Dine About Town 2011: Level III

Been MIA for awhile ... took a few quick trips and moved to a new job over in Walnut Creek (good-bye SF lunches!), so I've been pretty busy. The new gig demands quite a bit more time, so I actually considered stopping this little food blog project. But I'll keep at it for now! (I don't like quitting. It's been ingrained in me since childhood.) Maybe less text and more photos? Or shorter posts? 

Anyway, some belated photos from my Dine About Town dinner this year at Level III, which is part of the JW Marriott in the Union Square area. Loved the chic decor with all the color-coordinated touches. The quality and presentation of the food was surprisingly good. Sad that there weren't more people eating there, but I guess there are just so many options in downtown that folks might not want to go to a hotel restaurant. But it's worth a visit, especially since their daily three-course prix fixe dinner is only $39.

Ahi Tuna Tataki | avocado wasabi creme fraiche, wonton crisps

Pan Seared Boat Scallops | royal trumpet mushrooms, chorizo, fresh basil

I would go back for this dish alone! So perfect!

 

Pan Seared Halibut | artichoke hearts, fingerling potatoes, salsa verde

Pepper-Crusted Filet Mignon | brandy jus, broccolini

Portabello Mushroom Ravioli | petit vegetables, roasted tomatoes, Napa verjus cream

Californian Artisan Cheese Selection

Dark Chocolate Pate With Strawberries

Level III

500 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

www.levelthreesf.com

Oeufs en Gelée

Came across this Tasting Table article praising the Oeufs en Gelée appetizer at Bar Agricole in SF:

http://www.tastingtable.com/entry_detail/sf/3678/The_best_dish_of_spring_needs_your_help.htm

The article caught my eye because I've been reading Julie & Julia, and Julie's experience making and eating this exotic-sounding eggs in aspic (meat stock gelatin) dish was pretty disastrous and almost made me swear off ever trying it, despite my love for most things French. But who knows, maybe I'm missing something...

Macarons from Lavish Berry

I wanted to pick up something special for Mother's Day, so I hit up my friend Linda who runs a baking business on the side (lavishberry.com). She's one of the most talented bakers I know personally, and she seems like kind of a perfectionist, which is a great quality to have in culinary circles. Anyway, even with her super busy schedule, she graciously accommodated my order of 2 dozen French macarons.

 

The whole thing turned out even better than I expected. The cookies were tucked into a box with pink tissue paper and decorated with a cute tag, which my mom liked so much that it's now dangling from one of our cabinet doors.

The macarons were both pretty and yummy! Slightly crisp on the outside, delightfully soft on the inside, with an airy, meringue-like consistency. The fillings - strawberry mascarpone and pistachio - were delicious and not overly sweet.

These little beauties are so light and airy that I could unwittingly eat a dozen of them in one sitting ... good for the taste buds but bad for the waistline!

And they were damn good with some vanilla ice cream too! (Did I mention waistline?)

I love supporting local bakers, especially the really promising ones, so if you're in the Silicon Valley area and need to order some baked goodies, please keep Lavish Berry in mind! And I hope everyone had a good Mother's Day!

Dohatsuten Ramen

When I need to satisfy my ramen craving and don't want to drive too far, I hop on over to Dohatsuten for my noodle fix. It's no Santa or Halu or Orenchi, but it gets the job done. Decent broth flavor and noodle texture; the toppings are usually hit or miss but everything tastes fine after you soak it in the soup for awhile. And the prices are reasonable!

Chashu Ramen

I will, however, openly lament about the difficulty of finding a ramen shop that knows how to consistently poach an egg correctly. I asked for a poached egg, and they gave me a soft-boiled one that was not nearly runny enough. I have this same experience most everywhere I go. Sad.

Dohatsuten Ramen

Their signature ramen with spicy minced pork and Korean chili

Ta-ro Ramen (pork belly)

Veggie Ramen

Usually loaded with lots of veggies, including my personal weakness -- corn kernels!

Dohatsuten Ramen

43691 Mission Boulevard
Fremont, CA 94539

Umami

Fusion cuisine has always been hit or miss for me. I'm not a dish purist in the least, and sometimes cross-cultural cuisine blending leads to some pretty amazing results (e.g., mentaiko spaghetti or Korean tacos). Yet like some dysfunctional couples, certain combos just aren't meant to be (e.g., foie gras fried rice -- what a waste of liver).

Though Umami plays off as a Japanese izakaya and has a traditionally-trained Japanese sushi chef, its menu features fusion fare inspired from diverse areas, including Korea ("bi bimu bappu" hot pot), Vietnam/France (Vietnamese coffee pot de creme), Italy (green tea gelato), and the Middle East (edamame hummus). I went in with a hungry stomach and an open mind, and here's the verdict on the dishes I tried.

 HIT: Ahi Poke Tacos

Sesame-marinated yellow fin tuna diced and mixed with avocado, tobiko, greens, and Japanese yam, in a crispy golden wonton shell. All the flavors of ahi tuna poke but presented in a new and fun way!

The wonton shell was what really held everything together ... just the right texture and thickness!

MISS: Hamachi Ceviche

I usually love ceviche, but this one didn't cut it for me. There was too much going on with the strawberry, mango, and vinegar-y salsa, so the normally rich texture and sweet flavor of the hamachi was just not there. Beautiful presentation though.

HIT: Shibuya Sliders

My favorite dish of the night! Seasoned Kobe beef, crispy shallots, and gingered pickles with spicy aioli sauce all stuffed between steamed, slightly sweet white buns. A wonderfully balanced and fun combination of four distinct taste profiles -- savory, sour, sweet, and spicy. YUM!!

 

MISS: Hotsui Roll

I ordered this roll because it had several great ingredients -- snow crab, avocado, cucumber, butterfish, and hamachi. It tasted great when I first started chewing, but then about halfway through, my mouth was flaming from chili oil and ginger and god knows what else. I guess it's good if you like really spicy sushi and don't care about tasting anything else you're eating after. 

So as I expected, the experience at Umami really depends on what you order. I'd definitely go back for the sliders and the tacos, and would probably try some of their other sushi rolls, but I'd steer clear of anything too experimental. Though I'm admittedly still curious about that edamame hummus...

Umami 

2909 Webster Street

San Francisco, CA 94123

www.umamisf.com