Dine About Town, June 2010: Garçon

I've been having better luck with Dine About Town this year, and Garçon kept the good taste coming. The restaurant has the old-world charm of a Parisian bistro, with soft lighting, wooden floorboards, and colorful French sketches dotting the walls. Yet Chef Arthur Wall (former exec sous chef of George's at the Cove in La Jolla, always a stop for me when I'm in San Diego) adds a modern, California-friendly touch to his dishes.

No French dinner is complete without a good wine! I brought in a bottle of 2006 Sterling Malvasia Bianca, which I'd been saving for a special occasion because it's up there on my list of fave wines. The flavor and aroma remind me of summer fruits and honey, so it's perfect for this time of year!

Steamed P.E.I. Mussels | fennel, shallot, lavender, pastis-chardonnay broth

The mussels had a good chewy texture, but the shallots were on overdrive in the broth, so by the end that was really all I could taste...

French Onion Soup | gruyere and croutons

A solid interpretation of French onion soup - salty and savory balanced with the sweetness of onions and gruyere cheese.

Pan Roasted Salmon | summer squash, haricots vert, cherry tomato coulis, pine nut pesto

My main course. The salmon was perfectly cooked - slightly crisp on the outside but still soft on the inside. (Dry salmon would make me very, very sad.) The vegetables, tomato coulis, and pesto were fun, summery compliments to the dish.

Grilled Hanger Steak | truffle butter, watercress, & steak frites with aioli

The boyfriend's main course. The steak was flavored well, but a bit on the tough side even at medium rare. Loved the truffle butter though!

Banana Rum Crèpes | rum cream, caramelized bananas, pecan ice cream

Soft, paper-thin crèpes filled with sweetly caramelized bananas, topped with a rich rum cream sauce and powdered sugar. The nutty texture of the pecan ice cream was a nice contrast, although I think any kind of ice cream would have worked here. Another friend ordered the crème brûlée, which I am sad to report was on the disappointing side.

By the way, for those of you who don't know, "garçon" is the French word for "boy." It could also be used as "waiter," but that usage is now considered rude and demeaning, so I wouldn't suggest it unless you want to risk something weird happening to your food!

Garçon
1101 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
www.garconsf.com

Ebisu Sushi

Ebisu Sushi has been in the Sunset District for some time now, but they just recently opened a new location in the Financial District. A friend suggested trying it for lunch, so we went and each got big bowls of Japanese curry with rice. Even though they only do take-out and catering, the place was bustling with hungry lunch time customers.

The curry was quite good -- not as thick as some other places, but flavorful enough. And the portion sizes were very generous!

They also had a variety of handmade mochi, and I couldn't resist getting this white bean one topped with cute jelly decorations. Yes, I'm a sucker for presentation ... and for sakura blossoms!

Ebisu Sushi
336 Kearny Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94108
www.ebisusushi.com

Homemade Crème Brûlée

The boyfriend made me crème brûlée for Valentine's Day, and then I helped him make it again last week! He followed a recipe from a Youtube instructional video from the French Culinary Institute, shown below. Can't really go wrong with a crème brûlée lesson from a French guy, right?

Well, lessons from the French paid off, because the custard was nearly as good as the one in Chapeau's crème brûlée. Using real vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract makes a big difference for the flavor and the aroma and is well worth the extra price, in my opinion!

Simmering the custard

Filling the ramekins

All ready to be baked...

Making and baking the custard is pretty easy, but the tricky part about crème brûlée is getting that perfect crust on top. It's all about adding the right amount of sugar and then torching it to get a nice caramelized color. Add too little sugar, and the crust will be thin and watery; but add too much, and you'll have to chisel away to get to the custard. For next time, I'm determined to get the crust just the way I like it ... which is a good excuse to experiment more with the torch!

The final product! I like throwing on some berries for color :)

Soy and Sesame Oyster Dressing

Ahhh ... nothing like a juicy, succulent raw oyster to slurp down! As the weather warms up, I'm anticipating more trips up to Point Reyes and Tomales Bay for shucking, armed with a new fave Asian-flavored dressing sauce.

Soy and Sesame Oyster Dressing

• 4 tbs light soy sauce
• 3 tbs rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 green shallot, ends trimmed, thinly sliced

Simply mix the soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil in a screw-top jar and shake well until combined. Play with the proportions if you want to change the flavor. Place in fridge if you're not serving immediately. When ready to serve, use a spoon to drizzle some sauce onto your oysters and sprinkle with green shallots. Slurp away!

Latest Bites

Long time no post, but just a few quick words on what I've been enjoying in the past month...

Filet mignon at Ruth's Chris for Dine About Town 2010. I figure I should just go here for DAT every year from now on, since almost every time I try a new, supposedly great restaurant, I'm left feeling underwhelmed. Ruth's has never disappointed me yet, even on a regular night.

In the noodle world, I finally went to Santa Ramen in San Mateo again...

...and also rediscovered my love for Turtle Tower in San Francisco.

For our sixth month anniversary, the boyfriend and I hit up Chapeau again. The food was wonderful as usual, especially this silky-soft black cod prepared to perfection.

And some new things I've discovered?

Some damn good pork belly at Oyaji -- sweet, savory, and fatty. Who could ask for more?

And finally, thanks to a fellow co-worker, I have fallen in love with the seared ahi tuna wrap at Cafe La Taza. Something about the combination of fish, mushrooms, cucumber, and sweet sesame dressing just makes any work day a little better.

Headed for Vegas this weekend! Ready to hit up slot machines, buffets, and Bouchon!