Yuanfen 缘分, or “fateful coincidence”, is a Chinese phrase I learned at my dinner with Cecilia Chiang. It was a fateful series of events that led a food acquaintance to meet Cecilia, and it resulted in us dining together at a four-top months later. The occasion was an amazing milestone – her 100th birthday. It didn’t… Read More Celebrating a 100th Birthday – Benu, San Francisco
I have fond memories of my meal at Hiroshi when it first opened in Spring of 2017. I was impressed with the quality of their A5 wagyu (still my favorite to this day!) and the carefully curated interior decor. Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to revisit the Los Altos spot to try Chef… Read More Luxury Japanese Private Dining at Hiroshi – Los Altos, CA
It seems like SF omakase spots have been popping up the past few years with no shortage of momentum. The newest of these is The Shota, Chef Ingi “Shota” Son’s namesake restaurant. With a background at Morimoto Napa, Hashiri, and Omakase SF, Chef Shota is well-versed in Japanese fine dining. For a reasonably priced $125… Read More Modern Omakase at The Shota – San Francisco
Dining on the Vegas strip gives me sticker shock, even compared to the SF Bay Area. Luckily, there’s a growing number of excellent off-strip options with more reasonable prices. Kame Omakase, located 30 minutes out in Summerlin, is one of those spots. During the 2-hour meal, Chef Eric Kim takes a small group of diners… Read More Kame Omakase – Modern Japanese Off the Las Vegas Strip
After having pneumonia in 2011, I don’t get sick too often. So imagine my surprise when I got a tingle in my throat earlier in the week, which escalated to a fever the next night (during a coding exam no less – which I aced!), and then full blown coughs, 102°F fever, and aches the next day. Hi Flu,… Read More Wagyu – A cure for the flu? (Dinner at Hiroshi, Los Altos)