3 Star Restaurant: Filipino & Cantonese Cuisine in Vallejo

Garlic Sauce Chicken Wings at 3 Star Restaurant

We were looking to try some place new, and we had dismissed looking in the part of the strip mall where 3 Star is located because it used to be a vacant storefront that looked a bit dingy, but now it looks neat, clean & tidy. Most of the online reviews looked very positive, but we tend to be skeptical. 

Above and below: House Special Chow Fun With Gravy. Noodles, Bok Choy, Carrots, Pork, Chicken,  Mushrooms, Shrimp. Solid Umami flavors, meats tasted good, not spicy. Noodles were probably dry, and a bit on the overcooked side in my estimation. Bok Choy cooked perfectly.

Above and below: a selection from the Filipino Menu, String Beans With Coconut Milk (tomato, onion, shrimp, pork). You'll also notice tender strips of kabocha squash, which reinforces the fact this is comfort food. I assumed that the combination of tomato with coconut made this dish pink, but there were also pink flecks, maybe from some sort of shrimp paste. Nice, welcoming flavors, not very spicy, but there's a bowl of chile sauce at the table if you need it. 

OK, here's the jackpot dish. Garlic Sauce Chicken Wings, very similar to the chicken wings at San Francisco's San Tung restaurant. One of the top best dishes in Vallejo, and by far the best chicken dish. I can't think of one that comes close. Perfectly fried chicken wings in a slightly spicy sweet garlicky sesame sauce; the crunch on these babies is as perfect as can be.

3 Star Restaurant

707-557-7785

Smashburger in Emeryville

Today (3/7/18) we returned to Smash burger, above is a Bay Burger with Brussels Sprouts, below is a Jalapeno Baja Burger, and below that a Salted Caramel shake. I love having the option of Brussels Sprouts instead of fries as a side dish. Smash Burger is catering to the tastes of adults, as well as younger folks.

Salted Caramel Shake. Using Haagen Daz. Thick, rich and completely decadent. This is the gold standard, as far as I'm concerned.

Bay Burger: mushrooms, swiss cheese, spinach (my choice), arugula, truffle mayo on ciabatta--absolute perfection.

Robin got a Turkey Burger Club. She wolfed it down with a look of ecstasy on her face.

Sweet Potato Fries. Great like last time. One order was more than enough.

We also shared one of their salads, a Cobb. Fantastic with very fresh produce, and gigantic. Definitely an excellent value.

Bacon Avocado Burger at Smash Burger with Sweet Potato Smash Fries

Smashburger is one of those new hamburger chains offering upscale burgers & fries, along with healthy alternatives. Looks like they also have vegan & vegetarian options, which we'll try on subsequent visits, but this time we decided to try some basic burgers. Here, I'm having the Bacon Avocado Burger, and I was particularly gratified I could add fresh spinach for free. The burger itself was tasty and comparable to burgers by close competitors: The Habit, In & Out, Five Guys, Super Duper. The overall sandwich is what's best, because how many places have different sort of buns? (Mine was multi-grain). Produce was fresh and the spinach especially had a nice lively texture to it.

The calibre of the beef here (and the other places I mention) are far better than fast food burgers, but also lag far behind the best burgers you can get, particularly from the Farm Burger chain. You just can't beat grass-fed, dry-aged and fresh ground beef. And I'm sure there's even more expensive, higher end restaurants serving Wagyu burgers.

But the real star of the meal were the Sweet Potato Smash Fries. Cut like frites, these are topped with a rosemary & garlic infused oil, a combination you have just got to try. 

Here, Robin's having the Buffalo & Blue Cheese Burger, which she loved, judging by the silence and look of bliss on her face. Notice, though, the Haystack Onions. Some of the best onion rings I've ever had, in fact, probably the best. Very thinly cut, fried to perfection. Plus served with a delightful horseradish sauce, seen below.

Here you can see the residue of the rosemary & garlic oil used on the Sweet Potato Smash Fries. The put just the right amount on, with a little bit of runoff to dip in.