Iberia

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Iberia is the most authentic Spanish restaurant I had outside of Spain.  I love how the tapas are reminiscent of the dishes I ate in Spain.

Iberia gives you sliced bread upon seating,  but make sure you have them give you the cheese bread.  These bite sized biscuits are warm and fluffy with hints of cheese in each bite. 

Papas bravas is a common item on all tapas menus.  The potatoes here are a little softer than I like.  Also, the spicy aioli was a little too creamy.

Usually, I'm not a fan of bacon or dates, but these grilled bacon wrapped dates was a combination made in heaven.  The grilling made the dates ooze a sweet syrup that complimented the salty bacon.

croquettes con jamon.  Deep fried mashed potatoes with savory bits of ham.

Gambas a la plancha.  These shrimps were grilled with garlic and parsley. 

The paella here takes at least 20 minutes so order as soon as you get seated!  Also, you must have a minimum of two orders to order paella (the picture is two orders).  I love the paella here.  The seafood paella was filled with shrimp, mussels, assorted seafood, and chunks of chicken.  The saffron infused rice soaks up the flavors of the seafood well.  The rice is perfectly cooked, not mushy or dry. 

Address:                       Iberia
                                            1026 Alma St
                                            Menlo Park, CA

Type:                               Spanish/tapas/Basque

Popular chomps:  paella
                                             cheese bread
                                             bacon wrapped dates
                                             ham croquettes

Chomp worthy:      paella
                                             bacon wrapped dates
                                             cheese bread
                                             ham croquettes           

Naan 'N' Curry

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There's probably a huge list of places that have better Indian food than Naan 'N' Curry, but it has a special place in my heart.  Not only does it have what I think is the best naan in the Bay Area, the O'Farrell location is open till 4a everyday.  When you need a change between the bacon wrapped hot dogs and El Farolito burritos, Naan 'N' Curry is addition to that rotation.  After midnight, the loud music, techno music, and people dancing makes it a nice after hours spot when you still want the party to go on.  Just be warned that you will smell like Indian food, even if you only step in for a moment. 

One thing that this place does right is the naan.  The garlic naan is my favorite.  When you can get it freshly made, the naan is pure perfection - fluffy and warm. 

One of my main staples here is the lamb vindaloo.  It's not the best lamb vindaloo I've ever had, but it always hits the spot, especially at 3a.  The boneless lamb pieces and potato chunks have a little kick from the spices.

One of the best kept secrets at Naan 'N' Curry is their haleem.  Haleem is a slow cooked mixture lentils, barley and beef that is popular around Ramadan.  Because haleem can take a long time to make they only serve it on the weekends and even then it seems to be sporadically.  If you've never had it, I suggest trying here!    

Address:                         Naan 'N' Curry 
                                               336 O'Farrell St
                                               San Francisco, CA    

Type:                         Indian

Popular chomps:    lamb vindaloo
                                               garlic naan
                                               haleem         

Chomp worthy:         lamb vindaloo
                                               garlic naan
                                               haleem        

New England Lobster

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New England Lobster has to be up there on my list of hardest foods to get my hands on in the Bay Area.  First of all, its in South City in the most random area.  Then they used to only be open M-F during lunchtime hours and when I tried to go there on a Monday they switched their opening days to Tues through SATURDAY!  By the way, their wholesale distribution store is still open Monday through Saturday, but the food truck is only open Tuesday through Saturday.  Apparently during the weekdays it gets pretty busy, but I went on Saturday and there were less than 10 people eating.

They keep it simple and to the point.  On a Saturday afternoon, the only a choices were a crab sandwich, lobster corn chowder, and, of course, lobster rolls. 

The lobster roll comes with a small scoop of coleslaw and a side of chips.  Probably the first step after opening the box is putting aside the bag of chips because who is really going to eat that anyways when you have a lobster roll in front of you.  I was hoping for heaping, overflowing chunks of lobster in the sandwich since New England Lobster IS a wholesale distribution store, but it sufficed.  The lobster is lightly tossed in mayo and stuffed into a toasted, buttered Texas toast.  No frills added, this sandwich is all lobster.  Plump and juicy bits of sweet lobster in every bite.  The coleslaw wasn't bad either.  It had raisins, which is a negative in my book, but I successfully ate around them.   

For those who didn't want to spring for the lobster sandwich (although I'm not sure why you would come to a place called New England lobster and get something other than lobster), they have a crab sandwich.  A generous portion of shredded crab salad is placed between two toasted pieces of sliced sourdough.  Nothing special to me, I preferred the lobster sandwich over this.

    The lobster corn chowder is deliciously sweet, creamy, and rich.  I was pleasantly surprised to see small chunks of lobster and sweet corn nuggets in some spoonfuls of soup.  Not as much as I would have liked, but still tasty nonetheless. 

Address:                       New England Lobster
                                             170 Mitchell Ave.
                                             South SF, CA
 

Type:                               seafood/sandwich

Popular chomps:  lobster roll
                                  crab sandwich
                                              lobster corn chowder

Chomp worthy:     lobster roll
                                              lobster corn chowder

Sunrise Deli & Cafe

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Sunrise Deli has some of the best falafels I've ever tasted.  If you think Falafel Drive In (see post HERE) in San Jose has good falafels, come here and you'll know what a real falafel is supposed to taste like (ahem..Guy Fieri this means you..). 

The procedure here is walk up to the counter, then order and step to the side.  It's a small shop so it might take a little time for your order to be ready.  You pay after your order is ready.

Any Narnia (The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe) fans should know what Turkish Delight is.  These gelatinous, sugary treats are made fresh here.  The two flavors served here are rosewater, the most common, and nougat filled with walnuts.

The falafel plate comes with a side of hummus, four pieces of falafel, tahini, and cucumber and tomato salad.  The hummus is super creamy, almost too creamy for me.  I kinda prefer my hummus with some chunky texture to it.  The falafels here are pure perfection.  Deep fried to order, these balls of chickpeas have a crisp outer shell with a fluffy center.  Usually, I pick at the cucumber and tomato salad because I find the vegetables to be flavorless, but the salad here is refreshing and delicious.  It's made with English cucumbers, which give the salad that extra crunch. 

If you just want a couple falafels to snack on, Sunrise Deli sells it by the half dozen ($2.99), and a dozen ($4.99).

Pieces of pita bread for the falafel plate.

The lamb shawarma here is decent, but doesn't compare to the greatness of the falafels.  It was a little disappointing to see that the meat wasn't sliced off to order, but instead came from a tray then reheated.  The lamb shawarma is rolled in a pita with hummus, lettuce, tomatoes, and tahini sauce.  Surprisingly tender, but needed more flavor.  

updated - Working my way through SF Foodie's 2012 50 dishes 

Address:                     Sunrise Deli & Cafe
                                          2115 Irving St.

                                San Francisco, CA

Type:                             Mediterranean/Halal

Popular chomps: avocado falafel
                                            super falafel
                                            falafels
                                            lamb schwarma

Chomp worthy:     falafel             

Cafe Bunn Mi

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This is the first time I've ever seen Vietnamese sandwiches spelled Bunn Mi.  I've seen bun mi, ban mi, even bun mee, but two "n's" is just odd to me.  Personally, I like it when they keep it real with the traditional "banh mi".

Besides the spelling, some odd things about this place stood out to me.  Try to see if you can notice them in the menu..  Here's what I found:  wheat bread option for banh mi (!!), none of the dishes are referred to by their Vietnamese name, and there are 3 types of fries and onions rings on this menu.  

The sandwiches here are more on the fusion side, which I guess justifies the average $5 prices, so if you're a purist, this is the wrong sandwich shop for you.

Banh mis have been a noticeable trend in the city, especially ones with a fusion twist.  I've had some pretty disappointing ones lately (Duc Loi - see post HERE), so I wasn't expecting anything exceptional here.  The chicken on the five spice chicken sandwich was super tender and juicy, but need more spice.  You can take the freshness of the bread in the sandwiches since they are baked daily.  The pickled veggies here are more on the sweeter side than tangy.  They ODed on carrots in this sandwich. 

The crispy duck sandwich was the redeeming sandwich for Cafe Bunn Mi.  Perfectly crispy with tender nuggets of duck meat surrounded by the sweet veggie slaw made it a fusion sandwich I could actually say was good.  Crap, I just admitted I bought a $6 Vietnamese sandwich and liked it... 

Address:                       Cafe Bunn Mi
                                             417 Clement St.
                                             San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                               Vietnamese

Popular chomps:  Five spice chicken bun mi
                                             Crispy duck bun mi
                                             Pork Belly bun mi

Chomp worthy:      Crispy duck bun mi        

Urban Burger

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I'm still trying to finish my list of burger eats in the city before the summer is over.  Next on the list was Urban Burger in the Mission.  I've never seen this place  

Along with some specialty burgers, you can also customize your own burger similar to The Counter.  They have a Texas Toast bun option for the burgers here and Texas Toast grilled cheese! 

Whats a burger without a shake to go with it...  Believe it or not, but this was a Neapolitan shake.  A little miffed by the appearance of the shake (was expecting the 3 distinct layers), but still tasty nonetheless.  Every sip was a different flavor experience.  Sometimes a strawberry-chocolate, then others just a vanilla.  They use Mitchell's ice cream to make these frosty shakes.   

 

With every burger you get a choice of regular fries or salad.  You have the option of upgrading to a mixed half and half order of sweet potato/regular fries, onion rings/regular fries, or onion rings/sweet potato fries.  Both the sweet potato fries and the regular fries were a little on the bland and soggy side.

I'm not sure if I really liked the idea of having to put the burger together.  The whole point of getting a burger is because you don't want to prepare any food...

All the patties are cooked to medium well unless specified.  This one was requested medium rare because pink is always better.  The burger overall was average at best.  The flavorless meat was a little dry despite being cooked to a perfect medium rare.

Urban burger does not disappoint the vegetarians of SF. 

I love eggplant anything!  The eggplant sandwich here consists of thick, huge slices of eggplant (too chewy) with roasted red peppers (too sweet).  Opted for the avocado addition, which made this disappointing sandwich edible.

Urban Burger supports eating your veggies with a salad option instead of fries.  I was a little hesitant about having a salad in a fast food burger spot , but the vegetables here are fresh and crisp.  The salad makes you feel a little less guilty about ordering a burger.

       

Address:                        Urban Burger
                                              581 Valencia St.
                                              San Francisco, CA
  

Type:                                burger/American

Popular chomps:  classic
                                              sweet potato fries

Chomp worthy:      nothing           

Dan Sung Sa Restaurant

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Dan Sung Sa is one of my favorite late night spots in the East Bay.  I've spent many a late night here in my youth feasing on Korean food and soju.  Before Yelp, it was one of those dirty, dark secrets on the not-so-great part of Telegraph Ave that you knew you would just end up after a night of going out (it closes at 3a) or on the way to a night of karoking located down the street.  Affectinately, called "Porno's" because of all the posters and pictures plastered all over the place.  The signage is a new thing, only after Yelp emerged did I find out its real name.  Its a pretty Korean spot, which means it follows the "standard" environment - not gonna go into detail, but if you've been to these spots you know what I'm referring to.

The two sided menu filled with standard Korean pub fare.

The soju flavors they have here are : aloe, strawberry, yogurt, peach, and pineapple.  Strawberry is the best, but peach and yogurt are pretty popular.  Its always a must to have soju... 

...or OB (they have Hite also).  If you don't want to get in touch with your inner Korean, then they have Pyramid Hef and Blue Moon on tap. 

Hot and glistening with buttery and cheesey goodness (but more buttery I'm sure), Korean cheese corn is a must!  Kernels of sweet corn mixed with butter and cheese, calories is not something you want to think about when eating this.  Just enjoy and think about the gym tomorrow.

The kim chee fried rice here is awesome.  The runny egg plus spam and hot dog pieces make it.  It's more on the sweet and tangy side versus spicy.  Especially delicious after a couple pitchers of OB and soju.

Few places in the Bay Area do whole Korean Fried chicken or maybe most of them do, but since I'm not Korean I don't have access to the secret menu.  Actually, the whole fried chicken wasn't on the menu before and you had to special order it (in Korean).  It comes to your table piping hot with the skin so crispy its worth burning your fingers a little to pick off some pieces.  Served with pickled radishes, jalapenos, and seasoned salt.   

Address:                     Dan Sung Sa Restaurant
                                           2775 Telegraph Avenue
                                           Oakland, CA

Type:                             Korean

Popular chomps: strawberry soju
                                            whole fried chicken
                                            cheese corn
                                            kim chee fried rice
                                            spicy fried chicken

Chomp worthy:    strawberry soju
                                           whole fried chicken
                                           cheese corn
                                           kim chee fried rice      

Sushirrito

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Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like.  Sushirrito = sushi burrito.  This super popular lunchtime spot in downtown SF has proven to be most difficult for me to get to.  It's operating times (M-F 11a - 3p) and its insane line are the two biggest obstacles for me.

A 20 minute line and I finally got into an area where I can see the menu!  (It's popularity has forced it to open a second location a couple blocks down.)  Sushirrito isn't exactly a burrito.  It's more like a giant uncut sushi roll filled with various of fusion items. 

Originally, I was thinking I would order a roll with raw fish inside, but only two sushirrito rolls that had raw fish didn't seem too appealing to me. 

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the rice layer is thin and the rice is well seasoned, but not overpowering with vinegar.  The Mayan Dragon sushirrito consists of chicken katsu, purple Peruvian potatoes, carrots, pickled red cabbage, avocado, shaved jalapenos, green onions with Japanese curry sauce lightly spread throughout the roll.  I love the concept of the sushirrito with the blend of these flavors, but the chicken katsu is so overcooked and hard, you could hurt your teeth.  At first I was excited to see the purple Peruvian potatoes since this is the first time I've seen them on a menu since my trip to Peru, but these potatoes are known to be more firm and dense in texture.  So these potatoes paired with the insanely hard chicken katsu made my teeth work overtime.  I could see this being delicious if the katsu was cooked better.  The japanese curry and jalapeno gave this burrito a subtle spicy kick.

 

The Porkivore sushirrito proved to be even worse of a choice.  Overcooked pork belly with either too fatty, rubbery bits or chewy meaty pieces made me wish I had ordered the vegetarian sushirrito.  Not sure if it was the shaved cabbage or the radish that gave this sushirrito the ultra bitter taste and aftertaste in each bite.  Love the concept, just terrible cooking and execution...

       

Address:                       Sushirrito
                                             59 New Montgomery St.
                                             San Francisco, CA  
 

Type:                               Japanese/Latin/fusion

Popular chomps: Mayan Dragon
                                            Porkivore
                                            Buddha Belly

Chomp worthy:     nothing           

Farewell to Foie

Pin It Now! fThe day has finally come and foie gras is banned throughout California...for now.  A moment of silence to remember all the delicious foie bites in my blog...

Gotta love Spain and their generous foie gras dishes...

Hojadre con foie at Taberna Txakoli in Madrid, Spain (see post HERE) - the light flaky pastry gave a buttery texture to the rich foie gras filling.

Mini foie gras burgers at Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid, Spain (see post HERE) - these bite sized burgers were more playful than foie gras flavored.

pinxtos de foie at Tximiri in Madrid, Spain (see post HERE) - sometimes simpler is just better.  A piece of decadent foie gras atop a toasted piece of bread.

bombon de foie at Mil Catas in San Sebastian, Spain (see post HERE) - a chilled ball of creamy foie gras with crushed pistacios for an added crunch.  Sweet, savory, crunchy, and rich in one bite.  This dish is my favorite foie gras dish from my Spain trip.

McFoie burger at Tapac 24 in Barcelona, Spain (see post HERE) - another playful take on an American favorite

 

Hudson foie gras with waffles, strawberries, and pistacios at Spruce in San Francisco, CA (see post HERE) - the most perfectly executed foie gras dish I've ever had.  The strawberries and pistachios highlighted the sweet notes of the foie gras.

Seared foie gras with homemade donut at Naked Lunch in San Francisco, CA (see post HERE) - came here for the one foie gras dish, but ended up leaving with two!  Who says you can't have foie for breakfast...

foie gras and duck proscuitto sandwich at Naked Lunch in San Francisco, CA (see post HERE) -  I never thought foie gras could be considered savory and refreshing.  

Foie gras with biscuits and maple gravy at Animal in Los Angeles, CA (see post HERE) - comfort food taken to a level of sophistication and exponentially more caloric.

foie gras loco moco at Animal in Los Angeles, CA (see post HERE) - how do you make a foie gras dish even better?  Add sriacha, a runny egg, and some spam.

foie gras torchon at Txoko in San Francisco, CA (see post HERE) - crispy and satisfying.  This one bite was an amazing start to a wondering foie tasting meal.

fois gras a la plancha at Txoko in San Francisco, CA (see post HERE) - the piquillo peppers and corn syrup highlighted the sweetness of the foie gras here.

pan roasted hen with foie gravy at Txoko in San Francisco (see post HERE) - okay so its not really in your face foie dish, but still counts...

fois ice cream at Txoko in San Francisco, CA (see post HERE) - not super foie gras tasting like I hoped it would be, but still fun to eat.

Seared duck and foie gras at Joel Rubuchon in Las Vegas, Nevada (see post HERE) - the largest piece of foie I ever put into my mouth.  Halfway through I thought this foie might actually defeat me.

The Devil Inside at Craftsman & Wolves in San Francisco, CA (see post HERE) - chocolatey rich with foie gras inside (didn't taste it, but I guess I'll take their word for it).

seared foie gras with espresso sauce at Keiko a Nob Hill in San Francisco, CA (see post HERE) - a bittersweet (and savory) farewell bite