bianca "biancadonk" c.'s Profile

I've been going to this particular P.F. Chang's for years, and I enjoy its atmosphere-- unless it's the weekend or there's a special Stanford occasion like orientation or graduation, in which case I avoid it like the plague because it gets way too loud and service devolves into snail's-pace crap, which is totally not worth the overpriced food.

I've gotten almost all of their vegetarian main courses a couple of times, but I eventually learned that all I need from this place is one appetizer-- their deliciously crunchy vegetarian lettuce wraps. It took me a long time to figure out how to fold 'em (and I still make a huge mess when I bite into one), but now I just order it as my meal and not as a starter. It's perfect if I'm with friends and don't have to act prim and proper.

The mixed drinks, alcoholic or not, are tasty and well-made if you can handle the price; their wine selection is pretty good too. The desserts are brilliant-- I've had almost every one, and they're all quite decadent, although only a little bit better taste-wise than the Cheesecake Factory's selection of sweets. I love the shot glass samplers though-- they're cheap and just the right amount of over-the-top sweetness to end your meal.

This new library is wonderfully state-of-the-art, clean and efficient. Every city in the world should be lucky enough to have a library like this one, great at what it does and filled with people all the time because of it. The self check-out stations are really cool, that's something even Stanford's libraries don't have yet. I love the plethora of computers and desks on the second floor, especially in "Teenopolis". They should have Teenopolis's large, comfy, bright chairs in every section of the building.

The best spot is the magazine area, with its skylights and very open layout. The rest of the organization is a bit strange. I wish the adult section weren't half on the first floor (fiction) and half on the second (nonfiction and reference), or at least not on opposite sides of the building. I think I know why the children's section is so large, though-- the place used to be an elementary school or something to that effect.

The WiFi is not the most reliable; when I visited today I couldn't get on either of the networks because they were both saturated. I hope they fix that problem soon, because more and more people are going to be coming here. I'm glad they haven't yet run into the same situation for their adjacent parking garage!

They make really simple sandwiches and salads here, and what makes them pop are their super-fresh ingredients. I've been here a couple of times with my sister and have enjoyed it each time. The prices are ridiculous (that's why I always hesitate to get the grilled cheese-- I have trouble shelling out ten bucks for something I'm good at making myself), but it's the Marina so you kind of expect that. Simple as it is, the flavors are nicely balanced and the carbonated drinks they have are appropriately snooty (Izze and San Pellegrino? What is this, A.G. Ferrari?). They should have more seating, given how crowded it gets inside with the line, but all in all it's got a good menu and good ambience.

The revamp of this place has made me forget that it was closed for a good year or two during my college career. The pastries are superb (if I remember correctly, they're now delivered from Satura cakes) and one of the many great Coho coupons in Stanford's Unofficial Guide can score you a free one. The mood is generally chill; I've spent hours here with my laptop and a nice chai, although there are those nights that feature some of the noisier campus bands.

I have one great standby here: the tomato-mozzarella panini with basil. It's always grilled just right and presented with a side of fresh greens. The other vegetarian options (pear and goat cheese salad, the Coho salad) are ok too, but none of them really compare to having the tomato-mozzarella panini for a light lunch.

I love this place, its food is a hangover cure for me. My ex-boyfriend and I used to go to here so often that now, years later, the owners still know my face and order (fried rice and half stuffed tofu, half kimchi-- they always give me extra vegetables because they know I'm vegetarian) and still know to put chopsticks in my bag!

The first time I ever came here, I raised an eyebrow at their dubious practice of microwaving styrofoam containers and the fact that they're cash-only, but the food is consistent with its homemade yumminess, and there's nothing they do to the food that isn't done in my house. (Besides, they've never proven that nuking styrofoam causes cancer...)

This is a down-and-dirty Japanese-style ramen bar. It plays Japanese pop/rock hits (I heard Utada Hikaru last time) and its waiters (both male and female) are cute as all get out. The ramen is pretty no-nonsense-- just plain ingredients, not heavily processed like in the instant stuff. I think they even make their noodles on-site. If you're looking for one of those high-end Japanese dining experiences, get out of here; you're probably looking for sushi anyway. (Also, if you're only here to snicker at the items labeled "Bukkake Ramen", GTFO so I don't have to wait so long to get seated.)

I love this place because 1) they've got boxes of super mild, all-you-can-eat kimchi at every table, and 2) I can order their miso ramen to be vegetarian. I can't even get a Cup Noodle that's vegetarian! Oh, and 3) the good-looking waitstaff, but I've already said that. Minuses? The wait if you come at the wrong times, and DON'T FORGET IT'S CASH ONLY. Owari!

I've been living in and around Stanford for as long as this Wahoo's has been open (about four or five years) and I recently finally found out why I'd never been inside or why I'd never heard my friends mention this place ever. I don't understand why a place like this is out on the West Coast; it'd probably make a killing on the East Coast, but here there are so many good Mexican and Hawaiian restaurants that people realize mixing the two is NOT an idea.

Anyway, for starters, there are multiple themes in the decor, much like the decor in a house of someone with Multiple Personality Disorder. There's the sporty every-sport-that-features-white-guys-on-boards theme (see the bumper stickers on the walls), the Jocky Sports Bar theme represented by a bunch of flatscreen TVs that were showing college football games, the Hawaiian "let's pretend we're from Maui" theme and the quasi-Mexican "what the f*ck is a banzai burrito?" theme. Basically the overarching theme is "I'm A Huge Douche". This might explain why the only people we saw in the restaurant were a couple of really white and really tourist-looking families from the first wave of Stanford's freshman orientation weekend.

My friend Debz and I waited inside the front door for over maybe ten minutes, with waiters and diners alike glancing at us every so often, before we realized we had to go behind the weird winding partition (a partition in a restaurant usually means a bathroom, right?) to get to the cash register and order Maui onion rings, a wet burrito and a burrito bowl. That day, the water main apparently broke right before we came in, and we had to buy our own bottle of Aquafina.

It wasn't too long a wait after we paid and sat down, though we watched enough football game commercials to make me undergo an existential crisis (Me: "Are we really going to spend the rest of our lives in suburbia, grilling burgers and drinking beer?? Oh God WILL I END UP A TROPHY WIFE???" Debz: "Calm down, I think you're gonna be okay."). The food was decent and used fresh ingredients, but it was kind of unremarkably... Cali Mex. I'm glad I ordered a wet burrito because Debz didn't seem to enjoy his dry-looking burrito bowl very much.

I wasn't looking to try the Banzai Burrito (Teriyaki in a burrito? Hmm), so I don't think I'd hit this place up again unless I were craving "Maui" onion rings, which is unlikely. They have free WiFi, which would be a greater pull for me than their food. If you're craving serious Mexican food, for the love of God try El Grullense instead.

My friends and I come here a lot because of that Buy 1 Dinner, Get 1 Free coupon in Stanford's Unofficial Guide. It's worth it, especially with that coupon; the dishes have reasonable portions and come with dal and raita and rice and naan. And the waiters are totally on your water glass like hawks. I thought it was a little overbearing at first, but then I remembered the spice levels we're talking about here and STFU.

The kulfi we got for dessert the other day was tasty, although probably a bit overpriced. You might as well get their supersweet mango lassi to go or go down the street to the gelato place. Anyway, the service was the bomb digs, and the food is dependably good. But I'd recommend that coupon to anyone who is or looks like a Stanford student.

The Vivarium was a lot smaller than I thought it'd be, but hot damn they crammed a LOT of creatures in those boxes! I really liked their habitat setups, and some of the reptiles they've got up for sale are astonishing. My favorite was the chameleon in a non-caged setup hanging from the ceiling. Also the big fluffy dog who just walks around minding his own business, but he's clearly not for sale.

I thought I'd have more questions for them about my new pet scorpion, but the people who worked there looked pretty busy so Ricky and I didn't bother them. Some of their stuff (rocks, sticks, rare tarantulas, etc.) seemed a bit overpriced, but then there were $12 bettas that came with their own bowl and emperor scorpions that were fairly priced for this area. I don't know if I'd make the trip up here again unless my scorpion is sick or something, but it was worth a visit.

I went here over the weekend during my very first trip to Berkeley as a regular tourist (and not during Big Game as a member of the Stanford Band). Its customers were young, and so were the people who worked there. The food was cheap (for the Bay Area) and surprisingly spicy; everything was deep-fried, which helped with the flavor. My peppermint mocha boba smoothie was really freaking good.

The wifi was definitely a plus, but I felt a little too old to be mingling with a bunch of super-scene kids. If I'm around Shattuck again, though, I'd think about hitting this place up again.