Photos by Jerry Yoon
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Dollars and Cents
After paging through some old posts, I realized that in the course of this blog's lifetime (almost 3 years if you include xanga days) my restaurant "reviews" have greatly evolved. The largest factor is definitely value. This comes to mind mostly after watching David Chang's interview with Charlie Rose (shown here), but after surpassing the novelty of the "food scene," value has become increasingly important to me. I haven't eaten at every restaurant in existence, but I've had my fair share of meals around the bay, which gives me an idea of what food can be. When a dish falls short and I'm paying big bucks for it, of course I'm not going to be happy. I work in a restaurant, so I understand that things happen, but as a diner that doesn't mean I will necessarily want to spend my money there again. Consistency also plays a part, but I won't get into that. With prices rising in every aspect of our lives, my wallet is not as carefree as it was three years ago.
So yes, if you read my posts and wonder why I always talk about money, it's not just because of the Chinese in me (although that may be a factor as well ha).
Monday, August 18, 2008
Catching Up
Here's a list of places I've gone to in the last few months but just haven't gotten around to posting about.
- Red Crane
- Beretta
- Q
- Spruce
- Fresca
- Koi palace
- Umbria
- Lobster shack
- House of Prime Rib
Brief "reviews" after the jump! (Useless yelp-style?)
Beretta: Italian in the Mission
Like SPQR, this new restaurant got a "blow job" by Michael Bauer (my old pastry chef's exact words). And just like SPQR, this Italian joint was just OK for me. I definitely enjoyed my meal there... but it was also quite forgettable. Pizzas are aiight, apps are decent, drinks are whatevs.
Q: Diner/Comfort Food in Inner Richmond
Slightly upscale diner food - add blue cheese to the burger and it's not even close to the Spotted Pig's, but it's still satisfying. Eat all the accompanying garlic fries and you'll definitely pass out. Definitely a must if you like tater tots.Spruce: Contemporary American Fine Dining in Laurel Heights
Really upscale for the neighborhood - who would've known! Very pricey for what it was. Had the charcuterie, fries, lobster, some kind of med fish, and palmiers for dessert. Those heart-shaped cookies should NOT be on the menu. They have a side-bakery so I don't see the point in wasting a menu spot with those. We only got them because we didn't realize what they were. Doh!
Fresca: Peruvian in Lower Pac Heights (there are other locations too)
Why did I eat Peruvian right after coming back from Peru? Honestly, I didn't know until I got there. My friend invited me to join her double date (5th wheel!) and I just went in blind. I like Limon better, but honestly... it's hard for me to even think of spending $35 on a meal that would be less than $5 in Peru!
Red Crane: Japanese Asian Fusion in Cupertino
Despite its identity crisis of a location, this restaurant actually has very very good food. Although the sashimi plate (pictured to the right) looks very impressive, it isn't worth it. However, every single other dish we got was fantastic. The only drawback is the location - very Asian suburbia....
Koi palace: Dim Sum in Daly City
If you want to know where all the Chinese people eat, wake up at 9am to get here by 10am on a Saturday morning.
Umbria: Italian in SOMA
bsze wanted to bid SF adieu by going to Baron Davis's favorite restaurant. Olive Garden anyone?
Lobster shack: Seafood in North Beach
$20 sandwiches? (pictured at the top) They do leave you pretty comatose. They actually weren't very big, but they were generous with the lobster meat. I don't think I like lobster enough to justify the cost though.
House of Prime Rib: MEAT in Nob Hill
Four years ago HOPR used to be $30 total... those were they days.
New Order
I was "hired" this weekend to make cupcakes for a birthday party. I've been asked to do paid events before, but I usually don't have the time or energy. This time, however, the request was just a simple batch of cupcakes. I pulled out some aces from previous weddings, and tada! In a few hours I was done. Look how my piping skills have improved! Cold weather also helps. Please excuse my poor quality photos - I was in a rush!
Red Velvet + Cream Cheese, Matcha + White Chocolate Cream Cheese (I tried doing a little Sprinkles action for the frosting, but mine don't look nearly as good!)
Lavender + Lemon, the common favorite
Monday, August 11, 2008
Apple and Banana!
I just saw some of Tiffany and Kyle's wedding pictures and this is by far my favorite. Not just because the couple looks so cute, but mostly because Cynthia is in the background, so obviously trying to not be in the picture but so completely in it hahahahahahaha
Sunday, August 10, 2008
An Ad Hoc Saturday
6476 Washington St, Yountville
(707) 944-2487
Californian Comfort Food in Napa
People are sometimes surprised when I say that I've never been to Napa, aside from my visit to French Laundry. They're even more surprised when I say that I'm not into wine. I like food, so I must like wine, right?? Uh not necessarily. They're two completely different worlds, the oenophile world being a bit too expensive and time-consuming for me to explore right now. Also, anything palatable is so subjective, and I think it's even more so for wine.
With that said, there's no point in talking about the day's wine-tasting, because frankly, I was just down for sweet (Riesling anyone?) and free. Four wineries later, we (I?) stumbled into Keller's no longer temporary comfort-Californian restaurant that I've been waiting ~2 years to go to, since I heard of its inception.
I knew what to expect from Ad Hoc and I'm all about Californian comfort food, but I was still a bit underwhelmed. The food was solid, except for Jess's opt-out salmon since she doesn't like lamb. It was this tiny dried-out piece of fish that looked so incredibly unappetizing... I felt so bad that she had to share the $60/person price tag. Salmon aside, here's the food:
Beef skewers w/ leeks and beets, quinoa and carrot "stew" on the side of the Colorado rack of lamb pictured above
Nettle-covered St. Pat cheese course w/ red pepper jelly (sorry it's crooked!), Jess and her sad, sad piece of fish
Not pictured but what I thought was one of the highlights: Parfait with fig jam, "yogurt" (seemed to be whipped creme fraiche + buttermilk + cream), honey sunflower seed granola, and nectarines. So simple but the fattiness of the yogurt added so much flavor, yet it was so light and airy. Yum!
The red pepper jelly was also a highlight - sweet and savory with a kick, it went so perfectly with the cheese and buttered toast. Plus, the jar was just so cute!
I would definitely go here again, depending what's on their changing menu that day. Their fried chicken is supposed to be good, but I think you have to go on a weekday for that! If only I had that much time.
TOP 5 Ways to Serve Potatoes & Corn, Peruvian Style
POTATOES:
1. Causas @ La Mar: mashed potatoes filled with different types of seafood cocktail. This was so amazing and rich... I'm excited for the new cebicheria to open up here!
2. Boiled in soup! Nothing beats simple and hot soup on a cold day in the Andes, especially when it's less than $1! I never saw a soup without potatoes.
3. Pancha Manca in Lima: charred via underground oven, we had sweet and savory potatoes that were better than BBQ!
4. Pan-fried papitas (french fries), soaked with pollo a la brasa juice and fat from Norky's. So amazing, pollo a la brasa is basically like rotisserie chicken, except Norky's is so much better than any you can find here.
5. Chips! Especially of the yuca variety (not quite a potato, but close enough)
Corn's TOP 5 and other delicious food after the jump!
CORN:
1. Sweet corn tamales: nothing new here, but we had these with our pancha manca meal and they were so light, and a satisfying end to lunch.
2. Big kernels ("teeth") in ceviche. Pictured below are the two ceviches we got from La Mar, both amazing, and the large white corn kernels really add neutral texture and flavor to all the chewy-ness and acidity.
3. Pancha: like in Ecuador, toasted corn is just such a great salty snack!(pictured as a bar snack in the background of the Strawberry Pisco Sour on the right)
4. Chicha Morada/de Jora: A drink made from fermented corn, Chicha de Jora was... not kind to our palates. It is definitely an acquired taste. Chicha Morada, however, is made from purple corn, and is almost like soda/punch.
5. Oatmeal-like drink: I don't remember what this is called, but while we were camping, we needed this for energy the morning of our day of literally nonstop uphill climbing through the mountains.
We had a lot of other typical food too, like cuy (pretty much a similar experience as in Ecuador), alpaca, lots of trucha cooked every which way (trout), milaneza de pollo (chicken nuggets! jk), lomo saltado... etc etc. The list goes on and on!
In the Andes, it was very popular to drink coca tea to prevent altitude sickness. No, you can't really get cocaine from them unless you have maybe like 3 houses full of leaves (which, according to a guide in Puno, would yield about 1 kilo of cocaine). In the south jungle, Brazil nuts were everywhere. It requires so much effort to get them all out! No wonder why they're so expensive at Berkeley Bowl! Rocota rellena (stuffed peppers) was also very popular in canyon country. Yummy!
And of course, the sweets! Alfajores were everywhere, and very different than how I've seen them here in the bay area. They were much bigger, and the cookies were more cakey and crumbly... not quite the shortbread that most use here. Also, they really loaded up the dulce de leche! I could only take a bit or two of these... so sweet!
Most desserts involved milk, condensed or evaporated (we didn't see fresh milk anywhere), like arroz con leche, leche flan, many varieties of dulce de leche pastries, etc etc. There were a lot of breads and buns and such too. Korey struck gold when he stumbled upon Casinos, oreo-type filled cookie sandwiches, in mint. Not quite thin mints, but equally satisfying. We found other types that didn't really compare.
We also stumbled upon "Cusco Coffee" in Arequipa, not Cusco. It was pretty much a Starbucks clone, with Starbucks prices - very uncharacteristic of Peru! I still gave in and ordered a frap. If you look closely at the circular logo, it's Machu Picchu in a coffee cup! Now THAT you won't see at your local Starbucks.
So that was the gist of my trip. I'm getting hungry! Oh yes, the Pisco Sour pictured towards the top was from a bar/restaurant in Miraflores called Bruja de Cachiche that my Peruvian friend recommended to me as where to get the best Pisco Sours. It was really good, but it was also my first time having one, so I wouldn't know anyway!
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Spago: Money Not Well Spent
176 North Canon Rd.
(310) 385-0880
Contemporary American in Beverly Hills (not as swanky as it sounds)
As nubes to the world that is LA, my sister/Joe really only have resources like yelp and Michelin/Zagat to help them out with where to eat in socal so far. I could post a lengthy rant about these kinds of guides, but it's not worth my time.
Nevertheless, Michelin gave Spago 2 stars, which seemed promising since it's also Wolfgang Puck's (probably) most famous restaurant. Why shouldn't we try this acclaimed, chic 90120 restaurant just off of Rodeo? It HAS to be fabulous... right??
Uhh... fabulous, it was not. Far from it. The food was decent, but way overpriced ($40-50 for mediocre entrees?). My turbot was fishy and the basil-basil-basil sauces had almost no flavor. The duck had a generous portion, but also lacked flavor. The halibut was very nice, and my "beet layer cake" was simple with impressive presentation. Aside from those two dishes, everything our party of 6 ate was forgettable.
Food aside, the decor and ambiance were surprisingly not very bougie. There was a mix of suits, some people in casual summer dresses, and amazingly rowdy tables of barely-clothed cougars (bachelorette parties perhaps?). An interesting mix, to say the least. Oh, LA.
Elements Kitchen
107 S Fair Oaks
(626) 440-0100
Cafe in Old Town Pasadena
Had a nice summer lunch at another of my sister's favorite neighborhood eateries which serves local/fresh/organic ingredient-focused dishes. We started off with a refreshing mushroom mousse, complimentary of the chef. Their popular truffled mac n cheese is ok but nothing amazing - on the light side since they used really (too?) mild cheese. I really enjoyed my pesto-pear-brie sandwich... nice and fresh, unlike my weeks and weeks of potatoes!
Very cute, tiny, and accommodating. Great for the ridiculously hot LA weather!
Tre Venezie
119 W Green St
(626) 795-4455
Italian in Old Town Pasadena
The staff here know my sister and brother-in-law as regulars, despite the fact that they just moved to LA maybe one month ago! This tiny Michelin-rated restaurant brings a different spin on my understanding of Italian cuisine.
Antipasti:
- wagyu carpaccio: ok... although the meat itself was nicely marbled, the parmigiano reggiano was just too strong for an accompaniment, and completely overpowered the delicate flavor of the meat
- bollito... freddo? I forget what it's called, but it's basically a plate of cold meats. Not quite a charcuterie, but almost like Chinese banquet cold cuts! It was good, filling, and flavorful
- cjalzone (sp?)... at first I thought it was going to be a calzone (I know, I'm an idiot) but it was like ravioli, ie filled pasta. The interesting draw was that it was filled with a bunch of random stuff like corn, chocolate... ?? Strange sweet-savory combo, but it brought a new and different holistic flavor. It was so strange/interesting I can't even describe it!
Bollito Misto, cjalzone things
Mains:- Bollito Misto: a bunch of tender(boiled? braised?) meats like beef tongue, pork, etc served with potent flavorings like a pesto, horseradish, fruit gelee, etc. My sister's favorite by far
- Chicken liver and onion pasta: tastes like it sounds. Salty, rich, and the epitome of sautee. Unhealthy but tasty!
- Braised tripe: ok... not filling at all though
Dessert: I don't always get dessert at restaurants, but their saffron flan and cardamom-rose gelato both piqued my interest. The latter worked very well together, creating an entirely new flavor, whereas the flan was a bit lacking in both texture and saffron-ness.
Gelato, Chicken liver pasta
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Auntie Em's Kitchen
4614 Eagle Rock Blvd. LA
(323) 255-0800
Cafe/Bakery in LA's Eagle Rock
(323) 255-0800
Cafe/Bakery in LA's Eagle Rock
Located in Eagle Rock, this cafe is supposedly known for their cupcakes, which get Magnolia-like comparisons. Well, let me just say that I don't like Magnolia. It's normal cake with purely sugar icing. Sorry to those fans out there, but it's just way too sweet for me! At Auntie Em's, I tried their coconut and red velvet minis, and they were... normal cupcakes. Nothing special. Sorry! Red velvet should be a cross between vanilla and chocolate, and theirs tasted like yellow cake, except colored super bright red.
Cupcakes aside, I really enjoyed my lunch here. A fresh heirloom tomato-mozzarella-pesto sandwich on olive bread with a mango-avocado-tomato salad was the perfect first Californian meal I've had in a long time!
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Pizzeria Delfina
3611 18th St (and Guerrero)
(415) 437-6800
Pizza/Italian in the Mission
Update 7/2/08 (Kathy): I went here again but I didn't have pizza - they had a braised octopus special that was pretty amazing. The octopus was flown in frozen from Greece and braised for a long time in a lobster broth. Flavor wise it was ok, but the texture... like chicken. Not your typical rubbery octopus!
(5/30/07)
This restaurant is a personal favorite of mine, not just because of the food but also the location. Situated between two Mission institutions, Dolores Park and Tartine , eating at this restaurant is a great way to capture the San Francisco casual dining experience.* P-Del has some set menu items but for the most part is constantly changing their fare to reflect the seasonal produce.
The pizza served here is thin crust and rustic, similar to the kind you would find in Naples. In typical Neapolitan style, cheese is a topping, NOT a bed for other ingredients to nest in (i.e. Round Table, Papa Johns, etc.). My personal favorite amongst the regulars is the Salsiccia. The toppings include, house made fennel sausage, tomato, bell peppers, onions and mozzarella. It combines savory chunks of sausage with sweet bell peppers and a slight crunch of thinly sliced onions. The Margherita doesn't offer anything unique to the palette but if you're dull or boring, the tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, basil and parmigiano combo is right up your alley. If you want to try something a little extra special, I would go for the clam pie which has cherrystones, tomato, oregano, pecorino and hot peppers.
You definitely cannot go wrong with ordering one of the specials of the day. There are usually two and always sell out quickly. A popular Prosciutto one is topped with fresh arugula before serving. A nice spicy bite complements the soft and salty cured meat. You can also try the Amatriciana, which has guanciale (dry-cured pork cheeks), caramelized onions, pecorino and hot peppers. Of course my all-time favorite (but has been met with mixed reviews from others) is the Carbonara. Like the Amatriciana, the Cabonara is also a spin-off of a popular Italian pasta dish. It starts with pancetta and leeks and is topped with two cracked eggs and then baked. When it comes to the table, the whites are firm with the yolk at a perfect runny consistency once cut into.
They have a wide selection of salads that are worth a try if you want a nice side with your pizza. Pizza condiments are served au natural, with dried oregano still on the stem, fresh red pepper flakes and grated parmesan cheese that didn't come from a green can. Feel free to ask for a bowl of sauce on the side. It's great for dipping the breadsticks that await you once seated.
This place can be a bit pricey for larger groups, but for a small group of old friends who just want to catch up, enjoy the sunny weather and maybe grab a cookie at Tartine after a light meal, this is place to be.
*San Francisco casual dining experience-- a place where SF locals congregate to eat. It is essential that the establishment be extremely small, with an actual dining capacity of 20, but with 15 additional people crammed in. The restaurant cannot take reservations, the wait must be excruciatingly long, and there must be no way of knowing how long you will be standing in line for (usually over an hour, but you are hopeful that it will be 45 minutes). Your group will not be seated until you have exhausted all conversation topics and are forced to stand around awkwardly to the point of passing out from starvation. The potential diner must also utter the phrase, "this better be worth it" at some point.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
846 Divis (& Fulton)
(415) 441-1118
Pizza in Nopa/Western Addition/Panhandle
After my coworker had been raving about Little Star for the longest time, I decided to finally give it a try. After briefly skimming through yelp reviews, it seems like a lot of people think it's better than Zachary's. My opinion? It was different, not necessarily better.
For a pizza place it isn't what I expected - really dark (hence, no pictures) and tiny! Not a family place at all. You can get takeout though, which would be a good idea if you're in a rush because the wait is ridiculous. It took me like 20 min to find parking so we got seated almost right away after I arrived (sorry Tan!), but around 8pm the wait was 2 hrs long. Our waiter was really nice, and after waiting another 25-30min, our Little Star pizza (spinach, feta, other stuff) was ready.
I really liked it. It has a lot of flavor (heavy on the garlic, which I like), crunchy cornmeal crust... but lighter on the toppings. Lighter isn't necessarily a bad thing - if anything, it doesn't leave you comatose like Zachary's. However, I like heavy tomatoes, and Zachary's wins hands down in that respect.
So yes, I liked Little Star a lot and would go back if I had a craving for deep dish, and maybe also try their thin crust. Plus, it's in a great neighborhood that's walkable to anything (we went to a bike cafe down divis where we were surrounded by granola hipsters and talked about blogs).
Monday, June 09, 2008
SPQR AT LAST
1911 Fillmore Street (@ Bush)
(415) 771-7779
Italian in Lower Pac Heights/Fillmore
Photos courtesy of Tinwin's new SLR!
Mike and I have been meaning to go here for awhile now, basically since Michael Bauer's raving reviews and my pastry chef friend was filling in there. After a few unsuccessful attempts (no reservations = ridiculously long waits), we finally made it out a little after its 5:30pm opening. Unfortunately for us, we were a few minutes too late because the first seating cut off a few people before us. Sucks! We weren't that hungry yet anyway, so we decided to stick out the almost 2 hour wait (RIDICULOUS).
We did "chef's seating," aka counter overlooking the extremely narrow kitchen and I think one of the line cooks hated us cause we were so loud. It's not our fault the place is so noisy! Can't hear anything. At least he couldn't spit in our food since we were watching him make it.
The food was pretty solid. I got so many recommendations to just go with the apps and not so much the entrees, and I have to agree with that, even though we got two pasta dishes anyway. They're very aggressive with the salt, which is what I prefer (cooking 101: season your food), but for others it was too much in some dishes. We had:
- fried cauliflower: unbattered, the frying was subtle and just added a nice crisp. This was one of the salty dishes
- fried bay scallops: they fried some small lemon slices too. The scallops were tiny.
- House-made sausage w/ braised fennel: the fennel was very nice
- Grilled romano beans
- Clams in lobster brodo: could've done without
- Potatoes: tasty!
- Grilled porcini: plump and juicy
- Canneloni
- Amatriciana: Mike thought it was decent, but I couldn't taste anything but tomatoes.
We didn't do dessert because we decided to go to Bi-Rite (salted caramel!). Everything was pretty decent. I'm not sure if I would go back, even without the wait. The apps were solid, but not enough to fill you up - I'd get hungry again like 2 hrs later. Maybe it would be better for lunch?
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Michael Mina: Proof That Breakfast is the Best Meal of the Day
335 Powell Street (& Geary, inside the Westin St. Francis hotel)
(415) 397-9222
Fine Dining, Contemporary American in Union Square
Located in Union Square's fancy shmancy Westin hotel, this restaurant is known for its trios. We went for my dad's birthday, and in true family fashion we tried to cover all our bases. Service was good, ambiance nice although loud since it's an open space to the hotel lobby, and the food was good. Ah, the food. I'd say it redeemed the more disappointing fine dining meals that I've had in the last year, thanks to the pastry department (even though their pastry chef is vegan...).
Amuse:
- sea urchin custard w/ dashi gelee + rice crispy ball things: buttery and smooth
- fried crab ball w/ pickled vegetables: nice chunk of crab, but mine was soggy
- eel on top of stuff I don't remember: fishy
Apps:
- (mine) American kobe + foie shabu shabu: I'm sick (I should really be asleep right now) so I wanted something soupy. It was aiiight
- scallops: small! my sister and aunt liked 2/3
- watercress stuff: my uncle said it was just ok
- foie: seemed like it was the winner at the table
Shabu shabu, halibut w/ lobster pot pie in the background
- duck: I was surprised that in all 3 parts the duck was cooked the same way (seared), although one of them did include a confit. It was cooked very nicely though - juicy and tender.
- halibut: big disappointment. I don't think fish should be poached! That reminds me of when Richard from Top Chef did his crappy sous vide salmon
- Beef: I didn't try it, but my dad said it was interesting
- Lobster pot pie: crowd-pleasing table-side presentation. Nice rustic copper pot with the pie crust, cut open, then plated meticulously in front of us. Compared to how it actually tasted... presentation wins out hands down
- Lamb: I didn't try it, but my uncle finished it before I was even done with the second portion of my duck!
breakfast for dessert, the "mission," frozen bon bons (hazelnut + chocolate, green tea + white chocolate)
- "Mission": the most incredibly silky flan, a tres leches guava cake, and a mole pudding (I could really only taste the Mexican chocolate so it didn't really feel like a mole to me)
- "Breakfast": a tangy yogurt mousse, a fun milk + cereal, and a french toast w/ maple syrup ice cream (my least favorite of the trio)
- "PB sandwich": There were a lot of components to this dish, but the most interesting was a sourdough ice cream, that didn't really taste like sourdough to me. Not sure how they made it
- "Chocolate + flowers": didn't try it
The creativity of this restaurant really shined through their dessert menu, regardless of how biased I might seem. That's probably the best dessert I've had in a long time!
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