Mongol Cafe

The Mongol Cafe on Geary between Hyde and Larkin has plenty of western food for those in a hurry, but the Mongolian food is the real attraction here. Everything Mongolian is made to order and takes 20 minutes, so if you're both wanting Mongolian food and in a hurry, call to order before you get there.

Tea Time didn't mind the wait, and the food was certain worth waiting for. We chose to share two dishes and they were more than enough food for a hearty lunch.

  

 Guliash (beef stew). Hard boiled beef served with steamed rice with egg on top and two side salads, potato and traditional beet. Both complimented the Guliash.

Buuz. Steam cooked bun filled with ground beef. This side salad featured julienne cut carrot and cabbage seasoned with garlic and dressed with mayonnaise.

There is also a large selection of juice, water and soft drinks.

There were plenty of desserts to be had as well, but we weren't sure where the day would take us (we were considering gelato!) so Tea Time chose to wait and indulge in their treats another time. We'll be back next time we need a Mongolian food fix! This cozy resto is a great place to stop in for a relaxing lunch if you want to get away from the hectic pace of Geary street.

Poki Time

Tea Time has been thinking about trying all the poke joints in San Francisco, but poke is becoming so popular that this may not be possible.  However, we heard good things about Poki Time, so we headed over to the Lombard Street location.

You really can't miss the place. (yes, it's the old KFC)

Poke is the only option, but there are several choices to be made along the way. You can see the menu on the website, in case you have trouble deciding on the spot.

You build your own bowl, however big/small you prefer. Choose a base, protein, toppings, sauce and then you're ready. Fast, healthy food at it's finest. All the ingredients we got to pick from were fresh and tasty.

JK's bowl with lettuce base, Hawaiian style fish and toppings.

Angela's bowl with lettuce and rice base, Hawaiian style fish and toppings.

  

 You know Tea Time can't resist a good dessert and this Poki Time features a  macaron ice cream sandwiches right next to the main counter in a cute cooler. Made in San Jose, they were a delight. Check out Mavens Creamery if you need a fix!

Jk's Chocolate and Angela's Strawberry.

Poki Time has a open seating plan and when you enter you can either loiter in the back staring at the menu or hop in the line (there wasn't one when we arrived, phew) and get your meal pronto. It's a homey restaurant and the workers were very nice, helping us get our ice cream dessert after we were done with our bowls (so the sandwich wouldn't melt). Tea Time is sure they would have let us eat dessert first, but this time we decided to honor traditions by saving it until the end. We had a great time and a great meal, so we'll be back.

Mel's Diner Mission

I was downtown shopping and needed some lunch, so I decided to try Mel's Mission Street branch. I sat at the counter, next to a jukebox.

My frosty glass of water arrived immediately, but I had to wait a while for my sandwich.

I ordered the meatloaf, with coleslaw as my side. Nothing surprising here, just a good, tasty sandwich. Mel's Diner is an SF institution. They have several diners around town including one on Geary Street with Parking! They serve classic diner food including fried chicken and hearty breakfasts. If you're in California, but not in SF, look at the Mel's website for more locations all over the West Coast. Or if you've got a hankering to see the original Mel's, check out the opening scene of American Graffiti.
 

meatloaf sammie

Pica Pica in the Misson

Pica Pica serves naturally glutern-free food and boy is it tasty. Fried plantains, rice, black beans, their signature Arepas not to mention their frothy fresh Fruit Frescas. Tea Time met several friends in order to be able to share and enjoy several different offerings from their menu (which is available for delivery or pick up, you lucky eaters).

Pulled Pork Pernil plate with classic white Arepa

Blackened Beef Asado in the white corn Arepa with plantain and coleslaw side

Shredded Beef Pabellón in a sweet corn Arepa topped with Queso Fresco and coleslaw side

Happily all the Arepas come with a fried plantain so we didn't have any fights, but if you need more, then look at the sides listed on the menu. We'll be adventuring back to Pica Pica soon as we've been hearing about their Cachapas.

Lunch at the Beach Chalet

Tea Time had such a good time at the Pokemon crawl that we decided to enjoy another Pokemon outing, next to Ocean Beach, where there are lots of Pokemon to be captured. We started with lunch at the Beach Chalet, which is more expensive than our usual haunts, but well worth the expenditure due to delicious food, conscientious service and a classic San Francisco view of Ocean Beach. This lunch adventure included a big crowd of Poke Hunters outside the restaurant who always keep the lures on so the critters are attracted to the area.

After catching some critters we wandered upstairs to the Beach Chalet and even managed to catch a table for two next to the window! We perused the menu and decided to start with an heirloom tomato appetizer, which was a so good, it attracted some attention from our prey. (Eventually we'll get over taking photos of Pokemon in our food, but for now it's fun.)

Voltorb eyeing our appetizer

The bar had Margarita mix but no plain lime juice for her drink of choice, the Tequila Gimlet, so J.K. ordered this excellent Margarita, while Angela enjoyed a tall glass of their signature Pacific Punch cocktail. Tea Time Tip! Happy Hour at the Beach Lounge and Bar is M-F 3-6 and 9-closing. A great place to check out after dinner since most restos host happy hour only before the dinner hour.

  

J.K. ordered the lobster roll for her main course, but although our waiter told the kitchen she didn't want mayonnaise, they went ahead and served her a Massachusetts-style roll, made by mixing the lobster with mayo. In Connecticut, where J.K. grew up, lobster rolls are soaked in butter. Unfortunately, all the lobster at the Chalet is mixed with mayo in the morning, so while the kitchen made her a tuna tartare sandwich, the waiter brought her a bowl of New England claim chowder. Which meant Angela didn't have to share her soup in a bread bowl. Yes!

Tuna Tartare Sandwich with house-made potato chips

We were pretty full after all that food, but we couldn't resist the chocolate castle for dessert. Angela first tasted this delightful dessert at a Dark Dining event hosted by Taste TV. Tea Time always has room for Chocolate! The view at the Beach Chalet is also a classic. Ocean waves and a sandy beach just across the highway, so if it's a good day for walking you might even hatch an egg (or just get in some exercise).

All in all it was a great day for lunch and Pokemon hunting. The lures are almost always on at the Park/Beach Chalet and we overheard some hunters say it's even popular with the 2am crowd who can't sleep. You'll surely be able to be entertained, even if you're not into Pokemon Go. This little Squirtle is ready to share a smile and maybe even leftovers from the Beach/Park Chalet if you're willing.

Squirtle hanging from a car bumper

Lunch With Beth at Buckhorn Grill

Beth had a BOGO for the Krispy Chicken & Avocado Salad (crisp romaine tossed with honey lime dressing, topped with crispy chicken, avocado, tomatoes and bleu cheese crumbles) at Buckhorn Grill so we decided to give it a try. These salads are currently $10.99, so this was a great opportunity to check it out at a reduced price.

As you can see, these salads are well worth the price.  Everything was very fresh, and there was a lot of everything. The tomatoes are minis, so if you can't finish the whole salad, they won't make the leftover salad soggy.

Buckhorn has several locations that you can check out, including the basement of Westfield Mall. We went to location on Drumm Street.

Beth's Salad With Dressing

J.K.'s salad with dressing on the side

Lunch With Beth At Chipotle

Due to their recent problems, Chipotle has mailed out coupons for one free burrito, burrito bowl, salad or order of tacos. They come with another coupon good for a free order of chips and salsa with purchase of another item. The coupons are good through May 15, but we decided to use them before we forget about them.

I ordered the salad, which is a bed of lettuce with a choice of meat. Then there are the toppings. I declined beans and chose mild salsa, corn salsa, cheese and guacamole.

J.K.'s Salad

 Beth's burrito came in the usual foil, which makes it easier to eat. In addition to rice and beans, she loaded it with barbacoa (marinated and slowly braised beef) and guacamole.

Beth's Burrito Before Unwrapping.

However, she cut it in half so you can see how substantial it is, and had to start eating with a fork before being able to pick it up.

Once, Angela froze Chipotle barbacoa burritos and took them as payment (bribe) to Hawaii when a friend let her stay with him on Oahu. So you know it's good when a person is willing to accept frozen, well-travelled food instead of waiting years longer to get back to the mainland. What are your crazy Chipotle stories?

Lunch With Beth at Onigilly Express

It was a nice day, and Beth needed to get back to work quickly after lunch, so we took a walk over to 4 Embarcadero Center,  picked up a quick lunch at Onigilly Express and ate at a table outside.

Tea Time Adventures has had a long love affair with Onigilly, from Street Food Festival Booth to their pop-ups and then on to their brick and mortar store on Kearney street. They always come through with delicious onigiri and yummy side dishes. Try them out and you'll love them too.

J.K. chose the Edamame Set with
salmon, hijiki and unagi rice balls

Beth's choice was the Miso Soup Set
with an Unagi rice ball

U Matcha–by the Republic of Tea

The Republic of Tea gave us each a very generous press kit (it included samples of several of their teas–Angela's Mom found her favorite Red Velvet tea via a sample) at the Fancy Food Show, then emailed to ask if there was anything else we'd like to try. We chose the U Matcha Charcoal, which is so tasty we built an entire lunch around it.

Angela cooked rice with U Matcha in the water and topped it with smoked salmon plus veggies. A simple salad of greens with U Matcha in the dressing was a perfect accompaniment. Just add 1-2 teaspoons of U Matcha to your regular vinaigrette dressing recipe and shake well.

Tea Time does not consider a meal complete without dessert (actually, we sometimes consider dessert a complete meal), so J.K. made marshmallows the night before. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to cut them in the morning, so she brought the whole pan.

The marshmallow syrup was as green as the salad dressing, but after 15 minutes in the mixer, the whipped product was only slightly tinted. Whip it!

 That changed, of course, after we dusted more matcha over the powdered sugar coating.

When making marshmallows, cooking spray is essential. J.K. sprayed her mixer bowl, whisk attachment and bowl scraper. Also the foil lining the baking pan, and the knife she used to cut the finished marshmallow. Any spray oil would work, this is just the brand we had on hand.  After we cut the marshmallow into blocks, we got to work on the truffles.

This recipe for rustic truffles is quite simple. Pick your favorite type of white chocolate chunks  (about one cup), and melt with a bit of heavy whipping cream (two tablespoons) in a double boiler over medium heat. Angela added a tablespoon of U Matcha to the melted chocolate, stirred until incorporated and  stuck it in the fridge to chill. Once the filling was cold we hand rolled balls quickly. If the filling gets too warm, simply chill again.

nudie matcha balls

 We rolled them in the matcha/powdered sugar and dusted them with cocoa. These soft truffles should be kept in the fridge and served cool. Otherwise they will begin to melt at room temperature. If you want to keep them around longer you can simply take a page from J. K.!

dusted and ready for eating

Later, J.K. was dipping dried fruit in tempered chocolate to take to an Oscars-watching party, so she dipped a few truffles, too.

Due to the powdered sugar and cocoa, the truffles weren't quite coated after dipping, so she dipped them a second time after the first coat set.

The perfect creamy filling!

Tea Time isn't sure if turning U Matcha into dessert still counts as a detox, but that's okay. We'll split the difference and just call it "healthy dessert."