hey babe, where are we going?
Well, let me tell you! Michelin Bib Gourmand has great recs for where you can eat fantastic food but in a casual setting, and somewhat more affordably. Here is Top Hatters, a contemporary Vietnamese restaurant in San Leandro with a seasonal menu. Cool, let’s go.
This was our second time visiting in two years, a good excuse to celebrate some kind of anniversary. In this case, it was to celebrate the birth of my partner, thirty-something years ago, Will! Isn’t he cute?
The restaurant is comfortable indoors with its eleven tables and full bar. Even more beautiful is the private patio with string lights and much more seating (a poppin’ spot for the summertime, cozy with heaters for the winter).
what are we drinking?
White wine for the beaux and a mouth watering non-alcoholic hibiscus cocktail for me. The first N/A drink I’ve tried actually worth the price. It took as much care to make this as a regular drink (if not more) and paired well with the flavors of the food. Well-crafted beverages without alcohol are the future of drinking culture and they should all be like this one.
let’s order I’m starving
For once I let go of my sense of control and said: Babe, surprise me. Three words he’s never heard me utter before. I had no say whatsoever in what he secretly chose and ordered through his phone (except I told him I wanted fish, and vegetables, and I’m definitely feeling like fish). My family makes fun of me for being notoriously impossible with surprises. I want to know! Tell me what it is!
Oh, I felt terribly sexy all of a sudden, like a 1950’s damsel in a romance movie, letting the man order for me.
Lucky for me, we ate a lot of fish.
to start
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Pacific Red Snapper Tartare, with pickled red onions, sumac salt, bird’s eye chili, and house-made peasant rice crackers.
Light and airy with a nice crunch, rice crackers were a clever vehicle for a mild fish like red snapper! Tangy sumac salt brought out delicate nutty flavors, without being overpowering.
Chanterelles and Shimeji Panzanella, Toasted Hand-Torn Bread, with salted citrus dressing, olives, fried onions, mizuna, topped with sous vide egg and rosemary salt.
I love mizuna. I’m drawn to greens with a mustardy taste—maybe because my body is low in iron haha. The mizuna they sourced was so tender! The mushrooms were like umami bombs. I was really impressed with this dish.
main meats
As the sun began to set, we dug in.
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Seared Rice Cake, with lap xuong sausage, fried shallots, pork and shrimp cotton, scallion oil, and pickles.
Gooey, savory, and delicious.
The Vietnamese named Chinese sausage “lap xuong,” was the best I’ve had the pleasure of eating. I’ve cooked with it once and you can imagine how bad my recipe was. But here, the pork flavor and seasonings were perfectly balanced.
Local Rockfish, grilled whole with nuoc cham, viet herbs, fried capers and onions.
In the Bay Area, rockfish is a common local fish to eat. They are affordable and easy to cook, with delicious firm white meat.
Smokiness from the grill gave this dish a simple seasoning, yet somehow it comforted me. The part of my human brain which wants to hunt and cook over a fire was satiated. Have I been inspired to grill some fish this summer?! A favorite pastime?! Let’s see…
to finish
Labneh Mousse, with puffed rice, citrus granita, and fruit.
I love when a mild-looking dish punches you in the face with strong flavors and textures. We got cold, icy, creamy, crunchy, sweet, and sour. Genius!
Labneh is a strained yogurt, but in mousse form it was like a sophisticated froyo (frozen yogurt). Or, the healthiest pot de crème you'll ever eat, haha.
One word to sum up this experience: Fresh
time to go (always tip well!)
The funny part about this night is I convinced Will to go into the single-occupancy bathroom with me because I saw a chair inside. A chair! Somebody should sit in it! It made sense to me in the moment. Hey, there’s a chair in here, come inside! I said, dragging Will into the very visible bathroom.
*Sigh* I remember the first birthday-boy dinner we ever had a decade ago. One year into dating and I took Will out to Speisekammer in Alameda for German sausages. Big slippery sausages in a warm bun. I was so shy about us then.
Now when we left the bathroom together and strutted down the aisle of crowded tables. Several people watched us exit with keen eyes and the sense of something perverse having happened. I felt like I was doing a walk of shame, and I didn’t even get to do anything! I mean, I did offer to perform a lewd act of love (sarcastically, I promise) but birthday-boy said: No, no, no. Why did you drag me in here?!
I just like to get a rise out of him. Oop. No pun intended.
Enjoy your food adventure!
Love,
Amani
🥂