San Mateo, San Mateo, San Mateo. Whichever version of the name was unheard of before I came here to work two years ago. But destiny is amazing, it made me a one-way ticket to this small town near the bay, and has lived until now.

In fact, in terms of geographical location alone, this city is just in the middle of San Francisco and San Jose-not to mention that it can be very popular, but it should also be full of people. But it doesn't. Compared with the few names in the Bay Area, San Mateo still has the same character as most of the rest of the small towns in California. It is rarely seen in the people in the Bay Area.

Of course, this is not a place full of stories. People seem to live and work in peace here, but the city seems to have nothing to keep the literary and curious people up and down. The only time I saw the appearance of the city's name in a somewhat well-known publication was in Yan Geling's novel Fuso, which mentioned San Mateo County more than a century ago, and I was surprised to see it.

That is, in this place, after more than two years of habitual vomiting, I suddenly remembered the countless dinners it solved for me. This place, which I have always felt lackluster, has brought me considerable memories of food. My roommate and I often have the ambition to eat all the food in the Bay Area, and when we have time, we go out and experience the restaurants that have long been famous on the Bay Area Chinese Food List. But more and more often, both of us will agree very well, in fact, it is not as good as which one of San Mateo. Now I silently calculate in my heart, there is actually a long list, so the list is also regarded as a two-year record and share. As for Foster city, the bridge between San Mateo and San Mateo is almost an attached residential area of ​​San Mateo, and it is also the place I am most familiar with, so it is also listed here.

Ramen

The Japanese-style ramen restaurant is the most famous cuisine in this city. Japanese people set up camp in San Mateo, and slowly began to associate with each other's catering industry chain. Several family-run restaurants are in full swing. Ramen Dojo and Ramen Parlor are among the top players.

 Ramen Dojo: It has almost all the essential elements of the ramen store: the soup that looks heavy and various bright ingredients, the extremely narrow and crowded but clean and exquisite storefront, and most importantly, the long line at the door. In the formation of their own image and the suggestion of the passenger psychology has long been properly won. Sometimes I even feel that if I don't go outside Dojo on a night after work to line up a bowl of noodles with cold wind, then this winter is not complete. Of course, if you like the flavors that are rich and untouchable, then you may find that Dojo is indeed true love.

Ramen Parlor: It's just across the road from Dojo. It's full of diners who come here because there are no seats in Dojo. Yelp is always ranked second after Dojo. But I actually think that Parlor's slightly refreshing taste is more to the stomach, and his crab ramen is really delicious. The store is larger than Dojo, the decoration is very tasteful and cute, no girl does not like it.

Himawari-Tei: In a busy area of ​​downtown, you have to wait in line, but not as crazy as dojo. It is the decoration style of a bright American tavern. We love to come here for team lunch. His family's taru noodles and tan tan noodles are very popular, presumably because of a very uncontrollable metamorphic fatness, which makes us carnivores so enchanted.

Santa Ramen: The most spacious and bright one, the taste is also good. It is the best in the ramen hall without long patience, so it is very suitable for team lunch and also as a happy light meal. Simply put, it is a place specially designed for San Mateo working dogs who love ramen.

Ajisen Ramen: You read that right, that is Ajisen Ramen, the same four characters, the same signboard, which makes one second from San Mateo's downtown to the domestic train station subway station.

Kenta Ramen: Although this shop owns a ramen shop, ramen is really unpalatable compared with the above. They are listed because the snacks here are very imaginative and special, the fried crabs are beautiful and delicious, and the squid is shiny and attractive. The location is far away, and in the small square of Foster City next to the bay, the store looks a bit deserted, but it is in line with the style of this unusual road.

Izakaya, barbecue and hot pot
Yakitori Kokko: My favorite in various izakayas in San Mateo. The exterior of the store is warm and the interior is warm. It is very typical of an izakaya. In this way, the place needs to be accompanied by a friend, casually ordering a pot of sake, a few skewers, meatballs, and snacks, all make people feel good. Basically nothing can be wrong, so it is an all-time favorite.

Usagi: Right next to Kokko, it is a simple Japanese restaurant that combines the style of delicious food, Japanese omelet and hamburger steak. There are many varieties. If you like Japanese curry, I would be very happy to be here.

Inshou (Impression): It is also a Japanese restaurant with a beautiful style, but it is much more refined than Usagi. Every time you order Japanese hamburger steak, you can eat it.

Izakaya Gingi: The most modern style home bar with beautiful design. What to forget, in short, is a very typical Izakaya snack. It is worth mentioning that his house has a lot of interesting details, such as the cup that shakes like a drunk, and it is still very boring when you are in a bad mood.

Gyu-Kaku (牛角): Needless to say, the Japanese BBQ restaurant with a gold sign is a fan of his family in New York. I was excited when I found San Mateo. It's a great pleasure to grill all kinds of tender and tender meat in his house. It's just expensive at night and it's not easy to book a place.

TLT BBQ (Tong Commander): When Dongwan's famous Tang Commander is going to be here, my friends and I are just about to welcome it. After all, we waited for such a northern kebab shop with cumin flavor. God knows how long it has been waiting. Later, I often went there, as if I could relive the lively college life over and over again.

Little Sheep: Many people don't know that San Mateo still has a little sheep, and sometimes he really has to have confidence in the city's food status in the Bay Area.

Fashion Wok: Foster City Waterfront opened a new desktop hot pot restaurant last year. In front of the store was the famous Spicey, which was closed afterwards. The style is a bit similar to the HIT of Nanwan. The bottom of the pot is very good for all tastes. Now it also starts to introduce some wonderful flavors, such as stinky tofu, which almost did not scare my American colleagues. The beautiful environment is the biggest selling point of this house. Picking up a hot evening on the water's edge to eat hot pot in the evening when the sun sets very late is also a matter of urgency.

Zabu Zabu: I only met the Japanese-style hot pot restaurant that hates late this Friday. The meat is exquisite and the soup is amazing. His house is 28 knives casually, so basically it is a place where meat lovers can enjoy it. And because the meat is placed neatly and beautifully, when every dish comes up, everyone has almost a kind of admiration and joy from the heart under the powerful visual impact. The carnivores must understand.

My cafeteria
Everyday Beijing: We all affectionately call it "Old Beijing". Old Beijing is a northern home-style restaurant. The visibility is almost negligible in the whole Bay Area, but it is the place where I always come when I do n’t know what to eat. I changed my boss twice in 2015. Before I changed my boss, the intimate familiarity here was almost the most important reason that drove me every time. The thick wooden doors, the simple decoration, and the old folks in sweaters, when the food is warm in winter, the misty atmosphere in the restaurant has the taste of ordinary restaurants in front of domestic homes. Sometimes I hear low-key old Beijing being praised and praised, and even seeing its name on some food lists will make me very happy. After all, it is a wonderful experience to explore all kinds of delicious food, but it is a moment of peace and relaxation in life to bring a familiar person to a dinner without worrying about the taste. Of course, old Beijing still has some signature dishes worth mentioning, such as the only Jingdong meat pie in this family, such as the seafood rice cracker soup that was once convinced by a colleague of mine, as well as the big dullness and dumplings.

Spicy Empire: Can be counted as the second cafeteria. My roommate and I can always hit it off and have eaten countless places together. She is a loyal fan and often goes off work alone to eat authentic and delicious small pot noodles. And if it is the two of us together, we often wave a large hand of a huge and extremely charcoal-grilled live fish and talk to the Empire while we eat. Later, every time I ate other Sichuan restaurants in the Bay Area, we could not help but compare them to the spicy empire, and found that the spicy empire rarely disappointed.

Little Shanghai: My roommate, a favorite of Suzhou people, I often go now. At noon, you will see a very clean fritters of soy milk. At night, there will be a plate of crispy fried peanuts for side dishes. Pixel stir-fried assorted looks ordinary, but the appetite of Shanghai actually is the most popular. If it's winter, be sure to order the catfish soup, the fish is tender and smooth, and the soup is thick and white, it really makes people feel happy. And his family also sells its own frozen and blunt dumplings, which have a very refreshing taste of amaranth filling, which is completely different from the frozen and dull greasy feel of supermarkets. After knowing this, I didn't worry about supper again.

China Bee:Taiwanese restaurants, if their beef noodles do not get a prize in the Bay Area, it is too low-key. In addition to often going to his home for beef noodles, another favorite dish is snow cabbage and edible edamame, which are fresh and elegant. I can eat a whole plate by myself.

Other Asian dishes
Pho New Saigon: Pho New Saigon at Foster City's Dahua side is delicious at an ordinary level. After all, there are not many that can make pho unpalatable.But his red bean smoothie is really delicious. I don’t know how many cups I have bought in summer.

Sweet Basil Thai: When friends come to Foster City, I usually take it to this place because it is really one of the few restaurants in Foster City that I am sure can give a good impression. In the small square by the bay, the environment inside and outside is very beautiful. After eating, you can also walk along the trail by the bay. There will be many people on weekend evenings. His duck noodle soup is a big sign, but my favorite is a main course called Foster City Sea. On my birthday last year, my colleagues wanted to take me out for lunch to celebrate. I also picked this one and always have a good memory of it.

Coffee and tea
Philz Coffee: Started in San Francisco's native coffee shop. The first time I drank Mojito coffee, I was astounded. This combination of ancient and strange is really a bit triple personality. In addition, Ambrosia Coffee of God and Tesora are also delicious. His chain to San Mateo is really a gospel for the people of our city.

Share Tea (Xiejiaoting Milk Tea): Bay Area No.1 in my heart, I especially love his hot drink. Recently, I found that black sesame milk tea has been added. I want to introduce it to the whole world.

Chatime (Sunrise Chatai): The store is just as it is called, because it is open late, and it is right next to the water in Foster City, so it is very suitable for people who are still talking after dinner to watch the moon. The quality of milk tea is also good. Recently, a couple of my friends relocate to Seattle and asked them what they missed the Bay Area most. The answer is not the sun, not the row of Chinese restaurants, but the brown rice green milk tea of ​​this time. It's obvious.

Tpumps: His two tea stands in Foster City and San Mateo are always full of people in summer. Before driving a little farther in the summer, I always felt that the correct routine was to go to the Tpumps at the door with a cup of tea to quench thirst and relieve heat. His family should also make customization a typical American-style tea shop. First of all, pick out three kinds of fruit from the wall. Imagine any combination of watermelon, kiwi, lychee, tangerine, peach, and the breath of summer. Just rushed to his face. Then choose the type of tea from green tea / black tea, etc., then sweetness, then toppings, how to say, Subway in the beverage industry.

I also wrote a lot without knowing it. As I wrote, I felt that there were memories of ordinary rivers in the ordinary life. The people who ate together, the past conversations, were all transmitted back through the taste experience. One vegetable and one meal just supports the details of life. In fact, I don't know if I want to show it to myself in the past, or to people who have just come to this small town in the future or now. If you, like me two years ago, were inexplicably arranged here by fate, I hope that what you can find about the city of San Mateo is no longer just words. I also hope that your life is a flowing feast, even in this glorious geographical space and this fleeting time, you can find your moving moments.

Compose | Green Island

 Edit | Caribbean Fried Shrimp

[This article is reproduced from Weibo netizens @Island greenReprinted with permission from CHIHUO