Tak Kee Lee @ SF

Tak Kee Lee has a great breakfast deal. $5.25 for a bowl of noodles (your choice of 3 proteins, choice of noodles), toast and milk tea - and you get to add your own condense milk. Yay! You can also have two eggs, sausage/bacon/ham, hashbrowns, toast and milk tea for the same price. ABC may be across the street, but the owners at Tak Kee Lee are more hospitable, take more care/attention to your food and the prices are much more reasonable. Don't buy into the ABC non-sense!

Two Eggs, Sausage, Hashbrowns and Toast

Flat Rice Noodles w. Fried Egg, Satay Beef and Preserved Vegetables

this bowl will make you full until 2pm, and keep you going the whole day!

Pacific Catch @ SF

Huge portions and fresh seafood at Pacific Catch.  My favorite is definitely the Ahi Tuna Salad, but ask for tuna poke, and the fried oysters!

Edamame and Pretzel Fishies

Ahi Tuna Poke Salad

love love love the tuna poke. giant chunks that was thoroughly marinated. there was shredded carrots, gingers, seaweed salad, avocadoes and other things. the salad got spicer and spicer as i ate, i think the wasabi was making it's way through my taste buds. a definite return!

 Sampler: Fish, Coconut Shrimp and Oysters w. Sweet Potato Fries

oysters were my favorite! 

 Salmon Sandwich

fresh and flaky salmon

Pluto's @ SF

Affordable, fast, delicious and fresh food. Who does not like Pluto's? You can get a huge salad for less than $10 that can easily feed two people, or freshly made hot sandwiches. Don't forget the garlic fries!

Cheesesteak w. tilamok chedder, carmelized onions, lettuce and tomatoes

Garlic Saturn Rings (curly fries)

ABC Resturant & Bakery @ SF

While I do not necessarily condone people eating at ABC, and call it as "good food," I have to admit that it has the best HK Milk Tea that is the most comparable to my favorite in Hong Kong, and it has great breakfast deals.  That being said, you'll only find me here in the mornings before 11am, usually with a cup of milk tea and a bowl of rice noddles. It'll fill you up until 3pm. Might make me fat in the process too, hahaha.

Thick Rice Noodles w. Beef Stew, Pig Skin and Hot Dog

breakfast of champions! 

 

Let's Roll @ SF

A new "fast" sushi/japanese food joint opened up a few months ago - Let's Roll. It looked clean and friendly, and what attracted me the most was the takoyaki (octopus balls) for $2.99. A deal! While it was affordable, it definitely was not yummy. Lots of flavor lacking, not enough batter, and other stuff. However the california roll for $1.99 was good for it's price. Outcome: it's whatever, not amazing, not great, but if you're feeling a snack for $1.99 you can get a california roll which is cheaper than at Safeway.

Sun Maxim Bakery @ San Francisco

There are tons of these bakery establishments all over San Francisco. Each serves their variety of bao and dim sum. In the Sunset on Irving, I go to Sun Maxim Bakery just to get their onion bao. It isn't just any onion bao, but it each layer is intertwined with shredded pork. It adds to the ultimate savory sensation! What I like to do is to buy the bao, take it home, put it in the oven for about 6-10 minutes. The outside is crusty, and the inside is warm and chewy. I haven't had any other thing at this place, but I totally recommend the onion bun!

Nick's Taco Shop at Underdog's @ San Francisco

Must Eat: Nick's Baja Style Fish Taco

Results: YUMSIES

There is definitely a reason why this is on the 100 things to eat list. It's a fried fish taco, with cabbage, spicy sauce, fresh guac, a soft corn tortilla then a crunch corn tortilla. That's Nick's style...crunchy and soft. This was definitely the best fried fish taco I've had. Still when it comes to grilled, Wahoo's is the way to go. But these are distinct tastes and styles. One taco is HUGE...and it's enough. Oh yea another plus, they server REAL coca-cola with REAL sugar.

Had the carne asada taco, nothing to report about. Pretty average. 

fish was not oily at all! perfecto!

Tak Kee Lee @ San Francisco, Sunset

My brother told me that this was the BEST place for baked Portuguese chicken, and well it may not have been the "best" it was really good. For those of you who don't know what barked Portuguese chicken is, it's basically this coconut mixture that is like curry, but sans the curry and spice, which is cooked with chicken and potatotes. This is then poured over fried rice, and baked in the oven for about 30 minutes. Really good! Some people prefer baked pork chop over rice, I prefer baked Portuguese chicken.

We also ordered HK style fried chicken wings, and they were just so-so here. ABC a few blocks down is better, and that place serves mediocre food. One thing that is nice of restaurant is when you order HK milk tea, they actually give you the condense milk so you can add it to your liking :)

 

 Baked Portuguese Chicken

Fried Chicken Wings

 

HK Milk Tea

S&T Hong Kong Seafood & San Francisco (dinner)

I've blogged about S&T Hong Kong Seafood in a previous post where I was there for dim sum. I am now here to blog and provide pictures to the dinner there! I do have to say that it is one of the better restaurants for "fancy" chinese food during dinner, and it is definitely the best in the Sunset. Don't expect the American faire of chinese food, but the legit stuff. I think I got too involved with the eating and forgot to take some other pictures. Alas....enjoy!

Soy Sauce Dipped Fried Pigeon
seriously it doesn't taste as bad as it sounds. you know how people say everything tastes like chicken, well this tastes like duck! so if you love duck, you'll love this :)

Sizzling Black Pepper Steak
super tender and peppery...i think all the cousins ate it

Honey Walnut Shrimp
ok so this may be the only dish that i love that you can consider the "white" in me. but honestly i've loved this ever since i was a kid, and i think only recently it's been considered a "white" dish. sigh.

Soy Sauce Chicken
so this has to be the most EXPENSIVE soy sauce chicken to exist, because for a whole chicken it is $30 which is insane! a few months ago this was amazing, and you could say it was worth every dollar, but now it seems to taste like any other chicken....the allure has left

missing from the photos is crab, fish and veggies.

S & T Hong Kong Seafood @ San Francisco

So many dim sum places in SF...where to go...where to go! Well if you ask any good asian, you'll know that all the BEST dim sum places are outside of the city, like in Burlingame, Milbrae and San Bruno. When I say "best" I mean best considering the food and the price you pay. However, if you're in the city already and you don't want to travel outside of it S&T Hong Kong Seafood does the job as well. The dim sum plates are pretty tasty and the prices are a little higher than the other places, probably around 30 cents to 50 cents more. This place is always busy though...and be aggressive when you go! Don't let the asians push you around. hehehehe. we ate more than there are pictures...I was just consumed with eating and forgot to take more pics!

Beef wrapped around Rice Noodles
nomnomnom

Fried Taro Dumpling
yummmo! loves taro

Portuguese Egg Tart
think egg tart...but like creme brulee!

Crispy Noodles topped w. chicken, mushrooms, baby bok choy, squid, shrimp and pork
crispy noodles are the best part!

Pan Fried Turnip Cake
panda's favorite

Fried Shrimp Balls
penguin's favorite! hmmmmm delicious!

Taraval Okazu Ya @ Sunset

So I come home, and my mom tells me that there's this Japanese restaurant on Tarval that she liked. I immediately asked if it's as good as Tekka, and she goes "Tekka's expensive." Ok fine...I get the point. Apparently this place is really busy because we get there before 6pm on Sunday, and all the tables in the front are full. They put us in the "middle room" between the front of the restaurant and the back. In a matter of 5 minutes, the place fills up completely. The sushi menu is extensive, and it looks like there are a lot of good things. I'm starved, and super excited. I basically order EVERYTHING off the menu (sorry no pics for all...I got lazy): hamachi, spicy tuna roll, dragon roll, ankimo, salmon, uni, toro, scallops, tempura, hamachi kama, kani salad, oysters...and maybe more.

So initially things are looking good...but the hamachi was different...it tasted the same, but it was pink. Has anyone ever seek pink hamachi? I've never...in my experience it was always white or off white, or maybe even yellow in the low grades. Anyways, I didn't say anything because it tasted like yellow tail and it was fresh...so just probable a different grade..meh?

The downside of the ENTIRE meal, and why I will NEVER go back was the scallops. What they served to us...was not scallops, not even close. First of all when it came to the table, it wasn't pearly white...there was green onions and ginger on top of it, as well as some oil type dressing. Fine, maybe that's just what it looks like, just like the hamachi. I take one bite, and INSTANTLY, I knew it wasn't it. The texture was off, it wasn't fresh, it wasn't bouncy, there was no bite, there wasn't flesh. It just kind of sucked...majorly. I forced myself to swallow and finish the other half. I asked my mom and aunt for permission to say something to the waitress because, I didn't want to emabrass them. My mom even said it wasn't scallops, and that woman knows her seafood. I got our waitress' attention, and told her that this wasn't scallops. She proceeded to argue with me, and said it was...and then said she was going to take them away. The owner (asian-chinese lady) comes, and asks if there is a problem. I say, yes this isn't scallops. She too proceeds to argue with me (anyone heard of the customer is always right?). I tell her that it isn't, and she keeps insisting that it is. I tell her that I've been to at least three different japanese restaurants in the city, and they all give me the same "scallop" that is hotategai, but not here. I tell her that we've ordered tons of food, and I know my food. She still argues with me. She tells me that it's a different spieces or type, I tell her that her menu not only contained the Engish word "Scallops" but contained the Japanese equivalent of hotategai, which is the scallop that I know and love. I told her that I understand that there are different kinds of scallops, but the japanese word for scallops that she places in her menu, is not the type of scallops she served us. She said she would not charge us for the 4 that remained on the plate, but will still charge us for the 4 that we consumed (and they were forceably consumed). This woman wasn't done though, she went into the fridge and showed me the package that contained the scallops, and proceeded to explain that it's from Japan, and it's the highest grade. I again tell her that what she had on her menu...did not fit what was served. Plain and simple.

So there...never again. Don't argue with me...seriously. I eat well, I know my food, I love food. And above all I'm a lawyer in training...you think you can take me? Think again.

Oysters in Half Shell
ok so i've never been a fan of raw oysters...or just oysters for that matter, it's the stomach. it terrifies me. but i tried the tiniest one on this platter, and it was great. it was truly fresh, and tasty. i was not scared at all..so maybe i'll try two next time

Shrimp & Veggie Tempura
not bad....not great...but ok. better than other tempura that i've had, but still not amazing

Spicy Tuna Roll; Dragon Roll; Hamachi Sushi
spicy tuna was not bad...but i've definitely had better. dragon roll was good, but how do you really mess it up right? It's just avacado, unagi and crab...so yea. hamachi, it was good. it tasted like hamchi, but the color is off. it's not my camera, i promise! yellow tail doesn't look like that right??!

Hamachi Kama
my mom's favorite! it was really good....no complaints here

Ankimo (monk fish liver)
so this is my first time trying this...i was really curious, it's a delicacy i guess? i have no idea how much it cost. but i really liked it. i guess it might be an acquired taste, and i don't know how to quite explain what it tastes like. it was creamy...salty...and something else too. not sure how to put into words. but try it!

Salmon; Kani Salad; Uni
Kani salad was ok....not as great as isobune in japan town which is my favorite of all time, and seems like it will always be my favorite. uni was amazing...uni is sea urchin roe for those of you who don't know. the uni was fresh, smooth, creamy...and really good!

no picture of scallops...but they sucked for sure!

Cafe Bakery @ Sunset

Hong Kong style cuisine. While I haven't gone to Hong Kong yet, to truly attest to what Hong Kong style cooking really is, but San Francisco is the best place that I've been to, that has the best Hong Kong style cooking. Amazing baked rice dishes, beef steak dishes, club sandwiches, borscht soup...and above all...FRIED CHICKEN WINGS. These aren't normal fried chicken wings that Americans are use to ordering, they're not breaded with however many spices like KFC, or dipped repeatedly in buttermilk, flour and egg. They're seasoned in i-don't-know-what, and then just fried...as is. No flour mixture, no buttermilk, not dipped in egg..nada. Just crisp skin. Truly delicious.

Fried Chicken Wings w. French Fries
what a deal! $5.69 for 8 pieces of drumettes and wings, over french fries!

Sheng Kee Bakery @ Sunset

There are a lot of delicious bakeries in San Francisco. A lot of mom and pop stores, and a few chains such as ABC and Sheng Kee. I'm not a fan of the ABC franchie - the food is mediocre and the service is lousy, but more on that in a future post if the family wants to go eat there for some weird unexplanable reason. Sheng Kee, on the other hand, is a really good bakery and the pastries or "bun" or "bao" are baked fresh. Your nostrils instantly perk up when you walk by the bakery on the streets, and even more so when you enter. There are tons of things to choose from salty to sweet, or even in a mix of the two. Their baos are on shelves for buyers to pick themselves, and they're indiviually packaged already, and can be easily sealed shut with the adhesive on the bags. The bao's are a little pricy...they range to $1 - $2.50, but honestly it's fresh, soft, and well....DELICIOUS! I chose one bao today, but will post different ones in the future :D

Hong Kong Style Pineapple Bun with....

Custard Filling!!!
It's called pineapple bun, but honestly in all my 24 years it has never tasted like pineapple, quite strange. the bread is a little salty, and a little sweet but the custard inside is sweet and creamy! this can be eaten for breakfast, as a snack, or a sweet ending to a nice lunch :)

More PPQ @ Sunset

I did an earlier post on this eating establishment, Pho Phu Quoc, but I went here again a few days ago to eat something else. Needless to say this is the one Pho restaurant my family and I like to go to. Why? Flavors are good, prices are decent (though they have risen in the past few years), and it's convenient to my home. Besides the Pho, this place has really good bun (cold vermicelli noodles with grilled meat over) yummmy!

# 15: Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio
[mixed sald underneath, vermicelli on top, grilled pork, viet egg rolls, peanuts, and fish sauce to pour over]
very refreshing for a warm summer day

all mixed up! this is a very healthy option at a pho restaurant, of course sans the egg rolls :)

Pho Phu Quoc @ Sunset

This is probably the best Pho place in the Sunset. This place has been here for years, and funny story is that the owners use to rent a place from my Grandparents! I think the owners have expanded their empires to a few other eateries in the city - Toasties on Irving and 9th ave (fancy sandwiches - I've never been there) and some other fancy Pho places in the richmond. The bowl of pho use to be about $5, but over the years it has increased to almost $7. yikes! I know. My favorites at PPQ is the satay beef pho, the bun (cold vermicelli) with pork and eggrolls, and the eggrolls themselves. Last night Michelle (fav law school buddy) and I ordered the eggrolls, satay beef pho and a curry chicken pho. Both really good :) YUM!

Imperial Rolls
[pork, noodles, fungus/mushroom, carrots, taro]
best viet eggrolls. my mom makes good ones too, but i love the skin that they use here. there's something about the skin where it's more than just the crunch, it has a bite to it too, where it sticks between your molars as you bite down

Satay Beef Pho
[pho broth with satay sauce, noodles, slices of beef, tomato, slices of cucumbers, beat sprouts - added lemon and jalopeno]
this is my favorite, but this bowl was definitely off today. i don't think they put enough satay sauce into the broth. this bowl cannot be found at other places...i've tried.

Curry Chicken Pho
[curry soup base with coconut milk, mie fun, slices of chicken, beansprouts and fresh basil]
this was really good, and i've never tried it before tonight. i never thought having curry in pho would be good! good thinking michelle :) it was creamy, spicy and full of flavor. i honestly think it's possible to drink all the soup

Happy Garden @ Sunset (best fast har gow & siu mai)

Ahhh...dim sum, where do I start? Well I guess, first and foremost the literally translation means "to touch the heart," and for those of you who don't know what this it, it is best explained as Chinese Tapas. We Chinese folks also call it "yum cha" which means to drink tea, because tea is usually served with it to wash all the oils away. Dim sum consists of bite size "food-bites" where each dish contains about 4-6 pieces, and it is best eaten with a group of people because you can sample everything, without having to commit to an entire dish to yourself. There's a variety of pork, shrimp, beef, seafood, and veggie dumplings that are steamed, and dumplings that are fried, as well as the weird chicken feet and beef tripe. Anyways, sometimes I just have a craving for har gow and siu mai (shrimp and pork dumplings respectively) and it's too much of a hassel to go all the way to a restaurant just to eat these two items. One of the things I love about SF is "Fast-Dim-Sum" food, where the food is right there in front, and you can point or just say what you want. The food is fresh, especially if you go to a place that is popular, and it's only about $1.60 for 3 piece item! When you go to a restaurant it can range from $3-$5. Anyways, the best place in SF to get "fast" dim sum, and specifically har gow and siu mai is Happy Garden on Irving and 23rd ave. These are the two I utmost recommend, and are my favs. What is also good there is the chew chow fun gow, which is a mixture of pork, veggies and peanuts. By all means, this place isn't "fine" dining in anyway, the food is supposed to be eaten there (then she will line a tray with parchment/wax paper and put the food on it) or to be taken home.

There is something about Happy Garden, where the little Chinese people in the back, they REALLY know how to make the wrapper for these dumplings, where it's the perfect amount of gelatinous texture (chewy yet firm). The har gow is crunchy and firm at the same time, and doesn't have the icky shrimp taste that some places do. The siu mai is just PLUMP! JUICY! and just delicious in every way. I can eat two orders (6 pieces) by myself. Panda one time wanted one piece of my 3 pieces, and well I couldn't spare because my stomach had perfect room for 3 pieces, so we just bought him an extra piece, the lady laughed. :D This place is honestly the BEST OF fast har gow and siu mai.

1 order of har gow & 2 orders of siu mai

Siu Mai
look how PLUMP! it looks!

Siu Mai
I think i want some more now too

Golden Island Cafe @ Sunset

Went with Miss. Watermelon to go get dessert last night. I really wanted chocolate, but we didn't know where to go, and we (or I) didn't want to go far. I wanted to get something salty too, yes I am full of problems and complications, I am aware of this. We went over to Golden Island Cafe on Noriega and 20th ave in the Sunset. This place stays open late on weekends, I believe til 1am, and it is known for their sago. Don't you wish you can just grab one off of the computer screen and eat it!

Cold Dessert Sampler


Fresh Mango, Blended Mango Ice w/ Sago

Coconut (?) Milk Sago w/ bigger Sago Balls

Mango Ice Cream

Fresh Mixed Fruit

HK Style Fried Chicken Wings