October 3, 2014

Moved

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Join me at my new website.

September 28, 2014

Padrecito

The food at Padrecito is excellent! I heard great things about their tacos so I had to try it for myself. 

We started our meal with chipotle chilaquiles with duck carnitas. It was spicy and the duck perfectly cooked. I didn't even know duck carnitas was a thing... We then shared an order of goat barbacoa tacos and an order of grilled sockeye salmon tacos per our waitress's recommendation. I enjoyed the goat taco the most because the meat tasted earthy, albeit a bit chewy, and was absolutely full of flavor. The salmon taco was delicious too and the salmon so tender, but I don't really like mango slaw or salsa so I preferred the goat taco.

Although the dishes are pricey, I could really tell that the food was made with fresh ingredients and that the restaurant took care in cooking their food well. For dessert we had hot and fresh churros with a delicious coffee flavored cream. I've never had freshly made, non-Costco or carnival churros before and I was missing out big time. So crunchy, crispy, light, and highly addictive. Padrecito is definitely on my go-to list because next time, I'm totally getting the pork belly tacos.

grilled sockeye salmon: achiote rub, avocado aioli y mango-jicama slaw;
goat barbacoa: avocado, haricot vert, salsa arbol, crema mexicana y queso manchego;
chipotle chilaquiles: duck carnitas, roasted corn, gypsy pepper rajas, chipotle mole y crema latina
churros with mascarpone-coffee crema

September 24, 2014

Recipe: Kimchi Burger

As much as I enjoy eating burgers out, I also get a kick out of making them at home, where I'm free to dress it up or down as I like. It also makes me content knowing that I've mastered the art of cooking delicious burgers at home.

Today's burger is Korean inspired and unexpectedly tasty. In fact, I made it two nights in a row. The stir-fried kimchi adds crunch and heat that cuts against the greasy burger. Perhaps it's the Korean in me but I'm pretty convinced that kimchi paired with anything is delicious.


Kimchi Burger
Adapted from Foodie With Family
Serves 1

Ingredients
2 tbsp plain greek yogurt
1 tsp gochujang
1 hamburger bun, halved
¼ cup chopped kimchi, drained of most liquid
1 3-4 oz burger patty, seasoned with salt and pepper

Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together the greek yogurt and gochujang until smooth and evenly colored. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat a skillet on medium-high and add the drained kimchi to the pan. Stir-fry until the kimchi is browned around the edges and fragrant. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
Toast hamburger buns in the skillet or in a toaster.
While the buns are toasting, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Place burger patty in the center and cook for ~2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side ~2 minutes as well, or until cooked through on the inside.
Take the toasted buns and generously spread the spicy yogurt sauce on the cut sides of both the top and bottom halves of each bun.
Lay the burger patty on the bottom half of the bun and place stir-fried kimchi on top. Add the top half of the bun.
Serve immediately.

September 22, 2014

media naranja Kickstarter Dinner

I was invited to a very special dinner tonight hosted by the folks behind media naranja, a taco cart restaurant hoping to raise money to fund their project through Kickstarter. I have had the pleasure of personally knowing the people behind media naranja for a while now and was happy to help with producing flyers and business cards and also editing their campaign content. My friend Zack also did a fantastic job at designing the night's menu. I was thrilled to help out and also be a guest at their Kickstarter dinner party held at Nido in Oakland, where they invited a few local bloggers, designers, and friends to try their cooking and support their project.

The food was no doubt amazing and I was able to try some really new and interesting Mexican cuisine. My absolute favorites of the night were the guacamole with pomegranate & pumpkin seeds, charred corn & fried squash blossom taco, and arroz con leche.

baja style beer-battered calamari, cabbage slaw, lemon aioli, salsa veracruzana
arroz con leche: vanilla bean rice pudding, strawberries, grapes, dried figs, chopped hazelnuts

September 21, 2014

La Note Restaurant

La Note serves an impressive brunch! My friend in Berkeley highly recommended this restaurant and judging by the line of people waiting outside, I'd say that everyone knows how good the food is here. We were crazy enough to arrive 15 minutes before the restaurant even opened but had no regrets on the early wake up call as we witnessed the restaurant filling up quickly.

I was intrigued by the extensive menu and settled on les oeufs lucas: 2 eggs lightly scrambled with goat cheese, chives, served with roasted tomatoes and whole wheat toast. I also ordered a single lemon gingerbread and poached pear pancake to try. I strongly respect restaurants that know how to make soft scrambled eggs and La Note hit the mark. The pancake was very gingerbready and a bit too dense but so addictive, I pretty much ate the entire thing regardless. My friend ordered the cote ouest: three egg omelette with ratatouille, served with homefries and toast. We also shared an order of two spicy merguez sausages which were so good and made me understand why my friend raved about its tastiness.

September 18, 2014

Starbelly

The search for the top burgers has been ongoing and despite all the ones I've tried recently, the top 3 burgers have been ones that I've tried early on in the burger crawl. But tonight, the #2 spot formerly occupied by Spruce has been claimed by Starbelly. I'd only heard about the secret menu doc's style burger from online blogs and was interested in trying it. Because National Cheeseburger Day is one of the most important days for me, I just had to get a burger for dinner.

To start, my friend and I shared the Starbelly salad, a straightforward salad with simple ingredients. We then ordered the seasonal cheese plate which came presented on a log with all kinds of goodies. I can't remember the name of the cheeses but I really enjoyed the soft one. It was delicious spread on grilled bread with pumpkin seeds.

starbelly salad: mixed greens, goat cheese, yellow peach, & vinaigrette;
seasonal cheese plate

We split the doc's style burger and wow, I had no idea chicken liver pate could be so amazing on a burger. The burger topped with pate and caramelized onions was unlike anything I've ever tasted before. I'm still dreaming about that burger...

doc's style burger: prather ranch patty with chicken liver pate and caramelized onions on grilled sesame seed challah bun;
house cut fries

For dessert we both ordered a press of decaf coffee to complement the warm toffee cake with mascarpone & medjool dates. Starbelly's ambiance is wonderful and I can't wait to come back to try some of the other menu items and particularly, that burger again.

mr. espresso decaf coffee;
warm toffee cake with mascarpone & medjool dates

September 17, 2014

Souvla Part 2

I've been dreaming of returning to try the other menu items at Souvla. Tonight I tried the pork shoulder salad and because I couldn't decide between salad or sandwich, I added a side of pita bread to the salad. Voila, now I can have a salad and make my own sandwich bites. The pork shoulder salad was good but a bit fatty and so I prefer the lamb leg salad from last time. Next time I'm going for the chicken salad, which the staff told me is their #1 seller. My vegetarian friend ordered the white sweet potato salad and she completely loved it.

I couldn't refrain from trying the frozen greek yogurt with baklava crumbles & syrup. So tart and tangy, the frozen yogurt paired well with the sweet toppings. Glad I tried it. Till next time Souvla!

american homestead pork shoulder salad with minted greek yogurt, cherry tomato, pickled red onion, cucumber, feta cheese;
side of pita bread
greek frozen yogurt with baklava crumbles & syrup

September 15, 2014

Kin Khao

I've been interested in trying the food at recently opened Kin Khao for the past few months and since I'm not very familiar with Thai food, I was excited to try something new. We ordered one too many dishes for two people but we just wanted to try everything!

I thought the mushroom curry mousse was particularly good and unexpectedly spicy. Especially when paired with the crisp rice cakes, the dish offered a different taste and texture than if it were to be served with rice. Another dish that I liked was the grilled northern thai pork sausage. The sausage was well seasoned and not at all chewy. It's served with a spicy relish, lettuce, cucumbers, chicharones, and sticky rice and the concept is to wrap it all up in a lettuce wrap to eat. It's very similar to how korean bbq is eaten so it's cool to see the concept also working here. But we were most pleasantly surprised by the blistered green beans in xo sauce. I never really order greens as a side but I definitely recommend these. Served hot, I think the green beans were actually the best thing we ate here!

mushroom hor mok: curry mousse in-a-jar with mushrooms, crisp rice cakes
plah pla muek: charred monterey bay squid served with a tangy+spicy seafood sauce topped with peanuts & cilantro;
sai ua+namprik noom: grilled northern thai pork sausage served with spicy young pepper relish, chicharones, sticky rice
khao mun gai: chicken fat rice, ginger-poached chicken, pim's secret sauce, served with intense chicken broth;
make-it-yourself thai sundae: warm coconut+black rice pudding, served with burnt coconut sugar caramel, salty coconut cream, puffed rice+peanut+sesame praline

Salumeria

I'd heard the sandwiches at Salumeria were good, but I didn't know just how good.

My friend and I ordered two sandwiches and shared halves of each. The salumi sandwich with provolone, pickled peppers, shredded lettuce, oregano, red wine vinegar & aioli was pretty good but my vote goes for the roast beef sandwich. The roast beef, watercress, caramelized onions & horseradish aioli sandwich on pretzel roll is the best sandwich I've had in SF. That pretzel roll is perfection. 

September 13, 2014

Artichoke Basille's Pizza and Comal

I finally ventured across the Bay Bridge to spend a day in downtown Berkeley. I've only been to east bay a handful number of times and have been wanting to explore the area more. Alas, it was a beautiful day and I was excited to walk around the UC Berkeley campus and pretend to blend in with the students.

My friend and I went on a little hike up the hills where we got a fantastic view of Oakland, SF, and the bay. My friend had mentioned Artichoke Basille's Pizza before so we had to make a pitstop. We got a slice of margarita pizza to-go and went across to a grassy area to share it. Pizza is never that alluring to me but every time I eat it, I wonder why I don't have it more. This was no exception. Not fancy at all but so simple and well-made, all of the slices at this pizza shop are huge and the crust is thin and perfectly crispy. NY style pizza wins.

artichoke basille's pizza: slice of margarita

Next we went inside Sockshop, the store of my dreams, where they sold socks of every print imaginable. Friends know that I LOVE SOCKS, so I wanted to buy it all. Now that I know where to get cute, fun socks locally, I will definitely be back to get a pair of hamburger and bacon & egg socks.

For dinner we went to an upscale Mexican restaurant. The inside of the restaurant is huge and absolutely stunning. Other than the initial dining room and bar, there is also a covered patio and bar, as well as an open-air beer garden beyond that. We got lucky and were seated promptly with no wait. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share and I experienced soe Mexican food firsts such as chile relleno! My favorites of the night were the beef & pork albondigas en adobo, corn on the cob with chipotle aioli, and pork enchiladas.

So full but I couldn't turn down a scoop of ube ice cream on a waffle cone from John's Ice Cream. It's not the best ice cream but with interesting flavors like avocado and ube and only $1 a scoop, it's pretty darn enticing.

ensalada picada: little gems, beets, avocado, hearts of palm, goat feta, cilantro-yogurt vinaigrette
beef & pork albondigas en adobo;
chile relleno: queso fresco, salsa ranchera, epazote
grilled brentwood corn on the cob with chipotle aioli, questo fresco;
heritage pork, mole coloradito, crema

September 12, 2014

Brit+Co Re:Make Conference

I spent the day at the Re:Make Conference, volunteering part of the time as a cupcake lady. It was very inspiring to be surrounded by a community of makers and other attendees ranging from entrepreneurs, bloggers, techies, social media gurus, etc and yet, are all people who support innovation and creativity. Though I wouldn't ever call myself a maker, I thrive from having some sort of creative outlet and sometimes find myself in a creative rut when I can't seem to be inspired by anything. I gravitate towards cooking, drawing, photography, and even writing on this blog to charge my creative energy and even though no one might ever taste or see my creations, these are activities that I find personally fulfilling.

My favorite conversation of the day was a panel made up of Brit Morin (Brit+Co), Bradford Shellhammer (Fab.com), Craig Dalton (DODOcase), and Zach Kaplan (Inventables). They talked about how ideas are now being prototyped at home to become mainstream endeavors. Bradford Shellhammer and Craig Dalton gave particularly great advice on how to think strategically about delivering not just products, but great user experiences as well via online and offline community building and the power of social media to do so. Everyone has an audience so fans are the ones who can really make a splash in getting a brand's name out there.

September 11, 2014

Garaje

I was excited to meet up with a friend at Garaje tonight. I mean, panini-ed burritos? Genius. I had also heard through the grapevine that the cheeseburger was good and wanted to taste for myself if the burger makes it into my top 5 list. The decor of the restaurant is very casual, divey, and has a roadside feel with license plates hung along the walls. It's cash only and we ordered at the front counter, got a number, and waited at our table for the food to come.

My friend and I shared the cali steak zapato and it was amazing! One of the reasons I don't really like burritos all that much is because the tortilla is too soft and mushy but pressed and hot, the zapato was like a quesadilla-ed burrito. Loved it! The addition of fries inside the zapato was also on point as I enjoy fries inside my burger as well...

Next we shared the cheeseburger, which at $6, is a bargain. It was greasy, messy, extremely american cheesey, and very reminiscent of an in-n-out burger. Total drive in burger for sure. I wouldn't say it's one of the best burgers I've had but definitely worth trying at least once. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about the crispy carnitas taco. The meat was dry, tough, and had absolutely no flavor. Perhaps it was an off night but next time I'll definitely stick to another zapato and taco selection.

cali steak zapato: skirt steak asada, jack cheese, fries, avocado, pico de gallo in a flour tortilla
street style crispy carnitas tacos with cilantro, cebollas, and salsa;
drive in single cheeseburger: 1/3 lb angus, double american cheese, griddled onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato, 1000 island dressing on an acme bun

September 10, 2014

B44 Catalan Bistro

A bit of regret surrounds eating at this restaurant. Its location makes it touristy and while situated in a small alleyway with cute European style outdoor seating, the food is just not worth the high price. But if for some reason you choose to dine here, a few dishes do deliver decent Catalan food.

We started off with three tapas to share. Starting with fire roasted piquillo peppers stuffed with local dungeness crab meat, then pincho moruno or grilled leg of lamb brochettes with cucumber salad and spicy red pepper sauce. Lastly and the best out of the selection were chipirones, baby squid stuffed with fennel sausage and cooked in its own ink. It's a weird dish but I'm kind of into interesting dishes so it worked for me.

We ordered the B44 paella to share and selected this particular one because it has a mix of both chicken and chorizo with seafood. The first and last time I had paella was in 2012 when I visited Madrid and ate the most incredible squid ink paella. It's obviously going to be tough to ever top that first paella experience but the paella B44 was good enough to satisfy that nostalgic craving.

paella B44: saffron rice, chorizo, chicken, shrimp, squid, mussels, clams, vegetables

September 8, 2014

numnums: Filipino Food Edition

We had a special lunchtime guest today at numnums and cooked up a special Filipino food feast for the crew. It was also my first time trying some of the classic Filipino dishes so it was exciting for me to help cook and eat the food.

On the menu: chicken adobo, cauliflower rice, lumpia, salad, torta talong (eggplant torta). My favorites were the chicken adobo and lumpia with a tasty sauce.

chicken adobo

Another highlight of lunch was when our guest grilled peaches for dessert. Grilled peaches with a scoop of bourbon vanilla ice cream topped with marcona almonds and all sprinkled with cayenne and black pepper, oh wow.

September 7, 2014

Recipe: Kabocha Pork Stir-Fry

I love all things pumpkin, sweet potato, chestnut, acorn squash, and kabocha squash is no exception. In fact, kabocha is my favorite type of winter squash. Whether you steam, bake, stir-fry, stuff it or eat it plain, sweet, or savory, kabocha is very versatile. Growing up in a Korean household, we always made soup with kabocha and even now, I much prefer its taste over pumpkin or butternut squash soup. It works well in both sweet or savory dishes so it's not surprising to find kabocha paste in Korean pastries or in Korean spicy chicken dishes. One of my favorite snacks is actually steamed kabocha drizzled with peanut butter. I came across this recipe for kabocha pork stir-fry and was eager to give it a go.


Kabocha Pork Stir-Fry
Adapted from Just One Cookbook
Serves 2 as a main dish or 3 as a side dish

Ingredients
Seasoning A
½ tsp soy sauce
1 tsp mirin

Seasoning B
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce

½ lb ground pork or beef
½ lb kabocha squash
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp gochujang

Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine Seasoning A and the meat. Mix well and set aside.
Remove kabocha seeds with a spoon and cut into thin slices.
In a microwave-safe container, put sliced kabocha inside. Pour 1 tbsp water on top and close the lid.
Microwave it for ~2 minutes but do not overcook as it will break easily when stir-frying.
Combine Seasoning B in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large non-stick frying pan, heat oil on medium heat and cook garlic until fragrant.
Add the meat and cook until it is cooked through.
Add gochujang and mix well.
Add kabocha and mix all together.
When kabocha is fully cooked, add Seasoning B and mix all together.
Serve immediately over rice or as a side.

Verbena

I'm usually not a strong supporter of brunch because #1 I'm usually too hungry to wait till mid-morning to eat and #2 there's always a wait for brunch in SF and when I'm already hungry, waiting even more is the last thing I want to do. But once in a blue moon I do enjoy brunch, especially if the meal is more than the average scrambled eggs and toast and when restaurants take brunch reservations.

Fitting these requirements, my friend and I trekked over to Verbena on Saturday morning. Always looking for a unique dish and with a craving for something sweet, I ordered the red corn pancakes while my friend got scrambled eggs on grilled bread. The pancakes had an interesting flavor and grainy texture from the red corn. I probably won't order it again but I appreciated that it was aesthetically beautiful, light, and not overly sweet. My friend didn't like the pancakes at all but declared his egg dish the best brunch dish he's had. With that said, I'd like to try some of Verbena's other brunch dishes as well as their dinner options!

red corn pancakes with lemon verbena braised strawberries, gravenstein apples, seville orange butter, basil;
grilled country bread with scrambled eggs and chicken skin, poblano, heirloom tomatoes, cheddar puree, avocado

September 4, 2014

Park Tavern

Still going strong with my burger crawl, I set out tonight to try the "marlowe" burger. Available at three sister restaurants in SF, I decided upon Park Tavern to get the burger because the menu had more variety than at Marlowe or The Cavalier. Unfortunately the burger was not the best in SF as so many people have reported back. I liked the addition of crispy bacon but there was too much cheese and found the patty extremely salty. The fries were quite good though.

Prior to digging into the burger, we ordered the deviled eggs and braised lamb tongue. Park Tavern's deviled egg is THE BEST I've ever had. It's going to be tough to ever top it. I enjoyed the braised lamb tongue as it was very unique to me. I've had beef tongue before but lamb tongue? I'm happy to write that it's delicious and almost reminiscent of a bratwurst.

We were both pretty full but couldn't resist trying the seasonal "birthday" cake, particularly because just that morning 7x7 had rated Park Tavern's cake as one of SF's 7 best cakes. I don't remember the last time I had cake, let alone such tasty cake. We got a few stares as the cake is presented with a lit birthday candle but as I made a wish and blew out the candle, it almost really felt like my birthday :-)

smoked deviled eggs with bacon, pickled jalapeno & chive 
braised lamb tongue with french fingerling potatoes, mustard greens, soft cooked hen egg & horseradish
"marlowe" burger with caramelized onion, cheddar, bacon, horseradish aioli & fries
september "birthday" cake: champagne chiffon cake with tawny port infused pears & mascarpone cheese

September 2, 2014

Seattle Part 4

Our last breakfast in Seattle was my favorite! Oddfellows Cafe & Bar was on my must-visit list and highly recommended by several people so I made sure to incorporate it into our trip. The interior of the restaurant is rustic-themed and gorgeous. I ordered the biscuit & eggs, which was divine. I never knew I even liked biscuits. I was also excited to try Stumptown coffee for the first time. My friend got the brioche french toast with mascarpone & maple syrup, which was a really thick slice of brioche and ridiculously delicious. Oddfellows's dinner menu looks delicious as well so it's on my list for my next Seattle trip.

After breakfast we walked around Capitol Hill and took the ferry to Bainbridge Island, where we walked around some more. Once we got back from the island, we stopped at Piroshky Piroshky to try some Russian pastries. Flaky, fatty, and greasy, the beef and onion piroshky was good. The coffee cinnamon roll piroshky wasn't as sweet as I'd expected and quite forgettable. I would have gotten the apple cinnamon roll but as a popular spot, a lot of the pastries were sold out. Next time! As a last hurrah to Seattle, we also stopped at Beecher's Handmade Cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. It was perfectly melted and crusty.

Thanks for a fun and tasty time Seattle.

oddfellows cafe & bar: biscuit & eggs scrambled with cheese and bacon
ferry to bainbridge island
bainbridge island
piroshky piroshky bakery: coffee cinnamon roll; beef and onion piroshky

September 1, 2014

Seattle Part 3

After a late night out, it was definitely difficult to get up the next morning. However, we forced ourselves awake because we had reservations to Lola, another one of Tom Douglas's restaurants and according to my friend, serves the best brunch. I can see why reservations are necessary because the large restaurant was already filled with people when we arrived. We got right down to business and got the made-to-order doughnuts with strawberry jam and vanilla mascarpone to share. They were bite-sized and little pillows of sugary dough. In pursuit of trying something I usually don't get or cook at home, I ordered the eggs benedict, which comes with the most glorious smashed garlic fried potatoes. I had a bite of my friend's summer squash & goat cheese omelette and golden brown pancakes as well and yes, it was a lot of food but way too delicious to stop eating.

eggs benedict: bavarian meats ham, dill hollandaise; smashed garlic fried potatoes

We had plans to go to Bumbershoot, a music festival, but none of us were particularly fond of the artists and decided that we'd rather spend the ticket cost on sushi. With a free afternoon and good weather, we went to a park nearby to play bocce ball.

Bhys Kracke Park

Afterwards, we went to Wasabi Bistro & Lounge for sushi and it was delicious. After a few days of fried foods and beer, I was craving fresh and clean foods. The roll menu was really long so it was a challenge to pick something but we all just ended up getting a bunch of rolls and the 20-piece chef choice sushi to share. No doubt my favorite was the uni nigiri.

wasabi bistro rolls and chef choice sushi

August 31, 2014

Seattle Part 2

Seattle day two has me obsessed with Top Pot Doughnuts, particularly the old-fasioned glazed. Coffee and doughnuts are a match made in doughnut heaven. I'm lso obsessed with Molly Moon's vegan coconut chunk ice cream in the best waffle cone I've ever had. Dare I say, Molly Moon's is better than the ice cream at Bi-Rite, Humphry Slocombe, and Smitten in SF.

Other notables were the view from the top of Kerry Park and playing anomia and drinking cider at Capitol Cider. I really liked the Capitol Hill social scene.

top pot doughnuts: old-fashioned glazed
pike place market
waterfront park
kerry park
molly moon's: vegan coconut chunk ice cream in a waffle cone
bike polo at cal anderson park
garage billiards bowling
anomia and sixknot organic gingerella at capitol cider