Maverick in the Mission

Every so often, I stumble upon a gem in the city by pure chance, rewarding me for taking the risk to try something new or different. When I was glancing through the latest edition of San Francisco magazine's food review section, the name Maverick caught my eye. Not because it reminded me of Tom Cruise's character in Top Gun, but the name itself held the potential of being something different and unconventional in this city that constantly pushes the limits of individuality and steadfast conventions*. Ever hopeful and very hungry, I decided this would be the evening's dinner venue. We almost missed the restaurant when we first drove past 17th Street, because it wasn't the most prominently lit on the row, nor did it have a clear signage that caught one's eye. Anyway, GPS saved the day and we were able to find parking a block down the street.

We were 15min early, and the table before ours had not settled their bill yet, so while we were waiting by the door of this tiny restaurant, the chef came over with 2 pieces of pureed fava beans pesto on toast to distract us. Then Mike the manager offered to let us try some of the featured house wines of the evening, and introduced himself as the restaurant's sommelier as well. The little details in taking care of their patrons made me ever hopeful of the wonderful dining experience I was about to embark on, and truly I was not disappointed at all.

The menu at Maverick constantly changes depending on the season and availability of local produce, and tonight's list featured octopus tostadas, grilled pork balls with polenta and green and sweet potato soup. These were great starters and every selection was truly awesome. The octopus chunks were very well marinated and tender, the grilled pork meat balls had a light fennel flavor and grilled perfectly, and the sweet potato soup was deceptively bland on first sight, but hid an abundance of flavor. For the mains, I had to try their famous buttermilk soaked southern fried chicken with citrus flavored chard and wild rice. This was truly a decadent twist on a traditional southern staple, the chicken was moist, juicy and very tender, and the skin was crispy and full of spiced seasoning. The lemon flavored chard was a very good contrast to the chicken, as were the wild rice seasoned with a tomato based sauce.
Maverick is located at 3316 17th Street in the Mission, San Francisco, CA 94110. Tel: (415) 863-3061

More brunch discoveries in Cole Valley

I had heard of a cafe called Zazie in Cole Valley that was very popular with the neighborhood scene. I guess word of mouth had spread far and wide, and several coworkers had vouched for the fantastic brunches they served at the cafe. So I decided this morning would be the perfect time to stroll over to check it out. At first the name sounded very Greek to me, but menu was typical San Francisco brunch fare, with organic produce and ingredients featured prominently on the menu. Unlike most cities I've been to, restaurants in San Francisco are happy to serve you egg whites only by request, in place of regular eggs and will almost always accommodate any dietary restrictions you can name. My friends who live in the city generally order their egg white scrambles and vegan pancakes, but for me, I believe a little bit of cholesterol in the food makes it even tastier sometimes. i also often wonder what they do with all the egg yolks that are unused.

Locals tend to have breakfast a little earlier than most other people on the east coast, so arriving by 10:00AM assures you a very short wait to get seated. Stepping into the restaurant, I was greeted by the morning light streaming through the skylight near the back, and the whole dining room was abuzz with the morning feasting ritual. The small table in the middle of the dining room was the perfect vantage point to catch all the action.

At Zazie, you get hearty servings of breakfast staples, accompanied by strong fresh brewed lattes. In particular, the candied ginger wholewheat pancakes were amazing, fluffy and full of sweet ginger flavor. I loved the crispy bacon and fresh scrambled eggs (yes you can really taste organic eggs from the regular ones), and not forgetting one of the best French toasts I've eaten in a very long time.
Zazie is located at 941 Cole St, San Francisco, CA94117. Tel: (415) 564-5332

The local global diner

Went to Pomelo, a local breakfast diner in Noe Valley this weekend. Billing itself as a global diner, the mostly breakfast and brunch menu featured typical Californian brunch fare with a little Asian twist, as well as a long list of omelet dishes named after popular destinations around the globe. The special of the day was the Noe Valley, an egg scramble dish flavored with cut chili, thai basil, cilantro, shallots and shrimp. I never thought a Thai style scramble would be so delicious, and the juicy fresh shrimps added to the overall appeal. We also had side orders of their homemade fennel sausage, which were served meat patty style. I didn't quite catch the fennel flavor, but the sausages tasted fresh and were not too fatty.

Coffee was another good thing about Pomelo, the beverages were served in extra large mugs that would probably not require refills from most people. All in all, this was a very pleasant discovery, and right in the heart of one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city. If you're looking for homestyle meals and a very affordable price, Pomelo would be an excellent choice. For a fancier experience, I'd go with Bar Tartine or Empire Cafe any day.
Pomelo is located at 1793 Church Street, San Francisco CA94131. Tel: 415-285-2257.

The largest tasting menu I've ever eaten

I must have looked like someone who could really eat a whole cow, or maybe the waitress was too polite to tell me NO, but anyway, I ordered the Rijstafel tasting menu at Bumbu Bali in Nusa Dua, Bali last weekend, and lived to regret it. Don't get me wrong, the food was fantastic, and with tasting portions that represented a large portion of the restaurant menu items, but there was simply too much food for one person to finish.

For starters, there were 4 different types of skewered meat, a very delicious and unusual green papaya salad, a tuna salad and a rice cake dish with 2 accompanying dips. The main dishes arrived on a large platter with various types of meat - marinated chicken, sweet pork stew, various types of grilled meat in wrapped in banana leaf, a spicy vegetable dish, beef rendang, another chicken stew and a final met dish that I couldn't remember (and barely tasted).

A barely made a dent, only managing to taste tiny morsels of meat while having some of the white, yellow and red rice varieties. Anyway, finally on to dessert, there was a mixed tropical fruit platter, a black rice pudding, a palm sugar rice pudding and some local glutinous rice pastries. There was definitely enough food for two, but it was just a pity I was dining alone that night.

Bumbu Bali also has cooking classes during the day, and will arrange to take students to the local market to shop for ingredients before the lessons start. The open air kitchen is a great place to watch the experts cook up a feast, and there are cookbooks on sale for those really keen on trying their hand at Balinese cuisine.

The restaurant is located at Jalan Pratama, Tanjung Benoa, P.O.Box 132 Nusa Dua 80363, Bali - Indonesia. Tel: 62 361 774502, 772299

Back to the Macaroni Club

Ah, my favorite joint along the Kuta stretch is still around. It's been two years since I had a meal at the Macaroni Club, lots of fond memories and good food. It still looks pretty much the same, except maybe they've spiffed it up a bit. The three-storey high skylight that covers the entire club was what drew me to this place many years ago when I first stumbled upon it during a walk down Kuta one afternoon. Love the drinks, love the music and the food. If you happen to get the front row tables by the roadside, you get a great view of the street scene in front of the restaurant, like watching a music video that loops endlessly, while the hanging TVs play more MTV fare.

Today, as I finished my morning surfing session, I was on the lookout for a quick bite before heading back to my hotel to get some work and emails done. Saw a couple of new Italian bistros by Kuta Beach, a couple of new bars serving lunch, and passed TJ's the old Mexican cantina in Poppies Lane II. As I emerged from the side lane onto the main thoroughfare, I saw the Macaroni Club right in front of me, and knew that was the answer. I ordered the set lunch, a really good deal at Rp59,000 - choice of pizza or pasta, a drink and a coffee. I ordered ice cream for dessert as well. The macaroni alla matriciana was very tasty, and well done. Thank goodness they also had free wifi! I was able to shoot out a few emails while waiting for my food, and so everyone back at the office probably had no idea I was goofing off in Bali and sending out emails at a club in Kuta. Well, that's modern technology. It will enrich our lives in many ways, and eventually enslave us to our virtual desks wherever we may flee to.

P.S. Cafe Palais Renaissance, Singapore

When a couple of my fellow die-hard Coldplay fans came down to Singapore from K.L. for the concert, we had to grab dinner before heading out to Kallang. They took me to the newest P.S. Cafe at Palai Renaissance and we had a wonderful time as rushed as it was.

The owners and their eye for the perfect light and space have created another lovely venue from basically nothing. Like the Dempsey location, they have taken this formerly unused area and turned it into a cosy cafe with a French bistro influence.

Their drinks are really good (try their mojitos), their oysters fresh, the good ole' Ceasar Salad and truffles fries wonderful comfort foods.

If I had the luxury of a tai-tai lifestyle, I would be here everyday chilling, reading, eating and drinking.

Still a distant wish....

An Italian experience in Bali

A couple of years ago, I remember having some delicious fried calamari sitting at the outdoor patio of Salsa Verde, the Italian bistro at the Grand Hyatt Bali in Nusa Dua, Bali. I had just arrived very late tonight and was famished, so between Italian and Japanese teppanyaki, Italian won out. I think one of the beauty of Italian cuisine is the subtle nuances that distinguish the different regions of the country, be it Puglia in the south or Ligure in the north. Tonight, this season, they were featuring cuisine from Tuscany, and I was really looking forward to expanding my palate.

I ordered a starter consisting of rare grilled tuna fillet, orange wedges and fresh sliced tomatoes. The tuna was lightly seasoned with salt, olive oil and a healthy sprinkling of chopped chives. Simple, fresh and very tasty. My main was the penne with fresh and smoked salmon in a tomato sauce. The fresh salmon texture was just cooked perfectly, and the smoked salmon lent a smoky seafood flavor to the fresh tomato sauce. It just shows how a standard dish like this can really stand out with the right ingredients technique. I wished there was room for dessert, but I had too much fresh bread sticks before the meal, and will have to let it pass.