Momoya Sushi!

Sophia says: Hi Readers! For lunch we went to Momoya Sushi and it was the second restaurant we ever reviewed!  We reviewed it again because we now have more things to say and we have readers all over the world! When we got there, the waitress led us to a booth. We came late so everyone else was finishing lunch. I ordered the chicken terryaki bento box from the kid's menu. It came very quickly and also had a potsticker and miso soup. It tasted really good and the chicken was well cooked. The restaurant is a nice place with tables and booths and a sushi bar. Our waitress checked on us a few times and we didn't have to stack any empty plates. We had a lot of fun.  P.S. There is a new BBQ restaurant a few doors down from Sushi Momoya and we are excited to go there and do a review after it opens! Thank you for reading our blog!  

                      570 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, (650) 967-6166

 

                                              Yama Roll

 

Josh says: Hi Readers! This the second restaurant we have ever reviewed! When we started our blog, we didn't write that much but now we write a lot! Today we went to to Sushi Momoya again for lunch. The waitress brought us to a big booth and gave us our menus. I ordered the chicken terryaki from the kids menu. I thought it was going to be a little bit of food but it was a lot! I had chopsticks but I asked for a fork. P.S. They also have forks. My lunch was like a feast!  And I shared all of my salad with my mom because I do not like salad. I don't know why I don't like salad but I just don't. I liked the chicken and the rice. This was a special treat and I would love to come back.

Jodie says:  Since we started Ladybug Restaurant Reviews, we have gone to a different restaurant each time. Today we decided to go to lunch as a last minute special treat. I'm glad we came back to Momoya Sushi. It is a neighborhood restaurant and always has great food and service. It is also next to our neighborhood Safeway so we pass by it many times on the way to get groceries.  My favorite thing to eat there is the yama roll which has macadamia nuts and mushroom and avocado. Our waitress was very nice and checked on us many times. We had a lovely time and ended up taking the rest of the kid's lunches home. 

Food: ****
Service: ****
Atmosphere: ***1/2
Overall: 

4 Ladybugs!

Hanabi Sushi!

Sophia says: Tonight we went to Hanabi Sushi. My brother and dad are not in this one because this time they were doing something special. When we got there, we entered through the party door room and did not know that it wasn't the real restaurant. My mom took a picture of the fountain as you can see down below. The hostess led us to a table in the main room. She also took our dinner order. My mom and I split the salmon terryaki and tempura dinner. The dinner tasted good but the salmon was not very tender. Our waitress checked on us multiple times but she left our dirty plates on the table. The restaurant is pretty big, has plenty of tables and it looked very clean.

           1040 N. Rengstorff Ave., Ste. A1, Mountain View 650-988-8686

                                the fountain in the party room area

 

Jodie says: Sophia and I have always wanted to try Hanabi Sushi. The parking is a little crowded because it is located in the same complex as Costco and there is always a lot of traffic.  It was pretty quiet when we walked inside and then a few other people came in.   We ordered right away and our dinner came quickly. I'm glad we split the bento box because it was more than enough for 2 people and we also had a side order of avocado rolls.  We had a nice and relaxing dinner out and I would like to go back again sometime with Paul and Josh.

Food: ***
Service: ***
Atmosphere: ***1/2
Overall: 

 
3 Ladybugs!

Augusto Cafe 2013

Georgia has left a new comment on your post "Raincheck Lounge Feb 2013":

Have you been to Augusto cafe in Lenah Valley lately Rita? I just enjoyed a perfect beetroot and nut risotto tonight whilst friends raved over crispy salmon. The chai brûlée and chocolate fondants were suberb. The staff are attentive and it's well priced for a great suburban eatery. Luck Lenah Valley-ites!

I’m thinking I was set up with Georgia’s comment above, added to my blog last night, but never mind! Yes, Georgia – I HAVE been to Augusto Café lately, in fact last Friday night, and enjoyed, as you have highlighted, a mains serving of crispy skinned salmon and a taste of the chai crème brulee for dessert, as well as tempura mushrooms (done with a besan batter to cater for one of our party who is a vegan and gluten free diner). All the food that came to our table was good, but the thing that impressed me so much about this place is the fact that they went to so much trouble to cater to, mainly, our vegan/gluten free eater, plus a vegetarian.

I’ve been in so many dining out situations where anyone who wants something not on the menu is looked at and treated with great disdain. Not so at Augusto. We booked a few hours ahead, and when she seated us, the waitress explained what they could offer our ‘special’ diner, but hastened to tell us that if we’d given them notice the previous day, they would have come up with more of a variety for her – ie gluten free pasta. As it was, she had the beetroot risotto with a few minor adjustments and was extremely happy with it.

We all had the tempura mushrooms for entrée, with the besan batter. It was OK, but didn’t crispen up so much as the floury tempura batter would. You could also pick the chick pea flavour in it too – not a bad thing as chick peas are fine, but ideally I prefer the focus to be on the mushrooms rather than the batter, with the normal crispy batter being more of a texture contrast to the mushroom.

Chatting with the guys in the kitchen on my way out, I got a bit of background of what’s happening there currently. My last blog review in 2011 mentioned that they were intending getting a liquor licence and opening some nights. Well, they’ve done that. They’ve also got a new owner, Reid. The two kitchen staff, Matthew and Liam, filled me in on their backgrounds, which are local. This pleases me when I know that there’s been a continuity and flow from local training to work, and further experience in our Tassie food industry.

I stand 100% by what I said about this café in 2011 – it all still resonates. It is a perfect place to eat when you want good food, reasonable prices and good service. North Hobart on a Friday night really gives me the shits, so this little gem shines for me.

My two courses and two drinks cost me $32 – excellent value! I’ll be back again soon.

Augusto Cafe

100 Augusta Road

Lenah Valley

Ph 6278 7724

Gyro's House!

Joshua says:  Hi Readers! Last night my mom and I went to dinner at Gyro's House. There was a problem with our computer and we could not upload pictures but now it is fixed. When we got there, we were the first ones there and then other people came in. You order at the counter and I ordered a chicken gyro. It was huge! It was so big that I could only eat half of it and we got the rest to take home. Our waiter was so nice and he checked on us a lot. He also brought us some free dessert. It was delicious! I took a lot of pictures so you could see what everything looks like. P.S. Sophia was not there because she was with my dad. I would love to come back!

212 Castro Street, Mountain View 650-940-9136

Josh's huge Chicken Gyros

baklava!

Jodie says: We have walked by Gyros House many times and it always looked like a fun place to eat so we decided to try it. You order at the counter and then choose a table. Even though everything is self serve, the nice gentleman who took our order brought us to a table and brought out silverware and bread for us. He was very friendly and made us feel very welcome.  I ordered the Falafel plate which was also huge. My dinner plate also had rice, hummus and salad.  After a while, more people came in.  They keep the door open so it gets a little cold inside. During dinner, our waiter brought us complimentary baklava which was really a treat. He chatted with us and the other people who were eating there. The falafel was a little spicy for me but it still tasted very good.  Josh and I had a nice dinner and we would love to come back with Sophia & Paul.

Food: ***1/2
Service: ****
Atmosphere: **1/2

  3 1/2 Ladybugs!

Asian Box - Mountain View!

Sophia says: Today for lunch we went to the Asian Box! It is a place where you decide what food you want, and then they put it together for you in a box. The first thing you choose is the base. You can choose short grain brown rice, long grain jasmine rice, Asian vegetable salad, or chilled rice noodles. Next you choose your protein. For this you can choose, chicken, pork, beef, tofu, or shrimp. They also have vegetarian only food too. Finally they finish your box and you have box toppers or house made sauces. There is a choice of sides and drinks. For the kids meal you can only choose the base and a protien. For the base, I choose chilled rice noodles and chicken and apple juice. When you order, the waiter/waitress gives you a number and calls that number when your food is ready. Our number was 151 and it got called pretty quick. We came at just the right time because it got crowed later on. It was a nice day so we sat outside. My lunch was really good. The chicken was sweet and tender and the noodles were white and had a good plain taste. I had a really fun time and would come back.





142 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA (650) 584-3947

                                













Mr. Snappy "Before"





Mr. Snappy "After"



Josh says: Today we went to the Asian Box for lunch. You walk up to the counter and order your food. Then you pick a table, outside or inside and we chose outside. Our lunch came really, really fast. I ordered beef over rice noodles. I thought it was kind of plain. But I liked the beef. And we also had apple juice. The most fun part I had was after lunch. We went to the fish store and got crickets. Last week, my grandma got me and Sophia a Venus fly trap! That is a type of plant that eats bugs but not ants. We didn't have anything to feed it so we got 4 crickets from the fish store. We brought them home and started to feed Mr. Snappy. My mom had to pick them up and put them in our plant's pods. It was exciting and scary because they kept trying to run away. We even took pictures to show you!

Jodie says: I really liked the Asian Box. 10 minutes after we got there, they had a line of people waiting to order. I ordered a combination of rice noodle and salad with beef and some toppings. We had just sat down when they called our number.  Everything is gluten free and all their packaging is compostable and biodegradable which was really nice to see. They serve a lot of food and the prices are very reasonable. And in case anyone is wondering, I've never fed live crickets to a plant before, it was an exciting day for all of us!

Food: ****

Service: ***

Atmosphere: ****

Overall:

4 Ladybugs!

Raincheck Lounge Feb 2013

Had an absolutely superb and faultless dinner at Raincheck Lounge in North Hobart last night.

This little gem is scruffy, noisy and mostly busy, with arguably the most uncomfortable chairs in town but, boy, do they turn out some fabulous food! It’s a place that, for me, is totally under the radar. It’s been there for years, and most times I’ve arranged to meet someone there, it’s been so full we have had to find somewhere else on the North Hobart strip to eat, so I usually totally discount it as a possible eating destination.

Luckily, my mate Deb persuaded me to eat there last night, but I did have the alternative venue of Mulan across the road if they were too busy at Raincheck!

The occasion was just like an episode of the old TV sitcom “Cheers” as I walked in to be greeted enthusiastically by Shane (ex-Gondwana, ex-Smolt, ex-many other assorted Hobart restaurants) who I hadn’t seen for quite a few years. This being small Hobart, just because I hadn’t seen him didn’t mean I wasn’t aware of his presence, and I have been told a few times that he was working two jobs, one of them being in the restaurant at the Airport Hotel at Cambridge. His waiting style is of casual efficiency. He manages Raincheck, and together with chef Andrew Lax (another of those locally trained great chefs who has worked at many restaurants round town) they make a formidable and effective team. I signed Andrew up into his cookery apprenticeship many years ago, so am obviously a biased fan!

Now to the food. They have a smallish menu, which includes what they call the Chefs Table, which is a special menu, changed weekly, to capitalize on currently available produce, and so regular customers (of whom I am assured there are many) won’t get bored coming often and seeing the same boring old menu items on for 3-6 months, as is the case at many other restaurants. It comprises 4 shared plates of food (plus house bread, balsamic and oil) for 2 people for $65.

Every Wednesday, the two powerbrokers at Raincheck sit down and discuss the following weeks Chefs Table menu, then Shane orders all the required ingredients. Shane tells me they have a few couples who eat there every Wednesday night so they can sample each weeks new Chefs Table offerings. Sounds like a plan to me!

Last night we ate this weeks Chefs Table specials comprising the following:

Crispy school prawns with chilli and garlic

Heirloom tomatoes, basil and pearl bocconcini salad

Confit duck leg with sweet potato rosti and sangria reduction

Crème brulee

Plus we ordered an extra plate of BBQ calamari ($12), just in case!

The school prawns were little ones, crispened up and deep fried sufficiently for us to be able to comfortably eat the whole prawn…..shell, head, feelers etc It was a beautiful dish, and despite my fears that it would not be enough for two girls with hearty appetites, it was all good and there was plenty on the plate for both of us.

The calamari was stunning. The BBQ flavour predominated, and the flesh was not rubbery, but cooked to perfection.

My doctor has forbidden me to eat tomatoes, much as I love the tomato/basil combination, so it was left to Deb to eat that plateful – which she well and truly did!

What can you possibly do wrong with a confit duck leg? Nothing! It was tender and tasty and served on an onion braise which complemented it well.

The crème brulee finished up a perfect meal, with its signatory cracking lid top, and delightful crème patisserie beneath.

We left in a hurry when we realized it was 7.30, and time for My Kitchen Rules to start! Both being MKR tragics, we needed to get home to my place (the closest to Raincheck) asap to see the latest episode. We watched it with a nice cup of tea accompanied by a square of my freshly baked Peach Slice.

All in all, a wonderful night, with good friends, top class food and excellent service. Thank you Raincheck. Christina – you missed out big time!

POSTSCRIPT Tuesday 20th Feb 2013

Following that superb meal last Wednesday evening with friend Deb, I decided to return to RC for dinner with my daughter. We ambled into an empty restaurant (at 7.05 pm) , to be told that the kitchen closes at 7.00 pm on Monday and Tuesday nights! Make sure you don't fall into that trap, will you!

The Basin!

Sophia says: Happy almost Valentine's Day Readers! Tonight we went to The Basin. My mom and dad have been there before and they said it was good so we went there for an early Valentine's Day dinner. When we got there, we were the first ones. We made reservations so we got seated quickly. The restaurant was smaller than I thought, but really cute and fancy.We ordered seafood gumbo, trout, steak and ribs. The seafood gumbo came first and we shared it and they brought each of us a little bowl. When I tried it, it was the best soup I had ever tasted. It was nice and hot and you could feel it running down your throat and it was so delicious! For dinner Josh and I shared ribs and they brought us each a plate. The ribs tasted more like pot roast but they were nice and tender. I tried some of my mom and dad's dinner and it was really good. Our waitress was super nice and someone came all of the time to fill our water and take away our plates. Before I knew it, it was time to go. We were too full for dessert because our food was very rich. I would definitely want to come back anytime and order the gumbo again!                                                                                                                                  

14572 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, CA 95070 (408) 867-1906

our seafood gumbo

Josh says: Happy Early Valentines Day Readers! Tonight we to The Basin for a special dinner. When we got there, we sat down right away. And then we got some bread to eat. Then we ordered our food. We had seafood gumbo. It was kind of spicy for me but I liked it. For dinner I shared the ribs with my sister. And the ribs were good but too spicy for me. Especially the vegetables. I ate most of my dad's mashed potatoes instead. p.s. I asked him first! And we did not have any dessert because we were full. But we got girl scout cookies at home for dessert! I would really love to come back because it's a nice restaurant. 

Paul says: The Basin is a downtown Saratoga favorite! Every dish is perfectly made and seasoned. The staff is incredibly attentive and knowledgeable. I ordered the steak and it was amazing.  I would come back anytime. 

Jodie says:  This is one of my favorite special occasion restaurants. I had the trout with sauteed kale which was also amazing! I can't say enough good things about the food or the service. I would recommend The Basin to anyone looking to have a lovely and delicious evening out! 

Food: *****

Service: *****

Atmosphere: *****

Overall: 

5 Ladybugs!