Bay Area Menu Files: February 2015

LOCAL FAVORITES: Cream Puffs & Banh Mi

Continuing with the trend of exploring the local restaurants and shops around my neighborhood (See: Pho Pasteur & Chatime post), we head over to McKee road and to this little Chinese/Vietnamese bakery by the name of 111 Bakery.

Honestly, I didn’t even know the name of this place until I snapped the photo of the sign a few months ago. And even then, I had to yelp to make sure that I got the place right. For me, I have never called that place by its name. It was always the place to get my favorite: shredded chicken banh mi, or Vietnamese sandwich.

And if you know me long enough, you’d probably heard me talking about this place before. Or at least heard me mention the shredded chicken sandwich, which is by-the-way, AMAZING~

This bakery has been around for as long as I can remember. Even when the K-Mart became Kohl’s and the craft store changed into a grocery market, that place stood the test of time. My family has been going here for sandwiches, baked goods and the occasional cream puffs for many many years.

Needless to say, I have a lot of memories from this place.

The store itself is nothing impressive. It’s a small bakery, with no seating inside or outside. The baked goods on display take up more than half the room inside and to my knowledge, they only accept cash. There’s an ATM in the corner if you need to withdraw cash, but I’ve never seen anybody use it before.

They sell an assortment of Chinese and Vietnamese baked goods like Hot Dog Bun (essentially a large pigs in blankets), turnovers, paté chaud, cream puffs (regular custard filling and they also do durian), egg tarts, shredded pork buns, coconut buns and etc. Depending on the holiday, they have seasonal varieties like mooncakes.

Cake Rolls. Individual Cake Slices.

Their cream puffs are also a hit with my family. One of my relatives almost always bring a box over to a family party. Most of the time, you smell the cream puffs before you see the pink box.

The gem though is the little sandwich stand they have at the end of the bakery.

That’s where the magic happen.

It’s a simple arrangement. They have a piece of paper taped onto the glass display showing what kind of meats they offer. You indicate which one you want and they’ll prepare it for you, on the spot. If you plan to order a lot of sandwiches, or perhaps you’re planning to eat the sandwich later, you can ask them to separate the veggies and they’ll put it in a ziploc bag for you.

My favorite, the shredded chicken banh mi is composed of a fat baguette sliced in half (I prefer the wider baguette over the ones from Lee Sandwiches). They smear this magical spread (that, to this day I can’t figure out. I want to say it’s some sort of whipped butter or emulsion. If you know what it is, please leave me a comment because I would love to know!) onto the baguette. Afterwards they put a generous heaping of shredded chicken, followed by pickled daikon, carrots, cilantro (if you like it, I always ask them to leave it out), cucumber, jalapeno (I leave this out too), black pepper and soy sauce.

Opened at 6 AM and closed at 8 PM, their hours are long enough to fit almost everybody’s schedule. So next time when you’re in the area and you crave a snack, I say 111 Bakery is worth a try. Hell, it’s worth the drive if you love Vietnamese sandwiches.

Where’s your favorite Vietnamese Sandwich place? What type of banh mi do you like to get? And Happy Mardi Gras!

111 Bakery

2347 McKee Road

San Jose, CA 95116

3Comments

, by Amy

In 85 degrees bakery, Bay Area

The Boba Files: TOP 5 Boba Shops in the South Bay

Separating the Professionals from the Rookies

If you live in the South Bay, you are no stranger to the milk tea phenomenon that has swept this area for the past decade. It all started about a decade ago with boba places popping up in random places (I think one of my very first experience was from this water place that also sold ice cream and “bubble tea” inside) with their even odder menus. And now everything that was unusual is suddenly ordinary.

Quicklys. Tapioca Express. Q-Cup. Barcode. Fantasia.

You heard of them. Hell, you may have tried them all. And while the milk tea formula remain relatively unchanged, the names got more creative.

Sharetea. Black Pearl. Teasociety. Cafe LaTTea. T-Pumps. Bobo Tea. Thirst Tea.

And the list goes on.

So, how do you find the needle in the haystack? Well, I’m all for poking around and trying new boba shops. Or you can watch the episode of Mythbusters where they figure out the most efficient way to find the needle. Or, I can give you my top 5 picks and you can go from there.

The list is in no particular order. I don’t favor one over the other. Everything really boils down to my preference that day and how far I’m willing to travel.

1. Gong Cha (San Jose, CA)

This is actually from the Fremont location because I realized I never got a photo from San Jose.

Ambiance: None. Like fast food, you grab it and go. There’s no place to linger. Hell, sometimes there’s no room to stand in this extremely small store. The service is nothing to write home about. The workers work quickly and sometimes-- efficiently to fulfill the massive orders.

Consistency: Fairly consistent now after they found their footing. This place hasn’t been opened for very long. Great tasting Boba.

Size: Two sizes (Regular & Large)

What To Try: They’re well known for their crema. Herb jelly & their boba are on POINT.

What To Avoid: Wintermelon. I don’t know, it just doesn’t… sound right. Earl Grey Milk with 3J. It’s good, but there’s too much add-ons (boba, pudding & herb jelly). To save yourself a headache, go during off hours because parking is notoriously hard in this plaza.

Perks: Stamp card system + They take credit cards.

Extra Comments: Their largest pitfall is their lack of space. More often than not, I go grab milk tea to hang out with friends, but at this particular Gong Cha (not that the Fremont location is much better), it’s impossible because the only seats they have are two bar stools they have tucked into the left corner of their store. It’s a pity the stores in USA don’t value seating because the ones in South Korea are so spacious.

Gong Cha

1701 Lundy Ave.

Ste 1705

San Jose, CA 95131

2. The Sweet Corner (San Jose, CA)

Ambiance: Like many popular milk tea shops, they get loud. But, when it isn’t, it’s wonderful. Tucked away in the corner of Vietnam Town, it’s dimly lit inside, with a high ceiling and blackboard walls. Limited seating, but it feels intimate and warm, even when it gets noisy. They also have outdoor seating for the warmer weather. The service varies. Sometimes they make small talk. Other times they just take your order, but they’re relatively pleasant.

Consistency: Pretty consistent, but I’ve only been here a handful of times. So, please correct me if I’m wrong. Pearls have a nice texture.

Size: One size for cold drinks (unsure about hot)

What To Try: Strawberry milk tea. Earl Grey milk tea. Macarons!

What To Avoid: Haven’t had a bad experience so far.

Perks: Five Stars Point System + They accept credit cards.

Extra Comments: Also located in Vietnam Town’s Ring of Fire are three others milk tea spots: Soyful Desserts, Tapioca Express and the new girl, Tea Lyfe Drinks (not even a month old). If you take a stroll down the street, you’ll also run into BoBo Drinks. They also sell chè, which is a Vietnamese dessert. It’s in the same family as the Halo Halo and Patbingsoo.

The Sweet Corner

989 Story Rd.

Ste 8039

San Jose, CA 95122

3. Fantasia (Milpitas, CA)

Ambiance: Loud and cold (or hot) depending on the season. This location usually has a long line out the door, so the volume level tends to be quite high. Seating is limited inside and uncomfortable due to the layout of the store. There are two tables outside, but between the smokers and the foot traffic, I rather take it to go. Service is nonexistent. You tell them your order, hand them cash and they (usually) have your drink out before you can say “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

Consistency: Extremely consistent. I’ve tried out drinks from many of the Fantasia locations and they’re all super consistent. With the exception of the Taro Milk. Only Milpitas makes that drink the best. Though they DO have certain variations of drinks between stores. And Milpitas charges tax on their drinks. The Rivermark location doesn’t. Boba (for the most part) has the perfect texture.

Size: One size for cold drinks and two sizes for hot.

What To Try: Taro Milk. Green Mango tea with Ai-yu jelly. Jasmine Milk Tea.

What To Avoid: The cookies and toast. I haven’t tried it, but I’m unconvinced.

Perks: Stamp card system + Extremely fast service

Extra Comments: Much like the Vietnam Town “Ring of Fire,” Milpitas Square also has their own. Quicklys is a few stores down and there’s also Sweetheart Cafe right next to 99 Ranch. And there’s an empty storefront with a sign that says “Coco” next to Loving Hut, but I think they may have given up trying to open.

Fantasia

528 Barber Ln.

Milpitas, CA 95035

4. Café LaTTea (Cupertino, CA)

Ambiance: A very chic cafe setting with large glass windows overlooking Stevens Creek Blvd. This place gets extremely loud during weekend nights, but when it’s not busy, it’s a fantastic place to study or to catch up with friends. And the majority of the people who linger around are college-aged Asians. They also have seating outside and larger groups tend to sit outside because the layout of the cafe isn’t suited for groups bigger than 4.

Consistency: Their boba: perfect. I’ve been here many times and their boba is always great. Drinks are fairly consistent as well.

Size: One size (large). The lattes come in coffee mugs if you’re planning to drink it in the store.

What To Try: Their crema is pretty good. I also like their honey green milk tea and the rose milk tea.

What To Avoid: The honey toast is delicious, but it’s impossible to finish. Usually you end up eating the inside and leaving the skeleton of the toast left over. I suggest sharing with at least 3 people if you want to finish everything.

Perks: Five Stars System + They accept credit cards.

Extra Comments: Parking is a bit tricky, but there’s plenty of parking in the back if you can’t find any in the front residential area. They also sell cakes and macarons as well as coffee.

Café LaTTea

19501 Stevens Creeks Blvd.

Ste 101

Cupertino, CA 95014

5. Chatime (San Jose, CA)

Ambiance: Purple. Purple. And more purple. They have funky purple seating with chairs that are too low and tables that are too high. Throw pillows are all over the seats, which are cute, but I can’t help but think about all the people who have touched it previously. It gets loud when huge groups get together to play cards and such,

Consistency: It’s gotten a lot better. Since I’ve been here so many times ever since the opening, I’ve gotten some inconsistent drinks, but they’ve gotten the hang of mixing the drinks now.

Size: 3 or 4 (regular, large and bucket)

What To Try: Roasted Milk Tea. Oolong Milk Tea. Japanese Genmaicha. Tin Guan Yin Latte.

What To Avoid: I thought their Jasmine was just okay. Same with their Matcha Latte (but this one may be because I got it at 70% sweetness)

Perks: Five Stars System + They accept credit cards.

Extra Comments: A lot of high schoolers frequent this place and more than once have I bumped into a familiar face at Chatime. But if you don’t live around the area, that shouldn’t be a problem. Chatime is in a strip mall, which borders on the shady area.

Chatime

311 N. Capitol Ave.

Ste C

San Jose, CA 95133

2Comments

, by Amy

In bakery, European

Chantal Guillon (San Francisco, CA)

Enchanté Chantal Guillon

For one reason or another, I always considered the macaron a sinful indulgence.

Why? I can’t give you a definite answer, but perhaps it’s a mixture of the fact that macarons are French. Pricy. Hard to obtain. Usually in exquisite boutiques. Bright and colorful hidden behind glass displays. And they beckon to you in a tempting ‘je ne sais quoi’ manner and you’re attracted. Attracted in an odd ‘you can look, but can’t touch’ sort of appeal.

And even after I stare long and hard at the displays and justify the cost to myself, I feel a little guilty. Like I did something bad.

Which is silly, but macarons just come across that way for me. They’re finicky and volatile and generally hard for the novice baker (a.k.a myself) to bake without messing something up in the process.

Not to mention all the steps. And the debate: Italian meringue vs. French meringue?

So instead of attempting and risking disaster (unless you guys are a fan of seeing the aftermath), I rather go out and purchase them at a store.

And out of all the ones I’ve tried, Chantal Guillon does macarons the best.

PC and I dropped by the Chantal Guillon in Hayes Valley back in August after escaping the room trapped with a zombie. It was a Sunday afternoon and San Francisco was having one of those rare summer days where it was pleasant and sunny. Hayes Street was filled with people eating a late lunch and hanging around the park. We strolled into Chantal Guillon, which had a small party (possibly a bridal shower) doing a “tasting” of a sort. I got momentarily confused because they were asking the girls behind the counters for macarons and eating them right there.

Part of me was wondering, are they really so generous that they’re giving out free samples?

Sadly, I was wrong.

The storefront is very pretty, delicate and minimalistic. The walls are painted white to allow the colorful macaron displays pop and shine. And that’s exactly what they do. When you walk in, the first thing you notice are the colorful sweets hanging out behind the glass displays just waiting for you to choose them and take them home.

It's $1.85 per macaron and $11 for half a dozen. I went ahead and got a Green Tea (on the regular line) and Earl Grey macaron (seasonal flavor), but now looking back, I wished I had something fruity instead because the Earl Grey and Green Tea flavors were very strong. The Green Tea being the milder of the two. But both of them had a nice balance between bitter and sweet. The macaron was chewy with a nice shiny shell, but the ganache in the center was strong and fragrant.

Earl Grey (Left) & Green Tea (Right)

PC bought half a dozen and went for another half a dozen after we sat around and lingered in one of the two tables inside the shop. I feel like the shop layout was well thought out because the tables were facing the window so that allowed you to nibble on your macaron while watch people stroll by outside. It also gave you a good view of the macarons-- still tempting and luring you to repurchase even after devouring the ones in your hand.

We had some time to kill before it was time for dinner, so it was nice to sit back and relax. They get a steady stream of customers who come in and out for macarons and this is a great place if you’re in a pinch and have to grab a gift for a birthday or dinner party.

The packaging is simple and gorgeous. There’s something inherently beautiful about the sleek lines contrasted against the bright colors and uniformity of the macaron.

It’s beautiful. Wistful sigh~

Despite it all, Chantal Guillon remains the elusive mistress.

Devouring a box of macarons ≠ Drinking a large milk tea

They’re simply incomparable. In price. In quality. In accessibility.

Especially the accessibility bit.

San Francisco is a hour long drive away and their next closest location is in Palo Alto. And while that won’t take me an hour, it’ll still take a good 25 - 30 minutes. So, for all of you guys lucky enough to live in the neighborhood, I recommend making a visit… or two.

After all Valentine’s Day is around the corner. And if your valentine is anything like me, I’ll take a box of macarons over a box of chocolates any day.

What tried and true macaron methods are there? Italian vs. French method? Or better yet, do you have an easy recipe because I always wanted to try-- but the recipes and youtube videos look daunting. Are there any local Bay Area places or online shops that make a better macaron than Chantal Guillon? If so, please leave me a comment because I love to pay them a visit.

Chantal Guillon

437 Hayes St.

Ste A

San Francisco, CA 94102

2Comments

, by Amy

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Happy Chinese New Year!

Gong Hay Fat Choy! Xin Nian Quai Le!

111 Bakery (San Jose, CA)

LOCAL FAVORITES: Cream Puffs & Banh Mi

The Boba Files: TOP 5 Boba Shops in the South Bay

Separating the Professionals from the Rookies

Chantal Guillon (San Francisco, CA)

Enchanté Chantal Guillon

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Happy Chinese New Year!

Gong Hay Fat Choy! Xin Nian Quai Le!

111 Bakery (San Jose, CA)

LOCAL FAVORITES: Cream Puffs & Banh Mi

The Boba Files: TOP 5 Boba Shops in the South Bay

Separating the Professionals from the Rookies

Chantal Guillon (San Francisco, CA)

Enchanté Chantal Guillon

About me

Stay in the Loop

Follow by Email

Talk to Me

recent posts

Blog Archive

Labels

Followers

Featured Post Via Labels

Instagram

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