AYCE hot pot for the win! Came to Taichi Pot Shabu Shabu after they were featured on Yelp's top 100…read moreplaces to eat in the Bay Area list. Even though they aren't too far from me I hadn't heard of them before. It's an unassuming spot tucked into a shopping center next to a bagel and water shop, but it gets crowded, and for good reason. This was only my second time ever having hot pot, the first time was not AYCE and was an individual pot, so it was fun to try the shared AYCE way. We picked two broths, the Shrimp and signature, and then went down the menu selecting proteins and other add-ons. We went with the Ultra over the supreme so we could get some of the nicer cuts of meats. They have happy hour pricing of a few dollars off earlier in the evening, which was going on when we were in. Non-meat dd-on favorites included the Napa cabbage, kabocha squash, ramen, bok choy, and shitake mushrooms. We got the Enoki mushrooms the first round, but switched to shitake for round two and they were the favorite. My boyfriend's favorite meat was the wagyu, and I was partial to the pork and angus beef, but everything was good.

Soups: . Black Garlic Tonkatsu…read more. Tom Yum Broth AYCE :) Picked the Ultra Option for more meat selection and Mini Gyudon Rice Bowl (had 4 bowls of it, it's so flavorful and delicious). Soups are flavorful, garlic actually comes through, meat is good quality that melts in your mouth, marbling looks good. I will say that the broth does end up becoming really salty near the end but you can ask the servers for more broth.

I always get the General Tso's chicken. One of the best in the city. I always get my food to take…read moreout. The restaurant ambience is below average.

Order: Sesame…read morechicken: tender boneless pieces of chicken in a mixture tangy and spicy sauce. lettuce on the bottom for the base. Employees in front are friendly and provide fortune cookies. There are tables for dine in, and place is clean. chicken is tender. food gets expensive each year, but the taste is the same

I went here 3x in the last 2 yrs with 2 masseuses which they're quite knowledgeable in massage and…read morenice having conversation. Kinda hard to get reply which usually takes almost an hour to receive their reply coz the last time I go here texting them which they said they never received so I ended up waiting that time coz only 1 if slow then 2 masseuse in a day.

Good location , good massage , pick Amy to do massage ! Good price , highly recommend !!!!!read more

First time trying the boba tea and it was good. I ordered the kunquat fruit tea and my husband got…read morethe peach fruit tea with herbal jelly. I do like that both drinks were not overly sweet and I can definitely taste the fruit flavor. The place was clean and had plenty of seating. A good place to seat, relax and play some board games which they do offer with friends. I really didn't interact with the staff as I ordered my drinks on a touch screen and they called my order number. Everyone was professional and there was no problems. Next time I come back, I'll try their food when I get my tea.

This could be my new favorite boba shop. Original milk tea has a great tea flavoring. I opted for…read moreno added sugar on the taro milk tea and there was still taro taste to it as opposed to other boba shops that would've just watered it down. They also had taro crystal boba as a topping option (not really much taro taste to it, but I enjoy the crystal boba texture). They offer small and large option for drinks too. The shop is very clean and lots of seating. They have a wide menu variety too so I'll be back to give some of the food options a try.

The Tai Chi practitioners who come out in the mornings about 9 am at the East side of Yerba Buena…read moreGardens have taught me: A.) There is joy and good health to be found, whatever your age B.) Love of movement can last well into retirement C.) It's a good idea to stick with your friends

This by far was the best experience I had as a tourist in San Francisco…read more I walked to Yerba Buena Garden in the morning just to sightsee and saw these older people lining up and start doing Tai Chi - it was amazing to watch. The youngest person was at most 65 years old but the moved slowly and gracefully with a balance that would put most Yoga students to shame. It was incredibly calming to watch but then when I was invited to join it really got good. I am sure that I looked as graceful as a hippo in a tutu but after 10 minutes - I JUST FELT GOOD. I don't speak Chinese but it didn't matter. Busy SF early morning rush hour of cars and people going by in all directions seem to be moving in slow motion while I concentrated on shadowing the moves of the teacher. So calming, I felt like NEO in the Matrix for about 30 minutes. I highly recommend this to anyone near the park in the morning and a mind clearing meditation.

I had come across Tai Chi and its benefits many times. In my mindfulness class meditation we…read morepracticed Qigong. I had kept Tai Chi in the back of my head for many months. Eventually, I decided to take classes to learn the art and form of Tai Chi and achieve some of its benefits. I started taking classes at Tai Chi Chuan in Berkeley with Andreas Asmus over four months ago. I fell in love with Tai Chi almost immediately. It was like meditation in motion. The graceful and effortless movements (not mine, but Andreas') opened up a new challenge for me. After taking Andreas' class for over four months, I can feel and see the benefits in my life: - My awareness has improved - Anxiety is "relaxing" - My body is getting stronger - Tai Chi has complemented and enhanced my mindfulness meditation - I feel sharper and smarter - After practicing Tai Chi, I get a "Runner's high". I am an ex-marathon runner, and I feel that sudden euphoric feeling that I experienced during my long runs. Tai Chi makes me happy. Andreas is an exceptional teacher. His dedication to his students and humble demeanor makes you feel very comfortable, even when you turn right instead of left or you move your right hand instead of your left foot. He does not rush through his class and spends the time to teach each student in a very personal and professional way. I highly recommend Andreas. I actually, I urge every reader to give Tai Chi and Andreas a chance. For those that are looking to shed stress and acquire awareness, peace and happiness, Tai Chi is the way to go.

I wanted to share my experience taking classes with Andreas, who is the instructor for Yang Style…read moreTai Chi Chuan in Berkeley. I've been taking classes with him for a little over a year now and plan to continue doing so. My original intent was to find a martial art which aligned both the 'inner' and 'outer,' so to speak. I had some previous experience with other martial arts, but this time I was seeking an art form that didn't just focus on self-defense or simply repeating move sets to achieve the next colored belt. I was looking for a genuine form which had a meditative aspect while simultaneously teaching the martial art. My experience in taking Tai Chi with Andreas has been exactly that. Andreas is a kind and patient man who displays a deep understanding of the art form. He does not rush on getting through the movements quickly, but rather repeats them as necessary until all of the intricacies of each form are learned. Students are encouraged to turn the mind 'off' and to 'listen' as each movement is carried out, returning awareness to the present. I know the classes are working for me because of how I feel after each class; centered, clear and calm. Classes are an hour long, and offered on a couple evenings during the week. The studio he teaches at is in Berkeley near San Pablo and Dwight. The class sizes are small, which is great because it gives everyone a chance to have the individual attention necessary for improving their form. I would recommend this class to anyone who is looking for an 'internal' art form, which has been proven to provide health benefits both physically and mentally.

This is an excellent school for learning the principles of tai chi, as taught by the classics. The…read moreteacher, Martin Inn, has produced two editions of the tai chi classics, and in his teaching, he refers to them consistently. Learning from him, one always has the sense that he is simply a vessel for the tai chi tradition. At the same time, it is clear that his knowledge is based on a steadfast personal exploration of the principles of tai chi. I myself have studied at this school since 2005. Before then, I had spent three years practicing yoga. I decided to switch to tai chi for many reasons, and 12 years on, I feel it was the right decision. It has given me more awareness in my physical movements and perhaps in my sense perception. Most importantly, it has taught me how to relax. To truly relax is much harder to do than you might think. You'll start by learning the form from a senior teacher. Doing so will take 6-10 months. During this time, you will face physical challenges, most significantly building up strength in your thighs. You will discover the paradox of relaxation: that the more you relax, the more leg strength you require. If your hands are habitually cold, you will find that taking this class will warm them. You might note this phenomenon with interest. After you learn the form, you will join the main class. You'll be attending the class 2-3 times a week, each time going through the form twice and then taking a lesson on one specific point from Martin. From this point through the next few years, you will, as a beginner, move your body externally--that is, using your muscles--as you have done your entire life. Gradually, you will learn how to relax. Each stage of relaxation will open up new levels of understanding and create new physical challenges. Eventually, after at least a few years, when you relax to do the form, you will begin to feel the stirrings of something new within your body, probably first in the arms. It will feel as if a subtle fluid is moving through them, making them lighter, animating them. This, presumably, is chi, or at least one form of it. You're still a beginner, but you're beginning to understand what people mean when they talk about chi. With continued practice, you will continue to relax and start to realize the significance of a phrase from the classics: "The mind moves the chi, the chi moves the body." In other words, you can move your body with chi (as a beginner, very slightly) instead of with muscles. When practicing the form, your body acquires more of a floating quality. Very interesting. Of course, you are still a beginner. Perhaps at some point you will join the push hands class and see what it is like to try to push with Martin. You'll experience the difference between a martial art based on strength and speed, like karate, and a martial art based on softness and energy, like tai chi. Perhaps you will reflect on the significance of this difference for understanding nature and evaluating human behavior. Learning tai chi from an experienced teacher is a fascinating journey. Martin is an excellent teacher, and also a demanding one. Lay your ego at the door. You will get as much from this school as you are willing to put in.

I highly recommend this school for anyone interested in studying T'ai Chi seriously. It is a very…read morevibrant school, teaching beginners and advanced students, and has been in the same SOMA location for over 20 years. Martin Inn (owner, main teacher) is very accomplished both in the health and martial aspects of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. A shortened, 37 posture form in the Yang family style, as modified by Ch'eng Man Ching is taught in the school, as well as a sword form and San Shou. So there's lots to learn and it's a real workout too!

Taking Tai Chi classes from Sifu O'Connor and he really takes the time needed to focus on the…read morefundamentals, which is critically important in any martial art class. He's careful to teach how to avoid "tai chi knee" and break down the forms both into their components and explain/show how the fundamentals are present in every movement. The school is new to the area so the class sizes are still small and you get a lot of 1:1 attention. Location is great it's an easy block or two from Van Ness station.

From the owner: Our classes are specifically tailored to give you individual training while learning alongside…read moreother students. You will be given one-on-one time in each class rather than just following a group. We know that learning a skill takes work and this is why we take time to work with students at their pace

Amazing instructors! Walks the students through every step of each movement, which anecdotes for…read morebetter retention.

I've always been fascinated by the concept of meditation in motion and I happen to come across…read morepeople doing tai chi in the park and said I am so going to learn to do that. I'm relatively young so it wasn't for health benefits perse, but I've learned so much more from my experience with this group. First of all, its fun & challenging and the instructors are all amazing! We learn 108 moves (the complete set) in the beginner class, and then the continuing classes is about refining our understanding of the artform. The amazing part about tai chi is that it higlights a major difference between Eastern and Western culture. In the West we're all about completing an objective and moving on, where as with tai chi the idea is that there are so many levels to this one artform that you can spend a lifetime doing the same thing and still learn something new. The benefits: My balance and coordination certainly has improved, and I no longer feel as stiff as I used to... Also, if I ever need a moment to center myself I can just do tai chi anywhere. Memorizing the set is a great little mental exercise too. It does take commitment but once you do it, you'll be a fan!