The Bay Leaf - 2000 E. MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA

   I always get excited when someone says 'Southern food', so when I got this Living Social offer of $40 worth of food and drinks for $20, I jumped on it. Fortunately for Janet and myself, it was fairly easy to get there by BART and Oakland Transit. This is a comfortable little space and the people are super nice. They warn you that some 'cooked-to-order' items may take up to 20 minutes to prepare, so bring some conversation with you.
   At the top we see the Crab Cakes (11), made with Dungeness crab and served with a horseradish remoulade. Janet thought they were a little watery, but I like the moisture, and they breading was light and perfectly crisp without oiliness. I could've used a little more seasoning, but I wouldn't hesitate to order these again.
   We tried to order the Deep Fried Oysters and Okra (10) as an appetizer without sides, but to no avail, so we chose candied yams and green beans with bacon. Again, these folks know how to fry, and the oysters were plump and juicy, the okra very nicely seasoned. The yams were outstanding, the beans adequate, with both of us agreeing they had been cooked a tad too long.
    The House Salad (6) was the weak link in the chain. It's supposed to have home made pickled beets, but someone had dropped the beets on the floor, so no beets. It also said feta cheese, but we had Parmesan. The romaine hearts should have been cut into more easily wielded pieces, and perhaps this could have been served in a bowl with the sliced eggs, tomatoes, cukes and carrot on top. The 1,000 island also tasted a little old.
   The star of the show was the Jerk Chicken (15), served with fried cabbage and bacon and cheesy grits. The rub used was just the right combo of spices and heat, and the leg and thigh meat was moist and very tender. The cabbage had a nice flavor and crunch, and of course bacon makes it all good. I didn't ask if the grits were regular or 'quick', but the flavor and texture told me regular. I would get these with any entree.
   There was no doubt that only one dessert would be necessary, and it was a toss-up between the lemon ice box pie and the Peach Cobbler (4). This cobbler had a cake-like topping, similar to what you get with pineapple upside down cake, just right side up. It was a nice switch from a flake crust, very moist and sweet and they warmed it in the oven, since the microwave was on the fritz.
   To see the menu, go to:http://site.thebayleafoakland.com/

Comstock Saloon - 155 Columbus Ave. at Pacific, SFCA

   This marks my third visit to the Comstock, this time with Mighty Michael Manson, bartender and music aficionado of Vesuvio fame. We were fortunate to have the eminent Jonny Raglin, saloon keeper extraordinaire, behind the stick, so we were entertained with snappy repartee and cocktail wizardry while dining. The Chicken Fried Rabbit (16), seen at the top, had my name all over it. These are tender boneless nuggets, skillfully fried to grease-less perfection and served with home made hot sauce. There are two pieces of toast with rabbit rillette to offer a little contrast.
   Mr. Manson had the Prix Fixe (20), which included a bowl of mushroom bisque (not shown), a Deep Fried Oyster Po'Boy (reg. 12) and maple bourbon pudding (not shown). The only thing lacking was a genuine Nawlins Leidenheimer Bakery po'boy roll, which would have made you think you were at Johnny's on St. Louis St.
   If you're looking to snack a little, try the Hangtown Toast (6.50) with pickled eggs and bacon, or the Whiskey Cured Gravlax (6.50) with shallots and dill cream. I'm going to ask Jonny to put the corn and jalapeno fritters and the fried fava beans back on the regular menu next time we meet. I also highly recommend the Beef Shank and Bone Marrow Pot Pie. Tell 'em Chili sent ya!

Naan 'n' Curry - 336 O'Farrell St., between Mason and Taylor, SFCA

    When I first went to London in 1973, I had no real knowledge of Indian food, other than a couple of visits to the one or two 'upscale' places in SF. The first place I ate at was a small ordinary restaurant in Woodgreen. When I asked to have the Chicken Vindaloo 'hot', the waiter asked if I was from the States, and I assured him that I could handle a pretty high level of heat. The dish arrived and I could see little rivulets of red oil in the deep brown gravy, and after the first couple of bites I knew I was on to something.
   And so, when I first visited the original Naan 'n' Curry on OFarrell and had a Chicken Vindaloo that was almost identical to the London offering, I was overjoyed. The fact there were no table cloths and a bare bones, help-yourself atmosphere with cheap prices made it even better.
   I'm sorry to say it, but I think the old girl has slipped a bit in the new location, one block east of the old one. The space is about six times bigger, there's annoying music and it's gone the buffet route like a lot of the Indian restos in the city. I still ordered a la carte, because I had a coupon for $20. The food overall was insipid and lackluster, the vindaloo somewhat hot but lacking any distinctive flavor and more potato than chicken. The aloo gobi was mushy and overcooked and the onion naan was barely warm when it arrived. The only saving grace here was the mango lassi; I could've drank a quart of that.
   I was sorry to see that Tasty Curry on 9th Ave. closed, I liked it a lot. I've also had some great meals at Spicy Bites out at Mission & Cortland, so I may to return there for my next Indian outing.

Burger Wars - Urbun Burger, 581 Valencia at 17th St., SFCA

    Another Groupon-inspired lunch, aiding us in that search for the best burgers in SF. Urbun Burger has been in business for almost two years now and has definitely become a Mission favorite. You can build your own burger, starting at a base price of $7.95, and they have vegetarian options. We chose to have two of the 'specialty' burgers. At the top here you see the Mission Heat (9.50), which comes topped with sauteed green chiles, grilled onions, jalapeno jack cheese, fresh jalapeno and chipotle aioli. The meat is Meyers certified all natural, hormone free angus. All burgers come with fries or salad and you can upgrade to alternatives like sweet potato fries, beer batter onion rings, etc. for a little more coin.

   Tobias chose the Urban Cowboy (10.50) topped with applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, onion rings and BBQ sauce. Did I mention these puppies are 1/2lb patties? And served on buns from La Boulange? Urbun Burger is now in my Top Five. Check out the menu at www.urbunburger.com

Pizza Wars - Avellino's, 2769 Lombard at Lyon, SFCA

   We're looking at an 18" XL here, with anchovy, red onion, sliced tomato and sausage, about $26. Thumbs up on the crust and that's about it. The sausage tasted a bit off and I just don't like it sliced, period. Give me those little hand-formed balls of goodness that have been put on pizza for as long as I can remember. Also, you don't see a whole of onion there, not enough to warrant $1.50 as a topping. I'm waiting for someone to step up to the plate (so to speak) and use white anchovies instead of the usual dark ones, which can overpower the rest of the flavors. My pal John Feeney, who joined me for lunch, was quite taken with this pie, saying it was as good as any found in Jersey. Maybe I need to go to Jersey.

Ramen For The Employed

   Yes, these come four to a pack for $2.59 at 99 Ranch, which is a tad more than the 50-pack for $4, or whatever they cost, at Costco. But on the upside, these are not fried, so one serving has only one gram of fat (290 calories, 10 from fat). There's 9 grams of protein and 69 grams of carbs, which, if you're a person who follows the glycemic index plan  for eating, means that you've exceeded the max of 55 grams of carbs per serving. Also, if you're concerned about sodium, there's whopping 1650mg (about 3/5 of the daily recommended total). I don't eat that much canned, frozen or processed food, so this doesn't bother me. Cook 'em up, add a little habanero chile sauce and by golly you've got a great late night meal for the person who gets home tired and hungry and just won't be satisfied with carrots and hummus.

I Thought I'd Seen It All...

  Incanto Restaurant at 1550 Church St. is now selling Chocolate Salami Ice Cream. That's right, salami. Actually it's a spreadable meat product called nduja. The ice cream is served on a chocolate chip waffle cone and topped with a rum caramel sauce and candied cara cara orange bits.

Kimchi

   Are you a kimchi fan? I know I am. Kimchi, like unpasteurized sauerkraut, yogurt and other fermented foods, is good for your intestinal tract. I've tried any number of commercially produced products and those sold at numerous Korean groceries in the Bay Area, and I like this brand the best. It uses Napa cabbage, not bok choy, which is preferable as far as I'm concerned, and its got plenty of zip to it. You can find it at Costco and at 99 Ranch, where I paid $7.99 for this 3lb. 10oz. container. I save the containers because they're great for transporting soups and whatnot to dinner parties. Dig that cool handle!

Eatin' In The 'Hood - Pudong, 2029 Market St., between Dolores & Church, SFCA

    They might as well call this place the 'Tommy Toy's of the Castro' - overpriced Chinese food for white people, or maybe I should say 'non-Asians'. Since it's a 'Shanghai style' restaurant (the owner was previously a chef at Shanghai 1930) I had to try the Xiao Long Bao (10). While the soup in the dumplings was fairly tasty, the pork filling was bland and the skins were a bit thick and chewy. Perhaps it's a space-saving device to use two steamer trays stacked atop one another as seen here.
   I asked for the Ma Po Dou Fu (14) spicy and it would probably have been overwhelming for a Cub Scout. The overall flavor was good, but it lacked the requisite Sichuan pepper to give it that special jolt of heat. It's also a dish that costs about $5 less anywhere else.
   Maybe the prices are high to keep the riffraff out, or maybe to pay for cleaning the extensive drapery. Either way, avoid this place unless your mother is buying dinner.
ps - this is now officially Chinese restaurant #395 

Eatin' in the 'Loin - Muang Thai, 385 Taylor between O'Farrell and Ellis, SFCA

   Once again, lack of paying attention led me to a new destination. I had planned to visit Naan 'n' Curry on O'Farrell St. because I have a coupon (naturally), but when I got off the bus, it appeared to be out of business - later I realized they'd moved down into the 300 block of O'Farrell. So there I was, wandering down the street looking for a suitable substitute when I chanced upon this place. I wanted something spicy, and I got it. I asked for the Green Papaya Salad (7.95) fixed 'Thai style' and my server said, 'You want it spicy, huh?' I managed to break a light sweat with this delicious dish found on virtually every Thai menu in the City, combining all the elements of sweet, sour, salty and hot plus a crunchy texture - as good as any I had in Thailand! I followed with a bowl of Tom Kha Goong (8.95), six plump prawns in a chicken broth simmered with coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal (a type of ginger) straw mushrooms, tomato, coriander and lime. This helped to take the edge off the salad and has inspired me to come back for the tom yum goong, the hot and sour version of this soup.
  To see the menu go to:www.muangthaicuisine.com
  They have another restaurant on O'Farrell, Sai Jai Thai, which serves lao or Issan style food from the Northeast part of Thailand.

Beijing - 3925 Irving at 40th Ave., SFCA

   According to my careful miscalculations, this is either #394 or #396 on my list of Chinese restaurants I have eaten at; it looks like I'll have to crosscheck business cards, hard drive lists and blog lists to sort it out. At any rate, the folks running this little place have been open two months; they also own Beijing #1 at 1801 Alemany. The menu is large, with 172 dishes, which makes it a challenge on what to order the first time around. I went with Tobias, one of the 'beefy bartenders' at Lucky 13, and we were both starving, so we went hog wild, starting with the Spinach with Sesame Sauce (6.95) and the Fried Crab Cheese Puffs (4.95). The spinach hadn't been trimmed of the stems, so there was a fair amount of mastication required to eat it and the sauce was average. I suppose you could call the crab puffs Crab Rangoon in egg roll wrappers. These were quite good but you have to let them cool a bit because they're hot and you can burn your little tongue like I did.
   For large dishes we chose the Sauteed String Beans (7.50), a standard Sichuan dish that you'll see listed as 'dry-fried string beans' on some menus; the literal translation is 'dry cooked four season bean'. These had that good crunch from not being overcooked, but even though I asked the waiter to beef up the garlic and heat factor a little, they sauce was not that piquant.
   I was curious to see how they prepared the Salt and Pepper Pork (8.95) in comparison to the salt and pepper 'pork chop' you see on many a Cantonese menu (a favorite dish, BTW). This came completely boned out and in a light batter that could have contained a bit more pepper and some crunch. The meat was extremely tender and there was plenty of it.
   There is a section of the menu entitled 'Specials Flour Ball', which I'm not familiar with, so we had to have it. The literal translation for flour ball is 'pimple' - go figger. You can have your choice of meats, vegetables, shrimp and a 'three flavor' combination. We opted for Stirred Flour Ball with Chicken (7.95). As you can see in the pic, there are no 'balls', but little cubes of wheat flour dough, similar to al dente noodles, along with diced carrot, peas and cucumber. Interesting but not awesome.
   I wouldn't immediately classify this as a destination resto at this point, but I think it merits a return simply because they have Peking duck served three ways for $38.50; mix-and-match hot pots, where you choose your broth, meats and vegetables; a lengthy 'Beijing Special' dishes section; some interesting dim sum, and hand-pulled noodles. They're open 11-9:30 every day but Tuesday and they don't serve beer, but there is a grocery across the street and you can ask about BYOB.

Wine Wednesday at Jardiniere, 300 Grove St. at Franklin, SFCA

   Beginning this month, Jardiniere will be offering selected regional wines for 50% off from 7:30 to 10pm on Wednesday evening. A different region will be chosen every month and will include non-US vintners, so you can enjoy wine from the Loire Valley as well as Napa Valley. Enjoy!

The Royal Cuckoo - 3202 Mission St., at Valencia, SFCA

   The latest addition to the Mission's growing set of eclectic and hip watering holes, this warm little room is the brainchild of Paul Miller, brother of local legend Lavay Smith, she of Red Hot Skillet Lickers fame. This has been a bar since 1907 and largely catered to a Latino crowd in the past. There's lots of dark colors and wood, a specialty drink list, an organ (!) and music provided by Paul's vinyl collection. You can look through an index and pick one side of an lp for your listening pleasure.
   For all the people that think Puerto Alegre is such a swell place, let me you tell you that Los Panchos, mentioned in the post just before this one, is right next door, and they're Paul's landlord. He's not averse to you bringing food into the bar, as long as it's not Burger King, and I'm sure you could get Los Panchos to let you eat off of regular dinner ware. Joe or whoever else is working can whip up a dandy margarita et voila!

Eatin' in The Mission - Los Panchos, 3206 Mission St., at Valencia, SFCA

   Back in the 70's I used to eat at El Zocalo, out on Mission St. near Blue Plate, Mi Lindo Peru, etc. I guess after ten years or so of waiting for a menu for ten minutes, another ten minutes for someone to take my order and another fifteen or twenty minutes to get my food, I decided to try Los Panchos right down the street and I haven't been to El Zocalo since. One of my favorite dishes is the Chile Verde (9.95), a generous serving of flaky, tender pork smothered in a house made sauce of tomatillo, peppers, garlic, onion and spices. The beans are always at least adequate and sometimes just plain outstanding, and the rice is, well, rice. They boast that they have the best pupusas in town and they are quite good. You've got pretty much all your standard Mexican and Salvadorean dishes, and you'll see a lot of Latinos eating the bistec encebollado, smothered steak with french fries. I've eaten just about everything on the menu and it's all good except for the menudo, only because it's not made in the style that I prefer. Added bonuses are the fact that they're open until 4am on Friday and Saturday and 3am the rest of the week, and a lot of SF's finest like to eat there, so you can rest easy when they're there.

I Squared - 5403 College Ave., at Manila St., Oakland, CA

    I apologize for not having all the prices for this meal, I forgot the itemized receipt. Let's just say it was very reasonable. The Insalata Calabrese combines fresh baby greens with warm red beets, Roma cherry tomatoes, pecans and blue cheese in a light balsamic vinaigrette. While this was a nice sized portion with good flavor, it could have used a bit of fruitier olive oil to bring it to a peak. The Steamed Black Mussels (7) were tender and plump, bathed in a saffron infused wine sauce with garlic. A nice sixteen-count makes this a good deal all around. The special of the evening, Chicken Piccata, came with a wealth of fusilli and capers. The meat was generally tender, with maybe a couple of bites that came close to being dry and chewy. The sauce itself, which most people associate with veal, brought back memories of all those late night dinners at Original Joe's, back in my cab driving days. A perfect blend of butter, white wine and capers, seasoned nicely.
   Janet was in the mood for some Lamb Shank (15), braised for six hours in a saffron/red wine sauce and served with yellow split peas, artichoke heart, zucchini and 'pearl pasta', which looked like pastina but was actually a large couscous. The lamb was in that falling-off-the-bone category, soaked in the full-bodied sauce.
   The owner, who moved here from Iran with his family as a youth and lives about a block from the restaurant, was nice enough to buy Janet a glass of wine after asking us to move down a seat at the counter. We  both enjoyed an Orvieto with our starters and Janet had a Barbera as her freebie.
  For once I didn't even have to think about ordering dessert because it was announced that "We're having dessert!" The Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sorbet (7) was absolutely the best we've ever had, unbelievably moist, the sorbet providing that sweet/tart contrast that makes it the perfect companion to any chocolate confection. Why stop there? Have some Vanilla Bean Gelato (3) and an espresso to round it all out. Again, we agreed that even the espresso was the best we'd had in a long time, the crema thick and the coffee bursting with flavor. Of course, they have one of those machines that cost about a hundred zillion dollars, and the beans are imported directly from Italy.
    If you're in the mood for Iranian food, you've got a whole other side to the menu, which you can view at: www.i2squared.com. This whole meal, with tax, came to about $72.00. The restaurant is conveniently located about four blocks from the Rockridge BART, if you don't feel like driving. I'm looking for someone to go with me so I can try the Iranian specialties!!

Eatin in the LoHa - Chilli Cha Cha, 494 Haight St., at Fillmore, SFCA

    I had originally gone to the Lower Haight to check out a new place, near the Toronado, that someone mentioned to me at Finnegans. I somehow forgot what kind of place it was, and when I got down there nothing stood as being new. Since I was there and this place was open I figured, why not?
  At the top we see the Firecracker Balls (9.95), one of the Chef's Specials. These are Ahi tuna rolls, panko coated and deep-fried, served with hot mayonnaise, teriyaki and Thai hot sauce. I think I would've preferred the mayo, etc. on the side so I could decide what suited my taste. Who knows, I may have liked them without any sauce at all. Your Thai Iced Tea (2.95) is always good for washing spicy food down, and it tastes the same here as it does just about everywhere else. For our main course, the Tom Yum Khai (8.25) a standard chicken soup with mushrooms and onion, flavored with lemon grass and lime. I asked for 'hot' and it was pleasantly warm enough to open up my sinuses a little. If you like it truly hot, ask for it 'Thai style' and tell them you're serious. My only gripe with dish was that the chicken was overcooked and basically tasteless, and there wasn't much of it.
   Chilli Cha Cha's menu has close to hundred items on it, including lots of noodle soups, plus a number of rice plates and a lunch combo (11am to 5:30pm) that comes with soup or salad and your choice of two items with jasmine rice (9.95). They're open seven days a week until 11pm.
 You can check their site at;www.chillichacha.com

Some More Dishes To Add To The Album...

   Yesterday was a Z&Y kinda day, with Janet and Conrado from Vesuvio joining me at 655 Jackson. A complimentary small bowl of pickled cucumber and bell pepper, as well as a little bowl of savory broth with clam for each of us (seen at right), arrived before our regular food. The Eggplant with Garlic Sauce -Yu Xiang Chi Szu - (8.95) had a slightly crispy exterior and was not soggy with too much oil, as it sometimes can be in Chinese restaurants. The heat factor wasn't intimidating, but you can always ask your server to ramp it up a notch. The Hunan Chicken - Hu Nan Ji - (9.95) didn't cause any excitement amongst the three of us, being a bit bland, but it was at least tender and moist. The Hunan Smoked Pork - Hu Nan La Rou - (9.50) was running neck and neck with the eggplant for everybody's fave. The beans had good crunch and the (essentially) bacon added just the right amount smoky contrast.
   I was asked by the owner, Michelle, to always comment on what I like and don't like, which is an honor for me. I really like this place and they seem to be succeeding.

Not Your Average Soda Pop...

   Next time you get tired of the same old Snapple drinks, try one of these. The Yeo's Sugar Cane Drink can be found at most Asian markets. It's surprisingly not that sweet, in fact it doesn't have that much taste at all, even though it does have 25 grams of carbs, which is not bad compared to Stewart's Key Lime Soda with 44 grams. The T.A.S. Coconut Water was purchased at Berkeley Bowl (the new one) on sale for 99 cents. It has no added sugar and tastes faintly like non-fat cow's milk. Plus it's all the rage, I hear.

Eatin in the Castro - Brandy Ho's, 4068 - 18th St., near Castro, SFCA

  Finding myself hungry and with time on my hands after visiting the clinic, I decided to mosey on over to Brandy Ho's. I'd ordered take-out not long after they first opened and wasn't really impressed, but I thought it only fair to dine in and compare. At right is Bean Curd with Meat Sauce (Ma Po Do Fu, 8.5). While technically not a Hunan dish, they do a pretty legitimate version here. Peas are not in a traditional Sichuan serving of this dish, and Brandy Ho's doesn't use Sichuan pepper that is in the traditional version. I asked for it hot, and while it was not as hot as I would've liked, I think it has enough heat for the average Joe. The flavor was very good and the meat-to-curd ratio just right. An added bonus is Sapporo beer on tap for $3 during Happy Hour, 3-6pm. And unlike the flagship in North Beach, you can get mimosas and tiramisu, woo hoo! I'll be back to try some of my other fave Hunan dishes in the near future.

Burger Wars - Burgermeister, 86 Carl St., SFCA

  Well, we're just one burger away from deciding who's got the best in Cole Valley. A lot of people like to knock Burgermeister for one reason or another, but quite frankly I liked this sando a lot. It's the 1/3lb. San Diego Burger (8) with jalapeno and pepper jack cheese. Good old Niman Ranch beef, cooked to a perfect medium rare with that char-broiled flavor and a sesame bun. You may say,'who needs a sesame seed bun when you've got Acme?' I had my first sesame seed bun in 1954 at a place called Jerl's in Joplin, MO. The owner claimed to have invented this bun - he also drank a lot, with my stepfather. Let's just say I have a soft spot in my heart.
   One thing I've learned to do at Burgermeister is to ask for NO salt. Burgers in the past have been ruined because of a heavy hand with the shaker. Let me salt my Garlic Curly Fries (5) and we'll leave it at that. These are pretty decent fries, but I think they could be a dollar less, at least. I'm not sure when and where curly fries were invented, but I had them as a child in the early 50's at a place called the White Grill in Nevada, MO, which has been in business since 1934 and is still going strong.
   On Burgerometer, I'd say 8 out of 10.

Orienta Lucky Market - 535 8th St., between Clay & Jefferson, Oakland, CA

  Here's a little quartet of items from my favorite hot sauce purveyor. At left is the economy size of Matouk's West Indian Hot Sauce (7.99), a full 750ml bottle of heat that has a papaya base and uses Scotch bonnet peppers, along with vinegar and mustard. One of my all-time faves. Next is a new one for me, JCS Crushed Scotch Bonnet Peppers Sauce (2.40) which lists "peppers, vinegar, sugar and spices". It's a typical Jamaican style sauce, quite tasty and reasonably priced. From Brazil, Cerrado Goiano Pimenta Bode (3.99), small flavorful peppers in vinegar, only mildly hot and not worth $3.99 for such a small bottle. And lastly, the true butt-burner, Matouk's West Indian Flambeau Sauce (4.49). No fruit base to cushion the heat, no need for oleoresin capsaicin here, this will separate the men from the girls.
   One last note - please do NOT buy Melinda's hot sauce. The company that imports and distributes it stole the recipe from the original creator, Marie Sharp's. Buy Marie Sharp's!!

Bushi-Tei, 1638 Post St. between Laguna & Buchanan, SFCA

   We almost missed the boat on this one. There is a Bushi-Tei Bistro at 1581 Webster, which is standard Japanese restaurant that has all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu, among other things. We sat down and looked at the menu and I sez to myself, 'this doesn't look right.' I got out the trusty Groupon and sure enough the place we wanted is at 1638 Post.
   Chef "Waka" Wakabayashi is trained in classic French cuisine as well as Japanese and has succeeded in producing his own California fusion menu. I like the fact that he uses the traditional definition of 'entree' as an appetizer or small plate, and 'plat' as large plate main course. We chose one plat, the Kurobuta (28) or Berkshire pork as we know it here. This comes with coco blanc beans, bacon and apple-ginger chutney. Tender sweet meat that tasted even better dipped in the accompanying sauce bathing the beans. We could have used a slightly bigger piece, especially at that price.

   For entrees we started with Lobster and Crab (18) mixed with chrysanthemum leaf, papaya, bacon, ginger cream and curry oil. All these flavors came together surprisingly well without dominating the mild flavor of the seafood. We agreed that the Grilled Octopus (12), with harissa and cherry tomatoes, was the weak link in the chain, lacking enough grilled flavor for my taste and seemingly too chewy for Michael and Christine. I expect octopus to be a little chewy, so that aspect didn't bother me. The Herb-Marinated Ocean Trout (13) with pickled hearts of palm, ikura (salmon roe) and semi-dried tomato mustard proved to be a winner with all of us. The trout, served sashimi-style, was soft and buttery, the roe providing a salty contrast to the palm heart and the cucumber adding some crunch. And lastly, the Golden Beet Carpaccio (12) with roasted paprika coulis, mizuna and truffle tapenade. This is a beet lover's dream, that's all I can say, and my fork prevailed over the chopsticks used by my fellow diners.
   We had room for dessert and settled for the Apple Dumpling (7.5) and the Mocha Parfait (8) both of which we thoroughly enjoyed, lamenting only the fact that the dumpling was so small. I think we could have had one apiece!
   If you're a fan of unfiltered sake, they have a nice Yaegaki Nigorizaki for $30. This plus food came to $128.50 before tax and tip. You can visit their site at: www.bushi-tei.com