Phoenix Asian Restaurant

Cheap eats? I have a good one this time. Out on Mission, there's a Chinese place called Phoenix. It has a great deal for lunch. $5.99!

Phoenix Asian Restaurant

Jim said he'd never been in there before, so we went to lunch last Friday. It's right across from Ferrell's Donuts if you want some dessert afterwards.

It's nice enough inside. They recently updated the tables and chairs and you've got to love the good luck cat on the counter. We were there early around 11:45, so we had our choice of spots.

The lunch special is $5.99 from 11am to 3:45pm. For UCSC students with ID, they can get that deal all day (except weekends). It includes rice, appetizer, soup of the day and a fortune cookie. Good deal! The soup was Hot and Sour and it had good size pieces of mushroom, tofu and bamboo all swimming inside. It had a kick from the pepper.

Jim got the General Chicken, which is his "go to" for new Chinese places. Two crunchy wontons came with it and the plate was full. He happily finished it off.

I ordered the Sweet and Sour Chicken and was not disappointed. The chicken pieces were cooked well and the coating was still crunchy, even in the sauce. Nice chunks of green peppers and carrots with it too.

Scanning the menu, they run all the traditional dishes including seafood, chicken, pork, beef, rice and noodles. Even Foo Yung and Mu Shu. This place was tasty and worth checking out!

Scores out of 10:
Food: 8
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 6
Value for price: 9 (lunch menu)
Overall: 7.5

Dharma's Capitola

Meeting my brother for lunch and he suggested we cruise out to Capitola for a little Dharma's. A vegetarian place? Well, there's a first time for everything. Not sure about this "no meat" thing. Will I have to turn in my BBQ membership card?

Dharma's - Good for you, good for the world.

The three of us (daughter included) walked in and the place was packed - a good sign. You have to order at the register and then pick up your food at another counter to the right. No waitstaff keeps the prices down? We'll see.

Cool vibes inside with hanging plants and lots of sunshine from the many windows. We liked the artwork hanging on the walls. Even a cool, bubbling fountain in the front corner. We grabbed a menu and ordered.

Mike got the Indian Curry Plate ($14.95) and a vanilla milkshake ($7.50). It came with brown rice and papadam, chutney and raita (yogurt) sauce. You can also get other condiments and water at a counter in the middle of the place. We loaded up on hot sauces, wheat germ, onions and spices.

So fresh and delish, he really liked his meal. Hearty veggies and tofu all in a savory and spicy curry sauce. It was a huge portion and had some to take home. He shared the milkshake and we all thought it was great.

The kiddo went pasta (big surprise) - Pasta Con Pesto ($12.95) and was happy to see an abundant plate of noodles and four toasts. She could only eat half, so again, another take home meal was done. You can get the to-go boxes over by where you drop of your dishes. She said it was some of the best pestos she has ever had.

It also came with a green salad with homemade vinaigrette. Not spectacular, but good and fresh and it made this a value order.

I went with the potstickers ($6.50) and a bowl of their "famous" chili ($6.95) and I was also very pleased. The chili was hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind and was huge. The stickers were okay, but kind of rubbery. The sweet plum and spicy mustard sauces were nice on the side.

As a bonus, dear readers, we came back another time that week and ate again. Here's what I got the on the second visit - the Burrito Bueno ($6.95). Filled with beans, brown rice, cheese and sour cream, this thing was gigantic! The salad again was a nice touch, but maybe chips instead next time. Their menu is huge and this is one of the best deals I think. It fills you up!

Started in 1981, Dharma's was built to last. Feeding the hungry masses with healthy, flavorful foods is what it does best. Maybe not your cheapest place in town, but if you care what goes in, you can't go wrong here.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 9
Service: n/a
Atmosphere: 8
Value for price: 7
Overall: 8

Cole's BBQ

The foggy weather on East Cliff made me grab a hoodie and toss it in the backseat on my way to meet Alan for lunch. Ever since I reviewed Casa Rosita's (link) which is right next door, I'd been meaning to get back there for Cole's. Today was the day.

Cole's BBQ

This place is tiny! Like only three tables inside where you order at the counter. There's more room out on the deck.

After scouting the menu, I decided on the $10.95 Lunch Special - pork ribs, fries and garlic bread. They let me substitute the coleslaw for the fries. Alan went with the Tri-Tip sandwich and fries ($11.95).

Three meaty ribs were delivered to our table and my eyes got big. Yum! They had BBQ squeeze bottles, so on the sauce went. I took a bite and nearly burned my fingers. Let it cool down, bro! So I turned my focus to the slaw. It was flowing over the bowl and tasted crisp and fresh. Not too sweet, which is good. A satisfying crunch. The bread was soaked in garlic butter and was squished flat. I peeled off a section to share. Got a few fries in trade!

Alan's meal was huge! Thick cut fries with salt, pepper and some sugar I think. They were really great. I'm ordering more next time. His steak was cut thin and drenched in sauce. He gave a thumbs up as he devoured his lunch.

My ribs were okay, but too tough and chewing was a chore. It's should fall off the bone, right? Next time I will try the beef ribs. The coleslaw and fries were the stars today, as well as the tri-tip. The price is not a bargain, but reasonable. It is the only BBQ on East Cliff, so no nearby competition to lower prices. As for how it rates with other BBQs in town, I'll need more research, but Cole's is a step below Mission St. BBQ for me.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 7
Service: n/a
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 5
Overall: 6

Happy Hound - Los Gatos

I've been on a burger and hot dog kick lately. Must be the approaching summer. This cold weather needs to high-tail it outta here already! One fun place that's just over the hill in Los Gatos is the Happy Hound. It started in 1971, so you know they know what's up.

Happy Hound (Yelp)

There's only a few tables inside and several around the back, so when this place gets busy, to-go is the way to go. We got there at 6pm on a Saturday night and grabbed a couple stools at the counter.

The menu is basic - hot dogs, burgers, chicken sandwich, fries, onion rings and drinks/shakes. You can watch them grill it all up through the glass. So would the food be better than a Boardwalk snack shack or fast food?

Our first order was the Polish Dog ($5.95), which was on a roll with tomato, red onions, mustard and pickles. You get your food in a plastic basket with checkered wax paper. The sausage was grilled perfectly and the roll was toasted. So far, so good!

We got the medium fries ($2.95) instead of the small and the massive size. The massive one would feed an entire little league team since it filled the whole bag. Medium was enough for the two of us, but the fries weren't spectacular.

The onion rings ($3.95) were actually pretty great! They come with either ranch or BBQ sauce and the batter was thick and crispy. They use some sort of seasoning on it and it was a step above the norm.

I was feeling like a burger and got the basic ($4.95) with lettuce, red onion, tomato and pickles. I couldn't get a lot of flavor from the meat, unfortunately, so I'd have to rate it sub-par. A bit too much onion too, so I took off most of it.

I don't know a lot of places in Los Gatos to get a hot dog, so I'd guess this is the place to go. I'd definitely come back for the onion rings, but would stay away from the burgers.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 6 (+1 for onion rings)
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Value for price: 6
Overall: 5.50

Munch Downtown

Sometimes you feel like a five-course meal with soup, salad, steak, veggies and dessert. Sometimes you just want a decent hot dog. Today was a hot dog day and the kid and I headed out downtown. I had found a coupon at Record Store Day (I'm all about the value) for free fries. Good enough to check it out.

Munch (Yelp)

I'm going to guess that the owner who chose the decor was a child of the Eighties. Pac-Man is on the sign and menus (Munch - get it?) and there's bright yellow everywhere. It really stands out on the corner of Pacific and Laurel. This is the second new restaurant to open in this neighborhood in the last few years (KC's Sports Bar the other). Hopefully, it will bring more people to this side of town.

Inside is bright and clean with big video screen menus up above. You can see the cooks grilling up all the food and there are condiments on the counter too. I really liked the record album pictures around all the walls.

Just the basic, plain hot dog for the kiddo! At $4, you would hope it was a decent size and of good quality. Correct on both points. They advertise their "world famous" Philly Cheese Steaks made with 100% Ribeye steak. Also, burgers, corn dogs, chicken strips, Chicken Parm and a Veggie Rice Bowl.

I got the Kraut dog ($5) with the (free) fries on the side. Normally, they are $2 and yes, I shared. There was a generous amount of sauerkraut covering the hot dog and I was fine with the price tag. The fries were crispy and hot.

For dessert, we got the Deep Fried Twinkie ($3). It was on a stick, but we cut off pieces, so we could share. Powered sugar and a chocolate sauce covered the top and the cake inside was soft and fluffly. Quite the treat!

It's good there's another hot dog place downtown - Jack's being the other one. Too bad the Santa Cruz Warriors season is at the end, since I could see stopping here often before games. Definitely grabbing some grub on the way to the Boardwalk concerts this summer.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 7
Service: 6
Atmosphere: 6
Value for price: 7
Overall: 6.5

@Thai Recipe

Sometimes you get busy at work and you need to make plans to go out to lunch. Jim emailed me and asked about the new Thai place on Mission Street. It was a Thai place before, but now had reopened with a new name. Let's check it out!

@Thai Recipe

It's right on the intersection with Mission and Younglove, so be wary driving into or out of the small parking lot. Maybe parking at Safeway and walking across would be better?

It's tiny inside with only a dozen tables. You can see into the kitchen from most seats and I kind of liked that. Made it seem more cozy. The hostess/server showed us a table and gave us menus. All the Thai classics were on there - curry, Phad Thai, Egg Rolls, Satay, Crab Lagoon, soups, salads; even duck  and seafood dishes. We spied the lunch specials - $7.95 for one item with soup or salad or $9.95 for one item, soup/salad and an appetizer. We were hungry, so we got the latter.

Okay, the water glasses were made in 7th grade Home Ec class, but the soup was dynamite. It was Tom Yum, a spicy and sour soup with zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, tomato, green onions and cilantro. We both liked it a lot - full of flavor, not too spicy.

Jim got the Phad Thai with egg rolls. He said it was good, but the noodles were on the mushy side. And the shrimp and chicken was less than abundant. One thing that bugged me was the plastic container for the sauce. I kind of think a sit-down restaurant shouldn't use those, right?

I got the Red Curry with brown rice and Chicken Satay. Again with the plastic cup! Our server didn't ask how hot to make the curry like other places do, so this was sadly without any heat. Not that I want it like lava, but a little kick is welcome. The tofu and veggies were cooked well and the rice was good too. For $2 more, you get like half an appetizer, which I guess is a good deal. Seemed on the small side though.

I am ranking @Thai as the third best Thai place on the Westside, behind Thai Orchid and Sabieng. I seem to remember the Noodle House here before was better. The service was good and the place was clean and cozy, but the food just wasn't doing it for us.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 4
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 6
Value for price: 5
Overall: 5.50

Ocean City Buffet

So long ago, when the kids were younger, we took them to a Chinese buffet in town. They had fond memories of counters full of french fries, noodles and endless soft-serve ice cream. My daughter was reminiscing about it, so I suggested we try it again. We pulled up to the place on Water Street, but sadly, they had converted to just a Japanese sushi place now. Never fear, I exclaimed, I know of another!

Ocean City Buffet (Yelp)

So, it's not the best decor, but you aren't paying for that. You are paying for many different kinds of food with no limit! I'm not going crazy, like I did in high school (remember King's Table?) or even like I did in my 30s. I prefer quality over quantity these days, but sometimes you do things for the kids.

The buffet was $11.95 for lunch. Sushi, Chinese, soups, noodles, meat and veggies, seafood, fried foods and desserts! The sushi was okay - nothing spectacular, but decent.

My second plate was mostly Chinese food with an errant steam bun on the side. The teriyaki wings and beef and broccoli was good. All very passable, if not amazing. Again, you are going for variety here, not perfection.

The trays of food were clean and appetizing, very important for a buffet. What's the good of abundant amounts if they don't look good? Everything was warm too. Who likes cold Chinese food?

Here's my kid's favorite part - the deep-fried section! Onion rings, french fries, wontons, crab wraps, chicken nuggets, etc. They had tempura veggies too by the sushi section, so that's two kinds of crunchy onion rings!

Okay, here's my favorite thing of the trip - see that little round ball in the middle of the plate? Sesame Ball! It had red bean paste in the middle, which was only slightly sweet, making for a delish dessert! Better than the jello? Yes. Better than the coffee cake? Yup. Cookies too? Affirmative! Next time, I'm sneaking in a large Ziploc bag and making off with two dozen...

Buffets are difficult to review since there are so many different foods. Some are good, some not so much. Overall, Ocean City was a positive experience. The decor leaves a bit to me desired, so don't come looking to be inspired. Just keep going back for those Sesame Balls.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 7
Service: 5 (just water refills)
Atmosphere: 4
Value for price: 7 (bring those Ziplocs!)
Overall: 6