Broadway Prime - Burlingame, CA

I thought I ought to write about this place if it was the reason (okay, this is an exaggeration) for going back to the bay area last week!  Although The Capital Grille here is awesome, it comes with a huge price tag $$$$$$ if you order traditional (non-Asian sharing) style.  What I love about the Broadway Prime is that you don't have to pick! It specializes in prime rib so you only need to pick the size.  It's 33 dollars to have the smallest version (shown below) and it comes with a salad, creamed corn, creamed spinach and your choice of mashed or garlic mashed or baked potato.  Rumor has it that the owner of this place used to work for the House of Prime Rib in San Francisco.  This place seems to be slightly cheaper but without the old-fashion glamor in SF (unless you are trying to impress you date, who cares?) The good news - it's also easier to get a table here!

Restaurant Detail:
Broadway Prime
1316 Broadway Ave, Burlingame, CA 94010
(650) 558-8801
http://www.broadwayprime.com/

Off to Portsmouth, NH!

 

In my mind, this is not really a road trip since it's only two hours away.  Nevertheless, I heard it is a cute little town to visit besides seeing the nature in New Hampshire. Love how the city center is built for tourists with a lot of pretty little stores.  Though overpriced (you can buy a bottle of wine here for $40 and the same bottle at a freeway-side liquor store for $10), the boutiques and shops are pleasant to look at.

We stopped by Portsmouth Brewery for dinner because it has a high rating on Yelp! Too bad it was a total disappointment or else the trip would have ended on a good note (that's why I don't want to give Portsmouth Brewery a restaurant post). Their beer is so-so (Sorry but Sam Adams is way better) and the food we ordered was so terrible that I couldn't remember what we had when I typed this post (some mussels, deviled eggs, fish?). Anyhow, their taco salad looks pretty good but I don't feel like I should promote that as a dietitian (plus I did not get to taste it).

Gordon Ramsay - London, UK

Gordon Ramsay! During my recent spring break trip to the United Kingdom, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay was the only "must-go" request I had and it was definitely the highlight of my trip.  After all, how many chefs got OBE from the Queen? Located in a rather chic neighborhood, one would not notice the restaurant if you weren't looking.

The dining room was clean and bright, perfect for lunch with a couple of friends.  We were seated near the windows as the manager joking said "overlooking our tiny garden".  Since we were there all the way from another continent, we went with the tasting menu to try all the chef's famous creations.  The seven-course meal included foie gras, veal sweetbread with almond veloute (my three favorite ingredients), a lobster ravioli, halibut with the most fragrant broth, lamb with confit breast and braised shank, a mango, jasmine, passion fruit soup (more like a smoothie), prune creme brulee with granny smith apple juice and lemonade parfait with sheep's milk yoghurt sorbet (see menu below for details).  It ended with the signature Gordon Ramsay petit four. Paired with some wine, it was the most delightful lunch thus far.

Restaurant Information:
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
68 Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4HP, United Kingdom
www.gordonramsay.com/royalhospitalroad

Ippudo - New York, NY

I finally had a chance to go to this famous ramen place in New York City! Ramen is actually a very tricky thing because they are extremely easy to make but extremely hard to make it perfect. Since the fresh or frozen ramen from Asian supermarkets also has a very high standard, it raises expectations when I go to restaurants specializing in ramen. Particularly the soup base, the chewiness, the pork and the egg. A good soup base should be flavorful but now salty; the noodles should be fresh and slightly "bouncy"; the pork should be soft and "fat"; and the egg should be cooked to a point where the yolk flows slightly.

Ippudo minus the line or the wait would be a great ramen place to go. A tip though, they take reservation if you go to the restaurant in person earlier in the day (great for groups)!

Restaurant Information:
65 4th Ave
New York, NY 10003
ippudony.com

Joel Robuchon - Las Vegas, NV

Last week, I started the blog by a more fine dining experience. Today, I want to share about a even more extravagant and lavish experience at Joel Robuchon inside the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV. All the food was exquisite and very modern. The foods are also rather fusion and creative, like the eel and tofu soup I had (delicious). To be honest, the food was nothing compared to the lavishly decorated dining room. And our amazement for the night did not even begin there.

I love yelp (literally!) and you will know why after the story. We read on a review that the hotel would provide complementary limo services if you are dining at Joel Robuchon (which we were unaware of when making the reservation). So we decided to give it a try and call ahead of time.  We were sent a golden limo with the car plate MGM2 (we later found MGM1) to pick us up from the Bellagio where we were staying at. After a couple of turns off the crowded main street, we were greeted by a tall gate and the limo turned into a private little garden.  We were then greeted by a staff, who led us all the way through the VIP check-in rooms through another gate back to the "normal" front-end of the hotel. Now who can forget THAT experience?

  

Restaurant Information:

Joel Robouchon

3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109

http://www.mgmgrand.com/restaurants/joel-robuchon-french-restaurant.aspx

Trattoria Delia - Burlington, VT

Whenever I think of Italian food, Julia Roberts and all the food she had in Italy in the movie "Eat, Pray, Love" pops into my head.  Since I haven't been to Italy (yet!), sometimes I wonder if the restaurants I have been to are "real Italian food". But anyhow, Trattoria Delia is recommended by a couple of friends who also love to eat so we actually planned our Vermont trip around the time of our dinner reservation.

This nice little restaurant is just steps away from the crowded Church St. When we pushed open the wooden door, smell of garlic and tomato and all kind of good things hit us in the face (which we were happy with). We had the Lumache alla Sambuca, snails with herbs on bread, to start. The snails were soaked (literally) with tastes from all the herbs and butter. For main courses, we shared the Ossobuco alla Milanese, braised veal shank in white wine, and the Zuppa di Pesce, garlic and seafood (two of my favorite things). The veal was so braised to the point where the meat melt on my tongue. And of course, we cannot skip dessert because that's what completes a meal! We had the Tiramisu (a must-try if you happen to go there) and Profiterole with chocolate hazelnut Gelato inside. And the night at Burlington had a perfect conclusion.

Restaurant Information:
Trattoria Delia
152 Saint Paul St,
Burlington, VT 05401
trattoriadelia.com

City One Beverage - Shatin, Hong Kong

Friday is a time for a little nostalgia.  My friends often ask if there's anything that I particularly miss from Hong Kong since there are many Asian food in the states nowadays. It took me a while to realize how much I miss these waffle-like snacks called "egg puff" or "eggettes". It came in a lot of different flavors like original, chocolates, sesame coconut, etc. The good thing is, they can be found in a lot of street stands in Hong Kong and are quick and cheap to buy. Another great local snack is a modified version of waffles, a waffle sandwich, with butter, peanut butter, sweet condensed milk, and sugar inside. How can it be not good when all these good stuff are put together?

Throughout the years in Hong Kong, I have tried numerous stands that sell these traditional snacks, but my favorite has always been those from the City One Beverage. They always manage to get the crispiness on the outside and the soft and chewiness in the inside just right!

Restaurant Information:
City One Beverage
City One Plaza G65,
Shatin, Hong Kong
cityonebeverage.com

Beatty and Beastro - Saint John, NB

 

We discovered this cute restaurant during a summer road trip. We arrived at around 8pm and saw this tiny but glowing restaurant at the corner of the street and decided to give it a try.  There was only one person running the whole restaurant, meaning she was the hostess, the server and the cook. She took us in and told us she would not be able to serve us if we were a bigger party.

The restaurant is very nicely decorated with figurines of pigs (my favorite!) and cats. It was definitely a great dining experience with colorful napkins and cute plates with cats on them. I had the "sole princess", which was sole with a creamy shrimp-y filling on top, and it was delicious. To complete the meal, we ordered a couple of different cheesecakes so that we get a variety. Just as I always tell my friends, if life is like a good meal, desserts are the tastes of love.

Restaurant Information:
60 Charlotte Street
Saint John, NB E2L 2H9, Canada

The Crab Pot - Seattle, WA

 The Crab Pot is one of my favorite seafood places! And it's not an easy-to-get comment from someone who grew up with seafood although I must say their way of serving the seafood might have been why I love the restaurant so much in the first place. Their "seafeast" is definitely a must-try. Everything is thrown into a pot, steamed, covered with their yummy spices and poured out at our table. The mussels, the clams, the crab legs, the shrimps all taste really fresh. Their corns are sweet and juicy and their potatoes absorbs all the essence of the seafood. The only slight complaint I have though, is that the food gets cold REALLY fast if you sit outside (with the sea breezes), so either eat fast or request to be seated inside.

Seattle is a lovely place to visit, because it has some of the prettiest national parks and a breath-taking skyline and a relaxing atmosphere, AND great seafood.

Restaurant Information:
1301 Alaskan Way
Pier 57, Seattle, WA 98101
www.thecrabpotseattle.com