Hope everyone has a great weekend; just thought I’d throw in some Odds n’ Ends. That is, places that I’ve already posted on and some of the different dishes, as well as maybe a few "silly" links.
Dropped by Buga; yet again. This time I had Yookhwe, that wonderful beef tartare like dish:
This refreshing little dish – sorry about the photo, I starting mixing and almost eating before I remembered to snap a picture. But it’s thin slices of beef with sesame seed oil, served along with thin slices of Asian Pear, with an egg yolk on top. Nicely nutty, sweet, and a bit "metallic" or cucumberish in taste. Because the meat is partially frozen before slicing, you can get a "ice cream headache" when you eat this.
Dropped by Noble Chef for a quick dinner. I still get looks of complete amazement when I recommend this place. You just have to know what to order. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT order the Chinese Fast Food style dishes. Instead go for something like the Shrimp Chow Fun (Hong Kong style) with XO Sauce($6.55):
If you think there’s some "wok hey" going on, you’d be right. Nice and spicy, with good sized shrimp, this is my favorite. We also got the Shrimp with Tomato Sauce Rice($6.55):
Nice size shrimp, with a tangy, slightly spicy tomato sauce, this is delici-yoso!!! Stick with the Fried Rice, Turnip Cake with Scrambled Egg, and Shrimp with Scrambled Egg, and you’ll do fine.
As for links, here’s a few fun ones:
Howie Email’d me his Foodieview ‘s Most Disturbing Recipe Searches. It’s fun and reminds me of Pam’s great "Asparagus" ummmm, "residual" post!
I don’t know if you read the News story on the 4,000 year old noodles found in China. I get another laugh at the expense of my Italian Food loving friends. I can still call Italian Food "Nouveau Chinese"….. Angie covers it well on her Blog.
Annie has revamped and changed the URL for Green Beans in San Diego, so check it out.
I enjoyed this really short article from The Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego about the History of Japanese Restaurants in San Diego.
And finally this sign, which always makes me chuckle it’s on the corner of Palomar and 3rd Ave in Chula Vista:
Yay! First to post. the yuk hwe looks really good. I haven’t had that since I was a kid. Memories! LOL the shrimp with the tomato sauce looks so good, and not the mention Chow fun ( I love them noodles). 😀
Hi Mills – You’re number 1, you’re number 1…:ob Buga is about the only place that I’d trust with Yookhwe, for those that haven’t had it, it’s amazingly refreshing and mild, totally not what you’d tink it would taste like…..For that Shrimp tomato sauce dish – the Missus had all the shrimp, I just scarfed up the tomato sauce and rice by choice, it was delici-yoso!!!
I’d be willing to try the yuckwheat! There is a similar Italian dish. Paper thin slices of beef drizzled with olive oil and capers. Maybe a touch of lemon? Outstanding! The chow fun, now that’s a big fav of mine. But what makes it “Hong Kong” style?
I think what makes it HK style is what kirk mentioned as “wok hey” its when the wok is super heated so the noodles have a slight char-grilled taste. Its super yummy and next to impossible to do on an electric stove. Is that right kirk??
I would looove to try some of that yuk hwe stuff mmmm. I always love a good chow fun too but those prawns just looked a bit too “westernised” for me hehe. My mum calls it “bluff the westerners chinese food” lol
we’re so tempted to bring asparagus to a BBQ we’re going to tonight ’cause it’s so good on the grill, but we’re not ’cause YOU KNOW…everyone has to use the same bathroom and all…
and yeah, I DID see that article on the 4000 year old noodles!!! man, my peeps knew how to eat even way back then!
Whenever I have gone to Tropical Star the restaurant next to the Noble Chef for a Cuban sandwich, I have always seen a good number of asian student-types go in. Looking in the window, it seemed that a number of people were always eating noodles. After your post awhile back I went in for the shrimp w/XO garlic sauce fried rice. Yummmy!
Hi Jo – Carpaccio is a fav of mine as well! This HK style thing is the restaurants own definition – if you don’t order it that way, you get it with gravy..
Hi Rachel – You’re right, you can’t get that wok-hey from no stove I know of. Wok-hey is that smokey-carmelized flavor you get from super high heat, along with a well used, well seasoned wok – the personality of the wok in a way! A very elusive flavor. If the shrimp were really Westernized, the tails would be off too!
Hi Pam – I think asparagus and broccoli for the BBQ is a great idea… hehehe – you’d be getting it from “both ends” if you know what I mean! LOL!
Hey Jack – Funny how it is….if I hadn’t ordered the fried rice or noodles, I’d be thinking this place is terrible like most of the people I know!
Speaking of wok-hey, how has the Big Kahuna Burner come along?
Hi Elmo – It’s pretty awesome, but you have to have your act together before using – it’s got 55,000 BTU – I also need a better carbon steel wok.
Yeah yookhwe is pretty yummy when is it done right. my Oma and I wax lyrical on yookhwe. I think I will have to get the HK style chow fun…*faint*
Thanks for the PR! Now I feel pressure to update more often!! =)
btw, the first beef dish — is that raw?? it looks raw!!
Hi Mills – It was good, though I got the usual, “are you sure” questions, but it was pretty darn good.
Hi Annie – Yes, it is raw! It’s also pretty good!
ooh, I’ve never heard of yookhwe before…is this a common dish? All your pictures look so good, they make me hungry even though I’m already stuffed! Thanks for the comment on my post – what is it about the torrance farmer’s market that makes it your favorite?
Wok Hey huh? mmm… ::frowns thoughtfully:: I could prolly generate the necessary BTUs to get my wok that hot on my Camp Chef stove. Wonder if I could use my paellera instead of a wok. The whole purpose for the shape of a paellera is for the rice to develop a carmelized, crispy bottom… hmmm… ::ponders::
Wok Hey huh? mmm… ::frowns thoughtfully:: I could prolly generate the necessary BTUs to get my wok that hot on my Camp Chef stove. Wonder if I could use my paellera instead of a wok. The whole purpose for the shape of a paellera is for the rice to develop a carmelized, crispy bottom… hmmm… ::ponders::
Hi Kathy – Yookhwe is a pretty common dish – I think Sorabol in Honolulu served it. Needless to say you want to make sure it’s a really good restaurant. I’m sure they serve this everywhere in Koreatown in LA. We used to drive 45 miles each way almost every Saturday to the Torrance CFM, it was pretty large, had a few Asian vegetable vendors, parking was not a problem (used to park in the Korean Church Parking Lot. And it was no frills, but with excellent fruits and veggies.
/2005/07/31/road_trip_torra/
The second part of this was it’s also close to Marukai Gardena – where we used to stock up on all the local stuff – they also have Ogo and good Ahi – farmer market opens at 8 – Marukai opens at 9, and breakfast at one of the “local” spots in Gardena at 10:
/2005/08/01/road_trip_maruk/
Hi Jo – Wok Hey, is the “breath of the wok” it’s a taste imparted by a well used, perfectly seasoned wok, almost mythical in nature.
Hi Kirk,
I’ll leave the raw beef for you as well. =)
*giggle* Jo ok you have to post pictures of your attempts up. Remember the keywords and mantra you have to chant to yourself here when you attempt this (and mind you I haven’t atempted it) is “oily and stir fast”
Hi Reid – Never say never, after all didn’t you just have some Natto? LOL!
Hi Rachel – LOL!
Hey Rachel. Actually, I’m closer than you might imagine. It will have to wait till we get to the other side though because I haven’t been able to find my wok since we moved to this apartment. Kirk, my wok is very nicely seasoned. Of course southern culture has a strong tradition of “seasoning” cookware. I have found that the methods used for seasoning and maintaining my cast iron work just as well for the carbon steel. However, I would like to have a larger wok. Mills & I are “on the hunt” for one before I leave. Any suggestions?
Hi Jo – Did it “wok” away…sorry couldn’t help myself!
::rolls eyes and falls back in a laughing heap:: Yep, I suppose it’s “wokking” around here somewhere just out of my line of vision! OHmy goodness! That was absolutely horrible man! I’m expecting to have to be able to reproduce the wok hey with a dry noodle because I still don’t know if I’ll be able to source fresh. I’ll try to find out when we go back for our visit in a couple weeks.
Hi Jo – Must’ve been that “corn” I had for breakfast…. ;o)
I suppose!?!? ::laughing:: Actually, I picked up a package of corn gruel a couple weeks back at Han Kook. I’ve gotta try it. Is that what kind of corn you had for breakfast? Any prep suggestions?