Tsunami

I have no idea why, but I have been craving the fresh, clean taste of sushi lately. It’s a food that can be complex in it’s execution, but the flavors are never muddled and always identifiable; that’s why I describe it as a clean taste. Tsunami is a neighborhood restaurant that makes enjoying sushi as simple as taking a short walk. Their “happy hour” is just the right time to stop in for something new, since each night they serve half off sushi and the menu rotates; a detail that sometimes lets the menu dictate the choices for me. That was the case with several of the selections on this review. Unfortunately the half off Oyster Shooter wasn’t available this time, but it’s on my list to try; it’s made with sake and an oyster.

The Cajun Ahi sounded interesting and at $6 it was a steal, so I tried it. The ahi was excellent and the searing was beautifully minimal, but I found the chili to be fairly one dimensional and gritty next to the silky texture of the ahi. The creamy white ponzu wasn’t contributing successfully to the taste of the dish. The slaw was mostly red onion and out of balance in my opinion. Still, I would definitely order ahi at Tsunami when I go back.

 

The Hamachi Stuffed Shitake mushrooms are regularly priced at $13 and I’d pay that for them gladly, however, I lucked out and only paid $6.60 this time around. The earthy mushrooms had been stemmed,  with Hamachi serving to fill the void, then battered and fried. They were served with a wasabi aioli and sweet chili sauce, then garnished with green onion. This was a satisfying combination of flavors and textures, but the plating deserved some credit too.

However, if I were to award a prize for plating, the Hamachi Jalapeno Sashimi would have certainly won. Unfortunately the taste was too timid. I’ve eaten this combination before and had a much better experience with definite heat coming from the jalapeno pepper. The reason I selected this particular dish  was that it came with white truffle ponzu. There was no discernible truffle taste. I’m a big truffle fan and my experience with it is extensive, so when I say the truffle taste was not discernible, I mean it just wasn’t there at all. Upon questioning, the waitress said that truffle oil was not used. I had suspected that someone in the kitchen had sent it out without that key ingredient. She said the ponzu itself was infused with white truffle and seemed to think that it would taste more like truffle if I used more ponzu. I had to disagree. When the menu stated that it came with avocado, that seemed an ingenious way to cut the heat from the Jalapeno, but as it turned out, there was no heat. The avocado was so small I could barely see it on the plate, so it would not have served well in that capacity. Too bad, this menu item had such great potential. I hope that the kitchen staff starts tasting ingredients to make certain they have the characteristics they were selected for in each dish. Still, look at how beautiful that piece of Hamachi is. Someone certainly knows how to select the fish and to make it look visually appealing. At least this plate was a feast for the eyes if not for the palate.

What’s in a name? Well, it’s the first introduction we have to a particular person place or thing, so it sets the tone. Let me introduce Radio Crunchy. I hope the chef decides not to have children, or defers to his spouse when it comes to naming any progeny. Still, “a rose is a rose…” and this sushi tasted very good. It was composed of crab meat, Maguro, and cucumber, then wrapped in sushi rice that was in turn rolled in fried Tempura flakes. It worked as a cohesive whole and I’ll be going back for seconds at $12 per order.

I’ve saved the best for last and it wasn’t dessert, but it certainly was rich enough to be. Here’s a mouthful… the name on the menu is Snake River Wagyu Beef Tataki Nigiri. I’ve wanted to try Wagyu beef for a long while, but the price has always been the choke point for me; I’d choke if I had to cough up the money to pay for it! I’m finally sold on the idea of forking over the cash for a full steak, but it had better be small, because this meat is so very fatty. Look at the marbling in these pieces, or should I say layering? The sear served the beef well by imparting a slightly smoked flavor. This order of nigiri was $10 for the two pieces and well worth it to try this remarkable beef. I highly recommend this dish as nothing more could have made it any better than it was. Why gild the lily?

Tsunami Website

1306 Fulton Street San Francisco  CA    94117 (415) 567-7664

Ebisu

I started finding reasons to try this restaurant after seeing photos of some of their sushi offerings on Foodspotting.com. One of the most astonishing photos was of a sea urchin served in its shell. That was it; I had to finally try Ebisu, a restaurant I have been passing and been curious about for years. I had shied away from uni for a long time, since a very bad experience at another sushi restaurant, where the sea urchin was so spoiled, I immediately had to spit it out or risk something far worse. As chance would have it, last year I ordered a Futomaki that had a bit of sea urchin in it and I really liked it. The first thing I did when opening the menu was to scour it for the uni. As it turns out, you have to special order it.

  

One of the most unusual elements of the menu was the selection of vegetables. I don’t think I have ever seen so many options for vegetables on a Japanese menu and the prices were very low. I put the photo of the wasabi and ginger as a reminder that it came to the table ahead of the sushi and I really liked the fact that there was plenty of it. The seaweed salad was very nice with a sesame oil and rice vinegar dressing that made it taste fresh and bright in flavor. It was actually too generous a portion for one and only cost $4.75. It was comparable in value to the Duo of Ohitashi (spinach) with bonito flakes that was priced at $5.50. My dining partner took half home even after sharing a good portion with me.

Agedashi Tofu was lightly fried and bathed in a lovely light broth. The texture was very silky so the contrast with the crisp exterior was quite nice; another good value for $5. I ordered the Tokyo Tower because I like Tempura Shrimp in sushi, but more importantly because the name conjured up a very architectural image. I’m afraid the only architecture in the order was the small bit of shrimp you see towering all of one inch above the piece of sushi on the right. It was a also a let down in the fact that the roll was only cut into 4 pieces; this was not good value for $6.95. In order to give a fair evaluation to my dining experiences at Japanese restaurants, I almost always order a spicy tuna roll for my point of comparison. The Poke Roll at Ebisu was not outstanding, in fact it was ordinary and cut too small into 8 pieces from a noticeably thin roll.

 

The Applewood Scallop Carpaccio was outstanding and worth every single one of the 900 pennies it cost. The smoked scallops were layered over a blood orange sauce that was slightly bitter like a marmalade; not the taste I was expecting, nor as sweet as I had hoped, but very good. The mustard micro greens and sesame seeds added a visual and textural contrast. Again, the build up was misleading. The menu lists “Sizzling blood orange vinaigrette”, yet mine was room temperature at best.

 

I admit, I was smitten with the idea of the uni, and it didn’t disappoint. The briny, creamy , rich taste was what I was seeking. If you want a taste of the sea, sea urchin is the ticket. I didn’t even bother with the lemon. As a child I watched my Italian grandfather eat sea urchins right out of the shell and wondered why he did it standing up in the kitchen, not sitting at the table. I think I now understand his urgency at eating it as fresh as possible. Then again, perhaps he didn’t want to share.

 

The Drunken Berries In Sake with Vanilla Ice Cream was refreshing and very well thought out. The sake and berries worked perfectly together, so perfectly, I now want to try more sake, since my experience has been limited. The mixed berries were a combination of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Fresh strawberries may have made it even better, but sometimes we have to settle for frozen fruit.

http://www.ebisusushi.com/ebisu-sushi-menu.php?location=1&menu=14

Eliza's

I wanted to like this restaurant because I liked the modern interior , bad artwork excluded, and my husband had eaten lunch there and liked it. It's within a neighborhood we can walk to and we could build up quite an appetite getting there. We're also lifelong fans of Chinese American food and there are no Chinese restaurants in our immediate neighborhood. Eliza's had all the appearances of a restaurant that might go the distance to bring inventive fare to its patrons. It just fell short, but not on the first plate that arrived on the table.

The dumplings were far from ordinary, because first and foremost they were vegetarian. The fried garlic garnish added not only an enhancement to the taste, but also acted as a textural contrast, pleasing to the palate. The addition of a sizable portion of bok choy was much more than I would have expected. 

These delightful dumplings were then bathed in a flavorful, light broth. For a simple appetizer, these were executed with a light hand, by someone clearly in touch with the cuisine, who wasn't timid about putting their personal stamp on the finished dish. It was impressive and set a positive tone for the rest of the meal. Unfortunately it also raised the bar of our expectations.

Next up was the Lemon Chicken, a dish both of us had eaten on many an occasion. Its appearance was flat, and so was its sauce. There was no eye appeal and the color was off putting, like they may have added food coloring to liven it up. It was cooked well, but the sauce was really too sweet and lacked a fresh lemon flavor. It's thickeners, along with the sweetness made it seem more like a lemon curd ready to be added to a dessert, not a sauce appropriate for poultry.

The Mongolian Lamb was a bit better, but not a memorable version. It was overpowered by the green onions, and for my taste, was stretched too far with vegetables. There just wasn't enough meat. The sauce was alright, but I didn't think it was very complex nor exceptional in any way.

Our last disappointment was the fried rice. Our traditional choice would have been BBQ Pork fried rice, but the pork in this rice dish was shredded, probably braised and not flavorful on it's own. The onions, peas and carrots may be compulsory in fried rice, but they didn't bring much to the table either. We would have been better off with steamed rice. A lower expectation may have been met with steamed rice.

I don't know if we'll return to Eliza's, but should that happen, we will not be ordering any of our last three items. There are too many other Chinese restaurants in San Francisco to settle on one just for its convenient location. Lackluster service added to the picture I've drawn. As I looked around the dining room I noticed that linens were stacked on the bar, also on a stool, and a box was carelessly left in the dining room. That didn't make a good impression either. It reminded me of a hole in the wall, mom and pop place that belonged more fittingly in an edgy location where the chaos would actually have been part of the appeal.

2877 California St. (bet. Broderick & Divisadero Sts.)
San Francisco, CA 94115
415-621-4819

Fish

Fish the unassuming glass and steel place on the docks at Gate 5 in Sausalito is worth investigating further. We just can't manage to get beyond the Crab Roll. What a Lobster roll is to the Eastern Seaboard, the Crab Roll has become to the West Coast, or at least this part of it.

The restaurant itself is bare bones on comfort and minimal on style. With stainless, glass and concrete as the main building materials, there is a cool, industrial feel, as well there should be in this blue collar working environment. There is a boat building school around the corner, a West Marine store and a marina where many small sailboats are berthed, so casual is the theme for this nautical crowd.

The menu appears broad but it specializes exclusively in fish and specifically in sustainable fish and responsible fishing practices, so you won't see farmed salmon on the menu. Fish also sources its organic vegetables from local vendors and small farmers in Marin. This may account for pricing that seems a bit high for such a casual restaurant. I can personally attest to the quality of their Dungeness crab. Their popularity certainly contributes to the idea that they serve good food. There's always a long line after noon.

What do you think, is this picture worth a thousand words? The Acme torpedo roll is toasted and buttered with all organic Strauss butter, the crab is fresh and unadorned, except for a smattering of chives. Fries are crisp and flavorful.

How about this one? I find their website full of interesting information about them and what they love most, fish. Go Fish!

http://www.331fish.com/food/index.html

350 Harbor Drive
Sausalito, CA 94965
Phone: 415-331-FISH (3474)
Fax: 415-331-3421

Open all week 11:30 am - 4:30pm for lunch
5:30pm - 8:30pm for dinner
limited offerings between 4:30 & 5:30

Chile Pies

As a fan of Green Chile Kitchen I wanted to like Chile Pies, but so far I'm under whelmed. That was also the case with my first visit to Green Chile Kitchen when it originally opened. I couldn't wait to try New Mexican food right here in California, but the green chile verde I had ordered was so hot, I became ill on the 2 block walk home. It took months before I went back in and ordered roasted chicken just to be on the safe side.

 

They deserve credit for sourcing out interesting drinks like the very tasty Sprecher root beer, and more credit for serving Three Twins ice cream, which I  had heard very good things about, since it started being manufactured. The small selection of the ice cream being offered was slightly disappointing, maybe 10 at the most. Since the ice cream is all natural, the colors weren't very diverse either, but after trying their Lemon Cookie, I don't care what it looks like; it's delicious. I also give thumbs up to the cardamom, salted caramel and coffee flavors. I hear their ice cream and pie milkshakes are equally good, but have yet to try one.

I digress, their main claim to fame is pie, so I stuck to my original mission and ordered one of their pot pies. On observation, it looked like a decent size for the price ($7) and the crust was very appealing. It was such a unique idea for a stand alone restaurant that Chile Pies already had my vote for support, now was the test of fire, trying a pie to see if I could truly support it with continued patronage. Not so much. While the chicken filling was nicely cooked, chunky and combined with some carrot and red skinned potato, the sauce lacked much flavor. Even though green chilies were part of it, they didn't lend much flavor either. I believe it was under seasoned. That beautiful golden crust literally "didn't bring much to the table", not to the pie anyway. Even with the extra sauce, there was no wow factor. My final criticism is that it needed more filling, no matter what the taste, it seemed skimpy to me. I walked by a month or so after eating this meal and noticed that the pie being served was much smaller than those in the above photos. Eating less of it for the same price does not make it taste any better.

On my next visit I went back to try the Frito pie that I kept hearing about. I think it must have been invented in the 1960's when housewives were making casseroles from anything and everything that came from a can, box, or bag. It seemed to make enough of a hit with New Mexicans, that Chile Pies added it to their menu. I have to admit that is was much better than the chicken pot pie and was fun in a nostalgic, weird food sort of way. Chile Pies has a presence in  the neighborhood, but it seems to be more about their fruit pies and ice cream than anything else, but that's enough reason to return. Their Boysenberry Pie Ala Mode definitely satisfies a sweet tooth. They now serve the same green chile stew and chicken posole that you can get up the street at Green Chile Kitchen and I have nothing but very good things to say about both those dishes.

Chile Pies Website

601 Baker St @ Fulton St San Francisco CA 94115 (415) 614-9411

Casa Orinda

Like a good Western churned out by the Hollywood of old, Casa Orinda is a blast from the past. Wagon wheels and steer horns take over this suburban outpost and set the mood for comfort foods. This is a "meat and potatoes" restaurant if ever I saw one, and it survives as a favorite dining spot for several generations of Californians.

Bread, good sourdough, fit for the urban cowboy in Orinda. The beet salad with spinach and goat cheese is, I suspect, the restaurant's attempt at trying to step a foot into the 21st century. It was decent, but there are better around in many different venues. It really is comfort food, when it tastes like a home made replication of a restaurant dish.

Pork belly was a big surprise to see on the classic menu. It appeared to be another attempt at bringing the restaurant a dish that is more in keeping with what is current. This was a very good effort. Seared pork belly was served over a white polenta and fava in a slightly acidic sauce. It really worked well. Now, where did they get such huge fava and how did they make them so tender? I'd go back for more.

Please excuse the photos , taken with an iphone. I wasn't planning on reviewing this restaurant, so I failed to bring my camera. The chicken is what changed my mind. Casa Orinda is known for its fried chicken and biscuits and deservedly so, they were very good. The chicken was crispy, flavorful (a hard act for chicken), and very tender with juices flowing the minute you cut into it. I can't say much for steamed vegetables that accompany the entrees, but then I didn't expect much. The biscuits, served with butter and honey made dessert redundant. This was clearly the best meal at our table. Go for the chicken if you're in the area.

Even though the wild west wasn't known for fish fries, trout was occasionally available, and so too are several fish options at Casa Orinda. This sole was nicely seasoned and plentiful. I learned a good lesson at this meal. You shouldn't look an old war horse of a restaurant in the mouth. There is always a good reason for a restaurant to continue doing business for many years, even a generation or two. Sometimes you just have to dig deep to discover it. The gold at Casa Orinda is in the chicken. Casa Orinda is also an Italian American restaurant and that appeals to many people.

Casa Orinda's Menu

20 Bryant Way Orinda CA 94563 (925) 254-2981

The Rotunda at Nieman Marcus

 

If there truly are ladies with leisure time "who lunch", then this is the perfect venue for them. Because of the demands of preserving architectural heritage, Neiman Marcus worked their remodeling around the dome and mezzanine of this venerable old San Francisco building, formerly occupied by City of Paris that originally sold goods out of a chartered ship during the Gold Rush. The building, built in 1896 was the finest example of a Beaux Arts commercial building in the state and I for one was pleased to be able to sit in this beautiful space for an Afternoon Tea, something the ladies would most assuredly approve.

Finger sandwiches and pastries reigned supreme and lorded over the table on a two tiered tray. How shall we work this, from the top down or should we start at the bottom and work our way up?

As a fan of a Cream Tea, and having worked my way around a tea table  or two, I went for the gusto and picked up a scone. Unfortunately, there was not a lick  of clotted cream in the place, so I settled in on butter and strawberry jam. Close but no cigar. I must say, the madeleines were buttery, rich and sweet. The petit fours were a delight. What little girl hasn't fallen in love with these mini cakes?

Besides those, the lower tier of the tray held mini brownies, raspberry tartlettes and mini lemon cupcakes. These lilliputian sized portions of sweetness and light barely needed one bite to consume, but we did save them for eating after sampling some of the more savory offerings.

 

 It's amazing how much food is really served with an Afternoon Tea. Even when sharing and eating only one of everything the portion is still 10 small items and that adds up.

 
So, here we have them lined in a row for easy identification. In front is the crust less (how genteel) cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwich, followed by the egg salad finger sandwich, then a shrimp salad in puff pastry, and finally tuna. The little girl who loves petit fours would turn up her nose at every single one, if they had been  served in a normal portion, but would consider these "cute". All in all, this became a nice afternoon on a holiday weekend and the ladies at this table, both fully employed, enjoyed the snippet of leisure. One downside, the napkins are full of lint, so don't use them over dark clothing.

150 Stockton St
San Francisco CA
(415) 249-2720