Nov 26

Chinese Food @ Farmer’s Market

6th and Capitol Mall

Sacramento, CA 95814

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

In search for food on a Thursday Afternoon, we decided to try the Chinese food vendor at the Farmer’s Market on Capitol Mall. Unfortunately, the Farmer’s Market is only there during the warmer season from May to September. Luckily, we got to try the stand before the Farmer’s Market went on hiatus. We also chose this vendor because the line was not long and prices were reasonable.

Today, we decided to order the large sweet and sour chicken with fried rice and chow mein. At $8.00, the combination is priced fairly and competitively with Panda Express. You get a good amount of food on the plate and it all tasted fresh. There was not too much breading on the chicken and the sauce went well with the chicken. There was a decent balance of vegetables in the chow mein, but I would prefer fewer onions.

Overall, the food tasted good and the price was about right. If I needed a filling meal in the summer, then the Chinese Food vendor would be a good choice. If you are out enjoying the market, might as well pick up some food too.

Nov 19

Panera Bread – Part 2

3571 N Freeway Blvd

Sacramento, CA 95834

Rating: ★★½☆☆ 

When I heard that you could order online for Panera Bread, I definitely had to give it a try. The online menu system is typical of what you would expect from a popular chain restaurant. You select from all the available menu items including pastries and combos. You actually get to complete the entire order including payment, so when you arrive at Panera Bread, you just need to head to the pick up area and grab your bag without having to ask anybody. I would have worried that someone would just go there and take my food off the shelf, but that did not happen.

Having arrived at the restaurant, I went straight for the pickup area and found my bag of goodies with my name on it. After finding a seat, I dug through the bag and found my order was complete and correct. Today, I ordered the Smokehouse Turkey Panini with Chips, a Bear Claw, Half Tuna Salad Sandwich, Half Asian Sesame Chicken Salad, and a Cinnamon Roll. I was allowed to use my “myPanera” rewards when ordering online. The Panini looked very appetizing, but it did not have a lot of flavor. I tried the tuna sandwich and thought there was not too much mayonnaise and tasted OK. I opted not to try the salad and went for the pastries instead. The Bear Claw and Cinnamon Roll did not taste fresh, but the flavor was good.

Overall, I enjoyed the online ordering experience more than the food itself. If you like Panera Bread and want to walk in and eat, then the online ordering system is just for you. Unfortunately, I probably won’t go back to Panera Bread for a while since the food did not taste that good. I would have preferred eating Subway instead.

Nov 12

Crazy Sushi

7419 Laguna Blvd

Elk Grove, CA 95758

Rating: ★★½☆☆ 

50% off rolls, seems more expensive than Arigatos. Flavor OK. Hard to choose roll.

Located in Laguna’s Target shopping center, Crazy Sushi serves up a variety of sushi rolls at 50% off, like many other sushi restaurants in the area. Unlike Arigatos, the selection at Crazy Sushi is a bit more limited and many of the rolls have cream cheese. The prices of the rolls tend to be priced higher than Arigatos across the board. Service was OK, but we did have to flag down the server to make our order.

Today, we decided to order the Korean Beef Roll, Tempura Roll, and the Crazy Spicy. Overall, the rolls tasted OK and had some flavor, but the size of the rolls were either the same or smaller than Arigatos. Of the three rolls, the tempura roll tasted the best. The Korean Beef roll tasted OK, but with more seaweed and the beef a bit chewy, it was not great. The Crazy Spicy felt a bit compressed and the spicy tuna did not taste that good. The tempura shrimp inside does help balance the flavor for the Crazy spicy, but it was not that appetizing.

Overall, Crazy Sushi serves up decent sushi, but is quite overshadowed by Arigatos. Having spent more money here for less food, I felt more ripped off and dissatisfied. If you are in the Elk Grove area and are craving cheap sushi, you are better off eating at Fuji’s for buffet or you should make the drive to Arden for Arigatos.

Nov 05

Ohana Hawaiian BBQ – Davis

825 Russell Blvd

Davis, CA 95616

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Located right on Russell Boulevard in the heart of University Mall, Ohana Hawaiian BBQ serves up of Hawaiian BBQ dishes similar to that of L&L Hawaiian BBQ. Prices seemed fairly competitive to that of L&L, and considering that there is no L&L in Davis, Ohana ends up being the place to go for Hawaiian BBQ.

Today, I ordered the BBQ chicken plate. The meal came in a large styrofoam takeout container. There was plenty of BBQ chicken over a bed of fresh cabbage. There were two small scoops of rice, which I thought was a bit stingy, as well as a scoop of macaroni salad. Unlike L&L, Ohana actually removes the skin from the chicken. I like this because I did not like the skin anyways, but some people may like the skin. The chicken was marinated well and was quite flavorful.

Overall, Ohana does serve as a decent substitute to L&L, but I still feel L&L is a better value and has better quality product with more rice. However, Ohana’s food does taste good and the wait wasn’t too bad. If you are in Davis and craving for a nice plate lunch, then Ohana would be a good choice.

Oct 29

Benihana – Monterey

136 Olivier St

Monterey, CA 93940

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

You would think that calling ahead for a reservation would guarantee you seating within a reasonable amount of time when you get to the restaurant right at the stated time. After arriving at the restaurant right on time for the reservation, we were forced to sit for another 10 minutes in order to be seated. Once we were finally called, we were brought to an empty hibachi grill table. At this point, we were quite confused about what took them so long. Upon review of the expansive expensive menu, the waitress took our order and later brought our drinks.

Today, we decided to order Rocky’s choice and the Samurai treat. Rocky’s treat comes with Hibachi steak and chicken breast. Samurai treat comes with Filet Mignon and colossal shrimp. Before the entree was cooked, we both got an onion soup that tasted pretty good and was not heavy. We also received a salad that looked quite fresh, but the dressing was not that good at all. Our chef then arrived and proceeded to cook some shrimp and vegetables on the grill in a decorated and skillful action. This included cutting off the tails of the shrimp and flipping them into his chef’s hat with his spatula. The waitress provided rice and later provided tea. The chef was quite funny during the cooking presentation and was friendly. The dipping sauces were not that good and did not add much to the meal. The hibachi steak tasted tender and flavorful and the chicken was juicy and not overcooked. The Filet Mignon melted in your mouth and was cooked perfectly. The colossal shrimp was much larger than the appetizer shrimp. The lemon and butter made the shrimp even more juicy. I liked how the chef cut up the vegetables, steak, and shrimp into bite-sized pieces. In the end, we also received yummy Haagen-Dazs ice cream that went well with the meal.

Overall, the food and food service was great and entertaining. However, initial service with the hostess was less than desirable and the prices of food were quite high. Due to the great service and entertainment from the chef, I was willing to tip over 18%, but I probably would not come back due to the inconsistent service. If you want to have the authentic Hibachi service, then Benihana would provide that service, but the price and bad hostess would turn you away. If you were in Monterey, I suggest you choose somewhere else to eat.

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