Din Tai Fung

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Din Tai Fung, where have you been all of my life? And more importantly, why isn’t there one of you in the Bay Area?

The last time I was in Los Angeles for work, I snuck in a quick dinner with Frank and Megan, gourmands extraordinaire. We braved the LA traffic and headed to Arcadia for Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese restaurant chain with posts all over the world. (Let’s be clear: “chain” isn’t a dirty word here. This place is good.)

After waiting 495 years, we were seated at one of Arcadia’s Din Tai Fungs. It turns out that the first one was so popular and crowded that the owners open a second location across the street.

Soup dumplings and cucumber salad

It was worth the wait, though. The xiaolongbao, or soup dumplings, arrived first, piping hot and full of meaty, brothy goodness. The spicy-garlicy cucumber appetizer was among my favorites too, a fresh and crunchy interlocutor between bites of dumplings.

Wontons in spicy sauce

The wontons in spicy sauce were delicious too, covered with chili oil and filled with, well, more meat. A small plate of seaweed and bean curd in vinegar dressing helped cut through the richness of the dumplings, fried rice, and noodles that kept on coming.

Seaweed and bean curd in vinegar dressing

We couldn’t finish our meal that evening, but I’ve been hooked ever since. Din Tai Fung is a must if you’re in southern California (or Seattle, where their other US location lies). I’m hoping they’ll open a location in the Bay Area soon, but until then, I’m dreaming of a dumpling paradise down south.

Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

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Brace yourselves, Internet. I’ve found a cookie recipe so simple that even I, perennial great-chef-bad-baker, have managed to produce a chewy, perfect cookie. Ever since the Great Cornbread Disaster of 2007 where I tried my hand at “fluffy” cornbread only to produce cardboard-like tack, I’d doubted myself when it came to anything flour-based. These cookies gave me my groove back.

Oatmeal raisin cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Beat butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla, then flour mixture. Mix in oats, then raisins.

2. Using a tablespoon, scoop 1 tablespoon of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each scoop about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden, about 15 minutes. Let cookies cool on a wire rack.

Kowloon Tong Dessert Cafe

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I’m picky when it comes to desserts. Cakes don’t to much for me and chocolate doesn’t really move me either. But tapioca? Coconut? Lychee? Delicious. When it comes to satisfying my sweet tooth, I look east. And Kowloon Tong Dessert Cafe in San Francisco’s Richmond District is perfect for that late-night sago or sesame dumpling fix.

Coconut milk sago

I visited during a chilly evening so I got a the coconut milk sago. Steamy and gooey (in a good way, I swear), this was comfort in a bowl. The best part? It wasn’t too sweet: perfect for my finicky dessert palate.

Kowloon Tong has tons of other desserts I can’t wait to go back and try again. Black sticky rice? Check. Mango pudding? Please. Waffle? Of course.

Kowloon Tong is open until one or two in the morning on most nights, which leaves you with plenty of time to enjoy dinner in the Richmond beforehand. Who needs cake when you’ve got tapioca pearls?

Minami Restaurant

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I first fell in love with Minami Restaurant back when I was a university undergrad, living in San Francisco’s Richmond District. Smitten by the city and its seemingly endless supply of good eats, Minami was a tiny hole-in-the-wall sushi joint just a short walk from my flat. Their simple, delicious rolls quickly made Minami my favorite sushi restaurant, far away from the crowds. It was my little secret (well, mine and the entire Richmond District’s).

Sweet potato

Fast forward to 2013 and I finally repaid Minami a visit after not having been for nearly a decade. I dropped by one evening with Karen and Anoop, eating partners in crime, and we started with Minami’s signature complimentary dish of sweet potatoes in a sweet, sticky soy glaze. This dish is no-frills but the potato is so perfectly cooked that I could happily eat ten more.

Sushi

Next, we got to business. We ordered a platter of maguro, tobiko, hotate, sake, and kampyo and oh man, had I missed Minami. This place is just as good as I remember it being, and it’s not just the nostalgia talking.

Don’t go here expecting crazy rolls and you won’t be disappointed. Minami is perfect purist sushi in a no-frills setting. I’m not sure why I let nearly ten years roll by without paying my old stomping grounds a visit, but one thing is for sure: Minami has only gotten better with time.

Maple-Bourbon Smash

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Part Canadian, part American, I came up with this drink when I was visiting Calgary. It’s the perfect cocktail to warm up with and as fall approaches, it’s time to break out the maple syrup and return to this citrusy recipe.

Maple-bourbon smash

Ingredients:

1/2 ounce pure maple syrup
1/2 ounce fresh orange juice
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 orange wheel
1/2 lemon wheel
2 ounces bourbon whiskey
Ice
1 1/2 ounces seltzer

1. In a glass, combine the maple syrup with the orange juice and lemon juice. Add the orange wheel and lemon wheel and lightly muddle. Add the bourbon and stir. Fill the glass with ice and top with the seltzer.