Le Pain Quotidien

I visited my wonderful college, Pomona College, over the last four days and had a fabulous time revisiting good friends and seeing people that I missed. It reminded me of how absolutely GREAT college was and still is; physically having access to friends all the time; and eating together while watching friends argue about math and probability.

I had the pleasure of eating with my Chinese professor, Professor Allan Barr, and we went to the new restaurant Le Pain Quotidien in the new Village Expansion in Claremont. It is a Belgian and French-inspired chain from New York City, and as soon as I walked in, I felt like it was a very classy, higher-end restaurant. The light wooden tables give the place a rustic feel, but the atmosphere is undoubtedly modern and hip, with the soft lighting and bright feel.

Professor Barr recommended the vegetarian quiche, and I took his advice and ordered it. It was the most delicious quiche I have ever had in my life. Whereas most quiches that I've tried before have been firmer and pie-shaped, this quiche was soft and had the consistency of soft scrambled eggs. It was full of delicious vegetables like leeks and the salad was a nice, light complement too. I would wholeheartedly recommend this place to anyone who's still enjoying the college life at Claremont.

A shot of the entire dish:















A close-up of the quiche. Notice how soft and hearty it looks. The colors are so vibrant and beautiful.















The mixed greens salad adds a nice aesthetic touch to the dish, no?















*Le Pain Quotidien means "Daily Bread" in French.

Peace, love, and Claremont loves!

Finally! Pinkberry Copycat in Norcal!

After months of pining over the loss of Kiwiberri (after moving back up north to SF because of college graduation), some of us have finally found a decent Kiwiberri-like Korean frozen yogurt place!

Anh-Thu, Stephanie, and I were in Berkeley several weeks ago, and we stopped by some place that I think was called Michelle's (it's right by that parking structure with the anarchist bookstore, Revolution Books, in the basement). It had a Kiwiberri/Pinkberry spinoff called "Mangoberry." (Yea, what's with all these "fruitberry" names, right? I don't get it either.) After finding this place, we all got extremely excited because we hadn't had Korean frozen yogurt in such a long time. We all purchased pretty big sizes, and when we started eating it, the only word that I can use to describe the experience is "interesting." It was very sour and tangy and tart; not at all like Kiwiberri. I guess, in this case, for me, "interesting" is a euphemism for "not good." Sorry to admit it.

Anyway. Yesterday, the three of us were in Berkeley again for a movie and food excursion. After a satisfying lunch at Naan 'N Curry which left our clothes smelling wonderfully spicy and savory, we popped into Ryno's on Telegraph, which we'd passed by a couple weeks before.

JACKPOT.

This is basically Kiwiberri, almost exactly. For anyone who's tried any of the versions down south, like Kiwi, or Pinkberry, you know what I'm talking about. For the uninitiated, Korean frozen yogurt is VERY different from "normal" frozen yogurt, which usually tastes like soft-serve ice cream. Korean frozen yogurt is basically FROZEN yogurt. It is a combination of sweet and tangy, the distinct flavor of regular yogurt. Usually, these places also have a variety of toppings which you can pile on top of your yogurt, including fruits (lots of berries!), chopped nuts, cereals, and even mochi! It's really light and satisfying, and that tiny bit of tang definitely adds a little somethin' somethin' to it.

So, the next time you're in Berkeley, track down this place on Telegraph and get some! My favorite (and highly recommended) combination is regular flavor yogurt with strawberries, blueberries, and mochi! Sliced almonds are delightful too, if you like that bit of crunch munch!

Some documentation, to prove this place actually exists:

You can't really miss the place. It's smack in the middle of Telegraph Ave.















It's very minimalist, the decorations. Lots of white.















The toppings! Here you go! Sorry you can't really see. They're all covered with lids! But there's stuff like mangoes, strawberries, blueberries (all fresh!), mochi, almonds, walnuts, granola, lots of different kinds of cereals, and stuff I can't remember! Healthy, eh?















Stephanie's snack. Strawberries, mangoes, and blueberries! On original flavor.















My snack! Mochi and strawberry! I didn't get blueberry this time, but it was still so good!















Another shot!















Ok, this is the last one, I promise.















And this is a blast from the past. My long lost love. Kiwiberri with animals, back in the day!
















Ryno's
2380 Telegraph Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94704

Peace, love, and frozen yogurt treats!

Schubert's

This entry is just eye candy. Schubert's Bakery in the Inner Richmond on Clement Street makes really beautiful and tasty desserts and cakes. One of my favorite items here is the Double Chocolate Mousse Cake (which sadly, I do not have a picture of), with white and dark chocolate shavings all over it, and creamy and light white and dark chocolate mousse inside between layers of cake. The cream is fluffy too. The next time someone's birthday comes up, I'll make sure to take pictures. But in the meantime, here are some other pretty pieces from this delectable dessert shop.

















































































Schubert's Bakery
521 Clement St.
San Francisco, CA 94118

Peace, love, and double chocolate mousse!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! So now, the holiday season officially begins. Macy's just had its Annual Tree Lighting ceremony, and their window displays are supposedly filled with real little puppies and kitties waiting to be adopted into a nice, warm home.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I love that this is such a food-filled holiday and free of all the religious overtones of holidays like Easter and Christmas. A recognized date to remember those who are important to us and for whom we are especially grateful to. And to remember that we are lucky to have people to share our thanks and our love with. That to be surrounded by family and friends is a very good thing, because they keep our lives exciting and filled and help us remember why we live.

And of course, the food on our plates. This is one of the reasons why Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It's also a celebration that's centered around sharing food, eating lots of it until you can't button up your pants anymore. So yes, as the weather gets chillier, as the days get shorter, let's remember to be grateful for these particular celebrations which give us occasion to spend time with our family and best friends. Good food+family+friends=recipe for life! Yum!

I leave you with a Thanksgiving-themed meal from Squat and Gobble Cafe and Crepery in the West Portal district of San Francisco.















Thanksgiving crepe, stuffed full of cheese, stuffing, dark meat turkey, and some other things here and there. This was so delicious, I would totally go back again for another one! Comes with a side of mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce too!















Close-up of what's inside this fantastic crepe. Okay, so maybe it looks like there's too much cheese here, but it's really very good.

Peace, love, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Ella's

Ella's Restaurant in Laurel Village is a cute little restaurant that serves "Neo Classical American" food. I came here for breakfast/brunch with Anh-Thu and Stephen one morning, and the food was fabulous, although a bit on the pricey side. We asked the waitress what qualifies as "neo classical American" food, and she said it was just a fancy way of saying "comfort food."

But this is no greasy spoon joint or dive. The furnishings are modern, the place settings minimalist but elegant, the lighting dim and cozy.

I had the daily egg scramble with potatoes and honey oatmeal raisin toast. The egg scramble was FANTASTIC. I can't remember everything in it, but I know there was bits of ham and bacon, spinach, and feta cheese. The portions are generous. They must've put at least three eggs into my scramble! The potatoes were perfectly cooked, crispy and hot on the outside, soft melt-in-your-mouth goodness on the inside. The toast was quite tasty too.

I would definitely go again. It's in the yuppie part of town, but the neighborhood is friendly and safe. But beware the parking police! Stephen got a parking ticket after our meal!















Props to Anh-Thu for this picture.


Ella's Restaurant
500 Presidio Avenue
(between California St & Masonic Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94115
In the Laurel Village neighborhood.

Till next time,
Peace, love, and scrambled eggs!

Chicagoes

So. I've been on hiatus for a LONG while. It's been a combination of LSAT studying, working, and being fed up with blogger's painfully slow uploading of pictures. But now that I'm back (for now), here are some pictures from a good foodie city, Chicago.















Okay, so maybe a Filet O'Fish isn't exactly Chicago fare, but I tell you, this burger from McDonald's is heavenly. I've always thought so, since I was a wee little lass and I was eating this on the streets of downtown San Francisco and a homeless man grabbed my hair and induced me to throw up on his shoes. This sandwich is SO GOOD, even though McDonald's has gotten stingy and only puts half a slice of cheese in it instead of a full slice. The McDonald's on Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley sells these for $1.o0. Go get some!















Mapo tofu. House brand. This is what UChicago law students eat. It's very good and easy to make.















This is what UChicago law students bake in their spare time. Some Crust mocha cookies. They are heavenly, I tell you. 21 ounces of chocolate into 18 cookies is quite indulgent and SO rich.















Moonstruck is a company in Chicago that does chocolate right. There's also one in San Francisco in the Marina District, on Chestnut and Pierce.











































Ah ha! So THIS is what deep dish pizza is! Finally! And I always thought that Pizza Hut's Pan pizza was a good representation of deep dish. This is what deep dish pizza pie should look like! Very delicious!















This is the coolest gadget EVER. It is an apple corer/slicer in one from IKEA! How convenient!















I found out Italian Beef Sandwiches are a Chicago-area specialty too. Lots of beef, lots of peppers (the peppers were delish!), and the sandwich is dipped in some type of beef juice. Suggestion: Don't dip. Your sandwich gets so wet that you'll feel like you just drenched your bread in a cup of water (which is kinda what they do). But otherwise, it's alright (but maybe a bit too much beef for me).

There you go. That was Chicago. Illustrated through a variety of pictures.

In the time I've taken off from posting, I've had Brazilian food, Eritrean food, lots of Chinese food, and several other good and bad adventures with food. I'll try harder to chronicle my adventures in between LSAT studying, working with children, and online exploits.

Till next time,

Peace, love, and bullet-proof marshmallows!

My Little Dragon Bags

I've sure most of you have already been to the wonder that is DinTaiFung in Arcadia, California. The only American branch of the famous Taiwanese "little dragon bag" restaurant, DinTaiFung serves up xiaolongbao, succulent little pork dumplings inside a thin layer of dough, like you've never tasted before. The secret is to inject almost-frozen meat juice into the piece of pork before it's cooked, and then wrap it in the dough skin, steam it, and then juice melts into the juicy soup that xiaolongbaos are famous for.

Since we don't have any DinTaiFung chains up here in San Francisco, though, the closest thing to authentic is: Shanghai Dumpling King, located on Balboa Avenue in the Outer Richmond, between 34th and 35th avenues.

This tiny restaurant is literally a hole in the wall, but it's not a secret that this place is good. The Chronicle's reviewed it before and it's known among SF circles to be the best place in the city to get our little dragon bags of pork.

Shanghai Dumpling King serves up Shanghainese cuisine, which means lots of sweet and soy-sauced dishes. Now, here's my honest opinion of the restaurant.

There are only three good dishes on the menu, four if I'm feeling generous and not-so-picky. I'll run through all of them right now.















Our first candidate is the obvious one. Our little dragon bags. Xiaolongbao. They may not make them pretty as one can tell from the picture, but these are pretty darn authentic. I already wrote an entry on how to eat them properly, and these don't disappoint when it comes to juice-sucking. $5 will buy you a steamer of 10. A good deal for some good dragon bags.















Lucky number 2 is the Shanghai rice cakes, or chao niangao. This is super soy-sauced, chewy, hearty, and the tiny slivers of meat and vegetables are perfect for balancing the soy-saucey goodness of the rice cakes. The texture is the best part. Wait, no. The taste is the best part. Wait, no. Okay, they're both good. This is also a must order when you come here.















And our last finalist is the green onion pancake, lovingly known to many as congyoubing. It's got green onion. It's flaky and crispy. I think I've said enough. Go eat it.

There you go. The three good items on the menu. Everything else is standard Chinese food. The shengjianbao, or pan-fried dumplings, can be pretty good too, but sometimes I think they're just a bigger version of our little dragon baos.

So if you're somewhere in the Outer Richmond, braving the fog and the cold on one of Mark Twain's favoritest of summer days, come inside and let the juicy pork warm you up. It's gooood.

Shanghai Dumpling King
3319 Balboa Street
(between 34th Ave & 35th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121 (415) 387-2088

After you have a bite to eat here, stroll down Balboa Street and visit the grocery shops, go to the bank, or catch a movie at one of the few independent art-house theaters left in the city: the Balboa Theater. The Outer Richmond is a pretty boring place, but it's still a very San Franciscan neighborhood. There's the local public school where my little sister attends, with all the ghetto fabulous Chinese kids; there's the small eateries spanning from 35th Avenue downwards which the high schoolers frequent during lunch time; there's the fog, of course; there's Muzzy's Attic for your quirky and eclectic furniture needs.

So, yes. Eat your dumplings. Take a walk. Embrace the fog. Watch a movie.

Maybe this popcorn from the Balboa Theater will be enough to entice you.















Till next time,

Peace, love, and little dragon bags!