The website says it much better than I would so;

James Beard Award winning chef and TV host Martin Yan transports the sights, tastes and discoveries of modern day Chinese food to America. He and his all-star crew create a fun and approachable restaurant where every visit offers a new experience.

See, taste and discover authentic Chinese cuisine in the heart of downtown San Francisco. Inspired by years of experience traveling through China, we bring back the best ingredients, flavors and techniques. Watch our chefs in action as they prepare every dish in front of your eyes.

Firstly this fabulous spot is in the Mall! Unlike the food courts of home the shopping malls of San Francisco city centre are home to some amazing eateries that offer the perfect opportunity to grab a thoroughly fabulous lunch and a glass of bubbles whilst mid shop and in need of a rest!!

It is a big space with tasteful decoration and feels very welcoming and I love that you can see into the chefs space and see the dumpling forming and wok tossing! As they say “We wok hard for your food”!!

Now my first mistake was with all the excitement I completely forgot where we were and totally over ordered! A habit I have and hubby happily suffers but when you over order in the States it is like over-over-over ordering at home!! Be prepared to see more food than two people could ever eat!!

Shiu Mai with pork, shrimp, wild seasonal mushroom – Fab, yum, gorgeous! Love the little dumpling picker-uppers! Must get me some of those!

Spicy Seafood Dumplings – scallops and shrimp in a spinach wrapper… so yummy! Covered in fabulous chilli and perfectly done!

Shrimp & Avocado Fresh Spring Rolls so very pretty but to be honest a little bland. Maybe it was the intense flavours of the dishes before but this felt like it needed a few herbs or something to lift it.

With everything arriving at the table almost immediately (I really wish restaurants wouldn’t do this. We have a table for two so there is no room and I don’t want to rush through I want to savour each dish…. even though there are many!!)

Mu Shu Pork Tacos – these are not mini, they are full size big handfuls and they are probably the best tacos I have ever had … ever! East meets West or Martin meets El Diablo – these were fusion at its pinnacle!

Getting kinda full now… need a rest… more prosecco please!!!

I realised we had WAY over ordered a little before this point but the waitress was unable to cancel our remaining dishes, they are that fast there you barely put the order in and they are in the wok!

Kung Pao Chicken – Huang Fei and jalapeno, peanuts it might have been that we were so past full that we didn’t appreciate this but it wasn’t my favourite Kung Pao – bit dry and missing something to pull everything together. I also ordered beans to try and be healthy after the holiday indulgence… we made a poor attempt to try and look like we had eaten some of this!

So little stuffed piggies we headed off to the airport, the bill was ridiculously good considering we had ordered for a small family! Would I go again? Hell yeah! If it means I get to be in San Fran and heading up the road to shopping heaven!!

HOW have I not known about this before – creamy & healthy pasta?

I love pasta – Dukan / Atkins – not my favourite words! Carbs get bad deal in life – I believe in everything in moderation!

This is a great compromise of getting your carbs on and adding a healthy twist! With fresh avocado as the king ingredient we are getting our good fats and a creamy sauce! Few other key ingredients and this is a winner!

Checkout all the details at Key Ingredients Pinterest board

I chucked in a chill too! Why not! Yum!

Cannellini Bean Dip

Ingredients;
1 can cannellini beans
Quarter of garlic
Squeeze of lemon
Salt & Pepper

Method;
Easy – put all in blender and blitz until not too smooth!

Serve with crusty fresh baguette and a tin of very lovely anchovies – YUM!

Lorraine Pascale – Fast, Fresh & Easy Food

From Model to TV Chef Lorraine offers easy and effective cooking that will wow your socks off!!

Recipe 7 – Really Simple Sri Lankan chicken curry with coconut milk and cashew nut rice

Loved loved loved! Didn’t quite look like the picture and my curry powder was a bit weak but super easy and LOVED the rice, the sweetness of the cashews was a perfect balance to the heat of the chilli and creaminess of the coconut milk. YUM!

Recipe 6 – Sweet & Sour Pork Balls with crunchy peanut rice

WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW – ok not the healthiest of ingredients and the fat that came out of the pork sausage balls was biblical BUT it tasted fantastic!!! The perfect balance of sweet and sour and the meatballs were amazing!! I used panko instead of normal breadcrumbs and I swear it made them fluffier!! Those jars of gluggy red sauce have nothing on this and at least you know what is going into it!!

Recipe 5 – Five-spice roasted duck breasts with cherry & shiraz sauce & sesame noodles

WOW! Hokkien noodles are my new fave – so quick just warm through and with the sesame dressing these are winning!! The duck was super easy, I love 5 spice and the sauce, though I used Pinot – was stunning! So clever and makes me look like a domestic goddess with this little something I rustled up!!

Recipe 4 – Scrumptious spicy chicken fajitas

Ok we get it – it is fast and fresh!! This is such an easy recipe, just a few perfectly mixed herbs and a sneaky jalapeno and this was jsut such a great dish! Perfection!!

Recipe 3 – Skinny Dipping!

So much fun and the food at the end is bloody great!! Skinny dips – we tried the Avocado, chilli & chive dip which I loved! Can’t get enough of avocado at the moment!!

The Tuna & Creme Fraiche was brilliant! Hubby is still talking about how good it was! Might need to drain my tuna a bit next time as we were a bit runny but it was a great way to enjoy a bit of Omega 3!

Recipe 2 – Vegetarian Mushroom & Port ‘faux gras’ with tarragon and chestmuts

So clever! I love pate, I have never tried Fois Gras which I imagine it is similar… kinda!! Anyway the healthy, fast and fresh version is with mushrooms!! Yummo!! Ok I didn’t have port so we used red wine, I didn’t have fresh tarragon and completely missed out on chestnuts but it was still AMAZING!!

Recipe 1 – Aussie Sweetcorn breakfast fritters

WOW – simple, fast and taste amazing!! I have tried a few different recipes for corn fritters and this is definitely my new favourite! Serve with smoked trout, sour cream and avocado for a super healthy breakie!

I recommend you go in low and close to the bowl to save your top half from a re-design of splatterings!! A long time fan of I Love Pho (click here) I was excited to here I love Pho 2 or Phoenix has popped up not to far down the road offering the Pho we know and love plus more!

Noodles, salads, soups and satay! There is something for everyone and more!

We have had a couple of visits and takeways including the best beef salad ever! Heaps of great beef with fresh salad with those classic Viet flavours!

So here we go;

Spring rolls, pick from pork, prawn or veggie, little crispy rolls of wonder with crisp, fresh lettuce to wrap them up in and that gorgeous sweet / sour dipping sauce I LOVE!!! Great to share and with six in a serve they are great value for money! Other starters include stay, san choi boi, wontons and crispy quail.

The Pho is what it is – perfection! I love the shredded chicken, others love tripe (??!!) some like the beef but on the side so it is rose rare and silky soft. You cannot find a better bowl that thes guys and their big daddy restaurant.

The grilled pork and vermichelli noodle salad is exceptional! So fresh, great pork and soooooooooooooo much flavour! Cool fresh cucumber, shredded carrot, beansprouts, carrots, mint and that dressing that pulls the whole thing together with the most perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty and bitter LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Even better – it’s cheap, cheerful and fun! Perfect for a quick lunch and some cleansing green tea or a great spot for a night with friends and a cheap drink or two!

Grab your car keys, pushbike or Myki (Ggggrrrrrr!!) and get exploring the wonderous world of Melbourne! We all know it is a hub of foodie fun with cool bars, cafes and some world class restaurants… and everything in between!! But I sat in wonder at this food adventurers coffee table book – it is huge AND gorgeous!! Packed with many favourites from each suburb you can start one hell of a bucket list to plan your next brunch, lunch or dinner!

From old favourites like Ablas, Ladro, Donovans and Melbourne Wine Room to New Kids on the Block with Hanoi Hannah, Hercules Morse and Fonda this is the Who’s Who of cool food! There are great stories and features on the history of Melbourne and our evolving food culture.

AND to make this quite possibly the best book on Melbourne ever – there are recipes from all of the restaurants! Ever wanted to know how those signature dishes are pulled together? Ever wanted the recipe for Huxtaburger? DOC’s Pizza or St Katherine’s Pide? They are all in here!!Nahm Prik from The Smith, Chilaquiles Verdes from Radio Mexico, Captain Burger from Parlour…. and on and on!!

This is a wonderfully comprehensive manual to living, loving and cooking across the suburbs! We had a little dabble this week and the Freestyle Expresso Banana Bread – AMAZING!!

Pillar of Salt Coconut Poached Chicken Salad went down a storm and next up we are making Mama Baba’s Gnocchi and Shed 5′s Braised Lamb Neck….

We adapted this brilliant recipe to a lamb shoulder in the slow cooker and then roasted in the oven the following night – IMMENSE!!

Falafels from Hawk & Hunter packed full of chickpeas, coriander and sesame seeds Yum!!

Next up University Cafe on Lygon St Carlton give you – Saltimbocca all Romana. Confession I read the ingredients in a hurry and bought crumbed escalopes from the market but with the same jacket of gorgeous prosciutto and sage it didn’t seem to do too much harm! We served ours with the lovely sauce and a fresh fennel salad – Delish!!

Watch this space for updates!!

WIN WIN WIN!!!
If you want to WIN your own copy of this Foodie Bible simply post a comment telling us which dish from your fave restaurant you would like the recipe for!

Available at all good bookstores – grab yours quick!
Brought to Melbourne by Smudge Publishing www.smudgepub.com.au
Winner announced 20th May 2013

Recipe 10 – Fennel and Zucchini salad

I love this book, especially when you want a good healthy flavour packed dish. This salad is the perfect example of fresh produce dancing in flavours that we meant to be! Super thin, raw fennel and zucchini with zesty lemon YUM!

**********************************************************************

Previously blogged as part of 2012 Cookbook Challenge 23rd Jan 2012

The 2012 Cookbook Challenge – at least one recipe from one book, every week, for the whole year!

Click here to see the adventures so far!

Recipe counter: 29

Week 4 – Book 8 – Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson

I was lucky enough to get a bit of Heidi’s time to pick her brains on a few queries to learn more about the author of this fabulous book which all started from 101cookbooks.com

Q&A;

- The journey started with 101 cookbooks… how many do you have now!?!

It’s not as bad as you might guess. Probably a couple hundred. I keep the ones I use a lot in the pantry near the kitchen. And there are a bunch in the basement – the ones I just can’t quite let go of yet. I give away a lot of cookbooks to friends and neighbors to keep things under control.

- What is your favourite book to cook from …. Tough one!

That is a tough one! It changes – The Nigel Slater books are all beautiful, and beautifully written. Moro East is also a favorite. And from closer to home, Chez Panisse Fruits & Chez Panisse Vegetables are classics, and fantastic when you are trying to figure out what to do with seasonal produce.

- What is your absolute failsafe recipe that you turn to for everyday cooking?

I do eggs about a thousand different ways. That, and big pots of soups and curry. The later makes for easy leftovers for a couple days. It’s winter here, and I love Miso-Curry Delicata Squash, but in summer I love the Black Sesame Otsu – both are in Super Natural Every Day.

- Your ultimate ingredient for super healthy living?

Kale. De-stemmed and finely chopped, I throw it in everything from soups and stews to frittatas and salads for that punch of dark green. I don’t really do the whole kale in a smoothie thing too often though (do they do that down there?)…

- What is your ‘guilty pleasure’?

Beer. Creme Fraiche. Good butter.

- Top tips on food photography for the amateurs?

There are quite a lot of fantastic food photographers who’ve written about this subject, so poke around online a bit. I wrote some tips up years ago – the page is quite out of date, but many of the basic ideas hold up see 101cookbooks.com for details