Tay Ho Oakland For The Win

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Incredible turmeric fried catfish at Tay Ho Oakland.
Incredible turmeric fried catfish at Tay Ho Oakland.

I love the over-the-top luxuriousness of a fancy, hours-long, upscale tasting menu as much as the next person.

But truth be told, it’s not really the food I crave on a regular basis.

While there’s a place and time for such sumptuousness, what I truly adore is food that’s punchy, distinctive, and suffused with down-home heart and soul.

No tweezers required.

That’s what Tay Ho Oakland is all about.

I was fortunate enough to come across this family-owned Vietnamese restaurant while writing my cookbook, “East Bay Cooks: Signature Recipes from the Best Restaurants, Bars, and Bakeries” (Figure 1). Indeed, it was the last restaurant to be included in the book, the 41st one to be spotlighted with stories and recipes. And I couldn’t be more thrilled that it was.

Yours truly with Owner Denise Huynh, whose restaurant is featured in my new cookbook, "East Bay Cooks.''
Yours truly with Owner Denise Huynh, whose restaurant is featured in my new cookbook, “East Bay Cooks.”

If you already have a copy of my cookbook, you know what Owner Denise Huynh poured her life savings into what was then a struggling restaurant nine years ago that she took over from her aunt. For the first few years, sheer will-power propelled her onward, as she worked to attract diners to what was then a still very gritty, crime-laden part of the city.

Now the neighborhood, with gleaming new condos and apartments going up, has grown with her. And Tay Ho Oakland has become known for its authentic cuisine served in a relaxed, inviting and cheerful spot.

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Tear Into Lemon, Broccoli and Garlic Deep-Pan Pizza

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A thick, focaccia-like crust forms the foundation for this veggie pan pizza.
A thick, focaccia-like crust forms the foundation for this veggie pan pizza.

Pan pizza is definitely having a raging moment in the Bay Area.

A decidedly thick one.

With more Detroit-style pizza being offered at places around the Bay, you don’t need to get on a plane to the Midwest to dig into a slab.

You can even try your hand at making your own at home, thanks to the new cookbook, “Perfect Pan Pizza: Square Pies to Make at Home, from Roman, Sicilian, and Detroit, to Grandma Pies and Focaccia” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy. It’s by bread-making authority Peter Reinhart.

This is the ultimate tome with everything you need to know about making thick-crust-style pizza, with detailed directions and photos about making, folding, dimpling, and baking the dough. Reinhart also provides a variety of dough recipes so you can choose according to your preference: “White Flour Dough,” “Whole Grain Country-Style Dough,” and “Naturally Leavened Dough.”

He breaks down the differences between Roman, Sicilian, Detroit, Grandma-style and focaccia-style pan pizzas, and provides recipes for all those styles with inventive toppings, including “Beef Brisket with Burnt Ends,” “Banh Mi,” and “Avocado Scampi.”

The “Lemon, Broccoli, and Garlic” caught my attention because I figured when consuming that many carbs, I ought to at least try to squeeze some veggies in at the same time.

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Food Gal Contest: Win A Free Pair of Tickets to “Flavors of San Francisco: An Evening With the Masters”

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Join yours truly at the “Flavors of San Francisco: An Evening With the Masters,” 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Nov. 13 at the H.L. Peninsula Restaurant in South San Francisco.

This gala dinner event benefits the research, education and advocacy efforts of the American Liver Foundation.

The evening includes a multi-course gourmet dinner, a cooking demo by celebrity Chef Martin Yan of San Francisco’s M.Y. China, and an auction.

There also will be a panel discussion about healthy eating, featuring myself, Yan, Chef Jesse Cool of Menlo Park’s Flea Street Cafe, and veteran broadcast journalist Alan Wang, founder of Newsworthy Media.

Tickets are $300. Food Gal readers receive a discounted price of $200 per ticket with the code: Foodie1.

I’ll be signing copies of my new cookbook, “East Bay Cooks: Signature Recipes from the Best Restaurants, Bars, and Bakeries” (Figure 1), at the event, with 10 percent of sales proceeds being donated to the American Liver Foundation.

CONTEST: One lucky Food Gal reader will win a free pair of tickets to the “Flavors of San Francisco” event (a total value of $600). Entries for the contest, open only to those who can attend the event on Nov. 13 in South San Francisco, will be accepted through midnight PST Nov. 2. Winner will be announced Nov. 4 on this blog.

How to win?

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Tam Tam Restaurant — The Little Sister to Tamarine in Palo Alto

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Fried chicken wings covered in caramelized fish sauce and butter -- at the new Tam Tam Restaurant.
Fried chicken wings covered in caramelized fish sauce and butter — at the new Tam Tam Restaurant.

Chef Tammy Huynh has had a long, storied legacy in the restaurant industry. Her parents opened Vung Tau in downtown San Jose in 1985, one of the pioneering authentic Vietnamese restaurants in the region. In 2002, Huynh followed in her family’s footsteps to open the contemporary Tamarine in downtown Palo Alto.

Now, at the other end of Palo Alto’s University Avenue, she’s opened up Tam Tam Restaurant, a more casual, more regionally focused establishment.

It’s still a family affair with Huynh opening up her latest restaurant with her sister Tanya Huynh Hartley. Huynh’s son Kevin Phan is the general manager.

I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant, which opened in mid-September not far from the CalTrain station.

The dining room.
The dining room.
The bar serves only beer and wine, but makes a fine place for solo diners to plant themselves.
The bar serves only beer and wine, but makes a fine place for solo diners to plant themselves.

A large bar makes up the back of the dining room, making a popular spot for solo diners and couples to plop down for a quick bite after work. The dining room is decorated with paintings by Vietnamese artists to add a splash of color.

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Smashed Cucumbers with Sizzled Turmeric and Garlic

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Get smashing -- with cucumbers, that is.
Get smashing — with cucumbers, that is.

Every couple of years, Instagram blows up with the latest-greatest food blogger whose recipes and photos are so captivating that they are irresistible to anyone who happens to stumble upon them.

Meet the new “It” girl — if you haven’t already: Alison Roman.

The native of Los Angeles who now calls Brooklyn home is a regular columnist for the New York Times food section and Bon Appetit magazine.

Blonde and bubbly, she’s like the girl next door — who can not only cook, but will always invite you over to sit down at her table.

Because when it comes to entertaining, she believes in nothing fancy.

Indeed, that’s the title of her new cookbook, which encourages you to take a deep breath, and stop stressing about cooking for others.

“Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy, is all about making entertaining easy with fuss-free, crowd-pleasing dishes that make people feel at home from the get go.

Take a go at dishes such as “Mustardy Green Beans with Anchovyed Walnuts,” “One-Pot Chicken with Dates and Caramelized Lemons,” “Kimchi-Braised Pork with Sesame and Egg Yolk” and “Salted Honey Panna Cotta with Crushed Raspberries.”

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