Yogurtsoda

My favorite thing about working so close to San Francisco’s Chinatown is that I’m only a short walk away from some of the best dining in the city. There’s so much variety — Hunanese, Shanghainese, and Sichuanese, to name a few. Thanks to Z&Y Restaurant, I’ve developed a taste for the tongue-numbing peppercorns that characterize so much of Sichuanese cuisine, and these days, I can’t seem to get enough.

During one of my first visits to Z&Y, my dining group and I were served clam and spinach soup, in a clear, briny broth. This palate-cleansing soup was lightly seasoned, in contrast to what was to come.

We were also served a dish of vinegared cucumbers, seasoned with garlic and sesame oil. While not an entree, this is one of my favorite dishes at Z&Y. It’s fresh, crunchy, and a welcome bite of relief from the otherwise chili-laden dishes.

I’ve ordered from Z&Y’s lunch menu and from their a la carte, and I recommend the latter if you’re interested in Sichuan-specific cuisine. I’ve been lucky to visit with folks who speak Mandarin and hence know what to order from both the English and non-English menu.

During this visit, we shared the scallion pancake, spicy fish with flaming chili oil, chicken with explosive chili pepper, the Sichuan-style cold chicken, and the dry sauteed string beans.

To this day, it remains some of the best Chinese food I’ve ever tasted. Even if you don’t have a high tolerance for heat, try a spicy dish or two among the other items you order at Z&Y. Intimidating name aside, the chicken with explosive chili pepper was particularly wonderful: juicy, crispy, fried pieces of boneless chicken tossed with flavorful bits of garlic and chili. The dry sauteed string beans were so delicious that I’ve since learned how to cook them at home. (And oh, although the ma po tofu isn’t pictured here, Z&Y is where I had my first ma po tofu, and I find myself craving it all the time now.)

Service is brisk and friendly at Z&Y, and as long as I stick to the a la carte menu, nearly every dish has had me head over heels. I want to learn to cook everything that’s served at Z&Y, but until then, a short walk to their restaurant is a pretty sweet deal.

I always considered myself to be very familiar with the Financial District restaurant scene. Since I work in the neighborhood, people come to me for recommendations, and I’ve got a list handy. But it wasn’t until a few months ago that Chiaroscuro caught my eye.

The Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant’s entrance on Washington Street can be easy to miss, but once inside, the bold interior (concrete seating! open kitchen!) stands out. During my second visit, my dining companion and I were greeted with an amuse bouche as soon as we sat down.

The tiny bite of blue cheese, grape, and pickled shallot packed a punch, and the piquant shallot was my favorite part. (I love anything sour and anything pickled.)

The tiny bite of blue cheese, grape, and pickled shallot packed a punch, and the piquant shallot was my favorite part. (I love anything sour and anything pickled.)

We decided to share a salad of baby spinach, pancetta, bleu del Moncenisio and toasted almonds. The blue cheese was a little overwhelming (in fairness, I’m not much of a blue cheese fan) but the mellow vinaigrette helped balance things out.

Next came my squid ink tagliatelle. Served with prawns and clams, this dish tasted as delicious as it was beautiful. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, the clams and shrimp were briny and fresh, and I only wished there was more pasta to mop up the wonderful sauce.

I’ve been to Chiaroscuro for both lunch and dinner, and it makes for a special Italian meal at either time of the day. Service is always friendly and attentive, and the menu frequently changes. It just goes to show — maybe I should pay more attention to my neighborhood surroundings.

I’ve written about the Bay Area’s proliferation of izakayas before. It feels like nearly every month there’s a new izakaya in town — not that I’m complaining. San Francisco’s Chotto, which opened this summer, has been among the most buzz-worthy, and with good reason.

Excited at the prospect of grilled offal and fresh seafood, I had dinner at Chotto with a few friends one balmy evening. Located in the Marina District, Chotto’s cool, modern aesthetic betrays the neighborhood’s somewhat touristy vibe. (Sorry. It had to be said. Please don’t take offense, Marina dwellers.) Once we were seated, we pored over the eclectic menu.

The small plates are served family-style, and the wakamesu, or seaweed and cucumber salad came first. This was a good palate cleanser, and I loved the crisp texture of the purple seaweed, which I don’t usually see in wakamesu. (Does anyone know the name of this type of seaweed? Drop me a line.)

Next came the spicy tuna. I love tuna, but I’m not a big fan of the spicy tuna you usually see in maki sushi because it’s often the less palatable cuts minced up and blended with chili sauce to mask the texture and flavor. This, on the other hand, was one of my favorite dishes of the evening. Buttery, flavorful cuts of tuna were drizzled with a sweet, spicy sauce that didn’t overpower at all. We soon ordered a second plate.

Next came the uni, the most beautiful dish of the evening. Served atop shredded daikon radish and red bell peppers, this creamy uni tasted of the sea without being fishy. In other words, it tasted the way good uni should taste.

The applewood bacon mochi arrived next, and it was a hit. Chewy, plain mochi were wrapped in crisp, smoky bacon and briny nori seaweed. Bacon and seaweed don’t usually go together, but in this case, it worked wonders.

The gyutan, or Kobe beef tongue, arrived next, and it was one of my personal favorites. The tongue was tender, and the chili sauce was a perfect accompaniment to the strong flavors of the grilled beef.

Our next offal dish was the grilled chicken hearts, served with shichimi chili. Chicken hearts are one of my favorite types of offal: perfectly chewy, delicately flavored, and well, delicious. These were no exception.

We shared a few more dishes, but by this point I’d lost count. Suffice to say, Chotto is among my favorite izakayas in the Bay Area, and with friendly, helpful service to boot. Who knew one restaurant could so easily change my opinion of the Marina District?