SLO Local Playing Tourist

Mr. Bayus’s celebrated me by playing tourist in San Luis Obispo. We parked in the big garage on Marsh and walked around.
We stopped first at Sheila Kearns Chocolate & Confections and tried for the first time chocolate hibiscus. Her store is as if you stepped into Paris. Gary’s wants to live there.
Then we found a book binding shop that ended up being an escape room facility. Puzzle Break - Escape Room Experiences. Then an ax throwing place Battle Axe-Slo. Can’t wait to try those with the Grands.
On to Turkish Delights at Lokum Turkish Delight. Everything is beautiful and delicious. My favorite was the saffron. Gary left with a box.
Then we moved to Park 1039 for champagne and charcuterie. I love the outdoor parklet for people watching. We scooted up to the Mission Roller rink pop up. We swerved to tunes spun by Adam Montiel.
Then to the The Palm Theatre to watch Everything Everywhere All At Once. This epic movie is a must see. It’s funny, poignant, weird, alternative and filled with metaphors and astounding martial arts.
Next stop was Ox + Anchor for Baked Alaska. While the ice cream sparkled. I had a glass of Pinot.
Our final stop was Giuseppe's Cucina Rustica. We had the chanterelle mushrooms, lasagna and scampi. We both remarked on how refreshing it is to have real service and constantly delectable food. I’ve done all the cooking for the last 2 years- I’m not tip worthy.
If you haven’t been to Downtown SLO lately- Go! It was like we went on a small vacation. #LocalYocal #trysomethingNew #slowliving #besthusbandever

Novo- Creekside Dining in San Luis Obispo

Fantastic Brunch at the hands of Master Chef Michael Avila. Chef sent us a plate of fantastical hummus, accoutrements and samosas. The Ahi nachos were the perfect blend of fresh, hot, crispy, sweet and delectable. Other dishes included sopes, nachos and lettuce wraps. Sitting outside listening to the creek drizzle by and enjoying smart women soaking up the sun made for a wonderful outing. Novo is a must try! #tastebuds #Novo #BestChef #slolife

The Naked Fish - San Luis Obispo

                                                

If you listen to what your body tells you after eating sushi, you would eat it every night. Even if you over-indulge and leave uncomfortably full, in a short time you feel a vital energy burst that does not weigh you down like many other foods. I was in search of a new favorite sushi bar, when I found the Naked Fish in downtown San Luis Obispo. I grilled the sushi chef before I sat down, as I am a very picky sushi connoisseur. 

His sign out front said that he had the freshest fish and I asked “What makes your fresh fish better

than other fresh fish?” He explained with a gentle smile and a sharp knife, “It comes down to handling. From the moment a fish is taken from the ocean, it starts a time clock on its lifespan of quality. The better a fish is handled, the better the quality will be when it makes it to your plate. We use one of the highest quality suppliers in the country, and I typically pick them up every day, as FedEx dose not know how to handle fish.” I was already a fan of this chef’s passion, now I wanted to see what he could do next to impress me.

                                   

      

Gary started with the blackberry chocolate mousse that was a refreshing delight. I started with the Peruvian Scallops served on the half shell with shiso garlic butter.  The scallops were flawless and the BBQ Albacore that we all shared was an accomplishment being flash grilled and very rare with a spicy miso sauce. A large bottle of Sake worked its way around the table and the lively event was off to a wonderful start. 

Next we tried the Tuna Tataki that was served over lettuce leaf, with avocado puree, hearts of palm, garlic and black lava salt. Tuna Tataki is one of my favorite sushi starts and this was phenomenal. We had a meat eater among us so he tried the Garlic Pepper Ribeye Tataki. This was thin sliced beef that was garlic pepper crusted, then pan seared medium rare with sautéed onion and garlic.

We shared the special of five sashimi plate specialties, and all were unique and very tasty.  Tuna with creamy spicy garlic ponzu, sesame chili oil with micro greens, Hamachi with sweet potato threads and sweet jalapeno ponzu, Salmon with pickled red onion, capers, truffle aioli and ponzu, Sizzlin’ Albacore with seared Albacore with caramelized onions, jalapeno, garlic chips and ponzu, and finally the Hokkaido Scallop Sashimi with truffle aioli, black lava salt, and ponzu. I was impressed with the creativity and extreme flavor ranges this dish offered us. 

Hot and Wild Roll

The Naked Fish Chef’s make their own ponzu from rice vinegar, soy sauce, lemon, orange and Japanese seasonings. It was a tasty and healthy alternative to the high cholesterol, high fat mayonnaise based sauces used in other sushi bars.

Next we had the Salmon Sliders, which consisted of six pieces of a roll that had fresh, Crab and Avocado wrapped in Salmon, topped with tempura asparagus, tobiko, chili teriyaki and sesame seeds. Even the “meat” guy loved this dish. 

Chicken Udon

Our waitress told us the Maui Wowwie Roll was another house favorite. She was not so sure what to do with this lively group, so she brought us sake bombs. I hadn’t done these in years and our dinning companion had never had tried them (he called them Soccer Mom’s). 

For the uninitiated, a sake bomb is a beer mug filled 1/3 of the way up with beer. Then you take a small sake class, fill it with hot sake and place two chopsticks on the top of the beer class. The hot sake cup is carefully rested on the chopsticks.  The sushi chef then starts a chant. Our was NaNaNaNaNa, Sake Bomb!  On the third course, you hit the table around the beer stein, hard and the sake falls into the beer. Then you pick up the glass and chug it down. It is messy, delicious and fun. 

                                                  

The Naked Fish Sushi bar’s atmosphere was fun and inviting. The chefs were highly skilled, artistic and fun. You could tell that they take great pride in preparing the meal to ensure an all around abundant experience.  This gets me stamp as my new favorite.   As the sushi chef told us as we did another round of sake bombs, “Treat yourself. Treat your body. To Naked Fish!”

Naked Fish Sushi is located at 857 Higuera Street is San Luis Obispo; call them at (805) 543-3474.

Oki Momo Asian Grill - San Luis Obispo

                                            

There is a preconception that food that is good for you lacks flavor. That is rarely true, but in the hands of a masterful chef, even the healthiest meal can become a symphony of flavor and texture. I was excited to try and new concept in nourishing cuisine at Oki Momo Asian Grill. They opened and I was there the second day. With a clean esthetic and the promise of gluten free, vegan and vegetarian this wholesome food turned out to be some of the best casual dinning I have had in this area.  Jon Yeh greeted us at the cash register as we grilled him on the menu and what to try.  What was immediately impressive is that they make everything in house. I ask about the concept and he told us his wife is a vegetarian so eating out was always a challenge for their family. If it was a “health food” restaurant, it was usually lacking in flavor. She had a difficult time finding anything to suit her appetite at regular restaurants. They decided to join forces with an old college pal, Chef In Lloyd and create a flavor filled menu that satisfied everyone’s palate. 

Oki Momo, Japanese for “large peach,” is named for its signature momo sauce, which includes peaches. Even the plates and cups were sustainable all made from pressed bamboo.  Jon told us about his late nights of making the dessert Mochi. Gary ordered three to start.  These rice flour and cornstarch pillows filled with mango, chocolate and strawberry ice cream were exceptional.  Gary inhaled them and ordered more. 

The menu includes dishes with Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese influences. Single item are $5, with two and three combo options priced at $9.50 and $13.50. I ordered the Teriyaki chicken; Thai chopped salad and a bowl of Pho. The Tolosa Sauvignon Blanc paired perfectly with the light Asian flavors. 

The Teriyaki chicken was cut into small moist chunks and cooked perfectly.  It was seared on the flat iron grill with baby Portobello and shiitake mushrooms, and glazed with house made teriyaki sauce. It was exceptionally moist and the teriyaki delectable with the mushrooms, a savory sweet combination. I love the open kitchen and watching the dance of the chefs as they prepared each item.

The Veggie Chop Salad instantly became my favorite. With a perfect blend of cabbage, kale, cucumber, carrots, red pepper, and edamame tossed in a Thai peanut, lime and cilantro dressing. It was hearty and refreshing. I ordered another to go for lunch the next day. 

Then the magic happened. They brought me a bowl of Pho. If you have not discovered this enchanted street food from Vietnam, you should. It is comfort in a bowl. It sustains and cheers you. I travel to San Francisco for a bowl of this delight, but now (for the first time) it is done correctly in San Luis Obispo. 

Pho (pronounced FA) is a slow cooked beef bone broth infused with an aromatic blend of herbs and spices and served with rice noodles, bean sprouts, Thai basil, and cilantro. At its most basic, pho is Vietnamese noodle soup that’s typically made with beef stock, herbs and spices and simmered for several hours. Pho is served with rice noodles and various cuts of beef (Pho Tai). The noodles come out still cooking in the bowl, which gives you time to dress up your Pho by adding Sriracha or hoisin sauce. This is a dish that is served primarily at breakfast time in Vietnam and remains a staple of the early-rising Vietnamese population. Pho is like cereal, oatmeal or scrambled eggs. It’s how you start the day. This bowl took me instantly back to south east Asia and Chef In came to check on us. I gushed on about Pho done right and he smile with pride. 

    

The next visit (two days later) we sat on the bright and clean patio. Gary dived into the Momo bar that looked dense, but was full of flavor. Then he had the Lemon Bar that was an impeccable combination of tart and sweet.

I started with the Pork/Shrimp Wontons that were lightly fried. They were handmade wontons filled with minced pork and shrimp, baby bok choy, water chestnuts, and onion, served with our house made ginger soy dipping sauce. I loved this dim sum sample of an appetizer.  Next was the Purple Rice, a blend of long and short grain white rice and antioxidant-rich purple rice, seasoned and seared on the flatiron grill with kale, cabbage, carrots and egg. Purple rice done right is outstanding, and this one was flawless. 

Then I tried the Korean BBQ chicken wings, and instantly decided I would not be sharing these dreamily done crunchy chicken wings tossed in Korean BBQ. You could also choose honey lemon-pepper or soy buffalo sauce. The Rice Noddle’s where subtle but when I added the Momo sauce and a bit of heat, I feel in love.  They were Fair-trade, organic brown rice noodles seared on our flatiron grill with kale, cabbage and carrot ribbons. Gary had the 

Yellow Curry over white rice and loved the mild burn mid throat. 

With the peach and the robot as cartoon character mascots, this new Asian Grill, Oki Momo is delectable as it is healthy. Find them at 2256 Broad Street, Suite 120 in San Luis Obispo (by Fresh and Easy). They are open everyday from 11:00am to 9:00pm; call them at (805) 439-4198.

Koberl at Blue - SLO

                         

Chef Erich Koberl

As a food writer, I feel the need to celebrate special occasions at only the best of food establishments. I leave nothing to chance and try the businesses several times before settling on them to spend my distinctive events. My favorite is Koberl at Blue in San Luis Obispo which features wine country cuisine with a European aptitude. Each menu item has been created to pair nicely with a fine glass of wine.  As a group of four, celebrating a milestone birthday, we drank and ate our way through this inventive and exquisite menu. This culinary shrine to perfection gets my vote every time I need to share in a momentous occasion. They have never disappointed.

First, we ordered oysters on the half shell with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Reims from France. The oysters were freshly shucked and served with red chili mignonette and a tangy tomato horseradish sauce. Impeccable in every way, and so virtuous we ordered another round. I coveted the Seared Sea Scallops with artichoke duxelle, bacon brown butter and radish sprouts. The scallops were perfectly prepared and the subtle flavors came shining through. 

Koberl at Blue is true California fine dining for those who want to spoil themselves with epicurean delights. Erik the chef and owner follows the local, fresh produce and proteins to create traditional yet inventive masterpieces. Be confident that this is a sophisticated choice for dinner where you will never be disappointed. We moved on to a bottle of Grgich Cabernet Sauvignon.

Next, we ordered two preparations of the snow crab chinois, a treat of three crab claws stuffed with crispy crab and swimming in a cream of ginger, garlic, and cilantro. Everyone was very impressed I was smart enough to make sure we all had a claw.

 

           

We shared the Hoisin marinated chicken lettuce wrap, with several fresh butter lettuce leafs are used as a taco that you stuff with chicken, toasted peanuts and soy wasabi. Amazing and something I always look forward too. We also shared a shredded pork cohiba wrap with black beans, soaked with Cuban flavor

Banana Foster

The special was petrole sole done picatta style with lemon cream sauce and capers, baby broccoli and fingerling potatoes. It was like swimming in a warm sea of pleasure for my taste buds. Gary ordered the sautéed duck breast and confit of duck with
spring vegetable and yukon gold hash with apple wood smoked bacon, goat cheese,
rainbow chard, and a port blackberry sauce.  Our friends both had the Herb Roasted Halibut with wild mushroom ravioli, sautéed spinach, a basil vermouth sauce and melted tomatoes they were very pleased.

Chocolate Lava Cake

After the chef made a dessert of Chocolate Lava Cake with raspberry coulis, and crème anglaise, it was creamy, sweet precision. Gary went crazy for the Bananas Foster Napoleon with vanilla bean ice cream. Overall a spectacular meal you can count on when it is a special occasion (even if that occasion is that you are hungry).

Koberl at Blue is located in the historic J.P. Andrews Building at 998 Monterey in downtown San Luis Obispo call them at (805) 783-1135. Dinner is served
7 days a week from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm.