Andrew Food for Thought

In this episode, Alvin highlights two of his favorite restaurants, Art's Cafe and King of Noodle, both located in his neighborhood in San Francisco. Alvin and I also discuss a recent trip we took to Kenya, and highlight some of the food we had there. To wrap things up, Alvin shares about his newfound interest in baking sourdough bread, and his ambition of learning how to make potstickers and green onion pancakes.

In this episode, my good friend Danny Chang takes the role of the host while I'm put in the hot seat. Danny asks me about how the podcast got started, what my favorite restaurants in SF are, and where I go for late night food. We also discuss my featured restaurant - One Market, located in Downtown SF.

In this episode, Sabi DuBose features her favorite local restaurant Gyros King - a halal restaurant located near her home in Aurora, Colorado. As part of her Islamic faith, Sabi follows a halal diet, which makes Gyros King a frequent destination. Sabi has also developed an interest in both Mediterranean and Moroccan food - two types of cuisine with deep roots in Halal cuisine. She traveled to Morocco with her husband a few years back, and has been learning more and more about Moroccan cuisine and techniques for preparing classic Moroccan dishes. Sabi shares her experience learning about Moroccan cuisine, discusses some of her favorite American recipes, and describes what it's like to find restaurants and grocery stores that are Halal.

In this episode, Alan Zheng returns to his childhood neighborhood of Oakland Chinatown and reminisces on his experience growing up there. He shares his story in the context of broader cultural shifts, as Oakland Chinatown has gradually become gentrified similar to many Chinatowns across the United States. Alan also shares about some of his favorite documentaries that tell the story of the Chinese-American experience, and juxtaposes those stories with that of his uncle who moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to open one of the only Chinese restaurants in the area.

Brad de Raad took a cooking class in San Francisco last year and it opened his eyes to new techniques and recipes. He's enjoyed baking different kinds of bread and has especially enjoyed baking pumpkin bread during the fall season. In this episode, Brad and I discuss his newfound interest in cooking and baking, we give an overview of our breakfast at a famous bakery called Tartine, and we dive into Brad's family traditions - including buying Dutch Christmas bread every year from a Dutch bakery in Pasadena, California. 

Jess Feng lives in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. She loves sweets, and frequently enjoys checking out ice cream shops and other dessert places. One of her favorite spots in the neighborhood was Daly Pie, before it recently closed down. In this episode, Jess reminisces on her experiences at Daly Pie, shares her passion for ice cream, and gives an overview of Chinese food in New York. She goes in depth about the variety of Chinese cuisine you can find around New York, and offers a comparison between her experiences in NY vs California, as well as her experiences in Shanghai and other parts of China.

Adam Miller grew up in Houston and has spent a significant amount of time living in Austin as well. His culinary interests have been shaped by a region with deep roots in BBQ as well as Mexican food. Things changed for Adam two years ago when he moved to San Francisco. He developed a newfound interest in ramen and other types of Asian food. In this episode, Adam and I discuss his favorite ramen shops around the Bay Area while eating at Ippuddo Ramen in Berkeley. Adam also provides a hot take on BBQ in the Bay Area, and goes in depth about the BBQ of Texas.

Matt Behlke loves to cook. He regularly spends between 5-10 hours a week cooking breakfast and dinner, and makes a conscious effort to try new recipes every day. As he has continued to explore new cuisine, Matt was inspired to start a food project where he will research different regions around the world and immerse himself in the cuisine of that region. In this episode, Matt and I discuss his new food project, his love for cooking, and his tips for new cooks, all while enjoying the relaxed atmosphere at Matt's favorite restaurant - La Torta Gorda.

CeeCee Weaver and her husband Ken live in the Twin Peaks neighborhood of San Francisco. Living in Twin Peaks gives them easy access to great neighborhoods like the Castro, the Mission and Noe Valley. One of the great dining experiences near CeeCee's neighborhood is U : Dessert Story - a small cafe that specializes in Asian-inspired sweets. In this episode, CeeCee explains why she likes U : Dessert Story and describes some of her favorite restaurants in San Francisco. She also reminisces on the various neighborhoods she's lived in, and highlights the best places to eat at in her hometown of Vallejo (including Sac's Tasty Hot Dogs).