Category Archives: Chefs

Cacio E Pepe Goes Sichuanese

Posted on by 2 comments
Cacio e pepe goes Asian with Sichuan pepper.
Cacio e pepe goes Asian with Sichuan pepper.

Fly By Jing’s chili crisp and Zhong dumpling sauces are mainstays in my fridge because they are the perfect finish to so many dishes.

So when founder Jing Gao debuted her cookbook, “The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp” (Ten Speed Press),” I couldn’t wait to leaf through it.

The book, of which I received a review copy, takes its title from the delicious “fly” (hole-in-the-wall) street-food eateries that Gao and her parents would grab a bite to eat at in Chengdu, the capital of China’s Sichuan region.

Her father, a nuclear physics professor with a Chinese visa, moved the family around annually for his job. Sichuan food became the one constant in Gao’s life. And it became her calling after she left the corporate business world to start Baoism, her own restaurant in Shanghai that operated for two years. All the while, she kept refining the condiments that were her cooking touchstones.

After traveling to a natural foods trade show in California, and discovering the dearth of Asian food brands that existed, she launched Fly by Jing in 2018 through a Kickstarter campaign. Today, these popular products are sold in Whole Foods, Target, and Costco.

Read more

World Central Kitchen’s First Cookbook

Posted on by Leave a comment
Chef Brooke Williamson's nourishing farro salad made with carrots and carrot juice.
Chef Brooke Williamson’s nourishing farro salad made with carrots and carrot juice.

It’s a good bet that following any disaster around the world no matter how far-flung, those jumping into action immediately after first responders are the chefs and volunteers of World Central Kitchen.

This global nonprofit was founded in 2010 by renowned Chef Jose Andres, who has a roster of restaurants around the United States.

After jumping into action to cook in Haiti after a devastating earthquake, he got the idea to create the organization. Since then, WCK has mobilized to serve more than 300 million meals worldwide.

Andres never expected that people would want recipes for the food served under those circumstances, he writes. But plenty did.

That’s what prompted “The World Central Kitchen Cookbook” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy. It was written by Andres and World Central Kitchen; with Sam Chapple-Sokol, editorial director of the Jose Andres Group.

All proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to WCK’s emergency efforts.

Read more

Palo Alto’s Meyhouse Is A Must-Visit

Posted on by Leave a comment
Delicate, tender Turkish dumplings are just one of the winning dishes you'll find at the new Meyhouse in Palo Alto.
Delicate, tender Turkish dumplings are just one of the winning dishes you’ll find at the new Meyhouse in Palo Alto.

Executive Chef-Partner Omer Artun of Meyhouse describes his recently opened downtown Palo Alto restaurant as an homage to the “meyhane” in his native Turkey, a casual-type restaurant and bar where it’s not uncommon for patrons to arrive at 5 p.m. to drink and savor small plates, drink some more, eat again, and not leave until 11 p.m.

After being invited in as a guest a couple weeks ago, I can easily get on board with that kind of schedule.

That’s because the food at this restaurant is as exuberant as it gets. So much so, that you won’t want to get up from the table.

If you’re the type of person who likes to graze on a wide variety of small dishes, this is the place for you because one could easily make a meal out of the assorted hot and cold meze alone. But do yourself a favor, and don’t neglect the mains, desserts, or the outrageously good, warm sesame bread that’s crisp, airy, and chewy in various parts — like a great pizza.

I’m not the only one who was smitten at first taste here. At least two other chefs whom I know, who have no connection to this restaurant, came away raving about the place on first visit.

The bustling dining room.
The bustling dining room.

A sister-locale that’s much larger and upscale looking than its original Sunnyvale outpost, Meyhouse Palo Alto opened in the former Dan Gordon’s that was previously the original Gordon Biersch.

Read more

Introducing Mamahuhu’s New Frozen Potstickers

Posted on by Leave a comment
Mamahuhu's frozen potstickers cook up in no time, and are gluten-free.
Mamahuhu’s frozen potstickers cook up in no time, and are gluten-free.

After conquering the worlds of fine-dining with his Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant Mister Jiu’s, fast-casual with his Mamahuhu eateries in San Francisco and Mill Valley, and cookbooks with his James Beard Award-winning “Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown” (Ten Speed Press, 2021), written with co-author Tienlon Ho, where does Chef Brandon Jew aim his sights next?

Frozen potstickers.

Yes, the James Beard Award-winning “Best Chef in California” in 2022 has just introduced a line of frozen potstickers with his Mamahuhu co-founders, Anmao Sun and Ben Moore.

Read more

Dining At Michelin-Starred San Ho Won

Posted on by One comment
Summer squash bibimbap at San Ho Won.
Summer squash bibimbap at San Ho Won.

It garnered a Michelin star only a year after opening its doors in 2021. That same year, it was also named one of the “Best New Restaurants in America” by the Robb Report; one of the “50 Favorite Restaurants” by the New York Times; a “Best New Restaurants in America” by Esquire; and highlighted in Eater’s “Best New Restaurants.”

When it comes to the Korean charcoal barbecue restaurant, San Ho Won in San Francisco, the hype is not only real, but richly deserved, as I found out when I dined last month.

Then again, one would hardly expect anything less from Chef-Owner Corey Lee, who also operates Monsieur Benjamin and whose flagship San Francisco restaurant, Benu, has glittered with three Michelin stars for years. San How Won is a collaboration between him and Chef Jeong-In Hwang, who moved from Korea to San Francisco in 2016 to first work at Benu.

Sure, you’ve probably had your fill of Korean barbecue over the years. But none like this, with an unmistakable clarity and purity of flavor. Nothing tastes muddled, nothing gets lost. Instead, every bite is exuberant.

Indeed, pretty much everything is made in-house, down to the binchotan that fuels the fiery grills. Take a seat at the bar encircling the kitchen for a view of the action. Or if you gather with a group and plan ahead to book the private room, you’ll really get a show when one of the cooks expertly sears your meat on a separate grill in the corner.

Read more
« Older Entries Recent Entries »