Sunday, March 28, 2010

Khanh Huong Chinese BBQ Restaurant

I have been curious about the new Asian restaurant on Lincoln Avenue, Khanh Huong Chinese BBQ. I must admit I was bothered about the location of the restaurant because it is next door to a pet spa, but I got over it and ate there.


On the front awning, it appears the restaurant is a BBQ joint. However, when you sit down in the restaurant, the place is a Chinese Restaurant with Vietnamese flair. I ordered two starters, Hot and Sour Soup and Pork Spareribs. The soup was tasty with lots of vegetables and egg. There was a definite vinegar aroma for the sour. The salt and pepper spareribs were tender to chew and very delicious. I was pleasantly surprised on the taste and yummy factor of the dish. As for entrees, I ordered garlic eggplant, deep fried cod with creamy corned sauce and beef fried rice. The deep fried cod had giant glops of creamed corn on top and made the fish gooey and soggy once the sauce cooled down. The taste was interesting when the sauce was hot, but it turned bad once the sauce got cold. The sauce was semi-sweet due to the creamed corn, but the fish became heavy from the sauce. The garlic eggplant was a bit off for me. I am a huge fan of eggplant and have ordered this dish in many Asian restaurants. However, this dish tasted strange and did not have a lot of flavor. I noticed the minced garlic on the eggplant, but the dish did not come together. The beef fried rice was the better dish of the second course. There were plenty of vegetables and beef in the rice and it was full of flavor.


I was hoping to see more Vietnamese food items on the menu, but there was very little. On the front menu, there was a bowl of pho, but there wasn't a wide selection to choose from.


My recommendation is to order the salt and pepper spareribs! You won't be disappointed.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Progress in the Making

While I was walking today in the mall AKA Alameda Towne Centre, I noticed Fruits and Chocolates moved into a smaller location in between Beverly's and Modern Mouse and is ready to hire employees. Hurray! I thought for sure, the owners were long gone, but I am happy to see the property manager is working with the owners to accommodate new businesses.

I also passed by Santoro's over the weekend and noticed new signage in front. The Italian Deli looks promising. I hope they stock delicious salamis and fresh pastas.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Bowzer's Pizza

Alameda offers very little selection when it comes to good tasting pizza. When I was browsing through old copies of Alameda Magazine, Bowzer's won Best Pizza. One night, I called and ordered a Hula Pizza with my coupon from the Alameda telephone book. The pizza took a while to make and the person claimed the pizza would be ready in thirty-minutes.


The pizza place was full and everyone looked happy eating. I took the pizza home and ate it with a home made salad. The pizza was a bit pricey even with the discount. The pizza tasted alright, but it wasn't fantastic. The middle of the pizza was slightly soggy and a little too wet for my liking. I prefer a drier pizza, especially in the center area. The pepperoni and sausage was good, but I was hoping for more flavor.


By the way, the pizza tasted better after it was refrigerated for 24 hours and re-heated.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Santoro, Italian Deli

On the West End of Alameda, a little tiny corner store is waiting to open. The name is Santoro, which is claiming to be an Italian Deli. Newspaper is covering the windows and should open any day now. The new owner has been working on the space for the last few months. I have not seen much activity in the last month, so I hope the owner is not getting cold feet.

I am curious to find out the new deli in town!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Angelfish

Bay Farm is like a foreign country to me. If you don't live there, why would one go there? That part of Alameda only offers two things: the golf course and the shopping mall.

I noticed the candy store in the mall is no more and is changing to a gelato and ice cream place. I wish the new owner all the best.

Since I was in the shopping mall, I decided to eat at Angelfish. I ate at the sushi bar and ordered my usual tuna salad, which is always an awesome choice. The fresh fish is consistently good, but the selection can be limited at times. Dining at Angelfish is more fun to eat at the sushi bar instead of the dining room. I enjoy watching the sushi chefs prepare food and observe their knife skills.

Angelfish is worth the drive to Bay Farm.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Hob Nob

Hob Nob on Park Street is still going strong. Went to eat there on a weekend for lunch. The food was great and consistent. Ordered fish and chips and mini-burgers. The fish and chips were a better dish because the batter was light and airy and the fish portions were huge. The french fries were a mound to eat. The mini-burgers dish was good, but the four burgers were of the same type. I would have enjoyed the dish more, if there were two different types of burgers.

This is a good place to eat and relax in a comfortable atmosphere. The food is fresh, tasty and consistent, all great characters of a neighborhood hang out.