From malatang to sushi, new Asian restaurants represent a wide variety of cuisines
The Peninsula has no shortage of restaurant openings – it sometimes feels like there are so many that it’s impossible to keep up. But just because a restaurant doesn’t host a flashy grand opening or have a PR team helping spread the word about it doesn’t mean its opening should go unreported.
This week I’ve rounded up 10 Asian restaurants that have opened within the past few months, many of which don’t have websites or social media. From a cozy Japanese restaurant in San Carlos serving lobster tacos made from deep-fried seaweed to a pho spot in Mountain View offering insanely succulent chicken, you might just find a new spot in your neighborhood to try.
Also, an exciting update: Kanpai Sushi in Palo Alto will no longer be closing. Owner Koichi Baba says that after the article announcing the closure was published, he and his landlord came to an agreement to extend the lease.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
10 new Asian restaurants along the Peninsula
Can’t decide between kung pao chicken and dumplings? There’s a new spot in Burlingame serving dumplings filled with kung pao chicken. Want Hong Kong-style barbecue but also spicy Sichuan dishes? A San Bruno restaurant recently opened offering both styles of cuisine.
A free food conference, a crepe cake business expands and a new Hawaiian barbecue spot
- Interested in learning about farms, ranches and fisheries along the Peninsula? Peninsula Fresh, a free conference exploring Peninsula food production, will be held Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Skyline College in San Bruno.
- Anton SV Pâtisserie, a crepe cake business, opened its second brick-and-mortar store Friday at Stanford Shopping Center.
- Ayuni Shawarma and Grill recently opened in Santa Clara in the former Lettuce Sandwich Shop location.
- Be Wok & Hawaiian BBQ has opened in Campbell in the former home of Chef Ko Chinese Cuisine.
- Tessora’s Wine Bar held its grand opening April 3 in Campbell.
- Modern Eats, a Millbrae pizzeria, is hosting a ticketed Sip & Slice event Thursday from 5-7 p.m. where attendees will learn how to pair wine with various pizza toppings.
- Pizzeria Delfina will host another pig roast series beginning Tuesday at its Palo Alto location. Expect a whole slow-roasted hog, summer sides and salads, lemonade and a glass of wine.
- JiWoo Bake, known for its canelés, will pop up at Little Green Cyclo in Brisbane this weekend from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- OLHSO Korean BBQ & Seafood House is hosting its grand opening Thursday in San Mateo and giving away gift bags for the first 50 guests.
- Bar Loretta in Menlo Park is hosting a cocktail party and fundraiser Monday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. benefiting a new musical called “Jerry Garcia in the Lower Mission.” This ticketed event includes live music and a talk on The Grateful Dead’s early days in Menlo Park.
Paella at Telefèric and Macarena
Telefèric Barcelona claims Macarena stole its recipes. But does their food taste anything alike?
This week, I compared three very similar-sounding dishes from the two Spanish restaurants: ham croquetas, pan con tomate and paella negra. Read about how the dishes compared here and watch the review here.
Which restaurant’s dishes tasted the best to me? Let’s start with the ham croquetas. Telefèric’s croquetas had a much more pronounced meaty, umami-forward flavor with a very pleasing texture, and I loved that it came with crispy ham on top and that it was served with aioli for dipping. Macarena’s croquetas had a strangely sweet flavor to them, and the texture was very runny and oozy. I preferred Telefèric’s croquetas.
When it came to the pan con tomate, the variance wasn’t as great as the croquetas, but if I had to choose, I would pick Macarena’s. Both restaurants’ renditions featured perfectly toasted bread, but the extra virgin olive oil flavor of Macarena’s was quite pleasing and paired better with the tomatoes than the chorizo butter featured in Telefèric’s.
In terms of the paella, if you love a strong, briny, seafood-forward flavor, you’d definitely enjoy Macarena’s paella negra more. I’m not the biggest fan of that flavor, so I preferred Telefèric’s. Not only was the seafood flavor of the rice itself less intense, the small scallops tasted sweeter than Macarena’s large scallops, and the inclusion of garlic chips added a nice flavor to offset some of that fishiness.
Overall, I think both restaurants are great options for upscale Spanish food in the area. Both have lovely ambiance, interesting menus and beautiful beverage programs. And while both restaurants may seem similar, I think they are quite different.
Macarena, 420 Ramona St., Palo Alto; 650-407-2897, Instagram: @macarena.group. Open Monday to Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Telefèric, 855 El Camino Real #130, Palo Alto; 408-827-4162, Instagram: @telefericbarcelona. Open Monday to Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:15 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:15 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9:15 p.m.
Good eats in the City of Good Living: Drake’s San Carlos goes big on brunch and more
“You can just see the history in the walls.” Local owner Christian Conte pays homage to his hometown with new restaurant
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