Category — Vegetarian

Celebrating another big 30th birthday, my friend Laura rented a shuttle to Napa valley and checked out some of the wineries. Our first stop was Constantino, a family run winery. To be honest, I’m not really a wine person, more of a foodie, but I thought the atmosphere of the winery was very relaxed and intimate. It apparently is my friend Laura’s favorite winery in Napa and she bought a wine membership from them.

Our next stop was V. Sattui, another family run winery near St. Helena. Despite its beautfiul grounds with oak trees and picnic tables, the place was a mad house! We did arrive Saturday at noon, but once I walked inside the tasting room and deli, it felt like going into a squished Trader Joe’s during rush hour, with people running around everywhere. The picture above shows a very nice deli and cheese selection.
They also carried Frog Hollow Farms’ organic and locally made jams. Even better is their fresh produce (especially peaches) if you find them in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. I don’t think I would go back to V. Sattui, it was way too crowded and ruined any notion of being in Napa.
I used to live in New York, walking distance to the Dean and Deluca shop in SOHO. I was delighted to see even a larger Dean and Deluca in Napa. Above is a picture of locally sourced organic fruits. They had a wide assortment of farms nearby.

Dean and Deluca wasn’t as packed as V. Sattui, and the food options were way better, with fresh pastries, exotic teas, spices and wines. The only thing I wish Dean and Deluca could do better is to put benches or tables outside their patio so people can actually eat their food properly.

It’s wedding/birthday season and my last weekend was packed with trips to both Sonoma and Napa. A big group of my high school friends celebrated two birthdays in Sonoma wine country. I couldn’t make it until the dinner which was held at El Dorado Kitchen. The drinks were very fresh and relaxing (see the mint mojito and pomegranate cocktail above).
To start, I had a Caesar salad with local, organic romaine lettuce, with cucumbers. The salad was also very fresh, but I think it had a little too much dressing for my taste.
Although we sat outside near the pool and patio, the interior (see above) of the restaurant was decorated in a relaxed, but modern California style.
For my main course, I tried a mushroom, pea, tomato bow tie pasta. This was a fantastic pasta dish. As a vegetarian, I often don’t expect much from pasta, but the mushrooms in this dish were unbelievably tasty.
At the end, I tried a rhubarb tart with ice cream served on the side. This was better than the other choice that the table had which was a chocolate brownie. I recommend trying this rhubarb tart, it wasn’t too sour nor was it too sweet. El Dorado’s service was prompt and courteous and all of our food came out at the same time piping hot. I’d definitely recommend stopping here if you are in Sonoma tasting wine. El Dorado is located in central Sonoma right on the square, 405 1st St W. There is also a hotel as part of the building which is nicely decorated.

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.

With the original Pasta Shop market in Rockridge for over 25 years, I recently checked out its second trendy Fourth Street Berkeley location. The Pasta Shop is squeezed in between other great food places, like Dona Tomas’ taqueria outpost, a tea shop, a wine shop, a meat market, and more.
Of particular interest is one of the best cheese selection that I have seen (see above) at the Pasta Shop. They also have a fresh pasta section and a nice take out deli section with salads, and entrees to choose from, similar to Whole Foods. However, don’t expect too much from their produce selection. Definitely check out this place if you are in the Berkeley or Rockridge area. A lot of their products are natural, organic and locally sourced. Pasta Shop is located on 1786 Fourth Street in Berkeley or 5655 College Avenue in Oakland.

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.

Happy Mother’s Day! I took my mom this morning on a surprise hike and Mother’s Day Breakfast in Henry Coe State Park, located near Morgan Hill and Gilroy. I bought tickets about a month in advance, each person costing $14 for the outdoor breakfast. My family started the morning with a quick one mile walk along wildflowers, oak trees, and madrones.

We saw California poppies and other flowers, including this spotted butterfly.

We finally ended at a campsite where the park rangers set up a nice breakfast.

And at the end of the hike, we were greeted by a great meal of eggs, strawberries, sausage (veggie option available!), potatoes, pancakes and juice and coffee.

We sat in a nice patio table under a shady oak tree, with a view of the park’s forest and skyline, while listening to some live banjo and fiddler music in the background. It was a fantastic day, with the perfect setting for a hike, and a special Mother’s Day for my family. I recommend reserving tickets next year as this sells out every year.

As you enter or exit Yosemite on highway 120, you can stop by a tiny town called Groveland, just 26 miles from the entrance of the national park. We stopped to get a coffee to prepare for a long drive back to the Bay Area at a place called Mountain Sage. Inside the store, we found an eclectic mix of things from an art gallery, a nursery, fair trade clothing and organic coffee and food. I ordered a looseleaf organic chai mix and my friend ordered a cappuccino.

It’s a great stop for a quick bite and shopping for even camping and backpacking gear. On June 2nd, they will host a Sierra Earthfest, with sustainable companies featured with food and activities in an outdoor fair.

May is the time of the year in which many of the smaller seasonal farmers’ markets open in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is a list from the www.cafarmersmarkets.com. Enjoy fresh local organic produce in your neighborhood!

East Bay

• Fremont/Centerville, Fremont Boulevard and Bonde Way. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Fremont/Irvington, Fremont Boulevard and Bay Street. Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Fremont/Kaiser Hospital, 39400 Paseo Padre Parkway. Thursdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round.
• Fremont/NUMMI, 45500 Fremont Blvd. Fridays, 2-6 p.m., June 1-November.
• Hayward, Main and B streets. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Hayward/Kaiser Hospital, 27400 Hesperian Blvd., Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round.
• Livermore, Carnegie Park, J and Third streets. Thursdays, 4-8 p.m., May 17-Oct. 18.
• Pleasanton, Main and West Angela streets. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Union City, Cesar Chavez Park, Smith and Watkins streets. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Union City/Kaiser Hospital, 3553 Whipple Ave. Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round.

San Francisco

• Alemany, 100 Alemany Blvd. (near the intersection of Interstate 280 and Highway 101). Saturdays, 6 a.m.-5 p.m., year-round.
• Bayview-Hunters Point, Third Street and Oakdale. Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., May 16-Oct. 31.
• Crocker Galleria, 50 Post St. at Montgomery. Thursdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., year-round.
• Ferry Plaza, Ferry Building, the Embarcadero and Market Street. Saturdays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round; Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round.
• Fillmore, Fillmore and O’Farrell streets. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., April 28-Nov. 17.
• Heart of the City, Market Street between Seventh and Eighth streets. Wednesdays, 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Sundays, 7 a.m.-5 p.m., year-round.
• Kaiser Hospital, Geary Boulevard and St. Josephs Avenue, at the hospital entrance. Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round.
• Marina, location to be determined. Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., June- October.
• Noe Valley, 24th and Sanchez streets. Saturdays, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Parkmerced, the Meadows, Arballo and Serrano drives, Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., June-October.

Peninsula

• Belmont, Caltrain parking lot, El Camino Real and O’Neill Avenue. Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., May 6-Nov. 18.
• Burlingame, Park Road at Burlingame Avenue. Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., May 6-Nov. 18.
• Daly City, Serramonte Shopping Center in the parking lot behind Target. Thursdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Half Moon Bay, Shoreline Station, Kelly Avenue at Highway 1. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., May 5-December.
• Menlo Park, between Chestnut and Crane streets downtown. Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Millbrae, 200 block of Broadway between Victoria and La Cruz avenues. Saturdays, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Pacifica, 400 block of Old County Road, near Rockaway Beach Avenue and Highway 1. Wednesdays, 2:30-6:30 p.m., May 16-November.
• Redwood City, Winslow Street at Hamilton. Saturdays, 8 a.m.-noon, April 7-Nov. 24.
• Redwood City/Kaiser Hospital, 1150 Veterans Blvd. at Maple. Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round.
• San Carlos, Laurel between Cherry and Olive. Thursdays, 4-8 p.m., May 3-Sept. 13.
• San Mateo/College of San Mateo, 1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd. Wednesdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• San Mateo/25th Avenue, First Presbyterian Church, 194 W. 25th Ave. Tuesdays, 4-8 p.m., May 15-Oct. 23.
• South San Francisco, Orange Memorial Park, Orange Avenue at Tennis Drive. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., May 12 to Nov. 17.
  South San Francisco/Kaiser, 1200 El Camino Real. Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round.

South Bay

• Campbell, Campbell Avenue between First Street and Central Avenue. Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Cupertino, Vallco Fashion Park, Wolfe Road at Interstate 280. Fridays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Los Altos, State Street between Second and Fourth streets. Thursdays, 4-8 p.m., May 3-Sept. 27.
• Los Gatos, Montebello Way and Broadway Extension, downtown Los Gatos. Sundays, 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m., year-round.
• Morgan Hill, downtown train station at Third and Depot streets. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., May 12-Nov. 17.
• Mountain View, Hope Street and Evelyn Avenue, across from the Caltrain station. Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Palo Alto/California Avenue, California Avenue, near El Camino Real. Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Starts June 3, will be year-round.
• Palo Alto/Downtown, Gilman Street behind the post office, downtown. Saturdays, 8 a.m.-noon, May 12-December.
• San Jose/The Alameda, The Alameda and Hanchett. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., May 26-Sept. 29.
• San Jose/Alum Rock Village, 57 N. White Road. Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• San Jose/Blossom Hill, Princeton Plaza Mall, Kooser Road and Meridian Avenue. Sundays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round.
• San Jose/Cambrian Park, Camden and Union avenues, Wednesdays, 4-8 p.m., May 2-Oct. 31.
• San Jose/Downtown, San Pedro Square between Santa Clara and St. John streets. Fridays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., May 4-Dec. 14.
• San Jose/Evergreen, Evergreen branch library, 2635 Aborn Road, Sundays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Opens May 20, end date not set.
• San Jose/Japantown, Jackson Street between Sixth and Seventh streets. Sundays, 8:30 a.m.-noon, year-round.
• San Jose/Kaiser-Santa Teresa, Cottle Road and Highway 85. Fridays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round.
• San Jose/Santa Teresa, Santa Teresa Boulevard and Camino Verde. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., June 2-October.
• San Jose/Santana Row, Stevens Creek and Winchester boulevards. Sundays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., year-round.
• San Jose/Willow Glen, Lincoln Avenue and Willow Street, behind the Garden Theatre. Saturdays, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., April-November.
• Santa Clara, Jackson Street, between Benton and Homestead. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Santa Clara/Kaiser, 710 Lawrence Expressway, Thursdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round.
• Saratoga, West Valley College, Fruitvale and Allendale avenues. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.
• Sunnyvale, South Murphy Avenue between Washington and Evelyn avenues. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round. Wednesdays, 5-8:30 p.m., June 20-Aug. 22.

I found a small family run market in Emerald Hills, an area hidden away in the hills of western Redwood City bordering Woodside. Emerald Market opened about a year ago, and inside its doors is an upscale, immaculately clean market full of organic produce, a high end butcher, and even a takeout deli, soup and salad bar. Its location is a bit tucked away, but for the residents in the area, it’s a convenient place off of 280. They also had a nice seating area outside, and in the plaza is a famous burrito place called Sancho’s. I couldn’t find Emerald Market’s website, but here are some reviews from Yelp. I hope this place can survive in its very hidden location!

The other day, I hosted an organic Indian dinner for my team that I volunteered with me in Uganda with on a microfinance project. I went shopping at Rainbow Grocery, which had a wonderful array of local organic vegetables and food. I bought local cauliflower, tomatoes, potatoes and onions for an aloo gobi dish; local fresh paneer (I was really surprised to find this in Rainbow Grocery!), Straus plain nonfat yogurt, organic frozen peas and organic cumin seeds and coriander for a matter paneer dish. I served this over organic basmati local rice (also from Rainbow’s bulk section) and ended the dinner with Tom’s Cookies, a local San Francisco company which sells frozen natural cookie dough. Yummy!

So I finally made it to the de Young Museum in San Francisco today. I had tried to go before during the first weekend it opened and its anniversary when they had free admission, but could never get in. The first Tuesday of each month is free admission to the de Young Museum, and almost all the other major museums in San Francisco, such as the MOMA.

I was really excited to go in the museum, especially since today was free, as the first Tuesday of May. My friend Doris and I went straight to the observation deck (see photos above) and the views were amazing! I could see downtown San Francisco, to the Golden Gate Bridge to UCSF to Ocean Beach.

We then walked around several American art exhibits and grabbed a quick bite at the de Young Cafe. Inside, they had a nice eating area, with modern design and local, organic food. I spotted yogurt from Straus Creamery, Niman Ranch meat, and local, organic farm produce. I ordered an asparagus, mushroom risotto, and my friend had a vegetarian sandwich with grilled eggplant, mozzarella cheese, and hummus on foccacia bread. To be honest, my risotto was a bit hard to eat and I wish the rice was cooked softer. I noticed that the cafe sold local organic bear ale, something I’ve never seen at a museum cafe before! We ended our tour with more exhibits, and a special showing of Vivian Westwood’s fashion designs. Definitely check this place out!