Out the Door

Occasion: Lunch on a Monday after an exhausting weekend. 10.03.11

Chicken porridge

Just what we needed on a gloomy Monday. It's not as authentic as I'd like for it to be and it's not as "qing". Definitely a lot more oily and msg in there, but it was tasty and soothing going down my throat. It's featured in SF BIG EATS as #56. Chicken Porridge @ Out the Door.

Izakaya Sozai

1500 Irving St
San Francisco, CA 94122

Occasion: Quadruple date! Out for some good food! March 26, 2011

Ramen

As featured on the 7x7 List

Il Cane Rosso

One Ferry Building
San Francisco, CA 94111

Occasion: Grabbing a late lunch at the Ferry Building with Diana. 3.12.11

 

Warm Egg Salad Sandwich

Late lunch @ the ferry building.  It was an open faced sanwiched with the warm egg salad placed on top.  The bread  seemed to be a focaccia bread, which is thicker than your usual sandiwch bread.  Loved the cheese melted on top, which definitely made the sandwich taste that much better.

Tartine Bakery

600 Guerrero St
San Francisco, CA 94110

Occasion: Grabbing snacks after breakfast at Mission Beach Cafe. 03.09.11

Morning Bun

Reminded me of one of those sugar coated donuts.  The bun was fluffy and sweet with a hint of an orange zesty taste.  I did further research to see what else was in this morning bun.
Also on the SF BIG EATS 2010 and 2011 #7, #8 Morning Bun from Tartine. So glad I finally made it in before they were sold out.

 

Found it! See the little specs of orange peel! Different and delicious!

4505 Meats

1 Ferry Building
San Francisco, CA 94111

Occasion: Saturday Farmer's Market after Lyon's Street Stairs!

Chicharrones

Never tasted pork rinds better than these.  They are better than those deep fried shrimp chips you get at Chinese restaurants.  These seriously melt in your mouth instantly.  So full of flavor and so good. They were addicting because once you pop one in your mouth, you just can't stop. What a great little snack to have. Also on the SF BIG EATS SF 2010 # 58 Chicharrones from 4505 Meats.

San Tung

1031 Irving Street

San Francisco, CA

Occasion: After a long weekend (Saturday morning workout, cooking/ preparing for AK's surprise bday and napa, surprise bday get together for AK, night time festivities at Rosewood, Sunday morning drive to Napa, superbowl sunday in San Leandro), I had dinner with my sister and my dad. 02.06.11

Dumplings

A little appetizer to start our meal off.  I love dipping it with some vinegar. Yummos.  Nothing to be crazy wowed about maybe because I grew up eating these.  It's good don't get me wrong, but there were other items on their menu to rave about.

String beans with chicken

You always got to get some fiber in your system.  I wish we had ordered just straight string beans.  It was very filling especially with the chicken mixed in.  I think string beans is always a must here.  I mean c'mon now, who doesn't like string beans?

 Black bean sauce noodles

also known as Ja Jang Mien.  Love love love it here.  It's just a tad bit spicy, but their sweet and savory sauce is amazing mixed with noodles.  It's one of my favorite things to order here.  I think it's safe to go with this dish, of course unless you don't like noodles or a bowl of goodness.  We were all very satisfied with this.

Dried fried chicken wings

It never fails me.  It's the fried, glazed sweetness of the chicken wings that I just can't seem to get too much of.  I don't eat it often, but when I do, it's definitely a big treat.  There's just something about the way san tung makes it that sets it aside from all the other copy cats and wannabes out there.  It's absolutely delicious.  If I wasn't so full, I would have eaten a lot more.  Oh and it's on the SF BIG EATS 2010: #36. Dry-fried chicken wings at San Tung.

NOPA

560 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, CA 94117


Occasion: Catchup and foodie session with the big bro and the bestest=] 1.18.11

Our drinks for the night

I usually limit my alcohol consumption, actually I usually don't order anything especially if I'm driving, but I made an exception due to good company and because it's on the THE SF BIG EATS 2010 LIST #44. One of Neyah White’s shrubs at Nopa.  

From left to right: Fino Noir (mine), i think my big bro ordered the Sazerac (something strong...that's all I remembered), Fino Blanc (Jenny's)

Definitely something different with a twist.  Not exactly my cup of.... preference, but I'm glad I get to say I tried it.  It's pretty fancy looking for a cocktail.  I thought it was pretty strong with a tad bit of a citrus splash to it.

Nopa's complimentary tasting of yogurt crostini with mandarin oranges

It was a delightful little treat.  Sweet tangy mandarin oranges balanced out with a savory yogurt. Yummos!

Fried Brussels sprouts

with meyer lemon and mezzo secco

I am all about brussels sprouts. Don't know how people can not like it.  It was very good and flavorful as the flavor of the lemon juice and the mezzo secco cheese complemented the brussel sprouts very well.  The mezzo secco was graded and was pretty dry, which I'm usually not too fond of, but I did not mind it at all.  It had a little peppery flavor to it...very different and enjoyable.

Grass fed hamburger

with pickled onions and french fries with added gruyere cheese

I'm not a burger type of girl.  Rarely do I ever go to a restaurant to order a burger, but I just had to since the burger is considered to be #3 on the  7x7 list of best tasting burger in SF. It is the best burger I have had in San Francisco (please also note, that it is my second gourmet burger  I have had in SF).  We asked for the meat to be cooked medium which was perfect.  The meat was juicy and so good with the gruyere cheese.  Not everyone likes cheese or even gruyere cheese, but I loved it.  Picked onions added a sweet but tart taste to the burger and definitely made it that much better.  Some bites I'd eat the burger the way it was came and some bites I'd add the aioli sauce.  Personally, the aioli sauce was better used as a dipping sauce for the french fries (mMmm).

Grilled country pork chop

with cured lentils, chantenay carrots and golden raisins

I usually don't like ordering pork chops, but again I was convinced to try this because it is supposedly that good that it's worth for me to break out of my norm and give it a shot.  I am so glad I did.  The meat was lean, juicy and flavorful.  Yes it did remind me of Chinese roast pork, but at the same time it differed in so many ways too.  I imagined it to be a slab of pork chop with a t bone in it, but it wan'ts and it was huge in serving size.  The chantenay carrots were also very tasty.  I liked it because it wasn't too soft. Overall, I would definitely recommend getting this and giving it a try.

Beretta

1199 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

Occasion: Belated Bday dinner/ catch up session with my college roomie=] 1.06.11 Also got to use my secret santa gift certificate here!

Nuestra Paloma

Tequila, elderflower, cointreau, grapefruit and bitters

Definitely what I needed after a long day of work while I was waiting for the roomie.  I picked this drink 1) because it has my coworker Paloma's name in it and 2) because it's on the 2010 Big Eat SF list of things to try it's #56. Nuestra Paloma at Beretta.  Don't let the colors of the girly looking drinking fool you, that tequila can keep you buzzin.  I don't think I truly know how to enjoy cocktails or alcohols.... I usually drink socially just to loosen up and mingle with friends, so it's hard for me to judge how great this drink is...but by the looks of the bar, it seemed like it was a good place to go to for drinks.  Plus, the barista looked so professional and artistic making the drinks.  Story time...I was waiting for my room mate to come and was watching the barista concoct a few drinks...first time he came by me and asked if I wanted a drink...I replied not yet maybe later, the after he had watched me watch him make his next drink he came back over again and asked me, "Do you want a drink now?" And so that is how he convinced me to get a drink.

Eggplant caponatina with burrata
The burrata was so soft and delicious. I love mozzarella, but burrata's even better...so it was a plus that we got it added to the eggplants, which were pretty good in my opinion.  The plate compiled of a few other different vegetables that made it seem like one of our healthier dishes.  I think anything with tomatoes are very refreshing.  It almost reminded me of a caprese salad...ALMOST.  I enjoyed it!!

Zucchini parmigiana with scamorza & basil
It was lathered with a tomato based sauce and was delicious. The two appetizers were sooo good, I would have to say it was better than our main entrees.  I just love zucchini so you can't really go wrong.  I was really happy with this dish.

Vegetarian Pizza 
with spicy marinara sauce, pepperoncini, olives with burrata added to it
The burrata made it tastes so much better. Alison and I had actually seen the table next to us with the same pizza and decided to order it as well.  Since we were going to order something with meat, we figured that it would be nice to have a vegetarian pizza.  It wasn't big in size...came in a bout 6 small slices.  Two people can easily devour it.

Butternut squash with rosemary & crescenza risotto
Probably my least favorite thing that we had ordered.  The risotto didn't really have much flavor which didn't appeal much to the taste buds.  Also, it reminded me of uncooked rice.  I was actually quite disappointed by this dish...maybe it's just not my cup of tea.  I've had risotto before and it's definitely been more flavorful with better texture. This didn't execute for me. Sorry.

Panna gelato with extra virgin olive oil & sea salt
Weird.  I really do not like the idea of virgin olive oil with sweet dessert.  It wasn't awful, nor was it delicious.  I just wasn't used to the combination.  I mean I like salted caramel from Bi Rite...but this sweet and savory combination is nothing like I've had before....it didn't wow me at all.

Brenda's French Soul Food

652 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

Occasion: Brunch/ catch up session with my bAbiE Tiff on another day off. 12.28.10

Crawfish Beignet

Always a must when I come here. I just absolutely LOVE it. Served fresh and hot, best on a cold winter day. The cayenne powder did add a kick to it, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle.  I just took bigger gulps of their watermelon ice tea, which by the way allows for unlimited refills (sweet).

French Toast 

Three thick slices of cinnamon-battered toast, topped with powdered sugar
Top with warm, buttery toasted pecan sauce

Best french toast in the city!! I love how it's drenched with the buttery toasted pecan sauce. Definitely fulfilled the sweet tooth craving.

Fried Shrimp Po'Boy

With chipotle rémoulade on toasted French roll

I've been meaning to try this and was kind of disappointed. Maybe I'm just not a big fan of sandwiches with deep fried fillings.  Definitely over hyped for me.  

Also on SF BIG EATS 2010: #42. Fried-shrimp po’boy at Brenda's French Soul Food

Swan Oyster Depot

1517 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109

Occasion: Finally after a few attempts and with my Monday off, I got to come here with my sis for a late lunch.  Might as well have called it dinner since it was an hour long wait. 12.27.10

Clam chowder

Watery and not  what I'm used to.  Isn't it supposed to be thicker and creamier.  It just seemed watered down to me and almost seemed out of the can.  If it were not for the chunks of clams and potatoes I almost would believe that it was canned soup.  It's a good filler and something to start with on a cold winter San Francisco day.  At least I can say I tried it!

Dozen Oysters on the Half Shell

1/2 dozen Kumamotos

1/2 dozen Miyagis (British Columbia, Tomales Bay, Oregon)

Loved their oysters here! So fresh and so clean.  I hate going to places where you bite into bits of the shell, nope, we didn't have that problem here! Definitely a plus in my books just for that alone.  Not only that, but their oysters were so fresh and delicious.  My sister and I were very satisfied with our selection.  The kumamotos were plump, juicy and buttery sweet. Out of the miyagi's we tried, we both agreed that the ones from British Columbia were the best, then the ones from oregon then the tomales bay ones.  So glad I finally had the time and the chance to give this place a try...it's been on my list of places to try forever now.

On 7x7 SF BIG EATS 2010: #18. Oysters on the half shell at Swan Oyster Depot

Combination seafood salad

It consisted of shrimps, prawns, crab over a bed of iceberg lettuce drizzled with thousand island sauce.  Refreshing, good and filling, but I could have done without.  I should have just gotten another dozen oysters!

Monk's Kettle

3141 16th St
San Francisco, CA 94103

Occasion: Dinner with Jason 11.11.10.

Artisan cheese plate with candied walnuts, Marshall’s Farm organic honey,

balsamic reduction, fresh Bosc pear and toasted Metropolis bigio

We chose two cheeses one was for sure the Rouge et Noir Triple Creme Brie (cow’s milk) – CA, the other was either Caprino Piemontese (goat’s milk) – ITA or Pecorino Calabrese Riserva (sheep’s milk) – ITA . I really really enjoyed the brie. It was very soft and had a buttery taste. The other cheese was good too, but it had a different texture and in my opnion a less pungent taste (could be due to my lack of taste because I was coming down with something).  The cheese wasn't as soft and had a harder consistency to it. I loved dipping the walnuts into the honey and enjoyed the combination of items on the cheese plate.  I even used the pear they provided and wrapped it with the prosciutto from the charcuterie plate.

Charcuterie Plate with pate, house-cured magret duck prosciutto, house-made sausage, Hobbs salami, artisan prosciutto, cornichons, stone ground mustard, cherry tomatoes and toasted Metropolis bigio

I loved this plate too. Everything on the plate was amazing. What stood out to me was the duck prosciutto because I've never had it before and the pate. I love love love pate. I could have ate that with bread all night. The mustard was a pretty good too; as I used it as a spread on the bread. This plate went really well with the cheeses.

Maredsous Tripel (12 oz) Belgian Tripel Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, Breendonk-Puurs, BEL

My drink of choice because I wanted to order some kind of belgian beer so I could say that I tried #50. An obscure Belgian beer at The Monk’s Kettle on SF BIG EATS 2010 list.  I thought it was pretty tasty!

Superior Farms Lamb burger grilled to order, and served with lettuce, organic tomatoes, fresh red onions

and a cucumber mint tzatziki sauce on a Metropolis sweet french roll

I saw it on the highlights of the yelp reviews and really wanted to try it, since I've never had it before. I got it medium rare. It was really good!! Second night in a row having a burger and this was definitely the better of the two.  It was pretty good especially with the extra added sliced avocado.

Coleman Natural Hampshire beer-braised Pulled Pork with house made Porter BBQ sauce,

served on a Metropolis poppyseed kaiser bun with jicama slaw

The pulled pork was pretty soft and tender, but the BBQ sauce was just too spicy for me.  It had a sweet teriyaki like bbq taste, but the spice just got to me and was somewhat unbearable. If it were not as spicy, I probably would have enjoyed it more.

Alembic

1725 Haight St

San Francisco, CA 94117

Occasion: Dinner with Jason after watching one of the Giants World Series Games at a nearby bar. 10.28.10

Complimentary popcorn

It was seasoned with something sweet, something savory and something spicy.  It definitely had a unique kick to it.  It was the perfect little snack.

Old Fashioned

Even though I'm not big on drinks, I just had to try it since I was here.  It's on SF BIG EATS #43. An Old Fashioned at Alembic. Omg, it was horrific and disgusting. I am not a fan! It is so strong and pungent, words can not describe the taste of this alcoholic beverage.  Jason had a hint that I wouldn't like it, so he ordered something that I'd probably be more tolerable to and so we switched.  It's a guys type of drink, or at least I think so. Bleh! Though I didn't like it, Jason thought it was a pretty good Old Fashioned. What would I know right?

Pisco Sour

Now this is more of my type of drink. It's sweet and its tangy and not too strong.  Oh there's also protein in it because egg whites are part of the ingredient in which makes this drink unique!

Pork Belly Sliders

with charred jalapeno aioli, napa kimchee, chicharrones

AMAZING!!! We both agreed that it was flavorful, tasty and freaking delicious! I was so happy with my choice of order! The fatty flavor of the pork belly was scrumptious and the crunch of the chicharrones made it that much more enjoyable. It was my second favorite dish and I would definitely recommend this to others!

 Artichoke Soup
with dungeness crab,meyer lemon,togarashi

It had a creamy texture and was filled with a decent amount of crab meat, though it seemed to lack in chunks of artichoke. I thought it was a pretty decent soup. Nothing to really rave about or diss on.

Bone Marrow

with caper gremolata, garlic confit

I saw the table next to us with it so I just HADD to order it, especially because a couple of days ago I had it at Marlowe and I couldn't get enough of it.  Both Marlowe and Alembic have really good bone marrows! I think it might be better here because you get 3 pieces. YUM!! The more the merrier for the stomach=]

Cold Smoked Steelhead

with quail egg, horseradish, hearts of palm, crisp lettuce and dill

Another delicious pick by MOI! hehe. I love taking credit for good picks.  We've had so much good food before this that by the time this came out, I was pretty stuffed! The what seemed to be poached quail egg was beautifully placed on top of the piece of steelhead and complimented very well with the fish. It was soo good. The fish was fresh and cooked to my liking.  There's just something about smoked fish that I like. The meat isn't too dry, but neither is it too slimily raw.  The meat was soft and melted in my mouth. I'm a fan!

Zazie

941 Cole St

San Francisco, CA 94117

Occasion: Sunday brunch 8.8.10

Chai tea

I saw that almost every table had ordered this, so I wanted one for myself. I love chai tea! I was a bit disappointed when I got it. I thought it was pretty bland and not as sweet as I would have liked it to be.  It was also served in a bowl form, where there's no handle for you to pick it up and drink. I don't like that.

La Mer Eggs Benedict

with fresh hand picked dungeness crab, green onions, and haas avocados 

I loved it. Yummy breakfast food with avocado. Crab and avocado with poached eggs on an English muffin. I personally can only have one because it is so rich in flavor, but absolutely delicious! Unfortunately  I wasn't able to eat it outside their back patio as suggested by the 2010 BIG EAT SF LIST: #77. Eggs benedict on the back patio at Zazie.

Gingerbread Pancake

I just had to try it. Never seen gingerbread flavored pancakes, so I just had to get one to try. It was absolutely   delicious and it made me think of the holiday season!

French Toast Tahiti

 Pinkie’s challah stuffed with caramelized bananas and walnuts   

I'm crazy about french toast, so I wanted to try it. It was ok, not as good as the gingebread pancake! The toast seemed to be more on the dry side. I've had better.