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!)

Xyclo: Chic Vietnamese in Oakland

Saturday Date Night: October 30, 2010 @ 5:15 PM

No thanks to a seafood restaurant in SF on Friday night, at 1 AM Saturday morning I was fully awake with a case of food poisoning. (I'll spare you the details.)

For Saturday Date Night, I told Enrique that we had to have dinner as close as possible to the house and I needed a hot steaming bowl of soup, preferably Asian. (I was still feeling icky from the night before.)

Prior to this dinner, I wrote Xyclo off as a fru-fru overpriced "Americanized" Vietnamese fusion restaurant. It took one food poisoning experience from another eatery for me to try it.

Xyclo is definitely a notch above your mom and pop Vietnamese restaurant. However, it is still a neighborhood place and service was very down-to-earth. Decor was chic Asian which reminded me of the neon-lit modern restaurants in Singapore. "East meets West" decor of Asian artwork on bright-colored walls was the theme of this place. The cuisine is indeed fusion.

To qualm my sick tummy, I ordered these as soon as we sat down:

A) POT OF CHRYSANTHEMUM TEA $3: Nice floral tea that came in an Asian teapot. Tea was strong by a little lukewarm. Still refreshing none the less.

B) SWEET AND SOUR SOUP $7: Fish, pineapple, celery, tomato and Asian dill in a sweet and sour broth
This soup should be renamed "Very Sweet and Sour Soup." Generous portion with nice chunks of fish that tasted fresh and not fishy. I loved it despite the sweetness and started to make my tummy feel better. Best to eat while still hot. This alone filled me up.

We ordered everything a la carte and was served to us family-style:

C) CRISPY SHRIMP ROLL $9: Fried shrimp and taro wrapped in rice paper and nuoc cham.
Reall good and dense fried rolls. Steaming hot and so yummy!

D) HERBED GARLIC NOODLES $7: Big portion for being a side dish. Delicious, chewy and garlicky.



E) XYCLO CHILI RIBS $15: Crispy pork ribs, peanut, sesame seed and mixed herb glazed in sweet chili sauce
My seafoodtarian self did not try these but these ribs were heavy and humongous that Enrique had a hard time picking them up with his chopsticks. They were crispy on the outside and very tender on the inside. However, he whispered to me that it tasted "fishy." (As a disclaimer, he hates fish sauce.)

F) CLAYPOT RICE MEDLEY $15: - prawns, chicken breast, broccoli, bell pepper, mushroom, cauliflower, bok choy, zucchini and rice; slow cooked in a clay pot $15
The dish arrived in a hot claypot. Even minutes later after blowing on each spoonful of the dish, it was still very hard to eat because of the temperature. On top of me already full from the soup and the shrimp roll. When I ate it at home it was very sweet, once again. This dish is okay-just a very sweet garden-variety stir-fried dish in a pot. Not worth the $15 price tag.



DOWNSIDE: The dishes are sweet and after a while tasted all the same.

OVERALL: Despite the sweetness of the dishes, Xyclo made a fan out of me. Not only the decor was nice and swanky but the presentation of each dish was very pleasing to the eyes. I really want to go back to grab a drink and nosh on those hot, fried shrimp rolls again!

Tab: $76 including a Diet Coke, tax and 20 percent tip.

FOODIE GIRL'S OVERALL RATING: 4
Food: 4
Decor/Ambiance: 4.5
Service: 4

Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it! I will be singing your praises!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)

Bahn Mi Wars: Saigon vs. Wrap Delight

sThere is a war currently going on in the TL (short for Tenderloin for those of you who are not in the know.) Not the kind of war that takes place in the TL after dark. 

I am talking about Banh Mi wars between the Vietnamese Sandwich Queens. These very cheap, filling and portable lunch options can ignite some lively foodie debate on who makes the best Vietnamese sandwiches in the TL. The major contenders are Saigon, Lee and Sing-Sing. At least a handful will chime in "Wrap Delight."

At this point, I can only talk eloquently about Saigon and Wrap Delight. And without further adieu, I cast my vote for Saigon! After devouring countless banh mi's both from Saigon and Wrap Delight,  I crown the two little old ladies at Saigon as the Banh Mi Queens of the TL. (Since I already found "THE banh mi" I am not interested to venture out to try Lee's or Sing-Sing.)

Let's do a comparison:

WRAP DELIGHT

A dark storefront much bigger than Saigon.  It was rumored that the solo sweet old Asian lady who makes the banh mi  was a protege of  Saigon  until she opened her own bahn mi business. She makes your banh mi in about two minutes which you can either eat at one of the folding tables inside the store or take home with you. She also sells shrimp or tofu  fresh rice rolls (pretty good unless you are unfortunate enough to get the day-old ones.) A refrigerator holds colorful Asian drinks and desserts. The counter is also loaded with Asian treats such as shrimp chips, ginger chews, rice cakes in banana leaves, steamed pork buns, etc.

Baguette: Soft and not crusty enough with almost a stale taste to it sometimes.
Picked veggies: Not pickled enough.  The carrots are still too crunchy. More tangy than sweet.
Meat:  I only had tofu bahn mi and fish cake bahn mi at wrap delight. I do not think that the fillings are marinated at WP. They were just warmed up and served straight up without much seasonings and less sauce.




Fish Cake Banh Mi

 Wait time:  Almost no wait.  Most people are lining up at Saigon that if you are crunched for time, go to Wrap Delight for a not as great bahn mi with one, two or nobody ahead of you.
Overall: The banh mi's at Wrap Delight are just okay and lacking in flavors. There are more veggies (shredded carrots and cilantro)  than meat.   Unless you've had great banh mi's such as the ones from Saigon, you will think that WD is not so bad at all. If you hate the sweetness of the marinade at Saigon, then Wrap Delight is your place.
Price: $3.25

FOODIE GIRL'S RATINGS: 3.5 
 Not my favorite banh mi in the TL but my go-to place when I am crunched for time.




SAIGON

You will have to traverse the pee-splashed streets of the Tenderloin, and dodge mentally-ill and high-on- crack folks to get to this tiny "mom and mom" sandwich store.  (The TL street folks are mostly harmless in the day time. The key is to NOT engage unless you have the time, have extra dollars and enjoy conversing with them.) The story is pretty much a very tiny walk-in hallway with one table to eat your meal.  This is a grab and go to the Civic Center Park kind of place. The store is so small that you will find yourself elbow-to-elbow with other foodies eagerly awaiting their banh-mi.  Not for the claustrophobic.  The store is packed with Asian goodies including pork loaf, shrimp chips, candies and cold Asian desserts in the refrigerator.  Two nice old Asian ladies operate the store in almost synchonized manner. One toasts the bread and the other fills them and takes orders.

French Baguette:  Crunchy, perfectly toasted and always fresh. They say the secret to a great banh mi is the bread. I almost agree!
Picked Veggies:  Picked well. Well-balanced sweet and tangy.
Meat:  Choices of beef, jambon, pork and pate or my favorite tofu. Marinated in sweet brown sauce and full of flavors.
Wait time: 20 to 30 minutes.  The line is horrendously almost half a block long sometimes even past lunch time.  The secret is to call in your order, walk up to the counter, have exact change ready and let them know. You will be in and out in less than 5 minutes.
Overall: Vietnamese sandwiches from Saigon for me are a symphony of flavors. The fresh crusty bread, the well-pickled veggies and the marinated meat perfectly compliment each other. The real test is, "Would I brave the pee-splashed streets of the TL just to have a bite of Saigon's Sandwiches?" The answer is a resounding YES!
Price: $3.25



Xui Mai Banh Mi

 SFoodie 92 claims that Xiu Mai Banh Mi from Saigon Sandwich is one of the the favorite things to eat in the Bay Area.  http://www.blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2010/02/sfoodies_92_xiu_mai_banh_mi_fr.php

Fancy Pork Banh Mi

 I was intrigued enough that I had to try the Xiu Mai. The meatballs were smaller than I expected. No crust on the outside and soft on the inside which I thought how proper meatballs should be. They're just tender all the way through and even started falling apart as I bit into them.

Although the meatball sandwich was very good, once again, the fresh bun and picked veggies made the sandwich. The fillings were just  part of the entire banh mi experience.

Bottomline is you can't go wrong with any of Saigon's sandwiches whatever you order. Now that I no longer eat meat, it will be tofu banh mi again for me next time. No regrets!
 



Tofu Banh Mi

  
FOODIE GIRL'S RATING: 5
Most delicious banh mi in this part of SF.
 


Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it! I will be singing your praises!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)