This and that around the Bay Area

Aside from planning out reservations for new restaurants, nostalgic bites, spontaneous eats and recommendations from locals and friends fill the rest of my eating and drinking time in the Bay Area.

My trips back to the San Francisco area always satisfy my cravings for contemporary American bar food, Mexican fare, and Northern Californian wines and beers.  From dishes I used to have as a grade school kid to new discoveries, it all tastes like home away from home these days.

Fish and Chips at Bourbon Pub
Petrale sole, salt and vinegar tots, tartar sauce

Weekend eats in Singapore

Back in Singapore for another weekend getaway.  This time around I was introducing the city to a couple of my closest friends.  We stayed at my friend's hotel in the Central Business District, the Westin Hotel, as she was in town for work.  It's a quieter area to stay, but like almost everything in Singapore, it's clean and safe.

CBD is walking distance to Chinatown and the Marina Bay areas.  Over the course of the weekend, we enjoyed bites all around the districts of the city - Marina Bay, Clarke Quay, Chinatown, and Orchard Road - the usual areas that first timers should check out.  We tasted a mix of local and Western dishes.  Tiger beers, chicken wings, chili crabs, and oyster omelettes for the local side; and fries, pizzas, and wine for the Western side of the plate (more on that in my next posts).  For now, here are some of the local bites and neighborhood treats from the weekend.

Friday afternoon beer

And even more of Hong Kong

As I've been reminiscing about my Hong Kong trip, I found myself missing the city again.  So... I just came back from a short weekend getaway.  Yes, I know, I really can't get enough of Hong Kong.

This time around, it was a relaxed leisurely trip to enjoy the city, the eating, and the shopping (even though I didn't actually buy anything - which still feels so weird).  For part of the leisurely feel of the trip, we enjoyed getting up to room service.  Mandarin Oriental's the Statue Square view provides such a breathtaking way to start each day watching the weekend and weekday crowds bustle around Central.

Staying at the Mandarin allows us to readily eat at the hotel's restaurants.  In our past trips, we've dined at Man Wah and Pierre.  This time around it, we felt like taking things more casual.  Cafe Causette is a perfect place for a quality, yet relaxed meal at any time of the day.  Local publications recently awarded this establishment with the "Best Hotel Burger".  After dining at the restaurant for lunch and dinner, with a classic burger for each meal, I can conclude it is a satisfying burger.  They do, however, need to work on the consistency.  At lunch, the simplicity and minimalism made a clean burger with the intense quality of beef shine.  At dinner, the lettuce and mayonnaise were slathered on too much and made for a messier burger experience.

Hong Kong has been all over the international news these past weeks and months.  It was fascinating to see how protestors are still affecting the city.  The partial closure of Connaught Road is surprising to see in person.  It's such a significant road and protestors are successfully redirecting major traffic.

In other current event news, we also witnessed the ceremony of Remembrance Day, also known as Poppy Day.  While no longer an official city holiday since 1997, it was nice to see how the history of British culture is still alive in the island.

Room service with a view

A classic burger, paired with red wine

Can't get enough of Hong Kong

I have come to love Hong Kong because of my mom who summered with her family in the Central district as a child.  Central is really where it's at.  You still feel British Hong Kong, and I love that.  It has culture, discipline, high fashion, great foods, and a true modern metropolitan city feel.

Visiting the city for these many years, we have a certain set of traditions or routines each time we come back: staying at the same hotel, having a Chinese feast, enjoying tapas, and trying out new establishments from international chefs.

Staying at the Mandarin Oriental is a true privilege.  The cleanliness, the service, the attention to detail - it all lives up to its reputation here in Hong Kong.  A benefit in staying at this hotel is the restaurants just upstairs.  The Man Wah has become one of our favorite Chinese restaurants in the city.  They have it all - attentive service, artful presentation, quality, and taste.

On the hotel's mezzanine floor of restaurants, Cafe Causette has a generous list of breakfast items perfect for a weekend brunch.  I'm a fan of corned beef hash, and theirs blew me away.  The plating, the quality of the beef itself and how it all tasted together was just the best I've encountered so far.  There is so much quality and finesse in it.

Across the harbour (via Star Ferry which is a fantastic way to go to Kowloon), Gateway Arcade in Harbour City has a great variety of restaurants.  Our family favorite is Sergi Arola's Vi Cool.  I can't get enough of the tapas and pitchers of sangrias.

Another international chef that has been a long stay in Hong Kong, Joel Robuchon, has recently expanded several outlets of his cafes across the city.  Le Cafe de Joel Robuchon in Gateway is a good place for dessert or for afternoon tea.

Hong Kong is really about the eating.  And I can't wait to go back for more.

View of the harbour
Mandarin Oriental Hotel

Vacation time in Thailand at the Indigo Pearl Phuket

It's time for another beach getaway!  This time I was in the mood for South East Asia, staying away from crowds, and a guarantee of excellent food.  Destination: Thailand!

There are countless beach resorts all around the country.  After days and weeks of research, my best friend and I finally decided on Phuket.  It has an international airport and our desired resort is just mere minutes away.  Convenient, private, and luxurious - that is what makes for a relaxing vacation.

Indigo Pearl Phuket  is a private resort along the Nai Yang beach in Phuket.  While it is just 5-10 minutes away from the airport, you are tucked away from pollution, crowds, and commercialism.  The resort is set in an industrial chic theme amidst the lush greenery of nature.  The architecture and decoration pays tribute to Phuket's history of tin mining and rubber plantation.

All rooms in the resort are suites.  The base room, the Premium Pearl Bed Suite which we stayed in, is so spacious - especially if you enjoy bathroom space.  The room is modern and warm which feels great coming back to the room after a day under the sun.  And it's even better waking up to the lush views of the resort's greenery.

In the mornings you are treated to the daily breakfast buffet.  It consists of the usual Western selections of eggs, bacon, etc., Chinese dim sum, fruits, breads and pastries, cold cuts, and so on.  There is also a station for freshly made pancakes, waffles, and donuts.  The best part of the morning buffet was the Thai dishes that changed every day.  Curries, braised pork, chicken wings, and freshly made noodles.  That was the most memorable part of every morning.

We stayed in Phuket for 4 nights, so we made the most of the resort by checking out each of the pools and bars.  There are 3 pools around the property.  A main pool for all ages, a quieter and smaller pool for a retreat, and the best pool - with a pool bar and happy hour.  It was hilarious how every afternoon at 4pm sharp, all the habitants of the pool lounges jumped in the water for an afternoon beverage.  Also, you are treated to ice cold waters, fruit sticks, and cold towels to cool down throughout the day.  It soo nice to be pampered.

In the next posts, I'll be sharing photos and stories from the beach and the beach food, as well as our most excellent eating at the resort's gorgeous Thai restaurant.

Premium Pearl Bed Suite

Balcony 1 of 2

Eating way too well on a beach vacation

Amun Ini Resort & Spa has it all. And by “has it all” I mean they have that pristine private beach, five star resort service, AND five star quality food!

The main focus of all my travels, and for this blog, is my food focused adventures.

Usually on beach vacations, I worry that I shouldn’t eat too much. I may love food, but I gotta take pictures in my bikini! Let me tell you, it’s an on-going battle every day and every trip to eat well while staying healthy and in shape (Check out my Healthy at Home recipes to see how I balance eating well and eating healthy).

After one meal of a mere soup and salad (a delicious soup and salad, no less), I indulged on the menus’ carbs, fatty proteins, and sweets. And, wow, was it worth it and memorable. I’m still salivating over the tempura sweetbreads, beef cheeks, uni risotto, and coconut griddle cakes!

If you can't see the slideshow here, check out my Flickr album: Bohol Food

Cooking at Home

Between trips, I tend to become a homebody and really enjoying staying in and eating at home.  That allows me to occasionally try out recipes and flavor combinations that spontaneously pop in my head.  I don't really cook line by line with recipes.  I read cooking books, food articles, and blogs for ideas.  And then, I use them as a base and inspiration for my own recipe.  I get this idea in my head and flavors on the tip of my palate, and I use whatever we have in the fridge, freezer, and pantry to execute the vision.  It's like I've made myself my own cooking challenge/game.

Here are some dishes that my family and I have whipped up in the past few weeks.  Breakfast, lunch, and dinners; and mostly Asian-inspired.
Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

If you can't see the slide show here, check out my Flickr album: At Home

Brunch in Salcedo Village

There are some mornings when I wake up, and I'm just craving for brunch. That mix of sweet and savory can deliciously fill you up until dinner. After a brief online search of "brunch" in "Makati" I found a quaint little neighborhood restaurant in Salcedo Village.

Apartment 1B is located on the ground floor of a neighborhood condo. It's a small 2 story restaurant. The decor reminded me of homey afternoon tea houses in the states. For the complete brunch feel, we ordered a savory dish (Eggs Benedict) and a sweet dish (Belgian Waffles). If you're in the area, or if you're in the mood for a neighborhood restaurant with a continental spread, this is a good place to try out.


Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Apartment 1B

Early Morning Breakfast

One thing I can expect after every cross-Pacific flight...jetlag. This time around my jetlag had me in bed before 10pm and up by 5 or 6am (which may seem normal for some people, but I prefer sleeping a bit later and waking up an hour or two later as well). And each time I woke up, I was so ready for breakfast.

After an early 7am mass (which was the first time I was so awake and alert for a mass that early), my parents and I enjoyed a Sunday morning breakfast. Usually, our Sunday routine is brunch past 1pm. Going out to breakfast this early was actually quite enjoyable. There's no traffic, the crowds aren't hitting the malls yet, and the early morning breeze is still refreshing.

We had our first meal of the day at the only place that seemed to be open before 9am at Greenbelt mall, Museum Cafe. We opted for the a la carte menu and not their Sunday buffet selections. It was pretty enjoyable, although the service was a bit lacking.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about the pictures.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

Easter Brunch at Home

Easter! One of my favorite holidays of the year. It's the best religious day of the year, it's my mark for the start of the sunny yet cool spring time, and it's family day.

Family meals at home range from simple and casual to "party foods." In all cases, they are home cooked meals that feel like we're eating out at a restaurant with the comfort of eating at home.

Our Easter meal was simple, yet it still had the celebration feel to it. All in all, another great meal with the family.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

Brunch at Heirloom in New Haven

There are some Sundays and holidays when you wake up and just crave for brunch. In our family, brunch is usually at least past 11:30am and most often past 12:30pm. New Year's Day is one of those perfect days for a brunch. So with the family together, we gathered at our hotel restaurant in New Haven.

Heirloom is the restaurant at The Study at Yale Hotel. It serves local ingredients from local Connecticut farms. The food is good and fresh but the service could be better. At times it felt very lacking and flaky. As much as I emphasis quality ingredients, I also feel the need to constantly stress that service is the key factor that brings back customers.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read a little more about each of the food photos.

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Mmm, Doughnuts

One of my favorite childhood school treats are doughnuts. After altar serving weekday morning masses.. Celebrating grade school classmates birthdays.. A drive through the first Krispy Kreme in the area.. All great memories of a warm, soft, tender sweet doughnut. Homer Simpson really did say it best.

I love specialty food shops that focus on perfecting one thing. At Doughnut Plant, they do doughnuts really well. Their yeast doughnuts are so tender and chewy, and satisfying. If I didn't have to rush back uptown for Christmas Eve mass, I could have lined up again to eat a few more doughnuts.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read a little more about each picture.

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Breakfast Buffet

I'm not much of a buffet fan. It's just too much food. And in many cases, too much mediocre food. However, I have visited my fair share of hotel buffets around the world. The Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok is the place to beat so far. They have such an amazing spread of Thai food. All authentic, fresh, and delicious. The Wynn brunch buffet also has some great mini Belgian waffles.

Breakfast at the Kitchen in the W Hotel in Kowloon. Since I had flown straight from San Francisco in Hong Kong, I would wake up by 6am because of jetlag. Our first meal was usually an early lunch just before noon. So by the second day, I knew that I should have a decent breakfast. Wow, it was more than decent - it was a feast! I think I was full for two days because of this buffet. The food was pretty good, but the display and variety made it taste even better. I think if I went back, I would drink more of the juices.

(Note: It was 7am, and I'm not a morning person. So I left my camera up in the hotel room, but at least I had my iPhone on me.)

The View of the Harbor

Fresh Juice Station
This was the best part of the buffet! Freshly squeeze juices and bottled for this beautiful display. I think I had about three bottles - kiwi, guava, and orange juices.

Cold Cuts and Yogurt Stations

Smoothie, Fruit, and Cereal Station

Chinese Station
With Dim Sum, Noodles, Fried Rice, and Congee (Rice Porridge) with its toppings.

Western Station
Sausage, Bacon, Waffles, Pancakes.

Egg Station
Freshly made eggs any way you'd like it to be cooked.

Bread & Pastry Station

A Closer Look at the Petite Pastries

The Cute Salt & Pepper Shakers
At our table.

Little Bite
A spoon of tofu, tomato, and chive in soy sauce. A nice little spoonful which they were passing around.

Plate #1
Chinese Breakfast. Congee, Rice Noodles, Dim Sum Dumplings.

Plate #2
Western Breakfast. Waffle, Pancake, Sausage, Bacon, Jamon, Smoked Salmon, Eel, and a Fishcake Slider.

Plate #3
Pastries. Corn Bread (bread with savory cream corn in the middle), Almond Cookie, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Raspberry Madeleine, Blueberry Puff, Sugar Donut, Chocolate-Cream Filled Donut, and a French Toast. Fun little pastries, but a bit on the dry side because they've been sitting out all morning.

Plate #4
Fruit Plate...well, and meat and cookies plate, too...Papaya, Jamon, Almond Cookie, and a Banana Mint Yogurt Smoothie.
I can't believe I got past Plate #2, but I had this urge to keep going.

Eating In

To balance all my travels and eating out, I try my best to cook fresh meals at home whenever I can. Plus, cooking or eating my parents' home cooked meals is sometimes even better than going out.

Sukiyaki Night
New Beer Mug
Straight from Chiang Mai. My dad and I bought celadon mugs to enjoy our cold beers.

Sukiyaki
With thinly sliced beef, shitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, leeks, onions, tofu, and shirataki noodles.

The Plated Meal
With a bowl of steamed rice and a raw egg for dipping.

Vegetarian Night
Steamed Lapu Lapu
With mushrooms, leeks, ginger, and garlic.

Raw Vegetables
Fresh cucumbers, red peppers and green peppers.

Kamias Chutney
For this meal, we used it as our dipping sauce for the vegetables.

Breakfast for Dinner Night
We had two courses of breakfast for dinner. Longanisa and Steak. Yum!
Garlic Rice

Fried Egg

Longanisa
Filipino breakfast sausage. This particular batch of longanisa came from Santis Deli. It wasn't over-seasoned and had a clean taste.

The Plated Meal

Sauteed Corn
Fresh from the cob with onions, tomatoes, pancetta, and cilantro.

The Steak

Onion Sauce
The dipping sauce for the steak.

The Plated Meal
Garlic Rice, Fried Egg, Corn, and the perfectly cooked Steak.

"The Best Scrambled Eggs"

My brother once told me a few years ago that if you can cook an egg well, you can cook anything well. I took that to heart and ask him his techniques with cooking eggs. After reading Jean-Georges Vongerichten's cookbook, he learned a recipe for "The Best Scrambled Eggs." Since then, scrambled eggs has become my best dish.

The recipe calls for no milk, just butter and seasonings. The technique is to constantly stir it and to watch the heat. The result: The creamiest scrambled eggs. Delicious!

New Year's Brunch

We went out to brunch to celebrate the New Year and my brother's birthday. I've been curious about Kerry Simon's surf and turf tacos. Unfortunately, it's not on their brunch menu, but their brunch menu looked good so we tried it out.
The Inside
It's by the pool, so the windows are from floor to ceiling.

The Bar
Complete with a Bloody Mary Bar. They make the basic mix, then you get to add your spices and condiments.
The guy on the left is a waiter. Their brunch is themed, Pajama Brunch.

The Menu

Pancakes
Fluffy and generous!

French Toast
Brioche crusted with frosted flakes

Waffles and Chicken
The chicken was a tasty chicken tender. The waffles could have been better in terms of taste and crisp.

BBQ Ribs
Tasty little slap with a nice jalapeno corn muffin.

Breakfast!

After I returned my car to the dealership on a Saturday monring, my friend picked me up and eagerly took me to this breakfast place. The interior was so fun, and the food was tasty.

Scrambl'z, San Jose
The Inside

Chicken Apple Sausage Scramble
With onions and goat cheese and campfire potatoes. Such a hearty place. The ingredients tasted nice and fresh.

Pancakes
My scramble plate came with a side of pancakes. Breakfast was so filling. These pancakes were really tasty - fluffy and flavorful.

Champorado and Dilis

More Filipino food! Champorado is a chocolate rice porridge. It is eaten with Dilis, fried anchovies. The contrast of taste and texture is delicious. I remember enjoying this dish during Sunday lunches. It's another dish that brings me back to my childhood.

Disneyland Weekend!

I went to Disneyland this past weekend to celebrate one of my friend’s Quarter Century.  It was the best weekend!  And, of course, we had some memorable meals.

Portillos, Buena Park
Located about 10 minutes (without LA traffic) away from Disneyland.  I rarely have fast food these days, but this is one of those places where I can justify a splurge since it’s something I have about once a year.

Beef & Cheddar Croissant
This is one of their signature sandwiches.  Italian beef with cheddar cheese and pickled jalapenos in a croissant.  Tasty!

Italian Sausage
With Sweet Peppers in a French Roll.  I love that the roll was light and crispy.  Another great sandwich!

Unfortunately, my pictures of the Cheese Fries and Onions Rings didn’t come out.  If you come here, you have to get those.  If you choose one, get the Cheese Fries!

Disneyland, Anaheim
I try not to eat too much while at the park because of the prices and because it’s not entirely healthy.  There are some must-eats at the park, though.

Chimichanga
This is at the same stand as the Turkey Legs (near the Small World ride).  If you’re starving, go for the Turkey Legs.  Otherwise, this Chimichanga  was pretty awesome.  Crispy and flaky on the outside, and goodness on the inside.

Dole Whip Float
While it’s hot out and you need a drink to cool down, this is an absolute must.  It’s around the corner from the Indiana Jones ride.

Steakhouse 55, Anaheim
The birthday dinner!  25 at 55!  This place is located in the Disneyland Hotel.  The dress code says casual, but the interior is nicely corrected.  It felt weird being park-casual here.  Nonetheless, it was a fun meal.  I ordered the Prix Fixe Menu.

The Menu 

The Inside

The Wine Pairing
For a refreshing start and to pair with my salad, first ordered a 2005 Riesling from the Mosel region.  Mosel’s have yet to fail me.

To pair with my steak, I ordered a 2006 Tempranillo.  It was okay.  It tasted really young, and it still needed plenty of time to air out.

Caesar Salad
With Croutons, Parmesan Crisps, and an Olive Tapenade.  Fresh and crispy romaine with a nice mild coat of dressing.  It was great to have a salad after the previous night’s dinner.

Petite New York Steak
5 oz. NY Steak with garlic mashed potatoes.  I ordered it Medium Rare, and as I expected, it came out medium.  It was a pretty good cut of steak, but it didn’t entirely impress me.  The potatoes were delicious and smooth, though.

Fig Tart
This was pretty good, but it felt overwhelming.  The fresh figs were nice, but the crust was a bit too thick.  But it was nice to have fruits to end the meat.

The Original Pancake House, Anaheim
For breakfast we went to grab some breakfast.  This place was pretty cool and I’m interested in trying out it’s Bay Area locations.

Dutch Baby
It’s basically a mini German pancake.  Or, like a flattened popover.  In any case, this was the first time I ordered this at a restaurant.  I’ve only eaten my brother’s version.  I still prefer my brother’s.  This wasn’t as crispy on the edges.  It was still tasty, though, especially topped with lemon and powdered sugar.

Corned Beef Hash
I got this as a side order.  This was a pretty good plate!  Nicely cooked and mashed up with the potatoes.  It was a good take on corned beef hash. 

Overall, the weekend was a successful foodie adventure with Portillos, Dole Whip Floats, Steak, and Breakfast!!