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June 19, 2005
bo bay mon - beef seven ways
Last night Ammon and I decided to indulge in bo bay mon (beef seven ways). This is a favorite meal, because it centers around my most favorite food item. Ill post pictures later. 1. The first course was bo tai chanh, or raw beef marinated in lemon juice and sugar, served with mint, red onions, and peanuts. Its served cold, and tastes very fresh and sweet. The next five courses were served with rice pancakes, the dipping sauces, and a plate of lettuce, carrots, bean sprouts, and herbs. 2. The bo nhung dam, or beef vinegar fondue, was a plate of thinly sliced raw beef you cook at your table in a pot of boiling vinegar, and wrap up with spouts and herbs in a piece of rice paper. This can get a bit sloppy because the lettuce is wet, and the rice papers are the smaller kind and I don't roll them so well. 4 -6 The next three courses were brought out together on a platter; Bo la lot -a beef sausage wrapped in a wild-pepper leaf, bo cuon moi - bits of beef wrapped around scallions, and grilled ground beef on skewers(I don't know the name of this one). 7. The last dish is hot chao bo, or rice porridge with beef, cilantro, and ginger. This is quite tasty and a good end to the meals. Its almost like a dessert, a beefy dessert. The table was a complete mess after we were done with it. Its so cheap too! Its only $13.95 a person (minimum two). Pagolac Restaurant
3. Bo nuong vi, the vinegar was replaced by a hot plate for grilling thin strips of marinated beef topped with sesame seeds and onions. The marinade looked to be a type of sugary brown stuff. The chopsticks they provide for you are plastic, so at one point I think I burned a bit of the tips, so be careful with that. Also, the hot plate was really hot, so when I put the first strips in, there was a lot of oily splatter. These you roll in with the sprouts and herbs as well.
655 Larkin, S.F.
(415) 776-3234.
Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Posted by alejandra at 08:30 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
June 17, 2005
I crave me some burgers!
I dont know what it is, but lately all I want to eat is burgers. juicy yummy burgers...... Zeitgeist The good: Price for burgers + potatoes = $5 (no tax!!!) Burgermeister The good: These burgers are FAT and sooo fine. They come in so many delicious combinations. They feature a hand-formed 8-ounce Niman Ranch beef patty flame-grilled and served on a soft sesame Flippers Gourmet Burgers The good: very fat and juicy. the bread seems to be freshly made. These are real california style burgers with tons of toppings and veggies and things. I think I got the one with a huge scoop of bean sprouts on it. Hukilau The good: Decent burger, and a bunch of other "interesting" food involving spam and mac and cheese. Burger and fries = about $7.00. There aren't very many choices, but it is a good solid burger. In-N-Out Burger The good: Its sooo freaking cheap! You can get one of those meals with fries and drink for $4.00. I actually really love their fries too - I think they are my favorite fries (I love the thin ones). The bread is soft and freshly made, nothing is frozen. Metro Burgers The good: very reasonably priced, burgers and fries are $6.00. The burgers are large and use niman ranch meat and is flame grilled. The cheesesteaks are good too. Very nice environment, its cozy but not too crowded, and very close to my house... Favorite burger so far: The good: These I think are my favorite burgers so far. They are large (huge, actually) and juicy, with a good amount of toppings, flame broiled patties, fresh-tasting bread (though I dont know if they are). I think what makes them so good is how good the other food is too. When I go I always sample everyone elses food, so I dont know if I am so happy after the meal because of just the burger, or because of the other food too. The pancakes are amazing, the shakes are so good, and everything else I have tried there has been so delicious. The atmosphere is great, it seems like the last real diner in the city. Comfort food all the way. I know this isn't in the city, but I think close second for favorite burger: Peninsula Fountain and Grille The good: I am salivating just thinking of these burgers. They are HUGE for one, and with soft sweet fresh bread-- so juicy and delicious. Everything there is american comfort food... you can switch in mashed potatoes for fries, even. They supply a good array of greens, flame grill their patties, and have yummy milkshakes to compliment your meal,
so here is a short list of where to eat burgers and where they are goood.
http://www.sonic.net/~wwpints/zeitgeist
199 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94103
The burgers here are quite good. The patties are not frozen and are molded by hand from huge mounds of meat. They are grilled outside and have that great char taste. They are reasonably thick. The plate comes with yummy potatoes.
The bad: this is hipster paradise. I really really hate crowds. This place has more of a cookout feel then a sit down place, so you might not even find a chair or table to sit at. Sooo many drunk people. There are also tons of people waiting in line for food, and it is really confusing because you order at one spot and then have to go wait outside until they call you.
http://burgermeistersf.com/
86 Carl Street
San Francisco, CA 94117 (plus two other locations)
seed bun.
The bad: a burger and fries can run you about $10.00, plus beer on tap is $3.75, bar prices!
The burgermeisters are small, so they can be crowded for lunch and dinner. I also am not too hot about their fries... they are the wide cut yellow kind (I think.. i cant really remember).
482 Hayes
San Francisco, CA 94102
The bad: $10 + for burger and fries.. though you do get a whole lot of burger. I cant remember what their fries are like. I should go back
(SW Corner of Masonic and Geary)
San Francisco, CA 94118
http://www.dahukilau.com/
The bad: Its good, but not anything to get excited about. The burgers are pretty standard and are tasty, but they dont use fresh bread, and I remember not thinking the fries were so great-- but dont get me wrong, it isnt gross or unacceptable.
333 Jefferson St
San Francisco, CA 94113
The bad: So crowded. You always have to wait so long. The meat isn't very big, and on the whole, they are tiny burgers. I always want another. You still cant beat the value. The only one in the city is in the worst commercial, tourist HELLLL.
247 Fillmore St. @ Haight
San Francisco, CA 94117
http://www.metrocaffe.com/
The bad: This, like hukilau burger, is pretty standard. While the patty itself is delicious, the other stuff isn't so great. The buns are store bought (though they do toast them a bit to make them taste better). The fries are really not good at all. They remind me of cafeteria fries, they are those frozen crinkle-cut kind. Some one else ordered the garlic ones, and those looked a lot yummier, Ill try them next time I go. They are tasty though, way way better than your other lower haight burger option (burger joint, which I think is so so so gross).
It's Tops Coffee Shop
1801 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94103
The bad: It is often very crowded, especially on the weekends. You will often have to wait for hours to get a seat. Its very small.. The prices arent so bad, but can be pricey.
566 Emerson St. at Hamilton Ave.
Palo Alto, California 94301
The bad: Its a but pricey. I work across the street and i cant eat there very often because of the price. it pains me so. Its in Palo Alto. That is the worst part about it, by far.
oh geez.. im so hungry for a burger now, I think im going to die!! Please let me know of other burger places to try! please please!
Posted by alejandra at 01:29 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
June 12, 2005
Rainbow Grocery
So... people have been telling me to go to rainbow grocery for years... but I just never got around to it. I imagined some kind of trader-joes/whole foodsy kind of place. I was so wrong. It totally kicks whole foods in its big glossy overpriced ass any day. Today my new roommate Helen took me there, and jeeezus h. its so good! Besides having bulk items of all kinds, high quality fruit, the most amazing cheese section I have ever ever seen, its also pretty reasonably priced. There is no meat sold here, which is the only thing i wish they had, but seemed like there were a lot of "earthy" types there. I felt uncomfortable in my leather jacket. I actually felt a little overwhelmed... there was a bunch of stuff that I just didnt know how to take home with me. I think the key is to bring your own containers of some sort. they also deduct the price of grocery bags if you take your own. Im starting to stock up my glass jars for my next visit. Maybe I will feel less like a dumbass next time I go when I can figure how things work a little more. Rainbow is located in San Francisco in the Mission District at 1745 Folsom Street at 13th Street (also known as Division), which is right under the central freeway.
Posted by alejandra at 10:42 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
community deli
brand new online sandwich database / social networking application. the database is very small at the moment, but i couldn't resist creating an account after seeing the rss & tag support.
Posted by ammon at 10:06 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
June 09, 2005
Cocoa Rice at last!
Lately I have been really paranoid about partially hydrogenated oils, and have tried to cut them out from my diet. My friend Simon (who lives in vancouver) says that they are even thinking of banning them in Canada, or at least putting those really scary huge warnings on food labels. Anyway, I am not unable to eat some of my favorite foods like Cocoa Krispies, or Cocoa Pebbles! I really miss my chocolatey rice cereal. The other day, while browsing safeways "healthy" isle, I found Koala Krisp! No hydrogenated oils! Sweetened with cane juice! Its not the same as Coacoa Pebbles, but they are pretty damn tasty.
Posted by alejandra at 09:57 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
June 07, 2005
Tasty jewelry
I think there should be more food related merch. I have been meaning to post this for a while...
food earrings
Posted by alejandra at 07:00 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
June 06, 2005
my first - just a story
I grew up in a small town in central california... most of the folks around were either mormon, Portuguese farmers, or stanch lutherans. I am embarrassed to say that I didnt have chinese food until I was in the eighth grade. I had my first dim sum the summer after I graduated. It was foil wrapped chicken. I thought I would die.. it was so salty, juicy, and sweet at the same time. I let the flavors marinate on my tongue before slurping and sucking it dry. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted. Fried wonton was next, and then lovely pork dumplings. I was hooked. I walked home from school everyday, and I started to walk the extra ten blocks for crispy egg rolls. It gave me pleasure never known before. It wasnt until years later that I realized the wonderful world of msg is what kept me going all that time. Even when i went out for "american food" I would try to go to the bowling alley, where all the fries were deep fried in the same grease trap as their egg rolls and wontons. It wasn't until my junior year of high school that I had my first (and only) orgasm from food. My friend Courtney and I decided to go chinese new years in the city. at the time, her brother worked in dublin at the bookstore near the bart station, so that year we made many trips to the city. We settled on a small dim sum place near stockton where I had the most amazing food I have ever had in my life. At the time the tastes were so new and different, that if I went back now I would probably not have the same opinion (I still had not had my first bowl of pho). Dish after dish, bite after bite, I noticed myself getting very warm and dizzy. I started to pant with every drop of greasy morsel. I felt a burning rise up from my panties in a strange sensation/// and then... it happened. I wouldn't know what that sensation was that night until some time later in the front seat of a pickup. I have never had an orgasm from food since... and I dont even like chinese food that much anymore. such a shame.
Posted by alejandra at 09:46 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack