Saturday, December 31, 2011

Candybar Dessert Lounge

Several months ago I came here for my birthday and I had loved the desserts. So much that I decided to come back with a very close friend. Jen ordered a Candybar Lemon Drop Shot, Blood Orange Cocktail, and Ice Cream Sundae with Macarons and Brownies. I ordered a Jasmine Sparkler and a Soft Cheesecake with Guava Sorbet, Pecan, and Rice Krispies. The cheesecake was so impressive. I loved it more than the cheesecake I had from the Cheesecake Factory two days ago.

~ A

Cheesecake Factory

The Kahlua Coffee Cheesecake and the White Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake were one of the best I've tasted. The caramel and white chocolate were surprisingly not too sweet. And I love that there was actually macadamia nut on the cheesecake. Definitely something I'd order again.

~ A

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Purple Kow

This tapioca place is only a few blocks from my house on Balboa street next to the Balboa theater. The drinks are pretty good. Not exactly up to par with Teaway. But it's cheap considering how big the cups are.

~ A

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Waterfront Pizza

For the end of the quarter celebration as well as Christmas gift exchange, my classmates and I went to Waterfront Pizza in Foster City for dinner. I ordered a chicken pesto pizza with spinach. It was very good. The chicken and tomatoes were diced in a good size. So you can taste each individual ingredient. If it weren't so far away, I wouldn't definitely go again.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Fruit tarts

These are the fruit tarts I made. The tart is from a short bread cookie recipe. While I tried to make the custard pudding from a recipe I found, it didn't turn out right, sadly. Instead, I used ready made vanilla pudding (Snack Pack), and placed fruits on top.

I bought both mini cupcake molds and flower molds. But the flower one, depicted here, made it difficult for me to pull out the tartlet.

~ A

ABC Bakery and Restaurant

Located on Noriega, this restaurant is always busy. You can find Chinese American food for a decent price. I order a shrimp chow mein while my friends ordered seafood fried ramen. Both were good. The chicken wings which were crispy with a hint of spiciness was also very good. My only issue with this place is the service. My noodles came out relatively fast but the ramen took an extra 15-20 minutes. It just seemed too long of a wait.

~ A

Powderface

In San Jose, on Story Road by Walmart, I've seen a sign for "New Orleans Beignets and Coffee." Curious my cousin and I went to try it.

Unfortunately, because we've had beignets at Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the beignets at Powderface cannot compare. The beignets are supposed to be light and fluffy, covered with powdered sugar, but this place was more like a churro than anything else. I was disappointed.

Perhaps eventually I will find a place here on the West Coast that truly captures the tastiness of beignets of New Orleans.


~ A

Friday, June 17, 2011

Strawberry Banana Muffins

Friday, June 17, 2011

Strawberry Banana Muffins

I went to Sweet Tomatoes, a restaurant similar to Fresh Choice, last week. They had very good strawberry muffins. I wanted to make my own. But then, I thought since my friends and I like banana nut muffins, why not try strawberry banana muffins?

So here is the result. While banana nut muffins are best straight out of the oven, it's not quite so with strawberries. I think the strawberries taste a bit sour fresh from the oven. Once it cools, it tastes sweeter. *shrug* Maybe it's just me.

Ingredients:

2 large ripe bananas
1 cup of cut fresh strawberries
1/3 cup olive oil/melted butter
1-1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of salt

1. Mash the bananas and mix in the oil or butter.
2. Add in the strawberries.
3. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt.
4. Mix in the flour.
5. Put batter into muffin tins.
6. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 12 regular muffins.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Buffalo Wild Wings

Monday, April 18, 2011

One of the reasons why we went here was to try the fried pickles. Usually I'm not a fan of pickles, but these were pretty good. And interesting to try. Pictured on the right, the pickle slices were fried in batter. A creamy, slightly spicy sauce was included with the appetizer.

We also ordered mozzarella sticks and mini corn dogs from the $3 Happy Hour menu. I didn't try the corn dogs because I wasn't sure what kind of meat it was, but the mozzarella sticks were very good.

There were many flavors for the wings. But we tried three: Mango Habanero, Asian Zing, and Caribbean Jerk. Of the three, I really liked the mango habanero the most. There's a slight kick. The Caribbean Jerk was more barbeque than anything else.

The meal was a bit on the pricer side. But it was worth a try. I think it's comparable to Wingstop. The only difference is Buffalo Wild Wing has more flavors for their wings.

The restaurant itself was split into two sections: the bar and the dining. Each side has about 25 tv screens. If you're a sports fan, this is probably the best place to go to see a game.

~ A

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Stockton's Farmers Market

Sunday, April 17, 2011

I went to Stockton for my spring break and one of my first stops was at the Stockton Farmer's Market Sunday morning. There were so many fruits and vegetable stands, so many fresh produce to choose from. But the most incredible thing to me were the pastries.

Everything looked so good, but I chose to buy the strawberry turnovers. After all, they're strawberries. How could I pass up a chance to try one?

In season and sweet, these turnovers were huge and fluffy. The outside was slightly coated with sugar. I'm told that these were sellouts. The first to disappear. I'm so glad I got a chance to try one.

These turnovers were big enough for a meal and weren't too sweet. They were very worth their price. 1.75 for one of these strawberry turnovers. If I'm ever in Stockton on a Sunday, I would go back and buy more.

~ A

Monday, April 4, 2011

Candybar Dessert Lounge


Friday, April 1, 2011

Marina and I went to Candybar for dessert after having dinner at Khan Toke Thai House.

Located on Fulton St at Divisadero St, the candlelit lounge is very easy to miss at night among all the bright signs of the surrounding nightlife. Candybar is known for its desserts, cocktails, art gallery, and of course, how could I forget?, board games.

I don't know what the atmosphere is like earlier in the day, but I was there around 11 pm and most of the tables were occupied. Although the candlelit lounge seemed to be the perfect setting for a romantic date, most people went with small groups of friends.

I personally prefer a brighter setting. I felt I couldn't take in my surroundings that well in the dimness. How can one admire art in the candlelight? I'll just have to come earlier next time.

The glass on the left is the Strawberry Kiss, which was a cocktail of sparkling wine, ginger ale, and a frozen strawberry. Of course, that was the one I had to get. The glass on the right is the Raspberry Delight, which was a mix of sparkling wine and raspberry syrup.

This was my first full drink so I thought the first few sips were too strong. But when paired with the desserts it tasted a lot better. The bottom of the drink was much fruitier, more to my liking.



Photo on the left is the Strawberry Limeade. According to the menu, it's made of strawberry mousse, vanilla cake, calamansi cream, and topped with chopped strawberries. I could definitely taste the hint of lime. Photo on the right is the Lavender Honey Creme Fraiche Semi Freddo. It consists of almond brittles, nutella powder, and cantaloupe. I've never had lavender flavored dessert before so it was definitely interesting.

As good as the desserts were, I couldn't enjoy it as much as I would have if I weren't so full from dinner. Lesson learned for our next visit.

~ A


Khan Toke Thai House

Blissful Bites

Friday, April 1, 2011

Blissful Bites is a quaint little bakery located on Arguello and Euclid St. This place has all types of pastries including savory croissants, cookies, cupcakes, and birthday cakes. I even saw green tea madeleines. Something I definitely want to go back and try in the near future.

The picture on the right is of my Brownie Fudge Cupcake. The frosting was very chocolatey and sweet. Perfect for chocolate lovers. The cake portion was also chocolate, but I felt it was a little on the dry side.

I do want to go back to the bakery another time and try their other flavors. For those who don't want a regular size cupcake for $3, they can purchase a smaller version for $2.

~ A

Han II Kwan

Friday, April 1, 2011

This Korean restaurant has been around for as long as I can remember. I used to live only a few blocks from this place, but this was the first time I ate here. Located at the corner of Balboa St and 19th avenue, it is a popular destination for tourists. Bright and spacious, this Korean restaurant is the perfect place for families and group gatherings.

The picture on the right is some of the side dishes included for free with the meal. There were a total of 10 small side dishes, which included kimchee and fish cakes, as well as a small clay pot the spicy tofu soup which is below.


We ordered kimchee pancake. This was quite unusual. I have never had kimchee in pancakes before so it was fun to try even though it was a bit pricey. Each slice wasn't that big in size but it was thick and very filling. The pancake was not disappointing. It tasted exactly like kimchee. So if you're a lover of kimchee, give this dish a try.


We ordered two entrees: the beef short ribs and the spicy pork. I didn't try the short ribs because I don't eat beef, but it looked good. I had the spicy pork and I thought it was one of the best ones I've had. To me, it wasn't very spicy, but then again, rarely anything is. The two pictures below show the entrees. The darker one is the beef short ribs and the reddish one is the spicy pork.


I personally thought the food here was very good. The entrees weren't expensive at all since they were lunch specials. Each dish was between $8 -10, which is very reasonable for Korean food. Besides, there were so many side dishes I felt that you could become full just by eating those. I will come back here to satisfy my Korean food cravings.

~ A

Baan Thai Cuisine

Elephant Bar

Beastly

Schubert's Bakery

Spaghetti Alfredo

Milpitas Buffet

Spaghetti Tacos

Gingerbread Cookies

Iroha Restaurant

Creations

Crepe Temptations

Reality

Perhaps my life isn't as exciting as being lost in a curst forest.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Utterly Lost

Stumbling over roots protruding from the ground, I ran towards what seems to be a clearing just ahead. Overhanging branches snagged at my clothes and my hair, but I yanked myself free from their clutches. I continued to fight my way through the underbrush, trying to find my way out of this endless darkness. How many days has it been since I saw another soul in this curst forest? I was not sure. Day and night seemed the same in this shadowland. And it was not pleasant.

A few more feet, and I would be free. A few more steps, and I would be with people again. Or not.

I fell forward into the clearing, scraping the palms of my hands on the rocks and twigs on the ground. Slowly rising to my feet, I looked at my surroundings and my hopes sank. There was no sign of civilization, no town, and certainly no people. It was merely a small clearing.

I turned around slowly, absorbing every little detail I could see. I wanted to find something, anything, that would give me some indication that I was going in the right direction. I wanted to find a path, a way out of this forest. I have been trapped for days, perhaps even weeks. And I did not know how to end this torment.

I was utterly lost, and there was no way out.

~ A