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.

TasteVin Wine Bar & Bistro, San Carlos

What an adorable venue for an intimate get together with friends! http://www.tastevinandcheese.com/

We each ordered our own flights:

I had the “Bubbly”

And Michael had the “Decadent White”.

We also ordered “Crisp White Wine Cheese Plate” to complement our flights.

The wines are presented beautifully and the cheeses tasted exceptionally fresh and delicious. The services was courteous and exceptional.

We are planning to try everything on the menu!

San Mateo Harvest Festival

This weekend, November 14-16 is the Harvest Festival in San Mateo Events Center. http://harvestfestival.com/sanmateo/

It’s one of the largest indoor arts and crafts shows on the West Coast, and we are planning to fulfill our holiday shopping list!

In addition, there will be live stage entertainment and Chef Ray L. Due will be there as well to demonstrate his amazing skills of fruits/vegetable sculpting.

These are melons that he carved!! 

Don’t miss it!

Bordeaux: The Art of Blending Wines

Ahhhhh, Bordeaux, heavenly juice!!!! We signed up at the College of San Mateo Community Education class and got to learn all about Bordeaux!

http://sanmateo.augusoft.net/index.cfm?

We wanted to learn and explore the complexity of the wines produced from the Left Bank of the Gironde River to the harmonious wines of the Right Bank.

Getting ready to taste some great wines and learning about different types of corks

Seriously taking notes and the best part, pouring!!!

Cheers!!

We can now call ourselves savvy connoisseurs of Bordeaux wines!

Fun Cooking School

We signed up at Draeger’s School in San Mateo and it was such a blast!! http://www.draegerscookingschool.com/index.aspx

Not only did we learned to cook, we also got to meet some other students in the class who are super cool.

The class we took was called “Appetizer Party”. Students were divided into groups and everyone got to have hands one experience. We got to enjoy our creation through out the class.

Getting ready and checking out the recipes

We learned to make:

Buffalo-Spiced Shrimp Kebab with Brandied Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

Monte Cristo Finders with Spicy Apricot Dipping Sauce

Crispy Camembert with Roasted Grapes and Fresh Rosemary

Smoked Salmon and Parmesan Cream Croustades

Spanish Tortilla Bites with Manchego and Chorizo

And Creamy Cannoli Cups

We also got to bring home a complete receipt for all the dishes.

Now we are ready to host our own appetizer party!!

Meeting casts from Love Pyar Whatever

Love Pyar Whatever is a movie about a young man who travels to the U.S. in search of his one true love. The movie also illustrates the clash between eastern and western cultures.

http://www.lovepyarwhatever.com/

The movie is mostly shot  in San Francisco and we had the pleasure viewing the film and meet the awesome cast!!! It was such a blast for us as we were sipping champagne and eating popcorn in the theater. While watching the movie, we recognized many beautiful sceneries from our beautiful city!

The best part was get to meet the cast after the movie and learned about their filming experience. There were abundant talent and it was interesting to learn that the cast range from experienced actors in film and stage to others who are novice.

https://www.facebook.com/LovePyarWhatever/photos_stream?tab=photos_stream

Art & Wine Faire, San Carlos

Now that we are in fall, it’s a great time to visit Art & Wine Faire in San Carlos this Saturday, 10/11 and Sunday, 10/12.

San Carlos is a beautiful quaint town and during the faire, the street is closed and a whole bunch of kiosks are put up. The kiosks show case many unique work of local artists and it’s a great time to start shopping for the holidays (for those over achievers). In addition, there will be tons of food, wine, beer, and music.

http://sancarloschamber.org/san-carlos-art-wine-faire-2014/

From previous Art & Wine Faire we attended and it was truly a blast!!

Union Street Wine Walk in San Francisco

What’s not to love about Union Street? It’s one of San Francisco’s area with fascinating history in the setting for the rich architectural flavor and one foremost shopping streets.

There are boutiques, restaurants, nightlife and much more. AND on Thursday, October 9^th, we can enjoy all Union Street has to offer while sipping wines from various wine makers. In addition, Union Street has the most beautiful people visiting. Gotta check it out!

http://sresproductions.com/union_street_wine_walk.html

http://www.unionstreetshop.com/

An exquisite pop up dining experience at a secret location in San Francisco

3^rd Cousin is in undergoing construction, and until their permanent space opens later this fall, 3^rd Cousin is hosting interactive dining experience out of secret location at the Bernal/Mission border (which is revealed via e-mail, how exciting is that?)

http://www.3rdcousinsf.com/

We truly had the pleasure enjoying chef Greg’s incredible talent presented in 5 course meal!

Secret location was unbelievably charismatic!

There were some out of this world snacks before dinner was served. One of them was uni on potato. How creative is that?

First course was spaghetti squash & pine nut fritter

Second course was duo of Alaskan halibut and local albacore

Third course was seared sea scallops & crisp pork belly

Fourth course was grilled skaushi skirt and sirloin steak

For dessert, it was roasted granny smith apple and local berries

We got to go the kitchen while chef Greg and his team were performing magic and that was truly an experience of a life time!

We thoroughly enjoyed our pop up dining experience and can’t wait for the opening of 3^rd Cousin!!

Pacific Coast Fog Fest

Pacifica is located just 12 miles south of San Francisco along the scenic coast of the Pacific Ocean. The city is known for its natural beauty, and is filled with numerous hiking trails through rolling hills that overlook the ocean surf and forested canyons.

We love watching the surfers conquer the waves, watching spectacular sunsets. We also loves various local restaurants that serve awesome seafood!

This weekend, 9/27 and 9/28, the city is hosting Pacific Coast Fog Fest. http://pacificcoastfogfest.com/

The Pacific Coast Fog Fest is a celebration of everything beautiful in Pacifica which includes the sun, sand, surf and marvelous coastal climate.

The Fog Fest kicks off Saturday morning at 10 am with the Discover Pacifica Parade and Marching Band Competition.  Visitors and then stay and enjoy their Arts and Crafts booths, Food and Beverage booths, Musical Entertainment, Family Fun Fest and a variety of  other activities.

Wine Walk Downtown San Mateo

Wine lovers, you will love this event today at Downtown San Mateo from 2-5pm! http://dsma.org/wine-walk-2014/

Downtown San Mateo is truly booming! With burgeoning restaurant and merchant scenes, we are planning to enjoy this afternoon sipping wine and peruse through local shops.

We were there couple years ago and it was a lot of fun. Merchants opened their shops as “Tasting Rooms” where we sipped wines from various regions.  Many partnered with local restaurants and/or provide light bites for us to nibble while we enjoyed our wine. There was music and a variety of entertainment as well.

We are excited to see how the event turn out this year!

Best Nabeyaki Udon!

If you like Nabeyaki Udon, then you must try Ganko Sushi in San Carlos on 1131 Cherry St. It’s a "hole in the wall" type of place, "mom and pop shop" (literally!! I believe the husband is the chef and the wife is the wait staff).

Nabeyaki Udon is a type of hot udon noodle soup traditionally served in individual donabe (earthernware pot) or iron pots. Besides udon noodles, the soup includes chicken, salmon, crab, napa, carrots.  In addition, an egg (cooked perfectly), 2 large shrimps and tempura shaving are served on top. The broth is super flavorful.

We usually order our own bowl, it’s too good to share!

We’ve had a lot of Nabeyaki Udon and this one is truly the BEST!

Supporting Napa, after earthquake

What happened in Napa was personally devastating because it’s a town that we adore so much! We’ve decided to visit Napa after earthquake to support local vendors and merchants.

The trip brought mixed feelings…many buildings were block off due to the damages,  however, many others also opens up and welcomed visitors. People of Napa are strong and the community pulled together beautifully!

We brought our bike with us so we can cover more distance of Napa without worrying about parking.

We visited the General Napa Store, http://www.napageneralstore.com/

What a great discovery! They offer unique gifts from local Napa artists, personalized wine tasting from local small wineries and exquisite breakfast by the riverfront!

We grabbed a quick lunch at The Pear Southern Bistro http://rodneyworth.com/the-pear-southern-bistro/ and enjoyed “southern comfort food”.

More biking around the river front

For dinner, we spoiled ourselves at Chef Morimoto’s place http://morimotonapa.com/ it was a true dining experience pleasure without any adjectives that can describe the pleasure!

Of course, there were several other places that we supported such as:

·       Oxbow Public Market http://oxbowpublicmarket.com/ (where the locals gather for great food and wine)

      V. Sattui on Highway 29 just before St. Helena https://www.vsattui.com/ (Incredible deli. Try some cheeses before buying, choose a chutney or spread to go with it, grab a baguette and chocolates, and you have a great picnic. Gourmet sandwiches are also great choice).

   

      Overall, it was an amazing experience. We got to talk to the locals about their experience with the earthquake. People of Napa are strong and it's truly a tight community!

Millbrae Art and Wine Festival

Millbrae is known as "The Last Stop on BART" to most people, however, it is also a great place to live and visit especially this long weekend!

This weekend is the 44th Millbrae Art & Wine Festival (August 30-31, 2014, 10 am to 5 pm), which is the The Bay Area's Biggest Labor Day Weekend Bash!

The "Big Easy" is coming to Millbrae for this huge Labor Day weekend event and the theme is going to be Mardi Gras-style feast.

In addition, there will be handcrafted wares, festive food and drink, premium wines, microbrews and margaritas, artisan specialty food and much more!!

https://www.facebook.com/MillbraeArtWineFestival/info

Hope to see you there!

West Park Bistro, San Carlos

Laurel Street in San Carlos is a great place to visit, the street is filled with a variety of shops and restaurants. The newest addition to Laurel Street is West Park Bistro. We were so glad about our new discovery!

It has beautiful clean décor with spacious wine room and extensive wine selections.

For starter, we ordered Lobster Cake, it was nice and crispy with a kick of sweet and spicy to each bite.

For dinner, we tried Chilean Sea Bass and lamb chop. Sea bass was tender, flavorful with a hint of truffle oil and lamp chop was juicy, savory and non-gamey at all!!!

For dessert we enjoyed bread pudding, It was moist and satisfying!!

We are looking forward to return and try other items on the menu!