Wei Guo House - Chinese, San Francisco - CLOSED

3751 Geary Blvd, San Francisco CA 94118
(415) 668-1588
Parking: street parking
Hours: Tues-Thurs, Sunday 11am-3pm, 5pm-9pm; Fri-Sat 11am-3pm, 5pm-9:30pm; Closed Mondays

Last Visited: December 31, 2019

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

Wei Guo House has been open for about a month now.  With a limited menu of double-boiled soups, dim sum and appetizers, clay pot rice, porridge and rice noodles, the selection may seem a bit small, but of the choices available, the food is reminiscent of good home cooking and comfort food.  Note that if there is tape on the Chinese portion of the menu, it's not available.

The decor is pretty simple - brightly lit, a counter for ordering take out with a view to the kitchen, and a very open layout that is visible to the outside.  It's a cafe-style setting - very simple with some booth seating new the windows.

Pricing is moderate, but clay pot rice and double-boiled soups have always been seemingly a bit more expensive because of the expertise it takes to get a perfect crust on the rice in the clay pot and double-boiled soup just takes time to cook.


- Double-boiled watercress with duck kidney soup - Unlike most soup that you order at a Chinese restaurant which is cooked to order and boiled in a wok, this is is cooked in a tiny crock that easily serves two if you're using small bowls.  A single person could easily drink a whole one too.  A serving of watercress, a few spareribs, and a single thick slice of duck kidney are cooked together over many hours in a double boiler.  The flavors of the ingredients have melded together and the broth is hot, but not so hot as to burn your mouth.  If you grew up drinking this type of soup, this will remind you of what mom or grandma used to make.  Solid.  $6.99

- Seaweed siu mai (4 pieces) - While the pork siu mai inside the seaweed is much like any other siu mai, the unique thing about these is the seaweed wrapper.  The seaweed flavor is strong, but not overpowering - a nice briny taste that I would recommend if you enjoy eating seaweed.  Good. $5.99

- Pork spareribs and preserved meat clay pot rice - A good-sized clay pot is filled with rice and pork spareribs, ginger strips, Chinese sausage, and preserved pork belly top the rice.  Green onions top the meat.  Clay pot rice typically takes a while to make, and it was no different here.  The rice was cooked through and the spareribs had been marinated until tender.  Soy sauce mixed with seasoned oil is available at the table for you to mix with your rice.  While it looks like sometimes the rice is cooked to a perfect crust so that you can scrape it from the pot, I didn't find that crust at the bottom of our rice.  It was still tasty, but that's what prevented a rating of five stars.  This is a great dish for a cold night.  $13.99

- Singapore Style Rice Noodles - Since we were still hungry after the first three dishes, we added this one.  Singapore Style rice noodles is flavored with curry and contains strips of barbecued pork, bell peppers, onions, and egg.  It's rare to find al dente rice noodles, but these were perfect.  The noodles had just the right consistency and the dish had 'wok air' - perfectly hot in temperature.  We were impressed by how well done this dish was made and of all of the dishes, this is the one I would recommend the most.  It's also a great deal since the serving size is large.  $10.99

The chef/owner came by after our meal to see if we liked the food, and he seemed to do this with all of the customers.

Overall, the food is good and if you don't have time to make Cantonese-style soup at home, this is a more than acceptable option.  While I wouldn't mind going back because the food here is solid, there's just a lot of competition in the area, so I would more likely check out other places before returning. If you're going to go, get the Singapore style rice noodles.

Liholiho Yacht Club - Hawaiian Fusion, San Francisco

871 Sutter St, San Francisco CA 94109
(415) 444-liho
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm-10:30pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm, Closed Sundays
http://liholihoyachtclub.com/

Last Visited: December 8, 2016

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

Liholiho Yacht Club is a hip place with dishes that have Hawaiian and Asian influences.  The neon sign in blue out front makes it easy to find.  Reservations can be a bit difficult, but I was able to get them on a weeknight slightly in advance without too much effort.

During my visit, it was a rainy evening, and that made the space a bit humid - perhaps that's a bit reminiscent of Hawaii itself without the warmth.  The restaurant has an open kitchen and a lot of light colored wood.

The server greeted us and explained that dishes were intended to be tapas sized and shared family style. We found her to be professional, but not particularly friendly in her demeanor - not sure if it's because we didn't order alcohol or if there was another reason.  She seemed friendlier to the table next to us which ordered a few more dishes and wine even though their party size was the same.  The presentation of dishes is nice with good attention to detail.

- Tuna Poke, sesame oil, radish, nori cracker - I loved the freshness of the poke in this dish.  The nori chip is a bit thicker than I would have liked, but it holds up well to the weight of the fish and the nori flavor is a bit stronger because of the thickness.  A lighter chip would have been preferred, but then you would need to serve it more as a dipping chip rather than a base.  A drizzle of dressing and microgreens top the fish.  If tuna is fresh, it's hard to go wrong with this kind of dish.  Good. $16.50

- Fried Oyster, beef carpaccio, butter lettuce, 1000 island - The oysters were good lightly crisp and the thinly sliced beef was tender.  Chives top the beef.  Although each ingredient was good on its own, this combination did not dazzle me.  Not bad, but not wow - just okay. -  $13.50

- Fried rice, bay shrimp, spam, abalone mushrooms (on menu) - Since my visit, I have heard that there is an off menu version of the same dish with house made spam that is pretty good.  Nevertheless, I found this dish to be very greasy.  There is an abundance of shrimp on top and spam in the dish.  The mushrooms absorb the flavors well, but I ended up taking most of this dish home.  I added cooked rice and stir-fried it again. This made it more palatable since it was less salty and the oil was better distributed. A bit heavy on its own.  Just okay.  $16.25

- Grilled Short Rib, escargot, bone marrow, mushrooms, fresh horseradish - This was the best dish of the evening.  The short rib sat atop leeks and red onions; the meat was cooked medium and topped with an herb sauce and a sprinkle of cheese.  The bone marrow was amazing - probably the best I've had.  Stuffed with escargot and topped with breadcrumbs (or maybe panko), each bite is scrumptious and tender - instead of a butter preparation, these escargot are nestled in the bone marrow and take on all of that flavor.    Although presentation looks a bit messy due to the jus, the taste makes up for it.  Must try!  $40.75

- Baked Hawaii, caramelized pineapple ice cream, vanilla chiffon - The presentation of this dish is lovely.  How can you not appreciate the beehive shape and lovely browning on the meringue?  The caramel swirl and refreshing pineapple ice cream was good, but I found the garnish of canned pineapple and flaked coconut to be less exciting.   $10.50


There are a lot of plate changes throughout the evening, so you can appreciate their service.  Note also that an employer mandate will be charged.

Overall, I think it's a fun experience to try a different cuisine, but not some place I would go regularly mostly because the price point is a bit high considering the service and size of the dishes.  The short ribs and bone marrow could bring me back though.

Gianni's Pizza - Italian, Monterey

725 Lighthouse Ave, Monterey CA 93940
(831) 649-1500
Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Mon-Thurs open from 3:30pm, Fri-Sun open from 11am
https://www.giannispizzamonterey.com/

Last Visited: May 9, 2015

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

It's been several years since I visited this place, but Edwin recommended it and he knows great places for large groups and good food.  It's one of those classic places with the red and white checkered tablecloths, a rather large space with tables of assorted sizes to accommodate small and large groups, and a general buzz that lets you know it's a place for locals and tourists alike.  It's old school in decor, but the flavors are solid and you'll feel right at home.  The place was getting packed even though it was pretty early in the dinner hour. 

We had a reservation and arrived with the table set for us.  The menu is comprised of Italian classics - pizza, pasta, calzones, sandwiches, and salads. 

Four of us decided to share a large classic caesar salad and a Gianni's signature pizza and a few of us got gelato afterwards from the front counter. 

- Classic Caesar - Available with or without chicken.  The salad was fresh and croutons were crispy.  Regular and family size available.  We got a family size and found it easily shareable. 

- Gianni's Special: Combination of cheese, pepperoni, onions, mushrooms, black olives, bell peppers, and fresh Italian sausage.  I really enjoyed the crust - just as it should be - crusty and soft as you bite the edge with a great sauce and good combination of toppings.  I can see why this is one of their signature pizzas.  Servings are hearty - they don't skimp on ingredients.  Five sizes of pizzas are available - from mini at 8" to XL at 18".  They also offer a 10" gluten free crust for those with dietary restrictions. 

There are 13 pizzas that they call their signature and of course, you can create your own.  I enjoyed two flavors on this visit. 

The gelato was located at the front counter and there were more than twenty flavors to select from.

If this place was in my hometown, I would surely be a regular.  If you're visiting, it's a great stop if you need a break from the local seafood or tourist spots.  I'll definitely swing by the next time I'm in Monterey and would gladly recommend it to others.

Broadway Prime - Steakhouse, Burlingame

1316 Broadway Ave, Burlingame, CA 94010
(650) 558-8801
Parking: street parking
Hours: 5pm-10pm Daily
http://www.broadwayprime.com/


Last Visited: June 2, 2019

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

Open since 2000, I figured it was a safe bet since it's still here and my workplace often sends visitors here.  Like most steakhouses, the menu is pretty simple offering various cuts of prime rib, steak, and one option each for those eating fish and vegetarians.

I chose to go here because getting a weekend reservation at House of Prime Rib would take too much time and effort, and I wanted my last supper before my elimination diet started to contain just about everything that I wouldn't be able to eat for a couple of months.  As expected, the reservation part was easy and since it's Burlingame, there is a lot of parking along Broadway.

Each entree comes with salad and a two sides - potato of your choice: baked potato, mashed potatoes, or roasted garlic mashed potatoes and other choice of creamed spinach or creamed corn.  You also get a baked popover.

When we arrived, we were quickly seated and given cold forks (nice nod to the old school) and warm french bread.  The salad, which they call their 'fresh salad with our special dressing,' is romaine or iceberg lettuce (depending on when you go) with beets and hard boiled eggs.  The dressing is reminiscent of thousand island.  It's not anything to write home about, especially since iceberg doesn't hold up to this quantity of dressing well, but not bad.  One member of our party can't eat raw foods, so he skipped it and just got a little more potato.

The popover was hot and good.  Crusty outside, soft inside - buttery in taste.  It arrived right before the prime rib was brought to the table.  All potato dishes were served on small plates and also came separate from the prime rib which is located at the front of the restaurant.

I chose the Peninsula cut, which is the smallest prime rib choice available, creamed spinach, and a baked potato.  The prime rib was good - not the best you'll ever have, but it's what you expect - good au jus and it came with the doneness as we ordered it - the photo shows the pink meat as is expected for medium doneness. While it looks a little thin coming out (my eyes are always bigger than my stomach), after eating all of the sides along with the meat, I was amply full. You can always go for the larger cuts too - the select cut (most common choice) and Broadway cut (thick cut which can be served sliced, English style) are also available.  The creamed spinach was tasty and the baked potato was perfectly fine - it came with sour cream, butter, bacon, and chives. $40

Service is fine - friendly and they check on you mid-meal, but it's not House of Prime Rib, and if you expect it to be, you'll be sorely disappointed.  The salad is not made table-side, and you don't get that very old school San Francisco feel of HoPR, but it's also more convenient, so just know what you're getting into.  One thing they did well is that when they noticed that much of our party had gone to wash their hands when we arrived, they waited until everyone got back before bringing resuming their service.

While I wouldn't say Broadway Prime is a must visit place, at its price point and considering how easy it is to find parking and a reservation, it's fine.  For me, it's just above three stars in all categories, but I'll let you decide for yourself.  It hit the spot and served its purpose - I enjoyed a decent prime rib and was happily full at the end of it all.

Mama Papa Lithuania - Alameda - CLOSED

1241 Park St, Alameda CA 94501
(510) 522-4100
Parking: street parking
Hours; 11a-3p, 5p-9pm Daily
http://www.mamapapalithuania.com/

Last Updated: May 26, 2019

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

I first heard about Mama Papa Lithuania when watching Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  The potato pancakes featured looked so appetizing that when I found myself close enough to make a trip to Alameda, I couldn't wait to try it.  Mama Papa claims that it's the only Lithuanian restaurant along the West Coast!  It's been open since 2013 and is still going strong.

I called ahead to make a reservation since I planned to go on a weekend, but was told not to worry.  Parties under six people wouldn't be a problem - just arrive and they would make sure we had a able.  Upon entering the restaurant, you'll see a lot of wood.  It felt a bit dark initially, but one could call it a rustic atmosphere with a bright colored mural on one wall.  Fresh carnations adorned the tables.

The menu features lots of great comfort food - borscht, cream of mushroom soup, a variety of salads such as beet salad, carrot garlic salad, and green cabbage salad, and options such as dumplings, crepes, and cabbage rolls.  I hope I get the chance to go back soon to try out some more of this goodness.

- Potato Pancakes with Meat  - While these ended up looking a lot darker than what was featured on the television show, these two pancakes were stuffed with seasoned ground pork.  They had been pan friend and served with a dollop of sour cream.  The ultimate in comfort food, the potato was crispy on the outside and the meat was warm and delicious inside.  Loved this and would definitely get it again. Four stars and highly recommended. $16

- Three Deep-fried Pierogies  - If you've ever had a really good Chinese green onion pancake, these are quite reminiscent of that.  Stuffed with melted cheese, sautéed onions and mushrooms, and served with what looked like ketchup, with its beautiful browning, these were more bites of comfort and goodness in a pocket.  So crispy on the outside and slightly bubbly in its texture, these are so simple in their ingredients, and yet super delicious.  Another four star dish and I could eat a whole plate of these without any sauce.  Delicious.  $6

- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Two cabbage rolls are stuffed with seasoned ground pork, rice, and a homemade sauce.  The  rolls are then stewed and served with boiled potatoes, dill pickles, and marinated pickled garlic in chili pepper.  The cabbage rolls were tender with every bite and the sauce brings the entire dish together.  A sprinkle of fresh dill makes it a beautiful plate and adds a little extra flavor.  While it was still very good, I probably would try another dish next time (whereas I could easily eat some more potato pancakes and pierogies).  The pickles are a nice offset to lighten the palate.  $18

- Chicken Cutlets - Two cutlets are manually minced and baked.  They're served with sautéed mushrooms and onions and a salad made of grated carrots, garlic, and mayonnaise.  These were a huge surprise because if I didn't know it was chicken, I would have thought this was a different kind of meat.  Served on a bed of mashed potatoes, I could definitely eat more of these cutlets and you can't go wrong with mushrooms and onions.  The carrot salad was also lovely - the garlic flavoring was milder than I expected and was pleasant overall.  $19

Service was fine - we had opted to share all of these dishes and they were very friendly about it.  Sometimes it took a while for plates to get cleared, but nothing major.

For lunch, you can get a half order at half the price (11a-3p daily) which seems like an excellent bargain.  If you're ever in the Alameda area, I would highly recommend this place and I can't remember why, but I didn't get their most popular dish - garlic fried rye bread -definitely on my list for next time.  I also look forward to trying the potato dumplings and need to remember to save room for dessert - honey cake which looks like a lovely layer cake - how can you go wrong. Can't wait for my next visit!

Uji Time - Dessert, San Mateo

106 S B St, San Mateo CA 94401

(650) 235-9229

Parking: street parking

Hours: Sun-Thurs 12:30pm-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 12:30pm-10:30pm

http://ujitimedessert.com

Last Visited: October 28. 2018

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 3 to 4 stars

Price: $

Green tea and black sesame soft serve?  Who doesn't love the sounds of that?  Taiyaki cones and the scent of waffles wafting into the street?  

Uji time dessert is a welcome addition to the San Mateo Asian dessert scene.  Uji is a city on the southern outskirts of Kyoto, Japan and is known for producing green tea.  Inspired by this, the menu is pretty simple with a limited number of options - cup ($4.50), cone ($4.50), or taiyaki cone ($6.50); a limited number of flavors - matcha, black sesame, and tofu (which tastes plain), including a seasonal option (during my visit, it was peach), and several creative topping selections ($0.50 each) including Azuki red beans, poppy seeds, and Pocky sticks. You can also mix soft serve flavors.  If that's not interesting to you, there is also mochi ice cream ($2.50 each or 3 for $7).  The music playing is a bit loud and during this afternoon visit, there were a lot of people in the small area that contains several tables - think pastel colors and outdoor furniture like metal tables and chairs. 

I opted for a black sesame soft serve in a taiyaki cone and it was tasty, but remember that you're eating soft soft serve.  The black sesame soft serve was rich and creamy, and it also melted fast. The taiyaki cone is essentially a fish shaped waffle filled with red bean paste - as such, it does tend to take longer to make because they have a limited number of taiyaki irons.  Also, the cone will get soft quickly because it's a waffle after all and it already has filling in it.  While a tasty concept, note that it also leaks, so if you have small children, or even big kids/adults, or you plan to walk around, you may want to request a cup to hold it all.  Still, it's yummy.  Give it a try.

Dumpling Era - Chinese, San Bruno

354 El Camino Real, San Bruno CA 94066
(650) 737-9899
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: January 13, 2019

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

I first noticed Dumpling Era as I was driving by the restaurant on El Camino Real.  Since my visit in 2018, they have already updated their menu (initially a laminated menu with a pen to fill in the quantities you desired and now with more options, but no more fill in the blank).  This also means prices have gone up at least for some of the dishes.

The decor is pretty simple, but you'll find in the back that there is a glass enclosed area where you can watch the chefs make dumplings, noodles, pancakes, and more.  While both of my visits were at the very start of the lunch hour, they didn't seem quite ready for us as they were still setting up or cleaning the floor.  The good thing is that you know that they clean. 

A high top table in the center divides the room of regular height tables.  The dark tables and bright lights, and posters make the place a bit lacking in warmth, but you soon forget this when the food arrives.

During my first visit, I tried mostly noodles and dumplings. 

- Beef Noodle Soup -  This is the most instagrammable noodle dish because when you lift out the noodle, it's supposed to be one single handmade wide noodle that fills the bowl.  However, when I ordered it, it was actually two noodles because it was too short.  A bit disappointing for that reason and not much meat except for those few cubes you see in the photo.  A good amount of bok choy and scallions, but where's the beef.  At least the broth was good, but more meat is needed.  $8.90

- Beijing Style Bean Paste Noodles with Pork -  While the strips of vegetables (cucumber, carrots, and bean sprouts) were fresh and cut the same size, and the sauce was good, we were surprised that handmade noodles weren't used here - it was packaged knife cut noodles that you can find from the Asian grocery store.  This would have gotten a better review if it had been hand cut instead of the packaged stuff.  $7.90

- Scallion Pancake - Great presentation and very tasty - Lovely crisp texture on the outside and lots of layers on the inside.  I saw them make this during my second visit and watched how they take a giant roll of pancake to make these little ones.  Get this. Four stars. $6.50

- Shanghai Soup Dumplings - I like how the tops of the dumplings weren't tough because there wasn't a ton of dough at the top which you often find is the problem.  Juicy inside - good amount of soup.  Four stars. - $7.90


- Szechuan Wonton  - These were really good - tender wrapper, flavorful wontons.  Just the right amount of filling.  Four stars.  $6

- Seafood Dumpling with Cuttlefish Ink - These were great tasting and it looks like they actually give you more dumplings now than when I ordered them because the new menu shows 10 pieces (versus only 5 before which made it seem very expensive).  Four stars for taste, especially if you get more now - my photo shows it coming with a salad, but I've seen them come without a salad or sauces now.  $12

- Sweet Egg Puff - Comes with two sauces - nutella and jam/berry.  The egg puffs were disappointing, especially since I wanted to like them so much.  When they arrive with their sugar dusting, they look so appetizing, but after a bite, you notice they're not light and fluffy, but more chewy than a crunchy outside. Their competition does a better job with these. Skip it. $8

From my first visit, I found the service to be ok - a bit slow to take our order, but they were friendly.  They don't really check on you though, so if you like to be left alone, you'll like this.

For my second visit, I repeated ordering a few of the dumplings, but tried some new items.

- Pork & Shrimp Dumpling with Green Chives - Ten dumplings with super tender wrappers and fresh filling.  Can't go wrong.  Four stars.  $7.50

- Beef roll pancake: This beef roll pancake is actually pretty juicy.  While there are only four pieces after it's been cut, I like how the thin cut of beef is not dry inside the lightly pan fried pancake roll - probably because of the cucumber ;  they also drizzle a little sweet sauce on top when it's served. Of all of the recent places I've been to that serve beef roll pancake, I like the flavor here the best, even if the serving is small.  Good.   $ 8.50

- Vegetarian Chow Mein - There aren't too many vegetables in this vegetarian chow mein, but the flavors are good.  Besides the bean sprouts, carrots, and scallions, there are a few strips of black fungus and braised fried tofu.  Sesame tops the dish.  Good, but it would good if it came with more vegetables, but I guess they described it as vegetarian, so just know what you're in for.  $8.90

- Yangzhou Fried Rice - The yangzhou fried rice comes with  mushrooms, egg, pork, shrimp, scallions, and some frozen vegetables - lima beans, peas, carrots, and green beans.  Since they plate it in a bowl and overturn the bowl onto a plate, the rice actually stays warmer than when it's just served directly onto the plate.  The rice was done very well and I would definitely get this dish again.  Kids also seem to really like the mushrooms. $11

Dumpling Era is a solid place for dumplings, and their noodles and rice are generally good too.   Definitely try the scallion pancake.  This place is also very kid-friendly - there were lots of kids during my recent visits and if they are making stuff in the glass enclosed area, it's a great way to keep the kids entertained.