FOOD TRUCK MAFIA (NEWARK) - The Dog (and Burger) Days of Summer...

September.

The end of summer.  Though in California September usually brings the beginning of the hottest season of the year, it officially marks the end of our balmy, beachy out-of-school days.  The hours of daylight grow shorter as the bright blue-gold sunlight turns to amber, as though to coordinate with the papery leaves that will soon flutter down from the trees.  When I was a kid, summer meant lazy days spent boating, waterskiing the many canals and throughways of the Sacramento River Delta.

My childhood memories of summer are vivid.  The smell off the water, vaguely fishy and tinged with mud, everywhere it ran brown and murky and deep. The yellow speedboat that carried us was fast, so fast everything around was a blur, a rush of reeds, gold and green, like living sunlight as we thumped hard against the river delta.  The waves splashing up over the bow left a soft mist on my face that the sunlight and the wind would whip away as soon as it was deposited.  Those glorious trips across the open water were something splendid.  There was little speaking, just the roar of the engine churning the water, the air rushing against my ears and the constant sun on my skin.  And that glorious smell of the rich delta mud.

Hot, Crunchy Outside -
Creamy Inside -
Shrimp & Cheese Empanadas

Our final trip was always in late September or early October.  Those last days of summer carried their own kind of magic. My father called them Indian Summer, and they signaled not just a return to school from a time of what seemed like endless freedom, but a kind of communal closure as we all moved into fall together.  The drive home on our last outing always seemed to  bear a harvest moon.  It hung in the sky, large and luminous over the Delta, visible out the back window of my father’s car as we drove home for the final time.  That moon in my long-ago childhood memory still lingers in the sky, a perfect orb of yellow gold.

September begins our journey into fall, and Labor Day weekend signals the dog days are upon us.  A uniquely American holiday, this three-day weekend is more than back-to-school specials and furniture sales. It is a shared kiss goodbye to our collective summer vacation. Everyone, everywhere has fired up their backyard grill one last time.  Goodbyes are often bittersweet.

Crazy Fries.  Crazy, man.

This past weekend, the question arose in our household of how to mark this auspicious occasion and give sweet summer a proper sendoff?  An effective scout, the BH often discovers foodie-related tidbits while reading his morning paper.  Openings, events and happenings.  He happened to run across an event that sounded perfect: a gathering of the Food Truck Mafia, culinary gypsies who travel from one location to another to bring their individual brands of tasty treats to the hungry.  The Food Truck Mafia was scheduled to be at Newpark Mall on Monday.  Being Labor Day itself, this event seemed the perfect way to celebrate the end of summer.  After quickly double-checking the schedule we planned our final day off around it.

Grillstars manage a crowd of The Hungry!

The trucks set up and begin serving at 4:30, running until 9:00 pm.  We got there at five, and were immediately greeted by strains of Michael Jackson at a high volume, a heavy-set DJ playing boisterous dance tunes for the crowd.  The afternoon weather was gorgeous, more like mid-summer than September, and the crowds were diverse.  A collection of every age and color, all gathered under the Blue Top for some grub.   It felt like an oversized block party.  They had provided several tables to make eating some of the more challenging carry away cuisines easier.  Children ran from one truck to another, squealing out their choices for dinner to parents who could barely hear over the booming music.  Everywhere a variety of locals and shoppers who had wandered out of the mall to see what was going on were chowing down on a plethora of cuisines. The colorful trucks formed a big “U”, not unlike chuck-wagons circled to feed the field hands after a six-month tour on the cattle trails.  Yet there were no marauding Indians in sight.  The mood was festive and the smells welcoming.

In an attempt to be scientific in our ordering, and to make sure we sampled as much as was possible on a first visit, we walked by each of the trucks to absorb their menus before ordering.   It rapidly became clear we wouldn’t be able to sample anything close to everything, even one item per truck was overly ambitious.  We soldiered on, narrowing our choices to four savory and two sweet dishes.

Butterfly Shrimp

We began with a threesome of Shrimp & Cheese Empanadas, mini hot pockets of spicy goodness, served hot out of the fryer (and I mean hot) offered up by the first truck whose wares we sampled, Marisco's El Malecon. We found a couple of seats at a communal table and enjoyed a few bites of our empanadas.  Since it was their party, we were in agreement that we had to sample something from Grillstars and I’d selected (and ordered) a side-dish they were offering titled  “Crazy Fries”.  After placing that order, I imagined I would be handed a basket of fries and go off to sit with BH until we polished them off.  Best laid plans and all, the wait turned out to be over twenty minutes.  (Tho well worth it taste-wise, the standing around was not particularly pleasurable.  I wonder if there might be a better way to call out orders to keep people from having to stand while they wait for their meals to come up.)  Making the best of the wait, I observed a little of the food truck culture firsthand.  The salesgirl from El Malecon came over to order a burger, and Grillstars’ chef insisted that her money was no good there.  It would appear to be the custom that food trucks feed one another’s staff for free.  Like family. Classy.

 After my twenty minutes of running over to our table for a bite of empanada and running back to the Grillstars' truck to wait on my order, I was at last presented with a gimongous order of hot-out-of-the-fryer french fries, beautifully cradled in piles of smoky grilled beef, creamy nacho cheese, crumbled bacon and a lovely little dollop of fresh sour cream.  Every bite was covered with toppings, and every mouthful of the crumbled burger meat carried the lovely smoky flavor of freshly-grilled beef.  Absolutely worth the long wait. The cheese was a nice gooey consistency, sticking to the fries without being gummy, the bacon bits and sour cream coming together nicely, adding their own tasty music to the mix.  It was the best plate of “topping” fries I’ve ever had.  All for around four bucks.

Twisted Chill serves up organic
Soft Serve

Next up was the Butterfly Shrimp & Dipping Sauces from Bigg Shrimp’n.  These kids know their shrimp— we were served large, beautifully butterflied, whole prawns fried up in a light golden almost tempura-style batter that was almost effervescent.  Closer to cotton-candy than dough.  The sauces were fresh, made in-house, and just delicious.  We tried the Sweet & Sour (reminiscent of a Thai tomato-garlic sauce, it bore no relation to the thick red sauce of my takeout-Chinese childhood) and a Seafood Cocktail Sauce.  Bigg Shrimp’n’s Cocktail mixture was mildly spicy, with fresh horseradish being beautifully blended with fresh, ripe tomatoes.  Right then I was diggin’ the fresh trend in food prep.

Next I tried the Lamb Curry offered up by Munch India.  The meat was tender and fluffy and the curry mild yet packed with flavor.  The basmati rice was aromatic and light, and served as a perfect foil to carry the thick sauce over the lamb.

Creamy Soft Serve covered
in yummy strawberries,
toasted coconut & chips

By the time we’d finished off our four savory treats we were ready to move to dessert.  We went first to the colorful blue truck with the pretty girl on the side (fun design).  Twisted Chill is run by Jesse Soares & Michael Moules and the duo serves up a non-dairy soft serve.  Now ordinarily I’m a fan of “real deal” foods, but their organic take on this American favorite was no joke.  The creamy delicious red velvet version was sweet without being overly so, the flavor unique and craveable and the mouthfeel was creamier than a teenager’s pillow.  The guys offer up all manner of fresh fruit from within the truck and an assortment of dry organic cereals, chips, sprinkles and other treats in the self serve compartment outside the truck.  In addition to serving up great desserts, the guys are affable and informative.  I think they will do very well at this.

Our last stop was at That’s Sweet! Desserts, a cupcake and assorted baked goods truck whose list of wonderful flavor combos taunted us with it’s variety.  We settled on a Coconut Chocolate, Chocolate Orange, Sea Salt and Caramel and a mini Peach Pie.  The BH and I have at this point consumed every last bite, but I was in love with my first mouthful of the Chocolate Orange.  Moist, kissed with citrus and just sweet enough, this gal can bake.  Lucky us.  We had the Sea Salt later that night and the hint of salt and finish of toasted caramel, still linger on my palate urging me to return for more.

Sea Salt & Caramel Cupcake

The experience was a delight.  I’m a fan of fine dining, but who’s the rule guy who says a great food experience can’t be found on a truck in paper containers?  Not I.  These gatherings are a perfect time to gather with friends and family, enjoy the fading sunlight as the days grow shorter until the damp months are upon us and we are forced to retreat back into our homes to shelter in place until the sun, and the trucks return.

Their schedule can be found on Facebook at the Food Truck Mafia page. Check it out.  Make a memory of your own.  Have the crazy fries, I dare you!

Among the Participants:

Phil Woodman & Patrick Clarke’s GrillStars
Food Truck Mafia - Facebook
@Grillstars - Twitter
http://www.thegrillstars.com

Bigg Shrimp’n - Facebook
@BiggShrimpn - Twitter
 http://www.biggshrimpn.com

Jose Hernandez Marisco's El Malecon
Facebook under Food Truck Mafia

Chef Diana Afroza’s Munch India
Munch India - Facebook
@munchindia - Twitter
www.munchindia.com

Jess Soares & Michael Moules’ Twisted Chill
Twisted Chill - Facebook
@chilltruck - Twitter

That’s Sweet! Desserts
That's Sweet! Dessert Truck - Facebook
@thatssweettruck - Twitter
http://www.ThatsSweetBakery.com

ROAD TRIP: Los Angeles - Land of the Pretty, Golden People Eating Loads of Magical Food



Chocolate Mousse, Semifreddo - in Three's at XIV

 Fairly recently I lost the frequent company of my youngest daughter to the gaping maw that is Southern California. Initially, I fought it a bit. When she first moved to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB rather than UC Berkeley, she reassured her mother that she merely wanted to be near a beach during college. Her move to the South wasn’t more than that. A temporary stay at a desirable institute of higher learning. I let myself succumb to maternal delusions of impermanence. We believe what we want to believe.

Some time later I was, of course, thrilled when she was accepted to Boalt Hall School of Law. Her first choice of law schools, I knew this would necessitate the then Grad Student’s move back home to attend classes in Berkeley. It did and she was close once more. I saw her often. I allowed myself to adopt a false sense of security. She would settle in San Francisco once she passed the bar. Life was good again.



Another tasty protein at XIV, this time Filet of Beef 

 But, that’s not how it worked out. After completing her first year at UC Berkeley Law, she spent the summer interning for a Big Firm in Century City (living the dream in West Hollywood with another young beauty, both having the time of their young lives). When the internship concluded, she was offered a job at that prestigious Los Angeles law firm, and in case you weren’t aware, there’s a recession and high-paying jobs for young people fresh out of law school are hard to come by, even for top ten school grads. So that was that. At least for now.

The part I haven’t shared is that as a result of all this Los Angeles and SoCal living, the Baby Lawyer (she has graduated, so we can clearly no longer use her former moniker “Grad Student”) had gotten a taste of a lifestyle she’d not previously experienced. Raised in a suburb she now lovingly refers to as “the ghetto” BL hadn’t ever seen the inside of anything much fancier than a Hungry Hunter until she was about seventeen or so. She was fond of cheese and beef and not much else. But college gradually changed all that, and after the BL’s summer in WaHo, she was ready for the big time. Nice clothes, good food, and a fancy car. The better life that’s what we all want for our kids, yes?

The Big Firm treated her to meals at some of LA’s nicest eating establishments, and the Baby Lawyer began to acquire quite a discerning palate. Her favorite appetizer used to be cheese sticks, now it is seared fois gras. She has definitely developed a taste for the finer things in life. Her father and I visited her over that first summer, and I found we really enjoyed sharing our mutual love for food-based outings with our adult child. During the three years she spent at Berkeley, we spent many evenings (and if you read this column, several afternoons as well) enjoying some of the best restaurants in the East Bay.

 As a result of her relocation, we have discovered that it eases the pain of our separation to visit the BL in Los Angeles and continue to share our newfound hobby of breaking very fancy bread. We enjoyed our first visit two years ago so much that we again made a point to visit her while locked away during this most recent summer studying for the California Bar examination. We decided as a family that the best respite from homework overload is a yummy prix fixe menu. Which brings me to the food we enjoyed on this most recent trip.


Ravioli with Truffles at XIV




First night there, we arrived in town around five-thirty, in time to check in at the Marmont and dress for our dinner reservations at Michael Minna’s XIV. This visit, we changed hotels from the Roosevelt to the Chateau Marmont, having had an erratically odd stay at the Roosevelt on the last go round (another story all its own). The BH and I both felt the Marmont was a far superior experience for many reasons, not the least of which its attention to its guests. Though we are not celebrities, we were made to feel like we were. It was more than chic, it was downright homey.

The Marmont is within walking distance to XIV, being maybe half a block away. This may be why the BL selected XIV as our first outing. None of us had been there before, so we were able to discover its attributes together. The service structure is uniquely inventive. They have a prix fixe menus that allows diners to select either seven, eleven or fourteen items, provided everyone in the dining party picks the same maximum number of items.



Lobster Pot Pie, ala Michael Mina



The items arrive in perhaps the cutest presentation I’ve ever seen, and though it is painfully cute, it serves a practical function as well. All dishes arrive on these clever little trays designed to display each diner’s portion. They give the impression of an hors d’oeuvres platter that just keeps coming, each time with a new treat and presentation. We happened to be a trio of diners, so each of our selections were presented in threes. Each dish blissfully tasty. I don’t take detailed notes on vacation, so I can’t describe each dish, and for that I apologize. There are however, a few exceptions.

The first is the Lobster Pot Pie. The BH and I first tasted this dish at a Valentines’ Day dinner at Michael Mina in Las Vegas a number of years ago. We were both really impressed. The name alone conjures up memories of childhood chicken pot pies, fresh out of the oven, steamy and chock full of chicken stewy goodness and carbs. Remember those inexpensive ones you had as a kid that let’s face it, really were tasty? Mina’s is something more high end, with a crust so light and flaky it could be clouds baked in butter. There is nothing more pleasant in the mouth than a bite of perfectly prepared pie crust. Michael Mina’s genius with seafood also expresses itself magnificently in this dish. A perfect rendition of those yummy pie of childhood, but instead of chicken it is chock-full of lobster. Simple hearty perfection at its best. You cannot possibly consider leaving this world before you have tasted a Michael Mina Lobster Pot Pie.

The other standout that comes to mind was the barbeque pork sandwich I had at Ford’s Filling Station in Culver City. BL took us there the first summer she spent in LA. The folks she worked with at the Big Firm had taken her there for lunch one day, and we were likewise immediately enamored of the food at Ford’s. Ford’s Filling Station is owned and operated by Harrison Ford’s son, and seems to be a sort of throwback-homage to the diners of the forties. Actually, Culver City is a food haven worth exploring on its own merits, not to mention the star sightings one almost always makes there, given its proximity to Sony. The meat on this sandwich was smoky bliss, gently blanketed by a tangy dressing. The side of baked beans was creamy and flavorful.

The highlight of our trip was to be a trip to Melisse in Santa Monica, which is a spectacular restaurant headed by Chef Josiah Citrin. Long story short, I didn’t make it due to a last minute health issue, so I had to send my family off for the meal of a lifetime. They didn’t even feel guilty. They returned to the hotel with stories of champagne, celebrity spotting (Brandon Routh was celebrating a birthday at the next table) and fois gras. Grr.


Pork Sandwich @ Ford's Filling Station

 The little one has secured an apartment in Santa Monica, right on the beach. She begins permanent residence in SoCal as soon as she returns to the States from Europe. Though I’m a Northern California Girl, and Los Angeles in my mind will forever be the place that teems with perfectly groomed, blindingly shiny, overly brand-conscious people, I must say when I think about the food, I find I am looking forward to future visits with an emotion that does not resemble dread at all. If you too, are planning a trip South, check out any one of the following restaurants. Air kisses to all, and Bon Appetit! .

XIV (high end small plates - multiple prix fixe - emphasis on sea food)
(by Michael Mina)
8117 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 656-1414
http://www.michaelmina.net/ - select XIV (Fourteen) from California menu

Melisse Restaurant (even higher end dining, seasonal California Upscale)
1104 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 395-0881
http://www.melisse.com/

Ford’s Filling Station (upscale diner)
9531 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232-2618
(310) 202-1470
http://www.fordsfillingstation.net/

Rock Sugar Pan Asian Kitchen (This is in the mall. It has a huge menu of Asian Cuisine selections: Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, etc., including some fusion dishes)
10250 Santa Monica Blvd # 654
Los Angeles, CA 90067-6609
(310) 552-9988
http://www.rocksugarpanasiankitchen.com/

Next “away game” will be the saga of my pre-Fashion Week trip to the Big Apple to visit with my eldest daughter. The Makeup Artist who has settled in comfortably on the Isle of Manhattan, finding herself in high demand every Fashion Week, as NYC scrambles to stay one step ahead of every trend. It’s a similar story of maternal angst, fabulously talented offspring and great food. Stay tuned.

SALA THAI ~ Put the Love in the Coconut!

The BH and I found ourselves in Fremont on New Year's Eve.  We'd run to the Court to pick up some paperwork from the Clerk, and she asked us to come back in about an hour and a half.  So what to do?  Sala Thai is a local haunt we'd heard good things about so we decided it was a good idea to have lunch and return to the Courthouse after eating.

We entered the restaurant, which is in one of the many little strip malls that populate the neighborhoods around what I suppose one would call Fremont's downtown of sorts, or at least a business section of the City.   The restaurant is welcoming in that authentic way a restaurant can have of speaking to you with it's open spaces without saying anything at all.  Some places just whisper "Welcome."  The interior is moderately dark inside and decorated in traditional Thai decor.  It's not a very big space, sort of long and narrow like the inside of a ship, which perhaps is appropriate since it makes one feel as though one has traveled to Southeast Asia itself. 

A staffer approached and asked us if we'd like a table and we said yes, but noted that we had to be out fairly quickly in order to make it back to Court in the tiny window we were given by the Clerk to return.  Once seated, the waiter arrived almost immediately with menus and a delightful attitude.  There are some people who are just meant to host others, they have a way of putting you at ease and settling you in.  This young man was one of those people.  I had the distinct impression he was vested in the establishment, which I would venture to say is a family operation.

I decided to order somewhat adventurously.  I've got several asian dishes I've come to love over the years, a few of which have vanished into the Great Closed Restaurant in the sky.  One of those was a dry-braised spicy green bean at a Restaurant in Oakland called Maple Village.  Those beans saw me through many a youthful overindulgence.  The menu at Sala Thai contained something called Spicy Green Beans, so I decided to try them, along with their Basil Sauteed Chicken, or Pad Kra Pow.   I also ordered Fresh Coconut Juice, something I just decided to try in a burst of impetuousness.

The Coconut Juice arrived first, arriving in the shell with a straw.  It was refreshing and not overly rich and I absolutely loved it.  The presentation coupled with the restaurant's interior made me feel as though I was sitting in a family place in the heart of Bangkok.  It was delightful.  Next arrived all our dishes, and in plenty of time for us to enjoy them and be out of there before our appointment back at Fremont Superior Court.

The BH had Thai BBQ Chicken, which was a moist mountain of smoky chicken goodness.  The spices were subtle and well-blended.   He was really pleased with this dish.  I found the Green Beans tasty, although not as similar to the original dish I so loved as I had hoped.  They were more meat than I anticipated, but that's hard to complain about.  And it was a really tasty dish.  Good amounts of heat, beans and meat.  My Basil Chicken was moist, succulent and the fresh basil draping itself around the slices of golden, browned chicken meat was simply heavenly.  Fresh basil and peppers meld together for the perfect blend of hot, sweet aromatic flavor that is one of my absolutely all time favorite combinations of taste.  To his credit, the waiter had suggested I not request any additional heat until I tried this dish the way the chef generally prepares it, which I appreciated.  They do this dish a little on the warm side.   I could have used more heat, but I tend to like things so much hotter than most, that it was good advice on his part for me to check it out first.  Nothing ruins a meal faster than a fried set of tastebuds.

We wrapped up our snappy little lunch in about forty minutes, paid and were back on our way to Court, having found an excellent new choice for takeout in the neighborhood.  This is a great restaurant, food is fresh and really well-prepared, the staff is helpful, friendly and professional, and the presentation gives the
clientele the sense that they are in another country. How fun is that?

If you find yourself in the neighborhood, check it out.  Bon Appetit!

Sala Thai Restaurant

39170 State Street
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 792-0770
http://www.salathai-restaurant.com/


Table size: adequate
Noise level: Not too loud, but tables are a bit close together, so one shouldn't go there if you need to have an extremely private conversation.
Dining Time:  They are amazingly quick.  No problem.
Price: Extremely reasonable.  Good times.

One note:  We sat at a table right next to the door, and because it was December, and winter, it was freezing every time anyone came in or out.  Unfortunately this happened almost constantly, often with people standing in the doorway holding the door open for absolutely no reason.  So my advice is go for a table away from the door. At least until summertime rolls around.

VO's RESTAURANT - the Phoenix returns. At last.

Approximately five years ago, Vo's Restaurant had a kitchen fire. The building seemed mostly intact, and the owner was cheery about the temporary closure. We used to eat lunch there often, and really enjoyed the authentic Vietnamese cuisine. The decor was modest but the food made up for whatever was lacking in atmosphere. We checked back every couple of weeks, but the signs on the door remained. Locked and boarded up, it seemed Vo's was gone forever, another victim of Oakland's iffy downtown economy. There were off and on signs of activity in the years it remained closed, but as every hopeful sign turned into more passing time without Vo's re-opening, in the end we had to assume that the establishment we had grown so fond of would in fact never return.

Imagine our surprise when about six months ago, the Grand Opening signs appeared, the window paper coverings vanished and most importantly, the doors actually opened again for business. Under the SAME ownership! We went fairly soon after the re-opening, and our first experience was not particularly favorable. While the food was stilll good, it seemed that too much time had passed. The decor was now pretty upscale, which is fine, but the service was confused and the simple fare they once served to perfection, somehow no longer measured up. The place now seemed to lack a direction.

Since we were (are) so fond of the owner, we decided to give it some time and return. We were pleasantly surprised upon our recent revisiting. The service kinks had disappeared and the menu had found it's stride. Since the decor was definitely more upscale, management apparently now recognized its surroundings spoke to a certain clientele. The split personality had faded, and everything came together for a really pleasant dining experience.


We ordered Crispy Harvest Rolls to start. They were flaky, moist and flavorful. The perfect treat to begin a meal. The BH had a Grilled Rack of Lamb (above), which as you can readily see was moist and well-prepared. He now proclaims this his new favorite, having replaced the five-spices chicken he previously ordered routinely. Our PFC (Partner in Food Crimes) ordered the Beef Pho and found it to his liking. Fresh, tender, beef slices (Pho can so often be little but gristle), a solid well-steeped broth, and an abundance of jalapeno, cilantro, Sri Racha and Plum Sauce all completed the meal. A bit critical at our last visit, PFC really felt that Vo's had at last 'hit its stride' and we were all pleased to be able to promise the "Boss" that we meant to return and really mean it.

I myself had the Shaken Beef and it was great. Moist, spicy and tender, the ingredients were first rate and the dish was as pretty to look at as it was to eat. It has been the case over the twenty-five years I've eaten in and around Oakland, that the BH and I have parted with many a favorite restaurant. Some to bad management, some to accidents of bad fortune, others mysteriously there one day and gone the next. But never has it been the case that a "returning soon" sign has ever, ever, really meant that a treasured restaurant would indeed return.

To see Vo's Restaurant back is delightful. To see it back with a face lift and an improved menu (in the sense that what was always tasty is now pretty and plated with some artistry) is heartwarming.


Check it out for yourself, and Bon Appetit!

Vos Restaurant
Vietnamese Cuisine
59 Grand Avenue (corner of Grand & Webster)
Oakland, CA 94612
510.465.4600

Price: Moderate
Dining time: can be done at lunch within an hour
Table size: Adequate

PHNOM PENH HOUSE - Oakland's Cambodian Gem

We recently returned to one of the other of my favorite Asian cuisine options in Oakland. This place is phenomenal. The food here is authentic, fresh and delicious, as evidenced by the crowds and the lines out the door after twelve of a weekday.

On this occasion we brought along our PFC, so were able to order all our favorite dishes. It was hot out, so we began by ordering the Green Papaya Salad with Shrimp. This dish consists of shredded cabbage, carrot and papaya. It is this really light combination with just the right amount of acidity. The shrimp are moist and perfectly cooked. It's the perfect chilled dish to offset the oppression of summer heat. I imagine that since it gets hot in Southeast Asia as well, the folks who brought this cuisine over already know that, but it's still a treat for us Oakland natives on a sticky hot summer day.

Even when it is hot out, I am pretty much incapable of avoiding spicy, so we followed the lovely light salad with an order of their Skewered Beef sticks. The beef is pretty much a straightforward barbeque, cooked on the tiny bamboo skewers. They are accompanied by a light dipping sauch, tangy and perfectly seasoned to mesh with the smoky barbeque of the beef. It is really moist, and I love the smoky flavor. Not sure what is used to spice the meats, but I love it.

After the beef, we shared a platter of the Barbeque Chicken, which is lovely smoky chicken slices served crispy and moist with a bit of vegetables, also accompanied with the traditional light dipping sauce; the Shrimp with Green Curry a lovely carrot, greenbean, mushroom, curry and shrimp dish which is extremely spicy. I love it, but this dish is not for those of you who are faint of heart. To try something new, we ordered their Basil Fried Rice with Prawns. It seemed a good choice to accompany the other dishes and give us a bed for the magnificent curry sauce that the shrimp comes swimming in. We had not tried this before, and the gentle hint of basil that permeated the fried rice was really tasty and aromatic.

This restaurant is simple, unpretentious (although I love myself a pretentiously delicious meal on occasion) and it is decorated modestly in a fairly traditional scheme. The restaurant is open for lunch daily, although I believe it is closed Mondays. There is also a dinner menu, but I've never been for dinner, so cannot attest to the offerings.

One thing we did not have on this occasion, but which you should try at some point, is a sampling of their fried bananas with ice cream. Not sure what the official name of that dish is, but I have never, ever had anything quite as light as those fried bananas. They come in a batter that is flecked with something that might be poppy... who knows, who cares, they are delicious. Light banana-y balls of hot airy yum-tastic dessert. So good. Lightest tasting fried food I have ever had.

Prices are extremely reasonable, this is a great deal for a meal. Parking sucks, be prepared to drive around before finding a spot.

Bon Appetit!

Phnom Penh House

251-8th Street

Oakland, CA 94607

510-893-3825

Price: Inexpensive
Dining Time: Can get out in an hour if needs be. If you arrive at noon, however, there can be a wait. If time is an issue, get there by 11:45am
Table size: Adequate, but can get cramped if all dishes arrive at once

SIAM BAY - Authentic Thai done to perfection

Siam Bay is an inexpensive, authentic option for outstanding Thai cuisine here in Oakland. It sits unassumingly next door to the incredibly popular (and I think relatively mediocre) Le Cheval. The food at Siam Bay is exceedingly fresh, and it's owner is always on the lookout to please his customers.

They serve a really nice buffet daily. It is all you can eat, and features a variety of standard dishes, including Curry Chicken (a lovely soft yellowy curry with plenty of chicken and potato chunks), a Thai hot mussell dish, aptly titled "Siam Bay Mussells" and a fried fish in Tamarind sauce.



The buffet is kept warm on a standard cafeteria steam table, but the dishes are replenished constantly (which is necessary because the buffet is popular and items can go very quickly). But it has been my experience that when an item disappears, a fresh replacement entree is placed in its stead within minutes.


In addition to the dishes mentioned above, there is a standard salad offering, with house dressing, and a self-serve Tom Yum soup that varies greatly in flavor, but is usually quite tasty. In addition to these touches, there is always a Pad Thai and a vegetarian dish or two, along with a large serving dish of plain white rice. A dessert can also be had, which is generally a rice pudding-like dish or a banana pudding. The consistency of the rice dish is not quite as thick as a pudding, perhaps more like a really thick soup. Maybe porridge? It's traditional, and if you like that sort of thing, also tasty.
The buffet is the staple of my BH, and it was mine for the first year we ate here, except for occasional forays into their Tom Kha soups. I prefer the one with shrimp, but both Tom Kha Gai (chicken) and Tom Kha Goong (Shrimp) are excellent. If you want a Tom Kha, this is the place to order this dish. Both soups are much better here than at Champa Garden.
After almost a year of watching our PFC eat one or the other of his favorite dishes, both of which he has specially prepared for him by the owner, I decided to jump in and try them. I think one of them may not even be on the menu, or if it is now, it wasn't always. But should you like spicy Thai food, both are excellent. The first is an excellent Beef Salad. Simply delicious. The meat is moist and the spices perfection. We like it hot though, so we always have him lay it on.

Same with the Garlic Shrimp. It is essentially a platter of perfectly cooked shrimp (still moist, never overdone) and fresh broccoli, smothered in a perfectly fiery hot sauce. When I am being extra good, I skip the brown rice and just sop the sauce up with the broccoli. These dishes are both spicy and not for the faint of heart. But the owner will make them for you if you ask, and it's well worth the trip.
Bon Appetit!

Siam Bay - Authentic Thai - Old Oakland

1009 Clay St(between 10th St & 11th St) Oakland, CA 94607(510) 452-1499

Price: Inexpensive
Dining Time: easily done in an hour
Table size: adequate