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East Bay Places
Oaktown, Alameda, Fremont and the rest of the 510 area code.
26 Places
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John’s 4-star review: Sometime during this past summer, we were hiking at Redwood Regional Park on a nice Saturday morning. After our hike, everyone was tired and we were in need of some sustenance. We were hiking for more than 4 hours so we wanted something that could easily replenish our body from all the calories that we lost from a grueling up-and-down hike. Of course the task fell on to me and I remember bookmarking this Pinoy joint sometime ago. Since we were in the area, I convinced the family to eat here. The drive took less than 10 minutes and we parked across the street. By that time the morning fog had disappeared and the weather turned into a mild, sunny afternoon. All that heat was bearing down on us and made us more famished. The place was smaller than I expected, but you know what they say about things that come in small packages. Hey, get your mind out of the gutter. I wasn't talking about that kind of "package." We started with the Lumpia (snickers) for appetizers and it was four pieces deep fried to perfection. We liked it so much we ordered more. Yes, were a bit on the not-so-tiny size, but it was packed full of flavor. It was crispy, salty and not too greasy. I was the perfect starters to four famished people. As for the entree, I had the Garlic Shrimp Silog. It came with Garlic Rice and with the ubiquitous Filipino accoutrement of Fried Egg on top, which makes it a "Silog" dish by Filipino standards. The shrimp was fried and covered in some mayo aioli. It came with a lemon wedge to balance off the fattiness of the mayo and salt. It was rich and fatty, and just exactly what I was looking for to replenish my body. Wifey ordered the Garlic Noodles with Shredded Pork; another dish bursting with flavor and a little bit on the greasy side. But damn it was good I couldn't help myself from sampling just a bit more from her plate. My youngest had the Tocilog (marinated pork meat) and my oldest had the Pancit Bihon. By the way, all the entrees came in huge bowl plates that reminded me of the Philippines that it took me back to my childhood days. After eating here, we replenished all the calories that we lost during the hike and probably added a few more junk on the trunk. Some of the dishes may be on the greasy side, but nothing like a splash of lemon wedge could do to cut off the greasiness. All in all, a good Pinoy joint with bold flavors that will take you back to the Islands. I ain't referring to Alameda, either. -
John’s 3-star review: I don't remember much about this place. That must be a sign of a bad thing. However, it's not that bad...it's just that it didn't wow me. Wifey wanted to come here since she saw the photos of the Garlic Noodles. Being the dutiful husband that I am, I will be your Chauffeur and drive you all the way to the Island called Alameda. Being that the place is in Raiders territory, I will also act as your bodyguard and shield you from these Raider fans. And the Raiders banner that they proudly hang on your way to the restroom that reads, "Commitment to Excellence" is in the perfect location. They just need to change the last word to excrement. Let's move along now. We ordered some cocktails, pork chops, fried rice, chicken wings with fries and their version of a garlic noodle. The fries threw me off since it's an Asian restaurant. Oh, I stand corrected as it's an Asian Fusion. That's very original and creative. The pork chops were indeed chopped pork that were battered and fried topped with garlic, chopped onions and jalapeno. (Again, kudos with the originality there.) The chicken wings were only a few pieces of wings covered mostly with fries to give it an appearance that it's a full plate. The fried rice was unevenly cooked as there were still lumps of rice clumps stuck together. The flavor was there, but it looked like it was prepared and cooked by a drunken college student. And finally the garlic noodles, which was the reason we came here for fell flat like Jamarcus Russell's career. We've had better garlic noodles than this place. In fact, there's one around the corner that likes to do the shaka. We did like the cocktails as they were stiff and came in a jiff. However, like their pork chops, service was choppy and inconsistent. But these are just one man's opinion as this seems to be a popular place for the locals, I gather. Ah....they are, indeed, Raiders fans. And if you don't sense the sarcasm on my review, you must be a Raiders fan. -
John’s 4-star review: A lil' taste of N'awlins in hippy Berkeley. Several weeks ago while we were in the East Bay, we had to stop by Hercules early one morning and Wifey suggested we grab breakfast at IKEA on the way back. Look, I ain't got nuthin' against IKEA's cafeteria, it's just that we've been there so many times and it's just not that exciting. Also fighting traffic and crowd just to get here wasn't my idea of a quiet breakfast. Having just recently visited San Diego, I wanted something different that offers a place with a southern kick and I was craving Cajun. If you're thinking how does San Diego equates to Cajun is a long story, and that is for another time; but this place popped up and it drew us in like a Mardi Gras party. I'm gonna assume that this place used to be a Chinese restaurant since there's a sign hangin' in front of their place that says "Ming's Kitchen" on top. Anyways, it just added to the uniqueness and idiosyncrasies of this place. Walkin' in, you get bombarded by all the photos, posters and artwork hangin' on every inch of their wall. It's a lot to decipher and it's very eclectic. Their menu is seasonal or whatever is fresh for the day is posted on a chalkboard by the cash register. If you are undecided on what to order, you can mix and match too hot, but it's full of wonderful flavor that added to the dish. Heck, I was even or have a combo. That is exactly what we did as we wanted a lil' bit of everything. Wifey had the Fire Shrimp Curry & Chicken Creole and I had the Bourbon Red Beans with Hot Links & Fire Chicken Curry. We also ordered a side of cornbread that we shared. I'd expect something with a lil' more heat if something is named "fire," but it was just mild for my taste. However, the flavor was enough to compensate for the lack of heat. If you can handle some heat, they also have different hot sauce available that came in different bottles, and it fits right in to the theme of the restaurant. Besides, I couldn't get enough of the spicy garlic hot sauce that they had. It's not slurpin' it on my spoon. The only letdown was the cornbread was a lil' dry and crumbly. It needed the honey to compensate for what it lacked. However, we still enjoyed the place and the food. Even though it's self-serve, the people working there were pleasant, helpful and nice. Like the name of the place, it's easy to like and easy on the wallet. -
John’s 4-star review: Sawatdi Khrap! If you're looking for a different kind of Sunday Brunch experience, I would highly suggest you check this place in Berkeley. Wat Mongkolratanaram is a Thai Buddhist Temple that serves food to the public every Sundays. I believe it's run on donations, but patrons can pay for tokens in exchange for their dishes. 1 dollar is equal to 1 token and nothing is priced higher than 8 tokens. The food stand is located in the back of the temple, but you would need to get in line to get the tokens. Don't worry if you get too much tokens as you can always exchange them back to US currency afterwards. They have a vegetarian section, meat section, soup, drinks and desserts. Fall in line and choose your order in exchange with the tokens. I would suggest splitting up to maximize your time and have someone grab and reserve a table for your group. Seating is communal on long tables and benches, and there is also a grassy area in the back should you choose to eat squatting down. Definitely come early before it starts getting busy, or come later as the crowds dwindle down. However, the Johnny-come-lately's will run out of your favorite dish. Being this as our first time here, I told the Wifey want I wanted from the meat section and dashed over to the soup section (I only wanted the Fried Chicken with Rice - 8 tokens). The soup is only 6 tokens and you can choose from a variety of three types of noodles. There is only one type of broth (I was told it was beef broth), and it pretty much comes with the same fillings. There's a table next to the soup section with different types of condiments to customize the flavor according to your palate. The broth is pretty good all by itself. In addition to the Fried Chicken, Wifey had a plate of the Beef Panang, with Egg over Rice (8 tokens) and got the Coconut Pancake for desserts. I also had a cup of Thai Tea and Thai Coffee (2 tokens each). You know I'm a typical Yelper where I have to take a pic of the food, but Wifey was hungry and she had already took a bite of the Fried Chicken and almost finished her order of Beef Panang by the time I returned to the table. The soup was good as I enjoyed the taste of the broth as it wasn't too heavy. I had the thin noodles (a little al dente) but I liked the rest of the ingredients. It was a nice balance of everything on the bowl. I particularly liked the Fried Chicken as I thought it was a bargain for 8 tokens. You get three pieces of chicken, sticky rice and sweet and sour sauce. The chicken was marinated in something before it was fried. The meat was moist and tender and the skin was crispy, but not too crispy. The Beef Panang (or what was left of it) was excellent. All the flavors just burst in my mouth or 'Broke Da Mouth' if I said it Pidgin. The Coconut Pancakes were delicious (careful since they come out hot) as it definitely delivered on the coconut on every bite. There's a burst of creamy coconut in the middle and the texture was fluffy and fun to eat. The only things we didn't particularly like were the drinks. I believe they were store-bought and both were just too sweet for our taste. I had to dilute them with water as it was just too sweet. All in all, we would likely return here and try their other dishes and desserts. I've already spread the word among my family, friends and co-workers. Sawatdi Khrap! -
John’s 4-star review: Growing up in the Peninsula most of my life, I wasn't too familiar with Caspers Hot Dogs. In fact, I didn't know anything about them, to be honest. I just happen to be at Richmond Civic Center taking care of some personal matter and after returning to my car, I was about to drive off, but I noticed this bright, orange-colored structure staring right at me from a block away. First of all, anything that is colored orange will immediately get my attention for obvious reasons (Go Giants), and this one was practically screaming at me. I didn't start my car and ended up removing my keys from the ignition and began walking here. The architecture has a 50's old diner look to it, but only in a more compact package. The place is tiny, but it's cute and certainly stands out. They certainly have the branding on point since there's a "Caspers" sign on top of the structure and a signpost for a double whammy. Due to Covid, take-out orders at this time. When I walked in, there was a customer placing their order, but the ladies greeted me so warmly that I felt so welcomed. The menu is on the rear left of the place, and it's a simple, minimal old-school menu. Since they're famous for their hotdogs, I got a chili cheese dog ($6.69) with everything on it. The lady that was making my dog kept referring to me as "Honey" and had me buzzin' like a bee. Besides, the way that she asked if I wanted everything on it, I just couldn't resist. Really though, both of them were so sweet, friendly and lovely that I felt like on Cloud 9 and grinning from ear to ear. When I got back to my car, I had plans of devouring it, but quickly realized that wasn't going to happen with all the stuff that was on it. So, I had to wait until I got home and full discretion here...I had to eat it with a fork. I tried eating like a normal hotdog, but it was just too messy. The hotdog had a nice snap to it and tasted well with everything together. The bun couldn't hold up to all the toppings from the chili and cheese, and just made a soggy spectacle. That's why I picked up a fork. It was pure guilty pleasure, and I was enjoying the moment. Is it healthy? Probably not. Even the "cheese" sprinkled on top and melted together under the heat of the chili looked suspicious. But once in a while, eating a bit of nostalgia is worth taking a chance and it'll take you on a journey to the past. Caspers was started by an Armenian family in Chicago then moved to the Bay Area. It was established in 1934 and have expanded to 7 locations, all in the East Bay. This location in Richmond, one in Dublin, two in Hayward, one in Oakland, one in Pleasant Hill and last one in Walnut Creek. It is run by the founders' grandchildren consisting of these seven restaurants, wholesales and online sales. Funny how an orange-colored structure will make me do. -
John’s 4-star review: Fernandez Park is in the middle of downtown Pinole and just across the street from where they have the Saturday Farmer's Market on the corner of San Pablo Ave. and Tennent Ave. There's a plaque indicating that the park was a gift from Dr. and Mrs. Manuel Fernandez in honor of their son, Bernardo Fernandez, and all other sons who fought bravely and gave the ultimate sacrifice during WWII. The Fernandez clan is a prominent family from Pinole and were originally from Portugal. They founded a wharf and shipping business that started in the 1850's. Their mansion is at the end of Tennent Ave. near the railroad tracks and Bayfront Park. There's no date on the plaque, so I'm not sure how old the park is. However, it looks pretty modernish and in good shape. It's clean, well kept and manicured. There's plenty of free parking on their lot as well as street parking. There's also a community center complete with restrooms, water fountains, picnic tables, 2 playgrounds (one for older kids and the other for toddlers), an outdoor basketball court, a baseball/softball field, benches, BBQ grills and a gazebo. It's on 6 acres of land right next to Pinole Creek Trail. There's free poo bags for the doggies, so there's no reason to pick-up their excrement. It gets busy during the weekend with plenty of activities, and I've noticed a bunch of older men playing softball on Sundays. It makes me want to pick-up my gloves and bat and ask if I could play with them. It's probably a league, so I might join and sign-up one day to see if this old man has still got it. There's a very sad history that happened in this park in the summer of July 30th, 2005. A known gang member was attending a BBQ party across the street hosted by a fellow gang member, who were identified as Sureños. When he spotted three young men at the park wearing red, the color of their archrival, the Norteños, he mistakenly assumed they were rival gang members and opened fired on three young men murdering two innocent lives. They were only 18 and 21 year old young men. The names of these victims are honored by two plaques bearing their names and the location of where their innocent lives were cut short by this senseless act of violence. The murderer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. It's an unfortunate history of the park, but it's a lovely park nonetheless. -
John’s 4-star review: Pinole Creek Trail is about half a mile long from the mouth of the creek that starts from the bay and into the downtown area of Pinole. The creek itself is 10.95 miles long running through town, but the trail is a nice, flat and paved area that many locals utilize to jog, run, walk and stroll. There are several bridges that runs through the creek, including an elevated wooden railroad bridge that is quite picturesque. On the other side of the trail is the Bay Trail, and parts of that trail is not paved, especially from San Pablo Ave. all the way to the mouth of the creek. However, both trails connect to Bayfront Park towards the railroads and Pinole Shores. So depending on what route to take, you can spend quite some time to get your exercise. For us, it's the exercise, walking the dog and being outside. Especially when the weather is nice, it's quite a nice stroll with enjoyable views while being out in nature and still in an urban setting. However, it's the best of both worlds and the city of Pinole does a great job of maintaining the trail. Along the creek is also Fernandez Park, with kids' playground, community center, basketball court and a baseball field. It gets busy during the weekend with plenty of outdoor activities for both adults and kids alike. The creek is a mixture of both salt and fresh water that attracts countless of wildlife. I think there's always a family of ducks that are always swimming or just hanging around the banks of the creek. There's definitely fish in the creek since you'll spot their activities on the water. And the many types of birds that will stop to take a bath or feed during their migration. At the mouth of the creek where it meets the bay, there's a waste water treatment plant, and depending on where the wind blows, you might get a whiff of an unpleasant smell. However, it's quite a nice area to explore during low tide as you can walk a pretty good distance off shore. Make sure your wearing the right kind of footwear since it's very muddy. Doing this activity makes me feel like a kid again. Here's a little secret: On both sides of the trail, there are rows of bushes that grow wild berries. People forage these bushes all the time and we've done our fair share of foraging. I've even made several milkshakes as a result of our foraging. I'm not gonna tell you which are the sweet ones, I'll let you figure that out yourselves. Oh, and the bushes are very thorny so be careful. Don't say I didn't warn you. -
John’s 3-star review: I have to admit, I'm not too familiar with Cambodian cuisine, but there is always a familiarity among Asian dishes...especially the funk. I'm talking about the condiment that is either a fish paste or a shrimp paste. Slathering proteins in this paste has been an ancient way of preserving food before refrigeration was invented. It also adds a lot of flavor to a dish, especially if you like it salty. Every Asian country has a version of this fish/shrimp paste. We were in the neighborhood and Wifey wanted to try this place because she had previously bookmarked it. Located in the Highland Terrace neighborhood in Oakland, it's in a residential area so there were plenty of street parking available. She got Chicken Sticks, Prahok Ka-thiss with Rice & Veggies and Steak with Prahok Sauce & Rice. We ate them in the car and the pungent smell of the sauce and paste started permeating inside the vehicle as soon as we opened them up. If you're not used to this smell, like most non-Asians, you might gag, but this is a very familiar smell to us and even makes some salivate. I started dipping the veggies in both the funky sauce and shrimp paste as it was quite refreshing. The Prahok Ka-thiss came with a very unfamiliar veggie that looks like a small egg-shaped type of eggplant that was very interesting and comforting. The Chicken Sticks were just OK taste-wise, and it's difficult for me not to compare them to a Filipino BBQ chicken skewers. If there was a disappointing dish, it was the Steak with Prahok sauce. It looked good at first, but the meat was dry and they kept getting stuck between my teeth that it was difficult to eat. The sauce made up for it as I couldn't get enough of that stuff. Overall, it was an enjoyable meal that we would like to return. The unfamiliar veggies are definitely intriguing and I wouldn't mind getting a bottle of the sauce and shrimp paste to add some funk and soul to any dish. 3 1/2 starts. -
John’s 4-star review: Hercules! Hercules! Hercules! A not-so-small neighborhood park that provides a lot of punch. We've passed by this park on numerous occasion on our way to the waterfront. However, we recently incorporated this park during our walks and should've done it sooner. There's a paved walkway that goes through the middle and the back of the park that goes around the pond. It connects to the sidewalks and there are multiple pathways in and around the neighborhood. There's several benches along the pathways to rest and enjoy the views and wide area of grassy field to sit down, lay down or relax. In the middle of the park, there are 6 picnic tables that are spaced out proportionately away from each table with plenty of room to spare. It's also surrounded by trees to provide a nice shade from the East Bay heat. There's also the following courts for active and leisure types of activities: - Half court outdoor Basketball Court - Bocce Ball Court - Horseshoe Pits - Multi-use Field The park has a small parking lot with 15 stalls for vehicles (one handicap stall), restrooms (Men's and Women's) and a Gazebo. And yes, we've also spotted ducks taking advantage of the pond, in case you're wondering. All in all, a nice neighborhood park that is pet-friendly (Poo Bags receptacle), clean and well-maintained. I'm not just quacking. -
John’s 4-star review: This is the East Bay's answer to Saigon Sandwich. I didn't find this place as it found me. Last year, I was just wandering around this unassuming strip mall while I was waiting for the Wifey as she was making her purchase at another store. I got a whiff of a familiar aroma of a sweet, smoky BBQ wafting in the air. I look up and saw the sign and immediately knew it was coming from here. I walked in an and a nice, fine gentleman greeted me warmly. I studied the menu, but I already knew what I wanted as the smell beckoned me to get the BBQ Char Siu. While waiting for my order, I noticed there were your typical Vietnamese "snacks" and street food in ready to go containers inside a the cooler shelve. Since Wifey was already purchasing food, I had to hide the Banh Mi and attempted to eat it in secret as we got home. Of course she eventually found out about it, so I gave her the other half. Man, I regretted giving her the other half since it was delicious, and half of it didn't fill me up as I wanted more. I know, I'm being selfish, but I'm just being honest. The pork was tender, had a nice chew and flavor. I also liked that it had a slight burn on the fat giving it a crispy texture, which added another dimension. Hey, fat is flavor. Burnt fat is umami. The sauce was also sweet, but it was balanced and didn't overpower the Banh Mi. I came back a couple more times and tried the Grilled Pork, Ham and Head Cheese and Ham and Pork Cake. All exceptional and you can't beat the price. After a hiking session one day, I ordered two Banh Mi's and added fried eggs on both after getting home. Maybe I should suggest they add that on their menu. What I like about this place is they don't charge you an arm and a leg for a Banh Mi unlike some places in the city that serves fake and fusion Banh Mi. Currently, the prices range from $4 to $4.25, and it's still cheaper and better than a $10 faux Banh Mi. This is the real deal made by a Vietnamese immigrant whose been making Banh Mi's for years and have perfected his craft. He makes it with TLC and a smile as he hands you his wonderful creation. Gotta respect his piece of the American dream and I totally support, especially in times like these. Note: Ca$h only #YelpChallenge2020 review No. 17 -
John’s 3-star review: Of all the years living in the Bay Area, I've never been to Berkeley Marina until this year. One day, after walking Jaime at the Pt. Isabel Dog Park, decided to finally drive here to check out the area. I was surprised that it was actually pretty spacious. We walked around and discovered there are picnic areas, boat launch, UC Aquatic Center, Adventure Playground (for kids), fishing areas, bait & tackle shop, pier (currently closed), water sports clubs, a hotel, restaurants, chandlery, boat yard/dock and walking trails. It's definitely a spot if you're into water activities like kayaking, windsurfing, paddle boarding, sailing, swimming, kiteboarding and swimming. If you're not into water activities, you can bring the family and kids and have 'em run around the grassy area, have a picnic or let 'em play at Adventure Playground (currently closed) to burn off their excess energy. Good luck to some of you trying to force your kids to play outside as you might have to pry their electronic devices from their hands. Back in the day, our parents got mad if we played outside too much. Nowadays, parents get mad that kids don't play outside anymore. How times have changed. Sorry for going off on a tangent there. It's a nice area for all types of outdoor and water activities if you're into these hobbies. We do enjoy walking around here, and the views of the bay (especially on clear, cool days) are very scenic. Those are the pros, now I have to mention the cons. There's trash everywhere and that says more about us as human beings than anything else. There's plenty of face masks on the ground and broken glasses on the parking area of the pier side. There's garbage cans, but they are always overflowing. Don't know how often they get picked-up and cleaned. Plenty of cars parked along the pier also live in their cars, which adds to the filth and garbage. I have empathy for these people, but can't they at least clean-up their mess and trash? The roads on both side (entering and exiting the marina) needs some serious repaving. To say the roads are bad (especially when exiting) is an understatement. Its got more bumps than a teenager's face full of acne. I'm sure they can afford to repave the road from the monthly fee that they are charging these boat/yacht owners. Then the homeless encampment outside the marina is just a sad, sad sight to see. But that's just a miserable reality nowadays made worse by the pandemic. If you can overlook these things, you can still have a pretty good time here at Berkeley Marina. Just gotta learn how to navigate the good and the bad. #YelpChallenge2020 review No. 6 -
John’s 4-star review: Back in the mid 80's, when I was in middle school, every time my family members mentioned Berkeley Bowl, I thought they meant it was a bowling alley. One day, after visiting our aunt in Oakland, my other aunt mentioned that we were stopping by Berkeley Bowl prior to going home. She drove a station wagon similar to the one on National Lampoon's Vacation so there was a bunch of us in the car. I was excited since I was with my cousins so I assumed we were gonna play some bowling. Imagine my disappointment after realizing it was a grocery store. I was just as disappointed when Clark Griswold arrived at Wally's World only to find out it was closed for renovation. Well, the original Berkeley Bowl was a converted bowling alley, hence the name. Since then, they relocated and opened the main store at 2020 Oregon St. in 1999, and opened Berkeley Bowl West in 2009. Berkeley Bowl is the OG of grocery shopping when it comes to organic and sustainability. I mean they were doing it long before it became a thing. Since then, they have expanded and gotten bigger and better without losing their core. Usually when corporations become big and expand, they seem to lose their soul, but not Berkeley Bowl. In fact, they have added to their stock to include a lot of ethnic products. If I could describe Berkeley Bowl, I would say they are a combination of 99 Ranch, Mitsuwa Marketplace, Kukje, Safeway, Lucky, Albertson, Tokyo Fishmarket, Raley's, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Trader Joe's, Pacific Supermarket, Nijiya, Grocery Outlet, FoodMax and whatever else supermarket you can think of. Seriously, the quantity, quality and types of products they sell here is just phenomenal. The fruits and veggies are organic and they even carry Asian veggies that some big chain supermarkets don't sell. The meat (beef, pork and poultry) are high-quality and the seafood and shellfish are top-notch. They even carry sashimi-grade fish to complete a full course Japanese cuisine. And if you're talking high-end, they carry some fine ass caviar for the millionaires who can afford it. But, they are not exclusive as they are very inclusive with their reasonable prices. And if you don't have time to cook, you can grab some to-go food at the deli counter and hot food to go that will satisfy your hunger in a jiff. They have sammiches, salad, rice meals and pastries. And if you want gourmet food, they have those too. I was also surprised at the amount of Japanese canned coffee brands that they carry and Wifey had to tell me to put some back. Then I got to their Sake section and I was celebrating like a Yokozuna. Excellent beer selection; plenty of wines and liquor; fresh eggs including duck eggs; nuts and grains galore; all kinds of milk from oat, almond, soy, rice, goat and cow's milk; international beverage; coffee, cheese and spices. Shall I go on? I'm also impressed that they provide gloves for customers during covid and they only let in a certain amount of customers at a time. My one and only qualm is that the parking spaces are tiny and you're gonna need to squeeze in some tight spots so expect to suck in that gut when exiting or returning to your vehicles. However, that's a minor inconvenience and Berkeley Bowl is a one-stop shop for grocery items whether your Mexican, Asian or Caucasian. They've definitely captured the beat of the Bay Area and it's a strike and not a spare. #YelpChallenge2020 review No. 1 -
John’s 4-star review: Part of Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association of the Bay Area in Contra Costa County. They are open year round every Saturdays from 9AM to 1PM in downtown Pinole between Fernandez Ave. and Pear St. It may not be the biggest, as it's probably one of the smaller ones, but you know sometimes good things comes in small packages. It's basically located on a small parking lot, but the layout is easy to navigate. You have the fruits and veggie vendors on one side and food vendors on the other side. There's also a food stands that sells eggs and another that sells freshly-caught seafood. What also surprised me (but I shouldn't be anymore) are Ilocano vendors selling Filipino/Ilocano veggies. We've been eating Marungay (Moringa in English and Malungay in Tagalog) all of our lives and has recently been considered a "Superfood" and one of the vendors have them available. The leaves on these are pretty, healthy for you and are packed with vitamins and rich in antioxidants. It's a very laborious effort to prep them for cooking, but it's worth it. They also have my favorite veggie, which is the bitter melon or bitter gourd. The bitter the better. Say that with a thick Filipino accent. Again, they may not everything that you are looking for here, but they have plenty enough varieties that are in season that'll satisfy your veggie needs. Also for a brief moment, there were so many Filipinos here that I thought I was back home in Daly City. There's plenty of parking spots available with an adjacent lot across the market and there's plenty of street parking available as well. Easy in and easy out. -
John’s 4-star review: Every Tuesdays for the past several weeks now, I've been meeting my two closest friends going on adventures around the bay and called it "Therapy Tuesdays" to keep some level of sanity and normalcy during this pandemic. This past Tuesday, we ended up in Lafayette Reservoir after a trip to Berkeley Marina. It's been a while since I've been here, and this was the site of my first fishing trip in 1993. It's true when they say "Beginner's luck" when it comes to fishing since I caught a monster Rainbow Trout on our first fishing expedition. However, we didn't come here to fish this time around and we simply came here for a nice stroll. Besides, boats are not allowed during the pandemic. There are two main trails here and the paved one is The Lakeside Nature Trail, which is 2.75 miles around the lake and the dirt trail called The Rim Trail, which is 4.7 miles long and more challenging. There are also small trails along the paths that goes back-and-forth between the two main trails. You can easily finish the loop along the paved trail in less than an hour as it's a pretty easy trail with a few uphills and downhills along the way. The trail is filled with trees on each side and the majority of the trees are Monterey Pines as 5,000 of them were planted in 1935. This was done to stabilize the slopes due to the foundation began moving downhill when this man-made reservoir was filled with water during its construction in 1928. They had to redesign the dam until it settled, and construction was delayed and subsequently completed in 1933. The trees provide a wonderful scenery around the reservoir, and not to mention the canopy it provides if the sun is scorching, which is typically the case on this side of the Caldecott Tunnel. The parking lot is located on top of the dam and are separated into annual and day lots. The parking fee for the day pass is $7, and there are also metered parking for $0.75 cents for half an hour. For $3, this is enough time to walk around and explore the reservoir. If you have a handicap placard, it's free. Bikes, roller skates, roller blades and scooters are only allowed on the trail on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon until closing, and Sundays from opening until 11 AM. The hours vary depending on the month, and the longest times they are open are from 6 AM until 9 PM during the summer. During normal operations, you can usually have picnics here as they have 125 picnic tables and 44 BBQ grills based on a first-come, first-served basis. You can also rent boats or bring your own boat, but it has to be an electric engine. Inspections and fees apply when you bring your own boat. If you come here to fish, catfish is planted during the summer and rainbow trout is planted during fall, winter and spring. And the best part of all, you can bring your four-legged friend to enjoy all the amenities this place has to offer. -
John’s 4-star review: In my humble opinion, a city without a Chinatown is missing something unique and vital to the community. I've been to Chinatowns in Honolulu, L.A., Las Vegas, Vancouver and the OG in the city. But did you know the oldest Chinatown in the world is in Binondo, Philippines? It makes sense since they have been trading for centuries even way before Magellan decided to crash the party. Oakland Chinatown doesn't have the glitz and glamour compared to the one across the bridge, but I would say it's more of a real Chinatown as it does not cater to tourists but to locals and working class people alike. I hear different types of dialects spoken on the sidewalks, and that is music to my ears. Here, you can get your hard-to-find vegetables along with other ingredients that you won't find at your local grocery stores. There are shops, restaurants, bakeries and eateries of all kinds and from different regions, who are from those regions so you get the authenticity off the bat. Like all other Chinatowns, it could be grimy and dirty in some areas, and that is part of the scene. What you see is what you get. I've even witnessed a vendor selling dogs for pets (NO...not for consumption, and don't go there) inside a huge open box right on the corner of a sidewalk, and to say shocking is an understatement. But to say this doesn't happen behind closed doors in other communities is being ignorant. However the case, there is good, bad and questionable in every Chinatown one might visit, but this one has a lot of charm. I've found many gems in this place that we've frequented, and some more than others. It's also easy to get to by a regular vehicle since it's right off 880, or taking public transportation. The BART stations on 12th Street and Lake Merritt are a short walking distance away. Now parking could be a bit of a challenge, but it's not as bad as the city. I don't want to give away a secret but here goes...I usually park a few blocks away right next to the police department. But there are also several parking lots nearby if you don't mind spending a little. For those living on the other side of the bay who haven't been here, you might find a nice surprise. Note: All photos I posted were taken well before the SIP was instituted. -
John’s 5-star review: We just adore small, quaint Japanese grocery stores in the Bay Area, and this one is no exception. We found this gem of a place yesterday while picking-up dinner at Middle East Market in Berkeley on San Pablo Ave. Wifey was searching on Yelp and wanted to stop by since it was just a few blocks away across Gilman St. I use Gilman as a shortcut sometimes and we've been to North Face Outlet on several occasions just a few blocks away and didn't even know this place even existed. There's a small parking lot in front of the stores, but there's plenty of street parking around the area. Social distancing is in full effect and they are only letting in a certain amount of customers at a time. They have markers established outside the store so you know exactly how far to stand apart. There's a staff member counting the people exiting and relay that information to the other staff member on how many are allowed entrance. Very organized, friendly and efficient. The store itself is not very large, but it's packed with so many imported Japanese products that one may be looking for. They even have a rack and a freezer shelves section full of Hawai'ian products. Heck, they even have Zippy's. How impressive is that? The seafood section is very clean full of assorted fresh fish, and you can even procure sushi and shashimi quality grade fish. Just like D.wight L., who made some real homemade Poke dish. The food handling here is top notch, especially during these times so it's very well appreciated. They even have meat imported from Japan that you can make shabu shabu, chashu or sukiyaki with. All high quality products and restaurant quality that you can make at the comfort and safety of your own homes. Of course it wouldn't be a Japanese grocery store without sushi and sashimi, and they have these in spades. They even have a nice selection of assorted and colorful ikura ready for consumption. They are also very reasonably priced and I can compare it to Mitsuwa so it's quite affordable and not exorbitant compared to Whole Foods. We were able to add to our pantry, freezer and fridge without taking a huge dent on our budget and we plan on returning here again. We would specially like to return during "normal conditions" so we can fully enjoy everything they have to offer. I am writing this review while sipping on some Yamamotyama brand Genmai-cha (Green Tea with Roasted Rice) tea, which I purchased at a reasonable price. Sugu ni mata koko ni modoru yoteidesu. すぐにまたここに戻る予定です。 -
John’s 5-star review: Last year, after attending the Filipino-American festival at Yerba Buena Gardens, what better way to celebrate dinner than eating Middle Eastern food? Yup...no correlation whatsoever. But that's the beauty of living in the Bay. There are so many ethnic backgrounds and authentic food options to choose from without circumnavigating the globe. You can go to any Bay Area city or neighborhood and it's almost similar to visiting a foreign country based on the region's majority foreign ethnicity. For example: India = Fremont Vietnamese = San Jose Filipino = Daly City Mexican = The Mission Chinese = Sunset and Richmond Ok, ok...I can hear the haters now labeling these as stereotypes. But there's a lot of truth to this statement, so I'm sticking by it. We came upon Middle East Market as we were craving some kabobs. We read the reviews and saw the photos and you didn't have to twist our arms. Grab a menu or check the board to order at the counter. They'll give you a number and grab an empty table while you wait for your food. The first time we came here, I ordered the Lamb Shank Platter while Wifey had the Chicken Thigh Kabob Platter. Each plate comes with a generous serving of Basmati Rice cooked in wonderful and flavorful spices. These plates will fill you up and they don't skimp on anything. Lamb Shank was fall-off-the-bone juicy and tender. As I mentioned before, I'm a lamb guy and this was more than satisfying. But when I sampled the Chicken Thigh Kabob, Oh Mah Goodness. My head exploded at the juiciness, tenderness, smokiness and wonderful combination of delicious chemistry occurring in my mouth. This may have been one of the best chicken I've ever eaten in my life. After eating here, we had to return and try their other dishes...so that's exactly what we did. This time around, I ordered the chicken while Wifey had the Koobideh Kabob (minced ground beef & lamb) Platter. Just like the first time, the flavor, juiciness, tenderness and smokiness were exactly the same. It was an orgasmic feeling in my mouth. The Koobideh was also packed with flavors and spices that made the meat taste so robustly. And the rice (saffron & dill) were also packed with aromatic flavors cooked to perfection. Oh, the Baklava desserts were delightful. They were actually light and not too oily. Don't forget to ask for their delicious blend of tea as well to accompany your dish. It's a perfect pairing no matter the meal. If you're looking for Middle Eastern ingredients, grocery items and bakes goodies, this place is a one-stop-shop. But I still dream about that chicken kabob to this day. And guess what? They are open for pick-up during the lockdown so that's exactly what we did. We picked-up our dinner here yesterday. Hours of operations 1000 hours to 2000 hours everyday. Let's do what we can to support these businesses. Note: There's currently road construction in front of their block, so park around the corner or across the street. -
John’s 4-star review: Saw this place on an episode of 'Check, Please! Bay Area' and of course I had to bookmark it. I then low-key came here to celebrate my birthday with the Wifey. I'm not familiar with Oakland that much, but I'm surely and slowly discovering its neighborhoods. This is in the Piedmont Ave. area, near 580 and 24, and it's also a local butcher shop. A good place to get fresh, quality meats and poultry. To dine here, order at the counter, take your number and find a table and wait for your order to arrive. Being that this is Oakland, we both ordered Oakland's Cheesesteak. Although I wanted her to order another meal so I can taste as much as the menu as possible and she wasn't having it. We both wanted the cheesteak, damnit. We also got their Hot Fried Chicken Wings (comes with blue cheese slaw and taqueria pickles) for starters. They even have their own hot sauce, and one of 'em is called "The Bomb" so I had to try it out. I dabbed some of it on the chicken wings and it wasn't that spicy. I've had better at some taqueria places, but we didn't come here for the hot sauce. As for the cheesesteak, it was messy good. Thinly sliced tender sirloin, onion confit, grilled and marinated mushrooms, matchstick cut turnips, Duke's mayo and warm beer cheese fondue on a hero roll. We will definitely come here again and try the rest of their menu. I just gotta make sure Wifey orders something else next time. 3 1/2 stars. -
John’s 3-star review: We first discovered Gen in 2016 from Mike Chen's YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUNa4GIu7Oc) when he featured the one in San Jose. We've been to that location several times over. They have since expanded to many locations and this one is in Concord. It's on Willow Pass Road off of 680 and 242, and just a few blocks from the Veranda. Like their other locations, they pretty much have similar layouts and design, so at least that's consistent, that's where similarities end. I still prefer the one in San Jose, located at the Pacific Rim Plaza, but this one will do if you're in the area. If I recall correctly, we've been here at least three times and each visit provided different experiences. I don't know what happened, but the level of service has gone down at this location. Especially on our most recent visit, which was a few weeks ago. We had wrong orders delivered to our table and the wait time has increased when waiting for our correct orders to arrive. You also pretty much have to get their attention and even then, you have to remind them and we've repeated our orders several times before the correct one arrived. Also noticed that they are not as consistent when cleaning the tables as the one directly across from us had a bunch of debris left on the bottom of the table, which they neglected to clean-up before sitting other patrons there. Fortunately, they couldn't see it, but we had a clear view of the mess underneath. Not a pleasant sight to see when dining. Having said that, it's still a good value for an AYCE joint as some of the meat quality are pretty decent...if you order the right types of meat. We've learned to avoid ordering Bulgogi since this usually fills you up and we've stuck to ordering their premium steaks, briskets and pork & beef belly. The jowl meat is also pretty good, and we like to crisp it up to get the right type of texture and flavor that we prefer. It's still good, but service has gone down at this spot. -
John’s 3-star review: Onigiri or rice balls originated as far back as 11th century Japan. Shaped in triangles or balls, often flavored with salt and stuffed with pickled ume (plums) which acted as a natural preservative, wrapped in nori (seaweed) were popular snack food for Samurai warriors during numerous wars in feudal Japan. Now, the popularity of this snack food has been imported globally. Although not as popular as Sushi, Onigiri is a direct descendant of the much-beloved Spam Musubi that organically evolved in Hawai'i. Although I wouldn't put organic and Spam in the same sentence, I ask for forgiveness. This joint is located in Albany on a street corner that could easily be missed if you are not paying attention. It's a small place that sits a dozen or so patrons at a time, so it's quite quaint and cozy. Instead of calling them Onigiri's, here they call them triangles. We got a plate of the short rib and the following triangles: Short Rib, Spicy Ahi Tuna and Unagi (eel) with a side of Miso Soup. The triangles came with a side of Edamame. Let me start with the short rib plate...not what I expected and it was mostly chopped up. There were a lot of pieces that were hard and the meat was a tad too salty for my taste. The Edamame and Miso Soup were both bland and could've used more seasoning. I would say the triangles were the best they had to offer, and the Unagi was on point. It had a perfect ratio of protein to rice, but the rest of the triangles that we ordered had proportionately had more rice than protein. Flavor-wise, it was lacking that Umami punch that one expects and it's a good thing they had sides of sauces, hot pepper and sesame seed that you can add to counteract the blandness. However...it's cheap and filling, but didn't wow me. A Japanese would say: ma ma. A Korean would say: geujeo geulae. -
John’s 4-star review: Have you ever enjoyed a place so much that you wanted to return right away to try their other dishes? That's what we did just a couple of days ago. Funny thing is that this was our back-up plan. We ended up walking out on the first place that we went too because we were completely ignored. Good thing this place was close by and we were rushing to get here as it was around 8PM and they close at 9PM. We could tell this place is popular as there were still a lot of patrons waiting for a table and lots or take-out orders being picked-up at that time. Once we got seated, we ordered the Combo Platter (Fried Tofu, Chicken Satay and Egg Roll), Tom Yum Goong, Nam Kao and Fried Chicken over Fried Rice. The Combo Platter was a nice trio for starters and the soup was on point, but it was also on the sweet side which was odd and unique. I love that it had plenty of shrimp The Nam Kao was fresh, herbal, delicious, playful and fun. As for the Fried Chicken, it looked appetizing but it wasn't their best. However, the Fried Rice was tasty and we were really enjoying the dishes and got excited just reading and seeing the other dishes being delivered at other tables. We definitely wanted to return to try the rest of their menu and we ended up here the following night on a Friday evening. This time, we knew exactly what to get and ordered Somtum-Gai Yang (Papaya Salad and BBQ Chicken) from their specials menu; plus we got the Kao Soy and Moo Young. We were eyeing these last two dishes the previous night and they did not disappoint. The Kao Soy has everything in it and loved loved the spiciness to it, but there's always a hint of sweetness. But I was blown away from the meatball. This thing just looked plain, but after tasting it with just one bite I had fireworks full of flavor in my mouth. I asked what type of meatball it was and they said it has tendon in it. Whatever else was in it, I wanted to buy a whole bunch. As for the Moo Young, I decided to add an egg on top and wish it was more runny. But the pork was tender, tasty and terrific. Mixed together with the rice and it was a happy smorgasbord. And we didn't go wrong with the Papaya Salad and BBQ Chicken specials menu. The salad was tangy, spicy, sweet, crispy, fresh and delightful. The BBQ Chicken was superb with all types of wonderful spices added to it. There will definitely be a third, fourth and even more visits as we are aiming to eat their whole menu. Their prices is also surprisingly inexpensive. The staff is young, friendly and energetic. We can't wait til our next visit. -
John’s 5-star review: SoCal in NorCal. A great family owned restaurant with a lot of TLC, heart and soul invested in it. Super Bowl Sunday and Wifey didn't want to watch the game and I concurred. After shopping at Costco and we happen to be in the area, Wifey discovered the burgers as she was searching on Yelp. Drove to the place and found parking right in front along San Pablo Avenue. There were just a few patrons dining, but I just got a sense it was busy and packed earlier from their brunch service. I could tell as it had that residual energy that I felt with the force. We got seated down by a nice young man, who was very friendly, helpful and informative. As we decided on what to order, the Dad came over our table and provided us some recommendations and answered all our questions with a deep passion. He was more than awesome and we had a great conversation as the service he provided felt very personalized, which we greatly appreciated. We chose a cup of L.A. Style Clam Chowder ($4), Bacon Jam Fries ($10), 405 Traffic Jam ($14 w/ egg +$2), which was Wifey's choice and I had the Iconic Tokyo Po' Boy ($14 w/ egg +$2). I also got cup of coffee ($3), which was a French Roast blend. * French Roast Coffee ~ Never ending cup of good brew. * Clam Chowder ~ Creamy, different and good. * Bacon Jam Fries ~ Kettled cooked bacon, caramelized sweet onions, melted Mozzarella with sweet and savory Bacon Jam: The bacon tasted similar to Tocino and all the combinations worked together perfectly. An artery-clogger indeed as you get a pool of oil underneath the pan. It's not healthy for you, but it's fricking delicious as heck. * 405 Traffic Jam ~ 1/3 patty of boneless shortrib, bacon, breaded Portobello mushroom, crispy onions, dipped Pastrami, Jalapenos and 310's Kalbi Aioli served on a Artisan Brioche bun with egg: In L.A., you'd usually want to avoid the 405 traffic jam, but this was a different beast altogether as it was a monstrosity of wonderful different ingredients combined together to create a "Magic Mountain" in your mouth. You don't want to avoid this traffic jam. Also, the egg was perfectly cooked as we broke the yolk and it was instant food porn. * Iconic Tokyo Po' Boy ~ Lightly deep fried Japanese style Soft Shell Crab, 310's spicy slaw, Unagi Aioli, tomatoes served on an Artisan Brioche bun with egg: I was doing the "Happy Dance" as I tasted this wonderful concoction and the egg was also cooked perfectly as above. Not only is the food delicious, what made it memorable of an experience was the warm feeling and service provided to us by the family who owns this establishment. From the young son who greeted us, to the Dad who answered all our questions to the Mom who brought us the coffee and chowder. I am excited to try their breakfast menu and the rest of the dishes. Next time, I'll bring my sons along so we can sample more of their offerings. Note: This place is also dog-friendly as they have a couple of tables in front that would be perfect for your four-legged family member on a nice, sunny day. -
John’s 4-star review: I've had this place bookmarked for years and I didn't realize it was so close to Oakland Chinatown and I've passed by it on so many occasions. Came here with the Wifey a few weekends ago just to relax and unwind, and it was the perfect place for good libations, excellent grub and a chill, good vibes kind-of-place. Definitely a spot for beer lovers as they carried a lot of not your typical and average beer. I believe their beer menu also changes so you can peruse the menu and try all kinds and all types of brews from all over the place that you may fancy. The interior is very intimate with plenty of dark wood panels that is very warm and pleasant to the eyes. The bartender was friendly, cheerful, nice and very helpful to us first-timers. But I was particularly impressed with the Brie and Jam sandwich ($9) with Prosciutto (+ $3) as it's one of the better sandwiches I've had in a while. A perfect combination of a sweet and savory concoction that hit the spot. Note: Don't come here expecting a sports bar and they are far from being a sports bar. You come here for the beer, conversation and relaxed atmosphere. Cheers to Trappist for being my therapist. -
John’s 3-star review: Huong Tra is a district in North Central Coast of Vietnam, so their cuisine specializes in that region. OK, that was an assumptions since I googled "Huong Tra" and this is what came up. This particular location is in Richmond, just north of Berkeley in the north central part of the Bay Area so the similarities are so uncanny. Coincidence? OK, I'm reaching. I'm slowly venturing in this part of the Bay and this particular restaurant looked promising. We came here on a Saturday one weekend and the place is packed, which is often a good sign. However, even though they were busy, we quickly got seated, ordered and our food arrived at our table within 15 minutes of stepping foot inside. We aslo noticed that there seems to be a lot of regulars here based on the interaction some of the patrons had with the staff. Some where also very intimate interactions, which made us jealous and the song by Black Eyed Peas popped up in my head....where is the love? All kidding aside, we love that our food got on our table so rapidly as we where hungry. Wifey ordered the Combo Pho while I got the Cubed Steak with Yellow Rice and added an Egg (extra cost). We also had Egg Roll and Fish Cakes for appetizers. Appetizers were good (not great) and my order tasted similar to Tocino. It was definitely on the sweet side and thank goodness I ordered the egg to cut the sweetness from the meat. Wifey's pho was also solid and the broth was hearty. The prices were good and the servings were well proportioned. Fast service and I guess we have to frequent it a lot to get more intimate service. All in all, a solid 3 1/2 stars. -
John’s 3-star review: This Pinoy joint has been on my radar for quite a while since they've been featured on several YouTube channels, print media, articles on different websites and I also follow them on Instagram. Local artists and "celebrities" (E-40, Chuy Gomez and etc...) have also flocked to this joint to try their Pinoy food, and the G Fire Wings certainly looked worthy of its name. After being on my bookmarked queue for at least 3 years, we finally managed to visit this establishment on a wet and rainy Sunday afternoon. It was nice of them to have an awning in front of the order counter to provide shelter from the rain for the customers and it was a nice touch. However, I seem to remember from t he videos that you can go in and place your order inside, but the door was closed and had to place our order on the counter, but we didn't mind. We ordered 2 XL Lumpias, 2 Tocino (with egg and rice), 1 Longanisa (with egg and rice) and 6 pieces of G-Fire Wings. As we waited for our order, I noticed that it's a popular take-out spot as people began to "pour" in from the rain picking-up their orders. Waited about 15 minutes and we got into the car and couldn't wait to dig in. (I forgot to take photos of the Longanisa dish) For 2 bucks a piece, the XL Lumpia was somewhat pricey, but it was delicious although a lil bit on the salty side. The Tocino was good, but it didn't excite my mouth. It was just one note, which was sweet...and could've used an acid like vinegar to counter balance the sweetness. I wish the rice was Garlic Rice to make it a "Silog" breakfast dish, but plain white rice it was. And for the G-Fire Wings, I was sadly disappointed since it was dry. Sure it was coated with their sauce, which was OK, I was expecting more kick with a name like that. An although the texture on the exterior was certainly crispy, the batch that we got certainly did not taste fresh as I compared both the wings and drumsticks and both were dry inside and missing the juiciness. Maybe we didn't get a fresh batch, but overall and collectively, I can see why the place is popular. I would like to give them another try and surely would like to order their specials, and maybe I'd get a different batch of G-Fire Wings. To be continued... -
John’s 4-star review: Steph Curry with the shot, boi! I love the Warriors theme and decor of this joint. You can tell these are hardcore Dubs fans and it's a great spot in Alameda even though it is Raiduhs territory. We've been here several times now and it's still solid as ever. Depending on your appetite, you can choose from Dungeness Crab, Crawfish, Shrimp and Clam with Garlic Butter (Mild), Lemon Pepper (Medium), Steph Curry (Spicy) and Hang Ten (Extra Spicy). If you want is spicy, get the Hang Ten since the Steph Curry could use a lil more oomph just like the last 3 games of the NBA Finals. OK, I don't want to relive that again. If you order these, expect to have a messy table and sticky hands, but they are finger lickin' good. If you have a large group, you may want to get the Hang Ten Combos that includes 2 corns, 2 potatoes and 3 parathe bread. They have two kinds: Cousin Jeff's consist of 2 lb shrimp and 1 lb clams and Vinny's consist of Crab or King Crab Legs, 1 lb shrimp and 1 lb clams. But if you think you can handle them all by yourself, then by golly go for it and more power to you. If you don't want to get messy sticky, then go for the grease baskets of Fried Catfish, Fried Oysters, Fried Shrimp, Fried Calamari, Katsu or get the Dub Basket and get a lil bit of everything. I would recommend that one. You can even go ono grindz and get all kinds of meat from BBQ Chicken, Kalbi Short Ribs, Loco Moco and then some more. If you're training to be a Sumo Wrestler, these would be the spot to fill on some protein. Of course, it wouldn't be Hawaiian if they don't have rice, Spam Musubi and macaroni salad. They even have Lumpia too if you're in the mood. For sides, you can get some Garlic Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Cajun Fries, Hang Ten Fries and Steamed Broccoli if you want some veggie to cut the fat or you're feelin' guilty. But who you kiddin? You don't come here to watch your figure so you might as well go all in and order the Garlic Noodles, too. And if you want some libation with some Island style, they carry three kinds of beer from Kona Brewing Company: Fire Rock, Longboard and Big Wave. I just wish they carried Da Grindz Buzz Kona Coffee Imperial Stout, Black Sand Porter and Coco Loco Toasted Coconut Brown Ale. Maybe the owners will read this review since they need to have some dark beer to balance it out. But I ain't complaining since you will leave full and satisfied here just like watching Curry hittin' threes all day long.
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