Yogurtsoda – Page 84 – Eating my way around the world by Mariam Hosseini

Jupiter

March 6, 2011

I don’t go out for pizza often. I’m not sure why that is – I mean, I love pizza. But in any case, when I do find myself at a pizzeria, my expectations are high, probably from pizza deprivation.

Downtown Berkeley’s Jupiter isn’t strictly a pizza joint; it’s a brewery too, and a lively one at that. When I visited on a Saturday evening, my dining group and I were seated at their beautiful outdoor patio, right by the live band. If you can get over needing to occasionally yell to be heard over the music, sit outdoors. It’s lovely.

But on to the pizza. (I had a great Caesar salad too, but let’s be real. It’s all about the pizza.) Jupiter’s pizzas are named after Greek gods, and I had the Triton. The Triton includes Sicilian sausage, sweet onions, basil, mozzarella, and marinara sauce, served on a honey wheat crust baked in a brick oven. The crust may have been on the thicker side, but it was deliciously chewy and helped mop up all the savory marinara. I only wish my pizza had less onion, but I was too distracted by all my other favorite toppings to really complain.

Jupiter gets packed so go early or be prepared to wait for a table. It’s popular with the college crowd, the family crowd, and the pizza-loving crowd, which is basically all of Berkeley, so be prepared. Maybe you can use your waiting time to think about why you don’t eat pizza more often. I know I did.

Golden Flower Vietnamese Restaurant

February 28, 2011

The first time I visited Golden Flower, it was on the recommendation of a colleague who told me it’s the best Vietnamese food in San Francisco’s Chinatown. I dropped by the busy restaurant for a quick lunch of pho, and in the short time I was there, the owners’ cheerful attitude made such an impression on me that I soon returned again. And again.

Golden Flower is a welcome change of pace if you’re the neighborhood and craving something other than Chinese food. It’s is a casual hole-in-the-wall restaurant with solid Vietnamese fare, and their steady crowd of patrons is testament to the quality of their dishes.

During one of my last visits, I ordered the grilled beef and rice noodles. The dish comes with piping hot fried spring rolls, which I gleefully dipped into my nuoc nam dipping sauce. My favorite thing about this dish is that like pho, it’s easy to customize it to one’s own taste. Another splash of nuoc nam here, a drop of sriracha there, and I was happily sated.

Golden Flower has become one of my go-to lunchtime restaurants, not only for the food, but because I look forward to the cheerful employees too. Oh, and word to the wise: you can get pho to go as well. They’ll pack your broth and fillings separately so that nothing gets soggy.

Crab and Tobiko Summer Rolls

February 21, 2011February 7, 2019

It’s only February, but I’ve had summer on my mind, and all the fresh dishes that go with it. The aptly-named summer rolls are one of my favorite things to eat in the warmer weather and with spring only a few weeks away, I’m making these early this year.

These seafood summer rolls pack a bunch with a chili-garlic spiked aioli and the crunchy, vinagared vegetables balance out the mayonnaise perfectly. If you take the time to prep your mise en place ahead of time here, putting these rolls together is a snap.

Ingredients:
1 (3-inch-long) piece daikon radish, peeled and julienned
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 Persian cucumber, halved and julienned
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
1 ounce tobiko roe
3 teaspoons soy sauce
10 round rice-paper wrappers
1 pound crabmeat, picked over and coarsely flaked
1 green onion, thinly sliced diagonally

1. Combine one tablespoon of lime juice and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, toss carrot, daikon, and cucumber with vinegar, sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, and salt to taste.

2. In another bowl, mix chili-garlic sauce with mayonnaise and half of the tobiko and set aside.

3. Stir together the remaining lime juice and soy sauce in a small bowl.

4. Soak 1 rice paper wrappers in a baking dish of warm water until pliable, about 5 seconds. Put 1 soaked wrapper on a dry cutting board. Put one tablespoon of crabmeat across lower third of wrapper (nearest you), leaving a 2-inch border at bottom. Spread with 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise-tobiko mixture and top with a few pieces of the carrot mixture and sliced scallion. Fold bottom of wrapper over filling and roll up tightly. Repeat with remaining filling ingredients and rice paper wrappers.

5. Cut each roll into 2 pieces. Arrange on a platter, standing them up, and top each with a dollop of tobiko. Drizzle lime-soy sauce around rolls.

Kung Fu Tacos

February 20, 2011

I’ve mostly stayed away from the food truck trend, not because I haven’t wanted to sample what’s out there, but because I’m usually not in the right place at the right time. Or so I thought. A little bit of research and word of mouth revealed that there are actually a few food trucks making the rounds in San Francisco’s Financial District, like the now-popular Kung Fu Tacos truck.

Posted at the corner of Sacramento and Montgomery, the Kung Fu Tacos truck serves fusion fare for lunch Tuesday through Friday. I tend to approach fusion fare apprehensively, but I was pleasantly surprised here, even if the portions are smaller than average. I tried the roast duck and Asian asada tacos on my visit: Asian asada is marinated steak topped with onions, cilantro, and spicy Asian-style salsa, while the roast duck tacos are garnished with mango salsa, hoisin sauce, and green onions.

Both were tasty, but the duck was my favorite. Faintly reminiscent of roast duck with Mandarin pancakes, the rich meat contrasted well with the piquant mangoes. The steak was good too, even if it included almost as much onions as it did steak.

If you’re going for lunch, I recommend ordering more than the two tacos that I did, as I was still hungry afterward. These aren’t as filling as your standard taqueira tacos, but they’re a welcome change from the countless sandwich shops that line the Financial District. Plus, at $2 to $3 each, the price can’t be beat and for a busy workday lunch, neither can the location.

Giordano Bros.

February 15, 2011February 16, 2011

I’m a big fan of French fries. (Who isn’t?) I’m also a fan of sandwiches. Thus, the only thing better than a sandwich and fries is fries inside a sandwich. Surprisingly, only a handful of restaurants have caught on to this gluttonous combination, and Giordano Bros. is one of them. Nestled in the heart of North Beach, it’s the perfect casual spot to sate your carb-on-carb craving.

Giordano Bros. models their sandwiches after a Pittsburgh tradition, of which I knew very little about. According to the proprietor, Giordano’s sandwiches are an ode to those served at Primanti’s in Pittsburgh. This tradition also includes showing Steeler games (think sports bar, not white tablecloth).

During our first visit, my dining companion and I split our sandwiches so we could each get a taste of both worlds. We shared the pastrami and the steak. The pastrami was saltier, but I actually preferred the texture of the pastrami over that of the steak. Both were solid though, and nestled between all those French fries and white bread, they were hugely satisfying. Don’t worry, though – the sandwiches also have a serving of tangy, light coleslaw, so you’re getting some greens. Or something.

Service is super laid-back and casual and Giordano’s, evoking a neighborhood feel in an area that can otherwise feel touristy at times. Health-consciousness aside, this is a terrific place when you’re craving a hearty, comforting sandwich. With French fries, of course. Glorious, glorious French fries.