Ana Mandara

Of all the places to dine in San Francisco, Ana Mandara is without a doubt my favorite. Found right on Ghirardelli Square, the restaurant is literally a five-minute walk away from where we stay at Fairmont. An upscale dining spot, the cuisine there comprises mostly modern Vietnamese dishes — all mouth-watering and exotic. But what I really love about the place is the ambiance and the decor ... and, of course, the dessert.

The Cham Bar at Ana Mandara

Here's a little excerpt from the SF Chronicle: "The 170-seat dining room resembles the lush courtyard of a colonial plantation. A large stone-like entrance looks as if it could lead to the main house, but actually leads upstairs to a 70-seat bar that features live jazz Thursday through Saturday. Theatrical lighting adds a romantic glow."

Romantic, indeed. The main room glows with the soft pink and orange hues of tall, lotus-shaped lamps. The whole place reminds me of an elegant courtyard supposedly reminiscent of the lavish islands of South Vietnam. The name itself, Ana Mandara, means "beautiful refuge" and is based on an ancient Vietnamese tale of two star-crossed young lovers who were doomed to be apart. Like the ancient Southeastern Romeo and Juliet, I suppose. And to top it off, every dish on the menu is poetically named — from Whispering Waves to Fragrances of the Forest. From Dreams of Sea and Fire to Delightful Dew Drops and Paradise Found. My favorite dish at the moment is something called Ocean of Dreams — a platter of mesquite-grilled skewered prawns, Thai basil and garlic marinade, and garlic noodles with special house sauce. Quite ethereal and simply delicious.

And as for the dessert? Chocolate lava cake. The most delectable, sensational — if I may be so bold, "orgasmic" — chocolate cake on earth. And it's usually served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, giving it that perfect balance of hot and cold. The kind that just melts in your mouth.

Mmm...

So if you're ever in the city on a nice evening out and feel like indulging in the delights of a savory pan-Asian experience...

I recommend you give this ethereal eatery a try.

On a side note, the restaurant is also co-owned by actors Don Johnson and Cheech Marin.

In the City of Chocolate and Fog

Welcome to the land of Ghirardelli chocolate.

Over the weekend of July 10, we spent five days in Ghirardelli Square — one of San Francisco's main touristy hot spots and the capital of Ghirardelli chocolate! My family owns a fractional there, which is supposed to be something like a timeshare, where we have to fulfill a quota of staying there for 21 days each year. At first, I thought it was a bit strange and impractical — why not purchase a vacation home some place farther away? A tropical island, perhaps? At least somewhere that would take us over a one-hour car ride to get to.

The original Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop.

A delectable mint chocolate shake.

But after having spent so many weeks there over the years, now I love it. It really does still feel like a vacation, a get-away, even though it's only an hour away from home. Even though it basically is home. I have lived in the East Bay for nine years and I often still feel like a tourist in the city of San Francisco. The quaint streets bristling with the gusto of tourists and locals alike, the bejeweled boutiques glowing on every street corner. Silks and scarves spilling out of every market stall. Not to mention the weather. I always say that in San Fran, there are four seasons in one day. In the morning (though I'm hardly ever awake that early), the air is harsh, wintry and bitter — probably because of the fog. The afternoon brings with it a fresh meld of spring and summer warmth. And in the evening hangs a gentle breeze — a kind of light autumnal cool.

The city has its other quirks as well. Strange men seeking out spare change in exchange for a few measly minutes of poorly carried out card tricks. And the charmers — like the man who sits in front of Ghirardelli Square all day, cleverly concocting rhymes out of the names of passersby, managing to at least acquire a few laughs and casual conversation if nothing more.

"Please don't go! Gimme some dough!" he chimes. Yet for a homeless man, he seems to harbor the brightest, sunniest disposition I've ever seen. Californians for you, I suppose.

As for the trip itself, we stayed at Fairmont Heritage Place, in a lovely two-story loft that had a skylight and — my favorite part — an upstairs "window" overlooking the downstairs living room. Naturally, we had to stop by the Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop at least once during our stay there. I think I had some white chocolate and caramel swirl confection. Apart from that, we had dinner at my favorite restaurant in SF — Ana Mandara — and went on an early-morning hot air balloon ride. But since I've given you enough to read for now, I think I'll save those two for later. Stay tuned!

P.S. If you first read the title of this post as "In the City of Chocolate and Frog," you're not the only one. It's an unintended HP reference :)