*Bleep* King 4 for your Vietnamese Noodle Fix in Davis

Be careful of how you say Pho King 4! If you say it wrong, you could get yourself into a bit of trouble! Pho King 4 is a Vietnamese restaurant across the street from the UC Davis campus. It's one of only a few places in town where you can find Vietnamese style food - specifically pho. If pho is what you want, then Pho King 4 is a place you'll have to consider going to.

Food -
The main item to order at Pho King 4 is the pho. If you're unfamiliar with what pho is... well... I suggest you find a good pho place and try it out! It's a Vietnamese noodle soup with white vermicelli noodles accompanied by different types of meats and veggies. The broth is clear and comes to you piping hot. A cold plate of jalepanos, sprouts, and mint comes alongside it for you to toss in if you so desire. Lots of flavors combine together to make pho a wonderful taste experience.

A good pho is full of flavor and character. Sadly, the pho at Pho King 4 is pretty average. It's fine for what it is, but if it's your first time trying pho, I would skip it and go elsewhere for a first experience. The broth here isn't full of flavor and everything is just a bit bland. I ended up adding a lot of sauces to my pho in order to make it have more flavor.

I can't say that the food here is horrible... it isn't! If you're in a dire mood for pho, Pho King 4 can scratch that itch for you. If you're a student, the restaurant is close enough that you can just walk on over from campus easily.

Pho King 4 also offers spring rolls, rice dishes, and some other Asian cuisine. To go with my order of pho I tried the pork spring rolls. Pork spring rolls should have an extremely savory BBQ'd taste. But just like the pho here, the flavor is on the lower end of the spectrum. I found myself smothering the spring roll in the sauce it came with in order to add some much needed flavor.

Service/Atmosphere - 
The restaurant has an older vibe to it - it's certainly not fancy or very nice. It's a bit dingy, but it's probably never going to change. So I guess you get what you get!

As for the service, I found it to be adequate. Pho King 4 was having some brisk business but they were attentive to us when we walked in and we were seated in a timely manner. Everything was prompt and there were no issues with customer service. It was good!

Price -
Prices at Pho King 4 are moderate. For around ten bucks you get a big bowl of pho. They also have a big sign in the front that says sandwiches for $4. I'd say that Pho King 4 is generally a good value if you're looking for a meal to fill you up.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
The toughest thing about Pho King 4 is actually getting to it. It's located on a street that doesn't allow cars and much of the parking around the restaurant is for residents with special permits only. If you're there on a weekend, I suggest parking on the street right next to UC Davis and then walking over to the restaurant.

Bottom Line - 
Pho King 4 is a no frills Vietnamese restaurant that delivers nice portions at decent prices. It's a good restaurant for students to visit and it's also one of the few Vietnamese restaurants in town.

Letter Grade

C

Careful how you say the name!

'Small' bowl of pho.

'Large' bowl of pho. There's XL as well but no 'medium' size.

Pork spring rolls and peanut sauce.

There is now DIM SUM at UC DAVIS!

After being in Davis for over 20 years, I don't think I'd ever thought there would be a traditional dim sum place there. But you know what... it happened! Push carts and all are rolling around the former Applebee's location. Well Season has taken over and is brining this authentic Cantonese style of restaurant to cow town.

Food -
Dim sum is very specific. If you're going to get dim sum, you're going to be looking for things like pork buns, har gow, shu mai, and the ever popular chicken legs. And yes! Well Season has all those items and more. Coming on a weekend, the dim sum ladies were rolling their carts around the restaurant and serving a packed dining room.

The dim sum at Well Season is good - not the best ever - but definitely good enough to frequent. It's a lot better than I thought Davis would ever get! The dim sum in general has less of a greasy sheen than most other places. It may be a little less flavorful and authentic, but I think people who don't want to feel really lethargic after the meal will appreciate Well Season's light on the grease approach.

As always, we enjoy ordering a few noodle dishes from the kitchen to round out the dim sum meal. The Hong Kong style noodles were great. It had the right taste, and if you're into seafood, you'll enjoy their version of it. The wet chow fun was excellent as well. The sauce was well-balanced and complimented the noodles nicely. The chow fun dish was one of my favorite things from our meal.

My only disappointment from the meal were the rolled noodles with beef. I thought the texture of the noodle in that dish wasn't as velvety as most places have them. But that's just a small gripe, the overall meal was above my expectation.

Service/Atmosphere - 
Weekends will always provide for a festive atmosphere with many people. At around 12:30, the restaurant was packed with a crowd outside waiting to be seated! The interior of the restaurant is decently spacious as the owners of well season basically just hollowed out the entire Applebee's restaurant so they could put in as many tables as possible. You can hardly tell it was once the place that you'd eat good in the neighborhood.

Service is ok for a dim sum restaurant. The ladies that push the carts do their jobs just fine. Flagging down someone for menu items or getting the final check can be tricky as everyone is running around, but that's just like any other dim sum place on the face of the planet.

Price -
Well Season comes in moderately priced for dim sum. It's always great to go with a large party so that you can split the cost of the meal between everyone. For our party of six, everyone came out to be about twelve bucks each. That's nice for a group of our size, and we all left pretty full.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
Don't overlook the sweet dim sum plates. One of the best items that I had was the 'egg yolk' bun. This is a medium sized bun filled with this runny yellow filling. When you open it up it just starts oozing out. The yellow filling is sweet and oh-so-good! Make sure you try some if you come to Well Season!

Bottom Line - 
If you're in Davis and enjoy dim sum, your prayers have been answered! It's awesome to have a local dim sum place that serves up good dim sum and is close.

Letter Grade

A

Beef with soft noodles.

The ever popular pork buns.

Wet chow fun.

Hong Kong style noodles.

Crispy taro dish.

El Patio comes to Davis

A few Woodland restaurants have ventured into the Davis food scene, but not many. El Patio travels down the 113 to give the folks in Davis a taste of their Mexican cuisine. The menu is full of favorites such as burritos, enchiladas, and tacos as well as tortas, Mexican style burgers, and salads. El Patio occupies a prime location in downtown that is hard to miss. Stop in if you'd like to have try what the people of Woodland have been enjoying for years!

Food -
The menu at El Patio is traditional Mexican food with a few special treats thrown into the mix. On my visit to El Patio I really enjoyed the enchiladas. I was able to get one beef and one cheese and they were heavenly. The wrap was soft and the enchilada sauce was perfect. I probably could have eaten double what I got as they were that easy to eat!

The super nachos were also very enjoyable. They come loaded with cheese, guac, sour cream, and the meat of your choice. All this topped a crispy bed of corn chips. The order was perfect for sharing - the entire family went to town on these.

A surprise for me were the fish tacos. The fish inside comes fried to golden perfection in a portion that was a little larger than I expected. The flavor was on point. I also had the shrimp taco, but given the choice I'd go with the fish all day long.

Overall the food at El Patio is quite good - it certainly has a cleaner, less greasy feeling than many other places. If you're into that style of Mexican food I think you'd enjoy El Patio.

Service/Atmosphere - 
Both the service and the atmosphere were top notch at El Patio. My interaction with the staff was excellent and they were very attentive and friendly. I felt that the staff was excited to be in Davis and that they wanted to give great customer service. In terms of atmosphere, I enjoyed the actual 'patio' inside of the restaurant. It's almost as if you're sitting in a neighbor's yard - excellent concept that works well. I found the inside of the restaurant to be very clean - something that I really look for in a place that I eat at.

Price -
Pricing is moderate at El Patio. I would say that the food prices are that of a mid-priced sit down restaurant (which it is). I believe the quality of the food pairs well with the price. Look to pay between nine and twelve dollars per person when enjoying a meal here.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
Not a lot of places have taco salad anymore, but El Patio does. I know of only one other place in Davis where you can get this famed 'salad'. I wouldn't say it's the healthiest option out there, but the fact that it is on the menu is pretty cool. Every so often I really want a taco salad.

Bottom Line - 
El Patio makes a superb addition to the restaurants in Davis. The food there tastes clean and fresh, and the atmosphere in the restaurant matches that as well.

Letter Grade

A-

You'll know you're there when you see this big window decal.

Salsa and condiments for you to partake of.

Super nachos smothered with cheese, guac, and cream cheese.

A duo of fish tacos.

The enchiladas here are legit.

The massive California burrito.

Churros.

The IM in BurgerIM might stand for Is Meh...

BurgerIMs have been popping up all around the Sacramento area. I've previously been to the one in Natomas, but I didn't get a great sense of the food there since I was in a hurry that day. I went to the new BurgerIM location in downtown Davis to give it another go. I'm always excited when Davis gets some new eats... will BurgerIM be the next big thing? Sadly, methinks not.

Food -
The menu at BurgerIM looks really, really good. In fact, it reminds me a little of Burger Lounges menu. There are a ton of tasty options to select from, and they all sound great! The issue comes when you actually get the food to your table. See, while the flavors are somewhat there, the food is really just so-so in execution. I'm sad as I think there is a lot of potential for this restaurant, but the food - especially the burgers - need a big kick in the pants.

The burger patty and the bun (pretty much 90%) of the burger need improvement. I really want a juicy burger patty that has a delicious tenderness to it. These patties are not that. They are a bit dry and they are shaped as if they came from some sort of patty pressing factory. It just doesn't have a good look to it. And as for the bun... the bun ruined my eating experience. It wasn't rotten or out of code, but it was just too much bread. I felt that was all I was eating as I chowed down on my burger.

To make matters worse, they don't really have fries here. The fries are floppy potato disks. Some are nicer than others. You will find some with a nice texture while others have an oily feel. I'm not sure who thought of these disk-shaped fries, but it was not a great idea. Fries are good as they are already! Sometimes you don't need to be different for different's sake.

Service/Atmosphere - 
The snazzy menu is lit up well, but the overall ambiance of the restaurant is just average. It's not particularly inviting inside the dining room as everything is pretty much metal and grey. My one bright spot during my visit was the gal at the register. She was awesome in helping me select what to get and had a very pleasant attitude about her.

Price -
BurgerIM doesn't break the bank when it comes to the food. I'd say to expect to pay a moderate amount for what you get. This isn't a fast food joint where you just get cheap burgers and fries. It's a sit down restaurant with aspirations of being a trendy place to get a burger. For my burger, 1/2 fries/rings, and a drink, it was a little over twelve bucks.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
I'd skip the fries altogether and just go for the onion rings while dining here. The onion rings have a nice crunch and fry to them. They were the item I actually enjoyed the most during my visit to the restaurant.

Bottom Line - 
I'm not sure if BurgerIM is a place worth visiting. They have some nice bells and whistles, but when it comes to getting the food right, they do it kinda wrong. There are other burger places in town to get a great burger - go to those.

Letter Grade

C

The menu is pretty snazzy.

The burger is a medium sized one.

You can get 1/2 fries and 1/2 rings if you like.

This is what the 'fries' are.

Davis' Beloved Pizza Place - Woodstock's!

Woodstock's Pizza in Davis has been providing students and residents hot and fresh pizzas for years! Locals love to come here for a quality pizza pie as well as for evening entertainment. It's one of my personal favorite pizza places, and I'm always in the mood for Woodstock's. Go for a slice or get an entire pie, both are available!

Food -
Woodstock's Pizza is of course a pizza joint. They specialize in pizza that is of a very high quality. The ingredients used and the combinations they come up with are very flavorful and make you want to keep going for slice after slice. Woodstock's is certainly a level higher than the cheap pizza chains that are all around.

One thing that especially stands out at Woodstock's is their crust. It's a bready crust that has a nice chew to it. Hidden inside is some extra sauce that really adds to the taste. It's a little surprise that makes these pizza's next level. As stated, the crust is more of a soft bready crust, but it isn't too filling. It's easy to eat and will satisfy you more than a thin crust pizza would.

If you're looking for something other than pizza, Woodstock's also carries a lineup of sandwiches and salads. Breadsticks and wings are available as traditional pizza place apps.

The breadsticks (called Wildebread) stands out to me as they are seasoned with a nice blend of garlic and herbs. They aren't like breadsticks you'd get anywhere else, and I totally recommend the kind that comes with cheese. So good!

Apparently, you can get a loaded portion of tater tots now as well. I haven't given these bad boys a try, but they sound absolutely flavorsome. It'll have to be on order for next time!

Service/Atmosphere - 
Woodstock's is basically two sections. There's the pizza place part and the bar part. They are separated by an entry way. Every time I go to Woodstock's the place is alive and full of energy. At lunch hour there's a nice crowd and the buzz of good conversations. Often I'll see kids there in the summer enjoying their pizza.

In the evenings, different activities happen. Sometimes there's live music for people to listen to. Many people love to just hang out at Woodstock's after work. It can get pretty crowded pretty quick!

The servers and workers at Woodstock's have always been kind and courteous. In my years of coming to the restaurant I've never had bad service. That's saying a lot as I've been in Davis for over 20 years. Good job Woodstock's!

Price -
A large specialty pizza runs nearly thirty dollars without a coupon. I suggest looking for coupons as Woodstock's routinely has them in local advertisements. The pizza's are large enough to share easily, so if you are going to split the cost, that is a good idea - particularly for you poor college folk.

Woodstock's isn't cheap by any means, but the quality is here and I'd say the prices fit with the food they serve.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
My favorite thing to do at Woodstock's is to get a slice or two of pizza for a meal. Slices are only available at certain parts of the day (Before 3pm and after 9pm). If you're by yourself and are looking for a quick and delicious meal, slices are the way to go. There are usually a few different types of pizza to select from.

Bottom Line - 
Woodstock's serves up really good pizza. It's one of the best spots you can go to for a delicious pizza pie. I highly recommend Woodstock's Pizza if you want pizza that isn't your run of the mill take-out place. I think it's worth every penny!

Letter Grade

A

Lunch deals and slices are available during certain times of day.

Multiple pizzas can be selected from if you're going for a slice.

A double stack of deliciousness.

Get a box if you need to go!

The Hotdogger at the Davis Farmer's Market

Hamburger places seem to be all over the place... but what about the other classic American 'sandwich'? Well, if you're in Davis, Ca you can go to the Hotdogger. This little restaurant specializes in hot dogs. You can visit its main location in downtown Davis or catch them at their tent during the Davis Farmer's Market. 

Food -
It's pretty simple at the Hotdogger... just get a hot dog! Select from the original hot dog, or get a Polish, chicken, hot link, or corn dog. Once you receive your dog, feel free to pile on the condiments at their station to the side.

Purchasing a hot dog to eat isn't that common. I mean, I rarely go out to a restaurant and order a hot dog. It's a food item that I think of when I host a BBQ or go to a sporting event. The Hotdogger's hot dogs are excellent though. They are certainly not the cheap ones you find at the grocery store for $.99. The wieners in these things are lengthy with plenty of girth. It's a premium dog!

The bun is great too. If you're going to serve a hot dog as your main menu item, the bun is going to be pretty important. These buns are soft, but with the slightest bit of chew to them. They aren't something you could find at your typical grocery place. The bun does its job well without getting in the way of the meat's taste. And that's important.

For me, one hot dog will get my half full, but two would be too much. I'd say these dogs are great for a walk-around snack at the Farmer's Market, but if you're looking for a full on lunch, you may need to go for more food.

Service/Atmosphere - 
The main Hotdogger location is tiny! You definitely couldn't fit many people in there, but it's perfect for dolling out hot dogs to people hanging out in Davis. The Farmer's Market has a totally different vibe. The atmosphere is much more frenetic and there is usually at least a small line for the dogs. After ordering your hot dog you typically have to wait a few minutes for it to be prepped before you it is handed to you. When it does get to you, it's nice and hot!

Price -
For a premium dog, you're going to be paying a price that's higher than you might expect. Their original hot dog is six dollars and the price goes up from there. The hot dogs have a sporting event sort of price to them, so it's not cheap. If you're looking for some inexpensive eats that will fill you up, this is not it. What it is, however, is a treat to enjoy while strolling around on a relaxing Saturday.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
You can top your hot dog with whatever you like, but I would try the different mustards that are available. Most are common, but the Russian mustard is both sweet and spicy. It has a unique flavor that you should see if you like. The Dusseldorf mustard is horse radish based and has a little more kick than your standard mustard. The Dusseldorf is the one I like to go with!

Bottom Line - 
Not all hot dogs are the same. Yes, you can go to Costco and get one of their dogs for a buck fiddy and a drink, but the dogs at the Hotdogger bring a bit more to the table. Perhaps for a college student on a tight budget the Hotdogger may be a stretch, but I do think the Hotdogger is worth purchasing for an extra special hot dog experience!

Letter Grade

A-

Oh Polish dog, I love you!

The Hotdogger sets up shop here at the Davis Farmer's Market.

So many mustard choices to choose from!

Vegan Vietnamese Food

I'm not one to go for vegan food, but my curiosity (and some really good reviews) made me want to check out Chay Corner inside Lazi Cow in Davis for some vegan Vietnamese food. I had to see if it was as good as people said it was. I have to say that I was surprised at how flavorful the food we ordered was. I was genuinely impressed!

Food -
Chay Corner offers up a small menu of vegan Vietnamese cuisine. There are appetizers, banh mis, noodles, and rice dishes, and drinks. On this visit I tried the five spice fried tofu, grilled goodness banh mi, and the pho. I also ordered a drink, but it was the Lazi Cow version rather than the Chay Corner vegan version of the drink.

Since appetizers come first, I'll start with that. The five spice fried tofu was excellent. The tofu cubes had a light fry to them and were covered with the five spice mix. I found myself enjoying the flavor of the spice mix quite a bit. It was pronounced, but certainly not overpowering. The tofu also came out piping hot and fresh. I love it when you know the food is prepared right to order.

The tofu came out pretty quickly, but the main order of pho and the banh mi took about twenty to twenty five minutes to get to the table. It was a little longer than I expected given that the restaurant wasn't at full capacity during our visit. In any case, I was very pleased with the food that came out.

The banh mi was large and reminded me of a subway sandwich. It came filled with the vegan 'meat' as well as traditional banh mi veggies. The 'meat' was surprisingly flavorful and juicy. It substituted extremely well for the real thing. Of course you can tell it isn't real meat, but it was enjoyable and I liked it!

The pho noodles were great as well. It came with the same 'meat' that the banh mi had. I tried the pho after giving the banh mi a try. The 'meat's' texture seemed a little different. I'm not sure if it was because it was sitting for a while before consuming or if it was because it was in broth - in any case, though it was the same, it definitely had a different feel than what it had in the banh mi. Overall I really enjoyed the pho - but more for the noodles and broth that were spot on.

Service/Atmosphere - 
The atmosphere at Lazi Cow is very unique. It has a casual vibe with some unique decorations inside. The main people who come would be college students, and I believe it fits in with that demographic. There is an actual swing inside the restaurant! You won't see that very often!

Though the main items came out slower than I would have liked, I never felt that the staff at Chay Corner were negligent. In fact, the staff was very friendly and accommodating. We needed various things during our meal and the staff happily got us what we requested.

Price -
The vegan aspect of Chay Corner is what causes the price of the items to be higher than most. The banh mi sandwiches are nine dollars with the pho being eleven. That's quite pricey, but given that they are vegan, I think the cost of the food is justifiable. Vegan items are more difficult and costly to make, so there will certainly be a higher price for the food.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
Come for the Vietnamese food, but also try Lazi Cow's menu while you're here. There are a ton of things on the Lazi Cow menu such as milk teas and desserts. If you aren't vegan but have vegan friends, Lazi Cow is the perfect place to go as they can accommodate both preferences!

Bottom Line - 
Tasty vegan Vietnamese food is here! Even if you're not a vegan, the food at Chay Corner is worth checking out. The food tastes excellent with good Vietnamese flavors in each dish. It's a surprising place to eat so come and check it out!

Letter Grade

A-

Five spice crispy tofu appetizer.

Pho with the vegan 'meat'.

The noodles have authentic texture and the broth is flavored nicely.

Pretty hefty banh mi sandwich.

Solomon's Deli in Davis

When I think of Jewish delis, I think of the famous Katz's Deli in New York with their giant sandwiches piled high with pastrami. Solomon's Deli in Davis is a Jewish deli, but this restaurant goes for a more refined style that emphasizes big taste in moderate-sized portions. We've got high quality here, but the price certainly reflects it.

Food -
You'll find a variety of items to order at Solomon's. The menu contains different types of sandwiches, bagels, soups, salads, and other sides. Though these are very typical deli options, I'd say that the quality is step above most places.

Let's talk about their bagels first. They are dense and filling. I typically light lighter, airy bagels so these aren't my favorite, honestly, but the tastes of the bagels are excellent. You can select plain, lava salt, onion, everything, sesame, and poppyseed. Topping-wise you can go with schmears such as roasted beet, dill pickle, or green onion. And you can create a bagel sandwich with smoked salmon nova lox, eggs, whitefish, or pastrami. There are many ways to combine ingredients to make the exact bagel you want. Anyway you get it though, you'll get full as these guys are filling - don't let the size fool you!

As with other Jewish delis, you'll find sandwiches with pastrami and corned beef here. I love the traditional tastes that these sandwiches have. The flavors are strong and pronounced, not lacking at all! I guess the only complaint would be that these sandwiches aren't that large. I always feel like I'd like a bit more when I have one. The famous New York delis have gigantic sandwiches - which I guess is an unfair comparison - but it's one that I think many people will make.

Want something warm? How about some matzo ball soup? This traditional soup isn't something you find in many places, so if you haven't tried it before, this is the place to get it. It's a thin soup with very soft matzo balls in it. It can be ordered by itself or with half a sandwich.

Service/Atmosphere - 
Both service and atmosphere are great here. The customer service bends over backwards to give you a great experience. I took my son here and the server asked if he wanted a plain bagel to chew on (on the house)! We, of course, said yes and he absolutely devoured the thing.

Solomon's Deli is beautiful inside and out with a great dining space. The decor is hip and trendy with comfortable places to sit.

One thing I've got to talk about is the napkins. Why the napkins? Who talks about napkins? Well, these are worth mentioning. These things were super high quality. They are disposable napkins like any other but have a thickness and softness to them that I've never seen in a restaurant before. I felt bad using it because it was so nice! No joke!

Price -
Here's where you may be deterred from visiting Solomon's. The prices here are definitely on the higher side with medium-sized sandwiches costing thirteen dollars. Adding sauerkraut and cheese will add two more dollars to the price. That's a lot no matter how you look at it. You just have to ask yourself if you're willing to pay that much. Bagel sandwiches are a bit less painful on the wallet as they run about eight bucks each. A regular bagel is two dollars with the extra costs coming with each topping you put on it.

It's not uncommon to spend thirty bucks for two people. So just be warned that if you want to get full, you'll be forking out some money here.

I think the establishment is a bit too expensive for a place like Davis. I would love to see this restaurant succeed and stay for a long time, I'll cross my fingers for them!

Special Tips and Recommendations -
This was not on the regular menu, but I saw a sign that said that they had matzo ball ramen. MATZO BALL RAMEN!!! This is something I've got to try or have someone try and tell me about! That seems like a totally crazy combo to me. Give it a shot!

Bottom Line - 
Solomon's Deli is a sweet delicatessen that offers some of the highest quality eats in Davis. The high quality comes with a pretty steep price so keep that in mind when choosing to stop here for a meal.

Letter Grade

B

My reuben sandwich with bagel chips on the side.

Bonnie's chicken salad sandwich is piled high.

Lox and plain schmear in a poppyseed bagel.

A fun atmosphere to hang out in and chat.

I got these free pins and sticker on my visit. Get them before they're gone forever!

Davis' Favorite Taiwanese Restaurant

Hometown in Davis has been around for many years, however, their location has switched places quite a few times. They've been in West Davis, a gas station, a second story location in downtown, and now a new location in downtown. No matter where they've been in this college town, they have given their patrons authentic Taiwanese dishes that really hit the spot!

Food -
Hometown has changed their menu over the years. Their previous location had a wide variety of things to choose from including a full selection of milk teas. They have since dropped the milk tea bar and slimmed down the menu to only their best items. I think this is a fabulous idea as it gives customers only the very best of what Hometown offers. Even though the menu is smaller, there are still plenty of items to select from. And I have a hard time choosing exactly which dish I would like when I go.

I'd say the most popular item at Hometown is the beef noodle soup. It's a large bowl of noodles along with savory broth and tender cubes of beef. It's a very warming meal that is perfect on a cold day. The menu indicates that the dish is spicy, but I found it to be just a tad spicy - definitely nothing that will scorch your tongue.

If I'm feeling more like a rice dish, I typically get either their chicken plate or their hock meat bowl. The cut of chicken you get when you get the chicken plate is quite large and comes with a tasty crispy skin. It is accompanied by rice, some hock meat, and egg, and green beans. The hock meat (which is a flavorful pork) is a simple rice bowl with just the meat, egg, and some green beans. Basically it's just more of the chicken dish without the chicken.

Also on the menu are dumplings, cold noodles, and other rice plates and soups. Each item has a distinctly Asian taste to it. It's a taste that is hard to describe, but I'd say that it is a taste that reminds many Asian visitors of home.

Service/Atmosphere - 
There aren't too many workers at Hometown. It's usually just the wife and husband duo and a server or two helping to get the food out. The wife is usually at the register while the husband takes care of ALL the cooking. I've found that the wife is very friendly to talk to and will engage with you in some conversation. She speaks Cantonese, so if you do too, feel free to order in that language and fire up some friendly talk!

The dining area at Hometown is relatively large. There are two areas to eat in - the main area in front of the ordering counter and the sides close to the windows. The center area has large tables enough for six to eight people. You could easily get a bigger group to come and enjoy a meal together.

The overall atmosphere of Hometown is clean and functional. It's not really decorated in a way that is trendy or modern, but the place just gets the job done.

Price -
Dishes at Hometown hit at about the ten dollar mark. The portion sizes of the dishes are appropriate for the asking price and can definitely fill you up. I mentioned the chicken plate before, and it is quite large for just over ten dollars. I'd say that Hometown is a moderately priced restaurant that you can visit frequently without breaking the bank.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
Since there is only one cook (the husband), it can take a long time to get your food - especially at a rush hour during lunch or dinner time. If you're in a hurry, you may want to skip out and try someplace else. At one of their former locations, I had to wait almost 45 minutes for my order to come out. Just be very mindful of this if time is limited for you. It really is best to come when the restaurant is less full of people.

Bottom Line - 
Hometown is a Davis institution and is well worth a visit. Because it's a mom and pop type operation (and mom and pop are getting older), it's not going to be here forever. Come and get your Taiwanese fix in before they decided to shut the doors forever!

Letter Grade

A-

Beef noodle soup.

Rice plate with delicious sauce and an egg.

Chicken and shrimp noodle soup.

Small menu with just the favorites from years past.

T-Kumi Ramen in Davis

Yay! Another ramen place in Davis! I LOVE Yakitori Yuchan, but T-Kumi is another wonderful place for ramen! They also have milk teas, rice bowls, and other appetizers to satisfy any cravings you may have. **Introduction changed due to some taking offense to the wording used in the initial introduction. Anyways, hope you enjoy the review and my personal regular guy nothing special opinion!

Food -
T-Kumi has a sign out that asks its patrons to be patient with the time it takes for them to get the food out to you because each dish is made fresh when ordered. They claim that 'fresh is the best'! And for the most part, it's true of the food here at T-Kumi. I found that the items here are a step above the average Asian food place you find in Davis (except for Yakitori Yuchan - that place is quality city!). For whatever reason, restaurants have taken the lower quality, lower price approach to dining in this college town. I guess that caters to the poor college student, but nowadays getting delicious food that doesn't suck is becoming more and more a priority than just filling yourself up with garbage. People's standard have gone up!

The highest quality item on the menu by far is the ramen. And it should be since they claim to be a ramen place first and foremost. I found the ramen to be very good, but not in the upper echelons of great ramen. All the ingredients were great, but I think it needed just a little more complexity to the flavor to get it to where it needed to go. One that that was at a high level was the pork slices though. Oh man... they were extremely tender and had flavor for days. Get the other ingredients to match that level of quality and T-Kumi's ramen could be my favorite ever!

The next best thing at T-Kumi was actually the lemon tea drink I ordered. I was a bit skeptical about getting it because often times I don't like the way boba cafes make this type of beverage. They usually turn out too sweet or too tart or too watered down. It was not so with the drink here. The lemon flavor was perfectly smooth. I think it's because they actually add some passion fruit juice to balance out the flavor. So smart!

The two most disappointing items I had during my visit were the rice bowl and crispy tofu. The crispy tofu wasn't that crispy actually... and ordering it with medium spice levels didn't really provide any heat at all. The tofu was a bit clunky and large rather than delicately fried little cubes of amazingness. I probably wouldn't get them again unless they improve it. And as for the rice bowl... well... that was a regrettable purchase. It turns out the chicken was cooked burnt with a very dry texture. I thought it was edible, but my wife absolutely did not. And to add insult to injury, the broccoli was quite stiff.

So when it comes to food at T-Kumi, I'd recommend just getting the ramen. The other items may be ok, but I think the majority of the effort is in the ramen - so that's the best bet.

Service/Atmosphere - 
I found the servers at T-Kumi to be friendly even though they had to deal with long lines of people wanting to get food. I think they did their best to keep things moving at a good pace. So I didn't have any issues with the servers there.

In terms of atmosphere, the restaurant is nicely decorated. I appreciate the effort put into some furnishings as this has not always been the case with restaurants that open in Davis. My only wish is that there was more space in the restaurant. With the amount of people wanting to come in for food, there simply isn't enough tables to seat everyone. On my visit I ended up sitting at a table right next to the long line to the register. I could deal with it, but the situation certainly wasn't ideal.

And one big flaw for me was that T-Kumi didn't have any high chairs for babies. I'm sure college students were the main focus of the owners, but seating for babies is pretty much a must-have for any restaurant. It's an easy fix, so I hope they are able to bring some in sooner rather than later.

Price -
The prices at T-Kumi aren't too bad. Ramen ranges from about ten to twelve bucks. If you'd like to have more noodles, the option is there for another buck at the time of this review. Drinks are around the four dollar range with appetizers at six to seven and rice bowls around ten. I found the pricing to be rather fair for the quality and amount of food given.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
If you want to come to T-Kumi, first of all... make sure to look up when you arrive at the address! The restaurant is located on the SECOND FLOOR on the RIGHT SIDE of the business area. And be sure to come earlier than peak eating times. I arrived at T-Kumi right before 12 and the line wasn't bad. A couple minutes later the line went to the door and there were no tables left to sit at! So be mindful of the time you choose to go to this restaurant.

As for a food recommendation, of course I recommend the ramen. Make sure you get the pork slices as they are very, very flavorful!

Bottom Line - 
Other than Yakitori Yuchan, T-Kumi has some of the best ramen you can get in Davis. They also have a lot of other fun menu items that I'm sure will peak your interest. I can already tell that this restaurant will be very popular to those in Davis, so make sure you beat the rush and get here early.

Letter Grade

A-

The restaurant is located on the 2nd level.

Apparently the food is FRESH.

Lemon tropical tea is smoooooooth.

The rice bowls could use some improvement.

Just get the ramen. You'll be happy!