Foodnut8's Profile
Rome near Pantheon, Colosseo
Heading to Rome and looking for mid priced rec's near Pantheon and Colosseo. Any food that shows off what Rome has to offer is ok. Are reservations necessary?
Is there a good Neopolitan pizza place nearby? Or is it all roman style?
Also one place you'd goto in Naples if you had 1 day there..!
Thanks!
Such thing as a delicious brunch buffet in SF?
The Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay Sunday Brunch buffet is great but expensive..!
http://www.foodnut.com/205/ritz-carlton-half-moon-bay-navio-sunday-brunch-restaurant-review-half-moon-bay/
Palace Hotel's is decent but not stellar.
http://www.foodnut.com/797/palace-hotel-garden-court-sunday-brunch-buffet-review-san-francisco/
Traveling the world in search of the most lavash buffet.. Conrad in Hong Kong is pretty stellar.
http://www.foodnut.com/587/conrad-hotels-nicolinis-sunday-brunch-on-the-eight-restaurant-review-hong-kong/
Double Chinese Brunch! Shanghai Dumpling King [San Francisco] AND Koi Palace [Daly City]
Well done.
Next time you might try the Shanghai restaurants down on the Peninsula.
Sunny Shanghai and Shanghai Dumpling shop..
http://www.foodnut.com/chinese-restaurant-san-francisco/
Best place for Dim Sum? {also Sushi, San Francisco]
The owner of The Kitchen in Millbrae bought Asian Pearl about a month ago...
Had dim sum the other day at The Kitchen and found it very good.
Vault 164 - San Mateo
Vault 164 recently opened in San Mateo.
Full Review with Pictures: http://www.foodnut.com/892/vault-164-restaurant-review-san-mateo/
Finally! A new hotspot on the San Francisco Peninsula.
Why did we dine here? – Vault 164 recently opened in downtown San Mateo. This restaurant is one of a few high end American eateries in this area. This welcome addition has very nice, modern decor, making one feel like they were in San Francisco, not the suburbs. The chef is Carlos Salcedo (Max’s). This joins old school Viognier and 231 Ellsworth as the high end American dining establishments in this area.
Insider Tip – Make reservations as this place was crowded for dinner.
Cuisine – New American
Location – Downtown San Mateo
Opened – January 2012
Service – Vault 164 had very good service with a friendly waitress who helped us navigate the menu as well as kept our experience positive.
Verdict – Vault 164 surprised us with very good food and service in a beautiful and historic building. If you are in the area, give it a try. Across the street is top notch Italian restaurant Osteria Coppa.
Signature Dishes – Pork Chop, Lamb Shank
Vault 164 San Mateo Menu
Vault 164′s Menu changes regularly. They have a wide selection of starters. Many different kinds of entrees including several steaks as well as sandwiches.
Picks:
Blackberry mojito ($10) cruzan citrus rum, fresh mint, blackberries, lime, sugar, soda was tall, strong and balanced.
Samba Caipirinha ($10) cabana cachaca, orange, lime, & sugar was very potent but not very fruity.
Bacon wrapped dates applewood smoked, goat cheese, balsamic glaze ($9) had a sweet and savory taste to every bite. Soft and crunchy textures also. This appetizer isn’t for everyone.
Figs, prosciutto, and arugula manchego and balsamic glaze flatbread ($13) was a soft and warm flatbread with lots of sweet and salty contrast.
Hearts of romaine caesar parmesan, white anchovies, croutons, kalamata olives, shaved manchego ($7,$5 kids) looked beautiful and proved to be a decent salad.
Vermont maple glazed berkshire pork chop ($22) black shallot mashed sweet potatoes, crispy leeks was surprisingly excellent. Large, juicy, and very tender.
Braised lamb shank on lemon tomato sauce ($25) fava beans, chantrelle, shitake, and crimini mushrooms. sour cream and chive mashed potatoes was a huge dish with lots of tender lamb and a stellar gravy.
JB’s chocolate bread pudding souffle ($8) creme anglaise, – allow 20 minutes – is there signature dessert that came hot out of the oven. More of a bread pudding than a souffle.
Parallel 37 Review
Why did we dine here? - Parallel 37 is the new restaurant from Chef Ron Siegel in the Ritz Carlton San Francisco. This restaurant replaces the fine dining establishment known as the "Dining Room". This new more casual eatery should attract a more mainstream audience.
We were fans of the chef and came for a visit shortly after they opened. Parallel 37 focuses on contemporary American cuisine utilizing the freshest, local ingredients available.
This is a hotel restaurant, so you'll see families in addition to the regular fine-dining crowd.
Insider Tip - Give them time to work on their service.
Cuisine - New American
Location - San Francisco Nob Hill
Opened - December, 2011
Service - Parallel 37's service is still a work in progress.
Verdict - Parallel 37 served up very good food in a relaxed modern atmosphere. We were surprised by the food. Give them some time to work out the kinks and make a reservation. Valet parking is $10 for restaurant patrons.
Signature Dishes - Slow cooked pork, cod.
Parallel 37's Menu features a variety of starters along with a handful of entrees.
Picks:
Mojito ($15) was extremely expensive, but well made.
BAY SCALLOPS green tea, herbacious green ($9) Consisted of 4 tater tot looking tender local scallops with a nice crust on them.
KAMPACHI SASHIMI orange ginger marinade, crisp rice ($15) Looked beautiful and proved to be a very light dish with some interesting flavors when combined with the pomegranite. Good for a one-time order, but we might not order it next time.
DUNGENESS CRAB SALAD winter citrus, avocado ($16) fulfilled our desires for some fresh crab, right after season had started. No shells to contend with here.
Local Black Cod daikon radish, matsutake mushroom, local squid ($26) was a tiny portion, but extremely tender and well cooked. We could have used a piece twice as big!
SLOW COOKED PORK braised greens, flageolet beans, madeira sauce ($27) was highly recommended by the waiter and proved to be excellent. Tender meat with a nice crust and a slightly sweet sauce. The beans were cooked perfectly and rounded out the dish.
BEEF RIBEYE potatoes, chanterelle mushroom, red onion jam, pinot noir reduction ($29) was the largest of our entrees. Cooked to a perfect medium rare, tender, juicy, a dish many will enjoy.
BROCOLI RABE bacon, garlic, shallots ($7) was a tiny portion of brocolini.
ASSORTED MUSHROOMS meyer lemon ($7) included several different types of tiny mushrooms. This continues the Asian-esque minimalist dish theme.
Chocolate Decadence Cake dentelle, cinnamon passionfruit ice cream ($8) was tiny but very dense and went well with the ice cream accompaniment.
Chocolate Ice Cream ($6) Homemade was a solid version, but no match for Bi-rite.
Full review with pictures
http://www.foodnut.com/870/parallel-37-restaurant-review-san-francisco/
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Parallel 37
600 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94108
Wo Hing General Store (SF Mission) report
This is a glorified intro to Chinese cuisine many folks wouldn't normally gravitate to. Anyone on this board would probably be not a candidate to go here!
Wo Hing general store definitely has potential, but needs to enhance some dishes. This restaurant is a good place for those unfamiliar with non-Americanized Chinese food.
The service and cocktails are just right.
Only standout dishes:
Sichuan Braised Brisket with daikon ($22) was an excellent special dish that was slightly spicy and very tender.
House-made wheat noodles, pork shoulder, green cabbage, preserved radish ($14) contained lots of tender shredded pork along with some clearly homemade noodles.
Red Braised Pork Trotter ($16) was correctly done with very tender pig’s feet. Nice broth, although this dish is hard to consume all during one sitting by say 2 people.
My blog post:
http://www.foodnut.com/855/wo-hing-general-store-restaurant-review-san-francisco/
Dim Sum and XLB recommendations
I second Koi Palace. Simply the best dim sum around the SF area. Solid quality and variety. You need to travel to Vancouver or LA to top them.
City View in SF is solid, as is The Kitchen in Millbrae. Asian Pearl Millbrae is a slight step down and Hong Kong Flower Lounge - Mayflower even lower.
For XLB try Shanghai Dumpling Shop in Millbrae. I prefer it to Shanghai Dumpling King in SF.
I've learned from repeated mistakes to never order XLB or other Shanghai dishes at a Cantonese restaurant.
Also an under the radar Shanghai restaurant with very good XLB and stellar pan fried pork buns is Sunny Shanghai in San Bruno.
http://www.foodnut.com/290/sunny-shanghai-restaurant-review-san-bruno/
Cupola (San Francisco)
Ate there today and found the pizza authentic, very good but not stellar. Carne pizza was best, followed by Margherita, then the Mushroom.
I'd have to rank Una Pizza Napoletana on top of this version.
Osteria Coppa in San Mateo has been cranking out some darn good pizzas of late.
H.K. Causeway Bay, San Mateo.
We tried China Bistro for dinner this weekend and found it about the same quality as HK Causeway Bay.. Solid, nothing earth shattering. New owner, new chef.
Not sure why they believe they can succeed serving the same cuisine in the same place as the last owner! I wish them luck.
Actually the Roast Duck was pretty darn good as was the service.
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China Bistro
426 Diablo Rd, Danville, CA 94526
Park Tavern, San Francisco
Surprised this place hasn't been mentioned... The Chicken here is pretty darn good.
Full post with pics:
http://www.foodnut.com/844/park-tavern-restaurant-review-san-francisco/
Park Tavern is a new American Restaurant from the team at Marlowe. It replaced old school favorite Mooses, right on Washington Square in San Francisco's North Beach district.
The place was packed early on and is already a hot spot.
Park Tavern serves up excellent, classic American food in a beautiful location that will surely be a hit for years to come. Two page wine list with glasses from $7, bottles from $31.
Picks:
Mojito ($12) - was strong and perfectly balanced, they know how to make drinks here.
Excellent, complimentary warm Acme epi bread.
Brussels Sprout Chips ($6) are a classic dish moved over from Marlowe, light, greasy, perfect.
Lemon & basil leaf, burrata ($12) featured homemade mozzerella cheese that was slightly runny along with deep fried lemon wheels that made an interesting but workable combination.
Manila clam chowder, shaved bottarga & chives ($12) was creamy and full of flavor, all in all very good.
Deviled Eggs, bacon, pickled jalepeño & chives ($1.50 ea) are a must order. We were not fans of deviled eggs, but with one bite we were believers.
Petit "Poulet Rouge" Bloomsdale spinach & Peewee potatoes ($24) was a cornish game hen presented at the table facing upright with a tableside sauce pour. This chicken was very tender and juicy and a must order. The bloomsdale spinach and kiwi potatos were also excellent. This dish gives Zuni Cafe a run for their money.
Grilled pork chop, Italian butter bean piston, dinosaur kale, toasted garlic & chili flakes ($24) was cut in two and perfectly cooked to a juicy medium rare. A must get for pork fans like us.
Creekstone NY Steak, red wine jus, Mangalitsa butter & french fries ($29) featured two triangles of medium (slightly pink in the middle) tender meat with angular charcoal grilling embeded on the surface. Excellent french fries and a very robust sauce.
Special of the Day: Brussel Sprout Hearts ($7) were sauteed with lemon and cheese, a very nice side dish.
Dessert:
Fig & apple crisp ($7) Whole lemon gelato took about 15 minutes to arrive, hot out of the oven, but worth the wait due to the very fresh fruit and tasty crumble. The gelato was first class.
Birthday Cake - November ($7) Casey's carrot cake was the cake of the month and a great version of the classic. Better than most people expect.
Pans:
Mendocino uni, butter lettuce, chili & avocado oil ($11) - Simply did not work. They need to perform some surgery on this dish.
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Zuni Cafe
1658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Shenzhen and Guangzhou, China Recommendations
Recently visited China's Shenzhen and Guangzhou. I don't see much on this board, so I'd thought I'd share some excellent picks for future tourists as it is hard to find places if you do not speak Chinese.
Fu Gow - Shenzhen - Local place near airport with excellent food. Crab is to die for and must be reserved in advance. Taro duck is heavenly.
http://www.foodnut.com/812/fu-gow-restaurant-review-shenzen-china/
South Sea Fishing Village, Guangzhou - Classic Cantonese done right. Solid Dim Sum. Best abalone I've tasted so far.
http://www.foodnut.com/815/south-sea-fishing-village-restaurant-review-guangzhou-china/
Shi Qi Lao, Zhongshan - The place for squab. Crowded, a spectacle, but stellar squab.
http://www.foodnut.com/814/shi-qi-lao-restaurant-review-zhongsan-china/
Is going to Sai Kung worth it?
We are going to be passing through Hong Kong for a quick meal or 2 and don't want to make the trek to Sai Kung this time. Anyone recommend a top notch seafood restaurant closer to touristy Tsim Sha Tsui?
Preferably one with a large live seafood tank collection of goodies like mantis prawns, scallops, etc. A lot of the high-end restaurants don't release stock a wide variety of items available in a place like Sai Kung...
Guilin, Sanya - China Report
We were recently in Guilin, and Sanya, Hainan Island, China and noticed that there are no reports on here. Both of these areas are some of the most beautiful parts of China. A great change of pace from the big cities.
On the 3rd month of the 3rd day, per the lunar calendar, Guilin has a Street food Festival. We luckily encountered this and have a bunch of pictures of the interesting foods available.
http://www.foodnut.com/761/guilin-food-festival-guilin-china/
Guilin has an excellent Shangri-La hotel, that is not only an excellent hotel, but houses a branch of Hong Kong's Shang Palace. The food at dinner was very good, but they have an all you can eat lunch dim sum that is a bargain, and features. Good quality food.
Yangshou is at the end of the Li River cruise in an even more beautiful city that deserves several nights lodging. The eateries are far more crude, but we managed to find some excellent beer fish and steamed chicken their.
http://www.foodnut.com/764/2011-guilin-and-yangshou-china-restaurant-reviews/
Sanya is essentially China's Hawaii, with warm water and sandy beaches. Only found a couple good places there, and Dianping really wasn't much of a help. Hopefully others can have to my list of decent spots. A coconut hainan chicken dish we had . A Hot Springs resort, was stellar.
http://www.foodnut.com/772/2011-sanya-mini-restaurant-reviews/
Hong Kong MUST EATS AND ALL TIME FAVORITES for 6 Days of eating!!
No one has mentioned 2 Michelin star restaurant Ming court in Mong Kok. An excellent restaurant with superb truffle Wagyu beef with pumpkin. Work off your meal walking through Ladies Street!
http://www.foodnut.com/746/ming-court-restaurant-review-hong-kong/
We are big fans of Lung King Heen, it is still our favorite. I know others here question this, but combine solid food, a breathtaking view, and world-class service..
http://www.foodnut.com/249/lung-king-heen-restaurant-review-hong-kong/
Sun Tung Lok Dispenses with the view but maintains stellar food and service.
http://www.foodnut.com/735/sun-tung-lok-chinese-cuisine-restaurant-review-hong-kong/
Have someone else mentioned, live seafood is excellent in Hong Kong. Sai Kung is a stellar place to visit. one Michelin star Loaf on is a good restaurant in this area
http://www.foodnut.com/738/sai-kung-seafood-market-hong-kong/
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Lung King Heen
Finance Street, Hong Kong , HK
Dim Sum at Champagne Seafood Restaurant, San Mateo
FYI Champagne Seafood is opening up a location in Millbrae near The Kitchen, as if there were not enough Cantonese Chinese restaurant in Millbrae! They are also opening up a Japanese restaurant in Millbrae.
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Champagne Seafood Restaurant
88 E 4th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401
Locanda - is there room to bring a baby?
Yes there is room, we saw a couple with a baby when we were dining.
The food there is very good for the most part, especially the rotisserie and grilled items, and appetizers. We expected more from the pastas though. Delfina is a high benchmark!
full review:
http://www.foodnut.com/768/locanda-restaurant-review-san-francisco/
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Delfina Restaurant
3621 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Nicholini's VS Harbourside Hong Kong Sunday Brunch, which one worth visiting? Please help! Thanks
We visited Hong Kong a couple weeks ago and tried two more buffets, Tiffin Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and JW Marriott the lounge Sunday brunch buffet.
Both are very good buffets with iberico ham, foie gras, tons of desserts, etc. The Hyatt makes you pay extra for a drink package.
The advantage would go to the JW Marriott due to 3 kinds of caviar, unlimited wine and champagne, and cooked to order risotto.
We still give the overall edge to Conrad.. Can't wait for our next visit to Hong Kong for some more buffet.
Check out my blog post for a bunch of pictures to help you decide.
http://www.foodnut.com/733/jw-marriott-hong-kong-the-lounge-sunday-brunch-buffet-review-hong-kong/
http://www.foodnut.com/729/tiffin-buffet-grand-hyatt-hong-kong-review-hong-kong/
Is going to Sai Kung worth it?
If you are foodie and into seafood, which you may be since you are asking the question here, it is definitely worth visiting. We were there a couple weeks ago and can't wait to go back. Selection of seafood is stellar. If you are into golf, check out the golf course. There is a ferry from Sai Kung. We took the ferry just to go on a boat ride.
Chuen Kee Seafood is one of the larger restaurants in the area. We prefer Michelin starred Loaf On has the dining room is more comfortable and less hectic.
Check out some of my blog posts for pictures and videos of Sai Kung.
http://www.foodnut.com/738/sai-kung-seafood-market-hong-kong/
http://www.foodnut.com/252/chuen-kee-seafood-restaurant-review-hong-kong/
Chef Gator Thompson - Now at Caprino's in Belmont
Shalizaar was full, so we decided to give his new venture a try. He needs to tone down the salt.. Not bad but I'd say this is a work in progress for sure. (Assuming he stays for a while)
Pictures:
http://www.foodnut.com/725/caprinos-restaurant-review-belmont/
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Shalizaar
300 El Camino Real, Belmont, CA 94002
Caprino's Italian Restaurant
1000 6th Avenue, Belmont, CA 94002
[HK] Another dim sum thread
Hoi King Keen beggar's chicken video I took last summer. Excellent dish..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75TqzNmuvAo
French Laundry preparation questions and last minute surrounding meals
We recently dined at FL too and found it had improved over last summer. Keller was in the house cracking the whip. You can always ask the waiter for an extended menu, with additional canapes or other dishes. We were in a private room for this last meal. The service improved significantly due to this, making it almost worth the $100 per person premium.
http://www.foodnut.com/607/the-french-laundry-restaurant-review-yountville/
Nicholini's VS Harbourside Hong Kong Sunday Brunch, which one worth visiting? Please help! Thanks
Hands down Conrad for buffet. outrageous Sunday brunches in HK is always fun for us..
My next trip is coming up... Jw mariott perhaps.
See for a link with videos and my blog
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/659579
A snapshot of Tokyo dining in 4 Days: where MUST we dine?
Another Wagyu option is Gorio in Ginza. Its ratings are a bit higher than Dons de la nature
http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130103/13002356/
vs
dons:
http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13018798/dtlblog/
Can anyone shed light on the differences between the two steakhouses?
It looks like Gyu-An in Ginza is a budget option albeit probably lower quality.
http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13002336/
Yum Cha (Dim Sum) in Tokyo
Are there any good/great Tokyo Hotel Sunday Brunches? Perhaps with dim sum.. Something like Conrad or Harbourside in Hong Kong. I've seen posting of all you can eat for say 90 minutes, but how about high end places.
like this one:
http://www.foodnut.com/587/conrad-hotels-nicolinis-sunday-brunch-on-the-eight-restaurant-review-hong-kong/
A snapshot of Tokyo dining in 4 Days: where MUST we dine?
I'm looking for a great wagyu experience in Tokyo. I have Dons de la Nature down, but am open to something else.. Steakhouse or teppanyaki.. Just not mega $$ like Aragawa.
Suggestions?
Tsukiji donburi
Anyone been to Dontaku for the Tsukijidon?
http://www.iwasasushi.com/dontaku.html
This place was on Tokyo Eye the other day.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/tv/tokyoeye/archives20110209.html
Would you guys say it is a waste of time waiting in a long line if one is going to say Mizutani or Sawada?
New Sichuan Restaurant in San Mateo: Spicy Empire
The Spicy crab, needs to be ordered today ahead of time, and is pretty explosive IMHO.
New Sichuan Restaurant in San Mateo: Spicy Empire
FYI the food at Spicy Empire is definitely on the more authentic heat side. Their dishes are Extremely spicy, far more so than places like China village and Crouching Tiger. Make sure you order some Rice and beer!
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Crouching Tiger
2644 Broadway St, Redwood City, CA 94063
Spicy Empire
105 W 25th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403
Shanghai Bistro
Peking duck fans.. They have it done two ways at dinnertime. Soup and Skin with thin crepes.
Shanghai Bistro's XLB and pan fried pork buns are very good..
Also note that nearby Sunny Shanghai also deserves attention. Their and fried pork buns are even better.
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Sunny Shanghai
189 El Camino Real, San Bruno, CA 94066
