Eat Like Ushi

It's been a long time since I actually visited Boudin. In researching my food venues for the trip, Boudin and their chowder in sourdough was extremely highly regarded. The first Boudin I walked past was at Fisherman's Wharf, complete with the artistic and impressive animal designs in the shop window.

I was enroute to dinner at Ferry Plaza so didn't stop in, but managed to sample Boudin's fare the next day (at a location that I can't precisely recall).

The sourdough revolution hit Melbourne around the time of extreme brunch cafe culture circa 2009 and I was there to embrace it. It was a farcry from the supermarket sourdough I was made to eat back in the early 90s when my mum tried to take wheat out of my diet (N.B I'm aware now that sourdough is still wheat based). Of all the types I've tried around various cafes and bakeries in Australia, none has yet surpassed my experience at Boudin - the crusty bowl exterior, the soft spongy bread and the unmistakable tangy sour taste that I search for. Other than the bread, the chowder isn't bad either.

A fantastic dish and one I look forward to revisiting. Next time I'll be sure to take some bread home too. My sourdough journey continues.

The Ferry Building in San Francisco seems to be where all the city's best food congregates under one roof. In only a few days, I spent time at the regular store inside (think bakery, mushrooms & truffles, fruit & vegetables, meat, coffee), the restaurants (Hog Island Oysters, The Slanted Door), and also excitedly the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market.

Occurring every Tuesday & Thursday (1000-1400) and Saturday (0800-1400). Tuesday is supposedly quite limited, Thursday has the addition of hot street food vendors, Saturday is the biggest with restaurants also attending to serve food.

A lucky Thursday allowed us to sample Korean tacos, pizza and the most wonderful food van called RoliRoti. After a short queue, a RoliRoti sandwich with rotisserie chicken or pork with cooking meat juices soaking into the bread was incredible. The rich strong flavours enticed us to consider joining the now-immense queue of about 45mins just to have another one... maybe next time.

Before hitting San Francisco, I carefully read through the recommended 100 food items to try. Obviously getting to all of them was never going to be a goal, but picking the select ones that had the most promise gave me something to look forward to.

Gott's Roadside is a roadside diner-designed place, expertly located at the Ferry Building, where all good food in San Francisco seems to be.

The Ahi Tuna burger was the item on my prowl list. It ended up being a lovely fat slab of seared sashimi-grade tuna, served with coleslaw in a soft bun. It looks sensational and tastes very good. I felt it was missing something (unsure what, perhaps something to kick the flavour up) to make it great, but I'd happily go back for it.

For some good standard Italian staples, Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina inside The Shops at Crystals.

- Calamari "Fritto", Garlic Aioli, Lemon, Paprika
- salad of lettuce, tomato, pistachio, parmesan
- bread with prosciutto, asparagus, rocket, parmesan
- Pappardelle, mushrooms, parsley
- Linguine, Steamed Clams, White Wine-Garlic Sauce
- 4 pizzas
- gelato & biscotti

One of the recommended districts to visit in San Francisco is the Missions. It is a poorer area that is known for good ethnic food, exploration during the day, and perhaps a shadier atmosphere at night.

In order to get there from the central and ferry parts of town, we decided upon the local bus. It wasn't the cleanest idea, with it being quite rundown and obviously catering to the more forgotten people in San Francisco. I didn't mind it, but some of my less adventurous travel companions felt a little uncomfortable. I leeched onto some very inadequate Blackberry internet to find a recommended Latin American restaurant for us to try. After a short walk around we came to Poc Chuc, a Mexican/Yucatan restaurant sitting all by itself in the quieter side of the Missions.

- Horchata - my first encounter with the delicious cinnamon milk drink;
- complementary crispy tortilla chips with a spicy dipping sauce;
- Tacos de carnitas (grilled pork leg topped with roasted tomato sauce);
- Camarones al Ajillo (tiger prawns, mushrooms, green onions and cherry tomatoes sautéed in a white wine garlic butter sauce, served with sautéed zucchini, carrots, red and green bell peppers and rice potatoes);
- Pescado Frito (pan fried fish, served with vegetable-bouillon rice and mixed salad and cherry tomatoes);
- Estofado de Borrego (lamb simmered with onions, carrots and celery, served with rice and a side of black bean puree);
- Poc Chuc (grilled citrus marinated pork, served with vegetable-bouillon rice topped with grilled tomatoes, red onions and a side of black bean puree) - the namesake dish was my favourite for flavours although the pork was a little tough.

Each dish was delicious and what I imagine true authentic Yucatan food to be. There was no frills, just strong flavours and simple cooking. Horchata lovingly washed down all the flavours. 

After dinner I took the bus. The others took a taxi.

In an unexpectedly ideal location in Santa Monica along Ocean Avenue facing the beach is a restaurant that served me some of the best seafood dishes I had in the Los Angeles and USA. I was lucky enough to be staying in an apartment around the corner from Airbnb (not the best place, but a great location with a window directly out to Ocean Avenue and the water.)

I saved this place for my last night, and between 4 of us raided the menu of their seafood joys.

- Raw bar combo (oysters, ceviche, prawn cocktail, clams) - fresh raw oysters and clams, mixed shellfish in a tangy sour marinade;
- Ceviche Peruvian - fish ceviche, from memory using the same marinade as that in the raw bar combo;
- New England clam chowder (cherrystone clams, light cream broth, bacon) - good, but not as great as the one from Boudin in San Francisco;
- Lobster Mac & Cheese (Maine lobster, gruyere, herbs, truffle oil) - best version I've tried, with the legendary flavours of chunky Maine lobster riddled throughout;
- Mussels (rosemary, lemon, garlic, red curry)
- Fish & Chips (ling cod, homemade tartar sauce, malt vinegar)
- Pesto Shrimp Pasta - thin pesto, good prawns;
- Bouillabaisse (shellfish, baguette croutons, rouille, gruyere cheese) - rich tasty recreation of the Marseille classic using shellfish (which I prefer) rather than fish.

What a fantastic meal of seafood flavours in different cooking methods and combinations.

Next time I would order the Lobster Mac & Cheese and Bouillabaisse particularly of the dishes I tried. I'd order one ceviche since they had the same marinade base (whether you prefer the more traditional Peruvian fish or the mixed shellfish version). The a la carte
has plenty of other options that would be worth feasting on - baked clams, crab dip, Main soft shell clam steamers, fish tacos, lobster roll, and if you're up for meat, even the kobe beef dog could be a winner.

Finding a recommended restaurant in Las Vegas is difficult. There are the buffets, the Michelin restaurants and the remainder of the strip with their supply to the mobs. A little bit out of the way of the strip is a Japanese grill called Raku. Be careful when taking a taxi as most of them don't know where it is, even if you give them the address and will try to drop you well before the venue. When you get there, you'll know - it's a turn off into a small carpark leading directly to the front entrance.

There's the options of a la carte, a set course made from the menu items ($50 back in 2011), and a separate more expensive kaiseki menu of special dishes (probably more similar to traditional kaiseki).

Our group of 9 had the set course served to us in the private room. To my surprise we didn't actually grill any of the food, rather it was cooked in the kitchen then brought out to us.

- sashimi
- steamed chicken, tomato
- grilled tomatoes
- seared rare beef
- grilled chicken thigh steak
- grilled matsutake mushrooms
- grilled mushroom wrapped with bacon
- seafood soup
- grilled portabella mushroom stuffed with ground chicken
- grilled Kobe beef outside skirt with garlic
- grilled Kurobuta pork cheek
- ikura don (rice topped with dried seasoning and salmon roe)
- grilled crispy pig ears (ordered from the a la carte menu)
- mixture of sweet desserts

Next time I would order the set menu with a large group, or from the a la carte for less. All dishes were very tasty and a welcome separation in cuisine and location from the rest of the Vegas monotony. There are some classic and some exciting selections that sound worth it like poached egg with uni & salmon roe, foie gras egg custard, uni & wakame soup, and green tea creme brulee.

 

Jose Andres trained under Ferran Adria at El Bulli. That in itself was reason enough to eat at his tapas bar in Beverly Hills. The previous year The Bazaar had been named one of the top 10 new restaurants in USA. Another reason to eat there. There was also good reputation from his restaurants in Las Vegas and Washington.

Even though I never managed to be lucky enough for a spot at El Bulli, I'm glad to have tried a sample of what I expect the food would be like, as well as some great classical cooking also.

Within The Bazaar, there are a few different rooms to select from. Rojo y Blanca seemed the best option offering a combination of modern and traditional tapas to select something experimental and new and wash it down with something classic. If that doesn't tickle your fancy, the Saam section is an expensive degustation with a menu I haven't seen before. Otherwise for a more limited tapas menu in a more informal setting, there are a few "bar" areas to relax in.

Modern Tapas
- Olives (modern & traditional) - an El Bulli classic with normal olives and my first taste of spherical globules filled with intense olive-flavoured liquid;
- Sweet Potato Chips (yogurt, tamarind, star anise) - delicious sweet potato crisps either on their own or with a slightly tangy dipping sauce;
- American sturgeon caviar cone - small cone, nice caviar, enough said;
- Not your everyday caprese (cherry tomatoes, liquid mozzarella) - brilliant salad creation using pesto, basil, liquid balls of tomato and an even more wonderful small ball filled with warm mozarella liquid similar to the olives;
- Foie Gras Cotton Candy - thick slab of foie gras covered with sugar floss. Not a good combination in my opinion with the cold foie gras not great;
- Sea urchin, avocado, steamed buns - a play on the new-age pork buns crossed with sliders. Salty uni as it is meant to be (compared to the version nearby at The Hungry Cat);
- Your life will change Dashi linguini (parmesan, quail egg, basil) - dashi-stock turned into pasta with cheese, eggs and basil turning a play on Italian;
- Tuna ceviche & avocado roll (jicama, micro cilantro, coconut) - average combination of avocado wrapping small tuna pieces. Couldn't taste coconut nor cilantro;
- Just shrimp cocktail "yeah right" - nicely boiled prawns served with a pipette filled with cocktail sauce;
- Philly cheesesteak (air bread, cheddar, Wagyu beef) - an unexpected brilliant dish of crispy thin air bread filled with liquid cheddar and topped with wonderful Wagyu slices;
- Smoked yellowtail w/ yoghurt, grapes, capers, radish and fried rice crackers - nice ingredients, a lot of strong flavours.

Traditional Tapas
- Braised Wagyu beef cheeks (California citrus) - outstandingly soft tender beef cheeks with citrus to cut through the meaty taste. But I was happy with the meat by itself;
- Seared scallops (romesco sauce) - the biggest, juiciest, tastiest scallops I've eaten. Phenomenonal. So good I don't remember the sauce.

One of my most favourite meals. Highly recommended.

Next time I would order any of the dishes I tried except the Foie Gras Cotton Candy (as I didn't like it) or the caviar cone (as it was simply caviar on a cone). Everything else was fantastic and there are plenty more options I didn't get to try.

The wonderful Grand Canyon is a natural wonder to behold. The vast textures conceal a barren emptiness that can only be described as beautiful. Even more enchanting is the variety of colour changes that bleed onto the scenery during sunset and sunrise. Of course a logical way to enjoy both of these means a solid meal in between. There are restaurants along the rim itself with some tables overlooking the rim, although I've read that once the sunsets you can't see anything worth enjoying - and I prefer to have my sunset out in the open (weather permitting)

El Tovar is the lead hotel set in a lovely pine building and is also most gourmet of the South Rim restaurants. As it was the same night as a 30th birthday, I had made a particular booking here to ensure we ate well that evening. As our requested table overlooking the rim (if you're going to book it anyway, minimal rim view is better than none) had been donated elsewhere, we were given the private dining room adorned with engraved wooden walls, high candles, and a sense of native American homeliness.

- El Tovar Black Bean Soup served in a Tortilla Bowl with Sour Cream - I liked this heavy Mexican-style soup, although not so much my friends;
- Wild Alaskan Salmon Tostada on Organic Greens (served with tequila vinaigrette, corn salsa, lime sour cream & roasted pistachio garden rice)
- Garden Penne in a Roasted Tomato Sauce (spinach, garbanzo beans, asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts) - very simple and satisfying. Nothing particularly unusual or memorable.
- Rainbow Trout Amandine (served with rice pilaf & seasonal vegetables)
- Apple Strudel
- "Happy Birthday" Creme Brûlée
- 3rd dessert I can't quite remember... 

Honestly after a 20-hour day including 2 flights and 8 hours of driving, I don't recall much of the meal specifics. It isn't cheap and I don't think memorable enough (for me to remember it well or) to insist on eating here, but if you are in the mood for gourmet food (which happens to be in a cabin that includes tables overlooking the South Rim), then this is the only option. It isn't bad by any means, but I'd only come here again under those specific conditions.

Next time I would order whatever the seasonal menu has that sounds local. Particular items have the words "El Tovar" that suggests they would be worthy. Additionally some of the mains have unusual sounding sauces that pique interest such as bourbon chipotle cream, fig puree or cherry merlot sauce.

Driving along the historic Route 66 from The Grand Canyon to Las Vegas is a hungry journey. The epic road trip across the USA is a lovely experience of friendships and changing sceneries. Of course food is as necessary as ever, and in all my reading only one place came up as a must-visit.

Delgadillo's Snow Cap in the little town of Seligman is somewhat of an institution along the Route. I wouldn't necessarily say it is worth the 1.5hrs from The Grand Canyon nor the 3hrs from Vegas just for this, but if you are passing through then it will make your trip a happier one.

Setup in a mock petrol station, vehicles from the Cars movie line the back, an old jalopy sits in front, and the inside is decorated with a dizzying amount of memorabilia, business cards, stickers, number plates and just general crap.

Food options are limited to the wholesome and satisfying - burgers, hot dogs, fries, onion rings, burritos, tacos, shakes etc. Oink Cheeseburger, Chicken Taco, Sweet Potato Fries and Onion Rings all hit their intended mark without being spectacular, but certainly satisfying in an entertaining environment.

Seligman isn't that far away from The Grand Canyon, so ensure to leave adequate time from your last meal to maximise hunger.

Next time I would order any unhealthy concoction of food that celebrates the freedom of being on an American road trip along Route 66.