Karina G.'s Profile
Date
1350 Grant Rd
Mountain View, CA 94040
(650) 961-1813
Mountain View, CA 94040
(650) 961-1813
Ocha Tea Café & Restaurant
Categories:
Coffee & Tea,
Taiwanese,
Asian Fusion
1 Previous Review:
-
4/4/2011
Best milk tea in the south bay! (Will up to 5 stars if service and quality stays consistently awesome).
Who knew that you could use an espresso machine to make tea? They freshly brew your tea to order and I love how many tea options they have. It's not just black tea here - it's more like... what kind of black tea do you want?
The freshly brewed tea makes a big difference. The milk tea is fragrant and the tea really stands out. They even use milk here, not non-dairy creamer.
The hubby got oolong milk tea (the one with a really long name) and that was by far my favorite yesterday.
We didn't eat here, but the food smelled good too. Can't wait to come back and satisfy my ocha tea fix.
P.S. The "regular" size is huge here. Equivalent to the "large" at places like tapioca express/lollicup.
One of the best burgers I've ever had. Period.
I love that they use hawaiian rolls for the buns and the meat... so juicy and delicious. There's something special about the fires too... a little sweet to offset the salty.
The atmosphere is cool here, think a food court but fancier. More akin to oxbrow market but smaller. Go to the counter, order your food and find yourself a table. There's even a bar if you feel like grabbing an adult beverage.
I''m excited for downtown SJ if they're gonna put more places like this in.
I love that they use hawaiian rolls for the buns and the meat... so juicy and delicious. There's something special about the fires too... a little sweet to offset the salty.
The atmosphere is cool here, think a food court but fancier. More akin to oxbrow market but smaller. Go to the counter, order your food and find yourself a table. There's even a bar if you feel like grabbing an adult beverage.
I''m excited for downtown SJ if they're gonna put more places like this in.
6628 Lonetree Blvd
Rocklin, CA 95765
(916) 780-7427
Rocklin, CA 95765
(916) 780-7427
Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
Category:
Barbeque
3.5 stars.
Came here with a group of 14 and we ordered the "4 person" family meal + brisket + an appetizer (fried okra)... and there were still leftovers.
Clearly, what Lucille's thinks is a "person" is very different from what an actual person eats.
Highlights the biscuits (oh man the butter!), and all the sides: mac n cheese, greens, mashed potatoes, baked beans... these items were delicious.
Lowlights: brisket. This isn't Texas brisket and my husband was disappointed, the strawberry lemonade (too sweet).
Re-reading this review, I'll acknowledge that there are way more highlights than lowlights. So maybe the three stars is because I thought the sides were way better than the bbq - which doesn't feel right for a bbq place. It was a good meal - but standards for bbq are high when you're parents live in Texas. Lucille's was good, but a $10 all you can eat bbq place in Texas is still 3x better.
Good atmosphere, good service, pretty decent food. Worth a stop if you're in the area and hankering for some bbq. Just don't expect Texas.
Came here with a group of 14 and we ordered the "4 person" family meal + brisket + an appetizer (fried okra)... and there were still leftovers.
Clearly, what Lucille's thinks is a "person" is very different from what an actual person eats.
Highlights the biscuits (oh man the butter!), and all the sides: mac n cheese, greens, mashed potatoes, baked beans... these items were delicious.
Lowlights: brisket. This isn't Texas brisket and my husband was disappointed, the strawberry lemonade (too sweet).
Re-reading this review, I'll acknowledge that there are way more highlights than lowlights. So maybe the three stars is because I thought the sides were way better than the bbq - which doesn't feel right for a bbq place. It was a good meal - but standards for bbq are high when you're parents live in Texas. Lucille's was good, but a $10 all you can eat bbq place in Texas is still 3x better.
Good atmosphere, good service, pretty decent food. Worth a stop if you're in the area and hankering for some bbq. Just don't expect Texas.
The husband and I were hardcore craving some korean bone soup. The last time we were here was... 3 years ago.... and I'm honestly not sure if they just remodeled or this is a brand spankin new restaurant.. All I know is the menu has changed and the korean bone soup is even BETTER than I remembered.
The menu is small, maybe 10 items but I love that.
We got the #1 and #4. I love the ox bone soup but for me, it's just a liiiiiiittle too much ox bone if you know what I mean. My mouth got super sticky by the end of the night. My ideal soup would be a combo of both #1 and #4. Add your own green onions and salt to taste - just be careful! It's easy to over salt... the broth is great so you don't want to kill your meal.
And the kimchi? Wow, this is good kimchi. I like that it's more spicy than sour.
Extra highlight of the meal? The give you yogurt drink with your check! How awesome is that?
Service is friendly but they're understaffed so it gets pretty hectic. Overall, great place for beef bone soup.
The menu is small, maybe 10 items but I love that.
We got the #1 and #4. I love the ox bone soup but for me, it's just a liiiiiiittle too much ox bone if you know what I mean. My mouth got super sticky by the end of the night. My ideal soup would be a combo of both #1 and #4. Add your own green onions and salt to taste - just be careful! It's easy to over salt... the broth is great so you don't want to kill your meal.
And the kimchi? Wow, this is good kimchi. I like that it's more spicy than sour.
Extra highlight of the meal? The give you yogurt drink with your check! How awesome is that?
Service is friendly but they're understaffed so it gets pretty hectic. Overall, great place for beef bone soup.
Great atmosphere, service, and food.
This restaurant is FUN, the people working here have an awesome attitude and are incredibly welcoming. If there's a little wait, you stand near the kitchen and bar (and by bar I mean cooler of beers) and the chefs hand you samples of their food. Sometimes, they hand you stuff that's not on the menu.
Beers are in a cooler to serve yourself while you're waiting. I really love the relaxed vibe here.
Food wise, it's good. I had the Catfish etouffe which was perfect for me, since it had a little bit of everything. Fried catfish over rice, smothered in crawfish etouffe and served with french bread and potato salad. After a full day of boarding - this is heaven.
We came on Friday and it was crazy packed (probably due to the AYCE catfish special). Portions are pretty generous here, so if you're not a heavy eater I wouldn't do AYCE.
Make sure to get some beignets but don't wear any dark colored clothing - powdered sugar gets everywhere.
Love the atmosphere. Will definitely be back next time in CO.
This restaurant is FUN, the people working here have an awesome attitude and are incredibly welcoming. If there's a little wait, you stand near the kitchen and bar (and by bar I mean cooler of beers) and the chefs hand you samples of their food. Sometimes, they hand you stuff that's not on the menu.
Beers are in a cooler to serve yourself while you're waiting. I really love the relaxed vibe here.
Food wise, it's good. I had the Catfish etouffe which was perfect for me, since it had a little bit of everything. Fried catfish over rice, smothered in crawfish etouffe and served with french bread and potato salad. After a full day of boarding - this is heaven.
We came on Friday and it was crazy packed (probably due to the AYCE catfish special). Portions are pretty generous here, so if you're not a heavy eater I wouldn't do AYCE.
Make sure to get some beignets but don't wear any dark colored clothing - powdered sugar gets everywhere.
Love the atmosphere. Will definitely be back next time in CO.
15 Romolo Pl
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 398-1359
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 398-1359
15 Romolo
Categories:
Bars,
Tapas/Small Plates
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Came here to hang out with friends and try out the yelp drinks menu...
I can't remember the names exactly but my favorite was the moonmaker (moonstar? moonshine? moonsomething). It was tart and smooth and the perfect after hours drink. For $5 it was a STEAL. Cocktails are taken seriously here... lots of effort for one drink...
I loved the atmosphere... extra extra bonus points that I didn't hear a single top 40 hit while I was inside.
My only beef was with the "security" outside... Our party of 11 was "too big" to let in all at once so the girls had to go first while the boys waited outside... we went in... and it wasn't even half full yet. Phish... I hate fabricated lines.
Still worth it though.
EDIT: Aaron's comment puts the night into better perspective - there was almost zero wait at the bar (maybe a minute), which I appreciated. I'd much rather wait outside than wait for my drink. ;) Show owner comment »
I can't remember the names exactly but my favorite was the moonmaker (moonstar? moonshine? moonsomething). It was tart and smooth and the perfect after hours drink. For $5 it was a STEAL. Cocktails are taken seriously here... lots of effort for one drink...
I loved the atmosphere... extra extra bonus points that I didn't hear a single top 40 hit while I was inside.
My only beef was with the "security" outside... Our party of 11 was "too big" to let in all at once so the girls had to go first while the boys waited outside... we went in... and it wasn't even half full yet. Phish... I hate fabricated lines.
Still worth it though.
EDIT: Aaron's comment puts the night into better perspective - there was almost zero wait at the bar (maybe a minute), which I appreciated. I'd much rather wait outside than wait for my drink. ;) Show owner comment »
542 Green St
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 982-9738
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 982-9738
Golden Boy Pizza
Category:
Pizza
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Late night food reviews are always a little bit controversial for me... did I like it because it's actually delicious? Or did I like it because I was drunk off my ass?
Golden Boy is the former. Definitely delicious regardless of blood alcohol level. I looove the cheese pizza. So much cheese! There's a lot going for these pizzas, great toppings, good crust... and... I know people hate on the middle piece but I really like the middle piece. There's something about the soft chewyness of pizza dough slathered in sauce that I love... (great... now I'm hungry, damnit!)
My favorites were the cheese, garlic clam, and the pepperoni. I'm sure they'd all be my favorite if I ever got to eating it all.
Be warned, cash only.
Golden Boy is the former. Definitely delicious regardless of blood alcohol level. I looove the cheese pizza. So much cheese! There's a lot going for these pizzas, great toppings, good crust... and... I know people hate on the middle piece but I really like the middle piece. There's something about the soft chewyness of pizza dough slathered in sauce that I love... (great... now I'm hungry, damnit!)
My favorites were the cheese, garlic clam, and the pepperoni. I'm sure they'd all be my favorite if I ever got to eating it all.
Be warned, cash only.
2201 Preston Rd
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 612-6729
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 612-6729
Whole Foods Market
Categories:
Grocery,
Health Markets
Everything is bigger in Texas and they really aren't kidding. This Whole Foods location is seriously HUGE.
I came here almost everyday for a quick lunch last week and I really appreciated all the lunch options. The salad bar was great - lots of toppings and I loved that kale was an option for a base salad.
There's a nice outdoor seating area, which is much more preferable than the kinda dingy indoor eating area. I did notice that inside, there was a lot of different bins to denote recycling, trash, compost, etc... but they didn't have the same bins outside. It'd be cool if they had recycling and composting bins near the outdoor seating area so you didn't need to go back inside if you were trying to be green(er).
I came here almost everyday for a quick lunch last week and I really appreciated all the lunch options. The salad bar was great - lots of toppings and I loved that kale was an option for a base salad.
There's a nice outdoor seating area, which is much more preferable than the kinda dingy indoor eating area. I did notice that inside, there was a lot of different bins to denote recycling, trash, compost, etc... but they didn't have the same bins outside. It'd be cool if they had recycling and composting bins near the outdoor seating area so you didn't need to go back inside if you were trying to be green(er).
Solid Chinese food. Has all the standards plus some of my favorites (fish maw soup!).
We came here as a party of 15... it got hectic and we had to ask for refills on tea, etc, but with 15 people... I can understand that it's hard to keep up. The important part? We got tons of food and we left super happy.
My cousin asked for a side of ginger sauce (she hearts the ginger sauce) and they gave us a huge bowl full - this sauce literally tastes good on everything.
I don't remember everything we ordered, but everything was above par and 15 people left completely satisfied.
Things I remember we ordered: fried squid, deep fried fish, black bean cod, fried tofu (awesome!), fish maw soup (good!), kang kong/kong xin cai (ie, water spinach).
We came here as a party of 15... it got hectic and we had to ask for refills on tea, etc, but with 15 people... I can understand that it's hard to keep up. The important part? We got tons of food and we left super happy.
My cousin asked for a side of ginger sauce (she hearts the ginger sauce) and they gave us a huge bowl full - this sauce literally tastes good on everything.
I don't remember everything we ordered, but everything was above par and 15 people left completely satisfied.
Things I remember we ordered: fried squid, deep fried fish, black bean cod, fried tofu (awesome!), fish maw soup (good!), kang kong/kong xin cai (ie, water spinach).
LOVE LOVE LOVE their dinner.
They serve dinner Fri-Sunday. It's such a cozy spot for dinner. Not a place you'd take a girl on a first date but it's got the feel of "i like you, you like me, let's just cut out the dating crap and spend time together" kind of date.
I ordered mentaiko pasta and the hubby got kurobota tonkatsu. Both were awesome but I have to say the standout was getting fresh bread at the beginning of the meal.
The women working during dinner were really nice (albeit slow) and it's just a cool, casual, no fuss dinner spot.
Will definitely make it back. My only regret is they only serve dinner Fri-Sun.
They serve dinner Fri-Sunday. It's such a cozy spot for dinner. Not a place you'd take a girl on a first date but it's got the feel of "i like you, you like me, let's just cut out the dating crap and spend time together" kind of date.
I ordered mentaiko pasta and the hubby got kurobota tonkatsu. Both were awesome but I have to say the standout was getting fresh bread at the beginning of the meal.
The women working during dinner were really nice (albeit slow) and it's just a cool, casual, no fuss dinner spot.
Will definitely make it back. My only regret is they only serve dinner Fri-Sun.
1 Previous Review:
-
2/14/2012
Ok, yes, the bakery goods are legit. My favorite is the apple pan. I also like to buy the mini melon pan but I personally think it's not melon-y enough.
But my favorite? The onigiri! I really really like the onigiri here, especially the takana mentai.
I haven't tried their dinner menu but I'd love to. This place has a cozy relaxed feel. I just wish I lived closer....
4 Lists
1. Shabu-Tatsu East Village
Shabu Tatsu is so good…
2. Shin-Sen-Gumi ShabuShabu &…
Shin Sen Gumi was my…
3. Shabu Shabu House Restaurant
See Full List »
There's a reason there's…
1. Orenchi Ramen
Probably the best ramen…
2. Santouka Ramen
I love love love Santoka.…
3. Ramen Dojo
See Full List »
I like to think of this…
"hungry"
- 144 Friends
- 264 Reviews
- 39 Review Updates
- 3 Firsts
- 13 Fans
- 26 Local Photos
- 4 Lists
-
Rating Distribution
Loading...
- View more graphs »
Review votes:
359 Useful, 201 Funny, and 213 Cool
Location
San Jose, CA
Yelping SinceNovember 2008
My HometownAliso Viejo, CA
My Second Favorite Website The Last Great Book I ReadThe Sweet Life in Paris - David Lebovitz
My First ConcertOzma
My Last Meal On Earthmy mom's Kare Kare
Current CrushRafael Nadal
The boba is legit here. This isn't tapioca express or lollicup where your tea is premade and they're just adding syrups/milk/non-dairy creamer. The tea is brewed to order using an expresso machine!
My favorite is osmanthus oolong milk tea followed pretty closely by either rose milk tea or roasted milk tea.
Food wise, I'm a big fan of their fried rice (the one with chicken and basil).
My number one piece of advice: stick to the freshly brewed teas.