9 Noodle House - Chinese, Millbrae

9 Hillcrest Blvd
Millbrae CA 94030
(650) 552-9031
Parking: street parking and nearby parking lot

Last Visited: May 7, 2017

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

Bella first told me about 9 Noodle House and said she heard the beef stew noodle was the best thing to try, so of course, I took her advice.  Open since August of 2016, the kinks have been worked out mostly and word is getting out.  This little shop is located across from 7-Eleven and behind the butcher.   The decor is simple with a few individual tables on the side and a large communal table with bench seating in the center.  Bright green paint is a contrast to the large photos of the menu items on the walls.

Their menu offers a number of noodle soups with meat such as Beef Stew Noodles, Mixed Meatball Noodles, Curry Beef Brisket Noodles, Vietnamese Style Pork Chop Noodles, and more with each bowl roughly around $10.  Their accompanying dishes include pot stickers, boiled vegetables and fried dishes such as fried potato cakes, fried mackerel, spring rolls, french fries, and fried stuffed octopus balls. It was a bit reminiscent of Hong Kong noodle restaurants with their option to select the style of noodles, but they don't have a spicy soup base except the Hot and Sour Noodles. They have a few drink offerings and that seems to be where they make their money with each one costing just under $4.


Noodle options include egg noodle, rice noodle, udon, rice vermicelli, and ramen.  You can also order rice if you prefer.

- Crispy Fried Chicken Wings - While the wings had a crisp outside and were thoroughly cooked through, one of my wings was ice cold in the center which was not acceptable.  None of the other wings had this issue.  This seems to indicate that the chicken is cooked twice, but it's unfortunately, it appears that they still have room for improvement.  2 stars on this one because it was under temperature.   $7

- Flavorful Beef Stew - This photo is just after a small bowl of noodles was removed from the bowl.  The beef stew is tender and the broth is just a touch spicy.  I liked this one and would definitely get it again.  For both this and the other noodle bowl ordered, there was plenty of meat and noodles - good portion size so that most people would be full.  4 stars on this dish.  $9.99

- Flavorful Salty Chicken - Served with a dipping sauce of ginger and green onion, this chicken was tender and indeed flavorful.  I ordered udon for this bowl.  Again, the amount of meat was generous and this broth was lighter than the one that came with the stew. You can see that lots of green onions and cilantro come in the broth.  $10.99

Service was friendly and they came back to check on us mid-meal.  This is a good stop for lunch or a quick simple dinner.  I suspect that it gets noisy when the place is full, but we came early and there was plenty of space and we were able to have a conversation without any trouble hearing one another.  Great place for a casual meal - just watch the chicken wings.

Rangoon Ruby - Burmese, Palo Alto

445 Emerson St, Palo Alto CA 94301
(650) 323-6543
Parking: street parking and parking lot across the street
Hours: Lunch Daily 11:30am-2:30pm, Dinner Sun-Thurs 5pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-10:30pm
http://www.rangoonruby.com

Last Visited: July 9, 2016

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

I had heard coworkers talk about Rangoon Ruby, so I thought I would give it a try.  They tout themselves as the best Burmese Cuisine in the Bay Area.  Long story short, it's a good place for those that are completely new to Burmese cuisine, but the flavors are extremely mild.  This is good for diners desiring an explanation of each ingredient and whom are more interested in the service and setting than the food.  I gave the food three stars for appearance - it looks the part and is plated nicely.

Upon arriving, our party was greeted by a host whose sole job was hosting.  Throughout our entire lunch, she stayed at the hosting station, but was checking her phone when she thought nobody was watching.  Bench seating lines a portion of one wall and the bar lines the other wall.  Each table has white tablecloths with square plates.  Modern photography collages decorate the walls.  The chandeliers also have a modern feel.

After being seated, it took some time before we were attended to and it wasn't quite busy.  Service was friendly for the most part and the busboys seemed to be the most attentive.  My server was seemingly absent at times, but could be seen chatting with folks behind the bar.

- Tea Leaf Salad - Tea leaves, fried garlic, yellow beans, peanuts, sesame seeds, lettuce, tomato, jalapeno, and dried shrimp are served with a wedge of lemon.  Although the ingredients are fresh, and the server takes the time to explain each item, I found the quantity of lemon to be lacking and the whole dish lacked spice.  A traditionalist would also say that lettuce should not be used - cabbage is typically the primary base.  Fresh but bland.  Nice plating.  $14

- Nan Gyi Dok - Rice noodles are topped with coconut chicken
sauce, yellow bean powder, cilantro, red onion slices, and fried onion.  A hardboiled egg and fried won ton strips accompany the dish.  Although nicely plated, the coconut chicken was once again mild and the dish was closer to room temperature than hot or cold.  It lacked flavor compared to the authentic version.  $14

Tables are close together which could be uncomfortable if you have a larger personal space bubble or just don't want your neighbor to hear your entire conversation.  You also won't find anyone Burmese except the owner/chef.  During our meal, the server came to top off our water and promptly spilled it on our table and floor.  While she apologized, it was strange that nobody came to wipe off the puddle on the floor.

If you want to bring guests to try Burmese food and fear that they might be frightened of strong flavors, this is a good spot for nice presentation and setting, but if you want authentic food, you may try another place.

Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous - Ice Cream, San Francisco

Last Visited: July 29, 2016

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

Located in the Dogpatch, Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous has developed a reputation for high quality ice cream that rivals that of Bi-Rite and Humphry Slocombe.

I came in on a weekday afternoon and found that it wasn't too busy, although there was still a large table of folks and lots of moms with kiddos.  Offerings included standards like vanilla bean, chocolate, strawberry, and chocolate chips, but for something different, they also offered honey roasted peanut, kahlua and cream, and milk & cookies.  Toppings are also available as well as cookies in case you want a supplement to your ice cream.

- Buttermilk and Lemon - This was oh so creamy with distinct flavors of buttermilk with the additional tang of the lemon.  It was an unexpected pairing.  You can see that a single is quite sizable, but the triple is the best deal if you can stomach the serving size.

Prices: Kids $4, Single (1 flavor) $5, Double (1-2 flavors) $7, Triple (1-3 flavors) $8

I will definitely be back to try more!