Now that summer has finally arrived, this late sweltering heat makes me want to sip on some iced tea and listen to the Quiet Storm. What I mean is, I’ve been fostering very little motivation this week, but I do have some pictures from my excursion to the East Bay on Tuesday.
The frankfurter with chili @ Top Dog, Berkeley. Sure, a generous mound of shredded yellow cheese might add some visual flair, but I also have to admire the red-monochrome guise of a stripped-down, no-nonsense chili dog. And here it is. Cash only, player.
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The shrimp and pork pancake @ Huong Tra Restaurant & Deli, Richmond. For numerologists, this is the #5, and it's only an appetizer. Despite the generous portioning, however, I would actually opt for the spring rolls instead. But I had to see what this dish entailed (modest flavor, many napkins).
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The sweet and sour catfish soup @ Huong Tra Restaurant & Deli, Richmond. I'm fine with the catfish being cut into steaks and left on the bone -- I can work with it. But the canned pineapple made me doubt myself, especially when everything else in the dish -- the tomato, the okra, the bạc hà -- was fresh. Is this simple home-style cooking, or just a shortcut?
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The chicken tikka masala @ House of Curries, Albany. The sauce spooned over the basmati rice is pitch-perfect, but the garlic naan is truly next-level, both in flavor and design. Even better, there are four House of Curries locations throughout the California East Bay.
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