The Adventures of the Pot-Belly Panda

Nomming in the Bay: Part 7

Mon, 21 May 2012 02:58:00 -0400

Holy crap, can’t believe it’s been almost 6 months since I’ve last blogged. My bad! But on a good note, that also means I’m more than 6 months behind on my posts so I definitely have A LOT of meals to talk about! :D

The Melting Pot, San Mateo

Got an OpenTable deal for this, so it was a pretty good deal, but I can’t remember exactly how much it costed. It consisted of a 4 course fondue meal for 4 with 2 bottles of wine. We ended up taking the wine home lol.

1st Course: Cheese Fondue

All our utensils and the pot.

Traditional Swiss Cheese Fondue. Gruyere and Emmenthaler Swiss Cheeses with White Wine, Garlic, Nutmeg, Lemon and Kirschwasser. Bread, Veggies and Granny Smith Apples for dipping. This was delish! By far the best cheese fondue I have ever had in my life. The bread was really good and went well with the cheese. The veggies and apples were super fresh and yum!

2nd Course: Salad

California Salad. Mixed Baby Greens, Roma Tomatoes, Candied Pecans, Gorgonzola Cheese with Raspberry Black Walnut Vinaigrette. This was yum! I love me some gorgonzola in my salads, and the dressing worked really well with the sweet pecans and the tomatoes.

Spinach Mushroom Salad. Spinach, Baby Portobello Mushrooms, Red Onion, Bacon, Roma Tomatoes with a Burgundy Shallot Vinaigrette. This was alright, but nothing to write home about. The ingredients were super fresh but the dressing wasn’t that great compared to the other one.

3rd Course: Entree Soup Fondue

Fondue Fusion. Lobster Tail, Angus Sirloin, Shrimp, Buffalo Chicken, Memphis-Style BBQ Pork Tenderloin, and Wild Mushroom Sacchetti. The lobster tail was really good and fresh. The sirloin was also super good. The sacchetti was definitely interesting, reminded me a little of Asian dumplings. The meat however was very seasoned and I think it was a bit much to actually boil it in another savory soup. It got a little too salty at times.

Mojo. Caribbean-inspired bouillon with Garlic and Citrus. It was really good because it had a bit of a coconut-like note to it. Butter for the lobster on the right side of the soup pot.

Side of Potatoes, Mushrooms, and Broccoli. With Green Goddess Sauce (Cream cheese, sour cream, onions, chives, and parsley). I loved the potatoes, they were super delicious with the Mojo soup. I didn’t really use this sauce because I felt like my food didn’t need all the extra flavor from the sauce even though it was delish.

Curry Sauce (Curry yogurt sauce), Teriyaki Glaze (Teriyaki sauce with garlic, ginger, and onions), and Ginger Plum (Red and green peppers, ginger, and plum). The curry sauce was really good on the chicken. But my favorite of all was definitely the ginger plum, just the right amount of tangy sweetness. The teriyaki sauce was good too, but nothing special and definitely nothing to write home about.

4th Course: Dessert Chocolate Fondue

Pure Dark Chocolate Fondue. With Bailey’s Irish Cream. This was good, but a bit too sweet for my liking. I was expecting the dark chocolate to not be as sweet, so I am glad I got this instead of the milk or white chocolates, but it was still too sweet.

Served with Rice Krispies Squares, Strawberries, Pound Cake, Brownies, Bananas, and Cheesecake. My faves were dipping the fruit, rice krispies and pound cake. The rest made the already too-sweet chocolate even sweeter.

Yu Zen, San Francisco

Green Tea. Super green and Incredible Hulky and so good!

Salad. Came with my entree. Super good and pretty fresh. The carrot sesame oil dressing was a surprising combination and really delish.

Miso Soup. Came with my entree. Alright, pretty decent but also not anything special.

Tuna Sashimi and Mountain Yam topped with Seaweed. This was nommy, the tuna was fresh and delicious. The mountain yam was interesting and definitely not for everyone. Our server actually gave us a disclaimer just in case, telling me and my friend that it was a bit on the slippery side. And I must say it is quite slimy indeed, but with a bland flavor, similar to turnips.

Chirashi. With Salmon, Egg, Tuna, Hamachi, Yellowtail, Snapper, Sweet Shrimp, Roe, and Mushrooms. Super delicious, by far one of the best and freshest chirashi that has ever reached my tummy. The fish was super fresh and yummy. The shrimp was legit sweet shrimp! I hate the places that claim the shrimp is sweet shrimp but it isn’t. Great quality food for a decent price. YUM.

Healthy Porridge, Milpitas

Beef Noodle Soup. Definitely not a fan. The noodles were kind of gummy and sticky and the soup was way too thick, they added way too much starch in it to thicken it, overkill to the max. Basically a huge puddle of gooey stickiness, it’s enough to kill an appetite because it did mine!

Stinky Tofu. It was okay, just okay. I’ve definitely had better elsewhere as they did not do that great of a job frying it, no crispy skin sadface!

Oyster Pancake. THE WORST oyster pancake I’ve ever had in my life. The pancake itself wasn’t fried well, don’t think their stove was heated well enough. It lacked “wok-air” and the sauce was gross, definitely not legit and not tasty at all. Poor excuse for an oyster pancake, seriously.

Purple Kow, San Francisco

Iced Milk. With Boba and Egg Pudding. So delish! My drink of choice from Purple Kow since I highly dislike their milk tea, don’t think it’s that great and not tasty enough to be worth the wait. Their iced milk, on the other hand, is delish! But it’s also more of a dessert than just a boba drink because it’s pretty sweet and can make you very full, but it also depends on who makes your drink. I’ve also come to realize that it’s not that difficult to make either because it’s just low-fat milk, evaporated milk, and brown sugar. It’s still pretty good and I love that I get a huge bucket of it when I do decide to make the trek out there. NOM!

GREAT Super Bowl party idea, be it a little late.

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:36:12 -0400

GREAT Super Bowl party idea, be it a little late.

OMG LOOKS SO GOOD. afternoonsnoozebutton: Korean mochi bread...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:40:06 -0400

OMG LOOKS SO GOOD.

afternoonsnoozebutton:

Korean mochi bread with sesame seeds

(Filed under: I baked Asian things today! And they’re crumply because I accidentally deflated them all when I turned them over, woopsies.)

Nomming in the Bay: Part 6

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:53:56 -0500

Orenchi Ramen, Santa Clara

Orenchi Salad. Lettuce, Cherry Tomatoes, Chicken, Red Cabbage topped with Fried Noodles and Miso Dressing. This was alright, maybe because I’m not much of a fan of peanut-tasting dressings I didn’t enjoy it all that much. The dressing reminded me of a miso dressing I got from Ranch 99 before. It was covered in dressing also, a little bit of an overkill so I didn’t really like that either. But the chicken in the salad was tender and good, just wish it had less dressing on it.

Orenchi Ramen. Tonkotsu Soup Base with Soft-boiled Seasoned Egg, Green Onions, Pork, Bamboo Shoots, Mushrooms, Seaweed and Sesame Seeds. Still as good as it used to be! I think they may use duck eggs instead of chicken eggs now, because I noticed that the yolk was a lot more orange and golden colored than it used to be. The egg is also bigger than before also, not that I’m complaining because I get more food, but just an observation!

San Tung Chinese Restaurant, SF

Kimchi. Always comes free, love me some freebies! Super yummy and delicious but also packs a punch!

Dry Fried Green Beans. So good! I could eat this everyday, way to make veggies taste delicious. The stronger flavors of the sauce worked well with the natural flavor of the green beans, the green beans neutralized the flavors a bit. Just the right amount of nommy sauce and flavor with the springy greenness of green beans.

Dry Fried Chicken Wings. This is by far my most favoritest dish here ever! I could eat this everyday too! I love how crispy and sweet the chicken wings are, plus the honey and sugar in the sauce make it skin slightly chewy. It’s super well-flavored and uber nommy! I’ve had both the dry fried chicken wings and the wet fried before but I’ve never been able to tell the difference, if someone knows please enlighten me because I’m literally dying to know…

Potstickers. This was alright, not my fave for sure. It’s just pork and lettuce and stuff inside. Didn’t really think it was anything special nor anything special to write home about.

Purple Kow, SF

Green Milk Tea. With Boba. This was alright. Sure, they make their tea fresh, but I didn’t think this particular traditional and classic drink was that great. I think Wonderful Foods Company does a better tea, don’t really see why people would come here for their tea unless it’s for their more special tea creama drinks.

McDonald’s, Lafayette

Had to see what the fuss over the McRib was about.

McRib Sandwich. Pretty much a BBQ sauce covered pork patty in a hot dog bun. Pretty good for what you get from McDonald’s, but it also wasn’t cheap. I think it was around $3.29. I honestly don’t expect much from McDonald’s so I thought it was pretty okay. It was interesting and the sauce tasted good, smoky but not overly tangy which I liked.

Fillin' Up My Tummy!

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:35:00 -0500

Three Cup Chicken.

Giant Fortune Cookie. Super cool looking, but I didn’t get one because it was like $20. Hell to the no, way too much for something so gimmicky but I still thought it was cool enough to be picture-worthy. :P

<3 Starbucks Holiday Cups!

Vegan Blueberry Donut. From Whole Foods, I could do with more gluten. :D

Orange Morning Bun. From Whole Foods. Pretty good, but it’s no Tartine!

Yay for legit Greek coffee!

Pizza pizza!

It’s been awhile, I know, but this was my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner. Mashed Potatoes nom!

Nomming in the Bay: Part 5

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:23:41 -0500

Txoko, SF

Cool mural on the wall. Kind of reminded me of Peter Rabbit and Animal Farm.

Wood Oven Roasted Shishito Peppers. With Chevre, Roasted Garlic and Marinated Gypsy Peppers. Nommy! Love me some goat cheese and it was super tasty even though it was a mixture of strong flavors. Definitely a small bite and recommended by our server.

Local Squid A La Plancha. With Black Olives, Potatoes, Pimenton and Spinach. This was nommy! My friend and I weren’t sure what small bites we should get so we asked our server and she suggested the ones we got including this one. So good! The squid was fresh and super delicious and I liked the variety of tastes and textures on this one tiny crostini. NOM!

Foie Gras A La Plancha. Golden Raisin Sauce, Brussel Sprouts and Coriander. This was AMAZING. So delicious it makes me sad that they’re banning foie gras soon! I could eat this every day, no joke! The mix of flavors in this small bite is mindblowingly awesome. Yes, the goose liver is fatty goodness, BUT it’s definitely not overly rich. I thought it’d have more of a bitter flavor because it was a liver after all, but it did not! So good! The golden raisin sauce actually does a really good job of cutting down the fat with its tangy sweetness as does the springy goodness of the super green brussel sprouts. DELISH!

Pan Seared Day Boat Scallops. With Crispy Okra, Sweet Corn Sauce, Sugar Snap Peas and Potato Coulis. This was yummy in my tummy as well! The scallops were well seared and not the least bit overcooked. It was like eating pillows of seafood goodness. The corn was super sweet and delicious as was the sugar snap peas, definitely lived up to their names. I always love me some okra too so it was delicious!

Glazed Beef Cheeks. With Crispy Sweetbreads, Carrot Puree, Celery and Horseradish Creme. This was alright, a little bit too rich for my liking but it was well-flavored and delish in small amounts. The beef cheeks were super tender and I loved the flavor. Super good! The sweetbreads were pretty good too, even though it was my first experience with sweetbreads I found it delish! The carrot puree and celery, while good, did little to curb the richness of the dish so that’s my only real issue with it. I’ve realized I’m getting old and not doing too well with fatty and rich foods sadsies!

Grilled Venison Loin. With Huckleberry & Endive Marmelatta, Apples, Oregano and Pine Nuts. This was sooo good!!! I’m very happy about my first experience with venison. I was actually praying they’d have this on their menu the night I visited. The venison was well-cooked especially since I like my meats on the rarer side, this was super good. It actually reminded me of beef but with a less strong, but fresher flavor but definitely more tough. Still, it showed it’s unique deer meat flavor and I was pleasantly surprised. I’d originally thought it’d be more gamey and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I also loved the huckleberries because I love me some huckleberries! I definitely could have done without the apples though, not a fan of booze soaked fruits, but the rest of the dish was delish!

Foie Gras Ice Cream. With Whole Wheat Sables, Poached Pears and Sherry Jelly. Super interesting! I really wanted to try it seeing as I love me some foie gras. It was good though, but definitely more of a vanilla ice cream with a foie gras richness and flavor to it. The more you eat it the more you taste the flavor so it definitely adds up in your mouth! The poached pears were pretty good, but I was not a fan of the sherry jelly at all. The ice cream was definitely interesting and well worth a try!

Lime Pudding Cake. With Persimmon Sorbet, Fennel, Pomegranate and Pine Nut Brittle. This was pretty good. I loved the tangy flavor of it with just the right amount of sweetness. The sorbet was a lot better than I expected also because I’m not a major fan of persimmons but it was delish.

Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant, SF

Combination Platter. With Soybean Sheet, BBQ Pork, Tofu and Sweet & Sour Wheat Gluten. Large Size. This was super good, but not as good as it was last time. Definitely love the larger size though because there was more for everyone and it’s yum.

Chicken Nuggets. With Sweet & Sour Sauce. This was super good, tasted exactly like McDonalds chicken nuggets except in veggie form! It even had the texture of chicken. Plus I loved the sauce with it, I think they use the same sauce for spring rolls also. Noms!

Pickles. We didn’t get this last time but they gave it to us free. It was pretty good. A bit of sweetness, it actually reminded me of Sprite.

Mongolian Beef. This was pretty good, the texture was surprisingly as similar to beef as you can get with tofu. The flavors were pretty good though I think I’m more of a fan of their chicken and fish dishes.

Eggplant with Sea Bass. Super good as usual! With the same texture and flavor of fish! I loved it with the eggplant. It’s too bad a lot of times I’m digging for the sea bass in the dish and I end up with eggplant because it looks the same on the plate. But it’s so delish and worth a try even though it’s not the most picture-perfect dish.

Steamed Bok Choy. Pretty good, had some ginger flavor to it so it was pretty interesting. As interesting as steamed vegetables can get!

Chez Papa Resto, SF

Got the business lunch set, thinking it would be a good deal. A deal it definitely was not.

Organic Bibb Lettuce. With Crispy Shallots and Mustard Vinaigrette. This could have been better due to how fresh the lettuce was. But it was overdressed so I could barely even taste the flavor of the lettuce. Sadface.

Bread. And Butter. This was okay, one of the best things I ate that meal, which isn’t saying much.

Carlsbad Aqua Farm Mussels. With White Wine, Bay Leaf, Garlic, Aioli and Crostini. Wow, I have no words to describe how horrible this dish was. I’ve never had mussels this horrible ever unless they were frozen and smelly and these were definitely not. The mussels themselves were good, however it was the sauce that ruined it all for me. It was like sea water, literally. The crostini was also super burnt. But even if the crostini were not charred to bits, you could not have dipped it into the sauce without feeling your tongue burn from the amount of salt in it. I was so thirsty afterwards just from eating the mussels. Never again!

Bread Pudding. With Caramel Sauce and Cream Fraiche, topped with Slivered Almonds. This was alright, nothing to write home about seeing as I could make it at home. It wasn’t as horrible as everything else as I have nothing to complain about really. Just bread pudding with cinnamon and nutmeg, the usual.

Palomino, SF

I’ve already written about Palomino a billion times, so just food porn for ya :)

Nomming in the Bay: Part 4

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:28:46 -0500

Nubi Yogurt, San Mateo

Mango Snow with Strawberries, Mango and Condensed Milk. NOMS!! This was definitely delicious, I love me some shaved ice and I’ve been trying to find a decent place since I’ve been back from Taiwan (and no, Viet style does not suffice!). This place, though not as good as Ice Monster in Taipei satiates my tummy! They use the same toppings as they do for the yogurt so it’s pre-sweetened. I loved the mango flavor of the ice, it was well-flavored, just the right amount of sweetness with the condensed milk and the ice was pillow soft.

Ocha Tea Cafe, San Mateo

(Forgot what type of tea I ordered) Milk Tea Boba. Ordered it under the suggestion of my friend. It was pretty good, the tea was alright, tasted good but I do think there are better places in the city. The boba pearls were well cooked and chewily good!

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot, San Mateo

Half-Half Soup Base. OF COURSE! LOL, gotta get me my spicy fix!

Kobe Beef. Recent addition to the hot pot menu, I believe. Delicious goodness! I love me some Kobe and this was super good. Melt in your mouth fatty goodness, literally! SO GOOD!

Bamboo Heart. Insides of a bamboo! This was nommy! But I’m sure a part of it is because I love eating bamboo, including bamboo shoots. This tasted like a larger version of a bamboo shoot because it essentially is one, just not a baby version of it.

Lamb Shoulder. DELISH! So good, I usually love this but I think this time it was overshadowed by the Kobe because that was just too damn good!

A-Choy. My fave hot pot veggie! So crisp, fresh and delicious. Can’t do hot pot without it.

Enoki Mushrooms. NOMS! Can’t do hotpot without these either! Even though they don’t really have a flavor, I’ve always loved how chewy they were.

Tofu. LOVE TOFU! Love it even more in my hot pot soup, I love how when you boil it in the hot pot it soaks up the soup like a sponge and makes it even yummier.

Bamboo Pith. Delicious! I usually eat this for the texture but I also love how this soaks up the flavors of hot pot soup! Noms.

Tony’s Coal-Fired Pizza & Slice House, SF

Italian-Style Meatballs. So delish! I love their meatballs, they’re always juicy and well-flavored. I love their tomato sauce also, makes the meatballs extra yum.

Spacca Napoli. Caputo Flour, Basil, Mozzarella di Bufala, Sea Salt, Olive Oil, Cherry Tomatoes and No Sauce. This was noms, though I gotta say my favorite is still the Margherita. The mozzarella was really delicious and fragrant, it’s definitely the cheese and the crust that makes the pizza. The crust is super delicious, love how it has the exact same texture as the pizzas from the first pizza places in Naples. Nom!

Cooking Nom Noms

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:50:00 -0500

Citterio Salame/Provolone + De Cecco Linguine = AMAZING Salame & Provolone Linguine!

Bacon & Eggs. <3 watery eggs!

Mini Lasagnas. NOMS.

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes. I screwed up so it didn’t actually get the shape and swirl of a c cinnamon bun but it definitely tasted like one! :9

Capellini with Homemade Meatsauce. NOMS.

I'm in Miami Trick! Miami Beach Eats! Part 2

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 03:34:00 -0500

Last part to my Miami Beach posts! The last restaurant was from the airport in Fort Lauderdale.

The Dining Room

Bread. With Pickles and Butter with Sea Salt. The bread and butter together were delish! I love sea salt butter on my bread! And somehow the pickles tasted super good with it too!

Cobia Ceviche. Marinated in Yuzu Lime Juice, Red Onions, Cilantro, Aji Limo, served with Grapefruit Sorbet. This was delish! Expensive, yes, but infinitely many times more worth it than the ceviche at The Place. The fish was tender but not overcooked. The grapefruit sorbet was delicious and went well with the ceviche. I usually don’t even like grapefruit but this was an exception!

Baked Patagonia. Pistachio Cake, Dulce de Leche Ice Cream, Italian Meringue and Passionfruit Berry Sauce. OMG nommy in my tummy goodness! One of the best desserts ever! Definite must-order! The cake and ice cream and meringue were all layered together and super delicious. The meringue was well-beaten and delish! I loved all the flavors and textures mixed together, definitely added more to the dish.

Lecca-Lecca Gelato Caffe

Yes, the cast of the Jersey Shore worked here. And yes, I watch the show, it’s one of my guilty pleasures. So naturally I had to give this place a try!

Pear Sorbet. With Chocolate Ribbons. So good! Never would have thought to add pear and chocolate together but this combination works and it works well! I loved how light it was even with the chocolate, the chocolate wasn’t overbearing at all and you could still taste the flavor of the pear.

Pinocchio Cafe

Iced Caramel Cappuccino. So good! Better than those Starbucks Frappucinos! If I lived in South Beach, this would literally make me poor because I’d be subbing it in for my daily coffee. It’s so light, creamy and delish! Plus they use good quality Illy coffee! Noms!

The Palace

Mojito. Last mojito in Miami! Unfortunately it wasn’t as good as the ones from The Clevelander just because the sugar grains weren’t dissolved enough for my liking so I felt like I was drinking sand. Sadface!

Stuffed French Toast. With Guava, Eggs and Sausage. This was so good! One of the best french toasts I’ve ever eaten. I was a bit disappointed that the guava was canned but it was nommy, so I’ll let that go. The sausages and eggs were also well made and delish. Noms!

Miami Subs Grill, Fort Lauderdale Airport

Chicken Tender Meal. With Pepsi, Fries and Honey Mustard Sauce. This was pretty good everything tasted decent and was pretty good for airport food. The honey mustard was a bit weird though, it was this strange neon curry yellow. It tasted alright, but the color totally weirded me out.

I'm in Miami Trick! Miami Beach Eats! Part 1

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 03:00:00 -0500

Went to Miami on a biz trip about a month ago and had some not so yummy but mostly yummy eats!

The Place

Only ended up eating here because it was super rainy and we were already super drenched by the rain.

Foccacia. Ehh, not the best foccacia, I think I’ve had better at Pluto’s. ‘Nuff said!

Tropical Ceviche. With Shrimp, Fish, Squid and crackers. First off, it wasn’t the least bit “tropical.” And second, definitely not worth the $14.50 for a martini glass of seafood with stale crackers. Although I must say the ceviche wasn’t half bad, at least the fish wasn’t overcooked from the acid, but I’ve had much better for only $3.50.

Virgin Sex on the Beach. Paid $12 for fruit juice, fruit juice that wasn’t even that great. Ew. Never again!

Puerto Sagua Restaurant

Bread. Looked nice and pillowy, didn’t eat any though because I wanted to save room!

Beef Empanada. THE best empanada I’ve ever eaten in my life. The beef was really yummy and well-seasoned. The empanada crust was the perfect amount of flaky and doughy goodness! Absolute deliciousness!

Potato Balls. THE BEST POTATO BALLS EVER! Perfectly fried amount of mashed potato with ground beef on the insides. The smoothest, softest, starchiest mashed potato I’ve had in a fried potato ball, not to mention the deliciously spiced ground beef. These weren’t cheap, I think about $2 each but worth every single penny! Yummy in my tummy goodness!

Inside the potato ball.

Ropa Vieja. Shredded Beef with a side of rice and plantains. I’m usually not a fan of shredded or pulled meats but this was amazing! It was so delicious, well-flavored and well-spiced. The cumin, bell peppers and onions definitely added to the flavor of the dish. Super delicious!

Side of rice and plantains. I didn’t eat the rice but the plantains were delish! Love me some nommy plantains!

Cuban Sandwich. Ham, Roasted Pork, Swiss Cheese, Pickles, Mustard and Mayonnaise on toasted Cuban Bread. THE BEST CUBAN SANDWICH EVER! This was sooo good! There are no words for how good this was! The sandwich was well-dressed with just the right amount of flavor. The thickness of the bread worked perfectly with the amount of meat and toppings in the sandwich. Delicious!

Inside Cuban Sandwich’s delicious goodness!

The Clevelander

Love the bar lights!

Such a funny sign for a “reserved” table.

Mojito. THE BEST MOJITO I’VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE! It was super smooth and delish! I love that they used a smooth simple syrup or the sugar actually melted, I hate when I find grains of sugar in my mojitos. It just makes me feel like I’m eating sand and gives me a sadface! I literally craved this mojito every single night! (Disclaimer: I promise you, I am not an alcoholic!)

Weird how my second mojito had a sugar cane in it but not the first. Nom nom nevertheless!

Tapas y Tintos

Melon con Jamon. Serrano Ham with Cantaloupe. This was pretty good, though I’ve had better melon and ham elsewhere. Noms.

Chipirones. Grilled Baby Squid from Northern Spain. This was super delicious, well flavored and well grilled. The texture was good and not overcooked, I didn’t even need to add lemon juice to it because it was so well done. Loves!

Strawberry Margarita Jello Shots!

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:30:27 -0500

Strawberry Margarita Jello Shots!

OMG Hello Kitty Instant Noodles!!!

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:21:00 -0500

OMG Hello Kitty Instant Noodles!!!

Nomming in the Bay: Part 3

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:55:31 -0500

Chipotle, Lafayette

I’ve been waiting forever for this place to open! My fatty self prefers Chipotle within 10 minutes of my house rather than SUPER far away Walnut Creek. Lol.

Steak Burrito. With Lettuce, Tomato, Pinto Beans, Rice, Corn Salsa and Tomato Salsa. So good!! I always have major cravings for Chipotle’s nommy burritos. Fortunately for this location, it tastes equally as great as all the other places, not to mention the fact that the workers there are super nice!

Jamba Juice, Pleasant Hill

Got a groupon deal thing for BOGO free Jamba yogurt.

Strawberry Vanilla Yogurt. With Banana and Brown Sugar Toppings. This was pretty good, surprisingly tasted nothing like a Jamba Juice smoothie. It wasn’t tart enough for my liking though the flavors were really good. I loved the banana and brown sugar with the strawberry yogurt, it’s actually a surprisingly good combination.

Ramen Dojo, San Mateo

After months and months of failed plans for lunch here, I finally made it to Dojo!

Regular Spicy Garlic Pork Ramen. With Roasted Pork, Fried Whole Garlic, Kikurage Mushroom, Green Chives, Quail Egg, and Chicken Gravy. This was sooo good!!! It definitely met my expectations and if you know me well you know I have HIGHHH expectations! This was really good, it was a good amount of spicy and I love spicy! The pork was also really yummy though sliced pretty thinly. I loved that the quail egg was soft boiled and the dark sesame oil was very unique and delish. The noodles were also al dente and well cooked. I loved the strong garlic flavor of the soup since garlic makes everything taste better! I’m getting hungry just thinking about it… actually I would like some right now, please!

Sweet Breams, San Mateo

Been dying to try the taiyakis here because I think they’re rather difficult to find in the area and I had never tried it before.

As always, a sucker for pretty packaging.

School of Taiyaki. Azuki (Red Bean), Vanilla and Nutella flavors. You can choose up to 3 flavors per school of 12 fish, so you end up getting 4 of each flavor. It’s a good enough amount to share I think. The azuki was very typical tasting, kind of reminded me of doriyaki that they sell at Asian markets. The vanilla reminded me of a creme puff from Beard Papa’s. The nutella was pretty good but it got a bit too rich for me. Overall, I thought they were alright, a bit overhyped for what it was. But I gotta admit, there aren’t too many of these places to compare to. Still, for how it tasted I think the $5.50 I paid was VERY steep.

Yelp Elite Event: Inside the Artist's Studio

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:25:00 -0500

Somehow this post got lost somewhere in the fodder. FYI: This happened back in July. My bads!

But as always. Nommy freebies from Yelp! :D

Pisco Cocktail. With Watermelon Juice and Jalapeno Pepper. This was the best cocktail of the bunch, they had this other one with pisco and lemon juice and it was wayyy too sour!

Raspberry Lemon Cupcake. SO BOMB! I love fruity cupcakes especially combinations like this! Just the right amount of tangy with sweet. NOMS.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcake. This was alright, but a little to sweet and rich for my liking.

Chicken and Pork Tacos. This was pretty good. The condiments helped a lot because it wasn’t too flavored on its own, definitely more on the bland side.

Yay Yelp swaggg!! I <3 Yelp swagggg!

Free stuff aside I had a wonderful time at this Yelp event, probably my most fun to-date since it was super artsy fartsy because we got to visit artist’s studios/lofts. Too bad I’m broke from eating my stomach silly so I couldn’t help them out but it was super fun.

Since I love pretending to be artsy fartsy, check out my faux artsy fartsy blog: http://creativefodder.tumblr.com

Might just give these homemade cheez-its a try!

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 01:38:25 -0500

Might just give these homemade cheez-its a try!

OMG. These mini lasagnas look sooo good! Click for recipe.

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:47:00 -0400

OMG. These mini lasagnas look sooo good! Click for recipe.

No I have not, I’m probably missing out on lots of yummies. Adding that to my list, thanks for...

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:19:05 -0400

No I have not, I’m probably missing out on lots of yummies. Adding that to my list, thanks for the suggestion!

dazeofdiscovery replied to your post: Nomming in the Bay: Part 1

Have you been to the vegan Golden Era restaurant on O’farrell in SF? It’s pretty good :)

Nomming in the Bay: Part 2

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:03:02 -0400

Mission Minis, SF

Horchata Mini Cupcake (left) and Red Velvet Mini Cupcake (right). The horchata cupcake was really yummy, full of cinnamony goodness, definitely prefer the cupcake over the real drink. The red velvet was decent also very tasty. My only complaint is that their cupcakes are a bit on the dry side, though that isn’t too noticeable seeing as these cupcakes are teeny tiny.

Greenburgers, SF

Came here because of the free Scoutmob coupon.

Mexican Coke. My drug of choice once again!

Hamburger. With Tomato, Lettuce, Ketchup, Special Greenburgers Sauce and a side of Fries. Not pictured here but I did have their BBQ sauce and it’s pretty amazing. I usually don’t like BBQ sauce outside of the one used by Ike’s Place but this one was noms! I drenched my fries in it! Their burger was pretty amazing as well, they use Niman Ranch beef and you can definitely taste the difference. The beef had a fresher, juicier beefy flavor, so delish! I thought it was pretty interesting that their burger buns were square, haven’t seen that before!

Yummy in my tummy burger.

Bread Pudding. By far the worst bread pudding I’ve ever eaten before in my life. It was overbaked and overall just not good. The bread pudding was super stiff and not bready. The outer layer was too dry from the overbaking. The sauce was lumpy and not smooth. The sauce was also watery tasting. I’ve never had a bread pudding I couldn’t finish until now. So disgusting, never again!

Crepes Ooh La La, Walnut Creek

Coffee. They have okay coffee, nothing to write home about since it’s not amazing. Note: they are a bit stingy with the cream, they only have us one little cream pitcher of it even though me and my dad both ordered a coffee and we had to ask them for more.

Caramel Apple Crepe. Topped with Powdered Sugar and Whipped Cream. This was pretty good, I loved the caramel sauce with the apple. Gave me a taste of fall and caramel apples! My one complaint is that I thought the crepe this time around was thicker than before. Sadface!

Gelateria Naia, Walnut Creek

Earl Grey Tea (left) and Roasted Banana (right). The Earl Grey Tea was really fragrant and tasty, kind of reminded me of Japanese powdered milk tea but with more of an Earl Grey fragrance to it. The roasted banana was a bit too sweet and had a banana fragrance that was too heavy for me, I probably should have opted for their normal banana flavor rather than the roasted version.

Nomming in the Bay: Part 1

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:31:38 -0400

Not gonna lie… starting to run out of clever titles for my posts. Maybe that means I should write posts per restaurant again as I eat at them! (If only I had that much time on my hands…)

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, SF

Foccacia. With Olive Oil & Garlic, Olive Oil, Olive Oil & Pepper Dip. This was pretty bomb, nice soft bread with olive oil, my fave! I also loved the one with the garlic, made my bread extra delish ‘cuz garlic makes everything taste better!

Meatball Gigante. With Wild Mushroom, Pancetta, and Robiola Sauce. This was SO good! The best meatball I’ve ever eaten in my life! They also limit their offering to 25 of these per day, they’re pretty damn special and pretty damn delicious! They actually have 3 other sauces to choose from but we ended up choosing this one based on our server’s recommendation and it was nommy in my tummy!

Margherita Pizza Napoletana. San Felice Flour, San Marzano Tomatoes, Sea Salt, Mozzarella Fior di Latte, Fresh Basil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This 900 degree wood fired pizza is hot stuff! Literally one of THE BEST PIZZAS I’ve ever tasted in my life, definitely rivaling those of the birthplace of pizza, Naples, Italy. There is a reason why it won the world pizza cup, it is THAT legit! The crust was just as crispy yet airy yet doughy just like the one I had in Naples. The ingredients were also super fresh and very delicious! This is my favorite pizza! I crave it all the time and I don’t even like pizza that much, that is how good it is!

Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant, SF

Combination Platter (Small Size). Soybean Sheet, BBQ Pork, Tofu, Sweet & Sour Wheat Gluten. This was super good, we actually regretted getting the small size and wished we had gotten the large one instead, it was THAT GOOD! The flavors of everything was really good, reminded me of the tofu and soy “meats” I had in China.

Eggplant With Sea Bass. This was nommy too. The pieces of “sea bass” and eggplant blended in together so well me and my friend both had difficulty deciphering which was which on the plate. The soy protein pieces were delish and even had the fishy fragrance and texture of sea bass in them!

Fragrant Crispy Chicken. Om nom nom! So good! This reminded me a bit of orange chicken except in soy form! Like the sea bass, it too, had the taste and texture of chicken. Yummy in my tummy! Definitely going to try their chicken nuggets next time!

Eos Restaurant & Wine Bar, SF

Super cool napkin ring.

Got a Yelp Deal for an 8 course prix-fixe meal with wine, pretty good deal! We went for the meat option rather than the vegetarian.

Spanish Sparkling Wine. Cava Brut Reserve Gran Gusta. Alright wine, definitely have had better sparkling wine, but whatevers, it came with the deal so ya can’t be picky!

Bread. With Olive Oil. Loved their olive oil, green olive oil = best olive oil. This olive oil definitely had a refreshing taste of good olive oil and wasn’t acidic at all, extra good with nommy bread!

Oyster. Topped with Miso Sauce and Caviar. Amuse Bouche. This was nommy! The oyster was fresh and sweet. It was extra delish with the caviar. Noms!

Wild Arugula Salad. With Fully Belly Farm Melon, Chevre and Pistachios. This was super good!! I love me some arugula since I love how fresh and green it tastes. The melon and the pistachios were a nice touch, it added more texture and flavors to the dish.

Lemongrass Crusted Ahi Tuna Tower. With Crispy Wontons and White Miso. It reminded me of a ahi tuna nachos I had at another restaurant previously. Except this dish was much better here because the crispy wonton chips were actually freshly fried. This was alright, but I have to admit I was slightly disappointed that it wasn’t actually a “tower.” I expected something with more height to it. The tuna itself was okay, not horrible, but nothing to write home about either.

Crispy Chicken. With Potato Glaze and Plum Glaze. This was not my favorite dish of the night. The chicken was very flavored, meaning salty, but not very “crispy.” It was also a bit too dry for my liking. I have a personal preference for moister chicken.

Sweet Corn Risotto. With Apple Salad. This was delicious! One of the best risottos I’ve eaten to date, flavor-wise. Ingredient-wise I was disappointed in the fact that they used canned corn. I mean corn isn’t THAT expensive and with the prices they’re charging I’m sure they could afford to use frozen corn at least, if not fresh corn. Skimping on ingredients makes me one sad panda!

Grilled Summer Squash. With Citrus Vinaigrette and Thai Basil Ricotta. This was really good, but super rich and since I was getting full by this course I wasn’t able to eat too much. However, I love summer squash and I could tell it was really fresh. I ended up taking this home and my parents finished it in 5 minutes, just a testament as to how good it was.

Slow Cooked Pork Belly. With Creamy Grits and Stone Fruit Chutney. This was alright, also super rich and fatty. It was well cooked and very tender but by this point I was so full, I couldn’t eat that much more and it wasn’t THAT great.

Ice Cream Sampler. (Top to bottom) With Mint, Peanut Butter, Passion Fruit, Coffee and Coconut. This was nommy goodness! I’m usually not a fan of ice creams at restaurants for dessert unless they’re either really good or they’re a special flavor I can’t get elsewhere. My faves were the mint and the passion fruit, the others weren’t all that special. I usually don’t like mint ice cream because I tend to think it tastes like toothpaste but this one didn’t and it was really good, more like vanilla with a hint of mint. The passion fruit was also super delish, tasted really fragrant and fresh.

Napoleon Super Bakery, Oakland

Meat Floss Bun. This was alright, I’ve definitely had better elsewhere. I also didn’t like how the bun had butter inside, I wish it was just bread inside since the meat floss by itself has enough flavor for me already.

I also tried their chocolate layer cake, egg tart and pineapple bun. I thought their cake was really good, haven’t had a chocolate cake that good in awhile, so I liked it a lot. Their egg tarts and pineapple buns could be improved though. I’m not really a fan of their buns since I feel like there isn’t enough substance to them. Their egg tarts are alright but I’ve definitely had better from Ruby King.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. Looks SO delish! Click for recipe.

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:43:00 -0400

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes.

Looks SO delish! Click for recipe.