J Hwang

What I'm Watching - 2021

This is how I'm passing the time during the pandemic.

SF Pastry Shop Rankings

Here's my running ranking of pastry shops in SF. I think b. Pattiserie is at the absolute top of the list. If you only have time for one place, make…

NY Bagels in San Francisco

This is a simple reference for New Yorkers looking for bagels in San Francisco. Take away: you'll have to travel to Berkeley.

Where to get sake around SF Bay Area

These are some recommendations from a local sake enthusiast.

Northern CA winery recommendations

This is my running list of wineries that I've visited in the region. Ratings mostly reflect how I feel about the wines rather than the tasting…

Ways to Take Action

Here are resources for those that want to jump start or dive deeper into the long standing and pervasive ways that racism has and continues to shape…

Chocolate bar reviews

My running list of chocolate bar tasting notes.

TV shows you haven’t watched but should

These are mostly “under the radar” TV shows I really enjoyed but didn’t quite make it to the top of the charts during their tenure, even though some…

SF must eat for first timers

I’ve spent almost 20 years eating and critiquing the SF food scene, through the ramen, burger, pricey toast, mescal, and seared ahi tuna fads.…

Restaurants to try

Scratchpad

Masterclass Courses Reviewed

You've seen their ads all over Facebook so the question is: are the courses any good? The answer is: it totally depends on the instructor. The…

SF Pizza Rankings

Best pizza always depends on what kind of pizza you like (I prefer Neapolitan). Let me break it down by style; ratings are out of 5. N.B. This is…

Great Dish List

This is my running commentary of great dishes I'm coming across. Let me know if you agree with them!

Coffee Bean Reviews for the Aging Hipster

There is a time and place for every type of coffee, sometimes an unapologetic double shot of espresso, other times a sugary cup of Dunkin. I think…

SF shaved ice/bingsu rankings

Asian-style shaved ice dessert is not your mother's Slush Puppy. The desserts start with very finely shaved ribbons of ice (more like chocolate…

CA wineries to visit

Gotta try them all...

Taipei Notes - Winter 2020

This was a whirlwind trip but I still made it to a great assortment of restaurants! Here's my rundown of the places. The highlight was the Palais De…

Engineering leadership books

Software engineering leadership requires a different skill set than the engineering itself. These are the resources that I've read and recommended…