Side note: I'm trying to capitalize and punctuate as a discipline, in case you've noticed my writing looking a little more formal than usual.
It's so nice! Even when it's relatively hot in the bay area, San Francisco is usually 10 degrees cooler than most cities, but today the weather is great here! I don't feel like working, so TOP 5 it is!
1. Vietnamese vermicelli: it's light, not greasy or oily, and the citrus tang is perfect for warm days. Don't go to a Vietnamese restaurant and order pho! That's just silly. =)
2. Jamba Juice
3. Iced coffee: one of my coworkers always gets an iced coffee any time the sun is out. Perfect combination for the warm food-coma-inducing office atmosphere.
4. Salad/Sandwich: there are SO many good salad/sandwich places in the area! Focaccia (my favorite) and Mixt Greens are the best. Seller's Market, Mondo Caffe, Specialty's, Lightning, and Birley's are all pretty decent too. The main reason why Foccacia is the best is the price. Who wants to pay $10 for a salad when you can pay $5??
5. Crepe with strawberries: I'm actually not a huge fan of crepes and would rather just eat strawberries by themselves (especially since they're in season), but I don't really think you can do that around here (unless you brought it from home).
Friday, April 27, 2007
TOP 5 things to eat in financial without trekking to the ferry building in 73 degree weather
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
TOP 5 foods found backstage after the shins
i just happened to have newfound connections to one of my favorite bands, thanks to my friend jacob! his cousin, dave hernandez, plays bass/electric guitar for indie pop band the shins, and we were fortunate to get backstage! it actually wasn't all glamour and lights, probably due to the band's, well, chillness. didn't have a plethora of food & drink, either, but we had fun with it regardless. =)
1. MINI TOASTS: these were definitely the highlight of the evening. tiny (~1 inch on each side) little toasts with a crouton-like texture, these mini toasts smelled like cardboard, but tasted like normal, unseasoned croutons. i was successfully able to cut off the crust of one side, but ended up breaking it while attempting to do the same on an adjacent side. so much for crustless mini toasts.
2. cheese: something smelled like sour parmesan, so i turned around expecting pizza... but lo and behold! a cheese plate of brie, blue cheese, gouda, and this greyish-green oily hard cheese (did not dare try it, although my friend vik kept eating it... he later went on to make a "kamikaze" mini toast club: a little bit of every cheese on the plate. it was a bad idea in hindsight). i used the brie to make a mini toast sandwich, which i offered to james mercer, the lead singer of the shins. he was struck with awe and fascination at its bite-size cuteness, although he politely declined. at least that gave us an in to a brief yet interesting conversation with him (e.g. "the tenderloin is more than tender... it's beat down! raw!"). afterwards, it was decided that mini toasts serve as great pick-up lines, and since they're so tiny, you can always keep a stash in your pocket!
3. coppola: the only type of alcohol found in the room. strange, yet i guess it went with the cheese
4. tejava: jacob was tempted to run away with bottles and bottles stuffed in his jacket. unfortunately, this idea never came to fruition.
5. soy milk. LOTS of it! talk about wholesome.
twas the most sophisticated backstage "party" i could imagine.
Monday, April 16, 2007
TOP 5 things to eat before i die
this is inspired by this post. it was SO difficult deciding what my top 5 would be, so i divided it into two categories. these are foods i would want to eat (again) before i die, not things i haven't tried yet. i interpreted it this way because when i tried to think of things i haven't eaten before that i would want to try, i couldn't think of anything! it's not like i've eaten everything in the world... these are just my favorites of all time (i'm sure the list will change when i get older)! besides, californian food is pretty damn good.
dishes from restaurants:
1. chef's tasting menu at french laundry (inc. foie gras, "oysters & pearls," wagyu beef, and lots and lots of gooood wine. is that cheating? not that i'm not already cheating....)
2. clementine french toast
3. bay scallop roll + chirashi from sushi house (so this includes different types of raw fish. i'm so cheating)
4. animal fries from in n out
5. special noodles from mandalay
food food:
1. avocado by itself (i.e. cut open, eaten with a spoon). some people think that's gross, but it's like eating butter that's good for you. mmm
2. fresh ripe organic strawberries with some milk
3. cheesecake made by yours truly (i don't post about baking/cooking, but i'm not too shabby)
4. black sesame mochi soup balls
5. mac 'n cheese: a combination of two of my favorite things - cheese and some form of dough
Note: i didn't take any of these pictures (links are included). they aren't ideal, but they're the best i could find without looking too hard.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Andalu
Asian/Spanish/Fusion?? small plates in the Mission
This place is pretty popular and in a prime area of the mission district. Parking's a bitch, so carpool or take public transportation if you don't live in the area. I went here for the first time last night pretty much knowing what to expect, and I was actually a bit disappointed. I think I'm just used to going to small plates restaurants in parties of two, allowing me to taste more of the food. Regardless, the food was definitely solid, but it didn't blow me away.
- polenta fries: because the menu said "curly," I was expecting something along the lines of curly fries, i.e. spiced, but it was just literally curly in a half-moon shape. These were good though, and definitely a nice break from the grease of normal fries
- halibut: don't get this. I've had much better at chinese restaurants (yes, they were going for asian fare here)
- duck confit dumplings: tasty, but mostly because they were fried. There was just too much wrapper (like a won ton wrapper) and I couldn't taste the duck at all.
- mahi mahi: the fish itself was ordinary, but the artichokes were quite complimentary
- roasted portobello: there were only 2 pieces for a party of 4, but even my half-a-mushroom was meaty and savory. If only there were more....
- pork wrapped in bacon: is it possible for something to be wrapped in bacon and not taste good? I really liked the yam puree
- coke short-ribs: I actually didn't think they were anything special, although jess really likes them. The coke flavor was non-existent, but I'm not sure if it's supposed to be?
- donut holes + mexican hot chocolate: good stuff, although it would've been I'D HIT THAT-worthy if they were served fresh and HOT.
All in all, this place is pretty solid - food-wise, ambiance (although... what's up with the KOIT music?), wine list. Good for smaller groups (I'd say no more than 4).
Monday, April 02, 2007
a non-food post about food, kind of.
2 topics of discussion: (1) foodies, and (2) food blogs. let's start with #2.
recently there was an article about food blogging in the SF chronicle, and apparently 2 very popular blogs for the city are tablehopper and becks & posh (???). now, there are gazillions of blogs for basically every single topic of interest that it's just impossible to keep tabs on everything. i honestly only read slashfood because it references a lot of other blogs and resources out there that i have no desire to research myself.
i'm not about to hate on those two aforementioned blogs, but when it comes to restaurant reviews, i personally only care about what to order - hence, most of my reviews will mostly say "good" or "bad" and then highlight the winning dishes. i also don't like vague and romanticized writing - i don't care to read about the intricate details of the place or the food. i just want to know if i should go there or not, and what/what not to order. also, who i'm getting the recommendation from is really important. for example, i'm not going to 100% trust a rave review of ton kiang by a white boy from kansas. i will, however, trust his review if i know that he knows asian food, and can tell the difference between what's good and what's bad (although i still would never go to ton kiang). it's like me and korean food. i like steve's, but apparently that's like panda express for korean food. now you know not to go to me for korean restaurant recs (although, i can recommend some places based on my korean friends' opinions).
back to the article - a chef was quoted as saying "Everyone has become a food critic. They think they're real big shots. They probably can't even make scrambled eggs." this brings me to topic #1: "foodies." and let me just say that i CAN make scrambled eggs. in your face, teo kridech! (hey whatdoyaknow... his restaurant is the reformed watercress. no wonder he's getting bad reviews....).
according to wikipedia, a foodie "might dedicate significant time to food-related pursuits, including the pursuit of a specific item, such as the best egg cream or burrito." in other words, someone who likes and is interested in food. well, you say, doesn't EVERYONE like food?? sure, but doesn't everyone wear clothes? doesn't everyone like music?
being a "foodie" is really just about having an interest, and spending time learning more about that interest. it's about appreciating the ingredients, the technique, the art, and the innovation behind what you eat, not just about the newest hot spot or trend (although it might be like that in other more pretentious hipster scenes). with that in mind, let's address some unjustified generalizations:
- foodies only go to fancy shmancy restaurants: sure, i can appreciate fine dining (e.g. french laundry lives up to its hype), but it's not like i equate good food to expensive food. some of the best food in the world costs a few bucks or less. this guy blogs about hole-in-the-wall joints, but he's obviously a total foodie.
- foodies are snobs and elitists: as one who has been accused of being snobnoxious, my argument to that is... everyone has their own opinion! yes, i did just hate on ton kiang a few paragraphs ago, but so what? that's my opinion. you, my friend, can eat whatever you want. i LOVE hazelnut, but i hate ginger. not everyone has the same palate as me, and i'm not going to press my preferences onto other people.
- foodies are self-proclaimed experts whose only credentials are reading reviews and watching the food network: just because i didn't go to culinary school doesn't mean i don't have a decent palate (btw, culinary school really doesn't teach you anything that would make you a connoisseur) . refining your palate comes from eating a lot of different kinds of food (not just locally) and knowing what you're eating (i.e. ingredients). i also do not watch the food network except for iron chef once in awhile. i did, however, grow up on pbs cooking shows which has nothing to do with restaurants.
- foodies have a stupid name: you have a stupid name.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
TOP 5 things to eat when you have almost no food
1. toasted PBLC (peanut butter lemon curd - i prefer that over jelly/jam) with the ends of the bread loaf. how sad.
2. easy mac + tuna!
3. frozen potstickers
4. ice cream (if you're lucky, you might have the limited edition dreyer's girl scout samoa ice cream! only super cool people are able to get their hands on this baby)
5. ramen (the packaged kind)
Thursday, March 22, 2007
TOP 5 ramen joints if you're an old man (or not)
guest contributor: ze faja
Santa – try the stew pork and the chicken is really good too. Tofu is so-so. Long wait. Wear sneakers so you can sprint to the head of the wait line from your car and keep an eye on competing sprinters (in other cars) in case they jump the gun!
Maruichi – good set lunch which comes with
Ringer Hut – their Nagasaki Champon noodle is pretty tasty and you can order the set lunch A, which includes a small dish of fried rice. A good size and nice place with plenty of space.
Mifune – in J-Town upstairs. Offer large variety of set lunch options and you can choose ramen or udon. Kathy was not a fan of this place.
Suzu – in J-Town downstairs. Small place and normally crowded.
** I've witnessed the Santa Ramen madness and it's pretty ridiculous. If no one's lined up before it's opened, that means everyone is waiting in their cars hawking the other parked cars. Intense! I would've also added Ryowa in both Berkeley and Mountain View. -kathy
Taverna
52 Belden Place
415-986-8887
Mediterranean in Financial (Belden Lane)
Went here for a work lunch, and the food was decent but like the rest of Belden Lane's restaurants, nothing special. Belden Lane is really just about convenience (i.e. during or after work) and the ambiance. You feel like you're in a little strip of Europe here since it's lined with outdoor seating. Unfortunately, the food does not match its hype.
Taverna is no exception. The only thing memorable about that meal was the dessert. My friend's friend WAS the pastry chef there, and her desserts were amazing! The fried custard was definitely the highlight - light and flavorful. Unfortunately, she doesn't work there anymore, so I don't know what the dessert menu is like now.
Shanghai Dumpling King
3319 Balboa St. (& 34th Ave)
(415) 387-2088
Chinese in the Richmond
This is one of my favorite places in SF - not just because it's a few blocks away from where I live (please don't stalk me), but also despite it's ghettoness, it's damn good.
Their xiao long bao (soup dumplings) are "some of the best [jess] has ever had, including in asia." I would agree, but jess's opinion in Chinese food tends to be slightly more credible than mine. Regardless, their spicy beef noodle soup is decent, as is their pan fried rice cakes dish. I like their green beans, primarily because they're really garlicky.
The staff is nice and extremely accommodating. My apartment celebrated Chinese New Year here and brought our own bottle of wine (which we drank out of tea cups). Soon enough, people were randomly leaving their tables and coming back with brown paper bags. No corkage fee, and they also brought us extra plastic cups. Niiiice.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
plouf
40 Belden Place
415.986.6491
Seafood in Financial
what a delightful restaurant! it's location, in cute little belden alley, takes you away from san francisco and makes it seem like you have actually travelled to another place just to have dinner. dining outdoors adds to the non-citylike atmosphere (though the tables are a bit close together).
the food was delicious. i had the "new zealand bass en croute with haricot vert, caramelized onions and truffle glaze" while my friend had the "ahi tuna au poivre with jerusalem artichokes, escarole and sauce beurre rouge." the sea bass was one of the best that i've had (my favorite has to be the sea bass in chicago), the fried and breaded outside was light and tasty (fried stuff, so good!) with the inside sea bass perfectly flaky and tender. the ahi tuna was, as ahi tuna almost always is, delicious. nearby, a pile of mussels were stacked high on another diner's plate - next time, i'm trying those.
the waiters, when present, were all very friendly; they answered all our silly questions and helped us with all our pronunciation difficulties. service however, was only average; it was sometimes difficult to get the waiters attention. moreover, near the end of our meal, it seemed like the waitress was trying to free up a table just so she could seat one of the many people waiting in line; when she asked us if we needed a dessert menu, she mistook our "yes why not?" for a "no thanks."
although the portions are a little on the small size and the service is only average, for the atmosphere and for the food, i would come here again. (i would also come early just to beat the crowd that begins to form later on at night.)
-s
*** Edit: I've been here a couple of times for lunch during work and I think it's just average. I think the only things worth getting are the mussels with different types of sauces (and you can just get a side order of fries for dipping). - kTakara
22 Peace Plaza
Suite 202
(Miyako Mall, Japantown)
(415) 921-2000
Japanese in Japantown (If that's not unique, what is?)
There are many Japanese restaurants in San Francisco. This is one is better than most that I've tried and has some distinguishing features. The first distinguishing feature is the tank of live shrimp outside the entryway. The second is that the boss and all but one member of the waitstaff speak Japanese (as opposed to Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, English, or Spanish) . The third is that the set meals start off with two dishes of pickled vegetables and a cup of a savory custard. (Set meals are $18.50 for a two-item one and $23.50 for a three-item one ... I think.) In all the Japanese restaurants I've eaten around the world -- Japanese restaurants in California, Hawaii, Beijing, Taiwan, and British Columbia -- I've never had those two types of pickled vegetables nor the custard. The pickled vegetables were new, but I didn't particularly like them. I liked the custard. It was served steaming hot, had julienned fish cake and mushrooms, and some broth sitting under the thick but fluffy egg-custard surface layer. The set meals also come with miso soup, white rice, and a scoop of ice cream.
My friends, who eat Japanese food often, complimented the quality of Takara's sushi. Even with my brutish palate, I could tell that the sashimi was better than the average SF Japanese restaurant. My half-Japanese half-Korean commented that their green tea was good.
The restaurant's disposable chopsticks are made from bamboo, so they don't split awkwardly and asymmetrically like disposable chopsticks made from wood.
-J
Dottie's True Blue Cafe
522 Jones St. (at Ofarrell) Guest starring Lil Cyn at the mic. So we arrived at Dotties and it was a gorgeous day, which made the wait in line not that bad. We waited about 20 minutes and I think I got a neck tan in the process. our day wasn't so nice...we waited about an hour saturday morning. lucky for us (but not for those in line) it started pouring after we were seated. We wait about 30-40 min. Good thing I wasn't hungry (yeah right). When we got in my friend said everything was good, so I ordered the sweet potato tart, which came with two slices of homemade dill bread, a mountain of scrambled eggs, and a bowl of fruit. I also got the coffee and later we split a cinnamon roll. The tart was really good: sweat and savory at the same time. The bowl of fruit was also really good, surprising because sometimes those can just be gross. i tried the recommended frittata that consisted of a lot of ingredients, one of which was penne. it was unusual, but good. i also tried the southwestern scramble which had Andouille sausage, onions, cheese, salsa served with two tortillas - tasty, though my frittata was better. it was the same with the smoked chicken apple sausage, eggs, and other stuff special which came with grilled cornbread - good, but not spectacular. I also tried the frittata (asparagus, feta, tomatoes, and other stuff) and it was gooood. It was served with a side of potatoes and toasted zucchini bread mmm you could taste all the butter in it. Kevin agreed that mine was better than his (he had scrambled eggs with sausage, spinach, and more normal stuff). (random side note: Dottie's is a hot spot for celebs - Halle Berry, Cheryl Crow, Jake Gyllenhal...I forgot the rest) My friend said to order the cinnamon roll because it wasn't like other cinnamon rolls. It was much flakier and not too uber sweet. There was a faint hint of orange in the roll because they use orance juice in the brown sugar sauce part. My friend got an omlette with pesto, goat cheese, and something else, and it looked deeeelicious. I only ate half my meal so that I could eat the cinnamon roll, and I ate the rest of it for lunch today, and it was still good! Yay! i'd go back on a weekday and try the cinnamon roll =], but i wouldn't try going again on a weekend. If you love breakfast, you'll love Dottie's. I totally plan to go back. The service was great, service was average (maybe they just liked c better) the people friendly, and the ambience cozy. And, if you love old Hollywood, like I do - pay attention to the collages and posters of Betty Davis, Rita, Veronica Lake (whose hair I could never manage to copy), and other beauties from when Hollywood was Hollywood. I took away one star from the original post because the food wasn't FABULOUS. It was definitely good, but I don't know if it's worth the wait. They don't have a sign-up sheet or waitlist, so you just have to wait in line forever. Yay, two thumbs (tongues?) up! (one tongue!)
(415) 885-2767
This past Sunday I went to Dottie's True Blue Cafe. I went with my friend who helped design the posters, mugs, lamps, you name it. He highly recommended this place and he says he goes just about every day, so I thought heck why not. Besides, breakfast food is THE BEST. i do like breakfast foods!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Memphis Minnie's
576 Haight St.
BBQ in the lower Haight
Sunset magazine has consistently called this restaurant the best BBQ place on the West Coast. They have a sake menu, too.
Everything is good here. I had my first sweet tea here, and I had grits with shrimp, gravy, and sliced green onions -- an item from their Sunday brunch menu that's "a South Carolina tradition." I've had grits before, but they were like a cross between oatmeal and concrete mix. Today's grits were smooth, rich, and creamy, and the shrimp (which were slightly overcooked) complemented the grits. Our party of four also shared two types of ribs, beef brisket, potato salad, corn bread muffins, and a beef brisket omelet.
I like the non-pretentious, bright atmosphere.
When I saw all our food spread out on our table, ready to be eaten, I exclaimed, "I love America."
---
I went here for dinner, and got the rib tip appetizer, the beef brisket, and the pork ribs. For sides, we got the mac n cheese and beans, which were ok. The meat, however, was HORRIBLE. It was dry and flavorless, and we basically had to douse everything in sauce, which was runny (I prefer it thick). After talking to Jesse, he suggested I go for lunch, since his experience wasn't like that at all. Perhaps I will one day and have this experience redeemed, but for the time being, I do not plan on ever going back.
I took off 1.5 stars because I thought it was really bad (I would've taken off more, but I thought that would be unfair to Jesse's review).
---
One rule of thumb for any and all BBQ restaurants: The meat will be more moist if you go during lunchtime and drier if you go during dinnertime. Memphis Minnie's is no exception, unfortunately.
- J - k -J
Alegrias Food from Spain
2018 Lombard St . (and Webster)
(415) 929-8888
Spanish tapas in the Marina/Cow Hollow
This is a good place if you're looking for authenticity (well, what I think is authenticity at least). The staff is Spanish and very knowledgable, and most importantly, very friendly! Our waiter was fabulous and so friendly =)
The food itself was so-so. We had the gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic sauce), pinchos morunos (pork skewers), the patatas bravas con alioli (think fancy shmancy garlic fries), and the seafood+chicken paella as our main dish. These were all just good, but nothing special. The shrimp was really nothing special at all. The potatoes were good... the paella was a bit too seafoody. We had the apple crepes (a flambe), which were pretty unique - not your typical crepes.
Even though the food wasn't spectacular, the service was wonderful. What brings it down is that the tables are way too small. When you have tapas, you're obviously going to have muliple plates on your table, on top of your own personal plate and bread plate and all the other stuff on the table. There just was not enough room!
Citizen Cake
I've been here twice -- once for dessert, once for brunch. The atmosphere is very sterile -- the biggest detterent for me. The decor tries too hard to be ultra modern that it makes you feel cold and uncomfortable.
The food, however, lives up to its reputation. For brunch, the portions are very small, but the quality is very high. We had the french toast (very good), quiche (good but small), and scrambled eggs (you'd think that it's impossible to be impressed by scrambled eggs, but they were very good!). When I came here for dessert, I had the plum mochi cake that came with black sesame gelato. I'd have to say that it was one of the most innovative desserts I've ever had.
** Edit: I've been here multiple times since this review, and it's pretty much a toss-up. What I appreciate about this place is that it's innovative and takes risks... but sometimes to the detriment of the dish's cohesiveness (e.g. curry ice cream? gross). The non-dessert food has been lackluster since that first brunch, so in the future I would only go here to see what the pastry chefs come up with.
aziza
5800 Geary Blvd. (and 22nd Ave.)
Moroccan in the Richmond
This restaurant has been on my list forever, and I FINALLY went there!
Ambience: very dim and intimate. It's actually bigger than it looks (2 rooms you can't see from the front room), but the seating arrangements aren't good for large parties. They have belly dancing on the weekends, but we went on a Friday. You definitely need reservations.
Service: good and attentive. They give you rose water for your hands, which I've never seen done before. Our waiter was very accommodating, yet at the same time seemed a bit arrogant (maybe because we're young?). (he did seem arrrogant. during my second visit, the hostess seemed a bit rude as well. it was true we were late for our reservations, but telling us that they would reseat the table at 7:30 and also telling us that we wouldn't have enough time to eat all the courses we wanted to order didn't make us very happy diners. instead, it made me feel rushed and even a bit stressed, not at all what i want from a night out)
Food: very good! This place is known for exotic cocktails -- I had a "fez fizz," which is basically a pomegranate mimosa, and Shinie had this lavender and honey martini -- the most interesting drink I've ever had. It's like drinking sweet flowers, which sounds gross, but was actually really good. Appetizers -- we had mediterranean spreads and the baked seafood triangles. Both were pretty good, but what stood out was the couscous that came with the triangles. Sooo good! Very flavorful. (they both were quite good. i liked the baked seafood triangles so much that i ordered it again the second time)
Entrees -- we had the lamb shank (pretty good), the rabbit (pretty good), and the basteeya (kind of like a chicken pot pie, but in phyllo). The flavors are quite varied per dish, which you don't see often in restaurants. The basteeya was kind of a disappointment -- it was extremely pretty though... but I was expecting more flavor. i also tried the azizza couscous, which is really good. you get to try a little bit of everything and its served with their very tasty couscous. the prawn tangines (i think that's what it was called) which were good as well but a bit on the salty side. the vegetables that they were served with seemed more like tomato sauce than anything else. it's true though, azziza is really good at making all their dishes tasty so that you encounter flavors that you wouldn't otherwise.
I was very satisfied with my visit here. If I went back, I'd try the couscous aziza, and I'd go on the weekend to see the bellydancing =) i don't think i'd go back anymore. it's true that the food was tasty, but i wouldn't want to go to a place with such pretentious service. maaaaybe if we were going to go see the bellydancing =]
- k - s
1550 Hyde Cafe & Wine Bar
1550 Hyde St. (and Pacific)
(415) 775-1550
Californian in Russian Hill
We had the game hen and rabbit -- game hen was a bit too salty and the accompanying risotto was funky. It was an interesting (in a good way) change to chicken though. The rabbit was good, and the accompanying pasta was very unique. Both dishes require quite a bit of work to eat, though, since both animals have a lot of small bones -- imagine trying to eat a chicken wing with fork and knife.
Service is good, atmosphere is very cute -- very popular place. Overall, it's pretty good and the food was pretty original. I wasn't blown away, but it's still good =)
Pazzia Caffe and Trattoria
337 3rd St. (and Folsom)
(415) 512-1693
Italian in SOMA (specializing in homemade pasta)
The service is great, and the ambience is very cute. This is a good place to eat if you're in the Metreon area and don't feel like eating something commercial. The pasta dishes are typical, but the pasta itself is very good (you can taste the freshness). They're served in small portions which are enough, but it's also very oily. Average priced, but personally not worth it. Once is good enough for me.
Isa
3324 Steiner St. (and Lombard)
Went here for my birthday on a late Saturday night (around 9:30pm or so). Even though it was so late, there were still a lot of people there (we were the last to leave though). Sat at the patio in the back - very nice ambiance.
For two people, we shared 4 plates - the lobster broth (just ok - really just broth with like.. 3 pieces of shrimp in it... no lobster), the sea bass wrapped in potato (very good), the duck (not that good... it was very chewy and not that flavorful), and the truffle risotto (recommended by the waiter, but it was too cheesy). For dessert, we had the amaretto semifreddo, which was good - really just because I love love love anything hazelnut. =)
The service was very attentive - since we were there so late and ended up being the last ones out, towards the end they kept asking if we were done which was a little annoying, but understandable.
Overall, pretty good, but the sea bass is the only thing that really stuck out.