Category — Restaurant

I was in Hong Kong last week and many of my friends brought me to new places in Hong Kong that carried organic and healthy foods. One of them was a market, called ThreeSixty, that was a smaller version of Whole Foods in a major mall in downtown Central called the Landmark. The selection was very impressive for a place in Hong Kong, but prices were very high.
ThreeSixty even had a nice food court on their second level, with over seven local restaurants and food stands to choose from in a nice, shiny environment. They had everything from wheatgrass juice to Italian food to pan Asian food to an actual sushi boat restaurant in the back.My friends brought me to Life for dinner, an organic, vegetarian restaurant in the streets of Hong Kong’s SOHO district. Tucked in an ally near a major escalator, the restaurant was cozy and reminded me of something you would find in the Bay Area.
Inside, the place was very crowded, with a warm color scheme.

I ordered an Asian stirfly vegetable and tofu dish on top of quinoa. The taste was very strong, but perfectly complemented the plain tasting quinoa. We also tried a lentil burger (which I highly recommend), a pumpkin soup, and a masala chai tea. After the meal, we went for a quick massage at a place called “Happy Feet”– a perfect ending to the day in Hong Kong.

While spending a family trip in Taiwan and a quick stop in Hong Kong, I noticed a lot more healthier and organic places to eat and shop. In Taiwan there are small stores that import American USDA organic certified products and in Hong Kong, there is a big new grocery store, similar to Whole Foods, called 360, which has tons of organic and natural foods in the Central district. For dinner in Hong Kong, we went to a place called Life, which was a vegetarian, organic oriented restaurant. Pictures to be posted soon!

To celebrate a friend’s birthday, I decided to check out Out The Door, a sister restaurant to the famous Slanted Door in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. This place was much more casual than the Slanted Door and the prices are quite reasonable (with entrees in the $7-9 range), with a take out counter, a food retail shop and a restaurant all in one. Many people don’t know about this place since it opened less than a year ago, and it’s located on the ground floor of the new Westfield Mall in San Francisco, next to the BART station. Our waiters were excellent and checked on us frequently. The decor was warm and sleek at the same time.

We started with a vegetable bun (free, courtesy of a coupon from the Green Zebra guide), and then I decided to order rice noodles with bok choy, tofu, bean spouts and onions. The sauce was quite tasty and reminded me of how my mom would cook rice noodles (see picture above). We also ordered special drinks of the day which was fresh guava juice mixed with boba and mint, and we tried it without the boba (fewer calories!).

My friend Jenny ordered a grilled chicken over rice noodles with imperial rolls, cucumber and mint which she enjoyed quite a bit.
To end the meal, we celebrated with a panna cotta flavored with basil and mango sauce. Very unusual, and the waiter was kind enough to put a nice candle into it for Jenny’s birthday!
The restaurant had a lot of Slanted Door’s qualities–fresh, organic ingredients with an Asian flair and great service. But the best part was that there was no line to stand in (unlike its sister restaurant), and the prices were very reasonable. The entire meal with two drinks, two entrees, one appetizer and dessert came to $35. If you don’t mind eating in a mall (in fact, it doesn’t really feel like it once you’re inside the restaurant), this place is for you. Out The Door is located in the new Westfield Mall on 845 Market Street in San Francisco near the food court, next to the BART entrance.

Where can you find a great cup of coffee, and some of the finest chocolates around? Check out Coupa Cafe, a hangout for techies, Stanford students, and food connoisseurs. I had a meeting in Coupa this morning and as I was waiting, I noticed the sea of laptops everywhere. Wireless is free here, but better yet is the selection of food and coffee.

Wow! As soon as I walked in, I felt instant energy in NOPA, a very popular restaurant in the North of the Panhandle (hence the name of the restaurant). My friend Merel met me at the communal table at the front and we were seated to our table. The ambiance was not too snobby, yet not too casual, and it had very much a neighborhood cozy yet classy feel. Our other guests were arriving late, so we decided to order a few appetizers to start.

My friend and I started with the Warm Goat Cheese, Crostini and Pickled Beets ($9.5) followed by the Arugula, Shaved Fennel, Radishes and Champagne Vinaigrette ($7). The warm goat cheese was wonderful and carefully blended with very fresh bright pink beats. The arugula salad contrasted nicely with the goat cheese.

Soon, Chris joined us and he tried the Pan Roasted Halibut, Zucchini, Fingerling Potatoes and Chard ($19). Since I’m vegetarian, I only tried the potatoes and chard, and my favorite dish by then was his side of chard, nicely cooked but not too soft with a warm buttery taste. I shared the Baked Pasta, Spinach, Carrots and Breadcrumbs ($18) and we ordered sides of polenta and baked cauliflower. Their menu indicates that most of their food is sustainable, local and organic.

By then, another friend, Kiyoung joined us and we shared a nice dessert together: Rhubarb Crostada and Vanilla Ice Cream ($8). The rhubarb was exceptionally fresh and blended perfectly with the vanilla ice cream. Another friend Jennie joined us towards the end who ordered the Warm Doughnut Holes and Rum Caramel ($7.5). This dessert was to die for! It was at a perfect temperature, warm enough to be eaten and not too hot with lightly sprinkled sugar.

I really had a fabulous time at this restaurant. The service was exceptional. It was unbelievable to see the entire place packed on a Monday night. Reservations are very difficult unless you like to eat very late (they close at 2AM) and I’d recommend contacting them in advance. Apparently the top chefs come to this restaurant from all over the city to eat after they are done working. I definitely am coming back! NOPA is located on 560 Divisadero @ Hayes in San Francisco.

To celebrate the end of a volunteer project, I went to Triptych with my team, a restaurant that opened in SOMA last year in San Francisco. Inside, was a funky vibe, with art strewn all over the walls, two record players playing actual record LPs at the front, and a disco style bathroom in the back.

The group ordered a lot of food, and being vegetarian, I mainly recalled the veggie selection since the restaurant didn’t post their updated menu on their website. We started with a tofu salad, an artichoke salad, a seafood salad. The salads were made fresh. Below is a picture of an entree, a vegan spring vegetable tagine with tofu, spinach, tahini & pita (~$13). I really enjoyed this dish, the chef cooked tofu in a different style that was unusual.
The rest of the team tried other meat dishes, and below was a popular paella dish mixed with mussels and roasted red peppers.

Here is a picture of the bar in the background, with the team very happy with the meal.
Kamael, Cynthia and Nancy happily devour the pear tart for dessert.
Overall, I was satisfied with the quality of the food and prompt service. Parking was very easy in SOMA. I was surprised that despite a long list of organic and biodynamic wines on the menu, the restaurant was out of the entire stock of organic wine. I settled for an organic looseleaf brown nettle tea. We were the only table left towards the end of our meal, but it made it a better place for conversation and high quality attention by their staff. Triptych is located on 1155 Folsom St (between 7th and 8th) in San Francisco.

My friend Jen had a baby shower which took place at the Samovar Tea Lounge in San Francisco. We sat in the table (above) and ordered teas. I ordered the organic “chill out” tea, a blend of blend of chamomile blossoms, peppermint, lemon myrtle, jasmine blossoms, lemongrass and lavender flowers. We also tried their curry egg salad sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches and ended the tea with the matcha brownie and green tea mousse and an assortment of cookies. I’ve been to both Samovar locations–one in SOMA and the other in the Castro. I definitely prefer the laid back, more welcoming atmosphere of the Castro location. The one in SOMA felt much like a sleek but sterile art museum. I wish the tea menu were better written; the teas were not labeled organic properly and I had ask the waiter which tea blend was certified organic. Also the service was so-so. All in all, I think Samovar is a nice place to host a small special occasion or date. Samovar is located on the corner of Sanchez and 18th in the Castro or in Yerba Buena Gardens in SOMA.

My sister got engaged a couple weeks ago in LA. To celebrate the occasion, we went to a beautiful restaurant, called Inn of The Seventh Ray, located near Malibu. It’s considered one of LA’s most romantic restaurant. Sitting outside next to a creek, we had a big selection of organic, local ingredients. It felt like a little fairy tale walking under the stung lights and beautiful outdoor surroundings.

We shared the portabella mushrooms, heirloom tomato salad (I recommend this dish!) and a vegan tapas dish for appetizers. For dinner, I split the summer corn risotto and the agave glazed vegan duck with my sister. To top it off,we shared a bottle of 2005 pinoit noir by Mendicino’s BARRA winery. This wine was probably the best I have drank that was organic.

Located at 128 Old Topanga Canyon Road in Topangam about 15 minutes north of Los Angeles. 310.455.1311

One of my all time favorites in the Bay Area–the Rodin sculpture garden located at Stanford University. At the Cantor Arts Center, you can sip organic lemonade, have a nice organic salad at Cool Cafe, an outdoor cafe in the museum, while looking at Rodin’s famous Gates of Hell and his other works nearby. The menu is a little pricey for students, but worthwhile checking out at least once. The admission is free into the museum and there are guided tours as well. Don’t miss this place located at Stanford!

On Sunday, October 8, over 40 of the Bay Area’s most celebrated chefs will collaborate in preparing a spectacular five course meal using local, sustainable and seasonal ingredients from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. This is the fourth year for CUESA’s Sunday Supper gala and some of the restaurants include: Farallon, The Slanted Door, Fifth Floor and Zuni Cafe. Click here to register and learn more.