Browsing Tag

Dinner

South Beauty Restaurant Review, Shanghai

Posted on August 21, 2010

South Beauty is a very beautiful restaurant located in the Super Brand Mall in Shanghai’s Pudong district. The view of the Bund was awesome from this location making us worry about the quality of the food. You have to spend at least ¥200 per person to sit by the window. Dining on the outdoor deck is unparalleled. South Beauty, founded in 2000 by Zhang Lan, has over 40 high end restaurants throughout China including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chengdu, Suzhou, QingDao, Shenyang. They also run Steam, LAN Club, and SUBU. We had eaten at this location about two years ago and had mixed results. South Beauty Was picked this time because the other restaurants in the Super Brand Mall had already closed. They serve a combination of Sichuan and Cantonese Chinese food in stylish environments.

Auberge du Soleil Restaurant Review, Rutherford

Posted on July 28, 2010

Auberge du Soleil (Inn of the Sun) is a posh resort in the Napa Valley with a Michelin starred restaurant that opened in 1981. Executive Chef Robert Curry, formerly of Domain Chandon and Greystone, serves up Wine country cuisine.

The Slanted Door Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on July 26, 2010

The Slanted Door is a famous modern Vietnamese restaurant located in San Francisco’s Ferry Building. Legendary chef Charles Phan’s empire includes several Out the Door restaurants and Hard Water. He failed at Heaven’s Dog and Wo Hing General Store. They use a lot of local, organic, sustainable ingredients and focus on essentially California cuisine with the Vietnamese influence.

Frances Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on July 2, 2010

Frances is run by Melissa Perello, formerly of Charles Nob Hill and Fifth Floor, was winner of several accolades including San Francisco Chronicle’s rising star chef in 2002. Her California Cuisine Castro district restaurant, named after her grandmother, is one presently of the hardest reservations in town. We didn’t have a reservation and went early for bar counter seating before the restaurant opened. (some seats here are pretty tiny) Frances never answered the phone when we called, but they did return our message. They use local, sustainable and organic products when possible.

Grand Palace Restaurant Review, South San Francisco

Posted on June 30, 2010

Grand Palace Seafood Restaurant is a Cantonese Chinese restaurant in downtown South San Francisco. This restaurant opened in 2005 and is located on a street with a wide variety of different restaurants. They are best known for dim sum lunch and wedding banquets, but we were nearby at dinnertime and decided to give them a try. The restaurant is about 3 blocks from Highway 101’s Grand Avenue exit.

Wayfare Tavern Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on June 25, 2010

Wayfare Tavern is restaurant from celebrity chef Tyler Florence. He moved from the location on Sacramento Street earlier in 2025. They focus on local and sustainable ingredients for their classic American Tavern cuisine. Our last time dining here was in 2010!

Decor, Vibe – Wayfare Tavern has really nice decor out of the Barbary Coast era with dark wood floors, old school lightbulbs, lots of hunting trophies, counter seating, rustic booth seating,, and old-fashioned decor. Place was loud and packed with foodies and Food Network fans eager to try this new location.

Ramen Dojo Restaurant Review, San Mateo

Posted on June 9, 2010

Ramen Dojo opened in San Mateo at legendary Santa Ramen’s original location back in 2010, no doubt hoping to capture some of its good karma. In fact it’s owned by chef-owner Kazunori Kobayashi. They focus on spicy ramen, specifically Sutamina Ramen (aka Spicy Stamina Ramen) that is served in a couple restaurants in the SF Bay Area. They de-emphasised Spicy ramen and now even serve regular ramen. Our last visit was in October of 2017.

Santa Ramen is the original, now in larger dig, better for parties 4+
Ramen Dojo is focuses on spicy ramen, perhaps a little better broth, toppings. Tiny location
Ramen Parlor has more starters and variety on their menu

5A5 Steak Lounge Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on June 4, 2010

5A5 Steak Lounge is a contemporary take on a Steakhouse, and is located in San Francisco’s Jackson Square area. They serve , 100% natural beef with no antibiotics or hormones. Executive Chef Allen Chen formerly cooked at Cupertino’s top rated Alexanders Steakhouse, so you see a lot of similarities here.

Myung Dong Tofu Cabin Restaurant Review, San Mateo

Posted on May 24, 2010

Myung Dong Tofu Cabin is a Korean restaurant with two locations, San Mateo near Highway 101, and Santa Clara. We went to the San Mateo location which is in a strip mall next to a Marina supermarket. Our 2010 revisit of the restaurant occurred in April 2010. They had dropped the weekend specials and added half orders.

Blue Water Cafe and Raw Bar Restaurant Review, Vancouver

Posted on May 21, 2010

Blue Water Cafe and Raw Bar is as they put it “City’s definitive destination for seafood”. Our goal was to eat local food that defined Vancouver. Executive Chef Frank Pabst is known for his innovative and brilliantly executed West Coast plates, insisting on using seafood from wild and sustainable harvest. At the raw bar, cut master Yoshi Tabo has his own dedicated following for his expert sushi and sashimi. We had eaten at their sister restaurant, Araxi, in Whistler a couple days before our dinner here. Blue Water Cafe is located in the trendy Yale town district, which literally has restaurant after restaurant on each block.

Kirin Mandarin Restaurant Review, Vancouver, BC

Posted on May 20, 2010

Kirin Mandarin is a well-respected Chinese restaurant in downtown Vancouver, which is named after a mythical dragon like monster. They have five locations in the greater Vancouver area. This particular location focuses on Northern Chinese cuisine and opened in 1987. Sherman recommended we visit this restaurant. Dim Sum Lunch is covered separately.

Araxi Restaurant Review, Whistler, BC, Canada

Posted on May 19, 2010

Araxi Restaurant + Bar is a popular restaurant in Whistler’s village. They focus on British Columbia cuisine with lots of seafood. Executive Chef James Walt celebrates carefully sourced local ingredients including the freshest seafood. This restaurant is renowned to be the top spot in Whistler. Araxi has 3 well regarded restaurants in Vancouver.

Tao Restaurant Restaurant Review, Las Vegas

Posted on January 28, 2010

Tao Restaurant is a Asian fusion restaurant located in Las Vegas’ Venetian Resort. It opened in 2005 and is the #1 grossing restaurant in the United States. Tao has an outpost in New York City. This place is home to lots of celebrities. They focus on Hong Kong Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisines.

Jin Sho Restaurant Review, Palo Alto

Posted on December 21, 2009

Jin Sho Restaurant is a ‘Executive-Class’ Japanese restaurant run by 2 chefs formerly of Nobu in New York, Noriomi Kaneko and Ichiro Takahashi. They bought several dishes with them from their past experiences. It opened in late 2007 and is located in Palo Alto’s California street shopping district right off of El Camino Real. They serve everything from classic sushi rolls, sashimi, omakase, to more western entrees.

Shabu House Restaurant Review, Burlingame

Posted on December 9, 2009

Shabu House is a Japanese Beef Fondue restaurant with locations in San Francisco and Burlingame. Shabu Shabu is a Japanese culinary dish which inspired from the Mongolian tradition of nabemono, or “one pot” cooking. In traditional shabu shabu, thin slices of beef are placed in a communal pot of boiling water and swished back and forth until cooked. We went to the new Burlingame location, open since late November 2009. The San Francisco one opened in late 2007.

Tannourine Restaurant Review, San Mateo

Posted on November 30, 2009

Restaurant.com sells discounted Certificates for this restaurant.

Spasso Restaurant Review, San Carlos

Posted on August 31, 2009

Spasso is a neighborhood Italian restaurant in San Carlos’ Laurel Street business corridor. There are 5 Italian restaurants within one block!

LB Steak Restaurant Review, Santana Row, San Jose

Posted on June 17, 2009

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54 Mint Wine Bar Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on May 26, 2009

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Guy Savoy Restaurant Review, Las Vegas

Posted on May 23, 2009

Guy Savoy is a French Restaurant located in Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. It was opened in 2006 and is the US outpost for 3 Michelin Star Restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris. This location received 2 Michelin Stars in 2009.

Firefly Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on January 23, 2009

Firefly Restaurant is a neighborhood restaurant located in the Noe Valley part of San Francisco. It has been around for many years. They have a very reasonable $35 3 course Prix Fix dinner Sunday – Thursday. We saw good reviews up on Yelp and decided to see for ourselves.

Frascati Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on January 2, 2009

Frascati is a Mediterranean style bistro neighborhood restaurant on Russian Hill in San Francisco. Since 1987 this place has been serving it up. It has some of the highest ratings on Yelp.

Epic Roasthouse Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on November 26, 2008

Epic Roasthouse is a steak house located strategically on the San Francisco waterfront. It has extra ordinary views and is next door to the seafood restaurant Water Bar. They are both part of the vast Kuleto Restaurant empire. They dry age their steaks for 28 days.
Decor, Vibe – Pat Kuleto is a master restaurant designer and has created Boulevard, Jardinere and many other restaurants. This place has an old school clubby atmosphere with a seawater pump house theme and an upstairs bar area. Well dressed businessmen and others in their 40’s – 60’s were dining.

Pizzaiolo Restaurant Review, Oakland

Posted on November 25, 2008

Pizzaiolo opened in 2005 and has been packing them in for pizza since. The Chef-Owner used to work at Chez Panisse.

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.

Sushi Main Street Restaurant Review, Half Moon Bay

Posted on November 8, 2008

Sushi Main Street is a Japanese Restaurant in Half Moon Bay, just off the Main street shopping area on Mill street. They have been around for several years and used to be located on Main street. Their menu is quite extensive for a small coastal town.

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.

Patxi’s Chicago Pizza Restaurant Review, Palo Alto

Posted on October 3, 2008

Classic Chicago-style deep dish pizza is the reason to visit. Pronounced “paw-CHEESE”, this place is run by a former cook and manager of Zachary’s Pizza in Oakland. With that heritage, it was time to compare it again the reference.

Little Sichuan Newark Restaurant Review

Posted on October 1, 2008

Little Sichuan, not to be confused with the one in San Mateo, used to be located in Fremont, but moved to this new larger location and upgraded itself. It is now located in a big strip mall anchored by Ranch 99. This mall has a ton of different restaurants. The old one was decent, so we decided to give the new place a try. We tried them on the weekend, when they have some additional specials.

Isa Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on September 19, 2008

Isa is a french small plate (Tapas) restaurant in San Francisco’s Marina District named after the owner’s daughter. They’ve been serving this type of California influenced tapas since 2000. We like this cuisine as it lets you sample lots of different items. Plates are timed by the kitchen and meant to be shared with the table, family style. This is one of the better restaurants in this part of town.

La Petite Camille Restaurant Review Millbrae

Posted on September 10, 2008

Benihana Restaurant Review

Posted on September 10, 2008

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Beretta Restaurant Review

Posted on September 4, 2008

Pasta Moon, Half Moon Bay, Restaurant Review

Posted on July 27, 2008

Pasta Moon is one of a handful of restaurants on Main street in Half Moon Bay.
It was time to try it, as we’ve been to Cetrella and Sushi Main too many times.

Daiquiri Dicks Restaurant Review, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Posted on July 18, 2008

Daiquiri Dicks is a popular beach front restaurant serving a variety of cuisine.
It is located in the heart of the city and is highly recommended by the Fodor’s Guide. An English version of the menu is available.

Archie’s Wok Restaurant Review, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Posted on July 15, 2008

Archie’s Wok is one of the few Asian restaurants in Puerto Vallarta. It is located in the Romantic zone, half a block from the beach. They have Chinese, Thai, Filipino style dishes infused with local accents. English translations of the menu are available. The late Archie was the chef to John Houston at his hideaway for many years. Archie’s wife and family continue his legacy today.

Trio Restaurant Review, Puerto Vallarta

Posted on July 10, 2008

Trio is a Mediterranean restaurant run by 2 chef owners from Europe. It is located in the heart of the city and is highly recommended by the Fodor’s Guide. They have a small back patio and roof top dining if weather allows. Trio also stays open late. An english version of the menu is available.

La Palapa Restaurant Review, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Posted on July 9, 2008

La Palapa is a popular beach front restaurant serving a variety of continental cuisine. It is located in the heart of the romantic zone and is recommended by the Fodor’s Guide with a star. An English version of the menu is available. This is definitely a more expensive touristy restaurant. You’ll see vendors walking the beach trying to sell you stuff.

Tommasos Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on June 30, 2008

Tommasos, Open in 1935, this place is a North Beach institution that seems to have a line every day
from 530pm onwards. It is an old school Italian eatery that hasn’t changed much. Big communal table down the middle. A small basement eatery with old fashion decor and yellow lighting, this is a classic and full of tourists. Tommasos is well know for their wood-fired brick oven pizza.

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