Category: Dinner

  • Terry’s Shortlist: Sushi Restaurants (San Francisco)

    Terry’s Shortlist: Sushi Restaurants (San Francisco)

    I get asked about sushi recommendations a lot, especially since there have been a plethora of new restaurants that can make the scene difficult to navigate. So, here is my SF shortlist! 🍣 For the Fance 💰💰💰 ($100+/person) Ju-Ni (Foodjournies Review) Known for: Receiving one Michelin star from non-Japanese chefs; an optional additional 3-piece nigiri set to…

  • Mister Jiu’s: An Emergence of “New Chinese”

    Mister Jiu’s: An Emergence of “New Chinese”

    Chinese food is one of my comfort foods – give me a meal full of dumplings, noodle soups and rice dishes, and it’ll satiate my hunger and subdue any feelings of anger, frustration, and woe. Mister Jiu’s is a bit different than your normal MSG-filled Chinese restaurant around the corner. Even though they are located in the heart…

  • Noodle in a Haystack: Creating Bowls of Ramen Delight

    Noodle in a Haystack: Creating Bowls of Ramen Delight

    Inspiration can come from a number of sources and this pair of foodies is one of mine. Clint and Yoko, husband and wife, host Feastly meals highlighting their love for Japanese cuisine, more specifically ramen. Their goal is simple but challenging – to bring reliably good ramen to SF. If anyone has lived in SF…

  • Ju-Ni: Serving Symphonies of Sushi

    Ju-Ni: Serving Symphonies of Sushi

    I’ve found one of my “ones”, and cannot wait to tell you about it. Before going into the restaurant itself, I’d like to clarify what it takes to be a “one”. It’s not just about the food. The institution needs to be more than that: the environment – space, decor, lighting, plating – all play a…

  • Castagna: Playful Fine Dining in Portland

    Castagna: Playful Fine Dining in Portland

    I love Portland. It is a magical land of eats, microcrews, hikes and no sales tax which activates the inner consumer in me. Stuff, for LESS? Yes, count me in. There are many great deals in Portland, and one of them is at a New American restaurant called Castagna. Not many institutions there where there are of a white-cloth…

  • Aster: It’s Magically Delicious

    Aster: It’s Magically Delicious

    I generally stay away from anything that reminds me of “fusion”. An image of two foods singed together, unnaturally meshed, and creating a frankenstein dish makes me very uncomfortable. Why? Often times, I’ve actually pay a lot for this type of “cuisine” at restaurants and doesn’t taste good; it’s usually confusing and leaves my tastebuds in a disappointed state. Aster seems…

  • Yakiniku Champion (焼肉チャンピオン): Premium Meats, Japanese Eats!

    Yakiniku Champion (焼肉チャンピオン): Premium Meats, Japanese Eats!

    I’m starting off this new year with a post about a meal in 2015 because, well frankly, it was really delicious. It was one of my more memorable meals during my Asia trip; to no one’s surprise the meal was in Japan where the “average” restaurant would probably kill it in SF or NYC in terms of…

  • Lazy Bear: Listen and Learn

    Lazy Bear: Listen and Learn

    TL;DR – Lazy Bear is worth the money and very deserving of its Michelin star. This post captures meal is documented its entirety and in a detailed fashion. I got schooled at Lazy Bear and I loved it. With notebooks and a pencil in hand – in fact, they give you these tools – all the chefs at Lazy…

  • Lord Stanley: Not My Neighborhood Joint

    Lord Stanley: Not My Neighborhood Joint

    As someone who is passionate about food (aka one who constantly thinks about their next meal as they are eating their current one), I have been assessing the SF food scene and comparing it to what I know – New York. Friends from the East and West coast want to know where I stand, and I am always…

  • The MINA Test Kitchen: Tasty Experiments, Sign Me Up!

    The MINA Test Kitchen: Tasty Experiments, Sign Me Up!

    People are big fans of Michael Mina, and I totally get it. He started his culinary empire in San Francisco and has played a major role in building the restaurant scene to where it is today. Think Pablo Escobar, and replace the cocaine with food and power hungry vengeance for zen-like philosophies (Warning: There may be many references in…