The Slanted Door

1 Ferry Building
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 861-8032
www.slanteddoor.com

Still talking about San Francisco...As I have mentioned, I had been doing research for a spell before embarking on the West Coast excursion. The Slanted Door kept coming up. I asked people from the San Francisco area as well as other online sources, and all said that the Slanted Door was a must. So, who am I to argue, and it IS Vietnamese cuisine, so of course I had to go check it out.
The Slanted Door is located on the Embarcadero, which is the strip of piers in downtown San Francisco just Northeast of Union Square where we were staying. So, in the afternoon I set out through the business district to the water.
As I walked soaring buildings and cabs screeching around corners surrounded me. As I began to get closer to the Embarcadero I could smell the faint scent of the water. It grew stronger and stronger as I approached and then finally the buildings fell away and opened up to the beautiful sparkling bay. Sounds of cooing Seagulls came from all directions. I will never get tired of the sound of Seagulls. I know when they are overhead I am going in the right direction: towards the water.
A short stroll along the water and I arrived at the Slanted Door around 2:30. I had seen on their website that they offered a limited "Afternoon Tea" menu between 2:30 and 4:30, it sounded like exactly what I was looking for.
I entered the glass doors and requested a table for one, the young lady behind the desk said, "well we have a limited menu and you can sit at the bar" as she handed me a menu and motioned with her eyes towards the bar. I headed to the bar and took a seat in the middle. The sleek decor of the dining area stretched around to the left and was full with the lunch crowd finishing up their meals and there were a few of others at the bar and lounge area behind me.
I sat there at the bar for at least 10 minutes if not closer to 15 before any one of the three people behind the bar said anything to me. Yes, of course I could have said something, but I wanted to see exactly how long it would take for them to do anything...Finally one of the individuals came over to me and said, "do you have any questions?" I said that I did not have any questions, but a few requests. I asked for some ice water and some Chrysanthemum tea. I was given the water and he walked away. A few minutes later he came back and I ordered the Slanted Door Spring Rolls with shrimp, pork, mint and peanut sauce and the Prather Ranch beef Carpaccio, with roasted peanuts, rau ram, (Vietnamese cilantro) and lime juice.
I again sat there for about 15 minutes, then a young lady brought out my tea, and I turned around and a gentleman placed both of my dishes down in front of me. All three items arrived at exactly the same time. Hmmm.
The tea was delightful, I also very much liked the presentation with the loose tea in individual pots. As I steeped my tea, I looked around and realized I had no set up, and when I say set up, I mean no napkin, no chopsticks, no fork, nothing. I looked around to try and get the attention of one of the three people behind the bar, but I looked and saw that they were busy sipping martinis at the end. Now don't get me wrong, I understand that the lunch rush was over, and it is now a quieter time of day, I get it. But as I sat there a few others came to sit at the end of the bar closer to the sipping employees and were given a drink menu and a food menu right away.
Another gentleman appeared with glassware from the back, which I would assume was a bar back or busboy, but HE looked at me and promptly gave me the napkin, fork and chopsticks, I told him how much I appreciated it, he deserves a raise.
Let's continue on to the food at the Slanted Door. The Spring Rolls were good. The thin rice paper wrapper was soft and the shrimp was crisp. The peanut sauce was pretty good, it was nice and thick and had a great salty finish.
The Carpaccio was thinly sliced and was adorned with a crispy black sesame seed rice cake, which added a wonderful crunch to the dish. The food was good, but it wasn't great. I am a firm believer in good service in a restaurant that is of this supposed caliber. It's not that I am a perfectionist or demanding, but I have been in and out of the service industry, and I know what is good and what is bad. Sipping martinis when you have customers at the bar with no menus or no utensils is bad.
I sat there with empty plates for a littlw while, and finally a young lady behind the bar came by and asked if I wanted anything else, I was pretty discouraged with the place at that point but I still wanted something sweet and to give them one more try. I asked to see the dessert menu, and I ordered the Vanilla Bean poached Rhubarb, served with Blackberries, yogurt, and Black Tapioca.
The dessert was definitely tasty and the Rhubarb was soft and sweet. The yogurt lent a nice creamy contrast to the blackberries and the tender Tapioca.
The Slanted Door. The food was good, that is to say it wasn't spoiled, although it was nothing to write home about. Even though I did not try every one of their offerings, the lack of attention and service really left a sour taste for me. As I mentioned above, there are different ways to do things. The way the staff executed their daily operations, was pretty disappointing and I definitely will not be in a hurry to return.

Kiji Sushi

1009 Guerrero Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 282-0400
www.kijirestaurant.com

Continuing my culinary adventure in the beautiful San Francisco, it was time for some sushi.
I had been doing research for weeks before our trip attempting to find the off the beaten path spots. One of the places I found was Kiji Sushi between the Noe Valley and the Mission. It was a warm sunny afternoon when we set out on our trek from Union Square to the Mission District. Of course we stopped from time to time at a cafe for an espresso or a bar for a libation, so we finally arrived just around six in the evening.
As early as it was, we were the only two people in the place. We sat at the sushi bar that was situated to the right of the restaurant. There was a small dining area to the left, and the walls were decorated with deep reds and blacks. The space extended to the rear to another dining area that was slightly secluded and would be a perfect place for an intimate gathering. I enjoyed the feel of the place very much, the dark colors were offset perfectly with dim lighting, and a nice display of Sake bottles adorned the back wall.
We ordered the two Sake flight options, one filtered and one unfiltered. All six selections had distinctively different flavors and aromas, and were a great start for our meal at Kiji Sushi.
We began with the Kanpachi Carpaccio (Amberjack fish which is the name of a pair of species of fish of the Carangidae family, which includes the jacks and the pompanos) served with thinly sliced Jalapeños, sea salt, and olive oil. The fish was paper thin and sweet. The flavor reminded me of a sweet Yellowtail, and the Jalapeños gave it a slight kick that was perfect. Next, we ordered the Potstickers. The dumplings were so light, flavorful, and the pork that was tucked inside was seasoned wonderfully.
Next we opted for a special that evening which was also a thinly sliced fish. This time it was Halibut dressed with Tobiko, Japanese Cilantro, and Truffle Oil. The sushi chef was masterful again with the presentation of the paper thin slices of fish, and the combination of the salty Tobiko, the earthy Truffle oil and the sweet and peppery flavor from the Japanese Cilantro was fabulous.
As we spoke more with the Chef, we discussed sushi places we had been to and items we enjoyed. He then informed us how Kiji Sushi had been there for about two years and apparently was named one of the best Japanese restaurants in the city according to the Zagat's guide, of which he promptly offered to show us their listing in the book. So much for off the beaten path and hidden gems of the city. Either way, I am glad that Kiji Sushi has received such praise because they certainly did from me.

1550 Hyde Wine Bar and Café

1550 Hyde Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Get Directio(415) 775-1550
www.1550hyde.com

I have mentioned that San Francisco is a wonderful place. I think either I have lived there in a past life, or am destined to. Either way, every time I am there, it gets better and better. Whether it is the weather, the food, or the people it just keeps calling me back.

This trip was superb. I will first discuss 1550 Hyde Wine Bar and Café.

(I must tell you, I did not take this pic which will be explained later...)

1550 is located in the Russian Hill neighborhood and was about a one mile walk from where we stayed near Union Square.
The San Francisco night air was crisp and cool, and as we climbed up and down the hilly streets our anticipation grew for what was awaiting us behind the glass door that read "1550".
We entered into a lively candle lit room, full of positive energy, so far so good. My eyes scanned the small packed dining room and were immediately drawn to the ceilings which were adorned with wine corks arranged in the shapes of flowers.

We were greeted by a gentleman that told us there would be at least an hour wait for a table. We spied two seats at the end of the six-seat bar and promptly grabbed them. The bar was tiny, but pleasantly cozy, and the gentleman that originally had greeted us was now telling us the evening's specials as he handed us menus. We ordered some wine and started with their Antipasto Plate offering.

(Now before I continue, I have to say because I enjoyed this whole experience so much, the camera stayed tucked away in my bag. I am sorry, but the place was that great, pics were momentarily forgotten about, my sincere apologies.)

Anyway, the Antipasto came complete with about six different types of olives that had been warmed and dressed with just a bit of oil, a locally farmed and cured Salami, a warm beet salad, a beautiful Porcini Mushroom Crostini that I could have eaten all night, and finally a nice mix of roasted nuts.
It was a perfect selection of items. On the menu that evening were also a selection of cheeses. We selected the Toma Piedmontese, a cow' s milk cheese from the Piedmont region of Italy, which arrived with slices of walnut bread. The cheese was divine. Since returning to Cleveland we have been scouring the city to find it, no such luck yet. (I may just have to order it online, it was THAT good.)
As we continued to nibble on our lovely items, the gentleman informed us about how the restaurant has personal relationships with food suppliers and farmers all local to that region of California. Because of these relationships the menu changes often as menu items are dependent on the fresh harvests and the availability of various cured meats. We wanted to try some of the entrees next, but we decided that something sweet was in order after all of the salty choices.

We were given the dessert menu, and everything sounded fabulous. We were then informed that the evening special dessert was a Brown Rice Pudding with Sauternes macerated Strawberries. That clinched it. We ordered the rice pudding and the Scharffen Berger Bittersweet Chocolate Pot de Crème with Straus whipped cream and shortbread cookies.
Holy $#%@! The Brown rice in the pudding had a perfect texture; not mushy and not stiff, right in between, the pudding itself was not overly sweet, and the Sauternes with the Strawberries was an exquisite compliment.
Now onto the Pot de Crème. This was absolutely delicious. The consistency of the chocolate was so smooth and creamy we fought over whom got to lick the dish. The Straus whipped cream was also a perfect addition and the crisp shortbread cookies lent a delightful crunch.

1550 Hyde Wine Bar and Café was such a wonderful neighborhood find in the Russian Hill district of San Francisco. If it were my neighborhood, I know I would be there all the time.

Posting Pause

As some of you may know, I was out of town for a spell on the West Coast; San Francisco specifically. Therefore, I apologize for the temporary pause in my posts. Very soon, I will be giving you the heads up on my culinary adventures in the city that I love more each time I visit.
Thanks and here is to reveling in flavor adventures!

Sun Luck Garden

1901 S Taylor Road
Cleveland, OH
(216) 397-7676
www.sunluckgarden.com

I have passed this little restaurant located in a strip mall many times and never thought anything of it. It is located in such an unassuming area that you wouldn't expect to find such a beauty as Sun Luck Garden. A fellow Cleveland food blogger, clevelandfoodie, mentioned this little spot awhile ago and I realized that something was hiding behind those covered windows. What that something was, I had to find out.
About a month or so ago we decided to give it a try. As you enter you are surrounded by a perfectly dimly lit small space, with dining areas on either side of the entrance. We were warmly greeted and seated. The menu was extensive. Choices from many styles including Szechwan, Cantonese, and Mandarin, as well as great vegetarian options were on the menu. They have a large wine list that one would not expect from such a small place and a nice beer menu too. I started with some warm sake, and we ordered the Egg rolls and a Halibut appetizer that was a special for the evening. The Egg rolls were crisp and fresh, and you could tell were hand rolled and not frozen. The Halibut appetizer was such a pleasant surprise. Thinly sliced Halibut rolled with ginger and scallion and wrapped in a crisp shell and tied with thin strips of scallion on the ends. The Halibut dish was perfectly well rounded with bursting flavors.
Next, we ordered the Egg Flower and Wonton Soups. The Egg Flower Soup is basically an Egg Drop Soup but not as heavy. The Egg Flower was delicious; the egg strands floated in the rich broth and had just enough sweetness. The Wonton Soup was savory and the wontons had a great texture.
Finally, we ordered the Beef Chow Hawphen, which was from the "Pasta Dishes" area of the menu. The Soft wide rice noodles served with beef, bean sprouts, pea pods, and tossed with a hot Szechwan chili sauce. We were asked if we wanted the dish mild, medium, or hot. We chose the hot since we both enjoy spicy and it couldn't have been any better. It was spicy but did not overpower the flavor of the dish.
I am so glad I finally got to peak behind the curtain and discover the pleasure of Sun Luck Garden. I can't wait to return to try more of their fresh and flavorful offerings.

Il Bacio

2181 Murray Hill Road.
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 231-5977
www.ilbaciorestaurant.com


Il Bacio has been around for a year or so now. I have to say I was extremely disappointed the first time I dined there shortly after their opening . The other night I gave Il Bacio another try, and I heard that they switched chefs, so I was ready.
I absolutely love the petite space of the restaurant. With its dim lighting, light colored walls, and the dark wood bar, it is just perfect. The night we visited they had a gentleman playing the Mandolin the whole time we were there, which added to the comfortable surroundings.
The service was perfectly attentive and not pushy or overbearing at all, this can sometimes be the case in smaller restaurants.
We started with the Prosciutto di Parma and fresh Mozzarella appetizer. The Prosciutto was nice and thinly sliced as were the disks of Mozzarella, served with a light drizzle of Olive Oil and crushed Oregano. We then chose to split the Arugala Salad, simple and refreshing. The salad arrived dressed with just Olive Oil and a pinch of salt, and a lemon on the side. Once we gave the lemon a squeeze, the salad came together perfectly.
Next, I ordered the Veal Scallopine served with roasted potatoes and Asparagus. The Veal arrived as thin medallions that were grilled wonderfully with just a simple citrus and natural jus. The potatoes were crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and seasoned just right.
My companion ordered the Linguine with Roasted Salmon, which was served with chopped tomatoes and a light cream sauce. The linguine was perfectly al dente and the sauce was just the right consistency, not too heavy and not too light.
We finished with the house made Tiramisu that we were told was the owner Antonino Calandra's mother's recipe. The Tiramisu was creamy and sweet, although the dusting of the cocoa I thought was a little heavy handed. It was served with little cookies and chocolates at the base of the footed glass. The Tiramisu was the sweet finish we were looking for to complete our delightful dining experience.
I am so pleased that Il Bacio worked out its kinks from the last time I dined with them. I am looking forward to sitting out on their sidewalk patio this summer, sipping on wine and nibbling on their luscious offerings.

Momocho Update

1835 Fulton Road
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 694-2122
www.momocho.com

I am not usually one to mention chefs or drop names of individuals involved in the establishments where I dine, but I had to mention this.

Chef Nolan Konkoski has left the building!

(He might not like that I am posting this, but he deserves some props never the less.)
Many may not realize that Nolan has been the "Go-To" guy of Momocho for the past few years. Yes, we all know who owns the place, but sometimes the one in the spotlight is not the one whom actually is keeping the place going. Nolan has been the behind the scenes guy who makes sure the restaurant has food to eat, and GOOD food to eat for some time now. Nolan has been the brains behind most of the tasting menu items as well as the regular menu. Most of you have probably seen him working his A#@ off in Momocho's tiny kitchen upstairs for some time, but no longer.
It has yet to be determined if Nolan will continue to offer part time work or consulting services to Momocho in the future.
All I know is, Momocho has a very interesting road ahead of them in order to keep up the high standards that Nolan has been dishing up since the opening of this Ohio City gem.

Good Luck!

Li Wah

Revisited:

2999 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 696 6556

Since I have returned from the West Coast, I have been slightly obsessed (just slightly) with finding the best Dim Sum in Cleveland. I just can't get enough, and I can't wait to go to San Francisco in a few weeks to dive into their Dim Sum offerings.
In Cleveland the Dim Sum options are limited. As far as I knew, there were three to choose from; C and Y, Bo Loong, and Li Wah. In the past I have tried C and Y Chinese restaurant and their Dim Sum was quite tasty. In retrospect, they were my first encounter with Dim Sum, and I still think that they were very good after experiencing Dim Sum at other places. Unfortunately, C and Y is now closed. The next option, as I have mentioned in the past, is Bo Loong. Bo Loong's Dim Sum was very good, but Li Wah is even better. I wrote about Li Wah before as well, and I wasn't impressed or pleased in the least, but their Dim Sum has made my return worth it.
Since returning from the West Coast we have been back to Li Wah three times just for the Dim Sum, and it is now our favorite in the city.
We have been on Sundays so far, and they are packed. Our most recent visit we had to wait for a table, and the place is huge. The servers keep coming around with the carts full of steaming options to choose from. It still is a bit overwhelming as they continue to bombard you with tasty options, but I am starting to grow accustom and even restless if they don't come at me from all angles.
Of course we got our now usual selections, Har Gow (steamed shrimp dumplings), Siu Mai (steamed pork dumplings), fried Taro Root, (which I still love oh so much), and steamed shrimp with green peppers. As always, we order some type of Tofu, fried or stuffed with either pork or shrimp. We are really getting the hang of ordering the items we like and being able to recognize the ones we don't. We did try a new sweet offering, which ended up being preserved egg on top of a Lotus Seed and ginger paste, stuffed inside a petite sesame seed bun. The flavors were hard to pin point at first, but they were quite unique and had a delightful sweet finish.
After indulging in all of the delicious morsels my companions and I couldn't possibly have another bite. We asked for the check and prepared to leave full and satisfied. That was until a nice young gentleman came over with plates full of Crispy Roasted Pork with a Cucumber Slaw. At first we said, "oh, no thank you", as we were so full, but after a short conference with my two equally intrigued companions, we couldn't resist. It was a good thing we changed out minds and got this fabulous dish. The Pork skin was so crisp and salty I could eat it alone as a snack. The meat was so tender and juicy and the layer of Pork fat underneath was a guiltily sumptuous finish. We couldn't possibly finish the Pork dish, but all three of us were glad that we decided against our initial response.
Li Wah has now proven to me that sometimes first impressions can be wrong. I will continue to return to lavish in their Dim Sum offerings and to satisfy my newest addiction.

Old Town Cafe

4288 Dublin Boulevard
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 833-8300
www.otcafe.com

During my West Coast culinary adventure we visited The Old Town Cafe, another Asian restaurant in Dublin's Ulferts Plaza. Ulferts Plaza is a multi-leveled outdoor mall with several restaurants (including previously mentioned Koi Garden), markets, and stores. The Old Town Cafe serves Singaporean cuisine. Singaporean cuisine is a delightful mix of influences, from Indian to Chinese.
The Old Town Cafe occupies a small square open space consisting of about thirty tables. It was early in the evening when we arrived and the place was not too busy, but as we continued our meal Old Town Cafe began to fill up with people of all ages.
Our meal began with the Roti Canai appetizer, which is a multi-layered Indian style flatbread served with a curry dipping sauce. As one of my companions put it, the flatbread was like an "Indian Croissant". The layers were buttery and flaky and the dipping sauce, similar to a South Indian Sambar, had just enough spice.


Next we ordered the Herbal Pork Rib Soup to share. The soup is stewed with 17 Chinese herbs, and served with Chinese Donuts, and crispy Tofu Skin. This soup was quite delightful. The broth had so many flavors from the different herbs, and the Pork was falling off of the bone. The Chinese donut, which was similar to a fried wonton, added the perfect amount of crunchy texture.


We then ordered three dishes to share: Butter Prawns, Singapore Old Town Tofu, and Singapore Noodle.
The Butter Prawns arrived lightly coated with a crisp batter and lying upon a bed of lettuce and Cilantro. The Shrimp were cooked perfectly, still adorning their edible shells. The fresh Cilantro added a great zest.


The Tofu dish was seriously delicious. The Tofu was also lightly coated with a batter, pan fried, and dressed with mushrooms, shrimp, and a satiny brown sauce.


And finally, the Singapore Noodles were perfectly cooked, savory, and presented with a cabbage slaw on the side.
All of the dishes we enjoyed were wonderfully prepared. The bustle of all the families that were also dining at the Old Town Cafe that evening added to the positive energy, creating a very welcoming atmosphere.
The Ulferts Plaza has so many tasty offering; one could eat three meals a day for days without getting bored. The Plaza is definitely an asset to the area, and I can't wait to return to continue the culinary adventures.

Koi Garden

4288 Dublin Blvd
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 833-9090
www.koipalace.com


I am addicted to Dim Sum. My significant other and I cannot get enough of the little steamed and fried dumplings. We have been on the hunt for the best Dim Sum we can find. We have had a few adventures here in Cleveland, but our recent trip to the West Coast has opened our eyes and just made us want more and more.After getting off of the plane, we headed to get Dim Sum. We went to a restaurant called Koi Garden that was assured by our hosts to be the place to go in the Livermore area (specifically, Dublin) for Dim Sum.
So far, as I have mentioned we only have had Dim Sum in Cleveland before this, and Cleveland has nothing on Koi Garden. I don't know whether it was this place specifically or if it was the fact the West Coast has entirely different approaches to it's Dim Sum. Either way, we were in heaven.
Everything from the standbys of Steamed Pork Dumplings and Steamed Shrimp Dumplings, tasted lighter and much more fresh. We of course had to get the Taro Root dumplings, but we were surprised that they weren't as good as the ones we had enjoyed in Cleveland.
At Koi Garden we tried items we had not had before. For example we had a delicious mushroom cap stuffed with Ginger and Shrimp. It was served with a slightly sweetened glaze, and the mushroom had a nice earthy flavor. We also really liked the Cilantro and Shrimp dumplings. The flavor of the Cilantro melded perfectly with the shrimp, and you could tell they were made fresh and not too long before being served.
I always try to get some type of Tofu dish when ever we go, and this time we got the fried Tofu. The Tofu was served with a crust that was crispy, but a bit dense and cardboard like. With the dipping sauce, I kinda of enjoyed it, although my companions didn't really care for it.
We also ordered a dish of the Peking Duck. This duck was so tender and juicy, it was worth gnawing on the chopped bones.
We finished with the Sugar Egg Puffs. These babies are right up my alley. Light, sugary sweet, moist on the inside, and yet crisp on the outside. I had not seen these on any other Dim Sum menu as of yet, and will surely be looking for them from now on, they were that good.
Dim Sum is an addictive flavor adventure. I just can't get enough. Since we have been back from the West Coast we have already gone twice and I am sure we will continue to search for more savory or sweet selections no matter what city we are in.