Category Archives: Chefs

Warm Up At Flaming Ox

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Braised pork belly with rice at Flaming Ox.
Braised pork belly with rice at Flaming Ox.

In these challenging economic times when people fume at the price of a fast-food burger meal, they ought to consider that for not much more, they can sit down to a far more flavorful, nutritious, and soulfully satisfying dish at a place like Flaming Ox in San Jose.

For about $16 to $18, you can enjoy a Taiwanese specialty rice or noodle bowl in a sizeable portion that’s sure to warm you through and through, which is what I found when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant recently.

On the wall at the restaurant.
On the wall at the restaurant.

The casual cafe opened 10 months ago in the same strip mall as City Sports Club on East Brokaw Road. It is the brainchild of Eric Chung, a chef of Taiwanese heritage, who was a former lead chef cooking Asian food at Apple in Cupertino before launching his food trucks.

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Irresistible Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

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Plenty of chocolate, hazelnuts, and Nutella make these cookies unforgettable.
Plenty of chocolate, hazelnuts, and Nutella make these cookies unforgettable.

Get ready for a cookie that will flat-out seduce you.

Think chocolate chip cookie — but one made extra special with hazelnut flour in the dough, oodles of chopped chocolate, and streaks of creamy Nutella.

If you aren’t smacking your lips yet, you absolutely will when a tray comes out of your oven.

“Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies” is a recipe from the new cookbook, “Zoe Bakes Cookies” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Zoe Francois, the Minneapolis pastry chef, creator of the Zoe Bakes website, and star of her own series, “Zoe Bakes,” on the Magnolia Network.

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Delights at Dalida

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The showy black cod at Dalida in San Francisco.
The showy black cod at Dalida in San Francisco.

There’s no denying that Chef Laura Ozyilmaz is tough, having fought her way back from elimination on “Top Chef’‘ to win “Last Chance Kitchen” to gain another shot at victory.

In the end, she may not have won the overall competition, making it as far as one of the last four competitors standing. But she won over many fans for her gumption and creative dishes. That she did all this while in the midst of opening Dalida in San Francisco, her restaurant with her chef-husband Sayat Ozilmaz, makes it doubly impressive.

Even before “Top Chef,” Dalida was a hard reservation to come by. It’s easy to see why, when you consider that this Eastern Mediterranean restaurant was opened by two chefs with impressive pedigrees.

The open kitchen.
The open kitchen.

The couple met while studying at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Sayat, originally from Turkey, went on to work at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, Le Bernardin in New York City, and the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, while Laura worked at Cafe Boulud in New York City, Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Eleven Madison Park in New York City, Del Posto in New York City, and Saison in San Francisco.

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes Get Even Better With A Little Bourbon

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Whole roasted sweet potatoes get jazzed up with miso and bourbon.
Whole roasted sweet potatoes get jazzed up with miso and bourbon.

Although whiskey can be made anywhere in the world, it can only be called “bourbon” if it’s made in the United States.

Who knew!

That’s because Congress passed a law in 1964 that declared bourbon as “America’s Native Spirit.”

You’ll learn that and so much more in “Bourbon Land” (Artisan), of which I received a review copy.

This “spirited love letter” is by James Beard Award-winning Edward Lee, chef-owner of 610 Magnolia and Nami, both in Louisville, KY, who writes both romantically and knowledgeably about Kentucky’s most famous liquor.

Indeed, since Lee opened his flagship restaurant in 2002 and made Kentucky his home, he’s been passionate about drinking and cooking with bourbon.

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The Showy New Eos & Nyx Electrifies Downtown San Jose

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An amuse of teeny tuna tartare cones greets every diner at the new Eos & Nyx.
An amuse of teeny tuna tartare cones greets every diner at the new Eos & Nyx.

These days, when you hear of a splashy new restaurant opening its doors, you’ll be forgiven if your thoughts automatically go to San Francisco, Wine Country, or even Palo Alto.

Eos & Nyx, however, is not in any of those places, but rather in downtown San Jose.

Previously a movie theater, the soaring space has been transformed into a glitzy, two-story, 4,000-square-foot Mediterranean restaurant. Fifteen months in the making, it was designed by San Diego’s Basile Studio, which also did California’s Puesto restaurants, including the one in Santa Clara.

The entrance in downtown San Jose.
The entrance in downtown San Jose.
The stylish dining room.
The stylish dining room.
The view from the second floor.
The view from the second floor.

Appropriately named for the Greek goddesses of day and night, Eos & Nyx takes on a different personality from brunch (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) to dinner (Tuesday through Saturday). During the day, when the weather is warm, the floor-to-ceiling, garage-door front windows can be raised to bring the outdoors in, bathing the leafy dining room adorned with lifelike fake trees and even river rocks underneath the booths with tons of natural light. At night, the vibe is more Vegas-like with moodier lighting that makes the copper accents glimmer and the back-lighted bar stand out.

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