Category Archives: Restaurants

Japan Eats, Part III: Yoshoku Izumi in Osaka

Beef katsu sando at Yoshoku Izumi in Osaka.
Beef katsu sando at Yoshoku Izumi in Osaka.

Osaka, JAPAN — Getting a reservation at Yoshoku Izumi was an arduous affair. Even when we managed to land the remaining seats on a Saturday night at 8:30 p.m., the extensive list of dos and don’ts on its website had us quaking in fear we’d commit a faux pas and get thrown out mid-bite.

Visions of the iconic Soup Nazi on “Seinfeld” were firmly planted in our heads.

We may have stepped inside the unmarked door, identifiable only by its potted maple tree outside, with trepidation. However, we left not only completely at ease, but thoroughly charmed and beyond content by a tasting menu that was absolutely delicious, as well as a relative bargain.

Our journey to this restaurant, renowned for its yoshoku or Japanese-style Western cooking, began last year, when my friend Charles, who travels often to Japan and knows conversational Japanese, recommended it highly. Having dined there twice, himself, he wasn’t sure if anyone on staff spoke much English. And unfortunately, Izumi is one of a number of restaurants in Japan that only takes reservations by phone.

The unmarked restaurant.
The unmarked restaurant.

So, I enlisted my friend Donna, who speaks Japanese, to try calling the restaurant on my behalf. She called, and she called. No matter if it was morning, afternoon, or evening in Japan, no one ever picked up the phone even after days of her trying. There was no answering machine, either, to leave a message.

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Feasting at Baekjeong Korean BBQ

Come hungry to Baekjeong Korean BBQ because it's a huge spread of food.
Come hungry to Baekjeong Korean BBQ because it’s a huge spread of food.

When Baekjeong Korean BBQ opened its first Bay Area location at Westfield Valley Fair shopping center in in August 2023, waits reportedly were up to 4 hours to snag a table.

No way was I going to deal with that.

So, I bided my time, and happily waited until this month to try the restaurant that’s created a sensation everywhere it’s opened.

The restaurant seats more than 200.
The restaurant seats more than 200.

Baekjeong Korean BBQ started in 2003 in Korea by Kang Ho Dong, a former professional wrestler and South Korean TV personality. In 2012, he joined forces with Michael Chon, CEO of Kijung Hospitality Group, to expand the restaurants to the United States, the first of which opened in Los Angeles, where the late-great, Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold hailed it as one of that city’s top restaurants.

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A Visit to Merced, Part I: El Capitan Hotel, Rainbird Restaurant, and Mainzer Restaurant

Terrific ricotta pancakes with blueberry compote at Rainbird restaurant at the El Capitan Hotel.
Terrific ricotta pancakes with blueberry compote at Rainbird restaurant at the El Capitan Hotel.

Merced, CA — This San Joaquin Valley town has long been known as the “Gateway to Yosemite” from as far back as when stagecoaches and the Central Pacific Railroad turned it into a major transportation hub. Nowadays, most folks make the journey between the two by car, which will take close to 2 hours (if Highway 140 is open).

As many times as I’ve visited Yosemite, I had never stopped in Merced. But I had the opportunity to do just that last month when I was invited for a stay as a guest of the landmark El Capitan Hotel.

Opened in 2021 after three years of construction, it may be downtown Merced’s newest hotel to open, but it wisely maintains links to its history.

The original El Capitan was built a block away in 1872 as a waystop for travelers continuing on to Yosemite. In 1900, however it was razed by the railroad company to make way for a railroad stop. It was later rebuilt at its current location of M and Main Streets in 1912, and restored after a fire ravaged it in the 1930s.

The hotel is a mix of old and new.
The hotel is a mix of old and new.
The stylish common area in the hotel.
The stylish common area in the hotel.
An antique piece that used to hold room keys and messages at the original hotel on the site.
An antique piece that used to hold room keys and messages at the original hotel on the site.

The 114-room boutique hotel is largely new construction, but connects with the original annex in the back. Wander back there, and you’ll even find an antique furniture piece from the early 1900s with slots that once held room keys and written messages.

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The Name Says It All at Z&Y Peking Duck

Maybe the best Peking duck you'll ever sink your teeth into.
Maybe the best Peking duck you’ll ever sink your teeth into.

Z&Y Peking Duck in San Francisco’s Chinatown serves what might just be the holy grail of ducks.

As a Chinese American who grew up in San Francisco, where Peking duck was the star attraction of many a celebratory banquet dinner, I rarely recall a version that was this outstanding as the one I enjoyed when I dined at the restaurant last week.

We’re talking duck meat that’s not dry or tough in the least, but juicy and tender throughout, and skin that’s incredibly crisp with all of its fat underneath completely rendered out, a rare feat in and of itself.

Chef-Owner Li Jun Han, who formerly was the executive chef at the Chinese Consulate-General in San Francisco, opened Z&Y Peking Duck in 2023. USA Today recently touted it as one of its “10 Best New Restaurants of 2025.” It is the sister restaurant to Han’s Z&Y restaurant, across the street that opened in 2008 and has garnered a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction.

Ducks hanging in the window are a familiar sight in Chinatown. But these are actually fake ones. You'll have to snag a table to enjoy the real deal.
Ducks hanging in the window are a familiar sight in Chinatown. But these are actually fake ones. You’ll have to snag a table to enjoy the real deal.

At Z&Y Peking Duck, it pays to dine as a party of 4 or more. That’s because that’s the minimum you need to make a reservation. Otherwise, you take your chances as a walk-in, which can be dicey, especially on a Saturday night as when I was there and people were crowded inside the entryway, waiting for tables.

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Get To Know the New Eylan in Menlo Park

Oysters with a chili-passion fruit essence at Eylan.
Oysters with a chili-passion fruit essence at Eylan.

Cementing their mettle as a culinary dynamic duo, Chef Srijith Gopinathan and business entrepreneur Ayesha Thapar are on their way to creating a mini empire of Bay Area modern Indian restaurants with Copra in San Francisco, Ettan in Palo Alto, Little Blue Door in Los Altos, and now their newest, Eylan in Menlo Park.

Eylan, which means “proclamation” or “public announcement” in Hindi, opened in January in the new retail-business development, The Villa Menlo Park.

As with all their restaurants, the interior is striking, though, a little less showy than some of their other ones, as I found when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant last week.

Located at a new Menlo Park development with convenient parking underground.
Located at a new Menlo Park development with convenient parking underground.
The dining room.
The dining room.

Its look is punctuated with leafy vine-wrapped columns, lush trees, macrame hangings, black and white geometric floor tiles, curve-backed sand-colored chairs, and red-and-green fabric-wrapped chandeliers. Dimly lit at night, the dining room offers a nestled-in quality but can get noisy when it’s full.

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