Beque Korean BBQ

Location: Santa Clara, CA

Cuisine type: Korean

Atmosphere: classic, cook at table

Meal: dinner

Price range: $20 all-you-can-eat

Overall grade: 8

Ben

Table full of appetizers (more than 10), $20 all you can eat including well seasoned chicken and pork, and spicy and unspiced beef. The entire service was efficient and filling, the service was prompt and helpful. The all-you-can-eat is a great way to fully experience Korean BBQ, where they serve such a large amount of meats, soup, and appetizers that it is expected to leave large amounts uneaten. The soup was much better than a standard miso soup, with mussels and mushrooms in addition to scallions and tofu. The appetizers included kimchi that I enjoyed much more than that which I’ve had in the past. Overall the appetizers were pretty standard, but an impressive sight when all arranged around the grill at the center of the table. The bulgogi was all great – particularly the chicken (very flavorful dark meat) and spicy beef. The only drawback was the pork was served frozen and was a little bland. There was a great bargain for a rice wine bottle for $8, which we also thoroughly enjoyed.

Food          8

Drinks        8

Atmosphere 7

Service      7

Value         8

Nina

The weekend came and it was time to take a break from cooking dinner and treat ourselves to a new and interesting restaurant. I had never been to a Korean Barbecue, and Ben really talked up this cooking style since his trip to DC last November, so I had to try it. I found a restaurant with great reviews across the board, which on top of that had a nice all-you-can eat deal which was very tempting.

The restaurant had a familiar, somewhat austere atmosphere, with nothing to set it apart from dozens of other Asian restaurants I have seen before - a simple table-with-four-chairs setting with vague representations of Korean culture along the wall. There was one key difference, however: the center of every table was occupied by a gas grill plate, characteristic for the Korean Barbecue at-the-table meat preparation.

The meal started with a long array of appetizers, which we soon realized also would serve as sides, since the all-you-can-eat component of the meal consisted exclusively of meat and more meat. The small plates lining the edges of the grill included pickled daikon, kimchi cabbage, kimchi spiced daikon, glazed potatoes, bean sprouts and seaweed. We were also served warm tea and a miso soup containing mussels and mushrooms, which definitely made it richer and more exciting than the usual bland miso options. This all went pretty well with the array of protein we cooked on our table grill: pork belly, spicy beef, marinated beef and marinated chicken, and the lettuce leaves which served as light and fresh carb-free wraps. Last but not least, we washed it all down with a few rounds of sake, which definitely rounded off our meal delightfully.

At some point it became difficult to manage the meat on the grill (especially due to the variation form the very thinly sliced beef which could be eaten somewhat rare to the thicker chicken which needed to be cooked through), especially since it was not entirely clear how we could separately handle the raw meat and the cooked meat with the same pair of tongs and pair of scissors for cutting it up (chopsticks are not the most useful in eating large strips of meat whole). We managed in the end, and were not abel to even finish the first round of meat that was brought to our table (though the server did offer to bring us more if we wanted it).

Finally, I was personally disappointed that the restaurant did not have *any* dessert on their menu. It was particularly more disappointing after one of their positive reviews praised their amazing green tea ice cream, which is definitely one of my favorite flavors - I guess the comment was out-dated. However, I was able to rectify this situation pretty quickly since there was a fro-yo place on the way to the car in the same parking lot, so I left happy :)

This place is definitely very exciting, and we may go back sometime. However, I would like to try other similar restaurants before returning just to be able to compare and learn if the sparse sides and abundance of pure meat with little to complement it are something usual or just an oversight in planning on their part.

Food           9
Drinks        8
Atmosphere 7
Service       9
Value         8

Clouds Downtown

Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Cuisine type: Steakhouse
Atmosphere:  semi-casual, dim lights and soft music (though sports on TV in bar area)
Meal: dinner
Price range: $36 special for two dinners and a bottle of house wine
Overall grade: 7.9

Ben

We stumbled on a great bargain downtown Santa Cruz - $36 for 2 entrees and a bottle of house cabernet sauvignon. The service was prompt serving freshly cooked bread, refilling the wine and water. The food was really well executed – a flank stank stuffed with wild mushrooms and peppers on potato and roasted peppers in a red wine sauce. It was perfectly spiced and cooked, and went very well with the wine. The normal menu was more pricy than the special we found, but not extreme. The atmosphere did have a somewhat confusing identity. We were greeted by well dressed host and a classy and chic looking restaurant with nice artwork and design, however against one wall was the bar with a rowdier feel and sports on TV which clashed with the overall feel.

Food          9 

Drinks        8

Atmosphere 8

Service      8

Value        9

Nina

Towards the end of the day in Santa Cruz, we ran across a Greek festival. While I'd normally get very excited at such a unique opportunity to try unique, ethnic foods, this came a few hours after I had just eaten the best gyro of my life ( link ). So, we resigned to just walk through the festival and move on. An enticing offer caught our attention soon afterwards - a deal on two entrees and a bottle of wine for a fixed price - yes, please!

I ordered the glazed salmon served on a bed of risotto with asparagus. The seasoning on the fish was well balanced, the balsamic glaze was of a syrupy thick consistency, but most importantly the filet was cooked to perfection, just a tad past medium rare to a tender, yet flaky softness. The risotto was cooked fairly well, though it could have used a little more parmesan and seasoning, but the asparagus was juicy and crisp at the same time, delightful!

The wine was nothing to write home about, but decent enough for a cheap red house wine. It balanced the richness of the glaze and risotto well, which fulfills its purpose. Overall, I'm not sure I would go back to this restaurant. It's out of the way, doesn't offer anything too unique on the meny, and even thought the decorations set it up to be a pretty classy place, the service didn't live up to that style.

Food          8 

Drinks        8

Atmosphere 7

Service      5

Value        8

Vasili's Greek Restaurant

Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Cuisine type: Greek
Atmosphere: casual, family restaurant
Meal: lunch
Price range: $8 for a gyro
Overall grade: 7.8

Ben 

Vasili’s is a lively greek restaurant near downtown Santa Cruz about a mile from the beach. The menu offers a variety of meats and classic greek tastes– Nina and I both were called by the lamb souvlaki, with fries and two sauces – garlic potato and tzatziki. The gyro was fresh, pretty light, and tasty. The atmosphere is befitting of a beach restaurant, carefree and colorful. The service and food was served fast and the prices are great for lunch. The food quality and atmosphere accommodate a variety of tastes and experiences, from a quick lunch for a day on the beach to a comfortable and fun dinner date.

Food           8

Drinks        7

Atmosphere 8

Service       8

Value         9

Nina

Following a very hearty recommendation from a colleague, I looked up Vasilis Greek Restaurant in Santa Cruz. The first impression of this restaurant was very much in line with what I expected - a locally owned place with a very authentic feel, with various Greek art and souvenirs on display over every free inch of wall space. The tables were close together, and seating was open, a host assigning tables would have really been out of sync with the cozy family atmosphere. There was also outdoor seating on a small terrace along the sidewalk, the only catch is that you have to order to go and eat there on your own, no table service.

We both decided on the same item - which is usually a good indication we found a clear winner on the menu - the lamb souvlaki, generously topped with tzatziki sauce and served with a side of french fries. The addition of taramosalata (salty roe spread) and skordalia (creamy garlic) dip sides rounded off the meal. The flavors were all there - the garlic in the skordalia, the freshness of the cucumber in the tzatziki, the creamy fishiness of the taramosalata - but the best of surprises come when I bit into the sandwich. Usually, gyro sandwiches come with these thin slices of roasted ground meat, which is usually of undeterminable type and bland flavor, but not this place! The pita was filled with large chunks of juicy and tender leg of lamb - real, perfectly cooked and seasoned meat. This was a great deal for lunch (which is also served until 6:30pm, which is pretty amazing), I found I could not finish the sandwich and fries on my plate even though I was starving when I started eating.

This is definitely a place I would go back to, though next time I might take advantage of their take-out option to eat my meal outside, especially if the weather in Santa Cruz is a perfect as it was this Sunday. This could also solve the other problem this place suffers from - a complete lack of parking space. There is no parking lot associated with this restaurant, and curb-side parking only accommodates a couple of vehicles. The only other alternative is to risk parking in the McDonald's parking lot nearby, which is covered in signs that warn of penalties for vehicles parked there by non-McD patrons.

Food           9

Drinks        5

Atmosphere 7

Service       7

Value         9

The Workshop Burgers and Yogurtland

Location: Palo Alto, CA
Cuisine type: American, Burgers
Atmosphere:  family-friendly, smooth music background
Meal: dinner
Price range: $7-9 (appetizer), $10 (entrees)
Overall grade: 7.75

Ben



This is a hip bar downtown Palo Alto. They specialize in sliders / burgers and have a decent selection, offering mix and match sliders. The southwest jalapeno burger I had was tasty (normal amount of grease) and the salmon & avocado rolls were greasy but tasty.The prices were all fair and the drink selection was pretty low. The atmosphere is light with a young hip crowd and serving staff. It is a fun place to drop in for a drink and the sliders concept is unique and allows easy sampling or snacking of a large variety of available toppings.



Food            8
Drinks          6
Atmosphere  9
Service        8
Value          7 

Nina


Our first and last chance of catching my good friend Genia still in the Bay Area was on Sunday night for dinner (good luck on your new PhD adventure, Genia!). We thus headed to Palo Alto to the place she recommended - Workshop Burgers, pretty self-explanatory name. There, we found a small, cozy version of a family friendly burger joint/sports bar. The servers were very nice in ensuring that our seats were close enough to a TV, and that the TV showed the Jets game. On the down side, the game sound was muted in favor of soft music playing in the background - to be noted that this is only a down side because we were interested in the game at the time, otherwise the music makes for a better backdrop for conversation and enjoying a meal with friends.


The menu included classic variations on the hamburger, but what caught my attention was the option to order any of the sandwiches in a slider size - three sliders would be considered a full order, which then qualified for free fries on the side. I picked three very different sliders, to allow me to sample a broader portion of the menu - mushroom & swiss, cowboy burger (BBQ, bacon and cheese) and hawaiian chicken. Each slider was flavorful, though I would have appreciated more mushrooms as a topping (but then again, I always do). 


I shouldn't forget to mention the appetizer, which we ordered for sharing on a whim just because it looked interesting - avocado salmon egg roll. We only later recognized that it was very similar to a previous selection from BJ's, though I prefer the one at Workshop because the integrity of the avocado slices was better preserved in the roll, and the addition of the salmon gave it a nice savory tone.


Overall, I really enjoyed this place. I'm not sure I would drive for a long time to get a hamburger at this place in particular (say, on a weeknight at rush hour), but I might swing by on the weekend when I crave a nice and juicy classic burger and watch a football game playing in the background.


Food            8
Drinks          7
Atmosphere  7
Service        9
Value          8 




BONUS - Yogurtland



Sunday September 11
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Cuisine type: Frozen Yogurt
Atmosphere:  casual, relaxed
Meal: dessert ^.^
Price range: by weight
Overall grade: 10

As Ben finished watching the Jets game, Genia and I headed out for desert at a FroYo place. Pretty typical build-your-own frozen yogurt joint, though a couple of great surprises to add to the experience - a red velvet batter flavor which really hit the spot, and a great selection of ripe and juicy fresh fruit. I will be sure to stop by this place again when I find myself in Palo Alto!

Picasso Tapas Restaurant

Location: downtown San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: Spanish, Tapas
Atmosphere:  quiet, cozy, small tables
Meal: dinner
Price range: ~$10-$15 / tapas plate
Overall grade: 7.5

Ben

An excellent tapas bar with a large selection and daily specials. While we don’t have a lot of experience with Tapas, we found all of the food to be beautifully assembled and very tasty. The server was a German lady with a lot of personality, who was very friendly and prompt server and chatted with us about local German restaurants and festivals. A bottle of San Pellegrino water is present on each table, it is optional to remove but we were surprised to find on the receipt that it set us back $7. The quantity and prices make the bill grow pretty quickly, but all three of our main courses (blood sausage, oxtail, and shrimp) were unique and well-prepared, worth the cost. The atmosphere could be better – it is a medium sized room stacked with tables and pretty brightly lit, but though the walls well adorned with various spanish artwork contributes to an overall pleasantness.

Food          9
Drinks        7
Atmosphere 7
Service      9
Value         7




Nina

On our first weekend night as working adults, we decided to skip on the Rachel Ray planned meal and head out on the town. What more appropriate place to go than downtown San Jose, which is a short 5 minute drive from our place and lively enough to provide a wide array of entertainment options. Looking for something unique to eat for dinner, we came across Picasso, a Spanish tapas restaurant. The decorations  followed the restaurant namesake, with post-modernist art on every wall, but the atmosphere missed the mark - the table arrangement and the tables looked just a bit too austere to feel cozy. However, service was great, we were waited on by an older German lady who was very friendly and shared with us many tips on finding German hot spots in the area. We thus found out about an Oktoberfest festival taking place that Saturday, and a couple of German restaurants which we might try later.

The menu was quite varied and contained both traditional fare and more unique selections. We picked three dishes which covered a bit of every type of offering - ox tail stew, blood sausage and shrimp & mushroom. The flavors were rich, and the ingredients were very carefully chosen to complement each other. However, I found that the sauce was a little too greasy for my taste, I could see oil lingering on the plate once the food was gone, which did not make it too inviting to dip bread to clean up the plate (as I would usually be inclined to do).

I also ordered a glass of sangria, which was nothing to die for, but a simple, yet tasty red wine with apple and plum bits in it. The mineral water that I ordered next was surprisingly overpriced - a bottle of San Pellegrino which cost us 4 times more than its supermarket, but it completed the European dining experience.

This is the first tapas place I have ever tried, and I would probably go back for a shareable, pieced together meal. However, the atmosphere is not enough for a festive occasion, and the price a little too high for a full, hearty dinner.

Food          7
Drinks        6
Atmosphere 6
Service       9
Value         7

YoYo Sushi

Location: San Jose, CA (Rivermark Plaza)
Cuisine type: Japanese, Sushi
Atmosphere:  quiet, fast-food, running sushi bar
Meal: dinner
Price range: $3-$4.50 / plate
Overall grade: 6

Ben

We ate at the running sushi bar in the middle of the restaurant, offering plates of four colors and prices running on a chain of boats across the bar. A lot of the plates appeared to have been sitting out a while and the selection was somewhat limited, particularly in non-nigiri dishes. To be fair, we went for an early dinner so there weren’t many other patrons at the bar. The chef did supply a few of our special requests and put them on the bar. After sampling many of the dishes, we tallied up the plates, we found we had spent already over $50 but could still eat much more. These prices seemed a little overpriced for the location (northern San Jose, next to a Safeway) and ambience. The prices off the menu may have been much better, as we saw a majority of the patrons were sitting in booths away from the bar. Overall I found the sushi average and the prices high, and would not recommend eating at the running sushi bar as I expect there are better ones in the area.

Food          5
Drinks        6
Atmosphere 6
Service       8
Value         6

Nina

On the night before our first day of work, we stopped by Safeway to do some grocery shopping for the dinners we wanted to make on work nights (thank you, Rachel Ray 7 day planner). Enticing us right next to where we parked was this fun sounding Japanese restaurant - YoYo Sushi. We hadn't eaten sushi in a while, so why not?

To my delight, beyond the usual simple table-and-chairs arrangement in the style typical to many Asian restaurants, they also had sushi bar seating in front of a lazy river of sushi boats. Choices! We immediately sat there and started picking plate after plate of sushi yummy-ness from the boats gliding in front of us. The nigiri sushi was delicious, albeit not the widest selection I've encountered; the chef was very generous with his fish cuts, which were up to two times larger than the nugget of rice hiding under them. The rolls were also of very few different types, but the great part about this was that the chef would make new rolls upon request - so I could try almost anything off the sushi menu without having to eat a whole roll. That being said, there was nothing about these rolls that wow-ed, pretty typical run-of-the-mill sushi selection.

This place is very conveniently placed - should I really go grocery shopping, or just enjoy some quick sushi? I see myself choosing the latter every so often in the future. While the overall restaurant atmosphere is not very festive and the sushi is nothing outstanding, sitting at the sushi bar is much more interesting because you can see the chef at work and make special requests with very short response time. 

Food          6
Drinks        5
Atmosphere 5
Service       7
Value         7

BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse

Location: The Shops at Tanforan, San Bruno, CA
Cuisine type: American, Brewhouse
Atmosphere:  lively (noisy too)
Meal: lunch 
Price range: $10 (appetizer), $15 (entrees)
Overall grade: 7.2

Ben

BJ’s is a brewery / sportsbar that offers more creative twists than run-of-the-mill bar/brewery food. The avocado-rich egg roll appetizers were delicious and the mushroom pizza was average, a little skimpy on the toppings. The drinks had a good value and selection though the in-house brewed IPA I had was pretty weak in flavor. The walls were covered in big screen TVs playing the Giants game and Sportscenter, and despite being in a mall the place seems like a good place to relax and catch a game. The food was slightly pricier than expected, particularly the pizza, a bready thick crust with somewhat skimpy sauce, cheese, and toppings.

Food             7 

Drinks          8

Atmosphere  7

Service         6

Value           6

Nina

We stopped here on the way to the city for a quick lunch and to run a couple of errands. Upon seeing BJ's Restaurant we decided to try it, since the place had been recommended to us before and we had not tried it yet. 

Even though the menu was generally classic American pub fare, among the appetizers there were some creative surprises, as I've come to expect at many Californian restaurants. We picked the avocado cream cheese egg rolls, which did not disappoint - creamy yet not too heavy filling in a thin, crispy wonton shell, served with a tangy sweet sauce. 

It might have been a trace of Midwest melancholy which drew us to the deep dish section to the menu, though their interpretation of "deep dish" does not really compare to classic Chicago Style pizza - they merely bake their thick crust pizza in a deep pan. I also didn't appreciate how skimpy they were on the toppings - our mushroom and onion pizza with balsamic drizzle probably contained less than 3 mushrooms and a few strands of onion. That being said, the flavor was rich and the cheese was gooey without being too greasy, which left an overall positive impression with the food.

Overall, this place seems like it fits perfectly in a mall setting, with an atmosphere ideal for a casual meal with friends, chatting over a drink of locally brewed beer.

Food             7 

Drinks          8

Atmosphere  8

Service         7

Value           8

Pho Nguyen

Location: Milpitas, CA

Cuisine type: Vietnamese, Pho

Atmosphere:  small, austere

Meal: dinner

Price range: $8 (entrees)

Overall grade: 7.7

Ben


In an area with Pho on every corner, we are still very much noobs, as this was only our second pho experience. It is a bit difficult to differentiate and evaluate these restaurants as many seem to have a very standard menu and style. The service was polite, the atmosphere pretty austere. We tried both the in house made fresh noodles and the standard thin noodles for the Pho. I found the meat servings (I had tripe, brisket and rare steak) to be pretty generous. I enjoyed the soup and the standard basil, lime, jalapeno, and bean sprouts were served. The price was $6-8 depending on the meats and the size. Overall it's a pretty standard place that does a good job on presenting quality Pho at good prices.

Food             8

Drinks           6

Atmosphere   6

Service          7 

Value            8

Nina

After another full day of unpacking boxes, we decided to take a break and head out on the town. As usual, we didn't have a precise destination in mind, but we were looking to find a Goodwill store to give away a large box of random things which should have never been packed with our belongings. In the Goodwill plaza we found a large assortment of Asian restaurants, several of which were Vietnamese, and as such specializing in Pho. We walked into one of them at random and sat down eager for the warm broth and delicious noodles to provide us much needed energy to carry on with the unpacking.

I ordered the rare steak, tripe and tendon pho with fresh homemade rice noodles. It came with sweet basil, lime and jalapenos for seasoning and bean sprouts for an extra crunch. The broth was very flavorful, especially after added a mixture of all the different sauces we found on the table - sriracha, hoisin and chili. The fresh noodles were definitely much richer than the standard ramen-like noodles that typically come with the pho.

Best of all, I got a frozen coconut bubble tea (with tapioca pearls, of course). It was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, and had a fresh taste of real, blended coconut - which is quite a treat considering how many of the bubble tea places use simply canned or powder flavors. As usual, the small version of the bubble tea was too large for me to ever hope to finish, but I can never complain of having too much dessert :)

Food             9

Drinks           8

Atmosphere   6

Service          7 

Value            10

Johnny Garlic's

Location: Dublin, CA

Cuisine type: American, modern

Atmosphere:  casual 

Meal: lunch

Price range: $15-$20 (entrees)

Overall grade: 7.25

Ben 

Probably like many of the patrons, we saw the name Guy Fieri and decided to check this place out. After about a 20 minute wait at lunchtime, we got a table in a booth across from the kitchen. The cool part about the atmosphere is that the kitchen is entirely open and you can see the cooks preparing the food and handing it to the waiters and waitresses. The restaurant gave me an almost warehouse-like vibe, with a very open, high ceiling feel. The service was a little frantic, but the menus were fascinating. A lot of unusual and creative dishes were available. As an appetizer we had "Ahi wanton tacos" or raw ahi meat in a salad / salsa wrapped with a crisp wonton. This was a tasty, attractive dish and a nice spin on tacos. As a main dish we ordered a shrimp chorizo pizza, an interesting combination. The pizza was tasty though left a little to be desired as the toppings were a bit scant and the crust was a bit darkened. The pricing wasn't too bad (~10 for appetizer, 17 for pizza). The overall feel was a little uncohesive, with the frantic waiters, calm hosts, and a mash of decoration flair with the overall highly open / cold feel of the place. It's a decent place with good food, though it probably rests on the big name endorsement.

Food             8

Drinks           7

Atmosphere   6

Service          6 

Value            6

Nina

This morning we made the early morning drive to Livermore (from San Jose) to practice for Ben's commute and get a better idea of the real amount of time spent on the road. The down side of making an early morning commute against rush hour traffic is that, at the end of it, the return trip would take place in the midst of rush hour traffic into the Bay Area... thus, we decided to stop for some shopping to weather the traffic storm and eat some early lunch/late breakfast. We spotted a restaurant with a familiar name scribbled across it - Guy Fieri (the crazy guy on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on Food Network). It was called Johnny Garlic's and it was the type of American restaurant with modern flare that we've seen before. 

Many of the recipes on the menu were twists on classics, whether it was a new twist on a classic Southwestern dish (like the chorizo and shrimp pizza with lime and salsa that we shared) or a East-meets-West creation (such as the wonton ahi tuna tacos). Both dishes were very flavorful and well executed, though I really preferred the tuna tacos - in part due to my love of sushi and all things seafood, but also because the large amount of cheese on the pizza as well as the chorizo resulted in a fairly greasy end product which was not as appealing as it could have been. In all, the food was a little overpriced (which is not entirely surprising for a restaurant owned by a famous TV star chef), though original and delicious. Not sure I would pay the premium for dinner at this place, but it's a good place for a quick, unique lunch.

Food             9

Drinks           8

Atmosphere   6

Service          7 

Value            7