Night Market - Chinese, South San Francisco

2308 South Spruce Ave, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 634-8388
Hours: Mon-Sat 11am - 2:30pm
Parking: parking lot and street parking

Last Visited: June 25, 2017

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

Night Market opened a few months ago and is located next to Spruce café across the street from Hung To Restaurant.  The signage is discreet and if you didn't know what was there, it would be easy to pass it by without a second glance.  Winnie told me about it as she had heard good things.

Enter Night Market and it's a bit dark.  You'll see a small screen along with a menu holder.  On the right is an 'Order here' sign along with a tv screen above it showing today's specials.  Available today were items like cola chicken and pineapple buns (which come out of the oven every 30 minutes).  The menu is comprised of favorites, a choose your base and protein option, snacks, and drinks (tea, Asian soda, and fresh juice).

Folding tables are scattered throughout the space and surrounded by bright red and blue plastic stools.  The intent behind the design of the menu and environment is to mimic the night markets and hawker stands that are popular in many Asian countries where the food is the primary draw and the seating is purely functional, not beautiful.   The side brick wall has been painted with black chalkboard paint and individual bricks have been decorated with various drawings.  The rear wall serves as a projection screen for an Asian movie.  Along the walls are the stainless steel food carts with a space for you to peer at the various snacks and dishes in their pots.  There is also a drink station, which based on the mini wooden barrels present (typically used for sweet tofu), I would guess will also be a dessert station soon.

After you order, your number is called, sometimes several times depending on which station your order came from.  They have a tray at the main station so you can take your food back to your table easily and if you need help, they can also assist.  Condiments and silverware are found in the center of the room for you to serve yourself. 

- Curry Fish Balls (6 pieces) - These tender fish balls are cooked in a curry sauce and served three to a skewer.  Typical street food, these were very reminiscent of what you would find on the streets in Hong Kong.  Good. $2

- Night Market Hainan Chicken with rice - Generally, Hainan Chicken is almost as well known as its accompanying rice which is typically cooked with the broth used to cook the chicken, making the rice extremely flavorful.  Night Market does a great job with their Hainan chicken with rice.  The chicken is boneless and both are served with boiled cabbage (not bland because it too is cooked in the chicken broth).  A small serving of pickled vegetables (daikon radish and carrots), ginger and scallion sauce, and hot sauce are also served with the dish.  It's filling for a single serving, but could easily be shared. Great. $8

- Choose a base, choose a protein $8
Base: White rice, noodle salad, soup noodle, steamed buns (2 pieces)
Protein: Spicy tofu, fried tofu, Hainan chicken, satay beef brisket (+0.95), curry beef brisket (+0.95), roast pork belly, BBQ pork, pork chop

In Hong Kong, this has become a popular model for restaurants and often also includes choosing a sauce.  You can also add an additional protein for $3. 


- Satay Beef Brisket with Soup Noodles - From this menu of choices, I chose this combination.  The brisket was tender and well flavored.  The turnip was tender and cooked through, but the flavor from the sauce has not made it to the center of the turnip - it's almost as though the two were cooked separately.  Along with the brisket are tendons which were also tender.  The noodles and broth are served separately - the noodles were al dente and the broth was flavorful.  Two pieces of yau choy were served with it.  I would definitely get this again. $8.95

Desserts like pineapple buns and pudding cakes (more Hong Kong street food) are available.  The more you purchase, the better the price. 

Although the name is a bit of a misnomer right now since they're only open for lunch, the place is already quite popular and by the time I finished my lunch, the order line was almost back to the door.  It looks like there is some flexibility with seating as there are more tables not yet unfolded and there is also seating outside.  The food quality is on point and service, albeit minimal, is friendly.  I'll be back for sure and would recommend it to others.

Tartine Manufactory - American/California, San Francisco

595 Alabama St, San Francisco CA 94110
(415) 757-0007
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5pm, Sat-Sun 8am-5pm; Dinner Daily 5:30pm-10pm
http://www.tartinemanufactory.com/

Last Visited: May 28, 2017

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

Price: $$$ to $$$$

Tartine Manufactory was well marketed even before it opened up.  With the closing of Bar Tartine, along with its somewhat unusual (maybe too creative) menu, Tartine Manufactory offers a more reasonably priced alternative that more people can understand.  Originally open only for breakfast and lunch, the Manufactory has expanded its offerings to include dinner service. The spacious warehouse space is decorated simply with wood tables and chairs and white lantern lights reminiscent of balloons, creating an airy and light feel.

We arrived about half an hour before dinner started and easily got a table even though the reservation system was full.  Those whom came later without a reservation was seated at the bar.  Service was friendly, but there is still room for improvement as described below.

Our server asked if we had been to the Manufactory before and when we told her it was our first visit, she patiently explained how the menu is designed for sharing small plates family style and was happy to give guidance about our choices.  As we got there early, a fellow patron in line whom had visited several times gave us some recommendations - ribs, bone marrow, and prime rib.  He suggested we ask for the swordfish rare if we chose to get it and to avoid the chicken.  We listened to his suggestions and ordered a variety of dishes, ending with the special of the day - aged prime rib.

- Warm Bread & seaweed butter  - The bread was great - lots of holes in the bread and a crusty outside.  It was served warm with fluffy seaweed butter which is essentially butter with nori mixed in.  The seaweed butter could use more salt and didn't have enough seaweed for my taste, but there was no salt on the table.  I would suggest buying the country loaf for double the price and you'll get a lot more slices. Okay to skip this one. $5

- Halibut Ceviche - Rayna recommended this dish.  Lime and cilantro are used to prepare the halibut.  Although the menu said there were chili's, the flavor was extremely mild.  The tender ceviche is topped with greens, a dollop of avocado based sauce, and chopped quicos (think corn nuts, but without the frying).   On the side were two young, tender, red lettuce cups. The serving style was less like a regular ceviche and more like a salad with a very refreshing lime dressing.  The quicos give the dish the needed texture difference by adding crunch. Good flavor, but more impressive than the taste is the artistic presentation of the dish with its greens (even though some of the greens had some browning at the bottom of the stem).   $17

- Pork Ribs - Five pork ribs are braised in an sauce that has some Asian seasonings (I thought of hoisin sauce when I had my first bite).  It's served with a pumpkin seed salsa (pepitos blended fine with olive oil and some herbs) and a thick,  savory yogurt.  A small serving of sliced pickled rhubarb accompany the plate.  The meat from these ribs fell off the bone and the sauce is just a little thick to evenly coat the meat.  Very good - must try.  If you have a salad or other appetizer, this could easily be a main dish for small eaters. $18

- Prime Rib - Our last entree was the 21 day dry aged wood roasted prime rib served with fried potatoes, horseradish, and jus.  This serves two if you are enjoying other dishes.  When you ask for medium rare, you'll definitely get a medium rare steak here. While the crust of the prime rib has developed a bark quality and is quite salty, the center is tender.  I have to admit that the aging was not as noticeable on this particular prime rib.  The star of this dish is actually the fried potatoes that are served on the side.  Garlic, rosemary, and cheese are used to season well-fried whole small yukon gold potatoes until they are a dark brown.  Inside the potatoes, the texture is creamy and rich - if I could, I would just get the potatoes!  Prime rib is good, but the potatoes are wonderful. $45
Several dessert options are available including an affogato, ice cream, chocolate tart, and lemon posset.  We opted for the popular gateau basque.

- Warm Apricot Gateau Basque  - Served with a scoop of toasted almond ice cream and topped with raspberry compote.  It's a moist cake with apricot and custard in the center.  The crust is lightly sugared and crunchy.  While it was good, I may have had too high of expectations just because it's Tartine.  Good balance of flavor, but the ice cream could be creamier.  The nuts in the ice cream were still crunchy, so it held up well to the freezing process. $10

The Manufactory has  a surcharge for employee benefits.  All in all, it was a good experience, and while I would go again, next time I would go for lunch/brunch instead to try more pastries or the porchetta.

Where the Manufactory failed me was with my order of a Country Loaf ($9.50) to take home.  For that, I dropped them a star for service.  When I came in, I asked my hostess about how to go about ordering a loaf and she said she would set one aside for me.  When my server took our order, I let her know I had asked the hostess about the loaf and she assured me that she would bring it over at the end of the meal.  When my leftovers were packaged before dessert, the boxes arrived without a loaf, so I thought perhaps the loaf would come when my check arrived.  After dessert, still no loaf, but when the bill came, I was clearly charged for it.  As I was leaving, I asked the hostess near the door if I picked up my loaf then, and she said she would be happy to get me one.  Then she asked whether or not I had paid for it - so disappointing considering how they seemed so good about attention to detail (refilling water, cleaning the table, giving me the right leftover boxes).  

In any case, I recommend that everyone busy a loaf to take home - I was so inspired by the experience that I made my own toast - Chinese roast pork with arugula topped with shaved parmigiano reggiano and a goat cheese with fresh peaches drizzled with honey.  I also sought out smashed potato recipes with the goal of remaking those potatoes and came close.

Overall, it was a positive experience even if the place was very full at the end of the day and I had to keep asking about my bread, but the pork ribs and potatoes are amazing.

Screamin Mimi's - Ice cream, Sebastopol

6902 Sebastopol Ave, Sebastopol CA 95472
(707) 823-5902
Parking: street parking
Hours: Open daily from 11am to 10pm; open until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays
http://www.screaminmimisicecream.com/

Last Visited: December 30, 2016


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

Voted #4 Best ice cream in the United States by USA Today and best ice cream in Sonoma County since 1995, this is a great place to stop in if you're in the area.

While it's not the very best ice cream I've ever had, I love the charm of Screamin' Mimi's and their variety of ice cream and sorbet, plus it's good to support local businesses.  When I'm up here, I always stop in no matter the weather or how close I am to my next meal.  The Christmas decorations are showing in this photo and you can see the colorful decor inside the shop. The ice cream cones, tables, and chairs are painted by a local artist.

Unlike other ice cream shops which offer ice cream by the scoop, at Screamin' Mimi's you pay by weight.

Shown in the photo here are:
- Peach coconut sorbet - The peach flavor came out more than the coconut, but it was still refreshing.

- Orange cardamom cream sorbet - This was wonderful!  The cardamom came across so well and the orange was light - I might try to make this one at home the next time I get out my ice cream maker.

Items like fudge, caramel, whipped cream, and waffle cones are made in house.  Other menu items include floats, shakes, and options from the espresso bar.

Service is friendly too, so stop in and try their multitude of flavors.

9 Noodle House - Chinese, Millbrae

9 Hillcrest Blvd
Millbrae CA 94030
(650) 552-9031
Parking: street parking and nearby parking lot

Last Visited: May 7, 2017

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

Bella first told me about 9 Noodle House and said she heard the beef stew noodle was the best thing to try, so of course, I took her advice.  Open since August of 2016, the kinks have been worked out mostly and word is getting out.  This little shop is located across from 7-Eleven and behind the butcher.   The decor is simple with a few individual tables on the side and a large communal table with bench seating in the center.  Bright green paint is a contrast to the large photos of the menu items on the walls.

Their menu offers a number of noodle soups with meat such as Beef Stew Noodles, Mixed Meatball Noodles, Curry Beef Brisket Noodles, Vietnamese Style Pork Chop Noodles, and more with each bowl roughly around $10.  Their accompanying dishes include pot stickers, boiled vegetables and fried dishes such as fried potato cakes, fried mackerel, spring rolls, french fries, and fried stuffed octopus balls. It was a bit reminiscent of Hong Kong noodle restaurants with their option to select the style of noodles, but they don't have a spicy soup base except the Hot and Sour Noodles. They have a few drink offerings and that seems to be where they make their money with each one costing just under $4.


Noodle options include egg noodle, rice noodle, udon, rice vermicelli, and ramen.  You can also order rice if you prefer.

- Crispy Fried Chicken Wings - While the wings had a crisp outside and were thoroughly cooked through, one of my wings was ice cold in the center which was not acceptable.  None of the other wings had this issue.  This seems to indicate that the chicken is cooked twice, but it's unfortunately, it appears that they still have room for improvement.  2 stars on this one because it was under temperature.   $7

- Flavorful Beef Stew - This photo is just after a small bowl of noodles was removed from the bowl.  The beef stew is tender and the broth is just a touch spicy.  I liked this one and would definitely get it again.  For both this and the other noodle bowl ordered, there was plenty of meat and noodles - good portion size so that most people would be full.  4 stars on this dish.  $9.99

- Flavorful Salty Chicken - Served with a dipping sauce of ginger and green onion, this chicken was tender and indeed flavorful.  I ordered udon for this bowl.  Again, the amount of meat was generous and this broth was lighter than the one that came with the stew. You can see that lots of green onions and cilantro come in the broth.  $10.99

Service was friendly and they came back to check on us mid-meal.  This is a good stop for lunch or a quick simple dinner.  I suspect that it gets noisy when the place is full, but we came early and there was plenty of space and we were able to have a conversation without any trouble hearing one another.  Great place for a casual meal - just watch the chicken wings.

Rangoon Ruby - Burmese, Palo Alto

445 Emerson St, Palo Alto CA 94301
(650) 323-6543
Parking: street parking and parking lot across the street
Hours: Lunch Daily 11:30am-2:30pm, Dinner Sun-Thurs 5pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-10:30pm
http://www.rangoonruby.com

Last Visited: July 9, 2016

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

I had heard coworkers talk about Rangoon Ruby, so I thought I would give it a try.  They tout themselves as the best Burmese Cuisine in the Bay Area.  Long story short, it's a good place for those that are completely new to Burmese cuisine, but the flavors are extremely mild.  This is good for diners desiring an explanation of each ingredient and whom are more interested in the service and setting than the food.  I gave the food three stars for appearance - it looks the part and is plated nicely.

Upon arriving, our party was greeted by a host whose sole job was hosting.  Throughout our entire lunch, she stayed at the hosting station, but was checking her phone when she thought nobody was watching.  Bench seating lines a portion of one wall and the bar lines the other wall.  Each table has white tablecloths with square plates.  Modern photography collages decorate the walls.  The chandeliers also have a modern feel.

After being seated, it took some time before we were attended to and it wasn't quite busy.  Service was friendly for the most part and the busboys seemed to be the most attentive.  My server was seemingly absent at times, but could be seen chatting with folks behind the bar.

- Tea Leaf Salad - Tea leaves, fried garlic, yellow beans, peanuts, sesame seeds, lettuce, tomato, jalapeno, and dried shrimp are served with a wedge of lemon.  Although the ingredients are fresh, and the server takes the time to explain each item, I found the quantity of lemon to be lacking and the whole dish lacked spice.  A traditionalist would also say that lettuce should not be used - cabbage is typically the primary base.  Fresh but bland.  Nice plating.  $14

- Nan Gyi Dok - Rice noodles are topped with coconut chicken
sauce, yellow bean powder, cilantro, red onion slices, and fried onion.  A hardboiled egg and fried won ton strips accompany the dish.  Although nicely plated, the coconut chicken was once again mild and the dish was closer to room temperature than hot or cold.  It lacked flavor compared to the authentic version.  $14

Tables are close together which could be uncomfortable if you have a larger personal space bubble or just don't want your neighbor to hear your entire conversation.  You also won't find anyone Burmese except the owner/chef.  During our meal, the server came to top off our water and promptly spilled it on our table and floor.  While she apologized, it was strange that nobody came to wipe off the puddle on the floor.

If you want to bring guests to try Burmese food and fear that they might be frightened of strong flavors, this is a good spot for nice presentation and setting, but if you want authentic food, you may try another place.

Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous - Ice Cream, San Francisco

Last Visited: July 29, 2016

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

Located in the Dogpatch, Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous has developed a reputation for high quality ice cream that rivals that of Bi-Rite and Humphry Slocombe.

I came in on a weekday afternoon and found that it wasn't too busy, although there was still a large table of folks and lots of moms with kiddos.  Offerings included standards like vanilla bean, chocolate, strawberry, and chocolate chips, but for something different, they also offered honey roasted peanut, kahlua and cream, and milk & cookies.  Toppings are also available as well as cookies in case you want a supplement to your ice cream.

- Buttermilk and Lemon - This was oh so creamy with distinct flavors of buttermilk with the additional tang of the lemon.  It was an unexpected pairing.  You can see that a single is quite sizable, but the triple is the best deal if you can stomach the serving size.

Prices: Kids $4, Single (1 flavor) $5, Double (1-2 flavors) $7, Triple (1-3 flavors) $8

I will definitely be back to try more!

Sweet Scoops Homemade Ice Cream - Sonoma

408 1st St East, Sonoma CA 95476
Parking: street parking
Hours: Sun-Thurs Noon-9pm, Fri-Sat Noon-10pm
http://www.sweetscoopsicecream.com/

Last Visited: December 17, 2016

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


This is my second visit to Sweet Scoops.  Known for their homemade ice cream (most of Sonoma's ice cream shops are chains or their ice cream isn't made in house), this shop has lasted longer than some of the other places on the Sonoma Plaza.  Prices have gone up 10 to 20% since my last visit a year ago.

- Butter brickle - One of their best known flavors is the butter brickle.  It's reminiscent of butter pecan, but with more crunch.  Nice and creamy.

- Coconut chip - Shredded coconut is mixed with chocolate chips.  I wouldn't have minded the coconut flavor to be even stronger because I love coconut.

Prices: Tiny $3, Single $3.95, Double $4.95, Triple $5.75, Flight (4 tiny) $6.75, Split scoop $0.30

They also offer sundaes, shakes, sodas, and floats. You'll also find a few extra flavors listed on the freezer door, but you need to peek around the side to see the list though.

Compared to other sweet shops, this one is a good find in Sonoma, but it doesn't reach the standards of the best ice cream shops in San Francisco.  Still worth a stop though.