Food Trucks Now Stopping At My Work!!

Hello again! Well, the food truck gods must've been answering my prayers because now that the cafeteria at my work is going through an extensive renovation, they're bringing in five very popular food trucks in the Bay Area: Let's Be Frank, Sam's Chowdermobile, Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie, Curry Up Now, and Hapa SF.

Let's just say that my first week was very filling for me based on the following pics.

I don't really know much about Let's Be Frank. Though I do know that they serve organic hot dogs. The following pic was my Let's Be Frank Big Beef Dog from Underdog in the city, but I'm pretty sure what you'd get would be the same thing. It was really tasty hot dog!


Let's Be Frank Organic Beef Hot Dog

If you looked up the definition of food porn in the dictionary, you most likely see an image of the Lobster Roll from Sam's Chowdermobile. It's crazy enough that they throw in a whole lobster (claws and tail) in the sandwich, but to add insult to your health, they buttered up the roll!!! That calls for instant foodgasms.


Sam's Chowdermobile's famous Lobster Roll

There's nothing more I really need to say about the Porchetta sandwich from Roli Roti. I'm just glad that they brought it with them to Genentech since it was exclusive only at the SF Ferry Building Farmer's Market. This is a great opportunity for you guys to try it without waiting in line for 20-30 minutes.


Another beautiful pic of the Porchetta Sandwich from Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie

Curry Up Now seems to be the most popular truck. The line is super long every time I go out there. You gotta try the Chicken Masala Burrito. It's very flavorful, though I made the mistake to request to have it "Spicy" and didn't realize that it was put my mouth on fire. They even warned me about it too! If you're going to go the spicy route, I really recommend ordering their Mango Lassi to cool down after or during your spicy journey.


Spicy Chicken Masala Burrito from Curry Up Now

Hapa SF is a Filipino Food Truck that offers some interesting fusion twists on other food truck items. In particular, Sisig Tacos and the Chicken Adobo Banh Mi. I was really amazed how much chicken they threw in the Banh Mi. It really filled me up. And at first I was really reluctant to try the Sisig Tacos, but after trying them I realized what a brilliant idea it was! Fried marinated pork in a taco? Brilliant!!! Yeah it's basically like Al Pastor tacos, but it works and they too were loaded with a lot of meat.


Chicken Adobo Banh Mi from Hapa SF


Sisig Tacos from Hapa SF

So yeah, good stuff all around. Sadly, I have to find ways to restrain myself from visiting the food trucks everyday as it does get very expensive. Shoot me an email if you want so find this gold mine of food truck goodness!

Dinner at Wayfare Tavern

So I was checking out Yelp one day (no surprise!) and noticed that on the What's Hot On Yelp Top 5 there was this restaurant called Wayfare Tavern.


Wayfare Tavern at night

Little did I know that this was Food Network star chef Tyler Florence's newest spot in the San Francisco. The place had just opened a few weeks ago and when I saw that he was there overlooking the kitchen on the pics from its Yelp site, I knew I couldn't pass up this opportunity to meet him so I hastily made a reservation. When my friend and I got there and waited for our table, he actually walked by us. Well actually, my friend saw him and I completely ignored him, how embarrassing. Thankfully, being the really cool guy he is, he came out to our table to say hello. I shook his hand and my friend took our pic.


Tyler Florence and I

Honestly, I really didn't know what to expect from what I ordered, especially the appetizer. I ordered the Baked Avocado on a whim and I had no idea that it was a popular dish. But after I tasted it, that was easily understandable. The warm avocado had a nice texture and the lump of dungeness crab was creamy. And bacon definitely makes everything taste better!


Baked Avocado

From the first time I saw the menu, I immediately had my sights set on ordering the Wayfare Burger "Le Grand." You guys should know by now that I'm a huge burger fan, especially those of the gourmet type. I have to say that this burger ranks up there as one of my favorite burgers in San Francisco. And that's saying a lot because I've had a fair share of really good burgers around town. On the pic it may not look like it, but it was a huge burger! I highly suggest adding the egg!!


Wayfare Burger "Le Grand" with Sunny Side Up Petaluma Egg

I don't know how long Chef Tyler is going to be overlooking the kitchen, but if you have the time, definitely come on out and say hello and grab a nice bite to eat. The food is great, and the service is impeccable. I have to come out here again to try their other stuff!

Sammies!! You Gotta Love 'Em!

Sandwiches. The ultimate fast food. If it hadn't been for the Earl of Sandwich to come up with a brilliant idea of putting meat between two pieces of bread, none of the following masterpieces would exist today.

Let's start with a spot that's in my neck of the woods. Little Lucca in South San Francisco. I've had the luxury of coming here and enjoying their massive sandwiches since I was in High School. Just recently they came out with The Lucca Dog - Hot Dogs, Pastrami, Bacon, and Cheese. Yeah, sounds like a heart attack, and probably would be, but it's a serious sandwich and was very delicious! Keep in mind that although it may look small on the following pic, this sandwich was as big as my forearm.


Lucca Dog from Little Lucca

Not too far away in Burlingame, I dropped by another place that sells huge sandwiches that pretty much rivals with Little Lucca. It's Bonne Sante and they sell both burgers and sandwiches here. I haven't had the opportunity to try their burgers, but I did manage to try one of their specialties with is called My Favourite - Grilled Chicken Breast, Roasted Red Peppers, Mozzarella Cheese, and Chipotle Mayo. This was seriously good!


My Favourite from Bonne Sante

I don't think San Francisco is really known for having sandwiches to die for, but from the ones that I tried, I would have to retract that statement.

If you've ever been to a Filipino party or restaurant and have had in one way or another the Lechon Pork, you'll get that same taste with the Porchetta Sandwich at the Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie Truck at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market. It's essentially a Lechon Sandwich! The roast pork is so tender and then the crispiness of the skin will make you say "YUM" with every bite. This is on 7x7's Big Eat 2010 list, so it most likely will satisfy to your cravings.



Porchetta Sandwich from Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie

I remember watching the Pittsburgh episode of Man v. Food and was savoring the time when he visited Primanti Bros. and had their All-In-One sandwiches. So I did a google search and came across Giordano Bros. here in San Francisco! They are also from Pittsburgh and make the All-In-One sandwiches as well. While their sandwiches aren't as big as the ones at Primanti Bros., they're big enough that you don't have to order anything else. I had the Cappicola with a Fried Egg and it was amazing!!


All-In-One Cappicola Sandwich with Fried Egg from Giordano Bros

This next sandwich is a monster. I saw this in an episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations when he came down to San Francisco. It's the Cubana Torta from That's It Market. It was just as big as it was on the TV. When you bite into it, your face hides into it and all you see is darkness. But every bite was seriously enjoyable. Finishing it...well that was a challenge. You're better off splitting this sandwich with a partner, but if you're up for it, more power to you. It took me 20 minutes, but I killed this sucker!!


Cubana Torta from That's It Market

Finally, we go to the mother of all sandwich shops in San Francisco - Ike's Place. I usually frequent the Redwood City location because it's closer to me, but you can pick up the DOOMSDAY from both locations. Yeah #188 - Roast Beef, Corned Beef, Pastrami, Salami, Turkey, Bacon, Ham, Habenero Salsa, Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers, and EXTRA Jack Cheese. As I said on my yelp review, "it's 4 lbs of gastronomic goodness." It's big yes, and even though it's not my favorite sandwich there, it was such a joy to eat!!


The DOOMSDAY from Ike's Place

So those are some of my favorite sammies in my area. Go out and try them and let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!!

Vegas Is Where It Started...

If you ask me where my foodie craze started, I would answer you back with Las Vegas. Though it didn't happen right away and it did take quite a few trips. After all, my first couple of trips there I ate nothing but buffets. This was back in the late 90s before all the buffets started becoming all uber and expensive. Eventually, the buffets got stale for me and I wanted to try out the restaurants.

My first fine dining experience there was on my 21st birthday, at a restaurant in Caesars Palace called 808. It's an Asian Fusion joint...



808 at Caesars Palace (Closed, is now Beijing Noodle No. 9)

I had no idea why I picked that place. I guess it was because it was New Year's Eve and most spots were booked that night. Sadly, the place closed down a few years ago, but I do remember having a very pleasant experience there. A few firsts happened that night: First time dining at a fancy spot in Vegas, first time going to a spot where tap water was not an option (we spent $25 on water that night! Sheesh!!!), and first time having Potato Crusted Ono, which was really good BTW. I was kinda sad to see it closed, but I could understand why. It was hella expensive yo!

So that's where it all started. But things didn't go into high gear until Jan 2009. After going a few trips routinely watching shows and eating at the buffets, I decided that it would be fun to just go on an eating trip. Not at the buffets, but at all fine dining establishments and popular eateries.

And that will be another post coming soon!

7x7's The Big Eat SF 2010 List part 1

This list I probably won't finish this year, or maybe even in my lifetime! Currently I've only completed 10 of them and a good amount of them will cost me a week's worth of groceries.

The 2010 Big Eat List

1. Roast chicken and bread salad at Zuni

2. Coffee-rubbed pork shoulder at Range

3. Carnitas taco at La Taqueria

4. Fried chicken and waffles at Little Skillet

5. Chasu ramen at Katana-Ya

6. Basil gimlet at Rye

7. Crab with cellophane noodles at the Slanted Door

8. Morning bun at Tartine Bakery

9. Tofu soup with kimchi at My Tofu House

10. Nick’s Baja-style fish tacos at The Taco Shop at Underdogs

11. Pork sugo with pappardelle at Delfina

12. Porchetta sandwich at RoliRoti

13. Soup dumplings at Shanghai Dumpling King

14. Beef brisket sandwich at Il Cane Rosso

15. Any seasonal flavor at Scream Sorbet

16. Katsu curry from Muracci’s Japanese Curry & Grill

17. Samusa soup at Burma Superstar

18. Oysters on the half shell at Swan Oyster Depot

19. Lobster pot pie at Michael Mina

20. Salumi misti plate at Perbacco

21. Pizza margherita at Pizzeria Delfina

22. Vietnamese roasted pork sandwich at Saigon Sandwich

23. Beer sausage with sauerkraut and grilled onions at Rosamunde Sausage Grill
(Bonus: Bring it Toronado next door and grab a beer to go with it.)

24. Blue Bell Bitter from the cask at Magnolia Pub

25. Loaf of bread straight out of the oven at Tartine

26. A bottle of Burgundy at RN74

27. Papaya salad with salty crab at Sai Jai Thai

28. A Gibraltar at Blue Bottle Café

29. Tuna tartare and a gin martini at Bix

30. Burger at Fish & Farm

31. Tuna Tostada at Tacolicious

32. Pupusas at Balompie Café

33. Prime rib at House of Prime Rib

34. Way too much cold sake at Oyaji

35. Salted-caramel ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery

36. Dry-fried chicken wings at San Tung

37. Rotisserie chicken at Limón Rotisserie

38. Burger and fries at the bar at Spruce

39. Pierna enchilada torta at La Torta Gorda

40. Cheeseburger with sweet potato fries at Taylor’s Automatic Refresher

41. Pho ga at Turtle Tower

42. Fried-shrimp po’boy at Brenda’s French Soul Food

43. An Old Fashioned at Alembic

44. One of Neyah White’s shrubs at Nopa

45. Secret Breakfast from Humphry Slocombe

46. Chips and salsa at Papalote

47. Ceviche and a pisco sour on the patio at La Mar Cebichería Peruana

48. Angels on horseback at Anchor & Hope

49. Ginger snaps at Miette

50. An obscure Belgian beer at The Monk’s Kettle

51. Maccaronara with ricotta salata at A16

52. Coconut buns from King’s Bakery

53. Carnitas at Nopalito

54. Spiced-chocolate doughnut at Dynamo Donut with a Four Barrel coffee

55. Chicken porridge for breakfast at the Bush Street Out the Door

56. Nuestra Paloma at Beretta

57. Agnolotti at Quince

58. Chicharrones from 4505 Meats

59. Huarache with cactus salad at El Huarache Loco
(Saturdays at the Alemany Farmers Market)

60. The Little Star at Little Star Pizza

61. Egg custard tart at Golden Gate Bakery

62. Dim sum at Ton Kiang

63. Meatballs with grapes at Aziza

64. Sand dabs at Tadich Grill

65. Cookies-and-cream cookie and milk at Anthony’s Cookies

66. Pig parts at Incanto

67. Paper masala dosa at Dosa

68. The housemade hot dog at Absinthe

69. Foccacia at Liguria Bakery

70. Omakase menu at Sebo

71. Scotch egg at Wexler’s

72. Shanghai Buck at Heaven’s Dog

73. Popovers with strawberry butter at the Rotunda

74. Corned-beef sandwich with Gruyère at The Sentinel

75. Fried green beans at Coco500

76. Chicken hash at Ella’s

77. Eggs benedict on the back patio at Zazie

78. Super burrito at Taqueira Cancun

79. Onion strings at Alfred’s Steakhouse

80. Apple fritter at Bob’s Donuts

81. Chicken curry lunch special at Punjab Kabab House

82. Fried chickpeas at Piqueo’s

83. French fries at Universal Cafe

84. A margarita at Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant

85. Pulled-pork sandwich at Roadside BBQ

86. A cheese slice at Arinell Pizza

87. Sesame balls at Yank Sing

88. Buckwheat crepe and a French cider at Ti Couz

89. Lettuce cups at Betelnut

90. Korean taco at Namu’s market stand

91. Albondigas soup at Mijita

92. Bacon-wrapped hot dog from a cart in the Mission
(preferably when you’re drunk)

93. Seven courses of beef at Pagolac

94. The house cappuccino at Tosca Café

95. 3 a.m. bowl of caldo verde soup at Grubstake

96. Ube ice cream from Mitchell’s

97. Lamb schawerma at Truly Mediterranean

98. Bloody Mary with brunch at Foreign Cinema

99. Clam chowder at Hog Island Oyster Co.
(ok, get some oysters too)

100. Menage a Trois at Ike’s Place

I've got a long way to go, but I think I can at least get 50% by the end of the year. We'll see!

Been too busy.....eating. =)

Hey y'all! Yeah, it's been 5 months since my last entry. A lot's happened since then and I've got a lot of things to write about!

Here's a preview of what's to come:

We're gonna talk about some of my favorite Japanese Eateries that aren't sushi houses:

Shrimp Katsu Curry from On The Bridge




Onigiri Bento from Nijiya Market




You guys already know that I'm crazy for Ike's Place but I'm also going to show you my other favorite sandwich places:

Porchetta Sandwich from Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie




The Famous and Huuuuge Torta Cubana from That's It Market




Finally I'm going to tell you about my recent trip to Las Vegas where I made an ambitious mission to eat at 12 food spots in 3 nights:

Chicken & Waffles from Bouchon in Las Vegas




Expect A LOT of material in the next couple weeks! It's great to be back!

Laterz!!!