M.Y. China - Chinese, Rohnert Park - CLOSED

Gratin Resort and Casino
630 Park Court, Rohnert Park, CA 94928
(707) 703-1955
Hours: Sun-Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri -Sat 11am-midnight
Parking: self parking in lot and valet parking
http://www.gratonresortcasino.com/dining/casual-dining

Last Visited: December 26, 2013

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

I first heard about M.Y. China while reading San Francisco Magazine's article about best noodles. M.Y. are the initials for famous television chef Martin Yan. I was really excited to learn that Graton Casino was getting an M.Y. China so that I didn't have to go all the way into the city to try out their dishes.  Enter M.Y. China and you have multiple options for seating - at the bar, regular tables, counter facing the stove with wok-fired dishes, and the counter adjacent to the noodle station (we watched as scissor cut noodles were being made).  Dark woods and black napkins on square white plates give the restaurant a modern feel.

One thing to note is that when you look at the prices and menu on the casino website, it's not quite accurate.  It's a little frustrating considering that the resort is so new that information shouldn't be out of date yet, but know that prices are higher than what is posted on the site.

- Pork Juicy Dumplings - Five dumplings are served over a thinly sliced carrot round in individual black Chinese soup spoons in a bamboo steamer. While the presentation is unique and attractive because of the individual spoons, this actually causes the dumpling skin to become soggy because it is sitting in the dumpling juices (most of the soup had leaked out too).  The pork filling is tender and the soup is good, but the skin itself is not authentic in texture.  It's good if you have never had a soup dumpling before, but it can't be compared to Ding Tai Fung. The good thing is that it comes steaming hot - so hot that the spoon is hard to handle.  Red vinegar with thin ginger strands accompany the dish. One change to make is to eliminate chipped spoons - considering the prices at this place, everything should be near perfect.   $10

- Beef Hand Pulled Noodles - A few slices of five spice seasoned rib eye accompanies fresh baby bok choy, red pepper strips, and  chopped scallions over hand pulled noodles in a rich broth.  The meat is tender and the vegetables add great color, however, the broth is a little too salty at first taste and a little too sweet at the end of each bite.  Fortunately, the noodles have a nice al dente texture.  The quantity of food for the price charged is definitely petite. This is one of the dishes with wrong pricing on the website (shows $14 on the site). $16

- Beijing Knife Cut Noodles - Diced pork belly is cooked in spicy bean sauce and is accompanied by shredded carrots, bean sprouts, shredded cucumber, mushroom, and corn.  All of this sits colorfully on rice noodles.  The presentation is colorful and when it arrives, you get to mix all of this together to combine everything.  The meat pieces are a bit fatty.  The vegetables add good crunch, but the corn is from a can and lacks flavor. The sauce is mostly spicy and sweet, overpowering the flavor of the meat and vegetables.  $12

Service was friendly, but had a few blips.  When taking the bowl of soup away, the server grabbed the bowl instead of the saucer underneath it, but avoided the potential mishap of spilled soup. Since we sat in a row at the counter, the server picked up the check from one seat and returned it to the person furthest away from where it was retrieved. On the plus side, they clear plates frequently, and thank each patron on his or her way out.

M.Y. China is a good place for a business lunch or to go for drinks to appreciate the decor.  The dishes are good for a first timer at trying more authentic Chinese dishes, but to those whom are accustomed to what it should taste like, unless you're far from home and haven't had a chance to enjoy it for a while, an hour's drive will bring you to more authentic flavors and textures for a better value.

Ca'Bianca - Italian, Santa Rosa

835 Second St, Santa Rosa CA
(707) 542-5800
Parking: small parking lot, street parking
http://www.cabianca.com/
Hours: Lunch Mon-Fri 11am-2:30pm, Dinner Weeknights 5pm to 9pm, Dinner Weekends 5pm-10pm

Last Visited: October 31, 2009

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

Built in 1876, the white house in which Ca'Bianca is located is a historic site.  Recently renovated, it has a cozy feel of the old world with cuisine that blends various areas of Italy including Milano and Sicilia.

Our visit was particularly festive since the waitstaff were dressed in their Halloween garb - there's nothing like a server with a Jason mask or blood dripping from her neck to make you a bit more alert to the service.   The dim lighting would probably typically be called romantic, but it fits well into the Halloween theme too.

- Fitto Misto - Crispy calamari and shrimp, although the portion was a bit small.  $10

- Lamb chops - Very nicely done and juicy. $23

- Venison - Tender meat without any gaminess.  The sides, including potatoes and veggies, petite, but the overall dish is filling. $26

I appreciated the attention to detail of the wait staff and their friendliness as they welcomed us to Ca'Bianca and served us through the evening.  From the menu to the quaint feel of the restaurant's atmosphere to the furnishings, it's definitely exudes more of a classic feel.  This is a great restaurant for a fancy dinner for a subdued crowd or romantic night out. 

Chang Puak (White Elephant) - Thai, Noodles, South San Francisco

146 Hazelwood Drive, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 873-8341
Parking: limited street parking
Hours: Mon-Sat: 11-3pm, 5-9pm, Sun: 5-9pm
http://www.whiteelephantssf.com

Last Visited: April 6, 2013

Food: 4 stars (if not for the contaminant)
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $ to $$

Chang (Thai for elephant) Puak (white) is located in a small strip mall across the street from Smart and Final.  While it's a pretty small place, they have really tried to load it with character in terms of decor and in flavors.  This family-owned business shows a lot of care in explaining food to its patrons - for those who might find the yellow curry to be too yellow, or the sauce to be different from what they expect, the wait staff takes the time to come and explain that the food is from the Northern region, which is atypical of what is found at many Bay Area Thai restaurants. 

- Beef Tendon Stew - One of the specials for the evening - the beef was tender and there was a nice peanut flavor throughout the broth.  It's a little reminscent of five spice beef stew noodles.  However, when I was dividing the egg noodles, I found a hair.  I have to give them a hand for how they handled it though - they immediately apologized, took the dish away, brought me a new bowl, and didn't charge me a thing.  I've found hair in a number of my dishes, and this was by far handled in a way that tops the list in terms of customer service (way better than my experience at Morimoto Napa and John Ash in Santa Rosa).  Good job Chuang Puak!  The noodle soup/stew was also really good - perfect for cold weather. $9.25


- Green Curry with Pork - One thing I noticed is that Chuang Puak's prices might be a dollar more than other Thai places, but the portions are also slightly larger. This curry was a bit different than some of the other green curry that I've tried - it doesn't seem to have coconut milk in it.  The pork was tender and the sauce goes well over rice.  I also liked the eggplant and how it soaked up the sauce.  Good. $8.25

- Pad Thai with Prawns - One of my primary complaints when eating Thai is that places often skimp on the shrimp.  Here, they give you eight prawns which is often double of what you find at other places.  Standard ingredients like egg, bean sprouts, and green onions make are served with the al dente noodles.   $9.25

- Rice $2

A little different flavors than the typical Thai restaurant, Chang Puak is worth trying out.  Since they handled the contaminant incident so well, and the flavors were good, I would be willing to return to see how their other dishes fare.  Note that the restaurant is a bit small and tends to get packed on weekend evenings, so eat early or eat late to avoid the crowds. 

Ramen Parlor - San Mateo, Japanese

901 S B St, San Mateo CA 94401
(650) 344-9728
Parking: small parking lot, street parking
Hours: Tues-Sun 11:30am - 2pm, 5:30pm - 9pm

Last Visited: August 25, 2013

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

We arrived about ten minutes before Ramen Parlor opened for dinner and found ourselves in the line that had already formed.  The restaurant is owned by the same folks as Ramen Dojo on the next block and often gets spillover from them as well.  Ramen Parlor is more spacious than its sister restaurant and by opening time, there were plenty more folks behind us.  We managed to secure a table, but service could have been better. 

While we were waiting in line, the folks in front of us had already started having their orders taken, and by the time the server was about to approach us, the restaurant had already opened.  After being seated, everyone waited about five minutes before glasses of water were provided to all of the tables.  Even after that, we were still waiting for the menu, and when the server saw me looking at him as he was ready to take the order for the table next to us, he commented that he would be right with us and didn't seem to notice that we had still not received menus until I said something.  Upon receiving the menu, he came by again within just a couple of minutes to take the order - definitely room for improvement in terms of how to improve timing of service. 

All ramen is available non-spicy, mild spicy, regular spicy, and extra spicy.  It probably took fifteen minutes for the ramen to arrive. 

- Parlor Ramen - Lobster Pork Flavor with kikurage mushrooms. The menu describes it as lobster enhanced broth with fried soft shell crab (half), roasted pork (2 pieces), mizuna (aka Japanese mustard/California peppergrass), and roasted seaweed (2 pieces).  I ordered the broth mild spicy, and though it wasn't too spicy at all, I couldn't taste much of the lobster flavor.  The noodles were good and the ingredients tasted fresh.  The soft shell crab was very good - crispy and light - and I wouldn't mind paying a little more for a whole one.  Good.  $9.75

My dining companion had the garlic lobster pork flavor ramen.  The broth comes out black, but I heard multiple people at the tables surrounding us also commenting that the garlic lobster pork broth was delicious.  If I came back, I would probably try this instead. 

The ramen is good (but for me, it wasn't wow) and the menu has a lot of variety - classic ramen with an egg, specialties like curry ramen, Japanese curry over rice, and a number of appetizers like skewers. 

The atmosphere is very casual and the windows bring in a lot of natural light.  One thing they do well is separate those whom are waiting from those whom are eating.  However, the tables are a little too close - you can easily get to know your neighbor if you wish, and it's super easy to get bumped or to bump someone getting in and out of your seat.  It's a family friendly place - there were lots of little kids dining there this evening.  And while service is pleasant, their timing could be improved.  Ramen Parlor offers a solid ramen, but the lobster enhancement could be enhanced more. 

Piccino Cafe - Italian, San Francisco

1001 Minnesota St, San Francisco CA 94107
(415) 824-4224
Parking: street parking
Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-10pm, Closed Mondays
http://www.piccinocafe.com/

Last Visited: April 27, 2013

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

Lee recommended Piccino as a great place for dinner, so I went to check it out with the girls.  We wanted to try a variety of dishes, and since the pizza was highlighted by multiple people, I made sure we tried it. 

When we got to Piccino, it was just starting to fill up for dinner, and before long, the whole place had filled up.  Reservations aren't required, but if you have a larger party, there are a limited number of tables for large groups, so reserve ahead. 

The decor is rustic with wood tables and floors.  The chairs are modest and the large table in the center had a display of lemons.  The bar on the side remained busy through the evening, and the large number of windows bring in a lot of natural light. 

- Salad - Asparagus, burrata, heirloom polenta, watercress, salsa verde - I didn't know what heirloom polenta was and asked the hostess whom explained that the polenta is made in an old way and that it tasted good.  So with that recommendations, I ordered it and it was delicious.  If you like fried tofu, it's quite reminiscent of that - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  This is probably amongst the best polenta that I've had.  While the asparagus was tender, it may have been better if it was baby asparagus.  The burrata was soft and paired with the salsa verde, the flavors were quite good.  However, the watercress was a bit disappointing - these large leaves and stems were a little tough and would have been better left off the plate.  Great polenta and burrata - I would have been happy with double the amount of those items only. $13

- Potato Gnocchi - octopus, pepperoncino, marinara - The marinara was really tasty and the gnocchi was tender.  I really liked the sauce with the spiciness coming from the pepperoncino and the sweetness from the tomatoes (San Marzano probably), but the portion was minuscule.  The octopus was just okay - I wouldn't have missed it if it was gone.  $13

- Pizze Funghi - Roasted mushrooms, stracchino, shaved garlic - Mushrooms are roasted, run through a food processor, and spread over the pizza along with the cheese.  Garlic slices and parsley are sprinkled on top of the pizza.  The mushroom flavor is pretty intense and complements the cheese well.  The texture and presentations of the ground mushrooms may not be for everyone - I personally prefer to have them sliced. The pizza has a very thin crust, and overall, it's pretty good - crispy crust all the way around with little brown bubbles on the edges. $16

- Pizze Salsiccia - Housemade sausage, mozzarella, red onion - The sausage is broken into pieces and sliced red onions and parsley are sprinkled on top.  I preferred this flavor profile better, but the sausage could have been spread out more evenly across the entire pizza.  The crust on this pizza was equally thin and delicious.  Good. $15

- Zeppole - Vanilla Bean Crema, Berry Marmelatta - Five zeppole are served in a bowl with a sweet berries over a dollop of crema on the side.  The zeppole are lighter than a donut, but denser than a cream puff.  The color of the zeppole was a beautiful golden brown and each had been rolled in sugar.  I actually liked the zeppole without the crema which was nicely infused with vanilla beans, but too thick in texture - more like frosting and too viscous.  The berries are a nice balance with their sweetness and tartness.  $7

While service is good for the most part, I found that some of the servers lacked warmth and when we were deciding on a dessert, the server seemed a bit impatient.  The hostess on the other hand is very friendly and perhaps that contrast makes the other server appear even less friendly.

Other offerings for the evening included cod, lamb, and pork and beef polpette. Serving sizes are on the smaller side, so if you like to try multiple dishes, you'll definitely be able to do so, but it makes sharing a little difficult.  Ingredients are fresh, but if the watercress and asparagus had been a little younger, they could have been five star dishes.   Piccino has solid offerings overall.

Amami - Sushi/Japanese, San Bruno

1789 El Camino Real, San Bruno CA 94066
(650) 872-2218
Parking: small private parking lot, street parking, public parking lot close by
Hours: Tues-Sun 5pm to Midnight

Last Visited: August 11, 2013

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

I first heard about Amami through Rayfil's social media post of Amami's oyster special and nigiri sushi which had an amazingly large portion of fish.  I had been asking people for sushi recommendations in the South San Francisco and San Bruno area, and this was the first time I had heard a peep out of anyone about a good place, so of course I had to check it out.

Enter the restaurant and the waiting area takes up about a quarter of the room.  Behind the sushi bar and above the hostess stand are large televisions playing everything from Food Network programs to America's Got Talent (at least that was what was on during this evening). Pop music plays on the sound system.  The sushi bar serves mostly parties of 3 or less and the tables seem to be reserved for parties of four or more.  I arrived about 5:45pm on a Sunday night and put my name on the waiting list for two.  We were quoted over an hour wait, and that was pretty accurate - the place had just filled up and there were about four parties of two before ours.  While I tried to circumvent the wait by trying to order take-out, I was quoted an hour wait for that too.  A tip for you if you decide to go - make reservations.  Even if you make a reservation, there is still a wait time of about 20 minutes. 

- Oyster Special - 2 servings come with each order.  A soup spoon holds a small oyster, salmon roe, tobiko, uni, quail egg, and green onion.  Enjoy it all in one bite and you'll get the flavors of the sea - the fresh oyster, the saltiness from the roe, and the silkiness of the uni.  The quail egg is creamy and smooth and the green onion gives it just a little crunch and kick.  This is definitely worth trying.  If the presentation had been a little neater and had the two servings looked more alike, it would have gotten a solid four stars.  $8

- Sushi Regular - 7 pieces of sushi are served with a California Roll and miso soup.  The miso soup is on the sweeter side than what I usually get at other sushi places and it contained sliced mushrooms, green onions, tofu, and seaweed.  The sushi included hamaichi, salmon, two types of tuna, and mackerel.  All the fish was very fresh and the portions were quite large, but the fish tended to be quite wet - the excess moisture seemed to make the flavor of the fish slightly less intense and sweet - almost diluted.  It's still good, but if you're accustomed to dry pieces or slightly denser texture, then you may find this isn't quite as authentic.

- Sushi Deluxe - 9 pieces of sushi are served with a rock n' roll and miso soup.  The same varieties of fish that are in the Sushi Regular are included here also.  The additional sushi was scallop and shrimp.  We also received one bonus piece of fish as well.

While a ten piece omakase is available, by the time we were seated, they had run out.  Other offerings include udon noodles, tonkatsu,ramen, teriyaki and many rolls.  Based upon the way the miso soup was served with additional ingredients (many Chinese people often comment on how miso soup doesn't have anything in it), and the way that they serve their dishes (larger portions versus high end presentation), it feels like Amami is catering to the Chinese audience.

Chef owner Alan is friendly and works quickly preparing nigiri and sashimi behind the sushi bar.    Formerly with Sushi Raw in San Francisco, you can see how he has taken some of his roots with him in terms of how he generously serves fish portions.  His younger brother makes most of the rolls.  We noticed that Chef Alan frequently gives away extras - extra piece of fish here and there, especially as things run out - for example, there was no more ocean trout available for the party of three whom ordered it, so he asked them if they wanted to order something else and gave them a complimentary third piece of nigiri when they made their second choice.  Uni also ran out this evening, and it was barely 8pm. 

A few things would make this restaurant even better.  While it's high on value, Amami needs to work on cleanliness.  I feel comfortable about the fish preparation because you just can't serve bad fish and manage to survive without any bashing.  However, after waiting an hour in their waiting area and seeing the wrappers and toothpicks on the floor less than an hour into service, I can see that there is room for improvement.  It was pretty apparent that the toothpicks had spilled some time ago as you could see some peeking out from under the host stand.  When  I was at the bar,  I also noticed some chopstick wrappers that had been stuck between the refrigerator and edge of the bar.  Last, but certainly not least are the curtains covering the kitchen opening - they're desperately in need of being washed.  Just cleaning up these few items would really help people feel more comfortable with the cleanliness of the entire operations. 

Overall, Amami offers a good variety of dishes, large portions for a reasonable price, and the quality is ok.  However, if you're a traditional sushi enthusiast, it may not meet your standards.  

Alana's Cafe - Breakfast/Brunch, Burlingame

1408 Burlingame Ave, Burlingame CA 94010
(650) 348-0417
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am - 3pm, Sat 8am-3pm, Sun 8am-2pm; Dinner Tues-Fri 5pm start
http://www.alanascafe.com/

Last Visited: July 28, 2013

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

During a walk through downtown Burlingame just after a Sunday lunch, I noticed a long line spilling out of a place with lots of energy - that was the first time I came across Alana's Cafe.  So when a buddy said she wanted brunch, this seemed like a great spot to check out.

Alana's serves breakfast and lunch all day.  Choices include Swedish pancakes, french toast, scrambles, quiche, and more.  You'll also see a lingonberries on the menu (I thought that was only available at Ikea...). Enter the place and you'll see counter seating and tables with lots of hustle and bustle by the folks working in the open kitchen area behind the counter.

- Company's Coming - Sauteed homefries, tomatoes, scallions, mushroom, Italian sausage, cheddar, provolone cheese, and two poached eggs served with fruit and choice of scone, coffee cake, or toast.  Today's scone choice was kiwi or hibiscus and the fruit was a slice of watermelon and slice of pineapple.  The mix of flavors from the sweetness of the tomatoes and the spiciness of the sausage really add to the crisp homefries.  I loved how the poached eggs were placed on top of the potatoes so that you could break them and let the yolks ooze over the mix of veggies and sausage.  The fruit was fresh and while the hibiscus scone was hard, it had good flavor.  I took most of the scone home since I was pretty stuffed and toasting it made the texture so much softer - I preferred it more when warmed.  Portions in general are hearty.  $11.75

The service was friendly.  Note that you won't be able to be seated until your entire party is present, and if you're looking for a bargain, you can check in on yelp for 10% off .  I did notice that the folks at the counter next to us put in their order at the same time, but didn't get food until much later - when it arrived, it didn't look like anything that wasn't already being made, so it seems that the kitchen's timing with orders could be improved slightly.  Overall, it's a solid brunch place with a lot of charm.