Tokio Pub - For Lunch!

Back on January 15, my daughter, wife and I went to celebrate both my daughter and my birthday (we share the same birthday) at Tokio Pub in Schaumburg, IL.

The deal was to have your birthday party at the restaurant on the 15th of every month and get a coupon for each person in your party worth the same as your age!  For us, our birthdays happen to be on the 15th anyway!  Click here to read about their special.

I turned 57 this year, so I got a gift certificate for $57 for use next time.  And, my daughter got one for $57 and my wife got one for $57 as well!  What a deal!

Anyway, we ordered food in January but did not get to go back until lunch today.  My daughter and I used one of the coupons and it covered all of the food above!  We ordered the following:

1. Barbeque-Braised Pork Nachos
2. Godzilla Roll (Shrimp Tempura, Smoked Salmon, guacamole, eel sauce)
3. Two bowls (one for each person) of Grilled Steak in Soy - Ramen Broth
4. Rangoon Roll (tempura fried roll, spicy shrimp, cream cheese, scallion, chilli oil, sweet and sour sauce)

The Pork Nachos were really great.  We really liked it.  We also liked the Godzilla Roll, but my daughter ate all the Salmon off the rolls since I don't eat raw fish.  I just ate the rolls minus the fish on it.  By the time the two bowls of Grilled Steak in Soy- Ramen Broth came out, we were stuffed already!  We decided to take the rest of the food home instead.

The interesting thing about this restaurant is that nobody there was Asian!  Not the servers and not the patrons (except us).  Still, it wasn't bad.  It's Americanized fusion food really.  The restaurant is part of the "Lettuce Entertain You" restaurants, so I guess I wasn't so surprised that it wasn't real Asian food.  We still liked it.  It's a bit expensive for what it is, but trendy places are like that.

Check 'em out if you want something different and try going when there is a special like the birthday specials!

All images taken with an Apple iPhone 6s +

Five Guys vs In-N-Out

How would I rate Five Guys Burger and Fries over In-N-Out Burger?

First, I'd consider taste... The In-N-Out to me is a bit tastier because it's greasier.  Some would say juicier.  But, the Five Guys has more toppings and condiment choices which are included in its price that adds tastes of its own.

An In-N-Out Burger costs around $3.45 per Double Double (two patties, two slices of cheese).  The Little Cheese Burger from Five Guys is $4.59.  It's about the same size as the Double Double.  But you get only one patty and one slice of cheese.  However, you get a lot of condiments and toppings with the price of the Five Guys burger.

The fries are more costly at Five Guys but they give you a lot more.  It is also fried in peanut oil, which to me, makes it tastier.  There was supposed to be a secret menu like In-N-Out has, so I ordered their "Cheese Fries" (which was supposed to be a secret menu item).  I was told they didn't have Cheese Fries, just regular fries.  Disappointing!

In the end, the Five Guys cost more, has less meat and cheese but gives you more toppings and condiment choices for the money.  The In-N-Out burger is less expensive, greasier but tastier.

What's important to you?

In-N-Out Burger

The Double Double is probably the most ordered burger from In-N-Out Burger.  I recall my uncle telling me how "juicy" they were.  But after ordering several of them recently on my trip to San Francisco, I couldn't help but notice that juicy really meant "greasy"!

The burgers are wrapped twice in paper, but look at the bottom photo of the inner wrapping.  Also look at the second photo and notice the sheen on the buns.  I'd call it a bit greasy.  What do you call it?

Still, the burgers are pretty tasty.  Compared to Five Guys burgers, the cost is more reasonable as well.  Which do you prefer?

2016 San Francisco - Fisherman's Wharf

I went to visit my mom and sister's family this week in San Francisco.

Lots of sights to see out there, but the easiest for me to get around with my scooter was Fisherman's Wharf.  Had to get some In-N-Out food, so I ordered a Double Double burger (two patties with two slices of cheese) and Animal Style Fries (Thousand Island, Grilled Onions and Cheese on Fries) and a drink.  Cost was $11.09 (yes, it was expensive, but you just got to do it when you are in California!)  I also ordered a cup of clam chowder at one of the street vendor's booth (got to do that too for $6 and tax). 

I saw a street performer playing smooth jazz on his Fender Stratocaster, so I had to talk to him and give him a tip.  He was really good.  I had seen him out there in June 2015 as well.  Like me, he's been playing over 40 years!

I also had to take a photo of Alcatraz prison.  I've been there before in the past (as a visitor, not as an inmate).

Also, while at Pier 39, I saw a Zoltar fortune telling machine!  Remember the movie "Big" with Tom Hanks?  If you haven't seen that movie, go check it out and you'll understand why I needed to photograph it.  By the way, all the images here were taken with a Canon 70D and Canon 18-135 IS STM lens... except for the Zoltar image.  That was taken with my iPhone 6S+.  Not bad for a phone photo, eh?