My friend recommended a relatively new restaurant for lunch today called California Gogi Korean Grill. The concept is simple – take the format that made Chipotle such a hit, and throw Korean food into the mix. That’s right! You can make your own Korean fusion burritos and tacos, or meal trays for those who have a more traditional-meal taste.

The execution works well and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were similar fast-casual formats for other types of food (Exhibit A: Urbann Turbann). I ordered a rice plate with spicy chicken and kalbi (short ribs), and I requested all the side dishes. As expected, lightning fast service, which I appreciated because I was starving. The food was great, too – tasted fresh, nicely marinated, and not too salty. I was definitely full and satisfied after the meal.

Maybe the next time when I’m feeling more adventurous, I’ll opt for a bulgogi burrito or three-meat taco!

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Class 302 is the name of this multi-faceted eatery, located next to the 99 Ranch on Valley. The interior is decorated like a Taiwanese elementary school classroom, complete with actual wooden desks and posters of Taiwanese landmarks. Definitely very cute with a sense of nostalgia in the air.

I ordered the Taiwanese sausage with minced pork lunch box, and it came in one of those old-school lunch boxes that kids back in the day took to school. The food was fresh, authentic, and overall pretty good. The shaved snow is another must-order – they have a good variety of offerings that you can definitely share with a friend (or two).

A fun place to chat with friends over some quality food and tasty dessert.

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If it’s your first time here, I have three words for you – Crab Cake Benedict. Two of the freshest, tastiest crab cakes over poached eggs topped with a wickedly delicious hollandaise sauce. If you’re over 21, may I also recommend the bottomless mimosas, apparently a secret menu item (their menu serves single glasses of mimosa). The OJ they use is fresh squeezed, and the waitresses are so nice and won’t hesitate to check up and make sure you’re enjoying your food and drinks.

This is the perfect place to enjoy a Sunday brunch or chat with your friends over some breakfast – I’d highly recommend checking it out.

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Called Tasty To Go – this shop definitely did not give off a to-go vibe. There were kids in booths who had brought their laptops to game, as well as various groups of people enjoying dessert and boba on a Thursday night. I ordered the milk shaved snow with egg pudding, boba, and chocolate drizzle. Not only did it look amazing, the dessert was tasty, filling, and very sweet.

Shaved snow has a milkier consistency than traditional shaved ice, and the toppings balanced out the snow perfectly. I especially enjoyed the boba, which was glazed with honey, and the egg pudding, which tasted very fresh. Service was quick and the menu looked like it offered a huge variety of milk teas, shaved snow, and other drinks. Definitely can see why Tasty To Go is a popular spot in the Arcadia area.

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Yi Mei Deli Co has been around for as long as I can remember. Growing up, my family used to go to the HK Supermarket plaza for weekend dinner excursions, and I would always pass by this small spot located in the supermarket. I finally got around to trying it with some friends, and I’m giving myself a hard time for not doing it sooner.

I ordered a youtiao (Asian “donut”) and danbing (egg pancake), plus a steaming fresh bowl of sweet doujian (soy milk). Everything was prepped quickly, the food was both delicious and fresh, and prices were pretty good, too. I especially enjoyed the soy milk, definitely reminds me of my grandparents’ freshly-pressed soy milk, as well as the donut, which was soft and went well with the soy milk.

Looking forward to exploring more food places in SoCal this summer, as well as some Bay Area and European eats. Stay tuned!

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I was definitely intrigued by this concept and decided to taste the food myself. Along with a friend, I entered the restaurant and immediately sensed a fancier atmosphere than a typical Berkeley restaurant, along with a bar area. I ordered the Ultimate Pad Thai! (can’t forget the exclamation point), which included prawns, egg, pumpkin, nappa cabbage, broccoli, carrots, and asparagus with cucumber, feta cheese, and red onion on the side.

The food was delicious overall, but my taste buds were definitely confused. Almost everything worked with the pad thai, except the feta cheese, which was jarringly different in taste from anything else on the plate. But other than that small trip-up, I enjoyed the meal, and I left with the desire to try some of their other menu items in the near future, including their country pad thai (with garlic chili sauce) and duck breast avocado salad.

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Rick & Ann’s Restaurant, as this place is called, is located in the Claremont area, close to the well-known Claremont Hotel. The restaurant had a nice and inviting vibe, and it was a beautiful Sunday morning, perfect for a filling breakfast.

I ordered the Midwest, which included two potato-cheese pancakes with two eggs any style, grilled tomatoes, and the restaurant’s house-smoked pork chop. Not exactly the most conventional breakfast, but delicious all the same. The potato-cheese pancakes had a hashbrown-like consistency and tasted great. I ordered the eggs sunny-side up (as usual), and they were cooked perfectly. The pork chop wasn’t overwhelming and worked well with the grilled tomato and homefries.  Everything added up to an amazing breakfast meal.

I’d definitely recommend this place if you’re looking for some solid breakfast menu items, as well as less traditional breakfast meals!

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Fast forward to my final year at Cal, and I’m glad I was introduced to Montague’s Gourmet Sandwiches by a friend. This small mom-and-pop shop is so nondescript that I hadn’t noticed it when it opened last semester at one of the busier intersections of the area (Channing and Telegraph).

Step inside and you’ll find simple decor, with several stools over a long counter, a TV, and not much else. Step up to the counter and you’ll be greeted by a friendly lady at the register who’ll take your order and provide some recommendations. I decided to go with the pastrami sandwich, on a Dutch Crunch roll of bread and Jack cheese.

The sandwich was prepped fresh, and the best part (other than the meat) was the “secret” sauce, a tangy confection whose cousin is most definitely Cheeseboard’s amazing “green” sauce. A filling, flavorful, and delicious meal, all for $6.50. There was a slight delay/mix-up on my order, so the lady actually gave me another sandwich – for free!

Talk about a satisfying meal and great service!

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After nearly four years, I finally had the chance to eat at Saul’s Restaurant & Delicatessen, located on Shattuck in the Gourmet Ghetto area. Saul’s has an old-school deli feel to it, with a nice and spacious diner area for patrons eating in. My friend and I were seated in the booths, and after a quick perusal of the menu, I knew what I needed.

From another friend’s earlier recommendation, I ordered the Challah French toast. I was pretty hungry that morning so I made another order for a half-serving of Saul’s Deli Hash.

The Challah French toast was heavenly, no other way to put it. A combination of Jewish bread inside a fluffy French toast made for an extra-flavorful breakfast. The deli hash – a combination of bits of corned beef, pastrami, salami, and hashbrowns with poached eggs – provided the meat of the meal and worked well with the fresh pickles the waitresses provided.

All in all, a delicious and filling breakfast that takes traditional breakfast elements and adds a fun twist.

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Bouchon is a traditional French bistro offering seafood, steak, sandwiches, and much more amazingly-cooked and painstakingly-prepared food. It also has a separate bakery building with some delicious and fresh bread, which we got to try at the restaurant.

Since it was lunchtime, I didn’t want something too heavy and opted for the Croque Madame, a grilled ham & cheese sandwich on brioche with a fried egg and sauce Mornay served with French fries. You might wonder why I’d go all the way to a French restaurant in Napa for a ham & cheese sandwich, but I have to say, this was one of the best ham & cheese sandwiches that I’ve tasted! The sauce and eggs really made this sandwich special, and the bread was delicious.

What a meal! Satisfied, we headed out to enjoy the rest of our day at Napa.

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