Grumble...grumble...After seeing the brief video above, my tummy hungreee! Grumbledy-grum-grum.
Hey, Belinda Belly. I hear you grumbling down there. What's that? You're feeling peckish. Well, I know just the place for a bit of gastronomic enjoyment. Nijiya Market, here we come!
Check out the wide selection of convenient, pre-packaged goodness. I love Japanese cuisine and at Nijiya market, which is located at the nucleus of Japantown (Post and Webster), one can discover culinary cuteness rolled into delicious delectability. It's quite a sight to behold, believe me this pic does not do it justice, you have to run like a reindeer to Japantown and check it out. Go, Bambi, go!
When you ordered that tempura/teriyaki combo plate at your favorite Japanese restaurant, did you ever wonder what dressing your they poured on top of that side salad of cabbage? Well, wonder no more! They have it at Nijiya market. If you're lucky, it will even be on sale. I recommend the miso based one; it's creamy and sweet!
Check out the raw tuna with spicy mayo sauce, and to the right the fish roe looks so ready to explode in your mouth! Love it when they pop...pop...poppitypop...
Above are different kinds of Furikake bottles. They're basically enhancers of steamed rice; they contain shredded seaweed, sesame seed, shaved bonito, etc. It all depends on your taste. Domo Arigato, Nijiya Market for being Belinda Belly's savior when she's hungry.
Now that I've exposed you to the funny side of Thai pop culture, let me expose you to the culinary side.
"Sawatdee Ka!"
This is how you should greet your thai waitress, if it's a male Thai waiter the greeting should be, "Sawatdee Krap!". I always apply this little piece of linguistic knowledge whenever I try out a new Thai restaurant. If they respond with a big smile and say, "Sawatdee Krap", then I know that they're authentic (or at least their servers are). Bonus points to them for actually recognizing me as a male. However, if they look at me with a vapid stare and mutter, "Um,Whatdawho, ma'am?", then I know they're fakers and I would turn, and walk away while saying, "Pad-See You Later!"
You won't have authenticity issues at Basil Canteen. Attention Vegetarians: Above, you see a picture of their fried chive cake kanom guay chai; Delightfully delicious, and this is just the start.
Basil Canteen is the sister to Thai Basil restaurant. They are both located on Howard Street, this posting is for Basil Canteen which is on the corner of 11th. There's a gazillion and one Thai restaurants in the city and if you don't watch your step, your bound to stumble into a mediocre one. Well, you won't have to fear anything when you walk into this place. They're the proverbial cat's pyjamas! Tangent Alert: I never understood that old time expression. Let's start a new one. How about saying, "They're the koala's onesies!"
My fave dish, seen above, is the kao soi neur. This dish is brilliant! It's egg noodles in a coconut curry sauce which has a mild citrus infusion. This bowl of yummy includes slices of flank steak and it's crowned with crispy noodles. The different textures and the savory coconut milk sauce makes for a completely unforgettable dining experience. I promise you, you will die - figuratively!
I love attending food festivals! Some of my faves are: Gilroy Garlic, Nihonmachi and Cherry Blossom Festival at Japantown, etc., so I was super excited to learn about the Greek Food Festival that occurs every September. San Franciscans have multiple options when it comes to ethnic cuisine, but looking forward to an annual open-air festival, where there's live music and dancing, is un-beatable.
I'm always on the look-out for something new, so when I saw these doughnut holes, drizzled in honey, and sprinkled with walnuts, I knew I found my true love. They're called loukomades or loukomathes. The old lady that served me told me that they were home-made and that she made them herself. They were yuuuuuuumy!
As you can see, these bite-sized, pillowy delicious morsels are to die for. If you're a fan of the Greek desserts, which are usually sweet and sticky, think baklava, then you'll love loukomathes! So make sure you mark your calendars for next year's event. Here's a tip, they usually have free passes you can print out from their official website. You can get more get more information about their mission and other events at http://www.annunciation.org/. Cheers!
I’ve never met a fried food I did not like.I always say that, because it’s true.I’ve had fried cheese (Nicaraguan), fried flowers (Italian), fried chicken livers (Soul), fried pork skin (Filipino), fried whatever – I’ll eat it!So, you can bet I’m a true connoisseur of thebasic fried chicken. Yes, I’m familiar with the usual suspects and most people will vote for Popeye’s, but I choose an unlikely winner.I believe the best fried chicken in San Francisco can be had at Sam’s Diner.
You know how sometimes you'd order fried anything and it can taste like it's been sitting under a heat lamp for a while and therefore a little soggy. Or at times fried food can taste like the restaurant has been using and reusing the oil they've been frying with so it it has some weird burnt oil flavor to it. That won't be your experience at Sam's Diner. This chicken is uh-mazeballs!
On my last visit I tried another fried wonder, their Fishn'Chips. Ok, I wanted to love it, but I just fell in like with it. It's still worth a try. As you can see it's quite pretty to behold. I think they burnt my fries a little bit, though.
Looking at the pics, I know you’re salivating right now. Listen up Drooly McDrool, you need to run, not walk, to Sam’s on Market between 9th and 8th.You will not regret it. You can even order ahead of time if your lunch hour is tight. Here's their menu. Happy heart cloggin' eating!
