This year we went to Foodieland in San Francisco and we had a blast! We made sure to be really hungry and got the munchies going walking by the beach. Entry was easy going, we got in at 1:00 pm because we bought the first round tickets to make sure we got plenty if time to try it all because re-entry wasn’t allowed. We started off with a big baby bottle to stay hydrated throughout the evening, it was expensive but it came with free refills and it was a pretty hot day so I would’ve paid anything not to be thirty plus cocktails were $18 each so I wasn’t there for the drinks, we were all about the food.
The big baby bottle had plenty of flavors and combinations from fruit flavored drinks as passion fruit mango (pictured here), flavored lemonades and iced teas. It was nice to have free refills because we got to try something me of them throughout the evening.
We got greeted with a free try of Happy dumplings, they had some tiny ones for you to try and definitely get your appetite going! They had a but of brothy sauce in the bottom so they didn’t feel dry at all; actually, they were pretty good!
We saw a Guarapo (how sugar cane juice is known in Puerto Rico) booth and it was cool to see the different variations they served infusing the cane sugar drink with other flavors such as matcha, calamansi, dragon fruit, coconut, etc. Pretty good too!
We had this spiral stick potato because of course we want fair food in a food festival! It paired perfectly with the awesome chicken wings we had from Fist Fusion Grill.
There was a booth that offered frog legs and alligator bites. We didn’t try this because I’ve had them before and I do love alligator bites but was the last on my list since I was focused on trying new stuff and particular dishes that I had my eye on. We looked around and honestly it didn’t look bad at all; plus, I love they had a display so you can have an idea of what to expect.
Now, let me tell you about this soy honey chicken wings by Fist Fusion Grill. O M G
This sweet soy chicken wings are honestly on the top wings I’ve ever had, and trust me, I’ve had many and veeery good ones! This is legit and totally worth the hype! The wings were meaty (I hate a bony meatless wing) the skin was perfectly cooked which made it crunchy and not soggy and greasy. The sauce was off the charts good, the perfect amount of soy to make it savory, the perfect amount of sweetness (I’d say honey) to make it sweet and sticky. Even the garnishes are on point because you get some bites with an extra layer of flavor when you eat the scallions and sesame seeds. Not the best picture but I can easily say this was my favorite thing of all the stuff we tried. I’m so sorry this is not a great picture but they were fresh so I didn’t want to ruin the experience, if you get the chance to try them, go for it! Thank me later!
After those heavenly wings we decided to go back for seconds so we tried the OG Musubi. They’re not wrong naming it OG, it is the best Spam Musubi I’ve had! I have to admit I was thrown off by the color of the sauce, it didn’t look appealing at all to me BUT, good thing I tried it because it was the perfect addition. The pink sauce was mildly sweet and balanced the saltiness from the spam perfectly without making it sweet. The spam steak was perfectly cooked, super crunchy golden exterior with a nice thickness that left some of the spam center meaty and not crunchy, exactly how I like it! The rice was good didn’t feel clumped or mushy which was nice for this rice lover. Overall, recommended and would definitely have it again! Can’t wait to try their other stuff because everything from Fist Fusion Hawaiian Grill is definitely too notch! These people know what they’re doing and they’re damn good at it!!
These chicken mochi skewers were pretty good. The charred flavor for me is key in a good kebab and these had the perfect smokiness and crunch from the fire. The place some small onion slices between the chicken pieces that you can barely taste but definitely bring put the charred chicken flavor. The skewers have a little piece of mochi at the end. In PR we put a piece of bread or tostón at the end and onions and peppers between the meat pieces so this was reminiscent of home, adding some veggies and starch to the protein so it’s basically a meal. This made a really tasty snack and perfectly suitable for the beachfront!
I saw this lobster rolls and look how beautiful the look, I was instantly drawn to it and was eager to try it. Sad thing it lacked a lot of flavor, the lobster wasn’t seasoned at all, I mean at all, it was basically steamed lobster with no seasoning, garlic butter or anything. The bread was soggy because it was drenched in flavorless butter and the lobster was cold, I prefer a warm bun with the lobster cooked in some seasoned butter with garlic or at least some flavor since lobster can be pretty bland on they’re own even more when served cold. Not a fan at all and I’m sad to admit it was a huge disappointment and unnecessary whole in my pocket! I won’t name the place because my intention is not to shade places but to highlight the good ones; I just think they can do so much better for what they charged for it.
There was a loaded waffle fries booth that I didn’t try either since it was nothing special (as you can see) and were frozen fries so I’ve had plenty of those already, we preferred to spend the money on other dishes.
There was a Taiyaki place with sweet stuffing like red bean paste, nutella and custard. Pretty standard fair food, nothing special to try here either, we’ve had plenty of those already. They’re a nice sweet snack if you haven’t tried them, is like a waffle shaped like a fish with a sweet stuffing.
There was a corndog booth, that also served garlic and buffalo fries.
There was a Moroccan cuisine booth that even had tajine lamb and chicken.
I saw this and obviously had to try it, I mean, it has my name on it! Yes, I’ve had many pupusas before but the name caught me! They were good, not the best I’ve ever had but pretty good just a little pricey for the little stuffing they had; but you get it, business!
Here at Cocina Guirnalda we tried the panuchos and empanadas. The empanadas didn’t impress me, we had cheese and shredded beef but I wanted more flavor in the meat and the masa to be crunchier. Now, the panuchos, THOSE were really good! They had some habanero sauce they make and it was the bomb! Absolutely delicious! The panuchos are kind of like a huarache which is the corn tortillas made with refried beans inside then rolled again and cooked, they’re used as a vessel just like a regular tortilla for tacos. Pretty tasty, I tried the shredded chicken ones and were really good, would definitely buy them again!
Here we tried some French Quarter sauce oysters and Black Truffle oysters. Pretty good. Fresh oysters grilled to perfection with tasty butter then drenched in your choice of sauce. Simple yet so gourmet!
Now we got to what I wanted to try since I stepped in there, grilled lobster!! My dad is a fisherman and used to bring fresh lobster home all the time, he ven supplied a fancy restaurant I used to cook in, so it’s safe to say know good lobster! These are Maine lobsters which are a little different from the ones we have in the Caribbean but pretty tasty too. This lobsters were seasoned beforehand so they’re pretty tasty and get a little charred from the grill which brings out the best flavor in lobster; my favorite way to cook lobster is in direct fire, nothing beats a good charred lobster, no matter if it’s with pasta, fries, name it; if it’s grilled I’m in! We had some there and took some back to the hotel for later.
We had Korean corn dogs, these were 100% beef hotdogs (pretty skinny so there wasn’t much meat, mostly potatoes) rolled in corndog batter and covered with potato pieces then fried to perfection. It was definitely delicious with the sauces and all but for me the ratio between sausage and other stuff was definitely off; it was mostly batter and potatoes on a stick with a tiny bitty sausage on a stick. The sauces were generously drizzled so it didn’t feel dry at all, it was sweet and savory at the same time so it was pretty tasty overall.
We had to try the cheese wheel pasta so we paired it with the grilled lobster, it was a total hit! We even took some back to the hotel for later because it was the perfect pair for the munchies later! The sauce was super cheesy and creamy, nice consistency, pretty accurate ratio of sauce and pasta and loved watching the pasta tossing in the cheese wheel so this stop was not only tasty but also fun. Would have it again!
Obviously my sweet side calls! After all the tasty savory foods we bought a nutella stuffed churro which was really good, freshly fried, not greasy or soggy and pretty stuffed with nutella, real nutella not the fake or mixed stuff.
We tried the hawaiian honey cones, they are 100% organic, served with Hokkaido ice cream and the cones are hand made. Hokkaido cows produce about half of Japan’s milk and the prefecture is celebrated for using this milk to make world-renowned soft serve ice cream (also known in Japan as “soft cream”). It was good but didn’t really impress me, the cone barely tastes like honey as you would expect and the texture is kind of like the ice cream cones you get at the ice cream trucks, not the crunchy sugar cone kind but the yellow, thin, tasteless ones. The flavor of the cone itself is barely there, it’s barely sweet and not much flavor more like crunchy air with ice cream. The ice cream was really good, would’ve prefer a cup of it because it had a good balance of sweetness, was creamy and even though the cone was filled in the center you can barely taste it because of the thick cone which takes it all. Not a fan of the cone but definitely a fan of the Hokkaido ice cream!
Now, this was our last stop (las but not least) because it was right by the exit and it did not disappoint. You know what they say: “best is saved for last” and this was one of those occasions. We had a chat about queso de bola because it is a staple for us in P.R. too and she ended up gifting us a queso de bola ensaymada and I’m so glad she did because I can’t believe I was about to miss this delicacy! If you’re in SF or around you need to stop for one of these! We tried the dulce de leche and queso de bola and OMG they are perfection!! Can’t wait to go get some more, they definitely got a new fan! We took them back to the hotel so we could enjoy it with a sip of coffee. The dough was soft and pillowy and the toppings were delicious, the queso de bola had the perfect sweet and salty combo. Warmed up with some coffee or tea, this makes the perfect treat! Loved the packaging, how friendly and generous she was and the awesome product they offer! Can’t beat that combo! They definitely know what they’re doing and hope they stay in business for a long time because now we have a new tasty pit stop! If you’re in Newhall you need to pay them a visit!
Overall, we had a good first experience in this Foodieland street food festival . If you’re a chronic foodie like us, you’ll probably enjoy it too. If you’re like me and prefer avoiding huge crowds I suggest you buy the first round tickets because you can stay as long as you want, there’s no crowds so lines are about 5 people long, everything is fresh and available – food, sitting area, hand washing stations, etc. – and by the time the crowds start entering you’re almost done, ate everything and are ready to go!