Browsing Category

San Francisco South Bay

South Bay

Din Tai Fung, Santa Clara

Posted on July 10, 2023

Why did we dine here? – Din Tai Fung is a popular Xiao Long Bao (It means small bamboo steamer bun in Chinese) – Shanghai Steamed Soup dumpling restaurant with locations in Bellevue, Seattle, Southern California, Taiwan, Japan, China, Indonesia, Macau, Singapore, and several other countries. Few Chinese dishes generate so much obsession. Think of it like a quest to find the best burger or pizza. We have been to this location several times.

Best Pho in San Francisco

Posted on February 18, 2022

Last Update: November 2019

We are big fans of Vietnamese Pho Noodle Soup. Slowly but surely, we have eaten at many of the San Francisco Bay Area’s best Pho restaurants. Here’s our constantly evolving list of the top 10 in search of the Best Pho San Francisco and beyond. Please leave comments with suggestions for other places we should try.

Hit List: More San Jose Pho Places – Do you have favorites we should try?

Gooyi Gooyi Restaurant, Santa Clara

Posted on June 13, 2019

Why did we dine here? – Gooyi Gooyi is an authentic Korean restaurant in Santa Clara’s Koreatown. We’ve found some of the best Korean joints down here plus our neighbor recommends this restaurant, so we had to give it a try. We got take out from them in 2020 during the Covid 19 Pandemic.

Spruce Review, San Francisco

Posted on May 22, 2018

Elegant old school favorite. Why did we dine here? – Spruce is a popular American restaurant in San Francisco’s upper crust Laurel Heights neighborhood. This restaurant has one Michelin star and has been packed ever since it opened. This is our fourth visit, with our last meal here several years ago. The chef Mark Sullivan also oversees Village Pub in Woodside. We recently had one of the best duck dishes there, in a long time. Our last Visit was in 2018.

Michael Bauer’s Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants 2018 Review

Posted on April 29, 2018

We review the San Francisco Master Foodie’s Michael Bauer’s Top 100 2018 list. This is probably his last..

Shanghai Flavor Shop, Sunnyvale

Posted on March 9, 2018

Shanghai Flavor Shop is an inexpensive restaurant in a second rate strip mall. This diamond in the rough is located in sleepy Sunnyvale, and specializes in Shanghainese Chinese cuisine. To the right of this restaurant is the popular Indian Buffet: Sankranti

Michael Bauer’s Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants 2017 Review

Posted on April 29, 2017

We review the San Francisco Master Foodie’s Michael Bauers Top 100 2017 list.

Aina’s Spam Musubi

Chef Zhao Kitchen, Palo Alto

Posted on February 13, 2017

Soup Dumplings! Why did we dine here? – Chef Zhao Kitchen is a Shanghai Chinese restaurant in Palo Alto, near 101 and Embarcadero. This is a sister restaurant to Cupertino’s Shanghai Garden.
Confusing things, Chef Zhao Bistros in Mountain View and San Mateo are unrelated both cuisine-wise and with owners. This restaurant has been getting some good local buzz, so it was time to check it out.

Plumed Horse, Saratoga – One Michelin Star

Posted on January 1, 2017

Where do well heeled Silicon Valley people eat?

Why did we dine here? – Plumed Horse is a long standing (1952) restaurant located in Saratoga, not far from the Montalvo winery. This location used to be a stable, hence the name. Peter Armellino (Jardiniere, Aqua SF, Village Pub) is the chef.

Chungdam, Santa Clara

Posted on June 27, 2016

Why did we dine here? – Chungdam is Korean restaurant located in the Santa Clara Koreatown area. It has been on our bucket list for a while. A combination of a modern beautiful spot with great Korean food attracted us to this place. We have dined at several restaurants in this area, including: Jang Su Jang, Tobang, Gooyi Gooyi, and Ilbunjee #1.

Ilbunjee #1, Sunnyvale

Posted on October 19, 2015

Why did we dine here? – Ilbunjee #1 is a Korean BBQ restaurant in the Santa Clara Koreatown district. We find the best Korean in the San Francisco area right here. LA still eclipses our offerings though.

Lark Creek Blue Restaurant Review, San Jose

Posted on July 7, 2014

Why did we dine here? – Lark Creek Blue takes the place of the seafood oriented Yankee Pier at Santana Row in San Jose. Run by the same restaurant group, they still maintain the seafood emphasis (Monterey Bay Seafood watch) but with a more contemporary look. Lots of wood, communal tables, jazzy music. They are located across the street from Left Bank.

Vung Tau Restaurant Review, San Jose

Posted on August 19, 2013

Why did we dine here? – Vung Tau is a Vietnamese restaurant in San Jose (near San Jose State) owned by the same family as Tamarine Restaurant in Palo Alto. Having heard good things about this place, we decided to give it a try the next time we were in the vicinity. On our last visit was in early 2014 for dinner. We had previously dined here for lunch. Vung Tau also has a location in Milpitas.

American Eatery – Prather Ranch Meat Company Review, San Francisco

Posted on January 1, 2013

Prather Ranch Meat Company is a boutique firm that raises grass fed and pastured cattle in North California’s Mt. Shasta area. Their focus is on high quality, sustainable, humanely raised meats in support of a whole-animal sales model. Founded in 2003, they made a name for themselves as one of the first merchants in the Ferry Building.

Peggy Sue’s Restaurant Review, San Jose

Posted on December 20, 2012

Peggy Sue’s is a burger place that has been there since 1958 that also serves classic American breakfast. They have two locations in downtown San Jose, right near the major destination including the Children’s museum, The Tech Museum, and San Jose State. Free all-day weekend parking with validation. They push their USDA lean 100% Angus Beef. Our last visit was in April 2013.

Choi’s Korean Restaurant, Restaurant Review, Santa Clara

Posted on November 21, 2012

Why did we dine here? – Choi’s Korean Restaurant was recommended to us by a Korean friend, so we had high expectations. This restaurant is located in the Koreatown area of Santa Clara. Clearly this used to be a fast food joint that has been slightly retrofitted.

South Legend Restaurant Review, Milpitas

Posted on October 31, 2012

Why did we dine here? – South Legend is a long standing Sichuan Chinese restaurant in Milpitas that has been listed in the Michelin Guide. We were in the area and decided to give this restaurant another try.

Left Bank Restaurant Review, Menlo Park, Santana Row

Posted on October 29, 2012

Left Bank is a Brasserie style French restaurant. They have 3 locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and got started in 1994. They serve seafood from the CleanFish Alliance of sustainable seafood products. Our last visit in September 2012, was to the Santana Row location in San Jose.

New Michelin Guide San Francisco 2013

Posted on October 24, 2012

New 2013 Foodie bible Michelin San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country Restaurants 2013 was just released. Less than $12 at Amazon.

Orenchi Restaurant Review, Santa Clara

Posted on July 2, 2012

Why did we dine here? – Orenchi is a very popular Japanese Noodle House that has been on our hit list for a while. They are a sister restuarant to Sumika in Los Gatos. The broth that they use is cooked for a minimum of 18 hours. It is made with organic chicken, Canadian black pork, and filtered water. There is a line much of the time. We had to wait approximately 45 minutes for a Saturday night dinner. They close up when they run out of broth, which happened about 8:30pm on this particular evening.

A Slice of New York Pizza, San Jose

Posted on March 28, 2012

Why did we dine here? – A Slice of New York is a well-known New York style pizza place in San Jose, not far from Santana Row. The place features some nice New York decor, with subway signs, maps, and the like.

Kunjip Restaurant Review, Santa Clara

Posted on February 29, 2012

Why did we dine here? – Kunjip is a top rated Korean restaurant in Santa Clara, situated in a Korean focused strip mall. They focus on soups and noodles, no BBQ unlike most other places.

Tobang Restaurant Review, Santa Clara

Posted on February 27, 2012

Why did we dine here? – Tobang is located next door to the Korean restaurant Kunjip in a Santa Clara strip mall full of Korean merchants. We had enough soup and noodles there, and wanted some Korean BBQ.

Shanghai Restaurant Review, Cupertino

Posted on February 18, 2012

Shanghai Restaurant is a Shanghainese Chinese Restaurant in the Cupertino village shopping center, replacing the popular HC Dumpling restaurant. They have the usual Chinese dishes along with a fair amount of Traditional Shanghai dishes not served in most restaurants. Our last visit was December 2012.

Manresa Restaurant Review, Los Gatos

Posted on December 14, 2011

Manresa is a legendary 2 Michelin Star restaurant from David Kinch. We were last here about five years ago, so it was time for a re-visit. They recently remodeled and the entire restaurant looks far more modern and classy than in the past.
They focus on local and sustainable ingredients, including many items from Love Apple Farms in the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains. Manresa is famous for their multi-course tasting menu where only ingredients are listed on the menu.
A meal can take up to 4 hours, but we asked for a shorter time span of about 2 hours.

New 2012 San Francisco Zagat Guide

Posted on September 23, 2011

The Foodie bible Zagat San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants 2011 is available starting today at $10 from Amazon. $14.95 list. Data comes from people like ourselves, voting.

Scratch Restaurant Review, Mountain View

Posted on April 20, 2011

Scratch is a new restaurant from Rob Fischer who runs Palo Alto Creamery, Reposado, and Gravity. This restaurant opened at the end of 2010. Fine Dining meets American Comfort Cuisine is their motto. We happen to be in the area and decided to give this place a try. The restaurant is modern, with clean lines, lots of wood, and large windows to the Street. Our last visit was at the end of 2011.

Murracci’s Japanese Curry & Grill Restaurant Review, Los Altos

Posted on March 2, 2011

Murracci’s is a casual Japanese restaurant that focuses on Curry dishes and grilled items. While they have 4 sushi items on the menu, stick to the Japanese-style curry. They have locations in both San Francisco and Los Altos. Last visit was in April 2012.

The Original Falafel’s Drive-In Restaurant Review, San Jose

Posted on April 10, 2010

The Original Falafel’s Drive-In opened in 1966 and has been serving up falafel’s duty ever present lines since. The restaurant is located in San Jose not far from the Santana Row shopping center.
Decor, Vibe – Small dining room inside with picnic tables outside. Old school drive-in decor, with ordering from window. Mostly younger folks were ordering when we visited.

In-N-Out Burger Restaurant Review, Mountain View

Posted on February 24, 2010

In-N-Out Burger opened way back in 1948 in Baldwin Park, California focusing as a drive through hamburger stand. Their motto is “Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment.” They have locations in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah.

Sumika Restaurant Review, Los Altos

Posted on February 15, 2010

Sumika is a small low key Japanese restaurant in downtown Los Altos, hidden away on a sidestreet. You really need to seek out this two year old restaurant. The focus on home style comfort foods with rice bowls during lunch and Kushiyaki or Charcoal Yakitori grill for dinner. They use organic chicken and other ingredients.

Hong Kong Saigon Seafood Harbor Dim Sum Restaurant Review, Sunnyvale

Posted on November 9, 2009

Hong Kong Saigon Seafood Harbor is a popular Cantonese Chinese restaurant in Sunnyvale. It has been located in a strip mall for about three years.

LB Steak Restaurant Review, Santana Row, San Jose

Posted on June 17, 2009

Stay up to date with all our new reviews by signing up for our RSS Feed, Twitter or Email updates.

Use our category right hand navigation to see other reviews by criteria such as Reviews By Rating: 1 star (Average) 1.5 stars 2 stars (Good) 2.5 stars (Very Good) 3 stars (Excellent) 3.5 stars 4 stars (Out of this world) or Show All Reviews

Passionfish Restaurant Review, Pacific Grove

Posted on November 13, 2008

Passionfish offers a “unique California dining experience with serious food and wine in a fun and casual atmosphere. The ever-changing menu features the freshest, sustainable seafood, slow-cooked meats, organic greens and delectable desserts, all complemented by an award winning wine list priced well below what you’ve come to expect.” They have been around for over ten years.
With the world class Monterey Bay Aquarium nearby and all its educational campaigns, this restaurant adheres to the sustainable seafood movement to serve ‘correct’ food. Passionfish is owned and operated by Chef Ted Walter and his wife Cindy Walter, who are vocal advocates for sustainabilty.

Pizza Antica Restaurant Review, San Jose

Posted on October 23, 2008

A stylish high end pizza place with 4 Northern California locations. We reviewed the location in upscale San Jose’s Santana Row shopping center. Pizza is the draw, so we focused on it. The pizza is thin crust artisanal Roman style. They also serve pasta and meats.

Hong Kong Saigon Seafood Harbor Restaurant Review, Sunnyvale

Posted on October 9, 2008

Hong Kong Saigon Seafood Harbor is a popular Cantonese Chinese restaurant in Sunnyvale. It has been located in a strip mall for about two years.
When we went at 745pm on Saturday, it was so crowded that we had to wait 30 minutes to get in. They are also very crowded during lunch for dim sum.