Shannon "WOT... Boddah You???" F.'s Profile

Despite some of the negative reviews sprinkled on here, I gave Kalesa an honest chance. I was not disappointed!

First off, I thought the atmosphere was impressive. Decor was nice, contemporary & not "TOO filipino". The hostess & wait staff were very professional; not like some other Filipino restaurants I've been to, where if you don't speak Tagalog, you're a disgrace. See, I was born & raised in Hawai'i of 3rd generation Filipino parents, my mother being 'mistiza' (mixed) or in Hawai'i we call it "Hapa" or half. So Tagalog wasn't nearly a second language to me, since my parents didn't speak it and their parents didn't really either. If anything, I was familiar with some of the bad words...

Ok, back to the food...

(2) orders of Garlic Rice, (2) orders of Pork BBQ & (2) orders of Chicken BBQ, Lechon Kawali (chunks of roasted pork), Crispy Pata (deep fried pigs feet), Broaster Chicken, Sisig (see below) & Shanghai Lumpias (small pork filled egg rolls)...Putanginashiet, bro!!! (I told you I know some bad words)

Just for the record: EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS.

The only complaint I had, if any, was that the Pork BBQ could have been grilled about 2 minutes more, for that charred finish, and a little easier on the BBQ sauce. Other than that, I have nothing negative to say. Oh yeah, just a note: THE BBQ STICKS ARE HUGE. We underestimated them by ordering 2 orders (3 sticks each order), hence, the large portions of take home.

My favorite out of that mound of food was the Sizzling Sisig...no wonder it's their signature dish...Bits of pork marinated in soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, calamansi juice, chopped onions, then saute'd and topped with onions & peppers then served on a sizzling platter......mmmmmm!!!! I know the original dish uses pig ears as the meat but at Kalesa, I think they might use thin cut pork steak. (the texture didn't seem anything like pig ear) Honestly, I probably could've ordered the Sisig and some garlice rice and been completely happy! They also had a huge wok full of an impressive seafood paella, which our waiter recommended...maybe next time.

Just to top it off I ordered the Halo Halo for dessert, while the others with me opted for the the Turon (fried banana lumpia) a la mode (with vanilla ice cream). They loved the Turon, I loved my Halo Halo. We loved Kalesa. Exact star level would've been 4.5. End of review.

Ehhh, 'sawright... It's a buffet, so off the bat I wasn't expecting a five star experience. They were out of rice when we first got there. (I know, WTF?) The sushi was decent, not sushi bar-quality, but it sufficed.

Another thing that was kinda ghetto was that they had the "Mongolian BBQ" station available but there wasn't initially anyone there to cook. You had to "ring bell for service". Also, was there was ice poured over the meat selection in the Mongolian BBQ station, to somewhat 'refrigerate' them. Now, the concoction you come up with in spite of all that is great, depending on what YOU think tastes good together. =P

One thing I commend them for is their selection of seafood, especially during lunch: King crab legs, salt & pepper crab, salt & pepper shrimp, bacon wrapped shrimp, clams, oysters, mussels... Now it's my understanding that they don't ALWAYS have seafood during lunch, might be only weekends. Overall, it was okay...will I go back? Maybe...

This is probably the best place on First Street to grab some cheap eats and people watch. The food is excellent and they have a great selection of beers on tap. Their signature Carnitas Sandwich is awesome! Anytime you get slow roasted & fried pork on a French roll, with pepper jack cheese & grilled onions, you can't go wrong. Throw in some beer battered fries and you're set!

Outdoor seating is a definite plus, especially now that the weather is good. They also have patio seating in the back, if inside is too crowded. I imagine this place has gotta be the place to be during Football season...My only regret is that it took me 3 years to finally make it down to this joint!

Nice little NY Pizza joint & they sell by the slice, so that's always a plus. I had 3 slices my first time here...just to give you an idea on what I thought about it. It's got some "hometown" decor to it, not sure how long it's been around but it looks like it's got it's 'locals'. You also gotta love how it's open late night! I read some people's reviews about it being greasy or floppy crusted...umm, yeah, that's what New York style pizza is. Just fyi.

Too bad for the bankruptcy & shut down. I enjoyed the $39 HNL to ITO flights while they lasted. I hope all the employees are able to find work soon...

1st of all, Peet's Coffee spits on Starbucks... This location is excellent, especially if you're taking a walk to the Metreon, YB Gardens or the Zeum. Minus 1 star for the bum that asked me for .25, dropped the quarter I gave her into her empty cup... then pulled out some real cash to pay for her coffee. I should've got my .25 cents worth and asked her for a sip...

Great food & drinks (I ordered my usual: Taro Milk tea w/tapioca balls & Popcorn chicken, Fried Lobster balls)...but for a place named "Quickly", I found that to be a little ironic.
I don't know if the it was the girls' first day or she was mad that we brought some Tuttimelon into her 'domain' but she sure did take her sweet @$$ time. I had to actually flag down the cook in the back because I think she gave our 1st order of Popcorn Chicken to someone else. Thankfully, he made another order for us.
Then when I tried to order myself a taro Milk Slush...well, like I said she took her sweet @$$ time...and I eventually left without waiting any longer...and without my Taro Milk Slush...
Sucks because the product is actually good, service just sucks. I guess next time, I'll just take veryone else's advice: Grab your order and GO!

I TRIED to go here twice in one day. First, was at 10am, but "Nothing is ready", he tells me. Then I go at 5:07pm..."We're closed" he tells me.
Bastard guy.
I'll attempt to patronize this business some other time. Hopefully they earn more stars from me.

***UPDATE***

So I got to make a stop here this past weekend, before dropping my sister off. It was around 3 pm, so they were now "ready" but not yet "closed".

I ordered the Shish Kabob plate, with the grilled onion & lentil rice & a side order of falafels. The lamb was good, yet a little on the chewy/tough side. I was a little disappointed with the small portions and that they wouldn't let me have the falafels as one of my side dishes, so I had 2 orders of the rice instead and just ordered 2 falafels. The falafels were delicious! But then I had some of my sisters tabouli salad, which I wasn't a whole lot impressed by.

Overall, this place was so-so...The food was decent but not unforgettable. Knowing me, I'll give this place another try, maybe give the shawarma a chance? I really want to like this place, I really do...

Definitely a great place to bring your kids! I just wish we had gone a little earlier (we got there at 3:30pm but they close at 5pm). The clay animation area was hit with my kids. They have so many cool things to do there and you get to keep whatever you "create". It's perfectly situated in the same area as the Metreon, Yerba Buena Gardens and they have a good size playground outside and that huge carousel. Spend a day with your kids out here, you can't go wrong!

The last time we went to Alcatraz was 13 years ago. If I recall correctly, it was through the Blue & Gold fleet and the ride was a little rougher. I do recommend the Cellhouse Audio Tour. Very informative and not too long and drawn out. (A big plus if you have kids.) Give yourself at least 3 hours there, there's more to see than just the things the audio tour will take you to. If there's room and it's a nice day out, sit up top! You'll get an excellent view of the SF Bay.