Seoul Gom tang

3028 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95051

Occasion: After class grubbing in Santa Clara! 04.11.12

Chadolbagi Gomtang

Way too bland. Maybe on a Sunday afternoon when I'm hungover, but not something for dinner, especially when I'm starving. It was way too bland. I rarely ever complain that things are too bland, so when I do...that's kind of a problem. Sigh.

Kalbi 

Though the soup was disappointing the kalbi was pretty good. I'm not big on meat, but it was super flavorful!  It's hard to go wrong with this dish.  It's all about the seasoning.

Follow me on Instagram for more food pics:

Benkyodo

1747 Buchanan St
San Francisco, CA 94115

Occasion:  Sweet delivery! Perfect Afternoon snack!

Peanut butter mochi

So freaking good.  I never thought I'd enjoy it, but I'm so glad I tried one because they're delicious.  Yes, it will get a little dry and sticky in your mouth.  Nothing that some milk or water can't wash down.  It might not sound that great, but it you should definitely give it a try.  I like peanut butter sandwiches, but not so much peanut butter flavored anything else...so I was surprised to fall in love with them.  The mochi is so fresh and chewy and the peanut butter is so tasty and creamy!

Food for comfort

Banh Canh 

Tapioca noodles with homemade fishcakes, homemade meatballs with chopped onions and cilantro

This is one of my favorite comfort foods. The broth is so homey and soothing, especially on a cold or gloomy day.  It's not too heavy for a first meal and it's not too bland or boring.  So freaking delicious.  I have to put this on my learn how to make list.

Schroeder's

240 Front St
San Francisco, CA 94111

Occasion: Friday night dinner. 04.06.12

Very social atmosphere.  Bar and restaurant together, but more like a bar than anything.

Large Party Sausage Platter

Variety of cocktail size Sausages with Kassler Ripchen (Smoked Pork Chops), Potato Pancakes, Herring, pickles, head cheese, Sauerkraut, Red Cabbage 

Just an appetizer, not a real meal. I was still hungry afterwards, so make sure you order an actual entree.

German Beer Dark: Spaten Dunkel

El Burrito Express 2

1812 Divisadero St
San Francisco, CA 94115

Occasion: Lunch 04.05.12

Carnitas plate 

Haven't been my favorite cuisine for many years, but every time I see my coworker, Hana, chowing down on this dish at lunch...she makes it look so good that I wanted to try it.  It was so good.  During lunch, I was only able to finish half of this plate.  It's huge.  The carnitas are super delicious and I would totally get this again.

Orenchi Ramen

3540 Homestead Rd
Santa Clara, CA 95051

Occasion: Dinner after the first day of class in Santa Clara.  Since we're in the area...why not.  The wait wasn't too bad either. 04.04.12

Chicken Karage 

One of the best chicken karage I've ever gotten.  Tender meat and perfectly fried skin.  I love putting it in my ramen and soaking up some broth.

Orenchi Ramen 

Broth that's cooked for 18 hours. Springy thick noodles.  Half cooked egg. I finished more than I thought I would. Love.

Brenda's French Soul Food

652 Polk St
San Francisco, CA 94102

Occasion: Saturday brunch. 03.31.12

I've been here on numerous occasions and have enjoyed the food here every time.  I don't think I've had anything that I don't like here, just some more than others.

Sweet potato pancakes 

Moist, fluffy and DELICIOUS!  It was a special of the day and am so glad we got this!

Pulled pork Benedict with grits

A hearty dish. Glad that I shared this because it was rich!  Instead of your typical english muffin, they use biscuits here.  Pulled pork was flavorful and went really well with the poached egg.  Their grits were buttery goodness and is even better with shrimp and cheese on top (they have that on the menu).

Skool

1725 Alameda St
San Francisco, CA 94103

Occasion: Catch up dinner with Fanny.  She's been hardcore studying for her CFA (I could be wrong with the exact term) and has finally taken the test, so she's now more free to eat and play.  Delicious food with great company!  Loved the theme of the whole place. Skool like a school of fish. Also, their menus consisted of lined binder paper on a clipboard with a pencil on top, like school.  Creative. 03.29.12

Uni Flan

Light Sea Urchin Flan topped with Ikura, Fresh Uni and Fleur de Sel

Served as a cold appetizer. Silky and smooth and best served over a piece of toasted baguette.  Not as rich in flavor as I had imagined it to be, but still flavorful.

Ama Ebi and Scallop Crudo

Shrimp and Scallop with cream dill mustard sauce and curry oil

Amazing!  It came with fried shrimp heads which were crispy and somewhat flavorless.  The shrimp and scallop were so fresh that they were melt in your mouth buttery soft.  The fennel added a refreshing nature like taste to the dish, which I enjoyed very much.  It was a well thought out dish.

Chef's Red Crab Risotto 

Rich Risotto with Red Crab meat topped with pan seared nightly fish filet

I like risotto especially if it's made right.  Oh they know how to make their risottos here I tell ya.   It's not too mushy nor is it too hard.  It was absolutely perfect, rich and flavorful.  The pan seared fish filet was an excellent pair with the crab chunks in the risotto.  I loved the tomato chunks topped to the dish.  It was a great dish that we both enjoyed.

Squid Ink Spaghettina

Monterey squid, shrimp, garlic tomato compote, red curry, lemon grass dashi broth, seaweed butter, enoki mushrooms, shiso

My favorite dish of the night! They knew we were sharing and the kitchen was nice enough to split it into two bowls for us.  Even with the split portions it was still a generous amount.  I totally did not expect it to be in a soup is form, but I absolutely loved the flavors, despite the hint of spiciness in the broth.  The squid ink pastas were nice and springy and I loved the seafood that it came with.  I definitely would love to come back and have this all to myself. Yummy!

Misore Age

Fried Japanese eggplant, snow shaved daikon radish

Delicious! Soft and flavorful.  If you like eggplant, this is a must!

Cardamom Chocolate Cake 

Flourless Guittard Chocolate cake with cardamom spice topped with orange confit, orange sauce and sugar tulle

It has a dense texture almost like the insides of truffle candy, where as I was expecting a light fluffy chocolate cake filled with oozing goodness. At first bite, I thought it was good, then all the flavors hit my taste buds and I didn't think so anymore.  I tried another bite to test it out and it was still not that pleasing to my palate

Sweet Things

3585 California St
San Francisco, CA 94118

Occasion: I got this dessert to celebrate the occasion; which was my bff getting matched up to one of her top Pharmacy residency programs.  Little bakery located inside a supermarket.  It's nothing too fancy, but they get their bakery goods from their main bakery across the golden gate bridge.  The cakes and sweets there are super cute and delicious. 03.23.12 

 Red Velvet Cake

Delicious.  I had it for lunch and was so good, that I had to get it for this occasion.  Moist cake, and perfect frosting that wasn't overly sweet.

Park Tavern

1652 Stockton St
San Francisco, CA 94133

Occasion: Dinner date night before a big event.  I've been wanting to give this place a try! Too bad it was raining cats and dogs and I had crazy allergies that day.  I think when you're body is feeling down, it's hard to fully be able to enjoy the food.  I had itchy nose and throat with post nasal drip and uncontrollable sneezing.  You try to enjoy a meal when you're feeling miserable.  It's hard, but still grateful. 03.24.12 

Mclaren 

Hendrick's gin, cucumber juice, lemon, ginger beer

With the amount of sneezing and blowing my nose, I needed some kind of alcohol in my system to easy the misery of it all.  I wanted something refreshing and the waitress recommended this.  It was a little bit too citrusy and sour for my liking, but I did enjoy the hint of cucumber flavor in it.  Definitely added a refreshing feel to the drink.  Oh and ginger beer, one of my favorites.

Brussel sprout chips

I've had them before at Marlowe, and based on the menu, I knew these two restaurants had to be related.  I was excited to have these again.  Perhaps it was my taste buds, but I thought it was too salty for my liking, though it was very much enjoyed by my date.

Deviled eggs

with bacon, pickled jalepenos and chives

I could tell that it wasn't freshly made as soon as I bit into it.  I've made enough of these things to be able to tell what's fresh and what's not, so that was a little disappointing.  It was too cold to bite into, I would have liked it more if it was put out for a little bit longer before serving us.  Bacon bit and the chives added a nice flavor, but still not up to par for me. Sorry, it just didn't do for me.

Dungeness crab and Maine lobster bisque

with crisp puff pastry and bronze fennel fronds

Besides the fact that there were remains of crab shell in the bisque, I enjoyed this dish a lot!  Lobster bisque with chunks of dungeness crab meat. I can't say no.  I loved the puff pastry stick it came with, as I dipped it into the soup. Flaky and salty.

Wild Alaskan Halibut, English peas, fiddlehead ferms, crushed potatoes and savory clam parsley broth

With my allergies acting up, I knew I wanted something more simple and comforting.  Our waitress informed us that this was new on the menu.  The halibut was poached and was velvety soft.   Healthy and not too greasy or heavy.  Loved the clams that added flavor to the dish.

 Grilled Pork chop with sauteed baby turnips, caramelized apples, Nueske's bacon and mustard jus

Big generous portion with tender and juicy meat.

Sushi Bistro

431 Balboa St
San Francisco, CA 94118

Occasion:  Surprise dinner for the bff in celebration for her getting matched to one of her top three residency program.  03.23.12

Definitely not my first time here, but always a great time.  Not your typical authentic Japanese sushi rolls.  There is a fusion twist to some of these rolls that I enjoy a lot.

Hawaiian Breeze

One of my all time favorites as it not only have great flavors, but also textures. The tangy mango chunks with crunchy cucumbers and macadamia nuts combined the pesto flavor and the fresh tuna is perfection in my mouth.  A roll that I almost always have to get!

C2 Roll

Butterfish Blasters

Another favorite of mine.  The sauce has a delicious garlic flavor that any garlic lover will enjoy.  It's a great appetizer.

Spider Roll

Rainbow row

Caterpillar Roll

Pork Store Cafe

1451 Haight St
San Francisco, CA 9411

Occasion: Saturday brunch with my boo thang! 03.17.12

On a mission to try a different brunch spot, I remembered my coworker talking about this place in the Haight.  Decided to give this place a try and the boo loved it.  My least favorite part was the fact that my clothes ended smelling like food the whole day.  Perhaps it was because we sat at the counter right near the grill.  Either way, we both enjoyed our morning brunch here before we hit the malls for some shopping.

Country fried steak

with scrambled eggs, biscuits and grits

For him. Grits were not what I expected.  The first time I had grits was at Brendas, where they mix in cheesy goodness. Not here though.  Pretty bland and plain.  I've decided, that perhaps I'm not that big of a fan for grits.  He loved the country fried streak a lot.

Chile Piquin Pork Sausage

spicy sausage prepared with parsley, garlic, green onions served with sunny side up eggs, hash and toast

Loved the sausage, though it was on the spicy side.  I think the added parsley made a big difference. The boo loved it.  Nothing special about the hash or the toast.

French Toast

Fluffy toast.  Not house made, but it was decent.  Wish we had gotten it with fresh fruits!

Dottie's True Blue Cafe

28 6th St
San Francisco, CA 94103

Occasion: Birthday brunch with my dad and sister. 03.10.12

Ridiculous! We waited about two hours to get seated, which is seriously absurd.  They had a super slow turnover rate and their staff were working on super slow snail mode.  We waited from 11:40am to about 1:30pm.  It really isn't that great of a brunch place to wait that long.  And the wait could have been shorter if their workers were more efficient.  I've never seen such a lazy group of workers serve breakfast/lunch.  Don't get me wrong they were nice...just not very efficient, which is frustrating!

Zuchinni Hash with poached eggs and potatoes

This was probably my favorite dish of the bunch.  Zucchini+ hash + runny poached eggs topped with some kind of a marinara sauce= delicious.

French Toast

topped with pecan

It was just mediocre.  I've definitely had better,  but I guess it was a great way to end the meal with something a little sweet.

Smoked Whiskey-Fennel Sausage, Mushroom and Baby Spinach Scramble

with grilled chili-cheddar corn bread and home fries

I usually like veggie scrambles, but the sausage definitely adds a great touch to it.  Loved it.  They're pretty known for their chili cheddar corn bread, which is just the way I last remember it.  Yum.

Kokkari Estiatorio

200 Jackson St
San Francisco, CA 94111

Occasion: Jenn's going away dinner. 03.14.12

I've been here once before, but ordered fish and don't really remember much of it.  This was a whole different experience and dishes were shared family style.  Definitely a better experience.  One of my new favorite restaurants at the moment. So good.

Dolmathes 

grape leaves stuffed with rice, dill & mint

I've only really had it at two other restaurant, both with which I thought only tasted okay.  I find this dish a little too tart for my liking, but not here.  It's not as tart and more flavorful.  The leaves are really soft and not stiff at all. 

Tiropitakia - traditional feta cheese filo pies

I absolutely loved that it was perfectly flaky stuffed with delicious feta cheese. Something so simple, yet so good! It was one of the favorites of the night.

Kolokithokeftethes - crispy zucchini cakes with cucumber & mint-yogurt dressing

My sister says it's a must get here.  It's moist, filled with generous amounts of grated zucchini that went perfectly well with the mint yogurt dressing. Favorite!

Zucchini cakes up close lathered with some dill on top

Saghanaki - pan fried Kefalotiri cheese with lemon and oregano

So freaking delicious! I love the added touches of acidity of the lemon juice sprinkled on top.  Crispy outside with gooey stretchy cheesy insides. I loved it!

Dark and stormy

Always my drink of choice. Second best place that serves this.  My favorite is from 25 Lusk

Octapodaki tou Yiorgou- grilled octopus with lemon, oregano and olive oil

Another great appetizer. Loved the flavor and the texture of the octopus. Lemon, olive oil and oregano makes it so fresh and tasty.

Aginares Souvlaki - grilled artichokes and eggplant skewer with Greek yogurt

Love artichokes, love eggplants. Grilling them on a skewer is definitely a plus.  The greek yogurt definitely adds the finishing touches to the dish. It's nothing extraordinary or spectacular, but it pleased the palate.

Soutzoukakia - grilled lamb meatballs with spiced tomato sauce & Greek yogurt

 Delicious lamb meetballs with a hint of spice in their tomato sauce.  I'm used to having beef meetballs or in some asian cuisine, pork meetballs.  Lamb was not any different nor was it gamey at all. Scrumptious.

So good with the yogurt

Ortikia - feta stuffed grilled quail with spanakorizo & bacon

Arnisia Paidakia -  lamb chops grilled with a lemon-oregano vinaigrette & Kokkari potatoes

So freaking delicious. Probably one of the best lamb chops I've had (I haven't had many).  Seasoned perfectly to my liking, tender meat and absolutely flavorful.

Moussaka - traditional casserole of spiced lamb, eggplant, potato & yogurt béchamel

Yummy and cheesy goodness.  Tender lamb meat with chunks of eggplant and potato.

Baklava - traditional walnut & honey baklava with vanilla-praline ice cream

Rizogalo - arborio rice pudding with roasted pear

Yiaourti me Meli - Greek yogurt with spiced walnuts & dates drizzled with Marshall's honey

Simple, but my favorite dessert of the bunch.

 

Galaktoboureko - semolina custard in filo with blood orange spoon sweet & crème fraîche ice cream 

Flaky wrap filled with delicious custard.