#sanmateoeats

[rfung8]

Level Up Vietnamese Cuisine . Gao Viet Kitchen has long been on my to try list . As a big fan of seafood and of fish sauce, I knew that Gao Viet Kitchen specialized in noodle soups and seafood appetizers . I wanted to order all the favorites but settled on the marrow cracker, giant River prawn and whole lobster udon noodles . They have both outdoor and indoor dining and both fill up quickly so arrive early for the best chance at no wait . Flavors are on point and the presentation is as good as the food . Happy to have my whole lobster noodle soup and looking forward to coming back to try more of their menu . 📷 Bo Tai Chanh $17 ~ Beef carpaccio, Rare Filet Mignon, Quail Egg, Mint, Fried Shallot, Dressed with House Sauce and Lime Juice / Lobster Banh Canh $58 ~ Whole Live 1.5lbs Maine Lobster "Banh Canh" noodle soup, pork, quail egg / Gao’s Signature Giant River Prawns $11/each ~ Savory butter garlic chilly sauce giant river prawns, served w/ woven noodle / Marrow Cracker $16 ~ crispy coconut sticky rice & pork belly, marrow, grilled & spring onion, drops of au jus sauce of love.  . 📍Gao Viet Kitchen (San Mateo, CA) . #instafood #foodstagram #yelpbayarea #sanmateoeats #seafood #noodlesoup #vietnamesefood #eatersf #topcitybites #sffoodie #foodie #nomnom #feedfeed #eeeeeats #foodpics #eeeeeats #foodgasm #dailyfoodfeed #foodphotography #eatnorthamerica (at GAO Viet Kitchen & Bar) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZC57p-Px7j/?utm_medium=tumblr

[thesweetsofsanfrancisco]

If you’re in San Mateo stop by @takahashi_market for a plate lunch, poke or killer musubis like this salmon belly. . . . #takahashimarket #musubi #salmonmusubi #sanmateoeats #onolicious (at Takahashi Market) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsRmQbLghr7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=lxh415kpa62z

[rfung8]

Dim Sum Wars . There’s a battle brewing between traditional Cantonese restaurants as they reinvent themselves for a new generation and maintain relevance in an increasing competitive restaurant space . Stalwarts like Koi Palace and Dynasty were once more well known for their popular wedding banquet meals but have increasingly branched out into IG friendly dim sum offerings . Dynasty recently opened Grand Dynasty in San Jose and the Koi Palace group has even been more ambitious with Dragon Beaux, Palette Tea House and Palette Tea Garden . Having visited numerous Cantonese seafood and dim sum houses in the area from Harborview and Yank Sing in SF to Sifu Wong and Saigon Seafood Harbor in the South Bay, I personally feel that Palette Tea Garden/Tea House are at the top of the game . Their dim sum is creative and delicious and in the multiple times I’ve visited they’ve continued to add new dinner dishes . Our most recent meal featured an incredible special set menu and everything from the live crab to the dim sum offerings was such a great value . Hong Kong and Vancouver are the only locations that I think continually execute at a higher level and it’s clear that the chefs at Palette Tea Garden either are well aware of trends there or visit often . As for the truffle and wagyu beef, those may be for the IG crowd but I’m not going to lie ~ both tastes delicious . We ordered a few standalone dim sum items but there was plenty of food for much more than 4 adults! . 📷 Peking Duck Set with Local Crab $200 (for 4) / Palette Soup Dumplings / Seared Siu Mai / XO Typhoon Shrimp Dumplings / Crispy Rice Wagyu Soup / Peking Duck with Truffles / Wagyu & Roasted garlic / Live Dungeness Crab Salted Egg yolk style / Black Truffle Crispy Duck Fried Rice / Custard Dumplings // standalone dim sum / Ikura squid ink dumpling / soft shell crab rice crepe . 📍Palette Tea Garden (San Mateo, CA) . #sanmateoeats #dimsum #seafood #chinesefood #eatersf #topcitybites #sffoodie #foodie #nomnom #feedfeed #eeeeeats #foodpics #foodgasm #dailyfoodfeed #globaleats #foodphotography #eatnorthamerica #foodsharinggroup (at Palette Tea Garden & Dim Sum 彩苑) https://www.instagram.com/p/CgTJt_ULo7G/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[rfung8]

Dipping Noodles 💯 . I’m a huge fan of every variety of dry noodles with dipping broth on the side . In Vietnamese cuisine, the dish is most commonly the Cambodian influenced hu tieu nam vang. In Chinese cuisine, the dish is teochow dish of dry egg noodles and braised duck leg and won ton best epitomized by SF’s Hai Ky Mi Gia. And finally in Japanese cuisine, the dish is best represented by my beloved Tsukemen . For the Bay Area, the Tsukemen shop is Taishoken (SoCal fans will point to Tsujita) and Taishoken’s rendition hits all the high points . The concentrated broth is thick, strong with strong hints of citrus and comes out extremely hot and with pieces of pork and bamboo shoots . The noodles are laid out carefully and just thick enough and firm enough to benefit from dipping in the warm broth . The last toppings are the jidori soft boiled egg and two differently prepared slices of pork ~ one sous vide and the other more pastrami-like . Truly fantastic and I’ve become a huge Taishoken fan bested only by the bowl i had at Fuunji in Shinjuku among a line of Japanese businessmen . 📷 Tokusei Tsukemen $18 ~ cold thick noodles and rich dipping soup made with pork, chicken, dried anchovy and dried bonito. Includes Jidori soft boiled egg and sous vide Berkshire pork chashu . 📍Taishoken (San Mateo, CA) . #sanmateoeats #noodles #dipping #japanesefood #eatersf #topcitybites #sffoodie #foodie #nomnom #feedfeed #eeeeeats #foodpics #foodgasm #dailyfoodfeed #globaleats #foodphotography #eatnorthamerica #foodsharinggroup (at Taishoken San Mateo) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfhVYTGPo2_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[rfung8]

Pie Life 💯 . I almost never post about desserts (I’m Team Savory) and we don’t order pie often (mainly at fruit farms like Gizdich Ranch) but Heidi’s Pie is a gem in the Bay Area . Whether you order a whole pie or simply a slice, they do so much business that everything tastes fresh, not overly sweet, and, my, that crust . I’m particularly a fan of their seasonal fresh strawberry and peach pies as well as any of their sour cream pies . The sour cream just takes the pie to the next level . They also serve hearty diner food and are a true neighborhood destination . 📷 Whole Apple Sour Cream Pie / Fresh Strawberry Pie Slice $8.29 / Apple Pie Slice $7.49 / A la mode $1.60 . 📍Heidi’s Pies (San Mateo, CA) . #sanmateoeats #dessert #pies #fruit #eatersf #topcitybites #sffoodie #foodie #nomnom #feedfeed #eeeeeats #foodpics #foodgasm #dailyfoodfeed #globaleats #foodphotography #eatnorthamerica #foodsharinggroup (at Heidi's Pies) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfg30WgLK84/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[rfung8]

Japanese Comfort Eats . I last visited Yuzu almost 11 years ago when I embarked on a quest to find the best Japanese chirashi bowl in the Bay Area [extra special Chirashi at Sushi Tomi/Tomi Sushi] . Now I returned to try more of their items and perhaps even discovering a gem or two . Yuzu, related to sister restaurant Sakae in Burlingame, is a quintessential neighborhood sushi spot . Casual, small, and low-key, they serve a variety of dishes beyond their sushi and sashimi menu. The daily specials is often where their best items can be found and I was sad to see their recommended curry absent and their miso tendon beef stew sold out . But this visit I was here for the Ishiyaki Hitsumamushi or Stone Bowl Seafood Rice. It’s a finishing dish so we ordered an assortment of appetizers and sushi to tide us over . Everything was solid with the hamachi Kama and the salmon lover’s nigiri of 5 types of salmon were particularly good . The stone pot arrives last and the rice is cooked to a crispy finish and mixed with cooked fish. You enjoy a bowl of the crispy rice and then a kettle of hot and flavorful dashi rice is poured on top making the ultimate Japanese comfort food chazuke . It is a satisfying end to the meal and the key to me about Yuzu is how hot (temperature-wise) everything is served. From the sizzling and crackling rice in the stone pot to the boiling dashi broth to even the simple hot tea, this is the temperature of how food is meant to be served . After over a year of takeout, it’s a small but poignant reminder how the simple pleasures in life can still bring joy even in the face of great change . 📷 Ishiyaki Hitsumamushi $30 ~ Stone Bowl Seafood Rice with Finishing Dashi Broth / Hamachi Kama $18 / Ankimo $11 / Hotaru Ika Kimizu Sauce $13 / Chef’s Choice Special Nigiri $53 / Salmon Lover’s Nigiri $24 / Tuna Bone Marrow $10 . 📍Yuzu Sushi and Restaurant (San Mateo, CA) . #sushi #sashimi #japanesefood #sanmateoeats #seafoodrice #stonepot #yelpsiliconvalley #yelpbayarea #eatersf #topcitybites #sffoodie #foodie #nomnom #feedfeed #eeeeeats #foodpics #eeeeeats #foodgasm #dailyfoodfeed #globaleats #foodphotography #eatnorthamerica #foodsharinggroup (at Yuzu Sushi & Grill) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeJdWtRrNSF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[medina-luxre]

Ok late night meal. 💕Super delicious, amazing service. I wanted to take a photo of the meals, 😋but they were devoured by the time I got my phone out. #chickensandwich #beefdogs #belmont #bayareaeats #sanmateoeats #bayareafoodie #eatlocal #sweetpotatoesfries #frieslover #latenightvibes #belmontshore #belmontproperties #realestate #silliconvalleystyle #silliconvalleylife #realtorlife #bayarearealestate #belmontvillage #compassrealestate #compasscalifornia (at Belmont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGWpBtBj4Ys/?igshid=1fo0s5udqzobr

[medina-luxre]

Central Park, San Mateo... my children have played here, taken classes, taken rides on the mini train, gone ice skating, created their own world, made new friends, lived many adventures 💕❤️💗 I too have made many friends as I watched my kids play. We’d walk to @downtownsanmateo grab @jambajuice #tbt Now that my children are older, I love passing by Central Park and remembering those times! . . . . #throwbackthursday #sanmateoeats #sanmateohomes #sanmateorealestate #sanmateorealtor #sanmateoproperties #siliconvalley #siliconvalleylife #siliconvalleyluxrealtor #siliconvalleyluxre #siliconvalleyluxuryhomes #sfpeninsula #sfbayarea #sjearthquakes #sjsharks #sfgiants #650 #compasscalifornia (at San Mateo, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCtnE5ADt3U/?igshid=1ghfwic77fwe6