adventuresinthebayarea.com

one of several colorful Japanese pagodas
set amidst lush greenery


The Japanese Tea Garden in the Golden Gate Park Recreation Center was created for the 1894 World’s Fair, as part of the Japanese Village exhibit. Today, it is the oldest Japanese-style garden in the United States of America.

at peak tourist seasons, a long line could form
near the entrance gate leading up to the tea house

Thousands of tourists, visitors and locals visit the garden every day. Depending on when you come to visit, the garden can either be a quiet oasis or a crowded tourist spot. The first time we went, on a weekday morning in early spring, the garden was cool and quiet, with only a few small groups enjoying the garden with us. The last time we visited, on a Sunday afternoon in midsummer, there were throngs of people, and lines formed in front of the entrance gate, the drum bridge, and other popular spots.

tea and crackers at the garden is a simple, no-frills affair

The tea house inside the garden is a good place to cool your heels or to just sit and chat over a cup of tea. During peak seasons, however, the tea house can be full of people and moderately noisy. Sitting on one of the benches, one might hear people talking in half a dozen different languages. The tea (black or green) comes with a small plate of cookies and crackers. The tea tastes just so-so, and the cookies (almond, sesame and fortune cookies) and crackers (of the trail mix variety) are nothing out of the ordinary.

the zen garden


A little bit away from the entrance is the Zen Garden. If there are not too many people around, this is a nice spot to sit and appreciate the simple, clean, and soothing aesthetics of Japanese garden art.

the popular, highly-arched drum bridge


The drum bridge is one of the more popular spots in the garden. During the busy season, there is usually a crowd on it (either getting up or down), and a line of people waiting their turn to go up. It’s somewhat of a challenge to have your photo taken on this bridge without other people being in the picture with you.

a couple of brightly colored koi

A koi pond right below the tea house hold a number of colorful koi fish that delight both children and adults.

many paths cross and diverge


There are many interesting little paths and byways that meander past bonsai trees, miniature waterfalls, Japanese pagodas, a large bronze statue of Buddha, Japanese-style gates, and colorful flowers.

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Read a brief history of the Japanese Tea Garden by Erik Sumiharu Hagiwara-Nagata.

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Japanese Tea Garden
Tea Garden Drive, Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA 94101
Phone: (415) 752-4227

Open Daily, 8:30am to 5:30pm (4:30pm in the winter)
Admission: $4.00 Adults, $2.00 children and seniors. Cash only.

Getting There:

There are many ways to get to the garden. One of the easiest is to hail a cab and ask the driver to take you to the Japanese Tea Garden, but depending on your starting point, this could prove a bit expensive. Muni is one of the most convenient and cheapest ways to get to the park from different parts of the city. On one trip we took the N-Judah train, got off on 9th Avenue, and walked up a few blocks to the garden. On another trip we drove in via Fulton Street, turned left on 10th Avenue, and parked in the De Young Museum underground parking ($2.50/hour parking fee), and walked a few meters to the garden. Still on another trip with out-of-town guests, we took a guided tour, and our tour bus dropped us off close to the garden’s main entrance.

eskalops adobo - seared sea scallops with grilled
portobello mushrooms in adobo sauce


This little gem of a Filipino bistro, located in a quieter part of Third Street in San Mateo, is one of our special new finds!

We’ve been looking everywhere in the Bay Area for a Filipino restaurant that have both great food and great service. We went as far down as San Jose, around Mountain View, to Union City on the East Bay, to San Bruno and Daly City, and even up to Sacramento, and at last we found what we were looking for in San Mateo - Bistro Luneta.

The bistro has a modern, minimalist theme going, with a high ceiling, a bar/counter on one side, and a large picture window on the side facing Third Street. It’s not very large - according to the website, it only seats 42 people in the dining area and 4 at the bar. For us, it was the perfect place to spend a weekday lunch.

We arrived just a few minutes after they opened to avoid the lunchtime crowd, and got a nice little table by the window. The server promptly took our orders, and it wasn’t long before our food came.

For starters, we ordered the eskalops adobo and tuna tartare. I was excited to see how the scallops would taste with the adobo sauce, so I tried this dish first. It was delicious, although I thought the scallops were a tad overcooked. What delighted me, though, was how tasty the grilled portobello mushrooms slices were. In fact, the meaty, smoky taste of the portobello mushrooms was simply perfect with the adobo sauce!

tuna tartare - fresh tuna cubes
with Asian vinaigrette and mango relish


The tuna tartare was wonderful as well. The fresh tuna cubes were drizzled with a light tangy vinaigrette and complemented by the sweet mango relish. The experience was like having a fine duet being played out not for the ears but for the tongue. It’s definitely a must-try!

chicken inasal - visayan-vinegar marinated grilled chicken


I was still enjoying the appetizers when the chicken inasal came. It was presented very simply on a piece of grilled banana leaf, so I didn’t pay it much attention at first. After all, I’ve eaten chicken inasal countless times. Markie tasted it first, and declared that it was more delicious than it looked. Intrigued, I took a bite and agreed that it definitely was tasty. The skin was crispy and the vinegar marinade seemed to have seeped into the chicken meat right down to the bone. It was very good with the steamed white rice.

beef salpicao - rib-eye sauteed in olive oil and garlic

We also ordered some beef salpicao. While it wasn’t as spectacular as the other dishes we had, it was still quite good and I enjoyed its garlicky flavor.

The only let-down of the entire meal was the batchoy, a Visayan-style egg noodle soup with pork, garlic and green onions. We almost didn’t order it as we had already ordered enough dishes, but I wanted to have soup in case the other dishes were too dry. I regretted ordering this soup because it was oily, lukewarm, and practically didn’t have any taste - a far cry from a real batchoy dish which is ideally served steaming, and is full of complex flavors from the various ingredients that include pork innards (or, at the very least, chicken liver), crushed chicharon, slices of boiled egg, herbs, and spices.

barako crème brûlée - heavenly dessert…yummm!


Fortunately, we ordered the barako crème brûlée for dessert. Barako is a kind of coffee grown in the Philippines and in other parts of Southeast Asia, and is rarely found elsewhere. It has a strong, deep flavor with a hint of wine/alcohol. The barako crème brûlée captured this deep flavor in a rich, creamy dessert. The burnt sugar rounded it out perfectly with the taste of smoky caramel. Deep, rich, creamy, smoky, caramel-ly - this dessert is a symphony of flavors. Truly mouthwatering!

Some people might argue that some of the food served in Bistro Luneta is not authentic Filipino food. As a Filipino who’ve eaten and cooked Filipino food all my life, I would say that it is. There might be some dishes, such as the tuna tartare and the eskalops adobo, which are fresh interpretations of Filipino tastes or new combinations of ingredients, but for the most part the Chef has stayed true to Filipino flavors, and that makes the dishes authentic for me.

Throughout the entire meal, the wait staff was friendly, courteous, and prompt. They refilled our drinks without being asked, and was very receptive of our requests.

Of all the Filipino restaurants we’ve tried in the Bay Area, Bistro Luneta is the one that we would most definitely go back to again, and the one that we’d recommend to friends, whether they are of Filipino descent, or have had a taste of Filipino food and liked it, or even those who have never tried Filipino food. Although somewhat pricier than its other counterparts, we think the experience is worth it!

The Verdict:
Food: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Ambiance: 3.5 stars

Good for: lunch or dinner with family, friends or co-workers, dates, celebrations with a small group

Official website: Bistro Luneta
615 Third Avenue, Unit D
San Mateo, CA 94401
Phone: (650) 344-0041
Tuesday - Sunday (L) 11.30 - 2.30 (D) 5.00 - 10.00

sea bass tikka


Right at the intersection of Castro St. and California St. in downtown Mountain View is one of the area’s better Indian restaurants - Shiva’s Indian Restaurant & Bar.

As you enter the restaurant, you are greeted by the mouthwatering smell of Indian spices. Behind the reception desk is the airy dining room, while on the walls are interesting pieces of Indian art. If you come for dinner, chances are small tea lights have been lit and placed in the middle of the tables, which adds to the pleasant, cozy ambiance.

We’ve been to this restaurant a couple of times, and both experiences were quite enjoyable. We’ve tried the Chicken Tikka Masala, which is delicious. It’s not as creamy as other chicken tikka masalas I’ve tasted, and I noticed a slight smoky taste. The menu says that the sauce (or gravy) is flambeed with brandy, so this might account for the smoky taste.

The second time we visited, we ordered one of the Chef’s Signature dishes - the Sea Bass Tikka. It was served sizzling on a bed of vegetables. The fish was subtly seasoned with a mix of spices, and char-grilled. It was fresh and juicy - very nicely done, and went very well with the steamed white rice.

rogan josh


We always order Rogan Josh (lamb curry) whenever we go to an Indian restaurant. For us, the lamb curry is often the standard which we use to decide whether we visit an Indian restaurant again or not.

We were not disappointed by Shiva’s lamb curry, although I have to admit that it definitely tasted better during our second visit. The pieces of lamb were tender and flavorful, and the sauce was savory and great with the garlic naan.

I also always order mango lassi as my drink at Indian restaurants. Their version of this drink has a higher content of yoghurt and is not very sweet. In fact, it was thick enough that I could as well have eaten it with a dessert spoon instead of drinking it with a straw.

What makes the food fall just a bit short of fantastic for me is the lack of any real zing or spicy hotness to any of the dishes we tried. Having had Indian and Nepalese friends at work who bring food from home, I tend to expect a certain spiciness to the dishes - and I just didn’t taste that here. That said, Shiva’s still delivers good quality food, albeit at a somewhat expensive price.




rice and lamb curry being served out on my plate


I’ve read elsewhere that the service at this restaurant can be spotty. However, during the couple of times we went there, it has never been anything but prompt, friendly, and courteous. In fact, one of their service protocols seem to be that the waiters serve out the the first serving of the rice and the saucy dishes. I didn’t know this the first time we went, and it was quite a pleasant surprise for me.

All in all, considering the quality of the food, the ambiance, and the service, I’d say it’s worth the occasional visit to sate one’s craving for Indian food.

The Verdict:
Food: 3.5 stars
Service: 4 stars
Ambiance: 3.5 stars

Good for: lunch or dinner with family, friends or co-workers, casual dates

Official website: Shiva’s Restaurant & Bar
800 California St., Suite 100
Mountain View, CA 94041
Lunch: Mon - Fri 11:30am - 2:00pm, Sat - Sun 12:00 - 2:30pm
Dinner: Sun - Thu 5:30pm - 9:30pm, Fri - Sat 5:30pm - 10:00pm

corned beef hash with eggs and toast - my favorite breakfast


I first heard of the Palo Alto Creamery right after a marathon training run, when the training coordinator invited everyone for milkshakes and grilled cheese at “The Creamery” afterwards. If this is what athletes reward themselves after a run, those milkshakes must be pretty darn good, I thought.

I was right.

The first time I took a sip of my strawberry milkshake, I was hooked for life. This is saying a lot, because I’m one of those people who have to watch their sugar intake. But when I want to splurge on sugar, I do it here.

The milkshake even stands up to Markie’s exacting “Milkshake Test” - put a straw in the middle of the glass and the milkshake must be so thick that the straw will be able to stand up on its own for several minutes. Well, our milkshakes didn’t only taste great, but the straws stood up on their own until the milkshake was halfway gone.

Besides the milkshake, though, this 50s-style diner also has other good offerings. I especially love the corned beef hash for breakfast. It’s served with two eggs cooked the way you like, and toast. I like how the toast still remains crispy even when it has butter slathered all over it. Yum!

The coffee here is pretty decent, and on some days the orange juice is perfect. There was a day though that my orange juice was sour, so I think this is a hit or miss thing.

I’ve also tried the chicken salad sandwich, which is pretty good. The sandwich itself is big for my standards, and can be greasy, so I usually eat only half of it.

buttermilk pancakes topped with fresh fruit - not as good as it looks


The one thing I don’t like here is the buttermilk pancakes, and I’ve tried it on different occasions. The pancakes themselves are dry and practically have no flavor. One time I ordered them with a fresh fruit topping to see if that would help, but the bananas and kiwi were bland, and the strawberries were sour. I’ve just stayed away from the pancakes ever since.

We still come back here though, especially for the milkshakes and the corned beef hash. The place (both in Stanford Shopping Center and in Emerson St.) is pretty pleasant, and the service has been consistently fast and friendly. The outlet in Stanford Shopping Center is even a peaceful place to linger over breakfast or brunch on weekday mornings, but both places can be pretty busy and noisy during lunchtime and into the night, as it is one of the places where students like to hang out.

The Verdict:

Food: 3 stars
Service: 3.5 stars
Ambiance: 3.5 stars

Good for: breakfast or brunch family and friends, anytime and any reason for a milkshake

Official website: Palo Alto Creamery & Grill

Downtown Palo Alto Creamery
566 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone 650.323.3131
Fax 650.323.3132

Stanford Palo Alto Creamery
Stanford Shopping Center
Stanford, CA 94304
Phone 650.327.3141
Fax 650.327.3142

tom yum goong - hot and sour soup with prawns

The best Thai food is a study in delicious contrasts - hot and sour, sweet and spicy, crunchy and smooth. In Mountain View, when we think of good Thai food, we think of Krung Thai.

The restaurant in itself is full of contrasts. It is a white-table-clothed restaurant located in the San Antonio Shopping Center, between a Trader Joe’s and a vitamin shop, a place where you would least expect to find such a dining place. And while it serves delicious food, the meal price is like an extra treat that makes us say, “Wow, really? We ate all that and we only have to pay this much?”. Yes, we definitely like this restaurant.

My all-time favorite here is the tom yum goong soup - a hot and sour soup with shrimp, mushroom and Thai herbs and spices. I always look forward to the first sip of this soup with great anticipation, and I have never been disappointed. The first taste is hot and spicy, followed by a subtle sourness that tickles the tongue, and ending with just a hint of sweetness and a delicate scent of lemongrass. Yum-my!

beef with dried chili and chinese broccoli


My other favorite is the beef with dried chili and chinese broccoli. The beef slices are tender and flavorful, with a slightly sweet sauce and crunchy chinese brocolli. I always specify medium-hot, and the spiciness is just right - a touch of heat on the tongue, enough to excite it but not to scorch.

chicken with chili and onions


Another one of our favorite dishes is the chicken with chili and onions. Markie was the one who first ordered this, and I didn’t even try it at first. After my first bite, however, I was hooked. The sweet, crunchy onions provided a great counterpoint to the firm, juicy chicken. It was a lot of fun to eat!

We’ve also tried the crunchy fried prawns with garlic and pepper, cashew nut prawns, the seafood delight, pad thai, basil chicken with chili and garlic, beef with oyster sauce, and several kinds of fried rice, among others. The restaurant’s menu is very extensive, and although we’ve ordered many different dishes on different occasions, I doubt if we’ve tried even half of them.

sweet sticky rice with mangoes


And when in Krung Thai, I never miss ordering the sweet sticky rice with mangoes for dessert when mangoes are in season (I think during spring and summer). The sweet, luscious mangoes provide the best highlight for the fragrant and somewhat chewy white sticky rice. And because the mangoes are so sweet, I usually ask the server to hold the coconut cream which they drizzle on top of the sticky rice, but to go ahead and sprinkle the whole thing with sesame seeds, as I love the crunch of the seeds to round out this wonderful dessert.

Do we eat in Krung Thai too often? Perhaps. Will we be back for more? You betcha!

The Verdict:

Food: 3.5 stars
Service: 3 stars
Ambiance: 3 stars

Good for: lunch or dinner with family, friends and work associates, celebrations

Official website: The Original Krungthai Restaurant

590 Showers Drive Suite B
Mountain View, CA 94040
Phone : 650-559-0366 Fax: 650-559-0367

Monday - Friday: Lunch 11AM - 3PM, Dinner 5PM - 10PM
Saturday - Sunday: 12PM - 10PM