Spice Kit

Spice Kit is a contemporary Asian fusion eatery located in the modern Orrick building in the Financial District. When it first opened, it caused quite a stir in the foodie scene in San Francisco. Who could resist the lure of eating a meal created by names associated with the giants of the culinary industry such as Will Pacio, formerly of the French Laundry and Per Se, and Chef Fred Tang of the Ritz Carlton?

Spice Kit is not a fancy dine-in restaurant nor a "mom and pop." The decor is contemporary and minimalist. It has a very high loft-like ceiling and plenty of casual table for sitting down. Or go out in the sun and eat your meal al fresco at the lovely courtyard.

The menu is short: chicken, beef or tofu which you can choose as a fillings for bahn mi, Ssam (wrap) or plate (same as the wrap minus the rice paper.)

On my first visit I could not resist ordering almost half of the short menu:

LOTUS CHIPS: $1.50 They were like Asian potato chips. Supposed to Be crispy but what I had was a mixed bag of not so crunchy and greasy chips. Some of the chips were slightly burnt. Glad I tried them but will not get them again.

BEEF SHORTRIBS SSAM: $7.50: AKA Korean Wrap. This wrap resembled a burrito but instead of tortilla the kimchi rice was wrapped in fresh rice paper. The kimchi rice did not overwhelm the dish. The generous pieces of beef were marinated in Korean marinade sauce and was very tender. Other ingredients were cucumber, lettuce and beans sprouts. This wrap was humongous! It's was like eating a hand-held bibimbap.

PORK BUN 2 for $5 or $2.95 each: Thick, juicy, tender pork belly in an Asian bun with hoisin sauce, pickled cucumber and green onion. Fun to eat and delicious! Smallish appetizer portion. I can eat 6 of these in one seating!

Others have complained that Spice Kit is not authentic Asian food. It is NOT! It is Asian-American fast lunch fusion. The menu is playful but tasted good.

If I wanted authentic pork bun, I would to a more traditional restaurant in Chinatown or a fine dining dim sum restaurant. If I wanted Bibimbap, I will go to a Korean restaurant where I can get my bibimbap in a hot stone pot plus ban chan.

So, in my book, Spice Kit is not only okay but good. The dishes are creative, filling and tasty. The prices might be higher but the portions are generous and ingredients are of better quality --than say, Chinatown.

And for this reason, I decided not to try the banh mi at Spice Kit. Working not far from  Saigon Sandwich, I just could not get myself to not only pay $8 for a banh mi when I know I could get an super-delicious authentic banh mi in the TL for a little over $3!

Spice Kit is a good lunch place and I will be returning to try the tofu Ssam and eat more of the pork buns!

CHECK: $15 for 2 pork buns, Beef Ssam and Lotus Chips

Foodie Girl's Rating: 3 Stars

Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Some are good. Some are okay. Some are bad.
3 Stars: Like! I will return!
4 Stars: Love! I will be dreaming of you at night!
5 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)

Sushirrito (Sushi and Burrito)

Sushirrito has been on the top of my list since I first heard about this Mexican-Japanese fusion almost a year ago.  This is definitely a new, intriguing concept. For a self-proclaimed foodie, I just cannot pass this up. Except I do NOT do lines. I do not wait in line for my food. My philosophy is San Francisco has a plethora of delicious food options that no food is worth the 1 hour wait. And just like any newly opened, highly-raved food in San Francisco, the record wait for Sushirrito has been close to an hour.

Today, I finally tempted fate by going to Sushirrito at 1:15 in the afternoon--and NO line!!! Either the novelty of "sushi-burrito-in-one" lunch option has worn off or after 1pm is just the perfect time. I went back twice both on weekdays around 1:15 pm and the average wait time was 3 to 5 minutes.

Somehow I imagined Sushirrito to be a food truck or a food stall. (Maybe too many visits to "Off the Grid.") I was pleasantly surprised to find a spartan modern deli with about 3-4 men behind the counter making sushirritos as you order them. A simple menu on flatscreen above the counter is easy to decipher.

EL TIGRE:

El Tigre was made with ahi tuna, shredded veggies, rice cracker, avocado and green onion, sushi rice wrapped in nori. The menu warns "It is very spicy!" It tasted okay and not spicy at all. The ahi tuna tasted fresh and fairly portioned. The crunchy veggies made up most of the sushi, not a lot of sushi rice and a crunch added by the rice cracker. It was like eating salad wrapped in seaweed.

El Tigre

SUMO CRUNCH:

Shredded crab, avocado, cucumber, cabbage and red tempura flakes. This sushi was "too busy." It was like a kitchen sink of ingredients but the flavors did not come together. Despite all of the ingredients the sushi tasted bland. And my biggest complain, the rice crackers made both sushi greasy to the point I felt nauseous.

Sumo Roll

SO, WHAT IS A SUSHIRRITO?


According to the website, "Sushirrito offers made-to-order, hand-held sushi burritos stuffed with savory Asian and Latin-infused ingredients and flavors."

In my opinion, Sushirrito is really nothing but a ginormous and uncut American sushi. It looked and tasted like the giant sushi. I did not find any Latin influence on mine unless the chef considers putting avocado and green onion in the sushi will make it "Latin." It was not spicy at all except for a little hint of wasabi--still Japanese. Something crunchy and greasy hit me which gave me a brief nauseated feeling. I later on found it out it was the rice chips.

The rice was sushi rice. I wonder what would have happened it they put tomato-flavored Mexican rice instead, or mix chorizo or carnitas with the raw tuna?

In the end, Sushirrito is just sushi. A good-tasting, filling and healthy lunch. It is portable and convenient to eat on the go although the sushi does not really hold up that well.

VALUE: I paid $10.50 for El Tigre and I though it was reasonable. A sushi roll will cost you that much. El Tigre is probably equivalent to 2-3 sushi rolls. However, Sumo Crunch set me back $13 (including tax)! Originally priced at $8.50 but the 2 extra tempura shrimp costs $3.50. I barely tasted the shrimps. This pricey lunch was not worth it!

DISAPPOINTMENT:

I just wished it had been more Japanese-Mexican fused like chorizo with ahi, Mexican rice, tortilla and seaweed together, etc. It was a disappointment in that respect. Sushirrito did not really live up to its name. But otherwise, I am glad I tried Sushirrito but I do not think I will be returning anytime soon.

Foodie Girl's Rating: 2 Stars


Key:
0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Some are good. Some are okay. Some are bad.
3 Stars: Like! I will return!
4 Stars: Love! I will be dreaming of you at night!
5 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)

Bouchon

I was not thinking of Thomas Keller or French Laundry when I went to have lunch at Bouchon. 

All I wanted was a delicously satisfying lunch to match the perfectly beautiful sunny day in Yountville where my girlfriends and I went for our twice a year wine-tasting day trip.

It is so easy to romanticize Bouchon's decor. This French Bistro is classy and definitely Parisian. Red leather booths, handsome brass/heavy wood bar filled with crushed ice for seafood. The color combination is pale and earthy with a shock of burgundy.

Service was impeccable, very attentive, polite yet relaxed. Our server was very knowledgeable and did  not falter in his recitations of that day's specials which were quite lenghty. We felt adequately taken care of while dining at Bouchon.

We started off our lunch with a glass of wine and cocktails. I chose the NACIONALE: A fruity refreshing cocktail that is slightly sweet.

We ordered a couple of starters which my girlfriends and I shared. We had the:

SALADE D' HOMARD ET MELON: Maine lobster, garden melons,
pickled shallots, mustard greens & piquillo pepper vinaigrette $14.50

This is more of an appetizer than a leafy salad. Very fresh sweet lobster meat on melons. A tiny dessert that has a big punch of flavors. This dish was almost too beautiful to eat. It is also great as an amuse bouche to cleanse your palate.

MOULES: Cold mussels deliciously served with mustard and cocktail sauce $7.00 / 1 doz

I chose the TARTINE DU JOUR: open-faced sandwich on toasted levain
served with French fries $17.95

I am not a sandwich person but somehow I was craving a hearty sandwich that day for lunch. The open-faced sandwich of the day  was grilled lamb sausage sliced crosswise in half. It was topped with onions and capers. A great combination of salty and tangy flavors. It came with  generous servings of fries and side of cornichons.  The lamb sausage was very juicy with nice flavors of the lamb but not gamey. Delicious with Bouchon's mustard!

For dessert, we shared THE BOUCHON: 3 small squares of brownies, which peach compote and ice cream. There was nothing spectacular about our dessert but it was a sweet way to end a beautiful lunch.

My girlfriends' orders included CRABE à CARAPACE MOLLE: crispy soft shell crab, wild mushrooms à la grecque  mâche with sauce grenobloise $14.00 and a FULL VEGAN COURSE.
I did not taste the above but just like me they really enjoyed their meals. My gf ordered the soft-shell as a main course instead of an appetizer. My vegan friend called in advance and told them to suprise her with a full vegan meal and she was very happy with what the chef has prepared for her.

Our tab was $159 including tax and 20 % tip ($53 pp)

I found Bouchon to be reasonably priced considering the ambiance, the well-executed dishes and being a Thomas Keller establisment. It deserves it Michelin star and its place as one of Bay Area's Top 100 Restaurants.

My lunch at Bouchon might not have been "soul-satisfying" but it was definitely very enjoyable. Everything we had was delicious and comforting.  What stood out were the details--a light, fresh-tasting mustard packed with flavors. I never thought I will ever rave about a mustard but I could have eaten Bouchon's out of the crockpot!  Our braided bread was also crusty and freshly baked. The french fries were perfectly fried and not greasy.

Bouchon is a great place to spend a have an "almost perfect" lunch on a perfect day in the Wine Country. We were full, happy and ready for more wine tastings! An hour of champagne tasting at Chandon before lunch at Bouchon. V Sattui, Castello di Amorosa--next!!!!

Foodie Girl's Rating: 4.5 Stars

Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Some are good. Some are okay. Some are bad.
3 Stars: Like! I will return!
4 Stars: Love! I will be dreaming of you at night!
5 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)