Mughal Restaurant in Hayward

Bhindi Masala at Mughal Restaurant in Hayward.

Finally had the perfect day to check out Mughal Restaurant in Hayward. Mughlai Cuisine has its origins in Medieval India, and while I know some of the classic dishes (such as Biryani), I know just enough about it to realize how much more there is to learn. A blend of Central Asian, Northern India, and Pakistani influences prevail, and the cuisine is most often associated with cities such as Hyderabad & Karachi.

Above, clockwise from below: Bhindi Masala, Lamb Saag, and Lamb Paya. Below: Goat Biryani, Raita, Garlic Naan. 

Similar in many ways to Hyderabad Biryani House in San Ramon. One thing both restaurants have in common: they don't ask how spicy you like the food, so be forewarned, this cuisine is pretty spicy, and also, all the meat we had was on the bone. Both restaurants are inexpensive and cooking at a highly nuanced level. 

The Goat Biryani is a robust rice dish chock full of spices--you can see a black peppercorn in the closeup shot below, and I think the rice was made with saffron. The goat is tender and succulent, falling off the bone. 

The Lamb Paya is a soup, with pieces of lamb mostly fallen off the trotter bones. It has the consistency of a classic thick stock from the French school, made by roasting the bones, then placing the bones in boiling water that gets more and more reduced. That's the basis of Escoffier's mother sauces, but there's also a similarity here to the stock for Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, using very dark roux. In this case, what's definitely unlike French, Creole & Cajun classics is the panoply of Indian spices, resulting in a soup that's thick and hearty, but also explosive in flavor and aroma.

There's many great versions of Lamb Saag around the Bay Area, but this one stands out because there's no dairy used at all. Most versions at least use ghee, and even beyond Saag Paneer, some add cream or milk. This version I think is a blend of spinach and other greens, and probably some onion and garlic finely minced then sauteed in a neutral oil. And of course the tender lamb and ecstasy-inspiring spices express the pinnacle notes of the dish.

With all this savory and spicy flavor happening, it was nice to encounter versions of Bhindi Masala and Raita unlike any I've ever had. The Bhindi Masala tasted like it was made from fresh (not frozen) vegetables, with that tell-tale sweet flavor in the okra, onion & tomato. Also, this version isn't quite as hammered, and, speaking of Creole & Cajun classics, reminds me more of Okra & Tomato side dishes. Their Raita is the most distinctive version I've had, likely because it was made fresh with shredded cucumbers. Both items stood out as counterpoint to the spicier items, making the overall experience more sublime.

The service was outstanding, and the restaurant is connected a series of ballrooms and special rooms folks can rent for corporate events, with catering of Mughal & American cuisine available.

Goat Biryani.

Lamb Paya, or Lamb Trotter Soup.

Lamb Saag.

MUGHAL RESTAURANT

24989 Santa Clara St, Hayward, CA 94544

(510) 793-8000

Noodles Pho Me in San Leandro

We found out about Noodles Pho Me, a Thai/Lao restaurant that opened a few months ago, in Groupon. This is one of the best Thai/Lao restaurants in the Bay Area, the equal (but different) of Sue's Kitchen in El Sobrante. Immaculately clean, with professional and friendly staff, & exquisite cuisine, Noodles Pho Me offers a limited menu, which is a good thing, in my view. Everything we had today was top-notch. They also feature some specials, and say they plan to expand along with their clientele.

Tasting sauces brought to us before our food arrived. From left: Pho broth, Khao Poon, and Khao Soy. Every sauce was fabulous, the Pho broth more redolent of Star Anise than usual. Khao Poon is a Southeast Asian Chicken Soup, and Khao Soy is a soup based on fermented soybean and tomato broth.

Above & below: Thai-style Papaya Salad. Note the eggplant.

Above & below: Khao Poon. Deep soulful blend of chicken broth, coconut milk, and spice. Mostly dark chicken meat, with rice noodles, sliced cabbage, bean sprouts, cilantro, scallion, topped with mint and lemon.

And finally, Sai Gok, baked Lao Sausage, infused with herbs and spices, (but not lemongrass). Served with sticky rice, green beans and a chili/tomato sauce dip (jeow mak len).

http://noodlesphome.weebly.com

Shanghai Dumpling Shop in Millbrae

Spicy Dumplings at Shanghai Dumpling Shop in Millbrae.

This past weekend we attended the Santa Cruz Mushroom Festival, which we attend every year. Usually we'll stop and eat someplace in Milpitas on the way home, but we took a different route, north on Highway One, then headed east at Half Moon Bay, which brings one just south of Millbrae on 101.

We've eaten at a few places around Silicon Valley, and were particularly impressed by the one Millbrae Chinese restaurant we chose more or less at random. We more or less did the same thing Sunday night, having heard other people praise the Chinese cuisine scene in Millbrae. Shanghai dumplings sounded great.

Above and below is the Mu Shu Lamb with Pancakes & Hoisin Sauce. Been a long time since I've had Mu Shu, and never with lamb, and nowhere close to as good as this, though to be honest it's just stir-fried vegetables and lamb, but cooked to perfection. Cabbage, carrots, scallions and wood ear mushrooms. Everything fresh to begin with, still very crunchy with a nice char on them.

Four pancakes really isn't enough. Hoisin sauce was likely made in-house, and gotta say, nothing we got here was overly salted--the spice and seasoning was perfectly balanced.

Here you can see my Mu Shu Lamb "burrito" (I'm sure someone's tried calling it that).

Here's those Spicy Dumplings again, and they were oh-so heavenly. Pork and chives and a bit of stock inside, the sauce was chile and/or chile oil mixed with Chinese Sesame sauce, and thinly sliced scallions and sesame seeds as garnish. The texture of the dumplings was spot on. The dumplings here are as good as the best I've ever had. Can't wait to return. They've got to be made in-house.

Here's a dumpling with one bite, so you can see the contents. 

Here's our selection from the "Shanghai Style Braise" part of the menu: Braised Pork Rump. Essentially pork rump cooked low and slow until tender, with a sauce imbued with Chinese Five Spice, and ringed around with Baby Bok Choy. We've had this Classic Chinese dish at several restaurants, and while I consider the version at China Village in Albany to be the best I've had the delight of trying, this one is a close second. You can definitely taste the Star Anise, Cloves, Cinnamon, Sichuan Pepper & Fennel Seeds, but not quite as keenly and intense as what they serve at China Village. 

But look at that unctuous mass of pork!

We ate as much as we could, & I've been pigging out on the leftovers at lunch for the last couple of days (and I'll maybe finish it tomorrow). Something about all that pork fat essentially seals in the flavors like pork confit. 

Shanghai Dumpling Shop

455 Broadway

Millbrae, CA 94030

650-697-0682

Watsonville

Scallops Dynamite at Miyuki in Watsonville.

Every year we go to the Mushroom Show in Santa Cruz, but this year Robin thought we should stay in Watsonville, 14 miles away, much cheaper, and a different scene. Last week I started researching the culinary scene there, and was pleasantly surprised to find so many highly rated restaurants. So Friday night we decided to try Miyuki, a sushi restaurant close to downtown Watsonville.

Some of the decor looked new, but mostly this looked like a place that's settled in. There's several other highly rated Japanese restaurants, and Robin says that Japanese families moved here many years ago to grow strawberries. I'd guess that Miyuki has been here since the 1960s, and they own the building. There's several marinas of some note (Santa Cruz, Monterey) where the freshest sushi grade fish can be found.

Miso soup.

Albacore, Hamachi, Tako, Unagi, Salmon roll, Unagi roll, Spicy Tuna roll, Gina roll (tuna, avocado, macadamia).

Scallop Dynamite: cut-up scallops and shittake, in oyster shells, in egg whites, oyster liquor, possibly Masago, baked. So exquisite.

Next day we wanted a snack before dinner, so we got a pork and chicken tamale, which were utterly sublime. This is one of those rare instances (like these other places in Watsonville) where they served home cooking--not many restaurants make tamales this good. The chicken has a nice round flavor, and the pork has a rich texture, as did the masa.

This is Delicia's Taqueria. There's so many highly rated Mexican restaurants, I just picked the one that definitely had soups, for Robin. Above you can see all the food I ordered: Ceviche, Chile Relleno Plate, Two Tacos. 

Pozole. Note the Red Hominy.

Chile Relleno. Whole sauteed pieces of peppers and onion in a rich tomato sauce. This style is common in Central Texas, not so much here.

I've never had better Carne Asada or Carnitas. Or more generous servings.

Ceviche tostada. The trick to eating all this is don't eat the carbs.

Notice how thick and unctuous those beans are.

 

Pozole. Rich, soulful pozole.

Pho Saigon Village Noodle House: Vietnamese Cuisine in Vallejo

Above: Mi Toi, garlic chicken with noodles; below: Papaya Salad with Shrimp.

When I first encountered this cuisine it struck me how much colonial influences (Chinese and French) are represented in Vietnamese cooking. And yet, this Royal Cuisine has its own unmistakeable identity. If you are new to it, think in terms of a lot of fresh flavors, heavy use of herbs & seafood, and spice. 

There were other outstanding Vietnamese restaurants in Vallejo when I moved here five years ago, but relative newcomer Pho Saigon Village (which opened at the end of 2016) has become our favorite, and one of the best restaurants in Vallejo. It's not surprising that it's a family-run business, but we were impressed that they seemed already very seasoned from the get-go. I've seen Pho Saigon Village with every table full and numerous to-go orders being picked up, but it never fazed them, you get the same consistent high quality every time.

Mi Toi, or Garlic Noodle with Chicken Thigh. We went and got this dish for the 3rd time in a week the other day. Fantastic. I like mine with their house roasted chiles in oil. They have recently stopped serving this on the bone, now it's grilled chicken cut up into pieces.

So perfectly cooked! Lots of garlic!

Tonight Robin got adventurous and tried Garlic Noodle with Cubed Beef. We thought it was really good.

I felt sorry for Robin, so I shared one of my Chicken Thighs in return for some Beef Cubes, which were pretty good. I also festooned my plate with about five whopping spoons of chile oil, perfect with the heavily garlicked noodles.

Slowly making our way through some of the new menu items, but here's one of our old favorites, Papaya Salad with Shrimp (9/7/2017). We get this and Mi Toi every time now.

Above & below: Vietnamese Mussels. This dish is worth trying, for sure.

Yellow Curry with fried fish (Swai) fillet. Great spicy flavor in the curry but not too hot. You can adjust the heat with the handy jar of roasted chiles in oil at your table.

We hadn't been to Pho Saigon Village in a few months, but when I heard they've added a bunch of new menu items, we had to check it out last night (8/23/17). Above and below is BBQ Quail, with a glaze that tastes like Anise/Five Spice.

Here's one I just hadn't tried yet, Beef with Lemongrass over steamed rice. The Beef & Vegetables were cooked perfectly, but it's all about the sauce, which is rich with lemongrass, garlic, chile, ginger and spices. Very satisfying Vietnamese fare.

And Robin got a Vietnamese coffee that smelled great!

Top left: Papaya Salad with Shrimp. It gets better every time we go there. Below, close up of the pork chop with eggroll, Chinese sausage and shrimp finger entree.

Beef Stew with Egg Noodle (Bo Kho). 

New Vietnamese restaurant opened last week in Vallejo, and we were curious to see how they compare to the best around here.

Vietnamese crepe: egg with chicken, stuffed with bean sprouts. Best version I've had. Great way to get your greens. Nice texture. Definite French influence here.

Pork chop, shrimp fingers and egg. Intense flavors, crisp texture on shrimp fingers.

Beef, peppers, onions, essentially Vietnamese fajitas.

We returned tonight. Perfect spring rolls.

Wide rice noodle with chicken, squid and more. A bit bland, but plenty of condiments nearby to jump up the flavor and heat.

The aforementioned Beef Stew. Best version of this Vietnamese classic I've ever had, swimming with start anise, cinnamon and other spices. 

Lemongrass Tofu.

Papaya Salad.

Pho.

Pho Saigon Village Noodle House

3636-3656 Sonoma Blvd

Vallejo, CA 94590

707-534-6286