I'm an Asia-phile when it comes to food. Take me to a new town and I seek out its Chinatown, as well as its enclaves for great Vietnamese, Japanese, and Indonesian fare.
So, it shouldn't be a big shocker that I was seeking some killer Asian when I hit San Francisco earlier this month. One pal insisted I check out his favorite Thai haunt. Other friends wanted to shepherd me to their go-to dim sum hang. But the real find was a small takeout counter at the back of The Market at the base of Twitter's HQ -- a Malaysian gem called Azalina's.
Pictured above, Chef Azalina Eusope in all her glory.
And, pictured below is Eusope's glorious Roasted Chicken Rice -- a deceptively simple name for a dish of saffron rice served with chunks of roasted chicken redolent with 7 spice, and a dab of rich, spicy sambal, all topped with a green blanket of crunchy pea shoots.
Now, this was a find!
You may quibble that Azalina's has gotten its fair share of press and that it isn't a "find" at all. But considering the short wait I had to order at lunchtime on a Monday, I would disagree.
Same would go for a recent Asian discovery in New York's Theater District -- a little Chinese hole-in-the-wall bizarrely named Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen.
Conveniently located near a hotel where I regularly attend client conferences, a pal let me know that I needed to check it out. Boy, was he right. This slice of Fushun was a lunchtime revelation. It was hard not to order the dumplings, but a plate of hand-cut noodles with seafood was calling my name.
Glad I listened.
Apparently, Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen has been hailed by the New York Times, so some would argue that this "find" has already been "found." Once again, quick seating at lunchtime on a Tuesday would argue for its "yet-to-be-widely-discovered" status.
Anyone game for whispering in my ear about a hidden gem of a Nepalese restaurant? Or how about Cambodian? I'm all ears!