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Archive for the ‘California’ Category

Graze T

I love brunch. Having breakfast food in an al fresco setting, with natural lighting and warmth, glass of chilled white wine, good friends with endless chat and no busy schedule to follow, would be most brilliant and make me a very happy girl.

Recently, I went to Graze for brunch. The restaurant, set in a colonial bungalow house, made me feel like I was invited to someone’s house – cosy and comfortable. Besides, the service was good and nothing to complain about. Definitely a place to return again and again.

Baked omelette with smoked salmon, roasted tomato, mushrooms and fried potato (S$17)

Waffles with nutella icecream and strawberries ($13)

If you are not a breakfast fan, there is regular food served as well, starting from 12pm. Where is your favourite place for brunch?

Graze
4 Rochester Park
Tel: 6775-9000

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Graze T |

Yountville – The French Laundry

As you know, God is amazing. If you want something bad enough, he will give it to you. That was how I got to have a grand meal at The French Laundry anyway. Leading up to the dinner, I was just really excited, like a teenager going on her first date.

The food was excellent. Most of them I had read so much about, seen so many pictures on other blogs and reviews, that it actually felt so surreal when I saw them presented in front of me. The service was professional yet very warm and friendly. I loved the whole experience and it was nothing short of memorable.

warm cheese puffs
airy and gone in 3 seconds

salmon conets
cute mini cones crunchy and savoury. perfect complement to the smokey salmon.

oysters and caviar
If I had to choose (reluctantly), this would be my favourite dish. generous amounts of caviar only to be eaten with a mother of pearl spoon of course, paired with the freshest little oysters and a thick, rich, custard. it was orgasmic.

butter roll
Somewhat like a blend between bread and brioche. nonetheless very good and very addictive. no additional butter was required but then I needed something to spread the Vermont Butter and Local Californian butter with.

salad of French Laundry garden beets
sweet navel orange wedges and fresh greens that were very flavourful despite the lack of dressing or sauces.

hokkaido scallop tartare
the scallops were raw and sweet and the cream sauce went well with them. the vegetables were again, very fresh and tasty.

sweet butter poached maine lobster “mitts”
beautiful dish. the lobster really was fresh and not overcooked. i loved the morels.

wolfe ranch white quail
that my friends had and claimed was the most tender.

atlantic halibut “confit ala minute”
very tender and went well with the cauliflower puree, which was suprisingly the thing that binded the dish together.

snake river farms prime beef
the beef looked so good doesn’t it?

king trumpet mushrooms, sweet carrots and tarragon
the pastry crust could have been ‘puffier’. compared to the beef, this was not quite visually appetising so perhaps that was why i didn’t think much of this course.

“beermat”
pickled red endive, medjool dates, pistachios and black truffle
the sheep’s milk cheese was not so strong in smell and had a firmness of gelatine. you experience different tastes when you pair the cheese with the different condiments. it was good but i had enough after two pieces.

palate cleanser
oatmeal cookie, yogurt sherbet and apricot jam
this dish had the combination that reminded me of breakfast muesli. clever and tasty too.

parfait au citron
candied buddha’s hand, lemon snow, biscotti tuile
a very refreshing and light tasting dessert. but was not overly exciting.

chocolate cake with praline

petit four

shortbread cookies to bring home
became supper for me.

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Yountville – The French Laundry |

Napa – Ubuntu

When I found out I could not get a reservation at The French Laundry, I had to look for an alternative dining location around Napa and was utterly convinced to try Ubuntu, touted to be the best vegetarian restaurant ever. Honestly, I couldn’t wait! But I was secretly afraid my friend would protest. God bless her, she was so accommodating throughout my trip and with my foodie obsession.

Anyway, there was absolutely no regrets whatsoever because I tasted THE BEST PEAS IN MY LIFE. These jade green seeds popped in my mouth and they tasted so clean you can taste the natural juices and sweetness.

“Hmm, I want to bring a whole bowl home!” I remembered that thought running through my ahead. That followed by “No more frozen peas for me. No more canned mushy peas for me. No more, no more, no more!”

The second course was “raw, roasted, pureed”, or how Ubuntu glorified the boring white cauliflower. In the little Staub casserole laid cauliflower cooked three ways. At the bottom, almost 3/4 of the pan, was roasted cauliflower together with whole garlic. The roasting caramelized the vegetables and enhanced it with a deep, smokey flavour. That was followed by a pureed layer, creamy and rich because gruyere cheese was mixed into it. Then, whimsicle raw cauliflower trees decorated the top. Stab the spoon into the pot and smear the vegetables over buttered toast. Yums!
Dessert was a “vanilla bean cheesecake”. Full cream yogurt, thick and slightly sour lined the bottom of the container. Then, digestive cookie crumbs, and cooked sour cherries filled the middle. Whipped cream cheese topped the whole thing off. The honey tuile on the sides were also nice and crispy. We really enjoyed this light but satisfying dessert.

Is Ubuntu the greatest vegetarian restaurant ever? I don’t know if I can make that statement. There is absolutely nothing pretentious – no fancy presentations, foams or molecular cooking. Ubuntu is nothing but fresh vegetables cooked simply to bring out their natural flavours. I loved the food there and sure beats all the other veggie restaurants I have tried so far.

Ubuntu
1140 Main Street
Napa, California 94559
Seven days a week:
M-Th: 5:30pm – 9pm
Fr-Su: 11:30 – 2:30pm and
5:30pm – 10p (9p Sundays)
Tel: 707.251.5656

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Napa – Ubuntu |

Berkeley – Chez Panisse

In less than 30 minutes, one can take the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) from SF to Berkeley, in the East Bay region. There, you can visit my alma mater and enjoy great food. There are many many good restaurants around but I only have one meal and I chose to go to Chez Panisse.

Opened by a lady, Alice Waters, who has always been an advocate for sound and sustainable agriculture, the restaurant still remains committed to that believe today. The restaurant started out serving only one fix prix menu that changes daily. That has not changed either, but a more casual cafe opened much later, to offer an alternative to the restaurant. Located upstairs, the cafe offers à la carte menu for both lunch and dinner.

Knoll Farm rocket with artichokes and black olives crostini (US$9)

I wasn’t expecting chopped olives on a thin toast. The olives were tasty, but it was far too much oil, good oil or not. But the greens, oh they were a revelation. I could taste each of the different leaves distinctly and they had little holes, a positive sign of organic farming methods.

Spicy Hog Island Clams cooked in the wood oven with pancetta, peas, garlic toast and saffron mayonnaise (US$18)
Tasty.

Marinated beets and carrots with ginger and Monterey Bay sardines (US$10)

If beets tasted this good all the time, I want to have beets everyday. Seriously. I never tasted beets like that before. They were earthy, yet tasted very clean and light, all at once. Loved it. The sardines were also very very good. I want to eat ten of them!

Crimson rhubarb tart with candied orange ice cream (US$9.75)

The tart on first sight, looked so rustic and homemade. I know it sounds strange, but it exuded warmth and love. The shell was very thin and partly soft, partly crunchy. I looked at the pinkish rhubarb and could not believe something so pretty could be oh-so-sour. Luckily we had the ice cream on the side. On its own, it was sweet and tasted like a big, frozen orange creamsicle. It complemented the rhubarb very nicely.

Chez Panisse Restaurant and Café
1517 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94709-1516
Reservations taken up to 1 month in advance.

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Berkeley – Chez Panisse |

San Francisco – Ghirardelli Square

Right across the In-and-Out burger joint near the Fisherman’s Wharf is a dessert heaven. Ghirardelli Square is named after the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory that used to set up shop there. Today, the Square has many different restaurants but the namesake Ghirardelli Ice Cream Shop has good ice cream and desserts. There is an original chocolate-making equipment in operation that can you can focus on for a few minutes while waiting for your dessert to arrive. This is also a must-do in SF for me.

Mint bliss.

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San Francisco – Boudin Bakery

One must go to San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf, even though we know it is a tourist trap and yadda dada. But go for a walk down the piers near sundown – it makes a lovely way to relax after a long day.

I would not recommend eating at any of the seafood restaurants at Pier 39, because you pay a lot for gimmick and not so much for good food. Walk further down to a more casual Boudin Bakery, famous for their sourdough bread that is in itself ubiquitously SF. I usually get a clam chowder bread bowl and that fills me up nicely. Or, if that is not your thing, the only In-and-Out burger is also at the Wharf.

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San Francisco – Boudin Bakery |

San Francisco – Maverick

I caught up with one of my college friends over brunch at Maverick’s. This restaurant is located at a more suburban area of SF called Missions and honestly, I would not go a foot near that place unless it is broad daylight. It is really really dodgy.

The restaurant is tucked in one of the smaller streets and decked out in cherry oak wood that felt very welcoming and casual. The almost full-length windows open up to the sidewalk and on a Sunday, it felt very relaxed and chill. Recommended for brunch! The restaurant serves proper food for lunch and dinner but I didn’t get to try. Anyways, the brunch menu is not very complex but the staples of brunch are there.
I got a crab and creamy spinach benedict that was simple but soooo satisfying! A lot of fresh picked crab, perfectly poached eggs, thick toasts. Yums. Of course, I had to throw in a pomegranate bellini as well, to make the brunch just that bit extra special and indulgent.

Did I say yums?

Maverick
3316 17th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
T:415.863.3061

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San Francisco – Maverick |

San Francisco – ‘wichcraft

It was without a doubt that after the huge dinner at Coi, something simple was desired for lunch. Besides, the main agenda was really to to go shopping right after.

I first read about this upscale sandwich joint from The Amateur Gourmet who lives and blogs about the east coast, so finding it available in SF downtown was totally unexpected and cool.

I love the open cafeteria concept. It is free seating and the food ordering system works just like fast-food, except when the server serves you your made-to-order sandwiches.

I got the soup and 1/2-sandwich combo (US$8.95 excluding tax and tip). The creamy lentil soup topped with a generous spoonful of freshly grated parmagiano reggiano cheese was pure comfort food.
Since I love underglamourous ingredients like chickpeas and pickled lemons, I got a wholewheat bread sandwich filled with rough mashed chickpeas and olives and the combination together with pickled meyer lemon and caramelized sweet peppers was spot-on. I think non-vegetarians would also love this.

The set comes with a pack of thick-cut potato chips as well and there is free water available on self-service.

‘wichcraft
westfield centre
868 mission street @ 5th street

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San Francisco – ‘wichcraft |

California – COI Restaurant (San Francisco)

The concept of Coi sounds all righteous and good.

“best ingredients we can find in our area: cultivated plants grown from heirloom seeds; wild-harvested leaves, flowers, barks and roots; local fish, seaweeds and coastal grasses; pastured meat, poultry and eggs from small farmers. These are the flavors of place.“

I was sold and went all out to make a reservation on Opentable.com until I got a confirmation and heaved a sigh of relief.

Maybe it was a combination of factors – the recommendation and the anticipation, that made this meal a major disappointment.

I won’t go into details too much, but in general, I thought the food might have appeared interest and pleasant to the eye, some of them did taste pretty decent while some of them just don’t make sense. Above all, I could not stand the pretentious wait staff, with their no-smiles-i’m-better-than-you attitude. There was no need to seem so high-handed. I know they are probably nice people outside the restaurant. So the friend and I tried to loosen them up a bit by going a couple notches up the decibel scale.

The restaurant was in a low-ceiling room that made me feel like I was in a upscale cave. All the tables were full (about 24 pax in total) and more than 50% were Asians. Just a note, I don’t want to imply anything. So anyway, we got the tasting menu, which was the only menu, at US$125 per pax (excluding tax and tip) without wine pairing. What did we eat?