mmm-yoso – Page 404

Local Kine Chili

January 20, 2007 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

It’s quite amusing sometimes, when talking to ex-pat Kama’aina’s here on the Mainland…once you get past all of the initial pleasantries ("Wea you wen’ grad?"), without fail the conversation drifts to food, and what we miss ("ohhh man W and M Burgers"), and where to get what ("eh, you seen Purity Port-o-gee Sausage?"). In these conversations there are a few items that have reach iconic status, I’m talking about eye-rolling, lip smacking(taste memory is an amazing thing), stomach growling, iconic status. And what may seem to be surprising to some, is that one of these items is Chili….really, Chili. More specifically, Zippy’s Chili. Somewhere between 1966 when the first Zippy’s opened, to say 1971 when the second Zippy’s opened, in Kaimuki, just a block from where we lived(in the old Crown Drive In location), Zippy’s Chili had already won the stomachs of many locals. At the time of this article in 2004, Zippy’s was selling 150,000 of chili a month. Not only through the restaurants, but Zippy’s Chili had become a big time fund raising item, and of course there is online sales, and you can even get the frozen version at places like Marukai here on the mainland. Now that’s alot of chili…in Hawaii?

Strangely enough, my favorite "local kine" Chili is from Rainbow Drive In, also pretty close to where I grew up. Even the Missus will get into the action, Her favorite is from Cafe 100. But still, the King of the Hill is Zippy’s chili.

Right about now, all you Chili Purists should probably come back another day…..what you may read in the following paragraphs may be graphically disturbing. I’ve been told by many mainlanders that what Zippy’s serves, "isn’t Chili". In fact if I may digress…..Once while still working back home we took one of our mainland contractors to lunch at Zippy’s. Now this guy was one of those everything is bigger and better where I come from (guess the state? it begins with a ‘T’) kinda guy, the other thing was, he wouldn’t ditch the suit and tie, a big no-no. So we took him to "Zip’s" for some local flavor. And he orders the chili…when he get’s his chili and crackers, he makes a face, and spits it back into his bowl, and goes off on a little rant, "this ain’t chili, You People, don’t know what chili is…." Now we were kind of used to Him, but the very large and muscular Polynesian Dude eating his Chili-Spaghetti Plate(with two scoops rice and macaroni salad) was not amused. So Bruddah with the biceps like coconuts, and trapezius muscles like the Koolau’s, walks over and tells our guest; "eh, maybe wea’ you come from, dis’ isn’t chili, but ova hea’ it is. You think if any of these guys went visit you, and nevah like the food, dey would spit ’em out at the table? How do you say it…..you was raised in one barn!" And thus the nickname, "Barn-ey" was born…….. He did learn what the term "No make A" meant after that.

Back to the Chili I made, to be very clear, it’s not Zippy’s Chili, but I think it’s pretty close to many "local" versions. The best that I can determine, it’s a bit similar to Cincinnati style Chili. And many people enjoy it on top of spaghetti, or with cheese and onions on it. It isn’t very spicy(though we like to add Tabasco), and uses a few different items, like ginger. As with items of iconic stature there has been much discussion as to the secret ingredient in Zippy’s Chili, the items I hear the most often is Mayonnaise, and believe it or not Cream of Mushroom Soup, for this recipe I used some Mayo at the end, and it added a nice rich finish. Another item I used is the liquid drained from the canned Kidney Beans, I think the canning liquid adds great flavor, and you won’t need to add any salt. But, if you suffer from a pernicious reverse post-bean reflux…….I wouldn’t add to your flatulence woes by using the canning liquid, and use water instead.

Local Kine Chili

1 1/2 lb Ground beef
1/4 lb Bacon, chopped into 1/4"x1/4" cubes
2 Medium Onions, Chopped
1 C Celery, chopped
1 Large Bell Pepper, finely chopped
3 Cans Kidney beans drained, save liquid(see below)
3-4 Cans Tomato sauce
1 Can Tomato Paste
1 – 1 1/2 C Bean "liquid" or water
2 Tb Ketchup
2 Tb Red wine
2 Bay leaf
3-4 Tb Chili powder
1/2 Chicken Bullion Cube
1-2 tsp Sugar
1 Tb Oregano
1 Tb Paprika
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Grated Ginger
3-4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 Tb Mayonnaise(Best Foods or Hellman’s)

1 – Brown bacon over medium heat, when the bacon starts getting crisp add the Onions,

Celery, Bell Pepper, Ginger, Pepper Flakes, and Garlic, stirring to prevent browning.

2 – Once the onion turns translucent, add the Ground Beef, and brown.

3 – When the ground beef is browned add beans, tomato sauce, tomato paste, bean liquid(start with 1 cup), beans, bullion, sugar, oregano,bay leaf, and cumin. Bring to a low boil, than reduce to a simmer.

4 – When chili has been simmering for 5-6 minutes, add in Worcestershire, chili powder(start with 2 Tb), red wine, and paprika. Let simmer for a few minutes, taste and adjust flavor.

5 – Simmer for 30 minutes, and mix in 1-2 Tb Mayonnaise.

Mid-week Meanderings: Update on Sammy’s, visit to Buga with Ed from Yuma

January 17, 2007 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Well here’s a few hump-day revisits…not too wordy, I hope, since I’ve posted on these places before.

Update on Sammy’s:

**** Sammy’s has closed

Sam has hired on a new Itamae, originally from Yokohama, via Nashville(ask Him it’s an interesting story), and second generation Itamae named Aki. Turns Aki has some pretty good “chops”, no pun intended. On my most recent visit, all I said was “Omakase shimasu”…and here’s what came out:

It all started out with those two slices of battered and fried fish you see. As I grabbed the fish and was about to bite into it, Aki told me it was Chi-ai, otherwise known as the blood saturated maguro meat that is usually discarded…..of course I jammed on the brakes! There are only a few people I know who eat the “dark blood meat”, and I ain’t one of ’em(tho’ my Mom was…). But what the heck, I said Omakase, right? Turned out to be very tasty, not overly fishy, and for once I actually enjoyed the flavor that Kewpie Mayo added to a dish.

Some Aji(Horse Mackerel):

A very nice presentation.

Everything was quite good, I’m a big fan of the Aji-senbei(fried Aji bones), but the chopped Aji mixed with a touch of ponzu, thinly sliced ginger, and green onions, was especially delicous.

An interesting and very tasty Futomaki(fat cut roll) version of Negi-Toro(fatty tuna and green onion roll):

In addition to the thin slices of Takuwan(pickled daikon radish) and Kaiware(radish sprouts), Aki added in a generous amount of Yamaimo(mountain yam) which added a very nice mild sweet flavor to the roll. When I questioned Aki about his use of yamaimo and takuwan in his negi-toro, he simply said, “it is the way that my Father makes it!” And it was very good!

And a Oshizushi(pressed sushi) to finish off:

I enjoyed the interplay of the salty Ikura(Salmon Roe) and Uni that topped the Oshizushi. Really good stuff, that left me stuffed.

Sam is currently closed for lunch, but will reopen for lunch in the upcoming weeks. His hiring of Aki will allow for lunch service as well as allow Sam to actually work on the business end of owning a Sushi Bar.

Sammy Sushi
7905 Engineer Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Previous posts on Sammy’s:

Sammy Sushi.

Our live uni dinner at Sammy’s(sorry but the photos really suck on this one).

Oshizushi at Sammy’s.

A recent visit to Buga with Ed from Yuma:

Ed from Yuma, and His pal Greg were able to make a quick trip into town, and we met up for dinner at Buga, scene of the first known recorded sighting of Ed’s delici-yoso dance. It had been a while since I’ve been to Buga so I jumped at the chance.

We had the good service as on previous visits, though I thought the panchan were not quite as good as my previous visits.

Not that it was bad, in my opinion it’s still the best panchan around, but today the variety seemed uninspired…must just be me.

We ordered three items, starting with the Samgyeopsal(sliced pork belly):

Pork fat rules…man this was good!

And of course some Kalbi:

Great as always.

On this visit Ed decided to try the Kori Gomtang(Oxtail Soup):

Ed was a bit surprised at the look and flavor of this, but I explained to him that the long boiling process breaks down all the collagen and other items and turns the soup white. We flavored the broth with sea salt that was provided. I’ve had much better versions of this back home, and in LA.

Buga Korean BBQ Restaurant
5580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Open daily 11 to 11

I’ve kept the text short on this one, much more info can be found on my previous posts:

My first Buga post.

Bibim Naengmyun at Buga.

I try the Yookwe at Buga.

And one from our good friend Clayfu at Buga.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Road Trip – S Vietnamese Fine Dining – Westminster(OC)

January 16, 2007 mmm-yoso Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** S Vietnamese has closed

On our recent quick trip to Marukai in Gardena, we thought that perhaps a stop in Westminster would be in order…and maybe we'd try something different. So after hearing about S Vietnamese Fine Dining, and noticing it was right off the 405 freeway, we thought it would be an interesting alternative to the Brodard's, Quan Hy, etc……..

S Vietnamese is located right at the edge of Westminster Mall, in what looks like a highly retrofitted chain restaurant facade.

'S' bills itself as a higher end modern and stylish Vietnamese restaurant, and when you enter and notice all the wood paneling, the grand piano, and the art work lining the walls, it sure does look like the right place.

Strangely enough the restaurant was totally empty, at 1230 on a Saturday! The complete stark lack of customers made us feel a bit uncomfortable, and made the large, airy, spaciousness of the restaurant seem a bit "cold".

This was all remedied by our wonderful, warm, and friendly Server, Linda. As we were seated and handed our menus, we were asked, "have you ever eaten Vietnamese food before?" The Missus and I traded puzzled looks, and the thought "uh-oh, was this a mistake" entered our minds. We managed to choke out, "yes, we've had Vietnamese food before…..", and ended up having a nice conversation regarding the various dishes, and got some recommendations.

Based on the recommendations we started with the 'S' Skewers($12):

6 skewers arrived accompanied with 3 dipping sauces. The skewers were a mixed bag, the Garlic Shrimp Skewers barely had any garlic flavor, though the shrimp were of good quality and cooked perfectly. The Soy and Sesame Beef skewers had the most flavor, and mild sweet-soy flavor, but the meat was on the tough and chewy side. The Curry Infused Chicken was the best overall, with moist dark meat chicken. But again, the flavors were really muted; there was barely any curry flavor, in fact, the chicken tasted like a very mild lemongrass chicken. The sauces were so-so, the supposed "peanut sauce" tasted almost like 100% coconut milk, the sweet chili sauce tasted like bottled stuff, the best of the group was the soy-scallion sauce, which we ended up using on everything.

We wanted something with a little "punch" so we ordered the Bun Rieu($8) as our soup:

Supposedly the most "savory" soup on the menu, we thought of it as Bun Rieu Shadow soup…a mere shadow of the pungent Bun Rieu. It didn't help that the soup was served lukewarm, and that the vermicelli noodles were overcooked and mushy. On the positive side, the crab-shrimp "cake" was the absolute best I've ever tasted, sweet and so very soft. The fried tofu was fine, but the soup was very mild in flavor. The garnishes were on the skimpy side, but I must admit that the julienned banana blossom served was the freshest I've ever tasted, slightly tangy and refreshing. Requesting extra garnishes is a must.

The Missus ordered the Banh Mi Ca($8):

This was a breaded catfish Banh Mi. First off the baguette was excellent, perfectly crusty without being hard and dry. The panko breaded fish did not fare as well. The fish strips were dry and flavorless, and we thought that the use of Honey Panko was not the best choice, making the fish too sweet.

I ordered the Bun Cha($10), a dish of grilled pork and pork meatballs that are meant to be wrapped in lettuce leaves with various herbs and eaten:

This was by far the best dish of the day; the pork meatballs had great flavor and the grilled pork served in a sweet-garlic-soy sauce was very soft and tender. In keeping with the use of high quality ingredients butter lettuce was served for wrapping, along with a very large portion of vermicelli, which I ended up pouring sauce over to finish up….we also dipped the leftover baguette in the sauce, it was that good.

For us S Vietnamese Fine Dining was a real mixed bag; on one end many of the ingredients were of good quality, the restaurant decor is very stylish, and the service was excellent. On the other end, we thought that some of the dishes were not prepared well, the presentation of the dishes are not quite at that "fine dining" level, and that many of the flavors that we consider to be the heart and soul of Vietnamese cuisine were severely muted. We didn't think the prices were really too bad; our entire meal cost $45. It seems that S Vietnamese Fine Dining would be a great pick for someone who is perhaps a bit intimidated by Vietnamese food. The dinner menu is much larger with many interesting almost fusion style dishes like Lamb Nuong Xa, a lemongrass and peppercorn crusted lamb dish.

I think the Missus had a very interesting observation; as we were leaving She turned to me and said, "Why do I get the feeling that we just ate at Vietnamese PF Chang's?"

S Vietnamese Fine Dining
545 Westminster Mall Drive
Westminster, CA 92683

Open Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm
Fri-Sat 11am-10pm

Quick Sunday Post – Teba Shio and Binchotan

January 14, 2007 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Cooking

Just a quick post for Sunday here. We had to make a trip to Marukai in Gardena yesterday to restock on a few things, and ended up spending more time in the area than anticipated. After restocking on Binchotan and other stuff.

If you've never used Binchotan, which is a very hot burning, long lasting, "white" charcoal, it's pretty amazing stuff:

Binchotan has some pretty unique characteristics, first off, when tapped it makes almost a chime like ringing sound, it is also quite hard, and doesn't break up like regular black lump charcoal, though you can break it by tapping it against the ground. There much more information on Binchotan on Wikipedia. There's one more thing about Binchotan, at over $5/lb, it may cost more than the food being grilled. That said, for us at least a little Binchotan goes a long way, since we only us it on our little Hida Konro(small clay grill). Because it is really hard to "start", we'll break a stick into several pieces and place directly on the flame of our gas stove until "white", than place in the Hida Konro.

It's amazing how something so simple as Chicken Wings flavored with salt(and some Togarashi), aka Tebashio will taste so very good.

Because only a few wings can fit on the grill at any one time, it's really not "fast" food, but a nice and slow process…that goes great with a few beers.

Don't forget the Yaki Onigiri!

One Other Item:

We were a bit delayed on our return from Marukai. While waiting at the traffic light to exit Marukai, the Missus, turned to me and said, "oh my God, look". There was a dog weaving in and out of traffic along Artesia Boulevard, and finally into the parking lot of Gardena Plaza. Seeing this poor little Dog just wandering along a busy street and parking lot we knew we had to do something. Unfortunately, the poor Dog was very skittish and pretty much terrified, and I wasn't able to approach Her with any success. So while I kept tabs on Her, the Missus ran into the Burger King in the mall and bought a Whopper Jr. She figured that the poor animal must be pretty hungry. We were finally able to get within a few yards of the Dog in the parking lot of Albertson's, and I started breaking the burger into pieces and slowly getting closer and closer to Her. I could tell by Her demeanor that the chance She would bite was pretty low. After what seems like forever, I got ahold of Her, and managed to get the dog on it's back and calm Her. I then carried Her to the car while the Missus ran into the Mailbox/Postal store to find the number of the nearest animal shelter.

As you can see, She was in pretty good shape, but no collar, no tags:

She was in good shape, in spite of being covered with loose hairs and dust, Her nails were trimmed and Her ears had been plucked recently. And even though She was quite hungry and thirsty, She was well fed.

The Gentleman in the Mailbox/Postal Shop was very helpful in pointing out the nearest animal shelter. We hoped that Her Owners were searching for Her, or at least maybe She was "micro chipped". After standing in line forever, we managed to speak to the desk officer and had Her checked out….unfortunately, she was not "chipped"…..

So we reluctantly left, hoping Her Owners were out searching for Her and She would be found. We did leave instructions that we should be called if the owners could not be found, and no one was willing to adopt Her. If that is the case, Sammy and Frankie will have a sister. She is so mellow and sweet that I have no doubt that we can either keep her, or find her a nice family ourselves. So in case you're looking forward to a sweet Corgi-Shepard(?) mix, and live in the LA area……She can be found at:

Carson/Gardena Animal Shelter
216 W. Victoria Street
Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 523-9566

LA Animal Services

Her ID is – A3620754.

Even though it may seem a bit far-fetched, we thought that maybe someone might recognize her and help find her owners….or maybe someone does want a new family member.

Thanks for reading, I'll be back with another restaurant tomorrow!

Kayaba

January 11, 2007 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

** Kayaba is now Musashiya

As much as I thought Takara served an ok-in-a-pinch ramen, and was rather sad to suddenly see it gone on one of my shopping trips to Mitsuwa Marketplace, I was over joyed to see that Kayaba was taking it's place. If you've ever eaten at the Mitsuwa's Torrance Food Court you'd know what I mean. It's a food court almost only in name……most all the food is served on real plates, bowls, and trays, giving the experience a more refined feeling…..

If you're a connoisseur of plastic food, you'll love the shiny new display of plastic food at Kayaba…it hasn't been around long enough for the dust to settle on them yet. By the way, did you know that the district of Kappabashi is known for being the mecca of plastic food?

The menu at Kayaba is quite simple and easy, but can be a bit complicated if you haven't dealt with the Udon/Soba/Teishoku(set meal) style of eating. Most meals settle around either soba or udon, donburi(rice bowls topped with savory food) and tonkatsu…and a number of combinations of the previously mentioned items with additional items such as tempura, curry, and so forth. It might be better to check out the plastic food and know which "number" you'd like to order…..the sign behind the cash register lists all the items, but for some reason, I have a problem reading it….it's old age kicking in. You pay for your meal and have a seat. You'll be called when your order is ready.

The Missus's favorite at Kayaba? It's quite easy, it's the simple Zaru Soba(Cold Soba $4.00):

The Missus enjoys this so much, that She had it three times when I was on my short trip to LA! I think the draw for Her is the soba, the noodles are a fine al dente, with a nice chew and pull. The broth is light and not too salty, and the addition of Tamago (egg omelette) gives you a shot of protein, with the Shiba Zuke(pickled cucumbers) adding a nice pickled palate cleansing.

I enjoy the way that Kayaba does their Tonkatsu( Pork Cutlet $7.50), though it is still a bit "chewy", it is still better than most of the Tonkatsu I've had:

But not all Tonkatsu is created equal at Kayaba. There are two different Tonkatsu cuts offered, either the Tenderloin or the "Rosu" (Pork Loin). To my surprise the tenderloin turned out to be very moist with a pleasant flavor, while the "Rosu" was tough and tasteless, in spite of the higher amount of fat. Go figure! The breading on the Tonkatsu has always been done well, nice, light, and crisp, and the cutlet is served on it's own little platform to allow oil to drain off.

The Tonkatsu is served with the traditional shredded cabbage, pickles, rice, a potato salad that I love…lot's of onions, so beware…..the one component of this meal that I didn't care for was the miso soup:

Very watery and bland…

Here's the Shrimp Tempura with Hot Soba($6.50):

Again the soba was pretty darn good, the broth tasted like a simple heated shiro…just like the zaru shiro heated, but it was fine. The shrimp tempura was fried well, and had a good shrimp flavor.

On this trip I decided to try out the Curry Katsu($7.50):

I enjoyed the Tonkatsu as always, but I didn't care for the curry, it lacked any depth of flavor, was very runny, and had a "powdery" feel. I ate all the pork trying to wipe off all the curry, and left the curry alone.

Here's a photo of some Sansai Soba($5.80):

Never got a taste, but it's the hot soba topped with various "mountain vegetables", like warabi(fern shoots) and bamboo shoots.

Some notes on Kayaba: All noodle dishes are available with either Udon or Soba. Kayaba does not do take out, in fact there were several people before me who asked. Soon after, a "No take-out" sign appeared on the cash register. But here's a trick, you can ask for containers for your food, and take your tray of food to a table and empty them into styrofoam containers. I saw this done twice. When it get's busy, there might be a bit of a wait to order, in addition to a pretty long wait for your food. Oh, and don't get there right at closing time….they will close exactly at 7pm!

Kayaba
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd Ste 119 – In the Mitsuwa Marketplace
San Diego, CA 92111

Open Daily 11am-7pm

(Rail) Road Trip – Two Landmarks; Philippe the Original & Cielito Lindo- Los Angeles

January 10, 2007 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Mexican Restaurants, Road Trip, Sandwiches

On the final day of my LA Railroad trip, we headed off to find some sustenance for the long and grueling train ride back to San Diego…..a two hour trip on an empty stomach can be pure hell! On this day, Captain Jack and I had decided to walk on over to the one and only Philippe The Original….say that quickly and dramatically "Philippe THE Orrr-iginal", and suddenly pictures of tumblers, clowns, and other circus performers dance in your head…..

Which sometimes ain’t too far from the truth…..it gets pretty crowded at Philippe’s, even at 830 am on a Sunday morning, the line is a good 6 deep. You may need a Ringmaster to maneuver around the 3 ring circus breakfast rush.

Some of Philippe’s fame is based on the claim that Philippe Mathieu(the original Philippe) created the French Dip sandwich by accident in 1918. You can read it all here. In the original "you got peanut butter on my chocolate" moment Philippe apparently came up with a bad case of fumble-itis when making a sandwich, dropping the roll into a roasting pan full of juice (let’s all say it together, ahhhh-jus!), and the rest so they say is history. But as with many of these type of claims, it is not without some controversy…..right up the street resides Cole’s Pacific Electric Buffet, who claim to have invented the French Dip sandwich in 1908!

Philippe04_1 Most of the customers on this morning were having breakfast. But, I wasn’t standing in line on the sawdust lined floors at Philippe’s for breakfast. Though I must say, watching a petite Asian girl wolf down a huge ham steak, easy over eggs, biscuits, cole slaw, and potato salad, is quite a sight to behold.

Not knowing the next time I’d be in the area, I went for my favorite sandwich at Philippe’s…the Double Dipped Lamb Sandwich. ($5.95) Ahhh Lamb, it’s not just for breakfast anymore……. A leg of lamb was removed from one of the heating drawers, the meat cut off, the whole sandwich dipped, twice in jus. Oh, and of course a cup o’ Joe…believe it or not, coffee at Philippe’s is still 10 cents a cup.

And though the lamb was a bit tougher and not as rich as the version I had on my previous visit , the jus was oh so good. In fact I remember telling Captain Jack, that if Philippe’s sold rolls in jus, I’d be tempted to order that. I know I could have gotten the Classic French Dip, but I’d found it to be on the salty side……

Still Philippe’s is quite the landmark…in business since 1908, that says something about a place.

Philippe the Original
1001 N Alameda St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Open Daily 6am – 10pm

And of course breakfast is just not complete without something from that special food group, taquitos. We made it a point to stop by Cielito Lindo on DietChiliCheeseFries recommendation. According to DCCF, the taquitos at Cielito Lindo was a must eat item.

Much like Philippe’s, Cielito Lindo has a long and interesting history, and has been around and selling taquitos since 1934! That’s alot of taquitos…….

So of course we had to stop by and order some Burritos! Hah, just kidding, I ordered 3 taquitos($3.60). The taquitos arrived, and were very tasty, the "shell" had a nice corn flavor, though I thought the really tightly packed meat to be somewhat tough and flavorless. The avocado sauce, was like a runny guacamole, or maybe a thicker salsa verde? Kind of on the bland side.

Still these taquitos had that "something special", and were about a perfect a taquito as one could come across.

As we ate, we watched taquitos being cooked, and noticed that the taquitos weren’t deep fried in the conventional sense, but fried up in a pan that looked sort of like a wok, without a ton of oil.

As we watched the taquitos cook, I nudged Captain Jack….I had found the ingredient that made these taquitos so good….it was the special, thick, white liquid being poured into the pans from the "coffee pots" lining the stove area! Yes, that magical elixir…Lard! No wonder they tasted so good!

Cielito Lindo
23 Olvera St # E
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Open Sun – Thurs 9am – 11pm
Fri – Sat 9am – Midnight

A Lamb Dip Sandwich, with a taquito chaser…….now that’s a breakfast!

(Rail)Road Trip – Orochon(Los Angeles)

January 8, 2007 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

During the recent Urasawa eat-fest, Captain Jack and I stayed in the Little Tokyo area…and since it was winter, well, a SoCal winter, what is more appropriate than some good ramen. There was a problem though….our first choice for ramen:

Everytime we’d stop by Daikokuya…one of my favorite Ramen Houses in LA, the place was packed,with people waiting inside the restaurant as well as a line outside. Being that we just wanted some ramen, we decided on Orochon Ramen in Weller Court.

And though the restaurant was pretty full we managed to snag an outside table. What we found out is that all the outside tables are for Orochon, until 2pm, when one set of tables is reserved for the restaurant next door……

Anyway, the deal with ramen at Orochon is a pseudo-Ala carte deal. Orochon sells ramen at a various "heat" level from 1 to 7, with 1 being the "extreme" heat. For those that think eating is something dares are made of, there are "special" heat levels of 1 and 2, which I assume will hurt you today, as well as tomorrow…if you know what I mean.

First you choose the type of ramen you desire, either Miso, Shoyu, or Shio(salt). You then select a spiciness, and finally the "extras"(i.e. corn, garlic, butter???) Having tried a Miso Ramen train wreck on my previous visit, I thought I’d go with the Shoyu Ramen($6.45) at a spice level 3, with Char Siu(99 cents one slice), Bamboo Shoot($1.25), Green Onions ($1.25!!)and Bean Sprouts(50 cents)…suddenly, I had a bowl of ramen that was over 10 bucks!

The ramen arrived nice and hot, and the broth wasn’t overly salty. The heat at three was enough to create some sweat on my brow. It seemed that the heat was created through the use of chili powder and slices of jalapeno pepper I found in the broth. The slice of Char Siu was decent, nice and tender with a good pork flavor…but worth a buck for a skinny slice? I couldn’t help but think about every component of the ramen I paid for……green onions!!! Bean sprouts!!!!

Still, I would have been fine, if the noodles were okay like they were on my previous visit. This time they were hard and brittle……..I remember remarking to Captain Jack that these noodles weren’t very good, and they were not. Bummer……

At least the service was decent…there’s a funny red "panic button" on each table for service…I guess it’s here in case you order the "extreme" and go into cardiac arrest.

In keeping with the meal, I forgot to take a photo of the storefront. So I managed to get a unique shot a bit later….it’s the front of Orochon from our room at the New Otani:

Orochon Ramen
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 617-1766

Open Daily – 1130am-1015pm

My Favorite Meal of 2006

January 7, 2007 mmm-yoso Memorable Meals, yoso-silly

This year I know better than to make resolutions I can't keep. So I think I'll leave that to those who are much more disciplined, and just do a quick post about my favorite meal of 2006. I know what you're thinking; it must be Urasawa. Well, Urasawa was probably my most memorable meal of 2006, if we're talking about a meal in a restaurant……

But if we're talking about my favorite meal of 2006….that's a different story; it's not only about the food, the restaurant, the service, the ambiance…..it's about the conversation, the laughter, in short, those that you are sharing your meal with. I have had very few experiences that have given me as much pleasure as my favorite meal of this past year.

The unfortunate thing is, in spite of food blogging for almost 2 years, this is the only photo that I took of that meal:

Sheesh what a pathetic excuse for a Food Blogger I am!!!! I case you're wondering, the restaurant is called Koshiji, and is located in Weller Court….basically a Yakitori restaurant. The food was fine, but the company was priceless!

Over the course of food blogging, I've been blessed to have been able to make the acquaintance of many other bloggers…maybe not in the person to person, face to face sense, but in that only in cyberspace way. I've had the pleasure of meeting a few food bloggers and have found them to be some of the nicest, generous, and kindest people one could imagine. From hanging out with Professor Salt, who generously shared His special tri-tip with me before the Four Q BBQ Team took Third place at the Beachside Barbecue contest in Imperial Beach, to having lunch with Jay from the Linkery, to having an extravagant dinner at Urasawa with Captain Jack, to grabbing lunch with the one and only Cathy, each one of these meals have been delightful. Who'd a thunk it could all have started with food blogs? (BTW, Jim I include you in all of this as well, though technically San Diego Sunday Brunchmaster isn't a food blog)

So my favorite meal started with a short email to the one and only Mrs. Daily Gluttony, to let Her know I'd be in the Little Tokyo area, and we could finally get together, have a meal and chat. I've always loved Daily Gluttony, from the very first post that I read…so you could say DG had me from the "Asparagus Pee". And DG sprung into action, and assembled a cast of my favorite LA Food Bloggers, who are some of my favorite people in the world. I was so very touched and flattered that everyone made such an effort to show up, and the time flew, and before we knew it Koshiji was closing…..so here's my tardy though very public thank you!

To Mr and Mrs DG – Thanks so much for setting everything up! You are such a kind and positive person, and when you smile, the whole world smiles along with you….your smile is that infectious. It's always a pleasure, and you never fail to crack me up! And Isaac, you da' man, you don't say much, but when you do, it's funny anf insightful. Talk about a dynamite couple. It was great to be able to spend some time with you both.

To BoLA and MS – BoLA, you're one of my favorite people in the world! It's funny, you always make me feel at ease…one of those people who I can just slide into a wonderful conversation with, no matter what the subject is! Thanks for coming, I know you had a very busy day, it's always a pleasure. And MS, great seeing you again, thanks for making that horrible 2 hour drive from your other function in the OC. BTW, the sake that BoLA likes is Kurosawa! And BoLA, I'll always owe you for the points scored by letting me know about Jin Patisserie!

To Diet Chili Cheese Fries – You, the great non-food blogging, food blogger! It's always a blast, you are so off the hook! I know you're working hard on your latest project…thanks for making the time, and I promise to eat some onion rings soon…though it's really hard to get past the Pho'. BTW, I'll be waiting for that Food Bloggers Mocu-mentary……

To EatDrinknbMerry – Dude, like finally! It was great meeting you….plus I feel a bit better knowing that there are those who are much more obsessed over food than I! We'll need to get together for a NRM crawl in the SGV one day…maybe just so the most uncool me, can feel cool, hanging with EDBM! (Do you think I used enough abbrevs there?)

To Miss Oishiieats – It was a pleasure to finally meet you! You have a warmth and a smile that could light up a room. You are so down to earth and funny….we still check out your future food bloggers post, and crack up…if there was a food bloggers hall of fame, that post should be there. It was so interesting when we were talking about our parents telling us "you should always try…." with regards to food. It makes us what we are as food bloggers…..

Funniest moment of the evening – As the food arrived no less than 5 ultra compact digital cameras suddenly appeared!

Best question of the evening – Miss Oishiieats; "Tell me, do you and the Missus really eat all that food?"

Best answers of the evening – All the answers to the question by CJ, "Why are there so many Asian Food Bloggers?"

A last observation….as everyone left it started raining quite hard, a part of me worried about everyone making it home safely, we just had to stagger over to the New Otani. A part of me thought about what we used to say back home…..whenever it used to rain during the most inopportune times we used to say, "ahhhh, look ,we're being blessed!"

Or to put it in other terms:

Round trip Train Fare from San Diego to Los Angeles – $58

2 day stay at the New Otani Hotel – $217

Dinner at Urasawa – $552

Hanging with the LA Food Bloggers – Priceless!

Thanks again for a great and unforgettable time!

Ranas.com Mexico City Cuisine

January 4, 2007 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

**** Ranas has closed

My good Buddy Ed from Yuma has been mentioning Ranas.com in Spring Valley for several years. Having been assured that the food at Ranas are worthy of several "delici-yoso dances", and finally having some time off over this past Christmas weekend, the Missus and I made the drive to Spring Valley to find Ranas.com. We got off the 94 Freeway at Kenwood, took a left, and drove into the parking lot of a nearby strip mall. We didn't see a sign for Ranas, but the address looked correct.

We still weren't quite sure that we'd arrived at the right place, until we saw the sign in the parking lot…so this must be the place, right?

We entered the very colorful dining area, and were immediately greeted by a very friendly Young Man who told us that we could have a seat anywhere.

The Young Man, actually, I should say Gentleman, since he was so gracious, named Jose(I'm hoping I remembered his name correctly), asked us if we'd been to Ranas before, to which we answered in the negative. At this point, he smiled and asked us if we'd like to try some samples of the specials of the day….are you kidding!!! Within a minute, four little paper cups arrived:

Man, this was really good stuff! Jose took the time to explain each dish, and though I'd come here to try the Pollo en salsa de Cacahuate, the Peanut Butter Chicken that Ed always mentions, I suddenly changed course……

As we were famished we started with the Huarache Azteca($5.50), a "sandal"(Huarache) sized thick tortilla, topped with beans, potato, and nopal:

We were pretty unimpressed with this popular antojito(appetizer), the whole thing was a soggy mess, there was too much beans, and the flavor of the potato was completely obscured. It was a far cry from the versions we had at the two El Comals.

But have no fear…..our entrees were on the way! We shared all the entrees, trading plates when one of us exclaimed "switch"! So what did we get?

The Chicken in Green Pumpkin Seed Mole(Pollo en Mole Verde de Pepita – $6.99):

Talk about good! This rich, but not heavy Mole, had a nice, complex flavor, with hints of nuttiness and a slight spicy-smokey finish. Moping up the sauce with the corn tortillas provided is a must. The chicken was surprisingly moist, but this was about the mole. The rice was okay, and the beans bland. But man that mole!!!!

The Pork in Tomatillo Sauce (Puerco en Tomatillo Salsa – $6.99):

Chunks of tender pork in a tangy, slightly spicy, tomatillo sauce. Wow, we obviously went two for two on entrees. This sauce/stew was studded with potatoes and nopal, and was quite refreshing in it's own way….really good stuff!

We finished almost all of our tortillas mopping up the sauces. One thing we noticed about the corn tortillas provided, they arrived warm and tender but got very hard as they cooled…all the more reason to scarf everything up ASAP.

The Missus desired something sweet to finish up the meal, so She ordered the Kahlua Plantanos:

Not bad.

So…one good turn deserves another, right? So there we were three days later…at guess where? Yep, and Jose greeted us with a smile, and a warm, "welcome back".

And of course those wonderful samples……..of today's specials:

So this time, we ordered the Entomatado Pork (Pork in a spicy tomato sauce – $6.99):

Another winner, a nice, medium spicy, pork dish full of flavor. The pork was spoon tender, without being falling apart soft. Today, the beans had much more flavor as well. The Missus loved this.

The Cochinita Pibil($6.99) the classic slow roasted Yucatan Pork Dish:

This version was more stew-like and creamy than versions of this dish I've had before. Again rich, without being heavy is the signature here, and a nice slightly sweet finish to boot! Talk about finish, that's what we did to our corn tortillas. This was my favorite on this visit.

Instead of an appetizer or dessert, I finally ordered the Peanut Butter Chicken (Pollo en salsa de Cacahuate – $6.99), which Ed from Yuma always mentions:

Moist chunks of chicken in a sauce with a mild peanut flavor, think mildly spiced watery peanut butter. After having the two pork dishes, this tasted on the bland side. Not my cup of tea.

During our visit, Jose, who, it turns out is the Owner's son(it's a real Mom and Pop restaurant), explained that these were the dishes that he grew up eating. Which explains why the dishes were so good, like all good home cooking, the "specials" at Ranas had that unique ingredient, a combination of love, care, and pride, which makes everything taste so much better. The service we had at Ranas reflects that as well. As you can tell…we'll be back! Take some time away from the tacos and enchiladas, and check out those specials.

Ranas.com
9683 Campo Rd Ste A
Spring Valley, CA 91977

(619) 589-1792

Thanks for the recommendation Ed! We finally made it…and it was well worth it…..

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2007 mmm-yoso Cooking, Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

Happy New Year!

There’s usually a pretty large amount of shopping that needs to be done around New Years eve. The Missus and I usually celebrate both the Gregorian and Lunar New Year. Japan officially accepted the Gregorian New Year in 1873, and have been celebrating New Year based on the Gregorian calendar since then.

So that would mean a few stops. First Nijiya:

Armed with my list(which turned out to be incomplete), I completed my shopping rather quickly, which gave me a nice opportunity to check out all the Osechi-ryori(Traditional Japanese New Years dishes) on display.

To me it seemed that there was a smaller variety of Osechi "Sets" this year, but that could just be me….

The industrious guy on the top in the photo below, almost made his escape after I took this photo:

The Obachan in front of me purchased $250 worth of food for New Years!

The next stop, Mitsuwa:

I noticed a smaller variety of Osechi here as well.

I found alot of "boxed" Osechi…sort of your generic, preboxed, impersonal, Costco-ized, Osechi:

Is this the future of Osechi? I hope not, it takes all of the fun out of Osechi Shopping.

So having purchased everything for our New Years meals, with only a few item omitted…well, I always forget a thing or two, it just wouldn’t be New Years without me rushing out to market. If anything, I’m consistent.

I only took a few photos, since I was busy cooking(and eating):

Of course Soba:

This year I added Wasabi Tobiko(wasabi flavored flying fish eggs), which added a nice "crunch" to the dish.

My own Osechi:

Karei Karaage(Deep fried flounder):

Lightly dusted with Katakuriko(potato starch), and lightly seasoned with sea salt and Shichimi Togarashi(Seven-spice chili pepper), and eaten with just a the lightest squeeze of lemon, and a tiny bit of Yuzu Kosho, a salty-citrusy-spicy condiment made with the rind of Yuzu, chili pepper, salt, and in this case a tiny bit of bean paste. By far the Missus’s favorite dish.