The Café is located inside Valley View Casino to the right of their popular Valley View Buffet. It…read moreis open 7 days a week but only from 7:30am-2:00pm. My boyfriend and I have eatin breakfast here in the past, but we rarely visit the casino before 2pm. Yesterday (Friday), I decided to take my mom on a little drive and thought "why not brunch at the casino!?". We arrived at 10:15am, and there were many parking spots available in their parking structure - from the second floor on up. We walked through the casino all the way to the back right (near the hotel), and there was a party of two already checking in at the host station. Check-in was a fast process, they asked for my name and if I was staying at the property. We were ushered into the restaurant and told to wait to the side for a hostess to seat us. I saw it was busy, but not completely full. They still had quite a few open tables available, and we were seated quickly after about 5min. of waiting. The lady who had seated us was wonderful, and very nice. She took our drink order (2 coffees) and brought over 2 cups as well as a saucer full of hazelnut creamer packs. Our waitress visited our table shortly after introducing herself. Her name was Celine, and she was a ray of light! Very sweet and attentive. She quickly poured our coffee and brought 2 muffins to the table. These are complimentary muffins, and let me tell you... they are DELICIOUS. They have a walk up bakery right next to the café, and every single thing i've purchased from them has been top notch. The muffins also come with homemade whipped butter which compliment the flavors perfectly. Celine gave us a few minutes to look at the menu and came back to take our orders. My mom and I both ordered the triple decker turkey club sandwich. One with parmesan fries and the other with fried onion petals. Now, after this, my mom had an OOPSIE and spilled her water cup all over the table. Of course she was embarrassed and panic just engulfed us...Without asking, a worker by the name of Javier appeared at our side to help. Of course it was embarrassing...but he was so kind about it and made my mom feel better. He got more napkins and then held out his serving tray telling us to just push the ice onto that and he will take care of it. He literally stepped into action...where I feel others would just walked by at other places until you ask or make eye contact with panic. Javier, thank you so much, you are a sweetheart and theyre lucky to have you. After that whole excitement, our food quickly came out. It looked delicious...and I have had onion rings but never fried onion petals! I LOVED THESE!! They are so much better than traditional onion rings. The turkey club was loved by both of us, and the parmesan fries were great. Celine checked in on us regularly and refilled our coffees along with that. It definitely was a great brunch that we had, and we were lucky to have had the service from Celine and Javier on our visit. I will DEFINITELY be back! and recommend you take a nice drive one day to try it out.

This place is always busy and it takes forever to get a table every time I come here. Food is ok…read more Not great. And the service sucks. Hire more people or something. Feels like I waited an hour to get my food and I'm not even hungry once it arrives.

Animae has been at the top of my San Diego restaurant list for a while now, so when the group chat…read morefinally decided to stop talking and actually make plans, this place was booked immediately. We went on a Saturday night and were seated right away. Our server, Carol, was super sweet and made our first visit even better. Even though I had practically memorized the menu already, I still had her explain everything and give us her recommendations. She shared her favorites, what's popular, and even what customers don't usually order. She felt very genuine and honest and never once seemed like she was trying to upsell us. Then I looked over and saw Chef Tara. I had already told my friends about her, only to find out they follow her on Instagram too. Eventually, we worked up the courage to talk to her, and she was incredibly nice. She took her time answering our questions about Filipino culture and explaining how her dishes came about. You can really feel her passion and pride in her work. I truly admired that. And the food? WOW. Easily the best meal I've had in 2026. It's been a week and I'm STILL thinking about it. I knew I wanted to write a review, but I honestly didn't expect the experience to exceed my expectations this much. Love at first bite. We started with the Tuna Kinilaw, Carpaccio, and Crispy Pig Ears. Carol taught us how to eat the kinilaw: put all the good stuff on the spoon for the perfect bite. Rich coconut, calamansi, cilantro, fish, jalapeño, and onion on a crispy wonton. It was an absolute explosion of flavor. My taste buds were not ready! The carpaccio was fresh and paired with what I believe was pear or another refreshing fruit. Then the crispy pig ears came out. I was hesitant because not everyone at our table is a pork fan, and I had already convinced them to order the pork tomahawk tocino. But after Carol and Chef Tara both recommended it, we gave it a shot. SO glad we did. The ears were incredibly crispy, with a sweet-and-sour tamarind glaze. Then I realized there was tofu in the dish and immediately thought, "Oh my God, this is the chef's version of tokwa't baboy!" Chef Tara later confirmed it. Such a creative and unexpected take on a Filipino classic. The Roasted Cabbage was supposed to be a side, but honestly, it could've been a main. Roasted perfectly with miso brown butter and lime. Simple but incredibly flavorful. The sauce was so good one of my friends started putting rice in it. Next was the Short Rib Kare Kare. I grew up not eating bagoong, so I usually just use patis with my kare kare. Chef Tara intentionally incorporated bagoong into hers instead of serving it on the side because she wanted people to eat it the way she intended. She was right. That sauce was AMAZING. I'm pretty sure the bagoong was homemade, and the combination had me dunking my rice straight into the sauce. The short rib was tender, flavorful, and practically falling off the bone. The Chicken Adobo sa Pula was another surprise. Chef Tara described it as her French-Filipino fusion take on adobo--and there's no soy sauce! The chicken was incredibly tender, the sauce was killer, and the crispy garlic on top added the perfect crunch. Then came the star of the show: Pork Tomahawk Tocino. Sweet glaze, mango sawsawan, a meaty portion on one side and pork belly on the other. The meatier part reminded me of classic tocino and home cooking, with just the right amount of sweetness. Then we got to the pork belly... It melted in your mouth. I've never shaken my head this much during one dinner. Every dish just kept coming out swinging. For dessert, we had the Sticky Rice Crème Brûlée, and this one completely blew me away. I expected a Thai-style sticky rice dessert with coconut milk and condensed milk. Nope. THE STICKY RICE WAS BIKO. OMG. Chef Tara stayed true to the Filipino dish and elevated it instead. Mind blown is an understatement. We also had the Buko Pan Dan, which was great, along with another dessert that was also delicious. But that sticky rice crème brûlée had me sitting there thinking, "Why did it take me so long to come here?" And the restaurant itself is such a vibe. I loved the anime-inspired artwork throughout the restaurant--even in the men's restroom! I cannot say enough about this place. I was telling everyone at work, my cousins, my friends, and pretty much anyone I passed on my walk back to the hotel that night. Animae is an absolute gem. Amazing food, amazing service, amazing atmosphere, but most importantly, you can feel the passion and pride behind the food. Chef Tara isn't just creating dishes--she's telling stories and bringing Filipino culture to the table in such a creative way. Thank you, Chef Tara, Carol, and the entire Animae team for an unforgettable night.

The server was great--friendly, attentive, and made the experience even better! We especially loved…read morethe honeydew drink with boba. It was refreshing, fun, and very creative. The food was delicious and showed a lot of creativity. We particularly loved the Taiwanese chicken. It was definitely a modern interpretation rather than the traditional version, but it was very well executed and flavorful. The fried rice was also delicious, and the cabbage was an interesting and creative dish that we enjoyed trying. Overall, a really enjoyable experience. We appreciated how the restaurant took inspiration from Taiwanese and Asian flavors while adding its own creative spin. Great food, fun drinks, and wonderful service--we'd happily come back!

Food and service is always on point always well attentive quick service must stop by .read more

Great boba, fresh taste, chewy pearls, friendly staff, clean spot! LOVE IT…read more I found my new favorite boba spot in Perris! From the moment I walked in, the vibe was super chill and welcoming. The staff were really friendly and took their time helping me pick out a drink, which I appreciated since there were so many good options.

Pure "platinum" chowder on display here…read more.. I was still recovering from an illness but my palate was returning so I wanted soup. SMOKED PHO: -- this may be my only way to have pho moving forward -- the beef broth is delectable -- the crimson red in the rib tender delicious rib meat is perfectly cooked accounting for more cooking in the warm broth -- light on smoke -- ample sprouts, greens and noodles -- not too salty -- utterly fantastic -- nice portion of meat -- nice large portion but not jumbo RATING = A+ GARLIC BUTTER NOODLES: -- one marinated egg -- very creamy -- light towards medium garlic I feel but I will judge again when my palate and sniffer our fully back -- ample arugala -- medium portion size RATING = A STAFF are kind and efficient.

Not bad, but definitely not the most authentic Vietnamese food I've had. The pho was a little…read morelackluster and needed quite a bit of extra sauce to really bring out the flavor. The meat was delicious, though--super tender and probably my favorite part. The shaking beef was tasty, but the flavors didn't really come together. It felt like the ingredients were just thrown together rather than really blending into one cohesive dish. The egg rolls, on the other hand, were great. No notes!

I go here a decent amount and the food has been great and worth the price every single time!read more

Mahal Mahal. First off, I'm half Filipino. I'm fusion to the core. Stopped in because, gotta…read moresupport but DANG!!!!!!!!! This flavor is dynamic AF. It's like Kuyah hooked it up with style. My goodness if you're looking for banging dishes and stellar world class customer service and that asain fusion hospitality , this is a worth adding a stop to your GPS. Music comfort and very nice and tidy. 5 +++ stars!

for nearly two years, Scout, my orange, husky-looking mut and I have been driving by their…read morenow-shuttered Encinitas location four times a week after playdates at Power Lines Dog Park. every time we do, I think "we gotta back there for another visit." pretty sure CHIKO has aged out of my draft queue. now that I've finally gotten around to finishing the review, they've been closed for months. in the draft, I suggested CHIKO might not be a destination restaurant, but if you happen to be in the neighborhood, it's definitely a place worth stopping by for eats. if you wait long enough, like I did, the nearest ones are in the DC area and probably not worth a cross-country trip. sad.

Post-mortem... I was sad to hear that CHIKO permanently closed their doors at the end of last year…read more It's rare for an East Coast based Asian chain restaurant to migrate to California, but that was what CHIKO did. As noted by its name, this place served a fusion of Chinese and Korean cuisines. Their Encinitas location took over what used to be a roadside diner along N Coast Hwy 101. The seating capacity was less than 40 people which included a few high-top counter spots. At my last visit, I came for a late dinner before their closing time. A large menu was posted on the wall behind the service counter that listed about two dozen food offerings. The items seemed to be comfort food like pot stickers, spring rolls, fried rice, and chicken wings but flavored with unique combinations of seasonings and spices. I started my meal with the Marinated Beef Tri-Tip Skewers which came as a set of three and a Chinese mustard for dipping. The meat was very tender and well-seasoned. I also ordered the Cumin Lamb Stir Fry which the cashier said was medium spicy. After tasting a couple of bites of the noodles from the serving bowl, I agreed that the heat level was moderate, even for my palate. I thought the portion size should have been more for the price. That was my main criticism for both items, otherwise the food was solid for an Asian fusion eatery.

Wow! Who would expect such great Asian food in the middle of nowhere? We tried a few different…read moredishes and they all were delicious! It was liked having a home cooked Thai/Lau meal. As a bonus, it has outdoor seating and great views. We will definitely be back! Don't forget the mango and sticky rice to finish things off :-)

This is a cute little husband and wife restaurant tucked away in Anza right after the casino…read more They're very sweet, attentive, with great service. I stopped by when they first opened for the day so the food was very fresh and delicious. It had amazing flavor with great portions so there was enough for leftovers, which were just as good. I definitely will be coming back to try more on their menu. Even though it's a bit far, it's definitely worth the drive and a good place to go try out for sure.

Still love East Village!…read more The rule here is you place your order, always get an app if your dinner is the monk pot, because you'll have to seriously wait 10 minutes after the food comes or your lips will melt off. It's SO worth it though. My go to is the fried spring roll which are rolled up fat boys filled with fresh vegetables that are then deep fried and served with a sweet chili dipping sauce. I then always order the monk bowl with ribeye. The blend of crispy rice on the bottom of the pot, mixed with vegetables, the protein of choice and the egg on top creates a masterpiece. Add the two sauces that come to the table and it's a dream come true. The hubby added chicken this time but said he much prefers the steak, salmon, or shrimp. We've had their dynamite fries a few times and sub out carnitas for ribeye instead. Their fried coconut shrimp is a delight as well.

The staff who helped mom with a takeout bowl was super friendly and packed some hot sauce without…read morebeing requested. I'll definitely be back when I visit North SD next. Thank you!

Incredible views. Worth the wait to sit near window or balcony. Food was delicious and very fresh.read more

I've been to Blue Ocean / Harumama a few times, and it never disappoints. On this visit, we chose…read moreto sit outside, and it was absolutely beautiful enjoying our meal with an ocean view. We ordered the sake flight, the Omakase Box, and the Beef Udon, and every single dish was delicious. This has become my go-to spot whenever I'm in La Jolla.