David "Bite Me" P.'s Profile

Typical Japanese fare Americanized for your protection.  

Ingredients fresh and menu extensive. Service was courteous and efficient.

Just about everything on the menu was served up with some sort of embellishment or flare which checked traditional Japanese culinary execution at the back door.

Their various for round-eyes only sushi rolls appeared to be a big hit with the locals. Each concoction had more stuff packed in, sprinkled on and squirted over than the one before.

The ramen, both the shoyu and the miso spinach had virtually no taste even after emptying half a bottle of chichimi (red pepper) into my bowl.

I am a bit concerned that they appear to be part of an East Bay chain on a par with Shiki but neither the restaurant on their website nor any of the reviewers feels its worth making note of. Why go out of your way to hide it and use http://littlemadfish.org instead of just adding to their http://madlittlefish.com locations? Their coming upon so many rave reviews so quickly including a few faceless, reviewless wonders also makes me a bit suspect. Their touting nine 5 star reviews on their website didn't make things any better. I'm not accusing anyone of fish or fowl play here; I'm just sayin'...

Pros:
  o  Good, straight forward burgers cooked to order
  o  All the basic condiments freshly prepared
  o  Clean, simple decor

Cons:
  o  I wasn't asked how I like my meat cooked: one size fits all
  o  All condiments added behind the counter. Condiment bar limited to ketchup etal.

Conclusion: an above average burger compared to the typical fast food chain.

One of the narrowest, cramped little Starbucks in the area. With 7 or 8 Starbucks within a two mile radius, why bother.

An associate asked to meet here for an impromptu meeting. I felt like I needed to sit in my neighbor's lap to get comfortable and then speak in whispers to avoid others ease dropping. This was made all the more difficult because the three guys on the other side of us were talking at jet landing decibels about selling property to gas station operators.

A great old school bakery serving up a wide variety of cookies, danishes, muffins, donuts, cakes and other assorted baked treats. Everything super-moist and fresh. Seasonal treats for Easter, Christmas and fall always tastefully tasteful.

Coffee service was decent. They use the old fashion glass pots on warmers but they regularly rotate in freshly brewed pots for the the ones that have been out a while. Great way to wash down their fresh danishes.

While having a muffin one morning, I was thoroughly impressed by their wedding cake service. They had prepared like 15 mini cake bites with filing and frosting combinations for a couple trying to decide on their cake. (See photo.) I never got that kind of service when I coordinated my wedding. Then again, I already knew we wanted chocolate cake with chocolate filling and chocolate frosting.

Very old school bakery cafe serving up kick ass donuts, butter cookies and pies.

Old guy behind the counter looks like he's been doing his job with pride before any Yelper was even a glimmer in their mommy's eye.

I only ding them a star for the coffee -- absolutely tasteless. Sitting on the warmer forever, they take no pride in what they serve. I don't expect soy milk and 4 choices of sugar substitute, but I expect a basic level of service that demonstrates some respect for the beverage. Next time I want to eat in, I'll stop at a Starbuck's on the way...

I had a hankering for some ramen on this cold windy day and didn't want to schlep down to Santouka in San Jose.

With its sainthood status on Yelp (no pun intended), either my expectations were too high or my memory too clouded.

My wait wasn't long at the door, but I waited around 20 minutes to be served. I can understand a delay during the lunch rush, but they could at least have the decency to manage my expectations or give me an update or apologize when they final delivered my order.

The other disappointment was that all the toppings were cold out of the fridge. At the very least, they should be room temperature. To add insult to injury, the boiled egg was over-cooked, under-flavored as well as cold through and through.

A big disappointment considering all the raves this place was getting on Yelp.

Its basically just a run down little sandwich shop with a limited selection that happens to sell house-made jerky. Big whoop.

Definitely not a great place to stop off with my children on a visit to Train Town. After almost an hour of "are we there yet," the limited lunch options plus dried meats minus public bathrooms equaled getting back in the car within minutes to find another place to eat.

My father who art in New York, hollowed be thy thin crust pizza. I have sinned with Napoli's thick crust pizza. Yes, I confess, but I don't feel an ounce of guilt.

All the ingredients are simple and fresh. The handmade crust itself is to die for: thin in the middle and thicker around the edge. This provides a nice balance between crisp and chewy. The house-made sauce, which we also had the chance to taste on its own for the kids' pasta, is nicely seasoned to make the natural flavors shine through. Cheese laid on thick and gooey. Surveying some of the other tables, all the toppings including pepperoni, olives and mushrooms were all of high quality, simple and fresh.

The place is really basic but has clearly been around for many years as a fixture of the neighborhood.

Service was efficient but friendly. When we asked for boxes for left overs, our waitress not only brought us what needed but also packed everything up lickety-split.

Tofu soup pots themselves don't vary all that much from tofu house to tofu house. It really all more in the variety and quality of sides, atmosphere and service. SGD is just okay on most fronts.

One of the benefits of going by myself to a tofu house is that I get all the side kimchi dishes to myself. Usually they serve the same amount of sides whether one, two or three at the table. SGD not only skimps on the amount of sides compared to the table for two next to me, but offered a rather limited variety to boot.

Most Korean tofu joints tend to have very simple, utilitarian decors. I wasn't expecting the Ritz, but SGD seemed a bit more scrungy around the edges. .

The art of Ramen perfected. Good to the last slurp.

I made a beeline to Santouka my first chance after Randy F.'s heads up. I have little to contribute to the detailed reviews of others. I would just add that you can't go wrong whatever you order; shio, shoyu or miso broth. Good stuff. 'nuff said.