Category: Restaurant Reviews

Posted on January 22, 2009April 18, 2010

Bourbon & Branch is not a restaurant per se, but it deserves a review anyway. Tucked in a corner of the Tenderloin in San Francisco, it’s not exactly the first neighborhood you’d think of when in the mood for a swanky cocktail. But keeping a low public profile is all part of Bourbon & Branch’s ruse, so much so that there isn’t a sign for it outside their door, and their website doesn’t even have an address listed. To visit, you must either make a reservation well in advance to take advantage of their full bar, or if you’re pressed for time, you can visit their “library,” provided you have the password to enter.

All of this sounds a little pretentious, I know, but the mystery is part of the fun. Plus, their drinks are really, really good. I shared a few cocktails with a group of friends one Friday night.

Photography isn’t allowed but I discreetly snapped a photo of my Pomegranate-Ginger, made up of gin and freshly-squeezed pomegranate, lime and ginger juices. It was sweeter than I expected, but not overwhelmingly so.

I wanted something less sugary for my next drink, so I ordered The Elderflower, which uses an elderflower liqueur, sparkling wine, bitters and lemon peel. It was slightly tart, fresh tasting, and hands-down my favorite drink of the evening.

If you want to pretend you’re in a 1920s speakeasy for an evening and try some wonderfully unique drinks, then Bourbon & Branch is your place. There may hoops to jump through just to get in, but the relaxed atmosphere and delicious libations make it well worth the effort.

Posted on January 7, 2009January 7, 2009

If I had to choose my overall favorite Vietnamese retaurant, Saigon City would be it, hands down. (My favorite in San Francisco is PPQ; they make a fantastic bowl of beef pho). Located in San Mateo along a unassuming street near downtown, Saigon City is always packed regardless of when I visit.

I eat at Saigon City pretty often, so rather than review every dish I’ve ever had there, I’ll tell you about my favorites.

I usually don’t order an appetizer, since their entree portions are large enough on their own, but I love their lemongrass chicken spring rolls. They’re more interesting than standard fresh spring rolls, and the chicken lends a subtle smoky note to each bite.

I almost always order the grilled beef with imperial rolls and rice noodles as my main dish. The beef is charred just right and the mound of shredded carrot and radish pickles on top balance out the heavier flavors. If cold noodles aren’t your thing though, I highly recommend their Saigon-style seafood soup with egg noodles or a Vietnamese grilled beef sandwich (banh mi).

To drink, I usually order coconut juice or my favorite – salty plum soda. Be forewarned: it’s an acquired taste, as none of my dining companions ever seem to like it. But if you like sour or salty flavors (like doogh), you’ll probably love this.

The service is curt but the prices are cheap and most importantly, the food is good. It’s the latter that has made Saigon City one of my favorite standbys to eat at.

Posted on January 6, 2009

Goat Hill Pizza reminds me of college. I used to go to their Potrero Hill location in San Francisco frequently during grad school, when I lived in the city and the restaurant’s Monday night all-you-can-eat pizza special was a welcome break from working on my thesis.

Nowadays, I visit only once or twice a year, and the lines for a freshly-baked slice or ten are still just as long. Diners can expect to wait upwards of an hour to be seated, but once you’re at a table, the fun begins.

The method is simple: Goat Hill Pizza’s waiters come around every few minutes or so with a different kind of pizza. If it looks good, you raise your plate and they give you a slice. Continue until you’re stuffed. It’s fun for the novelty factor, but the pizzas are hit or miss. The ones that are heavy on the garlic are my favorite, but all too often a waiter will come around with a ham and pineapple combo three times in a row, or what seems like an endless supply of only pizzas with bell peppers. Or worse yet, you’ll spot your favorite combination but by the time the waiter gets to your table, they’re all out.

All things considered, it’s a good place to catch up with friends and the atmosphere is lively and fun. It may not be my favorite pizza, but I think I’ll continue to visit every year or so, for old time’s sake.

Posted on December 29, 2008April 25, 2010

Whoever thought up the idea of tapas must have been a genius, because I can’t think of much else better than to sit around and munch on small plates, be they antipasti, meze or tapas.

Bar Cesar has only been around for a couple of years, and in that short time it’s become a popular place to grab brunch or dinner. The vibe is warm, the service is friendly and if you have enough beers, you might be able to convince yourself you’re really in Barcelona instead of the Bay Area. I like to visit the Piedmont location, but there is one in Berkeley too.

The first time I visited Bar Ceasar, my dining partner and I each chose two dishes to share.

I chose the fuet, a dry-cured garlic sausage that tastes like salami, only better. I can’t recall the name of the pickled peppers that it’s served with, but if someone knows, tell me so I can locate a bottle or three for my own cooking.

I also picked the mushrooms al ajillo, which wasn’t as garlicy as I was expecting, but good nonetheless.

We also chose the white bean and garlic soup. Internet, this is one of the most glorious soups I have ever tasted. And I don’t even like soup all that much. I can’t wait to try and replicate this at home.

The salt cod and potato cazuela was our least favorite of the dishes. It was good, but with all the strong, garlicy flavors in our other choices, the cazuela didn’t taste nearly as flavorful.

We split a Cesar sundae for dessert: chocolate cinnamon ice cream, chocolate sauce, almonds and churros. The ice cream was super creamy and the churros were freshly-baked and still warm.

I like my coffee strong, and Bar Cesar’s cafe Americano was among the richest I’ve had.

Bar Cesar remains one of my favorite restaurants and part of the fun in going back is that their menu is always changing. Which reminds me, I’m due for another visit soon.

Posted on December 24, 2008April 25, 2010

I love Korean food. I mean, I really love it. I could probably eat banchan every day and never get sick of it. I crave bulgogi at least once a week and the same goes for bibim naengmyon.

So it was with great excitement that I tried out Sahn Maru in Oakland a few months ago with a group. I usually go to Jong Ga House or Koryo but had heard good things about Sahn Maru too. Unable to decide on what to eat, I went for their “special dinner A” menu item consisting of bulgogi, darkgui, jap chae, na mul and soft tofu jigae, served alongside little plates of banchan.

The jigae and banchan hit the spot but the rest of the dishes were a little too bland and too sweet, even. The jap chae especially seemed heavy on the sugar. My dissapointment was made up by Sahn Maru’s service though, which is incredibly friendly and warm. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that the portions are generous too.

I’ll probably be back at Sahn Maru soon to try their other dishes. After all, it’s Korean food, and you can never have too much of that.