Samovar Tea Bar

Samovar Tea Bar is one of the places I wanted to visit when I was in San Fran. I found out about this place after I moved out of the city and so I didn't get a chance to check this place out until this trip. The cafe's interior is very different and intriguing. So I decided to look up what's the philosophy behind this brand. According to their website:

"Samovar is an alternate reality. A place where we can step out of the rat race. A place where we invite people to slow down, to inhabit the present moment, to disconnect in order to connect.... We’re about enjoying the basic goodness of being present in the moment."—Jesse Jacobs, Founder.

If that's the case, I definitely can see myself disconnecting and slowing down at this place. The interior does exudes a sense of tranquility and calmness. Definitely a good place to just sit back, relax and recharge yourself. I ordered the green tea latte and it was good. The aroma of the green tea was really nice and it was unsweetened so it gave a really clean taste. I especially enjoyed watching how the teas were being prepared. If you are looking for a good place to drink tea, I would recommend you to check this place out.

Hope everybody have a great weekend and for those of you who are in the States, enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend! :) 

ps: they have another location at the Yerba Buena Gardens, Samovar Tea Lounge, which is bigger than this one and have more food selections. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

---

Sightglass Coffee

Up to this point, I have posted many posts about cafes that I've visited in the past. And if you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that I'm no food or coffee experts by any means. Most of writings involved the description of the place and whether or not I enjoyed their food or drinks. Some common things about the places I've shared are: first, they are usually nicely designed or cozy spaces and/or, second, they have great selections of tea, non-coffee drinks, or hot chocolate. So with that said, to make it a little bit interesting, from now on I think I'll try to share a little story about interesting things I saw or experienced during my visit or maybe just something random about me to mix it up a little ;)

I've never been a big on breakfast kinda person. I don't really get hungry when I wake up, not 'til a couple of hours later anyway, so breakfast is not something that is mandatory for me. But when I'm in the mood for breakfast, there are certain things that I enjoyed the most during these morning meals. A cup of rich but not-too-sweet hot chocolate with a perfectly baked pain au chocolat on a warm spring morning is one of them. And Sightglass Coffee actually serves that combo. I had a really pleasant morning hanging out with my mom at this place, eating pastries, people watching, and enjoying the warm sunlight that came through the window next to where we're sitting. If their famous coffee selections doesn't really convince you to check this place out, maybe their beautiful floor tiles will ;) 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

---

The Ramen Bar

I had the chance to visit The Ramen Bar during one of my trips to San Francisco. Located in the heart of downtown San Francisco, this place is a collaboration between chef Ken Tominaga and chef Michael Mina. Blending the California cooking philosophy with Japanese techniques and ingredients, their menus definitely taste different than the traditional Japanese dishes. I ordered the Tonkatsu Ramen and Sesame Salmon Donburi. My ramen's broth was a little bit too salty for my taste. The donburi was really nice tho. I really liked the flavors and the texture of the whole dish, and the crispy salmon skin was cooked just right. They also have selections of pastries, desserts, and beverages that you can choose from if you need something sweet or refreshing to finish off your meal.

View fullsize

View fullsize

---

The Ramen Bar
101 California Street
San Francisco, CA, 94108

---

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

One of my favorite things to do when I'm in the bay area is visiting Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. And so, during my last trip, I did just that with my sisters and my mom. It always fun visiting this place because there are so much things to do. This time, I can't helped to fall in love with all the colorful fresh vegetables that were on display all over the market. I think because I haven't been here for a while, I'm once again fascinated with all these bright colors. 

Of course after exploring the outdoor area, we went inside the Ferry building to sightsee some more. As soon as we entered the hall, we're greeted by the crowd of people shopping at the different stalls along the hallway. People lining up to buy their fresh groceries, vendors offering their product samples for people to try, and some people are dining at their favorite spots are common sights for a Saturday morning in this place. Hope I can visit this place again soon.

---

New England Lobster

Today, I went on a little lunch date with my mom at New England Lobster Market & Eatery in Burlingame, CA. We found this place through yelp and decided to give it a try since we didn't know what to have for lunch. The ambiance of the place is really nice. They have plenty of tables on different rooms that you can sit on, so you wouldn't have to worry to have to fight for tables during lunch/dinner time (although I read the place got pretty crowded on weekends so you might have to wait for tables). We ordered the Dressed Lobster Roll, 1lb Maine Lobster Platter, and Lobster Corn Chowder to share and they were delicious. The lobster roll and the chowder have plenty of big lobster chunks and the lobster meat is very fresh. Eating it plain is good, but we squeezed some lemon juice to the meat and dip it into the melted butter that came with the order and we liked it better :) Also, they have a market section where you can buy fresh lobsters and east coast shellfish right from the restaurant.  

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize