Northwest style white clam chowder with red potatoes and pancetta, served with oyster crackers. Cup $5
Mill 109, Pacific Beach WA
This chowder was very hearty, and I loved the smokiness from the pancetta. I will say that it was on the thick side though.
American Blonde Ale.
Jubel Ale by Deschutes.
$4.45
Al’s Humdinger, Hoquiam WA
This burger was messy, greasy, and absolutely fabulous! I ate easily like a Dick’s burger, but was substantially larger than one. This was a total winner in my book. Noms!
Il Canto Cafe, San Francisco CA
Wow, I was impressed by this pizza slice from a random cafe in the FiDi. It was delicious! The crust was buttery and perfectly cooked through (not doughy like other Sicilian style slices). The toppings were also yummy and they add plenty of gooey cheese for good measure.
¥30
Fami-Li-Hood Kitchen, Mutianyu Village CHINA
I liked this soup. It was warm and hearty and tasted great especially with snow falling outside. It was more vinegar-y than those I’ve had in the U.S., but I liked it that way. Overall, it wasn’t too different from the U.S. versions I’m used to.
Individual bowl.
Coffee.
With honey mustard and sliced tomatoes. Served with Italian wedding soup. Combo $8.55
Il Canto Cafe, San Francisco CA
This lunch combination was pretty good! And nicely priced. The panini was served hot and melty, just how I like it. The wedding soup was good, but it was served WAY too hot. I still could eat it very quickly towards the end of lunch because it somehow stayed hot the entire time. This place is definitely worth a re-visit.
¥58
Fami-Li-Hood Kitchen, Mutianyu Village CHINA
We weren’t expecting much form this random restaurant in the touristy village below the Great Wall, but they really delivered! These noodles were delicious and I loved all the vegetables they included. Even the noodles had a nice texture and the sauce was tasty too.
Rosemary roasted pork loin, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, garlic aioli, burgundy mustard, pickles and marinated onions served on rye. With potato chips and pickles. $12
Atlas Tap Room, San Francisco CA
This sandwich was ok. Their bread choice definitely wasn’t hefty enough to hold up to the amount of filling in this panini. The sandwich ended up feeling very limp and sogging in my hands. I liked the overall flavors, but there wasn’t much finesse.
With chicken bun and chicken dumpling, croissant roll. Complimentary
Beijing (PEK) to San Francisco (SFO), United Airlines
Talk about carb loading! This meal was disgusting. Everything tasted horrible and was painfully dry and bland. Super fail!
¥68
Cafe Sambal, Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)
This dish was pretty lame! The chicken was so hard and dry, as was the entire dish actually. And surprisingly, besides the abundance of fried chilis, this dish was SO bland! Lame.
Sweet bean sauce, served with wrappers. ¥48
Fami-Li-Hood Kitchen, Mutianyu Village CHINA
This dish tasted great, and I really enjoyed the wrappers. I’ve never had wrappers like these before with the textured surface. Very interesting and delicious!
Canadian bacon, pineapple and cheese. $4.55
Escape From New York Pizza, San Francisco CA
Apparently the price has gone up for a Hawaiian slice since the last time I bought one. I do like the Hawaiian slices at Escape from New York. Their tomato sauce taste good with the salty Canadian bacon and additional parmesan I sprinkle on top.
Pan fried garlic chicken wings, chicken skewer, deep fried spring roll. ¥58
Cafe Sambal, Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)
This was throw-away food – disgusting! Everything on this plate was super dry and tough, and actually flavorless. I don’t expect flavorless from fried food, but Cafe Sambal managed to accomplish it. The chicken was especially inedible.
Vittle Monster 