Restaurant Reviews – Page 17

Koo

October 13, 2010

The thing about sushi is that its adherents are often divided into two camps: purist and westernized. The purists go for uni and otoro, garnished with perhaps a sliver of daikon, while the latter camp goes for kamikaze rolls, crunchy rolls, or anything ending in “roll.” Rarely do these camps intersect.

Unless you’re at Koo. If I had to choose sides, I’d say purist, and I dined at Koo with friend who falls in the westernized roll category. The great thing about Koo is that their menu caters to both, with traditional selections like fresh scallop, buttery uni, and striped bass, as well as lots of specialty rolls that go beyond the overdone tempura and California rolls.

But before we jumped into sushi, my dining companion shared an appetizer of eggplant dengaku.

Grilled and slathered with salty miso, this was rich without being unhealthy. It was good but the eggplant itself wasn’t very flavorful.

Next, we moved on to the sushi.

We chose two traditional sets and two inventive rolls: gindara (black cod), maguro (tuna), azteca (crab,avocado, gobo, white fish, jalepeno, spicy mayo, tobiko and ponzu), and flying kamikaze (spicy tuna, asparagus, albacore, garlic ponzu and scallions).

My favorite was the maguro, topped with just a dash of onion and ginger. The gindara was good too – not a whole lot of flavor but chewy and interesting in texture. (To be fair, my dining companion didn’t care so much for it.) The flying kamikaze was delicious too (again, I love tuna), and the azteca was unique but too mayonnaisey for me and the spiciness overpowered the fish.

For dessert, we split a dish of mango and strawberry mochi ice cream with cookies.

It was a simple, refreshing palate cleaner to our meal. I should note that service is great at Koo too – friendly without being pushy and despite the busy atmosphere, we never felt rushed.

I can’t wait to go back to Koo again. The next time I visit, I know I’m trying their spoonful of happiness (a spoonful of uni, quail egg, tobiko ponzu and a spoonful of ankimo wrapped with whitefish, white truffle-oil ponzu and a shot of chilled sake). Their catch of the day menu changes seasonally too so I’m looking forward to what’s in store. That’s what’s great about Koo: you don’t have to choose sides. There’s something for everyone.

Simply Vietnam

September 4, 2010September 4, 2010

You can smell the grilled meat coming from Simply Vietnam before you even enter. Inside, the scent of basil, fish sauce, and coriander was the first thing that hit me when I walked into this casual eatery in Santa Rosa, popular with the office crowd during weekday lunches.

Bun, or vermicelli-style noodles are among my favorite Vietnamese dishes, and so I went straight for that section of the menu. I usually eschew chicken in favor of beef, seafood, or vegetables, but this time I ordered the lemongrass grilled chicken and shrimp.

The accompanying spring roll was crispy and piping hot, and I gleefully dipped it into my nuoc nam dipping sauce to cool it down. The shrimp was extra flavorful having just come off the grill and the chicken was good too, but on the dry side. And the noodles? I’m a sucker for noodles, and these had just the right bite to them.

I can see why Simply Vietnam is such a popular spot for a quick lunch. Service is brisk, the food is remarkably fresh, healthy, easy on the wallet, and most importantly, delicious.

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant

August 25, 2010

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant is about as straightforward a restaurant name can get. It is indeed old, Mandarin, Islamic and yes, it is a restaurant. I first heard about this curious place a few years ago, and had been meaning to visit since, but it’s out of the way location (San Francisco’s Outer Sunset district) meant that I always put it off. That is until recently, when a friend who was visiting from Switzerland reminded me, and we’d both been wanting to try it out.

The restaurant is unassuming and deep into the Avenues, but the interior is a whole other story. Arabic script accompanies red Chinese lanterns, and the scents coming from the kitchen smelled more Central Asian than East. My dining companion and I had done our research ahead of time, and we ordered what we’d heard was most popular.

We started with the beef pancake.

Put simply, this was amazing. It was a deviation from the usual green onion pancake that you see at many Chinese restaurants, and the layers of dough were oh-so-thin yet pleasantly chewy. I couldn’t tell what this was spiced with, but it was super savory and oniony.

Next, we had the cumin lamb.

I admit I was a little weary of this dish since most American lamb has a taste and smell I’m not too crazy about. Not only was this lamb an exception, it was amazing. Listen, I know I already called the beef pancake amazing, but so was this. The cumin packed a punch, and the lamb itself was super tender and seared to perfection. The peppers and water chestnuts added a nice textural contrast.

Lastly, we shared the green beans with tofu.

You know when tofu has that perfect, chewy exterior and warm, creamy center? Take that, add loads (and I mean loads) of minced garlic and a handful of crispy green beans, and you have this dish. This might have been a little on the greasy side, but I really didn’t care. It tasted wonderful, and that’s what mattered.

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant might be out of the way, but it’s absolutely worth the drive. Rarely do I visit a restaurant where every dish is a hit, and even less often do I go somewhere with such a unique niche cuisine. I’m kicking myself for having put off visiting this restaurant for so long, but it’s better late than never, right?

Maoz Vegetarian

August 18, 2010August 21, 2010

Don’t let the name fool you. Maoz is not a vegetarian restaurant. (I mean, come on. Can you imagine me frequenting vegetarian restaurants? Sorry, PETA.) Anyway, Maoz is an international falafel chain (yes, chain), and admittedly, an incredible one at that.

I ended up at Maoz on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley one evening when my dining companion, who had lived in Philadelphia, recognized the restaurant’s bright green logo from her East Coast days. The new storefront is California’s first location, and it was busy.

I ordered a falafel sandwich with Belgian fries, and commenced to the topping bar. With items like beet salad, roasted cauliflower, spiced chickpeas, and garlicy yogurt sauce, Maoz gives new meaning to “topping bar.” I sprinkled my sandwich to my heart’s content.

The falafel sandwich includes a slice of fried eggplant, which is really just the greatest addition ever to a falafel sandwich, if you ask me. The fries were prepared well too: crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and perfect dipped into equal parts yogurt sauce and ketchup.

The menu at Maoz may be limited (four items, to be exact), but it’s all delicious. And really, when there’s falafel and fries on the menu, what more do you need?

Cha Cha Cha

August 2, 2010

I’m not sure what kind of restaurant Cha Cha Cha is – in fact, I’m not sure anyone is. One part Caribbean, one part tapas, and one part Cuban, my favorite Cha Cha Cha outpost in San Francisco is the one in the Haight. As one of my favorite haunts from my college days, the place evokes a sense of nostalgia for me. It had been years since I’d visited until recently, when I dined with a friend to celebrate his return from three years spent living in Egypt.

Cha Cha Cha’s menu has changed since then, and while the sangria still flows freely, their arroz con pollo wasn’t on the menu the day we dropped by for lunch. My dining companion and I decided to split a few dishes instead. We started with the warm spinach salad:

Rich and creamy, and tossed with flecks of crispy bacon, this salad could have been a meal on its own. The dressing was savory and delicious, albeit too heavy. The leafy greens helped balance things out.

Next came our fried platanos maduros.

I love sweet plantains, and these were prepared wonderfully: thick and tender, with a slightly crispy, sugary exterior. The beans were good too, but next to the plantains were almost an afterthought.

Our main dish arrived next; the Jamaican jerk chicken.

The jerk chicken was good, but it didn’t blow me away. I expected more flavor and more spice, but the meat very tender and literally falling off the bone.

For me, Cha Cha Cha has always been about the ambiance. The food is good (a few are great), the service is nice, but it’s the fun atmosphere that really seals the deal. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that I’ve always dined there with good company. After all, isn’t half the fun of dining out spending time with those you enjoy?