Classic Central Coast Cuisine

Normally, when a restaurant has a guy outside handing out vouchers for a free starter when you order a main course, you don’t go inside. And I wasn’t, until the manager of the Old Fisherman’s Grotto in Monterey gave a tiny sample of their Monterey style clam chowder. I was hooked instantly by the creamy concoction’s sweetness, studded with hits of the sea from the ocean dwellers which give the dish its name. And I was addicted enough to eat a huge sourdough bowl of the stuff, as you can see below.

The freebies were top-notch too; fried calamari which used baby squid had perfectly crisp batter housing the moist flesh beneath. The region’s famous artichokes were also well worth a mention, expertly grilled with some punchy balsamic vinegar.

Don't walk up Lombard St after this...

San Francisco’s Penang Garden has been featured on US networks for its famous Singapore chilli Crab, so my hungry and highly jet-lagged stomach felt it appropriate to give this a go.

First impressions were that this was probably too much for lunch. Second impressions were, well this is good. Third impressions were yes, soft, juicy crab flesh does stand up well to a sauce concocted of heat from chilis, sweetness from peppers, richness from egg and rejuvenating hints of ginger. And when combined with some fried bao (which were a tad too sweet), which is absolutely necessary for mopping up all that saucy and crabby goodness, this is a meal worthy of acclaim. Wasn’t cheap though, around $30, but then again, this could’ve easily fed two. I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re planning to walk up the near-vertical Lombard street, for the fiery chilli heat in your stomach doesn’t combine well with immediate  after-indulgence exertion.

You're lucky if you live near this place

Saturday mornings (and lunchtimes) don’t get much better than this. The Ferry Plaza Farmers market offers a few wholesome and downright tasty treats which I wish I could get my hands on more often. Let me start with Hapa ramen’s big daddy bowl of ramen complete with slow-cooked pork and chicken katsu cutlet. What really makes a good ramen (and any other noodle soup for that matter) is the broth. And indeed this was very, very good. Salty, sweet, gelatinous and soothingly addictive all at the same time, this really brought all which lay within it to life.

That was my breakfast. Now on to lunch. First stop, Namu for some of its famed Korean tacos. Different to the original LA-based creations of Kogis, these really did impress me. On a square of dried seaweed lies rice, diced short rib (kalbi) and a daikon and kimchi salsa which does certainly show that well-conceived fusion can work.

My next pit-stop was driven by wafts of caramelising chicken skin, enhanced by the aroma of rosemary, filling the air of the farmers market. Roli roti was the cause of this hunger-inducing scent, and, despite being a bit full, I had to check it out. I went for the classic combo of ¼ chicken and rosemary-roasted potatoes. And, as my nose had correctly indicated, the taste did not disappoint. I could’ve eaten a whole bowl of this skin. Crispy, crunchy, charcoal-infused, caramelised, rosemary studded, the list of adjectives could go on.

And if you can’t make it to the market on Saturday, it’s also around on Tuesday and Thursday lunchtimes, as those lucky financial district workers know all too well. Failing that, there’s the Ferry building itself, where at Boccalone, with their slogan of “tasty salted pig parts”, offers a quality sandwich of pulled pork and pickled spicy peppers by the name of The Mess Piggy.

The world's best Spanish omelette?

Your average tortilla Espanola is tasty at best. Perhaps very tasty. But hardly ever mouth-wateringly good.

However, exquisite excellence is exactly what Juana La Loca (Plaza Puerta de Moros 4, Madrid) managed to achieve. Transformation of the understated trio of egg, onion and potato into a stellar dish. Perfectly cooked, perfectly sized divisions of potato lie peacefully in the secret of the dish, an undescribably unctuous onion reduction whose intense caramelised onion appeal is sweet and goey; not overpowering yet somehow addictive. And when finished off with expertly cooked light egg casing, all I can say is well done Juana La loca, well done.

Bacalao, in croqueta form

Madrilenos love to snack on croquetas, particularly the kind filled with creamy potato and pieces of bacalao, otherwise known as cod.

Having refused to eat the fine offerings of easyJet cuisine I needed a quick pitstop upon my arrival in Sol metro station. Casa Labra (Calle Tetuan 12), fellow foodies had blogged, was a good place to catch some croquetas filled with bacalao. Meaty cod, enrobed in creamy and slightly sweet potato, was adequately encased in crispy breadcrumb coating. Pretty tasty but nothing overly spectacular. 

Chocolate con churros

Undoubtedly one of Spain’s more famous sweet exports, chocolate con churros (long, thin Spanish donuts with hot chocolate) is probably why you would seek out a beautifully sleek cafe by the name of Chocolateria San Gines (between Sol and Opera Metro stations).

I’ve tried this dish in several other locations outside of Spain and I must say this has set the benchmark in my books. The churros are reasonably light and above of crispy on the outside, and not too sweet. But the real differentiator for me was the chocolate itself. I expected it to be like hot chocolate you’d normally drink at home, very sweet, creamy and not very thick. This embodiment was almost like a chocolate dipping sauce, though only subtly sweet, with the cocoa beans really being allowed to show their soothing overtones, and not overpowering the churros themselves. In true Madrid fashion, this place opens late, and I’d recommend it as a post-tapas pre-clubbing chillout spot.