The Stateside Story: Bay Area Food Trip

I love traveling and going to places, discovering sites and immersing myself to the local cultures. If I had only one thing in the world that I would be doing , then it would be this.

My husband and I booked Cathay Pacific for our long journey from Manila to San Francisco at an affordable rate (thanks a lot sykscanner.net!) Overall, the ride was quite smooth except for an hour and a half turbulence when we were flying over the Japan trench.I’m not sure how I survived that as I am not a particularly good flyer. I was thankful for the excellent in-flight entertainment on board that helped me get distracted from the bumps in the air.

Anyway, skip 15+ hours later (with a long layover in Hong Kong), we finally reached our destination. For the sake of a disclaimer, we were fortunate enough to have our accommodation and lodging covered for our month long trip, since my husband’s relatives took good care of us. We relied on the tips and advises from our relatives, which in turn saved us a lot of time, cost and effort in going around. If you do decide to go to the U.S and have relatives abroad, I highly suggest that you organize your trip with them.

Here are the food highlights of our trip in the Bay Area:

1. IN -N-OUT

All Over California(Hard to Miss)

Upon arrival in the airport at midnight, we drove through to IN -N-OUT for our first real all-American food treat at the famous California burger joint. Tip: Order Animal fries. Real good burger but I do like the IN-N-OUT in LA better though.

2. SUSHIRRITO

448 University Avenue, Palo Alto

The famous Sushi house known for burrito-size rolls with Asian & Latin flavors. It was

really good if I do say so myself. Here were the different “sushirritos” we tried.

LAVA CHIPS:Brown Rice Chips topped with Tuna Picante, Melted Pepper Jack Cheese, Avocado, Green Onions, Nori Strips

SUMO CRUNCH: Shrimp Tempura, Surimi Crab, Shaved Cabbage, Cucumber, Avocado, Red Tempura Flakes, Sriracha Aioli

3. MEXICAN FOOD TRUCKS

Located Somewhere near Napa Valley

Cheap, fast and authentic. As of this writing, the shrimp burrito we ordered from Tacos Garcia was still the best one.

4.IKE’S PLACE

3489 16th st San Francisco CA

A real treat for sandwich lovers! They have original and so many variation of sandwiches. I only was able try one(due to lack of time). However, you can check out their menu here: Ike’s Place Menu .

Photo Credit: quarrygirl.com/2009/05/15/ikes-place-vegan/

5. Chowders at Fisherman’s Wharf

San Francisco, CA

Fisherman’s Wharf is known to be one of the tourist attractions in the Bay Area. Amidst the crowd and touristy people, you will get to appreciate the view of the sea. So if you happen to be a tourist (like we were) , it is only right to drop by the area at least once. Some of the interesting and unique stops that I saw were Biscoff Coffee Corner and Chocolate heaven to name a few. You can even buy fresh fruits with chocolate dip for your sweet tooth.

However, if you do drop by here. I highly suggest a trip to Chowders.

I must say, their signature white clam chowder in sourdough bread was excellent. I love the richness and savor of the clams. Unlike other clam chowders that I have had before, you can be sure to taste the freshness and quality of the clams at Chowders.