Dining at Cortez

This Michelin starred restaurant in the heart of San Francisco's theater district is one long narrow room - albeit one that has been tastefully converted to give a fun, clubby feel. The lights fashioned out of colored spheres that are suspended from metal tubes would certainly appeal to an art-lover.

The restaurant is more lively than the Fifth Floor where I had dined only a day earlier. The bar area and the main restaurant were located in the same area which made for a higher decibel level. I actually like that when I am dining alone! Given its star rating, the items on the menu seemed priced very modestly; even the chef's tasting menu was a steal. However, the tasting menu is only available Monday through Thursday, so I picked the special Dine About Town menu.

They got me going with a combination of amuse bouches: a spoonful of something delicious and sweet - can't remember what it consisted of - and a shot glass of hot potato soup which was absolutely brilliant. That also set the tone for the rest of the evening.

While the service quality was nothing remarkable, the food certainly beats Fifth Floor hands down based on my recent dinner at both.

The Slow Roasted Baby Beets & Burrata was a work of art with micro-greens and edible blossoms adorning this dish. The beets were juicy and flavorful while the burrata - an Italian cheese made of mozzarella and cream - was fresh and equally delicious.

My main course was a Duo of Niman Ranch Beef containing a bavette steak and braised cheek, glazed Thumbelina carrots, caramelized onions, date puree and lemon jus. The beef was heavenly, and melted in the mouth. The flavorful, glazed onions were mouth watering good too.

I ended with the Strawberry Sorbet with basil candy, lemon verbena creme fraiche and Hawaiian black sea salt. This was amazing stuff too, and the sea salt made it particularly delectable. This restaurant definitely merits a repeat visit!

Cortez is ensconced in the Hotel Adagio and its kitchen is overseen by chef Jenn Puccio. The stroll back to my hotel past Union Square did me some good too. There was a nip in the air, but it was pleasant. I also noticed the large Virgin Megastore seems to have closed down - the economic downturn continues to take its toll.

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Fifth Floor at Hotel Palomar

Fifth Floor is the name of the restaurant at Hotel Palomar in downtown San Francisco. Of particularly interest to me is the fact that this restaurant has continued to maintain its Michelin star even as chefs have changed during the last few years. As for the hotel itself, the Palomar fancies itself as an arty hotel in more ways than one. Categorized as a boutique hotel, this place is known for its wine receptions that bring together wine and art during the evenings.

In the evening, I went up to check out the art on display. There was a silent auction going on and the art on display included original drawings and etches from Chagall's stained glass windows in Jerusalem with bid prices starting at $3500. After a while, as the art exhibition wound down, I made my way to the Fifth Floor.

Dark wood, luxurious linens, chic chairs and small tea-lights on the table make up the minimalist but elegant decor. Executive Chef Jennie Lorenzo (earlier part of Gordon Ramsay's team), sommelier Emily Wines (!), and pastry chef Leena Hung are the all-female culinary team behind this fancy restaurant. Women chefs are making their presence known in the Bay Area and the list of starred chefs is not limited to Alice Waters.

The Fifth Floor serves modern French inspired by the Gascony region of France. It was obvious I had to begin with the Foie Gras, the most popular delicacy of this region. This was an Artisan foie gras terrine, with kumquat and almond bastilla and a red wine-armagnac gastrique. It was a really tasty dish, silky smooth with a hint of tangy sweetness on the palate.

Before the foie gras, they had served a couple of amuse bouches: A cold pea-soup shot along with a spoon of duck liver and cheese thingy that I can't recall too well. Also, they served up some excellent bread: one was pecan-encrusted multi-grain bread, the other a sweet white livened up by star anise.

My entree was the L'Agneau, parlsey-crusted loin of lamb, white and green beans, glazed bok choy and eggplant marmalade. I relished the flavors and textures of this dish slowly with the Riesling I had chosen tonight.

For dessert, I tried the Croustade Gasconne, a version of an apple pie with anise-orange blossom syrup, apple crisp and green apple sorbet. This dessert wasn't particularly memorable for me, but the rest of the dinner had made me quite contended. Another pot of Earl Grey and I was ready to hit the bed.


Incidentally, Chef Jennie Lorenzo worked for a little while at my other favorite restaurant nearby, Ame.

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Roy's Once More

I have reviewed Roy's of San Francisco once before. Part of the culinary empire run by chef Roy Yamaguchi, this restaurant serves up excellent Hawaiian fusion fare in classy and elegant surroundings. I was here with a colleague on one day for a lunch meeting; I came back the next day, this time armed with my camera.

The entire staff is very prompt, helpful and friendly. The food continues to be wonderful, but what makes even a quick lunch special is the importance they attach to the presentation even during these busy hours.


The Roy's Power Lunch Prix Fixe is a great way to try this place. I started with a miso soup, Waimanalo mixed greens and Lumpia. The Lumpia, which is a kind of spring-roll is popular in Indonesia and the Philippines, was actually pretty good. I liked this better than the Pot Stickers I had ordered for my appetizer the day before.

The Butterfish I ordered for my main course was excellent! It was obvious how the fish got its name - every morsel was buttery soft and went rather well with the Japanese inspired sauce and the beans and other greens.

Since I had a better appetite and there were no meetings to run off to, I did order a dessert this time. The creme brulee was good, but the carmelizing process had ended up warming most of the custard. The best creme brulee provides an appealing contrast between the cold custard and warm top layer (among other things!).

A cup of Earl Grey and I was ready to get back to my hotel and begin packing for the long trip home.

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Yankee Pier in Santana Row

Apparently, Santana Row is among the highest ranking shopping areas in California and the one that generates the highest sales within the Silicon Valley - in short, a shopper's paradise. But for me, Santana Row is an ideal destination to de-stress after a long day at work with a stroll in the evening before dining at one of the many wonderful restaurants. From upscale French dining to Greek, from Chinese Fusion to Californian Seafood, it's all here!

Here are some pictures of another such lovely evening when I dined al fresco at the Yankee Pier. Yankee Pier, a seafood house offers ocean-fresh seafood from coast to coast: From live Maine lobsters, fresh shucked oysters and a array of grilled fresh fish. While they have a large seating area indoors too, I took a seat outside.

The waitress was a friendly one, chatting at length and making recommendations on the catch of the day and the desserts. I munched on some salad green while the chef grilled my fish. The tequila bar across the road seemed like a popular place too and was soon crowded as the sky turned a shade of orange in the late evening sun.

I had decided to go with the mahi-mahi, grilled on a heap of spinach sauteed with onions and a side of potatoes roasted with garlic and olive oil. The mahi-mahi is particularly popular in Hawaii from where it gets its name. It is also known as dolphin fish, even though it doesn't really share much with dolphins other than its habit of skimming over the ocean's surface. Anyway, the fish was super fresh and a treat to polish off.

The milk chocolate Pot de Creme with whipped creme fraiche provided a sweet ending to the meal. The waitress was feigned offense when I wouldn't finish it, but I really was too full and had a busy day tomorrow.

I watched the daylight fade with a pot of Earl Grey and then reluctantly headed back to my hotel. The evening was very pleasant which ought to be normal, but recently California has been a little fickle with rather cold spells and unseasonal rain.

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Cucina Don Giovanni

For a slice of Italy right in the middle of Silicon Valley, there is no better than this excellent restaurant in Mountain View's Castro Street. Intricate wood-work, earth-colored walls, high ceilings, antique chandeliers and rows of large bottles of wine give this place a lot of homeliness and warmth. Watching the kitchen at the back with fires ablaze and the chefs hard at work, I knew I had made a wise choice for the evening.

The Carpacchio de Miazo, an appetizer of wafer-thin beef slices which arrived decorated with squiggles of mustard, onion and a lavish topping of capers and shredded Parmesan cheese. A dash of lemon made this a perfect way to begin dinner along with my wine.

The Pollo Ripieno, made of oven-roasted chicken breast stuffed with herbs, ricotta cheese, roasted sweet peppers was served over garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed swiss chard and roasted pepper cream. This was excellent too with its rich, pampering flavors that characterizes good Italian food.

Later in the week, I came back here for a lunch meeting with a colleague and ordered minestrone soup followed by grilled snapper in a lemon-butter sauce. The food was excellent again, but it is the ambiance in late evenings that makes this restaurant special - a great choice for a romantic dinner.



Don Giovanni also scored high on service quality both for lunch and dinner. The menu has many options for the meat and sea-food lover. Unfortunately, I didn't have the appetite to try any of the desserts during this time.

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Silicon Valley Weekend

The Sunday morning brunch at Hobees was terrific like my last time here. This time too, I was meeting an old friend after a long gap. This time too, the highlight was clearly the heavenly blueberry coffee-cake that accompanied my main dish: The Benedicto Siciliano, a creative version of Eggs Benedict with a melange of fresh sweet basil, roma tomatoes and avocado tossed lightly with olive oil and lemon juice atop two poached eggs on a grilled English muffin with a special marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese.

There are few places you can enjoy a better breakfast or weekend brunch than here at Hobees! They have multiple locations in Silicon Valley, but I like the one in Cupertino the most.

After that filling brunch, I didn't have the appetite for anything substantive during dinner later. I was meeting with a friend in the vicinity of Santana Row and we decided to try Sino, a Chinese fusion restaurant that opened a couple of years back. Sino is a creation of Chris Yeo, who also runs the popular Straits Cafe in the Bay Area. Gleaming red walls with a crackled glaze, metallic bead curtains, and colorful bar area makes for a quirky and interesting ambiance.


We decided to sample their selection of sakes. Of the three varieties, I particularly liked the flavors of the Cherry Bouquet and Crysanthimum Meadow. We shared a plate of wild mushroom dumplings and followed it with crispy snapper in a spicy pepper garlic sauce with Dan Dan Mien, flat noodles with szechuan peppers, garlic and scallions (and chicken).


The dumplings were excellent! The taste of the mushrooms was enhanced by white truffle oil. The snapper was lightly batter-fried and had a spicy, tangy sauce. The Dan Dan Mien is usually made of pork, but they were willing to substitute it with chicken for my friend. Pretty spicy stuff, but then I like spicy!

Santana Row is designed to look and feel like the European promenades replete with cafes, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and store-fronts. This is a great place to stroll around in the evenings, watching people and dining al fresco. Smaller than, but similar to, the wonderful 3rd Street promenade in Santa Monica.

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Karavali Capers

So here I am, in California again. On my way, I stopped briefly for dinner at Dakshin in Mumbai's Grand Maratha hotel. They had an ongoing Karavali seafood special menu this week:
“showcasing the rich culinary heritage of the South and featuring the finned, scaled and shelled treasures of the West Coast of India - cuisine from the homes of the Malayalees of Kerala, Bunts of Mangalore, Coorgis of Karnataka and the Portuguese of Goa”.

As I went through the menu, a platter of papadums were put in front of me along with a variety of chutneys. I ordered a hot glass of rasam instead of a drink.

I began with Manji Kolavaithina, a whole white pomfret marinated with green chilly, ginger, lemon which is wrapped in a banana leaf and baked. This was excellent stuff! Lots of flavour and taste, but mild compared to my hot, spicy rasam.


The Allepy Fish Curry, with pieces of pomfret simmered in a spicy, tangy gravy was finished in coconut and was delicious with the appam and malabar paratha. As you can see, I stayed with delicacies from Kerala this time.

I finished off with a warm dessert made of rice flakes in a creamy jaggery base with shredded coconut and garnished with slivers of almond. If I remember correctly, this dish is called Bellam Paramannam and is used as an offering to the Gods.

The flight to San Francisco via Singapore was eventless. The business class section was only half full. They handed us a package with a single-use thermometer, gloves and a surgical mask to use - the only swine-flu effect I saw during this trip so far.

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Tasty Chennai - II

South Indian cooking is set apart by its unique combination of spices, freshly grated coconuts, curry leaves, tamarind and chillies - lot of them! During this trip and the last one in March, I had a chance to sample more Chennai goodness. One evening, a friend took me to Fisherman's Cove, a lovely seaside resort hotel on the outskirts of Chennai. A cool ocean breeze blew in from the Bay of Bengal as we chatted away over cocktails at Baypoint View, a seafood restaurant and bar that is right on the beach. The flaming torches, crashing of the waves and wooden umbrellas over the tables gives this place oodles of atmosphere.

Dinner was wonderful here, as much for the food as for the surroundings. The Snapper grilled in South Indian spices and vegetables was awesome. The chef uses a light hand with the spices bringing out the best in the fresh catch. My friend chose the tri-chocolate mousse for dessert while I settled for the shahi tukra with kulfi. Yummy!


Zamindars were powerful landlords during Mughal and British rule; they lived off the lands they managed and held sway until Independence. These zamindars were known for their power and status. They lived life to the fullest, in extreme comfort which obviously includes the best of food and wine. Zameendar, a restaurant in Anna Nagar, celebrates the spicy cuisine of Andhra Pradesh and takes us back to those times.

The interiors are simple with segregated seating areas, large tables, and fast-food type paper napkins on the table. We started with a platter of starters that included chilly chicken, mutton sukha, and pepper chicken. The pepper chicken and mutton sukha were very good!



We then moved to a very spicy, red Andhra fish curry called the Nellore Chepalla Pulusu. I liked this one because it was so different from the regular fish curries. It had a tangy, hot and very satisfying taste. The fish was very fresh too - they say they only keep the freshest fish and don't use refrigeration here.

Finally, we had to taste their most popular dish, the Nellore Mutton Biryani. The biryani was served with a cucumber-tomato raita and some kurma-gravy. Great stuff, and with a definite Andhra touch.

Zameendar is located in Anna Nagar right next to the Sundaram Medical Foundation. Try it out if you are here and enjoy spicy Andhra food. They have a very busy take-out counter too.

The other restaurant I visited was Annalakshmi. This is not just another restaurant, but a place that intends to marry art, culture and food into an exceptional dining experience, albeit a vegetarian one. The restaurant is filled with an art-gallery ambiance and has as its centerpiece a large idol of Annalakshmi, the Hindu Goddess of abundance. The servers in the restaurant are all volunteers, who very often have other day jobs.


I began with a very interesting local cooler called Paanagam made of jaggery and tamarind. We ordered some of their best rice-based dishes: the Puliodharai, rice made with a specially reduced tamarind pulp, followed by the Ellu Saadham, rice flavored with crushed sesame seeds and garnished with fried peanuts and curry leaves. They recommended the Oorulai Kizhangu Kara Curry, finely diced potatoes, spiced with red chillies and garnished with curry leaves. All of them were excellent. I was so happy to taste the excellent Puliodharai again; in Mysore, where I spent my childhood, this favorite of mine was called Pulliogray. The Ellu Saadham was very good too; this was the first time I tasted this wonderful dish.

The rasam, applams (South Indian papad), and varieties of pickles that accompanied our food were awesome too; I was reminded of my Mysore days again when they got us saunf coated with colored sugar which we called 'peppermint' those days .

With all that rice in us, we could barely walk out. There was no way we could even think of dessert tonight! Annalakshmi is located at 804, Mount Road in Chennai. They have branches in Perth, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur too.

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