Friday Favorite of the Week - Chapter 2

This one brings back pleasant memories:


What is so special about this was that it came from one of my patients. She's actually my favorite patient. She always makes me smile.

I loved corned beef and pan de sal...especially after it is warmed and dipped in ketchup. *ohhhhhh* I'm Filipino, can't help it! If you are too, then you know the deal! My favorite breakfast while in the Phils was freshly baked pan del sal from the neighborhood bakery and corned beef cooked with onions and garlic.

*salivating*

Truly a favorite of mine.

The Full List of Friday Favorites

7x7 Magazine's Big Eat SF: 100 Things to Try Before You Die

So I found this list and my thought was: FINALLY! So many a time I have walked in different parts of the City and I never knew what was good in the area. So this takes the guess work out of "what to eat in SF?"

**I have only tried this much**

I haven't done all of them, so Jo better get cracking! In actuality, I have been to a quarter of the restaurants listed, like Gary Danko, Rosamunde, and Tartine Bakery. It's just that I didn't order exactly what they have on the list. Before seeing the list, I already had plans on checking out most of the places like: La Mar with Ate Di and Dosa now that there is one in my 'hood.

My only disappointment is that they didn't list "classic" SF dishes like our famous ciopinno or Boudin's sourdough bread or dan tat from Golden Gate Bakery. I was hoping to get a list of things you can only get in San Francisco, but I guess they're steering away from the old and coming in with the new *cough*hip*cough*. But we will see which items stay on the list and which ones fizzle like the fro-yo takeover.

Here is the complete list, courtesy of 7X7 Magazine:

1. Roast chicken and bread salad at Zuni

2. Coffee-rubbed pork shoulder at Range

3. Carnitas taco at La Taqueria

4. Spicy crab and grits at the Front Porch

5. Chasu ramen at Katana-Ya

6. Burger with fries at Slow Club

7. Shaking beef at the Slanted Door

8. Morning bun at Tartine Bakery

9. Tofu soup with kimchi at My Tofu House

10. Baja-style fish tacos at Nick’s Crispy Tacos

11. Pork sugo with pappardelle at Delfina

12. Salt-and-pepper squid at Yuet Lee

13. Soup dumplings at Shanghai House

14. Beef brisket at Memphis Minnie’s

15. Oysters on the half shell at Swan Oyster Depot

16. Katsu curry from Muracci’s Japanese Curry & Grill

17. Tea-leaf salad at Burma Superstar

18. Salumi misti plate at Perbacco

19. Tuna tartare at Michael Mina

20. Chicken pot pie at Liberty Café

21. Pizza margherita at Pizzeria Delfina

22. Vietnamese roasted pork sandwich at Saigon Sandwich

23. Beer sausage with sauerkraut and grilled onions at Rosamunde Sausage Grill

24. Blue Bell Bitter from the cask at Magnolia Pub

25. Loaf of bread straight out of the oven at Tartine (bonus: sliced while still warm and slathered with Brillat- Savarin cheese from Bi-Rite, down the block)

26. A classic gin martini at Bourbon & Branch

27. Papaya salad with salty crab at Sai Jai Thai

28. A Gibraltar at Blue Bottle Café

29. Spaetzle at Suppenküche

30. Laughing Buddha cocktail at Cantina

31. Pan con chocolate with sea salt and olive oil at Laïola

32. Pupusas at Balompie Café #3

33. Prime rib at House of Prime Rib

34. Yellowtail collar at Oyaji

35. Salted-caramel ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery

36. Dry-fried chicken wings at San Tung

37. Rotisserie chicken at Limón Rotisserie

38. French fries at Hayes Street Grill

39. Pierna Enchilada torta at La Torta Gorda

40. Cheeseburger at Taylor’s Automatic Refresher

41. Pho ga at Turtle Tower

42. Fried-shrimp po’boy at Brenda’s French Soul Food

43. Mint julep at Alembic

44. Cannelé at Boulangerie Bay Bread

45. Galapagos cocktail at Absinthe

46. Chips and salsa at Papalote

47. Ceviche at La Mar Cebichería Peruana

48. Angels on horseback at Anchor & Hope

49. Ginger snaps at Miette

50. Giant pretzel with mustard at The Monk’s Kettle

51. Maccaronara with ricotta salata at A16

52. Fried brussels sprouts at SPQR

53. Garlic soup at Piperade

54. Spiced-chocolate doughnut at Dynamo Donut with a Four Barrel coffee

55. Milk-roasted pork at L’Osteria del Forno

56. Caponatina with burrata at Beretta

57. Goat stew at Kokkari Estiatorio

58. Absinthe daiquiri at Jardinière

59. Huarache with cactus salad at El Huarache Loco

60. The Brass Monkey at Little Star Pizza

61. Crab soufflé at Café Jacqueline

62. Shrimp-and-chive dumplings at Ton Kiang

63. Meatballs with grapes at Aziza

64. Paper masala dosa at Dosa

65. Crispy eggplant at Jai Yun

66. Pig parts at Incanto

67. Sand dabs at Tadich Grill

68. Irish coffee at the Buena Vista Cafe

69. Licorice parfait at South

70. Omakase menu at Sebo

71. A Fernet at R Bar

72. Arancini at Ducca

73. Popovers with strawberry butter at the Rotunda

74. Corned-beef sandwich with Gruyère at the Sentinel

75. Fried green beans at Coco500

76. Chicken hash at Ella’s

77. Eggs benedict on the back patio at Zazie

78. Chilaquiles with a fried egg at Pastores

79. Onion strings at Alfred’s Steakhouse

80. Apple fritter at Bob’s Donuts

81. Chicken curry at Punjab Kabab House

82. Fried chickpeas at Piqueo’s

83. Sweet-potato fries with banana catsup at Poleng Lounge

84. A margarita at Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant

85. Pulled-pork sandwich at Roadside BBQ

86. A cheese slice at Arinell Pizza

87. Fresh spring rolls at Out the Door

88. Buckwheat crepe and a French cider at Ti Couz

89. Lamb schawerma at Truly Mediterranean

90. Slow-cooked egg at Coi

91. Albondigas soup at Mijita

92. Bacon-wrapped hot dog from a cart in the Mission (preferably when you’re drunk)

93. Seven courses of beef at Pagolac

94. Mango with chile, lemon and salt at Doña Tere’s cart

95. 3 a.m. bowl of caldo verde soup at Grubstake

96. Baby-coconut ice cream from Mitchell’s

97. Sesame balls at Yank Sing

98. Basil gimlet at Rye

99. Clam chowder at Hog Island Oyster Co.

100. Cheese course at Gary Danko

supperclub San Francisco - Happy 27th, Cuzzin Sin-D!

Restaurant: supperclub San Francisco
Address: 657 Harrison Street, b/t 2nd at 3rd, SOMA, SF
Phone Number: (415) 328-0900
Cuisine: New American
Date Last Visited: January 22, 2009
Dining Partner: Star, Cuzzin Sin-D, and Ate Di

So I have this cousin and her name is Sin-D. I wasn’t able to make it to her birthday dinner, so I made it up to her by taking her to dinner. I wanted it to be a place that we would not forget. supperclub came to mind because they serve you on BEDS…sexy. Perfect place for a grown lady to have her 27th birthday. We decided to come on a Thursday, and luckily for us Dine About Town (DAT) was still in play. DAT is a 2-week “event” where particular restaurants offer a 3-course prix fixe for $21.95 lunch and $34.95 for dinner. Usually dinners at supperclub can be around $65 for a 4-course meal, so for me this was a good deal - the only thing you miss out is one less course, one less hour, and one less performance. Saving $30 is worth it especially in the crisis we are all in right now.


The façade of supperclub is pretty plain. All you see on the outside is the sign in a red-ish outline, and double doors with a circular window, which you can’t really see through unless you’re tall enough. You can’t even see the dining room unless you’re inside. Once we did get inside, we were greeted by a gender illusionist host, and you need to give up a credit card to hold the table. Why they do that? I have no clue. We were early for our reservation, so we kicked it at the bar. BTW, they only do one seating each night at 7:30 p.m.


Passion, Blush and No Heels
They have a nice cocktail list going on with sexy drinks such as the “Sutra” and the “Glittery Nipple.” They seem to want you to turn you on in this place. I mean, c’mon, you eat on giant beds. How much more blatant can a place be about sex and intimacy. Well, you know what though? Whatever they’re doing works. I saw an Asian couple, and they could look like one of my aunts and uncles and they were kicking it in the same bar we were. Everyone has a freaky side. Haha! Anyway, our bartender Chris was awesome. He had a cruel sense of humor which was sexy and intriguing. The drink I had was the “Passion.” It was sweet but had a bitter undertone to it. In it floated a basil leaf. Star and Sin-D ordered one “Blush” each. This was the best cocktail - it tasted like gummy worms. So good. Ate’s was “No Heels” and it tasted like unsweetened cherry lemonade. Great cocktails - fun and flirty.


They gave us beds 31 and 32 which is the bed immediately to the left as you walk into the dining room. I realized a little later that this bed and the other bed on the other side of the door was probably the best beds in there. We were able to see everything from the open kitchen, all the performances, and the DJ. We even got our food first. I began to wonder why. Let me tell you what happened earlier that day:

-at work-

Fuego (my coworker): Is Opentable accurate?
Jo: Yeah, I haven’t had a reservation lost before. That reminds me, I have to call supperclub to make sure they have a vegetarian menu for Star.

*Jo calls supperclub*

supperclub gal: Hello, supperclub, this is *****, how can I help you?
Jo: Hi, I have a reservation for tonight, but I was just wondering if there was going to be a vegetarian option tonight.
supperclub gal: Of course, the chef will always accommodate those with allergies and dietary restrictions.
Jo: Oh that’s great.
supperclub gal: What name did you put the reservation under again?
Jo: Joanne Boston. I made it on Opentable.
supperclub gal: When did you make it?
Jo: Liiiike three days ago.
supperclub gal: It looks like our Opentable system didn’t put you on our list.
Jo: But it’s still cool for us to come…right?
supperclub gal: Oh yes, of course we can accommodate you!
Jo: *sigh of relief* Thank you.

-to Fuego-

Jo: To answer your question again - NO, OPENTABLE IS NOT ALWAYS ACCURATE.

So THAT’S why I think we had the best bed. My chickas said that maybe they did that to make up for losing our reservation.


First Course:
Carrot Ginger Soup
with Local Crab Meat and Chives Crème
That’s right ladies and gentlemen, you are not going crazy. They really served our soup in, yes, dog bowls. Talk about presentation. I was pleasantly surprised with how I enjoyed the soup. I usually don’t like cooked carrots and pureed carrots remind me of Gerber baby food, but this soup was very nice. There was that slight hint of ginger which was not overpowering at all. That little ball you see there in the middle is a concoction made with fresh crab meat and seasonings. The crab lent some saltiness to the otherwise sweet soup. The breadstick absorbed the soup beautifully and by the time I went to bite the end off, it was soaked in the flavorful bisque. Awesome and perfect portion.

One thing that disappointed Star was that she did ask for the meatless version of this soup. As she was eating, she realized that there might have been some of the crab ball in the bowl. I found that to be disturbing because if that was the case, what if Star had a REAL allergy to shellfish? Should would have been dying. It seemed like they just pulled the crab out instead of preparing a fresh bowl of soup for her. That’s really irresponsible. Good thing she really didn’t have the allergy because there would have been chaos if she did.


Act 1: Opera Performance
What I really liked about supperclub is that they have performances in between each course. This performer was a cute opera singer who sang while taking doll parts - hair, heads, torsos, out of a sack. I don’t know exactly what she was singing about and if it even remotely had anything to do with the dolls, but it was very entertaining. The singer was very talented! They don’t hire William Hungs here. They make sure that each performer is gifted and can entertain the diners. I thought that the act was cute in the beginning, but when she started to take those doll corpses out of her sack, I started to feel a bit…disturbed. If that was the point of the performance, then it worked.


I think this was favorite color scheme. Throughout the dinner, the lights were switched from an orange and then to this beautiful blue. Because everything in the room was white, from the beds, pillows, walls and chairs, whatever light they turned on bounced off all things white and caused what you see above. BEAUTIFUL. It really reminded me of PURE in Las Vegas. Again beautiful.


Star’s Entrée: Tofu with Vegetables
I didn’t get to taste any of Star’s entrée, but she really appreciated that they did have a vegetarian option for her. I actually liked how they made sure to ask everyone, not only the one who had the constraint if they wanted to have a different menu due to allergies and restrictions.


Main Course
Seared Supreme Chicken
with Brussels Sprouts, Potato & Parmesan Jus
I read a lot of reviews saying that the food at supperclub was not great and they people should only come here for the experience, so I was ready for mediocre food. With the soup being great, I thought it would be bad after that. I was so wrong. This is probably the best chicken I have had in a while. I am so not kidding you. What I liked about this was that the dish was incredibly simple. I had my wonderfully tender and juicy chicken BREAST. Yes, they used white meat. The skin was perfect and tasty. The chicken sat on a bed of mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts are a little bitter, so I let Ate Di eat some of them off my plate. Don’t worry, I ate most of them. Granted I am not a Brussels sprouts person, they were actually very good. Everything in this dish was great. My plate was clean when it was taken away. Some places make their entrées so complicated, but I tend to enjoy the simpler plates more. This was a winner - to my surprise. Well, now that I think about it, the only thing I can complain about is the size of the dinner plates. They were huge. It was hard for two of us to set our plate on the table. Either the plate was too big or the table was too small. Kind of awkward to eat with not enough room.


Act 2: Acrobat
Talk about being Cirque du Soleil-like. The act started with the woman in a business suit carrying a suitcase. She walked from one staircase to another and descended down the stairs. She opened her suitcase, stripped to her undergarments, brushed her teeth, and then just so happened found a long sash-looking rope hangning from the ceiling. Soon she was twisting her arms and legs around the sash, and made the audience gasp when she made some dramatic drops toward the floor. It was beautiful. She made it look so easy. Of course I wanted her to stop because I didn’t want to see her fall to her death, but it was great to watch. Where else can you watch this while in bed?


Dessert:
French Toast and “Eggs”
When this was brought out to us, I chuckled to myself because the presentation was genius. How does French toast and “eggs” sound for dessert? The eggs are actually a pool of vanilla bean crème anglaise with puddles of lemon curd. INCREDIBLY CUTE!!!!! I loved it!


Want some?
I would have appreciated more than one piece of French toast, but I guess since we were eating off the DAT menu, they had to be cheap. I thoroughly enjoyed dessert. The French toasts were still a little warm and custard-y in the middle. You see those charred edges? Loved them. While I love citrus, I liked dipping the French toast only in the crème anglaise. The lemon curd was delicious but maybe with a scone or something. With French toast, I like to let the vanilla shine. Only complaint - portion too small. I loved the interactivity, and we really didn’t care about double dipping.


Act 3: Gender Illusionist
The night ended with a racy striptease by the hostess who checked us in. My only response is: I wish I could dance like that…AND where did he get those glittery nipples? They’re awesome! You just need to come here and watch it yourself. Amazing.


The Ladies of the Evening: Star, Sin-D, Ate Di and Jo
So what did I think? At the end of the night, I had a big bill to pay. (grrr.) BUT, it looked like Sin-D had a great time. I think I accomplished what I set out to do: plan a dinner that none of us will forget. I actually thought that the price wasn’t bad - you get the beds, ambiance, food, unusual characters, and extraordinary performances. $35 isn’t bad at all. We just had to deal with the tax and tip, but don’t come here broke on an ordinary day. Normally, the tab per person can be $100, so this is not a cheap place. Aside from that, I enjoyed my evening and am glad everyone else had a great time. I really wouldn’t mind coming back, and I wish there were more restaurants as fun as this in the City.

Happy 27th Birthday, Sin-D! Love you, cousin!

Beach Chalet - Happy 5-Year Anniversary, Bubuh!

Restaurant: Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant
Address: 1000 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA
Phone Number: (415) 386-8439
Cuisine: American
Date Last Visited: December 17, 2008
Dining Partner: Bubuh

So I started dating this guy in 2003. His name is Bubuh. No, his real name is not Bubuh…it’s actually Keaton, but I call him Bubuh on this blog. So I started dating this guy in 2003, right before the holidays. For the first few years of our relationship, he was the worst boyfriend EVER. For real. We fought all the time, but for some reason we still stayed together because we knew there was no one else in the world who would put up with our crap the way that we did for each other. Then all of a sudden at the beginning of 2008, Bubuh decided to be nicer to me. In a blink of an eye, he became the best boyfriend EVER. Not many people thought that we were going to make it to our 5 year anniversary. Hell, at times I didn’t think we would either, but before we knew it, December 17, 2008 was knocking at our door and we knew this was an occasion to celebrate.


I had always wanted to go to Beach Chalet. The funny thing is that I really don’t hear much about this place. I guess the lack of knowledge and absence of reviews from people I knew left me curious. Bub and I got to Beach Chalet on the cusp of lunch, so we had the choice of either the breakfast or lunch menu. Our waiter did warn us that some of the items or components of any particular dish on the lunch menu might not be ready yet, so we would have to be prepared for substitutions. Fine with us, we’re not breakfast people anyway.


As we were waiting for our food, we had a chance to take in the environment. The restaurant overlooks Ocean Beach, so we knew the views were going to be spectacular. I just wanted us to spend part of our day in a beautiful area of San Francisco, and the ocean is the perfect place to be. I have never really expressed how fortunate I feel to live near the ocean. It’s literally about 10-15 minutes away from where I live. I’m a Pisces, so I don’t ever want to live too far from water.


Buffalo Chicken Wings
with Tabasco Butter Sauce and Ranch Dressing
We love chicken wings, especially Buffalo wings. What I liked about these was that they were still left a bit crispy. They weren’t drenched and oozing with the spicy sauce. Don’t you hate it when you’re trying to eat a BBQ wing or a Buffalo wing that it is so slippery that you drop it and it gets all over your face? So glad that they left the saucing to us. The wings themselves were huge, juicy, and meaty. I loved that combination of the Tabasco butter and ranch dressing. The Tabasco butter was creamy, but still acidic. Very good dip for the wings. We came here starving, so rest assured that there were just bones on that plate when it was taken away.


Pan Roasted Chicken
with House Potatoes, Sauteed Asparagus
and Lemon, Garlic-Rosemary Sauce
This was my entrée. It’s supposed to have garlic mashed potatoes with it, but like I said before, some of the things on the menu were not ready yet because they were still transitioning between breakfast and lunch. But then again, shouldn’t they have everything ready before breakfast ends anyway? Whatever. My chicken came with the house potatoes that they serve at breakfast. I would have liked the mashed potatoes thought because there was too much flavor going on. The plainer mash would have blanaced everything out. My initial impression was that the sauce was a bit awkward. It claims to be a lemon, garlic and rosemary sauce, but for some reason, I kept tasting garlic. The chicken wasn’t cooked all the way either. I could have sent it back to have it done more, but we had waited so long already that I simply didn’t care. The asparagus was pretty flimsy. I like mine with a little snap left in them, but they were just cooked too long. Overall, disappointed. Expected better - especially with its price.


1/2 Lb. Ground Chuck Hamburger
with Lettuce, Tomato, Pickled Sweet Red Onion,
Garlic Mayonnaise & French Fries with Avocado
See, Bub loves his hamburgers. I was actually very surprised with his burger. The meat was very tasty and his accoutrements went very well. Surprised with the pickled onions. I liked how they didn’t use fresh onions; otherwise, we would have had horrible onion breath all day long. It ended up being a very expensive burger because each additional trimming, like the cheese and avocado, has a high supplement. So be careful when you go and try to customize your burger. This almost went up to $20! The bread, (not definite on what it is, ciabatta maybe?) was perfect. Nice and soft, but solid enough for everything in between. Oh yes, those on the side are French fries. So what’s wrong? We asked for garlic fries. They were brought to us a little later, but it would have been nice if the got the order right the first time.


Beautiful view of the ocean
So what did I think? The views were fantastic, but the restaurant was lacking. The service was a bit slow and it took a really really really long time to get our check. It seemed like they were ignoring us for a little while. I don’t know whether it’s me or what, but it felt odd. Right when we walked in, there was this weird smell. Then we were sat and the wait was long. Then my food was not what I had hoped. Then the wait for the check was ridiculous. I don’t think I would come back anytime soon. I mean, it was not a total disaster. Bub and I loved the chicken wings and his burger, but it felt too old-fashioned...and cold. I won’t be surprised if the building we were sitting in was a historic structure. The restaurant is also a brewery, but Bub and I aren’t beer drinkers, so we’re indifferent. Overall, just okay. Just not my scene I guess. It’s relaxing, I give them that.

In the end, it was all about me and Bub and our 5 years together. Honestly, we could have had breakfast at IHOP and I would have been happy, but having that ocean view and holding his hand while he switched gears while driving along the coast with the wind whipping through our hair and into our faces made the experience a whole lot more.

Happy 5-year, Bub, and to our next 5 years together.

Friday Favorite of the Week - Chapter 1

Starting today, and continuing every Friday going forward, I will feature one food related item that tickled my fancy during the week.

So without further ado my favorite of this week is:


For it's vivid colors and yumminess, this "takes the cake" this week. Ha, great play on words, ay?!

Hey Allie, thank your sister for bringing this to work yesterday (without your knowledge I heard). It was visually stimulating and delicious!

Keep it up!

The Full List of Friday Favorites

Seto and Clowe Signing at Sports Gallery Los Gatos and Dinner at Tandoori Oven

Event: Devin Setoguchi and Ryane Clowe Dual Signing
Venue: Sports Gallery Los Gatos
Address: 59 N. Santa Cruz Avenue, Los Gatos, CA
Phone Number: (408) 354-1100
Date: January 18, 2009

So before I get into the signing, did you guys see the game against the Canucks last night? Holy crap!! I was ready to call it a night and accept that my Sharks were going to lose the game, but my 7th husband Devin Setoguchi sure saved the day and tied the game with 39.1 seconds left on the clock. It forced OT and my 5th husband Patrick Marleau got a beautiful pass from 8th husband Joe “Jumbo” Thornton and made the game-winning goal!!! AHHHH! I was cheering all by my lonesome in my living room. What a beautiful moment.

**********
So I’ve had this love affair with the San Jose Sharks for a few months now. Contrary to what Dad (aka Dwin) said, “You joined the bandwagon too huh?!”, I started getting into the Sharks early in the season…all thanks to Ate Di and her undying love for Devin Setoguchi. Admittedly, I started to the watch the game in hopes to catch a glimpse of Devin to see how fine he really was. Soon I found out that, yes, Devin Setoguchi with his mutt features (Japanese-Canadian) was a very attractive young man with a great deal of talent and skill. He was scoring like crazy. Instead of watching just him, I really started getting into the game. Soon I was learning all the players’ names, positions, strengths, stats, etc. As the time went on, I had become a FIN-ADDICT! Rightfully so because they have just blossomed into a fabulous team!


Memorabilia for Ryane and Devin to sign
I took Ate Di to a Sharks game in December and it was such a rush. I promised to tell Ate if her husband Devin would be making any appearances, and when I found out about this one, I was so excited to tell her ASAP. Just so happened that the day I found out was just 3 or 4 days before the actual event. Perfect timing, eh?


Ryane Clowe, #29, walking in like a Calvin Klein model
We got to Los Gatos around 2:30 and the Downtown area is so cute! I loved Santa Cruz Avenue. When we got to Sports Gallery, no more than 25-30 were there, so we thought it was good that we came when we did because we knew people were going to crowd the joint in no time. I teased Ate Di when she turned beet red as Devin sat himself down at the table. I shouldn’t have because you should have seen my fool self when Ryane Clowe passed by. Yeah. I turned beet red and even did the “maniac” dance from Flashdance. LOL. And don't even ask why I started to cry. Hahahaha! Not cry-sob-cry. I just teared. I mean, I am so proud of these guys and watching their games and seeing them in person was such a beatiful moment for me.


The guys were super cool. I didn’t talk much to Devin, but while Ryane and I were waiting for Deivn to sign my 8x10, I decided to start conversation:

Jo: Congratulations on the 1st star last night!
Ryane: lfjoehrlejrlwkjroiewrhwer (I didn’t understand him.)
Jo: I’m sorry?
Ryane: It was an exciting game, ay?
Jo: Yes it was! I was routing for you guys! I was getting emotional!

…silence…

EMOTIONAL? Holy crap! Why oh why did I tell him I was EMOTIONAL? Psycho biatch! But they were playing the Red Wings. It was SO an emotional game.

Jo: …and I’m going to take a picture with you if that’s okay.
Ryane: Excuse me?
Jo: Picture? Can I take a picture with you guys?
Ryane: Oh yeah!


Me with the hottest players in the San Jose Sharks
Aren’t they just gorgeous? *sigh* Ay? LOL.
Damn Canadians…so hot.
Watching them play last night made me proud. =) Who woulda thunk that I would be such a big fan? I don’t even live in San Jose. I never got this excited about the SF Giants. Anyway, the SJ Sharks is a team full of talented players. The NHL better watch out!

Tandoori Oven – Time to Catch Up with Run-Day and Di

Restaurant: Tandoori Oven
Address: 133 N. Santa Cruz Avenue, Los Gatos, CA
Phone Number: (408) 395-1784
Cuisine: North Indian
Date Last Visited: January 20, 2009
Dining Partner: Cuzzin Run-Day and Ate Di


I think Indian food makes Ate Di happy. For real. She doesn’t like Asian…she has to “crave it” in order for her eat it. She’s really into New American and European fare, but there is something about Indian that makes her giddy.


There are multiple branches of this Indian restaurant in the South Bay, kind of like how Naan ‘n’ Curry does in SF and Berkeley. I really really liked the décor. Bright yellow walls with beautiful blue drapes. Reminds you on Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, huh? I wouldn't mind decorating my bedroom like that. Very Kama Sutra-like. LOL.


My Chicken Tikka Masala Dinner - $10.99
I chose the Chicken Tikka Masala dinner. The dinner comes with the chicken tikka masala, naan, basmati rice, cucumber salad, and the vegetable of the day.


Cucumber Salad, Naan, and Basmati Rice
I appreciated the addition of the cucumber salad. It provided a nice and cool contrast to the spicy chicken. Their naan was a bit on the rubbery side. It was a bit chewier and took more effort to rip it apart compared to those from Naan ‘n’ Curry. The basmati rice was aromatic and delicious.


Chicken Tikka Masala
Though I liked the chicken tikka masala, I prefer the one at Naan ‘n’ Curry. It’s not as creamy as my preference, but it was good nonetheless.


Vegetable of the Day - Eggplant and Peas
The vegetable of the day was eggplant with peas in a curry sauce. There are several types of curry in India, and this almost seemed sweet. Maybe it was the peas. The eggplant was cooked down until you can’t even tell there was eggplant in there. Run-Day couldn’t tell. Overall, very good. I don’t have the name of it, but if I came back, I’d order this again.


Lamb Biriyani - Saffron basmati rice tossed with grilled lamb, onions, bell peppers, almonds, raisins, and secret spices
Ate ordered this and it was very very good. I don’t eat lamb, so I just ate the rice. The flavors were reminiscent of some Filipino food – just with extra spice, but I couldn’t make it out. Nonetheless, yummy. Thanks to Ate for introducing it to me, otherwise, I wouldn’t have ordered it at all. Oh yes…How do people eat this stuff? Uber spicy. That’s why…


Raita - Home-made yogurt, great for dipping and cooling
…the biriyani came with raita! I’m not sure how you’re supposed to eat the raita with the biriyani. I just dipped my naan in it. It did its job and was very good.

When we were done with dinner, we walked back to the car and saw a line for the signing winding around the corner. Like I said before, it was good that we came when we did because we would have stayed in line a lot longer.


Perfect Ending to a Great Day:
Pizookies at BJ’s!
PIZOOKIES! White chocolate macadamia, triple chocolate and cookies and cream. We always celebrate at BJ’s!

I had so much fun on this day and when they have another signing with Ryane and Devin, I guarantee that we will be there!

Jo's 2009 Resolutions

It's already January 20, 2009! I watched the Inauguration this morning from my work desk and was so happy to see a change in our nation. With all this talk about hope and change and accomplishments to be obtained this year, it made me wonder, what am I going to do with myself - physically and mentally?

I told my Momma yesterday that I had some sort of nervous breakdown at the Sharks signing the other day (which you will see a post of soon). She asked what happened. I replied that I started to get real hot, started to tremble a little and even got a bit dizzy and light-headed. It could have been my nerves since I was about to meet the hottest players in the #1 team in the NHL, but Momma thought otherwise. I proceeded to tell her that I only felt better after I had lemonade and a little pastry.

She then suggested that I could be diabetic.

HOLY CRAP.

I'm only 24! =( That one sentence made my world spin around me. I went ahead and did some research on early symptoms and I had some of them. I just didn't know why I was feeling the symptoms or I just thought they were associated with other maladies I had.

My tingling fingers and knees - I went to a neurologist January of 2008 and she told me that the tingling and numbness came from a migraine. I also blacked out in one eye from that episode. I had a requisition for an MRI and she said I didn't need to have it. She gave me an rx for Imitrex and that was that. Now I read that it could be diabetic neuropathy. Yikes.

My blurred vision - I thought that the blurred vision came from my bad eyes. I have astgmatism in my left eye and I had just started to wear contacts in June. Things are pretty good, but I do have occassions when I have to squint, especially if I am outside at night.

Dizziness and trembling - There was this other time when I was walking up Fillmore Street back to my office with my lunch and I started to get real hot. I sat myself down at my desk and I started to feel real anxious - same way I felt at the Sharks signing. *sigh* I felt better afer I ate. I knew that my blood sugar was low because I started to feel real weak. I even asked Ate at the signing, "Do you know that song, 'Weak' by SWV?" She replies yes. I say, "That's how I feel right now."

SOoOoOoOoOoOo, I don't know. Maybe I should go back to the doctor and get more tests done. I really hope it isn't anything serious.

Because this was somewhat of a rude awakening, I have decided to make a resolution list for 2009. Let's see if I actually follow it:

1. No more big steaks - goodbye fliet mignon and ribeyes
2. No more cheeseburgers. Period!
3. Every Wednesday will be "vegetarian Wednesday"
4. Eat more vegetables and whole grains
5. At a fast food joint, get the chicken or salad - no beef
6. Limit fried food in-take. <--- so hard
7. No more sodas either. Orange soda I shall miss thee.
8. Take multi-vitamins daily
9. Eat smaller meals instead of binging
10. No more candy - eat dried fruit instead.

*sigh* Let's see how this works out. Some of the stuff I put on my list are common habits for many of you out there, but this is hard for me because I was never raised to eat whole grains and vegetables. So this will be a change, and I think I will need every ounce of will power I have in my (deteriorating) body to make it through the year living under those rules.

Geez, I am also terrified of going to the doctor. Not really afraid of the doctor themselves, but of the possiblity that something wrong is really happening to me. Ignorance is bliss...but it can also hurt you later on...

I just need to be strong and abide by my rules.

It's for my own good though, right?

To My Folks in the Philippines and Hong Kong!

Hey hey hey!

So I am planning to visit the Philippines again in March. This will be Bub's first time going and we are excited to finally get out of the country together. We will be staying at the Renaissance Hotel in Makati on our last two days of the trip as we are staying mainly in the province to spend time with my grandparents.

I think our hotel is on Esperanza. I was wondering where we can get some good food around that area.

I seriously cannot wait!

Also, we are stopping over in Hong Kong for a couple of hours. So what exactly is Hong Kong-style food? I know that it's different from Chinese food. Oh yeah, I am "celebrating" my birthday on the airplane and in Hong Kong...even only for those two hours.

So what's good?

=)

Thanks!

HAPPY 2009, YO!

So what did y’all do for New Year’s Eve? I had to work that day. I know, boo. I was sick that day and I just wanted to go home and sleep. BUT, it was Bubuh’s 27th birthday and he really wanted to spend it with me. *sigh* First, let’s see what we did at work.


”Methodist Champagne”
Incredibly unprofessional if we drank champagne while there were patients in the office, so we just went with sparkling cider. I am not quite sure why Doc called it “Methodist champagne,” but I laughed along like I knew what he was talking about. LOL.


Mother Mary’s Cheese Ball
OH MAN, my manager made this cheese ball and you can’t even imagine all the double entendres and innuendos and puns thrown around in the office. It was delicious. Garlicky, soft, spreadable cheese rolled in a mixture of chili powder and nuts. It was great with the crackers.


Momma Stacy’s Salami
PERFECT hors d'oeuvre: Momma Mary’s cheese with Momma Stacy’s salami on a Wheat Thin. Nuff sed.


Hawaiian BBQ potato chips
Let me tell you that the cheese ball was good with these too!


Snack time in our break room
New Year’s Eve in our office was low-key, but it was nice to gather together and share a bite with the docs. We only have good hopes for 2009. Our patients are so dear to us and we want to provide them with the best care. =)


Our boat on Pier 43
Immediately after work, Bub and I headed to Fisherman’s Wharf for our NYE Cruise on the Bay. We were a little early, so we walked up and down on Jefferson and even went to the Musée Mechanique – which was transplanted from the Cliff House area by Ocean Beach. I love their hockey game! I was SICK, though. At work before we left, I took a dose of DayQuil cough and a Sudafed Sinus Headache pill, and when we got to the Wharf, we jetted to 7-11 and got me some Mucinex. After that, we went to grab some grub at McDonalds and I popped an Advil there. I refused to have my sickness ruin my evening. Before you knew it, I was ready to get down and party!


Roast beef, smoked salmon, shrimp cocktail, and cheese
After a little bit of sea sickness, we got in line to get some grub. As you can see, the food was an hors d'oeuvres buffet. The only thing I can complain about is how small the plates where. They were tiny! The kind you put pieces of birthday cake on. So you will see how we improvised.


Cheeses, dips, and bread

Tortilla wraps, tortellini skewers, and kabobs

Chocolate cake and brownie bites
We didn’t have any…

Cheesecakes

Cheesy NYE decoration
Bub’s friends were the “professional photographers” for the night. So you pay them, they take your picture, and you get a memento from the party. LIKE PROM!


Our bounty
This was my plate of food, and it was actually very good. Nice cheeses and pasta skewers. Not gourmet by any means, but if you were hungry, cold, and cranky like I was, sitting and eating this food felt really good.


Chicken in a cup
Okay, this is how we were so Filipino. There wasn’t enough room on the plate, so Bub and I got a cup and stuck in like 6 chicken wings. =P Talk about smart!!!


View of the City from the boat
The photographer station was right by a window, so I got to see the City and the bridges. It was so beautiful. Like I said before, Bub’s friends were doing the pictures. They were bombarded by the party-goers and picture whores and I felt bad, so I decided to help out. See, I sacrificed dancing time to help them out. Aren’t I a great girlfriend?


Fabulous fireworks show
Bubuh and I made it to the top of the ship just before the fireworks started. What was moded was that they didn’t have a big countdown, so we didn’t know when Midnight struck. Sucked!!! Our only cue was the fireworks. The fireworks were incredible. It brought a tear to my eye. I was just happy to have Bub behind me with his arms around me on this special day. Happy Birthday, Bub!


Bub and I
I just hope that everyone had a great NYE. Even though I was sick, I still managed to find a way to survive the night. Have a fantastic 2009 everyone!