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Had a lovely dining experience here last night. The Vietnamese food was amazing; each dish was well prepared down to the tiniest detail. (And they even tell you what region of Vietnam the food comes from.) We shared a bunch of food so as to get a little taste of everything: shrimp cups, calamari, kampachi, eggplant, prawns, and garlic crab noodles. The service was excellent as well, very knowledgeable wait staff, and my water glass was always full (something that goes a long way in my book!). On our way out, the host said they do not advertise, but rely only on word-of-mouth to find new customers. I highly recommend visiting.
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Bong Su Restaurant & Lounge
Cuisine: Vietnamese
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SoMa |
3/14/2007
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Definitely an experience to be had. The old Brick Kiln building houses this restaurant, and it is definitely like exploring a cave with winding paths to get seated at your table. But the lighting is done well and the place feels cozy. The 'big night out' gives you a LOT of food (but then again, it's a lot of money too!); you pick a cheese fondue and get bread, apples and veggies to dip. Then you pick your meat and what kind of broth you want to cook it in. Then you get dessert, where you can pick from a variety of chocolate fondues, or create your own which is fun. A group of 4 would probably be ideal, too many people creates fondue pots full of sticks, tangles of arms, and food getting knocked off the sticks (though you get a slotted spoon to help recover the swimmers). Service is prompt and efficient, and they have a menu of fun cocktails. Good for a special occasion dinner, you'll leave feeling stuffed!
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Melting Pot
Cuisine: fondue American (New)
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Larkspur |
8/18/2006
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The restaurant has been there forever, and is still as popular as it was way back when. It's not "traditional" Mexican food (it's more Americanized), but it's tasty and reasonably priced. Chips and salsa are free and plentiful, and the margaritas are yummy. Very popular on weekends, make a reservation for big parties.
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Cantina
Cuisine: Mexican
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Mill Valley |
8/18/2006
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Excellent sushi! Went on a Friday night, but we made a reservation so we didn't end up waiting too long. It was a small crowded space, but service was prompt and efficient. The menu was diverse and absolutely everything sounded appealing. Had an ahi salad that was fabulous (as was most everything we tried). Parking was a bit of a hassle, but I would brave it again for the food!
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Sushi Bistro
Cuisine: Sushi Japanese
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Inner Richmond |
7/28/2006
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The food was excellent. I had a chicken and pumpkin curry, and the pumpkin just melted in my mouth. However, the prices were a bit too high for my tastes. $2.50 for a small dish of brown rice? Also add the price of the prawn salad, the cucumber salad, and a drink for each of us, and it was a pretty expensive meal for two. Service was prompt though, even on a Friday night, and my water glass was never empty. Go for the food, but don't expect a bargain meal.
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Koh Samui and the Monkey
Cuisine: Thai
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SoMa |
5/12/2006
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Delicious food. However, the plates are small, so your dollar does not go very far. For instance, I ordered the scallops for $16, but was slightly disappointed when there were only 3 scallops on the plate. But they were very tasty! The green tea filet mignon was very good as well. The decor is modern, yet cozy, and the silent movies projected on the wall are a fun conversation starter. All in all, it's not a place I'd go if I were *really* hungry, because I couldn't afford the meal. I would probably go back to visit the wine bar, though.
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Ora Restaurant Bar and Lounge
Cuisine: Pacific Rim Pan-Asian
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Mill Valley |
5/8/2006
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Good Japanese food and sushi. Not the best I've ever had, but good. If you order an entree, it comes with miso (very good), sunomono (also very good), and these potatoes in beef broth (may sound odd, but they are *yummy*). Service can sometimes be slow and occasional sushi rolls never arrive, but staff is always pleasant and accommodating. Not my first choice for sushi, but a decent fallback.
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Samurai
Cuisine: Japanese Sushi
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Mill Valley |
4/25/2006
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Solid Italian fare, and a menu with decent variety. Good wine list as well. Moderate prices. I've always been seated promptly, and staff is usually very attentive. Service did slow down a bit last time I was there, they must have been understaffed or something, but I was lingering over a glass of wine, so it didn't bother me much. Chicken parmigiana and seafood pasta are both delicious, as are their pizzas.
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Cafe Arrivederci
Cuisine: Italian
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San Rafael |
4/25/2006
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Nice atmosphere, and fresh, tasty food. It's not cheap considering the amount of food you get for your money, but the flavors are there. It does come highly rated by Zagat. Had an arroz con pollo salad the other night that was just fantastic. The sangria is not bad either. Good for groups, it never seems overly noisy.
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Las Camelias
Cuisine: Mexican
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San Rafael |
4/10/2006
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Love this place. The all-you-can-eat lunch buffet (even on weekends!) is reasonably priced, with lots of selections. And the full dinner meals come with a lovely assortment of little cups of soups, sauces, and dessert (rice pudding, I believe). Or you can go a-la-carte with just rice or naan, which I think is excellent. The wait staff is plentiful and attentive.
I've tried lots of Indian restaurants in Marin, and I keep returning to this one. (I could do without the bollywood movies playing on the screen, but that's just me. It doesn't detract from the food, which is why I go.)
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Bombay Garden
Cuisine: Indian
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San Rafael |
4/6/2006
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Love this place, and even more than the original Avatar's restaurant in Sausalito. This tiny little hole-in-the-wall restaurant has a handful of small tables or you can get your food to go. While Avatar's serves a Mexican-Indian fusion cuisine that includes curry enchiladas and tostadas, the Mill Valley location does the fusion burritos. A warm piece of naan is wrapped around the filling (basically chickpeas, rice and chutney that you can then add to) and then rolled like a burrito. I recommend the sweet potato and curry chicken, and my fiance really likes the jerk chicken. The spinach salad is really good too. Oh, and remember that they're cash only.
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Avatar's Punjabi Burritos
Cuisine: Indian Vegetarian
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Mill Valley |
4/3/2006
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Another restaurant that seems to have something on the menu for everyone, so it could be good for groups. I do really like the chicken matzo ball soup, and the potato latke appetizer is good too. But I find that each time I go here, I leave underwhelmed. I've had too many so-so dishes here to give it a positive rating.
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Max's
Cuisine: Deli Sandwiches
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Corte Madera |
4/3/2006
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For a chain restaurant, I think the food is good. However, one of the reasons I absolutely LOVE living in the Bay Area is the diversity of food. And after eating at the Cheesecake Factory, while I do feel full and have enough food for lunch and dinner the next day, I don't feel like I had a great dining experience. And there are so many places around here to get that, I just can't justify going here all that often. It is good for large groups though, because the menu really does have something to please everyone. And, I admit, the cheesecakes are quite yummy.
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The Cheesecake Factory
Cuisine: Eclectic
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Corte Madera |
4/3/2006
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Really liked this place. We were going to go with the inlaws, but they said it wasn't really kid-friendly, so we went on our own another night. The place was full, so they offered us a table on their heated patio. I had a parmesan-crusted scallop salad, which was great, and a pistachio-crusted chicken dish. My guy ordered steak, which was really flavorful. It wasn't the cheapest night out, but the food will definitely bring us back.
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Cacti Grill
Cuisine: American (New) Southwestern
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Novato |
4/3/2006
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This place is fabulous. The wait can be long on a weekend evening (and the waiting area tiny) but the atmosphere is great. You get great freebies here too; bread, olives, and they walk around with a huge wheel of parmisan cheese and cut a chunk for everyone. YUM. Oh, and at the end of the meal, you also get a free bowl of gummy bears and a plate of animal crackers and amaretti. Never had a main dish here that I didn't like--try the chicken parmigiana, it's really good.
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Sorella Cafe
Cuisine: Italian
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Fairfax |
4/3/2006
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It was such a treat when I lived in the EB and both Zachary's locations were so close. Now it's a special trip across the bridge, but it's oh so worth it. The spinach and mushroom and healthy chicken are both fantastic. I think it's the tomatoes on top, they're wonderful. You can also get 1/2 baked pizzas to go, which is convenient, since the wait for a table is sometimes ridiculous. The pizza is also great cold for breakfast the next morning! Oh, and I always ask them to put a piece of foil between the cardboard circle and the pizza; the crust tends to adhere to the cardboard after a little while, this solves that issue.
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Zachary's Chicago Pizza
Cuisine: Pizza
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Oakland |
3/23/2006
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Good fries, decent burger. Nothing special, really.
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Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers
Cuisine: Hamburgers
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San Rafael |
3/22/2006
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Cute little Italian place. With the bread you get garlicky olive oil (yum!). I always feel weird paying so much for pasta, so I usually order the chicken picatta or parmigiana. Good food and atmosphere; not cheap, but not super-expensive.
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Benissimo Ristorante & Bar
Cuisine: Italian
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Corte Madera |
3/22/2006
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Good steakhouse, but the food doesn't come cheap. Though, I guess that's true for any steakhouse these days. Try the skirt steak, it's very flavorful.
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Izzy's Steaks and Seafood
Cuisine: Steakhouse Seafood
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Corte Madera |
3/22/2006
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Sushi rolls and sashimi were very good, but the service was quite lacking. This was my first time there, so I don't know if it is the norm, but there were way too many customers for only 2 servers to handle. I will give it another try, however, because the food was good (though on the slightly more expensive side).
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Sakana Bistro
Cuisine: Japanese
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Corte Madera |
3/22/2006
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I practically lived here during college. The salads are huge (even the standard salad with no add-ons), and so, so good. The sandwiches come with fat slices of freshly-baked bread. Lots of food for not much money, but that also means crowds. Lines do go out the door, and it can be tough sometimes to snag a seat. You can also get your food to go, though.
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Cafe Intermezzo
Cuisine: American (Traditional) Coffeehouse
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Berkeley |
3/22/2006
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Good Japanese food. The sushi isn't out-of-this-world good (try Sushi Ran in Sausalito for that), but fresh, tasty, and satisfying. The chicken teriyaki is so-so; I've had better. I love the shumai, however. Moderate prices, about what you'd expect at a good sushi restaurant.
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Robata Grill & Sushi
Cuisine: Sushi
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Mill Valley |
3/22/2006
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Nice breakfast spot, though on weekend mornings there can be quite a wait. At lunch it usually takes less time to be seated. Menu has lots of variety, so there's something for everyone. The Dipsea on Miracle Mile in San Rafael is good too (and you might run into George Lucas!).
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The Dipsea Cafe
Cuisine: American (Traditional)
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Mill Valley |
3/22/2006
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Food is tasty, but they do charge extra for chips and salsa. Good place if you want to get cheap mexican fare in the area (with indoor seating, that is), but it's nothing stellar.
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Joe's Taco Lounge & Salsaria
Cuisine: Mexican
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Mill Valley |
3/22/2006
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Love, love, love this place. The house ravioli (spinach and ricotta) are to die for, I've never been able to find another ravioli that compares. Can get crowded at peak times, and is not good for the hearing impaired. But the food is consistent and delicious.
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La Ginestra
Cuisine: Italian Southern Pizza
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Mill Valley |
3/22/2006
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Can't speak of the restaurant atmosphere, but I got a salad to go and sat in the park in the sunshine. The salad was good, and the price was reasonable. It came with bread too. Must visit this place again to try something new...
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Caffe Centro
Cuisine: Californian
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Pacific Bell Park/South Beach |
3/21/2006
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Went here last summer, and we were able to snag one of the outside tables. Had the buckwheat chicken crepe with a spinach salad, both of which were quite good. And, since it was the day after their big Bastille Day celebration, they were offering free dessert for the first 50 customers. I got a yummy chocolate mousse, and my friend got a creme brulee. Cute little spot; I'll be going back.
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The Butler & The Chef Bistro
Cuisine: French (Bistro)
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Pacific Bell Park/South Beach |
3/21/2006
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After dining out before going to a concert at the Fillmore, my fiance really wanted some gelato. I thought, where are we going to find gelato in Japantown? Well, the guy at Starbucks directed us here, and my guy was SOOOO happy. It was fun to watch them make the crepe, and fun to eat it as well, as it was rolled into a cone shape to hold the gelato. We'd never had anything like it, and we would definitely go back again.
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Sophie's Crepes
Cuisine: Crepes Dessert
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Japantown |
3/13/2006
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Good spot for a tasty, quick lunch. I've never actually eaten there, always taken food to go, but it can certainly get crowded at lunchtime. The chicken tandoori wrap is very good (though messy). I think the naan is excellent, and the cucumber salad is very nice too. I've also had the saag chicken curry (with naan), and I really enjoyed that too. It's definitely not the most outstanding Indian food in the city, but it's close to my office, and it's tasty food for the right price.
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Chaat Cafe
Cuisine: Indian
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SoMa |
3/13/2006
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Good taqueria, in an area where a decent burrito seems hard to find. A regular burrito (w/o the guac, sour cream and cheese) is filling, yet under $5. (And sometimes even with all the extras is still under $5, depending on the meat.) They can get busy at lunchtime, but for orders to go you never have to wait long. They're cash only, though, so bring your own to avoid high ATM fees.
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Chavo's Mexican Restaurant
Cuisine: Mexican
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SoMa |
3/13/2006
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There were fun pub quiz nights before Tom left. Haven't been back to check out the new trivia person yet. Well drinks were cheap, and the pub munchies were fried and tasty. Can get very crowded, so if you want a seat, snag it early. Anyone know to what bar/pub Tom moved his trivia?
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The Bitter End
Cuisine: Irish Pub Food
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Outer Richmond |
2/22/2006
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I wonder if the decor ever changes from that of an 80s wedding theme...the white tulle and odd flowers did make me chuckle though. Atmosphere aside, the dim sum was very good here. Some dishes were a bit oily, so I agree, stick to the steamed options and you'll enjoy your visit more. Not someplace I'd take people to impress them, but a good solid lunch for a decent price.
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Canton Seafood and Dim Sum House
Cuisine: Dim Sum Chinese
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SoMa |
2/22/2006
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If you're going for dinner, go early, even on a weeknight. We were able to get seated after a little wait, but by the time we left, the line was spilling out the doors. The bar got crowded too, but it was a lively mix of people. The food was excellent, I had a risotto, and my friend had a steak. I ended up skipping dessert because the risotto was so creamy. But I'd definitely go back here again to sample something new.
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Balboa Cafe
Cuisine: American (Traditional) Hamburgers Brunch
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Cow Hollow |
2/21/2006
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Checked this place out right after it opened, awhile back. The food took a little longer than we would have hoped, since we were the only ones in the restaurant when our order was taken. The food was tasty, but I've definitely had better Indian food. I think I would only go here again if Indian Oven were closed and I had a hankering for Indian food.
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Rotee
Cuisine: Indian Pakistani
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Lower Haight |
2/21/2006
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Food was okay, not great. Portions were a little smaller than I was hoping, for the money we paid. Both the chicken and the cornbread were a little dry. All in all, the decor and the smells were better than the food, and I'm not in a hurry to go back. I'm sure there's better bbq in this city.
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Memphis Minnie's BBQ Joint
Cuisine: Barbecue
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Lower Haight |
2/21/2006
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Mmmm. Never been disappointed by this place. Love the saag aloo and any dish with prawns. Can be tough with a large group as the restaurant is small, but I've never had to wait too long for a table, and the staff has always been very accommodating. Oh, and my water glass never went empty, that's a big plus in my book.
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Indian Oven
Cuisine: Indian
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Lower Haight |
2/21/2006
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Nice, laid-back atmosphere, and good food. I have had salads of all sorts, all of which were fresh. And the apple and cheddar crepe was delicious. Prices are definitely affordable, which is nice. I've only been in the afternoon/evening, so I would like to try brunch there sometime.
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Squat and Gobble
Cuisine: Coffee Shops/Diners American (Traditional)
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Haight-Ashbury/Cole Valley |
2/21/2006
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I'm not in a hurry to return. The tapas were pricy for the portion size, there was sand in my mussels (ick, I can't stand that crunch), and the restroom looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages. A friend I was with actually ended up writing a letter to complain about the state of the restroom, and she got a gift certificate in the mail. Too bad we don't want to go back to use it.
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Thirsty Bear Brewing Co.
Cuisine: Spanish Tapas
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SoMa |
2/17/2006
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Good sushi here. The albacore tuna appetizer special was recommended by a co-worker. I really liked it, but my dining parter didn't. Overall, it was a good sushi dinner for about what you'd expect to pay for such a meal. We went on a Thursday night, and it wasn't too crowded, which meant the service was very prompt. I wouldn't say it's my favorite sushi restaurant, but I'd go back if I were in the area and had a craving.
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Osaka Japanese Restaurant
Cuisine: Sushi Japanese
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Pacific Heights |
2/16/2006
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On a Friday night, we only had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated (for a party of 5). One of the people in our party didn't get the food he ordered, turned out there was a mix up and the person at the next table received his order, and he'd received hers. They fixed him a new plate of food pretty quickly though. After all that, the food was just okay; I wasn't overly impressed. And the prices on the wine list had been marked up quite a bit, in my opinion. The food prices matched my overall impression of the place: average.
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Ernestos Pizza Restaurant
Cuisine: italian pizza
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Outer Richmond |
2/16/2006
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This place came highly recommended to me, so I thought I would give it a chance. I really enjoyed it; I can see why it is so crowded all the time. We didn't have to wait too long for a table, but it was a Tuesday evening. For the money, I think it's a good deal for good food. I would definitely visit them again if I'm in the area.
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Burma Superstar
Cuisine: Burmese
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Inner Richmond |
2/16/2006
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What can I say about an all-you-can-eat, meat-served-on-a-sword restaurant? I was pleasantly surprised. And pleasantly stuffed by the end of the night! Everything I tried was delicious, including all the offerings on the salad bar. You must try the grilled pineapple when they bring it around, it's absolutely heavenly. Vegetarians might have a hard time here, though we had one in our party and she seemed to be pleased with the salad bar (and you can pay less if you only eat the salad bar food). It was a bit regimented, as they only had an "early" or "late" time for dinner, and we felt rushed to leave toward the end because we had already watched all the other tables turn over for the "late" seating, and saw another large party standing in the entryway waiting for us to get up.
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Espetus Churrascaria
Cuisine: Brazilian
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Civic Center |
2/16/2006
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The owners of Aziza used to own a place in Marin called The Casbah. I was so sad to hear when it closed, but delighted to know that I could still find the food at Aziza. And the food didn't disappoint. There was an intricate little powdered sugar design on top of the Bastilla we ordered; we asked the waiter (also one of the owners) what the writing meant, and he said it was his mother's name, as it was her original recipe. Yum! Full of atmosphere, this is definitely a place I will visit again (and the cucumber-gin cocktail that I had was outstanding!) even though parking was not so easy.
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Aziza
Cuisine: Moroccan
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Outer Richmond |
2/15/2006
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I loved the Cha Am in Berkeley when I lived there, so I had high hopes for this restaurant in SOMA. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. Don't get me wrong, the food is definitely good, but it just isn't stellar. It's close to my office, though, so whenever I'm in the mood for a Thai lunch, I go there. The food is reasonably priced and filling (the lunch specials anyway, I've never been there for dinner). It's worth a trip if you're in the area and want Thai food, but I know that there are better Thai restaurants elsewhere in the city.
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Cha AM Restaurant
Cuisine: Thai
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SoMa |
2/15/2006
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What a little gem of a restaurant. The space is small, but even when it was crowded it wasn't overly noisy. The fish was fresh and everything was very well prepared. I had heard that I was supposed to try the items on their specials board, and the fatty tuna roll with scallions that I had did not disappoint. The prices were very reasonable for fresh sushi as well, which I think is rare to find around Union Square. I've only been there that once, but I would definitely go again if I were in the area. I don't think I'd make a special trip across the city just to go there, however.
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Sakana
Cuisine: Sushi Japanese
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Downtown |
2/15/2006
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