The Growth Triangle: Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore

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Country: SIJORI Growth Triangle (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore)

Restaurant: Borobudur

The Stew: Rendang (Beef Stew)

Other Food Ordered: Kangkung (leafy greens), Nasi Lengkap (aromatic rice), Roti (savory flat bread), Tek tek (stirfried noodles), Gado gado (salad with peanut dressing)

Desserts: Pisang Bakar Keju (banana with shredded cheese and sprinkles), Bubur Ketan Hitam (black sweet rice with coconut milk), and a coconut ice shake

We couldn’t find many restaurants for Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, so we decided to consolidate the three of them with the restaurant Borobudur. It calls its cuisine Indonesian, but was recommended to us by a Malaysian friend and seems to be the most authentic food that represents all three countries / city-states (which are also joined together by a financial “triangle” called the SIJORI Growth triangle).

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Polynesian Pu Pu Platter

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Country: Polynesian & Pacific Islands (Guam and Samoa)

Restaurant: Polynesian Luau (Samoa)  & Prubechu (Guam)

The Stew: Caramelized Potato Soup (Prubechu / Guam)

Other Food Ordered: Polynesian Luau: Boiled Taro, Banana, Mulipipi (turkey tail), Po Po Mamoe (coconut lamb), Kale Mamoe (curry lamb); Prubechu: Tuba (coconut wine) Tinaktak (coconut beef with pasta), Red Rice with pork belly and bacon, Coconut Pancakes with tuba butter

Dessert: Bonelos Aga (banana donuts)

Polynesia is an interesting destination because there are so many islands. We decided to mix and match among the only two pacific island restaurants we could find in the bay area: Prubechu which serves high-brow Guamanian cuisine, and Polynesian luau, a Samoan family-owned convenient store that also serves some home made dishes.

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Filipino Finger Food

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Country: Philippines

Restaurant: Pampanguena Cuisine

The Stew: Sinigang na Baka

Other Food Ordered: Pancit Bihon, and Kamayan for 2 (a combination platter): barbecue pork, grilled tilapia, grilled pork, coconut rice, lumpiang shanghai, steamed vegetables, salty egg, mango / tomato / onion salsa

Dessert: Leche Flan and Halo-Halo

As we continue to make our way through Asia, our travels take us to the Philippines. Or at least a small family-run Filipino restaurant in SF’s Excelsior district. With island decor and a karaoke machine, the restaurant was unmistakably Filipino. We were greeted by the cheerful servers who helped us figure out what to order. Continue reading →

Tastes (and Smells!) of Taiwan

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Country: Taiwan

Restaurant: Taste of Formosa

The Stew: Ox Tail Stew

Other Food Ordered: Taiwanese Dumpling, Pork Belly Rice, Stinky Tofu, Fried Pig Intestine, Black Sesame Pudding,

(New!) Server’s Choice: Ground Pork with Bamboo Shoots

Of all the Fox Stew meals we’ve had so far, this one was definitely the most exotic. We all stepped out of our comfort zones just a little bit and had the great pleasure of tasting some completely new flavors (and smelling some completely new smells) that are unlike anything we’d experienced before.

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From Mongolia to Mainland China

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Country: Mongolia China

Restaurant: Asian Grill Shan Dong

The Stew: Szechuan Cabbage Soup

Other Food Ordered: Shan Dong Dumplings, Onion Pancakes, Hot Spicy Chicken, Ginger Beef, Sesame Paste Noodles

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Likewise, when the only authentic Mongolian restaurant in the Bay Area is closed on the day you go to eat there, you make the best of it and venture to the nearest restaurant of the geographically closest ethnicity. Apologies for the late blog post–our last FoxStew journey was a bit of a mishap. The border of Mongolia just wasn’t open for us that day, and we had to skip the country all together and travel to mainland China.

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Fox Stew

Korean Hole-in-the-Wall

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Country: Korea

Restaurant: Toyose

The Stew: Seafood Stew

Other Food Ordered: Lychee Soju Cocktail, Corn Cheese, Kimchi Pancake, Kimchi Fried Rice, Spicy Fried Chicken, Japchae

From Japan, we departed to Korea… meaning we went into the Outer Sunset neighborhood of SF and tried some food at a Korean bar. A converted garage turned restaurant/bar, Toyose provided a glimpse into Korea’s late night pub food options.

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First stop: Japan

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Country: Japan

Restaurant: Izakaya Roku

The Stew: Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen

Other Foods Ordered: Bacon Mochi, Beef Tongue Skewers, Uni Ontama, Hamachi Kama Shioyaki

We began our journey in Japan, traveling west from our home base of San Francisco. It’s an easy start for Ned and me. While this journey is supposed to help bring us new experiences, we ended up going to our neighborhood Izakaya where the waitress recognizes us as “regulars”. But it’s the most authentic Japanese food we’ve tasted in San Francisco, and what better than to share our favorite Izakaya with the other Foxes.

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