I am usually dubious of cuisine “mash-ups” such as Mandarin and Islamic, Chinese and doughnuts, the sushi/cream cheese combo that is the Philadelphia roll.  Indian and pizza was no exception.  But, as with most food I do try for the first time, I thought it was pretty good.  Pretty damn good, in fact.  The crust, which was basically a very big naan, was thin and crispy.  The meat was tender and abundant, and surprisingly  the spinach curry sauce went well with mozzarella.  The fresh ginger,  red onion and cilantro gave it just enough oomph to push this pizza to be one of my San Francisco faves.  Though I can’t vouch for the rest of the menu, you will find no better Indian pizza.

Chicken Indian pizza

Golden Gate Indian Cuisine and Pizza Restaurant

4038 Judah (near 46th Avenue) in the Outer Sunset

(415) 564-5514

http://goldengateindian.com/

P.S.  I still don’t get the Philadelphia Roll.  It doesn’t exactly repulse me, and I understand the whole salmon/cream cheese connection, but cream cheese with rice?

• Per Se (New York City) Because I’ve heard this is better than French Laundry.
• Osteria Mozza (Los Angeles) Because this is the best LA choice.
• Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantico Hills) Because Dan Barber is a god.
• K Paul’s (New Orleans) Because I met Chef Paul last year and he wants me to visit.
• Lolita (Cleveland) Because I’ve followed Michael Symon’s career since 2001 when Michael Ruhlman wrote about him in Soul of a Chef.
• wd~50 (New York City) Because Wylie Dufresne intrigues the hell out of me.
• Chez Panisse (Berkeley) Because I’ve lived in the Bay Area for 14 years and never eaten here.  It’s embarrassing, I know.
• Coi (San Francisco) Because this Michelin-starred restaurant is ridiculously close to my office.
• Benu (San Francisco) Because the San Francisco Chronicle AND The New York Times say so.
• Asador Etxebarri (Axpe, Spain) Because I fell in love with this place on No Reservations.  They had me at the baby eels.

#19 - best sandwich ever.

• #19 at Langer’s Delicatessen in Los Angeles.  Juicy and tender pastrami, house-made cole slaw, and swiss cheese is heaven on rye.

Elvis would've loved this.

• Memphis Mafia from Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland.  A banana fritter topped with chocolate chips, chocolate, peanuts and peanut butter.  Totally awesome, dude.

Best plate o' potatoes anywhere.

• Hash browns at Pine State Biscuits in Portland.  I came for the fried chicken and biscuits, but fell in love with the hash browns.  Best ever.  Perfectly crispy on the outside, tender and moist on the inside.  This is how hash browns should taste.  Always.

• Gyoza at Ramen Yamadaya in Culver City.  This newbie location came recommended by food god, Jonathan Gold.  The ramen was one of the best I’ve had, but the gyoza was THE best I’ve ever eaten.  Think pan-fried, pork filled soup dumpling – a taste explosion in your mouth.   Sorry, no photo.

The Darth Vader of pizza ovens at Cupola.

• Bianca pizza from Cupola Pizzeria in San Francisco.  The perfect pizza for me – tomato-less, with pecorino, fresh basil, garlic and lardo.  A damn fine pie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My death row last meal.

• Spoonful of Happiness at Koo in San Francisco.  It is exactly that – a spoonful of uni, quail egg, tobiko ponzu and a spoonful of ankimo wrapped with whitefish, white truffle-oil ponzu & a shot of chilled sake.  This is so delectable, it gives me the giggles every time I have it.

 

 

 

Lobster and cheese. The perfect combo.

• Lobster mac and cheese at Blue Plate Oysterette in Santa Monica.  Crunchy, creamy, lobstery, cheesy = the ultimate g-fork dish.

 

 

 

 

 

A breathtaking presentation.

• Salmon at TRU in Chicago.  Scottish salmon cooked sous-vide, seared and topped with sorrel and smoked cream, on a bed of pea purée and grapeseed oil.  This dish was not only beautiful to look at, but absolutely delightful to eat.

 

 

 

 

I will take this over a chocolate truffle any day.

• Black Truffle Explosion at Alinea in Chicago.  One of Grant Achatz’s signature dishes, this was one of 20+ plates presented during the night.  A ravioli stuffed with reduced and gelled truffle juice and butter, topped with a razor-thin black truffle slice, crispy romaine and Parmesan.

 

 

 

A finger-lickin' good tuna s'wich.

• Seared ahi sandwich from Naked Lunch in San Francisco.  Chef Ian knows how to make a sandwich but this blew me away.  Tombo ahi with a soft fried egg, pea shoots, avocado and garlic aioli.  I can’t have a tuna sandwich now, any other way.

 

 

 

Being  tactile and pragmatic,  a well-designed, well-crafted piece of kitchen equipment does send my heart aflutter.  My commercial  KitchenAid has been my faithful steed for over 20 years with nary a complaint from its 450 watt motor. (Did you know the silhouette of this mixer is a registered trademark?)  My vintage 1972 Cuisinart food processor has still got it goin’ on but my barely one-month old Cuisinart immersion blender (just days out of its Amazon warranty period), however, prematurely burned out.  I dug out my mom’s 30 year-old, still-in-box, but definitely out of its warranty, Hamilton Beach Mixette that, when plugged in,  still whirred like hummingbird wings.  I’d like to add the immersion blender was made in China.  The Mixette was made in Racine, Wisconsin.  I’m just sayin’…

My latest,  new-found love came out of nowhere (as love can sometimes do).  I wasn’t looking for it, it just happened.

Winding down from the major gorge fest called Thanksgiving, I chatted with my cousin Michael about the various Japanese dishes he made for this annual family reunion – nimono (stewed vegetables with seasoned shoyu), gomokuzushi (traditionally, five main ingredients over rice), and nukazuke (an involved fermenting/pickling method using toasted rice bran).  And that’s when he brought it out – his fresh-off-the-boat hinoki tsukemono ki, a gift from the Kajiwaras who are long-time family friends and own a kitchen supply company in Tokyo.  Having known of Michael’s penchant for traditional Japanese cooking, they brought him this traditional Japanese pickling pot.  (Old school tsukemono ki are wood, but nowadays most  are plastic.)   This beauty was about 14″ across, and made from hinoki – a species of cypress with a blonde timber that is grown only in Japan.     As I held the bowl in my hands, rubbing its grain across my cheek, I could smell the citrusy fragrance of the wood, so sweet I wanted to lick it.   To the touch, it was as smooth and uncut as a single piece of wood – virtually seamless.  To the eyes, it was warm and inviting – begging to be touched.   It was an  elegant vessel of a more civilized age.  I was in love.

When I was a little girl, whenever I’d come across a big post – be it a granite street lamp, a wood telephone pole, a cement pylon – I would joyfully run up to it, enthusiastically wrap my arms around it, let out a content sigh and proclaim to all within earshot, “This is my lover boy!”  So it’s no wonder that as I hugged the hinoki tsukemono ki to my breast, and a certain excitement, pleasure and peacefulness arose, I was four years old all over again -  this was my lover boy!

my lover boy