Suspiro

It is no secret that my uncle loves Chinese food.  Although he dabbles in other cuisines, Chinese is his go to whenever we meet up when we are in the Bay Area.  Since I wanted to treat him back for dinner, it was up to me to decide on the place this time around.  Originally, we were going quite off-the-board by choosing Texas Roadhouse.  LOL.  Yah, we quickly changed gears and headed to Santana Row for some Peruvian tapas at Suspiro.  Coincidentally, we found some discounted gift cards while shopping at Costco from inKind.  Score!

One of the biggest draws for establishments located in Santana Row is convenience.  This comes in the form of free parking for the first 2 hours and easy access to all the restaurants.  Onto our meal, we started with the Ceviche de Atún.  This was a fairly large portion where the cubes of tuna were of a decent size and meaty.  As you can see, the plate had plenty of the leche de tigre which was tangy, briny and a bit spicy.  Although I appreciated the bright flavors and the nuttiness from the peanuts and sesame seeds, the other components partially obscured the delicate tuna.

The ceviche we had chosen was one of five on the menu.  Right above it, we found three choices for empanadas.  We opted for the Empanada de Carne.  This was quite good where the pastry was crispy and nicely browned.  Inside, there was a wealth of tender shredded beef which was natural tasting.  On the side, the huancaina sauce added some spice and tang to the dish.

Onto our next dish, we had the Croquetas de Jamón.  This could be had as a 4 piece or a 6 piece.  Since we had 5 people, we got the latter.  These  spheres were fried until golden and crispy.  Inside, it was more meaty than creamy since there was a good amount of Iberian ham inside.  Flavors were rather mild but the ham did provide a rich muted saltiness.  There was a bit of aioli on top adding creamy garlickiness.

Underneath all that manchego cheese sauce, the Berenjena y Salsa featured whole roasted eggplant.  The eggplant was tender, but a little bland.  I guess the generous amount of manchego cheese sauce did help providing nuttiness and savouriness.  The small streak of huancaina added some spice.

Whenever I see Patatas Bravas on the menu, it is a given I'll order it.  This particular version (which is a Spanish dish) was pretty solid.  The cubes of potato were medium in size sporting crispy exterior.  As a result of being a bit larger, the potato pieces were soft and fluffy in the middle.  I liked how there was just enough brava sauce and aioli on the outside for effect without drowning the potatoes.

Another classic Spanish tapas offering is the Tortilla de Patatas.  It consists of an omelette with potato and caramelized onion.   As much as the outside looked a bit overdone, the inside was still somewhat eggy and almost creamy.  The layered potatoes were tender but still had some texture while the onions added sweetness.

We ended up with the Ensalada de Betabel, which was a beet salad atop yogurt.  The assorted roasted beets were tender while varying in range of sweetness and earthiness.  These were tossed in a citrus vinaigrette which provided brightness and the silkiness of EVOO.  In addition to the tangy and thick yogurt underneath, we found sweet orange segments and crunchy crostinis.

Another classic Spanish tapas is the Pan con Tomate.  This version sat atop a thin slice of toasted focaccia.  Personally, I would've liked to see a thicker cut as this became more of a cracker and didn't hold up to the tomato as well.  Tangy and slightly sweet, the tomato was bright and enough to have in every bite.  

If you've noticed so far, the portion sizes have been rather large and un-tapas like.  Well, that continued with the generous portion of Pulpo Asado con Patatas.  If you couldn't tell from the picture, this was grilled octopus with potatoes.  Even though the octopus was tender with pleasant bite, I would've liked to see more charring and smokiness.  It was decently seasoned though and accented by pimenton aioli which helped add some smoky sweetness.

For our big meat dish, we had the Ribeye Tacu Tacu.  We asked for the steak to be prepared medium-rare and it was closer to medium.  It was still tender though, but it may have needed to be rested longer.  Nice seared on it though and there was enough char and seasoning.  As its name suggested, there was a side of tacu tacu (crispy rice & bean cake).  It was firmly crunchy with a nutty flavor.

The grand finale was of course, the Paella de Mariscos.  The thin layer of bomba rice had somewhat of a socarrat on the bottom.  There was enough seafood in the form of mussels, shrimp and squid rings.  They were cooked in intervals so that nothing was overdone.  Of course, we found dollops of aioli as well.  The result was a decent paella with chewy rice that was a touch salty but fragrant and briny.

We ended with a Flan Clásico with chantilly cream.  Well, this wasn't the prettiest flan we've ever seen, but it did eat decently.  I found it to be rich and creamy with the aromatics from the caramel.  It wasn't overly sweet and was a nice end to the meal.  Overall, I thought this was a good meal, but not great.  Obviously, this place is for the masses and does its job well.  I found the tapas to be rather large in size and although that makes it a better value, it makes it difficult for a smaller group to share a larger variety of dishes.

The Good:

- Decent tapas

- Attentive service

- Free parking

The Bad:

- Maybe the portions are too big?

Phở Kim Long

"Let's go to the Pho place with the lineup!" exclaimed my uncle.  "Oh Phở Hanoi?" I replied.  No, he wasn't referring to the social media darling in San Jose.  Rather, he was going ol' skool with Pho Kim Long.  They have recently renovated, so it isn't dumpy anymore.  It is actually quite nice, at least inside that is.  Sure, the lineup is still there, but is the food still solid?  One cannot argue that it isn't good value, but the food has to stand on its own too.  So we did have to lineup and yes, it was difficult to get a parking spot in the crazy parking lot.

Once seated, the service was hurried and efficient.  We ended getting a Salad Roll to start and although it wasn't the biggest, we found it fresh and carefully prepared.  It was wound up tightly enough that things were falling all over the place, but not so it was dense either.  Inside, I liked that they added basil as it was herbaceous.  The noodles were firm but not hard while the shrimp had a nice meatiness.  The thin layer of pork was tender too.

Next, we added sides of Grilled Honey Garlic Pork Chop and Short Ribs as well.  These were really good since they were marinated and it penetrated throughout the meat.  Hence, there was enough seasoning that they were a bit salty and sweet.  Nice caramelization and smokiness from the grill.  Best of all, due to the marinade, the meats were tender and especially in the case of the short ribs, it was buttery with a tender chew.

For the soup noodle portion of the meal, Viv went for the Phở Sườn Bò while my uncle had the Tô Xe Lửa.  As you can see, they didn't skimp on the meat.  For the beef bone, it was super tender and fatty while the sliced brisket in my uncle's bowl was tender.  The beef bone broth itself was meaty and flavorful, but maybe there was a decent amount of MSG.  Overall, a decent bowl of Phở though.

For myself, I went for the Bún Bò Huế and I thought it was tasty.  The broth was briny and a bit spicy.  Sure, there was probably MSG in it, but I found it tasty and not overly salty.  The ingredients were legit with pork knuckle and pork blood along with the ham and sliced shank.  Came with all the condiments (except for banana blossoms) but would've preferred lime over lemon.  Overall, the food at Phở Kim Long is good and served in large portions.

The Good:

- Large portions

- Reasonable prices

- Generally good food

The Bad:

- Good but not great

- Parking lot is a disaster

Din Ding Dumpling House

We swore to stay away from Chinese food while we were down in the Bay Area since the stuff we get at home in Vancouver is pretty much the gold standard in North American (in our opinion).  However, it is difficult to stay away as we crave comfort food and often get tired from eating non-Asian cuisine.  So when we had to take out my cousin for dinner since she hosted us for 3 days, we chose a Shanghainese joint out in Fremont.  Besides, I think we used up all of their toilet paper and bottled water...  LOL.  The whole gang ended up at dinner including her sister with husband and kids as well as their parents.  For that reason, we ordered a lot of food!

Some smaller appies hit the table first including the sliced Beef Shank and the Marinated Cucumbers.  They warned us that these were small dishes, but for us, they were big enough and well-priced for the portion-size.  Firm and pleasantly chewy, the beef shank was still tender and had a nice rebound.  It was on the drier side, but it wasn't a deal-breaker.  There was enough flavor in the form of soy, star anise and sweetness.  They didn't look like much, but the cucumbers were money.  Crunchy and bright, they were lightly sweet and mildly salty.  They were so good, the kiddies ate them as well.  Not my son, but the younger kids at the table.

For me, I had to get the Spicy Tripe and it was a good decision.  Sliced thin, but still exhibiting an appealing chewy rebound, the tripe was nicely gelatinized.  It was tossed in enough chili oil for some spiciness without being overwhelming.  There was an equal amount of sweetness and saltiness as well.  We ended up with 5 steamers of the Xiao Long Bao since all of the kiddies love dumplings.  These were generally good with a thin dumpling skin and loads of soup on the inside.  I found there was a lack of elasticity though as the skin would break too easily.  The pork filling was a bit gritty, but still moist and tender.  As for the soup, it was sweet with lots of meat flavor.

To get our veggies for the meal and really for our trip as we had been clearly eating too much meat and fried food...  So we got the Stir-Fried String Beans, Stir-Fried Ong Choy and Stir-Fried Shanghai Bak Choy.  My favourite of the bunch was the string beans since they were oil-blanched just enough that they were cooked, but still remained crunchy.  They were also lightly seasoned which was a good thing.  The ong choy was crunchy and also lightly salted where the natural flavors were preserved as well as the garlic coming though.  As expected, the Shanghai bak choy was more watery due since it lets out moisture when stir-fried.  They were still crunchy though.

Onto some carbs, we had the House Special Fried Rice and the Chicken Stir-Fried Noodles.  The fried rice was a mix of beef, chicken, shrimp and frozen veggies.  I found that it was dry and nutty which meant the rice wasn't too wet to begin with and the wok heat was sufficient for caramelization.  The shrimp was cold-water crunchy, but the beef was beyond chewy.  I couldn't break it down and had to spit it out.  As for the fried noodles, they were pretty good being slippery and al dente while not overly greasy.  There was enough wok heat to keep the moisture to a minimum where the dish ate well with tender juilienned pork and crunchy cabbage.

For the kiddies, we got a few orders of the Beef Soup Noodles and they were pretty much forgettable.  Let's start with the one positive, the noodles.  Much like the stir-fried noodles, these were chewy and al dente.  However, the soup was rather bland and it didn't taste like there was any depth to it (ie. meat flavor).  Furthermore, the beef was very dry and chewy.  It was lean to begin with and the way they prepared it didn't help matters much.  On the other hand, the Spicy Beef Soup Noodles was remarkably better.  First of all, the soup was impactfully spicy despite lacking body.  The noodles were just as good as the previous bowl and the beef tendons were the right texture.

For me, I really wanted to try the Ja Jeun Mein (Noodles with Meat Sauce) and they were respectable.  Consisting of the on point noodles as well, the sauce on top was flavorful and rich.  There was enough of it to coat the noodles and provide enough seasoning.  It was savory with some some sweetness.  The cucumbers were fresh and provided a nice crunch.  The only thing I could fault the dish was that the sauce was a touch greasy.  One item I could've done without was the Spicy Wontons.  I thought the filling was terrible being mushy and bland.  The sauce itself had a good vinegariness, but it wasn't balanced.  There was no spice and not enough soy to counteract the tartness.  Overall, I would echo my aunt's assessment of the place, "acceptably average".  Does the job, but not particularly memorable.

The Good:
- Acceptably-average
- Okay portions

The Bad:
- A little pricey for this class of restaurant
- Service is spotty

Mingala Restaurant

Usually, when one thinks of Burmese food and the Bay Area, the name Burma Superstar is always the obvious choice.  Make no mistake, I really do want to visit the place and maybe one day I will.  It just hasn't been convenient for us to do so.  But back to my point, no one thinks of Mingala Restaurant located in Fremont (except those who live there...).  It was somewhat of a random choice by my uncle when we all met up for dinner.  Looking over the menu, it seemed more like a mish mash of Burmese, Thai and Malay dishes.  

As such, we got a little of everything to start including the Laphat Thoke (Burmese Tea Leaf Salad) consisting of tea leaves, fried lentils, peanuts, chili, tomatoes, cabbage, sesame seeds and dried shrimp.  Okay, I'm not a tea leaf salad expert, but I found this one a bit bland and lacking in crunch.  With that being said, it wasn't bad though.  There was still some tea leaf essence to go with the brininess of the dried shrimp.  Next, I sampled the Pork Rib Soup which was lightly seasoned, but was meaty due to the tender pork ribs and also Earthy due to the shiitake mushrooms.

Moving onto the Roti Pratha, I found it to be a little dense, but this type of roti tends to be that way.  Maybe, they could've spun it looser or with more space between sections.  It could've been crispier and less greasy as well.  The side of curry sauce was mild, yet aromatic and successfully flavored the roti.  One of my favourite dishes was the Belachan Ong Choy with dried shrimp paste, garlic and ginger.  There was plenty of wok heat that lead to the caramelization of the ingredients.  This meant the brininess of the shrimp paste was super impactful as well as the garlic and ginger.  Furthermore, there was a smoky sweetness from the stir-fry.

For the kiddies and carb-lovers, we had the Pad Thai prepared with shrimp.  This was average in my books due to the omission of pickled turnip and pressed tofu.  I found the flavours to be one note with a slight tang and mostly sweetness.  There was a lack of smokiness from intense wok heat and the aggressive tartness from tamarind.  Textures were on point though with chewy noodles and crunchy sprouts and meaty shrimp.  Looking rather dark, the Hokkien Noodles were doused in an alarming amount of dark soy.  However, the dish ate a lot better than it appeared with muted sweetness and surprisingly mild saltiness.  The dish was a bit wet where the noodles were soft though.

Our last 2 dishes were the Hainanese Chicken and Ying Yang Noodles.  The chicken was a bit more firm that I would've liked, but it was still tender and succulent.  It was mildly seasoned where the condiments did their thing.  As for the noodles, they were saucy as expected with creamy egg sauce along with shrimp, squid, chicken and choy sum.  Despite the mess of moisture, the noodles were still fine while the ingredients were properly prepared.  In general, the meal as a whole was pleasant, yet could've used some tweaks here and there.  Whatever the case, Mingala does the job as a neighbourhood restaurant.

The Good:
- Lots of choice on the menu
- Fairly good service
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- A bit disjointed without a focus

The Counter

Having just left Fremont on our way to Monterey, the words "I'm hungry" was said in unison from the back seat.  For the love of...  Then why did they not eat enough food before we left??? Fine. We would have to stop for food.  With no real plan, we reached into the altered sched to find the only thing nearby was The Counter in San Jose.  Located in the swank shopping district, this location of The Counter is part of a chain that serves up gourmet burgers offering up options for customizing your own.

We were pressed for time so I didn't bother choosing my own toppings and went for the 1/3rd pound Counter Burger consisting of hormone + antibiotic free beef, sharp provolone, crispy onion strings, lettuce blend, sautéed mushrooms, ripened red tomato and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette on a brioche bun.  The first thing I noticed after an initial bite was the meatiness of the medium-rare patty.  It was firm, yet not dry exhibiting a whole lot of beef flavor and appealing texture.  The crispy onions added both crunch and flavor.  I thought the toasted brioche was firm enough to stand up to the ingredients while not being overly dry.  Viv decided to try the Southwestern Burger in a Bowl that was essentially a salad topped by a 1/3rd pound patty.  It included hormone + antibiotic free beef, lettuce blend, tillamook cheddar, fresh jalapeños, roasted corn, black bean salsa, roasted green chiles and scallions with creamy Caesar.  This was a spicy concoction with the burst of sweetness from the roasted corn.  Definitely a low-carb option.

For the kiddies, my son had the Mini Cheeseburgers with shoestring fries.  The thin fries were appealingly crispy while not completely devoid of potatoness.  They were well-salted and good on their own.  As for his cheeseburgers, the meat was again, not overdone and he dusted them off quickly.  Going down her own road (like she often does), my daughter had the Grilled Cheese and Ham with skinny fries. Not particularly seared long enough on the flattop, the bread was naturally a touch soft, but there was lots of ham and cheese. It didn't help improve the texture, however, it did make the sandwich hearty.  From the items we tried at The Counter, the food was decent and generally enjoyable.  I wouldn't classify anything as ground-breaking, but the many options allow people to customize their meal.

The Good:
- Lots of options
- Low carb, gluten free salad option
- Decent eats

The Bad:
- A little pricey

Sam's Bar-B-Que

Continuing on with the "let's not be typical and eat Chinese food" quest, I thought hard about where we were going to eat after my Uncle wanted to treat us back for the meal at Boiling Crab.  Suddenly it occurred to me - let's do BBQ!  So off we headed over to Sam's BBQ in San Jose for some finger lickin' eats.  It was nice to be at a place where it was casual and fun, especially with the impending 5 courses of meat.  Such a change from the 10 courses of Chinese food.  Yah, #firstworldproblems...

Fortunately for us, we were able to make a reservation since we were a large party.  Funny that when we got there, a lady was sitting at our table and refused to budge.  She wondered why we needed 2 tables.  Um...  8 people cannot fit into one table!  Anyways... Before the carnivore feast was about to begin, the Steak Fries made their appearance.  These were thick, crunchy yet lacking in potatoness.  My kids seemed to like them, so what do I know?  Next up was a generous portion of Hush Puppies.  These had a firm crunch from the cornmeal which I personally liked.  Inside, it was dense, yet not heavy as it was moist.  The side of honey butter helped soften things up even more so (as well as adding an aromatic sweetness).

I gave the Beef Ribs a sample and they were meaty with a "steak-like" texture. So it wasn't exactly falling off the bone (it's smoked so it shouldn't be), but that didn't mean it was difficult to eat either.  It exhibited a nice even smoke ring that gave the meat depth of flavor. The BBQ sauce was a nice mix including enough smoke and sweetness.  As for the Baby Back Ribs, they were ginormous with lots of meat that didn't suffer much shrinkage from smoking.  Again, this type of BBQ would not yield fall-off-the-bone ribs necessarily since they marinate and the smoke it from raw (then put on the BBQ).  Unlike being par-boiled (that would make BBQ purists cry), these ribs were meaty and full of natural flavour including the smoke and sweet BBQ sauce.

Moving on, we also got a pound of the Smoked Brisket which also had a flavorful smoke ring as well.  Due to the cut (at the end of the brisket), the meat was on the drier side.  With that being said, it wasn't chewy as the meat had tenderized from the 14 hours of smoking.  It did have a nice bark that added a richness to the meat.  I wasn't a huge fan of the BBQ Pork though as it was not exactly that tender.  As you can see in the picture, it wasn't dry per se and indeed it wasn't lean either.  But possibly due to the thickness of the meat, the center portion was chewy and a little bland. Again, there was a nice exterior bark and smoke ring.  If I ate those pieces alone, it was okay.

Last meat option was 1/2 Sam's Salsa Chicken.  Sporting a beautiful deep brown smoked exterior, the skin was completely rendered.  Although no one would ever claim the meat was juicy, it wasn't too dry either.  Even the breast meat was completely edible without chewy parts.  Flavorwise, it was of course smoky, but I didn't get a whole lot of salsa though.  For our sides, we had Potato Salad, Garlic Bread, Coleslaw and Chili Beans.  The potato salad was the typical mashed potato-type with onions, celery and mustard.  Coleslaw was good with a fresh crunch and zip.  The chili beans were more like baked beans with some spice. Overall, the stuff at Sam's was decent and generally a good value.  No one should be longing for any meat after a meal here.  One word of caution to those who like chain restaurant BBQ food, you won't find it at Sam's.  They smoke everything from raw where it retains its natural flavors and takes on a rich smoke.  No parboiled stuff here.

The Good:
- Well-priced
- You won't leave hungry
- Casual, relaxed atmosphere

The Bad:
- Due to the cooking method, the meats will not fall-off-the-bone (if you want that style...)
- Pretty darn busy (good for them)