Friday, March 6, 2015

San Francisco's Pier Side (Golden Gate Bridge and Cable Car) - Pt. 2

Sorry for the delay in posting Part Two of San Francisco's Pier Side. There has been many changes happening at work and school, so it's been quite busy for me.

Anyways, continuing where I've left off. We had originally planned to rent a bike to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. However, we didn't realize that there were no bike rental shops near the ends of the bridge. So for future reference, if you plan to bike across the bridge, make sure to rent a bike near the piers as that's where most of the rental shops are located. Since we were bike-less, and the weather was decent, we decided to walk across the bridge instead. It was a good afternoon stroll and definitely helped in digesting our morning consumption. The walk took approx. 45 mins each way, so 1hr 30 mins in total. You'll want to account for a bit more time if you wish to stay on the other side to take some pictures of the piers in the background. Fair warning: it does get windy and a bit chillier when you're on the bridge, so make sure you bring a windbreaker and an toque of some sort!












And of course, it's time for another food stop. This time at the famous Boudin Bakery where they are known for their sourdough bread.



This sourdough clam chowder bowl is one of the most popular menu items at Boudin. I am not a clam chowder fanatic, however I did find the soup to be rich in flavour. As for the sourdough bowl, although I know this type of bread is known to be more on the firm side, it was a bit too tough for my liking. Perhaps it's my own personal preference for softer bread. Nevertheless, I do believe that sourdough clam chowder bowl is an item that is a must-try in San Francisco, be it at Boudin Bakery or elsewhere.

Boudin at Fisherman's Wharf on Urbanspoon
We lined up for the cable car ride and it was one of the longest line I've ever been in. The line up might have appeared to be shorter than the most unpopular ride found at your favourite amusement park, but the wait time was disproportionate to the physical line itself. In the above picture was where we started lining up. Note that there was still light in the picture. After close to an hour, we finally reached to the front of the line. 

Note that it is now night time by the time we got onto a cable car. There is a definite long wait time, however I think it was worth it. The cable car ride was unique and the steep roads made it fun and "ride-like". I would recommend riding the cable car if you've never been.


For dinner, we settled on dining at R & G Lounge, one of the more popular Chinese restaurant found within San Francisco's Chinatown.
(this sign was taken the next morning for better viewing)



It was packed with tons of people waiting for a table when we got there. Despite the crowd, we decided to ask for the wait time. Luckily, because we were only a party of 2, they were able to tuck us to the side.

Entrance of R & G Lounge


Of course we ordered their signature dish, the Salt and Pepper Dungeness Crab. I've had my fair share of salt and pepper calamari and shrimp at a variety of Chinese restaurants, but never had I encountered this cooking style to be presented on a crab. This crab was extremely large and definitely high in cholesterol. It felt like the dish that never ended. The flavour was strong and each bite had you wanting more. The salt and pepper was so addicting that I worked the crab as carefully as I could, ensuring that no meat was wasted. 

Although the Dungeness Crab was more than enough for two people, we still wanted some sort of variety, so we got a small order of the Princess Chicken (Specially marinated chicken with ginger and onion sauce). This chicken was a nice contrast to the salt and pepper dungeness crab, giving the palette a cool and light alternative to the heavily fried crab. 

Lastly, we wanted to make sure we got some greens, so we ordered the Stir-Fried Snow Pea Shoots with Garlic aka Dau Miu. I loooooove dau miu, but like most Chinese restaurants, R & G Lounge made the same mistake as its competing restaurants - it had tasted as if it poured in too much oil to stir-fry the vegetables. It was drenched in too much oil. The dau miu would've tasted a lot better if it was cooked lightly in a small dose of oil. 

R & G Lounge on Urbanspoon


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