When I was small, my Auntie Law used to take me around 24th street in Noe Valley. We would go to this cheese store and sample gourmet cheeses and deli meats. She is one of the reasons I enjoy eating and trying new foods so much. Whenever there was something new to try, she would try it first, tell me about it, and then let me sample. I don't remember her ever really disliking anything, so her disposition was always very happy and open, which in turn too made me open and excited to try new foods. She was also the first to introduce me to string cheese. My Auntie Law is famous in our family for her garlicky Caesar salad.To this day her cooking still rocks, and though she's never been a chef in a restaurant, her cooking tastes super professional and delicious.
I recently was in San Mateo and went to check out Sweet Breams Taiyaki Store. Here is their link: http://sweetbreams.com/ and here's a description of what taiyaki is. The first taiyaki I've ever had was from San Francisco's Japantown; my Sister took me there. I used to fear anything Japanese because I was young and new to anything other than Chinese and American. But as I got older, tried new foods, my horizon expanded, and I began to appreciate other cuisines and cultures. My first try of taiyaki was a winner, which then made me want to go back to Japantown, and from there, an eagerness to learn and try more bloomed.
Taiyaki is basically is a waffle batter cooked with some red bean paste in the middle of it, and it's shaped like a fish. The ones from Sweet Breams are tiny, and fun because they are filled with all sorts of unique flavors. The day I went, I ordered a "school of fish" which has 12 pieces. I had 4 red bean, 4 nutella, 4 and 4 special of the day, which was peach pie flavoring. While I prefer my taiyaki crispy, these were fun to eat nonetheless, and I think kids would like them a lot too because they are a cute size. Service there is friendly too, as it is owned by two sisters. If you too like taiyaki crispy, I put the ones I didn't eat on the spot in my toaster oven at home, or maybe you could ask them to leave them on grills longer. Trying new foods is a fun way to explore and not only expand your taste buds, but might be a chance to learn about other cultures too! Have fun, and try everything at least once~
