Last Tuesday, I was invited to the San Francisco launch party at Cavalier's private room of a new restaurant discovery app called Flavour backed by the Scripps Networks and Aspect Ventures in conjunction with San Francisco Restaurant Week. I met some fellow food bloggers based in SF Bay Area and chatted with Flavour's CEO, Emily Keeton, as well as investors from Aspect Ventures. We discussed the reason behind the creation of the app and its differentiation among all other online restaurant-based apps.  

Continuing the Food is a Luxury series is another one Michelin star, Aziza, set on the busy street of Geary Boulevard. Yes, parking can be a pain in this part of the hood, but I was being a good food sherpa for the whole day for fellow food blogger, sssourabh. Aziza was one of my top picks for a sumptuous dinner especially since I had a vegetarian dining buddy for the night.

Although my dining buddies and I opted for the ala carte menu, we had a grand time indulging on Chef Mourad Lahlou's Moroccan concoctions intertwined, literally, with colorful edible flowers. It was a wise decision not to go with the tasting menu since our servers didn't rush us- meaning, we took our sweet time taking food photos and it was my mistake for not bringing my dslr cam to combat the dark lighting. Darnit.

The best in the lot is the duck confit basteeya, which comes in a circular philo pastry dough filled with duck, raisins and almonds (not in picture). If you are not very hungry, the basteeya can be your meal for the evening. Just be aware that most dishes come in small portions so sharing is not highly recommended at Aziza.

Excuse the iPhone photos. Duck

A very colorful salad with beets.

Food is a Luxury: The Restaurant at the Meadowood, Napa

Food is a Luxury: Lasarte, Barcelona

Food is a Luxury: L'Atelier de Joel Rubochon

Food is a Luxury: Manresa, Los Gatos

Food is a Luxury: The French Laundry, Yountville, Napa

 

Being fit and fab while on-the-go are still trends that will continue in 2015. However this year, we will see the rise of a different type of healthy snacks, form of sinless desserts, another superfood and adoption of restaurant payment apps.

Here are the 2015 food and foodtech trends to watch out for:

After Kale chips, broccoli chips will invade your kitchen. Right after New Year's, I was looking for Trader Joe's kale chips but instead found their new broccoli florets chips, which comes in a similar green packaging. I believe that this will be a bigger hit than kale for supermarkets because kale chips is easy to replicate at home, while broccoli chips takes longer and is harder to ensure the right amount of crispiness inside the oven.

I'm late to the party at Maykadeh. It's been around in my neighborhood for the past couple of years, and I finally got to visit one of the best Persian restaurants in San Francisco last year for an early Christmas dinner. The long-time establishment was full-packed mostly by big groups/families so my sister and I were lucky enough to score our seats just by walking-in during peak dining hours. Ignorance did peak in when a plate full of basil, onions and flatbread came. I observed and followed how others ate it like a folded bread with sweet basil and tangy onions as filling. Interesting flavors, indeed. 

We left with happy bellies. Maykadeh is now definitely one of my go-to restaurants in North Beach.

Fresh spinach salad

Cheese with tomatoes to fill up the flatbread

Chicken kabob

Good vibes are pouring in the Philippines right now with the arrival of Pope Francis despite another typhoon. Further south, the Queen City of the South, Cebu's Sinulog festivities are getting more and more exciting every year. I am even in high spirits even though I am miles away. With all the bad news that is happening in the world right now, the annual feast of Sto. Niño always reminds me the true essence of being a Filipino- resilient and joyful amidst all odds. 

As tradition goes on this blog, here are my newly discovered haunts in Cebu and its neighboring Bohol where I spent a few days during my recent trip to the island.

Hikay at the Calyx Center, IT Park: I was excited to try another native restaurant called Hikay. The quality (and quantity of choices) of food is on the level of my ultimate favorite Cafe Laguna, Hukad, Golden Cowrie and Chikaan.

Baked cheesy clams.

I always order sizzling squid when I eat a Filipino restaurant.

The hard-to-find spider seashell made my trip to Hikay worthwhile.

Choobi Choobi: I've been wanting to try their bucket shrimp ever since they opened a few years back and finally got to try it last month. I was feeling a bit under the weather that day, but mum got take out from Choobi Choobi. Their shrimp with salted egg is oh so deliciously salty!

Fish done the Cebuano way

Mussels with sweetcorn

Craving for my bucket shrimp with salted egg!

West 35, Balamban: The main attraction of this well-manicured boutique restaurant/hotel is the bathroom! Go check it out yourself. I came here on a good, clear day to have brunch with a view and chillax with one of my good friends.  By brunch I mean Filipino breakfast complete with rice, meat and eggs. Beware though it can become foggy and cloudy up in the mountains so plan accordingly.

Isdasilog: Breakfast done the Filipino way with fried fish, rice (lots of it!) and 2 eggs.

Brique: A sister restaurant of nearby Chikaan. Its interiors remind me of a San Francisco or New York contemporary restaurant but was not wowed with the taste of the dishes. The salmon entree came out to be very small relative to its price. Come here for the vibe. If it is food you're after, walk over to Chikaan instead.

Teeny tiny salmon

So so fried chicken

Another so so calamari.

Seafood in Bohol is LOVE. The highlight of my trip was jetting to Bohol for an annual mother-daughter bonding trip. Fresh oysters, which is hard to find in Cebu, meaty crabs and plump prawns greeted me at every restaurant I went to in Bohol. I will leave you with just gastronomic photos.

Oysters with kaffir lime

Succulent prawns with beady eyes. Yum!

Spicy, milky chicken done the Boholano way

Ube dessert. Bohol is known for its ube jam.

Flavorful and healthy palm hearts

Floating lunch at Loboc River Cruise: one of the things you should do before you die