A culinary adventure in San Francisco

With a full-time job, travels have to be juggled with long weekends and soaring flight prices that come along. Almost every getaway is a touch and go. It’s difficult to plan a touch and go itinerary and even if you manage to make one, Kuch na kuch toh chootega hi ( YJHD style). For such times I have a strategy, which always works. Plan your travels around food and all will be good. That is exactly what I did for a recent trip to San Francisco. The food here is as diverse as its people. So come along for a culinary adventure of San Francisco.

(Warning: You may become very hungry after this post. Read at your own risk)

Clam Chowder and Sunsets

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Place: Boudin Bakery

I have had clam chowder before, but having it in a bowl made of Sourdough bread, watching the sunset over the Golden Gate bridge! , now that’s a whole new experience. Walking on Pier 39, Boudin’s is impossible to miss. A sweet warm aroma of bread fills the air around Boudins. You can see the bread being baked fresh from the glass windows and then this bread is transported in baskets through a mechanical system which runs across the roof. Biting into the sourdough feel like munching on a piece of history. Boudin has been around for 166 years (Yes years, not months) and so has been their mother dough. They use a part of the same dough to start each new batch. Clam chowder filled in a sourdough bread bowl is probably their most famous dish. You can, of course, enjoy your meal in the restaurant or walk up to the small beach near Ghirardelli square and gulp down the chowder as you watch the warm glow of the setting sun on the red bars of the Golden Gate bridge. #happysoul

I am a hotpot fan

Place: Little Sheep Mongolian Hotpot

When I first heard of Mongolian hotpot I didn’t know what to expect of it. The server clearly saw my confusion. With great patience, he explained to me the internal workings of a hotpot. So basically each table has its own hot plate. A huge pot which is filled with a broth of your choice, is kept on the hot plate. As the broth simmers it becomes more intense in flavor. But the thing that makes this dish a rock star is the sides. You can choose from any number of veg and non-veg sides and then dunk them into the broth. The lamb takes 10 seconds to cook, the bok choy takes 3 minutes. As we performed science experiments on our food, the sides of lamb, pumpkin, lettuce, noodles, bok choy, and broccoli soon vanished into our happy tummies. I love the concept of hotspots. They are cheap for all you can eat quantity and there is less wastage. I can see them becoming my goto meal. A little bit of research showed there are hotpot restaurants in Houston and Mumbai too. Go team hotpot!!

First meal in San Francisco

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Place: The Crepe Cafe

After watching the seals on Pier 39, it was almost noon and our stomachs were yelling. There is something about an open kitchen that grabs your stomachs’ eyeballs as no other marketing strategy will. There are many crepe shops on Pier 39 and you can see your crepe in the making. As the chef pours a ladle of batter on the flat pan, the hunger pangs shoot up. He then uses a magic instrument to turn the batter into a thin circular crepe. On top, go your requested toppings; make a sweet one with Nutella and banana or give yourself a spinach and mushroom savory treat, eating them thin delicious crepes is truly an experience one must not miss.

Eating dim-sums in Chinatown and trying Mexican tamales

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Place: Pancho Villa Taqueria

Place: Dimsum Corner

Authentic food is difficult to find. It is often customized to match the taste buds of the region. My food-joy knew no bounds when I tasted chicken tamales in a rather humble restaurant at the mission district. No fancy ambiance, just a simple self- serve, packed with people and mouthwatering, I will melt the moment I touch your tongue, kind of tamales. I had a similar experience when I ate Shu-mai dim-sums in ChinaTown, served in bamboo steamers. Though the thing that I loved the most about this restaurant was their environmental consciousness. I wish every restaurant would do something like this.  The one change I have made after visiting SF is buying a 2$ Starbucks reusable cup. For the past 2 years, I have been guilty of consuming my daily dose of caffeine in plastic cups, using a plastic straw which comes wrapped in another single-use plastic. Often while focusing on the big problems engulfing our planet, we forget that maybe simple solutions are staring straight at us. Let’s keep aside the world leaders and their policies for some time. Let’s think of the simple things that we can change in our daily lives.

Also read: On sustainable travel

Also read: A tiny adventure

South Indian Food:  Idli and dosa?

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Place: Chennai Kings

I don’t like to eat Indian food outside in USA since often I get disappointed. It’s either too sweet or too spicy. I also had the misconception that South Indian food essentially means Idli, dosa, and sambhar. But after living with a South Indian roommate who is also a good cook I have been introduced to Kanji, different pickles(whose names I cannot pronounce) and to Bisibelle bhaat. So when I stepped into Chennai Kings and saw their elaborate south Indian menu I knew my roommate would be proud. Everything that we ordered from Kothu paratha to different kinds of dosas, from vada to filter coffee tasted great. It was the best south Indian meal I have had in the US and in India.

Dessert time

Place: Bake Cheese Tart

Bake Cheese Tart is a humble-looking shop in a mall that shares their seating with other restaurants. They sell only one dessert and they are great at it. You can watch them baking the tarts and they have a variety of tarts; the classic original, coconut, blueberry, chocolate and many more. At some point of time, I dabbled a little bit with origami (I made a paper plane in 3rd grade). Looking at the boxes that these tarts are packed in immediately made me think of the art form. These compact boxes can hold six tarts, have two levels and you can pull out the bottom level like a drawer to display all the tarts. After doing a little bit of research I realized that theirs is a famous Japanese chain and they have outlets in Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia and just one in the USA.

I feel lucky to have had the chance to experience the culinary treats that San Francisco has to offer. There is a history behind each of these restaurants and through the dishes, I traveled across the world. Huh! Now I’m hungry.  Sending some warm molten lava cake love your way and signing off!

Also read: Travel Guide to spending a day in San Francisco