Yogurtsoda – Page 74 – Eating my way around the world by Mariam Hosseini

Soowon Galbi

May 28, 2012May 28, 2012

I can’t make a visit to Los Angeles without visiting Koreatown. As much as I hate to admit it, the Bay Area has nothing on LA when it comes to Korean restaurants, and the last time I visited, I checked out Soowon Galbi in the heart of K-town. My colleagues and I were famished, and the intoxicating aroma of barbecued meat and garlicy banchan added to the torture while we waited to be seated.

Once we were seated, the soju was flowing, and meat was ordered. And I mean lots of meat. One beef short rib, pork belly, beef brisket, beef rib eye, and two platters of bulgogi were ordered, along with rice, salad, and radish soup. And banchan. Oh how the banchan overfloweth.

For good measure, we also ordered a seafood pancake, because why not? If you’re gonna go, go all the way.

The meat at Soowon Galbi was without question among the best Korean barbecue I’ve had. Tender, juicy, and flavorful, we sopped up every last bit with rice and palate-cleansing bites of banchan and soup in between. The seafood pancake was chewy and crispy, as it should be.

We walked back to our hotel that evening, trekking an hour from Koreatown to downtown LA. I don’t really want to think about how many calories we consumed that evening, but I do know one thing: it was absolutely worth it.

Udupi Palace

May 20, 2012

I realize I’m putting my South Asian food credibility on the line by saying this, but I’d never eaten a dosa until this year. In fact, despite my love of Indian cuisine, I remained mostly clueless about South Indian cooking, and frequenting restaurants that specialized in North Indian food instead.

Enter Udupi Palace. Long touted as one of the Bay Area’s best casual South Asian eats, I checked out Berkeley’s Udupi Palace for dinner one evening with my sister. Walking in, we were immediately hit with the aroma of chilis, coconut, and tamarind. In other words, all of my favorite things.

We started with a sambar vada, or savory fried lentil donuts immersed in a bowl of sambar, and a spice mixture that was flecked with cumin, corriander, garlic, and pepper. The fried vada soaked up the savory sauce without losing its shape or texture. Delicious.

My sister ordered the spinach masala dosa and I had the masala dosa, and we shared. Both were filled with spicy potatoes and onions, and the thin, papery crepe was a perfect vehicle. Each of our servings came with more sambar, a mild coconut chutney, and a spicy red chili chutney.

The portions at Udupi Palace are big, and many of the dishes aren’t exactly light, so go when you’re extra hungry. There was so much on the menu that I wanted to try, and I can’t wait back for more. Next time, I’ll try the uthappam (similar to dosa, but thicker), and a yogurt lassi — or yogurt soda, of course.

Ramen Underground

May 6, 2012May 6, 2012

Good ramen is hard to come by in San Francisco. There are a few glimmers of light (*cough* Tanpopo *cough*), but I’ve longed for something downtown, closer to work. When Ramen Underground opened up in the Financial District last fall, I was overjoyed.

Ramen Undergound has become my go-to spot when I’m craving ramen but can’t get to Japantown (or better yet, the South Bay). The broth is umami-laden, the noodles are chewy and full of bite, and the ambiance is fun. I usually order the shoyu ramen with a gyoza topping. Outside of the standard pork-based broth, Ramen Undergound also has chicken and vegetarian broth options on their menu.

I’ve never gone for lunch, but around dinnertime, it’s always busy, and there is nearly always a wait. And oh, it’s BYOB, in case you like your ramen with a cold beer. Ramen Underground is minimalist in its approach, which works just fine. The emphasis is on quality, and at the end of the day, I’m happy that when the craving hits, good ramen is just a short walk away.

Akiko’s

April 28, 2012April 28, 2012

Union Square isn’t the first place I think of when I eat out in San Francisco, especially if I’m craving sushi. But when my cousin recommended Akiko’s for a meal one evening, I thought, why not?

Akiko’s stays busy, so we’d made reservations for our weeknight dinner. We were quickly seated inside the small restaurant, and ordered from both their standard and special nama menu, featuring nigiri and sashimi flown in from Japan.

Our agedashi tofu arrived first, arranged artfully and topped with grated daikon radish. Agedashi tofu is silken tofu, lightly dusted with potato or cornstarch, deep-fried until golden brown, and served in a sauce of dashi, mirin and soy sauce. This version was crispier than the standard version, and more minimalist (the dish usually includes green onion and shaved bonito flakes), but still delicious.

Next came our selection from the nama menu: suzuki, shiro maguro, and smoked uni nigiri. This was my first time trying uni in smoked form, and the flavor was much stronger than I expected. I prefer the untouched version, but uni fans should still try this anyway, just to experience it. The shiro maguro, or white tuna, was mild and clean-tasting — just the way it should be. The suzuki, or sea bass, was my favorite: super fresh, and served with a light ponzu sauce.

Our volcano roll arrived last, and was essentially the opposite of our nigiri plate: rich, fried, and over the top. Made up of spicy salmon, salmon skin, crab, avocado, crunchy tempura, green onions, sesame, masago roe, and drizzled with a garlicy sauce, the volcano roll made the sushi purist in me cringe, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t delicious.

Service can be slow at Akiko’s, but it’s thorough and attentive. Just be sure to make reservations, even if you’re dropping by on a weeknight. Akiko’s may not be the most traditional sushi restaurant in the city, but I’m happy to know I can find a good roll or nigiri downtown, should I get the urge.

Hon’s Wun-Tun House

April 15, 2012

If San Francisco’s Chinatown had an official hole-in-the-wall restaurant, Hon’s Wun-Tun House would be it. Homely, bare-bones, and crowded, Hon’s is where I go when I need a comforting bowl of noodle soup, and fast.

I’m not sure when the seemingly-dated menu was last updated at Hon’s, but I usually get the first item: wun-tun and noodle in soup. After I add my requisite garnish of chili oil, I’m in comfort food heaven. The noodles have a good bite, the wontons (or wun-tuns) are full of shrimp and meat, and the broth is flavorful without being greasy. My only complaint is that the serving size is small (a bowl costs under four dollars), so sometimes I explore the menu and order a second dish to share with my dining companions. Curry beef or offal with sauce, anyone?

Speaking of dining companions, some staff at Hon’s speak English, but it’s helpful to go with folks who speak Cantonese. Service can be slow when Hon’s is busy (which is often), but once you’ve ordered, food arrives quickly. Stick to the noodle soups here and you’ll understand why there’s nearly always a crowd at Hon’s.