Personally I can't wait for TT to open. I have truly missed the pho ga there. And the SOMA branch does not cut it for me.

Cynsa - that's my exact list. In that order. In fact, I think Sushi Aka Tombo is pretty much the best value in the city for proper sushi.

Sushi Aka Tombo
Koo
Ino Sushi

The special dish you mention above is Pav Bhaji - a mash up of potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers with a heady amount of spices. Thanks for the report hhc.

I had the pho ga here, seeing as TT is closed until it reopens further up on Larkin. I am sorry to say it does not hold up to TT's Pho Ga. It was a bit insipid and all the condiments in the world could not save it.

Such a pity they stopped shipping it, I have no idea why though.

TT opens at 8:30 as well. And yes one of my favourite breakfasts ever is Pho ga.

CHILAQUILES

Which areas? Is there a particular price point you are looking for?

Carrie, I just want to acknowledge that in terms of value and service, Sushi AKA Tombo is truly excellent. I have been there many times since 2011, and I have always been happy with the selection of fish and the stellar $30-something omakase.

The only odd thing is the sushi bar - with this weird barrier. Nevertheless, I hope the place stays open for years to come.

I checked it out early yesterday .... On a whim I drove here instead of the SMC farmers Market. They have an excellent selection of organic produce from Happy Boy, Tomatero, etc I also found absolutely fresh blue lake beans, Brussel sprouts and the buyer actually got superfresh cauliflower for me. The prices are very close to what one finds at the Farmers Market.

Now some other observations ... Great selection and prices on Italian canned goods like White beans, san Marzano tomatoes and ceci beans.

They also have great sourcing for balsamic vinegars and top shelf olive oil from Italy.

Also noticed a British and Indian foods section.

And they carry some great beef from Uruguay as well! The grassy taste I love so much. I made some beef mince pie yesterday and the result was spectacular.

Semifreddi bread all over, and no Acme. Bit surprising, considering Acme is in Mtn View as well.

Tried the version at Burma Cafe in Daly
City - they mix it for you at the table. I asked for extra tea leaves - the amount on the plate seemed miniscule. Also asked them to bring the lettuce separately - just in case it's too much, one never knows. The quality of the tea leaves didn't seem as good as Burmese Kitchen. And the fried egg and okra curry was excellent.

Yes it is a bit expensive. No more than Sakae or Zushi Puzzle though. $90 pp will fill you to the gills (no pun intended).

I have been going to Akiko recently and I have to say the quality and selection of fish is easily on par or better than Ino or Zushi Puzzle or even Sakae in B'game. The high-end sake selection is also excellent.

Try the ankimo, done sous vide. And chef Ricky is a blast to chat with.

Which Fillings do you recommend for the Baklava at Al Bohsali?

Cheers

$120 was the tab for the food, as requested by grayelf above ...

I quite like the pickles that you can get as a condiment with the burger at Super Duper burger. Some of my friends think they are too sour but I think they are really tangy and complement the juicy fatty burger perfectly.

Does Ranch 99 still carry these? Any other sources reported?

Cheers

Skinnylizard, due to some personal reasons I had to cancel the India leg of my trip in January and we went back to the States from Europe.

However ....I am coming for sure in November. I am so looking forward to the food in Bombay. Counting down the days.

Cheers

Osho

Hey howler, the date I will be in London is now .... November 22nd. Hope to meet you and some of the other regulars on the board.

I will be in Kensington - decided against the FS.

Cheers

Mods,

Please don't delete my message as there is no chowdown list for London to my knowledge.

Greetings all -

I will be in London (my old stomping ground) on Nov 26th. With the slew of new places in Brixton and other places like JFores and Limster have wrtitten about, I would love to meet any of you regulars from the London chowhound contingent - for a chowdown or chow-crawl.

Ideas and suggestions for destinations welcome. I will be more than likely staying at the Four Seasons Park Lane and am willing to travel pretty much anywhere. Okay, maybe not as far as Neasden or Lewisham :-)

Cheers

Osho

I love the pickled veggies (incl Cucumber) that come with your sandwich at Barbacco. I always ask for more pickles and they are really nice about it too.

Next on my list are the pickles from Brooklyn Brine.

http://brooklynbrineco.com/products/i...

PICKLE

I second ....

PICKLES.

My dear elf. Of course ... it was about $120 for the two of us excl. tip. IMO It was beyond reasonable.

I visited an occasional Sushi haunt of mine last night in the Marina.

I am pleased to report not much has changed, which is a good thing. Roger San is firmly at the helm, and will guide you politely and firmly according to your taste. He always asks what you will not eat first - in my case - octopus.

We had the following - don't remember the exact order but here's my best shot ...

Ankimo - really good but not as sublime as Ino

Uni from Mendocino - fantastic - ocean on your breath and palate

Live Mirugai with slivers of lemon

Halibut

4 types of tuna - negi toro, chu toro, etc.

Copper River Salmon - melts in your mouth but has a bit of an after-taste

Ama Ebi (the mandatory fried heads)

Sardine (from Japan)

Kobe beef (from NY) - top seared with a blow torch

Salmon Roe - a spoonful of heaven essentially

Dessert was a dollop of Wasabi ice cream on a bed of berry sorbet - outlandishly good.

Lots of bottles of Echigo Stout, Asahi Kuronama straight from Japan, and the customary couple of bottles of Asahi made in Canada. Also had a small bottle of Junmai Ginjo.

When we left at 10 pm, the place was completely full and had a long waiting list. Highly recommend an evening at the sushi bar.

Cheers

Had the Chana Bhatura for a late breakfast on Sunday morning after the MV Farmers Market at Raj-jot Snacks located in Sunnyvale at the intersection of El Camino and Wolfe.

I loved the texture of the beans, really well cooked and could taste the layers of spice - not too soupy and just right. Also served raw onion and I had to ask for sliced lemon.

Bhatura was also pretty good - evenly fried, reminded me of Doas's (the Mission restaurant, to be clear) rendition back in 2006.

Also had samosas on a side note, they had virtually no salt. Chai was pretty good and amply spiced on the other hand.

I need to come back one day and try a lot of their other offerings.

Shalimar's yellow daal is made with chana daal.

The bar at Campton Place would meet your needs as well.

How is the Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice here? Any word? Would be nice not to have to rush to New Loey Woey Goey (and back) when that particular craving strikes.

This week a friend insisted on taking me to the Kung Fu taco truck downtown at 50 Fremont. I trudged along, since my general experience has been exactly the same as yours with hipster food trucks. Lots of hype, high prices and so-so food.

I was pleasantly surprised though ! I had three tacos ... pork belly, duck and chicken. They were actually pretty good ! And they weren't too pricey - $2.50 each. Good quality meat as well. Wonders never cease.