Sushirrito

The first time I went to Sushirrito, my roommate and I decided to go on a Saturday afternoon. But, to our surprise, once we arrived, it was closed. We later found out that it is only open from Monday to Friday from 11 to 3. So, the next week, my roommate and I went back to Sushirrito on a Friday around 12 and sure enough it was open. I think that the time they are open for business is pretty inconvenient for those people who are not free during their lunchtime. It limits Sushirrito’s market to a couple different types of customers. For me, I felt it was sort of a hassle to get there just to see that it was closed and have to come back again when it was open, just to try it out.

Sushirrito is located in SOMA on 59 New Montgomery Street, a block or two away from the Montgomery Muni Stop. It is located around many business buildings and other food places such as McDonalds, Jamba Juice, Starbucks, etc. When you walk into Sushirrito, I noticed how small it was. Inside, there was only a small room where people would stand in line to order, a condiment table, a counter where they would make the food, the kitchen in the back, and the cash register. I was actually surprised that it was just a take-out spot but it made sense to make it that way because Sushirrito is only open for a couple of hours. According to Sushirrito’s website, Sushirrito offers, made-to-order, hand-held sushi burritos stuffed with savory Asian and Latin-infused ingredients and flavors.” On their menu, they have six different sushi rolls (sushirritos) ranging from $8.00 to $10.50 and two different sides, lava nachos and a side order of rice chips costing, $7.00and $1.50 respectively. To me, I thought that Sushirrito was a bit overpriced for their food but then considering how much six individual sushi cost at other places, their prices are reasonable. The Sushirrito that I ordered was the Sumo Crunch ($8.50) which contained shredded crab, cucumber, avocado, shaved cabbage, green onions, red tempura flakes and Sriracha Aioli for a sauce. The food itself was very delicious but the serving size was a little bit smaller than a burrito you would get a Mexican restaurant. All in all, I would give Sushirrito a 3 out of 5 compared to Yelp’s rating of 3.5 out of 5.  I think that the price of their food items are costly compared to the amount of food they serve. But even though I am not fully satisfied with the amount of food, I am content with the quality of it. The sushirritos taste fresh and very delicious. Each of the ingredients that go into each Sushirrito do not taste as if they had been stored in the fridge for days. Another reason why I would give Sushirrito a three is because I think the days and hours that it is open is inconvenient for a lot of people that are not around the area that it is located in. All in all, I would recommend Sushirrito to sushi lovers and people who have a little more than a couple of bucks to spend. I think Sushirrito is one of those food places that you would go to every once in a while because it is on the pricier side of take-out of food.

Ongpin

A couple of the main aspects that are emphasized in the Filipino culture are family, community and religion. In the article, “Filipinos sing, share festive foods, teach old ways to young,” it talks about how the older generation does not want the Filipino customs to die, so they try to teach the youth about them. As a Filipino American, my parents have brought me up learning Filipino culture and traditions by teaching me about our faith as Catholics, Filipino customs as well as the importance of family. My mom, who is a devout Catholic, always taught me to always pray to God before every meal in order to give thanks. Even in big family parties, everyone says grace together to bless the food that is there. Not only are my parents teaching me about our religion but also some Filipino customs too. As the main cook in my family, my mom cooks many Filipino dishes she has learned from her dad. Some of those dishes such as pancit (thin noodles mixed with vegetables and meat), adobo (meat in a vinegar sauce), ginataan (pudding with different vegetables, fruits and tapioca pearls), and longanisa (small, flavored sausages), lechon (full roasted pig) are served at different times of the day or specific occasions. For instance, pancit is typically served on birthdays in order to give the birthday celebrant long life. Many Filipino foods are based on other different cultures as well, such as the Spanish and Chinese. But even though, different plates may look and taste differently you should always be open to try new things.

One of the things Daly City, California is known for is its large population of Filipinos. By recognizing that there is such a huge Filipino community, one can expect there to be many Filipino restaurants around that area. The Filipino restaurant I will be reviewing and talking about in this blog is Ongpin. Not only is it a restaurant but a catering business as well. The restaurant is located on 73 Camaritas Ave right by El Camino Real and I280. It is open 7 days a week, opening in the morning, except for Tuesdays, when it opens at 5pm, and closing around 9:30-10pm. Ongpin is a sit-down restaurant but you could order takeout from them as well.

The first time I went to Ongpin I was with my family and we had no idea what to expect. We had only decided to eat there because we kept passing by it on the way to another Filipino restaurant close by, called Max’s Restaurant. But, ever since then, we have been coming back for their food. Compared to all the other restaurants and food places I’ve talked about in this blog already, Ongpin is not as decorated or as fancy. The inside of the restaurant is very simple, containing a big room with chairs, tables, the kitchen and registers. Despite the lack of decorations and such, Ongpin makes up for with its food. The items on their menu are priced between $2-$15 and come in big portions. The types of Filipino food Ongpin serves are an array of noodle soup, breakfast, rice plates, beef, pork, seafood, vegetable plates and many others. Some of my favorite dishes from Ongpin are their pork sisig (diced grilled pork that is seasoned with spices), pork adobo (pork chunks in a garlic-vinegar mix), pancit canton (Cantonese noodles), and Sinigang na Bangus Belly (a sour soup containing boneless milkfish with vegetables). Most of Ongpin’s dishes are cooked very similar if not the same as the traditional method of cooking the food, such as the lechon (fried pork with crunchy skin). All the dishes I had eaten were very delicious and were worth the price because of the amount of food we were given. Ongpin is a good, reasonably priced Filipino restaurant that I would recommend to a big group of people and anybody that likes Filipino food or hasn’t tried it. Ongpin will give the people who eat Filipino food for the first time a good first impression with their appetizing dishes. All in all, I would give Ongpin a rating of 4 out of 5 compared to Yelp’s review of 3.5 out of 5.

Clay Oven

This week we will be talking about Indian food and culture. According to the Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, Indian food is influenced by many people such as the Persians, Mongolians, and the British. Year-round their staple diet consists of meat, fish, rice, and vegetables. The types of meat they most commonly eat are chicken and mutton. Their diets change with every season. For example, in the summer, they eat food that is sweet and cold while in the winter they eat food that is greasy and hot (spicy). Not only do they eat specific foods during each season but they also use certain spices to go along with the food. In the wintertime, they use “heat-generating” spices to keep the body warm such as black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, etc. In each Indian meal, it consists of 3 main foods. The meal is made out of a central starch, a mixture of vegetables, and dal (a purée of lentils). With each serving, you have the option of having yogurt, relishes, or chutneys on the side. As a dessert, you can have something that is sweet and savory. Some traditional Indian drinks you can have are lassi (a yogurt based drink), aam panna (raw mango juice), and jaljeera (tamarind juice with cumin seeds). With this background about Indian food and culture, I hope that you will someday want to try their food and learn more about them.

In San Francisco, one of the Indian restaurants my roommate and I like to go to is Clay Oven. The restaurant is located on 385 West Portal Avenue and .is easily accessible by Muni or car. The venue itself is small with a casual yet fancy dining area. In the back of the restaurant they have a small bar and a couple tables for the lunch buffet. When my roommate and I went to Clay Oven to eat for the first time, we went there for the buffet. The buffet is open daily from 11 to 2:30 with different food selections depending on the day of the week. On the day that we went, there were about 8 to 10 dishes at the buffet table. There were traditional Indian dishes such as chicken tikka masala, chicken vindaloo, dal, and tandoori chicken. Other than the main dishes, there was also rice, salad and an Indian dessert like kheer. When eating at the buffet, they give you unlimited naan (flat bread) to go with your food. But if you just want to order off the menu you have to pay for everything separately. Since we were there for the buffet, I ended up getting about 3 to 4 plates of food. I tried every dish they served and they were all delicious. The meat was juicy, the vegetables were fresh and each dish had the perfect amount of spiciness.

When I talked to my roommate Katerina, who had just tried Indian food for the first time, she told me that it was better than expected because she thought everything was going to be spicy. But, after eating at Clay Oven she said, “The food was very delicious! My favorite food was the chicken tikka masala with naan because it wasn’t spicy.” This experience Katerina had affected her opinions about Indian food and culture. Compared to other Indian restaurants I have been to I give Clay Oven a 3.5 out of 5 and Yelp gives it a 3.5 out of 5 as well. The casual atmosphere, moderate prices and well made dishes make this a great Indian restaurant for families as well as college students. I recommend this restaurant to everyone of all ages and those who are first timers or Indian food lovers. It is a great place to get a variety of traditional dishes for a great price.

Taco Libre

Leaving school with a hungry appetite for Mexican food, I set my sights on the restaurant Taco Libre located in Park Merced. Surprisingly, I have never been there before even though it is really close to my apartment.  The restaurant is at a short walking distance on 55 Cambon Drive right next to 19^th street. As my roommate, Katerina and I were walking into Taco Libre, we noticed that there were only two to three employees working. They were responsible for cooking the food in addition to getting all the orders at the register. Even though the restaurant was small, the place was very bright and festive. There were a handful of tables in the seating area with a condiments area in the back. The walls were painted yellow and red with decorations of cartoon wrestling characters as well as a large, colorful menu which was handwritten in chalk.

As I was walking in, I could smell the delicious aroma of the freshly made food. My mouth already began to salivate from just the thought of how the food would taste. Taco Libre has a variety of Mexican food, desserts, and drinks. Their menu consists of burritos, tortas, tacos, soda, alcoholic beverages, and many more. The costs of each meal are reasonably priced, ranging from $1 to $13.  As a college student, the prices were perfect for my budget. After looking at the menu for quite some time, I could not hold my hunger back any longer and ordered a super burrito bowl. My roommate ordered a crispy taco and a regular burrito bowl. A super burrito bowl is exactly the same as the super burrito, which was also on the menu, but without a tortilla. It consists of meat (carnitas), beans (pinto), rice, salsa, cheese, guacamole, and sour cream. The only difference between the super burrito and regular burrito bowl is that there is no cheese, guacamole, and sour cream. The crispy taco was made of a hard taco shell, meat (carne asada), cheese, lettuce, sour cream and salsa. Once we placed our orders, my roommate and I waited at one of the tables. From there, we were able to watch our meals being cooked. Once the food was finished cooking, one of the employees delivered the food to our table. In my opinion, I thought the food was delicious! The ingredients tasted fresh and the meats were juicy and perfectly cooked. I look forward to trying out other dishes in the near future. Compared to Yelp’s rating of 3.5 out of 5, I would give this restaurant a 4 based on the great customer service, food, and ambiance.

Today, authentic Mexican restaurants throughout the country maintain their traditions and culture through their food. According to the Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, the maize flat breads or tortillas are a main staple of Mexican cuisines. The tortilla is used in most authentic Mexican dishes such as enchiladas, tacos, tostadas, etc. In Taco Libre, they still make their burritos and tacos with tortillas. Salsa, a popular condiment associated with Mexican food, has been around for centuries. It can be made in a variety of ways using vegetables, peppers, salt and sometimes fruits. In Taco Libre, they served different types of salsa like pico de gallo, salsa verde, and salsa picante. Typically, salsa is served with tortilla chips or as a sauce for an entrée. These traditional dishes are still made and served today in many Mexican restaurants.