Desserts from Causwells

Back in September, All-Star Donuts in the Marina announced that they were closing after 28 years.  Now, I've never been to All-Star Donuts.  I don't live in the Marina.  I didn't particularly care.  Except ... a nearby restaurant was on my radar because they serve a bread pudding made from All-Star Donuts donuts.  I'm obsessed with bread pudding, and always on the lookout for a great new version to try.  If All-Star was closing, then my opportunity to get this dessert was going away.  I had to act fast.

Causwells is open for lunch and dinner daily, plus brunch on the weekends.  The aforementioned bread pudding is from the dessert menu, which yes, is available at brunch (which is when I visited).  I didn't actually stay for a meal, and opted to just grab my bread pudding to go, but they did have a couple tempting sounded dishes on the brunch menu, like buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy or french toast bites with a brandy dipping sauce.

Sadly, I didn't like my dessert, nor the subsequent one I returned for, but the feel of the restaurant was good, and I've ready many positive reviews, so I wouldn't rule out returning for a real meal.

Rustic, casual dining area.

The feel of Causwells is very relaxed.  Rustic, casual, lots of wood elements.  There are a few tables inside and outside on the sidewalk, perfect for brunch, plus a counter along the bar.

The tables don't really look comfortable however.  Stools are great at a bar, but, at a table?  Too much work to sit up!

“All-Star” donut bread pudding / spiced milk. $8.25.

Ok, I love bread pudding.  It is one of my absolute favorite desserts.  And donut bread pudding? It can be totally amazing.  I was super excited to try this, as I'd read about it before.  Bread pudding, made from donuts from All-Star Donuts down the street.  YES!

Then I opened my box.  NOOOOOO!

I like a certain style of bread pudding.  I like a crispy top.  A custardy, moist interior.  Good size chunks of bread.  Ideally served warm.  Bonus points for serving with ice cream, but whipped cream will do.

This was basically just dense, oily cake.  No distinct chunks of bread/donut.  No crisp top, no custardy interior.  It did sorta taste like stale donuts though.

The serving was two pieces, cut into triangles.  Served cold (I verified, that is how it is served when you order it in the restaurant too, never warmed up).

And, no ice cream nor whipped cream, instead, spiced milk.  Now, the spiced milk was tasty, slightly sweet, lots of fall spices.  I tried dunking the bread pudding in it to moisten it up, but, meh.  I guess they were going for donuts and milk as a treat?  But still.  No.

All around, just not my style at all.  Sadness.  Also, it turns out that they still serve the bread pudding, they just get the donuts from another All-Star location.  I didn't need to rush there for it!

I want to start a campaign to rename this style of bread pudding.  Let's just call it bread-cake ok?  I can't blame Causwells for serving this style that I dislike, as they aren't alone.  Dense, cake-like bread pudding shows up all the time, like the flavorless solid mass I got from Soma Inn Cafe or the better, but still just solid-style version from Blue Plate.  Sometimes it comes more like french toast, like the banana version we had at Lot 7.  Seriously, these aren't what I think of as bread pudding!   Even getting the name right isn't enough though, because the version from Luna Park sounded perfect on paper, it was warm and with ice cream even, but, it fell flat too. Sigh.  So simple, but so hard.

$8.25 was a fine price for a dessert, but I obviously didn't want this.

Plum Foster Pudding / star anise / salted crumble. $8.25. 

If at first you don't succeed, try try again, right?  Particularly when pudding is involved.  I'm a sucker for pudding, so I couldn't resist trying it too.

It was ... also not good.  The pudding itself was grainy and flavorless.  Not vanilla flavored, not creamy, a bit watery.  The plums were mushy and just tasted weird.  The crumble on top was a nice touch, and I did really like the idea behind a crunchy component to a pudding, but it wasn't particularly flavorful either.  It did have a touch of salt at least.  The star anise however was flavorful, but it overwhelmed everything else.

I brought it to Ojan, since he also likes puddings, but he took one bite, made a face, and threw it out.

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Belle Isle Seafood, Boston

Belle Isle is a casual seafood restaurant located only about 15 minutes from Logan airport.  Thus it has become my goto location for a quick bite when flying in or out of Boston.  If I'm just arriving in Boston, I'm likely starving from my flight, and eager to get my hands on some east coast seafood as soon as possible.  If I'm about to leave, it is my last chance to have fried haddock!

Belle Isle is a very casual place; you order and pay at a register, cash only, and are handed a lobster shaped buzzer.  Soft drinks are self-serve, basic Pepsi (or was it Coke?) products.  Seating is actually at picnic tables, although they are indoors.  Food comes on paper plates.  Like I said, casual.  It is located right along the water, with rather nice views.  You do almost feel as if you are at a seafood shack on the coast, rather than so close to the city.  There is also a Dunkin' Donuts conveniently across the street, so you can get your first/last Dunkin' Donuts fix at the same time.

I've visited many times over the years, but I didn't take photos or write reviews for the first few years, because it was before I decided to add Boston area reviews to my blog.  Thus, I only have specific details on a few menu items.

The menu is basically all seafood.  The selection spans everything from haddock, sole, swordfish, salmon, and tuna to oysters, clams, shrimp, or calamari, and of course lobster, or lobster pie.  Once you decide on which type of seafood you want, there are still many decisions to make.  Most items can be prepared fried, baked, baked and stuffed, cajun blackened, grilled, or teriyaki.  The fried plates come with french fries, onion rings, coleslaw, and tartar sauce.  Yes, you read that correctly, not a choice of those things, you get them all.  The others all come with rice pilaf, coleslaw, tartar sauce, and dinner rolls.  Portion sizes are rather insane, which I knew before my first visit from my research.  Sharing is highly advised.  Every person who I've brought there has been fairly resistant to my suggestion of sharing, and then once we receive the food, has thanked me.  I'm pretty sure we've never managed to finish everything, even with sharing.  Anyway, back to the menu.  If you don't just want a seafood dinner platter, they also have seafood rolls and sandwiches (including several styles of lobster roll depending on what sort of meat you want), crab cakes, fish cakes, and, for the token non-seafood eaters, chicken fingers and hotdogs.

Belle Isle also has a retail seafood counter, to purchase fresh seafood to cook for yourself, or, in our case, cooked and clean shrimp.

There are obviously much better restaurants I could visit for seafood in Boston, but Belle Isle also has a large parking lot, and isn't located in Boston proper (it is in neighboring Winthrop), so my family members who don't want to drive (or park) in a city don't need to.  They don't take reservations, so if my flight is late, I don't need to worry about being late.  If I've just gotten off a plane and don't really want a long, drawn out meal, it is fast and easy.  It really is just quite convenient, and while the airport location of Legal Seafood is more convenient, the food is far better at Belle Isle.  I wouldn't go out of my way to go there however.  It is also pretty pricey for a casual place.

Haddock, Fried, Dinner. $15.99

I nearly always go for the haddock, because it is something we do not have on the west coast.  Swordfish, salmon, tuna, calamari, scallops, etc are all things I enjoy, but, I can get them regularly.  Fried haddock on the other hand, now that is special!  (which I realize is funny to people from the east coast, as haddock and cod are just the basic common whitefish readily available, and to me, they are gems).

I also nearly always get it fried, because, well, fish and chips.  Somehow a piece of grilled haddock doesn't have the same feel of indulging in my special seafood.  I am really curious about the baked stuffed version though, and always say I'll get it "next time".

A fried dinner comes with onion rings, fries, and colelsaw by default, but after hating the onion rings on all our previous visits, we asked to just have fries this time.

The fries were fresh but not remarkable.  They were not very crispy, yet were not soggy either.  They weren't too oily nor greasy.  But ... somehow they just weren't great.  They certainly needed salt.  My notes from previous visits all just say "meh, skip in the future".  The portion was huge, but, normally, half of this is onion rings.

The slaw comes in just a little plastic cup on the side.  It is mayo based, creamy, fairly generic, but, tasty.  It has been highly inconsistent in its freshness over our multiple visits however.  Sometimes I've noted that it is quite crisp.  Other times it has been incredibly soggy.  I had to write down a quote from a fellow diner once, when he had a bite of the slaw, and said, "Why did they use lettuce instead of cabbage?"  It was so lacking in any crispness that he couldn't tell the difference, and even when I insisted it was cabbage, he was skeptical.  Still, it is my style of slaw, and well seasoned, making it my favorite of the sides, but of course, I would prefer it less soggy.

And finally, the haddock itself.  The haddock dinner comes with two very large pieces of haddock.  It arrives very hot, clearly fresh out of the fryer.  The batter used on the fish is the same as on the onion rings, where I find it really doesn't work, as it is too heavy for the onions, but it works much better on the fish.  It still isn't remarkable, but, much more successful than on the rings.  The haddock itself was moist, flaky, very good.  Exactly what I wanted it to be.

Of course, I'm in it for the sauce.  The side of tartar sauce was the highlight for me.  Very thick, loaded with chunks of pickles.  Good flavor, and it went very well with the fish.  Also good for dunking the mediocre fries in, although, they always only give one tiny container of it, which isn't enough for even just the fish, let alone some fries or rings.  Or uh, maybe I use an excessive amount of tartar sauce?  I've always had to ask for extra.

Overall, this always meets my craving for some fried seafood and mayo, but, certainly isn't anything remarkable.

Scallops, Baked, Side Order. $13.99.

Scallops were a bit of a strange pick for me, as I was on the east coast, and my thing is always that I want to pick the special thing I can't get in San Francisco.  I obviously love scallops, but get them fairly frequently in San Francisco.  Shouldn't I be going for the haddock or lobster?

But ... I'm just not a big fan of lobster.  I've had the lobster roll from Belle Isle on two other occasions, and others raved about it, but to me, it just isn't ever going to be my top pick.  (And, on this visit, another diner got the lobster roll, and I did indeed have a few bites.  It was ... just a lobster roll.  An insane amount of lobster, lightly dressed, but ... the lobster was a bit chewy, and the flavor just isn't there in lobster meat for me).

I also wasn't in the mood for fried food, as I had just stepped off a plane, and wasn't feeling great, so my default fried haddock wasn't sounding appealing in any way.  I could have chosen grilled or baked haddock, but that seemed boring.  Plus, I realized, aren't most scallops fished right off the coast of Massachusetts anyway?  These were just as local of a choice as lobster or haddock!

So, scallops it was.  After trying unsuccessfully to convince the rest of the group to share a few dishes, I gave up.  Each adult ordered a full dinner, as did the children.  At last minute, one person decided to cancel his order entirely, since he knew how much food we'd be getting.  I decided to just get my scallops as a side order, knowing I could steal some fries, onion rings, and slaw from the others.  Plus, on previous visits, I didn't really like the sides all that much anyway.

The scallops were a wonderful choice.  They turned out to be, by far, the best item I had at Belle Isle, in any of my visits.  Sure, the scallops were mid-size, and I prefer larger.  And they were baked, and I prefer seared.  They were cooked all the way through, and I prefer mid-rare.  But ... they tasted good.  Tender, slightly sweet.  They were cooked with plenty of butter, I assure you.  And topped with some slightly crispy bread crumbs for a little crunch.

On the side was lemon slices which I squeezed over the scallops, which enhanced the flavors a little, but quite honestly, wasn't necessary.  And tartar sauce, which is usually the highlight for me, and, believe me, it was good, but the scallops were actually better on their own, sans sauce.

The only negative I have to say is that some of the scallops didn't have the foot removed, so it was a bit unpleasant to occasionally encounter the chewy bit.

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Lobster Tail Roll with Onion Rings. $30.99.

On my first visit with my mother, I knew there was only one thing she'd have eyes for: a lobster roll.  She loves lobster rolls, and only ever gets to eat them when she goes for her annual trip to Maine with my father.  This was a serious treat for her.  I also knew, that like everything at Belle Isle, the portions were going to be huge.  She proclaimed up and down that she could eat a whole lobster roll and we shouldn't split, but, I assure you, it is a good thing we did.

This is no wimpy little lobster roll.  It is absolutely loaded up with lobster, large chunks of lobster, not shredded, not bits and pieces.  A full half pound.  There is no filler, besides some mayo, but it isn't overdressed.

For a lobster roll, this is a very good lobster roll.  But ... a lobster roll is never my thing.  First, I don't love lobster, to me, it just never is as good as our local Dungeness crab in San Francisco.  The lobster at Belle Isle has been no exception, it just doesn't have that much flavor.  Well cooked, generous serving, but ... it is lobster.  Also, I don't really like sandwiches, so the whole "roll" aspect of it is a negative to me too.

As for the onion rings, I've had those many times, and somehow keep trying them, even though I really dislike them.  They are fresh and crispy, but the breading just doesn't work for me for onion rings, and I actively dislike them every time.  I love onion rings, and they always look so good that I can't resist, but I really, really don't like them.

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Clam Chowder. $6.25

My dining companions all love clam chowder, so one time when they were with us, someone added on a pint of clam chowder to our order. Again, I tell you, no one trusts me on the portion sizes here!

Anyway, it had good chunks of potato, plenty of clams, and was decently creamy. It came with a packet of oyster crackers. It wasn't really my thing, but everyone else enjoyed it.

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La Luna Cupcakes

I used to eat a lot of cupcakes ... as in, several per week.  The reason is simple: the pastry department where I work made really good cupcakes, and we always had cupcakes on Tuesdays, aka, "Cupcake Day", and usually one other time during the week as well.  While cupcakes are actually not one of my favorite dessert items, they did a really good job, and my cupcake desires were always more than satisfied.  I haven't found anywhere else in the city that even comes close to being as tasty, so I generally just don't even try anymore.

But "Cupcake Day" ended when we changed pastry chefs, and even though I still don't love cupcakes, I've been more likely to try them lately, like, as you read about last week, I had to try out Sprinkle's Cupcakes.

So when I found a newish cupcake shop a few blocks away in Crocker Galleria, I had to check it out.   I was further intrigued, because not only do they offer standard cupcakes, they have ... savory cupcakes!  I love my baked goods and sweets, so these weren't exciting to me personally, but I have friends who do not like sweets, and it would be so fun to have them try the savory cupcakes.  Emil in particular has proclaimed before that there would never be a cupcake that he'd like, but maybe the "New York, New York" with its scallion, dill, and havarati custard base topped with smoked salmon would appeal? Or the "Mission", with ground beef, pinto beans, salsa, corn, and questo fresco, in a toasted tortilla crust, topped with sour cream?  How adorable!

Anyway, back to La Luna.  La Luna was also founded by a La Cocina graduate, and I always like supporting these small incubator businesses.  They also have froyo, although the machines were not working the day I visited.  Cupcakes and froyo, right in the middle of the FiDi?  Potential!


The staff were very friendly when I visited, and I did enjoy the cupcake I had.  I will be back, and must investigate these savory cupcakes sometime ...

Tres Leches Mini Cupcake.  $1.25.

I went for their signature cupcake, the one that basically every review I read of the place praised, and  the staff member told me was the best.  Described as "vanilla cake filled with three different kinds of milk and cream frosting".

The cake was very moist, as you'd expect from a tres leches.  It almost seemed as if it were filled with cream, but I believe that was just the tres leches effect.  The frosting on top had a slight citrus flavor to it, and was creamy.

Nothing at all to complain about here, just a really nicely done cupcake.  $1.25 for a mini was a great price, and a very friendly size.  Honestly, if I worked close by, I'd probably be swinging by for a "little treat" regularly.

Update: I attended a brunch, and someone brought a batch of these.  I again loved the moist, almost custard-like filling due to all the milk.  And the frosting was perfect, not too sweet, just sweet enough.  I may or may not have had two that day ... because, mini cupcakes don't count, right?

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Oishii Sushi Bar, Chestnut Hill

On a recent visit to the Boston area to see Ojan's family, we were looking for a easy dinner option that would please everyone in the group.  For some reason, the topic of sushi kept coming up.  I had a list of sushi places in Boston that I wanted to try, including Uni Sashimi Bar, the sister restaurant to O Ya, which was my top dining experience of 2013. But we were in the suburbs, not Boston proper, and venturing into the city was out of the question.  One place on my list was Oishii Sushi.  Their famous location is in the South End of Boston, but they also have a restaurant in Chestnut Hill, not far from Ojan's sister's house.

It turns out I had been there once before, years ago, but I didn't particularly remember much about it.  But reviews were solid.  Unfortunately, it is a small sushi bar, with a counter for about 10 people and only 1-2 tables.  There is no way our group could be accommodated there.

So we ordered takeout.  I know, I know, the horror.  I'm never a huge fan of takeout in general, and was highly skeptical of takeout sushi in particular, but we did have the precedent of great sushi takeout from Roka Akor in San Francisco once, so we went for it.  Oishii's website even had a takeout specific menu, and reviews mention a steady takeout business.  It had potential.

Ordering over the phone was easy enough, and our order was ready on time.  The staff were very friendly, and even included a bonus dessert for us as a holiday gift - two absolutely huge asian pears (incidentally, the asian pears turned out to be quite delicious and were my favorite part of the meal).  As for the rest of it?  Highly mediocre and incredibly overpriced.  I will not return.

Seaweed Salad.  $7.95.

We started with seaweed salad.  It was completely generic, and quite overpriced.  $7.95 for a regular sized side of seaweed salad?  Certainly nothing special, and would have made more sense priced a few dollars less.

Salmon Sashimi ($9.50), Tamago Nigiri ($5.85), Spicy Scallop Roll ($13), Avocado Roll ($4.88), California Roll with real crab upgrade($9.95), Shrimp Tempura Roll ($8.50), Negihama Roll($5.85). 

I was excited for the sushi.  It had been ages since I had good sushi.  Given the prices, and the good reviews, I expected it to be decent.  I was incredibly disappointed by the sushi.

I didn't try the salmon sashimi since it was ordered for one specific person, but 3 slices for $9.50 was a bit pricey for that area.  It looked fine, but I can't really imagine having sashimi not fresh.

The tamago nigiri was my request, since I use it for "dessert" whenever I visit a sushi restaurant.  It was actually pretty good.  The rice was firm, the tamago had a mild sweetness to it.  No one else wanted to even try it, so I got the pair.  Price of $5.85 was fine and I was quite happy with this.

My other request was the Oishii special Spicy Scallop Roll: "scallop, black tobiko, cucumber, kaiwali & spicy mayo".  Only 4 pieces, but all quite large, although I'm not sure it justified the $13 price tag.  The scallop inside was huge, full scallops, but they were not flavorful and quite slimy (although I guess that is expected with raw scallops?).  I was hoping to taste some of the sweetness of a fresh scallop.  I didn't care for the roe on top either, and this really didn't come together at all for me.

Since I'm allergic to avocado, I skipped the avocado roll.  I did try a piece of the California roll and just poked the avocado out of it (my allergy isn't that severe).  It was nothing special.  We paid the upgrade for real crab as opposed to crab stick, but I honestly couldn't tell it was real crab, it wasn't a shredded style that I somewhat expected, and honestly seemed like it could be compressed crab stick.  $9.95 for this small roll was overpriced.

I also didn't try the shrimp tempura roll, since the idea of soggy tempura did not appeal.  I tried a piece of the negihama, but I don't remember it at all.

Even the ginger was a disappointment; Ojan commented that it was dried out and not very good.  Besides the tamago, I didn't like any of this, it was all highly mediocre and way, way overpriced.

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Beef Teriyaki Entree. $26.

I didn't take a photo of the beef teriyaki, since I had no intention of trying it when there was delicious sushi to be consumed instead.  It was ordered for those who don't like raw fish.  But, after being disappointed by all the sushi, I decided to give it a chance.

The meat was incredibly fatty. It was a large entree portion, easily splittable by two people.  There were also a bunch of mediocre veggies, all overcooked.  It was served with generic rice, simple miso soup, and a very sad looking side salad.

No one really seemed to like it, as it was left unfinished, even when people said they wanted more food.  $26 was insanely overpriced.

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Fournee Bakery, via Sprig

My weekend mornings always start with a visit to a cafe.  I love to explore the city, so I always try to choose a different place every weekend to encourage me to venture outside my neighborhood.  I rarely sit at home on a Saturday or Sunday morning, but last week, I was stricken with the horrible cold that seemed to plaque the entire city, and I didn't have the will to leave my bed, let alone my apartment.  But I didn't know how to start my day without a delicious baked good!

I pondered the contents of my freezer, where of course I did have "emergency" pancakes, scones, and cinnamon rolls stored away, and settled on ice cream (I had a sore throat, it was totally legit, right?)  But an hour or so later, I realized I still wanted a baked good.  I was about to pull up delivery.com to see if somehow there was someone who would bring me a baked good, when I remembered that I had just read about how Sprig was doing brunch delivery on weekends.  Score.

If you aren't familiar with Sprig, it is another startup in the deliver-fresh-food-to-you business.  Ordering is not done in advance, it is on-demand only, and the app shows an estimate of how long it will take, usually 10-20 minutes.  The menu is small, only 3 items at a time, but they operate 7 days a week, lunch and dinner, plus brunch on weekends.  I mostly use Munchery for meal delivery, but Munchery *still* doesn't have lunch or weekend service, so it was time to check out Sprig.

Ordering via the app was easy, just a few clicks and my order was on its way.  I was a little confused if my order was actually confirmed though, as I did not receive an e-mail, and there was no order history in application.  20 minutes later, my meal showed up though, so it clearly worked.  Another interesting aspect of Sprig is that they do surge pricing for deliveries.  When I ordered, it was $2.75, but I've heard that it rises to $5 during peak times.

While I don't anticipate needing Sprig often, it was amazing to have brunch delivered to me, and I'll certainly keep this in mind again in the future.

Breakfast, delivered!

The brunch menu featured a frittata for the egg lovers, a breakfast burrito for the hungover, and ... for me, a baked good.  Yes!

My meal arrived without any additional packaging, I was expecting a bag, although I obviously didn't need one.

Fresh-squeezed organic orange juice. $5.

"Cold-pressed, unpastuerized, organic orange juice from our friends at Happy Moose Juice.”

Along with my baked good, I also splurged on an orange juice.  Vitamin C is good for colds, right?

It was fine, but, yes, just juice.  I prefer more pulp in my orange juice.  The glass bottle was cute, but $5 is still crazy to me for a single serving of juice (I clearly haven't embraced the juicing craze).

Morning Bun. $4.50

"Freshly baked morning bun with a hint of ceylon cinnamon from our friends at Fournée Bakery."

And the reason I ordered in the first place.  A morning bun!

While the rest of the food offered by Sprig is prepared by their own chefs, they do outsource the morning buns from Fournée Bakery in Berkeley.  I considered this a bonus - I got to try a new bakery too!

Now, a morning bun is never the most exciting breakfast baked good, and I rarely choose it given other options (well, unless we are talking about the famed Tartine morning bun).  In this case, I'm glad I didn't have a choice.  It was great!

The outside was super crispy, the inside moist.  It was flaky, with a good butter content.  Tons of sugar on top, slightly caramelized on the bottom.  The cinnamon was very subtle, and I was expecting more, although it did say a "hint".

Everything was in balance, and I enjoyed it far more than I expected.  Even though it was a large size, Ojan only got a single bite, which I begrudgingly gave up.  I'd definitely get another.

$4.50 may be a bit high for a morning bun, but it was delivered to me, and totally hit the spot, so it was worth it.

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Kameda Crisps

Snacks.  I love snacks.  I munch on things all day, and I'm always excited to try products other than classic chips and pretzels, so I was thrilled to discover Kameda Crisps.

Kameda Crisps come from a Japanese company, Kameda Seika Co, the largest rice cracker manufacturer in Japan.  There, they are sold under the name Kakinotane.  In the US, they sell two varieties of rice based snacks: savory rice snacks and a frosted sweet variety.  I know I tried the sweet variety, but lost my notes on them.  Doh!

The savory ones come in a few flavors including wasabi, bbq, black pepper, and sweet chili.  They come either as just the rice snacks, or mixed with roasted peanuts.  I've tried several flavors, and found them all to be quite snackable.  That's a word, right?

Since they are riced based, they are gluten-free, and also boast all the other buzzwords you may care about: non-GMO, no MSG, no trans fats, etc.  Oh, and did I mention, they are baked, not fried?

Sweet Chili Kameda Crisps.

"These light, crispy rice crackers have a savory flavor, with just a hint of sweetness. Enjoy the surprisingly delicious and tangy taste of sweet chili with every bite. Fresh roasted peanuts make each serving hearty and satisfying."

Given the name "sweet chili", I expected these to taste like ... well, sweet chili, in particular, sweet chili sauce, as I enjoyed so often with my wedges in Australia.  A bit of sweetness, a hint of spice.  I really didn't taste anything sweet chili about these.

They tasted like soy sauce, with a hint of chili.  Which, once I read the ingredients, I saw is exactly what they were (ok, they were made with tamari, not soy, because, gluten-free).  They also had mushroom extract and seaweed extract in them, a bit unexpected.

So, once my expectations were re-aligned, I enjoyed them, but they weren't quite what I wanted.  The rice crisps had a perfect crunch to them, and the peanuts were quite simple roasted nuts, but a good nutty contrast.

With this mix, and all the other flavors I tried, I enjoyed the mix, but wanted there to be more than just two components.  I made my own snack mixes with them, adding in corn nuts, wasabi peas, and other types of rice crackers, and then enjoyed them much more.  Just a bit too simple for me.

Wasabi with Roasted Peanuts.

"These light, crispy rice crackers have a savory flavor and a big kick of wasabi with every bite. Fresh roasted peanuts make each serving hearty and satisfying."

Next I decided to kick it up a notch, to the wasabi flavor.  The package said "Big Kick", and they weren't joking!

The mix was mostly the same, just rice crackers, with a few peanuts thrown in.  All crunchy and satisfying to munch on.  But the wasabi flavor ... wow!  Yes, it had a big kick.

I enjoyed this quite a bit, although perhaps there was just a tad bit too much wasabi for me.

Interestingly, the second bag of these I tried was far less wasabi flavored.  Not really sure why they were so dramatically different, but I could barely taste the wasabi in that batch.  I felt a bit like Goldilocks: one was too much, one was too little, and I wanted something right in the middle to be just right.

Definitely my favorite of the flavors I tried, although I'd love to try the BBQ sometime too.

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Delica

Delica is a Japanese deli, located inside the Ferry Building.  Since I live nearby, I've grabbed food there a number of times during the day, when it operates as a casual grab and go establishment.  Many items already pre-boxed in bento boxes, or you can create combos from the selection of pre-made salads, sushi rolls, fried deli items, soups, and donburi, although nothing is cooked to order.

In the evening, it transforms into a sit down restaurant, with a completely different menu, but I've never visited at night, so I'll focus only on the grab-n-goes here.

Everything at Delica is fairly tasty and unique, although I don't really feel compelled to go back frequently.  Service is friendly enough, but it is always so crowded and chaotic, and, I really do prefer my fried items fresh!

Deli

The deli section features mostly fried items, available individually or as part of a bento box.  They cook are cooked in small batches, so the items are always fairly fresh, but still, fried items are best when piping hot, not lukewarm.  If I see something coming out fresh, that is when I pounce!

Potato Croquette (vegetarian). $1.75.

"Delicately fried Russet and Yukon gold potato croquette with sautéed onions."

Every culture has its own version of fried potatoes cakes.  I've had potato croquettes from a variety of cuisines in my life, but never Japanese.

The is a patty made of mashed potato and onions, fried up, served classically with a packet of tonkatsu sauce.

It was quite tasty.  Sure, fried potatoes are generally tasty, and it was made even better by the super flavorful sautéed onions inside the patty.  It had a perfectly crispy exterior.  The tonkatsu sauce was also delicious, and I enjoyed smothering my patty in it.

I liked this quite a bit and would certainly get again.  $1.75 for a nice sized snack is reasonable.

Fried Shrimp Cake with Tartar Sauce.  $4.

"Made with white shrimp and coated in our freshly made panko breadcrumbs. Served with our house tartar sauce. "

After the success of the potato cake, I was interested in trying more of their fried deli items, an area I had previously avoided.  People on Yelp most commonly raved about the shrimp cake, so I went for it.

I was a little worried when I opened the box, as it smelt very fried.  I knew I was ordering a deep fried item of course, but all I could smell was oil.  But, I didn't need to be worried.  It didn't taste oily at all.

I loved the crust on the cake, really amazingly crispy, and not too thick.  It added crunch to each and every bite.

Inside the shrimp cake.

Inside the cake was shrimp.  I am not sure what other filler there was, if any.  It was loaded up with shrimp.  It didn't taste fishy at all.  And the shrimp were not rubbery.  It was well executed, except ... the shrimp were not cleaned.  I know it isn't necessary, and particularly with smaller shrimp it would be a ton of work, but one of them had such a large, dark intestinal track left in that it did gross me out a bit.  Please de-poop my shrimp!

The tartar sauce served alongside was quite good, tangy, with some herbs.  I did find the amount they provided a bit skimpy, I easily finished the whole thing.  I love tartar sauce, and I did think it went well, particularly the creamy sauce with the fried crust, but I think it would have been equally delicious with the tonkatsu sauce served with the potato croquette, or even with some sort of cocktail-ish sauce.

My only real issue is it was served lukewarm.  The deli items are all dishes you'd probably prefer hot and fresh, and they make them in continuous batches throughout the day, but unless you really luck out, you aren't getting one hot out of the fryer, and they aren't even kept under heat lamps.  Most of the items I think would probably be pretty good cold too, but they don't serve them that way intentionally.  When I picked up the potato croquette, I actually brought it home to eat later, and warmed it in the toaster oven at home, so the serving temperature didn't bother me, but the shrimp cake I ate right away, and it was in that in-between land of hot and cold, which left something to be desired.

I did enjoy it quite a bit, and I'd get another.  Perhaps I'd bring it home to warm it up, or only order one if I saw the cakes being placed out fresh.  I'd still really like them to devein the shrimp.  But still good.

$4 price for a good size snack, particularly with so much shrimp, was fine.

Crab Croquette with Tartar Sauce. $4.00.

"Seasonal Dungeness crabmeat blended with a creamy Béchamel sauce then lightly breaded and fried."

After the success with the other fried items, I had my eyes on the most interesting sounding of all: a crab croquette, as you know, I love crab.  I was a bit skeptical of the béchamel, not because I don't love béchamel, but, because it seemed like an odd fit with the crab.

Like the shrimp cake, it wasn't very warm, so I brought it home and popped it in the toaster oven.  It re-heated easily, particularly in that it got nice and crispy again.  The breading was good, although the whole thing was a bit oily for my taste.

The crab was better than the shrimp, but as I feared, totally lost in the creamy béchamel.  The béchamel was nice, don't get me wrong, but, it drowned out the crab.  The crab was all shredded, no lump meat.  

The tartar sauce was the same as with the shrimp cake, which I did like, but I also thought didn't really go with the béchamel.

$4 was again a fine price for a snack, but I wouldn't pick this one again.

Chicken Dumpling with Sweet Chili Sauce.  $2.

"Ground chicken, organic tofu, water chestnuts and shiitake mushrooms in a sweet chili sauce."

This is not something I'd normally ever go for.  Chicken?  Definitely not my thing.  And tofu?  Really not my thing.  But, I stopped in Delica a bit late, and they were out of the rice balls that I intended to get.  And these looked good.  I think it was the sweet chili sauce that I couldn't resist.

Shockingly, I liked it.  I think this is first item with chicken in it that I have actually, legitimately liked, in ... years.  It was basically a chicken meatball, with the chicken and tofu both ground up so you couldn't tell what was what.  It was incredibly moist, yet a bit crispy on the outside.  The little chunks of water chestnut inside were crisp and added a great crunch.

And ... it was slathered in sweet chili sauce, which is always delicious.

The only thing I did not like is that it was lukewarm when I got it.  I know that is the style of Delica, but I still wish they could keep the hot deli items hotter.

$2 price was fine for a small item, and, shockingly, yes, I'd get another.

[ Update: I got another.  It was just as delicious, although just as lukewarm.  I can't get over the sauce!  Ojan also enjoyed these several times, as he is a sweet chili sauce lover as well. ]

Tofu & Chicken Patty with Hijiki. $4.25.

Since I loved the chicken dumplings so much, I took a serious risk and ordered the Tofu & Chicken Patty with Hijiki on a subsequent visit.  Yes, more chicken and tofu, ingredients I generally hate.  And this one was even stranger, as it came from the cold deli case, rather than the hot section.  Cold chicken and tofu sounded far less appealing, but, I braved on.

The description read: "an all natural, hormone free chicken and organic tofu patty with hijiki seaweed and carrots. Served in a sweet soy sauce and topped with daikon radish and green onions."

It was quite large, easily the size of a burger.  It was clearly made from ground chicken, and the chicken flavor was stronger than in the dumpling since there were fewer mix-ins.   There was barely any tofu, which wasn't noticeable unless you dissected it, and found strange texture bits, which I'm assuming were the tofu.  The hijiki was visible, but didn't seem to add any taste or texture.  I didn't taste nor see carrots.  I greatly preferred the water chestnuts in the dumpling since they added a crispness and helped break up the chicken.

The sauce on top was a thick goo, which I guess was "sweet soy sauce".  It was fairly tasty, but no where near as delicious as the sweet chili sauce, and the consistency was fairly off putting.

The grated daikon on top added a bit of freshness, but I didn't like it, and found myself wishing it were more like the water chestnuts from the dumplings.

So overall, still better than most chicken and tofu preparations, but I found myself wanting it to be the dumplings the entire time.  I wouldn't get it again, and Ojan also didn't want a second bite of it, and he eats chicken.

$4.25 price tag was fine, particular since it was certainly far more than twice the size of the $2 dumplings.

Sweet & Spicy Chicken. $1.75.

"Sake marinated chicken, lightly fried, served with sweet & spicy sauce."

This was for Ojan, not me, as I obviously don't like chicken, so I'd never pick an item that was literally just chicken.  He really likes these, and gets them often.  I finally tried a bite, just to try it ... well, it was chicken :)  The sauce was tasty though, sorta like General Tso's, and I liked the sesame seeds on the outside too.

$1.75 is the price per piece, but I'd say 80% of the time, they give 2 pieces instead of just one.

Grab N' Go

On weekdays at lunch time, the lines for the deli get ridiculous.  When I can't deal with them, I just go for the Grab N' Go items, which is either just pre-portioned salads or rice balls.

In San Francisco, the only other place I've had onigiri is Onigilly, where I was not remotely satisfied, mostly due to their use of brown rice.  But when I was in Tokyo, I got a bit addicted to the onigiri, and even loved the version from the Japan Airlines lounge in San Francisco.  So, I decided to give Delica's versions a try.

Hijiki Rice Ball. $2.

"Our famous Hijiki salad base mixed with steamed rice."

Delica makes two varieties of the rice balls, salmon or hijiki.  I wanted to try the salmon offering, but alas, they were sold out, so I went for the vegetarian option.

Since the onigiri are already prepared, they are served at room temperature, a bit warmer than I'd prefer.  And since it is a street food item, there was no sauce to accompany it, although, I asked for soy sauce on the side.

The first thing I noticed is that it was not wrapped in seaweed, as it traditional.  Still triangle shaped, but just wrapped in saran wrap, with little bits of seaweed distributed throughout the rice.  I missed the crunch from the crispy seaweed wrapper, but since they weren't being made fresh to order, nor do they have a fancy packaging system, it makes sense that they wouldn't wrap in seaweed, since it would get soggy.

Also distributed throughout were soybeans and and small amount of daikon.  I don't care for soybeans, so I could have done without them, and I would have preferred that the hijiji just be in the center, as a flavorful burst of filling, like I experienced in Japan.  I appreciated the 3 kuko that topped it though.

The rice was ok, white rice, but not particularly sticky, nor sweet, nor vinegary.  Far better than the rice at Onigilly, but, it didn't compare to the sushi rice in Japan.  Because of the temperature, it was also a bit mushy.

Overall, this was a bit boring, but with some soy sauce added, I did easily finish it.  I would have liked more concentrated flavor.

The $2 price tag was totally reasonable, and if I needed to just grab a quick bite, I'd consider it again, but I'd rather continue to explore their menu.

Salmon and Sesame Rice Ball. $2.

"Cured and roasted wild salmon mixed with sesame seeds and steamed rice."

On another visit, they finally had salmon balls.  I can't even count how many visits it took me to attain one, it seems that they always run out before 12:30!

It was much like the hijiki, triangle shaped, without a nori wrapper (although it had a thin strip of nori on it, which, predictably, did get soggy).  And, served at room temperature, which on this day was quite warm, which is kinda strange when it is salmon.  This concerned me slightly, food safety wise ...

Mixed with the rice was sesame seeds and little tiny bits of salmon.  The salmon was such small chunks that I didn't really taste it though.  The rice was again fine, but a bit boring, not quite sticky or flavorful enough.

Overall, just kinda blah.  I added soy sauce, which definitely helped, but, I wouldn't get another of these.

$2 price is crazy reasonable though for a snack in the Ferry Building!

Salads

Delica offers a slew of different composed salads, of which I've tried most.  You can order them by the pound, or as part of a bento box.

Green Bean Salad.  $12.99/lb.

"Organic green beans and shredded carrots with a traditional creamy sesame dressing."

The green beans were nice and fresh, crispy.  The dressing is what makes this dish though, there is something about that sesame flavor that is just totally addicting.  I recall in the past that the dressing had more flavor though, I felt it was a bit lacking this time.  The shredded carrots don't seem like much, but they go really well with the dressing.

[ Previous notes: love the sesame dressing, nice crunch in green beans, not too al dente, not soggy. ]

Wasabi Potato Salad.

"Garlic potato salad with wasabi mayonnaise, edamame, snap peas, and romaine hearts". 

This is my favorite of the Delica salads.  Romaine hearts in potato salad is so strange, but I really like the freshness and crunch it brings to the salad.  The potatoes are nicely cooked, and it is nicely creamy, but not overdressed.  I like how it is creamy without feeling unhealthy, and I think the greens add to that.  The wasabi adds a fun extra flavor.  I most certainly could do without the edamame though.

[ Previous notes: decent, lettuce in potato salad is kinda weird, but it works, although again, not worth going out of way for but decent. ]

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• Asparagus:  "Asparagus and organic shredded carrots with a traditional sesame dressing" Tasting notes: This is the seasonal version of the green beans, available only in the summer.  I like this even more than green beans, and it is by far my favorite of their salads.  The dressing goes great with the asparagus and the asparagus goes great with the carrots.
• Eggplant: "Japanese eggplant blanched in rice bran oil with a “Piri Kara” sauce consisting of ground free range chicken, and bean thread noodles. Topped with cilantro and green onions."  Tasting notes: I didn't care for this.  The ground chicken was just strange cold, and even though I liked their ground chicken in other items, the flavor of the salad didn't mask the chicken flavor here, which I generally don't like.  The eggplant was nice enough.
• Hijiki and Soybean (vegan): "Hijiki seaweed mixed with dried soybeans, edamame, konnyaku (mountain yam), daikon, wild mizuna, fried tofu, and kuko (wolfberry) and cooked with soy sauce." Tasting notes: Again, decent but not worth going out of way for. [ Same impression, seaweed is flavorful but I don't really crave this.] [ Not very good.  Flavors not popping, just kinda meh. ]
• Spicy Burdock and Lotus Root (vegan): "A spicy mix of braised burdock and konnyaku (mountain potato) tossed with thin slices of white onion, celery, julienne carrots, and wild mizuna.".  Tasting notes: decent flavors, but not worth going out of way for. [ Meh, not very interesting ] [ I really don't get the "spicy" here, as it wasn't spicy at all. I did like the crisp chunks of lotus root. ]

Soups

Organic Tofu Miso Soup. $2.50.

"Miso soup with bonito dashi, organic tofu and wakame seaweed."

This was pretty standard miso soup, although loaded up with a generous serving of very large chunks of tofu, and plenty of wakame.  The green onion was added to the top fresh when I ordered it.

It was fine, but not really something I'd get again.  It was also lukewarm, sigh.

Soups are available in either cup or bowl size.  Even the cup size is quite large however, so this was a great deal for only $2.50.

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• Beef Curry: Nice and spicy, decent quality beef.
• Butternut Squash (seasonal): Flavorless, do not get this!
• Carrot and Ginger: "Organic carrots, ginger, and onions pureed with chicken broth."  Tasting notes: warm, refreshing, not too strong carrot nor ginger flavor, quite balanced.
• Salmon Chowder: "Wild Sockeye Salmon from Copper River, yellow onion, potato with chicken broth." Tasting notes: nice chunks of salmon, potato, celery, etc.  Broth kinda watery/oily though.  Decent but certainly not worth getting.

Desserts

Matcha Pudding with Homemade Anko (Sweet Red Bean). $3.50.

"Pureed Matcha pudding layered with homemade Anko (sweet red bean) topped with seasonal organic fruit and mint leaf."

This was beautiful!  They had a few in the display case without the toppings, so I wasn't quite sure what I was going to get when I ordered it.  When I asked for the pudding, the person taking my order went back behind and pulled out a bunch of extra components, and assembled it to order.  I'm pretty sure it is the only item on their menu that they prepare to order.

It wasn't quite what I was expecting.  The pudding wasn't a creamy style as I was hoping, but rather, was more like a panna cotta.  The matcha flavor wasn't super strong, but I could taste it.  It was fine, but I was in the mood for something creamy.

On top was their homemade sweet red bean.  It was absolutely delicious, and the red bean and matcha flavors went well together.  Then there was some whipped cream, fresh, and also tasty with the red bean.

Finally, there was a sliced strawberry.  I didn't expect anything of it, yet it turned out to be one of the most delicious strawberries I've ever had.  It was crazy sweet.  It almost seemed like it had been sweetened somehow, but, it seemed like just a fresh berry, so I don't think it was.

Overall, this was good, just not quite what I was in the mood for.  The red bean and berry were quite memorable though, so I'd consider getting it again.  The $3.50 price was remarkable for a dessert like this, even if it wasn't huge.

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