Tastes authentic!

Sunday was another day that did not go as planned, and had its pleasures anyway. I got up with a strange burning sensation in my lungs, and was low energy. I didn't feel 'sick' at that point, so kept going. Especially since I needed to do some cleaning and straightening before a small dinner party in the afternoon. An hour before a "Farewell to Summer" dinner was to start, my friend Jonathon called to let me know cute little Aurelia had a 100F fever. His wife and my friend Jo-Ann was on the way to Costco so he conferenced her in. She was turning around because the traffic was SO hideous that it wasn't going to be worth the trip. We decided to postpone given all the situation from several angles. Besides, it seems we have some summer left. And the other good news is that my house is much improved in appearance since I got the cleaning accomplished. Dad and I were a little hungry, so I thought I had more energy to drive and order than start cooking something else.

We hopped over the Golden Gate Bridge as Jo-Ann had already cued me in about the traffic in North Marin. It was a bit late, so there were mostly 'closed' signs at this mid-afternoon time. Ah! Shabu House looked lively and had an 'open' sign! And we had about an hour since the sign read closes at 3 p.m. NOT. The minute we got in we were informed that they were closing at 2:30 today so if we wished to have lunch we would have to order immediately. Whoah. He was very nice about it, however it really put a crimp in thoughtful ordering. We considered shabu shabu briefly, the dishes at the other tables looked very good. However, shabu shabu isn't a meal to be rushed. So we each ordered a lunch bowl.

Dad ordered a Chicken Teriyaki bowl. He enjoyed it with some cold oolong tea. When I asked for iced tea, the server looked doubtful and said all he had was cold oolong tea. I smiled at him and said that is GREAT! Cold oolong tea almost always properly brewed and tasty.

I ordered the Unagi bowl. I took a bite, and found myself in one of those 'jaw-dropping it's so good' moments. The sauce was so authentic tasting. The last time I recall unagi so artfully made was in Japan a couple years ago. I complimented the waiter on the sauce, and he said it was house made. Since it was so authentic and good, I asked him if he had any sansyo (which I misprounounced 'sanso'). He thought I must mean, shiso or shichimi. I replied no, it is a kind of green Japanese herb like pepper that is used on unagi, and this unagi dish was worthy of the real thing. (And I was certain he must have some since this was SO good). I really puzzled him, and he said he would ask the owner.

Another unexpected thing happened. I took a few glances at the blond man sitting next to me because he so resembled someone I work with in the RFID community. I couldn't determine since I could only see his profile, and I thought that it wouldn't make sense. Boris is in the San Jose area. What would he be doing on a late hour on a Sunday afternoon in this particular part of San Francisco? Especially seated right next to me? Well, guess what, it WAS Boris, and we were both pleasantly surprised. He was enjoying a shabu meal with a huge table of friends.

Our waiter reminded us that a choice of green tea or red bean ice cream came with the meal, so Dad and I both chose green tea ice cream. It was a nice finish.

Now I was so wrapped up in remembering sansyo (personally, I would romanize it sansho), and thought it would be nice to pick up some supplies in Japantown anyway, so Dad and I visited Nijiya Market. We were already on Geary, so it was a very short jag. Not only did Nijya have it, there were three different brand choices. I ended up coming home with one. It has a rather hot yet citrusy taste, and is green. It is made from the dried ground leaves of the sansho tree, which I've also seen translated as 'prickly ash tree'. This is the same tree that produces Szechwan peppercorns. Thus ended my adventure, and back to home for some warm tea, and checking on the apple butter I started making earlier in the day. The apple butter effort will be a future blog post :-).

California story

After a busy and enjoyable day, there was no time for photos (especially driving to Napa for one), so I found this beauty at iStock photos. Besides swimming and a bit of hot tubbing, my Dad, a friend and I went to see "Bottle Shock". Having a close relationship with a winery that placed in the competition covered, I couldn't help but want to see it. It is a very enjoyable portrayal of the events.

Leisurely meal fit for a Maharaja

The traffic was at a standstill when I left Sausalito yesterday to go the two exits up to my home. Friday night traffic has come back with a vengeance. During the summer, it seems that Thursday night traffic is actually worse for so many enjoying the nice weather with a three-day weekend. Given I had also worked through lunch, I didn't feel like going very far away for dinner. So I picked up Dad and headed back into Sausalito to enjoy a view meal at Gaylord India Restaurant.

And what a nice view it was. We made it before the fog had completely obscured San Francisco, and a couple of seals danced in the water and played peek-a-boo with us during the meal as well.

Dad and I each choose a prix fixe dinner for the evening to have a little variety. Both came with a Mixed House Salad. As with many places, the prices have shot up tremendously, and looking at building our own meal vs choosing a prix fixe meal, it seemed the better choice.

I chose the Thali (Vegetarian) meal, which they managed to stack up all on a platter. The breads are covering a large metal bowl of rice. The items on this tray are clockwise, Navaratan Korm, Sag Aloo, Raita, Mattar Paneer, Dal Makhani, Papadum and underneath the papadum, two Poori and the Basmati Rice Pullao! Even though it was all on one tray, it was too much food to finish.

Dad's Maharaja meal came in several dishes. The dinner plate came with his Tandoori Chicken, Basmati Rice Pullao and Sag Paneer.

When the brass double sided dish was set in front of him, he exclaimed, "Is this mine too?!". "Yes Dad", I said, "It's your Rogan Josh and Chicken Tikka Masala".

Then his basket of Onion Kulcha was placed nearby as well. Needless to say we had a well-packed doggie bag.

But wait, choice of dessert and tea came with the meal as well. (And we did enjoy a sweet lassi to start). Dad chose the Mango Ice Cream, which despite packing the majority of his meal, he managed to finish off completely.

I tried the Kulfi, saffron flavored ice cream with pistachios. For the life of me, I couldn't find any pistachios in or on it. But there were plenty of ice crystals in it as the frozen dessert is house made. In general, the food was outstanding though. The dal was particularly wonderful having a depth of flavor and an interesting assortment of beans. The service was rather slow for being the only ones in the restaurant. Our waiter was delightful, and I chalked the delay up to perhaps all those little dishes needing to be prepared separately in the kitchen. But it is, as I imagine, the kind of slow meal in front of a dazzling view that a maharaja might enjoy. And the talented Brian Wallace was providing just the right musical ambiance with the sitar.

Previously reviewed:
November 5, 2007
November 30, 2006

Starter Chirashi

I was just looking for a simple lunch to be enjoyed quickly. Sweet Ginger in Sausalito was a likely candidate, and it was close.

The salad and miso soon arrived after I placed my order.

And out came the chirashi, and I was pleasantly surprised to see it would be a perfect starter chirashi for someone who was just starting a chirashi, or sushi adventure. No challenging choices topping the sushi rice. It was also a nice lunch portion with a reasonable $13.95 price tag (most local area chirashi dishes start at around $18). The fish was fresh and sushi rice nicely vinegared. Not as stylish as some, but a great lunch or starter set find.

Previously reviewed:
June 9, 2007
September 1, 2006
July 21, 2005

I dream of creams

Violet creams. Now that I've found these British confections, I can imagine being quite happy in 15th century England noshing on these flower-fragrant exotic tasting chocolates. There are geniuses in all ages!

I learned that the aromatherapy use of violets is for insomnia and letting got of anger, while cleaning the kidneys and boosting the liver. No wonder I was drawn to these yesterday evening. If you've been following my blog for awhile you know that my father lives with me and has Alzheimer's. These past few days have been wild especially since Dad lost his wallet. He keeps forgetting he lost it, and gets upset anew when he can't find it. I really needed my night off. So I booked myself a massage... ahhhh. But imagine how I felt when I got out and found three voice messages, and my phone instantly ringing because my father was refusing to let his caregiver in the house and telling her to go home. He cannot get dinner by himself, take his meds or get to bed unaided. My sense of well being took a hit as I raced home to attempt to put things to right. And then I found those violet dreams, er I mean creams...

Retro all the way

Dad wanted some old fashioned comfort food breakfast, so Shoreline Coffee Shop came to mind. A small sign over the door states "In business since 1964", and parts of the business sure seem to dwell in that timeframe.

The menu is very simple. On the omelet side the the choices are simply plain, cheese or ham and cheese. I chose cheese. The omelet style is a thin crepe of egg, cooked then rolled several times with the ingredients inside. I was disappointed in the processed American cheese filling, but it just goes to the 'retro' character. The waitress was perky and pretty and very helpful, although not a teeny-bopper by any stretch.

Dad had two eggs over easy with ham. The hash browns that accompanied both our dishes were quite good, and we were brought not only ketchup, but hot sauce. In fact, the 'exciting' menu items were the two Mexican breakfast offerings. It's not the most exciting place to have breakfast, but it has a neigborhood following, and if you are hungry these simple dishes would taste mighty good.

Previously reviewed:
November 22, 2006

Warm food - good ambiance

Yesterday was a coolish day in southern Marin, particularly Sausalito. I felt like Italian food, and decided to let the availability of parking decide where. That is not an uncommon deciding factor in San Francisco and its environs. I found a place not far from Poggio, and it had been too long since I last visited so the die was cast. There is very pleasant seating on the sidewalk, but it was a little too cool, so I took a seat just on the other side of the glass, rather in the more romantically lit inner interior.

Don't you love it when the bread that is served is not only fresh, but warm? In this case, it was even hot! The butter was a very creamy one too, which made a very decadent start to the meal.

Linguine with manila clams was a choice on the menu I couldn't resist. I even accepted an offer of some freshly ground pepper to top it. The clams were tender, and the juices at the bottom were divine. I used some of the extra bread to sop them up quietly since it probably wasn't the best of manners. But it was SO good.

Previously reviewed:
June 2, 2007
June 29, 2005

Neighborhood Bagels

New York Bagels has been a good place to get a quick and tasty breakfast bite for a number of years. It's located in Mill Valley's Strawberry Village, and has a few tables inside and out to enjoy items for 'here'.

I hadn't visited in a while so I was surprised to see it not in as perky shape as I'd remembered. The refrigerated case which used to hold various flavors of cream cheese and lox was completely empty, and many of the former menu items were blocked off by squares of white paper. Nonetheless, I enjoyed an onion bagel with egg and cheese at one of the tables outside the door. I would recommend sticking to the simple items for take out here, as it seemed to be in disheveled shape, both inside and out with the tables not cleaned off well.

Blooms at work

I had my big camera with me the other day at the office, and the light was wonderful. So I had to catch the beautiful bush of hydrangeas.

Not to mention the next crop of the ever-bearing lemon tree. The blossoms on the tree are so fragrant right now too. Fresh lemon water has been just the thing these past few hot days!

Sunny breakfast in Tiburon

Wow, it is last weekend already that Dad & I took an notion for a sunny breakfast in Tiburon. Tiburon is a great place to go for breakfast because there are several great choices for enjoyable breakfast pleasures, so if one is too busy there are easy alternatives. The New Morning Cafe is one of those great places.

Dad started off with Hot Chocolate that came with racing stripes.

Dad ordered a combo breakfast which he realized was just much too much food. We took some home. Fluffy buttermilk pancakes, tender ham, an egg over easy and home fries were all part of the plate. He said it was all good.

I had to order something with the audacity to call itself the "Scrumptious". And well, it was. It was a mix of potatoes, onions, some spinach and fresh tomatoes scrambled up with some melted cheddar, with an egg of your desire draped on top. I asked for a scrambled egg, and also chose wheat toast. The only off note in the morning is that the wooden benches were a bit too hard for my father to sit on very for very long. And unfortunately the service was VEERRRY slow. The servers seemed to be on break. There were four of them sitting on the steps of the building across the street. Staff deserves breaks, but it's hard not to feel annoyed when you can see them and you are not getting service at any kind of acceptable pace. The food was good though.

Previously reviewed:
September 22, 2006

New sushi place coming to north Sausalito

I stopped by the old Samurai place in north Sausalito yesterday as I noticed a sign had gone up. It appears a new Japanese restaurant will be opening there - Tsujiki Sushi. I'm glad, not only because it will be within walking distance of my office, but also that the building which is nicely done in a Japanese architectural style will be used that way again. I just hope they take that ugly brown paint off the lovely wood accents! And I hope even more that the food and service will be great!

Nice balance

Kitti's Place in north Sausalito was hopping inside when I sat down for an early dinner one evening. They are always so friendly, even when busy!

I tried the Praram Pak with shrimp which was served over jasmine rice. It had a well balanced taste with plenty of vegetables and the shrimp was tender. The peanut sauce was very nicely blended, not overly peanutty. It's still a great place for a casual bite.

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

Comfort food

It was a long day, and when very tired comfort food is required! For me, not the usual American fare, what I craved was a Hella Roll at Robata Grill & Sushi in Mill Valley.

It's fresh and crunchy and comforting... and perfect with a bowl of miso soup. In Japan, miso is eaten after your entrees are done, and it soothes you at meal's end. The next 10 days or so are going to be incredibly busy.. I hope I can keep blogging through it all. If not, I'll be back shortly.

Previously reviewed:
December 28, 2007
October 4, 2006
July 17, 2006

Warm and casual, and even flawless

Sunday, Dad & I had been in all day since I was on a de-clutter kick. When I asked if he was ready for dinner, he said, "I'll put my shoes and cap on". So I took the hint that he wanted to get out of the house and have another dining adventure. Scanning my ever shorter list of restaurants in Marin I haven't tried, I felt a little deflated since my longest lists of that type are either for Chinese or Mexican cuisine, and I just wasn't in the mood. I also didn't want to dress up, so the handful of fine dining places were also out. So we took a little trip into San Francisco to visit Old Krakow.

I had a hard time deciding between a soup on the menu, garlic, and the special soup - Pickle Soup. After the charming waiter described the pickle soup as a creamy soup with potatoes, bits of vegetables and slightly sour from the pickles, I was sold. It was unique and quite good.

There weren't so may vegetarian options, and one fish dish on the menu, halibut. I chose a 'small' plate, Dumplings with Mushroom sauce. Wow. I could have licked the plate of that mushroom sauce. The dumplings were slightly gooey, and very filling, so I could only eat a couple. And spoons full of the mushroom sauce. I took the others home to reheat, and they stood up to microwaving.

Dad ordered the Polish Goulash, consisting of mildly spicy chunks of beef with onions and bell peppers in a rich gravy with potato dumplings. The meat was fork-tender and Dad loved it. So much that he carefully mopped all the sauce up with pieces of the potato dumplings.

His dish also came with a Beet Salad. I tried a piece, and it was good. Nicely sour with a good texture.

Dad even had room for dessert and was tempted by the Apple Cake. It looked great with all that spiced moist apple inside the thin layers of cake.

I had to try the Polish Cheesecake. It was made with a mixture of ricotta and white cheeses. It sounded mildly sweet, and that's exactly what it was. It had a firm texture and had a deep cheese flavor without being overly sweetened. We had a very good time with attentive staff who knew the menu well. The interior had pink walls with various kinds of wooden furniture. I could imagine myself in a Polish parlour. This is a great place for a change of pace in West Portal.

Most beautiful door in Marin

I'm still in love with the enameled door at Lotus Cuisine of India. And the whole row of miniature doors over the buffet line. Dad wanted to have lunch with me rather than at Whistlestop, his usual weekday lunchtime hangout, so we hopped across the street to sample the buffet.

I'm impressed with the number of unique vegetarian items on the buffet. It made it easy to fill my plate with a variety of tastes. The okra dish was particularly well flavored. The service was friendly, and this is still a great place to enjoy Indian cuisine.

Previously reviewed:
October 7, 2006

Harvest Time!

I've been harvesting all along, but there's something about Labor Day weekend and noticing the waning light of day come a wee bit sooner that makes one think of fall. And my tomato plant is still drooping, heavy with green orbs, so although I made a clean pick of all the red ones, as long as the weather holds, there should be plenty more behind. Sweet Millions indeed!

I'm still amazed at all the fruit that came from this tiny start!

It still looks something like this, with no reds now. My first tomato planting has been a great success, and I'm dreaming of making a row of them next season! I guess I'm an official 'slow-fooder' now. There's also Slow Food Nation happening this weekend in San Francisco, but I'm just hanging out with mine.

Another closure

I stopped by Fishman Village in Mill Valley a couple days ago when the traffic was horrid on 101N and I started to go home the back way. I remembered it as having a charming staff who did their best to serve fresh and delicious Chinese seafood favorites.

I was saddened to see the signs in the door close up. "Close" said one, and the other was an eviction notice.