Oyakodon

Oyakodon also known as Chicken & Eggs Donburi is a very popular Japanese rice bowl that are served in almost every Japanese restaurant. The chicken (parent) and egg (child) and soup broth combination made this a very tasty and very comforting food especially in cold weather.

There are many ways and variation in making a donburi. The recipe below is of a classic Oyakodon, but in the picture, I made a variation by adding button mushrooms to the soup broth. You can add 1 1/2 cups of sliced mushroom if you also like mushrooms. But yes, feel free to add ham, bacon, etc etc to make this hearty dish.

~ 4 Servings

Ingredients:

4 cup steamed rice
3/4 lb chicken thighs or chicken breasts
1 onion
1 2/3 cups chicken stock or dashi (Japanese fish stock)
7 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp sugar
4 eggs

Instruction:
1. Cut the chicken into small pieces and slice the onion.
2. In a frying pan on medium heat, add tiny bit of oil and stir fry the onion until a little bit translucent.
3. Add in the chicken and cook until it's half cooked.
4. Pour in the chicken or dashi stock, then soy sauce, mirin and sugar.
5. Bring all to a boil.
6. Pour egg over the chicken and soup mixture.
7. Turn the heat on low, close the lid and let simmer.
8. Turn the heat off after a minute.
9. Scoop the chicken, egg and soup mixture over steam rice.

Banana Island

416 Westlake Center, Daly City, CA

(650) 756-6868

http://www.bananaislanddalycity.com/

Banana Island was one of my favorite family-style restaurants of all time since the very first time I went in high school. It serves Malaysian, Singaporean and Thai cuisines; and because of the types of cuisines it offers, the menu had many varieties. After dinning there so many times though, I must say most of its food resembles more of Malaysian and Singaporean than Thai. Also, every meals I had there never disappointed me.

I decided to take my family there for Father’s Day this year as a last minute decision. Upon entering, it was packed with families. I know, bad day to dine out. The hostess told me that the wait would be about 45 minutes, so my family and I wondered around the mall plaza while waiting. Regardless of a busy night, the service was great. Our waitress attend to our table very often, and I was amazed at her great memories on what we ordered—she did not take out a notepad to take our orders…just memorize. Everything came out in an orderly and timely manner.

For appetizers, we ordered the Roti Canal, Chicken Satay and Baby Oyster Omelet.

Roti Canal is a Indian-inspired Malaysian crispy thin pancake that serves with a curry dipping sauce. The bread is very thin and crispy, so pretty light at the same time. The curry sauce compliments it very, very well. I always order this when I go to Banana Island and it is a must try if you haven’t!

I had both the chicken and the beef satay skewers before, but I would recommend the Chicken Skewers over the beef. The chicken skewers are very tasty and tender, whereas the beef was pretty rough. I had a hard time chewing it apart. The peanut dipping sauce was good because it didn’t really just taste like peanuts, it tasted more like a satay sauce made with peanuts. Yummy!

Coming from a person who usually doesn’t like oysters, the Baby Oyster Omelet was really good also! The oysters seemed a little too big to be baby oysters, but still tasted good and not overly fishy. I really like this dish because it reminded me of the oyster omelet I had as a child in Hong Kong.

For entrée, we ordered Sizzling Beef, Sarang Chicken, Kang Kung Belacan, Hokkien Mee and a side of white rice.

Sizzling Beef - Stir Fried Sliced Beef with Green Pepper, Black Pepper, Onion & Bean Paste

My younger sister is a fan of meat. So I never forget order an entree of meat. This was my first time ordering the sizzling beef, and boy, I was disappointed because it wasn't sizzling when it got to the table. Also, the beef were sliced but very choppy--some big pieces and some small. It was pretty salty and even though I saw black pepper on it, it wasn't very peppery at all. Kudos for the colorful onions and peppers but I'm definitely not ordering this next time.

Sarang Chicken - Shaped fried taro stuffed with baby corn, snow peas and mushrooms, topped with cashew nuts

I wanted to order a chicken dish because I love chicken. While waiting to be seated, I saw a couple of this dish, the Sarang Chicken, going back and forth...it had to be good if that many tables order it right? So I ordered the Sarang Chicken. This dish was delicious! It was super unique because the chef made a basket with deep fried taro and then filled it with stir fry chicken and vegetable. The taro was very crispy and light. The cashews added a crunch to the chicken and vegetables. I would order this again next time!

Kang Kung Belacan - Sauteed convolus (ong choi) with spicy Malaysian shrimp paste sauce

Convolus or ong choi is one of my favorite vegetables while I was growing up in Hong Kong. My mom likes to cook it with fermented soy or shrimp paste. At Banana Island, they used Malaysian shrimp paste and it is very tasty. It's very garlicky and a little spicy. The ong choi was still crispy at the stem and perfect texture on the leave...delicious!

This restaurant is something that I can go back to any time and be sure to get a satisfying meal. It is best to go in a group so that you can try out all the different dishes since majority of them are meant to be share.

Delica

1Ferry Building, Shop #45, San Francisco, CA 94111

(415) 834-0344
www.delicasf.com

Delica is like the cleanest fast food and deli-liked place I'd ever been to. This little store is like a Japanese and European fusion deli, serving some of the prettiest, healthiest and freshest mini bites. Delica serves bentos, salads, fried items and deli items by boxes, pieces or by the pounds.

One of my favorite salad there is the Spinach and Sesame Salad. The spinach was boiled in dashi or Japanese fish stock, and then marinated with sesame oil and sesame seeds. The salad itself is very light and refreshing. I could eat a load of this.


I usually don't like fried food, especially fried potatoes with the exception of French fries. But when my friend Diana let me had a bite of her steamy hot Potato Croquette, gosh, I wish I could have gotten a few myself. These croquettes are made with Russet and Yukon gold potato and sauteed onion. They are lightly coated in batter and then fried to perfection. The onion added so much flavor to these little goodie. One bite--light crunchiness on the outside and sweet creaminess on the inside. So so good!

Another thing I tried at Delica was Tofu and Chicken Patty with Hijiki. At first I thought it was outrageous that a patty was priced at $4.25 a piece, not to mention it was served cold! But after a couple bite, boy, I guess it was worth it. The patty was pressed together with tofu, chicken, hijiki seaweed and carrots and then glazed with thick soy sauce. It wasn't as overly salty as it looked because the patty itself wasn't too salty and was very light and not overly meaty, so the soy sauce glaze was perfect. Also, it was meant to serve cold, otherwise they would have kept this under the hot lamp.

Another one of the delicious goodnesses I had at Delica was the Roast Beef Sushi. You heard me! I know huh? When I first saw it, I knew I had to try it. The sushi was made with hormone -free beef and then topped with baby arugula, shallots and rasdish. The sushi also contained wasabi within. Usually roast beefs are very salty, but like sushi this one was more bland thus more natural in the beef favor. It is pretty good, something definitely worth trying if you haven't done so before; but yes, I would not go head over heel for it.

Despite some of the fried items they have and with many simple and fresh items in store, I do feel like I was eating lighter and healthier at Delica. I think I would always stop by and order a little something from Delica when I am near. I think what Delica has to offer makes very good snack items since it is sold by pieces and pound.

La Pinata

2699 Merced Ave, San Leandro, CA. 94577 (510) 352-8901
http://www.lapinata.com/

I have been to La Pinata three times so far, and each time it was passed 10pm at night. I think if there is one thing I have to say about La Pinata, it would be pretty decent Mexican food that open later than In & Out. La Pinata opens unil 3am at night--large portion of late night food for decent price.

After being seated, a basket of tortilla chips and home made salsa were brought to the table. The chips looked pretty ordinary but the salsa was mighty delicious! It had a tang and spicy hit to it.

So far each time I was at La Pinata, I ordered a different thing off the menu. The menu was extensive--it was one of those that would take me ten minute or so to look through and pick out from. Geez, I never knew there were so much to a tortilla!

Anyhow, I ended up ordering a tostada and soup.

Tostada de Ceviche

My coworker Dezirae was the first to ever introduce me to tostada de ceviche. It is a fried small crunchy tortilla topped with lime juice-cooked fish and/or shrimps top and salsa. Oh yes, and in many occasion, topped it all off with slices or chunks of avocado. The portion of the tostada is huge. The fish was a little too chewy, otherwise, very good and refreshing! Also, it's awesome how the tostada was still crunchy after soaking in the lime juice and seafood for awhile.

Spicy Chicken Soup

I love this soup. Not only was it tasty, it was also filled with chicken pieces and vegetable. I ordered a small and I felt like they put half a chicken in there. Despite the chicken mainly pulled from the breast, it was very juicy and tender. The soup also came with avacado, which sounded weird at first, but after adding chunks of it into the soup--man o man, delish! They also have a similar one that is not spicy.

Even though I am not a huge Mexican food fan, I say La Pinata is very authentic and a pretty good place to go to especially late at night when everything else is closed.

Nopalito

306 Broderick St, San Francisco, CA 94117

(415) 437-0303

http://www.nopalitosf.com/

It took my friend Victor and I three tries to get seats at Nopalito. This place does not take reservation, but you may put down your name by phone as you are on your way there. I did that two times, which still left us needing to wait for an hour or so. But by the third time, like a charm, we got seated right away.

Vic and I came here to try their carnita because it was on the 7x7.com 2010 SF Big Eat List. If it's on the list it must be good right? That wasn't the only reason I wanted to dine at Nopalito though. It was more so because Nopalito is not any Mexican restaurant...it is an ORGANIC Mexican restaurant. Also, I'd been wanting to try this Mexican stable sauce call Mole.

Upon seated, the waiter gave us water and a small bowl of fried chickpeas. And as hungry as I was, I started munching on them. They were good. Not too greasy, not too salty, just how I like them to be. I had looked at the menu so many times before since I'd been wanting to try this place for awhile.

We ordered what was on the list, the Carnitas.

Carnitas - Long braised pork, orange, bay leaf, cinnamon and beer, cabbage salad, pickled jalapeños, salsa de tomatillo 

I think what got this carnitas on the list was that unlike many Mexican restaurant, which served their carnitas shredded, Nopalito served it as a whole in a baked parchment paper. Using a folk, the carnitas could be easily shredded apart. Very juicy and tender, but just not as juicy as most carnitas you get at other Mexican restaurants. I think it was because other Mexican restaurant then soaked them in grease. Nopalito's carnitas was good, but just not something I would go back purposely for.

We also ordered Mole Chicken since I wanted to try Mole.

Mole Poblano con Pollo - Sauce of toasted chiles, chocolate, cinnamon, nuts, sesame seeds, onions, poached chicken leg and rice

My coworker told me about how mole was made with chocolate, so I expected it to be sweet, but it wasn't as sweet as I could have imagined. The sauce tasted very unique. It was a little sweet yet bitter as the sweetness trailed off. I didn't really enjoy it much. I had to scoop some sauce away and just ate the chicken by itself. The poached chicken was really tender. I like it a lot. The rice was really good too. It was cooked with tomato, so it was very appetizing.

Housemade Corn Tortillas

Both the entrees were served with homemade corn tortilla. Now I think this tortilla should have been on the list instead. It was so good, especially when warm!

I don't think I would wait in line too long for Nopalito, but I would order take out as they have a take out window. Other than that, I am not sure if I would actually come back here, maybe just whenever I feel like it.

The Way I Like My Cafe--Like Urth Caffe

451 S Hewitt St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

(213) 797-4534

http://www.urthcaffe.com/

Oh how I love the sunny weather and outdoor seatings at cafes. Los Angeles has them both! But what struck me the most is one of the cafes in the city--Urth Caffe. Urth has a couple of locations in the LA area.

It is one of those cafe in which you ordered your food at the cash register, get a number, find your own seat, and the food will be brought to you. And when you're done, you can leave your dishes on the table. With that said, the service was still very nice. The order taker was very helpful when asked for recommendations and such.

One of the unique thing that you can find at Urth Caffee is foam art. The barister will use form from the milk to form arts on your cup of latte. Both times I went, it was of a leaf. If you are lucky, you get sweet things like a teddy bear head.

I am in love with one of their signature lattes, the Green Tea Latte. It was very creamy and rich in matcha flavor. I ordered mine with almond milk, which is suppose to be lighter compared to regular milk or soy milk, but it was still very creamy. Another one of their popular latte is their Spanish Latte, which inspired by the coffee in Barcelona. It was very, very smooth!! It was also sweet, creamy and strong in espresso flavor, but strong enough that it didn't leave any tangy bitter espresso after taste.

On my first visit there, I ordered breakfast. I wanted to try everything but the Egg White and Spinach Breakfast Panini really caught my eyes because I love egg whites, spinach and panini!

Egg White & Spinach Breakfast Panini - egg whites, sauteed spinach and mozzarella cheese, grilled on a whole wheat country bread and served with mild tomato dipping sauce

As simple as the panini may sound, it was delcious! The panini tasted good by itself and with the tomato sauce. The bread was sliced thickly and it was grilled brown enough to taste toasty and not burnt. The egg was still burning hot when I bit into it, yummy!

I love this cafe so much that I went back the next day ordering the same latte. Next time I am in town, I'll be sure to grab my morning dose of caffine there again.

Ready for the Challenge at Orochon Ramen?

123 S Onizuka St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 617-1766

I first heard about Orochon on a TV Show called Man Vs. Food. Yup, by the name of the show, you can probably tell this restuarant contains a challenge. The challenge? Spicy Ramen!

After watching the show, I was so determined to try one of their most spicy ramen--Special #2 if I ever go to Los Angeles. How could I turn down a spicy challenge when I LOVE spicy food?! But after reading some reviews from people who did the challenge, I backed out. It seemed like if I were to finish the ramen and the spicy soup in 30 mins, I would end up like many challengers...having to deal with the painful aftermath in the bathroom.

Soooo, when I got to Orochon, I decided to choose 3 level of spiciness lower just to test out the water. I decided to get the Orochon #2, which is the "Hyper Orochon" with Miso Broth. I think Miso Broth is richer in flavor and would probably enhance the spiciness more.

Orochon #2 with Miso Broth

My Orochon #2 Miso Ramen did not look spicy at all. The soup was not hot fiery red, so it put me at ease for a moment. I tasted the soup first, and to my disbelief, it was hot and spicy. I took a few bite of ramen and it enhanced the spiciness even more since the carby noodle retained more heat. As much as I have high tolerance to spiciness, I admit that the Orochon #2 is spicy enough for me to keep blowing my nose and drinking water.  

The noodle itself was just okay. It is skinny and semi-chewy. I think I had better. The soup was just okay also. It is spicy but it is also very grainy since it contains so much spice powder. It was very hard to drink because the powder irritates the throat.

I think there is nothing too special about the ramen at Orochon besides it being spicy if you want them spicy. I think I would just stick with my favorite two ramen houses next time I am in LA or try some other ones I never been to before.

Koo's Sweet Rice Pancake Ho-tteok Cart

S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90020

I used to think that good food always come with a high price tag...which is NOT always true! Sometimes, the simplest thing and the cheapest thing taste just as good and just as satisfying! This holds true for the sweet rice pancake at Koo's.

I made my boyfriend drive us to California Market, a Korean supermarket to get the sweet rice pancake. There is a cart right outside that sell them...one that resembles a taco truck.

Koo's Sweet Rice Pancake -- cinnamon, brown sugar & peanuts

This pancake was like heaven on earth! It was HOT, gooey, flakey, chewy, and sweet. A food with that many adjective got to be that good! If you ever have a savory Korean pancake made with green onion, it is similar to those but more flakey and chewy. The chewy hot pancake tasted delicious with added crunchiness of peanuts. And did I mention it's just ONE dollar! I wish I would have gotten more, but my boyfriend and I had lunch planned, so we just got one for the both of us. Oh yes, and an added tip, buy some non-sweeten tea in the super market with it. I think the degree of sweetness is great if you just consume half, but I think if I have consumed a whole one, I would want some un-sweeten tea.

Anyhow, next time if I'm in town again, I am so going there again!

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

20700 Avalon Blvd, Carson, CA 90746

310-515-7700

http://www.fiveguys.com/

Five Guys Burgers in the East Coast is like In N Out Burger in the West Coast. Luckily, there is a Five Guys Burger in Carson, Southern California. I first heard about it through my boyfriend when he made a stop there with his buddies on their trip. After that, I was eager to try it.

What sets Five Guys Burgers apart from the other burger joints is the type of oil they use to cook their burgers and fries. They use peanut oil, so if you have peanut allergy, don't go there! Five Guys Burger also uses fresh ingredients--they have no freezers in any of their locations. Also, they give you a list of ingredients that you can add to your burger, thus gives you "over 250,000 possible ways to order a burger at Five Guys".

Oh, and did I mention President Obama loves this place?

Besides the vivid ingredients, Five Guys offers a regular burger with two beef patties or a little burger, which made with one patty.

Little Hamburger with Lettuce, Tomatoes, Pickles, Grilled Mushroom, Ketchup, Mustard & Jalapenos

My Little Hamburger was not little at all. It was very juicy and flavorful. I could tell that the beef patty was patted together by hand because it crumbled easily with every bite. It tasted very fresh and beefy. The patty was very soft. I wish they grilled it though. The jalapenos was fresh also, I was so used to the pickled jar kind that I did not expect to see fresh ones. I love my grilled mushroom--it made the burger extra juicy and delicious.

It tasted nothing like In N Out since it doesn't use spread. I am not sure if the peanut oil made any difference though, but I am sure it added flavors to the patty.

Cajun Fries

Five Guys offers two types of fries--original and cajun. I never had the original fries but the cajun one tasted mighty darn good! It looked like just cajun powder sprinkled over the fresh cut fries, but it was not super salty at all. I usually don't really like the thick cut fries, but since it was made fresh, it tasted really good. I devoured half of that myself.

Even though Five Guys tasted really good, I still prefer my In N Out, probably because of the grilled buns and the spread. Nevertheless, Five Guys tasted well beyond regular burger joints and I would prefer it over other ones besides In N Out.

Cutest Froyo Chain Ever--Cherry On Top

333 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

(213) 626-2150

cherryontop.net

My boyfriend and I were driving around Japan Town of Los Angeles when we stumbled upon this mall at a corner. We always passed by it but never really noticed it. But what made us stopped this time was a huge Beard Papa advertisement. We decided to stop and walk around.

On the first floor, there was this really pretty, bright and pink frozen yogurt shop. It is a huge frozen yogurt shop. One third of it was for you to get yogurt and toppings and the other parts are seatings, booth and a video game machine.

It is one of the brightest store in the whole mall. The decors are gorgeous. They are very classy and modern...definitely gives me a thought of classy and healthy frozen yogurt that suppose to taste above and beyond.

Yogurt Dispense and Topping Stations

What I love about this place is everything is so organized and opened. Oh yes, and I love, love the lights!

Hot Pink Booth at the corner of the shop, perfect for group to hang out.

My pink cup of original, taro and green tea Cherry On Top frozen yogurt.

The frozen yogurts were okay. They were nothing too special. They actually tasted just like Nubi--A bit on the icier, not as creamy and not as smooth side. I would go back if I want frozen yogurt, but definitely not if there are some other ones right near it.

I conclude that even though Cherry On Top frozen yogurt was not that great, it is worth going just for the ambiance. It would definitely be a nice hang out spot since there are quite many seatings.

Blue Velvet & Macarons Ice Cream Sandwich at Milk

7290 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 939-6455
http://www.themilkshop.com/

I love macaron cookies and nothing makes them even better than ice cream! After finding out that Milk makes their ice cream sandwiches with macarons cookies, I knew I must go try it when I am in Los Angeles. I then also found out that they are famous for their blue velvet cake. That sounds super unique and delicious, so I wanted to try that too. That night after dinner, my boyfriend and I were bloated, but I simply couldn't resist.

Milk is one of those classic ice cream parlor that also serves  bake goods, sandwiches, salad and drinks. Even at night, there are still many people getting their sweet here. They have indoor sitting as well as outdoor. It is one of those where you get a little number stand after you order, and they bring you your food.

They have many different flavor of ice cream, ice cream bars and ice cream sandwiches to choose from. I could not decide so I let my boyfriend choose. He chose his favorite--mint chocolate ice cream...or as Milk calls it...the Grasshopper, which is mint chocolate chip ice cream covered in chocolate.

Grasshopper Ice Cream Sandwiches

Onto the cake! I have seen pictures of the cake, but it was nothing until I had bites of it. It was SO MOIST! It is the best moist cake I ever had! What impresses me even more was that they put just the right amount of frosting so that it was not overly sweet! This cake was beyond my imagination because as I was eating through it, bites were filled with blueberries! Oh my gosh! Moist cake plus fresh fruits! Love it! Well behind every good thing....there is also bad thing...

Blue Velvet Cake

Okay okay, this cake is too good to be true! As good as it gets going into your mouth...it's just not as good coming out. Let me warn you...they use a lot of fruit coloring...a lot! That is all. Well, don't let me scare you though, because I would definitely eat it again even though I get the "colorful" surprise after it goes down through the system.

Anyhow, I think Milk is a really nice spot enjoy lunch or dessert especially on a sunny day.

Curry House

123 S Onizuka St, Ste 204, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 620-0855
www.house-foods.com/curryhouse

Went to LA with the boyfriend for a weekend, and one thing that was on my "to eat" list was curry house! I love curry, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, etc etc. Well, I never truly had "real" Japanese curry. I had some made by a Chinese chef at a Japanese restaurant and then those that comes in a box at the grocery store.

Upon stepping into the shop, I already knew I am going to walk out smelling like fresh curry! Curry House's menu was easy to navigate, but there are so many selections! In the end, I stuck with the traditional and simple, and my boyfriend decided to order something different.

Corn Potage - creamy sweet corn soup

The Corn Potage came with my boyfriend's meal. It tasted nothing like cream of corn because it was creamy but light and watery. It wasn't heavy like New England clam chowder. Nevertheless, the corn flavor was strong.

Chicken and Ginger Curry - Extra spicy curry with ginger, chili peppers and garlic. Served with garlic spinach rice. (With a side of a croquette and hard boiled egg)

Wow oh wow! The rice was delicious! I could tell it was cook in a broth and then infused with garlic flavor...quite heavy but good. The ginger curry was very good also. I could taste the ginger but it wasn't overpowering the curry. The dish was also very spicy but I like it. The chicken was very, very tender. It was like carnitas--peeled off as you bite into it.

The croquette was one of the best I had. The batter was very crispy and the potato was very creamy.

Chicken Curry - Slowly broiled chicken leg dipped in delicious curry sauce

I ordered the Chicken Curry with brown rice. My curry was very simple. I got to choose the degree of spiciness and I chose somewhere in the middle. It was not spicy at all. They gave me a lot of curry, but not enough chicken. The curry was rich, creamy and very, very flavorful...though, it was because MSG is part of the ingredient. Even though it was good and satisfying, I left quite thirsty.

Brown Rice and House Salad

Curry House gives you a generous portion of everything! I felt like they gave me three servings of brown rice. But with curry that good, I could not stop stuffing myself. I finished it all without a doubt and any guilt. Yup, I would definitely go back when I am in town next time.

New Kapadokia

2399 Broadway St, Redwood City, CA 94063

(650) 368-5500
http://www.newkapadokia.com/

Sesame Bread with Sesame Butter

This is one of the softest bread I ever had. It was given to us warm. It was so good that I had to control myself so that I won't get full of it.

Lentil Soup Red - lentils, red pepper paste, tomato paste, mint, black pepper, cumin, garlic, and corn oil

I never had a bowl myself, but I always took spoonful from my coworers. This soup is very light, it was not heavily blended of lentils. It is also very flavorful. I could taste the cumin and garlic.

Vegetable Soup - Zuchinni, Celery Leaves, Daikon

I'd been to New Kapadokia about four times now and this was the first time that the Vegetable Soup was an option to be served with the entree. The soup was super duper tasty, light. I love how they put daikon in the soup. Although after awhile, I got super thirsty, so maybe there was a lot of salt or MSG in it.

Chicken Casserole - Vegetable Chicken Casserole - Chicken cubes, onions, tomatoes, eggplant, and pepper paste, baked in casserole and served with rice

I usually order the chicken kabob or Karniyarik, which is stuffed eggplant. They are always delicious and never failed. This time I chose something new and ordered the chicken casserole. I was a little disappointed. My casserole came lukewarm and with a piece of short hair. I asked to be reheated. The owner was super nice. He took it back in and brought it back out with a baklava. The vegetables were very light but not very tasty. The chicken was good though.

Baklava - Layers of flaky fillo dough filled with crushed walnuts, baked and brushed with a homemade simple syrup flavored with lemon

This baklava tasted like a baklava but it wasn't the best I had. The bottom layers were too moist and gooey but the top few was not. The walnut was not as gooey as expected.

Pagolac

655 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109

(415) 776-3234

Pagolac is known for their 7x7.com SF Big Eat List recommedation--7 Flavors of Beef, which is kind of like beef prepared seven different ways. The set meal is served with rice paper, side of herbs, vegetable and dipping sauce. The rice paper is used to wrap the beef and vegetables. The beef tasted great by itself as well as with the wrap. The set meal was also cheaper than I expected, just $16/ person, but must have two people.

Bo Tai Chanh - Thin Slices of Rare Beef Marinated in Lemon Juice and Chopped Mint & Peanuts

The first course was Bo Tai Chanh. The rice paper was not given yet since this dish meant to be an appetizer. The beef was very mushy and tender. The lemon juice gave it enough flavor such that it was not super sour. The mint made this a very refreshing dish.

Course two was Bo Nhung Dam, which is thin sliced rare beef meant to cook in a onion vinegar hot pot.

This was very interesting. I cooked beef in water or broth before, but vinegar? The vinegar cooked the beef very slowly so that the beef kept its tenderness. The vinegar did not make the beef sour either. This method of cooking is very light and tasty.

The next course is Bo Nuong Vi, which is marinated raw slices of beef cooked over a grill. The beef was given to you on a plate and a grill on the side. So you cook your own beef as you eat and wrap it in rice paper.

The beef is much tastier since it was grilled. Also, the oil on the grill added so much flavor, but it was too oily for me.

Bo La Lat - Grilled Beef Sausages Wrapped in Wild Pepper Leave in a Skewer, Bo Cuon Mo - Grilled Beef Wrapped Over Scallion on a Skewer, Bo Lui - Marianted BBQ Beef Skewer

This is beef flavor number four, five and six. These are too much for me. They are all grilled and cooked with tons of oil. The sausages were a bit over grilled so it was quite bitter. The sausage was quite fatty also.

The whole set ended with Chao Bo, which is Vietnamese porridge made with minced beef, green onion and cilantro. I forgot to take a picture of it since I really wanted something lighter to mellow out the grilled skewer. It was very tasty and a nice way to end the heavier dishes toward the end.

I think this was a nice one time experience but it was not something that I would travel all the way to the Tenderloin for again.