Best Steak and Seafood!

We were craving for some really delicious seafood and steak so we decided to stop by “The Sea by Alexander’s Steakhouse” in Palo Alto.

We've been there several times and always enjoyed various items on the menu, however, our most recent visit was quit extraordinary!

We were there with our clients who have become our dear friends since we share the same passion when it comes to food and wine.

We all decided to try the selective tasting menu and our taste buds were thanking us all night!

Amuse-Bouche, compliments of the talented chef

We stared with Sea Urchin with tomato, chive and champagne

And the tasting menu consists of:

Hamachi Sashimi Kagoshima with avocado, wasabi, koshihikari rice

Mero with bell pepper miso, lobster, trumpet mushroom and topped off with bonito

Tajima F1 Beef with morel mushroom, endive and onion.

Dessert was yuzu mousse, avocado with pistachio, crème fraiche.

Every bite was exquisite and every bite was memorable. It’s a great way to end a hectic week!

Hiking and Mountain Biking, Belmont

Waterdog Lake Park is a hidden gem, and is an amazing place to go for those who seek outdoor fun and adventure!

http://www.belmont.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/10/702

It’s a small wooded bay area canyons shelter more than birds, wild skunks, raccoons, and deer.  The park is now comprised of a wide fire road descending from Hallmark Drive to the lake, and then continuing to Lyall Way. 

Trails are defined by color and about a mile down you hit a little hill that goes down towards a lake. It is absolutely  gorgeous and it’s a great place to bring your dog (especially if they like to swim!)

There are people jogging, mountain biking (the adventurists), walking and do be prepared, because one may encounter mountain lion!

Dog Show (Golden Gate Kennel Club), Cow Palace in Daly City

Attention dog lovers! This is for you! Golden Gate Kennel Club is truly one of the MUST attend events of the year!!!

http://www.whatshappeningcalendar.com/events/NorthernCalifornia/Daly_City_Golden_Gate_Kennel_Club.html

It’s an all-breed dog show features a fabulous fashion show, amazing flyball demonstrations, and gorgeous breeds. It's a super fun event for everyone!!!

The best part is that guests can go to “back stage” and talk to breeders and learn all about different kind of dogs. In addition, guests get to take pictures with their favorite breeds! There are unique dogs that we’ve hardly seen before (such as Komondor, Irish Wolf Hound and Bedlington Terrier).

It’s truly a fun event for everyone!!!

When?
January 24th and 25th, 2015. 

Where?
The Cow Palace in Daly City, 

You can buy tickets at the door.

Here are some pictures from previous dog shows that we’ve attended. 

What to do when it’s cold outside? Host a hot pot party!!

It’s been very chilly here in the Bay Area….and when it’s chilly, we just want to stay home in front of the fire place. Then we thought, hey, why not host a hot pot party?

Hot pot refers to several East Asian varieties of stew, consisting of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. It’s a great way to get your guests involved because they get to cook their own food!

It’s lots of fun, super healthy and extremely easy! Make sure you have the right cookware, such as hot pot where it can be purchased at most Asian grocery stores.

For our hot pot party, here are the menu items:

Dipping Sauce: made of soy sauce, satay sauce, eggs, hot sauce, cilantro and ginger. (Super delicious!)

Hot Pot Broth: made of chicken broth with chopped tomato (Super healthy!)

Hot Pot Ingredients:

·        Lobster 

·        Shrimp

·        Mahi mahi

·        Talapia

·        Halibut

·        Chicken

·        Beef

·        Lamb

·        Pork

·        Egg dumplings

·        Tofu

·        Rice noodles

·        Egg noodles

·        Napa cabbage

·        Spinach

·        Mushrooms

·        Chinese meat balls

·        Japanese fish balls

Try to host your hot pot party and see how it turns out!

Happy New Year!

New Year marks a new beginning.

New people to meet, new memories to create and new adventures to enjoy.

We are excited and can’t wait to explore the San Francisco Bay Area and share with all of you.

Here's wishing you the Happiest New Year ever!

Celebrating New Year at SoMA Food Truck, San Francisco

This is food truck heaven with bottomless mimosa on January 1, 2015 from 10am to 5pm.

There is going to be a full lineup of food trucks, lives music and College Football.

We were there last New Year’s Day and had a BLAST!!

http://somastreatfoodpark.com/event/new-years-day-2015-food-truck-picnic-bottomless-mimosa-brunch-soma/

Here is a list of Food Truck Lineup:
– Bacon Bacon: The name says it all
– Senor Sisig: Famous Filipino Mexican fusion
– Bowl’D Acai: Made to order Acai bowls, smoothies, juices, and protein shakes
– Tacos El Tuca: Serving all of your traditional Mexican favorites
– Adam’s Grub Truck: Chinese and American infusion
– Frozen Kuhsterd: Unique frozen dessert creations
– Hella Vegan Eats: Festive Vegan Cuisine
– Dusty Buns: California-style sandwiches on freshly baked bread
– FireTrail Pizza: Brick oven baked Neapolitan pizzas
– Lil Burma: Traditional Burmese cuisine

– Nucha Empanadas

– Koeks and Co: Fried Dough
– Lidias Oysters

Here is a picture from January 1, 2014. It was so much fun!!

Belden Place, San Francisco

An unassuming street of San Francisco which can be easily overlooked by pedestrians. Belden Place is one of these streets where once you discover, you will want to come back for more!

At first, it may look a bit sketchy, but once we turned the corner to the actual alley way, we were blown out of our mind! The alley is colorful and bursting with various eateries and all of them have outdoor seating.

http://www.belden-place.com/

It’s one of our favorite streets to visit and here is a list of the restaurants:

·        Sauce- Candied bacon Brussel sprouts…super!!

·        Brindisi- Best ravioli ever!!

·        Taverna- Juicy and tender Kurobota pork chop!!

·        B44- Mouth watering Paella!!

·        Café Tiramisu- Tiramisu, of course, nice and moist!!

·        Plouf- Oyster and mussels heaven!!

·        Sam’s Grill- Old school with a flare!

·        Café Bastille- Blue cheese burger…oh man!!

Doggy Play Yard, Belmont

One of the attractive features about Belmont is there is an off-leash dog park hidden in the quiet neighborhood of Belmont.

It’s frequented by dog owners where the dogs and run and be themselves!!

It’s a great place for dogs and owners to socialize and there are scoopers and garbage cans available.

Even if you don’t have dogs, if is enjoyable to see the pups having a good time!

Downtown Sunnyvale

We were showing clients homes in Sunnyvale and decided to stop by downtown Sunnyvale for lunch.

It was a beautiful day and we are happy to see that there are farmers market happening at the same time!

Downtown Sunnyvale has gone through some development and we recall when S. Murphy Avenue was blocked off for construction.

We had lunch at DishDash: here is our Yelp review  http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=KukvXqIYipsn0EEXZ37gZg

There are several other places we love to try and we will be back here soon!

The 14 Bay Area Ramen Shops Worth Your Time

Ahhhhh, “RAMEN”….the most sumptuous word in our dictionary. Living in the Bay Area allow us to access some of the best ramen we will find!

There are ramen noodle shops everywhere and here is a list of the 14 favorite spots.

https://www.theinfatuation.com/features/best-bay-area-ramen-shops

One of our goals for 2015 is to try ALL of them….and we are making good progress so far and reaching our goal!

Make sure you slurp! And that is ok!!!

And what makes a good ramen? According to http://blog.cookingchanneltv.com/2013/09/29/what-makes-the-perfect-bowl-of-ramen/, the following are the key to a amazing ramen!!!

THE BROTH
Ramen makers aim for an intense, deeply flavored broth. Chef Tatsu considers it the “body and soul” of the dish, and his broth takes almost three full days to perfect. For his tonkotsu-style broth, he starts with two surprising ingredients: pig feet and pork bones. After soaking them in water for two days to draw out impurities, they are blanched in boiling water, then simmered for at least 30 hours. This draws out flavorful marrow from the bones, and releases collagen and fat from the feet. Sounds odd, but this process is the key to a milky and rich broth.

THE NOODLES
Perfect broth deserves nothing but the best noodles. While some ramen shops make them fresh in-house, many choose to partner with a master noodle maker (yes, they exist!) and have them delivered daily. Since ramen is all about balancing different textures and flavors, Chef Tatsu chooses the type of noodle for each ramen dish very carefully. His thick tonkotsu broth calls for the thinnest of noodles, while his lighter broths are paired with thicker noodles. No matter the choice, they are slightly undercooked to account for the additional softening that occurs once they are added to the broth.

THE FIXINS
Equally as important as the broth and noodles, the toppings in ramen can make or break the experience. The possibilities are endless, but some common additions include chashu pork (succulent pieces of braised pork belly), soft-boiled eggs (cooked in the pork’s braising liquid), assorted vegetables and extra pork fat for good measure. Chef Tatsu even offers customers a garlic press and fresh garlic cloves so you can adjust how pungent your ramen is right from your seat. For additional color and flavor, many restaurants finish off the ramen with a sprinkling of saffron, scallions and/or sesame seeds.

Night of Lights, Half Moon Bay

Night of Lights is a free annual holiday event hosted in downtown Half Moon Bay on the first Friday in December, and it’s happening on Friday, December 5^th, from 6-9pm.

Downtown Half Moon Bay is going to be decorated in dazzling lights and many stores will stay open late. It’s a great time to do some holiday shopping in the unique coastal shops.

The event generally features a tree lighting ceremony in Mac Dutra Park, a Parade of Lights down Main Street, carolers and musical entertainment, roasted chestnuts and activities for the kids.

http://www.halfmoonbaychamber.org/events-calendar/annual-events/night-lights

We plan to have dinner at one of the awesome restaurants on Main Street then head to the parade.