Tag Archives: san francisco

Oh darn HCMC (Saigon), why so unPHOghettable

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T-shirts devoted to pho-puns — Pho Sure, Pho Real, Got Pho?, What the Pho? Just Pho You? — offer a glimpse to how popular the Vietnamese noodle dish is. Rightly described by Peta Mathias, author of Noodle Pillows, as “Vietnam in a bowl, heaven in a spoon, culture in a sip,” the noodle broth comes in the raw beef version (pho bo tai) and chicken pho (pho ga).

My first unforgettable, I mean unphoghettable sip of omg-this-is-goddamn-out-of-this-world-amazing pho was at Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), Vietnam in 2011.

In fact, the alluring taste of the translucent, clear broth (comparable to consommé)  that hinted sweet tender beef and aromatic herbs, had me revisit Vietnam a second time.

Pho Bo_ In the words of Peta Mathias, author of Noodle Pillows, pho is "Vietnam in a bowl, heaven in a spoon, culture in a sip."

Pho Bo_ In the words of Peta Mathias, author of Noodle Pillows, pho is “Vietnam in a bowl, heaven in a spoon, culture in a sip.”

Sherry’s love affair with Vietnamese street fare

But I was forever cursed. For afterward, no matter how hard I searched, I seem forever sampling inferior copy of that pho. And did I mention after factoring in the exchange rate, the omg-this-is-goddamn-out-od-this-world-amazing pho costs only 75 cents?

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Early bird gets the sourdough

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Suspicious of the so-called tourist traps, albeit I am myself a tourist, I was never a fan of Boudin Bakery. For one, the 165-year-old bakery’s flagship store sits right on Fisherman’s Wharf. Touristy, checked. Animal shaped bread, including koala, turtle, and alligator, checked.

Very cliche. Plus, (nose upturned) the soup bowl was a-okay.

But I was wrong. Boudin’s sourdough is quite solid. If I were to judge the bread based on the following criteria: crust (crispiness, flavor), interior body (stretchiness, chewiness), aroma and taste, I would give my chowder bread bowl a 9. It was crispy, but not hard. Soft, but chewy, and carrying a hint of tangy aftertaste typical of sourdough. But I suspect my favorable review has to do with the fact I was at the bakery when it opened at 8 a.m. Guess early birds do get the worms, including good sourdoughs.

Clam chowder in a bread bowl, Boudin Bakery (image credit: gold belly.com)

The San Francisco sourdough, which is basically a French bread made with a sourdough culture, dates back to the Gold Rush days. San Francisco-ans believe there are no place like the city that gives the bread its sourness. Supposedly it has to do with the makeup of the wild yeast strains native to San Francisco as well as the city’s air, temperature. But turned out that was what the natives would like to have believed.  Continue reading →

How about we… live a high-cholesterol lifestyle by the sea

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To tourists, San Francisco’s iconic Fisherman’s Wharf equates seafood restaurants, clam chowder in sourdough bread bowl, Ghirardelli chocolate and souvenir shops. But if you were to ask me about it, I would tell you one thing: crab stands.

Sure, some might call these restaurants and their affiliated sidewalk eateries tourist traps, but what’s paying a little more for the fun of street-style eating. And look at the proof:

SF Fisherman's Wharf: 2lb crab

SF Fisherman’s Wharf: 2lb crab

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There’s always brunch: Mission Beach Cafe in San Francisco

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I think brunch is the best meal of the day and I love nothing better than waking up to a good weekend brunch. Nothing compares to the pure bliss waking up (not early but at a leisure hour of your preference), get ready (not rushed like on workdays, but at your own pace),  then head to a brunch restaurant and enjoy a hearty meal filled with both sweet and savory elements.

The word “brunch” is a portmanteau made from the words “breakfast” and “lunch.” While the origins of brunch aren’t exactly clear, we do know that a British writer named Guy Beringer first used the word in an 1895 essay, “Brunch: A Plea” (Punch Magazine). In it, Beringer argues that instead of a heavy, midday post-church meal of meat pies and other delicacies, people should opt for  a lighter meal. By eating common breakfast foods like toasts, Beringer argues that brunch “puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings”.

America may not have invented the concept of brunch, but the immensely popular meal has become an integral part of the American cultural institution. Here’s one of my personal favorite: Mission Beach Cafe.  Continue reading →