Chicken noodle soup – Pho 2000

Chicken noodle soup - Pho 2000
Pho ga. Sliced chicken breast with flat rice noodles, onions, and chives. Served with basil, greens, limes, and habanero peppers. Regular 65,000 VND
Pho 2000, Ho Chi Minh City VIETNAM

This was the first real meal we had in Vietnam and it was pretty good. The broth was delicious and it was SUPER cheap! The place was packed with tourists and locals alike. This is when I realized that we would be served lots of random greens that we wouldn’t recognize, and also that restaurants charge for wet naps. πŸ™‚

Soup accompaniments - Pho 2000
Basil, leaf stalks that I’ve never seen before, limes, and habanero peppers.

Ben Thanh Night Market
Ben Thanh Night Market. Watch out for the crazy scooters zipping by while the market is setting up!

Vietnamese beer – Go2 Bar

Vietnamese beer - Go2 Bar

I’m not a big beer drinker, but beer was much cheaper than cocktails in Vietnam. It was also VERY hot while we were there so the beers were a great way to cool down. It was fun trying all the local brews. Each 50,000 VND
Go2 Bar, Ho Chi Minh City VIETNAM

Man on motorcycle
This was a pretty common sight – people just relaxing or even sleeping on their motorcycles parked on the sidewalks or streets. This guy was just chillin’, lol!

Chicken caldereta – Philippine Airlines

Chicken caldereta - Philippine Airlines
With rice, steamed vegetables, macaroni salad, chocolate chip bread, and pound cake. Complimentary
San Francisco (SFO) to Manila (MNL), Philippine Airlines

This was the first time I’d flown Philippine Airlines and I was pretty impressed. I was way back in Economy, but the seats were still comfortable and there was a surprising amount of leg room for the back of the plane. The food was decent too. I don’t eat much Filipino food, but I definitely crave it now and then. I enjoyed that the PAL food was distinctly Filipino. πŸ™‚

Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), Terminal 2.

Whole roasted pig – Incanto

Whole roasted pig - Incanto
Served with warm baby leeks and truffle vinaigrette, broccoli rabe, pork stuffing, and pork jus.
Incanto, San Francisco CA

I’m back! OK, I know I’ve been MIA and I apologize. Life has been hectic and I haven’t been able to adjust as quickly as I wanted to.

Anyway, it took the closing of Incanto to get me to blog today. Over the weekend, we celebrated a friend’s bday with the FINAL whole roasted pig dinner ever to be served at Incanto. It was a wonderful dinner and the food was delicious.

Whole roasted pig - Incanto
They brought out the whole roasted pork and it looked beautiful! I thought the gold leafed snout was a nice touch.

Whole roasted pig - Incanto
Our server carved the pig tableside. I was surprised that the body had actually been deboned prior to cooking so only skin and meat remained.

Whole roasted pig - Incanto
The meat was SO tasty, especially smothered in the pork jus.

Roasted pig skin - Incanto
I made sure to go back for plenty of the crispy skin.

Warm baby leeks - Incanto
The sides were also very good. The baby leeks were beautifully presented.

Broccoli rabe - Incanto
The broccoli rabe had a nice bitterness to them.

7Γ—7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011

Red dragon & Reward rolls – Barracuda Sushi

Red dragon & Reward rolls - Barracuda Sushi
Reward Roll: deep fried shrimp, soft shell crab, cucumber, crab roll topped with salmon and avocado with tobiko and unagi sauce. $12.95
Red Dragon: Unagi tempura and cucumber roll topped with spicy tuna, tomato, jalapeno, spicy miso sauce and tobiko-garlic chips. $14.95
Barracuda Sushi, San Francisco CA

Red dragon & Reward rolls - Barracuda Sushi
The rolls at Barracuda are always pretty tasty and large, but you’d expect that at this above-average price point. I do like that they offer plenty of fried (tempura) roll options for my fat-craving self, lol! Their flavor combinations are also inventive and varied.

Hella-peno burger munchie meal – Jack in the Box

Hella-peno burger munchie meal - Jack in the Box
Beef patty topped with American cheese, stuffed jalapenos, mayo-onion sauce and ketchup on a sesame seed bun. Served with two tacos, fries and medium Diet Coke. $6
Jack in the Box, San Francisco CA

OK people, don’t judge me – LOL! We had just driven back to the city from a gala fundraiser up in Marin County where they didn’t serve very much food, so I was STARVING! We walked in and my eyes immediately fell on the promotional sign for the Hella-peno burger. I had to try it! The burger was pretty lame, but it filled me up and it came with tacos, fries and a drink – all for six bucks so I’m not gonna complain. This makes me a bad person. πŸ™‚

Seagull at the Ferry Building
Seagull at the Ferry Building.

Tavern burger – Stock in Trade

Tavern burger - Stock in Trade
Angus beef, aged Grafton cheddar, two fried eggs, pickles, caramelized onions, aioli, toasted Acme bun and fries. $13
Stock in Trade, San Francisco CA

This burger had a lot of flavor but it was super cold and lifeless! It was definitely a service mistake and I’m kinda surprised they served it. Damn, I would have microwaved it myself to get a bit of warmth on the plate!

Tavern burger - Stock in Trade

Mimosas - Stock in Trade

Mimosas. This was one of the most bland mimosas I’ve ever tasted. Ew!

Smoked deviled eggs – Park Tavern

Smoked deviled eggs - Park Tavern
Bacon, pickled jalapeno and chive. $13
Park Tavern, San Francisco CA

Mmm, these were amazing! I hated deviled eggs as a kid, but I have really come to appreciate them as an adult. Especially the fancy varieties that other people make, hehe. These were jam packed with flavor and everything worked spectacularly together.

7Γ—7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2012, 2013

Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon at the Orpheum Theatre.

Bbq shrimp and grits – Brown Sugar Kitchen

Bbq shrimp and grits - Brown Sugar Kitchen
With brown sugar butter and apple cider syrup. $15
Brown Sugar Kitchen, Oakland CA

I’m still annoyed by the ridiculously long wait that we had to endure and the bad service we encountered at this place, when the food wasn’t even amazing enough to make up for it. This bbq shrimp was super sweet and became nauseating after eating it for a while. Needless to say, I didn’t finish. This place also uses Barilla pasta, an blatantly anti-LGBT company. Definitely not returning…

Guadalajara combinacion – Casa Azteca

Guadalajara combinacion - Casa Azteca
Chicken enchilada and tamale served with Spanish rice, refried beans, and salad. $12.45
Casa Azteca, Milpitas CA

I usually get the enchilada/chile relleno combination option when it comes to Mexican combos, but for some reason I was craving a tamale. Maybe masa seemed a bit healthier than a deep fried chile stuffed with cheese, but I’m pretty sure they’re both pretty unhealthy overall, lol! Regardless, this was yummy and it hit the spot.

Salad - Casa Azteca
Salad. Not the prettiness salad I’ve had, but I do appreciate that they threw in some beets.

Soy sauce flavor spicy ramen – Ramen Dojo

Soy sauce flavor spicy ramen - Ramen Dojo
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

I’ve been on a ramen kick lately and this place has been one of the best I’ve visited! The soup is delicious and the chicken gravy is amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever had ramen where I’ve really noticed the chicken gravy before. It had an awesome chunky consistency and packed a lot of flavor. Maybe the gravy, if ever present before, was just been mixed into the soup at other restaurants. I’m not sure, but I feel like I’ve been missing out until now. Noms!

Grilled steak and egg sandwich – Stock in Trade

Grilled steak and egg sandwich - Stock in Trade
Grilled hanger steak, two fried eggs, pickled red onion, garlic aioli, wild arugula, chimichurri, toasted pain de mie, crispy skinny fries, and fruit. $13
Stock in Trade, San Francisco CA

This burger had a lot of great flavors, but it was super cold – EW! I think the server must have forgotten it on the counter for a long time before bringing it out. I was surprised that the skinny French fries stayed crispy and delicious though. I can only imagine how much better they would have been served warm. Kind lame, Stock in Trade!

Fort Funston beach
Fort Funston beach.