October 19, 2011 Off

Incanto (SF: Noe Valley)

//// By in 04: SF+Bay Area

During my stay at San Francisco, I found that there’re two very popular Italian restaurants in the same neighborhood that I was living in (Noe Valley). Both restaurants featured a dish I don’t see in LA: Sardinian Cured Tuna heart Spaghetti. I knew I have to try both before I came back to LA.

Incanto
Incanto
Incanto
Wine Tasting. The wine label tags are a great idea!

Incanto
Escarole, Pluot, Marigolds & Pepper Salad $7

Incanto
Handkerchief Pasta with Rustic Pork Ragu and Duck Egg $12  Perfectly cooked and very tasty.

Incanto
Spaghettini, Sardinian Cured Tuna Heart, Egg Yolk & Parsley $11 The cured tuna heart taste has a olive-y salty and umami flavor. The egg yolk added a nice creamy texture, I love it.

Incanto
Duck Leg, Cabbage, Giblets & Hazelnuts $26 Tender and flavorful, very good.

Incanto
Penna Cotta

Just like every restaurant in SF, there’re always lines even for the neighborhood joint. You have to make a rsvp for this place. Their dishes on the small menu are all very interesting and not your generic Italian flare, I wanted to try everything.

Incanto
1550 Church St (between 28th St & Duncan St)
San Francisco, CA 94131
Neighborhood: Noe Valley

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October 18, 2011 Off

Cha-ya Japanese Vegan (SF: Mission)

//// By in 04: SF+Bay Area

After dining out everyday when I was living at SF I was feeling the toll (getting rounder in the middle). I wanted something more light and healthy. I found this vegan Japanese place In the middle of the gentrifying Mission neighborhood.

Cha ya
Cha ya

Cha-Ya Delight $9.50: seasoned organic brown rice topped with carrots, kabocha, broccoli, cauliflower, lotus root, zucchini, snap peas, snow peas, hijiki, atsuage tofu, shiitake, broccolini, pickled burdock and daikon, and kaiware.

It is exactly what I wanted.

Cha-ya (415) 252-7825
762 Valencia StBtwn 18th & 19th St

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October 15, 2011 Off

Burma Superstar (SF: Inner Richmond)

//// By in 04: SF+Bay Area, Favorite Food Entries

This very popular, yet no reservation Burmese restaurant open at 5pm, and you’ll see the line forming outside everyday. I heard about how legendary the crowd is, my friends and I lined up outside before the door opens and got a table without any problem. LA doesn’t have much Burmese restaurants so this is a rare treat for me.

Burma superstarBurma superstar

Burmese Samusas
Burmese raviolis hand wrapped and filled with curry spices, potatoes, deep fried, and served with our house special sauce. The pastry is soft and fresh.

Burma superstar
Tea Leaf Salad
This is one of their most famous dishes. The tea leaf, named Lahpet (the dark green pasty stuff in the photo) is a Burmese delicacy. It is a type of fermented/pickled tea leaf that is rich and pungent tasting that’s unlike anything I’ve taste before. For lack of a better comparison, imagined the first time you tried a very pungent blue cheese. The result is an amazing explosion of taste and textures, and every bite is a wonder.

Burma superstar

Burma superstar

Coconut Rice 
Aromatic jasmine rice cooked with coconut milk and topped with fried onions Wow the rice is so creamy and rich in light, sweet coconut aroma and umami taste. This is my favorite out of all the really unforgettable dishes and I have to look up how to make it myself. How can I eat this again now that I’m back to LA…T__T

Burma superstarBurma superstar

Left: Burmese Style Curry made with tomatos.  Right: Vegetarian Samusa Soup

Burma superstar

Chili Lamb
Stir fried lamb with dried and fresh chili, onion and basil This is heavenly, the lamb is very tender and the onion gave a sweetness that balance well with the chili and spiciness.

Burma superstar

Pumpkin Pork Stew – Tender pork stew slow cooked with kabocha squash and ginger. Despite it sounded homely it’s one of the most loved and tastiest dish on the table that I couldn’t stop eating.

You can see influence from different neighboring cultures (Chinese, Indian, Thailand) and the result is an absolute taste explosion. Everything is very flavorful yet different and memorable. I wish I can come back here to try everything.

Burma Superstar (415) 387-2147
309 Clement St (between 4th Ave & 5th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118

 

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October 13, 2011 Off

Bun Mee (San Francisco: Pacific Height)

//// By in 04: SF+Bay Area

Even though I’m satisfied with Saigon Sandwich, I’m curious about how Bun Mee, a chic, design Banh mi place in the upscale Pacific Height neighborhood, a drastic different from where the former locates.

Bun meeBun mee
Bun mee

Cute interior.

Bun mer

Bun Mee Combo 6.75 Grilled lemongrass Kurobuta pork, paté de campagne, mortadella, garlic aioli, shaved onion, pickled carrot & daikon, cucumber, jalapenos, cilantro. This fully packed sandwich is good – good quality meat, not as flavorful as I expected but still good. Though it’s not necessarily more satisfying than Saigon Sandwich’s cheap offerings, I wonder if it’s the lack of Maggi sauce…. The bread is nothing special though.

Bun mee

Smokey Eggplant 6.25 Grilled eggplant, cauliflower relish, red curry aioli, shaved onion, pickled carrot & daikon, jalapenos, cilantro.

I came back and tried the Bun Noodle Bowl, it’s a bit bland as they don’t use fish sauce in the sauce.

While I do appreciated that I can enjoyed good Vietnamese sandwich in a safe and nice neighborhood where I can sit down, and not to get harassed by bums and crazy people on the street, but it’s double the price and the flavors are toned down (Americanized). You get some you lose some I guess

Bun Mee
2015 Fillmore St (between Pine St & California St) San Francisco, CA 94115

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October 12, 2011 Off

Saigon Sandwich (SF: Tenderloin)

//// By in 04: SF+Bay Area

Saigon sandwich

Cheap (around $3), delicious and big Banh mi at a tiny deli called Saigon Sandwich at the rather sketchy neighborhood of Tenderloin (lots of bums and crazy people).

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