jschyun

I think it's funny that the winner of the 2002 World Pastry Team Championship was Team USA, but when you look at the names of the winners, they are all French (Jean-Philippe Maury,Laurent Branlard,Jean-Claude Canestrier). Maury had won the event before as well. I've never had good pastries from a non-French shop, but like I said, I'm very open minded to the idea that they exist. Are any of you located in Paris? I like to go periodically, and it would be a dream come true to walk the streets of Paris, looking at all the beautiful sights: the best pastry shops, chocolatiers, boulangeries... I may be going to Tokyo in December, so I'll be doing the research for any fantastic pastry places. I'll tell you if I find anything unless someone beats me to it.

I love French pastry because it's so damn good. But I have an open mind. I haven't been keeping up with the latest lists, but someone has got to have printed out the best places in the world for pastry (pies, cakes, tarts, whatever). My favorite is L'Aduree in Paris for their macarons (oh yes), damn good little cakes, lovely lemon curd tartlet. I had a wild strawberry tart but both times, the strawberries were a little old. Second is Fauchon in Paris. Pate de fruits are awesome (fruit gems on steroids). They have a great little cakes section, that had a fabulous chocolate mousse in a molded chocolate shell. They had other stuff, but that stands out in my mind. Haven't been to Dalloyau in Paris. I heard that was even better than L'Aduree.

Sometimes you have to get hold of the owner (even if it's a corporation) and get these people reprimanded, or better yet, fired. If the owner accepts the behavior or fires back at you, I would never patronize that restaurant again. Does this sound too harsh? Let me ask you this: Why should you subsidize someone who is not doing his/her job? The waiter is there to help you, and most do a decent job of it. It's too bad that some people think they are too good for their job, but don't do anything about it (like leave, so someone else can take their place) Also, I agree that being nickel and dimed to death, especially when the final bill is larger than, say, $100, is stupid on the part of the restaurant. Do they expect us to recommend such a place to our family and friends? I have had some of the worst service at the most expensive restaurants. I also look like a teenager, despite being in my thirties. It's a mixed blessing. I've been ignored or given the once over and then ignored by many a hostess at independent as well as some high end chain restaurants. Our table has been ignored for an hour before someone comes by, unless one of us physically gets up and hunts down a waiter/busperson. If I'm paying big money (more than $50 a person), I complain. If it's a chain, or even if it's not, I find out what the email address or number is and I call or email. Actually, I once got a $50 gift certificate for reporting bad service at a Ruth's Chris house. I deserved it; the service was careless and for the most part absent. It was supposed to be a special dinner for my boyfriend and me. Normally I have great service at Ruth's Chris, this was a huge exception. Also, I'm Korean and I get the worst service in Korean restaurants, because my Korean speaking skills are poor. Of course, if I'm with someone who has good Korean speaking skills, we all get great service. I resent this. I actually think non-Asians get better service at Korean restaurants than I do because they aren't expected to be fluent in Korean. The best service I ever got was at a $100 for one (me) lunch at Stars Restaurant (defunct) in SF. I was eating so many things, the waiters kept saying "You're reviewing us, right?". I kept saying no, I'm just treating myself, but they didn't believe me. Oh yes, I had some great service that day. --edited for grammar and more venting

I wonder if Jonathan Gold checks this forum. He could tell you. He's basically a food encyclopedia of the L.A. area.

I went to Sen5es and was informed that Thomas Haas was the owner for both Sen5es and Diva. Compared to my other favorites (homemade, La Fontaine au Chocolat, Chocolats Rohr), Thomas Haas is definitely right up there. For some decent Belgian style chocolates, not as innovative as the ones that Thomas Haas makes but delicious nevertheless, try Daniel. This is standard Belgian style, so it's soft, creamy and rather sweet. There are a few stores, one on Robson, and you can get a small, 2 layer box of chocolates for $13 Cdn. The clerks there pack in as many as will fit in the box. I think I paid 7 times that for the Thomas Haas ones, although I did get a lot there. I liked the milk chocolate hedgehog, though it was a bit sweet. I wanted to have more, but my mother ate them all first. She said they were delicious. Daniel Chocolates Thomas Haas Chocolates: (The following is just a bunch of opinions) I tried almost all of the chocolates when I was there (except for the Vij's one, I forgot that one for some reason). My favorites were the square, dark blueberry piece (layer of blueberry filling and another layer of smooth dark truffle filling all encased in dark chocolate) and passionfruit (same as blueberry but with passionfruit and I think Tahitian vanilla, of which I could actually taste). The round truffles were so-so, in my opinion. I tried them all, and the only ones that made much of an impact were the ones with rum. The, I think it was grapefruit and Campari one, made with white chocolate was interesting, but flavorwise, lacking. I also liked the idea of an Earl Grey chocolate, but I got very little bergamot taste in my piece. Nice idea though, innovative. I have had better praline type chocolates at Chocolats Rohr. Much better. In fact, I can think of this awesome piece where the pralinee was formed in a dome over the chocolate and you bit into it and the dome shattered over the smooth chocolate and...oh it was good. Unfortunately, it's in Geneva. The pieces of chocolate at Sen5es are extremely small, even smaller than the European chocolates I've had.

To add one more to the list, I also like the Time-Life series book "Chinese Cooking" because sometimes the recipes work for me better than my other books. For example, har gau is flawless from this book, at least for me. Tastes just like the restaurant variety.

I like the Santa Barbara Shellfish Co shack at the end of the pier. They have great lobster and crab and they're also pretty reasonably priced. Also, I like this Japanese place, Edomasa, for udon and some basic sushi. The Cajun Kitchen in nearby Carpinteria is supposed to be a great breakfast place, but it's not really, in my opinion. Stacky's Seaside, in Summerland, is a surfer burger joint that I haven't been to, but is pretty popular with the locals. Everything is pretty expensive in SB but you probably won't suffer from sticker shock after coming from NYC. However, the good eats are not as plentiful and varied as in NYC, and I believe it's about a two hour drive going down to LA.

I am in a similar situation. I have a boyfriend who would only eat the following if left to forage for himself: pasta roni, prime rib, steak burritos, chinese takeout, Mountain Dew. However, I was successfully able to start getting him to eat healthier. How? First, he already acknowledged that he was fat and out of shape. I convinced him through some logical argumentation, in terms he could understand, that he was going to die faster and feel crappier if he keeps it up. He said he didn't care because he would rather die fast and eat well than eat rabbit food and have a long life. I told him that it's quite possible he would have a stroke and then he would live another 10 years in a wheelchair, etc so he won't necessarily die fast. Frankly he was on the fast track to the autopsy table. Also, I lead by good example. Unless it's a special occasion or we're on a trip, I eat a fairly strict vegetarian diet. So basically right now he eats fiber cereal and milk for breakfast, a lunch like chicken breast with broccoli in a chinese restaurant, and he puts some packed cucumber and celery sticks with peanut butter in a little lunchbox for a dinner snack. I often ask him what he had for lunch and tell him what I had for lunch, just as part of the conversation. Also, I had him try a little nibble of my veggie burgers and salads and whatever looked particularly appetizing, and we learned that he actually liked some of it. I think the key is to let your girlfriend know how important it is to you that she eat healthier and that you care about her health and such. Also, it helps if she hears it from more than one person. I talked to my boyfriend's mom and she agreed and started nagging him to eat healthier too. That may not work for everyone though. Also, if she has existing health problems due to her diet/weight I would respectfully bring them up. She may already realize she has a problem but doesn't want to admit it. When I first brought it up to my boyfriend he got a pained look on his face and cried, "You're trying to change me!" But I continued to show him how many of his health problems like obesity, hemorrhoids, sleepiness were due to his eating habits. I was polite but persistent. Plus since I never have these problems and I normally eat very healthy, he started to realize I might be on to something. This has all been worth it to me because my boyfriend is one of the best, sweetest people I have ever met and I don't want to see him go downhill healthwise because he didn't take care of himself. It's still a work in progress, because sometimes he slips. But he has lost 10 pounds and kept it off. It also helps that he bought a nice bike and started riding it. If your girlfriend is important to you, I think you should let her know how you feel and why. If she cares for you, she will (eventually) understand how concerned you are and not that you're anxious to be her diet police. Hopefully this has been of some help to you. --I should note that maybe she thinks that healthy foods taste bad, as mentioned previously in this thread. There are all sorts of alternatives. Lowfat mayonnaise, feta cheese instead of brie, a little extra tomato and lettuce in that sandwich. Veggie corn dogs are pretty good. Does she eat fruit? Find out what she likes and get it. Frankly, this is a post to help someone that you really love and plan on being with the rest of your life. If the relationship is not solid, it's not worth the trouble. I wouldn't bother showing my boyfriend how eating healthier would make him happier, more energized, if I didn't love him dearly.

Thanks for your Seattle tips. Below is my attempt to return the favor. This may be too cheap for you but here's my sf cheap eats thread SF Cheap Eats L'Osteria del Forno: THis is a tiny restaurant tucked in Little Italy, which is close to Fisherman's Wharf if you want to forgo that area. I disliked the sandwich I had here but I heard others liked the food, such as the pasta, roasted meats. Nearby you can get a post-dinner espresso at the Steps of Rome. Fisherman's Wharf In & Out: This is the best burger place I've ever been to in my opinion, but you might not want to waste precious stomach space to a burger joint. However, if you do end up going here, I would order a cheeseburger "animal style" (I think that's extra pickles and tomatoes) They have options not on the menu (like "animal style") that you won't know about unless someone tells you. Just ask someone in line and they'll steer you right. House of Prime Rib: This is my favorite meat restaurant in SF. It's about $30 a person after taxes for medium/large prime rib with all the fixings. It may be expensive, but it's a good value and it's always packed. At around 7pm, they come around with corn shaped cornsticks that I like, otherwise it's the usual steaming sourdough round. Also, the prime rib here is better than at Metropolitan Grill, and cheaper. I would get a reservation before going because it's really busy. --note: if you go here make sure you get either Nick or Raul as your carver. The other guys skimp. Zuni is somewhat high priced, but their half roasted chicken and caesar salad are legendary. Hmm, time I went back and visited the old place. This is near downtown. Dim Sum: I like Ton Kiang's har gau, but parking is pretty horrible in the area (although you can get lucky). Sometimes, if you go in mid afternoon, parking is better and there are fewer people in the restaurant. But then again, sometimes not. I hate to say this, but I haven't found much good food south of SF. My friend recently told me about Sonoma Chicken Coop in San Jose of all places but that's farther south than Millbrae. Parking in SF: you're lucky you're staying in the airport area because parking charges there are only about $12 as opposed to $25 to $35 downtown. You can save quite a bit of money by avoiding parking garages and meters after 4pm or so. Just find a street that has 2 hour parking signs. Parking is usually free after 6pm. Therefore, if you find 2 hour parking at 4pm, you basically have free parking for the rest of the evening. So I would use this strategy around 4pm when you are looking for dinner spots. However, the 2 hour parking is a coveted spot so you may have to be aggressive in your search. These spots are usually a couple of streets away from a major street. I have had success parking a few streets from Ghiradelli Square (near Fisherman's Wharf) in the 2 hour spots, and a couple of streets from Van Ness when going to House of Prime Rib. Always check the signs. Also, most meters are inactive after 6pm. If you are in downtown, I would give up on this strategy and just park in the Mission parking garage, on Mission and Fifth. This is a huge parking structure that has pretty fair rates. It is a block to SFMoma, but I think you can only get validated at the Metreon mall next door. From here, you can walk two blocks or so to the cable car station or a little further to union square, where all the fancy shops are.

Due to major time miscalculations, we did not end up getting any beeyah this trip. This was a major reason for going to Seattle so that sucked. Luckily, we decided we love Seattle and Vancouver so we will definitely go back and try out all the places we missed this time. Girlchow was right about the traffic. Damn, Seattle could use a subway system. I was astounded that traffic is worse than in L.A. On the other hand, you have way better scenery to look at while you wait.

I went to Sun Sui Wah in Richmond. Pretty good. For dim sum, the action seems to be in Richmond.

Awesome. Boarding the plane to Seattle in two hours so this was very helpful.

We're staying at the La Quinta Inn at Seatac for a couple of nights before heading into Vancouver. Free waffle breakfast, free local calls, fairly decent rooms for $30 a night on Priceline. The Elysian's at Pike St will be right on our way to Matt's in the Market and Gelatiamo It looks like Maritime Pacific is on the way to Vancouver so we'll probably hit it. Thanks so much!

Thanks for the tips! In your opinion, would it be worth it to drive to Red Hook? We have a Pyramid Alehouse in Berkeley and I agree it's excellent.

Going there tonight. Was curious about the breweries. We have some decent ones in San Francisco area. I read something about the Red Hook Brewery being pretty good. Do they still do $1 beers? That would make it a must see.

The pho place I was referring to earlier is called "Pho Thanh Long" on Brookhurst. I checked up on Green Papaya and there is only one in Westminster or anywhere near it. The one I found is the French/Vietnamese restaurant, not a pho joint. You say this is not the one you are talking about. Can you say more precisely where it is? Thanks.

Hmm, I'm not sure if it was St. Pat or Pierce Point, but I think it was probably St. Pat. Has anyone had the Pierce Point? It's a fall cheese, so I suppose we'll be seeing it soon in the stores.

Frankly, I don't understand why they don't write these instructions on the package. I'm going to write to Cowgirl Creamery. Then I'm going to give Red Hawk another try. (edited for spelling)

I can't stand Taco Bell either. However, my boyfriend lives on it. Strangely enough there is a Taco Bell in Newport Beach, CA (where the show "OC" is supposedly shot) that uses fresh ingredients and presents their fair fare in an appetizing manner. I actually saw a very fresh looking salad in a taco bowl at this joint. I guess when you have to serve rich people you gotta keep your standards up even if you're only fast food. All our tacos and burritos at this particular Taco Bell have been fresh and as good as I imagine Taco Bell can get.

Here in OC, Wild Oats used to carry a small collection of Cowgirl Creamery cheese. I tried them all and I liked the one that had the herbs wrapped around it the best. Don't remember the name, but the texture was creamy and flavor was somewhat like a camembert, or perhaps a fougerus. I couldn't say without all the cheeses together in front of me. The day they stopped carrying this cheese was a very sad day for me and my family. I had the Red Hawk twice and while it wasn't ammoniated, I wasn't particularly enamored with it. They had a basic brie like cheese (could have been brie, don't remember) that was okay, but not as good as the herb wrapped one.

I asked and Shik Do Rak also has pork, although nobody I know has ever ordered it.

My fast food place would be a normal hamburger place with fries and milkshake, except it would be a vegetarian restaurant. I would also have veggie hot dogs, love those. Vegetarianism is on the rise, yet people want their favorite junk foods. It's low cost, easy, and a relatively unexplored niche market. Heck those juice bars have made it big(at least in CA). I think it would go over big in Calfornia and India.

Really? They must have expanded the menu or something, or maybe my memory is bad (probable). I truly don't remember seeing anything but lots of pork. Is the beef there as good? Anyhow, you're right, it's pretty much the same thing, except the beef/pork, lettuce/scallions, and dip.

The Toad House is a pork restaurant. Shik Do Rak serves beef, and it's probably a little less fatty. But otherwise, it's along the same lines. I'm not saying either is better, just that Shik Do Rak is hot right now with the young Korean hipsters who have money to spend on restaurants. --There's a Shik Do Rak in L.A. which I forgot to mention since I'm in OC. It's at 2501 W Olympic Blvd, L.A. 213-384-4148

The soup can be chicken broth too. Chicken pho is not my favorite though. I always passed by the Green Papaya because it didn't look like a proper Vietnamese restaurant. You know, a little mom and pop joint with tacky furniture and mirrors on the wall. I usually go to the joint next to the Seafood Paravel, which is also on Brookhurst. My co-worker told me about it and it's pretty good, but lots of MSG. Good thing I like MSG.