Food journal #5 - The Melting Pot

I like fondue, and I want to try this restaurant for almost a year, finally I got a chance this week to check in this restaurant. We went there on Saturday evening around 7pm with no reservation, and we can get a seat right away. The seat is at the back of the building, you can see Cal Train pass by every half an hour. This is a very nice seat if there wasn't a loud and obnoxious family with 8 kids running around and screaming every 5 minutes. I can say it wasn't a kid friendly restaurant because of the hot pot and flat top stove, and 8 kids was running around and their parents was chatting with themselves and totally ignore the kids, OMG. This is not a good situation at all. And, the host feel really bad for us and try to make up for our experience and give us 2 free drinks. I am really glad the waiter try their best to control the situation, but it was scary to see the kids running around and accident would happen anytime if they touch the "HOT" pot or the stove top. I wouldn't blame for the restaurant for the experience, I would blame the family.

This is the first time we try the Fondue experience, so we pick the set menu called Fondue fusion. 
First course: Cheese Fondue - we choose the spinach artichoke fondue with breads (Nice Fondue and the bread is soft and cheesy, we finish all the cheese dip before the bread and chips.)

Second course: Salad

Third course: Mojo cooking style - Lobster, shrimp, chicken, pork, filet mignon, sirloin, potato, and corn ravioli 

The cheese dipping sauce for seafood is pretty good.

Forth course: Dessert - Milk chocolate with gram cracker and s'more

That's all, the bill arrived. It costs $128.03 for us with 2 drinks. The service is great, the food is fresh, but I think this is a little expansive for 2 person dinner. My husband still feel hungry after the dinner, I think I won't be back again unless I am really craving for chees fondue. (2.8 Stars)

Address: 2 North B Street, San Mateo, CA 94401
Phone: 650-342-6358

Food journal #4 - Homemade Seafood Dinner

	Lee Greenwood - God Bless the USA .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Congratulation to myself, finally got my citizenship today after 15 years in United State. I am proud to be an American. Therefore, we celebrate today by cooking a Seafood dinner at Home =) 




It's a long day for me, it is because:
#1 - Wake up at 6am
#2 - 9am arrive Oakland (A lot of traffic)
#3 - Getting a parking spot at the Oakland Paramount Theatre
#4 - Cooking a perfect seafood dinner with the best ingredients I could get my hands on

The Paramount Theatre serves all the arts in Oakland, it's a beautiful historic location with stunning decoration inside.

Back to the Food Part. I order my ingredients online and it arrived today around 3pm, the shipping only cost me USD$10. And, it was shipped by FedEx. 

The item are neatly packed. I ordered the following:
#1 - Fresh Grade Carlsbad Oyster (1 Dozen)
#2 - Live Sashimi Grade Spot Prawns (1 lb)
#3 - Frozen Sashimu Grade Large Soft Shell Crabs (6 pcs)

The soft shell carb is pretty big compare to the Quarter. (USD $0.25)

The crab is already clean when it comes with the package, I only need to wash off the ice from the surface.

And, surprisingly the shrimp is as big as the soft shell crab.

How to prepare the shrimp:
#1 - Chop the head off, peel off the shell from the body
#2 - Use scissors to cut off the legs and the antennae 
#3 - Use knife slight cut the back of the shrimp (Abdomen part)
#4 - Take out the intestine 
#5 - Prepare the wasabi and soy sauce
#6 - Ready to eat

Wash the shrimp head and dip into the tempura batter mixture, fried until changes color.

The soft shell crab has the same process as the shrimp.


Be careful with hot oil and water. I recommend you prepare the extra long frying chopsticks, and use the wok cover as your shield.

We also prepare broccoli and zucchini for the tempura.

And, lastly we open the oyster. Add lemon juice, ketchup, and tabasco.


Dinner is ready to serve~!