Islands Restaurant New Heat Wave Burger - Cupertino + Giveaway

One of my favorite family friendly brands in the South Bay is Islands Restaurant. I previously did a post for their NFL Happy Hour and really enjoyed the atmosphere here. It's a great place for families because it's bright, spacious, plays sports on TV, and has a mix of food fore veryone, even a kid's menu. They recently launched a new spicy burger, the Heat Wave (above) and invited us to come try it out with a complimentary lunch.

(Left - $6.55) Hula Bay IPA by Left Coast Brewing - This is the newest beer and is brewed exclusively for Islands. It's pretty light and more buttery than bitter or bold. I like these kind of beers.

(Right - $4.85) Cool Breeze Smoothie - coconut cream, banana, strawberries. This tasted very tropical and refreshing. Opt for a shake if you want a thicker texture with more dairy.

($10.55) Spinach and artichoke dip - I was in the mood, and it delivered. Always count on Islands for big portions with extra chips and salsa too.

($12.35) Heat Wave Burger - Limited time only - the heat comes from grilled serrano and green chiles, pepper jack cheese, and spicy mayo. Just the right amount of heat for me. All the fixins made the burger very flavorful, and as usual, huge portion. My only regret is not adding a fried egg for an extra $0.99. Get it while it's hot.

($12.85) Kilauea Burger - has jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, black pepper crusted patty, chipotle aioli sauce, and red onion shoe strings. Also added an egg on top. Yums. All of it. This burger also has  kick to it and the shoe string onion rings were perf!

($6.79) Kona Pie - a slice big enough for 3-4 people. Mocha almond fudge ice cream and a cookie crust with crushed almonds. It definitely hits the spot for decadence.

Our family has always felt welcome at Islands. Their great hospitality and the accomodating attitude of all the staff makes it a wonderful way to spend time with the family. Our lunch was on Father's Day and the place was packed with families. Yay dads! Islands Restaurant is generously sponsoring a gift card giveaway.
There will be two winners of $25 each. To enter, just fill in the rafflecopter widget below. Contest ends on July 10. 

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Shanghai Dumpling - Cupertino

Last year, I reviewed Shanghai Dumpling for Metro News and became a converted fan. It's not a perfect place but it was tasty, convenient, and affordable. After Din Tai Fung opened and I had a taste of some better XLB, it reignited my cravings for XLB so I went back to Shanghai Dumpling because I dont' want to deal with the DTF hype.

($6.50) Steamed Pork Soup Dumpling - The soup flavor is nice. The meat inside is tasty but sometimes a bit too hard (overcooked?). The wrapper was not as thin as DTF and a bit too chewy at the top where all the folds meet.

($8.95) Pork chop and rice with vegetable and ham - We needed to order something filling to supplement the dumplings and out came this big portion of rice in an interesting wooden bowl. The pork chops were very good and the rice was bland but together they balanced. Not stupendous in flavor yet very interesting presentation.

($5.95) Mixed bean curd salad - The bean curd noodles were very soft and slightly warm. The seasoning was mild and acidic. I enjoyed this dish and would get it again as a side.

($6.50) Wonton with spicy sauce - I was very impressed with this dish the first time I had it. This second time, there seemed to be too much peanut and peanut sauce. Maybe my standards have risen after the incredible version from DTF, or maybe memory doesn't serve me well. It's still good though and has decent heat.

($5.95) Cucumber with garlic - the cucumber side dish is a must when eatign all these heavy disehs. It helps me cleanse the palate for the next round of dumplings.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

Service was very slow here for no apparent reason. FOH seemed to be staffed ok but we still had to wait at the front. The hostesses/waiters were moving about in a chaotic way and not really communicating with each other about which guest needed what. Aside from that, the food is as I remembered it and is still a good place for XLB in the South Bay for those who aren't on the hunt for extravagant prices and long waits. I went here on a whim but for DTF I made a reservation for next month.

Kula Revolving Sushi Bar - Cupertino

Poke box with rice, imitation crab, mayo, slices of assorted sashimi, and tobiko

Getting in line for food seems to be a regular occurrence for me lately with my assignments to review GEN BBQ, Din Tai Fung, and The ByWater. Sometimes I do it of my own choosing though, like last week when I waited 2.5 hours in line for Kula Revolving Sushi. Social media has made it so easy to hype up something. 

Kula is a chain restaurant. The concept of conveyor belt sushi is from Japan. There is the belt with dishes or pre-made rolls that make its rounds through each diner's station. You can grab what you want. This has become ubiquitous in America. It's also done with a boat floating on a trough of water. 

Kula adds an option to order extra items through a screen at the seat (pictured above). These orders arrive quickly through a second conveyor belt above the first. It runs quickly and stops right in front of your seat. Used plates are deposited through a slot at the seat and added up by the computer. A waitress still needs to confirm the count, especially of items with plates too large for the slot.

I don't remember the price of each item, but the total of all the dishes you will see below was about $19. It's quite affordable.

Sunomono - pickled veggies and cold items. The cucumbers were not pickled here. They just put slices in a quick vinegar. 

Uni roll - sea urchin gonads (for those who don't know)

This was gross. I'm a big fan of uni so this is not coming from someone who just hates the thought of gonads. There was just something not so fresh with this particular pair. Very iodiney and briney.

Red Dragon Roll - like a California roll with tuna and srirarcha mayo on top. This one was ok.

Spicy Scallop Hand Roll - This was one of the better rolls of the night. Everything tasted good. The scallops at least didn't taste old.

Tuna Yukhoe - cooked egg yolk and some spicy tuna. It was rather plain. Looks cooler than it tastes.

NOT PICTURED: 

Some terrible Beef Yakiniku roll. Just don't get any of the beef items. It's dry.

Strawberry and Mango mochi - Probably prepackaged. Also the best thing we ate all night.

PROS:
It's cheap sushi. Service doesn't matter since it's a conveyor belt. It's something interesting (read gimmicky)

CONS:
The sushi is basic at best. Bland/dry/stale at worst. The wait is very long.

OVERALL:
It's not worth the wait. Maybe in a few months (after people read my review, hehe) the line will die down, then it's worth a try for fun. But only once. This place is fine if you just want cheap basic rolls for a quick lunch or something once the hype settles down.

Kula Revolving Sushi
Address: 19600 Vallco Parkway, Suite 160, Cupertino, CA 95014
Phone: 408-861-0155

Sun.-Thu.
11:00am-10:00pm
(Last Seating, Last Order 9:45pm)

Fri.-Sat.
11:00am-10:30pm
(Last Seating, Last Order10:15pm)

1000 Degrees Pizza - Cupertino

Cupertino welcomes the latest fast-casual pizzeria, 1000 Degrees Pizza, from New Jersey. The chain is a franchise and the Cupertino location is currently the only one in California. I was invited by the chain for a complimentary meal. Here are my thoughts.

They serve personal sized pizzas made from authentic Neapolitan flour. The dough is never frozen and is made fresh. It bakes in this very stylish round oven with a rotating stone base. The stone turns around like a Lazy Susan and it evenly distributes the heat. The pizza is done within about 2 minutes.

($7.95) 10" Classic Margherita with Pepperoni - I ordered my favorite, the Classic Margherita with pepperoni. It was very satisfying. I could not be more pleased with the dough. They actually spin it out by hand and the shape is endearingly not a perfect round. It had just the right amount of air but was still thin.

($8.95) Customized 10"- Sriracha marinara, mozzarella, all meat except ham, mushrooms, jalapeno, onions

They allow unlimited toppings here. Phil always loves that because he adds almost all the meat then a few choice vegetables. This was an excellent combo.The Sriracha marinara sauce does add a bit of zing to the pie.

Between the two fast-casual pizzeries I have tried so far, Blaze and Pieology, 1000 Degrees has the best dough. It rises a bit more than Blaze's and it has a crust unlike Pieology's.

Check out 1000 Degrees in Cupertino

20589 Homestead Rd.

Cupertino, California

(408) 861-9495

Boudin SF Launches 4 New Salads for Spring - Cupertino

Boudin Bakery is launching three new salads this week for the Spring season and they invited local bloggers to sample the new items. Kendall Jackson also provided tastings of their Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.

As usual, Boudin goes all out for the bloggers with a private dining area decorated in St. Patrick's Day decor.

The mango and red quinoa salad was my favorite. Fresh mango pieces with chiffonade cut romaine lettuce and tender baby arugula. Other elements incuded red quinoa, halved grapes, thinly sliced onions and almond slivers in a vinaigrette dressing. This salad was fresh and light, perfect for Spring.

The Bacon, Blue, and Beets salad with chicken was hardy and filling. While all the salads come in full entree portions, I could really see this salad keeping me full until the next meal.

Forbidden rice, chicken, and sesame salad was a perfect balance of fresh and filling. The chicken slices were bigger in this one and forbidden rice is usually a filling grain. I also really enjoyed the pickled red onions.

In the background, my tasty Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio

Their very popular salad with lemony couscous and olives remains a crowd favorite on the menu.

Here are the four salads in their full portion sizes. Every salad is made to order and can have chicken added or items removed as requested. They are all under 550 calories and about $10 each. The salads are launching this week so make sure to check out your nearest Boudin SF location.

QQ Noodle - Cupertino and Milpitas

Once in a while, there's a place in my life for generic, quick, tasty Asian food that is neither healthy nor mind blowing but it hits the spot. QQ Noodle is one of those places. On cold days like these when the thought of dragging myself out the house to grocery shop and then standing in my freezing kitchen to cook something is really off putting, I want a quick soupy fix like QQ Noodle. The following review is a summation of three visits over the last 2 years although the photos are only of my most recent visit.

($4.99) tofu skin salad - the seasoning on this salad was really nice. Very garlicky and mildly acidic. The tofu skin rolls were nice and big.

($4.99) Rouburger - This is like a pulled pork sandwich. While the shredded pork inside is tasty, the bread is dense and a bit cold even though it's toasted. I wish this was served on a softer bun.

QQ Noodle is known for their hand pulled noodles. It's advertised to be made fresh in house. I'm not sure if this is true. Maybe it's made in large batches and used later. The noodle texture in the next two soups didn't taste super fresh to me but they were still good.

($9.25) Pork spare rib noodles - I've ordered this dish twice now and have not regretted it. The spare ribs are really tender and flavorful. The soup is a little on the plain side but I wasn't feeling like eating super spicy. 

(about same price as above) Spicy fish noodle soup - This broth was spicier and I was not a fan. I find that the spice comes from the later addition of chili oil and peppers onto a base broth. It doesn't add much depth of flavor. The pieces of fried fish were great though. I still recommend this dish.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

I wouldn't say QQ is the highest quality but it surely does the job. Service is speedy because they basically make what seems like one type of broth and then add different meats and vegetables and flavors to it later. Prices are decent. The portions are huge. One bowl is enough for two filling meals. 

Vitality Bowls + Giveaway - Cupertino

Superfoods are a trend I have no issues participating in as they are all healthy and good for the body. While Acai berries (ah-sai-ee) are no stranger to the superfood list, they are making a relatively new presence in the Bay Area. It is a highly perishable berry grown on a kind of palm tree in Brazil which has made them hard to ship. In Brazil, I took a tour through a popular park in Rio de Janiero where the guide pointed out some acai berries for us. On it's own the berry is very tart and hard to eat. It's usually frozen, blended with sugar and other fruits, then served with various toppings as a breakfast food. That's how I had it at the market in Brazil.

It's 3 years later and I am just starting to see Acai gain momentum in the Bay Area. At the helm of this trend is Vitality Bowls, a franchise offering not just food but a healthy lifestyle. There is a location in Cupertino in the same building as a new apartment complex across from Vallco mall. Parking is plenty here and the space is clean and modern. Here is my experience trying their bowls.

*I received complimentary bowls in exchange for this review.*

The bowls come in Medium and Large sizes. They have a base of acai berries, the VB blend, then other fruits and toppings. The VB Blend contains the following frozen or powdered superfood mix: Mangosteen, Noni, Camu Camu, Moringa, Acai, Blueberry & Pomegranate. I linked to Wikipedia pages if you are curious about the fruits. There is no added sugar or preservatives. The bowls take on any flavor and sweetness from the fruits only.

We ordered a medium size of three different types of bowls and had each bowl split into two so we could taste test.

($8.99) Vitality Bowl - Açaí blended with VB Superfood Blend, Banana, Strawberries & Flax Seed; Topped with Granola, Bananas, Strawberries, Goji Berries & Honey

The Vitality Bowl is the classic and for a good reason. We liked this bowl the best out of the three. The acai blend was naturally sweet and went well with the fresh fruit and granola. Even though this was only half of a medium portion, it's quite filling with all the toppings. 

($11.49) Acerola Bowl - Acerola blended with Coconut Milk, VB Blend, Mango, Banana & Spinach; Topped with Granola, Banana, Blueberries, Coconut Shavings & Honey

Photo from Wikipedia

I had to try the acerola bowl because it's a fruit commonly found in Vietnam. They call it so ri, basically a Vietnamese pronunciation of cherry. Unlike cherries in America, the acerola is not very sweet. In the bowl, it reminded me more of a kiwi flavor, a bit on the sour side. It was very refreshing and I liked the blueberries and honey toppings. 

Photo by Sherry

($11.49) Dragon Bowl - Acai & Pitaya (Dragonfruit) blended with Mango Juice, Coconut Milk, Bananas, Pineapple, Raspberries & Immunity Boost: Topped with Strawberries, Kiwi, Almonds, Goji Berries, Bee Pollen & Honey

Dragon fruit has become quite common in Asian communities in California. It's quite easy to grow in our climate. Dragonfruit doesn't has as strong of a taste as it does texture. The base of this bowl has a distinct dragonfruit texture which is slightly viscous. My favorite parts of this bowl were the Goji berries and bee pollen. This was my first time trying bee pollen. The pollen ball breaks apart in your mouth and leaves a distinct flavor of honey and flowers. 

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The owners of Vitality Bowls - Cupertino have graciously offered gift certificates for a lucky winner. By entering the raffle below, one winner will win TWO certificates, each are good for a bowl, smoothie, or juice of your choice. The contest runs from 12/16 to 12/18. I will draw the winner over the weekend and announce on 12/21. GOOD LUCK!
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Vitality Bowls Cupertino

19700 Vallco Pkwy, Suite 160

Cupertino, CA

US   95014