The Cake Queen & Coffee Bar - Bakery, South San Francisco

132 Brentwood Dr, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 593-CAKE
Hours: Wed-Thurs 7am-3:30pm, Fri 7am-5pm, Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 9am-2pm, Closed Mon-Tues
Parking: street parking, nearby public parking lot
https://www.bayareacakequeen.com/

Last Visited: December 8, 2023

Food: 3 star ube tres leches

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Price: $$

Service: 4 stars

I had been hearing about The Cake Queen for some time and was hoping to try their ube cupcakes to celebrate a special occasion.  Unfortunately, they didn't have any and when I asked when they usually have them, the nice lady at the counter said that there isn't a specific day of the week when they show up, but you can always order them - dozen minimum.

She recommended that I try the ube tres leches since this is one of their most popular offerings, noting that people create tiktoks about it. While this latter fact wasn't what sold me, since I enjoy ube, I would settle for this which wouldn't be that bad.  

- Ube Tres Leches - The cake is pre-packaged in a plastic box and topped with whipped cream and ube dust.  The cake is heavily soaked with the pretty purple milk (if it's like typical tres leches, it's condensed milk, evaporated milk, and regular milk).  I thought this was a rather large amount of milk - you can see from the photo that it's not just soaked, but pretty mc swimming in the milk.  At first bite, it's quite sweet and the ube flavor is not prominent.  As you continue with additional bites, the sweetness is not as prominent.  One unusual thing I noticed after the two separate sittings of eating this cake is that I felt extremely thirsty after this.  I wasn't sure if it's because of the sugar or something else, but I rarely have that response to sweets.  

It's a pretty purple and the cake is thoroughly soaked, but I probably wouldn't order this again.  Service is friendly, but maybe their other baked goods and desserts would be better to try.   

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.  

Prince's Hot Chicken - Southern, Nashville

5055 Broadway, Stall # 2268, Nashville TN 37203
Parking: paid parking lots and street parking
Hours: Sun-Thurs 10:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 10:30am-Midnight

Last Visited: August 10, 2023

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

The origins of hot chicken are often attributed to the legend of Thornton Prince, a ladies' man that stepped out on his girlfriend one day and when she found out, she crafted her revenge.  The Sunday fried chicken dinner she was cooking would be doused with hot spice, and instead of the revenge she had hoped for, he wanted more.   

Located in the Assembly Food Hall, Level 2 South, you'll find Prince's Hot Chicken amidst many choices of Nashville fare.  From the street level, this is a bit hidden, but once you navigate the space, it's not hard to locate the line of folks excited to enjoy the original hot chicken.  

After having a number of days of barbecue and other fried chicken dinners, I opted for a salad with mild chicken tenders. One thing you should know is that the Assembly Hall doesn't offer the full range of chicken dishes (like leg quarters or breast quarters) that Prince's Hot Chicken South offers, but you can still get wings and tenders.  This operation seems like they limited the menu purposely to address the crowds.

- Fried Chicken Salad - This came with two tenders (choose your own spicy level) and the salad contained spring mix, grated cheese, a few cucumber slices, and grape tomatoes. Choose your own dressing. It's a hearty portion and the greens are fresh.  The salad appears pre-packed and waits in the window while your chicken is being prepared.  The tenders are white meat and while juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, the amount of oil on the paper wrapping the tenders was a bit unappetizing.  The good thing is that the chicken is served separate from the salad.  Compared to another famous fried chicken spot, it seemed inferior, but okay.  $12

While it was fresh and tasted fine, I thought the mild was still a bit too mild, and I would choose medium heat next time.  Given the limited menu, I probably would head to Prince's Hot Chicken South so I could compare them against their competition better by ordering a friend leg quarter instead.  Service was okay, but nothing special - not extra friendly, but not bad either. 
Overall, it was just an okay experience.   

Hattie B's West - Nashville, Fried Chicken

5209 Charlotte Ave, Nashville TN 37209
(615) 576-3900
Parking: parking lot
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-4pm
www.hattieb.com

Last Visited: August 11, 2023

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

When you look up Nashville hot chicken, Hattie B's is one of the first places to pop up. While they aren't the original, it's clear why this place stands out.  During my recent trip to Nashville, I started and ended my ten day adventure at Hattie B's because what better way to understand the local vibe than to go where the locals go?

Hattie B's Nashville West also was one of the most accessible locations when it comes to waiting in line.  During both visits, I only encountered a very short line, and after reading about their other spots, I'm glad I chose this one and didn't have to worry about the line out the door and around the corner.  If you don't want to wait, pickup is also available and you can order ahead.

Nashville hot chicken is typically attributed to Thornton Prince (I'll write a review on that chain next).  Typically served on a piece of white bread and pickles, hot chicken is essentially fried chicken that has been dipped in a hot sauce that ranges from no spice (also known as 'Southern' at Hattie B's) to blow your top off (aka 'Shut the Cluck Up!!!' - which is a trademarked statement).  Hattie B's has made a name for having good chicken and excellent side dishes.  Here, you can mix and match your preferences - bones versus no bones, dark versus white meat, wings, tenders, and a sandwich.  For the latter two, you can get it fried or grilled.  What you're not going to find is a plain green salad where you add chicken.  Instead, there is an assortment of sides including pimento mac & cheese, crinkle-cut fries, southern greens, baked beans, bacon & cheddar grits, red skin potato salad, creamy cole slaw, black eyed pea salad, and desserts, including peach cobbler, ice cream, and banana pudding.  You can also get their waffles, fried pickles, or dirty fries. 

Parking was a bit packed, but there were still spaces available in their lot, and when I arrived, the line was short. Order at the counter and then you're given a number to place at your table.  Drinks are self-serve.  When your food is ready, one of the staff brings it to you and takes away the number when your order is complete and the staff frequently checks the table to see what baskets can be removed.  It's a mix between fast-food and light service.  

- Large Dark - A small dark is one leg/thigh quarter, and a large dark is comprised of two.  The one on the left is Southern and the Medium one on the right can be seen glistening a bit from the dipping into the spiced oil.  Medium has a tiny bit of kick and is completely tolerable.  They even say that Hot!, the next level up is an 'everyday' heat level.  Bite into this chicken and it's got crunch from the thicker areas of batter and the meat is incredibly juicy even to the last bite.  I wish we had this quality of chicken at home at more places.  Crunchy pickle slices top the chicken.  Even during my second visit, this was still perfect and the chicken wasn't too fatty.  Included with the meal is two sides.  $9.50 Small/ +$4 Large

In general, sides varied from $3 to $3.50

- Pimento Mac & Cheese - You have to eat this one hot so you can enjoy the creamy texture and softness of each bite.  Once it gets cold, it's lost what made it special.  While it wasn't the best mac and cheese I've ever had, it was definitely good.  However, if you like your pasta more al dente, this will not meet your tastes.

- Coleslaw - classic coleslaw with a light mayonnaise-based sauce.  Cabbage was fresh and not too sweet. Good. I ordered it during my second visit too.

- Southern greens - Their greens contain pork and is clearly labelled to indicate that it's not a vegetarian dish.  It wasn't too salty or mushy.  Just right and ordered it a second time.

- Red skin potato salad - During my second visit, I tried this for the first time - see picture below.  Large chunks of potato are covered in a lightly creamy, not runny, mayonnaise-based dressing.  Just the right balance without being too salty.

- Waffles - Two small waffles are served with whipped honey butter and breakfast syrup.  The waffles are extra crispy and topped with powdered sugar.  I liked how the texture was crispy and this would have been a fine dessert instead of a side. 

- Banana pudding - I had read reviews saying to be sure to leave room for dessert.  Banana pudding is typically vanilla pudding with sliced bananas topped with nilla wafers, but this one was kind of mushy.  The nilla wafers in the pudding had gotten soggy and the ratio of cookie to pudding seemed to be too high.  There was an abundance of banana so you definitely get a strong banana flavor, but of all the dishes I tried, this was my least favorite and I wouldn't recommend it. It's the cup with two spoons in the photo above. $4 

 

I liked the friendly staff, but learned during my second visit that you can order your chicken with sauces which was not presented as an option during my first visit.  Maybe the person at the register thought I had been there before, but during my second visit, I was clearly given the option to select a sauce.  You might not need it anyway because the chicken is so juicy, but it's still nice to have the option.  During my second visit, I opted for Southern and was still happy with my choice.  Hattie B's is consistent and their West location is less busy, at least in my recent experience.  The music blares pretty loudly, so it can be hard to hear if you're having a conversation, but overall, I was pleased with my experience and would recommend it for others to try. 

Stonemill Matcha - Japanese Cafe, San Francisco

 561 Valencia St, San Francisco CA 94110
(415) 796-3876
Parking: street parking
Hours: 10am-3pm Wed-Sun, Closed Mon-Tues
https://www.stonemillmatcha.com

Last Visited: June 4, 2023

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$

I've been wanting to go to Stonemill Matcha for some time because I really like good matcha and they have a matcha cream pie that I read about in an article that was offering a copycat recipe.  Since I ran across the recipe during Covid and tried to make it, but things went a bit awry, I was waiting for an opportunity to check out the cafe, and on this day, I finally made it.

The line outside the door shows the popularity of the place.  Whether it's waiting for your party to all arrive before entering, or the constant hustle and bustle of take out orders, it seems like a rarity not to find a line.  They've anticipated your arrival, even creating a gap in the line for those walking on the sidewalk in front of the shop.  The menu offers light Japanese fare like a pork katsu sando, korroke (potato croquette), or chicken katsu curry to name a few. There are also sides like miso soup and tsukemono (Japanese pickles) available.  Coming to a place with matcha in the name makes getting matcha items a no-brainer, and for me, I had to get the pie that eluded me. 

- Matcha Cream Pie - Described as silky matcha custard, fluffy citrus cream, and flakey pie crust, if any of those things sound good, you surely won't be disappointed.  Is it life changing? Not quite, but it is very good.  The custard has a strong matcha flavor that isn't too sweet. The citrus cream is the best part though; the pairing of the orange zest and citrus flavoring with the matcha gives a lightness that I enjoyed with each bite - it's a delight for your palate.  The pie crust is flakey and golden brown; it holds up well.  The dusting of matcha on the cream makes for a nice presentation - my photo doesn't quite do it justice since this was after a ride in the car.  Nevertheless, it was very good.  $7.50

- Matcha Latte - Matcha, milk, and cane sugar.  Even with ice, the matcha flavor stayed strong throughout the time I enjoyed the drink.  It's smooth and not too grassy.  The price reflects the quality I suppose.  Good.  $6

While I would get these both again, for me, it's not so great that it's worth driving a long distance for.  If you're in the Mission, it's worth a try.  You might purchase some of the matcha products to make drinks at home yourself and that would be a more sustainable long term solution if you develop a matcha habit. 

Service is not particularly friendly or standout.   What is noticeable is that despite these being fairly easy items to fulfill from an order perspective, the wait time was at least 15 minutes if not more; you may want to order ahead if you know you're going to be in the area.  Even those who ordered ahead still had a little wait, but you can approach the window for pick up without waiting in the order line.

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.