An Outstanding Master Chef Style Sushi Lunch at Akikos, Downtown SF

San Francisco is a coastal city. Therefore it would be a pity if we did not try some fresh seafood here.

Someone suggested Akikos, a Japanese sushi place located on Bush Street, in the financial district of San Francisco.













However, the restaurant does not even have a sign anywhere.  But it was full and all booked up weeks in advance.


We had made arrangement to meet with a few friends for lunch at this popular Japanese restaurant.

We had some problem getting a reservation but someone had inside connection and was able to get us in this time.

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The restaurant has been around for a more than twenty years.

We invited E. to this lunch. He loves sushi!












Therefore, he jumped at the invite, pulling himself off from his work in the middle of the day and came and joined us there for lunch.

Our friend is an excellent chef himself.
He knows Japanese cuisines very well and he was doing the ordering for us.

It was an outstanding sushi feast with many dishes which we had never even heard of.

They were absolutely delicious.

 I am not a big fan of raw fish food.













But I tried a couple pieces of raw sushi. They were OK.

My friend ordered some cooked fish for me and they were just out of this world!

There was some new food items which I never tried before and were presented beautifully and served to us.

There was a very delicate dessert served in a bowl, not even sure what it was called.

I have had tempura numerous times in the past, but the tempura we were served at this restaurant was very delicate and tasty.

It was a feast liked no other! We enjoyed a master style Sushi dinner and were served a meal which we will remember and talk about for a long time. It was a class all by itself!






R.T.
Akikos Sushi Restaurant
Downtown, San Francisco
USA

Awaking the Child in Me at the Gingerbread House Display, Fairmont Hotel, SF

Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco

The Fairmont Hotel is an elegant hotel in San Francisco.

Fairmont - One of America's historic hotels

The hotel was almost completed before the 1906 earthquake. But due to heavy damages caused by the fire, the hotel opening was delayed until 1907.

The hotel has been registered as one of the Historic Hotels of America.


Constructed with marble columns, walls and floors, the hotel appeared in films numerous times, the most famous being the movie, The Rock and the 1980's TV series, Hotel.

Lobby of the historic Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, USA

Reception area of the Fairmont Hotel

The Fairmont Hotel played host to international statesmen who met there in 1945 and led to the creation of the United Nations.

There is a plaque in the hotel to commemorate this event.

It was also the first hotel in America offering concierge services starting in 1974.
















Upon entering the hotel, the first impression we had was as if we had stepped into a well preserved grand European palace.















With piano music playing in the background, it was welcoming, festive and classy.















Looking for Christmas festivities and celebrations to attend while vacationing in S.F., I was captured by one of the events reported in the local newspaper while enjoying breakfast at our bed and breakfast inn.

Gingerbread house display at Fairmont

The event:

A gigantic gingerbread house display which led us to visit the Fairmont Hotel!

















This gingerbread house was the biggest gingerbread house we had ever seen!

It brought out the kid in me.

Smiling and watching me with bemusement, my husband sat and relaxed as I was trying to explore every detail of this beautiful fairy tale gingerbread house.













Measuring at 25 feet high by 35 wide feet, people could walk under the door of the house.

There was a snow covered front yard with numerous pots of  real poinsettias, pine trees decorated with Christmas lights.

Children squealed with delight when they saw trains passing by the miniature train station, along with Victorian houses, trees, pedestrians and moving figures a  little distance outside the window.











A little further from the train station was a skating pond with miniature people skating, playing hockey and skaters twirling around.

A two story building, the gingerbread house could accommodate carolers caroling on the second floor balcony.
















We also saw Santa almost getting into the gingerbread house with his feet just hanging outside the chimney.




















Looking through the windows, we could peek inside the rooms of the gingerbread house.

We saw a kitchen bustling with holiday decorations and activities.

















The tired cook was taking a break resting on a chair in the busy kitchen.

This spectacular gingerbread house was a masterpiece created out of labour of love by the pastry and engineering department of the Fairmont Hotel.

The trims around the windows looked delicious!

The staff involved have spent almost 1000 hours in designing and putting the whole thing together. To complete this edible house, the pastry department used:

6000 bricks of gingerbread ( the hotel's largest to date)
3300 pounds of royal icing
1650 pounds of candies













With free admission, the gingerbread house at the Fairmont Hotel is a great place to take your kids to visit during the Christmas holiday!

In front of the gingerbread house at the Fairmont Hotel, S.F.

R.T.
Gingerbread House Display
Fairmont Hotel
San Francisco, USA

Volunteering at a Food Pantry Program at Cameron House, SF

Cameron House, San Francisco

During this time of year, many of us are busy spending time buying gifts for our loved ones. We are the fortunate ones; there are numerous who are not and are in need of assistance right here in SF.

The Food Pantry program is one of the Presbyterian church projects

At the last Sunday Service, we learned about the Food Pantry program from one of the board members. Every Thursday at 1:00pm, there is a group of volunteers associated with the Presbyterian church who has dedicated their time and effort to helping the needy in one of the communities in  San Francisco.



People with low income who have applied and are qualified for the food program will receive an ID card allowing them to come weekly and receive fresh fruits, vegetables and other food items to supply their nutrition needs.

A team of dedicated volunteers devote their time to the needy.

We went to Cameron House on Sacramento Street where the Food Pantry program is located before 1pm.  There were half a dozen volunteers standing  behind tables with fresh produce already.

Each week, the Food Pantry program distributes free produce to their clients. Today there were potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, oranges, egg plants, bags of rice, fish cakes and lentils.

Food Pantry distributes fresh produce for free to the needy in the area

Each volunteer  was responsible for handing out a specific item. S. was responsible for handing out potatoes and I was responsible for giving out onions.

Food Pantry clients wait in line at this location weekly for fresh produce.

The door opened right at 1:00pm and people with their shopping bags and carts were lining up to come in for their weekly supply of fresh produce.

We greeted them cheerfully while handing out the produce. They were very happy especially when they saw their favourite vegetable - sweet potatoes.

Food Pantry clients have to show their ID at the reception table.

There were four groups of people coming in for food. Some were old clients coming regularly while some were new ones who have to show their ID at the reception desk.

One of the clients leaving the centre with her fresh produce in hands. 

We took a five minutes break between each group and chatted with each other.  Time went by fast as we talked a little with the volunteers next to me.

Food Pantry is run every Thursdays in San Francisco

It was a good use of an afternoon. We got involved locally and understood more about the needs of the community.



















We were grateful to have this opportunity to serve one of the needy communities in San Francisco.








Walking by the Grace Cathedral after our volunteer work, we went in for a few minutes to see the dove installation.  We had dinner at a neighbourhood Chinese restaurant.
Getting back to the inn early enough, we were in time to enjoy the afternoon tea served in the living room with classical music playing in the background. It was a lovely way to end a good day!

R.T.
San Francisco
USA

Buying Alcatraz Tickets in Person & A Family Dinner at Bubba Shrimps Co.

Christmas tree at Pier 39, San Francisco, USA

After our visit to the synagogue , we walked down to Pier 39 trying to buy our tickets for the Alcatraz cruise on Sunday.

We could have bought the tickets online, but we were not too far from Pier 39 so we decided to buy from the pier directly which also meant cheaper tickets for the cruise.

We got to Pier 39 with six minutes before closing time at 5p.m. Hallelujah!  We just made it and got the tickets we wanted for this coming Sunday to Alcatraz

View of the Bay Bridge from Pier 39 at night, S.F.

Mission accomplished! We walked leisurely to Pier 39 to enjoy a well earned seafood dinner.

I texted E., not knowing if he could come and join us at such short notice. He did, at around 8pm.

A spectacular sunset at Pier 39, San Francisco

We always wanted to eat at the Bubba Shrimps Co. a restaurant made famous by the movie Forrest Gump with Tom Hank in it.

Finally, we ate at the Bubba Shrimps Co. at Pier 39.

I am a fan of Tom and we finally got to dine at the restaurant made famous by his character in the movie!






The decoration of the restaurant was casual place with the theme of Forest Gump. There were signs at each table saying Run Forest Run!  The screens at the bar area playing none other movie but Forest Gump.

The menu contained many dishes featuring shrimps!

Some of the staff celebrated a customer's 21st birthday.

The restaurant was real busy, full of diners.
The servers were polite and enthusiastic.

At the table next to ours, there was a few of them clapping and singing, helping to celebrate one of the patron's 21st birthday.











Since we had to waited for E., we decided to go ahead and had something to eat.

Since the specialty here is shrimps, I ordered the Shrimps and Macaroni, my favourite.








S. ordered some fresh local fish.

The food was fresh and delicious !

 After we had our food, I was getting impatient waiting for E. and was about to leave. Good thing E. was calm in his text response and told me he had just arrived.







I missed his earlier message informing me that he was in the area already. This taught me to be patient again and not to be too testy in my response. 


We moved to the bar and watched a Raptors game against Oakland.









I could not help watching the Forrest Gump movie on the TV screen next to the basketball game.
















Now, I am getting to understand E.,a little better, he is happy as long as he's with us even though there might not be much talking.

Merry-go- around, Pier 39

I can understand it. As long as my husband or my loved one is with me in the same room, I don't feel lonely.

Our loved ones' presence alone is comforting to us without the necessity of saying a word to one another.

Pier 39, San Francisco

I have to learn to modify my expectations whenever I see E.  Being together, without much talking is also a form of communication and being with one another.


R.T.
Bubba Shrimps Co. Restaurant
Pier 39
San Francisco, USA