I was a little bit skeptical as this was my first foray into the dark world of charcoal. I first heard about this festival on Facebook. Cost for entry was about $12+ (including fees). These fees didn’t cover any food and drink costs. Many local vendors were offering their take on charcoal-activated goodies.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with all of the food I tried. Everything was tasty, and some of the products did have a distinct charcoal flavor, some more than others.

WOOD-FIRED CHARCOAL-CRUST PIZZA (from Firetrail Pizza

I tried the Margherita pizza option with a charcoal crust. This pizza was my favorite out of all the things I tried while at the festival. The pizza was thin, and the crust was really yummy. The coating did have a slightly earthy flavor than a traditional pizza crust would have. The overall taste and quality of the pizza were really delectable. The sauce wasn’t too sour or sweet, and the smatterings of basil and my addition of red pepper flakes (love!) were perfect.

BRAISED OCTOPUS PASTA (from Sip N’ Slurp)

The ingredients in this pasta included charcoal, garlic, and white wine cream sauce. The octopus was tender (as they should be), and the sauce was very creamy and had an excellent buttery taste. The noodles were cooked perfectly. You couldn’t really taste the charcoal in this dish, however. However, all the flavors and textures worked to make this a delicious choice.

CHARCOAL-ACTIVATED OJ (from Black Magic Beverage)

This orange juice was refreshing, but I couldn’t really taste the charcoal in this drink. The drink was just a fresh option on a hot day.

CHARCOAL DOLE WHIP (from Trader Jim’s)

This charcoal dole whip tasted like every other dole whip I’ve ever tried. Good pineapple flavor, but decided to add a little extra kick with some pepper flakes on top. I couldn’t really taste the charcoal flavor, but this treat was a great refreshing treat to stave off the heat at the moment. I probably would have added more of the spice, though, as I couldn’t taste the heat.

BLACK AND WHITE CHARCOAL PASTRY PUFFS (from Choux SF)

Unfortunately, these goodies melted before I could take an excellent picture of them. (insert sad face here)
I tried the following:
-Charcoal Earl-Grey Chocolate: a hint of earl-grey flavor.
-Vanilla Charcoal Marble: not too sweet and tasty cream cheese bit on top and nice light filling inside.
-Charcoal Brownie: you could really taste the charcoal included in this brownie. Out of all the foods I tried, this tasted most like charcoal. The brownie was really moist and not too sweet.
-Marble Black and White Cheesecake: not overly sweet and had a delicious cheesecake flavor.

The festival had tons of other food choices including charcoal dumplings & egg tarts, charcoal-activated lemonade & sangria, charcoal-battered corndogs, and charcoal-crusted quiches to name some other food items. All in all, I thought this festival was a cool stop to check-out the charcoal food craze.

BUSINESS INFO:
SoMa StrEat Food Park
428 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
http://www.somastreatfoodpark.com/

There are always some great upcoming events, so check out their upcoming schedule here.

To learn more about me, you can go here.

For another one of my great San Francisco recommendations, go here.

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What can I say about this bakery? I have consistently frequented this establishment for a long time now, and the wide selection of baked goods keep me coming back again and again. The friendly service and welcoming atmosphere also help, as well!

This favorite bakery located in the Clement Street area of San Francisco is known as a “little Chinatown.” There is an assortment of Chinese bakeries and restaurants coupled with Vietnamese, Korean, and other businesses. The bakery always has a nice flow of locals frequenting, and during the holidays it’s pure chaos. People love ordering cakes and desserts from here during this time.

SWEDISH PRINCESS CAKE

The Swedish princess cake is a classic. The first recipe for this type of cake originated in 1948.

The cake from Schubert’s is divine. It includes layers of white cake, raspberry filling, and kirsch(brandy) custard filling. It also includes whipped cream and marzipan icing on top.

The cake is slightly sweet and the layers of cake and raspberry and wonderful marzipan delight the palette. The flavors work so well in this light and airy cake.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE

I am a die-hard chocolate lover. I love anything chocolate, and this cake is a chocolate aficionado’s dream and one of my favorite baked goods.

This cake includes layers of sponge chocolate cake and filling. It contains bittersweet chocolate shavings throughout and the cute little Schubert chocolate embellishments on the top. The cake IS dense, but not overly sweet. This chocolaty dessert is has a beautiful chocolate flavor throughout and will satisfy even the most discerning of chocoholics.

MINI-BERRY TARTS

The berry tarts are delicious. They’re topped with fresh fruit of the season and include a rum custard filling and shortbread cookie crust.

You can order either this tart or the one with fresh fruit. The fresh fruit one can include mango, kiwi or other types of fruit.

The custard filling is, and you can taste the hint of rum infused throughout it. The mixture isn’t overpowering, but perfect.

WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY MOUSSE

This cake slice includes sponge cake intertwined with raspberry mousse and white and strawberry chocolate shavings on top.

The cake and mousse are very airy, and the shavings on top make an excellent accompaniment. However, I felt the raspberry flavor on top was a tad bit sour for my taste.

I have tried many other types of cakes and dessert slices here. I highly recommend the following:

-Strawberry Shortcake: deliciously light and airy with beautiful strawberry and whipped cream. This cake is perfect for the summer.

-Chocolate mousse with whipped cream: This cake is heavenly with chocolate everything. It includes chocolate mousse, shavings, and cake. It’s decadent, chocolaty and one of my favorite choices.

-Mango mousse: Sponge cake with mango mousse and glaze. Light, airy, and this item has lovely mango flavor. This dessert is also one of my favorite cakes.

Pricing for cakes cost an average of about $25 and up. Dessert slices average about $5 each. Parking is typically tricky in this area, so plan accordingly.

If you want consistently great baked goods, check this place out.

BUSINESS INFORMATION:
Schubert’s Bakery
521 Clement St-between 6th and 7th Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94118

Hours of Operation:
Open 7 Days a Week
Monday to Friday 7 am to 6:30 pm
Saturday 7 am to 6 pm and
Sunday 9 am to 4 pm

To learn more about me, please check out my about me page. For a related post about excellent baked goods, please go here.

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I recently tried Cambodian food for the first time at Phnom Penh restaurant in Oakland. The restaurant located off MacArthur Blvd and the area host many cool little stores and eateries. The restaurant initially was located in Oakland’s Chinatown, but now has a permanent fixture in Oakland. They also have another location situated in Alameda; however, I have only been to the Oakland location.

There aren’t a ton of Cambodian restaurants around this area, but this restaurant is a great find as the restaurant is very welcoming, family run, and the food is excellent. You will find some traditional Cambodian dishes here.

On my last visit, I ordered the deep fried calamari and Hamok Trei. Both dishes are equally delicious.

DEEP FRIED CALAMARI:

This dish consisted of deep fried calamari in butter mixed with black pepper and served with a sweet chili sauce (most likely Mae Ploy sauce). This sauce is an excellent accompaniment to fried foods like spring rolls, fried chicken, or other appetizers.

This appetizer is great. The batter is light, and the calamari is tender and not overly chewy. I’ve had calamari at other restaurants where the squid was horrendously non-edible. Once you bite into each piece, they’re very crispy, and the batter doesn’t fall off. (I hate it when that happens to my food!)

HAMOK TREI

Hamok trei (Amok trey) or Cambodian steamed fish is considered the national dish of Cambodia.

This dish is very flavorful and includes sliced fish cooked with coconut juice, lemongrass, then wrapped and steamed. The meal I had included catfish, but I believe different types of fish can be incorporated here.

The fish comes in a little pot that looks similar to a small clay pot used to retain the heat of the food. When you dig into this, the top layer has a nice “crust,” and when you dig even further, you find flaky and tender fish with a soup-like base and vegetables (I don’t recall what type of veggies, but they were delicious as well).

The dish has a robust flavor but is not overwhelming, and all the flavors incorporate richly. It’s filling, satisfying, and accompanied with rice makes for a very comforting dish.

The restaurant has many other great dishes including curries, seafood, and grilled meats, and vegetarian options. I’ve tried roasted pork or (Sach Chhrouk Ann Kreun) on a previous occasion, and the pork was outstanding. The meat has a great char-grilled flavor and is exceptionally tender and mouthwatering. The meat had the right amount of fat without going overboard.

Prices for each dish are very reasonable, and service is always friendly and welcoming. If you’re in the area and craving a cuisine you’ve never tried before, check this place out, you won’t regret it.

BUSINESS INFORMATION: (Two Locations)

Phnom Penh Restaurant

Laurel Business District

3912 MacArthur Boulevard Oakland, CA 94619

AND

Webster Business District

1514 Webster Street Alameda, CA 94501

To learn more about me, you can go here.

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This local spot is in the Inner Richmond District of San Francisco and is close to Golden Gate Park (if you haven’t visited this park, add it to your list of stuff do when you visit). My neighborhood has Chinese-American influences predominantly. There are a lot of Chinese restaurants and markets in this area. However, this has started to change, and you’ll now likely see different Asian places cropping up: Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Taiwanese. A lot of great eating establishments to satiate any appetite.

Ok, so let’s talk about the food. The little place I’m talking about is called “First Korean Market.” I believe my aunt was the person who told me about this small store. They have a lot of readymade Korean fare, and also other dry goods, and other Korean specialties. (Of course Kimchi).

When I come to this place, I almost always get the same things, because they’re excellent and I crave them.

FISH CAKE KIMBAP

The fish cake kimbap or (Korean sushi roll), is wonderfully delicious. This particular roll had fish cake, carrot, egg, sesame-flavored rice, pickled radish, spinach, and cucumber. Different types of meat including beef, crab meat, ham, to name a few others can be used in this dish.

This roll is always very fresh, and I like that the rice doesn’t have too much of a sesame flavor. I’ve tried other similar rolls, where the rice had an overwhelming and robust sesame taste. I’m not opposed to sesame. In fact, I do love sesame, but just not when it overpowers the flavor profile of a dish. I love the combination of veggies and fish cake. It just creates excellent emulsification of taste.

This roll is better eaten right away or the same day. Unfortunately, once you place the rolls in the fridge, the rice gets ridiculously hard and isn’t so tasty anymore.

SWEET CRISPY CHICKEN

This chicken is quite possibly one of my favorite dishes. Ok, it’s relatively sweet, but man it’s tasty as heck. This dish is traditionally called Dakgangjeong. This chicken dish is with a whole chicken that is cut up into pieces or with just chicken wings.

The glaze consists of honey, garlic, and ginger and then deep fried. Yeah, anything deep fried is GOOOOD.

At Korean First Market, the chicken comes in the form of chicken wings. It’s in a sticky, sweet, glaze and it’s very garlicky (yay! I love garlic). The flavors combine just oh so well. It’s a little bit messy to eat, but isn’t that where the fun’s at? Eating sticky and sweet chicken and then licking your fingers. It doesn’t get any better than that.

You should also eat this chicken dish within the same day for that taste of freshness.

These two food items will set you back about $14. Pricing at this store is about the going rate for this market.

Bottom line, if you want some tasty Korean favorites in the Inner Richmond District of San Francisco, check this place out.

FIRST KOREAN MARKET
4625 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94118

To learn more about me, you can go here.

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It’s said the sandwich is attributed to John Montagu, the 4^th Earl of Sandwich and believed he would ask his servants to bring him two slices of bread and some meat to put in-between while he was gambling. This guy is my absolute idol!!

We regularly use Yelp and sometimes Eater SF, to source out great places to eat. On one day, the boyfriend and I had a hankering for some good sandwiches. Lo and behold, the power of the internet! Poof, found a great sandwich spot to try.

Domenico’s Italian Deli is located in Alameda which is a wonderful little beach town in the San Francisco Bay Area. My love for Italian deli sandwiches have now been satisfied! I’ve been there exactly two times now and the sandwiches really rank in my top 5. (and I’ve eaten tons and tons of sandwiches in my lifetime). If you take a look at their website, it says they’ve been open for over 50 years!

The first time I came here, I ordered the pastrami sandwich on a wheat roll. Oh my god, it was really tasty! The pastrami wasn’t too salty (which I find can happen with a lot of other places), and the condiments meshed together well, to create great, fresh tasting sandwiches.

In my most recent experience at Domenico’s, the boyfriend and I ordered the Genoa Salami and Italian Combo sandwiches. We decided to eat half and half of each sandwich to get a taste of each other’s pick.

GENOA SALAMI SANDWICH:

This sandwich included: Dry salami with a flavor of wine on a sweet roll with Swiss cheese and all the fixings. The bread roll was fluffy and it had a bit of sweet. Just look at all the salami and oozing of mayo and mustard in the sandwich! The salami was delicious and not overly salty. You could really taste the hint of wine in the salami, which contributes to a wonderful flavor.

I’d say this sandwich would be my preference to the Italian Combo. The Genoa salami was the standout here. I just really loved the robust flavor of the meat and it created a wonderful explosion of flavor in my mouth.

ITALIAN COMBO:

The Italian combo sandwich included Molinari dry salami, ham, mortadella, cooked salami, bologna with Swiss cheese and all the fixings on a wheat roll. The wheat roll in this sandwich isn’t as fluffy or tasty as the sweet roll. The meats worked well together and didn’t overpower one or the other.

If you want very fresh and deliciously mouthwatering sandwiches, check out Domenico’s Italian Deli in Alameda, California. The service here is friendly and the town of Alameda is quaint and cute.

Domenico’s is open Monday-Friday (excluding Sunday) from 11:00AM-5:00PM.

Address: 1407 Webster St.

Alameda, CA 94501 (Between Taylor and Central Avenue)

To learn more about me, you can go here.

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Yojimbo is a Japanese restaurant located in a hidden spot. If you walk down the sidewalk and you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss where the restaurant is. When you walk inside the restaurant, you’re always warmly greeted and service is friendly and efficient.

PORK RAMEN

The boyfriend and I opted for the pork ramen with a miso +spicy soup base. The bowl consists of ramen, egg, assorted veggies, and a garnish of seaweed. The standout of the dish would have to be the pork (extremely flavorful, tender, and juicy). When they bring the bowl to you, you’re also astounded by how huge it is! This can feed two people without a doubt. For me, ramen bowls always tend to be a tad bit too salty, but I did like the overall flavor of this and whenever you add a soft-boiled and ooey-gooey egg, I’m sold.

They have a couple of other soup bases you can choose from and if you’re not into spicy foods, you can omit this option.

SUSHI COMBO A

We also got this sushi combo which includes California rolls, choice of Tekka Maki (tuna sushi roll). You can also opt for salmon. Also included are some assorted pieces of Nigiri (thin slices of raw fish pressed over vinegary rice).

The sushi here is fresh and I would highly recommend coming here for the many different options included in the menu. The spider rolls (deep-fried soft shell crab, with avocado and cucumber are really good).

Another recommendation would also be the bento boxes. The teriyaki bento box is humungous! This can literally feed 3-4 people. It’s super tasty and really filling.

In my opinion, I wouldn’t recommend the Tonkatsu dishes. For some reason, this lacks some flavor and is just blah.

Overall, if you’re looking for unassuming Japanese cuisine, check this place out if you’re in the East Bay or Alameda area.

Yojimbo is open Monday-Saturday from 11:00AM-9:00PM and closed on Sundays.

YOJIMBO

1221 PARK ST.

ALAMEDA, CA 94501

For more information about me, you can go here.

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On this occasion, I along with the boyfriend,  went to Tay Ho in Oakland’s Chinatown. We’ve been here a couple of times and initially it wasn’t my favorite spot to go to. I thought the service was a bit lackluster and the food just ok. (also, the Yelp reviews are kind of meh, but I would give this place a chance. Yelp’s not always right) However, the last couple of times has been redeeming and we had a really good experience on our last visit.

VERMICELLI COMBO BOWL

I ordered the vermicelli combo bowl which included grilled prawns (forgot to include in pic!), crispy spring rolls, and grilled chicken plus the usual fixings: vermicelli, bean sprouts, fresh herbs, pickled carrot and daikon, scallion oil, crushed peanuts, and fried shallots.

I, of course, added the requisite house “nuk mam” or fish sauce and it’s just a great flavor explosion in your mouth. The fish sauce really complements all the ingredients in the dish and I love how fresh everything was. I also always love Vietnamese grilled meats and the chicken and shrimp was grilled to perfection. Service was also speedy and very attentive.

My boyfriend ordered the Tay Ho Rice Special. (It’s not pictured in this post). It includes skewered prawns, grilled pork, cage free fried egg, along with spicy pickled cabbage, carrots & daikon, and jasmine rice. He really enjoyed his dish and I can attest to the fact that the rice plates here are pretty tasty and satisfying.

The dishes here are reasonably priced and won’t break the bank. I would recommend this spot if you’re in the Oakland Chinatown area and are looking for a casual Vietnamese eatery that’s fulfilling and satisfying.

Tay Ho Oakland Restaurant and Bar

344 12^th Street, Ste. B

Oakland, CA 94607

To learn more about me, you can go here.

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After trying the baked goodies here, I must say this place is straight legit. The almond croissants I’ve been dreaming about (from a past trip to Paris) have come to America and they are awesome.

ALMOND CROISSANT

The almond croissant is hands-down my favorite. It’s a bit sweeter than the ones I tried in Paris, but has the same excellent flavor. The outside of the croissant has a nice sugary crust and the inside is very moist and has a nice buttery finish. I had leftovers (because these are big in size) and the croissant was still very moist inside.

CHOCOLATE CROISSANT

Since I love anything chocolate and baked, I had to try one of these croissants. There are huge chunks of dark and rich chocolate throughout the croissant and this also has a nice buttery finish. It’s not too sweet and is just right.

I’m interested in trying some of the other goodies here (since this bakery is in my neighborhood! Lucky me). The prices here not cheap. The average price per goodie is about $5, but sometimes quality trumps price in my opinion and you can taste the quality in these baked goods. The prices here are probably on par with other bakeries in the San Francisco area.

The bakery is closed on Mondays and open Tuesday through Friday from 7:00AM until 2:30PM and then from 8:00AM until 3:30pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Ariscault Bakery

397 Arguello Blvd.

San Francisco, CA 94118

For more information about me, you can go here.

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The restaurant is Avatar’s Punjabi Burritos and they have a couple of locations throughout Marin County.

The location we choose to go to was in the city of Larkspur. It’s a very cute and charming city with a lot of interesting local eateries and shops.

I got the “curried pumpkin rice place with chicken” and included garbanzo beans, basmati rice, fresh herb salsa, seasonal fruit chutney, carrot pickle, non-fat yogurt and tamarind sauce. Here’s a picture below of the food.

Pumpin Curry Rice Plate with Chicken

Overall, the dish was very tasty and not too overly spicy. The chicken was very tender and the one flavor element that really stood out was the chutney. I can’t put my finger on it, but it was sweet and had a hint of some type of floral element. I also didn’t feel too overly full after this dish.  If this is what Mexican + Indian fusion is like, I am sold!

Mexican and Indian Curry Chicken Goodness

As a fusion Mexican+Indian establishment, they do have a number of burrito and enchilada options. I would definitely try the burrito options because I’m curious about the fusion of flavors. 

Overall, I would come here again and try some of the other options here. The service was quick and food very tasty. The options here are also very reasonable for the Bay Area. So, if you’re looking for a non-expensive and unique place to check-out, this would be a good option.

Avatar’s Punjabi Burritos

574 Magnolia Ave.

Larkspur, CA 94939

To learn more about me, you can go here for more information.

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I absolutely love Asian food and pork (of course, I’m Chinese).

I’ve expanded my eating repertoire to include many different types of Asian fare and it’s great to find such a multitude of dishes to please any palate.

I enjoy exploring new restaurants with my other half. We decided to check this place out as we were just in the area after playing a game of tennis.

I know, I know. You’re thinking she’s going to eat this after playing tennis??!! Well, I did and it was all delicious!

Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage and Roast Pork

This dish incorporates one of my favorite things: pork. If there’s pork in it, I’m totally there. This is totally “get in my belly Asian food” : )

I grew up eating both Chinese sausage and roast pork and they really are my two favorite dishes to eat (albeit not too healthy). Regardless, both delicious and when you incorporate them into a fried rice dish, well yum!

This fried rice dish incorporates both pork styles along with egg, green onions, and tomatoes topped with cilantro and cucumber.

Fresh Spring Rolls

We had this along with our main dishes and they were very delicious to say the least! Mint, cucumber, carrot, basil, vermicelli noodle, and cilantro served with the requisite peanut sauce and another sweet and spicy sauce.

Rolls were very fresh and the flavors really accompanied each other well.

The service here was fairly marginal. We were quick to be seated upon arrival and we received our food pretty quickly. However, it took a little longer to get drinks refreshed and our bill.

All in all a good experience here and I would return to try some of the different menu items.

You can learn more about me by clicking here.

Business: Thai Noodle House of Alameda

Address: 1700 Park Street, Ste 100, Alameda, CA 94501

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