Delicious hand made noodles in Japantown

A new noodle house making handmade udon has sprung up in San Francisco's Japantown. It is in the building near Ichiban Kan. It's called Sanuki Udon.

It's so new it only has handmade signage as well. One sign reads "Genuine Sanuki Noodles are delicious!"

And indeed these noodles are delicious! I ordered their special 'Chef's Choice' noodle dish. I asked if the chef might choose other than meat, seafood and vegetables would be fine. And so my dish came out with mussels, clams, shrimp and lost of veggies! The broth was flavorful and hot and the udon noodles were handmade perfection. The menu is very simple, but this is a place meant to showcase the noodles. I will be back!

Rustico is not reopening

I went by Rustico the other day and found that the sign promising to soon reopen is gone, and there is now a "For Lease" sign. Too bad.

Romantic!

The photo of the front doesn't do justice to Fork in San Anselmo. It was dark and rainy, and I wanted to post this soon, rather than wait for a sunny day to go back. The forecast calls for rain for several days. I had a most exquisite dinner here last night. If you're undecided about where to go with your honey for Valentine's Day -- GO HERE! They have a special His/Her Valentine's Menu as well. And I'm getting ahead of myself.

I was greeted warmly upon arrival, and since I was the first guest, offered my choice of seats. I chose a charming window seat in the side room. I was also in time for the prix fixe menu (Tues-Fri 5:30-6:15). Both menus had tempting items, however the prix fixe had original items at a very reasonable price ($29), so that's the one I chose from. Soon this little amuse bouche of fennel soup with lobster salad arrived. It was small and complex and a great start.

This Heirloom Chickory Salad was unbelievable. The ingredients were proportioned so that every bite was a wonderful mix of flavors with no one flavor dominating. This salad was a mixture of Fuji Apples, Hazelnuts, Balsamic, and Pt. Reyes Blue Cheese.

The Papparadelle that I chose as the main dish was over the top. It had Dungeness crab, fennel and frutti de mare gently tossed with house made wide noodles. The mussels were without the shell, and shrimp without its tail, taking away any object that could possibly be in between your lips and the fork. Every bite was tender and flavorful. The small rings of calamari were blissfully tender as well.

I finished with the Pecan Crostata which was served warm with a topping of Hychia Persimmon Cream surrounded by Bulleit Burbon Caramel. Beautiful and delicious, it was the perfect end. There was not even a hint of a misstep in this meal. The service, surroundings and food was perfect. The interior was zen perfect, the floor shone, and the chairs were all aligned perfectly, merely awaiting people to bring the scene alive. It appeared as though the room was freshly painted, although the server assured me it was last painted 4.5 years ago. The space is well cared for and you will be too at Fork.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 1
Noncritical: 2
Last inspected: 6/10/2008

I love Dungeness Crab!

And guess what's happening at Yankee Pier in Larkspur (and other locations) until the end of the month? The 20th Annual Dungeness Crab Festival is on, featuring local, sustainable Dungeness Crab in various fresh ways every day.

I treated myself to a Dungeness Crab Louie. It was made with very tender yet crisp butter lettuce, chopped egg, silky smooth ripe avocado and deliciously fresh crab meat. It was great! The waiter was most helpful and attentive as well.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 0
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: 8/6/2008

Previously reviewed:
January 8, 2007

Oh what a beautiful day!

Winding up at the beginning of Saturday's mini-trip, Dad and I headed from Mill Valley to Thepmanggon Thai on the Bay in Inverness. Door to door,it was a 58 minute ride through hills, around a mountain and through redwoods to the west side of Tomales Bay. A Scotsman, Judge James Shafter, came here and named it after a place in Scotland. Some of his family still remain in this peaceful spot on Tomales Bay.

We arrived after usual lunch hours and so there was only one other party in the restaurant. Lucky them had been kayaking and their package included lunch at Thepmanggon. Noticing that it would not be a problem, I requested that our meal come in courses, and slowly so that we could savor the meal with the view. The staff timed the courses perfectly, starting with the Thai iced teas we ordered.

As we sipped we noticed how the interior, which had previously been a seafood restaurant called Barnaby's, had been transformed to a Thai hideaway. I also picked up a take out menu, and noticed that the restaurant had thoughtfully listed the health benefits of Thai ingredients:

Galangal (Thai ginger)
*Assists in digestion
*Cures hiccups

Lemongrass
*Reduces fevers
*Reduces headaches

Coconut Milk
*Lowers bad cholesterol while promoting good cholesterol
*Boosts immunity

Turmeric
*Helps those with arthritis
*Improves cardiovascular (heart) conditions

Thai Chilies
*Helps you sleep better
*Keeps your heart healthy

So we were definitely psyched for the meal! And soon our Taro Egg Rolls arrived. Stuffed with bean thread noodles, cabbage, taro, and carrot these light and crispy rolls were a hit with us.

The Tom Kha Soup served next transported me back to a very enjoyable time in my life when I first tasted this soup. I was spending a fun weekend in Pt. Townsend, WA and discovered it in a Thai restaurant there. This has to be the best one I've had since. The spices were so well blended and it was brimming with fresh and flavorful ingredients, with the protein choice being tofu. Dad and I savored this one especially slowly. I also loved the presentation in a traditional clay pot.

And while we were sipping we enjoyed the lovely view outside the window next to us. Dad was reminded of his young teenage years being a helper at a local resort, the Purple Pennant in Lake Steven, WA which was within walking distance from his home. I listened intently as he brought up details I hadn't heard before. Apparently, along with doing some room and boat cleaning, he helped guide guests to the parts of the lake that had the most fish.

As we were musing, the next dish arrived with a bowl of rice. The Asparagus Prawns sauteed in red curry sauce with Thai herbs and bell peppers was absolutely divine. The server had inquired about the spiciness level we liked, and the chef got it prefectly, mild yet with a hint of spiciness. Everything was so fresh and easy on the eye!

The other dish we tried wa Masaa Mun Curry, and we requested it with tofu instead of chicken. It also contains potatoes, carrots and onions with a topping of peanuts. The sauce seemed to be peanut based, and was quite good, and rich. We thoroughly enjoyed our leisurely, relaxing meal that was well-paced and given with thoughtful service. Thepmanggon is on the north end of Inverness, but well worth the extra way to enjoy.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 3
Noncritical: 11
Last inspected: 1/15/2009

Beautiful day in Inverness

It was one of those days that was planned over a week ago, but plans changed completely at the last minute. Since a trip with a friend to the Orchid Show in Santa Rosa fell through, I was vacillating between a day of housecleaning, and a mini-trip to West Marin. Since I vacillated publicly on Facebook, my friends gave me a hand in deciding that a mini-trip was in order. So Dad and I headed off to Inverness around noon and spent a slow day driving, stopping and shopping there. I'm going to post out of order and start with the last part of our trip. On our way back down the Tomales Bay coast to go home, we stopped at the inviting Busy Bee Bakery in Inverness Park.

It was quite cheerful and charming, and so was the person behind the counter. We got a couple delicious peanut butter cookies and ate them on the deck outside. And it was warm enough to do so. This place is very much in the countryside, there was a herd of goats just across the street! The Busy Bee Bakery also has freshly made soups and quiche so it will be fun to drop in another day and try a lunch there.

We decided to drive down the coast all the way to Mill Valley, and we felt like stopping at a scenic stop just outside of Stinson Beach on the way to Muir Beach.

The sun was going down. It's interesting that I was standing in the same spot as when the previous photo was taken, I guess the camera just adjusted for the bright light in the sky. Still, I thought it came out in an interesting way.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 2
Noncritical: 4
Last inspected: 1/12/2009

Friendly brew pub

Friendly and community oriented, Marin Brewing Company also serves up good food. Although this is hardly a scientifically based comment, I recall over the years what seems like more than the average number of events sponsored by Marin Brewing Company to benefit nonprofit or community oriented causes.

In the neighborhood one day, Dad & I stopped by for a quick lunch. The staff were quite friendly and considerate of my Dad in particular. This Teriyaki Vegetable Stir Fry was sauced just perfectly and the veggies were a nice crisp tender texture.

Dad went with the standard Veggie Burger smothered in Jack cheese and lettuce, tomato and onion. Dad was particularly happy with the garden-fresh salad that he could substitute for the fries for a small upcharge. It was a beautiful day and all went well in every aspect, service, food and reasonable price.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 3
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: 12/18/2008

Previously reviewed:
May 13, 2007

Prawn dishes at Kitti's

Coincidentally, my friend Daniel came over yesterday and after some debate, we went to Kitti's Place in Sausalito for dinner. Since Daniel leans towards family-run cozy places, I thought he'd love Kitti's.

It was unfortunate that the server seemed rather impatient and it seemed like she was trying to steer me to dishes I wasn't interested in, although I was very specific about what I wanted. I had my eye on the Ga Prow Kai Dow, which usually has a choice of chicken or beef for the meat aspect. I requested shrimp as a substitute. The dish is stir fried with a basil in chili garlic sauce over jasmine rice, topped with two fried eggs. I got the impression that she felt I wouldn't enjoy the egg addition. Ah, but that was the draw! An unusual combination. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish with its protein punch!

Daniel ordered the Scampi, which I vacillated between before settling on my dish. The scampi is described as large prawns with white wine, garlic, butter, lemon, and parsley with brown rice and sauteed mixed vegetables. Most unfortunately, Daniel really thought the sauce tasted 'off', and he had me try it. It was very sour and over-garlicked in a way that I wasn't fond of either. I somehow think a little sweetener would have taken the edge off. Daniel tried a few more bites before he requested a change of dish. The server was gracious in bringing over a new dish - one that matched mine exactly except for the switch to brown rice. Daniel thought it was much better, and tasted 'typically Thai'. I've had many a wonderful meal here, this was the first time there was anything off about what came to the table.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 0
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: 1/13/2009

Previously reviewed:
February 23, 2008
June 4, 2007
September 19, 2006
September 25, 2005

Popular Indian Hang out

No matter what time of day you go, Sartaj India Cafe in Sausalito is buzzing with people in happy states of mind. Is it that delicious chai, or something in the air? It's infectious no matter the source.

I've been Anna-one-note at this restaurant, only ordering the vegetable stew in recent memory. It's just so good! However, I was determined to try something else. And sometimes our projected pictures of what we think something is, keeps us from a marvelous discovery. Some how the description "Indian style egg plate" conjured up a picture of poached eggs floating in curry. I decided to order it anyway, and found it is NOT what I had pictured, and very delicious. It also comes with a side of my favorite veggie stew! Rice, raita and chapati complete the plate. The eggs were full of delicious green herbs and slightly spicy. I think I've found a new favorite.

On another trip I dragged my friend Daniel, who became a fan of Sartaj, and he had an interesting "Meat Combo". It consists of chicken tikka masala, chicken curry, and lamb curry with rice, raita, chapati, dahl and veggie stew. Sartaj India Cafe is not only friendly, but reasonably priced and everything is made from scratch. If you are looking for casual and good Indian food, you can't go wrong here.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 1
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: 8/12/2008

Previously reviewed:
December 22, 2006
August 31, 2006

Night out with friends

Oyaji is a very happening izakaya style restaurant in San Francisco. Oyaji is an informal Japanese word meaning "Dad", and is almost exclusively used by men. It also describes a 'rugged' type Japanese male, sometimes emphasizing the humorous aspects, akin to calling someone an 'old fart'.

I was at Oyaji with some Japanese friends, so I knew we'd be having a wonderfully unusual and leisurely meal. While we were waiting for one of our friends, the others insisted I try a Japanese shochu drink that is made with oolang tea and the high-alcohol shochu. It was rather good actually.

We also munched on edamame while waiting.

Next up we had a special treat, tarabagani, and the fourth friend showed up just in time. This dish in English is grilled Alaska King crab. The Japanese said it was special, and because it lives in northern waters, it has a naturally salty taste. I never thought of Alaska King crab as particularly salty, but when I was told about it, it seemed I could then detect it.

Then a succession of delicious dishes followed, the next being a very fresh assorted sashimi plate.

Next up came some mozuku, or seaweed in vinegar dressing.

My Japanese friends always swoon over the tender butano-kakuni at Oyaji. In English, that's stewed pork belly meat served with Karashi mustard.

The standard goma-ae, is anything but standard here. Fresh spinach, quickly steamed and tossed in a sesame sauce is so good!

This hiryu-zu was one of my personal favorites of the evening. Deep-fried tofu & vegetable dumpling served in tempura sauce is the description.

Do you know what Motsuni is? It's Pork intestine simmered in miso based sauce. And despite that description it was tender and delicious!

And you can't call this lacy tender vegetable tempura 'standard', it's a cut above most in the city.

And I find shiokara a bit challenging for my taste, but it's quite popular in Japan. Shiokara is marinated raw squid.

And here we have some tasty grilled fish, yakizakana. With so many treats, it doesn't matter if you like some more than others. I liked this one.

And in Japan, the arrival of the miso soup signals you are near the end of the meal rather than the beginning.

And you know rice isn't far behind when the oshinko pickle plate comes. Oyaji's pickle plate has a good variety.

And we ended the meal with yaki onigiri, or grilled rice in triangular shape.

Previously reviewed:
July 19, 2006

Vegilicious!

Anchorage 5 in Sausalito is certainly not a vegetarian restaurant. It's a friendly neighborhood favorite with options for everyone. Dad and I were just in a particularly vegetarian mood. And we were lucky that Anchorage 5 also has vegetarian choices.

Dad ordered the Veggie Burger, which came with a choice of sides, and he chose a fresh green salad with Ranch dressing. The burger was served up hot and with toppings that Dad really enjoyed, grilled mushrooms and red onion.

I had the Veggie Burrito with a side salad as well.

I had to cut it open for you to see the fresh veggies that are crisp cooked and enveloped in the rice, beans, guacamole and sour cream inside. This was one fantastic veggie burrito.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 0
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: 10/14/2008

Previously reviewed:
March 2, 2008
October 17, 2007