The other day, I met a friend in Burlingame for lunch before we went to pick up her new car. Since this would take much of the day, she treated for lunch. I don’t have to explain what I ordered.
Crispy AND hot and juicy inside! On the left is whipped butter for the waffle and country gravy for the chicken. Maple syrup is out of shot.I mean, just look at that! I finished it all.
Stacks is a breakfast/brunch spot in downtown Burlingame. It’s extremely popular on the weekends and it’s a bit of a scene with lots of nice cars driving around. One of their specialities (and my usual go to) is their Bacon Waffle. It’s a large waffle like in the photo, except it has crumbled up bacon in the batter. It’s really good and AFAIK, the only place around here that makes it. I recommend the Bacon Waffle and/or the Fried Chicken and Waffle.
Stacks 361 California Avenue Burlingame, CA 94010 650-579-1384
I think the last time I visited Bistro Jeanty was some time in 2011. I remember it was an Napa outing with a group of friends that ended in the V. Sattui picnic area, scarfing down cheese and charcuterie while having riesling and an A. Fuente cigar.
11 years later, I am at Bistro Jeanty with a group of friends again for a long lunch and an afternoon in Yountville.
We had a nice table on the patioThe menus posted as you walk inside.Today’s specialsYou have to start with the onion soup! One friend got the Sole MeuniereI went with the Joue de Boeuf Aux Carottes. Fantastique! The other two each got a Croque Madame but I wasn’t fast enough to snap those dishes.We were all stuffed from our lunch so we all shared a Lemon meringue. It really looks like an egg.
After lunch, I paid a visit to Domaine Chandon to see what was new. They’re doing a remodel right now for their 50th Anniversary next year. Chandon specializes in sparkling wine with some regular wines made with their grapes. They had some sparkling wines made with red wine which was new to me, which means Must Try!
Fizzy! One dry and one off dry. I took the one on the right home.As you enter the winery, you pass some vines.
Bistro Jeanty 6510 Washington Street Yountville, CA 94599 707-944-0103
Many of the ramen shops in San Francisco fall under the “throw lots of stuff into our ramen so it will hide the missing taste” category. That, along with over salted broth, is why you often feel bloated after finishing your overpriced bowl and wind up a kilo heavier the next morning. It’s hard to avoid since many of the ramen shops around San Francisco are often turnkey restaurants or owned by people who open a restaurant to be on the next trendy thing.
I think there’s some noodles down there, under the corn, negi, kale, karaage…
Except ramen shouldn’t be trendy, should it? I mean, it’s considered fast food in Japan and Asia and it’s been around forever.
In my extensive experience in eating ramen, I’ve found that the best bowls are the ones with the least amount of toppings to distract you from enjoying the quality broth and noodles that you should be devouring. Which takes us across the Golden Gate Bridge to downtown San Rafael to Menya Shono.
This location is the first in the US for Menya Shono (there’s a second location in Union City now) and they have done the very difficult: replicated a good bowl of ramen and sides that wouldn’t be out of place in Tokyo, Hakata or Sapporo. The noodles are made in house and the greens and other ingredients are farm to table.
Noodle machine that makes Noodles
Menya Shono has no menus; you order and pay by smartphone via a QR code and no tipping, meaning the gratuity is baked into the price. The prices seem about the same as San Francisco after tip is factored in. Here’s their online menu. And here are bowls of Shio Ramen from my visits.
Not a lot of toppings…I mean you can see the noodles and everything
There’s pork and duck chasiu and kale there. The only way I will eat the latter is in this ramen.
The broth was light and complex, both chasius (pork and duck) fell apart when picked up with chopsticks and the toppings of fried garlic and the egg complimented the broth, not overwhelming it. The noodles were snappy and satisfying. The only nit I can pick is the temperature of the broth. It should be steaming hot, not kinda hot. This is a common problem with ramen in California, and to be fair, with most food and drink since the McDonald’s coffee thing.
Do I like this place? YES. I’ll even eat the $9 toll to get home without complaining. Hey, it’s like paying for parking in The City…and your car won’t get its windows broken.
One of the great joys denied to travelers now is the simple act of wandering around Tokyo and soaking it all in. Like this from a previous visit in a Tokyo Metro station…
070903tokyo
…or attending a matsuri while you’re in town. This is from the Koenji Awaodori which happens in late August…
9 months into this partly manufactured “crisis” and the travel and hospitality industries have taken the biggest hit. Travel will never be the same as it was before corona. Usually at this time of year, I’m in Singapore doing the Friendsgiving thing. Not this year. Let’s take a look back at the joy of travel. Because the journey is just as important as the destination.
Business class lunch. I believe I eat better when I’m traveling than when I’m stuck in the states.
This was a fast trip, to be ended with an early morning in Tokyo. It made more sense to get my ramen fix while I was in town, as opposed to being in transit.
Shinagawa. Going from the Keikyu Line to JR.
This is how transit looks like in Tokyo. The trains are color coded and queueing is orderly. However, it’s a huge crush even at 0700 in the morning. Thankfully people here have a good sense of hygiene. But you don’t have ramen for breakfast here. Yet.
I was in Hong Kong for several days so I decided to get my ramen fix there. Many of the major ramen chains are there including Ichiran.
Magic cubiclesJust a curtain then…Tah-dah!
Ichiran is (in)famous for it’s attitude towards it’s ramen. Instead of tables where you can occupy space for hours, yakking with your friends, their ramen is served individually in cubicles so nothing gets in the way of the ramen. Then when you finish, you leave. Your bowl is customizable. The softness of the noodles, the intensity of the broth and as many (or as little) toppings as you’d like. As it should be.
Hard noodles, rich broth with scallions and red oil. YESSSSSS
The aftermath after one serving of kaedama.
Since the Singapore leg of this trip was going to be busy, I’m glad I got my fix here.
I took a stroll up Nathan Road to Mong Kok after the protests of October 6th. This is Exit E 1.
The result when politicians ignore the people they are supposed to serve.
Something there does not typically belong.
Aha. A bus stop in front of an MTR entrance?
Mong Kok Station was especially hit hard by the protestors that night. The windows above were knocked out so you could peer inside and see the mess going down.
It doesn’t usually look like this It looks like San Francisco.
I wasn’t the only one who was taking pictures.
Even though the station was damaged, the nearby shops were open for business and untouched.
I took a panorama but I’m not sure if it will work properly on this site.
Close by shops open for business the next day; the MTR, not so much. Some Mask Law humor. Coff coff
I don’t condone the attacks on the MTR. They are in a bad position. The MTR supported the protestors in the beginning. But because they are also public transit, they got their orders from the government to transport cops and not cooperate with the protestors. The problem is that everyone uses the MTR and by vandalizing it to the point that half the system shuts down (like on 7 October) doesn’t help and turns potential supporters against the cause. So stop already.
The MTR on October 7. As you can see, major stations are closed as well as the Tsuen Wan and Ma On Shan lines. At least the other KCR lines (East and West Rail) were open.
It’s been close to two years since I exercised my 2nd Amendment rights. And during that time, two firing ranges (coincidentally the two closest to San Francisco) have closed. So the nearest range to San Francisco is in San Leandro. 90 minutes travel time during daylight. The price of ammunition has also spiked thanks to liberal slime in Sacramento, except for .22LR, which is still affordable. Soooo range time means practicing with a Walther P22 and a Henry Survival Rifle, both chambered in .22LR.
First few magazines after two years. I’m still pulling to the left. Last target of the day. There was also a headshot, not pictured. Grouping could be better.
That’s the official name. It consists of three colonial buildings: Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and the Victoria Prison as well as a modern add on.
Central Police HQ entrance from parade grounds Upstairs is The Dispensary, the former mess and now a fancy bar. The Victoria Prison once held Ho Chi Minh as a guest.
Rules of the Magistracy. Leftover sign from when this was a functioning government building.
The police station has a armory where an exhibit on weapons and gear are on view.
Crest of the Royal Hong Kong Police
Good advice for law enforcement. Some of them don’t use their brains (SJPD, UCPD).
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