Food Blogz

Nespresso

2011-05-30T21:17:00.001-07:00

Nespresso, a photo by foodblogz on Flickr.

Nespresso

No more weak or stale tasting espresso! I had the pleasure of attending the Nespresso event party in Los Angeles and as a coffee connisieur I was excited to say the least. I have had no luck with do-it-yourself espresso machines as they never extract the full flavor of the bean so, like most people, I frequent coffee shops. Well, no more after I was given a shot of the Nespresso grand cru. I was surprised because it had all the kick you need to start your day or to jolt your midday. It had a hint of chocolate, vanilla and caramel and the best thing, I can have this everyday in my home. The Prixie Nespresso is the smallest espresso machine that Nespresso makes.

Not only did I try the espresso this machine makes but I also enjoyed a cocktail made with espresso. I tried the Nespresso mojito and the Nespresso Martini and they were both very good. They are something I could see myself making for parties.

I liked everything about the Nespresso from the pre-packaged capsules to the slick compact design. No more mess with grinding my own coffee beans and I can have an espresso in less than a minute.
Ok so now I have to re-think this whole, “It’s easier for me to buy” attitude. This Nespresso delivers a great espresso with a push of a button and you don’t have to spend lots of money buying out.

Kimchikhan and Kimchi Festival: 'Fermentation Benefits All'

2010-01-06T07:39:00.000-08:00

Kimchikhan and Kimchi Festival: 'Fermentation Benefits All'

The movie Kimchikhan is currently being fermented; in other words, it is post-production. Kimchikhan is scheduled for release soon in 2010. Its revelation will be matched with the Los Angeles kimchi festival, where Fermented Food Forum/Future Food Forum/Best Kimchi Cook Competition/World's Special Food Exhibition will all be held together. Kimchi festival.com - opening Feb. 2010

Santa Monica Gourmet Food Truck Corner

2010-01-04T14:33:00.000-08:00

Gourmet taco trucks are all the culinary rage. Now, pop-up lots are springing up so a variety of trucks can park and offer a food court on wheels.
I went to the opening of Gourmet Food Truck Corner at Santa Monica Blvd. and 14th in the city of Santa Monica. The flier claimed as many as 12 trucks would be there but there were only four.

First stop was India Jones Chow Truck. I ordered the Butter Chicken with basmati rice and it had a nice spice to it.

Next was Fish Lips where I had the Crunch Set Large. The shrimp was tender and crunchy but the eel had no flavor to it at all.

My third stop was Barbie's Q. I had the Q Sampler plate which was a open-face sandwich with bbq beef, pulled pork and smoked chicken. This was disappointing as the beef was dry and chewy. The chicken also came with the entire skin of the breast on the plate. The skin was unseemly out of place but worst of all there was no hint of smokiness in the chicken at all. I did enjoy the pork and the potato salad.

Last stop and in last place was Border Grill. I had the Yucatan pork taco with braised achiote pork, black beans, pickled onion and orange jicama slaw. The pork tasted like BBQ and was sweet. The tortillas were not heated and split in half when I picked it up to try to eat it. If a Los Angeles taco truck claims to have Modern Mexican cusine then the pressure is on them to really showcase authentic flavors. There are so many trucks that have perfected flavors from the various regions of Mexico that a new one can not get away with anything less. Border Grill needs to work on what exactly they are trying to be.

I also ordered their flautas with potato and chorizo.

Gourmet Food Truck Corner
1401 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica Ca. 90404

Ha Noi Avenue

2009-12-31T16:23:00.000-08:00

Hanoi Avenue is Northern-style Vietnamese cuisine. A group of us went there for a late lunch/early dinner. We were a large group and were seated quickly as the service was friendly. I had no idea what to eat but Dao was in charge of ordering all the food.

The Bun Rieu Oc;Vietnamese snail noodle soup with mint, basil, spring onion, beansprouts vermicelli noodles in a tomato base. The broth was tasty, however, the snails were tough.

Bo Luc Lac: Vietnamese Shaking Beef. Luc Lac means “shaking” or tossing of the beef back and forth in the wok after the sirloin is quickly seared. It was served to us on a sizzling cast iron plate with white onions. The beef was seared perfectly making it tender and tasty.

Bun Cha Hanoi: Vietnamese Hanoi-Style rice vermicelli noodles with grilled pork patties. We were each served a bowl of grilled pork and grilled pork patties with pickled carrots and onion slices, vermicelli noodles, sweet nuoc mam cham (Vietnamese dipping fish sauce) and we topped it with fresh herbs which included fish mint, perilla and Vietnamese red perilla. This was my first experience trying fish mint and the name says it all as the mint really smelled like fish. This dish had a nice smokiness to it because the pork was grilled over charcoal.

Fresh Herbs

Fish mint

Cha Ca Thang Long: Grilled catfish marinated in turmeric and galangal served on a sizzling cast iron plate with a bed of grilled onions and fresh dill on top. I'm a fan of catfish and while it was a bit tough it tasted good. I just wished they hadn’t overcooked it.

Ca Kho To: Vietnamese Braised Fish in a pot. The sauce was sweet, spicy and savory. It was garnished with fresh jalapenos, cilantro and green onions. The sauce was caramelized and gooey which I loved. It would have been perfect if they had cooked the fish a bit more to absorb that sauce.

Banh Tom Co Ngu: Fried sweet potatoes and shrimp. The potatoes were crunchy and sweet and the shrimp was tender. I didn’t like having to peel my shrimp as I have not quite gotten used to eating it with the skin on yet.

Trung Duc: Baked egg omelete stuffed with crab and pork. This was cooked perfectly with flavorful crispy edges.

HA Noi Avenue
8432 Westminster Blvd
Westminster, CA 92683
(714) 898-8838

Hamburger Haven

2009-12-28T22:51:00.000-08:00

Hamburger Haven in West Hollywood is a place I have passed by many times with the same thought, "Next time I'm in the area I'll give it a try." Well, next time finally came as I was in WEHO looking for something to eat that didn't involve a valet or a menu in my hands. I was looking for an easy meal with minimal wait time. First thing, enter the parking lot on Robertson Blvd. just south of Santa Monica Blvd. The driveway on Santa Monica is an exit and you'll have a hard time trying to slip into a parking stall if you go in that way. Most of the seating is a covered outdoor patio with just a few seats available at the indoor counter.

I ordered the #3 the sassy burger which is a burger with swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles. You then have the option for grilled or raw onions or bacon for an additional charge. A wheat bun can be substitued for free which I did.

The burger tasted fresh and was juicy. The wheat bun gave it a nice texture and taste which I really enjoyed but it left my husband still hungry more.

So he went back after finishing it and ordered another #3 but this time he changed things up. He went with a double and added bacon and grilled onions on a white bun. It wasn't as good as the first burger. I could tell that the bacon had been sitting around because it wasn't hot and felt a little dried out. The bun was bland and fell apart on him after only a couple of bites. He should have just had the double the same way We'd ordered it the first one. The fries were nothing special as they looked an tasted like something out of the freezer. Paying the extra price for bacon and grilled onions also wasn't worth it as it did not add anything to the meal. Next time, a double #3 on wheat is a perfect, inexpensive way to get an all-around solid hamburger. The good thing is that now I know that Hamburger Haven is worth coming back to IF I'm in the area.

Hamburger Haven
8954 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069(310) 659-8796

Fleming's Steak house.

2009-12-28T06:17:00.000-08:00

It started out high and ended low. I attended the one-night event special dinner called "BYO wine dinner."Tonight's menu:Hors d'oeuvre-Lump Crab Crostini with Tropical Pineapple and Prickly Pear Vinaigrette. It was nice refreshing with hint of lemon and a nice tangy crunch from the pear. Yeah! A great start so I thought.

Salad-Baby Arugula and Spinach Salad with Tea-Smoked Duck and Goat Cheese Foam. Nice, smoky tasting and tender duck cooked perfectly. There was no arugula in the salad and the spinach was water-logged. This was a 50/50 dish, not great but also not bad.

Here is where we started sliding down the slope.Entrée-Broiled Filet Mignon Poached in Butter on Roasted Parsnips Topped with Mushroom Caponata and a Pomegranate Glaze. How can you go wrong with a filet mignon? It was topped with a super-sweet simple syrup pomegranate glaze which was unbearably bad. The mushroom tasted like they came out a can. I expect a mushroom caponata to have an acid and a slight sweetness to it. This had no acid as it was drowned in the pomegranate syrup. The roasted parsnips were good but again everything seemed to have this syrup all over it. This dish had the dinner really picking up speed as it was going downhill.

Dessert-Sour Cream Pound Cake with Poached Pears and Blue Cheese Crumbles drizzled with Rosemary-Infused Caramel Sauce. Everyone loves dessert right? Wrong. Here is where we hit the bottom. The sour cream pound cake was cut nicely in a square and topped with a poached pear. As I went to eat a piece all of the sides of the cake were hard and when I tasted it was so dry I had to wash it down with water. The poached pear was not thoroughly poached and it was hard to bite into.

I could not eat the remainder of the dish. I would rather a meal start sluggish and get better as it goes on but that was not the case in this situation

Fleming's Steakhouse
6373 Topanga Canyon Blvd
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
(818) 346-1005

Flaming Clam Grill of Cheongdamdong

2009-12-26T05:56:00.000-08:00

The restaurant's name, Bultaneun Cheongdamdong Jogae Gui, translates into English as "Flaming Clam Grill of Cheongdamdong". , Cheongdamdong is a fancy suburb in Seoul nicknamed the Korean Beverly Hills as it has upscale boutiques and art galleries.

Don’t look for any English here as everything is in Korean even the menu.

We chose the 59.99 option for our table of three

The nice thing, though, is that the menu has pictures so you know what you’re getting.

I was invited by a friend and upon reading the L.A. Times review I knew I was in for a real treat. This is a place that offers fresh seafood and they cook it for you tableside. Oh yeah, I was in. As soon as we all sat down the feast began. The first item to come out was the Gyeran jjim AKA the Korean steamed egg casserole which you spoon out. It has the texture of a soft custard. Alongside that was the ddukboki spicy rice cake.

Next, the banchan was spaced all over our table to be shared and eaten with our main course. What I love about banchan is that it is constantly replenished. My favorite banchan is kimchi and even though I know it’s not a main course I treat it as such. Banchan is different at every restaurant depending on the chef but the one constant is kimichi as no meal is complete without it. The banchan served tonight was kimchi, quail eggs (which were cooked perfectly nice and creamy), marinated vegetables, congee, fried rice with nori, vegetable pancake, tempura fried sweet potato and noodles.

Tempura fried potato,noodles and korean pancakes.

Kimchi

Fried rice.

Salad and congee.

Clam soup

Next, our seafood arrives consisting of shellfish such as shrimp, scallops,clams, oysters, abalone, conch and mussels.

Conch.

Scallops.

Oysters placed on fried rice.

Mussels.

The seafood was arranged neatly on our grill and the server knew exactly where to place each item depending on how fast it would cook. The server opened up each clam and placed it on the grill.

As each item was cooked it was arranged at the perimeter of the grill for us to start eating.

Don't look for any type of seasoning on your seafood because there isn’t. The reason you have all the various banchan is so it can be eaten with your meal. I like the idea that the seafood is served in its natural state. This way you know what you’re eating is fresh and not covered up with spices and sauces. The experience for me was like one big seafood bake without getting sand in my shoes. I will definitely be back and bring more friends.

We did pretty good eating everything.

Bultaneun Cheongdamdong Jogae Gui
3465 W. 6th Street, Unit 20
Los Angeles, CA 90005
213-388-6800

KFC NEW FIERY GRILLED WINGS

2009-12-23T19:24:00.000-08:00

KFC: 50% Bigger?

Fiery Grilled Wings.Fifty percent bigger chicken wings marinated in peppers and grilled. These wings are unique to the market because each one is injected with the marinade unlike most other restaurants which only offer new flavor through sauce extensions. These wings are bigger than normal wings as I call them a white drumstick. The wings had a nice kick to them. I love my wings on fire and while these were not burning my mouth it did have a nice taste and they were finger-licking good. The flavor had the original seasoning with peppers added to it. I like the idea that KFC is now offering and making it easier for customers to pursue balanced diets without sacrificing taste. This item is being launched nationwide next week 12/28/09 so I was honored to be one of the first to taste it.

50% bigger wing on the left and the normal size wing on the right.

Here is a better perspective showing the bone. The new bigger wing is on the left and the normal size wing on the right.

I was invited to KFC’s exclusive dinner and tasting by my dear friend Abby @pleasurepalate. It’s been awhile since I have had KFC so what the heck, why not? Let’s see what the Colonel been up to these days. Walking in I noticed a change of atmosphere as there was a wall of bucket art as I like to call it.

There were also bucket seats and the light fixtures are made like, yes you guessed it, buckets.

The tables were covered in red table cloths along with cloth napkins, nice china throw away plates and faux silverware.

A table was set up with chicken fingers, wings and popcorn chicken was waiting for us to munch on.

I guess I haven’t been to KFC in awhile because I’m accustomed to the menu only offering original or crispy. We were greeted by Christopher Payne and Ed Thomas and I was excited to hear about his exclusive new item and being one of the first to taste it. We were given a tour of the kitchen. It was exciting to be able to see how it all comes together and to know that everything is made on-site. No frozen, pre-breaded chicken anywhere to be seen. Not only was the tour informative but we were able to bread our own chicken. I didn’t realize there was a science to breading chicken but there is. First you wash the chicken then you shake it seven times. Next, the chicken is breaded in a rolling motion seven times before frying.

Rinse the chicken.

Bread the chicken.

Location
KFC
Hacienda Heights

Priyani Ceylon Cafe

2009-09-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

Sri Lankan food: I had no idea what to expect when I first tried this cuisine so it turned out to be such a nice surprise. It's somewhat similar to south Indian cuisine in its use of chili, cardamom, cumin, other spices and it has a distinctive taste. My friend invited me to try Priyani for the first time and not knowing what to order we asked the owner to recommend a few dishes. He was gracious enough to explain the menu and help us decide on what we should try. He really lead us in the right direction because from the moment we started eating it was nothing but a burst of flavors. Now I know “burst of flavors" means nothing to you but trying to capture the flavors of this cuisine has been a bit tough so I decided to go back a second time to speak to Priyani, the chef and co-owner and maybe try another dish so it would give me a better feel. Well, you can’t do that because each dish is so complicated with all of its spices that I can recognize some of the flavors but when they are all mixed together you get a very complex and difficult to pin down taste. When speaking with Priyani I asked her to describe the flavors in her food. I could taste Indian influences but I know it's not Indian food. The ingredients are the same but the flavors are different. How did she do this? She said that it’s in the way she combines, toasts and blends her spices that makes it unique. So that’s what they mean by the "love factor." This restaurant has no one else’s flavors and influence but Priyani’s. It’s her taste that we are experiencing and you can’t find this anywhere. It’s her terroir.

For appetizers we had a platter sampler of pattis, rolls, and fish buns. The pattis reminds me of an empanada. The dough was a nice and tender. It was filled with chicken, potatoes and spiced with curry and nutmeg. The rolls reminded me of Chinese eggrolls. They were wrapped in an eggroll wrapper and then battered and fried. Fish buns were similar to a salmon croquette and it had a nice spicy filling.

Lump rice or Lamprais-Dutch influenced: The whole meal comes wrapped up in a fresh banana leaf. Inside there is seemi sambola (caramelized onions) which were nice, sweet and spicy, pol sambola (shrimp paste), yellow banana curry, fish cutlet, chicken curry and deep-fried eggplant sautéed in onions and spices all stuffed in the banana leaf then steamed. This allows the flavors to permeate all through the rice giving you an incredible range of flavors from sweet to spicy with hints of cardamom, cilantro and fresh curry leaves.

Biryani-Served with chicken, cashew curry, raisins and an egg nestled in the middle of the rice. The technique that goes into making Biryani is what makes this dish. There is a two-part process from marinating the chicken in yogurt and biryani spice mix then adding and cooking it with the rice. Piryani makes this dish to perfection as the chicken is moist and the rice is evenly cooked. It's a wonderful aromatic combination of saffron and herb flavored basmati rice.

Kotthu Roti-This means chopped roti. This is Sri Lankan street-food. Strips of roti are cut and stir fried with vegetables, onions, egg and beef. Piryani says she makes roti daily.

Rice hoppers-First time I’ve ever seen this. The rice hoppers are made daily by hand. The ingredients are rice flour, water and salt.

Watalapaam-A bread pudding of Malay origin made of coconut milk, brown palm sugar, cashew nuts, rice flour, treacle (Sri Lankan syrup), eggs and various spices including cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg.

Priyani Oriental Cafe

9035 Reseda BlvdNorthridge, CA 91324
(818) 998-6900

Dan Sung Sa: Pojangmacha

2009-08-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

Don’t let this place scare you. It’s not hard to find just look for the Kim Jon IL poster whose face is plastered on the restaurant sign. Inside it's kind of eerie with dim lighting, slightly dirty and crowded. I guess they're re going for a North Korean vibe. There is graffiti all over the walls making you wonder if you've arrived in a third world country. If you’re not a smoker beware because this place has no regard for the no-smoking law as it seems like you're encouraged to light up. So why am I telling you this? Because if you can look past all that then you might like the overall experience. I've been here several times as I was introduced by a friend who's as passionate about food as I am. The food is inexpensive as it's only on menu to encourage you drink as much as you can. It's a restaurant of hit-or-miss bar food that's loud, grimy and sometimes smokey but I always seem to have good time when I'm there.

Here is their menu on a wooden tablet.

The first thing that comes out is complimetary
barley tea and vegetable soup.

One of my favorite dishes is something I call the dumbbells. Stuffed with rice noodles, tempura battered and fried,wrapped in seaweed.

Pig blood sausage It's mild and can be ordered steamed or fried.It had a nice mild buttery flavor

Raw tofu topped with kimchee This was another one of my favorites. the tofu was nice and creamy the kimchee added a crunchy texture and spiciness, it all complimented each other well.

Rabbokki with fish cakes (spicy) it's the same as tokkbokki but with ramen noodles added.

Frog legs and anchovies grilled.

Tender fried sliced egg rolls nice texture. Tasted like a rolled up omelete.

Mackerel grilled needed some seasoning.

Skewers ,shrimp, chicken, scallops, beef and mushrooms and the sauces.

BBQ pork or should I say BBQ cartilage? I couldn't find the meat.

Squid this was nice and spicy.

Soju after about two of these I can’t remember what else I ate.

Neighborhood: Koreatown
3317 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 487-9100

Dogzilla

2009-08-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Not Your Typical Wiener

The wieners themselves are very good. They’re meaty in texture and not salty, however, in this case the toppings make the hot dog. Various Japanese toppings are used to create a truly distinctive and delicious flavor. Their best-selling dog is the Dogzilla so that’s what I had. It consists of an all-beef frank, grilled onions, teri-mayo sauce, avocado and bacon topped with furikake.

These hotdogs are not cheap but are well worth it. The combination of the ingredients work really well together as you can't help but get a burst of flavor in every bite. The teri-mayo adds a sweet, smooth flavor that along with the caramelized onions worked perfectly. The furikake added a Japanese aroma.

Yakisoba dog: Spicy sausage link yakisoba, okonomi sauce, red ginger and nori. I did not try this one but I did take a picture to intice you. I will be going back tomorrow review to follow.

Okaki dog-Bratwurst: melted monterrey jack cheese, wasabi mayo teriyaki sauce, okaki ( rice flakes) and nori flakes.

Furikaki- All beef frank grilled onions, teri- mayo sauce topped with furikake.

What's on my stove top?

2009-08-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

On Top of Spaghetti..

Spaghetti is comfort food. It's so fast and easy to prepare plus it's a great way to clean out your refrigerator. What better way to utilize all your vegetables? One way to put a smile on everyone face is to mention that spaghetti is cooking.

While everyone has their own way of eating spaghetti I believe I have discovered the perfect vessel for consuming this kind of pasta. I've seen some pile the spaghetti and meat sauce on a dish and attack it with no regard for the mess factor. If you're spinning the spaghetti with a fork and spoon you need the high sides of a deep bowl to catch the red specks that will otherwise wind up on the table or worse your clothes. Plus, when you get to the end, the sides of the bowl make it easy to catch the last and shorter pieces of spaghetti that can not be controlled by the fork. Clean, fool-proof and time-tested a bowl of spaghetti is the only way to go.

What's in my oven?

2009-08-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

I admit I think about food all day. Things like what am I going to make or where am I going to eat? Today, I so wanted it to feel like Autumn. It's been hot and I just wanted to trick my mind into believing that it was a cooler time of year. I decided what better way than to make something with cinnamon, ginger, anise, cloves, and nutmeg? Remember, you don't have to go out and buy each spice. Just pick up some Chinese five-spice powder as it has everything you'll need and it will save you money. When I make this chicken the whole house smells like pumpkin and cinnamon, things that your senses tell you it's autumn. When someone walks into my house the first thing they ask is "Are you making a pumpkin pie?" I'll admit that this recipe is not my own but I have tweaked it a bit.

Here is the star of the show.

Turn the chicken over and cut it straight down the spine. Make sure you have a sharp knife.

Open the chicken then rinse and pat dry.

Rub the chicken with the Chinese 5-spice mixture.

Massage the chicken well making sure you've spread rub all over it.

Make the glaze.

Bake the chicken in an oven @ 375 degrees breast side up for 15 minutes. Then glaze the chicken and turn it breast side down baking it for 15 minutes. Glaze it again and turn chicken over breast side up. Finish cooking while basting every 15 minutes until the chicken's internal temperature reads 165 degrees on the thermometer.

Viola! The chicken is done, the house smells good and I can't wait to eat.

5-Spice Rub

1/2 cup of five spice powder
1 tablespoon of ground ginger
Combine both ingredients and mix well

Glaze
1 cup of Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes ( optional)

Combine all ingredients and cook for 5 minutes

Phong Dinh

2009-08-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

Where the Wild Things Are.

Here is a place to sneak off to if mother sends you to bed without supper. Phong Dinh is the "King of all Wild Things". Everything is cooked to order so make sure if you want the catfish that you call one hour prior to arriving. All manners go out the window as it's nice to just dig in with your hands. I went with a group of people which made for a nice experience. Each dish came in its own sauce.

We were greeted immediately upon arrival and seated right away as the staff was friendly. You could tell by the atmosphere that people were here for the experience as much as the food

Baked Catfish -The catfish was fresh and I was expecting some crispy skin however it was nice and tender. The dish is made to be eaten as a wrap because It comes with vermicelli noodles, wraps,bean sprouts, cucumbers, a nice tangy sweet sauce and a plate of nice herbs. At first, eating the catfish alone it was bland but when wrapped and adding all the accompaniments everything seemed to work well.

Quail Eggs Wrapped in Shrimp Paste -This was a surprisingly delighful dish. The creaminess of the yolk and the saltiness of the shrimp paste complement each other perfectly

Sauteed Kangaroo with Black Pepper -I can honestly say I like
Kangaroo. I can also honestly say that I wasn't too sure about it before it was placed in front of me. it had a nice texture and was very moist. This was served fajita style. Meat nice and tender.

Sauteed Boar -The reason I give this dish a two is because the flavor of the boar was not there. The curry seemed to overpower this dish. I love boar and I love Thai curry but the under note of the coconut dominated this dish. Don't get me wrong, the curry sauce was great but put together and it was a curry dish with boar that I couldn't taste.

Manila Clams -This was a great dish as the liquor of the clams with the garlic, bell pepper and chili added a very robust flavor. .

Water Spinach -This was one of my favorite dishes. The water spinach was nice and tender and sauteed to perfection. Reminds me of rapini.

Bok Choy and Garlic -I love it when Bok Choy is cooked right and it definitely was here sauteed with garlic..

Alligator -This reptile was tasty.I have never had alligator like this. I have always eaten it ground as a burger. It was kind of scary to see the claw and I must admit I was intimated. But, what the heck, I ate it. It was a bit chewy and the actual claw really had no taste but again the sauce was good. The menu says minced alligator which is misleading because there is nothing minced about this meat. Sesame rice crackers were served with the alligator.

Snake -Now this slithering reptile definitely needed some work I can not really describe the taste. It was served wrapped in a "lot" leaf as it reminded me of a stuffed grape leaf dolma. It also had a bitter after taste and there was a crunch, I just don't know what it was.

Shrimp and Pig Ear Salad was nicely presented with the plate surrounded by shrimp chips

We were given rice paper, noodles and veggies to wrap the grilled shrimps.

Here is the evidence, we finished the catfish.

Phong Dinh Restaurant
2643 San Gabriel Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 307-8868

Tally Rand

2009-08-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

You want to go where everybody knows your name..

Consistency is under-rated and under-valued in our “I want it now” society. Everyone wants the newest, hippest thing regardless if it’s any good. I have been going to Tallyrand for the past 10 years on a weekly or at times daily basis. In talking with Mark, one of the owners, it’s nice to hear that he does not compromise on his ingredients. He knows what works and is consistent. He once told me that he can not change his turkey recipe because he has it down to a science and couldn’t make it any better and he is right. When you do something well, why change? Sometimes the hard part is to not tinker with success.
I look forward every year on Saint Patrick’s Day for their corned beef and cabbage. They offer a hearty portion of corned beef over cabbage with boiled potatoes and carrots. I try to get there early because sometimes there is a wait. The corned beef is cooked to perfection and is lean.
For breakfast, this place has the best oatmeal hands down. It’s thick and creamy and you can have fresh fruit or raisins as it comes with a side of brown sugar, butter and milk. I always eat mine with just butter and Equal. For about a year I ate this everyday and I never got tired of it

The chili hash and eggs are to die for as the hash browns are nice and carmelized and add a perfect crunch.

The King burrito is satisfying and filling. Sunday’s features eggs benedict with a Hollandaise sauce made fresh that morning. That sauce is straight out of a Le Cordon Bleu textbook for quality and taste. Once you have eaten here for breakfast it’s kind of hard to go to one of those chains places. Tallyrand offers fresh ingredients at an affordable price. Sure you can find a cheaper breakfast place but the food simply will not be as good and satisfying.

Other highlights include their hamburger steak (meat grinded fresh daily),

Cobb salad and the appetizer platter which really puts a smile on your face.This is my "big salad as in the Seinfield episode.

They don't have grill cheese sandwich on the menu but they will make it for you.

TallyRand
1700 W Olive Ave
Burbank, CA 91506
818-846-9904

Marked 5

2009-08-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

Today was a reminder of why I love living in Los Angeles. I started my afternoon tasting another new craze of taco trucks. This one is Japanese-style burgers with a twist. Marked 5 stands for your 5 senses, touch, smell, feel, hearing and taste, Also each burger is $5 including tax and five people collaborated to make the idea happen. Marked 5 has been on the streets for 5 months and so far they have had a good response. They are mainly in the Venice area where they have received positive feedback which has helped in the process of improving the burger to what it is today. I was surprised that they did not have 5 burgers on the menu since 5 seems to be their theme.

Here are the burgers starting with the one I liked the best on down:

#1 Kastu burger: This was my favorite, a grilled rice bun and the crunchiness of the fried pork all came together well. The sauce was just an added bonus as it was tangy, slightly sweet and spicy.

#2 Torakku V: Tofu patty, pan-fried served with special torakku marked V sauce and veggies with handmade rice bun. I liked this one better than the beef. The crew told me they make their own tofu and mix the cheese,veggies and spices. This made a big difference as it just added a whole new dimension to the tofu.

#3 Chicken Curry: Deep-fried chicken served with special marked 5 curry sauce, cabbage and homemade rice buns. The sauce was a slightly salty but hey I like salt and it could have been a bit more spicy.

#4 Torakku burger: 100% Angus beef marinated in Marked 5 secret Torakku sauce, romaine lettuce, veggies and homemade rice buns. While the sauce and meat were excellent I just couldn't get past the seaweed with my burger. I know it's Japanese with a twist but I didn't think it added value as it was kind of a pain because when I got to the end of the burger the seaweed was there wrapped around the rice bun and it was chewy.

The side items were shrimp chips and shrimp spring rolls. The chips added a nice crunch and the shrimp with spring onions was a perfect intermission from the burger show.

So the next time you're out and about and see a taco truck be adventurous and give them a try.

Bludso's BBQ

2009-02-22T22:29:00.001-08:00

Anyone can grill and smoke meat but it takes someone with knowledge to barbecue. I love barbecue. I love it as a noun, a verb or an adjective. I love that you can spell it BBQ or bar-b-q. I love that it’s like a chameleon in that when cooked over wood, charcoal, pellets, gas or even electric heat it takes on all those different flavors. BBQ is a method of cooking meat low and slow. There are no short cuts and with all that said, Bludso’s does just that. I have had the experience of eating there and I have to say it took me back home to West Texas. You see, we Texans pride ourselves on our brisket and when I saw it on the menu I thought to myself, “Ok, I need to see that red ring. I want to be able to see that the smokiness has permeated throughout the meat.” I had so many questions in my head that I was sure they would fail my test. Thankfully, they rose to the occasion as the brisket had just the right smokiness. It was not dry and I was glad to see that they do not inject their meats. Oh, by the way, I shouldn’t have worried because there was the red ring in all its tasty glory.

My next dish was the meaty and juicy rib tips which I gnawed down to the cartilage. My family would have been proud. In speaking with Kevin Bludso, the recipe to his great cooking comes from his grandma and his many visit and time spent in Corsicana, Texas. He has stayed true to her recipes as everything is made fresh and there is nothing made from a box or can. He makes all of these items fresh daily: sausage, brisket, beef ribs, pork ribs, pork links, four cheese macaroni, collard greens, cornbread, banana pudding and red velvet cake as these are just a few of the items that are on the menu.
Today was a all about the meat day for me so I wanted nothing but that, I wanted to be able to savor each and every piece without any kind of sauce at first.

Another showcase item was the deep fried turkey in talking with Kevin you can purchase deep fried Turkey all throughout the year. If you have never had one I urge you to try.

Then next up was the banana pudding and if you have ever been to a bbq in Texas someone is either making or bringing the pudding and yes it has to have vanilla wafers, not the same if you change it, if it's not broken no need to fix it.

One rule in barbecuing is there has to be love in the food. The love factor has to be in there because if it’s not the food isn’t the same and I can say Bludso’s definitely puts the love in their food.

Bludso's
811 S Long Beach Blvd
Compton, CA 90221
(310) 637-1342

Xiǎolóngbāo Crawl.

2009-02-16T20:11:00.000-08:00

Xiǎolóngbāo means "little basket bun". It’s a soup dumpling from the Southern provinces of China. The skin is smooth and somewhat translucent, rather than dumplings most are accustomed which are white and fluffy.They are traditionally filled with soup and meat, but variations include seafood and vegetarian fillings, as well as other possibilities.

I had the pleasure to do a xiǎolóngbāo (XLB) crawl and to my delight it was awesome. Our first stop was Mama Lu's in Monterey Park. From there we walked to Giang Nan, Dean Sin World and FC Shanghai. We had a party of 8 which is a nice number of people when eating XLB but in our case since this was a crawl it meant we would only be ordering a sampling of the pork and crab at all four stops. This way we could experience the way each place makes their XLB.

First Stop: Mama Lu’s. Let me tell you, all eight of us were starving in anticipation of having good XLB and Mama Lu’s delivered. The dumplings were put into the steamed bamboo baskets, and before long they were brought to our table. The pork flavor dumplings and the crab were richly comforting in their own broth. When eating XLB it’s nice to take a bite and sip out the broth. Don’t forget to drizzle it with chiankiang vinegar and slivers of ginger which was provide upon ordering. They were so good that I wanted to stay seated and enjoy the wonderful rich flavors that Mama Lu’s has but we had a plan and we were going to stick to it.

Mama Lu's

153 E Garvey Avenue

Monterey Park, CA 91755

(626) 307-5700

Second Stop: Dean Sin World. This is a small place with limited seating but it has the best XLB by far. They are open 6 days a week, 8 am – 6pm, closed on Monday. This place was so accommodating and the friendliness of the place was off-the-charts. When we explained to the owner that we would only be sampling and that we had two more places to go to she brought out two types of baked buns(dianxin) to try. There was a red bean and a cabbage (sauerkraut) and while these were good we were on a mission and did not want to deviate from our goal and taint our palate. But, we also couldn’t be rude so we ate them. Finally, the star of the show arrived as nice basket of steamed pork dumplings. They looked quite plain, but as soon as you bite into one, you awaken the flavors in the slick broth and the nice texture of the pork filling. Within seconds, your mouth was happy and you knew this was the place to beat. The standard had been set.

Third stop:Giang Nan. This is a bigger place but it was the least understanding. When we explained that we needed a table for eight and that we would only be doing a tasting it did not go over well. We asked for two orders (8 in each basket) of the seafood XLB because they only had one kind. Since the XLB seemed to be getting better as the day went we were expecting it to be just as good if not better. When the first basket arrived our disappointment began. The fillings were very fishy and some had no flavor. It was like no two dumplings were the same.At that point we didn’t even want our next order but before we could say anything it came out and no one wanted to touch it.

Fourth stop: FC Shanghai. This is a nice sized place with pink décor but because the mood had changed from our third experience we were not happy crawlers anymore. Nevertheless, the staff was friendly and the dumplings were good.

What I learned from this experience is that xiǎolóngbāo for breakfast or lunch is a casual and often chaotic affair. You have to try different places to get the full experience of what a dumpling should taste like. If trying an XLB crawl limit yourself to a group of four people because of all the confusion when a group of eight sits to a table and the staff is expecting a sizeable order. The whole experience cost $11 per person and that was including tax and tip.

The Mudbug has arrived…

2009-02-16T16:01:00.000-08:00

The Boiling Crab
742 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA

While it’s anything but fancy, a crawfish boil is one of the cornerstones of Louisiana culture. The preparation itself is amazingly simple: crawfish cooked with a few vegetables. Crawfish only provide a small-sized morsel of tail meat, so the key to a well-fed crawfish crowd is high volume. Five pounds of boiled crawfish and shrimp constitutes an average serving for even a ravenous eater.This was my experience here at the Boiling Crab in Alhambra as our party arrived at 11:30 am to beat the rush and secure a table. The atmosphere is simple with wooden chairs and tables and shrimp nets decorating the bar. We ordered a few pounds of crawfish and shrimp and you need to pick your sauce between the Garlic Butter, Rajun Cajun, Lemon Pepper or all of the above called “The Whole Sha-bang” which is what we ordered mild. With our order came a few pieces of sausage and two corn on the cobs mixed in. Our order was brought out in steamed baggies and placed on the butcher paper. There are no utensils and everyone eats with their hands as they spill the whole mess onto the butcher paper-covered table. When the food hits the table you just start eating, picking up a steaming crawfish ripping it into two pieces. Strip the shell from the tail end, bite off the exposed meat and inhale deeply through the head cavity. Then throw your shells in the bucket. Repeat those steps as needed and don’t worry because a roll of paper towels and bibs are provided at each table. The bibs are a definite necessity and we brought along our own handwipes. The sauce is what makes this boil as it’s so mouth-watering and totally addicting. I've been to a lot of "Crawfish" restaurants in Texas and Louisiana and this is definitely comparable. The lines during weekends support this claim. A warning: get there early or be prepared to wait in line for hours.

The Boiling Crab
742 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA

Feng Mao Mutton Kebab

2009-02-15T18:44:00.001-08:00

Do-it-yourself dining? You be the judge.

Have you ever been in a situation that you thought was a cool idea and it seemed OK in the moment however once it was over you said to yourself “What the @#LL was that?” Well, that’s how my dining experience was at Feng Mao Mutton Kebab. Each table of four is equipped with a charcoal grill.

Upon arriving we immediately were served boiled peanuts, Kimchi and pickled cucumber.

It started out as a good concept but it died pretty fast. The kebabs came out within minutes starting with the mutton which, I have to admit were good. Then the meat kebabs came out but as we were cooking both they seemed to have the same taste. After a few minutes I couldn’t tell one from the other. Next were the chicken wings along with the chicken kebabs that had no seasoning.

The only flavoring they provided was the petri dish of Feng Mao spices.

The Soungi Mushroom were plain and when grilled became cardboard like.

I suspect it was because there was no kind of lubrication brushed on. Before I got there I was excited to read that there would be a basket full of garlic and shallots but the shallots were nowhere to be seen. I was able to grill the garlic which was really good. This is a great novelty place and the concept seems unique but don’t let that fool you. Our clothes and hair wound up smelling like smoke and our table was a mess. The metal skewers were never picked up and there was no place to put them so they kept cluttering the table. Also, we had a party of 8 but in order for everyone to experience the D.I.Y grilling we had to split up in two tables because one side of the table was not fitted with a grill. I totally understand the D.I.Y kebab concept but at the very least the service should be excellent because we are not only the customers but also the chefs as well. It’s not as if they have to worry about a busy kitchen in the back. We had to keep flagging down our server to refill the water and provide more napkins. From now on, if I have to cook my own meals, I’ll do it at home and save the gas and mileage on the car. When I had read a review about Feng Mao Mutton kebabs I was excited and eager to try because I had never experienced cuisine from Jilin Province which borders the north-eastern part of China with Korea to the south and the Soviet Union to the east. After, my meal I can’t say that I experienced anything unique. It tasted like any other kebabs that I’ve had in the past which really made it disappointing

3901 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323) 935-1099