Fremont Diner: Slow down for slow food...

If you're ever on a road trip through the Napa/Sonoma area, and have a hankering for some American classics with locally-grown flair, The Fremont Diner might very well be your place. 

Located off the Carneros Highway, the revamped diner looks and feels incredibly down-home and local. You can take a seat up front on a bar stool, sit on tables alongside in their lawn area, or dine indoors surrounded by an air of nostalgia. This place does have an edge as it attracts a broad demographic, from foodies to people who've just happened to stumble across a curiously bustling place. There are no frills here, just honest good food.

Upon being seated, we're served glasses of water in mason jars with handles -- pretty cute. The menu is aesthetically pleasing too.

Grapefruit Avocado Salad, $8.25

The Grapefruit Avocado Salad is incredibly refreshing -- grapefruit, avocados, smoked bacon, and Point Reyes bleu cheese dressing on top of a wealthy bed of county line greens. I'm not normally a big fan of bleu cheese, but as part of this combination, it has won me over. Perhaps it could have been the fact that we were sitting in a sunny part of the diner, which made this salad so quenchable. 

Fremont Burger, $9.50

I had such a craving for a burger and french fries at the time (well, that's pretty much all the time anyway), so I went ahead and ordered the Fremont Burger. A Five Dot Ranch beef patty dripping in fantastic grease simply garnished with lettuce, cheddar cheese, and pickle on a potato bun along with hand-cut fries...what more can you ask for? The burger tastes quite freshly ground, giving it a unique taste. 

Oyster Po' Boy, $11.99

Po' Boy anything and I'm there. Here,  their Oyster Po' Boy is a must: Drake's Bay oysters, remoulade, lettuce, and Fremont bacon on an artisan roll. It's served with a side salad and pickled onions. The oysters are fried to perfection and it makes you want to savor every bite. It's a good idea that they serve a side salad as opposed to fries, as I think having both would just be overboard -- there needs to be something to cut the bad stuff, if you can handle it. 








Location: 

2660 Fremont Drive, Sonoma 

Open Monday to Friday, 8am-3-pm
Saturday and Sunday: 8am-4pm


In other words, open for Breakfast/Early lunch/Late Lunch/Really Early Dinner.

The Chairman's Pork Belly Baked Bun...Finally

I've been going to Off the Grid at their various Bay Area locations since last summer and every time is anything but a disappointment. I've always heard high praise about The Chairman and their Pork Belly buns but had never gotten around to trying it because they always have massive lines that my grumbling stomach had zero tolerance for. 

The Chairman Food Truck at Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos

But yesterday was finally the day that I would try the hyped sandwich (and all this time I thought it was a meat filled bun!). Pork belly = tons of fat. Upon picking it up, drips of grease fell upon my biodegradable take-out box...a sign that a marvelous thing is about to happen. My salivary glands kicked in at full gear. That first bite, as is with most things, is always the best. I found myself scarfing it down and not wanting it to end at the same time...

Pork Belly Baked Bun ($6.75) 

The truck offers other meat options: Red Sesame Chicken with Scallion and Bok Choy, Spiced Duck Confit with Fresh Mango Salad, Braised Pork with Savoy Cabbage and Preserved Mustard Seeds, as well as a vegetarian option: Crispy Garlic Tofu with Miso Greens. You can either get these in a baked bun (pictured above) or a small (3-bite size) steamed bun for $3.75. But you may as well go all the way with a baked bun if your passionate about one item over the others.

This line was probably the longest among all the trucks, as it always, and now I can say that is for a good and obvious reason.

You can follow The Chairman's weekly whereabouts on their Twitter and Facebook page...so stalk away.

Capacity:24, yet serving bottomless stomachs: Loi's Vietnamese Restaurant

I can't believe that in the 5 1/2 months I have been writing in the blog, I haven't shed light on what I think to be the best Vietnamese restaurant in the Sunset District. 

My family and I have been going to Loi's Vietnamese Restaurant for as long as we've lived here -- 15 years. Whenever the mood for Vietnamese rice noodle soup, Phở, strikes and we're in San Francisco, this is the place to be. You'll notice right away that it's a local favorite from the crowd that forms under its red awning, eagerly peeking through the windows to see if a table opens up because the hunger pains/salivation are too much to handle. The restaurant is tiny in size, but the portions and incredibly cheap prices are more than enough to compensate. You're here for the food, anyway. 

#1, Loi's Special Beef Noodle Soup, size XL ($5.75)

The picture of the soup above doesn't do it justice. Typically my family of 4 and I split this if we're going to order a couple dishes of BBQ Pork over rice. The soup practically arrives a couple minutes after you order it, steaming hot and fresh. The bits of beef are a bit raw but dipping and swishing it will cook it in an instant. The broth is rich and incredibly comforting that you'd want to slurp it all up (guilty!). And you can't go wrong with adding bits of Sriracha hot sauce, and I tend to do so to a point that I am sniffling and crying from how amazing the world is now that I am reveling in this soup. 

#16, Vietnamese Beef over rice noodle with egg roll ($5.50)

Pictured above is a noodle dish sans the soup, but instead topped with BBQ beef, egg roll, cabbage, carrots, and cucumber. I had this for the first time in Paris (where the best Asian food there would have to be Vietnamese, hands down). It's a refreshing combination, almost a bit like a form of Filipino pancit but with a tangy bite from the sweet chili sauce that is meant to be poured over. This is easily a dish that can be split between two people as well, but good luck even wanting to share. 

#26, BBQ Pork over rice with egg roll ($5.50)

I've always loved to order BBQ Pork over rice, because what's there not to love? You have perfectly cooked pieces of BBQ Pork topped with savory peanuts, a side of egg roll (or a fried egg for an extra buck), and that heavenly sweet chili sauce. 


How can food so good and authentic cost so little? Well that's the beauty and endless satisfaction of Vietnamese food.

Location: 

2228 Irving Street 

San Francisco

Weekdays: 11am-9pm

Weekends: 11am-9:30pm

Closed on Wednesdays

Lucky River Restaurant is my "New Lim's Garden" in SF

A couple blocks down from my place is a corner Chinese restaurant called Lucky River, it's a small, hidden gem in this area, and you'll come out of their feeling beyond satisfied...and for me, I'm always going to take advantage of my walks to and from the place.

They have a really good prefix menu for a minimum party of 2 people. My sister and I had the #2, which is $8.95 per person and gives you all this:

Fried Wontons

 

Hot and Sour Soup

Almond Chicken

 Sweet and Sour Pork

Yung Chow Fried Rice

Above all, the fried rice was the best. There's nothing like a hot-off-the-press plate of Yang Chow fried rice that really pulls together this combination of dishes. The almond chicken isn't normally something I'd order but it was a good balance against my all-time favorite dish, sweet and sour pork. The hot and sour soup was a perfect start, especially given the chilly night. 

They also have roast duck (Quarter: $6.95// Half $8.95) hanging in the window -- something I'll definitely have to try next!

Location: 
700 Monterey Boulevard, San Francisco, 94112
Open Daily from 11am to 9:30pm 
Free Delivery (415) 587-1826 
To-Go and Pickup (415) 587-1819

Office Perk: Sam's ChowderMobile

I know, it's been over a month since my last post. Don't think I've given up on this just yet. I've just been incredibly busy with my new job, leaving little time to foodie it up. 

Or perhaps not, since Sam's Chowdermobile made its appearance at my office this week. I took this opportunity to have a sandwich that I never had before: Shrimp Po' Boy:  fried shrimp, tomato slices, lettuce and a special sauce between two fluffy, buttery brioche buns. Served with Old Bay-seasoned fries, it costs $9.50 -- a decent price considering the amount of food that you get. Standing in line and being teased by the lingering, fried food scent was too much for my grumbling stomach to handle. I pretty much inhaled the sandwich and was left feeling more than satisfied. 

Shrimp Po' Boy with Old Bay Fries: $9.50

Fish N' Chips: $10.50

My coworker ordered the Fish N' Chips...yes she is a malt vinegar bandit because she's awesome. It comes with a side of coleslaw and tartar sauce. The fish was perfectly crisped and it gives way to a nice flaky, juicy bite. 

It was nice to have seafood following my recent trip to Pescadero, a breathtaking coastal town 20 miles south of Half Moon Bay. I was planning on checking out Flying Fish Grill and their praised fish tacos in Half Moon Bay on the way back, only to find that they were closed on that day.

Wallowing in French Nostalgia at Crêpes Oh la la (Formerly known as Crêpes-a-Go-Go)

Nothing compares to the crêperies in France, but I have to say that there's a pretty decent one in my own backyard. 


What was once part of the Crêpes-A-Go-Go chain, is now apparently independent and now called Crêpes Oh La La. Though the name changed and its location is a couple blocks farther from the Broadway Plaza area in Walnut Creek, the service and food remain the same. Which makes me wonder about the change in the first place, but, I digress...

The Sautéed Chicken with Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Garlic, and Onion ($6) savory crêpe is a new favorite of mine. It's as if they put all the elements of a pasta into a crêpe, minus the pasta. They don't skimp on the ingredients at all, and it's perfect if you're in the mood for something hearty and filling. 

You can't leave here without having a dessert crêpe, especially one with Nutella. I devoured Nutella when I lived in France and so every now and then I have a hankering for it. Pictured is the Nutella Banana Crêpe ($4.75), which is split into two (a perfect serving after eating an entire savory kind!). You get just the right amount of every ingredient, and the best part is the warm nutella coating your every bite. 

This restaurant is for those who want an affordable, traditional piece of France after a long day of shopping.  The menu has a variety of options that'll appeal to any mood or craving, and you can personalize your very own by adding extra elements.

Crêpes Oh La La 

1548 Locust St
Walnut Creek, CA 94596

An Off the Grid Run-In at UN Plaza: Tandoori Chicken USA Mobile

From this angle it just looks like a wrap, french fries, and a questionable green sauce.

But it is in fact a Tandoori Chicken Sandwich Combo ($9), with your choice of french fries or basmati rice, and a drink of your choice.

I found this at Off the Grid at UN Plaza by the Civic Center BART station, and my boyfriend I happened to stumble upon it while we were thinking about where to have lunch. 

I had never had Indian street food before, so I decided to try out Tandoori Chicken USA Mobile Food Truck. It offers Indian favorites such as tandoori chicken, paneer, and chicken curry. You decide whether you want to stick with tradition and get a side of basmati rice or change it up with french fries. I was in the mood for the latter, which are in fact not  of the plain shoestrong variety. They're natural cut and bear some skin, which makes them incredibly addictive. The sandwich combo also includes a side of some tasty green curry sauce, which is mild and has a coriander kick.