Lers Ros Thai (Hayes Valley)

Lers Ros Thai on Hayes is the chic  sister restaurant of the original Lers Ros on Larkin.

Lers Ros on Hayes is indeed modern and new. It has a contemporary bar  that is separated from the dining area by a frosted glass. The walls are made of cut stones with exposed pipes on the ceiling.

 

However, the venue has a very poor noise insulation. The place is very loud even with very few diners at 2 o' clock in the afternoon.  I can only imagine how loud Lers Ros can be when it is in full swing during dinner time.

I ordered the LUNCH SPECIAL which I always order at Lers Ros on Larkin.   I had the YELLOW CURRY WITH TOFU AND SAUTEED EGGPLANT W/ RICE.
 

Portions were generous but both dishes were very sweet and oily. I only finished the yellow curry and rice because the sweetness became too overwhelming for me. Even the complimentary salad with peanut sauce was sugar-sweet.

TOTAL:
Lunch Special at Lers Ros on Hayes = $9.95 vs. Lunch Special at Lers Ros on Larkin = $7.75 (I guess you pay $ for the location, decor and the ambiance.)

VERDICT:
If I want chic sugar-sweet Thai dining with classical music on the background I will go to Lers Ros Thai on Hayes. If I want close to authentic Thai food, I will go to the one on Larkin. They have the same menu but different chef interpretations. My experience at this Lers Ros Thai was not very impressive that I would continue to go to Lers Ros Thai in the Tenderloin despite its unpleasant location.

TOP 100 BAY AREA RESTAURANTS: http://www.sfgate.com/fo…
Mr. Bauer added Lers Ros Thai on Hayes to his 2012 Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants. Although I only had one meal at Lers Ros on Hayes, I do not agree with Mr. Bauer. I am not inclined to go back again to try the other dishes.
 

Cinnaholic (Berkeley)

"GOURMET VEGAN ROLLS WITH ATTITUDE"
I have always known about Cinnaholic because my vegan friend Alexis showed me this place. She makes a special trip from the City just to get her fill of these cinnamon buns.

Cinnanolic is located right across from the  UC Berkeley campus. It is one of the many eclectic stores on Oxford St:  chic boutique, Starbucks, Afghan buffet restaurant, print shop, etc.

The store is spartan like a small ice cream shop with nothing but white walls and a counter. There is a huge menu board that features the frostings and the toppings. 3 garden tables are outside if you want to devour your rolls before leaving the store.

http://www.viewmenu.com/cinnaholic/menu?ref=google
The choices and combination were too daunting that I was staring at the board like Bambi caught in front of headlights.  They can customize the rolls according to your heart's desire like Elvis with his PB and Banana, Rocky Road, Pina Colada and Coconut, etc.

After ~ 3 minutes of being in catatonic state, I finally chose:
1. PUMPKIN SPICE WITH GINGERSNAP COOKIES for me.

2. BUTTERSCOTCH WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS for Enrique.

TOTAL: $10.50 for two cinnamon rolls

Cinnaholic rolls are gourmet VEGAN cinnamon rolls that are slightly different from the ones grandma bakes unless your granny is hip,  vegan and from Berkeley. The roll itself was a little bit denser than the melt in your mouth rolls like hot Pillsbury that's right out of the oven. (How dare I make such scandalous comparison?!!) It did taste like something was missing.

I did not tell Enrique that they were vegan. He devoured his butterscotch cinnamon rolls and told me that he they were good and rich. He liked them. I did reveal that they were vegan after he finished the roll. We both agree that the frostings were the best part while the bread itself was dry. However, Cinnaholics rolls were good nonetheless.

Despite the above observations and being on the pricey side of ~$5 a piece, I enjoyed my cinnamon roll so much that I licked the plate clean. Well, only my cat was my sole witness to such barbaric act.

Although I would have liked the bread to have been softer, the frosting was  bursting with the pumpkin and spices flavors of Fall although it was a blazing hot summer day in the Bay Area. The flavors were just plain lovely. The fact that they were vegan just sweeten the deal for me eventhough I devour animal products.

I usually wait until I have made at least a couple of visits before I write a review but since I have changed my lifestyle to eating "angel (good) carbs" only, it will be awhile before I would have the pleasure of enjoying a Cinnaholic again.

Not the best cinnamon rolls ever but on a beautiful quiet sunny day like today, over a hot cup of coffee, Cinnaholic is one of life's simple pleasures.
(And the staff were as equally lovely.)

*Dreaming of my next Cinnaholic........*

Christopher Elbow Artisinal Chocolates (Hayes Valley)

I am in trouble once again. I found another addiction. This time it is an obsession with HOT CHOCOLATES. My supplier? He goes by the name Christopher Elbow.

Christopher Elbow is a chocolate boutique. Instead of pretty clothes or shoes, you will find pretty chocolates: milk or dark, truffles or bars, nuts, fruits, edible (candies) or drinkable (hot chocolate)...

At Christopher Elbow, life turns into a box of chocolates for an hour or so.

And like the chocolates it sells, Christopher Elbow's venue is fabulous, sleek and contemporary. You will drink and eat your chocolate in a classy venue with dark wood seats and lighted tables. If you are lucky, you might be the only person at CE and you can sip your hot chocolate in bliss.

CE's is becoming my rendezvouz with my sanity. A place away from work. A place before calling it a day and hitting that commute.


HOT CHOCOLATES
The attraction for me really was the lure of hot cup of exotic flavored chocolates. These two are my faves so far:

*COCONUT CURRY HOT CHOCOLATE
I saw the server open a whole can of Chaokoh Coconut Milk and do her magic. What I got was a deliciously hot cup of spiced coconut chocolate. The curry was mild and complimented the bittersweet-sweet cocoa. It was topped with 2 squares of marshmallows that slowly melted as I sipped my hot chocolate.

 *5 SPICE HOT CHOCOLATE
No, it does not taste like Chinese food. This Asian-inspired hot cocoa has a deep sophisticated taste for mature audiences. I do not think kids would love this but I do!

CHOCOLATES:
The chocolates are equally awesome. If they promise you the taste of sweet unicorn breath, you will get it. Their flavors are subtle yet distinct and balanced:

I put together a care package for a friend who needs cheering up. I picked up a box of 4 chocolates for her. I chose them because they were colorful and pretty--with the hopes that they will bring a smile to her face.

-Balsamic Strawberry
-Citrus Tea
-Hazelnut Praline
-Spiced Mango

Of course, I had to grab some for myself:

Spiced Mango, Venezuelan Spice Turtle, Balsamic Strawberry

*The BALSAMIC STRAWBERRY was exquisite while the SPICED MANGO tasted like freshly harvested tropical mangoes and sunshine. 

VENEZUELAN SPICE TURTLE $3
Wowza! Sweet, spicy and salty. Powdered outside then a gooey deliciousness inside. ! I am glad that they are selling this for $3 a pop because otherwise, I will make a meal out of these!

PEANUT BUTTER PATTIES $3
Sadly, I would rather eat Reese's PB cups instead which are my all time faves.

PRICES:

-CHOCOLATES: $2 each ($1+ more if boxed.) They will break the bank if you make a meal out of them. As treats, I think it's a fair value for artisinal high-end chocolates.

-HOT CHOCOLATES: $4.50 each which are cheaper than Ghirardelli's but CE's hot cocoas are a lot yummier.

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CHOCOLATES MENU: http://www.elbowchocolat