Lunch with Beth–Lion Dance

Beth and I were having lunch at Joy Hing Noodle House on Kearny Street when we were surprised by a Lion Dance troupe that came in to bless the restaurant.

Altar at entrance

Kaya Jamaican Restaurant

Closed--

https://hoodline.com/2018/06/lower-nob-hill-s-cafe-zitouna-quietly-closes-its-doors/

Teatime was so impressed with Hazel's Restaurant Week menu that we and our friend Thomas decided to go back to try the happy hour menu. Unfortunately, Hazel's was closed for a private event, so we went next door to Kaya Jamaican Restaurant.

We ordered drinks and four appetisers to share. There were no happy hour bargains, but the food was excellent. The tip was added to the check, as a service charge, and there was no problem with multiple cards, so no arithmetic was required of us.

Salt Fish Fritters with Chimichurri

Salt Fish Fritter in close up with condiments

Caramelized Carrots + Beet Salad
Pomegranate Molasses +Ginger

Mary's Organic Jerk Chicken
Plantains, Rice + Peas

Grilled Wild Gulf Shrimp
with Tamarind Sauce

Rum-Filled Coconut
Diplomatico Matuano, Lime, Luxardo Apricot, Coconut Water

Single Serving of Zap Pow (which they also
serve in a punch bowl to share)

Close-Up of the Flaming Marshmallow

Natural Mystic

J.K. tried to order the ChocoBanana (smith + cross, bumbu, crème de cacao, jerk bitters) but they were out of it, so she went with her usual tequila gimlet.

We then relinquished our spots at the bar, and went across the street to Market On Market, where we grazed on pizza and salads.

Pizza from
The Market Pizza Bar

Two Salads from Takeaway Station

Cheryl's Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies

I received this bag of tiny gingerbread cookies at the Winter Fancy Food Show. I usually prefer my own baking, but these little cookies from Cheryl's have an excellent sugary crunch. Cheryl's is owned by the same company that owns 1-800-Flowers. The cookies are available online, but Yelp reviews indicate occasional shipping delays, so I don't recommend last-minute orders.

The Crepe House

Herrick chose The Crepe House on Polk for this year's birthday lunch.

He ordered a latte, made with half and half, and the Warm Chicken Salad.

Chicken breast, romaine hearts, scallions, red bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, fresh basil.
Tossed with house made sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing

I had a bagel with cream cheese, lox, tomatoes, and red onion. Capers are available, but I always pick them off, so I ordered it without. I really like the way it was served. This way is much easier to eat than a closed sandwich piled so high it doesn't fit in my mouth.

S.F. Writers Conference Banquet at Great Eastern

Chinatown's Great Eastern Restaurant was once again the site of the banquet hosted by San Francisco Writers Conference Board Member Harvey Pawl for Conference speakers and volunteers. The Banquet is also available to attendees for a very reasonable fee.

Places were set for tables of ten when we arrived.

 Our first dish was steamed pork dumplings.

Cross-section of dumpling

 Next, our waiter brought us soup.

Mixed vegetables & bean curd with egg drop soup

The serving bowl exactly filled our ten individual bowls.

The soup was quickly followed by Golden Pumpkin Fries. 

 Next up was a platter of Pan-Fried Scallops with Stuffed Shrimp Paste. This was new to me, and I will definitely order it again.

 The Peking Duck with Steamed Bun was the highlight of the meal for me.

 Honey Walnut Shrimp, another old favourite.

 And of course, a big bowl of fluffy rice to accompany the following dishes.

Beef with Ginger and Scallion

Lamb with green peppers and onion

Bok Choy with Ginger and Mushrooms

Sweet and Sour Pork

Chow Fun with Mixed Vegetables

 For dessert, there were fancily-displayed orange slices.

 The ubiquitous fortune cookies.

 And a final surprise of custard tarts!

The meal, as usual, was amazing. It gets better every year.

Beesponsible

Beesponsible, supported by Barkman Honey, provides information about why bees are important and how to be responsible for them. They have a Facebook page, in addition to their website. I met their contingent at the 2018 Winter Fancy Food Show. They gave me much food for thought, and some actual food in the form of a generous sample of honey, available for purchase on their website, along with a few wearables and trinkets.

Booklet with information about bees

  

 Jar of honey

And, of course, a couple of trinkets.

Silicone Bracelet

Message Button

Hazel's Southern Bar & Kitchen

J.K., Angela and Dan decided to try Hazel's for a Restaurant Week dinner, and we were very happy we did. The menu wasn't quite as extensive as China Live's, but that made decision-making a lot easier!

There was also a Happy Hour menu, but we were there for the Restaurant Week experience.

Everybody started with Hush Puppies, aioli on the side.

Close-up of Hush Puppy's insides

Next came our salads. Dan ordered the Kale Caesar salad.

Cale Caesar Salad
Kale, parmesan croutons, Cajun Caesar dressing

Angela and J.K. opted for the Warm Beet & Arugula Salad.

Warm Beet & Arugula Salad
Roasted beets, arugula, onions, goat cheese, raspberry vinaigrette

The Fried Chicken was Dan's entree.

Hazel's Fried Chicken
Four pieces of Hazel's perfectly fried chicken, served with pickles

Angela and J.K. both couldn't resist the ribs, even though it meant we didn't get to try the vegetarian option.

Big Daddy D's BBQ Ribs (1/2 rack)
fall-off-the-bone goodness with housemate BBQ sauce

We did manage to get three different sides.

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Almonds

Collard Greens

Mac & Cheese

Dessert was the same for everyone. Peach Cobbler with a choice of vanilla or bourbon ice cream.

This was a tasty and generous meal. We all had leftovers to take home. Tea Time will definitely be returning to Hazel's, but now that we know how generous the portions are, we won't be ordering quite so much food!