Eating to Run? Or Running to Eat? Maybe both. =P

Hi all! I'm currently training for the following.

1) May 1- Big Sur Relay (about 5 miles split amongst 5 of us)

2) August 27- Giant's Race Half Marathon (13.1 miles)

Am I excited? Yes
Am I a little nervous? A smidge...ok yes.  
Am I ready? For the Big Sur Relay- for the most part, yes.  For the Half Marathon- hell to the NO.

More importantly, am I still hungry? DAMN RIGHT I AM!  I'm even hungrier now because I'm burning more calories.  But I have found that the fuel that my body needs should be wholesome and nutritious to keep me running mile after mile....after mile.

Have a peek at some of my "training food," which I've discovered is really delicious.  

1) The "PBBBH"  (Peanut Butter, Banana, Blueberry, and Honey) Sandwich

I just ate this today before a 5 mile run along with some cantaloupe on the side.  It kept me energized throughout the whole run. 

Super simple to make and delicious to scarf down.  I usually have the PB Banana and honey but I added blueberries and fell in love with it, and yes- that is multi-grain bread.  Next time I think I will try it with almond butter. 

2)  "Chicken Salad" recipe (that I tweaked from Runner's Magazine)

The original recipe is in "Runner's Magazine" but I worked with what I had in my kitchen and it turned out to be fantastic.  This was my post-run meal and it was fresh and tasty. The buttery avocados, fresh mozzarella, and crunchy almonds just killed me- in a good way.

First, I made the dressing (which actually serves 4) : Shake in a tupperware: 2 tbsps of lemon juice, 1 cup of Silk's Organic No Sugar Soymilk, some fresh thyme, and 1/2 tsp of salt. 

Next, put in a bowl 2 cups of Romaine lettuce, 1/2 a tomato chopped, half a cup of shredded chicken breast, some alfalfa sprouts, a slice of fresh mozzarella and mix with a couple tablespoons of the dressing. 

Lastly, top it with a couple slices of avocado and a handful of chopped almonds and you're ready to chow down! My table was a mess after prepping but it was SO worth the taste. 

The following were some other random yummy and healthy meals that I've digested.

"Pesto Chicken Sandwich with Fruit", Kaiser Vallejo Cafeteria

"Spinach Cranberry Salad, Creamy Garlic Scalloped Potatos, Mixed Veggies, and Beef," Trader Joe's

(I took the pic late hehe)

1/2 a Fuji Apple, Homemade "Pompano Sinigang" with Harvest Grain Blend from Trader Joe's

"Fruit Salad and 1/2 Farmer's Chicken Salad Sandwich on Organic Whole Wheat," Anderson Bakery, Concord - Absolutely scrumptious.

These foods are definitely giving me a lot of energy but (ahem) a little more gas than usual. I blame it on the fiber.  Overall, eating healthier choices has actually been very enjoyable, although I've had the previous notion that healthy foods compromised taste.  Through these meals, I have learned that there is a myriad of healthy foods that taste delicious based on the way they are prepared.  I like to mix and match different foods and create new recipes so if anyone has any favorite healthy recipes to share, you know who to tell. =P

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OK- let's take a break from the rabbit food.  Just because I'm eating healthier doesn't mean that I'm going to cut out the yummy food adventures.  I just had a field day at Boiling Crab in Sacramento last night.   

Quick review: the Sacramento location is bigger than the SJ one; the wait time was an hour, and the food was still on point.  The service was....ok, granted it was crazy busy on a Friday night and the kitchen had a couple of malfunctions with the catfish fryer, resulting in 2 baskets of catfish brought out 30 min late.  However, the workers were very pleasant and did I mention the food was fantastic?  I guess it was because I've been craving the lime-drenched shrimp in the shebang sauce, crispy fresh catfish, and addicting sweet potato and cajun style fries. 

 2 lbs of SHRIMP in the SHEBANG sauce & SWEET POTATO FRIES

 Mid-grubbing- I was counting the shrimps I had eaten so far- I think I was at a dozen.

 Gotta have the FRIED CATFISH and CAJUN FRIES.

Food coma the whole way home.  I'll definitely be back.

The next blog is going to be the process of making homemade red velvet cake with cream cheese vanilla frosting.  You'll definitely want to see/eat that.  Till then-  HAPPY EATING!

BRUNCH is the "BIZNESS"

Oh the adventures keep piling up, I tell you.  Tonight's blog is dedicated to that special meal when you wake up too late for breakfast and you don't feel like doing lunch just yet.

Yes. BRUNCH.

I absolutely love brunch, and you are about to find out why with these next couple of places I recently tasted in San Francisco.  They are from totally opposite neighborhoods, but they have one thing in common: they're both on my "Top Brunch Recommendations in SF" list.

1) Brenda's French Soul Food - Tenderloin, SF

I was very excited to try this place, especially due to the rave reviews from Yelp and my friends.

A couple of things.  First off, the location is in the Tenderloin, which isn't the safest of neighborhoods.  However, it definitely made for entertaining people-watching for my friends and I as we waited the hour or so to get seated. Also during our wait, I got my chai latte fix at Philz Coffee a couple blocks away.

We got seated a bit after we returned and the ambiance was vibrant and loud; don't be surprised if you are literally a foot away from your neighbor.  We split the "Beignet Sampler," which had 4 flavors: chocolate, apple, crayfish, and classic.  The beignets were piping hot from the fryer; crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.  They were delicious, with my favorite being the crayfish (all the way on the right) with its melted cheddar, green onions, and spicy kick.

  
For my main, I ordered the Eggs Benedict with Fried Chicken, which came on top of cream biscuits and a side of buttery grits.  I was practically having brunch in the South.  Although I was semi-stuffed by the beignets, I dug into my meal like I hadn't eaten in years.

  
Oh, was it heaven.  It was so good that somewhere in my subconscious I could hear my arteries begging me to stop eating.  The richness of the food was starting to take me back to the reality that I was dead-on full.  

Definitely try Brenda's - just be sure to run a couple (hundred) miles after...or before. ;)


2) Zazie - Cole Valley, SF


This gem in Cole Valley was another spot that's been on my brunch bucket list for a while.  It is located in the opposite type of neighborhood Brenda's was in.  I actually felt like I was walking in the Chelsea District of New York, where there are plenty of elite and popular restaurants and cafes.

My brother and I went on a Friday around 11am, starving for some good ol' brunch.   The French-style restaurant was very quaint, had front and back outdoor seating, and a rustic vibe.  I was very surprised that we waited only a couple minutes for a table, and we got to sit in the gorgeous patio.   Later, I found that we came at the perfect time because as we left, there was a crowd of people waiting for a table. 

When ordering, my brother and I know how to get the most out of our meals by sharing everything.  We ordered (from top to bottom in the pics) 1 Gingerbread pancake with pears, 1 Tahitian French Toast (it was stuffed with bananas and walnuts and topped with caramelized bananas), and an order of 2 "Albert" (bacon, pepperjack cheese, and salsa fresca) Poached Eggs with salad.  There was a choice between salad or potatoes with the Poached Eggs.  The salad was an excellent choice because after our meal, we were a satisfied full as opposed to the "food coma" full I get with an excess of carbs.

What I liked about the menu was that you can order single, double, or triple items.  For example, you can order 1, 2 or 3 poached eggs or slices of french toast.  This accommodates for sharing purposes and appetite sizes.  Most places make you order the set dish of 2 poached eggs at the given price.  

This portion was just right for the two of us.

I heard this place gets PACKED during weekend brunch. They do not take resos for brunch; it's first come first serve so come EARLY.  They do take resos for dinner I think.

I definitely want to come back here for lunch or dinner.  My eyes had wandered to my neighbor to the right of me, who had this amazing looking sandwich with cheese baked on top, and the guy on the left of me had the most delicious BLT I had ever seen, mainly because it had roasted Provencal tomatoes, which I am a huge sucker for.

Or who knows?  I may be back for brunch again.  It was THAT yummy.

March Birthdays = Excuse to INDULGE

March is a delicious month to celebrate birthdays, and I'm lucky to have been a part of the celebratory eats.  Dru and Kuya Mike- thanks for being a year older and happy birthday again!

Now- on to the goods.   

BEWARE! The following is NOT for Vegetarians & Vegans, or anyone with meat-phobia.  To the rest of the carnivorous population: you may want to add this next restaurant on your food bucket list.

Ladies and Gents, I present to you SF's famous Brazilian Steakhouse: "Espetus Churrascaria." 

Some facts/ first impressions:  $50/person.  Big, loud, Spanish-artsy ambiance.  Great for parties.  Friendly staff.

First you start off at the salad bar/buffet where you can get appetizers, like salads, paella, rice, fruits, couscous (whatever you want to pair the meat with).   Then the real fun begins.   

  

Upon sitting down from the perusal through the salad bar, all sorts of glorious meat in skewers started appearing.  They were attached to waiters with huge carving knives, ready to cut us a piece of succulent meat.   My favorite was the garlic steak, which I was too busy drooling over to capture a picture.  However, I was able to get a couple of mouth-watering shots.

 

Medium-Rare Top Sirloin Steak

Tender & Juicy.  Tasted excellent with the red sangria.

Beef Ribs 

 

This is how my plate looked 90% of the meal

 My plate was overflowing with meat, and the WHITE sangria (that I have never tried before) was off the hook.  When I thought I had made a dent on my plate, a waiter with a skewer of pork tenderloin or lamb chops would materialize out of nowhere.  Because my eyes are usually bigger than my stomach, I ended up obliging 98% of the time to the meat-wielding waiters.  One dish I was surprised that I enjoyed was the garlicky, tender chicken heart.  Sorry- no pic, but maybe it's better that way? =)

 Dulce De Leche Crepes

After all that meat, we needed a palate change and HAD to have dessert.  We ordered the Dulce De Leche Crepes, which sounded amazing.  Too bad it was every diabetic's worst nightmare.  At least there was vanilla ice cream to offset the caramel sweetness.  In the end, we ended up leaving a "Dulce de Leche" massacre on the plate. 

Although it's a bit on the pricey side, you have to at least try this place ONCE in your life if you have a passion for meat.

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Now, on to the other side of the spectrum: FISH!  For my brother's bday, we celebrated @ "Umami" in SF's Marina.  "Umami" is a Japanese fusion restaurant with a moderately elegant vibe and some memorably tasty dishes, which I couldn't wait to share below. 

 White Tuna Tataki

One of our first appetizers; albacore sashimi with sizzling sesame oil, ponzu sauce, grated ginger, puffed rice & micro red shiso.

Udon Carbonara

Fresh japanese noodles tossed with king crab, smoked bacon, english peas, stinging nettles, hedgehog mushrooms & a miso-white pepper sauce.  There was even a quail egg yolk (in a shell) that we mixed in. The combination of all of these ingredients is a party in your mouth, that left me wanting more.  We ordered 2. 

 Hamachi Ceviche

Yellowtail jewels in a mandarin-sunomono salsa with strawberry & mango; sesame rice crisps.  Although it was very fresh-tasting and unique, there was a lot going on with the flavors, so much that I couldn't appreciate the Hamachi to its full potential.

 Hotsui Roll

Snow crab, avocado & cucumber/ butterfish & hamachi - served new style with ginger, scallion & sizzling oil. One of the best rolls I've ever had due to its exquisite flavors and fresh fish.  Butterfish is definitely making it's way to the top of my sashimi list.

Shogun and Hanabi Roll (Top to bottom)

Shogun Roll: spicy tuna, kaiware & avocado/albacore, tobiko & ponzu.

Hanabi Roll: avocado, cucumber & tobiko/ocean trout, micro cilantro &
yuzu kosho.

These rolls were very fresh, simple, and satisfying.

 Dojo Roll

Snow crab & avocado/bbq eel, eel sauce, tempura flakes, tobiko
& scallions.   

We were in the mood for unagi so we asked the waiter to bring out one of his recommendations.  The eel melted in my mouth and you can't go wrong with the rest of the ingredients.

 

The Cookie Dough Roll

Vanilla bean gelato wrapped with chocolate chip cookie dough, topped with chopped peanuts & drizzled with chocolate & caramel sauces.  

Clever idea- it combines sushi and cookie dough/ ice cream; what's not to love?  We devoured it in minutes.

Tapioca Crumble

Tapioca pudding & coconut cream mixed with seasonal fruit, topped with coconut gelato.  Get this dessert- trust me.  It is reminiscent to "Rice to Riches" rice pudding back in New York, except it's warm, with a touch of fruit.

I will definitely be back to this place to cover the rest of the sushi and dessert menu....plus I saw that they have "Sumo Hour" aka "Happy Hour"  5:30pm-7pm daily- $4 rolls! (which beats the normal prices by a mile).

When It Rains, It Pours

Pun intended with the weird weather lately.  In addition, this is in directly correlation to the massive amounts of food reviews & pictures I am about to post to make up for lost time. =)

So sit back, relax and let the vicarious eating begin.

1) "Maneki Sushi" - Union City. 

Thanks for the introduction Allen!  Another yummy sushi adventure to add to the books.


Sake (Salmon) and Hamachi (Yellowtail) Sashimi

Very fresh, buttery and lemony-tasting.  I could have eaten the whole plate myself. 

BMW, Red Mountain, GBU, and Lion King Rolls (Left to right) 

Very creative and tasty rolls, although the shrimp tempura was not the best I've had.  Our Lion King was literally on fire; I have never seen that before and appreciated the uniqueness.  

Assorted Sashimi Poki Salad

To top off our Maneki experience, the sushi chef gave this on the house! It was delicious, with a tad of spice and a variety of different fish.

I'd definitely come back if I were in the area.  Too bad it's so far!

2) "Betelnut" - Marina, SF

We had some delightful eats for my cousin Rea's birthday in the Marina @ this modern, vibrant Asian fusion spot on Union St. in the Marina.  The entrees were served "tapas" style and we ordered several dishes, which were a bit on the pricey side considering their size.  However, I enjoyed several of the dishes.  I will point out my favorites.

Firecracker Shrimp

One of my favorites: crispy, juicy, flavorful shrimp with sliced jalapenos, basil, and green onions.  I was even eating the jalapenos after the shrimp were gone. They should be called "crack shrimp."

Chili Crusted Calamari

This is one of the dishes that I frequently test out in restaurants, so my standard for it is pretty high.  I would not order it again here; it was overcooked.

 Little Dragon Dumplings

Freshly made pork and shrimp dumplings.  They were good, but nothing to write home about.

Pork Dumplings

These were very delicious and the sauce complimented them well.

Marin Farms Pork Confit, Szechuan Peppercorn, and Scallion Pancakes

I rarely order confit, but this one was tasty.  The pork was tender and flavorful and paired well with the scallion pancake.  I couldn't eat a lot of it though- the pancakes are filling.

  Malaysian Curry, "Laksa." Chicken, Prawns, Mint, Basil

I was surprised to find noodles on the bottom of this dish.  Of course we accidentally ordered rice with it.  This curry had more of a minty basil taste.   It was good, but not enough to order again.

 

  Penang Rice Noodles, Rock Crab, Shrimp, Sprouts, Chive, Chili-Soy

Hands down- my favorite dish.  It was a cross between Pad Thai and Chow Fun;  I really dug the flavor and the mixture of seafood and egg with the tender rice noodles.  A must-try!

Indonesian "Mee Goreng" Chicken, Shrimp, Tofu, Cabbage, Spicy-Soy

Another delicious dish, all those who are into spicy food would enjoy this one.

Although I had a satisfying meal sampling this upper scale Asian Fusion menu in the Marina, I still love the fact that I can have authentic dim sum anywhere, without the strain on my wallet. 

3) "Dottie's True Blue Cafe" - Tenderloin, SF

My brother, Michael and I were both off Friday, 3/18.  We took this fact and ran with it, stomachs first, through the city's pouring rain in search for some brunch.  Michael had been recommending "Dottie's" to me for a while so we battled through the buckets of rain (literally) and somehow found ourselves at the end of a line out the door of a small diner in the Tenderloin that seats 40.  We were cold, wet, and hungry and an hour passed by the time we got seated.  I kept telling myself that the wait is typical for a small, yet awesome breakfast place. All negative thoughts dissipated once I sunk my teeth into the following.

Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes

Love at first bite.  Big juicy blueberries with the soft buttery texture and the intermingling taste of buttermilk and cornmeal puts this as one of my top breakfast items of all time.

 

Whiskey Fennel Sausage Scramble with Mushrooms, Roasted Potatoes, Grilled Cornbread 

A perfect salty match for the pancakes.  The sausage was amazing; I did not taste any nitrites, it was very fresh.  The potatoes and grilled cornbread were yummy, but definitely expanded in our stomachs. 

The special's board housed several mouth-watering items that I would like to try, so YES I will definitely be back.  However, I would probably be more prudent in choosing when to go so I don't have to wait an hour for a seat.

4) Anthony's Cookies & Humphry Slocombe - Mission District, SF

Our stomachs led us to the Mission District in search for some dessert.  By this time, our other friend, Jodie met up and wanted to join in on the food gallivanting. 

First we stopped by Anthony's Cookies.  Pricing is $1.25 per cookie and they are a bit small, but delicious.  If you want to get a better deal, get MORE.  I believe you can buy 6 for $6.

 

Double Walnut Chip Cookie

Crispy with soft center.  Walnut are fantastic.  I recommend the "Cookies and Cream" and "Chocolate Chip."

Next we headed to Humphry Slocombe's for some gourmet ice cream.

Jasmine Green Tea and Black Sesame Ice Cream 

I could probably live off gourmet ice cream.  I love sampling their flavors.  Some recommendations are "Secret Breakfast," (it has bourbon and cornflakes) and "Rosemary's Baby."

5) "Turtle Tower" Tenderloin, SF

Since it was cold, we were craving soup.  What better meal than Pho?  Northern Vietnamese Pho.

We managed to find ourselves back in the Tenderloin, dodging the random crack addicts and hookers, to get to my favorite Pho spot in the city, "Turtle Tower."

#4 -  Beef Noodle Pho - Steak, Tripe, Flank, Brisket

Everything about this dish spells comfort food.  I feel like I'm at home eating some warm tasty broth, fresh tender beef, and homemade noodles.  A squeeze of lemon completes my meal before I dig in.  

You must try this spot- but go early because they close at 7:30pm.

To be continued.... More to come but I need some zzzzzz's!