delectation

Mangarosa

Susan had optimistically made 1030pm reservations at the new Brazilian place in North Beach -- Mangarosa -- for about 15 of us who had performed at the San Francisco Hiphop Dance Festival 2 weeks ago. I say "optimistic" since the performance started at 8pm, and ended just a scant minute before 10pm. Dancers and Capoeristas* are all alike -- it's like herding cats to get us out of one venue to the next. Inertia, and the desire to socialize, will wreck the most assiduously-laid plans.

Most of us finally arrived around 11-1120pm, I think, and the proprietors were surprisingly forgiving and gracious. Perhaps it was because they were not that full at that hour. Perhaps it was because the owners have Brazilian backgrounds, as reported in the SFGate review. Whatever the reason, they treated us fairly well despite our lateness and our boisterous rowdiness (Capoeiristas with alcohol? Fugheddaboudit!).

Susan instructed us to order only a few large plates and share a bunch of the smaller plates and appetizers. I think she had read the description of the steak rechaud (grilled steak, brazilian style, first picture above) -- served at the table with its own grill so you can finish cooking the meat to your desired doneness -- as applicable to all the main courses. The rechaud ($28) was indeed big enough for two. I was not that impressed, however. After countless BBQs with Brazilian Mestres (Capoeira Masters) manning the grill, after being used to the taste of steak, fresh off the coals, marinated in nothing but rock salt (the kind you use to make ice cream and de-ice your driveways), and served up with a drizzle of lime juice, this version definitely paled, flavourwise, in comparison. Most of the other main courses are suitable for one.

Many of us started out with the Caipirinhas -- a traditional brazilian drink that's usually made with nothing but cachaca (Brazilian sugar rum), sugar and a little lime juice. Susan tried to caution us, but we ended up ordering a bunch of appetizers: at midnight, we were all starving.

Appetizers

• Pao de Queijo - I didn't get a picture of this one, but it's a cheese bread "served in the brazilian style." It was a small cluster of around 4-6 (?) small, doughy, cheesey bread-balls that were tasty enough, though someone grumbled at the $7 price for something you could buy on the streets of Sao Paolo for about a nickle.
• Calamari - good calamari; but not the greatest. A little bland, but when one is starving, one is not that picky.
• Marinated Ahi tuna - Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, italian sea salt and pickled red onion. I didn't get to try this dish, but Suzie sitting next to me pronounced it very tasty.
• Filet mignon espetinho - "espeto" is skewer in portuguese and an espetinho is "little skewer." I think I liked the taste of the meat in this kebab better than the rechaud.
• Scallops and ...?... - I can't remember the name of the cured meat that comes with this appetiser, but it was good. This was the tastiest selection by far...
• Butternut Squash Soup - Sarah G. ordered this, and we all shared little sips -- 'twas a little too sweet for my liking. The breadstick was studded with little peppitas (sunflower seeds).

Entrees
For my "entree" I chose a series of small dishes -- the foie gras-topped brioche sprinkled with mango; the spinach salad with fried polenta squares and goat cheese; and two side dishes -- one of mixed, roasted root vegetables; the other of roasted or roasted mushrooms.

The foie was (imho) the best plate there -- it was ultra rich, served on top of crunchy brioche, with a heavenly sweetish sauce that carried hints of sourness -- perfect for the dish. Really yummy, and best taken in small increments or nibbles.

The spinach salad was very good as well, but it could have done with a little less dressing, and a bit more goat cheese and polenta squares. And I was not too fond of the roasted root vegetables (turnips, parsnips, carrots). If it hadn't been for Salsicha, Mr. human vacuum cleaner, it would have been the only dish left over.

The mushrooms, though, were quite good.

Other dishes included the sea bass with lemon, olives & mangos (Brian's pick). Just as the SFGate review indicates, it was a little dry and overcooked.

Salsicha ordered the grilled lamb chops dotted with pomegranate seed and served with roasted figs and a pomegranate juice-based sauce. I'd dub this the most delicious entree of the evening.

All in all, a good night out -- the bill for 15 came out to around $750 -- not bad, but for the price, and for a bunch of hungry Capoeiristas (many of whom don't have regular jobs, such is the life of a performer), we might have been better off trying the $35 all-you-eat Espetus Churrascaria on Market St.

411
Mangarosa ("Pink Mango")
1548 Stockton St.
(415) 956-3211
Open Table information

*a side note. I think I might have mentioned Capoeira, or Capoeiristas in the past on this blog, but have never really explained it. Capoeira is 400-year old Brazilian art form that combines elements of the martial arts, acrobatics, dance, and music. (Capoeiristas are those who practise the art.) Created by African slaves brought to the new world by the Portuguese, it was a fighting form disguised as a dance since slaves were prohibited from learning or possessing anything that could be construed as a means to self defence. I've been playing Capoeira for a little over 2 years now, having discovered it as a Hip-Hop dancer in the late 90s.

Piperade

Last Monday I had dinner with my girl Anna Marie, who was in town for a 3-day work-related training. I made reservations for an early dinner at Piperade -- 5:30pm (at that hour, they were not really necessary, but it helps me rack up Open Table points). We were the first ones there, and in essence "opened" the restaurant, though the hostess assured us that they still got the occasional complaint about not being open earlier...

Piperade is on Battery St., between Union and Green, near the Levi Strauss Plaza along the Embarcadero. On a Monday night, the area is quiet, and street parking is relatively easy; weekends may be another story. The restaurant is beautiful, white linen on the tables, soft, diffuse but fairly bright lighting (a good thing for food photographers). I liked the rustic, seemingly rough-hewn community table in the middle of the restaurant.

As I was going to Capoeira class later on that evening, I tried to keep it light, and chose a shared appetiser.

We ordered from the tipia (small plates) to start, the Dungeness crab salad "txangurro" with mango and red pimento salsa (top picture): little golden phylo(?)-wrapped pockets of the most heavenly crab salad, the richness cut perfectly by the sour-sweet crunchiness of the salsa.

A-M ordered another tipia of huge jumbo scallops for her entree... I can't remember the description, so hopefully if she gets back from her business trip and gets around to reading this she can chime in with her account...

I chose from the list of Euskaldun -- daily Basque classics which on a Monday night means braised veal sweetbreads with Madeira. Out came a rather large bowl of the yummy stuff, slow-simmered and tender, not overpoweringly sweet, and dotted with carrots and bits of wilted but still-vibrant baby spinach. I didn't let myself finish and had to take about 1/3 home.

We could not resist dessert, and had to share at least one. These are the ravages of the warm apple tart which was, simply, absolutely, perfect.

411
Address: 1015 Battery St. Icehouse alley (btw. Union & Green and Sansome & Battery ),
near Levi Strauss Plaza along the Embarcadero
Hours: MON-FRI 11:30 am-10:30 pm; SAT 11:30 am-10:30 pm
Phone: (415) 391-2555
http://www.piperade.com
SFGate -- Reviews and links; Piperade has made the Chron's top 100 two years running

Quickest Lightest Meal, Ever!

This is something fast I threw together one evening -- I saw the recipe in a Martha Stewart Living magazine and it seemed so terribly easy and simple. You need about 1/2 a cabbage -- I used savoy snce I like the crinkly, ruffly leaves. Chop that up with the white and pale green parts of a leek, rinsed really well. Sautee the lot with some garlic and shallots if you have them, olive oil and a little butter, and a little chicken broth. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove when the vegetables are sufficiently tender. While the greens are cooking, drizzle the scallops in some olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat up a heavy skillet with some more olive oil and cook the scallops for about 3 minutes on each side, or long enough so they gain that lovely golden crust. Serve atop the cabbage and leeks.

Blue Plate

Sam of Becks & Posh recently posted on Blue Plate, one of my favourite restaurants in San Francisco. I've been there multiple times and have never been disappointed. It's located in the outer Mission, near Bernal Heights, and I consider it similar to Luna Park (another favourite) and Emmy's Spaghetti Shack close by -- really great food at reasonable prices, all with a very down to earth, cozy-casual feel that I believe epitomizes the best of San Francisco dining. On all Hallow's Eve eve Nora & I caught Spicy's show, "Gruesome Tales of Death & Destruction" at the Odeon. We got out around 930pm, and, instead of having to grab a burrito at one of the inumerable taqueiras that surround the area, we were gratified to find a fantastic alternative just across the street.

We hadn't had dinner, but were not very hungry, and felt that we just had room for an entree each. We were seated next to the front window, where some fabulous eerie blueish light poured down on the table and we had a great view of various costumed revelers heading off to their respective parties for the evening.

I ordered, and received, this absolutely enormous lamb shank, topped with sauteed rapini and served over super-creamy polenta and a pool of rich rich rich ultra-flavourful reduction of somethingorother.

Nora chose the meatloaf, a Blue Plate "classic" -- the menu changes daily, but this is one of the items that remains a constant.

And finally, here are a couple of other pictures with the flash...

411
Blue Plate
3218 Mission St. (near Valencia)
Phone:(415) 282-6777
website: http://www.blueplatesf.com
Hours: Dinner 6:30-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday
until 10:30 p.m. Friday- Saturday.
Beer and wine.
Reservations and credit cards accepted.

PPQ (Pho Phu Quoc) Vietnamese Cuisine

On a weeknight around 10pm on the block of Irving between 19th & 20th, there are a few establishments open -- Peko, the Japanese food/ Karaoke bar, Go-go Cafe (open 'til 2am), and most notably, PPQ, its bright lights standing in stark contrast to the larger -- and dark -- Pho Hoa-Hiep II (aka Kevin's Noodle Soup) across the street.

PPQ is fairly full, and bustling, even at the late hour. A few Fridays ago Nora & I ambled down from my flat before getting to an art show in the TL. I was still on my pho kick and had yet another craving.

In my limited experience, there seem to be usually two sizes of pho -- small and large -- this time, I ordered a small bowl of the combination soup - rare steak, well done flank, tendon, tripe, and beef ball. Once the bowl arrives and you ooh and ah at the brightness of the rare meat against the less vibrant tones of the rest of the meat and soup, you push the lot down into the steaming broth, where it finishes cooking. The broth here was slightly darker and had stronger aromas and flavour hints of anise than the pho at Vietnam II. The noodles were well cooked and easy to slurp up, unlike the ones at Vietnam II, which we had to practically wrestle to take take apart.

The pho came, as usual, with the accompaniments of bean sprouts, chile and basil. This time, per Reid's suggestion, I asked that the bean sprouts be cooked slightly.

Nora was not very hungry and ordered a bit of a random combination of Spring rolls and Vietnamese iced coffee -- a rich, dark espresso shot from an individual coffee drip set over a small glass of sweet and thick condensed milk. After the coffee finishes dripping into the milk you pour the mixture into a glass of ice. I rounded out the soup with a plate of broccoli, which they must blanch quickly in some very flavourful broth as it had a delicious hint of something other than what plain steamed vegetable would taste like.

PPQ is fast, cheap, and good; I was there once before with some friends, and next time hope to try one of their curry-based soups, of which I've heard good things.

411
1816 Irving St (btw 19th & 20th)
San Francisco, CA 94122-1818
Phone: (415) 661-8869
Open: 7 days, lunch and dinner, 'til latish

Food Linkies

Here's a small roundup of random links, articles and such, etc. etc....

• If you're bored at work and have access to the Internet, there's a cool interview with Thomas Keller of the French Laundry and Jeff Cerciello, executive chef at Bouchon on Forum, KQED. Some good bits in the interview, including questions from callers about foie gras, and why Keller hasn't chosen to run a $15/meal type of French brasserie establishment.
• I like this recipe in the Wednesday Chronicle's Food section for Pomegranate, (Pinot,) & Spice Braised Pork.. sounds like a good stewing dish for these cool, rainy days.
• I've been thinking about Thanksgiving lately, and it seems I'll be repeating last year's tradition with my good friends Nora and Brian and hosting an orphan thanksgiving for those not traveling for the Turkey Holidays. Inviting the Capoeira Group.... Thinking about the menu from last year, and what kind of turkey to get.
• Our local wet weather is definitely having an effect on my food cravings: from the New York Times - Here Comes Ramen: the Slurp Heard Round the World.
• Learn about how the 'complex web of market and political forces that are changing the nature of what we eat': tonight, there's a (foodie) star-studded event with Madame Chez Panisse herself, Alice Waters, journalist Michael Pollan (The Botany of Desire) and filmmaker Deborah Koons Garcia of the headlined and highly acclaimed film, The Future of Food: see the film at the Castro, attend the subsequent panel discussion, and taste organic wine, beer and other snacks provided by Om Organics, Lime Restaurant and Besos Foods. Tickets are only $10 presale; limited # of $15 at the door. It's bound to sell out, if it hasn't already... (I so dearly want to go to this, but have other obligations...)
  Posted by claudine at 11:29 AM | Comments (1)

Limon

I'm behind on my posting again... It's been 2 weeks since we had an early birthday celebration dinner for my good friend Brian at Limon. It was the day of the Clarion Alley Block Party, so Nora and I were already in the Valencia St. corridor, dropping by the alley early to look at the awesome murals and take pictures, and scouring the plethora of bookstores in the area for one -- just one -- copy of Jon Stewart's book as a present for B. No luck. The bookstores that did carry A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction were all sold out. I guess that's San Francisco for you... But I digress...

Limon has shiny new digs on the very popular, very busy strip of Valencia St. between 16th & 17th, having moved out of their teeny tiny hole-in-the wall on 17th some months ago, thanks to early rave reviews. Their new place is easily 3 times as large, with room even for a teeny slip of a mezzanine, and a second, much smaller level which looks out on the main floor of the restaurant. I love the earthy colours inside -- olive greens and rich terra cotta tones make for a sleekly modern, but invitingly warm place. We were seated on the 2nd level, where I took some surprisingly good shots of the kitchen below.

Everything was simply delicious. There were 4 of us, not overly hungry, and we ordered 2 appetizers to share: their signature Ceviche Limon (the first picture above): "Fresh Halibut with mixed seafood marinated in lime juice, served with yams, Peruvian corn and mussels in a salsa criolla" and the Empanada Don Walter: "Pastry filled with sauteed beef, onion, olives, raisins and eggs served with rocoto cream sauce."

The Peruvian corn in the ceviche tastes like less crispy, giant corn nuts -- they have a slightly chewy rather than crunchy texture, but they added a nice enahncement to the dish. Everything in the ceviche (fish, shrimp, scallops, mussels) was lovely-fresh. The empanadas -- rich and to die for.

Brian chose the Cordero ala Parilla, "Grilled filet of free-range Lamb, served with lentil tacu-tacu (rice and lentil cake), lamb jus and crisp plantains." It was enormous, and I especially liked the bunny ears of plantains emerging from the tacu-tacu.

Nora opted for something light -- the Arroz Primavera: "Saffron rice with zucchini, mushrooms, yellow squash, bell pepper and English peas." The purple bits in the picture are soft red onion, I believe.

Joel ordered the Churrasco ala Parilla, a hefty grilled "12 oz. Ribeye steak served with roasted Peruvian purple potatoes and grilled aspargus with chimichurri and mustard sauce."

And I wanted more seafood, choosing their Picante de Mariscos: Sauteed seafood and diced potatoes in a Peruvian adresso cream sauce, served with and a side of rice -- the latter helpful in enabling me to gleefully consume all that lovely rich sauce.

Our server was so charming, so agreeable ... we had brought a bottle of wine (on Alder's cue) and cake; both of whch he obligingly served.

He took the birthday cake Nora brought from Tartine discreetly to the kitchen and served it up on individual little plates, topped with long sparkly candles... Limon is bound to be another favourite; I can't wait to go back...

411
524 Valencia Street (btw. 16th & 17th)
San Francisco, California
415.252.0918 tel
415.252.0000 fax
http://limon-sf.com
Reservations recommended

Foreign Cinema

My heart is still heavy from the horrible election results yesterday, so I'm not sure whether I'll be able to post very much about this restaurant. I do have some pictures; some good, some not so great... but on the whole it was my third visit there and I had a spectacular time. Our server was absolutely wonderful, the food absolutely fabulous. We sat in a beautiful gallery space with high white ceilings, and large pieces of interesting art on the wall. I recommend Foreign Cinema unreservedly.

Foreign Cinema is connected to a bar called Laszlo -- the first small picture above, left, is a shot from their balcony space upstairs. We waited in Laszlo for our 945pm reservations. The restaurant's theme, of course, is film, and they project a weekly selection of imported pieces on a large wall in their outside patio. Their business cards feature the very debonaire Marcelo Mastroianni. With 2 indoor spaces -- the main dining room featuring an open kitchen on one side and a bar on the other and their fairly new Gallery space that flanks the patio (no one was sitting outside because of the weather) -- one gets a sense of a large secret world behind the nondescript doors on Mission street.

We ordered, to start, a medium order of Fruits de mer: assorted raw and cooked shellfish (mussels, oysters, shrimp, clams, and one teeny crawfish, which I snagged) and fresh crab; there were 6 of us and the offering was perfect. Everything ultra fresh and enhanced by the trio of sauces: champagne mignonnette, aioli, and cocktail.

Main courses: all wonderful -- I chose the steamed Northern halibut, golden chantrelle sauce, "mini charm" charry toms, basil and what seemed to be large borlotti beans. Clockwise, Brian picked the Eastern skate, warm caramelised butter and clam essence vinaigrette, parsley, capers and crisped potatoes. Nora chose the roasted Madras curry-scented chicken, Tuscan farro (chewy, smoky, yummy, flavourful), butternut squash, bacon & kale. Unfortunately, the latter two pictures didn't come out so well. The only other dish on the table I failed to capture was of the grilled Moroccan-spiced duck breast, soft polenta, organic romano beans, figs & cracklings.

Dessert: chocolate gateau with champagne sabayon, and ginger cake and ice cream with citrus sauce. Dinner was late, and we closed the restaurant out.

Our waiter, in addition to having a great sense of humor, was exceptionlly gracious, charming and down to earth. He made our late supper one of the best dining-out experiences I've had in a while...

411
2534 Mission St. (at 21st), San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 648-7600
Dinner: Monday 6:00pm - 9:00pm;
Tuesday - Thursday: 6:00pm - 10:30pm;
Friday - Saturday: 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm,
Sunday: 11am - 9pm; Sunday Brunch begins at 11:00am
Saturday Lunch: 11:30am - 3:30pm
http://www.foreigncinema.com
Make reservations via Open Table here

2004

Difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future. ... When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.

- Martin Luther King, "Where do we go from here?", August 1967

I know this isn't food related, but I can't help myself. I've been consumed by the election these past few weeks. Apologies for not responding to your nice comments sooner.

I have not wanted to do much today, but I'm semi-excited to find out that there's a great article in our hometown rag, the SF Chronicle, on pho... And it uh ... chronicles some lovely places on Larkin St. in the Tenderloin, otherwise known as San Fran's Little Saigon. It's a good article, and managed to cheer me ever so slightly on this cold, wet, sad night...

South Sea Seafood Village

clockwise from the top left: har kau (shrimp dumplings), abalone siu mai, tripe, black bean spareribs

My last stop with my parents on their visit (weekend of the 17th) was at the South Sea Seafood Village just a few blocks down from my home--on Irving between 15th and 16th. I had read the SF Chronicle review a couple of years ago, but it's taken this long for me to try out the place.

It looks great, inside and out. Great big glittering chandeliers hang low from the ceiling, giving the place a very fancy feel. The tables and chairs are of dark wood -- they look expensive, solid and of good quality, gleaming under the light. There were lots of Asian patrons inside which my family jokingly points to as a sign of authenticity. We got a table by the large picture window, which provided some lovely light for the pictures.

They had a beautiful sparkling display -- in a large cabinet softly lit -- of their "treasures:" -- shark's fins, dried abalone, birds' nests -- worth in the thousands, my parents speculated.

As usual, if pea sprouts are on the menu, I'll order it. They were a bit too oily, but tasty enough. I enjoyed the dim sum overall. The one thing we didn't like was the way they offered their dishes. When I go out for dim sum I expect purveyors pushing steam carts, or at least walking around with trays with their selections. This happened at South Sea (folks with trays), but they were few and far between for the most part we had to place our orders for what we wanted -- for the standard dumplings (siu mai, har kau) and stand-bys (spareribs, glass noodles) that usually make up a dim sum menu. My Dad conjectured that perhaps this was because the kitchen seemed to be upstairs rather on the lower level, and maybe they were trying to cut down of food waste.

All in all, I'd be willing to give SSSV another try, but not for dim sum... I'll stick with Ton Kiang or Yank Sing...

411
South Sea Seafood Village
1420 Irving St. (between 15th and 16th avenues)
Phone:(415) 665-8210
Hours: Open for lunch (dim sum) 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Weekdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. weekends; dinner 5-9:30 p.m.
Sunday-Thursday, until 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.