Crab at Crustacean

Update 2022: We went to Crustacean for SF Restaurant Week and were sorely disappointed in the experience. Crustacean now adds a required 20% tip to All checks. This is in addition to the SF "Mandate" percentage that they also pass on to customers (isn't it interesting how the local taqueria just sucks up the mandate, but high end restaurants pass the buck to the customer?!) So that our $65 prie fixe meal turned out to be almost $100 per person. 

Of course part of that was the extra $14 that they charged us for sales tax. Yes, that's right, Crustacean over changed us for sales tax! Why? No clue, there was no excuse (and no apology either!!) given to Tea Time when the error was pointed out. We were given a refund... Eventually.

We both had the shrimp with garlic noodles which was 4 butterflied shrimps with a giant pile of noodles. Certainly you can't say you're still hungry because the mountain of noodles never ends. How about a piece of broccoli?! The appetizers were the best part of the meal. J.K.'s molten lava cake looked like it came from Costco and Angela's Fried Banana had so much batter you couldn't even find the paltry banana! 

Needless to say... We won't be back. 

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J.K.'s favorite neighbor moved out of the building, and left her a parting gift of a very generous gift card to Crustacean. So we headed over there to enjoy the famous Roast Crab. Angela had never been, but J.K. has enjoyed their cooking several times, so she knew exactly what we should order.

Of course, we're still on the hunt for Pokemon and since this dinner happened during the holidays there were a few fun updates to the game in keeping with the spirit of the season. So we kept our phones open and just as we were leaving the apartment building, this guy appeared:

  

 

   Fancy Place Setting, lovely dishware

The restaurant was pretty quiet when we arrived, but that means we didn't have to wait even though we hadn't booked a reservation. There wasn't much need to look at the menu, but we did decide on an appetizer which we ordered with our drinks and the Crab with a side of noodles. Then we were free to look around at the decor which was a mix of modern and rustic. A very welcoming space.

Tea Time was fascinated by this light fixture!

J.K.'s usual tequila gimlet

Angela chose pear cider

Appetizer- seafood cakes with asian veggies

Of course we had to have an order of Garlic Noodles along with our crab. If you order these noodles for lunch from the An The Go truck, there will be meat with them.  

Here's Looking at You Kid.

Roast Crab!

We really enjoyed our meal at Crustacean. The crab was sweet, the noodles a perfect match with the sauce from the crab. We didn't make too much of a mess, and even if we had they gave us bibs to protect our tops. If anyone else wants to pass on some gift cards for local SF restaurants, Tea Time will be happy to take them for a spin. Thank you for the treat ex-neighbor!

Chicken Curry Pie, Mash and Peas – The Pie Maker – Galway

When Bing Crosby sang about little cottages on Galway Bay, he made the town sound like a quaint little fishing village.  That would be nearby Claddagh, birthplace of the famous rings, which got razed and rebuilt after a tuberculosis epidemic.  But, no worries:  someone has lovingly recreated a typical cottage where folks can sit around a fireplace while singing songs and telling stories.  Seriously, not ironically.

Galway City itself, population 79,000 in a county of 225,000, is a university town offering an acclaimed tech education well below Stanford prices.  Parts of it are shiny techie brand new.  And yet, the center of town is a charming pedestrian mall whose streets angle off from each other.  Down toward the Spanish Gate (Spanish and Portuguese sailors were early trade partners) is the adorably cute hole in the wall called The Pie Maker, looking like a relic from another age.

Only it isn’t.  The space was carefully designed and compiled, and the owners would love to franchise it, so it’s a good thing the food is excellent.  Your Correspondent had a chicken curry pie with mash (as in, potatoes) and mushy peas that weren’t mushy at all.  And (an imported) ginger beer.  We chatted with the manager and the eponymous Pie Man, and expressed the opinion that a version would be a hit in San Francisco, but the financial risk would be prohibitive.  They asked what they could charge for their pies here, and we were thinking the Bi Rite Market, artisanal food crowd and decided the pies without sides could probably go for $18 or more (in Galway, with sides, €13).  They were stunned.  We would have been too, except we get to do our being stunned at home in San Francisco and knew whereof we spoke.

All in all, a very delightful late lunch.  Oh, and the JFK portrait on the wall.  I saw one of Jack and Jackie elsewhere, so apparently it's still a thing and this may not have been for effect.

Fish and Chips – Super Miss Sue – Dublin

Over the course of two weeks in Ireland, Your Correspondent ate fish and chips only twice, partly because her traveling companion wasn’t keen on them, and she ended up cursed with an overly battered version at a “chipper” in the Temple Bar in Dublin that touts all the celebrities who have eaten there.  The two of us, though, hit the jackpot at SMS, or Super Miss Sue, in Dublin.  Super Miss Sue has a takeaway side and a café side, separated by curtains, and, apparently, a restaurant side that we didn’t even see.  There was loud music in the takeaway, so we were happy to find the café (with this cool neon sign).

The fish and chips were heavenly!  Since it wasn’t busy when we were there (before supper time, because it was our arrival day and we were hungry early), we got to chat with the proprietors, who are actually Brazilian.  True to our suspicions, they do have a special recipe for the batter.  They said it was a secret, and we said we were just curious and not prying into the ingredients.  They also cook the fish and chips in beef tallow, which definitely added to the flavor.

This very filling serving was €16, maybe a little higher than what we’d pay in an Irish bar with food in San Francisco (e.g., Harrington’s).  This definitely lived up to the advance billing.

Happy Hour at E & O

The sign outside said "Pokemon inside--just kidding." So of course we had to check it out! Actually Angela had been here to E & O before for their great Happy Hour, so she just had to drag J.K. along to enjoy it with her.

But J.K. was also lured in (get it! lured! oh, pokemon joke) by their delicious menu options and excellent prices. Happily E & O didn't disappoint us. We picked the Pu Pu Platter off the menu which gave us the chance to taste a little bit of everything from house made taro chips and pickles to sliders, satay and short ribs.

Pu Pu Platter

Happy Hour menu-current as of Jan 2017

Their Pokemon Go message on the sign outside must have been a joke, because  two nearby businesses had lures going, so there were Pokemon inside, trying to share our drinks. Angela had the Sutter Punch from the happy hour menu, which didn't attract as many creatures. J.K. is the Master Pokemon Trainer of our duo.

Goldeen dropping into my gimlet

Venonat sad because gimlet is finished

Happy Hour at E & O is a great get away from the hubbub of Union Square and Chinatown. They serve lunch and dinner, but their happy hour is from 3-6. It's worth the extra planning to fit it into your schedule, or just make excuses the next time you have a visitor in town and take the day off to go check it out.

M.Y. China

I finally had lunch at M.Y. China in the Westfield San Francisco Centre, with a friend who was in the City for the day. We ordered steamed fish and a plate of mixed vegetables. A simple meal, and delicious. We will definitely go back to try some of the specialties of the house. This is not "cheap Chinese," but the food is well worth the price.

I'm sorry the photos are so dark. For some reason, if I don't edit them on my phone, I can't lighten the pictures after they're on my computer.

Simple Place Setting

Steamed Fish

Mixed Vegetables

Forbes Island

Forbes Island--closed 

I don't usually make a big fuss about my birthday. After all, it isn't really a special occasion–everybody has one. But this year I hit another millstone milestone, and Angela insisted that we had to celebrate. I got a birthday card from everyone in her family except her cat, and then she, Stephanie and Frisco Fred took me out to Forbes Island for dinner.

Forbes Island, a houseboat originally built as a private floating home, is now anchored off of Pier 39. A shuttle boat whisked us over to the restaurant.

Shortly after we were seated, we noticed that the chandelier was moving. We were definitely on a boat! 

 I couldn't add more light to the video. This is what the chandelier looks like.

Portions of the dining room are under water, with porthole windows through which we could see the shadow of the occasional fish swimming by. The mood lighting was supplied by a lighthouse lamp on our table.

 Dinner at Forbes Island is prix fixe, with ample choices for each course. The first course, a scallop, was an amuse bouche. 

The second course is a choice of salad or soup. Stephanie and I chose the Dungeness Crab, Avocado and Bay Scallop Salad with Orange Citrus Fennel Vinaigrette.

Fred had Fresh Baby Green Salad with Belgian Endives, Vine Ripened Tomatoes, Citrus Wedges and Balsamic Vinaigrette.

And Angela chose the Seafood Chowder of the day.

The third course is the entree. Fred chose the Organic Canadian Salmon, served on a bed of Cilantro Pesto Rice, Sautéed Spinach and Ginger Lime Crème Sauce, and asked to substitute mashed potatoes for the rice. The chef was agreeable, but wanted Fred to experience the rice, so he sent out a side order of potatoes.

Angela and Stephanie went with the Classic Filet Mignon, with Truffled Bordelaise Demi‐Glace, Gem Potatoes, Broccoli and Shitake Mushroom Puff.

I had "Lamb Lollipops," half Rack of Lamb, Potato Croquette, served on a bed of Edamame Succotash.

And then there was dessert. Angela chose the Crème Brûlée.

Fred and Stephanie opted for the Berry Napoleon–Mixed Berries with Raspberry Sauce, Hazelnut Tuiles and Mascarpone Crème.

I, of course, chose the Chocolate Mousse with Hazelnut and Pecan Crust Cake with a Chantilly of Whipped Crème. My friends made sure our waiter knew it was my birthday celebration, and there was a candle on my plate.

For a final treat, we each had a chocolate sent along by TasteTV, our Chocolate Meetup sponsor. The mood lighting did not do the chocolate justice.

View of Alcatraz from Forbes Island

Meals on Wheels Star Chefs and Vintners Gala—sweets

Sweets for the sweet! Guests indulged in a wide variety of desserts during the after dinner reception at the Meals on Wheels of San Francisco Star Chefs and Vinters Gala. From cupcakes to a reimagined apple pie from Taste Catering you could find something to satisfy your sweet tooth and celebrate. Since the auction and dinner had concluded, guests were excited to party! The dance floor was clear, the DJ ready to spin. Grab a cup of coffee, a melt in your mouth macaroon and get ready to shimmy shake. I have lots more pictures to share from the after dinner reception, but if you're curious about prediner reception, check it out!

Add caption

Cupcakes from Kara.

CAW, CAW

You squeeze the green tube into your mouth when you eat the dessert!

In demand cookies.

from this bakery/cafe!

Lots of options

I first ate this cookie with Afternoon Tea!

There's still a variety of wine if you want an after dinner beverage.

Pretty soon the DJ is going to crank up the music and the dance floor will be full of guests.

But don't worry, if your feet get tired, you can take a break to snack and recover.

Maybe you just want some take home granola from Aziza!

SF and Half Moon Bay show their cooking chops.

Thanks to the Ritz!

Delicious!

Hakkasan SF brings a layered fruity dessert to the guests tastebuds.

Pineapple galore.

A little meringue, kumquat and cream please from

Absinthe a favorite.

mini shortcakes galore

yummy

tout sweet

maccaroons, fruit in a cup and chocolate cakes, oh my!

goes to Taste!

Best presentation award

beautiful little apple pies!

going, going...

food on sticks-winner!

A very popular table, Taste has a great background of decorations and colors

spruce

Everything here is bite size so you can try them all

waterbar/farallon brings it on!

sweet donuty delights

Ready for some comfort foods? Grab a cookie!

Beth's Babies Cookies

Tea Icea Cream Sammies?? That's right up my alley!! Oh Humphry Slocombe.

Layered delights-Baker and Banker style

prospect

Susan Sarich and Suzy cakes!

Chefs give you a taste of their best creations!

They're ready for the storm, although not sure how many people have room after dinner?

coi

A fellow volunteer let me photo her java ice cream

Pretty lights--wooooo

Looking, but too full for touching!

Sugar high? Getting sideways...

Time to Party the night away!!

*It was a long night and I tried very hard to keep track of everything and everyone's desserts. If I have made a mistake or misrepresented someone as making something else, I'm quite happy to change it! Just please let me know. It was my first time at an event so large trying to blog about every dish and it was a bit overwhelming. My best suggestion is to purchase a ticket or volunteer yourself at the next Gala!