Joy H.

Savor Restaurant

This place is packed on weekends, with an average wait of 30 minute for a table for two. Their menu is diverse, which ranges from sweet crepes to savory egg benedicts.

PROS: Wide variety of menu options
CONS: long wait

The Last Supper Club

This is a cute place with a lively atmosphere. The food wasn't fancy, but delicious. The one thing I love about this place is that the tables are shorter than usually, which means that you can actually be closer with the person sitting across from you.

PROS: Lively and fun atmosphere
CONS: Not clean enough

Soup Freaks

This is one of the breakfast spots on my way to work every morning. The decor is futuristic and trendy, with a flat screen featuring their menu and their philosophy of serving high-quality organic food. I ordered a yogurt with granola, which was a bit over-priced, considering how little yogurt it was in my cup.

PROS: Fast service, convenient location
CONS: Over-priced

The Cat Club

We got there at 10 and waited for 20 minutes before we were let in. Too many college kids having their birthday parties celebrated that night, and I felt like I'm back in college once again. The dance floor was packed arund 12am, and the back room was reserved only for the special birthday party.

PROS: Nice mix of college kids and young professionals
CONS: The music was not suitable for dancing

Sneaky Tiki

We went there on a Saturday night and made reservation ahead of the time. Although we arrived on time, we have to wait for more than 40 minutes for our booth. The waiter finally cleared up a table reserved for a bigger party at the end of the one-hour wait.

PROS: Nice atmosphere and good music
CONS: Terrible customer service

Codys Books

Cody's Books is one of the oldest bookstores in the city of Berkeley, This bookstore not only sells best-selling titles, but it also specializes in hard-to-find titles. In addition, you can bring in any of your old books to trade in for a store credit or cash. Because of this trade-in service, this bookstore is a favorite among students from UC Berkeley. I once traded sevearl English novels that I bought for a class, and I got a decent amount of refund back. Cody's also have a wide selection of magazines in the east wing of their store. You can spend a day in this bookstore just browsing at books titles or reading magazines. Be sure to check out their selections on the second floor for unique titles and hard-to-find authors.

Crate & Barrel Outlet Store

Crate and Barrel is a chain store that specializes in household products, ranging from furniture to tableware. This particular store is worth mentioning because it is actually an outlet store. This one-story building has all you need to decorate your home as well as throwing a party. The thing I love most about this store is that the price are marked down so low! A set of dinnerware that normally cost around $25 would be marked down to around $10 a set. The selection of furnitures are limited, however,since most of the room is stocked with plates, pots, and other miscellaneous household decorations. But be sure to check out their selection of placemats while you are there. The price on placemats are amazingly cheap! I once bought 4 matching woven placemats for $1! Overall this is a bargain-hunter's dream come true!

Nijiya Market

This is one of the best supermarkets in San Francisco. Located in Japan Town, this supermarket has the best selection of Japanese snacks and cooking products. In addition, the supermarket also provide fresh lunch boxes for people who work near by. My favorite item in this supermarket is their seaweed salad. Only the freshest ingredients are used in this salad, so it is not surprising that the seaweed salad is often the first thing that's sold out in a matter of minutes. I also like their selection of frozen Japanese dishes such as Tako-ball and crepes. Overall, this is a must-see if you are visiting Japan Town. You won't be dissapointed!

Kinokuniya Bookstore

This is ultimate bookstore for all the fans of Japanese magazines out there! Kinokuniya has the largest selection of Japanese magazines in the East Bay, including all the best-selling women's fashion magazines as well as men's fashion magazines. I go there once a month to stock on the most current issue, as well as to check out what other new magazines are there. The price on magazines is very reasonable and affordable. The most current issue of "Non-No" cost around $7, which is cheap considering otherChinese bookstore around Bay Area sell the same magazine for around $10.50. In addition, Kinokuniya has a large selection of Japanese comic books. They would make a perfect gift for school-age kids who can read Japanese.

The Hairliners

This salon does a good job on men's hair cut. My boyfriend went there twice for a hair cut. The fist time he went there, I told the stylist to cut his hair shorter but keep the same style. The stylist was very informative and well-mannered. He not only explained to me what type of hair cut it would look best on my boyfriend, but he also took into consideration the current trend in hairstyles for men. An average haircut for a guy would cost around $25 including tip. So overall this is a good bargain forthe money you paid.