Michelle S.'s Profile

I keep hearing how great the mojitos are.... Maybe I came in too soon after I returned from Miami/Key West? I mean, these were muddled swill. Come on Dub Crizzle! Step it up a notch. Although, if you have not had the pleasure of dangerously-close-to -Cuba mojitos, maybe you'll be fine.

Oh, but the food is amazing though. Especially the ahi, the fried plantains, and the mojo sauce...pronounced Mo-ho...not mo-joe...my bad.

It's been over a year though since I returned from my Gulf Coast Heartbreaker tour. Maybe my tastebuds lost their memory. If I return and like the mojitos, I will throw up another star.

The last time I went for hot Peruvian in the city was back when I was home for the summer on an internship and this one dude living in the Sunset was half Per....oh...wait.... yeah....food....

OK. Starting over.

Little known Michelle S. trivia. When I was a lot younger, my family used to raise and show Peruvian Paso horses. Check it out. http://www.napha.net/

Anyway, our trainer was from Peru. One year, my father did an extensive phone book search ('cause, like, no Yelp in the early nineties) and arranged for a limo to take us to Fina Estampa for our trainer's birthday. He loved it. It was so much fun. It was nearly twenty years ago and I was so surprised to see that it is STILL in SF.

As such, after being DRAGGED to UPS, I was allowed to pick dinner. I am so glad that I picked this place. It was even better than I remembered it. (Although, being old enough to drink probably helped...I was so stoked that the waiter carded me too).

The sangria is TO @#$%ING DIE FOR! ZOMG! You may think that a liter for $17 is a bit steep. You would be FLAT OUT WRONG! We were kinda worried that the liter would be mostly ice. However, we got a legit liter of un-iced, purely delicious sangria. And, um, it was bad to see that both of us could, in, fact finish it. Oops!

The meals may look expensive. However, their portions are ridiculous and should totally be shared family style. A plate of their fantabulous paella was way too much food for the two of us. We didn't even need to order anything else. (Though we are glad that we did).

OK, so I didn't technically eat Peruvian food last night. Spanish was just as good. ;)

So....yeah...um....I 'll be back soon.

They are rumored to be coordinating a weekly Teacher Happy Hour that will last all night.

Give the teachers some love, people. Over 26,000 CA teachers got pink slips today. :*(

*continues studying for tomorrow's CSET*

I might actually give this place 3.5 stars. It was certainly above average but not spectacular.

Mario and I were texting each other back and forth about sushi while I was eating left over pasta for lunch yesterday. Then he says he wants sushi for lunch now. I then say "Don't tell me that because I just ate pasta leftovers." "Ok, we'll have it for dinner then."

So he comes by my house and we start discussing where to go. Mijori is in our neighborhood; but we ALWAYS go there. Except when we went to Koryo last week because he came over too late...this probably ruined my "relationship" with my "sushi boyfriend" who works there now btw. No more free stuff for Michelle. =( Um, anyway, Mario decided that I needed to try this place. I obliged.

So, Mario described this place as a "Sushi Denny's". And he was pretty much right. The place is big and cheesy in a minimalist way. It was actually kinda frightening to see all the white. I was also convinced that the building used to be a Sizzler. It also felt like going to dim sum because a) the place was big, b) the place was crowded with a wait (although we only waited 15 minutes MAYBE because we got there around 8:30 and we settled for sitting at the bar...which is actually not settling for me because I actually prefer the bar), and c) Mario and I were the only non-Asians there (which is actually cool because then it's legit). That last sentence doesn't affect the quality of the food. It was to mention that the atmosphere is not like the hole-in-the-wall in Koreatown joints that I love to death. It also means that it is not the "let's play loud and crappy techno music and show anime and charge too much because we look trendy" atmosphere that you find at Blowfish.

So, we got seated near the open door. We were finally able to have someone close it for us. Service was pretty prompt but absent-minded and disorganized (had a couple waitresses for a while). They were out of the sake I wanted. HOWEVER, their sake menu is designed for "sake training wheels" (me) because it lists them from extreme dryness to extreme sweetness.

The cuts of fish were fresh enough and actually quite generous...once they got the order right. AND they had shiro maguro rolls...not common, certainly appreciated by Michelle S.. So, for the price, can't beat it.

Then the mochi ice cream was as hard as a rock. And they didn't even cut it into pieces so it was easier to eat. So, yeah, almost broke a tooth on the mochi. However, they actually had red bean mochi available...not common.

But overall, nice enough place. It was a good change from the "tried and true" that I always go to. It was certainly not awful. I just don't know how regularly I am going to drive all the way out to Alameda just wait an hour for sushi. Hopefully they'll have my sake next time!

So, I think I need to come back to this place for dinner; I'd probably have more to say about it once I do.

Ambience wise, this place is actually pretty slick. It's cute on the outside (but then again, most of Old Oakland is). The inside is simple but slick. Even the wait staff is beautiful.

So, the brunch menu is somewhat limited. But the brunch selection is about what you expect for a brunch menu--something sweet from the griddle, eggs benedict, bloody marys, you get the picture. I was craving some sweetness, so I got the french toast. The bacon was thick, limp, and fatty. The french toast was a little too sweet (overpowering vanilla flavor--as french toast is the only thing that I can cook very well, I am comfortable with reviewing and am proud of myself for deciphering it's shortcomings) and also burnt (my french toast had crispy edges). However, the berry compote was tasty.

Not awful, but not awesome. Again, I only came for brunch. I do want to try this place again for dinner because I'm certain that is what it does best. Also, this looks like it would be a good date restaurant. So, I'll come back after dark. And, should I return for brunch, I'll get something savory next time.