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Amici's East Coast Pizzeria - San Rafael
The Hilltop Cafe - American, Novato
Mi Pueblo - Mexican, Novato
Sushi Ran - Japanese, Sausalito

Chef Liu - Chinese - Mandarin, Mountain View
Ming's - Chinese, Palo Alto
Uncle Frank's BBQ - Mountain View

South Bay/Silicon Valley - Cupertino, Sunnyvale

Dynasty Chinese Seafood - Chinese, Cupertino
Saizo - Japanese, Sunnyvale

Sacramento - Davis, Sacramento

Fuzio - California cuisine, Davis
Yeung City Seafood - Chinese, Sacramento

Los Angeles Metropolitan Area: Alhambra, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, Santa Monica

Choy's - Chinese, Anaheim
Light House Buffet - Seafood/Sushi, Santa Monica
Luscious Dumplings - Noodles and Dumplings, San Gabriel
Monterey Hill Country Club - American, Alhambra/Monterey Park
Regent Cafe - Chinese American, Alhambra

The maximum rating is 5 stars.
5 stars = Excellent, Can’t Miss
4 stars = Very Good
3 stars = Good
2 stars = Fair
1 star = Mediocre
0 stars = Forget it

Amici's East Coast Pizzeria

Amici’s is a very clean cut establishment with bright lights, earth tones, forest green.  The classic black and white photos of famous sports figures or famous people give the place a bit of the New York feel.  Their pizza has been described by quite a few as being more authentic New York style pizza.  Mr. and Mrs. G as well as my friend N (an authentic New Yorker) give Amici’s high marks.

Chef Liu's - Chinese, Mandarin

Phil brought us to Chef Liu.  I’ll preface this review by stating that he’s been here a number of times and thought they might be having an off day.  With that in mind, I would consider trying them again to see if their ratings would go up.  However, based on today’s visit alone, the one thing worth going back for is what they call Steamed Pork.

Enter Chef Liu and it’s a bright restaurant with a lot of lighting coming from the front windows.  The décor is fairly basic, but what’s a bit startling is that the woman who runs the place does a lot of yelling into the kitchen.  It might be cultural, but perhaps it’s just the culture of Chef Liu’s.  When I was looking at the menu, I was surprised at how the ordering took place.  As each item was ordered at the table, the woman would yell back to the kitchen rather than waiting for the full order to be completed.  For example, let’s say you wanted to order five items.  Between each one, as you paused to find your next selection, she would yell back to the kitchen.  If you’re looking for ambiance, you’ll probably want to skip Chef Liu’s, but it’s admittedly interesting to watch.

If you don’t read Chinese, the English descriptions on the menu are a bit difficult to navigate.  Familiar names for food are not necessarily used her – for example, the Shanghai style dumpling or steamed dumpling is called Steamed Pork here.  Look under the dim sum category for lunch orders and you’ll find the majority of their specialty items.

- Tofu with Bean Thread Soup – Fried hard tofu cubes are served with bean threads and bok choy in a light broth.  It’s got a very light and subtle flavor and the tofu cubes are a bit on the harder side, probably because they haven’t been freshly fried, otherwise the soup would be more oily.  Fair.  $5.95

- Steamed Pork – Six handmade dumplings are filled with pork and served in a bamboo steamer.  The dish is accompanied by a bowl of thinly sliced ginger and vinegar.  Of all the dishes, this one was the best.  The thin wrapper was delicious and the juices within the dumpling were plentiful.  Five stars for this dish – a must have item. $5.50

- Sesame Panroll Sliced Five-Spice Beef – A pancake is rolled around slices of five spice beef, and is sprinkled with sesame.  The roll is then fried until golden.  I had never had this dish before, so it was pretty interesting.  Inside the roll, there is also some hoisin sauce and slivers of green onion.  It’s a lot like eating peking duck buns, but fried and with beef.  The roll is a little thick, meaning heavily layered, on the bottom, but the sesame flavor comes through well.  Good.  $3.25

- Chinese Chives Pastry - It looks like a giant pastry and it is.  Chopped Chinese chives, egg, and baby dried shrimp are cooked together and stuffed inside the pastry wrapper.  The pastry is then either deep fried or pan fried.  I had a little trouble determining the method used to cook it since it didn’t come out crispy, nor was it like a pan fried consistency.  If the wrapper had been cooked to the point of being more crispy, it would have been even better.  Fair.  $2.50

- Sauteed Green Pea Sprout – Green pea sprouts are sautéed with oil, salt, and a touch of wine.  Although very tender, the pea sprouts were overly salted today.  Either the chef forgot and salted twice or some other mishap occurred, but it was super salty.  $6.95

Overall, the food was just fair today.  The Steamed Pork (aka dumplings) was the best item of the day and they ran out of the dish while we were there.  The company at the table made up for the lack of pizzazz of the food, so it was another one of those times where the food was definitely secondary to the whole experience.

2801 W. Ball Road, Anaheim CA 92804
(714) 527-6848
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
Hours: open until 2am

Last Visited: January 25, 2006

Food: 2 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: N/A
Price: $ to $$

Our family friends received the menu to Choy’s as they were entering Disneyland.  The colorful menu shows a variety of offerings with color photos of beautifully displayed entrees.  Although the small map on the menu says that it’s not to scale, you have no idea how not to scale it really is.  There are two streets shown between Disneyland and Choy’s.  In reality, there are many many more.  It was about a ten to fifteen minute drive from Disneyland to the restaurant. 

For this visit, we ordered take out. 

- Beef Chow Fun – The beef chow fun contained chow fun that had been sautéed with slices of beef, onions, and green onions.  Although the color is similar to that of typical chow fun, this was just not close enough.  The flavor was a bit on the sweet side, and not quite the right combination of flavors.  However, the rice fun was nicely separated.  Fair.  $6.50

- Wonton Noodle Soup – The menu states that it’s Hong Kong Style Noodles, but it’s not.  It’s some other kind of noodles.  The wontons are more wrapper than meat and the broth contains carrots and other vegetables that aren’t typical of wonton noodle soup.  The broth looked more like the base for hot and sour soup.  If this dish had been called chicken broth with wontons and noodles (non-Chinese style), it would have been satisfactory.  However, as is, it doesn’t meet typical wonton noodle standards.  Fair. $5.50

Fortune cookies came with the food.

If you’re looking for authentic Cantonese style food, Choy’s is not the right place for you.  If you want an adapted version of Chinese food and don’t require authentic flavor, it will probably be fine. 

 

Dynasty Chinese Seafood

10123 North Wolfe Road, Cupertino CA 95014
(408) 996-1680
Parking: shopping center parking lot

Last Visited: July 24, 2004

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: unknown

Located inside Vallco Fashion Park, Dynasty Chinese Seafood restaurant is quite a large operation. The evening of my visit, I was at a banquet style meal, with more than 30 tables of ten people each, so service may be different on a regular visit. In addition to two banquet rooms, the restaurant has multiple private dining rooms with as little as one or two tables. The private room settings are typical of Taiwanese style restaurants.

The windows are framed with Asian lattice treatments, much like those found at Japanese restaurants. The doors are brown with thin gold colored horizontal stripes closely adjacent to one another to create a simple pattern. The restaurant restrooms have granite tile floors and granite countertops.

The menu this evening was arranged ahead of time. All portions were large, designed to serve ten adults.

- Suckling Pig Combination Platter – Green seaweed salad, slices of pork, slices of beef, and seasoned jellyfish surround the centerpiece of sliced young suckling pig. The green seaweed salad and seasoned jellyfish are both flavored with sesame oil. The pork and beef are both sliced thin and fanned out to create a lovely presentation. The suckling pig is served room temperature, allowing the skin to remain crispy, and the meat is tender and succulent.

- Deep Fried Stuffed Crab Claw – A crab claw is filled with a shrimp based stuffing. The entire claw is then deep fried until the stuffing is golden brown and fluffy. The portion of this claw with its stuffing is huge. Considering the quantity of food on the menu, the portion was enormous. It was the size of a golf ball and tennis ball. To match it better with the rest of the dishes, I would reduce the amount of stuffing in the claw. Good flavor, but too filling due to size.

- Sauteed Seafood with Vegetable – Shrimp, scallops, and squid are sautéed with snap peas and straw mushrooms. The colors combine to create a nice presentation. The seafood is fresh and maintain its original flavor. The seafood is tender and the snap peas were fairly crisp.

- Braised Shark’s Fin and Crabmeat Soup – Shark fin and crab meat are braised in a chicken broth. The consistency and temperature of the soup were both good. Nice flavor infused into the broth.

- Roasted Squab – Squab is roasted until cherry in color. The richness of the color was apparent, and the meat was nicely done. Flavor was typical of roasted squab. The meat was hard to get to since the pieces were chopped in somewhat of an awkward shape, but aside from that, it was good. The skin was slightly crispy and the presentation was nicely done.

- Steamed Lobster with Garlic – Lobster is chopped into pieces and steamed with garlic and broth. This dish was excellent. The lobster was tender and succulent, infused with the flavor of garlic. The juice from the steaming overflowed on the dish. The flesh was easily accessible and the dish was topped with garnish for a lovely presentation. One of the best dishes of the evening.

- Sliced Abalone with Black Mushrooms and Greens – Slices of abalone are served with black mushrooms and mustard greens. A smooth brown sauce ties the three together. The greens were tender and the abalone was very tender and sliced thicker than other restaurants for a very meaty texture.

- Smoked Sea Bass – A very large filet of sea bass is smoked until golden brown on the outside. The flavoring is light and allows you to taste the natural flavors of the fish. The inside flesh was buttery and flaky. The meat was tender and succulent. Sea bass is one of my favorites, and the way this sea bass was prepared just made it even better. Excellent!

- Sticky Fried Rice with Preserved Meat – Sticky rice is pan fried with preserved meat (pork sausage) and green onions. By this time, we were too filled to dig into this dish. It was nicely presented and tasted okay.

There were some dessert items offered, but as you can see from the menu above, it was quite a meal, and I never made it to the dessert that was part of the meal set.

Overall, the food presentation was good. Food quality was also very impressive. Service was fair, but it’s hard to judge when there are so many tables, all being served the same course at the same time. The dishware could be cleaner – some had food stuck to them, but again, the sheer quantity of bowls, plates, etc was extremely large. The atmosphere is traditional in some ways, but the bright colors around the room show that it isn’t meant to be a stuffy place, but fresh and new.

To accurately critique the restaurant, it would be worthwhile to check out dishes served regular style and not in a banquet setting. Considering the quantity of food being served, they did a great job, but could use more attention to detail in terms of service and dishware. Sea bass and lobster are my recommendations here. At Dynasty Seafood, it’s apparent the focus is on the food quality.
 

1st Street #11, Davis, CA 95616 (in Davis Commons)
Parking: in parking lot adjacent to shopping area

Last Visited: October 25, 2003

Food: 2 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 stars
Price: $$

Ever eaten at the Metreon? There’s a fire roasted grill place there and Fuzion reminds me of it a lot. At least their pasta reminds me of that place. Fuzion, located in Davis Commons, has inside and patio dining. With the area populated by college students, it’s no surprise that the wait staff appears to be college students too. Food is catered to a college student’s budget – all dishes hovering around the $10 range. The bar is located to your right as you enter the restaurant, and there are large windows to bring in light. On the other side of the windows are the patio tables.

- Caramelized mushroom linguine – Served with a slice of French bread, mushrooms – button and other - are served with linguine in a red sauce. There was a lot of flavor, but not a distinct flavor. Edible, but hard to describe. Let’s put it this way, if I had a chance select other items, I would. Portions are decent. $7.95

- Italian club sandwich - Served grilled on focaccia bread. It looked a little on the dry side. Also served with mixed greens. $6.95

- Spinach and four cheese raviolis (choice of three raviolis and choice of three different sauces) – also served with a slice of French bread. $8.95

- Strawberry homemade lemonade – Nice pink color, but it was a little watered down. $2.50

The menu offers a variety of pasta dishes, all with some Asian or European flair (e.g. Thai spices, or barbequed pork). Food is reasonably priced and nicely presented, but lacks the pizzazz of truly good quality food. It’s the upper scale of college food – better than DC and more choices, but nothing outstanding/grabbing. Service was mediocre – it was about 15 minutes before our server came to take our orders. Great for college student budgets.
 

The Hilltop Cafe - American

850 Lamont Ave, Novato CA 94945
(415) 892-2222
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: March 28, 2004

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$$

The Hilltop Café is located upon a hill top just like its name suggests. It was a bit hard to find, but after turning on Lamont, look to your left and you’ll see the sign somewhat covered by leaves. It might be easier to find at night. The front of the restaurant is surrounded by nice landscape – lots of flowers and bushes. Climb the stone stairs to the top and you’ll enter the restaurant. The bar is easily seen and the two main dining areas both have nice views. Both rooms can be made into private dining areas.

We were seated at the corner of the restaurant, giving us a nice view for our Sunday brunch. Despite the presence of the freeway, it was still quite pleasant, with a lot of green all around. The brunch menu is comprised of some of the regular menu items with a few specials. Fresh banana muffins, with a light but not overwhelming banana flavor, were served with butter. The colors of the restaurant are a somewhat teal blue/green with khaki/tan. The large window panes give the room a very open feeling. The lampshades hanging from the ceiling were decorative with an assortment that went well together.

- New York Steak Sandwich – I asked that the steak be medium, and that’s exactly what I got. Sometimes it seems that restaurants can’t get it right, but Hilltop does an excellent job making a juicy steak that isn’t overcooked or undercooked. The roll is served open with red onions, lettuce, and large tomato slices on one side of the roll, and the steak on the other half of the roll. The sandwich is served with fresh French fries. All of it was good. The portion is hearty and the food was well done. The French fries were fresh and cut thin. $15

- Sal’s Salad – Shrimp and crab were served over mixed greens and accompanied with tomato wedges, cucumbers, red onions, and shredded carrots. The salad is served with Italian dressing. There was a large quantity of shrimp and crab and the salad was huge. The greens were fresh, and you can see chunks of crab. Very nice. $17

The Hilltop Café doesn’t skimp on the portions. The meals are hearty and fresh – nicely done. From the dishes served around us, the portions for all the dishes were large, even the potato pancakes. A lot of people had omelets which looked quite appetizing also. Service was very good – professional, non-invasive, but also attentive. Our server did a great job.

There were a few points of improvement. Near the window sill of our seat were some small insects, as is normal with older buildings. It would be great to have vacuumed or brushed these away. Also, one of the servers was changing a tablecloth nearby and when they opened the tablecloth and fluffed it, a whole lot of dust came flying our way. These are minor issues, so I kept atmosphere at a high rating.

What impressed me the most aside from portions and service was the restroom. It’s clear that The Hilltop Café pays attention to its patrons. On the counter in the restroom, there were toothpicks, Q-tips, mouthwash, hairspray, lotion, and paper cups. I haven’t seen a restaurant do such a thorough job of anticipating the needs of its customer. It’s excellent. I highly recommend a visit to The Hilltop Café.

 

201 Arizona Ave, Santa Monica CA 90401
(310) 451-2076
Parking: street parking and parking structure nearby

Last Visited: February 22, 2004

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$$

The Light House Buffet is known for its Royal Seafood Buffet and ranked amongst the nation’s top five buffets by the Food Network. During my visit, lunch buffet was available for $11.95 per person and dinner buffet was $18.95 per person. Considering the quality of sushi and sashimi, this is an excellent bargain for sushi lovers.

The restaurant is medium sized raised seating in the center of the room. Here you’ll see a large fish hanging from the ceiling with fluorescent lighting and black lighting creating an interesting blue tinting in this area. The tables are black and the chairs are wood.

When you enter the restaurant, you immediately notice the array of sushi available. The sushi chefs stand behind the counter making unagi sushi, maguro sushi, ebi sushi, and salmon sushi amongst other standard sushi offerings. There are also long rows of California rolls that are rolled in toasted sesame (which I found scrumptious) and similar California rolls rolled in shrimp roe. The California rolls are cut thinner than usual, but you may take as many as you wish. There is also a large heap of salmon sashimi, maguro sashimi, and other items. All were excellent. You can’t get this variety at better prices elsewhere. Note that there is an additional cost for beverages.

Adjacent to the sushi table is a long steam table of hot seafood. This includes salt and pepper shrimp, seafood egg patties, crab legs, large jumbo shrimp with the head still on, pan fried fish, as well as sautéed vegetables. There is a good variety of what is offered from fried oysters to teriyaki chicken to fried rice to tempura to steamed clams, you’ll find a number of choices to select from.

The cold table contains a large poached salmon covered with tartar sauce, large salmon roe over lemon, salad, desserts, and a variety of fresh fruit, including melons, bananas, mango, and papaya. All the accompanying sushi sides such as wasabe and pickled ginger are located here.

The other cold table contains a bar of sides. This bar included seaweed, sunomono salad/pickled cucumbers, seasoned spinach with sesame, and edamame. The last table contains miso soup and egg drop soup.

Of all the things I tried, the miso soup was the most disappointing, lacking in flavor and being colder than I like for my soup to be. All the sushi and sashimi was wonderful. The sushi is endless and you can go back for more. They also offer sushi to go.

The hot dishes ranged from average to better than average, but the draw for me was the sushi bar. The cold bar containing sides typically served with sushi is also great since you can go back for enough edamame to fill your heart’s desire. The fruit bar is fresh and simple.

The friendly servers frequent the tables often to remove dishes and fill your drinks. You’ll also like the automated towel dispenser in the restroom.

The Light House Buffet lives up to its Royal Seafood name. It’s an excellent value if you love sushi, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the quality of sushi you receive. If you don’t like sushi, you’ll probably still enjoy the selection of seafood offered. I would definitely return for more! The Light House Buffet is a must try!
 

704 W. Las Tunas Drive #4, San Gabriel CA 91776
(626) 282-8695
Parking: in shopping center parking lot

Last Visited: February 22, 2004

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $

Luscious Dumplings is located in a crowded shopping center, but is worth every effort and the wait. When The Lee’s brought us to Luscious Dumplings, there was already a crowd forming for lunch, and it’s no wonder. I would call them Scrumptious Dumplings if they let me name them.

The décor is simple with light colored faux wood panels and matching wood tables and chairs. The decorations are simple and the overall restaurant is bright with light streaming in from the windows. There is capacity for about 40 to 50 people at most.

The restaurant is run by a father and three sons. During my visit, I only caught a glimpse of the father, and the two sons were serving the guests. Service is not excellent, but you’re really visiting for the dumplings and noodles. The young men are fast and furious, but not sloppy - it’s just not the gentle service you might expect of a five star restaurant. You might even catch the brothers playfully do a kung foo fighting stance toward one another during off moments. It’s a family restaurant run by family and for family.

Tea is served in teacups for small tables and Styrofoam cups for larger tables. The servers fill your cups as they check on the tables. You get a sheet of paper with the menu choices written on it and you can select the quantity and size you want to have. Food arrives quickly after ordering. While waiting, you’ll receive a small appetizer dish that contains chopped celery, boiled peanuts, and other vegetables that have been marinated with a slightly spicy sauce.

- Sliced Beef Tripe with Chili Oil Flavor - Tripe is very very thinly sliced. More thin than I’ve ever seen tripe sliced before. This helps each piece to absorb the flavor of the chili oil and chili flakes as well as the chopped cilantro. A lovely presentation of tripe with red and green. It’s a great tasting dish. $3

- Flavors Stewed Bean Curd – Dried bean curd is stewed in a five spice marinade. The bean curd is warm and infused with so much flavor. It’s another great dish. $3

- Minced Pork Noodles with Mushrooms – This dish came without soup. Pork is minced and sautéed with mushrooms and poured over noodles. The flavor of the mushrooms is delicate and the combination goes well with the noodles. Good.

Noodles in Soup with small Bok Choy
– Many flavors/choices were available. We tried four of the six. All the noodles are uniform in length and diameter. They’re absolutely positively fresh and you can taste the difference. All the noodles are made al dente to just the right texture. Noodle soup is available in large bowls ($5) or regular bowls ($3.50).

- Salted Pork Slices with Noodles in Soup – Pork is thickly sliced and marinated in a salt/fish sauce. It’s a simple recipe, but it’s difficult to keep the pork tender. Luscious Dumplings does an excellent job with this recipe. The pork is served with the noodles and bok choy in a light broth. The flavor of the pork is distinct, but it doesn’t engulf the delicate broth. Very good.

- Flavors Stewed Beef with Noodles in Soup/Stewed Beef Brisket with Noodles in Soup – Both of these two flavors seemed very similar to me. After trying one after another, I still couldn’t distinguish the two. Both are very good with tender beef and a savory broth. The beef is stewed in a strong five spice flavoring so that its completely infused. Again, the noodles are great as they absorb the flavor of the meat.

- Beef Tendon with Hot and Sour Sauce on Noodles, Soup Separate – Well, we never got the soup with this one, more than likely because we had so many soup dishes already. The beef tendons are tender and succulent. The hot part of the sauce is a dollop of Chinese chili sauce, and the sour is light. Since one of the people at our table couldn’t eat spicy food, we took out the chili sauce, but there’s still a subtle hint of spiciness which combined with the sour makes a unique flavor that combines well with the noodles.

Enough about everything else – now onto the dumplings. Each dish contains ten dumplings.

- Chive, Pork, and Shrimp Dumplings – The pork is ground and shrimp and chopped chives are added to create the dumpling filling. The flavor of the chives is strong, but it doesn’t overpower the dumplings. The meat in the filling is loose and tender (not dense like other places) and the filling is juicy. The wrapper is just the right thickness. The combination of ingredients creates wonderful dumplings.

- Cabbage, Pork, and Shrimp Dumplings – The flavor of the cabbage is less distinct than the chive as above. Otherwise everything else I said about the dumplings above applies here. Great.

- Fried Dumplings with Napa cabbage, pork and sole – These dumplings are a little different looking than what I expected. They’re pan fried until golden brown on one side. They’re so juicy inside and the heat from cooking the dumplings stays in the dumpling for a while. Excellent.

Luscious Dumplings also has combination meals available – dumplings and noodles together. They’re a great bargain at only $5 each.

The only thing I would change is having teapots at each table. This would be much more convenient. The other thing I would like is for Luscious Dumplings to offer more locations. The food is so excellent that I wish I could go more frequently. It’s oh so good – unforgettably fresh and wonderful – this is a must try!

 

800 Petaluma Blvd North, Petaluma, CA 94952
(707) 762-8192
905 Grant Ave., Novato, CA
(415) 878-0122
Parking: Lot adjacent to restaurant

Last Visited: December 23, 2004

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

This restaurant is definitely family style. It’s got booths on one side (at least in Petaluma) with tables on the other side of the divider along with an open salsa bar. The walls are a bright yellow with hints of orange swirls on the wall adjacent to the booths. Plates with different Mexican themes decorate the walls. The floor is white/gray tile.

The coolers are filled with lemonade, horchata, and Jamaica, a hibiscus drink (I like the hibiscus one the best). The owner is friendly and the waitresses give you menus and let you find your own seat. Very casual. The food is excellent. My mom says that there are more ‘relatives’ than there are locals. What does that mean? There are more Mexican people than there are any other people, and that’s a good thing. It means the food is good and good enough for even the most distinguished of Mexican food connoisseurs.

Tortilla chips arrive at the table with medium salsa. If the owner notices it’s too spicy for you, he’ll come by your table and ask if you want him to whip up a batch of mild salsa. He’s service-oriented, observant, and a great host.

- Enchilada – The shredded chicken ones are perfect. They are piping hot out of the oven, melt in your mouth, and are oh-so-delicious. I couldn’t ask for more – shredded chicken wrapped in a tortilla and made to perfection with a delicious enchilada sauce and melted cheese on top. If you get nothing else, get a chicken enchilada. You can choose from any type of meat; the shredded beef ones are good, but the chicken ones can’t be missed. $3.25

- Mojarra Frita/Deep-fried Whole Fish – Tilapia (with head and all) is fried in a lightly seasoned batter. Served with rice, refried beans, and warm tortillas. The flavor is good – not overwhelming the fish. I’ve had a similar fish dishes, baked, for triple the price, and they don’t even compare. This is worth getting even if you’re not a big fish fan, but note that the fish comes whole – bones and all. $10.95

- Taquitos – Again, choice of meat. We tried them with pork. These were served on a bed of lettuce. A little on the dry side, but they come with homemade guacamole that’s delicious. Plenty of meat – Mi Pueblo doesn’t skimp, but we got them once and haven’t tried to get this dish again.

- Carne Asada Steak – served with rice, refried beans, and warm tortillas. The steak is flavorful and tender. This dish is also a winner. Simply put – tastes great. What more do you need to know? $10.95

- Super Nachos – Lots of chips with the works – sour cream, guacamole, melted cheese, refried beans. Also available with choice of meat for $1-2 more. They’re good, but they’re not like the enchiladas.

- Albondigas Soup/ Meatball Soup – Six large meatballs served in a broth-like soup. The meatballs are delicious and the bowl of soup is huge. The soup also has tomatoes and potatoes. It’s flavorful and enough for two people, possibly three people.

- Tortilla Soup – Much the same base as the albondigas soup (tomatoes, potatoes, carrots), large strips of crisp tortilla are placed in the soup. Chunks of avocado are placed on top for added garnish and flavor. Very good. The tortilla strips add a lot of texture to the soup. Very flavorful and again, a large portion that could easily serve two people.

- Tacos – Comes with choice of meat and choice of soft or hard shell. We got steak soft tacos the first time and carnitas another time. Served with fresh lime - when added to the taco, the lime juice really brings out the flavor of the spices. These are good, but again, not like the enchiladas. Better tacos can be found elsewhere, but they are hot, so that’s a plus point.

- Menudo Soup/Tripe Soup – Same soup base as the Albondigas Soup, but the main ingredient is tender tripe. I’m not a big fan of tripe served this way, but if you like tripe, you might enjoy this soup more than the Albondigas one. $6.95

- Quesadilla – Choice of meat. A large tortilla is grilled with jack cheese and in this case, chicken. The quesadilla is served with guacamole on the side. Another healthy portion and as usual, very good. $4.50

- Taco Salad - It's similar ingredients to the other items you find on the menu. It's a great mix of freshness and flavor. The tostada shell is light and crisp. Great portions as usual. $6

- Agua frescas: Jamaica and Horchata available. Good sized glass and great flavor. Sometimes you’ll even get lime agua frescas which are very refreshing.$1.25

Note: Our only bad experience was an overcooked Mojarra Frita – that’s happened once out of the three times we’ve gotten it, so the record is still pretty good. Tortillas may cost extra – we’re never quite sure since the price is so reasonable, we haven’t paid that much attention. Most items are available a la carte or as full entrees. Their Novato operation is reminiscent of a Taco Bell setting in atmosphere, but the food is still high quality. They also have televisions at this location, usually broadcasting soccer. I like the atmosphere of the Petaluma branch more for its friendliness giving it a warm and familiar feel. The owner really does a great job of keeping an eye on everything and everyone and his attitude is excellent. All the food at both locations is also available for take out.
 

1700 Embarcadero Rd, Palo Alto CA 94303
(650) 856-7700
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: May 22, 2004

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Price: unknown

Ming’s is well known in Palo Alto. It’s conveniently located near Highway 101. It has several dining areas – two large ones and one private room. My visit this time consisted of banquet food, so you may notice that regular dining is different. My past experiences have been average, not outstanding, but certainly passing. In the past, the food has seemed less authentic than average, and service has been good, but not outstanding.

This latest visit helped me appreciate the beautiful natural lighting coming from the large windows. There is also a dance floor for those who wish to reserve the room for a soiree and dance the night away.

These descriptions will be less detailed than other reviews since the focus of this banquet was the event and not the food. At the end of the dishes listed, you will find the overall critique.

Appetizer platter – Typical items of jellyfish, thinly sliced beef, marinated octopus, and the like are served on a large dish accompanied with respective sauces.

Soup – This soup contained seafood and tofu in a flavorful broth. Egg white stirred into the soup made it have a light white appearance.

Walnut prawns – Prawns are deep fried and lightly sautéed in a mayonnaise sauce. Black and regular sesame are sprinkled over the prawns and served with candied walnuts. Average.

Snow peas with squid and chicken – Snow peas are sautéed with pieces of squid and chicken. This dish was flavorful, but the snow peas had softened, more than likely due to the quantity being cooked together. It becomes harder to maintain the crispiness of the vegetable when large quantities are being cooked, plated, and served.

Chicken with Bean Curd Sauce – The whole chicken was cooked until the skin is a golden brown. A sauce made from red bean cured accompanied the dish. I found the sauce to be thinner than expected. With a thicker sauce, the flavor is slightly stronger making it more savory.

Steamed Fish – Two fish are steamed whole and topped with soy sauce and scallions. The fish was okay, but slightly overcooked.

Shrimp Fried Rice – Shrimp, carrots, and peas are combined with fried rice. Although I didn’t taste this dish, presentation was lighter in color than is typical of fried rice dishes.

Ginger Scallions Crab – Crab is braised with ginger and scallions to create a flavorful sauce that envelops crab pieces. Good.

Baby Bok Choy with Mushrooms - Whole green bok choy is cooked and topped with black shiitake mushrooms. Good.

The overall experience at Ming’s was quite good, but again, it was really about the event this evening and not so much the food. Based on combined past and present experiences, I would typically give the restaurant a three star rating, but service was attentive and food was above average in flavor, so tonight it earned a rating between three and four stars. The main attractions for me are the parking lot and location.

3700 W. Ramona Boulevard, Alhambra CA 91754
(323) 264-8400
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: February 21, 2004

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Price: unknown
 

The Monterey Hill Country Club contains multiple banquet halls. Our visit consisted of banquet food, so you may find differences if you visit for a regular meal. You arrive at the valet and see the lit pathway to the country club entrance. The sound of water trickling greets you near the doorway.

The banquet room is simple with a dance floor and the round banquet tables surround the dance floor. The table is neatly set, and service is good. The center of the dance floor had a table containing various fruits, melons, and cheese and crackers. All were fresh and nicely presented. The bread was served hot which is especially rare at banquets, so that automatically gave them a higher mark.

- Salad – The salad contained greens with radicchio and walnuts. The vinaigrette had a mustard base and had a nice flavor. The portion was good and the greens were fresh.

- Salmon – A large piece of salmon was nicely browned and topped with a cream sauce. Roasted potatoes, and a combination of wax beans and green beans accompanied the fish. The end pieces were a little dry, but overall the fish was nicely done.

Banquets are especially difficult to critique since the quantities are so large and it’s often difficult to control all the food when there are large quantities. Service was very attentive, except when the ice cream (a nice rich vanilla) was served, they failed to bring additional spoons when requested. However, the overall experience was pleasant.
 

Last Visited: February 20, 2004  

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

- Almond milk – Milk is mixed with sweetened almond powder to create a tall drink available hot or cold. 

- Tiramisu – Remember how it says the food is Chinese American style above?  Well, this is tiramisu made in this manner.  It’s non-traditional, but still tastes good.  There is a lot of cream, and no lady fingers.  There is cake in the tiramisu, and it’s dusted with cocoa powder, but just know it’s not what you’ll expect.

592 El Camino Real, Sunnyvale CA 94087
(408) 733-7423
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
Hours: call for hours – I hear they’re not open Sundays or lunch on Saturday

Last Visited: August 14, 2004

Food: 5 stars
Service: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Price: $ to $$$

This is another place highly recommended by Lawrence, my buddy who has been to Tokyo more than ten times where he was wined and dined by Japanese executives. He knows his sushi.

Saizo serves up authentic Japanese tapas in addition to a multitude of sake. There sushi is awesome too. Lawrence knows his food. He selected a wide array of good eats to be had.

Saizo is inconspicuously located in a shopping center and is easily overshadowed by an establishment called Spice Hut next door which appeared to be an Indian fast food joint. Upon entering Saizo, you’ll see a lot of Japanese people – always a reassuring sign. There is a case featuring handpainted porcelain pieces to your immediate left. The open kitchen is brightly lit with a light cherry colored bar and high maple stools. The restaurant is clean and open. Sake bottles line the area outside the register, and large sake bottles line the shelf near the top of the ceiling. There is rich wood paneling on the side of the wall, going to about ¼ of the wall height. The tables have white table cloths and are topped with glass. More maple chairs surround the tables. Japanese draperies are hung on the diagonal from the outer edge of the ceiling shelf to the wall. The room is filled with clean lines, and soft soothing jazz plays in the background.

Each day, Saizo creates a menu of specials in addition to the usual dishes (e.g. tonkatsu and teriyaki). The specials are separated into daily fish, and items that are cold, grilled, deep fried, hot, skewered, and skwered deep fried.

- Beef Tataki Salad – A mixed green salad is topped with a piece of grilled beef that is seared on the outside and red on the inside. The beef is then sliced and placed across the salad. The mixed greens include a variety of typical mixed greens as well as small cucumbers and tiny green balls which I was told is a vegetable. The dressing is mayonnaise based and delicate, typical of that seen at Japanese restaurants. This dressing is drizzled lightly on top of the salad and a slice of lemon is twisted and placed on top of the entire dish.

- Onigiri (rice ball) with salmon - Rice surrounds lightly seasoned cooked salmon and is wrapped in rice paper. The fish was seasoned just right to allow its natural flavor to come through. The salt from the rice and seaweed contribute to the delicate flavor. Though it’s a simple combination, it’s very good. This is very authentic too. My coworker brings onigiri with different filling from home for his lunch.

From the specials menu:

- Temari-Sushi: Hamachi (yellowtail), Tai (snapper), White Tuna - $3.50, $3.50, $2.75 respectively – The fish of the day is listed on the daily menu. Available in sashimi, temari-sushi, or bo-sushi, you’ll have a few choices. The temari-sushi looks similar to regular sushi seen at other restaurants, but these are little rice balls topped with sushi. Think circular sushi. The fish was extremely fresh and high quality. Each piece just melted in my mouth. The white fish (not sure which one it was since all three came on the same plate) was even decorated. Excellent presentation, and probably some of the best sushi I have had as well. A must try.

- Kawaebi – The menu describes this as fried river shrimp. In a single dish, you probably get 30 to 50 tiny shrimp. It’s served with a lemon wedge. The lemon balances the deep frying, making it a refreshing addition. If you’ve ever had Chinese dried shrimp, these are about the same size. Fried with head and shell intact, these little shrimp are lightly salted and taste crunchy. It’s certainly something I had never tried before, and they turned out to be good. They’re fried just right, so they’re not dry or overly crisp. Be adventurous and check these out. It’s a great dish to share too. $6.50

- Enoki bacon – Enoki mushrooms are bunched together and wrapped with bacon, then cut in half to create two pieces. These are then placed on a skewer and grilled. This is a must try! The bacon is done perfectly, infusing its essence into the mushrooms. The mushrooms remain juicy and are so filled with flavor. The entire piece bursts with the aroma and taste of bacon. It’s a party for your taste buds. Excellent! $2.80

- Spicy Garlic Edamame – Edamame is sauteed with chili oil, garlic, garlic salt, and another seasoning (perhaps chili powder). The end result is a pleasant but intense coating around the edamame shells. You eat the edamame in the same fashion as you would regularly. Think of the seasoning like a chaser. Your tongue will have the taste of the spicy garlic when the bean pops out of its shell causing the bean to come into contact with the spicy garlic. Another must try. A great and original twist on edamame. A lemon wedge is served with the edamame, and the lemon juice adds a welcome new layer to the seasoning. $3.50

- Butabara – Two Side pork cubes are skewered and grilled. This cut is a little fatty (that’s the way it’s supposed to be), and the pork remains juicy on the inside while grilled on the outside. Good. $1.75

- Ika Sugata – A whole large squid is grilled and then cut into very thin pieces. The squid texture is kept from getting tough. It has a very soft texture when biting down into it. It doesn’t bounce back at all. Presentation again was very appealing with the grilled side darkened while the cut of each piece reveals very light colored meat. Nicely done. $7

- Gyu-tan – Four thin slices of beef tongue are grilled and seasoned with garlic salt. The beef tongue is done very well – it’s difficult to cut it so thin and to keep it from drying out. Saizo does an excellent job with the flavoring to create a terrific dish. The texture of tongue is a little crunchy as it should be. A lemon wedge is also served with the beef tongue, and again, it provides a wonderful balance to the spiciness. Another must try. $6.50

The only thing I felt that could have been improved is having a tea pot available at the table or more frequent checking of the tea levels. Everything else is fine, with the food being outstanding. The smooth jazz is also a nice touch.

The owner was very gracious, and the servers were friendly and polite. Thanks Lawrence for introducing me to this awesome treat. A visit here is a delight to your taste buds.
 

Sushi Ran

107 Caledonia St, Sausalito CA 94965
(415) 332-3620
Parking: street parking
Hours: Lunch - Mon to Fri 11:45 am to 2:30pm, Dinner - Mon to Saturday 5:30 to 11pm, Sunday 5pm to 10:30pm

Last Visited: November 25, 2006

Food: 5 stars
Atmosphere: 4 to 5stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$$

Sushi Ran has an outstanding reputation in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Numerous people have told me to try it, A&N, M&R, and James have all said great things about it.  This Monday evening, we decided to try it out with friends A&S (who were great company because they were very adventurous – as usual). 

The Sausalito location is great with one side being the restaurant with sushi bar and the building next door decorated with the same style being the wine bar.  I asked the host what the difference between the two locations was and he indicated that some of the specials are not available on the wine bar side, so of course, we selected to sit within the restaurant.  We came when it opened and found it to be a fairly relaxed atmosphere.  Jazz played on the sound system, and the light colored wood surroundings with simple stoneware on display as well as painted calligraphy gave the restaurant a very authentic Asian feel.  One thing I found interesting was the diverse wait staff.  There were Japanese people at the sushi bar, a few Japanese waitresses, and of course, the owner, but for the most part, a little bit of every part of the world seemed to be represented by the wait staff. 

Sushi Ran owner Yoshi Tome is present in his restaurant – even on a Monday evening.  Executive chef Scott Whitman seems to be more behind the scenes, but his artistic and flavorful presentations are apparent on the table.  More information about these two are available on the Sushi Ran website.  The restaurant has been given multiple distinctions and honors, and the food certainly shows why.

When you arrive, you are promptly shown to your table if you have made reservations.  The tables are simply decorated with a small clay teapot for soy sauce that sits on a square dish, a decorative blue and white soy sauce dish, a white cloth napkin, and a pair of chopsticks at each setting enveloped by a green Sushi Ran paper cover.  After sitting down with your menus, you receive a warm steamed towel on a bamboo rack.  The menu offers chef’s specialties, omikase (similar to a tasting menu of sushi – chef’s choice) platters, cooked items, nigiri sushi, desserts, teas, and more.  We picked a selection from each of these areas.   

- Miso Soup – Large bowls of flavorful miso soup contain firm tofu and fresh chopped scallions.  Good and nice temperature (hot).  $3

- Seaweed Salad – Seaweed is seasoned with sesame oil, a light touch of chili oil, and sprinkled with toasted white sesame seeds.  It is served in a square decorative bowl next to daikon radish.  Daikon radish is cut fine and sprinkled with toasted black sesame.  The seaweed salad had a nice flavor throughout and excellent crunch.  The daikon acts as a good palate cleanser between bites or between dishes as well as providing a texture contrast.  Fresh and delicious.  $7.50

- Kobe Beef Carpaccio – This is a must have dish.  A white rectangular dish painted with spicy sauce is covered with a single layer of super thin slices of Kobe beef.  Shaved slices of marinated onion are placed in the center of the raw meat and topped with arugula leaves and a few daikon sprouts.  The onions and arugula are lightly dressed in a savory vinegar/black pepper vinaigrette.  Olive oil is lightly drizzled on the plate.  The Kobe beef melts in your mouth.  The onions and arugula accent the raw meat and the flavors marry nicely.  Absolutely a must have.  $13.50

- Grilled Calamari Tentacles – Nine tentacles from a large calamari are grilled and served pointing outward from a body of light orange aioli on a white plate with rounded edges.  Think asterisk and you’ll know what it looks like.  The aioli is sprinkled with finely chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds.  The grilled calamari is brown in color and the contrast on the plate makes the presentation stand out.  The aioli is very full flavored with hints of mustard and just a little kick.  Smooth and flavorful, it would make for an excellent dip for other items as well.  A fun presentation and a strong flavor.  The people at our table enjoyed trying other items with the aioli – such as the arugula and the daikon radish to soak up the flavor. Good. $4.50

- Tempura Vegetables – Of all the dishes, I found this one to be my second to least favorite.  The seven tempura vegetables are served leaning against the dipping sauce bowl.  Although the color is lightly golden as it should be, the vegetables were asparagus, carrot, yam, broccoli, shitake mushroom, and lettuce.  If you just read the previous sentence and raised an eyebrow, you know exactly what went wrong.  Lettuce and broccoli are not authentic tempura vegetables.  Several items to note – the other tempura vegetables were very good – crispy not soggy.  All of the vegetables were deep-fried well with the exception of the zucchini which was slightly overdone on one end.  The lettuce couldn’t be tasted – what was nice about the lettuce was that it remained green without burning and was more of a showpiece than anything else since you really couldn’t taste the lettuce at all.  The broccoli – well, it’s still broccoli and not a tempura vegetable.  Other tempura options are prawns and French beans.  $7

- Unajyu (Water Eel) – This is one of the chef’s specialties.  Five pieces of eel are placed over picked yellow daikon, pickled green cucumbers, and pickled carrots.  All of this is placed over rice that contains teriyaki sauce and the ingredients are contained in a pretty box.  The box is brought to the table and the lid is uncovered once it arrives to reveal the goodies inside.  I had expected a different type of eel since in the past, I have had excellent water eel that looked completely different.  This one looked a lot like unagi – toasted and brown.  The overall flavor was nice and the fish was flaky.  The vegetables gave the flavor an added zing.  The rice is abundant and this dish could easily fill you up by itself.  It’s great for sharing.  $13

Nigiri Sushi

- Maguro – Deep red fresh tuna is placed over rice.  Very clean and fresh flavors.  Very good. $6.50

- Sake – Marinated salmon is placed over rice with a bitter green in between.  Another very nice, clean, fresh flavor.  The fish melts in your mouth and the bitter green adds a distinctness to it that draws out the sake flavor.  Very good.  $5.50

- Unagi – The unagi pieces were large, and softer than the water eel.  The unagi comes out warm and flaky also.  Very nice.  $6

- Spicy Tuna Roll – The spicy tuna roll contains crisp cucumber and fresh pink fish.  This tuna is not nearly as red as that for the maguro nigiri sushi.  I had cleansed my palate with ginger, but the roll still lacked spiciness.  I tried a second piece and found the flavor remained the same.  Fair.  It had fresh flavor, but lacked spiciness.  I also verified with the waiter that it was a spicy tuna roll, and he confirmed.  I wouldn’t order this one again despite its freshness. $8

S described the evening’s dishes with one word – “Exquisite.”  I would agree that the presentation and flavors are indeed exquisitely done.  The dishes are served one by one, although sometimes there’s not enough time between plates, but that’s still okay since many are cold dishes.  In general, portions are quite large for sushi.  Presentation is a major focus, and each plate is a work of art.  They are absolutely delicious and the fish is high quality and very fresh.  As the evening continued, the restaurant soon filled up and the music is overshadowed by the buzz of the other patrons.  There is also a tendency to feel that the room is a bit crowded since the tables are spaced fairly close together.  We were near one especially loud table which required us to raise our voices a bit, but overall, the evening was splendid.  Service can be a bit sparse at times, but they did a great job with filling water glasses and removing plates.  If you try to ask your server a question as they walk by, you may notice that they aren’t paying attention because they’re scanning the room for something else, but this was a minor offense since the noise level prevents one from hearing well.  Also, the other offense was made when I left.  When the four of us left the restaurant, the host only said goodbye to the male in our party.  I felt he should have acknowledged all of us.  There is room for improvement in the area of service and in the spiciness of the spicy tuna roll.

For my second visit, I sat at the sushi bar.  It’s important that when you make reservations, you clearly state that you want to sit at the sushi bar in order to get a spot.  What’s nice about sitting at the sushi bar is that you find out right away what is and isn’t available.  If you’re eating on a budget, one of the pitfalls of this is that they make the dish and then tell you that it’s a different version of the fish you requested – for example, I ordered regular maguro and was given hon-maguro.  This version was also very tasty and still tuna, but also more expensive, so be wary of this.  Service at the sushi bar is not as social as I would have liked it to be, but it’s still courteous.  They’re much more chatty with the regulars.

Nigiri Sushi

- Hon-Maguro (Blue Fin Tuna) – Two very red and fresh tasting pieces of hon-maguro are placed on top of rice.  It’s brushed with the chef’s soy sauce.  Very good. $8

- Hamaichi – The regular hamaichi was also very fresh, but not as tender as the wild one. $6.50

- Wild hamaichi – The wild hamaichi is darker than the regular and also brushed in the chef’s soy sauce.  It’s much more tender than the regular version and has a clean flavor.  Very good.

- Wild salmon – The wild salmon is a little more orange than regular and is also a bit more tender than regular.  Very good.

- Toro (fatty tuna) – Although the toro was still tender, I would opt for the hon-maguro or perhaps another fish.  The part of the fat was not so tender because I ended up having a more difficult time chewing it.  In relative terms, for the price you pay, you’re better off trying the hon-maguro instead.  Okay.  $15.50

- Japanese Barracuda – Though I didn’t try it, my friend likened it to ambrosia.  It’s on my must try list for next time.

I again ordered the Kobe Beef Carpaccio and it was still very delicious.  It wasn’t as novel as the first time, but still wonderful.

- Omakase sashimi – I didn’t have this dish, but my friend did.  The plating is gorgeous and the fish is very good.  Although, the aji was chopped into very tiny pieces and served in a mound which was unusual. $29

- Trio of Custards – Coconut Caramelized Banana, Espresso, Orange Ginger – The trio of custards is good, but not what I expected.  For the coconut caramelized banana, the custard could have passed for vanilla.  The two banana slices on top were indeed caramelized, but they overpower the coconut flavor which is so light in the first place.  The espresso custard is not as soft as the first, but still very creamy.  It has a full flavor and I would recommend eating the custards in the order listed above, otherwise it’s very overpowering compared to the first.  I liked the flavor intensity of the espresso custard.  The orange ginger had the best texture in that the creaminess was not overpowering, but it had little orange flavor and was topped with what seemed to be a chocolate custard.  The ginger flavor is present but not strong.  Good. $6

I hear that the Chocolate Bombe (which wasn’t available tonight) is one of the best desserts – highly recommended by the sushi chef who was also disappointed to hear that it wasn’t available.

Service at the sushi bar is very fast in terms of refilling tea and clearing plates, but as the evening continues, it’s difficult to get the servers’ attention.  They’re incredibly busy and aren’t as available.

Note that the sushi bar side has a much wider menu selection, including a wider sushi selection.  The wine bar side is open half an hour earlier, so if you’re hungry, you can start there and move to the other side later. 

Sushi Ran offers a wonderful eye catching and delicious experience for dinner.  I would strongly suggest making reservations.  Very good food in a nice setting, with the specialty being fresh fish and creative dishes.  I will definitely return. 

2135 Old Middlefield Way, Mountain View, CA 94043
(650) 964-4476
Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Mon - Fri Lunch 11:30am to 2:30pm, Dinner 5pm to 8pm

Last Visited: December 2007

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$

Uncle Frank’s BBQ is located in the rear of Francesca’s bar.  It doesn’t look like much from the outside, and it doesn’t look that much better once inside.  Immediately past the door, the bar will be to your right and the pool tables are on your left.  Keep going into the back like you know what you’re doing and you’ll turn left into Uncle Frank’s BBQ. 

940 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95822
(916) 736-3131
Parking: in shopping center parking lot

Last Visited: August 2, 2003

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$

Yeung City is located in a strip mall. The restaurant set up is very simple with few decorations. The food is a good value and they offer specials for very reasonable prices.

Since it’s been a while since my last visit, the details about the food are a bit hazy, but my overall impression was that the food was average or better. The dishes came out piping hot, which is a must for Chinese dishes. The cold dishes we tried had a nice flavor. The service is average. This place isn’t about the setting – if that’s what you’re looking for, you should go elsewhere. The overall experience was good. I would visit again if I were in the area.
 

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