(San Francisco)
I was super excited to try this brunch place last year because I heard they had matcha french toast, and you know how much I love matcha 😀 However, I couldn’t find it on the menu, so I asked the staff about it. They told me the chef would make it for me! I was ecstatic. The chef mentioned that he didn’t want to put it on the menu yet because he didn’t feel that it was ready. He asked for my opinion, and even gave us hummus! Their menu seems to have changed a lot in the past couple months, so I’m not sure if they’ll still have all the items I mentioned. I do know that they still have their lemon ricotta pancakes, so definitely make sure to get one! Or three…
Oct 2018:
- Nasi Goreng: If you don’t already know, nasi goreng is Indonesian fried rice. I was really excited about this because it also includes fried chicken! Unfortunately, the fried chicken wasn’t that crunchy, and it was kind of dry. Sadly, the fried egg was the best part because the fried rice was very bland. I don’t recommend this.
- Matcha French Toast: The matcha flavor wasn’t that strong, but it was one of the best french toast I’ve ever had! The texture was soft and chewy unlike the ones that are thick and bready. I would definitely come back for this, and hopefully, the matcha is more prevalent then!
- Big Country: I wanted to try the lemon ricotta pancakes, so I was really glad my friend got this. This dish also includes a fried egg, potatoes, and a choice of turkey bacon or turkey sausage. The ricotta pancakes were the best part! It was super fluffy and light. I wish I got the whole serving of it 🙂
Nasi Goreng 
Matcha French Toast 
Big Country
Dec 2018:
- Shakshouka: This was very different from the other shakshouka I’ve had. Usually it comes in a skillet with poached eggs and tomatoes, but this one consisted of three parts: the egg in tomato sauce, pita, and hummus. The sauce had a stronger garlic flavor than tomato, but everyone at the table loved it. Their hummus is made in house and tastes great with the pita. Ask for more if you run out!
- Hot Chicken and Fries: I decided to give their chicken another chance, since the hot chicken was Nashville style, but I was not impressed. It wasn’t spicy nor crunchy 🙁 In addition, their fries were pretty soggy too. This was worst than the fried chicken I had before.
- Fried Chicken Benedict: I didn’t expect much from this after the second disappointment from their chicken. Unfortunately, it proved to be true. The potatoes were probably the saddest part given that they seemed to be premature, like they were lazy and decided to not cut, season, nor cook it for longer.
Overall, I would come back because I love the ricotta pancakes and french toast here. Their chicken definitely needs a lot of work, but they do have some amazing dishes. Not to mention, they have yelp waitlist, so that means you don’t have to worry about waiting over an hour there!
Website
Easter Egg Cupcakes
I decided to make my own Easter eggs this year, especially since I’m too old to go hunting for them 😀 I used one of my favorite recipes for vanilla cupcakes and added a few touches as I like to do with all recipes.
I used mini cupcake liners that were Easter themed, instead of making a basket like the picture. In addition, I substituted the chocolate eggs for cacao nibs to make it healthier and less sweet. It worked out very well, especially with how small the mini cupcakes are. Lastly, I covered the top with shredded coconut so it could look more like a nest. The toasted coconut definitely gave it a nice crunch.
Let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments below 🙂
Gio Gelati
(San Francisco)
Pasqualetti is a gelato chef well-known in Italy for Gelateria Pasqualetti—a family-run gelato enterprise dating back 40 years. Trois—also known for cooking on Italian TV shows—attended Alma Culinary School and was a chef and instructor at culinary academy Gambero Rosso.
Credit
Typically, I prefer ice cream over gelato, but Gio Gelati makes me feel otherwise. “Gio” stands for Gelato Italiano Originale, and they are true to their name. They have amazing gelato that really brings out the taste of each flavor! They offer over 32 flavors and rotate the fruit ones seasonally. I’m usually hesitant about fruit flavors because they tend to taste artificial, but it’s so apparent here that I’m left speechless, like literally. Their grapefruit is so sour that I can’t say anything, but I can’t help but want more. This is one of the few gelato places in the city and probably the only one I go to. I’ve seen them pop up at Off the Grid: Fort Mason and at The Market, but their store is located in the marina district, where they also offer baked goods and frozen treats.
- Passion Fruit: I’m most passionate about this flavor! It’s very hard to find authentic passion fruit whether that’s in drinks or dessert. Most places tend to use syrup and that is not how passion fruit tastes. If yo’ve ever had the actual passion fruit, you’ll know that it’s a lot more sour and tangy, whereas the syrups are overly sweetened. I’ve never had passion fruit as strong as the one in this gelato, so make sure to try it!
- Pink Grapefruit: Similar to the passion fruit, the grapefruit flavor is outstanding. It brings out the taste so much that it’s very very sour. I definitely cringe with every lick, but I still love it. Imagine an extreme warheads without the sugar. Not many people can handle this, but I still recommend that you at least sample it.
- Stracciatella: If you don’t already know what this is, it’s the Italian version of chocolate chip ice cream. I don’t normally get chocolate chip, but the Italian version tastes so much better. Not to mention, it helped balance out the sour and tanginess from the other flavors I got.
I still want to try the pomegranate, but I have to wait until it’s in season 🙁
Website
A Mano
(San Francisco)
I don’t eat pasta too often and I haven’t tried that many places in San Francisco, but there’s one place that I keep going back to. Two summers ago, I had a pasta craving, something that’s never happened to me before, so I didn’t really know where to start. Luckily, I heard about a Mano and had been wanting to try it. I was really excited about this place because I heard that they had handmake their pasta daily, which is not something many Italian restaurants offer. Moreover, this restaurant is located in one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city, Hayes Valley.
a Mano means “by hand” in Italian and refers to the way in which the kitchen and the bar approach the creation of each and every dish and cocktail.
Credit
Appetizers:
- Duck Liver Mousse: I rarely get liver mousse, but ever since I had it at Starbelly, I’ve grown fond of it. I was pleasantly surprised by how big the portion was! Typically, I don’t like sweet and savory mixed together, but the fruit that it was paired with balanced the dish very well. If you need more crostini, just ask them for more 🙂
- Arancini: This is similar to a porcini, but they’re a lot crunchier. I would save to eat this at the end, so it doesn’t take up all your stomach space. It’s very hot, so be careful! I think it’s worth getting this once if you’ve never had an arancini before, but definitely not something I’d be able to eat a lot of. Although the sauce looked cheesy, it was actually tomatoey.
Duck Liver Mousse w/ Cherry 
Duck Liver Mousse w/ Apricot 
Arancini
Pasta:
- Spaghettini Seafood: I love how strong the seafood flavor is! Moreover, the sauce is light, so I can eat more of this.
- Campanelle Funghi: I liked the campanelle, but the sauce was very bland, so I wouldn’t get this again.
- Tagliatelle Pesto: The tagliatelle pasta was harder than I had liked, but the pesto sauce was great.
Spaghettini Seafood 
Campanelle Funghi 
Tagliatelle Pesto
- Fusilli Beef Shank: This is one of my favorite pasta dishes there! I love how much beef there is and the pasta they use.
- Tagliatelle Mushroom: The mushroom flavor was good, but the tagliatelle wasn’t the best since I’m used to a wider and thinner one.
- Fusilli Pesto: The pesto here is always great! I like the fusilli as well, but I wish there was meat in this dish.
- Squid Ink Orrechiete: I had high expectations for this, but I was very disappointed. There are as many chickpeas as there are orrechiete, if not more. However, the real disappointment was the pasta itself. It was quite hard, and I couldn’t taste the squid ink flavor much. I wouldn’t get this one again.
Fusilli Beef Shank 
Tagliatelle Mushroom 
Fusilli Pesto 
Squid Ink Orecchiette
They offer inside and outside seating as well as a bar area. However, the tables are quite small, but maybe that’s just because I get too much food. The high stool seating tables definitely don’t offer enough room if you decide to get more than one plate per person, and I strongly recommend ordering 3-4 plates per 2 people because their portions are not that big and also because they’re that yummy. I like the portion size because it allows me to get more dishes so I can try more of their pasta! Their prices are also inexpensive for pasta, especially for an Italian restaurant. I love how the menu changes every time I go! Of course they have seasonal items, but they switch up the pastas they use with the sauces they offer too. I’m not sure how many different type of pastas they actually make, but I’ve definitely had more than five different ones. The only thing I would change about this place might be the lighting. It definitely fits the ambiance, but it makes it hard to take good photos. Similarly, with the tables. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t come by because it’s worth the wait! Not to mention, Urban Ritual and Salt & Straw Ice Cream are just around the block.
Website
Asha
(San Francisco/Berkeley)
Asha has one of the best matcha lattes in the city! They hand whisk every matcha latte to order and use Uji matcha. They also offer a lot of ceremonial teas since they are a tea house, but they do get quite pricey. Asha also has another location, their first one, near the UC Berkeley campus.
- Matcha Latte (Hot/Iced): Whether it’s hot or iced, the matcha taste is very apparent. If you haven’t tried their seasonal fruit purees, I suggest adding it to the iced version for some flavor 🙂
- Hojicha Latte (Hot/Iced): The hojicha taste isn’t very strong, so I don’t recommend it. I feel like there’s more milk than there is tea, so I could barely taste the hojicha.
- Seasonal Drinks I’ve Tried:
- Blood Orange Oolong Tea (Iced) Jan-April: This was interesting, but I prefer the citrus taste to be stronger.
- Yuzu Green Tea (Iced) Jan-April: Although the yuzu isn’t bad, they don’t give you much 🙁 I remember adding this to my iced matcha latte too and you could barely see the yuzu at the bottom.
- Strawberry Black Tea (Iced) May-Aug: There is a good amount of strawberry bits in there!
- Asian Pear Oolong (Iced) Sept-Dec: This was very refreshing when paired with the green tea.
- Grape Oolong (Iced) Sept-Dec: I couldn’t really taste the grape for this one 🙁
- Boba (only available noon and after): pretty chewy but not my favorite
Hot Yuzu Green Tea 
Iced Matcha Latte w/ Boba 
Asian Pear Oolong
They also offer mochi muffins from Third Culture Bakery and a few pastries from Firebrand.
Website
Luke’s Lobster
(San Francisco)
I don’t recall exactly how I heard about this place, but I knew they were opening up a location in SF soon, and I heard that they were going to have a popup. I love lobster, so I knew I had to try it out! Not to mention, I heard about how popular Luke’s Lobster is in Japan. Their popup was located inside Black Hammer Brewery, and I think it was only for a day or two. I’ve been to the SOMA location a few more times after that, and it did not disappoint. The food and service are great! It does seem like their winter specials have been around since mid-January, so it might not be here for much longer.
- Lobster Roll: Initially, I got one lobster roll to try, but after I had the first one, I knew I had to get another one. I haven’t had that many lobster rolls, and I never really liked the bread that it was paired with until I came here. The buttered bun they use is one of the reasons I think makes the lobster roll so outstanding. I also like how they don’t mix their lobster with fill-ins. Although the portions are a bit small for how much it costs ($17), they claim to have a quarter pound of seafood in each roll and it’s only 300 calories! They lowered the price of their lobster roll to $16 last October, but it seems like they raised it back to $17 when I went this month. If you want more lobster, they have jumbo rolls that have 50% more seafood, and it costs $23.
- Luke’s Trio: The trio consists of 1/2 of the crab, shrimp, and lobster, so you can get this if you want to sample each of the rolls. I calculated the price and it’s $0.50 cheaper than if you were to get half individually, so if you want to try all three, it’s not too bad. Out of the three, I definitely still like the lobster the most. The shrimp was nothing special or maybe I just prefer the full size ones. Similarly, the crab was not bad, but I prefer the whole pieces of lobster. The bread is the same for all three rolls, so they were all very buttery and delicious.
- White Truffle Lobster Roll (SEASONAL): I saw this on their winter specials, and I knew I had to try it. For just an extra dollar, you get melted urbani truffle butter. I was very surprised by how strong the truffle taste was in each and every bite! Moreover, this has the same amount of calories as their regular lobster roll, so I guess that means truffle doesn’t have any extra calories 🙂 I am not sure how much longer this will be around for, so get it before it’s gone!
Luke’s Trio 
White Truffle Lobster Roll
This is the best lobster roll place I’ve ever had. I’ve only been to LobsterMe (SF Westfield mall) and New England Lobster Market and Eatery (Burlingame) in the bay area. LobsterMe was not good at all, and I definitely wouldn’t go back. It comes with coleslaw and fries, but I substituted the fries for their clam chowder for an extra dollar. The chowder wasn’t bad, but their lobster had a lot of fillings and I didn’t like the bread at all. New England Lobster Market and Eatery is even pricier than Luke’s Lobster. It costs $24.50 for the same amount of seafood but it’s served with chips and coleslaw. There’s no option to not get the sides for a cheaper roll.
Website
Matcha Brownies
I made this for St. Patrick’s Day since matcha matches perfectly with the green theme. I wouldn’t call these brownies though because I feel like the texture is more similar to a cake texture and slightly crumbly, kind of like a shortbread cake. The owner of this recipe did mention that it would be more accurate to refer to them as matcha blondies.
I followed the recipe, but I made a few adjustments. To help bring out the matcha flavor, I added 2 extra tbsp of matcha powder and I used half the amount of sugar (1/2 cup). In addition, I also added white chocolate chips to make up for the sugar and give it some crunch. Not to mention, white chocolate always pairs well with matcha. Last but not least, don’t forget the powdered sugar! It makes a huge difference as you can see from my pictures.
Let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments below 🙂
Ramen Nagi
(Palo Alto/Cupertino)
Ramen Nagi is my FAVORITE ramen place in the bay area. Typically, if the ramen is good I won’t say much about the broth, but this place has excelled in every aspect. I wasn’t expecting much initially since there tends to be hype at first but it dies later on. Moreover, I’ve been to places where I’ve waited a while and the food wasn’t amazing. HOWEVER, the broth, noodle, toppings, and sides blew me away! It could be due to the fact that you actually get to choose exactly how you want everything so it’s more accustomed to each person’s taste, but that’s just what makes it so great 🙂 They have a location in downtown Palo Alto and recently opened another one inside the Westfield Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara.
I tend to go for less salt, normal oil and garlic, thick noodles, and pork belly. The noodles have come out with the perfect texture every time I’ve eaten there. I like thick noodles since it tends to be chewier, whereas thin noodles are crunchier. Additionally, I prefer the pork belly over the chashu because it’s so soft and tender. Not to mention, most ramen places offer chashu so pork belly is more unique. Another special feature of this place is the side condiments they offer! I’ve never been to any other place (even in Japan) that offers bean sprouts, pickled veggies, hand-grounded sesame seeds. The bean sprouts are seasoned with sesame oil and sesame seeds, so it’s very flavorful. The pickled veggies aren’t bad either for someone like myself who doesn’t like pickled anything. I’d give them all a try!
- Red King: This one’s my go-to because the broth is actually spicy! I even get to make it up to 10x spicier 😀 I’ve tried it before, but I like to stick to 8x, so I don’t have a tough time later. The one part I’m not the biggest fan of is the minced meat. It’s quite sweet and similar to the ones you get with tantanmen. However, the overall ramen dish is very flavorful.
- Black King: The squid ink is very apparent in this dish as you can tell by the dark black color it gives off. You can make this spicy as well, but it’s definitely not as spicy as the red king. The minced meat in this one isn’t sweet, so the squid ink and garlic flavor are very apparent in it.
Red King 
Black King
The last time I went they noticed both my friend and I wore white clothing, so they even gave us a bib like the ones at the boiling crab. I didn’t know they offered those, but they’re super helpful since the soup tends to splash and you have oil stains on your clothes before you know it :/ It’s definitely worth making a trip out here, but be prepared for a wait! I’d recommend going after 2pm on the weekdays and after 8pm on the weekends for a shorter wait.
Website
Me & Tasty
(San Francisco)
Me & Tasty is probably my FAVORITE brunch place in SF. They haven’t been opened for very long, compared to more popular places in the city, and they’re one of the few Thai fusion brunches in the city. They’re tucked away in the Castro, close to Market St, and they have two floors. I’m honestly surprised that the waits here aren’t out the door given that they have actually been featured on INSIDER for their charcoal pancakes. That works better in my favor though 😀 I love almost everything on their brunch menu, but you have to get the following:
- Crab Benny: My go-to at every brunch place is always eggs benedict, and I have to say that this one is my favorite by far. The bread, sauce, and crab is just perfect. They even give salad and bread on the side! I typically don’t eat the extra toast since it’s too filling, but the marmalade it comes with is soooooo good. In the recent times that I have gone, it doesn’t seem like they offer this with the benedict anymore but they do for their omelettes and scrambles. (ask in case)
- Monkey French Toast (also available as a side): I always like to try the french toast when I first visit a brunch place, and this one has the right chew and it melts right in your mouth. Not to mention, their salted caramel coconut sauce is amazing!
- Charcoal Pancake (also available as a side): Charcoal doesn’t taste like much, but the mascaparone cream it comes with is sooooo good. Not to mention, the pancakes are soft and fluffy.
- Chicken and (charcoal) Waffle: This item was added to the menu later, but it doesn’t fail in comparison to the other items they offer. Since I don’t like chicken and waffle eaten together, I ate them separately but they both tasted delicious. The charcoal waffle wasn’t bad, but pretty similar to any other waffle. The star of the dish was definitely the fried chicken. It was humongous and so crispy!
Crab Benny 
Monkey French Toast 
Charcoal Pancake 
Fried Chicken and Waffle
I’ve also tried the following and I think they’re good but not a must-get:
- Avocado Toast: Not your typical avocado toast! This one uses two types of avocado: smashed and fried. The fried avocado was pretty good, and I thought it was interesting that they used asparagus. However, I wasn’t the hugest fan of the bread and didn’t feel like everything paired well together :/
- Rainbow Cheese Toast: The grilled cheese itself isn’t anything special, but the aesthetics definitely are. The colors of the rainbow make this worth getting if you want an amazing photo.
- Butterfly Pea Lemonade: Butterfly pea itself doesn’t taste like much so many tend to pair it with lemonade. It pretty much tastes like any other lemonade but the color, usually blue or purple, that the butterfly pea creates is very pretty. I probably wouldn’t get it again given that it’s $5, but if you want it for the ‘gram, by all means 🙂
Avocado Toast 
Rainbow Cheese Toast 
Butterfly Pea Lemonade
Website
Urban Ritual
(San Francisco)
Urban Ritual is my FAVORITE place for tea/boba! They have great specialty drinks that you can’t find anywhere else, and their drinks are made very well. I haven’t tried everything on their menu, but below are some of my favorites:
- Matcha Latte (Iced): Classic matcha latte with the shot poured on top of the milk. They use a decent amount of matcha so I can taste the bitterness of the matcha! Bonus: get this with oat milk 🙂
- White Grape Yuzu: This drink is definitely one that you won’t find anywhere else! Yuzu is a rare find and it pairs fantastically with their white grape oolong tea. Super refreshing and you get pieces of yuzu I always ask for extra! 😀
- Forever Young: Another drink that you can’t find anywhere else is their non-alcoholic sangria! It’s on the tartier side, so if you like your drinks sweet, I’d get a little more sugar. The fresh berries add a great touch to this drink.
- Hojicha Latte (Hot) SEASONAL: I had this for the first time last fall, and it was seasonal then, but they’ve also made a hot chocolate version so it might be here to stay! I personally prefer the hot hojicha latte because I think that brings out more of the flavor. This is definitely the strongest and best hojicha latte I’ve ever had! Besides this place, there are only two other places in the city that offer this drink: Stonemill and Maiko.
Matcha Latte 
White Grape Yuzu 
Forever Young
Toppings (FREE if you check-in):
- Honey Boba: not the best I’ve had, but pretty good
- Aloe Vera: this pairs well with their white grape yuzu
- Creme Brulee: this is similar to getting pudding in your drink but it’s very sweet and has a creamier texture
They also offer mochi muffins and custard cakes from Third Culture Bakery.
Website
Tina’s Hungry Finally Live!
Hi everyone! I’m so excited to finally launch my personal blog. I was born and raised in San Francisco, so I’ve definitely had my fair share of food in the city and in the bay area. I really hope that you enjoy reading them as much as I do writing them. I will be posting about my favorite restaurants, recent reviews, travel experiences. and my baking adventures. If you have any questions or feedback, I’d love to hear them!