Floating Museum- SS Jeremiah O'Brien Ship

This beautiful ship is one of two remaining fully functional Liberty ships of the 2,710 built and launched during World War II, according to http://www.ssjeremiahobrien.org/. Moored at Pier 45, Fisherman's Wharf and she is a premier San Francisco attraction!

Stepping back to the past happened immediately as we walked up to the entrance of the ship. It was surreal especially when we were touring the living quarters and try to imagine the life style on this historic ship.

The self-guided tour is truly a fantastic way to learn about WWII history. There are staff on the ship who are extremely knowledgeable. They really do take pride in this ship and answered all of our questions. It takes you back to history, and it was one incredible experience.

The ship opens daily from 9am to 4pm and  it’s right by Peir 45, Fisherman’s Wharf. Can’t miss this opportunity to be part of the historic experience!

Restaurant Hopping on Castro Street, Mountain view

One of our favorite places to go since there are tons of stores, restaurants, shopping and more!

We started out by stopping at Cascal, it’s a Spanish Tapas http://www.cascalrestaurant.com/site2011/index.asp

They have festive ambiance and just a fun place to hang out. Great tapas and memorable paella!

Then we went to Xanh Restaurant and it’s whole different experience than Cascal.  They have great happy hour menu and super cool ambiance. It’s a modern Vietnamese restaurant and some of our favorites are “SPARKLY DIAMOND” which is sparkling Prosecco with exotic lychee and Vietnamese Tacos.

http://www.xanhrestaurant.com/

To end this “not following our diet day”, we stopped at New Mongolian BBQ….it’s a hole in the hall all you can eat place. We love experimenting with mix and match when it comes to create our own food. http://newmongolianbbq.com/

Now we need to go back to the gym tomorrow….

The Weirdest Show on Earth-San Francisco

This should be totally fun and it’s worth cancelling all your other plans so you can attend this one!

http://howweird.org/

It’s call “How Weird Street Faire” and they are having their 16^th annual event for 1 day only on April 26^th in Downtown San Francisco.

• People will be dressed up in weird customs
• There will be vendors selling many weird things that you’ve never seen in your life!
• Weird food will be sold which will taste fanatically delicious!
• There will be individuals will perform weird stunts

Truly, can’t miss it!!

Cherry Blossom Festival

If you missed the Festival (which occurred on April 11 and 12), you are in luck! Another one is happening on April 18 and 19^th! sfcherryblossom.org

Do be prepared!

• There will be lots of food and beverage stalls: including teriyaki-flavored hamburgers, octopus balls, red bean pancakes, shaved ice, and Sapporo beer
• There will be food trucks: such as Chobani, Pocky sticks, giving away samples.
• There will be hello kitty food truck café with long lines
• There will be live music and entertainment
• There will be local vendors selling all kinds of goodies!
• There will be lots of people-shoulder-to-shoulder crowded  

Can’t miss the fun!

Omakase Experience at Morimoto

This experience in Napa is just as comparable to the ones in Japan!

It’s an eight course omakase, and every dish comes with sake tasting which complement each exquisite bite!

Toro Tartare with wasabi, nori paste and sour cream

So fun to eat and each bite is different based on what we put on it. We especially love the rice crackers!

Kanpachi Carpaccio with hot oil, garlic, chives and ginger.

Each bite tasted like light whipped butter!

Bagna Cauda with garlic, anchovy, and vegetables.

A super fun dish to eat. Reminds us of fundo and the anchovy dip is so delicate!

Clam Choder with clams, rice, ikura, and congee craker.

Ikura was definitely the star and the surprising element in this dish

Intermezzo

Cucumber Mochi for palate cleanser. We can eat another 10 more of these!!

Chef’s choice of Sushi

Super fresh and tender.

Gulf Red Snapper with pei mussel, fiddlehead ferns, seared banana, ice plant, bell pepper relish and thai curry.

So moist and each bite just explode on our palate!

Surf and Turf and Turf with pork belly, flat iron wagyu and scallops

Need we say more?

Coconut Lime Gnach with mango sorbet and pop rocks

A beautiful dessert that truly brings the whole Omakase experience to the next level.

Japanese Sweets Wagashi

Wagashi has to be one of the most delicious edibles in this world. It’s full of natural goodness.

And we were so happy we found Minamoto Kitchoan in San Francisco. http://www.kitchoan.com/

It’s a Japanese Dessert Boutique filled with the most beautiful and mouthwatering bites, such as mochi.

The store is thoughtfully decorated - simple and effortless.  It’s truly a MUST visit when you are in San Francisco!

Indoor Cycling at Hillsdale Mall

Can you imagine doing spinning at the mall? Well, that was one fun experience!!

We were at Lorna Jane Hillsdale for an indoor cycling class. Although we had to wake up early on a Sunday, but it was totally worth it!!

Everyone should give it a try!

New Homes in Bay Meadows, San Mateo

We absolutely LOVE touring homes, especially new homes. We get to learn about the latest designs, the hottest trends and most of all, the up to date style of Bay Area living!

We went to one of the new developments in Bay Meadows recently, and the model homes are beautifully decorated.

These are stylish 2-4 bedroom town-homes which fits perfectly with everyone’s busy lifestyle. In addition, it’s situated on the sought after San Francisco Peninsula that’s close to shopping (such a Whole Foods, Hillsdale Mall). It’s also close to Caltrain station!

The Town homes are also located directly across from Paddock Park and there are lots of pedestrian-friendly urban environment of Bay Meadows surrounds the Town homes!

We sure had a wonderful time touring!!

Spending Saturday Morning in Ferry Building

We started the day at the city’s temple to artisan food, the Ferry Building Marketplace, which is a marketplace serving residents and travelers alike. There are all  kinds of shops large and small celebrate food in all its forms, offering everything from a variety of cheeses to the freshest of local fish. http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/merchant_list.php

The cappuccino at Blue Bottle Coffee is sure worth the long wait!

Next we are stocking up on Cowgirl Creamery cheese

Then we stopped by Acme bread for some apple turnover

And of course, we can’t miss orange & wild fennel salame at Bocccalone.

And a must stop is Recchiuti Confections

We also stopped by Heath Ceramics and bought some gifts for our clients.

Last but not least, we headed toward the world-class farmers market outside on this beautiful sunny day!

Chinese New Year Parade, San Francisco

One of the largest celebration of Asian culture outside of Asia and it’s happening here in San Francisco! http://www.chineseparade.com/

Here is a picture from previous parade

The Year of the Ram has been in full swing for a few weeks now, but the festivities will culminate with the annual Chinese New Year Parade on Saturday, March 7 which begins at 5:15 p.m in downtown San Francisco.

There will be lots of fun including…..

·        Elaborate costumes

·        Ferocious lions

·        Exploding firecrackers

·        Gorgeous floats

·        School marching bands

·        Stilt walkers

·        Martial arts group

·        Lion dancers

·        Golden Dragon

·        Chinese acrobatics

·        Newly crowned Miss Chinatown USA…and much much more!

@Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz

We came across about this particular exhibition and interested in attending.

According to http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/website/ai-weiwei.aspx,

“Ai Weiwei is internationally renowned for work that defies the distinction between art and activism. In this exhibition of new works created specifically for Alcatraz, Ai responds to the island’s layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress, a notorious federal penitentiary, a site of Native American heritage and protest, and now one of America’s most visited national parks. Revealing new perspectives on Alcatraz, the exhibition raises questions about freedom of expression and human rights that resonate far beyond this particular place”.

Exhibition on View September 27, 2014 – April 26, 2015, and there is still time to visit!!

There are some super interesting images online and we can’t wait to explore!!