Zululand "Queen" Pineapple

I spied this mini-pineapple called a "Queen" Pineapple at Molly Stone's the other day. The cashier was kind enough to inquire if I really wanted to buy this $5 small fruit. Well yes... I thought it was cute, although I realized I could get more pineapple for the $. It smells aromatic in my kitchen, and I'm going to have to cut it open soon. Key limes are appearing around as well, and those make such a lovely tart dressing for a fruit salad mixed with some raw agave nectar.

I've been in computer struggles -- the computer where all my recent photos are stored is freezing up within minutes of starting. So I've been in a very S-L-O-W process of moving them before I attempt a windows reinstall or repair. My father has also been sick -- a coldish kind of thing with a dry cough. He has and is needing some extra care. Between all of this, I've not been creating new posts. And meanwhile I see that there has been some progress in Sausalito on the two new restaurants I mentioned awhile back... always something to look forward to!

Chipper

These organic Falafel Chips caught my eye, so I thought I'd try. They tasted slightly falafel-like and had the near crunch of a corn chip, but with slightly more body. I liked them, but didn't love them. It would be a unique thing to serve with hummus dip. I do like that they are high in protein and fiber, not to mention 5% of the daily value for calcium and even more impressive 16% of the daily value for iron at about 11 calories a chip. I got mine at Molly Stone's in Sausalito.

The fragrance alone...

Jo-Ann and I were in San Francisco's Japantown a bit back, and had to decide where to have lunch. We went for one of the places Jo-Ann had not yet visited, and I had had previous good experiences with, Miyako Restaurant. It's located just across the street from the Peace Plaza, in a downstairs location.

The Miyako Ramen Combo was a very nice set. Shoyu (soy sauce) ramen, gyoza (pork), California Roll and assorted tempura was a grand meal and it all tasted like the chef was attentive to the flavor and arrangement.

Miso Ramen we knew our meals were coming as the scent of this bowl wafted out of the kitchen as it was brought out and we wondered who was getting something that smelled so good that we exclaimed in unison about it. Jo-Ann loved this ramen meal and we vowed to come back sometime in the near future. The service was attentive and the place was clean and modern. Definitely a place to return to often.

Previously reviewed:

July 11, 2008

Kitsch and Kool

'in the Central Valley where the motto is "Eat fresh, feel fresh" Where am I?' I sent this little message a few weeks ago from my Twitter account (annahaight) right from this restaurant. I was drawn to stop at a Taste of India in the town of Buttonwillow as I was hurtling as fast as I dared home on I5 from Long Beach. A few miles out I noticed a very rustic sign indicating that there was vegan food ahead. Vegan this far out?? I had to check it out. There was another one or two signs after that that I believe also included their tag line, Eat Fresh and Feel Fresh, which I liked.

Yes, the interior cannot be describes as other than kitsch. There was an attempt to lighten up the space by painting walls a saffron color, and also filling the space with colorful silk flowers. I asked to be seated near window, so the waiter allowed me to sit in an unused section (so I overlooked the white board that was sitting in front of me since I was not expected to be there).

I started with a soothing and delicious lassi which set the meal off in a positive direction. It seems that Taste of India must be stop for buses as every table had a number, and there are quite few tables in the large place.

I was astonished at the size of the bowl of Malai Kofta which arrived. I was very impressed. The soft balls in the sauce were obviously made freshly, and these were extraordinary.

Here are some of the malai kofta balls with the rice dish I ordered.

The rice dish is Egg and Onion Biryani. This was tasty with bits of fried egg and soft onions in the rice, and made a perfect foil for the Malai Kofta. I enjoyed my meal and the portions were quite generous especially for the reasonable prices. Luckily, I had a cooler with ice in it so I took the leftovers home to enjoy at a later time. If you can get over the ambiance, the food is good, particularly considering the fast food alternatives nearby.

And Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Luckily, not found in Marin...

see more Engrish

And I'm still alive... a new post coming soon.