Adam has an interesting posting today on Serious Eats. I don't have time to share my thoughts in full now, but I'll chime in more later...
Also, Bruni writes more about his essay last week...
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Best Brunch in SF: Roast Chicken Hash at Universal Cafe
Quickly, I want to mention that I finally made it back to Universal Cafe for brunch on Saturday. Universal has long been my favorite brunch spot in the city, but I haven't been there for brunch in at least six months. There's no good reason why. I've just been busy, and I have not been going to brunch as much as I used to. It's a beautiful restaurant, especially during the day when light streams in through both the south facing windows at the front of the cafe and the skylights in the ceiling. The decor is simple--white walls, marble tables, concrete floors, and a high ceiling. I love the brightness and the openness of the space. They also usually place a stunning, oversized flower arrangement on the bar.
The food is fantastic. It's a popular brunch spot, and you can expect to wait a good while if you arrive after noon on Sundays. Saturdays are less crowded, and so it was the first place I thought of taking a good friend who was visiting from out of town last Saturday. True to form, the menu looked good. I ordered a scone--freshly baked with apricots--to start. For my main meal, I was drawn to the roast chicken hash, which was served with poached eggs on top,along with creme fraiche and salsa verde. The potatoes were crisp, but not too hard or heavy. The chicken was moist and tender, and the combination of the potatoes, chicken, eggs, creme fraiche and salsa was delicious. It was both hearty and refreshing. It was a classic Universal Cafe dish. I hope they'll serve it again some time soon (the menu changes each weekend), though I may have to make it myself the next time I roast a chicken.
If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out Universal Cafe.
The food is fantastic. It's a popular brunch spot, and you can expect to wait a good while if you arrive after noon on Sundays. Saturdays are less crowded, and so it was the first place I thought of taking a good friend who was visiting from out of town last Saturday. True to form, the menu looked good. I ordered a scone--freshly baked with apricots--to start. For my main meal, I was drawn to the roast chicken hash, which was served with poached eggs on top,along with creme fraiche and salsa verde. The potatoes were crisp, but not too hard or heavy. The chicken was moist and tender, and the combination of the potatoes, chicken, eggs, creme fraiche and salsa was delicious. It was both hearty and refreshing. It was a classic Universal Cafe dish. I hope they'll serve it again some time soon (the menu changes each weekend), though I may have to make it myself the next time I roast a chicken.
If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out Universal Cafe.
Friday, January 26, 2007
An Impromptu Meal At Chez Spencer
For some reason, I seem to be on a tear about dining out. I'm not complaining. I've eaten well over the last two weeks, and all of these experiences have given me plenty of posting material for Foodphiles. Thursday night, we ate at Chez Spencer, which just happens to be right around the corner from our house. For those of you don't know about Chez Spencer, it's a charming little French restaurant at 14th Streets and Folsom in San Francisco. It's literally around the corner from Rainbow Grocery. The restaurant is set back behind a high wall, and the front porch is covered and heated for dining and the interior of the main restaurant is open, but dimly lit, with a high vaulted ceiling. Chez Spencer is one of the few restaurants I know of in San Francisco that has a wood-burning oven (Zuni is the other). Though you can only barely smell the fire inside, outside, however--particularly just as you walk into the covered porch--the smell of smoke lures you indoors.
We walked over to see if they just happened to have an open table for two. We had walked by a few times recently--for those of you who read my earlier posting, you'll recognize this as the most aggressive form of shuffling the cards to get into good restaurants--but had struck out each time. This night we were in luck, and they seated us at a two top on the porch, the only table left in the restuarant. One of the things that stood out as soon as we walked in was the lively piano music coming from the upright piano wedged between the door and the bar. A pianist, Alex Kallao, was playing jazz and old standards, with a few Broadway hits thrown in for fun. Chez Spencer was alive.
Chef Laurent Katgely serves two menus, a five course tasting or a la carte. We ordered a la carte. For starters, Lou ordered Champagne Oysters Gratinée with spinach mousse. The oysters were surrounded by spinach mouse and topped with egg and champagne. While good, we were both somewhat disappointed that we couldn't taste the oysters. I ordered Roasted Cauliflower Soup with toasted sun flower seeds and curry oil. The soup was delicious, though it could have been hotter. It was smooth and delicate, and the blend of the cauliflower, the seeds and the oil were fantastic. We shared a glass of Kurt Angerer Gruner Vetliner with our first course.
For his main course, Lou ordered Roasted Lamb Rack Braised Artichoke “Barigoule" with Fromage Blanc. The lamb was good, and the artichokes, in particular were cooked perfectly. They were neither crispy nor hard, but firm and soft in the middle. The fromage blanc was also a welcome compliment to the grassy flavor of the lamb. I ordered a Wood Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Morels á la Crème and Truffle Butter and topped with micro greens. Amazing. The steak, the morels, the butter made a creamy, yet earthy, combination. It was a stunning dish. I savored each bite, carefully assembling a piece of steak, with a few morels, some micro greens and some butter and juice. For wine, Lou ordered the Lazy River Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, and I ordered a Roussillon, which our excellent server, Dagin, suggested because he thought the terroir would compliment the morels well. He was right. While the wine on its own was overpowering in its terroir--no fruit, all dry dirt--it was perfect with the rich and creamy steak dish.
For dessert, we ordered the Hazelnut Parfait, with Espresso Caramel and Piedmont Hazelnuts and the Auslese riesling. The dessert was also incredible. The parfait, was firm and covered with the caramel and hazelnuts. After dessert, Dagin offered us a digestivo, which helped cleanse the palate and wrap up the night.
All in all, the food, the setting, the music led us to pledge to spend the last Thursday of each month at Chez Spencer.
We walked over to see if they just happened to have an open table for two. We had walked by a few times recently--for those of you who read my earlier posting, you'll recognize this as the most aggressive form of shuffling the cards to get into good restaurants--but had struck out each time. This night we were in luck, and they seated us at a two top on the porch, the only table left in the restuarant. One of the things that stood out as soon as we walked in was the lively piano music coming from the upright piano wedged between the door and the bar. A pianist, Alex Kallao, was playing jazz and old standards, with a few Broadway hits thrown in for fun. Chez Spencer was alive.
Chef Laurent Katgely serves two menus, a five course tasting or a la carte. We ordered a la carte. For starters, Lou ordered Champagne Oysters Gratinée with spinach mousse. The oysters were surrounded by spinach mouse and topped with egg and champagne. While good, we were both somewhat disappointed that we couldn't taste the oysters. I ordered Roasted Cauliflower Soup with toasted sun flower seeds and curry oil. The soup was delicious, though it could have been hotter. It was smooth and delicate, and the blend of the cauliflower, the seeds and the oil were fantastic. We shared a glass of Kurt Angerer Gruner Vetliner with our first course.
For his main course, Lou ordered Roasted Lamb Rack Braised Artichoke “Barigoule" with Fromage Blanc. The lamb was good, and the artichokes, in particular were cooked perfectly. They were neither crispy nor hard, but firm and soft in the middle. The fromage blanc was also a welcome compliment to the grassy flavor of the lamb. I ordered a Wood Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Morels á la Crème and Truffle Butter and topped with micro greens. Amazing. The steak, the morels, the butter made a creamy, yet earthy, combination. It was a stunning dish. I savored each bite, carefully assembling a piece of steak, with a few morels, some micro greens and some butter and juice. For wine, Lou ordered the Lazy River Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, and I ordered a Roussillon, which our excellent server, Dagin, suggested because he thought the terroir would compliment the morels well. He was right. While the wine on its own was overpowering in its terroir--no fruit, all dry dirt--it was perfect with the rich and creamy steak dish.
For dessert, we ordered the Hazelnut Parfait, with Espresso Caramel and Piedmont Hazelnuts and the Auslese riesling. The dessert was also incredible. The parfait, was firm and covered with the caramel and hazelnuts. After dessert, Dagin offered us a digestivo, which helped cleanse the palate and wrap up the night.
All in all, the food, the setting, the music led us to pledge to spend the last Thursday of each month at Chez Spencer.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Thoughts on the Chef Almighty
Today in the New York Times food section, Frank Bruni threw down the gauntlet to tyrannical chefs. He argues that the "balance of power" in many "upscale" restaurants, mostly in New York, has shifted in favor of chefs and away from diners, and he sites as evidence the increase in the number of tasting menus, the attitude of hosts and reservationists, time limits on meals, higher prices and the pushing of chef-authored cookbooks on diners. All in all, being the Times restaurant critic and being focused almost exclusively on New York restaurants, I'm sure he's right. My own experience of top New York restaurants is somewhat limited; I've only been to Per Se, Babbo and Daniel, and I would say that my own experiences at those few restaurants were not all together bad.
Actually, my dining experience at Per Se was thoroughly delightful. I never felt pressure to leave--I stayed with my date (Lou) for nearly four hours--and I felt like the servers and the kitchen bent over backwards to cater to our needs. We knew, of course, that we were submitting ourselves to the chef's tasting menu, but we willingly did so expecting to be treated to outstanding food and wanting to try the all-encompassing tasting and pairing experience. As it turned out we had plenty of choice. The menu offered three different tastings--one was the nine course vegetarian tasting menu, one was the chef's nine course tasting menu and the final one was the five course tasting menu, all priced at $175. Rather than feeling constrained by the limited choices or lack of control, I chose the five course tasting menu in part because I was able to choose from a selection of three or four dishes for each course. I also supplemented (paid more for) one of the dishes from the chef's tasting menu as an additional course in my meal. And, yes, we chose the full wine pairing as well. It was the most wonderful meal I've ever eaten in a restaurant. Each course was artfully presented, and the tastes were exciting and pleasurable. I also thought the setting was beautiful (we were there when The Gates were up in New York, and it was lovely looking out over Central Park at a sea of orange and white snow). I have a distinct memory of the smell of the fire burning in the fireplace in center of the bank of windows overlooking Columbus Circle and the park with the skyline in the distance. Both the service and the atmosphere were warm and friendly. It was a stunning evening.
I can't say as much about Babbo or Daniel. Actually, the meal we shared at Babbo with two friends--at the spur of the moment--was quite good. Bruni is right that Babbo is a loud restaurant, but the food was good. I was not keeping meticulous tasting notes on every meal I ate at restaurants then, so I don't remember exactly what we ordered, but I remember being pleased with the food and with the overall experience (I think one dish we ordered was the beef carpaccio). I do know that because we had not made a reservation we ended up at a table in the bar, which was fairly small, but we never felt crowded or rushed, which is a testament to kind treatment by the staff. The other thing that stands out from that night is that Bono was in the restaurant.
Daniel, on the other hand, was not particularly impressive. I can't remember anything I ordered, though I have a vague memory of an interesting dessert (Boulud is known for his desserts, after all), but the restaurant itself was cavernous and gaudy. The whole place had a stuffy feel about it. I much prefer more intimate settings. On that same trip, we also ate at August, and I think the overall dining experience was better there than at Daniel, though I may have been swayed by the fact that the wood-burning oven warmed up the restaurant and made for a nice respite from the cold October rain that was falling outside (note the recurring theme of fires). I also remember the onion tart, which I think is still on the menu. Delicious! Or, perhaps I've grown fond of the pan-Mediterranean cuisine that makes up their menu as a consequence of all my eating at many of the best of the Bay Area's top restaurants--Chez Panisse, Oliveto and Zuni, among others--all of which focus on Mediterranean-inspired cuisine.
In San Francisco, my experience with the restaurants that might meet Bruni's criteria for tyrannical chefs is limited. Of the top restaurants, I've only been to Chez Panisse, Zuni, Oliveto, Quince, Nopa, Bouchon, Delfina, Slanted Door, and Farallon. So, I haven't tried, The French Laundry (though I'm going in March), Cyrus, Michael Minna, Gary Danko, Fluer de Lys, Boulevard. Bruni's comments about how difficult it can be to make a reservation at any of these restaurants resonated with me most of all. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to book a table at some of the restaurants I've just listed only to hear the busy signal or to be told either that there are no tables left or that I can only have a table 9:45 or later. I've come to regard reserving tables at these restaurants as purely a matter of luck--like shuffling a deck of cards--and my conclusion is that the only way to book a table is to call regularly, or at least periodically. So, every once in a while I dutifully call to find out that, once again, I'm out of luck.
I seem to have better luck making reservations for restaurants in other cities. I'm going to LA in February, and I was easily able to reserve tables at Hatfield's and AOC, and for a trip to Chicago in March, I was able to hold tables at Alinea and the Custom House. All of them are well reviewed and much talked about restaurants with what Bruni would probably regard as powerful chefs. Alinea is the only one with a tasting menu.
For me, as a tasting menu novice and despite my annoyance with the difficulty of booking tables, I don't mind the idea of subjecting myself to the will of a chef. I think the overall dining experience is worth it. Based on my experience at Per Se, I'm game for another meal designed by Thomas Keller (the idea of a chef designing the meal says it all, right Frank?), and, I'm looking forward to dinner at Alinea as well. I'll have to weigh in again after both of those meals.
UPDATE: Frank Bruni has posted some additional thoughts on his blog, expanding on his overall point, which he restates, "that restaurants too often seem to put their own self-regard ahead of our satisfaction and our say."
Actually, my dining experience at Per Se was thoroughly delightful. I never felt pressure to leave--I stayed with my date (Lou) for nearly four hours--and I felt like the servers and the kitchen bent over backwards to cater to our needs. We knew, of course, that we were submitting ourselves to the chef's tasting menu, but we willingly did so expecting to be treated to outstanding food and wanting to try the all-encompassing tasting and pairing experience. As it turned out we had plenty of choice. The menu offered three different tastings--one was the nine course vegetarian tasting menu, one was the chef's nine course tasting menu and the final one was the five course tasting menu, all priced at $175. Rather than feeling constrained by the limited choices or lack of control, I chose the five course tasting menu in part because I was able to choose from a selection of three or four dishes for each course. I also supplemented (paid more for) one of the dishes from the chef's tasting menu as an additional course in my meal. And, yes, we chose the full wine pairing as well. It was the most wonderful meal I've ever eaten in a restaurant. Each course was artfully presented, and the tastes were exciting and pleasurable. I also thought the setting was beautiful (we were there when The Gates were up in New York, and it was lovely looking out over Central Park at a sea of orange and white snow). I have a distinct memory of the smell of the fire burning in the fireplace in center of the bank of windows overlooking Columbus Circle and the park with the skyline in the distance. Both the service and the atmosphere were warm and friendly. It was a stunning evening.
I can't say as much about Babbo or Daniel. Actually, the meal we shared at Babbo with two friends--at the spur of the moment--was quite good. Bruni is right that Babbo is a loud restaurant, but the food was good. I was not keeping meticulous tasting notes on every meal I ate at restaurants then, so I don't remember exactly what we ordered, but I remember being pleased with the food and with the overall experience (I think one dish we ordered was the beef carpaccio). I do know that because we had not made a reservation we ended up at a table in the bar, which was fairly small, but we never felt crowded or rushed, which is a testament to kind treatment by the staff. The other thing that stands out from that night is that Bono was in the restaurant.
Daniel, on the other hand, was not particularly impressive. I can't remember anything I ordered, though I have a vague memory of an interesting dessert (Boulud is known for his desserts, after all), but the restaurant itself was cavernous and gaudy. The whole place had a stuffy feel about it. I much prefer more intimate settings. On that same trip, we also ate at August, and I think the overall dining experience was better there than at Daniel, though I may have been swayed by the fact that the wood-burning oven warmed up the restaurant and made for a nice respite from the cold October rain that was falling outside (note the recurring theme of fires). I also remember the onion tart, which I think is still on the menu. Delicious! Or, perhaps I've grown fond of the pan-Mediterranean cuisine that makes up their menu as a consequence of all my eating at many of the best of the Bay Area's top restaurants--Chez Panisse, Oliveto and Zuni, among others--all of which focus on Mediterranean-inspired cuisine.
In San Francisco, my experience with the restaurants that might meet Bruni's criteria for tyrannical chefs is limited. Of the top restaurants, I've only been to Chez Panisse, Zuni, Oliveto, Quince, Nopa, Bouchon, Delfina, Slanted Door, and Farallon. So, I haven't tried, The French Laundry (though I'm going in March), Cyrus, Michael Minna, Gary Danko, Fluer de Lys, Boulevard. Bruni's comments about how difficult it can be to make a reservation at any of these restaurants resonated with me most of all. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to book a table at some of the restaurants I've just listed only to hear the busy signal or to be told either that there are no tables left or that I can only have a table 9:45 or later. I've come to regard reserving tables at these restaurants as purely a matter of luck--like shuffling a deck of cards--and my conclusion is that the only way to book a table is to call regularly, or at least periodically. So, every once in a while I dutifully call to find out that, once again, I'm out of luck.
I seem to have better luck making reservations for restaurants in other cities. I'm going to LA in February, and I was easily able to reserve tables at Hatfield's and AOC, and for a trip to Chicago in March, I was able to hold tables at Alinea and the Custom House. All of them are well reviewed and much talked about restaurants with what Bruni would probably regard as powerful chefs. Alinea is the only one with a tasting menu.
For me, as a tasting menu novice and despite my annoyance with the difficulty of booking tables, I don't mind the idea of subjecting myself to the will of a chef. I think the overall dining experience is worth it. Based on my experience at Per Se, I'm game for another meal designed by Thomas Keller (the idea of a chef designing the meal says it all, right Frank?), and, I'm looking forward to dinner at Alinea as well. I'll have to weigh in again after both of those meals.
UPDATE: Frank Bruni has posted some additional thoughts on his blog, expanding on his overall point, which he restates, "that restaurants too often seem to put their own self-regard ahead of our satisfaction and our say."
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Some easy things to do with chicken and chicken stock
What to do with chicken stock? Let me tell you...
A about a week ago we hosted a small dinner party and roasted a chicken using a rub given to us for Christmas. I won't go into the details of the roast chicken, but the rub was very spicy and full of intense flavors. As is usually the case, we made stock with the leftover carcass. The stock retained much of the spiciness of the chicken, and we ended up with several containers of stock in our refrigerator.
On Saturday, we made a spicy chicken soup. Our good friends recently had a baby boy and we wanted to prepare a meal that would nourish them and taste good.
So, here's my recipe for spicy homemade chicken soup:
6-8 cups of homemade spicy chicken stock (or any chicken stock)
2 carrots
1 celery stalk
2-3 small to medium shallots, coarsely chopped
4-6 chicken thighs, washed and dried, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 small cerano peppers, chopped
1 large bunch of Italian parsley, chopped
1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 cup pasta shells
pinches of freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
Lightly salt and pepper the chicken thighs
Add oil to a cast iron Dutch oven, medium heat. In a separate pot, heat the chicken broth over high heat, reduce when the broth comes to a boil and let simmer.
Add the shallots, carrots, peppers and celery to the Dutch oven, and saute for 5-10 minutes until shallots become translucent and carrots begin to brown. Stir from time to time, adding salt and pepper as necessary.
Slightly increase the heat to medium high and add the chicken. Mix the chicken with the vegetables and let brown for another 5-10 minutes, covered. Be sure to stir the chicken to make sure it cooks thoroughly.
Add the parsley and cilantro and mix both with the chicken and vegetables. Reduce heat to medium again, cover and let cook for another 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a separate pot.
Once the chicken is cooked, add the broth and poasta to the Dutch oven, and stir chicken and vegetables into the broth. Cover and let simmer until ready to serve.
Our soup was deliciously spicy and wonderfully rich from the stock and from the accumulated flavors on the cast iron skillet. The soup also looked very green because of all the parsley and cilantro we put into the soup.
One comment about the chicken thighs: I've become a big fan of using thighs instead of chicken breasts. The main reason is that the flavor of the thighs is much better then breasts and thighs retain their moistness much better than breasts. Thighs are also more tender, and I think it's easier to judge when they're fully cooked.
Here's a salad we made to go along with the soup:
The next night, we had two remaining chicken thighs and we decided to saute them and cook them in some leftover marinara sauce.
We made this up as we went along, but basically we sauteed the chicken very much like we did the night before by sauteing some pressed garlic with two small bay leaves in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, along with some halved pearl onions. Once the garlic and onions were heated up, we added the salted and lightly peppered chicken thighs and sauteed them until browned on both sides. Once browned, we added about a cup and a half of the marinara sauce, along with two whole tomatoes (they were leftover as well and we wanted to use them) and roasted the chicken in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.
The tomatoes were soft and the chicken was thoroughly infused with the marinara sauce. And, best of all, the pearl onions were soft, moist and translucent. I made some risotto in our rice cooker (I know it's cheating, but with lots of chicken stock, some wine, salt, pepper and some golden raisins, it actually turned out pretty much like traditional risotto...I was shocked). It was a great meal.
A about a week ago we hosted a small dinner party and roasted a chicken using a rub given to us for Christmas. I won't go into the details of the roast chicken, but the rub was very spicy and full of intense flavors. As is usually the case, we made stock with the leftover carcass. The stock retained much of the spiciness of the chicken, and we ended up with several containers of stock in our refrigerator.
On Saturday, we made a spicy chicken soup. Our good friends recently had a baby boy and we wanted to prepare a meal that would nourish them and taste good.
So, here's my recipe for spicy homemade chicken soup:
6-8 cups of homemade spicy chicken stock (or any chicken stock)
2 carrots
1 celery stalk
2-3 small to medium shallots, coarsely chopped
4-6 chicken thighs, washed and dried, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 small cerano peppers, chopped
1 large bunch of Italian parsley, chopped
1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 cup pasta shells
pinches of freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
Lightly salt and pepper the chicken thighs
Add oil to a cast iron Dutch oven, medium heat. In a separate pot, heat the chicken broth over high heat, reduce when the broth comes to a boil and let simmer.
Add the shallots, carrots, peppers and celery to the Dutch oven, and saute for 5-10 minutes until shallots become translucent and carrots begin to brown. Stir from time to time, adding salt and pepper as necessary.
Slightly increase the heat to medium high and add the chicken. Mix the chicken with the vegetables and let brown for another 5-10 minutes, covered. Be sure to stir the chicken to make sure it cooks thoroughly.
Add the parsley and cilantro and mix both with the chicken and vegetables. Reduce heat to medium again, cover and let cook for another 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a separate pot.
Once the chicken is cooked, add the broth and poasta to the Dutch oven, and stir chicken and vegetables into the broth. Cover and let simmer until ready to serve.
Our soup was deliciously spicy and wonderfully rich from the stock and from the accumulated flavors on the cast iron skillet. The soup also looked very green because of all the parsley and cilantro we put into the soup.
One comment about the chicken thighs: I've become a big fan of using thighs instead of chicken breasts. The main reason is that the flavor of the thighs is much better then breasts and thighs retain their moistness much better than breasts. Thighs are also more tender, and I think it's easier to judge when they're fully cooked.
Here's a salad we made to go along with the soup:
The next night, we had two remaining chicken thighs and we decided to saute them and cook them in some leftover marinara sauce.
We made this up as we went along, but basically we sauteed the chicken very much like we did the night before by sauteing some pressed garlic with two small bay leaves in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, along with some halved pearl onions. Once the garlic and onions were heated up, we added the salted and lightly peppered chicken thighs and sauteed them until browned on both sides. Once browned, we added about a cup and a half of the marinara sauce, along with two whole tomatoes (they were leftover as well and we wanted to use them) and roasted the chicken in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.
The tomatoes were soft and the chicken was thoroughly infused with the marinara sauce. And, best of all, the pearl onions were soft, moist and translucent. I made some risotto in our rice cooker (I know it's cheating, but with lots of chicken stock, some wine, salt, pepper and some golden raisins, it actually turned out pretty much like traditional risotto...I was shocked). It was a great meal.
Minako
Lou and I finally made a trip to Minako, a Japanese Organic Sushi Restaurant on Mission Street, on Saturday night.
We were treated to a fantastic meal served by the co-owner, Judy. Judy and her mom run Minako, with Judy's mom heading up the kitchen and Judy running the front of the house. Judy said that by maintaining separate spheres they're able to keep the peace. From the customer's point of view, I would agree. They served up a marvelous meal.
It was a wonderful meal for many reasons. First of all, the food was outstanding. To start off, we ordered a bowl of lotus root dumpling soup. I had never tried lotus root before, and I was intrigued by the description of the dish on the menu. The root was soft, wrapped in dough, and it tasted mildly of flower-scented wood. It was floating in a light soy sauce broth, and the combination of flavors--mostly salt and woodiness--were soft and surprisingly well-balanced. I ordered a beer, and Lou ordered a small bottle of unfiltered sake.
We then tasted a spicy tuna special starter--kind of a tuna tartar--which was delicately placed atop a small rice cracker and mixed with a creamy sauce, scallions and plenty of tobiko. Delicious! For the main course, we ordered the Red Spider--a soft shell crab roll with avocado, wrapped with tuna---a Cole Roll--salmon and avocado--and another roll (I can't remember its name...Daikon perhaps..)--made of tuna, salmon, avocado and more tobiko. Though I love soft shell crab rolls, the last roll was particularly good. It was large--much larger than bite size--and a lively combination of flavors. The tobiko made the dish, however, as the pops of the roe brought the roll alive.
While the decor at Minako is simple, the atmosphere was lively and fun. Judy was playing upbeat 70s and 80s dance and disco music, and at various times we looked around to see several other diners table dancing to the music. Judy herself was a charming host, engaging us in conversation, checking in on us and talking to us about the food. I told her about this blog, and I promised to write up her restaurant when she said that they're small and they don't do any advertising (I was surprised Minako wasn't even listed in Zagats, since so many people have told me about it).
All in all, the sushi was fantastic and the dining experience was delightful, and given that Minako is close to our home, I suspect we'll become regular customers. The many people who have recommended Minako to me have warned me about the long wait, but if you have to wait (we sat down immediately) I can assure you that it's worth it. Go try for yourself.
Minako
2154 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
415/864-1888
We were treated to a fantastic meal served by the co-owner, Judy. Judy and her mom run Minako, with Judy's mom heading up the kitchen and Judy running the front of the house. Judy said that by maintaining separate spheres they're able to keep the peace. From the customer's point of view, I would agree. They served up a marvelous meal.
It was a wonderful meal for many reasons. First of all, the food was outstanding. To start off, we ordered a bowl of lotus root dumpling soup. I had never tried lotus root before, and I was intrigued by the description of the dish on the menu. The root was soft, wrapped in dough, and it tasted mildly of flower-scented wood. It was floating in a light soy sauce broth, and the combination of flavors--mostly salt and woodiness--were soft and surprisingly well-balanced. I ordered a beer, and Lou ordered a small bottle of unfiltered sake.
We then tasted a spicy tuna special starter--kind of a tuna tartar--which was delicately placed atop a small rice cracker and mixed with a creamy sauce, scallions and plenty of tobiko. Delicious! For the main course, we ordered the Red Spider--a soft shell crab roll with avocado, wrapped with tuna---a Cole Roll--salmon and avocado--and another roll (I can't remember its name...Daikon perhaps..)--made of tuna, salmon, avocado and more tobiko. Though I love soft shell crab rolls, the last roll was particularly good. It was large--much larger than bite size--and a lively combination of flavors. The tobiko made the dish, however, as the pops of the roe brought the roll alive.
While the decor at Minako is simple, the atmosphere was lively and fun. Judy was playing upbeat 70s and 80s dance and disco music, and at various times we looked around to see several other diners table dancing to the music. Judy herself was a charming host, engaging us in conversation, checking in on us and talking to us about the food. I told her about this blog, and I promised to write up her restaurant when she said that they're small and they don't do any advertising (I was surprised Minako wasn't even listed in Zagats, since so many people have told me about it).
All in all, the sushi was fantastic and the dining experience was delightful, and given that Minako is close to our home, I suspect we'll become regular customers. The many people who have recommended Minako to me have warned me about the long wait, but if you have to wait (we sat down immediately) I can assure you that it's worth it. Go try for yourself.
Minako
2154 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
415/864-1888
Monday, January 15, 2007
Bouchon
I added another notch on my top restaurant list last night. Lou and I had dinner at Bouchon, Thomas Keller's French bistro down the street from The French Laundry and also with a location in Las Vegas. I unexpectedly made a reservation early last week, and we decided to spend part of the long weekend in the Napa Valley wine country. Having only been up to Napa twice in the almost six years of living in San Francisco, I was intrigued to spend the weekend exploring. And, I could think of no better place to anchor a trip than one of Keller's restaurants.
The bright red exterior sets the stage for the classic bistro decor inside. High ceilings, gilded tile floors, tall mirrors welcome diners at small, closely arranged tables. The noise level was high and the crowd was more bawdy than reserved. For me Bouchon contrasted sharply from the spaciousness and the gracefulness of dining at Per Se, where the tables stand far apart from each other and the overall tone is more reserved and reverential.
The food, however, is nothing but graceless. Unlike Per Se, the expansive menu is designed for al la carte ordering, and there is no tasting menu. Each dish was presented on a lovely white plate emblazoned with the word, "Bouchon," and the food was arranged beautifully on the plates.
We started our meal with a dozen oysters, three different kinds, the names of which I don't remember. The most plump of the oysters, the darkest of the three kinds, tasted somewhat strongly of salt and made the best pairing with the yeasty Champagne we ordered to accompany the shellfish. The second batch of oysters were smaller in size and more beige in color, tasted of lettuce. The last oysters, were the most surprising in that both Lou and I though they tasted like radishes. They were small, grayish beige in color and extremely salty. The intense saltiness for some reason seemed to bring out the distinct flavor of a radish. Those oysters blended the least well with our champagne.
The most surprising dish of the evening, were "Beignets de Brandade de Morue," salt cod, lightly fried and serve with tomato confit and fried sage. We were served three beignets, shaped like small Anjou pears, each one resting on a bedding of tomato confit and topped with pieces of fried sage to look like small leaves. They were stunningly beautiful. I expected them to be dense and heavy, tasting strongly of salt cod, but instead, they were light, soft and fluffy, with a subtle flavor of the cod. I irreverently remarked to Lou that they reminded me of pear-shaped, salt cod hush puppies, but in reality they were magnificent and delightful. The flavor of the tomato and sage brightened the fluffiness and the saltiness of the beignets, and made the dish one of the standouts of the night. This dish most closely reminded me that Bouchon is a creation of Thomas Keller, as this kind of dish could have easily earn a place on the menu at Per Se.
For salads, I ordered a caramelized fennel salad with citrus, frisee and a nicoise olive vinaigrette. I was intrigued by the caramelized fennel because I usually find fennel an overpowering and sometimes distasteful flavor. The balance of this salad, as I had hoped, was perfect. The sweet, earthly nuttiness of the fennel was softened by caramelizing the root in butter, and the pieces of white and ruby grapefruit and some tangerine added a zip to the fennel and gave it a pleasing lightness and balance. Lou ordered a salad of braised hearts of romaine, served with proscuitto, cream dressing and a soft fried quail's egg. Though heavier than my salad, the flavors of the cream, prosciutto and the romaine blended together well.
For my main course, I ordered pan roasted sea scallops with glazed chestnuts, parsnip puree and apple cider beurre blanc. I've long been a fan of scallops, but I rarely see them on menus any more. I've grilled them a few times recently, but this was among the best presentations of scallops I can remember. In addition to the scallops, chestnuts and the parsnip puree, a few sautéed apples were tossed among the other ingredients. The apple cider buerre blanc was light enough not to overpower the scallops, and yet strong enough to give the whole dish a warm, subtle flavoring of apples and butter. The parsnip puree helped keep the taste of cider in check. The scallops were firm, but not at all chewy or tough, and though soft, the relative firmness of the chestnuts served as a pleasant counter-balance to the softness of all the other ingredients. Lou ordered a special cod dish, served with black cabbage and a carrot mixture. He paired his fish with a pinot noir from Napa Valley.
We opted for a cheese course before dessert, made up of Brillat Savarin, a cow's milk cheese, Charollais, a goat's milk cheese, and Cypress Grove Mad Rover Roll, another goat's milk cheese. Served with honeycomb and bread, we tasted a half glass of a Cuilleron, which enhanced the flavors of the cheeses well.
For dessert, I was drawn to the only special dessert for the night--a coconut pot de crème. It was amazing. Served with two shortbread cookies in a little white tureen, the yellow custard was light and thoroughly infused with the taste of coconut. We paired it with a late harvest Dolce from the Napa Valley, and dessert ended up being an unexpected treat at the end of a wonderful meal.
All in all, Bouchon was a wonderful experience. We outlasted three tables around us, and we spent less than a third of what we spent on a meal at Per Se. Even with four full glasses of wine and two half glasses of dessert wine, oysters, salads, two main courses, cheese and dessert, we ate well for only a few hundred dollars and much less than our evening at Per Se.
The bright red exterior sets the stage for the classic bistro decor inside. High ceilings, gilded tile floors, tall mirrors welcome diners at small, closely arranged tables. The noise level was high and the crowd was more bawdy than reserved. For me Bouchon contrasted sharply from the spaciousness and the gracefulness of dining at Per Se, where the tables stand far apart from each other and the overall tone is more reserved and reverential.
The food, however, is nothing but graceless. Unlike Per Se, the expansive menu is designed for al la carte ordering, and there is no tasting menu. Each dish was presented on a lovely white plate emblazoned with the word, "Bouchon," and the food was arranged beautifully on the plates.
We started our meal with a dozen oysters, three different kinds, the names of which I don't remember. The most plump of the oysters, the darkest of the three kinds, tasted somewhat strongly of salt and made the best pairing with the yeasty Champagne we ordered to accompany the shellfish. The second batch of oysters were smaller in size and more beige in color, tasted of lettuce. The last oysters, were the most surprising in that both Lou and I though they tasted like radishes. They were small, grayish beige in color and extremely salty. The intense saltiness for some reason seemed to bring out the distinct flavor of a radish. Those oysters blended the least well with our champagne.
The most surprising dish of the evening, were "Beignets de Brandade de Morue," salt cod, lightly fried and serve with tomato confit and fried sage. We were served three beignets, shaped like small Anjou pears, each one resting on a bedding of tomato confit and topped with pieces of fried sage to look like small leaves. They were stunningly beautiful. I expected them to be dense and heavy, tasting strongly of salt cod, but instead, they were light, soft and fluffy, with a subtle flavor of the cod. I irreverently remarked to Lou that they reminded me of pear-shaped, salt cod hush puppies, but in reality they were magnificent and delightful. The flavor of the tomato and sage brightened the fluffiness and the saltiness of the beignets, and made the dish one of the standouts of the night. This dish most closely reminded me that Bouchon is a creation of Thomas Keller, as this kind of dish could have easily earn a place on the menu at Per Se.
For salads, I ordered a caramelized fennel salad with citrus, frisee and a nicoise olive vinaigrette. I was intrigued by the caramelized fennel because I usually find fennel an overpowering and sometimes distasteful flavor. The balance of this salad, as I had hoped, was perfect. The sweet, earthly nuttiness of the fennel was softened by caramelizing the root in butter, and the pieces of white and ruby grapefruit and some tangerine added a zip to the fennel and gave it a pleasing lightness and balance. Lou ordered a salad of braised hearts of romaine, served with proscuitto, cream dressing and a soft fried quail's egg. Though heavier than my salad, the flavors of the cream, prosciutto and the romaine blended together well.
For my main course, I ordered pan roasted sea scallops with glazed chestnuts, parsnip puree and apple cider beurre blanc. I've long been a fan of scallops, but I rarely see them on menus any more. I've grilled them a few times recently, but this was among the best presentations of scallops I can remember. In addition to the scallops, chestnuts and the parsnip puree, a few sautéed apples were tossed among the other ingredients. The apple cider buerre blanc was light enough not to overpower the scallops, and yet strong enough to give the whole dish a warm, subtle flavoring of apples and butter. The parsnip puree helped keep the taste of cider in check. The scallops were firm, but not at all chewy or tough, and though soft, the relative firmness of the chestnuts served as a pleasant counter-balance to the softness of all the other ingredients. Lou ordered a special cod dish, served with black cabbage and a carrot mixture. He paired his fish with a pinot noir from Napa Valley.
We opted for a cheese course before dessert, made up of Brillat Savarin, a cow's milk cheese, Charollais, a goat's milk cheese, and Cypress Grove Mad Rover Roll, another goat's milk cheese. Served with honeycomb and bread, we tasted a half glass of a Cuilleron, which enhanced the flavors of the cheeses well.
For dessert, I was drawn to the only special dessert for the night--a coconut pot de crème. It was amazing. Served with two shortbread cookies in a little white tureen, the yellow custard was light and thoroughly infused with the taste of coconut. We paired it with a late harvest Dolce from the Napa Valley, and dessert ended up being an unexpected treat at the end of a wonderful meal.
All in all, Bouchon was a wonderful experience. We outlasted three tables around us, and we spent less than a third of what we spent on a meal at Per Se. Even with four full glasses of wine and two half glasses of dessert wine, oysters, salads, two main courses, cheese and dessert, we ate well for only a few hundred dollars and much less than our evening at Per Se.
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