Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Restaurants I want to try

In no particular order, except the order in which they come to mind:
  • Michael Mina's (Bay Area)
  • Chez Spencer (Bay Area)
  • The French Laundry (Norhern CA)
  • The Fat Duck (UK)
  • Gordon Ramsay's at Royal Hospital Road (UK)
  • Nobu (not sure which location would be best)
  • L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (the one in France and not in LV or Japan)
  • Zushi Puzzle (Bay Area)
  • Chez Panisse (Bay Area)
  • Foreign Cinema (Bay Area)
  • Gary Danko (Bay Area)
  • Wagamama (UK)
  • Yo! Sushi (UK)
  • Vic's Chaat (Bay Area)
  • The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton (Bay Area)
  • Manresa (Bay Area)
  • Sushi Zone (Bay Area)
I'm sure this list will get longer with time. Zushi Puzzle & Foreign Cinema are both affordable and local, so I would guess that we'll hit them at some point in the near future. Vic's Chaat is even cheaper and even closer, so we could get that knocked down in 2006 also. Wagamama and Yo! Sushi seem to be pretty cheap & entertaining chains that I think I'd get a kick out of while we are in the UK, so those will prob get crossed off the list soon. My feeling is that Yo! Sushi would do well in the Bay Area, based solely on reviews and their website.

11 Comments:

Blogger A_B said...

I completely didn't get the draw of Wagamama. My sister-in-law raved about it so we tried it in London and it was incredibly average. I've had that level of food hundreds of times. Maybe it's different for Londoners (although that wouldn't explain my sister-in-laws reaction).

I didnt' find it entertaining in the slightest. Indeed, I left thinking, "you know, we are only going to have [X] meals in London and I just wasted one of them on noodles I can get a few blocks from my apartment."

My s-i-l isn't the only one that seems a part of the Wagamama cult. I don't get it at all.

L'Atelier was great though (except when they couldn't read my credit cards and made me look like a deadbeat; it was their fault).

I think I've mentioned that I was underwhelmed by Nobu, but I think I'll give it another shot. It might have just been an off night or what we ordered.

3:22 PM  
Blogger A_B said...

If you want noodles in London, I recomend the Churchill Arms in the Kensington area. The pad thai is decent, but what makes it interesting is that it's a thai restaurant in a classic English pub. The juxtaposition is really great and interesting.

It gets very crowded though.

3:25 PM  
Blogger ei-nyung said...

That's really disappointing to hear, re: Wagamama. I was hoping it would be an entertaining British take on a Japanese noodle house, but it sounds like not. Oh well.

9:40 PM  
Blogger A_B said...

I should note that it is perfectly decent and they're everywhere in London. So, if you're hungry and don't know where to go, it's a safe bet.

I just wouldn't go in expecting something uniquely "London" about it.

6:56 AM  
Blogger A_B said...

Also, while it's similar to a lot of places in New York, it is IDENTICAL to Republic: http://www.thinknoodles.com/

It has the same style and quality of food. Same long tables. Same aesthetic. Everything.

Strangely, there is a chain in Israel that is also just like Republic, down to the oversized posters. Someone said it has a some relationship to Republic (same founder?), but I don't remember what it is.

I wouldn't be surprised if Wagamama and Republic are owned by the same company.

I just Googled the two names and others see the similarities:

"dinner at
wagamama (which is much like nyc's republic),"

This page has pictures of Wagamama:
http://image.org/look/05/daythree.html

I forgot that at Wagamama they use the same wireless devices too.


http://reviews.nymetro.com/pages/details/review.php?idx=3174

"Republic: "Republic, NYC's Wagamama""
http://www.iagora.com/itravel/icities/united_states/new_york_city/si_food.html?review_id=540


"so after some stumbling around we found Republic, a noodle place much in the style of Wagamama. "
http://martinlittle.com/thinkthin/2005/10/21/023048.php

7:04 AM  
Blogger Angry Chad said...

No one ever wants to dine in Detroit. WTF?

7:13 AM  
Blogger Joseph said...

Vik's is awesome. Go on a rainy Sunday morning. It has that cafateria feeling to it, but the food is fantastic, and oh so lovely cheap.

11:50 AM  
Blogger Joseph said...

Vik's is awesome. Go on a rainy Sunday morning. It has that cafateria feeling to it, but the food is fantastic, and oh so lovely cheap.

11:50 AM  
Blogger ei-nyung said...

This thread on Manresa has brought it into the very top of the list of "must-eat" restaurants in the Bay Area for me.

I an sitting here, reading the thread and salivating. It's sad.

5:27 PM  
Blogger casacaudill said...

Vik's has been on our list for awhile, but it has funky hours and we're never able to get there when it's open.

9:32 AM  
Anonymous Patrick said...

Well, I've got your French Laundry request covered. Hopefully sometime before your wedding. Just have to figure out the weekend.

12:02 PM  

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