Nyum Bai--Oakland, CA (Cambodian cuisine)

This former pop-up now has a permanent location near the Fruitvale BART station at 3340 E. 12th Street, Suite 11. Be aware of your time and space if you are driving in, as this is a very busy location that does not have much in terms of parking. Walking from BART, however, is a breeze.

The bold, lively and authentic Cambodian flavors of this establishment made me really pay attention to my food and every bite gave me new found hope that there are still Chefs in the Bay Area that are not afraid of bold flavors. I was also very impressed with the quality of ingredients, as they make their own sauces, pastes and pickles, as well as use organic and locally-sourced ingredients as much as possible.

Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.

http://www.nyumbai.com/



Ginger Fried Chicken. Extremely crunchy chicken wings were battered, fried, and topped with a ginger, chives and sugar glaze. This was very enjoyable and would have paired wonderfully with beer or whiskey.

Ngoum Banana Salad. This lovely looking dish was made with banana blossoms, cabbage, mint, sweet basil, bell peppers, and cucumbers. It was gently dressed in a sweet lime sauce and topped with chopped roasted peanuts. The sauce had no oil, but the sweetness came through as well as the umami from the fish sauce. A very refreshing appetizer.

Prahok Ktiss. Nestled within the center of this bed of rice is a typical Cambodian condiment made with fried, minced pork that's been slowly simmered in coconut milk, salty prahok (fermented fish paste), fragrant kroeung (spice/herb paste), and sweet palm sugar. This is normally served with crunchy seasonal vegetables, but I opted to top my rice with it. It was so full of savory goodness, this would have enhanced any dish.

Koh. Chunks of pork belly and fried tofu were slowly simmered in coconut water, dark soy sauce and palm sugar. Then a hard-boiled egg was added to the mix to soak up those flavors as well. This may have been the simplest of their dishes, but it was one of my favorites, since I love soy sauce-based flavors and egg. It was incredibly comforting and delicious.

Kuy Teav Phnom Penh. This was a very light and tasty seven-hour pork broth that warmed my soul. I could have had the broth all on its own, but the additions of minced pork, shrimp, fresh herbs, bean sprouts, rice noodles and fried garlic made this a fragrant and hearty meal.

Kuri Saramann. An incredibly rich curry bathed pieces of short rib and potato. This sauce was thick, complex and reminiscent of a dark mole, even though the spices were Asian in nature with cardamom, ginger, chili paste and coconut cream. The meat was tender and soaked up the flavorful concoction very nicely.

I would say this is more of a takeout location since they have very few tables available for dining in, although the small space was made up to be cute and cozy. The service at this establishment was very casual and pleasant, but the food will keep me coming back again and again.

 

Wild Rice Salad (Recipe)

I try to balance my love of meat and cheese with some healthier options. At least 70% of the time, I'll try to eat foods that are easier on the arteries and internal organs. That being said, I experimented with rice salad and came up with this recipe that I thought was tasty, hearty and filling as a small meal or a side. The tastes and textures vary with fresh, chewy, soft, savory, sweet, nutty and tangy. The different serving options kept it interesting as well, even after four days of leftovers.


Here's what you'll need:

For the rice:
1 cup wild rice
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. vegetable oil (such as safflower, canola, etc.)
2 cups water or stock

For the additions:
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 portobello mushroom, diced
1 clove garlic, minced or 1 tsp. pre-minced garlic
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1/8 cup whiskey
1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas (raw)
1/2 cup fresh cut or frozen corn (raw)
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped with stems

For the dressing:
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. honey mustard or equal parts honey and dijon mustard
1/4 cup avocado oil or olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste (about 1 tsp. each)

Here's what you'll do:
- In a medium saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. oil.
- Once the oil is shimmering, add the diced onions and saute for about 3 minutes, until it starts to turn opaque.
- Add the diced mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes, until wilted.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, dijon mustard and whiskey.
- Stir together and let cook for about 2 minutes until the alcohol burns off.
- Once all the veggies are soft and a bit caramelized, turn the heat off, remove from the pan into a bowl and set aside.
- In a larger pot or cast iron dutch oven over medium heat, add the other 1 tbsp. oil and butter.
- Once the butter has melted, add the wild rice and saute, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes until it smells nutty and/or the rice starts to pop.
- Add the water, cover quickly as the water will instantly boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook as directed on rice package, usually about 45 minutes.
- Once the time is up, turn the heat off and let the rice steep in the pan with the lid on for an additional 10 minutes.
- Once the rice is fully done, fluff with a fork and scoop out into a large bowl.
- Add the peas and corn to the hot rice and mix together to let the heat from the rice gently cook the raw veggies. Let cool for a few minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients, pour over the rice mixture, add the onion/mushroom mixture, carrot and cilantro and toss to fully combine.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serving options:
This is a very versatile dish that can be served warm or cold. It can be served as a side with baked chicken breast, pork chop or fish. This can also be topped with cooked shrimp, tossed with tofu or added to a bed of fresh greens and eaten as a salad topping with added Parmesan cheese. If it's a bit too hearty, it can be made less so, by adding some cooked brown or white rice; just be sure to add more dressing to properly moisten every grain.
Enjoy!

Mockingbird--Oakland, CA (Californian cuisine)

This restaurant and bar is a modern bistro-inspired establishment located at 416 13th Street. The space is fairly large, for downtown Oakland, with a second level for seating. The menu has classic dishes, with an updated spin, as well as very well-crafted cocktails. Everything changes based on the season. I've enjoyed the happy hour and lunch, and will be coming back for the dinner entrees soon.

Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.

http://www.mockingbirdoakland.com/



Tough and Dirty Martini. Basil-infused gin, garden salt tincture, and a house-pickled carrot, green bean and olive gave this drink a nice character. This was a well-made cocktail with savory notes and balance.

Paradise Lost. This was a very visually-appealing drink with the big ice cube and lemon slice. Made with Vodka, pineapple, lemon, Aquavit, Vermouth di Torino, and grains of paradise. This went down very easy and satisfied a great thirst.

Hummingbird. A bright cocktail made with Tequila, hibiscus, Ancho chile, sage, lemon, and mezcal. It was mildly smokey from the mezcal and the sweetness of the simple syrup mixed with the tart of the lemon made this balanced and refreshing.

Duck Liver Mousse & Pickled Veggies. A creamy, savory mousse with that lovely minerally liver flavor that I love. The pickled grapes, carrots, cauliflower, thomcord grape jam, olives and toasted crostini made for great variety of tastes and made for a nice interactive appetizer.

House Smoked Trout Dip. The dip was salty and creamy, made with flaky trout, cream, scallions and lemon oil. The house-made old bay chips were fantastic. Every piece was crunchy and crave-able. We ended up getting another plate of just chips.

Deviled Eggs. Topped with capers, pickled jalapenos and herbs, these stuffed eggs were creamy, but were also balanced with tang and spice.

Fried Brussels Sprouts. Garlic aioli lined the bottom of this plate of crispy, fried brussels sprouts. Topped with blue cheese, saba, and thyme, I almost felt like I was eating something rich and decadent.

House Cut Kennebec Fries. For a place that takes their fries "seriously", these were pretty tasty. They smelled fresh, they were crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and stayed crispy for quite a while after landing on our table. Kudos.

I look forward to trying their entrees during subsequent visits. They change with the seasons and sound delicious.

Pickled Deviled Eggs (Recipe)

For a slightly different spin on the traditional deviled egg, pickled deviled eggs add a tangy balance to the whole experience. After tasting a version of this at a local restaurant, I thought I'd go home and try my hand at it. This has become one of my go-to items for potlucks or a pre-dinner happy-hour finger food for dinner parties. I've even turned some people who previously stated they did "not like" deviled eggs into deviled egg lovers.

Another thing I discovered, is that deviled eggs are almost like pizza, as you can put almost anything in them and they will always be delicious.

Here's what you'll need:
7 large eggs (chicken or duck)
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 small cooked red beet (optional for colorful eggs)
1/8 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. finely chopped green olives (2 or 3 olives depending on size)
1 tbsp. finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 tbsp. honey mustard (or equal parts dijon mustard and honey)
1/4 tsp. salt or to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper or to taste
1 slice cooked bacon (optional for garnish)
Shaved Parmesan cheese (optional for garnish)
A few sprigs of cilantro (optional for garnish)

Here's what you'll do:
- Place eggs in a small pot, fill with water until just covered. Put on high heat until the water comes to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling, turn heat off, cover pot and set timer for 12 minutes.
- As soon as the timer goes off, pour off the hot water in the sink, set the pot into the sink and run cold water over the eggs for 2-3 minutes or fill pot with water and add some ice.
- Peel the eggs as soon as they are cool enough to handle (I find this prevents the shells from sticking too much) and set aside.
- In a small container that can comfortably fit 7 eggs (or 6 if you need to "taste test" one), mix, with a fork, the rice vinegar, red wine vinegar and sugar until sugar is dissolved.
- Slice the red beet into thin sheets and layer on bottom of container to simultaneously make pickled beets and color your eggs a nice purple-reddish hue (this step is optional).
- Add the eggs, cover and let them pickle in the fridge for 24 hours up to 48 hours, spinning each egg once so all is pickled evenly. If vinegar does not mostly cover the eggs, add some water until eggs are mostly covered or use a smaller container.
- Remove eggs and place on paper towels to drain while you prepare your filling ingredients.
- Keep beets in the vinegar mixture in the fridge and use them for sandwiches or salads. This vinegar can be used once more for pickling or for salad dressing. Since vinegar is a preservative, it will keep in the fridge almost indefinitely.
- Cut each egg in half and scoop out the yolk into a bowl.
- To the yolks, add the mayo, green olives, sun-dried tomatoes, honey mustard, salt and pepper.
- Smash the yolks and mix very well with a fork or spoon, tasting as you go to adjust any ingredient.
- Scoop yolk mixture into a baggie, cut off one corner and pipe into your egg halves.
- Place a piece of bacon, Parmesan cheese and cilantro leaf on each egg for garnish and serve.
- Enjoy!

Babushka Russian Deli and Restaurant--Walnut Creek, CA (Russian cuisine)

This unexpected hidden gem houses a family-run deli and restaurant just outside the downtown Walnut Creek area. Located at 1475 Newell Avenue, this quiet restaurant felt very comfortable, while offering exceptional food in a slightly upscale manner. While the usual Bay Area restaurant packs in as many tables as possible, Babushka chooses to have a bit of wiggle room in between tables and chairs, creating an almost-private dining experience for each small group or couple.

The feeling of having some room to breath was unusual but very noticeable. Not being distracted by a neighboring table's conversation, or getting bumped by the next person's chair was also really nice. It was a wonderful change of pace and the presentation and quality of the food was very impressive.

Here were some of the things I've enjoyed.

http://www.babushkafood.com/


Piroshki. Two fillings of crispy puff pastry were on this plate. One was spinach and the other was beef. Both were topped with a Dijon mustard emulsion and served with a shaved celery and carrot salad with lemon vinaigrette. The beef and the spinach were almost equally savory, not overly enhanced with other ingredients and very tasty. The salad was fresh, crunchy and had just enough acid to cleanse the palate between bites.

Wild Boar. A very succulent wild boar was stewed for a long time with carrot, onion and celery until very soft and served with a lima bean ragout, buckwheat and topped with salad achu chuk and a zesty herb sauce. The buckwheat had great flavor and texture. The dish as a whole was piping hot and felt very comforting.

Lagman. Another fantastic meat dish. This one had tender lamb with carrot, onion, celery and bell pepper. The sauce was very savory and had a bit of tomato. The potatoes were fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside and worked very well as a sauce-sopper. This was also impressively piping hot.

Honey Cake. It may look quite modest, but this medium density, moist, not-too-sweet, creamy layered cake is in my book of "best" cakes I've ever tasted. The vanilla cream was sweet, but not overly so and the light honey drizzled around the plate added a nice gentle sweetness that complemented the whole dish. The craftsmanship of this cake was very impressive. So much so, that I even bought another order to take home.

I have not tried the deli section of this establishment, but if I'm in the Walnut Creek area, I will definitely stop in to try it out and hopefully get another bite of honey cake. For a taste of Russia with a slight French influence, I would recommend coming by for a visit.

Cardamom Lemon Coffee (Recipe)

On a cold Sunday morning, I felt like something a little different for my weekend coffee indulgence. Something like this would probably be scoffed at by the coffee purists, but, I guess I'm not a coffee purist. The warm, fragrant spices made me feel cozy and the lemon oil invigorated me. This pleasant effect kept me going and stayed with me for at least a few hours. 



Here's what you'll need:
7 grams freshly ground coffee beans of your choice
4 ounces of water, heated to between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit
3 ounces while milk, warmed in a pot or in the microwave
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1 strip lemon peel

Here's what you'll do:
- Brew coffee beans with a french press, drip method or whichever way you choose.
- Add the milk, sugar and cardamom and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Bend the lemon zest to express the oils over the coffee and drop it in.
- For a frothy, cocktail feel without the booze, add everything to a cocktail shaker with ice, shake until cold and strain over fresh ice in a tall glass.
- Enjoy!

Ashland, Oregon area 2017 (various eateries)

I always look forward to my visits to Ashland, Oregon. They are always pleasant, especially when there are plenty of restaurants that are either new or standbys that are consistently good. My last two trips have yielded tasty meals that were satisfying and delicious.

Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.


Hearsay
40 S 1st Street, Ashland OR
This restaurant has taken over the space of an establishment I've enjoyed previously. They offer creative and world-inspired cuisine, which was unexpectedly delicious. The decor had a lot of dark wood and felt casual and upscale at the same time.
http://www.hearsayashland.com/


Gin Shrub. A well-balanced drink made with Seagram's Gin, blueberry and lemon shrub. This was sweet, sour, boozy and thirst quenching.

Maple Leaf Farms Duck Wings. I wished this appetizer came in bucket size; it was so delicious. This dish hit all my favorite flavor senses with a sweet and spicy citrus chili glaze, a cooling and creamy coconut cream, and crunchy toasted sesame seeds. Not to mention the meat was seasoned well and cooked until tender and juicy.

Tequila Prawns. Another excellent small plate that I wished was a big plate. The large prawns were cooked perfectly and draped over crispy fried patatas bravas, roasted garlic buttermilk sauce, and green onions.

Halibut & Chips. A very good version of fish and chips. The Halibut gave it a meatier texture and the light beer batter coated the fish with just enough of that crunchy shell. The Caribbean spiced fries had a nice spice blend with cinnamon and allspice and the coconut slaw and tropical fruit hot sauce balanced the dish with sweet, tart and spicy.

Snake River Farms Pork Short Ribs. An incredibly succulent, carnivorous dish with large pieces of pork cooked until falling apart and braised in a flavorful sauce. Warm potato salad surrounded the meat and it was all topped off with bacon and pomegranate syrup. An excellent dish.

Immortal Spirits
141 S. Central Avenue, Medford, OR
Founded in 2009, this distillery is one of the few that actually distill their own whiskeys, rums, and even absinthe. They are actually so proud of their absinthe (which is not as wormwood heavy) they have cocktails where the absinthe is the star, rather than just a flavor enhancer. The tasting room is small but comfortable, and the staff is knowledgeable but also laid back and welcoming. The drinks and spirits are reliably delicious and the food is quite tasty as well. I would recommend this establishment for a quick tasting or for a longer, lingering lunch with cocktails and conversation.
http://www.immortalspirits.com/


Sazerac. Made with their Single Barrel Whiskey, absinthe, and bitters, this is a spirit forward, good cocktail that always goes down easy.

Whiskey Ginger: A light and refreshing drink made with whiskey, lime juice, and ginger soda.

Walk the Plank. This was fruity and sweet with freshly muddled strawberries, rum, and lemon soda.

Absinthe Mojito. Their take on the Cuban classic with Absinthe as the primary spirit and enhanced with freshly muddled lime and mint, then topped with soda. This was well balanced and easy to drink.

Entombed Pork Pancake. House-made pulled pork filled this beauty. Greek yogurt, scallions, and a house-made whiskey BBQ sauce was the topping. This was a very large pancake that satisfied two people with meaty pork, fluffy pancake with fantastic crispy edges and a tangy and sweet BBQ sauce.

Immortal Tacos. Another delicious pulled pork item. These mighty tacos were filled with the tasty meat, a spicy Sriracha slaw, smoked paprika, tangy lime aioli, and fresh cilantro. This was savory, tangy, spicy, crunchy and fresh all at once.

Drunken Goat. Fluffy, buttery buns were filled with grass-fed Black Angus beef from lucky cows that fed on their spent grains from whiskey making! Bacon, creamy goat cheese, red wine-glazed onions, black pepper and fresh greens fulfill this burgers destiny to be amazing. This was juicy, perfectly cooked and served with a tasty side of red potato salad.

Quickdraw. For the meat lover, this burger had the same fantastic beef, plus double the bacon, crispy fried onions, Colby cheese, whiskey BBQ sauce and added pulled pork that I requested. A really fulfilling burger that hit all the umami sensors.

I don't have plans to visit Oregon in the next few months, but I look forward to my next visit. I'm confident that the food will be just as good and there may even be a few new places for me to try.