The Lotus Eaters

I can't believe The Lotus Eaters is Tatjana Soli's first book! And, what a book it is. As a daughter of Vietnamese immigrants whose parents fled their home when Saigon fell to communism, this book was especially poignant and eye-opening. It's also motivated me to start reading more about the war and understanding (as much as I can from a distance of geography and decades of life in the U.S.) what my parents faced during the war.

This book takes its readers on a journey with an aspiring, novice photo journalist, Helen, as she immerses herself into the war-torn country of Vietnam in pursuit of clues as to her brother's death. Along the way she falls in love with two men and a country she deemed as "backward" when she first arrived. Her life is transformed as she photographs the horrors, tragedies and glimpses of humanity through the lens of her camera. As a unique breed of female photojournalists, her courage and strength are beautifully juxtaposed with her unequivocal feminine vulnerability and compassion. 

You will become intimately connected with the three main characters and learn to love and hate the supporting cast throughout this story. Darrow, a seasoned and obsessed photographer causes you to admire and hate him at the same time for he can't separate his work and his love. Linh, a Vietnamese man who has survived horror one cannot begin to imagine, grows on you as you learn about him - Soli reveals his story and character layer by layer. And, of course, Helen. She is the naive photographer who grows and evolves during the decade she spends covering the war.

While I can't attest to what is true and what is fiction in The Lotus Eaters, I can commend Soli for the work, research, dedication and time she put forth in creating a story of fiction that weaves in facts and real-life events such that it was difficult to separate story from reality. There aren't many authors who can strike such an effective balance. Those who enjoy non-fiction will respect the research into making the setting, events, etc so real and those who enjoy fiction will not be disappointed by the beautiful plots woven intricately from chapter to chapter.

This is a definite must-read.

La Cumbre

For my "second dinner" my cousin, his girlfriend and I headed to La Cumbre for Mexican food. Maybe I was too full from In-N-Out earlier in the day, but I was less than enthused about the chicken enchiladas I ordered. It could also be that they put refried beans in their enchiladas and I do not like refried beans. I sampled the others' dishes as well and they were all right. After eating here and based on my dish and sampling two other ones, I'd recommend looking elsewhere for Mexican food. (The rice was pretty good though.)

Chicken Enchiladas with Rice

In-N-Out

Today was my official last day of indulging in San Francisco food. After attending a marketing summit all day I was famished and ready to treat myself. After dozens of trips to California, I decided this was finally the time to try the famed In-N-Out burger. I walked about 3/4 miles to the In-N-Out off of Millbrae (at least I got some exercise before and after!) and got markedly excited as I saw the recognized logo come into view.

The first thing that surprised me was the very limited menu. The second thing that surprised me was the "secret menu". I wouldn't have known about it had I not struck up a conversation with a local who was also waiting for his food. You can basically order your food in combinations not shown on the menu. The third thing that surprised me was seeing the calories listed next to the food items. I soon learned that it's a law in Cali for food establishments with more than 10 locations (or something like that). So, instead of the Double Double I intended to get, I opted for the regular burger and fries.

Burger and Fries

Better angle on the burger

So my verdict...In-N-Out lives up to the hype. The burger has a "just off the BBQ" taste. I love that they toast the bun. The fries are definitely unique and actually taste like real potatoes. Here's the deal though, it's not the best burger I've ever had. HOWEVER, in the context of fast food, yes, it's among the best! That being said though I wasn't impressed with the length of time it took to get my food. It took nearly 15 minutes from the time I ordered to the time I got my food. I'd expect this of a casual sit-down place, but I do think In-N-Out is considered fast food and I just don't think it was very fast. Good thing I had downtime and nowhere else to be or I would've quickly become frustrated and exasperated.  The staff, however, did compensate for the wait. The staff at the Millbrae location was fun and very attentive. It's definitely a burger worth trying!

Pass the Poo!

You'll have to read on to understand the title of this post!

As if I didn't already have enough to eat, we ended yesterday with dinner at Marnee Thai Restaurant. From the authentically styled interior - it reminded me of eating at some of the local eateries when I worked in Korat, Thailand - to the clothing of the staff, it was a fun dining experience. Having tried many, many Thai restaurants and eating at restaurants in Bangkok and Korat, Thailand I am a good judge of authentic Thai dishes. Marnee has some of the best Thai food I've ever had. If you like Thai food you should definitely eat here if you're in the Bay Area. The best part of Marnee Thai Restaurant is the older lady who asks as hostess, as well as server. Unfortunately the restaurant was busy enough that we weren't able to have a conversation with her, but she is quite the character. With a signature limp and boisterous voice, we enjoyed listening to her give instructions to the staff back in the kitchen loudly, as well as make judgments about and tell the future of her customers based on how her customers were speaking and interacting with her. It was all very amusing and accentuated the unique experience of dining at Marnee Thai. 

A new dish for me was the Chan Pad Poo (yes, the tongue-in-cheek title of this post). According to the menu it's "spicy fried rice stick noodles sauteed with crab meat, egg and green onions". It was delicious! Here are the dishes that made up our meal and led me to loosening my belt (gasp!).

Deep fried tofu

Pan-seared Sea Bass with Fresh Garlic and Black Pepper Sauce

Kang Ka Ree Curry (they ran out of Mussaman which is my favorite Thai curry)

A new favorite - Chan Pad Poo (Pass the Poo!)

Tony's Pizza Napoletana & Naia

I was able to enjoy Tony's Pizza Napoletana yesterday. My cousin suggested it because he knows how much I love Pizzeria Lola back home in Minnesota and said that Tony's would blow my mind. Well, he was right. Similar to Lola, I enjoyed Tony's because of the unique types of pizzas available and because of their fresh spin on classic pizzas. I am not sure how Tony's does it, but I did especially enjoy the slightly crisp crunch to the crust. That was a stand-out characteristic for a thin pizza in my opinion. It was great texture, but also helped in holding up the toppings which were all fairly weighty.

The one thing that did surprise me was the price. The pizza at Lola back home range from $10-16. The pizzas from Tony's range from $15-$25 for a pizza with similar diameters. It must be the mark up of being in California and maybe because the ingredients are imported. Still, it was definitely worth it.

The following pizza is the Quail egg, White Rose Potato, and Guanciale. It was a very rich and satisfying pizza - definitely a flavor I've never had. The Guanciale was particularly crunchy and delicious.

The other pizza we had was the Calabrese and Quince. The Calabrese sausage is homemade, the cheese is monterey pepper jack, and there were spicy peppers on there too - can't remember what they were called. This was what I'd call a fresh take on "sausage pizza".  We were told to squeeze the orange wedge to enhance the flavors. I don't know if that's what did it, but I loved it!

Even though I was quite full, I didn't refuse when my cousin suggested we stop by a gelato hot spot, Naia. I prefer traditional flavors when it comes to ice cream and gelato so I go the TCHO chocolate. TCHO, by the way, is New American Chocolate - created and made in San Francisco, CA. It was absolutely delicious. This particular flavor served by Naia is collaboration at its finest by two local companies. Naia's gelato is made from scratch and uses ingredients from the Bay Area.

The Butler and the Chef

My final day of fun in San Francisco continued with a new restaurant. This morning's brunch took us to The Butler and the Chef - a mere few blocks from my cousin's place. We got there right before it opened at 10am. Surprisingly there were already people waiting outside so we promptly put our name on the list. Soon after opening we were seated. It's a smaller restaurant, styled after a French cafe/bistro. I can't really say if that's true as I haven't been to France (yet), but there were smaller cafe-style tables, an espresso bar and much of the menu was in French, so it's a fair guess. You can't miss this place as it has a cute and sunny facade.

The Butler and the Chef - people waiting already before it even opened

There were plenty of options ranging from Belgian waffles to crepes to eggs benedict. We opted to share the chicken crepes, the french toast and eggs benedict with ham. Here's my take on each dish.

Eggs Benedict with Ham

I've never actually tried Eggs Benedict b/c the poached egg always looked funny to me and for some unknown and unfair reason I've always thought I wouldn't like Hollandaise sauce - unfair because I've actually never tried it prior to today. Anyway, I gave it a whirl and I didn't particularly care for this dish. My cousin, however, enjoyed it immensely. I'm guessing I must enjoy poached eggs and hollandaise sauce to really enjoy this dish. So, my opinion really doesn't carry weight on this one because I have no fair comparison and since it wasn't particularly palatable for me, I can't really judge it. I did, however, enjoy the salad that came on the side. It was tossed in a nice and light vinaigrette. 

Note: This photo was taken after my cousin was nearly finished with the first half of this dish.

Chicken Crepes

Another dish we shared was the Chicken Crepes. The crepe itself was yummy and I enjoyed that, but once again, I can't really provide a fair opinion on this dish either. First, I've never had a crepe that didn't have fruit inside of it. I didn't know crepes were eaten as anything other than dessert. Clearly, I've been very ignorant regarding this particular French food. Anyway, I don't particularly like the flavor of dijon mustard, but thought it'd be okay. Turns out the flavor of dijon was too overpowering for me. I had a few bites and was done with that. Luckily my cousin's girlfriend thoroughly enjoyed this dish. It was her favorite of the three.

Chicken crepes with a side of spinach salad

French Toast

Finally, the third dish was good ol' French Toast. As it would turn out, this was MY favorite dish. The bread was thick, soft and eggy, but it wasn't mushy - the consistency was perfect. Just a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, a nice vanilla flavor within and syrup on the side made this a delectable Sunday brunch treat.

Delicious and generous sized portion of yummy French Toast

King of Dumpling

Yesterday my exploration of food in San Francisco continued to King of Dumpling. These were some of the best Chinese dumplings I've ever had. The soup dumplings were among my favorite, especially the Shanghai pan-fried dumplings. The restaurant is small and seats about only 25 people max. They don't take reservations and based on what my cousins have told me, dining there during off-peak times is the way to go if you don't want to wait. King of Dumpling isn't big enough to accommodate a waiting area, so you'd be waiting outside or in the midst of people's tables. 

The price can't be beat. I've eaten at several dim sum restaurants that serve similar morsels of deliciousness, but at much higher prices. The prices are very reasonable at King of Dumpling. Four of us dined there and had the following for a total of $50 including a generous 20% tip (generous because besides taking orders and dropping off food, the wait staff didn't top off our waters or really do anything else - hopefully the tips will be shared with the cooking staff who truly make this hole-in-the-wall stand out). Click this link to see the King of Dumpling Menu.

We filled up on Pork Dumplings with Corn (you get 12 of them - imagine the size of a typical pot sticker), Sesame Pancakes with Marinated Beef (left), Shanghai Pan-Fried Dumplings (middle) - we had two orders, Beef Stew Soup Noodle (one bowl), and regular Soup Dumplings (right). I've got a pretty healthy appetite, but after eating I was full and am still fairly full this morning as I write this. If I had to choose my favorite dumpling from the ones we sampled, hands down, I enjoyed the Shanghai Pan-Fried Soup dumplings. 

 

           

The Other White Meat

My cousin and I walked to the Ferry Building in an area known as "SOMA" to those who live in San Francisco. Amidst the Farmers Market just outside the building, we enjoyed a delicious late-breakfast consisting of a porchetta sandwich from a food truck called RoliRoti. It is what I would call "gourmet rotisserie"- in a truck. 

The porchetta was flavorful and juicy - definitely a great pork product - right up there with bacon and pancetta! Mixed with caramelized onions, topped with bits of crispy pork skin and arugula (I think that was the green stuff in there) and encased between a soft roll - this sandwich exceeded my expectations! The line was long, but it was worth the wait which wasn't too bad because the service was fast and efficient. 

Once again...incredible food from a food truck. I sure hope more unique food trucks start popping around the St. Paul/Minneapolis area because I will be one of the first in line when we get food like this. Right now my favorite food truck in Minneapolis is the Smack Shack. If you know of other ones you'd recommend or rave over, let me know!

Check back as I continue eating my way through San Francisco!

Off the Grid - San Francisco

I am currently in San Francisco - a combination of work and fun. My cousin, who lives out here, took me to an event called Off the Grid - San Francisco. It is basically a gathering of a whole lotta food trucks featuring dishes from around the world (Peruvian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, Mexican, etc) gathered in one location and accentuated by live music and many people attending. It was easy to spot the favorite food trucks because the lines were quite long. However, there wasn't one line that I stood in that disappointed once I my order was served up. The few items I was able to sample were all delicious.

The one food item I'd like to highlight came from Koja Kitchen. I had the Korean Short Rib Koja - at least I think that's what it was called. It was absolutely divine! Take flavorful Korean short ribs, add in just a bit of lettuce, put that between two "rice buns" and you have one of the most inventive "burgers" I've ever tried. The short ribs were flavorful. The sesame seeds added just a hint of its flavor. By far and large, I loved the idea of the buns made out of rice. If you've ever made rice and have eaten the stuff at the bottom that sometimes sticks to the pan, that's what it's like - rice with a bit of crunch to it. In one word, if you get out here (or anywhere else where there's a Koja Kitchen truck) you've gotta try it!