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.   

Fremont Kabob - Afghan, Fremont

5379 Mowry Ave, Fremont CA 94538
(510) 393-3860
Parking: in strip mall parking lot

Last Visited: October 4, 2025

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

Located in a strip mall, Fremont Kabob is easily passed by, but it walk inside and find you may be pleasantly surprised by the decor - tables had white tablecloths and behind the curtain and beads is a room where you can sit closer to the floor on cushioned benches with colorful covers for a more authentic experience.  We dropped by early in the evening and there was only one other party dining.  We were promptly greeted and had our choice of seating. 

My friend, C, recommended this spot as one of her favorites and gave me a few suggestions of what to try.  Once we ordered, we were given a basket of naan - Afghan bread.  It's still pillowy and soft, but you can see the texture has more ridges and is more brown than Indian naan.  The setting is interesting with the Afghan decor and traditional music playing in the background, juxtaposed against the tv in the front of the restaurant, featuring menu items rotating on the display. 

- Mantoo (appetizer) - The mantoo is described as an Afghan-style potsticker filled with ground beef, onions, and spices.  It's topped with a homemade yogurt and ground beef tomato sauce.  It's tasty and the flavors are nicely blended, but because of the yogurt sauce, the temperature becomes more like room temperature and that's what I perhaps cared for a bit less.  Good, but unlike potstickers, it cools down even faster.  Since the dumpling wrapper is thinner than potstickers, I would describe it more like an Afghan-style spiced wonton.  This dish is also available as an entree. $8.99 

- Borani Kadoo - Butternut squash is cooked with garlic, peppers, and onions and topped with their homemade yogurt.  Similarly to the mantoo, the yogurt, while bringing a nice balance to the bit of spice, quickly brings this dish to a room temperature.  I liked the contrast of the sweet squash and onions with the mix of garlic and peppers, and it acts as a good balance to savory dishes. This appetizer size was just right for two people since the squash can be quite filling.  $8.99 

- Qabili Paulo with Lamb Shank - It was hard to decide whether to order this dish or one of the other lamb dishes, but the server recommended this one if it was our first time at Fremont Kabob.  Basmati brown rice is served with a choice of lamb shank or chicken, and it's topped with raisins and carrots.  The portion was hearty and the balance of lamb with the sweetness from the carrots and raisins was interesting.  The rice is easily separated into individual grains.  I liked how the lamb wasn't at all gamey, and the flavors were well balanced. This is a great value for the price given the portion. $18.99

Overall, if I were in the neighborhood again, I would be interested in going back to try more of their menu, like the lamb curry or lamb kabobs.  Prices are very reasonable and the staff is attentive.  The only thing I might suggest they do differently is to be a bit quieter when they're working in the background.  Throughout our meal, they were filling sauce containers for to-go orders and then once the container was filled, they tossed it into a holding container of some sort.  This repetitive sound can be a bit distracting against what would have been the ambiance created by the traditional music.  

From past experiences at similar restaurants in the Peninsula as comparison points, I'd say the food here is just as good and slightly less expensive - definitely worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood.