WongCO's Food

Orenchi Ramen

2011-07-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

For several months, coworkers and friends living in the Santa Clara area have been raving about Orenchi Ramen (not to mention the huge lines and waiting times on the weekend) for both their noodles and their chicken karaage. I finally took the bait and went down to Orenchi on a Friday night with a friend to check it out.

Orenchi Ramen down in Santa Clara!

Chicken Karaage - with a Grape Tomato, Lemon Slice and Jalapeno

Shoyu Ramen with Roasted Pork Slices

The noodles here are definitely well made and delicious. They have a nice thick chewy consistency without being starchy and breaks satisfyingly when you bite into them. Complementing the ramen was a tasty mouthwatering poached egg which was just a little runny, but very savory. The broth is loaded with flavor without being overwhelming. Add in some minced garlic and pepper and you have a super solid bowl of ramen perfect for the end of a work week. The Karaage on the other hand was a bit light of the flavor and not very salty but was so darn tender. Needless to say I gobbled both up. The wait however was not exaggerated. It took us 45 minutes to be seated and apparently this was on a good day. Worth waiting for? I’d say yes.

Orenchi Ramen
3540 Homestead Rd
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 246-2955

China Max

2011-06-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

When traveling with family, I am almost sure to have at least one, if not more meals at a Chinese restaurant. My visit to San Diego was no exception. While I wasn’t too particularly impressed with the Chinese food in the area (limited is an understatement), China Max actually made a well deserved dent into my appetite.

With an array of Cantonese style traditional dishes supplemented by a few additions, the food was generally authentic if a bit on the more expensive side (compared to LA and SF at least).

Crab Meat w/ Fishmaw Soup – Generous amounts of Meat without being too salty

Peking Duck w/ Hoisin Sauce and Bun – A slight variation on the original with cucumber slices

Sautéed Stuffed Cruller with Shrimp and Asparagus – Like a deep fried shrimp dumpling

Fried Tofu with Chinese Broccoli

Fresh Lobster cooked with Scallions and Ginger

Spinach leaves sautéed with minced Garlic

If you end up in San Diego and must have Chinese food, China Max is the go to place for authentic Cantonese style cuisine. All the dishes were well prepared, delicious, and fresh. The spinach leaves were nice and tender, while the lobster meat was succulent and flavorful. The food is, in comparison to other Chinese restaurants, on the more expensive side. If you’re looking for cheaper eats and have the time, head up to LA for more options.

China Max
4698 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 650-3333
http://www.chinamaxsandiego.com

Yakitori Yakyudori

2011-06-01T01:03:00.000-07:00

I’ve finally had a chance to go nibbling away in San Diego while I’m enjoying some family time! While the realities of being an uncle kick in (e.g. going out for food with a couple infants in tow is nearly impossible), thank goodness for take out!

I had the opportunity to pick up some food from one of my favorite Yakitori joints in San Diego, Yakitori Yakyudori.

A plateful of grilled deliciousness: (Salted Wings, Chicken Liver, Chicken thigh, Beef Tongue, Roasted Garlic, Chicken Gizard)

More tasty goodness: (Beef, Chicken Thigh, Chicken Gizard, Chicken Hearts, Octopus Legs, Pork Belly)

You take one whiff of the smells in the restaurant and your carnivore impulses take over. All of the meats are well seasoned and cooked. The salted Chicken wings are especially my favorite. The lightly salted wings are grilled to perfection. If you're not a fan of tendons and organs, it's time to become a convert. And the gizard was crunchy, yet soft and loaded with flavor. Given the chance, you definitely want to dine at the restaurant since the food tastes best straight off the grill.

Yakitori Yakyudori
3739 6th Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 692-4189
http://www.yakyudori.us/

Stacks!

2011-04-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

One of my favorites activities in the city is to hit brunch on the weekends. Whether it’s eating traditional American fare or hitting up a Chinese restaurant for Dim Sum, plenty of options are available for your dining pleasure.

On this trip, my girlfriend and I drove on over to Hayes Valley to get our grub on at Stacks. I’ve been to the Stacks down the Peninsula a few years back so I was ready for a refresher at the San Francisco location. We ended up sitting at the bar where the service was friendly and the food came quickly.

Bananas, Whipped Cream, and Crushed Walnuts on a Golden buttery waffle

Eggs Benedict & Sliced Ham over a toasted English Muffin

The eggs were well poached and nicely complemented the lightly salted ham. On top of the eggs was a nice smooth hollandaise sauce that was tangier than expected, but was still creamy and buttery. Overall an enjoyable dish with a small side of fruit and hashed potatoes to top it off. The waffle on the other hand, was buttery and fluffy but not anything out of the ordinary. Through and through, solid brunch fare. It's probably worth checking out all the eateries in the Hayes Valley area, but Stacks will remain a solid go to choice.

Stacks
501 Hayes St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 241-9011
http://www.stacksrestaurant.com

Dohatsuten

2011-01-31T16:03:00.001-08:00

Wow, it’s been a while since any food pictures have made its way to the site. Holidays and lots of family photos have put the food pictures on the back burner, but sure enough, I’m still eating ravenously!

In my continuing quest to find delicious ramen in the bay area, I discovered a new ramen shop in Fremont off of mission, across the street from Ohlone College (I’m guessing their mission campus).

It’s a no frills, simple ramen eatery with several types of ramen and tonkotsu, salt, and soy sauce broths.

Chasiu Ramen

House Ramen Special

Pork Belly Ramen

Overall their broths are tasty with the poached egg packing in quite of a bit of salty flavor. I personally tried the tonkotsu broth with the taro ramen (pork belly) and was happy with the quality of the noodles. However, the pork belly was a bit chewy rather instead of being soft and fully tender. In the end, it was a fully satisfying bowl of ramen that met my expectations for ramen eatery that left me with no broth aftertaste nor a heavy stomach. The poached eggs were done exceptionally well and I give them 2 thumbs up for that! While ramen loving yelpers and foodies tend to be diverse in their opinions, I would gather than Dohatsuten would do well in any of their ramen joint recommendations. It sure does for me!

Dohatsuten Japanese Ramen
43691 Mission Blvd
Fremont, CA 94539
(510) 668-0959

Still eating away

2010-09-18T00:01:00.001-07:00

I've been camera-less for a few weeks now but my tummy still rages on in the search of good food. Hopefully I'll get that chance to eat some in the next few days while I visit New York.

In the mean time, here are a few of things I've been eating:

Osaka Fever Pizza @ Bluefin Sushi (SF)

Unagi Nigiri, Dragon Roll @ Bluefin Sushi (SF)

Albacore Tataki @ Bluefin Sushi (SF)

Organic Loch Duart calmon carpaccio @ Isa (SF)

foie gras with yellow peaches @ Isa (SF)

Roasted rack of lamb with sautèed eggplant, zucchini, red peppers, nicoise olives & lamb jus@ Isa (SF)

Roasted Squab @ Asian Pearl (Fremont)

Clay Pot Eggplant @ Asian Pearl (Fremont)

Blue Fin Sushi
1810 Clement St
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 387-2441
http://www.bluefinsushisf.com

ISA
3324 Steiner St
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 567-9588
http://www.isarestaurant.com

Asian Pearl
43635 Boscell Rd
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 979-1368

Gary Danko

2010-08-26T23:01:00.000-07:00

A quick mini post byte. I took my girlfriend to Gary Danko for her birthday along with a surprise 2005 cab from Silver Oak Cellars. My expectations going in were rather high because of all the wonderful reviews and comments I've received from friends and family. And to my delight, I was completely overwhelmed by the flavors, textures, and foods I encountered. You can read a much more extensive posting about our meal over at Taste Tests.

Incredible Lobster Risotto. Melts in your mouth. I even ate the mushrooms and I hate mushrooms

Seared Foie Gras

Seared Sea Scallops

Braised Lamb Shoulder

Herb Crusted Loin

Pork Tenderloin and Pork Belly (This is absolutely to die for). I could have eaten 3 dishes of just the pork belly.

I can't think of more decadent and rich dessert that this chocolate souffle. Fabulous and Fluffy to the very last bite.

Creme Brulee Trio

If you're coming to SF and you have time to only eat at one restaurant, I would highly recommend Gary Danko hands down. Note that it recommend you call in advance for a reservation (up to 2 months ahead).

Gary Danko
800 N Point St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 749-2060
http://www.garydanko.com

Silver Oak Cellars
915 Oakville Cross Rd
Oakville, CA 94562
(800) 273-8809
http://www.silveroak.com

SF Street Food

2010-08-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Foodbuzz, I was able to head out early to the 2nd Annual SF Street Food Festival and have an early taste of the foods being prepared. The festival is organized by La Cocina, a non profit organization in the mission district of San Francisco that provides low-income food entrepreneurs advice, support, and space to build out sustaining businesses.

Proscuitto Wrapped Figs (Chez Papa Resto)

Taco de Alhambre (El Huarache Loco)

Roli Roti! Rotisseur Thomas Odermatt at the helm!

Three Twins Ice Cream - Lemon Cookie
(This flavor is fantastic. It's like eating a light lemon ice cream with shortbread cookies)

Mexican Chocolate Creme Brulee - The Creme Brulee Cart

Crushed up pork skin. yum! - Roli Roti

Delicious! Pork Porchetta Sandwich. Finger licking good. - Roli Roti

Vendors:
Roli Roti - http://www.roliroti.com/
Chez Papa Resto - http://www.chezpapasf.com/
El Huarache Loco - http://www.lacocinasf.org/el-huarache-loco/
Three Twins Ice Cream - http://threetwinsicecream.com/

La Cocina
http://www.lacocinasf.org/

Foodbuzz
http://www.foodbuzz.com/

Kaeshi with Udon

2010-07-20T23:04:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I was trying to figure out what to make to accompany my girlfriend's lovely pan seared salmon. In the freezer were several packages of udon noodles but I couldn't find any sauce to go with it. After scouring on the internet I was luckily able to find a recipe for Kaeshi (a sauce to compliment cold noodles such as udon or soba) that was both easy to make and great tasting!

slowly simmering the mixture

Throw in some udon, a little bit of green onion (some finely diced ginger if you want), and it's time to eat!

Combine with some chilled udon or soba noodles and the dish is ready to eat. My noodle of preference is udon noodles because they have a thick and deliciously chewy texture. Thanks to Maki at Justhungry.com for the awesome kaeshi recipe. Note that when using the Kaeshi I like to add cold water 1:1 to the amount of Kaeshi I pour out into a bowl to prevent the sauce from being too strong, overly sweet and too salty.

Kaeshi: (Adapted from 6 Cup recipe - adjusted in proportion)

2 cups of good quality dark soy sauce
1/3 cup of mirin
1/3 cup of granulated white sugar

Put the mirin in a pan and bring up to the boil; lower the heat and let simmer a bit to evaporate much of the alcohol content.

Add sugar and stir until melted. Add the soy sauce, and let it warm up slowly, stirring. It should never boil - once it starts barely bubbling, take it off the heat.

Save extra kaeshi for future use.

Kaeshi, soba and udon noodle soup or sauce base
by Maki
Original Recipe from Justhungry.com

Baking Time

2010-07-01T21:59:00.001-07:00

Finally had a chance to update the blog after a whirlwind of things consuming the time in my life. Oddly as it sounds, spending 20-30 minutes mixing stuff together to make a delicious baked good was the most calming and yet best part of my day during a hectic work week. I ended up putting together 4 dozen mini pumpkin cupcakes (1/2 went to my gf) and the other 1/2 is slowly being devoured in my household.

The plate looks empty because I was hungry taking the picture haha

Until next time!

Bluefin Sushi

2010-06-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

I'm alive! For now at least. Real life has been keeping me busy and away from my blog, but fortunately food has continued to be plentiful in my life. A few months ago, I bounced over to Bluefin Sushi in the Richmond district of SF for dinner.

Ramen! I didn't get a chance to have any but it smelled great!

Volcano Roll - Baked Salmon w/ Spicy Cream Sauce, Snow Crab, Avocado & Tobiko - The spiciness caught me a bit off guard but the flavor was great!

Osaka Fever Pizza - Garlic Sauce with Salmon Skin, Shrimp Tempura, Unagi, Onion, Bell Pepper, Black Olives, Green Onion, Seaweed - This was delicious! Savory and sweet in the fun form of a slice of pizza! I'm pretty sure I could eat this all by myself and then some! The unagi as a topping was a great addition to the taste and I'm bound to try it sometime in my own kitchen

Cute Orange Halves that came with the bill - All they were missing were umbrellas!

Overall, a satisfying Japanese food experience with delicious items I don't usually order. I've yet to try more of the fish so this will have to wait till next time!

Bluefin Sushi
1810 Clement St
(between 19th Ave & 20th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 387-2441

http://www.bluefinsushisf.com

Let’s be Frank

2010-03-14T13:20:00.001-07:00

I was over in Crissy Field walking around taking scenic shots of San Francisco when I passed by this interesting looking Hot Dog stand. Can’t say I’ve ever had a Grass-Fed Beef Hot Dog, so I plunked down the 6 bucks for one all beef Frank Dog. Threw on some grilled onions and some ketchup and I was ready to chow down!

Let’s be Frank Food Cart @ Crissy Field in San Francisco

The Frank Dog, about a foot of wholesome hot dog-ness

Overall, the Hot Dog was excellent. The dog itself was a bit tougher than your average hot dog but was much more meaty and it had none of those squishy fat chunks. It was like biting into a tasty super lean sausage. Not sure I’d pay almost 6 bucks for a hot dog again anytime soon, but this was a nice treat! They have multiple locations which you can find at the website.

Crissy Field
http://www.letsbefrankdogs.com

Ohgane Korean BBQ

2010-03-07T19:35:00.001-08:00

When you think of good Korean restaurants, you normally don’t think of Pleasanton, Dublin or anywhere in the Tri-Valley area for that matter. While Pleasanton, Dublin and San Ramon have been deluged by average Korean restaurants, this newcomer has been a refreshing change. Located where Tri Valley Korean BBQ used to be, the new staff and management are very friendly and will do their best to meet your needs whether it’s refilling dishes, drinks, packing food, or getting additional dishes and utensils for you. While the main dishes don’t measure up to LA’s Korean restaurants, their side dish variety and quality is impressive and the main dishes are decent.

Ohgane Korean BBQ! The new Dublin location has a sister location in Oakland.

Pan Chan – Their side dishes change every time I visit. My favorite was crisped seaweed with roasted sugar. The fishcake is darn good too.

Seafood Pancake – Just the right amount of flour and fried to a golden crisp

Spicy Pork Bugolgi – Well cooked and served hot, but lacking a bit in flavor and spices.

Beef Bugolgi – A little on the dry side but the meat is generally pretty lean

japchae – Mushrooms, vegetables, beef, and bell peppers cooked with noodles. My favorite dish hands down. On the heavier side when it comes to oil but still very tasty.

Spicy Tofu soup – Came on the house and was decent. The tofu was fresh and the broth was well seasoned.

A great Korean restaurant to try if you’re in the Tri Valley area and can’t make it out to Oakland and you don’t know when you can make it to LA again.

Ohgane Korean BBQ
7877 Amador Valley Blvd
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 875-1232
http://www.ohganebbq.com/

Halu

2010-03-07T18:23:00.001-08:00

I found Halu while searching for decent ramen restaurants in the bay area. A quaint little hole in the wall in San Francisco’s Richmond district with lots of Beatles themed memorabilia, they serve all types of Japanese dishes including ramen, noodle dishes, and yakitori. This posting is the culmination of two visits. On the first visit on a Thursday night at 8pm, I ordered ramen but they ran out! (They open at 5PM Mon-Sat.) Instead I ordered a cold noodle soba dish and age-dashi tofu. On the second visit with my girlfriend, I was finally able to try the ramen as well as their yakitori.

Age-dashi Tofu – Delicious fried silken tofu in a sweet soy sauce with scallions and diced ginger on top. I’d order this again. The tofu was soft and fresh while the fried batter was just thick enough to hold while being eaten with chop sticks.

Sliced avocados, cucumbers, cooked eggs, and seaweed over buckwheat noodles with ponzu sauce – A nice refreshing dish for the summer months. Or when you just feel like it. Light and citrus-y.

Icy Cold Sapporo – Nuff Said

Chef’s Choice of Yakitori – From left to right (My memory is rough but I believe these were the items) Beef, chicken, stuffed mushrooms, meatballs, okra, shrimp, chicken wings. Not fantastic, but overall good.

Chashu-men – Chashu Ramen – The noodles were of a good consistency while the broth was both salty and savory. The cuts of meat and the side of corn in the broth were nice as well. Great for a cold foggy day in the city. I would argue it’s better than Santa Ramen in San Mateo at least based on the last few visits there.

If you’re looking for good ramen in the city, you will be satisfied here. Better than most of the joints in Japan town at the very least. I do believe other San Mateo/South Bay ramen joints sound promising though.

Halu
312 8th Ave
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415)221-9165

Dine About Town Part 2 - Ruth's Chris

2010-03-07T16:43:00.001-08:00

The day after ISA, I went with my girlfriend and a few other friends to Ruth’s Chris for a steak dinner. Now while I normally don’t think of huge hunks of meat as being my favorite dinner of choice, the food was pretty darn impressive. Well flavored and evenly cooked, the rib eye was delicious. Every bite went down with satisfaction and the sides dishes were good too! I would say it’s a pretty close tie between Harris and Ruth’s Chris when it comes down to hearty marbled steaks.

Groth 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville, Napa Valley – My awesome girlfriend brought this bottle to dinner! An excellent pairing with our dishes! Vinaigrette Salad – Mixed Greens Rib-eye, cooked medium rare – Nicely cooked piece of marbled meat, juicy and loaded with flavor Side Dish of Creamed Spinach Side Dish of Mashed Potatoes – Nice and smooth creamy mashed potatoes dipped in butter Chocolate Mousse with a blueberry on top with whipped cream Carrot Cake with Carrot shavings on top

I definitely came here for the meat and my expectations were fully met. The side dishes were well made but nothing special which was okay by me. The desserts however were a bit disappointing. They were rather bland and although presentation was nice, I wouldn’t have missed them. While other desserts were available, they were off the Dine about Town menu and rather expensive unfortunately. Hopefully, what we had wasn’t representative of their entire dessert selection. Overall, another excellent choice for Dine About Town. Can’t wait till it comes back in June!

Ruth’s Chris
1601 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 673-0557
http://www.ruthschris.com

Dine About Town Part 1 - ISA

2010-03-07T14:37:00.001-08:00

I kicked off San Francisco's Dine About Town 2010 back in January with a visit to ISA in the Marina. Every year, San Francisco runs its special event 2-3 times where you can visit any participating restaurant and order from a special prix fix menu for a reasonable price. The next one happens in June! My trip to ISA was on a Saturday night and the place was packed. We ended up sitting in the back of the restaurant where they have a huge covered tent with heat lamps, which were awesome since we went on a cold rainy night.

ISA (in between Chestnut and Lombard)

Organic Loch Duart calmon carpaccio with lemon, crème fraiche, cucumber, egg, capers & crostini – the salmon melts in your mouth!

Steamed Prince Edward island mussels with garlic, white wine, parsley & grilled bread – One of my favorite types of seafood, the mussels were cooked to a tender point with the broth adding flavor. Although the broth was a bit over salted, the dish was enjoyable overall.

Lobster bouillabaisse broth with ling cod, pernod, tomato, peppers, little neck clams & calamari – The Cod was wonderfully prepared which resulted in soft delicate flaky meat! But the broth was the best part. Had me dipping bread nonstop to absorb all its tasty goodness.

Truffle risotto with baby shiitake, hon shimiji mushroom & reggiano – More shrooms – I love a good risotto but I just couldn’t get past all the mushrooms!

Little Cookies with Gelato – Pretty Standard Fare

Crème Brule – The top was pretty heavily burnt and thick but the custard was delicious! Sweet, Smooth, and Creamy! Almost as good as the one at Chapeau!

ISA was reasonably affordable and I’d definitely head here again with a few friends!

ISA 3324 Steiner St(between Chestnut St & Lombard St)San Francisco, CA 94123(415) 567-9588
http://www.isarestaurant.com

Omelettes and Pancakes!

2010-03-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

I'm still alive! After a few bouts of sickness, a broken camera (My 40D is back from the shop!), and a load of other events, it's time to get focused back on food!

Back in January, my girlfriend and I made breakfast together. She made a wonderful prosciutto omelet with onions, bell peppers, cheese and avocado while I attempted to create what turned out to be slightly burnt pumpkin pancakes. How do they make them so evenly cooked at restaurants?!?!

Thankfully, breakfast was saved by the omelets which was hands down, one of the best omelets I've ever had. The prosciutto combined with fresh slices of avocado were all I needed to sweep away the brief but burnt memories of pancake failure.

The GF's pancake turned out very nicely! I'm not showing mine.

With Avocado. Yum!

Trader Joes' Pumpkin Pancake/Waffle Mix and Pumpkin Puree ensures you'll have pumpkin infused foods to eat until October comes around again!

My Tofu House

2010-01-04T22:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to Everyone! Hopefully this year contains many food adventures for everyone to pursue. I kicked it off with a visit to a local Korean restaurant, My Tofu House. While their meat dishes are good, their Tofu soups are what stand out. Each bowl of Tofu Soup contained fresh silken tofu with loads of diced up vegetables in a simmering pot. They will ask whether you want the spiciness of your tofu soup to be mild, medium, or hot which for low heat tolerance individuals like me is a godsend. The side dishes are fresh but unfortunately lacking flavor. However the tofu soups more than make up the difference. Just some tofu soup over rice will speak for itself.

panch'an

Fried Fish!

Seafood Tofu Soup (Top) & Mushroom Tofu Soup (Bottom) - Warms you up and slides down your throat. Delicious!

Seafood Pancake - A little bit too much flour but choc full of flavor

Pork Bugolgi - The spiciness was about a medium which had me running for water. Still I couldn't help going for seconds.

Beef Bugolgi with sliced mushrooms

My Tofu House
4627 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 750-1818
http://www.mytofuhouse.com/

Hong Kong Flower Lounge

2009-12-15T16:49:00.000-08:00

After a decade of eating at random dim sum restaurants with my parents or with friends, I've finally taken an active interest in searching for the best dim sum in the bay area. While it's easy to find decent dim sum places in San Francisco, finding better than average ones is much more difficult. This visit was to Hong Kong Flower Lounge in Millbrae, off of El Camino. It's part of the Mayflower restaurant chain which I've visited before.

Hong Kong Flower Lounge in Millbrae

Boiled White Tripe cooked in Sauace

Beef Balls

Chicken and Sticky Rice in bamboo leaves

Chive Dumplings

BBQ Pork Bun - First time I've had baked BBQ Pork buns with what looks like Pineapple Bun Tops (Whoever thought of this idea is genius - Great combination of salty and sweet flavors)

Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce - Steamed to perfection without too much oil

Chicken Feet - The chili sauce was alright. Nothing to brag about. The ones at Koi Garden has better flavor

Spare Ribs - A bit on that fatty side but well cooked and marinated

Beef Rice Crepe

Siu Mai - Standard steamed dumplings. The roe on top was a nice touch

Fried Taro Dumplings

Ha Gao - A bit too starchy. They were either over steamed or the quality of the starch was not very good

Black Seasame Balls

Shrimp Crepe

Overall, a good dim sum lunch experience. Good for large groups but it definitely gets crowded at lunchtime with lots of chines families for competition. The food is consistent with the other restaurants in the chain which is a plus. All the foods are authentic and pleasant but not amazing either. A good stop, but the search continues...

51 Millbrae Ave
Millbrae, CA 94030
(650) 692-6666
http://www.mayflower-seafood.com

Gombei

2009-12-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to drop by this popular Japanese restaurant in San Jose's Japantown. My girlfriend told me it was located next to a fresh tofu shop and as a result made some pretty good agedashi tofu. Taking her word for it, I went with a friend to check it out. The main entree was standard fare but the agedashi tofu was definitely the highlight. Fresh fried tofu with tobiko and diced green onion is a killer combination. A great spot for lunch if you're in the SJ area.

Agedashi Tofu - This is a definite solid agedashi tofu dish made with firm tofu

Chicken Teriyaki Combination Lunch - Miso Salad, Shrimp and Crab Meat in Tempura batter

Gombei
193 Jackson St
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 279-4311
http://www.japantownsanjose.org/rest7.html

Esperpento

2009-12-05T21:27:00.000-08:00

A friend introduced me to this Tapas restaurant in the Mission district. Esperpento has a wide variety of tapas and paellas to choose from and you really can't go wrong trying everything on the menu. Their signature paella dish is the lobster paella which takes at least half an hour to prepare. I wanted to try so many dishes but my eyes like to eat more than my stomach can. I recommend multiple visits to find out your favorite dishes. I'm already planning on what to try for my next visit.

Esperpento!

House Sangria with lots of fruit chunks!

Calamares A La Plancha - grilled calamari

Tortilla De Patata - potato and onion omelet

Lobster paella special with clams, shrimp, mussels, and peas with saffron rice - When not overcooked, the rice comes off slightly creamy with explosive flavor

Rabo Toro - Ox-Tail Stew - A great dish for dipping with bread. Lots of vegetables cooked in a delicious broth. You have to try it see what I mean

Clams in broth

Esperpento
3295 22nd St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 282-8867
http://www.esperpentorestaurant.com

Sahn Maru

2009-12-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

While you can find many Korean restaurants over in the Oakland/Berkeley area, it's a bigger challenge trying to find relatively authentic Korean food as many of the restaurants cater to a more Americanized taste. With that in mind, Sahn Maru stands out as one of the better establishments with fresh panchan dishes as well as a hearty japchae. Still on my search for a place with a "to-die-for" japchae dish.

Side Dishes! - The fishcake and sprouts stood out the most

Japchae - The American style mushrooms threw me off but the noodles were great!

Mushroom Tofu Soup - My friend enjoyed it. Very mushroomy

Sahn Maru
4315 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA 94701
(510) 653-3366

Tanto

2009-11-26T14:37:00.000-08:00

Tanto is a cute little Japanese restaurant in Sunnyvale located right off of El Camino Real. Here are a few photos from our meal. I almost always try the Agedashi tofu at all Japanese restaurants I visit. One bite and you know how fresh their tofu is which in turn is an indicator of how fresh the rest of their ingredients are. Not a fail proof rule but one that has proven true most in most of my experiences.

Agedashi Tofu - The Agedashi Tofu was fresh and tasted silky smooth while the sauce was just sweet enough.

Unagi Nigiri - Straight up no frills Grilled Unagi lightly covered with kabayaki sauce

Salmon Sashimi - Fatty, Soft, and melts in your mouth good

Stir Fried Udon Noodles with Vegetables - Standard noodles that were cooked with Cabbage and bonito shavings. Lightly cooked in oil.

Tanto
1063 E El Camino Real
Sunnyvale CA 94087
(408) 244-7311

Foodbuzz 1st Annual Blogger Festival Day 2

2009-11-23T20:50:00.000-08:00

Been sick and and busy with work, but without further ado...

Olive Oil Tasting - Warm up, swirl, and suck it up!

Dried fruits, preserves, and olive oils

Shrimp Ceviche with chilies - This was delicious and not to mention came in very cute bite size cups

My favorite mini cupcakes once again from Mission Minis (Velvet, Pumpkin, and Chocolate). The bite size portions are perfect for popping in the mouth.

Candied Marshmallows from Gateau et Ganache - Mini marshmallows with a slight hint of flavor. Not a huge fan of marshmallows but passion fruit was my favorite.

Passion fruit ganache also from Gateau et Ganache

California Sparklers Wine Tasting - 4 different glasses of bubbly

Aha! Savory Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Chocolate covered nuts from Au Coeur des Chocolats

Beer-braised pork over polenta from Mezzetta

Diced beets with meringue on a pastry bottom

After all the lovely food we had in the afternoon, everyone headed over to Greenleaf Produce Warehouse for a dinner prepared by Namu and Outstanding in the field.

Ahi tonnato on pain de mie with gochukaru and parley - scrumptious starters

Grilled Monterey calamari with Udon - This dish had a nice kick to it even when mixed with the cold udon noodles. Refreshing and Spicy

Roasted brussels sprouts, ponzu fried garlic, guanciale, and bonito flakes

Soy braised beef cheeks and oxtails, baby carrots and fingerling potato - The meat was incredibly tender and melts in your mouth.

Thanks again to Foodbuzz for hosting such an incredible event!

Vendors:
Mission Minis - http://missionminis.com/
Geteau et Ganache - http://gateauetganache.com/
Au Coeur des Chocolats - http://www.heartofchocolates.com/
Mezzetta - http://www.mezzetta.com/
Annie the Baker - http://anniethebaker.com/
Namu - http://www.namusf.com/
Outstanding in the Field - http://www.outstandinginthefield.com/

Foodbuzz
http://www.foodbuzz.com/

Foodbuzz 1st Annual Blogger Festival Day 1 - Food Carts

2009-11-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

Definitely have to give it up to Foodbuzz for hosting such an awesome festival filled with featured food bloggers from all around the US, delicious food, and fun gifts. There's something to be said about an event where everyone is taking out their cameras to take pictures of the food before we eat it. And it's so nice to not get weird looks for doing so! Friday's theme was food carts from around the city all gathered at the Ferry building to give all us foodies a chance to taste their creations.

Getting ready to head over to the food carts with Taste Tests

Much Love to Foodbuzz!

Mission Minis! Awesome Mini Cupcakes - Velvet Chocolate takes it away again! Although the cupcakes look small, they're actually just the right size for a single bite!

Pork Rinds - Deep fried pork skin. Goes down like a shrimp chip! It's really addictive - 4505 Meats

Taco from Tacolicious - all locally sourced ingredients!

Pork Porchetta Sandwich - Roli Roti. This mouthwatering sandwich was made with an onion marmalade and crushed pork skin. Favorite of the Night. I'd go for seconds...and thirds...

Steak & Gruyere Pie - The Pie Truck!

Raw Vegan Cheesecake - Alive

Assorted Mushrooms on a fluffy tart on the bottom. I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms but the girlfriend loved it! - Spencer on the Go

Flatbread with Avocado, Tomato, and Basil - Alive

Hog Island Oyster

Sweet Beets w/ Blue Cheese - Alive

Pizza Politana - Wood oven pizza! My slice was lacking a bit in flavor though

And that's it for the first day!

Vendors:
4505 Meats - http://www.4505meats.com/
Alive - http://www.aliveveggie.com/
Hog Island Oyster Co - http://www.hogislandoysters.com/
Mission Minis - http://missionminis.com/
Pie Truck - http://thepietruck.wordpress.com/
Pizza Politana - http://www.pizzapolitana.com/
Roli Roti - http://www.roliroti.com/
Spencer on the Go - http://spenceronthego.com/
Straus Family Creamery - http://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/
Tacolicious - http://www.tacolicioussf.com/
Skyy Spirits - http://www.skyyspirits.com/

Foodbuzz
http://www.foodbuzz.com/

Koi Garden

2009-11-05T18:45:00.000-08:00

The newer sister restaurant of Koi Palace, Koi Garden is an upscale Chinese restaurant serving authentic Hong Kong style dim sum and dishes. I recently took my sister to Koi Garden to sit down and samples their dim sum during lunch on a Sunday. Even in the East Bay, its surprising how quickly all the tables are filled up even before noon. You definitely need to come by early if you are coming with the family or a large group of people.

Baked BBQ Pork Buns Glazed with Honey/Syrup - The bread exterior was soft and sweet while the BBQ pork inside perfectly balanced against the bun.

Tripe w/ Sesame Oil dipping sauce - Very tender and soft

Chicken Claw in Black Bean Sauce - Well flavored and perfectly steamed. If you love chicken claws, and you know who you are, you will love it here. The skin literally melts off into your mouth.

Black Sesame Glutenous Rice Balls - My favorite Chinese dessert. Grounded black sesame inside a delicious rice ball. The roasted black sesame creates a rich taste inside an equally sweet rice ball. I ate a few of these accidentally (or not.)

BBQ Pork Rice Rolls

Coffee Glazed Pork Spareribs - A new take on an authentically Asian staple. The coffee flavor was definitely noticeable but very light.

Steamed Spinach Shrimp Dumplings

Ha Gao (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings) - The skin was soft and well made. While the shrimp inside is easy to make, creating the right rice skin wraps make all the difference in the quality of Ha Gao. I would definitely come back again for these.

While the prices are a bit higher than what you would find at an average Chinese dim sum restaurant in the Bay Area, Koi Garden is definitely worth every extra penny. The service and quality of the food are impeccable. If you're too far out in the East Bay to go to Koi Palace, you can't go wrong heading to Koi Garden. I'd argue that its worth the wait if you want good authentic dim sum.

Koi Garden @ Dublin
Ulferts Center
4288 Dublin Blvd Ste 213
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 833-9090
http://www.koipalace.com

Foodbuzz Community Table - Bushi-Tei

2009-10-29T00:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the wonderful staff at Foodbuzz, I recently had the opportunity to dine with other Foodbuzz food bloggers and enjoy a meal at Bushi-Tei.

The community dining table - that's a lot of glassware (later filled with many types of wine woohoo!)

Beautifully set placesettings

Appetizers and Bread - I definitely need to obtain more dishware like theirs. The presentation is top notch.

Ankimo Torchon (Monk Fish Liver) with Snow Crab Salad. I wasn't too sure what to expect since I've only had Ankimo twice before, but this dish made my taste buds tingle with delight. Each bite melted on impact upon my tongue. Good till the very end.

Expression 39 Anderson Valley - Pinot Noir

Slow Roasted Natural Beef Tenderloin with Matsutake Mushroom Risotto, Pinot Noir Reduction and Expresso Oil
This dish was definitely my favorite. A super delicious slice of roasted natural Kobe beef with an awesome sauce. The risotto was slightly undercooked, but the beef more than made up for that minor distraction.

Peach Melba with Daiginjyou Sake Cube - That sake really hits you!

Tak Matsuba & Chef Seji Wakabayashi

Bushi Tei offers some of the most original dishes with Japanese influence and beautiful presentation. The food almost looks too good to eat. Thankfully, it tastes even better than it looks. Smack in the middle of San Francisco's Japantown, this is one restaurant that should not be passed up.

Bushi-Tei
1638 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 440.4959
http://www.bushi-tei.com/

Tomales Bay Oyster Company

2009-10-17T01:24:00.000-07:00

About an hour away from San Francisco, Tomales Bay is an estuary located North of Marin County along Highway 1. Known for their Oysters and other seafood, Tomales Bay Oyster Company is the first location I've ever shucked an oyster and so far the experience has been awesome. I've had a chance to eat some grilled and raw osyters and both are equally delicious in their own right.

Arrive early, bring food and drinks, grab a table and start grilling away! Bring some bree, crackers, salami, other meat to grill, wine, and let the party get started!

BBQ Grilled Oyster with Scallions, Minced Garlic, Soy Sauce, Parmesan Cheese, and Soy Sauce

Delicious raw oyster with sprinkled lemon juice(cocktail/hotsauce optional) over ice

Tomales Bay Oyster Company
15479 Highway One
Marshall, CA 94940
(415) 663-1242
http://tomalesbayoysters.com/

Hong Kong Lounge

2009-10-03T02:38:00.000-07:00

Dim sum in the city is generally either average or just misses completely. So any decent Chinese dim sum restaurant is overloaded with Chinese families waiting for tables before noon. Hong Kong Lounge falls into this category. For the price, the dim sum is great for filling up your stomach and satisfying the dim sum cravings. Some of the dishes can be hit or miss, but overall the selection and quality is good.

Here are some of the dishes I had with my family:

Baked Pork Buns

Pan Fried Chive Dumplings

Another view of the last 2

Shrimp Dumplings

Egg Custard Tarts

BBQ Pork Rice Crepe Wraps

Pan Fried Taro and Turnip Cake

Chili Sauce Chicken Feet

Steamed BBQ Pork Buns

Pot stickers

Chinese Broccoli w/ Oyster Sauce

Garlic Pea Sprouts with Minced Garlic

Pork Siu Mai

Home made Pancake

Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf

Hong Kong Lounge
5322 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 668-883

Just Koi

2009-10-01T01:22:00.000-07:00

This smaller sibling restaurant of Koi Garden and Koi Palace is located on the lower level of Ulferts Plaza in Dublin. The atmosphere is much more casual and the food prices are also slightly less expensive when compared with its larger siblings. I came here on a Thursday night for their hot pot special which gives you an assortment of items to cook in a personal sized pot of broth. With parties larger than 4, they also throw in an entire lobster. While the tables are oddly shaped (triangular), the food was simple and of decent quality. We were served 4 pieces of live shrimp each (still moving on the skewer) along with other fresh pieces of seafood.

Dipping Sauce

Individual Hot Pot Fires

Fried Tofu Appetizer - Light and Yummy!

Assorted pieces of seafood

Beef, Pork, Tofu, and More Vegetables

If you're near the Tri-Valley area, this is a decent place to hit up for good quality hot pot.

Just Koi
4288 Dublin Blvd
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 833-3938
http://www.koipalace.com

Red Devil Cupcakes

2009-09-23T01:23:00.000-07:00

The next bake item on my list was Red Devil Cake. I was looking to make something similar to Red Velvet cake for my girlfriend to try and this recipe looked to fulfill the order. Not only would the cupcakes be chocolaty, but a bit more nutritious due to a super secret ingredient that few can taste. One look at the ingredient list and you might just be a little bit surprised. After munching down on a few (okay maybe several) of the final products, this recipe is definitely a winner.

The ingredients - nothing special (almost)

Batter me cococa!

I'm a sucker for these mini cupcake tins

The finished product. Not quite red.

Recipe:

Yield: Makes 2 Dozen Cupcakes or 9-inch square or round baking pan

15 ounce can of sliced beets
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat ove to 350°F. Generously oil the baking ban.

Drain the beets, reserving 1/2 cup of the juice. In a blender, puree the beets with the reserved juice to make about 1 1/4 cups of puree. Set aside.

In a Large bowl, beat the eggs well. Thoroughly whisk in the sugar, oil, vanilla, salt, and beet puree until very smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time, whisking until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes (30-40 minutes with cupcakes) until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan. Serve topped with confectioners' sugar, whipped cream, or just leave plain.

Red Devil Cake

Asian Chef Association Chef Demonstrations

2009-09-20T01:22:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I atteneded the Asian Chef Association food demonstations at San Francisco's California Culinary Academdy. Well respected Asian food chefs from notable restaurants all over the bay area gave the attendees the opportunity to sample some of their most delicious and beautiful dishes.

Asahi - That amber beer was delicious! Too bad most supermarkets only carry the super dry variety.

Spam Musubi

Lomi Lomi Salmon with Ryu sauce, chives, and Shallots prepared by Chef Heines

Grilled Octopus and Cucumber Salad with Rice Vingear dressing - This is the best octopus dish I have ever had. Perfectly grilled and exploding with flavor

Chawan-mushi (Japanese Savory Egg Custard) prepared by Chef Whitman of Sushi Ran. The egg was silky smooth and lightly flavored. A little bit of heaven sliding into my stomach.

Green Papaya and Mango Salad with Shrimp, Crispy Shallot and Spicy Vinaigrette prepared by Chef Le of Three Seasons. I'm not a huge fan of Papaya but the salad was incredibly refreshing.

Mini Slider Burger with Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onions prepared by Chef Barham of CCA

You can see an 100% beef patty with bacon, lettuce, tomato, carmalized onions and blue cheese. It was so scrumptious I went for seconds. And both of them vaporized into my mouth within seconds.

Hong Kong Style Beef Chow Fun prepared by Chef Andy Wai of Heaven's Dog

350 Rhode Island St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(888) 858-5222
http://www.acasf.com/

Pinkberry

2009-09-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty picky when it comes to frozen yogurt. For me, it boils down to three things: creaminess, tartness, and sweetness. Get the combination wrong, and it just doesn't taste right. In these three departments, Pinkberry has never failed me. While I personally prefer the original flavor, others have mentioned that mango and pomegranate come pretty darn close. When I do crave frozen yogurt, Pinkberry always takes the contest hands down.

Pinkberry @ Santana Row

An assortment of toppings and frozen yogurt flavors

Original Flavor with Mochi

I'm in the city, but I'd definitely drive down to San Jose to get my fix of Pinkberry. Most of their stores are in SoCal, but they have one in New York and San Diego as well.

Pinkberry
368 Santana Row, Suite 1020
San Jose, CA 95128
(408)557-8333
http://www.pinkberry.com/

Straits Cafe

2009-09-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

At the end of busy season, our entire company headed out to San Jose's Santana row for dinner at Straits Cafe, a Southeast Asian fusion restaurant. While most of the dishes are aimed at a western audience, they are more derivatives of authentic Southeast Asian cuisine than exotic creations. This results in slightly distinctive yet recognizable dishes.

Straits Cafe @ Santana Row

Tuna Tower - Ahi tossed with seasame oil, scallions, ginger, and kaffir lime leaf - A wonderfully simple dish to get the appetite going

Roti Prata - Grilled Indian bread served with curry dipping sauce

Straits Ribs - Bali style honey glazed barbecued pork ribs - the meat was well cooked and came off the bone easily

Banana Blossom Salad - Grilled chicken tossed with Asian pears and fresh herbs served in a Vietnamese vinaigrette - refreshing but more bitter than I'd like

Basil Chicken - Curried chicken with bamboo shoots, bell peppers, onions, Shiitakes, and Thai Basil

Seafood Green Curry - fresh prawns, fish, clams, and mussels served in a savory green curry

Shrimp Pad Thai - Tossed noodles with prawns, eggs, and peanuts

Lemongrass Beef - marinated and grilled skirt steak served with lemongrass sauce, garlic fries, and baby bok choy - Well cooked without being too heavily seasoned.

Banana Fritters w/ caramel sauce

Straits Restaurant
333 Santana Row
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 246-6320
http://www.straitsrestaurants.com/

Bocanova

2009-09-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my wonderful girlfriend, the folks at Foodbuzz, and the staff at Bocanova, I was able to take a foray into Pan American cuisine at Bocanova's soft opening during Oakland's Eat Real Food festival. For an in depth look at our meal (and more pictures), take a gander over at Taste Tests.

An inside look at Bocanova's dining area

Wildflower - I admit it, I'm a sucker for these delicious fruity drinks

Stuffed whole pig with chiltomate salsa - Absolutely delicious and loaded with flavor

Chocolate Bread Pudding - It tasted like a creamy melts-in-your-mouth piece of heaven

Bocanova
Jack London Square
55 Webster Street
Oakland, CA 94607
510-444-1233
http://www.bocanova.com

Eat Real Festival

2009-09-02T00:47:00.000-07:00

What's better than a food festival? A food festival focused on sustainable, local, and organic food that supports local farmers and the communities they feed, that's what. Oakland's Eat Real Food festival is the combination of food vendors, local farmers, and restaurants coming together to give the public of taste of what delicious sustainable food can be like. You get to experience being connected to the food you eat, from the farmers who grow the food to the vendors who source the food from those farmers and create the delicious food items we all love.

I had the chance to spend a few hours at Jack London Square to get a taste of variety of foods available.

Eat Real Festival 2009

Kara's Cupcakes! - Sweet Cupcakes that Melt on your mouth

Seafood Paella - Seafood and Meat/Veggie Mixture

Commemorative Beer Mason Mug

Korean Taco Truck - Korean BBQ - They were definitely a hit. The line for the tacos lined all the way around the block

Korean Rib Eye Taco

Korean Spicy Pork Taco - These babies had quite the kick. Bottle of water required.

Pork Pupusa

For those of you who ask why real food? What's the big deal? Eating real food is more than just about getting away from our processed meals. It's about providing farmers a real chance to earn a living. It's about knowing where your food comes from and the interdependent relationships you have with those who grow the food. It's about enjoying and making delicious food that doesn't require a huge carbon footprint, pounds of antibiotics, genetic modification, and pesticides to grow and raise. It's about reconnecting ourselves back to the food chain that we depend on to maintain our health and derive enjoyment from. Keeping it real and keeping it simple. That's what eating real food is all about.

Eat Real Festival 2009
Jack London Square
Oakland, CA
http://eatrealfest.com/

Pot de Pho

2009-09-01T23:41:00.000-07:00

I came here with a friend on a weeknight to chat and grab a bite. Until then, I never understood why you would pay more than a few bucks for a bowl of pho. A few firsts were established that night. The creation of Chef Khai Duong of Ana Mandara, Pot de Pho strives to use all natural and/or organic ingredients resulting in some pretty fresh tasting food.

Pho Bo Tai - Beef Pho, Rare Kobe Beef Steak - This is not your normal bowl of Pho. It's house made MSG-free broth simmered for hours with delicious choice pieces of Kobe beef on top of fresh house made noodles.

Goi Cuon - Fresh Spring Roll with Shrimp and Pork - The spring rolls were light and well packed. However, the peanut sauce was the best part. Thick and flavorful, it was the perfect complement to the pork and shrimp.

Cucumber Sake Mojito - Sake, fresh mint, cucumber, lime juice, and soda. Wonderfully light and refreshing, this mojito is the best I've ever had.

Pot de Pho provides a unique Pho eating experience and does so with some of the best tasting and freshest ingredients available. Eating here is more than just receiving a big bowl of pho and noodles. Each ingredient is well thought out, from the pho to the vegetables to the meat, creating a wonderful bowl of pho that is deserving of praise.

Pot de Pho
3300 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 668-0826
http://www.potdepho.com/

Tai Wu Mr. Fong's Restaurant

2009-08-29T23:55:00.000-07:00

When my siblings come to visit from out of town, my family generally likes to go out and enjoy a traditional family style Cantonese dinner. While most Cantonese restaurants are the dime a dozen variety in the San Francisco Bay Area, an occasional few solid restaurants will stick out. At Tai Wu, most of the dishes are well flavored without too much grease while still maintaining a good deal of authentic Cantonese cred. And when it comes to Chinese food, that's saying a lot.

Starter Munchies

Frog with Mushroom Clay Pot - Tastes just like chicken but more tender. Really!

Dried Scallop & Enoki Mushroom E-Fu Noodle (Yi Meen)

Fried Tofu with Pumpkin and Mushroom Clay Pot - Soft pumpkin that melts in your mouth

Eggplant with Fried Tofu Clay Pot - A little bit spicy but goes great on rice

Salty Fish Tofu w/ Mushroom Clay Pot

Sauteed Snow Peas with Lotus Blub

Stir-fry Broccoli with Fish Cake
While it's pretty easy to find decent authentic Chinese food in the bay area, it's incredibly difficult to find great dinner places, dim sum restaurants, and noodle joints. This one gets the thumbs up for falling into the solid category.

Tai Wu Mr. Fong's Restaurant
King Plaza Shopping Center
950 King Dr
Daly City, CA 94015
(650) 878-8833
http://www.taiwurestaurant.com/

B Star

2009-08-27T01:16:00.000-07:00

By the same owners of the well known Burma Superstar comes the sister restaurant B Star located just a block away. I came here with a friend looking for a light but fulfilling dinner. We ordered two appetizers and one main dish. The portions have the feel of a tapas restaurant but still left me satisfied.

B Star!

Spicy Tuna Ceviche - Pepper crusted tuna tataki, with jalapenos, avocado, and wakame - The dish was spicy but choc full of flavor and personality. Kick!

Panko Crusted Soft Shell Crab with tempura dipping sauce and ground ginger

Garlic Egg Noodles with arugala, cucumbers, daikon sprouts, shallots, chili oil, and duck - One of the best variations of Garlic noodles I've had. The fried minced garlic pieces and chili oil add quite a bit of impact to the dish while allowing the overall flavor to still feel light and clean.
Overall, an enjoyable experience I'd love to do again soon.

B Star
127 Clement Street
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415)933-9900
http://www.bstarbar.com/

BBQ Pork Roast Sliders

2009-08-27T00:19:00.000-07:00

I gotta give props to our staff at work for making this simple delicious meal. Pork roast with bbq sauce, mixed greens on top of provolone inside a sesame bun. Simple, colorful, and tasty.

They almost look too cute to eat!

Chapeau!

2009-08-25T02:08:00.000-07:00

I recently had my first French food experience after 25 long years of waiting. Needless to say, I've been waiting too long. Chapeau! is a cute restaurant tucked away in the Inner Richmond of San Francisco. I went for the Prix Fixed meal which consisted of an appetizer, entree, and dessert of my choosing. The dining area was quite comfy and each dinner item was served in a timely manner. Not only was the food absolutely incredible, but the service was friendly as well.

Yum!

The Onion Soup was savory and pleasing. Every single spoon just melted in my mouth and filled my body with warmth and deliciousness all over. Can't say I've ever had soup like this before. I'm pretty sure I was scraping every last bit of soup out of the bowl. Either I will order this more often or I need to learn how to make it!

Escargot de Bourgogne in Butter-Parsley & Garlic Sauce
All my notions about how I thought Escargot would taste? Out the door. The texture was smooth and chewy while the sauce all but sealed the deal in my mouth. Buttery and tasty!

Louisiana Gulf Wild Flounder with Mashed Potatoes, Braissed Leeks, Roasted Tomatoes, and Mussels in Saffron Sauce.
While this dish appeared to be relatively conventional, everything was perfectly cooked. The Flounder was soft and flaky and absorbed just enough of the saffron sauce to be light and delectable. Directly underneath the Flounder were the diced Leeks which were well cooked and melted with the fish upon eating.

Roasted Rack of Lamb with Eggplant Moussaka, Artichoke Barigoule, Fried Panisse, Thyme Lamb Jus

Tahitienne Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée. - Creamy, White, and Oh so good. Flame On!

French Toast w/ Coffee Ice Cream
Chapeau has definitely left me craving for more. I'd have to wager that this meal is one of the best I've had all year. Good French food, service, and great company = A lovely meal. At the moment, thoughts of French onion soup are still floating around in my head.

Chapeau!
126 Clement
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415)750-9787
http://www.chapeausf.com/

Zucchini Bread & Muffins

2009-08-19T00:18:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make Zucchini bread ever since my experience making pumpkin bread went well. So I finally hopped on over to Trader Joe's (love that store) and picked up 5 sticks of Zucchini. Not having eaten Zucchini bread for at least a few years, I didn't really remember or understand what the big deal was about a blended vegetable baked into bread. Now I know what I've been missing all this time.

One word: Crust. The top of the muffins came out slightly hardened and was both crunchy and sweet. I am seriously tempted to use this recipe again and just spread the mix out onto a flat pan and eat crust all day long. Delicious down to the last bite.

What 2 cups of finely grated zucchini looks like after half an hour of grinding

Who would have thought Zucchini bread contains more than just a vegetable and some flour

All the raw ingredients going in before mixing

The batter was nice and smooth while still a bit liquid.

The hardened tops are incredible sweet and crunchy
Recipe:

Yield: Makes 2 loaves

3 eggs (or 2 Egg Whites + 1 Egg)
1 cup vegetable oil (or 1/2 cup applesauce + 1/3 cup oil)
1 1/2 cups packed organic brown sugar
2 cups finely grated zucchini (about 3 1/2 sticks)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup wheat germ (or oats or flaxseed)

Preheat oven to 350°F In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, sugar, zucchini, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, wheat germ, and cinnamon; stir to combine. Stir in raisins and nuts, if desired.

Put into oven for 1 hour, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes.

Zucchini Bread III
by Mary Catherine Bailey
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Zucchini-Bread-III/Detail.aspx?strb=5

IL Conte d'Alba 1917 - Moscato D'Asti

2009-08-16T01:43:00.000-07:00

Today was my friend's birthday so I finally decided to bring my bottle of Moscato that I'd been saving up. Granted that I'm not a huge wine aficionado, this Moscato has to be one of the best wines I've ever drank. It is smooth and sugary sweet without being overpowering. I can't wait to open my two remaining bottles.

Crisp and sweet!

Il Conte d'Alba 1917
Moscato D'Asti
Imported from Italy
Ordered from Winerz.com

Tartine Bakery & Cafe

2009-07-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bakeries in all the world, Tartine has a special place in my heart with their strawberry fruit tarts (Best Tart EVER!). Unfortunately on this visit, it was unavailable so I settled for the Raspberry and Blackberry Tart while my friend went for the Lemon Cream Tart. The tart shell is buttery and sweet resulting in every bite being delectable regardless of the topping.

Raspberry and Blackberry Tart - This tasted even better than it looks

Lemon Cream Tart

Tartine Bakery also serves other delicious goods such as Chocolate filled Croissants, Bread pudding, quiches, a killer cinnamon bun and various other item. If you are visiting SF and give a damn about food, this is one place you have to visit.

Tartine Bakery
600 Guerrero Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
http://www.tartinebakery.com/

Cedar

2009-07-27T13:32:00.001-07:00

After a half day of museum hopping in DC, my friends and I ended up at this cute brunch place called Cedar. While we were one of the few parties in the restaurant when we were seated, it quickly filled and for good reason. The food is fantastic!

Cedar Restaurant

Banana Nut Crunch French Toast with chantilly cream and maple syrup - We all shared this dish and agreed it was delightful =P

Scrambled Eggs with Applewood smoked bacon and garlic potatoes

Grilled Flat Iron Steak & Eggs with garlic potatoes

Roseda Farms Dry Aged Beef Burger

Braised Pork Belly BLT with fried egg, smoked tomato, and basil

The potatos were well seasoned with garlic and herbs. I'm generally not a huge fan of bacon, but they fried it just crispy enough and surprisingly, it did not feel very heavy going down. A hearty but delicious meal with superb service.

Cedar
822 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
http://www.cedardc.com/

Legal Sea Foods

2009-07-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

I've been to Legal Sea Foods on the east coast twice and each time I've come out full and satisfied. The clam chowder is consistently good across all their restaurants and the entrees do not leave you wanting. My visit to this particular establishment in Washington DC maintained the same quality of food I have to come expect from Legal Sea Foods.

New England Clam Chowder

Legal Signature Crab Cake Sandwich - This Glorious sandwich was mine and boy was it delicious

Louisiana Gumbo - Shrimp, Sausage and Fried Okra over Jasmine rice

Fish and Chips - dayboat cod and haddock with cole slaw

The Crab cake sandwich was just stupendous. The meat was sweet and moist, surrounded by lettuce, tomato slices, and a mild mustard sauce covered by a warm and lightly toasted bun. They really need to get established over here on the West Coast.

Legal Sea Foods
704 7th St Nw
Washington, DC 20001

http://www.legalseafoods.com/

Bi-Rite Creamery

2009-07-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

On sunny weekends in San Francisco, Dolores park is great place to chill at since it's packed with people, dogs, and bikes and generally full of life. If you're lounging in the park and you really want some ice cream, look no further than Bi-Rite creamery across the street.

What makes Bi-Rite creamery special? They have new seasonal flavors every time you visit and they do their best to use local, organic and sustainable ingredients in their products. This results in some the best tasting ice cream ever (at least in the bay area).

Cookies N Creme & Coffee Toffee (underneath)
Let your taste buds savor the creamy flavors!

Bi-Rite Creamery
3692 18th Street
San Francisco CA, 94110
http://www.biritecreamery.com/

Poleng Lounge

2009-07-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

Each time I go to Poleng, the menu ceases to pleasantly surprise me with new seasonal items that keep the taste buds happy and are shown in new and pleasing presentations. The place has a hip and modern vibe and changes from a restaurant into a lounge Friday and Saturday night. On this visit, they didn't have my favorite Ahi poke dish, but they did have a new group of wonderful ones to choose from.

Heirloom Tomato Poke - Mixed heirloom tomatoes in a spicy poke sauce with scallions and sesame

Crispy Adobo Wings - Chicken Wings glazed in a sweet sauce

Sizzling Sisig - Pork medly cooked with coconut vinegar, onions, peppers, and citrus

Royal Scallops Katsu - Seared scallop coins on white corn and fava beans

The crispy adobo wings were delicious with slightly crispy skin and meat that came off the bone easily. I also highly enjoyed the Heirloom tomato poke, which was fresh and zesty. Pork is generally not my favorite meat of choice, but the medley was cooked with all sorts of ingredients, providing flavors that went very well with brown jasmine rice. My plan is to visit them again soon.

Poleng Lounge
1751 Fulton St
San Francisco, CA 94117
http://www.polenglounge.com

Benkyodo

2009-07-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

There's store packaged mochi and then there's the kind from Benkyodo. Located in San Francisco's Japantown, the Japanese Confectionery sells fresh made mochi and manju everyday. A whole assortment of flavors are available from strawberry manju to Kinako (green mochi covered with soy powder with red bean paste inside).

Yomogi and Kinako Manju

Strawberry (real strawberry pieces inside) and plain mochi with Red bean paste

My favorite is the Kinako Manju. The textured soy powder mixed with the smooth mochi and red bean paste provided a little bit of heaven each bite. The mochi is soft, chewy and tears easily with each bite. You could easily tear a piece of manju in half with just your hands. It's that soft! Look no further if you crave mochi and want it fresh. If you want to try all the flavors you better get there in the morning before all the special flavors run out.

Benkyodo Co.
1747 Buchanan Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
http://www.benkyodocompany.com/

Fourth of July Food Fest

2009-07-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July went by in a flash. I spent part of the weekend at my aunt and uncle's house out in San Ramon and the food just continuously rolled into my mouth.

Deviled Eggs

BBQ Drumsticks

Juicy Oranges

On to Dessert! Almond Chocolate Cake

Blueberry Cheesecake with a Graham Cracker/Walnut Crust

Chocolate Fudge Brownies...Oooooh Yeahhhh

Sweet Cantelope

Yellow Watermelon

My plate loaded with everything

The perfect way to eat through a wonderful 4th of July weekend.

Gaspare's Pizza

2009-07-06T23:45:00.000-07:00

There's pizza and then there's Gaspare's Pizza. Located in the outer Richmond, this family Italian restaurant is actually owned by an Italian family and has been here in San Francisco as long as I've been alive (or close to). The atmosphere inside the restaurant is cozy, warm, and just conducive to enjoying a couple pizzas with friends. I have yet to find a better pesto pizza anywhere else.

A staple of the outer Richmond for years!

Old School!

Pesto Sauce, Tomatoes, Italian Sausage and Mushrooms

The first bite is the best!

Gaspare's Pizza
5546 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA
http://www.gasparespizza.com/

Spiced Pumpkin Bread & Cupcakes

2009-07-06T23:07:00.000-07:00

I've finally got off my lazy butt and started baking like I've been meaning to. The first item on the list was pumpkin bread, one of my favorite foods. I borrowed the recipe from my sister who made a few changes from the original.

It's a shame that pumpkins are not available year round, so thank goodness for canned pumpkin puree. The best part is that you can foil the loaves and defrost them later to enjoy! The recipe is listed below.

All the ingredients. Only the best stuff goes in this Wong Co Kitchen

All the ingredients have gone in!

If you love crust, cupcakes are a must

Voila, Spiced Pumpkin Bread, ready for consumption

Did I mention crust is awesome?

This was all that was left after 2 days
Recipe:

Yield: Makes 2 loaves

2 cups sugar: 1 cup brown (packed), 1 cup regular
1 cup vegetable oil (or substitute 1/2 cup applesauce + 1/2 cup oil)
3 large eggs: 2 yolks, 1 egg white only
1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
3 cups all purpose flour (I use whole white wheat)
1 teaspoon ground cloves (I used allspice)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional but yum!)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in walnuts, if desired.

Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using sharp knife, cut around edge of loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread Bon Appétit | November 1995
by Vern Bertagna: West Frankfort, Illinois (w/ Modifications)
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spiced-Pumpkin-Bread-840

Strawberries

2009-07-02T23:21:00.000-07:00

It's summer and that means one thing. Awesome summer fruits! My parents went to the Farmer's market at United Nations Plaza and bought certified organic strawberries from a local farmer. These babies were ripe, juicy, and sweetened by nature. Just the way you want to start summer. The only way to get strawberries with a lower carbon footprint than these is to grow your own. This is sustainable, local produce at its best!

United Nations Plaza
(Across from the Main Library)
San Francisco, CA
Open Wed. 7-5:30, Sun. 7-5

Support local, organic, pesticide free, and sustainable foods!

Eatonville

2009-06-30T17:03:00.000-07:00

Our first sit down meal at DC was at Eatonville, a southern style cuisine restaurant. I ordered the Shrimp and Crawfish Etoufee which was outstanding. The dish was flavorful, mildly creamy and seafood was well cooked but still soft and delectable. I tried a bit of everyone's dishes which were also all enjoyable.

Eatonville - Southern Food

Hushpuppies - Rock Shrimp and Leek Fondue Stuffed with Creole sauce (Yum, yum, and did I say yum?)

Shrimp and Crawfish Etoufee - With long grain rice and fried okra

Pecan Crusted Trout - Over rice pilaf and grilled asparagus with creole mustard cream sauce

Oyster Po Boy

Crab Burger - With pickled onions, arugula, remoulade, Cajun fries and coleslaw

Pear Cider BBQ Glazed Mahi Mahi - Over sweet potato andouille sausage hash and asparagus

Peach and Blackberry Cobbler With Vanilla Ice Cream - Came Hot and Toasty. It was absolutely scrumptious

The hushpuppy is deep fried and delivers on flavor. Just staring at it made me hungry. The dessert was also fantastic. It came hot out of the oven, with the melting ice cream perfectly accompanying the tangy sweet fruit baked inside. A great way to finish off the meal.

Eatonville
2121 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20009
http://eatonvillerestaurant.com/

Mediterranean Food Cart

2009-06-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

My friend had been raving about how there was a Mediterranean food cart in NY that was open till 4am in the morning and also that it would be the best Mediterranean food I would ever have (at least from a value standpoint). He was right. The first 5 bites, I was in meat/rice heaven. Alas, after those five bites, the grease started to kick in, but those 5 initial bites were damn good. The cart also provides two types of sauce (white and red) which go really well on top of their food. You might want to take the red (spicy sauce) in moderation because it sure has one hell of a kick.

A very long line at only 11:30PM on a Tuesday night

Lamb on Rice w/ Pita and White Sauce

Mediterranean Food Cart
53rd St & 6th Ave
New York, NY 10079
http://www.53rdand6th.com

Carmines

2009-06-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

It seems like good food is to be found in almost every nook and cranny of New York. I heard Carmines was comparable to Bucca di Beppo (A restaurant in San Francisco that serves family style Italian food), which I'm not a huge fan of. Thankfully, Carmines surpassed my expectations and made another food adventure worthwhile. Our waiter was friendly and witty, which made the experience even better.

Carmines Restaurant @ Theater District

Zuppa Mussels - Cooked in Olive Oil, Garlic, White Wine, and Herbs
(Dipping bread into the broth was delicious)

Special of Night - Fusilli with Chicken, Mushrooms, Garlic, and white wine
(The Pasta was cooked al-dente mixed in with herbs and spices resulting in a hearty dish)

Veal Scallopine Marsala - The sauce was loaded with flavor that made my taste buds go wahoo!

The next time I go back to NY, I am definitely making plans to fit Carmine's into my schedule. The mussels were cooked just right without being too soft or too chewy (I'm really picky with my mussels). The food was absolutely wonderful and well prepared. If I had an extra stomach, I would have probably ordered a few more dishes. It's a great place to come with a group of friends and share several plates.

Carmine's
200 West 44th St
New York, NY 10036
http://www.carminesnyc.com

Dumpling House & Egg Custard King

2009-06-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

Next, we headed over to Chinatown searching for Vanessa's infamous Dumpling House, known for its awesome deal of 4 dumplings for a dollar. The cheap Chinese in me just can't avoid it. Like a moth to the flame I had to taste this for myself, so we hopped in and took the dive.

House of Dumplings (Vanessa's) - I hope she hand makes them herself

Sesame Pancake with Egg - We watched them deep fry this baby into the Golden wonder you see above. It looked so delicious, but it is still mostly bread.

Chives and Pork Fried Dumpling

Cabbage and Pork Fried Dumplings

Chives and Pork Boiled dumplings - These little soft heavenly morsels were awesome (w/ some soy sauce vinegar)

Egg Custard King - Smooth Silky Custard...oh yeah...

Green Custard Tart - Yum! Honeydew Melon Flavor
They have a plethora of dumplings for you to choose from and they're all hand made. Seating is difficult to find so you may want to grab it to go. You definitely leave Dumpling House full (and potentially very greasy - a cup of tea or bottle of water is in order). Not a bad way to spend 6-7 bucks for an entire meal. The Green Dan Tat (Egg Custard Tart) was purchased at Egg Custard King 2 blocks down. I just love the odd color. Despite my initial objections of eating the unusual colored egg tart, it was actually delicious. The tart had a clean honeydew flavor while retaining a smooth and rich custard texture. They also have a large selection of other exotic egg custard flavors. I am so trying the Pink one next time.

Dumpling House (Vanessa's Dumpling House)
118 Eldridge St
New York, NY 10002

Egg Custard King Cafe
76 Mott St
New York, NY 10013

Juan Valdez Cafe

2009-06-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

The following day, we dropped by Juan Valdez Cafe for Colombian pastries and Coffee to get us started. The pastries were full of flavor but not overpowering. We got a few different pastries to share, but my favorite by far were the Pan De Guava and Pan De Bono. Not only were they Warm and Fluffy, but the outer crust was oh so tender and soft. A great way to get energized for an entire day of walking around Manhattan.

Juan Valdez Cafe @ Times Square

Arequipe Nevado - Yum all the caramel

Mocha

Pan De Bono - Cheese

Pan De Guava - delicious pastry with Guava and cheese filling

Arepa De Chocolo - Baked Corn Goodness

Juan Valdez Cafe
1451 Broadway @ West 41ST
New York, NY 10036
http://www.juanvaldezcafe.us/

Sushi Palace

2009-06-24T01:03:00.000-07:00

After our lunch at Bar, we visited Yale, drove over to east rock to get a better view of the city and finally ended up at Sushi Palace for Dinner. It was over 2 years ago that I came here with some friends for a sushi buffet that included live lobster sashimi (didn't order since I couldn't stomach the thought). This time around, I focused on mostly fish and a few side dishes in hopes of satisfying my sushi buffet craving.

Front Entrance of Sushi Palace

The unique orange and red lighting highlighting the sushi chef's work area

Seaweed Salad - Perfect combination of sweet and sour flavors without overpowering

Crab Salad - Sliced veggies with crab meat flavored with a bit of mayo

Grilled Salmon in Teriyaki Sauce

Grilled Eel and Spicy Tuna Roll

Salmon, White Tuna, Albacore Tuna, Tamago, Soft Shell Crab and More (YUM!)

Round Two because one plate surely was not enough

Two years later, the sushi is still good especially for a sushi buffet in Connecticut. The fish was fresh though we were not huge fans of the white tuna. The salmon was very pleasing to the palette and so were any of the rolls with Grilled Eel in it. One of the highlights was the Tamago nigiri (they call it egg custard on the menu). The egg was sweetened just a tiny bit and was generously thick. Underneath was a moderately sized roll of rice with slightly crisped seaweed. Everything else was yummy and we left full and satisfied. Actually maybe an extra emphasis on the full part. Rounding off the meal was a small scoop of Green Tea Ice Cream which makes everything go down so much better.

Sushi Palace
1473 Dixwell Avenue
Hamden, CT 06518
http://www.sushipalace.us

Bar (BruRm)

2009-06-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

After heading over to New Haven for a night of rest, our next goal was to find a good brick oven baked pizza. The friends I was traveling with have damn good appetites and so initially I thought we would kill two pizza pies between 5 people without the blink of an eye. I was dead wrong. The pizzas were huge and very tasty.

BruRm@Bar

Cozy brew room where they distill local micro brews and serve up pizza pies

the local brew

Large Red Sauce Pizza - Left Half: Italian Sausage and Bell Pepper - Right Half: Chicken and Spinach

Large White Sauce Pizza - Left Half: Mashed Potato and Bacon - Right Half: Seafood

I'm a huge fan of thin crust on my pizzas. The crusts were slightly crunchy while being thin enough to flop and fail under the weight of the toppings. You will need to fold your slice in half if you want to hold it in one hand. I'll admit that it seemed a bit odd to have bacon and mashed potatoes on pizza, but it wasn't half bad. However, I still think it tasted like a loaded baked potato slapped on top of a slice of pizza. The seafood side was fantastic and choc full of flavor. Eating the red pie was equally delicious in its own right. If you're trying to find a decent brick oven pizza to fill up on in Connecticut, head on over to Bar.

Bar
254 Crown St
New Haven, CT 06511
http://www.barnightclub.com

Chao Zhou

2009-06-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

Over the span of a week, I've traveled with a few friends to New York, New Haven, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. We started out on our trip with a visit to Flushing, New York for a taste of Cantonese food on the East Coast. Generally, I do not expect a Chinese restaurant open at 1am in the morning to produce authentic edible food. In this case though, the food was quite edible.

There's the bowl along with neon Chinese lights. Such a bad habit to stick your chopsticks into the bowl! =)

Salty Fish Fried Rice w/ Chicken (w/ Peas, Eggs and Green Onion)

Beef Noodle Soup (Regular one)

A friend recommended their special beef noodle soup which unfortunately was unavailable the night we visited the joint. The fried rice wasn't too oily and had quite a bit of actual ingredients instead of being mostly rice. However, the salty fish was slightly bland and the general flavor could have been a bit stronger. But the food was in general authentically Cantonese (at least by ABC standards) and hopefully, if you drop by this place, they'll have the special beef noodle soup available.

Chao Zhou Restaurant
40-52 Main Street
Flushing, NY 11354

Sweet and Savory

2009-06-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

Lunch time hit and a few coworkers and I headed out toward what we thought was a BBQ joint. Unfortunately, by the time we got to our destination, we realized it was no longer there. Conveniently, a bakery/deli by the name of Sweet and Savory was situated nearby and so we headed in to give it a try.

Too bad they don't have crepes or Chinese food here. Great Name =)

Turkey & Avocado between 2 slices of whole wheat

The sandwich was fresh and filling and hit the spot. Even though I could only finish half my sandwich, finding this bakery turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

Sweet and Savory
5694 Stoneridge Dr
Pleasanton, CA 94588
http://www.sweetandsavory.com/

Taste of Formosa

2009-06-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

My sister recently came to visit and so my family and I went walking around our neighborhood looking for food and ended up finding this local Taiwanese restaurant. While I enjoy spicy food, moderation is generally up my alley and the place had a good selection of milder foods. They have quite a large selection of snacks (not sure how traditional) and dishes for sharing over rice.

Mapo Tofu - My tongue was on fire after a bite of this

Shrimp and Chive Dumplings - Delicious dumplings with a vinegar dipping sauce

Oyster and Egg Pancake in a Tomato Sauce

Spinach with Whole Roasted Garlic pieces

Taiwanese Fried Rice Noodle

Chicken in Clay Pot - This dish disappointed with lackluster flavor and very few ingredients.

Taste of Formosa
2484 Clement Street
San Francisco, CA 94121

House of Sake

2009-06-12T00:24:00.000-07:00

Last night, I went with my coworkers to Ulferts Plaza in Dublin for drinks and Japanese food. We ordered multiple bottles of sake (which I could not drink unfortunately due to a cold) and a plethora of sashimi dishes and rolls.

Sake - Filtered and Unfiltered

Complimentary starter Crab meat + Cucumber Salad

Assorted Fish (Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail, White Tuna)

Softshell crab

Lion King Roll

Overall, the food was decent. The sashimi was decently fresh, although the quality and taste of some of our rolls were so so, especially the cooked ones. However, if you're looking to satisfy a sushi craving, House of Sake will do the trick.

House of Sake
Ulferts Plaza
4288 Dublin Blvd # 101
Dublin, CA 94568
http://www.ulferts.com/

Beard Papa

2009-06-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

My stomach definitely has a weak spot for Beard Papa. No walk, car drive, or commute past Union Square is ever complete without at least a thought of abandoning my destination for a delicious cream filled puff. Whether Chocolate or Green Tea, both evils are delicious to the very end.

Even if it means I have to find parking 10 blocks away from SF shopping center, it's damn well worth it.

Beard Papa
Westfield San Francisco Center
Concourse Level
http://www.beardpapasf.com