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Mon-Tue. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Wed-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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A large group from work and I went hear for lunch. Overall the food was good and the service was what you would expect for a large group of 20 people. My only issue was with the price, we easily dropped $500 for the group, which comes out at about $25 per person, which is higher then I would except for lunch even for a large group.
This is not authentic Chinese, although, they do have some authentic dishes; Peeking Duck and some of the Dim Sum, but really this is fusion. To me it seems like you are paying for the atmosphere more then the food. Still it was good and the service was descent.
I went to this place to have lunch with a friend last Saturday before going to Cinearts to watch a movie (yes it was all about New Moon).
The restaurant was quiet nice, the food was really good too, not the best Chinese food that I've had though. The price was a little high but I guess it was because of the quality of the place (cleanness, good service, good food, good environment). And recently I just found out some celebrities pass by this place sometimes too (ex: Wyclef Jean, look at the review below mine =D), that means this place is not supposed to be bad.
So I don't find anything wrong with giving this place 4 stars. :]
A large group of us came mid-week to celebrate a birthday. Yea I know we dine out A LOT for birthdays with big groups.
We had a reservation but when we got there our reservation as well as some others had gotten bumped. We ended up waiting around 45 minutes after our reservation time to get seated.
Once we were seated the waiters arrived to take drink and appetizer orders. Since we got bumped we ended up having to sit at two huge round tables. We hadn't even looked over the menu yet and our drinks and appritzers arrived. It took some time negotiating with both tables who was going to order what and how many of a certain dish. The waiters were patient with us and totally awesome. We ordered our entrees and went back to our conversation. We noticed a single file line of big trays coming towards us and realized that all our our dishes were arriving at the same time - which for me is rare to see especially with a group as large as we were. The food was tasty! A few dishes were oily but we didn't care...
When we got up to leave we realized why we had gotten bumped. In a speically set up "VIP" section there were two HUGE body guards at the front of it and in a table in the faaaaar corner was Wyclef Jean with a few women at his table.
We all smirked at the body guards as we filed by to gawk and eventually leave. The closer you sit to the bar the harder it is to hear people at your table. Overall it was a good dinner and I look forward to going back at some point.
The calamari was great. Lots of legs and fairly good breading. The wasabi dip was fairly good as well, but not spicy at all (which was good for me, not for others). The wanton soup was better than average for a restaurant; not as good as my Mom's. It was Cantonese-style shrimp wanton. I recommend the Kobe beef sliders. I didn't dip it into anything and it was still great.
I got a cocktail called ecstasy which was the first on the cocktail menu. I wouldn't get it again.
Near the end of the night, the bar ran out of everything. Someone came late and when he ordered the ecstasy, it came to the table a different color than the rest of ours and sans cherry.
Dear Sino,
Your curb appeal and sexy decor get me every time. I drop in just for a drink but stay for some more. After the first few I forget how expensive they are and continue to indulge. My friends show up and then it's time for some Americanized dim sum. I want to hate you sometimes because I feel like you're just putting on a show for me or perhaps faking it but I keep coming back for more. It causes me to wonder if maybe I'm shallow or maybe I'm still trying to figure out who I am? You take my money, don't put out, and yet I keep coming back.
Yours truly,
Hopelessly intoxicated
It's hard to dislike Sino because it's such a hip place. Who knew a Chinese restaurant could be a chic restaurant/lounge?!
Restaurant:
Patrons obviously come here for the ambiance. If you want real Chinese food, there are plenty of options elsewhere that offers true authentic flavors at 1/2 the price. However, I do enjoy dining here, usually with my girlfriends. The prices are steep and the food is "white-washed" but it still makes for a great night. You can't get this type of service + alcohol at any other authentic chinese restaurant. Without reservations on a weekend night, it can easily be up to an hour and half wait.
Lounge:
I love the way it's set up, but it gets WAY TOO CROWDED! on a busy night it's almost impossible to get a drink without 15-20 minute wait at the bar. if you want to sit, forget it. Most sofa seats are always occupied. Music is good, but there's no room to dance. I'd suggest coming here for happy hour (when it's not so crowded) or if you want to get a pre or post dinner drink. If you really want to hang, go somewhere else where there's room to sit and chat and/or dance, at your option!
Bonus: the lychee martinis are yummy! but I'm bias and I like all lychee cocktails :)
I still say Sino's have the best Dim Sum in San Jose! The dim sum menu is a bit limited and the dim sum cart doesn't get pushed around like at the asian places. You actually order from a menu. But i'll gladly trade that to sit on the open patio on a nice, sunny day at Santana Row and enjoy the great weather and conversations. (and check out the beautiful people walking around!)
What you must order here:
-Deep Fried Taro Puff- soft on the inside with shrimp and a hint of crispyness on the outside.
-Shu Mai- these suckers are huge!
-Seafood dumplings
-Taro Cake- very good!
-Fried Rice-goodness!
-BBQ Pork baked Buns- sticky, sweet and yummy!
-Potstickers- lobster potstickers are better!
-ribs- delicious!
-Shanghai dumpling- good but i can pass on this.
All the dim sum items are $3-$6 per plate. Lucky for me they don't have chicken feet! Sorry guys, i know this is tasty for many of you but i just can't conjure up the courage to eat feet!
And they usually have a monthly special menu to pick from as well. So nice classy atmosphere + yummy food= great nap after lunch! =)
Oh...and they have Happy Hours now from 4-6pm everyday! $5 apps, wine and well drinks!
Hands down my favorite spot on the Row!
They have a great selection of dim sum here that are just…
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I went here yesterday with my boyfriend and we ordered the wonton soup and orange prawns
wonton soup: $12..i'd say it was worth it. the wontons were HUGE and filled with shrimp. (about 6-7) the soup contained some tid bits of bok choy and seaweed. the broth was a tad salty for me though
orange prawns: $18. definitely NOT worth it. the prawns needed more 'glaze' to it. i also think they shoulda been dipped in a bit more batter. it had an overall good mix of orangey and sweet taste to it. the dish came with about 8 prawns
service: eh..not the greatest. they weren't super friendly or super rude
bathrooms: dirty! (considering it's a high end restaurant.) one stall had no toilet paper, the other stall was clogged, and the trash was overflowing...GROSS!!!
Good food, a little overpriced in some areas, nice ambiance.
Word to the wise - If you have a plate that is close to empty, but not quite, and you are not ready for it to be taken away, you better be quick to stop the bus people, because they do not ask, they just take the plates!!
Also - pack your own Togo boxes, trust me, you will thank me on this.
When......
Will.........
It.........
Stop?
Not soon enough. Lovely Girlfriend and I were making Lychee Martinis back before you could spell LEECH.
Your service is mediocre. Your product is marginal. Your location is prime. Keep on keepin' on. Keep fooling retarded wannabe "foodies". Keep them happy, b/c they spend the most. Not only do they spend the most, but they also spend it on Vodka. Take their Money. Veddy Nice.
White sangria and chicken lollipops were good, same with the sea bass.
Great dim sum menu and lively spot!
This resturant was a little confusing for me. The food was solid. The service was respectable. But i dont really understand the the concept for "fine dinning" chinese food. I believe that they say this so they can charge more money for less enspired cooking. They take classic chinese dishes decrease the portion size, plate it nicely, add some garnishes and basically rob you. I can get the same thing at any fast food chinese dining chain.
But i guess the bar scene makes up for the bull#&@* in the dining room. My advice eat somewhere else and party late nite here!!!
Went to Sino on Wednesday last week. It seemed busy for a weeknight. We waited 30 minutes, they took my cell number and called when we had a table. We ordered sliders at the bar but they didn't come in time so transfered to the table. They were ok. The best sliders that I've had so far were at the Cypress Hotel in Cupertino at happy hour. Ordered Mushu Chicken, Chow Fun, Spicy Dragon Prawns, asparagus and Braised Beef Short Ribs. We also ordered a bottle of Louie Latour Pinot Noir. The food over all was good. The one complaint I had with the food was the pancakes with the Mushu chicken were stuck together and the dish ended up difficult to eat. I do have a problem with the service. The bottle didn't come until we were a little more than 10 minutes into our dinner and our glasses weren't refilled until after dinner was finished. Am I picky, yes if I was paying $20 per person I'll pour my own wine at $70 I am paying for service.
3.5 stars
Sino is one of those places that you can either like or dislike. I am in between because this place is very pretentious but at the same time, I love their appetizers. I have tried the cheese rangoons with the amazing dipping sauce and I haven't found anything similar. But why does it have to be $10?????
The kobe beef sliders though take the cake for being full of flavor and every bite is like whoa. Why does it have to be $14???? The prices here are just crazy and it is why I would rather just order togo, not because I am cheap, the prices don't seem to match. Like others have said, it is overpriced Panda Express food but deep within the menu, their are appetizers that are just mind blowing. I have no complaints about the appetizers other than just the prices. The entrees are nothing to rave about either...
The food was great - the waiter John Y. was terrific! He had great suggestions from the menu - was fun and there when you needed him and never hovered. John Y. made a great dinner a Super Extraordinary Dining Event! Thank you - Highly recommended - have the Sea Bass it is terrific!
Came here specifically for the drinks.
It was a Tuesday night and the place was super packed.
i really wanted to sit at the bar, but ended up sitting at the lounge area.
I really liked the music playing and how comfortable i felt there.
I especially liked the candlelit atmosphere.
Their raspberry lemon drop was delicious.
Service is kind of slow. I'd come back though, just to hang with the friends.
i've been here for dim sum and at night..
the dim sum was a 1st date and for some reason we were so…
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I've eaten here several times but the dim sum during lunch today seemed to be better than I ever remembered. Maybe because I've eaten dinner and it wasn't all that. Dim sum was pretty good today. We had the siu mai(steamed pork and shrimp dumplings), har gao (shrimp dumplings), shaolom baos (steamed pork bun-small ones) that burst with flavorful juice when popped in your mouth at one time. The chicken lollipops were too much flavor for me. The sauce was overbearing. Then we had the cheung fun (shrimp crepes), and eggplant stuffed with shrimp paste...that was yummy!
The dish I'd advise to stay away from is the beef chow fun. It didn't look or taste authentic at all. The sticky rice was ok....but should have came in a banana leaf.
Aside from the food, this place has a great bar scene and I think my friend Jenna works here too so come and visit! lol If you want a cool bar with clean bathrooms and lovely modern asian decor, Sino is the place to be.
Alright, so I really can't be too tough on this place (seeing as I haven't actually had their food)...
I've heard at least two people refer to this joint as being "full of douchebags." However, I prefer the term "douchebag aquarium." In fact, my mind begins playing Jimmy Buffet's "Fins" the minute I walk into SINO.
This is the same crowd as the marina in San Francisco (except a little more diverse ethnically, but not ethically)... you may hate it while you're there, but observing this crowd will make you want to write an anthro paper.
If you're bar-hopping in Santana Row, you'll end up checking it out anyways (since there's only a handfull of bars). Enjoy it for what it is.
This place is way overpriced and the service is not that good. I don't understand why it is so busy, people in SJC deserve better. Went there with a few friends for dinner last night and came away feeling like we had been gouged. $15 for a glass of watered down Glennfiditch scotch. $30 for a small plate of steamed fish. Come on now, ridiculous prices!
Everything we ate from the Kobe beef tartar to the mushroom dumplings to the banana souffle were average. I don't mind paying a premium for good food but I could have had this at any other restaurant for a third of the price with much better service as well. Our waitress kept disappearing on us for 30 mts at a time and was hard to even get a refill of our water. Sino...been there, done that, not going back.
The first time I went to Sino I thought wow fancy Chinese restaurant so the food must be good, right? Well if you like Panda express Chinese food this is your place. I find this place to be very over priced. The food is alright, nothing really stood out to be other than the BBQ sliders which aren't even Chinese at all. Overall if you want to spend $$$$$ on food that is no better than Panda checkout Sino.
A very interesting place. Christine, our waitress, was on her A-game.
Treated us in a very relaxed and professtional manner.
I love Chinese food ,but this was way over my head. The wait time was short and almost non-existing.
I'll be going back.
I went here Saturday night for dinner. That could have been a mistake since it was jam packed.
The atmosphere is great. It's a hip and upscale bar/restaurant. However, this meant that many people wanted to be there and thus there was inadequate seating and space to even stand around. The music made me tap my feet and sway a little, but there's no space for dancing and the crowd there seem to not be into dancing anyway.
We had to wait 1 hr+ for a table for 8. I had two drinks at the bar during this time. The drinks are strong, but not very flavorful. I imagined that something with pomegranate in the name would have some of that flavor, not just the flavor of Patron.
For dinner we had the Maine Lobster and Prawn potstickers, which were heavenly. We also had the Szechuan Chicken and Rack of Lamb. The chicken was not that good, I could get more authentic and overall better-tasting chicken at a much lower price. The lamb was excellently tender, juicy and flavorful. The lamb is an example of how this place is Asian FUSION since it tasted nothing like authentic Chinese food.
Overall, I suggest going here if you want to impress the date. For a laid-back night out with friends, I would not come back here since it's just too crowded, the hostesses were unfriendly, and the drinks were overpriced for their quality. An expensive drink must not only have expensive liquor in it, it must also taste spectacular!
Had the opportunity for dinner with friends again on a Friday night. We were seated way in the back booth where the seats are way too low, felt a bit like we were midgets sitting at a giant table.
The service was still good, our waiter had some good recommendations for us.
Our order:
Kung Pao Lollipops: tasty as ever
Crab Rangoons: friends loved it but I'd pass next time
Corn and Crab soup: not the best I've ever had, and it's as thick as jello- a bit unappetizing
Ahi Tuna: friends loved it, I thought it was mediocre
Char Siu Sea Bass: love this dish, very inspired to reproduce it at home
Filet Mignon: passed on it and heard it wasn't tender
Seafood Risotto: light and delicate
Fried Rice with XO sauce: XO sauce did not make a difference
Chinatown Tomato Beef: the beef was tasty and the noodles nice and crispy
Green Beans: Eh
So the food is a hit or miss, but the service and style is in fashion. I'd come back to try the crab cake and have my favorites again!
Sino is trendy, modern- gorgeous. I loved the ambiance.
I met up with some girlfriends last Thursday…
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Maine Lobster & Prawn Pot stickers, Black Vinegar Dipping Sauce 12... MY FAVORITE: (THERE'S NOT ENOUGH OF THEM ON THE PLATE)!!
Great for an outing after work or late night. Also, I have gone for a birthday dinner with friends. Nothing out of the ordinary on that side.
You might see a few 49ers (GO DALLAS) with their bleached blond GF's here... nothing out of the ordinary again.. HEY I'M A PRODUCT OF THIS SO I KNOW! Well my mama is a brunette, but you get the idea. heh heh
Most of the people here try to dress it up.. even the men which I appreciate. Nothing worse then beautiful woman surrounded by guys that took no time or put no thought into getting ready to step out of the house. After all the time us women put into getting ready, puh-lease dress it up a little!!!
I usually order a glass of wine here or champagne, which their selection is nothing special or nothing I would ever order anywhere else. Mojitos, eh I've had better.
Their outside seating is great if you can manage to snag a table. Something needs to be done about people that have ordered and finished and just sitting there chatting it up watching people walk by. i understand you paid, but with limited seating I think a time limit needs to be put into effect here!
Sino's... I hear you calling me!
I went to Sino for mother's day and I love it! I love how they offer some dim sum dishes and their twists on traditional Chinese food. They also gave my mom a mini champagne bottle and I thought that was adorable. I wish I could remember what I ordered but I'll update this next time I go.
I was pretty amazed when I first dined here for lunch. I was expecting some Americanized Chinese food but the Dim Sum was surprisingly good.
The quality of their Dim Sum is even better than many of the more authentic Chinese restaurants. Their Har Gow and Shaomai are better than many. You can pretty much tell how skillful a Dim Sum chef is just from these two basic dishes. Skin of the beef rice rolls are a bit too thick for my liking. Lobster potstickers are delicious.
I love the fact that they take reservation and you do not have to wait an hour for a Dim Sum lunch on weekends.
Their regular dishes are not exactly what I would consider Chinese food. Having said that, many of the dishes are still worth a try. If you enjoy fusion food you will enjoy dining here.
Sino is a bit over-rated. I've been here two times and both times I have not been pleased with their service or food at all.
The most recent time that I went here was to eat lunch with two co-workers. One of the two is a vegetarian.
I remembered ordering the following: Beef (On the Side) Chow Fun, Taro Cake, Vegetable Dumplings
Before we ordered anything, we had to make sure that the food contained no meat, fish sauce, or anything non-vegetarian friendly. If it contained any meat, we'd get that on the side so we can share everything.
The Taro Cake was claimed to be vegetarian friendly by our waitress but when we bit into it, there were pieces of pork within the Taro Cake. This is a terrible experience because we thought it was meatless.
The Beef Chow Fun was decent. The beef was cooked nicely and it was tender but the dish itself was extremely bland and flavorless.
The Vegetable Dumplings were not so tasty and was too rubbery in texture. It was hands down bad dim sum! The tapioca skin of the dumplings broke while I was trying to get a good grasp of it with my fork.
Even though it was their fault that we ordered the Taro Cake, we still got charged for it and all they said in response to our complaint was a simple "sorry". That is not good enough of a apology in my opinion.
The waitress was very difficult to get a hold of and considering that we were there during lunch time on a random regular day and they had only one other table that they were taking care of --it's really no excuse to not be attentive to us.
If anything at all that was good from Sino is their sangria. The sangria consisted of some sort of lychee and pineapple mixture with extremely strong alcohol. It was rather tasty however it made my stomach hurt a bit as well as my co-workers. It wouldn't stop me from drinking it again because it was really good but it is something to consider...
Their lychee martini is also really tasty but not as tasty as Straits Cafe, which is a block or two down Santana Row.
Overall, I say two stars because of the drinks. I really wouldn't waste my time here unless i had to due to some sort of group outing. This place puts a huge shame to Chinese cuisine just like PF Chang's.
So. I don't eat at Sino. There's really nothing on the menu that is healthy and vegan friendly. Except the steamed asparagus. Which we ordered (off menu, I think) the last time I tagged along with my bf and his brother for lunch. It cost 12 bucks. 12 bucks? Are you freaking kidding me?
Also. If you are a girl, and sit anywhere near the front of the restaurant during daylight hours you WILL have your picture drawn by their very own squatter, CJ the Artist. (He's the kinda crazy, often drunk, old dude who thinks yellow highlighter is a really great medium. CJ is relatively harmless, save his totally unflattering renditions.)
And yes, like any other Santana Row spot, it's stupid expensive, crowded with too many guys wearing kid's sized Tap-Out t-shirts, and girls drenched in Victoria's Secret body spray, some kind of glitter self tanner, and more make-up then you can find at the Mac counter...
BUT.
What I DO like about Sino, is the bar. Late night. In the summer. All 3 stars are for the over-priced drinks, kinda-pretentious-but-I-still-sorta-wanna-be-here atmosphere, and Ethan- the fire breathing bar tender who makes the most ridiculous watermelon mojitos on the planet. AMAZING. SO, so, so good! Go to SIno. Ask for Ethan. Order a watermelon mojito.
(Just go somewhere else for dinner.)
Look, I don't particularly like being a jerk, but I gotta be honest with y'all...
Sino is basically overpriced Americanized Chinese food that tastes OKAY at it's best. I know a lot of people are saying its better than PF Changs, but hey. that's like picking between the lesser of two evils. (Call me snobbish, call me spoiled but I LOVE my "hole in wall" authentic Chinese food.) Don't let that green neon "" sign outside fool you; this is not a "Chinese Restaurant."
Now don't get me wrong. I like Westernized Asian fusion food also. I don't discriminate; I'm an equal opportunity eater. But the problem is the food here isn't THAT good. (At least not nearly as good as everyone makes it out to be.) Plus it's like SUPER SUPER overpriced. Ugh. That's Santana Row for ya. Someone's gotta pay the bills.
I would have given the place 3* if not for the totally pretentious crowd. That bourgeoisie, new money, "I'm young, hip, and rich. PAY ATTENTION TO ME" type of crowd. I'll pass.
Strike one: mediocre food. Strike two: overpriced drinks and food. Strike three: pretentious people. You're out.
This place is great if you have a lot of leisure time. Like 90% of the reviewers said, the service is not very fast. We waited about 20 mins between the entree and the dessert. The server was a very nice guy, though, and the only reason we complain about this wait, is because the sun was beating down on us in the patio area.
They need to cut down on their salt. This place DOES taste better than PF Chang's (like everyone says), but like PFC, they overdo it on the salt. If it wasn't sooo salty, I'da given this place 4 stars.
Here's my advice if you want to try this place:
1. Go when you have LOTS of time
2. Don't sit in the patio area, other than the tables with their own individual umbrellas
3. Order the prix fixe menu ($19 for a 3-course lunch)
4. Tell them to "tekket easy" on the salt
5. Don't pull and yank and beat on the faucet to get it to run (like I did), just hold your hands underneath the nozzle for a few seconds and let it do its automatic thing.
2 out of 5 stars
The Food
ive never eaten at Sino. on the flourescent sign outside, it says SINO, and in Chinese characters it says "Chinese Restaurant". this is not an authentic Chinese restaurant, its an Americanized Chinese restaurant, just like PF Changs.
i came here with a friend today around 3pm. im standing at the entrance, wondering where the host/hostess is. one of the servers sees me and directs me towards the hostess. i walk up to the hostess. instead of greeting me with "hi, how are you doing today?" she just blankly stared at me (deer-caught-in-the-headlights type of look) [-1 star for the blank stare]
awkwardly, i say "ummmm..... seating for two?"
we are seated. they had a dim sum menu and a regular menu. off of the Dim Sum menu, we ordered: Sau Mai, seafood dumplings, Spring Rolls
off the regular menu we ordered: Mongolian Beef, Orange Roasted Prawns, Spicy Eggplant, and Jasmine Tea.
the Orange Roasted Prawns were 18$, they only give you seven prawns. i understand that the cost of seafood has gone up..... but this 18$ dish didnt even seem like a real dish, it seemed like more of an appetizer. [-1 star for that] the "Spring Rolls" were actually Fried egg rolls, and tasted like paper. [-1 star for that] Dont order the "Spring Rolls" from here. the Sau Mai was decent, but i wouldnt order it again. the seafood dumplings were good, its three dumplings for 6 bucks which is kind of a rip. The Mongolian Beef was decent, nothing special. The Spicy Eggplant wasnt spicy at all, but it tasted good.
my theory on why the food costs so much here is because of the interior decorating of this place. they need to charge that extra bit of money to compensate for how much money they spent decorating the spot. its all Vegas-like, plush lighting, fancy leather seats and tables, completely bourgeoisie'd out.
if you have loads of Disposable income, and want to sit down in a fancy restaurant eating Mr Chau's Grade food, then come to Sino. otherwise, just hit up Panda Express or Mr Chaus.
The Nightlife
i once stepped foot into Sino on a Thursday or Friday night, months ago. it was hardcore bourgeoisie. everyone was in a suit, ages 30+, somewhat snooty-looking. i immediately stepped out of this venue. i didnt want to be associated with those fuckers. as i was leaving, i spotted Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49ers outside of the joint, about to go in there with a bunch of his friends. my friend said to me "that looked like someone famous" and i replied "yeah, that was Vernon Davis." too bad the niners sucked that season.
I happen to LOVE Sino for 2 things and 2 things only, their Lobster Potickers and their Chris Yeos' Chicken Salad. It's worth trying at least once, you'll either LOVE it or HATE it!
Came here for a friend's birthday
Crowded, BO, slow service
I'm surprised, I've been here more than several times. Trying to order drinks for my friend's birthday cheering, stood in line watching the bartenders walk by numerous times. At the end, after 15-20 minutes of waiting, the birthday boy got me the drinks instead. Hm...50 pt off the chart
Outdoor lounging, smokers area = Wrong. You must exit the restaurant to the side walk.
I was having much more fun hanging with my buddies by the bench outside than in Sino. Coming back next time? Most likely not, unless 5+ of my friends drags me.
I've gone there twice.
It's very pricey.
The service is incredibly ridiculous! It took me 20 minutes to get a waiter's attention just to get water! Plus, about 3-4 other waiters passed and when I said "Can I get water, and the menu?" All they would say is "OK, I will get your waitress to come here for you." Yet, they do not arrive to assist us.
The lighting is dark, though it is nice since it is a lounge.
They need better service though.
For the place and the price, I thought I'd at least get a service worthy of western restaurant. Nope. Service is just like every other asian restaurant, minus the food, plus the fruity alcohol skimped expensive drinks.
The drinks here are really weak. Next time I'd just order straight vodka, but they might dilute it with water too just to save money.
Food itself is bleh. your average overly sauced, overly breaded variety of meat. Price is hella expensive for the quality of the food that you get. Food is at Panda Express level at the most.
At weekend nights this place could be pretty packed, mostly the bunch of socially challenged engineers. I might be going back if someone offers to pay for the drinks or some one else organize some special events, but surely not gonna be back here for myself.
Sino is the spot to be at at night, I haven't yet tried their dim sum which I have heard is amazing, but I do like that it closes early for the oldies like me that like to leave after one drink :)
Heavily Americanized Chinese food like the kind you find at P.F. Cheng's except that it actually tastes good here. No complaints on the quality of the food.
Food and drink presentation was disappointing. Rectangular or funky contemporary plates don't substitute for good presentation.
EXTREMELY overpriced. You'll be paying $50+ per person for tiny portions.
Not kid-friendly or family friendly. I can't even imagine someone taking their date or their wife here.
Santana Row, you've done it again.
Another mediocre restaurant hyped up by the Row.
My friend and I came here after a day at the beach in the Cruz. Sat down and ordered Kung Pao chicken 'Lollipops' (Too sweet), Beef Chow Fun (Too bland) and the Tangerine Beef (Our favorite dish).
We also split an 'ecstasy' cocktail between the two of us.
Needless to say, you could definitely see and taste the fusion of American and Asian cuisine. Its not a place I'd suggest to eat at unless i'm trying to impress a date. Even then, I'd be impressing them with the mad amount of money I'd be shelling out, and not the food.
I've been to Sino's three times - once for dinner with my group of girlfriends, another time for a drink after a dinner date and the third time was on thursday with a good friend of mine. I really like this place - it has the feel of a lounge when you walk in and Thursday was exceptionally busy with people enjoying their Happy Hour to the fullest. We were seated immediately...
The menu is not authentic (and yes its like PF Changs - but I think much better). We ordered drinks to start - a raspberry vodka & 7up for me and a mojito for my friend and perused the menu. We decided to order Tangerine Beef, Orange Roast Prawns, Ma Po Tofu and a bowl of rice. For being 'American-ized Chinese cuisine' it was pretty tasty.
We ordered a second round of drinks...they make great drinks here. Our bill was pricey, but totally worth it when catching up with an old friend at a great restaurant. I'm definitely coming back whether it be for drinks or dinner. It's a cool place.
Cheers!
Let me first say...I HATE SANTANA ROW.
I would never, on my own, choose to dine or shop here simply because I don't like the type of people that frequent the SR venue. Y'know, the wannabe keeping up with the Jones', "trendy hipster" types. Blech!
OK, moving on. So a friend of ours invited us out to dinner at Sino. Here's the low down:
FOOD = Awesome! Everything we had was incredibly tasty. Just to name a few of the dishes we tried...the Kung Pao Chicken "Lollipops", Beef Chow Fun, Prawns & more...all of it was quite delicious.
SERVICE = Outstanding! Our server was very knowledgeable, down to earth & just a really nice guy.
AMBIANCE = Sucked! It was soooo noisy that I could barely hear the person sitting next to me talking. That & I've never ever seen so many douchebag Vin Diesel wannabes in my life & they were dressed in Ed Hardy gear. ED HARDY!!!!! WTH??? Sooooo bad. A lot of the girls there were dressed slutty & could barely walk in their stilettos. One actually almost fell down the stairs. Not to be mean but...I couldn't help but laugh because...ladies, everyone can see that you obviously can *not* walk in these shoes & ya look a little ridiculous trying...come on.
So while I thought the food was great, I thought the crowd of yuppie, trendy wannabes was ridiculous...
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