eggcellent!

You guys all know how much I love eggs... so I was so eggcited and eggstatic when I came across this video. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-u7sog6oM8

Tonight Stan and I decided to try this method out and it really works!  10 seconds flat to peel an egg.  Life is eggcellent!

In reference to Elaine's bony elbow/sweater incident,  here's my share of a similar situation. Last week stanley did my laundry and accidently shrunk one of my sweaters, so i punished him by having him wear it for 30 minutes. I told him that I read it from Agnes' blog one time that Tim did the same thing for her.  I wasnt even sure if that was accurate but somehow I persuaded him to wear it.  Once he put it on, I was cracking up so hard that I forced him to look at himself in the mirror.  We both then were laughing for so long that we were almost crying.  What a great bonding experience! Stan's gonna kill me for blogging this on xanga.... hahaha... But guess what?  he stretched it back to normal size!  So amazing! Elaine, I strongly suggest you have Riva wear your sweater next time.  Oh, make sure you post the pictures on xanga too... hahaha... jk.

Sushi Rock

 I wasnt gonna blog anymore cuz it just takes too long to get everything together.  Yet, I really wanna share what happened 3 weeks ago, Saturday, Decemeber 29. This was the day after our delicious dinner with K9 at Jardiniere.  Stanley and I were supposed to meet up with Dave and Talesa for a casual dinner. I was just happy that I get to have dinner with my close friends two nights in a row. However when we got to the restaurant, I found out that Dave and Talesa had arranged a surprised birthday party for Stanley and me.  I was so touched! Being holiday babies, Stanley and I had come to terms that we will be spending most of our birthdays in a more subtle manner.  We understand that most of the time our friends and family are going to be busy or travelling so we pretty much gave up the idea of really celebrating our birthdays with a lot of our friends. (esp. now that Rokwan and Elriva moved out of the country..) We dont bother sending out evites anymore or to arrange anything special. I know it sounds kinda silly, but I've never had a surprise party thrown for me before and I actually dreamt of wanting one the night before this event.  In my dream, I was planning a surprise birthday party for another friend of mine. I remember I was thinking to myself, 'wow, it must be nice to experience this but then, it'll never happen to me...'.   Anyway, I just want to say thanks to Dave and Talesa for everything.  You guys really made my day!  We had a nice dinner at Sushi Rock with Dave, Talesa, Kulaya, 9, Victor, Susie, Kevin, Jen, Dave lou, and Aylang.  Then Jill, Gavin, Jean, Joanne, Tung, Joe, Schwin, Michelle, and Nghia all joined us for bowling afterwards.  The night was perfect but of course, I know my night could have been even better if Rokwan and Elriva were in the States.  (Yes, I know you two are reading this. My two xanga readers... hehe)  I have to admit that 2006 was my best birthday celebration EVER in all my uh...25 years. In one week, I had the luxury of eating at Gary Danko and Jardiniere, and enjoyed an intimate and special surprise birthday party with my closest friends.

Yum!

Last Friday, Dec 28th, Stanley and I had one of our best Christmas/Birthday/New Year present ever from our friends K9.   They treated us to a 6 course tasting menu with wine pairing at Jardiniere on Grove/Franklin.  From the outside, I would have never guessed that the place was so classy.  Inside, the decor was very elegant and the staff was friendly.  We did wait a little longer than usual to get our menu and for the waitress to come take our orders.  Yet, that was all forgotten when the food arrived... 

Liberty Farms Duck Breast and Foie Gras Tourchon with Roasted Apples and Black Pepper Gastrique (8/10)  Same as above, gone in 60 seconds...

Alaskan Sablefish with Braised Escarole, Fingerling Potatoes, Housemade Pancetta and Wild Mushrooms, Shallot-Prosciutto Broth (10/10)

This dish was AMAZING! I attempted to use my knife and fork for this dish but the texture was so soft and flaky.  After 10 seconds, we were all using our spoon to eat/drink this instead.  The broth was out of this world.  I wanted to pick up the plate and lick every last drop.

Ribeye Steak and Glazed Shortrib with Creamed Nettles, Roasted Fennel and Shaved Périgord Truffle, Niçoise Olive Jus (10/10)

I can never, ever, be a vegetarian.  I must be a part of the food chain.  This is my destiny.

Maccagnette alla Erbe -Raw Cow’s Milk Cheese Covered in Alpine Herbs Piedmont, Italy (?/10)

Hmm... my first cheese experience in a fancy restaurant.  I guess it was good. Can't comment.

When it was time for dessert, 9 suggested asking the waitress to give us all something different instead of the same item from the tasting menu.  I thought that was an excellent idea.  I was more than ecstatic when the pretty platters arrived.  mmm....

Thanks for such an unforgettable dinner, K9!  I can't believe that I got so caught up taking pictures of every dish that I neglected to take a picture of us at the restaurant.

PS.  I spent almost an hour TRYING to make the font size consistent. The more I mess with it, the crazier it's gotten.  So sorry for such a sloppy looking blog.  I need elainebb's help on this. 

Once a year!

 Happy New Year everyone!  I figured that it's already December 31st, I might as well post one blog before the year is over.  I just had my birthday last week on December 26th.  I decided that I was gonna take my first day off from work in 6 weeks and have my ultimate pampering ME day.  I started the day WITHOUT an alarm waking me up (around 11am).   I had a facial appointment at noon with my favorite facialist in Japantown.  I told my facialist that it's my birthday and that I really would like an extended massage during my usual facial routine.  She hooked me up with an extra 30 minute neck and shoulder massage at no additional charge.  I havent had a facial since July so my face was kinda dry and my eyes were really tired.  Anyway, just like before, my experience was excellent there.  I highly recommend this facial place, their quality and service is always consistent.  When I was finished with my facial, Stanley took me out for lunch at Swan Oyster Depot.  YUM! I love oysters!  The line was kinda long and it was raining and windy outside but it was all worth it once we got inside. We had a dozen oysters, combination seafood cocktail, and a bowl of soup.  I didnt wanna eat too much cuz Stanley had a surprise dinner reservation for me at 5:30

After lunch, I decided to go shopping in downtown SF. I had been avoiding Union Square for the past 2 months because of the weekend crowd.  I figured since that it was a Tuesday; there should be less ppl in downtown.  Boy, was I wrong! It seemed like the whole world was there the day after Christmas.  Even while we were driving there, the radio had a segment on how crowded Union Square was on the 26th because everyone wanted to do exchange or returns.  So once again, we couldnt go to Union Square because of the crowd. Instead, we went to Banana Republic on Grant and Sutter and just hung out there for a while.  I was able to find this cute little black dress on sale.  I havent bought a dress in like 2 years so I splurged a little bit that day.

We got home and proceeded to get ready for my birthday dinner.  The whole day I was trying to figure out where we will be going.  Stanley finally got annoyed with me and told me to stop guessing.  I was pleasantly surprised when we showed up at Gary Danko.  This would be our second time going there.  We went there for our anniversary 4 months ago.  I dont know if I would say this is my favorite restaurant but it's definitely in my top 3.  The service was excellent and the price was actually very reasonable compared to other 5 star restaurants.  We both decided to get the 5 course menu. 

For the first course, Stanley and I both selected the oyster dish.  I had this the last time I was there and it was absolutely delicious!  This is a must have if you ever go to Gary Danko.

Glazed Oysters with Osetra Caviar, Salsify and Lettuce Cream (10/10)

For the second course, I had the Wild Burgundy Escargot with Fennel-Potato Cake and Confit of Meyer Lemon.(9/10)  This was my first time ordering this dish and it was GOOD.  I was skeptical because I usually wouldnt get escargot.

Stanley had the Lobster Salad with Persimmon, Chestnut Mousse and Pomegranate Seeds (8/10)

The third course was probably the main reason why I fell in love with Gary Danko back in August.  Back then I had the Roast Maine Lobster, Chanterelles, Corn and Tarragon.  This time around, they had a little modification to their menu.  Instead, they offered the Roast Maine Lobster with Abalone Mushrooms, Edamame Beans and Tarragon.  (9/10)  This dish was so good, the only reason it didnt get a 10/10 because it was so rich and that Stanley and I both felt like we ate a pound of butter after finishing this. Also, I am not a fan of edamame beans.

For Course number 4, I had the New Zealand Snapper with Fennel Purée, Nicoise Olives. (6/10) This dish is just OK.  It's good but it's really nothing special.  I wont recommend it and I will not order it again.

Stanley ordered the Juniper Crusted Venison with Braised Endive, Chestnut Spaetzle and Cranberry Compote (8/10) He said the meat was very tender and that he will order it again. I cant comment on this because I dont really remember what it tasted like.  I was so stuffed by this point that I didnt even pick at his plate.

Last but not least, Desserts!  I had their Baked Chocolate Soufflé with Two Sauces (9/10)  Yeah, this was so good that it's almost wrong.  By this time, I was so stuffed that I couldn't finish my souffle.  What a waste!

Stanley opted for something lighter and ordered some type of ice cream soup.  I dont remember the name of this dish but it was really good as well. 

I think next time when I go again, I will just get 4 courses instead of 5. I can do without my snapper dish. (and yes, there will be a next time)  Now it's time to hit the gym.