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"Maven"
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Rating Distribution
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Review votes:
126 Useful, 9 Funny, and 50 Cool
Cupertino, CA
Yelping SinceMarch 2006
Find Me InNear San Jose
My HometownPalos Hills, IL
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...I design, I read, I drive
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI like to check out new places and share them with others.
Date
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 257-3688
Royal Teppan Steak House
Categories: Japanese, Taiwanese, Steakhouses
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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11/10/2006
Love, love, love this store! Ichiban Kan offers a variety of Japanese goods, including household supplies, snacks, stationery items, toiletries, and dishes, and all at great prices. I always enjoy looking to see what new items they have, and there's always something interesting to check out. I especially like some of the stationery items they have, including origami paper, writing utensils, and other items. They have a nice selection of dishes as well, in all sorts of sizes and designs, and the prices are quite good compared to other stores in the area.
They also have a location in San Francisco Japantown, but I'm more partial to the one in San Mateo, as it's not as far for me and the store is not usually as crowded.
Sunnyvale, CA 94085
(408) 735-8280
Seto Japanese Cuisine
Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
What's strange is that the food at the Seto Deli around the corner is so much better than the restaurant. If you're in the area, I'd go for the deli instead.
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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1/27/2007
After hearing plenty about Seto, I finally visited for an early dinner after work, and I liked it well enough.
I couldn't decide what to order, so I decided to try a noodle dish (can't remember the name, but not ramen or udon), along with some sake (salmon) nigiri. The nigiri came first and were quite good. The noodle dish was also nice, though a bit lighter than I expected. It was a lot like angel hair in broth, and I was disappointed to find only one piece each of the chicken, scallops, and shrimp listed in the menu description.
The service was excellent, though maybe a bit too attentive. It was early though, so there weren't many other people there. The restaurant atmosphere itself is quite nice though; the decor is a bit upscale, including screened-off areas and private rooms. It was a bit bothersome that the cars going by on the street outside were a bit loud though.
I think I'll go back, but I'll definitely try something a bit more substantial. For now, my favorite is still Fuki Sushi in Palo Alto.
The little fishes are a bit smaller than I expected, but they're the right size -- and price -- for a sweet snack. I got some of the standard chocolate and vanilla ones, as well as the weekly flavor, which was peanut butter and banana. I have to say that I liked the weekly flavor best, so hopefully it'll become a more regular thing.
Overall, a great little place to stop by and pick up a sweet treat.
Palo Alto, CA 94304
(650) 323-9300
Sprinkles Cupcakes
Category: Desserts
The only thing I'm not sure about is the little disc on top of the cupcakes. I didn't really need it, but ok.
Also, I would advise that you not make this your dinner. Trust me on this. :)
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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6/4/2006 First to Review
Touted as a Japanese dollar store, Lychee Tree offers a nice selection of inexpensive items, including household, craft, and other products. Not all of the items are Japanese, but they seem to mainly be Asian-made at least. They've recently added quite a number of craft items, including beads, origami paper, kids' craft supplies, and a lot more, in addition to the household, beauty, and food products throughout. It's fun to wander through the store and see what you can find, as there's plenty to look at. Some of the items are a little bit junky, but it's all pretty cheap and is standard dollar-store fare. Not all items are exactly $1, but they're all fairly inexpensive compared to what you'd find elsewhere.
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 973-0331
Daiso
Categories: Cards & Stationery, Home Decor
They carry about the same stuff as the other stores, though it's a little smaller than the one in Mountain View. But it's hard to go in without buying at least something, since it's all $1.50 and up (though not much). They have housewares, snacks, decorations, plastic containers, craft supplies, beauty items, accessories, stationery, and plenty of other goodies.
The whole place is set up like a boutique, and all of the cupcakes are inside the glass counter at the left. Unfortunately as a result, it was very hard to see them all and the names when anyone was standing in front of the counter. It seemed like there was a little too much going on at the time as well, so maybe I just stopped in at a bad time.
Eventually I got to see what was left, and couldn't decide between chocolate and vanilla, so I ended up taking home a Sweet Chocolate and a Sweet Vanilla. I asked the girl helping me about their teas, and I chose one; unfortunately they were out of my first two choices, so I had to settle on a third. Why name them all if you don't have them?
I eventually got to eat the cupcakes at home, and, sadly, they were a bit underwhelming and overwhelming at the same time. The cake was semi-moist, but more dry than I would have liked, and there was way too much frosting so it was overpoweringly sweet. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the best cupcake I've ever had.
I might go back, possibly to try a seasonal cupcake (they were out), and hopefully they can sort out their customer service issues as they continue to expand.
Santa Clara, CA 95050
(408) 244-0455
Teavana
Category: Coffee & Tea
The first clue was all the teapots everywhere. You see them when you walk in, they cover the side wall, and there are more teapots and sets in the store than anything else, even tea. They really push their tea tins as well, so clearly they're more into the accessories than the tea itself. They also sell CD's of "Asian music," so it's clearly going for a certain type of crowd.
All of the tea was held captive behind the counter, in one large container for each variety. You can't just take a sniff of it on your own, you have to ask for someone to pull the container down from the shelf, and then they go into their sales spiel about it. Not really quite what I was looking for, and the woman helping me kept hovering over my shoulder and looking at me weirdly.
I did end up buying one tea (kuki matcha) before I left the store, though it's not quite as good as I'd hoped (and I like matcha). I'll give it another chance, though I may end passing it along to someone else.
13 Lists
They were able to seat our large group, even without reservations, but after that the service was very spotty. They kept forgetting to bring basic things, like drinks, and they weren't very clear about what came with what.
I ordered the General Tso's chicken (I know it's generic and very Americanized, but so what), but what I got was more like a light version of Kung Pao chicken. The chicken was fine, but it wasn't breaded and was only lightly spicy. I got the fried rice with the luncheon special, and it was really greasy and flavorless, and I think it had bbq beef in it, which wasn't mentioned on the menu (I'm not a fan).
We had a few vegetarians in our group, but they ended up getting things with meat in them despite ordering veggie dishes. Not very vegetarian friendly unless you ask about every single dish and what's in it.
The more I go to other Chinese restaurants, I just want to stick with my regular place, Chef Ko on Hamilton on Campbell. I would recommend Edna Ray.