Tag Archives: chef

Alexander’s Steakhouse SF, Chef Marc Zimmerman, San Francisco, CA

The best steakhouse in the Bay Area, the Japanese Wagyu meat selection here is unbelievable. They have an amazing wine list, an exquisite cocktails list, and always impeccable service here. Chef Marc Zimmerman, a CIA graduate, staging in a few of the most respected restaurants in New York City – Craft, Le Bernardin, and Café Gray. Later he worked at Lutece, in the Venetian, Nobu Matsuhisa and Takashi Yagihashi. He became part of the opening team for Guy Savoy, also Las Vegas. Then he’s now the executive chef at Alexander’s Steakhouse in San Francisco for the last few years.

alexanderssteakhouse_uni_shortribThe dish that I always get when I’m here is the ‘Braised oxtail marrow toasted brioche, 1000 island, and uni topping it off’, if this mouthwatering dish doesn’t get you fall in love at the first bite, I don’t know what does!

Located in the SOMA district of the city near AT&T Park, Alexander’s Steakhouse is a welcome addition to the city dining scene offering a fine dining interpretation of the classic American steakhouse with hints of Japanese influence throughout the menu. Featuring a variety of classic cuts such as Porterhouse, T-bone and New York, they specialize in Certified Angus Beef grain-fed from the Mid-West.

They also highlight dry-aged steaks and offer the finest and most luxurious products available including a tasting menu by chef Marc Zimmerman and an award winning wine list designed by Sommelier, Johnny Slamon.

ALEXANDER’S STEAKHOUSE SAN FRANCISCO
448 Brannan Street,
San Francisco, CA 94107

Opening Hours:
Monday ~ Thursday: 5:30pm to 9:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 5:30pm to 10:00pm
Sunday 5:30pm – 8:30pm

Alexander’s Steakhouse: Twitter // Facebook
Chef Marc Zimmerman Twitter

by Manda Bear – TwitterInstagram

Mourad, Chef Lahlou Mourad, San Francisco, CA

Mourad opens recently in the Fidi, it’s 1 of the hottest restaurant and bar in town. Chef Lahlou, is the owner of the 1 Michelin-starred Aziza in the Richmond, started with this new concept, Moroccan and Californian style, led by chef de cuisine Chris Kajioka (Aziza, Per Se and Hawaii’s Vintage Cave, where he was nominated for James Beard Award Rising Star in Hawaii).

I got to try a few dishes and this ‘Duck Liver with Pistachio, Cocoa, mouradsf_duck_liverTurnip and Satsuma’ was the most memorable dish of all. The dish presented beautifully with edible flowers, colorful, and elegant. On the very first bite, it was smooth, velvety in your mouth, full of flavor and simply amazing.

Mourad takes the culinary resources of the Bay Area and views them through a Moroccan lens. Influenced by traditional ingredients and flavors yet presented with modern technique, a new cuisine has been born which is simultaneously classic and contemporary.

Located at 140 New Montgomery, in the newly renovated PacBell Building, Mourad graciously features authentic Moroccan design in modern interpretation, being in perfect harmony with the cuisine.

Mourad
140 New Montgomery Street, Suite 1
San Francisco, CA 94105
Tel: 1-415-660-2500

Operation Hours
Monday to Sunday 5:30–10pm
Twitter // Facebook 

by Manda Bear – TwitterInstagram

VEGAS UNCORK’D BY BON APPÉTIT, APRIL 23-26, LAS VEGAS, NV

VEGAS UNCORK’D BY BON APPÉTIT PRESENTS NINTH ANNUAL CULINARY FESTIVAL WITH STAR-STUDDED CHEF LINE-UP, APRIL 23-26

logoWHAT: Taking place earlier than ever before, the ninth annual Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appétit returns to Las Vegas April 23-26, serving up exciting culinary events at ARIA, Bellagio, Caesars Palace and MGM Grand. This year’s extravaganza features intimate dinners and interactive experiences hosted by acclaimed chefs, sommeliers and mixologists such as first-time participant Emeril Lagasse, along with talents like Gordon Ramsay, Michael Mina, Guy Savoy, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Julian Serrano, Shawn McClain and Ho Chee Boon.

vegasuncorkNew and notable additions to the festival include Emeril’s New Orleans Seafood Extravaganza, Premier Pairings with KRUG Champagne & Guy Savoy, Farm to Table Fête with Flowers Winery at Sage, California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir: A Tasting of Balance and a partnership between Bon Appétit and Bravo Media to put the winner of the network’s newest TV show, Best New Restaurant, in the spotlight at the Grand Tasting at Caesars Palace.

WHEN:                 April 23 – 26, 2015

WHERE:                ARIA, Bellagio, Caesars Palace and MGM Grand                                              Las Vegas, NV

DETAILS:              Visit VegasUncorked.com for a complete schedule of events and to purchase tickets. To book Vegas Uncork’d air packages and hotels, visit LasVegas.com.

See chefs line up here: Chefs personalities

About Bon Appétit

Bon Appétit is where food and culture meet. The award-winning No. 1 food lifestyle brand covers food through the lens of fashion, travel, technology, design, and home. Under editor in chief Adam Rapoport, the brand has been nominated for 17 National Magazine Awards, including wins in 2014 for General Excellence and Photography; 10 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards; and more than 50 Society of Publication Designers (SPD) nominations for design and photography, including Magazine of the Year. Under vice president and publisher Pamela Drucker Mann, the magazine was named ‘One to Watch’ by Advertising Age in 2014 and Adweek’s Food Magazine of the Year in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

 

El Dorado Kitchen at El Dorado Hotel, Sonoma, CA

After a long day wine tasting in Sonoma County, we were eldorado1starving and ready to eat  our heart out. El Dorado Kitchen comes to our rescue. Knowing chef Armando Navarro from REDD in Napa, and I was excited to see what he was about to serve us.

El Dorado Kitchen is located in the El Dorado Hotel, it’s such a cute place, open kitchen, a 21-foot-long table fashioned from a single wood plank reclaimed from a Vermont bridge, lots of eldorado3windows for sun light, white trim, fresh flowers, something about this place is so romantic to me. Well, I was in the company of 2 other hot foodies/good friends 🙂

El Dorado Kitchen serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. We were here for a dinner feast, and I wasn’t kidding.eldorado4

– Kusshi, South Puget Sound, Baywater Sweet oysters – a dozen of freshness!

– Ahi Tuna Tartare – Soy vinaigrette, wonton chips, asian pear, avocado, wasabi tobiko, micro cilantro – tasty, generous portion.

– Roasted Young Beets – Goat cheese mousse, orange, watercress, pistachio meringue – perfect for a warm summer night in Sonoma.
eldorado6
– Steamed Mussels – Chorizo, chickpeas, garlic, white wine broth, country croutons – the mussels weren’t plumed, but the broth was perfect for crouton dipping. It soaked up the broth and it was so good!

– The Truffles fries – oh goodness, gracious, this order is BIGGER than my head! However, it was perfect for dipping to the mussels broth!

– Chilled Corn Soup – Corn & shrimp salsa, chili oil, brioche crouton – it was nice and smooth, love.eldorado5

– Pork Belly – cherry tomato, pickled ramps, jalapeño vinaigrette – this was a SPECIAL order, since I’m allergic to watermelon, chef changed up the recipe. I love pork belly and this is why I work out regularly, so I can indulge this kind of goodness!

– Dungeness Crab Cake – Heirloom tomato gazpacho, avocado, sweet 100 tomatoes, pea shoots – fresh and sweet, beautiful plating.

– Housemade Ricotta & Lemon Ravioli – Roasted artichokes, asparagus, rutabaga, parmesan, guazzetto – delicious.

– Pork and ahi tuna tacos, special order from chef Armando Navarro – thank you for this – they offer on the bar menu.

eldoado5DESSERTS:

– Vanilla Tapioca – Peach, rhubarb gel, brioche, raspberry sorbet

– Baked Chocolate Mousse – Chocolate shortbread crumble, crème fraîche froth, mint chocolate chip ice cream

– Cherry Crisp – Lemon curd, streusel, cream cheese sorbet

For the wine list, El Dorado Kitchen carries almost 170 wines by the bottles and 30 by the glasses, majority Sonoma County, Napa, and decent choices of French wines, I’m impressed. I love that how all the local wines are small mark up, that was exactly what we did, ordered Sonoma wines.

Service was good, the food was so reasonably price point, GENEROUS PORTIONS, so we obviously over ordered ourselves. Thank you chef Armando for the extra love and changed the recipe because I was allergic to the watermelon.

eldorado2           During our dinner, there was a black out in Sonoma Square, the restaurant kept calm, and continue to serve us in extra candle lights, just about 5 minutes later, the light was back on, and everything was as smooth as nothing had happened.

My 2 girlfriends and I couldn’t even move by the time we finished the dinner. We are full, satisfied, and happy. I love it here and I can’t wait to bring more friends and family back here soon.

Follow chef on IG: http://instagram.com/chef_g_navarro

El Dorado Kitchen
www.EldoradoSonoma.com
405 1st St W,
Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 996-3030

by Manda Bear – @1MandaBear

Zenshin, Chef Chris Recaido, at South Point Hotel, Las Vegas

I’ve followed Chef CHRIS RECAIDO on Instagram for sometimes
now www.Instagram/C_REC, have dined at his former place SENSEI sushi inside the Marriott Hotel in Waikiki, Hawaii before. I told myself, I will visit him at Zenshin Asian Restaurant at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas at some point. zenshin5

I come to Vegas average 6 times a year, some trip like the CES one last month, I stayed for 8 days, I finally got to visit Chef Chris Ricaido. All I can say is WOW, I’m impressed.

If you look at their website, nowhere zenshin6mentioned his name besides the owner and the executive chef, or that their website is a bit dated, they even misspell the grape varietal. However, be sure to call in advance, to make sure chef Chris is in, you will be in for a real treat.

Zenshin Asian zenshin8Restaurant is spacious, you don’t have that feel of a cozy Japanese restaurant. It’s big and almost feels as you walk into a cafeteria. However, the oval sushi bar, makes it perfect for foodies, you can watch to chef and cooks do all their magic in front of you. Don’t let the look and feel of Zenshin discourage you.

Their HAPPY HOUR is amazing, such a great deal on cocktails and not-so-small-bites:zenshin1

– Strawberry Bangkok

– Rising Sun

– Beers & wine

– Hamachi Kama – Grilled Yellowtail Collar & Ponzu Sauce, the zenshin4CHEAPEST in Las Vegas! Order it!

– Teriyaki Beef Sliders or Soft Shell Crab Cake Sliders

– Karaage Chicken

Now the regular menu:

– Jalapeno Yellowtail – Hamachi, Jalapeno, Shiso, Tobiko & Truffle Ponzu – order this!

– Sizzlin’ Tuna – Sizzled with Grape Seed Oil, Ginger, Chives & Truffled Soy – delishzenshin3

– Teriyaki Beef – Marinated in Soy, Ginger, Garlic & Simply Grilled, simply falvorful.

– Uni with caviar, toro, tai, hamachi were all fresh and high-quality fish.

– Cucumber roll with tuna, hamachi, salmon was so delicious, fresh, and it was my FAV roll, off-the-menu, but if you request on a weekday, chef will do it for you.

zenshin2    I have met many chefs via Instagram and Twitter, Chef Chris Ricaido is 1 of the most genuine chefs, he’s humble, kind, young and very cute too!  And I probably enjoy his company a lot more because he’s from Hawaii where my half broski was born and raised, what not to love about him 🙂

zenshin9   Service was very attentive, the price point is so reasonable compared to everything on the main strip or San Francisco Bay Area. This is why I love to come to Vegas for food. TRUST ME, take a short cab drive to the South Point Hotel to check out Zenshin, it’s a perfect sushi spot for a big group or for family on budget.

Follow chef Chris Ricaido and you will see: www.Instagram/C_REC

Zenshin Restaurant
www.southpointcasino.com
9777 S Las Vegas Blvd,
Las Vegas, NV 89183
(702) 797-8538

by Manda Bear – @1MandaBear

Welcome to Dep Lifestyle Magazine.

Dep Lifestyle Magazine features beautiful lifestyle, food, wine, restaurants, chefs, culinary events, charity events, and in English & in Vietnamese at www.VietPressUSA.com.

Locations:  Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and more cities to come… Coming soon in winter 2015.