Marlon "I'm All In" E.'s Profile

I had a pho craving before practicing with my band last week, so I decided to give it a try at this place.

Well, it was pretty disappointing.  The wait time between the order and serving seemed a bit long (maybe 20 minutes).  The portion was nice, but there was very little flavor in the broth.  I actually had to put soy sauce in it, which I never do.  The noodles and meat were okay. I just had a sense that whoever cooked this didn't put a lot of effort into it.  Maybe their non-pho stuff might be better, but I don't think I'll be coming back, unfortunately.

So sorry Little Saigon, but you have just been chopped.

I've had bite-size portions of fish tacos as an appetizer, but today was the first time that I ate them as a meal in itself.  Suffice to say, Rubio's definitely does not disappoint.

After receiving my order, I quickly took a bite, and yes, them fish tacos are de-freakin-licious.  The next thing I did was squeeze some lime and pour some of the roasted chipotle salsa on those things, and wow, it just puts the flavor scale over the top!  The beans and chips were okay, not much there as expected.  They are side dishes after all.

So just like that, I became an instant fan of fish tacos.  I can only wonder how much better they could be...

"Hiiiighwaaaaay to the Danger Zoooone..."

My coworkers and I went to GoKart Racer for some "work bonding time" a few weeks ago.  The environment definitely makes you feel like a racing pro, from the spacious lockers, to the surprisingly comfortable jumpsuits, to the detailed post-race stat sheets.

Because I wear glasses, I thought I would have a problem wearing them with the helmet on, but thankfully, there was enough room through the visor for me to slip them on after securing my helmet.  Major points there, or else I would have been driving practically blind, which would have been an adventure.

As for the go-karts themselves, I found the two that I used were pretty responsive and handled the tight turns pretty well, although a couple of my coworkers complained that theirs were inconsistent.  Oh well.

This will definitely make you have a deeper appreciation for race car drivers since you can feel the resistance of the wheel as you make the turns, and of course they are doing it at much faster speeds.  Oh yeah, and your body will be sore the next day. ;)

It was my first time go kart racing in years, and I had an awesome time.  Straight up adrenaline rush!

The Mac and Cheese at Nova is filled with heavenly goodness.  Rotini-style pasta with creamy, melted cheese and a heavy sprinkling of bread crumbs.  Ham and broccoli are optional toppings for $1.

The only downside: 8 bucks for mac and cheese?  Come on now!

But still, even with that somewhat hefty price, it's so damn good (and unhealthy, but who cares, haha) that I would probably order it every time I visit.

Rib Shack, baby, Rib Shack...

Despite living in San Bruno for practically all my life, I've never eaten at the Rib Shack--until today.

I immediately went for the lunch special, which you get ribs, two sides, and a cornbread muffin for $8 and change.  One bite of the ribs immediately brought me flashbacks to the Reno Ribfest a few weeks ago.  After a few bites, I did have to reach for the mild sauce to add some more flavor.  The sauce wasn't mild at all really, so I suppose I should go for the spicier sauce next time.

As for the sides, well...do NOT get the macaroni and cheese.  I don't know what they put in it, but there was a weird bitter aftertaste.  Honestly, how does one ruin mac and cheese?  It's almost foolproof!  The mashed potatoes were much better, with a hint of garlic and some spicy stuff that I couldn't figure out.  The little cornbread muffin with the bits of pineapple inside was pretty good as well.

I had pretty high expectations for this place, and so I was pretty disappointed when the mac and cheese fell short.  Oh well.  I'll give this place another shot eventually, as it's the only authentic BBQ place in the area.

Ate lunch here a few days ago.  I gave this place my standard Thai test, which was the Pad-See-Ew.  For $9, it was good, and I was served a large enough portion that I had to take out to finish, which says a lot since I usually try to finish whatever I eat.

So for the reason why I only give this place a 4?  The seats are a bit uncomfortable and don't offer much leg room.  Otherwise, the food is good, and if I happen to crave Thai food when I'm in the area, I would visit here again.

So while I was pounding beers on an empty stomach last night, my buddies and I made our way to The Old Chelsea for some good old fish and chips.

The place has a very simple setup, with a few tables and chairs, and a menu on the wall behind the counter.  Unfortunately, the fish and chips here leave a lot to be desired.  I like how they were served fresh (i.e. very hot) from the fryer and that the fish was moist, but they were way too soggy.  No crispiness whatsoever.  The tartar and hot sauce were not necessarily needed, but they give the fish and chips some extra flavor and kick, which was nice.

There aren't a lot of places like these around, so I would be willing to give this place another chance, hoping that they make the fish and chips crispier.

Encore Karaoke Lounge is a lounge specifically designed for karaoke, complete with a stage and lights that make you feel like a rock star.  There is an abundance of tables and chairs if you are with a group, and they let you take in or get food delivered from other places.  The collection of songs (conveniently sorted by song title or artist) is huge, as I found myself flipping through hundreds of pages.  The bar is cash-only, but at least the beer is ice cold.  The crowd can be loud, raucous, and fun, and they will also have the heart to compliment you if you sing well.

The only problem is, it seems like every other song, the KJ doesn't sync the words correctly, and he would have to abruptly stop and restart the song again.

Remind me what this place is again?  Oh yeah, it's a karaoke lounge.  You would have thought that these kinds of technical problems would have been sorted out by now.

As other yelpers have mentioned, this place does tend to fill up, so if you want to get your songs in, get them in early, or else you may have to wait an hour to get up on the stage and strut your stuff!

A few of my coworkers and I made our way to Burger Joint on this hot Thursday.  I went for the cheeseburger with swiss and a chocolate shake.

The cheeseburger, served open faced, and fries were good as usual.  Nothing to complain about there.

The shake, well, let's say I took one sip and immediately thought of Nestle Quik.  I finished it, but, blah.  Not worth $5 extra for this.

SOMA veterans know La Briciola as the spot that used to have a giant tomato facing the street, which has somehow disappeared into oblivion.  From the outside, it seems out of place--an authentic, well-kept Italian restaurant--next to two Asian restaurants and a liquor store on the block.

My coworkers and I called in ahead of time to make sure we had a table, and then we walked on over for lunch (that day was the birthday one of my coworkers).  The friendly waiter greeted and seated us and then handed us the menus.  The dishes were listed in Italian, with English-friendly descriptions next to the names.  I've never had risotto before, so I chose the risotto with saffron and sausage.

Oh my freakin goodness...it was awesome.  The creamy sauce mixed in with the rice and sausage was all good.  I can't really even describe how good this dish was.  I'll just say that I feel like I now have a high standard of how to measure a great risotto.

Sure, the prices are a little above what one would normally spend for lunch, but it's well worth it.  Bravo, La Briciola, Bravo.