mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog which sometimes posts about reasons for finding the food. Today is one of those posts; Cathy is writing.
Starting in June, the last Saturday of the month is when Phoenix Decorating Company has road testing of floats for the upcoming Tournament of Roses Rose Parade, which will be held on January 1, 2024. There are other companies which construct floats as well as six self-constructed floats in the Parade.
Shriners Hospitals for Children will sponsor this float, "Believe In Tomorrow", keeping with the Theme of the 2024 Parade, "Celebrating A World Of Music, The Universal Language". Floats are colored in to help with decorating.
"A Lovely Day for Hope", presented by the City of Hope hospital system was tested for mechanics and maneuverability with 'weight' on board.
The 2024 entry from Trader Joe's is titled "a-one, a-two, a one-two-three-broccoli" and includes Trader Joe (collapsed at the back of the float, now but will be raised for the Parade) conducting a trio of broccoli and various vegetables playing musical instruments. The beaters in the yogurt cup at the front will produce bubbles along the parade route. Another beautiful float.
A new entrant in the Parade for 2024 is from Coding for Veterans. Unsure about the title. The center looks like it will have a screen. The outlines of aircraft are a H-60 and F-35. 
This entry is from Western Asset. It is backing into the barn. You can see the Driver of the float (who proceeds down Colorado Boulevard by looking down and following the Rose Colored Line on the street) to the right in the photo and the Spotter (who looks out the front, communicates with the Driver via a headset) to the left. You can see rectangular vented 'windows' at the fronts of the 'completed' floats, where the Spotters are seated.
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It was just before 8 a.m. and The Mister and I headed South then East, looking for breakfast. We saw a sign visible from the street for a 99 Cent Only Store with a tiny (maybe three foot by two foot) sign on top of it "Tam's Noodle House". There were cars in the parking lot. We stopped.
Walking inside, we were directed to the last open table. Tam's opens at 8 a.m.
The breakfast menu was handed to us. 
At the top of the menu, beverages are included! (Iced beverages are an additional $1.50). The tea was good and strong and kept refilled constantly.
From the menu, "C"- vermicelli with Satay Beef plus scrambled egg & bun with butter (the price was $12.99, not the $13.99 as on the menu). Great broth with tender, flavorful beef and non-mushy noodles. The scrambled eggs were soft and fresh made (I did add some chili crisp to them after a few bites) and the steamed, soft bread was just enough.
"F"- beef stew with steamed noodle too plus scallop congee ($13.99). I saw the noodles being rolled in the kitchen when I went to the back toward the restroom. Fresh, soft, a thin layer…really nice. That beef stew was excellent, tender and such flavor. The scallop congee was really a great version. The scallops were dry/shredded and interspersed throughout each bite.
This was almost too much food (we did have some leftover and it reheated well for a light snack). We want to try more of the breakfast offerings, but also the fact that the regular menu has more choices, is reasonably priced and the restaurant is open late, makes this a possible place to stop for dinner after we decorate floats in December.
Tam's Noodle House II 19035 Colima Road Rowland Heights 91748 (626) 820-9977 Open daily 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
Choices of pizza, Asian fusion, poke, a taco shop and Greek/Mediterranean (as well as a massage parlor)…what a unique mall area with plenty of parking.
We decided on Viktor's after checking out menus on the windows of all the businesses.
Walk up, order and pay. Grab your beverages. Your name is called out when everything is ready.
For this initial visit, we chose to share an Ultimate Salad ($14.95). A full serving of Gyros and a full serving of Victor's chicken on top of a Greek Salad. Wow! Plenty of food to share. A standard Greek salad-Romaine, bell peppers, onion, tomato, Feta and Greek olives, topped with a house made VK dressing. The marinated chicken was moist and grilled with a nice char. The beef and lamb gyros was shaved from the vertical rotisserie spit and very good. 
I also ordered this "Feta Melt" from the starter menu ($6.25) and wow-this was great. Feta, red onion, bell peppers, tomatoes on a toasted pita. 
A great bite of flavors and texture. Even though served folded, as above, eating the pita 'open faced' seemed proper.
Then again, the interior decor is unique and focused on types of 'money'.
Walk up, order and pay. You are given a number and find a seat. 
Here is a close up of the menu.
"The Mess" ($9.10) Eggs, cheese, hash browns, bell pepper, onion, ham, bacon, sausage and toast. Everything in every bite. A lot of food, a lot of flavor, a lot of texture. Should be enough for anyone.
Chili Cheese omelette ($8.90) Three eggs filled with house made chili (no beans) and topped with a slice of American cheese. A slab of crispy hash browns and toast. Again a lot of food. A bowl of chili will be a nice meal when the weather cools down. 
We decided to share a side and since it was our first time, a Combo Plate ($6) was ordered. Fries (not too many; a nice surprise), onion rings (whole onion, not diced), zucchini fingers and mushrooms. This large platter was served with two large cups of house made Ranch (you can order more for 50¢). Excellent, fresh, proper fry (even the potatoes were nice and crisp) and leftovers.
A "3 x 3" burger ($6.60) was one order. Three charred beefy patties, three slices of cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion on a toasted bun. Excellent, fresh and, of course, large.
The Chicken Breast Sandwich ($7.75) was a great choice. Served on a lightly toasted Squaw Roll, the grilled chicken breast has a slight char and is moist and flavorful. Lettuce and tomato is all that was needed to compliment this sandwich. 
We decided to share a banana milkshake ($4.50) and it was great! 
A remnant from the vault is now part of the decor.
Having 
Step inside, the sign in sheet is at the door, sushi bar is to your right. There is outdoor seating.
As always, we start with hot tea.
The paper menu is in English and Japanese. If you are early enough (and there are still some of the limited number of bento lunch specials available), you'll be given the daily Special Bento Box menu. You can also read the menus online. 
This Bento Special ($15) included Pot au feu, steamed chicken, fish miso, deep fried Spanish mackerel, deep fried meatloaf, spaghetti and rolled omelet (in addition to miso soup and salad). Pot au feu is steamed beef with vegetables; tender, rich flavored. The steamed chicken was also nicely flavored (no condiments/soy sauce is needed for any of this meal); every bite was well balanced.
Sara Udon ($18) is a crispy noodle based dish. Stir fried seafood (shrimp, fish, scallops) and vegetables with a smooth sauce surrounded by crisp, fried udon. Textures, flavors and comfort-food. 
Homemade gyoza ($7.50) are filled with a juicy pork mix,. The gyoza skins are thin with a light fry.
Chicken Katsu Bowl ($16). Served as a 'Set" (as are all the main dishes), the Katsu chicken on top of rice is light crisp-fried and juicy. 
Ebi Kakiage Udon ($14)- Shrimp with shredded vegetable. This tempura-type dish has the shrimp (ebi) coated with bits of seafood and vegetable fried into a sort of fritter. Pieces can be dipped in the udon, but the crispiness is what was craved this day.
Grouper Hot Pot ($15) (listed as 'Hataki Noko' instead of 'Nabe' on the handwritten receipt).
Arriving like this- with hidden fish and a luxurious topping of mixed vegetables and many types of mushroom in an excellent (not too salty) dashi based broth. Each component of this tray was filled with flavor. The fried grouper did manage to stay crisp for a good part of the meal.
One hot day, I ordered my favorite, Tempura Zaru Soba ($14). Chilled soba noodles with a tasty dipping sauce and tempura shrimp on the side. Soba does not affect my blood sugar levels, making this dish even more satisfying.
One day, we were seated at the back wall and were able to stop to read the display along that adjoining corner wall. Professional golfer, Xander Schauffele has a signed poster and other news items on this portion of the wall. 
The Entry for Rotary International, "Clean Water, The Music of Life" was being tested with weight (people) onboard. You can see a rectangular slot at the front end of the 'keyboard'-that is where the 'Spotter' for the float will be watching for traffic and hazards during the parade. He or she will be communicating with the driver, who only looks down and follows the 'Rose Colored Line' painted on the street.
The entry by the City of Alhambra, "Celebrating the Year of the Dragon"was tested in its full open position. 
But every float has a maximum height and width it must be able to collapse down to so it can proceed along the Parade Route. The doorway of the decorating barn is that maximum size. 
"Chimes of Liberty Protecting Our Future" is the 2024 entry by the Fraternal Order of Elks, a Service Organization.
This detailed float will certainly be an eye catcher! You might notice the hands are missing from the Fife and Drum Corps- the faces as well as the hand flesh tones are being decorated with various spice blends/mixes by professionals (not us volunteers).
Lutheran Hour Ministries entry, "Make A Joyful Noise Unto The Lord" passed its third mechanics and maneuverability test and is ready to be decorated beginning on December 2. You can see the rectangular slot for the 'Spotter' in this photo.
Step inside, order and pay. We were directed to a table and soon enough, our orders were delivered. 
Pretty much a standard first time order for us: Har Gow ($3.99), Shumai ($3.99), Crescent dumplings ($3.59) and egg tarts ($3.59) were brought out first. Fresh and warm, great flavors.
The soup dumplings ($7.99) took a little longer and were steaming hot. (I took the photo before asking for a spoon, but there was no leakage) quite a bit of soup and a thin dumpling skin). Tasty.
There were utensils in the drawer under the tabletop-but no spoons. 
Tea was $1 each (so, one green and one oolong) and you could get more hot (as well as chilled) water at the counter.
Nijiya Japanese Market is a favorite stop because of the organic Produce section as well as the prepared foods area. I wrote about some 'grab and go' meals in 
There is a two sided refrigerated area near where you stand in line for the cash registers. One section has various sandwich choices.
This is a "Mix Sandwich" ($5.49) on white or wheat. Four different fillings- Tuna Salad, Egg Salad, Ham with butter and a Lettuce and Tomato with cheese and mayonnaise. Each piece of sandwich in this mix is 1/3 of a crustless bread sandwich made with three bread slices and two layers of filling. 
The "Fruits Sandwich" varies daily. This one had melon and pear and orange along with whipped cream in between slices of a quality white bread. 
Picked up some sushi while I was there and we had a nice meal.
There is a Chicken Cutlet sandwich ($5.99)-breaded deep fried chicken with a house made tonkatsu sauce (A Pork Cutlet sando is $6.99). On this day the Fruits Sandwich was simply strawberries with whipped cream. 
Placed between the three Chicken sando sections were three smaller lettuce/tomato/cucumber/mayonnaise sandwiches. A nice, balanced meal.
Marukai has two 'grab and go' island refrigerators as well as closed door freezers and a small hot deli counter. There is just so much inside this small yet packed market. 
The egg salad sando ($4.99) as well as the katsu pork sando ($4.99) are exceptionally good here. You can see I also purchased the potato salad and some katsu chicken (which is really tasty from here). {Yes, we use Christmas plates all year.}
Located between Marukai and Nijiya is 
The Mix Sandwich here ($7.99) consists of four sandwiches, each 1/3 of a whole sandwich. Egg Salad, Tuna Salad, Ham with lettuce and a Japanese Potato salad sando. Each sandwich is fresh and flavorful and fancy. Again, katsu chicken was purchased as a 'side'. 
Neat and clean interior seating. There is also outside seating and a small menu, which is nice. Many items can be ordered vegetarian. Our waiter said that most everything here is made from scratch.
We both wanted the cucumber salad ($6) on this rather warm day. It was *excellent*- cool, refreshing, with just enough salt and sesame oil to compliment the smashed cucumbers.
The Ma Po Tofu with pork and rice ($12.50) (you can also order vegetarian for $2 less) was a shareable portion. The sauce had the brightness of Sichuan peppercorns and the silky tofu was plentiful while the bits of pork complimented the flavors and added texture. A very balanced dish. 
Under "Signature" dishes on the menu were Chilli Wontons (12) ($10.50). We had to try these. Not much chili on top, but there is a great house made chili crisp on the table which enhanced the porky goodness of these large, two-bite wontons in a stretchy, thin wrap. The broth at the bottom of the bowl was wonderful with a rich porkiness and subtle chili heat.
The red brick building with the black awning, next to LLL Reptile on East Grand between North Kalmia and North Juniper. It's pretty easy to spot. 
There is plenty of indoor seating as well as quite a few outdoor tables.
Step inside and the menu is on the wall. There are paper menus also. Order, pay and your food will be brought to your table.
The first item that caught our eyes, top left-Original Poutine ($8.99). Fresh cut fries, brown gravy, cheese curds. We had to. The fries were skin on, definitely made here. Not too crisp, but hot and thoroughly cooked, covered with the not-salty brown gravy and cheese curds, which melted in the heat of the fries. The cheese was plentiful and stretchy and a really great part of each bite. There were leftovers which reheated quite well in the fry pan at home. 
Pretty much the center of the menu board, the Cuban Torta ($16.99) wa our agreed choice. A toasted Torta roll slathered with mayonnaise, filled with adobada, pulled pork, ham, provolone, a fried egg, pineapple, and pickled jalapeño.`
You can see it all here. Each meat (plenty of meat in this sandwich) was fresh and offered a discernible variety of flavors. Then there were textures-the egg was runny, adding a richness and the sweet slice of lightly crisp pineapple was very complimentary to all of the porky goodness. Even the light crunch, slight saltiness and light heat of the pickled jalapeño helped bring it all together with each bite. We each had leftovers of our respective halves.
Looking over to the bottom right of the menu-Beignets ($7.99). Oh yes, this would be a dessert day. We were asked if we wanted the deep fried dough to come out with our meal or would we like to wait, since everything is made to order here. We said we were not in a hurry and later were asked if they should start on the dessert. 
The building, signage and interior has remained the same and survived Covid-19.
I chose (as always) the wonderful, vegetable filled minestrone soup as my side
to the 1/2 eggplant parmesan sandwich ($9 on the board at the door specials). This is a favorite order, served on a wonderful toasted Italian bread-the tomato sauce, crisp fried, breaded eggplant and melted cheese is a blend of comforting flavors and a texture filled meal. 
The Mister ordered the baked (cheese or meat) ravioli from the menu at the door ($9). The serving comes with the bread, as well as a choice of meat or meatless sauce as well as the optional mushroom topping (of course He wanted that!). He also ordered a side salad ($2); quite large and we shared it. Great, tasty ricotta filled ravioli, meat sauce, fresh mushrooms. Just perfect.
The menu at the door also offered an individual size white pizza ($8). We had to. Quite large for an appetizer (we thought of it that way) (there were leftovers) and exactly the way I like pizza- simple with a thin, somewhat crisp dough and toppings which conveyed the flavors of the cheeses.
