Noodle theory: The mythologizing of food loves linear narratives. Remember learning that Marco Polo was the first Italian to taste pasta ― in China? Charles Perry put that oversimplification to rest long ago ― pasta has a complex history all tangled up with trade and adaptation. You can sense that through the lines of Single Guy Ben's report of yesterday's Noodle Fest, which straddled the invisible line of demarcation between North Beach and Chinatown, a distinction as murky, in places, as the origins of spaghetti. "Is this from Chinatown or North Beach?" asks Ben beneath a pic of flour-dusted pasta pillows. "They kind of look like dumplings right? But they're asparagus ravioli from Colosseo Restaurant."
Mijita/Public House 24 Willie Mays Plaza (at AT&T Park), 644-0240
SFoodie: Name the flavors, ingredients, or techniques you have an irrational attachment to.
Luym: I love soups, noodles soups to be exact. Ramen, phớ, wonton noodles, moh hingha, laksa, and the list goes on. Making good soup bases, noodles, and finding the right balance in a well-made bowl of noodle soup takes a lot more than meets the eye. Using the mortar and pestle for spice pastes or just for simply crushing ingredients makes a world of difference. I love spicy foods and fish sauce. More recently, I did a taste test of a half dozen different fish sauces, cheap to expensive, made in Vietnam, [the] Philippines, and Thailand. There are definitely subtle noticeable differences in the taste and flavor. Not all fish sauces are created equal.
Where do you go for food inspiration? Singaporean hawkers, and old-school home cooks. Hawkers simply for the fact they spend a lifetime (or more) mastering and perfecting one or two dishes and still don't believe they have it mastered. Old-school home cooks because they often have the foundation and a plethora of knowledge that hopefully passes on and [won't] get lost through the generations.
Come clean about your biggest screw-up in the kitchen. Myself (j/k). My passion for heat makes me hide chile peppers in staff meals or strategic traps of appetizing morsels that I know servers will be tempted to sneak a bite only to screw themselves after ingesting a Thai chile or habañero. However, I still feel guilty about the time I offered a server a taste of our new chocolate dessert (pigs liver) and finding out she was vegetarian... But don't underestimate karma. I wore the remnants on my back for the rest of service.
The true test of merit for a themed mix is whether it holds up without the novelty. And with its expert scratching and cutting and a sonically diverse playlist, this passes with flying colors. It's an impressive and laugh-inducing romp through a huge spectrum of artists expressing a line or three on swine, including stand-up comedians, rappers, bluesmen, and rock heroes. Sick of the bacon meme or not, it's still a worthy listen.
teased out 92 of our favorite local dishes that taste like
here.All the tasty details after the jump.
Opening today at 5 p.m.:
Social Kitchen & Brewery 1326 Ninth Ave. (at Irving), 681-0330
Congratulations to SFoodie reader Rachel (who needs no last name, like Cher) for correctly identifying the last Mystery Spot, Mission Pie. Impressive!
