Nam pla, fried noodles, cucumber, lime, lettuce cups. $11
Jiao, Palm Springs CA
This was just ok tasting. Even with all those great ingredients, the chicken larb mixture was somehow bland and dry. I had to add plenty of the table sauces to make it more palatable.
Sapporo lite beer. $4
With sweet and sour pepper sauce. $7
Jiao, Palm Springs CA
I really liked this roll. The addition of ripe mango was great and the pepper sauce kept everything bright and fresh. We were looking for light fare so this was perfect!
Place settings.
Lemon tree in the backyard on a typical Palm Springs day.
Served over rice, with chopped cilantro. $13
Jiao, Palm Springs CA
I wish the pork had more curry flavor, and it was a bit dry.
Sapporo light beer. $4
Aloe vera plant (Xanthorrhoeaceae) table decoration.
Hmm, this was a little on the bland side so I just put a lot of the different dipping sauces on top. Don’t think I’ll order this one again. $6
Jiao, Palm Springs CA
Water service.
Pink cactus flower (Cactaceae) at the Joshua Tree National Park west entrance visitors center.
Served over lettuce with cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, lime, and fried shallots. $16
Jiao, Palm Springs CA
This was a great light version of shaking beef! I was pleasantly surprised that it came out as more of a large salad than a pile of meat. Surprising for me, I know, but I was in the mood for a lighter meal that day.
Place setting with spoon and chopsticks.
Entering Joshua Tree National Park and seeing our first few Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia, Asparagaceae).
Jiao is my new go-to restaurant in Palm Springs for delicious Asian-inspired small plates! These crab sui mai, though, were probably my least favorite thing I’ve had there. They were bland and you could barely taste any of the crab! The wrapper was also dry. $7
Jiao, Palm Springs CA
Assorted dipping sauces. The crunchy one is my favorite! They’re all a bit salty, but I seem to douse every dish with some combination of these sauces, lol!
I love that they trim to old palm fronds that hang down on the palm trees. They look like tight pencil skirts!
This dish was very clean and delicious! I loved the combination of the creamy grits, slightly sweet fruit chutney, and the sweet and salty pork belly. I’m not sure what they braised the pork in, but I’m guessing they used some soy and sugar. The effect was fabulous and the pork just melted in your mouth. The fruit and herb salad on top were bright and contrasted perfectly with the rich pork belly.
Umami has to be my favorite flavor, and this dish delivers plenty of it! There is a lot of hype about these dumplings, particularly the sauce, and I must join in. You can’t go wrong with a sauce full of soy, butter, and MORE butter! We tried scooping up as much of it with eat bite. The dumplings themselves were cooked perfectly – not too mushy, with a bit of a bite to the pasta. Count me in on the bandwagon!
Savory squid with a delicous chorizo filling, Allstar Organics wax beans, yuzu vinaigrette and lemon.
Eos Restaurant & Wine Bar, San Francisco
Whenever I see chorizo on a menu, I immediately assume that the dish will be heavy and greasy. Not so! This dish was so light and refreshing from the yuzu vinaigrette and lemon. The bicolored wax beans also added brightness, and the chorizo filling wasn’t at all dense or heavy. This dish is a winner in my book!
I ordered the onglet medium rare, and it arrived cooked perfectly. I’m always weary when a beef cut is labeled “Wagyu” because I have to wonder if it’s actually imported from Japan. I’ve heard that some places will call their beef “Wagyu” even though the meat is sourced locally. Regardless, this meat was very tender and delicious. I preferred the blue cheese butter more than the Béarnaise sauce. I was disappointed that the frites were oily and soggy, though.
At first glance, the amount of beef tartare seems pretty small in this dish, but between the buttery brioche, quail egg, and rich sauce the small amount is plenty for an appetizer.
This presentation was very beautiful. The bright pink from the Hawaiian salt played off the yellow and red watermelon slices and the cream colored scallops. The flavors, however, seemed unfocused. Between all the different flavors and textures, the scallops were lost.
Vittle Monster 