Dish Dash Restaurant Review

Be sure to submit your restaurant review of Dish Dash:
As a club we are going to review Dish Dash on January 23, at 6:15 pm.

190 S. Murphy Street
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
PH# (408) 774-1889

Vote for the location of our next Restaurant Review

Greeting Cards

The Restaurant Review Club is still selling Greeting Cards!
Please buy one to support the Restaurant Review Club!

At the MVHS Holiday Faire, we sold two types of cards:



This is an example of our pop-up Cards, which are 3D folding cards that can be expanded into beautiful displays, and folded down flat, so they fit into an envelope.



We have four different characters: The bear (see above), the kitty, the otter, and the rabbit.

We also sold 2-D folding cards, featuring a bunny eating a cupcake.

The popup cards are $3, and the folding cards are $2.
Shipping costs are negotiable.
Contact us if you are at all interested.

Soup Kitchen

Sunday, December 28, a couple of us went to volunteer at a local soup kitchen in Menlo Park.

It was a really great experience, cooking a nice Spaghetti dinner for about 80 of the homeless and needy.
We will be going back to volunteer in a couple of weeks. If you are interested in finding out more information, please feel free to contact the club at restaurantreviewmvhs.clubs@gmail.com

Have a great 2009!

Taqueria Salsa Brava

375 Saratoga Avenue,
San Jose, CA 95129

On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being excellent and 5 being poor:
The Food Quality/Quantity: 3
Pricing: 3
Atmosphere: 2.6
Service: 2.4

Food Quality/Quantity:

A couple of years ago, I heard that some Mexican restaurants serve cactus (without spines of course). Ever since then, I've always wanted to try the dish. Unsurprisingly, I was very excited when my Spanish teacher mentioned that one of the dishes at Salsa Brava, a tiny Mexican restaurant off Saratoga and Kiley in San Jose, included cactus. And so, when some free time popped up, a few of my friends went to try it out. My dish was called Camarones con nopalitos (shrimp with cactus) and featured a big serving of shrimp on a bed of sauteed cactus. It also came with some beans, rice, and lettuce. In my opinion, the cactus had the texture of bell pepper and a milder taste, a bit like that of cucumbers. It was good, but the seasoning was a bit spicy. As for the shrimp, I've had better- it was a bit fishy. Another feature of this restaurant worth noting was the salsa bar, which featured about 8 different options. Customers were free to help themselves to whatever they wanted from it. I found these to be all-around good.
[Karen, Camarones con nopalitos (Shrimp with Cactus)]

Pricing:

It's kind of average as far as mexican cuisine goes, except for the fact that they served cactus!
Cactus kind of tastes like pickled bell pepper.

I would say that it's nothing special, but definitely a great place to grab a meal. The enchiladas tasted very average. Pricing is pretty average as well; you can get a good meal for a little under $10.

Also, be sure to check out the salsa bar!
[Leslie, Enchiladas]

Atmosphere:

It was a really strange atmosphere...
I wouldn't necessarily recommend it but it wasn't repulsive
[Karina]

Service:

I didn't think that the chips and salsa were very good. They were decent, but I kind of expected more from a Mexican restaurant. The burrito mojado was just decent as well. However, the quesadilla was delicious. I give the quesadilla a 5/5.



I don't really remember the prices but I think that they were fairly low.

It was a fairly comfortable setting. However, the restaurant seemed a little run down.

We got our food pretty quickly and the restaurant split the bill for us. My main complaint is that when I asked for a refill of my soda, I got water instead. It got fixed in the end, but it was an inconvenience.

Go ahead and try the tongue or cactus.
[Colin, Quesadilla, Burrito Mojado]




*Other: If someone wanted to try the cactus, I’d take them there. Otherwise, other places have better Mexican food.

SHABUWAY

180 Castro St.
Mountain View, CA 94041

On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being excellent, and 5 being poor:
The Food Quality/Quantity: 2.64
Pricing: 3.14
Atmosphere: 2.64
Service: 2.57

This was a great place to eat with friends. The meal style is perfect for hanging out and chatting. I didn't think the food was quite worth the price, but it was pretty good.
[Sarah, Regular]

I burnt my tongue.... haha
Overall a pretty good experience
[Catherine, Regular]

Though they really only serve one thing, this place never gets old!
[Karina, Regular + shrimp dumplings]

Food Quality and Quantity:

Upon entering, I found the atmosphere to be very pleasant (I realize 20 some friends were already seated and greeting me, but I think it would still be nice next time) and loved the way the tables had built-in pots of hot water to make the shabu-shabu. There was a table area on the left, and a bar, facing TVs, to the right. An odd woven fan contraption hung from the ceiling...I didn't really get it, but it was interesting too. The lighting was also tinted red, which gave ShabuWay a warmer atmosphere. The service was ok. Our first server seemed a little frustrated by our large group and her service was very slow (I had to get up to ask her for a couple things.) On the other hand, the second lady helping us was very accommodating.

As for the food, I especially like their two sauces. One was vinegar and soy-based, while the other tasted more like a combination of sesame and mustard. A variety of side-dishes were listed on the menu. These included ramen noodles, shrimp dumplings, and extra veggies/meat. I just stuck with the regular because that portion was fairly generous. For $9.50, my lunch included a plate of cabbage, spinach, two pieces of tofu, two baby carrots, and a large plate of thinly sliced lean beef. I thought it was very reasonable because the food tasted so yummy. Just one caution if you go- don't get too excited and burn the roof of your mouth like I did- when you take your food out of the boiling water, let it sit for a minute. Since we were a large group, five of us were sharing the same pot, which was a little tricky, but it worked out fine. If you came back it would be less crowded and it seemed like a party of five would typically get 2-3 pots.
[Karen, Regular $9.50]

Pricing:

Most of us got the Regular $9.50 Beef Shabu Shabu. I thought it was a really fun concept, except it was very pricey. There is even a cost to split a dish with someone else, but all in all, I would definitely pay that much to have the convenience of shabu shabu prepared for you. On a cold day, it was really nice.

The atmosphere was pretty nice, especially the interior decorations. The staff seemed a bit flustered, but perhaps that was because we had such a large party. I thought that the sauces really helped make the food taste better, because the plain water you boil the veggies/meat in was just plain water.

All in all, I would be happy to go back, but not too frequently because my bill came to $15. It's quite expensive for lunch.
[Leslie, Regular + mushroom platter]



Friendly service, very easy going atmosphere that fits students. They were able to seat all of us with little trouble, and the food came quickly. Being able to cook your own food with friends creates a warm/family feeling. Plus the peanut sauce was DELICIOUS. The price was OK since all they gave us was lots of veggies and raw meat, but I'm just stingy with money, so I don't know about other people. Overall, if you're around downtown on a cold day and in need of some warmth, Shabuway is the place to go.
[Christie, Regular Beef Shabu]

Atmosphere:

Their fans are cool.
[Jeremy, Regular]

Great atmosphere, the food was mainly catered towards people with open minds about their food. A good place for a date; interesting to talk about, and fun!
[Amanda, Regular]

It was, like uWink, an excellent communal experience which added to the quality of the meal. Food itself was pretty good, but I would recommend ordering the sides of things you want (if it's allowed... they had some rule about that...). For example, you could order ramen or mushrooms or meat or vegetables in the combination you want, which is probably a better idea. The pricing was pretty good, not cheap, but I didn't expect it to be so. The service was pretty good; they didn't have to do much. My only complaint would be a slight, strange smell in the restaurant. Overall, the food was good, and cooking it yourself was even better.
[Olivia, Regular, Diet Coke]

Service:

Yum.
Good for dinner.
Also a group thing, but probably more for smaller groups.
The environment is really nice, cool scenery and stuff.
Service is fair, I thought the wait wasn't too long.
Although it can be a little pricey.. it's worth it. :]
[Suzie, Regular]


I'm not a big fan of traditional Asian food so I thought that the food was just okay. The potstickers were pretty good but I like them fried better than boiled.

The prices seemed reasonable. I spent about $13 and got a ton of food.

The restaurant seemed pretty student friendly. It was small and casual.

The service was pretty good. The Shabuway original plate came out really quickly, and the restaurant split the bill for us. However, the potstickers took a lot longer than everything else.

I would recommend this to people who haven't tried it before. It's a unique experience, and the food is pretty normal food that most people will like at lest somewhat.
[Colin, Shabuway Original + shrimp potstickers]

UWINK

401 Castro St
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 965-8100

Average ratings, on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being excellent and 5 being poor:
Food Quality/Quantity: 2.56
Pricing: 2.67
Atmosphere: 2.33
Service: 2.67

most hip and up to the times restaurant I've ever been to
[Karina, meatball sandwich]

I thought the games were fun, but they meant you didn't really have a chance to talk with your friends. I eat out to spend time with friends, and I thought all the technology detracted from that. In addition, the food wasn't really worth the price.
[Sarah, chicken sandwich]

The Food Quality and Quantity

The fish in my fish tacos was a little bit too breaded for my tastes. All in all, it was a rather average taco. The coconut rice that accompanied my tacos was simply amazing. It is the main reason why I would want to come back.

I thought that my meal was reasonably priced for lunch, at about $6-$7 including tax and tip.

The games were really fun to play, but paying in cash, separately was kind of a hassle.
It's a really great place to go for the first time, but I don't know how much fun it would be a second or third trip.

When you think about it, touching those computer screens while you eat is a bit gross. I wonder if they clean off the screens between customers.
[Leslie, fish tacos]

Pricing:

The games were fun, but they might be boring the second time around. The prices are a bit expensive, if you pay with your own money.
[Emily, hamburger]

Atmosphere:

It was good; but definitely a big group or small group thing.
The food was very filling.. and the wait was a little long..
The games make up for it though. :D
[Suzie, bacon burger]

Service:

Service is practically nonexistent. Games are fun to play, and it's pretty straightforward ordering. Don't order the free cheesecake!
[Jeremy, Soup & Salad]

Overall, I thought that the food was pretty good. It was also nice to be able to customize your order so much.

I thought that it was a little overpriced. I kind of expected more or better food for the prices (about $10.)

The atmosphere was great. The touchscreens are unique and the games are fun (especially the group games where you can compete with everyone in the restaurant.) There was a lot of seating as well.

Service was average. It was nice to customize your order so much. On the negative side, the restaurant wasn't really set up to pay by cash so it was kind of a hassle. I recommend that you use a credit card or debit card if you have one. There was also a glitch in the system: the menu said there was free cheesecake but that was actually an error.
[Colin, BBQ Bacon Burger, Dessert Platter, Old School Cobb Salad]


The concept of UWink is great. The restaurant has a fresh take on modern dining by incorporating technology into the experience. There are touch-screen monitors for every one to two people. On these, you can order (they have a lot of fun options for customizing), play individual and team games, browse their store of promotional items, or view videos and slideshows. If I went back, I'd definitely want to take someone else who hadn't been there. While the food is just fine, you would really go to UWInk for the touch-screen experience.
As for service, I had to get up and ask the waiter for a few items that my table had ordered but hadn't arrived in a decent amount of time. I'm not sure is this was because we were a large group or not. Also, pricing seemed reasonable to me.
[Karen, Iceberg Lettuce Salad]