Lee's Cafe - Chinese Cafe, South San Francisco

398 Grand Ave, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 873-8880
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: April 27, 2012

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

Cherrie told me about this new restaurant that had opened up on Grand Avenue and how it was serving Hong Kong style American food.  What that means is that you get a mix of Chinese dishes with things like baked spaghetti, chicken cooked in a cream sauce and served over rice, or the ever popular diced ham with macaroni in soup.  These are all classic HK style American dishes.

When I saw Lee's Cafe's menu, it was pretty standard in terms of what I was expecting, so I made an effort to go check it out.

On one side of the restaurant is the buffet offerings which includes standards like hot and sour soup, egg flower soup, noodles, fried rice, and typical entrees like beef with broccoli and sweet and sour pork.  You can purchase a single item in a standard sized box or order two entrees with rice, among other choices. 

On the other side of the restaurant is regular seating where you wait to be seated.  It's a brightly lit cafe that looks pretty standard.  Newly remodeled, it's clean and bright. 
We were promptly seated and given menus.  We received hot tea which was fairly flavorless. While the hostess was efficient, she and the other staff members weren't particularly warm. 

Each plate we ordered came with a bowl of soup.  I have no idea what the soup was though - it contained frozen peas, frozen carrots, and frozen potatoes.  These were in a starchy soup that had a smooth consistency and a flavor like cream of chicken, but I still don't know what it was.   


- Dry Fried Beef Chow Fun - A square plate arrived with chow fun, bean sprouts, beef, and sliced onions. In general, this dish wasn't bad - in fact, it redeemed the entire meal.  I would give it two to three stars because the chow fun was cooked properly and not sticking together.  The bean sprouts could have been cooked just a touch more to be a little less crunchy.  The beef was a little over-marinated so the texture wasn't quite right; it also lacked flavor.  This dish was okay and I would eat it again even though the meat could be better. $6.95

- Korean Style Beef Short Rib - This dish came with garlic bread and offered a choice of rice or spaghetti.  Let's start with the short rib.  The short rib itself was okay, but it was by no means what you would expect when you eat Korean style short ribs.  The sauce was just a basic brown sauce, not at all authentic.  The broccoli, sliced carrots, and frozen corn was okay, but just boiled - nothing special.  The spaghetti was very overcooked (soft) and the sauce was much too sweet for my taste.  It seemed to be ketchup-based instead of homemade.  The garlic bread came more than ten minutes after the main dish was served.  I bit into it only to find it dry and lacking in flavor.  The first word that came to my mind was 'sawdust'.  Just look at it - that photo speaks a lot.   One star. $8.50


Service was fairly lacking, and only when it came time to receive the bill did we actually hear words of thanks and checking in to see whether or not we needed more tea.  One would think that when the garlic bread was brought out so late in the meanl, that that would have been an excellent opportunity to check on us and see how our food was, but it was just plopped down at our table without a word. 

I feel a bit like I was eating mystery food - mystery soup, unknown spaghetti sauce, and something that should never be called garlic bread.  If you go to Lee's Cafe, stick to the Chinese food.

Sinugba - Filipino, Daly City

2055 Gellert  Blvd, Suite 5, Daly City CA 94015
(650) 878-3591
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
http://sinugba.webs.com/

Last Visited: March 24, 2012

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$
Audrey recommended Sinugba to me and said that I had to try to sisig, so of course, I had to check it out.  Located in the back of a strip mall, it's easy to pass by Sinugba and not know that it's there.  Look for a sign on the main street in the island, then turn into the shopping center and drive around to the rear.

Singuba means grilled.  The small restaurant has dark red walls with brightly colored paintings on one side of the restaurant.  Yellow tablecloths are covered with plexiglass.  The windows bring in a lot of natural light.  From the dining area, you can see into the kitchen where you can see the chefs preparing the delicious homestyle food. 

The menu has a lot of choices, but I always enjoy a good pancit, so it wasn't too hard to decide what to try.  We were promptly seated by the friendly owner.  After ordering, he brought us water and warm plates.  Food came in a reasonable amount of time and super hot in temperature.

- Sizzling Augusto's Sisig - Chopped crunchy pork belly, brunoise onions, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic and spices are served on a sizzling plate.  Two lemon slices were served on top.  I squeezed the lemon over the dish and the smell of the citrus added to the already wonderful scents coming from the plate.  The mixture of textures were delightful and this was great served over the rice that I had ordered.  The onions were not quite cooked through which gave the dish and extra bite to it.  Yummy - this is one of their signature dishes and worth ordering.  $12.95

- Crispy Fried Chicken - Four pieces of chicken, all dark meat, is fried until golden brown.  I really enjoyed the crispy skin and wish I could just eat a plateful of crispy skin.  Unfortunately, I thought the meat was a little on the dry side.  $5.95

- Pancit Bihon - Chicken is cooked with slices of celery, cabbage, carrots, and rice noodles.  A wedge of lemon is also included.  The portion is generous and the noodle dish is flavorful.  I thought it was good, but maybe priced a little higher than it needed to be.  This is good home cooking.   $8.95

- Steam Rice - Pretty standard.  Cup $2, Bowl $5
While the service was friendly, I would have liked to received water earlier.  It was nice to receive warm plates, but by the time the food arrived, the plates were cold - if that were timed better, it would make the gesture of warming plates worthwhile.  The food at Singuba definitely falls in the category of comfort food.  Prices for the sisig and pancit could be reduced slightly for it to be a better value, but I enjoyed the flavors.  Portions are large and taste good the next day too.

R&G Lounge - Chinese, San Francisco

Best: Deep-Fried Crab

631 Kearny St, San Francisco CA 94108
(415) 982-7877
Parking: limited street parking, validated pay parking lot - Portsmouth Square - about a block away
http://www.rnglounge.com/

Last Visited: February 23, 2012
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$$$

R&G Lounge has been at this location since 1985.  I remember going as a kid and enjoying two of their now signature dishes - deep fried crab and steak cubes with bell peppers and onions.  When you mention crab prepared Asian-style and San Francisco, R&G always comes up in conversation.

Known for their crab, they offer nine preparations: salt and pepper (signature), fried with garlic and hot peppers (one of my personal favorites), black bean sauce, steamed, steamed with wine and egg whites, steamed with garlic, spicy garlic sauce, salted egg yolk, and ginger & scallions.
They also four preparations of lobster: supreme broth, salt and pepper, black bean sauce, and ginger & scallions.
When we arrived, we headed downstairs and were seated at a back room.  Decor in this section leaves something to be desired, but is considered above average for Chinatown restaurants.  Although the prices would make one think you're going to a fancy restaurant, it's not fancy in this section.  It's also pretty noisy as a whole. 

We ordered a table full of dishes to enjoy R&G's crab and other seafood.

- Live Crab with Salt and Pepper - A rather large crab is battered, deep-fried, and seasoned with salt and pepper seasoning (Chinese style).  It's hot and super fresh tasting.  We shared it amongst five people.  Prices are seasonal.  $38

- Crispy Chicken - Described as deep fried chicken with a crispy outside finish.  The skin was a beautiful brown and the meat was juicy.  This was also enjoyable.  The shrimp chips were large and very fresh  The photo shows a half of a chicken.  Half $15, Whole $28

- Garlic Noodles with Seafood (special) - The description conjures up an image like Vietnamese garlic noodles, but this definitely has more sauce.  Fresh tomatoes are cooked with fresh seafood and a lot of garlic.  While it tasted fine and the seafood was not overcooked, I thought the presentation left something to be desired.  I would also rename it so that there is less confusion with its Vietnamese sibling.  I can't remember the exact price, but it was just under $20. 

- Steak Cubes and Scallops with Macadamia Nuts - This has been one of my longtime favorites.  Macadamia nuts were asked to be placed on the side for this order because one of our dining companions has a nut allergy.  The steak cubes are super tender and the scallops are jumbo-sized and fresh.  The bell peppers and celery are still a little crunchy which gives a nice textural contrast.  This is a must try dish (or you can get the version without scallops) when you visit R&G.  I only wish there was more.  $20

- Minced Seafood in Lettuce Cups - Minced scallops, prawns, Chinese sausage, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots are stir-fried and served with fresh iceberg lettuce leaves.  While the photo displays a gorgeous looking lettuce cup, it looked pretty bland when it arrived - it was pretty much brown in color, making it less appetizing.  The flavor was okay.  While seafood is minced to make the dish, I found that the rusted edges of the lettuce and lack of presentation made the dish less worthy of its price. $18

- Eggplant with Garlic Sauce - Eggplant is sauteed with bamboo shoots, shredded pork, black fungus, and scallions in a spicy garlic sauce.  While they warned us that this would be spicy, I found the flavor to be more sweet than spicy.  This was a hit at our table, but the quantity was a little on the small side.  The flavor was great. $14

Our server was friendly and checked in on us during the meal.   Plates were changed after we ate the crab, but there could be greater attention to detail.  We didn't all get crab crackers and when plates were finished, they didn't remove them as quickly as one would have liked. 

While the steak cube dish and crab continue to steal the show, R&G lounge has fancy prices that are a little high for the atmosphere and level of service provided.  Reducing prices by 10 to 20% would feel more in line with what they are offering.

Phyllis' Giant Hamburgers - American, Santa Rosa

4910 Sonoma Hwy, Suite B, Santa Rosa CA 95409, (707) 538-4000
924 Diablo Ave, Novato CA 94947, (415) 898-8294
Parking: parking in front
Hours: 11am to 9pm daily
http://www.phyllisgiantburgers.com/
Last Visited: October 19, 2010

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$ (prices shown are from 2007)

Phyllis’ in Santa Rosa came with quite a bit of fanfare from the local newspaper anticipating its arrival. The fact that it’s on Highway 12 where everyone can see it probably helps too. It replaced the once popular Heavenly Hamburgers. Phyllis’ made a name for itself in San Rafael as being the Best Burgers in Marin. It then opened up a store in Novato, and now Santa Rosa.

The interior is reminiscent of an old diner (black and white checkered floor) with a big plasma television in the back playing recent DVDs. Outdoor seating is available also. I had a hard time deciding what to select from their menu since there were so many choices, but found service to be okay, though not spectacular. Considering nobody else was in line, I think service overall could have been a touch friendlier, especially since one could tell it was our first time coming to the restaurant. Menus are displayed on large signs behind the counter. There are six signs each with different information, so it can be a bit overwhelming. A Dreyer’s ice cream display sits next to the counter.

- Giant Burger (1/2 pound) – I chose the classic giant burger which was grilled and served on a sesame bun with mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Ground chuck is used. I thought it was good and the size was generous for the price. It had a grilled flavor, but had potential to be even better. $4.95

- Chicken Club – All of their chicken burgers are served on a French roll with cheese. We selected jack cheese to go with our club which included mayo, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. I have to admit this was nothing special and I probably could have made the exact same thing at home with less grease. Okay. $6.95

- Curly Fries – Of all the food we had, this was the most surprising. We ordered a large curly fries and the quantity was enough to render us unconscious. For those with a large appetite, you probably could have shared the large curly fries amongst three people, and for small appetites, even four people. The fries are a terrific deal and very fresh too. Very good. Regular $2.50, Large $3.75

I didn’t know it until I got home and read the menu, but grilled onions are available at no charge. You just have to know to ask for it since they don’t offer it. The other note on service is that I saw others being offered a pickle with their burger. I wasn’t offered a pickle with my burger so I was disappointed about that.
It wasn’t the best burger I’ve ever had, but it was far from the worst. It’s definitely a few steps above fast food. It’s good for a beef burger, and if you’re looking for a fries fix, this would be an excellent choice.  Since my visit to Santa Rosa in 2007, I went to the Novato shop in 2010 and found the quality to be consistent.  The place is a little bigger in Novato and still good.

Tov Tofu - Korean, Santa Rosa

1169 Yulupa Ave, Santa Rosa Ca 95405(707) 566-9469
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
Hours: Tues-Sun 11:30am - 2:30pm, 5pm-9pm, Closed Mondays

Last Visited: August 13, 2011

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

Shirley had suggested I try Tov Tofu and specifically, she noted that the seafood pancake was a must have item.  With that, it was a no brainer when Alice said we should check it out.  We arrived this warm evening and were a bit surprised that there didn't seem to be a cooling system of any type in place.  I'm not sure if there is central air conditioning or if they own a fan, but the doors were wide open and as a result, the flies had joined us.  This made the atmosphere slightly less appetizing, but we stayed nonetheless.

The decorations are fairly simple.  There is a lot of newer style wood paneling and burgundy vinyl chairs.  The large windows bring in good light.I noticed a Bible verse on the wall in Korean.  Located in the Whole Foods shopping center, it's a convenient spot with lots of easy parking.  The waiter was very friendly and happy to answer questions, but seemed to disappear for long periods of time since he was the only one that seemed to be serving this evening. 

We received seven small plates including side dishes such as kimchee, preseved tofu strips, pickled cucumber, preserved beans, seaweed, and other items.  These side dishes are known as banchan and I always find them fun since nobody seems to make them the same way. 

- Glass Noodles with Sauteed Vegetables - Glass noodles are stir-fried with beef, carrots, spinach, and soy sauce.  This was a well flavored dish and colorful too, but I still feel it was priced a tad too high.  $8.50

- Seafood and Green Onion Pancake - Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the green onion gives this savory pancake a good contrast in texture and flavor in combination with the seafood inside.  I think grated potato is what is creating the crispy texture.   It comes with a soy sauce based dipping sauce.  This is definitely unique and an enjoyable and filling treat. Very good.  $13.50

- BBQ Beef and Vegetable Bibimbab - Rice is cooked and topped with with barbecued beef, kimchi, egg, and vegetables (spinach, mushrooms, carrots, daikon radish, and bean sprouts in sizzling stoneware.  This was very colorful and tastedfine, but fairly average in the world of bibimbab.  If you haven't had it before, think of a very hot in temperature rice dish.  When mixed thoroughly with the spicy red sauce, it will warm your insides.  $13.50

While the food is authentic and has good flavor, I found the dishes to be a little on the small side or rather, that the prices were higher than what I would expect to pay considering the portions we received.  The glass noodle dish was probably the most expensive when it comes to value.  Tov Tofu is nice for a change of pace in Sonoma County and offers a flavorful selection, but the service and pricing have opportunities for improvement.  Small adjustments to these would draw a larger following of both regulars and visitors.

Sonoma County Restaurant Week - Feb 27-Mar 4, 2012

It's that time of year again, but there's not much time left. Sonoma County Restaurant Week offers prix fixe meals for $19, $29, and $39, at selected restaurants from February 27, 2012 to March 4,2012. Look for more details at: http://www.sonomacountyrestaurantweek.org/

Plouf - French/Seafood, San Francisco

40 Belden Place San Francisco CA 94104
(415) 986-6491
Parking: street parking
http://www.ploufsf.com/

Last Visited: February 22, 2012

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

Plouf is the sound a stone makes when it drops into a stream (a French one that is).

Amy brought me to Plouf and immediately, I was quite delighted by how Belden Alley had such a European feel about it despite its location in the city.  For those who have never been to the street, it's a narrow street with storefronts opening up to the alley and filled with tables.  The open air tables, with standing heaters which is much needed for outdoor dining in the city, are very quaint and the lovely hostesses of each restaurant invite you to come peruse their menus.

The name Plouf is what drew Amy to this place during her visit since the restaurant has the same name as her mother's maiden name.  We arrived early this evening and had our choice of seats.  Specializing in seafood, especially mussels, you'll find a variety of mussel dishes (seven in total) available along with plenty of fresh fish.  Coq au vin, duck and hamburgers are available too for main dishes.

The decor reflects the type of items served on the menu - large creatures of the sea along with deep red colors that add contrast to the dining area.  The servers where black and white horizontal striped shirts which seem to add to the French feel.

Upon our arrival, we were seated and served a baguette of french bread at room temperature.  With Amy's recommendation to try a mussel dish, I went ahead and got it as a main course.

- Plouf Mussels - Pastis, cream, shallots, roasted garlic, chili flakes, and herbs go into this mussel dish.  The mussels come in a rather large pot and there are plenty to share amongst your tablemates or to eat as a main dish.  They're not the baby mussels either - they're very good sized.  It comes super hot in temperature and the broth is very well-flavored.  The pastis has an anise flavor that was present without being overbearing.  If you love roasted garlic, you'll find tons of it in the broth.  Super rich and creamy, the broth was a great dipping sauce for the crusty bread. I did find a little bit of sand in a couple of the mussels, but overall, very good.  $15.50

- Pommes Frites - While the pomme frites had a great potato flavor and were certainly very fresh, the pieces were cut a little too small. The ones on top were fine, but those on the bottom were getting too tiny.   The photo on the website shows them a little more light in color and holding up on their own better.  Ours were slightly limp and the smaller size made them hard to handle.  $5

While we hadn't intended to get pommes frites, the server had accidentally ordered them for us.  He realized his error when he saw them at our table and kindly took the item off the bill.  I appreciated that response since you so often find servers whom don't take the time to notice or plain don't care.

With the sand in the shellfish, I think there is room for improvement, but in general, I was impressed by the food and would definitely return.  If you're seeking a bargain, I learned that Plouf has a happy hour menu - on weekdays, the bar serves happy hour all night and the terrameze serves it from 2:30 to 5:30pm.  Items such as the oysters and mussels come in smaller portions and are available at a lower price (personally, I enjoy the smaller portions because then it means I get to try more items).  Plouf is a fun treat for seafood lovers, especially those whom enjoy mussels.