Chocolate Lab

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The Chocolate Lab has made a nice home in the old Piccino space in Potrero Hill.  The cozy interior is the perfect spot to enjoy all things chocolate.

Besides chocolate items, they do serve scones, sticky buns, and quiche.

Of course, in a place called Chocolate Lab, you have to get their version of hot chocolate - drinking chocolate.  It's not as thick as TCHO's version (see post HERE), its just as chocolatey with a true chocolate flavor.  And the homemade vanilla bean marshmallows make this hot chocolate even more delicious.

I had to take a double look when I saw this chocolate risotto on the menu.  I had never seen a sweet risotto before.  I was actually thinking it would be more of a rice pudding than a risotto, turns out its somewhere in between.  The risotto is actually served warm.  Both the warm chocolate and the popping crispy balls were an experience in itself.  All in all a creative dish. 

The meat quiche seems to be another popular item here.  Along with the custardy filling and the buttery crust, this quiche makes for a delightful savory bite. 

Even though I came here for brunch, I feel like this is one of those places you must indulge in a dessert.  The brownie sundae was sinfully chocolatey with a thick gooey chocolate syrup to push the chocolateness to the nth level.

Address:                  Chocolate Lab
                                 801 22nd St.
                                 San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                        American/cafe/brunch

Popular chomps:      goat cheese souffle
                                  brownie a la mode
                                  drinking chocolate

Chomp worthy:         drinking chocolate      

M.Y. China

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Honestly, I've walked by M.Y. China many times and never really thought I'd ever step foot in Martin Yan's most recent restaurant establishment.  Having grown up on Martin Yan on KQED, I've tried a couple of his restaurants and found them really unappetizing.  M.Y China is an attempt to bring a mostly Mandarin style menu to the mall crowds in a slightly more upscale environment.  Most of their dishes revolve around hand pulled noodles, which is rather exciting since its not commonly found in SF proper (more so in the South Bay area).   

Beef noodle soup is to Taiwanese people as won ton noodle soup is to Hong Kong people.  I've never been to crazy about this soup, but I can appreciate a good bowl, especially during the winter.  The best thing about this soup is the hand pulled noodles.  Since the noodles are hand pulled and cut, they come in various thicknesses and textures so each bite of noodles is something different.  Everything else about this soup was lackluster, from the too salty broth to the gristly slices of beef.

The wild boar scissor cut noodles are the known specialty in this restaurant.  Its appearance is on almost every table in the restaurant.  While I do have to applaud Martin Yan for bringing hand pulled noodles to the masses, this scissor cut noodles lacks any of the pan fried noodle bits found in these types of dishes.  If you've never had scissor cut noodles, the noodles are actually fun to eat and gives a different texture to the average Chinese noodle.  The flavoring reminds me a lot of beef chow fun. 

The Shandong beef rolls were one of the better dishes I had this meal.  Thin slices of beef are wrapped in a thin pancake crepe and topped with sweet hoisin sauce.  The flavor is pretty good, but the meat is too chewy and seems to be a lower grade of beef.

Inside the beef shandong rolls.

     

Address:                   MY China
                                  Westfield Shopping Centre
                                  845 Market St. 4th Floor
                                  San Francisco, CA 
 

Type:                         Chinese

Popular chomps:       wild boar dumplings
                                   wild boar scissor cut noodles
                                   truffle dumplings
                                   dan dan noodles
                                   beef hand pulled noodle soup

Chomp worthy:          nothing   

Curry Corner Takeaway

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Curry Corner Takeaway resides in a seemingly abandoned strip mall in Hayward, but just stepping into this small restaurant, you'll find that there is a steady stream of regular customers.  Chef Saras cooks up doesn't exactly have a set menu and cooks whatever she feels like daily.  Her food is Fijian Indian, which is more common than you think in this part of the Bay Area. 

Today's noshings was rice with lamb and chicken along with a side of vegetables.  The flavors are somewhat similar to Indian, but with a dash of islander spices.  For $8 for the combo, its a really good deal and can easily feed 2 people.  The food is a tad on the spicy side, but I prefer that.

A side of vegetables is given with every combination plate.  This also changes regularly.  From top left: curry potatoes, spinach, and tomato chutney.  While all the food is good, the tomato chutney is wow worthy and should be bottled up and sold in stores, its that good.

Address:                Curry Corner Takeaway
                              26657 Mission Blvd
                              Hayward, CA
 

Type:                      Indian

Popular chomps:     daily combination

Chomp worthy:       tomato chutney        

Sightglass

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There are something about coffee shops and airy open spaces.  Especially in the city, spaces like that seem to be occupied by mostly coffee shops.  Sightglass has to be at the top of the list of most gorgeous spaces in the city. 

Its a fun sight to see them roasting the beans on site while you order your coffee.

The view of the roaster from the second floor is even better.

I never have much luck with coffee lids as they always seem to leak all over me.  Sightglass's cup is no exception.  A good pour of quality coffee, but unfortunately, a quarter of it ended up spilling out.

Address:                 Sightglass Coffee
                                270 7th St.
                                San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                      coffee

Popular chomps:    pour over
                                latte

Chomp worthy:      pour over       

Euro Delight Bakery

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I'm always ready to check out a new bakery, especially an Asian one.  Once you walk into Euro Delight Bakery, you are greeted with the smell of freshly baked good and a wonderful smell of buttery, sugary goodness.

While Euro Delight Bakery is known for their cakes and other baked items, I headed straight for one thing - their green pandan waffles.  Always a good sign, their waffles are made fresh upon ordering. 

While their pandan waffles has scattered shreds of coconuts mixed with the waffle batter, it was a little limp and bland.  It also didn't have the nice crispy edges I've had in better pandan waffles, like at my standing favorite  -Nuoc Mia Vien Dong 2 (see post HERE)

Address:                    Euro Delight Bakery
                                   1816 Tully Rd.
                                   San Jose, CA
 

Type:                          Vietnamese/bakery

Popular chomps:        green waffle
                                    cakes
     

Chomp worthy:           nothing   

B2 Coffee

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Another Verve coffee sighting!  After having been to an actual Verve coffee (see post HERE), I've really grown to love the coffee.  This time I got to sip some at B2 Coffee in San Jose's San Pedro Market.  Finally after years of being a regular thing in the city, pour overs are finally making more of an appearance in the South Bay.  Also, the common room is a great space where its open industrial feel is a nice place to enjoy your coffee while working on your laptop.

They even tie their napkin as a jacket the same way Verve does.  So cute.

Address:                   B2 Coffee
                                  87 N. San Pedro
                                  San Jose, CA
 

Type:                        coffee

Popular chomps:      pour over
                                 latte

Chomp worthy:        pour over   

Pan Grill Sandwich Shop

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For the most part pop ups and Asian fusion doesn't really get me excited like it used to, but Pan Grill has that old feeling come back again.  This very tiny pop up inside Butterfly on the Embarcadero is an awesome little treat amongst all a somewhat touristy area.  While it doesn't have any seating inside, there are plenty of places to sit by the water to enjoy their food.

One of the things that brought me here was their own housemade buns.  Not just any old bun, its like a baked chao siu bao bun so soft and fluffy with a just a hint of sweetness.  I did wish there was a little honey or sweet glaze on top like the baked chao siu bao buns I love so much.  The menu here is a headscratcher with so many things you want to try, you have to just pick a couple and then vow you'll be back to try the rest.

The yuzu lemonade was perfectly balanced and refreshing with just the right hint of citrus flavor.

While everything I had here was pretty tasty, the best by far were the yaki tots.  Essentially mini yaki onigiris shaped like slightly bigger than average tater tots, these super crunchy chunks of rice were one of those things that you eat and think genius.  Along with a spicy sauce drizzle, that seems to be made out of sriarcha, I would definitely come back again for just these.  Although I did order the additional tuna poke to be added onto this, its much better without it.

The yaki onigiri was just as crunchy as the yaki tots, maybe even more so.  Rather than the typical grilliing of the rice ball, it seems that they were actually deep fried so the outside crust is extra crisp.  Its a little hard to break off a piece, but once you do you can't stop eating away at them.

With all the choices of sandwiches, its hard to pick a couple to try.  The potato croquette was made with a sweet potato filing so it was pretty sweet.  Overall, this sandwich was a little too sweet tasting for me with the sweet bun and then the sweet potato curry.  Its was good, but it also needed some more crunchy texture since the sweet potato filling and the bread were so soft.

The hangar steak niku also had a sweetness from the glaze.  Its been a while since I had meat so tender and juicy.  In each bite, the meat practically melts in your mouth.  Out of the two, I think this one was my favorite. 

  

Address:                 Pan Grill Sandwich Shop
                                Pier 33
                                San Francisco, CA
   

Type:                       Japanese

Popular chomps:     yaki tot
                                 hangar steak niku sandwich
                                 kim chi pulled pork sandwich
                                 curry potato croquette sandwich

Chomp worthy:        yaki tot

Ramen Yamadaya

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San Francisco must have heard my whining and whimpering of more ramen spots in the city because Ramen Yamadaya is one of the many upcoming ramen restaurants opening here in SF.  The interior is a little odd to say the least, but once you get over that, its a nice option to have for those chilly SF nights.

A side order of yamadaya topping comes with wood ear fungus, bamboo shoots, green onions, pork belly, egg, and slices of seaweed.

The yamadaya ramen has a nice salty, fatty taste to it.  Not the best bowl of ramen, but its definitely a better version of the whats available in the city now.  One odd thing about this bowl of ramen is the noticeably thinner noodles.  The jury is still out on if I like the thickness of the noodles, but it does slurp well.

Tsukemen has been gaining popularity here in the city and its nice to know that its available here if you dare to try the dipping style ramen.  I love how there are slices of fatty pork soaking in the dipping broth.  I've noticed for tsukemen there are two groups that exist - those that absolutely love it (Chef David Chang falls into this category) and those that eek out an "eh" when they have it.  I'm part of the latter.  While I do enjoy a good bowl of a ramen, I've never had a tsukemen that's worth the extra dipping effort.

Address:                  Ramen Yamadaya
                                 1728 Buchanan St.
                                 San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                        ramen/Japanese

Popular chomps:      yamadaya ramen
                                  tonkatsu kotteri ramen
                                  tsukemen

Chomp worthy:         yamadaya ramen  

7x7 SF's (The Big Eat) List of 100 Things to Eat Before you Die (2014)

Pin It Now! 7x7 SF's List of 100 Things to Eat Before You Die 2014 published right under my nose.  Having spent the good month of January exploring a world of veganism, I'm pretty excited to try out some of the annual list's new eats.  It seems like there was some laziness going on since some dishes from previous years did somehow reappear back on the list (carnitas at Nopalito, banh mi from Saigon).  Another gripe is that not just one, but two Charles Phan restaurants made it on the list this year.  RickyBobby didn't even show up this year!  Although, I did notice that some of my favorite eats (cinnamon toast at Trouble Coffee) appeared on the list so now the somewhat hidden places will get even more popular...

(Click on the blue to see the corresponding post and what I've eaten so far!)

Here's the list:

1). Buckwheat waffle with creme fraiche, cucumber, and salmon roe at Lt. Waffle (Linea)
2). Seafood chowder at Bar Crudo
3). Cinnamon toast at Trouble Coffee
4). Chicken claypot at Slanted Door
5). Kale and yogurt smørrebrød at Bar Tartine Sandwich Shop
6). Egg yolk lava bun at Koi Palace
7). Abalone (seasonal) at Saison
8).  Beignets with chocolate espresso cream at Boxing Room
9).  Crispy duck salad at Hakkasan
10).  Any steamed bun at The Chairman
11).  Brownie à la mode at Chocolate Lab
12).  Arnisio souvlaki (spiced lamb skewer) at Kokkari
13).  Soft garlic pretzels at the bar at Absinthe
14).  Brussel sprout chips at Marlowe
15). Burrata bruschetta, walnut bread, mushroom truffle honey at Beretta
16). Omakase at ICHI
17). Butternut squash tacos (seasonal) at Gracias Madre
18). Crispy octopus at 1760
19). Housemade chicken liver pâté at Starbelly
20). Papua New Guinea s'more at Dandelion Chocolate
21). Chung Qing wings at New Ming's
22). Salted fish and minced pork rice in clay pot at Utopia Cafe
23). Chicken mole at San Jalisco
24). Tropical sundae at Ice Cream and Soda Fountain
25). Crispy imperial rolls at Out the Door
26). Egg sandwich with lard shallots and parsley on sourdough at Biergarten
27). Fried chicken at Mission Bowling Club
28). Salt cod cakes at Mikkeller Bar
29). Polpette at Barbacco
30). Chips and salsa at Papalote 
31). Jerk spiced duck hearts with pickled pineapple and thyme salt at Alembic
32). Crab Louie at Swan Oyster Depot
33). Seasonal bread pudding at Tartine Bakery
34). Tea leaf salad at Burma Superstar
35). Carnitas at Nopalito
36). Sardine chips at Rich Table
37). Takoyaki at Izakaya Sozai
38). Chinatown duck sliders at Maven
39). Russian honey cake at 20th Century Cafe
40). Coffee-rubbed pork shoulder at Range
41). Moto pizza with an egg at Ragazza
42). Caviar at Jardiniere
43). Lotus root salad at MAU
44). Fried onion cake at House of Nanking
45). Live crab with salt and pepper at R&G Lounge
46). Gamja fries at Namu Gaji
47). Maple bacon breakfast sausage sandwich at 4505 Meats
48). Squid ink tonnarelli at A16
49). Kung pow pastrami at Mission Chinese Food
50). Pizza margherita at Pizzeria Delfina
51). Devils on horseback at Magnolia Pub
52). Popovers at Wayfare Tavern
53). Salted caramel ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery
54). Mussel soup at Tosca Cafe
55). Pupusas at Balompie #3
56). Rotisserie chicken at Limon Rotisserie
57). Raviolo di ricotta at Cotogna
58). Pluma Iberico de Bellota at Coqueta
59). Pickled eggs at St.Vincent
60). Frozen custard with egg caramel at Fog City
61). Roast chicken for two at Zuni
62). Seafood cioppino at Tadich Grill
63). Scotch egg at Trick Dog
64). Burger with bone marrow at Kronner Burger
65). Corn chowder soup at Frances
66). Poulet Noir at Park Tavern
67). Spaghittusu cun allu ollu e bottariga at La Ciccia
68). Super carne asada burrito at El Farolito
69). A fresh loaf of Josey Baker bread at The Mill
70). Fried green beans at Coco500
71). Spoonful of Sugar's Meyer lemon curd filled brioche donut at Marla Bakery
72). Frank Nitti at Capo's
73). Wild boar scissor cut noodles at M.Y. China
74). Tandoori fish at Guddu de Karahi
75). Pasta tasting menu at Flour + Water
76). No. 19 sandwich at Wise Sons Deli
77). Duck confit basteeya at Aziza
78). Grilled cheese at Outerlands
79). Clams with cabbage at TBD Restaurant
80). Custard french toast at Nopa
81). Xiao long bao at Kingdom of Dumpling
82). The Rebel Within at Craftsman & Wolves
83). Tasting menu at Quince
84). Crispy potatoes at Plow
85). State bird at State Bird Provisions
86). Tikka masala burrito at Curry Up Now
87). Kouign amann at B. Patisserie
88). Lamb scrumpets at The Cavalier
89). Tonnarelli cacio e pepe at Locanda
90). Skillet-fried chicken thighs at Zero Zero
91). Duck wings “à l’orange” at RN74
92). Steak tartare at Bix
93). Organic pop tarts at Foreign Cinema
94). Banh mi at Saigon Sandwich
95). Udon a la Carbonara at Izakaya Roku
96). Smoked potatoes with black garlic at Bar Tartine
97). The Arista at Merigan
98). Chicken liver mousse with marmellata and balsamic gelatin at SPQR
99). French macarons at Tout Sweet
100).Vermicelli with five spice roasted chicken at Sunflower Restaurant



2013's list: 7x7 SF's (The Big Eat) List of 100 Things to Eat Before you Die (2013)
2012's list: 7x7 SF's (The Big Eat) List of 100 Things to Eat Before you Die (2012)

check it out on 7x7's site HERE 

Soul Groove

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Originally, I was on my way to check out another banh mi spot in the Tenderloin, but it was closed so I hopped over to the next best thing that was open in the area - Soul Groove.  After a decent run as a pop up in the Mission, its finally put some roots down in a small shop in the Tenderloin.

The chicken fried soul is one of the more basic fried chicken sandwiches here.  Small pieces of fried chicken are sandwiched between two slightly flopping pieces of waffle.  At $6.50, these sandwiches are quite small.  Even though the batter looked pretty dark, it was surprisingly not burnt.  The batter was crispy with a decent amount of flavor.  The chicken was decently cooked and the waffle had a hint of sweetness to it.

The to go option has both the bbq sauce and the cole slaw on the side so you have to build it when you get home.  Without it, the sandwich seems pretty plain.

      

Address:                 Soul Groove
                                422 Larkin St.
                                San Francisco, CA
   

Type:                       American

Popular chomps:     chicken fried soul

Chomp worthy:       nothing      

Top 10 chomps of 2013

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2013 is over!  Its that time again to reflect on all the yummy eats I've had over the past year.  Lots of eating and good travels.  This year was filled food from domestic trips to LA, and New York.  I discovered a lot of great eats overseas in the Philippines and Vietnam.  Also, I finally got to eat at The French Laundry, a foodie's mecca (see post HERE). 

My 2013 chomps (in no particular order):

Crawfish Grits from Rickybobby (San Francisco, CA). 

Even though, I ate this pretty early on in 2013, I still can't stop thinking about how delicious it was.  I constantly tell people to eat this now!  Its one bowl that I would happily lick so every single drop of it was devoured.

Check out the original post on Rickybobby ( HERE)

Pastrami sandwich #19 from Langer's Deli (Los Angeles, CA). 

With a red carpet and its appearance in every tourist and LA guide available, its easy to think that this place could be a tourist trap.  However, one bite of the #19 made me a believer.  There aren't enough words to describe how perfect this sandwich is.  From the flavorful, fluffy bread to the juicy, not too salty, chunks of pastrami.  Tourists and locals alike rave at how awesome this sandwich is and now I can agree, it is THAT good.

Check out the original post on Langer's Deli ( HERE)

Dac Biet Banh Mi from Banh Mi Huynh Hoa (Saigon, Vietnam). 

It took me a trip all the way to Vietnam to find the banh mi of my dreams.  The dac biet banh mi at Banh Mi Huynh Hoa is the most heavenly banh mi I've ever had.  I never thought a banh mi could taste so light and airy with just the right amount of sweet and savory.  The only downfall was only ordering one of them.

Check out the original post on Banh Mi Huynh Hoa ( HERE)

Sicilian square at Di Fara (Brooklyn, New York).    

Di Fara is another one of those old institutions that I got to check off my list this year.  After many trips to New York, I finally decided to bite the bullet and take the train out to Brooklyn and lucked out on only a 40 minute wait for this slice.  It had all the makings of something that would just eek a possible hyped reaction out of me, but it was so good I was just dumbfounded that it took me this long to make it out here.  After many, many slices (even my preference for thin slices), I have to admit this Sicilian square is a masterpiece.  Its quite possibly the best slice I've had in my life. 

Check out the original post on Di Fara ( HERE)

Goat's milk gelato at Bulgarini Gelato (Pasadena, CA). 

Up to this point I'd always thought San Francisco had better ice cream and gelato than Los Angeles, then I stumbled upon Bulgarini Gelato.  The location is so discrete, it causes you to question how good could it possibly be.  Enjoying a scoop of the goat milk gelato with pretty much no one in sight makes you feel like you've discovered a secret treasure that no one else knows about.  The goat milk is so fresh that you can practically taste the grass that the goat ate.

Check out the original post on Bulgarino Gelato ( HERE)

Kouign Amounn at B. Patisserie (San Francisco, CA)

I never thought the day would come when my beloved Tartine Bakery could possibly be dethroned.  No lines, available pastries, and seating are just the frosting on the cake at this delightful bakery.  Kouign amounns have recently become some of my favorite pastries so much so that the name easily rolls off my tongue without hesitation.  The kouign amounns here are what other kouign amouns aspire to be - warm to the touch, flaky with just the right amount of sticky caramel coating. 

Check out the original post on B. Patisserie ( HERE)

Boat Noodles from Zen Yai Thai (San Francisco, CA).  

The boat noodles are on the secret menu written in Thai, but just uttering the words boat noodles to the server signals the beginning of a harmonious journey where all sweet, spicy, and savory live in together in a glorious bowl. 

 Check out the original post on Zen Yai Thai ( HERE)

Salmon cornets at The French Laundry (Yountville, CA).  

Its almost a sin not to put something from The French Laundry on my top 10.  The salmon cornets are easily the most shoutable dish for me.  The playful ice cream presentation is savory enough to make your mouth water for more.  The mini serving makes you both angry and excited at the same time.  The only thing its left me wondering is how many can I eat before I get sick of them.

Check out the original post on The French Laundry ( HERE)

Paletas at Los Manguitos (Redwood City, CA).  

I've learned a new Spanish word and I'll remember it forever thanks to Los Manguitos.  Its paletas - popsicles.  The fruit popsicles are so beautifully crafted and delicious its sure to make any poster on instagram and pinterest jealous.  Not just some fruit juice frozen on a stick, one lick and you can imagine you are on a island with tropical breezes flowing through your hair.

Check out the original post on Los Manguitos ( HERE)

sliced mangos in Boracay, PI (Boracay, Philippines).  

Its a little cheating since I haven't yet posted my picture of the Philippines, but I can't put this list together without a mention of the mangos I had in the Philippines.  While I'm fully aware and in awe of how much juicier and sweeter fruit is in Asia, I was not prepared for how much better the mangos would be in the Philippines.  From the local markets to the vendors selling them in bags on the street, each mango was poster child for what a ripe fruit should taste like.  When the world ends, you'll find me on an island eating these mangos. 

 

For my 2011 Top 10 Chomps check it out HERE

For my 2012 Top 10 Chomps check it out HERE

 

Bun Bo Hue stall @ Ben Thanh Market

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Literally right next to the banh cuon stand was the bun bo hue stand.  Even though, I knew that bun bo hue is not a local speciality (its from Hue), I had to grab a bowl since I wouldn't be making it to Hue.

The bun bo hue is very light and fresh tasting with a surprisingly plentiful amount of meat and fishcake.  Its actually not spicy and they give you a side dish or chilis to add based on your preference.

Thinly sliced banana blossoms and other herbs for adding into the bowl of bun bo hue.

The one good thing about hot weather is the good excuse to try different types of drinks.  The lychee drink was sweet and refreshing.

Address:                    bun bo hue stall @ Ben Thanh Market
                                   intersection of Le Loi, Ham Nghi, Tran Hung Dao, and Le Loi sts. District 1
                                   Saigon, Vietnam

 

Type:                          Vietnamese

Popular chomps:        bun bo hue

Chomp worthy:          bun bo hue