This week I've just been trying to catch up on everything that's piled up while I was on vacation. I haven't really had a chance to work on my Bucket List, but then again, when do I ever?
Bucket List #2-5
My sister called to check if I'm still planning to go to Europe in 2010 with my friends. The answer's yes, but I haven't done any research yet. I've barely even started saving for that trip. This reminded me that I should go pick up some books and get my read on.
Bucket List #28 & 38
I've been thinking it might be nice to spend one New Year's Eve/Day in NYC. I think it'd be fun to do the tv thing and watch the ball drop from Times Square. I could also do some skating while I was there and celebrate the new year atop the Empire State Building. Just something to think about.
Bucket List #32
Times must really be hard because I haven't seen any loose change on the ground lately. Must be a sign of the bad economy.
Bucket List #72
Let's just say that I haven't really fully unpacked yet so how am I supposed to declutter? Well, technically I have unpacked but all my stuff is still in my living room and not put away yet.
May 20, 2009
May 19, 2009
Foodie Review - New Asia
Last time we flew into San Francisco, we wandered around Chinatown on empty stomachs and pulled into a cheap dim sum place only to be thoroughly disappointed. This time we were determined to find a truly worthy dim sum restaurant to fulfill our growing need.
Luckily for us, we dropped into the San Francisco Visitor Center to inquire about getting Wicked tickets (They don't sell them. You need to go to the Orpheum directly or buy them online). The friendly African American lady behind the counter was great to talk to and so much fun. She really seemed to know her stuff when it came to things going on in the city.
She asked us what else we planned to do, and we said we were in search of a great dim sum restaurant. She commented that she had just suggested a place to a Chinese woman and her mother (who is from China) to go to New Asia in Chinatown. The Visitor Center woman then drew us a map and told us which bus to catch and we were on our way.
New Asia is located at 772 Pacific Avenue between Stockton Street and Grant Avenue. When we walked in we knew this was definitely the spot to be at. For one thing, the entire dining room (which was quite humongous) was filled with what seemed to be local Chinese people. If locals go there, it must be a good sign, right? However, we used this same criterion our last trip but somehow got duped. More on that experience when I have time to get around writing up that review.
Like other dim sum restaurants, you get seated at a table and a slip of paper is left with you. Servers push carts around the room and you select the food you want to eat. They give you a wooden container filled with several pieces of the dish you ordered, then stamp your card for the correct price of the dish. Simple enough, right?
This place was so authentic that the servers would call out the dishes they had in Chinese. Um, that'd be great if you actually spoke the language. Still it wasn't too hard to figure out what they were peddling by the types of dishes they had. There was one cart with desserts such as custards, jin dui and cookies. Another cart was serving char siu bao (manapua for us Hawaii people), shumai and potstickers. Other carts had more exotic cuisine like chicken feet.
We ordered fried rice, potstickers, pork shumai (aka pork hash locally), shrimp shumai and char siu bao. We arrived near noon so they actually had lunch menu items going around as well such as chow fun, beef broccoli, etc. We stuck with the dim sum though since this was what we'd come for.
After being majorly disappointed on our last trip, New Asia was like a godsend. The shumai wrapper was soft and moist. They packed a ton of pork and shrimp into it. They didn't skimp on the filling at all. Delicious!
The char siu bao were a bit small, but then again that's how they usually are at home as well. I guess you can't compare the authentic stuff with the gargantuan manapua we're used to from Libby's or Char Hun Sut. The char siu bao were tasty with just the right amount of meat-to-bun ratio. The bun was soft and moist but not soggy.
Surprisingly, the fried rice was really, really good. I hate ordering rice on the mainland for fear that it'll either be Uncle Ben's rice or overly wet. The only thing I disliked was that they put tons of onions in it. I really dislike onions - both round and scallions - but I suppose others wouldn't find this a turn off. Despite this (I tried to pick out as many onions as possible), the fried rice was very good. It tasted like local fried rice - lots of meat, good wetness, flavorful rice.
The potstickers were normal, though packed full of meat, which was good. They were crunchy and I guess that's all that you can ask of them.
Overall, New Asia hit the spot and killed that dim sum craving we've had since last November's visit. We would've never found this place had it not been for the SF Visitor Center lady.
Total cost for this authentic Chinese meal (tax included): $19.40
Luckily for us, we dropped into the San Francisco Visitor Center to inquire about getting Wicked tickets (They don't sell them. You need to go to the Orpheum directly or buy them online). The friendly African American lady behind the counter was great to talk to and so much fun. She really seemed to know her stuff when it came to things going on in the city.
She asked us what else we planned to do, and we said we were in search of a great dim sum restaurant. She commented that she had just suggested a place to a Chinese woman and her mother (who is from China) to go to New Asia in Chinatown. The Visitor Center woman then drew us a map and told us which bus to catch and we were on our way.
New Asia is located at 772 Pacific Avenue between Stockton Street and Grant Avenue. When we walked in we knew this was definitely the spot to be at. For one thing, the entire dining room (which was quite humongous) was filled with what seemed to be local Chinese people. If locals go there, it must be a good sign, right? However, we used this same criterion our last trip but somehow got duped. More on that experience when I have time to get around writing up that review.
Like other dim sum restaurants, you get seated at a table and a slip of paper is left with you. Servers push carts around the room and you select the food you want to eat. They give you a wooden container filled with several pieces of the dish you ordered, then stamp your card for the correct price of the dish. Simple enough, right?
This place was so authentic that the servers would call out the dishes they had in Chinese. Um, that'd be great if you actually spoke the language. Still it wasn't too hard to figure out what they were peddling by the types of dishes they had. There was one cart with desserts such as custards, jin dui and cookies. Another cart was serving char siu bao (manapua for us Hawaii people), shumai and potstickers. Other carts had more exotic cuisine like chicken feet.
We ordered fried rice, potstickers, pork shumai (aka pork hash locally), shrimp shumai and char siu bao. We arrived near noon so they actually had lunch menu items going around as well such as chow fun, beef broccoli, etc. We stuck with the dim sum though since this was what we'd come for.
After being majorly disappointed on our last trip, New Asia was like a godsend. The shumai wrapper was soft and moist. They packed a ton of pork and shrimp into it. They didn't skimp on the filling at all. Delicious!
The char siu bao were a bit small, but then again that's how they usually are at home as well. I guess you can't compare the authentic stuff with the gargantuan manapua we're used to from Libby's or Char Hun Sut. The char siu bao were tasty with just the right amount of meat-to-bun ratio. The bun was soft and moist but not soggy.
Surprisingly, the fried rice was really, really good. I hate ordering rice on the mainland for fear that it'll either be Uncle Ben's rice or overly wet. The only thing I disliked was that they put tons of onions in it. I really dislike onions - both round and scallions - but I suppose others wouldn't find this a turn off. Despite this (I tried to pick out as many onions as possible), the fried rice was very good. It tasted like local fried rice - lots of meat, good wetness, flavorful rice.
The potstickers were normal, though packed full of meat, which was good. They were crunchy and I guess that's all that you can ask of them.
Overall, New Asia hit the spot and killed that dim sum craving we've had since last November's visit. We would've never found this place had it not been for the SF Visitor Center lady.
Total cost for this authentic Chinese meal (tax included): $19.40
May 18, 2009
What A Steal - Go SF Card and Muni Passport
For anyone on a tight budget but still wanting to enjoy the attractions of San Francisco and the Bay Area, the Go San Francisco Card is a steal! You can purchase a Go Card for one, two, three, five or seven days. Keep your eyes pealed for special discounts as sometimes they offer up to 15% off the regular price.
The Go Card allows you free admission to numerous attractions, tours and museums in the Bay Area. You can visit any number of attractions per day for the length your card is activated. The card also gives you great deals on tours and shopping discounts. It's definitely worth the money and, according to the website, can save you up to 35%.
I picked up the Go Card at the San Francisco Visitor Center near the Powell Street BART station. For a three-day pass it was $89.99 (10% discount off the regular price of $99.99 when ordered online for a limited time). If you plan ahead, you can have the card and a guidebook mailed to your home for about $5.00. We just picked everything up in San Francisco.
There are tons of things to do using the card, and it's so convenient to only pay once for admission to dozens of activities. There are attractions that are inside and out of the city, so you'll score even bigger if you're renting a car. However, even if you're limited to public transportation (like we were), you'll be able to do more than half of the activities. You'll find even that too much to pack into your days and will, unfortunately, have to cut some activities.
As for public transportation, definitely invest in a Muni Passport. You can pick one up at a kiosk right near the Powell Street cable car turnaround for $11 to $24 depending on the length of activity. They are sold in one, three or seven day increments and are good for any public transporation within San Francisco, excluding BART. This means you'll be able to ride all the cable cars you want to for one price instead of $5.00 a pop. You'll also be able to ride all buses, underground rails and the historic street cars. It's such a great deal!
Using the Muni is quite an easy way to see the city. Not only do you avoid dealing with traffic, rental car fees and high hotel garage charges, you get to experience the city like locals. Many locals use the Muni to get around the city, and while you obviously cannot blend into the scene as a local, you'll at least be able to interact with them. I've found most people in San Francisco, tourists and locals, to be quite friendly and chatty. Beware though - some buses can be more crowded than others (especially those going into Chinatown), but it usually clears out after a couple of stops.
On the Muni, I've found that most people are pretty respectful of your personal space. I've also noticed that most people don't care that you're standing just inches away from them. It's just all part of the experience. At first I was a little concerned about pickpockets, especially in such tight quarters. I'd pull my bag in front of me so I could see all the zippers. However, I noticed that no one else did that at all. Even locals didn't bother with trying to shield their personal belongings. I also didn't witness any purse snatching or anyone lifting wallets. Every once in a while, you'll notice someone on the bus who seems a bit mentally unstable. However, even they don't tend to bother anyone. Overall it seemed pretty safe to me.
One tip for using the Muni is to board at the front of the bus. From what I gather, you're able to board through any door. I've seen people squeeze in from the back door all the time. I'm not sure how the driver is supposed to know whether or not the passengers have passes or not. I only witnessed one instance where the bus drivers shouted for everyone to enter from the front. However, I'm not sure what the official ruling is on this though. It's probably just safer to use the front door. At least this way you'll be able to ask the driver for directions if you're unsure whether or not you've boarded the correct bus.
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