Chengdu Style Restaurant in Berkeley, CA

We've been to Chengdu Style Restaurant in Berkeley numerous times, so I'm surprised to see that I apparently hadn't profiled it. Without a doubt, it belong to the elite class of great Chinese restaurants in the Bay Area. Above is pictured the Wonton In Hot Chili Oil, superb tender pork shot through with Chinese spices, inside a luscious wonton skin.

Here is Chengdu Style's superb version of Toothpick Lamb, every bit as perfect as the version at Chengdu Taste in Los Angeles, and Chili House in San Francisco.

We decided on a seasonal vegetable side, so we ordered Stir-Fried Pea Sprouts, which clearly taste like they are stir-fried with some chicken stock.

Above & below: Black Fungus & Onions in Chili Sauce, similar to the fabulous fungus dish we got at the Uighur restaurant in Union City (Sama) recently. Bright flavors with springy crunch.

Here's another shot of the superb Tooothpick Lamb.

Chengdu Style Restaurant

2600 Bancroft Way, Berkeley

510-845-5807

AappaKadai Indian Chettinad in Pleasanton, California

We returned to Aappakadai Indian Chettinad in Pleasanton this afternoon (7/28/19) for the first time since their opening. Above is their Goat Thali, offered during Lunch. Below, you can see their Mutton (Goat) Roast has arrived in the foreground. Everything was fabulous, perhaps even better than our first visit. As is typical with non-veg Thalis, most of the dishes are vegetarian or vegan, only a few had meat. Superb complex use of spices in the curries, as is always the case with Chettinad, my favorite style of Indian cuisine.

Poondu Kolumbu (Garlic Curry) at AappaKadai Indian Chettinad in Pleasanton, California. 

We've been looking forward to the opening (or rather re-opening in a new location) of this Chettinad place which moved from Milpitas to Pleasanton, having it's Grand Opening this weekend. When we arrived, there was a pretty big line of people to get in, but it was worth going today (4/21/18). Above is Masala Tea.

Mango Lassi, a superb version. Something I often order with Indian food that might be much spicier that one might suspect.

Rasam Soup, pretty sure this is completely vegan, and very spicy. I saw that someone on AappaKadai's Facebook page was complaining today that this soup was too watered-down and not very spicy. I can guarantee that was not our experience.

On the right, Goat Thali. On the left, Chicken Chettinad. They asked us how spicy we wanted it, and Robin insisted on medium. I guaran-damn-tee you that was one seriously spicy "medium." Completely sublime.

Close up shot of the goat thali. Great stuff. Notice it includes yogurt, which will calm down the spice.

Above and below, the Chicken Chettinad.

Here's that Garlic Curry again. Mostly garlic, onions, tomato and curry leaves. One of the best garlic dishes I've ever had.

We were stuffed, but on the bright side, we have some leftovers in the fridge.

AappaKadai Indian Chettinad 

4555 Hopyard Rd, Pleasanton, CA 94588

 (925) 750-7709

Randall Museum in San Francisco

I didn't even know the Randall Museum existed until yesterday. This splendid Science Museum recently opened up to the public. Above is a basket on display in a weaving/basketry exhibit.

The building uses local materials. Above is a windmill, below native plants in beds.

These aluminum panels measure the wind.

There are a number of animals on display here, including this Swain's Hawk. Frances was intrigued.

We were there for a meeting of the Mycological Society of San Francisco. Here are some mushrooms harvested in the wild.

Above are samples of wool dyed using mushrooms. Mushroom dying expert Alissa Allen gave a talk on the topic.

The Randall Museum is located near the summit of Corona Heights Park, thus it affords some spectacular views.

SF Mission Murals & More

Alma Cocina, Peruvian Cuisine in San Francisco's Mission Neighborhood

Pollo A La Brasa at Alma Cocina.

I've been meaning to check out some of the fine Peruvian cuisine in the Bay Area that I've been hearing about ever since I got here, and yesterday (4/5/2018) made a good start, here at Alma Cocina, on 24th & Folsom in the Mission. Happened to arrive at happy hour where they have all sorts of drink specials, including the above, the Sangria Roja, the best sangria I've ever had.

Pulpo A Las Brasas: grilled octopus, potato gnocchi, sauteed vegetables with aioli & chimichurri. Explosive flavors and great textures. Cutting into the octopus it seem tough, but it definitely was not tough at all, mostly tender with a slight bit of give, to make for a texture that matched the somewhat dense gnocchi and sauteed vegetables that still had some coherent snap to them.

Arroz Chaufa, essentially a Peruvia take on fried rice. 

Crispy Yuca. Far and away the best yuca dish I've ever had.

Pollo a la Brasa: half a rotisserie chicken marinated with garlic and spices, tender and succulent, no side sauces necessary, but they gave us some anyway, a chimichurri and aji amarillo sauce. Superb!