September Foodgrams

So…I kid you guys not, I had exactly 9 food pictures from the month of September. Pictures from the U.S., that is. I was in Japan for ~10 days and decided it was best to save those pictures for a dedicated Japan food post later on. And back at home, I’ve literally been going to the same three places (two of which I’ve probably already talked about in previous posts). So not much variety in September! But I ventured out enough to come up with 9 food places for this post! So hope you guys enjoy.

1. Terun (Palo Alto): The pizzas here are fantastic. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a thin-crust pizza…but the pizzas here are just so different! And amazing! There are so many different flavors to choose from, and if you’re going with a large group (which I recommend because these pizzas are quite big and you want to try as many as possible), definitely do family-style! The Tricolore pizza is my favorite. The large scoop of burrata mozzarella is to die for, and all the ingredients balance out nicely. The amount of sauce that they use is perfect, and the richness of the cheese complements the flavors of the arugula and tomatoes so well. The lasagna here is also great, but definitely on the heavier side. If you order a kid’s pizza, they make it Mickey Mouse shaped! Super adorable. Great food and great customer service here. Highly recommend!!

2. Sushi Sam’s Edomata (San Mateo): Amazing!! Decided to do the omakase here sort of on a whim, and 100% no regrets. The quality of the sushi here is amazing. The fish is fresh, flavors are very carefully crafted, and presentation is fantastic. And at $45, I thought it was more than worth it. I’m sure the selection changes, so I won’t go listing off every item. But out of the 8 pieces of sushi that I tried, my favorites were the scallop, tuna, fatty tuna, and lobster. And out of those, my favorite was probably the lobster. The flavors of each sushi piece are intricate and well-woven. And each one is so different. You’ll get a citrus-y blast in some of them and a more subtle but rich flavor in the others. It was a fantastic experience overall. Their desserts did not disappoint either. I really enjoyed the goat cheese dessert that I tried. They paired it with figs and grapes–a very interesting combination that worked surprisingly well. If you’re looking for quality sushi, this is the place to go!

3. Oren’s Hummus Shop (Multiple Locations): So happy I finally got to try this place! The stuff here is kind of pricey and the portions don’t look all that big, but the food is hella filling and everything’s delicious! I think this is actually the first time I’ve had hummus at a restaurant. HUGE difference from the ones you get at Safeway, lol. I can’t remember if I got beef or lamb, but the flavor of the meat was amazing! Mix it into the hummus well, and be prepared for a massive food coma when you finish. Highly recommend sharing with at least another person. Oh, and their pita bread is fantastic. The chicken pita here is also delicious. Good balance of meat and veggies, and the sauce takes away some of the dryness from the pita bread.

4. PokeLOVE (Palo Alto): Surprise surprise…another poke place in the bay area. I heard meh reviews about this place but decided to check it out anyway and was pleasantly surprised! Even though the poke bowls are slightly pricier than some of the other places that I frequent, I love the variety of choices here. They have a great selection of pre-mixed poke (sauce already included), and the two that I got were both delicious! If you’d rather choose your own sauce/fish combo, they have un-sauced fish as well (tuna, salmon, etc). Topping variety is good as well. And if you check-in on Yelp, you get a free extra scoop of protein! Makes the price more worth it.

5. Bobbie’s Cafe (Cupertino): Great hole-in-the-wall place for brunch. Prices are super reasonable and portions are pretty generous! Highly recommend the Monster Scramble. Eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, bell peppers, onions, hash browns, cheese, and toast (on the side). Yes, the hash browns are cooked into the scramble. And it’s delicious! Great mix of ingredients, just the right amount of eggs…such a great way to start the day. And service here is super fast! One of my new favorite places for brunch.

6. Tasty Pot (Multiple Locations): Yessss Taiwanese style hotpot is finally making its way to Cupertino. For those of you who don’t know, Boiling Point is my go-to. But it’s 40 minutes away from where I live. Tasty Pot in San Jose was the closer alternative…until one opened up in Cupertino. Came here 3 times in 4 days when this branch opened. Words cannot express my joy, lol. People always ask me how it compares to Boiling Point. I think they’re basically the same thing. The soup tastes slightly different and I think Boiling Point’s has more flavor, but that’s about it. Their menus look the same…the ingredients in their pots are practically the same as well. Most of the stuff in the pot is fully cooked (or almost fully cooked) when they bring it to you, but I’d wait until your pot starts boiling before you start eating. As for spice level…I usually go for mild. My spice tolerance isn’t particularly high, but I also find that the higher you go in spice, the oilier the soup gets.

7. Bon Temps Creole Cafe (San Luis Obispo): I came here at an awkward time…between when they serve breakfast and when they start serving lunch. I was starving so I opted to just order from their breakfast menu. But their lunch options honestly looked much more appetizing. The breakfast options weren’t bad either, but all the Creole specialties (which is what I came here to try) either had too much meat or beans. And they didn’t seem to differ that much from regular American-style breakfast. All I really wanted was the Shrimp Creole dish, haha. I ended up going with the Eggs Benedict. It was delicious but nothing super special. Eggs were poached perfectly and the Hollandaise sauce was great. Loved the grits that came with the dish–it was my first time trying! I also recommend trying the pancakes here. Not your typical pancake…the texture is slightly crispy and they’re super thin. But so yummy! Overall, this place didn’t disappoint but I wish I had waited for their lunch service to begin.

8. Tin Pot Creamery (Palo Alto): They have a lot of interesting flavors here! I was debating for the longest time between 1 or 2 scoops. Def should have gone with 2…since you pay $3.50 for one scoop but just $4.50 for two. The scoop sizes are pretty small too. But you can sample the flavors you’re considering before you decide on your final order. I went with one scoop of the early grey flavor. SO GOOD. Super light, but very creamy and rich in flavor. I wish the scoop size was bigger omg. My friend got some banana flavor (apparently another one of their most popular) and I really enjoyed that one as well. If you ask, they can put a smiley face on your ice cream 🙂

9. Go Fish Poke Bar (Cupertino): This was one of the first poke places that opened up in South Bay. This is probably the poke place that I go to most often. 80% because it’s super close to where I live, but the fish here is also really fresh and the portion sizes are very generous (especially the scoops of fish). The only downside is that because this place is pretty popular now and the lines get long during peak hours, the workers here seem very rushed and that reflects in the customer service. But dude…they give so much fish…I still keep coming back! 31 times and counting!