Cone of Snow

Because I know how much you want to see ice in a cup.

It's been freaking hot lately, so frozen treats have been a must. I went to OTG again last week just to pick up something from Skylight Snowballs. Because I'm apparently obsessed with coffee, I had the Four Barrel Snowcone/Snowball/Shaved Ice Thing. It was delicious. Then again, it's just sugar water flavored with coffee...you really can't go wrong. I almost liked it more than the Coffee Pop I got at Ritual last SF Food Fest. But, I also think that the snowcone form suits the coffee syrup better because the popsicle feels like a block of sugar.

Off the Grid: North Berkeley
Shattuck Ave @ Rose St.

The Best Fish n' Chips This Side of the Pond (That I've Had So Far at Least...)

Fish and Chips + Allagash White
(It would be even more awesome if there were Mushy Peas, but one shouldn't be greedy.)

After a whirlwind day with Tob-asco, which included In-n-Out, a car overheating in Santa Cruz, getting the car towed, finally walking to the beach, and being picked up by her parents, we all decided to get dinner cuz we were effing hungry. After much discussion about what to eat, the parentals decided on Martins West. GREAT CHOICE. Three of us ordered Fish and Chips and the other ordered a burger, which Tob-asco and I probably would've ordered if we hadn't eaten In-N-Out. Fish was fried to perfection and actually tasted like fish. Chips were similar. Tasted like actual potatoes. Beer selection was pretty decent, especially for Redwood City (according to natives). Know that this place is a bit pricey, but if you're in the area, then there's probably nothing better to do, so check it out.

Martins West Gastropub
831 Main St., Redwood City

OtG: Berkeley Edition

The "Snoop Dog" from Brass Knuckle

The "Fryin' Maiden" from Brass Knuckle

Burger with Cheddar and Egg + Garlic Fries from Five Ten Burger

Off the Grid recently began in Berkeley, and where is it?! The Gourmet Ghetto of course! I went to the soft opening a few weeks ago, and it was cr-a-zy. I got there around 7ish and waited 1hr 20mins for my food. I actually ordered two items because I was so bitter (saved one for lunch the next day). I went again recently around 5:30, and it was a lot less hectic. Go early if you want to wait in shorter lines and not have half the trucks sold out!

On my first visit, I went to Brass Knuckle. I'm not even sure how to describe their food, other than fatty street food. I got a bacon wrapped hot dog (the Snoop Dog), which was less greasy and salty than I thought it would be. Definitely better than the ones you can get in the Mission at midnight, but not exactly something I'd order all the time. It's also supposed to be fusion-y, considering it's served with "spicy teri mayo, furikake, slaw, radish sprouts, bonito flakes," and they forgot to mention nori on the menu. The nori seemed quite unnecessary, but it's a fun twist on your traditional dog I guess. I also got a fried chicken sandwich (the Fryin' Maiden). Not bad, but I'm pretty faithful to Bakesale Betty's. I wouldn't wait that long again for this truck, but the food was decent.

I waited a few weeks before I went again. This time I was set to go to Five Ten Burger (it was sold out last time). After eating their burger, I realized why they had the longest line and sold out probably the quickest. The burger was delicious. I ordered it with a fried egg on top because everything tastes better with an egg (at least that's what current food trenders would like you to believe). The garlic fries contained just the right amount of garlic, not a punch in your face, but enough for you to notice it. I would definitely pay them another visit to serve my burger needs.

Off the Grid: North Berkeley
Shattuck Ave @ Rose St.
(Kind of near Cheeseboard in the parking lot area next to CVS. Same location as the Farmer's Market on Thursdays.)

Brass Knuckle and Five Ten have their own websites if anyone is interested in visiting them at other times.

O rly? Onigilly?!

To continue with the current Japanese snack food trend, I recently tried Onigilly, the Onigiri Cart that’s on Justin Herman Plaza every weekday (i.e. the area with hella vendors that you have to walk past to get to the ferry building). I’ve kind of put off trying it because I guess I haven’t cared enough. Also, onigiri is what I survived off of during a trip to Tokyo, so no onigiri in my mind could top that experience. Anyways, I went to the Ferry Building on a Tuesday at 12:30pm, which is probably one of the worst times ever. Everyone’s out at lunch and buying shit at the Farmer’s Market. However, there was no line at Onigilly! Usually this is probably not a good sign, but I think it was more due to the fact that everyone was concentrated on the Market.

I ordered the “Geisha,” which is basically three onigiris and edamame. I tried the Miso Tuna, Hijiki Black Seaweed, and Sansai Mountain Veggies. All three were quite delicious. The seaweed was crisp and protected my hands from the sticky rice, and each filling was nicely seasoned. The edamame was actually a bit too soft, but not inedible. I would definitely recommend this cart. It’s light and relatively healthy. A bit pricey and depending on how much you eat, it might not be enough, but for a hot summer day, it was actually perfect.

Cart at Justin Herman Plaza

5 Steuart St/Market St, San Francisco

Check out their website because they're also at Off the Grid!

Pinkerton Food

Takoyanen (Delica)

Takoyaki Yum

Sorry for the dearth of posts lately. Life has been...life. Anyways, I have recently discovered an increased interest around Japanese cuisine. Ramen and Izakayas have been popping up everywhere. The possible new foodie obsession? Takoyaki! Basically pancake batter filled with octopus and other stuff is thrown into a pan with little ball-shaped molds. Sometimes they're referred to as dumplings, other times they're called pancakes. You can decide for yourself. Takoyaki is usually served at festivals and other outdoor type events along with Taiyaki (A fish shaped waffle that has azuki filling. It is also super-noms).

In recent food bloggery, two locations in which to find Takoyaki have been mentioned: the Ferry Building Farmer's Market on Thursday and the Temescal Farmer's Market on Sunday. Surprised that they are both Farmer's Market? I wasn't either. Delica is currently offering the aforementioned morsel on the former day. It's run under the name Takoyanen. I arrived quite early, so the goods were made already, which actually was a slight disappointment, since they were not fresh. However, I enjoyed the fried-ness of the octopus. It tasted similar to the bags of fried squid you can get at any place that sells Asian snacks.

If you're in the East Bay and don't want to make the trek, check out Takoyaki Yum. The funny thing is they're actually not in the Farmer's Market. They are across from it at 491 Cavour St. Although the takoyaki was fresher and made in front of me, it still needs some improvement. They were a bit too gooey for my taste, and the octopus lacked flavour. However, I understand somewhat, since fresh octopus is hard to come by. Points for toppings though. The slurry of sauces (Kewpie mayonnaise, okonomiyaki sauce, wasabi mayo) along with bonito flakes and dried seaweed made a tasty combo, but was it just a way to mask the blandness of the morsels themselves? Idk. Right now, I'm leaning towards Delica's because both the takoyaki and sauces did not lack flavour. That being said, they did lack a bit of warmth.

Takoyanen
Ferry Building Marketplace
One Ferry Building

Takoyaki Yum
491 Cavour St.
(Across from the Farmer's Market, which is in the DMV's Parking Lot)

P.S. Just in case anyone was wondering, the use of Pinkerton refers to the slang definition.

So(uthie) Co(mfort)

Truffled Bacon and Poached Egg Salad

Nana Carmella

The Slab

Bacon-Green Lentil Soup
(? I'm not sure because my friend ordered it)

Carnitas Tacos
(It even came with complimentary White Wine Sangria.)

For some reason, I've been holding off on a review of Southie. I feel as if I have mixed feelings about it, but not enough to stop going. And, I keep telling people that it's one of the places that I like going to on College, which is true. I have enjoyed everything that I've tried there. The only complaints I have are that the Nana Carmella can be a bit salty and some of the food greasy. Otherwise, it's a nice joint. Here is a recap of some of the stuff I've consumed:

• Truffled Bacon and Poached Egg Salad: My favorite dish at Southie thus far. There's, just enough bacon, so it doesn't feel like grease overload. And, I freaking love poached eggs. The dressing is fairly light and tasty.

• Nana Carmella: A bit salty...something about the combination of sauce and cheese is off just a little. Otherwise, it's delicious. I might need to try it again because it could have been an off day.

• Carnitas Tacos: This was a Cinco de Mayo Special, so I'm not sure if it ever appears on their regular menu. The pork was extremely flavourful, but the tacos were quite greasy. There was a grease puddle under each taco, and whenever I picked one up, it would just drip all over my hand. I noticed the same thing happened when my friend ordered "The Slab." One of the things that they forget to mention on the menu is that the "thick slab bacon" is deep fried. Yes, I know it's bacon and is by default fatty. BUT this really took it to a new level of "What am I eating?!" Though quite tasty, its kind of an oil explosion.
  

I'm also a bit curious about their slogan "East Cost Mentality. West Coast Sensibility." Does anyone know the specifics of what they're referring to? Anyways, go, eat, and tell me what you think.

6311 College Ave (at 63rd St)
Oakland

The Most Amazing Cobb Salad Ever

I have been raving about the Cobb Salad at Free Speech Movement Cafe (on Cal's campus), for the last year. So much in fact, I am pretty sure my friends think I am insane. But believe me, it really is that good. Somehow FSM finds the right balance of bacon, egg, and chicken. Ok yes, it sounds like a meat lover's deal. But each meat is given in moderation unlike some places I know that top the salad with an entire chicken breast. Anyways, this salad also comes with surprisingly fresh avocado and cherry tomatoes. No seriously, their ingredients are incredibly fresh and quite the opposite of the salads anywhere else on campus. Then again, you are paying cold hard cash. A delicious slice of foccacia is included, and don't worry about heavy dressing because this one is light and tangy! If you are incredibly hungry, you might be able to finish it, but I usually like sharing it with a friend. :)

Burger Week Comes to an End

BURGER ON A STICK!

Just in case you didn't know, last week was "Burger Week" in SF. Eater had a bracket for said event, and voters determined 4505 Meats as the winner. It was a bit of a surprise to me, not only because I tried the burger for the first time only a week prior, but also it wasn't the most amazing one I've ever had. Then again, I can't really place the best burger I've ever had. It definitely does what a burger is supposed to (be delicious), but it's a bit on the greasy side. I keep telling people that it's like a McDonald's burger that has been made with fresh ingredients. That's supposed to be compliment by the way. I'm pretty sure the bun is toasted with butter. Nonetheless, yes, it is good and greasy and really simple. Think Ron Swanson's burger from Parks and Rec, "It's a hamburger made out of meat on a bun with nothing. Add ketchup if you want I couldn't care less." To my knowledge, you can only get these at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market on Thursdays and Saturdays.

4505 Meats
Ferry Building Marketplace
One Ferry Building

Comstock Saloon: Meh

Pigs in Biscuits with Sauerkraut

So, I've been waiting to go to Comstock for the longest time. So much so that K.yo finally gave in and went with me before we saw YACHT at Bimbo's. The interior is really cute. I love the 20's/30's Prohibition feel, but Bourbon and Branch probably hits it better. Cocktails and food-wise, Comstock was a disappointment. The drinks weren't bad, but I've definitely had better at Thermidor, Bourbon, and Gather (all three offer similar prices if not cheaper actually). My other small complaint is that they were charging $10 for a shot of Johnnie Walker Black Label. You can buy an entire bottle for $30! SIGH.

I ordered the "Pig in a Biscuit," since I figured I wouldn't go back very often and might as well try some food. The description of this dish on the menu is completely off. Firstly, it isn't just one pig. It's 3 and even 4 if you "want to share" as the waiter said. Secondly, the pork is not crispy and is merely a sausage patty. Thirdly, it's freakishly oily and not even tasty for being so fatty. Oh, this dish also comes with sauerkraut, which may actually be tastier than the pigs.

If given the choice, I probably wouldn't go back unless I'm somehow stuck in North Beach.

Comstock Saloon
155 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco

Souley Vegan--Souley DELICIOUS

Southern Fried Tofu, Mac and Cheese, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Southern Fried Tofu, Potato Salad, Black Eye Peas

Portabella Mushroom Burger and Potato Salad

Portabella Mushroom Burger and Mustard Greens
(The stuff oozing out of the burger is the Tangy Spinach.)

Apple Cobbler

Let's be honest, when people hear "vegan," they don't think tasty. And, the combination of vegan and soul food sounds even more strange. Well Special K., Tob-asco, CS, EJ, and I were pleasantly surprised last Friday, when we decided to make a Souley Vegan, Beer Revolution, and Trappist pilgrimage. We were so hungry that we didn't even think of ordering the "everything" plate, but instead all got similar orders. Here's a breakdown of some of the offerings:

• Southern Fried Tofu: HOLY CRAP THIS STUFF ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE CHICKEN. I don't know how they managed to bread and fry the tofu in such fashion, but the fried-ness tastes similar to fried chicken. Advice: share this with a friend because you kind of feel like dying after eating one piece (in a semi-good way).

• Mac and Cheese: Everyone who I've asked about vegan cheese seems to have had bad experiences. Therefore, I was a little skeptical when I ordered it, but the yelp pictures looked fucking amazing. The cheese was surprisingly cheese-like, and the dish was well-seasoned. This was probably my favorite side dish of the night.

• Mashed Potatoes and Gravy/Potato Salad: Both were not bad, but not the most amazing things I've ever had. The mashed potatoes were very creamy with a tiny bit of spice, and the potato salad was exactly what you would expect.
  

• Black Eye Peas/Mustard Greens: Both were not mine, but there were no complaints about either. Actually, I remember the greens being noms, and they made us feel slightly less terrible about ourselves.

• Portabella Mushroom Burger: This thing was huge!! I didn't get to try some of the mushroom, but I did try the "tangy spinach" on top. Holy crap, be aware that these greens are spicy. Tob-asco called it "death spinach." It wasn't bad, just a kick in the face that we weren't expecting.

• Apple Cobbler: Wait for this to cool down, before you eat it! We all nearly burned our mouths. But, it was the perfect end to a soul food meal...the cobbler, not the burning.

Oh I almost forgot to mention, the music here is amazing! Nothing like some soul jams.

Souley Vegan
301 Broadway, Oakland

Quick Summary of Beer Revolution and the Trappist (for those who are curious):

Beer Revolution: A bit divey, but has an incredibly extensive beer selection. There are refrigerator cases filled with bottles, and they have blackboards filled with on-tap options. You can apparently bring food from Souley Vegan over to eat or there's also a Tamale guy that goes around offering people...tamales.

The Trappist: I almost want to say that the mood of the place is the complete opposite of Beer Revolution. It has a cute European pub feel, and there's a front bar and a back bar. Their selection is also quite extensive, but seems less so when compared to the Bevmo beer-ness of the previous place.

Beer Revolution
464 3rd Street, Oakland

The Trappist
460 8th Street, Oakland

Diner Food That's Actually Worth It

BLT

Grilled Cheese + Tomato

Sometimes simple, inexpensive meals are the best. On Saturday night, Tob-asco and I were feeling indecisive. We knew we wanted a drink, but we also knew that we had to eat something beforehand. To save money, we settled on Claremont Diner and The Graduate. Maybe it was the fact that we weren't expecting much from a diner, but the food at Claremont really surprised us. We decided to split the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwich and the BLT. Both came with salads that were actually salads, i.e. it wasn't just a bowl of lettuce; there was actually garbanzo beans, black beans, cucumbers, carrots, etc. The sandwiches were toasted to perfection (we're guessing in butter) and came with the most awesome fries and fresh fruit. The cheese was melted deliciousness and the bacon was crisp. Oh, the little things in life...

Claremont Diner
6200 Claremont Avenue, Oakland

Curry for Those in a Hurry...in the Financial District...Kind of

Was waiting in line for so long, I thought I might as well take a picture.

Don't worry, it comes with an entire container of curry!

It didn't occur to me until recently that not many people in the US know what Japanese Curry is. Then again I don't even know how it came into being. Curry does not originate from Japan and its existence in Japanese cuisine is due to western influences. Actually my mind was blown a few months ago when I found out that Katsu originates from Schnitzel. Well, both are pieces of meat that have been beat down, breaded, and fried. Those things aside, I was originally not that excited about the Japacurry food truck when I first heard about it. This was mostly due to the fact that I make it home quite often. However, I saw Kurobuta sasuage on the menu and knew that I had to check it out. I don't know what the Japanese do to their sausage, but they are quite extraordinary and definitely different from the American equivalent.

The easiest way to track the Japacurry truck is through their website. They list all of their locations for the following week on the main page. On a Wednesday, I followed them to 420 Howard. I waited in line for 25 minutes behind some videogame designers who were discussing blocking and weapons. Was the wait worth it? For the most part, but I realized that my foodie-ness might be getting out of hand. The spicy curry is actually spicy, which was a surprise because the Japanese usually don't do spicy. That being said, don't expect it to burn your mouth off. The sausage was alright, but nothing new, since I used to eat them in Japan all the time. If you have never had Japanese curry and are too lazy to make it at home, then this is definitely worth it. It's only $8 and is surprisingly filling. If you really get into it, then try making it at home cuz it's a cinch. At most grocery stores, you can find packages of Japanese curry. Upon opening, it looks like a chocolate bar. All you do is add water, veggies, meat (if that's your thing), and voila! There are also entirely from scratch recipes online.

Japacurry, San Francisco
http://www.japacurry.com/

Cream Gets Creamed

An Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich for Adults

Recently, my friends and I have been puzzled by how Cream, the place on Telegraph that used to be Beard Papa's, gets so much business. Answer: Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches for $1.50 (actually I heard it's changed to $2 GASP) . Questions to be asked: Why is it so cheap? And, what are college students eating these days?! Word has it (or the College Yelpers say) that Cream serves Double Rainbow Ice Cream and Otis Spunkmeyer Cookies. I'm not going to hate. I'm sure Double Rainbow is good, and I actually like good-ole Spunkmeyer on occasion. But do these kids realize they can make these at home for cheaper?! And, that they will not be as fat, overstuffed, and a mistake?! Go on yelp and look at the pictures! It is a sight to be seen!

Anyways, rage put aside. Tob-asco and I bought our own cookies and ice cream a few weeks ago and made said sandwiches. It was fantastic, and even just buying Andronico's cookies and Ben and Jerry's ice cream is a better deal. However, I decided to up the ante. I baked my own chocolate chip cookies and added some scotch to the ice cream to give it a kick. For the cookies, I turned to Smitten's "Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies" recipe:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/03/crispy-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/

I baked cookies that were medium size vs. her suggestions of large or small. However, the cooking time was about 15-17 minutes (same as the large cookies). Just a heads up, I ended up baking about 3 dozen with that recipe. :S For the ice cream, I bought Ben and Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie. I just scooped some ice cream into a bowl, poured a smidgen of scotch, and mixed. Throw the ice cream in between two cookies and voila, ICE CREAM COOKIE SANDWICH!

P.S. These sandwiches were made in celebration of getting into Grad School...just in case people were worried about my health.

Homeroom: A+

Beer Float (Oh yes, that is a mason jar.)

Spicy Mac
(Okay, it looks like they just sprinkled the pepper flakes that come in the little glass containers next to the parmesan at pizza joints, but it is not!)

Ever since Eat Real, Special K. and I have been awaiting Homeroom's opening. It has taken them forever, but they have finally set up shop in a somewhat random location (i.e. not that convenient if you do not have a car and not really near anything else). We got there at 5pm, which sounds incredibly crazy, but believe me this place gets packed quickly! There were already people when we arrived, and the place filled up in about half an hour...it was Friday though. Special K. and I decided to order our favorite from Eat Real, the Spicy Mac. However, we made the request of potatoes chips on top, which usually only come with the Trailer Mac. Tob-asco opted for the Vermont White Cheddar. The mac was as good as ever. Portions are just right for the extremely hungry diner (you will be full). Or just wrap half of it home and grab some dessert. I ordered a Beer Float made with Old Rasputin Stout and Three Twins Vanilla Ice Cream. It was certainly interesting. If you are a huge fan of Stout and Ice Cream, I would say give it a try or share it with a friend. It is definitely different. They also have huge Homemade Oreos that look delicious. Tob-asco and I were kicking ourselves for not buying one and taking it home. Oh, and if you want to be healthy, they offer veggie sides! Towards the end of the meal, the owner came out to ask for some feedback. Apparently, they are looking into changing the menu by offering add-ons. Perhaps, they'll go the Grub route and just have a make-your-own-mac option?

Then comes the question, which one is better, Grub or Homeroom? That is difficult to answer, since I am in love with the fries, lobster, and truffle oil at Grub. However, Homeroom knows how to choose their cheese and season their mac. These two mac hubs have very different atmospheres as well. Grub has a more swanky, bourgie feel. Homeroom, as you can tell by its name, is a bit more fun. They have paper-airplane-making directions on their menus! Basically Grub is mac for grownups, while Homeroom is your childhood dream come true. If you are trying to decide which to try, I would suggest checking out the menus first.

Homeroom
400 40th St (b/w Shafter Ave & Webster St)
Oakland

For those who want to take BART, it is about a 15-minute walk from Macarthur, but I am not sure about the safety or shadiness of the area.

Gather Up Kids!

Pork Belly

Pizza

After months of getting cocktails at Gather, K.yo and I finally gave their food a try. Amazingly enough, this was also on Temescal Pilgrimage day. The past year has been pretty awesome for Gather's head chef, Sean Baker. He was named "Chef of the Year" by Esquire and was recently nominated for the James Beard's Rising Star Award. I was actually surprised that the Chronicle did not include him in their "Rising Star Chefs 2011" article, but I am going to assume that they considered him a rising chef last year. I was also surprised that Danny Bowien made the list, since Mission Chinese did not totally amaze Bauer. ANYWAYS, K.yo and I began with the Pork Belly starter, which was served with Tofu Skin, Soft Boiled Egg, Panelle, and Pardina Lentil Vinaigrette. Unique and delicious, it was one of the best starters I have ever head. The flavor of the various items complimented each other well. Baker definitely knows what he is doing. His pizza is equally amazing. He changes it up quite a bit, so the one we ordered is not on the current online menu. I cannot remember the entire description, but it contained a smoky cheese and potatoes. The smokiness gave the illusion of meat, which was perfect for K.yo and I. The crust is thin, crisp, and just right. Baker is incredibly innovative and definitely deserves the Beard award!

Gather
2200 Oxford Street (@ Allston)
Berkeley

Temescal Pilgrimage

Gibraltar + Donut

Fried Chicken Sandwich

Last week, I had a chance to head to the Temescal area because I had to go to the DMV. Well no trip is complete without food involved; especially in this area! First I headed to Pizzaiolo for breakfast. They have the most amazing homemade sugar donuts. They're all different shapes and sizes, which makes you feel like they're actually made by a human-being. Also, they serve Blue Bottle Coffee, which is always a plus.

After finishing up things at the DMV, it was already lunch time, so I (naturally) headed to Bakesale Betty. Advice if you go around 11:30am, there is absolutely no line! Noon and after is a different story though. The sandwich was delicious as always. The chicken was fried-amaziness, and the slaw was nice and tangy.

I'm glad I don't live over here because my health would seriously be in danger.

Pizzaiolo
5008 Telegraph Avenue (Near 51st)
Oakland

Bakesale Betty
5098 Telegraph Avenue (@ 51st)
Oakland

Dark Indeed...

"...veiled in mist and darkness..."
(Sorry too much Kafka today)

Reunited at last!

The Hitachino Espresso Stout is aptly named and tells no lies. As the label touts, a "Japanese Dark Ale Brewed with Coffee Beans," this little guy is a must try for Hitachino and Stout enthusiasts. It's quite chocolately in taste with hints of espresso and not very hoppy, but that's about all I can say, since I'm not a beer connoisseur. Took me a while to track it down, but I finally got mine at Berkeley Bowl. Whole Foods might also be a good place to look. Happy Drinking, Mates!

Off the Grid: Civic Center Edition

Korean Taco

Braised Pork Bao (Steamed)

Recently, a Chronicle reader emailed Michael Bauer with a list on "How to tell if a restaurant is pretentious." Although the list has some good points, there are few that really make the reader himself sound pretentious. Of course, one of his points involves food trucks:

3) If the restaurant has four wheels and does not serve hot dogs or tacos. Or if the restaurant is a “pop-up”, period.

Yes, it does get annoying having to chase down food trucks or stands, and sometimes I, too, am disappointed. But hating on all trucks is a tad drastic. Anyways, that was my small spiel. Off the Grid basically involves food truck pop-ups in various areas of San Francisco. On Fridays they're usually at Civic Center (until Fort Mason opens again). You can check their twitter for links to which trucks are actually there on a specific date (they change week-to-week sometimes). Last Friday, I was able to try Seoul on Wheels and give Chairman Bao another go. My actual objective was to hit Japacurry, but they were sold out! The taco at Seoul on Wheels was fantastic. The Bulgogi was very flavourful and went surprisingly well with the tortilla. This time I tried the Braised Pork with Savoy Cabbage and Preserved Mustard Seeds at Chairman. This bao is a definitely more fusion-y. The creamy pulled pork-ness was interesting, but sent less Chinese vibes than the other baos.

http://offthegridsf.com/

Off the Grid: Civic Center
(Literally right in front of Civic Center)
11:30-2:30 on Fridays for now, but will probably move back to Thursdays

Chicken n' Waffles at Long Last!

I have heard many wonderful things about the combination of Fried Chicken and Waffles, but I did not have the opportunity to experience such wonders until a couple weeks ago. Flashback: Fan Fest at the Ballpark. Pandemonium. Not in a good Panda (Sandoval) or baby panda way either. After waiting in line for god knows how long, K.yo and I decided to treat ourselves to some Little Skillet. This place literally operates out of a hole on Ritch street, but is totally legit. You'll probably see people perched outside noming on the goods. The chicken was moist, flavourful, and delicious. Like KFC but BETTER. The waffle was just alright. I'm into crunchier ones, and this one was a little soggy. Syrup was a tad too sweet too. Next time, I might just get fried chicken. Thing to know: They only operate for lunch.

360 Ritch Street
San Francisco
(Tip: Google Maps it unless you're really familiar with the area. Ritch is a tiny street)

Happy Valentine's Day...

Oh yes, it's that time of year again...when hearts, red, and pink, throw up everywhere. (As is the case with my own apartment.) So, Special K and I decided to throw an (Anti) Valentine's Day Tea Party. My contribution will be Strawberry Cupcakes. I usually try to make things from scratch, but the strawberry cake this time is admittedly from a box. It's been a stressful few weeks, and it was on sale for 89 cents at Safeway. Also, let's not hate on the convenience and deliciousness of boxed anything! Anyways, the strawberry frosting IS made from scratch. The recipe came from Martha Stewart's website, but she actually stole it from Sprinkles'. One thing I did change was the amount of confectioners' sugar and strawberry puree. I only used 3 cups of sugar because I ran out, but you honestly don't need that much sugar. The frosting is way sweet. So sweet, in fact, I kept adding more strawberry puree to balance it out. I think I may have doubled the amount, which ended up being too much. My suggestion would be to keep taste-testing the frosting and add puree until it tastes good but isn't too mushy. Here's a link to the recipe:

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/candace-nelson-strawberry-frosting

Cheers and Happy Valentine's or Anti-Valentine's Day to you!

When You Are Feeling Blue, Go to Ippuku

...as Tob-asco and I did...

Dungeness Crab Croquettes

Quail Eggs

Bacon Wrapped Mochi (and a Glass of Awamori)

Berkeley Goes Foodie

Within the past year, a slew of new restaurants have opened in Berkeley. And, I'm not talking about the ice cream cookie sandwich place that opened in Beard Papa's old storefront, which by the way is possibly cursed because it seems like no business ever does well there. Anyways, Berkeley is getting more and more foodie. Last month I was able to visit/re-visit a few places: Summer Kitchen, Slow, and PIQ.

Summer Kitchen:
Cute, Casual, Family Owned, and all Local, Summer Kitchen is a nice addition to College. Whether you want picnic fare, a boxed lunch or to dine in, they've got it all. Not to mention Blue Bottle. I ordered Pork Sugo and Polenta (which according to the website was actually taken off the menu recently), a Mint Mojito Lemonade, and a Coconut Cream Cupcake. The pork was tender and the polenta was creamy and delicious. Lemonade definitely refreshing, and the cupcake was one of the tastiest I've had (no surprise, since one of the owners used to be a pastry chef at Chez Panisse). If you're up on College, give this place a try, but know that they close at 8pm.

Slow:
I've been wanting to try lunch at Slow for a while now, since the prices are a bit more reasonable than dinner. I finally got to it a couple weeks ago. Slow is yet another all local produce place and is probably named after the Slow Food Movement that began in the '80's by Carlo Petrini (something I learned in Italian class ;)). I ordered a Pulled Pork Sandwich with an Orzo Salad. The sandwich was pretty tasty, but I really prefer pulled pork with bbq sauce. The Orzo Salad was interesting...a bit too fusion-y for my taste. The dressing was made with orange, fennel, and soy beans. To be honest I wasn't too impressed with lunch. I prefer dinner, but the price and portion are another story.

PIQ:
This place first came under my radar as "The place with Ipads". Must've been some kind of publicity stunt, but I'm not quite sure if it worked. Yes, they do have Ipads. Rumor has it, one of the owners has an in and probably got some promotional/test models. Anyways, this place is supposedly tailored after Italian bistros. It actually is quite cute, and the pizzas, pastries, and paninis all look fresh and delicious. K.yo ordered a Prosciutto and Arugula Panini and I ordered something almost exactly the same except it was a Thin French Olive Loaf with Prosciutto. Sorry, I don't have the actual names of the dishes. The menu isn't online. Mine was pretty delicious and definitely worth it at $3.50. However, it was more like a snack than actual dinner, which is one of the complaints I've heard about this place. Even still, the place is pretty cute, so if you're looking for a quick snack/coffee place, check it out. (I haven't tried the coffee, so I'm not actually going to vouch for that yet.)

Summer Kitchen
2944 College Avenue
(Next to Ici)

Slow
1966 University Avenue
(A little past Milvia)

PIQ
91 Shattuck Square
(It's in that awkward median where Shattuck splits.)

Birthday = Foodday

One really must treat oneself on a birthday. I think that's a rule or maybe not. Nonetheless, I started out my own with some delicious Japanese food from Kirala 2. I also discovered that if you purchase more than $10 worth of food, you get a day-old item for free! Beef Donburi, California Rolls, and Kara-age made an amazing lunch that day...and leftovers for the next. For the evening, I arranged an outing with the gang to Show Dogs and Thermidor.

First up, Show Dogs:
Part of me really wishes this were in a better location. It's kind of in a random spot on Market, nestled near the Warfield, and smack in between Powell and Civic Center Bart Stations. However, Show Dogs met my expectations. A lot more casual than Foreign Cinema, Gayle Pirie and John Clark's second venture lives up to its name or breeding so to say. The food was fresh and the beer selection was impressive. The only complaint would be that various items were sold out, but this may be due to it being close to the end of the night. For some reason I had my heart set on fried chicken that day, so I didn't actually order what the place is supposed to be known for: sausages. That being said the chicken was good and the mashed potatoes were creamy and flavourful. Everyone else, however, gave the dogs a try. Dogs digested: the House Maple Bacon Pork, the House Chicken Curry, and Field Roast Vegetarian Sausage. And since we were feeling extra awesome, we ordered BBQ Fries AND Onion Rings. All good with no complaints. GET THE BBQ FRIES.

Next up, Thermidor:
After we were filled, we ventured to Thermidor in Mint Plaza for drinks. Yes, be ready for bourge. However, the cocktails were quite amazing (although I've decided that I'll never get an actual English Pimm's in America). The bartender was extremely nice and not only gave me a free shot of Laphroaig, but also kept refilling Special K's glass with wine after we figured out that the price was not the one listed. And as a snack, we ordered chips with caviar. Delicously bourge. I would suggest going here for drinks (especially at happy hour) and maybe getting a small snack.

Kirala 2
1511 Shattuck Ave. (b/w Cedar St & Vine St. It's in Epicurious Garden.)
Berkeley

Show Dogs
1020 Market Street (on the corner near the Warfield)
San Francisco

Thermidor
8 Mint Plaza (From Market walk down Fifth St. The plaza is across from the mall.)
San Francisco