food adventures: lazy bear

i moved into my condo the weekend before xmas and i was off at work so i spent the majority of my time unpacking and organizing. the saturday after xmas, my bff asked me if i was free. since i was just unpacking and organizing, i was game!

i didn't know what lazy bear was but it turns out that is a food event with reservations that are much sought after. in fact, it took bff a month or so to get these. it is this concept of being an "underground" restaurant which was very new to me. when you make the reservations, you don't know exactly where you will be dining until closer to the event. we ended up in a venue that looked like an art gallery. also, it's byo wine/beer so you just pay for the food.
from top left to right: (first row) snacks! scrambled eggs in hot sauce & maple syrup; squid ink chip & hamachi tar tar w/ dried persimmons; oysters w/ uni on abalone shell; (second row) snacks (cont)! house made brioche & butter (served after the chowder); abalone chowder w/ baby yukon chips (third row) bay scallops w/ country ham xo, radish, sour orange & mustard greens; dungeness crab w/ chestnuts, egg yolk, brown butter & sunchoke; variety of carrots in coffee, maple, as ham with chicory root & kale; (fourth row) duck breast w/ beets, turnip, ginger & onions; meyer lemon ice cream w/ bay leaf & meringue w/ olive oil shortbread; and treats including a cream puff, not sure about the cubed fruit, fruit roll-up & caramel fudge w/ nuts. i'm missing the banana plate which i obviously didn't eat.

my favorites were the eggs steamed in a glass that also scrambled them; the chowder was so flavorful that it left me wanting more; and the duck was cooked gingerly that it melted in my mouth. the carrots were really interesting because it looks like it is wrapped in bacon, however, it is wrapped in a carrot! chef david barzelay came out between each plate to describe what we were eating. at the beginning of the evening, you are invited to go back to the kitchen to see what they are doing. and at the end, chef david comes out to chat with you. it wasn't anything i've ever experienced before and would do it again, in an instant. if you like food at all, you must try this, at least once. food restrictions are also accommodated.

birthday extravaganza!

***yes, i'm back dating!***

first and foremost, i'm a proud h-o (home owner)! i finally got the keys to my condo on the 19th which is perfectly timed before my birthday. i was supposed to close last month and get the keys in october but this is just as good.

now onto the good stuff... birthday food adventures!! i started off my birthday with dinner at justin's in santa clara just down the street from where i now live. my lovely and fabulous bff took me. clockwise from top left: fried ravioli, baked brie, beet salad, winter prix fixe tasting w/ beers: salmon salad, rabbit & chocolate panna cotta; and sea bass.

for my actual birthday (saturday), my dear sister spent the day with me shopping and eating. i needed a couch and a dining table for the condo which i found for such good deals at the c&b outlet in berkeley. after that, we went to sausalito to hit the very last benetton shop in the bay area. and shopped some more in the city. and of course, we had to have dinner at one of my favorite north beach restaurants where the boys are extra nice to me. even without reservations, we didn't have to wait.

on sunday, i was invited to hot pot at my friend funie's place in el cerrito. the food was abundant and delicious! and the company was awesome and fun. it wasn't for my birthday but gets to be included in the birthday extravaganza.

food adventures: bix

***back-dating!! i can't believe i didn't blog about this place earlier!***

in celebration of our friend lily's new job, my bff made reservations at bix for the three of us. it was also a good excuse for girls' night out. because lily is a pastry chef and was going to be working at another good restaurant in sf, we had a bunch of bix people come by to congratulate her. not only that but we received some comps! starting with (clockwise from left corner): potato pillows topped with creme fraiche & caviar (comp!), then we had the crab bisque, chili glazed fried chicken, marrow bone, lobster spaghetti (mine), steak & spicy spinach (bff's), and truffle cheese burger & truffle fries (lily's). all with a good bottle of zin (middle).

let's see… the potato pillows were an awesome start to the meal. the crab bisque and fried chicken were good but a bit forgettable. the marrow bone was delightful. i polished off my lobster spaghetti with anything else i was given. i tried bff's steak. it was cooked perfectly and had a little kick to it. the truffle fries that came with lily's burger were also very good. who doesn't love truffle fries??

and now, onto the dessert…

desserts: comp palate cleanser: pomegranate & coconut sorbet, chocolate bread pudding, and bananas foster (comp!).

unfortunately, i am not a fan of bananas so i didn't try the bananas foster. the chocolate bread pudding was ultra-rich, a bit too rich for me. i'm more of a savory eater anyway. the sorbet to cleanse our palate was my favorite out of the desserts.

i have to mention the ambience of this place. it is very 1930s old american feel to it. there was a live jazz band playing downstairs. it was very classy and elegant. i would definitely go back.

thao at nightlife

venue: california academy of sciences (cas)
artist: thao nguyen + the get down stay down & the french cassettes
when: 17 october 2013 (thursday)

it has only been about 6 months since i last saw thao in concert but it has been much longer since i've been to nightlife (maybe a year or so?). and perhaps even longer since i've been to a show on a date.

coincidentally, we are both members at cas. he had never been to nightlife so i thought it would be a fun thing to do together. having thao there was the cherry on top. we started the night with the planetarium show and it was quite romantic being in the dark for 30 minutes. in fact, the 30 minutes went by much faster than i preferred.

thao played outdoors and it was cold that night. since i've been to nightlife for a show (jens lekman), they have added very cool technological changes. not only did that include a screen behind the band to see them better but there was also a slideshow playing on the screen throughout and during the intermission between thao and the band before, called the french cassettes. they weren't bad either. anyway, thao was upbeat, energetic, and a little crazy as usual. and despite the cold, it was a great show and an even better date night. i thoroughly enjoyed myself.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

found it! me with the pet shop boys in 1999

i didn't think i would find it so quickly but here it is... this was taken on october 29, 1999 in san diego at a radio station. i cropped out the others but obviously couldn't crop out the woman in the middle.
from left: chris lowe, my coworker jerry, neil tennant, and me.

pet shop boys

venue: fox theater (sold out!)
band: pet shop boys with jacques lu cont
when: 6 october 2013 (saturday)
doors open at 7p

this was the second time i've seen the pet shop boys and they are better than i remembered them. i saw them back in 1999 so it has been quite some time. back then, they had a light show but nothing compared to the light show, costumes, and performances at this show. back then, i also met neil tennant and chris lowe thanks to a san diego radio station. i have a picture somewhere that i will have to find, scan, and upload.

we had upgraded tickets which gave us access to the telegraph room an hour before the show. it also gave us access to some comp fried goodness, comp coat check, separate restrooms, and a special vip area to watch the show from. it was on the first floor near the sound techs. it was awesome and so very convenient.

while they have a new album out, they still played most of their classics. despite having to stand in 4-inch heels the entire time, i had a grand time singing and dancing to music of my youth.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

ysl love from my sis

for my friends who know, i have been trying to curve my shopping to save for something very big. but for anyone who has seen this blog, you'll know that i like to shop, especially for shoes. since my sister knows about the limited shopping, she surprised me with these beautiful pointed wool pumps with a wooden heel at the beginning of september. they are fabulous and a perfect fit! it's soooo exciting! she is the best sis, ever.

stars again

venue: great american music hall
artist: stars with trails and ways
when: 17 september 2013 (tuesday)
doors open at 7p

this is my 11th stars show and even though i just saw them last year, i would have seen them on the 18th if i could find someone to go with me. it was really nice because they played their old stuff. songs they haven't played in years. songs from their first album. though i have never seen them play the very thing, the song i first fell in love with them over. the kind of song that speaks to you.

we had dinner tickets which i love because it basically guarantees a seat. and at my age, i want to sit and enjoy the shows. the food is a plus!

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

10 years!!

i was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in the summer 2003. i also had my thyroidectomy late that summer. coincidentally, a band called postal service released their new (and only) album give up earlier that year. for two weeks, after my surgery, that was all i listened to during my recovery.
venue: greek theater in berkeley (sold out)
artist: postal service with baths & divine fits
who: joe & sileena
when: 27 july 2013 (saturday) at 8p

my friend joe came up again with his friend for the show. i decided it would be a good idea for us to stay in berkeley near the greek theater so we could just walk there. it was really convenient.

the last time i was at the greek theater, i saw ben gibbard on his 30th birthday. that was 7 years ago. while i have seen death cab for cutie 3 times, i had never seen rilo kiley live. however, jenny lewis was playing with postal service so it was very exciting for me. she has a great voice. it was super cute how both jenny lewis and ben gibbard danced together. it was an amazing show. being there really brought me back to 2003, in a good way. we didn't stay for the second encore since they'd pretty much played all of their songs including any new songs they might have released with the 10th anniversary album. i would definitely see them again, even if they played the same songs over and over.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ nothing better

bearded men who sing like robert smith

venue: great american music hall
artist: shout out louds with haert
who: nisa
when: 22 may 2013 (wednesday)
doors open at 7p

optica is the new album by shout out louds which is a return to their first and second albums. i enjoyed every song. initially, i was disappointed with their last album work. but after another listen, i am finding it quite nice. it was just different. it's slower and has several delightful songs on it. i know it's unfair to compare them to the cure all the time and they really are a band on their own. but robert smith has such a unique voice and singing style. i haven't heard anything like him until i heard shout out louds. i discovered them while on my swedish pop high on pandora.

back to the show. nisa and i had dinner tickets so we could get first dibs on seats. we arrived so early that not only did we have to line up but we also got rock star parking. the opening band haerts could have been much better than they were. their vocalist had a cool stevie nicks vibe about her and had so much potential. however, i could tell there was a difference of musical opinions with the rest of the band. they were more rock and roll while she was more country folk.

i didn't remember adam olenius being so cute from the last show. but having such optimal seating, we were able to gawk at him for the duration of the show. another 80s throw back. it was something really wonderful. nisa and i had a great time eating, dancing, and best of all, gawking at the cute bearded man who sang like robert smith.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ like sugar on my tongue

diamond rings & omd (again)

venue: regency ballroom (sold out!)
band: omd with diamond rings
who: cousin lam & nina
when: 12 april 2013 (friday)
doors open at 8p

when i saw diamond rings open for stars at the fillmore, i was blown away. his energy was contagious, along with his music. it was an 80's throw back. i was thrown back. i was very excited to see that diamond rings opened up for omd. i'd never been to the regency ballroom and was unsure about what general admission tickets would look like since nowadays i prefer sitting to standing at concerts. luckily, others preferred standing. we were able to get seats next to the stage.

during the intermission, nina and i found our way to the merch table where diamond rings was doing a meet and greet. i was also interested in adding another record to my collection. it's also an excuse to talk to him. and he is so so pretty in person. i don't think the picture above does him justice.

you can tell that most of the audience was there to see omd as nina and i were basically the only ones dancing to diamond rings. i didn't care, i couldn't help myself. i saw omd for the first time in october of 2011. i had waited about 20 years to see them. not sure why i didn't see them sooner, it's not like they haven't had any albums out since sugar tax. in fact, they've had two albums after sugar tax before the tour of the show in 2011.

the show was fantastic. even more fantastic was going with my cousins. we all got up out of our seats and danced like it was 1989. the night was a great 80's throw back.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

food adventures: state bird provisions

after attending the lecture on eleven madison park loves new york on wednesday, april 3 at the jewish community center of san francisco with chef daniel humm & will guidara (co-owners of eleven madison park) in conversation with james oseland (editor-in-chief of saveur magazine and top chef masters judge), my dear bff decided to take them up on their recommendation to try state bird provisions that night. except she didn't tell me.
she surprised me upon arriving there. but being the retard foodie that i am (ok, more like beginners foodie), i didn't realize the amazing adventure she was taking me on. on an ordinary wednesday evening. clockwise from the top left: duck liver mousse with almond biscuits, ca state bird with provisions (aka quail and the name of the place), glazed pork ribs with swiss chard togarashi, crispy pork belly with winter citrus (a must since we had two of these), spicy yuba kimchi with smoked egg bottarga, and 'world peace' which were shots of peanut muscovado milk (not pictured and complimentary). we couldn't even finish the shots.

the concept of this place is innovative. it's like dim sum, where they have a menu but also plates on a cart that they attempt to roll around the place. they end up just walking around with platters of the plates as it is a tight squeeze towards the front.

we walked in thinking it would be easy to get a table on a random wednesday night at 9p. we were wrong. while we eventually got two seats at the tables near the kitchen, we had to wait to get spots standing right next to the door. i'd recommend getting reservations though i hear it takes a month or so to get a table there. but read up about it (i did!), it's one of the best new(ish) restaurants.

girls' glen ellen getaway

funie and i decided to go on a girls' getaway to nearby glen ellen located north next to sonoma. funie wanted to celebrate finishing her degree and i had a couple of days off in the middle of the week. what better way to use them on a quick getaway to wine country?

i made my way up to pick her up around lunch. we didn't get to glen ellen until close to 2p. we decided to go down the road and find some grub at the grist mill restaurant. i ordered a burger with fries, a salad, plus a side of mac and cheese. funie also had a couple of plates with a side of fries. we were both really hungry, apparently. our small table for two was covered with plates. a couple stopped by our table, coming or going (i can't remember), asked us if anyone else was joining us. we looked at each and said, noooo. after we finished, our waiter came by and told us he was quite impressed with our appetites. afterwards, we checked and got on our way after all of the heavy food we'd just ingested, i felt the need to walk. so we found our way up to the sugarloaf ridge state park. it was beautiful driving up through all the greenery. we even saw a small waterfall on the way up. for some reason, they charge to park so we couldn't stop until we could find a way to pay for parking.

despite having just eaten a feast consisting of very heavy foods and going to a couple of wineries, we decided to have an early dinner at the fig café. another food adventure, it was very exciting and delicious. the next day after check out, we visiting the kenwood winery. of all three wineries we visited (chateau st. jean, benziger and kenwood), the last was the best.

on our way back through napa, we stopped by the napa valley premium outlets. funie found a new professional wardrobe and i snagged these super cute orange wedges.

michael kors

i've been looking for some basic mary janes in black. i remembered that one of my lovely cousins told me about how comfortable michael kors shoes were. so obviously, i had to try a couple pairs on.

before i knew it, i was walking out with 2 pairs of shoes by michael kors. aren't they super cute?

more food adventures: flour+water

this is the winter pasta menu with wine pairings plus two pizzas to go because bff and i weren't sure the five pasta courses were going to be enough for us. hah.

noise pop 2013

venue: great american music hall
artist: thao nguyen + the get down stay down @ noise pop
when: 2 march 2013 (saturday)
doors open at 7p

thao has a new album out called we the common. at first, i wasn't sure how much i liked it. but after seeing her live and paying attention to what it was about, it was really meaningful. it's about taking care of one another. it's been a long time since i found meaning in full length albums.

unfortunately, all three of her opening bands (sallie ford & the sound outside, before the brave, and kacey johansing) were horrendous. fortunately, the company was fabulous which made up for the openings.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

food adventures: e&o asian kitchen

i have this foodie friend who is the bestest foodie i know. she knows where to go and what to eat. i am learning a great deal from her. she is also a very good friend. she is my bff (best foodie friend). hah. clockwise from top left: hush puppies & corn fritters, duck rolls, black cod, green tea affogato, beef toppiko & pork spare ribs. order of meals were: top left & right; middle left & right; and bottom left & right.

food adventures: dixie with nina

i received a voucher for a 5-course dinner at the chef's table at dixie thanks to a very dear friend. i made reservations on the 5th and asked nina to join me. it was convenient since her office is near mine. we started with drinks and they gave us an option of eating in the main dining room with everyone else or in the kitchen at the "chef's table". this was a chef's table dinner so we opted for that. to my surprise, there was a table for six with no one there. even better! we had the kitchen to ourselves. it was like a private dinner party with the chef, joseph humphrey. he was kind and generous with his time. he told us everything about each course and more. he even busted out his laptop to show us a youtube video on the acorn grits. we enjoyed ourselves so much that we closed out the place. as a result, we received a personal tour of the kitchen and restaurant by mr. humphrey himself. we definitely have to go back!

first pair of 2013!

ever since i wore these booties to death, i've been searching for a new pair to replace them. unfortunately, i have not been able to find the right color. so, i settled with these cole haan booties that i purchased last month.