Image from Project Open Hand |
Side note: The first time I heard about Dessert First, I thought it was about the blog popularized with the same catch-phrase. Apparently, I was wrong...
Come catch DeLise at the 12th Annual Dessert First, a benefit
for Project Open Hand, on May 5th,
2013 at the Four Seasons Hotel, San Francisco. DeLise will be one of the 20
pastry chefs concocting deliciouso desserts for guests. Proceeds will support
Project Open Hand’s ‘meals with love’ for the sick and elderly.
Early bird tickets are now available here. Hope to see you
there!
I've read countless rave reviews about the toasts (yes, TOASTS!) at the The Mill that prompted my impromptu visit at this newly opened establishment. It is in a somewhat awkward neighborhood in the city- across the Mill is an auto shop. The high ceiling and interior of the Mill is also akin to its Four Barrel roots, perfect for chilling and doing whatever you fancy during the day time.
So back to the toast... A simple, 1-inch thick bread comes out on a white plate. Buttery, chewy sourdough goodness greeted me. Ingredients of the toast are also quite simple- country bread with butter, cinnamon and sugar. However, the winning piece is really within the bread itself. It is an artisan bread, which means that it is made by a trained artisan baker who can mix, ferment, craft and shape a loaf of bread. In short, this is not your ordinary toast from the grocery.
I also tried the American sized brownie and some cookies. If you like a bit more sugar and chocolate, then go for these. But I do highly recommend the toast, which also goes well with a cup of Four Barrel espresso.
Vanilla cake with mascarpone, sable breton, ganache, sponge cake, glacage and macaron |
Chocolate Vanilla Choux with pate choux with sable, choco cremeux, chantilly, sable breton croutons, choco rice pearls |
Empty display :( |
B in B Patisserie stands for chef Belinda's name. Chef Belinda Leong has already been known for her macarons so it is not a surprise that the opening B Patisserie, situated on a block filled with unassuming houses, was met with much funfare.
Unfortunately, the hype didn't live up to high expectations. Even with its short lifespan, the patisserie has now been known to "sell out" even during the middle of the day. What's a store for if there's nothing customers can buy from? By the time I got there during mid-afternoon, I was able to count the number of plated desserts they had on display- four to be exact. A piece of quiche, vanilla cake, chocolate choux and a tart.
We got the choux and vanilla cake, which both tasted delicious. The chocolate rice pearls on the choux added a surprising twist to a superfied version of an eclair, while hard labor was obviously carried out to create the multiple layers on the vanilla cake.
Will I come here again? Maybe not, especially if I'm not guaranteed a wide array of pastry selections during any decent time of the day.
One of the food trends last year is the rise of izakayas in the city of San Francisco. Gone are the days when our only choices for Japanese food are the sushi/ramen mom-and-pop shops or the expensive designer sushis. The izakayas are not meant to break the bank but rather let diners enjoy small plates of Japanese flavors and ingredients in a casual atmosphere.
I wanted to post a "Battle of Izakayas" article, but since I have only tried two (Yuzuki and Roku) out of the three popular izakayas in town, I'll leave that for later.
I felt a little bit short on the 8-course tasting menu for 2 at Izakaya Yuzuki. Appetizers started out small then as the dinner progressed, the food portions became unusually bigger. Their desserts were 2 big scoops of matcha ice cream and sorbet each. That's why I'm starting my post with those photos.
The quality of the ingredients (a lot of uni!) and their technique's level of difficulty can't be ignored or argued. They are good at what they do and the Japanese tapas speak for themselves. Izakaya Yuzuki also has a sake specialist, the first one I've seen in the Bay Area, who took the time to explain where the sakes came from the and the different, delicate tastes. For those who want to experience the different types of flavor in sake- bitter, sweet, cloudy, etc., then the sake flight is for you. The flight is also good for sharing.
I was disappointed though that the tasting menu didn't include the kara-age fried chicken. (I am a sucker for Korean and Japanese fried chicken!) Instead, we were served the grilled chicken skewers (see last picture below) marinated with salt koji, which is a fermented mixture of koji (rice inoculated with the special mold Aspergillus oryzae) and shio or sea salt. The skewers looked plump (looks like collagen was injected to it which made me wonder how it was made) stuck on the wooden stick and tasted juicy and flavorful. I could have more of these.
Tip: Please be forewarned that Izakaya Yuzuki is located at the busy street near Dolores Park where the well-known Delfina and Bi-rite Creamery are. Parking during peak dinner hours can be ruthless.
Feast your eyes with these scrumptuous plates. I just wished they had more light in the restaurant to get better pictures.
I wanted to post a "Battle of Izakayas" article, but since I have only tried two (Yuzuki and Roku) out of the three popular izakayas in town, I'll leave that for later.
I felt a little bit short on the 8-course tasting menu for 2 at Izakaya Yuzuki. Appetizers started out small then as the dinner progressed, the food portions became unusually bigger. Their desserts were 2 big scoops of matcha ice cream and sorbet each. That's why I'm starting my post with those photos.
The quality of the ingredients (a lot of uni!) and their technique's level of difficulty can't be ignored or argued. They are good at what they do and the Japanese tapas speak for themselves. Izakaya Yuzuki also has a sake specialist, the first one I've seen in the Bay Area, who took the time to explain where the sakes came from the and the different, delicate tastes. For those who want to experience the different types of flavor in sake- bitter, sweet, cloudy, etc., then the sake flight is for you. The flight is also good for sharing.
I was disappointed though that the tasting menu didn't include the kara-age fried chicken. (I am a sucker for Korean and Japanese fried chicken!) Instead, we were served the grilled chicken skewers (see last picture below) marinated with salt koji, which is a fermented mixture of koji (rice inoculated with the special mold Aspergillus oryzae) and shio or sea salt. The skewers looked plump (looks like collagen was injected to it which made me wonder how it was made) stuck on the wooden stick and tasted juicy and flavorful. I could have more of these.
Tip: Please be forewarned that Izakaya Yuzuki is located at the busy street near Dolores Park where the well-known Delfina and Bi-rite Creamery are. Parking during peak dinner hours can be ruthless.
Feast your eyes with these scrumptuous plates. I just wished they had more light in the restaurant to get better pictures.
Ginger sorbet to cleanse the palate |
Green tea ice cream- a little bit icey |
Obanzai- Kyoto style cooked local veggies. We got the spinach which I loved, seaweed salad and the other one escapes me. |
Grilled rice with uni. Must order these! |
Tempura |
Chawan-mushi with uni- egg custard with sea urchin and yuba tofu skin. Balance of sweet and salty. |
Yakitori- salt koji marinated grilled chicken skewers. Doesn't it look very plump!?! |
Yay, another establishment in my hood, North Beach, that doesn't rip tourists off. Kudos to Pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani of the popular Tony's Pizza Napoletana (my go-to place for take out pizzas), which is a few blocks away from the newer Capo's.
My dining partners and I didn't know that Capo's was actually taking reservations for Valentine's day since their website stated they only take reservations for a group of 6+. Of course, by the time we walked-in, the uber friendly hostess told us that seats were fully booked, and we would have to wait 30 mins to an hour to get a table. We decided to wait it out. After less than 5 minutes of waiting outside (it wasn't freezing cold that night), the hostess explained to us that there were many no-shows and our table is already available! I really admire hostesses who are honest, non-snobbish and accommodating to diners.
Capo's is a typical Al Capone, Chicago deep dish pizza joint - dark, B&W photos of mobsters (?), and a speak-easy vibe and cocktails at the bar. The tufted, maroon large sofas fit the theme perfectly. What sets them apart from other deep dish pizza places is that Capo's offers 4 different kinds of pizza- (1) Chicago deep dish, (2) cracker thin, (3) cast iron pan, and (4) stuffed.
We settled for the Frank Nitti cast iron pan pizza with the eggplant lasagna and calamari as appetizer. The one-inch thick dough of the cast iron pizza had a yeasty taste, which I was not fond of, because of the shortening (Note: Shortening is made up of animal products - a no-no for strict vegetarians), and one carbo-loaded slice already filled me up. I did enjoy the balance of simple yet tasty flavors of garlic, cheese and tomato. The eggplant lasagna was worth the price since it is good for 3-4 people, while the calamari was not tender at all. For some reason, we were not offered the dessert menu :(
The crowd was a mix of Vday couples, youngsters, and obvious locals (the owner of another North Beach bar was dining there as well).
I was surprised they even offered complimentary glass of Rose (for Valentine's only), chicken pasta soup, and chocolates. It is rare to find non-fine dining restaurants offering these many freebies from start to finish of a meal. Worth the $$!
I'll definitely be back there to try the thin crust, their Chicago classics, desserts and cocktails.
Tip: Cash only. Go there extremely hungry with a group. Leave with your belly full and happy.
My dining partners and I didn't know that Capo's was actually taking reservations for Valentine's day since their website stated they only take reservations for a group of 6+. Of course, by the time we walked-in, the uber friendly hostess told us that seats were fully booked, and we would have to wait 30 mins to an hour to get a table. We decided to wait it out. After less than 5 minutes of waiting outside (it wasn't freezing cold that night), the hostess explained to us that there were many no-shows and our table is already available! I really admire hostesses who are honest, non-snobbish and accommodating to diners.
Capo's is a typical Al Capone, Chicago deep dish pizza joint - dark, B&W photos of mobsters (?), and a speak-easy vibe and cocktails at the bar. The tufted, maroon large sofas fit the theme perfectly. What sets them apart from other deep dish pizza places is that Capo's offers 4 different kinds of pizza- (1) Chicago deep dish, (2) cracker thin, (3) cast iron pan, and (4) stuffed.
We settled for the Frank Nitti cast iron pan pizza with the eggplant lasagna and calamari as appetizer. The one-inch thick dough of the cast iron pizza had a yeasty taste, which I was not fond of, because of the shortening (Note: Shortening is made up of animal products - a no-no for strict vegetarians), and one carbo-loaded slice already filled me up. I did enjoy the balance of simple yet tasty flavors of garlic, cheese and tomato. The eggplant lasagna was worth the price since it is good for 3-4 people, while the calamari was not tender at all. For some reason, we were not offered the dessert menu :(
The crowd was a mix of Vday couples, youngsters, and obvious locals (the owner of another North Beach bar was dining there as well).
I was surprised they even offered complimentary glass of Rose (for Valentine's only), chicken pasta soup, and chocolates. It is rare to find non-fine dining restaurants offering these many freebies from start to finish of a meal. Worth the $$!
I'll definitely be back there to try the thin crust, their Chicago classics, desserts and cocktails.
Tip: Cash only. Go there extremely hungry with a group. Leave with your belly full and happy.
This chef-to-be eyeing the cast iron Frank Nitti. Tomato sauce, provolone, mozarella, ricotta, spinach, romano, oregano and garlic. |
Egg plant lasagna. I already had 2 extra meals out of this HUGE plate. |
A lot of below-average calamari. |
In the 'outskirts' of Cole Valley comes a myraid of brunch-friendly places. Although reservations are not accepted at Zazia, I was surprised that their table turnover was fast- it took us only 20 minutes of waiting outside under the sun to get a table.
Zazie serves your classic American brunch grub- eggs, toasts, pancakes and waffles. The food might not have the wow factor- I got the poached eggs with dungeness crab but this is something I could easily have made at home. Yes, I do have restaurant quality crabs in my fridge!- but what I loved most about Zazie is that it is the perfect spot to catch up with friends. The atmosphere is laid back, and the wait staff doesn't rush you to pay the bill (i.e. get out!) even though there is a long line outside.
Zazie serves your classic American brunch grub- eggs, toasts, pancakes and waffles. The food might not have the wow factor- I got the poached eggs with dungeness crab but this is something I could easily have made at home. Yes, I do have restaurant quality crabs in my fridge!- but what I loved most about Zazie is that it is the perfect spot to catch up with friends. The atmosphere is laid back, and the wait staff doesn't rush you to pay the bill (i.e. get out!) even though there is a long line outside.
chocolat chaud |
poached eggs with crabs and fries |
Yes, the popular peking duck scones are back at DeLise. Whether you're trying to impress your relatives for Chinese New Year, wanting a unique treat for your Valentine's, or craving a pick-me-up treat, the savory, moist peking duck scones will surely make your day wonderful.
Whether you're single or have a special someone for this Heart's Day, treat yourself with DeLise's special Heart Cookie- Oreo cookie on the outside and butter cream and blood orange ganache on the inside.
Chicken and roasted potatoes |
Yes, it is already February! Time does fly by so fast when you're having fun, yah? So while I am concocting some thoughts for this month's events, such as the Mardi Gras (Best of Rio), Valentine Day (Gifts to Give) and Chinese New Year (My Hitlist for the Year of the Snake), let me tell you a little secret from Mrs. Fields- 15% on gifts until February 13th. Can you smell those delicious cookies already?
Be Sweet! Treat your Valentine to Delicious Gifts from Mrs. Fields and get 15% OFF! Use promo code: 13BEH. Offer valid 1/17/13-2/13/13. Shop Now
Recently, I visited two establishments that is obviously Chipotle-esque. Tava Indian Kitchen boasts their burrito and rice bowl with familiar Indian ingredients, such as daal, tikka, etc., while Asian Box boasts their rice bowl with Vietnamese-American fushion ingredients, such as lemongrass chicken, siracha, tamarind sauce, etc. Interestingly in Palo Alto, both Tava Indian Kitchen (also in SF) and Asian Box (also in Mountain View) are almost right across each other.
Among these fast service restaurants, I would pick Chipotle for price, Asian Box for fresh/healthy ingredients and Tava for Indian cravings but can't go to an authentic Indian restaurant.
Among these fast service restaurants, I would pick Chipotle for price, Asian Box for fresh/healthy ingredients and Tava for Indian cravings but can't go to an authentic Indian restaurant.
Tava's Indian rice bowl with chicken tikka. I still prefer when everything is not mixed in together, especially for Indian spices/ingredients. |
Asian Box's noodle bowl with steamed veggies and chicken lemongrass. Yum! |