Ceviche trio – Fresca

Posted on June 19, 2014 by vicentesf

Ceviche trio - Fresca
Ceviche Mixto: catch of the day, calamari, shrimp, scallops, cilantro, onion, rocoto, lime juice.
Ceviche de Coco: ahi tuna, lime, coconut juice, rocoto, scallions, cashews, jicama, fresno chile.
Ceviche Pasion: salmon, passion fruit, red onion, yellow pepper, cilantro, purple corn.
Served with Peruvian bar snacks. $16
Fresca, San Francisco CA

I love getting the trio (or quarto) at Fresca because you get to try a variety of their ceviches and the price is great. This time around, I really liked the mixto. It’s the most traditional one, but I really just liked the flavors. I was surprised by the ceviche passion with it’s passion fruit dressing. It tasted pretty good!

Plantain chips - Fresca
Plantain chips. $5
I think it’s kinda lame that you have to pay for plantain chips. They should just give you less and make it complimentary.

Celery root salad – Stoneburner

Posted on May 20, 2014 by vicentesf

Celery root salad - Stoneburner
Shaved brussels sprouts, lovage, salsa verde. Happy hour $8
Stoneburner, Seattle WA

Who uses lovage these days?! Stoneburner apparently and it makes me happy. This salad seems pretty simple, but it’s absolutely delicious. NOMS!

Shrub Club cocktail - Stoneburner
Shrub Club: tequila, watermelon shrub, lime, seltzer. Happy hour $7

Father and Son fountain, 2005, Louise Bourgeois, Olympic Sculpture Park.

Cassava vermicelli soup with crab meat – Nha Hang Ngon

Posted on April 8, 2014 by vicentesf

Cassava vermicelli soup with crab meat - Nha Hang Ngon
Mien cua. With onions and cilantro, served with assorted greens. 60,000 VND
Nha Hang Ngon, Ho Chi Minh City VIETNAM

This soup was really good! The crab meat was actually dried crab meat which was a letdown for me. I don’t mind the flavor and texture of dried crab meat, but I was looking forward to fresh tender crab instead. Again, the amount and variety of greens they give you for your soups is SO awesome in Vietnam!

Soup additions - Nha Hang Ngon
Assorted greens, sprouts, limes, and chilies for the soup.

Food preparation tables - Nha Hang Ngon
Food preparation tables along the side of the restaurant.

Chicken noodle soup – Pho 2000

Posted on March 25, 2014 by vicentesf

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. 🙂

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

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

Pub wings – Belltown Pub

Posted on December 12, 2013 by vicentesf

Pub wings - Belltown Pub
Buffalo style with ranch dressing. One pound $11
Belltown Pub, Seattle WA

I’m usually a big fan of wings, but these were super small so they were pretty much all bones and sauce. Lame! A pound of wings also doesn’t get you very much so you’re left hungry and unsatisfied.

Bourbon Basil cocktail - Belltown Pub

Bourbon Basil: bourbon, muddled basil, limes, simple and soda. $7
This drink was just OK – a bit on the sour side and very little alcohol.

Seattle Cloud Cover glass bridge, Teresita Fernandez, Olympic Sculpture Park.

Cocktails – Luce

Posted on December 8, 2013 by vicentesf

Stone Sour cocktail - Luce

Stone Sour: Knob Creek bourbon, fresh lemon and blood orange juice, shaken with barrel-aged syrup and served tall on the rocks with brandied cherries. $12
Luce, San Francisco CA

The cocktails at Luce were really fun and delicious. Each one had several ingredients and they all generally worked well together. The Stone Sour was probably my favorite because it had bourbon, but the Moscone Pear was tasty in its own way.

Moscone Pear cocktail - Luce

Moscone Pear: Dimmi herbal grappa liqueur, shaken with fresh pear puree, fresh squeezed lime and lemon, served up. $12

Noe Valley.

Shrimp ceviche – El Techo de Lolinda

Posted on November 29, 2013 by vicentesf

Ceviche de camaron. Shrimp, lime, roasted tomato, red onion, cucumber, avocado, cilantro, served with tortilla chips. $13
El Techo de Lolinda, San Francisco CA

Eh, this was a standard ceviche; nothing special and maybe a little on the too sour side. I wasn’t very impressed with this ceviche knowing how popular this place is for drinks and bar food. I think they’re banking on their rooftop location more than providing delicious drinks and food. We’ll see how long before people catch on.

El Cid statue, Anna Hyatt Huntington, California Palace of the Legion of Honor.

Cocktails – Town Hall

Posted on November 25, 2013 by vicentesf

Haze on Howard - Town Hall
Haze on Howard: Belvedere Vodka, ginger liqueur, vermouth, blackberries, lime. $12
Town Hall, San Francisco CA

Oooo, I was excited to visit Town Hall for the first time since living in SF. I can’t believe I’d never been here before. These cocktails were pretty tasty. The Haze on Howard was refreshing and bright, while the Vieux Carre was on the stronger, harder side. The first time I had a Vieux Carre was at Jardiniere and since I’m totally loving whiskies these days, this is becoming a favorite of mine.

Vieux Carre cocktail - Town Hall
Vieux Carre: Inventeed by Walter Bergeron, The Carousel Bar, 1938. Redemption rye, Henessey, Dolin sweet vermouth, benedictine, peychaud and angostora bitters. $10

Diane and Alfred Wilsey Court

The Diane and Alfred Wilsey Court, de Young Museum.

Larb gai – Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine

Posted on November 11, 2013 by vicentesf

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.

Sauteed spicy lime-drizzled shrimp – Alicante

Posted on September 18, 2013 by vicentesf

Sauteed spicy lime-drizzled shrimp - Alicante
Garlic, cherry tomato, chilies. $6
Alicante, Palm Springs CA

This dish was light and refreshing, but I guess I was wanting something more rich like a traditional gambas al ajillo. There was more citrus in this preparation than garlic and butter. It was still pretty tasty, but not what I was craving.

Large rock formations, Joshua Tree National Park.