Michael Rodriguez's Recent Activity
Chowhound Post
Gu Yue Long Shan rice wine?
Does anyone know of a source for this Chinese rice wine? Can anyone write the name in Chinese, so I can show it to shopkeepers?
Thank you for your help.
Michael Rodriguez
Chowhound Post
Lunch at Jai Yun
I think most/many people associate Chinese food with cheap. For example, Bruce Cost tried to run a restaurant in Opera Plaza years ago and failed. His prices were in the Jai Yun class. As I recall, he attributed the restaurant's failing to customers' unwillingess to pay for fine food. The people you refer to who looked in and walked out may have been expecting cheap food, not great food. In a similar vein I was in a teahouse in Beijing years ago, enjoying Long Jing and chatting with the proprietor, when an American couple walked in. They balked at paying the price of tea service.
I hope Jai Yun prospers, but I fear it may not.
Chowhound Post
Source for Heavy Plastic Film
The plastic film (plastic wrap) from the supermarket is too flimsy for my clumsy fingers. It wraps itself to itself faster than I can get it to wrap a bowl, etc. My local Safeway carries only two brands, neither of which is satisfactory. Is there an online source for a heavy plastic wrap?
Thanks for your help.
Chowhound Post
25th Anniversary Dinner
The last time my wife and I had dinner at the (The?) Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton we lamented the disappearance of the smaller tasting menu to the server. He said (I paraphrase) "No problem; pick some starters and main courses and the chef will adjust the sizes of the portions." And that's just what happened. We shared four starters, two mains, lots of amusees before and after, and walked away very happy.
The wine list is marvelous.
Chowhound Post
25th Anniversary Dinner
The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton. Or Coi.
Chowhound Post
Blue Star Range
I have a 30" Blue Star with 3 22,000 BTU burners. I love it. I have a 700 CFM hood above it. I think the hood is a necessity, since the stove creates a lot of heat.
Chowhound Post
Lunch at Jai Yun
My wife and I ate lunch at Jai Yun yesterday. We asked for the $18/person menu and received six cold dishes and six hot dishes. The food was mainly Shanghainese, with one off-course excursion (kong bao chicken). As we tasted the first few dishes we looked up to say to each other, "As good as being in China." A cold dish as simple as thinly sliced cucumbers dressed with a little vinegar was bright, flavorful, and rich. The abalone slices with scrambled egg whites were really good. There was a cold dish of Shanghai "smoked" fish, another of layers of dried and rehydrated dofu--both were distinctively flavored and reminded us of eating in China (I wish I could be more precise). Another hot dish was a tangle of tiny wild mushrooms deep-fried and luscious--I thought I was back in Yunnan.
This meal ranks with the best we have eaten at China Village a couple of years ago as the best Chinese food we have eaten on this side of the Pacific.
Chowhound Post
Hanger Steak
Hanger steak is the most flavorful steak of all, in my experience. I simply grill it, let it rest for a few minutes, and slice it. Nothing else is needed.
Chowhound Post
Once a year splurge
The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton has tons of interesting items on the menu (check the website), and the service is attentive without being at all overbearing. It is not at all stuffy and cold. My wife and I just celebrated an anniversary there and were completely pleased. For us it's either there or Chez Panisse for a special date.
Chowhound Post
ISO Source for Bulk Unsweetened Valrhona or Callebaut Cocoa Powder
Ratto's in Oakland sells Valrhona. Ask Elena, the manager, if she would sell you large quantities. I bet she would.
Chowhound Post
Gas Range Advice?
Last summer my wife and I bought a Blue Star 30" stove. It doesn't have the timer setting you wish, but it has everything else. The arrangement for using a wok is especially useful to me, as I use a wok every day. The oven is the largest I know of in a 30" stove. Three burners are very hot--22K BTU. The oven has a convection fan which I find useful, sometimes. The shelves (there are three) are sturdier than any others I have seen in home stoves.
My wife cooks very little, and she says she loves the stove. I think that means that even the occasisonal cook appreciates its excellences.
Chowhound Post
Oliveto's Oceanic Dinners
My wife and I have enjoyed these oceanic dinners in years past, but this year's version is, to our minds, even better. We had planned to go for two evenings this year; after tonight's dinner we will return for our third dinner tomorrow. The crudo plates are superb--7, 8, or 9 examples of perfectly fresh fish accompanied by as many garnishes or sauces. Very exciting. The Cannelloni were outstanding--rich and flavorful. Tomorrow night we plan to get to the wood oven roasted fish--petrale, mackerel, or black bass. Or maybe all three. Overall I think the crudo plates are the some of the best things I've ever eaten.
Chowhound Post
Help! Want to grill Ribs Without BBQ Sauce
I frequently prepare ribs following that recipe. I sometimes modify it by using salt and toasted Sichuan pepper. Also, I have found that cooking the ribs for a long time in a slow oven enhances their flavor. The taste of pork is the highlight, not the taste of sauce.
Chowhound Post
Dinner Recs for booth seating in Oakland?
Caffe Verbena (11th and Broadway) has very good food, a small private room, booths (though I think they seat four, not six), and is usually quiet at dinner. The fish dishes in my experience are uniformly excellent.
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Where to eat rabbit?
I ate a delicious rabbit confit at Oliveto last week.
Chowhound Post
ISO Korean shaved ice- pat bing soo?
In Berkeley on Bancroft, a little west of Telegraph, is a coffee shop with lots of Korean offerings. I have seen a shaved ice dish there. Since I know nothing about Korean food I do not know if this is what you want. But there are tons of Korean students there eating this dish.
Chowhound Post
Roast Pig Head?
Here in Oakland's Chinatown there are several restaurants which have chickens, spare ribs, barbeque pork, roast pork, and so forth hanging in the front window. Frequently there will be the head of the roasted (not barbequed) pig in the window. Crispy ears, crunchy skin--everything you might want. Is that what you are looking for?
Chowhound Post
R & G Lounge....avoid
I'm with you. Chinese food in China is so good, so varied, so vibrant, my wife and I rarely eat Chinese food in this country. Dim sum sometimes (Legendary Palace in Oakland), and Shandong (also in Oakland). Other than that, we wait until our next trip to China.
Chowhound Post
French Green Lentils
One cup of lentils, 2 1/2 cups of water, one bay leaf, and one Knorr vegetarian bouillon cube. Cook for 20 minutes or so. Add more water if needed. Green lentils are wonderful with duck confit. My 3 year-old granddaughter loves them with anything. Strange kid.
Chowhound Post
Electric Fryer for Home Use
I tried two or three electric fryers and liked none of them. Now I use a cast iron dutch oven, which is also useful for pot roast, etc. It's much more convenient, and I don't have yet another gadget to store somewhere.
Chowhound Post
Your "pro-style" range: Would you spend the money again?
I bought a 30" BlueStar several months ago. So far I love it. The oven is large. The burners put out lots of heat (22,000 BTU). The grates are heavy and continuous across the top of the stove, so I can push a pot or pan off the heat easily. And it didn't cost $7,000, just $4,000, which is still a lot of money for me. I think it's worth the price.
Chowhound Post
Boston hound needs recs for great dining at the bar
Tadich on California Street. Great food, great food at the bar. Chat up the locals on either side of you. Walk back through the fog.
Chowhound Post
Specific request for Oakland Chinatown
Legendary Palace (corner of Franklin and 7th) offers dim sum for takeout. You might try calling ahead. I quite like their dim sum served at the table. They (it?) might travel well.
Chowhound Post
Deep Frying Oil and Trans Fat
I use rice bran oil for deep frying, because it is free of trans fat. My wife believes that repeated use of the oil creates trans fat. Can anyone substantiate that? Urban myth?
Thanks for your help.
Chowhound Post
Chinese chives
The markets in my neighborhood are full of Chinese chives. They look wonderful, but I don't know what to do with them. I welcome some suggestions.
Thank you.
Michael Rodriguez
Chowhound Post
Tasting Menu San Francisco
I see people in the dining room at the RItz-Carlton dressed very casually.
Chowhound Post
Rice Oil
I use rice bran oil for deep frying. (The label calls it rice oil; the ingredients list calls it rice bran oil.) It has a very high smoke point. The label says it is "trans fat free." I buy it online from www.californiariceoil.com.
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What Dish Is Your State Famous For, i.e., What Was Invented There?
Hangtown fry was invented, according to myth, in Hangtown, California (now Placerville). And some claim the Martini was invented in Martinez, California.
