A spot for charcuterie boards and brews and a new soft serve shop open along the northern Peninsula
Millbrae resident Darwin Tse always dreamed of opening his own restaurant. It was fatherhood that made him realize it was time to turn that dream into a reality.
“I just wanted to set an example of what it’s like to pursue something with passion to show that it’s OK no matter what, whether you fail or succeed,” he said.
Wildflour, named after Tse’s daughter Olivia, will host its grand opening on Saturday in South San Francisco, specializing in charcuterie boards, baked goods and brews. I talked with Tse and his wife Lisa Hu about their debut restaurant and what they aim to achieve with it.
Staying in the northern Peninsula, this week I also talked with Buena Rinchin, the owner of Buena’s Organic Soft Serve in Burlingame. Diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a few years back, she decided to make lower sugar ice cream accessible for her community by establishing her own ice cream shop. The ice cream isn’t made with sugar replacements like stevia or sucralose, just less sugar.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
Baked goods, charcuterie boards and beer pairings are the focus of a new South San Francisco eatery catering to tech workers and locals alike
For Millbrae resident Darwin Tse, his debut restaurant Wildflour is much more than a gathering place for beers, charcuterie boards and baked goods – it’s a fulfilled lifelong dream that he hopes will set an example for his 3-year-old daughter.
A restaurant helmed by a ‘Top Chef Canada’ winner expands to Valley Fair, a new soft serve spot opens in Burlingame and a Coastside barbecue staple relocates
- An ice cream shop specializing in lower sugar soft serve featuring Asian flavors has opened in Burlingame.
- Canadian elevated dining chain JOEY will open its first Bay Area location at Santa Clara’s Valley Fair this month.
- A finance director at Stanford University has amassed over 400K followers on social media where she shares sourdough tips and recipes. Learn about how she started her business and where she plans to go from here.
- Embarcadero Media blogger Laura Stec discusses the benefits of a lower sugar diet in her latest post.
- Gregorys, a northeast coffee chain, has pushed back its expansion to Palo Alto’s Stanford Shopping Center to April 8.
- Highly anticipated bakery and cafe Zörek, created by the brothers behind Mazra, is now open in San Bruno.
- Breakwater Barbecue had its final day of service at its original location on Sunday and plans to reopen at 10151 North Cabrillo Highway in El Granada in May with an expanded menu and hours, according to owner Wyatt Fields.
- Benihana, a popular teppanyaki restaurant, has expanded to San Mateo’s Bridgepointe Shopping Center.
- Two separate events titled Spring Fest will be happening on Saturday: In Palo Alto, head over to Vina Enoteca from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a variety of pop-ups, including Basuku Cheesecakes, Astranda Bakery, To You and Formosa Chocolates. In Belmont’s Twin Pines Senior and Community Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., expect crafts, music and food from vendors like Made Out of Dough and Butter and Rose.
- Zola + BarZola in Palo Alto will host a five-course Hourglass wine dinner Saturday from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
- Ecologist Mark Easter will discuss his new book, “The Blue Plate: A Food Lover’s Guide to Climate Chaos,” in Palo Alto on April 9.
- KQED’s “Check, Please!” will kick off its new season next month with an episode featuring modern Japanese American restaurant Ethel’s Fancy in Palo Alto April 10. On May 1, Burlingame vegan restaurant Twelvemonth will be on the show.
Dinner at Tamarine
Vietnamese cuisine along the Peninsula usually takes the form of a fast-casual banh mi spot or a quick-service pho restaurant, but it’s not common to see an elevated take on this popular cuisine. One restaurant doing it right is Tamarine, which has been in Palo Alto since 2002.
I recently had dinner at Tamarine, and it was an excellent experience with exceptional service and tasty dishes.
The crispy rice and spicy beet hummus appetizer ($17) was unlike any dish I’ve had before. The rice was perfectly crisp and not too oily or heavy, while the beet hummus was luxuriously smooth with a punch of beet flavor. The avocado added extra richness and balanced out the spice, and pickled Fresno chili added a touch of acidity.
The hot fried quail and pandan waffle ($20) was also a knockout. While it was a bit tricky navigating the small bones of the quail, the meat itself was extremely tender, with an ultra crispy exterior. I was worried the flavor of the pandan might be too light to discern with the other flavors on the plate, but the pandan really came through. At first glance, I thought the kale would be an afterthought, but it was dressed in a delicious vinaigrette that added acidity and brightness to the otherwise decadent dish.
By the time I got to the bun cha Hanoi ($32) I was already filling up, but it also made for insanely delicious leftovers. The grilled Berkshire pork had wonderful marination and was extremely tender, and the pork meatballs were so juicy and flavorful. I love how interactive this dish is, as you can add the noodles, meat, pickled vegetables and fresh herbs to the lettuce cups and make the perfect wrap.
For dessert, I tried both the pandan creme brulee and coconut tapioca pudding. Both were incredible and unexpectedly large portions. The coconut tapioca pudding featured both mango and coconut sorbet as well as a pandan syrup, and the pandan creme brulee was rich, creamy and perfectly pandan-forward, with a thin, crispy burnt sugar topping. My only critique is the berries seemed like an afterthought – perhaps a flavored glaze over the berries would make the dish more cohesive.
Tamarine, 546 University Ave., Palo Alto; 650-325-8500, Instagram: @tamarinerestaurant. Open Monday to Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5-9 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5-9:30 p.m., Saturday from 5-9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 5-9 p.m.
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