Goood Frikin’ Chicken (GFC) in San Francisco is no frikin’ ordinary place. Early skepticism is expected, as how would you believe it’s really good frikin’ chicken??? Is the chicken really worth the extra “o”? The answer is: ooooooooo yes!! GFC claims that they select their chickens to meet the highest standards from feeding to age, […]
Archive | SPICES
19 Feb 2011
Saturday
12 Feb 2011
Saturday
Morocco: The Fear of Couscous
I just realized that in my 2.5 years running I have never taken my dining groups to a Moroccan restaurant. That’s a shame since Moroccan cuisine is one of the top 5 world cuisines on my list. It took me some asking, reviewing, and sniffing around before I decided on Aicha in San Francisco, due […]
20 Nov 2010
Saturday
Indonesia: The Forgotten Secret of Sator Beans
Sator bean is a fresh produce that is almost unheard of, even in various parts of Southeast Asia, where the quest between Indonesia and Malaysia never ends to claim sator beans as its own. Without playing referee, in my opinion Indonesia is the bigger producer and consumer of sator beans, particularly in the western part […]
23 Sep 2010
Thursday
Japanese: Izakaya “Culture”
Izakaya culture has become the latest pop culture in America and around the world, where everybody savors variety, beauty, and freshness. The term modernized and westernized Izakaya is an understated oxymoron as Izakaya is a traditional concept of drinking establishment in Japan. However, we live in the 21st century and anything is acceptable. Besides offering […]
23 Apr 2010
Friday
Brazilian: Churrascaria vs. Rodizio
You’ve probably heard the interchangeable terms of Churrascaria and Rodizio. It is actually very simple to put them in the right context. Rodizio is the general term for the style of service of prix fixe price menu where food servers bring an offering of food to each customer several times throughout the meal, until the […]
21 Nov 2009
Saturday
Russian: Trans-Siberian Express
It’s been my dream to take on a trip on board of the retro route of Trans-Siberian Express from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg. I’ve been postponing it summer after summer, waiting for the right year to execute it. And I thought it’s only fair for me to take a baby step by indulging on the […]
14 Nov 2009
Saturday
Indonesian: Magellan’s Footprints
A deja vu struck me when I set foot in the island of Zanzibar. Plants of vanilla, cardamom, saffron, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon spread across the plantation in central Zanzibar, sharing characteristics with Asian spices since they were brought by the spice merchants from Asia. Indonesia is the primary source of spice trading […]
27 Sep 2009
Sunday
Persian: Medicinal, Philosophical, Cultural
Iranians have looked at food at 3 different ways for many centuries; medicinal, philosophical and cultural. Iranian physicians and philosophers considered food and beverages as the main factor to revive body. Consuming food is a way of weakening or strengthening human character. Consuming a lot of red meat and fats was thought to create evil […]
15 Aug 2009
Saturday
Turkish: Traveling Caravanserais
My fondness of Turkish food started when I lived in Germany. I befriended many Turkish immigrants in southern Germany and they often invited me over to their house for dinner. Their mothers always spoiled me with the original Turkish home cooking. Not to mention Döner Kebab was in every corner next to the fresh baked […]
31 May 2009
Sunday
Senegalese: Along The Baobabs
The cuisine of Senegal is very similar to other cuisines found in West Africa, but at the same time has its own unique dishes reflecting the many cultural influence brought by the settlers. Distinguishing influences on Senegalese fare include the nations of many ethnic groups, the largest being the Islamic group, Wolof, which first penetrated […]