Chapeau!

Kitty and Ducky


Chapeau!
126 Clement St
San Francisco, CA 94118

(415)750-9787
Chapeau! @ Inner Richmond - SF

We first came here last year for San Francisco's Dine About Town Event ($35 for a 3 course prix fixe meal) and had a wonderful dining experience here. This year we return and would like to share our wonderful experience with photos.

[Chicken Pate & Chicken Mousse]

This was a complimentary chef's tasting dish. The only way I can describe this was when you take the first bite, the aroma that wafts into your mouth is a sweet durian flavor.  Yes, durian.  And then a few seconds later you'll start to get the liver/pate flavor working into your taste buds.  Despite its tiny size, I felt that it was just enough for me.  Any more would have been overwhelming. -Kitty [4/5] 

It was a nice touch that made the experience that much more enjoyable. Plus, it tasted like durian; I need not say more. -Ducky

[Escargots de Bourgone in Butter, Parsley, & Garlic]

This is probably the fourth time I've had escargot, but the second time I've had it without being served with a butter pastry bread with the escargot inside.  Chapeau's escargot is not chewy at all, but very soft.  Personally I prefer the ones with the pastry because I feel that in this style there's nothing to soak up the butter and oil that the escargot is practically swimming in. Word of warning your mouth will smell like garlic for at least a day or two.  -Kitty [3.5/5]

I still felt it was quite delicious and we could eat it with the complimentary bread! - Ducky

[Trio of Salmon]

[Gravlax, Tartare & Caviar, Egg Mimosa, Fried Capers, Creme Fraiche, and Micro Herbs with Lemon Dressing]

This was an interesting dish.  It was a salmon tartare surrounded by a large piece of gravlax, which is a kind of cured salmon.  The gravlax has a somewhat salty taste with a refreshing salmon flavor.  The capers and creme and dressing was all a very nice touch.  The capers were done in a way that was not too overpowering that I have experienced at other restaurants.  The capers provided a nice savory and tangy pickled flavor that went well with the salmon and tartare.  It is a definite try if you go to Chapeau! As the dish is raw like Japanese sashimi, I would not advise people who do not like sashimi to eat this.  Kitty had some difficulty eating any of it.  -Ducky [4/5]

[Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin with Parsnip Puree and Braised Swisschard in Apple-Calvados Sauce]

This was a tender medium rare tenderloin.  The parsnip puree has the texture of mashed potatoes but its flavor is quite sweet and goes well with the swisschards and sauce.  I recommend eating all three (four if you can fit some of the tenderloin in your mouth) in one bite and let all the flavors work together: sweet, tart, savory.  I did not particularly taste bacon but it can be seen wrapped around the tenderloin giving it's salty and crisp crust.  I expected nothing less from Chapeau! (though to be honest I liked Ducky's skate wing dish more) -Kitty [4/5]

[Skate Wing in Brown Butter with Fingerling Potato, Sauce Grenobloise, and Mache]

When I ordered this, I had no idea what a skate was.  I thought it was a type of eel, but, after a quick Googling on Kitty's Iphone, I discovered that it is a halibut-like fish.  Everything on this dish was delicious.  The skate flesh itself was very buttery with no fishy taste to it at all.  Kitty loved it and so did I.  The sauce was a very savory yet a bit sweet and the fingerling potatoes just soaked it all up.  I had never eaten mache before and can only describe it as a cross between bokchoy and celery.  -Ducky [4/5]

[Nuage de Noix]

[Roasted pistachios, Almonds and Hazelnuts in a Frozen Chantilly and Italian Meringue]

This dessert was excellent!  It's served chilled and its texture is a cross between soft ice cream and mousse.  It was very light and did not have a too sweet taste.  Every bite you'll get a pleasant crunch from the nuts that are embedded in this dessert.  You can't see too clearly from the photos but this dessert was surrounded by mandarin oranges swimming in a slightly alcoholic syrup. I really recommend this dessert over the other desserts (aka profiterole or creme brulee) since you won't find this in many other places.  I imagine the Nuage de Noix to go very well with coffee also.  -Kitty [5/5]

[Tahitienne Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee]

I have never tried a real creme brulee before, so I chose it as my dessert. Let me just say this dish is not for those who do not like sweet creamy things.  I generally do not like sweet creamy things.  I don't like pudding  and I do not like overly creamy cakes.  Creme brulee is essentially pudding under a crispy layer of caramelized sugar.  Not something I would personally get again.  I'm not saying it was disgusting, but it doesn't satisfy my taste buds.  If you like sweet puddings, you would love this.  I don't, so I didn't.  -Ducky [1/5]

For someone who does appreciate creme bruelee, I thought it was well made.  The torched sugar on top was not too burnt to leave a bitter after taste like most creme brulees do.  It definitely took the weight off of the sweet cream.  Creme brulee fans, I definitely recommend this :) - Kitty

A final note about Chapeau! Receipts/bill is given to customers in a hat which I think is very cute.  They do this because Chapeau! is a play on the French word for hat, but with an exclamation mark it means "wow".  The chef is very personable.  He likes to walk around his restaurant and shake everyone's hands and thank them for eating at his restaurant.  This puts a face to the restaurant and really gives Chapeau! a more family feel.  A word of warning for the ladies; as you walk towards the door to leave, the chef may hug or European style cheek kiss you! We knew about this because this was not our first time here.  We tried to make a break for the door while he was occupied, but we could not escape, LOL.  Aside from that, our dining experience was very good.  It is currently one of my favorite restaurants to eat at in SF. -Ducky [4/5]

CUPCAKES

Kitty


The cupcake trend has been on the rise for the past couple of years now but it seems to have steadily plateaued.  Some people say it's overrated (which it was at one point), but let me tell you.  I rather pay $3-4 for one well crafted, well flavored, and a far more delectable cupcake than $6 for half a dozen of supermarket quality, dry and over sweetened cupcakes that I'd quickly get sick of and probably throw away.

That being said, there are a large number of good cupcake stores located around the Bay Area.  However! At one point, I believe that there is no ONE store that rules them all. It's a matter of the preferences of the consumer.  Some people like a creamier frosting while some people prefer the cake to be really moist. Some people value creative flavors while others prefer well made classics.  Here are the reviews of the few places I have been to:

Sift Cupcakes and Dessert Bar
3816 Bel Aire Plaza
Napa, CA 94558

(707)240-4004
Sift @ Napa

Berry Good Cheesecake

Made with your classic vanilla cake flavor, filled with raspberry jam, and topped with cream cheese frosting and graham cracker dust.  Delicious? Yes.  Frosting was not too light and not too creamy.

Limonatta

Its anatomy consisted of vanilla cake flavor, lemon cream cheese frosting, and a lemon shaped candy on top.  It also possessed a meyer lemon filling only adding to this citrus flavored zesty treat.

I wanted to try their Battle Royale which is their signature cupcake flavor that won them first place in Food Network's Cupcake Wars, but it had a blueberry tequila filling and I am weak against alcoholic tastes.  If that is not a road blocker for you then try this flavor!  It has earned the stamp of approval from my other foodie friends.

I have noticed that Sift's cupcakes are particularly soft and very moist.  I am not much of a fan of super-moist but I still really enjoy their cupcakes.  They earned their well deserved first place on Cupcake Wars. 

Cako
211 O'farrell Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

(415)404-7303
Cako @ SF

Pink Lemonade

Here they used a raspberry lemon cake flavor and a lemon cream cheese frosting.  I did not taste any raspberry flavoring at all but the lemon flavor was certainly prominent.  Their cake moisture consistency was not too moist or dry. To my surprise their frosting was extremely sticky and gooey.  Overall Cako was good, better than the average cupcake stores out there but not as stunning as places such as Sift and Kara's in my opinion.

Kara's Cupcakes
3055 Olin Ave
Ste 1010
San Jose, CA 95128

(408)260-2222
Kara's Cupcake @ Santana Row

Banana Nut Crunch

Anatomy: Banana cupcake, cream cheese frosting, and topped with caramelized hazelnuts.  The banana flavor really came through their cake.  The frosting was not too sweet and it wasn't too dry or too gooey.  Kara's Cupcake is my favorite go to place for cupcakes.  Their batter and frosting consistency, variety of flavors, and amount of filling just sits balanced with my palate.  Unfortunately this above flavor is not a regular flavor, it's actually a secret flavor.  

A nice thing about Kara's is that once in a while (although not lately :( ) they will post a secret flavor on facebook and if you're one of the first twenty-five people to come in and say it you get the cupcake free.  I think it's a cute way to interact with customers.

If you get a chance though, here are my recommended must try flavors (although everything else tastes good too):

• Meyer Lemony Lemon - Body: Vanilla --> Filling: Meyer Lemon --> Topping: Lemon Buttercream
• Passion Fruit - Body: Vanilla --> Filling: Passion Fruit --> Topping: Vanilla Buttercream
• Kara's Karrot - Body: Carrot --> Filling: None --> Topping: Cream Cheese

They also introduce a seasonal flavor every month, so it's also another reason why Kara's wins my favoritism.  Even with already excellent flavors they continue to come up with new flavors.  

And that's a wrap on my cupcake entry round 1 (hoping to hit Sprinkles in Palo Alto some time soon!).  If you have any suggestions on notable places I should check out, please comment below!

Dan Japanese Izakaya Restaurant

Kitty Solo

Dan Izakaya Restaurant

1306 Saratoga Ave

San Jose, CA 95129

(408)249-6020

Dan Izakaya @ San Jose

Izakayas are places in Japan where alcohol is served with a variety of tapa like portioned foods. They are places to make merry or socialize with your co-workers after a long hard day of work. I may not drink but I certainly love the tapa styled foods. This place is located in a plaza with DD's

Discount, a little tucked away on the side. My friend and I were ravenously hungry so we ordered a number of items:

Beef and Potato Croquette

[$6.5]

Light crispy outside, hot and fluffy potatoes on the inside with tasty meaty bits.  One of the best croquettes I've had in a while.  It comes with tonkatsu sauce which is basically similar to worcestershire sauce, slightly savory but prominently tangy flavor.  Do not fear, just dip that croquette in it, take a bite (caution it's piping hot when they serve it to you freshly deep fried), and let the party in your mouth begin. [5/5]

Pork and Kimchi Hot Pot

[$8.75]

It bears resemblance to jjigae, Korean stew, but what can I say?  They put kimchi in it so of course it would.  It was still good though.  The pork was relatively soft and retained its flavor and the soup itself was clear and light.  Overall it did not give a lasting impression: average goodness. [3/5]

Stir Fried Scallops with Asparagus and Bacon

[$7.5]

Sweetness of the scallops, saltiness of the bacon, and the asparagus together made a decent stir fry.  No more no less. [3/5]

Yakionigiri (Grilled Rice Balls) 1 Salmon and 1 Konbu (Seaweed)

[$2.25 each]

Whenever I usually see grilled rice balls on menus I almost feel like it'd be a cheat to order these.  I mean, they're just balls of rice grilled right?  But I caved into my curiosity and gave it a fair try.  I will never dis the grilled rice ball again, or at least the ones from Dan anyway.  The rice was seasoned with soy sauce and the grilled outer layered gave each bite crispy.  As you taste the rice in the inner layer it was not the usual white rice flavor, nor was it contaminated with the soy sauce from the outer coat.  It had an umami type flavor that surrounded the rice, making it very delectable.  And when you reach the center you're greeted with the filling.  The salmon filling was good and a little buttery.  My heart however belongs to seaweed rice balls whether they be fresh and cold from the supermarket or toasty and warm at an izakaya.  Warning though, do not eat the seasoned seaweed by itself or your taste buds will be alarmed with intense saltiness.  Between the seaweed, the flavorful rice, and the outer soy sauce crispy later, and even the topping of dried anchovies and roe.  This simple dish that I have underestimated for months has given me the run for my money. [5/5]

Braised Pork Claypot Rice

[$13.50 for Medium Size]

I wanted to try Dan's claypot yet I also wanted to try how they prepared their pork so lo and behold I killed two birds with one stone.  The pork was soft, though a little dry on the outside.  This dish was still hearty though, can't go wrong with meat and carbs.  [3.5/5]

About a month later I came back to Dan with Mama and Papa Kitty and Ducky to try its other dishes but did not have a chance to take pictures so I'll just give a quick rundown of the new things tried and ratings:

• Grilled mackerel [$6] - Tasty, a bit on the oily side but I think that is naturally from the fish [3.5/5]
• Grilled miso salmon [$7.75] - Did not taste much miso, but I was still served a tasty piece of salmon [3.5/5]
• Clam Ramen [$10.50] - It's served with little neck clams (you get a decent amount about 6 or so), and overall comes in good portion.  The broth is not like your usual miso, shio, or tonkotsu flavor, but more of an Asian/Western fusion.  I detected a complementary buttery flavor in the broth, and I suspect they used alcohol which really gave this ramen a refined and unique taste.  It is definitely a must try.  My description does not give it justice.  It's not Orenchi or Santouka ramen, but it is good bowl that'll warm your heart with a flavor I haven't found anywhere else. [5/5]
• Unagi Rice [$22.50 for Large] - The unagi was very well prepared however the steep price that came with it quickly made my eyebrows furrow.  Even though it was large, it was not much larger from the medium sized claypot I mentioned above. For a whopping $22, it was injustice especially since it was not particularly mind blowing. [2/5]  

Service: Make reservations on weekends otherwise you'll face with about an hour of waiting.  Service here is really slow since they are understaffed in the waitress department.  Your food will come out a decent pace though.

Overall I enjoy this place and am not deterred at all by its slow service.  It's a decent place to go for Japanese food that isn't filled with just the usual "bento box items". I would definitely come back 

Sociale

Kitty and Ducky

Sociale

3665 Sacramento St

San Francisco, CA 94118

(415)921-3200

Sociale @ Laurel Heights - SF

Sociale is an Italian restaurant. Situated between Locust

St and Spruce St, it is actually located after you walk through an alleyway. While driving this restaurant can be easily missed. However once you find said alleyway, at the end you'll be greeted with a quaint and romantic scenery. We came armed with a $50 for 3 Course Dinner for 2.

Fried Olives

[$9]

I like olives and I like deep fried foods therefore this combination caught my attention. But wait, it doesn't stop there, the olives were stuffed with cheese (Fontina to be exact), making it even more excellent. Forewarning though, consume these delicacies in small bites because the olives they used were pickled so it was intensely salty. -Kitty [3.5/5]

Pappardelle With Braised Duck

[$19]

It's like this restaurant is psychic or something. I love duck and I LOVE pappardelle pasta, so no questions asked I chose this. It was served with peas, truffle oil, porcini mushrooms, and parmesan cheese. Hands down a must try dish! The sauce did not overpower the duck but instead complemented it. And speaking of duck, it was very tender, making each bite incredibly satisfying.

-Kitty [5/5]

Persimmon Bread Pudding

[$8]

Even at the very end Sociale impressed me with its selection of desserts. I chose the persimmon bread pudding served with vanilla ice cream. What really appealed to me were two things: 1) the bread pudding was not mushy and 2) how well they brought out the persimmon flavor! I also highly recommend this. It's not too sweet and it's not too heavy. -Kitty [5/5]

Crab Timbale

[$13]

The crab timbale was quite flavorful. They used real crab meat with a bit of sweet sauce that really brought out the sweetness of the crab meat itself. If you don't like cold foods (like Kitty), I would avoid getting this dish. The dish is served cool, which I liked, but Kitty did not so much.

-Ducky [4/5]

Wagyu Bavette

[$32]

I got greedy and tried to maximize my value of the bloomspot coupon. I chose the wagyu steak with fries. Ehh... Not really something I would consider trying again. I don't know if its because I am really picky with my steaks, but I felt the steak was too chewy. I thought it was Wagyu? Isn't Wagyu supposed to be tender? Well, it was a flank cut as well. The fries were just salty garlicky fries, nothing too special, but came with two sauces. One was a sweet sauce and I was not too sure what the other was.

-Ducky [3/5]

Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Meyer Lemon Curd

[$8]

I'm not really a fan of heavy creamy desserts in the first place, so I am a bit bias against the cheesecake. Again, I was trying to maximize value and I have to say that value does not always equal "best deliciousness". Everyone has their own preferences. I just wanted to try this just for the sake of trying it. It was a bit too sweet and rich for my sensitive palette.

-Ducky [2/5]

We enjoyed Sociale very much. Even without a Bloomspot coupon we would come back. The quality and taste of their food justifies their price (which are not unreasonable in the first place).

THE BEST PART of Sociale is the service. We asked the waitress whether the Wagyu was supposed to be so chewy. She offered several times to change our dish for something I liked better. That is a super plus in my book :). I chose not to exchange my dish because I knew they were going to toss it. I am adamant against wasting food even if I don't like it too much.

-DUCKY

Samovar Tea Lounge

Kitty and Ducky

Samovar Tea Lounge

498 Sanchez Street

San Francisco, CA 94114

(415)626-4700

Samovar @ Mission-Castro SF

We are a fan of the tea room experience and over time more tea parlors have started opening up in the Bay Area. Tea rooms aren't for everyone though, especially for those who are looking for maximum quantity per dollar. Usually tea sets run on average about $22 per person (before tax and tip). So what makes this appealing? For us, we enjoy the relaxing atmosphere, bottomless pots of delicious tea, and a variety of delicious finger foods.

Although Samovar is a tea room, it is not similar to its siblings Lovejoy and Crown and Crumpet. It has a more international and hipster feel. Instead of offering the usual High Tea Service it offers tea sets with Indian, Japanese, or Russian themes. Armed with a $25 for $50 Groupon, Ducky and I decided to see what all the hoopla about this place was.

Paleolithic Tea Service

[$19]

My set included:

• Steamed kale, carrots, and beets
• Smoked duck
• Tangy sesame dressing
• Normally this set comes with Houjicha Japanese green tea, but I opted for the Golden Phoenix oolong tea.

The duck was delicious. It was a tad jerky like but I suspect that it's the result from smoking. None the less it was well prepared. The sesame dressing was also a nice touch to the salad, adding a salty and sour blend to the sweet root vegetables. The tea had a light and fragrant flavor, but I am no tea expert, so I simply enjoyed.

Overall I was a little disappointed with this tea set. Carrots, beets, and kale can be bought at a very cheap price even if they were grown organically, so I felt a bit miffed that something like this would cost $19. The only item I could see that would be remotely costly was the smoked duck...but not enough to make up for this pricey set. -Kitty

[2/5]

English Service

[$22]

My set included:

• Salad
• Quiche
• Scone
• Fruit
• Tea: Earl Grey

The English tea service was acceptable, but only because of the quiche and the scone. There is just something special about tiny tea sandwiches that come with traditional English tea. Unfortunately, Samovar wanted to go a different route and just do a salad, quiche, scone and fruit. Although the quiche and scones were delicious and filling, I want my TEA SANDWICHES! :). The tea itself was pretty refreshing with a slight bitter taste to it that is common to all black teas. -Ducky

[3/5]

Curry Egg Salad with Sliced Fuji Apple

[$11]

Whoever though of mixing the taste of curry and egg salad sandwiches was ingenious. Samovar took it a step further and added bite size slices of Fuji apple, making it a very wholesome and satisfying flavor. We strongly recommend getting this.

[5/5]

Overall Samovar is a nice tea lounge, but we felt it was a tad too "hipster" to us. We can see the appeal it has with many of its fans but we wouldn't come again without a Groupon. We felt that it appeals to the more hip and trendy youngsters with all the zen buddhist atmosphere, which is good, but that also means the price is increased for a "unique experience".

Curry House

Kitty and Ducky

Curry House

10350 S. De Anza Blvd

Cupertino, CA 95014

(408)517-1440

Curry House @ Cupertino

Japanese curry is a comfort food and luckily there is a decent place in San Jose that specializes in making this: Curry House. Originally a chain in Southern California, it has made its way up here to the Bay Area. It's spacious and quaint. Even though it's not a mom and pop store, it offers a very family friendly environment which enhances the experience. Granted it can get hectic and busy during the lunch rush hours, this place is worth going to for some curry if you're not up to cooking it yourself.

[Deluxe Fried Shrimp Curry]
$10.35

This is their signature dish, and if you're not allergic to eggs or shellfish, then I definitely recommend it. You get the joys of sampling a runny omelette topped over rice pilaf and crispy sweet fried shrimp served with curry. Classic goodness overall. -Kitty

[4/5]

[New York Steak Curry]

$10.95

I had the New York Steak Curry. It was very average. The meat was a bit chewy but it was filling. It is not something I would get again. It is definitely worth a try, but that is all. -Ducky

[3/5]

We both shared a curry pan. The bread itself was tasty, crunchy, and sweetly fried. However the curry inside had a mediocre taste, barely possessing much curry flavor and its texture was unappealingly pasty.

[1/5]