Aug 26

Pho Kim Long – San Jose

2082 N Capitol Ave

San Jose, CA 95132

Rating: ★★½☆☆ 

Pho Kim Long. Pho Kim Long. Pho Kim Long. You can try saying that loudly multiple times in public, and you will sure have people looking at you funny. Located just south of Milpitas near the Great Mall, Pho Kim Long serves up authentic Vietnamese food in a fast-paced, people-packed environment. Parking was available, but harder to find. Upon entering the restaurant, another couple was right in front of us as well. A server noticed the new guests, and flagged both the couple in front of us along with us towards the back of the restaurant. Without any words, she pointed the couple to a table and subsequently directed us to another table. Menus were quickly dropped in front of us, and I knew we had to act quick to skim the menu. Less than a minute latter, the server comes back to ask what do we want.

Today, we quickly ordered the Spring Rolls, Large Pho Tai, and BBQ Pork and shrimp over rice. The spring rolls came a little different than with other restaurants as the ends are actually cut off. There was an adequate amount of pork and shrimp in each bite. The rolls included mint, which I usually don’t like, so I decided to add hoisin sauce to help neutralize the taste. The pho came quickly right after the rolls and had the fresh rare steak cooking inside the fairly clear broth. The broth did not seem to have a lot of flavor and was on the bland side. I ended up adding more hoisin sauce and black pepper for flavor. I was quite amazed at the quality of the beef because it was extremely tender. The menu states they use filet mignon, but I don’t believe them; however, considering how tender the meat was, I would not rule it out. A while later, the BBQ pork and shrimp over rice arrived. I really like how they butterfly the shrimp, but I would have preferred they remove the shell from the shrimp as well. The shrimp used was quite large, but slightly overcooked as it was a bit rubbery. The pork was marinated well and went well with the provided sauce, but was quite burnt at parts. The soup provided was very savory, but just tasted OK.

Overall, Pho Kim Long serves up good pho, but their lack of service and poorly made rice dish reduced their recommendation. Although you get seated quick, and food usually arrives quick, you have the sense that they just want people in and out as quick as possible. Going to a Vietnamese restaurant, you would have to expect that to be the case. After you finish your meal, you need to personally go to the register to pay. Something did not sit will with me from the pho, which was odd as well. If you are in San Jose and need to look for pho, Pho Kim Long will satisfy that need, but I was not very impressed.

Aug 23

Angelou’s Mexican Grill – San Jose

21 N 2nd St

San Jose, CA 95113

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Located in downtown San Jose, Angelou’s Mexican grill serves up both traditional Mexican entrees as well as Taqueria fare. Validated parking is available across the street and nearby street parking is sometimes available. Upon entering the small eatery, you will notice the large menu posted above the cash register. At the time, I was also able to check in on Yelp to earn a free Taco with a specific purchase. Staff was nice, a few guests were busy eating, and two TV’s broadcasted various programming.

Today, we decided to order the Cali moco burrito and three tacos. The Cali moco burrito was huge and contained steak, french fries, cheese, guacamole, and egg. All of the ingredients tasted fresh and went well together. There was not a lot of meat or guacamole, but there was enough. The egg added an interesting texture to the burrito. I really liked how there was no pocket of grease at the bottom of the burrito that is ever-apparent in California style, fry-filled, burritos. An even better addition was the provided orange sauce, which added a creamy texture and very strong delayed heat. The sauce is a bit sour and tangy too. Compared to La Victoria, Angelou’s orange sauce packs a lot more heat, but does not seem as creamy. Without the orange sauce, the burrito did taste a bit bland. The orange sauce also went well with the tacos and chips. We ordered both Carne Asada and Al Pastor tacos. The provided salsa on the tacos tasted very fresh over the fresh meat. I like how the tacos were lined with cilantro, which added a clean flavor. Orange sauce matched up well with the meat and tortilla. The green sauce tasted refreshing with refreshing notes of cilantro and lime, but still packing heat from fresh pepper. I did like the Carne Asada more than the Al Pastor because the beef had more flavor.

Overall, Angelou’s serves up delicious tacos and an impressive Cali burrito. I definitely recommend the use of the orange sauce if you can handle the heat. Compared to La Victoria, I would suggest coming to Angelou’s instead if you can make it downtown. Service was good and prices were reasonable, but slightly high. If you are in the area, you definitely need to get Angelou’s a try.

Aug 19

Kico’s Mexican Food

2324 Arden Way

Sacramento, CA 95825

Rating: ★½☆☆☆ 

Located across from Leatherby’s in Arden, Kico’s Mexican Food serves up a variety of Mexican meals in a hole-in-the-wall location. Upon entering, I noticed dated carpet and decor. Our server seemed a bit confused about our group and was slow to get our drink orders correct. Eventually, things were straightened out and our food orders were cooking.

Today, I ordered the Carnitas plate. The complimentary tortilla chips were very fresh and the provided salsa was fresh and had a lot of heat. Eventually, we were also provided with a warm bean dip that tasted good too. After eating almost the entire chip tray, the food finally came. The carnitas came with the usual Mexican rice, beans, pico, and vegetables. There wasn’t really much to say about the plain vegetables and beans as they lacked much significance. The rice was pretty bland as well. The meal also came with warm tortillas served on the side in a tortilla tray. The carnitas themselves were not really tender and did not have much flavor braised into them at all. When the meat, guacamole, beans, and rice were placed into the tortilla, there was a bit more flavor, but still tasted bland.

Overall, Kico’s serves up great chips and salsa, but I was disappointed in the service and in the Carnitas. I have tasted much better tasting Carnitas at Vallejo’s and at La Esperanza. Considering the vast availability of Mexican food in Sacramento, I would not recommend coming to Kico’s and suggest looking elsewhere instead.

Aug 16

Zara Afghan Cuisine

729 J St

Sacramento, CA 95819

Rating: ★½☆☆☆ 

Located on busy J street in Sacramento, Zara Afghan Cuisine serves up a variety of Afghani food at reasonable prices. Upon entering the restaurant, our group was hit with heat equal to that of the warm outdoors since the AC was not on. After being seated quickly by staff, the AC was turned on, but took a while to get cool. Water was provided fairly quickly with the menus. Everything seemed fine after our orders were given, but that was not the case. Water cups quickly decreased due to the warm restaurant, and refills were not timely provided on multiple occasions. Food also took forever to be ready considering most orders were just wraps.

Today, I ordered the lamb gyro and kofta kabob wrap from the lunch menu, which also came with fries. The fries were very fresh, but were way overly-salted. The ketchup tasted different, but in a good way, and also helped diffuse the extra salt. The wrap itself was put together well and the meat tasted well-seasoned, but I could not tell the difference between the two meats I chose as it all just tasted the same. There was not a lot of their white sauce in the wrap, but did taste fresh with the cucumbers.

Overall, Zara serves up decent food at affordable prices; however, slow service after ordering and multiple counts of people in the group not receiving food prevents me from coming back again. Considering that we were the only large group in attendance upon arrival, staff should have been able to accommodate us prior to the lunch rush. I would give Afghani cuisine another chance, but I would not give Zara another chance.

Aug 12

The Sandwich Spot

1420 65th Street, Suite 104

Sacramento, CA 95819

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

In an effort to try out a different sandwich place, we ended up going to The Sandwich Spot. With a restaurant.com certificate in hand, we went through the lengthy menu posted on the wall. Staff was able to help answer questions about the menu and provide suggestions. Sandwiches are customizable after ordering with various choices of bread and toppings available, but cheese is only included on some sandwiches. Each sandwich is around seven to 10 inches long.

Today, we ordered the Triple Play and the Basket Catch. The Triple Play was ordered on Dutch crunch bread with added cheese and came with turkey, salami, and roast beef. The bread tasted fresh and had a lot of crunch, The inside of the sandwich was a great contrast through the tender sliced meats. Each bite tasted fresh, but there was a not a lot of flavor from the meats. The secret sauce did provide a little kick and flavor, but the sandwich was a bit bland overall. The Basket Catch was ordered on a sweet roll and included meatballs, marinara sauce, bacon, pepper jack cheese, and tomato. There were plenty of meatballs inside, and I liked how they were sliced in half, but the meatballs were quite soft. I liked how the sauce tasted healthy, but was a little bland. As a whole, the sandwich tasted OK, but was not that flavorful or amazing.

Overall, The Sandwich Spot serves up a large variety of combinations of sandwiches that suits your tastes. Prices are a bit high for what you get, but the restaurant.com certificate helps lessen the blow. A reduction in menu items could of probably reduced inventory prices and in turn, reduce menu prices. Overall, if you are tired of large chain sandwich shops, The Sandwich Spot could be a viable option. If I had to decide, I would probably not come back unless I have a restaurant.com certificate handy.

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