Another fantastic weekend of fine music and dancing
I was talking with Gilles on Saturday about what makes a superlative dining experience. It's more than just the food. It's the setting, the servers, the energy of the people eating there, even the kind of lighting.
Gilles put it more simply, "I like eating with people who are enjoying themselves."
Going to two very different dance events reminded me of this.
On Saturday night I went to the final night of the "Elements" afro-house party at Bissap Baobab in Oakland. There was incredible DJed music pumping in an intimate cafe setting. The crowd was all smiles and good vibes. No shade was thrown in the cyphers, just hugs and high fives. A bittersweet send-off to a much loved dance venue.
On Sunday, I got to see my friends The Hot Baked Goods play live jazz at Amnesia in SF. I love live jazz in a slightly rundown bar with a happy and appreciative crowd of dancers and drinkers. It's how jazz sounds best to me, not a concert hall.
As I was attempting to leave to go to another party, the band started their rendition of "Bie Mir Bist Du Shoen."
"Dammit, I love this song! Quit playing songs I love!" I fake-complained to the band.
"Sorry! What songs don't you like?" Andrew Hall the pianist teased.
I had a small revelation this weekend about what makes a pleasurable pastry eating experience for me.
I realized its much more than just the lamination of the dough, the kind of butter used, and the freshness of the fillings. (Although I care very deeply about all of those things.) It also has to do with the light in the cafe, the kind of seating, and the character of the patrons. Because the full experience of enjoying a pastry involves so much more than just the actual baked good.
This is me happily sitting on my favorite spot at my favorite bakery, b. patisserie.
It's a corner seat, with a great view of the pastries in the case, the crowd of happy patrons, and the queue of people outside waiting to come in.
On a Sunday morning, the place is abuzz of activity. I love to watch people picking what they want, taking their first bite of a pastry, gush about them to their friends and family. It makes me so happy, almost as much as eating the actual pastries I purchased, like these.
If I were to buy these pastries and coffee and take them home, they would taste just as good. But the entire experience would be so different.
Other bakeries I frequent offer different kinds of eating experiences.
The pastries at Craftsman and Wolves are at least as good or even superior to b. patisserie. But the experience is quite different. The pastries are presented like tiny works of art, the coffee is served in elegantly handcrafted ceramic cups. It's got much more of a young hipster vibe.
Jane the Bakery serves some amazing pastries in the Fillmore District. There's almost no seating, though. So you either scarf them standing up by the window or your carry them across the street to the park. That's not unpleasant, but not my preferred mode of enjoying an almond croissant and a coffee.
Le Marais in the Marina has pretty great pastries, and a lovely shop to eat them in. I just find the staff and the patrons to be too snobby and pretentious for my tastes.
Other pastry spots that have good environments for enjoying their baked goods are Neighbor Bakehouse in the Dogpatch, Thorough and Hearth in the Castro.
It's pretty simple, really. If I like the feel of a place and I feel comfortable and at home there, I'm going to enjoy whatever I order that much more. If I feel judged or anxious or unwelcome, I'm not going to enjoy the food as much. It doesn't matter how perfect their lamination is.
The second leg of my recent Asia tour was in the fabled city-state of Singapore. I've been to Singapore before, so I had some high expectations for the food scene, coming in. With some experience under my belt, and in my belly, I came in knowing what I wanted. And boy did I get it.
Here's some of the amazing food I had in Singapore.
Kaya Toast
Kaya Toast made no real impression on me the last time I was in Singapore. I didn't really get what the big deal was. It's toasted white bread with some coconut-y spread in the middle. Big deal.
This time around I got it. A proper Kaya toast breakfast involves the above said bread, toasted to perfection and slathered with butter and some kaya spread. This is served typically with a couple of barely cooked whole eggs, and dark coffee.
After getting all the components, you break the eggs carefully into a small bowl, put in a bit of soy sauce and some pepper. Then you take the toast, dip it in the eggy mixture, and wolf it down. Wash it down with some sweetened coffee. It's that combination of the sweetness from the kaya spread, the smooth butter, runny egg, soy sauce, and sweet coffee that all come together into a heavenly breakfast treat.
Best way to start your day.
Laksa
Laksa is one of the most popular dishes in Singapore. A Peranakan dish, it's a rich and spicy coconut flavored soup usually served with rice noodles and chicken.
I had what locals tell me is a sub-standard version of it from the Newton Food Center, and still it was one of the best things I've ever tasted. I loved the sweetness of the soup combined with the heat and many spices. The noodles were freshly made and the chicken tender.
Salted Egg Fish Skin Crisps
Salted egg fish skin crisps are the hottest snack in Singapore. And for good reason. They combine the best part of fish – the skin – that is magically crisped up to potato chip consistency. It's coated with egg yolk, chili, sugar, and curry spices for a very strange and wonderful taste.
The first flavor notes you get are the sweetness combined with the fishiness, then comes the egg, and the heat of the chili at the end that lingers.
There are several competing brands you can find in Singapore. Irvins is apparently the original, which I do enjoy a lot. I have had Auntie Esther's and Snacky & Crisps versions, which are also delicious. Irvins apparently won a blind taste test not long ago, so keep that in mind if you have a choice.
Best Hawker Market: Satay by the Bay
There are many hawker markets to choose from in Singapore, with their own specializations and charms. The best one I went to this visit was Satay by the Bay, in the midst of the lovely Marina Bay Gardens.
You can get lots of fantastic seafood at Satay by the Bay, as well as, of course, satay, grilled chicken, Indian food, and more. During my visit, we had some wonderful chili crab, tiny fried octopuses, prawns, and piles of pork and chicken satay on skewers. Don't miss it, if you are in Marina Bay. And bring all of your friends.
Veggie Dim Sum
I am not a dim sum fan. I find the flavors to be simplistic, the textures rather boring, and too heavy and greasy for me.
But my hosts in Singapore took me to an amazing all-veggie dim sum spot, of which apparently there are several in the city. I found the flavors refreshing, the textures interesting and I didn't have that gross heavy feeling after eating them.
I wish they had this in my city!
Sichuan Hot Pot
I had a couple of fun late nights eating hot pot with friends in Singapore. There was a lot going on at our hot spot joint -- fancy noodle making by your table, people making balloon animals, festive birthday singing, even a place you could get a manicure in the restaurant! Here's a video of a noodle maker with his own sound track!
But of course the essence is the food experience, which is simple but very satisfying. Basically you order for the table one or two kinds of broth, which are kept boiling hot via heating elements under the table. You also order various things to throw in the broth, vegetables, tofu and all manner of meats. Then you cook it up, and eat it on tiny plates with sauces you customize to your liking.
Our hot spot spot was more toward the Sichuan end of the Chinese spectrum -- so everything went from mildly spicy to completely nuclear. I usually like spicy foods, but after one night I was craving something bland for awhile afterwards. Still, a very entertaining dining experience with a group.
Best Coffee: Glasshouse
I found the Glasshouse Cafe in the charming and historic Chijmes center. (Thanks, Ana!) It's a beautiful, well-lit space with lots of greenery and modern furnishings. I had a delicious pour-over, a single origin Burundi that I wish I had brought home with me.
The barista knew his craft, and we chatted amiably about the coffee scenes in Singapore, Shanghai, San Francisco and South Africa. He also informed me that a portion of the profits from the coffee went back to the community it came from.
They also sold me some delicious salted egg flavored chocolate, because... Singapore.
Another strong coffee contender is the humble kopi o you can order from any kaya toast place. Kopi o is a basic black coffee with sugar. I prefer kopi o sieu dai, which is less sweet and very dark. So strong and reviving in the morning.
Best Pastry: Tiong Bahru's Kouign Amman
Tiong Bahru Bakery is a local Singaporean chain of French bakeries that's pretty damn fantastic. I had their basic kouign amman and a chocolate-almond croissant. Both were well made and fresh. The kouign amman was a thing of beauty - crispy sweet on the outside, rich and buttery on the inside. Their chocolate almond croissant was no slacker either. (Thanks, Ana!)
Another strong contender was Bake Cheese Tart's signature cheese tarts. Originally from Hokkaido, Japan, their version of the cheese tart is dense and caramelized on the outside and wonderfully gooey on the inside. Not too sweet, perfectly balanced.
Apparently San Francisco has a Baked Cheese Tart shop in the Westfield Mall, now! A pretty good reason to head to the mall.
Overall, an incredible food expedition to Singapore. These people know how to eat well.
I just got back from two weeks of travel in Shanghai and Singapore. A lot of that trip was spent going totally off diet and eating lots and lots of delicious food. Basically it was two weeks of cheat days.
Here are some highlights of the amazing food and drinks I had in Shanghai.
Soup Dumplings. That's the first thing people tell you to eat in Shanghai. And yes, I had A LOT of soup dumplings (xiao long bao).
Din Tai Fong, the popular Taiwanese soup dumpling chain, is huge here in Shanghai. I had an epic first meal at Din Tai Fong in Xiantiandi my first night there with my friends Orchid, Tasha and Sing.
The soup dumplings there were of many varieties, with different meat and veggie fillings. All of them were amazing (and spendy.)
I had more soup dumplings from one of the top contenders for best soup dumplings in Shanghai, Nanjiang Restaurant in Yuyuan Garden. I got there early, around 11:30am, to beat the huge lines for these famous dumplings. They did not disappoint. Hot out of the steamer, dangerously greasy and soupy. Amazing.
The video above is one of the hard working dumpling makers from Nanjiang.
Shanghai is full of awesome street food. I had several versions of their savory pancakes, which were cheap and filling. My favorite version had yummy greens on the inside, that was a perfect breakfast food on the run.
The other variety of soup dumpling is the Shengjian mantou, a smaller version of the soup dumpling that is fried on a grill to give it a nice crispy bottom. I actually prefer this kind to the steamed larger version.
There's another giant soup dumpling that you are supposed to just drink with a straw, forgoing the wrapper completely. My friend Ana and I got one and were underwhelmed. Who wants to drink soup through a straw?
Tianzifang was one of my favorite neighborhoods in Shanghai, a dense warren of alleyways full of lovely shops and cafes.
One of the best meals was in a tiny Japanese bistro call Cafe Dan that my friend Ana took me to. Hidden away in a tiny alley, we ascended some very steep steps to end up in a very charming and homey setting with huge windows overlooking the hubbub of Jianxifang's crowds.
We had delicious homestyle Japanese cuisine, the likes of which I have not had for a long time. This was followed by some of the best handpoured coffee I've had during this visit.
Also in Tianzifang was this wonderful chili sauce shop with like a dozen varieties of Chinese chili sauce. You were given tiny paper bowls with rice to sample them, and each one was better than the last.
Being a coffee and pastry snob, I had to sniff out the best coffee and pastries in town. My two favorite coffee purveyors were S. Engine Coffee and Seesaw Coffee.
S. Engine in Xiantiandi serves incredible pourover and espresso coffees, as well as some damn fine croissants. I actually went twice to try both of their signature blends.
Seesaw is another local coffee shop that has several spots around the city. I had a lovely visit to the one new Jian Temple, where the baristas happily chatted with me about their favorite beans and flavors. The Yunnan variety I had had notes of longan and jackfruit, but was perfectly balanced and not too acidic. Would have again.
I couldn't leave this post without mentioning Starbucks. I know, eww. Starbucks are everywhere in Shanghai. I couldn't believe how many shops I saw in every neighborhood.
I didn't really understand why until I was informed that the Chinese tech giant Ali Baba has invested heavily in Starbucks in China. They opened an enormous roastery in Shanghai, which I didn't visit but you can check out here.
Kind of neat, but mostly obnoxious, in my opinion. I'll stick with local businesses with personal service and quirky charms.
The best meal I had was with my friend Orchid, who took me to this tiny, cramped traditional Shanghainese restaurant call Ji Shi. Orchid ordered an incredible spread of food for me to try, each one better than the last.
The standouts for me were the pork belly and mushroom stew, cold jellyfish in vinegar, and mochi-stuffed plums. So many neat flavors, textures and sauces that I had never had before.
Overall, I had a great time eating my way through Shanghai. That said, I don't think I can eat another soup dumpling for awhile.
In a little under two weeks, I will be heading off on my next adventure: to Shanghai and Singapore!
Singapore is one of my favorite cities in the world. It's like stepping into the future, full of pan-Asian awesomeness. I had a fantastic time when I was there in 2011. I'm looking forward to lots more dancing, eating and exploring that fantastic city.
Shanghai is more of an unknown to me. I understand its a rich mix of very old Chinese culture, old world European influences, and cutting edge modernity. It's my first real trip to mainland China, and I can't wait!
I'll be dancing at different swing festivals in both places, which I'm sure will be a blast. Dancing in other cities is always so delightful and a great way to really connect with people, beyond cultural and language barriers.
I'm starting my list of food items to make sure and taste while I'm there. Here's what I've got so far:
I've been binge-watching The Great British Bake Offfor the past few weeks. It's quickly become one of my favorite reality TV shows, perhaps one of my favorite TV shows ever. It's such a great combination of relatable, real-life drama, heart-warming moments, so many funny bits, and yes, the triumph of the human spirit. All in one sugary, carb-loaded package.
I've been thinking about how nearly perfect The Great British Bake Off is in terms of creating a televised competition that nearly everyone can relate to. No matter your background or upbringing, baking and baked goods are a part of your life. Whether you make or simply consume them, we all respond to a well-baked loaf of bread or a beautifully created cake. It crosses gender, cultural, political, and generational lines, that few other arts or craft forms do.
The actual contest is interesting because there is no obvious demographic that has a distinct advantage.
Gender is not really a factor. Both women and men have an equal ability and opportunity to excel at baking.
Being young and fit does not confer any benefits. Age and experience is probably more of a help, since it takes time and practice to have actually made the hundreds of varieties of baked goods and mastered the techniques that the challenges are comprised of. What individual who isn't a professional pastry chef has any experience making a Spanische Windtorte, a Mokatine, or Flaounes?
In thinking about the competition, I've been counting off the attributes of the perfect competitor. To win the Bake Off, you need:
Baking Skills and Experience: People typically specialize on the kind of bakes that they like, whether its bread-making, cakes, or cookies. They don't tend to try and master the entire universe of baking products, skills and techniques. Some people, like young Ruby Tandoh in season 4, have an innate sense for how to execute a bake, even if she has never done it before. Others simply have put in the hours mastering different techniques, so a homemade filo dough or creating a soufflé doesn't phase them.
Design and Artistic Vision: You need to be able to conceive of truly breathtaking showstoppers, like Paul Jagger's lion loaf from season 6. That takes a certain vision that most regular cooks don't have.
Design Skills: There's the vision, and then there's the actual skill to execute. Most contestants will be able to make reasonably good tasting bakes. So how it looks can make the difference between an okay bake and a winning one. You need to be able to create elaborate decorations and flourishes that make your bake stand out. Sugar work, anyone?
Project Management Skills: You need to be able to plan and execute a complicated set of instructions under intense time pressures. Many of the more successful bakers aren't necessarily more skilled, they just are better at planning their bakes so that they have something close to the brief to present at the end of the time. As one of my favorite contestants, Yan in Season 8, said, "Time management is my secret super power."
Focus and Concentration: Since you are baking in a competitive format, while being filmed, within a time limit, you need the ability to focus on the task at hand, not get overwhelmed by challenges and unexpected issues, and get it done. How hard is it to cook in someone else's kitchen, using their tools and appliances, under normal conditions? This must be 100 times harder.
Confidence: You have to believe in the thing you are making, even if Paul Hollywood is throwing you shade, or someone else is making something similar to what you are making. Alvin in Season 3 creating his simple pineapple upside down cake, comes to mind. During that challenge, every other contestant was making very complex creations with multiple ingredients and flashy decorations. But Alvin knew his cake was excellent, even if it didn't have the pizazz of the others, and it paid off.
Flexibility and Openness: While its good to have an artistic vision and confidence, you also need to be able to take feedback and notes from the judges and adjust your bakes accordingly. While judging, Paul and Mary and Prue take into account not only your current bake, but also whether you have responded to their previous notes. It takes a certain amount of humility and sensitivity to be able to adjust your bakes to accommodate what you know the judges like and what they want from you, even if you don't necessarily agree.
Given all of these attributes, I think a middle-aged person might have an advantage over a young or older contestant. By your mid-30s or 40s, you've had the time to develop the skills and experiences you need to be a good baker. You may have figured out how to manage stress, to work under challenging conditions, to master your own internal critic. You can balance what your gut tells you, the information you have from the judges, and what other contestants are doing around you. And you are nimble and flexible enough to change tactics mid-bake if something isn't working.
It's this unique balance of skill sets, competencies, and experiences that makes the Great British Bake Off so fascinating to watch. It's a true test not only of the best baked goods, but also of character.
This weekend, my friends Hanah, Jessica and I participated in Croissant Battle San Francisco 2018 at the fabulous French-Vietnamese bistro Le Colonial. When I saw this desciption for the event, I knew I had to be there: "in front of a panel of professional chefs and a special French celebrity guest, the finest bakeries in the Bay area will compete to be the Best Croissant in San Francisco."
While the judges were going to award the official "best croissant" award, the participants also could confer a "Fan Favorite" on the best croissant and pain au chocolat from a bakery. I was up to the challenge!
My friends and I arrived early to get a good start on all the pastries. As we entered into the restaurant, we saw that there were a half-dozen stations for each bakery, including:
b. patisserie
Le Marais
Neighbor Bakehouse
Midwife and Baker
Jane the Bakery
Arsicault
Kahnfections
Each station featured samples of their plain croissant and pain au chocolat for judging, as well as other select French pastries. At b. patisserie they had, of course, two varieties of kouign amman (plain and black sesame), their passionfruit bostock, and a few other items. Arsicault served samples of their amazing almond croissant -- perhaps my favorite in the city. Neighbor Bakehouse had several of their delicious sweet and savory pastries. The best selection I thought was at Jane the Bakery, including a very solid kouign amman and a delicious pain au chocolat.
By the first hour, I had eaten so many french pastries I couldn't imagine another bite. Which is saying a lot for me.
As for my vote for "Fan Favorite," I went for Midwife and Baker for their whole grain croissants. Such nice texture on the outside, and just the right amount of butter and salt on the inside. Jane the Bakery was a close second for me, for their delicious pain au chocolat. (Surprisingly, I found b. pattiserie's croissant and pain au chocolat to be kind of sad and bland.)
I of course called the official winners: Midwife and the Baker won the Fan Favorite award, and Jane the Bakery won the professional juried contest.
Overall, a well run event, with an friendly and diverse crowd, with an incredible selection of pastries. Well worth the $20 I paid for it.
Yesterday was an unexpectedly awesome culinary adventure in the South Bay with my friends Hanah, Michelle and Brian. Hanah had heard good things about a new Georgian (country not the state) restaurant in Palo Alto called Bevri. So she gathered the troops and we met up there on a Wednesday night.
The place was hopping when we got there, despite it being fairly early mid-week. Only open for a couple of months, it was clear the business was still getting their legs under them. Our host / waitress was very apologetic about the wait and seemed nervously attentive to everything. There was a mix-up with our reservation, which they rectified in a few minutes thankfully.
Hanah knew the most about Georgian food, so I let her drive our order. The portions were meant for sharing, so definitely come with 3-4 people to get the full experience.
The highlight for me was the Adjaruli Khachapuri, a doughy fresh bread with a bowl in the middle that is filled with butter and cheese. (Also really fun to say!) Just as its brought to your table, an egg is cracked in the middle of it. You have to stir it up fast, so the egg cooks and mixes with the butter and eggs. The result is pure carb-y goodness.
Here's Hanah mixing up the egg. AMAZING.
We also enjoyed the Khinkali soup dumplings. We tried the beef and lamb and the mushrooms and onion versions. Both of which are eaten exactly like the Chinese versions : hold it by the top, bite a tiny hole in the side, slurp out the soup, and then eat the filling carefully. Both were good, although the mushroom version was a little too salty.
The Ajapsandali mixed veggies were nicely cooked, but a little bland.
I enjoyed the Shashlik, chicken shish kabob, a lot more than I expected. Perfectly seasoned and roasted chicken, nice bread, great veggies, and lovely sauce.
A really lovely dinner. Not perfect, but pretty impressive for a new restaurant. And surprisingly affordable despite the location and nice setting. I hope to come back.
Since I was already going beyond my normal diet rules, I had to try the bonbons at a promising looking chocolatier across the street, Timothy Adam Chocolates. In my six years in the Bay Area, I have yet to find a chocolatier that could get close to what I was used to in Switzerland or even what I could find in New York City. Timothy Adam was the best I've had here.
They had a nice selection of bonbons, from ganache to caramel filled, from lighter to darker. I had a single-origin from Colombia that was amazingly dark and a little bitter. Just the way I like it, as you can see from the photos of me.
Another one to return to on an actual cheat day.
I feel so lucky to live in the Bay Area as a foodie, with lovely friends to enjoy meals with. Looking forward to many more culinary adventures like last night.
For the past year or so, I've been doing various versions of no-sugar, no-carb / low-carb dieting. I've found it really helpful for my health, energy, weight, and general well-being. And for the most part really easy and tasty.
I've been going on the assumption that these dietary practices have been activating the ketosis metabolic response, and the resulting health gains supposedly associated with that. But I don't know that for sure.
So like a good scientist, I'm going to experiment. For the next couple of weeks I'm going to be re-introducing healthy carbs into my diet, just for one meal a day, to see if it has any impact on anything. Still following the no-sugar practice, outside of my cheat day. And continuing to eat a high-protein, high-veg diet.
I started yesterday with a delicious taco and a pupusa for lunch in the Mission. Today I'm getting brown rice with my usual poke bowl. Woah.
The ray tank at the California Academy of Sciences.
Chiara and Krystal doing the choreo I created for the Shimmy Shakers routine.
So many shoes, for so many activities!
Crushing my health goals in 2017!
Always a blast when my niece Aria and I get to play together.
Wonderful family picnic with the cousins.
Breaking it down at Day Breaker event in Oakland.
Twinsies with Julia in Dolores Park!
Skyping with my mentors Eve Gaus and Barry Joseph.
My best buddy Mole Negro.
On the set at SwingNation.
At the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.
Scooter life.
Best Lindy Focus pic ever with my buddy Miranda.
Juliana is goddam fantastic as a dapper dame.
I'm so grateful for all the blessings in my life, the wonderful people in my community, and the many gifts that I've been given. All in all, not a bad year at all.
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