I’m a little addicted to making these lists for some reason this. Whatever, I’m going with it. Here’s all the yummiest foods I ate in 2022:
BEST PASTRY: Hands down, this has to go to the creme brulé kouign amann from Jane the Bakery. So decadent! So many textures! Combining two of my favorite desserts! Wow wow wow. (Runner Up: the fresh strawberry donut from Bob’s on Baker.)
BEST MEAL: I ate at the new upscale Filipino restaurant Abaça twice in 2022, and loved it both times. I’m honestly not the biggest fan of most Filipino dishes, but this was such a fresh take on the cuisine. Very vegetable and fish forward, so many interesting flavor combinations, and beautifully presented. (Runner Up: Coops fried chicken in NOLA.)
BEST DESSERT: My friend Barry was hosting me in his home in Forest Hills, Queens last June, and clued me in to a bunch of new foodie spots in the nabe. That led me to the elegant Prince Tea House, where I had to order the ridiculously named “Brown Sugar Boba Tea Mille Crepe Cake.” So much going on with this very fancy dessert! And all of it worked so well together. (Runner Up: the mango toast dessert from U Dessert Story in the Castro, SF.)
BEST SANDWICH: Fried chicken is one of my favorite things in the world. But I’m not so crazy about fried chicken sandwiches, normally. The exception is the sweet & spicy chicken sandwich from Mamahuhu in the Richmond. It’s a crispy rice battered chicken thigh served with a sweet & spicy sauce on a pineapple bun. It’s incredible. (Runner Up: the chicken cutlet torta from El Metate in the Mission.)
BEST THING I MADE: I did a lot of baking in 2022, but my favorite thing was the second chocolate roulade I baked up for Christmas eve for the family. The sponge came out great and rolled up with no cracks. Not too sweet, nice balance between the chocolate cake and the cream cheese whipped frosting. (Runner Up: the chocolate truffles I made for holiday gifts.)