Reviews
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Hmm, I wonder if any local residents are thinking of bedazzling the Mandalay Steps the way it was done with the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps with decorative ceramic tiles. There are two more steps with the Mandalay Steps, and maybe that was the breaking point. Too bad because they're just concrete and in constant need of sweeping in its current state. Or maybe that was the intention to isolate this park for residents and not welcome unsuspecting tourists. It's actually a further climb to the park, and unlike Grandview, it's a real park, very woodsy and replete with all the accessories including a renovated playground. There are likely views from certain vantage points, but it was enshrouded in fog when I was here. OK, back down Mandalay. Geronimo!....oh wait, that's politically incorrect, isn't it?
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The name has a melodic ring-a-ding about it especially since Frank Sinatra sang about taking the road to Mandalay and meeting a "Burma broad" who has eyes for him. Guess it was cool to be sexist and racist when you're swingin' with the Count Basie & His Orchestra. I also think of Vegas and Mandalay Bay even though the real place is next to a river, not a bay.
This restaurant is on California, and I had been meaning to try it. Just took the pandemic for me to try their takeout. Glad I did because they're definitely on par with Burma Superstar and the other Burmas in the city when it comes to their Tea Leaf Salad. Theirs was $15 and quite fresh with a nice crunch from the peanuts. They state that their leaves are imported.
All I know is that they did a good job fermenting them and turning them into a tantalizing dressing (photo: bit.ly/3v4YDnG). I also ordered the $15 Ong No Kow Soi, which is their coconut noodle soup. The broth was rich and coconutty and wisely separated from the dry ingredients - chicken, noodles, cilantro, onion and lemon (photo: bit.ly/3iPdfTh). The combination made for a fine meal...suitable for any Burma broad.
FOOD - 4 stars...first-rate tea leaves and coconut soup
AMBIANCE - n/a...still haven't been inside
SERVICE - 4 stars...everything was well packed
TOTAL - 4 stars...for me and the Burma broad
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I have to be somewhat curmudgeonly and say that every time I walk by the corner of Grove and Gough, it seems like there's a different restaurant at this particular location, whether it's been Barcino, Boxing Room, Citizen Cake... Now it's a new Yucatecan eatery that comes from the Absinthe Group. They appear to be taking over this block in Hayes Valley, which is fine since their food is dependably good. Akna is no exception.
I took advantage of their expansive menu. First, there was the $17 Ensalada de Col Rizado y Aguacate, which was quite a robust kale salad with avocado, grilled chicken, carrot, bell peppers, cucumber, spicy pepitos, and queso fresco accompanied by an agave vinaigrette (photo: bit.ly/3iPa6TG). That was definitely a step-up from standard taqueria fare. Since the Yucatán is known for seafood, I also tried the $16 Ceviche de Mariscos, a nice combination of poached, marinated shrimp and octopus.
It was mixed with avocado, tomato, cilantro, radish slices, and onion (photo: bit.ly/3Ap8ZQw). My favorite dish turned out to be the $11 Sopa de Tortilla where they wisely separated the hot chicken-guajillo broth from the crispy taco strips, avocado, onion, and panela cheese (photo: bit.ly/3p4y6Gv). Once mixed together, it was richly satisfying. It was quite the feast with all the expected Absinthe touches. I look forward to dining there the next time - even though I've been in that space several times before.
FOOD - 4 stars...solid dining fare from the Yucatan by way of Absinthe
AMBIANCE - n/a...the room looks pretty much the same but I took my food away
SERVICE - 4 stars...quite attentive and my order was well packaged
TOTAL - 4 stars...when you're in the mood for upscale Mexican
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This is definitely a patch of greenery worth celebrating. Smack dab in the thick of the Tenderloin, it's just one acre appropriately fenced in as the surrounding area can get quite unsavory, all the more reason for this park to be here. Five years ago, I would not have been anywhere near this block as the park established in 1985 became a den of iniquity. It was renovated starting in 2014, and now you can see local children playing freely in the space. I was passing by when I noticed a jazz combo giving a free concert. It gave me a prime opportunity to appreciate the renovation spearheaded by the Trust for Public Land and the oasis it represents for local residents.
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For no particular reason, this classic J-Town restaurant has been an elusive dining destination for me all these years even when my parents were alive. Open since 1957, it's probably because they close in the afternoon when I usually show up in the neighborhood. However, this time, I was meeting my friend Carlos for lunch since he was in town visiting his father. I was trying to figure out where to meet when I noticed we had less than a half-hour if we wanted to meet at Minato.
After all, this was the one place the late, great Anthony Bourdain visited in San Jose when he was filming his CNN series in the Bay Area about six years ago. I figured there was a strong possibility we'd be turned away, but the staff was very nice and let us be the last diners before they closed and waited patiently for us to finish. While all the predictable choices were on the menu, we were both thrilled they offered a low calorie option with their Steamer Baskets. Carlos went with the $12.99 Gyoza and Veggies.
He was happy to get seven generous-size dumplings (photo: bit.ly/2ZXPF08). I ordered the $14.99 Seafood and Veggies which included a good collection with salmon, a trio of shrimp, and a couple of mussels (photo: bit.ly/3lowl4G). Both our entrees were complemented by a bevy of steamed veggies and of course, came with small salads, dipping sauces, and bowls of rice and miso soup (photo: bit.ly/3lnnhwN). Good eats, nice folks. Apparently Anthony had the hamachi kama here. I would've ordered the same and shared a bottle of sake with him.
FOOD - 4 stars...convenient steamer baskets did the trick
AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...reminds me of the old days
SERVICE - 4.5 stars...friendly and patient
TOTAL - 4 stars...a positive attitude matters as do healthy options and the Bourdain stamp of approval
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I'm pretty convinced that this inescapably scenic trail is the closest California has to a Cinque Terre experience. You know the Cinque Terre, right? (spoken with smug turista knowingness). That's the quaint, deceptively challenging trek that connects five Instagrammable villages on the Italian Riviera. You won't see rainbow-colored ramshackle homes clinging to verdant hills here, but you will see one classic bridge and then a lot of tony Seacliff mansions. Moreover, like the Cinque Terre, it is next to the water, it can get unexpectedly challenging, and it is constantly Instagrammable.
From my perspective, the trail starts at the parking lot where you're looking over the Sutro Baths. Take your snap and head north on the winding paths surrounded by the usually glorious foliage. Eventually you'll get on the main pavement that goes around the bend for the primary Golden Gate Bridge photo opp. A lot of people stop here and head back. Those are the ones I pooh-pooh as I embark on the dirt portion and then scale that monstrous flight of steps. Who has the last laugh now? The big worthwhile detour is Land's End Point, and yes, it means more stairs, this time downward.
However, you get to another scenic overlook and a labyrinth in case you need to decompress. There's Mile Rock Beach further down the hill in case you want a brief beach experience, but brace yourself for more steps to get back to the main trail. From there. It's a leisurely, woodsy walk until the end where you are suddenly in the 2% echelon neighborhood and feel underdressed. You have a number of options at this juncture - continue on the coastal trail to the bridge itself, venture into the Richmond, or my personal favorite, turn back. You've been here already? Fine (spoken with implied indifference).
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I've been to the Upper Haight location and was just happy there was a dependable khao mun gai option readily available in the city (review: bit.ly/3DfrxES). Now that I'm spending more time in the East Bay, I was happy to discover they opened an Oakland location. The $12.95 Khao Mun Gai was just what I wanted with plentiful poultry perfectly poached. It rested on quite a bed of chicken rice (photo: bit.ly/3Be4Vnh), and I decided to add a $2 side of Baby Spinach for good measure (photo: bit.ly/2YcgnkR). That did the trick.
FOOD - 4 stars...dependable poached chicken when you need it
AMBIANCE - n/a...I had this one delivered
SERVICE - 4 stars...packaged just right
TOTAL - 4 stars...what the cluck, dude
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What an unfortunate name for this restaurant because I immediately think it means there's a downward spiral like when Jimmy Stewart went through the rabbit hole in "Vertigo". I wouldn't go that far with this place, but it does strike me as decidedly mediocre based on what I ordered. The Westgate neighborhood has such a mixed bag of takeout options that it's been a bit of Russian roulette as far as what will click with my palate. This one just didn't quite do it for me. I first ordered the $18 Hamachi Kama which was a middling collar.
There wasn't that much fish on the bone, and what was there was somewhat overcooked (photo: bit.ly/3D340Xw). The second half of my order was the $19 Sashimi Salad which seemed more like a poki bowl with seaweed, sprouts and chunks of daikon. I just didn't find it all that satisfying (photo: bit.ly/3A4Zsy1). Speaking of which, there's a Japanese eatery with a more homestyle approach on the other side of the shopping center, Tani's Kitchen. I didn't view them as world-class either, but portions were generous and the service felt more personable.
FOOD - 3 stars...middling Japanese fare at best
AMBIANCE - n/a...just took it to go
SERVICE - 3 stars...surprisingly curt
TOTAL - 3 stars...hopefully not a downward spiral
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If you're looking for a more low-key experience than bustling Pismo Beach nearby, you will likely be better served by this becalming sandy stretch. Parking is more convenient here as there is a huge pay lot about a block from the beach. Like the other local beaches, there is a wooden pier though admittedly the Avila Pier felt more weather worn than other boardwalks with slats that had fearsome spaces between them. The further half of the pier was closed for renovation when we were there. The beach is bookmarked by a spit leading to a creek on the northern end and a rocky headland on the southern end. It's just the type of enclosed beach spot ideal for a Central Coast weekender.
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I'm not sure where the 'citrus' comes into the picture because this is a straight-up Vietnamese eatery. It may speak to a former identity as a bar, but I wouldn't know since I'm not a Haight historian. I just noticed when I entered the premises that it looked like a cleaned-up dive bar. Instead of heading for the exit during these pandemic times, I just sat at an empty cafe table where I was promptly handed a menu..
There was just one family at a booth several feet away, so I felt relatively safe. Perusing the menu in a Ho Chi Minh City minute, I went for my standard two-dish Vietnamese order. The $8.95 Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls hit the spot as the expected ingredients were tightly packed in their rice paper wrapper, and they indeed tasted fresh with a generous cup of thick peanut sauce to allow for excessive dipping (photo: bit.ly/3l2hDA2).
My main event was the $11.95 Pho-Ga Chicken Noodle Soup, a laboriously ovrrdescribed bowl countered by the fact that it was a deliciously full-belly chicken pho with plenty of poultry and noodles. Thus the name (photo: bit.ly/2Yl3hSM). So I guess I can't judge a book by its cover or overuse a tired cliché. Were it not for the sandwich board on the sidewalk, I would've thought this was a bar populated with stoners and souses, but no, I've got a place in the Haight to get my pho on.
FOOD - 4 stars...satisfying spring rolls and chicken pho
AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...still looks like a dive bar but who cares
SERVICE - 4 stars...friendly and attentive
TOTAL - 4 stars...don't look for citrus here
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