Pho Ngoc Tranh - Vietnamese, Petaluma

1390 N. McDowell Blvd, B1, Petaluma CA 94954
(707) 665-9888
Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Daily 10:30am - 9pm
http://www.phongocthan.com

Last Visited: May 12, 2012

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

I saw a friend check in to Ngoc Tranh and was excited to find that another Vietnamese restaurant has opened up in Petaluma to give Thang Long some competition.  Thang Long has been able to monopolize the Petaluma Vietnamese food marketplace for a long time.

Located in the OSH shopping center in the former location of Jerome's BBQ, Pho Ngoc Tranh has remodeled the interior so that the bright colors on the walls and dividers, semi-open kitchen, and new furniture give the restaurant a very fresh, clean feel.  Open for about two months now, Ngoc Tranh is a family-owned restaurant.  Their menu features a lot of very appetizing photos to help you decide what to order and to educate customers about what to expect from their dishes.  Ngoc Tranh also seems very tech savvy in that their take out menu even contains a QR code (those funny squares with blotches in between that you scan to your phone).

It feels like they are still working through some of the kinks of a opening a new restaurant.  Service is warm and friendly, but not particularly fast - it seems a little amateur in nature in how they serve bowls of noodles and other plates.  The check also takes a while to come. 

- Special Combo Beef Noodle Soup - Rare steak, well-done brisket, flank steak, tendon, tripe, and beef balls are served in hot beef broth with vermicelli noodles.  These noodles were a bit wider than what you typically find at most Vietnamese restaurants.  A plate of lemon wedges, jalapenos, bean sprouts, and thai basil were also served with the soup. While the flavor was good and the broth was fairly light, I found the quantity to be smaller than what I expected.  The price point is about a dollar too high, especially after considering the quantity.  Presentation is clean and simple. $7.95

Ngoc Tranh offers a lot of the typical items found at Vietnamese restaurants including spring rolls, Vietnamese sandwiches, vermicelli, and BBQ meats.  In the display refrigerator out front, desserts like 3 color pandan jelly entice patrons.  One of the more unusual items that they service is imitation chicken over noodles listed in the vegetarian section of the menu. 

The flavors are good and the service is friendly, although there is room for improvement.   These prices will hopefully be sustainable in this area, but are notably about 10% higher than what you would find in places with greater competition.  It will be interesting to see how locals respond to some of these new offerings.

Sunny Shanghai - Chinese, San Bruno

189 El Camino Real, San Bruno CA 94066
(650) 615-9879
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: May 23, 2012

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 1 to 2 stars
Price: $ to $$

Aunt Stella recommended we try Sunny Shanghai for some authentic Shanghainese cuisine.

When we arrived, the bell on the door made a noise, but there was only one table of patrons.  Since a friend had recommended the place, we didn't let this deter us, but we were surprised that nobody came out to seat us.  We picked our own table and grabbed a couple of menus that were sitting on the table closest to the door.  After two minutes, a lady peeked her head out from the back hallway and then proceeded to go right back into the hall.  Another minute later, she brought out a pot of tea and came to our table with it.  There wasn't much of a greeting even at that point, and unfortunately, the tea had no flavor. 

The waitress came back to take our order and then she disappeared again.  Since it appears to be her and the chef only, when she is not in the room, it's a pretty seemingly empty place.  As other patrons came in, they received a similar reception - nobody came out for a few minutes and everyone comes in looking a little lost wondering if they should sit or just wait.

Food came out about ten minutes after ordering, but the strange feeling continued as each dish came out on average at ten minute intervals.  Only two of the plates came even close to arriving within five minutes of each other.

- Salted Vegetable and Pork with Rice Cake - The quantity on the plate seemed small, but the flavor was good.  The salted vegetables are fresh in the sense that they are preserved, but don't come from a can.  The rice cake is just the right texture, and the flavor is present.  Since the serving plates are so large, it makes the amount served seems even smaller.  If it were presented on a different sized plate, it would seem like a better value.  Still good and worth ordering.  $6.95

- Green Onion Pancake - This is a great bargain - eight pieces at a very reasonable price.  The outside of this savory pancake is crispy and the inside is tender with a nice green onion flavor that isn't overwhelming.  $2.95

- Pork Steamed Dumplings (xiao long bao) - Eight pieces are served in a steamer along with vinegar.  The texture of the dumpling wrapper is tender, although the top where the dough is twisted together is a little thick.  The pork inside is flavorful, but could have a little more soup.  Good. $4.95

- Pork Potstickers - Six potstickers are lightly browned on the outside.  The filling is the same as that of the pork steamed dumplings.  The potsticker dough was a little too thick which makes it harder for the dough to crisp properly. While the flavors are okay, I probably would get something else next time. $4.95

- Hot and Sour Soup - There is plenty of soup to serve four and even perhaps six people.  More sour than hot, I found it hard to drink more than one serving of soup.  The usual ingredients, egg, carrots, onions, mushrooms, and black fungus were present, but I've had soup with a better balance of flavor.  The soup has the right consistency though - just lightly coating the back of my spoon.  $5.95

The first three dishes above are definitely worth getting.  While the xiao long bao are no match for famous Ding Tai Fung XLB, it's pretty good compared to local places. 

It's pretty clear - some food is okay and some is better than okay.  Service is mediocre, but you'll see her smile on occasion. There is a lot of opportunity to improve both the service and the atmosphere. Lastly, don't be in a hurry - the average time for food to come out is about ten minutes per dish - with this estimate you'll be close to accurate for the amount of time needed to eat.

Little Lucca - Sandwiches, South San Francisco

724 El Camino Real, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 589-8916
Parking: in parking lot, street parking
1809 El Camino Real, Burlingame CA 94010
(650) 697-8389
http://www.littlelucca.com/

Last Visited: May 13, 2012

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

Little Lucca's has been around since 1980.  The original location is housed in a historic building in South San Francisco.  While it's a super small shack, the place is always packed with a line out the door. 

Little Lucca's is known for their famous original garlic sauce and their hot pepper sauce.  These two sauces really add that something special, an extra bite, to each bite of your sandwich.  Inside the shack, there is a counter running the length of the building.  As you enter, you'll see the extensive menu behind the counter along with lots of special sandwiches too. Piles of fresh rolls are stacked up along the wall too.

Aside from the sauces, the large portions (about 8 to 10 inches of bread) plus the fresh ingredients (they're well known for their dutch crunch) really make the sandwich stand out. 

- Fire Roasted Steak Sandwich - Tender steak is sliced thin and heated in a microwave, then placed on a giant roll (I chose dutch crunch) along with the works.  Delicious flavor, however, because of the wait to pay (see below), the bread really turned soggy.  $8.25

While there is no seating inside the shack, there are a few picnic tables outside for you to enjoy your sandwich.  The cashier services pre-orders before walk-ins, so I had to wait a minute for one pre-order and another five minutes for the second pre-order to be paid.  The minutes were ticking away and my sandwich bread was turning soggy.  After a four minute walk nearby to a place that I could sit, the bread just didn't hold up to the fabulous sauces and moisture.  While the top was fine, the bottom was just starting to fall apart. 

If you can eat it nearly instantly, it is probably a four star sandwich, but I give it a solid three stars.  The green garlic sauce is really delicious and the portions make this a great value, but I would really like to get out the door faster. 

There is plenty of variety when it comes to available sandwiches, and they'll make it to your liking.
You can also pre-order via fax for pickup.  I would strongly recommend this for larger orders.  Also, cash is required for all orders under $10.

Tani's Kitchen - Japanese, Daly City

32 Park Plaza Drive, Daly City, CA 94015
(650) 992-1701
Parking: shopping center parking, street parking
Hours: Mon-Tues, Thurs-Sat 12pm-9:30pm, Sun 2pm-9pm, Closed Wednesdays
Last Visited: March 22, 2012

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$
Josh told me about Tani's and how his favorite dish their is the tonkatsu.  With that in mind, a friend and I decided to check it out together.

Located on on the outerside of Westlake Shopping Center, you might pass by it without a second look.  The restaurant is pretty tiny and would be described as a hole in the wall.  The small L-shaped counter seats about six people when packed and the way the small amount of tables are filled (sometimes three to a table typically meant for two at most restaurants) gives you a sense of being packed like a sardine.  Yet, Tani's has a line waiting out the door.  We waited about twenty minutes to get a table. 

Once inside, we saw a lot of people ordering the curry.  My friend ordered it and said it was a little sweet.
- California Rolls with real crab - The California rolls tasted fresh, but the roll itself was just ok when it comes to presentation.  First, I noticed that they weren't cut evenly, so you saw variation in the height of the pieces.  The other problem with them was that they weren't rolled tightly enough, so they fell apart when I picked them up with chopsticks.  While the flavor was fine, the seaweed wasn't as crisp as it could be.  Considering how closely I was sitting next to the kitchen, it should have come out sooner and the texture seems to indicate that it sat for a few minutes waiting to be served.  These rolls also come with a small serving of pickled ginger. $3.95

- Tonkatsu - The tonkatsu pork chop comes with green salad, macaroni salad, and rice.  The dressing on the green salad is thick and wasn't particularly pleasant to my tastes.  The macaroni salad lacked flavor and just seemed to be dressed in too much mayonnaise.  The tonkatsu was nicely breaded, but fried too dark.  The pork chop cut was a bit too fatty for me, so a portion was inedible.  $8.25

Service is efficient, mainly so you can get out the door faster and they can take new customers.  It's not particularly warm, but not too bad either.  My tea was refilled without my asking for it. 

The prices are reasonable and the food is decent - I would say it's an ideal place for college students whom might have a less discerning palate and are on a budget.  To go orders take quite a long time - some people waited for as long as 45 minutes, so call ahead.  Also, it's cash only, so come prepared.