Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Sushi Raw

The Mission Street location of Sushi Raw does not disappoint. The restaurant is clean, the waitstaff is friendly and attentive without hovering, and the sushi is some of the best in San Francisco. The portions are large enough to be pleasantly satisfying to those with bigger appetites. The prices are quite reasonable, especially during lunch hours, when specials average around ten dollars. You can also get fantastic bargains during happy hour for the budget conscious diner.

The environment is pleasant for as busy as it is; the place is always hopping with customers. It is a great spot to have lunch with your kids or boss, and a fun choice for a weekend dinner with friends.

The diverse menu makes this an ideal place for groups of people who might have varying dietary needs or desires. While of course the focus of the menu is sushi and sashimi, the options available will entice everyone from vegans to those who feel that a meal isn't complete without red meat.

When contemplating appetizer options, consider the exceptionally good miso soup with clams, tender beef tongue skewers, or the not to be missed seaweed salad.

While all of the rolls are delicious and presented beautifully, there are two unusual ones you should be sure to try. for those who like surf n' turf, the sushi equivalent is Sushi Raw's Texas roll. A balance of flavors that mingle well on the palate, this roll consists of eel and avocado ensconced in a wrapping of beef. On the other end of the flavor spectrum is the vegetarian Pink Lady roll. It is delicately sweet, without being cloying, combining tempura dipped asparagus, sweet potato, carrots and mushrooms, and is served with a mango dipping sauce.

With such a broad and unique menu, everyone will find a favorite dish. Whatever your preferences, Sushi Raw fits the bill.


Sunday, June 16, 2013

E K Valley Restaurant


Superbly located in Sunnyvale, California, the El Caminito Mexican Restaurant serves authentic Latin American food in a casual and relaxing environment. 
With an original décor, Mexican artwork on the walls, friendly service, an entertaining jukebox and the tasty dishes, El Caminito creates a great experience for their clients and the I’ll be coming back¨ thought is on everyone´s mind when they go out the door. 
The menu is extensive and features some popular seafood dishes as well. With large plates and genuine Mexican food, this is the perfect place to go if you have a big appetite. 
Summed up in a few words, the menu is ¨great value for your money¨. Cooked with fresh and natural products only, the food on the menu meets everyone´s taste: children, vegetarians and people who don´t usually eat Mexican food.
On the All Day Menu one can find appetizers (nachos, guacamole, quesadilla, taquitos), egg dishes (huevos rancheros,con chorizo, machaca con huevo), tostadas, tortas, salads and soup, soft tacos (with carne asada, pollo, carnitas and pescado), enchiladas (costeras, verdes, suizas, El Caminito special), burritos and chimichangas (ranchero, San Tomas, fisherman, vegetarian, pollo, supremo), special platters (carne asada, steak ranchero, pollo al cilantro, chile Colorado, mole poblano, etc), seafood plates (camarones a la diabla, camarones al cilantro, pescado a la veracruzana), kids menú (buritto, taco, enchilada, quesadilla), side orders (tortillas, rice, beans, tamale, etc), desserts (flan, vanilla ice cream, Julian´s special) and beverages (horchata, jarritos, sangria, wine lemonade, beer, etc). 
Almost all the items on the menu are available for delivery, take-out and catering. The catering services include complimentary chips and salsa and are provided for a party of minimum 25 people. The delivery service is available from Monday to Saturday, with a minimum purchase of $35 and within 3 miles radius.
With more than 15 years being around, the El Caminito Mexican Restaurant it´s consistently good! 


The E K Valley Restaurant located at 6121 Washington Boulevard in Culver City, CA is the sensation of the town. Culver City is full of power, culture, beauty, and now it has the EK Valley Restaurant. It is a cozy restaurant, one that understands the serenity required for a good meal. They take credit cards. There is parking outside, and the people are in love with their many distinctive meals. One person fell in love with their mole; this guy tells us that he has replaced all his mole at home with their mole.

Another person talks about how surprised she was to be in a restaurant that had great food and gives generous portions. She talked about how "lame" it is to taste something delicious and look down on your plate and realize you have finished it and are still hungry. That issue is one you won't encounter here, at the EK Valley Restaurant. 

One interesting taco they serve is the Oaxacan Barbacoa Taco, which is a huge soft taco that is covered with a delicious bean spread. Inside you will find some very tasty baked beef, which is marinated with guajillo salsa. It also comes with cabbage, cilantro, cheese, and Mexican cream, which is then served with rice and beans on the side. Perhaps you might be interested in trying their Flayuda, which comes in a large hand made tortilla. This tortilla is spread with pork lard, which is toasted of course, but it does not stop there. It comes with a black bean paste too. Oh, just to excite you a bit more, it also comes with tomatoes, avocado, salsa, cabbage, quesillo, and your choice of meat. Let them delight you with all the goodies they have for you. Join the many satisfied customers in their rising adoration for this little place in Culver City. Be part of the movement towards good food.



Monday, June 3, 2013

Garaje— San Francisco, CA

Garaje, a nestled little treasure located at 475 3rd St. San Francisco, CA. It is a wonderful place with an inviting great environment where most enjoy it in large groups. It is a place for friends, for smiles, good food and great memories. It is open until 10:00 PM and they do serve beer and wine. You must take cash though, they like to keep it 'old school' and their food, they like to keep that traditional and good. 

The atmosphere ranges from casual to a bit more modern. Some hipsters enjoy eating there, but that's mainly because of the diverse kinds of people that are attracted to this 'joint.' Garaje is an addicting place, and can you blame them? Imagine sitting down to enjoy their Wild Ahi & Avacado Salpicon, which is chopped and seared, fresh line caught tuna cut ever so finely, caper jalapeno garlic vinaigrette, and chunky pieces of the most buttery jade-colored avocado you have ever seen. How about a great looking and tasting taco? Oh the tacos here might grab your attention, one actually comes with an added punch of beer, called the Beer Battered Tilapia. Or perhaps you would be interested in the Comb se Lima? It is a crispy, delectable shell taco wrapped with cherry textured tort, spread with refried beans, filled with either chicken or beef, lettuce, salsa, and guacamole.

They may not accept credit cards, but as one customer said it was something she could live with because the food was amazing, the price was perfect, and she loved that every table had a built in cable for iPhones. She was able to charge her IPhone5 as she ate. Another customer said that she had tried everything on the menu and was delighted to see that this was not a 'one dish' place, everything oozed perfection and the service was wonderful and fast.


Saturday, June 1, 2013

Bistro 69 Cafe -- San Francisco, CA

Bistro 69 is a fantastic little café that is located in the financial district of San Francisco. They are a fun place to stop in for a bite to eat when you are in the city, as they serve a wide variety of eclectic yet delicious food. The quality of the food at this place is astounding, considering it is served at fast food prices and speed. Their delicious menu includes a wide variety of foods such as Mediterranean fair, Italian cuisine,and American classics such as burgers; they also have a wide variety of deli sandwiches and salads to choose from. 

Perhaps the best thing that this restaurants offers is a supreme location and a fun and exciting environment. Bistro 69 is located just a few blocks from union square, which is one of the biggest tourist hubs in the city; this makes this café the perfect place to stop to grab food whether you are visiting or live nearby. Even though it is near one of the busier sections of town, this is a great place to come and enjoy a nice quiet meal. The café is located off a little side alley making it feel removed from the center of the city. Inside, the café has a vibrant eclectic feel, and the owner makes each customer feel like family.

Even if you want a quick bike, Bistro 69 is still a great option as they offer their food to go. Also, if you happen to live or be staying in the Union Square area, the café offers delivery straight to your door. Next time you are in Union Square and are looking for a bite, you will definitely want to consider trying Bistro 69 Café. They offer a wide variety of delicious foods from many different cultures; this café has something everyone will enjoy. 


Thursday, May 30, 2013

iThai -- San Francisco, CA

Located on 720 Post Street, iThai's decor--a mixture of chic white decor and subtle lighting--clashed with my usual expectations of what a Thai place should look like. It looked off, as if they were in the process of renovating from a cocktail bar or a cafe. The food seemed to be the usual derivatives of a Thai restaurant with some hometown innovations tossed in, like their Kao Moo Dang, a rice dish served with three kinds of pork and gravy, or their curry puffs, soft pastries packed with curried chicken and sweet potatoes. 

The price, while not cheap, wasn't bad; it ran from six to eight dollars for appetizers, while the main courses ran a little above that. I recommend their chicken satays to open up the meal--they were nice and crispy, with the peanut sauce and the sweet cucumber relish providing a nice contrast to their savoriness. The barbecued pork on the Kao Moo Dang was succulent, and the sauce had a nice zest to it, which seems to be quite usual for Thai cuisine. That contrast of flavors made the meal a pleasant one. It was served with a side of hard-boiled egg and some sliced cucumbers. We wrapped up the evening with an order of mango ice cream, which was a nice change of pace after the meaty appetizers and dinner. 

Opening from 11 AM to 1 AM, iThai is the place to go when that midnight craving hits for some Pad Thai or Tom Yum Goong. While my initial expectation of the restaurant were skewed due to their inconsistent furnishings, the food more than made up for it. The good, prompt service and the speed with which we were served just rounded out the satisfaction with which we dined there. We recommended the restaurant to all our friends, and will visit again ourselves.


Monday, May 27, 2013

Tartine Bakery -- San Francisco, CA

Walking down Guerrero Street in San Francisco, California your nose will not guide you amiss. You are suddenly uplifted, and you're floating on air, just like in those old cartoons where the hungry fluffy creature is lured by a wonderful smell. That is where you are now, you look up to see that you are standing in front of a building numbered 600 and named Tartine Bakery. The goods here are baked from pristine ingredients. The eggs are from local farmers because they know that a community will benefit from closeness. This bakery uses organic flour because they understand that health starts with what you eat. They simply care for you at this restaurant. The best customer is a long-living and returning customer. 

Can you imagine smelling the aroma of that warm, tasty and organic coffee? Once you have organic coffee you will wonder what you were drinking all those other years. You will have a pre-Tartine Bakery stage and a post-Tartine Bakery stage in your life...they definitely strive for perfection. They have a Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese Sandwich which is hot pressed and ever so delicious. Local goat cheese that melts and caresses every taste bud in your mouth with a sprinkle of the delicious nuttiness that only a walnut infused bread can provide. That is heaven on Earth. If you are interested in the sweet, indulge in the wonderful Frangipine Tart, which is a delightful little pastry that will make you go 'mmhmm' almost involuntarily. It is filled with a light almond-cream filling baked in an ever so graceful and flaky pastry shell with the most delicious of seasonal fruit. 

The parking is on the street but the neighborhood is so quaint and interesting that most who come here, walk. You might call it a pilgrimage to goodness. Just so you know they do accept cards. One reviewer called it "an adventure in her mouth." What is not to love about Tartine Bakery, located at 600 Guerrero St. in the neighborhood of Mission of San Francisco, California.


Saturday, May 25, 2013

Gourmet Carousel -- San Francisco, CA

Gourmet Carousel is located in the Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. It is a casual restaurant that welcomes groups and children. Seating indoors and carryout are available. This inexpensive restaurant serves lunch and dinner.

Gourmet Carousel offers several items that are commonly served in a Chinese restaurant. This includes appetizers, specifically Egg Rolls, Won Tons, and Pot Stickers. For soups, they offer Won Ton, Hot & Sour, and Sizzling Rice. Some of the commonly offered entrées offered included Mongolian Beef, General Tso’s Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Beef Lo Mein, and Chicken Fried Rice.

Gourmet Carousel serves many different types of seafood. Some of the prawn dishes offered include Prawns in Lobster Sauce and Prawns with Cashew Nuts. Clams and Oysters are also served in several dishes. Scallops and fresh squid dishes are also available. Abalone is also served. Fish is also available including cod and flounder.

Customers who do not want seafood have several different meat options. Beef, chicken, and pork are served numerous different ways. Multiple duck dishes are also available. One interesting pork dish is Preserved Vegetables with Pork Belly. Deep-fried intestines are also available for adventurous palates. Squab and quail are also served at Gourmet Carousel. Lamb is also an ingredient in some dishes.

Vegetarians can also find numerous options at this restaurant. Several tofu dishes are available. Other vegetables include eggplant, spinach, and pea sprouts. Some dishes, like Law Hon Chi, include several types of vegetables. Some other options for vegetable dishes include Mixed Vegetable Egg Foo Yung and Mixed Vegetable Lo Mein.

Families have several dinner options at Gourmet Carousel. The Canton and Peking dinners are available for groups of 2-6 people. Each dinner option includes the soup of the day and fried prawns. The two options include different entrées. Reservations are available for dinners seeking to eat inside the restaurant.