Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Burma Superstar

My sister (and fellow food blogger) flew out to San Francisco to visit me for my birthday. She has a great fondness for all things coconut and I thought that she would enjoy going to Burma Superstar. My sister seemed wary despite my reassurances that it's one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Even a recommendation from Michelin Guide didn't seem to convince her. The name is somewhat ostentatious and it didn't really help that I called it Burma SUPERSTAH!, à la Mary Katherine Gallagher.

Burma Superstar is a very popular restaurant. We arrived at the restaurant at around 4:45pm and there were already a dozen people in line waiting for the place to open. Since it doesn't take reservations, lining up before the place opens is pretty much the only way to guarantee that you'll get table for dinner.

Burma is located between China, India, and Thailand and the cuisine reflects influences from those countries. However, many of the flavors and ingredients are unique to Burma. The service was very friendly and efficient. The hostess helped guide us through the menu and made many recommendations.


Tea Leaf Salad
We started with the Tea Leaf Salad. This is the restaurant's signature dish. The salad was a combination of fermented tea leaves, lettuce, tomatoes, a variety of nuts and seeds, fried yellow beans and a fish sauce dressing. Our server went through the ingredients in the salad and then artfully mixed everything together with a squeeze of lemon. The fermented tea leaves were pungent and smokey and perfectly contrasted with the crunchy nuts and the mild lettuce and tomatoes.

On Noh Kauswer (Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup)
This was a rich, thick stew of chicken, coconut, noodles and hard boiled eggs. The flavor was very deep and savory, but not at all spicy. It was great for warming you up on a frigid summer night in San Francisco.

Tofu Vegetable Kebat and Coconut Rice
You can see the Chinese influences in the Kebat. Don't be put off by the deep red oil slick, it was only moderately hot. We also had the coconut rice, which was jasmine rice cooked with coconut milk. The rice paired very well with the vegetables, tofu and blend of spices in the stir fry.

Burma Superstar
309 Clement St.
San Francisco, CA 94118

Monday, June 30, 2008

The Inn at Little Washington

My recent trip to the East Coast included an excursion out to the Virginia countryside. My friend took me out to the Inn at Little Washington for dinner. The Blue Ridge Mountains were off in the distance on the drive out to Washington, VA. The IaLW is one of the highest rated restaurants in the country. Daniel Bouloud called the IaLW one of the 5 meals worth flying for.

Unlike most restaurants I go to, there is a dress code for the IaLW. Unfortunately, I chose to wear a black dress during a 100-degree heat wave. It turned out that a power outage had hit the restaurant right before we arrived. As a result, many people had canceled their reservations and we were able to be seated early. The decor was pretty interesting. It rather looked like a cross between a Victorian era tea shop and a gay pride parade. My friend said that it was typical for a Virginia country inn. We were by far the youngest diners in the restaurant.

Amuse bouche

Dinner started with an amuse bouche presentation of tuna, prosciutto and melon, shrimp and guacamole and parmesan foam.

Cream of corn soup

Another amuse bouche was a demitasse of cream of corn soup. You could taste the fresh corn in the soup.

Carpaccio of Herb Crusted Baby Lamb with Tabouli and Rosemary Mustard

My first course was the lamb carpaccio. I had never seen lamb carpaccio before and I didn't think that lamb could be served raw. It was very good. The lamb was very rich and not too gamy. I should have followed the example of the diner at the next table and asked for some lemon. A bit of acidity would have been nice.

Seared Maine Diver's Scallop in a Garden Minestrone Perfumed with Pernod

The second course was a scallop (yep, just one) served with fava beans, carrots, tomatoes and Israeli couscous all on a very large plate. The dish was served with a side of pesto and parmesan cheese. The scallop was nicely cooked. The pesto really tied the whole dish together.

Pepper Crusted Tuna Pretending to be a Filet Mignon, Capped with Seared Duck Foie Gras on Charred Onions with a Burgundy Butter Sauce

I was very curious to try this dish because of the ambitious name. The tuna was served rare. It really did taste like filet when paired with the richness of the foie gras and the wine and demiglace based sauce.

Dessert Sampler

As much as I love cheese, I decided to pass one the cheese course because the cheese cart was in the shape of a cow, complete with a cowbell and electronic moos. Instead, I went with the dessert sampler that showcased miniature versions of seven different dessert. The meal ended with mignardise served in little wicker box that we took with us.

The entire meal took just over three hours. The service was very good, if a tad bit rehearsed. I did think that everything about IaLW was a bit fussy. However, I can see why this is one of the top rated restaurants in the country.

The Inn at Little Washington
309 Middle St.
Washington, VA 22747

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Short Ribs That Melt Like Butta

The second Memphis Farmers Market Dinner Tour was held at Circa with Chef John Braggs. The dinner series has caught on as there were 60 people at this dinner. Circle is a hip restaurant in downtown Memphis on the Main Street Trolley line. They have one of the most extensive wine lists in Memphis.



Our five courses consisted of:

Mesclun Greens Salad with Curry-Fried Oyster with an Herb Vinaigrette. The greens were from the farmers from Gracious Gardens. This was paired with a 2005 Kuentz-Bas Gewurztraminer from Alsace France. This was a very fresh and delightful salad to start our meal.

Roast Heirloom Tomatoes with Jumbo Lump Crab Salad paired with a 2005 Graville Lacoste from Bordeaux France. I have an allergy to crab and my husband doesn't eat raw tomatoes. That's why our marriage works so well. He said the crab salad was delicious and I loved the heirloom tomatoes. I'm so glad we have local farmers that grow our tomatoes. There's nothing better than a ripe tomato off the vine!

Beef Short Ribs "Chasseur" with Shiitake Mushrooms and French Radishes paired with a 2005 Raymond "R" Collection Merlot from St. Helena California. This was by far the best dish of the night. The short ribs are from Neola Farms, which are fantastic in their own right. Mike Lanigan is the rancher that owns Neola Farms. He grows his own corn and soybean to feed his Angus Steers, and then the beef is aged. Add that magical touch of Chef Braggs and this dish was like butta!

Grilled Cheese of Bonnie Blue Farm Aged Tomme and Arugula on Pumpernickel with local honey cream. This was paired with a 2003 Verget du Sud Rouge Vin De Pays from Southwest France. I could eat this grilled cheese everyday.

Peach and Blackberry Cobbler with Cinnamon Ice Cream. This was paired with a 2005 Banfi "Rosa Regale" Brachetto d'Acqui from Piedmont Italy. The fruit were from Jones Orchard, one of my favorite farmers at the Memphis Farmers Market. Fresh peaches and sweet blackberries are so delightful.

Circa By John Braggs
119 S. Main Street, Suite 100
Memphis, TN 38103
901-522-1488

Memphis Farmers Market
Central Station Pavilion
Memphis, TN 38103

Friday, June 13, 2008

Tony Luke's

Cheesesteak wit provolone

According to Penn Health, there are 900 calories in a cheesesteak. They must have been referring to a meagre cheesesteak from one of those food trucks on Chestnut St. in front of HUP. The cheesesteak pictured above is far more substantial.

I don't think that you can get a good cheesesteak outside of Philadelphia. I hadn't been to Philly in 10 years, therefore, I hadn't had a cheesesteak in 10 years. One of my friends, a Philly native, said that Tony Luke's had the best cheesesteaks in the city. It was a surprise to me since the two places usually mentioned for the best cheesesteaks in Philly are Pat's and Geno's. I lived in Philly for four years and I never even heard of Tony Luke's.


The restaurant is an old fashioned take-out counter on the wrong side of the tracks, just north of the Walt Whitman bridge. There were only a few picnic tables for people to sit. No wonder I never went during college. But it was worth the trip. A sign of quality is when the weather is 100 degrees with 95% humidity and people are still willing to wait for food. There were at least 10 people in the queue in front of me.

The sandwich was a footlong Italian roll filled with thinly sliced ribeye, provolone cheese and grilled onion. Unlike most other cheesesteak places, Tony Luke's doesn't chop up the meat, instead the slices are topped with cheese and onions, then piled into the roll. All the bread is baked daily at their restaurant.

Tony Luke's
39 E. Oregon Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19148

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Bakesale Betty

Fried Chicken Sandwich...you know you want it

Now that my classes are over and my job doesn't start for another month, I really have no need to go anywhere. With the exception for Trader Joe's, I don't go outside. I've become agoraphobic.

In spite of my aversion to the great outdoors, I ventured over to the East Bay in search of the fried chicken sandwich at Bakesale Betty. The owner was the former pastry chef at Chez Panisse and she was profiled in the SF Chronicle last year. The article includes the recipe for the sandwich.

Since it was a beautiful day and I had some free time, I went off in search of the elusive sandwich. Sure, I really don't need to eat anything that has over 1,000 calories. I did walk from the BART station to Telegraph, which helped to offset the caloric intake.

The bakery was a tiny operation on the corner of Telegraph and 51st. The sidewalks were lined with old benches and ironing board that doubled for dining tables. People were lined up out the door. That gave me time to peruse the menu selection. I passed on the strawberry shortcake, but I gladly accepted a ginger cookie that was handed out to waiting customers.

I waited for my turn at the counter and I was soon seated outside on a sunny street in Oakland eating a friend chicken sandwich. The verdict: it was pretty good. It's hard to go wrong with fried chicken and cole slaw on Acme bread. I may even venture back to East Bay for another sandwich run after I overcome my agoraphobia.

Bakesale Betty
5098 Telegraph Ave.
Oakland, CA

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Elevating Spring Vegetables

The Memphis Farmers Market is in its third season and has added a dinner tour once a month during its market season of May through October. Its first dinner was held at the Brushmark Restaurant located in the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Chef Andrew Adams of the Brushmark is organizing the 2008 MFM Dinner Tour and led with five courses that featured Spring vegetables. Let me just say that my dining companions and I were impressed with the expert preparation of fresh, seasonal, local vegetables. The produce for this dinner came from various farmers from the Memphis Farmers Market. They include Nora Farm, Gracious Gardener, Whitton Farm, Bonnie Blue Farm, Dodson's Farm, Downing Hollow Farm, Jones Orchard, and West Wind Farm.

Our first course focused on Broccoli Rabe with gnocchi, braised baby spinach, and spring garlic. The NY Times magazine had an article on spring garlic the Sunday following this dinner. This course was paired with a 2006 The Wolftrap Rosé from Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. The dish was very refreshing and the spring garlic gave it a nice zip.

The second course focused on Spinach which was topped with a block of tofu that had been braised in a butter stock, seared, then topped with a quail egg, and sprinkled with sugar snap peas. This course was paired with a 2006 Pinot Gris-Pinot Blanc from Santa Barbara. I loved the sweetness of the sugar snap peas, and wondered why the tofu tasted so good...butter baby!

The third course focused on baby Spring Root Vegetables. One component of the dish was breakfast radish and baby turnips braised in white wine stock mixture. The baby carrots and sweet potatoes were pureed and topped with fried basil. This was paired with a 2006 Morgan 12 Clones Pinor Noir from Santa Lucia Highlands. My favorite element of this course was the fried basil.

The fourth course focused on Cheese. We have Tomme, Parker, and Chevre in puff pastry with a lemon syrup reduction. This was paired with a 2005 Ferrari-Carano Sienna from Sonoma County.

The last course focused on Strawberry. The dish came with freshly made strawberry ice cream, and a strawberry shortcake make of almond cake and strawberry crème-fraîche, and a side of stewed Rhubarb. The emphasis in the ice cream is CREAM!

The servings were of French dining portions so the men at our table were plotting the fast food places to stop at on their way home. That was not needed as Chef Adams brought out more ice cream for all of us to consume. I was very impressed with the skilled preparation of simple vegetables. Each element of each course was cooked to perfection and with proper respect. I'm going to give frying herbs a try and see if I get the same results as Chef Adams.

Orson

Orson is the new restaurant by Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake. The food is described as "edgy Californian cuisine." The place is one of those high concept restaurants. I went twice since the restaurant opened and I came away with the same opinion: it was weird, but in a good way. Some of the items were very good, others were just weird.

Orson is named in honor of Orson Wells. The menu had references to many of his movies. The restaurant looks like a cross between a movie set and a modern loft. This is another small plates restaurant. I thought that Orson was pretty expensive, given the amount of food that you actually get. For example, the special was a sous vide rib eye for $58.

The menu was hardly descriptive. They can't be bothered with things such as articles or even nouns at times. However, the staff was very helpful and knowledgeable, which was necessary when it came to picking out menu items.

Many of the drinks were named for Orson Wells movies. I started with a Lady from Shanghai cocktail, which had gin, passion fruit puree, ruby red grapefruit juice and osmanthus flower foam.

These were some of the dishes I tried. All the portions were very small.

Duck fat fries with brown butter bearnaise sauce: The fries were very good. But if I didn't know that they were fried in duck fat, I wouldn't have been able to tell.


Asparagus and cardoons with black garlic sabayon: The dish only had 3 spears of asparagus and few thin slivers of limp cardoons. If the menu didn't say cardoons, I would have thought that it was celery. It was $9.

Black cod with butter beans and pimenton: The fish was nicely cooked, but not extraordinary.

Parmaggiano pudding with pepper jam and cocoa nib explosion: The pudding was very rich and almost buttery. The cocoa nib explosion made the dish, it was like eating pop rocks. It was kinda cool.


Chocolate pizza with piment d'espelette, sea salt and olive oil: This was a big surprise and the highlight of the dinner. It was delicious. The pizza drizzled with Scharffenberger chocolate and olive oil. The pepper and sea salt cut the richness of the chocolate and made it a savory dish. It was weird, but in a good way.

Carrot dumplings with blood orange and ricotta salata: This dish was weird, but not in a good way. I know that sous vide cooking is trendy, but it doesn't work for everything. I wouldn't want a steak cooked sous vide, since I like a nice seared crust on my steaks. But the carrot dumplings were cooked sous vide and they were very soft and silky. Unfortunately the dish had a strange flavor of Chinese herbs that just ruined the flavor of the carrots for me. I asked the waitress and she said it was an Indian five spice. Whatever it was, it was not good.

Pigwich: This was the dessert item. It consisted of maple bacon ice cream between two chocolate pizzelles. The dish sounded so strange that I had to try it. I like bacon, I like ice cream and I like maple syrup. But I don't like all three at the same time.

It looks like the menu had changed since I went to the restaurant. There are now tasting menus. Perhaps the diners complained about the size of portions.

Orson
508 4th Street
San Francisco, CA 94107

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Discovering Latin Cuisine at OLA Miami

I was in Miami recently and stumbled onto an exciting restaurant named OLA. It stands for "Of Latin America." The meal we had was so astounding that I wanted to start a blog to journal this taste adventure. I had recently joined the James Beard Foundation and saw that the chef of OLA, Douglas Rodriguez, had just been nominated as one of the best chefs in 2008 for the South region. Chef Rodriguez, also known as "El Jeffe," is author of three Nuevo Latino cookbooks.

Restaurant OLA is housed inside the Sanctuary hotel. It has a restored 20's era modern feel similar to the Avalon hotel in Beverly Hills, California. One look at the menu and I knew I was in for a treat. I started off with a lovely coconut mojito called the "Cojito." This is definitely for the coconut lover since the flavors are intense and on the sweeter side. Then the wonderful wait staff came by with these donut-hole sized Colombian rolls. The texture of the rolls was a bit chewy and nutty. Turns out it is made with yucca flour, tapioca flour, and dusted with white cheddar powder. I even took a picture of it. I'm in search for the recipe and will post it when I find it.

My husband and I shared several appetizers. OLA is known for its inventive ceviches. After studying each ceviche combination I went with the Rainbow, which was made up of tuna, corvina, salmon, white soy sauce, citrus juices, sesame seeds, sweet potato & cilantro. My husband went for the short rib empanada and the tuna tacos. The tacos were comprised of diced tuna, crispy shallots, diced jalapeno, paprika, lemon oil, roasted garlic & ginger aioli; and arrived in a custom made wood block to hold each taco perfectly in place.

By now my husband and I are in taste heaven. But wait...there's more. For our entrees, my husband had a delectable beef tenderloin cut in a Churrasco style. It came with grilled asparagus, crabmeat, and chimichurri sauce. I had the Pescado A La Mocha, which is the fish of the day cooked a la plancha. I had red snapper and it came with sauteed baby spinach, clams, mussels, calamari, and shrimp; all in a wonderful aji amarillo sauce.

With all this wonderful food, my husband was the only one with room for dessert. He chose the chocolate cigar, which was presented with great whimsy. I took a picture of that as well. It was an almond cake rolled up in the shape of a cigar and coated with chocolate mousse. It was accompanied by coffee ice cream and a candy book of matches.

OLA is a place where your taste buds come alive and bombarded with a wide range of Latin flavors. I have not had an experience in a long time where I discovered new flavors. This was a dining experience to remember.

OLA
1745 James Ave.
Miami Beach, FL 33139
305.695.9125
http://www.olamiami.com/

James Beard Foundation
http://www.jamesbeard.org/