rccola_and_moonpie's Profile
Worth a trip to Alameda?
At Speisekammer, I always order the jaeger schnitzel w/ spaetzle and their perfectly pickle-y mixed salad. Tried their fish once...and went back to the jaeger schnitzel.
I like the new outpost of Otaez as well. Certainly swankier than the Int'l location and they make a mean margarita, a perfect stop after haggling in the sun (or, rain, this month) at the Alameda flea market!
Hot Sandwich Hunt
You know what else? The roast pork sandwich from Saigon Sandwiches on Larkin in SF has that whole juicy, hot, meaty thing going on that works when you're in a "hot sandwich" mood.
OK, yeah, I know...
Like another person needs to mention Saigon Sandwiches! But there's a line out the door every single day of the week for good reason.
Hot Sandwich Hunt
I LOVE Ted's Deli on Howard and 11th in SF! There is no seating there so you have to take your sandwich to go and gobble it, but they make 'em big and cheap. Ted's has a rotating weekly menu of hot roasted meats available different days-- turkey, (steamed) pastrami, pork, and tri-tip plus meatloaf and meatballs. If you want the daily special, just make sure to get there early cause they seem to sell out. I showed up at 2:30 one Thursday for some NY pastrami and was out of luck.
My co-worker loves Morty's on Golden Gate & Hyde for their hot meatball sandwiches.
Does anybody remember Eugene's Ranch House, now the site of Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe? I used to love getting the hot open-faced beef sandwich with gravy and a side of their house hot mustard before they closed some years back.
But damn if I've seen a lamb dip like they serve a Philippe's or a pastrami on rye like they have at Langer's in the Bay Area. Sometimes I just have to weep quietly to myself about this and then walk to Ted's to cheer myself up by wrestling with one of their tri-tip sandwiches on a soft roll.
No More Luxury in Oakland, replaced by Kang Nam Pho
Since I live near Temescal, I decided to check this place out last week since it is a much closer option than trekking out to El Cerrito, Chinatown or International for pho. I was pleasantly suprised by my meal there!
When I sat down the waitress brought over a mug of bori cha (Korean barley tea) and couple bowls of different kim chis.
My dining companion and I decided against ordering some of the korean appetizers to go with our pho and it was a wise choice -- we could hardly finish our bowls of soup! I got a regular-sized pho with rare beef and tendon and my buddy got a large down of rare beef and brisket I think. KangNam definitely gets my vote for the "Most Generous with the Meat" award! There was more meat in our bowls than I've been served in any other pho place. I liked that the tendons were sort of sliced on the bias instead of in big cylinders and still had a little chew to them .
Not necessarily the most mind-blowing pho I've ever eaten but perfectly serviceable and a great, very-filling value. And who doesn't love kim chi?
Yucatecan Crawl in three parts
I regret that I was only able to make it for the final leg of chowing yesterday. I'm definitely glad I got to check out Chichen Itza -- it is a real gem in my opinion. The restaurant itself is comfortable and the service is very warm. And the fact that they will provide service for wines you bring in without a corkage fee (right?) is a real added plus!
I thought everything we had was at least "good," altho' I do agree that the mole was the least interesting. I'll echo the praise for the tamales colados as well as the poc chuc and simple but delicious escabeche de pavo. I also enjoyed the estofado de borrego and the novelty of scooping up creamy mashed potatoes with one fork while digging into black beans with habanero salsa with the other. I thought the duck was cooked well but where was the orange sauce?
Even my guest, a recovering "picky eater," enjoyed everything that was served. As we scraped up the last bits of caramel and whipped cream from the banana dessert I asked him why he didn't just lick the plate clean. "Well...I just met these people," he whispered back.
Thanks to everyone who shared wine. I had a really enjoyable time and of course wish Kare Raisu happy chowing the SD/LA area. I hope to see you over a styrofoam container of barbacoa de borrego at El Huarache Azteca sometime!
Ngu Binh - new Vietnamese @337 Jones, SF (former site of Hung Ky)
FYI - I walked by Ngu Binh last week and noticed it was gated up. Wanted to eat there today for lunch but called first to see if they'd be open. I was told that Ngu Binh closed down and that a new restaurant is being opened in its place.
Details to come...
Satay Beef Ho Fun Soup at Hai Ky Mi Gia, SF
I'm currently OBSESSED with Hy Kai!
I work nearby and go for lunch often. Don't even think of trying to go with a group of people during peak lunch hours unless you are willing to wait for a table and/or share your table -- this place is hopping!
I've also had the satay soup and can echo that it makes a delicious, if rich lunch. They do give you a little bowl of broth on the side to cut the richness.
One of my favorite "little touches" here are the pots of freshly-chopped jalapenos in vinegar. Seems like they are replenished many times through the day.
Ngoc Mai: Bun Bo Hue and Others
Just as I suspected -- there is reference to pig's blood in the bun bo hue another poster got at Ngoc Mai. Wonder what it is about me that screams "don't put pig's blood in my soup!"...
I did a quick search on Ngoc Mai before posting but I didn't see too much discussion on the bun bo hue. Guess I didn't look closely enough. Still, I'm curious why some servings of bun bo hue would have pig's blood and some wouldn't...
Ngoc Mai: Bun Bo Hue and Others
Just stopped into Ngoc Mai (Hyde and Geary in SF) and got a bowl of bun bo hue for lunch. I was intrigued by the list of Hue specialties that they offer and pretty excited for my soup to arrive.
I eat a lot of pho but I rarely eat bun bo hue because it either isn't on the menu or doesn't seem to be a specialty at most of the pho places I go. Even given my relative inexperience with this dish, I'm pretty sure I got the "non-Asian" version of it -- only a few globs of spicy oil rather than a layer and there was nary a cube of blood in sight.
Can anybody else who has had the bun bo hue at Ngoc Mai report? I'm betting that they can do a better version than what I got
Also, I'd love to hear about some of the other dishes they offer -- there was an order of banh xeo at almost every other table. I'd like to go back and try a sampling of their best dishes when I have a few companions and more room in my belly.
Finally: Tu Lan
I work near Tu Lan and pretty much only go there for lunch. I make sure I go late, around 2pm to avoid crowds. AND I always sit at the counter to catch the pyrotechnics and avoid feeling closed in by the dingy walls.
Pretty much the only things I order are the imperial rolls, Hanoi-style pho and spicy beef soup. I've had other things and been disappointed.
Richmond - Cazuelas Grill – Serious posole and tortilla greatness at Hilltop Mall
I am excited to hear about this and will be sure to try the posole soon.
But, speaking of birria, a lot of the versions I've had around here have been too much fat and bone, not enough goat meat -- anybody have a great birria rec? Oakland, SF or South SF would be best but I'd be willing to travel about an hour to sample!
Chowdown at Taco Max (Report)
It seems like most of the diners are pretty interested in Arturo and willing to forgive the shortcomings of the meal in a show of support for a chef who is struggling to establish his business. It would have been *great* to talk to him more about where the ingredients we were eating came from, how he plans his menu, what he'd like to do in the future...even to hear anecdotes about having his business in the mall! I can understand that he was probably overwhelmed by trying to serve 20 people from styrofoam plates in the middle of the mall! Perhaps he should have just done family-style servings.
EN: thanks for your erudite take on the meal -- can you just cook the food for the next chowdown? The gathering at Taco Max might have missed the mark but my hat is still off to you for trying to do something a little different.
Has anyone tried the tortas at Taco Max that can report? Keep us posted about Arturo's ventures -- I'd sample his eats if they were available at a farmer's market or whatnot. I might even drive back to Santa Rosa to do so (especially since then I could hit up those tortillerias in Sonoma in an effort to find a flour tortilla that rivals the ones I grew up eating in Tucson)!
Chowdown at Taco Max (Report)
I agree, "spicy" is totally relative.
That is why I love condiments -- everyone can add hot sauce/chile to suit their own palette!
I'm not advocating spicing up the whole pot with enough chiles to blast everyone away.
Chowdown at Taco Max (Report)
I'd like to second the question about the "Peruvian" ceviche. I guess I wondering if we could get some explanation as to what made it Peruvian.
I would have expected perhaps some cancha, or a partial ear of corn or a boiled potato or something.
The only thing unusual I noticed about this ceviche was that there was a small amount of ginger. I did a little bit of searching it I did find recipes for or references to ceviches with ginger or ginger juice but I don't know if that is uniquely Peruvian.
Perhaps there someone out there able and willing to drop some expert ceviche knowledge!
Chowdown at Taco Max (Report)
WELL...
I'm struggling here because I really don't want to say anything negative about a chef who obviously has his heart in the right place. Just the fact that there is an independent operation like this in a *mall* is reason enough to check it out if you happen to be at the Coddingtown Center in Santa Rosa. I supposed I should have tried something from the regular menu to report on as well.
Without going into the specifics of each dish, one small thing I felt was missing that could have made a huge difference: garnishes! Seems like I am the only mentioning this, but I would have liked a little more spice -- some bottles of hot sauce or bowls of chile/salsa would have been welcome. I love a healthy squirt of lime on just about anything. And a few radishes would have been nice to munch on as a palate cleanser. Even taco trucks provide these basic but, in my mind, essential accoutrements.
The hot Aztec hot chocolate made by Eat Nopales, along with his recounting of the recipe, was the thing that made the drive in the rain up from Oakland truly worthwhile ... well, that and meeting everyone and cribbing their North Bay chow notes. Obviously Eat Nopales' cocoa far surpassed the version we got at the Warm Puppy Cafe to drink as we watched kiddies skate to Bon Jovi at the Snoopy ice rink -- it came from a machine and was topped with Reddi-Whip but you could have guessed that.
Afterwards, Kare Raisu escorted my accomplice and I to Wine Spectrum so that we could wet our whistles. We had a great time tasting wines and comparing notes. I found Wine Spectrum to be a really laid-back and enjoyable place to taste -- no small feat given that this was on a Saturday night and any comparable place in Berkeley or San Francisco would likely have been uncomfortably bustling.
