2.5 stars
Tinkuy is the lunch buffet that even non hotel guests can reserve for lunch. It costs about US$44 per person and has a wide variety of items. I presume the same kitchen prepares this food as next door. It is open 11am-330pm. Online reservations are through their Facebook page.
Tampu Breakfast Buffet walk thru in the Sanctuary Lodge at Machu Picchu, Peru.
Why did we eat here? – Tampu is the main restaurant in the Sanctuary Lodge at Machu Picchu. Breakfast and lunch are open to hotel guests & non-hotel guests (based on availability – reserve ahead). Breakfast buffet costs US$35. Dinner is open to hotel guests only. The other restaurant next door is a lunch buffet for the general public USD$44, that the hotel also runs.
Why did we dine here? – Saam is the newest restaurant from chef Thitid Tassanakajohn of Thailand, this is his first venture in the United States after 18 years of cooking in Thailand.
Why did we dine here? – Rich Table is the work of Husband and wife Chefs Evan and Sarah Rich. (Bouley, Coi, Michael Mina) Pretty casual but full of middle aged well dressed foodies, this loud restaurant has a rustic, barn like setting. Our last visit was in Summer 2026 when we found them on the Chase Sapphire list! They also run RT Bistro next door.
Via Aurelia is a fine dining Italian Tuscan restaurant in the Mission Bay Area. The owners also run Che Fico. Via Aurelia takes its name from the historic road that traced Italy’s western coast to Rome. 4.4 on Yelp, 4.5 on Google
We had to try this hot spot. It was great to see how this neighborhood is taking shape. This restaurant is several months old and situated in a lovely spot. Lots of bar seating for those without reservations.
RT Bistro is the less formal bistro restaurant from the folks at Rich Table. Chef De cuisine Bill Wang. It is located Next door to Rich Table and is the less fine dining brother. This is a hard reservation right now, we show up 10 minutes before they opened (on a Friday) and walked in. This is a small restaurant with about a dozen tables hence the difficulty in getting a rez. The place is loud and filled with folks in the 30-50’s range. High 4.5 rating on Yelp and Google.
Won Kok Millbrae opened in November 2025 where Asian Pearl was last. Won Kok has had a location on Monterey Blvd in San Francisco for many years. This spot has updated decor from the previous restaurant along with a temporary wall to sub divide the room.
The menu is pretty straightforward old school traditional Cantonese dim sum. Not a lot of modern or cutesy dishes.
Why did we dine here? – Great Gold is popular Italian Pizza/Pasta restaurant in Truckee California with locally sourced ingredients. It is located away from downtown Truckee, in a strip mall. We’ve been to their sister French restaurant Tangerine Bistro (Which was okay) and decided to try this spot. The owner has worked for the Flour & Water restaurant group.
The Ahwahnee Hotel Restaurant in Yosemite is a must visit for new site-seers to Yosemite National Park. Steeped in tradition, this old dining hall brings you back to olden days.
Part of Koi Palace Empire.
Why did we dine here? – Dragon Beaux is a new restaurant from the folks who run our favorite Chinese restaurant, Koi Palace, Palette Tea garden, etc. This location is in the Outer Richmond district and focuses on Dim Sum during lunch and Hot Pot/Cantonese food at dinner. We came here when it first opened in 2015, and recently returned in the Spring of 2026.
Blue Sky Cafe is a casual Hong Kong style Chinese eatery in the middle of an industrial park in Belmont. Weird location but very solid Cantonese Chinese food and a popular destination. If you appreciate this type of food, run here as there is nothing like it on the Peninsula. Everyone knows now, because the place is really busy on the weekend. Takeout on a Saturday night had a 2 hour delay, so order early for dinner, like at noon! Last visited in late 2026.
Top Notch Modern Hi-End Dim sum
Our goto Chinese Restaurant in San Francisco Area..
Why did we dine here? – HL Peninsula opened near Costco Business center of South San Francisco. This is a large and opulent restaurant that is typical of ones in China. High ceilings, huge TV screens, and many private rooms. (Reminds us of J Zhou in Tustin) There is no other place like this nearby. They are part of a restaurant group that has locations in Vancouver and China. Yes, China money is flowing in and we are benefiting from better restaurants.
Why did we dine here? – Harborview Restaurant is located in 4 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco. It takes the place of Crystal Jade, which spend $14 remodeling the space. This restaurant is run the founder of by the well established R & G Lounge Kinson Wong. Embarcadero underground garage parking validation available -> $2 parking on weekends.
Why did we dine here? – Nari (Women in Thai) is a contemporary Thai restaurant from the folks at Kin Khao. (Means “to eat” or “let’s eat” in Thai.) It is run by the famous food blogger of Chez Pim – Pim Techamuanvivit, girlfriend of Manresa’s chef David Kinch. Nari has One Michelin star.
Why did we dine here? – Pho Ha Noi is a Vietnamese restaurant located in an outdoor mall Vietnam Town Plaza in San Jose. The area is full of high quality Asian restaurants and shops. Their pho is some of the top in the SF Bay Area. This restaurant also has a location in Cupertino and added Palo Alto in 2023.
Angler is a more casual seafood – meat restaurant from Three Michelin Star Saison’s Joshua Skenes. This restaurant has one Michelin Star of its own. Our last visit was in late 2025 for dinner. Without a reservation, we lined up before they opened. Seating at the bar is for walk ins but we lucked out and got a table.
Great Eastern Restaurant in San Francisco has been serving Cantonese Chinese food in this location for many years. They serve dim sum during lunch, dinner and traditional Chinese items during dinner. Great Eastern dim sum lunch was reviewed separately. President Obama dined here in February 2012, so did Tim Cook.
Dalida is a Modern Mediterranean Restaurant in San Francisco’s Presidio. Dalida gets its name from a few places. In Polish-Yiddish it means dahlia, the official flower of San Francisco, but its also chef’s mother’s name. The food is a little Turkish, a little Greek, Armenian, Jewish, Arabic and Persian. The couple also runs the Mexican Restaurant Maria Isabel. The chef Sayat Oyzilmaz worked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and joined the Le Bernardin. He’s probably best known around SF in working at Noosh and leaving. (Yes we ate there when they were cooking) The food is geared towards eating family style.
Since 1999, they have been California/Mediterranean-inspired menu in a stylish setting in the middle of the Mission district of San Francisco. They focus on local and organic ingredients.
Where does a San Francisco Foodie eat in Morocco? Follow our journey and learn from our experiences. Here are Restaurant Reviews and Notes from our Summer 2025 trip to Morocco.
Why did we dine here? – Valley Goat is a new restaurant from Chicago’s Girl and the Goat Chef Stephanie Izard and Boka Restaurant Group. Top Chef Winner, Iron Chef Gauntlet Winner, and James Beard Award Winning! She also runs Girl & The Goat Los Angeles. We loved our meal out there and couldn’t wait to give this nearby outpost a try, but Sunnyvale? This is located at the Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley – Next door to the Google Cloud Building.
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Where does a San Francisco Foodie eat in Seattle? Follow our journey and learn from our experiences.
Why did we dine here? – Twelvemonth is a new plant-based vegan restaurant in downtown Burlingame. It has been hotly anticipated as there are no such restaurants in this area. We had to previously drive to SF or Palo Alto to get quality vegetarian food. We have dined here multiple times with the last at the end of 2025.
Minmon is an unique Chinese seafood buffet in Shanghai with a location in Shenzhen. It is located about 20 minutes from the Bund. We watch a video about this spot and wanted to give it a try. Decor is modern and nautical in theme. The selection of seafood items geared towards Chinese cooking are unparalleled! What a fun spot. No reservations.
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Zhangjiajie is an amazing place in the Hunan Province of China. The scenic beauty of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is unmatched with its sandstone pillars. The movie Avatar was inspired there. Zhangjiajie’s Avatar Mountains are located in Yuanjiajie, Wulingyuan Scenic Area of Hunan Province, China. The area is accessible via Zhangjiajie City. Be sure to pay extra for VIP tickets to cut in line!
Lai Lai is known for top rated Xiao long bao aka XLB or soup dumplings. We’ve been to Yu garden, Jia jia, Din Tai Fung and several other places on past trips, so it was time for a new place.
Top xiao long bao in Shanghai?
Jia Jia Tang Bao (佳家汤包) is a small but popular Shanghai steamed dumpling or Xiaolongbao shop in Shanghai established in 1986. Our first visit was in 2010, then 2014. Our most recent visit was in Summer 2025 when they had moved down the block to nicer location.
Dumplings worth flying across the Pacific Ocean for…
Yang’s Dumpling – Chinese name: 小杨生煎馆 or xiao yang sheng jian guan 生煎包 – is a popular fried dumpling shop serving pan fried pork bun or Sheng jian bao, a Shanghainese Chinese dish. It was formed in Shanghai in 1994 by Mrs. Yang, who still keeps her recipe secret. They have many locations in Shanghai and are opening more all the time even in Austrailia. We dined at the Shanghai Huanghe location nearest to our hotel by People’s Square.
Why did we dine here? – 7 Adams has 1 Michelin Star in 2024, making it a sought after reservation. 5 course menu was only $87, making it a good value.
7 Adams is named after the street address of the childhood home where Chef David Fisher grew up. He and Chef Serena Chow Fisher run the place, after leaving Marlena in Bernal Heights. 4.3 stars on Yelp.
Redefining top notch dim sum and Chinese food near San Francisco.
Why did we dine here? – Grand Harbor is a Chinese restaurant in Burlingame, California, located right by the San Francisco Bay. (Next door to Benihana) The building and parking lot look sketch. It has a grand view of the Bay and the San Francisco Airport to the north. Leisurely watch planes landing all meal long. Our Last visit (#6) was in Winter 2025.
Is this still the Best buffet in Vegas?
The Caesars Bacchanal Buffet was the latest and greatest buffet to open in 2012. They spent $100 million to create the best buffet in Vegas. 25,000 square feet of gluttony. Some have called it the next great buffet after Wynn and Bellagio, so we had to give it a visit. The only other top rated buffet we have not tried in Vegas is the Palms AYCE. We’ve been here several times. How would this buffet compare to the competition in 2025 after the Pandemic?
Exciting food in an energetic atmosphere.
Why did we dine here? – Liholiho Yacht Club is a Hawaiian influenced restaurant from Ravi Kapur, formerly of Prospect and Boulevard. He returned to Hawaii and found inspiration in the cuisine he grew up with. It is a very popular restaurant with hard to get online reservations, so book on Resy weeks in advance.
One of our favorite Italian restaurants in San Francisco. Perbacco is a popular Italian restaurant in San Francisco’s financial district that opened in 2006. They once had a sister restaurant next door Barbacco that has morphed into Turtle Tower. Founder Chef Staffan Terje left in 2022 but is still an owner. Last visit was in summer 2025.
Last Update: June 2025
We love Xiao Long Bao (XLB) aka Shanghai Steamed Soup Dumplings and have eaten all over the world seeking the best. Are you a Xiao Long Bao addict too? Read on.
One tip: If you are looking for good XLB, do not order them from a Cantonese Chinese restaurant. You are almost always guaranteed disappointing results even at the Best Chinese Restaurant in San Francisco: Koi Palace. Order these little balls of wonder from a Shanghainese Chinese restaurant.
When we get asked, “where do we get the dim sum in Chinatown?” Our answer is.. Great Eastern Restaurant San Francisco has been serving Cantonese Chinese food in this location for many years.
Wynn Buffet has been one of the top buffets in Las Vegas for years. Recently, the Caesar’s Bacchanal Buffet has passed it. We have been there in the past and went back for Saturday Brunch in early 2025.
Solid Dim Sum in Fisherman’s Wharf of all places!- Why did we dine here? – Palette Tea House is from the team behind top rated Chinese restaurants: Koi Palace and Dragon Beaux. They took over Waxman’s location in Ghirardelli Square. We gave them a month and headed to tourist central to try this new dim sum palace. Our last visit was in Summer 2025.
Why did we dine here? – Dumpling Home was featured in the SF Chronicle for Xiao Long Bao or Soup Dumplings making us really want to try it.
Mamahuhu is Mister Jiu’s casual restaurant in the Inner Richmond district of San Francisco. You order at the counter and they bring the food to you.
They’ve opened more locations including one in Mill Valley. Their motto: “We envision a future in which delicious, affordable, sustainably-sourced food is the norm and Chinese-American cuisine plays a central role.”
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Reviews from our Summer 2024 trip to Paris. It has been about 15 years, so it was time to see Olympic ready Paris.
Here are Restaurant Reviews and Notes from our Summer 2024 trip to Greece – Athen and Naxos.
Horn BBQ Is a legendary barbecue restaurant in Oakland, California. It has 3.5 stars on yelp and had long lines at the old location whenever it’s open. A fire closed them down and made them re-open in April 2024 at 464 8th St. near Chinatown, Oakland at their former burger joint. You now order using the computer tablet by the entrance, then sit down.
Horn BBQ Definitely serves up barbecue that was not as good as the old location. Top-notch barbecue the San Francisco Bay area. Breakwater BBQ in El Granada is really good. 4505 in San Francisco is also good for ribs.
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