Stick and Steam - Tapas, Dim Sum, Chinese, Millbrae

350 Adrian Rd, Millbrae CA 94030
(650) 239-9240
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: December 29, 2018

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

Stick and Steam opened last month and has an interesting menu of snacks/small plates, skewers, noodles and rice, and different versions of Hainanese chicken.  You can also try unusual concoctions such as beef kimcheese (yes, cheese) fried rice and salted egg fries.  Rita mentioned that there is 10% off through the end of the year, so it's a good time to go in and check it out.

The restaurant has been nicely remodeled to have a more modern look than before (it used to be a Hong Kong style restaurant) with wood tables, black chairs, and even a neon S S sign (which you can see in the window in the photo above). 

The model is simple - you arrive and receive a menu with photos and a menu for you to check off what you want to order.  There are a number of drinks on the menu - from soju to boba, you'll find a lot of additional options, but hot tea wasn't listed as one of them.

- Beef Noodle Soup - By far, this was the best dish of the night.  Three large pieces of beef brisket and two large pieces of beef/tendon are braised until super tender so that it melts in your mouth.  The noodles are fine, but nothing special.   Although the menu says its egg noodles, and the photo on the menu look like egg noodles, these look like flat noodles that aren't egg-based.  Three romaine leaves along with some cilantro garnish the soup.  A sauce and minced preserved turnip/radish also accompany the five-spice based broth.  This would be even better if you could choose the type of noodles you wanted.  This dish gave the food rating three stars. $9.50

- Hainan Chicken Plate - The menu describes this as slow-cooked, served with fluffy short-grained rice, ginger-garlic, and sweet soy sauce.  The mound of rice is big and has more color than flavor - it's pretty bland.  The chicken is actually mounded on top of cooked cabbage, so there is less than what you think.  Most of my chicken was white meat - only the wing and another piece was dark meat.  The spinach salad comes with shredded carrots and candied walnuts which are good, but the dressing was not to my liking.  It has a strong flavor that reminds me of shiso, but it leaves a funny aftertaste.  A number of spinach leaves were also wilted, so I couldn't enjoy them.  The best thing about this dish was the accompanying sauces - the sweet chili sauce has a bit of kick and the ginger sauce was good, but there wasn't enough of it.  I would suggest you go to the nearby competitor around the corner that serves more chicken for a lower price instead.  I wouldn't order this again. $12.75

- Pork Belly with Charcoal bun - The steamed buns are tender and if it weren't for them being black, you would just call them fluffy and well-executed.  In a blind taste test, I don't think I would detect any charcoal.  The two glazed grilled pork belly skewers were tasty, but there was far too much fat compared to meat.  From the photo, you can see that one piece is virtually all fat - not a good ratio.  The pieces with a good portion of meat to fat were nicely glazed and juicy.  The strange spinach salad comes with this dish too. Okay skewers, but where's the meat?! $7

- House Potstickers (4) - Pork and ginger potstickers are served on a layer of rice paper.  In my book, these are not potstickers.  They're dumplings that got boiled and pan fried, and not even to the point of the wrapper drying out sufficiently on what is the underside of the rice paper.  The dumpling skin is quite different from that of real potstickers.  There is also insufficient browning so that the rice paper had no purpose.  What's a bit ironic is that when you make real potstickers at home, you can often get this rice paper skin as a byproduct of putting water into the pan and slowly frying the dumplings - here it's considered a novelty. At least the meat was juicy.  Even still, not recommended.  $6.75

- XLB Trio (original - white, crab - yellow, and truffle - black) - These Shanghai dumplings were pretty good - all juicy on the inside with sufficient amounts of soup and a supple wrapper.  The crab dumpling could taste more like crab, but it was still okay.  When I try these at most places, I like the truffle one the best and this was the case here too.  $5.75 

Service was okay, but not profound.  You can tell that the servers have been trained to state the name of the dish when delivering it to the table, to thank you for your patience when you've been waiting for a period of time, and to thank you as you leave.  Things that showed that it's still a new establishment - once our order had been taken, we were asked to relocate tables to fit in a larger party.  The patrons at the table next to us that arrived when the restaurant got a little fuller had to wait significantly longer for their order to be taken (about 15 minutes after receiving a menu).  Getting the check required flagging down a server several times, so there is still room for improvement. 

Other things that I found to be strange - during my first course, the beef noodle soup dish, I smelled this overwhelming scent of soap.  I couldn't figure out where it was coming from, but I don't think it was the food.  Nevertheless, it throws you off and makes one think they're eating some kind of cleaning product. 

Better get going if you want your 10% off. 

Ipoh Garden - Malaysian, Millbrae

100 El Camino Real, Millbrae CA 94030
(650) 652-9588
Parking: street parking
https://ipohgardenmalaysiancuisine.eat24hour.com/

Last Visited: December 9, 2018

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

Rob recommended Ipoh Garden as a good Peninsula alternative for Malaysian food and from his perspective, shared that it is more authentic than other places nearby.  As Rob is from Singapore, I trusted his determination of Ipoh's authenticity.  This location was previously a bar, so it's not much to look at from the outside, but inside, they did a nice remodel and the restaurant actually fits quite a few tables.  The colorful walls and long bar and the whimsical painting on the wall of a boy reaching for his paper airplane (which is actually the 3D part of the art) show the character of the owners.  The first four dishes were ordered in April, and then I visited again for in December.


- Roti Canai - Just about every table ordered this.  Two rounds of slightly crispy roti is served with a spiced curry sauce.  These are served very hot and are a little bit flaky.  The dough inside is soft and you can see the many layers within the round.  I wasn't too crazy about the sauce - not enough curry flavor since the spice sort of conflicted with it.  I also found the roti thicker than I prefer.  Okay.  $4.95

- Crispy Calamari - This was easily the best dish of the meal.  The batter on the calamari was light and the calamari was tender and fried to a light golden brown.  Pieces of red and green bell pepper and red onions had been cooked with a little bit of spicy red sauce.  All was lightly stir-fried with the calamari so that every few bites, you would get a little extra kick of flavor.  Four stars.  $12.95

- Laksa Mee - The noodles in the laksa mee were pretty standard - yellow noodles, but the flavor of the broth was just okay - nothing outstanding, maybe even slightly bland.  Considering that it's a red coconut curry based broth, it should have been spicy and rich. Usually, a hot broth that has good flavor makes me pretty happy - here, it was nothing to write home about.  Tofu, chicken, and okra accompany the noodles. The freshness of the vegetables was good.   $10.95

- Pad Thai - Of all the dishes ordered, I found this one to be the most disappointing.  While the tamarind based sauce was pleasantly stronger than many other local restaurants, the wide flat noodles had too much moisture causing them to be pretty broken even before we stirred the bean sprouts and lettuce into it.  There was also very little meat - two shrimp and very few pieces of chicken.  The tofu strips were ok, but overall, the noodles were falling apart so much that it was pretty disappointing and getting to the point of being mushy.  This dish also took a long time before it finally arrived.   $11.45

On my second visit, the food experience was slightly improved.

- Beef Satay - Four skewers of marinated beef are grilled and served with peanut sauce.  It's served with slices of cucumbers and red onions.  While the beef is tender, it's not as good without the sauce.  The sauce was flavorful, but could use more ground peanuts. Good. $6.95

- Kang Kung Belachan - A hearty amount of kang kung is sauteed with a belachan sauce.  The greens were tender and the shrimp paste sauce was fine.  Jalapeno slices add extra spice to the dish.  Okay.  I personally prefer the version that one of their competitors in the next city over makes.  $11.95

- Hainanese Chicken - Served with fragrant flavored rice which you can notice in the flavor, not just the color, this steamed chicken comes with two dipping sauce - one is ginger-based and the other is chili-based. All of the chicken sits in a light version of soy sauce.  The dark meat was tender and juicy, but the white meat could have been more moist.  It's a good portion, but the chili sauce is not hot, so you end up gravitating towards the ginger sauce.  The rice was fragrant, but I wouldn't have minded more salt.  Good value for the price.  $10.95

- Chow Koay Teow - It's probably unfair to do a review of this dish after coming back from Singapore.  While the stir-fried flat rice noodles held up significantly better than the pad thai noodles from my last visit, the flavoring was too light.  Of the dishes tried this evening, this one stood out the least.  Shrimp, squid, bean sprouts, chives, and egg are served with the noodles. $11.45

- Singapore Chili Tofu - Large pieces of tofu are fried in a chili tomato sauce with strips of red onion.  The tofu was good, but the dish as a whole is a bit on the sweet side for my tastes.  Okay.    $13.95

Service during my first visit was fair - while we weren't neglected, it just took a while for food to come to the table after the order.  We added the pad thai at the end, but it took a lot longer than expected to arrive.  It also took a while to get a bill.  During the second visit, we sat a lot closer to the register, so the servers passed by much more frequently.

Ipoh offers some dishes that its competitors don't, and if you're craving this style of food, they have a good variety.  Try the crispy calamari and avoid the pad thai.

Chili House - Chinese, San Francisco

726 Clement St, San Francisco CA 94118
(415) 387-2658
Parking: street parking
http://www.chilihousesf.com

Last Visited: September 2, 2018

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

Chili House in San Francisco is owned by the same person as that owning Z&Y in Chinatown.   I first heard about it from the advertisements on the local Chinese news station.   While one may think that everything is spicy based on the restaurant's name, some of their best known dishes are quite mild in flavor.

The restaurant is rarely as empty these days as what you see in this photo.  Over the last year, its become more popular with locals and tourists and you'll find long lines.  If you want to order a duck, I strongly suggest making a reservation for the duck ahead of time.

Prices shown below are from my May 2017 visit and have jumped up quite a bit since then.

- Beef Roll Pancakes - One of the most popular dishes of this type of cuisine is a pancake that has been rolled with cucumber and thin beef slices.  Personally, I always find this dish to be more dry than I prefer no matter where I eat it.  This dish is okay.  $7.95

- Dumplings with Pork & Shrimp - See below. $8.95
- Dumpling with Chives and Flounder - From the outside, the dumplings look a lot alike.  I prefer the chives and flounder one more than the pork & shrimp because of how tender the flounder is - while fish dumplings are getting more popular, this was one of the first places I tried it.  The dumpling skin is just the right texture - not too thick, not too soft.  The fish inside is fresh with the chives, it's quite flavorful.  I highly recommend this one.  $8.95

- Hot and Sour Tofu Soup - Classic hot and sour soup with the typical ingredients - egg drop, green onions, wood ear fungus, tofu, bamboo shoots, and more.  Good consistency and flavor.  No extremes.  I appreciated that you can get this in multiple sizes. $6.95 small

- House Special Chow Mein - Another standard as far as noodle dishes go.  Good wok air (hot temperature) and a variety of meat - chicken, beef, and a little bit of seafood. Noodles have a good bite to them.  Nothing particularly impressive, but no issues either.  Good. $9.95

- Cumin Lamb - The cumin offsets any game flavor that you might dislike from the lamb and with the sweet onions and the spicy chili sauce, the thinly sliced lamb takes on these flavors very well.  Good. $13.95

- Beijing Dalu Noodle - If you're not familiar with the effects of Szechuan peppercorns, let me warn you now.  It can be completely numbing to some folks as it was with me. While I've had many versions of this noodle soup, because of the peppercorn oil, I ate this dish and couldn't feel my lips for most of the evening, not to mention the heat.  It's very deceiving with the fresh cucumber strips on top and the noodles in a thick, almost soup-like sauce of minced meats and egg below, but watch out.  This dish is not for everyone. $7.95

- Peking Duck - What Chili House is known for is the Peking Duck carved table-side (great for Instagram or other social media posts).  You can see the duck steaming as it's cut hot.  While presentation is lovely, and the server will help you make your first couple of duck-stuffed pancakes (see photo of accompanying condiments - hoisin sauce, green onion strips, and cucumber strips), the flavor of the duck is just ok.  I've had more flavorful ducks at other places.  They will also give you the option of using the carcass to make soup or to make salt and pepper duck.  We opted for the soup and while there isn't a ton of meat left over, it makes for a flavorful broth. $39.95



- Sweet and Sour Fish special - A rather large tilapia is cut so that the body looks like spikes, and deep-fried.  The entire fish is served whole and gently covered in a gooey sweet and sour sauce.  The presentation is impressive and each bite has a great blend of crispy, sweet, and tender juicy fish.  I would definitely recommend trying out this dish for its unique presentation (I haven't seen any other local restaurant that serves it this way) and great flavor.  $39.95

While it's hardly a year later, the prices of all of these dishes, except the fish special, are now higher.  Portion sizes are about the same, and if you're a tourist or in a large party, the service is quite different.  They will offer to pick out the entire menu for you - I watched this happen during one of my meals, so if you're on a budget, be sure to tell them that if you let them design a menu for you.  I saw a few tourists shocked by the outcome when they gave them leeway.

Also, during my first few visits, I was with one other person and the service was pretty dreadful.  During my most recent visit, we went with a larger party and service was very good.  Perhaps it has something to do with what we ordered (we got slightly better service when the two of us ordered a duck).

Try Chili House for the fun presentation of duck cut table-side,  flounder dumplings, fried fish, or to numb your mouth with some peppercorn/chili oil.

Rasa - South Indian, Burlingame

209 Park Rd, Burlingame CA 94010
(650) 340-7272
Parking: street parking and pay parking lot
http://rasaindian.com/

Last Visited: February 15, 2018

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

Ben suggested Rasa because of its Michelin rating.  I didn't realize there was a Michelin rated South Indian restaurant in the area and after the experience, I can understand why.  This is probably the best service I've experienced at an Indian restaurant - from waiters explaining the details of the menu and specials to their courteous nature, Rasa is a great place for a business dinner, date night, or those unfamiliar with South Indian cuisine. 

From the lighting to the decor, Rasa has a very modern design with red-orange accent walls, gray tile, and classic dark brown finishes.  The bar in the rear of the restaurant is also a nice focal point.  From its logo, I initially mistook it for a dance club or bar, but behind the glass windows are the table settings.

- Bombay Sliders - This is a good starter for someone who is interested in a fusion experience.  The bamboo skewered sliders are comprised of a spiced potato patty fritter and served on toasted pav bread with a tangy tamarind chutney, and cilantro chutney.  A side salad that is lightly dressed, ghee (at least I think it was ghee), and a spice powder mixture they called gunpowder dust accompanies the sliders.  The sliders are a flavorful bite and well balanced, but I still miss the meat from a texture standpoint.  The salad was very fresh and I like how they are thoughtful in using colorful vegetables to make the plate beautiful. Okay to try, but not a dish I would likely get again. $13


- White Elephant Butter Paper thin Dosa - Dosa is a crepe made of fermented rice and lentil batter. The size of Rasa's white elephant dosa is impressive, spanning the width of a two person table (about 2 feet). The crepe is touted for being brushed with house churned butter and sprinkled with gun powder dust, but what I enjoyed was its crispy and light texture.  It's also fun to eat because of the sides: a well seasoned and colorful potato mash, coconut chutney, sambar (a lentil stew), and another chutney.  The heat of the sambar, both temperature and flavor, makes it a delicious dipping sauce.  Definitely worth a try and excellent for sharing.  Also good for Instagram photos.  $18

- Butter Chicken - This dish comes with an option of rice or parantha and the waiter talked us into the kerala parantha which is a layered dough that is pan fried.  Given the choice, after having the dosa, I would opt for rice for a less oily and lighter texture/flavor.  Dark meat is marinated in yogurt, ginger, and garlic and then cooked in a tomato and fenugreek curry making this a very rich sauce that would be excellent for topping rice.  For me, the parantha, though tasty, is heavy.   Very good.  $28

It was a delight for the eyes to see the various dosas go to each table as each one appeared so distinct in shape and filling.

Service throughout the meal was attentive and water glasses were frequently filled.  The staff was ready to remove any empty plates and check in on our table.  I also saw that neighboring large parties received the same level of attentiveness and with a bar featuring unique cocktails, Rasa would be good for a business meal.  Great food, beautiful presentation, and nice ambiance makes this a good fine dining experience which is also reflected by the prices.

Tu Lan - Vietnamese, San Francisco

8 6th St, San Francisco CA 94103
(415) 626-0927
Parking: street parking
Hours: Tues-Sun 11am - 9:30pm
http://tulan-vn-restaurant.com/about.html

Last Visited: July 14, 2018

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

Tu Lan has been around since 1977.  This hole in the wall located next to the Tenderloin is known for its ginger fish and rice plates; pho is not their specialty according to friends, but the food is hot and relatively speaking, very reasonably priced.  From the outside, you wouldn't know it, but the restaurant is fairly deep and also has an upstairs dining area.  It's nothing fancy (the picture actually looks better than the actual decor); the tables are a bit tightly configured and they move everything around to accommodate the party as needed.

Rachel suggested we try it for some good eats.  We were quickly seated upstairs and food arrived pretty quickly without any particular order - it just comes as it's cooked.  Service is efficient, but you won't find any particularly attentive people.

- Imperial Rolls - These imperial rolls are filled with very flavorful beef (at least, I think it was beef).  Using rice paper rolls makes the texture different from that of Chinese-style egg rolls.  Not really a traditional filling, but they were juicy and tasty for something different.  Served with a fish sauce based dipping sauce and a few slices of cucumber over a bed of shredded lettuce.  Okay. $6.45

- Fried Fish and Ginger Sauce - This dish was the hidden gem.  Three rather large fillets are lightly battered and fried.  They're served with a chopped ginger sauce that also contains fish sauce.  The fillets are hot and the fish is served with chopped green onions and a wedge of lemon.  This was by far my favorite dish of the night and on its own, it would be four stars. $12

- Vegetarian Fried Rice - This vegetarian fried rice is curry-based in flavor.  There is an ample amount of broccoli, cabbage, tofu, carrots, and green onions.  There's also a good amount of pepper in the dish, but it's not overwhelming.  It's a good supplement to your main entrees and with it being so hot in temperature, it's great on a cold night. $10

- Pork Shish Kebab - While the name seems less than Vietnamese, it's essentially barbecued pork.  It comes with a lot of rice, so you'll definitely be full, but I thought the pork was just ok.  I've had better.  The pork is served with more fish sauce based dipping sauce and a few slices of cucumber. $9.70

The kitchen is pretty fast at whipping out dishes - more can be seen downstairs if you want to see their operations.  Our hungry bunch was very happy with their speed after our long day.

If you are in the neighborhood, Tu Lan is worth checking out for a quick bite to eat for very reasonable prices, although you will have to walk past or through a lot of street people and their wares.  If I have a chance to go again, I would definitely try out their fried noodles which looked like a sizable portion that came out steaming hot.

Atlas Pizza Parlor - San Bruno

637 San Mateo Ave, San Bruno CA 94066
(650) 553-5005
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Thurs 10a-12a, Fri-Sun 10a-1a

Last Visited: July 22, 2018

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

Atlas Pizza opened on San Bruno Avenue a few months ago and since there aren't too many Indian pies in the area, I wanted to give it a try.  Newly remodeled, the big space has been divided into four sections - the dining area, the kitchen, and private two areas which seem to be primarily used for storage and a ping pong table in the back that isn't open for public use.

The front seating is ample, facing the three large screen televisions mounted on the wall and a side wall with various sports figures. On the television today were Olympics archery and a soccer game.

A large menu is printed above the counter and features Italian pizzas, Atlas Fusion Pie, subs, appetizers, salad, chicken wings, and pasta.  Although their printed menu says they serve BBQ, their only bbq offering is chicken wings.  You won't find other typical bbq items.  From the sign above the counter, there is no way to tell that they have a wide variety of juice and smoothie offerings, but a whole page is dedicated to this in their printed takeout menu.  All items are halal.

I decided to split my pie so that it was half Italian and half fusion to try out both.

- Medium Half Mighty Meaty (Red sauce, pepperoni, ham, ground beef, sausage, red onions, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese) and Half Atlas Tandoori Chicken Pie (creamy garlic sauce, mozzarella cheese, bell peppers, red onions, diced tomatoes, tandoori chicken, green onions, and fresh cilantro) - First, the crust was very fresh tasting and the edges stayed crispy.  The menu specifically notes the fresh hand made dough.  The tandoori chicken pie was really good - smooth and creamy with a mild taste compared to the Italian half, but very flavorful.  The only improvement would have been to add more chicken.  On the Italian side, the toppings were more moist and had gone through to the bottom of the crust so that the pan showed juices flowing through.  This side was also significantly saltier than the tandoori side.  Overall, I would recommend the tandoori chicken pie since the Italian didn't stand out in comparison.  Medium 12' whole pie - Fusion $12.99, Italian $12.99

From a service standpoint, there is a lot of room for improvement.  There were some challenges understanding each other as I asked for water and there were a few exchanges before it was clear on their end that I wasn't ordering coconut water.  Also, when completing your order, you'll get a number on a stand.  All that number does is remind you of your number when it's called so that you can go retrieve your order - nobody brings you any food.  There's no point to having a number on a stand.  In some cases, I saw people go up for their pizza and about ten minutes later, go retrieve their chicken wings.  They weren't given a number at all.  Instead, the person behind the counter just yelled out 'hello' in their general direction.  For dine in, you get those super thin paper plates, and only one per person.  One of mine was dirtied by pizza sauce smudges.  When you enter or exit, there is no greeting for anyone, so don't expect a hello or thank you.

In summary, try a fusion pie and lower your service expectations.

LaSalette - Portuguese, Sonoma

452 First St E, Suite H, Sonoma CA 95476
(707) 938-1927
Parking: street parking, parking lot
https://www.lasaletterestaurant.com/

Last Visited: June 27, 2018

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

LaSalette first opened up 20 years ago at a location on Highway 12 and since moved here to the Sonoma Plaza.  Known for its New Portuguese cuisine, a combination of classic Portuguese with local ingredients, this upscale restaurant which might seem less approachable offers reasonably-priced lunch specials as well as dinner.  Seating is available indoors and in its outdoor patio.

I arrived on time for my reservation at 11:30a and found that the 'Closed' sign was still posted in the patio. Since I was waiting for friends, I opted to enjoy the sun outside, but nobody seemed to notice my arrival on the patio.  Instead, they were cleaning the windows and interior.  At 11:40a, the sign finally came down.

- Tomato Water - While we were still perusing the menu, we were each given a shot of tomato water which contained very tiny cubes of ham, basil, cucumber, and bell pepper.  A drop of oil floated on the top.  This refreshing sip, compliments of the chef, had a lot of tomato flavor despite its clear color.  Too bad you can't order this as an appetizer.

After ordering, each person is given a warm Portuguese bun with butter on the side.  You won't find a bread plate - instead, the little slat of wood which I mistook for a coaster is for the warm bread.  Slightly sweet, you'll find the bread crusty on the outside and airy on the inside.

Lunch special offerings this week included fish and chips, a paella-like seafood rice, piri piri chicken salad, and a pulled pork sandwich.  Typical entrees, such as bacalhau, sea bass fillets, and fisherman's stew, are also available during lunch.

- "Fish and Chips" - Cassava floured fillets of local cod that is pan fried, piri piri fries, greens.  Served with tartar sauce and ketchup.   - Three small filets are lightly coated in cassava flour and pan fried. All of them were uniformly fried and the flaky cod was moist.  The tartar sauce was mild in flavor, but a good and necessary addition.  The greens were primarily made of frisee and arugula and lightly tossed in a vinaigrette.  The slight bitter taste was a good complement to the fish and piri piri dusted fries.  The chili base for the piri piri was very light - not spicy at all, but you could notice the flavor was present.  Good.  Well balanced in flavor and quantity. $14

From what I could tell, the paella-like rice was also good.  Our dining companions seemed to enjoy the dish which was presented in a bowl with yellow rice and seafood in their shells.

- White chocolate sprinkle covered passion fruit, cashew - Another complimentary bite, each person received this sweet treat at the end of the meal.  It wasn't profound, but it was nice and light both in flavor and texture.

Service was efficient and prompt, but could be a bit warmer.  Overall, it was a good experience and you feel pampered with these complimentary dishes, but they need to be better about opening on time, especially when there is a reservation right at the opening time.

Chef Gator's Rustic Burger & His Creole Friends

5 Petaluma Blvd South, Petaluma CA 94952
(707) 658-1845
Parking: in parking lot
https://www.gatorscreolefriends.com/

Last Visited: June 7, 2018

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

Cousin Jimmy, a local Petaluma food enthusiast, suggested that I try out this new joint. It's been open for a few months now.

Chef Gator was a contestant on Guy Fieri's grocery games and recently had a food truck with similar fare in Petaluma.  Photos from his Food Network episodes are on display in one wall.  The room has a casual feel with bright colors, seating at the bar, regular tables, and high top tables.  Order at the counter and get a number, then wait for food to be delivered to you.

- Gator's Chicken and Waffles - 2 piece leg & thigh, southern fried, served with peach cobbler butter and maple syrup.  It's as good as it sounds.  The waffle is crispy on the outside and soft in the center.  The chicken is well seasoned, crispy, and golden brown - the portion is hearty and the balance of crunchy with sweet is perfect.  The peach cobbler butter is a pleasant surprise.  Very good.  This dish would get four stars. $12.99

- Smoked Chicken & Cajun Sausage Jambalaya - While there's no photo here, the half order is quite large and sufficient for a small eater.  The jambalaya is thick and well-seasoned.  Tasty and a good deal.  Half order $6.99, Full order $12.99

- Rustic Cheese Burger with Fries - Grass fed beef patty on shredded lettuce, tomatoes, caramelized onions, creole mustard aioli, and choice of cheese.  Chef Gator informed us that the buns are made daily and seemed particularly proud of their rosemary flavoring.  The bun could hold up slightly better - near the last few bites, it seemed slightly soft.  The fries were crispy and also lightly seasoned.  My burger patty seemed to be denser in one section than another, but this didn't seem to be the case with the other burgers.  Otherwise, it was pretty good.  $7.75 a la carte, $10.75 with regular fries

Chef Gator came and chatted with us and shared that he'll soon be battling Bobby Flay on Beat Bobby Flay and is also working on other tv appearances.  I appreciated his friendly demeanor and down to earth spirit.  The staff was friendly, but when it comes to service, there is still room for improvement.  Their computer system seemed to have glitches - one of our three burgers didn't arrive with the rest of the meal and I had to remind them that I had ordered it.  Also, while they were good to inform us that the chicken and waffles may take more time and that they were holding on to all the dishes so that everything would arrive together, when it did come, one of the servers slid a burger across the table (and past three people) in order to get it to the right person. The other server walked her items around to the appropriate person.

Generally speaking, the menu looks good, but I would recommend the chicken and waffles for a real treat.

Yuanbao Jiaozi - Chinese dumplings, San Francisco

2110 Irving St, San Francisco CA 94122
(415) 702-6506
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: June 10, 2018

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

Yuanbao Jiaozi is pretty unassuming from the outside.  Before the line starts to form outside, you might easily walk past it without a second thought.  The restaurant has been open for a few months, and focuses primarily on dumplings, one noodle dish, and a few side dishes.  While it's not very friendly for those whom require gluten-free diets, they do offer a few veggie side dishes.

Inside, the decorations are minimal.  One wall has a mural and the other is shown in the photo.  You'll be able to see the three ladies hand making dumplings and working the dough.   Overall, the food was very good, but service could use some improvements. 

- Marinated beef - The beef texture is right and the light brushing of chili oil paired nicely with the meat.  The meat is flavorful without being overpowering.  14 slices.  Good. $6.99

- House Special Beef Noodles (Spicy/Non-Spicy) - I ordered the non-spicy noodle soup this evening.  The noodles were excellent - al dente and cooked just right.  The noodles soaked up the broth without becoming soggy even as I got to the end of the bowl.  Marinated beef slices, beef stew cubes, and baby bok choy are served over the noodles in a flavorful broth that is just touch sweet.  It's a filling and delightful bowl.  Must try. $10.99

All dumpling dishes (14 dumplings) are available as Dumpling Soup (12 dumplings).

- Shiitake Mushroom & Fish Dumpling - 14 dumplings are served plain with dipping sauces (soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce) available on the table. The fish takes on the mushroom flavor more than anything else, so if you like mushroom, the delicate texture of the fish takes on this flavor well.  The skins are made on site, so they're thin and tender without falling apart.  Very good. $8.99

- Pork & Three Delicacies Dumpling - The photo would have looked the same as that for the mushroom and fish dumpling.  Inside the pork dumpling mix, there is also shrimp, green chives, and a little bamboo shoot. The chives stand out in this dumpling and the texture is more dense than the fish dumpling.  Very good.  With this dish, we were told that one dumpling unraveled during cooking, so they owed us one and to enjoy the others for now.  About ten minutes later, a whole plate came, so there was clearly some miscommunication occurred.  Another ten minutes later, when we were nearly done eating, the final one arrived with an apology. $8.99

- Tea - Each cup comes with a tea bag.  It appears that aside from tea, there aren't other drink options.   ~$1/cup

While the food is quite good, there is a lot of room for improving service.  The two ladies serving are friendly and polite, but some changes are simple - bring a serving spoon when you're serving up the dumplings as almost everyone is sharing the plate.  When you bring the cold water pitcher, bring a hot water pitcher to refill tea cups too.  Improve communication behind the scenes so that the dumpling incident above gets resolved seamlessly.  If you say you're bringing bowls for the noodle soup, then do it.  When you bring the check, use a glass or some kind of holder; include the prices for each item (that's part of the reason I don't know how much tea cost because it's not listed on the menu or on the check), and bring a copy of the credit card receipt for the customer.  Don't make customers wait for the check - 20 minutes of waiting is pretty slow.   Get these kinks worked out and tables will turn faster and patrons will be happier.  The food will keep people coming back for sure.