Climate change has affected the weather pattern in San Francisco. 80 degrees one day, but the next would drop down to 60s. Strange, warm days are reminiscent of my days at New Orleans, and Brenda's in the Tenderloin definitely hits the home run. Get ready to fill yourself up with crab coquettes, beignets and shrimp and grits.

Hearty and filling.

Where's the crawfish?

Soft and fluffy beignets. Just like how I like it!

French toast not the best in town. Better stick to the shrimp and grits.

10 years living in San Francisco feels like light years. Every time I find something new (whether it is a shiny new app, another recently opened establishment, or a new hobby), it fails to excite me. Possibly because I feel that most San Franciscans like the same thing- food, outdoors, nice weather and startups. Nothing seems to stand out...just like the mile of hip restaurants and coffee shops in the bustling Mission.

Have you heard of moringa yet? If not, you better get on the bandwagon. This new superfood is taking America by storm! Kuli Kuli, the first company to bring moringa into the US market in the form of nutrition bars, has recently partnered with Chef José Andrés, TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people, his non profit, World Central Kitchen, and the Haitian nonprofit Smallholder Farmer’s Alliance to launch a nationwide moringa recipe competition on Instagram, using the hashtag #MoringaInspired in order to raise awareness and support moringa farming communities in Haiti.

Image from Kuli Kuli

 I've been a huge fan of Chef Andrés ever since I visited one of his restaurants, China Poblano in Las Vegas. So what are you waiting for? Whether you are a baker (moringa brownie, anyone?) or a savory cook (hint: moringa works well in sauteed dishes or soups), create your own moringa recipe for a chance to win a trip to D.C. to dine at Chef Andrés' new restaurant, China Chilcano.

Each participant is encouraged to purchase Kuli Kuli moringa powder online or at participating Whole Foods Market locations for recipe use. 100% of the proceeds from Kuli Kuli moringa powder purchased online during the contest period will go to Smallholder Farmer’s Alliance in support of smallholder moringa farmers in Haiti. To further support entrepreneurs around the globe, Kuli Kuli will donate1% of sales of moringa powder in select Whole Foods Market stores to the company’s Whole Planet Foundation whose mission is to alleviate global poverty through microcredit.

How to join:

1. Create a #MoringaInspired recipe with Kuli Kuli Pure Moringa Vegetable Powder.
2. From July 14th to September 1st, snap a photo of your moringa creation and post it to Instagram.
3. Name your dish and tag your photo with "#MoringaInspired in #YourCity”. Make sure to follow and tag @kulikulifoods, too!
4. On September 4th, the ten photos with the most likes will be submitted to Chef José Andrés and a panel of judges from World Central Kitchen! Photos will be judged on a 10 point scale in the following categories: appetite appeal, creativity, presentation, originality, and the incorporation of moringa. The highest scoring photo will win a trip to D.C. to dine at Chef José Andrés' new restaurant, China Chilcano. Finalists will win Kuli Kuli swag! 

For more information and contest rules, please visit here.

After 5 years of running this blog and the encouragement of many readers, I've finally decided to publish a coffeetable book by end of 2016. Because I'm really a photographer first (and a writer second), I will focus on photographs with factoids of exotic, healthy foods that many have not heard of, including mopani caterpillars from Zambia, moringa from Ghana, coconut sugar from the Philippines, mate de coca from Peru and many more.

Thank you for to all my readers, and I can promise you more gastronomic (mis)adventures for many years to come! 

A preview of my coffeetable book: Mopani Caterpillars

The fresh produce

Closed for the weekend :(

Great to see Azalina having her own spot finally!

Not so buzy, eh?

Spotted a great photo op for fashion bloggers out there.

Excuse the dark photo. Must remind myself not to edit photos on the iPhone.

At the quiet Porter Bass Winery, providing a unique outdoor wine tasting area under a walnut tree.

This is what an unripe walnut looks like.

Lovely scenery.

Take your pick on Chardonnay 2012 or 2013, Pinot Noir 2013 or Zinfandel 2013 for $10 tasting.

Korbel Delicatessen and Market
Our first stop was at Korbel. Sounds familiar? Well known for its champagne, Korbel has a winery and a deli market as well. My buddies and I gathered here not for the wine or the garden tour but for the food. We had a light lunch before heading out paddleboarding at the delicatessen. It is also a good pit stop for picnics by the river.

Loving the red brick walls at Korbel.

Greeted by this water fountain.

Tri-salad for the hungry: wild rice, fresh kale salad with blueberries and walnuts, chicken apple salad. Yum!

Korbel's grand entrance.

Lyn Mar Estate ($15 wine tasting)

Maruya prides themselves as the first traditional Edomae sushi restaurant in San Francisco. You might be scratching your head asking, "What's edomae?" According to Shiro's in its original meaning, "Edomae means edo, the old name for Tokyo, and mae, meaning front, referred to the fish caught in Tokyo Bay. Today the meaning refers to the traditional Tokyo way of preparing sushi but using fish from area waters."

First, the good stuff
The service exudes Japanese gentleness with mild-mannered waitstaff, meaning they speak softly and apologize if they keep you waiting. The Japanese couple who runs the restaurant even personally greeted my dining buddy and I and spoke to some of the guests. As expected, presentation is meticulous; I was enamored mostly by the silver platter with fish scale designs used for the sashimi.

In the Maruya omakase meal, I got two different types of fatty tuna sushi- one that was minced wrapped in mint leaves that gave it a unique twist and the other was a chutoro or a medium fatty tuna. They also gave mountains (!) of home-made ginger, which I made me chuckle because I love tons of ginger in soy sauce. Since I am a black sesame devotee, I was thrilled to gobble up on their black sesame pudding as finale. These are not Costco desserts, mind you (to whoever wrote this on Maruya's Yelp review).

Can I take this shining, shimmering platter home? Pretty puh-lease.

On the left is the refreshing minced fatty tuna with mint leaves.

And then the not so good stuff

Cod could be better. I was more intrigued in the pickled, pinkish stick. Is that radish?

Hmmm... ok asparagus... next!

Clam soup. A bit salty for me.

Medium fatty tuna and the uni. Yum!

Mackarel on the right hits the right spot.

Roe on top with gold leaves. Lovely contrast with the squid ink.

Argh, forgot what these were. #foodbloggerproblems

Ending with a good note with black sesame.

I left Maruya with a smile on my face and a happy tummy. However, competition is tough in this city so my vote goes to Kusakabe... for now.  The kinks in Maruya's service can be solved with more training and, of course, a print out of the menu.

For more (mis)adventures at Michelin rated restaurants in the Bay Area, check out Meadowood, French Laundry, Luce, Aziza, Boulevard, Manresa, Bouchon, Benu and La Toque.