When One Door Closes, Another One Opens: B*Star

(UPDATE: My pictures were pretty crappy, so I linked a few I found from flickr.)



This week, I got together with a few fellow fat kids for dinner in the Inner Richmond.  My (future) roomie, A, and I were out hunting for apartments and decided to call a few other friends to join us for dinner in the area.  We decided to try Burma Superstar, which is supposed to be excellent.  However, I don't think we were the only person to hear that it is good.  The place was backed and a sizable crowd was milling outside.  The hostess confirmed our fears- we would have to wait at least an hour.  Seeing disappointment wash over our faces, she suggested that we try their sister restaurant, B*Star, which was just a few blocks down the street.  She called ahead to let them know we were coming.  Once we arrived, the host was waiting for us and walked us immediately to our table.

B*Star is an Asian Fusion restaurant.  They have a few of the signature dishes from Burma Superstar, including the Tea Leaf Salad.  

First up, yummy cocktails and appetizers. 

Orange Basil Soju Mojito, Chimay and Mango Mint Soju Mojito.  I had the mango mojito- so tasty! Would go back for this cocktail by itself.  

We shared the Spicy Tuna Cerviche as an appetizer- pepper crusted tuna tataki with jalapeño, avocado and wakame.  Gobbled it down.  One of the waiters tried to take the plate when we were done, but A almost bit his hand off.  Slurped up the remnants of wakame and avocado that were left before handing it over.  

We also shared the Tea Leaf Salad.

Romaine lettuce ginger, garlic, peanuts, sunflower and sesame seeds, tomato and fermented tea leaves.  Not gonna lie, the fermented tea leaves made me pause.  But mixed together, it was so good.  Crunchy, crisp, spicy, tangy. We split it, but I could have eaten buckets of this dish.  So good. A must try if you go.

Check out a better picture here.

We shared two entrees family style- first up, Basil Chili Tofu.

Pressed tofu, eggplant, red bell peppers, asparagus, red onions over coconut rice. Not the biggest tofu fan, but this was great.  Great combination of flavors.  Had a bit of a kick, but not overwhelming.  The coconut rice balanced it out perfectly.  Here's a better picture.

We also shared Grilled Trout with Mango and Citrus Salad.  

Grilled trout, tomatoes, papaya, mango, jalapenos and coconut rice.  Had crunchy little things in the rice, don't know what they were called.  All around great meal.  Spicy and sweet, crispy and soft. My only complaint is that the portion size was a bit skimpy for the price ($15). 

Finally, we finished off our meal with banana coconut egg rolls.  Served with chocolate chips and vanilla ice cream.  This dish didn't last long enough for me to take a picture.  So flippin' good.  

For four people, drinks, appetizers, dinner, and dessert totaled $100 before tip.  A good investment for good food and a good time with great friends.  The place was packed by the time we left (9pm), so I would recommend reservations if you are arriving after 7:30p and have a big party.  

On the Hunt for Brunch: Caffe DeLucchi

I love brunch.  Nothing better than sleeping in on a lazy weekend, rolling out of bed and heading out for this meal that counts for both breakfast and lunch.  I have my favorites- Brenda's, Dottie's True Blue Cafe and Stacks are all great places to grab some grub around the Civic Center.  However, I am always on the hunt for new restaurants to try.  A few months ago, I headed out to find a new breakfast/brunch place.

Our original target was Mama's.  Got great reviews on Yelp.  I had the genius idea of walking to the restaurant to work off in advance the considerable caloric intake that I knew I would soon consume.  Taking the scenic route, we arrived about an hour later, walking roughly three miles up and down the hills of San Francisco.  By the time we got to Mama's, there was at least 30 people lined up outside the restaurant.

Starving, we decided to try another place.  We stumbled into Caffe DeLucchi, a few blocks down from Mama's.  No wait, seated right away.  Menu looked promising, a tad pricey ($10-$15), but not unreasonably or surprising for SF.

First up....bucket sized cups of coffee.

Yum! Service was great and we never got down to half a cup before a refill was offered.

I ordered crab cakes benedict:

I love eggs benedict- I use it to test a new breakfast place.  If they can nail this dish, I know it is good.  This was very solid.  The crab went great with the runny yolk.  Not the greatest hollandaise sauce I've tried, but decent.  Breakfast potatoes were good- not too greasy.

M had the winner dish: polenta with melted gorgonzola, honey, thick cut smoked applewood bacon and poached egg.

Pictures don't do it justice.  F*mazing.  Thinking about it makes my mouth water now.  All of the flavors paired very well together.  The honey was a great balance on the salty bacon.  Polenta was perfectly creamy and the gorgonzola gave it a nice tang.  So good.

I am convinced that this is a bit of an undiscovered gem.  Although the restaurant is pretty big, there were several open table tops when we were there.  I would have guessed that it would be packed based on what we ate.  I definitely would go back- would love to try the polenta with pulled pork.

Plan on going back soon....