Kat's 9 Lives

What's better than eating succulent pieces of lamb, sipping wine, mingling with fellow foodies & chefs, and bidding on great items in a silent auction? Eating and not gaining a pound, I wish! At least at Fork It Over you can justify the massive food consumption as part of a wonderful cause! =) Over 25 Bay Area Chefs have joined together with the California Lamb Producers to serve up a delectable storm of culinary delights. All items at the silent auction were used support education and hospitality through the Golden Gate Restaurant Association Scholarship Foundation. A great big thanks to Andrew Freeman & CO for allowing me to cover this glorious celebration of food. If you use a Visa Signature Card to make ticket purchases, they offer a 20% discount on all events to sweeten the deal!
I took this chance to try out Acquerello with Chef Suzette Gresham wo-manning the table. Acquerello is on SF's finest restaurants as they hold a coveted Michelin Star. The lamb tartar was refreshing and tasty. In the center we have a nicely rolled up piece of lamb around a soft cheese. The sweetness of the tartar compliment the lighter flavor of the centerpiece. One of my top places that showcased the lamb off well. I made sure to make my rounds before they run out.
Scala's Bistro changed things up by offering lamb tongue! I think this is the first time I have ever had lamb tongue, so kudos to them for bringing something new to the table. Top Chef contestant, Chef Jen Biesty is the Executive Chef at Scala's Bistro. I was able to enjoy the Anolon's Chef Challenge the next morning courtesy of R3 Builders. Stay tuned to see which team won!
Chef Josiah Slone of Sent Sovi served up a lamb confit. Tender shredded pieces of lamb dabbled with the ginger chocolate sauce.
Napa Valley Wine Train with Chef Kelly MacDonald filled his station with planks of lamb. On top of each bread was a tender chunk of lamb loin. Hard to believe, but there wasn't as much lamb as there was pork the night before. I simply adore lamb and was glad to find a station offering lamb closer to medium rare.
Offering up a wide variety, Chef Hoss Zare from Zare At Fly Trap even has a vegetarian option for the night. The Kufteh Tabrizi atop verjus sauce and accompanied with Mediterranean avocado salsa, feta cheese, and black olives. On top of the table was a beautiful display of spices.To the left was pulled braised lamb slider with roasted cippolini onion and a fresh sour cherry emulsion.
A great change in pace was Chef Matt Garcia from Pier 23 serving up a refreshing seafood salad atop a round tortilla chip. Succulent bay shrimps along with shredded crab mixed together on a crunchy chip really hit the spot. I couldn't stop dropping by all night long. Lucky for me that Ms. Lin doesn't really like cooked seafood because I used her to grab a few extra for me. It's just simple, fresh, and light!
Representing for Delfina was Chef Craig Stoll and Matthew Gandin. A bustling Italian trattoria in the Mission District as well as many subsequent venues that have become a staple to SF cuisine. Ironically I have yet to visit their restaurant. This is why I love food festivals/events that allow me to get a taste of the many splendid restaurants that the city offers. Dare to be different, they served a savory sliced roast pig sliders. The best part was that each one had a crunchy piece of skin to give it that extra oomph!
Hard to believe this is only Part I. So many places left to try and a lounge to relax in. Fiji and Pom were there to lend a helping hand to quench non-alcoholic drinkers like me. I getting full yet hungry looking at all these pictures. What can I say? I simply adore food festivals/events!

Recently I saw on Jolly Angel’s FB update about Lamb! I had to ask her where she went and she told me about Spicy City. I guess I don’t make it over to Heritage Plaza much and overlooked this new place. They have only been open a few months and have taken over Phoenix Inn’s slot. They offer spicy Szechuan cuisine here, so if you love spicy flavorful foods then this would be the perfect place for you.If you walk all the way to the back you will see the cold table where they have a wide selection of pre-made cold appetizers. I believe it is 3 choices for $5.99. An amusing incident happened as we were ordering the appetizers. The sweet lady asked me if I recognized her… I stood there puzzled trying to recall who she might be. Apparently they worked at YunChuan in Monterey Park that I love. The chef left them and moved down here to open his own restaurant so the food is suppose to taste the exact same as up there. Lucky for me I guess, she gave me extra goodies. O=) P.S. Ms. Lin and co all made fun of me about my recognizability, I really can’t commit any crimes because I’ll be caught and identified immediately!For the cold dishes I selected the Smoked Chicken, Five Spiced Meat *Fu Chi Fei Pian*, Pickled Green Beans *Jian Doh*, and she gave me Beef Tongue for free. My favorite is and always has been the Fu Chi Fei Pian. It was really flavorful and just like the ones they serve in MP. I thought the smoked chicken was tender and smoky. The Jian Doh was not bad but I wished it was a bit more firm. I thought the tongue was nicely cooked and had just the right texture.
One of my favorite dishes these days is Boiled Fish Fillet in Hot Sauce. Don’t let the word “boiled” fool you. Under no circumstance is it submerged in water, instead it lies drenched in a pool of oil! Lol Spicy chili oil that is and topped off with ground and crushed peppers. My Aunt won’t stop raving about their fish and how wonderful this dish is. I don’t think I am quite as excited as her but I think they use a nice cut of fish with no dirt taste. The spicy flavors emanate in every bite and pairs well with rice. I always ask for more garlic because I love the taste.
Back at YunChuan Garden my favorite item is the Spicy Wontons in Chili Oil. It was not quite the same, but still good. I felt that they needed to drain the wontons a bit more so that the sauce wouldn’t be so diluted. The flavors are there but toned down because it was so watery. I still love the one in MP more, but I am hoping the next time I go it’ll be just as great or even better.
Since I was lured here by the promise of delicious lamb, how can I not order a lamb dish? Lol At first I asked the server which dish was best and she told me that the Local Flavor Lamb wouldn’t be too spicy, so we ordered it. OMG that was SPICIIIIIIIII! It was full of crushed and sliced peppers. What really gave it that extra kick were the seeds from the jalapeños! Even though we can eat extremely spicy, we probably wouldn’t be able to enjoy this dish with that high of a spice level. It’s not when you eat it that makes it spicy, it’s the after burn. @_@ They were super nice and took back the dish. At first they offered to dilute it but they exchanged it out.
We got the Stir Fried Lamb that was much better. I wished it was just a little bit spicy but the lamb was super tender! Warning, it is closer to being a little bit undercooked. I love it that way because it has that tender texture with a chewy exterior. Yum! They also pile it on with lamb meat! YAY! I am so coming back just to eat more lamb! I can see why my pal raved about lamb here. They do use pretty good lamb meat and cook it the way I like.

All in all I like this place. I will be back again since my Aunt can’t stop raving about it. All I eat these days are spicy dishes or my favorite Spicy Boiled Fish! Lol So bad but so delicious! Next time I have a lamb craving I will be sure to come here. I hope the sweet lady is around to top of my cold appetizer plate with more goodies!

Spicy City
14310 Culver Dr
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 733-9200

A rare day indeed. For Mother's Day, I took my Mom and Dad out for dinner. Those of you who know me, know how rare and scary this is. As always, they wanted to head on over to Rowland Heights for some Chinese Food. First we did some massive shopping at the newly opened Hong Kong Market at a new location, then we moseyed on over to VIP Chinese Restaurant. It's an Islamic Chinese Restaurant. They are located at the corner plaza, near the Yoshinoya side. The interior is your typical simple Asian design with booths and tables. I think they have changed ownership. It is now owned by Koreans I believe. Makes you question the authenticity of the food... but honestly we know the kitchen barely has any Asian cooks in these kind of places.
They start off by bringing you little snacks to snack on. Sometimes you have to be careful in places like these because they tend to charge you for the side dishes they bring you. I know it might not make sense, but it happens! So always be a little wary if you are not into the side dishes. I don't think we were charged this time, but the previous owners did.
So in Islamic cuisine they do not serve pork and they are known for their big Sesame & Green Onions Pancake. My parents like the thin type because it is suppose to be crispy on the outside, yet maintain a chewy texture on the inside. You use this instead of rice with the meal to tone down the strong flavors of the dish. My Dad did not like the pancake here anymore. It didn't have the same texture and "oomph" as it used to. I thought it was a bit bland and only had hints of salt flavor and nothing else.
My family is a huge fan of lamb so I chose Mongolian Lamb for the first dish. This was the best dish of the night. There was a lot of green onion flavor nicely infused into the dish. The sauce was a good combo of salty with a slight sweet essence from the onions. I wish we ordered 2 of this dish rather than the other ones. The portions were not too big but at least there was a good meat to veggie ratio. My Dad decided to get a spicy lamb dish, Hunan Lamb. It was not what we thought it would be. I rarely see slices of tofu skin in a Hunan Lamb. Not a big fan of leek so I avoided them. O=) The flavor was only so-so, but once I finished off the lamb on the other dish... I resorted to picking off of this dish.
I made the mistake of ordering the Hand Made Noodles with Lamb since I really liked them the first time I went to Fatima up in San Jose. The one here was not that good. I felt that the noodles were a bit flat in texture. They must have over cooked the noodles because they were very flimsy. The sauce was a bit too salty. I didn't enjoy the egg since it was over salted as well. My bad for wanting this dish. Maybe I should just stick to the meat dishes and avoid all carbs! O=P
The reason why I agreed to come to this place was for their dessert, as well as to please my parents. Even though it is under different ownership, I still had to have the Red Bean Pancake. if you know me, you know that I abhor red bean. So if I willingly order any dish with red bean, you know it must be good! I love the thin crispy texture of the pancake. The sweet flavor of ground red bean meshes well with the toasty outer texture. It was still good here. Maybe not as good as it used to be, but I got my fix. ^_^
All in all my parents weren't too pleased and they won't be back. At least I didn't drop too much for dinner but it would be nice if they actually enjoyed the meal... oh well... my parents are always like that. At least we made it through the meal without killing each other! ^_^ It's kind of funny, but they were more critical about the food than I was this time. =P

VIP Chinese Restaurant
18331 Colima Rd
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 810-2499

Why did they get rid of their coupon?!?! I used to be more inclined to come here with a coupon. As many of you know the prices of Persian restaurants are relatively static. It's actually more expensive now though because they raised their prices by $2 on every dish! >_<# Since I had been craving some Persian food we stopped by Hatam #2 again without a coupon. They are usually not too busy and the decor is still the same. Apparently they are moving across the street near where the Papa John's. I often wonder how this place survives. Despite all that the food is not bad.
The service here is questionable sometimes. I usually see the guy who must be the owner or part of the family chatting away on the phone. He's pretty friendly when he is not on the phone, which is rare. Some of the servers have this attitude or air about them. Their busboys are much more efficient and friendlier. After you order they bring out the usual Lavash bread and raw onion. I usually save the onion.
My favorite dish here is the Lamb Chop. It's charbroiled Lamb Chops marinated in their Special Sauce served with charbroiled Tomato and Imported Basmati Rice topped with Saffron. Sometimes they overcook the meat, but it's usually pretty flavorful. I think what really brings out the flavor is the lime though. So be sure to add some to each bite and not only initially. There is a difference if you add it on top and directly onto the piece you cut off.
I actually really like their Chicken Koobideh so I ordered a side order. It's seasoned ground Chicken. This also goes great with lime. The best part is you get more charbroiled Tomatoes. I eat my rice in a particular fashion. Most people who eat with me end up copying how I mix my rice. I am very detail and precise about how I want my food done. I will sit there and slice the raw onion to tiny morsels. Then when the tomato comes I will break it apart on top of the rice so that no juice will be lost. You can easily tear the tomato apart or attempt to slice/chop it. Then you mix everything thoroughly to make your own instant fried rice. This method really brings out the flavor of the Basmati Rice and Saffron.
Normally I always get the Soltani because it provides the most meat, even though I love the lamb. It's a combination of charbroiled Filet Mignon and strip of seasoned ground Beef served with charbroiled Tomato and imported Basmati Rice topped with Saffron. The filet is my favorite part. Another name for it is Barg. I am only okay about the Beef Koobideh that's why I get the Chicken Koobideh on the side. ^_^
All in all the food is not too bad that's why I come back and get my Persian food fix. I just wish they still offered the coupon especially with the huge price increase. This is my thought and I hope you know what I mean but... when you've gone to a place with a coupon for a while and they take it away... you just can't go back without a sigh thinking that it could be cheaper! GRR! lol That's just my own opinion. I get spoiled by the coupon! lol

It was MBA's B-day on May 28th. We had a delay celebration by going to a restaurant of her choice. She chose Tutto Fresco in RSM. MBA has loved this place ever since I first took her there a few years ago. It's tucked away in the back between Trader Joe's and Target. I usually try to come here on Friday or Saturday because I love their chicken tortilla soup! Even though the soup has beans, I still love the soup and eat everything in it. They are usually pretty busy on the weekends and it's definitely a favorite of locals. The interior has a rustic decor. It's not quite as corny as the Venice paintings in every possible Italian restaurant, but the walls are still the same color. =P
They always bring you fresh moist bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The bread here is usually pretty flavorful and tasty. The texture reminds me of a mix between corn meal with flour. It's still soft with a bit of a gratier texture. My meal came with a soup and since it was Thursday I couldn't choose chicken tortilla soup. =*( I chose to try their Meatball Soup recommended by our server. I'm glad I listened to her because it was extremely flavorful and filled with substance. The meatballs were good and the fresh stewed vegetables were just right. To finish the soup off, I dipped the bread in to add more texture. Now I might come back on Thursdays so I can get this soup again. I am so torn now!
MBA always gets the same dish because it's her favorite. She ordered the Tagliatelle alla Norcina. It's flat ribbon pasta with sautéed red roasted peppers and Italian sausage in a tomato cream sauce. The sausage tastes very similar to the meatballs and they were good. She loves to dip her bread into the sauce as she eats. The portions are always very generous and definitely enough for a next day's meal.
I keep ordering different dishes when I go there because I haven't found anything that is amazing to me like the Tagliatelle is to MBA. After many hits and misses, I think I have finally found something that I would get again for sure. I ordered the Carre di Agnello this time. It's New Zealand spring rack of lamb with a mustard garlic sauce. At first when I read mustard, I was grossed out but since it said garlic and I wanted lamb then why not try it. I am so glad that I did because the portion was tremendous. They actually gave a huge rack of lamb! It might not be of the best quality but I am all or the portion-size! ^_- yum yum! The sauce was surprisingly tasty! There wasn't a strong mustard flavor, it was more of a creamy taste. I gave MBA a taste and she loved it. The pasta was only decent, I think I will go back to the Rosemary potatoes instead. If you love lamb then you should definitely try this out.
To finish off the night, MBA ordered the Spumoni. It's your typical Italian ice cream of chocolate, cherry bits, and pistachio layers. The portion was very generous for the price. MBA always gets the ice cream here.
All in all this place is solid. I haven't always gotten things I liked, but I keep coming back because I was sold on the soup and bread. This time I finally hit gold and found a dish that I really liked. The food here is pretty consistent and the prices are very reasonable. I always say yes to this place when MBA has a craving. =)

If you're ever out by UCSF, the Sunset, you have to stop by this place for some yummy and filling Shwarma. Whenever I am up here in SF I have to stop by Yumma's. Every time that I have been up here with a friend, Ms. Lin and I always bring them here. They are always very friendly, diligent, and good food. One good thing is that they are very clean, the worst thing is the parking in that area. Luckily, I have great parking karma so we found an awesome spot on Sunday.

We always get the Shwarma Deluxe. This time we only shared one because we were STUFFED from our dinner down the street. We chose the lamb and beef with seasoned onions, pickles, hummus, grilled vegetables, & garlic yogurt wrapped in lavash. It's filled with many components that perfectly compliment each other. I love the hummus that adds the gratier texture to the bite. The meats were very flavorful. One thing I have to say is that it wasn't as good as I remembered, but I do think that the reason could be that we were full or that they were closing. Based on their past performances, I will definitely come back.
An example of how much leniancy I have for them is that I've tried their Baklava before and don't remember much about it except that I didn't like it. I still ordered a Baklava because it looked yummy. Even though they were quite expensive, $1.85 per, I still gave it another try because it looked delectable. It's pure and simple, I like their food. The Baklava was super flaky! I don't really like the filling because it has walnuts and not much pistachios. If it didn't have walnuts, it would be great. All in all I like this place. It's quick, simple, and tasty!

Yumma's
721 Irving St
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 682-0762

This will be my 100th post! ^_^ After many adventures, I have reached my new milestone and more to come in the future. For the 100th post, I chose to do the Shabu House! I have been meaning to put the pictures up for this place, but due to injury and Ms. Lin's computer having a breakdown... What better way to than to talk about this new restaurant than on my 100th post. We have been trying many shabu shabu places and I am all for the all you can eat, only if it's good. The reviews online were pretty good so we decided to give this a go since they offer beef AND lamb. Yum Yum! Their all you can eat is only valid after 8PM and it's like a secret so just ask for it. I would recommend that you call and make sure that they still have the offer to be on the safe side. The service was friendly, especially the server named Victoria. They were open to 10:30PM the night we were there, and there were still a lot of people there late at night.

Like all other shabu places, there are the sauces that you can flavor to your liking. They had the typical Shoyu that tastes a little like Ponzu and the sesame paste. At Shabu House they offer the Red Daikon that Hot Mama at Shabu told us was the correct additive. Of course they had the chopped green onions and delicious ground garlic. They also bring you White Rice and a plate of Vegetables & Udon Noodles to fill you up. Save room for all the meat and fill up on the veggies & udon at the end. You got to strategize your meal! ^_-
What's really great about this place was that you get to choose the soup base for the shabu instead of just water. You can either choose a Spicy Miso or a Ginger Chicken broth. Ms. Lin and I both chose the Spicy Miso. The soup base was delicious! It really reminded me of the Korean soup base, jigae. Since I am not a big fan of spicy foods, I asked them to make it milder. Unfortunately, the soup tasted great when it's not as spicy but the meats don't stay in the broth too long to be cooked it would have been better to keep it spicier. It really adds more flavor if you have a spicier broth, but remember that it will get saltier and spicier later on.
For meats they offer the American Kobe Beef and Lamb, for the all you can eat. You can never go wrong with all you can eat beef and lamb in my opinion. Each piece was thinly sliced and done when you order it. I tried to take a picture of them slicing the meat, but don't worry... I have tons of the meat, the most important part! Ms. Lin and I had the beef to start out with. Soon we ordered some pure lamb plates and mixed plates. I think after how much we ate, they would be wise to take the all you can eat option of the menu. O=P Each plate had a lot of meat on them and what I really liked about their meat was that they were sliced fresh. They were not all melted and sticking to one another like the ones at Mum's. It's a give and take because you have to wait to order more meat and have them slice it, while at Mum's it's just an endless supply without having to ask for more. Ms. Lin and I were discussing the benefits of each place. She likes the meat at Mum's more because they were thicker slices. I am neutral because I just love meat, to me the quality was about the same. The process at Mum's makes you feel less guilty for chowing down on all the meat because they just bring plate after plate of meat to you.
Be sure to soak the Udon in the broth for a really long time so the flavor can soak in. It will basically melt in your mouth! So delicious! To finish off the night, you get a choice of ice cream. We both chose the Green Tea Ice Cream. All in all the service and the food was great. I loved the flavors and the meat choices. Overall I like this place more than Mum's, but both places were great. Since I have had my fill of shabu for a while, I will not be eating shabu for a while but I will be back again! Hopefully they will still have the deal and not have our pictures up on the wall for who to ban! O=P The all you can eat shabu menu is $26.95, which is not bad if you can really eat like us Scary Asian Girls! Shabu House
5158 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 933-8600