Gary Soup

Not close? Maybe if you're from LA. As I recall, it was a shorter walk from the TST MTR stop to the Regent Hotel than to the Star Ferry, and I don't know of anyone who found that burdensome.

So where do I click to find the illicit means of getting the peppercorns?

It appears that the author of a customer review of Fuschia Dunlop's latest book was prophetic: "The two mail-order sources listed in the appendix in the book for Sichuan Peppercorn turn out to be duds, as they themselves have had their inventories seized. So the aspiring home chef looking to replicate these dishes at home will have to find the Sichuan Peppercorn via illicit means. Check out egullet.com for more information on this." [Emphasis mine.] Customer Review of Fuschia Dunlop's "Land of Plenty"

Not quite that lopsided ..... Rematch

Very true. I don't think Narsai ever was into that game, but I am always reminded of the Potluck when the Alice Waters/Jeremiah Tower thing comes up. I remember the Nut Tree as more of a budget family kind or roadhouse, albeit a few notches above a Savarin or a Denny's. They were also good at marketing. I recall they had a gift shop "outlet" in San Francisco (either at the Cannery or at Ghirardelli Square).

We haven't tried any at home, but here is another recipe that LOOKS about right (although it gives the making of the wrapper dough short shrift). xiaolongbao recipe You already have the Weichuan recipe.

Costco in SF carries Acme bread. Talk to those guys in Kirkland. Maybe they could fill a truck for the return trip.

What the F is "forward cuisine?" Soylent Green?

Here's another use for Chinese Chilis.... Chili Sauce Anesthetic for the Emperor's Eunuchs. But don't try this at home, folks.

Do you have a date for that? My candidate for the the origin of "California Cuisine" is the Potluck Restaurant, Berkeley CA, under Narsai David, ca. 1965.

Tien Tsin chilis, as the name implies, are from Tianjin province, which happens to be quite far from Sichuan. But I don't think it really matters. Any dried red pepper with a high degree or heat will probably do. For appearance's sake (in some dishes), they should be around an inch long or less when dried. I'm sure there are dried red chilis in Toronto's Chinatown, since there are some well-stocked Chinese markets there. It's a far different matter if Fuchsia calls for Sichuan peppercorns (a.k.a. Fagara) since these cannot be legally imported into the US and there is no real substitute.

A couple of pictures: The first is from Lijiang (Yunnan, on the border with Sichuan) and the second is from Sichuan (no charge for the butterfly).

probably b/c it would be. how few too many would need to be determined when the office space square footage and sizes of all the other planned uses are determined. i'm no urban planner (even though I might pretend to be b/c I like the field) but thus far, I'd say it's off by at least 300 spaces, even assuming it's near a transit stop or 2. I'd be curious to know how you came up with your numbers. 1,500 parking spaces sounds like overkill to me, except that it's probably meant to provide surplus parking for other nearby land uses. Office parking peak demand is mid-day, while theater and hotel peak parking demand occurs during the evening. 1,500 spaces is way more than the theater and hotel will need. The magnitude of the office development is not specified, but given height and bulk limits in JLS (not to mention urban design considerations), it is highly unlikely to require 1,500 spaces. As for the Market Hall itself, it's likely to serve mostly workers in the area and others who visit JLS for other purposes. Remember, the SF Ferry Building Market Hall development provided ZILCH parking spaces. I'm also not a urban planner myself, but I am a transport planner, and part of my daily grind includes parking studies. As an aside, I have to wonder what the developers' concept is for the Market Hall, since they solicited Cost Plus and Dreyers for starters. Not exactly Sur la Table and Ciao Bella, but maybe they have something less foofy than the Ferry Building in mind. But what, exactly?

Haven't had a burger for years, except for pure expediency, but I think the best burgers I ever had were at the long gone Mike's Pool Hall: a long ovoid rectangular slab served on a real sourdough French roll, which was griddle-toasted and slathered with butter. Grilled onions on top, and peperoncini of the side. The US Restaruant, in its original incarnation, attempted something similar, but never got it right. Only fellow sexagenarians will know what I'm talking about.

Not really an analog, and perhaps too "lean" for your tastes, but Niman Ranch makes an all-beef hot link with a natural casing that I like. I find them at the SF Costco.

Taqueria San Jose is on Mission, not Valencia, nr. 24th. They also have branches at Mission & 16th or thereabouts, and at Mason and Francisco nr. Fishermans Wharf. I like their al pastor burritos.

Not stupid. Quite a number of Chinese restaurants feature Fujian rice, or Fuzhou rice (often rendered as "Fook Joy Rice") and it is a notable dish. If done right, it's like a seafood paella, and can be a meal in itself. It's quite a different role for "fried rice" than the more familiar Yangzhou style fried rice, which is essentially something you do with leftovers.

With a name like that, I would expect Chaozhou food (which has elements of Fujian as well as Cantonese cuisine, at any rate).

I don't know how tight your budget is, or how much atmosphere you really want, but here are a couple of suggestions for rock-bottom priced good eats along with more atmosphere than you may want. Not far from Union Square, but in the Tenderloin, is an area that has been dubbed the "Tandoor-loin" by local foodies for its profusion of cheap, tasty Pakistani-South Indian eateries. There's plenty of info in this article: The Tandoor-loin A little further west are two Vietnamese Sandwich (Banh Mi) carry-outs that have possibly the finest Banh Mi you'll find in the US, for $2.00-$2.50 per sandwich: Saigon Sandwich, 650 Larkin Street Wrap Delight, 426 Larkin Street Saigon Sandwich has been doing its thing for 15 years; Wrap Delight is a recent startup by a woman who formerly worked at Saigon Sandwich. If anything, WD is even better than than the original joint, but is only open on weekdays. Saigon Sandwich is open 7 days a week. Not in the Tenderloin, but on an equally seedy block of Market St. (near 6th) is Taqueria Cancun, a hole-in-the wall that produces excellent San Francisco-style burritos. I'll let others chime in and slide you up the economic scale from these per-diem savers! BTW, I used to have a buddy named Jimmy Parker whose family name was Pauker. He was related to the famous Anna Pauker (one-time head of the Roumanian Communist Party). Are you from the same clan?

Stand up to them? It'll sit them down!

I agree with Hest88. The food at Yank Sing, whatever its attraction (you could call it Dim Sum Lite) is not the true dim sum experience. I have to add, though, I don't think I've ever been to Mayflower for dim sum, only dinners and banquets (which were wholeheartedly traditional Cantonese and always very good).

Mayflower is also in San Francisco (Geary & 27th). ABC is iffy, though reports seem to indicate that it has improved of late. If you MUST go to Yank Sing, go to the Rincon Center location. That stunning venue may make it seem almost worth the price. Y. Ben House in Chinatown is the equal of any of the others in seafood-based dim sum items, at a much lower price. The seafood chow fun there, in my experience, is one of the most heavenly dishes in Chinatown. But be advised, it's a big, noisy, funky place, with a wait for a table even on weekdays.

Well, not the first time I've put my money on the short end of a 55 percent to 45 percent vote. Did it break along party lines?

Isn't it a bit of a stretch to call a restaurant that's been around for barely 5 years "legendary"? 5 years is ancient in San Francisco. Maybe in Dot-com time, but not in North Beach time. There are lots of places that have been on my "To Do" list for 40 years, and I know they will be there when I get around to it.

Isn't it a bit of a stretch to call a restaurant that's been around for barely 5 years "legendary"? 5 years is ancient in San Francisco. Maybe in Dot-com time, but not in North Beach time. There are lots of places that have been on my "To Do" list for 40 years, and I know they will be there when I get around to them.