Fino (Italian)

This is my review of Fino an Italian restaurant in San Francisco.

web site
yelp

Atmosphere
This place is crammed but it has that charming ambiance to it. I guess it is because the restaurant is part of a hotel. When i went here, there were a lot of old people. Nevertheless the atmosphere was vibrant.

Service
Service was not perfect. The waiter was a bit negligent towards our table. The waiter never came to ask how we were doing and was a little slow on pouring our water and bringing our glasses of wine. They also didnt have table side wine service which was a bit disappointing.

Food
The food is nothing to be impressed by... In fact i felt like i was robbed. Someone needs to teach the chef here what SALT is because he clearly doesn't know how to use it. Our appetizer was completely bland without any flavor. The main dish were not bad but not worth the money.

Price
Price Range: $20-50 per person
This place is expensive for what they serve. Your best bet is to just not go here unless you feel like throwing money in the trash can.

James' Score
Atmosphere: 7/10 (crammed but clean and classy)
Service: 4/10 (Neglected service...)
Taste of Food: 3/10 (Chef fails)
Presentation of Food: 3/10 (Boring, lack of color)
Price 3.4/10 (Rip off there are far better Italian places in SF that are cheaper)

Overall 3.4/10

Final Comment
if there's phishing for restaurants.. this is the place. Do not be food by the atmosphere.

Will I come back? no

Sign

Calamari
This had no salt.. it was completely bland. The tomato sauce didn't even help.

Gnocchi di Patate
This dish was crying for texture. It felt like baby food. I didn't know that Gnocchi could be TOO soft. Other than that it was actually not bad.

Biryani House (Indian)

This is my review of Biryani House an Indian restaurant in Berkeley. 

Web 
Yelp 

Atmosphere
This place feel like a high school cafeteria or... McDolands. one interesting thing about it is that there's actually a lot of space between the tables. I do not know if that is a good thing... This place is more for just get in eat and get out.

Service
Water and getting utensils are self-service here. They do bring your food to your table but nothing more. Food comes out relatively quickly.

Food
This place always over cooks the hell out of their protein. Their curry tastes ok.. nothing special.

Price
Price Range: $7-10 per person
I say this place is great for lunch when you just need a place to quickly grab something and go back to work.

James' Score
Atmosphere: 2/10 (They could do better with  just a little more effort)
Service: 5/10 (Ok)
Taste of Food: 5/10(nothing special and over cooked meat)
Presentation of Food: 3/10 (they don't even try...)
Price 8/10 (good price)

Overall 4.6/10

Final Comment
Just a simple place to have a quick bite.

Will I come back? Yes

Sign

Naan
It was ok, a little bit on the chewy side for me but I guess that really depends on preference.

Chicken Tikka Marsala
It was ok... The chicken was over cooked so they were like ballz of rubber.

CUSushi (Sushi)

This is my review of CUSushi, a Japanese restaurant in Berkeley.

Website
Yelp

Atmosphere
This is a average looking japanese Sushi restaurant. It is small but clean. There is nothing really spectacular nor something really repulsive

Service
Uh.. the server just gave me water, food, and the check... Nothing more to say.

Food
This place is not making sushi... their nigiris completely neglects the whole purpose of the rice and it seems like the "the guy who makes the food" just molded rice into small balls and put a slice of fish on top of it. This place DOES NOT apply any sushi molding technique. Instead you get this rice balls that falls apart before you even put it in your  mouth. I can get a pair of duck testicles that tastes better than the food served in this restaurant. The knife technique is lacking as well. The fish was drooping on the edges when it should be crisp. It is obvious that they use the weight of the knife to butcher the fish. Also the fish in this restaurant wasn't all that fresh. The rolls here are a joke as well. They cant make even put an even distribution of ingredients throughout the roll, which basically throws off the balance of the whole roll, a 5 year old can do better. However, the rolls were edible... you cant really screw up a Californian roll with pieces of fish wrapped around it.

Price
Price Range: rolls $9-$12 dollar, nigiri $2-$4
The rolls were average price... but given the quality of the fish and the roll its a rip off. The nigiri here are comparatively cheaper than most places... However, these are cheap for a very good reason, the nigiri here are equivalent to cat food and insult to the Japanese cuisine. Cheaper does not justify the poor quality of the fish and absent of molding technique. No matter how much cheaper things get... shit is just shit.

James' Score
Atmosphere: 5/10 (Normal)
Service: 5/10
Taste of Food: 2/10 (Cat food)
Presentation of Food: 2/10 (The lack of knife skill shows on the plate)
Value 1/10 (Cheapness does not justify shit and the rolls are actually expensive)

Over all 3/10

Final Comments
Here is a check list when looking for a Japanese restaurant. 1. Is it owned by a  non-Japanese person? 2. Are most of the customers non-Asian? If you said yes to these questions.... chances are that you will be better off going to a McDonald  right across the street. The people in CU sushi takes decent ingredients and turns it into to shit. Someone who never made sushi can do better than CU sushi.

Will I come back? No

Miso Soup
This was watered down so much it was closer to water than soup. Also clearly instant soup.

 

Rainbow Roll
The roll was edible... It wasn't like "omg i must have more of this" instead you end up with utter disappointment every time a pieces of roll go into your mouth. All  you can really say after eating is... that was 10 bux? wtf. At least i didnt have the urge to wash my mouth out after. The nigiris fell apart as you pick them up and there was no complementation between the rice and the fish. This is fake sushi at its best...

Barney's (Gourmet Burgers)

This is my review of Barney's a hamburger chain in Berkeley.

Website
Yelp

Atmosphere
This place is a great place to hang out with friends. It feels more like a cafe than a restaurant. This place is clean and has the vibrant atmosphere. My only complaint is the the ugly blue booth area of this restaurant. Not only the booth look ugly... they are extremely uncomfortable. It seems like it was designed for people who have 1 cm thigh region and the material of the booth sticks to your clothes/skin. It is counter-intuitive since the booth is supposed to be the most comfortable area.

Service
Service was alright. Nothing worth noting here. But sometimes its not that easy to get a hold of the servers.

Food
This place makes good burgers and gives you large portions. Its one of those places where you can actually request a certain temperature for your burgers and they will actually cook it. The fries are crispy and tasty. They have a diverse selection of burgers  to suit most people's taste and they are big and juicy. The presentation was simple the way it should be for a burger.

Price
Price Range: $8-20 per person
I say the price isn't bad. I cannot say that this place is better than In-n-out burgers ($2) since they are kind of at the different level. If i just compare the burgers i would say Barney's wins, although In-n-out burgers are still awesome. But whether i feel the extra $6-7 on the burgers is reasonable is questionable. I say it is just a tiny bit over priced for what you get. But over all i wouldn't feel cheated for paying what i paid.

James' Score
Atmosphere: 7/10 (vibrant environment with crappy booth)
Service: 5/10 (Ok)
Taste of Food: 7/10 (good burger)
Presentation of Food: 5/10 (simple and not pretentious)
Price 6/10 (Maybe a little bit expensive but acceptable)

Overall 6/10

Final Comment
This is a nice place to enjoy a juicy burger and hang out with friends. Well... if you don't have friends like me... you can go alone too.. and pretend like you are studying something.... which is what i did...

Will I come back? Yes

Sign!

Skinny Fries
These are fried perfectly (although i don't think that is hard to do). Crunchy and tasty is all i can say.

Root Beer!

North Beach Burger
This burger has marinated artichokes and sauteed mushrooms with cheddar cheese. It is a very earthy and filling burger with a nice soft and resistant texture of the mushroom and the artichokes. Although it feels a little less than a burger and feels more like a dish of hamburger steak with sauteed vegetables and bread. I still liked this burger a lot.

La Briciola (Italian)

This is my review of La Briciola, an Italian restaurant in San Francisco.

Web Site
Yelp

Atmosphere
This place has a very cozy and has that warm feeling. As soon as you walk in you are greeted by warm colors and fragment sent of food. The tables are covered in white linen and the dim lighting, although a little dark, gives off that romantic feel for people who are dating. This place is certainly great for casual dining and also great for a romantic night with your lovers.

Service
The service here is GREAT! The servers are very attentive, kind, and always smiling. I accidentally spilled and broke a wine glass here and they gave me a fresh glass of wine with no extra charge. I though that was great!

Food
The food here is impressive. I left the restaurant wanting more! The plates were simple but cooked to perfection. You get that rustic italian flavors in pasta and in the meat dishes here. The pasta here are cooked perfectly to have that al dente texture and the flavors are yummy that you want to keep it in your mouth for the rest of the day. The presentation of the dishes are simple and visually appetizing that you want to dig in right away!

Price
Price Range: $15-50 per person
I felt that the price here is great for what you get..A romatic/casual atmosphere with great service with great food. What more can you ask for about 25 bucks for dinner and wine. However the prices is still decently high enough that its not a restaurant you can go everyday but perhaps twice a month with your loved ones or your friends to hang out.

James' Score
Atmosphere: 9/10 (Warm and cozy environment)
Service: 10/10 (Great service)
Taste of Food: 8/10 (Tasty and simple italian food)
Presentation of Food: 7/10 (Rustic presentation)
Price 8/10 (Price here very reasonable!)

Overall 8.4/10

Final Comment
This is a great casual/formal Italian restaurant with mouth watering food that leaves you wanting more! I forgot to take the picture of the sign >_<

Will I come back? Yes

Beautiful Bar

Pinot Noir from Napa! It was exactly what i expected.

Bruschette Assortite
Toasted bread topped with zucchini, eggplant, fresh tomato. This dish was a very light and tasty antipasti but nothing you wouldn't see in other Italian restaurants.

Agnello al Brunello
This is a dish with rack of lamb in Brunello redwine reduction with greem peppercorn. They also gave me some brocoli, potatoes and carrots on the side. This dish was great! the lamb was cooked perfectly to medium rare and the sauce was sweet with some spiciness from the peppercorn. My only complaint is that i wish they served bigger pieces of lamb chops so i could eat more of it =(. I ended up wanting to lick the plate.

Tiramisu
This tiramisu was very light. I liked it.

KatanaYa (Japanese Ramen)

This is my review of Katanaya, a Japanese ramen restaurant in San Francisco.

Atmosphere
This place feels like one of those hole in the wall restaurants. The decor looks like as if the owners decided to add different crap on as time went by. Also you can see the naked pipes on the ceiling... But what really bothered me about this place is that, they had these lights on top of the bar which looked like something out of a Christmas tree. I guess the owners wanted to make the place look modern and hip, but all it did was made the place into one of those 1970s  hooker bar(I never been to one if you are wondering) with blueish pink lightning. The lighting in this restaurant can be better for a more enjoyable dining experience. I mean there are other hole in the restaurant in SF with great atmosphere. Overall katanaya falls short on providing a decent environment for eating.

Service
The service here is a little bit on the slow side but adequate. But you don't see that excessive smile on their faces when they serve you.

Food
The ramen here is one of the best I have tasted. The soup has that deep Donkotsu flavor and all the toppings on the ramen  goes very well with the soup. The noodle here is unexceptional as well, but when i went recently.... they over cooked the noddles just a little bit. The three type of sauce Sio(salt), Shoyu(soy sauce), and miso are very distinct and you can enjoy the different aspect of the soup depending on which sauce you order. Overall, if you want a descent bowl of ramen, katanaya is the way to go.

Price
Price Range: $8-$14 per person
The price here is a bit high for what you get. But it is understandable since it is in San Francisco and right next to Union Square. The quality of the food here is good enough to overlook the price.

James' Score
Atmosphere: 3/10 The (Seems like the owner didn't even try)
Service: 5/10
Taste of Food: 7/10 (good ramen)
Presentation of Food: 5/10
Price 5/10 (understandable prices)

Overall 5/10

Final Comment
This place usually have a long line in front of the restaurant and it deserves it.

Will I come back? Yes

The front face of the restaurant

 

The garish looking lighting above the bar... Christmas is here early guys! They should seriously rip these down.

Ktanaya Ramen (Shoyu)
I ordered a shoyu ramen here and you can really taste that refreshing soy sauce flavor that comes with the soup. The toppings were very satisfying! It had fried wonton, frided chicken, chashu, scalions, half of an egg sea weed. This was a tasty and a filling bowl of ramen. However, they over cooked the ramen noodles a little bit.

My attempted at a close up shot of the soup. I guess i need a better camera =/

Fleur De Lys (French)

This is my review of Fleur De Lys, a french restaurant in San Francisco.

Web Site


Atmosphere
 Wow this place is BEAUTIFUL. the room is dimly lit for that super romantic feel!. The lighting is dark but bright enough to see the person you are dining with and all the stuff on the plate. The decor makes you fell you are dining in a very high class Victorian mansion.

Service
The service was great! The servers were very knowledgeable with each dish and every wine that was served to us. I like how they gave us the description of each course thoroughly, giving us the opportunity to really taste and think about each flavor that was presented.

Food
Truly an excellent meal! Boy what the hell have i been eating all these years at other expensive restaurants? I was able to sample the rustic French flavors and amazing sauces that really spoiled my pallet. Every dish was cooked to perfection with each components on the dish complementing each other very well! Also the food was presented beautifully. Each dish were plated in a simple fashion and was all around pleasing to look at.

Price
Price Range: $80-$200 dollars per person
The price range is on the very expensive side However I find this place a terrific place for special occasions such as anniversaries or celebration for something great. Although I thought that it was somewhat overpriced but if someone were to dine here once in a while, it is totally worth it!

James' Score
Atmosphere: 10/10 (Romantic)
Service: 9/10
Taste of Food: 9/10
Presentation of Food: 8/10
Price 7/10 (Worth it for special occasions)

Over all 8.6/10

Final Comments
This One Michelin star restaurant owned by Hubert Keller does live up to its hype. The menu here changes frequently.


Will I come back? Yes! If i get a girl friend -_-;

The Front Sign

 

Beautiful center chandeliers

 

Amuse Bouche
Sligtly bitter cocktail with sweet cabbage. Very refreshing dish.

This was a foie-gras two way.
The far left is the foie-gras and the on the far right there was a stew. In the middle i had popcorn with truffle oil. The texture foie-gras burger was a little bit off for me. Since they mentioned that it was a burger i was expecting something that would have some resistance when biting down on it... nevertheless it was tasty. The stew on the far right was AMAZING. It had the fatty flavor with truffles and foie-gras but didn't feel fatty at all!

Maine Scallops, Toasted Pinenuts
This dish has sliced potatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and olive based sauce with Banyuls reduction. The color on this place was pleasing to the eye with the pinkish and red sauce. The scallop was pan seared to perfection which went really well the the toasted pine nuts on the top. The sauce was bitter sweet which went really well with the sliced potatoes and the tomatoes. Just simply a tasty dish!

Kobe beef with some spinach (I don't remember the name >_<)
This was a great dish! The kobe beef had amazing flavor that was season perfectly!. The spinach was in some kind of creamy sauce that was pleasant to the pallet.

Chocolate Souffle
OMGOMGOMGOMG THIS CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE WAS AMAZING I CAN EAT ONE EVERY DAY AND WONT GET SICK OF IT. It had that perfect texture where it is slightly crunchy on the outside and extremely soft on the inside.