Dog Don't Care

Day two in Tianjin China...

After spending most of the day with my wife's college-mates wandering the shopping district ducking in and out of different shopping establishments to avoid the biting cold of the winter breeze, we meet up with the in-laws for dinner at 狗不理(Gou Bu Li; Literally translated Dog Don't Care) . This is what we ordered:

• 传统猪肉包子 (Traditional Pork steam buns)
• 三鲜包子 (Pork, sea cucumber, and shrimp steamed buns)
• 蟹黄包子 (Crab meat steam buns)
• 野菜包子 (Wild herbs steam buns)
• 百年酱肉包子 (Hundred years marinated pork steam buns)
• 红烧驮掌 (Braised Camel Paw)
• 蝴蝶鳝鱼 (Butterfly Eel)
• 龙井牛蛙 (Dragon Well Bull Frog)
  

Gou Buli steam bun is one of the local speciality of Tianjin. It stands out from other steam buns because the stuffing is particularly smooth and oily and the dough is not fully leavened. This place is a bit of a tourist trap, but I'm a tourist and I'm told by everyone that if you go to Tianjin you have to try its Gou Buli steamed buns. That I did, it is very good, but quite pricey. The traditional pork steam bun was my favorite flavor.

The other dishes were quite interesting. Take the Braised Camel Paw - I didn't even know camel was edible. It's actually very soft, smooth, and silky. If you enjoy pig knuckles or pig feet, you will definitely enjoy camel paw. Yeah, I know how strange that sounds. Just trust me. It's good.

The eel and bull frog I've had before. It's my understanding that you can't get fresh eel in the States so I knew I was going to order something with eel while in China. The Butterfly eel dish is very similar to the Unagi you find at a Japanese restaurant. The difference is it's not sweet like its Japanese counterpart. The Dragon Well Bull frog is a twist on a traditional Zhe Jiang dish called Dragon Well Shrimp. It's good, but I still prefer the Dragon Well Shrimp.

Overall the experience at Gou Buli was enjoyable. It's one of those you must do it once restaurant because it's so famous.

Our second dinner in Tianjin has made one thing very apparent to me - Chinese people eat every animal under the sun. In the two days I've been here I've eaten donkey and camel - things that I didn't think was edible. I've still got 2.5 more weeks here, who knows what else I'm going to try...

For an explanation of why this restaurant is called 狗不理 (Dog Don't Care) go to http://www.tjgoubuli.com/ and read it for yourself.

More Dumplings Than You Can Shake A Pair Of Chopsticks At

Sorry for the long layoff. I had a bit of the blogger's block (I'm too busy to blog on the consistent basis). Anyways I'm reinvigorated and reinspired because I'm in Tianjin China; a 2-hour bus ride southeast of Beijing.

Day one - We went to a place called 百饺园(Ba Jiao Yuan; Literally translated as hundred dumpling garden). There couldn't be a better place for our first dinner in this part of China. This restaurant has a seemingly endless variety of dumplings to choose from. This was what we ordered:

• 五香驴肉饺子 (Donkey Meat Dumpling)
  
  
  
• 红籽银鱼饺子 (Red Fish Roe and SilverFish Dumpling)
  
  
  
• 蟹上皇饺子 (Crab Roe and Crab Meat Dumpling)
  
  
  
• 羊肉黄瓜饺子 (Lamb and Cucumber Dumpling)
  
  
  
• 鸭肉香菇饺子 (Duck and Mushroom Dumpling)
  
  
  
• 津味素饺子 (TianjinVegetarian Dumpling)

That's no typo - we ate donkey meat. "Getting some ass" has a totally different meaning in this place.

Each of the dumpling dishes are simply served on a plate. No frills just dumplings. Each order has about 5-7 pieces. There is a window from the seating area into the kitchen that shows 10-12 chefs preparing dumplings. Everything is freshly made.

Bai Jiao Yuan, hands-down, has the best dumpling I've ever had. If you're ever in Beijing or Tianjin you must make a stop at this place. Oh god, I died and went to dumpling heaven. There's other stuff on the menu, but why bother. It's a like going to a burger joint and ordering a salad. That's just all sorts of wrong bro. Do the right thing and DO THE DUMPLING!

After we finished dinner, my mother-in-law asked me which flavor of dumpling was my favorite. This was unexpectedly difficult to answer because I thoroughly enjoyed all of them, but if I had to choose - it would be the donkey dumpling. I've never had donkey meat before and I never thought it would taste so good. It is in fact very very tasty. It actually taste a bit like mutton. If you think about it that's not too surprising. I'd never thought I'd say it, but it's true Ma, I like eating ass.

Contact Information

Name: 百饺园
Address: 天津市南开区长江道23号
Tel: 022-23719000

Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cakes

October through December is great time for enjoying food. The holiday spirit kicks in and there's always someone making something special and sharing it with everyone. Jason, my good friend, and his wife recently made a dessert they refer to as "Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cakes" - apparently they make this every year during the holidays. I've never had it before since I'm not a fan of anything with pumpkins in it, but Jason's description of this dessert made me check my disdain of pumpkins. I gave it a try and all I can say is, "Thank you Jason! Can I have seconds, thirds, and fourths please?"

So I had to ask for the recipe thinking it was some super-secret family recipe. Well, it wasn't - he just sent me a link to the recipe at Food Network. God, writing about this dessert really makes me hungry...

Wife, I'm itching for something good. I busy blogging and I demand that you make me some Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cakes.

Umm, let me re-phrase that...

Honey, my friend's wife just gave me this great recipe for Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cakes. Maybe we can spend some quality time together making it this weekend? Here's the url to the recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_20677,00.html

Shiraz Restaurant

Shiraz is a Persian food restaurant that I regularly have lunch with my friends. This place makes the best Beef Koobideh I've ever had. Koobideh is a Persian kabab of minced lamb or beef. It is usually served with rice and some grill tomatoes. Ordering the same thing over and over again is not my M.O., but the Koobideh at Shiraz is so damn good that I don't bother with anything else.

My friends and I went to Shiraz yesterday. The waitress recognized us and said, "You don't need the menu, right?" We all nodded in agreement until I changed my mind and said, "Not unless you have something new on the menu." Good thing I asked because she had some recommendations for us: Ash Reshteh and Fesenjoon

Ash Reshteh, I'm told by the waitress, means noodle soup in Farsi. The noodles and soup are complemented with lentils, dill, and few different types of beans. It is vegetarian dish, but the way Shiraz makes it I can taste lamb in it - that's a good thing in my book. This dish is so beautiful I don't even know where to begin. I'm so glad the waitress recommended this dish to us. I think this is my new "go-to" dish at Shiraz.

Fesenjoon is a dish that comprises of chicken chunks smothered in a dark brown sauce made from primarily pomegranate concentrate and walnuts. It is served with a side of rice. It looks very similar to the Mexican Chicken Mole Poblano, but it couldn't taste anymore different. The walnut in the sauce gives it a very rich texture similar to seasame paste or peanut butter and the pomegranate concentrate brings an unexpected, but welcomed tartness to the sauce. A very interesting dish. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to the adventurous foodie in everyone.

Whether it's the Koobideh, the Fesenjoon, the Ash Reshteh, or anything else on their menu they never disappoint. Shiraz has proven to be an outstanding restaurant. It is my favorite in the Tri-Valley area. I only wish there's one closer to where I live. If you're ever in the Pleasanton/San Ramon/Danville area, make sure to stop by Shiraz for a meal. You can thank me later.

Address and Contact Information:
Shiraz Restaurant
21314 San Ramon Valley Blvd
San Ramon, CA 94583
925.829.5558
www.shirazr.com

Yetnal Jajang - Noodles! Noodles! Noodles!

My love affair with noodles began when I was able to eat solid foods. I enjoy noodles in all shape, size, and form. Wheat, rice, vermicelli, pasta, in soup, in sauce, stir fried, baked - it doesn't matter, I'll try it at least once so I'm always on the lookout for a good noodle shops.

I recently found one near the Berkeley/Oakland border. It's called Yetnal Jajang. It's a Korean noodle shops. There are no frills at this place. Their menu isn't awfully complex and that's a good thing. They stick with what they're good at - noodles. It's comfort food. The experience is just beautiful.

I highly recommend the Ja Jang Myun from Yetnal Jajang. Most Asian food has it's own version of this famous dish which I believe is all based on the Chinese Zha Jiang Mian. In a nutshell, this dish is basically noodles served with fermented soybean sauce. Though the sauce can vary significantly in look and flavor, the key similarity is the sauce is always soybean based. The Korean version (Ja Jang Myun) of this dish is very distinctive because of it's dark brown, almost black, soybean sauce. It's one of my favorites because of its elegant simplicity. The smoothness of the sauce and well-balanced flavor just blends so well with the noodles that it's hard not to order it every time I see it on any menu. The soybean sauce and the noodles are typically served separately so that patrons can decide how much sauce they want with their noodles. There are a couple other choices for noodles at Yetnal Jajang, but I believe it is an absolute mistake to go there for the first time without ordering their Ja Jang Myun.


Address and Contact Information:
Yetnal Jajang Korean Noodles
4390 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA 94620 (510) 652-3900

Leap in the Mouth

I was recently in Palo Alto's Il Fornaio having dinner with a couple of friends. We were looking over the menu trying to decide what to order. I saw Saltimbocca Alla Romana on the menu and I said, "Saltimbocca...I had this before. It's good." One of my friends chimed in, "Yeah, that's good. Saltimbocca...means leap in the mouth."

Well, I can't pass up something so good that it leaps in the mouth so I ordered it. When the dish came I was expecting the Saltimbocca to leap in my mouth by itself, but to my disappointment that didn't happen. Luckily my disappointment ended there - Il Fornaio's Saltimbocca Alla Romana was absolutely amazing.

Saltimbocca Alla Romana is classic Roman dish. It's veal topped with prosciutto and sage. Here's is the recipe. Honestly, any dish with those things as the key ingredients has no reason to be anything less than delicious and Il Fornaio's Saltimbocca is one of the better if not the best I've had. So take advantage of the holiday season - take your family or friends to Il Fornaio for some Roman "leap in the mouth".


Address and Contact Information:
Il Fornaio
520 Cowper Street
(at the Garden Court Hotel)
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: 650.853.3888
http://www.ilfornaio.com

It's not Sorbet, it's Sorbetto

I'm shopping in Walnut Creek, CA. I've already walked past Gelateria Naia a few times now and each time I thought to myself I will give this gelato joint a try the next time. I finally did it this time.

Conclusion; Gelateria Naia is place where someone can get some really great ice cream. I ordered Kiwi flavor and I asked the clerk, "So the Kiwi...it's not gelato it's sorbet right?" and the clerk responded, "Sir, it's not Sorbet, it's Sorbetto." Oh, I'm sorry, didn't mean to push you off your high chair Mr. Sorbetto, but isn't Sorbetto just Italian for Sorbet? Well, my lack of familiarity with Italian language forced me to bite my tongue and not be my usual smart-ass self. Turns out there is a subtle difference according to this article - glad I kept my mouth shut.

Gelateria Naia is definitely not your run-of-the-mill great ice cream joint like Loard's or ColdStone. Their gelato and sorbetto are very true and pure to the flavor - meaning the kiwi sorbetto at Gelateria Naia practically tastes like kiwi and their chestnut gelato actually tastes like chestnuts. But the thing that stands out the most for me is the variety of unique flavors offered - here are some examples: Kiwi, Green Apple, Nutella, Chestnut, and Pecan.

If you're expecting traditional ice cream here, you'll probably be caught off guard, though I'm sure their vanilla or chocolate gelato are awesome too (I don't usually get traditional flavors so I don't know first hand). If you're looking for something a little different, Gelateria Naia will knock your socks off.

Gelateria Naia
1245 north broadway
walnut creek, ca 94596
925.943.1905
http://www.gelaterianaia.com/

Hotels do not wash their cups and glasses

My friend came across an investigative report that shows hotels do not wash their cups and glasses. Hopefully such exposure will get the hotels to change this practice. In the meantime, please watch this video and take the necessary precaution when traveling. Here's the video:



[ Original Article: Don't Ever Drink From Hotel Glasses ]

It's Not Soda Pop. It's Java Pop!

During one of my trips to Whole Foods, I saw this drink called Java Pop in the drink isle.

According to the Java Pop, Inc. website, Java Pop is the world's first USDA Organic Fair Trade Certified Coffee Soda.

Huh? Ok USDA Organic - I know what that is. Fair Trade Certified? I didn't know that this applies to something like coffee soda. So I assume I can purchase an unfair trade certified version? how about a fair trade uncertified version? oh oh or maybe even an unfair trade uncertified version?

Dude, it's just coffee soda.

Anyways, sounds funky doesn't it? Funky enough for my wife and I to give it a try. My wife loves coffee. She must have her morning cup of coffee. I don't drink coffee, but I love everything coffee flavored, particular any type of coffee ice cream.

I ended up finishing most of the 4-pack myself. My wife did not like it at all. In hindsight, it was not unexpected since she's more of a coffee purist. I, on the other hand, enjoyed it. Yes, it is funky. Yes, it is strange. The coffee flavor and carbonation combination initially throws one for a loop, but that's part of it's uniqueness. It is indeed a very unique soda - The first coffee soda I've ever had.

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

An awesome farmers market can be found just behind the Ferry Building in San Francisco. It's called the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. It's there for 2 days a week: Tuesday 10am - 2pm and Saturday 8am - 2pm. The thing I love most about any farmers market is that I can graze my way through an assortment of fruits, vegetables, and anything that happens to catch my fancy at the time. The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is not your typical farmers market. It is perfectly situated at the edge of the pier so that anyone can enjoy a beautiful view of the bay and the ocean breeze while shoving something delicious down their throat. There are just as many stands that offer prepared meals as there are that offer produce. This farmers market is the closely thing I've found in the Bay Area to the night markets that litter all the cities of Asia. There's nothing, I mean NOTHING, that beats eating your way through a night market. That's why this one is special in my book.

Here are some of the highlights of my experience at this farmers market:

Roli Roti's Porchetta Sandwich


I cannot tell you how good this sandwich is - all I can say is I'm a complete drooling idiot when I watch Thomas, the owner (I'm assuming), prepare my sandwich. He'll ask you, "Authentic style?" Just say "Yes", otherwise he'll tell you to go away. He'll rub the Focaccia-like bread in the juices from the roasted pork on the chopping board. He'll cut up several slices of the roast pork and put it on the bread. He'll finish up by adding caramelized onion and some garnish. Voila, the Porchetta sandwich is ready to go.


Capt'n Mike's Lox Sandwich


They have a few varieties of lox. In my opinion all are worth trying. The thing about Capt'n Mike is they keep it simple and to the point. They focus on quality and you can definitely taste it. These Lox sandwich are served as open sandwiches. The bread they use is artisan quality. The lox is accompanied by the organic vegetable of the day (I've had it with tomatoes, grilled bell peppers, and onions) and cream cheese. You can choose from White Lox, Red Lox, and Albacore Tuna Lox. You just can't go wrong having a lox sandwich in an environment like this - the bay, the pier, and the golden gate bridge all right there. Just beautiful.

Hayes Street Grill's Salmon BLT

Ok, I actually haven't had a chance to try their Salmon BLT, because every friggin time I line up for it, they will slap the "Sold Out" sign on it before I actually get to the front of the line to order it. I've seen what this Salmon concoction looks like. I know what it smells like. Based on those two data points I know what I'm missing. The fact that it ran out on me more than once is really really upsetting. There's no doubt in my mind that the next time I'm at this farmers market, the Hayes Street Grill stand is the one I hit first. I also know that when I finally get to sink my mouth into this thing of beauty that I will not be disappointed. I better not be. I've waited too long for this Salmon BLT.

Too Much Stuff To Remember


This farmers market is huge compared to the one in my neighborhood and therefore has a much wider variety of things to eat. Honestly, there just too many things to remember. The Lox Sandwich, the Porchetta sandwich, and the Salmon BLT are things that I remember, but I guaranteed that it's only a small sample of my entire experience. The truth is I tried so many different samples of fruits, vegetables, and everything in between that I can go without lunch because I just start in grazing in the morning until the early afternoon.

If you have never been to the Ferry Building's Farmers Market before I highly recommend you go. If you've been there or you're a regular attendee I'm very interested to hear your recommendations and experience.

Ferry Building Farmers Market Information:
http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/farmers_market.php

It's so good that I'd rather not eat anything else

I just finished dinner. My wife did it again. She channeled Julia Child and made something so amazing that I just didn't want to eat anything else. It was so good that I was in no mood to share any of it with anyone. It was so good that I just wanted to be left alone while I was eating it. It was so good that when my wife asked me to try another dish she made I just ignored her. It was so good that when my wife told me she thought another dish was better and I considered putting her in the doghouse that she usually puts me in. It was so good that I had to blog about it.

She made African Tilapia Soup. I so love my wife when she does stuff like this...

Alright folks enough of the sales pitch. Pay attention. Here's the important part. The recipe. Hey Mom and Dad this recipe is for you guys in particular because I know you will definitely enjoy and it's particularly appropriate for this cold weather we are currently have.

1. Pan sear 1 live and fresh African Tilapia (Fei Zhou Ce Yu) on both sides until it's golden.
2. Put the Tilapia in a cooking pot
3. Add enough hot water so that the entire Tilapia is completely submerged
   
4. Add 5 cloves of garlic
5. Add 3 slices of ginger
6. Boil it for 5 minutes
7. Add one rice bowl worth of chinese sauerkraut or pickled cabbage (suan cai)
   
8. Add one rice bowl worth of wood ear (mu er)
9. Boil for 20 more minutes
10. Add a few pinch of salt
    

That's it. It's ready to be eaten.

Bon Appetit!

The worst crepe I've ever eaten and I blame it on my wife

We are in Walnut Creek, CA. My wife and I just finished dinner. We had Japanese. This place was horrible so I was still itching to get some decent eats. I was not happy. During our stroll back to the car, I began lecturing her (actually it was more like whining) about how we should never go to restaurants that are in the Entertainment Book, "Honey, these restaurants are in the Entertainment Book because they suck. The only way they can get customers in the door is with discount coupons. We're not buying these books again. It's a waste of money. Wait, we should buy it so we know which ones to avoid..."

I'm on a roll. I'm excelling at being a total brat. I'm going on and on and on and just as my wife was going to plug her ears I fall silent. My jaw drops to the ground because I see Crepes A Go Go.

We didn't have dessert yet!

I am a Buddhist reaching Nirvana. I am a Muslim at Mecca. I am a Christian standing on a beach who just saw Mother Mary in the billowing waves. I AM A MAN WHO JUST HAD A CRAPPY DINNER AND REALIZED HE CAN SALVAGE THE NIGHT WITH A GOOD DESSERT!

I love Crepes A Go Go - particular the one in San Francisco. It's time to give the one in Walnut Creek a try. I think I started skipping. I turned to my wife and said, "Honey we are having crepe for dessert." She replied, "I don't like dessert crepe, besides I'm too full right now."

I did the right thing - I ignored her and dragged her into Crepes A Go Go. I ordered a Fresh Strawberries Nutella Crepe. I asked her what she wanted and she said, "I told you I'm not eating anything..."

Fine, your loss honey...

We sat down and the waitress brought us the crepe.

I am Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

I started digging into the crepe. I was tearing it apart and shoving it down my throat like a lion who's having his first meal in a month. I am the King of the Beast. Then I realized something - I was the only one with a Nutella goatee. My wife looked completely dejected watching me eat. I wiped off my goatee and offered her a piece.

She looked at me and said, "I told you I'm too full to eat anything right now and I also told you I do not like dessert crepe."

What?! Are you high?! You don't like dessert crepe?!

Of course I didn't say that to her, but it's what I was thinking. I insisted and proceeded to offer her a piece of the crepe again. She just shook her head and I realized something...

It doesn't matter how good the food is if I can't share it with my wife - it's only good if I can enjoy it with loved ones. The crepe didn't taste good anymore. I couldn't take another bite.

Thanks wife. You totally ruined it for me. I am a cockroach trying to making my way in this world and you just crushed me with your sandals.

[Crepes A Go Go: 1432 N. Main St., Walnut Creek, CA 94596, (925) 944-5790]

Saving A Turkey With A Sacrificial Lamb

Thanksgiving 2007, we decided to pass on the turkey and go with a leg of lamb. There's at least one happy turkey out there somewhere...

My wife's original idea was to put a twist on Qaubili Pilau, a classic Afghani dish, by burying an entire leg of lamb instead cubes of lamb in the basmati rice.

Ooooh Yeeeah, that sounds awesome!

However, I inadvertently changed our plans. My father actually did exactly what she's talking about a few years back and I couldn't avoid mentioning this to her. I even went on to tell her that she should ask my father for the recipe. Well, she didn't take my advice too well. Apparently she felt that another family member stole her thunder. It's no longer an original idea - she didn't want to be a copycat and insisted that we do something else with the leg of lamb. Of course I'm quite upset that I won't be getting homemade Qaubili Pilau, but I resisted throwing a temper tantrum like my niece would do when we don't let her watch Dora The Explorer for 8 hours straight. I'm a mature adult after all, it would be really improper to throw a temper tantrum, so I just pouted for a few hours.

Apparently, pouting didn't change her mind so we, I mean, she decided to do something else; marinate the leg of lamb and roast it in the oven. Ok, that actually sounds really good so I turned my frown upside down.

Here's the recipe:

1) Marinate the leg of lamb in the following mixture for a day:

• chopped celery
• chopped onions
• chopped green onions
• chopped tomatoes
• chopped garlic
• chopped ginger
• Sichuan pepper and salt mixture (hua jiao)
  
• star anise (ba jiao)
  
• fennel seeds
• salt
• soy sauce
• cooking wine

2) Roast the leg of lamb in the oven for about 2.5 hours

3) Make some flour tortilla. It is vital that the flour tortilla is freshly made - this makes a big difference

4) Dice up some fresh cilantro

5) Slice up some fresh green onions

Slice the leg of lamb as thick or as thin as one prefers. It is served much like a traditional taco. Plop the lamb on the flour tortilla. Garnish it with as much green onion slices and diced cilantro as you want.

Voila, a roasted leg of lamb that is a fusion of Chinese, Mexican, and Afghani cooking influences for Thanksgiving.

Writing this is making me hungry....

I AM CARNIVORE. HEAR ME ROAR!

My wife and I were in a carnivorous mood this weekend. We were in the mood to eat a lot of meat and our dining choices this weekend reflected that.

Coriya Hot Pot City

On Friday night, we decided on hot pot to satiate our carnivorous urges at Coriya Hot Pot City in Richmond, CA. For those who are not familiar with hot pot, it is served as a jamboree of uncooked foods (thinly sliced meats, seafood, tofu, and vegetables) with a pot of hot broth as the centerpiece. You put whatever you want in the pot at the time you want to eat it - cook times are at most a couple of minutes. Coriya is a hot pot buffet. Every table has a pot of broth. There is a burner underneath each table to keep the broth hot. There is also a grill which gives you the option of grilling instead of cooking in broth. The buffet counter is a limitless supply of pretty much all types of raw meats, seafood, and vegetables. As I said earlier, we are in the mood for meat, so we just went straight for the lamb. We just loaded up on thinly sliced lamb and for about an hour we practiced the same repetitive motion: drop the lamb in the hot broth, take it out when it's ready, and pop it in the mouth. I think I ate the equivalent of a whole lamb. It's a lot of fun to eat here because there are so many things to try, but this place is a buffet - quantity still rings louder than quality. I liken Coriya to a fun summer movie - not too much substance, but still very enjoyable.

Sam Won Kal Bi

On Saturday night, we realized are carnivorous urges were still burning strong so we decided to have some Korean BBQ at Sam Won Kal Bi in Oakland, CA. This place gives you a charcoal grill to grill your own meats. We ordered Spicy Marinated Pork (Daeji Bulgogi) and Salted Beef Tongue. They bring it to you raw so that you can barbecue it yourself. The Spicy Marinated Pork is one of my favorite Korean dish. I always enjoy eating it, but on Saturday the Salted Beef Tongue took center stage. I was initially quite skeptical about beef tongue, but I went with it anyway. I've never had it before, but I really enjoyed it. Beef tongue tastes a lot like "normal" beef (who would have known?). It actually tastes like really flavorful beef with a tad more jerky texture than "normal" beef. I'd definitely recommend this dish to anyone who enjoys beef. Oh, I almost forgot the most important thing; all those little Kim Chi dishes that comes with the meals. Sam Won Kal Bi did an excellent job with those dishes - that's always a good sign for a Korean BBQ.

Here are the restaurants I talked about:

• Coriya Hot Pot City: 3288 Pierce St Ste A105, Richmond, CA 94804, (510) 524-8081
• Sam Won Kal Bi: 2600 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94612, (510) 834-5757
  

Shanghai Delight

I love Shanghainese food. If I had to pick one type of food, which I really prefer not to do, I would have to go with Shanghainese food. My wife and I recently went to Milpitas, CA for some Shanghainese food at a place called Shanghai Delight (Shang Hai Jia Chang Cai)

This is one of the regular spots we go to every time we are in that part of town. Pretty much everything on the menu is worth a try, but something we always order is the Du Dang (The belly of a Carp) or the Hua Shui (Tail of a Carp).

These two dishes are classic Shanghai dishes. It's basically the same dish, but it is either the belly or tail of the fish. The carp is braised in a traditional Shanghainese dark sauce - it is lathered in this sauce. The key to this dish is the freshness of the carp and the sauce that's a combination of black vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. This sauce is the key - a flavor that is pretty prevalent in most Shanghainese dish.

If you love seafood go to Shanghai Delight and order either the Du Dang or the Hua Shui. These guys do a very good job - probably the best in the Bay Area.

Address and Contact Information:

Shanghai Delight (Shang Hai Jia Chang Cai)
218 Barber Court
Milpitas, CA 95035
408.434.6888

Lamb Meatball Soup

The saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." very much applies to me. That's how my wife "tricked" me into marrying her :)

We were at Safeway's meat section and she saw a package of grounded lamb. She picked it up and said, "Interesting, I've never seen this before. Cool, I can make lamb meatball soup for dinner." I felt my eyes get watery. We got home and I played good husband for the rest of the day - I basically do everything she tells me to do.

It's close to dinner time. I'm sitting in the living room waiting for my wife to say "Dinner time!" When she finally says it, I pop off the sofa and start setting the table. I never pop off the sofa on the first call. You do that when you're the boyfriend not the husband. I digress. I pick up the bowl containing the lamb meatball soup and put it on the table. It's love at first sight. We sit down and eat. It was gorgeous. Here's the description of the Lamb Meatball Soup. Obviously there is lamb meatball. It is accompanied by clear vermicelli, daikon slices, and wood ear all in the soup. I gorged myself on this dish. In fact, I can still taste it as I'm writing this.

I love my wife.

Lucky & Lucky Restaurant - Lucky me!

My wife and I decide to have dinner at Lucky & Lucky Restaurant in Oakland Chinatown. My folks recommended this place. The worst part was trying to get directions from my mother. She always gives directions from her point of view - she just assumes that you're in her head. She gives no context and doesn't understand why you do know what she's talking about. Here's a snippet of what she told me:

"It's across the street from ABC Restaurant. Just keep going straight and then turn. Wait don't turn. It's actually close by this other restaurant. Actually, not really. Ok, you know where Restaurant ABC is. Just keep going straight and you will eventually see it across the street"

Ok mom, got it. Just to verify. Was that a left or a right on the place I'm not supposed to turn?

Turns out Lucky & Lucky was two blocks north of ABC Restaurant on the same side of the street. Good thing my mom's taste in food isn't as bad as her directions.

Anyways, Lucky & Lucky serves Chao Zhou food. Chao Zhou is the eastern most part of the Guang Zhou province near the border of Fujian province. A lot of the Chao Zhou influence has made their way into Cantonese cuisine as well, so this place actually serves both Chao Zhou and Cantonese food.

Here's what we ordered:

• Chao Zhou Duck (Chao Zhou Lu Shui Ya)
  
• Fish Maw and Egg White Stir Fry (Gui Fei Chao Yu Du)
  
• Fish Soup/Fish Filet and Celery Stir Fry (Shi Jiu Gong Liang Chi)

Forgive the horrible translations. I do not have the slightest idea what the English names for this dishes are since they are not the popular nor standard Chinese dishes found in the states. These are very typical types of dishes eaten in Chao Zhou and Guang Zhou. Nevertheless, my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed what we ordered.

I'm going to describe each one and hopefully you'll get a better idea of whether you'd like to drop in and give it a try.

Chao Zhou Duck

This, I'm told, is a classic Chao Zhou dish just like Roast Duck is classic Beijing dish. This dish is prepared by marinating the whole duck in a dark sauce that consists of soy sauce mixed with a bunch of other spices (called Lu Shui in Chinese). This dish can be served cold or hot, though I believe it's traditionally served cold. I love this dish and these guys do fail to impress. If you enjoy Beijing Roast Duck, you should absolutely give it a try, but know that it is very different in flavor and texture.

Fish Maw and Egg White Stir Fry

This one was my favorite. This dish is a stir fry of fish maw, egg white, and yellow chives. Take this one slowly. I didn't it because it was sooo good and before I knew it I couldn't handle anymore. This is a very rich dish, that's part of the reason why it is so good, but it's also the reason why you should take it slowly or else it's the end of the fun.

Fish Soup/Fish Filet and Celery Stir Fry

This is a two part dish. Part one - The fish soup. It looks like non-fat milk with a touch of parsley. It tastes a lot like clam chowder in the way the clam chowder has a strong seafood flavor. If you like clam chowder, you're going to enjoy this. There's a bonus dish; The ingredients used to make this soup is separated from the soup and served as a separate dish. The ingredients consists of tofu, fish bones, mustard greens, and thousand years old eggs. As you're sipping on the soup, you snack on the ingredients. Just dip them in a special soy sauce that comes with this dish. Part two - fish filet and celery stir fry. It is exactly as the name describes - a very typical Cantonese dish. A good ending to a two part dish.

This place is great. It's on the top of our list now. We loved it and can't wait to go back again and try different things. The waitresses are extremely friendly, warm, and welcoming. It's not fancy. There are no frills. The food is matter of fact and real. It's country cooking at it's best folks!

Address and Contact information:

Lucky & Lucky Restaurant
1116 Franklin Street
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 839-6028

Burger Me!

I'm a burger lover. I'm always in the mood for a good burger. If you're like me you're always on the hunt for a good burger joint. Here are the places around the Bay Area that are on the top of my list (If you know of anymore places, please let me know):

• Val's Burger
• Peninsula Fountain and Grill
• Cafe Rouge

Val's Burger

A friend of mine introduced Val's Burger to me and I love him deeply for it. This place is Mecca for burger lovers. I'm told they butcher the beef themselves. Definite plus. Their menu consists of the Baby Burger (1/3 lb), Mama Burger (1/2 lb) , and Papa Burger (1 lb). There's obviously more on the menu, but everything else is irrelevant for the purpose of this discussion. A girly man gets a Baby Burger. A real man gets a Mama Burger. A manly man gets a Papa Burger. It's all the same burger, just different sizes, so it depends how hungry you are. Do not make the mistake of adding extra stuff like mushroom or bacon to this burger. You're just insulting the burger and you'll lose in the end. When, not "if", you go there just remember that there is just you and the burger. Nothing else matters.

Peninsula Fountain and Grill

This place is classic. You walk in and you're feelin' like you're in a 1950s diner - The burger, the fries, and the shakes. Yeah, it's like that. Sound good already doesn't it? They have several different types of burger. They're all good. Just remember to wash it down with a milkshake. Go there. Sit down. Order a burger, fries, and milkshake. Turn off your cell phone, your pager, and your iPod. Turn off everything except your tastebuds and eat with reckless abandon.

Cafe Rouge

This place is different from the other two mentioned above. It's not a burger joint. It's not a diner. This place is an excellent restaurant with a full menu that just happens to have a really awesome burger. They call it the Rouge Hamburger. They can call it whatever they want, I call it salvation. Unlike most burgers, this one ranks high on the foo foo scale because it's made from organic beef that is freshly butchered everyday and the buns are not an afterthought. It is really good bread. This is the best foo foo burger in town. I know the concept of a foo foo burger sounds strange, but trust me on this one.

Here are the burger joints I talked about:

• Val's Burger: 2115 Kelly St, Hayward, CA 9454 (510) 889-8257 (Closed Sundays and Mondays)
• Peninsula Fountain & Grill: 566 Emerson Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 (650) 327-3141
• Cafe Rouge

Food at 4th street - Berkeley, CA

4th street is an awesome place to hang out. My wife and I love to go there. She loves the shops there, particularly Anthropologie and Restoration Hardware. I do enjoy going from shop to shop with her, but I'm usually anxious to get to the restaurants and markets (surprise, surprise). My favorite spots are The Pasta Shop, Cafe Rouge, and Tacubaya

The Pasta Shop

The stuff at The Pasta Shop are awesome. We usually leave with some cold cuts and bread. We've also tried a lot of their specialty jams and salsa dips and we've never been disappointed. They are definitely not Safeway, Trader Joes, nor Whole Foods. They are more like a specialty food shop. One thing to be mindful of is they are a bit on the pricey side so watch your wallet when shopping here.

Cafe Rouge

Cafe Rouge is a restaurant that has it's own meat market. All their meats are organic. They butcher it themselves. Needless to say all things meat are excellent. Here are my recommendations:

• Steak frites with red wine shallot butter
• ½ lb. Rouge hamburger and French fries
• Housemade charcuterie plate

The Rouge hamburger completely blew me away the first time I tried it. If you love a good burger go get one from this place now, but be warn after you've had this burger most other burgers become meaningless to you. The Housemade charcuterie plate is an appetizer plate of rabbit rillettes, veal pate and chicken liver pate served with olives and cornichons. In general, I love rillettes and pate and Cafe Rouge doesn't disappoint here. If I had to choose one thing to get from this restaurant I would go with the charcuterie plate


Tacubaya

Tacubaya is an excellent taco place. The portions are appetizer size so you can order a whole bunch of different stuff in one sitting. We actually went there this weekend and this is what we order:

• Taco al Pastor
• Taco de Lengua

The Taco al Pastor is a spit-roasted Niman ranch pork in adobo marinade with avocado salsa. This is very similar to the pork "gyro" thing you see everywhere in Mexico. I'm really glad they have this here because eating it brings back a lot of fond memories of the good eats we had there. The Taco de Lengua is a Niman Ranch beef tongue with tomatillo salsa. Now don't get turned off by the fact that it's beef tongue. If I didn't tell you it's beef tongue, you may actually think it's filet mignon chopped into cubes. If your in a mood for some good tacos park yourself at Tacubaya, order 2 to 4 tacos, and just eat. Lastly, don't forget to wash down your food with a fresca. I'd recommend the Kiwi fresca.

Desires fulfilled

My wife and I cleared our weekend calendar and decided to do everything on a whim. It started Friday night and ended Monday night. This is what we ended up doing:

Friday

We headed to San Francisco and had dinner in R & G Lounge. We ordered:

• Salmon Avocado Egg Roll
• Salt and Pepper Crab
• Sliced Squab with Lily Bulbs
  
• Steamed Fish Filets with Ham and Vegetables.

The food at this restaurant is basically what I would described as fusion Cantonese. The core concepts are based on Cantonese cooking styles, but they incorporate a lot of different influences. The Salmon Avocado Egg Roll is a great example of this - mixing Japanese and Californian elements in a Cantonese based dish. I don't even like egg rolls, but I really enjoyed this appetizer. The Salt and Pepper Crab is their famous dish. First-timers should order this. Use your hands. Forgo utensils. It will be a sexier and more sensual experience this way - I promise. It is messy, it will get all over you hands, and it will be worth it. Eating this dish with utensils is like having sex with clothes on. We had one of our first dates here so this place is a sentimental favorite - a pretty good start to weekend.

Saturday

A phone call wakes us up around noon and we're in the mood for some Dim Sum so we head to East Ocean in Alameda. This is one of our favorite Dim Sum spots. We used to go there pretty often, but since our weekends are usually booked we don't get to go as often as we'd like. Pretty much everything is good there, particularly the classics - siu mai and shrimp dumpling. Ahhhh...Saturday afternoon at a Dim Sum joint, can't get much better than that.

Next stop - the South Bay. We hit Santana Row and Valley Fair. I talked up how good Consuelo Mexican Bistro is while wander around these malls for a few hours. We bought nothing and found our way to downtown Los Gatos for dinner at Dio Deka. We got out of the car and immediately changed our mind. Apparently my sales pitch for Consuelo Mexican Bistro worked so well that we decided to headed back there for dinner. This is what we ordered:

• Sopes surtidos
• Sopas de tortilla
• Chamorro de cordero
• Carnitas

The food reminded me of the food we had in Mexico City. The Sopas de tortilla (tortilla soup) was very good - one of the rare places where they didn't overdo it with the salt. Their Sopes are good as well. In fact I don't think I ever had bad Sopes. I'm glad Consuelo didn't break that trend. The carnitas was awesome. If you are having an uber carnivorous urge this is the meat orgy that you need. It felt like there was a whole damn pig in the bowl. The Chamoor de cordero is a lamb shank lathered in a spice muscat paste. What the hell is spice muscat paste? It tasted like mole sauce. So I asked the waiter, "Is it mole sauce?". He said "Not really." I replied, "It sure tastes like it, I can taste the chocolate." He said, "There is chocolate." So it finally clicked and I realized the experience I was just exposed to; The king of red meat (lamb) + The king of dessert (chocolate). Oh my god, that's like jumping between two really really hot babes getting it on. Needless to say I ate so much that I felt sick for about an hour after we were done and it was worth it.

Sunday

We are back in the city. We wander around Union Square until dinner time and we head to Old Shanghai Restaurant in the Richmond district. This is what we ordered:

• Soy sauce Duck
• Meat Pastry
  
• Winter Melon soup
• Wine Braised Fish Filet with Black Fungus
• Shrimp Roe, Sea Cucumber, and Pork Tendon Claypot Stew

This place is one of our favorite restaurants. We go there all the time. Everything is good. If you enjoy Shanghai food - no, if you enjoy food - you'll love this place. The "Shrimp Roe, Sea Cucumber, and Pork Tendon Claypot Stew" sounds a bit weird, but I never had it before so I thought I'd give it a try. I would definitely order it again, but I don't know if I would recommend it to everyone. The shrimp roe gives it quite a unique flavor that I'm not sure everyone can appreciate. Nevertheless, stick with the classic Shanghai dishes, like Wine Braised Fish Filet with Black Fungus, and you will be impressed.

This time we left room for dessert so we went to Steps of Rome in North Beach. The unique thing about this place is the music is always too loud, the waiters try to dance with all the female customers, and they speak Italian to you whether you understand it or not. We shared a tiramisu and soaked in the fun and feistive atmosphere before calling it a night.

Monday

Both of us left work on time (for once) and headed to Ephesus in Walnut Creek for dinner. First time we've tried the place and this is what we ordered:

• Circassian Chicken
• Bulgur Lettuce Wraps
• Lamb Kebab
• Pistachio Kofte Entree

The Lamb and Kofte were good, but the Circassan Chicken and Bulgur Lettuce Wraps appetizers were the most memorable. The Circassan Chicken looked like Hummus - it is mixture of a chicken and walnut paste. Very interesting and very good. The Pistachio Kofte was interesting as well. It is grounded lamb and beef packed together. Conceptually it sounds like the meat in the Greek gyro, but it actually looks more like a hamburger patty that has a lot of pistachio bits embedded in it. Overall the food was enjoyable, but I thought it was a bit pricey.

The last stop of our Tour De Food was Le Bistro for dessert. This French restaurant completely blew us away the first time we ate there. I don't have much experience with French food so I couldn't tell you if it was authentic or not, but I know what I ate felt like "sexy-time" in my mouth. We ordered the Fresh Strawberry Flambe with Balsamic Vinegar and the Peach Delight. Both of the desserts were extraordinary. The strawberry flambe was sweet, sour, cold, and hot all at once creating a very interesting contrast of flavor and sensation in your mouth. The Peach Delight was a peach mousse cake with pumpkin sauce. Who would have thought peach and pumpkin could be so good together? Le Bistro, it never fails to impress!

That's it. It's the end of ride. Our tastebuds traveled the culinary worlds of Canton, Zhe Jiang, Turkey, Italy, Mexico, and France all in one weekend and all I can say is "Yum"!

Here are the restaurants I talked about:

• R & G Lounge


• East Ocean Seafood Restaurant: 1713 Webster St, Alameda, CA 94501 (510) 865-3381


• Consuelo Mexican Bistro


• Old Shanghai Restaurant: 5145 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94118 (415) 752-0120


• Steps of Rome: 348 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 397-0435


• Ephesus


• Le Bistro