Nik "Cap" t.'s Profile

ordered takeout consisting of a pesto roast beef sandwich with greens and a cup of their world renown clam chowder.

service was really efficient with a nice flow for traffic.
signs were prominently displayed and orders fulfilled quickly.

takeout packaging was of good quality.

now let's start with the chowder.
first question: is salt free in sf?
second: is it clam or potato chowder?
way too much salt, may work better if you had it in their bread bowl?
way too high potato to clam ratio! from memory i used to get more clams.

greens were just that, mainly just lettuce.

the only saving grace for them was their sandwich.
the sourdough baguette held the sandwich together well in it's place.
nicely wrapped and survived the travel.
No messiness here.
good balance of meat, cheese and greens.
pesto dressing was just right, tasty but not overpowering.

if i were to judge you solely by your clam chowder you will only be a single star!
but your overall package means i'll be back, sans chowder.

guess what?
30% discount store wide is still on!!!

bought my first t-shirt here last month and today I bought another 2!
very comfy material plus super well made with great attention to details!
love the Superdry detailing label that is stitched on the right sleeve and collar!

they definitely have a cultish following and a visit here might just leave your wallet super dry!

not the safest nor cleanest area in sf but rather easy to find as it is right at the corner of mason and turk.

i had no reservations and settled for dinner on the long stretch of L-shaped bar counter for immediate gratification.
others without reservations chill out with cocktails along this ample holding corner.
If you do not want the blizzard to chill you each time someone comes through the door then may I suggest you seat at least beyond the half way point towards the far end.

service was prompt and i managed to put in my order via the friendly bartender in no time.

this is definitely not a place to bring a date.
noisy and basic.

the clientele consists of a fair mix of tourists and regulars.

i chose to start with a cup of seafood gumbo.
a petite portion of gumbo appeared not long after.
the spices and heat made it a nice warm tasty whet of my appetite.
my only grouse will be that there was just too much rice in the gumbo.
chunks of shrimp and fish was still easily discernible though.

the house red cab sav at $5 was a decent accompaniment.

the wait for my grilled pork chop was slightly longer than it should be.
but it allowed me to check out the patrons and be checked out.

the pork chop was definitely worth the wait!
nicely chargrilled and seated on top of a mash of sweet potatoes.
the whitish yellow corn was sweet as sweet can be.
the red onions and dijon mustard gave the dish a nice taste balance.
the green fava beans completed the colour presentation of the dish and added extra fibre too.

farmer brown will be farmed by me now!:)

if i can give zero stars, i would!

our disappointed group of 9 were searching for an alternative dinner venue after being turned away from the super popular castell restaurant.
being such a big group we settled for maya as it was nearby and able to accommodate us.
bad decision which was deeply regretted by the entire group.

everyone hated their meal.
bland, poor cooking and expensive!
you will end up paying for extras like, 2 euros for sauces and 3 euros for baked potatoes.
this is definitely a tourist trap and we walked right into it!

my order of 300 grams of medium done ribeye came in the form of a 200 grams well done version!
when i pointed out the wrong size portion, the wait staff took my plate back to the kitchen and duly returned with an additional piece of 100 grams of meat on the plate!!!
shocked and awed, i proceeded to taste the debacle.
it was as grouse as grouse can be!
rubbery to the cut, tasteless and super dry!
after taking a small bite i rejected my meal as inedible.
she did offer to replace it with a newly cooked piece but i politely declined the kind offer.

i was not alone.
every piece of meat ordered by the group was cooked wrongly!
the best edible item on each plate was the fries!

i guess the one star can be for them not charging me my rejected meat!

please, for the sake of your stomach, avoid this joint!

by far the best chinese roast pork in amsterdam!
super crispy crackling yet tenderly marbled meat.

their roast duck is also a best seller but only number 2 on my meat option order list.

i also like their dumpling soup, which always compliment my order of roast pork well.
a  generous portion of cabbage comes standard in your bowl of soup as well as in your plate of pork to provide a balance diet.

the menu is pretty comprehensive with a wide selection within and  across a wide spectrum.

plenty of seating available with clean toilets located on the second floor.

service staff also are friendly and helpful.

amazing ribs!

it specializes in dry rub ribs, that is, not the ones slathered and drowned in BBQ sauce!
the smoked ribs or the original ones are both very well marinated without being overly overpowering.
perfectly cooked to order, it is absolutely succulent and juicy!
2 orders shared amongst 3 is the ideal but not necessarily the most welcomed decision and more often then not it is mocked sarcastically by the wait staff though mostly in jest.
a side of deliciously homemade, healthy coleslaw and fluffy bake potato completes your meal.

their lamb shank and steak are good alternatives for the non pork eating community. But this is ultimately a ribs joint and you would be an immediate pork convert should you so decide to take that plunge.

service is efficient but the dry humor of their wait staff can at times rub guests the wrong way. Take it all in good spirit and you will have a good laugh to boot.

be there early if you do not fancy sitting on bar stools.
very limited table seating is available and they are extremely popular!

definitely one of the top ten things to do in amsterdam!:)

sale's on!

great location for me!

staff were more than helpful.
constantly asking how they could be of help to me.
one of them actually gave me a fright as she unexpectedly surprised me as i was busy browsing through the sale items!

i happen to have their amigo card and you get points even if the items are on sale. points entitle you to exclusive desigual gifts if annual purchase exceeds a certain amount. useable worldwide. as for regular price items, you get a 10% discount for purchases if over a fixed amount. on your birthday week you will get 10% off any purchase.

their biggest appeal to me is their style!
more for less and they're just not the same!

when my order of sidney amber's special arrived, visions from the pancake episode of man vs food flashed through my head!
the 2 large pancakes, though not quite adam richman's manhole standard, were intimidating indeed.
the game plan was to divide and conquer. i quickly cut them up into smaller bite size pieces and dug in!

the pancakes were nicely browned on the outside and fluffy inside.
the maple syrup was pure and light.
the 2 strips of bacon was not quite crispy enough to break with a fork and yet not quite tender enough to cut with a knife!
the 2 link sausages were juicy and tasty, much better than the bacon.
ultimately, a good balance of sweet and savory.

thankfully, man won yet again!:)
so for your piece of 1938 history, this is the place to be.

what's not to like?

location is great, right on the high street.
shop is bright and airy.

their staff were really helpful.
i was looking to buy an e-reader and had lots of questions!
they were most patient with me and clarified most of the doubts i had.

price wise, they were offering cash back discount too.
they are not as cheap as some electronic stores in the bayswater area but i definitely felt they are more reliable and was therefore more confident buying from them.

i guess they have to keep relevant in the ever so electronic world that we live in.
the future of books is going the way of music and waterstones is right there with it!

whilst walking around on a cold and quiet early morning looking for a place to have breakfast. this cozy joint caught my eye.
they were just getting ready and so i settled down and thawed out in the meantime.

not long after they attended to me.
nice and friendly.
ordered myself an english breakfast and wanted a latte to go with it.
unfortunately the coffee machine was somehow not ready.
they duly apologised and i ended up with a cup of normal brewed coffee instead.

breakfast soon arrived and was rather standard fare.
nothing to shout about but nothing to complain either.

alas, i'm sure my day would have started brighter had they been able to make me my latte!