Oolaa

October and November are my favorite months in Hong Kong. In October, the humidity dissipates and the weather starts to cool down. If you're lucky, some evenings, the air can even smell fresh. In Central no less! But November is when Hong Kong truly becomes lovely. It's the month during which you should plan to have every meal al fresco and enjoy long, leisurely hikes. The weather is sunny but cool and breezy, before the chill of winter creeps in.

Hong Kong doesn't offer a ton of al fresco dining options, probably because for 9-10 months out of the year, it's either too hot, too humid, too cold or too rainy to enjoy. One of my favorite spots for a semi-al fresco brunch in Hong Kong is Oolaa, which sits on the edge of Sheung Wan and Soho. The seating is technically indoors, but the floor-to-ceiling glass doors open up completely so that you get the al fresco feel.

Oolaa is the type of neighborhood joint everyone should have in their neighborhood. It's a terrific spot to drop in for a cappuccino or glass of wine at the bar, or to spend the afternoon reading the newspaper, or to have a casual business lunch, or to meet friends for an after-work drink. But most of all, it's best for a leisurely weekend brunch. Unfortunately, I'm not the only who thinks so, as evidenced by the crowds that descend each Saturday and Sunday morning, well into the late afternoon. If there's a wait (and there always is on the weekends), I like to pull up a stool at the bar and have a drink while we wait for a table. There are three distinct seating areas: a formal dining room, a casual communal dining room and a lounge-y area in between. I like the casual dining room the best - it reminds me a lot of Fillmore Street in San Francisco.

Mimosas are made with fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Breakfast bruschetta - grilled bread topped with grilled tomatoes, avocado and red onion, poached eggs and hollandaise. Served with a side of cured bacon. Love this dish!

Brekkie burrito - full of meat, but would be better with sides of sour cream, guacamole and salsa!

Food rating: *** and a half
Bang for buck rating: 4.5 for brunch and weekday express lunch; 3.5 for dinner

The essentials:
http://www.casteloconcepts.com/locations/hong-kong/oolaa-hong-kong
Location: G/F Centrestage, Bridges Street, Soho, Hong Kong
Average price of brunch for two: $350

Luce

I've been wanting to write about Luce ever since I fell in love with it after dining there in December. When I visited, it was fairly empty so I truly hope that SF diners discover its delicious, perfectly executed cuisine soon so that Luce doesn't fall prey to the travesty of amazing-but-failed-anyway restaurants that plague the restaurant world.

If you live anywhere near the bay area and need a place to go for a special occasion or just a fabulous meal, go to Luce. If you are visiting SF and want to have a fabulous meal, go to Luce. In a city full of amazing restaurants, Luce shines.

Recently awarded a Michelin star, I think it deserves at least another one (I've eaten my way through a fair share of Michelin stars in SF and Tokyo, and Luce is truly memorable).

Lobster gnocchi - the most delicious, chewy-soft gnocchi I've ever had

Luce's modern take on carbonara - squid ink infused housemade trofiette pasta with slow cooked organic egg, pancetta and parmesan. Lip-smackingly delicious.

"Le Jardin de Printemps" - spring vegetable garden with black olive and rye soil

Lobster and seared foie gras on a bed of faro

Food rating: *****
Bang for buck rating: 4.5

The essentials:
www.lucewinerestaurant.com/
Location: inside the Intercontinental hotel on Howard and 5th Streets
Average price of dinner for two: $100

1300 on Fillmore

I have a Pavlovian reaction to grits. I hear the word "grits" and I start salivating. I love me some grits. I like them boiled simply with water and salt, I like them with melted butter, I like them cheesy, I like them creamy, I like grits on its own, I like it with a side of bacon or ham, I like it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. But by far my favorite (before discovering 1300 on Fillmore) were the shrimp and grits I had in Charleston, South Carolina - buttery grits topped with barbecue shrimp in its own gravy.

Whenever I find grits on a menu outside the deep South (and especially in NorCal), I will order it just because I'm happy to see it on the menu, only to usually be disappointed.

But at 1300 on Fillmore I discovered what has to be the best grits west of the Mississippi....and perhaps the best grits on planet earth. The barbecue shrimp and grits at 1300 on Fillmore are TO DIE FOR. Creamy, perfectly cooked grits topped with succulent, savory shrimp, gravy, diced tomatoes and fried garlic slivers. It is a bowl of culinary perfection.

The fried green tomato salad with goat cheese and honey-lavender dressing was also excellent, as was the warm cornbread wedges with honey butter and sweet red pepper marmalade. The fried chicken was juicy and tender and the portion was very generous. I thought the mac n' cheese was disappointingly bland, but this was the only flaw, and one I can happily overlook in my ecstatic glee at discovering this awesome restaurant, which I will definitely be visiting many many many many times in the future. I also love the subdued but classy decor - and I'm loving the revamped area of the Western Addition!

Did I mention the amazing grits?

Black skillet roasted catfish

Barbecue shrimp n' creamy grits

Black skillet fried chicken with buttermilk biscuits

Food rating: ****
Bang for buck rating: 3.5

The essentials:
www.1300fillmore.com
Location: 1300 Fillmore Street, San Francisco
Average price of meal for two: $80

Roti Roppongi

I've posted an entry previously about brunch at Roppongi, but felt like a review of their dinner offerings was long overdue. I am a huge fan of Roti. Good food in good portions at good prices. Except for their salads, which are laughably small (but quite delicious).

I was initially led astray by the name "Roti," which I thought referred to the Indian bread, but I believe it's short for "Rotisserie," as one of their specialties is rotisserie chicken. Their classic rotisserie chicken is delicious, but I prefer the Peruvian chicken with cilantro-infused rice and beans (made with garbanzo beans), served with an addicting cilantro dipping sauce.

On a recent visit, I discovered a dish that in and of itself is reason alone to make a trip to Roti Roppongi: the truffle fries with grated parmesan cheese. Now, let me provide a little background. Despite my love of eating, I am a vain female and contrary to appearances on this website, DO watch what I eat, and run regularly to offset what I do eat. There are some foods that I generally think are not "worth the calories." And the humble potato is one of them. I almost never eat potatoes - fried, mashed, baked or steamed, I usually don't find potatoes delicious enough to waste on my daily intake of calories (to be fair, I will usually take a teeny bite to test a potato dish, but will almost never find it good enough to keep eating). I will occasionally make an exception for delicious french fries.

And let me tell you, my standard for what constitutes delicious french fries is pretty damn high - McDonald's and In N' Out fail my test (the latter, quite miserably). In fact, prior to my recent discovery of Roti Roppongi's truffled fries, the only fries that passed my taste test were the pommes frites at Chez Papa Resto in San Francisco - tossed with salt and rosemary and served with aioli, Chez Papa's fries are absolutely scrumptious - definitely worth the calories and the miles I have to run to make up for them. Roti Roppongi's truffled fries also pass my taste test. I will gladly run a few extra miles so that I can inhale more of the perfectly seasoned potatoes that somehow, magically taste so perfectly of truffles that I want to cry with joy. There you have it - I was so inspired by Roti Roppongi's fries that I've basically written an entire post about them.

P.S. Take advantage of their Tuesday wine club - 25% off any bottle of wine!

Truffle oil-fried french fries with parmesan

Garlic mushroom popovers

Bang Bang chicken salad

Food rating: ****
Bang for buck rating: 4

The essentials:
http://www.roti.jp/en/index.php
Location: Piramide Building, 1F, 6-6-9 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Average price of dinner for two (with drinks): 7000 yen (~$75)

Pizzakaya

Sometimes, you don't want sushi or fusion Italian or any of the other haute cuisine that Tokyo is so good at. Sometimes, you just want good old American style pizza. The kind that reminds you of all the Domino's and Pizza Hut and Little Caesar's and Papa John's you ate growing up in a household where both parents worked.

Pizzakaya is Tokyo's most "American" pizza joint - the crust is a bit like Domino's, but the concept is a bit like CPK - "innovative" combinations such as Ahi tuna and avocado, bacon cheeseburger and a Pakistani spiced-beef version called Rahat's Pizza. It is by no means outstanding, but it's pretty darn decent pizza in a city where good greasy food is hard to find. When only American-style pizza will do, Pizzakaya hits the spot.

Half Pizzakaya gourmet- half New Love pizza

Food rating: ***
Bang for buck rating: 4

The essentials:
http://www.pizzakaya.com/
Location: on Roppongi dori, walk towards Nishi Azabu crossing from Roppongi crossing
Dai-ichi Koyama Building 2F, 3-1-19 Nishi Azabu
Average price of meal for two: 4800 yen (~$55) for medium pizza, salad, appetizer and drinks

Lauderdale

Lauderdale is the kind of place that makes me feel so cozy and happy that ever since my first visit, I've been planning my next. It's the type of place I would love to live next to so I could stroll in every morning for a cappuccino and newspaper before heading to the office. I loved the kitschy hats on the walls as decor, the laid back brasserie vibe, the shabby chicness, feeling like I was caught somewhere between Paris and the West Village in New York.

And I adored their mushroom and cheese souffle - served perfect straight from the oven: airy, light, savory, delicious. Lauderdale sugar-coats the rim of the souffle dish so that you get a slightly sweet finish to each fluffy bite.

The brunch specials all come with your choice of two sides, one of which can be a breakfast beverage (coffee, OJ, tea, etc.). All in all, it's great value for great food, and Roppongi Hills was in need of a refreshing new restaurant. Lauderdale, je t'aime!


Blueberry pancakes


Perfect mushroom and cheese souffle


Mama's garden omelette with bacon

Food rating: *** and a half (4.5 for the souffle)
Bang for buck rating: 4

The essentials:
No website
Location: Off Keyakizaka Street in Roppongi Hills, Tokyo
Average price of meal for two (brunch): 3500 yen (~$40)

Beacon

One of my absolute favorite things about living in NY was Sunday Brunch. I loved how in NY, it was like...a thing. I so looked forward to Brunch - from the cozy little nooks such as Tartine in the West Village to the hip places like Balthazar to the underrated places like Zoe (loved their bread basket) to the ridiculously long waits at Good Enough to Eat (but totally worth it for the thick-cut bacon!) to the institutions such as Sarabeth's...I can't recall ever having a bad brunch experience. Because brunch is more than just a meal to obtain sustenance. It's an event. It's what you plan your entire Sunday around: where, when and with whom to have brunch. And you don't just eat. You shoot the shit. While away the hours over mimosas and bloody marys and multiple cups of coffee. Sunday brunch is one of the things I miss most about NY.

But it turns out you can have a New York [style] Sunday Brunch in Tokyo! Down a small street halfway between Omotesando and Shibuya, Beacon offers up a New York-style Sunday brunch. The crowd is so international, the decor is so hip but understated East Coast and the food is so wonderfully authentically American that for a few hours, you can pretend you're back in Manhattan eating, nay doing, Sunday brunch.


BLT + A (Bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich on toasted whole wheat with delicious french fries)


Huevos rancheros with green rice and hot link sausage - the brunch dishes are accompanied by your choice of croissant, muffin or toast, a tiny plate of fruit and coffee

Food rating: ****
Bang for buck rating: 3.5

The essentials:
http://www.tyharborbrewing.co.jp/restaurants/beacon.html
Location: Between Omotesando and Shibuya stations
Average price of meal for two (brunch): 5500 yen (~$60)

Lawry's Tokyo

Power lunch in Akasaka - Lawry's salad and soup bar followed by beef rib curry plate, finished with a tiny portion of creamy panna cotta and coffee (forgot to take a picture of the panna cotta because usually it goes directly into my tummy as soon as it's on the table). The rib curry plate is 1800 yen (~$20) and includes the salad bar, dessert and coffee. You can also just get the salad bar, which also comes with dessert and coffee for 1300 yen (~$15).


Make your own salad: mine consisted of a little bit of lettuce topped with potato salad, Lawry's corned beef (the stuff that looks like tuna on the right), corn, chick peas, olives, roasted kabocha squash and sundried tomatoes. Sometimes they also have little toasts with foie gras mousse - divine!


Beef rib curry - a gigantic, falling-off-the-bone-tender rib similar to Korean galbi jjim, decent curry (I'm not the biggest fan of any curry that's not Thai or Indian)

Food rating: *** and a half
Bang for buck rating: 4 (for lunch only)

The essentials:
http://www.wondertable.com/app/tenpo/tenpo?code=Lawrys
Location: Akasaka Twin Towers building, Akasaka, Tokyo
Average price for meal for two (lunch): 3500 yen (~$40)

Weekend Brunch at Roti Roppongi

Tokyo may be home to the most Michelin stars in the world, age old family-run establishments that serve cuisine that has been refined to perfection over generations, the world's best sushi/udon/tempura/kaiseki restaurants and even some of the best patisseries in the world, but it is really lacking in quality American-style brunch places. So I was thrilled to discover Roti Roppongi, which serves up authentic, non-Japanified Eggs Benedict and some of the most delicious spice-rubbed home fries I've ever had.


Eggs benedict, classic style with ham (you can also get it with sauteed spinach or smoked salmon)


Blueberry pancakes - it was declared that "they taste like Aunt Jemima," but honestly, I crave American instant mix pancakes living in Tokyo!


Smoked salmon club sandwich

I've also been to Roti for dinner and their Peruvian rotisserie chicken over cilantro rice and beans is tender, moist and flavorful.. and I wanted to lick the little bowl of jalapeno-garlic-cilantro dipping sauce that came with the chicken.

Food rating: **** and a half
Bang for buck rating: 4.5 (best brunch bang for buck)

The essentials:
http://roti.jp/en/index.php
Location: in the Pyramide building, Roppongi, Tokyo
Average price for meal for 2 for brunch: 5000 yen (~$55)

Brenda's French Soul Food

Sadly, I don't have photos to accompany this post. But I do have the happy memory of praline covered pancakes sitting in my belly. I wrote this entry for yelp awhile back:

Comfort.

Is my ratty Ugg slippers. Is my flannel pajama pants and 10+ year old favorite t-shirt. Is reading a good novel under the covers in my uber-comfy king-size bed. Is spending a leisurely Saturday morning with a person who knows you inside out and feeling that amazing connection found once in a blue moon. Is Brenda's sweet potato pancakes with pecan praline syrup, Brenda's cream biscuits smothered with homemade peach jam, Brenda's extra-buttery grits, Brenda's potato hash and Brenda's fried oyster and bacon omelet.

Brenda, you got soul. Your food made me so happy that it caused me to display random acts of kindness all day for no reason other than that I felt giddy, warm, happy and loved after having brunch at your restaurant. The answer to world peace may be in Brenda's sweet potato pancakes smothered with a brown sugar, pecan and butter concoction that could make anyone forget about differences in religion, politics, or why you broke up. Why should such trivial things matter when we can focus on the things that really matter in life, the things that unite us as humans: good food and good company?

Food rating: **** and a half
Bang for buck rating: 4 (the prices are fine, but the long wait....oh the wait!)

The essentials:
http://www.frenchsoulfood.com/
Location: The Tenderloin, SF
Average price for meal for 2: $40