El Zocalo - Mexican/El Salvadoran, South San Francisco

1633 El Camino Real, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 992-1482
Parking: in shopping center parking lot

Last Visited:

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: N/A - take out
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

I stood at the counter at El Zocalo for a few minutes before someone came to take my order.  While the place is fairly busy, it does seem strange that nobody acknowledged our arrival, especially when you see staff walking right past you.  After ordering and coming back about ten minutes later to pick up our items, we still had to wait another ten minutes for the food to be ready - it's unclear why the kitchen was so slow.


- Pupusas $1.90 each
Revuelta Original - Pork and Cheese
Queso - Cheese
Between the two flavors that I tried, I prefered the queso.  Even though it was only about five minutes from the time I received the pupusas to the time I ate them, they didn't seem to hold up particularly well.  Both were pretty greasy.  This photos shows two halves - the left is queso and the right is the pork and cheese. 

- Curtido - Curtido is cabbage that has been lightly fermented with carrots, oregano, olive oil, and lime juice.  Think of it as a slaw or light kimchi.  Since I ordered take out, the curtido came in a plastic bag.  I found it rather bland and missing the crunch that you often find with a good slaw.  It wouldn't have been missed if it was absent. 

While they might be slightly better eaten at the restaurant, these pupusas were just okay and the curtido wasn't memorable.  I've definitely had better pupusas. 

Zero Zero - Pizza, San Francisco

826 Folsom St, San Francisco CA 94107
(415) 348-8800
Parking: street parking
http://zerozerosf.com
Hours: Mon-Thurs, Sun 11:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm

Last Visited: December 23, 2012

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

Fellow foodie, Yuwen, recommended Zero Zero heartily, and since a number of people I know have talked about it too with high praise, I have to admit, I had high expectations for Zero Zero.  We arrived a little before their opening time, but because it was pouring rain, the hostess was kind enough to let us in before the official opening time and we sat at the bar with another early couple to dry off.  It's an interesting setting with a bar when you enter, an open kitchen, and dining areas both upstairs and downstairs.

Zero Zero is well known for its pizza.  On weekends, they offer brunch items like Tuna Genovese (somewhat like a nicoise salad), Duck with Pancetta, and Roman Style Dumplings.

- Fillmore - Hen of the woods mushrooms, leeks, mozzarella, parmesan, pecorino, fontina, garlic, thyme - The crispy crust had a little bit of burnt crust, but not too bad compared to some of the photos I had seen before.  The mushrooms were flavorful and the blend of ingredients were very good together - not too strong and very cheesy.  The crust stayed crispy through most of the meal, and since we ordered another dish, I had leftovers. Very enjoyable - the pizza carried the four stars for Zero Zero. $16.95

- Skillet Fried Chicken Thighs with Semolina Waffle - Chestnut honey butter, bacon, and maple syrup - The chicken thighs were good - you could tell that the batter was well-seasoned, but frankly, I think I prefer the chicken at some of the fast food restaurants more.  I also liked the bacon, but wouldn't have minded it being a little more crispy.  The waffles were really crisp and golden, and the honey butter tasted really good.  The maple syrup was light and I wouldn't have minded having some more on the side.  I would have given the chicken and bacon a 3 star rating and the waffles a 4 star rating.  $12.75

- Soft Serve Caramel (Half) - The dessert menu is really enticing, offering a choice of ice cream, base (doughnuts, bread pudding, warm chocolate cake), toppings (caramel, candied coacoa nibs, hazelnut streusel), and specialty toppings (hot fudge, olive oil and sea salt, peppermint bark, bacon brittle, and more) offered separately so you can build just the perfect blend for your tastes.  You can also get plated desserts.  I was very excited to find out that they offered a half serving of soft serve (this isn't listed on the menu).  Since Yuwen highly recommended the caramel as one of the best she has enjoyed, I couldn't walk away without ordering it.  The soft serve is made with a Strauss Creamery base and definitely tastes smooth with the vanilla being ever so lovely in each bite.  I found the caramel to be a bit grainy - I don't know if this is normal, but the texture tasted a little weird.  Yuwen suggested asking for toppings on the side (you tend to get a tad more than if it's poured on for you).  Gotta love the half serving.  $3.50

San Francisco Surcharge here was $1 for two people.  Overall, I thought the pizza was very good and had great flavor.  There is room for improvement, but I was pretty happy with the experience. In 2013, it looks like prices have gone up by about $1 for the pizzas and the pizza ingredients have changed slightly (parmesan has switched out for grana padano).

While I enjoyed my meal, I had a bad experience when I left, which had nothing to do with the restaurant.  My vehicle had its hubcaps stolen from it in broad daylight.  My recommendation if you want to try this place is to park in a lot or to take public transit.  The area didn't have any signs of people whom looked like they were lingering in the area, but I know I had the hubcaps when I got there and when I got back, they were gone and I was only a few blocks away. 

Decks - Seafood/Mediterranean, Tiberias, Israel

Gdud Barak Street, Tiberias, Israel
9724-672-1538
Parking: in parking lot
http://www.tourwise.co.il/virtualTours/?tour=61_HE

Last Visited: May 2013

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

Decks is located in Tiberias along the Sea of Galilee.  Enjoy open air seating in a large space with beautiful views from its pier.  From this location, you can also take an hour long cruise (not sure how that gets arranged, but you could probably ask them). 

Our tour group came here for an enjoyable lunch featuring Peter's fish (red tilapia), available fried whole or grilled.

-  Pita bread - Giant pieces of lightly seasoned warm pita was served with plates of smooth hummus that also contained whole garbanzo beans.

- Salad - Large leaves of lettuce are lightly dressed with a vinaigrette with chopped shallots.  This was so simple, yet deliciously refreshing and of course, we had seconds.

- A huge fried onion - Like the blooming onion you get at Outback Steakhouse in the US, this onion is cut into chunks and is shared amongst the table.  These were terrific - much less the greasy than what you would find at the chain restaurants and well-seasoned.

- Fish - Lots of fresh lemon wedges came with fresh fried tilapia, lined up on a plate making for a perfect picture moment.  The fish was beautifully golden, and fairly moist.  This can be hard to eat for those whom aren't accustomed to it, but the oil was definitely fresh. We were also offered a grilled version with a dollop of pesto for those whom preferred it which was also very nice.  


- French Fries - That fresh oil was again featured by the lightly salted golden French fries. 


After our meal, the owner sang a song for us from the stage area.
This is an especially popular place for tour groups and in the evenings, you can often hear more music coming from Decks as you drive by the area. 

Service is friendly, although it's sometimes hard to get the servers' attention, especially when they're serving about 50 people at once.

If you enjoy Mediterranean food, you'll like Decks.  The atmosphere is casual, as evidenced by the servers attire.  Great food served family style in a gorgeous setting along the water - you can't go wrong.

Mokutanya - Japanese, Yakitori, Ramen, Burlingame

1155 California Dr, Burlingame
(650) 348-9388
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
Hours: 11am - 2am daily
http://www.mokutanya.com

Last Visited: November 15, 2012

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

Winnie recommended Mokutanya for some good eats, but she also noted that the prices were a bit on the high side and I would agree on both counts. 

From the outside, Mokutanya looks less than impressive.  The very small strip mall allows room for parking, but easily hides what is inside.  Even peeking into the window shows little indication of what's in the restaurant.  Behind the counter and the tall display behind it are many little rooms divided by glass.  You take off your shoes and sit on the floor, putting your feet into the well under the table, so while it may be a little awkward to get in and out, it's fun to enjoy this unique atmosphere.  There is a sense of privacy with the low lighting (which also makes for these dim pictures) and ceiling-to-floor glass enclosures, but if you have kids next to you, you'll find them peering into your space. 

The waitstaff is comprised of young ladies and their demeanor at the table is very gentle and patient.  They were very good about explaining the menu and removing plates as they were empty, but one sometimes wonders at how efficient the kitchen is with runners because as soon as one plate came, another would come right after.  Also, they have a tendency to chat when they aren't waiting tables which can be distracting when the restaurant isn't too busy.   

My camera didn't have a flash, but the photos give you an indication of the serving size.  The skewers are about the length of a short fork. 

- Ika Sugata Yaki - grilled whole squid with yakitori sauce - While the flavor of the squid was good and the sauce was a nice balance, I found the meat to have an outer skin that made each bite really chewy.  The meat itself was tender, but several times, I had trouble eating it because of a very thin layer of skin on it. $12

- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus and - Bacon Wrapped Enoki Mushroom - Who can dislike bacon?  Both skeweres were very tasty as the vegetables were moist and had soaked up the flavor of the bacon.  The bacon itself was nice and crispy.  $3 each

- Wagyu Beef - 3 beef cubes - Tender and nice spices. $4

- Butabara - pork belly - Probably about as good as you would find at any yakitori place. $3

- Gyutan - Beef tongue - good texture and not overcooked.  $4

- Lamb - Australian lamb leg with spices - good flavor, but a lot of the red meat starts to blend together and are less distinct from one another. $4

- Chicken Thigh topped with fresh wasabi - The chicken is free-range and is super tender and juicy.  The fresh wasabi is a nice touch and isn't at all overpowering.  $3

- Miso Black cod - Good flavor and tender. I liked this better than the salmon.  $5

- Salmon - Okay. Bordering a little dry because of the thickness, but still okay. $4.50

- Tonkotsu Ramen - Pork bone broth with bean sprouts, sliced pork, shiitake mushroom, egg, and corn. A side of seaweed sheets also accompanies the ramen.  This pictures shows a divided portion and the nice consistency and color of the boiled egg.  The ramen wasn't the best I've had, but is pretty good amongst those in the Bay Area and is a good way to help you feel full.  $7

Mokutanya is a great place for group dinners, after dinner snacks, or a date.  Going to Mokutanya when you're hungry may not be the best idea unless you plan to get ramen; otherwise your bill may be a bit shocking.   Two people can run a dinner bill of $70 to $100 without much effort.  During happy hour, you'll find that they have a $1 oyster special and if you check-in on Yelp, you'll get a free drink.  It's a fun place to check out at least once if you're in the area.     

The Refuge - American, Sandwiches, San Carlos

Best: Pastrami

963 Laurel St, San Carlos CA 94070
(650) 598-9813
Parking: street parking
Hours: Tues-Thurs 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-9pm; Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-10pm; Sat-Sun 12pm-10pm; Closed Sun-Mon (except for private parties)
http://refugesc.com/

Last Visited: May 3, 2013

Food: 3 to 4 stars (5 star pastrami)
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Jay and Milly told me about The Refuge and their yummy pastrami.  Unfortunately, the first time I tried to go, they were closed because it was a Sunday.  Note that they are also closed on Mondays too.

Enter the dark restaurant and you'll see booths on one side and a bar on the other.  Tables are set in between as well.  The Refuge boasts 18 types of Belgian beer on tap as well as bottles.  However, their claim to fame is their amazing pastrami.  If that isn't enough to whet your appetite, they also have ribeye cheesesteaks and burgers too.  Don't worry, if you're on a gluten-free diet, they also offer a pastrami chopped salad.

- Pastrami Reuben - Pastrami, sauerkraut, melted swiss, Russian dressing, toasted rye. When the menu says their ultra-tender pastrami is created in house, from the heart of the navel, served warm with pickles and pickled onions, it might give you high expectations, but indeed, The Refuge serves pastrami that really is ultra-tender.  The pastrami sandwiches here are eye-catching and piled high with pastrami. It's not thinly sliced as you might find at other places, but hand-cut into thick pieces and mounded between toasted rye.  While I've had better bread elsewhere, wow, I couldn't believe how it just melts in your mouth.  Each bite really is ultra-tender and lives up to the menu description.  If you aren't a big eater, this sandwich could easily be shared by two people.  The toasted slices of bread could be crispier, but you won't be disappointed by the wonderful cured meat.  I actually would give the food a higher rating if the bread had been toasted more.  Four pickle spears are topped with pink pickled onion and served on the side.  Just in case you don't like sauerkraut, you can also choose from pastrami with coleslaw or with swiss and mustard.  Must try.  $16

- Green Salad - shredded Romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, spring mix, pickled onions and tomatoes.  While the menu says the dressing is a red wine vinaigrette, it looks more like a balsamic dressing when the flash isn't on. The little bowl is packed, so while it doens't look like a lot, it's a good quantity.  You're better off getting a large plate to mix the vegetables better if you like your salad evenly dressed since there is really no room to turn it in its original container.  Good and fresh. $4

- Garlic Fries served with hot chile mayo - The garlic fries are tasty - you definitely won't forget that you ordered them with garlic sauce. The hot chile mayo isn't too hot (or maybe the garlic made it less noticeable, but it pairs well with the fries). $6

Service would have gotten a higher rating if they had come to take our order sooner - we were sitting around waiting for quite a few minutes looking for someone to take my order even though there weren't many patrons present yet.  Also, after the food had been delivered, nobody came around between that time and the end of the meal to check on us. 

A couple of items to note: the Refuge is family friendly - there were a lot of little kids present.  Be sure to get there early.  Even though there is outdoor seating, the place fills up very quickly.  It's a bit noisy, but has a fun feel.  The Refuge serves up a delicious treat - you won't want to miss this pastrami experience.

Simmer Vietnamese Kitchen - Petaluma

299 North McDowell Blvd, Petaluma CA 94954
(707) 762-4288
Parking: in shopping center

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

Last Visited: April 27, 2013

Simmer opened up about three weeks ago, so word is just getting around Petaluma about this place.  A couple of friends told us that it was worth trying, so of course, we had to go. 

With Simmer, Pho Ngoc Tranh, and Thang Long, we now have three Vietnamese restaurants in Petaluma.  Thang Long started it all, but as can be seen from the date of my review of them, I haven't been back in a while.  Pho Ngoc Tranh, located in the OSH shopping center, opened up in 2012, and that seemed to be good for competition.  Simmer is located in the same shopping center as Thang Long, albeit on the far side of the shopping center, but it's going to be interesting to see if Petaluma can sustain this many Vietnamese restaurants within a close distance of each other.

Walk into Simmer and notice that the space is very open.  Once you get past the shelves holding Asian figurines, you'll see the rather large fish tank in the rear with beautiful brightly colored tropical fish.  Just outside, along the window are lots of newly planted green bamboo plants; the colors of the restaurant are warm and inviting.  The rather large head statue in the rear is a little unusual - it's about the height of a small toddler, but it still seems appropriate.  What seemed slightly unfinished is the very bare side wall opposite of the windows.  A large painting or series of paintings would spruce that up a bit. 

We were greeted by one of the waitresses who seated us near the window.  Their one page paper menu seems like a good way to help locals feel comfortable with the selection and less daunting than what you might find in the city.  Pho, vermicelli noodles, fried rice, curry, stir fry, are typical items that you will find on the menu, and there's even a few kid's menu dishes available.  The waitress was very friendly and happy to answer questions for those new to the menu.  Ice water arrives in a tall glass with a thin slice of cucumber. Orders are taken by the waitress on an electronic device.

- Combination Pho - Individual plates of bean sprouts, sweet basil, sliced jalapenos, and a lime wedge arrived which was a nice way to cater to small town locals unaccustomed to the typical shared plate of garnishes/condiments.  The piping hot soup broth in the bowls was delicate, but slightly salty on its own.  Eaten with the other ingredients, the soup is more balanced and flavorful.  Fresh slices of red and yellow onion accompanied floated in the bowl along with rice noodles, beef brisket, tendon, tripe, a meatball, and slices of rare eye round steak.  It was nice that they had put the eye round steak on top, so most of it had not cooked through, giving the customer the option to eat it rare or plunge it into the broth further.  I thought the quantity of meat and noodles were ample and matched the price charged for the bowl.  I also appreciated that the noodles were not served in the bowl in a clump and had been loosened a bit (not always the case in the city).  While it isn't the best quality of meat that I've had in pho, it was certainly acceptable.  Good.  Regular $8, Large $9.50

While the food rating is good, you should consider that I only had one dish.  As for service, the staff is friendly, but may have a tad too much commentary, though not unprofessional - I think the staff may still be feeling this out a bit.  I noticed that they asked patrons where they were from and whether they worked nearby to get a sense of whom was coming in - this was fine - what is a little strange is to comment that our order of two bowls of the same pho dish is easy, good, and direct.  Another oddity - it's weird to hear Biggie Smalls playing on the radio in the background - they may want to consider another channel to cater to a more diverse audience.  Attention to detail seems to be the key - my friends told me that they had to request the dish of condiments when they ordered their pho, so that issue has been resolved, but things like no chopsticks in the silverware holder (it seemed that all tables except ours had chopsticks) and making sure that napkins are stocked (we had none at our table, although the server did bring them eventaully), would help improve the experience.

Overall, Simmer is a good find and I would be willing to go back.  Pricing is higher than what you might expect to find for this dish in San Francisco, but reasonable compared to local competition.  Amongst the three Vietnamese places in Petaluma, I would rank them first in the pho category and service.

Ongpin - Filipino, South San Francisco

73 Camaritas Ave, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 615-9788, (650)615-0622
Parking: small parking lot
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11am-9:30pm, Fri 11am - 10pm, Sat 9am-10pm, Sun 9am-9:30pm
http://www.ongpin.com

Last Visited: January 2013

Food: 3 to 4 stars (if no contaminant)
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

After reading San Francisco Magazine's article, The Great Noodle Quest, I was surprised to see a dish featured at Ongpin because I drive by this place at least a couple of times a week.  I am always looking for a local neighborhood restaurant that could become a regular go-to place.

I arrived at the restaurant and noticed that it was pretty simple in its decor.  Despite it being only 5pm on a weeknight, there were already a number of tables eating their dinner and from the blank waitlist at the doorway, I expect that as the evening wore on, it would get even busier. 

- In the article, Jonathan Kauffman describes the restaurant and their pancit miki-bihon as follows: "This restaurant has one of the largest selections of Filipino noodles in the Bay Area, among them siomai noodle soup and pancit palabok with shrimp sauce and crumbled pork rinds. But the stir-fried pancit miki-bihon is the one to order. A mound of skinny, wriggly rice noodles (bihon) twines around fat golden egg noodles (miki), with vegetables, chicken, and shrimp. The umami-bump of shrimp paste is discernible but not overpowering, and a squeeze of lemon gives the flavor a jolt."

- Pancit Miki-Bihon - I had never tried a mixture of egg noodles and rice noodles.  Reading the description above, I was a bit concerned - it sounded like those concoctions from college dorm days when the cafeteria would mix leftover dishes together to get a messy looking combination of things that didn't belong together.  Even though it was early, I had to wait about 15 minutes for my takeout order to be completed.  When I opened the box of this dish which I had ordered to go, I was happily surprised to see udon sized egg noodles (as opposed to thin egg noodles) mixed with small rice noodles.  Two wedges of fresh lemon added great acidity and balance to the rich flavors.  The egg noodles added good texture that contrasted with the sliced carrots, celery, cabbage, scallions, and rice noodles. The shrimp was succulent, not mushy, and the chicken (dark meat) was tender.  Unfortunately, after I had dished out two servings, I noticed a hair in my food.   I called Ongpin to let them know and they offered to make me a new one if I brought it back, but by then, my appetite was suppressed and I didn't want to drive all the way over just to get a replacement.  $8.95

The flavor is good and had it not been the hair, I would visit Ongpin again, but this experience was just too disappointing for a first impression and alas, not a go-to place for me.