Family Favorite

Cold Sesame Spinach

When ever we are in New York City, my family manages to make a stop at Sammy's Noodle Shop. It is amazing. This was from dinner on Friday night, sorry for the bad phone camera quality!

Slightly off

News alert: I barely have a working kitchen anymore. I have started the process of packing, boxing, and throwing away the entire contents of my apartment to prepare for my cross-country move. This whole empty kitchen thing is wreaking havoc on my food inspired blog so I apologize for my lack of recipe posts.

I did, however, manage to try a few new/semi-new foods this week. It seems better to tell you about them instead of what I will most likely be having for dinner....a microwaved quesadilla and steamed broccoli. So complex and gourmet, I know ;)

First item of interest: Bi-Rite Creamery's Salted Caramel Ice Cream. For the past few months, I have read and heard about salted caramel ice cream. I have never tried it let alone seen it. I figured the best ice cream place in San Francisco must carry this flavor.

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Boy was I right. The first taste reminded me of English toffee. Not too sweet but definitely recognizable. The aftertaste reminded me of coffee. I'm not sure if this is these are the flavors I was supposed to be tasting but I really enjoyed it.

Second item of interest: Ike's "Pizzle" Sandwich. If you have never heard of Ike's, it is a few blocks away from Bi-Rite. You have to stand in a large line to order your sandwich that most likely will have a silly name. Each sandwich comes toasted with dirty sauce (a homemade variation of garlic aioli). Stuffed to the brim, these sandwiches are more like a feast rather than a meal.

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The "Pizzle" included halal chicken, bacon, cheddar, and ranch dressing. It comes with a free bag of kettle chips and a caramel apple lollipop. While the sandwich was epic and a gut bomb for sure, I couldn't help but wish that I ordered "The Hot Mamma Huda". It is basically the same sandwich but get rid of the bacon and add Frank's Red Hot sauce (which I LOVE). However, don't be fooled. I still managed to eat the entire sandwich which caused me to slip into a food coma.

My suggestion would be to first head over to Ike's and pick up some sandwiches. (Side note: You can call ahead and order if you don't want to wait in the line) Head on over to Dolores Park, lay out a giant blanket and devour your sandwiches. While waiting for your food coma to pass, read a book, play some Yahtzee, or even take a nap. When you start to feel normal again, walk on over to Bi-Rite Creamery and get a scoop of ice cream. You will have eaten amazing food and spent some relaxing time under the beautiful California sun. What could be better than that?

Japantown Treasure

Picture this: you've just finished a giant sushi roll or two, a glass of Sapporo (or two), miso soup, edamame...you know the drill. All of the sudden, you hear your sweet tooth crying "Don't forget about me!". You glance back at the menu and what do you see? Mochi ice cream. It is the perfect dessert to accompany a perfect meal.

Would you be surprised to hear that mochi is delicious even without the ice cream? Well, it is. Very tasty indeed.

Those little balls of glutinous rice filled with red bean paste or fruit had me venturing over to Japantown around 9 a.m. this morning in hopes of satisfying my already existent sweet tooth. The place? Benkyo-do Company. A friend from work told me about their mouthwatering mochi and boy was she right. When you walk in, it looks like a regular donut or coffee shop. However, you turn to your left and are presented with rows and rows of fresh mochi. There are no labels but the man behind the counter politely explains each type. They even wrap it for you in a nice box to take home!

The mochi was fresh and delicious. It puts supermarket mochi to shame. If you are ever near Japantown, I suggest you pick some up. You will not be disappointed.


**Side note: If you do end up going here, head across the corner to Yasukochi's Sweet Stop for a slice of Coffee Crunch cake. It is beyond amazing.