San Francisco by way of the stomach, but first a long, long layover in Tokyo
We decided late on where to take our yearender, yearstarter vacation. That meant all flights were going to be full and expensive! My sister Mariles, who has been in the airline business for decades, suggested we try flying on Christmas Day. Since the highlight of the celebration was Dec. 24, I thought perfect! Boom!
Despite the airfare doubling after the pandemic, we found very good rates. Drawback? Layover in Tokyo for 24 hours. To most it could be a letdown, but to me and my kids, it was a blessing! We love Japan. I was so excited to travel. My kids were kind enough to give me the window.
Japan Airlines has superb service. The food is good, the seats wide and comfortable, plus the toilets huge and clean, even if we were in economy. Movies are nice and we reached San Francisco in no time. It was a breeze going through immigration and I noticed the officers were much kinder, more accommodating. Strict is ok as long as politeness is maintained. We stayed up for a few hours and passed out for naps a few hours after we arrived.
The next day, it was going to be the start of our family food trip. First stop, super-duper—A new burger joint at the Serramonte shopping mall in South San Francisco! The burger had two flavorful and juicy patties, tomatoes, lettuce, and bacon. Best burger for me so far! Patty was moist and beefy, bread was soft and mildly sweet and, to me, there was no need to add anything to it. Winner!
I had mapped out the dining places I had been, where each visit made me think of my family, so we knew exactly where to go.
After that, we went to my most favorite place in the area—the grocery! Here, my kids and I got rattled, wanting to buy everything. My daughter Ali suggested we eat first before going there. She was right. It took us two days to shed off our jet lag. After which, we were ready to eat! I had mapped out the dining places I had been, where each visit made me think of my family, so we knew exactly where to go.
One brunch, I got some Little Lucca sandwiches. I’ve been coming to this sandwich joint since the late ’80s. Tiny shops with long lines are my kind of place.
Next was a late lunch at Boiling Crab, a Vietnamese place in San Jose that specializes in seafood. They have crabs of course, Dungeness, soft shell, and Alaskan king crab. There are clams, mussels, oysters, shrimps, chicken wings, and a fried fish filet. Here, customers eat with their hands. Orders are weighted, dumped into a plastic bag, seasoned with their special spice mixture with butter, and heated in steam or water.
After a few minutes, food arrives, so you eat away. Seafood is very fresh and huge, the sauce a bit spicy and sweet. Simply put, superb food! No wonder, this place is packed as soon as it opens at 3 p.m. Only a few photos were taken, but it wasn’t because we forgot but because our fingers all had a reddish delicious sauce we couldn’t just lick away. It was such a joy for me to enjoy the food and seeing the people I love most, my kids and their partners, enjoying each bite. Thank you, Lord!
We drove back to South City and went shopping at Winners and Nordstrom Rack. I patterned this trip after my Japan tours where we all have great food and just bring the guests to bargain places. It's like looking for treasure and finding it. I find that this formula works and brings so much Joy. Before every meal, we would pause and thank our Father above for blessing us with the great food and company. Happy Happy New Year to one and all!
I’m not done. I have more treasures to share with you and with my kids. My Japan food tour starts next month in Hokkaido, slated from Feb. 19 to 26. Email: [email protected] if you’re interested.