Thanksgiving 2017

This year, my Thanksgiving post looks like a food blog, except without any turkey or pecan pie.  Instead I have sushi, a cake, some French pastries, and Chinese egg tarts.  Why? Because two years ago I asked you, my readers, to share your favorite must-try foods.  Several of you responded, and I’ve since ventured out to these various restaurants and bakeries to try out these goodies for myself.   This Thanksgiving, I thought wouldn’t it be fun to bring some goodness back to these guys?  These are their favorite foods after all.

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First stop is Yasukochi’s Sweet Stop in San Francisco, famous for their legendary Coffee Crunch Cake.

 

My friend Alli told me about this dessert.  After trying it I have to say, this moist, spongey cake with the crunchy coffee toffee bits on the outside lives up to the hype. How did I not know about this having grown up in San Francisco?  This family owned bakery is located inside the Super Mira Market in Japantown but you can’t simply walk up to the counter and ask for the cake.  You must reserve yours beforehand.  Slices can also be purchased but those go fast too.

It’s a big cake for Victor and Alli who are empty nesters. Fortunately their adult kids aren’t far. One of them works close by and the coffee crunch cake is her favorite!

Thank Alli for introducing this amazing cake. It was so good to see you and Victor.  Your lemon bars are now on my favorite food list as well.  I will bring you more of my Meyer lemons next time I visit!

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Next up is the food at Sushi House in Alameda, CA.  There’s a bowling alley across the street, and when the kids were young, we’d bowl here and mid afternoon, we’d call in a Sushi House order, run across the street to pick it up and hurry back in time for our next turn to bowl.  Sushi while bowling.

 

Thanks, Augie and Kathy, for the recommendation.  I was thrilled when you accepted our invitation to take you to dinner there.  Of course no sushi for me but I’m craving their sukiyaki as I write this.

We saw Kathy and Augie and friends on Sunday at New Life Christian Fellowship where we all sat down to a Thanksgiving lunch together.

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Next stop is b. patisserie in lower Pacific Heights in San Francisco.  Bonnie had only heard about this pastry shop when she made the suggestion, so we’re both first timers.  Bonnie now lives in the Portland area so I sent her the pastries.  After they arrived, she emailed me “WOW!!!….. They arrived in perfect shape and I believe we will have them for dinner!..”  😁

One of b. patisserie’s signature pastry is the kouign amann (“queen-ya-mahn”), a round, bronzed buttery pastry that breaks apart into sweet flaky bits when you bite into it.

 

The “b.” refers to Belinda Leong, the shop’s pastry chef, a James Beard Finalist for “Outstanding Baker” who is also known for her desserts at Manresa and Gary Danko restaurants.  Glad you enjoyed them, Bonnie!

 

How much did you share with Ralph?!  You did see that I wrote “To Ralph and Bonnie” on the box, right? 😁

 

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Lastly, Susana gave a shout-out to Golden Gate Bakery for their egg custard tarts.  We call these egg tarts dahn taht in Chinese, and the ones at Golden Gate have attained a cult-like following.   I once had some egg tarts elsewhere at a dim sum luncheon.  Too dry, we told the waitress who assured us they were simply the healthier ones.  I personally think that’s an oxymoron; there’s no such thing as a healthy dahn taht.  A real dahn taht has to be loaded with generous amounts of butter for a golden, flaky crust that delicately cradles the warm, creamy, eggy custard filling.

 

If you are ever in San Francisco Chinatown, you must stop by Golden Gate Bakery on Grant Avenue.  But remember: allow yourself plenty of time as the line will be long, and more importantly, check first that they are open.  How do you know?  By going to the website is-the-golden-gate-bakery-open-today.com!  Yes, there is a third party website dedicated to keeping GG Bakery fans informed.

Unfortunately they were closed nearly all of November, so Susana and Dave, you’re just going to have to wait until December to get your share of GG dahn tahts!

 

Patience, Dave and Susana! It will be worth the wait!

Patience, Dave and Susana.  It will be worth the wait.

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So thanks to my super supporters who deserve all my gratitude this Thanksgiving:

I’m thankful for Bonnie who, despite having moved away several years ago, continues to shower me with her support and leaves comments after just about every blog post.  She (and dear friend Betty) may just hold the title for most comments on Hello Kidney! blog.  And she has been an amazing friend and anchor for Marty and for me through some tough transitions.

I’m thankful for Alli whom I can never picture in my mind without a smile or laugh in our 35 years of friendship.  The day I brought Victor and Alli the Coffee Crunch Cake, she made lemon bars and sent a batch home with me.  Her positive spirit encourages and inspires me greatly.

I’m thankful for Augie and Kathy who personify Love in Action.  They brought us meals, and Kathy came to care for me during my recovery.  Always committed to loving others and meeting needs in the community and the world, Augie and Kathy often say you can’t change everything but you can change your little part of the world where God has put you.

I’m thankful for Susana who gave my kidney a Chinese name and invited me to share my perspective with her students at Cal where she teaches at the School of Social Welfare.  She and Dave have been crazy generous in their love and support for us.

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As always, thanks to all of you for loving my family and me long after my surgery.  Share with me your favorite foods, and let’s meet up to eat!