SPQR

Emily and I tried SPQR this week and left thoroughly impressed. Located in Pac Heights, this restaurant used to be Chez Nous of Bay Bread fame. A sister restaurant to A16, SPQR is owned by co-executive chefs Nate Appleman and Daniel Holtzman. Nate and Daniel went to culinary school together and envisioned this restaurant to be strictly Roman style meaning that it is heavy on antipasti and pasta.

FOOD

Antipasti. There are three sections of antipasti available - cold, hot, or fried. We sampled four impressive selections. The house-made pork sausage was by far my favorite item of the entire meal. We also tried the brussell sprouts (fried), chantrelle mushrooms (hot), and spicy octopus (hot). The portion size is tapas-like, so ordering many selections and sharing with your companion is ideal.

Pasta. Emily and I shared two pasta plates -- Gnocchi alla Romana and Amatriciana Spaghetti. Roman Gnocchi is different from what most people are used to. They are larger than the typical small potato or ricotta filled dumplings. They look like hockey pucks - two per order. Roman Gnocchi is very delicate and egg-like in consistency. It is served with Pancetta and cheese. The Amatriciana is a simple dish with a slightly spicy red sauce and is highly recommended.

Desert. We tried the Almond Milk Granita and Panino, both of which were excellent. The Granita was topped with espresso cream. The frozen almond milk was to die for. The Panino looks like a dark piece of toast. It is stuffed with caramelized milk and pear. These two deserts, while seemingly very different, worked well together.

AMBIANCE

We were seated at the back of the restaurant at the Chef's Bar which basically is a counter top facing the hole-in-the-wall sized open kitchen. Watching the four chefs navigate the tight workspace provided a ton of entertainment. Also, fans of the television show, Hell's Kitchen, will enjoy Daniel working the pass. He instantly passes judgment on each dish and sometimes the chefs are on the wrong side of his quality standards. Although he is not maniacal like Gordon Ramsey, he definitely doesn't hold back if the dish is lacking or is the wrong portion size. When we go back, we will have a preference to sit here again. The action is fun and the experience is highly educational. Plus, you get to see most of the menu items while you are ordering.

For those of you looking for a stuffy and calm dinner environment, try somewhere else. This restaurant is walk-in only, so on peak nights you should arrive around 6PM to avoid disappointment. It seats around 50 people.

Our waitress, Katherine, speaks highly of the brunch menu which is available on Saturdays and Sundays.

Overall, SPQR was a great experience. I recommend it highly. Go with a few friends so that you can sample more of the menu items. It is appropriate to share at this restaurant.

SPQR
1911 Filmore St (btwn Pine and Bush)
San Francisco, CA
(415) 771-7779

Reservations are not accepted.

Lunch: Monday - Friday 11:30AM - 2:30PM
Dinner: Daily 5:30PM - 11:00PM
Brunch: Saturday & Sunday 9:30AM - 2:30PM

Oahu Vacation

Emily and I had a wonderful time in Oahu. Trip highlights:

• I recommend the Oahu Revealed book, though with Oahu the guidebooks matter less than Maui.
  
• We stayed at Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club which was a wonderful resort. It is located on the West Shore side of the island. The Ko Olina Beach Club is a purpose planned resort meaning that it is designed to be family centric. Construction is being done on towers 3 and 4 currently which can make for a less than ideal relaxation setting due to noise. However, I still think that this resort is ideal even with the construction nuisance because of its beaches. Originally formed in the 1970's as a gated master-plan community for Japanese retirees, the developers of the Ko Olina area created four coves using dynamite - something that would never be allowed today. As a result, the Ko Olina beaches are the best in Oahu. The water is calm and beautiful. The beaches are not overcrowded because there is less outside traffic to the beaches due to the lack of non-resort parking spaces. When the final construction is done, the Ko Olina Beach Club will be an ideal destination - even better than it is now. New features include a second, gigantic outdoor pool including water slide and a huge pool bar. The barbecue grill stations are more popular in Oahu than they were in Maui. You should utilize these stations when possible.
• We recommend Dollar Rent-a-Car for the cheapest rate in Oahu. You should reserve a Compact car (Dodge Caliber or similar) and upgrade when you arrive. If you work the system enough, they will offer a discounted upgrade. You should be mildly interested in the next levels up, but balk on the quoted upgrade price. Magically, the counter agent will punch some buttons on his/her computer and offer you a better deal.
• Make a trip or three to the North Shore. If you are a surf fan, this is the center of the world. Otherwise, there is plenty to eat. Read on for details.
• The world famous Shrimp Trucks/Shacks at the North Shore are not to be missed. Oahu Revealed recommends Romy's Shrimp Shack. WARNING! Romy's is not as good as Giovanni's Shrimp Truck. Giovanni's is a graffiti covered roach coach. Do not miss the Shrimp Scampi there. I have never tried crack before, but I can only imagine that Giovanni's Shrimp Scampi results in a similar high because after I had it, I was "jonesing" for some more all trip long. There are two Giovanni's locations. One is located on Kamehameha Highway and the other is located in the town of Haleiwa. I would try the original one (Kamehameha Highway) first to get the entire historical flair. You can always stop by in Haleiwa later one to try shaved ice (read below) and have some more scampi. I think the Haleiwa Giovanni's is $1 more expensive for the shrimp plates, but I'm not 100% sure of this. I also recommend the Garlic Hot Dog.
  
• Matsumoto's Shave Ice. This is world famous shaved ice (kinda like a Snoopy Sno Cone) with home-made flavored syrups (warning: the color of pineapple is blue - that is not a mistake if you order it). You can also add red azuki beans, vanilla ice cream and condensed milk to the equation. You should avoid the shaved ice imitators in town - they're just not as good.
  
• On the way to or from the North Shore, you should stop by the tourist trap known as the Dole Plantation - yes, as in Dole Pineapples. Avoid the train tour unless your children turn blue in the face from holding their breath. I recommend the Pineapple soft serve and free food samples. DO NOT BUY PINEAPPLE HERE unless you feel obligated to paying 2X more for fruit than you do in the mainland. In fact, avoid buying anything in general (except for lunch and ice cream). T-Shirts are $20. BBQ sauce is $9. Wow!
• We made the cross-island journey to Boots and Kimo's in Kailua. They are famous for their pancakes with macadamia nut sauce. I have not tried heroine before, but I can only imagine... If you go on a weekday (highly recommended due to the weekend wait), go after 9:30AM. Otherwise, you will be sitting in rush hour Honolulu traffic. Be prepared for a 30-90 minute wait, the restaurant is small.
  
• The Kualoa Ranch is about 25 minutes Northwest of Kailua. It is famous for being the location setting for Lost, Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates, etc. If you want to do the horseback tour, you need to reserve in advance.
• In Waikiki, we found some great casual food spots. Rainbow Drive-In offers breakfast and mixed plate items. I recommend the chicken cutlet. Drive slowly and have detailed directions. I missed the restaurant even though it is on a main road. Leonard's Bakery specializes in malasadas (a Portuguese donut).
• Try Jurison's Inn in Waipahu. They have a great mixed plate menu. The Mochiko Chicken is really, really good.
  
• All over the island, there is a Denny's like chain called Zippy's. The chili is not to be missed.
• We didn't try any fine dinning places in Oahu partially because I didn't want to dress up.
• For excursions, we recommend Hanauma Bay for snorkeling. You should consider going to Wal-Mart to buy your own snorkle gear. It will most likely be cheaper. Consider eating beforehand or bringing your own food. The food options are limited and expensive ($5 for a grilled cheese sandwich).
• The Kualoa Ranch is about 25 minutes Northwest of Kailua. It is famous for being the location setting for Lost, Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates, etc. If you want to do the horseback tour, you need to reserve in advance.

In hindsight, we would definitely spend a week in Oahu again. We liked the Ko Olina Beach Club so much that we envision staying there next time and hoping over to Maui for a quick 4-5 day trip. A week in Maui is entirely too expensive and a bit too long.

Earthquakes and cell phones

There was a moderate earthquake in the Bay Area last night. No injuries reported. The epicenter was in San Jose - over 60 miles away, so no damage in San Francisco. I was in the car when it happened and the person on the radio was reporting it in real time. That was kinda cool.

Predictably, cell phone service was effected for about 30 minutes after the quake. Most people wonder why this is. Simply put, too many people are calling into and out of cell phones when major events happen like this. It overloads the capacity on the network. Since cell phones communicate with antennae closest to your proximity (technical term for the antennae are "cell sites"), anyone placing or receiving a call near you is sharing the same cell site resource. Cell sites have a limited number of connections (technical term is "channels"). When cell phone traffic spikes to many times normal traffic like after an earthquake, the system does not have any open channels to place your call.

One way around this is text messaging. To reach a person during an emergency, text, don't call. Text messaging operates separate from voice channels and can accommodate much more traffic simultaneously. Bottom line, it's a better bet when you absolutely need to contact someone.

Finally, all of this rolling and rocking brings to light the importance of being prepared for the next big one. If you live in the Bay Area, you and your family need to have a disaster plan. This includes having enough food and water rations available and to have a meeting plan in case you are separated with your family. At minimum. The city and county of San Francisco has a marvelous online resource: 72Hours.org.

Maui Vacation

Emily and I vacationed on Maui recently. Overall, we had a great time. Here are some notes for those of you considering Maui:

• Use the Maui Revealed book. It's got the most detailed information of all the guide books. Our public library had the 2007 editions already, so you might want to check with yours.
  
• We stayed at the Marriott Maui Ocean Club in Ka'anapali. First off, Ka'anapali is FAR from everything interesting in the island. It is in close proximity to Lahaina (one of the world's great tourist traps, similar to Fisherman's Wharf), but far from Wailuku (good food), Hana (good excursion), and Haleakala (big, dormant volcano). The resort, itself, is very family friendly - awesome pool and on site barbecue grill. However, there is no beach to speak of - unless you consider ten feet of sand between resort and ocean to be a beach. Another negative -- if you're a timeshare owner and stay here, you'll get nickeled and dimed to death. They charge for daily housekeeping. Only a mid-week refresh of linens is included, so if you're neat and clean, you'll do well. Otherwise, bring an extra $65 a day.
• If you come in from the mainland on Friday or Saturday, make sure you do the Road to Hana before Sunday. No one tells you about this in the guidebooks. Basically, everyone comes into Maui on the same days -- Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Most families like to relax on the first few days and procrastinate about driving out to Hana until they get acclimated some. If you wait until the week starts to go out to Hana, it will be VERY crowded. We went on a Sunday at the drive was fantastic with very few other cars to compete with. You should make a side excursion to Kanae Landing Fruit Stand for the Banana Bread along the way. Kanae is four miles off road. See guid
  
• Note #2 about Hana. Invest in a Jeep. Most of sites are best seen in a convertible or top-off jeep. Having the higher sight line on a jeep also helps you see over guard-rails and bushes. It's well worth the investment. Enterprise has affordable, older model jeeps. National has the newer Jeep Wrangler (2-door or 4-door) but is really expensive. One smart family we ran into rented from National, but returned the jeep after Hana and rented from Enterprise.
• If you plan to do the Sunrise bike ride down Haleakala, there is some bad news. Due to recent fatalities, all tour companies have been banned from the Federal park. Haleakala Bike Company does a sunrise van ride up to the peak and then drives to outside the park entrance where you bike down. This was the highlight of the trip for Emily. Tim, our guide, was pure entertainment. Bring LOTS of warm clothes. It gets very cold. Also, for mainlanders, you will want to do this ride within your first couple of days - before you have adjusted to the time zone. You have to meet at the bike shop by 3:30AM (in summer months its earlier).
• Hali'imaile General Store is one of the best restaurants that I have been to. Don't miss it. Lunch is cheaper than dinner, but still expect to pay for the five star quality. The crab pizza is to die for. I'll repeat: Don't miss!
• Other fantastic eateries: Sam Sato's (in Wailuku - try the Dry Mein), A Saigon Cafe (in Wailuku), Kula Lodge (on the way down from Haleakala - recommended only for breakfast), Sansei (in Kihei and Kapalua - good sushi), Aloha Mixed Plate (in Lahaina - Mochiko Chicken special on Monday is not to be missed!) and Tasaka Guri Guri (sherbet like treat in the Maui Mall).
• Listen to Wild 105.5 FM when you are there (Shameless plug for college friend, Ryan P).
• The much ballyhooed Hawaiian Superferry has suspended operations as of our vacation because of opposition from kama'aina (local residents).
• Bring lots of cash. Maui is not cheap.

Pictures:

The Road to Hana:

A Saigon Cafe:


Aloha Mixed Plate:


Haleakala Sunrise:


Silversword:


Sansei in Kihei:


Seafood Napolean and Bev's Crab Pizza from Hali'imaile General Store:


Tasaka Guri Guri:

My post on the Oahu part of our vacation coming soon...

Portuguese Tri-Tip

I cooked this Portuguese tri-tip for Jake and Jon at their July 4th barbecue. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 medium triangle tri-tip, 2-3 lbs total weight (go to Costco for ideal cut)
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Marinade:

• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2 cup ginger, finely grated or minced

Directions:

1. Wash the tri-tip and remove excess water by patting the meat with a paper towel.
2. Trim the fat off of the meat (usually on the bottom of the cut).
3. Pierce the meat with a paring knife making 1 inch slits about 1 inch deep. Put the thin slices of garlic inside. You should pierce both sides of the meat evenly -- about two inches between each slit.
   
4. Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and transfer to a zip lock bag (use two bags if you have two pieces of meat).
5. Add the meat to the bag, seal and shake well.
6. Refrigerate for 24-48 hours.
7. Add the meat to a barbecue grill, preheated to 400-degrees farenheit.
8. Cook each side for 12-15 minutes. Medium rare should take about 27 minutes if you keep the barbeque grill covered except for flipping times.
9. Slice the meat immediately.
10. Serve with sandwich rolls or with a side of potatos and fresh veggies (especially with summer corn!).
    

Shabu Shabu at Kufuya

If you have not tried shabu shabu (or Japanese hot pot) before, you are missing the boat. Typically, a restaurant that specializes in shabu shabu sets up a hot pot and uncooked beef and vegetables at your table, allowing you and friends to cook the meal at your own pace. This type of meal is perfect for parties of four or more.

Shabu shabu refers to the swishing sound that the meat makes when stirred in the hot pot. A block of rib-eye meat is sliced into paper thin pieces. The beef must be frozen at the time it is sliced in order to achieve this. The beef is served on a tray to share between the table.


To cook the beef, you put one slice into a boiling pot of broth. The broth is usually a kelp (kombu) or chicken stock base. A portable gas stove is provided at Kufu Ya to keep a continuous broil. Cook the beef for no longer than 15 seconds if the pot is at a rolling boil. Swishing the beef with your chopsticks from side to side will help cook it evenly. Be sure to cook a few portions of meat before adding vegetables to the hot pot which will temporarily stop the boiling.

Kufu Ya serves a healthy portion of veggies and noodles, including spinach, tofu, Napa cabbage, Shitake mushrooms, Udon, and vermicelli noodles.



Once removed from the hot pot, you can dip your beef into the shabu shabu sauces. Kufuya has mixes a sesame and ponzu (citrus soy) together. You can add green onion and daikon radish to the concoction for even more flavor.

Kufuya offers a la carte ($10 per plate of beef or vegetables) and all-you-can-eat ($20 per person) options for shabu shabu.

The restaurant also has sushi and other standard Japanese meals (tempura, teriyaki, udon, etc) for very affordable prices. For example, a three item combination plate is $14.

The restaurant can accommodate large parties if planned in advance and there is a parking lot at the back of the restaurant.

Kufu Ya Japanese Restaurant
7001 Geary Blvd (cross 34th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121
415-668-8699 phone

Hours:
Mon - Sat: 11:30AM - 10:00PM
Sun: 5:00PM - 10:00PM
Reservations are usually not necessary, but are recommended to avoid disappointment.