Palo Alto Archives

In burger

Gott’s Roadside: Burgers and Milkshakes in Palo Alto

January 23, 2019

Gott’s Roadside is a popular spot for burgers, fries, and drinks. Their Californian-inspired dishes utilize locally sourced ingredients and elevates the traditional American Roadside experience. When we were visiting the area, we decided to make a stop here since a lot of our family members never had Gott’s before, so we had to go for a quick bite.

Interior

There are lots of seats inside and a few spots outside as well. Since it was the Summer, it was nice just sitting outside enjoying the weather.

Waiting for your order

Once you input and pay for your order, you get this electronic device to let you know when your order is ready. It will flash and buzz when it’s your turn. A great idea so you can find a seat and not just be waiting around.

Black and White Milk Shake

Their milk shakes are hand spun with organic ice cream and milk. We went with the black and white which is vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. A classic and looks good too.

California Burger

A classic! It has fried egg, swiss cheese, Zoe’s bacon, arugula, balsamic onions and mayo on a toasted egg bun. How can you say no to a burger with a delicious egg. It was cooked medium well, so it is a little pink inside and it’s delicious.

Western Bacon Blue Ring

This has beer-battered onion ring, Point Reyes crumbled blue cheese, bacon, pickles, red onion & BBQ sauce on a toasted egg bun. A big burger with good textures and complimentary flavours. The blue cheese was nice and pungent. It went well with the BBQ sauce.

Ahi Burger

This burger uses sushi grade Ahi tuna seared rare with ginger wasabi mayo, Asian slaw & cilantro on a toasted egg bun. A lighter version of the other burgers on the menu but it is a nice change. The ahi was beautifully cooked too.

Baja Fish Tacos

There are 2 tacos in each order. It has fresh Mahi Mahi, beer-battered & fried crisp, served in soft, organic corn tortillas with Mexican slaw, cilantro, salsa verde, lime & spicy mayo.

It was ok, but the burgers are where it’s at here.

Garlic Fries

To compliment the burgers, we got garlic fries, which are tossed in garlic butter and parsley. A good combination to make it a fitting meal.

Final Thoughts

Overall, if you’re craving a solid burger, Gott’s Roadside has got your back. It’s not the best burger in Northern California, but it’s solid.

Address:
855 El Camino Real #65, Palo Alto, CA

Website:
https://www.gotts.com

In Bubble Tea

Gong Cha: Bubble Tea in Palo Alto

October 27, 2016

Gong Cha is one of my fondest memories from Hong Kong. Having bubble tea with their signature cream on top was something very unique to Asian until Gong Cha started expanding to the United States and Canada.

When I was in Palo Alto visiting a friend, I had to come here for an after dinner bubble tea.

They have a guide on the table if you want to know the different levels of customizations you can do to your drink like sweetness, ice, and toppings.

Milk Foam Green Tea was what I ordered with 50% sweetness and 50% ice. The milk foam on top is a bit salty, but after a while, it starts tasting pretty good with the tea.

We rate Gong Cha:

Address:
439 Waverley St, Palo Alto

Website:
http://gong-cha-usa.com/

In Cafe

Zombie Runner: Running Store & Cafe in Palo Alto

October 15, 2016

Zombie Runner is a running store and an espresso cafe. They are known to have good lattes in Palo Alto. We were at the farmers market on California Ave. and decided to come here for an early morning caffeine run.

They serve espresso drinks, drip coffee, ZombieRunner Chai, cold-brewed coffee, green tea latte and others.

The line up was pretty close to the front of the store. Just follow the long line to the counter with coffee close to the rear of the store. It’s pretty interesting to see all the running gear as you wait for coffee.

I got a latte as it has espresso and steamed milk with latte art on top. They use whole milk but you can request 2% or soy. It’s a pretty solid cup of coffee to get you going in the morning. I wanted to try a few other items but I wanted to stick with a classic drink.

Overall, a good place to stop for a coffee.

We Rate Zombie Runner:

Address:
429 California Avenue, Palo Alto

Website:
http://www.zombierunner.com/

In Japanese

Yayoi: Japanese Teishoku Restaurant in Palo Alto

October 13, 2016

Yayoi opened their first US location in Palo Alto on University Avenue serving up teishoku-style Japanese restaurant, which are set meals which typically includes smaller side dishes like rice, miso soup, side dish and pickled vegetables with the main course.

My friend took us here when we were visiting for a few days. I was pretty excited since I always love trying new food.

Interior

The interior is nice and large, so there are a good amount of seats. We found that a lot of young families were dining here around dinner time.

Ordering

We browsed through the menu and then we started playing around with the iPad, where you input your order. You do everything on here and it ensures your order is correct and maximizes efficiency.

We even ordered our glasses or water on it too. No need to wait for someone till fill up our glasses.

Dinner Sets

Katsu Toji Teishoku has pork cutlet simmered in sauce and egg. It comes with ice, soup and side dishes.

I ordered the Omaze Don with salmon sashimi, okra, tororo, natto, tomago, seaweed and ontama. You mix it all together in the bowl and enjoy.

It comes with rice, miso soup, and side dishes. It was a very delicious and clean meal. The natto isn’t for everyone as it is fermented beans, people seem to have a love/hate relationship with them.

Nasu Miso Teishoku has eggplant, pork belly, and veggies in a miso sauce. It is served with rice, miso soup, and 2 side dishes.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the portion were good and we were pretty stuffed. The meals were well balanced and I enjoy set meals and you get a little taste of everything. The service was pretty good and they don’t require tipping. I ended up tipping anyways since it was a good meal.

We rate Yayoi:

Address:
403 University Ave, Palo Alto

Website:
http://www.yayoi-us.com/

In Fusion

Sushirrito: Sushi Burrito in Palo Alto

October 11, 2016

Sushirrito is the original sushi burrito concept before it went big around the world. When I was in San Francisco and Palo Alto, I knew I had to check this place out.

Sushirrito is made-to-order with a mix of Asian and Latin flavours. It’s the perfect alternative to fast food.

In Palo Alto, the Sushirrito is located on University Ave close to Stanford.

When we came here for lunch, it was packed. Its also located beside Blue Bottle Cafe. There are limited seats inside.

Lava Nachos

Lava Nachos are in limited quantities each day. It has brown rice chips topped with tuna picante, melted Pepper Jack cheese, ginger guac, green onions, nori strips, and Sriracha aioli. A very flavourful dish and great for a few people to share.

Geisha’s Kiss has Yellowfin Tuna (Hand-Line Caught), tamago, piquillo peppers, lotus chips, namasu cucumber, green leaf lettuce, ginger guac, yuzu tobiko with a sesame white soya sauce.

I liked the clean fresh taste of the tuna with the crunchy texture of the lotus chips.

Sumo Crunch has shrimp tempura, surimi crab, shaved cabbage, cucumber, ginger guac, and Sriracha Aioli. It is then covered in red tempura flakes. This version was pretty good as well.

Genmai Horchata is one of the drinks they have. It is their blend of green tea and horchata.

Overall, it was a good quick lunch for us and with the 3 items ordered for 2 people, it was plenty of food. The sushirrito reminded me of a large uncut sushi roll with different types of filling and sauce.

We rate Sushirrito:

Address:
448 University Avenue, Palo Alto

Website:
http://www.sushirrito.com/

In Cafe

Philz Coffee: Amazing coffee in Palo Alto

October 4, 2016

Philz Coffee in San Francisco is very popular and has several locations. I was visiting a friend in Palo Alto and she recommended we come here for a cup of coffee.

They aren’t your typical coffee shop.

The coffee shop was packed and full of people on the weekend when we were here.

You order your drink with the barista, then you pay at the counter a bit further away, then you go back to the barista to wait for your order. Weird system, but it works.

Mint Mojito Ice Coffee is very popular for the sprigs of mint. It is minty, sweet and creamy. I was surprised by how well mint and coffee go together.