Guerrilla Vegetarian

Upscale Puerto Rican fast food

2011-04-05T00:26:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, my attitudes toward food changed recently. I’ve gradually become less interested in cooking, so you will see fewer cooking posts on this blog. Instead, I plan to write about trends or issues around food more often. Don’t worry: it’s not going to be all serious though! La Bodega’s eye-catching storefront The Bay Area is a hotbed of culinary innovations from

Back to basics

2011-03-13T22:51:00.001-07:00

My apologies for not having written for a long time. On par with Acme Bakery: Josie Baker’s seed feast levain Recently, my attitudes toward food have changed. While I still enjoy cooking, I often make the simplest dishes. Gone are the days when I assembled 10+ ingredients for a recipe. I just go for whatever feels right – no more advanced planning for an entire week’s menu. Another huge

Finally wrapping up the (2010) holidays

2011-01-31T22:46:00.000-08:00

I know your reaction: why am I writing this when February is around the corner?Happy Holidays…are you serious?Blame it on some psychological need. I want to round out 2010 with an end-of-the-year post, like what I did for 2009. Plus, at least in the Chinese lunar calendar, we are still in the old year (Year of the Tiger).I will focus on the holidays. Our office threw a holiday party just before

A tale of three cities

2010-12-31T23:04:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month I took a weeklong trip to China. I visited its three most prosperous cities: Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. The trip was eye-opening as both Beijing and Shanghai have changed immensely since I visited almost a decade ago. I could feel the booming Chinese economy while I was there.Striking architecture: future CCTV Tower in Beijing, construction has resumed after a serious

Drenched in vanilla and cinnamon

2010-12-08T01:12:00.001-08:00

My pan de muerto, fresh from the oven What better time than the holidays to forget about dieting and go all out for decadent treats? The problem is I already indulge myself year-round. In late October I attended a Mexican bread making workshop, and I still feel guilty about the ridiculous amounts of butter and sugar we used to make our bread. La Cocina, San Francisco’s food entrepreneur

Sweets in Portland

2010-11-23T23:24:00.001-08:00

Yummy fresh mint flake and banana cream pie ice cream from Ruby JewelYou don’t think I would miss out on sweets during my trip to Portland, OR, do you? I need a separate post on all the ones I tried.As a foodie city, Portland has great dessert options, especially on the vegan front. Like savories, some of the most interesting sweets are from food carts. Along Mississippi Avenue I found Flavorspot

Veg and hip: not SF

2010-11-10T02:56:00.001-08:00

Yes, you read right. Portland, Oregon consistently ranks as one of the most vegetarian-friendly cities in the U.S, even ahead of San Francisco. It’s also known for being hip and progressive. During my stay there over Labor Day weekend, I experienced all these and more.Bustling Portland Saturday Farmers’ MarketNowhere I’ve been takes vegetarians and vegans more seriously than Portland. I rarely

Sampling two Mission District favorites

2010-10-23T15:37:00.001-07:00

Because of my job transition, I had a couple of free days during the week last month. There were several popular food spots in San Francisco’s Mission District I had long wanted to try, but the weekend crowds kept deterring me. Finally I could check out these places without the ridiculous wait.TARTINE BAKERYI went to Tartine Bakery on a Wednesday afternoon. Many consider Tartine to be the best

Another dreamy farm tour

2010-10-04T00:08:00.001-07:00

I love the country, but because I don’t have a car, I jump on any chance to get out there through other means. I had a wonderful time on the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association farm tour along the San Mateo Coast last year, so I signed up for this year’s tour to Watsonville as soon as I learned about it.Watsonville is close to Santa Cruz and known for its agricultural produce. We visited

The other side of the SF Street Food Festival

2010-09-19T22:20:00.001-07:00

Plum onigiri from food cart OnigillyI usually avoid big food events such as the Annual SF Street Food Festival because of the crowds. I remember the inaugural Festival last year drew an overwhelming number of attendees, and many reported standing in line for hours for food. “Street food” has since become more common in San Francisco, and there are now multiple places other than the Festival to

The state of vegetarian food in Hong Kong

2010-08-30T00:24:00.001-07:00

Forgive me. I know I went to Asia in July and it’s the end of August. But I must share my thoughts on my hometown’s vegetarian food. This will be the last post on my Asia trip, I promise!As I mentioned in a previous post, I returned to Asia as a vegetarian for the first time on this trip. I felt that Hong Kong’s Chinese vegetarian food continues to be superior, but options are lacking in other

Homecoming for Dad’s birthday

2010-08-08T23:25:00.001-07:00

One main reason that I chose to visit Hong Kong in early July, even though it’s the hottest and probably most uncomfortable time to be in Hong Kong, was because I wanted to be with my Dad on his birthday.Dad’s birthday this year was a landmark birthday according to Chinese customs (I won’t say how old he is!). So our family took it a little bit more seriously.Since Dad loves eating out, the three

Non-stop eating in Singapore, part II

2010-08-01T18:22:00.001-07:00

Another food outlet that was on my must-try list during my 36-hour trip to Singapore was a bakery chain called Breadtalk. Breadtalk in Bugis JunctionStarted in Singapore, Breadtalk is one of the few bakery chains that managed to expand across Asia including the tough-to-crack China market. I first learned about Breadtalk when it opened its first store in Hong Kong several years ago, but I’ve

Long-delayed post on trip to Singapore, part I

2010-07-31T21:30:00.001-07:00

My quaint hotel (more like an inn) in Little India This is embarrassing. I haven’t updated this blog for two months.Both June and July were hectic for me as I took a trip to Hong Kong and Singapore, then I had to follow up on many things after I returned from the trip.My trip was so packed that I was exhausted when I came back to the US, but I managed to have some fun. Yeah, you guess it right,

Incredible Italian food, good value – Barbacco in SF

2010-05-31T00:41:00.001-07:00

A good friend of mine recently visited me from New York. We had dinner at Barbacco Eno Trattoria, a casual Italian restaurant in San Francisco’s Financial District. The new restaurant, sister to the highly acclaimed but more expensive Perbacco a couple doors down, made it into San Francisco Chronicle’s Top 100 Restaurants this year. I’ve wanted to try it for a while, and it exceeded my

Hiking for my croissant

2010-05-27T00:26:00.001-07:00

After a very rejuvenating hike last month, I decided to do it again. But whereas last month’s hike soothed my mind, this hike was unmistakably food-oriented.I planned the hike so that I would finish at the College of San Mateo Farmers’ Market, an excellent farmers’ market perched in the hills but hard to get to without a car. What a pleasant surprise when I figured out that I could walk (actually

Love for Trader Joe’s

2010-05-03T23:43:00.001-07:00

This must be a marketer’s dream. I am spending hours voluntarily to proclaim my love for a grocery store. It all started some time last year. Previously I rarely went to Trader Joe’s because there wasn’t one close to where I lived. Then I discovered a store I could get to fairly easily, and have become a regular customer since. Trader Joe’s near Hillsdale Shopping Center Trader Joe’s is

Refreshing Saturday hike, vegan lunch, and more

2010-04-18T22:49:00.001-07:00

After a busy week at work, I was frazzled and desperately needed some fresh air. So I went hiking over the weekend. San Andreas Reservoir after the rainMy destination was San Andreas Trail along the ridge separating San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. I was drawn to it by its views and this was my first time there. The weather was dreary with some drizzles, so there were fewer people than

Indulgence in the grocery aisles

2010-04-04T21:03:00.001-07:00

Some people think grocery shopping is a chore. I think it’s a lot of fun. Some people shop for clothes or electronics as “retail therapy.” I shop for food to boost my mood. A piece of Belgium from...Safeway! Since I was a teenager, I’ve enjoyed browsing the aisles of grocery stores, especially the snacks section. Not to buy anything, but just to see what’s out there. I had little pocket money

Fond memories from parents’ visit

2010-03-21T00:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I’ve been MIA for almost three weeks. My parents visited me from Hong Kong and I spent the last two weekends with them. We had a wonderful time catching up, and you guess right, enjoying the Bay area’s scenery and food.Santa Cruz’s Natural Bridges State Beach facing the Pacific OceanThis is the first time we dined together since I became a vegetarian. My dad is a foodie and omnivore,

My best friend in weight control

2010-02-28T23:54:00.001-08:00

Fire-roasted tomato soup with rainbow chards, black-eyed peas, and Tofurky vegetarian sausages Almost all of the food media I’ve read recently had a feature on soups. This is hardly surprising since eating soups is a great way to stay warm during the winter. How can I offer a fresh take on a much-written topic? While I am not on a diet to lose weight, I’ve found soups to be very effective in

In the mood of Chinese New Year

2010-02-21T23:28:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday was the first day of the Chinese New Year of Tiger. Since I didn’t have to work, I felt the urge to celebrate by trekking up to San Francisco. Chinese New Year was a big deal when I grew up in Hong Kong. But since I came to the US, it gradually felt off my radar because the last few cities I lived didn’t have a sizable Chinese population or a decent Chinatown, so there was no

Root vegetables to beat winter blues

2010-02-14T19:24:00.000-08:00

Winter in the Bay area is quite mild compared to the "Snowmageddon" engulfing the East Coast over the last two weeks. Despite having lived on the East Coast for years, I still find our winter to be uncomfortably chilly. Especially when it gets rainy and windy, I feel as if my soul were drawn out of me. One way I deal with the winter blues is by having dessert soups. But I can't have desserts all

Breakfast sugar battle

2010-02-06T23:35:00.000-08:00

I felt guilty when I saw that I haven't written a post for 3 weeks. January was unusually busy for me, and now we're in February, I know I can't put off writing anymore. A friend asked me recently how I am keeping my New Year's resolution to eat less sugar. Do you want to know too? While overall I've succeeded in having just one BIG dessert each week, I found it's difficult to eliminate sugar

Much belated New Year resolution

2010-01-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

Wow, the first two weeks of the year went by like a whirlwind as I was super-busy at work. This weekend, I finally get to put my thoughts together. I typically don't make New Year resolutions. Looking back at 2009, however, there were a few things I wish I could have done differently. Self-help experts say putting them on paper (or sharing them publicly like on this blog) will help drive changes