Santa Rosa Plaza food court: best to worst
Gengis Khan BBQ at the Santa Rosa Plaza foodcourt (Ruby Costa, The Puma Prensa)
Written By: Ruby Marie, features editor
Everybody loves to eat. Santa Rosa certainly lacks no food diversity, including the popular Santa Rosa Plaza food court. It's convenient and easily accessible for adults and students alike, especially students who can ride the bus downtown for free. The food court is full of various flavors and prices, with something for everyone, but sometimes, so many options can be overwhelming.
If you plan on visiting soon, be sure to keep in mind that not every restaurant is worth your time; but some definitely are. After eating at all nine, I can safely share the best bang for your buck and which one you should skip.
The restaurant that blew me away the most is relatively new to the food court, coming up on one year this February. Gengis Khan BBQ offers Mongolian-style noodles, served buffet style, with a unique cooking method and endless choices. First, customers will choose whether to build their bowl or get a combo meal, which includes a bowl, two sides, and a drink. You can also get various sides like rice and soup by themselves or fountain drinks and juice. If you build your bowl, you can add multiple toppings separated into two categories. Protein comes first, which gives the option of beef, pork, chicken, turkey, or shrimp (for an added fee). Add more meat than you think you’ll want, as it will shrink quite a bit when cooked. The next step is to add your vegetables, though some choices like mushrooms and pineapple are also available. You’ll also be able to pick what spice level you’d prefer–mild, medium, spicy, or no spice–and whether you want garlic and oil. The toppings you choose will then be thrown onto a large grill behind the counter and cooked with a large serving of noodles and plenty of oil. Pro tip: be smart when choosing your toppings. Though you must limit your toppings to the provided bowl, you can pile them as high as you’d like, so use your space well. When eating your final creation, you can grab a plastic fork or a disposable pair of chopsticks, and free soy sauce packets are offered at the checkout counter.
While I’ve had noodles from many different places, this restaurant is undoubtedly one of my favorites. The serving was large enough to leave me with leftovers, and the taste was authentic and rich. All the toppings were completely cooked through, as well as the noodles themselves, and the blend of flavors was familiar but also strikingly unique. It was hard to believe I’d gotten my food from the mall, not a five-star restaurant, and I had almost no critiques. The only downsides are the price and the line; higher quality food accounts for higher prices and more popularity. I built a bowl for the total price of seventeen dollars, plus a little more with tax, and got a drink for an additional three. It's worth the extra cost, and I certainly think the other food court restaurants can’t compare.
Happy Lemon bubble tea shop in the Santa Rosa Plaza foodcourt (Ruby Costa, The Puma Prensa)
The option that didn’t impress on quite the same level was Happy Lemon, a bubble tea shop originating in Taiwan. The cute name and bright packaging are deceptive, and Happy Lemon offers a range of pretty bland drinks. Whether you come for a bubble tea, smoothie, or slushy, you will be disappointed when you take your first sip. Especially when placed next to the vibrant Paradise Fruit Co., Happy Lemon’s flavors just don’t meet the same expectations.
I ordered a Thai iced tea, and though poking the straw into the lid was fun, that's about where my happiness stopped. I could taste the black tea, but the token near-sickening sweetness that Thai iced tea is known for was absent. The cup was also pretty small for five or so dollars, though most places at the food court are overpriced. While my bland drink might have been healthier, the super sugary taste I expected when taking a sip out of the vibrant collared drink was absent, and it’s a massive disappointment for such a cute shop.
Another thing that annoyed me was the menu. It's pretty user-friendly in person, but to access it online, you have to download their app. While it wasn’t a massive deal, the other restaurants I ate from all offered a full menu on their website and a spot to place an order online.
The Santa Rosa Plaza food court is a wonderful addition to the already popular mall, from big fast food chains to small family-owned restaurants. While some restaurants are certainly better than others, trying new foods is always fun, and the mall makes it very convenient. Food comes down to personal preference–and can never be defined as completely bad or completely good–but if you’re looking for a bite to eat and happen to wander down to the mall, keep my advice in mind.