Pier Market Seafood Restaurant

Where? Pier Market Seafood Restaurant (Pier 39, San Francisco, California, United States of America) Map Menu

When? Sunday August 2, 2015

Who? Meeee

Food Style? Seafood

The Pier Market Seafood Restaurant is one of the busiest eateries at Pier 39 in San Francisco. There's an efficient paging system for the hordes of people waiting to get in, but fortunately since I'm #ForeverAlone, I can walk straight in and sit at the bar. I've actually been here before, back in 2011 with Jimmy and Tony. I love company paid trips... teehee. I also love the free refills of root beer I get from many American establishments (though it's probably ruining my teeth.)

Mains

Pier Market Mixed Grill: Fresh Salmon, Fresh Swordfish and Shrimp Skewer
It's hard to go past the mixed grill, purely because of the variety you get. The swordfish and salmon have perhaps spent a little long on the grill, but they definitely pack some great flavour, all the regular tastes you find in good, fresh seafood. The swordfish is very enjoyable actually, the meat has more of a bite to it than most fish - it's almost like chicken. I think the salmon is a little over-seasoned, but it's still tasty and I'm happy to have a slice of fresh San Francisco seafood. The shrimp is simple but flavoursome too, and again the grilling has brought out the natural sweet and saltiness, along with that smokey flavour you get from the hot plate.

At US$24, this was a solid, satisfying meal, but the New Zealand exchange rate at the time I had this was quite unfortunate. Don't forget to tip!

Posted by Jeremy at 10:38pm on Wednesday March 30, 2016 :: 0 comments ::

Crab Shack

Where? Crab Shack (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu

When? Thursday August 20, 2015

Who? My parents

Food Style? Seafood

The Crab Shack is one of my favourite places to eat in Wellington. It's casual and reasonably priced, and the food is fantastic. Though they do have an Auckland branch, the original Wellington one is slightly cheaper and of course, closer to the home of the Nelson Paddle Crab. Bookings are not accepted, but you're invited to have a drink and some snacks at Shed 5 while you wait - the tab transfers seamlessly to the Crab Shack when your table is ready.

My parents were down for Wellington on a Plate 2015, and though the Crab Shack doesn't participate in WOAP (unfortunately!), I was keen for them to come here and try out the best seafood in Wellington.

Entree

Moroccan Spiced Calamari, Cloudy Bay Clams in Indian Curry Sauce and Tempura Soft-Shell Crab
The calamari was crunchy and silky on the inside, the texture was perfect and not rubbery at all. It was the smoothest squid I had ever had, and what a great flavour it came with. Notes of aniseed, turmeric, parsley, salt and lemon really gave it that Moroccan feel. The clams were sweet and juicy, a great flavour balance. It had all the things I love about seafood - the natural sweetness and saltiness of the clams were kept intact and well respected. Finally, the soft-shell crab was rich and creamy, perfect texture - soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. It's spiced slightly but enough to give it some kick. The entrees were fantastic and truly appetising.

Mains

1kg Blue Swimmer Crab
Unfortunately the Nelson Paddle Crab was unavailable, so we settled for the Blue Swimmer Crab instead. The crab is soft and silky, meaning it's been cooked perfectly. The broth is absolutely the star of the dish, with chilli, garlic and onion all prominent flavours. Best served with hot bread buns to soak up the sauce, because it is absolutely divine and I totally want to devour every drop of that stuff. My parents are pretty impressed, so you know it must be good. I can't get over how sensational the broth is, it's just so good. I'm licking my fingers and constantly exclaiming what a good time I'm having. At the end, I'm totally satisfied and I'm spooning the sauce directly into my greedy mouth.

There you have it. The Crab Shack serves up some pretty awesome seafood, but it's a pity the Nelson Paddle Crab wasn't in stock. Highly recommended if you do find it there though!

Posted by Jeremy at 10:45am on Wednesday March 30, 2016 :: 0 comments ::

Wellington on a Plate 2015: Wrap Up

One of the biggest highlights of my year, Wellington on a Plate is a decadent 17 days of eating as restaurants from all over the region offer Wellington's finest produce on a plate, in a burger or mixed in a cocktail. This year we've had the opportunity to sample new restaurants such as the Bresolin and Egmont St Eatery, as well as old classics like Matterhorn, El Matador and Ti Kouka. The food philosophy behind this is simple - celebrate local.

As usual, I've had an amazing time. With social media sites like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter becoming ever so popular, word really does get around when there's something good in town, so I was smart to leave a few days open at the end of the festival so I could cherry-pick the best of the best. The festival started off a little shaky however, with several reports of unpreparedness from quite a few restaurants. I would expect that, for the year's biggest culinary event, staff would be trained properly, kitchens stocked adequately, bookings made and preparations done to ensure a smooth and enjoyable customer experience.

Let's take a look at some stats:
14 Burger Wellington entries eaten
10 Dine Wellington menus eaten
1 Capital Cocktail entry consumed
13 doughnuts consumed
Dined with 34 different people (dined with Jordan and Tim 12 times!)
1 kilogram gained over 17 days. Which I've promptly lost again :(

And I guess the big one you've all been waiting for...

$871.33 spent gorging my face on delicious food

My top picks this year are:
Best Burger Wellington Entry: Ti Kouka (Aporkalypse Now), Pan de Muerto (Burger Mexicana), Grill Meats Beer (Chook n Swine, Fire n Spice)
Best Dine Wellington Menu: El Matador
Best Entree: Tequila Joe's (Grilled Mexican sweet corn)
Best Mains: Matterhorn (Wharekauhau Texel lamb rump)
Best Dessert: Mishmosh (Kaffee Eis PB & J gelato) and Tequila Joe's (Mexican custard flan)

The winner of the Burger Wellington competition was Egmont Street Eatery, with best beer match going to Laundry. This marks the third winning burger entry I've had so far - Ti Kouka's All About Longbush Pork (2013), Charley Noble's Shooting Charley's (2014) and this year's Cheese, Beets and Meat. If this isn't a sign of good taste, then what is!?

There we have it! Wellington on a Plate 2015 is over. Thanks to all who made it so memorable, especially those of you who traveled from Auckland to experience the best that Wellington has to offer.

Posted by Jeremy at 9:02am on Tuesday September 8, 2015 :: 0 comments ::

WOAP2015: Pan de Muerto

Where? Pan de Muerto Mystic Mexican Cuisine (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu

When? Sunday August 30, 2015

Who? Tim, Juliann, Sarah, Leo

Food Style? Mexican

I remember the days when Pan de Muerto used to be on the corner of Kent Terrace and Marjoribanks Street, serving simple but good Mexican food like beef nachos, quesadillas and tacos, and, of course, margaritas to wash it all down. These days, they're a bit more high class, serving some real Mexican delicacies with plenty of flavour and character. I rated their burger very highly last year, and several recommendations from the Internet led me to choose Pan de Muerto as my final Wellington on a Plate stop for 2015.

Burger: Burger Mexicana

Corn and cinnamon-crusted chicken breast with char-grilled Anaheim chilli pineapple and guacamole in a housemade bun, with Mexican street corn and corn chips
A delicious, tangy salsa, corn chips, sweet corn bursting with flavour (damn good but not as good as Tequila Joe's) - and those were only the sides. The burger was sensational, the crispiest, most succulent chicken, sweetness in the pineapple and fantastic sauce to tie it all together. Would have easily eaten another one right on the spot, except no one else was keen and I would have looked like a glutton.

An absolutely fantastic way to finish Wellington on a Plate 2015. For that, I give them a nine out of ten.

Posted by Jeremy at 8:21am on Tuesday September 8, 2015 :: 0 comments ::

WOAP2015: The Grill at the Amora

Where? The Grill at the Amora (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map

When? Friday August 28, 2015

Who? Juliann, Jordan, Dwayne, Tim

Food Style? Contemporary European

The Grill at the Amora Hotel (formerly the Duxton) hosts several food events during the year, most notably the Chocolate Buffet which was held just last weekend. They boast a large dining area and catering facilities, perfect for business functions and private parties. Of course, we're not interested in that at all, we're here for their Burger Wellington entry - though, in typical Asian fashion, Juliann and I split a three course meal and the burger for maximum variety. Last year's burger was a double patty Sunday Roast - one patty made with lamb, the other made with roasted vegetables.

Entree: Coriander-infused pumpkin broth

With Wellington Trawling Co. tarakihi, fresh chilli and lime olive oil
A great pumpkin flavour to start off the meal, but not as thick or rich as a traditional pumpkin soup. Still, the spice was subtle but noticeable, and the tarakihi was excellent - sweet and fresh - and it accompanied the pumpkin very well. Love that they served it on top of two lemon slices - this ensures that lovely fresh and zesty juice doesn't disappear from the fish.

Mains: Slow-cooked Randwick Meats pork belly

With pear, fig chutney and prune jus
Not bad, but definitely nothing to rave about. Though the meat was soft and tender, there was no crackling (you can't give me pork belly and not have crispy, crunchy crackling :(!) The sauce was nice, quite fruity with the influence from the pear and figs, but nothing mind-blowing.

Burger: Wairarapa Game Burger

Char-grilled venison and chorizo patty with guacamole, nacho chips, salsa and coleslaw in a Pandoro burger bun, with kūmara chips
A very large burger that was difficult to split between Juliann and myself. Having half was probably the right amount - others at the table had a tough time eating the whole thing. It was okay, the predominant flavour was the sour cream in the burger which made it taste like a plate of nachos, but without any spice or excitement - the chorizo was not noticeable at all. The kumara fries were a bit soggy and felt like cardboard - Burgerfuel does better kumara chips! - but the salsa and guacamole I thought were pretty good. On the whole, a bit disappointing but not an awful experience - would have probably been worse if I had to eat the whole burger. I gave them a six out of ten.

Dessert: Limoncello crème brûlée

With feijoa ice cream
Individually, the creme brulee and the ice cream were excellent, but together they tasted odd. The biscotti had pistachio and cherry, and worked well with the brulee. The ice cream was refreshing and the feijoa came through quite nicely. Not a bad way to finish the meal.

Pretty good meal overall, but others at the table who had simply too much food were a bit disappointed. Subsequent comparisons with other peoples' experiences led me to believe that some restaurants have had some serious consistency problems with their burgers, and that's what it looked like here.

Posted by Jeremy at 8:09am on Tuesday September 8, 2015 :: 0 comments ::