Memorial Day Weekend Pigout!

I love long weekends. They just awaken the inner carnivore within me and throw any diet plans that I've been following out the window. I don't think I've eaten out this much within a 4 day span since my last trip to Vegas last January. Mostly a lot of firsts.

On Friday, I went to Mom's Tofu House for lunch for the first time. It's a small but pretty popular spot in Downtown South San Francisco. I ordered their Bulgogi lunch plate and a side of wings. Not pictured are the dozens of side dishes (banchan) that they serve you.


These wings are their specialty. You can order them dry like I did here or you can try them glazed with their house sauce. I should've done that, next time!!


That's a pretty big serving for lunch!!!

Then for dinner I decided to stop over Jack's Prime in San Mateo to try their famous burgers for the first time. Jack's Prime (not to be confused with the newly opened Jack's Restaurant in San Bruno) makes some really great burgers. I ordered their Great With Beer which is essentially a Mushroom Swiss Burger with a FRIED PICKLE. Yes, I said FRIED PICKLE. It really couldn't get any better than that. I'd say their burgers could compare to Pearl's Deluxe in the San Francisco, but I haven't eaten there yet. Stay tuned...


Jack's Prime's Great With Beer - Swiss Cheese, Iceberg Lettuce, Sauteed Mushrooms, DEEP FRIED PICKLE, and Pale Ale Mayo. OOOH YESSS!!

Satuday I unknowingly discovered that it was National Burger Day. Although I already had a burger at Jack's Prime the night before, I had to celebrate it. And for the occaision, I decided to go to Red Robin since it was the closest to me and included fries. I had the Royal Red Robin Burger with is a Bacon Cheeseburger crowned with a Fried Egg. I used to love this burger, but this time it left me disappointed. That my fault for going to Jack's Prime the night before. Set the standard too high for Red Robin. Sorry no pic for the burger =( But you can check it out on their website here.

Sunday night, the weather got a little chilly, which made for perfect Ramen weather. I decided to finally take the plunge and find out what all the fuss was about Ramen Dojo in San Mateo. Now when I got there at around 6:30 pm, there was already a long line standing outside the spot. On that note, it was very easy to speculate that I would be in for some EPIC Ramen. And that's exactly what I got! I ordered their Garlic Pork Ramen *Mild Spicy* and it was very delicious. It's pretty simple Ramen, but I've never had Ramen that had Ground Chicken Gravy inside and it came with two huge pieces of Roasted Pork. That was simply amazing!


Garlic Pork Ramen *Mild Spicy.* Really good!!

And on Memorial Day, I decided to try a new guy on the block. Batter Up in San Francisco. Located on Geneva Ave, it's very easy to drive by this spot because it's simply a window next door to Popeye's. These Corn Dogs are CRAZY GOOD!!! I remember when I was eating them, I couldn't stop being very giddy and yelling out how good they were. Luckily, I was at home to avoid any embarrassment.


Top: "The Freak" - 1/3 Turkey w/ Basil and Sundried Tomatoes, 1/3 Pepperjack Cheese, 1/3 Chicken Apple. Bottom: "Big Barry" - 1/3 Smoked Bratwurst, 1/3 Cheddar Cheese, 1/3 Louisiana Hot Link. OMGYUM!! What are you waiting for? Go get some!

So that was my food filled weekend. I hope that you all had a great long weekend and enjoyed some good eats as well!

Sorry....Been Eating.

Al Pastor Super Tacos from Taqueria Polanco

Holy Tacos!! It's been a long time since my last posting! Please accept my sincere apologies for not posting any new entries. It's been kind of hard thing for me to balance between working, staying fit, eating out, and yelping that its been kinda hard for me to squeeze in some blogtime. Fear not! I'm back AGAIN! And to make up for my absence, here are some pics that'll make you drool. Stories for them will follow in the near future!


My return to Wayfare Tavern treated me to Fried Chicken Bliss



In Reno, California Fusion cuisine from Bistro Napa at Atlantis. Awesome Scallops by the way!!



These Garlic Noodles from Little Green Cyclo are also So Addicting!!!


Did that make you drool? Or just plain hungry?? Anyways, sorry for the long absence. I'll try my best to bring on the good eats so you all can be informed! Happy Eating!!

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!!

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!