Allen W.

Cafe Salina

This place offers rockin' congee! I've been searching the bay area for two things ... 1.) a place that serves good congee w/fried donut (you tiao) and 2.) a place that opens before 11am. Cafe Salina meets both requirements and is definetly worth waking up for. The staff is friendly and helpful as well.

PROS: Great service, great food
CONS:

Broadway Bistro

The food is ok, fairly good selection and made well. It seems to draw a good crowd of locals. The lack of service is almost offensive though ... felt as though I was bothering the hostess when asking for a table. She seemed rather disinterested. The sad thing is ... I think she may be one of the owners.

The waiter was slow and never informed us that they were out of one of the dishes we ordered. After 30 or so minutes, we asked only to find out that they were out, so we had to re-order. Although we ordered HK style coffees, they never arrived by the time we finished our meal. Totally pathetic.

While we sat there I noticed a table of people get tired of waiting for service and they finally walked out of the restaurant. The funny thing is ... they place was fully staffed (at least 3 waiters and not many customers).

PROS: Food is ok
CONS: Not friendly, poor service

Layang Layang

One of my favorite restaurants -- huge menu (over 100 items) all made quickly. Very good food. The fresh coconut drink is fun and tasty, also had a very good lychee drink (with fresh lychee).

The parking is pretty bad (only choice is the residential street) and you can expect to wait during main dinner rush. They take reservations for larger parties which has worked well when going out to lunch with coworkers.

The restaurant is small inside and don't expect overly quiet dining. If you're unfortunate enough to get seated in the back area, you may find that the bathroom door hits your chair as people make their way to it :-)

PROS: Great tasting food
CONS: Small, can have long line during peak hours

Blowfish Sushi

The focus of Blowfish is not on its culinary skills, but instead on being trendy. First off, it's a loud environment -- do not expect to have casual conversations ... a bit of yelling was needed the night we took an out of town guest there.

The service staff are trendy too (i.e. they are not afraid to wrinkle their nose at you). Not a big deal, but worth noting.

The quality of food does not justify the price -- way overpriced, small portions, and not that tasty. There are many better and more affordable places in the area to get sushi.

If you do decide to go, load up on sake first ... it will make the food slide down more easily.

PROS: Makes you feel more trendy that you are
CONS: The food, service, and atmosphere

Jeanne Rajabzadeh, Realtor

We were referred to Jeanne several years ago by a neighbor when we were trying to sell our condo in Sunnyvale. Our realtor at the time was flakey and had cancelled open houses without informing us. The condo had been on the market for over a month without any leads. We fired him and signed on with Jeanne.

She came to our home, assessed the situation, informed us of her services and approach. We loved her immediately -- she is warm, friendly, and extremely honest. Within 2 weeks she sold our condo.

Jeanne continues to stay in touch with us and provides housing updates as needed -- we meet up for coffee when she has an open house in our area. When we recommended her to a friend, Jeanne provided excellent service in helping our friend find a great home. Jeanne is based in Los Gatos but works throughout the South Bay area.

I highly recommend her services and intend to use her with all future realty needs.

PROS: Honest, Friendly, Informative, Efficient, Effective
CONS: None

Mother Earth Clay Art Center

I just completed my first pottery class at this studio. It is a 10,000 sq. ft. facility professionally run by a wonderful and knowledgeable staff. Classes are offered for children and adults (both beginner and advanced) throughout the year. Corporate and private events can also be arranged. Additionally, artists may become members of the studio in order to use the facilities 24 hours a day.

Each member of the staff is incredibly nice and helpful. The class instructors are professionals in the field of pottery, several of whom are full-time potters.

I highly recommend this studio and recently enrolled in my 2nd class!

PROS: Many course offerings, helpful staff, professional
CONS:

Brown John H Dds

I've been using Dr. Brown for the past 2 years. I was referred to him from a friend who has used him for much longer. I tend to be a bit cautious when selecting a dentist, as I fear lots of drilling and pain! I was pleasantly surprised at how helpful and kind all of his staff are, from the front desk to the person cleaning my teeth. Everyone is professional and treats you with care. Dr. Brown is a truly kind man as well - he is patient, explains procedures, and always takes time to answer any questions you may have. I've been very happy with this business and would highly recommend its services.

PROS: Friendly, professional
CONS: Location can be a bit hard to find