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

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)

Boiling Crab

Seeing how my aunt and uncle were so gracious enough to let Viv and I stay at their place while in the Bay Area, we thought that treating them to a meal was in order.  But where?  No, I was not going back to Mayflower, despite his love for the place.  This time, I really wanted something different.  Okay, they like seafood...  and aren't afraid to eat with their hands...  Bingo!  The Boiling Crab!  Ever since my meal at Crawdaddy, I wanted to check out the "more well-known" spot in San Jose.

Before we got to the seafood, we started with an order of their Yam Fries.  Yes, I know yam fries are as exciting as a late-night infommercial (do people watch those anymore?  GLH anyone?), but these were good.  They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  They weren't overly greasy either.  The kiddies didn't partake in the seafood feast, so we got them a basket of Chicken Strips and Fries.  Well, remember what I said about the late-night infommercial?  Basically, these did the job with large pieces that featured moist white meat coated with a crunchy batter.  The fries were equally crunchy too.

For the boil, we got Crawfish, Clams, Mussels, Shrimp, Corn, Potatoes and Sausage (in the Whole Sha-Bang Sauce in mild). For good measure, we added a whole crab and lobster. We felt that the clams and mussels were money as they were plump and properly cooked.  There was definitely enough meat to fill each shell, where the whole sha-bang sauce clung onto each piece.  It was still spicy (even though we asked for mild) and full of garlic which was accented nicely by the limes with salt & pepper.  The frozen white shrimp were pretty typical while the crawfish could've been more fresh as some were mushy.  The crab was on point with fluffy meat.  The lobster was a tad overcooked where it started to become rubbery.  I liked the meaty sausage as there was just enough fat and spice.  The medium-sized potatoes were done right while the corn could've used less time.  If I had to compare, The Boiling Crab has offered up the best seafood boil that I have tried.  The combination of fresh seafood and flavorful sauce made me wanting for more.

The Good:
- Fun eating
- Whole ShaBang spicy and impactful
- We got fresh seafood (even the crab and lobster)

The Bad:
- Will never be a "cheap" meal
- Very messy, if you don't like that

Mayflower Seafood Restaurant

As if dining at Mayflower for Dim Sum wasn't enough for one day, we returned for dinner only a mere 5 hours later.  I think my uncle likes the place...  it's just a hunch...  I guess we should've just pitched a tent outside so we didn't have to leave.  Um...  No, not really, it was too hot anyways.  The real reason behind returning was that it would be central to all of the people making it out for dinner.  I guess my family does love me as they all showed up!  Maybe a trip to Bay Area every 1.8 years isn't enough!

Anyways, we ended up with an interesting array of dishes beginning with the Appetizer Platter consisting of mini-octopus, BBQ pork, jellyfish and sliced beef shank.  The octopus was sweet with a light snap while the jellyfish was overly sweet, yet exhibited a nice crunch.  Also sweet, the BBQ pork was lean and tender.  As for the beef shank, it was soft with a herbal liquorice taste (probably from the star anise and five spice).  Served in a whole wintermelon, the Wintermelon Soup consisted of crab, BBQ duck, shiitake, Virginia ham and gai lan stalks.  The broth was sweet with an Earthy shiitake essence.  The star of the show was the large whole leg pieces of fluffy crab.

Moving on, we had the Stir-Fried Snap Peas with clams and scallops.  As evidenced by the glossy sheen, this was a bit greasy albeit the beneficiary of a scorching wok toss.  Although the clams were sweet and tender with a slight chew, the scallops were completely overdone.  The sweetness of the crunchy snap peas was balanced off by the spicy and savory black bean sauce.  Up next was an interesting dish being the Wasabi Beef with silken tofu.  I gotta admit this was a weird concoction where the hit of wasabi was definitely discernible.  Although the beef was tender, the wasabi and the red onion didn't do it for me.

Trying to fulfill the main meat groups, we continued on with the Crispy Chicken with fried garlic.  With a rich golden hue, the skin was nicely rendered and crispy.  The fried garlic was aromatic while not bitter.  However, all these positives were outweighed by the completely dry, overcooked meat (including the dark meat).  Next, we had the Steamed Whole Fish, which could've been perch.  I say this because no one told me what it was!  Anyways, it was steamed just right being flaky and buttery soft.  There was just enough ginger and onion for the aroma without overwhelming the fish.

I've had salted egg yolk crusted crab before where I was only mildly impressed.  But the Golden Lobster coated with the aforementioned salted egg yolk was executed nicely.  There was just enough that we knew it was there without overwhelming the sweet lobster meat (which was a little overdone though).  Best of all, the fried pumpkin underneath was coated with the same egg yolk and it was addictively good.  Finally with a veggie dish, we had the Gai Lan with bean curd sheets and wolfberries.  The gai lan was vibrantly green and crunchy which was a nice contrast to the soft and chewy bean curd sheets.  Despite the abundance of liquid on the plate, there was sufficient seasoning.

We ended off the meal with Fried Rice with dried scallops, gai lan stalks and egg whites before moving onto dessert. I found the rice to be a bit too moist where it didn't have that trademark nuttiness.  Furthermore, it needed more oil and seasoning as it was pretty bland.  For our first round of desserts, we were presented with the Sweet Red Bean Soup, Cookies and Steamed Tapioca Red Bean Cakes.  Since I deteste red bean soup, I didn't have any, but I did try the other 2 and I liked the red bean cakes as they were soft and only semi-sweet.  I didn't like the cookies though as they were crumbly and dry.  Lastly, we had the Baked Tapioca Pudding Dessert filled with sweet lotus paste.  This was pretty average as it wasn't served all-that-hot temperature-wise.  It was on the sweeter side where it wasn't moist enough.  As you can probably guess, the food was okay with only a few highlights.  Nothing to write home about, but did the job more-or-less.

The Good:
- Okay service, better than Dim Sum
- Good portion size
- "Okay" eats

The Bad:
- Some execution issues