Soba & New Years

I just had my soba noodles and it seems like the right way to start this particular new year. It's got me thinking that maybe my New Year's resolution will be to have soba once a month. There's a simplicity that is so grounding -- in a way that you realize you don't need anything else but that moment and soba. It'll aso give me a reason to find good soba noodles and either make or find a good tsuyu (dipping sauce).

Soboku -- a quality Japanese people treasure that means to be simple, natural, modest and elegant in an unadorned way

Bringing in the new year with soba is a Japanese tradition, LA Times, December 30, 2009

May your family be happy, well, and peaceful

May your enemies be happy, well, and peaceful

May you be happy, well, and peaceful

Wine list - in process

Sauterne (from night before) 89
Montrachet 02
Quientessa 95
Pichon Lalande 85

Tenderloin- To Do List

Bodega Bistro, 607 Larkin Street, San Francisco

Wanda's recommendations
#1 NOM- Papaya salad and beef jerky
#29 COM BO LUCK LAC  - shaking beef and rice
#39 BO LUC LAC - beef

And for fun, some minor food violations. 

Mangosteen, 601 Larkin Street, San Francisco

Eggplant Lasagna & French Pinot Noir - To do

PAIRINGS

Eggplant Lasagna — Bourgogne rouge and Chianti
By Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle Staff Writer

Choosing just one wine for dinner can be challenging, especially when there are several dishes at the table. Versatile Pinot Noir is the hands-down favorite red wine for such occasions because it has minimal to soft tannins and bright acidity — important food-friendly characteristics. Bourgogne rouge, from Pinot Noir grown in Burgundy, has an extra measure of acidity. Some bottlings are so tart that the wine needs to be enjoyed with food before it will show its best.

Another food-friendly red wine — Chianti, which is a Sangiovese from Tuscany — shares similar characteristics. Since Chianti pairs well with tomatoey sauces and cheese (think pizza and red-sauced pasta), a dish with those ingredients could also partner with Bourgogne rouge.

The wine's acidity stands up to the simple tomato sauce, which is flavored with onion, garlic and fresh herbs, while the cheese tempers both. Eggplant's earthiness echoes loamy notes in the wine.

A Cote du Rhone - nice!

Vieux Clocher, Ventoux, 2007 $8

 

Without thinking too much -- drinkable, and bringable. But hard to find. Got it at Vino Wine store on 4th Street in Berkeley, went back the next day and they're out. Also very hard to find online. To me it's the reason why a lot of the wine review websites and apps that try to be a comprehensive resource face an uphill battle. What a let down when you go to the site and nothing but the name of the wine there. It's like, uh, I have that part. But you can see the visionary pitch -- we'll dominate the world, users will generate reviews, and others can comment, and well have all these users and they'll buy wine. Like nearby Mount Ventoux -- the giant hill famous for the Tour de France. Not everybody is going to make it to the top, even the best.

Champagne in New Mexico - To Do List

Gruet

From Snooth:

While I still rank Schramsberg as the best domestic producer they face increasing competition from many of their neighbors as the industry as a whole recognizes that vineyards that are best suited for the production of sparkling wines. While there are many great wines being produced in California, one producer vies for the tile of “greatest domestic sparkling wine producer” each year, and they hail from New Mexico!

Yup that’s right New Mexico, the mountains of New Mexico to be precise. During a visit to the States in the early 1980’s, Chapagne producer Gilbert Gruet found the mountains of New Mexico, and felt they offered great promise from the production of Sparkling wine. In 1982 Gruet planted vineyards of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at his 4300 ft high vineyard and thus began one of America’s greatest wine success stories.

The wine’s of Gruet are both affordable, delightfully so, and delicious with real class and elegance. They might not yet reach the heights of the best bottlings from producers like Schramsberg, but they do consistently best many producers products, and at half the price. No easy feat.

Sparkling Wine Tasting

Random notes. The non-vintage sparking wines were mostly about texture - were the bubbles aggressive? did it feel sharp or creamy. The vintage 2002, Deutz was noticably refined, understated, and interesting. Not much notes here as a I started getting toasted. Something about Champagne.

1. Cabriz, Dao, Portugal, non-vintage, 12% alcohol, Espumante Bruto style, $15




2. Bodegas Raventos I Blanc, Peneds, Spain, 2005, 12% alcohol, Brut Cava




3. Borgo Magredo, Gravel Del Fruili, Italy, non-vintage,11.5% Prosecco, extra dry $13.

4. Ariola, Emilia, Italy, non-vintage, Lambrusco style, $13.

Fresh, fruity, kind of like Beaujolais. Good every day.

5. Mumm Napa, Napa Valley, CA, non-vintage, 12.5%, Brut $20.

House style. Creamy, full, round.



6. Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Reims, France, non-vintage, 12%, Brut style, $45.
Yeasty.

7. Deutz, Ay, France, 2002, 12%, Rose, $75

Age, delicate, strawberry, richer wine.



winemaker's notes:

The 2002 Brut Rosé is made exclusively from Pinot Noir grapes. Eighty percent of the grapes come from the Montagne de Reims area, and the remaining 20 percent are grown in the Marne Valley. The specific style and color is obtained by the addition of 9% of red wine, whose Pinot Noir grapes come from two plots on the Aÿ hillside called "La Côte" and "Meurtet"—both having perfect exposure. After 4 years ageing in our cellars, its aromas have perfectly blended, and the Brut Rosé has a very subtle nose and a palate that shows remarkable power.

The color is a deep salmon pink, with its brightness heightened by fine and lively bead. The nose is fine and expressive, with seductively fruity aromas. The wine shows harmoniously on the palate from the start to the finish, with flavors of raspberries and wild cherries. The texture is rich and silky. It is clearly a vintage with ripe and healthy grapes that have plenty of concentration and style. Its finish shows quite delicious flavors.

This is particularly recommended for drinking with a meal. It would go perfectly with salmon in a mushroom sauce, beef carpaccio, duck with blueberry sauce, lamb cutlets, or a number of young, creamy cheeses such as Chaource or Brillat Savarin.
critical acclaim:

"The 2002 Brut Rose is simply beautiful. Well articulated aromas and flavors emerge with notable class as this fresh, vibrant Champagne grows in the glass. Medium in body, the wine possesses outstanding length and a silky, refined finish. The Rose is made with the addition of 8% still Pinot from Ay. This is a terrific effort. "

92 Points

The Wine Advocate

"Pale salmon hue with a persistent mousse. Inviting scents of raspberry and pear with secondary nuances of ginger and allspice. Sweet, juicy flavors of cider, raspberry and pomegranate. Impressions of vanilla in the creamy close."

93 Points

The Wine News

"100% Pinot Noir. Almost obvious in its cherryish cast to lightly candied, lightly citrusy aromas with surprisingly quietly stated autolysis impressions, this wine is foamy and frothy with fairly big bubbles and a full, juicy flavor profile. It is a very enjoyable quaffer."

89 Points

Connoisseurs' Guide

"Light pink. Suave, understated red berry and mineral scents are impressively precise. Clean, bracing and fresh, with deep but poised redcurrant and raspberry flavors and excellent persistence. I like this elegant style."

91 Points

International Wine Cellar

"A vinous style, with emphasis on the vibrant structure. The flavors evoke whole-grain toast, ginger and dried berry, with a smooth texture and a chalky sensation on the finish. Drink now through 2010. 280 cases imported."

89 Points

Wine Spectator


8. Moet & Chandon, Nectar Imperial, Espernay, France, non-vintage, 12%, demi-sec style, $48.

Remember - wine sweeter than the food.

Good intentions -- Cafe Grattitude

Deep sigh. Like many things - I appreciate the fact that someone goes to the effort rethink the established ways of doing things and actually delivers something new and unproven, but there is something about Cafe Grattitude and it's rule-based structure that is stifling. Deep down, all this vegan, sauces-that-tastes-like-dairy-but-isn't seems to be going in the wrong direction - far away from happiness. It's a little bit like the earthy crunchy version of breast implants. You can't be angry, sad or disappointed or unknowing. Instead you see yourself bigger than you are. Indeed, the options are: I am beautiful, I am effervescent, and I am worthy (kale, beet, celery, apple & ginger tonic). So unBuddhist. But maybe that's not what they are shooting for -- and if so, that's a good thing.

Other than that, the food was good, and reasonably priced (except for the price of the soup and that's my bias -- personally I just don't understand how a bowl of soup is $9. Come on guys, it's soup). The "I am passionate" pizza with side salad was satisfactory. And there is a nice fireplace, and they serve alcohol. But I have to admit, there's something more human and real about going to a Vietnamese restaurant and seeing families eat pho together -- not saying much, a bit bored with each other, but eating. Just regular folks eating, and that I like, and am grateful for.

South Wine and Food Bar

Braised pork belly with pumpkin puree, figs + crispy onion salad. Fat from belly light and fluffy. Flavorful. Balanced.

Fish and chips -- fries light with a little crunch, with wasabi mayo.

Deep fried brussle sprout leaves -- a carrier for salt, savory and oil. Like tiny green translucent potato chips.

The restaurant will close their doors tomorrow. Sigh. Next best thing, follow chef Luke Mangan.

Quince, Fleur dy Lys and some crazy good wine.

- found out i love sweetbreads. (but also realize it's a once year kind of thing).
- quinces' pasta delicate
- raw egg ravioli in a butter sauce (what's not to like)
- pasta with honey, walnut and cheese - we had it for pre-dessert. a good-couple-of-bites dish.
- montrachet
- new space seemed better, yet less like-someone-you-know-in-a-formal-would-you-like-still-or-bubble-water kind of way. the main waiter guy was still formal, yet seemed distracted and burdened by the bigger space.

fleur de lys
- watermelon with balsamic vinegar(just made some yesterday)
- amuse busch (sp?) cucumber thing -- very nice, warm madelines with black pepper
- more sweetbreads
- truffles
- foie gras -- last year in sf, then it's banned.

Spices Restaurant - Go to the one on 8th

294 8th Ave, at Clement, San Francisco

A vortex of laziness and luck -- went to Spices Szechuan restaurant on 8th. Intended to go the one on 6th with the bright yellow awning just two streets away, but in the rain and cold it felt miles away.

The calamari salt and pepper appetizer -- one of the best calmari dishes I've had and something like 6 bucks. Tender, lightly battered on a bed of Jalapenos and onions with Thai basil mixed in. Good beer food. A nice break from the heavily battered and deep fried variety -- turns out that most calamari is a pre-battered Sysco food product -- even nice-ish places like Nova on 2nd use the stuff. They top theirs with fried parsley -- which I like. Love fried herbs. So if I were Nova I'ld do the same, but Spices' calamari is dish-destination worthy.

Had my go-to #163 Mapo Tofu rice plate - fluffy tofu, flavorful and completely satisfying after a cold rainy day on the water.

Other. This 8th street location is also noticably better (less oily) than the one in downtown Oakland, which I still like and recommend.

Zuni Chicken with Bread Salad

Crunchy skin, succulent inside. A good approximation of the dish at the restaurant. Rustic, flavorful, satisfying on a chilly Sunday night.

Just checked. The same dish is $48. I know it' s better than mine, but that's just wrong.

Shiso Furikake

Edamame and Shiso Furikake

Here is my in-process recipe. Good for snacking on a Sunday afternoon, and probably a lager beer. Boil Edamame as you would -- rolling boil of salted water (I used Hawaiian salt), 5 minutes. Drain.

Steps taken

• Sprinkled Shiso Furikake over Edamame
  
• Squeezed a Meyer lemon - next time going to try lime
• Added canola oil -- flavorless, but it provides a mouthfeel carrier taste thing.
  
• Also added sugar -- 3 or 4 something more than pinches -- which was actually nice.
  
• Next time more Hawaiian salt in the salt water-- more oceany, or maybe some shoyu in the dressing.
  

Green beans and Shiso Furikake
Boiled green beans, so deep green and crunchy. Drain and cool. Stir-fry with high temp flavorless oil (canola for me). Btw when I stir-fried the beans at first started getting white milky outside scary thing -- so i tossed a few thinking that what happens to week old green beans. But the high temperature started charring the green beans nicely. So it's pre-char look.

Take the green beans into serving bowl, Aadd Shiso and a little salt. Put in fridge and eat cold. Pretty good. This is a finished recipe.

Shiso Furikake and something
What's up with all the Shiso? I realized I've got two bottles of this stuff -- which is crazy -- one bottle could easily last a couple of quarters and in reality could last a year. How much of this stuff can you sprinkle on rice? So if it ain't moving, it's gonna get Shiso Furikake -- an omlette might be nice. . . even a roasted chicken tucked under the skin -- or a steak -- maybe a baked potato, or pasta -- just the noodles tossed in olive oil, possibly butter -- and bonito flakes . Sidenote: my brother uses the left over jars for beer glasses. What about a Shiso Furikake cocktail? . . . lace the rim with sugar and Furikake -- and some vodka thing -- maybe pomegranate red thing or something greeeeeeen like a Midori. Have to think/experiment with that. I know, get a life.

Pinot Noir Wine Tasting - quick notes

1. Sebastiani, Sonoma Coast, 2007 13.5%, $18. California style. Fruity. Not as much Barnyard. Purple, Black Cherry, Plum, Violet. Chicken, Salmon. 
2. Domain Chandon, Carneros, 2006, 14.3%, $24. Lighter, Wet Earth, Tanin medium. Turkey, pork, slightly spicy. 
3. Felton Road, Central Otago, New Zealand, 14.0%, $30. Violet, Medium, Soft, Silky, smooth. Enough acidity to lay down. 
4. Argyle, Reserve, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2006, 14.5%, $40. Oregon style sits between California and Burgundy style. Not much nose, spicy, more powerful.
5. Nicolas Potel, Vieilles Vignes ("-" means Village wine), Savigny-les_beaune, 2006, 13.0%, $38. Sage, Anise, Tea.
   
6. Louis Latour, Marsannay (Village level wine), 2006, 13.0%, $18.  Barnyard, Bret = Onion. Burguny all about the land, less about the vinyeard.
   
7. Dominique Laurent, Gevrey-Chambertin, Les Corbeaux, 1er Cru, 2006 13.0%, $55. Gorgeous. Floats. Delicate. Violet. Jasmine. Gets in your nose. Smooth. Perfume.
   
8. Jean Grivot, Eschezeaux (vineyard didn't name the village), Grand Cru, 2004, 13.5% $135 (yeeeehah). Earth, Mushroom, Barnyard, Wet. Depth.
   

Things Learned
- Tannin and acidity can feel similar. The difference is that tannins dry the mouth. Acidity makes you salivate. One is in the front of the mouth, the other is in back.
- One strategy - pair to the structure of the wine first, not the flavor.
- The taste of the wine shouldn't change when you eat something. Adjust the food with salt and acidity (lemon, lime, vinegar).

- Fruity and acidity -- California style
- Earthy - French
- In between - Oregon -- Why? Because land in France is expensive, so they're going to Oregon.
- Global warming - going north in France, and it's changing their understanding - what has worked for hundreds of years.
- A deep color doesn't mean that its going to be a deep big wine.
- Tip - Beaujolais Cru (not Nouveau) one of the few value French wines. Everything else is a couple dollars more -- it's a land thing. The wine guy said that Australian wines are also good values.

- Note to self: don't brush teeth before wine tasting, and take the allergy pill. Hello.

To do:
- I can see French wines going with French food, braised stuff, coq au vin. But realistically how often am I eating French food, let alone cooking it or anything close for that matter. So need to figure out what goes well with an earthy, barnyardy French style Pinot.

- On the flip side -- fruity Pinots. Turkey? That's what they say -- but I have a feeling it's more about what-the-hell-do-we-do-this-hunk-of-meat, rather than this a great pairing. So also need to figure out what to pair a fruity Pinot.

Basque Wine - Txakoli (CHAC-o-lee)

My take:
White, light, clean, crisp, a hint of effervescence. Knifey. Might be nice with a fruit salad, or salmon -- probably poached, shrimp cocktail, maybe cerviche or could be too much of the same. On the opposite spectrum - sardines. Summer day wine.

SF Gate reviews Txaokoli which I first saw on Nopa's wine list. Hondarribi Zuri Getariako Txakolina 2008 Ameztoi (What?). I'm assuming Taxaokoli is the same as Txakolina

Here's a review on the bottle Nopa serves.

Price: $16.99

The Wine... Hondarribi Zuri and Hondarribi Belta are the improbably named component grapes in this wine. Chalky minerality, envigorating effervescence and faint citrus rind fruit aromas define the wine. This is a regional product that at first sip might seem too exotic to travel well. But the appeal of this thing meets an almost universal need- a flavorful, light and palate-cleaning white wine to accompany bar foods, or to get you ready for whatever's next on the menu. Small salty fish are an appropriate pairing, or fresh, firm-fleshed green olives.

The Land... Getariako Txakolina is a tiny vineyard region on the northern Atlantic coast of Iberia. This is Basque Country, a region relatively close to Rioja this is making wines that manage to remain millions of miles from anything else bottled in Spain. Picpoul de Pinet from France's Languedoc is an imperfect comparison, but there are similarities, even beyond the obvious CO2.

The Man... Ignacio Ameztoi is the seventh generation of his family to farm in Getaria. His vines are worked using sustainable farming practices. Apparently you can see San Sebastian from his land. Generally Ameztoi ferments his grapes in stainless steel to retain the Carbon Dioxide created by alcoholic fermentation in his finished wines. The Uplean Hartzitua bottling is an exception, fermented and aged in traditional large oak barrels-hence the barrels on the label. 1,000 cases of this yeasty, nuanced Txakolina are made each year.

Recent SF Gate Reviews + My Take

Turtle Tower, Tenderloin - Northern style - clearer broth, and rather getting a pile of bean sprouts, cilantro and other greens, you get a tiny dish of sliced jalapenos and lime. Curious if the French influence is stronger in Hanoi where the real Turtle Tower is. Most of the pho I have is a deeper broth -- which is making me wonder if most of the Vietnamese are from the south. Similar to they way most Chinese food here is really Cantonese.

Old Mandarin Islamic, Outer Sunset - The warm pot with lamb and preserved vegetable - satifsying - hot and brothy - with slippery thin white noodles. If you like kim chee, sauerkraut, or adobo -- you'll probably like No. 49. Order the beef pankake, Mandarin lamb; lamb with green onions and leave behind dishes that you think would be weird to have in a landlocked area -- like seafood. Also nice -- spicy hot pot --a version of shabu shabu -- cook your own vegtables and meats.

Here's a nice NYT travelogue on Chinese Muslims in Little Mecca (Linxia), but people who know say that this restaurant is really Beijing style.



To do:
- Ask Melanie about the history of the noodle and the Silk Road video.

Charlie Rose interviews David Chang, chef/owner of Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ko and Momofuku Ssäm Bar in New York City

Short List

My go to places:
- Old Mandarin - Lamb
- Turtle Tower in the Tenderloin for pho. Everyday food. The secret back room.
- Pyung Chang in Temescal -- bubbling tofu. Everyday, all day. Love this stuff.
- Fish in Sausalito, near Heath Studios, and the Bay Model, and Tennesee Valley. A nice friends-in-town kind of place. Outdoor seating, tents when it's cold, a little pricer than you think, but completely worth it.
- La vie on Geary -- Roasted crab, garlic noodles. Desserts - nice and delicate -- mango panna cotta. Another friends-in-town, once-in-a-while place.
- Bakesale Betty's, Temescal -- Chicken sandwich, egg salad sandwich, need to try the new roast beef sandwich.
- Hog Island Oysters in the Ferry Building, or up in Hog Island.
- Oyajii - Ramen, Japanese tapas, and the owner -- drunk and happy.
- Redd, Yountville 6480 Washington Street -- memorable dish: cold honey dew melon soup with pieces of lobster. Amazing. Read the menu, some things are better than others.
- South, 330 townsend, near the train station. Small, nice vibe, Aussie and Kiwi run and owned. Bacon that reminded me of my Uncle's smoked meat with some vegetable like asparagus.

Dim Sum near SFO airport (great for picking people up at the airport)
- Hong Kong Flower Lounge Restaurant, at the corner of Millbrae and el Camino -- can't miss it -- it's the right on the corner. Cold, slightly spicy jelly fish a nice counter point to the dim sum. It's also nice to be above and have a view.

(650) 692-6666

- Fook Yuen Seafood Restaurant, 195 El Camino Real, Millbrae, (650) 692-8600. Just down the street from Hong Kong Flower. Good, but somehow I prefer Hong Kong Flower Lounge.

On the way to Oakland airport:
- Quinns Lighthouse -- on the water, sailboats docked, deck seating, and the best part -- tossing peanut shells on the ground. Big mounds of shells everywhere.

Cocktails, well made
- Fleur de Lys, Union Square area - Appletini - need to figure out how to make theirs.
- Flora, downtown Oakland - creative combos - elderflower.
- Florio on Filmore -- classic cocktails well made.
- Absinthe, Hayes Valley - creative and classics.

To do list:
- Koi Palace, dim sum, Daly City.
- A survey of soon tofu restaurants in the greater Bay Area - where they are.
- A noodle list -- where to go where-ever you are.
- Santa Ramen in San Mateo -- heard really good things.
- Indian restaurants -- and what to do with those condiments.
- Good, over-designed restaurants that are a little pricey for what they are.
- Related topic -- Asian fusion
- Over-priced, over-designed restaurants (lower left quadrant).
- Why the SF chronical and other reviews are nice, but not relevant for folks like me
- Boon Fly Cafe in Napa.
- Car camping food -- salmon on a plank, seafood in coconut milk, sweet rice balls grilled, Wai and Lisa's chicken.
- Alternate strategies - what to do when the restaurant you want is packed.
- Cafes -- Where to go when you're in Union City, or where-ever, and you need wifi.
- Happy hour specials - half off bottles of wine -- Solstice. Lukkas. Oysters.
- Simple food combinations -- e.g. dates stuffed with cowgril creamery creme fraiche, and why it doesn't really work with other creme fraiche. Machego cheese -- from Costco and Ardi's homemade lilikoi kurd.
- Favorite French fries and other fried potatoes -- Gregoire's potato puffs.
- Dessert places for the non-dessert person - Nopa's creme anglaise, shaved fennel and strawberries -- their sopsasitas and pecan pie.
- When my cousin Ardi comes into town -- Fleur de Lys, Quince.
- Sheila's malasadas spiked with spam experiment.
- How to make a Spamtini.
- How to make an outrigger canoe spam garnish
- Places to eat while riding your bike
- Mapo Tofu places - Spices, Genki Ramen.
- Mini food tours - SF, Oakland-Berkeley, Sonoma-Napa-Yountville, and the more challenging Carmel-Santa Cruz-Monterey.
- Afghan restaurants in Fremont
- Fried chicken and Manzilla sherry is it wonderful, or just weird?
- Restaurants worth driving to
- Situational restuarants - ok I'm here now where?
- Drinks to order when you're at bar can't make up your mind and don't like beer- a cheat sheet for before, after, and when-ever drinks.
- Where to eat late at night in Oakland, San Francisco. Paula L says include the jook place in downtown Oakland. Gotta find the name.
- Reading a menu - how to pick the good stuff. In short figure out what the restaurant is about first. Recently I ordered a clumpy cream sauce seafood pasta in Carmel. Originally thought, "I'm near the ocean, I can smell ocean", but it was really a meat, big-portion-kind of place that happened to be in Carmel. My friends' steak and prime rib looked savory and fatty in all the right ways.

Mariscos la Costa

3625 International Blvd, Oakland, CA

Why I like it:
- Cerviche tostadas for $3.75. Clean, citrusy, seafoody. A fresh counterpoint to the warm and satisfying carne asada torta -- a messy steak and avocado sandwich in a soft grilled bun. Another $3.75. Most people are ordering just some version of cerviche -- soups/cocktails with extra crackers and the like -- which suggests that this is the authentic way to go. Maybe I'll get there someday, but for now I have to have steak and seafood.

More reasons:
- The walk up and order at the window serivce, the covered outdoor seating. Just like the take out places in Hawaii, except they've put up see-through plastic tarp to keep the cold out in the winter -- plus you can glance over and see your car in the parking lot. Not a bad thing. Definitely a day place, haven't been there in the evening.

- The guys behind the conter in their white 50's style diner shirts and pants, their generally happy efficient demeanor. They don't seem to mind if you stare at the menu trying to recall if pulpa is squid or octopus, or camarone means it shrimp -- and when you actually order they momentarily look concerned that you don't know what we're going to end up with -- which is fair -- so they repeat the order and pause to see if that's what you wanted. a few smiles and nods back and forth, and the deal is closed.

Pho Ao Sen

200 International in Oakland


Why I like it:
- Reminds of me of Hawaii, relaxed, calm, and bustling.
- Nicely priced - lunch today for 2 was $18 including tip.
- Broken rice plate with pork, egg, shrimp. So satisfying. Something about broken rice -- flavorful. Family feeling atmosphere.
- Pho Tai -- broth deeper than others. Like a big dark red wine. A plate with the usual bean sprouts, Asian basil, and jalapeno, but also something that look liked Dandelion leaves.
- Love the interior -- the light that comes in through the windows, the greenery from outside. Big square windows, wood ceiling, nice mid-century proportions, and pleasantly undesigned.
- Also like the back parking lot, the door to it, the tables outside.

Only been there during the day. Not sure what it would be like at night. 14th street turns into International, and it's suprising far-close from the Oakland Library area and the lake. Seems far, but then you take the sweeping right 14th exit, and it's right there on your left at the corner of 2nd street and International. Look for the free-standing building with bushes all around it.