Feed me

To be continued...

2011-03-07T09:44:00.000-08:00

Soon to come Morocco + Thailand + Cambodia + Malaysia + Indonesia.

But it may be awhile.... =)

To eat or not to eat: Ode to Chandni

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

We ate here almost every day. Open until midnight! Our favorite gelato place.

Grom France SARL
81, Rue de Seine
75006 Paris, France
01 40 46 92 60

Crêperie Josselin

Del Papa

Street crêpe in the Bastille

L'As du Falafel

ZenZoo

Aki

El Nopal

First Mexican burrito in Paris!

El Nopal
3, rue Eugène Varlin
75010 Paris
07 86 39 63 46

Where am I, part II?

2011-02-28T19:56:00.000-08:00

Some more obvious hints. =)

Where am I?

2011-02-27T21:01:00.000-08:00

First meal here.

Idli

Dosa!

Wada + sambhar

Saravanaa Bhavan
170, Rue Du Faubourg Saint Denis
75010
+33 1 40 05 01 01 ‎

Naturally, I go back to work

2011-02-25T19:13:00.000-08:00

...Even though I am leaving in a week for a much anticipated vacation.

Roasted mushrooms and fontina cheese

Lavender panna cotta

Arugula dressed with s & p, lemon, olive oil rolled with speck.

California or bust

2011-02-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

I could feel the immediate sunshine and happiness run through my veins the moment we drove onto California soil.

5 more hours until home.

Indian Fry Bread

2011-02-10T14:32:00.000-08:00

Zzzzz

Grove Café & Market

2011-02-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

California influence in New Mexico.

Grove Cafe & Market
600 Central Ave SE # A
Albuquerque, NM 87102-4650
(505) 248-9800

Drove in my first snowstorm... for 2 hours

2011-02-08T16:03:00.000-08:00

KC BBQ - Gates

2011-02-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

Gates Bar-B-Q
1325 Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard
Kansas City, MO
Tel: (816) 531-7522

On the road again... to chocolate

2011-02-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

Christopher Elbow Chocolatier
1819 McGee St
Kansas City, Missouri 64108
(816) 842-1300

Goodbye, Philly

2011-01-29T14:19:00.000-08:00

After some thought, and some trouble finding a job (that I like) full-time, I've decided to leave Philly. My brief Cali trip was great, and after living in Philly for the past 5 months, I've realized it is not for me. I miss the food and diversity of Cali, so back to Cali I go!

Good-bye brunch!

I will miss my friends but given that none of them are actual Philly natives, I am sure we will all meet again in a different state or country.

Northern Style Pho

2011-01-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

But first.... fried shrimp cakes

Northern style pho with thicker noodles, more star anise and cinnamon flavor in the broth.

Farmshop - Santa Monica, CA

2011-01-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

Moules & Frites

French Toast, pear marmalade, raisins & hobbs’ bacon

Pastrami

Farmshop
225 26th St, Ste 25
Santa Monica, CA 90402
(310) 566-2400

Huipil

2011-01-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

Crispy tacos - breaded halibut and al pastor. GREAT stuff.

Try the mole too!

Huipil
2992 Spring St
Redwood City, CA 94063
(650) 369-1245

Kappo Nami Nami

2011-01-11T14:00:00.000-08:00

Great sushi and traditional Japanese dishes.

Kappo Nami Nami
240 Castro St
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 964-6990

Cha Ca Thang Long (Vietnamese Turmeric Fish with Dill)

2011-01-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

Cha Ca Thang Long (Vietnamese Turmeric Fish with Dill) - Hanoi dish

Lisa's Tea Treasures

2011-01-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

Tea time with mom + sis.

Lisa's Tea Treasures
1145 Santana Row # 1145
San Jose, CA 95128-2059
(408) 247-3613

Ummmm breakfast

2011-01-08T13:35:00.000-08:00

Blood orange juice for the muffins

Home-made chicken tacos

2011-01-07T21:37:00.000-08:00

Pollo desabrado

Nina + Christophe eat in Philly

2011-01-04T16:17:00.000-08:00

DiNic's

Pulled pork sandwiches!

Whoopie pies

Amish pretzels

Reading Terminal
51 North 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107-2954
(215) 922-2317

Bodhi Coffee - Philly work + life

2011-01-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

Bodhi Coffee

I don't mind the weather here... mostly because:

1) it's a "mild" winter
2) Ginger LOVES fresh snow (but hates dirty snow)

I wish I had considered getting waterproof shoes (duh). I learned the hard way - walked 45 minutes in the snow and arrived at work with soaked socks. Luckily, CVS sold thick socks!

Bodhi Coffee
410 S 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(267) 239-2928

HAPPY NY 2011

2011-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Gobble Gobble

2010-11-28T17:11:00.000-08:00

Food coma

Osteria

2010-11-12T13:19:00.000-08:00

Grilled octopus, tomato, red chili flakes and smoked mozzarella. Awesome. The smoked mozzarella really complimented the octopus.

This was very delicious but slightly pricey ($17) compared to Pizzeria Delfina which I am still partial to. But I would still return. =) (Btw, skip the cauliflower pizza).

Osteria
640 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 763-0920

Chikalicious

2010-10-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

Amuse bouche: Granny smith apple sorbet

Dessert: Crème fraîche cheesecake "île flottante" with crème anglaise (Fabulous, and surprisingly light)

Warm chocolate tarte with pink peppercorn ice-cream

Mignardise: Chai chocolate truffles, coconut marshmellows, and moist poundcake

Loved it.

Dessert Club Chikalicious‎
203 East 10th Street (@ 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10003-7636
(212) 475-0929

Momofuku Noodle Bar

2010-10-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

YES

Still prefer Ippudo but this was quite delicious. Love the egg and chewy noodles. That pork will kill you (in a good way.)

Their pork buns kick Ippudo's ass though.

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave (betw 10th & 11th)
New York, NY
(212) 777-7773

Peter Luger's

2010-10-09T14:51:00.000-07:00

On our way to Brooklyn for Raf's other birthday celebration !

Porterhouse steak for four, please !

Wasn't a big fan of the German fried potatoes (aka hashbrowns)

Birthday sundae !

Peter Luger Steakhouse‎
178 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11211‎
(718) 387-7400‎

Happy Birthday, Raf !

2010-10-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

Simple dinner tonight since we are going to New York on Saturday.

Chinese meatballs with ginger, onions, soy sauce. Rice noodles with veggies.

German Chocolate cake - recipe courtesy of David Lebovitz.

This turned out to be SUPER delicious.

I also bought him a bunch of chocolate (of course).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RAF !

Ultimo Coffee

2010-09-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

Featuring Counter Culture Coffee - 'Apollo' espresso

Ultimo Coffee
1900 S. 15th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19145
(215) 339-5177

Sam's Morning Glory

2010-09-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

Fancy grilled cheese - peaches, brie, ham.
Even the side salad was delicious. I need to figure out where they get their produce because I have only found bland produce here in Philly.

Bomb-ass nutella and banana stuffed Challah French toast

These two girls are holding up the fort - two cooks for the entire brunch service.

I gotta say, Philly has some pretty awesome brunch. I have yet to be disappointed.

Sam's Morning Glory Diner
735 S 10th St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 413-3999

Distrito

2010-09-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

One of Jose Garces' restaurants.

It's totally crazy inside... like someone on acid designed the place.

Guacamole

HUARECHAS:CHILANGO - carnitas, chorizo, serrano ham, potato, queso Oaxaca, cotija. This was great but had way too much going on. I took the serrano ham off, and it was delicious. Otherwise, it would have been overpowering.

CAMARONES Y CHORIZO - shrimp, chorizo, refried beans, tomato, radish. This was great, and perfectly cooked.

Not your authentic Mexican joint but it's fun, tasty, and properly cooked. Sometimes a bit too many flavors going on, but far from bland.

Distrito Restaurant
3945 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3621
(215) 222-1657

Trucks, motel 6... forever

2010-09-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

Was a little bit afraid for my life when we landed in the middle of nowhere Nebraska. Being the only Chinese in a MEXICAN restaurant full of people who drive trucks and don't wear shoes was a bit strange... but what was even more strange was that...

THE TACOS DID NOT COME ON CORN TORTILLAS !

... AND they gave us a weird look when we asked.

!!!

In other news, Ginger is getting used to Motel 6.

Philly or bust

2010-09-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

After ramen, we went to bed, woke up, ran errands and packed the entire day. Now we are off to Philly. 4,5 days of fun-filled road-tripping across the country on highway 80. McD's 3x a day, here we come !

First meal back in California - Orenchi ramen

2010-09-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

OMFG

Look at that f'in egg. PERFECTION

The ramen here is pretty f'in good. Not sure if I like this better or Santouka.... Santouka's is saltier (being a super-taster and all...) but no one can beat that egg.

Orenchi‎
3540 Homestead Rd
Santa Clara, CA‎
Tel: (408) 246-2955‎

Last meal in Paris - Noodles Atelier

2010-09-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

SCORE. We found a Chinese HAND-PULLED NOODLE SHOP right next to our apartment !!! AND it was full of fresh Chinese people.... you know what I mean ?

I was beyond sick of French food and given the fact that I would be moving to Philly where virtually no good Chinese food exists (by Californian standards, perhaps?), I was having a major Asian food craving. Especially noodles since hand-made noodles are probably one of my favorite things to eat next to red meat.

Check out the crazy and somewhat disturbing artwork:

This was seriously delicious!!!

Their 5-spice, beef noodle soup, which was very different from what we are used to in California (like from Taiwanese hot spot A&J's)

YES !!! This is called "Shanghai cabbage" in French.

Though I'm not too sure what region the cooks and owners were from, the tiny two-story restaurant was full of stylish Taiwanese as well as Cantonese customers. I was super happy with my dish. Another reason why I could live in Paris forever... I have my regular pearl tea cafe, gourmet coffee shop, hand-pulled noodles joint, and ramen/donburi/bento box joints on top of amazing French bistros and restaurants. Sigh.

Noodles Atelier
164, rue Saint Denis
75002 Paris, France

À Bientôt, Paris !

Chez Joséphine Dumonet‎

2010-09-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

One of Amir's favorite bistro's.

Naturally, I ordered the côte de bœuf.

Didn't even need the béarnaise sauce that came with it.

Chez Joséphine Dumonet‎
117, Rue du Cherche-Midi
75006 Paris, France‎
Tel: 01 45 48 52 40‎

Oh la la - La Tour Eiffel

2010-08-31T23:48:00.000-07:00

Nostalgia

2010-08-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

Visited Ferrandi today.

Anglo B 2008 !

Patisserie ! I miss our weekly Monday night ramen get-togethers

Restaurant service ! Oui, chef !

It was really great to see Chef.

Quite possibly the best brioche in the world

2010-08-31T15:02:00.000-07:00

I had to come back to Bread and Roses during this trip to eat the best brioche in the world. No joke.

This brioche blows my mind, every time. It's probably a good thing I don't have easy access to this... I really can't eat brioche from anywhere else except for maybe, the Moisin bio boulangerie in the 14th.

Everyone else opted for the seasonal quiches.

Spinach and smoked salmon

Girolles

Fraise des bois tarte

Sadly, the quiches were decent yet underwhelming, especially for the price. But doesn't matter because there was plenty of brioche to go around.

Bread & Roses
7 Rue de Fleurus
75006 Paris, France
01 42 22 06 06

Falafel (FELL-AH-FELL)

2010-08-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Where is one of the first places to eat once we land in Paris?

L'as du Falafel - DUH!

So cool meeting up with all my lovely Americanos in France!

Saravanaa Bhavan... Paris ?!

2010-08-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

hahahaha. This one is much cleaner and more modern than the one in Sunnyvale.

Saravanaa Bhavan
170, Rue Du Faubourg Saint Denis
75010, Paris
Tel /Fax : 01 40 05 01 01

28 Aug 2010

2010-08-28T23:48:00.000-07:00

Foie gras brulee, foie gras terrine, pear compote, balsamic reduction

Brick filled with fruits de mer, sauce americaine

Duck with sauce a la peche, mushrooms

Cheese plate

Cutting the "cake." Dessert was actually a trio of rasberry + panna cotta type dessert, mango, and a chocolate + praline mousse. I technically didn't have a cake which I was a bit surprised at since I tasted a cake when I did the degustation. Anyway:

Milk foam lessons

2010-08-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

Rudy was kind enough to give me tips and lessons for 2,5 hours on milk foam and latte art.

HOW COOL IS THAT?

This is hardcore - a barista kit!

These are macchiatos !

Swan

Taj Mahal

My f'ed up looking bear... or cat? Or lion?

I've always had issues with making rosetta's. This is one of my better ones... almost there!

Merci, Rudy !

Juji-Ya bento boxes

2010-08-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

Another introduction formally made by Sophie.

Here is the chicken, kabocha squash, sesame haricots verts, and potato salad. Make sure to request the Japanese rice.

Juji-Ya
46 Rue Sainte-Anne
75002 PARIS, France
01 42 86 02 22

Malongo Café

2010-08-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

Reconnected with my friend, Rudy, whom I met at the Gastronomie on the Seine food event. Just found out he was Barista Champion of France 2009 for latte art.

Haven't had good coffee since Doge. What a relief. =)

Malongo Café
50 Rue Saint-André des Arts
75006 Paris, France
+33 1 43 26 47 10

Just another delicious dinner

2010-08-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

Met a new friend, Vegas

And had the pleasure of dining with my friend, Sophie at Julot's place... however, the food didn't last long enough for me to take any photos. ;)

Home Sweet Home !

2010-08-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

I am happy !

Why ?

Because I am back in Paris !

Weird Fish

2010-08-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

My buddy, Yuichi, came to the city this weekend to help us move (again). He brought me to a place he frequents in the Mission.

Fish and Chips - I have always been a fan of fish and chips, and these were done really well. Not heavily battered and soaked with oil.

Breakfast Porridge-polenta, stewed tomatoes W/ loads of garlic, grana cheese, tortilla strips, and a baked egg - fantastic. Well-balanced, surprisingly lighter than expected, and easy to eat it all. I would definitely order this again.

Weird Fish
2193 Mission st
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-4744

Swan's

2010-07-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

Went to Swan's today for a late lunch. The wait was about 30 minutes which wasn't too bad.

Clam chowder - it was okay in terms of flavor but I prefer a thicker clam chowder. They make their chowder solely with milk.

Combination seafood salad with dijon dressing, and a "Thousand Island" type dressing

Overall, nice, simple, tasty seafood. Cool experience and environment. Extremely friendly service. But probably not something I'd crave regularly.

Swan Oyster Depot‎
1517 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA‎
Tel: (415) 673-2757‎

Remnants of a good macchiato

2010-07-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

made by me ;)

The little heart is still there!

2010 San Francisco Half Marathon

2010-07-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

2007 SF Half Marathon: 2:30:39

2010 SF Half Marathon: 1:59:47

I threw up a little in my throat but kept on pushing. I don't think I've felt this kind of pain ever in my life. But no pain, no gain. Mind over matter. =)

I ended up running about 5 miles in a row at an 8:30 - sub-9 minute pace. I've never done that in my entire life. In fact, I was the kid with the 13-minute miles who always walked the last lap. This is probably the second time I have been proud of myself. =)

This was followed by a post-race meal at Zuni Cafe.

Zuni Cafe
1658 Market Street
San Francisco, CA
Tel: (415) 552-2522‎

What an awesome day. I worked my ass off for this race. Training sucks sometimes, but races are so much fun!

It's CARBO-LOADING time

2010-07-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

Chez Joe

Pasta with vodka sauce

Frog Hollow rustic plum tarte made by yours truly

Primavera - Ferry Building

2010-07-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

Pre-race lunch

Guajillo Chile Chilaquiles - Organic, local scrambled eggs, refried beans, sour cream, avocado, queso cotija, white onion & cilantro.

I forgot what these were called but the bottom is corn filled with black beans, topped with radish, salsa, cheese, ground beef. Amazing stuff. Loved it!

What a difference when using fresh, organic produce and farm eggs. YUM.

Primavera
1 Ferry Plaza
Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
San Francisco, CA 94101

Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

2010-07-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

And yes, we did get a couple glasses of wine. =)

Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant
101 The Embarcadero
Marketplace Shop #23
San Francisco, CA‎
Tel: (415) 391-9400‎

Suppenküche

2010-06-26T23:58:00.000-07:00

German food with an emphasis on Bavarian cooking.

Suppenküche
525 Laguna Street (@ Hayes)
San Francisco CA 94102
Tel: 415.252.9289

Tataki Sushi

2010-06-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Tri-style poke - pretty terrible, fish was mushy/old, seasoning too sweet and off (pineapple... ?)

Spicy tempura - shrimp tempura, spicy albacore tuna, jalapeno, masago - this was quite nice although the tempura was slightly soggy like it had been left out for awhile before rolling/plating

Extinguisher - albacore tuna, avocado, habanero, masago, spicy aioli - this one was good. Nice balance of spice and flavor.

It's great that Tataki aims to spread the word on sustainable sushi, but with odd-tasting poke, lukewarm miso soup, decent rolls, doesn't make it completely exceptional.

Tataki Sushi and Sake Bar
2815 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 931-1182

Aziza Restaurant

2010-06-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

I contemplated on posting these photos because of the horrible lighting but felt obligated to share it with you all anyway. Aziza is now up there as one of my favorite restaurants next to Commis and Manresa.

Seriously amazing "pretzel" bread

Wonderful cauliflower soup

Meatballs with jícama, grape, herb vinaigrette

Squab with cherry, tarragon, frisée, foie gras, spiced honey bread

Basteeya with chicken, almond

Black cod with broccoli, garlic scape, octopus, ginger

Lamb with fennel, morels, corn, sweet onion

Pistachio meringue cake with strawberry, burnt honey ice cream, nougatine (AMAZING)

Coconut milk cream with cherry, sponge cake, walnut crumble

Goat yogurt panna cotta with raspberry, rose gelée, hibiscus soup

I really can't say anything BAD about this meal. Seriously. LOVE LOVE LOVE ! AMAZING! Everything was perfectly cooked, plated, and seasoned. I mean, everything! The waiter was very well informed of the food preparation as well. I was also very impressed with the desserts which is nice because I have been rarely impressed with Michelin desserts in the past. OMG I can't wait to go back.

Aziza
5800 Geary Boulevard @ 22nd ave
San Francisco, CA 94121-2005
(415) 752-2222

Namu Restaurant

2010-06-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

Korean "tacos". Very hard to eat, but tasty.

Excellent bimbimbap. High quality beef.

Mediocre and dry hamburger. But nice kimchee relish. Delicious fries.

Rather bland and dry chocolate chip cookies. Korean spice flakes were a very nice touch though.

My dining partner and I met the most boring waitress known to man today. It was like she was reading off a piece of paper and about to fall asleep. They live up to the reputation of having bad service. My burger was served first, then Christina's dish 5 minutes later. Cold burger. Not to mention it took about 45 minutes to get our food. The cooks were too busy drinking booze with their friends, and just hanging around. There were only about 20 covers. My friend and I could have worked way faster in the kitchen. Although a couple of the dishes were okay, not enough for me to go back. Too bad. I wanted to like the place!

Namu
439 Balboa Street
San Francisco, CA 94118-3937
(415) 386-8332

Golden Glass 2010

2010-06-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

Golden Glass 2010

Banana cake with pecans and dark chocolate chips

2010-05-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

French press with freshly ground beans from the Iguaque/Bachue, Colombia. And banana cake with pecans/dark chocolate chips. Great way to start the day.

Sunstream Café

2010-05-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

On my way to run errands this morning, I finally walked by Sunstream Café which is this teeny tiny Brasilian café close to my apartment in San Francisco. I had heard decent things about it.

I checked out the menu and they had all kinds of tropical fruit juices found in Brasil. They even had caju and graviola juice, but unfortunately they are not fresh squeezed and in fact frozen. Also $5/each. They do have the acai with honey and granola. I want to try that next time.

I had this seriously soft, moist, and delicious coconut pastry. I ate it fast before I could take a photo.

And of course, a conxinha ! Although different from what I had in the North of Brasil, it was still very good. I believe instead of the catipury cheese, they put cream cheese in it. The chicken was very moist and seemed to have been braised in a tomato based sauce.

Sunstream Café
2884 Geary Boulevard
(between Collins St & Wood St)
San Francisco, CA 94118-3408
Tel: (415) 567-5330

Simple creations

2010-05-26T23:43:00.000-07:00

In other news, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CARLO !

Commis Restaurant part 3, 4, 5...?

2010-05-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

It's obvious that I am extremely partial to dining at Commis. I don't really need to say if I thought the food was good or not. This will just be another one of those picture posts that I do for myself for inspiration and good memories.

Green tomato, pickled strawberries, avocado mousse, and mint (and hay water, I think!). A seriously amazing dish.

Raf's dish: halibut tartare with ginger

Buttermilk poached chicken, pea porridge, crisped skin "soil"

Raf's lamb loin + braised shoulder dish, with fermented eastern spices

Oh my gosh, I forgot to take a photo of the Chocolate brioche pudding, and rhubarb torte (GOOD sh*t) which were both DELICIOUS.

I <3 you, Commis. As always.

Commis‎ Restaurant
3859 Piedmont Ave
Oakland, CA 94611
(510) 653-3902‎

Mickey's Beach

2010-05-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

COMPLETELY not related to food, but...

Kaygetsu Restaurant

2010-05-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

I had interviewed with Kaygetsu last year for a line cook/hot foods position. I was able to see the back of the house (which is great, by the way), however, I had never officially eaten there until tonight (FINALLY!). With several postponements of this reservation, my sister and our other friend, Elva, finally made it tonight for the kaiseki.

Sakizuke (starter):
- spaghetti squash salad with string beans
- red bell pepper, shiitake mushroom and micro shiso
- black sesame flavor, topped with dried bonito threads

This was a great starter. Light and refreshing.

Sashimi: (upgrade) octopus, hamachi, toro

Um, YES. They do live up to their reputation as having some of the best sushi in town. Fabulous, fresh, melt in your mouth sashimi.

Hassun (assortment of flavors):
- washu beef sushi, nori topping, oak leaf
- seared white tuna, carrot daikon, warabi fern, ponzu gelee
- julienne potato and carrot tempura
- burdock rolled with anago (sea eel)
- rolled egg omelet, topped with uni
- sautéed konnyaku (yam jelly)

This was a great assortment of small bites. I wasn't a big fan of the yam jelly or tamago with uni, but going back and forth between the potato/carrot tempura and seared tuna with ponzu gelee was very nice. The washu beef sushi was to die for. I absolutely LOVE raw beef sushi. In fact, it was the first thing I ate during my first trip to Japan when I was 15. I could have just eaten a plate of the lightly seared washu beef sushi here. Wonderful!

Seasonal dish:
- eggplant, flash fried and cooked with dashi
- minced shrimp with thickened kudzu sauce
- sugar peas, tororo konbu

This is the first time that I've tasted tororo konbu, which is seaweed that has been soaked in vinegar for a day before being shaved into fine flakes and dried. The texture was wonderfully light, but at the same time, full of flavor. The combination of eggplant, shrimp, dashi and kudzu sauce was nicely balanced. Another dish that we all enjoyed very much.

Yakimono (grilled dish):
- organic petaluma chicken with fuki (butterbur) miso
- spring salad with bamboo, bakchoy, radish, orange, chive and chervil
- side of clear miso soup, pickled vegetables

Let me just point out that I typically don't order chicken dishes (aside from at Commis restaurant). What a difference free range, organic chicken has. Some of the most moist, tender, perfectly cooked and seasoned chicken that I have had since Commis. I loved this dish, though I was too full to finish the clear miso soup.

Dessert: green tea bavarois with Okinawan black sugar molasses, red bean, strawberry, mint and whipped cream

The dessert was alright. I found the Okinawan black sugar molasses quite interesting. But give me anything with matcha green tea and red bean, and I am a happy girl.

I found this meal to be very well-balanced, and "light" even though I was pretty full by the end of the meal. The kaiseki here sticks to it's Japanese tradition and roots. I'm glad to have finally dined here. Highly recommended.

Kaygetsu Restaurant‎
325 Sharon Park Drive
Menlo Park, CA
Tel: (650) 234-1084‎

Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant‎

2010-05-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I had Ethiopian food. In fact, I haven't had it for almost 6 years when I was an undergrad at Santa Clara University. And the restaurant I dined it was forgettable so I don't think it was the best place to judge Ethiopian cuisine. Zeni, however, has a great reputation by my foodie friends as well as their Ethiopian friends. For lunch we dined on the following:

SAMBUSSA - deep-fried thin dough shells stuffed with lentils, onion, hot green & herbs

Injera - unleavened bread

MEAT COMBINATION - A combination of Alitcha Fitfit, Doro Wot, or Key Wot and Beef Kitfo, Home made cheese

VEGETARIAN COMBO - A combination of YE-MISER WOT ,YE-KIK ALITCHA, ATAKELT WOT, YE-GOMEN WOT, YE TIMATIM FITFIT

I have to say that I stuffed myself silly today with all that delicious spongy bread, sauces, braised meats, and vegetables. Though I can't exactly match up all the Ethiopian names to the dishes [yet], everything I tasted was great - my favorites being the lamb, spicy split peas, greens, and chicken. Miam miam.

Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant‎
1320 Saratoga Avenue
San Jose, CA
Tel: (408) 615-8282‎

Delicious sugar-coated sweet potatoes

2010-05-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

Often found as a dessert at Chinese restaurants. You dip the sweet potatoes in cold water to cool down and harden the sugar.

Delish

By the way, I am alive and well! My eating adventures have been a little slow lately. Working tons, and just moved to San Francisco (can you believe it).

La Colombe

2010-04-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

In Philly now, enjoying my daily dose of cappuccino from La Colombe.

Good coffee, ugly cups and plates. Oh well. =)

La Colombe Torrefaction
130 South 19th Street
Philadelphia, PA‎
Tel: (215) 564-2057‎

Keste Pizzeria

2010-04-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

After watching Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations in New York, we were tempted to eat at Co. I changed my mind when my friend Aaron recommended Keste instead. He's eaten quite a bit around the world, and as a local in Manhattan, I took his word for it.

In a nutshell, here is a description of Keste pulled from the website:

Keste Pizza and Vino is an authentic Neapolitan Pizzeria in NYC located at 271 Bleeker Street, NYC.

It is also the official location in the USA for APN (Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani whose mission is to protect and preserve the Neapolitan pizza tradition and promote the art of pizza making. The organization also certifies professional pizza makers in the tradition of Neapolitan Pizza.

They have a brick, wood-burning oven in the back of the pizzeria.

For the starter, we ordered the battilocchio del giorno in which the toppings change daily. I can't remember for the life of me what exactly was on this (besides the tomatos and basil), but let me tell you it was amazing !!!

Then we shared a salsiccia pizza. The sausage was simple but very good.

Overall, the pizza here is not greasy like at Pizzeria Delfina or Mozza. The pizza dough is perfectly cooked, and everything was very well-seasoned and tasty. Keste sticks to being authentic - the flavors are simple, true to their roots, and very delicious. Next time I will try the margherita by recommendation.

Keste Pizzeria & Vino
271 Bleecker Street (between Morton St & Jones St)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 243-1500

Ippudo Ramen

2010-04-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

I will make this post brief (as usual) since I have already dined at Ippudo.

We came around 19h30 which was the prime time for dinner. Waited an hour just to get a seat. But in the meantime, we grabbed a couple beers and some edamame at the bar.

When we were finally seated, we decided to order the rice burger as an appetizer. Crisp rice patties with the seriously delicious braised pork belly in the middle, with a side of lightly pickled vegetables. That pork belly is good sh*t.

Last time the photo I had of the ramen bowl mysteriously disappeared. This time I forgot to take a picture because I was so hungry and excited to eat ramen. Here is the Ippudo classic half eaten. The pork is simply amazing. I'd also like to add that they make their eggs soft-boiled. *Drool*

During dinner, I chatted it up with a server there who happened to be born in Spain, and raised in Switzerland. Super cool dood (hi, Alberto!) who introduced me to this other server Christian from SAN JOSE ! Small world. I asked him what they ate for staff meal, and he told me ramen. I think I might have to find a job at Ippudo now.

Ippudo NY
65 4th Avenue
New York, NY
(212) 388-0088‎

Stumptown Coffee

2010-04-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

After our delicious bagel, we ventured to Stumptown Coffee. A hip coffee bar in the Ace Hotel. Based in Portland, they have a roasting facility in both Portland and Seattle. Quality coffee. Great micro-foam. Freshly roasted beans. Stumptown is another 3rd wave coffee shop who only pulls ristrettos.

The cappuccino I had was okay. I had to add more sugar to it because I found it to be a bit too acidic. More sugar than I had to add at Joe the Art of Coffee. Since it was a cappuccino, the nice milk foam helped. Nina didn't enjoy her espresso too much since it was really acidic.

As for the pastries, we had a palm sugar cookie and a brownie. I had asked the barista if the brownie was really sweet, or more chocolatey. He looked at me as if it was a stupid question. Well, I got the brownie anyway, and it was one of the worst brownies I've ever tasted. It was like 80% sugar, and the rest eggs, chocolate, flour, oil. Blech. Me and my friend ended up throwing it away. It was that bad.

It's a cool place to hang out. There is a bar that lines the large windows in the front. You can bring your coffee into the dimly lit, chic, and trendy hotel lobby with your laptop.
But that brownie. *Shudders*

Stumptown Coffee Roasters
18 W 29th St (betw. Broadway & 5th Ave)
New York, NY 10001
(212) 679-2222

Russ & Daughters

2010-04-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

Made it to Russ & Daughters because of several recommendations. I ordered the dill marinated Norwegian salmon, capers, and plain cream cheese on a plain bagel.

The bagel sandwich was great, although I think I prefer the bagels from Nussbaum & Wu a bit more. The dill salmon was fabulous. I figured the salmon bagel sandwich which be somewhat strong and heavy, but it was quite light and soft as a meal. My friend recommended that I order the sablefish bagel with everything next time, and that although still tasty, it is much better than the salmon bagel sandwiches. Noted for next time. =)

Another cool thing about this place is that they have a myriad of choices in terms of smoked fish and caviar. You can purchase them by weight and bring it home. It was so tempting to just buy a little of everything, but I don't think carrying around prepared fish all day was a good idea.

Also the service there was impeccable. Everyone was extremely polite and friendly. Highly recommended.

Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston St
New York, 10002
(212) 475-4880

Cameroonian home-cooking

2010-04-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

Met up with Nina's cousin whose been living in New Jersey for the past 13 years. I had the pleasure of tasting good old Cameroonian home-cooking.

Braised chicken with carrots, plantains, green beans, and tomato

Pork ribs and seriously awesome potatos with garlic

Fried fish with a leek, onion, garlic sauce typical from their region

The meal was delicious and satisfying. I love home-cooking. =)

Joe the Art of Coffee

2010-04-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

Or what's left of it.

They only serve double ristrettos here. The milk foam on the cappuccino was great, but I did have to add a bit more sugar than I usually do. Not bad though. Muffins not bad either. The banana cranberry was better than the blueberry.

Joe, the Art of Coffee
514 Columbus Ave (betw. W 84th & 85th)
New York, NY
Tel: (212) 875-0100‎

Ummmm Caffè

2010-04-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

Photo credit to Midori McCabe

Pizzeria Delfina

2010-03-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

I finally got a chance to eat here and see what all the fuss was about.

My friend and former coworker at Chez TJ, Christina loves this place. We started with the warm-marinated olives which came out piping hot.

And delicious

We dined on the following:

Napoletana (Tomato, anchovies, capers, hot peppers, olives and oregano)

Salsiccia (Housemade fennel sausage, tomato, bell peppers, onions, mozzarella)

They were both great, however, I was totally in love with the Salsiccia pizza. But I gotta say that my love for fennel sausage started when I ate at Mozza. They both have similar styles of pizza - flat, smaller gourmet pizzas, although Mozza's fennel sausage pizza is better *wink*.

We were quite satisfied.

Pizzeria Delfina‎
3611 18th Street
San Francisco, CA‎
Tel: (415) 437-6800‎

We finished the meal at Tartine Bakery which was right next door.

Can't go wrong with the Banana Cream pie here. Not the most pleasing photo, but nonetheless, a stellar dessert. This may be the first American dessert I've had that isn't loaded with sugar. I really tasted just cream (unsweetened), chocolate, real bananas, pastry cream, and a wonderful crust.

Then I had to try the famous bread pudding. It was okay but forgettable. A bit dry. Where's the "pudding" ? But I liked the addition of fruit.

I will stick to the Banana Cream Pie. I wanted to try the croissant and pain au chocolat since I've heard such great things about them, but I was put off to how disgustingly large they were. hahah maybe next time. =)

Tartine Bakery‎
600 Guerrero Street
San Francisco, CA‎
Tel: (415) 487-2600‎

Dou sa mantou - Steamed red bean buns

2010-03-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

My 2nd attempt at my mom's steamed red bean buns. Tasted fabulous. Not as pretty. But whatever. They are in my belly and my belly is happy.

Class 302 - Rowland Heights, CA

2010-02-28T15:48:00.000-08:00

What? Class? Nope, a Taiwanese snack and shaved snow shop where the servers dress like school guys/girls.

By far the best popcorn chicken I've had. Nice lightly-battered crispy chicken.

Photo courtesy of Weenie

And the mango shaved snow with condensed milk, mochi, and fresh mango chunks. Too sweet for me, however, we were informed that we need to request "milk-flavored" snow instead of the mango snow which would make a difference.

Had I not been so tired and hungover from eating, I probably would have enjoyed this snack. ha ha ha. Oh, what a weekend. Eating is a sport and I am thoroughly exhausted.

Class 302
1015 S. Nogales St., #125
Rowland Heights, CA
Tel: (626) 965-5809

Members only - somewhere in El Lay

2010-02-27T01:38:00.000-08:00

Greetings from a "members only" bar in El Lay.

Andrew, "Diki", "Weenie", me, Amir, Anthony

Animal Restaurant - Los Angeles, CA

2010-02-26T23:48:00.000-08:00

Miki brought us to dine at Animal Restaurant for dinner. I wanted to see what all the hype was about. Unfortunately I do not have a professional camera - the lighting was quite terrible for your typical point and shoot camera so I had to borrow some photos that I found on the web. Here is what we ordered:

Chicken liver toast - I am not a big fan of chicken liver, but when done well, it can be delicious. This, for me, was not very good. The liver taste was STRONG which could be due to overcooking the liver before making it into a paste.

Photo credit to Kevin Eats

Rabbit loin, benton’s bacon, pickled apple, cipollini, butternut squash - I am pretty sure the cooks accidentally set the rabbit loin on fire when they were searing it in the pan. It tasted of gas, and had a very strange flavor, although I have to give them props for the wonderful texture and juicy cuisson of the rabbit loin. But yah, I'd skip it.

Photo credit to Anthony Ngo

Pig ear, chili, lime, fried egg - loved loved loved this!

Photo credit to Kevin Eats

Barbeque pork belly sandwiches, slaw - this was really fantastic, but a bit too sweet due to the brioche and sauce.

Photo credit to Kevin Eats

Baby broccoli, pancetta, parmesan, soft egg, bread crumbs - GREAT dish. Well-balanced and great use of vegetables.

Photo credit to These Things I eat

Poutine, oxtail gravy, cheddar - a Quebecois diner staple. I quite enjoyed this dish. Very tasty. Loved the meat on top.

Photo credit to Kevin Eats

Foie gras loco moco, quail egg, spam, hamburger - one of Animal's most popular dishes. I loved it. It was so Hawaiian. Great use of sweet teriyaki sauce and sriracha. LOVED the use of baby basmati rice. Now only if they served this everywhere in Hawaii...

Photo credit to Kevin Eats

Overall, I'd say Animal is a great place to dine. Lively, casual, and fun atmosphere. We all had a great time tonight despite the fact that someone got shot next door to us. (Welcome to El Lay).

Animal Restaurant
435 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Tel: (323) 782-9225

Kingburg Kitchen - San Gabriel, CA

2010-02-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

I'm in El Lay !

First stop, niu rou mien at Kingburg Kitchen.

We managed to eat here on a day where the broth was a bit off (a bit too medicinal/herbal tasting) but the noodles were quite nice as well as the spice level.

Photo courtesty of Carolini Weenie

Not a bad start.

Kingburg Kitchen
715 West Las Tunas Drive
San Gabriel, CA 91776-1114
Tel: (626) 282-2386

Vik's Chaat Corner - Berkeley, CA

2010-02-20T16:09:00.000-08:00

Today my sister took me to this wonderful, authentic, and FRESH Chaat place in Berkeley. Here's just a brief description of what we had.

Cholle Bhature

Dosa - savory crepes with masala (potato) filling with sambar and chutney.

Samosa Cholle
Dahi Batata Puri - filled with yogurt and tamarind chutney.
Chicken Kathi Kebab

Best chaat house I have been to in the Bay Area so far. The freshest and very clean (I have gotten sick from other places before). It was great seeing them make everything by hand and a la minute.

I <3 this place. Go try it.

Vik's Chaat Corner
2390 4th St
Berkeley, CA
Tel: (510) 644-4412

恭喜发财 & Happy 8th Birthday to Ginger!

2010-02-14T20:34:00.000-08:00

Braised lamb and tofu

Crab

Roasted duck

Brocoli

Steamed rock cod

And, of course, a peanut butter cake for Ginger. Look how happy she is!

Miam miam.

Happy Lunar New Year of the Tiger!

Tartiflette

2010-02-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

Had my last brunch today before heading back to the states. Nina made this seriously amazing Tartiflette (Reblochon cheese which comes from the Savoie region, potatoes, white wine, a LOT of lardons and onions.)

Tartiflette is from the Savoie region in the French Alps. It's traditionally served in the winter which makes sense because it is a very heavy, hearty, and soul-warming dish.

A brunch wouldn't be a brunch without the best pain au chocolat ever (made by an Arab couple in the 10eme. I love saying that.)

My belly is very warm and happy.

Comfort food in Petite Bretagne, Paris

2010-02-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

Back at Crêperie Josselin. It's been awhile.

Doesn't get better than this.

Crêperie Josselin
67, rue du Montparnasse
75014 Paris
Tél: 01 43 20 93 50

Paris, Je t'aime

2010-02-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

Turned out to be a gorgeous day today - around 18 C ! I decided to walk instead of take the metro after my wonderful lunch with Sophie.

My favorite church.

Ah Paris, you never disappoint.

Thoumieux Restaurant - Paris, France

2010-02-04T14:28:00.000-08:00

When I was working at Les Ambassadeurs, I never had the opportunity to eat there (it was a bit out of my budget at the moment as well). Jean-François Piège left Hôtel de Crillon in August 2009 to take over the kitchen at Restaurant Thoumieux - a very old restaurant in the 7eme. I still keep in touch with some of the cooks from Crillon - a couple whom are now sous-chefs at Thoumieux. Some of the servers followed as well.

Now this place is perhaps the complete opposite of Les Ambassadeurs. The interior is rather drab, and somewhat unattractive with random teal items placed around the front of the house. I went to dine with Sophie, whom informed me that the place was actually remodeled! Interesting... She also mentioned that the clientele consisted of some television actors/personalities.

All photo credit to Sophie

Strange interior aside, I was pleasantly surprised by the food. There was no extra fluff or beyond perfect garnishes on the plate. I would call the food very refined *almost* comfort food.

We started with an excellent sardine pate, house-churned butter, and house-made bread. These were all very very good.

For the first course, by recommendation, I opted for the langoustines with fennel and apples. This dish, served cold, was perfection in every bite.

Sophie opted for "Grandma's paté" made with chicken liver which was probably one of the best paté's I have tasted thus far.

Next up was the slow cooked Oteiza pork belly with onion crackling, cabbage sautéed with curry, and pomme purée. Though the pork belly could have been cooked a wee bit longer, it was very tasty. I LOVED the onion crackling and the cabbage. The flavor combinations as well as the textures went hand in hand. A fabulous dish.

Sophie's perfectly cooked quasi de veau + écrasée de vitelottes

Sophie and I both ordered the home-made vanilla bean ice-cream with caramelised noisettes. A bit pricey (@ 8 euro) but very well done.

Bravo, Thoumieux. A very satisfying meal. By the way, it doesn't hurt to mention that they hired all good looking servers and model-like hostesses. Eye-candy during your meal.

Restaurant Thoumieux‎
79, Rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris
Tel: 01 47 05 49 75‎

Une vielle maison

2010-02-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

I love the architecture found throughout the city. I was in the 16eme today and saw this random beauty.

Merci

2010-02-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

Merci
111 Boulevard Beaumarchais
75003 Paris
Tel: 01 42 77 78 92‎

Diesel

2010-02-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

Was strolling through the 2eme today...

Les brownies (brew-ny)

2010-01-29T16:10:00.000-08:00

Cookies

2010-01-26T22:04:00.000-08:00

My French family can't get enough of good ole' American chocolate chip cookies.

Polvorones

I've also made several pans of brownies. =)

2 kilos of Côte de boeuf

2010-01-17T16:31:00.000-08:00

From the local boucherie

Champignons de Paris from the local legumerie

Was thinking of doing something a little fancy but decided against it. Sometimes all you need is just salt and pepper. Oh and a side of fries.

Authentic Alsacien Choucroute

2010-01-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

Made from a family recipe by a true Alsacienne, her version of choucroute was much "lighter" than what I have had before. I can eat choucroute though I don't normally go out of my way to order it. But THIS, my friends, was perfect. Delicious. Satisfying.

Today's meal was full of Alsacien favorites such as Riesling, munster and brie cheese. Ahhhh life is good.

Titu - a real French cat

2010-01-06T11:41:00.000-08:00

Every morning he waits for his plate of butter. This morning it was le beurre doux AOC Poitou-Charentes.

His favorite sauce

In other news, I woke up this morning to see this.

I am always amazed and excited when I see snow, being a Bay Area California girl and all.

Tis the Season for La Galette des Rois

2010-01-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

Bonne Année 2010

2010-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

L'Apéro

Raclette

2009-12-30T23:33:00.000-08:00

I <3 La Vache qui Rit cheese ! There's paprika, blue, jambon flavors. How fun!

Les aperitifs

YES

I still don't like oysters

2009-12-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

But I will prep and serve them to those who do; no problem!

Me with papy. He's 96 and definitely loves oysters. He kept eating some every few shucks.