Won Kok Millbrae - Chinese, Millbrae

1671 El Camino Real, Millbrae CA 94030
(650) 616-8288
Parking: street parking, parking in rear
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-2:30pm,  5pm-9:30pm; Sat-Sun 10:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-9:30pm

Last Visited: January 18, 2026

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

When Won Kok Millbrae opened up and replaced Asian Pearl, I was excited to see that they would be serving dim sum.  It seemed so promising with decent reviews, but alas, my experience was very mixed and service left a whole lot to be desired.  While I don't expect any Chinese place to have excellent service, this was by far one of the strangest experiences I have had in a while.  What made the experience even more prominent was that a coworker of mine was seated at the next table and seemed to have a completely different dining experience. 

I had called ahead to see if a reservation could be taken, but was told that wasn't necessary.  When I arrived, I had let the staff know that a table located in an accessible space would be desired since some of these tables were very close together.  They said that every table was accessible and when we were seated near the kitchen exit, the large round table next to us had one of its chair backs shoved right up against our table for four.  This seemed less than ideal, and became even more noticeable as the staff seemed to bump into the chairs every time they tried to access the large table.  That's not the weird part though - more on that later. 

Tea - very reasonably priced at $1 per person.  I usually ask for a pot of hot water so I can dilute my tea to my liking, but when I poured some of that hot water to refill the tea pot, I was scolded.  The waitress told me not to do that and that she would go get hot water.  I think you should let your patron do as s/he wishes.  If you're not coming around to refill tea quickly enough. I can add hot water to my own tea.

Shu Mai - Pretty standard in flavor and appearance, and probably the best dish of the day because the temperature was hot and there was an adequate amount of pork and shrimp inside. $6.20

Rice Noodle Roll with Fried Donut - This was pretty disappointing as a whole.  While the rice noodle roll itself was thin, which is usually difficult to do while keeping it from breaking when you roll it, the fried donut wasn't as crisp as it should be.  Presentation is nice with the vegetables, but I wouldn't order it again.  Before we even finished the vegetables, they wanted to take the plate away, but we had to tell them we weren't done.  $9.20

Deep Fried Prawn Bean Curd - This is a regular dish that I order because it tests out how well they do with deep frying.  I forgot to take a photo of this one and it was probably the best dish of our lunch.  $7.20

Fried Glutinous Dumpling While the outside looked promising - you can see the photo on the left where they have cut the glutinous dumpling, this was also a disappointment.  The outside is crunchy and inside is chewy like a mochi, but the amount of meat leaves you recalling that old Wendy's fast food commercial - where's the beef (ok, it's pork here, but there is still such a small amount of meat).  Flavor is ok, but all four of us were looking at it wondering where the rest of it was.  $6.20

Fried Taro Dumpling - On the right of this photo, the taro dumpling looks like what you would expect, kind of fluffed up.  The outside bottom though was soggy.  I wondered how long the dumpling had been sitting there after being deep fried.  There was an adequate ratio of taro to meat here, so that wasn't the problem, but serving temperature and how long it had been sitting was the main issue.  $6.20

Pea Sprouts in Broth with Bean Curd Sheets - I had asked my coworker friend what they liked since it was my first time coming, and they recommended this dish.  While it was fresh, I can actually make this at home, so I was less impressed.  The dish itself is fine though and it's a good offering if you want vegetables in a light broth.  This comes with tofu sheets, pea sprouts, enoki mushrooms, and gingko nuts. $12.80

We weren't even done with all of the food on the dish, and the staff was ready to take them away.  My coworker and her friends at the table next to us left at least one item on every plate and were not bothered to remove plates.  We received our check without being asked if we wanted more food.  In fact, they cleared our individual bowls and chopsticks right after all of our food was finished - good service staff usually ask you if you would like more tea and want to order more dessert.  

Within 45 minutes, from start to finish, I felt we were pushed out rather than allowed to enjoy our meal.  My coworker at the adjacent table arrived before us and left after us and was not rushed at all. How could service be so inconsistent? I can't explain it.  Nevertheless, the food didn't make me desire to go back, so I don't have plans to visit again and will be going back to my regular spot.

Blissful Noodle - Chinese, Burlingame

1320 Broadway, Burlingame CA 94010
(650) 667-6168
Parking: street parking

Hours: Closed Tuesdays; Daily 11am-2pm, 5pm-8:30pm

Last Visited: May 30, 2026

Food: 3 to 4
stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 3 stars

Price: $$ to $$$

Blissful Noodle caught my eye because they serve hand-pulled noodles and biang-biang noodles.  After a visit to New York City some years ago, I became slightly obsessed with biang-biang noodles, but nothing in the SF Bay Area offered something similar.  The ones in NYC were flavorful, had that perfect al dente chew, and while tasty, they weren't laden with oil - just the perfect bite.  I've been searching for something similar ever since.

Blissful Noodle's decor is simple and modern with lots of cool grays that contrast against the wood tables and simple black chairs.  We were promptly seated and given menus and water when we arrived.  The menu offers small cold plates like cucumber salad, pig ear with spicy chili oil, and spicy tofu as well as regular-sized dishes like noodles and liang pi (cold noodles made with wheat flour).  

- Crispy Sandwich with Spicy Beef - The photo on the menu doesn't match what you get in real life, but I suppose it's close.  Instead of sitting on a bed of lettuce on a straw plate, you get it cut in half with pickled jalapenoes. The mix of the water and oil doughs create a crispy and light texture.  It doesn't flake into a million shards like a great croissant, but it is crispy.  The spicy beef is a little spicy, but it's cold, so the flavor of the beef doesn't quite stand out.  It's okay to try with some flakiness to the the dough, but not the best I've tested. Portion is ok - since it's not cut evenly, one side has more beef than the other.  Just okay.  $10.95

- Chili Oil Wontons - There were eight wontons and the skin was very thin.  The texture of the wonton was tender and there was a perfect balance of spicy chili oil with a touch of vinegar so that the bite didn't taste too heavy.  This was my favorite dish of the three that I tried.  Topped with a handful of green onions, this tasty small plate is one that I would recommend and give four stars.  $9.95

- Noodle with Cumin Lamb - From the photo, this looked like it would be served with wide noodles, but unfortunately, it came with regular noodles.  The server brought it out and mixed it at the table.  The noodles had a good al dente chew to them and the sauce had a noticeable touch of vinegar in it.  There was less than one full bok choy - probably about 3 to 4 pieces total, and the corn, despite being in season, was likely from frozen or a can.  While I like cumin lamb, the amount of cumin here was a bit overpowering.  The lamb had a piece that was completely hard to chew, and most pieces had some amount of fat attached to it.  There was a lot of oil (or perhaps lard) here, and it felt heavy.  If it weren't for the aforementioned vinegar, I probably would have found this too rich; with the vinegar, we could finish the plate.  Good noodle texture.  Everything else with this dish had room for improvement.  $17.95

Service, though attentive in picking up plates, was not warm.  The ladies will give you extra napkins without your asking when they provide the check, but frankly, they don't seem all that happy about working there.  While I'm very accustomed to service being fair at Chinese restaurants, what's a bit unusual here is that they words are the right words, but the tone is pretty off, and at that point, you just wonder - why bother.  When your check arrives, they give you gum, which is another unique thing about Blissful Noodle.  Perhaps I didn't order the right mix of dishes, but overall, it was just an okay experience and a bit on the greasy side.  Try the chili wontons and good luck with parking. 

East Ocean Seafood Restaurant - Chinese, Walnut Creek

1841 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Walnut Creek, CA 94598

(925) 944-1006

https://www.eastoceanseafoodrestaurant.com/

Parking: shopping center parking lot

Hours: Mon-Thurs 11am-2:30pm, 5pm-8pm, Fri 11am-2:30pm, 5pm-9pm, Sat 10am-2:30pm, 5pm-9pm, Sun 10am-2:30pm, 5pm-8pm

Last Visited: May 23, 2026

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

While the name is similar, this East Ocean isn't affiliated with the Hong Kong East Ocean in Emeryville, but it IS the sister restaurant to the East ocean in Alameda.  All of these restaurants serve Hong Kong style Chinese food.  This East Ocean is located in a shopping center and typical of family-style Cantonese restaurants with television screens, fish tank, and bright lights so you can see what you're eating.  We arrived early this evening and the place was very clean - none of that stickiness that you sometimes find in older hole in the wall restaurants.

We were welcomed with small plates of peanuts and spicy cucumber salad and given menus to peruse. Unlike many places, East Ocean offers dim sum at dinner, in addition to the regular dinner menu. 

- Rock Cod Fillet with Bitter Melon and Black Bean Sauce - East Ocean knows how to do this dish really well.  The bitter melon is cut fairly thin on the bias and it's cooked until just soft enough so that it isn't raw in taste, but holds its shape.  The bean sauce has a thick enough consistency to coat the fish and melon without leaving too much liquid at the bottom of the plate.  The fish is cooked perfectly.  The chef is on point.  Very good.  Decent portion for the price.  Everything costs a lot these days. $19.95

- Crispy Chicken (half) - Often times, when you order crispy chicken these days, it no longer comes with shrimp chips - not sure if restaurants or skimping or it's just no longer popular.  This one is served classically, covered with colorful shrimp chips.  The chicken is cooked well without being dry and the skin is just a touch crispy.  What makes the skin crispy is letting it dry out after being coated with a vinegar/maltose mix, often drying overnight.  The flavor was good, but the only thing missing was either a lemon wedge or a small dish of seasoned salt.  Nevertheless, it was still juicy and had sufficient flavor.  $17.95

- White Rice - Standard - no complaints.  $3.50 per bowl

Our meal ended with fresh orange slices and fortune cookies.  

The ladies serving us were friendly and it made me think of how dining in Walnut Creek bridges the small town feel where service is much warmer than in San Francisco, but the advantage is that you can hire better quality chefs that serve more authentic food.  

If I lived closer, I would probably come here more often to try more of the menu.  So far, so good - classic Cantonese cooking that is done well in a clean atmosphere with friendly
servers.  I definitely recommend East Ocean in Walnut Creek and would be open to trying more of their dishes.   

Jingege Soy Sauce Chicken and Yaoyao Suan Cai Yu - Chinese, BBQ, San Bruno

1212 El Camino Real #C  and D, San Bruno CA 94066
(650) 636-4380
Parking: shopping center parking lot

Hours: Daily 11am-9pm

Last Visited: May 24, 2025

Food: 2 to 3 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 2 stars

Price: $$ to $$$

I really wanted to like this place. In fact, I thought it could be my new go to place for beef chow fun.  The Jingege side of the house has a San Leandro branch and when I ordered beef chow fun for takeout there, it was easily one of the most wok-hay filled chow fun (that steaming heat that you only get from stir frying in a wok), but I was so incredibly thirsty after, that I have yet to go back there.  Sometimes it's a tradeoff - incredible taste, but maybe enough MSG that you get a headache or drink gallons of fluids to quench the MSG thirst, which I know may not be a tradeoff that anyone is willing to take, but at least it's a choice.

I was excited to try this new location which is also coupled with sour pickled vegetable fish dishes (that's the suan cai (sour pickled vegetable) yu (fish) part of the name).  To me, it's usually a good sign when the name of a place does not care about the English name, but in this case, it didn't meet my expectations.  One side of the menu is for barbecue items, and the other side is for the Szechuan dishes.  Unlike typical Chinese barbecue places, you can't order by the pound.  All barbecue is ordered as a single dish with a set serving size. 

The restaurant has a lot of bright pastels and one wall has life-sized people pictures taking a selfie with their food. It can feel crowded when full and the kitchen noise can be loud.

- Beef Chow Fun - I ordered this dish for takeout and it had decent flavor and was cooked well (nothing burnt which is often the challenge with beef chow fun). Typical ingredients include onions, green onions, and bean sprouts to add some crunch to the chow fun and beef.  While the taste was standard, the amount of oil left on the takeout container and my individual serving plate was quite alarming - it was as though I had poured oil on my plate and gently coated it like you would a frying pan.  And that I had also coated all of the individual serving plates.  While the price is reasonable for the portion, there is no way I can continue to eat something with this much oil. $15.95

So I was thinking that maybe this was a fluke.  Maybe the chef used too much oil during my takeout visit. Maybe, just maybe, other dishes would be lighter in the oil content.  

- Crispy Tofu  - From this photo, you can see that there is again a pool of oil underneath that tofu.  The way that tofu is typically fried, the crispiness is from the texture of the firm tofu itself.  However, this has been coated with some light batter and while it's seasoned, it's not seasoned all that much.  Salt and pepper fried tofu at other restaurants is better with a better taste and texture.  And that oil, well, too much oil is never appetizing.  This one was below standard for me and I couldn't finish. $9.95

- Yaoyao Suan Cai Yu - Considering this is a signature dish for the other side of the menu, and I've had some wonderful soups of this style at other restaurants, I ordered the sour pickled vegetable fish soup.  Unlike other places, there aren't choices of what to include in the soup - everything is already there - fish, sour pickled vegetables, glass noodles/bean thread, lotus root slices, and black fungus.  Sesame, fried shallots, green onions, and red peppers top the soup.  And the reason the photo is glistening so much - it's the oil.  Too much oil once again.  While other soups have a little oil drizzled on the top at other restaurants, this has a whole lot of oil that you can even taste the heaviness of it with each spoonful.  On top of that, there is a really sour, not so tasty, pepper that is similar in color to a banana pepper.  I think this spoiled the soup for me.  It's rare that I don't finish a dish or take the dish home with me as leftovers. Between this and the tofu, I abandoned my usual rituals and left significant amounts in the bowl/plate.  $38 (large), $21.95 (small)

Barbecue Combination Platter - I had ordered soy sauce chicken (since it's another signature dish) and roast pork.  Despite it being just past 5pm on a weekend, they had already run out of roast pork, so I went with barbecue pork.  While not traditional in style, if you like your barbecue pork dark, this had a molasses-like quality to the sticky sauce and there was enough fat in the pork that it was quite tender.  The soy sauce chicken was flavorful and not dry.  Sweet soy beans accompany the meat. Of all the dishes we had this visit, this was by far the best, and I would actually get this one again. There weren't any oil problems.  $21

With this visit, I decided that no matter how good a deal it may be to go on your birthday and get a free soup, it's not worth it for me to go back.  The barbecue items were easily the best thing, but the oiliness of all of the other dishes deter me from going back. 

As for service, you're ordering off an iPad and have to flag people down to get a bowl, water, receipt, etc.  When I ordered takeout, the woman at the register took the credit card out of my hand rather than wait for me to hand it to her.  This leaves a lot to be desired.   I left the food rating between 2 and 3 stars because the beef chow fun, though oily, tastes fine.  The barbecue items rescued the rating.  If you're going to go, order the barbecue items and it might be worth trying the desserts that they offer, but this is more because of the novelty of these items rather than because I've tried them. 

Blue Sky Cafe - Chinese, Belmont

1625 El Camino Real #9, Belmont CA 94002

(650) 595-0228
Parking: parking lot
Hours: Tues-Sun11am-2:30pm, 4pm-8:30pm; Closed Mondays

https://www.blueskycafeca.com/

Last Visited: March 22, 2025

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

I had heard about Blue Sky Cafe for a while now and had never made the trip to check it out.  Friends had told me the food ws good, and the clay pot rice was the thing to get. 

I arrived on a Saturday just after 5pm and there was already a line outside the door.  It would be super easy to drive past this small office complex without a second look, but there were folks standing around the entrance which made it easy to spot.  I peeked inside and there was an iPad to enter our name and party size.  On this sunny afternoon, the name was quite fitting - it was a blue sky day and warm for March.  An hour later, we were seated. 

Inside, the decor does not seem like that of a typical Chinese restaurant.  In addition to the television, which does seem typical for a Chinese place, there are pictures of lighthouses, dolphins, and beach scenes.  The space is a bit overcrowded with tables once folks are seated and it gets noisy.  The menu includes typical Cantonese stir fry dishes, wonton noodles, and porridge.  Lunch combination sets are also available if you like Hong Kong style Chinese food or the regular lunch plate with rice. 

Of course, I had to go with one of their clay pot rice. They have seven to choose from; most are typical of what you see on other menus, but they have one unique offering that I haven't seen - Yellow Eel Clay Pot Rice.  Pricing for this one is higher than the others, but that makes sense given that it's not as easy to source.

- Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce Rice in Clay Pot - The menu says that clay pot rice takes 30 minutes, and ours took closer to 45 minutes as the restaurant was completely full, in addition to many takeout orders being received.  They brought it without the soy sauce (which is typically poured over the rice), and when we asked for the soy sauce, the waiter said he would bring us some right away.  A few minutes later, we saw that he was busy so we flagged down the waitress, but she didn't seem to believe us that we didn't receive it.  She looked all around the table for the serving container (stainless syrup container like you would use for pancakes) and finally provided us with some.  The edges of the rice were slightly crispy, but not as much as it should be.  The flavors were on point and the dish is served with a few stalks of yau choy.  Good, but not the best we've had.  The best clay pot rice has cooked the rice so that it's golden on the bottom and you get a layer of slightly crispy rice.  You can eat it as is or traditionally, you pour tea over that crispy rice and scrape it away from the bottom.  In the spirit of the Great British Bakeoff, not a soggy bottom, but no crispy bottom here.  One would have to go again to check whether this experience is consistent with their regular quality. Small $17.95, Large $33.95 

- Beef with Chinese Broccoli - This was another solid dish, but it came out 30 minutes after ordering.  Wait times were just so long this evening.  The beef is tender, the carrots add color, and the Chinese broccoli was fresh.  A few mushroom (canned) are sprinkled amongst the dish. Solid flavors and fresh food - can't really go wrong ordering this one. Good portion considering the price. $13.95

In short, the food is good and the prices are very affordable; I would definitely eat their food again. However, the wait time is much too long to make the trek worthwhile for me as there are a lot of good Chinese restaurants that serve similar fare.  A better clay pot rice is offered not too far away with a crispy golden bottom.  Takeout would be the best option if you want to check it out. Online ordering is available through their website.  Restrooms are located in the adjacent building and require a key.

Old Pier Hong Kong BBQ - Chinese BBQ, San Francisco

1033 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 702-6378
Parking: street parking
Hours: Daily 10:30am-9pm, Closed Tuesdays

Last Visited: July 7, 2024

Food: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 1 star

Price: $$ to $$$

I first went to Old Pier when they initially opened a couple of years ago.  I tried some of their takeout Chinese BBQ and found their bbq to be ok.  Nothing standout, but not half bad either.  

Fast forward a couple of years later, and we were dining in this time.  The decor is modern with booths and built in induction stovetops in the tables for hot pot (Chinese fondue).  We were promptly greeted and told to pick any seat.  The waitress brought us tea quickly, but after the initial dish was brought out from the kitchen, the waitress couldn't do much more, and well, it goes downhill from there.

They have set a menu, starting with meals for 2-3 people, which offer choices of entrees, sides, and come with rice, and a plate of vegetables.  With only two of us, we decided to order a Chinese bbq roast pork and duck over rice and a tofu dish.

- Braised Tofu with Vegetable - This dish comes from the kitchen, freshly cooked upon order.  While it took about ten minutes, that was a reasonable amount of time to get the hot braised tofu served with carrots, bok choy, and button mushrooms.  It was fresh and had a bit of gravy.  Good. $13.95

The tofu would have been a great pairing with our order of bbq items that came with rice, but forty minutes after ordering, we still didn't have our bbq items.  We overheard the waitress check on our order and tell the bbq chef that we had already received the rest of our order, but to no avail.  We asked her to check again at the 30 minute mark, and she did, but nothing.  At forty minutes, I went up front and asked for the bill.  The bbq chef told me he could cut it in just a few minutes, but I had no hope at that point.  I saw that all of the people in the takeout line had come and gone, and even orders submitted after ours were fulfilled.  I paid and left.  

From this experience, I would recommend that if you must eat here, order items from the kitchen to make things go a bit faster.  If you insist on eating bbq, get in the takeout line.  This wasn't a matter of a missing order, but the chef's choice to fulfill take out orders before dine-in.  No apology came from the chef about the wait.  Completely disappointing. 

D Cafe - Chinese, Daly City

137 D St, Daly City CA 94014
(415) 347-7168
Parking: in the lot across the street after 3pm or other nearby parking lot
Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-7pm

Last Visited: September 7, 2023

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

D Cafe, located on D Street in Daly City near the Colma BART station, just opened up about a month ago.  We had called in a takeout order for what seemed to be their signature items, and while I was chatting with Winnie, who was working the front counter, she told me these are what they recommend as their best dishes.  

The cafe is newly remodeled and has three tables inside and one table on the outside.  The space is pretty small, but if you want to watch their big screen tv, they were showing some Chinese variety show on it.  They offer a variety of smoothies and boba milk teas, but you should know it's not specializing in these items.  Winnie offered me an original boba milk tea to try and I can confirm their tea is strong, but the boba, while ok, has a tendency to stick together making it a bit difficult to break up using the straw alone.  If I were to order the milk tea, I would get it plain without the boba.  One unique thing on their menu is the breakfast combos - you can get dishes like instant noodle soup with spam and egg or a congee with Hong Kong coffee or Hong Kong style milk tea included.  Add a dollar for iced versions of the drinks.  

- House Signature Hainanese Chicken over Rice - While the menu lists this as Hainanese chicken, compared to the authentic version, this doesn't quite hit the mark fully, but it's still a good poached chicken and the ginger sauce that accompanies the chicken is still pretty addictive - something has been added that makes you go back for more and it's a great accompaniment.  The chicken is a mixture of dark and white meat and poached until tender - you can see from the photo that there isn't any red in the bone and when you taste the meat, it's not overcooked in the slightest.  The skin is 'crisp' as it would be described by the Chinese word - what that means is that it has a bit of bounce/toothsomeness versus being too soft.  The rice is lightly seasoned and it comes with several stalks of cooked yau choy.  All of this is good, but typical Hainan chicken comes with chili sauce and cucumber garnishes, so it's close, but not quite.  Good nevertheless and worth trying. $14.95

- Braised Beef Stew & Lettuce Clay Pot - Between the two dishes, this was my favorite.  If you were expecting just chunks of beef stew, this might not be to your preference, but I appreciated the mix of tendons and stew pieces, all cooked until tender without being soggy or feeling like it was overcooked. Lettuce lined the bottom of the dish and the stew included celery and carrot slices.  It wasn't too salty and the vegetables added that little bit of freshness to contrast the richness of the sauce and meat.  Leftovers eaten the next day were equally good as day one.  I would definitely get this again and recommend it to others.   $17.95

I'm not sure which dish it came with, but I was also given a container of fuzzy melon soup that contained soy beans, a pork bone, and small pieces of carrot.  If you're accustomed to Cantonese style food, you'll appreciate the soup broth.

Considering that all of these dishes were well packed for the ride home and they give you sturdy forks and spoons, I feel comfortable getting takeout again and not worrying about the condition of the food not being up to snuff due to the travel time.  I expect to be back to try other dishes on their menu including comfort food favorites like wonton noodles, available with or without beef stew and dry-fried string beans.  

Addiction Aquatic - Tresors de La Mer - Seafood, Taipei, Taiwan

2F, No.20, Alley, Lane 410, Minzhu East Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei Taiwan
+886 2 2508 1268
https://www.addiction.com.tw/lamer/

Hours: 11am-3pm, 5pm-10:30pm

Cash only

Last Visited: May 21, 2023

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

Located in the Addiction Aquatic Development, also known as the Taipei Fish Market, Tresors de la Mer is the most upscale of the six eateries in the complex.  If there isn't space, you can stand at the sushi bar, try out the seafood bar, seafood bbq, seafood tapas, or hot pot.  There is also a market of prepared foods where you can buy items ready-made and sit outside on the patio. 

We arrived about 10:30am and walked around the market just to get a feel for things, but not much was open at this time except the prepared food market, sushi bar, and seafood bar.  The specials are listed on the board with beautiful seafood on display, but if you can't read Chinese, you'll have to ask for help like me. 

Since we didn't have reservations, we were first in line for a table.   Service by the hostess at the door is efficient, but not particularly friendly.  We were pointed to the appropriate spot to pick out our seafood  and were told we had 90 minutes for our dining - this seemed to include the time downstairs where you first select what seafood you would like to have made.  Whatever you select is weighed in front of you and then you get to choose how it will be prepared (e.g. steamed, grilled, and maybe some other options, but it's not so clear what those options are).    

After you finish ordering, you are told to go upstairs and someone there receives you and brings you to the table.  Despite being first to arrive, perhaps because we didn't have reservations, our party of two was placed in a corner of the room next to what looked like a makeshift storage corner.  This was slightly less pleasant, but we were still near a window and could see the happenings down on the floor below.   The area we sat in was very bright and the decor is modern and simple.  There is also an inner dining room which has little natural light, so it's a much different experience during the day because it's quite dark.

Service upstairs is okay.  You're given a menu of hand rolls to select from if you would like to order more food, but since we had such limited time and weren't quite sure what to expected, we skipped ordering more food.  Servers wear sailor themed tops, and for some of the men, it seemed the top was a bit too small.  You may also need to flag down a server if you're sitting in the corner - it took a bit of time to get someone to take our order for tea.  

- Deluxe Sashimi Combo - This dish could easily be an appetizer for four people - Salmon, tuna, scallops, oysters, mountain yam with ikura, yellowtail, abalone, shrimp, and I'm not sure what it's called, but I think it's a sea snail.  Everything was incredibly fresh.  What's strange is to say that each item was so superb that it was the tuna that was the least interesting, likely because it did have a little bit of silver skin.  From the lovely display on crushed ice to how each bite was just perfect, if you love sashimi, you will love this platter. Back in the US, this would easily be more than double the price. The quality is just amazing. It was easily the best tasting and most memorable dish that I had during my visit to Taiwan. 1280 TWD 

- Giant Prawns - As previously mentioned, you select the prawns and let them know how you want it cooked. They weight it downstairs before cooking so you know the weight and can estimate the cost.  Since I wanted to try multiple ways of cooking, I ordered one steamed with garlic and scallions and the other was fried.  It's really hard to choose which is better, but if you can only have one, the fried one has such an intensity of flavor because the shell is slightly salty and crispy, and the fresh lime is a nice accent to the prawn.  The texture of the fried prawn is a bit denser than that of the steamed one.  The steamed one is still wonderful and the natural juices with the flavor of the sea are absorbed by the cellophane (also known as bean thread) noodles underneath.  I wished I could have ordered extra noodles to go with it.   260 TWD per 100 gram

- Giant Clam - Sold by weight also, this giant clam was one of the specials of the day, so the price wasn't listed on the board.  We also ordered this steamed with garlic and scallions and you can taste how tender and fresh every bite is.  Similar to the steamed prawn, cellophane noodles also line the bottom of the plate to absorb the natural juices from the clam. I would recommend this dish too. Our clam was 250 TWD. 

- Fresh Fruit - I didn't realize that they ended the meal with fresh fruit, so the slice of watermelon and cantaloupe for each person in the party is a nice way to close out the meal.  

In general, service was a bit sporadic, maybe because of our location.  They will take away the metal buckets that you're using to hold your shells and discards as well as remove dishes, but sometimes it takes a while even if the restaurant isn't particularly full.  However, the servers do go out of their way if you are asking for help (like we asked for directions to a site and the server provided extensive directions on a hand-drawn map) and for that, I give the range of 3 to 4 stars for service.

Since they only take cash, plan ahead.  I could easily have extended our dining experience if we had more time and eaten at least another dish.  Every dish was terrific and I would highly recommend the food to anyone visiting Taipei, Taiwan.  So fresh and so affordable (by American standards), you won't want to miss this experience. Reservations strongly suggested.

Special thanks to Victor for recommending this spot - without you, I wouldn't have even known of its existence, and I'm so glad I fit it into the last day of my trip.

Simmer Huang / Miao Grill - Chinese

 

148 Serramonte Center, Unit B
Daly City CA 94015
(650) 331-1511
Parking: shopping center parking lot
Hours: Daily 11am-9:30pm

Last Visited: January 15, 2023

Food: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 3 to 4 stars

Price: $$ to $$$

Located in the Serramonte shopping center next to Meet Fresh, I had driven by this location a few times and noticed the Grand Opening sign.  I wasn't sure what to expect at Simmer Huang / Miao Grill, and when I arrived, I was definitely surprised to see cat art in the restaurant, including a cat Mona Lisa.  The word miao sounds like the word for cat in Chinese. 

Upon arriving, we got one of those sauce plates with three compartments containing a little complimentary appetizer of edamame, chex mix, and peanuts with skin on - it was a bit unusual to get chex mix, but it still tasted good.  

There were a lot of tables for larger parties and few for tables of two. Most of the tables have a warmer for your pot to stay hot while you're dining.  You'll see the menu offers a number of different combination pots - some referred to as dry pot style.  Think of it as pre-made hot pot, but a whole lot more flavorful.  Most people order this and each pot comes with optional sides for an extra cost.

- Beef Rib Dry Pot Szechuan Spicy Style with Tofu  - I figured you can't go wrong with beef ribs, and to help absorb whatever gravy or pan sauce, I figured going with something plain like tofu would be good.  Little did I know that this pot, which according to the menu contained beef short ribs, potato, cauliflower, green pepper, celery, and which is marked as popular and bone-in, was not marked with the icon for spicy! I was thinking spicy per the title was going to be pretty mild, but green pepper is apparently not bell pepper, but jalapenos!  There are also a lot of peanuts, sesame, and fresh cilantro all throughout the dish.  While the menu says it serves 2-3 people, I think it could easily serve four.  It's good-sized for normal eaters. The beef is tender and the potato slices absorb all of the oils in this dish; there is pretty much not a bite without a lot of spice. This is flaming hot, and even with rice and tofu, I had a hard time eating much of this dish. When I brought home the leftovers, I had to pick out all of the jalapenos and add a bunch of vegetables to tone down the spice level. $45.88 base price with tofu $4.99

- Dumplings (10) - There is only one option for dumplings available - pork and cabbage.  These are pretty standard dumplings - nothing wow, but nothing bad either - I wouldn't mind ordering them again.  They come with a small plastic cup of black vinegar.  The price for ten pieces is fairly high though compared to other places.  $13.99

Most of the dry pot options start just above $30 and go up quickly from there.  Add a side dish (or up to six) and it could easily be much more.  You can also make your own custom soup pot which starts at $13.99.  If you're not into the different pot offerings, you can choose standards like fried rice and noodles. They also have bbq skewers and grilled fish dishes.

Service was quite friendly.  The servers checked on us throughout the meal and offered more napkins.  Food took some time to arrive, but the appetizer helps you pass the time.  

While I would be willing to give Simmer Huang another try, I probably would stick with the things that aren't their specialty because the spice level is too strong for me.  After a second look, I noticed that under the grilled fish, they have one option listed as non-spicy which seems to indicate that this is the one thing that is not like the other, at least under the fish section.  

If you have good spice tolerance, and mine is ok for mildly spiced foods, then this is a good stop for you. If you're ultra sensitive, then be very careful. 

Rong's - Chinese/Jiangnan, San Francisco

3420 Balboa St, San Francisco CA 94121

San Francisco CA 94121

(415) 702-9918

Parking: street parking

Hours:  Tues-Sat 11am-2:30pm, 5pm -8:30pm; Sun 11:30am-2:30pm,  4:30pm-8:30pm

https://www.rongssf.com/

Last Visited: June 15, 2022

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 3 stars

Price: $$

Rong's opened during the pandemic, and it would be easy to walk by this place without taking notice of it. The decor is modern, sort of like it used to be a Japanese restaurant maybe because of the wood and the curtains. From the name, you can tell it's likely not owned by a Chinese-American...the food seems to confirm its authenticity.

It's a bit confusing to see their super simple menu offers Cantonese cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, and housemade tea, as in fruit tea and milk tea.  Their menu also mentions 'Tea O'clock.'   The menu also offers a small variety of snacks, like curry fish balls, seasonal fruit in sugar coating, and deep-fried buns with condensed milk.  So is it a snack/tea shop or is it a restaurant?  If you aren't confused yet, you'll see the menu is sorted by protein, carbs, soup, vegetarian dishes, and vegetables with meat - not your typical arrangement.

When we came in at 5pm, there wasn't anyone there.  We ordered a few dishes, but one of the most popular dishes, a house special chicken, wasn't available.  Nevertheless, we proceeded and the server was happy to answer questions we had.

- Dry-Fried French Beans with Minced Pork - Good wok air, slightly spicy, very fresh.  This is a solid dish and if you like a hint of spice, it's perfect. If you want it
more spicy, you can probably ask for it.  A touch of sweetness balances out the flavor. Some of the meat is a bit fatty, but still acceptable.  $15.99

- Homemade Pan-Fried Flat Noodle (20 min) - This was a pleasant surprise.  If you like rice noodles that have been pan fried, the kind where it's cut like a pie and placed on top of meat and vegetables to display the beautiful browning, this might fit your tastes well.  Also, if you like eating sweet rice cakes (Korean or Chinese style), these flat noodles have the same level of chew, without the stickiness/glutinous part.  Rice fun (also known as ho fun) are browned as a cake until the two sides are crispy.  Then, it's cut into strips and the fresh chicken thigh chunks and cauliflower stir fry in a bit of gravy covers the top.  I would recommend trying this dish - it's unique and comes with a lot of cauliflower.  For this price, I'm glad they included a lot of meat.  $18.99

- Vegetable Fried Rice with Salted Meat - This dish was less of a value compared to the others since the quantity was smaller, but the rice is stir fried well and the salted meat is of a decent quality.  Sometimes, you get preserved meat that has off texture, but this was just fine.  Snow cabbage is diced fine and offers a good texture contrast with its slight crunch.  Good.   $15.99

The good: Each dish contains a large amount (or relatively large amount) of fresh vegetables.  The taste of most dishes aren't too heavy - it's reminiscent of home cooking and not overly greasy. There is good wok air in each dish. Also, the server is really nice.  She checks to see if you have allergies (unusual for a Chinese restaurant) and frequently comes to refill your water. 

The bad: You can't use the bathroom here.  Apparently, customers aren't allowed to go to through the kitchen to reach the bathroom, so you need to go to the coffee shop next door.  I don't know how to explain this one.  Order times are long.  There weren't to go orders, and there weren't other tables filled with diners.  We were the only ones there the entire time.  We just had to wait at least 15 minutes for the first dish and even longer for the others, not counting the one where the menu indicated a 20 minute wait.

I'll note that I would go back to Rong's, but only if I were in the neighborhood and not in a hurry to use a restroom.  It's not a destination, but solid, almost like home cooking.

Noodle Stop - Chinese, San Francisco

1325 Noriega St, San Francisco CA 94122
(415) 753-6688

Parking: street parking

Soft Opening Hours: Sat-Thurs 10:30am-4:30pm, Closed Fridays

Last Visited: March 6, 2022

Food: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars

Service: 3 to 4 stars

Price: $$

Noodle Stop opened at the beginning of March.  Since my mother grew up in Hong Kong, wonton noodles is one of those comfort food dishes that draws us - any restaurant with even the slightest bit of potential of giving her that nostalgic feeling of eating her childhood is worth a try.  

It's very easy to walk right past Noodle Stop without even noticing that it's there, but once inside, you'll see that it's bright and newly renovated - modern in style and simple in layout.  You can tell it's not your traditional Chinese restaurant decor.  

On each table is a basket, like you find at pho restaurants, but this one contains a small container of pickled turnip and carrots.  It's sort of strange to have this here, but not have a small plate to place these nibbles; nonetheless, it's a welcome sight to see as these usually pique your appetite with the balance of sweet, savory, sour, and spice.  A few bites though made me feel a bit disappointed that it lacked the balance of sweetness that would have kept you wanting more.  Instead, it's sour and there is a hint of spice, but it stops there.

They have appetizer offerings like crispy wontons, crispy shrimp, calamari, fries, beef cold plate, cucumber salad, and stewed beef brisket.  Noodles come in several varieties: thin egg noodles, flat rice noodle/ho fun, and vermicelli noodles.  You can also get hot or iced milk tea, hot or iced lemon tea, and hot or iced honey lemonade, among typical drinks like soda. 

We went with some classic noodle dishes:

- Hong Kong Style Wonton Noodle Soup - Handmade wontons and house fish broth, topped with yellow chives.  I chose the thin egg noodles, and six rather large wontons arrived in this dish with noodles underneath.  Since I couldn't actually see the noodles (usually, the noodles are placed on top or at least somewhat visibly, but not here), I even asked if this was my order - it could have been wontons in soup, and indeed, it was.  I found the broth to be flavorful and the noodles to be al dente, but these wontons aren't classic in flavor, size, or texture.  The flavor is not foreign, but it's not classic - hard to describe, and when I asked about the ingredients, it sounded typical, but it doesn't taste like what you find in Hong Kong.  As for size, these are large wontons which sounds good, but the amount of pork is so much greater than the amount of shrimp that the texture has also changed.  Overall, just ok for me. $11.50

- Stewed Beef Brisket with Wonton Noodle Soup - The beef brisket is tender and flavorful, but you don't get many pieces.  Fewer wontons here, which makes sense, but at this price, I anticipated getting more.  Had it been a classic bowl of wonton noodles, I would feel the value is better, but the overall, another just ok for me. $15.50

Service is friendly and the staff makes an effort to check on your experience at the end of the meal. If you're seeking a classic Hong Kong style wonton, this doesn't fit the bill, but a few tweaks could get it there.  Prices are higher compared to its competition, but it's hard to tell if that's solely food cost related or if they're positioning themselves in the same space as ramen restaurants.  We'll have to wait and see if things change after their soft opening and settling in a bit more.

Lung Fung Bakery, Chinese

1823 Clement St, San Francisco CA 94121
(415) 386-3775

Parking: Street parking

Hours: Tues-Sun 7am-6pm, Closed Mondays

Last Visited: December 21, 2021

Food: 4 star egg tarts

Atmosphere: 2 stars

Service: 3 stars

Price: $

The Bay Area Eats Facebook group had a debate on where the best egg tarts in the Bay Area could be found. Repeatedly, Lung Fung bakery kept coming up in conversation.  So of course, I had to bring my mom to try it because if anyone can spot a good egg tart, it's my mom.  My mom and I once had a conversation about how many egg tarts she has probably eaten in her lifetime and we're talking hundreds. 

- Egg tart - With one bite, my mom was hooked.  She said it's the closest pastry shell to what you can find in Hong Kong and that's no small feat.  We've gone to many bakeries, and even Golden Gate Bakery doesn't meet her standards. With a flaky pastry shell (certainly containing lard), and a delicate egg custard that isn't too sweet, this is definitely a 4 or dare I even mention, a potential 5 star egg tart.  You definitely need to try this.  Prices keep changing.  

We think it was about $2.20

Other items they're well known for are BBQ pork buns, curry pie, and chicken pie, so of course we had to try these out.

- BBQ Pork Buns - These pork buns are quite ample in size and meaty with a gorgeous brown top and fluffy texture.  However, there is a slight tinge of sourness to it (maybe they have a SF starter that leans sour).  If you don't mind this slight aftertaste, you'll enjoy this bun.  $1.80

- Curry Pie - This is often called a curry beef turnover at other shops.  Similar to the flaky crust of the egg tart, this is equally light and flaky.  One bite and shards of flaky goodness fly all over.  This is filled well (sometimes you bite into a half empty turnover at other shops), and there is a good ratio of crust to filling.  Not too salty and nice yellow curry flavor - spiced, but not spicy. Beautifully golden brown.  One tip - the salesperson told us that curry pie is often not available until after noon, so don't be surprised if you don't find it in the morning.  I had to go twice in order to try it.  $2.80

- Chicken Pie - Similar to the curry pie, this is another pastry with a flaky crust.  This is also filled well with a good ratio of crust to filling.  It's also seasoned well - no complaints. Beautifully golden brown also and filled with chicken.  $2.80

If it's a major Chinese holiday or getting close to the end of the day, you'll want to call ahead to reserve your egg tarts because they often sell out.  Note that they will give you individual plastic bags if you buy less than six items.  More than or equal to six items will get you a box, otherwise, you need to purchase the box.  Also note that it's cash only.  

Parking is relatively easy.

Suzanne's Cake and Pastry, Millbrae

320 Broadway
Millbrae, CA 94030
(650) 697-4713
Parking: street parking
Hours: Sun, Tues-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat 8am-6pm, Closed Mondays

Last Visited: July 17, 2021

Food: 4 star portuguese egg tarts
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 4 stars
Price: $

I recently watched Feed Meimei's youtube vlog on San Francisco egg tarts and thought I would do my own taste test of a couple of the most popular ones near me.  A few people on Bay Area Eats had mentioned Suzanne's and since I often shop at the Millbrae Farmer's Market, this was an easy stop. 

Having enjoyed the Pasteis de Nata in Belem, there really is no comparison to that gold standard.  My mother is also a Chinese egg tart enthusiast, and although the two are not exactly the same, one can certainly appreciate the custard center and delicate flavors of both.  Suzanne's focuses on Portguese egg tarts; they don't offer the regular Chinese ones.  

- Portuguese Egg tart - Look at the layers on that lovely tart crust.  It's not just flaky, but it's crispy too.  Don't mind the messy bite.  While it doesn't have the noticeable cinnamon flavoring like you would find in Belem, the egg custard is creamy and rich, without any hint of feeling artificial that you sometimes encounter.   Be sure to enjoy it while it's warm or reheat after you return home so you can enjoy the full experience of this delicious bite.  $2.50

The secret hasn't gotten out yet because there aren't any lines of significance.