Osha Thai Noodle Cafe

Location: San Francisco, CA
Cuisine type: Thai
Atmosphere: casual bar/lounge
Meal: lunch
Overall score: 6.75

Nina

As part of showing my brother around the Bay Area we decided to stop through the city to show him the famous Lombard Street and possibly scout out a hookah lounge. Turns out that the city passed an ordinance that forbids any place serving food or drinks from allowing any form of smoking (West Lafayette, IN passed something similar, though it allowed for exceptions for places making their money primarily from the sale of tobacco related products like hookahs), so the only places still open were the ones with BYOB policies and with odd open hours. We also learned our lesson about trying to approach the winding part of Lombard St by driving along Lombard street - we stayed in a long line of cars for a good half an hour, with people coming from side streets waiting close to no time since each intersection had a four-way stop sign.
While we were walking around the city along streets west of Union Square (where some of the advertised hookah lounges were supposed to be), we realized we were growing hungry. It was already 2 pm and we had only eaten breakfast, so it was no surprise, but we had lost track of time driving around Marin County. We stopped at the first place that looked like it had some potential - Osha Thai Noodle Cafe.
The place was decorated fairly cheaply, though it tried to convey an air of chic bar / lounge with dark benches in the table seating area and cozy cushioned sofas / armchairs in the bar area. A real deal breaker in terms of atmosphere inside was a persistent, loud pounding sound that resonated throughout the restaurant the whole time we were there from someone doing renovation work to the only bathroom in the establishment. I don’t really understand why they couldn’t schedule this work to take place outside business hours and allow their bathroom to be available to patrons.
The menu featured a section for the health-conscious, with “green” Moroheiya noodles (buckwheat flour, whole grain etc instead of wheat) and lighter protein. I opted for the green noodles with salmon and creamy garlic sauce. While I question the healthiness of that creamy sauce, I can’t complain about the flavor. The dish was well composed, with a good amount of salmon chunks and just enough sauce to make it rich, yet not too heavy. I was worried that the salmon would fall apart and wouldn’t hold up to a creamy noodle dish, but they did something really smart to make it work - the salmon cubes were lightly coated in flour and fried to a perfect crisp without being greasy or overdone. That added a perfect textural contrast to the creamy sauce and smooth noodles and locked in the flavor of the fish at a perfect level of tenderness.
Since I assume the repair work incident is isolated (how often can they be renovating), this is definitely a place I’ll keep in mind for a quick and flavorful meal in the area between downtown and Little Saigon in San Francisco.

Food 9
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 5
Service 8
Value 7

Ben

A Thai place a little south of Nob Hill in SF. We went at around 4-5 PM for a late lunch meal. The place looks overall very hip, with a dark interior, 270 degree bar on the ground level and an offset floor with dining tables. We had a pretty unpleasant experience - to be fair it was not a peak meal time (~4-5 PM), and possibly a singular experience. We walked in and got a table, and then started to hear this tremendously loud drilling. It turned out the bathroom was being worked on (so we couldn't use it), and there were construction workers ~20 feet from the table pounding / drilling away to install a sink. My green curry was fatty with a pretty mild flavor and a pretty small portion, and the service was a little distracted / impatient. Nina's brother did seem to really enjoy his dish, a chicken fried rice. Overall, I can see the potential of the place in its prime condition, but my one experience was not a great one.

Food 5
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 5
Service 5
Value 7

Old Mandarin Islamic

Location: San Francisco, CA
Cuisine type: Chinese, traditional Mandarin
Atmosphere: plain, crammed cafe seating
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 7.25

Nina

With my brother visiting, we found a good opportunity to try out something new - and to expand his palate on the way. Old Mandarin had been on our todo list for a while due to a friend’s enthusiastic recommendation, but it was too far on the west side of San Francisco for us to make our way to it on a casual day out on the town. This time, it worked out that the shortest way from Half Moon Bay to Marin County passes very close to this restaurant, so we decided to stop by for dinner. It turns out not only is it a highly appreciated spot, but it was voted in the top 100 Chinese restaurants in the US, which I think is saying a lot since there must be thousands and thousands of them across the country (not sure how much the large Chinese population in the SF skewed the popular voting process, but it still gives this place bragging rights). They display a poster that says "Top 100 Chinese restaurant" which makes them look even more popular, though we later realized that in fine print it encourages customers to vote for them so that they can be named among top 100. Tricky fine print...
The first minute we walked in we were impressed at how busy this place was - we were the second group in line waiting for a table to open up and every table in the restaurant was packed, even though it was already 8 pm. The aromas in the air were intoxicating, the decor was traditional and the table setup was plain and functional, like most SF Chinese restaurants. Then we had a moment of realization - this restaurant is actually really tiny. There are three rows of maybe 5-6 tables each closely packed together, and the initial impression was due to (very clean) mirrors lining the walls giving the impression of a much larger space. While in other places this might have meant having to wait longer for a table with fewer tables to open up, that was not the case. The servers seemed very efficient in urging customers to finish up and pay for their meal, so we were seated within 5 or 10 minutes of walking inside. We quickly received our drinks (water and hot tea), though our order of beers seemed to get lost somewhere between our table and their fridge and we never got it.
There was a large number of lamb dishes on the menu, which is something I haven’t seen before in a Chinese restaurant; pork was also notably absent. The name of the restaurant provides a simple explanation immediately - the owners are from a Chinese Islamic background, which influences the choice of protein in their dishes. I was intrigued by this twist in the traditional Chinese fare, and I went for one of the most exotic dishes on the menu - the lamb soup. It was not just a plain lamb soup, but rather a concoction that used the whole lamb, and the server dutifully warned me about it. I say, bring it on! When we placed our order there was a little bit of confusion due to the server’s poor understanding of English and our poor understanding of her English. Ben’s order (spicy beef of some sort) was translated into Mandarin lamb, and she enthusiastically endorsed it, so he decided to go with that instead of his original pick.
My soup was served in a huge bowl, and looked like everything I expected, and I was enthusiastic to discover the different meat cuts, some of which I recognized (heart, kidney, liver) and some of which were foreign to me. They brought in smaller bowls and three spoons so we could share it, but I was really the only one interested in the lamb innards so I was left to deal with it on my own. However, the broth was quite plain and mild in flavor, so I grew quickly tired of it, and resolved to mostly pick through the meat and veggies (the usual suspects, water chestnut, sprouts and the like).
When we got the bill we were in for a surprise - it amounted to about twice as much as we expected. A quick inspection revealed the reason - our server had written down everything we ordered (including the beer and a couple of dishes that she misunderstood before we set things right), and the cashier put all of them on our bill. They were very quick to correct it and apologized profusely for the mistake. Even though the broth in my soup wasn’t a big hit, the flavors in some of the other dishes on our table were amazing, with generous portions and just the right level of spice and perfect doneness without being too greasy or heavy. This place has rightfully earned its name for good, tasty food within a unique niche of Chinese cooking.

Food 8
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 7
Service 6
Value 8

Ben

A small place (8-12 tables) in west San Francisco. It is a local favorite, so be prepared to wait some time for a table. The service staff was very lively and (for lack of a better word...) sassy. The menu is and food are very authentic (be prepared, choose carefully if you're not feeling explorative), and offers several hot / cold plates as well as a popular hot-pot option. We ordered a lamb soup, which came with literally all pieces of lamb, from leg, to organs (including liver, heart, kidney.. wonder what else) and heavy cartilage and a lot of bone. It was a subtly flavored broth and I eventually got burned out picking through it, as I am generally not crazy about organ meat (though Nina seemed to quite enjoy it). We also ordered Mandarin lamb, which was a salty, spicy lamb dish again with a good amount of bone and cartilage, but overall very good. The hot and spicy chicken was a good dish, only slightly breaded and with a good amount of flavor (though I also found it a bit salty), with a lot of water chestnuts, onion, and celery. The service was pretty entertaining. First they urged us to order more and more, and when we relented and ordered some beers, they never brought them out though they made it to the bill. The prices are reasonable, ~10-$15 entrees. Overall, I would say it is definitely a place worth checking out, a great way to get acquainted with Islamic Chinese food, which is a real twist on the ubiquitous Chinese classics, and it offers some unique flavors and very authentic dishes.

Food 9
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 7
Service 6
Value 7

Sabor Salvadoreno

Location: Santa Clara, CA
Cuisine type: Salvadorian, South American
Atmosphere: austere, diner bench seating
Meal: lunch
Overall score: 7.4

Nina

After a full week of dutifully cooking dinner at home every night, it was our turn to splurge a bit. We had a dining certificate for $25 for this place, though the minimum purchase to use it was $35 - we assumed it wouldn’t be too hard to hit our target from previous experience, but boy were we wrong! This small, austere eatery had entrees in the range of $6-$8, with the fancier options going as high as $11. We decided that we had to take something to go to hit our target, so we planned for a burrito for Sunday’s breakfast and then proceeded to pick out what we’d order for dinner. One thing we noted was that they were so small they didn’t have a liquor license, so the only beverage offerings were extra sweet fruity sodas, so we decided right away to stick with water.
We started out with pupusas, which are traditional Salvadorian appetizers. Really, they are extra-thick tortillas (think ¾” thick) that are stuffed with various fillings. We picked three different ones, just to cover a wider variety of their offerings: the first one was stuffed with cheese, beans and chicharron (fried pork rinds, a much loved treat in South America and other parts of the world), the second was cheese and jalapeno, and the last (and my personal favorite) was cheese and chopped beef (I’d guess it was flank steak but I can’t be sure). These were all tasty, though somewhat heavy due to their thick and dense breadiness, and we soon realized that this would be a very carb-rich and heavy meal.

My entree was the “camarones a la plancha,” which really just means grilled shrimp. The meat portion was fairly generous, though seasoning was close to absent and there was nothing special about the preparation - really just a bunch of medium sized shrimp thrown on a griddle and seared on both sides. This came on a large plate along with mild rice, refried beans (though I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and integrity of the beans, there is nothing that I like less than the mushy shapeless beans that come in some burritos) and an iceberg lettuce, cucumber and tomato salad that was neither seasoned or dressed. On top of all this, it also came with a side of plain pupusas, which I barely touched since I had all the stuffed once to eat too. There were a couple of sauces on the side which definitely improved the flavor of these pancake like concoctions.
The service was great and the homey family owned feel of the restaurant made up for the austere setup and small space. The food was tasty, though nothing too far out of the ordinary - it made for a satisfying and unique meal in some ways (never had pupusas before, now I know what they are), but it wasn’t anything too far out of the ordinary. This can be a good place for a quick, cheap meal and a little change of pace, though I wouldn’t necessarily go too far out of my way to try this place again.

Food 7
Drinks 5
Atmosphere 6
Service 10
Value 8

Ben

This is a fun place - I only wish I worked closer as I would love to eat lunches here. We had a restaurant.com coupon which required we spend $35, which was definitely quite a challenge as the prices are pretty low. You order at the counter but they bring out chips and a great homemade salsa. The Salvadoran menu appears a lot like basic mexican food, except their signature, a Salvadoran dish called "pupusas." Pupusas are a thick corn tortilla filled with your stuffing of choice, and a great way to get a variety of flavors by ordering multiple different ones at ~$2-$2.50 each. We ordered 3 different pupusa combos: queso, chicharron, frijoles; jalapeno con queso; carne asada con queso. I actually really liked them, though I can imagine they would become a bit heavy on the dense breadiness if I were to eat them very frequently. I also had a pollo en salsa verde which was a meaty thigh with a tasty (a little soft on spice) salsa verde. To go, I ordered a chicken burrito. We went on a weekend, but apparently during weekday lunches it can become quite crowded, and I can understand why. Overall all the food was good and a nice twist from classic Mexican food, the manager / owner (?) is a funny, easy-going guy, and the place has a very relaxed, fun vibe.

Food 8
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 6
Service 9
Value 9

Amber India

Location: Mountain View, CA
Cuisine type: Classic North Indian
Atmosphere: fine dining, mood lighting
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8.2

Nina

It often happens on weekends that we start running errands, and get caught up in them until we find ourselves starving, far from home, and with no ingredients readily available for a quick dinner. That’s when we choose a quick restaurant that we drive by, that sounds appealing or that we have heard of before but never tried. It was on one of these days that we stopped at Amber India. It looked unassuming from the outside, with a narrow entrance off a strip mall on El Camino Real, but we had actually heard of this one and it came with high praises; plus, the full parking lot also offered a hint this place might be a hidden gem. The inside immediately dispelled the initial impression of a small shabby place - this place had an elegant and authentic decor, a sophisticated atmosphere and labeled itself as an Indian fine dining establishment, and rightfully so.
We went straight to the point - ordered two entrees, no drinks or appetizers or anything else that could detract from us getting our food. I picked a dish that sounded very unique - cochin scallops - since I had never eaten shellfish in an Indian restaurant before and I was very interested to see how they would hold up to the spicy cuisine. Having learned our lesson from Shiva’s, we went straight for the unleavened bread cooked in the tandoori oven - not only does it offer the benefit of being whole wheat, but it’s also somewhat crispier and lighter than the classic naan. The server convinced us not to go with roti, but with something similar yet more sophisticated - a paratha (layered bread), with this aromatic seeds that reminded me of cumin though they weren’t quite the same. He insisted they were an Indian seed with no exact equivalent in English, I’ll have to figure out what that is so I can try it out in my own cooking.
The scallop dish was excellent, they definitely earned their title of “Best Indian Food in the Bay Area” several years in a row by the SF Chronicle. The scallops were large and tender, drenched in a tomato based coconut milk curry with peppercorn and tamarind. The texture wasn’t quite as creamy as the classic seared preparation for this shellfish, but it was surprisingly soft for something cooked slowly in sauce that way. They were also quite generous with the portion size, I had never eaten more than 3 jumbo scallops in a restaurant entree before, and this time I had 5, which made for quite a satisfying meal. The bread we ordered was also great, with a crispy texture on the outside, yet the fresh baked softness on the inside. The seeds gave just enough aroma to allow the paratha to hold its own, yet were subtle enough that they didn’t detract from the flavor of the curry.
I can definitely see how this restaurant earned it renown, and I enjoyed our dinner experience here quite a bit. The food was flavorful and excellently cooked, the service was beyond reproach and the atmosphere was appropriate for everything from a semi-casual family dinner to a romantic date night. A must-try in the Silicon Valley food scene.

Food 9
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 8
Service 9
Value 7

Ben

Appears to be another of countless Indian restaurants on El Camino, in a small parking lot next to a nail salon. We were surprised to find it has won some accolades (SF Chronicle Bay area top 100). The restaurant has a nice feel to the inside, white tablecloths and professional and courteous host and service staff. The food is moderately priced (slightly higher than average Indian restaurants in area, standard meat entrees $15-$25) and a carefully constructed menu (not overwhelmingly large, but covers all classics and has a large selection of both vegetarian and meats (including chicken, goat, lamb, seafood). The wine menu is a good size, but we found the price a little high and didn't go for it. I had a "Rogan Josh" lamb curry and some roti, Nina had a scallop curry. The lamb was tender and the sauce was very flavorful and with a good amount of spice.I tasted Nina's dish.. and wouldn't recommend (the scallops were slightly tough and the flavor was lost in the spice). Overall, I found the food to be very good, but did not stand out in any spectacular or particularly memorable way.

Food 8
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 9
Service 8
Value 7