Week in California

My Spring break was this past week, so I decided to go home to visit family and friends in California. I went to two new restaurants-Three Seasons and Calafia.

Three Seasons is an upscale Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, which I wanted to go to for years but never had the opportunity. My dad and I went and split a number of different dishes. To start, we ordered the Summer Roll Spring Roll. This Vietnamese roll comes with crab, avocado, a ginger soy vinaigrette, mint, cilantro, and lettuce. It was a cross between a California Sushi Roll and a traditional spring roll. It was light and refreshing- perfect for an appetizer. We also ordered a Honey Quail Satay, which was seasoned with lime juice and pepper. I thought it would be fun to try something new, but alas quail tastes exactly like chicken. Nonetheless, the satay plate was very tasty!

Summer Spring Roll with Crab, Avocado, and a Ginger Soy Vinaigrette
Honey Quail Satay

For the entree, we split Pork Ribs and Tamarind Prawns. The pork ribs were small and fried, with a thick tamarind and green onion sauce. They were crispy and covered in the sweet but tangy sauce. The prawns were sauteed with pineapple, scallions, chili peppers, and a special tamarind sauce. They came with brown rice, and were crunchy and succulent although the sauce was on the sweeter side which was slightly overwhelming. The pineapple and shrimp went very well together.

Pork Ribs with Tamarind Sauce Tamarind Prawns with Pineapple and Brown Rice

Overall, Three Seasons lived up to my expectations. I hope to go back to try their famous Roasted Crab with a side of garlic noodles.

I also had the chance to go to Calafia, which recently opened in Palo Alto. I was excited because it was started by the former Google chef, so eating at Calafia partially fulfilled my dream of eating at the famous Google cafeteria. This restaurant prides itself with its "slow food" cuisine, which is quality local organic food. Calafia was adorable, with wooden floors and clean white tables. My little sister and I went for lunch, and we ordered Duck Dumplings, a Chinese Chicken Salad, and the Daily Omelette.

The Duck Dumplings were recommended by the waiter, and they exceeded our expectations. We enjoyed them so much that we ordered a second plate to split. The dumplings were fried, and were filled with shredded duck, shitake mushrooms, scallions, garlic, ginger, sake and tamarin.

Duck Dumplings with Special Sauce

We split the Chinese Chicken Salad, which was a deviation from the typical Chinese Chicken Salad. It came with a five spice chicken, toasted almonds, crispy rice noodles, pea shoots, and shredded lettuce. The dressing was a very light rice wine vinaigrette. The salad was light and crunchy, with the nuts and rice noodles. The dressing was very plain, so the focus of the salad was on the fresh ingredients.

Chinese Chicken Salad

We also split the Daily Omelette, which came with ham, mushrooms, and swiss cheese. The omelette hit the spot, as it was packed with the creamy cheese which complemented the smokey ham. The omelette came with a side citrus salad, with blood oranges and a tangy vinaigrette.

Swiss Cheese, Ham, and Mushroom Omelette with Side Citrus Salad

Calafia was great from the ambiance to the fresh food. It is a great option for lunch.
Overall, my week in California was a success!

Vietnamese Deli: Song Que

Anthony Bourdain recommended this Vietnamese deli in Virginia called Song Que. It is a mini market that is fun to browse because of the random foods ranging from Asian candies to pork skins to bean paste patties. There was a selection of sticky rice- including corn flavored (it tasted like cornbread in rice form), bean, taro root, and banana.

Candies, Bean Patties, and Meats on display in the store

There is a deli where they are reputed for their sandwiches and bubble tea. I went with my friends, and I got the Grilled Pork Sandwich. The best part was the price- three dollars! The sandwich was on a roll with the grilled pork, sliced cucumbers, carrots, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and mustard. It definitely had a spicy kick to it with the jalapenos.

Grilled Pork Sandwich

I also got a Mango Bubble Tea. I'm usually not the biggest bubble tea fan, but this was like a slushy smoothie so I decided to try it. It was funny because the bubble tea cost the same price as the sandwich. It was pretty good! I think it could have been a little more mango-ey.

For dessert, my friend Katherine bought a box of coconut butter biscuits for the table. Light and delicious!




Overall, a must go! Even if you don't like Vietnamese food- it's worth a try. It's kind of far from the metro (East Falls Church), so I wouldn't recommend going here when it's cold unless you have a car.