pengrin™ eats

Montclair Egg Shop

2009-02-20T14:51:00.001-08:00

jambon crepe - delicious!
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Montclair Egg Shop
6126 Medau Pl
(between Moraga Ave & Mountain Blvd)
Oakland, CA 94611
(510) 339-3588

Delicious. Wow, I'm so glad we chose this spot. Cute. The owner has interesting quotes on the wall. He's a train collector and he has a Harley motorcycle encased.

Krivaar Cafe & Catering

2009-02-20T14:38:00.001-08:00

greek salad
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Krivaar Cafe & Catering
475 Pine St
San Francisco, CA 94104
(415) 781-0894

I was looking for amazing & reasonably priced Greek food in the Financial District. That's a difficult task to meet. Luckily, for yelp with enough research I found this low key place that can be easily missed. I tried their Greek salad, gyro, wowee plate (fit for 2 people) and it was simply delicious with each bite. A definite keeper!

Muracci's Japanese Curry & Grill

2009-02-20T14:34:00.001-08:00

chicken katsu with the curry - this was DELICIOUS!!
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Muracci's Japanese Curry & Grill
307 Kearny St
(between Bush St & Pine St)
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 773-1101

Wow, I would never thought Japanese curry would be so delicious. I'd have to compare it to Indian curry. It was delicious and fresh. I didn't take a shot of the curry. They serve it separately instead of putting it on your plate. You dip it on the side. I had the extra hot curry and it was very yummy & a nice kick to it. Only issue is their seating is limited and you want to get there at 11:30 otherwise; the line is long. Food takes awhile because there is really one chef, the place is small but food is fresh!! YUM for my tum tum on cold winter days in SF.

Cock-a Doodle Cafe

2008-12-23T09:22:00.001-08:00

Cock-a Doodle Cafe

yummy - crab cakes benedict tasty mash potatoes cake
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Wow, right in downtown Oakland. A delicious place to get some amazing brunch. Amazing..

Coriander Gourmet Thai

2008-12-23T08:42:00.001-08:00

Coriander Gourmet Thai
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Coriander Gourmet Thai
865 Market St
Westfield San Francisco Centre
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 538-0800

Wow, I was very impressed by the mall food at Westfield SF Centre. I tried their green curry and string beans and I thought it was okay. BUT if you have a craving for their specials their PAD SEE EWW is delicious. And to top it off their stir fry chilli flakes in their condiment section was just simply delicious and hot. Good stuff.

Bowzer's pizza - DELICIOUS!

2008-12-05T11:22:00.001-08:00

Bowzer's pizza - DELICIOUS!
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Bowzer's Pizza
1330 Park Street
(between Alameda Ave & Central Ave)
Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 523-7500

I really enjoy their pizza and they use corn meal for the crust.. different but tasty..

LaVal's Pizza and BBQ

2008-12-05T11:09:00.001-08:00

combo pizza - cracker tasting bread
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

LaVal's Pizza and BBQ

4919 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA 94620

(510) 654-1660

There is something about this pizza that I think isn't bad but my boys didn't enjoy it as much. It's neighborhood pizza place so I think it's not bad but this doesn't beat Bowzer's pizza.

Hungry Tiger Too

2008-12-05T11:06:00.001-08:00

huge & deliciously fluffy pancake
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Hungry Tiger Too
207 SE 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 238-4321

Wow, if you ever had out to Portland, OR. Please try out this breakfast joint. Delicious. You will not be disappointed and their sausages are amazingly delicious.

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

2008-12-05T11:04:00.001-08:00

ice chai tea
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Ah, I wouldn't recommend ordering their "ICE" chai tea because it loses it taste. But their HOT chai tea is definitely amazing and I'm comparing this to Starbucks and Peets chai teas.

Andalu

2008-12-05T11:00:00.001-08:00

Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

I've been here a few years ago and I didn't find their tapas appealing. A friend was in town and we went there for brunch.

Wow, I thought this dish was delicious but it did feel heavy. A nice combination of salt and a little sweetness (surprising my taste buds) and the side polenta fries were yummy too.

Just Wonton

2007-08-18T18:08:00.001-07:00

vegetable beef chow mein - DELICIOUS!!
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Just Won Ton
1241 Vicente Street
(between 23rd Ave & 24th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 681-2999

If you're looking for some comfort food this place is it. I love noodles. I've seen mixed reviews on this place. It's true their wonton base soup isn't so powerful but when you taste their fresh tasty wontons. It's just simply tasty. Also, I can't resist egg noodles. Very yummy.

My new found love is this simple amazing bok choy with beef chow mein. Simply YUMMY... You can't go wrong.

Merritt Bakery, Oakland

2007-05-13T22:40:00.001-07:00

delicious cupcake!!
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

DELICIOUS cupcakes! It was very fresh and just utterly tasty from the frosting to the cupcake. Their chocolate one was devilish delicious too..

but my experience from their main dining area I care to pass their dishes...

Perbacco

2007-03-23T10:15:00.001-07:00

Perbacco

PAPPARDELLE / BRAISED SHORT RIB RAGU / ROASTED CHANTERELLES - delicious!!
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Wow, I can't believe I forgot to blog this amazing Italian restaurant.

We started with their homemade delicious Salami sampler platter. It was simply divine.

It's a bit pricey but well worth a trip for some great dining and service.

My friend had ordered - BERKSHIRE PORK SHOULDER AL LATTE / SAVOY CABBAGE / ANSON MILLS POLENTA it was so good the meat just slid off the bone. Delicious!

My dish is the one in the picture. I love pasta. Their fresh pasta was homemade and their short ribs were just so saucy and yummy. Wow!

Canteen

2007-03-17T19:21:00.001-07:00

Lamb Shoulder Confit with white beans, herb puree, chili flake
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Wow, what can I say about these dishes. Simply delicious! This is a restaurant that needs reservations for dinner only since the chef has fixed times to serve food. It's a pretty small place. The chef's menu changes everyday. I hear brunch you just wait in line. I found out the chef is from Rubicon and all I can remember is their amazing Pork Belly delcious - amazingly delicious and crispy.

We sat promptly at 7:30 and service was friendly and attentively. We had this deliciously sweet & buttery bread. It was very good. There was no need for butter.

We had complimentary mini cheese & lemony salad to start with. It was a nice start.

- Asparagus Vinagrette with poached eggs and serrano ham
- Peppered Duck and Endive Salad with grapefruit zest and sherry vinegar
- Pork Tenderloin with shaved celeryroot, apple, ginger and mustard
- Lamb Shoulder Confit with white beans, herb puree, chili flake
- Tuna lightly poached in olive oil with vegetables a la greque
- Strawberry almond meringue
- Crepe au chocolat with chicory sauce
- Vanilla Souffle

Luna Park

2007-02-06T08:50:00.001-08:00

Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Terra Cotta Baked Egg in a Hole with Asparagus, Mushroom and White Truffle Fondue

I had an amazing, artery clogging dish but it was very very delicious!!

And their mussels were very yummy also...

Moules Frites, Mussels with Stella Artois, Chili, Ginger, Cilantro, and Lime with French Fries

yum yum

2007-01-08T07:59:00.001-08:00

tofu and green beans
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

What an interesting name for this place. My friends took me there for dinner last night.

I had asked them to order their staple dishes and I tried all of them. I thought it was tasty and saucy but good. I think you need to eat these dishes with rice though. I wouldn't advise to eat it without it. I must try it again...

Hard Knox Cafe

2006-12-04T17:35:00.001-08:00

collard greens, yams and fried chicken
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

What can I say?! Finger licking delicious chicken at this place.

Service is great. I have been sitting at the counter but the owners have been real nice and attentive. It's pretty cozy.

Their corn breads were pretty fresh and delicious.

to be continued...

Suriya Thai Restaurant

2006-11-21T06:29:00.001-08:00

Delicious Thai steak!
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Suriya Thai Restaurant 1432 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 824-6655

Wow, I didn't imagine that I could have tasty Thai food at my other restaurants that I've tried out in the past.

This restaurant has some authenticity but serves very powerful flavored Thai spice dishes. I'm not talking about hot spicy. Just flavorful and tasty. I must tell my other foodie friends.
My other added comments from Yelp:

I love to find really authentic Thai food. Though the dishes weren't authentic but it had the main staples of ingredients that are well pronounce in his dishes - spicy (flavorful), sour and salt. I also met the owner who was very friendly. His cuisine is modern Thai more than fusion. We had ordered their Tom Yum Veggie curry soup, which was absolutely delicious and flavorful. I ordered their Khao Soi egg noodle dish which was good and you must add the side condiments to enhance the flavoring to you palette. We ordered this marvelous Thai steak dish that served tasty snow pea leaves and small pumpkin squash. I definitely would love to try their other dishes sometime in the future. I also want to bring my Thai friends with me to enjoy this great finding.

Manresa

2006-11-20T09:47:00.001-08:00

Sophia, Me, Chef David Kinch, Jeanne and Avery inside the creator's kitchen!!
Originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Wow, what can I say about this French cuisine place. I thought it was amazing and delicious. I would say it comes neck in neck with French Laundry. We had amazing service at Manresa. They were very friendly and courteous. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go to this restaurant. It was rank one of the Top 50's best restaurant. I'd recommend this place for anyone first class cuisine meal.

Pics from my meal.

Everything was amazing but a few dishes stuck out more than others because it's like an explosion in your mouth.

to be continued...

I know I haven't been good at posting but just eating and taking pictures. :) I really enjoyed the idea that I wasn't so stuffed but completely satisfied. I plan to come back next year in the summer.

Alright, so what dishes that were amazing - Venison saddle with maitake mushroom ravioli At first when I looked at this plate I was thinking what is the clear sheet that lays over the mushroom. I stacked the venison with the ravioli and the delicious tasting mushroom. It was simply amazing. Spot prawns with exotic Indian spice ah, the shrimp was like butter the delicious tasting Indian masala spice with a touch of cumin was oh, so good and the nice seasonal vegetable was such a nice compliment. J apanese butterfish, sashimi style, olive oil -- wow, what a lovely tasty dish - YUM!! Autumn croquettes - well this was definitely a lovely surprise. How can I put it? Orgasmic! Warm chocolate pudding, cocoa nib cream, sour cherry what a great dish to complete my wonderful meal at Manrea.

The Cheese School of San Francisco

2006-11-09T13:58:00.000-08:00

What a great fun night... Thank you Marcia from Tablehopper and Lisa from Tuttifoodie

Here's a summary of the event by Tana at I heart Farms.

I may not be an eloquent writer but I do have other fellow foodie bloggers that have great postings. I'm just a food paparazzi stated by Tana the other night. HE HE....
I'm not as eloquent with my words as my fellow foodie bloggers but I do love taking pictures of my food

Piazza Italia Cafe

2006-10-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

proscuitto & mozzarella with basil and garlic, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Piazza Italia Cafe - 321 Primrose Rd Burlingame, CA 94010 (650) 343-4444

Wow, incredible. I forgot to post this. This is one of my favorite Italian restaurant I've been to for lunch. Nothing fancy but just every dish you try at this place is simply amazing here. They're known for their sandwiches and they also have fresh sauces for their pasta dishes, salads and their version of pizza. The lady owners are originally from Italy, they're so kind and nice. They do have different specials. Everything is served very fresh. It just tickles your palette. If you don't believe me try it for yourself and you'll be impressed yourself. Amazingly delicious! I've also tried their desserts too - very yummy!

Baraka

2006-10-05T17:07:00.001-07:00

Seared Ahi Tuna with Fall Vegetables - Black Cumin, Chermoula-Honey Vinaigrette - DELICIOUS!, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Baraka

Mings Restaurant

2006-10-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

portabella mushroom, broccoli and beef - DELICIOUS!!, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Mings Restaurant
436 San Mateo Ave
San Bruno, CA 94066
(650) 588-2375

Sushi Kei

2006-10-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

salmon teriyaki with tuna, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Sushi Kei 407 Broadway Millbrae, CA 94030 (650) 692-0100

Fringale

2006-10-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

hanger steak, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Fringale

Maki Restaurant

2006-10-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

udon, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Maki Restaurant - 1825 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94115 (415) 921-5215

Wow, I didn't know I've slacked on this posting here. I thought their noodle dish was tasty but their homemade tofu dish was divine.

It was quite sad the camera I had doesn't do any justice to this amazing lunch meal I had...

DELICIOUS!

Farallon

2006-10-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

seabass, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Farallon

suzu noodles

2006-10-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

pork ramen, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

suzu noodles (415) 346-5083 1581 Webster Street, San Francisco, CA 94115

Taylor's Refresher

2006-09-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

with the works and the hot dog, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Well, it's been awhile since I last wrote up any reviews. After a wonderful warm day in Los Angeles and a fierce hot days in Pasadena I'm wondering why we still don't have the summers out here.

Anyway, I had some guests in town and what a way to spend it, which was outdoors on a warm sunny day in SF. We went to Taylors and I must say their presentation for my hotdog was amazing. It tasted great. Oh, and their garlic fries were delicious!! A great way to spend your afternoon lunch.

Jin Patisserie

2006-09-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

green tea mousse with red bean, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Jin Patisserie

A really cute place in the area of Venice. A nice place to spend some time after some shopping in that area. Cute Japanese desserts. We had their homemade ice tea, which was served in a modern white sleek teapot with sugar water. I always liked Japanese dessert because it's very light tasting it's almost like you have to imagine the taste on your palette.

Musha, Santa Monica

2006-09-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

spicy tuna tartare - delicious!, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Musha - 424 Wilshire Blvd- Btwn 4th St & 5th St Santa Monica, CA 90401 310 576-6330

President Thai

2006-09-08T09:56:00.001-07:00

wonton chip shrimp, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Sea Harbor, Rosemead, CA

2006-09-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

shanghai dumpling, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Sea Harbor 3939 Rosemead Blvd. Rosemead, Ca 91770-1951 (626) 288-3939

Violet Restaurant

2006-09-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

pork & figs, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Asahi Ramen

2006-09-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

wonton ramen, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Asahi Ramen 2027 Sawtelle Blvd- At La Grange Ave Los Angeles, CA 90025 310 479-2231

taiko, brentwood

2006-09-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

dunny & delicious mushroom udon soup!!, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Dai Tai Fung Dumpling House, Arcadia, CA

2006-09-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

delicious shanghai dumpling, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

din tai fung dumpling house, arcadia, california

E & O Trading

2006-09-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

corn fritters, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

E & O Trading, San Francisco http://www.eotrading.com/

Mijana

2006-08-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

New Middle Eastern restaurant in Burlingame. I walked in the place seemed pretty open and the decor was nice and simple. I walked in and the bar was to my left and in front of me, I was able to see the open kitchen.

The host was very friendly and seated the 7-people promptly during lunch. We sat at a tradional Middle Eastern seating table.

We were served a delicious plate of lavesh bread, it was a bit warm. I really enjoyed the dipping sauce for it. It was lemony, sesame seeds, olive oil and some type of vinegar. It was delicious!

Food came out promptly. I ordered the Traditional Vegetarian Platter. I enjoyed this dish but the falafel was okay. It wasn't as flavorful as I'd like it. I thought the salad was good but I like my salad not drenched in the sauce.

My friends ordered the chicken shawarma and sirloin kabob, which they said was delicious.

San Francisco Food Bloggers Picnic 2006

2006-08-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

Pim, Garnett, Jon and Joy - foodie bloggers, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

I just got back from Lafayette. It was my very first San Francisco Food Blogger Picnic. I made at the last minute Thai fried rice dish but I was so nervous that I forgot to taste my own dish. I don't think I put enough fish sauce in it.

Wow, I had such wonderful time. I've met so many great wonderful, professional food bloggers. I think my website is pretty simple. A few asked about my site and I just told them I like to stay in the background. Well, I hope the food pictures just speaks itself. I'm so glad I met Chez Pim, Joy & Jon, Sam and from Sacramento - Garnett and I know I'm forgetting some other names and I apologize in advance. I definitely needed to bring a notepad the next time to write everyone's blog site down. There were so many amazing dishes to sample, literally there was so much food to really eat a good size plate. I was so stuff that I couldn't bring myself to eat dinner tonight. I can't wait for another event. It was wonderful.

And thank you again Sam for adding me to the picnic event. Here are some food pictures that I took.

Chez Panisse

2006-08-26T23:52:00.001-07:00

sirloin roast with fried potatoes, little onions and chanterelle mushrooms, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Chez Panisse

- halibut tartare with cucumbers and chervil
- little gem lettuce with basil, garlic, crème fraiche and sungold tomatoes
- avocado and beet salad with citrus vinaigrette
- gypsy pepper and fig salad with pancetta and sage
- corn soup
- bucatini con le sarde
- sirloin roast with fried potatoes, little onions and chanterelle mushrooms
- wildflower honey ice cream with tip top farm black mission figs
- peach and summer berry cobbler with mulberry ice cream
- bittersweet chocolate pave with espresso hazelnut praline cream

We had reservations for the cafe area, which is located upstairs. Service was great. I really enjoyed the freshness of the food and the unique fresh vegetables that we had. I really enjoyed most of the dishes but the dish that stuck out the most was the halibut tartare, avocado and beet salad. Sirloin roast was delicious. Also, the desserts were delicious too.

"Things to Eat before You Die"

2006-08-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

Fun project from The Traveler’s Lunchbox

Wow, only 5 to choose before I die. Decisions, decisions...well, I'm so glad I have my Eats collection on flickr. What a relief! I would have missed some mouth watering dishes.

1. Salt & Pepper Dungress crab from Yummy Yummy, San Francisco
2. Ginger Cake with Pumpkin Gelato from Park Chow, San Francisco
3. Pandanus cake from New Sweet Heart Bakery, San Francisco
4. Chocolate soufflé from Miss Williamsburg, New York City
5. Fluffy and Light pancakes from Tygers Cafe, San Francisco

Hmmm, it looks like I love desserts. :)

There's no real order to the list I've conjured up but when I have out-of-town visitors these are a few of the restaurants I'd take them to because it can only be found in San Francisco or specific restaurants.

- Yummy Yummy is the no.1 Vietnamese restaurant that I take my guests too. Perhaps, it's the amazing service I receive from them but really it's there amazing dishes that are memorable. Their main dish that sicks out is their salt & pepper dungeress crab, they make it amazingly delicious with each bite and their carmelize onions added to the plate is delicious! Among other amazing dishes there, wow -- I think I'm going to have to make a trip out there again.

- Park Chow - comfort food. Alright, so I know there are two locations but I would tell people to come to the Inner Sunset location. I like the decor at this location. First floor is cozy and warm with a nice fireplace when you go the second floor there's a semi outdoor decor which, I can really appreciate and the noise level is calmer upstairs. Of course, there's plenty of heat lamps to accommodate the cooler climate. Also, there's a fireplace on the second floor, this place is definitely like Californian style with Asian influence dishes.

What exactly is Californian cuisine? Does it mean infused food? And why are the produce in California not from California but other countries? And why is milk more expensive than East coast milk? Oops, sorry I just had all these thoughts populated in my head. :)

- New Sweet Heart Bakery - the owners are Vietnamese and they make one of the best, lightest, freshest cake that I've ever tried. Pandanus, which is a special leaf grown in Southeast Asia and the aroma is sweet and smells not exactly like vanilla but it's similar. I've tried their strawberry cake and mocha it's just heavenly.

- Miss Williamsburg - this is a hidden gem. They had the most amazing chocolate souffle that I'll ever have. I don't believe anything beats this place and I've tried a lot of restaurants. Although, some restaurants in San Francisco almost was similar to it. I still remember this place.

- Tygers cafe - non-fancy cafe but a restaurant with a great staff member and it's definitely kid friendly. Actually all these places are kid friendly, hmmm, I don't have kids but I do like them. Service is great and fast too. Anyway, back to Tygers they have just amazingly fresh breakfast. And when it comes to their pancakes it's just to delicious to avoid. It's very light and fluffy. One of the best breakfast joints I've ever had living out in San Francisco.

Eiji

2006-08-20T01:28:00.000-07:00

salmon roe with daikon, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Eiji
317 Sanchez St.
San Francisco, CA 94114 | Castro
415.558.8149

Amazingly delicious sushi. It was incredibly fresh and the service was very lovely. Different types of fishes offered and homemade tofu.

Assab

2006-08-19T07:21:00.001-07:00

eritrean food - DELICIOUS!!, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Assab
(415) 441-7083
2845 Geary Boulevard
San Francisco, CA 94118

Wow, amazingly delicious Eritrean food. I thought their dishes were flavorful and of course I always ordered the mushroom dish because it's my favorite - a thinly sliced mushrooms. We ordered the brown and red lentils and 3 meats combination and the mushroom dish. The decor was nice and the service was friendly. And the food was quite affordable too.

Tu Lan

2006-08-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

tu lan shrimp fried rice - delicious but very oily., originally uploaded by pengrin™.

I finally got to the famous Vietnamese restaurant around one of the worst neighborhoods in SF. The area is definitely spooky well I know I stick out so people will stare. I'm not sure why but whatever. A friend told me just walk around the BS otherwise, the people won't bother you.

My friend recommended the shrimp fried rice. I thought it was pretty good even though the consistency of the mix was off. Otherwise, it was very tasty. They definitely overstuffed the chinese to go box so perhaps I'll have some leftovers for lunch at Salvation Army.

I'm wondering if they put in MSG because I did have a headache which I took aspirins but it lasted until I was about to sleep. How odd?

Beard Papa's cream puff

2006-08-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

sarah's bitten cream puff, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

OMG -- this cream puff was just simply heavenly.

I brought about 2 dozens for my friends and they were just loving it. Thank goodness they're out of my possession.

Vanilla bean creme is just simply divine!!

Sunny Sushi

2006-08-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

my lunch bento box with saba shio and salmon shio, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Sunny Sushi 851 CHERRY AVE,SAN BRUNO,CA,94066

What can I say? It's close to work and decent tasting! I wouldn't order sushi. I don't think it's as fresh. AND I wouldn't order the Hamachi Kama -- talk about very dry and overcooked. BAH!!

I always just order my bento box with those two fishes, and I think I may have to choose something else other then that salmon shio. Although, the saba shio is simply tasty and rich in taste at Sunny Sushi. Service is a bit strange but whatever I'm in San Bruno afterall. ;)

barracuda

2006-07-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

catepillar roll..., originally uploaded by pengrin™.

I really like the decor of this restaurant. Orange color decor and there's a skylight in the middle of the restaurant. It makes this restaurant really welcoming...

Barracuda

Hamachi kama - nice and tasty with the dipping sauce
Sake nigri - fresh salmon
Catepillar roll - unagi with avocado on top, I think it could have taken the bones out better on the eel. It was nice and fresh
Spicy Tuna - I was impressed by the price of this roll and when it came out it was huge. It wasn't your typical small sushi rolls. I thought it had a nice spice to it.
Barracuda roll - interesting tempura soft shell crab with a thin slice of mango wrapped around with tobiko topping.

I really like this restaurant but it's definitely a place to come for special occassions. It's a pricey for sushi and I know its in Burlingame but I still believe the cost of the food should be a tad cheaper even though they'e specialty rolls. I don't ever believe bigger quantity will ever justifiy the pricing of the dish. Sometimes being bigger the dish because overwhelming and you just don't know what you're eating because everything gets to be saturated.

Yummy Yummy

2006-07-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

Yummy Yummy, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Yummy Yummy
(415) 566-4722
1015 Irving Street
San Francisco, CA 94122

Well, I can't believe I didn't blog this restaurant. I was first introduced to this Vietnamese restaurant since 1999. And I never get tired of eating their delicious and very yummy dishes.

What to order?
- Rare Beef dish
- Crunchy rolls
- Fresh spring rolls
- 5 spice chicken - House specialty grill (hand wraps)
- Salt&Pepper crab is a must!!
- Chow fun noodles w/ gravy - mix combination is really good!!

I say go in groups bigger than 4 because you'll be full and addicted these dishes.

OMG -- I think I'm going to have to make a trip out there like pronto.

Wilson, owner is really sweet and nice. I had my 35th birthday there and they took care of us. He even got me a very delicious mocha cake. Wow...I think I better go soon.

The only day they close is on Tuesdays.

Zuni Cafe

2006-07-22T02:38:00.000-07:00

bellwether farm ricotta gnocchi with spinach and pistachios, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

By far this dish was simply amazing. It tasted like a very light egg omelette. Go figure that one out folks.

You have to eat it with the 3 combinations added to this dish. It was very delicious!!

Pity the roasted chicken for two was just too salty!!

Soluna Cafe

2006-07-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

wild salmon with mushroom risotto - DELICIOUS!!, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Soluna Cafe

This restaurant is definitely hidden and tucked in the Tenderloin area of San Francisco. Atmosphere of the restaurant is welcoming and well lit. I really like places that I see my food. The music level was tolerable for that evening. There weren't too many guests at the restaurant but that was okay. I think this place gets busy during the lunch time because of it's location, which is right by plenty of goverment buildings especially by the dazzling City Hall of San Francisco at night it's so picturesque. I think of Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina because I've been there and the building is definitely striking to look at.

Okay, I'm going to have to continue my review later this week. Sorry. Okay, here's my review on SFSURVEY I'm so low on energy.

Satura Cakes

2006-07-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

cream puff, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Satura Cakes

Wow, a real cute Japanese shop in Palo Alto. A lot of desserts. All the desserts looked very nice. I wanted a sampler plate bummer I couldn't get any of that. HE HE... I tried their creme puff it was very delicious.

It's not too sweet, I kind of like it that way. It's like your typical Japanese pastry - very light tasting and fresh. I'm glad they have a location like this opened here.

sakae sushi

2006-07-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

ama ebi - yum!, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Sakae Sushi

Wow, what can I say about this place? Another fellow foodie blogger - Hungry Hedonist told me about this restaurant. I'm sad she didn't make it but I'll definitely join her if she goes to this place during her visit in California. I think I went there a few years ago but for some reason I never thought about this place.

We had a nice light cucumber salad to begin our meal. First plate that came out was the saba dish and it was amazingly fresh. Sake sashimi came next nicely thin slices and the salmon just melts in your mouth. I do like to squeeze some lemon in my soy sauce. It's the sourness in me. :) Next came the seared tuna dish, which I thought was good but very garlicy. I enjoy garlic but perhaps it was a bit overpowering because I barely tasted the tuna. Pink delight was amazing too - it was light tasting and delicious. I wrapped a lettuce around mine to eat it. We ordered the Hamachi Kama grilled yellowtail is always good to have and it was delicious! I worried I didn't have enough food when I ordered but I didn't realize how big the special rolls were going to be. HUGE! The special rolls came out and I was surprised to find huge catepillar rolls were california rolls wrapped with avocado. From my past experiences, with catepillar rolls it's always been with shrimp tempera. It was good but I was disappointed that it wasn't shrimp instead. I forgot to order unagi one of my favorite sushi dishes to order but we were already getting too full. I had the very tasty and slightly sweet ama-ebi roll. It was very good! Of course, I couldn't bare the face to eat the head of the shrimp with it's eyes looking at me. HE HE.. So my British friend, Claire ate the head. Yeah!

Overall, the experience at the sushi place was good and I thought the service was lacking it's luster but that's okay. We managed to leave the place at closing, which was at 10PM when they shut off the front lights on us indicating they're closed.

homemade burmese curry noodle dish

2006-07-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

chicken curry & egg noodles (pannthay soy) - topped with a lot of dried chilli peppers - DELICIOUS!, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast (cut up into tiny pieces)
1 big Onion
3 cloves of Garlic
Fish Sauce (maybe 3 table spoons) (depends on how salty you want it)
Paprika
Masala (Indian curry spice) (A lot)
Cinammon stick (optional)
Oil (1/2 cup)

First marinate chicken pcs with salt, paprika and fish sauce (a few drops) for flavor. Don’t be shy on paprika for coloring.

Chop up onion and garlic. Heat oil. Put onion, when brown add garlic. (don’t burn them)

Maybe abt 1 min… Then add half of the fish sauce. And then paprika. Mix Masala with water to make a paste (so it won’t get burned)

And then pour the masala mix. Then Cinnamon stick. (this whole process happens really fast coz oil is heating up) J

Put chicken… and stir… Add some water and bring it to a boil… Let it cook until water evaporates.

You can also leave some water so that when you mix with noodle it won’t be too dry.

Use Egg noodle and mix with chicken. Put a bit of Lime/Lemon and chili pepper powder!

Bon Appetit!!!!!!!

My friend's delicious receipe...

smucker's maple syrup

2006-07-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

Smucker's maple syrup -- OMG -- can I say this stuff is GROSS!! Okay -- I know they weren't suger free but this is all I found online. WHY!?

I can't believe 1/2 of NYC diners have this syrup! Turn back and go get some real maple syrup. I'd take Aunt Jemima any time of my breakfast.

As soon as I see the yellow packaging of the syrup on my plate I was like OMG -- my waffles or pancakes were going to taste bad with this syrup. BAH!! I think I better bring my own the next time I eat in any of the NYC diners. Bummer.

East Japanese Restaurant

2006-06-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

unagi nigri and ikura sashimi, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

East Japanese Restaurant
(212) 889-2326
366 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10016

Wow, I haven't been at this location in years. It has totally changed. It looks really modern and there is a doorbell on the table. It's to get the waiter as I later found out. HA HA..

We ordered a good amount of food but because of the lighting I can only get this shot. I thought the food was amazingly delicious and fresh but I'd pass on the agedashi tofu. I think it's different from the San Francisco taste. I know they use soba sauce.

Also, when you're upstairs the front space has a nice bar area to do karaokin'. It was pretty cool and the bartender was really nice and tolerant over my friend, Tony and my singing. Although, I must say Tony sings a great Frank Sinatra impersonator. It was fun! I'd definitely want to go again.

bunnery cafe

2006-06-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

florida pancakes, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Bunnery Cafe
121 Saint George St.
St Augustine, 32084
(904) 829-6166

A bit on the heavy side these pancakes but delicious! I really enjoyed this place. There were a lot of kids walking at this cafe it was really good. I'd definitely go back to this place.

Florida Cracker Cafe, St Augustine - Florida

2006-06-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

mandarin & spinash salad, originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Florida Cracker Cafe
81 St. George Street,
St Augustine, FL 32084
904-829-0397

Wow, I got lucky. My first restaurant I had in St Augustine, Florida was at this location. The people were very friendly and I had amazing food there. My first dish was crabcakes it was oh, my goodness! Their cole slaw was amazingly fresh and delicious! And I don't even like cole slaw.

Everything was so fresh there. Their key lime pie was amazing. I really enjoyed their fresh delicious lemonade drink. A great way to quench my thirst. What a great place!

Korea House, Santa Clara

2006-06-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

xCUSE me..., originally uploaded by pengrin™.

Korea House
2340 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95050
(408) 249-0808

Wow, I almost forgot to take a picture of the food. It was just HUGE!! All I can hear was the Korean waitress saying, "excuse me" and they just kept coming in with all these plates full of different food. I'm not even talking about the small plates. HA HA...

Ah, we couldn't eat fast enough to add more plates to our table. We ran out of table space and we were trying to pile the plates on top. We also had this huge seafood bowl at another table not seen in this picture. I can't believe I survived that meal in a good way. ;)

It was good but it was a lot salty from my past experience with Korean food. Thank goodness for their a pitcher of ice water to help the cause. I wished some of the plates were spicy but it wasn't as I'd like to eat. We had all sorts of entree dishes: chicken, pork, beef and octopus and somehow we add bi bim bop (pork, veggie rice dish.) We also had Jahp-chae (Korean clear noodles) it was good until we ordered the last dish and I thought it was too grainy perhaps it was at the end of the wok.

Mandalay restaurant

2006-06-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

mandalay noodles constructed with tofu - DELICIOUS!!, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Mandalay restaurant - 4344 California St, San Francisco, 94118 - (415) 386-3896

Oh, my goodness. I really enjoyed this restaurant. The decor was very pleasant. I went there on a Monday's night about 8:30PM and it was quiet but I love restaurant like that. Service was great and attentive.

We ordered dishes that were Burmese because they also serve Chinese cuisine. We stayed away from that cuisine. I thought the food was simply amazing.

I really enjoyed their Mandalay noodles, it was quite flavorful & lemony and a hint of curry spice. Of course, I added a lot of chili flakes to my dish. I couldn't resist added some more spices to my dish. The waitress gave me the red chili flakes with no hesitation. The waitress will explain the ingredients and mix it in front of us.

This is one of the dish that there was leftovers because it was just tasty. I enjoyed their other dishes but this was a unique dish to remember next to their tea salad.

I can't wait for this weekend. I'm going to get some Mandalay's action.. *drool*

Thai House Express, SF

2006-06-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

beef stir fry chow fun noodles with eggs & chinese broccoli, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Thai House Express 901 Larkin StreetSan Francisco, CA 94109 - (415) 441-2248

Okay, this is no.1 Thai restaurant in San Francisco for this Thai chick. No butts about it. There are 2 locations and I've gone to the one in Castro already. I prefer this location over the others. Thai Pad Gai Gra Prow is close to authentic. It's good to be Thai. I order it flaming hot of course. :) Green curry was very tasty and not sweet like most places. I really enjoyed their Pad See Ew too. I think I've made my friends really enjoy this location over the other Thai restaurant. You will not be disappointed.

I also like Osha Thai Cafe in the Tenderloin area. It's cute, retro and a lot of young hipster Thai kids who work there. Their Mission district location one is a bit on the sweet side for most of their dishes. No sweets on my savory dishes. ;)

Tawan's Thai Food - 4403 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, 94118 - (415) 751-5175 is another place I'd recommend. It's very small restaurant and they have some cute Thai art pictures on their walls.

I have to check out these other two Thai restaurants that I've been recommended:

Jitra - 2545 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, 94132 - (415) 585-7251

Vanida Thai Kitchen - 3050 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116-2105 415.564.6766

Tartine bakery, SF

2006-06-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

coconut creme tart - omg SO good!, originally uploaded by pengrin.

I'm sorry but this is the best coconut tart I have ever tried. I believe their cake is better then their personal size. Delicious!

I wasn't too crazy about their chocolate pudding. Bittersweet cafe so beats them on their pudding competition.

Saigon Sandwich, SF

2006-06-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

meat ball vietnamese sandwich - delicious!, originally uploaded by pengrin.

OMG -- delicious! Fresh, loads of meat. A great vietnamese sandwich joint to chow down in the Tenderloin area. I get my orders to go though.

They serve: pork, chicken, meatball pork, pork cold cut, tofu one too.

Daimaru Sushi, SF

2006-06-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

caterpillar roll, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Cha-Ya Japanese

2006-06-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

curry tofu soba, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Cha-Ya Japanese (415) 252-7825
762 Valencia StSan Francisco, CA 94110

Japanese Vegetarian cuisine. A new location in the Mission district, it was pretty bright and clean. I ordered soba sushi rolls. I think it there was some other flavoring to this dish it would be taste even better maybe the soba soup as a dipping. I know it could break apart but it would at least have some flavor. I really enjoyed their soba curry soup a light clear curry broth. Delicious!

sawa restaurant #2

2006-06-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

ethiopian food, originally uploaded by pengrin.

beard papa's, sf

2006-06-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

vanilla bean cream puff - OMG - DELICIOUS!!, originally uploaded by pengrin.

http://www.muginohousa.com/

OMG -- amazingly delicious cream puffs! No. 1 in my book! Especially with those ever tasting vanilla beans in there. Delicious! I gotta get me some of that action again! :)

Medjool, SF

2006-06-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

pom frittes - amazingly delicious!, originally uploaded by pengrin.

New Eritrean Restaurant, SF

2006-06-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

ethiopian food, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Delessio Market, SF

2006-06-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

chocolate block, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Wow, what a shocker! Triple Chocolate Mousse cake wasn't as amazing as we thought it would be. I wonder if the Chocolate tower would have been the same.

I really enjoyed their mini cupcakes. It was delicious! And their famous dark chocolate bubble wrapped with espresso bean was good too.

http://www.delessiomarket.com/

Thai Town, Milpitas

2006-06-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

spicy basil chicken, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Wow, I was so surprised at this place. It's in the strip mall area and the front of the restaurant didn't seem to impress me because it had Chinese words. The decor wasn't anything impressive and the waitress didn't know how to speak Thai.

I ordered a few of my staple foods and surprisingly enough it tasted quite good. A bit americanized but it was flavorful and that's what counts in Thai dishes.

fantasia, milpitas

2006-06-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

inside the cream puff, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Wow, I always look forward when I find out there's a Fantasia shop around. I really love their tapioca drinks and their cream puffs are delicious. It's as good as Trader Joe's and Costco version of their cream puffs. Yum!

Ramen House Ryowa - Mountain View, CA

2006-06-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

wonton ramen - delicious wontons & soup!, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Wow, I thought I tasted it all but you know my friends have already told me LA has a better ramen places. Sad. Well, I was quite impressed by their wonton ramen noodles. The wontons were heavenly delicious!! Their gyozas were good too. I thought it was amusing they also had condiments of kimchi. Funny.

Los Gatos Brewing, Los Gatos, CA

2006-06-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

1/4 spit chicken (what a name!) delicious!!, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Los Gatos Brewing

Wow, what can I say about this place. It's definitely a brewing company. We got there after a massively strenous hike from Big Basin. I hurt and I'm surprised I was able to drive myself home.

I really enjoyed this chicken dish. It was moist and I just wanted to dip my pieces into the sauce and the veggies were cooked perfectly with a crunch.

I really enjoyed their fried calamari dish. I'm surprised I had the energy to eat it all. :)

Couleur Cafe, SF

2006-06-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

proscuitto cocotte - amazing, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Couleur Cafe

Sorry I know I've been slacking on my food reviews, thank goodness for flickr I can blog my photo.

Proscuitto cocotte I really enjoyed this dish. It was different from what the description was but it was delicious! I think the waitress said it could have been undercooked because it was too liquidity from just looking at it. It was still good.....

I wouldn't recommend the ham with french baguette bread. I thought it was quite bland and no condiments were provided. How strange?

Oh, my. I can't believe I forgot about it. This almond croissant was very delicious and yummy! It was a good size pastry to share with my friend.

nick's rockaway

2006-05-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

crab cakes & roasted garlic - delicious!, originally uploaded by pengrin.

You'll smear the roast garlic on the toast bread and add tomatoes, basil, and crab cakes. Delicious!

Delicious and their garlic bread was amazingly fresh and yummy too.

Old Port Lobster Shack

2006-05-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

ultimate seafood delight, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Old Lobster Port Shack

I thought the seafood was very fresh. A bit pricey for what it is but it's still marvelous!

Bouchon - Yountville, CA

2006-05-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

delicious bread, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Bouchon

Another restaurant of French Laundry but a bit cheaper then French Laundry. I thought the service here was amazing. We had a really nice waiter, Austin and I thought a lot of guys there were very cute and tall. Amazing!

What can I say about this place?! I thought the bread was fabulous tasty and soft.

- Rillettes aux deux Saumons - fresh & smoked salmon rillettes with toasted croûtons - Delicious salmon dish

- Steak Frites a pan-seared prime flatiron served with maître d’hôtel butter - A very tasty dish but I thought it was a bit salty alone but if you eat the green beans it would buffer the salty taste.

- Moules au Safran et à la Moutarde Maine bouchot mussels steamed in white wine, mustard & saffron. It was very good but I don't think I'd want to have an entree of mussels it was a bit too instense for me. I would definitely order it if it were an appetizer dish.

- Profiteroles vanilla ice cream & chocolate sauce - I thought this was quite disappointing comparably to what the main entree dishes were because I didn't even taste any of the flavoring in the ice cream. We tried vanilla and coffee and I couldn't taste any of the flavors.

Maggie Mudd

2006-05-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

orange sorbet - YUMMY!!, originally uploaded by pengrin.

I may not care for the other flavors because right now I'm fixated on orange sorbet. It was good!! I crave it now on warm sunny days in San Francisco. Delicious!! I had to get a pint so I can get my fix at home. ;)

Maggie Mudd

Last Supper Club

2006-05-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

Crispy pasta ball - delicious!, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Last Supper Club

I really enjoyed these very tasty Pasta like meat balls. They were made with pasta.

We had the beets salad and I thought it was very good.

Meatball appetizer was very tasty.

I liked the green pesto dipping sauce, it was delicious and not to salty. On the side they had a tiny salt dish to sprinkle more if needed. Delicious!

Spicy Bite

2006-05-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

FISH PAKORA - yummy, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Spicy-Bite

“I don't plan on going back. I'm sorry to say. I thought the food was not what I expected in taste from the typical Indian restaurants I've tried in the past. Chutney sauce was spicy and good. I enjoyed the Fish Pakora, I thought it was flavorful and very good. I had the CHICKEN VINDALOO, which was very pasty red and it didn't taste right. BAIGAN BHARTA (eggplant) it was ok, I thought it was too garlicy so it was hard to taste the other spices. LAMB CURRY, I didn't like the lamb I thought it was very gamy even in the curry itself and I think folks who love lamb would love it. Each dish had tomato garnishing, which I thought was odd to add on. I thought the bread basket with different naan breads were good. The dishes we ordered came with basmati rice that was delicious. I ordered my favorite dessert KULFI and it was definitely not what I expected - horrible. The creme tasted like froze bite and the pistachios tasted stale. Food pictures online are a bit deceiving. ”

Melting Pot, Larkspur

2006-04-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

seafood & meat fondue - amazingly delicious!, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Melting Pot

Amazingly delicious and filling!

We had the The Big Night Out it was incredible. My first time there a lot of things to really play with. I really loved the curry dipped. Chocolate ying & yang was amazing with strawberries. Their wine list was pretty extensive and the people were friendly. I liked this location. It's like being in a cave.

coco 500

2006-04-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

vacherin - amazingly delicious!, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Coco 500

I was a bit disappointed in the food. I thought the food was medicore but what stuck out was the fried beans and this amazing dessert.

Samovar Tea Lounge

2006-04-21T02:27:00.000-07:00

Samovar Tea Lounge

I thought the food was medicore. I did enjoy this seaweed that I was eating it had great seasoning to it and the salmon was delicious too. We ordered the bento box.

I really enjoyed their chai tea. It was delicious and it had great flavoring.

Decor is nice and the bathroom smelled nice with incense.

It's definitely a bit pricey but a nice place to have snacks.

Kingfish, San Mateo

2006-04-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

bigeye tuna & lobster tail, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Kingfish

Well, not a bad restaurant but it's wasn't as amazing I'd like it. Here's my dish above that I thought it was okay. I think it was a bit salty. I liked the crab popper appetitizer, I thought it was very delicious.

Cafe Claude

2006-04-15T00:45:00.000-07:00

Cafe Claude

A lot of cute French guys at this restaurant and patrons too. Amazing. ;)

Charcuterie Plate - saucisson sec, prosciutto, garlic sausage and choice of two pâtes

Steak Tartare - cornichons, capers, egg yolk, mustard,persil, croutons, shallots

Escargot en Croute - garlic, butter, parsley, almond nutmeg,shallots, and

Coquilles Saint Jacques - scallops, shrimp, mussels, mushrooms,bread crumbs, gruyere

Tartare de Thon Rouge - ahi tuna, goat cheese, quail egg,garlic croutons

Moelleux au Chocolat - soft chocolate cake with creme anglaise - Amazing dessert. I can't believe I didn't get a better picture of my dessert. Bummer.

sushi's sam

2006-04-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

ikura sashimi, originally uploaded by pengrin.

sushi sam's

- hamachi kama
- chilli dog
- hot dog
- unagi nigri
- ikura nigri
- catapillar roll
- agedashi tofu
- saba nigri

Penang Garden

2006-04-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

house special fried rice, originally uploaded by pengrin.

I really enjoyed this fried rice dish. Delicious, and tasty basil.

Penang Garden

- asam fish head curry - spicy curry but I didn't eat the head ;)

- aromatic crab - tasty fresh crab with a nice spice

- spicy pork chops - pork chops were okay but a little salty

- roti canai - tasty & flavorful curry sauce to dip

- pumpkin curry duck - I thought was very rich but it was okay

nasi lemak, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Ingredients for this dish was amazing! Sardines, hard boiled eggs, chicken curry, veggie curry, salted peanuts and nicely sliced cucumbers. I really enjoyed this dish. It was an interesting mix to this plate and 'interesting' is a really good thing for me here. I thought this was one of the unique dish to really have with all the different taste from this dish.

I thought this delicious was simply amazing... YUM

I can't believe I almost forgot the tasty veggie (ong choy) stir fry dish - delicious!!

Pacific Catch

2006-04-09T15:22:00.000-07:00

grilled salmon salad, originally uploaded by pengrin.

Pacific Catch

Well, I had the most tastiest grilled salmon salad. It was very good. I ordered the fish n' chips. From my understanding it would be a different fish depending on the catch of the day. Today I had cod fish what better way to enjoy fish. Delicious! I liked their cole slaw. It's definitely has an Asian influence in their dishes. I definitely want to check out their other dishes.

Pizzeria Delfina

2006-04-09T00:50:00.000-07:00

seasoning for delfina pizza, originally uploaded by pengrin.

3611 18th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Tel: 415.437.6800
pizza menu

What do I think? No.

Waitress served fresh seasoning at our table. We had Margherita (tomato, basil) pizza - The crust was crispy and chewy but it had no taste except for the 3 leaves of basil on the pizza. We also had Salsiccia (sausage, onions, bell peppers.) I thought the pizza was salty but the sausage had great seasoning. Real thin slices that was impossible to fold the pizza to eat with your hands because it was just sloggy. You definitely need to eat their slices with a fork and knife. I enjoy gourmet pizza if it's not a NYC slice but I'd definitely recommend Little Star Pizza over this place. I think their 12" slice will definitely serve 3 people - 2 slices for each person.

Yamo

2006-04-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

chicken potato curry noodles, originally uploaded by pengrin.

3406 18th St (At Mission St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415)553-8911

Delicious Burmese food I've had. I'm so glad I asked my Burmese friend to come out with me to check out this really small restaurant. It's diner style setting with only 8 seats.

- Samusas wraps filled with fried curry spices and potates

- Yamo Cold Noodles cold noodles mixed with house special flavor, onions, cabbage, cucumber.

Maggie Mudd

2006-04-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

delicious orange sorbet, originally uploaded by pengrin.

I got a little snack at Maggie Mudd. I had a really orangy looking sorbet. I don't think I could it in pics because it's brighter than this pic.

Ramblas

2006-04-06T06:21:00.000-07:00

Ramblas

Wow, I can't believe this isn't on my list. Great for large parties. They're very accommodating. I've heard their other dishes are medicore but I'm all about their tapas. I love their Ramblas Margarita drink too. It's pomegrante margarita drink. It's my favorite. I wished I didn't quit drinking but that's okay.

Overall, this is my favorite tapas place to bring my friends and out of town visitors.

OMG -- don't overeat their fresh tasty bread. It's quite addicting. I usually dip it in the leftover sauce from the tapas plates. Delicious!!

I forgot to take other pics (too busy eating) except for this one - Pollo al Ajillo - Sautéed chicken with capers, spinach & sun dried tomatoes

My list from last night's meal:

- Pan Tomate Grilled baguette with tomato, garlic, jamón & Manchego

- Bistec a la Parilla Grilled Hanger Steak with chili mojo, grilled red & green onions

- Bacalao Baked salt cod, potato & garlic gratin with tosta

- Patatas Bravas Fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce

- Setas Mixed wild mushrooms sautéed with olive oil, pimenton, butter & garlic

- Espinacas Spinach, garlic, pine nuts and currants

- Gambas al Ajillo Sautéed white shrimp with garlic, sherry & olive oil

- Bistec a la Parilla Grilled Hanger Steak with chili mojo, grilled red & green onions

Moki's Sushi and Pacific Grill

2006-04-04T22:46:00.000-07:00

Moki's Sushi and Pacific Grill

Riptide Roll - tempura’d shrimp with avocado, and topped with unagi

Jojo's Roll - sake, tempura'd asparagus,green onion, topped with shiso

Spicy Tuna Roll - maguro, bincho, spicy kewpie sauce and green onion

Salmon Ceviche Roll - marinated sake with avocado, scallions, and cilantro

Miso Soup - Red and White Miso with Shitake Mushrooms, Scallions and Tofu

Ahi~Mango Spring Roll - Seared ahi-mango spring roll served with a ginger-lime sauce
Spicy Corn Fritters - Corn fritters served with Indonesian soy sauce

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad - Sliced pears and mixed greens tossed with blue cheese and macadamia nuts, dressed in a port vinaigrette

Hamachi Kama - grilled yellowtail collarbone

I thought the sushi was reasonably priced and what stuck out the most was their amazing corn fritters and there very tasty spicy tuna rolls. Delicious!

Grand Palace

2006-04-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

Grand Palace Restaurant (not in San Francisco)
359 Grand Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080

When you walk into this place it's pretty grand decor and a fancy like a banquet hall.

Anyway, their service is slow and they're not as attentive considering they're not that busy. Dim sum carts strolling through the aisles.

I think their dim sum is medicore. I've had their shrimp dumplings, xo sauce chow fun. Although, their dish that really sticks out but it's never the same consistency is their crispy duck wrapped in the steamed white bun. I thought it was delicious. You add the scallions and cucumbers with their sweet sauce. I thought this was the only thing that was really good.

Hung To

2006-04-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

AKA Palm Village Chinese Rstrnt
221 S Spruce Ave
South San Francisco, CA 94080-4520

What can I say about this place? Well, I only go here for dim sum because it's just fresh, clean and delicious. It's a good place for a good size group.

And yes, the ladies come around with the plates instead of the dim sum carts. And always ask for water - either a lot of MSG or it's just salty. I still think it's decent and the price is reasonable.

Here's my list:

- Steamed Shrimp Dumpling (Har Gow)
- XO sauce chow fun noodles
- Shrimp flaten rolls
- Shang Hai dumplings
- Steamed chinese broccoli
- Steamed shrimp crepes (Har Cheung Fun)
- Minced meat & vegetables wrapped in bean curd skin (Sin Chet Kuen)
- Sweet lotus bean starch & egg yolk bun (Lin Yung Bow)

Bittersweet Cafe

2006-04-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

Bittersweet Cafe

Different chocolate bars from domestic to internation are sold at this location. A little pricey. A casual place to have some chocolate desserts.

I didn't really like their dark chocolate macroon. I really enjoyed their Chocolate Dulce de Leche Pudding. I thought it was good but I barely tasted the dulce de leche in there. Bummer.

Thanh Long

2006-04-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

Thanh Long - 4101 Judah St (corner 46th st), San Francisco, 94122 (415)665-1146

Well, I haven't been here in a long time but I realize I didn't miss much.

We had a lot of different dishes but the only thing that I thought that was really amazing was their garlic noodles and their mussels. Delicious. I thought their roasted garlic crab was okay and their shaken beef. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend anything else from this list below.

- Thanh Long Mussels new zealand green-lip mussels broiled with asian pesto, served with seasoned crostini
- Lemongrass Beef or Chicken Satay skewers of marinated beef or chicken, charbroiled and garnished with asian pickles
- Crispy Rice Paper Roll filled with chicken, button mushrooms, daikon and vermicelli, served with nuoc man, a traditional vietnamese dipping sauce
-Grilled Calamari lightly marinated with asian basil and a mustard-peanut sauce
-Asian Bouillabaisse of lemongrass, prawns, tomatoes, pineapple and vegetables in fragrant tamarind broth
- Thanh Long Spicy Eggplant sauteed with jumbo prawns, chicken, fresh basil, baby corn, shitake mushrooms and fiery red chillies in a tamarine and chilli-soya
- Curry Lotus Prawns lotus root simmered in mildly spiced coconut milk with jumbo prawns, baby corn, green beans and water chestnuts or chicken
- Shaken Beef tender cubes of marinated new york steak flambeed in chardonnay, served with potatoes, mixed green and cherry tomatoes
- Catch In Citrus a grilled sea bass filet in a grand marnier citrus sauce of lemon and orange juices
- Roast Crab a whole dungeness crab roasted with an's garlic sauce and secet spices
- Tamarind Crab a whole dungeness crab simmered in a melange of roma tomatoes and tamarind, seasoned with fresh dill and green onions and flambeed with cognac
- Garlic Noodles an's famous noodles made with our special garlic sauce and secret spices

Mangarosa

2006-04-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

Mangarosa
OMG -- I was really impressed by this Italian-Brazilian cuisine place.

Although, I'm not sure what's Italian but the meats were very delicious.

- pao de queijo - Deliciously warm Brazilian style cheese bread A MUST ORDER!!

- artichoke crab dip - crab, onions, grana padano and parmesan crostini - YUMMY

We had the Ahi tuna appetizer but I thought it was okay. It was a nice presentation but the taste was just a bit bland.

- foie gras with castelnau de suidurant sauternes 2000, Bordeaux France (delicious wine) - crisp potato, brioche and honey onion dem. I liked this dish it was delicious. I really enjoyed the sweet white dessert wine. Delicious.

- tender soft ribs I really enjoyed this. The meat slid off the bone. It was a bit fatty but it was still good.

- brazilian steak réchaud -- AMAZING!!! It was delicious!! You have to grill it yourself. It's medium rare style meat. Condiments you would add onto the salsa sauce, fried garlic and bread crumbs with brazilian style seasoning. I would come back again for this dish! It taste good even without their side seasoning. It's really good.

I was just too full for desserts. We couldn't eat any. I guess I have to make another trip. :)

Mamasan underground restaurant

2006-03-31T22:20:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I went to a place that I thought was just rumors. People willing to cook for strangers at their home. I had my connection and it got me into the world of homecooked food. It was going to be Chamorro food tonight. I didn't realize they were from Guam.

Lynette was a wonderful host. I met her husband, Joshua and her Mom, Mamasan. Their daughter, Rose was the cutest girl I've seen.

STARTERS...
Ahi Tuna Poke on Savory Rice Thins...Wild caught ahi marinated with scallions in a spicy & light sesame dressing atop crispy rice crackers
Poblano Chile & Corn Quesadillas with Roasted Red pepper sauce and salsa verde

FROM THE GRILL...
Chicken Kelaguen... Rosie Organic chicken, mesquite grilled, then diced
and marinated with fresh lemons, then tossed with scallions fire-roased
pacific peppers, and fresh grated coconut

Niman Ranch Barbequed Pork Ribs...Succulent pork ribs marinated in our
tangy shoyu recipe then mesquite grilled to perfection

SIDES AND CRUNCHY BITES...
Red Achiote Rice...Annato seasoned rice with braised green peppers,
onions and vegan broth

Glass Noodle Pancit...Mung thread stir-fried with carrots, celery and
green beans, garlic and red onions, then finished with ginger achiote broth

Mamasan's American- Style Potato Salad...Always da bomb with bbq--diced
organic russets, celery, roasted red peppers, black olives, & relish,
tossed with mayo and special seasonings...

Spicy Cucumbers

DESSERT...
Breaded deep fried bananas

For Drinking Pleasure...
Mamasan Rum Punch
Cerveza
Red Sangria

I really enjoyed the food. It was quite lovely. I'm glad I had the opportunity to try out different food. I can't believe I bumped into an old coworker, Colton. I haven't seen him in years too. I also loved their cat Monkey. He was so very friendly, he sat on my lap so I can pet him.