Suzanne's Cake and Pastry, Millbrae

320 Broadway
Millbrae, CA 94030
(650) 697-4713
Parking: street parking
Hours: Sun, Tues-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat 8am-6pm, Closed Mondays

Last Visited: July 17, 2021

Food: 4 star portuguese egg tarts
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 4 stars
Price: $

I recently watched Feed Meimei's youtube vlog on San Francisco egg tarts and thought I would do my own taste test of a couple of the most popular ones near me.  A few people on Bay Area Eats had mentioned Suzanne's and since I often shop at the Millbrae Farmer's Market, this was an easy stop. 

Having enjoyed the Pasteis de Nata in Belem, there really is no comparison to that gold standard.  My mother is also a Chinese egg tart enthusiast, and although the two are not exactly the same, one can certainly appreciate the custard center and delicate flavors of both.  Suzanne's focuses on Portguese egg tarts; they don't offer the regular Chinese ones.  

- Portuguese Egg tart - Look at the layers on that lovely tart crust.  It's not just flaky, but it's crispy too.  Don't mind the messy bite.  While it doesn't have the noticeable cinnamon flavoring like you would find in Belem, the egg custard is creamy and rich, without any hint of feeling artificial that you sometimes encounter.   Be sure to enjoy it while it's warm or reheat after you return home so you can enjoy the full experience of this delicious bite.  $2.50

The secret hasn't gotten out yet because there aren't any lines of significance. 

Love Burn, South San Francisco

130 Northwood St, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 763-1887
Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-9pm

Parking: street parking or free lot one street away
https://www.loveburnchicken.com/

Last Visited: January 31, 2021

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: N/A

Service: 3 to 4 stars

Price: $

Love Burn is located inside Hometown Bowl and if you're not looking, you could easily pass it by.

Hot chicken sandwiches have finally made it to South San Francisco.  Over the last couple of years, I noticed the trend popping up at Popeye's Chicken.  The legend begins back in the 1930s in Nashville, Tennessee.  Thornton Prince, a ladies' man known for being tall and handsome, had stepped out on his main squeeze one night.  When she found out, she decided to sabotage his favorite Sunday meal, fried chicken, with a punishing spice.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you view it, he loved the chicken.  And that's how hot chicken was born. 

An authentic Nashville hot chicken sandwich from the Prince's Hot Chicken Shack is marinated and spiced with cayenne pepper. Served atop a slice of white bread, the chicken is also topped with pickle chips.

Variations here in South San Francisco typically involve a bun and some kind of mayonnaise-based sauce. At Love Burn, you can choose your level of spice: 0 - Just a Friend, 1 - Crush (mild), 2 - First Date (medium), 3 - Burning Love (hot), and 4 - One Night Stand (HOT!!!).

- Hot Chicken Sandwich - A crispy fried chicken thigh is served on a potato bun with creamy coleslaw and pickles.  The price is a bit steep at first look, but this chicken sandwich can easily feed two light eaters.  It gets a bit messy, but the chicken is flavorful and fried crispy.  I chose a level 1 because I'm wimpy and was not at all bothered by the heat.  Based on customer feedback, this potato bun has already been adjusted by Love Burn since its first iteration, but it does tend to fall apart by the time you are midway through the sandwich.  Tasty, nevertheless.  Just have extra napkins on hand.  $14  

- Seasoned French Fries - While incredibly simple, these fries were delicious.  Fried just to the right level so that the outside is crispy and the inside is cooked through and tender.  I couldn't stop eating these.  $3.50 

Other menu options include a Hot Leg Quarter sandwich served on a slice of bread and sides like macaroni salad, creamy coleslaw, sauces, and churros. Service was friendly, although I had to wait a while for someone to come to the counter.  They thanked me for waiting when I did finally get greeted and when I left.  Expect orders to take time because each sandwich is made to order.  I probably waited 20 minutes during lunch hour without pre-ordering.  Love Burn is also affiliated with SSF Chickenbox (last day is July 1) which recently rebranded themselves to be Respectable Bird.  I really enjoyed my SSF Chickenbox experience since you can order fried chicken by the piece and who doesn't love that? 

 

Gao Viet Kitchen & Bar, San Mateo

313 South San Mateo Drive, San Mateo CA 94401
(650) 477-2524
Parking: street parking and paid parking lot nearby

Hours: Wed-Thurs 4pm-8:30pm, Fri-Sun 11:30am-9pm, Closed Mon & Tues

www.gaokitchen.com

Last Visited: June 12, 2021

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

Gao Viet Kitchen is a sister restaurant to local favorite, Ben Tre.  They offer a diverse menu that has elevated typical Vietnamese dishes that you might find at a pho restaurant like chubby pho (made of 24 hour beef bone marrow broth and filet mignon) and the Phozilla (pho with oxtail, a big beef rib, and available with giant freshwater prawns or a 1.5 pound Maine lobster) while also bringing street favorites like banh cuon (rice noodles rolls filled with pork, mushroom, and more) and banh knot (savory pancakes topped with shrimp), and banh beo (savory steamed rice cake with toppings) to the Peninsula audience.

Vietnamese art lines the stairway and tributes to the family members like grandma and her photograph line the other walls. 

Limited seating is available indoors and ample seating is available outside in the converted parking area that is lined with wood shutters to provide some privacy.  To avoid the crowds, come right when they open or off hours.  Menus are available via the QR code on the table and they are quite thorough with cleaning between patrons.

Much of the food portions lean large as the experience feels like a decadent version of what you might normally get from their sister restaurant and those like them.

- Pork Belly starter -  Banh Hoi noodles (rice noodles that are folded into individual rectangles/bundles) serve as the bed for chunks of roasted pork belly and served with pickled carrots and turnip and a lemongrass pork au jus dripping sauce.  First, the pork belly was roasted nicely and there was sufficient flavoring, but the kicker is the sauce.  Add the sauce to the noodles and the meat and it just takes the experience up a notch with the tartness of the lemongrass.  I couldn't eat the meat and noodles on their own without the sauce for the remainder of the meal.  The skin of the roast pork was unfortunately, not very crispy and actually a bit chewy.  If you look at the menu photo and compare it with what you see here, you'll notice the pork belly sliced quite differently - chunks in reality and fanned out neatly in slices on the menu.  Fortunately, this didn't affect the flavor, but the lack of crispy skin was a miss.  The noodles take on the flavor of the sauce so all in all, just ok.  I would probably go to my favorite Chinese BBQ shop for the pork belly in the future and make some rice noodles at home. $14.95

- The Big Gao Pho - This large bowl of pho contains a full beef rib, marrow, rare beef, 24 hour beef broth, grilled onion, and lots of spring onion.  This bowl is enough to share if you're not a big eater and the beef rib is definitely meaty.  The broth is rich and fatty from the marrow.  By the time the bowl reached the table, the rare beef was not rare anymore, but all the meat was welcome.  The marrow gets lost in the soup, but I still enjoyed the overall experience.  If you're trying to eat light, this is not the dish for you and you probably wouldn't want to drink all of the broth like you might with a regular bowl of soup noodles.  There was also a LOT of noodles - almost as much as if you were to order a regular pho with an extra serving of rice noodles. Tasty. $26  

Service when they're with you is great, but it does take a bit of time to get someone to come take an order or to be checked on since the restaurant got packed not long after opening and there are many people ordering takeout.  In summary, I will probably come back to try out other menu items like the street dishes and likely would skip the pork belly.

Vision Dumpling New Golden Wok - Chinese, South San Francisco

136 Hazelwood Dr, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 588 6858
Parking: street parking and public lot nearby
Hours: Daily 11am-9pm

Edited: January 7, 2022

Last Visited: July 2021

Food: 2 to 3 stars (dumplings range between 3-4 stars)

While I had hoped this would become a regular place for me, alas, at best, it's a place to grab some frozen dumplings to take home.  My last visit was in July 2021 to finish off the last of my groupons for this place.  This was after an eggplant with pork order for takeout which was given to me as a vegetarian dish (but they apologized when I called to inform them of the error), multiple visits with long lines and wait times despite calling ahead and arriving within their specified time, and mediocre dishes.  Their dumplings are fine, but hot food is just okay.

Last Visited: May 22, 2021

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: Takeout only during shelter in place
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

While walking in the neighborhood, I noticed that this place had changed names to Vision Dumpling New Golden Wok earlier this year and learned that they had changed owners and kept the original New Golden Wok signage.  While the interior looks much the same as before, dumplings, baos, and additional noodle dishes have appeared on the menu.  This is particularly unique because few places combine traditional Cantonese cuisine with dumplings.  After talking to the owners, we learned that they bought the restaurant back in March 2021.

I called in an order and was told to come for pick up in 20 minutes, and everything was ready upon my arrival.  The staff was friendly and greeted us as we came in.

- Pork Dumpling with Napa cabbage - Given that dumplings are part of their name, of course I had to order some. A dozen dumplings come with individual serving size packets of soy sauce/vinegar mix and hot chili oil.  The dumpling filling was well flavored (perhaps even slightly salty, but my family likes it to lean this way) and the wrappers were smooth and not too thick. Great.  $7.95

- Dry Braised Beef Chow Fun - A classic Cantonese dish and a good way to check how well the chef can cook, the beef chow fun was perfectly acceptable.  It's hard to tell if they developed the 'wok hay' in it since I didn't try it right away, but even after a 15 minute walk to the car and drive, the dish remained very hot.  The chow fun was not clumping or sticky.  The beef seemed to be of good quality.  The price is extremely reasonable considering how many places sell chow fun for quite a few dollars more. $8.95

- Salt & Pepper Pork Chop - Another classic Cantonese dish, this one is a good test of flavor and whether their oil is fresh.  The quantity of pork chops at this price is great value. The flavoring was just right and the pork was fried just right.  The meat sat on a bed of the onions and peppers it was fried with. $8.95

I think I may have found my new neighborhood Chinese food joint.  I'm hesitating to give it a higher rating at the moment until I get a chance to come back and see how consistent they are, but the fact that they offer both styles of Chinese cooking will satisfy the tastebuds of this family for sure and gives us options without having to go to multiple places.

For now, there's a groupon offer that's available.  I immediately bought two more after this meal because I know I'm coming back to try more of their dishes!

Welcome to the neighborhood, Vision Dumpling New Golden Wok!

Dim Sum Club, Chinese - San Francisco

2237 Taraval St, San Francisco CA 94116
(415) 592-8938
Parking: Street parking
Hours: 11am-3pm, 5pm-9pm Daily

Last Visited: April 24, 2021

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

Dim Sum Club has been open about a week and just started indoor dining.  Owner, Joe Huang, was the former chef at the Van Ness location of Dim Sum Club.  Affiliated restaurants include Dim Sum Bistro in Chinatown and Dumpling House on Noe St, both in San Francisco.

With the first week come a lot of working out of kinks, so plan to be patient.  For example, they only have three types of tea available - oolong, bo lai, and jasmine.  After sitting down, they had a flurry of orders to get out of the kitchen, so I found my own menu, and we waited probably ten minutes after being seated before someone came to take our order, provide place settings, and ask what kind of tea we wanted.  The staff is really nice so the flaws are easy to forgive, but don't be surprised if it takes a little longer for them to come back with sauces that typically accompany a dish without request or scissors to cut things that might be already cut elsewhere.

Depending on the table, some have disposable plastic tablecloths while others have regular linen cloths. Paper placemats are also in use.  One thing about the tea that I liked is that they use a strainer inside the tea pot, so you don't get leaves when you pour out the tea. 

The menu goes beyond typical dim sum.  Besides the usual dumplings, they also offer entrees like pork stomach with chicken and shrimp with lobster sauce, as well as noodles, chow fun, and fried rice.

- Beef with Cilantro Rice Noodle Roll - The amount of beef was really generous and well flavored with cilantro.  The texture of the rice noodle roll is perfect.  The only unusual thing about the roll is the way its rolled - the two edges are rolled into the middle and folded like a book, so you have one roll of just noodle on one side and a roll of beef on the other instead of rolling like you would a carpet.  This made it a little hard to eat since the meat side is heavy.  Still tasty though. $5.95

- Fried Sesame Balls - Super fresh and filled with red bean.  The skin isn't super thin, but also not super thick.  Good.  $3.95

- Shrimp in Tofu Skin Roll - These were fantastic!  The pieces of shrimp is generous and while you usually find that these are flattened out elsewhere to make it look like there is more shrimp filling, these are stuffed to the gills.  Perfectly fried and crispy - these are a must try.  You may need to ask for the Worcestershire here if you want the sauce. $5.95

- Deep Fried Pork Puff - Golden puffy goodness.  Again, not the thinnest of doughs, but not too bad. Good flavor and moderate amount of filling.  $4.50

- Shrimp and Pork Siu Mai - Pretty standard with a mixture of shrimp pieces and pork inside.  Good flavor.  Standard stuff that I have no complaints about.  The wrapper stays on - it's not overly steamed. Good. $5.95

- Steamed pork ribs in black bean sauce - This is something I always get at dim sum places.  Good portion of ribs, good flavor. No complaints. $4.95

- Steamed chicken feet - Good flavor.  Not as puffy/plumped from the braising juice as some other places, but still ok.  $4.95

All items were served at the right temperature - hot and crispy out of the fryer or hot out of the steamer.

If you're the type of person to ask if they're checking temperature, you probably want to come for takeout instead.  They're still serving condiments in a communal way on the table, and while it's not crowded by Chinese restaurant standards, it's not as far apart as some of the fancier places.  Servers are masked.

We talked to the owner, Joe, who was super nice and asked for feedback about our meal.  He also mentioned that they're selling frozen goods like wontons and dumplings, but this hasn't been posted yet, so you're getting the scoop here first.

I would definitely check out Dim Sum Club again, especially with their dine-in promotion of 10% off available through the end of May 2021.  Note that they're adapting prices still to match with their competition, so you might find things have changed when you visit.  

SSF Chickenbox - Fried Chicken, South San Francisco

312 Swift Ave, South San Francisco CA 94080

(650) 273-0997

https://ssfchickenbox.square.site

Parking: small parking lot, street parking
Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-9pm 

Last Visited: April 10, 2021

Food: 4 stars

Atmosphere: N/A - Takeout or Delivery only

Service: 4 stars

Price: $$ 

SSF Chickenbox opened about a year ago, just as sheltering in place was kicking off.  Located off of East Grand Avenue, their operating model is takeout/pickup or delivery only.  Order online or at their kitchen.

My mom is very particular about fried chicken and considering that SSF Chickenbox got high ratings from her indicates just how good this place is.  

- Family Box - 4 pieces of chicken (thigh, drumstick, breast, wing), choice of 2 sides, and 2 plain mochi muffins.  The chicken is lightly breaded and well seasoned; even after a 15 minute drive, the chicken was still crispy.  The dark meat was juicy, and what was incredibly impressive was the juicy breast meat.  Most of the time, I avoid fried breast meat because of how dry it is, but this one was moist even after letting it sit about 30 minutes.  The choice of sides include coleslaw, french fries, macaroni salad, rice, or chicken gravy.  I opted for the french fries and chicken gravy.  The seasoned fries were ok, not as crisp, and better after being popped into the air fryer at home.  The gravy was tasty with lots of flecks of fresh pepper and great on the chicken as well as rice that I had already made at home.  The pickles that came with the chicken was just ok.  I opted to have one plain mochi and to pay an extra $0.50 for an ube mochi.  Both were ok, but not particularly exciting. Even popping them in the microwave for a few seconds didn't do much for me. Slightly crustier top and chewy on the inside, but not as crusty/crisp as what I prefer.  $22

- Individual pieces of fried chicken $4 for the first piece, +$3.50 for the second and third piece, etc.  I ordered three pieces and was given a drumstick, thigh, and wing.

If desired, sauces are also available for purchase.  The menu also includes chicken sandwiches if that piques your interest.  

Service was friendly.  I ran the bell upon arrival, and was promptly greeted. 

My food was ready as scheduled, 30 minutes after the order was placed, and the temperature was hot. 

I highly recommend getting the fried chicken and gravy.  Fun fact - SSF Chickenbox is affiliated with LoveBurn.

Mazra - Mediterranean, San Bruno

504 San Bruno Ave W
San Bruno, CA 94066
(650) 225-9027
Parking: small parking lot, street parking

Hours: 11am-8pm Daily

https://www.eatmazra.com

Last Visited: January 3, 2021

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars

Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$

When I first heard about Mazra opening in San Bruno, I was excited to have another option for casual Mediterranean food.  Their menu looked so appetizing; offerings include wraps, grilled kebabs, mezza (salads, baba ghanoush, hummus etc), and of course, baklava. 

In Arabic, Mazra means 'farm;' essentially, this is Arabic/Mediterranean farm to table, or these days, take out order. Walk into Mazra and be hit with the inviting aromatic scent of spices - it will make you hungry just standing there.  You'll also find the decor to be warm and inviting, with some humor inserted into the art that reminds you to 'take it easy, habibi, good food takes time.'

During my two visits, I've found the guys behind the counter are super friendly and warm as they take your order and thank you for waiting.  I was so distracted by the amazing smells on the car ride home, that by the time I took out the food from my first visit, I forgot to take photos.

- Falafel Mezza Plate - 4 falafels, 5 signature sides, and pita bread.  I had a little problem during my first visit - they forgot the falafel.  However, when I called to let them know, I spoke to a manager and they were really apologetic, refunded me for the dish, and even offered free falafel during my next visit.  I appreciated how they went the extra mile to make up for the problem.  While I didn't have the primary item, the hummus, olives, grape leaves, and salads were really tasty and the falafel was still slightly warm.  This is a great plate. $13

- Falafel - Since I couldn't try it the first time, I had to order it during my second visit!  The falafel are filled with green herbs and well flavored.  Tahini is included as well as a few pickled turnip pieces. Solid. 6 for $4

- Kibbeh - These fried beef/lamb balls are made with bulgur, minced onion, and spices.  Well flavored.  I'm not an expert about what these should be like, but I can tell you it tastes good.  It's not crunchy on the outside, but the outside browning kept the whole fritter together. This is also served with tahini.  2 for $6

- Kebab Wrap with a side of fries - Choice of lamb, chicken, or shrimp - I opted for lamb and ordered the extra side.  The meat is juicy and not at all gamey.  The wrap is served on pita bread and includes tomato, onion, pickle, and tzatziki.  The flavors meld together so well and it's filling.  The seasoned fries are tasty and even better after warmed up in the air-fryer.  It's a healthy portion that makes the addition a good value. $13 for lamb + $2 fries

They also offer family style platters including a whole chicken with side dishes, kebab packs, and mezza platters.  There are also a number of shwarma options available if you prefer a plate.

This is a place I can see myself returning to again and again.  Good flavorful food, friendly people, and a nice addition to the San Bruno area.  

Note that you can't order over the phone - they take online or in-person orders only.  Also, if you pay with a credit card, there is an extra service fee.