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East Bay
My reviews of restaurants and businesses in Oakland, Berkeley, and other cities in the East Bay. For my San Francisco reviews, see: http://www.yelp.com/list/sfo-san-francisco-san-francisco.
106 Places
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Daniel’s 5-star review: Amazing. Where were playgrounds like this when I was a kid? The All Abilities Playground at Heather Farm Park is by far the best, completely-free, open-to-the-public playground I've been to. Anywhere. It's big, clean, and safe with a wide variety of play areas for children of all ages (from toddlers to age 12) and abilities (including children with disabilities). The playground opened October 2014 and covers 30,000 square feet. My three-and-a-half-year-old niece absolutely loves this place and it's easy to see why. The playground has all sorts of fun stuff for her to do. Most of the playground consists of colorful, elevated bridges, canopies, decks, and tubes/tunnels that can be climbed up to via ramps, steps, stepping stones/platforms, ladders, and climbing walls/chains. Kids can choose to go down a number of different slides with varying twists, turns, and steepness levels. The playground's flooring is made out of soft shock-absorbent material. There's a rocking boat, rock climbing walls, monkey bars, a swing set (with both traditional swings and bucket swings for toddlers), giant bugs the kids can ride/rock on (my niece loves the ladybug), a large sandbox type area, a small hill to slide down (cardboard mats appear to be provided by the park or others), play logs and rocks, and fun-looking, unique climbing structures that I don't even know how to begin to describe. For adults, there's plenty of seating (benches) and shade along with picnic tables out on the grass. A free parking lot is conveniently located next to the playground entrance. Restrooms are located in the building across the parking lot (this is not the building by the pond). The playground cost about $1.25 million to build and was funded by special voter-approved park funds, city and county park funds, and private donations from fundraising. Learn more about this terrific playground on the Walnut Creek Civic Pride Foundation website at http://www.wccivicpride.org/playground. I look forward to returning with both my nieces in the future! -
Daniel’s 5-star review: I had one of the best Cantonese dinners not just in the Bay Area, but anywhere, at East Ocean Seafood Restaurant in Alameda. Not only was the food authentic and excellent, but service was fast and efficient and the restaurant was spacious and clean with a comfortable atmosphere. This place is perfect for family and group dining (and it works well for single and couple diners as well). Just a terrific all-around experience. The restaurant is huge. It's designed to handle banquets of up to 400+ guests. Imagine two large dining rooms or banquet halls filled with almost nothing but white tablecloth tables, most of which are the large round type with Lazy Susans (circular rotating food trays) in the center. Unlike a lot of Cantonese restaurants, which are basic and no-frills, East Ocean Seafood is brighter, cleaner, and classed up with nicer looking furniture and decor. Servers are uniformed in white dress shirts, slacks, and vests. Dim sum is served daily from 10am to 2:30pm. The lunch menu features over 50 items with most entrees priced around $12-15 each. $8.95 lunch specials are available Monday-Friday (excluding holidays) from 11am to 2:30pm and include soup and rice. In typical Chinese fashion, the dinner menu is big and contains nearly 200 items spanning a variety of appetizers and soups; duck & squab, pork, beef, chicken, seafood, fish, and vegetable & tofu dishes; sizzling iron platters, clay pots, noodles and rice dishes, and desserts. Expect to spend around $12-19 each for most dinner entrees. Here's what we went with (menu numbers included): * #14. Cured pork shank & jellyfish (chilled) - $11.00 * #25. West Lake style beef soup (medium size, 48 oz) - $16.00 * #37. Roast duck (half) - $15.00 * #59. Ginger and scallions beef - $13.95 * #67. Special scallion chicken (half, steamed) - $13.00 * #123. Bitter melon rock cod filet with black bean sauce - $14.95 * #143. Special pea sprouts with roasted garlic (a.k.a. snow pea tips) - seasonal price * #170. Beef dry chow fun - $11.95 Everything was delicious. There wasn't a single item we didn't like. It's difficult to pick a favorite because several of the dishes were equally fantastic. However, if I had to pick a least favorite out of the group, it would be the special scallion chicken. We normally get this dish "dry," but at East Ocean Seafood, they serve it with sauce. I'm thinking maybe we should have ordered crispy chicken (#65) instead. The jellyfish was great. Nicely chilled, gelatinous yet firm with a nice crunch to it. Fresh too. The cured pork shank wasn't bad either. About equal parts fat and meat with some bits of tendon. About seven slices were served along with strips of jellyfish which were topped with a bit of cilantro. Some sesame seeds were sprinkled on top of the jellyfish and pork. The West Lake beef soup was superb. Along with shreds of beef, this semi-light soup contains egg whites, scallions, and mushrooms in a savory, comforting, clear broth. This soup has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. We sometimes add red vinegar or white pepper to this soup, but didn't on this occasion. The roast duck was cooked to perfection. The crispy brown skin just glistened when the plate hit our table. The duck could have been meatier, but overall, I thought the quality was very good. Fatty (as most Chinese roast ducks are), but not too fatty. The duck was served bone-in, topped with cilantro, with some sauce on the side. The ginger and scallions beef was outstanding. Unless you don't eat beef, I don't see how anyone could not like this dish. Our plate included strips of beef that appeared to be stir-fried with green onion and ginger in a mouthwatering sauce. Simple yet packed with flavor. The aforementioned special scallion chicken looked the least appetizing, but it tasted fine. The chicken looked soggy because (bone-in) chunks sat (drowned?) in a thick brown sauce. They were topped with scallions, jalapeno, and red peppers. Some pieces of chicken came with skin and the meat itself (some of which was white meat) was lean and tender. I feel like this dish could have used a little more flavor. The bitter melon rock cod filet with black bean sauce was exceptional. I liked how the chef didn't overdo it with the black bean sauce, allowing the subtle flavors of the fish and the strong flavor of the bitter melon to shine through. This was a nicely balanced, well executed dish that I think all fans of bitter melon will appreciate. The snow pea tips were wonderful. These were priced seasonally and I forgot how much they cost. Appetizingly fresh and crisp with magnificent garlicky flavor. These greens, along with ong choy, are without a doubt my favorite Chinese vegetables. We really enjoyed the beef chow fun. This is a staple noodle dish in Cantonese cuisine that's almost always reliable. East Ocean Seafood's version wasn't the best I've had, but it was still very good and a dish I wouldn't hesitate to order again. Comfort food. -
Daniel’s 5-star review: We got takeout from Pho Ao Sen and wow, this was the best Vietnamese food I've had in the Bay Area yet. The food is authentic, tasty, and reasonably priced. That's all you really need to know about this place. The restaurant is as typical as it gets for a pho restaurant from the menu (egg/spring rolls, pho, com, bun, and che) to each table with its own set of chopsticks, soup spoons, hoisin sauce, Sriracha, and those little white plates you squeeze the sauces onto. Along with common rolls like cha gio (fried egg rolls) and goi cuon (spring rolls wrapped in rice paper), Ao Sen also has Nha Trang-style nem nuong, which is a type of spring roll that comes with grilled pork, lots of veggies, and a special meat sauce; plus bo bia which is another type of spring roll made with Chinese sausage and jicama root. There are over 20 varieties of pho, most of which contain beef. They do have chicken pho (pho ga), but I don't believe they have a veggie pho. Other traditional Vietnamese soups include banh mi bo kho (beef stew with French bread) and bun bo Hue, a noodle soup made with lemongrass and chili. Note the broth on these are completely different from pho. There are about a dozen rice plates (com) and a half-dozen rice vermicelli noodle entrees (bun), both of which look absolutely delicious. Desserts include a few varieties of Vietnamese pudding (che) which are made with fruits, beans, jellies, coconut milk, and crushed ice, as well as a sweet longan drink known as nhan nhuc. We ordered goi cuon and bo bia for appetizers and I had a pho dac biet for my entree. My sister and brother-in-law ordered pho as well. My mom had the bun thit nuong tom which consists of vermicelli noodles topped with grilled pork and tiger shrimp, shredded lettuce, cucumber, mint, bean sprouts, and scallions. It looked great and she loved it. I enjoyed everything. Since I'm allergic to shrimp, we ordered the goi cuon without shrimp. This meant bigger pieces of savory poached pork. Other fillings included vermicelli noodles, chives, bean sprouts, lettuce, and mint. The goi cuon came with a side of housemade peanut sauce. Along with the aforementioned Chinese sausage and jicama, the bo bia came with dried shrimp (I can tolerate small amounts of dried shrimp), scrambled eggs, peanuts, and basil leaves. The rolls also had cucumber and some delectably fried crispy stuff which I think is the same ingredient used for the fried egg roll wrappers. Served on the side was hoisin sauce with crushed peanuts. Both rolls were terrific. I especially liked the bo bia which, after dipping in the hoisin sauce, seemed to be be packed with flavors not to mention multiple appetizing and contrasting textures. I highly recommend them! My pho dac biet was fantastic, from the broth to the noodles to the meat. It was a very satisfying bowl of pho. Pho dac biet is often referred to as special combination pho or pho with everything (meaning all sorts of beef products). At Ao Sen, this means sliced eye round steak, well-done brisket, well-done flank, marbled brisket, soft tendon, and tripe. My sister likes the tendon so much that we ordered a separate side of tendon, just so we could add more to our bowls of pho. I think you can order extras of most, if not all, of the beef products here. The noodles came with spring onion and white onion along with customary pho sides: bean sprouts, basil leaves, culantro, jalapeno, and lime. I loved the broth -- robust, flavorful, and comforting. The bowl was packed with both noodles and meat. It was nice and filling. The noodles were appetizingly chewy and I found all of the beef parts to be equally savory and good, though I was especially fond of the meatballs and tripe. The veggie sides were crisp and fresh. More culantro (ngo gai), please. Since we ordered our pho to go, we got packets of Sriracha, hoisin sauce (Lee Kum Kee), and red chili paste. They have everything covered. I look forward to trying their com dishes sometime. TL;DR - Pho Ao Sen serves legit and delectable Vietnamese food. -
Daniel’s 5-star review: I'm still loving Crepevine. This is one of my favorite places to eat in Oakland because it's the right combination of healthy, delicious, filling, and affordable. I've tried a few new items off the menu (new to me), so I'm posting this updated review. For a more comprehensive overview of this restaurant, please check out my original review, which is less than a year old. The new items I've tried are: Filet of Fish Po' Boy Bangkok Salad Granada Salad The Filet of Fish Po' Boy consists of a fish filet that's been marinated with lemon and garlic, pan fried, and served on a toasted bun with chipotle mayo and napa cabbage. The sandwich comes with a side salad and fries. As mentioned in my previous review, the salads and fries here are absolutely delicious. The greens are fresh and crisp, the dressings are flavorful, and the fries are thick, crispy, and appetizing. The fish filets are also crispy. Savory too. My only gripe with this sandwich is there isn't enough sauce. In this case, chipotle mayo. A side of tartar sauce would be really nice. The Bangkok Salad has organic mixed greens served with ginger curry-marinated grilled chicken. There's also red onion, cilantro, mint, roasted peanuts, and it's tossed with a spicy lemongrass vinaigrette. It's sweet, sour, and fragrant. The pieces of chicken are big and there are large grill marks on each one. I believe it's chicken breast, so the meat is quite lean. The Granada Salad is quite healthy. It too has organic mixed greens, arugula, pears, roasted peppers, sumac onions, caramelized walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, and is tossed with a pomegranate vinaigrette. I believe a whole pear is sliced for each serving. If not, then close to it. The pear slices come with the skin on. The caramelized walnuts provide a delectable sweetness and crunch. Each salad comes with a couple small baguette slices. Service remains speedy and efficient. Sit on the patio and enjoy the fresh air. -
Daniel’s 5-star review: To date, this is without a doubt my favorite In-N-Out location. Our food was perfect in taste, presentation, and value. The service was excellent. The restaurant was clean (including the restroom) and there was ample parking in the lot outside. Compared to other In-N-Out locations I've been to, this one was the least hectic and packed (and we visited during the peak lunch rush). It was still very busy, but not uncomfortably slammed. This is a relatively new In-N-Out, having opened less than a couple years ago (May 2015). It still looks nice and new. It's located in Alameda near the Webster Street and Posey Tubes. You know how fast food commercials make burgers and fries look better than they really are in person? Well, the burgers and fries served to us here looked like they came from a commercial. Not only did everything look fantastic, but everything tasted as good as it looked. One thing that makes In-N-Out great is it's a tremendous value. The ingredients are fresh and high quality yet sold at low prices. Everything is made to order. Here were the prices during our visit: * Double-Double (double meat, double cheese) - $3.80 * Cheeseburger - $2.65 * Hamburger - $2.35 * Fries - $1.70 * Soda, tea, lemonade - $1.50 to 2.05 * Shake - $2.35 * Milk - $0.99 * Coffee - $1.35 These are fantastic prices, especially for the Bay Area. Note: Tax was 9.5%. The company also has a popular, "not-so-secret," customization menu which you can find online at http://www.in-n-out.com/menu/not-so-secret-menu.aspx. We had a regular cheeseburger, an animal-style cheeseburger, and a protein-style cheeseburger. Each was $2.65. The regular cheeseburger came with a raw slice of onion, American cheese, beef patty, lettuce leaf, tomato slice, and "spread" (Thousand Island dressing) in between two toasted buns. The animal-style cheeseburger included mustard fried into the beef patty, pickles, chopped grilled onions, and extra spread. The protein-style cheeseburger simply had the buns replaced with lettuce leaves. All three burgers were magnificent. Each and every ingredient was quality. We got two orders of fries, one regular ($1.70) and one animal style ($3.70). In-N-Out's fries are cut from potatoes in-house. They look like McDonald's golden fries, with little to no skin, are slightly thicker and starchier, and less salty and greasy. Animal-style fries means the fries are topped with melted American cheese, chopped grilled onions, and spread. Yummy. If you order animal-style fries, you may want to consider mixing the cheese around sooner rather than later (before it hardens). We also had a Neapolitan milkshake ($2.35). This is one of several secret menu items that isn't mentioned on the "not-so-secret" menu. This shake is a combination of In-N-Out's vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry shakes. It was surprisingly good. In-N-Out's shakes are made with 100% real ice cream so they are nice and thick and creamy. If you like spicy food, don't forget to grab a few (or more) of the complimentary, delicious, pickled yellow peppers. You can find them self-serve at the condiment counter. They are small, but pack a punch. My mouth waters just thinking about them. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Shout-out to store employee Akabar. Very friendly guy!
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Daniel’s 5-star review: Wow. I think Veggie Grill may be the best vegan restaurant I've eaten at to date (not that I've been to a whole lot of them). The food was fresh and flavorful and I was particularly impressed with the VG Beyond Burger and the Seoul Bowl with chargrilled "chickin." They tasted just as good, if not better, than their real-meat counterparts. That's a win in my book. This is a fast-casual chain with locations throughout the west coast. At the time of writing this review, there are two Veggie Grills in the Bay Area: this one in Walnut Creek (East Bay) and another in Corte Madera (Marin County). We visited for a Monday lunch, just before the rush. This place got busy to the point where people were waiting for tables to open. The dining room is narrow, but not small. There's a semi-open kitchen and a covered outdoor patio with heat lamps. The space is bright (naturally well lit), clean, modern, and feels relatively new. The menu sports vegan entrees that borrow from a variety of cuisines such as Indian (Masala Bowl), Korean (aforementioned Seoul Bowl), Mexican ("fish" tacos), Vietnamese (Banh Mi Salad), and Mediterranean (salad). All proteins are plant-based. Along with bowls, plates, and salads, the restaurant also serves sandwiches and shareable snacks and sides like "wings," nachos, fries, and cauli-mashed potatoes and gravy. Generally, the food is healthy and delicious. It's quite affordable as well with most entrees in the $11-13 range (each) and snacks and sides $4-8. We ordered several items off of Veggie Grill's seasonal winter menu, which was available during our visit. These items included: * VG Beyond Burger ($12.95) - burger by Beyond Meat, American "cheese," grilled onions, housemade sauce, tomato, iceberg lettuce, sesame seed bun * Southern Spicy Fried "Chickin" ($12.50) - fried "chickin," corn cake, collard greens, cauli-mashed potatoes, porcini mushroom gravy * Koreatown Tacos ($10.25) - crispy "chickin," gochujang, black beans, avocado, red onions, arugula, green cabbage, and a side of black beans Regular menu items we ordered included: * Seoul Bowl ($11.95) - chargrilled "chickin," supergrain + brown rice mix, gochujang, carrots, house-pickled onions, arugula, scallions, sesame * Chill Out Wings ($7.65) - creamy ranch and roasted red pepper sauce * Buffalo Wings ($7.65) - celery sticks, creamy ranch dressing * Oven-roasted broccoli ($3.95) Everything was tasty. There wasn't a single item I didn't like. My favorite was the Seoul Bowl. The chargrilled chickin was very similar to eating Japanese chicken katsu or German chicken schnitzel. Golden crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. The chickin was topped with a bit of Korean gochujang (spicy fermented sauce) and surrounded with a medley of raw, fresh, and colorful vegetables. I want another bowl of this right now just thinking about it. The burger was surprisingly savory, hearty, and beefy. It reminded me of a burger cooked on the grill at home. It had that homemade quality to it. The cheese, onion, lettuce, sauce, and sesame seed bun made it taste like, dare I say, a McDonald's Big Mac. To me, that is a good thing because I love the Big Mac. Veggie Grill's rendition is a respectable one. We ordered ours with a side of sweet potato fries. As a native of the South, I was quite curious to see how these guys would handle the "Southern Spicy Fried 'Chickin.'" Unlike everything else we ordered, the plate didn't look as good as the picture on the menu. However, it tasted fine. I don't know what they use to make their chickin, but it tasted good in every dish I tried it in including this one. The collards and pickles were fine (nothing to write home about), but I did like the cauli-mashed potatoes. Light and flavorful. This was my least favorite dish, but not bad for being completely vegan. Two large tacos were served in the order of Koreatown Tacos. The chunks of chickin were big and reminded me of fried tofu, but better with meatier texture. The slices of avocado were ripe and generous in size. The soft, single-layer tortillas were flour, I believe. This plate was satisfactory and filling. The wings weren't really like wings, but more like chickin sticks or chickin tenders. Five tenders came per order. The Chill Out Wings and Buffalo Wings were very similar with the main difference being the Buffalo Wings coming covered in buffalo sauce (and with a side of celery). I enjoyed both varieties and personally preferred the Chill Out Wings because I could control how much sauce I put on each tender. The oven-roasted broccoli was cooked to perfection. Self-serve organic teas included pomegranate green tea, ginger hibiscus tea, and unsweetened black tea. Juices included strawberry lemonade and cucumber mint limeade. I had the latter and it was terrific. Cool, zesty, and refreshing. Service was A-OK. Our dishes were made-to-order and they came out from the kitchen in a reasonable amount of time. -
Daniel’s 5-star review: My 3.5-year-old niece loves the Tilden Park Merry-Go-Round. She talks about it a lot. It's a long, windy, car-sickness-inducing drive through the park and up to the merry-go-round, but it's worth it. The merry-go-round is historic, having been built in 1911 and opening at Tilden Park in 1948. The carousel and facility have had a number of renovations and improvements over the years, but the carousel itself still has its original hand-carved animals, vignette paintings, and signage, as well as calliope music, from the first half of the 20th century. Stepping onto the merry-go-round is like taking a step back in time. It's an antique and it looks like it belongs in a movie or TV show. When we visited, ticket prices were $2 each or 7 tickets for $10. Children under 2 ride free. Not only is the merry-go-round a blast, but it has a kitchen that serves very good food too. They serve easy American comfort foods like burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, sandwiches, and fries. Most items are no more than $7 or $8 each for adult-sized portions and $3 or $4 each for kid-sized portions. They also offer drinks like soda, coffee (hot or iced), tea, milk, boxed juices, and hot chocolate. Our family ordered two turkey club sandwiches ($8 each), a corn dog ($3), chicken nuggets and fries ($6), a burger ($7.50), and a Polish sausage ($6). All of the food looked terrific. I took at least one bite out of everything and everything tasted very fresh, of good quality, and delicious. The food at this merry-go-round can beat the food at a lot of full-service restaurants! The turkey sandwiches were made with house-baked turkey breast, hickory-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and honey mustard aioli on toasted wheat bread. The corn dog was made with chicken from California-based Foster Farms. The nuggets were made with chicken breast. The fries were the skinny, crispy, golden variety, similar to McDonald's. The burger came with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles on a toasted brioche bun. The Polish sausage consisted of a 1/4-pound frank grilled on a toasted bun with relish, onion, tomato (slices), and sauerkraut. Everything was fantastic. Service was good. Aside from the merry-go-round and concessions, there really isn't much else here. Outside, there are tables to eat at and benches to rest on. When we visited, there were blow-up characters on the grass around the premises. To see when the merry-go-round is open, check the park's schedule and fees page here: http://www.ebparks.org/parks/tilden#merry. It wasn't too busy during our visit and there is plenty of free parking on-site. -
Daniel’s 5-star review: Tilden Little Farm is a free animal farm where you can pet and feed live farm animals. The farm is located inside Tilden Regional Park in northeast Berkeley. This place is awesome, especially if you have little ones. We took my niece here and had lots of fun. Heck, I think this place can be fun for adults too (if you like animals, which I do). Plenty of parking (by Bay Area standards) is available along Central Park Drive. There's no charge to enter Tilden Regional Park nor to park your vehicle. The only thing you'll be responsible for when visiting is bringing your own celery and lettuce to feed the animals. Other than celery and lettuce, no other foods are allowed because they can mess with the animals' digestive systems. During our Sunday afternoon visit, the park was moderately busy with several families and small children. The following animals were present: * Cows - Shorthorn cattle * Goats - French Alpine goats * Sheep - Black Welsh Mountain sheep * Pigs * Chickens * Ducks * Geese * Turkeys There are supposedly rabbits too, but I didn't see any. My favorite animals here are the cows. They're huge and you get to be right up close and personal with them. The cows' heads are massive. Likewise, their tongues, which they use to nonchalantly slurp the food up from your hands, are hilariously thick and long. Mmm... Lengua tacos! These cows are calm and peaceful. The goats are laid back too. The horizontal pupils in their eyes, similar to octopus eyes, look freaky. These guys aren't afraid to poke their heads out between the fence to get fed. They can quickly scarf down celery when hungry. When I went to the sheep section, about a dozen sheep were off feeding, away from the fence. They looked fluffy and dusty. There were a couple black pigs snoozing by a red barn. They were heavy, chunky, furry fellows. The poultry (chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys) had their own section and it seemed to be the messiest section partly because they weren't eating every celery stick and lettuce leaf handed their way. The "sociable" geese were nice and plump. Loud too. I saw a couple turkeys roaming around the farm on their own. I think it's neat how they don't get lost or run away. Little Farm is open daily and closes at sunset. Note this is an actual farm with working farmers. They'll be present and working around the grounds during your visit. The cows here are milked, the sheep's wool is spun into yarn, and the chicken's eggs are saved (ultimately for what purpose, I don't know). Since this is a real farm, it can get smelly. Depending on weather conditions, your shoes and pants could potentially get dusty, dirty, or muddy since several of the walking paths are not paved. There are men and women's restrooms on-site. They're sufficiently clean and come stocked with soap and water -- you're probably going to need it after touching some of these lovely animals. :) Cool Note: One of the pictures I took at Little Farm and uploaded to Yelp made it into a TV feature on KRON 4 San Francisco Bay Area News. Link: http://kron4.com/2015/04/04/discover-the-friendly-and-fuzzy-side-of-spring-this-weekend/. Jump to 3:25 to see it. -
Daniel’s 5-star review: We needed a ride to the San Francisco airport from Oakland. My sister recommended DPM Transportation and I was happy with the service. It cost $85 one-way from Oakland to SFO. The $85 charge was an all-inclusive, flat-rate price covering any and all taxes, tolls, fuel, and gratuity for up to four passengers. DPM operates 24/7, but reservations must be made from 7am to 10pm. Reservations are accepted via text, web site/email (www.dpmlimo.com), and over the phone (415-819-7326). I called on a Tuesday afternoon and was connected immediately to a friendly rep. I made a reservation for pick-up for 6:30am the following day. The phone call was quick and easy. All they needed was my name, pick-up location, drop-off location, and phone number. The next day, I received a text at 6:24am stating: "Your driver is outside when you're ready. Kin / DPM." Kin was the name of our driver. Kin picked us up in a black Lincoln Town Car. He was formally dressed in a suit. Very few words were exchanged before, during, and after the ride. We were going from Point A to Point B and that was it. Black full-size luxury sedan, quiet driver in dark suit - I felt like we were being transported by The Transporter or something (although he did tune the radio to a top 40 hits station). The ride was smooth and comfortable. There was traffic backup on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. We made it to SFO around 7:20pm, so the ride was about 50 minutes from Oakland. I paid with credit card and had to ask for a receipt, which was hand-written for me on a DPM business/receipt card. Since they had my phone number already, it would have been nice if a text (or better yet, email) receipt was an option. Overall, DPM provided a prompt and professional ground transportation experience. DPM stands for Driving People Machine. They serve the entire Bay Area with both flat and hourly rates. Call or check their web site for pricing details. -
Daniel’s 5-star review: Now this is a toy store. The Ark has three locations in the Bay Area. This one is located among the 4th St. shops in Berkeley. I've visited looking for gifts for my niece for both Christmas and for her birthday. The store is presumably named after Noah's Ark because the company's logo looks like the ark and there's a miniature ark inside the store. The shop is small and the interior is mostly made of wood. There are two levels and the place feels original -- not at all like a chain or big box retailer. It's whimsical, no matter what time of year you go, but especially during Christmastime. It's sort of like taking a step back in time when you enter. This is one of those magical toy stores you see in the movies. The Ark has managed to pack a lot of product on their shelves. The business pays particular attention to the items they stock. Several of the toys are rare, unique, and hard to find. They're generally high quality and quite a few are imported from countries such as Germany and Japan. Needless to say, these toys are typically more expensive than the mainstream ones you'd find somewhere such as Toys"R"Us or online at Amazon. If you're looking for a gift for a child, you're sure to find something here. There's a great assortment of toys suited for a variety of ages. They range from educational (books, puzzles) to constructive (building blocks, train sets) to cuddly and funny (Grumpy Cat stuffed animal). Adults may find some niche collectibles too. Service is outstanding. The folks who work here are congenial and are great at suggesting toys for children. They're happy to assist and answer questions over the phone too. Free parking is located in the shopping district's parking lot behind the store. -
Daniel’s 5-star review: If you're looking for something fun and free to do over the holidays, visit Christmas Tree Lane in Alameda. Christmas Tree Lane refers to a stretch of road in a residential area that is absolutely decked out in Christmas lights. It's a neighborhood tradition that dates back to 1938. 1938! Christmas Tree Lane starts at 3200 Thompson Ave. and ends at 3299 Thompson Ave. It's bound by High St. to the north and Fernside Blvd. to the south. The street has sidewalks on either side and a decorated median down the center. In total, there are roughly 50 houses and every single one is decorated. Don't expect anything extravagant. This isn't an upscale part of town. It's an old, classic American neighborhood with small, humble homes. Each home has its own unique lights, decorations, and spin on the holiday season. Some homes look traditional and elegant with nothing but white lights and wreaths. Others look gaudier with multicolored lights, big bulbs, giant candy canes, and blow-up Santa and reindeer dolls. One home has a "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" theme. Another has several Marvel comic book heroes standing in the front yard. One home has a simple setup: a Nativity of Jesus set in the center of the lawn and a spotlight which casts its rather large silhouette against the house. There are Christmas trees aplenty and a real-life Santa too. You can take pictures with him for free, but a donation is suggested. Christmas Tree Lane is ideal for all ages. It's family friendly (kids will love it) and it's a good place to take a date too. There's a magical, whimsical aura about it. It's great the neighborhood has been able to keep the tradition going for so long. Thanks to their generosity, many generations have been able to enjoy the spectacle. You can street park for free along Thompson Ave. Expectedly, it's often busy, so you can alternatively park on neighborhood streets nearby and walk over. That might be the safer and less stressful thing to do. For 2013, the lights will be up from December 1 to December 31. If you plan to go this year, you only have a few more days to go! -
Daniel’s 4-star review: I'm surprised at the low ratings for 23andMe on Yelp. I had a good experience. I received 23andMe's Ancestry Service as a Christmas gift. I actually think these make great gifts. At the time of writing this review, the Ancestry Service costs $99 and the Health + Ancestry Service costs $199. The service is simple. You submit your saliva to 23andMe and they produce reports about your ancestry and health. All you need to do is follow the instructions on the saliva collection kit. It's very straightforward. The amount of saliva you submit is the size of a small test tube. The kit includes everything you need (not that you need much) including prepaid postage to 23andMe. I actually had to submit 2 samples. 48 days after mailing out my 1st (original) sample, I received an email from 23andMe saying: "Our laboratory attempted analysis of your saliva sample but the concentration of DNA was insufficient to produce genotyping results. No need to worry -- while this occurrence is uncommon, it does happen occasionally. Simply provide a new sample using a replacement kit we will ship to you at no charge after you've placed your replacement order online." I had a replacement kit shipped to me. It arrived in less than 10 days. 30 days after mailing out my 2nd sample, I received my results. They were very interesting, but not surprising to me nor my parents. I guess we knew our family history pretty well (we're pretty much Chinese). Part of me was hoping to see some unexpected genes, but that didn't happen. The reports that 23andMe generates include tables, charts, and maps that are easy to read. The amount of information they tell you is limited, however, and of course, there's some error involved so you should interpret the results with a grain of salt. I will say they nailed my parents and grandparents' heritage down almost perfectly. And it was fascinating to see that I "most likely" had second to seventh-great-grandparents born between 1710 to 1860 that were 100% Southeast Asian and 100% Manchurian & Mongolian. I realize that's a wide band I've described - the ancestry timeline provided breaks it down better. Your ancestry detail is broken down into different percentages by population. I think this is the most interesting part. For example, 23andMe says I'm 91.5% Chinese (with Taiwan as a strong match and Mainland China as a moderate match), 4.3% Southeast Asian (with the Philippines as a weak match), and 3.2% Manchurian & Mongolian (no country matched). The remaining 1% is "Broadly East Asian" and "Broadly East Asian & Native American." I'm not sure exactly what those mean and their combined percentage wasn't significant enough for me to really care. What would really impress me is if 23andMe can break down China into different ethnic groups. The Chinese population is and has been massive. Just saying someone is Chinese doesn't say much. For example, I know my family are Teochew Chinese, which is a subset of Han Chinese. If 23andMe is able to identify those with Teochew or even Han DNA, that would be remarkable and a whole lot more insightful. A couple other reports that were neat to see were my Maternal and Paternal Haplogroups. I could broadly see the migrations of both my haplogroups from eastern Africa going back 180,000 to 275,000 years ago. According to 23andMe, my maternal haplogroup of D5a is rare among 23andMe customers (1 in 20,000). They include interesting facts about your haplogroup like: "Ancient China's famous Terracotta Army was constructed by men bearing haplogroup D5." My paternal haplogroup of O-L127.1 is relatively uncommon among 23andMe customers (1 in 2,500). Factoid: "Your haplogroup is common in the Massim groups of Papua New Guinea." Other reports that 23andMe generated included Neanderthal Ancestry (I have fewer neanderthal variants than 93% of 23andMe customers) and Your DNA Family (I have 527 DNA "relatives" in the 23andMe database). I didn't really care for these reports; maybe the DNA Family if I get curious one day. 23andMe was my first foray into genealogy and looking at my ancestry. Admittedly, I probably wouldn't have done this if it wasn't for receiving the Ancestry Service was a Christmas gift. There are other DNA tests out there. Other big ones include AncestryDNA and Family Tree DNA. If you're serious about learning more about your ancestry, it would behoove you to do research on all three to select the one that's best for you. I know 23andMe isn't perfect. I've heard of the identical triplets, who all have the same DNA, submitting their saliva samples to 23andMe and getting back different results. I've also read that 23andMe's ancestry data isn't as accurate nor as detailed for non-Caucasians due to lack of data. They simply have more data on folks with European ancestry and less data on folks with African and Asian ancestry. Presumably, over time, all of these services' reports will improve as they gather more data and continue to refine their research. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: The Bay Bridge is underrated. It's overshadowed by the more popular and iconic Golden Gate Bridge. The Bay Bridge connects the cities of San Francisco and Oakland and consists of two spans, a west span (SF side) and an east span (Oakland side). The two spans meet at Yerba Buena and Treasure Island. Some comparisons between the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge: - The Bay Bridge is more practical. The Golden Gate Bridge is more touristy. - The Bay Bridge is longer (approx. 4.5 miles vs. 1.7 miles). - The Bay Bridge handles more vehicles per day (approx. 240k vs. 110k). - Toll amounts are about the same between the two bridges. - The Bay Bridge is decorated with 25,000 LED lights. Golden Gate: none. - The Bay Bridge is significantly newer. Well, sort of... On Labor Day 2013 (September 2), the Bay Bridge's new east span opened. It took about 6 years and $6.5 billion to build. It took longer than expected and went over budget. The old east span has been taken out of service. It will eventually be demolished. The demolition is estimated to cost $240 million and will take about 3 years. For now, when you ride on the new east span, you run parallel to the old east span. It's kind of cool to look at. The new east span was built due to earthquake safety concerns. The west span, which opened in 1936 (one year before the Golden Gate Bridge opened), underwent a seismic retrofit and is also earthquake safe. The new east span is beautiful. It's a modern work of art and is hard not to admire each time while driving on it. The design of the white towers and beams looks original and, to some extent, futuristic. The west span has the Bay Lights (http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-bay-lights-san-francisco), a light show viewable from the San Francisco side of the bridge. Interestingly enough, the lights can only be seen from a distance. Drivers on the bridge can't see the lights. It was designed this way so drivers wouldn't be distracted by the lights. Good idea. Thanks to the efficiency of LED light bulbs, one day's operation of the Bay Lights supposedly only costs $15. One of the best and most popular places to view the west span of the bridge is from the Ferry Building and the surrounding Embarcadero. Currently, Bay Bridge tolls range from $4-6 (for most types of vehicles) depending on day and hours. Like the Golden Gate Bridge, tolls are only assessed going into San Francisco. In the Bay Bridge's case, that means westbound. The toll plaza is located on the Oakland side of the bridge. If you plan to drive on the bridge often, get a FasTrak to save time. Drive safely. The bridge is patrolled.
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Daniel’s 4-star review: Tilden Regional Park is a massive 2000+ acre park located just northeast of San Francisco and Oakland in northeast Berkeley. It's a very hilly, almost mountainous, and tree-dense park with many trails and attractions such as the Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Little Farm, vintage merry-go-round, Lake Anza, and an 18-hole, 6,300-yard golf course. It's a free and fantastic getaway for folks in the Bay Area. The roadways into and out of Tilden are curvy and windy with plenty of inclines. Drive carefully as there are many hikers, bikers, families, children, and pets around. There are lots of nooks and crannies to this sprawling park. We parked at both the parking lot on Central Park Drive, near the Tilden Nature Area and the Little Farm, and at the parking lot at Inspiration Point off Wildcat Canyon Road. On a busy and beautiful Sunday, we had no problems finding a parking spot in either of these lots. We took my almost-two-year-old niece here and had a blast. We spent most of our time at the Little Farm feeding animals, playing at the playground on Central Park Drive, and checking out the amazing views at Inspiration Point. On our visit, the park's hours were listed as follows: Gates open: 8am - 7pm Park curfew: 10pm - 5am There's no charge to enter the park and some of the attractions are free such as feeding the animals at the Little Farm and visiting the Botanical Garden. If you plan to plan to visit the Little Farm, which I highly recommend, you must bring your own celery and lettuce to feed the animals. There are cows, goats, pigs, ducks, geese, lamb, and more. Celery and lettuce are the only foods you're allowed to feed to the animals. Also recommended is the old Tilden Park merry-go-round. It's an authentic antique carousel originally built in New York in 1911. The carousel is filled with restored wooden menagerie animals. It costs $2 per ride. You can buy a seven-ride ticket book for $10. Another ride for kids is the miniature steam engine. The trains cost $3 per ride or $12 for five rides. For both attractions, children under two are free! Each attraction has different hours than the general park hours. Consult a park map or check out Tilden Regional Park's web site (http://www.ebparks.org/parks/tilden) for specific hours. There are numerous trails for hikers, horses, and bicycles. The park's map will let you know who/what's allowed on each trail. There's a popular, paved, four-mile long trail that stretches from Inspiration Point to El Sobrante. The trail has great views and magnificent panoramas of the Bay Area. The park is teeming with picnic tables and benches as well as multiple grills. The restrooms are in satisfactory condition. Overall, I think this park is cleaner and better maintained than the parks inside San Francisco proper. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: Bay Fung Tong = reliable Cantonese comfort food in Uptown Oakland. Our family came here for a Saturday night dinner and the restaurant was packed and loud with a line out the door. It was cold outside, so most folks uncomfortably tried to wait in what little waiting room (if it can even be considered that) the restaurant has. We huddled in the back, near the restrooms, aquariums, and bustling kitchen entrance. Our walk-in party of 7 waited about 25 minutes to be seated. The staff pushed together two small round tables for us, so seating was awkward. Ultimately, we didn't mind as most of the food we had was good. This restaurant is no-frills. I guesstimate interior seating capacity is about 80. There are about a dozen tanks behind the counter filled with live crab, lobster, and various fish. In typical Chinese fashion, these weren't for show, but to eat. All tables were covered in white tablecloth with disposable paper mats on top (for easy cleaning). Servers wore white dress shirts underneath maroon vests. Like other Chinese restaurants, Bay Fung Tong's menu is huge with well over 100 items to choose from. The food is relatively affordable at $9 to $15 each for most entrees and the dishes are served up quick. They have appetizers like spicy salted tofu and crispy pan-fried fishcake; a bevy of soups, dinner specials, moo shu dishes (pork and other varieties), fish and seafood; many pork, chicken, beef, tofu, and vegetable entrees; sizzling clay pots, and several different kinds of fried rice and noodle plates. In addition, they have set menus for family dinners and banquets. These set menus save you a bit of money compared to if you ordered each dish individually. We went with the $128 dinner which serves 6 ($21.33 per person). Here's what it included: * Dried scallop and pork soup * Deep-fried quail * Clams in black bean sauce * Ginger and green onion lobster * Crispy fried chicken (half) * Fillet sanddab over mixed vegetables with fried bones * Sesame honey sauce pork spare ribs * Seafood with vegetable (squid and scallops with bok choy) * Yangchow fried rice * Red bean soup dessert Everything was delicious except for the quail. It was the only dish we didn't finish. In fact, we hardly touched it. The quail seemed to be cooked fine, to a nice, crispy, golden brown. However, it just didn't have much flavor and the meat was a bit dry. A salt and pepper mix was served on the side, but it didn't help much. Eating around all the small bones wasn't fun either. That said, I know small bones comes with the territory with quail and we didn't order this set menu because of the quail. Along with scallops and shredded pork, the soup came with strips of cloud ear fungus, ginger, and scallion. The broth was light and comforting. The clams in black bean sauce were very good. The clams were fresh and delectable and the sauce was on point with plenty of garlic and some jalapeno too. This dish is in my top 2. I'm allergic to crustaceans, so I didn't eat the lobster. The crispy fried chicken was surprisingly tasty. Half a chicken was served fried and chopped with shrimp chips and a side of the same salt and pepper mix that came with the quail mentioned above. I was afraid the chicken might be dry, as chicken served in this manner at Chinese restaurants can often be, but even the leanest, meatiest chunks were sufficiently moist and tender. The sanddab had somewhat of an eye-catching presentation. Sanddab is a flatfish native to the North Pacific and it wouldn't surprise me if the fish we ate came from the Bay Area. The center portion of the fish was filleted and cooked with veggies like snow peas, carrots, and celery. The head, tail, and fins of the fish were deep-fried. Many of the fried parts, which included bones, were edible. Crispy, crunchy, and yummy. The sesame honey sauce pork spare ribs were probably my favorite dish of the night. These reminded me a lot of Korean galbi, which are marinated short ribs. The spare ribs were sweet, flavorful, and appetizingly chewy. This is one you have to eat with your hands. Addictive. The bone-in ribs are served atop fresh leaves of lettuce and slices of tomato and cucumber. The "seafood with vegetable" was more of a vegetable dish than anything. It contained plenty of crisp, crunchy bok choy topped with shrimp, tiny scallops, and curled up pieces of squid. This was a light and relatively healthy dish with fresh ingredients all-around. The Yangchow (Yangzhou) fried rice was terrific. Simple, but made the right way with bits of pork/bacon, egg, onion, scallion, and shrimp. I don't see how anyone could not like this dish. It was my 3rd favorite of the night. The warm and sweet red bean dessert hit the spot. Service was speedy and efficient. The restaurant is located near the corner of Franklin St and 19th St. We were able to find parking about a block south on 17th in front of Yaya Sushi. In the end, I give Bay Fung Tong 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I enjoyed the food. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: I love visiting my sister in California because she always has something in her house from The Pasta Shop. The store is on her way home from work. The Pasta Shop is located just outside Oakland's Rockridge BART station inside the bigger Rockridge Market Hall (http://www.yelp.com/biz/rockridge-market-hall-oakland) on busy College Ave. These businesses are specialty gourmet grocers. True to its name, The Pasta Shop specializes in a rather wide assortment of fine quality handmade pastas. They have several prepared and ready-to-eat foods which are made in-house from scratch daily. Their glass display cases are full of colorful and delicious-looking meats, cheeses, and salads. I'm a huge fan of the kitchen's kale Caesar salad. I also really like their crackers, crostini, brie, olive oil, and fig spreads. They almost always have food samples sitting out, so be sure to try them. Also, don't be afraid to ask for samples from behind the counter. The staff are polite, efficient, and most are quite knowledgeable about the different items for sale, particularly the cheeses. Most recently, we stopped by The Pasta Shop to pick up two skewer platters for my niece's first birthday party. Each skewer platter had 40 miniature skewers and cost about $60. The platters came in their own disposable serving trays, but we ended up not using them because we had other (better) trays we wanted to present the skewers on. The skewers were served atop a bed of greens. One of the skewer sets consisted of Thai yellow curry chicken. The other skewer set was vegetarian. It consisted of tofu, zucchini, red bell pepper, and purple onion. Both sets of skewers came with creamy dipping sauces. The pieces of chicken and tofu on these skewers were nice and big. The skewers were tasty and a hit. They were all gone before the party was over. The Thai chicken skewers had tender, savory chunks of chicken. Both the chicken and the tofu had large grill marks on them. The tofu was surprisingly good with just the right amount of appetizing firmness. The chicken used on the skewers was all-natural and cage-free. The tofu and veggies were organic. High quality stuff all around and healthy too. Whether you're looking to pick up a ready-to-eat meal, quick side or snack, or platters to entertain guests, The Pasta Shop is an excellent choice. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: Fentons Creamery is an Oakland institution. It opened in 1894. No, that's not a typo. At the time of writing this review, this place is approaching 4,000 Yelp reviews. Holy moly. Fentons, first and foremost, is known for its ice cream. This is an old-fashioned American ice cream parlor. It's about as classic as you can get. It's also a restaurant, serving burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches. The shop was featured in the Disney-Pixar movie Up (2009). https://youtu.be/ZBqyTOn1KXU My 3.5-year-old niece loves the ice cream here. All of the flavors are laid out in tubs in refrigerated display cases at the entrance. Follow the ice cream bar to the back and you'll find a literal rotating selection of decadent ice cream sundaes. If you want to treat yourself, this is the place. Umbrella-covered tables are available outside if you want to enjoy your ice cream outdoors. If you want more than ice cream, there's a spacious dining room with an open grill. The atmosphere is casual and it feels sort of like a diner. Across the restrooms are glass windows that look into what I presume to be Fentons bakery. If someone is celebrating their birthday, staff will make an announcement and encourage everyone to sing Happy Birthday together. Our group visited for Tuesday lunch and the place was busy. Luckily, there wasn't a wait. We were able to find a parking spot in Fentons' small lot outside (free parking). If you can't find parking there, street parking is available on both Piedmont and Entrada (some spots metered). Several of us ordered burgers. I had the cheeseburger with Monterrey jack cheese ($10.95) with a side of sweet potato fries ($2.00). My dad had a regular burger and my brother-in-law had a California avocado burger which comes with Monterrey jack cheese and fresh avocado ($11.95). All of Fentons' burgers are made with 100% all-natural grass-fed beef (Durham Ranch) cooked medium well. They don't serve burgers rare or medium rare. My cheeseburger and fries were delicious. The cheeseburger came with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle on a toasted sesame seed bun. It also came with an orange slice. The hamburger patty was juicy and savory and the veggies were fresh and crisp. I tried both the regular fries and the sweet potato fries and they were both A-OK. I preferred the regular fries over the sweet potato fries because of both their flavor and texture. The regular fries are like McDonald's fries in shape, color, and even taste. My mom had the crab salad sandwich ($16.95), perhaps Fentons' most popular sandwich, with a side of crinkle-cut potato chips. Fentons' crab salad sandwich is made with real Alaskan snow crab and blended with lemon juice, mayonnaise, and celery. She enjoyed it. The sandwich looked good with a decent amount of crab salad inside two slices of buttered toast. My sister had the fried chicken salad ($10.95) which came with fried chicken strips, mixed greens, cucumber, tomato wedges, sliced avocado, chopped egg, grated cheddar, and black olives. Aside from the fried chicken strips, which had been cut into bite-sized pieces, the salad looked fresh, healthy, and filling. There are over a dozen different sundaes to choose from and most of them are HUGE. These sundaes are definitely best shared. On top of that, there are over 50 regular and seasonal ice cream flavors to choose from, a staggering selection. I ordered The Black & White sundae (junior size: $10.95). It was made with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, marshmallow, and Fentons fudge topped with almonds, whipped cream, and a cherry. They used heaping scoops of ice cream and wow, this was a sundae if I ever saw one. Even the junior size was plenty big (big enough to share). Rich, creamy, and flavorful. I also tried some of Fentons' apple pie ice cream (petite dish: $5.50). What was great about the apple pie ice cream is it had chunks of actual apple pie in it, crust and all. Cookies were included on the side. I believe they were white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. You can order the apple pie by itself if you want. Fentons has an assortment of daily fresh-baked pies on the menu. Service was good. In the end, I do recommend Fentons for its impressive ice cream and ice cream sundaes and classic American food in a fun and casual atmosphere. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: Grand Lake Kitchen, located on the northeastern tip of Lake Merritt, is a self-described "neighborhood deli" known for its brunch. We visited for dinner when it felt more like a New American bar and sit-down service restaurant. We enjoyed our meal. The food, drinks, and service were all good. We booked our reservations on OpenTable. Book your reservations on OpenTable for free to earn dining points that can be used towards future discounts at any OpenTable restaurant (Grand Lake Kitchen included). We parked along Grand (street metered parking) in front of the restaurant. One side of the interior is the kitchen and deli and the other is the bar and dining room. The bar and dining room aren't all that big with about a dozen seats at the bar and I guesstimate table seating for about 30. They've got more seating outside. The decor is simple and contemporary. The dinner menu begins at 5pm and contains a nice variety of food which includes fried pickled vegetables (I believe they do all their pickling in-house), deli meat, seafood, soup, salads, sandwiches (made with bread from Berkeley-based Acme), an assortment of entrees (e.g. roasted chicken, baked pasta, roasted pork belly), vegetable sides, and deli sides like tuna mac salad and farro and yam. Expect to spend about $10-15 each for most appetizers, soups, salads, and sandwiches, $15-25 for entrees, and $5-7 for most sides. We went with the following: Food: * House pickles ($5) * Burrata ($14) - baby beets, chili oil, herbs, grilled bread * Bone marrow ($14) - roasted allium vinaigrette, crostini, herbs * Mixed chicories ($12) - croutons, poached egg, Parmesan, anchovy dressing * Short rib ($26) - potato and chard gratin, cippolini onions, jus * Spiced chickpea stew ($15) - harissa, lacinato kale, almond yogurt, grilled bread * Steamed mussels ($21) - savory broth, chorizo, red onion, French fries * Smashed potatoes ($6.50) - horseradish, aioli * Side salad ($3) Drinks (from the bar): * Jenny's chai toddy ($10) - aged Trinidadian rhum, blended bitters, rooibos chai, honey, cream, Saigon cinnamon, orange zest * Zabriko punch ($8) - bourbon, Abricot du Roussillon, pineapple gum, lemon, seltzer, cinnamon In general, I thought the food and drinks were delicious. The food was a bit on the heavy side. The house pickles were fantastic. They included cauliflower, green beans, okra, and cucumber. If you like pickled vegetables, I highly recommend these. Great quality. The burrata wasn't the best I've had, but it was still fine (I'd order it again). Five bite-size pieces were served alongside chopped beets. The grilled bread was hard and seemed to be overly buttered. The bone marrow was very good. It was rich with nice umami flavor. Decent portion size too. Allium = onion and there were spring onions served with this dish. The crostini were much like the toast served with the burrata, crisp and heavily buttered. We tried to order the winter chopped salad (savoy/winter cabbage, kale, apple, walnut, Vella dry jack cheese, balsamic vinaigrette), but they were out, so we went with the mixed chicories (a.k.a. endives) instead. The leafy veggies were fresh and crisp, tossed with plenty of salty (but not too salty) anchovy dressing and topped with lots of finely grated Parmesan. Tasty salad. The short rib was A-OK. The short rib was served in one piece on the bone. The meat was tender and had terrific flavor. I just wish there was more meat. The cippolini onions were soaked in jus, which made them tastier. I really liked the spiced chickpea stew, which was a relatively healthier entree. It was comforting and hearty with a hint of heat from the harissa. There wasn't a whole lot of kale in the stew. The same crispy, crunchy, and buttery grilled bread accompanied this entree as it did the burrata and bone marrow. The mussels were delectable. I liked how these came with small chunks of savory chorizo. The mussels were fresh and the broth wasn't too strong. The fries that came with were the long, thick, golden kind (no skin), lightly salted, very starchy, and filling. The smashed potatoes were scrumptious. They were served skin-on with delightful, crispy bits. We tried to order the green goddess kale salad (with queso fresco, carrots, and pepitas), but they were out of this too. Instead, we got a generic side salad that consisted of one type of leafy green (I'm not sure exactly what it was) tossed in a light dressing. Like the other dishes, the veggies were fresh and yummy. I'm not much of a drinker, but I thought both the Jenny's chai toddy and Zabriko punch cocktails were very good. The chai toddy was a mix between creamy chai tea and a hot toddy with its sweet honey and spices. The Zabriko punch was both sweet and sour and also cold and refreshing. Our server was Evyn and he did a fine job. He was polite, informative, and attentive. Grand Lake Kitchen opened in 2012. I would come back and would be interested in trying their popular brunch. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: We came to Whole Foods Oakland on Christmas Eve to buy many ingredients for our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals. The market was packed with customers buying last-minute Christmas groceries, just like us. There were lines at every department counter and check-out lane. The store seemed fully staffed and not a single worker was idle. We went to the meat department and picked up local, all-natural, free range chicken to grill at home. We bought stuffing mix to make our own stuffing. We picked up two packages ($13.99 each) of sweet potato souffle from the ready-made foods counter. At the bakery, we picked up dinner rolls, flatbreads, and two sweet potato pies. We got organic baby food for the little one. We went to the salad/hot bars ($8.99 per pound) for healthy foods like butternut squash and cranberries and broccoli and cauliflower. The chicken and butternut squash were fantastic. Note: Before buying anything at the self-serve bars, you may want to check to see if the foods are offered for cheaper elsewhere in the store. Case in point: The sweet potato souffle we bought at the ready-made foods counter was less expensive than the same one offered at the self-serve hot bar. Most of the staff seemed cool, friendly, and helpful. They also seemed young -- a lot of twenty and thirtysomethings. Maybe the older staff took Christmas Eve off. Parking was chaotic. There were multiple parking attendants on-hand to assist with the holiday rush. We parked on the rooftop and took the stairs/elevator. Pro tip: You can get a rack of ribs here for 20 bucks. They don't advertise that special. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: We like this place so much, we went back two nights in a row! Some new dishes we tried: Sea cucumber with mushrooms Clams in black bean sauce Eggplant in garlic sauce Rock cod with ginger and scallions We ordered to go again. Everything was packaged in either styrofoam or plastic containers. Each of the dishes was heavy on sauce, but that was a good thing as we could drain what we didn't need. The clams were small and tasty with no fishy taste. The eggplant was soft and tender. The sea cucumber was slick and slimy on the outside and rubbery when you bit into it. I recommend scooping them up with a spoon and not trying to pick them up with a fork or chopsticks. The texture is not for everybody, but we liked them. The mushrooms that came with the sea cucumbers were big and juicy. The rock cod was solid and much like the sea bass last night. Tender and savory fillets. No trace of small bones. This is just an update of new food I tried. For other items and more comprehensive review of this restaurant, check out my previous review for New Gold Medal below. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: Mr. Green Bubble is a bubble tea, juice, smoothie, coffee, and frozen yogurt shop located at the corner of Piedmont Ave. and John St. in North Oakland. The store opened Spring 2010 and still looks relatively new. It's bright, clean, and green-themed with green tile, green paint, green cup tops, and green straws. The rest of the interior is white or light wood, making the space feel wide and open. The lighting fixtures and furniture are stylish and modern. You can't miss this place at nighttime, as the store is luminously lit up. The menu boasts about 30 different varieties of milk tea, 30 regular teas, a half dozen fruit juices, a half dozen flavors of milk, parfaits, 30 smoothies, coffee and tea lattes, and 4 flavors of froyo. If you're hungry, deep-fried Asian snacks are available as well. The drinks come in one size and almost all are priced at $3.55 each. Toppings such as bubbles (tapioca pearls), jelly, aloe vera, pudding, and nuts are $0.50 each. Compared to a bubble tea joint like Quickly, this is expensive. However, Mr. Green Bubble is cleaner and nicer than Quickly. The other drinks are in the same $3 price range. There are three sizes of froyo: 8oz small ($2.95), 12oz medium ($4.25), and 16oz large ($5.55). The four flavors are original plain, coffee, Dutch chocolate, and vanilla. Toppings are additional. I think these prices are roughly comparable to Pinkberry. I've tried three teas here: the brown rice milk tea, lavender milk tea, and the yogurt green tea. According to one of the workers, the brown rice milk tea is one of the more popular milk teas on the menu. I enjoyed the brown rice milk tea. It's flavoring was subtle, as was the lavender milk tea, which was light and aromatic. The one significant difference in the milk teas at Mr. Green Bubble compared to other places is Mr. Green Bubble's milk teas are not super sweet. I appreciate that because milk teas are often loaded with unhealthy amounts of sugar. I'm not sure what was going on with the yogurt green tea. It was a little bitter and I don't know where the yogurt component was. The yogurt green tea is not listed under the milk teas, so that should be your first clue to not expect a creamy or milky tea, regardless if the word "yogurt" is in the name. I personally would stick with the milk teas. They're a safer bet. The toppings, such as boba and jellies, are all fresh and appetizingly chewy. Service is fine. Overall, not a bad bubble tea joint. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: Wow, this place is huge! Saigon Seafood Harbor is a big, modern, and a bit gaudy. While the restaurant has Saigon in the name, this place is definitely not to be confused with a Vietnamese restaurant. They're actually a Chinese restaurant. We asked one of the employees why they named themselves Saigon and she said the restaurant was named after the body of water, not the Vietnamese city. As the name suggests, they specialize in all sorts of seafood. When my sister told me we would be eating at a place called Saigon, I thought it'd be some small hole in the wall. It's apparent when you pull up to this place that it's big. It's in a big building with a big parking lot (by Bay Area restaurant standards). The restaurant is bright, clean, and cavernous. Spread across the walls are huge murals of colorful fish overlaid over old Chinese village paintings. At one end of the restaurant, you can see their many aquariums, stacked one atop another in stair step fashion. Water overflows from one aquarium to the next. Great presentation. There's also an open kitchen where you can see roasted ducks hanging behind the glass and the cooks busy with their work. There are a ton of large round tables in this place. It's set up well to handle large groups and parties. We went on a Sunday night around 8pm and the building was slammed. Saigon Seafood Harbor is a step above a "typical" Chinese restaurant you'd typically find in San Francisco or Oakland. It's a bit classier and sophisticated. The menu is pretty impressive as they offer seafood you can't find anywhere else. For example, they carry a lot of live seasonal fish such as Black Rockcod, Cabazon, and Sheepshead. In addition, they have different types of shrimp, clams, oysters, and frogs. And since everything is kept alive in their restaurant, all the food is cooked to order and it comes out very fresh. If you want, you can go to the aquariums and pick the exact fish you want or the servers can bring it to your table for your approval. We ordered: West Lake beef soup - traditional Chinese soup with beef and egg whites Pork stir fried with peppers and onions E-fu noodles - a.k.a. yi mein, flat Chinese egg noodles, made fresh in-house Chinese broccoli "Southern style" Whole steamed sea bass The ordering system is interesting. They print out receipts of what you've ordered and place it on your Lazy Susan. As the dishes come out, the servers mark off the receipts the dishes you've received. This is how they keep track of your dishes. The West Lake beef soup was nice and hearty. Lots of tender chunks of beef. The pork dish was light and the peppers were spicy. The e-fu noodles were handmade earlier in the day and were very soft. That was probably my favorite dish. The "Southern style" Chinese broccoli did not really differ too much from the Chinese broccoli you can get from Cantonese/dim sum restaurants. The stalks were just spread out on the plate with less oyster sauce as opposed to being served in one big clump with lots of oyster sauce on top. The sea bass was semi-deboned for us by our server. All of the food was pretty good. The best thing about it was that everything was fresh. Not only the meats, but also the vegetables. Also, the dishes here seem lighter on the oil, grease, and salt than typical Cantonese restaurants. All plusses. Service was great. The food came out quick and we were attended to by many employees. Overall, I think this is a pretty cool place. It's a lot of fun to look at the live seafood and all the commotion and different tables of people eating inside. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: The Juice Bar Collective, located in North Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto, is more than just a juice bar. I'm surprised at how much food and drink this little shop churns out, from lasagna and pizza to salads and sandwiches to muffins and pies. The business is owned and run by an energetic and enthusiastic group of ladies. It's a great place to get a nutritious and wholesome meal or snack, quickly, to go. The store hardly has any seating. It's mainly a takeout joint. There's one table inside and a few small ones on the sidewalk just outside the storefront. The open kitchen takes up most of the space. When standing in line, you get a front row seat to all the hustle and bustle. It's neat to see the stores of different ingredients and the ladies skillfully working their craft. Note the business' somewhat limited hours: 10am to 4:30pm, Monday thru Saturday. Almost all the ingredients the Juice Bar Collective uses in its food and beverages are all-natural and organic. They have fresh orange and carrot juice, housemade ginger soda, and smoothies containing ingredients like banana, orange, apple, grapefruit, carrot, kale, beets, celery, ginger, nutmeg, spirulina powder, and hemp protein powder. Other ingredient options include organic milk, organic soy milk, and housemade peanut butter and yogurt. You can expect to spend anywhere from $4-8 each on juice (12 or 16oz) and $5-7 each on smoothies (16oz only). Each drink is made to order. The housemade ginger soda is delicious. It's made with fresh ginger, honey, lemon, and sparkling water over crushed ice. Crisp, cold, and refreshing with just the right amount of ginger bite. If you're looking for a smoothie suggestion, consider the Sunset smoothie which is made out of banana, orange juice, and yogurt (or soy milk). I suggest adding carrot juice for added flavor and nutrition. This finely textured smoothie is revitalizing. The foods have a satisfying home-cooked look and feel. Most dishes are vegetarian and made from scratch daily. The quiche, spinach lasagna, and baked vegetarian mac and cheese are popular items. The mac and cheese is available Monday and Saturday only. Expect to spend about $6 per serving. About a half-dozen salads are available, selection varying by season, and can be served with brown rice and sauce. Sandwiches, about $6-7 each, utilize local and organic breads. As for sweets, suggestions include lemon cream pie, bourbon sweet potato pie, honey-sweetened apple pie, and strawberry-rhubarb pie. Availability varies by season. All pies are handmade and some are available for purchase ready-to-bake at home. Neat. Service is good. The staff is friendly and efficient. If you're on the go or looking for a healthy meal, snack, dessert, or drink to take home or to the office, the Juice Bar Collective has some excellent options. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: Lake Merritt is a large, beautiful lake situated in downtown Oakland. The lake is shaped like a rabbit's head with walking trails around the perimeter totaling over 3 miles in length. The lake has limited green space and is bordered by Oakland's urban core: commercial, office, and retail buildings to the west and north and apartment and residential neighborhoods to the east. There are, however, a few public parks nearby such as Snow Park and Eastshore Park. The top side of Lake Merritt, bordering Grand Ave, features gardens (including Japanese and bonsai gardens), a nature center and wildlife refuge (this is the first official wildlife refuge in the U.S.), boat house (with kayaks and small sailboats), a children's "Fairyland," and a tall, columned pergola (or arbor). The long, paved trails and scenic views make this an ideal spot for leisurely strolls (great for families or dates) and for joggers and runners. Since there's not a lot of parkland, I'm not sure I would come here for a picnic though. We visited on a bright and sunny Tuesday afternoon. The park was moderately busy in every section we visited. I think the best views can be found along the east side trails, which closely parallel Lakeshore Ave. From these trails, looking towards the lake to the west, you can see downtown Oakland's skyline. It makes for some excellent and picturesque panoramas. The park was clean, for the most part, and the landscape and flowers (what little there were) were decently pretty. There are benches along the trails so you can sit, relax, and take in the views. There are a few viewing stations with free binocular stands. Over 100 different types of birds can be seen at the lake throughout the year. And, like any public park, Lake Merritt has its small but fair share of homeless people and panhandlers. On the south end of the lake, there's a neat little pedestrian bridge, which I believe was built within the last 3-4 years (at most). This end of the lake has a nicely manicured lawn and what looks to be a relatively new mini-amphitheater-like space which is used for concerts and events and is a good spot to hang out. This section of the lake borders the historic Alameda County (Superior) Courthouse which was built in 1934. Since Lake Merritt is located downtown, it's within walking distance to several shops and restaurants and isn't far from Oakland Chinatown (to the southwest) and the more cozy and charming Lakeshore neighborhood (to the northeast - just follow Lakeshore Ave north). Trivia: Lake Merritt used to be directly connected to San Francisco Bay. For a time, it used to collect waste and sewage for the City of Oakland. It wasn't until the late 1800s and early 1900s when the lake was cleaned up and efforts began to turn it into the lake it is today. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: Sheng Kee Bakery is a Taiwanese bakery with about a dozen locations throughout the Bay Area, from Daly City to Berkeley. This review is for the Sheng Kee location just outside Oakland in Richmond's Pacific East Mall. The bakery is located in a prime spot directly across from 99 Ranch Market -- convenient for folks leaving the grocery store. Sheng Kee specializes in cakes, breads, cookies, and pastries. This is a classic Taiwanese bakery. The space is small and cramped. Maneuverability can often be difficult inside this tiny shop mainly because it's so popular and often crowded, sometimes uncomfortably so. There's no space to eat inside. It's strictly a to-go operation. There's a glass display case filled with several nice looking cakes. The center part of the store features three-tiered shelving units containing a good number of on-site fresh-made pastries and savory sandwiches. If you want one of these items, grab a tray, tray paper, and a set of tongs. The front and right side of the store have tables and shelves stocked with assorted pre-packaged breads, pastries, and other small snacks. The back of the store has an open prep area where you can watch a worker finalize certain food products for sale. There are two cash registers. The young ladies here work quick and efficiently. Credit cards are accepted, but there's a $10 minimum. Depending on what you purchase, that limit can be difficult to reach since many of the snacks are only $1-2 each. Examples of items with pricing (per item unless otherwise specified): Lotus Pastry - $1.85 Black Sesame Pastry - $1.99 Date Pastry - $1.99 Sun Cake - $0.95 Coconut Balls - $3.19 per package Red Bean Balls - $3.19 per package Thin Sesame Cookies - $3.19 per package Pineapple Custard Raisin Toast - $3.99 per loaf Pineapple Taro Toast - $4.59 per loaf Butter Pound Cake - $4.85 per loaf Cheese Puff Cake - $1.55 per slice Blueberry Half Moon - $2.75 Some items I like include the Cream Bun ($1.35) and Custard Bun ($1.19). These two buns are very similar in that they're filled with creamy custardy goodness. I prefer the Custard Bun slightly over the Cream Bun because the Cream Bun is topped with coconut shavings, which I think the bun could do without. I don't mind coconut, I just don't think it works well here. The Cream Bun has a lot of light, fluffy, white cream inside. The Custard Bun has thicker layers of bread. In comparison to the Cream Bun, there's not as much custard as there is cream. However, the custard is substantially more thick and dense. The custard is like egg pudding. In both the Custard and Cream buns, the breading is soft and a tad oily. Napkins are recommended. If you like French toast or sweet breads (not "sweetbreads") in general, try a slice of Canaan toast. Canaan toast is like French toast in that it's thick and sweet. The toast has been buttered and sugared so it's sweet. It's tougher than French toast and also travels better. The butter and sugar are infused right into the bread so it's not terribly greasy and no powdered sugar or sugar granules will fall off. I typically like red bean pastries, but I'm not sure about the Red Bean Pastry ($1.85) here. Sheng Kee's Red Bean Pastry is flat and compressed. The exterior is coated with sesame seeds. The red bean filling is A-OK, but the breading is somewhat hard and extraordinarily flaky and messy. Be careful when eating this pastry because crumbs will easily slough off and get everywhere. Sheng Kee products are great (though unhealthy) for breakfast or snacks. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: If my reviews for the Presidio and Mission locations in San Francisco are any indication, I am a big fan of Sports Basement. These stores stock a wide array of high quality sporting goods and apparel at "basement" level prices. I often wonder how these guys manage to sell such great stuff at bargain prices and stay in business. Volume? Sports Basement opened this new store in Berkeley in November 2014. It's the company's sixth Bay Area outpost. It took over the building that once belonged to a historic local ice skating rink, Berkeley Iceland. They've left the rink's old clock and scoreboard in place. The store is massive. Imagine a large gymnasium or cavernous warehouse where the wide-open floor is filled with nothing but tables, racks, and stacks of various sporting merchandise. That's what Sports Basement Berkeley is like. Stepping inside and seeing the space can be almost overwhelming at first. Despite its size, the store has a very welcoming, hospitable, neighborhood feel to it. This friendly atmosphere applies to all Sports Basement stores in general. The business is community-oriented and it shows. At the Berkeley location, there are several large community spaces available to reserve for free! These spaces are very homey with old couches, loveseats, chairs, and coffee tables. Various seating/rest areas around the store are designed like this too. Email iballentine@sportsbasement.com if you're interested in reserving a space. Free classes are available such as yoga and bicycle maintenance. There are also free semi-monthly group bike rides and weekly group runs. CPR classes are available and cost $15 (charity donation) per class. The CPR classes award official two-year CPR/AED certification cards. There are actually two levels to the store. The second level, the mezzanine, wraps its way around the perimeter upstairs much like an elevated running track, but much wider with more space. My coat closet has over a half-dozen North Face jackets purchased from Sports Basement. My sister and mom have lots of shoes and athletic apparel from here. My sister also purchased some accessories for her GoPro here. The only thing this store lacks is a golf section. Sports Basement has excellent price matching and refund policies. The store will match any price and even apply discounts on top of matched prices. If you buy something and within three months find it for less elsewhere, the store will issue you a gift card for the difference. Finally, there is no time limit to return items for a full refund (or store credit) as long as you have a receipt. Restrooms are located at the front of the store. They are large and clean. If you're in the Bay Area and are shopping for athletic gear, Sports Basement should be one of your only stops. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: We took my two-and-a-half-year-old niece to Children's Fairyland and she seemed to have a blast. I mean, she was running around everywhere either in wonderment or with a big smile on her face. I think that says it all. My sister and brother-in-law are members so they've taken my niece several times before. I suspect they'll be taking her new little sister in the future too. This was my first visit and I had a good time hanging out with my family and watching my niece and her friend play. The amusement park is located on the north side of Lake Merritt near downtown Oakland. Non-members, age 1+, have to pay $10 each for admission. It's a bargain considering all the things you can see and do. The park has been open since 1950, so generations have passed through. It's older than Disneyland. In fact, Walt Disney toured Children's Fairyland to get ideas for Disneyland. He ended up hiring away Children's Fairyland's first director to work for Disneyland. To keep kids safe, kids aren't allowed entry without an adult and adults aren't allowed entry without a kid. I think that's a great idea. I'm not sure what kids' ages the park is targeting, but I'd say it's for little kids. I think there was only one ride that my niece couldn't ride because she wasn't big enough and it was the Flecto Carousel. There was, however, a small carousel she could ride called Alice's Wonder-Go-Round. Adults have to accompany children on that one. There are actually several rides that are made exclusively for little kids and adults must accompany. Magic keys are sold for $3 each. Save yourself the trouble (and your little one tears) and buy a magic key on your way in because your little munchkin will see the other little munchkins with these magic keys and they'll want one too. The magic keys can be inserted into "storybook boxes" located around the amusement park. It allows you to listen to stories from the boxes. Hang onto your key after you leave because you can bring it back and use it again and again. It also makes a nice souvenir for your child. Virtually everything here is designed with the little ones in mind. Even the pumpkin-themed espresso stand in the middle of park, Peter's Big Pumpkin Espresso, is sized for children. Not good for us old folks with bad backs. :) At $10 per person, don't expect a big-budget, world-renowned theme park like Disneyland. Children's Fairyland is a very humble, old-fashioned park. It may not have the fanciest rides or attractions, but it has a true and genuine charm all its own. Along with the aforementioned carousels, the park has miniature fairytale-like houses that only tiny kids can enter, live animals, gardens, a maze, a small Ferris wheel, a clocktower slide (which my niece was too scared to go down), a treehouse, a Noah's Ark replica, a wishing well, and more. My sister took my niece on the Jolly Trolly, which is a colorful choo-choo train for kids. I believe this attraction had the longest line by far, but it still wasn't too bad. We waited maybe 20-25 minutes at most before my niece hopped on. All of the other attractions had very short to no lines. Watch your head when entering and exiting the Jolly Trolly. The train cars are intended for little kids, so it's easy to accidentally bump your head. I was disappointed Johnny Appleseed's Cafe, located next to the Jolly Trolly station, did not sell hot chocolate. Luckily, there was complimentary hot apple cider elsewhere. There's one attraction called Willie the Whale. It's a big whale with it's mouth wide open so you can walk inside. There's a set of steps that leads down from the opening of the whale's mouth into its body. It had just rained the day/morning before our visit, so the steps were slick and the whale had some puddles in it. I didn't think it was safe so I didn't let my niece go inside of it. Too bad though, because it looked sort of cool. We visited during the night and there was this young lady walking around the park dressed up as "Micah, the Twinklelight Princess." She was a big hit with the kids because of all the small lights on her orange dress. There were other live actors walking around including Santa (it was the holidays) and what looked like wolf creatures. I couldn't help but think of furries, so I was somewhat creeped out (I blame conventions and the Internet). We attended a show at the Emerald City Stage where all of the park's various characters got on stage and invited the kids to join in song and dance. It was a sight to behold! I almost felt like I had been transported off to some fantasy land or onto the set of a less extreme version of Xuxa: http://you.be/84KGCJgvcXQ. We street parked for free along Bellevue Ave. We parked near the gardens and took a short, easy walk to Fairyland. All in all, I do think Children's Fairyland is worth checking out if you're looking for something fun to do with your kids, grandkids, nieces/nephews, etc. in the East Bay. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: i-Tea is an authentic Taiwanese bubble tea and smoothie shop which opened Spring 2014 at Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Oakland Chinatown. Note the official address for i-Tea places it on 9th St, but the storefront actually faces Webster St. This tiny little shop packs a mighty punch, offering about 100 different varieties of bubble teas and smoothies -- a staggering amount. There is no space for seating inside (and hardly any for standing for that matter). This is strictly a to-go joint. What little interior space there is could make some people feel claustrophobic. It doesn't help that long menus and a tightly packed row of over a dozen tall tea canisters block customer views into the kitchen. I think the typical open-kitchen format most bubble tea shops utilize would help here. Teas come in one size only and cost about $3-5 each with additional toppings $0.50 extra each. Cash only. Aside from black and green tea, which are commonly used to make bubble tea, i-Tea brews with several other different types of tea such as tieguanyin (premium Chinese oolong tea), Chinese fermented pu-erh, jasmine, Alishan oolong, Irish, Indian Assam, Royal Rose, osmanthus oolong, Earl Grey, and more. Samples of these tea leaves are displayed inside glass jars on the counter. There's also an espresso machine behind the payment counter used to make i-Tea's "Teaspresso Milk Tea." If you're having trouble deciding what to order, go with one of the pictured drinks on the menu. These are some of the more popular teas. I personally prefer milk teas and suggest something from the i-Tea Jelly ("B") Series or the Milk Tea Specialty ("C") Series. Item numbers B1, B2, and B3 are basic but satisfying milk teas, each with one topping - either tapioca, pudding, or grass jelly. If you like all these toppings, order B5, the "3G Milk Tea," which comes with all three in one cup. Yum! There's also C2, the "Hokkaido Milk Tea," which comes with tapioca and pudding (no grass jelly). Also very good. For those who have never had bubble tea before, the "bubbles" refer to sweet balls of tapioca which are served inside the tea. When fresh, these balls should be soft, chewy, and appetizing. Their sweetness level is dependent on how the balls are soaked and prepared beforehand. Extra wide straws are used to suck up the tapioca balls (a.k.a. pearls, a.k.a. boba) and other toppings. Of course, what are ~100 teas without a multitude of topping options? i-Tea has 20 topping choices: regular boba, white boba, small boba, boba noodles, mango pudding, egg pudding, matcha pudding, panna cotta, tofuhua (douhua - sweet tofu pudding, like the popular dim sum snack), grass jelly, lemon ai yu (aiyu jelly), lychee jelly, mango jelly, coffee jelly, passion fruit jelly, rainbow jelly, aloe vera, fresh taro, red bean, and Japanese agar jelly boba. If you want to try something a little bit different, try the "Mango Sago," item number K4 (or K5, depending on which menu you look at). It's from the Iced Milk and Soy Milk ("K") Series. This fruity, creamy drink is made with real mangos (they have boxes of mangos stacked next to the payment counter) and comes with multiple toppings like mango jelly and mango pudding. This was recommended to me by an employee. It's tasty. Overall, I've found the drinks here to be delicious. They're nicely made and the toppings are fresh. If bubble teas are normally too sweet for you, you can customize your drink's sweetness level. Sweetness options are 0%, 30%, 50%, 80%, and standard. Ice level is customizable too: 0%, 30%, 80%, standard, and more ice. Service is great. Drinks are made to order and the staff is efficient. If you come often, be sure to take advantage of the "Buy 9, Get 1 Free" loyalty card. Also, I believe if you order 5 drinks at one time, you get a 6th drink for free. At the time of writing this review, there are two other i-Tea locations in the Bay Area: Pittsburgh and Milpitas. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: Inspiration Point is a lookout point at Tilden Regional Park that also has a parking lot and serves as a staging area for the park's most popular trail, Nimitz Way. The point is located on the eastern edge of the park, which is northeast of San Francisco and Oakland, in northeast Berkeley close to Orinda. This is a great place to stop and take in the beautiful, panoramic views of the rolling East Bay hills and Mount Diablo to the east. Entry to Tilden Regional Park is free and there is no cost to park at Inspiration Point. There are about 40 parking spaces available. Inspiration Point itself has a small lookout platform with informational placards and a few benches. It's nice -- ideal for pictures and for stopping to relax and enjoy the scenery. The parking lot surrounds a woodsy area with a handful of picnic tables. The access point for Nimitz Way also has a tiny picnic area as well as men's and women's restrooms. Nimitz Way is a wide, paved, four-mile-long walking/hiking trail that starts at Inspiration Point and goes north, along the ridge line, through Wildcat Canyon Regional Park, and ends at El Sobrante. The trail has excellent views of the Bay Area both east and west of the hills. Facing westward, you can see San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Nimitz Way is very easy to walk and is bicycle and stroller-friendly. It's excellent for beginners because the inclines are relatively shallow. Inspiration Point has access to another, more adventurous and less traveled trailed: Inspiration Trail. This trail is not paved. Only hikers and horses are allowed on this trail. Bikers are not allowed. This trail sort of parallels Nimitz Way for over a half-mile before meeting back up again with Nimitz Way. After that point, the two trails permanently diverge: Nimitz to the north and Inspiration to the east. Whether you're planning a multi-hour hike or a quick visit through, Inspiration Point is a terrific stop. -
Daniel’s 4-star review: This 85°C Bakery Cafe is relatively new, opening less than a couple years ago (2015) in downtown Berkeley, just a couple blocks west of the UC Berkeley campus. We checked out this cafe on Christmas Day 2016 and it was slammed. Standing room only. They had a full staff on-hand to handle the holiday demand, but one thing didn't make sense to us -- This 85°C has two levels of seating and the second level was closed off. Why? Regardless, the coffee, tea, and pastries we got were delicious. 85°C could be considered the standard when it comes to Taiwanese bakeries and cafes. Various breads, buns, and pastries are constantly baked and replenished at regular intervals. Most of the food is self-serve using trays and tongs. You pay at the counter and that's where you also order cakes and drinks. This location is spacious and clean with big windows (a corner spot with lots of natural sunlight), plenty of floor space, and a variety of small and big (communal) tables. The coffee and tea bars are open (for all to see) and the bakery/kitchen has a large window to allow for peek-ins as well. A single-file line leads to multiple registers for quick service. I was underwhelmed with the self-serve selection. For a space so big, the offerings seemed meager and comparatively so against several other Asian bakeries and cafes I've been to over the years. Expect to spend about a couple bucks per pastry. Beverage-wise, 85°C offers a decent variety of sea salt drinks, coffee/espresso, teas, slushes, and smoothies. Expect to spend about $3-5 each for most drinks. A lot of them come hot or iced and in medium (16 oz) or large (22 oz) sizes. According to the digital menu during our visit, 85°C's top selling drinks, in order, are: 1. Sea Salt Drinks 2. 85°C Coffee 3. Guava Slush 4. Boba Milk Tea 5. Peach Green/Black Tea 6. Matcha Latte I ended up trying an iced sea salt caramel coffee (medium, $3.75) and an iced peach black tea (medium, $3.00). The drinks were delicious, especially the sea salt coffee. The coffee consisted of a sweetened Americano with a thick layer of sea salt whipped cream (with a sprinkling of cinnamon) on top. The airy layer of cream made up about 20% of the drink. I mixed everything together by vigorously shaking the sealed drink and the result was an icy coffee that was delightfully sweet, salty, and caramelly. It was terrific. The peach black tea was cold and refreshing. It was peachy sweet, but not too sweet, and the black tea flavor was nice and strong. This one hit the spot. Pastries we grabbed included: * Coffee Milk Butter ($1.65) - coffee bread with milk butter filling and decorated with chocolate chips on top * Choco Bun ($1.50) - chocolate mini bun filled with chocolate chips * Mangotale ($1.80) - sweet bread with mango filling on top and cream cheese inside * Berrytale ($1.80) - sweet bread filled with blueberry cream cheese with a drop of blueberry jam on top The pastries were freshly made and we could tell. Everything was good. The coffee milk butter was my favorite. It made for an ideal breakfast snack the next morning and held up well overnight. Soft, creamy, and chocolaty. The choco bun was chocolaty all-around. Rich and flavorful. It was a little heavy, but the bun's smaller size helped offset its richness. The mangotale and berrytale pastries were very similar. Slightly sweet and tart, spongy, and tasty. Yum. Service was good. Our cashier did a fine job explaining different drink options and our drinks came out in a reasonable amount of time during a surge in visitors. We were able to find free street parking on Shattuck Ave between University Ave and Addison St on the one-way stretch facing University, just around the corner from the store. Despite the nonsensical closing of the second level and the average selection of baked goods, I still enjoyed the food and drink. I give this 85°C location 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I'd definitely come back. At the time of writing this review, 85°C has nearly 500 stores in Taiwan and 400 stores in China. There are over 20 stores in California with the first location opening in Irvine in 2009. The name of the business is what the company founder thinks is the ideal temperature (85°C/185°F) to serve coffee.
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