food and the city

My Favorite Things

2011-08-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

Veggie burrito from La Taq, a Sunday tradition; MCF/San Tung sustenance for impromptu 90s R&B karaoke sesh with a few people I love Yes, all this and more was consumed in the last few weeks. I must say, I really love SF and the east bay. These are a few of my favorite things. Grilled cheese at Outerlands; chilaquiles from Primavera; pork chop at Nopa Little star and Cheeseboard 4505

On Nhau

2011-08-17T07:11:00.000-07:00

Somehow I found myself nhau-ing just about every night I was in Saigon. "You must've been hanging with a lot of dudes" my friend assumed, and right he was! I was unaware of the social significance of this primarily male custom at the time, but I found this interesting article through the interwebs. That might explain the stares, actually. Onward! It took some getting used to the giant blocks

Singapore Sling

2011-08-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

Chicken rice and steamed egg at Sin Swee Kee. Hainanese style steamed chicken, tons of flavor in the rice itself. I pretty much love all things curry, so it's no surprise that I love the Malay influences in Singaporean cuisine. There isn't much available in the bay area, so I was super excited to eat my way around town and finally have the real thing! Time was limited so I wasn't able to

On the Street

2011-08-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

Bangkok Thai tea, lime, and ice. So simple, SO DELICIOUS Tom yummmmm noodle soup with crispy pork in Chiang Mai Grilled fish in Cambodia; Amphawa floating night market Amphawa floating night market Amphawa floating night market - grilling on the boat Khanom krog in Chiang Mai; zwa bing at Shida night market in Taipei Pad thai wrapped in egg at Or Tor Kor in Bangkok; soup

Top 6 tropical fruits that taste 100x better in Asia

2011-08-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

1. Mangosteen! 2 kilos for $2. Yup, ate them all. 2. Mango (+ chili salt) 3. Pineapple 4. Lychee 5. Guava 6. Rambutan Top 1 tropical fruit that tastes as bad as it smells, even in Asia: 1. Durian Mango two ways: with coconut sticky rice and chili salt Lychee beer < lychee + beer

Search for Delicious

2011-08-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

Sea to table? I was in Asia for a little while and stopped through Tokyo for a little eating. Before my trip things were a bit nutso so I didn't really have time to plan things to a T, which meant getting lost multiple times and having to ask many people for help. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers! Daiwa sushi Okonomiyaki at Kiji Look at all the goods! You can't get anything

True Love Ways

2011-08-02T03:44:00.000-07:00

More photos from Shinie and Kevin's wedding, by Evan Chung Photography:

Shinie + Kevin

2011-06-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos I took of the candy table Grace and I put together for our dear friends Shinie and Kevin. Aside from having a strong color story, we wanted to give the feel of a candy shop and used lots and lots (and lots) of jars. A huge thanks to Kim who set everything up and was an incredible support throughout the process!

Snippets

2011-06-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

I've lived in SF for a long time, but here are some overdue firsts that I've had within the last month or so: Sanddabs and cioppino at Tadich Cap + NYT at farm:table, popovers and afternoon tea at Nieman's Chicken pho at Turtle Tower, $45 porchetta prix fixe + wine pairing at Jardiniere (ok meal, incredible value)NopalitoPrimo PatioLiang Mama's HouseChinese banquet at KirinDrinks at Trad'r

Pitter Patter Goes My Heart

2011-06-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

Butterscotch budino, fleur de sel, coffee whipped cream (Ritual Silencio), chocolate shavingsStrawberry champagne trifle (ladyfingers, vanilla pastry cream)Mascarpone cheesecake, berries tossed in basil lime syrup. Summer's the greatest!

Like Someone in Love

2011-05-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

More photos from Kevin and Tinwin's wedding, by Jen Huang Photography. After the initial pillaging

These Things Take Time (LOTS AND LOTS OF TIME)

2011-05-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Shiny and new, before seasoningLast year I picked up some high quality tin-lined copper canele molds from E. Dehillerin - only six because they were like 10 Euro each and I couldn't imagine myself making them often enough to buy a full dozen. Well, that was a good call because they are a pain! I used Chez Pim's method and recipe, and if you take the time to scroll through the entire post, you

Thoughts on Coffee

2011-05-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

While there's a burgeoning coffee culture in other cities like Portland and New York, SF's is pretty much unrivaled (as of now). I've never known much about coffee or even liked it very much, but living here has taught me a lot. Just a few years ago I was still adding cream and sugar, likening my cup to that of melted ice cream. I remember my first revelatory experience - that $20,000 cup of

Kevin + Tinwin

2011-05-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos I took of the candy table I set up for my dear friends Kevin and Tinwin. I only made some lavender cupcakes with lemon buttercream (probably my most popular wedding flavor) and dipped the marshmallow sticks. The bride and her friend made the cake pops. Grace of course designed the candy bar wrappers and was a huge help as always!I was also able to flex my flower arranging

Avril 14th

2011-04-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

Ramen I've eaten recently:- Ramen Dojo: spicy!- Orenchi: unsatisfying, and my soft-boiled egg was pretty hard-boiled- Hapa Ramen revisit: much better- Katana-ya for the millionth timeFun things I've made recently:- raw vegan bars: almonds, medjool dates, shredded coconut, honey, cocoa powder, ground flax = delicious and healthy- green onion pancakes- cilantro hummus- breakfast waffle tacos:

South By

2011-03-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Had a crazy few days in Austin for SXSW and somehow managed to eat some good food, most of which was consumed late at night unless you count the free vegan tacos and spirulina bars that provided us sustenance during the day.Top 2 Pig-related Food Truck Names:1. Pig Vicious2. The Notorious P.I.G.The following photos primarily consist of 2 things: meat and tacos. Detox!!Pulled pork from Jackalope,

Work is a Four-Letter Word

2011-03-15T22:34:00.000-07:00

After slaving away for an unreasonable period of time, I personally celebrated the only way I know how: fried chicken and all the fixins!Lettuce straight from the French Laundry gardenBiscuits with burnt-end gravyWinner winner! Juicy with very light, crispy skin... definitely lived up to expectations. We had a nice chardonnay with a smooth finish to pair. The good life, really =) Very fudgey

Happy Birthday... Jeff?

2011-03-08T22:03:00.000-08:00

Sweets from the super kawaiiiii (I'm listening to Gwen Stefani at the moment) Pinkie's in SOMA: ganache with sea salt and hazelnut pralineMy friend Jess celebrated her birthday this past weekend at Beretta and I was in charge of the cake. I've been meaning to check out Pinkie's for a long time, so I ordered up a vanilla-lilikoi cake and some additional treats. They must have misheard me on the

Monkey Bread; Gone to Heaven

2011-02-26T17:13:00.000-08:00

Went to Bouchon with my favorite mama-to-be to check out their weekend-mornings-only doughnuts. We got there a little before 9am, just early enough to beat the rush and didn't have to wait in line! I thought there would be more selection, but there were only two choices - chocolate and coconut with pineapple filling. The chocolate was enjoyably not sweet and the crispies were a nice touch, a

It Was a Good Day

2011-01-15T23:15:00.000-08:00

Morning run in Golden Gate Park, fried chicken sandwich + ginger cookie at Bakesale Betty, a stop by Remedy, latte at Blue Bottle Oakland, baby shower near Jack London, groceries at Berkeley Bowl, chef salad at Intermezzo, ice cream sandwich at Cream... and to top it all off, a lovely evening with a dear friend and a classic.

Big Ideas

2011-01-02T22:39:00.000-08:00

Lunch at Outerlands on NYE. So packed, but their bread is tasty and better than waiting for Tartine's and putting up with the tourist mob. We also stopped by the beach and saw some fishermen catching shrimp to use as bait. Apparently they hide in the sand at the shore.Some places I visited this fall/winter that I never posted about:Una Pizza NapoletanaHeart: not as pretentious as one would

Meadowood

2010-12-07T23:36:00.000-08:00

Very dramatic table settingThis year we continued our family tradition of celebrating November birthdays (new member of the 27 club!) at a nice restaurant after Thanksgiving. While it was a good, solid meal, I don't think it was comparable to the other 3-Michelin-star restaurants that I've been to (French Laundry and Le Bernardin). Moreover, I thought the food at Providence (2 stars) and Le

Little Boys

2010-11-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

Made some desserts for my one-year-old nephew's cowboy birthday! Throw in some Roadside BBQ, college football, and Rockband 3 and we have a party.Menu:- Mini sweet potato pies with pecans- Chocolate peanut butter rice krispies treats- Pumpkin whoopie pies with spiced cream cheese filling- Caramelized apple turnovers- S'more cake: chocolate layered cake with marshmallow cream and crushed graham

Get Real Get Right

2010-09-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

Alice, amazed at the aisles filled with the most ridiculous selection of Barilla; sticky figgy gelato from EATaly (it was gross and even Alice threw hers away) Not pictured: the Stumptown baristas chucking newspapers while stroking their staches Juicy lamb burger (side of cumin mustard) and charcuterie at the Breslin Mac n cheese pancakes and ebelskivers from Shopsins High and low: afternoon tea

Kim + Mike

2010-08-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I started prepping for Kim and Mike's wedding pretty much right off the plane from Paris. Kim was an absolute delight to work with and really just the sweetest bride ever! She's also an extremely creative architect, and designed/drew the invitations and background herself, as well as the hanging decorations. You can check out her description of the wedding on the PW blog, and

All Delighted People

2010-08-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

I've been eating out a ridiculous amount lately, but good food with good friends is never something to complain about. Another restaurant that opened on 10-Aug was Commonwealth, brought to you by the MSF team. We decided to forgo the tasting and went a la carte, where our favorite dishes were the marrow-stuffed squid (deliciously smoky), the hen which was cooked perfectly, and the "s'more"

benu

2010-08-13T00:20:00.000-07:00

The standout dish: "shark's fin soup" with a delicately silky truffle custard at the baseIt's too early to say much about Benu, but I definitely appreciated how much thought and precision went into the food, space, and the service. I have mixed feelings, but again, it's only day 3! Any restaurant needs time to find its groove and get situated, regardless of the caliber of the team. (R)

Something Old Something New

2010-08-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

Eiji miso cod and strawberry mochi (photos courtesy of she-rene) Lots and lots of puff pastry dough and butter, pizza from Americano Brussel sprout chips (the lemon really makes it sing!), ADD burger drenched in grease from Marlowe Pork bun from Spice Kit (short ribs are pretty money), kouglof and pain au chocolat et pistache from Laduree some dish from the lazy ox, burma superstar leftovers

A Moveable Feast

2010-07-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I was sent on a last minute business trip to Paris. While it sounds glamorous, trust me... it was ALL WORK and barely any play. I did manage to eke out a few meals at places I hadn't tried last time, and we had Bastille Day off and decided to take advantage despite our exhaustion. Fireworks behind the Eiffel Tower ain't bad after some long days.One place I didn't get a chance to

Too Young to Burn

2010-07-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

Sea salt coffee (can easily be made at home), sponge cake tacos! (basically a jelly roll)Went down to LA for the holiday weekend and Teresa's big fat Egyptian wedding. I was able to squeeze in a few eating adventures, including Church + State right off the plane. I've been to scene-y restaurants, but man... LA just takes it to another level. I also took a little detour to Irvine to try 85

Figs on a Plate

2010-06-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

Roasted black mission figs with some olive oil, sea salt, and a wedge of creamy chevreIt's no question that I love summer produce. One of my favorite things to do is to just walk around Berkeley Bowl without an agenda and pick up whatever looks radiant and inspiring. Let the eye-rolling commence! You really can't beat heirloom tomatoes with olive oil and sea salt (did not have basil on hand).

We Jammin

2010-06-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

My parents have a lot of fruit trees in their backyard, and the loquats were at their peak a few weeks ago. As I learned last year, picking fruit is not an easy task but at least there weren't any thorns this time (just tons of bugs and spiders gah). Loquats go bad incredibly quickly, so I thought I would make jam to get the most of the harvest.My dad has two types of loquat trees: one with a

Ramen Report

2010-06-17T14:07:00.001-07:00

First days are always rough. I generally try to avoid them, but the hype was getting to me. Got there before 11:30am and still waited about 45 min. Felt lucky after getting our food as I weaved through the snaking line that soon rivaled that of RoliRoti. Small portions (maybe half the amount of a bowl at Santa Ramen for the same price), and no chopsticks (had to nab some from Slanted Door).

A Day in the Life: South Bay Edition

2010-06-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

A lot of my friends live in the south bay and have been talking up a few places. It was just a matter of time before they let me in on their recent finds.... Korean bakery - what?? I didn't know such things existed. Paris Baguette is like a Guppy's/85 Degrees but Korean-owned although you wouldn't be able to tell. They have a lot of modern/westernized Asian pastries, some more traditional

Bienvenido a Miami

2010-06-04T01:12:00.000-07:00

TOP 5 Items on Memorial Day Weekend To Do List1. Say hi to Shaq at the pool (check)2. Imagine punching Chris Brown in the face as he walks by (check)3. Unsuccessfully get into P Diddy's party (check)4. Go to South Beach every night and marvel at the hordes of people (check)5. Almost die of parasites after eating raw pork (check) Didn't have high expectations for Miami except for MGFD - James

Phages

2010-05-25T20:21:00.001-07:00

Strawberry shortcakeAnother little test run. I made a batch of creme fraiche (extremely easy), whipped it up with a little vanilla and powdered sugar, threw it together with some homemade puff pastry and sliced strawberries. Hello, summer picnics!

Cake in Action

2010-05-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

The final cake (flags made by the bride)Chiffon cake, fleur de sel caramel filling, vanilla buttercreamPhotos taken by Mike (these are the raw and unprocessed images)

XXXO

2010-05-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Just a little test run from last week.

Laduree vs. Pierre Herme

2010-05-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

First day in Paris I headed to Saint Germain for a head to head of the city's food icon: the Parisian macaron (different than, say, the "French macaron" since varies per region). Smooth, delicate, yet still crisp and chewy, these are really incomparable to any in California let alone New York. LADUREEIt's crazy how much of an institution Laduree is - supposedly the creator of the macaron, this

Food + Flânerie

2010-05-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Denise Acabo's eclectic candy shop - she knew right away that I found her through David Lebovitz It was closed but luckily every single shop around it served the famed ice cream. Caramel beurre sale et noisette? Yes please! A nice hefty sourdough (luckily they sold quarters of their gigantic loaves). Their pain au chocolat and flan-cake-thing were good too With bread comes butter! So fresh

London Calling

2010-05-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Top 5: Proof that British food isn't so bad1. St. John 2. Brick Lane weekend market: okonomiyaki hits the spot every time3. The Thomas Cubitt 4. Prufrock Coffee5. Jaffa cakes: strangely addicting!

Kathy Goes to Washington

2010-05-03T23:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't been to DC in years, but the newlyweds and the cherry blossoms (that I missed; I have the worst timing!) gave me an excuse to visit. I didn't have high ambitions for its food scene, but there were definitely a few treasures. Fried chicken, mac n cheese, collard greens, yams, brisket, cornbread... Polla a la brasa not as good as Norky's but how can you really compare; Ben's chili half

Airplanes

2010-04-07T11:50:00.001-07:00

Grace designed a dessert table and I tested out some summer desserts I've been meaning to try. You can check out her thoughts on design at her blog, or check out the PW article for some more photos!

The Line Starts Where?

2010-03-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Oh the ironyThe former Taylor's Refresher, now Gott's Roadside, kicked off their new identity today with some free food, T-shirts, and a little bit of chaos. While it was painfully obvious that the event suffered from poor planning and severe miscommunication, it was very generous of the owners to celebrate by feeding the public they regularly serve. At the end of the day, the staff was really

In the Sun

2010-03-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

The weather has been amazing (ie, 60F+) which makes me want to wear pretty dresses and just listen to fluffy music all day. One can dream!Raisin scone, soda bread, and brown bread from John Campbell's in honor of St Patty'sWhile their scones are much lauded across the city, I think they're rubbery. Their breads however are powerfully addicting. "Tammy's banh bap" (aka tamale), shrimp "cupcakes"

Message in a Cookie

2010-03-03T22:25:00.000-08:00

My sister let me borrow her W-S cookie cutters where you can stamp a 2-line message. While it isn't the most well-designed (only alphabet letters and no numbers or symbols, only 3 basic shapes without ability to customize, etc), it is still quite useful and I was able to work around its limitations. I used them to put together a Project Wedding article, and brought them to a bridal shower

Yoghurt Bread

2010-02-25T16:08:00.000-08:00

My friend Emily introduced me to lacto-fermented bread - that is, yeastless bread that rises from soaking wheat in yogurt, sour milk, or buttermilk (basically anything with active cultures). I would talk about the science behind it and the biological health benefits, but it went completely over my head. She even went above and beyond by making her own whole wheat flour by grinding up wheat

Commis

2010-02-23T20:57:00.000-08:00

Please excuse the craptastic photos - Commis' signless storefront intimidated me enough to not bring my camera, though it didn't stop me from snapping a few with my phone.I had read a lot about this restaurant since its anticipated opening, followed by Michael Bauer's griping review and others mixed. I am not one to ever take him seriously, so I was still curious and decided to go a few weekends

Here and There

2010-02-21T16:48:00.000-08:00

Apple galette with almond frangipane and really great homemade puff pastry (I didn't peel the apples so there would be some color - the reds are from pink ladies); chicken adobo burrito with garlic fried rice from papalote's annual mexi-pino menu mmm

Underdog(s)

2010-02-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

Underdog (hot dogs) and Underdogs (sports bar + taco shop) can get easily confused, especially since they are just about 2 blocks away from each other on opposite sides of 19th. Underdog feels like a hippie version of Top Dog with their extensive list of vegetarian and vegan "sausages," except significantly more expensive by $2+. The meat versions are all organic, and they also include some

The Challenge: Complete

2010-02-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Brunch galore: Mama's and Cafe Fanny (far R)I've made it. Well.... I have a little confession to make. This weekend on 30-Jan, just 2 days left in the month, I was at Korean BBQ and enjoying my vegetable bibimbap, and I picked up some of the banchan that I thought was tofu. Well... it turned out to be fishcake! UGHHHHHHH FAILLLLLLLLLLLLLLWhile I would like to discount that because it was a

The Challenge Update: Halftime

2010-01-15T15:51:00.000-08:00

Something I still won't see for awhile: 4505 Meats lengua/brisket sandwich, topped with shredded brussel sprouts, a fried egg, and hollandaiseI am halfway through my month of not eating meat. It's only been 2 weeks, but I feel like it's been a long time, and February couldn't come sooner! The very first day (1-Jan-2010), I was already challenged by having lunch with my extended family at a

In December Drinking Horchata

2010-01-11T22:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas in LA: Daikokuya, Luscious Dumplings, Porto's Bakery, and lots of Sam Woo woo! Kotteri (back fat) broth, lots of cool posters Potato balls (fried mashed potatoes filled with beef stew), and a sampling of all the guava pastries. In store, sensory overload! It was very confusing

The Challenge: Goodbye, Meat!

2009-12-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've always said I could be vegetarian if I wanted to. I normally don't cook with any meat (out of pure laziness and frugality), and I enjoy a lot of vegetarian food. While I wouldn't choose to be vegetarian forever, I thought I would try it out for a month.January 2010 seemed like a good trial: no more holidays so I could control what I eat, the start of a new year always carries with it some

Cynthia + Elvin

2009-12-29T23:35:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Kevin WangCynthia is one of my best friends, so it was definitely a busy fall/winter organizing wedding events and putting together a candy table, let alone normal bridesmaid duties! It was a special day though, and it was a relief that everything came together so well in the end.I made a few things - the usual truffles, fleur de sel caramels, truffle lollipops, marshmallow

The Real Real Korean Tacos and Some Snake

2009-12-01T22:13:00.000-08:00

FINALLLLLYYYYYYYThe last time I was in LA it was only for 24 hrs and Kogi was closed. The last time before that, I was in the OC for a wedding and couldn't leave. The last time before that, Kogi did not exist. Well, it's about bloody time! With my luck, the truck wasn't even operating because of Thanksgiving, but at least the douchey Alibi Room was open. Tacos and quesadillas: the only

Providence

2009-12-01T21:54:00.000-08:00

My mom's birthday is only a week before mine, so our family always celebrates them together at a nice restaurant the weekend after Thanksgiving. Being in LA, Providence was the logical choice: aside from the chef's recent appearance on Top Chef Masters, this new American seafood restaurant was just awarded 2 well-deserved Michelin stars. Plus, my sister had been twice and saw Hiro once... who

Pre-Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

November is always insanely busy, even before Thanksgiving. This year... bachelorette in Napa, 24 hrs in LA, Mike's birthday + his family visit, lots of potlucks, Mom's birthday, my birthday! Dinner at Redd: not as amazing as I thought it would be, but it was a solid meal San Tung and Zuni - SF classics Dishdash lamb marinated in yogurt... amazing and much tastier than 53rd+6th halal cart;

You're A Wolf

2009-11-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Alice and I finally tried MSF's latest venture - lunchtime burgers served out of a corner in Duc Loi supermarket. After walking past the beautiful swan squash, Kern's horchata, and bottles of Mad Housewife, we patiently awaited our fried chicken sandwich and beef burger.Now friends, this is no Bakesale Betty fried chicken. It's difficult to tell from the photo (greasy hands) but it ended up

Tea Party

2009-11-04T20:47:00.000-08:00

Right when I came back from NYC I had to prep for a bridal shower that I was throwing. Unlike most wedding-related events, I spent most of my time on the decorations/favors/everything else and not so much on the food. However, I did manage to knock out a few things the night before. It was a tea party brunchy lunch, so aside from your standard tea sandwiches and deviled eggs...- cheddar dill

Good Girls Gone Bad

2009-10-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

New Yooooooork. I need to go here less often! Let's start with the best:LOCANDA VERDE: This Robert DeNiro co-owned Italian restaurant in Tribeca has been getting a lot of hype lately, and luckily for part of my trip I was staying within walking distance so the cold rain wasn't a huge deterrance. Almost everything we had was delicious, and even with such recent raves it was actually very chill

Rumpus!

2009-10-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

Empanadas from El Porteno while waiting for wild things (chicken and cheese were our favorites) Tanto, a nontraditional izakaya (I prefer Oyaji): simmered sea urchin w/ egg, roasted rice balls w/ roe Chili/slaw burger at Five; bad choice of platter. PI flood relief: Brazilian coconut stew that tasted like Thai curry, chicken + waffles from Little Skillet (I don't know what spices they used, but

Almond Jello, 1.5 Ways

2009-10-05T23:31:00.000-07:00

Awhile ago, Alice went to a nut farm and brought back some raw almonds still in their shells. We had been talking about almond jello a few days before that, and I thought... why not an artisan version? No extracts, no syrupy fruit cocktail... basically strip away all the things that make it great. But hey, why not? After shelling, I ground all the raw almonds up with some milk and a little

Slim Pickens

2009-09-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

It's the end of summer, which also means the end of berry season! The park next to my parents' house has wild blackberry bushes which are bountiful during peak season, but there was very little fruit left when I tried going this past weekend. I only yielded about a cup after braving the thorns without the proper attire (shorts and sandals without gloves do not mix with berry picking). Using the

15 Romolo

2009-09-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

This nondescript bar tucked away in a North Beach alley without a sign was pretty much what I expected - great drinks with food that pairs well with alcohol (ie, snacky bar food). The cocktail menu almost reads like a foreign language for those who aren't "mixologists" like me, but the four I tried were delicious, much like my experience at Adesso. I especially liked the "Hickory Dickory Dock,"

Kristen + Marlon

2009-09-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

Purple and gold (Lakers fans), tropical menu, and a hot day! Thanks to Gloria for letting me give her tiers a makeover, Grace for helping me make tons of sugar plumerias as well as being my food stylist for the day, and Mike for the lovely photos, as usual!Menu:- Mascarpone cheesecake w/ pineapple champagne glaze and pineapple chips (what can I say... everyone wants cheesecake!)- Ube manju

(90) Days of Summer Weddings

2009-08-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a long and tiring summer. I'm looking forward to making food in quantities of less than 200 for the rest of the year. =P

Bits + Bites

2009-08-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Carte415: Alice, just a tad disappointed by their "gourmet sea salt chips." Grilled cheese w/ Mt. Tam a la Kathy Liou's House: stuffed duck, winter melon soup Lechon at Pistahan, Palabok and pork adobo = fatty goodnesssss[not pictured] Flour+Water: good crust and pasta, but very skimpy on toppings and overall a bit unsatisfying. Very similar to Dopo, but not as good. Really great service

Michelle + Nick

2009-07-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

Photo by Danielle GillettA few weekends ago I had the honor of making a few desserts for Michelle and Nick's wedding in the woods of Nestldown. It was one of the most beautiful, deeply moving and personal celebrations I have ever witnessed, let alone been a part of! Moreover, every dessert was deliberately chosen with meaning to the couple. My absolute favorite idea was the mango cupcake with

Mix Mix

2009-07-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, I made some leche flan for a tasting over the weekend, and it was for a dessert inspired by halo halo. It is not actually halo halo since there is no shaved ice, ice cream, red bean, etc etc... but the concept of mixing a bunch of stuff together is pretty much the idea behind this dish, except a bit more pared down and simplified. It's essentially coconut tapioca/graham

Hello, Goodbye

2009-07-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

It's been over a month since Mike moved into his new condo, but we finally introduced ourselves to his hood by having a food crawl down Piedmont Ave. We started at Adesso, Dopo's semi-new sister bar with quite a selection of salumi and other small plates. Very well aware that they have happy hour with free food from 5-7pm, we clocked in just before it ended but I guess they stop serving food

Wexler's

2009-07-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

This new spot has the perfect location for a work lunch that is tasty and affordable. The black structural piece thing on the ceiling is interesting, albeit a bit suffocating and makes the space look small. After reading an article about the food however, I was really excited to see how their menu would be executed.We started with the wings - I think most of us agree that Point Reyes blue

Il Cane Rosso

2009-07-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

Not much to say since it just opened. They have plenty of seating, including bar stools inside the kitchen. Their menu sounded quite promising, but what we ordered ended up not being what was expected. Grilled peach sandwich was more of an open-faced canape on some too-toasted bread ($9). Rotisserie chicken salad was about a half cup serving ($12.50). Egg salad sandwich was simple, but we

Gigi's Wedding

2009-07-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

Here are photos of a dessert table I did for Gigi's wedding. We went for light flavors, and a yellow-peach-salmon color palette. Menu:- Peach tarts/vanilla pastry cream/pate sucree shell- Grapefruit raspberry mousse/lemon poppy seed cake- Mascarpone cheesecake/lychee white wine mirror glaze/black tea sugar tuile- Coconut tapioca/passion fruit mango gelee/basil lime syrup- Trio of tea-infused

Maybe Tomorrow

2009-07-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

* Update 09Jul09: no tomato salad today (corn salad). Ryan Farr is up and running - chicken beer sausage -- best part was perfect toasted bun:dog ratio. Namu lines are getting longer than Tacolicious....A few months ago I posted about the new Thursday market at the Ferry Building, something I've been looking forward to. Well, last week it finally came, and what an unexpected clusterfk it was!

Nopa

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

560 Divisadero (& Hayes)(415) 864-8643American in Western Addition/ "NOPA"**Update 27Sep09: OK after visiting a few more times, I must say that their pork chop, flatbread, and blue bottle martini are my go-tos. They will never fail!*Update 06Jul09: I've been meaning to go back for awhile, especially since seasonal restaurants are always better in the summer. I finally understand the hype

Top 5: Vietnamese Sandwiches

2009-07-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

It's pure coincidence that Gene from Hoodscope just wrote about Saigon Sandwiches in his SFE column (which of course tops my own list)! I've been slowly eating my way through the city's banh mis for awhile, and finally visited the last on my list! Props to bsze, Saigon Sandwiches new #1 fan and my partner in crime.This is a direct comparison of a combo pork banh mi, ie. pate, roast pork,

Supermagic

2009-06-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

No engagement is complete without SAN TUNG. Congrats to Cynthia + Elvin!

The Animal Taco: A Dream, Realized

2009-06-12T01:26:00.000-07:00

Awhile ago, Curtis mentioned the idea of animal style tacos. Well, that day has finally come! Seeing as there's only one In N Out in SF (Fisherman's Wharf), our plan of attack was to grab some carne asada tacos (plain, just meat + tortilla) at a nearby taqueria, then pile the goods on - cheese, grilled onions, and thousand island - while the tacos were still hot. Well, things didn't exactly go

1300 Fillmore

2009-06-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

A little while ago, Michael Bauer wrote about the rise of comfort food on his blog. Well, unrelated to that (or maybe we're just the type of people he's talking about), we visited 1300 Fillmore after talking about it for ages. Yes, I also just went to Front Porch recently, but it's purely coincidence! Stacy had gone awhile ago for brunch and really enjoyed her meal, so of course we had an itch

Le Bernardin <3

2009-06-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you might have noticed that I have a bit of a chef-crush on Michael Laiskonis, exec pastry chef of Le Bernardin and their associated restaurants around the country. Le Bernardin isn't just famous because of Eric Ripert (although I'm sure everyone wants to be his BFF), but it is one of the few restaurants in the US with 3 Michelin stars, as well as a

Di Fara

2009-06-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not an expert of NY-style pizza unlike Mr. Ferrari, but I enjoyed watching the love and care go into each pie at Di Fara, and it was quite delicious. It's supposedly one of the best (although there are places around Coney Island that supposedly have better sauces), but in the end it's all about preference... kind of like Zachary's vs. Little Star.. which is better? They're different! During

Salumi Cycle

2009-05-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

On my way back from Crocker, I passed by the Boccalone bike (or salumi cycle, if you prefer that alliteration). I walked by at exactly 12:30pm and there was already a line about 30-deep. I also noticed people loitering at different corners of the intersection about 15 min before. I would've been one of them if I was in the mood for a prosciutto panini.The bike is cute!Photo from their twitter.

Summertime Clothes (+ Food)

2009-05-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

I usually visit New York in the fall, but I had some mileage to use up so guess where I spent Memorial Day weekend. Hanging out, eating, shopping... nothing too crazy. However, I did have one of the most memorable food-related experiences of my life, which of course will be shared on this blog. Here is a brief overview of how I spent my time. - Biryani cart: chennai kati roll based on a

News and Notes, Candy Edition

2009-05-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Check out Grace's gummy lei! I also blogged about it here.I put together a candy table last month for an article I was writing for Project Wedding. It's finally posted on the site, so check it out! The candy was donated by Fiona's Sweet Shoppe near Union Square -- they're super cute and the staff is so sweet! I also got the flowers from Nancy Liu Chin the day I stopped by Kitchenette SF.

Weekend Recap

2009-05-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend was packed and the crazy weather led to lots of activity, some food-related and some not.Front Porch: after years of passing by (it's right next to Mitchell's) I finally went. We avoided the 40-min wait by nabbing a seat at the bar. We got a few freebies (jalapeno cornbread, tomato "tartare" crostini) during the 20min wait for the food. Fried chicken was nice and crisp, but

SAVE THE DATE

2009-05-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

Umm, can you say YESSSSSSSSSSStart it up: July 2 is a red letter date for the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. It marks the premiere of a new permanent Thursday market that will focus on sustainable street food. The market will be open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the south side of the Ferry Building in San Francisco. The theme is "sustainable street food meets the best local produce," says spokeswoman Christine

Kitchenette SF

2009-05-07T00:29:00.000-07:00

While I'm at it, I will continue my lunch posts. A few weeks ago I found myself in the Dogpatch to pick up some hydrangeas from the generous Nancy Liu Chin. I rarely venture to that neighborhood despite frequenting other parts of Potrero, so I surprised myself by remembering that Kitchenette was only a few blocks away (probably because I had written this post only a few days before).I

Just You Wait

2009-05-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to Curtis. With all this taco-truck-fusion insanity, especially in LA, why not make a good thing better? Animal style tacos anyone?

RN74

2009-05-05T23:40:00.001-07:00

As mentioned before, I went to the new Michael Mina last week. I'm not really a power-lunch type (my wallet groans when I buy $11-salads), and I usually intentionally wait for new restaurants to work out their kinks before I give them a try. My lunch here, however, was completely decided on a whim. It had just opened, was just a stone's throw from the office, and was a slightly more attractive

Top 10 Go-to Lunch Spots Within a 1-mile Radius of Where I Work

2009-05-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

Last week I celebrated my four-year anniversary... with my job. WOOT. I believe my very first meal as a FiDi yuppie was at Boudin, probably a turkey avocado sandwich on a croissant. Well, times have changed and many lunches have been had. While we celebrated this depressing milestone at the recently opened RN74, a large percentage of my income in the last four years has helped sustain these

Bandwagon (bandcart?)

2009-04-23T21:33:00.000-07:00

Good grief this food cart thing is getting ridiculous. Street food, food carts, street vendors... whatever you want to call it... this type of food has been lacking in SF, a thought that I've mentioned before and have felt for a long time (long before MSF came around). The concept is obviously nothing new, and if you ever go to other big cities (outside of LA), you'll see non-taco-truck food

TOP 5: Tokyo Food Themes

2009-04-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

My visit to Tokyo was at the tail-end of my trip, and the purpose was really just to eat, shop, and hang out (unlike last time). I did reference this list, but really just for the sweets.1. SakuraCherry blossom season varies all over Japan, and is a bit short-lived and fleeting. Although I caught trees at their peak all over China, I arrived in Tokyo a few days late. It was still beautiful,

Farm to Table

2009-04-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

Mmm dinnerWhile in mainland China, I definitely thought a lot about where my food comes from - not just out of paranoia, but farms and farmers were just so pervasive and a normal part of every day life in most of the country (outside of the big cities). Living in California (and the bay area no less), we're pretty bombarded with "slow food," "farm to table," and "local," "organic" concepts/

Home!

2009-04-18T13:35:00.001-07:00

Whenever I go abroad I always crave fresh Californian produce. My first meal back from Asia was a salad at Intermezzo. Mike and I also whipped up some spaghetti with tons of fresh basil (using the supposed Delfina recipe), and some sauteed chard and roasted asparagus. Very winter meets spring. Yay for bay area farmer's markets!Of course there are tons of markets in Asia (where they're "

Off to Chinar

2009-03-22T02:19:00.000-07:00

Not your average chifa

Rage Against the Machine

2009-03-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

I decided to make bostock for my friend's birthday, which meant making brioche. Yeast hates me, so I try to practice every once in awhile. I've tried a few different recipes in the past, and I decided to give Tartine's a go this time. It's definitely different than the others - as the cookbook disclaimer says, their brioche is meant to be less rich since they use it solely for their popular

Nooooo Reservations: What Would Tony Eat?

2009-03-15T14:49:00.001-07:00

Word on the street says Tony is coming to the city next weekend to begin filming the long overdue SF episode for the current season. Both Mikey and I are committed fans of the show (Mikey more so than me), much like the rest of the world. After the wealth of episodes I've watched I think we kind of understand the evolution of his tastes and what he seeks. Of course, it's all speculation,

Recession Special

2009-03-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter Banana Time!

2009-03-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

I've been spending a lot of time with my parents, which means limited baking/cooking/food-making. However, that also means consistent access to my mom's ice cream machine! When I had leftover sour cream and some blueberries I got sick of eating... I made blueberry sour cream ice cream (tastes like cheesecake). The other day someone was talking about peanut butter banana milkshakes, so I did