San Francisco Food

My three stars of San Francisco food, like how three stars are named after each hockey game. Keep in mind that there are many other restaurants in San Francisco that offer delicious food.

Pizzeria Delfina (Mission)

stringy cheesy pizza from Delfina

Delicious thin crust pizzas the way I had them in Italy. The cheese had the perfect gooey texture, the flavours were in great harmony. Thoroughly enjoyable fare! I also had the Brodo with asparagus, rice, egg, and parmagiano. It does look like the menu changes regularly (with the season, presumably), naturally the offerings will differ with each visit. Arrive early, or the line does get long! We got in at about 1730, just before the rush. It's worth the wait, but why wait if you can avoid it? Register on the chalkboard at the entrance to be seated!
 
Blue Bottle Café (Various, including SoMa)

Locally sourced goodness. I don't want to get into the local vs global debate, but I do think there are pros and cons to both sides. The pro for locally sourced food is that Blue Bottle Café serves amazingly delicious breakfast. I liked the steel cut oats and waffle a great deal, just look at the fine icing sugar that topped the waffle. Delactable. That said, I wasn't completely a fan of the cinnamon toast (I'm not used to really crisply toasted bread).


They offer a small selection of caffinated drinks, including two types of iced coffee. The coffee was fragrant, but just a touch strong for my taste. I'm not really a huge coffee drinker, but I do like sweet drinks. I ended up opting for hot cocoa; no better way to start the day! Bumhead liked the coffee, though

Muracci's Japanese Curry & Grill (Financial District)

sooooo crispy and moist.

I think Katsu Curry is an art. Your katsu has to be crispy without being overcoated with panko, your curry can't overpower the katsu. On top of that, you can't let your katsu sit too long lest it become soggy (this is all written by fish-ii who has no training whatsoever in cooking katsu). That's why this one definitely takes the prize. I'll let your tastebuds do the talking, because my words simply won't do it justice. They also offer different types of curry (vegetarian version available), and options for rice (brown and white). You can also choose the level of spiciness. I was blown away.

veggie curry with brown rice

The downside is that the store is ridiculously warm, so it wasn't the best setting to enjoy the food. One more thing to note is their short operating hours, perhaps due to its location in the Financial District. They only open until 6 on certain days, so if you're not going for lunch, you're in for an early dinner.

The San Francisco series will conclude with one last post on Marin Headlands and Sausalito. Stay tuned!

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fishii's Must Visits in San Francisco (Part 1 of ?)

 I loved a lot of San Francisco, and even though everything is getting a little blurred around the edges by now, a few things still stand out. This post will feature one big attraction for me...

Farmer's Market at Ferry Building

it's more than just Thursday, but should check the Ferry Building website before going

This Farmers Market feature local farms and their produce. It does seem like there's considerable variety in the produce (both organic and not) offered. Looked really fresh to me, the samples they offered were more than satisfying.

i miss those cherries.

As a visitor, though, it's difficult to keep these delicious goodies until you get home. But don't let that keep you from visiting the market! On top of that, there's a plethora of restaurants inside the Ferry Building. I would definitely recommend Boulette's Larder, bumhead brother and I both enjoyed the meal a lot. The interior was also beautiful; there's an open kitchen so we could watch all the action! Extremely fresh ingredients. Unfortunately they asked us not to take photos.

the action inside. another see those two coffee cups? blue bottle café, not to be missed.

Blue Bottle Café has a few locations in San Francisco. I quite liked their coffee (and it was an attempt to stay away from the ubiquitous Starbucks), and they sourced (almost?) all their food locally (more on that in another post). Out the Door is a casual version of Slanted Door, and it serves Asian cuisine. Their porridge / congee was featured on the San Francisco 7x7 Big Eats list. I thought it was OK, but felt that the cilantro was a little overpowering. Please note, however, that I am not a fan of cilantro! Do give it a try. Slanted Door also has at least one more location in San Francisco.

 bay bridge

The other side of the Ferry Building opens up to the Bay Bridge. It's worth the extra few steps through the building, I promise!

Afterwards, we just went to a few museums and walked around a little. Dinner will be featured separately! (though this already turned into half a food post)

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Let's Talk Food

Food is a large part of life, right? At least it's a large part of mine. I'm a self professed glutton (who can't eat much). So this post will be dedicated to some of the meals that I had in the first stretch of my San Francisco trip.

車仔麵 and I don't know what it's called in English

腸粉 rice flour rolls?

ABC Café in Chinatown. I think that's the name. Nothing spectacular, but a cheap meal that's definitely worth the small price. Came to less than $20 including tax and tips with a drink between the two of us.

Next up, the Pork Shop (in Haight-Ashbury). There seems to be a few around town, but we only tried this one. Cheap, hearty fare. Good breakfast foods, though admittedly more oily than what I generally eat.

Chipotle Sasuage? I can't remember anymore. Tasted like chili

Excuse the bad lighting. This one is the bird's nest

This meal stuffed me to the rim, and promptly messed up my eating schedule for the rest of the day. I wish I could've eaten more at other places... but it was a delicious meal. Also try their freshly squeezed OJ!

I leave you today with the delicious baked goods of Tartine Bakery!

Tartine Bakery would've been one of the star restaurants. But it kind of got demoted a little, just below my 3 star choices (do you see hockey influence here?). This cake, unlike the one in Portal, is not a lie. I am about to "get" the cake that GLaDOS promises in Portal...

I need to blog earlier. I'm not sure if this is called Dolce de Leche anymore... but definitely delicious and moist!

This lemon tart is just the right balance of sour and sweet. The cream isn't as light as the once that I tasted in Belgium, but I think that's partially attributable to cultural differences. The petal does add a tinge of fragrance into the cream. Not heavy, but I guess I do prefer slightly lighter creams.

Finally! Ti Couz Creperie to end the day. Since the first x-number of crepes I've ever had were Japanese crepes, French crepes are really foreign to me! It was good none the less, I don't know if it's something I would want often given the price. Maybe once in a while when a craving hits.

Ratatouille Crepe, whole wheat flour makes it look burnt, but it's not! Slightly crispy.

That marks the end of our day 0 and 1 menu. Took a week to write... I'll finish off all the food posts with one "stars list", just like NHL, where after every game there are 3 stars. BTW, saw lots of Sharks jerseys while in San Francisco. Sorry~ #nowayjose =D

By fishii with 1 comment

Tourist Trap SF

Who doesn't know about the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the Fisherman's Wharf? These three tourist attractions could have been the epitome of San Francisco tourism at one point in time. Is the buzz worth it then?

Pier 39 puts the capital T on trap...

I didn't expect Pier 39 or any of the Fisherman's Wharf to live up to expectations, to be honest. Research showed that most people regard it as at least a "touristy place". I was greeted  with an area lined with overpriced restaurants and souvenir shops. No matter, I came only to see the sea lions (and waste some time before my Alcratraz boat departed).

The sea lions smelt funny, though. And they sound sort of funny.

The boat ride to Alcatraz is quite short, but the line up to buy the tickets... We lined up at 1230 and the first available ferry was 1420 (the actual queue was only about 10 minutes long). Word of advice, buy it online! Board at Pier 33 (the Alcatraz landing). The ride is $26 round trip during the day, $33 at night.

San Francisco Coastline.

While you look forward to your adventure on Alcatraz, don't forget to look back at the gorgeous San Francisco coastline. It's definitely a sight to behold.

Don't forget Alcatraz either though.

Alcatraz from the ferry. The large sign reads something like don't smuggle prisoners out or risk imprisonment.

I quite enjoyed Alcatraz. It's beautiful and full of history. The audio guide had lots of information to offer. Basically once you get off the ferry, a park ranger gives a message, which basically gave you 3 options:
1. Follow Mr. Park Ranger who will bring you on a 30 minute tour (which really is just along the way to the audio guide pick up point, he'll tell you some background stories),
2. Watch a video in the theatre, that's a 15 minute Discovery Channel video (we eavesdropped on Mr. Park Ranger, and it sounded like it was the same information), or
3. Go straight to the audio guide.

Super crowded interior of Alcatraz.

Sometimes it was hard to move around, but all in all worth it to explore all the nooks and crannies. The rec yard opened up to yet another amazing view of San Francisco coastline. There are numerous spots on the island that open up to the most gorgeous views of San Francisco, this is one tourist attraction that is worth the time (at least according to BumHead and me).

Anyway, still no Portal 2 reference. We'll see whether or not I'll manage it next time.

By fishii with 1 comment

What Sunshine Brings to SF

this layout lets me post larger photos.

Not wanting to lose any time, the first day became sort of action packed.

Only sort of, though, because both the BumHead and I had a sleep debt to cover.

The first day started off in Haight-Ashbury (according to WikiTravel, it's read "hate"). This area is known for its bohemian roots and attachment to its 60s movement. It's definitely different from anything I've seen before, but I might be able to use that word to describe a lot of San Francisco.

a lot of quirky, a lot of weird, a lot of charm.

Perhaps still overwhelmed by the novelty of a city I haven't revisited since I was 6, the recurring thoughts did not vary much from the words "cool", "weird", "strange", and "interesting". That made me sound so sophisticated.

the neighbourhood was very colourful indeed.

After lunch (I think a separate post will need to be dedicated to our food adventures), we got lost trying to commute to Twin Peaks. After 3 transfers and a side trip to UCSF, we made it to Twin Peaks. If anyone wants a map of how exactly to get there, feel free to ask.

The hills and steep roads in San Francisco disappear at this height, swallowed whole by the birds eye view. 

San Francisco from 120 feet above sea-level.

Photos never do these views justice, do they? The wind is extremely strong, so travellers beware! Bring a sweater, wind breaker, anything. The sun is deceiving! The tour buses arrive periodically to unload large numbers of visitors, but the peak that faces away from the city seems to be less populated in general (there are two mini hills). The best view of the Golden Gate Bridge should be from the parking lot, though. That's where the tour bus visitors congregate.

Bi-Rite the market.

After fighting the wind for balance, the BumHead and I took the bus into Castro. We fought on to Mission to locate food. At this point, we came across the Bi-Rite grocery store. This market is by far one of the most interesting grocery stores I have ever visited. They offer organic and fair trade products, everything had their own flare, and was extremely crowded! The staff were super friendly (they will stop and chat, crack jokes as they walk by, explain everything in detail despite how busy the store front is). What I would do to have a store like this at home (if you know of one please let me know).

there was a line outside. that's how busy it is.

And if you aren't convinced by Bi-Rite's popularity, look across the street at the Bi-Rite Creamery and you'll understand. They serve some of the most interesting ice cream flavours. That will be reserved for my food posts. In the meantime, observe.

Like the grocery store, the creamery had amazing staff.

Before we had dinner, we leisurely strolled through the Mission neighbourhood just to see what it has to offer. We chanced upon a large park filled with racing children, suntanning couples, residents of all types. For us, it was a new sight to behold. I blame it on the stunning weather that can't be resisted.

Bed time looms near, but the trip continues. The Portal 2 reference will be saved for next time. In the meantime, enjoy the sunshine these photos offer! (The usual applies, proofreading is minimal, photo editing is done after these are posted... I'll change these habits some time. Still working out some things with the new layout, bear with me)

By fishii with 1 comment

Staying in A/C is Not Ideal for Travelling

Shanghai was hot, scorching hot. 

just another intersection near our hotel.

The atmosphere wasn't something I'm used to, and I felt like the people were constantly invading your personal space. Even if they aren't physically stepping into it, I sometimes thought they were intruding my bubble with their voice. It's strange, I can't explain it. I'm not even claustrophobic. I think I'm too used to the quieter ambiance of Japan.

the heart of shopping in Shanghai at XuJiaHui (徐家匯)

I don't like the fact that I'm not starting positively. I was also tired from weeks of travelling, I think. Anyway, the French Concession is the heart of shopping in Shanghai. I wasn't really in the mood for shopping, but there are lots of stores. The large malls house all the international brand names you would find elsewhere. I found those malls... boring. I didn't see anything interesting.

Oh, and the mall famous for selling electronics: if you know anything about electronics, don't bother? I met with an overwhelming number of sales people trying to sell me stuff. Uhm... yea, I'm being negative again. =(

The heat also kept me from spending too much time outdoors. I wanted so much to walk down Fu Xing Road because, according to travelwiki, it's beautiful. Actually, I can't remember whether I was walking on Heng Shan Road or Fu Xing Road... argh, I'm posting earlier next time?

over exposed photo of St. Ignatius Cathedral (徐家匯天主教堂)

Closing off this pointless post with the photo of this church. I don't think it was open for visits when we were there. It's an extremely old church that was once claimed by the Chinese government. It has since been open again for public services. According to Wikipedia, it was built in the early 1900's by Jesuits. I know very little about the history of European travellers going into Shanghai, so I have little to share. What's interesting is that the shape of the church grounds is actually in the shape of a cross.

If you wish to enter the high and mighty gates of the cathedral, you may have to check visiting hours.

By fishii with 1 comment

The Hells of Japan

Though unfortunately, the hells of Japan may be further up in the North Eastern region at the moment. Yes, you just heard the sound of heartbreak.


Anyway, so I'm now travelling way back in time to mid August of 2010. For those who don't know, this was my 4th visit to Japan in 5 years, and no, I never seem to get tired of it because each Japanese city presents an entirely different charm to seduce you into returning. That, and delicious food. 


But I've already posted about food extensively here, so I'm not going to repeat myself... too much. 

Probably somewhere in Oita while the train speeds by

I swear, the Japanese countryside has some of the most mesmerising views. I love looking out the window while the fields and "toy houses" pass me by. Rooftops are often adorned by the same type of tiles, I guess that's why they give off that distinctively Japanese feeling. 

Sooooo big

Beppu is an expensive place to stay, and we were too late to try and book a minshuku  (民宿). My English is failing me again, stupid Japanese. We got this place at about $120 a night, which I guess was reasonable considering the gorgeous view and location.

The sea! THE SEA!!!

Look at all those yachts.

I love looking at the sea, I realised, and it always brought it such comfortable breezes at night. I don't have that many photos of this town, but it was littered with hot springs of all kinds. You have the common ones where it's a stone-lined pool of sorts, there was a sand bath where you get buried in sand (you get a special bath robe called yukata for that). Health benefits are probably debatable (the Japanese claim near miraculous things with them), but the sheer comfort isn't. There needs to be more hot springs here.

Just some residential area near one of the springs we visited.

The two of us decided not to visit the 7 Hells of Beppu (little brother insisted that no geysers are going to beat the ones at Yellowstone National Park). So nothing to show there. One day, though, we'll return to this beautiful southern island of Japan and I may insist on going just to try the Hell Eggs (they're supposed to be steamed to perfection).

Toyo tsune.

Remember how I mentioned that Toyo tsune is really busy ? You probably don't because it's been months since I posted about it I just wanted a photo to show for it. 

By fishii with 1 comment

Winter Wonderland: Whistler

Whistler does seem to have a longer "winter" than does home. If we got a foot of snow dumped on the ground the day before, we'd be stuck at home for a week. Luckily, that's not the case in Whistler.

I love the sun on snowy days

We arrived in Whistler at around 9AM for a full day of riding in the fresh powder. Super lucky, because a local said that day had the best conditions of the whole season. 7 of us getting stuck in powder because it was literally ankle (and sometimes knee) deep. One of our skiers lost his ski, and it literally took 5 people digging around in powder for about 10 minutes to locate it. He also did a little flip when he lost the ski, honestly didn't know if I should laugh or be scared for him, but he's just full of epic fail when he's on skis (should just stick to snowboard).

the amazing view keeps me busy while queuing.

near the top of the mountain! jaw-dropping-gorgeous.

The sun was hiding behind the clouds, and it even started snowing later in the day, but it was all worth it. I want to go snowboarding so bad.

snowy night-view from our room

Anyway, we stayed the night just so we could do another day of riding, unfortunately, my muscles aren't trained that way... so my twinnie and I went snowtubing for our first time! It was quite exhilarating. I took some videos while going down the run.

can you see the ditches?

Just in case you haven't noticed, I didn't use my Nikon. It would've been difficult to snowboard with it (plus... my skill level...)

three person ski? anyone care to explain?

While walking around town, we also saw a three-person-ski... thing. It was super weird, they couldn't move around and needed someone to push them. Eventually, they seem to have gotten the hang of it (one-two-one-two!).

We ended our trip when the gondolas and chairs closed for the day. Hockey commentators were shouting into their microphones on our ride back. Our trip was definitely complete.

I don't feel like I'm writing a travel blog, it just feels like a blog =.=;;

By fishii with 1 comment

Water Water All Around

and not a drop to drink! My journey to Venezia was an amusing one. I had no idea the trains would be so full that I can't get tickets for the time that I needed... So I bought a ticket for the 5PM train, but hopped on the 11AM one. I'm a rebel. Luckily I didn't get checked, the operator was only a few rows away when we arrived at the terminus station 2 hours away.

And what shall greet me upon my first step out of the station? A gigantic Geox billboard. I literally stopped in my tracks at that second. I couldn't stop paying attention to these billboards from the moment I saw the photo with the Hyundai billboard... Travel buddy!!! Alas, the blues of the canals were awe-inspiring under the warm winter sun. At that moment I felt like I understood why Venice is such a popular destination.

I'm lamenting the fact that I don't have a photo of the billboard.

It's the return of the panorama (near Piazzale Roma).

I didn't stay in Venice proper, rather, I stayed about an hour away by Vaporetto (Venetian water buses) on the island of Lido. On the ride to Lido, there is lots to see, many a beautiful scene to capture. With the sea breeze blowing, it quickly got chilly. So note to whoever goes in the winter, make sure you bring enough to wear! It was nothing compared to the blizzards that southern Netherlands was facing at that time, though.

Many of these bridges around town, that's what happens when your city is built on canals.

People don't drive cars, they drive... these things. What are they in English?

Something strange is happening here too.

Then I got to Lido, where I realised that Google Map was lying to me. I walked in the wrong direction for about 10 minutes, then stopped for directions to realise that... well, I was going in the wrong direction. Wasn't too difficult from there to get to the Bed and Breakfast, though. Was a small home, cute little place, really. Again, no photos. Where was my brain?

Along the coast of Lido

Trying to artsy fartsy, lol.

Main street of Lido, short and lined with shops and restaurants.

Top of a cute home on Lido under the warmth of the early winter sun.

I totally did not have enough time in Venice to see much, only had enough to take a leisurely stroll around Lido. Enjoyed Lido, though, it gives me a feeling of being a laid back suburb surrounded by water. Boats dot the canals that almost seem like a parking in front of each house. It's a strange and wonderful sight in its own right. The blues of the canals took away some of my homesickness though the company of my travel buddy was still thoroughly missed. Let's try to do it again!

Ok, the backlighting makes the boats difficult to see, but they're there!

Oh so blue~~~ the colours are absolutely gorgeous.

Colourful buildings such as these make me happy.

This marks the end of my Christmas Tour around Italia, and pretty much the end of my trip around Europe. I've definitely left yet another part of me behind in the beautiful architecture and scenery of Italy, and a whole lot more of me is left in wonderful Maastricht. Just waiting for the day when I get to revisit.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. I'll blog about Whistler briefly next, then go back and record parts of my summer that I've missed (Shanghai and the Expo). 

By fishii with 2 comments