Photo: Ashley Teplin
• Michael Bauer appreciates the ambition of Oakland's Bocanova in his two-star review, but the new-ish restaurant falls a little short on service, especially with an unusually divided menu. "No one tells you that, nor did our servers offer advice on how to order." [SF Chronicle]
• Patricia Unterman, fresh from a trip to China, visited Old Mandarin to help mitigate the return culture shock. "Every regular orders No. 62, Peking Beef Pancake ($8.50), a buoyantly crisp, savory, multilayered, deep fried bread, filled with chopped beef, luscious with a drizzle of hoisin sauce." [SF Examiner]
