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Monthly Archives: November 2014

Yank Sing (San Francisco, CA)

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Yank Sing is a fine dining Chinese restaurant that serves dim sum, which an assortment of steamed dumplings and side dishes. It’s very well-known and has recognition from the James Beard Foundation: http://www.yanksing.com/about-us/reviews/james_beard_09.html

At first glance to people who are unfamiliar with dim sum, it may seem strange as a breakfast/brunch option. Don’t worry, you’ll crave it for breakfast soon enough. It’s the perfect meal to bring families and friends together. It’s shared family-style so it’s no wonder large families gather for dim sum every Sunday! The dim sum at Yank Sing can be a bit pricey, but I’d pay for the quality and freshness that they put out. They also have a superb wait staff as compared to other more homey dim sum restaurants. I have nothing against the classic, small, hole-in-the-walls, but I don’t mind the extra customer service and food quality that Yank Sing offers.

Yank Sing has two locations and during my short trip to SF, I went to both…

 

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Soup Dumplings.

 

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Tofu Skin. 

 

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Xiu Mai.

 

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Savory Taro Puff. 

 

 

 

 

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Har Gow.

 

 

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Cheers!

 

The two locations are: the Spear St. location and the Stevenson St.. The Spear St. location is within a business building food court and it’s very nice. The Stevenson location is smaller and not as popular so you may not see as long of a line, but there will still be a wait. Food is consistent between the two.

So were there any notable dishes? Absolutely. The Soup dumplings. I first discovered these Chinese delights in NYC’s Joe Shanghai restaurant. It’s well-known for their soup dumplings and I can still taste my first bite. Unfortunately, New Orleans has no such thing, but I’ve discovered them in major cities like Houston and more recently in San Francisco. Yank Sing has one of the best soup dumplings I have ever had. The dumpling casing is so delicate and very similar to a won-ton. It holds the perfect temperature of soup and dumpling within. Once it’s in your mouth, it just melts…Be sure to add the ginger and red vinegar. It balances the flavors so well. It can be an acquired taste so start with just a touch!

Overall, excellent food and service.

Yes, the dim sum prices are pretty steep, but it’s worth a try! Honestly, I would just go to Yank Sing for a few orders of Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) and some tea. That would be the perfect meal right about now on this Sunday morning…

Foodie Tip: Get there earlier in the day for soup dumplings. They’ll run out if you’re too late!

 

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Rating: 4.5/5
Yank Sing on Urbanspoon
Yank Sing on Urbanspoon

Beard Papa’s Cream Puffs (Financial District, San Francisco, CA)

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After lunch at Wise Sons (click here for post), we decided to go for some sweets! Beard Papa is an international Japanese bakery known for their delicious cream puffs. As simple as they may seem, they are bursting in delicious, flavorful cream within…

 

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Cookie Crunch Cream Puff with Vanilla cream.

 

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See how the delicious cream just oozes with happiness?? On first bite, you get this cookie crunch on the outside, then the cold, sweet vanilla cream explodes in your mouth. It really is that delicious!

I really want to try the Green Tea and Honey Cream Puff, but it wasn’t available that day. Don’t worry Beard Papa. I’ll be back for those clouds of heavenliness!

 

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Rating: 4.5/5 spoons
Beard Papa on Urbanspoon

Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen (Financial District, San Francisco, CA)

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When “The Chef” and I decided to travel to SF, we wanted to make the most of our trip since it was only a short 3-day vacation. Our first stop was a small deli located in The Contemporary Jewish Museum. You wouldn’t think there’s a sandwich place there…

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Pickle jars. 

 

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Potato Salad. 

 

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Hot Pastrami Sandwich. Rubbed with coriander and black pepper, smoked over real hickory. Swiss. Coleslaw.

 

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The pastrami was delicious. It was moist and very well-seasoned. The added coleslaw gave it such a refreshing balance. One thing that I am so surprised at is how delicious the potato salad turned out! I’m from down South and I could’ve sworn we did it best, but this potato salad reminded me of my childhood and how my dad’s friends would always bring us potato salad, because they knew I loved it! Food is always the best when it evokes childhood memories..

The restaurant is quite small and not many seats are available. I would even recommending taking the food outdoors and eating on the steps, if the weather permits. We chose to bring our sandwiches to our next destination, Papa Beard (post coming soon), for dessert. I would love to try the Hot Corned Beef next, but we had to ration our stomach space for other restaurants this time around. I will definitely be back, and hopefully, we can explore the museum too!

 

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Rating: 4/5 spoons!
Wise Sons Jewish Deli on Urbanspoon

 

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Upcoming Posts: (some may have been posted, click for posts)

Beard Papa

Yank Sing

The French Laundry

and many more!

ChefsGirl is back!

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It’s been a while now, but fear not my hungry followers, there’s some exciting San Francisco and Napa Valley eats coming your way!

My website went on it’s own little hiatus and now www.ChefsGirl.com is now up and operating again. Keep a lookout for mouth-watering SF eats!

Herbsaint Bar Restaurant (Lafayette Square, New Orleans, LA)

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Years ago, my fiance and I went to Herbsaint and had the best bread ever. It was a buttery sourdough-type bread and we requested tons of it. We might’ve even taken some home! Every time I hear or think of Herbsaint, I think of that buttery soft bite…

Now, years later, we hope to have a bite of that same bread again…

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Amuse Bouche. Fried Shrimphead.

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Sourdough & Focaccia. 

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Soup of the day: Lump Crab meat Gazpacho 

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Gumbo of the Day: Duck Gumbo. 

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Beef Short Rib with Potato Rösti. Salsa Verde. Horseradish Cream.

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Rabbit Fricassee. Garganelli. Bacon. Pumpkin. Madeira.

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Gnocchi. Pancetta. Parmesan broth.

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Seared Drum with risotto. 

If you’re wondering if we got that buttery bread this time, we sure did! Not in the same amount as we did before since the focaccia bread was pretty delicious too. As for the meal, every dish was so great, that I have to share my thoughts on each dish.Let’s start from the first dish. I’m not the biggest fan of cold soups, but we ordered the lump crab meat gazpacho and it was amazing! It was light, refreshing, and herbacious. I had low expectations, but that was wiped out completely and I almost ate all of “The Chef”‘s portion.

The Gumbo is a must! Herbsaint creates gumbo with a darker, deeper roux, which adds so much flavor. Just get it.

The Beef Short ribs were so moist and the salsa verde was herby and refreshing. For such a rich and savory dish, you never would have thought that it would be so refreshing. Loved it!

The Rabbit Fricassee came in a small cast iron bowl and didn’t look like much, but that bite! That first bite was moist rabbit with a delicate pasta, wrapped in a coating of Madeira sauce. mMm! I can really still taste it.

The Gnocchi was just as good. Gnocchi is a dish that if not seasoned and sauced properly, it can be very bland and boring. Not this Gnocchi! The pancetta added a perfect saltiness and the parmesan broth added a nice, rich finish.

The fish of the day was a drum that was seared to perfection. It was moist and was completed by the most flavorful risotto! This risotto had an Asian flare, but with a French refinement. Even though we were stuffed at this point, I still couldn’t stop eating this risotto.

Judging by my list, pictures, and tummy that night, we probably over ordered. If we didn’t order the last dish, I would have definitely had room for dessert. Either way, the whole meal was worth every penny and remaining belly space. From one dish to another, not a single one had any ounce of disappointment. Now, when I think of Herbsaint, I’ll remember that soft bite of bread I ate right before probably one of my most memorable food experiences…

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Rating: 5/5 spoons!

Herbsaint Bar & Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Biscuits & Buns on Banks (Mid-City, New Orleans, LA)

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It’s the weekend and I can’t stress enough how much I love brunch. I can eat brunch any time of day. So I was excited to eat here!

Biscuits & Buns on Banks is a new brunch spot that’s been open for about a year now. There was a bit of a wait, but outside there’s some seating and coffee while you wait. 3 or 4 groups were ahead of us, but we waited no more than 25 minutes. It could be more or less depending on what time of day or how busy they may get…

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Mini Biscuits. Steen’s Cane Syrup & Butter.

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3 Egg omelette with mushrooms, onions, and crabmeat.

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Abita glazed pot roast and debris. Over grits. I added an egg!

Normally, the chef and I would order a variety of things, but thank goodness we didn’t! The portion sizes are large and trust me, I can eat, but for the first time in a long time, we had to take home to-go boxes. The omelette was great…we stuffed it with our favorite things: spinach, onions, mushrooms, and crabmeat. I love crabmeat…

My favorite dish was without a doubt, the Abita glazed pot roast and debris. Order it over grits and add an egg. So scrumptious. Every bite you can tell was so bad, but oh so good! This was the dish that I had to take home and it made the best leftovers the next morning especially since the grits just marinated in the debris and goodness overnight. The biscuit is delicious as well. I kind of wish they toasted their biscuits a bit, because it was so good when I toasted it at home. Be sure to order the jelly with your biscuits.

It’s too bad we couldn’t order more so I could get a little taste of everything. The next items I’m eyeing are the Grilled Brie on Waffles with blueberry compote. That’s a combination I can’t turn down! Another would be the BBB Seafood Etouffee over house biscuit/grits.

You can tell the owner is very involved and very friendly. Keep it up! The menu is great with a variety of delicious brunch options. I can’t wait to come back for another filling meal!

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Rating: 4.5/5 spoons
biscuits & buns on banks on Urbanspoon

IVY (Garden District, New Orleans, LA)

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IVY has replaced Vizard’s, a local fine dining place that “The Chef” and I still love to this day. Unfortunately, Vizard’s is no longer, but in memory, click here for my post of their closing meal: Vizard’s. It was a successful and delicious fine dining restaurant until the owner’s made a personal decision to close the doors.

Now that Ivy has replaced one of our favorite restaurants, we had to try it and see if it was worthy of the location…

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There wasn’t much to revamp on the outside, but they put a trendy touch on the inside. It’s a very small restaurant and we felt it was a bit too modern feeling on the inside so we opted for outdoor seating.

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Swiss Chard, Beet, and Feta Empanadas. Mint Crème fraiche.

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Warm Snow Crab claws. Truffle Butter.

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Parker House rolls. Fleur de Sel.

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Apple and Endive Salad. Candied Walnuts. Buttermilk Herb dressing.

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Panéed Rabbit. Buttermilk biscuits. Pickles. Spicy Honey Butter.

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Oxtail gratin. Gruyere. Carmelized onion. Grilled Ciabatta.

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Wedding Cake for two. Ice cream.

With the weather cooling down South, dining outside was perfect! I felt the inside was a bit stuffy and that night they had some too-cool-for-me type elevator music. The food? DE. LISH. The menu is divided into small plate portions, which are perfect for sharing. Of course, each small plate is good to share between two, so order accordingly.

One notable dish was the Warm Crab Claws in truffle butter. I mean, how can you say “no” to truffle butter. There were actual chunks of the truffle in the butter. This wasn’t your ordinary truffle-infused oil. It had real truffle! If you get the Crab Claws, I HIGHLY recommend that you order the Parker House rolls. Yes, you do have to order them, but it’s SO worth it. I spread some butter on the roll and dipped it in the truffle butter…What a memorable bite!

Next, I loved the Oxtail gratin. It was perfectly crisped Ciabatta with the most epic combination of cheese and moist Oxtail.

The Paneed Rabbit was a great protein dish as well. The flavors were well-balanced and the pickles just added to the dish. Against our waiters recommendation, we ordered the wedding cake. It was good, but the icing was a bit sweet just like he warned us. His actual recommendation was the Apple-Pear Crisp and Ginger Ice Cream so I would recommend that over the cake.

With so much to the live up to, Ivy did really well! I love the French/New Orleans tapas-style menu. It’s a taste of everything as opposed to the boredom one large entrée. It’s a small restaurant so small groups are recommended, however, if reservations are made in advance, I’m sure they can accompany larger groups too.

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Rating: 4/5 spoons
Ivy on Urbanspoon