My Top 10 Picks for 2011

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2011 was a year filled with food finds left and right, many of the culinary adventures were had with dear friends, The Club. I'll be giving you a glimpse into my top 10 choices for the year, in no particular order.

#1 Chuck's Deli

Serving deli sandwiches using ingredients they make themselves from the bread, to the corned beef and even the sauerkraut which makes for a great Reuben Sandwich. The California Waki is also a great choice.

Read more about Chuck's Deli....



#2 Monsee's Chef and Bakers

A beautiful little bakery that reminded me so much of the movie "It's Complicated". Monsee's has a simple savory menu but its the creations from the bakery that are the stars here like the Peach danish and the Spanish bread, so good you'll see stacks and stacks of it being gobbled up.

Read more about Monsee's....

#3 Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss

A Japanese noodle place giving equal attention to ramen, udon and soba alike, popped up in the unlikeliest of places. A simple and straight forward menu partnered with value for money prices, no wonder its a hit.

Read more about Moshi Koshi......


#4 Lolo Dad's Cafe

A place that has been on my wishlist for more than 12 years was finally removed this year and the experience was so good that I can't wait to go back again. Although pricey, it was not as expensive as I ahd expected.

Read more about Lolo Dad's....


#5 Yabu, House of Katsu

I've had tonkatsu but never quite like this, Yabu is the first restaurant that takes it seriously, even making the sauce is a ceremony. Crisp and tender, a mix of textures tantalizing the taste buds.

Read more about Yabu....

#6 Boulevard Diner

My pick for the best burger, with quirky names and combinations produced from a literal hole in the wall kitchen. The Aloha  err Larry Lanai burger is the reason I keep trekking back there, crossing my fingers that they finally open closer to my house.

Read more about Boulevard Diner....

#7 Lechon Degustation by Pepita's Kitchen

A dinner that literally took hours to finish, course upon course, each seemingly wanted to upstage the previous one. Highlighted by 4 stuffed roasted pigs, still in trial stages, the final product will likely only include one or two meaty highlights.

Read more about Pepita's.....

#8 Gongcha

Who could have missed the milk tea explosion, with stores popping up everywhere highlighted by the entry of the Taiwanese pioneers of my favorite drinks.Gong Cha is one of my favorites but the weird thing was I had tasted this in Hong Kong since the initial Philippine branches were out of the way. Favorites of mine are any of the milk cream series.

Read more about Gongcha ....

#9 Chatime

My other favorite milk tea place is Chatime, where I go for my Taiwan Plum iced tea, "kiam muy" mixed with citrus, a weird thing since I really never liked "kiam muy" in the first place. Other drinks I like are the grass jelly milk tea and taro milk tea, they also have the best pearls. Some of their other branches have started adding food.

Read more about Chatime....

#10 Tourné

A refreshing ambiance partnered with an advocacy of introducing slow food to the masses.Cooking might not be as consistent due to their changing the menu every 2 weeks. I also admire their desire to use as much local produce as possible.

Read more about Tourné....


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