Sam Wo

For those about to leave comments criticizing me on even thinking of visiting the legendary Sam Wo in San Francisco, please be aware I've visited the city and surrounding Bay Area over a dozen times.  So with that in mind, I'm acutely tuned into the Chinese food scene (or lack of).  Hence, I was very skeptical with Eater putting Sam Wo in their 38 Essential Eats list.  Despite all the warning signs and the fact I live in Vancouver (that happens to have some of the best Chinese food in North America and the world), I had to see for myself why Sam Wo is so beloved with lineups that border on incomprehensible.

We went at opening and secured a table immediately and ordered the signature item being the BBQ Pork Rice Noodle Roll served with their famous hot mustard.  When it arrived, it looked more round than the usual rice noodle roll and completely overstuffed with lean BBQ pork, cilantro and egg.  Since it was served lukewarm, the rice noodle was a bit gummy.  However, if it was hot, it would've been on point due to its elasticity.  The roll itself was nothing special, but the dip was money with a vinegary sharpness.  Since we were ordering congee, my son wanted to get the Salty Donut.  That we did and it was not crunchy and overly dense.  This was not good at all.

About that congee, we got the Fish "Jook" as it was phonetically translated on the menu.  Fairly silky with soft grains of rice, the congee was medium-thick in consistency.  It was lightly seasoned where the sweetness of the fish came through.  There was a considerable amount of what we thought was some type of cod (possibly snapper?).  The fish was not particularly flaky and moist.  It was a bit chewy for some reason.  Moving not the Wonton Noodles, it reminded us of the 1980's.  Reason being?  The wontons were all pork with some water-chestnuts.  If we compared it to similar wontons, these were good with tender bouncy pork that was mildly-seasoned.  The noodles were too soft and over done while the soup was pretty bland.

To add more carbs, we got the Duck Fried Rice (minus the green onions) and it was pretty good.  The rice was dry and fairly nutty while not greasy.  There was ample amount of tender duck, but an equal amount of duck skin which was not appealing.  We found that the amount of seasoning was just right.  Our last dish was the Broccoli & Beef which was below average.  The dish was far too watery and the broccoli was overdone.  The beef was somewhere between chewy and tender.  As you can probably guess, we weren't super impressed with the food at Sam Wo.  Sure, it is more of an ol' skool style of Chinese food reminiscent of the 80's, but even with that being said, I've had better Cantonese cuisine in San Francisco during the 80's.

The Good:
- Friendly staff
- Decent value

The Bad:
- Not sure what the fuss is about the food, it is merely average at best

Kin Khao Thai Eatery

The first time I ever heard of Pim Techamuanvivit was when she was more affectionately known as Chez Pim at a food conference in San Francisco many years back.  She went from cooking, reporting and writing about food to opening her own Northern Thai joint in Kin Khao Thai Eatery.  For 2 years running, the place has earned a Michelin Star for its flavorful Northern Thai cuisine that tries hard to not be cliched.  We decided to hit up the place for some lunch since we were longing from so form of Asian food.

To start, we had the Pretty Hot Wings marinated in nam pla fish sauce & garlic.  We had the sriracha & tamarind glaze served on the side (so that the kiddies could eat it).  Featuring rendered and lightly crispy skin, the wings were succulent and well-brined.  I could taste the fish sauce and garlic immediately.  I found the glaze to be balanced where the spice from the sriracha wasn't overwhelming.  We also gave the Nam Tok Beans a go and they were surprisingly tasty (I wasn't sure about this dish when I ordered it). As described on the menu, it consisted of ayocote negro beans tossed Isaan-style with lime, chili, rice powder, light soy, shallots, scallions, mint and cilantro. What we found was nicely blistered beans that were soft, yet firm enough with an impactful level of tang, spice and aromatics.  

Onto the mains, the Khao Man Gai was a surprisingly small portion consisting of 4 pieces of chicken breast (albeit a good size), that were tender and not dried out.  The rice was aromatic and the chicken fat did come through.  It was only mildly salty which was fine since the ginger condiment made the dish.  Compared to another famous version of this dish found in Portland (Nong's Khao Man Gai), I found the sauce to be saltier with the soy sauce being more apparent.  It was equally tangy and sweet though.  Featuring a large confit, then fried muscovy duck leg, the 5-Spice Duck Noodle Soup was solid.  The broth itself was not overseasoned with 5-spice, hence, I could taste the duck meatiness as well the garlic oil.  The flat rice noodles were slippery and not too soft (as opposed to the rice vermicelli as stated on the menu).  I found the duck leg really good with tender meat that was flavorful without being salty.

Our favorite dish was the Pad Kee Mao (stir-fried drunken noodles with ground pork, rice noodles, garlic, Birds Eye chili, onions, bell peppers and holy basil ).  This was the beneficiary of caramelizing wok heat that created a mild smokiness.  The dish was lightly spicy with aromatics coming at us left, right and center.  There was only a hint of xiaoshing wine to go with the sweetness and savoriness of the noodles.  The squeeze of lime completed the wealth of flavors.  Although this meal was on the pricier side, the flavors were on point and then some.  Execution was also on point.

The Good:
- Wealth of flavors
- Spot on execution
- Solid service

The Bad:
- Pricey
- Portion size is modest 

Delarosa

Once again, great plans didn't really pan out due to the fact we were tired and really didn't want to walk another 30 minutes to grab dinner.  Not mentioned in the House of Prime Rib post, we actually hiked it up the hill from SoMa to Van Ness!  So instead of visiting Una Pizza Napoletana, we stayed close to the Marriott Marquis and hit up Delarosa instead.  Therefore, we stuck with the pizza theme close to home.  The place seemed to be fairly highly-rated and judging by the continual lineup, it appeared to be more than a consolation prize.

After a half an hour wait, we got right down to the food starting with the Meatballs in a spicy marinara sauce.  Tender with the right density, the meatball was just loose enough without being crumbly.  Hence, they were succulent while still meaty.  They were mildly seasoned and peppery while the tangy spicy sauce added plenty of punch.  That was good, but the Dungeness Crab Arancini were even better.  These crispy little balls of aborio rice, cheese and crab were on point.  Outside, they were lightly crispy while on the inside, the rice was not too soft and completely cheesy.  The noticeable chunks of crab were fluffy and plentiful.  On the side, the calabrese ailoi provided a creamy tartness. 

Adding veggies to our meal, we resorted with the Fried Asparagus with lemon aioli.  You see, my son loves veggies as much as Instagrammers love dark restaurants.  Since he doesn't mind asparagus, especially fried asparagus, it was a no-brainer.  These were a bit greasy, but nicely crunchy while keeping the veggie firm.  The side of lemon ailoi was creamy and definitely tangy.  For our pasta, we went with the Linguine with prawns.  This was flavorful without being too salty.  Instead, the garlic and chilis provided the punch while the olive oil and aromatics from the prawns added another layer of flavor.  The pasta was on point being al dente.

Lastly, we had the Margherita and Burrata Pizza which was loaded with cheese.  Unfortunately, it was also the beneficiary of too much sauce which made parts of the crust soggy.  Despite this, the sauce was tangy and bright with a mild spice.  The creamy cheese was stringy and definitely apparent.  The crust was still nutty and crispy where it hadn't softened up.  For dessert, we had the Donuts with 3 dips.  They were yeasty and soft being almost fluffy.  The chocolate dip was dark and bitter while not being too sweet.  As you can probably guess, we enjoyed our meal at Delarosa and can definitely see why it is so busy, even on a weekday night.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Solid eats from the dishes we had
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Busy, there is a wait most-of-the-time
- Pizza crust was good, but soggy in spots due to the amount of sauce

Deli Board

After some gluttonous eating over the past few days, especially our visit to the House of Prime Rib, we needed to bring it down a few notches.  We couldn't sustain the overload of calories as well as the dent put into my bank account.  Hence, for a quick lunch, we made the medium-long walk over to Deli Board on Folsom from the Marriott Marquis in Downtown San Francisco.  Now this place is famous for their enormous sammies, which really wasn't dialing it down too much from our previous meals!

Before the sammies, we got a bowl of Matzo Ball Soup served in a plastic take-out container.  I mention this because the soup was freakin' hot and let's just say I do not recommend holding it like I did for the picture!  It was good though being lightly salted and full of natural chicken flavour.  The matzo ball was fluffy and light as well.  We only went with 2 sammies since we weren't very hungry (still digesting all that meat from the night before!).  The first was for the kiddies and it was a custom Turkey and Bacon with greens and board sauce.  I don't know about you, but the amount of tender and moist turkey in this thing was outrageous.  Very filling, but at the same time, great quality and it tasted great with crispy bacon and not overly heavy bread.

For Viv and I, we shared the Boca with a tonne of meats including corned beef, pastrami, brisket, muenster cheese, Board sauce, brown mustard & pickles.  Due to the types of meat, the sandwich ate saltier and more full-bodied.  Naturally, it was also a touch greasier as well.  However, all of this was quite fine by us as the sammie burst with flavor as well as a touch of tang and sharpness.  Yes, half of it was more than enough!  As you can clearly see, the sammies at Deli Board are huuuuge and quite tasty to boot.  Yet another spot I'd do again when in town.

The Good:
- Large and full of meat
- They taste good
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Not really that spacious, better get it to go during peak times
- Might want to go with a paper-based bowl for the soup

House of Prime Rib

Okay, okay, okay...  We all know that House of Prime Rib can be rather touristy since it has been on featured on Food Network.  Yes, I've seen it all before - the roaming carts of whole prime rib and the fact they serve nothing but (except for one fish of the day dish).  The all-inclusive price gets you a  sourdough loaf, salad prepared table side, a slice of prime rib (in large, larger and larger!), a choice of potato, a "vegetable" and Yorkshire pudding.  Despite the "cliched" item on my bucket list, it is somewhere I've wanted to try for awhile (especially since I have relatives in San Francisco and have visited the place at least a dozen of times).  So off we went, including the kiddies, for some serious meat!

To begin, we were served a Salad with iceberg lettuce, watercress, crumbled egg and beats.  It was prepared table side with a zesty Thousand Islands dressing spiked with seasoned salt.  Although it was aggressively dressed by the overly-showy table side delivery, it was still quite good.  I liked the crunch of the lettuce with the texture of the eggs and the watercress.  It was flavorful with a tang and spice.  After we dusted that off, we were introduced to the chef who carved our slices of prime rib.  In the Cart, we found 3 different racks of rib (assuming different doneness), au jus, creamed corn and creamed spinach.  With each slice of the beautiful meat, we could hear birds sing...

For my daughter, she was able to get the Kid's Cut which was still a generous portion.  She chose to have mashed potatoes and creamed spinach as her sides.  For $14.95, it also included a glass of milk and a humongous ice cream dessert.  She wasn't able to finish, but put in a good effort to do so.  Personally, if you have younger kids, don't be afraid to bring them because this was reasonably-priced and portioned.  Viv and my son went for the City Cut that was small in my eyes, but more-than-enough for them.  They both chose creamed corn as their vegetable and it was sweet with appealing pops from the niblets.  It wasn't too creamy, so it was probably the lighter of the 2 choices.  I found the mashed potato to be salty and a bit dense, but the ample jus helped with that.

If there was any doubt, I went for the King Henry VIII cut that was definitely large and included the rib.  I found the medium-rare meat to be buttery soft and tender.  It wasn't over-seasoned which meant I could taste the natural flavors.  I paired it with the creamy horseradish that was provided (along with regular horseradish).  The side of creamed spinach was extremely rich and salty from the addition of bacon.  I got a baked potato and it was soft and fluffy where they weren't shy with the butter and bacon bits. So as you can see, the menu ain't complicated.  But do one thing and do it right which is House of Prime Rib in a nutshell.  I would totally do this again.

The Good:
- Does one thing and does it right
- It may seem expensive, but it is worth it

The Bad:
- Not particularly great for someone who doesn't like prime rib 
- The kid's portion was as large as the city cut (if you were comparing prices)

Cockscomb

Dining at restaurants located mainly in Fremont and one in Dublin generally does not give a good overview of the best Bay Area eats.  However, we were visiting family and it wasn't as if we were all going to drive an hour into San Francisco for food.  Things were about to change though as we were moving into the Marriott Marquis for 4 nights.  This way, we were near better restaurants or at the very least, more choice.  After checking in, we made our way down 4th over to Cockscomb (of Chris Cosentino fame).  I've been to his now closed Incanto in Hayes Valley, so I was curious what was in store for his newer spot.

We started things off with the Charcuterie Platter consisting of chicken liver pate, pork and pistachio terrine, prosciutto, gherkins, pickled onions and grainy mustard with toasted bread.  As simple as this appeared, we dusted this off quickly because it was delicious.  We enjoyed that the pate and terrine were lightly seasoned where we could still taste the natural flavors.  The sprinkle of fleur de sel helped with the seasoning.  The thick-sliced prosciutto was appealingly chewy and salty.  Toasted up crunchy and nutty, the bread was an excellent compliment to the platter.  We also got the Deviled Eggs topped with crispy chicken skin.  These were a nice little bite with a smooth yolk filling that was Earthy and only slightly spicy with the chili on top.

For our mains, I went for the Italian Dip featuring a meatball patty and provolone sandwiched in between a loaf of bread.  It was cut in half and plated in Mama Cosentino's famous marinara sauce.  I really liked the sauce since it was bright, tart and flavorful.  It went well with the succulent and well-spiced patty and soft bread.  This was definitely a nice take on a meatball sandwich.  My son went for the Grilled Cheese sporting country ham with a fried duck egg and honey drizzled on top.  The ample amount of taleggio cheese was melty and the ham provided a good saltiness which was counterbalanced by the honey.  He ended up dipping his sandwich in the duck yolk which made things even more rich.

Viv opted for the "Ham" Burger made with 6-day brined pork which was juicy and flavorful (with natural meat taste).  I thought the pickles made the burger as it provided a tangy crunch which brought things to life.  Add in sweet caramelized grilled onions and creamy gruyere cheese, this was one decadent sammie.  On the side were crispy house potatoes fried in beef tallow and accompanied by a killer lemon, horseradish & smoked ailoi.  It was tart with plenty of punch.  As a side, we got the Duck Fat Cauliflower which was seared aggressively on the flat top.  As such, it was smoky and full of caramelization as well as activation of the duck fat.  There was a noted spice from the chili and plenty of armoatics from the garlic.  The mint added a certain brightness.

Lastly, we got the fried Pig's Ears with herbs and lime.  These were only slightly crispy since they were sliced up pretty thick.  Hence, the fatty and gelatinous texture of the pig's ear were still there.  The basil and mint announced themselves while the squeeze of lime brightened up what was heavy snack.  Now if you thought we finished all this food, you give us way too much credit!  Even though we didn't finish, it was tempting since the food was on point and sufficiently interesting.  Pricing was fair IMO and the service was solid.

The Good:
- Great service
- Solid eats
- Fair pricing

The Bad:
- Food is not light, but that's why it was good too!

Din Ding Dumpling House

We swore to stay away from Chinese food while we were down in the Bay Area since the stuff we get at home in Vancouver is pretty much the gold standard in North American (in our opinion).  However, it is difficult to stay away as we crave comfort food and often get tired from eating non-Asian cuisine.  So when we had to take out my cousin for dinner since she hosted us for 3 days, we chose a Shanghainese joint out in Fremont.  Besides, I think we used up all of their toilet paper and bottled water...  LOL.  The whole gang ended up at dinner including her sister with husband and kids as well as their parents.  For that reason, we ordered a lot of food!

Some smaller appies hit the table first including the sliced Beef Shank and the Marinated Cucumbers.  They warned us that these were small dishes, but for us, they were big enough and well-priced for the portion-size.  Firm and pleasantly chewy, the beef shank was still tender and had a nice rebound.  It was on the drier side, but it wasn't a deal-breaker.  There was enough flavor in the form of soy, star anise and sweetness.  They didn't look like much, but the cucumbers were money.  Crunchy and bright, they were lightly sweet and mildly salty.  They were so good, the kiddies ate them as well.  Not my son, but the younger kids at the table.

For me, I had to get the Spicy Tripe and it was a good decision.  Sliced thin, but still exhibiting an appealing chewy rebound, the tripe was nicely gelatinized.  It was tossed in enough chili oil for some spiciness without being overwhelming.  There was an equal amount of sweetness and saltiness as well.  We ended up with 5 steamers of the Xiao Long Bao since all of the kiddies love dumplings.  These were generally good with a thin dumpling skin and loads of soup on the inside.  I found there was a lack of elasticity though as the skin would break too easily.  The pork filling was a bit gritty, but still moist and tender.  As for the soup, it was sweet with lots of meat flavor.

To get our veggies for the meal and really for our trip as we had been clearly eating too much meat and fried food...  So we got the Stir-Fried String Beans, Stir-Fried Ong Choy and Stir-Fried Shanghai Bak Choy.  My favourite of the bunch was the string beans since they were oil-blanched just enough that they were cooked, but still remained crunchy.  They were also lightly seasoned which was a good thing.  The ong choy was crunchy and also lightly salted where the natural flavors were preserved as well as the garlic coming though.  As expected, the Shanghai bak choy was more watery due since it lets out moisture when stir-fried.  They were still crunchy though.

Onto some carbs, we had the House Special Fried Rice and the Chicken Stir-Fried Noodles.  The fried rice was a mix of beef, chicken, shrimp and frozen veggies.  I found that it was dry and nutty which meant the rice wasn't too wet to begin with and the wok heat was sufficient for caramelization.  The shrimp was cold-water crunchy, but the beef was beyond chewy.  I couldn't break it down and had to spit it out.  As for the fried noodles, they were pretty good being slippery and al dente while not overly greasy.  There was enough wok heat to keep the moisture to a minimum where the dish ate well with tender juilienned pork and crunchy cabbage.

For the kiddies, we got a few orders of the Beef Soup Noodles and they were pretty much forgettable.  Let's start with the one positive, the noodles.  Much like the stir-fried noodles, these were chewy and al dente.  However, the soup was rather bland and it didn't taste like there was any depth to it (ie. meat flavor).  Furthermore, the beef was very dry and chewy.  It was lean to begin with and the way they prepared it didn't help matters much.  On the other hand, the Spicy Beef Soup Noodles was remarkably better.  First of all, the soup was impactfully spicy despite lacking body.  The noodles were just as good as the previous bowl and the beef tendons were the right texture.

For me, I really wanted to try the Ja Jeun Mein (Noodles with Meat Sauce) and they were respectable.  Consisting of the on point noodles as well, the sauce on top was flavorful and rich.  There was enough of it to coat the noodles and provide enough seasoning.  It was savory with some some sweetness.  The cucumbers were fresh and provided a nice crunch.  The only thing I could fault the dish was that the sauce was a touch greasy.  One item I could've done without was the Spicy Wontons.  I thought the filling was terrible being mushy and bland.  The sauce itself had a good vinegariness, but it wasn't balanced.  There was no spice and not enough soy to counteract the tartness.  Overall, I would echo my aunt's assessment of the place, "acceptably average".  Does the job, but not particularly memorable.

The Good:
- Acceptably-average
- Okay portions

The Bad:
- A little pricey for this class of restaurant
- Service is spotty