Gastro Monkey // 美食家

Noodle in a Haystack is a ramen pop-up that I have been following for about a year now. Through following them, I learned that they had been working on their yuzu shio ramen for a few years now, and that they started making their own ramen because the local selection wasn't great , especially after having gotten used to the ramen in Japan (I was pretty excited to know that I wasn't alone in this assessment, or that others have suffered from culture shock moving back to the States!). Before I went to Japan and had real  ramen, I wasn't that picky. After having Ichiran and a few other random places, I just wasn't able to eat ramen anywhere. Santouka became the only place that I would go to, but their ramen is only tonkotsu. I personally prefer miso ramen, so the tonkotsu is too heavy for me to enjoy frequently. At first, I wasn't sure about going to Noodle in a Haystack because it looked like it was $50 for ramen. Let me explain why it's more than just ramen,...

I have been to Japantown countless times, and each time I pass On the Bridge I think, I'm going to try that place one of these days. I am proud to say that I finally did make that stop! In fact, I have gone twice now. They serve a wide range of items from loco moco to curry to spaghetti. It's all done Japanese style, do don't go in expecting it to be like Olive Garden but with comics. My favorite so far, has been the nameko spaghetti.  The location is exactly as the name is, on the bridge. There are two main buildings (plus a few smaller ones) in San Francisco's Japantown. This is the bridge that you can take to get from one to another. For example, if you want Belly Good Crepes but also want some Sophie's Crepes, this would be the bridge to go over.  Katsu curry don. The breading is crispy, and the curry is not overwhelming like some curries can be. Nameko Spaghetti  - Japanese style spaghetti made from a soy and garlic based sauce rather than tomato. ...

Nestled between Rick's Dessert Diner and Biergarten (two of my Sacramento haunts), is the relatively recent newcomer to the Sacramento bar/dining scene, Midtown's Cantina Alley. They advertise as offering a cantina experience similar to those found in Mexico. I can't speak for all of Mexico, but it definitely did remind me of the cantinas I went to in Guadalajara. Open, airy, great beer, and great food. The biggest difference would be the price. I ordered a good portion of the menu and it added up. That said, everything I tried was pretty fantastic. The ingredients seemed very fresh and care was taken in the plating.  Tostadas de Ceviche - huachinango/red snapper marinated in lime juice, pineapple, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and topped with sliced avocado on crispy tostadas. The tortilla shell was loudly crispy, the fish fresh and cold. This one was one of my favorite items. At the end, there were a few pieces of fish that had fallen down and I happily scooped it...

I love ice cream. One of my favorite ice cream shops, Salt & Straw, recently made the move down to San Francisco! That means instead of driving 9 hours to Portland to get my fix (or an hour and a half flight), I can drive an hour and a half and get some "locally" in Northern California. Some people were complaining about the lines, but every time I've gone to any location in Portland, there's been a line. Maybe not this long, but depending on the time of day, it changes. Either way, the line at the San Francisco location moves relatively quickly and the line pictured below only took about 15-20 minutes. If you just want to grab a few pints, you can skip the line and get them from the fridge and just pay for them. Seating is limited, so don't expect to get a seat (so if you do, count yourself lucky!). There's also a bench outside, but that is usually taken too.  The first time I went to Salt & Straw, I had the bourbon pineapple upside down cake...

A post about a Filipino restaurant has been long overdue on my part. I probably could think of a few excuses for what took so long, but I'll skip that part. Filipino food has a special place in my heart because my dad grew up in Cebu, and my best friend growing up was (and of course still is) Filipino. My dad loves sharing the Filipino part of his life, and I spent way too much time at my friend's house eating all of their food (I feel like I should be more embarrassed that I was known to everyone for eating a lot. It was embarrassing for my mom because it made it look like she didn't feed me). Not only did I grow up on some of the best Szechuanese and Taiwanese food around (my grandma used to teach classes in Seattle because everyone loved her food that much, and it really was that good. I'm not just saying it because she's my grandma); I also had the great pleasure of having some of the best Filipino food around courtesy of my best friend's Nanay, her mom, a...