New to Palo Alto is a restaurant called Spice Kit, bringing a little more Asian culture to a diverse collection of restaurants. But if you only enjoy burgers, fries and milkshakes, this place is definitely not for you.
 

Spice Kit is an Asian street food restaurant created by two men who worked in fine-dining kitchens. Founders and chefs Will Pacio and Fred Tang decided to open two Asian fusion restaurants, one in Palo Alto and one in San Francscio. 
 

With their experience, the food served is maybe too exotic for people with a more casual taste in food. Indeed, students who stick with more classic American dishes may not feel comfortable eating the food served at Spice Kit.
 

First of all, the menu contains a little bit of everything: a little Korean culture, some Chinese culture and even a tiny bit of Filipino culture. Unfortunately, it is confusing  which direction the owners were going with “Asian fusion” since there are too many cultures mixed into their menu.
 

When first walking into Spice Kit, the bleak walls and the simplicity of the interior stands out. Then the very affordable prices across the menu strikes one’s eye.
 

Much like Chipotle, you can create your own meal. First, you choose which type of meal you would like: Banh Mi (Vietnam Sandwich), Ssam (Korean Wrap), a salad or a bowl.
 

Then you pick which type of meat: five spice chicken ($6.90), beef short ribs ($7.95), roasted pork ($7.75), or vegetarian ($6.75). Lastly, you pick your sides: steamed pork buns ($2.95 or two for $5), lotus chips ($1.50), or ginger-peanut slaw ($1.95.)
Order the Calamansi “Lime-Ade,” ($1.95) a Filipino thirst quencher. It is a great compliment to the Asian fusion cuisine—not too sweet with the perfect citrus taste.
 

As I ventured further and further into the meal, my good first impression soon faded away. The steamed pork buns were basically two

pieces of pork stuffed into a sweet bun. If I was lucky enough to taste any pork, it was most probably a piece of fat. The bun, on the other hand, was incredibly delicious. As a whole, the pork buns were definitely not worth the money because they were so small.
 

After the pork bun let-down, I moved on to the Five Spice Chicken Bowl, which consisted of bean sprouts, chicken, rice, cucumbers, kimchi (pickled cabbage mixed in Asian spices) and their signature ssam sauce. I was happy with the large portion and got more food than expected.
 

The chicken was surprisingly delightful and the rice was intensely enjoyable until the most horrible aftertaste hit, infested my mouth with an odd taste. Everyone knows that the aftertaste of food is the make-or-break moment for the restaurant serving it. With that said, I was already done with Spice Kit.
 

Journeying on with the Five Spice Chicken Bowl, I began to pay more attention to how much I disliked the food. The bean sprouts tasted odd, the ssam sauce sitting at the bottom of my bowl was bitter, and I found an unidentifiable piece of meat hidden under my rice.
 

Even though the employees working there were very kind and helpful, I just couldn’t stand the food any longer and finally decided to leave with an unsatisfied stomach, dumping my bowl into the trash with 3/4 of the food still inside. At the end of the day, as much as I wish I could say that Spice Kit was delicious, I can’t and I don’t think I would recommend it to anybody else.

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Monday-Saturday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday: 11:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Phone number: (650)326-1698
Address: 340 California Avenue