San Tung is one of those restaurant hotspots that is continuously packed, even on a Thursday night. There is no greeter that cheerfully welcomes you to the restaurant–instead, you must write your own name on a white board, followed by the number of people in your party. If you happen to neglect this duty, you’re going to be waiting around for quite some time.

From what I heard, there a few things that San Tung does, and does well. They’re widely known for their Dry Fried Chicken, a delectable battered chicken that is fried with a chili sauce. Interestingly enough, you can get this either dry or wet (yes, you heard right, dry fried chicken, wet style), and with chicken wings or diced chicken. San Tung also makes fresh noodles and dumplings, which are quite a treat.

Expect a wait if you come after 6:00PM. When we arrived, there were at least four 6-tops already seated, and another 7-top and 8-top ready to sit down. We waited about 45 minutes before being seated. We decided to go for the shrimp and leek dumplings, dry friend chicken (dry style diced), and green string beans. It took yet another 45 minutes before we were served.

The dumplings were pretty good. The shrimp was delicately flavored, and the wrapping was indeed fresh. However, I have had dumplings like these elsewhere, and they were comparable. The real star of the night was the chicken. The batter is comparable to a thin and delicate General Tso’s chicken (which is how it’s supposed to be). There is an abundance of white pepper in the sauce, which packs a bit of heat in the back of the throat. The texture is nice and tender, with just a bit of a crunch coming from the batter. Overall, a very nice battered chicken–although, I would hold off on some of the white pepper to keep the dish more balanced.

The string beans were satisfactory. I wish I knew how to get the skins to shrivel up when cooked (like all the Chinese restaurants do it). These were definitely not long beans, which have naturally shriveled skins, and they were still nicely shriveled. I find that sauces tend to stick better when beans are made this way.

Overall, San Tung is a definite treat. My suggestion is to go early, as you will wait for over an hour before eating if you don’t.

San Tung
1031 Irving St
San Francisco, CA 94122-2215
(415) 242-0828

The Salmon Fish and Chips, Yellowtail Tuna Wasabi Rice Bowl, and three kinds of Fish Tacos at the Pacific Catch in the Marina. My favorite was the delicately flavored rice bowl–especially the tender yet crisp seaweed salad.

Max’s is one of those hidden Italian gems frequented by locals in the east village. The restaurant front is unadorned and discreet, bearing no signs or letterings at all. I was a bit skeptical, to say the least. But my skepticism soon turned to excitement upon crossing the threshold.

The place is a bustle of people having a good time. Come early, because seats fill up very quickly and stay that way for a while. In the meantime, you can enjoy a refreshing glass of sangria at the bar. But, it was crowded even there, so we decided to take a brisk walk while waiting for our table to clear.

Max’s is a down to earth restaurant. The kitchen is located in the center, rather than being hidden away in the back. It’s also open so that anyone can inspect the foodstaff toiling away at the pasta.

The food is the primary focus at Max’s. There’s pasta, and then, there’s really good pasta. Max’s is lightyears above really good pasta. The photo above doesn’t do it any sort of justice. The pasta is made fresh everyday, and actually tastes like it too.

We ordered three items: lasagne, spaghetti with veal bolognese, and fettucine with duck (pictured). All the items were marvelous. The lasagne literally melted in my mouth, and the spaghetti had actual chunks of veal (rather than ground), and the duck was plentiful in the fettucine. On top of this, each item was less than $15, which is quite rare for this caliber of noodle.

I can’t stress enough how fresh the pasta is at Max’s. It’s the freshest I’ve ever tasted. So the next time you’re in the east village and you see a nondescript looking restaurant with tons of people inside. Take a gander, you won’t be sorry.

If anyone knows the actual address of this place, please tell me. I can’t seem to find any listing online anywhere!

Taqueria La Bamba serves up the kind of burritos I dream about. Located in Mountain View, it is the brightest star in the constellation of taquerias that pepper the bay area. During the lunch and dinner hours, people clamor into La Bamba’s small and homey abode, licking their lips to the sound of carnitas and carne asada sizzling on the stove. The taqueria is especially popular with the plethora of techies that work around the Mountain View area.

You’ll find your usual taqueria fare at La Bamba’s, but with a few Salvadoran treats like pupusas, which is a corn flour tortilla filled with cheese or pork. However, the burritos are the real stars around here. The reason that their burritos are superior is simple–they use the finest ingredients. The tortillas have a texture that you can’t buy at any store: soft, chewy, and packed with flavor.

Of course, I can’t speak enough about their meat items. The carnitas is tender and flavorful on the inside with a nice crispy outside. I have yet to find carnitas of this caliber at any other taqueria. Their carne asada is also always on spot, and the chicken is as tender as can be.

The super burrito is huge. If you don’t have a big appetite, be prepared to save some for next time. They’re filled with meat, rice, salsa, sour cream, and plenty of cheese–there’s no skimping here. For the beans, you have a choice of pinto, black, or refried. I also like to have jalapenos in my burrito.

La Bamba also serves up a unique quezadilla. A flour tortilla is stuffed full of meat, cheese, and other goodies and is folded like a three-fold wallet. Once again, the portion is huge since they give you two of these.

Next time you’re in the bay area, drop by Taqueria La Bamba for a real treat. I’ve tried most of the other taquerias around here and only a handful can come even close. Trust me, you’ll walk away full and happy–I always do.

2058 Old Middlefield Way
Mountain View, CA
Ph: 650-965-2755

Located near the Boston Commons, the Paramount is a short order breakfast joint that serves up the usual favories like banana pancakes and ham and cheese omelets. The prices are reasonable, and the place is brimming with locals looking for their all-American breakfast fix.

The seating policy at the Paramount is unique. Seats are to be taken “as needed”, which means that you cannot reserve seats upon walking into the restaurant. They claim that this strange policy actually works, and has been employed since day one of the restaurant. I was a bit skeptical at first, and was afraid we would never find seats in the crowded room. I was happily suprised when a table freed up just as we finished ordering.

The food is solid at the Paramount. They simply make the best pancakes I have ever tasted. The batter is light and fluffy, and literally melts in your mouth. Combined with fresh bananas, these pancakes are worth coming back for. Their omelets and salads are good as well, but the pancakes definitely stole the show.

Located on the upperside of Little Italy, Lombardi’s Pizzeria is the first registered pizzeria in the US. It started as a grocery store in 1897, and became a full fledged pizzeria in 1905. Lombardi’s is heralded as the place where NY style pizza began. There was no way we’d miss this on our trip.

The atmosphere is casual and quite down to earth. The menu is simple, allowing diners to choose their own traditional toppings including Italian sausage, pepperoni, red peppers, and homemade meatballs. The prices are also very reasonable, from about $15 for a large. Being that they are a landmark pizzeria, they could have charged a lot more.

The mozzarella is always made from fresh buffalo milk, and this shows in the bright colors of the melted cheese on the pizza. Service was also suprisingly quick, pumping out our pizza from the coal oven in a jiffy.

On our first trip we ordered a large with Italian sausage and garlic (no charge). On our second trip, we ordered a large with half meatballs and red peppers, and half pancetta and mushrooms. The pizzas were simply dazzling. The crust was perfectly thin and just slightly crunchy. The toppings were all fresh and abundant, complementing the fresh mozzarella. The sauce also has a slight sweetness.

I’m glad I finally tried the original NY style pizzeria. There are many rivals out there in Manhattan and Brooklyn, but Lombardi’s was the first. This doesn’t always mean the best, but it’s nice to finally taste the heart of the pizza in the US.

Carnegie Deli is another star in the constellation of traditional Jewish delis in New York. Unlike Katz, Carnegie has an air of pretentiousness. Be prepared to spend at least $12.50 — the minimum charge per diner. On top of this, if you plan to share a sandwich (which is suggestable unless you can stomach more than a pound of meat), there is a $3.00 sharing charge.

The staff was professional, and the other diners were a mix between tourists and posh uptowners. I ordered the corned beef sandwich, which was piled sky high. The sandwich preparation is no-fuss at Carnegie — just meat with bread. Tomatoes and other condiments are served on the side if desired. The meat really is good enough to eat plain. I ventured forth and finished my corned beef all by myself. On any other occasion, I could have rationed out the meat to probably a whole weeks worth of sandwiches. But hey, this is a New York experience!

We also heard the deli was famous for its New York style cheesecake. We couldn’t help but eye each and every huge slice that passed by us. Everyone was ordering it, so we decided to have a slice too.

Carnegie deli makes arguably the best cheesecake I have ever eaten. Period. The texture is sinfully velvetly, and the crust is made from fresh cookie dough (not crumbs!) The whole thing is topped with real strawberries (although frozen).

All in all, the deli’s quality impressed, but the prices and atmosphere waned in comparison to Katz’s deli. The sandwiches are on par with Katz as well. However, the real star here is the cheesecake. Drop in sometime and get a piece of cheesecake to go (or order it online). You won’t be disappointed.

New York is freezing. Some may ask why I come to the east coast for spring break. “Normal people would go to Cancun!” The four-letter reason? Food.

New York offers a diverse array of traditional and trendy food that is arguably unmatched anywhere else. On this trip, we decided to focus on the traditional. On many other visits we didn’t really have a gastronomical plan. But this time we were prepared.

First off, we wanted to try some tradition Jewish deli’s. Two of the more well known delis are Katz’s Deli and Carnegie Deli. All of these restaurants deserve a separate review (and pictures), so I will divulge more details in another post.

Next, we wanted some true thin crust pizza. Lombardi’s is a good choice, and is the first registered pizzeria in the US.

Those were the two main elements we wanted to explore. On top of this, we also took a rollicking ride through Japanese, Asian Fusion, and Dim Sum. All in all, the trip has been well worth it, even through the freezing rain. And, it’s only half over.

“Variety is the spice of life.”

– Luke McSpadden

We all know the travesty of the modern dining experience. Your exquisite entree is served piping hot, straight from the kitchen. Playfully, you discuss its visual aesthetics, even showing pride in your fine dining decision.

Then, you take the first bite.

You reel in how awful it tastes. The chicken is dry, the sauce is too salty, the beef is too well done, the noodles are not al dente. The fact is, it’s just bad.

At this point, you either cover up this fact by forcing a smile and a “mmmm”. Or, you begin to berate the restaurant right then and there in front of the manager.

Sound familiar? Well, I’ve got a solution. Instead of focusing on the entree, why not try lots of side dishes. Many cultural foods from tapas to dim sum let you pick and nibble at several small dishes. But today, I want to talk Korean.

Probabilistically speaking, the more side dishes there are, the more likely you will like the expected number of dishes you would have liked if you tried all the dishes at a restaurant (for those mathy people: strong law of large numbers). In Korea, the more side dishes that come with the meal, the better. Good Korean restaurants in the US will generally give 5 to 7 side dishes (anything less is wimpy).

The side dishes have a wide range of flavors, from the subtle sesame fragrance of the jap chae noodles, to the strongly fermented kim chi. One of the best places to experience side dish overload is at the Korea House in Sunnyvale, CA. My friend suggested we go there, saying that they give enough side dishes to feed an army. I was skeptical.

The restaurant itself looked like any other ordinary Korean restaurant, complete with the usual Korean waitresses, big stone soup bowls, and the smell of bul go gi in the air. However, as soon as we the saw the owner, an eccentric looking Korean lady with hair like a lion (seriously, this is the only way I know how to describe it), we knew we would be in for a ride.

We ordered our usual favorites: chige and bul go gi. Before, any side dishes were served, a full plate of jap chae was served. We were puzzled, and asked if there was a mistake. “It’s on the house!” Now this is something I could live with, a free appetizer.

Then, the side dishes came. If you were there to witness my jaw, you would have seen much droppage. The waitress came out with a gigantic tray, with at least a dozen dishes, some I haven’t even seen before. These weren’t cheap looking items either, the vegetables looked fresh, and there was even some chicken and fish items. Our table had trouble accommodating to the number of dishes. When the main entrees came out, Tippy and I had to do some clever shuffling in order to fit all the dishes.

The food itself was delicious. I probably spent more time nibbling at the side dishes than the main entrees themselves. I was surrounded by sweet marinated tofu, dried fish, fried chicken wings, kim chi, and one of my favorites, Korean pickled cucumber. Needless to say, I was quite full by the end of the evening.

Around the middle of our meal, the eccentric Korean lady (which I presumed to be the owner), came to educate us. She quickly pulled a pair of chopsticks from her “holster” and began assembling a sushi-like wrap using the bul go gi, rice, nori, bean sprouts, and tofu. “Put this, and this, and this, and then eat!” She left as quickly as she came. And true to her words, this sushi-like combination was a winner.

If you live in the bay area, go try Korea House sometime. Avoid the lunch buffet, which usually pale in quality compared to their dinner items. Don’t worry, I guarantee you will be stuffed by the end of the night. The owner really has a mission every night to feed her customers silly.