Lan Fong Yuen - Cafe, Central, Hong Kong

Lan Fong Yuen - Cafe
G/F2 Gage Street, Central, Hong Kong
852-25443895

Last Visited: 2009

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

Lan Fong Yuen has been featured on television and printed media for its famous silk-stocking tea. The taste of milk tea when run through a silk stocking is supposedly different from that made the regular way because all of the impurities have been filtered away. Some might even call milk tea making an art as you wait until the point of boiling, filter the tea, and do the process again and again until the impurities are gone. Just the right amount of evaporated milk is added to get the perfect sweetness and smooth taste.

The restaurant first began as a food stall and you can find the stall as well as the new restaurant behind it on the same street. Back in the day, food stalls were extremely popular and many people would find it more convenient and less expensive to get the best food at the 'dai pai dong.' My parents talked about going to these stalls as kids and ordering a small plate of noodles or some type of pastry for a mere dime. It was fresh, fun, and everyone loved eating there.

While the likelihood of you actually seeing the milk tea being made during your visit is low, you'll see lots of articles about it posted within the restaurant. It's definitely not a fancy place, but I think most people go just for the experience and ability to say that you've been.

We ordered a tea set - milk tea, available hot or cold, with a slice of thick toast which is buttered and topped with condensed milk. While prices are reasonable, you can find less expensive milk tea elsewhere, but the style of milk tea here is different. The tea flavor is itself very strong and there is a certain smoothness about the drink - it's rich in a way that you don't experience with all milk teas. I can't say I'm particularly accustomed to it or that it was better than other milk tea drinks I tried in other places, but it was fun to see all of the articles and it was a great snack.

W&F Washerette - Shave ice, Maui, Hawaii

125 S. Wakea Ave (between Ka’ahumanu and Kamehameha)
Kahului, Maui, HI 96732
(808) 877-0353
Parking: limited parking in front of laundromat

Last Visited: July 2003

Food: 5 star shave ice
Atmosphere: n/a
Service: n/a
Price: $

Yes, it’s true. This is a laundromat. How does this fit into the whole scheme of restaurant reviews? This is added here for the convenience for those visiting Maui.

W&F Washerette makes the best and what seemed like the most inexpensive shave ice. According to shave ice connoisseurs, the fineness of ice shavings is dependent on where the blade is in the sharpening cycle. W&F offers shave ice for under $2 (which seems to beat out all competition). It’s a bit out of the way, but if you’re already in Central Maui or needing to do your laundry anyway, it’s the place to go. It’s very close to Queen Ka’ahumanu Shopping Center.

W&F offers a wide variety of flavors and gives a generous portion of shave ice. The basic one flavor shave ice without ice cream starts at $1.25. Larger sizes are also available. At the time of my visit, add ice cream for $0.50 and additional flavors for maybe another quarter or 50 cents more. Excellent value and taste!

Boat House - Seafood, Bodega Bay

1445 Highway 1

Bodega Bay CA 94923

(707) 875-3495

Parking: small parking lot with limited spaces

Last Visited: May 22, 2010

Food: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars

Service: 3 stars

Price: $$ to $$$

Alice raved about how great the oysters at Boat House are, so with my mom loving deep fried seafood with a passion, we had to make a special trip.

Upon arriving, we looked at the green 7-up board above the kitchen area and checked out our options. While you can get sandwiches and burgers, we were pretty focused on fried seafood. It's also interesting to see burritos mixed into the menu selection.

The photos of kids on the cork board behind the counter and the wood fish decorations give the place that small town, family-owned shop feeling. Step up to the counter to order your food and select from a variety of drinks in the refrigerator behind the counter.

- Fried Oysters - Four fried oysters come in a basket over a serving of fries. The red and white checkered paper add to that feeling that you're about to dive into some good fried stuff. While the batter is crispy and brown, it's somewhat thicker than I like. Tartar sauce and cocktail sauce come with the oysters along with a wedge of lemon. The price is reasonable, but after having great fried oysters in Vancouver, this just didn't compare. I still give it three stars because it was fresh and the fries were good. $9.99

- Fried Calamari - A good amount of calamari is served over fries. I thought the batter on this one was just okay. Although it had good flavor, I prefer crispier batter. Tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, and a wedge of lemon also come with the calamari. $9.99

The staff is efficient and on this evening, it seemed that the owner had a number of her friends visiting. While there are a limited number of tables immediately inside, there are more in the covered area outside. You can also watch them barbecue your fresh oysters if you sit by the window. Overall, I had an okay experience, but probably would try some of the sandwiches if I came back.

Picante Cocina Mexicana - Mexican, Berkeley

1328 6th St #1
Berkeley CA 94710
(510) 525-3121
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: 2003

Food: 2 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

It's been a long time since I went to Picante Cocina Mexicana. I think it was all the hype that John gave it as he raved about the food. I was sadly disappointed. Since it's so long ago, I don't remember the specifics in detail, but I ordered some sort of combination dish and remember that I walked away disappointed. It doesn't mean I won't go back, but it doesn't mean I'll make the effort to stop in again.

Bernard's Inn - French, Ridgefield, CT

Best: French food

20 West Lane, Ridgefield, CT 06877
(203) 438-8282
Parking: in rear parking lot
http://www.bernardsridgefield.com/

Last Visited: September 23, 2004

Food: 5 stars
Atmosphere: 4 to 5 stars
Service: 4 to 5 stars
Price: $$$$ to $$$$$

Bernard Bouissou and his wife Sarah own this lovely restaurant. Bernard, raised in the South of France, has worked at Le Cirque in New York and other restaurants in the New York area. Sarah is also a renowned chef who heads her own catering company.

I visited Bernard’s on a Thursday night, and they had two musicians playing live jazz. The setting is quaint and cozy, but the crowd is certainly different than the West Coast group. The patrons are definitely more dressed up than typical California style. The women wore their elegant black dresses, and the men were in full suits or at the least a suit jacket.

Upon entering, the piano is on your left at the entry of the main dining room. A large vase of flowers adorn the top of the piano. The walls are a warm yellow and the white crown molding accents the room. The burgundy carpet with the golden design on it follows the color scheme. Spring like colors are present in the pictures that hang on the wall. The tables are round and oval and the chairs have oval backs giving the room a soft feeling all around.

The host is formal, professional, and friendly, but I don’t think I saw him smile all evening. It’s a different culture than that of the West Coast. Upon arrival, after being seated, the servers offer still or sparkling water. The tables hold candles, fresh flower arrangements, and butter in small round ceramic containers. Once orders are taken, servers bring around warm rolls (we had a choice of sourdough or raisin) that are served to each individual. At each place setting, you’ll find large white plates with a large burgundy B so you’ll be sure not to forget where you’re dining.
The wine selection is extensive. There is a large selection of European wines, and interestingly enough, the others seem to be from the West Coast from wineries right in my neighborhood. All of the dishes are beautifully presented, and the food is served together so each person receives their dish at just about the same time.

The first starter was a bit of a surprise. I hadn’t expected it since we hadn’t ordered it.

- Smoked fish salad – A dollop of smoked white fish mixed with potatoes was placed in a small crisp shell with a base about the size of a quarter. This is laid on a fan of five green leaves that are drizzled with a light dressing. The fish was delicate and just the right amount of salt to bring out the flavor but not overpower it.

- Bernard’s Signature Foie Gras Trio: Grilled with Sour Cherry Sauce and Maple Syrup Glaze, Torchon with Sauterne Jelly, Smoked with Horseradish Aspic – Three pieces of foie gras are placed on a large oval plate. A salad of large alfalfa sprouts and other greens are tossed in a light dressing accompany the foie gras. Four triangles of brioche style toast are served on the side. The grilled foie gras with its cherry sauce and maple syrup glaze is soft, silky, and rich, melting in your mouth. The smoked and torchon style foie gras were very similar in texture – velvety, but firm. Although both were good, my appreciation of these latter two styles needs some honing since the two tasted about the same to me. To the veteran foie gras connoisseur, I’m sure the flavors would be more distinct. $19.50

- Sautéed Frog’s Legs Provençale, Roasted Garlic Flan, Sautéed Salsify, Chanterelles and Fava Beans, Salsify Twists – Frog’s legs are served around garlic flan which is placed in the center of the plate. The coloring from the fresh herbs and fava beans give this dish an element of freshness. I only tried a couple frog’s legs and a bit of the garlic flan. The flan is delicate, but the garlic is definitely infused in it. The frog’s legs are tender, reminding me of the same tenderness of fish without the flaky texture. The legs are nicely flavored. Although the texture was smooth, I found the flan a bit too rich, overwhelming the individual elements of the dish. $14.00

- Marinated Tuna Tartar and Avocado Roll, Tomatoes, Sherry Coulis, Baby Greens and Sprouts. Raw tuna is diced and covered with sliced avocado resulting in a presentation like a mound of green. I didn’t try the other items on the plate, but the pairing results in a melt in your mouth experience. The tuna is lightly seasoned and the avocado is smooth. Excellent. $15.00

- Grilled Lamb chops with herbed couscous and sautéed seasonal vegetables – For this special of the day, four lamb chops are grilled to perfection. A mound of couscous and sautéed zucchini, yellow squash, and other vegetables accompany the lamb. The lamb chops were tender and flavored nicely. The portion is more than adequate. After enjoying the numerous starters, the couscous seemed bland, though on its own, its flavor might have held its own. The lamb chops shine above the side dishes so much that I would have liked for the lamb chops to be available by themselves. Very good. $32

Pastry Chef Catherine Laughlin does a very nice job with the desserts. From crème brulee trios to napoleons, there is enough variety to satisfy just about anyone’s palate. Another surprise - to begin the dessert course, the table received stands of cookies with such a pleasant looking assortment. I call it pleasant looking because I only had enough room to try a part of a large lemon wafer which was light and crisp. The cookies were available in chocolate and nut varieties as well.

Summer Melon Sorbet, Fresh Diced Melon and Lemon Grass Sauce with Orange Meringue Crisps – Two triangles of orange meringue crisps sandwich three melon ball size scoops of sorbet. Two scoops were cantaloupe and one scoop was watermelon. The sorbet flavors are so clear and distinct, they would be refreshing enough to stand on their own without the meringue crisps. Diced melon and lemon grass sauce surround the crisp. I would have liked to have sorbet available on its own without the decorations. $9.00

The overall experience was enjoyable. If you’re like me and like to try a lot of different dishes, then you may find the portions to be a bit on the large side. If you like having your one entrée, then the portion is just right. I liked the special touches of the smoked fish salad and plate of cookies; both were nice surprises. The service at Bernard’s is attentive and it’s a great place to go to feel pampered. I highly recommend Bernard’s.

S&P Kiosk - Soymilk, Chinese, Hong Kong

5-6 Hau Fook Street, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Nearest MTR: Tsim Sha Tsui - Cameron Road Exit
Tel: 852 2311 1498
Hours: Open 7am until late

Last Visited: November 2010

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $

Hau Fook Street isn't a long street. It literally translates into mouth luck street. It's one of my favorite places to eat breakfast.

The location featured in this photo, S&P Kiosk, is a great spot for soy milk, both sweet and savory, and sticky rice. Sweet soy milk comes hot in a bowl or cold in a cup. Savory soy milk only comes hot. It's plain soy milk with pieces of fried Chinese donut, chopped preserved vegetables, dried shredded meat (Asian style jerky), baby shrimp, and chopped scallions. While savory soy milk may be an acquired taste to a foreign palate, one thing unique about it is that the ingredients coagulate the milk which is an indicator that it's good soy milk containing a lot of the soy still in it. Of course if you're less adventurous, you can also get milk tea and the like, but this establishment is especially known for soy milk.

Accompanying your soy milk, I would suggest getting a green onion pancake. This comes both regular or fried in egg. Both are good. Another option is the classic sticky rice snack.

I would suggest getting a green onion pancake. It's a circular piece of dough made with flour and glutinous rice flour. Combined with savory green onion, it's then pan fried (sometimes you'll find it deep fried) and is excellent alone or served with a little soy sauce and vinegar. There are also other options including pot stickers, but I prefer my pot stickers to have a thinner skin than what they provide here.

In the picture to the right, you'll see the woman preparing the snack by holding sticky rice in her hand, then filling it with the preserved vegetable and dried shredded meat mentioned above. It's a very filling dish, and it's so popular that people stand in line just to get it to go. This place opens around 7am - go later and you'll find that it's a madhouse. I typically order a hot sweet soy milk and sticky rice - it's still wrapped in its plastic bag in this photo.

Other breakfast specialties include their savory meat and vegetable stuffed pancake that is pan-fried as well as pan-fried potstickers. Northern dim sum is featured here.

While soymilk is one of their specialties, they offer a lot of options for lunch as well. You can see the photo shows rice noodles with snow vegetables and pork.

They also make soup dumplings - though these are a lot bigger than what I prefer. I find their dumpling wrapper to be thicker than what I like, although the filling is quite abundant. Think potsticker in soup and you'll get a sense for the size of these things. For lunch, I recommend ordering one of the noodle soup bowls.

There is another location in the Jordan district on Parkes Street that tends to be less crowded if you happen to be staying in that area. Ask for a set menu at the Jordan location and you can get a discount when you make this selection. If you don't ask for the set, they'll charge you separately. I don't think the set is available at their Hau Fook Street location.

risibisi - Italian, Petaluma

154 Petaluma Blvd North, Petaluma CA 94952
(707) 766-7600
Hours: Open daily except Sunday for lunch at 11:30am and daily for dinner at 5pm
Parking: limited street parking in front and rear
http://www.risibisirestaurant.com

Last Visited: February 28, 2010

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$$ to $$$$

It was Sonoma County Restaurant Week, and I nearly missed it since I wasn't aware of it until the last day. For $39, risibisi was serving up a four course menu (this made it stand out from the others as many were only serving three courses). A few people had told me to check out risibisi in the past, so this seemed like a great opportunity - my fridge was empty and it was dinner time.

risibisi serves rustic Italian-California cuisine including pastas, salads, and main dishes like saltimbocca. risibisi is committed to using local sustainable ingredients.

risibisi's prix fixe looked pretty interesting - I always appreciate a good minestrone. Like many restaurants along Petaluma Boulevard North, risibisi is housed in an old brick building and the environment is set up with a rustic flare. Chairs are hung from the ceiling which seems to give the place additional character. The bar is in the back, and if you walk into the hallway, you'll be able to look into their kitchen. Their front door has a drape hung around the immediate area to reduce the draft from outside. I wasn't all too sure that this was a safe practice, but it seemed to work. Upon arriving, we were given bread accompanied by some olive tapenade.

- Homemade Organic Sonoma Vegetables Minestrone - For the first course, we were given a bowl of minestrone. It had good flavor and was typical of what you might expect of a minestrone, but I was dissatisfied by the temperature. I wasn't sure if it was because it was a cold evening, but by the time the soup came to the table, it wasn't hot and that seems to always take away from the experience of eating good soup.

For the second course, we had a choice of an Organic Baby Spinach salad, steamed Bodega Bay Mussels, or a Baked Puff Pastry Organic Sonoma Vegetable Roll.

- Bodega Bay Mussels - These were cooked in white wine with garlic and tomatoes and served with toasted baguette slices. The portion and flavor were good and I liked the broth.

- Baked Puff Pastry Organic Sonoma Vegetable Roll - From the name, I expected an individual pastry, but it turned to be three slices of a larger roll. Also, after selecting it, I was told that it was going to be served at room temperature. I have to admit that just learning this had me disappointed, but I was willing to give it a try anyway, thinking that it would be an individual pastry. Instead, the roll came out served in a star pattern with a drizzle of watercress pesto, and although nicely presented, I was disappointed at how cold it was. Perhaps it had been in the refrigerator and brought back to temperature, but the pastry was no longer crispy, and the roll was limp and soft. Disappointing. In this case, I think listing on the menu that it is served cold would better prepare patrons for the upcoming experience. I wouldn't have selected it had I known.

For the entree, they offered a choice of Parppadelle, Organic Sonoma Farms Half Chicken "Al Mattone," Risotto, or Pan Roasted Fresh Pacific Salmon.

- Pan Roasted Fresh Pacific Salmon - The salmon was presented on a rectangular white plate with an organic watercress pesto. The grilled texture and flavor were great, although the pesto didn't have a lot of flavor. What I really liked about this dish was the side of vegetables. Carrot or yam (something orange) and possibly spinach (something green) was layered into a souffle-like mass shaped into a bowl. The texture was creamy and slightly sweet making it a very nice contrast to the texture of the fish. It was also unusual in its pretty presentation and the way it had been cooked. I would recommend this dish.

- Risotto with Fresh Organic Local Artichokes - The risotto was rich and creamy and the portion filled the entire large plate. I only managed to eat half of it, but the parmesan flavor was noticeable and I enjoyed the dish even more as a leftover.

The fourth course was a choice of Homemade Sicilian Canoli or Homemade Tiramisu.

- Sicilian Canoli - If you've had a canoli in Sicily or Italy, this doesn't compare. It tastes good with its creamy filling, but the canoli itself lacks lightness. One order gives you two canoli.

- Homemade Tiramisu - Given the choice, choose tiramisu. It's creamy and good and the ladyfingers are homemade. That's all you need to know.

Overall, food and service were okay. The soup and appetizer both needed to be served piping hot. The service seemed to lack a certain warmth to it, and though they were attentive, the wait staff was not as polished as the prices seemed to warrant. Whether it was bringing or removing knives, handling soup bowls, or something else, I expected more out of risibisi because of their atmosphere and reputation.