lexmob's Profile
Locanda da Eva Opening Night
My wife and I were part of pane's party of six, and we agree that the overall experience was pleasant, kicked off by a nice space that strikes the right balance of warm, lively and intimate, and carried through by good, and sometimes very good, food.
Our favorite appetizers were the griddled beef tongue and the nectarine and arugula salad -- the tongue had perfect texture and the flavor was just gamey enough, and the salad was a tasty and refreshing contrast to the richer items on our table. We agree with heidipie's observation that the crudo's flavor was too mild, although its flavor might have fared better if it wasn't surrounded by other, bolder dishes.
The spaghetti had excellent sea flavors and seemed to be a universal favorite. On the other hand, we thought that the ricotta ravioli didn't really showcase the ricotta effectively.
Like others at our table, we really liked the kale and crescenza pizza, which incorporated two strong flavors that complemented each other very well. We also liked the early girl tomato pizza, it was just a well-rendered version of a simple concept. The braised pork pizza was good, but some of the meat was crisp to the point of being a bit dry. We agree with everyone that the fried corn was great.
All in all, we thought that it was a really good start!
jong ga house report
After not eating at Jong Ga House for over a year, we tried it twice recently (dining in and taking out -- we live in SF but we visit my wife's Korean relatives in the East Bay almost every week).
When we dined in, we ordered daegi bulgogi, kimchi dolsot bibimbap, and the two-person haemul jeongol. Everything was tastier than we'd remembered, and the banchan was almost as plentiful and varied as Sura's. For takeout, we got kimchi chigae, soon doobu chigae, yukejang, and kalbi. Everything held up well, and the stews were pleasantly spicy. We still like Ohgane, Sura, and Sahn Maru a bit more but Jong Ga House deserves to be in the rotation.
TOP "essential" New York Restaurants $ to $$$$
My wife and I have been to Yasuda about a dozen times or so in the last few years, and Zo and Mori twice each (we live in San Francisco now but we used to live in New York). We agree wholeheartedly with Porthos about Yasuda's rice, and, although we enjoyed Zo and Mori very much, we definitely prefer Yasuda.
The first time we went to Mori, we agreed that his rice was among the best we had ever tried… but not as good as Yasuda's (whom we consider the best all-around sushi chef in our dining experience; his nigiri omakase would make the short list for my last meal). We got into a conversation with Mori and the Japanese diners sitting next to us, and learned that Mori and Yasuda actually worked together in Japan. Mori himself had an evidently high opinion of Yasuda, and seemed rather proud to have worked alongside him before. (When we brought Mori up to Yasuda in a subsequent visit, Yasuda responded in his characteristically laconic and gruff fashion that he remembered working in the same restaurant as Mori, but didn't really venture an opinion one way or another about him, which is probably as close to a compliment as he will give to another sushi chef.)
Anyway, I don't know if the Mori-Yasuda connection is common knowledge among Chowhounds, but I hadn't seen it referenced before. I'm glad they went to different cities to spread their skills around, but I wish that a third colleague of theirs would come out here to SF! In the meantime, we'll continue making trips to NY and LA for sushi. We'll be eating at Yasuda in about a month, and we're looking forward to seeing if our experience is as good as it has been over the years.
Pagan: Chowdown Report
Ruth organized a chowdown in honor of Grayelf's visit at Pagan, a Burmese place in the outer Richmond (that also serves some Thai dishes; we ordered exclusively from the Burmese menu). There were 16 of us total, so we split into two groups of 8. Overall, my wife (Joanne) and I (Amit) thought that the 2 soups, 2 salads and 8 entrees ordered by our half of the chowdown were very good. Specifically, our group got the following dishes:
- Moo Hin Ga (mohinga in other restaurants): this fish chowder was excellent, comparing favorably to the mohingas at Yamo, Larkin Express Deli and Burma Superstar.
- Chin Hin Yee (Burmese hot and sour soup): a thinner broth than its Chinese analogue, but welcome on a chilly night. Like the rest of the food labeled "hot" or "spicy," the heat was not overwhelming; pretty accessible for those not into very spicy food.
- Lap Pat Thut (tea leaf salad): Tasty, although one member of our group took exception to the fact that it included lettuce.
- Lat Thut Song (rainbow salad): I can't remember the nine ingredients, but I remember cilantro, peanuts, tomato and (surprisingly) potato; the staff doesn't mix it up for you like they do theatrically at Burma Superstar.
- Spicy Eggplant with Dried Shrimp: evocative of the close link between Burmese and Indian food because of the eggplant/potato combination. However, the eggplant taste was arguably overwhelmed by the shrimp flavor, which was extremely strong. I noticed that this was the dish with the most left over at the end of the night, probably because the shrimp taste was best in small doses.
- Chin Mong Jaw with Shrimp: a dish with an intensely sour flavor, coming from "Burmese style sour vegetables." Most people really liked this dish but one person thought the sour taste was too strong.
- Shrimp Biryani: maybe the most overall disappointing dish of the night; it really had very little flavor or aroma that would lead one to describe it as anything more than rice with shrimp in it.
- Burmese Style Curry Lamb: wonderful smoky curry flavor, and the lamb was succulent and tasty. A great dish.
- Burmese Style Fish Cake Curry: this dish went the fastest; it was more sour and less smoky than the lamb curry, most likely because of the presence of tamarind.
- Nan Gyi Dok (Mild Chicken Curry): very mild and creamy because of split pea yellow powder; I am not a chicken fan but I loved it.
- Nan Pia Dok (flat noodles chicken curry): while the Nan Gyi Dok was served over rice noodles, this was served over more of a chow fun noodle. The great texture to the noodle made it a totally different, and very tasty, dish.
- See Jyet Kaukswer: this pork noodle dish was not curried like the others, but still had a bold flavor; it was a good contrast.
Hopefully, these quick descriptions will get the ball rolling on a more full discussion of the dishes, particularly the ones at the other table! Thanks to Ruth for organizing a wonderful meal and evening.
Five Happiness: Duck, Duck, Duck Chowdown Report (and Dessert Creations at Hui Lau Shan)
Not that much to add about the wonderful dinner. Like everyone else, my wife (Joanne) and I (Amit) really enjoyed the tea-smoked duck, and we also liked the soup, which was a little rich (it was made from the duck carcass, after all) without seeming too heavy.
As for dessert (aka The Afterparty), everyone ordered their own desserts, but then passed them around to share. We got the following:
- mixed fruit with coconut and sesame ice creams; the sesame ice cream was especially notable, an unadulterated explosion of pure sesame flavor.
- the sago in mango and coconut juice; I don’t generally like the mangoes that are widely available in the U.S. (too fibrous and not sweet enough), but the fibrousness wasn't a problem here and the milder flavor matched up well with the coconut and sago.
- the taro and black rice with rice balls and coconut pudding. I thought it was a visually engaging dish, and that the rice balls had just the right glutinous texture and hint of sweetness.
- a black sesame dish that doesn't appear to be on the website (it was on the specials menu). This might have been my favorite dish; the flavor was so intense that it even had notes of chocolate and coffee grounds. Completely not what I was expecting.
- the stewed egg white dessert with crystal snow and hot milk. It was well-received at the table, but I have to admit that it was too subtle (i.e., not sweet enough) for me.
- the french toast. There's a story behind this: when we first walked in, all of us thought we smelled really tasty donuts. We asked the waitress about the smell and she informed us that it was the french toast. Well, it smelled so good that we felt we had to get it. Unfortunately, it was the last dish to arrive, so I was too full to try it; if somebody else has a comment about it, please chime in.
- the mango mochi; my bite didn't contain any of the filling, but the mochi part was good and others at the table said that the filling had a very satisfying tart/tangy flavor to it.
Hopefully, these quick descriptions will get the the ball rolling. Thanks so much again to Melanie for organizing, and best wishes to Dave!
Brunch at Bar Tartine - Report
My wife and I live in the area and have been to Bar Tartine for brunch a few times. We've always enjoyed the french toast and have never felt that the portion was too small. It's certainly not a cheap brunch, but as Dave MP noted, I think you could do worse in the area for less tasty food. We also like Universal Cafe's brunch, especially for savory items, but we prefer the french toast at Bar Tartine.
Sub-par meal at Sauce
My wife and I were with wanderlust21, and we agree that the desserts were good but not great. The price was decent -- around $20 for the sampler. We were a little disappointed that they hadn't changed their dessert menu from the last time we were there (also just for dessert) a few months ago (when the strawberries were, not surprisingly, much better). But overall, everything tasted fine and we'd return for dessert if we have a hankering in the neighborhood (and miette is closed).
Oliveto Birthday Banquet
If you go up the stairs, it's in the very back of the restaurant. I believe that there were windows opposite the door of entry, but our backs were to them. The table was in a U-shape, arranged so that the U opened up toward the entry door, and people could be seated on the insides of the U as well as the outsides.
Also, in case any of you have guests with any mobility concerns and were concerned by the fact that the dining room is upstairs, there is an elevator.
Oliveto Birthday Banquet
The dining room was totally private; it was in its own separate room, sealed off from the rest of the dining room by a door. No curtains involved.
Oliveto Birthday Banquet
It was $85 per person, plus $400 for the room rental, plus drinks (which we ordered a la carte, but you could definitely order for the tables and they'll help you out with that), tax and mandatory gratuity (I think 20%). I don't have the itemized receipt on me right now, but if I recall more specific info, I'll let you know.
Waffle Mania Belgian Waffle Truck at Civic Center Farmer's Market - SF
My wife and I just tried it based on your post. It was very good. Although the inside wasn't as hot as we would have liked, it had a nice texture and we liked the contrast between the crispy outside and the chewy center. The owners said that they plan to be there every week for the entire day, but they would have to see how business is going at that location. They also said that they get their batter from Belgium and claimed to be the only U.S. distributor. Hopefully they'll stick around, it's a nice addition to the usual farmer's market food trucks.
Oliveto Birthday Banquet
This past Friday night, we had a surprise birthday dinner for my wife at Oliveto. Because we had 18 people (including one other hound in attendance, wanderlust21), we booked the private dining room.
The meal was terrific, and not just by large banquet-style standards (which are, understandably, often not as high as those of a restaurant's non-banquet meals). The meal began with passed hors d'oevures, consisting of four different kinds of canapés: pork pate, a green herbed chevre, caramelized onion and cheese, and fava bean puree. None were spectacular, but all were perfectly tasty table-setters. The rest of the meal consisted of an appetizer course, a pasta intermezzo, a main course, and (in lieu of dessert) a birthday cake. Instead of rigidly locking all of us into one or two options for each course, the restaurant gave us 5 or 6 options for the appetizer and main courses; we would have also received 3 or 4 dessert options had we not opted for the cake instead.
For my first course, I had a "Fried Pork Trotter" with frisee, sliced radishes and Dijon mustard. I love bacon, and have a strong salty tooth, so I couldn't go wrong with this dish. The trotter (a pig forearm that was basically a confit) had a perfect internal texture, similar to the texture of bacon between the crispy and chewy extremes, which was a great contrast to the deep-fried coating. Also in perfect contrast were the saltiness and fattiness of the trotter and the frisee/radish side, which provided a necessary bitterness and acidity. My wife went with a lighter alternative--shaved fennel with sliced fuji apples and hazelnuts and honey vinegar--that was crisp and refreshing. I also tried wanderlust21's dish, a spicy rabbit confit with pancetta and new potatoes. This was delicious; wanderlust21 and I spent some time afterward debating which was the best dish of the night, my trotter or her rabbit.
The pasta intermezzo was a very small portion of simple tagliolini in a creamy bolognese sauce. For the vegetarians in the group, the restaurant thoughtfully prepared the same pasta, but in an olive oil preparation with chick peas and some very savory leaf that I couldn't identify. Like the hors d'oevures, the intermezzos did their job, being satisfying without threatening to upstage the other courses.
My main course was a spit-roasted wild boar belly and loin. It was good, and again, very porky and salty. It was also humongous, to the point where I could only eat half of it. Also, I'm not generally one of those people who can be put off by the sheer size of a piece of meat, but this was pushing my limits. I liked my wife's dish better: petrale sole rolled around wild nettles, spinach and porcini mushrooms.
Finally, the birthday cake was Oliveto's bittersweet chocolate torte, supersized to birthday-cake proportions. Everybody who likes chocolate liked it… which is to say, everybody liked it.
The food, however, was only part of the story. Even more than the great meal, what will stand out in my mind was how great the restaurant was about helping me plan this dinner; there was a lot of last-minute planning, but the people with whom I was working at Oliveto never gave me any attitude or any response other than their best efforts to help me out and make the event a special one for my wife. Our head server, Drew, was also great (although his supporting wait staff was admittedly a little bumbly). In contrast, when I approached Chez Panisse about the possibility of doing this dinner there, they were incredibly cold and unfriendly. So while I'd recommend Oliveto heartily for a meal, I'd recommend it even more enthusiastically for a special event.
