Bulletproof

I don't follow a Keto diet.  I generally don't like protein added snacks.  I find most protein bars have horrible texture, taste, or both.  And yet ... I keep trying them, because I do like to have easy-to-grab options when I'm on the go.

Enter Bulletproof, a keto friendly company, making a variety of items, including supplements, MCT oil, protein powders, coffees, and protein bars.

"Be bulletproof: Keto products with the right nutrients to release your potential."

The produces are all gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, yadda yadda, and have collagen protein added.

I attended an event with samples of the collagen enhanced coffee, and I remember feeling particularly put off by the mouthfeel of it.  But the bars, perhaps they had potential?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bar.

The protein bars, like many brands, come in tempting flavors like "vanilla cookie", "berry cobbler", or "fudge brownie", but, I of course was skeptical that they'd really channel the namesake desserts.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bar.

"Be strong, not hungry with a delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Collagen Protein Bar. Our new and improved recipe has a soft, cookie-like texture, less oiliness and a more delicious bite. It's made with grass-fed collagen protein, which provides building blocks for healthy skin, bones and joints. Always gluten-free, dairy-free and non-GMO, a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Collagen Protein Bar provides satisfying, on-the-go nutrition to support a healthy lifestyle."

I opted to try the cookie dough flavor.

It was funky.  And not in a good way.

Maybe it was the cashew butter base I didn't care for.  Maybe it was the collagen, the Bulletproof oil powder or Brain Octane oil, or coconut oil, etc.  Whatever it was, I did not care for it.  It was strangely sweet as well (hello, Stevia!). 

The only thing I have positive to say about this is that the chocolate chips were large and nicely melty.

**.

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Rocky Mountain Pies

Mmm, dessert.  Mmm, pie.  Pies are always a regular item in my dessert rotation, and I'm a fan of many types of pie (fruity, cream, custard, nut, savory, etc).  I enjoy them warm, I enjoy them room temp, I enjoy them a la mode or a la whip, I like them homemade or not, I like an all butter crust, or a lard based crust, and everything in-between.  Yup, I just really like pie, and so, Rocky Mountain Pies is a company I was pleased to discover.

I encountered Rocky Mountain Pies at an event with a large dessert table, mostly filled with desserts bought from the nearby grocery store, mostly made up of cookies (which I rarely like even homemade), brownies, and tea cakes.  Among all that lackluster selection were two pies, also store bought.  I tried both.  The apple pie was awful, BJ's brand, and I didn't like anything about it - not the crust, not the filling, not the spicing ... but the other pie was what looked like chocolate cream pie, also from BJs.  I found out later that it was indeed from BJ's, but BJ's gets these from Rocky Mountain Pies, a wholesale distributor.

I tell you all this because it was actually good pie.

"Rocky Mountain Pies® knows that the difference between a homestyle pie and a manufactured pie can be dramatic. However, our philosophy is that our manufactured products should taste just like the cream pies grandma used to make and serve after dinner. As a leading frozen dessert supplier, we are committed to providing our customers with quality cream pies that do not lose their look or flavor while on display, whether they are topped with our shelf-stable crème topping or our rich, real whipped cream topping."

So, uh, they make 657 types of pie.  657??!!  No, I won't enumerate all 657 types of you, but I assure you, they make most every type of pie you can imagine, sized from 6 in to 12 inch .  Their product range starts with fruit pies (dubbed "VIP", Very Impressive Pies) in everything from classic cherry and apple to combinations like cherry pecan and apple caramel nut, then there are fruit pies with double crusts, others that are meringue topped (e.g. lemon, coconut, key lime), and then creme pies (chocolate, coconut, banana, etc), whipped cream topped (same bases as the creme pies, just with different topping), holiday pies (pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, etc), and of course, gluten-free and no sugar added varieties as well.

I didn't expect anything of these mass produced pies, no matter what their marketing said.  Freeze and thaw pie, which I got at BJs, couldn't possibly be good, could it?

Shocker: it was.  I'd love to try more of their pies.

French Silk.

The pie looked like any generic store bought chocolate cream pie.  Still, it was the best looking option on the dessert table, so I took a huge slice, hoping for the best (I wasn't the one who sliced the pieces!).

I was shocked by every element of it.  

The chocolate pudding layer was rich, chocolately, creamy, really delicious.  The topping was amazing, light, fluffy, sweet, something like a cross between whipped cream and sweet meringue.  The layers came in about equal proportions, which was perfect, the sweet whipped topping helped offset the very rich thicker pudding.  I loved the dark chocolate curls on top.  The crust was buttery, crumbly, and sweet.

Did it taste like a homemade pie?  Well, no.  But I really liked it, and was shocked by how quickly I devoured my giant slice.  I was terrified of course when I saw the nutrition facts, 550 calories a slice, loaded with fats and sugars, due to whatever it was that went into keeping this thing stable.

But, delicious it was.  If you need a pre-made chocolate cream, er, French Silk, pie, look no further than Rocky Mountain Pies, distributed all over the country (often under private labels).

****+, and I'd gladly get it again.

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Mr. Wong, Syndey

Sigh.

Another busy business trip, filled with meetings, jetlag, and of course, dining.  As often happens during these trips, I take photos while dining out, I take copious notes, but, I am unable to write up my posts immediately after because, well, I AM there for work after all.  Time elapses, I return home, I go to write my post and ... the notes were displaced along the way, and memories jumbled from a slew of rapid succession dining extravaganzas.

Which leads to the story of Mr. Wong, a modern Chinese restaurant in Sydney.  Mr. Wong had been on my list for ages, known for higher end Chinese cuisine, and a part of the well known Merivale restaurant group.  It is the product of Executive Chef Dan Wong, who I was quite familiar with from some *fabulous* trips to another of his restaurants, Ms. G's.  The entire menu sounded fabulous to me, full of seafood, plus an incredible lunch only dim sum line up, and very well known peking duck operation.

Feast!

I was happy to secure a reservation for our group of 7 one evening, for dinner.  We had everything family-style, so were able to try a large variety of the menu.

I remember liking the meal, and adding to my notes that I'd be happy to return, but wouldn't go out of my way for it.  Unfortunately, I lost all my notes, but, amusingly, DID write up the dessert section that night.  So, here you have mostly a picture review, along with full dessert review.  #priorities.

Our visit was in March 2019, but literally every single one of the dishes (besides a slight seasonal variation in one dessert) is still on the menu.  Clearly, these dishes sell well!

Setting

Mr. Wong is located right in the CBD, part of the Establishment.

Which way?

To get to the Mr. Wong entrance though, you go down a bit of a side street, following the perhaps not-so-easy to spot marking on the stone.

Side alley.

But once you find the entrance, you are greeted with anything but quaint!  

Seating.

The venue occupies several stories, seating nearly 250 people.   This area was mostly for smaller groups.

Bar,

They have seating for groups of all sizes, plus private areas and a bar.

More Seating.

Like I said, sooo much seating, many different styles.

Carnage.

If you are shy of seeing carcasses, you might want to avoid Mr. Wong.  The duck program is on full display.

Roasting.

They roast, and serve, a LOT of duck every day.

Open Kitchen.

I think there are several kitchen areas, but this one was open, and a constant flurry of activity.  

Wine Wall.

The stairwell has an epic wine wall along it.

Bathrooms.

Bathroom stalls even had some charm.

Drinks

The cocktail program, like most Merivale establishments, is worth a look, or really, a taste.  We all started with cocktails, and most of us continued with a second cocktail, rather than shifting to wine, as the meal evolved, as there were so many interesting sounding drinks to try.

#10. $20.

"Don Julio Reposado, Olmeca Reposado & Del Maguey Vida stirred down with 5 spice agave & rosemary salt."

Was the rosemary annoying to drink around?  Yup.  But, style points?

#1. $20.

"Hibiscus infused Antica Formula, Aperol, Camppari & kaffir lime infused Beefeater gin, stirred down over block ice."

De Bortoli 'Noble One' Botrytis Semillon.

This was to pair with the fabulous desserts.

Cuisine

We ordered family style for our group of 7, but most dishes seemed best suited for about 4 people to share.  Since our visit was at dinner, no dim sum was available (that is lunch only), but we hit most of the menu categories, skipping only the pippies (available in sooo many styles), and the mud crab (also available sooo many ways).

 Vegetarian Salad.$15.

"Cucumber, fennel, wakame, celery, pickled ginger, wood ear, enoki."

First up, a light offering, from the "Salads, Cold Cuts, Appetizers" section of the menu.  I remember liking this.

Peking Duck (Whole). $98.

We *obviously* had to get the peking duck, also from the "Salads, Cold Cuts, Appetizers" section.  It came with the classic accompaniments, and everyone was pleased with how well prepared it was, which, at some level, was to be expected. 

16 Pancakes.

I remember particularly liking the pancakes. 

King Crab Fried Rice. $36.

"Typhoon shelter style" with garlic & chilli."

I don't normally go for rice, but, the King Crab fried rice, typhoon shelter style, from the "Rice & Noodles" section clearly jumped out, as I am a crab lover.  It came covered in crispy bits, which most certainly pleased me.

Honey glazed Kurobuta “char siu” pork. $36.

Next we moved into the "Meats" section.  I remember being impressed with the char on this, and the depth to the light sauce.

Steamed Hokkaido scallops. $42.

"White soy, XO sauce and brown butter."

The "Seafood" section is where my real interests were, starting with the simple steamed scallops, as I love scallops.  Speaking of memorable sauces, brown butter with XO sauce most certainly was that as well.  The scallops were good, but, made me realize I certainly prefer a seared scallop.

Crispy fried Balmain Bugs. $42.

"With spicy salt."

What is a meal in Sydney if it doesn't include balmain bugs?  This was a first for everyone in the group besides myself.

Mr. Wong’s deep fried vanilla ice cream. $20.

"With butterscotch sauce."

And then it was time for dessert, always a highlight for me.  We went all-in.

I ordered this one to be the crowd pleaser.  I know it is the top selling dessert at Mr. Wong.  It is the one most seen on Instagram.  It is the one our server suggested.  I figured if the other desserts were too conceptualized for the others, at least this one would please people.

It also made me realize that I don't think I've ever had deep fried ice cream before.  Yeah, really.  At least, I don't have memory of ever having it before.  It always seems a bit boring to me, even though I do love ice cream (as a component to a full featured dessert, generally).

Anyway, it was interesting, and basically comfort food.  Fried goodness, ice cream, and sweetness.  What more do you need?

The shell was fried, like fried dough at the state fair, or a fresh donut.  Pretty good fried dough, if you are craving that sort of thing.  Greasy in the right ways.

Inside was just vanilla ice cream.  No more, no less.  Not particularly creamy, not particularly intense vanilla, just, vanilla ice cream. 

The butterscotch sauce however was delicious, rich, buttery, sweet.  I enjoyed it.

So overall, a fine dessert, a crowd pleaser as I intended, and basic comfort food.  My least favorite, but I'd be happy to have some again.

***+.

Mango Pudding. $19.

"With coconut tapioca, lychee granita & mango pearls."

Next up we had something else entirely: mango pudding, a more elaborate dish, far more elements coming into play.

This is the dessert I had my eyes on.  I like everything included in the description: mango, pudding, coconut, tapioca, lychee, pearls ... it sounded like just my thing.

And it was good.  The mango pudding was a round gelatinous style pudding, fruity enough, but not actually a texture I was excited for, as I prefer a creamier American style comfort food pudding, or something with bits of texture in it.  Still, it was fine for what it was.

The lychee granita was also fine, just sweet ice, but, it was good, and nice to have an icy cold element.  It was not too sweet.

But what really elevated this dish were the components on the side: the coconut tapioca (perfectly creamy, lovely coconut flavor), the fresh bits of mango (so ripe, juicy, in season), and the mango pearls (sweet popping joy!).  I honestly would have just loved a big bowl of this coconut tapioca, topped with fresh mango and boba.  ZOMG.

My favorite dessert overall because I enjoyed the sides so much, and I did appreciate that it was a nicely composed full dish with the mango pudding and granita, those elements just weren't particularly amazing.

****.

Buttermilk Parfait. $17.

"With strawberry, macadamia and meringue."

And finally, arguably the most elaborate of the desserts.  I really appreciated how each one highlighted a different skill of the pastry kitchen.

This dessert was a pleasant surprise.  I'll admit that I selected it mostly just to have a third option, and since I didn't want the green tea or chocolate based desserts due to the caffeine, left this as the only option.

I think most of us were pleased with it, and had very little expectation going in.

At the base was the buttermilk component, the least interesting part actually, a frozen ice milk like element, and I didn't taste much buttermilk.

But everything else was really delicious, and amazing textures.  I adored the crunchy macadamia.  The meringue tubes were crispy and sweet, and totally not a throwaway ingredients as meringue often is for me.  And the strawberry?  That was freeze dried strawberry!  So much texture in these toppings, and really great flavor.

I really enjoyed the toppings on this, my second choice dessert, but only barely losing out to the previous one.

****.

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Sammy's Cafe

Sammy's Cafe is a pretty nondescript cafe in San Francisco.  There is nothing about the name, location, signage, or menu that makes it stand out.  It is a basic cafe, offering breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and pastries, and lunchtime salads and sandwiches.  They once had a location on Van Ness, but are now located on Bush Street. 

What does stand out is the service.  I've visited several times, and always been greeted kindly.  I've mostly ordered in advance online, but even with that, they took the time to be friendly.  I once called to ask a question, and they were happy to answer, not seeing annoyed in any way (was asking what kind of baked goods they had that day).  Service matters, and in this case, is the thing I remember most about Sammy's.

Side note: Stuck doing a lot of takeout and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes for free money!

• Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Uber Eats ($20 off - use code eats-lejw5 at checkout) [ Pickup or delivery ]

Setting

Storefront.

Sammy's is located on Bush St, between more hip Polk St and busy Van Ness.  The signage out front certainly shows it is there, but, it isn't flashy nor unique.  There is no real reason to notice Sammy's, if you aren't looking.

Coffee in the Sun!

Outside they have two mini tables, each with two chairs.  Not exactly the nicest street to sit on, but it does get morning sun, and sometimes, that is all that matters.  I enjoyed sitting there for a few minutes.

Seating.

Inside, seating runs the length of the restaurant, small tables, both regular height and some small two-tops.

Cute Entryway.

Additional seating is in the entryway, window seats around a low table.

Massive Bathroom.

I don't normally review or include photos of bathrooms, but, this one was notable.  It was huge.  Seriously huge.  On the right when you walk in is even an entryway table with flowers.  And next to the sink is ... a table and chair?  I have no idea what they expect people to be doing in this bathroom, but looks like a lovely place to hang out.

Drinks

For coffee, I'm pretty sure they use Peerless.  I don't see it on menus anywhere, nor are there Peerless signs, but I saw the bags of beans.  Places usually boast about their beans when they use somewhere like Peerless, so I was a bit surprised for that detail to be under the radar.

Teas!

Under the pastry display is the loose leaf tea selection, really extensive.  I'm not really a tea drinker, but if I were, I'd probably be very excited about this.

Coffee Station.

The coffee condiment station was more interesting than most.

Standard sugar packets, Splenda packets, and honey weren't all that interesting, but they also had a shaker with brown sugar, and one with cinnamon (why only brown sugar in a shaker?  I imagine white sugar is the most popular, wouldn't it be more economical to buy that in bulk?).

The creamer selections were the interesting part.  First, standard half and half.  But then, rather than offer a light option like skim milk, or an alternative dairy like soy, they had pumps with super concentrated flavored Coffee Mate, vanilla and hazelnut.  I love mixing in some flavor, so this was exciting to me.  Note however, it says concentrated, and it means it.  It looked like just a little trickle that I added, but I wound up with far more creamer than I intended.  Whoops.  I of course forgot this the next time I visited, and did it again.  Seriously, beware!  A little goes a LONG way!

Iced Decaf Coffee, Small. $2.

On a hot day, I ordered a decaf iced coffee.

The person making my drink scooped tons of ice into a cup, and asked if that was enough ice or too much.  It looked like way too much ice to me, particularly if I was getting pre-brewed iced coffee, so I said it was a bit much.  Turns out, she had a good amount, I just didn't know it.

To make the iced coffee, she actually just brewed a fresh shot of decaf espresso, so it melted most of the ice almost immediately.  She did top it off with a little water (I think?), but it was super strong, and, super melted.  Whoops.  After I took a few sips, I asked her to add more ice, which she did with no problem, not making me feel bad that I had rejected the earlier amount of ice.

It wasn't really a great flavor, but I jazzed it up with the hazelnut and vanilla creamers, and it was totally transformed.  I also added sugar.  It was basically like a Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee at this point, ridiculously creamy, sweet, and the two flavors I always got at Dukin' Donuts, so I was nostalgic and happy. 

$2 for a big cup like this was a great price.  ***.

Decaf Iced Coffee, Small. $2.

Another hot day, another decent iced coffee (er, Americano, really).  Nothing spectacular, but good.

Again, I added some of the creamers, and basically turned it into Dunkin' Donuts.  Very enjoyable for a hot day. ***.

Decaf Coffee. $2.

Another day, it was colder, so I opted for a hot coffee.  If I wanted regular, they have two choices of pre-brewed coffee, "Dark House Coffee" or "French Dark Roast Coffee".  But I wanted decaf, so a decaf Americano was made for me, fresh and on the spot, instead, for the same price.

It was fine.  Decent enough for decaf.  Piping hot.  And I again loved adding hazelnut creamer, but I need to remember NOT to put other sweetener in first, since the flavored creamers are already plenty sweet!

***.

Baked Goods 

Pastry Display.

Ordering is done at a register when you enter.  Near the register is the pastry display, not an extensive selection, but decent enough.  You know that baked goods always call out to me!

The first thing I noticed was impressive looking croissants ... impressive in their size, not necessarily the quality.  They are massive, likely great for making the breakfast sandwiches, but they didn't look flaky or like croissants I'd really want.  Only plain croissants are available.

The scones looked decent.  Blueberry, raspberry, iced pumpkin, and cranberry orange were on display this day, nicely labelled.

Muffins.

Next, muffins.  They looked fairly generic, but were available in a number of varieties: blueberry, chocolate, lemon, poppy almond, and banana nut (I'm guessing the flavors, since, they weren't labelled).

No real dessert options, except for some rather dry looking slices of pound cake (banana, chocolate, lemon, or pumpkin).

Finally, massive chunks of coffee cake.

No prices listed in the display, nor on signage around the storefront, so you kinda had to just trust the prices weren't crazy.

Coffee Cake.  $2.95.

I'm not generally one for coffee cake, but this kept catching my eye.  I don't like cake really, any kind of cake.  I eat cake of course, but usually just as an excuse to eat frosting.  Why would I order coffee cake?  I have no idea.  I blame the streusel.  Seriously, look at that streusel!

The cake was about what I expected.  It was pretty dry, flavorless, uninteresting.

But the streusel.  I wish I had a better shot, but, I think you can see, there was actually MORE streusel than cake.  Yes, the streusel layer was even thicker than the cake layer.  The streusel was tasty, lots of cinnamon, sweet, crunchy.  It did pair nicely with coffee, as it should.

On top was what I think was powdered sugar.  I didn't like it, as it seemed kinda chalky.  I'd say it was flour, but that doesn't seem right either.  Not sure why it was there.

So, overall, this was ... coffee cake.  Again, not really my thing, but I really enjoyed my streusel, and that is what I wanted anyway.

$2.95 price was higher than that of scones or muffins, which I don't really understand, but it was a massive chunk.

***.

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