TAMARINE, Palo Alto, CA

Next, in our attempt to catch up on 2008's culinary adventures, is Andrea's birthday dinner at the swanky Vietnamese restaurant, Tamarine, one of Palo Alto's best restaurants. We began with the Ha Long Bay Soup, which I (Suni) don't remember very well because it is SEPTEMBER as I write this. Next, however,  is the shrimp cupcake, which we CERTAINLY remember not only because of its buttery, flaky pastry crust, but also because it's one of the best photos we've taken. This was followed by the clay pot cod and shaking beef dishes to round out our meal. Apparently, we enjoyed these dishes enough to avoid leftovers and leave no room for dessert - hence the rare absence of a dessert photo in this blog entry. Enjoy the photos.

HA LONG BAY SOUP

crab wontons served in a consomme 

infused with coriander & coconut milk

SHRIMP CUPCAKES

crisp coconut milk & rice flour cakes 

served with baby prawns & green onions

CLAY POT COD

canadian black cod caramelized in 

garlic, fish sauce & black pepper

SHAKING BEEF

cubed filet mignon served with garlic & onions

served with a watercress salad

RUTH'S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE, Beverly Hills, CA

This January's visit to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Beverly Hills was far from our first. This location (one of many nationwide) has become the unofficial site of our anniversary celebration, and it's a practice that we seem to have perfected after a few years. The key to the perfect meal at Ruth's Chris appears to be this: Share the best steak on the menu and leave extra room for appetizers and at least one more side than usual.

Barbecued Shrimp
Sautéed New Orleans style in reduced white wine, butter, garlic and spices

This is the 2nd or 3rd time we've ordered the shrimp to start the meal, and it's safe to say it'll be a standing order from now on. The best part of the dish is the butter sauce, which we always slurp up using every last piece of bread.


Kobe Ribeye

Ordering the best steak on the menu is especially easy when this seasonal special is available. I usually favor the flavorful ribeye while Andrea likes the tenderness of filet mignon. The Kobe Ribeye achieves both, with the rich, savory flavor of a typical ribeye with a tenderness that only Kobe could deliver. And, as always at Ruths Chris, the steak is served in a dish of sizzling butter.

Creamed Spinach
Classic New Orleans version au gratin

Sweet Potato Casserole
With pecan crust

The two sides above have also pretty much been standard for us in recent visits. You just can't go wrong with creamed spinach and I believe we've ordered this side every single time the two of us have had dinner at Ruth's Chris. The sweet potato casserole is a relatively new discovery, and it's practically dessert! It's that good. We even managed to find the recipe online, and it"s become a standby for Thanksgiving dinner. And to think, a few years ago I didn't care for sweet potatoes at all.

Ziti & Cheese
Gruyere, Blue Cheese & Parmesan

Leave it to Ruth's Chris to make classic mac and cheese even better. The nutty gruyere, tangy blue, and sharp parmesan balanced each other out so well that it blew classic Kraft out of the water.

Chocolate Sin Cake
Chocolate and espresso

As an Anniversary gift, Ruth's Chris always treats us to their signature chocolate sin cake, which tastes exactly how it sounds. Even though we're usually stuffed by this point, we somehow always succeed in polishing it off. It's a tough life, we know.