Happy 4th of July to my readers. Today I continue writing about my adventures at the Buy Fresh, Buy Local food tasting. Spotting an ice cold chest of apple juice, I marched forward and was greeted by Kendra, the director of Nana Mae’s Organics.

With a charming smile, she invited me to taste her organic apple juice made from Gravenstein Highway. A few sips did the trick. The notes from fresh apples had an upfront full bodied taste.At retail, a bottle can cost around $3.95. Kendra also gave me a jar of her apple sauce which was incredible. Compared to commercial apple sauces, Nana Mae’s had was not watered down and simply tasted like fresh apples.

hint. try adding apple sauce to a turkey sandwich, a slight sweet note adds great character to a sandwich

Connection. I never understood until that day why people spend a premium to buy organic food. Aside from being free from chemicals, buying organic product gives the consumers a rare chance to connect with the farmers behind their product. I am more likely to spend a premium buying Nana Mae product since I have met Kendra. She is a hard working mom, the wife of a farmer, and a very kind lady. Enough reasons to buy her products.

Interview. Like any small business owneres, Kendra plays multiple rolls including mom, marketing director, and all roles that make the operation running. She mentioned that many small organic food companies are being acquired by food giants such as Smuckers. Despite all the long hours of work, Kendra enjoys being an evangelist to a great tasting apple juice.

3 Worst lines followed by “Let’s be Frank….”
a. “I see you as my friend, you’re my teddy bear.”
b. “You’re not smart enough for me to date you.”
c. “Sorry, but you remind me of Shrek.”

Best line followed by “Let’s be Frank…”
“dogs gone good, made from 100% grass-fed beef”

After full bodied wines, nutty hard cheeses, and a few sea-sweet oysters, I approached the Let’s Be Frank hot dog vendor. With a cheerful smirk, the server informed me about the delicious grass-fed beef. One bite did the trick. With a slight snap from the casing, the beef hot dog displayed a pungent rich beef taste.

The dogs are free from hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals. More information can be found on the Let’s Be Frank website.

Restaurant Consultant. Lets Be Frank is obviously targeting a niche market: healthy eaters and those who support local farmers. As for their promotional offerings, I like that they have hot dog stands in front of Pac Bell Park promoting their product. Despite each dog costing around $6, there is a growing market for healthy hog dogs and they make great treats for the upcoming July 4th weekend.

Served at Restaurants. You can find Let’s be Frank dogs at Spork and Underdog.

Last week, I was invited as “Press” to Buy Fresh Buy Local Food Guide Press Release Party at 1 Fort Mason. Once step into Fort Mason, I have arrived to fresh food heaven. With a wine glass and food tray in my hands, I danced away to my eating adventures.

For starters, oysters on a half shelf with a tart vinegrette did the trick. My favorite was a butter crust fixed with beet mixtures. Cheese, wine, and great bread started the day.

In the upcoming blogs, I will feature some vendors and highlights.

CAFF
Community Alliance with Family Farmers
www.caff.org
Temra Costa
Buy Fresh Buy Local Director
email:temra@caff.org

Quickly, a world wide bubble tea store, has “quickly”, no pun intended, responded to the frozen yogurt craze. With Pinkberry recently receiving millions in funding from Starbucks founder, the goliath remains ahead of the game with word of mouth viral buzz including Hollywood A- listers such asLeonardo DiCaprio fueling the craze.

After my meal at the all you can eat joint Masu last week, I was enticed by Quickly’s $.59 promotional frozen yogurt (additional cost for topping). Can anything cheap bring value? First surprise to note, Quickly has partnered up with ice cream giant Dreyer’s (division of Nestle) to develop this tart tasting treat. This is a sign that mainstream food companies want a piece of this craze.

Food. When tasting frozen yogurt, texture is key and this differentiates the taste from other shops. With a creamy finish, the full bodied yogurt resembles more of a traditional frozen yogurt with a slight taste of tartness. Compared with Pinkberry, Quickly’s fro yo lacks the tartness and clean after taste.

Ambiance. Not a great date place. As a restaurant consultant, I often encourage restaurateurs to deliver experience. A great example is Rain Forest Café. As for Quickly, the décor is full of clutter. Imagine a cluttered closet and no sense of “coolness.” The walls are covered with amateur food photos and creating a lot of “noise.” In San Francisco, visit Tuttimelon, Jubili, and YoCup and you will experience a clean minimalist design that mirrors the frozen yogurt.

Restaurant consultant. Quickly’s has made their fortune selling bubble tea drinks and now wisely wants to grab a piece of the frozen yogurt craze. I think it is a smart decision for them to work with Dreyer’s since they have the resources including equipment, chemist, nutritionist, and a host of other resource to deliver a product rapidly.

Three years ago, I was in the middle of the Hawaiian BBQ craze. I helped convert a mom ’n pops restaurant to a franchise. Now, Hawaiian BBQ is a thing of the past. For those who want to get into this competitive game, focus on being innovative and operational cost.

Social programming.Food plays a powerful role in social programming. Pregnant woman tend to crave pickles while frozen yogurt or any sweet treats help us get through a though day.

4 Innovative Ideas
1) create an organic fro yo shop
2) create a website and let the consumers vote for the next featured flavor
3) create a Facebook application so that you can spread your brand virally
4) offer additional products that would create a meal such as a healthy salad

Conclusion. Quickly’s is a great place for nominal frozen yogurt for the price of $.59. Toppings are extra, butt expect sub par ambiance.

A sure fire sign that a city is serious about Japanese food is that one block could host three sushi restaurants. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, the apparent crowd in front of Masu sparked my curiosity. As the unofficial dish of Japan , sushi is ubiquitous in Japan but restaurants like Masu serve a fusion style sushi. One obvious reason for the crowd is the all you can eat lunch menu reasonably priced at $11.50 per person.

Inside Masu, sushi lovers unite. When you first walk in, you have no idea what to expect inside this pumpkin colored space with dark wood tables that give off a sense of calmness. Patrons eating at the sushi bar are treated with plasma televisions against the wall. The minimalistic décor pairs well with the inventive sushi dishes. For the lunch buffet, patrons can initially order two items from their creative menu that provides a great range of texture and flavors. For those who eat only cooked items, there are plenty to choose from as well. The next few rounds are restricted to one item. The all female wait staff is attentive and refilled our beverages constantly. However, I still had to wave my hands frantically a few times for service.

With a mile long list of items to choose from, I started off with the sushi rolls. Since sushi rice acts as the core, I was disappointed to find the rice a bit over sweetened. The samurai roll (eel over California roll) is a great choice for those who enjoy a sweet sauce. For a flavor adventure, the spicy toll roll features a mound of raw tuna mixture with a spicy sauce topped on over their California roll. The menu also includes rolls for those who only eat cooked foods. Sweet eel over the California rolls makes up the samurai roll. Omnivores will take delight in the beef roll. Tender beef pairs well with the crunchy cucumbers. The Third Avenue roll combines the perfect texture of ying and yang. Soft eel marries well with the firm salmon.

For fried food lovers, the Oh Yes Roll (assortment of fish deep fried in tempura batter) demonstrates texture balance between a crispy crust and marshmallow filling. Masu also serves maki (six piece of sushi rolled in seaweed) including yellowtail maki for those who prefer the more traditional track. For a California flare, the yellow California roll combines eggplant with California roll. Nutty flavor play center state in the salmon skin roll.

Surprisingly, the garlic tuna roll creates a pungent sweet aftertaste. Comfort food lovers will find the vagabond roll (deep fried yam and veggie) a great choice. The best roll of the day was the spider roll featuring soft shell crab. Sea sweet crab meat breaded in tempura truly brings together this dish. One obvious take away is that the sushi chefs lack proper knife skills resulting in uneven cuts as wells as rice falling from the seaweed. Diners can also order the special sashimi side dish ($2) which includes four pieces of raw fish.

A good line up of kitchen dishes continued my meal. The vegetable tempura lacks crispy texture but the vegetables are sweet. Although the soup needs more flavor, the chewy udon cooked al dente makes the dish worth trying. Skip the miso soup, the over use of sugar destroyed the dish. With a thin coat of sweet teriyaki sauce, the salmon has hints of well done. Uniquely served at Masu, the choco syrup ends a good meal. Cover with tempura ball, a rice ball is deep fried and a few swirls of chocolate syrup round out the dish. Masu satisfied my sushi craving while staying to my budget dining.

Consultant hat.

With numerous Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area, a few restaurateurs attempt to differentiate themselves by serving an all you can order menu. Sushi Hunter, located in trendy North Beach, serves a great offering of dishes. Before you decide to jump into this concept, consider the pro’s and con’s.

3 Pro’s

1) Lower food cost. It is not a surprise, Masu serves frozen ingredients from imitation crab meat and frozen raw fish. Purchasing high volume items means lower cost.
2) Marketing. All you can eat diners create sensation. The experience itself creates natural word of mouth. Pay the fixed price and enter the world of gluttony.
3) Large parties. Whether for corporate events, birthdays, or celebrations, a fixed price menu allows the person paying for the meal an accurate anticipated cost.

3 Con’s

1) Some patrons are pigs. They will eat so much that you will not cover their food cost. This is not in your control of course.
2) Service. A well trained wait staff must be attentive for hands that are flying in the air demanding to put in their next order. You are targeting a certain type of eater, ones who prefer QUANTITY over QUALITY.
3) Turnover. Patrons will take longer to finish their meal and these results in slower turnover. Quick Service Restaurants such as McDonald’s and Taco Bell have thrived in a business model that relies on a system take can search a customer in a matter of minutes.

Masu
79 E 3rd Ave
San Mateo , CA 94401
(650) 342-5254
Lunch Buffet served Monday-Saturday
Open 7 days a week
M-F: 11am-3pm (lunch), 3am-12pm (dinner)
Saturday: 12am -3pm (lunch), 3am-12pm (dinner)
Sunday: 12am-3pm (dinner menu only)
(Prices: $15 and up)

Crawfish has arrived to fill the void of a no frills crawfish restaurant. Claiming to be San Francisco’s first crawfish restaurant, Coco’s Crawfish in the Sunset district makes a genuine attempt to replicate this popular Southern style eatery.

Ambiance: Restaurateur Lisa Lee aims to provide great seafood and emphasizes that food is the center stage as oppose to ambiance. The ambiance does not pair well with the food. At a glance, the aqua colored walls and high ceiling appear to make a strong stance but a few of the owner’s personal touch marks my point. On the side of the staircase, glamour photos featuring her female wait staff awkwardly adorn the wall. Instead of blues music playing in the background as one would expect in a Southern style eatery, a plasma television keeps patrons entertained as they wait for their meal. With all the splatters from cracking various crustaceans, I encourage patrons to dress casually.

This cozy restaurant serves seafood on Styrofoam plates and plastic forks and this gives the restaurant character. The unique experience includes dining with friends in an unpretentious environment with sweat dripping on their foreheads panting for water from the Cajun spice. During the course of our meal, hints of Southern hospitality were noted. Despite only having two wait staff on a Sunday evening, the service is attentive. Our water was refilled a few times and Lee often asked about my feedback of the food.

Food: Don’t expect a mile long menu, it is limited but adequate. Arriving piping hot in a plastic bag, crawfish steals the show ($12.99/lb). Customers can choose a range of flavor from steamed to various spicy levels. Foolishly, I choose the medium heat which was too much for my taste bud to handle. The owner kindly offers to demonstrate the art of eating these tiny lobster like delights Arriving from Louisiana every other day, the meat is succulent and sweet. The sauce that rounds out the small crustacean plays a blissful role. While the habanero peppers create a burning sensation, the garlic and butter rounds out the flavor creating a perfect balance of spicy and sweet in this memorable sauce. Salt and pepper with a drizzle of lime helps diffuse the spicy flavor another notch. Although the spice level created a temporary numbness in my mouth, I continued to crave the intense sauce.

Continuing on my seafood adventure, I order a pound of shrimp ($11.99) on medium heat. The meat is sweet but the highlight is sucking the roe from the head along with the juices. Another great order are the perfectly cooked clams ($8.99/lb). With a quick dunk into the dipping sauce made mainly with Vietnamese fish sauce, the bi valves display a chewy texture. Although bread would have gone great dipped in the crawfish sauce, Coco’s does not serve any items with starch. For sides, the Louisiana sausage ($.50) is more like a nibble than a side. The one inch link features a fragrant spice that leaves a sweet aftertaste. For a sweet flavor to balance out the spicy dishes, a few bites into the corn ($.50) does the trick. For refreshment, the Lousiana Vodoo beer ($4) delivers a strong note of nutty flavor that pairs very well with the spicy sauces. For a party of 5, the total including tax and tip came out to be $80.

Entrepreneur Interview: Despite having a major in electrical engineering from San Jose State, Lee always knew that her out going personality would be of better use in a restaurant setting than in a cubicle environment. After spending eleven years in the corporate world as a senior production planner, Lee decided to plunge into entrepreneurship. Her corporate company decided to relocate overseas so with her funds from her stock portfolio and severance package, she decided to open the first crawfish restaurant in San Francisco. Despite not having previous experience as a restaurateur, she spent months doing research including tasting crawfish restaurants in Southern California and Texas. As a bootstrap entrepreneur, Lee has been resourceful by hiring her friend and family members for different roles.

Lee hired her friend as public relations person. With the advent of social networking sites, Lee has leveraged her marketing effort with a Myspace Cocoscrawfish page. Additionally, she often takes serious consideration from the reviews she receives from local restaurant review sites such as Yelp.com. Acknowledging that word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing, Lee often responds to the negative critics by inviting them to try her food again.

Restaurant Consultant. I often advise my clients to sell on experience and not on price. Rain Forest Café is a great example. The ambiance creates value for the customer. Coco’s Crawfish needs to create an ambiance that pairs well with the food.

Top 3 Low Cost Upgrades
1. Create a seaside experience. Buy some fishing nets and hang it on the wall. A few life preservers will be great as well.
2. Staff members should wear uniforms that resemble fisherman/woman. Suspenders and boots will add to the theme.
3. Music makes a big difference. Playing reggae music will create a festive environment.

These simple changes will enhance the experience and upgrade from a dull vanilla box restaurant.

Visit Campusfork.com for more food review.
2333 Irving St
(between 24th Ave & 25th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 665-6033
www.myspace.com/cocoscrawfish
Cash Only
Mon-Sun 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m
(Price range: $16 +).

Leave it up the Japanese with beverage innovation. Japan, well-known for their compact cars, animation, sushi, and now, kids beer. When I traveled to Tokyo, I saw thousands of salary men walking the streets of this eccentric city. They wake early in the morning, often commute three hours daily on the train, and work till the late night. After work, they go out and drink with their fellow co-workers. During their late night meal, they often complain about their day at work, get drunk, eat some robata (grilled skewers and escape the zombie-like routine of life. Now, it appears that salary men want to say “cheers” with their kids. Kids beer is a non-alcoholic drink meant for kids to take part in the drinking atmosphere.

I recently saw a bottle of kids bear at a novelty store in San Francisco on Taravel Street in the Sunset district. Each bottle cost around $3USD. Drinking beer is a symbol as a “right of passage” into the adult world. Kids should stick to drinking Mountain Dew and Coca-Cola.

Consultant hat.
Many food products fail in certain markets because the food company lacks the cultural knowledge of a country. If kids beer became a mainstream hit in the United States, I can imagine so many parents and consumer groups protesting.

Click here for the full article about Kidsbeer in Japan Times.

Two weeks ago, I had a food tour in the East Bay. After my mini excursion to Scharffenberger, my sweet tooth addiction continued. Stumbling upon its accented pink logo, I hopped into Teacake Bake Shop. The instant I stepped foot into the door, the smell of baked goods and butter enticed me to try their cupcake ($3) and cookie ($2). With the texture of a soft batch cookie, the sweet treat would have been even better with a glass of milk. At center stage, the white frosted cupcake was memorable. The sweet frosting pairs well with the cupcake bottom: moist and soft. With big smiles, the staff is readily available for suggestions from the array of flavors.

Consultant hat.
After spending time in corporate world, entrepreneur Agnes Hsu runs a great operation.

4 Things That Added to Success
1) Press release. View Teacake Press release page. The key is to have your restaurant featured in the press. Credibility means some else, a writer, is endorsing your product and giving you exposure.

Sprinkles Cupcakes, a cupcake shop in Los Angeles, created buzz when Hollywood stars such as Katie Holmes would rave about the cupcakes. View Sprinkles Cupcakes press page.

2) Design. Think about great products such as the Apple Iphone. The touch screen and minimalist design causes word of mouth advertising. Tiffany’s is famous for their baby blue packaging. Look carefully at the cupcake shop, the details from the cute signs to attractive to-go boxes add value to the customer’s three dollar cupcake experience.

Value is perceived from the customer. So create added value with packaging, signage, and especially service.

3) Online presence. Website presence and design allows many small businesses to increase their revenue. Their website is beautifully made and usability is simple and easy.

4) Celebrations. Bake shops have blossomed because of celebrations. Birthdays, bridal showers, and all cases of celebration are associate with the bakery.

*While working for California Culinary Academy enrolling students to become future chefs, I interviewed many students who want wanted to open a bakery. We had a baking and pastry program. Years later, few achieve this dream. Many bakers are great at simply baking but do not have the business knowledge to manage the business.

A few tips.
“An idea is not a business, just an idea.”

“Serving good food is only 20% of a successful operation.”

Invitation. For those who are aspiring restaurant owners or currently own one, feel free to comment on the post and email me for suggestions.

(pix: crab noodle soup, beef noodle soup, basil and sprouts)

{Cleanscores (inspection score): 54 out of 100}Click Here
Also, read blog on Cleanscores.

Few Vietnamese restaurants in the Bay Area have the consistent taste of Pho Pho Quoc (PPQ). For over twelve years, owner Tin Troung has created an operation that has the food more stylish than the decor. The large array of menu items allow me to pair different dishes depending on the weather.

Ambiance: Located in the area known to a few as “little Chinatown”, the unpretentious red and white signage cannot be missed. Once seated, the set up reminds me of the street food vendors in Asia. A rack of chopsticks, spoons, and sauce pans are available tableside at the customer’s disposal. Vanilla walls and wooden tables create a casual dining environment. With a pad and pen in hand, servers speedily take orders so don’t expect the friendly meet and greet.

One of the most popular items on the menu is the imperial roll. Filled with pork and shredded carrot, the savory and crispy roll balance well with the tangy fish sauce. For a temperature contrast, the fried rolls go well wrapped in cooling lettuce leaves. Another appetizer, the shrimp roll ($5.25) is all about texture. Translucent soft rice paper wrapped in poached shrimp is enhanced with a dunk in the peanut sauce. For a crunchy starter, the papaya beef salad ($7.58) does the trick. Juliene papaya blends well with a refreshing assortment of basil, carrot, and cucumber infused in a tart dressing. The beef adds a slight savory touch to this starter. A few outstanding noodle dishes are on the menu.

My favorite is the crab noodle soup (s-$5.95,l-$7.25), a soup that is not typically served in other Vietnamese restaurants. Arriving piping hot, the aroma of the pungent dark red soup made from hours of brewing tomatoes mixed with savory shrimp paste. Cooked al dente, the vermicelli noodles soak up the soup like a sponge. Accompanying all the soup dishes, a plate of fresh sprouts, basil, and lemon add an earthy note. To maintain the soup temperature, I request my sprouts to be blanched.

On a foggy day in the Sunset, an order of the beef noodle combo is my top comfort food choice (s-$5.95,l-$7.25). The combo also known as “train front” in Chinese is a classic beef noodle dish that has a combination of ingredients. The foursome combination of rare, flank, brisket, and meatball adds both flavor and body to the dish. The crunchy tripe contrasts the soft tendon pieces. The five spice chicken vermicelli dish pairs well on a hot day. Served at room temperature, the vermicelli marries well with the refreshing fish sauce and vegetable medley of cucumbers, sprouts, and carrots. Accented by the citrus flavor of lemongrass, the lemongrass pork chop nestles underneath a caramelized crust.

The tri-color rice plate is a great choice for those who prefer a variety rice plate. The rice plate includes savory charbroiled pork and shredded pork with a pungent egg meatloaf-($6.95). The charboiled pork wrap ($12.95) is a great do it yourself dish. A large platter of herbs and the same condiments from the beef noodle soup are served. Patrons soak rice paper in warm water and then assemble pork skewers with the vegetable condiments.

Entrepreneur:After graduating from San Francisco State in 1996, Troung set out to join his family to open PPQ. He studied entrepreneurship in college which gave him the basics in running a business. While he concludes that a college degree is not necessary to open a restaurant, he believes that his studies in entrepreneurship in college has helped him expand his family business to other PPQ restaurants such as the one on Clement. Troung firmly insists that having a passion for the food industry is a hallmark for a restaurateur but the knowledge to run the business is as important including controlling cost.

The main reason PPQ has thrived while many other restaurant have closed on Irving Street is the consistency in food quality and service. When he trains his staff, he explains that the customers are the boss and ultimately the ones that are providing them the paycheck. His motto is to give the customers what they need without much questioning. Troung’s siblings are in the food industry as well working at PPQ on Clement and Toasties, a sandwich shop. He remarks that working with family is great if the relationship goes well, but when things go sour, the cut is much deeper.

Consultant hat. Working with family members have many pro’s and con’s.

3 Pro’s
1) Financial resource. Lending money from family can be a fast way to generate cash flow. My tip is to get a contract and have every term written in details.
2) Human resource. Hiring takes time. Family members want to see you succeed so they will work hard to achieve your goal including providing great service with a smile.
3) Save time. Working with family members means that you can integrate family and work time.

3 Con’s
1) Failed business can lead to family blaming family members.
2) Vision difference. While the entrepreneur of the family wants to convert the restaurant into a franchise program and expand, one of the family partners may want to keep the operation a mom ‘n pop style.
3) Nowhere to run. Working with family members includes constantly seeing them. This means that you may find yourself lacking independent time away from them.

1816 Irving Street
(between 19th Ave & 20th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
Cash Only
(415) 661-8869
Mon-Sat 10:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sun 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. (Prices: $10 and up)

I learned early on as a restaurant consultant that food sanitation is key. Working for Sysco, the largest food distributor in the United States, I strolled through many kitchens in the Bay Area to find filthy conditions that would ruin my appetite in a heart beat.

Key lesson: How clean the bathroom is, reflects how clean the kitchen is.

Thank God for CleanScores, a website that helps you find the inspection rating. It is simple to use, type in the name of the restaurant to see the score.

In a recent article in the Examiner titled Restaurant ratings on the back burner by Reisman, the article highlights that a few restaurant may appear clean from the front of the house but the kitchen can prove otherwise.

“Six of The City’s 10 lowest-scoring restaurants were located in the Sunset — including three on Noriega Street. A spot check in that district found only one — Loi’s Vietnamese Restaurant on Irving Street — that opted to put its numerical rank on public display. The scorecard hung on the wall next to its inspection assessment.“

Consultant hat.
Restaurant owners should have clean restrooms and kitchens. Many people conduct business over a great meal so having a great restaurant that impresses the client. As a result, many corporate salesman and executives can expense their meals and will think of your restaurant on top of the list.