Memorable restaurants of 2011

Might not be the best meals, but these are the ones I remember.

Aronia de Takazawa (Tokyo) - Jimmy and I thought this two Michelin star restaurant was more delicious than three star restaurants in the states. Highly, highly recommended if you make a trip to Japan. Then again, we only tried one three star restaurant in Japan, and there are a TON. I'll go next year with an updated report!!

Tender Greens (Pasadena) - You can taste that they use good ingredients, plus the white meat chicken is actually tender, not overcooked like in most places. Some might say it's expensive, but I think $12 is totally worth the quality that you get.

Ike's Sandwiches (San Francisco) - When my cousin Eurie said it used to be better, Jimmy, Jane, and I looked at each other wondering how in the world could it be any better? By far the best sandwich I've ever had.

Mozza to Go's prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich (Los Angeles) - Nancy Silverton's bread + good quality ingredients = awesome sandwich.

Kagaya (Los Angeles) - The regular meat is already the best shabu I've ever had. Not sure if they have supply issues with the meat imported from Japan, but the last premium meat I ordered was mediocre. Sad, because it used to be amazing. $45 + tip for a five course meal, totally worth it.

Harajuku Crepes (Los Angeles) - I think this place is FAR better than crepes in Harajuku. Good ingredients makes a huge difference.

French Laundry (Yountville) - I thought the food was better than Per Se, plus our waitress was awesome. Getting to shake hands with TK was just...the happiest moment in my life. The "Pommes Anna" was my favorite dessert ever.

McDonald's fries (La Canada) - Yes, I would rather drive out here to get fries than eat bad fries at the local McD's. Seems like the execution here is just better - their McRibs and fries are the best I've had anywhere!!

Santouka Ramen (everywhere but West LA) - With apologies to Jason C, this is still my favorite ramen in LA. Yes I know it's not as good as ramen in Japan, but it still totally satisfies my ramen cravings. But then there is...

Ippudo (Tokyo) - Jason C doesn't like this place either (can you tell he hurt my feelings?), but this is currently my favorite bowl anywhere. But yet I do know that there is better Yokohama-style ramen in ...uhh...Yokohama, so stay tuned till my next trip!

Yun Noodle (Arcadia) - They might have some bad days, but it's usually pretty tasty. I usually get the zha zhang mien here. The other stuff is pretty good too.

Zero zero (San Francisco) - Might not be the highest rated pizza in SF (I'm no pizza douche), but it's still my favorite. Love the margherita!

Laduree (Tokyo) - I thought it wasn't THAT much better than Paulette at the time (except for the caramel, which is HEAVENLY) but after having Paulette twice since I came back, changed my mind.

banh beo

Place: Cung An Dinh*

Location: Hue, Vietnam (31 Kiet 177 Phan Dinh Phung St)

Recommended by: Manda

Summary:

One of my favorites from Vietnam - banh beo. Essentially, it's fried pork rind on a rice cake, but it's oh so good. If I recall, this small restaurant only had a few items on their menu, but every patron in there had stacks of these small plates. It comes with a fish sauce, which you spoon onto the rice cake and then scoop the whole thing out. I actually found a restaurant in San Jose that serves it, but it isn't as good as the one from here.

*I'd recommend visiting this restaurant earlier in the day, before it gets dark. It's hidden in an alleyway, quite far from touristy areas, so it was hard to get a taxi.

Yakiniku

A guide to Japanese meats.

Shortbread cookies

 Source: thekitchenlink.com

Place: Tartine
Location: San Francisco
Website: http://www.tartinebakery.com/
Recommended by: Danae
Summary: I'm usually not such a fan of shortbread cookies, b/c frankly, I find them boring. I don't really have a problem with the flavor... but yes. It's just boring.

Enter Tartine's shortbread cookie. It's light (in texture, but probably not in calories), and unlike other shortbread cookies, it's on the thicker side. I like that it's a little crumbly, not quite crunchy. But the best part? The finely granulated sugar on top. Man, that stuff is good. It's just sugar... but somehow when it's ground that fine, it just makes it taste elegant and sophisticated.

Better yet, the recipe is super easy and doesn't use any exotic ingredients like Ad Hoc's vanilla paste. I made them yesterday, and the recipe is fantastic!

Worst foods I've ever had

After a chat with Eugene today, I started thinking about the worst foods I've ever had. I can only think of 4 things I've eaten that were absolutely disgusting. I'm not sure which was the worst, so these are in no particular order...

1. Bernie Botts Every Flavor Beans - vomit flavor

I originally got these from the snack bar while Harry Potter was in the movie theaters. At the time, I didn't know they were for real - I thought they were the standard Jelly Belly flavors (whose flavors I had memorized on sight, since my mom used to buy them a lot), but that they just relabeled them as gross flavors for fun. Wrong. unluckily for me, the first one i had was Vomit, which I ate thinking it was going to be strawberry cheesecake. And yes, it tasted like vomit. I spit it out.

So I did what any sensible person would do and brought the rest of the box to work, where me and my coworkers sat around a trash can and tried every flavor. :) booger was disgusting. mud, earwax, sardine, and grass were all gross, but not nearly as bad. Lucky for me, i think i must've had an early edition, because now there are many more flavors... the most disgusting of which is Toe Nail. BARF.

2. Natto

This is another case of eating something thinking that it was something else. For the record, natto is fermented soy beans. I was at a breakfast buffet at a hotel in Japan, which had a mix of eastern and western breakfast foods. I'd never seen, nor heard of natto before, so I thought it was some sort of oatmeal or cereal. And you know, when you eat oatmeal, you take a big spoon and dig in. Wrong. Barf. it tasted like barf. much like the vomit jellybean.

3. Durian

I'd always been aware of durian, and always steered clear. My first taste of durian flavor was at a friends' house - somebody had brought durian flavored marshmallows. I'd always been curious about durian, and i figured in marshmallow form, it couldn't be that bad. Wrong. It tasted like someone farted in my mouth. seriously.

Fast forward to 2009, in Bali, Indonesia. My friend really wanted to try fresh durian, and wanted us all to try it too. So we stopped on the side of the road and bought one from a fruit vendor. I have to say - the flavor wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting. However, the smell definitely was. And the fact that the smell lingers on your lips FOREVER... oh man. I think I ate 5 altoids, and even rubbed them on my lips, and the smell still didn't go away. nasty.

4. Scallop guts

When I was working in NYC for a few weeks, I used to frequent Sushi Yasuda. Since I was by myself, I'd sit at the sushi bar. I asked the sushi chef for some recommendations. He noticed that much of what I was ordering was on the creamier side, like uni. So he recommended scallop guts. It sounded pretty disgusting, but since he thought I would like it because I liked uni, I gave it a try. So now, think about eating the intestinal tract of any animal - that firmness mixed with the sliminess, and imagine how remnants of the animal's waste might still exist in that mushy, chewy, gushiness.... yeah. i couldn't get over that thought when eating it. maybe it was more mental, but i just couldn't eat it (also, it was hard to chew and didn't really break down in my mouth). i tried to just swallow it in one big gulp of water, but it was just too big. it is the only time i have spit out sushi... and they only had cloth napkins, so i had to spit it in my cloth napkin and hide it in my lap. i tried to hide it from the chef, but i think he noticed. i don't think he liked me much after that, he was much less friendly. i think that was the last time i went too.

Tony's Pizza Napoletana

Place: Tony's Pizza Napoletana
Location: San Francisco,CA
Website: tonyspizzanapoletana.com
Recommended by: danae

Summary:

After my first heavenly experience with Grimaldi's in Brooklyn, I became a pizza snob. I no longer could handle greasy cheeses, flavorless dry crusts, or sub-par quality ingredients. Nope, an awesome pizza became all about awesome cheese, perfectly crispy yet chewy crusts, and top of the line ingredients. i tried many a pizzeria in the bay area, but none compared to Grimaldi's until Tony's came along.

I first heard about Tony's when ooj sent me a link about a new pizzeria opening in San Francisco. I immediately recognized Tony's name, having watched the food network pizza challenge episode twice (I know, I'm kind of a loser like that). And it lived up to everything i hoped for - their margherita pizza is AMAZING. first of all, the crust is awesome. i think I've read that their pizza oven for this particular pizza (Tony's has 3 different pizza ovens on locations, all to create different types of pizzas) heats up to 900 degrees, and they cook the pizza for 90 seconds. 90 seconds!!!! They have mastered the perfect balance of a smoky charred crust without it being *too* crispy. It's napoletana style, which i understand typically has a somewhat soggy middle... which I don't totally mind so much, though I would prefer it to be a little less soggy. The cheese and basil are perfect and amazing, but what really sets this pizza apart is the sauce. I am usually not a tomato sauce fan - I usually find it too acidic and a lot of times it overwhelms the other flavors. However, the pizza sauce on Tony's pizzas is absolute perfection. No hint of the typical sourness, and it's in fact slightly sweet. The sauce here makes the pizza, which is a testament to just how good it is.

Big thumbs up for the margherita. The fig pizza is ok... I find it a little too sweet and just a little *too* unconventional for my tastes, but j enjoys it. However, stay away from the new haven style clam pizza. It's just not good.

Roasted chicken

Place: Pollo A La Brasa
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Website: http://www.yelp.com/biz/pollo-a-la-brasa-western-los-angeles
Recommended by: ooj
Summary: Expertly cooked so the breast meat is still tender, and the meat bursting with flavor, this is hands down the best chicken I've ever had. The aji sauce is spicy for gringos, but I recommend eating the chicken without it anyway. The chicken is that good.

-- edit --

Bouchon is better. :)

Cupcakes

Place: Sprinkles
Location: Beverly Hills, CA
Website: http://www.sprinkles.com/
Recommended by: ooj
Summary:

LA cupcake rankings (and recommendations):
1. Sprinkles (cinnamon sugar, red velvet)
2. Vanilla Bakeshop (vanilla)
3. Polkatots (strawberry shortcake, dulce de leche)
4. Dots (red velvet)
5. King's Hawaiian Bakery (red velvet)

Italian sandwiches

Place: Roma Italian Deli
Location: Pasadena, CA
Website: http://www.yelp.com/biz/roma-italian-deli-and-grocery-pasadena
Recommended by: ooj
Summary: The 4'6" man who makes one kind of sandwich. Yelp reviews say it's a sandwich you can only get in Italy. I say it's one of the yummiest sandwiches I've had. Different slices of meat, cheese, a drizzle of olive oil on the bread...and I believe everything is imported from Italy. Yelp warns to never tell him what you want on the sandwich. He might scare the living daylights out of you.

One more thing to pick up at Roma is the pizza, Pizza Romana (Annie saw these at Target too). It's not quite as good as Tony's, but it's a quick fix. Actually, I like it better than most LA pizzas.

Kona Coffee Ice Cream Float - Kope lani

Place: Kope Lani
Location: Kona, Big Island, HI
Website: http://www.kopelani.com/
Recommended by: danae
Summary: I LOVE coffee, but I'm kind of a wussy coffee drinker. I pretty much only drink coffee in the form of lattes and mochas, because I like sweet, sweet, creamy coffees. Dessert, basically. Also, caffeine is just bad for me, for several reasons, so I'm just not supposed to drink coffee. Even decaf sometimes does me in. So I try not to drink coffee often, but sometimes I just can't resist, since I love the flavor of really good coffee so much! When we were at the Big Island, I really wanted to try some Kona coffee, to see if it was worth the hype. And, well, it totally was. We went to like, 3 different locations looking for Kona coffee, and dude, apparently, people only drink coffee here in the mornings or something? It was about 3 pm, and everywhere we went was closed. Finally we found Kope Lani which was open all day... and better yet, they served a coffee ice cream float, which is 2 shots of kona espresso plus a scoop of whatever flavor of Big Island Ice Cream you want. I forget the actual name of the ice cream we chose, but it was kona coffee ice cream with cinnamon brittle. And O. M. G. It was SO GOOD. The ice cream basically fulfilled the cream and sugar requirement of the coffee, but also just really emphasized the glorious flavor of the kona coffee. And, since it was a warm day, it was nice to have the hot espresso countered with the cold ice cream. The only thing I would say negatively is that the ice cream melts too quickly (which, i guess is to be expected). Maybe if I ever go back here, I'd ask for an extra scoop of ice cream. Oh yeah, and it's kind of expensive... though, I don't think it's unreasonable. I think it was about $5, and if you think about it, a latte would be about $3 anyway, and a scoop of ice cream about $2. Anyway, it was so good that we ordered another one, that was exactly the same... and I totally ODed on caffeine and felt sick the rest of the day. But I think it was worth it.

Nasi Campur

Place: Warung Wardani

Location: Bali
Website:
Recommended by: manda
Summary: Although Indonesia is hot and humid, I love to eat spicy food there. And when I go to Bali, I always need to visit Warung Wardani for lunch. I'm not even sure what else they sell there, as I always order the nasi campur. It's a mix of everything - beef satay, fish satay, fried prawns, chicken, jackfruit, veggies, and of course some rice. They give a dollop of chili on the side, so you can keep it milder, but I like to just spread it all over and mix it all together. It is pretty spicy, that chili, so be warned! But the sweat and runny nose is worth it, to me. I'll be heading there in a few months, and my mouth can't wait! So definitely make a stop here if you're there. Beware, it may be busy!

N.Y. Italian sub sandwich, Thundercloud Subs

Place: Thundercloud Subs
Location: Austin, TX
Website: http://www.thundercloud.com/
Recommended by: danae
Summary: To be clear - I pretty much usually hate sandwiches. I find them dry, boring, and I hate how stuff falls out of them. And they usually get your hands dirty. However, on the flip side, some of my all-time favorite individual dishes have been sandwiches - and the N.Y. Italian sub sandwich at Thundercloud is one of those. Thundercloud subs are my all time favorite sub sandwich. Yes, better than Potbellys, in my opinion (but not by much... Potbellys is really yummy too!). For me, I think the key to the Thundercloud sub is the thunder sauce. I don't know what's in that thing... but it adds a kick of something that just makes the sandwich oh-so-tasty. The NY Italian is definitely my favorite - ever since having Blimpies in NY (another favorite), I've had a soft spot for sweet peppers.... mmmmmm! I do wish they had more bread choices, but I'm not complaining. This is one of the few sandwiches in my life that I have inhaled.

Tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen - akamaru

Place: Ippudo
Location: New York City, NYC
Website: http://www.ippudo.com/ny/
Recommended by: Eugene
Summary: Saying that Shigemi Kawahara (known as the "Ramen King") owns this place should be enough. That said I feel like this ramen falls short of its potential. The floury noodles were tasty but didn't seem like a good match for the broth. But the star, as always in really good ramen, is the broth. Tonkotsu broths almost never bad, but most are rather plain. Ippudo's broth has a subtle complexity to it. The chashu, although a minor point for me, was the best chashu I've ever had.

I'm not a big tonkotsu ramen fan, but this was totally worth the 3.5 hour journey.

Shio (salt) ramen

Place: Santouka Ramen
Location: San Jose / Costa Mesa
Website: http://www.mitsuwa.com/tenant/santouka/eindex.php
Recommended by: Eugene
Summary: It's been a while since I had Santouka, and honestly I've been slightly disappointed the past two visits, but it's still my favorite in the States (although not by much. More to come later). You get a broth with great depth, kansui noodles, and tender chashu.

Be warned that it is pretty salty. Ramen is supposed to be.

Brioche French Toast - Five Points

Place: Five Points
Location: New York City, NYC
Website: http://www.fivepointsrestaurant.com
Recommended by: danae
Summary: I'm not really a french toast person. I usually find it too soggy and/or eggy. However, the brioche french toast at Five Points was by far an exception. At the time I had it, they baked the french toast in a ceramic dish in a wood oven, so the tops and sides were crispy and crunchy - and that made ALL the difference! Top it off with the fact that they also serve churros and hot chocolate during brunch, this is one of my favorite brunch spots!

Cincinnati chili

Place: Gregory Lopez
Location: Pasadena, CA
Website: (none)
Recommended by: Eugene
Summary: Shirley's chili is really good (she got the recipe from a celebrity chef), but my absolute favorite is Greg's chili. It's Cincinnati style, which includes some unusual ingredients like cinnamon and chocolate. I absolutely LOVE this chili. It's an obsession.

The first time I had it was at the Christmas potluck, and I got the boss upset because I had five full bowls of it. It's the star of the Christmas potluck every year, and everyone else doesn't know what to bring because their food won't get eaten anyway. We joke that we should just contribute to Greg's chili fund.

Unfortunately, the only way for you guys to eat Greg's chili is for me to get leftovers after the Christmas potluck. I keep asking him for the recipe; with all his obligations at work, he keeps forgetting.

Sorry to post something that you guys can't have. I'm just craving it right now!

Pulled pork sandwich

Place: Perdue's BBQ
Location: Pasadena, CA
Website: http://www.perduesbbq.com/
Recommended by: Eugene
Summary: I was asked what makes a good pulled pork sandwich. There's not much that goes into it. There's the bread, cole slaw, pork, and bbq sauce. It's just how those four things go together. Perdue's pulled pork has just the right amount of tenderness, smothered with sweet bbq sauce (I thought it was a little heavy but Annie adds more) topped off with cole slaw that can totally stand on its own. Now this makes a really good sandwich even on the kaiser roll, but texas toast turns this into an amazing sandwich.

Perdue's is also known for its BBQ brisket. I thought it was pretty incredible too. The fattiness of the meat combined with the sweet BBQ sauce goes together like Bella and Edward...or Jacob.

Cachapas - Zaguan Bakery and Cafe

Place: Zaguan Bakery and Cafe
Location: Dallas, TX
Website: http://www.zaguanbakery.com/
Recommended by: danae
Summary: I'd never heard of cachapas, a Venezuelan dish, before my trip to Zaguan. However, I haven't been able to stop thinking about them since. They're almost like quesadillas... but instead of a flour tortilla, the shell of the cachapa is made out of something totally different. It tastes like semi-sweet cream corn, and has a soft, spongy texture, almost like a pancake. Yes, the cachapa is a texture food for me, but the other winner here is also the cheese. Soft, and not too salty, just the way I like cheese. I believe my favorite thing here was the Renia Pepia Cachapa (a corn pancake stuffed with chicken, avocado and cheese). I have a huge sweet tooth and was really excited about all the bakery goodies this place had to offer as well, but I have to say that nothing stood out, and it was all a little too sweet. Sad.

(Note: Photo is from Yelp)

Salmon nigiri - Sushi on the Run

Place: Sushi on the Run
Location: Los Gatos, CA
Website: http://sushi-on-the-run.com/
Recommended by: danae
Summary: Everything is good here, but the salmon nigiri is outstanding. The cuts of salmon are HUGE! I've probably gotten cuts that are about 5-6" long (though, the rice ball is a normal size, so you get a few bites of just pure fish) and about 1 cm thick. I know sushi purists will probably say that this isn't authentic, but screw authenticity - it's tasty, and the thickness I think really emphasizes the perfect, firm texture and flavor. The temperature of the salmon is also really nice here - I'm not a fan of fish that's too close to room temperature, and therefore feels a little mushy. Everything about this salmon nigiri is perfect, and at $5 for two ginormous pieces, I'd say it's a steal too.

(Note: Photo is from Yelp. And those pieces of salmon are smaller than the pieces I got the last time I was there!)

Japanese bbq beef - Jojoen

Place: Jojoen

Location: Tokyo, Japan (I've eaten at both the Shinjuku and Ueno Park locations, and I preferred Shinjuku since they had one waiter who spoke a little bit of English, versus Ueno Park, which had none. For English-speaking tourists, Shinjuku seems to be a little bit easier to get to and communicate with, but the quality and execution seemed the same at both locations.)
Website: http://www.jojoen.co.jp/index.html
Recommended by: danae
Summary: I've told many people that if I could pick anything in the world to be the last thing I eat before I die, Jojoen's Tokusen Rousu usugiri (with salt and sauce) would be it. This is Premium Japanese Black Angus short rib meat, that you cook on your personal table grill. It's similar to Korean bbq, except with Japanese barbeque 1) the meat is usually not marinated, and served with only salt, or a light sauce 2) the Japanese grills are different. It doesn't really seem to make the meat taste any different, but I've never come out smelling like meat after being in Jojoen, versus any other Korean bbq place I've been to. 3) The cuts of meat are just different. 4) And at least at Jojoen, the meat I had here was the best quality meat I've EVER had. Perfectly marbled with fat, so tender, and the meat just melts in your mouth. At Jojoen, they will ask you if you want the meat served with salt or sauce, and I believe my favorite was to get both. Sometimes they get confused by this order, and I've only managed it successfully once.

So far the best Yakiniku place I've had in the US is at Hiroshi Yakiniku in Honolulu, HI. There seem to be several Yakiniku places in Honolulu, and I didn't get to try any but Hiroshi, but Hiroshi was pretty darn good, and much cheaper (not to mention, closer) than Jojoen. My favorite dish here was the Toro Kalbi. Someone on Yelp described this dish as "meat flavored butter" (in a good way), and I would have to agree! I've also tried Manpuku in LA, and it just didn't come close.

The Jojoen menu










On the grill.