Gialina Pizzeria - Was It REALLY Worth the Wait?

Restaurant: Gialina Pizzeria
Address: 2842 Diamond St. at Kern Alley, Glen Park, SF
Phone Number: (415) 239-8500
Cuisine: Pizza
Date Last Visited: February 26, 2010
Dining Partner: Bub and our table neighbors

I rarely ever review a restaurant within 48 hours of my visit unless I am very excited to speak on it, and as you can see, Gialina is one of those instances. First let me tell you of how I discovered Gialina. After Bub’s Chinese New Year Parade troupe meeting in Diamond Heights, we found ourselves about to enter the freeway near Glen Park. I was hungry so we stopped by La Corneta Taqueria for some burritos to take home. On the same street as La Corneta is Gialina. I saw a group of waiting patrons outside - which only means one thing: the food is good. I had heard of Gialina before, but since I barely come to this area, I didn’t think much of any of the restaurants in the area. So when I saw the sign, I thought, “so THAT’S Gialina.” The crowd intrigued me. Was it THAT good for them to stand in the cold San Francisco air like that? I made it a purpose to go back the next night.

First of all, Gialina DOES NOT take reservations and they are not very big - be prepared to wait. So we got there around 5:30-5:45. I signed in at the front counter and left my phone number. About 15-20 minutes into waiting outside, I asked Bub to ask the host how longer the wait was going to be. He said 12-15 minutes. So we went to the market across the street just to graze and come back in under 10 minutes. When we did come back, we saw some of the same people waiting outside and thought we were good. Then I saw a girl who signed the check-in sheet AFTER me (really, I handed her the pen), getting seated! I was like “wtf?” Turns out the host had called me, but since I wasn’t present, they gave our table away. We might have just missed the guy when he went outside to get us. I was HEATED. It also didn’t help that I had spotty service in the area, so the phone didn’t ring because it went straight to voicemail and I didn’t even hear the voicemail signal go off. Yeah, I was really upset, but since we had already waited for 45 minutes, we couldn’t just leave. All I thought to myself was, “the food BETTER be good.” After about an hour of waiting - the sun had already gone down - we were finally seated.


Niman Ranch Pork Belly - $10
Swiss Chard and Currants
Bub’s physician is going to have my neck for this. Just when I thought I was getting tired of pork belly, Gialina has reignited my love for it. The supple fat of the belly melted in my mouth and the actual meat was cooked so that the outside was a bit crisp but tender internally. The Swiss chard was absolutely perfect with the ultra rich pork. It was sweet with the combination of currants. The sweetness kind of took away a little bit of the richness, which I liked. Very balanced flavors. A definite must-try if you like pig. Bub loved it and had to restrain himself from eating any more of it. Not something I would indulge in all the time, but a small token of indulgence at the end of a long week will work.


Atomica - Neapolitan Pizza - $15
Tomato Sauce, Mushrooms, Mozzarella, Chilies, and Red Onions
I wanted a pizza that was safe and not too “cosmopolitan” as some people might put it. You will see that Gialina has some interesting pizza combinations such as the “Zucca” which has winter squash, brown butter, sage, ricotta and ricotta salata or the potato with smoked bacon, red onions, rosemary and gorgonzola. If you want pepperoni, look somewhere else, buddy. Gialina serves up sophisticated Neapolitan, thin-crust pizzas. They are incredibly lovely! The table to my left had one with speck, a type of Italian ham, and the table to my right had nice-looking sweet Italian sausage. It was a win-win situation with any pizza, which made it even more difficult to choose; however, I wanted something simple and this fit the bill. It had a pleasant spice from the chili and the onions and mushrooms were cut thin so that the biting process was done with ease. I looked at the crust and you can see light shining through. I have tried stretching my own pizza dough and it is not easy at all. Perfectly thin, perfectly seasoned, perfectly portioned. I loved the sweetness of the tomato sauce. Just divine.


Calzone - $14
Ricotta, Sausage, Escarole, Provolone, Chilies
I have to apologize for my poor photo here. I was so excited that I didn’t focus right. When I saw it coming to the table, I knew I was about to enjoy something very special. The dough encasing the filling was light and had an exquisite crisp and flavor from the cheese and herb medley sprinkled on top. Now wait until you see what was inside.


It was absolutely gorgeous how the hot, melted cheese oozed out of the center and onto the plate. Provolone being so buttery in texture melts so beautifully and stays smooth on the palate where as mozzarella is a bit firmer. The ricotta, boy I love my ricotta, was plain delicious. Soft and creamy. Pure food porn. The dough was nice and tender, but the filled was to die for. Flawless. I never had escarole, a type of endive, in a calzone before, but it worked. Escarole is known for its slightly bitter taste, but I didn’t get that here. I would love to come back for this. Bub made a great choice.


Chocolate Hazelnut Pizza - $9
Amaretti and Mascarpone
Two tables down, a family of four was digging into this pizza. Two of the family members were a boy and a girl who looked like they were under the age of five. They were so happy! It was absolutely adorable watching them get the Nutella all over their faces! By the time dessert came, all I had to say to our waitress was, “we’re having what they’re having!” Also by this time, we had befriended the diners to the right and left of us. The patrons to my right, a mother and daughter, were incredibly friendly, charming, and kind to Bub and I as we chatted through our meals. I insisted that they shared dessert with us since there was no way Bub and I were going to finish a whole dessert pizza. I think we all had a sigh of utter satisfaction when we took our first bite. Just thinking of it is making me have tears in my eyes. GLORIOUS! Absolutely splendid!

The crust was an ordinary pizza dough, but thicker and more bready, with a great crisp bite. The chocolate hazelnut topping was nice and warm. The crushed amaretti cookies - Italian almond macaroons - added an awesome crunch, while the mascarpone cheese was decadent and left cool. I loved that when I took a bite with the cheese, I got different temperatures. Cool and then warm. At first I thought the mascarpone was really whipped cream or ice cream, but seeing how it didn’t melt led us to think it was really cheese. We didn’t look at the menu, so I didn’t really know what it was until I bit into it. I liked how the mascarpone was not sweet. It was a neutral creamy flavor which offset the sweetness of the Nutella. Honestly, I would go back just for this. If I was having a crummy day, I’d tell Bub to grab one of these and I would be happy. TDF!


Housemade Meyer Lemon Italian Ice - $5
with Prosecco
Our dining friend at the next table let us have some of her dessert since we shared with them. She really didn’t have to do it, but it was so nice of her. I love lemon. I love ice. Hey! Bub asked if there was something in there other than lemon and ice and I said I didn’t think so. Now I see there was prosecco wine in it. Oops. I didn’t really taste it, but since he doesn’t drink alcohol, he sensed it more than I did. This is on the opposite side of the spectrum compared to the dessert pizza. This is light, refreshing, and tart while he pizza was decadent, creamy, and sweet, but they were both delicious. I actually loved how this ended the meal because my palate was cleansed and revitalized.

At the end of the night, I recollected the chain of events. I don’t know why I thought this, but maybe it was MEANT for us to lose our table; otherwise, we wouldn’t have met the diners next to us. There wouldn’t have been those great conversations and laughter from seeing those kids tear up their dessert. I was a bit irked when we did lose our table, but in the end, the stars lined up and it all worked out for us for the better. Probably even better than if we had gotten our initially intended table. What can I say? The world works in mysterious ways.

So Gialina, walking in, I was a pissed off beezie with an attitude, but walking out, I had a face gleaming with a smile, a stomach stuffed with amazing food, a mind complete with memories, and a heart filled with joy. I felt like we were eating with family. We were talking that food brings people together, and it surely did at our visit here. I don’t know if I will ever see my dining partners again, but I do want to say that the service, food, and table neighbors made for one of the best dining experiences I have ever had in San Francisco. You know that I wouldn’t say that about just any other restaurant, right? This is BIG! I think I may have found my new favorite spot for pizza. So…thank you to my table neighbors and thank you Gialina.

P.S. I promise to stay put and not miss my name being called next time!

<3

Namu at the Ferry Building - The Reason Why I Would Play Hookie

Restaurant: Namu - Food Stand at the Ferry Building Marketplace
Food Stand Address: Ferry Building on the Embarcadero
Operation Times: Thurs & Sat Only 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Restaurant Address: 439 Balboa St. at 6th Avenue, Richmond District, SF
Phone Number: (415) 386-8332
Cuisine: Asian, Californian
Date Last Visited: February 11, 2010
Dining Partner: Bub

Okay, I didn’t really play hookie on this day, which was a Thursday. I had a doctor’s appointment and I had enough time after my visit to hit up the market at the Ferry Building before the food stands closed down. The first time I had Namu’s food was at the FoodBuzz Festival back in November. The awesome guys from Namu prepared an incredible meal for 200+ foodies from all over the country. It was such a memorable meal for me. I got to meet the guys and take a sneak peak into how they operated backstage, so I was very excited to see what other foods they had to offer. Namu is a family-operated restaurant that serves up Asian-inspired Californian cuisine which utilizes the best and freshest organic ingredients from local purveyors. Run by the Lee Brothers, Namu is the type of place in which they want the food to speak on many levels - flavor-wise, temperature-wise, texturally, through harmonized qualities as well as contrasting ones. Trust me. Their food spoke to me.


Korean Taco
Nori Topped with Rice, Beef Shortrib, Kim Chee Remoulade, Tomatoes, Scallions, and Sesame Seeds
Talk about bold flavors. Now this is the second Korean taco I have ever had - the first was from Kung Fu Tacos. Namu’s taco was fantastic. I love that they used nori (seaweed) as the platform. It lends its own flavor to the whole package. The short rib which is grilled are in tiny dice which makes for easy eating as it is the same size as the veggies on top. I found it to be a bit juicy - not that it’s a bad thing at all - I enjoyed it very much. It is on the spicy side and it did leave my lips burning, but definitely a pleasant burn. As you can see, I had just one. Honestly, I could have had five more! The only thing about these tacos is that the nori begins to disintegrate as the time goes on, so you might not want to wait too long to eat them. But why would you want to wait when they look so mouth-watering, right?


Gamja Fries
Hand-Cut Potatoes with Kim Chee Relish, Gochjang, Kewpie Mayo, Teriyaki, Chopped Short Ribs and Green Onions
Truly carne asada fries with a Korean twist! First of all, I don’t know what “gochjang” and “kewpie” were at all, so I looked it up and “gochjang” is a fermented sauce made with soy paste and red pepper. So THAT’S why my mouth was on fi-ya! Don’t even stress because I finished this bad boy. “Kewpie” mayo is basically that stuff that comes out of a bottle that has a little picture of a baby on it. =) These fries are genuinely unique. I can’t think of anywhere else in the area that serve these. You just gotta try them!

Shortly after this visit, I learned that Namu will be operating at BOTH the Thursday AND Saturday Ferry Building Markets. *thumbs up* No worries about playing hookie after all! I must say I SERIOUSLY need to hit up Namu the restaurant in the Richmond ASAP. I’ve tried their food outside of their restaurant and I want to see what they present on their own turf. I’ve already fallen head over heels, so it won’t take much to sweep me off my feet!

So…who’s down to eat with me?

Bar Bambino - Feasting with the Foodinista Ladies - Part 1

Restaurant: Bar Bambino
Address: 2931 16th Street b/t Capp and South Van Ness, The Mission, SF
Phone Number: (415) 701-8466
Cuisine: Italian
Date Last Visited: November 2009
Dining Partner: The Foodinista Ladies - Steph of Lick My Spoon, Danielle of Bon Vivant, Elaine of VirgoBlue

Before I start…forgive me! I know I am so late posting about this dinner. I had this started on my laptop but it gave me the blue screen of death, now I am typing this off of my back-up mini notebook. I also don’t have the pictures I took with my camera on this computer either. So please be patient with me and the pictures I took on my camera phone. Good thing I took pics on the phone too! BUT! The pictures are super grainy and dark, so if you want to see better versions, check out Elaine’s pics on her site VirgoBlue!

Let’s begin.

I met Steph at the SF. Chefs. Food. Wine. in the Fall. We saw each other again at a dinner at EPIC Roasthouse that FoodBuzz and VISA Signature were hosting where we met Danielle. I saw Steph AGAIN (ha!) at the FoodBuzz Open House where we met Elaine. Elaine planned a dinner for us to chop it up again since we had such a good time at the Open House and Steph invited Danielle. *breathes* I’m pretty sure that’s how we all got together.

So here we were at Bar Bambino and it is so sexy. Dim lighting and very intimate table settings. Seriously, we were sitting very close to the table next to us.


I‘ll Have What She’s Having
Pomegranate Aperitif
Looking back now, I can’t even tell you what kind of wine this was. All I know was that Steph was already drinking a glass when I got to the table and I knew I had to have one too. Pretty soon, all four of us had one in hand. Sweet and delightfully tart from the bites of pomegranate seeds. It almost being Christmas, it looked very pretty and festive.


Insalata di Calamari
At Bar Bambino, you can choose from a selection of small plates to share. We started with this serving of lightly dressed calamari and celery. I found it refreshing even. The calamari was very tender and went well with the crisp diced vegetables.


Seared Pork Belly
with Saba-Braised Lentils and Dandelion Greens
When we saw this on the menu, it was a no-brainer. We HAD to order it. I actually really like the pork belly. Nice fattiness. How can you go wrong? Buuuut, Elaine had a different view. I do agree with her that the lentils were a bit too al dente. I would have liked them to be a cooked longer. When it comes to legumes, I like mine soft even silken in the middle.


Fegato di Pollo e Marsala
Chopped Chicken Livers, Caramelized Onions,
and Marsala Topped on Toasted Bruschette
I got over my fear and tried chicken livers. While it still will take me some getting used to, this variation was so flavorful. I loved how the jus from the liver, onions and wine permeated into the bread. I wouldn’t have mind if the girls took all the livers and I was left with the bruschette crusts because I thought they were the best part!


Quartet of Entrées
Working clockwise starting with the Danielle’s Roasted And Pan-Fried Chicken Alla Palermitana was spot on. Twice cooked, we got the juiciness from the roasting method and then the crisp skin from the frying. Awesome. Elaine’s Papardelle with Sugo Di Coniglio was surprisingly very pleasant. This would be my first EVER time having rabbit (thanks Elaine), and I must say that I enjoyed it very much. The rabbit meat is slowly braised and the consistency was almost like that of pork. Even the flavor profile is a bit similar. Honestly, if no one told me that I was eating rabbit, I would have thought I was eating pork sugo. Good choice for my first taste of rabbit! My Tagliatelle with Ragú alla Bolognese is next which I will get into in a bit. Steph’s Bucatini alla Gangivecchio, which is described as “from Sicily, a savory sweet sauté of romanesco cauliflower, chard, pancetta, anchovy, pine nuts and raisins.” Doesn’t that sound heavenly? Out of the three pastas on the table, I remember her’s the most because the combination of ingredients is so unique. It had some salt from the anchovy, but what I recollect most is the sweetness from those raisins. Bucatini is similar to spaghetti but it has a small whole running through the middle. It is important for the cook to boil the pasta just until it got to that vital al dente doneness to ensure that the hole is still there; otherwise, the pasta gets too overdone and expands so much that the hole is done away with. Since the actual sauce is quite thin, it has the opportunity to travel inside the pasta flavoring it from the inside-out!


Sharing is Caring
We asked for small dishes so that we can give each other samples of our entrées. I for one loved my tagliatelle. Tagliatelle is a ribbon-like pasta which is perfect for the sauce because the meat and tomato in the ragú have something wide enough to cling on to. I love the descriptions from the menu: “Bar Bambino’s secret recipe. Deep, complex deliciousness. As is traditional, finished with a touch of cream.” God, it sounds so mysterious. I can ‘t even tell you what kind of animal they slow cooked in the sauce but it was delicious. Sometimes you want traditional, but this version of a tried and true recipe is extraordinary to me. Must’ve been that touch of cream. I loved this dish.


Dessert Time!
In the upper right of the picture, we have Vanilla Gelato with 15-Year-Old Aged Balsamico. It is as divine as it sounds. The vanilla gelato was a perfect platform as it is neutral enough to let the balsamic shine. You can tell it was vinegar, but it had this sweetness that is simply indescribable. Then we had Gianduja Torte Con Croccante Di Nocciole - long name for a very rich dessert. It is a chocolate and hazelnut cake served with hazelnut brittle. I swear, Bar Bambino has some great dessert. Do I need to even start telling you how delicious the cake was? Didn’t think so.

Bar Bambino was great. A little cramped, but let’s just call that cozy. I was pleased with the menu as I love pasta. The desserts were delightful as well. Good first dinner - mainly because of the company and not so much the service. It took us a while to get anyone’s attention for things and the person who was supposed to take our picture disappeared for a period of time. Oh well. So that was Foodinista Dinner #1. It’s funny because I posted dinner #2 at Town Hall before this one. Not that it matter because we plan on having more dinners in the future. We actually have one coming up this Friday, so I can’t wait to tell you guys about that one! Til then, have a great night and I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, and President’s Holiday!

Andalu - Chismis with the GV Ladies

Restaurant: Andalu
Address: 3198 16th Street at Guerrero, The Mission, SF
Phone Number: (415) 621-2211
Cuisine: Tapas, Small Plates
Date Last Visited: February 6, 2010
Dining Partner: The Good Vibe Ladies - Rubber Duckie, Butterfly, LELO, Rabbit, and Bullet!

So, these ladies…where do I begin? Two of these ladies I met in high school. The three others I met in college. A good chunk of my adolescent life, I was a student at a little school called Skyline. I went there for 4 years. Yes, it took me 4 years to graduate from a 2-year college - couldn’t help it, I was having too much fun with the Filipino Student Union and Pilipino Cultural Night! For some reason, my high school life and college life collided because these ladies and I ended up working to put PCN 2005 and 2006 together. So we have basically seen each other stress out and perform on stage. I really miss those days. As always, we all graduated and left college to “grow up” and live in the “real world.” That was a shame since we all seemed to love each other’s company back then. Anyway, fast forward 4 years later and we are sitting at a tapas bar laughing our tails off over the trials and tribulations we faced since we saw each other last - it seemed like there was no time void there. Even before I got there, I knew it was going to be a RIOT.

Andalu was a fantastic choice for our get-together. There were six of us so their designated group menu fit the bill. There are 9 dishes brought out for the entire table to share family-style. There must be at least 6 people in the group in order to have this set menu. While 8 of the dishes are pre-decided, the first course (tartare course) you have a choice:


Selection of Tartares
Back: Salmon Tartare with Avocado
and Serrano Chilis on Gaufrette Potatoes
Front: Tuna Tartare Taco with Chili and Lime, Mango Salsa
Each person chooses either tuna or salmon. There were six of us, but I just realized they brought out an extra tartar on each plate because there were 8 brought out to us. = ) Score.


Tuna Tacos
My favorite of the two was the tuna taco. The taco shell was a bit flimsy, but it worked. The tuna was a bit tangy, which I liked, but that mango on top was killer. Perfect combination of salty and sweet. The salmon tartare was good, but not as good as the tuna. They served them on fancy potato chips which broke easily and were a bit on the burnt/salty side which skewed the flavor profile of the delicate salmon.


Crispy Mac & Cheese
with Herb Tomato Vinaigrette
When I saw these, I thought to myself that Bub was going to kill me when he found out I ate something fried, but oh, those calories were worth it. I knew these were going to be good from the get-go. A little bit of that tomato vinaigrette was perfect. It is reminiscent of dipping a grilled cheese sandwich in tomato soup or a fried mozzarella stick in marinara. Same concept and flavors, but I think this is a new favorite. Perfect crisp exterior and a lovely, tender mix of cream and pasta inside.


Shrimp “Pil Pil”
with Garlic, Tomato, Sherry, and Pepper
Shrimp goes best with garlic most definitely. While I didn’t know what “pil pil” was, I was very familiar with the aromas and taste - with that said, this was good, but it wasn’t extraordinary. I do have to say that the shrimp are very generous is size. I would even have liked mine more garlicky.


Cambazola Cheese Fondue
with Fuji Apples, Asian Pears, Crostini
After two or so bites, this was stolen by the other side of the table. Seriously. The girls loved it. Cambaloza is a blue cow’s milk cheese which is often referred to as a “blue brie” because it’s a hybrid of a gorgonzola and a triple cream cheese. The texture of the fondue was very rich and creamy with a slight tang. It went very well with the sweetness of the apples. I love cheese and apples together because the sweetness and juice of the apple offsets the viscosity of the fondue. Like I said, the girls on the other side of the table ganked it from me. =) I didn’t mind at all. I was glad to see how much they enjoyed it. I think more apples should be put on the plate, however.


Miso-Glazed Sea Bass
in Lettuce “Cups” with Sweet Soy
Now I am the one who put “” around “cups.” When I saw this brought to the table, I just took the fork and put the fish on my plate and left the lettuce on the platter. I don’t know…perhaps the shape and size of the lettuce didn’t make it obvious to me that we had to eat the fish with the lettuce. If the lettuce was rounder, then maybe I would have gotten the hint. This was possibly my least favorite bite on the table. The sea bass was too firm and it didn’t taste fresh to me. There was an underlying (and I hate to say this) rotten tone in my mouth as I was eating it. The sweet soy didn’t help with anything…possibly making the dish even saltier. Not a fave. Sorry.


Frisee Salad
Goat Cheese, Pomegranate, Pears, Red Onion, Vinaigrette
I didn’t care for this much either. What is up with everyone leaving their salad greens so long that I have to have a mouth the size of a whale’s to eat it? I’m just venting here. I have had this combination countless times and I am honestly getting extremely bored with it. There were two, almost full, plates of salad taken from our table…and no one took it home.


Grilled Eggplant
Stuffed with Ricotta, Spinach, Pinenuts, served on Caponatta
I thought the presentation of this looked lovely. I love cheese-stuffed anything; however, I did find the eggplant to be rubbery. I like my eggplant tender. The stuffing was better - creamy ricotta and spinach made for a rich mouthfeel. BUT I hated the pine nuts. I enjoy silky, velvety, textures in my cheeses without the bumps of pine nuts. Iif the pine nuts were absent, it would have been better. The caponatta with various colored zucchini was fresh and tasty. I just wish the eggplant wasn’t so tough on the palate.


Coca-Cola Braised Spare-Ribs
with White Bean Salad
A-ha! I knew it! Rabbit doesn’t drink Coke anymore, but when I saw these on the menu, I immediately thought of her. I liked them a lot because they weren’t too smoky. There was a nice sweetness from the soda which also made for a sticky rib. Good stuff. I was a bit disappointed with the white beans. I didn’t really get a connection between them and the ribs. Maybe because they were TOO al dente? I imagined a softer, silkier bean to go with the fiber of the meat. That’s just me.


Sliders
Mini Burgers with Basil Aioli and Tomato, Fried Shallot Rings
These burgers were JUST RIGHT. Portion size, juiciness were spot on. By the time we got to this, actually third to the last dish, we were getting stuffed. They really give you a lot of food here! I would have liked there to be a bit of cheese. Brie would have been perfect. I didn’t really notice the aioli, but the shallot rings (on the other side of the plate which I neglected to take a picture of) were awesome. Still fried but a lot lighter than your conventional onion rings. LELO even spread some of the fondue on her slider. What I liked about all the dishes was that you can eat all of them together in some way, as LELO did.

Not everything was absolutely perfect, but hey, that’s what’s fun in trying out new restaurants. We talked and laughed so much that I don’t even think anyone cared if everything was flawless anyway. Andalu was the perfect place to hang out and drink sangria. OHHHH the sangria! I don’t know how I could have missed taking a picture of the sangria. For $15 a person, you get unlimited sangria for two hours - both white and red. I loved the white because it was flavored with apples. Red gets me buzzed way fast so I stayed away. Rubber Duckie opted for some Fat Tire beer, so that is an option for you non-sangria drinkers.

This is what I like about tapas bars. It's super chill and you really don't have to worry about what you talk about because everyone is there to have a good time. We were talking as if no one was in the room. Very candid coversation. That's how comfortable, at least, I was. It was a lot of fun - as if we were still in college. Don’t you just love that feeling? Even though one of us is now married, two of us are about to get hitched, someone went in one direction and the others went another, the personalities are still the same ones I remember. This made for a fun catch-up session filled with laughs and gasps and STORIES. Good Lord did we have stories! I can’t wait until the next time we all hang out again. It’s never to late to reunite with old friends. Thanks to everyone who went and special thanks to Rabbit for the field trip afterwards! Everyone went home with party favors courtesy of Butterfly. Yup, I had a FAB time!

I'm sorry

Hey loves,

I know I'm lagging again! It's been a busy and tiring week! But TGIF!! I hope to get caught up this weekend. I'm also planning to back up my back up comp. My primary laptop gave me the blue screen of death last week. Such a downer. I didn't back up that system well enough. I only managed to carry over 2008 pics from that system to my back up notebook. Anything from 2007 and prior is lost. Bummer! How do y'all back up your files and blogs?

Let me know!!

Oh yes! Chicken adobo burrito day at Papalote on Fulton this Sat! Don't miss out and maybe I'll see you there!

xoxo,
Jo

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Kaenyama - Happy 33rd Birthday, DJ Verz!!

Restaurant: Kaenyama
Address: 43785 Boscell Road, Fremont CA
Phone Number: (510) 683-8800
Cuisine: Asian Fusion, Sushi, Teppanyaki, Lounge
Date Last Visited: January 29, 2010
Dining Partner: Bub, DJ Verz, Run-DMC, The Olanos, Jay Sean, Cuzzin Star

SO…I guess everyone has to turn 33 at some point in their lives. Ha! My Godbrother/cousin DJ Verz was at that point. He is a DJ by night, but he chose to do a low key celebration for his special day. Some friends and family met at Kaenyama in Fremont for dinner and it was a rather enjoyable evening.

One awesome part of the night was that all alcohol was 50% off! Are you kidding me? What an awesome deal! This drink called the “Absolut EROTICA” was only $3.50! It had Absolut Vodka, peach schnapps, and other things I can’t remember. Honestly, I got it because of it’s name. =X It looks like a Long Island, but it ain't, however, it got me buzzed as fast as a Long Island would. I wouldn't order it again though because I'm more into sweet drinks...the peach wasn't enough.

This was Bub’s non-alky drink that had lychee juice, grapefruit juice and whipped cream. You get that sweetness from the lychee right away and then the bitterness from the grapefruit. Since I don’t like bitter, I didn’t enjoy it as much, but the lychee was delicious. I'm pretty much sure that it had a clever name with some sort of innuendo in it, but I forgot.


Miso Soup
with Tofu, Seaweed, Scallion
When you order an entrée, you get rice and a bowl of miso soup. It was good, but I found the seaweed to be a bit chewy. I would liked it if it were more tender.


Salmon Tartar
Raw Salmon with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
and Fresh Lemon, and Sweet Potato Chips
Cuzzin Star ordered this only because the guacamole on the tuna tartar wasn’t calling to her in a good way. So I suggested the salmon since I love lemon. I unfortunately didn’t get a shot of the whole dish, but it was sort of disappointing. The slices of salmon were way too thin and the fried chips seemed to overpower the delicate flavor of the salmon which was already being bombarded by olive oil and lemon. Plus, there weren’t many to begin with on the platter. The whole dish was about 10 inches long and >4 inches wide. I was under whelmed. If the salmon slices were a bit thicker, I would have been happier.


Edamame
Boiled Soybeans
Their edamame were solid. Simply boiled and easy to eat. Addicting and fun.


Fried Oysters
Deep Fried Oysters served with Sweet Chili Aioli
The Olanos ordered the fried oysters and I was so happy. I have only come to like oysters in the past year, believe it or not. I really liked these guys. The batter on them was nicely seasoned and not greasy. The aioli had a nice kick that goes well with fried food. Shoot, give me another 2 orders!


Tofu Teriyaki
with Asparagus, Mashed Potatoes, Vegetable Medley
Bub was so good. His doctor told him to lay off junk food because of his blood pressure. So lately, all Bub has been eating is salad and vegetables. I don’t remember the last time he had red meat, so when he ordered the tofu, I was so proud of him. Honestly, I loved the tofu here. It was lightly battered and fried. When I say battered, I’m not meaning a thick coating or breading. It had the thinnest crisp on the outside which was delightful when bitten into because the warm soft tofu inside was just like silk on the tongue. The teriyaki sauce was perfectly balanced with savory and sweet flavors. This is one of my favorite teriyaki dishes. Ever.


Fried Balls
Spicy Tuna Stuffed Mushrooms Topped with
Creamy Sauce, Tempura Flakes, and Roe
I’ll be honest and say I got this because of it’s name. FRIED BALLS! HA! I am so immature. When I see stuffed mushrooms on the menu, I get them. Since these didn’t have “mushrooms” in the name, one can easily pass this on the menu. These were delicious. The tuna inside was warm with a creamy sauce and then the tempura flakes were a nice and crispy, but messy garnish. Messy isn’t necessarily a bad thing, ya know? I really like the contrast of textures. Tender, steaming mushroom combined with the fun mouthfeel of the tempura. I wonder how they get the flakes so light like that. There were three medium-sized mushrooms and two or three smaller ones. More mushrooms period would have been nice.


California Roll
Crab Stick, Avocado, Cucumber, Rolled in Nori and Rice
Bub got a simple California Roll because he is allergic to fish and seafood. For some reason, he isn’t TOO allergic to imitation crab which is made out of pollack. I guess since crab sticks are so processed, the “sea” element has been eradicated. Simple, but good.


Agedashi Tofu
Fried Tofu with Bonito Flakes
This would be my first time eating agedashi tofu - I loved it. Like Bub’s tofu teriyaki earlier, the tofu is dusted in either potato flour or corn starch and then flash fried to obtain that lovely crisp on the outside. Even fried, the tofu were very light in flavor. The bonito flakes and bonito sauce served on the side added some nice accompanying flavors. The more umami the better since tofu has a very subtle flavor.


Lion King Roll
Crabmeat, Avocado, Cucumber Inside, Covered with
Salmon, Baked with Creamy Spicy Sauce on Top
Three of these bad boys were ordered at our table alone. That’s rather interesting considering their specialty sushi menu is huge. It was love at first sight. Any sushi baked with a cream sauce is welcome in my stomach. The inside is a California roll - with REAL crab meat. Then thin slices of salmon is put on topped and baked with the mayo-based sauce. HEAVEN. It’s basically a heart attack sushi roll, but all the calories are worth it! I seriously could have eaten the whole thing, but I gave the some to my cousin so I didn’t look like a fatty. Where can I get one of these in San Francisco? I don’t think it’s a signature Kaenyama roll, so most sushi places should have it, right? I’m asking because I have been having this ginormous craving since I left the restaurant.


Roasted Duck Breast
with Raspberry Gastrique and Grape
This dish was a disappointment. Not only was it served AFTER everyone else was done with their dishes, it was fairly boring. It was actually embarrassing being the only one at the table to not have their entrée. If I didn’t order the roll and shared other’s apps, I would have been food-less for a while. Right when I was about to tell the server to cancel my duck, she told me it was almost ready. Great. First let me break down my disappointment. The sauce is hardly a “gastrique.” Too fancy of a name. They probably took some raspberry jam and used it to deglaze the pan that the duck was cooking in. The “gastrique” was very one-dimensional - not even noticing anything “raspberry” about it. I tasted something sweet, but meh. The sauce was also overly peppered. Secondly, do you see any grape on the plate? No. Third, the vegetables were boring. The menu said “seasonal” - tomatoes and broccoli? C’mon now. Fourth, the menu also said that the entrée came with rice OR wasabi mashed potatoes. Well, the dish came with both (rice not pictured) and the mashed potatoes had no wasabi flavor. Not a bit. Fifth, the duck breast was TINY and the meat was not hot at all! So can you see why I was so dissatisfied and felt that this was a waste of $20? Sure it looked pretty. It was edible, but by the time I got it, everyone was ready to wind the evening down and get drinks…and I had to eat my $20 in a hurry. *sad face* I really didn’t have the time or the appetite by that point in the dinner to enjoy it. Shame. I'm so sorry for the long negative rant...it stems from sadness more than anger, honestly.

Let me tell you some *good* parts of the night. I loved their selection of music. They played everything off my iPod. That’s right! Lady Gaga in full effect! Just imagine me and Cuzzin Star bouncing in our seats to “Bad Romance” while eating our sushi. Towards the end of the night, the sound system did have technical difficulties and the sound was too loud, but eh…it did turn into a lounge/nightclub after a certain time. Overall, a good night. If the music wasn’t there and if my company wasn’t awesome as it was, my experience would have been bad due to the fact my entrée was falsely advertised. The other dishes were good, namely the Lion King Roll and the Tofu Teriyaki. The menu at Kaenyama is ridiculously huge making it so hard to pick. They had teppanyaki, sushi, yakitori, noodles, salads…the list goes on and on. Wishing there was a place like this in San Francisco or on the Peninsula. It was a lot of fun!

Finally to my God-Bro DJ VERZ: Happy birthday and I love you!