother in Japan. It provided food, entertainment, a place to socialize, and even parcel delivery. It even opened during typhoon warnings. I wish I can go back there someday, just to that convenience store.

But before I do that, I have to try Santa Ramen.

Note: Mai means dance.

Yelp's two cents

08 - Ohgane Korean Barbeque Restaurant - Oakland

Ohgane Korean Barbeque Restaurant - 3915 Broadway, (between 38th St & 40th St), Oakland, CA 94611, (510) 594-8300

Last visit - July 5th, 2008

Ohgane's website

Serendipitous food findings are always welcome in world. We were looking for some Vietnamese pho place for dinner after a movie at Emeryville, but it was a bit too late for that. For some reason, most Vietnamese restaurants don't open late (there's supposed to be this pho noodle house that stays up past midnight in San Jose area, but I haven't verified this). Our next thought was Korean, but not the same ones that we are used to going. I remembered a Korean place across from Momma's Cafe on Broadway, so we decided to go there ~ which turns out to be Ohgane.

We go in from the wrong door, the front door. Yes, if you don't want to make our mistake, go through the parking lot. That's where the real entrance is. The place is big, bigger than we expected. All I am hoping for is something quick and hot, and perhaps two or three tables taken. Nobody wants to eat at a restaurant as the only table attended to. We walk pass a glass cabinet of liquor; not super top shelf, but they had Johnny Walker Red label. Not too shabby I think. Maybe it's going to be more than $10 bucks. Then they seat us at a table under a bbq vent and present us with a tome-like leather menu . OK, $20 bucks it's going to be. There are eight or nine tables full of people, so I am glad.

We order the Jab-chae and sauteed beef and vegetables, we aren't too hungry, and a large bottle of Hite. Not "hi-te", but "height"; I am corrected by the Korean waitress. We sit for a bit, watching the baseball scores on the Samsung LCD, and the waitress returns with a platter of appetizers. I guess they are trying to outdo the Koreal house? There are 15 mini dishes of appetizers, ranging from kimchi and carmelized potatoes to steamed vegetables and seaweed.

After the beer came, we just decide to just enjoy the meal. It's been awhile since we had Korean food anyway. The spicy sauteed beef dish is really good, just enough flavor for the beef and authentic kim chi sauces. The Jab-chae can be a bit spicier, but it really complimented the spicy stuff well. They bring out complimentary seaweed soup (much like miso) and a bowl of rice for each of us. That's always nice, rice should always be complimentary. Even when it's costing up to a dollar a pound now.

We talk and eat, and drink some more beer. When the time comes to pay for the bill, I notice a knob on the side of the table. There is one on every table. Might it be a service button? I press it comes a digital "25" on their table monitor and a waitress comes up to us. We tell her we want the check. Amazing, I haven't seen a service bell in the U.S. for a long time. A great feature in Asia, and almost every Japanese restaurant.

We pay for the bill and think of what to do with the leftovers for the night.

Yelp's two cents

06 - Le Cheval - Oakland

Le Cheval - 1007 Clay St. (between 10th St & 11th St), Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 763-8495

Last Visit: June 20th, 2008

Le Cheval's Home Page


It was the first day of summer this year when I returned to Le Cheval's Vietnamese restaurant. To say it's fusion is using the term loosely, but I think they have clientele that say it's not Vietnamese enough to call it just Vietnamese. It's the third time being here, and once there was no line.

We sat down in the back of the room, under the paintings of horses. Naturally, horses were the theme of the restaurant. The ceilings are high and their only countermeasure against the heat were old ceiling fans. I must admit, we drank a lot of water. The room was remarkably loud with chatter; perhaps it's the acoustics of the room, but it did kind of remind me of restaurants in East Asia. I wanted to sit closer to my girlfriend because it was kind of hard to yell across our menus.

We ordered the spring-beans and chicken and the caramelized snapper fish clay-pot dish. They were both good, and I have to say most dishes here are pretty good. We skipped the appetizer because we were in a rush, but I do recommend the calamari salad, one of my favorite salads. The orange beef is done well here, if you're into red meat.

A friend of mine told me that they had margaritas the size of fishbowls there, but I looked on the menu and only saw margaritas on the rocks. I guess he must have been talking about some other place. I instead took a beer, Tiger from Singapore. It was nothing to rave about. I realize I've been trying a lot of "international" beers, but none of them stick out. Anyone have a good recommendation? The girlfriend had a lemon drop, but she gave me the face of disapproval for it. We packed up the food and left for the evening.

My thoughts tangent to this topic, what are the lingering affects of the French colonization of Vietnam? I mean, over a 100 years of political dominance must have trickled down to some food rules. I know that the drip coffee came from the French, and probably the patte. Now what else is there? Must be an essay being written about this now.

Yelp's two cents