Jasmine Tea House

Jasmine Jewel



Jasmine Tea House is one of my favorite places in the area for Chinese food and dim sum. Not only do they have a wide variety of entree choices, from vegetarian to non, from conventional offerings to unusual, from innovative to staid, but the quality is top-notch and they also deliver. I'd heard about Jasmine a while ago because it was President Clinton's favorite place (see his photo online or in the restaurant), but somehow I never made it there until I moved closeby. And what a mistake! Now it's my standby place for ordering out because it is one of the few places in San Francisco that delivers (often with free fried rice or low mein) and it's excellent. I also prefer brown rice with Chinese and they serve it. I like to take non-vegetarian friends here, order a meatless chicken entree and then fight with them over it. Everyone who has tried it says it's delicious and I enjoy tempting omnivores.

My favorite choices at Jasmine are ordering a full dinner of dim sum, including meatless chicken dumplings, gyoza, onion dumplings, potstickers and stuffed vegetables. For entrees, they will make anything on the menu vegetarian, so I've enjoyed sesame meatless chicken, cashew meatless chicken, plus the delicious regular items like happy buddha, string bean meatless chicken and kung pao tofu. Also, don't ignore their unusual offerings like pea sprout with garlic sauce. They also have ostrich and frog legs on the menu!

• Dim Sum (make sure to ask for the menu)
• Onion Dumpling
• Gyoza and Potstickers
• Happy Buddha
• Kung Pao
• String Bean with (choice)
• Any Vegetarian Chicken selection
• Combination Dinners
• Jasmine Tea


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Kika's Treats

'Treats' Truly Are


I found Kika's Treats at Bi-Rite Grocery. When I saw "Caramelized Graham Crackers with Dark Chocolate" there was nothing that could stop me from trying them. I'm glad I did. Kika's line of cookies are rich, deep and chocolaty, reflecting their handmade, artisanal manufacture. The dark chocolate graham crackers are a dark buttery flavor and one is enough to satisfy. I normally prefer dark chocolate, but the milk chocolate version is a better combination with the caramel-butter flavor of the graham cracker. A glass of milk best washes down and balances the richness of the grahams. The nib shortbread is the most conventional of the offerings, but with its triple chocolate bang it might be the finest of them all. The espresso cardamom shortbread is such a strong flavor with a crumbly bite that I prefer not to have it without proper tea or a coffee, as the bitterness of coffee or smoothness of tea helps balance the cardamom. Coffee or tea is required for the honey cakes because their immensity tends to leave their centers a bit dry. But make no mistake, they are fantastic.
So next time you are looking for a good gift, an easy dessert or just a gastronomic delight, grab Kika's Treats. Then figure out which one is your favorite. See where they are carried here.

• Espresso Cardamom Shortbread with Dark Chocolate
• Cocoa Nib Chocolate Shortbread with Dark Chocolate
• Caramelized Graham Crackers with Milk Chocolate
• Caramelized Graham Crackers with Dark Chocolate
• Brazilian Honey Cakes with Dark Chocolate


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Slanted Door

‘Door’ is a gateway

The Slanted Door was my first Vietnamese food, what seems generations ago when they were on Valencia near 18th street. With one taste of the lemongrass tofu, I was astonished: savory, exotic, meaty…so refined and incredibly tasty. I don’t think I’ve been there without ordering that dish. The rest of the menu has been excellent as well, even with their subsequent moves to Brannan Street and their current location at the Ferry Building. Following Slanted Door’s success, Out the Door, the take-out spin-off, has opened around the corner in the Ferry Building hall, as well as at the Westfield Shopping Center in Union Square and on Bush Street at Fillmore in Pacific Heights. And yes, all of these locations serve lemongrass tofu.

I’ve been told the shaking beef, the restaurant’s specialty, is fantastic, but going vegetarian here will save you some money. My other favorites are the crispy imperial rolls, eaten traditionally with the mint, lettuce and sauce together, the som tum salad, the fresh spring rolls, in which the shiitake mushroom brings a special note of flavor, the seasonal vegetable sides and more than once I’ve been amazed by the desserts. I’ve been to Slanted Door many times over the years and it never fails to transport.

Must Haves:

• Lemongrass Tofu
• Crispy Imperial Rolls
• Fresh Spring Rolls
• Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)
• A serious consideration of the dessert menu


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La Taqueria

La Taqueria doesn’t overwhelm you with a burrito the size of a small baby. They just offer fresh, delectable and simple burritos and tacos. I love the simplicity of the bean and cheese burrito---a little wet, admittedly---but delicious, uniform and not cluttered with vegetables, rice, or other distracting fillings. Just beans, cheese and a tortilla. Yum. And it’s less than $3! Add the amazing, pure taste of any of the agua fresca offerings (another $3.50) and you’ve got a great meal that won’t leave you in a spendy, regret-filled coma. The communal tables, fun mexican music and casual atmosphere make for a great stop. On a repeat visit, try the cheap tacos or cheesy fried quesadillas.

Must haves:

•Agua Fresca (Cantalope, Watermelon, Mandarin Orange and more)
•Bean & Cheese Burrito




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Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market

The Ferry Plaza brings together some of the best tastes of the bay area into one scenic and historic place. Like most things I love around here, food is integral to the experience, but because of the beautiful building and the scenic views, this is an excellent place to take visiting relatives, San Francisco newbies and photographers. :)

My recommendation is to come early in the morning (farmers sell their wares on Saturdays 8am - 2pm and Thursdays 10am - 1pm), and come hungry. Start with a hot drink from Peet’s Coffee, then immediately go to Frog Hollow Farms for a pastry. After selecting either fresh fruit or risotto, peruse the rest of the building and grab anything and everything that interests you. Don’t skip Mistral, Recchiuti or Miette. Once you’ve collected your picnic, find a spot outside to park your party and chow down!

Must haves:

•Frog Hollow Farms’ pastries
•Mistral’s ratatouille
•Far West Funghi mushrooms
•Miette’s gorgeous desserts
•Delica salads
•Out the Door’s Lemongrass Tofu
•Lulu Petite sandwiches
•Recchiuti Confections’ Rose Caramel and Jasmine Pearl Tea chocolates, plus the smores kit
•Scharffen Berger single origin chocolate bars
•Cowgirl Creamery cheese, including creme fraiche and triple cream
•Mijita’s tamales
•Peet’s Coffee tea drinks


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Bi-Rite Creamery

Bi-Rite Creamery creates ice cream magic by using local ingredients and compostable containers and by keeping things fresh. At first I thought that their flavors weren't as strong or memorable as some of my other favorite places. But since they opened in 2007 their methods and quality have continued to improve. More subtly, I've noticed that because of the high quality of ingredients, I'm never left feeling bloated, uncomfortable or overindulged, even after eating a sundae (which I recommend!).

Some of the fantastic array of offerings here are the go-to ice cream flavors like vanilla and chocolate but also unique, handmade and delectable toppings, sauces and flavor combinations. For the adventurous, there is an olive oil and sea salt sundae, which is actually very good and tastes of lemon. Ice cream flavors like honey lavender, malted vanilla and indian-spiced chocolate chunk sometimes appear in the case, and tastes requests are always welcomed. Ice cream sandwiches, ice cream cakes and popsicles are also available (though I have yet to try any of them). For those cold San Francisco days, cookies, brownies and minicakes are available as well as hot chocolate.

Must haves:

•Salted Caramel Ice Cream
•Peanut Butter Ice Cream
•Recchiuti Chocolate Sea Salt Sprinkles
•Caramel Sauce
•Berry Compote


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Citizen Cake

Citizen Cake is a fantastic place for any kind of food lover. Full of daring, sweetness and honesty, I first came upon Citizen Cake about 10 years ago when owner and Executive Chef Elizabeth Falkner was just getting started in the original location, on 14th street just behind Rainbow Grocery. Her delectable little treats roped me in, and once she moved to the current location at Grove and Gough things really took off, incorporating a full restaurant and dining services to the original cafe/bakery idea.

Tastes at Citizen Cake bring traditional flavors together in new ways, melding creativity, eccentricity and risk into a refined, expert and classy presentation. My all time favorite dessert was a blueberry-corn parfait, which incorporated mint gelee, fresh blueberries, corn chips, popcorn and cream into an unlikely but showstopping exploration of texture and flavor. Recently at dinner I had a traditional appetizer of dates, celery and parmesan, presented with each ingredient taking the other's traditional form. Tastes and textures again made this amazing. My mantra when ordering here is the bigger risk you take, the better the reward.

Things you shouldn't miss:

• Specialty Cocktails


• Donut Balls at the Weekend Brunch


• Mocha with Handmade Marshmallow


• Make Your Own Ice Cream Sandwich (from the fresh cookies and ice creams available)


• Lemon Creme Filled Cookies


• Pot de Creme


• Creme Brulee Tarts


• Gelees


• Toffee

Full List of My Favorites