Thursday, December 04, 2008
Lettuce Cups
We hadn't had lettuce cups in a while and they were quite tasty. Click here for the basic recipe I use, but lettuce cups are a really great meal for using up odds and ends in the fridge. I always include some type of ground meat, chopped nuts of some sort, water chestnuts and/or bean sprouts for crunch, and whatever veggies or greens I happen to have lying around.
Labels: Chinese, lettuce, turkey
Friday, November 28, 2008
Go Go Cafe and Restaurant, San Francisco, CA
We were lured into this Chinese place around the corner by the big sign for a crab special for $11.99. It turned out to be a quite tasty place.
Sauteed Crab $11.99
The crab was fresh and sweet, but the sauce was slightly gelatinous.
Fried Udon with Black Pepper and Beef $8
The noodles were more sauteed than fried, which was a good thing. This was a satisfying, simple dish.
Hot and Sour Soup $8
This enormous bowl of soup was really very tasty. The sour came from actual pickled veggies, and while I don't really know if it was authentic, it seemed that way.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1
Go Go Cafe
1830 Irving St
San Francisco, CA 94122
No Website
Health Code Violations
Sauteed Crab $11.99
The crab was fresh and sweet, but the sauce was slightly gelatinous.
Fried Udon with Black Pepper and Beef $8
The noodles were more sauteed than fried, which was a good thing. This was a satisfying, simple dish.
Hot and Sour Soup $8
This enormous bowl of soup was really very tasty. The sour came from actual pickled veggies, and while I don't really know if it was authentic, it seemed that way.
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1
Go Go Cafe
1830 Irving St
San Francisco, CA 94122
No Website
Health Code Violations
Labels: chain restaurant, Chinese, Decor: 0, Food: 1, review, Service: 1
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Wings from San Tung, San Francisco, CA
Whenever we are at Yummy Yummy we notice a huge line outside the restaurant next door. We did a little research and learned at apparently, everyone goes to San Tung for the wings. So, we decided to check it out.
Wings $9
They were a little sweet for our taste, but plump and crispy and our friend loved them.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1
San Tung Chinese Restaurant
1031 Irving St
San Francisco, CA 94122
No Website
Health Code Violations
Wings $9
They were a little sweet for our taste, but plump and crispy and our friend loved them.
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1
San Tung Chinese Restaurant
1031 Irving St
San Francisco, CA 94122
No Website
Health Code Violations
Labels: Chinese, Decor: 0, Food: 1, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Friday, October 03, 2008
Chinese Wedding Banquet at Yank Sing, San Francisco, CA
We went to a friend's wedding at Yank Sing. We'd only ever been here for dim sum, and the dim sum is quite good, so we expected that the banquet would be good as well. It was.
Peking Duck
Succulent duck (above) tucked into pillowy rolls (below) slathered with hoisin and topped with scallions.
Lobster
Sweet and tender.
Beef with Snap Peas
The snap peas were crunchy and tasty, but the beef had a strange texture that didn't make us want to eat more.
Cold Platter of BBQ Pork, Cured Duck, Jelly Fish and Roast Pork
The BBQ pork was excellent, as was the roast pork (although it would have been better hot). Everything else was fine, but not amazing.
Shanghai Soup Dumplings
These are the house special at Yank Sing. They are filled with a hot soup that bursts in your mouth when you bite it. They get the soup in the dumpling by mixing it with gelatin, then cooling it until it is a solid. They then place cubes of the gelatin-soup into the dumpling wrapper, seal and steam.
Shark Fin Soup
Giao says this was really good, but I don't like the gelatinous texture.
Shrimp with Walnuts
The candied walnuts were really good, but we aren't really fans of the sweet Chinese mayo these shrimp are coated in.
Chicken with Shrimp Chips
Giao LOVED this chicken. It was apparently juicy and the skin was very crispy. Unfortunately, chicken is one of my pregnancy aversions.
Cupcakes
These cupcakes were surprisingly moist and the buttercream frosting was very tasty, but ratio of frosting to cake was way off--too much frosting.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 1
Service: 0
Peking Duck
Succulent duck (above) tucked into pillowy rolls (below) slathered with hoisin and topped with scallions.
Lobster
Sweet and tender.
Beef with Snap Peas
The snap peas were crunchy and tasty, but the beef had a strange texture that didn't make us want to eat more.
Cold Platter of BBQ Pork, Cured Duck, Jelly Fish and Roast Pork
The BBQ pork was excellent, as was the roast pork (although it would have been better hot). Everything else was fine, but not amazing.
Shanghai Soup Dumplings
These are the house special at Yank Sing. They are filled with a hot soup that bursts in your mouth when you bite it. They get the soup in the dumpling by mixing it with gelatin, then cooling it until it is a solid. They then place cubes of the gelatin-soup into the dumpling wrapper, seal and steam.
Shark Fin Soup
Giao says this was really good, but I don't like the gelatinous texture.
Shrimp with Walnuts
The candied walnuts were really good, but we aren't really fans of the sweet Chinese mayo these shrimp are coated in.
Chicken with Shrimp Chips
Giao LOVED this chicken. It was apparently juicy and the skin was very crispy. Unfortunately, chicken is one of my pregnancy aversions.
CupcakesThese cupcakes were surprisingly moist and the buttercream frosting was very tasty, but ratio of frosting to cake was way off--too much frosting.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 1
Service: 0
Labels: Chinese, Decor: 1, Food: 1, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
King of Wonton and Noodles is not King
I tried to warn that this place was bad, but he didn't believe me since it is always packed. We ordered both noodles and wontons and they were gross. I don't get how think place does the amount of business they do.
Wontons with Noodles $6
Everything tasted old and stale.
Noodles $3
Tough and not flavorful.
Wontons with Noodles $6
Everything tasted old and stale.
Noodles $3
Tough and not flavorful.
Ratings:
Food: 0
Decor: 0
Service: 1
King of Wonton and Noodles
1936 Irving St
San Francisco, CA 94122
Health Code Violations
Food: 0
Decor: 0
Service: 1
King of Wonton and Noodles
1936 Irving St
San Francisco, CA 94122
Health Code Violations
Labels: Chinese, Decor: 0, Food: 0, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Wontons! (with turkey this time)
This is our standard recipe for wontons, only this time we used ground turkey instead of ground pork in the filling. We did this not because it is better, but because we had ground turkey in the freezer. Still, they were pretty good.
Labels: Chinese, dinner recipes, homemade, turkey
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Dim Sum at Yank Sing, San Francisco, CA
We went to meet an old friend of Giao's at Yank Sing for lunch. We're not totally sure how much it came to, because our friend graciously paid for lunch.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Tasty and light.
Shrimp Dumplings
A bit more refined than har gow.
Sticky Rice with Chicken
This savory sticky rice was satisfying in a comfort food kind of way.
Pork Potstickers
These were a tad undercooked, unfortunately.
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
How can you go wrong?
Siu Mai
Good siu mai, crappy photo.
Har Gow
Fresh tasting with lots of big shrimp chunks.
Peking Duck
Always good.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Tasty and light.
Shrimp Dumplings
A bit more refined than har gow.
Sticky Rice with Chicken
This savory sticky rice was satisfying in a comfort food kind of way.
Pork Potstickers
These were a tad undercooked, unfortunately.
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
How can you go wrong?
Siu Mai
Good siu mai, crappy photo.
Har Gow
Fresh tasting with lots of big shrimp chunks.
Peking Duck
Always good.
Labels: Chinese, Decor: 1, Dim Sum, Food: 1, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Dim Sum at Mayflower Seafood Restaurant in San Francisco, CA
Giao's family was in town and we always like to go to dim sum when they are. Dim sum is a great option for a big family with lots of different palates, since there are so many options. I think the meal came to about $15 per person.
Stuffed Eggplant
Not our favorite, but others seemed to like it.
Tripe
Giao loves it, I don't.
Beef Brisket
The tender, long-simmered beef and boiled turnips in this dish make is a simple comfort food for us. We always get this, even if we have to order it off the menu because it is not coming around in a cart.
Fried Shrimp
A bit too breaded.
Fried Noodles
Rather bland, but good when dipped in chili sauce.
Tripe
Not my favorite, but Giao likes it.
Chicken Feet
Giao thinks these are a particularly good version.
Shrimp Noodles
A bit bland, but not bad.
Fried Tofu
Simple and tasty.
Sticky Rice
Studded with savory meat bits, this dish is was very comforting.
Siu Mai
These little pork dumplings are always our favorite. This version has large chunks of both pork and shrimp.
Har Gow
These tender shrimp dumplings are also quite good.
Garlic Chicken Wings
Standard chicken wings with a garlic kick.
Stuffed Eggplant
Not our favorite, but others seemed to like it.
Tripe
Giao loves it, I don't.
Beef Brisket
The tender, long-simmered beef and boiled turnips in this dish make is a simple comfort food for us. We always get this, even if we have to order it off the menu because it is not coming around in a cart.
Fried Shrimp
A bit too breaded.
Fried NoodlesRather bland, but good when dipped in chili sauce.
Tripe
Not my favorite, but Giao likes it.
Chicken Feet
Giao thinks these are a particularly good version.
Shrimp Noodles
A bit bland, but not bad.
Fried Tofu
Simple and tasty.
Sticky Rice
Studded with savory meat bits, this dish is was very comforting.
Siu Mai
These little pork dumplings are always our favorite. This version has large chunks of both pork and shrimp.
Har Gow
These tender shrimp dumplings are also quite good.
Garlic Chicken Wings
Standard chicken wings with a garlic kick.
Labels: Chinese, Decor: 0, Food: 1, restaurant, review, Service: 0
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Chinese Stuffed Eggplant
Armenian Cucumber and Tomato Salad
This salad was simply dressed with balsamic vinegar and salt. There really is something to be said for letting the true flavor of these organic, farm-fresh tomatoes shine through.
Stuffed Eggplant
This is a recipe I learned from our friend, F. My version was not exactly the same as his, but it was tasty.
Meat Mixture:
-1/2 lb ground turkey
-1 egg
-1 tb cornstarch
-salt, to taste
-4 scallions, finely chopped
-1 inch nub ginger, grated
-4 Japanese eggplant
Sauce:
-1/4 cup soy
-2 tb rice vinegar
-2 tb chili garlic sauce
-1 inch nub ginger, grated
-4 scallions, chopped
Mix together all the ingredients in the meat mixture and set aside. Cut the eggplant in coin shapes, alternating 1 cut all the way through the eggplant with 1 cut about 90% through the eggplant. This will leave you with little "coins" about 1/4 inch thick that open like a book. Fill the middle of the coins with the meat mixture to create a sandwich. Fry the meat filled coins in a single layer on both sides until browned. Fry in batches. Set aside. Add all of the fried coins back into the pan. Mix all of the sauce ingredients and pour over the coins. Cover and steam in the sauce for a few minutes. Serve.
Labels: Chinese, dinner recipes, eggplant, homemade, turkey
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Lunch at Little Szechuan, San Mateo, CA
We stopped off at Little Szechuan on our way to Bay Meadows for a quick, and very spicy, meal. I'm not sure how much each dish was individually, but I think the meal was around $20 total.
Tendon with Garlic Sauce
This tendon is sliced so thin that even I like it. Somehow, when sliced thin, the super-gelatinous, chewy texture, seems to fade away. The sauce was very tasty too.
Cold Noodles with Pork
Although we ordered these noodles with chicken, they came with pork. The waiter did not apologize, but simply told us that he put the wrong order in and then plunked the dish on the table. In any case, these spicy noodles were quite tasty and the julienne of cucumber was provided a welcome, cooling effect.
Dry Cooked Szechuan Pepper Shrimp
These were so spicy and so delicious. The shrimp were super crispy on the outside, with a very light batter. And the szechuan peppercorn left our mouths numb rather than on fire, which is preferable.
Tendon with Garlic SauceThis tendon is sliced so thin that even I like it. Somehow, when sliced thin, the super-gelatinous, chewy texture, seems to fade away. The sauce was very tasty too.
Cold Noodles with Pork
Although we ordered these noodles with chicken, they came with pork. The waiter did not apologize, but simply told us that he put the wrong order in and then plunked the dish on the table. In any case, these spicy noodles were quite tasty and the julienne of cucumber was provided a welcome, cooling effect.
Dry Cooked Szechuan Pepper Shrimp
These were so spicy and so delicious. The shrimp were super crispy on the outside, with a very light batter. And the szechuan peppercorn left our mouths numb rather than on fire, which is preferable.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 0
Little Szechuan
168 E 4th Ave
San Mateo, CA 94401
No Website
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 0
Little Szechuan
168 E 4th Ave
San Mateo, CA 94401
No Website
Labels: Chinese, Decor: 0, Food: 1, restaurant, review, Service: 0
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Supermarket Dim Sum Smorgasbord
We made the grave mistake of going to the Sunset Super when we were on our way home from work and very hungry. So, we decided to make ourselves a big spread of supermarket, frozen dim sum.
Sui Mai
Not really like any sui mai we've ever had, but they were tender and tasty.
Dipping Sauce
Instant Udon with Dipping Sauce
Carby and good.
Pork Dumplings
The skins of these had a nice, toothsome texture, but the meat inside was like a rock-hard pellet.
Pork and Cabbage Potstickers
Pretty tasty. No complaints.
Sui Mai
Not really like any sui mai we've ever had, but they were tender and tasty.
Dipping Sauce
-1/4 cup dark soy sauce
-2 tb rice vinegar
-2 tb hoisin
-2 tb chili garlic sauce
-1 bunch scallion, chopped
Mix all ingredients thoroughly for a nice, thick dipping sauce.
-2 tb rice vinegar
-2 tb hoisin
-2 tb chili garlic sauce
-1 bunch scallion, chopped
Mix all ingredients thoroughly for a nice, thick dipping sauce.
Instant Udon with Dipping Sauce
Carby and good.
Pork Dumplings
The skins of these had a nice, toothsome texture, but the meat inside was like a rock-hard pellet.
Pork and Cabbage Potstickers
Pretty tasty. No complaints.
Labels: Chinese, supermarket
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