Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant
My wife Connie was doing well in her recovery from tonsillectomy surgery a few days prior. However, she was getting a little tired of the apple sauce, juice boxes, and bland soft foods that I had made over the last few days. So, we decided that we were going to eat out for lunch on Sunday February 26, 2012. Initially, we were considering doing Chinese food close by but the restaurant flyer for the Chinese place we were thinking about showed that it actually wasn’t open for lunch on Sundays. So, scratch that idea. We ended up deciding to go with Vietnamese instead since the options would be good for Connie (i.e., palatable soft noodles, flavorful broth that shouldn’t be too spicy) and it should be relatively inexpensive. The closest place, Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant, happened to be just around the corner – bonus!
We got to Mint Leaf around noon. The restaurant was about half full so we were able to get seated right away. After perusing the menu options, we decided to go with:
- Special PHO “PHO Dac Biet” (menu item #21) – rice noodles with rare sliced beef flank and beef brisket
- Hot and Sour Noodle Soup “Canh Chua Bun” (menu item #29) – rice noodles with catfish, prawns, tomatoes, pineapples, jalapeno peppers and sprouts in a savory broth.
Hot and Sour Noodle Soup "Canh Chua Bun" (menu item #29)
To be honest, initially I had actually selected Spicy and Sour Soup “Canh Chua” (menu item #20) but our server pointed out that the #20 was just the broth and didn’t actually have any noodles. So, I opted for #29 which was the same as #20 but with rice noodles. Not surprisingly, the food came out soon after we ordered and was as delicious as it looked. Everything tasted fresh and the broths were flavorful. Nothing tasted too bland, or too salty, and additional sauces were provided on the side in case one wanted to add some more kick to one’s dish. Connie was able to put down the soft rice noodles easily and I could tell she was glad to finally get some real food, not to mention have a real meal with me instead of watching me eat all the good stuff.
Overall, lunch at Mint Leaf was a great choice. If I’m ever in Alameda again and feeling like some pho, I will be sure to hit up Mint Leaf again. I may even hit up their newly opened Berkeley store in the future.
Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant
831 Marina Village Pkwy
Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 522-2758
Swan Oyster Depot
Although I lived just one block away in San Francisco, CA, I had absolutely no clue about the famous gem in my neighborhood – Swan Oyster Depot – until I had moved away. After I realized I had missed out on my opportunity to just walk around the block to grab a bite at a San Francisco classic I made a vow that I would make an effort to eat there some time when I was back in SF. An opportunity presented itself when my wife Connie was scheduled to have tonsillectomy surgery at the nearby hospital (had she been able to go with me to eat there it would have been the perfect opportunity!).
Menu options
While headed to the hospital on a Thursday (February 23, 2012), Connie and I drove by Swan Oyster Depot around 12:30pm and saw the crazy long lunch line to get in. I didn’t have enough time to whip out my camera to photo-document, but the line was easily 30-40 people long! Do those people work and how long do those people have for lunch?! Thank goodness I was not going to attempt to eat there at that time but later in the afternoon with a friend of ours while Connie was in surgery.
The Swan story
Swan Oyster Depot is a tiny place. The setup is basically a deep room with a counter that runs down the middle of the room until you reach the wall that separates the dining area from the kitchen. One side of the counter is for the workers, and the other side is set up with stools for the patrons. I didn’t do an actual count of the number of stools but I’d estimate that there are only 20 spots or so, and the spots are snug. You’ll definitely bump elbows with your fellow diners.
Horseradish . . check
Rayna and I got to Swan’s around 4pm and although it was not prime dining time there was still a line to get in. While waiting in line we salivated at the different menu items available as we watched food being prepared, served, and eaten. Thankfully, the line was short and we just had to wait for four people in front of us before we got seated.
We decided we had to try a couple of dishes:
- mixed dozen oysters
- seafood combination salad
- smoked salmon (with smoked trout)
- sea urchin
Once we had put in our order we got our drinks and some fresh sourdough bread to tide us over until we got our food. The first dish that came out was the mixed dozen oysters which was made up of Blue Point, Miyagi and Kumamoto oysters that day. There were four of each kind so for two people it worked out pretty well. For any fan of oysters one could have easily polished off the mixed dozen by oneself but since we did have a number of other dishes still to come the six oysters apiece worked out perfectly. Mmmmm, so delicious . . . .
The mixed dozen oyster plate made up of Blue Point, Miyagi, and Kumamoto oysters
After slurping down the oysters to open up our appetites we were ready for our main entree selections. I had ordered the seafood salad combination plate which was just an absolute feast. Why peel and crack your seafood if you can just go to Swan’s. The dish comprised of large succulent pieces of prawns, crab, lobster, and shrimp on a bed of chopped lettuce. The portion size was huge but I’m definitely not complaining!
Seafood salad combination - large succulent pieces of shrimp, prawn, crab, and lobster on a bed of chopped lettuce
The smoked salmon dish is typically pieces of smoked salmon served with french bread and a side of shrimp salad, but for a little extra, Rayna had pieces of smoked trout added to the dish in order to try both types of smoked fish. “It’s all in the technique . . . and the freshness of the fish of course” one worker kept telling us as the diner next to us gushed about how incredible the smoked fish tasted. The smoked fish did not disappoint . . . the smokiness in the fish was indeed amazing!
An order of the smoked salmon dish with smoked trout added
We decided to finish up with some sea urchin. It’s been a while since I’ve had fresh sea urchin out of the shell. I still recall my first experience many years ago in the Caribbean when we picked up some white sea urchins off the sea bed, cracked them open, and enjoyed the rich, creamy, yellow roe – mana from the sea. But I digress. Swan Oyster Depot served black sea urchin (Stronglycentrotus franciscanus) presenting the “roe” on the half shell. Sea urchin is a delicacy, but it can be an acquired taste of sorts as it can have a unique texture which some people may not like. When sea urchin is served in little portions you might not be able to taste the texture, just the rich flavor e.g. when it is in sushi. I’m not sure if it’s because it was black sea urchin or if it was due to actual whole pieces of raw sea urchin as it was served at Swan Oyster Depot, but it seemed like the texture of the sea urchin tasted a little different from what I had had before. It was definitely still very fresh but the texture seemed a little firmer and more “filtery”? Essentially, the “roe” or yellow meat is the sea urchin’s reproductive system so the roe isn’t necessarily just eggs as one may think. I surmise that the unique texture may be related to the accompanying gonadal tissues. Whatever the case, the sea urchin still tasted great.
It's not every day that you get to have fresh sea urchin
All of the ingredients were incredibly fresh and tasted absolutely delicious. No wonder Swan Oyster Depot has been around San Francisco for a century and still consistently gets top marks from everybody, not just foodies and food review agencies! For those fans of Anthony Bourdain it probably is no surprise that Swan Oyster Depot was featured recently on his new show “The Layover” when they showcased San Francisco as he openly admits to always being at Swan’s whenever filming in SF. Swan Oyster Depot is most definitely a San Francisco institution and a trip to San Francisco should include this stop. My tip for potential SF visitors – skip the stalls and restaurants at Fisherman’s Wharf and go to Swan’s Oyster Depot instead! You may not be right by the ocean but you wouldn’t be able to tell by how amazing the food is.
Swan Oyster Depot
1517 Polk St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 673-1101
Flying the friendly (United Airlines business) skies
My wife Connie was going to undergo a tonsillectomy surgery so I had to make a cross-country trip to be with her for surgery and her recuperation afterwards. Being a loyal frequent flier of United Airlines (UA) in the past few years, I’ve been able to gather enough miles in their MileagePlus frequent flier program to have Premier Executive status. One of the perks of being an elite member of their MP program is the unlimited complimentary upgrades – meaning elite members are automatically put onto the waiting list for seats in the next higher class of service for any UA flights that the member is traveling on. If seats are available in the higher class, they’ll be assigned to the elite members based on UA’s formula (members’ status level, mileage earned, etc).
I don’t typically fly business class though I have been fortunate to get a few upgrades once in a while. Typically, as I’m flying hub-to-hub, specifically Washington Dulles to San Francisco International or vice versa, there are (a) few business class seats left open, and (b) so many high level elites that a lowly PE member like myself would never get the complimentary upgrade. Perhaps it was because I was going IAD-LAX-SFO on a Wednesday (February 22, 2012), but I was pleasantly surprised when I actually got the complimentary upgrade to business class for my cross-country flight! This was also after I had been trying to use the automated kiosk to print my boarding pass and it kept not letting me do so and insisting that I had to talk to an agent to complete my check-in process.
After having my upgrade confirmed and receiving my boarding pass, I was looking forward to my flight as I knew I would be having a served dinner instead of being offered meals for purchase. Plus, I was looking forward to seeing the changes of United Airlines’ recently revised in-flight menu and premium cabin service. Airline food hasn’t garnered rave 3 star Michelin reviews but there have been efforts by multiple airlines to make their food better. United did so recently by getting assistance from internationally acclaimed Chef Curtis Stone.
Warmed peanuts
The in-flight service began shortly after takeoff with a hot towel and warmed nuts in a ramekin. The nuts were a good snack. I also appreciated the mix of nuts which included almonds, cashews, and peanuts. I don’t usually have peanuts as a snack at my place, and when I have had them I’ve never taken the time to warm them. However, after having the warmed peanuts on my flight, I might just have to make an effort to have warmed nuts next time.
The main dinner service was served on a tray that had a salad, appetizer and main entree on it. Maybe it’s because I have realistic lower expectations for meals on airplanes, or just lower expectations in general (which I’d like to think not), but all of the dishes actually looked good. Thinking about the serving style some more though, I think what makes the whole meal experience on airplanes seem less appetizing, apart from the fact that you’re eating in a cramped space on a plane, is that the entire meal is being served on a tray. Meals on trays just make you think of food in cafeterias, school lunches, or prison meals, even if you do provide real silverware in a clean white napkin, and have a linen on the tray. Perhaps if the food dishes were served one at a time that would actually make it seem like airplane food was better. It’s not like you’re pressed for time on cross-country flights (P.S. United, maybe you can learn from Air New Zealand who does this even in their premium economy class).
United Airlines business class dinner spread
Regarding the food that was served for dinner, the appetizer was a smoked salmon dish served with capers and a lemon slice. The smoked salmon wasn’t the best smoked salmon that I had ever had, but it wasn’t the other extreme either. It also did not taste just like a piece of smoked salmon from a store bought package. The salad consisted of pieces of romaine lettuce with diced tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. It was served with a prepackaged sesame ginger dressing on the side that was nice, light and refreshing together with the salad. My main entree was a chicken dish that was definitely Italian influenced. The chicken was seasoned with Italian seasonings, and served with gnocchi, pasta sauce, carrots and long beans. The generous chicken piece wasn’t overcooked, as can be easily done, so all parts were nice and moist. The gnocchi had a good texture – firm but still soft in the mouth – though a little floury tasting.
Smoked salmon appetizer
Chicken entree
Once the main tray had been taken away, the flight attendants came down the aisles with our dessert – carts of ice cream sundaes with our choice of size toppings. I chose to have my ice cream sundae topped with chocolate syrup and strawberries.
Ice cream sundae with chocolate and strawberry toppings
Overall, my dinner experience in United Airlines’ business class was good. All of the food was presented in a nice manner, tasted good and seemed fresh. I only wish they could have brought out the dishes one at a time rather than serving all on a tray. My last business class experience with United Airlines had been about six months ago on an international leg from Taiwan to Japan. I cannot remember what I had exactly or how things were served but based on my recollection the international experience was still better than this domestic meal which was definitely pretty good. I must say, airline food has come a long way since back in the day, and food up in United Airlines’ business class isn’t just reheated frozen dinners. Maybe one day I’ll be able to experience first class cabin service as I’m sure it’s even better.
. . . . .
As an aside, when I first decided to blog about my food experiences the broad categories that came to mind were my test kitchen and my eating out experiences, the latter of which I decided to collectively group as “Restaurants”. However, it seems like I may have to come up with either a better term for encompassing my eating out experiences instead of “Restaurants” e.g. “Out and about”, or add some additional segregation to allow for better classification of experiences like this! Any ideas?
SoGo’s Restaurant
A true excursion to a new place really cannot be considered complete unless there is at least one local meal. Thus, I was still determined to get some more local fare while in Cruz Bay, St John, US Virgin Islands. Earlier in the afternoon my wife and I had eaten at Uncle Joe’s World Famous BBQ but that to us was just a snack. Post-Uncle Joe’s we had did a quick walking tour of Cruz Bay but we were still hungry and decided to get dinner in Cruz Bay before heading back to St Thomas on the ferry. Looking at the restaurant options we knew we wanted local fare so our selections were limited. We ended up deciding on SoGo’s Restaurant in part due to their opening hours but also because it seemed home-ier.
Standing by Sogo's Restaurant sign and menu
We got to SoGo’s shortly after they had opened for dinner. It was almost 5:00pm the Tuesday after Christmas had been observed (December 27, 2012) so not surprisingly the place was empty when we got there. One thing my mom always told me was to be wary of places which seemed too empty as that could be a sign that the food may not be as fresh. However, my wife and I were unfazed and quickly made our selections for dinner – steam conch with onion butter sauce and the stew curry goat. All entrees were served with veggies (zucchini and carrots), plantain, rice and beans, mashed potato, and fungi. Although the term “fungi” may have one thinking of mushrooms and other fungus, in the Virgin Islands (and the Caribbean in general), fungi (pronounce “foon-gee”) refers to a food that is comprised of cornmeal mixed with okra – nothing whatsoever to do with any sort of fungus! As the pictures below show, the portions of steam conch and stew goat were generous and complemented by good-sized portions of the supplemental vegetables, rice, mashed potatoes and fungi. I only wish we could have another piece or two of plantain since they were so yummy . . .
Steam conch with onion butter sauce
Stew curry goat
For those who haven’t had steam conch before, I would highly recommend having some if you ever get the chance. SoGo’s made the conch absolutely perfectly so it was still soft, and yet just firm enough without seeming too crunchy. Perhaps it’s personal preference but I don’t think conch should be so well done that it becomes similar to calimari. Similarly, the stew curry goat was also very well made such that the meat would easily slide off the bones. And yes, some of the chunks of goat meat still had the bones in it. This is the normal serving style in the islands so it was not unexpected for me. I’m just making note of it for those that haven’t had such dishes before so folks won’t be surprised when they come across it. I once took a buddy of mine to a Caribbean restaurant and he was shocked when he came across meat pieces with the bones still intact. All of the accompanying sides were great and I appreciated the presentation of the mashed potatoes and fungi in little ice cream like balls. The rice and beans in particular were some of the best that I had had while in the VI.
My wife and I had a lovely leisurely early dinner. All of the food tasted great and had lots of flavor. There was also no doubt that the ingredients were fresh. Next time I’m in St John, I’ll be looking forward to yet another meal at SoGo’s Restaurant.
SoGo's Restaurant outside dining area
SoGo’s Restaurant
King Street
Route 105
St John, VI 00830
340-779-4404
SoGo's Restaurant menu
Bandolero Pop-up Restaurant Preview
LivingSocial voucher
After purchasing two tickets for the LivingSocial deal, I followed the instructions that I received and made dinner reservations for 7:15pm on Saturday February 18th for the pop-up preview of Bandolero Restaurant. Basically, LivingSocial, a Washington DC-headquartered online coupon company, was hosting Chef Mike Isabella’s preview of his upcoming restaurant venture in Georgetown to help kick off LivingSocial’s newly leased building in Penn Quarter where LivingSocial will host pop-ups, cooking classes, and all sorts of other activities in their new space.
I guess I don’t typically get to the Penn Quarter area at prime dinner time as I have never had any problems finding street parking in the area but this time we circled around the area a few times and could not find any street parking. So, as we were running out of time and wanted to make our reservation time on time, we bit the $16 parking tab and decided to park within two blocks at the E Street Cinema parking garage.
We walked into the LivingSocial building space (918 F St NW, Washington, DC) right at 7:15pm, had our IDs checked, and checked in at the lobby downstairs. We then headed up to the 2nd floor reception area where we each got a glass of champagne. Our table was already ready so we had only just sat down on the couches in the living area when our name was called to follow somebody up to the restaurant area on the 4th floor where we were promptly seated.
Michelada
Once seated at our table, before we had had a chance to get halfway through our glass of champagne, the accompanying first course drinks were served. The drink was the Michelada – milagro blanco, tomato lime, mole bitters, corona – essentially a tequila version of a Bloody Mary. The drink definitely served as a good appetizing drink. The first course came out shortly thereafter – warm chips and chicharrones served with:
- Guacamole – classic
- Sikil Pak – pumpkin seeds, jalapeno orange
- Salsa Roja – guajillo, tomato, garlic
The chips and dips were all very good but the chicharrones were definitely the highlight of this course. Light and crispy deep fried goodness just tastes so good!
Mmmmm . . . chicharrones
For our second course we went with:
- Albondigas – spicy pork meatballs, sofrito
- Sopes – lamb picadillo, chipotle goat cheese
This course was paired with a Margarita – milagro blanco, patron citronage, agave, grand marnier, lime, blood orange. I was tempted to select the blue crab taquito, but based on our server’s recommendation and the fact that I have Kiwi roots, I went with the lamb dish. For those who aren’t big lamb fans, the lamb was well made and did not taste very lamby. The sopes were delightful little pockets of flavor with the lamb topped with chipotle goat cheese and a little pepper slice. The spicy pork meatballs were also very good. Four of them came in a little bowl topped with some chopped veggies. The meatballs had good flavor but for my palate they could have had just a little more spice to them. In my opinion, the sopes edged out the albondigas.
Sopes – lamb picadillo, chipotle goat cheese
The third course was a selection betwen various tacos. We went with:
- Mahi Mahi – served with chipotle, avocado and lime
- Spicy Chicken – served with avocado, relish
At first we were a little surprised when the mahi mahi was presented – were we being served fried fish sticks?! However, after biting into the taco, it was apparent that we were having a delicious version of the classic “fish taco”. The mahi mahi was cooked perfectly with a lightly fried batter and flaky innards. My wife commented that perhaps the mahi mahi dish could have been better with corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. I thought the flour tortillas were actually just right since the corn tortillas may have overpowered the mahi mahi. The spicy chicken dish, served on corn tortillas, was also very good. The shredded chicken had a great flavor profile in itself and went wonderfully with the topped lettuce, avocado relish, and little bits of cheese. I would say this round was a tie between both dishes. This course was paired with City of Gold – milagro reposado, cardmaro, St Germain, lemon.
Spicy chicken taco with avocado and relish
For our fourth course we selected the:
- Alahambres – hangar steak, chimichurri
- Mole Negro – pork ribs, sesame seeds
In comparing which dish was better in this round, the pork ribs definitely won. The tender meat slid off the bone with ease and tasted absolutely delicious with the sesame seeds and sauce. The hangar steak portions were extremely generous but perhaps this was the downfall of the dish. The hangar steak was served in a manner that almost made it look like three pieces of sushi/tuna sashimi on the plate with Chef Mike’s famous pizza sauce drizzled around it. The hangar steak was well cooked – I’d estimate they made it to be medium rare as it had a good dark sear on the outside with a reddish center. However, it just seemed the meat cubes were just a tad too large so it did take a little bit of chewing effort to polish off each piece of meat, even when cut into smaller manageable pieces.
Mole Negro - pork ribs, sesame seeds
The accompanying drink for the fourth course, Malverde, was comprised of sombra mezcal, cucumber, cilantro, agave, hellfire bitters. The drink definitely tasted cucumber-ry. Not being people that typically have such drinks, the drinks just tasted different. Perhaps it was due to the bitters in the drink that made it seem odd to the taste buds? The drink also seemed like an odd combination with the dishes in this course.
For our fifth course, aka dessert, we got to have both the Flan and Mexican Chocolate Pudding. The flan had canella and orange and was served with pickled mangoes, while the Mexican Chocolate Pudding was served with mezcal crema. Both desserts were good. The flan had a unique flavor profile, probably due to the canella. As such, the chocolate pudding edged out the flan in this round for me. Dessert was paired with a Sparkling Cocktail – el jimador blanco, prickly pear, and sparkling wine – a nice finish to a great meal.
Flan with canella and orange
At the end of the our evening, we didn’t see Chef Mike Isabella in the dining area chatting with folks like we had seen earlier in the evening so we asked somebody about it and instead we got to head down to the kitchen on the third floor to chit chat with Chef Mike Isabella for a bit.
Meet and greet with Chef Mike Isabella
What was our damage at the end of the night? Well, the tab came out and our sum was $0! Technically, that’s not quite true as I had been paid $119 apiece when I had purchased our tickets from LivingSocial. Was it worth it? Definitely! We ate and drank extremely well and we got to meet Chef Mike Isabella. Not only that but during dinner my wife and I both felt like we were on Top Chef during restaurant wars. The only thing missing from our popup restaurant experience was a feedback card! Thanks LivingSocial for a wonderful experience and I look forward to enjoying more such evenings in the future!
Overall, we had a wonderful dinner experience. If our preview is indicative of the dining experience at Bandolero, Bandolero will no doubt be a big hit. I don’t know what the final prices for the various courses will be, but the portion sizes were generous and if that carries over, I don’t see anybody complaining about Bandolero not being a good bang for the buck, or leaving hungry/thirsty! I must admit that I’m typically not the biggest fan of tequila but all of the drinks were good. I particularly enjoyed the Michelada and would definitely recommend that to start off your Bandolero experience. If I do make it to Bandolero after it opens, I’ll probably be trying the other dishes that I didn’t get to try but if I were going to have some of the dishes again, I would go for the sopes, mahi mahi, spicy chicken, mole negro, finishing it off with the Mexican chocolate pudding.
Below is a more comprehensive photo documentary of our experience:
Foodie Forays 