Monthly Archives: November 2013

Tofu kimchi – K-pop

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Tofu kimchi - K-pop
Sliced tender prime pork marinated in spicy sauce, pan fried with kimchi and tofu. $13.95
K-pop, San Francisco CA

The menu description made it seem like the tofu was incorporated in the pan fried pork and kimchi mixture. I was kind of annoyed when the dish arrived and there were large slices of fresh tofu on the side. Ugh! The tofu was bland of course so that’s why I was hoping it would have already been added to the spicy kimchi mixture so that it could have acquired some flavor. Otherwise, I like the dish enough.

Steamed rice - K-pop
Side of steamed rice.

de Young Museum

de Young Museum atrium area.

Shanghai soup dumplings – Dumpling Empire

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Shanghai soup dumplings - Dumpling Empire
Xiao long bao. Six pieces $4.95
Dumpling Empire, South San Francisco CA

These were decent. The dumpling wrapper was on the thicker side, but at least the dumplings all stayed intact and they were not steamed in those lame aluminum cups. The flavors of the soup and pork filling were pretty good so I can’t complain too much. And the price was really good!

Pink protea flower
Pink protea flower (Proteaceae), West Field Road.

Larb gai – Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine

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Larb gai - Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine
Minced white meat chicken, red onion, cilantro, scallions, chilies, lime, ordered “hot”. $7.95
Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine, San Francisco CA

I love larb! The rice powder gives it a great texture and I love the bright citrus flavors of the dish. The dish is also relative healthy compared to the other fried Thai options. I think it’s probably still high in sodium though. Mmm!

Filipino Festival

Filipino Festival at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

Local Marin miyagi oyster – Roxy’s Cafe

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Local Marin miyagi oyster - Roxy's Cafe
House pickled shallots, red and black tobiko, black pepper. 10-course chef’s tasting menu $75
Roxy’s Cafe, San Francisco CA

What a great way to start a meal with great local ingredients that are beautifully presented and delicious to the taste! I really enjoyed the flavor combinations in this tiny bite and couldn’t wait to see what was next!

House red wine - Roxy's Cafe

House red wine.

Hamon Education Tower
View of the California Academy of Sciences from the Hamon Education Tower Observation Deck at the de Young Museum. Beautiful!

Mixed sausages plate – Paprika

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Mixed sausages plate - Paprika
Grilled Hungarian sweet sausage and Swiss bockwurst with mashed potatoes and homemade gravy, onions, cornichons, sauerkraut, and condiments. $13.50
Paprika, San Francisco CA

This was a really fun and delicious plate! I enjoyed both of the sausages and I liked how they were scored along their lengths and split on the ends. The added texture allowed for more grill marks on their surfaces which I loved. The mashed potatoes were good and I loved their Eastern European style gravy. It had lots of flavor. The accompaniments made it really fun to eat and to mixed and match all the different flavors. Noms!

Walkway with columns

Walkway with columns, California Palace of the Legion of Honor.

Spicy soy garlic Korean fried chicken – K-pop

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Spicy soy garlic Korean fried chicken - K-pop
Breaded Korean style fried chicken thighs in a spicy soy garlic sauce. Served with daikon non-spicy kimchee and a mixed green salad with strawberry dressing. $14.95
K-pop, San Francisco CA

Ugh, I keep thinking that the Korean fried chicken will get better at K-pop, but I’m wrong again. The chicken is way over-fried, has too much breading, and uses tiny sad cuts of chicken with little meat. I like the flavor of the sauces, but that doesn’t make up for the poor quality of the chicken pieces. 😦

Banchan - K-Pop
Banchan. Complimentary

Pax Jerusalemme

Pax Jerusalemme, 1999, painted steel, Mark di Suvero. Legion of Honor.

Green chives pancake – Dumpling Empire

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Green chives pancake - Dumpling Empire
Fried Chinese pancake filled with green chives, glass noodles, and egg. $5.95
Dumpling Empire, South San Francisco CA

I liked the flavor of these pancakes, but the outsides were on the greasy side. I love the sharpness of the Chinese chives though. They also give you two whole pancakes so it’s a good value.

Agave filifera
Beautiful thread agave (Agave filifera, Asparagaceae), West Field Road.

Chicken pad thai – Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine

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Chicken pad thai - Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine
Sliced chicken breast, fried tofu, ground peanuts, rice noodle, sprouts, egg, ordered “hot”. $8.50
Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine, San Francisco CA

I love that Sweet Basil Thai actually packs some heat in their dishes. Other Thai restaurant promise heat, but don’t usually deliver. I think they’re afraid they’ll blow out most Americans’ tastebuds. I’ve spent over a month in Thailand and the food is REALLY hot so I can understand their caution. This pad thai was delicious and spicy. It didn’t get me sweating, but it had some welcomed heat after so many bland dishes elsewhere.

Cliff House
Cliff House historic restaurant, Point Lobos Avenue.

Chicken pad thai - Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine
October 2013. Still looks pretty similar.

Chicken mole super nachos – La Tortilla

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Chicken mole super nachos - La Tortilla
Tortilla chips topped with shredded chicken in mole sauce, black beans, cheese, spicy salsa, guacamole and sour cream. $7.75
La Tortilla, San Francisco

I love the nachos at La Tortilla. Not because they’re particularly amazing or special, but because they’re so saucy and huge and packed with tons of flavor (and a great value). I really can’t ask for more at this price. Great job, La Tortilla!

Don't stop believing
“Don’t stop believing” sidewalk stencil.

Jilled-up hush puppies – Zella’s Soulful Kitchen

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Jilled-up hush puppies - Zella's Soulful Kitchen
Cornmeal fritters topped with aioli and chopped parsley. $3
Zella’s Soulful Kitchen, SF Street Food Festival 2013, San Francisco CA

Jilled-up hush puppies - Zella's Soulful Kitchen
Mmm, these were delicious! They were beautifully fried, moist, and not greasy at all. I loved the whole corn kernels inside – they were like little hidden treats. The aioli was pretty light so along with the parsley they kept the fried balls fresh tasting. Take note all you other street vendors, this is how you properly fry food! 🙂

Apples by Gustav Kraitz
Apples, 2005, Gustav Kraitz, glazed ceramic, de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park.

Toffee mealworms vanilla ice cream – Don Bugito

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Toffee mealworms vanilla ice cream - Don Bugito
Was this novelty dessert worth five bucks? I have to say no. The vanilla ice cream was already melted, and the mealworms were super dry and burnt tasting (I don’t think I tasted any toffee). I didn’t like the powdery/crumbly texture in my mouth. I’m glad I tried it, but it didn’t deliver on flavor and texture. $5
Don Bugito, SF Street Food Festival 2013, San Francisco CA

Legion of Honor
California Palace of the Legion of Honor. One of my favorite museums in San Francisco!

Fried pickled green beans – Jarred SF Brine

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Fried pickled green beans - Jarred SF Brine
With aioli dipping sauce. $3
Jarred SF Brine, SF Street Food Festival 2013, San Francisco CA

These beans were very pickled tasting which was great, but they were SUPER greasy. I ate a couple and didn’t want to finish the rest. It was like chomping on a sticks of oil! And I can appreciate that they’ve prepared a lot of beans for the Street Food Festival, but they could have at least cleaned up the stems. Definitely not one of the highlights of the day.

Kanrin Maru plaque
Commemorative plaque to Japanese Naval Ship Kanrin Maru, Lands End. From here, you can get a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge.