Restaurant Review: Maxine Kitchen

By Esther Lau Opinion Editor

Service

Nestled in a warehouse plaza, Maxine Kitchen is a mom-and-pop Taiwanese food vendor that rotates around multiple Bay Area locations. After the Smoke Signal’s visit to its main outpost in Hayward, we concluded that Maxine Kitchen’s cult following is rightfully earned by its authentic flavor and nostalgic taste. Beyond that, however, it felt like a letdown. It’s still worth a visit to satisfy any cravings for Taiwanese food; otherwise, it’s safe to skip.

Ambience

Maxine Kitchen primarily operates through a Facebook group with more than 15,000 loyal customers in the Bay Area placing orders through post comments. Customers have three hours to pick up their order, and must pay a surcharge if they wish to use a card instead of cash. There is minimal customer-to-staff interaction; upon entering the quaint warehouse establishment, the staff asks for customers’ order numbers and promptly brings the order out in an eco-friendly bag. There is also a self-serve utensil station with individually packaged forks, chopsticks, and napkins.

rating: 7/10

Food

Out of Maxine Kitchen’s three most popular fantuans (rice burritos with fillings such as fried dough, braised tofu, egg, pork sung, and pickled vegetables) and two best-selling bento boxes, only the Taiwanese Railroad Porkchop Bento left a lasting impression. Its meat was well-seasoned, tender, and juicy, and the side dishes of fish cake, tea egg, corn, and broccoli served as a balancing complement. Unfortunately, despite the tender meat, the Fried Chicken Bento was only average, as the fried batter became soggy and hard to chew over time. The Original Fantuan, Spicy Purple Rice Fantuan, and Scallion Egg Fantuan carried the same effect, as the once-flavorful bites grew repetitive and the sticky rice became exhausting to chew. But, credit must be given to Maxine Kitchen for its authentic flavors that transport customers back to Taiwan, even if just for a short moment.

rating: 6.5/10

Value

At the price range of $6 to $7.50, Maxine Kitchen’s fantuans are several dollars cheaper than others in the Bay Area such as Xiaoman Riceburrito and Old Taro. But, while the bento boxes’ price of $12 to $16 are average, the meager portions are a disappointment — a more filling meal can be purchased for the same price at other restaurants.

rating: 5/10 rating: 6.5/10

(Note: As Maxine Kitchen does not have seating options and only offers takeout, ambience was determined by the establishment’s interior decor and overall atmosphere.)

Maxine Kitchen is situated in a homey, albeit small, warehouse unit, decorated with posters and signage reflecting Taiwanese culture. Shelves stocked with Taiwanese snacks and staple items that are otherwise rarely found in the Bay Area surround the order pickup area and are available for purchase. Due to the lack of seating, however, be prepared to take your meal elsewhere to enjoy.

By Jennie Wang & Ayushi Kashyap Web Editor & Staff Writer

Illuminated only by the studded glow of the large heart on stage, a crowd of nearly 2,000 eager fans rose to their feet and craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the artist of the night. As the stage fnally burst into light, Sabrina Carpenter herself emerged into view, a roar of cheers sweeping across the audience.

The concert was held in The Warfeld, one of San Francisco’s most popular concert venues, as part of Carpenter’s emails i can’t send tour on April 14. The show opened with a performance from Claire Chicha, known as spill tab, a French-Korean musician recognized for her innovative bedroom pop sounds and layered lof tracks. Her powerful vocals, combined with her dramatic head bobs and confdent dance moves, electrifed the crowd. She showcased her dynamic musicality by singing in French to another one of her popular songs, “Calvaire,” and closed off her opening act by performing her own rendition of “Yeah! (feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris)” by Usher, Lil Jon, Ludracis, softly strumming her ukelele to contrast the gaudy and boisterous original version of the song.

During the intermission following spill tab’s opening act, the staff played popular radio songs while setting up the stage, most notably queuing “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” by Taylor Swift, which had the entire audience singing along. Carpenter emerged stage left in a sea of red light, wearing a glittering, sequined dress and tall white boots, and as the stage lights shone on her, she seemed to be glowing from within.

Fans went all out for the concert, singing and cheering their hearts out while decked out in Sabrina Carpenter merch and waving signs for her to notice. Fans screamed out “I can’t read your mind,” as Sabrina opened her set with her popular, upbeat song “Read your Mind,” and slowly waved their phone fashlights to the beat of “how many things,” an emotional song exploring themes of heartbreak and unrequited love.

Carpenter intermixed her songs with necessary words of wisdom, refecting on her time and growth through her relationships. She mused about the uncertainty that came with being in her early 20s, as well as the process of fguring herself out with respect to her relationships.

To transition into her song “Tornado Warnings,” she recounted a story of how the pain and suffering that she experienced helped her come to the realization that everyone is placed in your life for a reason. The rapport Carpenter created with her audience throughout her setlist added to the show’s appeal as fans were left feeling fulflled and content from her gracious thank you to the long-awaited “Nonsense” outro that Carpenter customizes for each tour date.

Although both Carpenter and spill tab performed their setlists fawlessly, with the crowd even demanding and receiving an encore for her songs “Nonsense” and “Sue Me,” the real issue with the concert began after it ended. The sheer size of the crowd made it diffcult to navigate to the exits, and staff members themselves were confused about where the merchandise, bag check, and exit lines were located. No notifcation was sent to concertgoers about the clear bag policy as The Warfeld does not employ a poli cy. Consequently, the staff was overwhelmed by the number of peo ple forced to use the bag check, a process enforced by Carpenter’s tour managers. This end ed up causing chaos as a large portion of the audi ence lined up through the venue’s lobby and stage areas for over three hours until 1 a.m. in an attempt to regain their checked bags. Fans were left annoyed and stir-crazy by the lack of trans parency and communication from both the venue and the tour personnel which could have avoided the situation. With what could only be described as a perfect concert, the sour taste left at the end by poor organization did not manage to ruin the overall experience. As the red heart bal loons fell on an ecstatic crowd, Sabrina Carpenter’s performance at The Warfeld on April 14 end ed with her encore performance. The night full of incredible perfor mances, excited fans, and fashing lights left the audience feeling emotional, moved, and eagerly looking forward to Carpenter’s next tour date. ▪

Mountaineering, also known as attaining, involves climbing up to high peaks or up-sloped formations in mountainous ranges. Though similar to rock climbing, mountaineering focuses on the summiting of mountains, while rock climbing centers around the climbing of vertical cliffs. Today, mountaineers use special equipment to handle these environments. “You need good shoes, crampons, and an ice axe when climbing glacial mountains,” Chemistry Teacher Oana Seremeta said. Seremeta has been mountaineering for years and has climbed harrowing peaks, such as Cotopaxi just before an eruption. Since mountaineering also touches on an array of environments and terrains, many related activities are essential to the sport, such as rock climbing and skiing. Mountaineers must beware of many hazards, including altitude sickness, extreme temperatures, and treacherous terrain. In addition, they must carry all of their equipment with them, leading to a taxing journey. Some nearby mountain ranges include Mount Diablo and White Mountain Peak.