My Khe - San Jose

Vietnamese food has a lot more than Pho, and rice/noodle bowls. The menu at My Khe (no website, but here is the yelp link), a Central Vietnamese restaurant, proves that.

My go to dish here is Com Hen (Rice and baby clams), a dish traditionally made with mussels and leftover rice. This yummy bowl of clams, comes topped with finely sliced cabbage, green onion, crushed peanuts, sea weed, and a crispy rice cracker. Served along with a side of steamed white rice (or noodles on request), and a bowl of the yummiest, fishiest, and did I mention yummiest sauce.

The idea is the mix in the fish sauce (made with Vietnamese Fermented Shrimp Paste) to taste, break the rice cracker into bite sized pieces and enjoy the contrasting textures and flavors. Without rice, it is a light  salad like meal, add rice and you have yet another texture for contrast and something that will last in your stomach till dinner time.

Fair warning though - do not underestimate the fishiness of the sauce. I suppose you could always use soy sauce instead, but I can guarantee you it just won't be as good.

Com Hen

If I scared you off com hen, there are a bunch of other things to try here! I am sure you have eaten, and enjoyed the fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. Meet a close relative - Bahn Uot. Think of a slightly thicker rice paper wrapper, almost pancake like, wrapped around grilled pork, lettuce, green onions and served with house spam. If you ask me, this is far better than any spam I have ever had before!

Other must try's are the Banh Beo, little bowls of steamed rice flour topped with dried shrimp and fish sauce. A really yummy appetizer.


And since I started this post backwards, I suppose it makes sense that I end it with what to drink. On a hot day, there is almost nothing more refreshing that Soda Chanh (fresh lemon soda), or if you are in the mood for strong, sweet coffee, you can never go wrong with Ca Phe Sua Da (strong vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, over ice).


My Khe
(Bottom L: Bahn Uot, R: Soda Chanh) 



Bottom Line:
Price - $
Ambience - Casual

Vegetarian Friendly - No

Gourmet Haus Staudt - Redwood City

BRATS AND BEER! Got your attention yet?

Gourmet Haus Staudt in Redwood city is part specialty store, and part beer garden.



Polish & Mango Habanero Sausages

Their menu features German favourites, the brats are a definite must do. You can get a plate with either one or 2 brats, and it comes with German potato salad, sauerkraut, pickle and good mustard. They even have daily specials (like Mango Habanero, or Smoked Chicken and Cherry). You can choose 2 different types of brats on your plate if you like.

The brats are first boiled, and then grilled, as a result they are the incredibly juicy on the inside, with nice grill marks on the outside.

Strammer Max

You could always get an open faced sandwich instead.

One of the many available options are Stammer Max,  thinly sliced German smoked farmers ham served with 2 eggs on rye bread with German Potato Salad. The bread soaks up the yummy yolk, that works like a decadent sauce on the ham.

 

Grapefruit Radler

You could get one of their many beers on tap (of special interest is a Blonde ale aged in a chardonnay barrel), or if you feel like something different, try Radler.

Radler  is a mix of fruit juice (either grapefruit, or lemon lime) with beer. A refreshing alternate to beer, and it pairs perfectly with the brats.

 


Blonde ale aged in a chardonnay barrel





The specialty store features a large selection of food, spices and German beers.

Be sure to get yourself a 6 pack of Radler on your way out, and perhaps some Haribo or Milka!

Bottom Line:
Price - $
Ambience - Casual

Vegetarian Friendly - No

Yard House - San Jose

When Yard House finally opened in Northern California, their Santana Row location was packed solid with beer lovers. With upto 250 beers on tap from all parts of the world, this place is the place to be for beer lovers. Their full bar has a great selection of wines, and cocktails as well, making this the perfect location for happy hour!

But it isn't just about drinks here at Yard house. What really sets them apart is that though they are best known for the number of beers they have on tap, they also have and extensive food menu.

The cuisine, American fusion, features appetizers, salads, pastas, sandwiches, street tacos, burgers, and much more.  It is not just the usual greasy bar fare. They do food well, and offer something for everyone.

What is even more unusual is the number of vegetarian dishes on their menu. An entire section of the menu is dedicated to bar favorites made with Gardein, a vegetarian garden protein.

Yard House

Come for the beer, and stay for the food!

Bottom Line:
Price - $$
Ambience - Trendy
Vegetarian Friendly - Yes

Mizu - San Jose

If you live around West San Jose, or frequent Santana Row or Valley Fair, chances are you have driven by this place. Located in a non descript strip mall between a gas station, and a flower stall, Mizu always seems to have a crowd waiting outside at dinner time.



Strawberry Mojito
and Spiced Pear Martini


2 things that make it worth the wait are, a full bar with enticing drinks, and innovative food.


The drink menu features cocktails with Asian flair. Drinks made with lychee, pears, mandarin vodka and so much more.


For those who favor sake, wine or beer the bar has many options for you too.






Now, for the main event - the food. Fresh fish is the first necessity for great sushi, add creative flavor combinations, and you have a menu guaranteed to please.

Not in the mood for sushi? Not a problem, they have udon, katsu and much more, including a few Korean dishes. Vegetarians, do not despair. Mizu has something for you too!




Whether lunch, or dinner, Mizu has something for everyone, go see what the fuss is all about!

Bottom Line:
Price - $$
Ambience - Trendy
Vegetarian Friendly - Yes

Ramen Dojo - San Mateo

Theres nothing like a bowl full of yummy goodness to make they day better. We stumbled upon Ramen Dojo when trying to find a central location to catch up with ex colleagues...

With over 1300 reviews on Yelp, this place was an instant winner. What we were not prepared for was the wait. This is a very popular lunch location, and with capacity to seat only about 30 people at a time, you must get here early. They open for lunch at 11:30 AM, so be sure to be there by then at the latest to get in on the first seating.

They have 3 choices of broth - soy sauce, garlic pork, and miso. Our favorite is the garlic pork (extra spicy).

The ramen comes with 2 slices of slow roasted pork, mushrooms, fried garlic and chives, and is topped off with a quail egg, so if there is one extra topping we think is a must add, it is the bamboo shoot. The texture adds a lot to a bowl that is already perfect! And at $9.50 a bowl, there is no question that it is great value for money.

Ramen Dojo

If you are a ramen fan, this place is a definite must do!

Bottom Line:
Price - $
Ambience - Casual
Vegetarian friendly - No

Old Port Lobster Shack - Redwood City

Love lobster? Never found anything as good as you have had in Maine? You're in luck!

Old Port Lobster Shack in Redwood city (they also have a location in Portola Valley), has the freshest, best, and not to mention authentic lobster rolls!

Old Port Lobster Shack

The meal itself isn't cheap at about $18 for a sandwich, but what you are paying for is the quality of lobster. No skimping here, huge chunks of lobster, mixed with Hellmann's mayo, green onions, salt & pepper served in a traditional Maine style roll along with fries and cole slaw. Lobster is definitely the star in this sandwich!

Maine Lobster Roll

The combo, which includes a sandwich, drink and a choice of  chowder/bisque at about $25 is a great deal. Both their chowder and their lobster bisque are exceptional. If there was ever a reason not to count calories, this is it!

We are still working our way through the menu, but it has been impossible to go there, and not get the Maine Lobster Roll.

Go try it. Today!

The Best Revenge Is To Eat Well

Eating, or at least the quest for good eats was something that started as a cope mechanism for us. To combat stress, and often stupid people, we would take it upon ourselves to find a respite at lunch by finding great locations for food and sometimes for drink.

Many years later, what started as necessity has become a full on obsession. We both love good food, while I like to focus on flavor combinations and techniques, Long loves to document all his food finds with pictures. What you will see here is a combination of both.

As we continue our quest for the best food around town, we hope you will join us, and maybe even make recommendations!

Bon Appetit!