Travel – Page 16 – Yogurtsoda

The Fig Cafe

August 12, 2013

I grew up in Sonoma County but it wasn’t until I moved away and settled in the central Bay Area that I came to appreciate how spectacular wine country really is. I still get excited showing a visitor wine country for the first time, so when Nishan and I made a day trip to Glen Ellen for some wine tasting, I was looking forward as if I’d never been either.

Wine tasting requires fuel — the stomach kind, so we stopped at the Fig Cafe before making our way to Benziger and Imagery wineries. Sister to Sonoma’s celebrated the Girl and the Fig, the Fig Cafe is more laid back but just as delicious.

For brunch, I had the tart du jour with a side of French fries and salad. I typically steer clear of tarts, but this was different. Baked with butternut squash, smoky cheese, and hearty bacon, this has got to be the best tart I’ve ever tasted. Oh man, was this good.

Nishan enjoyed a fontina, applewood smoked bacon, and poached egg pizza which I couldn’t seem to keep my hands off. What’s better than dipping a cheesy, crispy piece of crust into runny egg yolk? Nothing.

The Fig Cafe is a super short drive away from all the wineries along the Sonoma Highway, making it the perfect place to enjoy a bite before imbibing. It’s tucked away in sleepy Glen Ellen, so I hadn’t visited until this year. It turns out I had to move away and return to my roots in order to discover this gem.

Hong Kong Lounge

August 6, 2013

If there’s one thing San Francisco has no shortage of, it’s dim sum restaurants. (Also hipsters and insufferable coffee snobs, but that’s another story). I met up with friends one foggy morning to check out the Richmond District’s Hong Kong Lounge, and after a two-hour (!) wait, we were seated.

Do you like fried things? Do you like doughy things? Do you like savory-salty things? Then Hong Kong Lounge is the place for you. Our little plates of dim sum seemed never-ending as we sampled bites of shrimp dumplings and turnip cake and rice noodle rolls and sweet sesame balls. And that was just the beginning.

No vegetables here. No sir. I suppose we could have shared a plate of steamed greens but that would have taken up precious room from more dim sum. We spent the next hour in a gluten and seafood-induced eating stupor, dousing our bites with chili oil and soy sauce, enjoying every morsel.

Hong Kong Lounge is a solid dim sum restaurant, if you’re willing to endure the wait. Pack a jacket, endure the biting Richmond District fog, and soon you’ll be feasting on some of the best dim sum in town, too.

The Slanted Door

August 5, 2013

Who hasn’t reviewed the Slanted Door? Sure, it’s a tourist favorite and it’s been open for years, but Charles Phan is a solid chef with a solid cadre of restaurants, and the Slanted Door is where it all started.

Nishan (you may also know him as Mr. Canada) took me here for a birthday lunch a few months ago, and we started with the crispy imperial rolls. These may be ubiquitous on every Vietnamese menu but these by far the best I’ve ever had. Filled with taro, cabbage and glass noodles, they were refreshing and flavorful alongside lettuce leaves and a vinegary dipping sauce.

We also shared a plate of seared Angus steak alongside velvety king oyster mushrooms. A garlicy, syrupy sauce complimented the steak but the mushrooms were the real star here.

We finished with the caramelized catfish claypot; a promising dish, but my least favorite. The sauce was sweeter than I expected and well, not full of fish flavor as I’d hoped it would be. Still, the catfish was fall-off-the-bone succulent and satisfying.

Don’t miss the drinks at the Slanted Door either. Oh, and the view. Where else can you get such a stunning view of the Bay Bridge? Charles Phan may be expanding his restaurant empire beyond the Embarcadero, but the Slanted Door will always have a place in my heart. (And stomach.)

Hana Japanese Restaurant

July 8, 2013

Okay, so Rohnert Park isn’t exactly the first place I think of when I’m craving a top-quality Japanese meal. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, though, as an unassuming shopping center in this sleepy Sonoma County town is home to some of the freshest sushi and crispiest tempura north of the Golden Gate.

I grew up in Sonoma County, and the occasional visit to Hana is a treat. They offer so much more than sushi — not that you’d be able to deviate from their impressive nigiri and maki menu. During my last visit, I enjoyed their lunch bento: tuna sashimi, goma-ae (spinach with sesame sauce), tempura, a maki roll, pickles, rice, and a solid yet humble miso soup. The quality is outstanding and left me full but wanting more.

In an area with few and far between solid Japanese restaurants, Hana is a welcome sight. Maybe it’s a good thing Hana isn’t located in San Francisco or the East Bay — I’d probably be there every week.

Ryoko’s

July 1, 2013

Do you like Skrillex with your sushi? No? How about A Tribe Called Quest? Either way, I hope you like your nigiri with a heavy dose of bass, because Ryoko’s in San Francisco’s Union Square is part industrial strength speakers, part sushi restaurant.

Okay, I’m exaggerating. Still, the first time I visited Ryoko’s for dinner, I was not prepared for the house dj spinning his tunes at full blast, and right in the center of the crowded restaurant at that. This is good in my case if it’s Tribe, but not so much if it’s Skrillex.

Let’s talk about the food, though. On this visit, my dining companions and I started with a plate of agedashi tofu: slightly crispy on the outside, and oh-so-soft and molten on the inside. A healthy dusting of bonito flakes held us over while we waited for our sushi.

Our plate of toro nigiri was tasty and fresh and the slabs of tuna felt more like butter than meat. Our maki sushi was a treat, too, and while the yellowtail was on the bland side, the futomaki were just right.

Dining at Ryoko’s can be hit or miss depending on what the dj is playing and what iterations of sushi you order. And oh, be prepared for a wait. Very prepared. Ryoko’s may be a bit of a dining gamble, but it’s a popular one at that.