365 branch multi-seed flatbread crackers with brillat savarin and chopped olive tapenade.
Omg, I love these! I buy everything at Whole Foods and put everything together whenever I need a little snack (usually when watching tv). Every bite is packed with tons of flavor and it incorporates one of my favorite cheeses. The brillat savarin is soft and spreadable so this snack is super easy to assemble. Noms!
Bun bo hue. Beef shank, pork hock, fancy pork and tendon in spicy lemongrass beef broth with round noodles. Accompanied by sprouts, lemon, jalapeno, basil, onions and cilantro. Medium $8
PPQ Beef Noodle House, San Francisco CA
Wow, this was really good! I loved the spicy broth and the mixture of ingredients. The last hue soup I experienced had blood cubes in it which is probably more authentic (I’m guessing), but I liked this version better. Blood cubes are a bit too rich more my taste. This broth had a deep, rich flavor that was brightened up a bit by the lemongrass. I could eat this for days!
Bon Tempe Lake.
We came down to the South Bay to attend a friend’s birthday and stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn because it was conveniently located to the party. OMG, this place was a disaster. The rooms are dull and boring and we were given a room with a view of their cooling system. They put out coffee and snacks in the lobby, but they don’t have any cream for the coffee and their lame oatmeal bars taste like cardboard and were as hard as a rock. I would suggest never staying here.
Hilton Garden Inn, Milpitas CA
Random trim that was left as a little gift on the desk. I guess the hotel is too cheap to hire maintenance people to they expect guests to install their own fixtures. *hand to forehead*
Sauteed barbecued pork, egg, scallions with fried rice. $7.50
Makli Chinese Cuisine, San Francisco CA
Meh, I’ve never been a huge fan of fried rice by itself. Rice, for me, has always been something to dump the rest of your food on and to soak up the yummy sauces. It’s never been a stand alone entree for me; I can’t eat a bowl of fried rice all by itself. This fried rice tasted pretty good though, but they could have thrown in a bit more bbq pork.
Golden Gate Park.
I initially thought that this margarita was lame and weak, but I actually got a good buzz off of it, lol! I was fooled because it tasted kind of bland, but it was a decent value overall. Glass $6.95
Casa Azteca, Milpitas CA
Chips and salsa. Complimentary
Roasted pork, fried whole garlic, kikurage mushroom, fresh green chives, quail egg, and chicken gravy (cooked ground chicken, chopped shiitake mushroom, chopped ginger, sesame oil, shredded red pepper). Ordered with extra pork and regular spicy. $11.25
Ramen Dojo, San Mateo CA
Wow, this was some of the best ramen I’ve had in a while! The broth was delicious and the “regular spicy” level was perfect. I think “extra spicy” would have been too much and the additional heat would have detracted from the flavor of the broth. You’d spend all your time sweating rather than enjoying the ramen. The “regular spicy” level was actually pretty spicy already! The pork was very flavorful and had a good amount of fat on it. Yum!
Cha gio. Crispy fried rolls with ground pork, taro, carrots, and silver noodles. Served with lettuce, mint leaves and cucumber with nuoc mam. $6.75
PPQ Beef Noodle House, San Francisco CA
We don’t order the fried Imperial rolls very often because they’re less healthy than the fresh spring rolls. They’re so much tastier and fun to eat (since you get to wrap them in all the greens) though! I’ve always like how the wrapper gets super crispy and hard and blistered. Noms!
Tea. Complimenatry
Quaking grass/rattlesnake grass (Briza sp., Poaceae), Bon Tempe Lake. I was surprised that I was able to get a clear shot of this tiny subject with my iPhone especially in the wind!
Spinach, onion, mushroom, melted cheddar cheese Served with hash browns, 2 eggs scrambled, and toast. $6.35
Art’s Cafe, San Francisco CA
OK, this was kinda sad. I get that the prices here are super cheap especially for San Francisco, but I would pay a little more to get a plate of food that would actually fill me up. The skimpily thin layer of corned beef hash (which is mostly potato anyway) placed atop another thin layer of hash browns isn’t gonna cut it! Like I said, I think this place is cute but they might want to reevaluate their portions.
Coffee.
The Embarcadero.
Chicken breast filet deep fried with a crispy batter served with a spicy orange sauce. $10
Makli Chinese Cuisine, San Francisco CA
Mmm, I love deep fried chicken dishes at Chinese restaurants. I know they’re not authentic and they tend to be super greasy and bad for you, but I still crave them. This orange chicken was executed pretty well. The batter was actually crispy (not soggy like most) and not greasy. The orange sauce was tasty, but not very spicy as advertised.
Beauty and the beast mural, SOMA.
Sweet yellow corn crepe stuffed with grilled chicken, black bean spread, tomato, queso fresco, Guasacaca sauce, served with ensalada Caracas and black beans. $15
Pica Pica, San Francisco CA
The cachapa was pretty large and I couldn’t finish it all, but I had fun trying. The corn crepe was interesting – I thought it would be thinner. The grilled chicken was good, but I wish that they had melted the cheese. I think the different house sauces that they have at the table were delicious and ended up dousing the cachapa in them. Noms!
La Chiffonniere statue, 1978, Jean Dubuffet, Justin Herman Plaza.
We were on our way down to the South Bay one weekend morning and found ourselves in San Mateo with a hankering for caffeine so we ducked into Mini Coffee. This place is small, no frills, and slightly sad feeling. I really wasn’t impressed, but at least the coffee was ok. Small $1.75
Mini Coffee, San Mateo CA
Pho ga xe phay. Hand pulled chicken in chicken broth with flat noodles. Accompanied by sprouts, lemon, jalapeno, basil, onions and cilantro. Medium $7.75
PPQ Beef Noodle House, San Francisco CA
This place was packed when we ate here and I could see why. The food is pretty good and the prices are great. The service is friendly enough but sometimes a little confused because the large volume of tables constantly turning. It’s all about the broth for me when eating pho, and this place has good broth. The flavor could have been a little deeper, but that’s easily compensated for by adding some spicy condiments. Yum!
Soup add-ons.
Thread agave (Agave filifera, Asparagaceae), West Field Road.
Vittle Monster 