The Crunchiest fish taco EVER!!

A good friend and co worker. Nacho recomended a franchised taqueria named RUBIOS. He said he had tried it in San Diego and he couldn't stop talking about it and kept asking me if I had tried it yet.

Finally, the night before Risa,Freddie and I picnic at San we trekked to Palo Alto and indulged!!  Nacho was right I had their famous fish taco and it was like a Bomb that exploded in me mouth with incredible flavors. It tasted fresh, crunchy and delicious plus their assortments  of salsa, WOW!! And three of us agreed they that our dinner was well worth the trip .

To good to be a fast food chain you gotta try them..

The best "ALFAJORES" in the Universe. Mancora Cibecheria

And I would like to reiterate my Universe, of course.

 Alfajores,  a sweet cookie sandwich filled with Dulce de Leche between two soft and sweet cookies. The word Alfajor comes from the Arabic al-hasu =filled or stuffed.

Alfajores are popular in Argentina, Uruguay and Peru as well as the rest of the south America. Although they originated in the Iberian peninsula, the Spanish Alfajor is a bit different which consist of honey, flour and almonds. ( 411 source - www.eHowfood.com)

These sweet goodies are also a part of the Spanish-Filipino population and filipino foodies alike in my country, Philippines but not quite the popularity and availability they seem to have in  South American countries.

Lately, I have been noticing a surge of Peruvian restaurant in the Bay Area, as a matter of fact there are 3 or 4 Peruvian restaurants in my area. Mancora is one of them. Located along the west side of  El Camino in San Mateo, a few yards north of 25th street.This is where I found and go back to for  the "Best Alfajores in the Universe". They make their Alfajores onsite  fresh daily and the taste proves it. The cookie is soft, crumbly and light which sandwich just enough Dulce de leche that isn't too sweet nor too rich, then dusted with  confectioner sugar. It is sheer perfection of what I feel an Alfajores should be.

The best "Fish Taco" in the Universe!!!

Sometimes, you'll need a little gas to get to the good stuff. This is true for Mercado & Taquiera De Amigos and their FISH taco , Yes Fish Taco in Pescadero.

From the outside this place looks nothing like a taqueria  that will serve you  great Mexican food, it is camouflaged by a country road  no frills,and  unassuming gas station /convenient store , But inside is where you get "The best "FISH TACO in the Universe" amongst other yummy Mexican offerings . I mean, where else can you get gas, Tylenol and great food In one stop over . 

Before I turned Pescatarian I did try their lengua burrito and of course  their vegetarian  and shrimp burrito , all of which were really, really good but still, I clamor for their fish taco ,with the right amount of heat on the salsa that is poured over the lightly dusted  and  perfectly cooked snapper on a bed of 2 corn tortillas..They sure know how to fry their fish in  Pescadeto.. Yummmm. 

Direction;

https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&cid=13018622937571309004&q=Mercado+%26+Taqueria+De+Amigos&iwloc=A&gl=US&hl=en

"The best BREAKFAST BURRITO in the Universe!!!"

"MY UNIVERSE!"

I don't  know if I am alone in this, but when you go to a restaurant and ordered something  you end up liking so much, are you able to go back and order another dish?  Being a self admitted OCD, trying out another dish would fall into a very daring category or one big gamble for me. One, I want to re-live the experience, second, trying out another dish and be disappointed by it is a very scary thought or possibility. So, having only tried one or two dishes in a place will not qualify me to give a full on review, even if I were to go back multiple times, as I would only be tasting one or two dishes. ( the other would be my friend's meal) . Therefore, I have concluded to get started on a series of "THE BEST -------- IN THE UNIVERSE". As this is the ultimate phrase of how I feel and  how I would describe something that has elevated me to universal heights with massive endorphin rush after having consumed one fabulously delicious meal or a dish.!!!

The first one Best in the Universe would be the BREAKFAST BURRITO at BLUE SKY'S CAFE IN Half Moon bay. It seems so simple yet so yummy. Could be the salsa, the tortilla or the perfect combination or ratio of cheese to beans or something. It's just soo good and to me it is the BEST BREAKFAST BURRITO IN THE UNIVERSE. Buh-lieve you me.

REDWOOD SHORES' YUMMY SECRET- SEA LINK CAFE

One may not equate food with a library but with Sea Link Cafe of the Redwood Shores Library, it might just change your perspective.

Maria Elena, is a graduate of the Professional Culinary Institute, Campbell and CCA (California Culinary Institute) in San Francisco and that background shows in her gourmet sandwiches and choice of fantastic dripped South American coffee, my favorite "Colombian".Cozily tucked at the back right hand side of the library. The cafe opens up to a wooden deck with  a great view of the shore's reserves and hiking trail that surrounds the Redwood shores parameters. Right across is the Iconic mirrored  building of one of the Bay Area's Tech Giants, ORACLE.

If you happen to be in the area it is definitely worth stopping by for a gourmet sandwich and a hot cup of delicious Colombian coffee. Enjoy the view, look out to spot a Heron or an Egret, and perhaps rent a audio CD or a Movie for $ 1.00. Talk about hitting 2 or more birds with one stone (oopps well not literally this area is a reserve after all). That actually sounds so mean...;-)

MY FAVE "TORTA CUBANA"

CHEF P - Undoubtedly, the Calamari King !!!

When you go and dine in a Filipino restaurant, most likely there will be salt and pepper calamari offered in the menu, and believe me I have tried all, if not most of them. Some mediocre, a few good ones but nothing  is as incredibly delicious as what my brother in law brought home from his cousin's party 2 years ago.

Since I have started my Hi protein diet, I have lost  a good 15 lbs. Living a low carb lifestyle can get challenging especially when you run out of ideas and food choices. For an OCD like me. I tend to "like" certain foods for like 2 weeks to a month or two then it's history until  maybe a few months after. When I say "like" that means I could eat it everyday or for breakfast, lunch and dinner, (hahahhaha). But after 3 months I was running out of ideas and the foods I "like" were one by one going into my "see you later" list.

Calamari meets my criteria for a low carb meal, although it has a dusting of I assume, cornstarch, it still falls within my allowable gram.per day of 0-50 grams.

Realizing this,  the cravings started. My brain seemed to have not forgotten that rush of endorphins when I first bit into a crisp salt and pepper Calamari of Chef P restaurant located both in San Jose and Milpitas. Problem is it's a 28 miles away, 56 miles round trip....well as they say if there is a will there is a way. Together with good buddy Anne Marie Achacoso. we dared trek this route at the peak of rush hour traffic, passing through Silicon valley and finally to our destination a very unassuming, humble, no frills restaurant, Yes, it's that good.

On the wall, by the order counter,  hand 3 big aluminum trays indicating party size orders of small . medium and large.  To give you an idea, a small is an overflowing 12 x 6 x 2" aluminum tray for $ 32.50 plus tax. Ce'st pas mal!! Although the CALAMARI has led me to this place, judging from the reviews on Yelp and other sites their other offerings  on their menu are all drive worthy. YUMMMMMM.

You may call in for advance orders Mondays to Sundays 10 AM to 9 PM

San Jose 408-729-4373

22 N. jackson St.

San Jose, CA 95118

Milpitas -

408-586-8389

1535 Landess Ave. Ste 162

Milpitas, CA 95035

ENJOY!!

This is a small "party size" tray

Dear Friend Annmarie about to take her first bite .... what do u think Annemarie?

LA PETITE CAMILLE, MILLBRAE

On a cold day, a bowl of hot and sour soup with prawns La Peitte Camille version with bean sprout, tomato,mint leaves, pepper flakes and pineapple for a hint of sweetness definitely will hit the spot. This unpretentious little nook of great Vietnamese goodness is  located in Millbrae along El Camino. A hidden treasure, inspite of their sign can be easily missed if you're not aware of it's exact location. But if you take time to stop and indulge, you will partake in a very reasonably priced and exceptional Vietnamese food. The service and interiors are not something to write home about  (not bad) but  the quality, flavors and freshness of their offerings are TAKE home yumminess...

My favorites are:

Hot and Sour Soup with Prawns
Imperial Rolls
Papaya Salad
Combination Fried Rice.
BBQ Chicken/Beef

 

La Petite Camille

170 El Camino Real, Millbrae, CA 94030-2606

(650) 692-4978

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