Yogurtsoda – Page 76 – Eating my way around the world by Mariam Hosseini

Asmara

March 17, 2012

Oakland has no shortage of quality Ethiopian restaurants, but I usually find myself going to the same one and over again. When a friend suggested I try something new for dinner, we decided to go to Asmara, her favorite Ethiopian restaurant.

Located in Oakland’s Temescal district, Asmara is casual and cozy, with warm service. My friend and I were hungry, so we quickly ordered our meal. I’m a fan of tibs/tebsy (strips of marinated beef cooked in berbere sauce) just as much as the next meat-loving girl, but I was craving something lighter so I opted for the vegetarian combination.

My meal included yemissir wat (lentil stew cooked with berbere sauce), kik alicha (split peas cooked with spices), and ye-gomen alicha (mustard greens cooked with spices). This was served alongside a green salad, stewed potatoes and injera bread (oh glorious, tangy, spongy injera). The split peas were my favorite, but the best part was being able to sample all of the complexly flavored dishes at once. My “light” meal ended up not being so light after all, and I couldn’t finish my plate.

I’m glad I branched outside of my go-to Ethopian restaurant, and Asmara didn’t disappoint. Next time, I’m going for the tibs.

Himalayan Restaurant

March 12, 2012

If you told me a few years ago that some of the best Himalayan cuisine in the Bay Area would be in Sonoma County, I wouldn’t have believed you. The wine country has some terrific restaurants, but culinary diversity isn’t the first thing that comes to mind — especially in the sleepy town of Windsor, where the aptly-named Himalayan Restaurant opened up last year.

I visited with my family on a recent afternoon, hungry and curious to sample their Nepalese and Indian specialties. We started with a yellow lentil soup.

Hearty and cumin-flecked, this is comfort food at its best. Pureed legume soups are de rigueur in a lot of South Asian restaurants, but not all lentil soups are created equal. This one was freshly cooked and richly flavored.

For lunch, I had the lamb momos. These were my first momos, and they were deliciously juicy and beautifully pleated. The ground lamb and onion filling was encased in a slightly chewy dough and served alongside a mild sauce.

My family also shared an order of lamb keema matar (so creamy! so spicy!), lamb tandoori (so sizzling! so tender!), brown rice, and green salad. The salad was run-of-the-mill, but everything else was outstanding. To end my meal, I sipped on a cup of masala chai.

I’ve been back a few times since my first visit, and service has been consistently warm and friendly. Windsor might not be the first place that comes to mind when I think of Nepalese and Indian cuisine, but the secret is out. Himalayan Restaurant is serving some of the best South Asian fare this side of the Golden Gate.

Cotogna

March 5, 2012

“Oh, Cotogna? It’s overrated,” said a friend when I floated it as a dinner idea. “Cotogna is the best Italian food I’ve had in the city this year,” said another. I decided to find out for myself one evening and met up with a friend who hadn’t tried the restaurant yet. Straddled between the Financial District and North Beach (and adjacent to its parent restaurant, Quince), Cotogna was packed when we arrived for a weeknight meal, so we took advantage of the balmy weather and were seated outside.

Billing itself as a celebration of rustic Italian cuisine, Cotogna’s menu also seemed (perhaps unintentionally) influenced by Californian fare, and we ordered accordingly.

We started with the little gem lettuce salad, which was, well, exactly that. I love lettuce just as much as the next yes-please-I’ll-have-the-organic-greens eater, but I hoped this salad would have included a bit more than a light, piquant vinaigrette.

Next, we shared the sea urchin pizza with cauliflower and jalapeno. It may sound like an odd combination of ingredients, but curiously, it worked. The sea urchin was fresh and creamy and complimented the cauliflower’s texture. The jalapeno provided a much-needed kick, and the pizza itself was a wonderfully crispy, chewy vehicle for it all.

We ended our meal with a side of perfectly-cooked beets with creme fraiche and pollen. I love beets in any shape or form: roasted, pickled — you name it. I couldn’t taste the pollen here (to be honest, I’m not sure if pollen is supposed to taste like anything) and I didn’t really need the creme fraiche. Just give me the beets, thanks.

Conflicted reviews aside, Cotogna is a welcome addition to the city’s crop of rustic Italian restaurants. If you’re looking for a farmhouse feel in the middle of the Financial District (albeit with a crowd), look no further.

Tanpopo

February 4, 2012

Ever since I visited Japan a couple of years ago, I’ve been on the hunt for the best ramen I can find this side of the Pacific. Sure, I’ve had good ramen in the Bay Area, but nothing like what I tasted on the streets of Shinjuku. I’ve been looking for that sweet spot: chewy noodles, salty but not overpowering broth, and no skimping on the toppings.

I finally found it at Tanpopo in Japantown. A colleague suggested it to me and on a rainy afternoon, we headed over for lunch. She recommended the kyushu ramen, which I ordered.

Kyushu ramen (named after Japan’s southernmost island) is a specialty at Tanpopo: a cloudy, rich broth called tonkotsu, served with egg noodles, boiled bean sprouts, red ginger, chashu pork, bamboo shoots, boiled egg, fishcake, seaweed, and green onions. Whew. My only complaint is that the egg wasn’t soft, but then again, this was one of the few times I’ve finished my entire bowl of ramen.

Tanpopo is nearly always busy, so plan accordingly, especially since Japantown can be a bit out of the way and service at Tanpopo can be brusque. I can’t speak to their other styles of ramen, but the kyushu ramen alone is worth the trek.

Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans

January 22, 2012August 17, 2023

I used to hate green beans. Growing up, I inexplicably dreaded the loobia polo that most kids loved: an Iranian rice pilaf of green beans, browned lamb, tomatoes, and spices. It wasn’t until recently when I tried Sichuan-style dry-fried green beans that I’ve come around to loving the legume. It was the spicy, garlicy flavor that made me change my green bean-hating ways, and now, I can’t get enough.

Long beans are traditionally used in this recipe, but green beans work as well. Feel free to omit the ground chicken as well for a vegetarian version. Last but not least, make sure your beans are completely dry before frying them — this will ensure a blistered texture.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 pound ground chicken
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or chili bean sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 pound green beans or long beans, ends trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths

1. Marinate the chicken: stir 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and cornstarch together in a medium bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved. Mix the chicken in the marinade until incorporated. Let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Prepare the sauce: stir the chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil together in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved.

3 Pour the oil into a 2-quart saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Carefully slip the green beans into the oil and cook, stirring continuously, until they are wrinkled, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to paper towels to drain. Reserve the oil.

4. Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Pour in 2 teaspoons of the reserved oil and swirl to coat the sides. Slide the chicken into the wok and stir-fry until the meat is crumbly and changes color, about 2 minutes. Add the green beans and sauce and stir until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Scoop the contents of the wok onto a serving plate and serve warm.