Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)+Underworld: Blood Wars (2017) @ West Wind Drive-in

Double Feature:

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)

Watch the Trailer here - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2592614/

Underworld: Blood Wars (2017)

Watch the Trailer here - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3717252/


The West Wind Drive-In is one of Billy's favorite places to catch a movie. Primarily because we practically always go and splurge on food and snacks we can bring with us. This is an outdoor drive-in theatre so your seat is going to be either your car or the chairs you bring along. The tickets are much more affordable as you can watch two movies for barely the price of one in a regular movie theatre! They have double features going on every night and I'm talking new movies! Tuesdays are even better with their Family Fun Night discounts. They also do have restrooms, a snack bar, and a playground for the little ones. 

Tonight we went the childhood horror movie series throwback with their new features.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
This is, as the title of the movie states, the "Final Chapter" of the Resident Evil series. This is their 6th movie installment. For anyone seeking to start this series, it is about the zombie apocalypse brought upon the world by the T-virus that was released from Umbrella Corp. and Alice is the main character trying to take them down. In this final chapter, there's not much humans left alive on the face of the Earth. Alice must now return to where it all started - The Umbrella Corp.'s Hive to stop them from their final strike and end the apocalypse once and for all. There were some twists thrown in here and there - fear factor wise, not the scariest of their series but it was more so for the storyline.

Underworld: Blood Wars
This is the 5th of their movie series. For those seeking to start the series, this is about an eternal vampire & lycan war. Selene, a trained and true vampire death dealer, is betrayed countless times; finds love only to lose them; works to end the eternal war between vampires and lycans. This movie is action-packed and continues the storyline of the series. I liked this film - but then again I'm a sucker for vampire movies.

Split (2017) @ Cinelux Almaden

Split (2017)

Watch the Trailer here - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4972582/


The Cinelux Almaden Cafe & Lounge theatre is a nice local place to catch a movie. The theatre we were in had leather seats with a little give to them and it wasn't too packed. It looks like they have special discount prices for Matinee, Students (with ID), and on Tuesdays that're worth checking out. 

Now onto the movie - Split is a great psychological thriller worthy of a big-screen viewing. Split is about a man who suffers from multiple-personality disorder. Now by multiple...I mean 23 going on to 24 different personalities; each identity fighting to be in the "light". One of his personalities abducts three women as a sacrifice for his up and coming 24th persona. These women are trying to escape - but they never know which persona they will be encountering next. Its got a great storyline going on with back-stories to follow to dive you deeper into the characters. It's educational borderline exaggerated but it definitely gets you thinking and I would recommend this movie. Fair warning, this is not a typical horror movie if that's what you thought it may be - it's more on the psychological thriller aspect.

Kula Revolving Sushi Bar

19600 Vallco Pkwy Ste 160, Cupertino, CA 95014

http://www.kulausa.com/

Once you arrive, there is a tablet outside for you to type your information (phone/email, your preference) and choose whether you want a table/bar/first available seating and their system will automatically keep you updated on when your seat is ready. It's a no wonder there was a wait even on a weeknight (approx. 15min. for us), Kula Revolving Sushi Bar is a great concept for the Silicon Valley. 

Once seated, the host will ask if it's your first time, and if it is, they will send your waiter over to show you how everything works. There is a touchscreen that you can browse and order from. There are two belts - the top belt is for food you order (it's sent right to you) and the bottom belt has their endless revolving array of sushi, appetizers and desserts. There is a name card for each item so you know just what it is. Each plate has a covering; to open it, all you need to do is grab the plate and lift it gently, it will sense the motion and open it for you to take - how awesome is that? There is a plate disposal at your table and for every 5 plates you put in, you get to watch a little clip; for every 15 plates, you get a little prize (notepad, pen, etc.). The screen will also display how many plates you've consumed and what you've ordered. 

We tried their Tonkatsu Ramen to fill us up a bit so we wouldn't go too crazy on the sushi, it arrived on the top belt for us to open and enjoy. The chasu was cut a bit too thick for my liking, but the noodles and the broth were so hearty and flavorful. We also had 15 plates of their sushi and bites (ok, we had 14 and were just shy of 15 - give us a break). Each plate had either 1-4 pieces of sushi on them and they had a pretty good variety. Each plate is $2.25 and other items on the menu seemed pretty affordable, everything seemed to fall around $5 or less, including the ramen. To finish off, we tried their soy milk donut which came with ice cream, and it is a definite must try to end your meal - it was delicious to say the least. We clicked check-out on the touchscreen and our waitress was at our table instantly. Our water was constantly refilled and the speed of the waiters here was scary, but remarkable! The concept of this place, would probably attract a wide crowd, from families to couples to friends, etc.

Noodles Pho Me

377 Bancroft Ave. San Leandro, CA 94577

http://noodlesphome.weebly.com/

Noodles Pho Me is a Laotian cuisine restaurant. They have a nice comfy feel to them, their food is made fresh and nice and homey, they have an open kitchen and it's amazing how clean they keep it, and what tops it off is the staff that go around chatting with you and making sure you feel right at home. At the beginning of your meal, they offer for you to taste test their broth, which I thought was amazing because I've never experienced that at a restaurant. They brought out a cup of each broth on a tray for us each to taste test, which made deciding that much easier for us! 

Although they're called Noodles Pho Me, this is not your average Vietnamese pho; they are a Laotian cuisine and thus comparing the two are kind of irrelevant. My mother would actually make these type of noodle soups so I've personally had these dishes homemade and I love it. It's so much more savory and packed with such wonderful flavors. For starters, we had their egg rolls and chicken satay and they were both delicious. Billy had their Combo Pho and I had their Khao Soy. We both enjoyed our meals and hope to bring family by sometime, because how often do you come across a good Laotian restaurant in the bay?

Blurr Kitchen

2374 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95050

http://www.blurrkitchen.com/

We ordered their BBQ Chicken and Roasted Pork Banh Mi, which came with the choice of either salad or fries, we chose fries and so glad we did, the fries are ridiculously delicious. Also ordered their Chicken Wings and Fresh Summer Rolls for appetizers. Our take on their theme was an Asian fusion, fast food take out kind of set up with their hot dishes that you could pick and choose from or you could order off their menu. 

We weren't expecting the fast food to go take on this restaurant until we entered, so we opted to order from their menu. Unfortunately, although with not many others in at the time, the wait for our meal was much longer than you'd find at most places; especially with their fast food to go theme going on. However, it seems the chef felt sorry for the wait as well, as he actually hand delivered our meal himself. Then again, perhaps that is a concept they have going on for people who order off the menu? We weren't quite sure, but nonetheless the gesture was greatly appreciated. The food was good, not the best Banh Mi we've had (again I've had plenty, growing up in an Asian household), felt a bit Americanized, but good. The fries stood out the most, and we'd probably go back for them again.

Jastea

2671 Cropley Ave, San Jose, CA 95132

Okay, so this venture was for their pandan egg puff ice cream cone. The closest location I've heard of that serves any type of egg puff ice cream cones would be in SoCal and I've yet to venture down for their take on it. 

First off, we came in close to closing time for them. Yes, I know, patience and cravings don't quite go well together. So it was kind of a long shot on whether we'd even get to order it. Luckily, they helped us with our order and didn't even rush us or the other guests as they were closing up. The egg puff itself isn't the original flavour you'd probably find at most places, however, it's actually pandan flavored. So if you've ever had one of those delicious green pandan waffles, then you know this is a must try. They also give you the option for unlimited toppings with your ice cream. 

We chose the mint chocolate chip ice cream, drizzled with chocolate, covered in marshmallows, and served with cookies and creme pocky and it was wonderful! To be honest, I was worried that the egg puff waffle cone would be soggy on the bottom but they cooked it to the perfect consistency of soft and chewy on the inside with a nice and crispy outer shell. The wait wasn't long and I love how I could smell the pandan waffle as they were making it. I would definitely return to try another the next time my sweet cravings hit, and I absolutely love how there's a location that even serves this in the South Bay/Silicon Valley!

Eat Drink SF

http://eatdrink-sf.com/

Eat Drink SF is an amazing event hosted by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. This was our first year going and we're so happy we did! They had a four day event where you purchase your ticket for the Grand Tasting event, whether you chose the day or night pass; each included a variety of bay area local restaurants, breweries, wineries, and the like. The only price you pay is the ticket itself; once you're in, you have an unlimited array of food, drinks, and swag to go around! They even have cooking demonstrations and classes to further your knowledge. 

You're free to mingle with the vendors or even the foodies all around you. They made it even easier by offering a little backyard gaming section. If you do plan to go in the future, I'd definitely recommend you look into which businesses will be present during which event so you know what kind of food/drinks you can be looking forward to, or leave it a surprise, and it's totally your choice if you wish to spring for VIP access. It was a wonderful event and we hope more cities begin doing this as it spreads awareness of so many of our local establishments and we hope to return in the future!