Aung Maylika- Burmese Cuisine in Benicia

I treated Ditas( my youngest daughter)💚 on her 61st Birthday last night (Sunday) to a Burmese Restaurant in Benicia, Aung Maylika. In our party were: Dinah, my oldest daughter, Dodie ( my oldest son) and his wife, Ruth Carver. This was my first time to enjoy Burmese food. My impression is : It is delicious and flavorful and it reminds me of some Filipino dishes that I love. We ordered the tea leaf salad, samosa soup, eggplant/shrimp dish, mango lemon shrimp, pork and vegetable in oyster sauce and both white and brown rice. 

 The samosa soup has both tamarind and curry. So it taste like the Filipino sinigang and the Indian curry soup. Burmese Food like all Asians Cuisines has to be Shared. 

I took some pictures during and after our dinner as follows:  

My Two Daughters- Dinah and Ditas 

Dodie and Ruth

   

Waiting To Be Seated

After Dinner we went back to Dodie's House, Play Chinese Mahjong and open Ditas gifts. Ditas won our mahjong game with her 7-pair hands below.  

Playing Chinese Mahjong-13 Tiles, Point System ( Minimum 8 pts to win) and No Jokers  

Ditas 7-pairs Mahjong Winning Hand-24 points

Ditas Birthday Card- Destined to Fly

Meanwhile, here's the AI overview of the Restaurant:

Aung MayLiKa

 is a family-owned Burmese restaurant located in Benicia, California, known for its authentic home-style cooking and fusion dishes. While it previously operated a second location in Concord, that branch closed in April 2024. 

Location & Contact

• Downtown Benicia (1st Street): 333 1st St, Benicia, CA 94510
  • Phone: (707) 361-5152
  • Hours: Monday–Thursday & Sunday (11 AM – 8 PM); Friday–Saturday (11 AM – 9 PM)
• Popular Dishes & Menu Highlights
• The restaurant specializes in fresh, from-scratch Burmese favorites. 

• Tea Leaf Salad: A signature dish frequently praised by reviewers for its unique flavors.
• Burmese Chicken Wings: Deep-fried and seasoned with paprika, onions, and bell peppers ($11.00).
• Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup: A rich and comforting traditional soup.
• Other Favorites: Pumpkin Salmon, Eggplant Garlic, and various Palatha (flaky fried bread) options.
• Dietary Options: Offers extensive vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-freeoptions. 

Dining Experience

• Atmosphere: Casual, cozy, and contemporary with a "hidden spot" feel.
• Amenities: Features a gorgeous back patio for outdoor seating.
• Service: Known for fast, friendly service; the staff often explains Burmese cuisine to first-timers.
• Booking: Reservations are accepted via Yelp but are generally not required as there is rarely a long wait. 

Ordering Options

For those not dining in, you can order for pickup or delivery through platforms like DoorDash or directly via the Aung MayLiKa website. 

Website:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/aung-maylika-benicia-5

Personal Note; I am now 50% in my goal to taste all Southeast Asian Food. In my list for future tastings and outings are Indonesian, Cambodian and Malaysian cuisines. 

💚https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2025/12/who-is-ditas-katague-from-chatgpt.html

FOB Kitchen West- New Location of Filipino Restaurant in Oakland, CA

FOB Kitchen West- New Location of Filipino Restaurant in Oakland, CA 

The Family for Lunch on my 91st Birthday, December  20, 2025 at  FOB Kitchen 

Janice Dulce- Chef and Owner, FOB Kitchen 

The restaurant is FOB West, the new East Bay location of FOB Kitchen, and it is inside

 Prescott Market food hall at 1620 18th Street, West Oakland, California.

FOB West 

 is the new second location from the team behind FOB Kitchen, located

 in West Oakland's Prescott Market. 

This new outpost, which officially opened in March 2026, is a more casual, counter-service version of the original Michelin-recognized restaurant. 

Location Details

• Address: 1620 18th St., Oakland, CA 94607
• Venue: Inside the Prescott Market food hall
• Operating Hours:
  • Monday – Thursday: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM
  • Sunday: 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
  • Note: Hours may vary during the initial opening phase. 

What to Expect

While the original FOB Kitchen in Temescal is a full-service restaurant and bar,

 

FOB West

 focuses on a faster, more affordable menu. 

• Guamanian Influence: Chef Janice Dulce is using this location to highlight 
• dishes from her upbringing in Guam, alongside Filipino classics.
• Menu Highlights: Expect staples like Shanghai lumpia (pork or vegetarian), 
• arroz caldo (chicken rice porridge), and chicken inasal marinated in 
• lemongrass and ginger.
• Atmosphere: The stall maintains the brand's signature tropical aesthetic with
•  blue diamond tiles and palm-print wallpaper. 

For the full seated dining experience with cocktails, the original location

 remains at 5179 Telegraph Ave. in the Temescal District. 

FOB Kitchen/FOB West is best known for a handful of core dishes that regulars 

rave about.

MOST-MENTIONED SIGNATURES

• 1. Pork adobo (slow-braised pork in palm vinegar, soy, garlic, annatto, often with 

  coconut milk and chiles).

• 2. Lechon kawali (thrice-cooked crispy pork belly with dipping sauce and pickles).

• 3. Shanghai lumpia (crisp pork-and-vegetable egg rolls with sweet chili sauce).

• 4. Sticky wings with patis caramel and house pickles.​

• 5. Ensalada talong (eggplant salad with jicama, tomato, sea beans, and soy vinaigrette).

• 6. Garlic rice and adobo fried rice, often ordered with the mains.

• 7. Desserts like turon (fried banana rolls with ice cream) and halo‑halo-style sweets.

FOB Kitchen’s Bib Gourmand recognition

• The Michelin Guide describes FOB Kitchen as a popular Filipino restaurant in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood, born from a pop‑up and now known for its cozy island‑inspired

   space, cocktails, and “menu loaded with keepers,” including specials like 

  sweet‑and‑sour sinigang with pork and Janice’s Ribs braised with coffee, 

  coconut beer and banana ketchup.​

• Coverage notes that the restaurant pairs vibrant, tradition‑rooted Filipino flavors 

  (pork adobo, lumpia, suman in banana leaf, etc.) with thoughtful plating and a lively, welcoming atmosphere, all at approachable prices, exactly what Bib Gourmand

   is meant to reward: “good quality, good value cooking.”

• FOB Kitchen publicly celebrated receiving the Bib Gourmand in the California 

  Guide and later posts highlight repeat recognition, underscoring that inspectors

   see it as delivering this quality-value balance year after year.

WHY FILIPINO FOOD IS SURGING IN THE BAY AREA

• A major driver is demographics and history: the Bay Area has one of the largest

   Filipino populations in the U.S., with Daly City often called “Little Manila,” and

   San Francisco’s Filipino food legacy stretching back over a century and now 

  anchored by districts like SOMA Pilipinas.

• A data‑driven report on U.S. metros ranked San Francisco the number‑one city 

  for Filipino food based on restaurant numbers, awards, customer interest and 

  even Jollibee locations, reflecting both depth and visibility of the cuisine here.

• On the demand side, research shows Filipino food interest in the U.S. has surged 

  (about 50 percent year‑over‑year in one trend report), with Gen Z especially 

  drawn to its bold, comforting flavors and budget‑friendly dishes, a shift amplified

   by TikTok and Instagram.

ROLE OF NEW-WAVE FILIPINO RESTAURANTS

• High‑profile spots like Abacá in San Francisco bring Filipino‑Californian tasting 

  menus, ube cocktails, and sisig fried rice into an upscale setting, explicitly 

  aiming to show that Filipino food can be refined and ingredient‑driven,

   not just “cheap eats.”​

• Together with neighborhood gems (FOB Kitchen, Señor Sisig, JT Restaurant

   and many others), these restaurants give Bay Area diners everything from 

  traditional turo‑turo comfort food to modern small plates, helping Filipino cuisine 

  feel both familiar and exciting and fueling the current surge in attention.

  My local favorite Filipino restaurant is Tropa in downtown Lafayette.  

  A Kamayan Pinoy Feast in the Philippines

  https://www.facebook.com/reel/1431871328456500

  Lastly, here's the summary of  Episode 2 of 
  America's Culinary Cup, titled "Meat the First Commandment," Chef Kim Alter
   was eliminated after failing to meet the specific requirements of a meat-centric challenge. The episode aired on March 11, 2026, and featured the remaining 
  12 chefs tackling the first of the show's "10 Culinary Commandments". 
  Challenge Overview: Mastering Meat
  The episode was divided into two main parts focused on butchery and cookery. 
  • Part 1: Butchery Competition: Chefs worked in pairs to break down a 
  • 250-pound hind saddle of beef into specific cuts, including flank steak,
  •  New York strips, and filet mignons. Expert butcher Pat LaFrieda judged
  •  this segment, awarding points out of a possible 20.
  • Part 2: The Carnivore Classic: In an individual challenge, chefs had to 
  • prepare a dish using one cut of meat—determined by their ranking in 
  • the butchery round—cooked two different ways. They served these 
  • dishes to over 100 guests at an outdoor event. 
  Results and Elimination
  The chefs were evaluated on taste, presentation, creativity, and mastery of the
  commandment (meat) by host Padma Lakshmi and judges Michael Cimarusti 
  and Wylie Dufresne. 
  • Winner: Matt Peters won the overall challenge.
  • Bottom Three: Buddha Lo, Malyna Si, and Kim Alter received the lowest scores.
  • Eliminated: Kim Alter was sent home. Her elimination resulted from a 
  • misunderstanding of the rules; she applied two types of cooking to the
  •  same piece of meat rather than preparing the meat in two separate 
  • ways as required. 
  Butchery Round Scores
  
  

  
  

  Chef Pair	Butchery Score (out of 20)
  Beverly & Diana	14
  Michael & Matt	12
  Buddha & Cara	12
  Emily & Chris	8
  Katie & Keith	5
  Kim & Malyna	3 MY Photo of the Day: Shrimp Pinakbet