Pho Tan Hoa An

Really, that's the name of the lastest eatery that I want to share with everyone. Located in Concord, CA, on Contra Costa Blvd., this is a great place to visit if you're in dire need of a hearty bowl of noodles, Asian style. In this case, Vietnamese noodles or Pho (pronounced "fa").

It was a cold and drizzly day. I found myself in Concord and remembered this place. I've been here previously and had their rice dishes and noodles. Today, since it was such a gloomy day out and I needed not only a hearty meal but some cheering up, I figured that I would have a bowl of noodles. I ordered the beef meatball noodle bowl. Attached is a picture of it. Doesn't it look yummy!! Combined with a glass of lemon water, it really hit the spot. Your order gets to you very quickly if you are in a rush. Local business people frequent this restaurant during the lunch hour, but you can get in and out rather quickly. Plenty of parking up front, and the prices are very reasonable. This noodle dish was only $6.75 (large size, for smaller appetites, $5.50). You can pick from noodle soup, rice plates, and appetizers. I highly recommend this place for a quick meal.

Food/Quality = 3.5

Price/Value = 4.0

Service = 3.0

Hokkaido Seafood Buffet

OK, so I thought that I would not be writing for a few days, but per Christmas tradition, our family went out to a lunch buffet get together. While I am not always a fan of buffets, I'll write about the one that I visited on Christmas day....and by the way, I hope that you all had a great Christmas!!!

The Hokkaido Seafood Buffet, located in San Mateo, CA, was one that I had not known existed in my area. It is a very expansive facility, reminding me of some of the buffets that you might find in Vegas. While not offering as much variety as those "super buffets," Hokkaido, nonetheless, had an impressive array of seafood's.

Featured items included a large sushi selection, dim sum dishes, crab legs, lobster tail, oysters cooked and raw, clams, shrimp (no mussels...I was a bit disappointed with that!), chicken and beef dishes, veggie platters, a salad and fruit bar and of course, a selection of desserts. I might be leaving a bit out, but trust me, there was plenty to eat. Quality wise, it was a mixed bag. So dishes were home runs (asst. sushi and dim sum, black bean oysters, black bean clams), others missed the mark (fish was over cooked, Korean ribs lacked taste and texture).

Like many buffets I have visited, this one overall was just so-so. Like the dishes they serve, they are "hit and miss." For $24.95 per person, I expected a bit more.

Food/Quality = 2.75

Price/Value = 2.5

Service = 3.0

Happy Holidays!!!!

A few days break from blogging. No work, no eating out. :D

Hope you all have a very happy holiday!!

Hawaiian BBQ, Ono's style

In need of a quick, filling lunch without breaking the bank. Try Ono's Hawaiian BBQ. There are approximately 30 locations scattered around California. I visited the Manteca location today.
I was not that hungry, so I ordered the Island Curry Chicken Mini-plate. Don't let the word "mini" fool you. You get two scoops of rice (or one scoop of rice and one scoop of macaroni salad), with a large serving of barbeque chicken smothered in a spicy curry sauce. It was just what the doctor ordered since it was SO cold and windy out today. And the best news is that I only had to
pay $4.99 for the entree.

The menu choices are varied. Beef, Chicken, Seafood, Pork, and even Spam! Prices are very very reasonable. If you fancy a bowl of noodle soup, they have that as well. It's a great place for a quick meal as long as you're not after "atmosphere." I've rarely been disappointed here.

Food/Quality = 3.5
Price/Value = 4.0
Service = 3.0

When in Reno, Nv.....

Ok, so when you're in Reno, NV., where do you go for good Asian food?? You can go to the casinos. They all seem to have some type of Asian cuisine. Me, my restaurant of choice here is
The Golden Flower Vietnamese Restaurant.

Everything here is great. From the soups (the Pho is to die for), to the authentic Vietnamese dishes, the locals all flock to this place! I had to wait 45 minutes for take out today. In the 40 degree weather, the place was jam packed with locals! There was a line out the door. The prices are very reasonable and the food is "real" asian. Family style food and a great value!

This restaurant is located right near Circus Circus. Try it out and let me know. It's fabulous!

Food Quality = 4.0

Price/Value = 4.0

Service = 3.0

Jewel in San Mateo

Was out shopping for the holidays and lunch was calling me. I went to one to one of my favorite places, The Guadalajara Grill. It's a small "hole in the wall" place off the El Camino in San Mateo. They serve authentic Mexican breakfast, lunch and dinner. Items from burritos, omelets, Tosadas, Enchiladas are offered.

I decided on the Chicken Enchilada plate today. Two large enchiladas filled with chicken breast meat, covered with a delicious Orange sauce. Fans of the old "Hot House" restaurant, formerly in San Francisco will taste that sauce and swear it was the same recipe. Two scoops of rice (I passed on the beans), chips and an ice tea completed the meal. Great taste and value!! If you like burritos, you will have to try their "wet" burritos! The burritos are massive and covered with their signature sauce. Come hungry!!!

Food Quality = 4.5

Price/Value = 4.0

Service = 3.5

Burger Time!!!!

Back again from the beautiful Napa Valley. This time my road adventures took me to a local
drive inn called Taylor's Automatic Refresher in St. Helena. It was a gorgeous day and I just had to have a hamburger. I heard about this place so I decided to stop and give it a go!

The menu....get ready to spend a few minutes deciding. It's not the run of the mill hamburger stand menu. You have a choice of 9 types of burgers, 5 types of fries, hot dogs, soups and chilis, salads, other sandwiches, seafood, and chicken. To quench your thirst, you can pick from shakes, sodas, water, or the spirits of your choice.

You can look here for the complete selection: http://taylorsautomaticrefresher.com/

I ordered the Wisconsin Sourdough Burger. Surrounded by two slices of thick, toasted sourdough bread, the burger itself was juicy and tasty. With the mushrooms and BBQ sauce, it was a bit messy to eat, but well worth the effort. The meat was cooked medium well. I added grilled onions to my burger at no extra charge. The garlic fries that I ordered tasted more like pesto fries. They were light green in color and not what I'm used to when I order garlic fries. The taste was pesto in nature with a hint of garlic. I did not see any crushed garlic on the fries, so I assume that they used garlic powder. I finished my meal with a coke and had someone walk by offering me a free re-fill, which as a nice touch.

You can order your food to go, or eat at the many picnic style tables on the property.

Will I come here again...absolutely!!! The burger was a home run, but the garlic fries struck out for me! I think I'll go for the onion rings or sweet potato fries next time.

Food Quality = 3.5
Price/Value = 3.0 (over $25 for two burgers, garlic fries, and soda)
Service = 4.0