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AliceC
is currently eating dosa, dosa, and more dosa, yum!"I'm taking eating to the next level"
- Cuisines:
- American, Asian, Italian, Pizza, Japanese, Vegetarian
- Locations:
Stats
| Reviews | 66 |
| Helpfulness | 98% |
| Friends | 6 |
| Fans | 7 |
| Profile Views | 1123 |
Recent Activity
- July 20
- AliceC added a friend 05:29AM
- July 06
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- June 20
- AliceC found a new restaurant to try 07:33PM
- June 17
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- June 16
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- June 15
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My Reviews (66) rss feed
1 - 10 of 66
Tartine Bakery
Jun 15, 2008
I've heard amazing reviews about this place so...
I’ve heard amazing reviews about this place so it was top on my list of places to try. We ordered 3 things.
1) Croque monsieur. The bread had a nice crispy crust which I liked, but it had asparagus on top. I like asparagus, normally, but for some reason it had a very strong flavor and, i felt, took away from the rest of the flavor of the dish. I think I’d get it again without the asparagus next time.
2) banana cream tart. Nice flaky crust that wasn’t soggy since they lined the inside with a layer of chocolate. The banana filling was very runny and sweet but a nice balance to the whipped cream on top which wasn’t sweetened.
3) Croissant. It was huge! And it was very buttery and flaky. Excellent.
Overall, wasn’t bad, but didn’t understand all the hype of the place. But I would go back to try other things. Everyone seemed to be getting this berry bread pudding thing in a cup so I got to try that.
Palace BBQ Buffet
Jun 15, 2008
Korean BBQ buffet is unheard to me so it was a...
Korean BBQ buffet is unheard to me so it was a definite must go when my friends were here. And for the price $15.99 best bang for your buck, i thought.
So they are very particular when you arrive. If you arrive to close to the end of the buffet time they won’t serve you. So get there well ahead of closing time. We ended up having to go twice because of this.
All kinds of meat and seafood at the counter ready for you to grill at your table. Beef ribs, pork belly, squid, beef tripe. I would not get the beef tripe again. It didn’t taste all that clean to me, and I’m usually a big fan of beef tripe. Also, I would pass on the squid and just stick with the meat.
The panchan wasn’t bad according to my korean friends and they’re tough critics. I personally like the spicy pickled radishes there because they were the kind that had been pickling for a while.
The buffet line also included fruit, cold noodles, various soups, rice, and my favorite dessert after korean bbq, sweet rice soup. It is so refreshing after such a heavy meal and a definite must have.
Overall, service wasn’t bad which we had been warned it could be bad. Don’t know if that was because I had koreans at my table. I would definitely go again.
Sotto Mare
Jun 15, 2008
Went here for 2 things, the oysters and the...
Went here for 2 things, the oysters and the cioppino. Started with 2 dozen west coast oysters since we are on the west coast. It wasn’t bad but nothing outstanding. I think I like the ones I had on Tomales Bay better, but then again someone else is shucking them for you.
We got a bowl of clam chowder which again wasn’t bad. It had lots of clam chunks which i love, but the overall flavor was pretty typically. It was more on the runny side then the thick creamy kind.
We ordered the cioppino with lots of seafood, mussels, crab, shrimp, scallops, etc in a tomato based sauce with pasta. The flavor was nice, but I sort of wished it was spicier. Then again I haven’t had other cioppinos so maybe this is how it is suppose to be.
Service was very friendly although at first the waiter seems a bit rough, but i think he was trying to be comical. Very attentive staff.
Overall, the food and service weren’t bad, but with so many other restaurants in SF i think I would rather try a new one. Maybe once I’ve had other cioppinos I can decide how this one compares.
Yank Sing Restaurant
Jun 15, 2008
So we were looking for a dim sum place and my...
So we were looking for a dim sum place and my friend came across this place as being top-rated dim sum in SF. It is a little hidden cause it is located inside this building, but ask around a people will direct you to the right place.
We ordered my standard stuff and overall it wasn’t anything super impressive. The chicken feet were tender and spicy, usual. Pork ribs, again, spicy and tender, pretty usual. Taro root was nicely crisped with typical pork and taro filling. Shanghai soup dumplings were so so, but it may be hard to beat cause I had them in asia recently. Peking duck had a nice crispy skin, but the portion was very small. Wonton shrimp roll was soft and not mushy. The egg tart had a nice flaky crust with just the right amount of sweetness in the soft custardy filling.
The service was really nice which is surprising to me for a dim sum place. Waiters/waitresses were very willing to help track down dishes we were looking for.
Overall, just average dim sum for me, but maybe I’m being too critical since I compare it to dim sum in asia. Then again, this is SF where supposedly the best dim sum chefs fled to after the china takeover of HK. I’m hoping SF can do better.
Inka's Peruvian
Jun 15, 2008
My friends told me this is a peruvian place...
My friends told me this is a peruvian place that is chinese owned which piqued my interest. So I ordered this sweet purple corn juice which was surprisingly quite taste. It was refreshing, but not something I would crave. Definitely worth a try. They served the bread with this mustard like sauce which I really liked since it had a nice kick. It was different.
We ordered ceviche mixto. It had shrimp, scallops, mussels, etc and was tasty but nothing remarkable. Served on the side was carrots, corn, and potato, i think. It also had lots of red onions which i like, and it had quite a kick. I think I accidentally ate a hot pepper.
We ordered 2 dishes to share. The Arroz con Pollo had rice with cilantro and peas served with this amazing chicken. The skin was perfectly crisped! Definitely I would get it again for the chicken. The rice wasn’t bad but I’m not a pea person.
The other was the Picante de Mariscos which was this spicy seafood dish (shrimp, mussels, fish, scallops, etc) in a cream sauce with potatoes and hard boiled egg plus one scoop of steamed rice. It too was tasty, but probably would try something else next time.
It’s a ma and pa shop with excellent down-to-earth service. My friends knew the owners. Overall, I would go back.
Abacus
Jun 15, 2008
So I really wanted to try this place since...
So I really wanted to try this place since I’ve heard so many amazing things. And they just recently re-opened with new decor and new menu. Unfortunately, I was not impressed at all.
We started with 2 appetizers. The famous lobster shooters which were fried lobster dumplings in a thai like sauce. The sauce was very strong that you couldn’t really taste any lobster in the fried dumpling. The second appetizer was the kobe beef carpaccio which was very flavorful. I would go back and get this dish.
For entrees, we all ordered meat dishes which may have been the wrong choice but they seemed to have flavors that we preferred. I selected the buffalo tenderloin served with a truffle mashed potatoes. The meat quality was outstanding, but it was overly salted and I usually like my foods on the saltier side. Actually all the meat dishes were overly salted. Maybe it was a bad day. The potatoes were tasty at first…very truffle-y, but after the first several bites I was tired of it for some reason.
The dessert was a collection of various things. We went with the custard sampler which contained chocolate caramel creme brulee, coconut panna cotta granita, cheesecake, and blueberry bread pudding. They were all tasty, but nothing I would crave and go back for.
The service was nice and the waiter was helpful in narrowing down our choices. And the atmosphere was somewhat relaxing, but it is still very dallas pretentious!
Overall, for the price I don’t think I would go back but at least I can now say I’ve tried it.
Bi-Rite Creamery
Jun 15, 2008
I tried 2 flavors and they do have very unique...
I tried 2 flavors and they do have very unique flavors. I tried the mexican chocolate with salted peanuts and brown butter pecan since I am a big fan of nuts in my ice cream.
The mexican chocolate was tasty, but didn’t think I would like a whole scoop so I went with the brown butter pecan which had a very distinct brown sugary taste. My only issue was that it wasn’t all that creamy. The sugar cone was very crispy.
The other weird thing is that the single scoop is actually 2 scoops. I don’t understand why.
The service was wonderful. My friend’s ice cream fell on the floor and they were so kind to give her replacement scoops!
Overall, I would go back since they offer very unique flavors.
Via Veneto
May 19, 2008
We looking for an Italian place on fillmore...
We looking for an Italian place on fillmore and this was the one we found that would seat us immediately. They brought out bread when we arrived and it was just the standard bread, not warm or had any special flavoring. It was served with olive oil with roasted garlic dipping sauce which was quite tasty. We finished they would have brought more out when they gave us more bread.
My friends shared a cesar salad which had croutons and a fair amount of dressing. It was pretty standard and a decent portion for 2 people.
For main dishes, I got the tortellini with peas, ham, and basil in a tomato cream sauce. The tortellini were stuffed with meat. I haven’t had too much tortellini so I’m not sure if it was suppose to be like this but I found it to be quite hard and dense. I would have preferred it to be more soft. The cream sauce had great flavor along with the ham and basil, but I personally could have done without the peas. They didn’t really add much taste to the dish for me.
My friends ordered the gnocchi with gorgonzola and basil. The gnocchi were just the right texture, soft and light. I only wished there was some meat to the dish.
Overall, it wasn’t bad but certainly didn’t impress me. Service was friendly and attentive to our table. However, with so many other restaurants in SF to try, I probably would rather try another place.
The Grove Fillmore
May 18, 2008
We were just walking along fillmore looking...
We were just walking along fillmore looking for a breakfast place and came across this place. It is a very relaxed atmosphere but the tables were a bit cramped to accommodate for the heavy traffic. You order at the counter and take a letter to your table. I had 2 items from their menu.
The first dish was a french toast which was made with a crusty bread. I really liked the crunchiness of the french toast which can be a bit on the soggy side but not this one. It was served with fresh strawberries on top and warm vanilla flavored syrup. I would definitely come back for this dish.
The second was a basic omlet. The eggs were very light and fluffy and had cheese, bacon, and veggies in the middle. The bacon was an additional charge, but i thought was necessary since I’m a meat kind of girl. Lots of bacon was present and it was the thick slice kind that was chopped up so every bite had bacon in it. The omelet was tasty, but not spectacularly impressive.
Overall, I would come back especially for the french toast.
Fresca
May 18, 2008
We were told me needed reservations, but they...
We were told me needed reservations, but they managed to squeeze us in when we arrived at 6pm. I think we got lucky since we arrived just before the rush hit.
We started with the ceviche because I have been told peruvian ceviche is incredible. We ordered a tasting of 3 kinds. First one was the kampachi which was a nice piece of sashimi with a thin slice of jalapeno to give it a slight kick and had a nice sauce. Second, was a crab and lobster ceviche in coconut milk which at first I was concerned about the coconut milk but it was just the right amount to give it a subtle sweetness to the ceviche. Last, my favorite, was the mixto which had halibut, squid, shrimp, scallops, mussels and it was phenomenal. It was seasoned with peruvian lime which is what I hear makes peruvian ceviche so incredible, and it was also spicy and had cilantro and red onions. It was a very fresh tasting ceviche with a nice kick to it. I would strongly recommend the mixto and most definitely get the ceviche here.
For my main dish, I ordered a sea bass but found it to be over cooked. It was served on top of a bed of fried yucca which had a wonderful crunchy exterior and seasoned with just the right amount of salt. The sauce was a coconut milk based which was a bit heavy for me. It also came with mussels and clams which again seemed over cooked to me.
My friend ordered the halibut which strangely enough was not overcooked which I tend to find most places overcooking it.
For dessert, we got the chocolate tres leches which was served with this special peruvian ice cream. The cake was a bit dry unlike tres leches but the ice cream was quite a nice compliment.
Overall, I would definitely return and probably just get ceviche. I might also try the churrasco which was the other dish I was debating between. The waitstaff was attentive and friendly.


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