Park Chow

Price: $$
Thoughts: ☆☆☆½
Park Chow: Menu

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The Dinner Menu

After dinner at the Bistro 9 we went to Park Chow, which was only a few steps away. The entrance to the place sported a rather thick looking curtain which opened into their entrance which was well-heated with many heat lamps.

This place was very packed when we came in. Seating did not take long at all which was surprising, or convenient that a table just opened up as we came in. I was told that she only gets one thing here, which was a dessert. Their ginger cake. I was a bit scared since I am mildly allergic to ginger. I took the plunge and went along with it.


ginger cake with pumpkin ice cream and whipped cream

Thankfully there was not a lot of ginger inside the cake so I was able to enjoy the cake without any reaction that I could notice. I really enjoyed the unusual combination of a ginger cake coupled with pumpkin ice cream. Definitely a good pair. We split one order and it disappeared as quickly as it came.


fin

A great way to end the night with a non-heavy dessert. I would like to try their food sometime as well. There were lots of pleasant smells all over the air. I should have eaten more slowly to enjoy the atmosphere and good company. But habits are hard to break, especially when it comes to eating slower.

Bistro 9

Price: $$
Thoughts: ☆☆☆½
Bistro 9: Menu

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Bistro 9's Menu


A chalk easel with today's specials

One of the two restaurants I went to while in San Francisco visiting a friend and my family over the Christmas holiday. She frequents this restaurant after work and suggested we give it a shot.

There is something about hand drawn chalk menus that really attracts me. Bistro 9 had a nice one sitting just outside of it's entrance. I did notice that it was a bit on the empty side but hey it wasn't peak hours (not to mention it was the day before Christmas). So as always, reservations aside I went in with an open-mind.


House bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar


The Moussaka: eggplant + potatoes +onions + mushrooms + cheese + served with couscous

Her usual choice is the moussaka (which I almost got, but opted for a suggestion made by the waitress). I was given a pretty generous share of her plate and it was definitely good. Unlike most dishes I've had with eggplant, it's taste did not overpower the dish as a whole. Which worked out nicely (then again Indian food does not hold back on spices).


the lamb moussaka

As for myself, I ended up with the Lamb Moussaka. I am a little preferential to lamb meat. Okay I lied, I'm very partial to it. Anyways, the meal went down really quickly and the meat was very tender as I should expect.

This place despite it's lack of customers that night is definitely worth making a visit to, especially to those who love Indian food.

A quick Jja Jang Myun (짜장면) run

Price: $
Thoughts: ☆☆☆

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During my trip to California there was a restaurant called "China Road" or something along these lines in San Jose. They were known for a different dish (which I did not order) but my current cravings were more onto jja jang myun. This is one of those things I grew up eating and calling it brown noodles for the longest time.


The two parts separated


Just before stirring


Time to eat!

It's really hard to go wrong with preparing this dish unless you overcook or burn any of the ingredients. However the noodles in this were slightly overcooked, as a result the noodles were breaking apart just from lifting it to my mouth. The sauce was prepared nicely with a generous helping of potato and pork (no complaints here).

My craving was definitely sated, but it would have hit the spot if the noodles were more chewy. Still a pretty good place.

Le Fournil (third trip)

Price: $
Thoughts: ☆☆☆☆½
Le Fournil: Menu

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a warm turkey sandwich

A friend asked me to help with her Finance papers (none of which I really understood offhand) tonight. What better way to do this than over some pastries at a cozy little cafe right? A quick turkey baguette to start off the evening of exciting finance. The bread was nice and crusty as I would expect a baguette to taste like. Very simple and satisfying enough to leave room for something else.


a various assortment of pastries including a cup of latte and the opera cake to the left)

Anyways, to fuel ourselves as we continue to read through this dry material we grabbed a few of their seasonal cakes (and the sandwich pictured earlier). Unfortunately for myself, I am unable to recollect the names of them other than the opera cake.

This was also the first time having fondant (the green surface on the tart to the right). It just tasted like flavorless candy and seemed to do just what I would expect; decorative purposes mostly.

As of now, this is the third time Le Fournil has been featured as a post on my blog. So far it has not disappointed me.