Yogurtsoda – Page 67 – Eating my way around the world by Mariam Hosseini

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.)

Sura Korean Cuisine

August 2, 2013

I’m a creature of habit and when it comes to Korean restaurants, I frequent the same one or two spots in Oakland. I finally decided to branch out a few months ago and visited Sura Korean cuisine in the Temescal district with my sister, Melody.

We were too hungry to wait for our entrees so we started with a plate of mandu, or Korean dumplings. These thin, crispy meat-filled dumplings are similar to their Central Asian cousins like the Turkish manti and Kazakh manty, although they taste more similar to Japanese gyoza. You say potato, I say delicious.

Our banchan soon arrived, and what I love about Sura’s banchan is that I’d never seen many of these small plates served elsewhere. One of the banchan was a kale-like dish drizzled with a vinegar-soy dressing and another even included tomatoes. Still, my favorites were their classic banchan like radish kimchi and seaweed namul.

It was cold out, so I had a steaming bowl of sundubu as my entree, perfect with steamed rice. Sunudubu is a spicy jiigae, or stew, cooked with seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, and the ubiquitous gochujang red pepper paste. It’s all served in its cooking vessel while still bubbling hot, usually with a raw egg on top. My sundubu was sans egg, but it hit the spot nonetheless.

The portions are generous at Sura and the service is friendly, and now that I’ve branched out of my usual Korean favorites in the East Bay, I know that I’ll be back.

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.

Kirala

July 2, 2013

Folks have been tipping me over to Kirala for years now. The trouble is, I didn’t get around to visiting this Berkeley mainstay of Japanese cuisine until last winter. I’ve been making up for it ever since.

Kirala is hands down the best Japanese restaurant that I’ve been to in the East Bay, and their sushi is exceptional. The first time I went, I ordered a plate of gyoza to share with my dining companion. These dumplings were delicate, slightly crispy, and piping full of oniony meat.

We also had a plate of unagi and avocado roll along with a spicy tuna roll. I’m usually not a fan of spicy tuna, but this was good, though the unagi and avocado were even better. Savory, salty, creamy, crispy…oh man. These maki hit all the right notes.

The real standout of our meal, though, was the sashimi. Our plate included tuna, bonito, salmon, albacore, and yellowtail. It’s among the freshest sashimi I’ve ever tasted, and gorgeously presented at that. So delicious, so simple!

I’ve visited Kirala several times since this first visit and the food and service have been solid. Quality comes at a price, though, so be prepared to wait. Even on a weeknight, expect to see a line of hungry visitors waiting for a seat. Kirala is worth the wait.