Cooking Papa--Mountain View, CA

Sauteed Beef Fillet with Assorted Mushrooms

A few summers ago I was asked where I'd like to have my birthday dinner. I could have chosen any spot in the Bay Area and I picked Cooking Papa in Santa Clara. The variety, the lightning fast delivery to your table, the piping hot food and of course those egg puffs were an irresistible combination.

Fook-Kin Fried Rice

It was with excitement, then, that we tried Sunday the newly opened Cooking Papa in Mountain View neear El Monte and El Camino, only a few minutes from home. We ordered some staples, such as the Fook-Kin Fried Rice (above), Sauteed Beef Fillet with Assorted Mushrooms (top) and the Papa Roasted Chicken.

Chow Fun with Scrambled Eggs and Shrimp

For the kids, we got the Chow Fun with Scrambled Eggs and Shrimp. And, with my dad and the kids at the table, Cooking Papa's patented Hong Kong Style Egg Puffs were a must. Warm, soft, fluffy, airy and eggy, they didn't disappoint!

Papa Roasted Chicken (half)

The food was good and is worthy of the Cooking Papa we'd gone to so often in Santa Clara. That said, the Santa Clara location delivered food that was just a little bit better. The dishes were slightly hotter (in temperature), the roasted chicken skin was a tad more crisp and the puffs were fresher out of the oven. I associate these issues with the steep learning curve involved with opening a new (and very, very busy) restaurant. The service was reasonably attentive--when my dad dropped his chopsticks on the floor, another pair came to our table without us even asking. However, they didn't refill the water.

Hong Kong Style Egg Puffs

Cooking Papa
1962 W El Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040
(650) 988-6809
www.mycookingpapa.com

Skipolini's Pizza--Antioch, CA

We went to Skipolini's tonight for dinner in Antioch after fruit-picking with Jenny's brother. The best part of the experience wasn't the food, but the friendly service, the sawdust on the floor (how cool is that?) and the playstructure to keep the kids busy.

Now, about that pizza. Having kids, we had a large with half cheese and half mushroom and chicken. We went with the white sauce pizza. The crust was chewy when dry. But, it wasn't absorbent enough to hold the moisture from the toppings. In other words, it was soggy. What I really wanted was a specialty pizza. The problem is, if you order half cheese, you get charged the full specialty (treated as five toppings) price.

The kid-friendliness, though, with the crayons, play area and abundant outdoor seating won me over. Sure, the pizza was so-so, but how can anyone enjoy pizza at all if the kids keep pestering you?

Well, not always true unfortunately...

Skipolini's Pizza
901 Fitzuren Rd
Antioch, CA
www.skipolinispizza.com

Ryowa--Mountain View, CA

I ate lunch with Jenny today at Ryowa, one of her favorite local spots for ramen. We got there at 1:20 and still had to wait for a table. Get there at 1:40, though, and you can show up with a van-load of people and be seated right away. Most of the seating is at a winding counter that S-curves its way through the restaurant.

The R1

We got the "R1" or Ryowa with three potstickers and a bowl of rice. The Ryowa itself features ramen, pork and egg in a sesame paste soup. Be aware the soup is spicy, but nothing a seasoned palate can't take. At $9.50, the R1 is only 50 cents more than the Ryowa on its own (meaning the extra four bits buys you 3 dumplings and more rice than you could possibly need), making the R1, as far as I could tell, the most popular item in the house. The dumplings were adequate, but nothing special--a bit soft and luke warm. The main event is the noodle soup and that egg--just on the firm side of runny--was spot on.

Neither Jenny nor I could really figure out what the bowl of rice was intended to go with. In any case, I dumped it into what was left of the soup at the end of lunch--it made a great filler. By the way, I'd never been served room-temperature tea before today. When coupled with the hot soup, though, it really worked! I thought it odd they served tea at room temperature, but actually I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Pastis Bistro--Palo Alto, CA

We ate at Pastis for Mother's Day. We got there before the restaurant opened at 9:30, but still ended up waiting for nearly an hour. The wait was mitigated by the Farmers Market on California, which kept us busy. You can't stray too far for too long, though! If they call your name for your table and you're not there to hear it, you get dropped.

Jenny and I went for their specials: the Crab Cake Eggs Benedict and the omelet with bay shrimp, sea bass and salmon. And, for the kids, we basically fed them chocolate for brunch: We got the Nutella Parisien and the Pain au Chocolat.

We enjoyed just about everything, but if anything was worth the fifty-five minute wait, it was the omelet, which hit the mouth buttery and hot (but not scorching). I didn't quite detect the sea bass, but the shrimp was terrific and made the omelet.

The roasted potatoes that came with the Eggs Benedict were a big hit with Jenny. She liked the seasoning and the fluffy texture. The chocolate items were heavy and we were all surprised that Tyler couldn't quite finish. Still, the leftovers made a great dessert.


Pastis Bistro
447 S California Ave.
Palo Alto, CA
(650) 324-1355
pastispaloalto.com

Rokko Sushi--Sunnyvale, CA

I met up with Jenny for lunch a week ago at Rokko Sushi. Having heard it would be a good one, Jenny got the sashimi salad and it didn’t disappoint. Both the salmon and the tuna were creamy in the mouth and the roe, with the juicy pop with every little sphere, was fun to eat.

We also split the saba plus udon. The mackerel was as good as I’d ever had. It arrived hot, tender and moist and made a great pairing with the sashimi bowl. The udon was a success, too, but not quite as memorable. I'm not a tempura person, but the vegetable tempura that went with the mackerel and the soup was just my type--the coating was light and the vegetables sweet and crisp.

The mackerel and sashimi salad each came with its temperature counterpart as a starter (a cold salad for the mackerel and a hot bowl of miso soup for the sashimi bowl).

Though parking was tough, the restaurant didn’t quite fill up. Competition is as fierce as ever in downtown Sunnyvale. The point is, if it’s lunch you’re after, stop by when you want—they’ll fit you in.

I have to give Rokko bonus points for responsibility. I left my wallet there by mistake and when I came back several hours later it was cheerfully returned. 

Rokko Sushi

190 S Frances St.

Sunnyvale, CA 94086

(408) 773-8225

rokkosunnyvale.com

La Victoria Taqueria--San Jose, CA

Last weekend we saw the San Jose Sabercats take on the Arizona Rattlers. We got there early to grab parking, then walked down Santa Clara St. to hunt for a place to eat. We picked La Victoria because it was kid friendly and seemed to have something that suited all of us.

For the boys we got an order of the chicken enchiladas. It was a disappointment for a couple of reasons: It was soupy and difficult to navigate with a knife and fork and it was spicy (both aspects were unfortunate surprises). Finding the enchiladas too hot to handle, the nine-year-olds resorted to grabbing my dinner and Jenny's.

Finding the psychological barrier of my tongue burrito too difficult to surmount (and a bummer, too, for them, since it was the best dish at the table), they ate Jenny's grilled chicken burrito.

I believe La Victoria Taqueria can be a good place to eat, especially for families. But, it isn't a place I'd return to even though the restaurant options are very limited around the SAP Center. The enchiladas were flooded. The grilled chicken burrito was ordinary. Corn chips was 50 cents. Who's heard of a charge of any kind for chips, much less for a small bowl?

La Victoria Taqueria
131 Santa Clara St.
San Jose, 95113
www.lavicsj.com

Pacific Catch--Mountain View, CA

Monday, Jenny's parents gave us the night off. Even though I love college basketball (and my bracket was on the line), I didn't mind missing the championship game. What can be better than a date night outside in perfect weather with Jenny? We went to Pacific Catch.

I reviewed the San Francisco Pacific Catch three years ago. Compared to that version, the Mountain View location ism much more spacious and pleasant. They started us off complementary bottled water--nice touch! I took it sparkling.

Jenny liked the mix of textures and flavors in her Japanese Wasabi Rice Bowl (featuring ahi). She chose brown rice. We would have liked to see the tuna a more vibrant red, but other than that, the bowl was great!

Wanting something meaty, heavy and rough, I got the swordfish (fresh catch of the day) with chutney. Yes, it was a little on the tougher side, but it met expectations. The Perfuvian purple mashed potatoes were delightful for the eyes. In the mouth, they tasted just like mashed Idahos.

We wrapped with a brownie sundae. The brownie was a bit too sweet, drowning out the flavor of the vanilla ice cream. Though this dessert was a bit pricey at $8, it was nevertheless a delightful cap to a great evening out.

Pacific Catch
545 San Antonio Rd.
Mountain View, CA 94040
(650) 941-1810
www.pacificcatch.com