Viet Time

Whenever we are in the Bay Area, I make it a point to visit my grandparents at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park.  Since we were leaving for the airport, it was somewhat nearby.  Afterwards, we were pretty hungry and considered eating at the airport, but you know, it is a ripoff.  Hence, we started Googling some options in the area.  There was the Koi Palace in Daly City, but we hadn't been there in awhile and my aunt said it wasn't very good.  So we settled on something simple in Viet Time in San Bruno.

We weren't expecting too much from the place, but the mom n' pop place was welcoming.  We had both the Phở Bò Viên and Phở Dặc Biệt.  As you can see, the broth was pretty clean and clear.  It was decent with balance sweetness and meatiness.  I think that it could've been a bit more flavorful, but it was definitely acceptable.  As for the meats, the rare beef and brisket were not exactly thin.  However, they were still fairly tender.  I would've liked it thinner personally.

I really wanted the Phở Dặc Biệt but settled on the Bún Riêu instead.  We needed a little variety right?  Yah, my kids ordered the same thing and Viv kinda did the same.  Ugh...  Anyways, this was pretty serviceable with a sweet broth that had some brininess.  Although there were tomatoes present, it wasn't particularly noticeable.  Noodles had a nice bounciness to them and the meats were fair in portion size.  I enjoyed the pork meatballs with egg as they were fluffy and tasty.

So here are the 3 dishes that were almost the same (sigh...) with the first being Grilled Chicken, Pork Chop, Spring Roll and Egg on rice.  The second was the Grilled Chicken with rice.  I had to include the picture of the Grilled Chicken because it featured 2 large pieces and it was only $11.95!  Not only that, the chicken was juicy, well-marinated and beautifully grilled.  The pork chop was also tender and had a nice sear.  Spring roll was a bit average though.  Overall, these 2 plates were more than enough food for one person, if not more.

Lastly, I added a Bánh Mì Dặc Biệt with all the cold cuts.  As you can see, this was heavy on the pickles, especially the carrots.  There was also plenty of meats as well.  I would've liked to see some more pate as that is what make this sandwich in my opinion.  The bread was pretty airy with a soft crunch on the outside.  Overall, the food at Viet Time was respectable and a great value.  The people are super nice and there is lots of parking available.

The Good:

- Serviceable eats

- Well-priced

- Super nice people

The Bad:

- Not the best, but for the price, I would go back if I was in the area

Telefèric Barcelona Palo Alto

It isn't often that I do a repeat visit when we are travelling to a place we've been before.  However, I've done that in Fullerton with Mr. BBQ and also Bai Tong Thai in Seattle.  This time around, we hit up the very same location of Telefèric Barcelona in Palo Alto.  Okay, I'm going to make sure everyone understands that I do not believe this place is the best tapas I've ever had, but it is a place we enjoyed the last time we were in the Bay Area.  So that is good enough for us to come back.  Ironically, we sat at almost the same table outside as last time!

To start things off, we had something seemingly simple in the Jamón Ibérico de Bellota or 38 months cured Iberian acorn fed ham.  This was melt-in-my-mouth and silky in texture.  There was so much going on in terms of flavor with a bit of saltiness, nuttiness and almost even fruitiness.  So complex and utterly delicious.  The side of buttery grilled sourdough was a great match for the ham, but we wished there was more of it!  We did ask for more though and they brought it over.

Now for the one item we had to get, the Tuna Tacos!  The kids love this so much, we actually got 2 orders since there were only 3 to a serving.  These featured a crispy and light crispy wonton shell filled with marinated ahi tuna and mashed avocado.  As you can see, they were shy with loading up each taco with the buttery tuna.  Avocado was fresh and creamy while the drops of aioli added creaminess.  Some chives on top provided some brightness.

With a slice of Iberico Ham on top, the Ham Croquetas were a nice little bite.  These one or two-biters were crispy and light on the outside with very little greasiness.  Inside, they were creamy and none too dense.  Seasoning was on point where the croqueta itself was rather mild with some nuttiness and aromatics but the slice of ham on top provided the necessary saltiness.   A dollop of aioli added more creaminess and of course some chives too.

We didn't stop with just he ham croquetas as we also added the Crab Croquetas after the fact.  Although these were similar, they ate remarkably different.  Naturally, with crab nestled in these fried little bites, there was a bit of fluffiness as well as some subtle brininess.  They were crispy on the outside while topped with tuna sashimi and spicy aioli.  Since the tuna was more of a textural thing rather than the saltiness of the ham, the flavours were more mild.  However, the spicy aioli did add a slight creamy kick.

Whenever I go for Spanish tapas, there is no doubt I will order the Patatas Bravas.  Although I would've preferred a more spread out plating, this dish was still good.  Underneath the mess of aioli and brava sauce, we found little cubes of fried potatoes.  Inside, they were creamy while the outside was a bit soggy.  Since all of the sauces were on top, it was a bit awkward to eat.  A larger plate would've allowed for more customizable amounts of sauce for each bite.

Onto our next dish, we had the Pulpo Telefèric or Galician octopus with truffle oil & 'pimentón' potato purée.  This was a composed dish that was nicely plated.  The octopus tentacle itself was tender while still sporting an appealing chew.  It was a bit crispy on the outside with a nutty and light truffle earthiness.  As for the puree underneath, it was creamy, smoky and zesty.  Great for dipping the pieces of octopus!  

 

Attempting to get some veggies into this meal (yes, a pathetic attempt at that...), we had the Cali-Flower consisting of crispy fried cauliflower "pops" with tangy romesco glaze.  The cauliflower florets were still firm but cooked all the way through being tender.  On the outside, there was some crispiness as well as some caramelized nuttiness.  As for the sauce, it was indeed tangy with some sweetness.  Adding more aroma, we found fried garlic chips and some fresh chives.

Adding just a bit more vegetable, we had the Grilled Salmon topped with snow peas and crispy Ibérico ham.  The salmon itself was prepared properly being flaky and barely cooked-through.  It was nicely salted and stood quite well on its own.  However, the ham did add a richer saltiness to the dish.  Crunchy snow peas kept things bright while the cauliflower cream underneath provided a robust sweet creaminess that went well with the salmon.

Of course we were going to get a Paella right?  The one we chose this time was the Ibérico Pork Paella.  This featured an entire acorn-fed bone-in pork chop with pieces of pork belly strewn throughout as well as chicken and mushrooms.  The thin layer of rice was still chewy while a socarrat did form on the bottom.  I would've liked it to be every crispier though.  The rice was delicious, soaking up all the flavors from the pork and chicken.  Nice aroma and background saffron notes.  The pork itself was tender and appealingly fatty.

We not only added another order of croquetas to your meal, but also the Burrata Bowl.  So as you can see, it was actually a plate, not a bowl.  However, it was full of plump tomatoes and sweet strawberries.  The creamy burrata was topped with basil pesto and chopped pistachios.  Lots of things going on here despite the appearance of simplicity.  We had nuttiness with herbaceousness along with the sweetness of the strawberries.  Tang was provided by the juicy tomatoes.

Dessert was the usual in the Churros con Nutella.  As its description said, these were deep fried sticks of dough filled with Nutella and coated with cinnamon sugar on the outside.  Pretty standard stuff here with the crunch from the outside giving way to melty and sweet hazenut-chocolate spread.  This was quite sweet, but that is the point of it all!  Overall, Telefèric Barcelona delivered once again.  Tapas were appealing and presented in fairly good portions. 

The Good:

- Solid tapas

- Good service

- Lively atmosphere

The Bad:

- Once again, the potatoes could've been crispier

Fusion Delight

Rounding up all the relatives for one meal, we ended up having a party of 16 people.  Now we all know that means only one thing...  We met for Chinese food!  One of my cousins suggested Fusion Delight out in San Leandro.  She had recently attended a wedding there and was impressed with the food and the spacious dining room.  As its name suggests, there are some fusion elements to their cuisine.  As you can see in the picture, it was pouring rain...  I guess we brought that to Cali from Vancouver in December...

We kicked things off with the BBQ Pork with honey BBQ sauce.  On looks alone, this was completely legit.  The bark was so charred and caramelized that we could smell it.  Of course, that meant not only an intense smokiness, there was nuttiness and impactful sweetness.  If that wasn't enough, they made sure of things by drizzling a good amount of the honey BBQ sauce on top.  It wasn't overly sweet since it was a mixture that included maltose.  The meat itself was a mix of lean and fatty portions, so it was juicy and tender.

Since all of the kiddies enjoy Peking Duck, we had no choice but to order it.  Turns out the adults loved it too!  the skin had an appealing rich mahogany hue while being crispy and low on the fat.  Beyond that, it was also aromatic and flavorful on its own.  Underneath, the meat was tender and juicy with a mild brine.  Rather than the usual steamed flour crepes, we found steamed bao instead.  These were fluffy and provided a nice contrast to the crispy skin.

One of the most expensive items we had was the half of a Suckling Pig for $158.00.  I guess it was worth it because it was a significant portion and at first glance, it looked to be roasted beautifully.  That it was when we bit into the crispy crackling.  It was so light that it broke apart on contact.  Really great texture and aromatic.  As for the meat underneath, it had a balanced amount of fat where it helped keep things moist and provided natural flavor.

Keeping the meats coming, we had the Braised Short Ribs.  These were majestically plated with the meat sliced off the bone and presented on the bone.  With the meat being fatty in the first place, it was a good start in terms of the flavor and juiciness department.  Combined with a proper braise, the meat was fall-apart tender.  To literally top things off, a sweet, garlicky and sticky glaze was poured over the meat.  Really delicious and highly-recommended.

To get the obligatory veggies into the meal, we had a pair of dishes in the Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic and the Stir-Fried Yau Choy with Garlic.  As you can imagine, the flavor profile of both dishes was very similar.  There was enough seasoning in both so that the veggies has some salty sweetness to them as well as the aroma of seared garlic.  Naturally, the pea shoots had a different texture with tender leaves with a crunch.  The yau choy had a slightly more robust texture with more moisture.

One item we ordered sounded great even before we got it.  The Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Wings also looked great when it hit the table too.  Many times, this dish has all the promise, only to fall down flat due to a variety of factors.  Those didn't happen there as the amount of salted egg yolk sauce was enough to properly coat each wing and to provide that unmistakable salty, nutty and aromatic flavor.  Futhermore, the skin was crispy and slightly rendered while the meat inside was juicy and also seasoned.

Continuing the same theme, we also had the Whole Garlic Fried Chicken.  This was a variation of the classic Cantonese dish where a whole brined chicken is deep fried until crispy while the meat is still juicy.  The brine on the chicken is the key as it not only flavors the meat, it keeps it from drying out.  This was exactly the case here with rendered crispy skin with an added element of fried garlic as well.  A nice and simple twist of a common menu item.

So far, we hadn't tried any seafood, but that all changed when the huge piece of French Baked Sea Bass Fillet arrived at our table.  The picture doesn't do it justice as it was massive.  It was also perfectly cooked despite being so thick.  The meat was flaky and buttery with plenty of moisture.  On the outside, it was seared and slightly charred.  Hence, there was a good contrast of textures and flavors.  The outside was smoky and somewhat sweet.

So we got back on the meat wagon with the Peking Pork Chops.  Yep, this was the for the kids too and hey it was pretty solid.  Each pork chop had enough meat so that it was still tender with moisture while the outside had some crispiness.  As you can see, there was just enough sauce to coat each piece without leaving a goopy messy on the plate.  The sauce was balanced being tangy and sweet with some smokiness.  Only wished there wasn't an oil slick on the plate.

In a roundabout kind of way, we got more vegetables in the form of Wok Fried Pork Cheeks and Chives.  As you can see, this included both chives and flowering chives.  Hence there was a different in texture and taste.  These were still crunchy and vibrant from the high heat wok hei.  Good aroma and no residual moisture on the plate.  As for the sliced pork cheek, there was caramelization and proper amount of seasoning.  It had the usual bouncy tender texture.

To end things off, we had the Classic Special Fried Rice.  This rice had a little bit of everything including seafood, cured sausage, egg, tobiko and green onion.  There was good wok hei where the rice was nutty and chewy (in a good way).  Lots of aroma and enough seasoning.  In the end, we thought the meal was pretty good, especially for the portion sizes and price.  Service is a bit hit and miss since the place is super busy.  Also a bonus is the large parking lot, you will probably find a space.

The Good:

- Large portions

- Decent eats

- Reasonable-pricing

The Bad:

- Service is hit and miss

Rise Woodfire San Mateo

After a delicious meal at Elia the night before, I wanted to treat Cable Car Guy and fam to lunch.  You see, trying to fight for the bill with him can be futile since he uses every trick in the book.  I've been desperate enough to give my credit card to the server before we order so I can have the pleasure of paying!!!   Anyways, upon his suggestion, we traveled across the Bay over to Rise Woodfire in San Mateo.  This location is in addition to the Santa Clara store, both are locally owned.  Entering the place, we were greeted to high ceilings and a spacious dining room.  The menu focuses on wood fire pizza and rotisserie.

As such, we started with the Woodfired Chicken Wings in Chipotle BBQ and Buffalo.  Since these were not fried, the skin was not as rendered.  However, that also meant the wings were not dry nor too crunchy.  With that being said, the skin wasn't flabby either.  A bit vinegary with mild heat, the buffalo wings were best dunked into the side of peppercorn ranch.  As for the chipotle BBQ, they were a bit more saucy being sweet and tangy with a decent amount of spice.  The chicken meat itself was tender and almost juicy.

Continuing on with poultry, we tried their whole Pitman Family Farms Local Chicken.  This slow-roasted rotisserie chicken had a beautifully roasted exterior with rendered and flavorful skin.  The meat itself was on the drier side while lacking seasoning.  As you can see, the chicken was large and wasn't lacking in meat.  In addition to the charred half lemon, we had a choice of sauce where we went for the slightly spicy chipotle BBQ.  It had a nice tangy sweetness.

Included with the whole bird, we had a choice of two sides.  It was without a doubt we'd go for the Mac & Cheese with applewood smoked bacon (+$3.00) and the Parmesan Truffle Fries.  Both were good where the mac & cheese was super saucy and cheesy.  It wasn't really all that salty though but the addition of crispy (and not overly fatty) bacon took care of business.  Noodles were not too soft either.  As for the fries, they were crispy with plenty of creamy potatoness left.  I think there needed to be more parm though, but the truffle was evident.

Of course we would have some pizzas too right?  Instead of getting the usual baseline pie in the Margherita, we opted for the Burrata.  This was pretty much like a Margherita with crushed tomato sauce, sea salt, parmesan, torn basil, EVOO and of course di Stefano burrata.  Although the crust didn't look like it had much charring, it still ate very well.  There was some smoky leoparding on the bottom and the dough was properly salted.  There was a nice chew to it while the exterior was crispy.  Although you might think that there was far too much sauce on top, it worked well due to the robust nature of the crust as well as the limited amount of toppings.  It was a nice contrast to the creamy burrata.

As good as the burrata pizza was, the table favorite happened to be The Brunch pizza.  It was liberally topped with mozzarella, applewood smoked bacon, Yukon potato, organic egg, red onion, thyme, sea salt and parmesan on white panna sauce.  This was a hearty concoction where the breakfast nature of the components really came through.  The salty smokiness of the bacon obviously went well with the tender sliced potatoes as well as the egg.  There was a good amount of mozzarella that was stringy where it melded with the creamy sauce underneath.

Personally, the pizza that was the most impactful was the Calabrese + Honey with crushed tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy salami, fire-roasted jalapeño, parmesan, torn basil and drizzled with Calabrian chili infused honey.  Beyond the crispy chewy crust, the combination of sweet, salty and heat worked our taste buds.  Furthermore, the amount of toppings and sauce made this pizza not-so-dry, which was great in my opinion.  

We also ordered a couple of gluten-free crust pizzas including the Pesto Lemon Shrimp with basil pesto sauce, mozzarella, seasoned shrimp, roasted garlic, housemade dried lemon, red chili flakes, chives and parmesan.  Despite all of the components, the flavors were harmonious and focused.  We had an herbaceous cheesiness going on with some acidity and spice.  The briny sweetness of the juicy prawns still stood out.  As for the gluten-free crust, it was thin and almost cracker-like.  Not bad.

The other gluten-free crust pizza was the Prosciutto di Parma + Arugula with crushed tomato sauce, mozzarella, sea salt, parmesan, torn basil, EVOO, topped with freshly sliced prosciutto + fresh organic baby arugula.  Sitting on the same crunchy and well-charred gluten-free crust, the plethora of tangy tomato sauce helped provide moisture.  The saltiness of the prosciutto was tempered by the peppery and bright arugula.  There was a proper amount of cheese to compliment without making the pizza heavy.

Onto dessert, we had the Basque Cheesecake with cherry sauce as well as the Flourless Chocolate Cake.  On appearance alone, the cheesecake looked dense.  In reality, it was actually decently airy and light (typical of this type of cheesecake).  It had a caramel-taste to it due to the aggressively browned top.  As for the chocolate cake, it was like a rich ganache where the sweetness was muted, giving way to an appealing bitter finish.  Overall, the food at Rise Woodfire is quite good and served in large portions.  Great for a group of friends and family alike.

The Good:

- Solid pizzas

- Rotisserie items are great too

- Large portions

The Bad:

- Chicken could be more moist

Torraku Ramen

So parking centrally to everything at 721 Filbert was a blessing and a curse.  Blessing because we could visit Chinatown and then North Beach pretty handily, but a curse because it was still quite a walk to Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39.  After taking the ferry out to Alcatraz and doing plenty of walking, the kids were no longer game to walk anymore.  Hence, we went back to the car and decided what to do for dinner.  Initially, we were supposed to drive all the way to Palo Alto (on our way back to Fremont) to try out Ramen Nagi.  But it was 4:30pm.  No way were we doing to be stuck in Bay Area rush hour for ramen.  Therefore, we hit up Torraku Ramen which was only minutes away.  Sure, it ain't Ramen Nagi, yet sometimes we make sacrifices based on convenience.

We actually found a parking spot right out front and also a table inside.  Music to our ears as we were both tired and hangry.  My son ended up with the classic Tonkotsu Super Paitan Ramen with fatty pork, bamboo shoots, fried garlic, green onion, nori and egg.  Despite looking like it was over-marinated, the egg wasn't that salty.  The yolk was perfectly custardy though.  As for the pork & chicken broth, it was on the lighter side, not being as rich as it appeared.  There was some creaminess from the fat and collagen though, yet the broth could've used more salt.  Noodles were al dente and well-portioned.  Meat was tender with some dry portions.

My daughter predictably had the Miso Ramen (with all of the same accompaniments) that sported a slightly more fatty broth.  Hence, it was a bit richer and due to the miso, had more depth.  The fermented flavor came through, yet was not salty.  She chose the leaner pork shoulder and it was of course not as tender as the pork belly in the previous bowl.

Viv went for the Shoyu Ramen that also came with all of the aforementioned accompaniments.  This broth appeared to be a bit lighter and indeed it was.  There was still the silkiness of the fat, but there was less than the previous 2 bowls of ramen.  We could definitely taste the soy sauce, but it was accented the broth evenly.  This still had a rich flavour and the black garlic oil added some aromatics.

For myself, I didn't go for ramen at all, instead opting for the Oyako Don.  This was loaded with so much tender dark meat chicken that there was more than the amount of rice.  Nice mix of onions, fluffy egg and mirin which gave this good flavor and texture.  The only thing that could've been better was that the dish had far too much moisture.  So overall, the food at Torraku was good and did the trick, especially given that we needed something closeby.

The Good:
- Above average
- Well-portioned
- Good service

The Bad:
- Would've liked to see a bit more punch in the broth
- Online ordering doesn't really allow for customization (omitting items)

Sotto Mare

While we were in the Bay Area, we mostly stayed with relatives in Fremont.  However, we did plan one day out in San Francisco.  I was a bit worried about my car though as break-ins have been commonplace in Downtown (watch some of the Youtube vids).  I did end up parking at this awesome monitored lot at 721 Filbert Street.  This was a central spot to hit up Chinatown, North Beach and also the Embarcadero (we were visiting Alcatraz as well).  So it was also close by to our lunch destination - Sotto Mare.

Now the thing to get here (and also their claim to fame) is the "Best Damn Crab Cioppino" with seafood.  It is advertised that it is enough for 2 and that is no exaggeration.  In fact, it would be fine for 3 people.  Now underneath all that seafood, there was penne, but the plethora of seafood was enough to justify the $49.95 price tag.  We found the dungeness crab to be fresh and perfectly prepared being sweet and fluffy.  The bevy of mussels, clams, bay scallops, calamari, shrimp and prawns was also beautifully cooked and fresh.  Hence, the broth was aromatic and briny from all of the seafood.  I took another picture of it plated to show what was in it.  Can you believe that this barely made a dent into it?  We really enjoyed this and would totally have it again if we were in town.

For no other reason than my daughter loving Clam Chowder that we actually ordered it.  No rhyme or reason to get it here otherwise.  It was okay being thick and creamy.  They proudly state there is bacon in it and we could definitely taste the smoky-saltiness as well as the fattiness.  I would've liked to see more clam brininess but it was definitely there as well as plenty of clam meat.  The little cubes of potato were tender and soft.

For some reason or another, we ended up ordering 2 pastas that were essentially the same except for the protein.  The first was the Fettuccine with Bay Scallops and the second was Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon, both with white wine cream sauce.  The pasta was al dente, but the sauce was only creamy in viscosity and taste.  Yet, the smoked salmon did add saltiness.  The tender bay scallops couldn't add enough flavor on its own.  Honestly, the rest of the food didn't matter to me because the Cioppino was everything I wanted it to be and more.  Good value for the price and best when shared.  I would come back just to have that dish alone.

The Good:
- That cioppino
- Good service
- Simple menu

The Bad:
- Other dishes are only "okay"