If you work in San Francisco, you’ve probably made a less-than-nutritious home dinner.
Or a nutritious one that tasted like paste. (We are the city that bred Soylent, after all.)
But that may change with Vite Ramen, “the world’s first nutritionally complete instant ramen,” courtesy of twin brothers Tim and Tom Zheng — the former a graduate of a Michelin-starred kitchen, the latter a clinical nutritionist.
Translation: You can cook this up in a hot second and still get a healthy dose of vitamins and protein. One serving of Vite Ramen has 27 grams of protein, plus 25 percent of the daily requirement of all your essential vitamins and minerals.
As for the taste? Expect a pork bone broth with roasted garlic, caramelized onion, kombu, white pepper, grated ginger and umami. Buy now, and plan to simplify your meal planning significantly when they ship in a couple months.
But Tim Zheng isn’t the only chef bringing award-winning culinary nous into Bay Area homes. Below, seven more local chefs and their super-tasty side projects.
K+M Extravirgin Chocolate: The titular “K” belongs to Thomas Keller, the legendary ex-French Laundry chef, who partnered with an icon of olive oils to produce this antioxidant bar made with EVO and Keller’s favorite cocoa beans.
Bay View Pasta: Ex-Delfina chef Joshua Felciano now offers a collection of nearly 20 hand-rolled pastas and extruded pastas you can order online. Beats your Barilla, that’s for sure.
Nana Joes Granola: Michelle Pusate once made pastries at Nopalito. Now she’s focusing on these vegan and gluten-free granolas, available in bags o’ clusters and bars.
Tartine Breads: The best thing about Chad Robertson’s Tartine breads? They’re just as good at home, where the crowds (probably) are not.
Stolen Fruit: Hawaii-born chef Peter Brown cooked in kitchens from Oahu to New York before settling in Healdsburg, where he co-created these cocktail mixers, made to accompany Sonoma County’s tastiest drinks — alcoholic or not.
Barrel Society: If you ever wanted your own barrel-aged custom cocktail waiting for you at Plum Bar, Haven, or ALTA, this is absolutely your chance.
Luke’s Local: A high-end take on the chef-designed, home-prep meals, these are designed by executive chef Paula McDade, an alum of Gramercy Tavern in New York and our very own Quince.
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