Great China (Berkeley, CA)

SATURDAY - FEBRUARY 19, 2011


Great China
2115 Kittredge Street
Berkeley, California 94704
(510)843-7996

www.greatchinaberkeley.com




WHAT WE ORDERED:



SEAFOOD & PORK DUMPLINGS (15 @ $6.95) - These were succulent, very juicy perfect bite-sized dumplings! Every bite was an absolute pleasure and I guess for the 1.5 hour wait to get into the restaurant, it should have been that good. If you like a good dumpling, get these! =)

CHUNG KING CRISPY CHICKEN ($9.95) - This looked like a forest when it arrived on our table. Ha! There was cilantro, julienned ginger and scallions all over it! The chicken was very tender, however, very juicy and just a pleasure to eat. The ends tended to be a little bit EXTRA crispy if you know what I mean, but I don't think that detracted too much from the dish itself. The sauce at the bottom (soy sauce based) wasn't overpowering and surprisingly not overly salty. An excellent dish!

CHINESE STRING BEANS ($8.95) - These string beens were sauteed to perfection! I loved them! They were sauteed with a little bit of pork and this pickled vegetable (that I recognize but don't know the name of, so i'm sorry I can't help! ha!) They weren't the best of the best I've ever had but they were very tasty and an excellent dish. They were just a little bit greasier than I prefer but outstanding overall! Go with it! =)

WALNUT PRAWNS ($14.95) - Deep fried prawns glazed with sweet creamy sauce. This was the highlight of our dinner! These prawns were big, not those skimpy little things you get, the walnuts were toasted to perfection and the batter on the prawns was nice and light. The glaze didn't weigh down the batter and the sweet cream at the bottom was a nice touch to the entire dish, it lightened the sweetness of the glaze and made the entire dish a party in your mouth! I would highly recommend this dish to anyone who passes through this restaurant. A 10!

THE REVIEW:

The wait for this restaurant is nearly unbearable. If you want to get in without waiting a ridiculous amount of time, either get there early (before 7PM) or later (after 9PM). The decor in the restaurant is nothing to write home about but I assume that they are definitely more about the food than the decor, which is the way I felt about the food. The chinese food here is really authentic and by the number of chinese people walking out and waiting to get in, it's pretty safe to say that if the natives are coming, it's probably pretty authentic, or it's a good bet for good chinese food. LOL! The menu is extensive, so if I were you, I would go on their website and get an idea of what you want before you get there. Otherwise, you might be sitting there for awhile. The staff is pretty nice and the food comes out in a timely manner. If you're in the area and have a taste for authentic chinese, I would definitely venture a visit here! =)

Buddy's Bites and Brews (Hayward, CA)

FRIDAY - FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Buddy's Bites and Brews
24297 Hesperian Boulevard
Hayward, CA 94545
(510)-300-3388

http://www.buddysbitesandbrews.com/

PS - If you have an account on restaurant.com, you should definitely go, you can get gift certificates to Buddy's ($25 for $10 - and also in other denominations). It's a great way to save!

Happy Hour (M-F: 3PM - 6PM) - all small bites are $2 Off, $3.50 draughts, $4 House Wines, $5 Cocktails. They also have specials on certain days, like Taco Tuesdays, etc (check their website for deets!)


WHAT WE ORDERED:

**We went during Happy Hour so all of these dishes we got at $2 Off. Win! =)

Shaunte:

1. Strawberry Jalapeno Buffalo Wings ($6/$8) - These are only MILD, but they were delicious! If you like a sweet and slightly heated buffalo wing or a departure from normal buffalo wings, order this, you definitely will NOT regret it! =)

2. Fancy Fries w/cajun garlic ranch ($4/$6) - These fries were fried perfectly and the sauce was perfect, it's a little too creamy for me, but i'm a little weird about creamy dips.


Sherry:

1. Belgium Mussels in Tomato Brandy Broth ($7/$9) - These mussels were good, but I think the mussels I had at Bistro 61 better. Though the sauce was very good, it was a little salty but if you dip the cheesey bread that comes with the mussels in the sauce, it's perfect! =)

2. Seaside Calamari ($7/$9) - These were lightly breaded and perfectly fried. It came with an aioli ranchero sauce which i wasn't super crazy about but the cocktail sauce was something on FIRE! I loved it! You could actually see and taste the horseradish in the cocktail sauce! It gave the calamari a whole new kind of taste! If you like calamari (like me!) then try these =)

3. Simple Tossed Greens ($5/$7) - It was greens. That's all I need to say. The greens were fresh, not rotten or gross. I just needed some foliage.


THE REVIEW:

I had the Denoggnizer Double IPA for $3.50 for a pint! Yay! Go Happy Hour! Well I ended up having 2 and getting a little wasted, lol! Coz I drank an entire pint before the food arrived and we know what happens when i drink hungry, lol! Anyways, this is a great little pub place, if you're gonna go don't forget to go get a restaurant.com gift certificate and go during happy hour to really take advantage of a great discount for great food! =)

Vientian Cafe (Oakland, CA)

THURSDAY - FEBRUARY 17, 2011

VIENTIAN CAFE
3801 Allendale Avenue

Oakdale, California 94619

(510)535-2218

M-F: 11AM - 9PM

No website, just yelp it! (www.yelp.com/biz/vientian-cafe-oakland)

WHAT WE ORDERED:

1. Cha Gio (Top Right, $6.95) - I've had one a many of Cha Gio rolls in my lifetime. I don't like mine chopped up but they were really, really delicious anyways! It came with a side of noodles and the usual sweet chili sauce which paired excellently together! =) An excellent dish!

2. Thai Style Papaya Salad (middle left, $5.95) - This was also excellent, it ALSO came with noodles and the vegetables with the noodles were a fantastic mix together. Although the giant wedge of cabbage served to be an obstacle between me and the salad, i'm sure it would have tasted well with the entire mix. I would definitely recommend this salad to all omnivores! =)

3. Thai Style Chicken Fried Rice (middle right, $5.95) - This was very good fried rice as well but nothing stellar, if you're not overly adventurous about super ethnic thai-lao-vietnamese foods then this is a solid and very safe pick. You won't be disappointed and the portions are great =)

4. Fresh Spring Rolls w/Chicken (Not pictured, 4 for $5.25) - These spring rolls were very, very good. You could taste the freshness and the peanut sauce was also excellent! =)

THE REVIEW:

Walking into this restaurant was like a throw-back to my Taiwan days! Let me tell you I think this is someone's house with the downstairs area converted into a restaurant and the family probably lives upstairs. Honestly, the restaurant is located in a neighborhood, not even remotely a business district. I could see the kitchen from where i was sitting and it looked like mama, papa, nana, grandpa, sister, brother, uncle and auntie were all coming in and out of the kitchen, ha! This is what you call a real down "hole-in-the-wall" but the food was soooo good and authentic! I haven't had authentic Thai-Lao-Vietnamese food like that in a really loooong time. I eat a lot of really good Thai Food in the city, but this was a whole other type of experience. Go if you wanna experience what its really like in an asian household, lol! =) I totally recommend this place, it is toooo bad they aren't located in NYC, I would be a regular.

Maya

Sunday - February 13, 2011

(photo: Mike and I at our early Valentine's Day dinner together!

Maya
1191 First Avenue (b/w 64th & 65th Sts)
New York, New York 10065
212-585-1818
www.richardsandoval.com/mayany/index.htm


WHAT WE ORDERED:


Appetizers:

Queso Fundido ($10, $11 w/chorizo)

This dish was really delicious! The tomatillo sauce was also excellent. We have become what we consider "queso fundido connoisseurs", this particular queso fundido was very good, I think what we messed up on (and this is by no fault of the restaurant) is that we forgot to order it with Chorizo ... party foul on our part. I think it would have been comparable to Rosa Mexicano's had we ordered it with chorizo. It was still very good and I would recommend this dish for couples and dates. It's a dish that's not only delicious but one that you can have fun with. =)

Ensalada de Papaya ($10)

This was a very refreshing salad! It consisted of papaya (ripe), strips of green apple, avocado, cilantro, panela cheese and pommegranate seeds with a tequila-papaya vinaigrette. I would definitely recommend this salad as a shared salad prior to your entree. I'm not sure I would recommend it as an entree by itself. The taste of the salad is delicious but also very distinct, I told Mike that as a prolific salad eater, there would be no way I could stomach eating this salad as an entree, I think it's definitely a meant-to-be-shared salad.

MAIN ENTREES:

Mike: Langostas y Camarones ($31)

I really should let Mike write this part of the review since it was his dish, but I have to say that the shrimp and the lobster were both cooked perfectly. Not undercooked and not overcooked where it becomes like rubber. Now, I have to say that i'm not really a very big lobster fan just because I really haven't had any lobster that's really "wow'd" me, but I would say that this lobster was very, very good. I actually really enjoyed it. All of the sauces with the pea leaf salad below was wonderful! The green drizzle tasted like a pea-onion blend. It paired superbly with the rest of the dish. Now, I noticed that this particular dish isn't on their normal menu that's provided online so this might have been a special dish for Valentine's day or Resto Week. Either way, if you are a seafood lover and looking for a new twist on seafood, I would highly recommend this dish!

Sherry: Pernil (Lamb) - ($28)

I would like to make mention that this particular item is also not present on their regular menu and may be potentially a specialty item for Valentine's or Resto Week (btw - now extended through February 27!) This pernil was PHENOMENAL!!! The meat fell right off the bone, it was super tender, it came with a cactus veggie blend which was amazing with the meat. There was nothing about this dish that I didn't like. I even brought the bone home for my dogs to savor (only a little and under intense supervision!). Pernil is traditionally made with pork shoulder and so this lamb was a tremendous departure from the usual. Maya is supposed to be modern mexican and I have to say, perfect! Order this! You will NOT be sorry!

DESSERT:

Tres Leches ($8) - A sponge cake made with 3 types of milks and raspberry mousse, dressed with fresh raspberries on top. When I say this dish was mouth watering, I am not lying! Mike and I could NOT get enough of this dish, it was so wonderful! I'm glad we passed up the ice cream! =) Sorry - no photo available, we attacked and finished it before I realized that I hadn't taken a picture, ha!

THE FINAL REVIEW:

Michael and I both love, love, looooved our meal here together. The flavors, the uniqueness, the time spent and creativity in blending unusual flavors together was tremendous. I have been to Maya on numerous occasions for their happy hour (7 days a week!) from 5PM - 8PM. Just in case eating here isn't sweet enough for you, they have a great happy hour! Their margaritas (tamarind being my personal fave!) for half off $6, they're normally $12. They have a botanas menu that goes all night long for $3 per item. I will definitely return to Maya, if not for dinner, then their happy hour. I highly recommend this restaurant, you will not be disappointed at all. The ambiance in the restaurant is mostly romantic and the staff is extremely friendly and accomodating.

Congee Village

SATURDAY - JANUARY 15, 2011


Congee Village
98 Bowery
New York, New York 10013
212-965-5028
www.congeevillagerestaurants.com


WHAT WE ORDERED:

(1) Xiao Long Bao (aka - small/tiny juicy buns) - OMG these things were HORRIBLE!!!! They were dry and the meat really didn't have any flavor. Do NOT waste your hope for something good here!

(2) Steamed Vegetable Dumplings - these weren't so bad, they were wrapped in crystal dumpling wrap though? But there were only 3 in the order ...

(3) Scallion Pancake - YUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKK! Please DO NOT poison yourself and your taste buds by even bothering to order this. I loooove scallion pancakes, I hated this, it's like they bought it from booboo-the-clown, froze it, threw it in a vat of oil in a frying pan for a few seconds until the ice melted and then put it on a plate. Uuuuuggghhhhh....

(4) Hot sizzling Chinese Broccoli - this is the best dish that Mike and I had. As a matter of fact, it inspired us to go buy some Chinese Broccoli and make more the next day, lol.


THE REVIEW:

I think in retrospect, seeing as the restaurant is named CONGEE VILLAGE, that I should have ordered some congee, lol. However, I have a fundamental problem with paying $8 for a bowl of boiled rice grains. Call me crazy, but I really don't think I should have to pay that much for a bowl of boiled rice! Anyways, we tried to order at Congee Village like we were at Green Bo or something, clearly these 2 restaurants are NOWHERE within the same leagues. I won't be going back ... definitely not.

Wine 30

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Wine 30
41 East 30th Street (b/w Park and Madison Aves)
New York, New York
(212)481-0197
http://www.wine30nyc.com/


WHAT WE ORDERED:

Drink:

• A bottle of Nieto Senetiner Reserva 2009 Malbec (excellent!)

Appetizers:

• Zucchini Pancakes w/cucumber-dill yogurt sauce ($8 - below, on the left) - At first appearance, the zucchini pancakes appeared too mushy but they were actually perfectly crispy. On its own, the pancaske is a little too salty, but with the cucumber-dill yogurt dip, the dip cuts the saltiness and the mix of the 2 flavors together was a HIT! I would recommend grabbing this appetizer.

• Beef Sausage Lollypops wrapped in Roasted Red Pepper ($9 - above, on the right) - OMG, do NOT waste your money on this appetizer! This dish tasted like they walked out and crossed the street to the nearest deli to pick up some random beef sausage and a generic jar of roasted red peppers and slapped the 2 together on a skewer to serve to people. Yuck! It's completely un-creative and the 2 flavors did not MESH well together at all! It was mostly horrific to eat together. Meh!

• Tomato, garlic, arugula, sundried tomato, olive oil & shredded parmesan cheese Bruschetta ($6) - The mix of all these unique and complex flavors mixed very well together. However, they mixed in a fashion were it tasted like they were mushed together. The bread was overtoasted, or rather, quite bluntly burnt and that definitely killed the deliciousness of the bruschetta. I was not overly pleased. I think the bruschetta would have been much better if my bread hadn't been burnt and the ingredients for the toppings were freshly tossed together versus being mushed together and sitting for hours in a fridge awaiting an order from a patron. It was also, as noted a very expensive appetizer as you only get 2 pieces of bruschetta for $6. A little excessive if you plan on burning my bread.

Main Entrees:

• Mike - Red wine seared Hanger Steak w/creamy polenta & sauteed spinach ($19) - Cooked perfectly (medium rare). The polenta & sauteed spinach were also cooked very well. Each individual flavor was delicious and together an absolute delight. I'll admit the initial taste of all 3 flavors together was a little odd but the after flavor that lingers in your mouth demands that you continue to take more bites! This dish paired perfectly with the Malbec. Excellent!

• Sherry - Garlic-Ginger Shrimp Salad w/black beans, tomato, tortilla strips, chihuahua cheese and cilantro-lime dressing ($18) - The shrimps (5) were a perfect serving as they were very large shrimp. The salad was very refreshing, not overbearing or tasteless at all. The baby romaine w/black beans, tomatoes, tortilla strips and chihuahua cheese packed so much flavor that it absolutely required no dressing, in my opinion. There was a very light cilantro-lime dressing that was present but I don't think it would made a bit of a difference if it hadn't been on the salad. Ladies - if you are calorie counting, I highly recommend this dish, it is also perfectly portioned. =)

DESSERT:

• Caramelized Banana Bread Pudding ($7) - This was a very different take on bread pudding. I would say it tasted more like french toast pudding! It was, however, excellent! It was simply delicious and all the flavors tasted like a party in your mouth. =)
  

THE OVERVIEW:

The ambiance at this restaurant I would describe as very modern romantic. They also appear to have a backyard area which is most likely open during the warmer months. They are selling eclectic paintings and the ceiling is lined with wine corks (very unique!) The service staff was great, sweet, nice and accommodating. While I felt heavily disappointed by most of the appetizers, I feel like the main entrees were a definitely saving grace for this restaurant. I would definitely come back to try to the other dishes and would also recommend this restaurant to other friends and family members for a romantic dinner for 2 or just for a good meal.