Rate-A-Restaurant #336: Mifune (San Francisco)

Restaurant: Mifune

Location: Japan Center Kintetsu Building: 1737 Post Street (San Francisco)

Type of restaurant: Japanese



We stipulated: Looking for a spot for dinner that the Blogger Kids would also appreciate, we consulted a San Francisco Chronicle roundup of kid-friendly restaurants. Noodles and sushi sounded perfect, but most importantly, we knew the kids would get a kick out of their meal being served in a "bullet train."

They stipulated: "Serving 90 year recipe of fine Japanese Noodles in the USA since 1978, specializing in traditional Udon and Soba."



What we ordered: Seafood Soba -- shrimp, scallop, squid and vegetables ($12.50), spicy tuna rolls ($4.20), for kids under 12 years. cold udon, soba or rice with tempura ($7.50), Cashu Ramen - sliced barbeque pork and vegetables ($8.50)



High point:  The cold soba noodles and the seafood was quite a delicious combo.

Low point:  The "bullet trains" had seen better days. Not nearly as cool as promised.



Overall impression: All the hallmarks of a restaurant that once upon a time was a destination, but has now seen better days.



Will we return: Probably not. It's fine, but nothing special anymore.

Rate-A-Restaurant #324/325: Sakura Cha-Ya and Fisherman's House Sushi (Oxnard)

Restaurant: Sakura Cha Ya and Fisherman's House Sushi

Location: 2810 South Harbor Boulevard (Oxnard)

Type of restaurant: Japanese and Sushi



We stipulated: We spent the night at the nearby Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Resort, and were looking for a nearby spot for a fast lunch. I saw the reviews for Sakura Cha-Ya, which touted its authentic curry and noodle dishes.

They stipulated: Both Sakura Cha-Ya and Fisherman's House are located in the same small food court setup. These are not a table service spots -- but that's what allowed us to try both.



What we ordered: Sakura Cha Ya -- tempura udon (2 shrimp and assorted vegetables, over rice, plus miso soup, salad and dessert; $8.95) and soba noodles ($5). Fisherman's House Sushi -- Combo plate of sushi (Spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, California roll)




High point:  Good price for the sushi -- not bad quality for the mid-range price. And I enjoyed the soba noodles from Sakura Cha-Ya, once it finally arrived.

Low point:  And that brings us to the long wait we faced at Sakura Cha-Ya. The place wasn't crowded, yet we waited more than 30 minutes for our food. And when it came... it was sent to the wrong table. It took another 5 minutes for the employee to notice. The person who got the food promised up and down that she didn't touch it. I was dubious about that, but we were so hungry, we took it anyway. There was no offer of free dessert or anything to make up for our awkward wait.

Overall impression: I always like finding hole-in-the-wall joints with decent food. This weird food court came close, and it was located conveniently for folks staying at the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach.

Will we return: I could see us trying the sushi again if we were ever back in Oxnard... but we won't go out of our way.

Rate-A-Restaurant #318: Xi'an Famous Foods

Restaurant: Xi'an Famous Foods

Location: 24 W. 45th Street (New York)

Type of restaurant: Chinese/Noodles

We stipulated: Before heading to the Vulture Fest event in New York a few Saturdays ago, I met up with pal Diane for a quick lunch. I wasn't going to waste one of my few non-work lunches in the city, and had been told good things about the spicy noodles at Xi'an. Spicy noodles? I'm in.



They stipulated: "Xi’an Famous Foods began as a 200 square foot basement stall in the Golden Shopping Mall in Flushing, N.Y. The original location, established in late 2005, was the first restaurant to bring the little-known cuisine of Xi’an to the United States, with signature hand-ripped noodles, secret spice mixes, and Xi’an “burgers” with housemade flatbread. Since then, we’ve expanded to three locations in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn. As a family-owned business, we hope to reintroduce the world to the unique cuisine of our hometown: liangpi “cold skin” noodles, lamb pao mo soup, and wide hand-pulled “biang biang” noodles, all in its most authentic form."



What we ordered: Mount Qi Pork Hand-Ripped Noodles (6.50); Spicy Cucumber Salad (4.75)



High point:  Good prices, good spice.



Low point: The line for one of just 18 stools is long -- and you can't save a seat until you get your food.

Overall impression: Another good midtown lunchspot, although I can't imagine going here during a weekday -- those noodles can be messy.



Will we return: I could see returning, next time I'm in town.