Some elements of Japanese cuisine are a real oddity. Renowned for their exquisite use of ingredients and carefully crafted dishes, the Japanese are also responsible for the practice of ordering ramen from a digital screen and eating in an isolated stall. Such a paradox is…
Articles by Kathy Manlapaz
Break it in half and suck the head. That’s the motto for eating crawfish. There’s no better way to do it. For the uninitiated, crawfish are tiny lobster-like crustaceans found in muddy waters. When boiled with potatoes, Andouille sausage, corn, lots of butter and Cajun…
The adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day might ring true in some respects, but many restaurants undermine this maxim with carb-overloaded, pre-diabetic plates that leave diners in a food coma. Then comes Purple Onion Cafe to rescue breakfast with its…
We’re all searching for the newest brunch spot. Then comes a place like Jack Holder’s Restaurant and Bar. Owned and operated by Jack and Anne Holder, owners of the local Holder’s Country Inn chain, the venture is their first full-fledged restaurant since opening the original…
Located in the thick of downtown Los Altos, Turn, a new addition to the dining scene, combines American comfort food with a farm-to-table and foodie twist on staples like burgers, pizza and steak. And then there are the cocktails. Owned by lifelong Los Altos residents Jim…
It’s no stretch to say the South Bay foodie scene has gone a bit insane. The public now demands food on-demand, to exact gluten per-particle specifications, with assurances that the animals were given free range of motion before meeting a tender demise pre-tenderization. We also…
Los Gatos seems like a peaceful, sleepy town. That is until dinnertime, when all the good restaurants are impossibly packed and suddenly a reservation becomes a golden ticket. Such was the case on my first non-reservation visit to The Pastaria & Market. Upon entering, I…
The humble sandwich is often taken for granted in the foodie world, as it is hardly the sexiest option when grabbing lunch. How can bread and sliced meat compare with enticing options such as poke or ramen or whatever else the kids are into these…
Some of the most creative dishes are born out of the most desperate situations. The Japanese okonomiyaki is one of these comforting home-cooked dishes resulting from the need for affordable and filling food made from whatever was on hand during World War II, when rice was…
Slang for “mixed” in Hawaiian, Hapa is a colloquial term used to describe people of mixed descent or heritage. It seems fitting then that Derek Tam and Brian Edwards are not only of mixed Asian-American heritage, but their new craft brewery and taproom, Hapa’s Brewing…
