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!!

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!