La Patisserie

La Patisserie
19758 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Cupertino, California 95014
408.446.4744
www.lapatisserie.net/

Vitals:
hours: Tues.-Fri. 7am-6:30pm, Sat. 7am-6pm, Sun. 8:30am-1pm

Simply put, this French bakery has delicious desserts that are presented beautifully. It’s tucked away in the Marketplace strip mall, but definitely seek out this gem. The number of cakes, cookies, pastries, tarts, packages of delectable delights is overwhelming, but with a will and a way and a willing stomach, I did somehow find the resolve to try most of the desserts here.

I think that I’ve found the perfect chocolate cake. For a chocoholic, it’s a feat that is hard to meet. Most chocolate cakes are either too sweet and don’t have enough of a chocolate taste or the chocolate is too bitter and doesn’t have enough sweetness and richness. The chocolate truffle torte… my newest obsession, my decadent, rich, gastronomic wonder. This torte is a chocolate cake with a truffle filling and covered in a dark chocolate ganache. Mind you, you have to really really like chocolate to have this cake, especially dark chocolate - it’s just pure, unadulterated chocolate. The chocolate is slightly bittersweet with different layers of spongy but light cake and thick truffle filling. Before, Prolific Oven’s chocolate cake was my favorite, but this one is the new gold standard. I love that you can get an individual portion of this torte or order a larger cake for a larger party.

Other favorites here include the fruit tart, apple tart, cheesecakes, cookies, éclairs…oh, everything that I’ve tried so far has been outstanding. While the crust of the fruit tart can be somewhat hard at times and is not as flaky as I would normally like (the last one that I had was slightly underbaked), it does have a rich buttery taste, the custard is thick, creamy, sweet, but not too sweet and had a slight eggy taste, and the seasonal fruit on top is fresh and glistens with a thin glaze. I can at least justify getting this dessert so that I can meet my fruit quota for the day. Oh, maybe I can throw in getting a bit of calcium from the milk in the custard?

Cheesecakes here are rich and sweet and has a thick custard like taste. While not as soft as cheesecakes at the Cheesecake Factory, they are still a decadent dessert and my body just sings at that first taste.

Xanh Restaurant

Xanh Restaurant
185 Castro Street
Mountain View, California 94041
(650) 964-1888
www.xanhrestaurant.com

Vitals:
credit card accepted
fine dining, not kid friendly
hours: open 7 days a week
11:30 a.m.-2ish, 5 pm to close (closed for lunch Sat. and Sun)
price: $9-$30
reservations recommended

This is a relatively new Vietnamese restaurant that opened in downtown Mountain View. The inside is very modern but retains an Asian touch. The food here is good, but if you’re looking for authentic Vietnamese cuisine, then perhaps this isn’t the place for you. Even the menu states that it is Vietnamese food adapted to a modern aesthetic. It's clear that the ingredients are really fresh and the dishes are presented well. I went there to celebrate an occasion and while it's not necessarily a cheap eat, it's still a good restaurant that I can recommend.



I was worried that this would be like a fancy restaurant where the portions are small. I was pleasantly surprised when our papaya salad ($10) came out. It was larger than I expected. Papaya salad was made from shreds of green papaya mixed with carrots and some poached shrimp. This was not a traditional papaya salad as it was missing the beef jerky and liver, but since I’m not a big fan of the liver (it’s an acquired taste) I liked this version. The nuoc mam was provided on the side, and we were also given a spoon of chili sauce so that we could make the nuoc mam as spicy as we wanted. Nuoc mam is a dressing that is used with the salad and mainly consists of fish sauce*, some sugar and lime juice. The nuoc mam was very sweet, almost too sweet and it needed more acid or lime juice. Overall, the salad was well presented and pretty tasty too.

There are different variations of rolls, from vegetarian rolls and traditional rolls with shrimp and pork to more creative rolls with different ingredients. The rolls seemed small and overpriced.

Favorites here include the calamari and the shaking beef. The calamari ($10) was soft and not too chewy and had a thin crust with a touch of curry powder and pepper that was spicy enough to give it a certain kick. The calamari also came with some fried chilies and onion. A chili infused mayonnaise sauce was provided as a dipping sauce.

Shaking beef is one of my favorite dishes whenever I go to a Vietnamese restaurant, and I generally judge Vietnamese restaurants based on how well they make this dish. Shaking beef is usually a fillet of beef that is marinated in garlic, fish sauce, sugar and oil and then seared to retain the moisture, but is served rare. The beef came on a bed of green salad and it was soft and tender and coated with a sauce that was salty with a hint of sweetness. Again, the flavors were more mild than what I'm generally used to, but this version was fine. It was one of the more expensive items that we ordered, this is the small order ($18), which was large enough (the large is $22).

I was too stuffed to try the desserts, which is a crying shame as the desserts look soooo good. It's hard to save room for dessert when the food in front of you is so yummy. Someday, maybe I'll have the resolve to save just a tiny bit of room to justify ordering a dessert.

While this place isn't a cheap south bay eat, it is still a good eat.

* Fish sauce is like soy sauce to Chinese cooks. It is an ingredient that is used in many Vietnamese dishes (as well as in Thai, Laos, Philippines and other Southeast Asian regions). Fish sauce is made from fermented fish and is used to add some saltiness to dishes.

Fantasia Coffee & Tea

Fantasia Coffee & Tea
Cupertino Village
10933 N Wolfe Rd # 120
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 865-1689

Vitals:
Weekdays: 9 am to 9 pm
Weekends: 9am to 10 pm

This is a place that is famous for its milk tea with pearls (boba). There are different types of tea that is available but try the standard milk tea with pearls, which is sweetened black tea with milk and dark gummy balls made of tapioca (which may be made from yam), called "pearls" or "boba". The pearls are quite large and you need to drink the tea with a wide straw. I like Fantasia because the tea is actually brewed (as opposed to some other places that use powder) so that you can actually taste the tea and they don't overly sweeten the tea. Some find the presence of boba strange, especially in a drink, but I like the chewiness and sweetness of the pearls.

There are other types of drinks with tea or fruit so you can easily find something that suits your taste or cravings. They also serve shaved ice, and while the options are somewhat limited, the standards such as red bean are available. The shaved ice is decent, not as fluffy as some other places, but it will do the trick.

It's also a good place to hang out as there are tables and chairs outside in the large patio and free wifi is available.

Sheng Kee Bakery

Sheng Kee Bakery
Cupertino Village
10961 North Wolfe Road
Cupertino, California 95014
(408) 865-6000

The smell of butter wafts from this establishment and entices me to come inside. Inside, you are greeted with an assortment of breads, buns and pastries. Take a tray and just start picking through the buns and pastries, which range from the salty variety (green onion and pork sung) to the sweet (coconut and/or almond paste). The offerings here are pretty cheap (ranging from $0.90 to $2.00). You can get the usual breads such as white and wheat here, but try to coconut or the raisin breads. One of my favorite buns here is the green onion and pork sung bun as the slight sweetness of the bread contrasts nicely with the salty green onion and pork sung. The coconut buns are good too as I can taste some sweet coconut in each bite of this sticky bun.

You can also order cakes here as well. I generally prefer cakes from Asian bakeries as the frosting is made of real buttercream and the cake is spongy, light and isn’t too sweet.

There is one thing that you can find here that you don’t find in your usual bakery and that is, in the warming oven, they have a variety of savory tarts or popovers. Whenever I’m in the mood for a good salty snack, I head over to this bakery and order the popover with curry beef. The warm, buttery and flaky crust has a nice crunch and inside is filled with beef with some curry sauce. I can easily have a couple of these and be satisfied.

Guan Dong Restaurant

Guan Dong Restaurant

Cupertino Village
10851 N Wolfe Rd
Cupertino, California 95014
(408) 253-3398

Vitals:
cash only
prices: $4-10
opens late (around 12)
kid friendly/good for groups

This is a Chinese restaurant serving Northern Chinese cuisine that deserves its place amongst the many Chinese restaurants in the Village. The cuisine has been influenced by its surrounding areas (Russia, Korea, Mongolia and China) as there is a good mix of flavors and different meats than what is typically seen (such as lamb).

The prices are pretty cheap and the portions are generous. There is a certain advantage to going with a person that speaks Chinese as the waiters can give recommendations on what the most popular dishes are or can give you an idea of what dishes complement each other.

Dishes that I’ve tried have been pretty good. The Guan Dong tofu was a memorable dish. The tofu was silky and firm and had pieces of tender pork and green peppers and it was covered with a black bean sauce that wasn’t overpowering. We also tried the steamed flounder, which was was soft and garnished with curls of green onion. The fish didn’t taste fishy, so I know it was fresh.

Under the section entitled "Guan Dong Specials" are dishes with corn cakes. The corn cake dishes come in a wok that hold an impressive amount of food. We ordered the chicken with mushroom. The chicken was stewed in an aromatic sauce made with soy sauce and ginger that had just a hint of anise, which made the chicken soft and flavorful, but I could do without the corn cakes, which were hard and bland and the noodles, which were mushy.

The mongolian beef is another memorable dish. The beef is tender and had a great peppery taste that was complemented by the copious amounts of green onion and onion.

Generally, the food here is tasty but on the oily side. The lines tend to be pretty long, so either come early or later to beat the crowds. You can’t beat the price here. For our table of six, we were able to go away stuffed for $47 without tip ($7.83 each). Just be prepared to be packed in like sardines. Sometimes I felt as though I couldn't move otherwise I'd hit the person behind me with my chair or arm or leg, or any other appendage.

There is a bit of inconsistency here though, and there were certainly dishes that didn't impress, such as General Chicken (I think that this is supposed to be General Tso's Chicken). The pieces of chicken was covered in a thick sweet and sour sauce that made the pieces of breaded chicken soggy. Also, the breading on the chicken was so thick that the pieces of chicken were barely noticeable.

Joy Luck Place

Joy Luck Place
Cupertino Village
10911 N. Wolfe Road
North Wolfe Road, Cupertino, California 95014
(408) 255-6988

Vitals:
credit card accepted
good for groups
kid friendly
M-F: 11 am-2:30 pm and 5:30 pm-9:00 pm
Sat-Sun/holidays: 10 am-2:30 pm and 5:30 pm-10 pm

Restaurant serving Cantonese fare and some of the best dim sum around. Dim sum is a breakfast or brunch type meal in which you eat a range of small dishes with tea. If you come for dim sum, come either early (before 11 a.m. or after the lunch hour), otherwise there is a long wait. It’s best to go with a larger group so that you can sample a lot of different dishes.

What is nice about this place is that many waiters walk around with carts filled with different items and you can flag down any of them to take a peek at their fare. Don’t worry if you don’t speak Chinese, the servers are more than happy to lift the covers of the little bamboo steamers to show you what is inside. You won’t get a detailed description of what is in a particular dumpling (general statements such as “shrimp and pork” or just “shrimp and vegetables”), but the portions are small enough that you can indulge and try many different things. Hopefully, you’ll remember what you liked AND what it looked like. It's easy to lose track of how many dishes you eat as the waiters are very proficient at taking away the steamers. Depending on the size of the dish, the dishes range from $3-6 each, but be careful of the dishes on the special cart (with the roast duck and other specialties such as seaweed salad), those dishes can be pretty expensive.

The following are some favorites:

• shrimp dumplings (har gow)
• pork and shrimp dumplings (sui mai)
• congee (rice porridge with pork and preserved egg)
• fried taro dumpling with meat filling
• barbecue pork buns (cha su bao)
• lotus leaf rice – glutinous rice with pieces of pork
• steamed Chinese broccoli
• fried dumpling with chives
• spare ribs with black bean sauce
• doughnuts
  

For the adventurous, try the chicken's feet. As long as you don't mind eating something that actually looks like their feet and the pieces of cartilage and bones, the feet have this amazing flavor.

At night Joy Luck serves traditional dishes that are delicious, but the dishes are a bit on the pricey side. I would rather go to Joy Luck for the dim sum than for dinner as there are cheaper options in the complex.

HC Dumpling House

Hu Chiang Dumpling House - CLOSED
Cupertino Village
10877 North Wolfe Road
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 873-4813

Vitals:
closed Tuesday
kid friendly
accepts credit cards
price: $6-15

If you’ve ever had Shanghi steamed dumpling (xiao long bao), then this place makes some of the best that I’ve found in my many years of searching. If you haven’t had these, then you have to try them at least once and you’ll be in for a treat.
Generally, xiao long bao is made as follows:

• the wrapping is a thin skin made of unleavened flour
• the stuffing in a traditional dumpling is made of fatty pork, but you can find combinations of pork and some other meat or vegetable
• a small amount of chopped pig skin or gelatin may be wrapped within the meat stuffing in order to get a soupy consistency
• steamed in small bamboo containers

The place is generally packed so either come early or late otherwise you’ll be waiting for a while. They will ask you at the front whether you’d be willing to share a large table with another party, and generally I’m so hungry that I don’t mind sitting across some stranger as I’m usually stuffing my face as fast I can with the delicious steamed dumplings.

The best way to eat the dumplings is to pick one up as gently as possible so that you don’t break the thin skin and then place it in one of the wide spoons provided. I like to dip my dumpling first in the black vinegar and put some slivers of ginger on top. Since the dumplings are scalding hot when they arrive at the table, for the first dumpling, I test the temperature by biting the skin so that some of the juice comes out and then slurp the entire dumpling into my mouth. Utter bliss. Sometimes I’m impatient and end up burning my mouth (but it’s almost worth it). After the dumplings have cooled a bit, I’ll just slurp the entire dumping into my mouth. I think the reason why so many people are passionate about xiao long baos is that it is such a decadent food in a neat little package. The skin is thin but is slightly chewy, the meat melts in your mouth and you get a squirt of the soup or juice that has a delicious and salty richness. I’d try the traditional dumplings first, but the other varieties are also noteworthy. The pork and crab dumplings are also really good as are the shrimp and loofah dumplings (both pictured below, the shrimp dumplings are in the back of the picture). What’s nice is that you get 8 dumplings (my dining companion took one of the dumplings before I could take a picture) per order, and when I order several types of dumpling, it's enough to share and satisfy my dumpling cravings.

Other than the dumplings, which should the centerpiece of your meal (otherwise, why else are you going to a dumpling house?) there are a few other good dishes. The beef roll is good as an appetizer. The bread surrounding the beef is chewy but not too tough and it’s a nice complement to the beef. If you’re in the mood for something spicy, the spicy chicken in the cold dishes/appetizer section is also pretty good. I also like to order some veggies with my meal, so I generally order the sautéed vegetables (either spinach, broccoli or other seasonal vegetable) or the eggplant with basil. The eggplant comes in a hotpot and the eggplant isn’t too mushy, but is covered with a strong soy basil sauce that is salty and slightly sweet at the same time. The dish may be a bit strong, but I love the combination of flavors.

Recommendations:

• traditional Shanghai steamed dumplings
• steamed dumpling with crab meat paste
• shrimp and loofah dumplings
• eggplant with basil
• green beans with pancake

Dishes that didn’t impress:

• vegetarian dumpling with mushroom. The texture was a bit strange and the dumplings didn’t have much flavor.
• rice cake. People either love or hate this dish. I found that the pieces of rice cake were chewy and hard and the sauce didn’t have any flavor (other than a bit of saltiness). I guess the texture just turned me off a bit.
• green onion pancake. The pancake was thin, tough and dry and didn’t have much of a green onion taste. I’m used to the ones that are toasted on the outside and the inside is soft and chewy and there is a slightly salty green onion flavor in each bite. Sadly disappointed with this dish.

Tip – if you pay in cash you may get an additional 5% discount.

Cupertino Village

There are a lot of good places to eat in Cupertino, but I’ll focus on certain types of food first. If you want a fix of Asian food, then I’d head to Cupertino Village on the corner of Homestead and Wolfe Road. There are so many different restaurants there, but Chinese restaurants definitely dominate. What’s nice about that is that there are restaurants that represent different regions of China (how annoying would it be if all of the restaurants focused on one region? However, if all focused on Sichuan fare, I wouldn't mind that much, but but you do need a little variety).

While there are a lot of good, cheap eats in this Village, and while the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming at times, have no fear, because you will have a handy little guide to help you choose among the many restaurants that are there. I will post on some of my favorites in a bit.

Pho Little Saigon

Pho Little Saigon
855 E. Homestead Road
Sunnyvale, California 94087
(408) 245-5570

Vitals:
open 10 am to 9 am daily
cash only
kid friendly
price: $5-10


Across the street from Ranch 99, Pho Little Saigon is a no frills Vietnamese restaurant that serves some authentic pho.

What is pho? It's a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup dish. Pho is generally served in a large bowl and consists of white rice noodles in a clear and fragrant beef broth with different and thin cuts of meat on top (the picture above shows cuts of Tai or rare steak on top). Generally, you can choose what types of meat you'd like to have with your pho:

• Tai - rare steak
• Nam - brisket
• Chin - lean brisket
• Sac - tripe
• Gan - tendon

Generally, if you go to a restaurant that is named for a particular dish, you should try the specialty. I like this place because where else can you get a filling meal for $5.25 (small) or $6.25 (large). Trust me, you should try the small first as their portions are very generous (the bowls are huge!).

The menu lists a bunch of different combinations, but you don't need to stick with any of them. You can create your own combination and Tai Chin is my favorite combination. I love the broth, it has a complexity of flavors, but they do seem to use MSG. I've been to some places where the cinnamon or anise flavors were overpowering, but at Pho Little Saigon, the flavors meld together well and there is a certain richness to the broth. I do have to say that there may be issues with consistency sometimes. The broth is not always the same and sometimes it is too salty (maybe it's the soup from the bottom of a pot?). Along with the pho, you are provided a plate of bean sprouts, chiles, thai basil, some other herbs and slices of lime. Tip - in order to keep the broth warm, ask for cooked sprouts.

Some people tend to put the hoisin sauce and pepper sauce right into the soup. I like my pho plain, but like to mix the sauces on the side in order to dip pieces of beef.

When I'm not in the mood for beef pho, the chicken pho is ok, but it almost tastes like chicken broth with noodles.

The other dishes, such as the bun or the rice dishes, are average. If you need something to accompany the pho, then I'd suggest the egg rolls, which add a different crunchy texture that contrasts nicely with the soupy chewy noodles.

The Rules

1. No sponsors. I will not accept any free meals in order to ensure an unbiased opinion.

2. Personal experience. I will only post reviews of restaurants where I have dined.

3. Second chances. If I have a negative experience, I will at least try the place again before I post a negative opinion unless of course, my experience is so horrendous that no human being should be subjected to it again.

Should there be any other rules?

Oh yes, geography. While I will focus on the South Bay, I may post reviews on restaurants in surrounding areas, such as the Peninsula. There may be a few other exceptions whenever I have an outstanding meal outside of this area. Who can resist? There are so many good restaurants afoot!

Eating my way through the South Bay

I want to create a community where we can all share our experiences with good food. Our common ground can be as simple as that – good food. Sometimes I feel like we’re so busy with our lives that we’ve become disconnected with each other. Please share your experiences, your secret spots, and your favorite restaurants and dishes.

Although there are other sites out there that have reviews and recommendations, they only seem to focus on eats in big cities. I want to focus on one area and find those gems that lie hidden in the South Bay. So let's all eat, drink and be merry in the South Bay!

Cheap Eats

Life is food or food is life. Is there anything else in which you can indulge all (or most) of your five senses?

Sight - the visual spectacle of a plate of food, the colors contrasts in all its glistening, smoking or steaming glory as it arrives at the table adds to the anticipation of devouring its contents.

Hearing - most food doesn't make a sound, but I do get a little excited when a plate of sizzling beef arrives. Actually, chewing does make a sound (thankfully not heard by others around me), and then I become more aware of my act of eating.

Touch - Whether I'm picking up a fried piece of chicken or eating some lettuce cup with minced chicken or tofu, or even using utensils, once I put any food in my mouth, I am acutely aware of the texture of the food. I love using my hands and the act of putting food to mouth. When I get that first bite of the fried chicken, I get a sense of satisfaction once I tear through the crispy chicken skin and sink my teeth into the warm and succulent meat that oozes with some oil and chicken fat.

Smell - As the smell of the food wafts into my nostrils, the pungent, sweet or sour smells prepare me for what is to come. Sometimes, I think that I can even smell the spiciness of the Kung Pao Chicken or Jambalaya.

Taste - I love it when something hits my palate all at once. Generally, there are four tastes: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Thai food, in my experience, has a way of combining most of the tastes (sweet, salty and sour) all at once.

I take no greater pleasure in eating good food, and I especially relish having good food at a good price. We're so busy nowadays to really sit down and savor each morsel that passes our lips. Although fast food does satisfy our need for nourishment and we do need to take advantage of the convenience now and then, what I'm thinking about is our need to really connect with our senses again and start enjoying one of the basics in our daily life.

There are few passions in life - and food is one of mine.