Saturday, September 27, 2008

Yum Yum Fish




Yum Yum Fish
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
2181 Irving Street
(between 22nd Ave & 23rd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Mmmm... this is one right around the corner from my hood, which delivers fresh sushi whenever it strikes the mood. Yum Yum Fish is a fish market right on the busy Irving Street which makes fresh sushi daily for its customers. There are maybe 2-3 tables but generally everyone gets their sushi to go. One thing for sure is it is fresh and they get fresh fish daily which makes it fresh which equals good.  My favorites here are the tuna and salmon kamikaze rolls, spicy scallop roll, and the sake roll (smoked salmon). Overall a great find for quality and fresh sushi, a staple if your in the sunset area.

Suzu Noodle House



Suzu Noodle House
1825 Post St
(between Fillmore St & Webster St)
San Francisco, CA 94115

Grub-O-Meter: 2 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Suzu Noodle House is located in JapanTown right underneath the Kinokuniya Bookstore. I was curious about this place because I passed by and saw bunches of people waiting to get inside, I checked it out and decided to give it a go. Suzu is known for the their noodles especially their ramen. So I tried it out, I ordered the Tokyo Ramen and my fiancee had the miso ramen. The presentation looks great, the noodles are not too bad since they are known for hand-making their noodles. But overall was really really salty and definitely msg alert. I think I would not go back here, there are other ramen joints in the city far better and less crowded.

Enjoy Vegetarian




Enjoy Vegetarian
754 Kirkham St
(between 11th Ave & 12th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Right up the street from where I live, Enjoy Vegetarian lies right in the middle of a neighborhood with no surrounding businesses around. I'm not particularly a vegetarian but once in a while like to eat some veggies to clean out the system. Basically this is chinese food without the meat. Tastes great, no msg, a large variety of dishes and choices. A lot of hardcore vegetarians come here including some practicing monks and buddhists from around the area.
Tried the fake chicken which actually was really good and did taste like meat which was surprising. Also the tofu balls, noodles, and straight veggie dishes were quite good. Would recommend this if your in the mood for asian but just a little bit more healthier flavor.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Saigon Sandwiches




Saigon Sandwiches
560 Larkin St
(between Eddy St & Turk St)
San Francisco, CA 94102

Grub-O-Meter: 5 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $ out of $$$$

Saigon Sandwiches in Little Saigon is one of the best vietnamese sandwiches I have tasted.  A little hole-the-wall place run by two little asian moms who have a steady loyal following of customers. Definitley one of the best deals of the city, I did walk in to discover they raised the price, so the chicken sandwich is now 3 bucks instead of $2.50 but still worth it for sure. The menu is simple only about 5-6 choices, simply done but done well. One of the better grubhubs within the city.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Bucks




Buck's
3062 Woodside Rd
Woodside, CA 94062

Grub-O-Meter: 3 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

What Can I say about Bucks, this place has alot of character. In the middle of Woodside which is known for bicyclists and runners this place is a destination for all types of people from rich Silicon Valley moguls to large families to birthday partiers. The walls are covered with unusual pictures, toys, models, etc.. We sat down to a large menu of choices from Omelets to Sandwiches. The food was average from what we ordered but I think that this restaurant more than makes up for it with the enviorment and energy.  We came here to celebrate my brothers birthday and he told me not to announce to the waiter that it was his birthday but of course I did not knowing what this place was about. After we finished our meal the waitress came out with a band of crazy singers  along with a tuba player and sang happy birthday which was hilarious, similar to Chevy's or Bucca Di Beppo.  So overall if your looking to go somewhere for a large, family-friendly restaurant with lots of energy and things to look at, then this is your place.

Pacific Catch



Pacific Catch
1200 9th Ave
(between Irving St & Lincoln Way)
San Francisco, CA 94122

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Pacific Catch on the corner of 9th Ave and Lincoln is one of those restaurants if you want something that is no-nonsense, pretty healthy, and makes you full, Pacific Catch is a good choice. Formly the Canvas Cafe which I was sad to see go but am glad to see they replaced it with something worthwhile. I Have tried many  things here but the main dishes I usually go back to are the Wasabi Bowls (pictured above) and the Fish and Chips with Sweet Potato Fries. The ahi tuna is pan-seared for the Wasabi Bowls which makes it tasty, and you can request brown rice if your feeling in the healthy mood. The Fish and Chips along with the Sweet potato fries are great along with a beer if your in the mood to eat something yummy. Overall a great staple for the Sunset area.


B Star Bar



B Star Bar
127 Clement St
(between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118

Grub-O-Meter: 3 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

From the same owners as Burma Superstar comes this take on Asian fusion cuisine right in the heart of the Richmond District. Upon entering the restaurant you immediatly notice the interior of the restaurant which feels welcoming and relaxed in which I appreciate. My fiancee and I ordered an appetizer and two entrees just to test the waters. We ordered the croquet potatoes for the appetizer, and mango salsa tacos and spicy chili tofu for the entrees. I would come back here to try some other dishes that look interesting like the Thai Salmon Green Curry Pot Pie and the Prather Ranch Braised Ox Tail which sounds great, but that night we were just in the mood for something light. B-Star is know for using fresh, organic, and sustainable products and it shows in their dishes. The portions are small but if your not too hungry and you want some fresh food then this is a decent place. Also a neat plus was the outdoor patio in the back that opens for lunch.

El Castillito



El Castillito
370 Golden Gate Ave
San Francisco, CA 94102

Grub-O-Meter: 3 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $ out of $$$$

El Castillito is a lunch time spot two blocks away from the Civic Center, bordering the the edge of Little Saigon. Sort of a hole in wall place and the area is not the best but El Castillito serves up a pretty decent burrito. The prawn burrito and the breakfast burrito are two really good burritos that you dont see everywhere. One of the better parts of El Castillito is the all you can eat chips and salsa, my co-worker and I usually get the cups of salsa and dig-in. Overall pretty good, cheap, and makes you full which is alright when your in the mood for some Mexican.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Jimmy Beans




Jimmy Beans
1290 6th St
(On Gilman)
Berkeley, CA 94710

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Jimmy Beans is a great, lively place, on Gilman Street which is not particularly known for much since it is surrounded by factories and industrial buildings. But in the midst of all that is Jimmy Beans, a great breakfast spot for hungry locals. The restaurant is bustling and always busy but is a great place to get some quality breakfast. Their omeltes are huge, fruits and veggies are fresh, and dollar size pancakes are tasty. So if you are in the Berkeley area in the morning head on over to this delightful breakfast grubhub.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Submarine Center



Submarine Center
820 Ulloa St
San Francisco, CA 94127

Grub-O-Meter: 5 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Submarine Center is a surprisingly good find in the heart of West Portal. They make one of the best subs I have ever had, its almost like drugs, can't get enough of it. They use the same ingredients as most sandwich places but they have a secret, the secret sauce that makes it so grubbin. Also it helps that they toast your sub and add a bunch more ingredients. The counter guy asked me if I wanted guacamole and I said yes and he cut open one whole fresh guacamole for my sandwich which was great. The pastrami, italian combo, and even the turkey are awesome. Can't wait to come back to my new favorite sandwich grubhub!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Kitaro Sushi Restaurant



Kitaro Japanese Restaurant
5723 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94121

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Kitaro Japanese Restaurant is one of my favorite places to go for fresh, cheap, and good sushi.
I went to Kitaro last night with the future inlaws + fiancee and we spent a total of 45 bucks for 8 rolls and one chicken teriyaki dinner. The rolls are good quality, we ordered several rolls including the rainbow roll (pictured above) and we had so much we had to take some home. The menu has some different types of rolls that I don't see everywhere including the Mexican roll, Irish Roll, and the Spicy Chicken roll. For quality, ease on the wallet and if your in the mood for some sushi, definitley check this place out.

Shanghai Dumpling Shop




Shanghai Dumpling Shop
455 Broadway
Millbrae, CA. 94030

Grub-O-Meter: 3 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Upon going to the Millbrae Art & Wine Festival just happen to walk by and take a peak at the menu and decided to give it a try. The main part of the menu I was interested in was the breakfast portion which encompasses dumplings, soy milk, sticky rice, green onion pancakes, and many more goodies. Its hard to find a good Shanghainese breakfast place around SF but I must say this was good. For the dumplings (xiao long bao) its just the right texture and has the soupy liquid inside which squirts inside your mouth after taking a bite. Other stuff, the soy milk was good, the green onion pancake seemed a little too oily and fried, the Jja jjang myun (black bean sauce noodles)  was ok but they used another type of noodle, and the sticky rice was decent. As for the prices and atmosphere not the best but overall this is a pretty decent place, but the star of the restaurant is definitley the dumplings.

Los Compadres Taco Truck



Los Compadres Taco Truck
101 Polk Street @ Hayes
San Francisco, CA. 94101

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5  Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $ out of $$$$

Los Compadres is a Taco Truck right down the street from my workplace that is pretty grubbin for the price. They park right in the Central Parking Lot during lunch and you will usually encounter a crowd. For 5-6 bucks you can get a tasty burrito that doesn't disappoint. 
In Hayes Valley the prices are pretty ridiculous and over priced for everything, so this is a refreshing change.  The marinated chicken was tasty, sour cream and guacamole are not even needed. The truck has a cool vibe, they have attached sub-woofers to the truck and plays some cool tunes. The hipster looking dude serving guy is pretty cool along with his compadres serving up some great food.