Category: Restaurant Reviews

Posted on March 10, 2010

It’s easy to miss Boat House as you drive along scenic Highway 1 in Bodega Bay. If it weren’t for the seafood-scented smoke rising from the nondescript, small light blue building, you might miss the restaurant altogether. But it’s worth seeking out and has long been my go-to place for a casual lunch whenever I’m the area. The seafood is fresh, the prices are very reasonable and the beachfront patio view is beautiful.

My favorite items on Boat House’s menu are the barbecued oysters, the fish and chips, the fried clams and the clam chowder. It was tough to decide, but on my last visit, I ordered the barbecued oysters.

I can’t say enough about how fresh these oysters are. They were a little smaller than usual, but perhaps the size of the oysters depends on the season. The barbecue sauce that the oysters are served in is usually more buttery too, but no matter. They were still delicious, briny and full of flavor.

If it’s greasy goodness you’re after, go for the aforementioned fish and chips. Served with a fantastic tartar sauce, the batter is crispy and the thick-cut fish is firm and flaky. The only downside is that it’s so heavy that you may need to be rolled out of the restaurant.

In tourist-filled beach towns, seafood restaurants are often a dime a dozen and it’s easy to run into a bland meal. Boat House, on the other hand, consistently serves up flavorful and fresh dishes, and with a view to boot.

Posted on March 4, 2010

Recession-friendly sushi may sound like an oxymoron (or a recipe for gastrointestinal disaster), but it doesn’t have to be. The first time I visited Geta Japanese restaurant right of off Piedmont Avenue in Oakland, I was worried that something must be lacking for their menu to be so affordable. Toro nigiri for $7.50? Suzuki rolls for $4.50? Spider rolls for $5.75? Seriously?

I was apprehensive, but as it turned out, there was no need to be. After being seated inside Geta’s busy and cramped quarters, my dining companion and I ordered a plate of gyoza to start.

The gyoza were hot and super crispy, and while the filling was a little lacking flavor, the accompanying dipping sauce made up for it.

Next came our avocado tuna roll, tekka maki, and Philly roll.

The bluefin tuna was fresh and tasted wonderful, almost slightly sweet. The texture wasn’t as firm as the tuna I’ve had elsewhere, but I liked it. I won’t comment on the Philly roll since I don’t like those to begin with. Cream cheese and raw fish just don’t mix in my world.

We moved on to our next plate: salmon skin sushi and a suzuki roll.

The roll’s bits of crispy salmon skin and crunchy cucumber were a delicious combination. The roll was a little light on the salmon, but I can’t really complain at the price. The suzuki, or striped bass roll, was my favorite of the meal. Perched atop a thin strip of fragrant shiso leaf, the bass was drizzled in a light sauce that was incredible.

We were full at this point, but we still had one more roll to tackle: the spider roll.

I love soft-shell crab so spider rolls are usually one of my favorites. This was definitely fresh, but the roll was pretty heavy on the rice. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t finish this one.

Dining at Geta is a very casual affair, so don’t expect upscale ambiance or formal service. Service is brisk and friendly and the restaurant is very small, so be prepared to stand in line. At these prices and quality, the wait is easily worth it.

Posted on February 24, 2010

The Cheeseboard Pizza Collective is one of those places I kept hearing about from random folks until I finally couldn’t take it anymore and went to find out what the fuss is all about. “It’s the best pizza in the East Bay!” “The crust is divine!” “How have you not visited yet?”

With all that in mind, I wasn’t too surprised when I arrived at Cheeseboard in Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto to find a line winding down the street and past the pizzeria’s sister cheese shop. Cheeseboard serves only one kind of pizza per day, so it kind of makes the decision-making process easy. By the time I reached the front of the line, I already knew exactly what I wanted.

The pizza of the day was ricotta salata pizza with lemon vinaigrette, and true to what I’d been told, the crust was divine. Thin and crispy, it was a good match for the sauce and toppings, which were used sparingly. It was almost like a salad atop really good flatbread. I usually prefer traditional, red sauce pizzas, but this was a welcome departure from what I’m used to.

The Cheeseboard Pizza Collective gets incredibly busy and you’re lucky if you can manage to find a seat inside the restaurant. Not to worry if you can’t, though. There is plenty of lawn space on the street meridian outside filled with Berkeley hipsters and college students enjoying their lunch.

After you eat, make sure to visit Cheeseboard’s expansive cheese shop next door which has, needless to say, a huge selection of hard-to-find cheeses, and good bread as well. Top-notch pizza, bread and cheese? Now I see why the line is always so long.

Posted on February 17, 2010

Himawari means “sunflower” in Japanese, and that’s exactly what this ramen restaurant in downtown San Mateo reminds me of. Bright, cheerful and upbeat, it’s the perfect spot to grab a bowl of brothy noodles on a chilly day.

Himawari is a casual restaurant and is especially ideal for lunch. Make sure you’re not too hungry when you arrive, though, as this restaurant gets busy and the wait can be long. Standing around for a table didn’t bother me much; the staff is so friendly and the eclectic jazz playing over the speakers is so good that it’s hard to get peeved.

I ordered the kanitama ramen, which is a snow crab omelet served over soy ramen.

The broth at Himawari is good enough on its own, but each table has a canister of fried garlic and chili flakes for sprinkling if you’re craving extra flavor. I couldn’t resist, of course. The noodles were better than most other ramen restaurants too, including those at more popular competitors. I was disappointed in my snow crab omelet though; the crab was minimal and I could hardly taste it. That being said, the omelet was fluffy and was great for sopping up broth.

The ramen is great, but it’s the ambiance at Himawari that really makes it worth coming back to. I can’t think of a better place in the Peninsula more suitable for a fun, quick, cold weather meal.

Posted on February 15, 2010

If there’s one thing that San Mateo has no shortage of, it’s Japanese restaurants. I can think of ten within a two mile radius of downtown (and that’s not counting the two Japanese supermarkets in the area). As a result, competition is fierce, and Sushi Sam’s Edomata appears to be the most popular.

The tables were packed when I visited on a weeknight, though I was seated pretty quickly. I quickly decided on agedashi tofu to start, while I waited for my sushi to be assembled.

Agedashi tofu is one of my favorite Japanese dishes, and this was one of the best preparations I’ve had. The caramel-colored agedashi broth was light and packed with umami, and the lightly-fried soft tofu was ethereal. The bonito flakes and green onions gave it all an extra dimension of texture and flavor.

For the sushi, my dining companion and I split an order of tekka maki, kampyo maki, Philadelphia roll and an ebi tempura hand roll.

The tuna was fresh and buttery, and the ebi tempura was tasty as well. The Philadelphia roll was by far my least favorite, mostly because I really, really don’t like cream cheese in my sushi. The kampyo maki, or cooked calabash gourd maki, was good: slightly sweet and chewy.

Prices are more expensive than average at Sushi Sam’s, so be forewarned. The fish quality is top-notch, though the sushi menu selection is pretty average. They offer omakase (chef’s choice) as well, which I’ve heard is out of this world. While I wasn’t blown away by the dinner menu, I may find myself coming back to try out the omakase. At Sushi Sam’s, it seems that the sushi bar is the main attraction.