OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: THE LAZY BEAR, SAN FRANCISCO

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: THE LAZY BEAR, SAN FRANCISCO

How would you describe a memorable dining experience? To start with, I would imagine it would be different from the ordinary; it would be special; and yes, it would live up to its reputation, making you promise to return some day. This is exactly what happened to us when we dined at The Lazy Bear on 19th Street in San Francisco! 

I think I would use "Creativity" to best describe the atmosphere, food, and lasting memory of The Lazy Bear. The creativity starts with the location itself. If you did not know where it was you are likely to walk right past as it has no signage of any sort at the door! I guess this fine dining place is pitched as being there for those who know where it is, if you get what I mean. 

The name too comes out of the creativity of its Founder Chef David Barzelay. He was training to be a lawyer when he took up his first passion of cooking when he was laid off from his job in 2009. He started cooking for friends in his apartment and it became so popular that he opened a restaurant in an illicit warehouse! The Lazy Bear moved to its present location in 2014. I was amused to hear the restaurant got its name from an anagram of Barzelay! 

The way you book a table here too is really innovative. You can't just call and book a table. You need to buy tickets as you would for a show.!!  In our case, our son had booked the tickets for us so it was his treat! You will find all the information you need in the the  website of The Lazy Bear. And yes, it has a rating of Two Stars by Michelin!

Coming now to our visit. A striking feature was the little red Lazy Bear "Field Guide" - a booklet given to you to make small notes/observations- if you wished. It details the different courses that you will be served during the Taster Menu and has a wine suggestion that would be most apt to have with that dish. It has a selection of anagrams and has space for you to make up your own!! 

Let's talk about the food! First up was the aromatic Forager's Tisane. I came to know that tisanes are water- based infusions of herbs, flowers, leaves, and spices. In terms of taste, I guess the closest I could think off was like sipping a very mildly flavoured tea -though of course this has no tea in it.

The folks who serve each course also speak about the dish and the ingredients that go into it. We couldn't always follow as they rattled off what they had to say at great speed! 

The second course in this multi-course fine dining experience was the Whipped Scrambled Eggs.

The presentation of this delicious dish was very innovative and beautiful. We enjoyed this with the suggested accompanying Billecart Salmon Brut Sous Bois Champagne from Mareuil-sur-Ay in France.

The Seafood Tower has to be one the top dishes I have ever tried anywhere. This had three components: the Virginia Oyster, Grilled Scallops and a Dungeness Crab Dip. Like the dishes before, the presentation was very creative and the dish tasted heavenly!!

The next course had Arrowhead Cabbage  made with Broccoli, Brussels Krout and Allium Pancake which was excellent.

Then followed Cauliflower- California White Sturgeon Caviar served with wild greens and Bodega Bay Black Cod served with sea lettuce and spring greens. 

Both these dishes were delicious and as always very attractively presented. I was most impressed with their exhibition of the art of presenting their offerings.  

Then came a Lazy Bear Cultured Butter- a pretzel roll

The next course was Chicken and Dumplings followed by Grilled Lion's Mane- green and white asparagus with Bearnaise Sauce and Sorrel with Coconut and Lime.

All good things must come an end- as did our dinner. We closed with the dessert - Honey Cakes made with Yeasted Cream, Chamomile Creme Anglaise, which were outstanding.

Along with the dessert we were served Gummy Bear Treats of Strawberry and Elderflower as also Macaron- a preserved Meyer Lemon Tart.

Not just that! On the way out, we were given some goodies for breakfast the next day- banana bread and cold coffee! 

So how was the dining experience overall? I would say it was excellent! The Lazy Bear is highly recommended. I realise that a visit here will set you back a fair amount - but it is special and so worth it! 

THAI COOKING CLASS AT BITE UNITE SF

 THAI COOKING CLASS AT BITE UNITE SF 

My husband and I were quite excited when we were told there was a culinary related surprise awaiting us on April 29. We wondered what it could be. Perhaps a visit to a new restaurant -like our dining at Copra recently? Perhaps a visit to a winery? Of course, we had done that in our last visit and enjoyed the wine tasting experience. Different possibilities engaged our mind till we were told a few hours before the event that we had been signed on for a class in Thai Cooking!! 

This was a dining experience with a difference! We ate what we cooked ourselves!!

This was at BiteUnite at the corner of 17th Street and South Van Ness in San Francisco. The two hour culinary experience was held on the terrace of their building from where we got a nice view of downtown San Francisco.

I must say that something truly amazing happened that day! My husband cooked something on his own  for the first time in his life! Obviously making tea doesn't count as cooking. He jumped into the event with more enthusiasm than I imagined and we had great fun over the two hours that the class lasted.

Each of us were assigned a cooking station with a gas burner set up in front of us and different ingredients required for the first dish kept out in front of each station. Our instructor, Patta, told us something about the dish and then gave instructions for the first step. She would go around and look at how people were faring, then give the instruction for the next step and so on. For each step she mentioned a prescribed time as well.

We got to make three dishes. The first was Pad Kra Pao Gai - this is a popular Thai dish made with minced chicken, chillies, garlic, onions and Thai Basil, served with rice. Apart from the chicken which was minced and given to us, we had to slice, dice, the other ingredients like garlic, onions, chilli, and the like. After sauteeing the garlic, onions, chilli, we added the minced chicken and cooked it, and at the end added Thai Basil, different sauces and the cooked Jasmine Rice that was given to us. We loved the experience more than anything else. We were told the done thing was for me to taste- not the dish I cooked but the one cooked by my husband and vice versa!! This was accompanied by Thai tea of two types- one made with milk and the other without! 

Likewise we cooked the second dish- which was Pad See Eew. This is a stir fried soy sauce noodles also called Drunken Noodles. Here we used Sen Yai rice noodles, minced chicken, fried egg, shrimps, garlic and Chinese broccoli, amongst other ingredients. The best part of making this dish was covering the egg with the cooked noodles- chicken mixture and flipping  the contents of the griddle on to a plate and garnishing this with roasted nuts, sugar, and chilli flakes. The final dish tasted really delicious.

The session closed with a dessert- Khao Niaow Ma Muang or as we popularly know it- Mango Sticky Rice! Here we used a different kind of rice from the one used for the Pad Kra Pao Gai. This one had to be soaked for 4 hours then steamed and allowed to rest for 1 hour. Today it was given to us in a cooked state along with fresh ripe mangoes which we had to dice and garnish with coconut milk and sugar syrup. The dessert was quite yummy! 

Time flew past as we- and 16 others in our class- enjoyed the culinary experience. It was soon 1.00 pm amd time to close. 

Overall, it was a very interesting, fun-filled experience for us as we were trying this out for the first time! 

So when you are next in San Francisco and if you are keen on enjoying this culinary experience, please check out BiteUnite and book a seat in their next cooking class! 

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE- "COPRA " IN SAN FRANCISCO

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE- "COPRA " IN SAN FRANCISCO

Knowing that we are foodies, whenever we visit him in the US, my son makes it a point  to take us out to interesting restaurants wherever we happen to be.  He mentioned a new Indian restaurant called Copra that had received many rave reviews in the press and on social media.

It is located at 1700 Filmore, by co-incidence the very same location as the old "Dosa" which we had visited a few years ago. We naturally were excited at the thought of dining here and he made the reservations for us. Make sure you reserve well in advance to enjoy dining here. I was told that when it first opened the reservations were booked for the first 30 days!! 

The decor is striking! Quite different as you would imagine from most restaurants in the US. There is the Indian touch in the choice of artefacts and the ambience. 

This restaurant is the brain child of two people:  Executive Chef Srijith "Sri" Gopinathan and co-owner Ayesha Thapar, a restauranteur. Sri is a two star Michelin Chef and has worked earlier in the Taj Group of Hotels, cutting his teeth in the Taj at Bengaluru. He later  spent many years in the Taj Campton in San Francisco. He and Ayesha started a venture Ettan in Palo Alto, Ca. in February 2020 which became- and continues to be - quite popular. 

Our dining experience at Copra recently was most enjoyable. 

We started by ordering drinks. I opted for the  Ramacham Manhattan ( Ramacham, Black Cardamom, Sweet Vermouth, and Bourbon) which was quite delicious and something new for me. 

Served with our drinks were Pappadoms and Quinoa Crisps with a Chutney Palette comprising four very different types of chutneys: Wild Gooseberry, Burnt Chilli-Tamarind; Coconut Green Sambal; and Ghost Chili Chutney. All of them were lip-smacking. My favourite amongst these had to be the Burnt Chilli-Tamarind chutney.

Next came the starters-called Kadi ( after the Malayalam word for "Bites") here. We had Oysters with Fermented Chilies, Tamarind, and White Soy. I loved the way this dish was presented. We enjoyed the luscious oysters by scooping them out with a spoon.  

We also had the exotic-sounding Shinko Pear Sundal made with Black Chickpea, Raw Mango, Persian Cucumber, Red Onion and Nasturtium. The ingredients for the Sundal were brought to the table and like in a salad were mixed in a bowl for our enjoyment. 

In the next course, 'Light" in Copra speak, we asked for an innovative Thayir Vadai Chaat. This has Madras Mixture, Green Grapes, Citrus, Chili Cashew nuts and Date Chutney. Though the Thayir Vadai tasted just the same as it would in India, the combination of ingredients complementing it made it that much more appealing. 

For the main course we were torn between many options that sounded delectable. Finally we chose three dishes.  The first was the Black Cod Pollichatu- supposed to be one of the Chef's personal favourites. This came wrapped in banana leaves. It had shallot crust, had been cooked on cast iron and was served with red Matta rice and Moilee Broth. 

The second was the Konkan Crab Curry. This had crabs simmered in roasted coconut, coriander, tamarind, and red onion. It came with the Kerala favourite Appam with an egg in the centre. As you might know, eating crab can be a messy affair but is totally worth the effort. Our friends expertly wielded the crab cracker for us.  

                               Egg Appam with Chutney Palette in the background

The third dish was Dindigul-style Chicken Biriyani. This was made with Jeera Samba Rice, and came with Red Onion Raita and Pepper and Eggplant Salan. While this was tasty I felt perhaps they had reduced the spice level to meet their local diners' palate.

 In my opinion, and that of the majority of our group that evening, the stand out dish was the Black Cod Pollichatu. 

Naturally we had to close the delicious meal with a dessert. We had the Palkova and Pear Toast made with jaggery, nutmeg, and grated milk.

Overall, we loved the decor, service and last but not the least- the food. Highly recommended for Indian food- especially if you like dishes from the South Indian States of Kerala and Tamilnadu. 

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OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: BHOGA, SAN FRANCISCO

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: BHOGA, SAN FRANCISCO

We had the pleasure of trying out different cuisines in the course of our recent vacation in the United States. This has been shared in the last few blog posts here. As our trip was coming to an end, we decided to eat at an Indian Restaurant for a change.

There are a number of Indian restaurants in San Francisco. The one we visited is called Bhoga and is described as serving modern Indian cuisine and innovative drinks. They have now opened to indoor dining service but we preferred to sit outside. 

From their impressive collection of cocktails, we chose to try out the Bhoga Mule made with vodka, elderflower, grapefruit and ginger beer. This drink was their version of the popular Moscow Mule. Interestingly, this is generally served in a copper cup or mug as this retains the cold temperature of the drink. The taste was outstanding ! 

The Podi Idli, which came strongly recommended to us, lived up to its reputation. The menu described this dish as Steamed Rice Cakes with Lentil Powder and Chutney. It wasn't as hot as the picture suggests but was very tasty nevertheless.

Another dish which we loved not just for the taste but also for the excellent plating was the Pepper Duck. This had Uthappam, Minced/Ground Duck Breast, Fennel, and Coconut Milk. 

We then opted for the Hariyali Chicken Kebab: chicken breast with ginger, garlic, spinach, mint, herbs, and greens. Although the pieces were succulent, we felt the kebabs could have been better marinated.

Lastly, we had the Mustard Prawns, with the flavours of Kashmiri chilli, garlic and cumin. This was just superb and possibly the best dish of the evening. 

The service was efficient and the dishes- without exception- were elegantly plated. 

I would highly recommend this if you are looking for interesting twists to traditional Indian cuisine in San Francisco. 

A Wonderful Dinner at Zazies

A Wonderful Dinner at Zazies


In an earlier post I have described our brunch at Zazies, a French restaurant in the Cole Valley area of San Francisco.

A few days ago, I had the pleasure of going there once more- for dinner this time. We began the meal with drinks, chilled sparkling water for me and red wine in the form of Chateau Haut Sarthes Merlot for my husband Prem who manages this blog with me.

There was so much to choose from!

Each dish sounded more exotic than the other. Finally, we made our choices and had Ricotta Raviolis with wilted arugula, leeks, white wine and Parmesan. This tasted divine!!

We then had the delicious Poisson en Papillote ( Fish and Potatoes) made up of wild steelhead salmon with fingerling potatoes, wilted arugula leeks, and mussel cream.

As usual we chose to eat in the heated Garden Patio and enjoyed the warmth as we had a leisurely dinner while it was pretty cold outside.

So the next time you are in San Francisco, do make it a point to dine at Zazies. I can assure you it will be well worth the time and money spent.

CULINARY WALKING TOUR IN SAN FRANCISCO'S MISSION DISTRICT

CULINARY WALKING TOUR IN SAN FRANCISCO'S MISSION DISTRICT

The Mission District is considered one of the most interesting localities in San Francisco, California having been established hundreds of years ago. Avril Tours has this interesting initiative for those interested in local culture and food. In the course of this conducted tour, we walk about the district for a few hours stopping at select restaurants to sample their speciality cuisine.

My husband and I signed up for one of these tours during our recent trip to San Francisco. Our group that day comprised 3 journalists from France, their tour guide, their interpreter, and the two of us. We were fortunate to have a young lady called Margherita, who was enthusiastic and efficient, as our guide from Avril for this walking tour.

The meeting place, or shall I say rendezvous as there were French people with us, was the iconic Womens' Building in the Mission District. One can't possibly miss this because of the many colourful murals painted on its walls.

We introduced ourselves, spoke of the kinds of food we liked and were briefed about the tour. Then we set off for our first port of call, Craftsman and Wolves for the first of the appetizers. We had the Carrot and Chocolate Muffin paired with Dry Cider while the others had the Rebel Within, a cheese and sausage muffin. Margherita explained the origins of the restaurant and told us about Chef William Werner and his creations.

We then dropped in at Mission Cheese for the second appetizer. This chic cheese cafe is famous for serving and selling only cheese made in the United States. We were surprised to know that so many different types of cheese were made in the US. We were asked to guess the cheese as we tasted the samples along with locally brewed ale. Of all the cheeses that we sampled, we liked the Gouda the most.

For the main course or entree we went to Gracias Madre, well known for being the first Mexican vegan restaurant. Here we loved the Quesadilla with Cheese and Sweet Potatoes which was truly delicious.

Dessert was the Salted Caramel Ice Cream, considered one of the top five desserts in America at the famous Bi Rite Creamery in Dolores Park. This was awesome!!

Overall, it was a most enjoyable tour where we tasted what for us was a variety of new dishes.
Fortunately, the weather gods were kind to us that day. It did not rain at all for the duration of our tour  which made it easy for us to walk from one restaurant to the other.

If you are visiting San Francisco, you may like to add this tour to your plans. For details of the tour, do contact Avital Tours. I am sure you will enjoy the experience.

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE : ZAZIE

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE : ZAZIE 

If you happen to walk down Cole in San Francisco's pleasant locality of Cole Valley on a Saturday morning around 8.30 a.m, you might find a queue of people waiting outside a restaurant. Locals are not surprised at the sight. They know that Zazie has no reservation for small parties for brunch, so it is a matter of first come first served. However, reservations are not required for the very limited space out on the sidewalk, perhaps 3-4 tables.

Most people in the know, reach in time to chalk up their names, the size of their party and their preferred spot in the restaurant on the board that appears for that purpose. We opted to have our weekend brunch at the heated garden patio which is a treat to be in on a cold day. 

We had heard much about Zazies and I must confess we were not disappointed. The food was fabulous. For the main course, we chose the La Mer Eggs Benedict which had the usual eggs along with hand picked California Dungeness crab, avacado and chives. This apart, we had for our brunch the French Toast Tahiti, pain de mie french toast stuffed with caramelized bananas and walnuts; and The Miracle Pancake.

The delicious food was accompanied by a splendid drink. We had the salt-crusted tomato-based Mimosa Cocktail which is made with equal portions of chilled sparkling wine and tomato juice.

This was without doubt, the best brunch we have had in a long, long time. So the next time I am here and see people queue up patiently outside Zazies ( the brunch on weekends is from 9.00 a.m. to 3 .00 p.m.), I would tell them, " Folks, believe me, it is well worth the wait!

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: SHIZEN VEGAN SUSHI BAR & IZAKAYA, SAN FRANCISCO, CA

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: SHIZEN VEGAN SUSHI BAR & IZAKAYA, SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Everyone knows that Sushi is famous in Japanese cuisine. It is basically vinegar flavoured cold cooked rice served with a garnish of raw fish, eggs or vegetables. Generally, one associates sushi with raw fish but I recently had the opportunity of trying out vegan sushi when we dined at the Shizen Vegan Sushi Bar & Izakaya in San Francisco, California.

This restaurant which is extremely popular is located in 14th Street and is famous for its vegan fare and faux sushi.  One has to make sure you have a booking before going there, especially in the evenings when it is full of young people grabbing a snack/drink/meal on their way back from work.

Our meal began with Garlic Edamame for starters. Edamame is boiled soy beans which is eaten by squeezing out the beans into your mouth and discarding the skin. The one we had was edamame
sauteed with garlic and soy reduction. It tasted almost like a flavourful masala!

We ordered the conventional Sake (Rice Wine) to go with our meal. This is the traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage made by fermenting the rice.

There was so much to choose from in the menu! Finally we decided to have three different types of Vegan Sushi.




The first was called Candlelight and it was served with a burning flame. I was delighted to see the food plating - the red in the following picture is a hot sauce that accompanies the sushi. This had spicy tofu, avocado, cucumber, seaweed pearls, shichimi togarashi and fire! The shichimi togarachi is a common Japanese spice mixture with some seven ingredients. I must say this Candlelight was truly delicious.

Of course, along with all the sushis we had another dip made with ginger and soy.

Giving the chopsticks a try!

The next type of Sushi was called The Hidden Agenda and it was as delicious as the first! This one was made with tempura eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, carrot, yellow onion, garlic aioli and sweet soy sauce.

The last of the sushis was by far the most interesting. This was so appropriately called The Surprise Ending. This sushi was made with beets, kale, avocado, asparagus, shredded tofu, yuba, rice crackers, seaweed pearls, spicy aioli, and suspense!! There were six pieces of sushi out of which one is extremely spicy. There is no indication which of the six is this one. It's the luck of the draw and anyone of the diners can get this.

I happened to get this at our table. It was fiery hot and as per the tradition I had to gulp down the Sweet Sake served with it at one shot! I am happy to report that I managed to do this successfully!

For dessert, we settled for the Chocolate Brownie with Ice Cream served with Strawberries and  Sweet Fried Banana Fritters which provided a perfect end to a wonderful dining experience.

I would like to thank my son, Nitin for taking us there and guiding us through what for us was an unique dining experience.