Gary Danko- San Francisco

Where do I begin? I don't think I've ever come across a restaurant on Yelp with more reviews than this place right here (over 2,400 entries!!). Not even the super touristy eateries rack up this many reviews. And the most insane part? Gary Danko maintains a stellar 4.5 stars, not an easy feat! The space inside is relatively small and the windows are tinted super dark so you can't see the outside. I guess this aids in creating that dim, romantic ambiance despite the time of day but I much prefer bright, open spaces with ample amounts of light or at least a place with windows and a nice view. Besides, places with no windows (or super dark windows in this case) remind me too much of casinos. You never know what time it is.

I'll get to the food in a second but what absolutely wowed me about the establishment was hands down, the service and staff. Never have I ever (...sounds like I'm playing a drinking game) had such an impeccable dinner service. Their top-notch staff was knowledgeable and polite beyond belief. They were gracious and attentive but not overbearing or annoying. My glass of water was always filled and the waiters came around to clean off any crumbs on the table after each course. I seriously cannot say enough great things about the service.

So I started off with the dungeness crab salad (too bad I don't have a picture). The crab meat was served cold, which is unfortunately, not to my liking. But even so, I appreciated the large, luscious pieces of fresh crab claw. The crab was served over a bed of couscous and there was a bit of acidity from the yuzu (a type of citrus fruit), which refreshingly countered the sweetness of the crab meat.

Roasted Pork Belly and Tenderloin

For my second course, I selected the pork. To my dismay, I cannot say that this is the best pork belly I've had thus far (the best yet is credited to the wild boar belly at Perilla in NY). Food is as much about taste as it is about temperature. Therefore, I wished that the pork belly was served hotter and crispier since it was only warm. Pork belly cooked well has a nice sear on the outside creating that crispy outer skin while sealing in the juices from the fat. Unfortunately, the pork belly here felt a bit dry and the outside lacked that crunch that I was looking for. But not to fear, the tenderloin redeems the dish with its moisture and all-around tenderness.

Creme Fraiche Cheesecake
Finishing off the meal, I went ahead and ordered this super dense and moist cheesecake. The texture was very smooth and velvety. The pecans were candied and toasted to absolute perfection (I could easily snack on a whole plate of them). The sorbet was a balanced, sour counterpoint to the rest of the creaminess and richness on the plate. The delicate lace tuile atop the cheesecake was also very good and delightfully crispy.

Petit Fours
So I thought I was done my meal until they brought over this complimentary sampler of mini desserts. But seeing that I was already stuffed beyond capacity, we had these petite desserts packed. I tried them the next day and the little lemon pomegranate tart was by far the favorite. It was the perfect bite of sweet and sour.

In addition, they gifted another parting dessert, which was a delicious carrot cake and if I remember correctly, even when I ate it the next morning, it was still extremely moist and pillow soft.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco

The Slanted Door- San Francisco

We paid a quick visit to The Slanted Door located in the Ferry Building for lunch one afternoon. This place is a breath of fresh air with ample space and large, gracious windows that allow for the beautiful sunlight to flood through. The mood is relaxed and carries with it a "lounge-y" vibe. 

BBQ Pork Spareribs with Honey Hoisin Sauce

Unfortunately, I wasn't terribly impressed with these spareribs. The meat was a little too charred and dried on the outside. The glaze was nice though, a little tangy but balanced by the sweetness from the honey. I'm still confused as to why they gave us a spoon for the ribs. I mean, there wasn't that much sauce.

 

Green Papaya Salad with Tofu and Roasted Peanuts

A while back, one of my girlfriends raved to me about the amazing green papaya salad that her mom throws together and ever since, I've been wanting to try it. I've had the orange-colored papaya many times before, but never the green. So when I saw this salad on the menu, I got excited (and for good reasons). Talk about a healthy and refreshing choice! Green papaya is worlds apart in both taste and texture from the mushy, sweet, ripened papaya. Because the texture of green papaya is crunchy and hard, it can be shredded or julienned. For a further spritz of acidity, the salad is dressed in a tangy lime sauce. This salad is definitely a big win and I felt 1000% guilt free after eating it.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-slanted-door-san-francisco

Ripened Papaya

Green Papaya

After lunch, I walked around the Ferry Building and came upon Miette, where I bought a few sweets. Let me tell you, the salted caramels, though they may be a bit pricey, are worth every single penny. They are creamy, buttery, smooth and the sea salt on top heightens the sweetness of the caramel.

Fleur de Sel Caramels

In-N-Out- San Francisco

I feel like I'm going to get shot for saying this but In-N-Out is seriously NOT that good. After all the rave and hype surrounding this burger joint, I finally got my chance to stuff my face with one of these long-awaited burgers and to my disappointment, I was extremely underwhelmed. Strangely, I was impressed with the hospitality of the staff which is absolutely unheard of when it comes to fast food places. The workers at this particular In-N-Out were extremely friendly and smiley (don't know if it's like this at all of the stores or just this one but either way, my compliments to them). The restaurant space is tidy and clean and the menu is extremely simple. As some of you may know, there are several "hidden" menu items, one of them being the animal-style fries pictured below. I guess half the fun and charm of eating here is discovering and trying out all these secret combinations.

Classic Cheeseburger with a side of Animal-Style Fries
My biggest complaint about the burger is that it wasn't juicy or greasy enough (sad to say, but I rarely eat burgers because they're so unhealthy so when I do eat one, it better be darn moist and greasy). I did enjoy the buns which were soft and toasty.

The heaping of toppings sitting atop the fries consists of cheese, sauteed onions, and some sort of relish-infused thousand island sauce. Although the toppings were delicious, the fries themselves, fell a little flat. They tasted baked rather than fried and in my book, that's not necessarily a good thing because we all know that fried tastes much better than baked.

Umami Burger
On a slightly different but relevant note, when I went to LA for the second half of my trip, I had a chance to dine at Umami Burger (unfortunately I didn't take a picture and therefore I'm not writing a post). But the umami burger there is money! It's savory, fresh, juicy, and plenty flavorful (as it should be, given that umami is the fifth taste of savoriness).