Category: San Francisco

I admit, I am a fried food junkie.  And even if you’re not, you will be once you try the Potato Croquettes at Delica rf-1 at the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco.  If you’re there, you HAVE to make a stop at this Japanese Delicatessen.

These guys know how to do fried food right.  And some of their other snacks, meals, and salads aren’t too shabby either!

My pal and I decided to treat ourselves to a tasty Japanese snack and got the legendary Potato Croquette and a Tofu Steak with Thick Miso Sauce to share.

Perfectly crisp on the outside and wonderfully flavorful on the inside, I’ve heard from others that these potato croquettes are better than even some you can get in Japan!  The panko breadcrumbs are made fresh daily from ACME pain de mie bread, and it makes all the difference.  The ultra light crisp breading on these things is absolute heaven.  And some croquettes are just a wad of bland potato.  Not this one.  It’s like having flavorful garlic and onion mashed potatoes.  It’s simply the best potato croquette you’ll ever have.

The tofu steak was definitely something to write home about, too!  The medium firm tofu steak was perfectly smooth and tender.  And the sauce was sweet, savory, and full of great texture from the green onion, bamboo shoots, shallots, and pine nuts.  I never knew anything vegan could ever taste so good!

There is so much care and attention that goes into all the dishes they make at Delica, and it shows in spades.  One visit and you’ll be hooked.

Delica rf-1 – San Francisco Ferry Building – 415.834.0344

I’ve been wanting to visit this place for a while because of it’s intriguing premise.  Medicine Eatstation in the Crocker Galleria in San Francisco, serves a type of cuisine called “shojin” style Japanese food, but with a modern twist.  Shojin is the ancient food of Buddhist temples where they believe food is medicine.  Sort of takes all the fun out of eating, but I’ll give it a shot.

The restaurant is heaven for vegans, but they recently added some protein “add-ons” to the menu.  The decor is thoroughly modern Japanese with its stark white walls and its zen-like space.  The light wood rectangular tables exemplify the clean lines of the place.

Service is friendly and helpful.  They seem happy enough to answer any questions.  The food is Japanese, but the ingredients, presentation and innovative preparation are what make it different.  They also offer refrigerated ready to go bento box options, as well.

All their ingredients are organic, locally grown, sustainable, and healthful.  Their preparations truly highlight the freshness and flavor of quality vegetables.  I had the Wild Mushroom Ramen with a side of Sweet-soy Marinated Whitefish for protein.  The mushrooms, carrots and peas were bright with flavor and their preparation highlighted their pure natural sweetness and farm-fresh texture.  The noodles were perfectly chewy but firm, and the broth had a classic smoky soy flavor.  But as with a lot of Japanese food, it was a bit too salty.

The fish was delicately mild and tenderly fried.  The tempura-esque batter was so light that it broke apart with the first bite.  It was so light and mild that it bordered on bland.  But it was its texture that made the dish.  Only the accompanying sweet soy-like dipping sauce gave it the extra punch of flavor it so needed.

The worst thing about this place is that it isn’t cheap and the portions are far from hearty.  But the dishes are pretty to look at with their artfully stark and simple presentation.

It’s definitely worth a try just for the experience.  But $16 for a small bowl of pretty ramen and four tiny pieces of delicately fried fish isn’t my idea of a practical, affordable lunch.

Medicine New-Shojin Eatstation – 161 Sutter St. – S.F. – 415.677.4405

We were running late for our reservation at Range on Valencia St. in San Francisco.  I was enjoying myself a bit too much at the Jeremy’s Anniversary Sale buying a Theory jacket for just 40 bucks.  But I digress…

I called the restaurant to let them know we were running late, so I did my part.  I expected to get some attitude when I got there, especially since they’d recently been named one of the Top 100 Restaurants by the SF Chronicle, yet again.  But they were nothing but accomodating, and even told me there was no need to apologize.  Right then and there they’d already exceeded my expectations.

We started with a golden beet salad that was the special appetizer of the evening.  It was served with watercress, creamy dollops of mild goat cheese, and drizzled with a light hazelnut oil.  There was plenty of salt in the dish, but fortunately salty is right up my alley so I enjoyed it.  The sweetness of the beets was balanced by the creamy tang of the cheese.  A subtle, sunny dish and a great start.

I ordered the halibut with leeks, mushrooms, and a mustard butter sauce as my entree.  The dish was subtle, beautifully presented, and perfectly cooked.  One more minute of cooking and the fish would have been overcooked and tough.  The sweetness of the leeks came through and gently stood up to the buttery, slightly mustardy sauce.  All this was perfect for a firm yet light piece of halibut.  And the mushrooms gave just a touch of meatiness to the dish, though I would have loved just a few more.  It was a masterfully prepared dish.

My pal, Sara, ordered their classic roasted chicken dish with sausage and croutons.  The dish was rich, moist, and delicious.  And the green olives added a bit of zestiness to what was a delightfully meaty, homey dish.

I was slightly disappointed with my Apple Rhubarb Crisp.  The nutty topping was pretty good, but the fruit bordered on sour.  I know that’s what the ice cream is for, but the crisp should have been able to stand on its own.  It didn’t.  I expected more out of their pastry chef after all the raves I’ve heard from others.

Nothing we had was over the top.  Everything from the service to the decor to the food was subtle, accomodating, and well balanced.  Everything was a careful, masterful play of tangy and sweet, bright yet subtle.  The dishes may seem understated, almost ordinary on paper.  But it’s clear the restaurant has an attention to detail and the aim to please.

Range – 842 Valencia St. – San Francisco – 415.282.8283

Flickr photo by tspauld

My friends know how I complain that you can’t find a REAL Jewish-style corned beef, pastrami, or Reuben sandwich in the Bay Area (like the ones you find in NYC).  It’s so damn frustrating, especially if you’ve got a real hankering for one.  But while trying to find some interesting food to eat between films at the Asian American Film Fest. in S.F. recently, my husband and I walked into Tommy’s Joint on Van Ness Ave.

First off, it was like stepping back in time.  It looked like nobody had touched the interior of the place since it opened, which was exactly 60 years ago this year.  I’ve heard many times about the great meats they serve and the fabulous sandwiches.  They’re a real S.F. institution and it shows.

Secondly, it’s cafeteria style food on one side, total dive bar on the other, so you don’t know where to go first.  It’s more of a hofbrau than anything.  My husband and I only had time to try a classic Corned Beef Sandwich and a side of pickled beets.  (He loves beets.)  It was extremely tasty!  It came with a side of au jus and hot and mild mustards at the table.  I really liked it!  Now don’t get me wrong, it’s no NYC sandwich, but it’ll suffice.  The meat was tender, moist, and flavorful, and not at all tough.  And it came on a soft sourdough roll, which made it distinctly San Franciscan.  The sides all looked tasty (I wanted the baked beans, but he loves his beets) and the pickled beets were mighty good.  They had enough vinegar to cut through the sweetness of the beets, but not so much that you were left puckering your lips.  And the red onions and parsley that they were obviously pickled with gave nice dimention to the dish.  Nicely flavored.

All in all, we can’t wait to go back.  There were so many other tasty things on the menu like Beef Burgundy Stew and classic Spaghetti and Meatballs.  The best thing about this place is that the food is authentic, they serve good portions, and the prices are right!  I like Harry’s Hofbrau in the South Bay but have always thought they were slightly overpriced for the quality of food.  Not at Tommy’s Joint.  The food was excellent and a much better value for hofbrau style food.

I still long for the Reubens I get back in NYC.  But until then, I’ll settle for a corned beef or pastrami from Tommy’s Joint.  It’s certainly better than the Mel’s Diner across the street.

I went with pal J.Low to Limon.  Friends on more than one occasion, as well as numerous Chowhounds and other restaurant critics have given this place rave reviews.  So I thought it was finally time to pay a visit.We ordered the Empanadas to start.  The dough was fried to a perfect crispy texture and golden brown on the outside, yet moist and tender on the inside.  And the meat filling was flavorful and cooked perfectly.  Not dry at all.  However, our main complaint was with the accompanying sauce.  It added absolutely nothing.  No flavor, no zest, not even any spice or heat!  What the hell was the point?  A squeeze of lime would have been better!

Then we enjoyed the Lomo Saltado, which is what this place is known for (along with their elegantly presented Fried Red Snapper dish).  It’s beef sirloin and red onion pieces sauteed with a soy based sauce but with distinctive Latin spices.  Now I’ve been told that Peruvian cooking has many Asian influences for whatever reason, which is why the Latin spices combined with the soy based sauce for the beef should be of no surprise. 

The beef was cooked perfectly, but it was the french fries in the dish that were the highlight.  They were perfectly crisp on the outside and tender inside, despite being soaked in the sauce.  And the beef was cooked perfectly medium rare and tender.  My two biggest complaints about the dish are the rice and the gamey flavor of the meat.  The rice could have benefited from some additional flavor like coconut milk or a quick fry with some soy sauce.  And I can’t explain the gamey flavor of the beef.  It was a very obvious and unfortunate sidenote to what would’ve been a great dish.

All in all, the meal was alright, but it certainly didn’t live up to all the hype.  The service was very spotty and the staff seemed totally despondent.  The food was good, but lacked depth.  The dishes were all well intentioned, but they all missed a certain something to really make your tastebuds sing.  I wanted to like this place more, but I have a feeling I won’t be back.