Road Trip – Page 34

Las Vegas: Aburiya Raku Restaurant Part 1

March 16, 2009 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Japanese Restaurants, Las Vegas, Road Trip

Last week, the Missus had some classes in Las Vegas. I hadn't been planning on going, but as the week progressed, things started getting more and more promising. I managed to get Friday off, Da' Boyz favorite "Uncle" agreed to watch them for a few days, and I had a tank full of gas(about as close to "It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses" as I'll ever come, I guess)….. Being a last minute trip, I had to plan our meals out. The Missus isn't a real fan of the crowded "strip", so I decided on a couple of places off the strip. It had been five years since I'd last been to Vegas, and six since I last drove up, so I was more than a bit interested to see what had changed.

The Missus had flown out the night before, so I had a solo drive. As soon as I finished work, I hit the road. And made it in pretty good time….. five-and-a-half hours. After meeting the Missus, and taking a quick shower, we drove to Aburiya Raku, where I had made dinner reservations. I was more than a bit excited about eating here. I'd read a few interesting articles, and had tucked away a Chowhound post from last year for "a rainy day". Being a aburiya, Raku closes at 3am, and apparently had made a name for itself, since names I recognized like Kerry Simon, Michael Mina, and Paul Bartolotta, and since I'm really not a "Chef Junky", names I didn't recognize like Rick Moonen and David Varley were sprinkled among the articles like magic dust.

The tiny restaurant(about 30 seats) itself is dark, classy, and dressed in the typical spartan, understated, Japanese manner. There's a small dining area, along with a "bar" area.

One more thing…..the restaurant is located on the Western edge of Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas's Asian shopping and eating neighborhood. And of course, it is tucked in the far corner of a strip mall, to the left of, hidden from view by a smoke shop. The photo in my previous post is of one of the buildings in that strip mall.

Our main Server this evening was "Miki", who was a complete and utter joy. Friendly, helpful, funny, Miki had one thing in aces….perfect timing. She was always there with a refill of our tea, or to answer a question, but was unobtrusive.

Raku bills itself as an aburiya and robotayaki, a place for grilled items, but as you'll notice a bit later it is much more. So what is the difference between a Yakitori-ya, and a Robatayaki-ya? When someone asks, I tell them, "from my limited understanding, there is a sematical difference. Yakitori refers to grilled chicken (yaki-tori), whereas robatayaki refers to the entire gamut of grilled food."

The menu is pleasingly large, with a variety of dishes. In addition to the grilled items, there's a section of items in broth (Oden), and one of starches….but oh, what starches they were. In addition to the typical yaki-onigiri (grilled rice balls), there were some really interesting items.

There's also a chalkboard with specials of the day, and a pretty good Sake list as well.

As we went over the menu, the Missus noticed something. She pointed to the podium and asked, "is that their cookbook?" I turned….it was a copy of "The Complete Robuchon", a signed copy. I inquired, and found out that Joel Robuchon has been by a few times as well……

So on to the food. The Missus and I wanted to sample a good variety, so we ordered several items from the robatayaki menu…..and though most would order 2 orders or more, we did single orders so we could sample a good range of items.

We started from the "Oden menu", with Uni Oden ($4):

Several pieces of freshly cracked uni on a bed of wakame in a dashi based broth. The subtle, balanced flavors were excellent. The uni was sweet, rich, and custard-like. The wakame added texture, and the wonderful umami. The broth was savory, yet refreshing. If you could think of the taste of the ocean……

The Missus wanted to order the Sashimi Salad($9). I had reservations about ordering fish at a robatayaki, but we ordered it anyway.

The parts of the salad were wonderful; crisp baby spinach, crisp fried potato, and wonderful salmon(though the maguro was, meh). But when put together with an overly salty ponzu like dressing and drizzled with a spicy mayo, like you'd find on a spicy tuna roll, this wasn't very pleasant. This was my least favorite dish of the night.

Grilled Lamb Chop($5):

Miki thoughfully delivered a knife, since it was a single chop for two. This was a bit past where I'd have wanted the chop to be with regards to doneness. It was moist, but slightly tougher than I'd have desired. Also, the Missus noticed that the sweetness of the "tare" (sauce) detracted from the flavor of the lamb.

Chicken Wing (Tebasaki – $1.50):

There's a simple equation which makes amazing things happen. The presence of a chicken wing seasoned with good quality salt, grilled over Binchōtan, is simply wonderful. And this did not disappoint. It was moist, the wonderful flavor of the salt and chicken, with the smokey flavor of bincho-charcoal came through. The wing was cooked to perfection, bursting with flavor and juices. The skin was a work of art. I wanted to order 15 more.

The next item was recommended by Miki; corn stuffed with potato ($2.50):

We're still talking about this seemingly simple dish. The excellent quality corn's cob has been replaced by mashed potato. The corn, which I believe was already sweet, was made exceedingly so by grilling which developed all the sugars. Think of it as the "heart of a potato and corn croquette."

Grilled Duck with Soy and Balsamic Vinegar($4):

This was excellent. We were worried that this would turn out to be too sweet, but it was not. The grilled duck breast had hints of the smokey bincho flavor and was moist. There was a decent amount of fat, and the scallions helped to cut the richness of the dish. The Missus even forgot Her, "all duck should have five spice flavor" rule for a moment.

Eringe Mushroom ($3):

Earthy and woodsy, with the addition of salt, and a smokey flavor. This had a nice meaty texture.

Kobe Skirt with Garlic($6):

This was tougher than expected, and I'd have wanted more of the beefy flavor that beef skirt has to come through a bit more. Loved the fried garlic.

Chicken Breast wrapped in Skin($2.50):

Great quality chicken breast meat, cooked to perfection, wrapped in it's grilled to bacon-est skin. Having the three qualities that most chicken breast lacks, moistness, tenderness, and great flavor. Man this was good……..

And yet, if you think this was good, wait till part 2! Foie Gras Chawanmushi anyone?

Part 2 of this post can be found here.

Road Trip: Kyochon, Yes Plaza, and What’s up at Hong Kong Plaza – Rowland Heights (LA)

March 10, 2009 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Korean Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

Driving East on the 60 Freeway, car smelling of my bounty of Indonesian Food, I had a few more stops to make. First……

Yes Plaza:

As I previously posted, what is now Yes Plaza, was a pretty dark and seedy strip mall back when we lived a few blocks away. Because of the terribly scary, and always malfunctioning laundry room in our apartment complex, we'd end up at the better lit, but very beat, "Launder Land"…..with the terminal fermented geriatric diapers smells, and god knows what oozing from under the bathroom door (which cost you a quarter...how's that for a double whammy). But boy have things changed.

I'm not sure if I really like the pastel, antacid blue that they've painted the place…..just like the pastel t-shirt and jacket an acquaintance of mine from back in the 80's ……who wanted to be Don Johnson used to wear all the time. The only problem was; that one, he was Japanese, and two, he was maybe five-foot two on a good day. (we nicknamed him, "Miami Mice") It just looks wrong….

I will say that there's a really good array of eateries in Yes Plaza.

And the walkways are no longer coated with gum and various stains of dubious origin. And it seems like the liqour store, Thai Restaurant, and ironies of ironies, the Laundromat (though really cleaned up) are the only businesses remaining from that time.

And since there's no way you can go through one of these malls without some interesting bit of "Engrish", I was on the look-out. But the only sign I could find was in the window of the Indonesian Restaurant:

"Fish Tilapia"…..kinda redundant isn't it? But maybe they were just trying to differentiate it from the "Moose Tilapia" or "Frog Tilapia", or the even more heinous "Kangaroo Tilapia?"

Now why the heck was I aimlessly wandering the walkways of Yes Plaza?

Kyochon Chicken….

Is why. After reading posts from Wandering Chopsticks and Elmomonster, I'd been dying to try the twice fried chicken wings. But the Missus, having tried and not cared for BBQ Chicken, did not want to waste precious eating time on our road trips. Having to make a solo trip to LA gave me the opening I needed.

Now the standard line is "to ensure the best quality, and freshness, the wings are made to order." Which is why I was just kinda hovering around Yes Plaza, with one of those coaster-buzzer thingamajiggy's in hand.

One more thing, how hard is it for a bright, new, and shiny chicken wing restaurant, to get an 'A' health inspection grade? Maybe Kyochon purposely flunked to get some street cred? You know the saying…… in the SGV, 'A'=American Food, 'B'=Better Food, and 'C'=(real) Chinese Food. As I was contemplating that, the coaster went "off", which was a good thing…the next thing I might have started contemplating would have probably been my navel.

I had ordered seven wings with the standard garlic soy, and four wings spicy. Each came in wonderful looking boxes, along with a kleenex dispenser(must be some free gift), in a good quality bag. Talk about some overhead.

The garlic soy wings were nice, light, crisp. As all posts on Kyochon note, the double-frying technique renders off all the subcutaneous fat off. Leaving you with thin crisp skin, and moist meat.

The chicken is "glazed" in a sweet, soy-garlic sauce. That is mostly sweet. Folks from "back home" know this style as "dipped chicken"…fried chicken that dipped into a sauce right after frying. Much like my garlic chicken……with much more finesse of course. I thought these were rather good.

I had two wings and moved on to the sweet-spicy wings:

These were glazed in a slow burning, slighly sour, lip stinging sauce. It had a nice slow burn to it. I ate two and saved the rest for the Missus.

Her verdict? She thought the spicy wings were nice, not too spicy, but good. She enjoyed the texture of the wings, and had thoughts of getting some on our next trip to the area….until I showed Her the receipt:

She quickly changed Her mind. They were good, but not THAT good…..

Kyochon Chicken
18180 E Colima Rd
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

View Larger Map

I had one last stop, Hong Kong Plaza, to pick up some Chinese Beef Jerky for the Missus. Curious about what was going on in the space of the now defunct Hong Kong Market. There was this sign posted:

It always amazes me, how quickly businesses close around here:

And how quickly they are replaced:

The market was gone, but some enterprising vegetable vendor had set up shop on the sidewalk this day, and was doing bang-up business.

In spite of the bad economy, there's quite a bit of new construction going on. Our old "dry cleaners" is now a flattened dirt lot, waiting for a new mall or building to spring up.

One thing hasn't changed. On a good day, you can still see the San Gabriel Mountains….I had forgotten how much I loved looking at them. Even from a strip mall parking lot…..

Road Trip: Wok and Noodle (I think) – Alhambra (Los Angeles)

March 1, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, Xiao Long Bao

**** Wok and Noodle has closed

The reason I'm saying "I think", is that for the life of me, I couldn't find an English sign for the place. Googling the address 828 West Valley Blvd brought up a huge listing for a place named "Wok and Noodle", so that's the English name until someone tells me otherwise. We had finished our, not so great lunch at Kingburg Kitchen, and feeling unsatisfied, decided on a drive down the "old side" of Valley Boulevard. We hadn't been down here in a while. Right past the Boiling Crab, we noticed a large group of folks exiting what looked to be a restaurant. The Missus read the signage and told me, "this is a Shanghainese restaurant." Which sounded good to me….I swung around, and parked the car.

Upon entering, we noticed 2 things, many large families, and lots of older Chinese. This was a sure sign of "value pricing" and sure enough, looking over the menu, we found the prices to be very, very, reasonable. The 2 waiters here cracked us up….they were very nice, but just kinda did things at their own pace(S-L-O-W). One guy constantly hummed and sung while cracking what I thought were sunflower seeds. Every so often he'd spit the shells out into the tray holding the dirty dishes. The other guy just loved to whistle. You gotta love places like this.

Realizing that we had just eaten an hour earlier, the Missus and I decided on just a few cold dishes and some "bao".

So of course we ordered the Shanghai Smoked Fish ($4.25), one of the Missus's favorites.

This was a decent version, not too bony, not overly sweet, but maybe a bit too "wet" and mushy. But the Missus wasn't complaining, especially after having the really lousy version at Mr Dumpling recently, that was allwrong taste and texture-wise, over twice the price ($9.95!), and less than half the portion size.

I wanted the Salt Cured Duck($4.75):

Can you say "duck ham"? I really enjoyed this salty, duck-y(is there such a word), mildly salty cold dish. The meat had a semi-dense and ham like texture from the curing, though the Missus said the look of it kinda turned Her off.

Just seeing Xiao Long Bao on the menu means we have to order it($4.95):

This was not a particularly stellar version of XLB, the pork filling was decent, nice pork flavor and not overly sweet. The soup to meat ratio was a bit off, in my opinion, not enough soup. The wrappers were the weakest part, too thick and gummy. I probably won't be coming ordering Xiao Long Bao here next time.

And then of course, we had to have the Missus's latest obsession; Shengjian Bao (6 for $4.95):

The Missus said these rather rustic looking SJB, most closely resembled what She recalls eating in High School. Though the bottoms of these Bao were nice and crisp, the bun was more gummy than fluffy. The filling was a simple pork meatball that was on the bland side.

I think we'll be back for the cold dishes, and a few other items we saw being served at the other tables. After all, you can't beat the prices.

The service is pretty slow, though the staff is nice, it just seems like they're eternally day-dreaming. We saw one rather impatient older lady walk up to the service window and grab what I'm hoping was her dish and take it to the table herself! The restaurant is smaller than it looks, and full of large parties. Two can stuff themselves silly for under $20.

Wok and Noodle
828 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91803

Not Duckin’ the Subject: A Roast Duck Comparison – Sam Woo times 2, Jasmine Express, and Yum Cha Cafe

February 24, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

I don't know how many times I've been asked for a recommendation for the "best take-out roast duck in San Diego." And boy do I hemm and haw, and when I finally do make a recommendation, I preface everything with so much "fine print" that it ends up reading, or sounding like one of those automobile adds. The reason that I've become rather gun shy with regards to roast duck, Chinese BBQ, and even Dim Sum recommendations in San Diego, is that, well, if anything, these offerings have proven to be consistently…..inconsistent. Which is why a place like Yum Cha Cafe may do rather well here. If it's going to be inconsistent, it might as well be cheap…..….

If I'm going to do roast duck comparison, I might as well have a baseline. So I think this place is as good as any:

Yes, it is Sam Woo, but no it is not in San Diego. This location of Sam Woo Barbecue is in Alhambra, and in my opinion has one of the better, most consistent take-out Roast Duck in SoCal. Yes, there are several Sam Woo's, Irvine, San Gabriel, and the City of Industry/Rowland Heights location was fairly close to where we lived. But not all Sam Woo's are created equal. This older location has always been good.

But oh my have the prices gone up over the years. Half a duck here is $9.25!!! More expensive than anywhere in San Diego.

What makes the duck here so good? First, the skin is not overly tough. Second, the duck is neither too meaty and dry, nor just skin and bones and tough. Saltiness does not overwhelm the duck, even though "jus" is ladled over the duck. And it is not greasy in the least.

The Missus's typical response after the first bite is always, "what's the big deal….." But She'll always go back for more. The flavoring is subtle, with a very mild-sweet finish.

Sam Woo Barbeque
514 W Valley Boulevard
Alhambra, CA 91803

Sam Woo San Diego:

Compare this with Sam Woo(aka "Sam Woo the Killer Whale") in San Diego. Surprisngly, a half roast duck here in San Diego is cheaper than in Alhambra ($7.50). I had made up my mind to never get roast duck from here a while ago; but this place gets Ed from Yuma's stamp of approval, so I decided to give it another go.

The duck has a tendency to be bony and tough. The skin is hard, and the "jus" is really salty. I don't mind the rather brusque service, but there a real disregard for the customers here. It wasn't always that way, but I've noticed it getting worse every year. Take for example the simple take-out container housing the duck:

It was covered in a variety of Chinese BBQ sticky-oily drippings and hand prints…I made out a thumbprint on one side of the container, that belongs in one of those CSI shows, but the photo didn't come out. If this happened to some little ol' Chinese lady in Alhambra or San Gabriel, that duck neck would have ended up shoved up…..well you get the picture.

Sam Woo BBQ Restaurant
7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste 103
San Diego, CA 92111

Jasmine Express:

Is the place I usually recommend in San Diego, thoughitiswithafewreservationssinceI'vegottensomeprettylousyduckfromhereattimes. Jasmine's little take-out stall roast duck (which does not resemble the duck served in the restaurant) was surprisingly even cheaper than Sam Woo's ($7.25 – half duck).

You can just see the inconsistency of the roast duck, if you compare this rather good roast duck I purchased in November of last year.

Even though the chopping technique was on the sloppy side, the flavors were pretty good.

Compared to the duck I purchased for this post a few weeks back.

This one was a bit on the greasy side, and tasted rather bland. The duck served at Jasmine is usually more meaty than the version at Sam Woo SD.

Jasmine Express
4609 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Yum Cha Cafe:

**** Yum Cah Cafe has closed

Just for giggles, I thought I'd grab a half duck from the new Yum Cha Cafe, which turned out to be the most expensive of the three San Diego Roast Ducks ($8.25)!

The skin was tough, the meat on the dry side, and the rich duck flavor was lacking.

You may be better off having something else.

Yum Cha Cafe
6933 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111 JasExpress01

So there you go. Holding my feet to the fire, I'd usually recommend the roast duck from Jasmine Express, or even take-out from Golden City, but those recommendations are not without reservations. Since I've been doing this food blogging thing, I've posted on a bunch of places that do Chinese BBQ, but there's one place missing from my list. That place is Tom's Chinese BBQ on University. When we first moved to San Diego back in 2001, the roast duck was pretty good. But the quality and flavor got worse and worse, until it just wasn't worth the effort….so maybe, just maybe, one day soon after I recover……..

Road Trip: Saturday Indonesian Food Fair – Duarte (LA)

February 23, 2009 mmm-yoso Festivals & Events, Indonesian Restaurants & Food, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

Gravitational force is interesting….it can be defined in very simple physical terms as the force of mutual attraction which pulls two bodies together. Perhaps I'm stretching it a bit, maybe taking a bit too much "metaphoric license" per se…… but over the years, and in my travels, I've noticed another gravitational force of sorts. Cultural gravitation is what I called it. It is the invisible, undeniable force that our culture, whether by nature or nurture, has on us. It's much stronger for those of us who are far away from our original "home". And for many, there are those items which bring on that inner, nostalgic warmth that is at the center of this gravitational pull. And if you're like me, food is that source, it marks births, deaths, birthdays, reunions…..memories of friends and families. It is that center. Over the years, I've seen that gravitational force in action. What else could explain the folks waiting in the parking lot of a Chinese Restaurant on Buford Highway in Atlanta, some having driven from as far off as Birmingham, arriving at 7am in the morning, waiting for Dim Sum. Or seeing more Chinese on one Sunday, shopping and eating at a mall in Phoenix, than I knew lived in Arizona. There are celebrations and events that provide that "center" such as festivals. And, there are even regularly scheduled events, which provide the weekly comfort food fix, allowing one to face another week. The weekend Wat Thai Temple Food Court was one of those weekly events. And, the amazing, OC Food blogger supreme, Elmo mentioned another, the Indonesian Food Fair. That post was back in 2006, and I had added it to my list……but much like the Wat Thai Temple food court, much to my disappointment, the Indonesian Food Fair bit the dust. Whether, like the Wat Thai Temple, it was NIMBY-ism, or not, I don't recall. And if it was, I don't know if I blame them. We live on a nice quiet street.There's a Church right down the road, and a couple of times a year, they have events, which we don't mind, it's kind of cute and quaint. But if they had them every weekend……I'm not so sure.

But luckily for me, right before a recent solo trip back to LA, I went over to Chowhound's LA board and saw this. Like a Phoenix, the Indonesian Food Fair had risen from the ashes. (And if you're wondering, Wat Thai Temple's Food Court is back in action, though on Sunday's only.) Which is how I found myself parking my car in front of the Duarte Inn on a recent Saturday morning.

I had to crack up…… I had done some work in the area during the late 90's, and one of the guys I worked with just loved the El Pollo Loco which faces the street in front of the motel.

The food fair starts at 10am, and if today was a good example, it is pretty small and intimate. On this day, only 5 booths were present.

But let me tell you…….the fragrances were amazing. Unfortunately for me, it was not a Siren's song, but the wonderful scents that drew me close.

And it didn't help that everyone was so nice and patient with me……a total neophyte with regards to Indonesian Food.

Most everything is steam table goods….but don't let that dissuade you.

One of the ladies ordered like seven plates from this booth.

And the young lady working this booth was so very nice and patient. I just kinda stood in the background until the ladies were done, and the young lady explained all the dishes to me…. needless to say, I was impressed.

So what about the food? Let me first say, the colors are a feast for the eyes…and the smells are a feast for the nose. And overall, some of it like the "yellow rice" (Nasi Kuning) I couldn't get enough of.

And who doesn't love a boiled egg?

We found some of the offerings to be amazingly mild, in spite of the scents.

But this eggplant was killer:

And I felt like I should post the photo of this on my wall.

I found the Nasi Gudeg (simmered jackfruit) to be a bit too sweet….must be the palm sugar.

But the "spicy fish" was the best thing on the plate….which was not too spicy for us, in spite of looks.

Again, don't be like me and be seduced by all the smells, you should let Elmo be your guide….and the folks here are nice.

Indonesian Food Festival – Saturday 10am – 2pm
Duarte Inn
1200 Huntington Dr
Duarte, CA 91010

One last item, I'm dedicating this post to "Amy", who has moved to LA from San Diego. Amy emailed me recently, and mentioned that she's been reading for a few years, but had never had the chance to comment or email me. I'm sure Amy is a lot like most of you folks, and I just wanted to thank everyone for checking us out. Oh, and Amy, Los Angeles and Orange County has much to offer…….like the Indonesian Food Fair. Just let me know what good eats you find out there, ok?

Road Trip: Kingburg Kitchen – San Gabriel (LA)

February 17, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Niu Rou Mian, Road Trip

Yes, I have a "little black book"……no, not that kind of little black book! This Moleskin that I carry around is full of little handy dandy notes…things like addresses, how to change the time on my wristwatch, and sometimes, when I anticipate that all to often occurrence nowadays, where the heck I parked my car. And of course, it contains names of restaurants, many restaurants, an unmanageable list of places to eat in several cities, some which I'll probably never set foot in….but like making sure you wear clean underwear, you know, "just in case", I'll jot down a restaurant, the address if I have it, what to order, and other stuff, in my own little undecipherable scribbling….just in case. And recently it dawned on me, this list of restaurants, having no rhyme or reason, has become untenable. Luckily for me, I can, most of the time, locate my restaurant scribblings when necessary. A good example is Kingburg Kitchen. Several months back, I scribbled "Kingburg – Shengjian Bao". And after reading first, Eileen's post on Kingburg Kitchen, which led me to Pepsi Monster's post on said dining establishment, we just had on head on over during a recent trip to the SGV. Please check out their wonderful posts.

Kingburg Kitchen is located on Las Tunas Drive, quite close to Lucious Dumplings, a place that we'd been to a few times. And yet we had never noticed it, in spite of the very bright and yellow banner.

The interior is San Gabriel Schizoid……everything from a faux cloud ceiling, to the fake fish tank. And man does this place love fliers….sheets of paper posted everywhere. Many of them saying, "We have the best buns in town".

The tables were only mildly "San Gabriel sticky", and the usual suspects were in display with regards the soy and vinegar.

The menu is a simple two sided laminated page full of soups, dumplings, buns ("the best in town!!!"), and cold appetizers.

The woman working was very efficient, and quickly brought out some pickled napa cabbage, which was pretty bland, but kept the starving Missus satiated.

We started with the Niu Rou Mein (spicy beef noodles soup – $6.50):

My first thought was, "this looks nothing like what I saw in Eileen's post." And to put it bluntly, we didn't care for it very much. Nice mild spice, but no beef flavor to speak of, the meat was very tough, and tasted a bit off. The noodles started out with a decent chew and pull, but went mushy real quick.

The broth needed a more richness, it just reminded us of soy sauce water. Perhaps this was the first bowl of the day, and it needed more simmer time?

We couldn't finish half of it.

Of course we ordered the Shengjian Bao, starting with the pork and cabbage version ($6.50). After the requisite 20 minute wait, it arrived nicely browned on both sides.

The Missus and I both bit into our buns simultaneously, chewed and stopped, well, I swallowed. There was something wrong with these, the taste was decent, full of pork flavor, and well seasoned. But the texture of the buns was on the "gooey" side. This is when we took a look at the buns…..

Good God, the pork was still raw, and the dough on the interior of the bun was uncooked! I watched the Missus turn several shades of yellow, or was it green. The Missus managed to flag down the Server, who was already working on several tables, and explained to Her quietly in Mandarin what was going on, and of course we displayed the uneaten portions of the Shengjian Bao. Now, when something like this occurs, there are a whole range of responses we've gotten from restaurants. Everything from very defensive attitudes, to actions that try to place the guilt on us ("well, it's your fault you ordered this"), to where everything would just be reheated and dumped on our table. This lady responded in the best way possible to make things right. She was very, very, apologetic, and told us that they would like a chance to make us a fresh batch (this is a Chinese Restaurant, ain't no way you're getting comped, and we're not into making a scene). Of course this would take 20 minutes. So we decided to go ahead, but take the Pork Buns to go. In all honesty, I still get the heebies just looking at that photo…….

By this time our Vegetarian Buns($6.50) had arrived, and to be perfectly frank, I was ready to turn into a vegetarian about now anyhow.

Of course, we didn't just dig in this time, but daintily cut the Bao in half to check out what was going on first. Overall, we both weren't too pleased with the bun, in spite of the decent browning on both sides, we found the overall texture to be a bit too gummy, and the browned areas hard instead of crisp.

Personally, I love bitter greens, so I enjoyed the filling.

The smoked tofu and cloud ear fungus really just adds texture, but there was enough seasoning and flavor of my tastes. I think the Missus was still mentally consuming raw pork………

We did have an entire order of Bao which we took home….but we really had a hard time eating them. I tried to have a few, but for once, we wasted food……which I feel real bad about.

We thought the service to be efficient, and the Server was very nice and professional. We really wanted to like this place, but I'm just not all that sure we'll be back.

Kingburg Kitchen
715 W Las Tunas Dr
San Gabriel, CA 91776

Road Trip: Hwang Hae Do Korean BBQ – Garden Grove (OC)

February 2, 2009 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants, Orange County, Road Trip

**** This location of Hwang Hae Do has closed

I took a day off right after the New Year, for the purpose of going on a short eating road trip to LA and the OC with two of my friends, MrS, and the entity that is known as the EatingMachine. We started at Mei Long Village, for Xiao Long Bao, and a few Shanghainese cold dishes. Next it was off to Food Cabin, for more Xiao LongBao, Shengjian Bao, and other assorted dishes. Lucky for us, "DaMachine" was running smoothly, easily eliminating any possibility of leftovers. On the way back, we decided to stop for a "real meal" in the area of Garden Grove Icall Koreatown South. I had written down a few listings in my "black book", but Mr S, pulling from his Korean roots dismissed my list, brought out his cell phone, and went off on a speed dial frenzy. The consensus, was for Hwang Hae Do….. which was one of the places on my list! Ha!

Hwang Hae Do looks quite humble in comparison to some of the newer and more fancy restaurants in the area. And boy does this place love its photos, posters, and fliers.

The interior is "old wood rustic", with the ever present Plasma Television going strong.

Hwang Hae is a province in North Korea, so if the name meant anything, this would be North Korean inspired food. I had written down the dishes that I wanted to try at Heang Hae Do, and looking down the list, after all the XLB, I crossed off the mandu, but had something else in mind. And MrS, after chatting with the really nice lady, came to the same conclusion. And, of course it was one of the items on the myriad of flyers posted everywhere around the place.

After Mr S placed our orders in Korean, the panchan arrived. There were a few items, I enjoyed, the baechu kimchi (Napa Cabbage kimchi) was very good. And I don't recall seeing dotorimuk (Acorn Jelly) much in San Diego. But most of it was pretty mild in flavor.

Pretty soon a metal "pan" of sorts was placed above the BBQ brazier. The pan had a "moat" of sauce encircling it.

It was Yook-soo Bulgogi($18.99/order – minimum 2 orders) time! A huge platter of thinly sliced meat, onions, scallions, and mushrooms arrived, and was piled on the top of the pan.

For ease of use, part of the meat was portioned off on a bowl placed on the table.

While the rest remained on the platter, table side.

Sheesh, do ya' think this was enough? And what is even more impressive…..this was only 2 orders, and came with rice, and 2 beers (OB).

For those who have never had Yook-soo Bulgogi, I think I can best describe it as a Sukiyaki like dish.

This broth was mild and balanced in flavor, just lightly sweet. There are places in San Diego that make this, but most versions are much too sweet and heavy. The meat was good in quality, soft, and almost melted in your mouth.

And while we were waiting for our meat to cook, MrS had ordered us Mul Naengmyun, the classic North Korean cold buckwheat noodle soup dish.

The tangy broth, even when tempered with liberal doses of vinegar sent my tastebuds into overdrive. It was a nice foil to the meat, and was a very effective palate cleanser. Even with all the meat, I managed to finish my entire bowl. Yes, we each had an entire metal bowl. In case you're interested there's an interesting post on Naengmyun in Pyongyang which can be found here.

As if to add the "cherry on the top", at the end noodles are placed in the meat infused broth.

After all of that food we had earlier, I can't believe we finished everything in fine fashion. Total damage, 2 orders Yook-soo Bulgogi, 3 Mul Naengmyun – $62.

The only problem we had was staying awake on the drive back to San Diego.

The service was efficient, the lady was very nice. Not much English spoken, but there are all those posters everywhere….

Hwang Hae Do
9567 Garden Grove Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92842

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Road Trip: Ajisen Ramen & Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center – Irvine (OC)

January 21, 2009 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Orange County, Ramen, Road Trip

**** This location of Ajisen has closed

I had purposely not gotten a large bowl of Pho at Pho Thanh Lich, so that I'd have a chance for another meal on my way back from the 'OC'. Plus, I wanted to check out the new Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center. I had decided a nice bowl of ramen would do the trick, and selected Ajisen Ramen.

Now, I know that Ajisen is a Chinese run Ramen chain, with over 300 outlets around the world, that according to Rameniac has strayed far from its Kumamoto roots. Still, I'd gotten a few recommendations, so I thought I'd check it out. At the time I arrived there were only a few tables occupied in the place. The dining area was ind of cramped, and not in the cozy ramen shop-izakaya kind of way.

The second thing I noticed, was a lack of a certain sound….slurping. There were folks having bowls of ramen, but not a single one of them were slurping….which made me feel a tad uncomfortable. You see, over the years, I've gotten used to, and now, relish the noise that a good bowl of ramen makes. It's almost like you can hear a great bowl of ramen before you smell or see it. I once knew a very proper Japanese girl named "Reiko". Now Reiko-chan, would never think or even conceive of slurping down some Chow Mein, or Spaghetti, but place a good bowl of ramen before her, and she would be instantly transformed into a slurp machine befitting of a certain truck driver many are familiar with.When asked why, she explained thusly: "Kirk-san, you cannot help it, when it tastes good, you must!" 'Nuff said….

All I wanted was a basic bowl of Ramen, so Iordered the Ajisen Ramen ($7.50), which also was the most inexpensive ramen.

Being used to Santouka portion sizes, I found the bowl that arrived to be pretty large. There was also quite a bit of cabbage, wakame, and hijiki in the broth, and the scent and flavor of the garlic oil, wakame, and hijiki, wiped out any subtle flavor the broth would have. The broth was lukewarm, which would usually be a real a no-no with a rich tonkotsu style(rapidly boiled pork bone based) broth, but in this case the broth was so thin it didn't really matter. No matter how cold the broth got, I doubted that a "skin" would ever develop. From what I've read Kumamoto style noodles are known to be softer than the more well known Hakata Ramen, and yes the noodles were a bit softer, and lacked a nice elasticity that I enjoy. The chashu (braised pork) had a nice caramelization, which added some texture, and tasted a bit on the sweeter side. It was probably the best part of the dish.

The service I received was curt, but professional. And the young lady managing the front was really very, very, nice, almost respectful….probably because I seemed to be at least (at least) a decade older than anyone else in the room.

The restaurant had filled up by the time I left, a mere 30 minutes later. Without a doubt, Ajisen is quite popular. Still, tilting my head toward the mass of ramen eaters, I could here nary a slurp….and that says a lot in my book.

Ajisen Ramen
2700 Alton Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92606

Elmo article from OC Weekly, here.

Ajisen Ramen is located in Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center which is a far cry from the typical LA Asian Stripmall, or even Focus Plaza, in it's size, and breath:

The focus is multi-cultural, and perhaps multi-con-fusional, with Crepes de Paris, next to Capital Seafood, next to BCD Tofu house, across from BBQ Chicken, which is next to a Greek Restaurant, with Tokyo Table on one end. In spite of the rather large parking lot, I think this place must be a zoo. Especially since there is only one small parking lot entrance. In fact, as I left, the parking lot was full, and the mall is only half occupied.

The mall is anchored by an outlet of the Korean Supermarket Chain H Mart, which strangely enough, has a fairly small parking area allocated in front of the market.

For those who fear the sights, scents, and sounds of Asian Markets, H Mart is for you. No worries of seeing or smelling piles of dried squid or dried filefish here. In fact, the first thought that came to me when I entered H Mart, was….. Whole Foods:

Everything is nicely wrapped, or behind glass, with no odors assaulting you.

Things are tidy, and the store is very clean. The prices of the produce seemed on the high side, but I found the meat, and other items to be reasonable.

And yet, I felt something was missing……but it was probably just me.

Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center
2700-2750 Alton Parkway
Irvine, CA 92606

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Road Trip: Pho Thanh Lich – Westminster (OC)

January 6, 2009 mmm-yoso Orange County, Pho, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Pho Thanh Lich in Westminster has closed

I'll be the first to admit that most of my Pho photos look the same. In fact, I've been accused of using a "stunt bowl" on occasion. Let me be very clear…. I have never, and will never use a "Pho double". Hopefully this time you'll know it wasn't just "any" bowl of Pho.

During a recent shopping trip to the "OC", I was in the mood for a bowl of Pho, and decided to stop in Westminster. In retrospect, I should've gotten the blessing of the "Don of Little Saigon", FOY Beach! But this was a last minute decision(and New Year's eve to boot!) on my part, so I'm hoping he'll forgive me. I arrived on Bolsa, the heart of Little Saigon at just about 10am, after seeing the my first option was not yet open, I headed up Brookhurst, and stopped at the corner of Bolsa and Hazard, at Pho Thanh Lich. It's one of a seemingly endless number of Pho shops in the area, and like many of them, shows signs of having a past……the facade indicates perhaps a Pizza joint?

From the fragrance of simmering beef and herbs, to the workers watching a Vietnamese variety show, all things felt right…. as did the requisite slightly sticky tables.

Funny, I took several photos of the interior but the only one that came out was this weird one. It happened when I placed my camera on the table, and accidentally snapped a photo. Go figure; so much for my photographic capabilities.

After several years, and many bowls of Pho in San Diego, I've lowered my expectations with regards to rare beef(Tai). It is usually dry and tough Beef Eye of the Round. I used to get the meat on the side, but to me the difference was minimal and not worth the effort. As they say you "can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear". When ordering Pho at a shop I haven't been to before, I still order the rare steak, but I've set my bar very low. Such is not the case at Pho Thanh Lich. Why?

That my friends is Filet Mignon. For me, you need to order it rare and on the side. The prices here are not bargain basement. The regular bowl, with Filet costs $6. You want the beef on the side, add 50 cents. The young lady who served me was a joy, nervous, and I think new on the job, she led me to my table, and while having some difficulties with my order; she told me, "I so sorry, only Freshman….." Which I took to mean she was new at this….. and any attempts at ordering in butchered Vietnamese would probably only confuse things.

The herbs soon arrived, sparkling fresh. Not the largest portion I've ever had, but very fresh, especially the Ngo Ngai (Culantro, Saw Leaf Herb). Along with soup, it made a nice "family photo":

The broth was interesting, beefy, with a strong ginger/galangal flavor. The broth wasn't the clearest I've had, though not very dark.

Someone once told me this place had very oily broth. I didn't find this to be the case, it seemed to have a decent amount of oil, giving it a nice richness, and I didn't find it to be overly salty(MSG).

I found the noodles to be bit overcooked and mushy. The other cuts of meat, especially the brisket was full of flavor. I had also been told that the brisket and flank here, tastes "offal". All I tasted was a good beefiness.

One more thing; the broth came scortching hot. The better for this:

Very mild in flavor (the brisket will take care of that), but it melted in my mouth.

And a little dessert as well.

Overall, this was an enjoyable bowl. It is not a "meat-fest", but in my opinion does well in the flavor department. The Older Woman manning the register, even smiled at me, and told me "thank you, come again." I think I will. I still have Pho Kimmy in my sights, but did not feel shortchanged by eating here. And you can tell, no "stunt bowl" right?

Pho Thanh Lich
14500 Brookhurst St.
Westminster, CA 92683

Why the regular bowl instead of the large? Well, I wanted to squeeze in one more "snack" before heading home from Orange County.

Road Trip: Hunan Seafood – Rosemead (Los Angeles), CA – And we get the answer to an Urban Legend.

December 23, 2008 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

**** Hunan Seafood has closed

Ever since reading this post on Eileen Likes to Eat, I've been waiting for an opportunity to check out Hunan Seafood (formerly CrownCafe). It had been an uphill fight from the beginning. You see, the Missus'sFather is from Hunan, and I've marched ourselves to a few "Hunan" restaurants that have been anything BUT Hunan. When the Missus first heard the name of this place, She scoffed, "Hunan Sea-food? Yeah, right….." You see Hunan Province, is landlocked, bordered by mountains on three sides, and the Yangtze river on one(I don't think Dongting lake qualifies). She explained it to me this way; "Iowa is located on the Mississippi River….would you eat at a place called Iowa Seafood Restaurant?" But the combination of the photos on Eileen's Blog, and the good mood the Missus was in after our "first lunch" at Food Cabin put Her in an amiable state fo mind.

Hunan Seafood Restaurant appears very bright and clean from the exterior, but is starting to show signs of wear and tear in the interior. The service is typical SGV, all business, order quickly, don't ask questions……

We started with something near and dear to the Missus's heart; the Steamed Hunan Ham, Smoked Duck & Fish ($10.98):

The Missus clearly recalls visiting Her Paternal Grandmother in Hunan when a teenager. For a city girl it was quite a shock. No electricity, no indoor plumbing, the potty being in the same shed as the family pigs (totally freaked out, She held out for several days….until Her Dad rescued Her, taking Her into the city to potty), and the very hard life of Lily Blossom farmers. Funny thing is, we now pay thousands of $$$ to experience nearly the same thing nowadays – does anyone else notice the irony? There were of course, the great memories as well……. the wonder of lying on the drying slab and clearly seeing the Milky Way for the very first time. But, as a teenager, being the nice, plump, fresh meat for the local mosquitoes was not much fun.And toothpaste being the only available remedy for mosquito bites….. I can barely restrain myself mentally picturing the Missus covered with blots of toothpaste….wearing Her Jimmy Choo shoes with Her Gucci bag in tow…..

The scent of smoke was very strong when the plate literally hit our table. Looking at the plate, I was quite sure that it had hit quite a few tables in its time. Steaming both moistened the meat, and really brought up the fragrance. The La Rou (smoked pork) had a great texture, the fat soft and buttery, and the meat while smoky in flavor was much milder in saltiness than the preserved stuff you buy in markets. It also lacked the somewhat artificial flavor. The duck was good, but it was the fish that I enjoyed the best:

Salty and intensely smoky, the Missus said this was just as good as the stuff Her Grandmother used make and send Her Dad in China. The fish was slightly dense and chewy, though not as tough as jerky. The Missus had to call Her Father immediately after tasting this…. it brought back many memories.

And then it happened. We had heard of "it" happening before, but had never seen it in person. While waiting for our rice, the Missus murmured, "oh….. my …. God! I don't believe it!" When I asked Her, "what's going on?" The Missus stage whispered; "they're recycling rice….taking the leftover rice from one of the tables and dumping it back into the pot." The ricepot in Hunan Seafood is out for all to see, and as I turned to look, they dumped yet another container of leftover rice from another table into the ricepot…mixed it up a bit and put it into a rice container, which made its way to our table…… I should've taken a photo, but was too stunned. I wish I hadn't seen that….the meat was nice and salty, and I really wanted some rice….. You know, we've drunk Chicha de Jora made from maize germinated in the mouth of the maker, so reused rice doesn't sound too bad…. but for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to eat this rice! I had heard of rice being recycled, or maybe reused for fried rice, and wasting rice is a sin…. however, faced with eating this? So I guess the urban legend of reusing rice is true.

Meanwhile, the wonderful looking Toss Fried Mutton with Cilantro ($9.98) made it to our table.

Just as with the unapologetic reuse of rice, this was an in-your-face spicy. Such is Hunan food; no goofing around with sweet, sour, or numbing flavors. The mutton was moist and tender, but was just overwhelmed with the red chilies (you didn't think those were red bell peppers did you?) and cilantro. You really couldn't taste anything else. Whomever cooked this showed some good cooking technique, but the dish seemed out of balance.

I'd gladly eat food from Hunan Seafood again, ummm…. well, maybe just some take-out, or even better, I'll just force myself to NOT look at the ricepot. We'll probably even bring the Missus's Dad here when they visit, but face him away from the ricepot. But at least we now new the answer to that old urban legend; "do Chinese Restaurants reuse uneaten rice?"

Hunan Seafood Restaurant
8772 E Valley Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770

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