Food Exploits

washington D.C. and NYC Favorites - Part 3

2010-05-12T08:09:00.004+01:00

Mario Batali's Del Posto restaurant at Chelsea Market - prix fixe lunch

Amuse Bouche (Roman egg drop soup)

Handmade breads with butter and lard

Warm Cotechino with Umbrian Lentil Vinaigrette & Dried Fruit Mostarda

Seared Lamb Tenderloin with Sea Cucumbers

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Robiola Sformato & Truffled Hazelnuts

Seared Duck Breast, Apician Spices, Savor alla Francescana & Lovage

Roasted Lamb Rack with Tail Ragu alla Puttanesca & Sauteed Basil

Del Posto Agnolotti dal Plin with Parmigiano-Reggiano

Butterscotch Semifreddo Melon Agrumata, Crumbled Sbrisolona & Milk Jam

Chocolate Ricotta Tortino with Sicilian Pistachios & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Gelato

Tartufo al Caffe with Dark Chocolate, Sant Eustachio Coffe & Candied Lemon

Special desserts from the chef

Chocolate covered olive oil gelato and pastry with lemon custard

Cocoa nibs and candied grapefruit

Diana, Sam, and me outside of Del Posto

Washington D.C. and NYC Favorites - Part 2

2010-05-12T08:05:00.006+01:00

East Village/St. Mark's - Ippudo Special Ramen

East Village - Momofuku Milk Bar Crack Pie

East Village - Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookie (top left), Cornflake and Marshmallow (top right), and Blueberry Cream (bottom right)

53rd and 6th Halal Cart - Combo Rice

East Village - Otafuku Takoyaki (top) and Okonomiyaki (bottom)

Washington D.C. and NYC Favorites - Part 1

2010-05-12T08:00:00.003+01:00

Washington D.C. - Teaism Salty Oatmeal Cookie

Washington D.C. - Ben's Chili Bowl Half Smoke

Upper West Side - Levain Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

Midtown West - Kyotofu (clockwise from top) Housemade mango, blueberry, and jasmine green tea sorbet; Signature Sweet Tofu, Japanese Green Tea Fudge, Strawberry Shortcake, Green Tea Creme Brulee

Midtown West - Kyotofu Green Tea Brownie and Black Sesame Soft Serve

March in Review

2010-04-06T08:45:00.003+01:00

1. Making chong yao bang (green onion pancakes) with Garrett.

I have better pictures, but I'm too lazy to upload them here. Garrett says it didn't taste quite right; it could be because didn't actually use green onion, or because we didn't use lard or tons of oil, or because we used the wrong kind of flour. We'll try it again.

2. Din Tai Fung with Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and I had a long drive to and from Santa Clarita, so it was great when Elizabeth though of stopping by Din Tai Fung in Arcadia for dinner. I'd never eaten there before, but I had heard all sorts of good things. We ordered crab and pork siu long bao and Shanghai pan-fried noodles. Both were pretty tasty, but I thought it was a little bit too long of a wait and slightly overpriced. But still, it was fun to hang out with Elizabeth.

3. Late-night pho with ROCK.

We've been trying to resurrect our Friday-night ROCK hangouts after fellowship. I missed the 85 C expedition, but I did join the ROCKers for late-night pho. We went to a Vietnamese restaurant (Pho Vynh Ky) off Brookhurst and Hazard in Little Saigon and ate half-priced bowls of pho. According to Daniel, the discount makes it taste better. They need to bottle that and sell it at Chinese grocery stores.

4. Mitsuwa festival booths with ROCK.

We're not sure what was going on (Spring Picnic Fair, perhaps?), but for some reason they had a bunch of different booths with Costco-like samples. The first one we came to was a teppan table where they were making fresh yakisoba. We couldn't resist. They also had someone making fresh mochi and gyoza. I wish they had that every week. I think a week or two later, we were back at Mitsuwa for ramen and curry. I was nearly seduced by a tempting custard bun. Pat me on the back; I resisted temptation.

5. Five Guys with Aryn and Sam.

Strangely, I have no pictures of the burgers, nor of Steven, Sam, or myself. But this picture of Aryn is too pretty to pass up. Sam and I were looking for "real food," as he calls it, in a location between my house and Aryn's. Despite the fact that we had all eaten pretty late and weren't that hungry, we decided to meet at Five Guys in Cerritos. I'd only heard Justin mention Five Guys, but I didn't really known anything about them.

I was intrigued by the free peanuts (would be really dangerous for anyone with anaphylactic allergies), and I appreciated the customizable burger concept. I think the whole "free toppings" thing is kind of deceiving because the burger ends up being pretty expensive anyways, plus more if you want to buy a drink or french fries. At least they're generous with the portions. It was yummy, but nothing special. I'd have to agree with most of the Yelpers that it can't really stand up against In-N-Out.

6. Bottega Louie macaroon at work.

Yes, I used my stack of sticky notes to display this macaroon. I don't know what flavor it was, but Christina was sweet enough to share her macaroons with me. They were a gift and came in a really pretty little box from Bottega Louie in downtown LA. By the way, check out their blog, which has lots of pretty food pictures.

The Filling Station (Orange, CA)

2010-03-10T05:39:00.011Z

Tony scheduled our ROCK Core meeting a little too early; some of the guys were struggling to keep their eyes open. But the great part about scheduling an early meeting is that we got to eat brunch at The Filling Station, just a block or so away from the Orange Circle in Old Towne Orange.

I've heard that they don't have much indoor seating, but fortunately it was a nice enough day to sit outside. And they had heat lamps outside so Freddy didn't freeze. Tony recommended the omelets and scrambles, so I ordered the Old Towne scramble and added sausage to it. They mistakenly gave me a fruit cup instead of hash browns, but quickly remedied the situation.

The Filling Station is a little pricey, but the scramble was huge. It was yummy, but it wasn't like "oh my gosh this is the best thing I've ever eaten in my whole entire life." My scramble had sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell pepper, and cheese. Also shared hashbrowns with Garrett. My brother ordered the French toast with three thick slices of Hawaiian bread.

Freddy got the eggs benedict, but the only comment he gave was that it was difficult to keep everything on top of the English muffins. He let me try the grilled potatoes, and I think they were tastier than the hash browns. Tony accidentally ordered an omelet instead of a scramble, but he seemed to enjoy it anyways.

I think overall, you probably pay for the atmosphere and history; The Filling Station is an old converted gas station, which adds to its charming presence in Old Towne Orange. I think I'll have to try some of their other menu options in order to know what I really think about their food, but I was pretty pleased with our afternoon brunch (sorry for the pedestrian review; I guess I'm not feeling too inspired).

The Filling Station

201 N. Glassell St.

Orange, CA 92866

714.289.9714

http://www.fillingstationcafe.com/

Asa Ramen (Gardena, CA)

2010-02-22T02:47:00.009Z

Several weeks ago, I went for yum cha with my cousins, aunt, and uncle. Uncle Gary mentioned that he's really into ramen right now, which launched us into plans for possible ramen adventures. Being a ramen-lover myself, I suggested that we meet up in LA (where I work, Uncle Gary lives, and Tiffanie goes to school) and search for delicious ramen.

I searched Rameniac for high-scoring restaurant reviews in the Los Angeles area and stumbled upon Asa Ramen in Gardena and Gardena Ramen in Torrance (strange, I know) with scores over 20 points. I especially like shoyu ramen, so I was happy to read that that's their specialty.

I picked Tiff up a few blocks from where I work, and then drove another 20 or so minutes to Gardena. Fortunately, we had my trusty, albeit finicky (is that a contradiction?), GPS directing us to the restaurant. When we got there, we weren't sure which door was the ramen restaurant. We guessed correctly and entered through the door on the right side.

Asa Ramen is pretty small, with only room for a few tables and the traditional ramen counter with high chairs. Tiff and I both loved the decor and atmosphere of the restaurant; it's a dim little joint with bamboo and wood accents.

Tiffanie and I shared one plate of cheese mochi takoyaki, but I think the combination of cheese, bonito flakes, and sweet teriyaki sauce was a bit too much for us. It was my first taste of takoyaki, and I thought it was delicious, but I couldn't even eat my half of the six octopus balls. We figured it's because we're not used to eating that kind of Japanese flavor. I wonder if I could order it again without the sauce.

And of course, we can't forget the main course. We decided to order the kotteri shoyu tonkotsu ramen; Tiffanie added an egg. The bowls seem smaller than you would normally get, but it was actually plenty of food.

The soup was nice and murky, but for me, the best part of ramen is the texture of the noodles. And these super-thin noodles were perfect (I'm not a noodle connoisseur, but I know that I enjoyed eating them!). After a long day at work, it was just what I needed.

Asa Ramen

18202 S Western Ave
Gardena, CA 90248
(310)769-1010

6pm - 2am (closed sundays)

Cho Dang Tofu & BBQ (Diamond Bar, CA)

2010-02-22T02:16:00.006Z

"I had thought about trying it out, but I never thought it'd actually happen," my Dad said. Sam came to spend Valentine's Day weekend (it was also President's weekend and Chinese New Year--so don't take that the wrong way), but he was sick his entire time in Orange County. So when we asked if he wanted anything particular to eat, he requested Korean tofu soup.

Now be warned: my family rarely eats Korean food. My dad is not a soup guy. Nor is he a tofu guy. So we had very different experiences, since mom and I appreciate both soup and tofu. The restaurant is in the same plaza as Tealicious (where we sometimes go for watermelon juice, milk tea, and fried pork chops) and Green Bay Bakery. It's fairly spacious and was pretty empty when we got there late in the afternoon.

Sam and I each ordered soon doobu chiggae--Sam got the house special (with seafood, beef, pork, and veggies) and I got the beef. I was tempted to order the mushroom tofu soup, but the waitress recommended the beef. I can't speak for Sam (though you rarely hear him complain about food), but I was pretty excited when the soup came out boiling.

Mine was mildly spicy and had a really nice flavor. I had checked online to see which nearby Korean restaurant had the best soup. There were several recommended restaurants, but we decided the Yelp reviews of Cho Dang were the most convincing. Anyways, I really love eating the soup together with the rice.

Dad and Mom shared an order of bibimbap, a hot stone pot with rice, meat, and vegetables. They both agreed that it wasn't very tasty; they tried to add some salt, and my dad doesn't really like covering his food in spicy sauce. He really wanted to add some chinese sausage to it.

They had very little variety in the side dishes and they all had the same taste, except the fried fish. Then again, we didn't go there for the side dishes, but for the tofu soup. The most redeeming part of the meal, at least according to my dad, was the complimentary self-serve soft serve. When I expressed guilt over Dad's disappointing meal, he looked out the window and answered, "Nothing a Jumbo Jack won't fix."

Cho Dang Tofu & BBQ

1155 S. Diamond Bar Blvd.

Diamond Bar, CA 91765

(909) 861-6565

LA Street Food Fest (Part II) and Orochon Ramen (Little Tokyo, Los Angeles)

2010-02-22T01:45:00.006Z

Finally got around to finishing this post. A little recap of the LA Street Food Festival:

So, we stayed at the LA Street Food Festival until five, which was the closing time. They were pretty strict about shutting everything down right away. It’s not really worth driving all the way out to LA for only a few hours, so we decided to head to Little Tokyo to browse around and work off a few of the calories we had just consumed.

But anyone who knows us well knows that we wouldn’t go very long before finding something else to eat. We walked to Kinokuya bookstore above the Marukai and took a pit stop there. Some of us took our time looking at the magazines and books, while Sam, Auntie Linda, and Joseph waited outside at a table. Of course, Sam claimed that Orochon Ramen was “staring at him” from across the plaza.

Turns out Orochon Ramen is where Man v. Food’s Adam Richman (from Travel Channel) tried their spicy challenge. So, if you look at the menu, the spicy scale goes from 1 to 7 (seven being the least spicy, and one being the most spicy). Even spicier are “Special 1″ and “Special 2.” None of us has the guts to take on the challenge, but we were excited to be eating at the same restaurant (especially Linda, whose a die-hard fan).

Orochon Ramen’s shio ramen was very satisfying after a long day in LA. And characteristic of LA, Orochon serves massive portions; we fed four girls with one bowl (plus an extra order of noodles). The broth isn’t quite as nice as many other ramen restaurants, but the spiciness is really nice (we ordered a 4). We also tried the spicy fried rice, which had a slow, eventual bite to it. It’s the good kind of heat–slightly masochistic and very addicting.

While we weren’t going to try the challenge, we definitely egg’d on the guys at the table nice to us to give it a whirl. It was pretty amusing watching them sweat and try not to show that they were suffering.

After dinner, of course, you have to have dessert. There was a little shop in the middle of J-town where Joseph kept looking into the window or asking if Jen ordered something there. When we left to find a restroom, Joseph said, “Can we come back after dinner?” So as soon as we started heading back, Joseph requested we re-visit the little dessert shop. We managed to snatch up the last of the red bean pastries. They were delicious.

Needless to say, we were pretty stuffed by the end of our food-filled Saturday. It’s interesting, because I’ve never really appreciated living so close to Los Angeles. There are times when I feel frustrated by the congestion and traffic and dysfunction of LA’s urban sprawl. But when it comes to food, there’s really no other place in the world like it. And I’m thankful that I got to spend the day with people who love eating as much as I do. (Thanks to Diana, Sam, and Crystal for the photos!)

Orochon Ramen

123 S Onizuka St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 617-1766

LA Street Food Fest

2010-02-16T10:28:00.004Z

Lines. Long lines. That was basically the theme of the very first LA Street Food Festival at the LA Center Studios. I’m really glad I wasn’t the one driving, because Linda had to brave the stop-and-go traffic on the way to the venue, plus fight for parking on the hectics streets surrounding the event. By the time we arrived (around 1:30 or so), the line into the festival was already wrapping its way around several blocks.

Fortunately, due to special circumstances (thanks Justin and Heather!), we got in without having to wait in line. After we paid our $5 general admission, we were ready to launch our plan of attack. We decided to divide and conquer–Sam and Joseph, Crystal and me, Linda and Jen, Heather and Justin…Diana somehow managed to float around from line to line. We also cooperated with Justin’s sister, brother-in-law, and parents. Apparently, most of our fellow festival-goers used the same methods, so I suppose we were all “foodies in arms.”

Not only that, but I ran into one of my Biola friends, Sara. We spent some time together in line, catching up on each others’ lives and reminiscing about our orientation week at Biola (when we first met). While we were talking, one of the promoters for Mobi Munch, who heard that we were from Biola (he’s a fan) and gave us lots of coupons for yummy fried chicken. Being a Biola alum definitely has its perks.

Anyways, the best part of the festival for me was getting to try a little of everything. I felt bad for anyone who came, say, as a couple, and had to split up to stand in multiple lines; they didn’t have anyone to talk to whilst waiting. But since we had a large group of people, it was great fun to wait in line and have food brought directly to us. One moment, Joseph and Diana came over with tacos from Komodo. And then ten or 15 minutes later, Justin came over with goodies from the Grilled Cheese Truck saying, “Here, take a bite.” Each line was a conquest, and the food items we brought back were like the spoils of war.

It was surprising how many people showed up for the festival–I guess I didn’t really know what to expect. So many people were waiting outside the venue for hours, and when they did finally get in, they only had time to get in line for one or two things. The street food festival really seemed to capture the things that I’ve learned to appreciate about LA (I know, Ariel, I don’t love LA nearly as much as you do): we have so many different kinds of people and access to so many different kinds of food. And California cuisine is all about fusing foods together or adding a twist to the traditional. Food trucks are very trendy right now (you know how LA hipsters can’t resist a good trend), and LA food-lovers were willing to wait hours in line to eat from their favorite mobile food vendors. Plus, the weather was beautiful and sunny.

That being said, here’s the full list of the grub we managed to grab (in no particular order; thanks to Diana for the photos!):

1. Mama Koh’s Chicken

Semi-spicy Korean chicken wings. Small size, but very tasty. And they were cool enough to let us take a picture with their food when we failed to take the photo BEFORE eating ours. That’s how hungry we were.

2. Komodo

I’m not sure which ones Sam and Joseph tried, but Crystal and I were given the Komodo Signature, with “top sirloin … homemade guacamole and Cotija cheese,” and the Asian-marinated chicken with rice and mandarin oranges. The concept sounds strange, but they were quite possibly the best thing I ate all day.

3. The Grilled Cheese Truck

This was the “cheesy mac and rib,” which is what you get when you combine classic macaroni and cheese and bbq pork in a grilled cheese sandwich. It was messy and gooey and tasted better than it looked. My brother and I will have to track down this truck sometime so Garrett can see what it’s like to mix two of his favorite foods (that’s grilled cheese and mac ‘n cheese, for those of you who were going to ask if he’s suddenly started eating bbq pork). We also tried their dessert melt with banana, Nutella, and marshmallow. The Grilled Cheese Truckdefinitely had one of the longest lines at the festival. Fortunately, someone else stood in it, not me.

4. Baby’s BA Burgers

By the time we got near the bright pink truck (the line put us pretty far back), they had already run out of the “Cougar” (aged beef, St. Andre cheese, black truffles), so we settled for the “Original Beauty” (swiss, grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, jalapenos) and the “Mamacita” (pepper jack cheese, guacamole, tomato, grilled onions, jalapenos). Normally priced between $5 and $9, they sold their burgers as sliders, meaning they were probably about a quarter of the size than normal. I would probably have to try them again to decide if I like them or not, but the ones we had at the festival weren’t worth the long wait. We did score, however, with our yummy sweet potato fries.

5. Sabor de Bahia

It took a little searching to find this one. Jen brought these back and we didn’t know what they were. Apparently, they were from Sabor de Bahia, a Brazilian catering company that specializes in food from the state of Bahia. These guys (above) are called acarajé, and they’re a falafel of sorts, characteristic of Nigerian and Brazilian cuisine. Acarajé are stuffed deep fried fritters, a little spicy and very flavorful.

6. Sweets Truck

Okay, so I didn’t eat this one, but Sam did. I think he had a couple “shooters”: a red velvet cupcake one and some sort of banana custard. Justin bought a cake/lollipop thing covered in milk chocolate. It looked yummy, but was too small to share, so we gave it to his sister. I just wanted an excuse to post this really cute picture of Crystal.

7. Fishlips Sushi

After retrieving our sweet potato fries, we went searching for Diana, who we found in the Fishlips Sushi truck line. She bought two crunchy rolls, which they made on the spot, in their truck. I actually didn’t get to eat this one either, but everyone else who tried it seemed like they liked it.

8. Dogzilla

Poor Linda had to wait about two hours in this line for these “Japanese style” hot dogs. I’m not really a hot dog fan myself, but adding avocado, nori, onions, bacon, teriyaki sauce, cheese, and furikake to the hot dogs, and wrapping them in King’s Hawaiian bread rolls made them pretty tasty.

9. Coolhaus

Diana was actually most excited about this truck. The Coolhaus truck was compact and super cute. Originally designed as architecturally-inspired ice cream sandwiches, they come with different ice cream flavors and cookie flavors, wrapped in an edible wrapper. I had chocolate cookies with refreshing lemon ice cream, but ended up ditching the cookies after my first few bites. Diana had brown butter and candied bacon ice cream with (I think) chocolate chip cookies (correct me if I’m wrong, Di).

10. Extras – empanadas, garlic fries, extra Coolhaus ice cream, fried chicken, Thai food

Basically, I don’t know where these came from, but Justin had a habit of going and bringing us back surprises. Like a huge case of canned IZZE drinks. Or this chicken empanada and garlic fries. The fries were really good, especially with the garlic sauce. Justin came back bearing a full plate of free quiche and cookies from Egg Monsieur. On top of all that, Justin also managed to sweet talk the Coolhauslady into giving Diana free, extra ice cream because she loved it so much, and scored a couple of lemon meringue lemon peel shots (which honestly tasted a little burnt).

Right before everything closed, I also got free fried chicken (it tasted strongly of rosemary and other spices) from the Mobi Munch truck. I’ll have to ask Sam for some of his photos; he let me try his chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce, and he also ordered green curry and some sort of fish dish. The Thai food truck took WAY too long though.

Overall, it was a good day. At least for my tummy.

“Things I WISH I had eaten” LIST:

- FrySmith: Raja fries (Fire-roasted poblano chiles, caramelized onions and shawarma-marinated steak with Jack cheese)

- Gastrobus: pulled pork and skirt steak sandwiches

- Buttermilk: EVERYTHING

- Flying Pig: braised pork belly bun, grilled beef short rib taco, spicy pork taco, tamarind duck taco, saba and parsnip fries with black garlic aioli (maybe that’s where the garlic fries came from?)

As Uncle George used to say, “But wait! There’s more!” Stay tuned for more on our food-filled day in Los Angeles.

Sugar Rush Cafe (Walnut, CA) - Updated

2010-02-10T07:40:00.003Z

Following up on my post about Sugar Rush Cafe in Walnut, my parents and I went back to try out their signature breakfast dish: "The Sugar Rush" Cinnamon Raisin French Toast. According to the menu, it's eight pieces of cinnamon raisin bread dipped in a vanilla batter, served with homemade syrup and candied bananas and fresh strawberries.

With the bananas and vanilla, it actually reminded me a little of my dad's bananas foster crepes. I don't like sweet breakfast foods as much as my dad and brother do, but it was still really tasty. As always, I ordered the roast beef and provolone sandwich - it was delicious. As always.

Home-cooked: Thai Prawns in Green Curry

2010-02-09T04:38:00.003Z

I love to eat, but cooking is another story. The time I could have spent learning to cook in high school was taken up by basketball practices, tournaments, leagues, fundraising, church fellowship, homework and studying. College was more of the same, except basketball got replaced by the school magazine.

There are a lot of skills I wish I had started developing earlier, like cooking and sewing. But now that I'm working, I actually have more time to try and learn new things. My good friend and former floor rep at Roehampton sent me a recipe recently for thai prawns in green curry. Rachael made this for me once, but I wasn't sure if I could replicate it again.

To make a long story short, the recipe was really simple and it came out very spicy and flavorful (as Thai food should). My roommate Ariel tried it and ended up eating a whole plateful of curry and rice. For being one who rarely cooks, I feel very accomplished that I didn't completely ruin it. Now I'm looking forward to mom's almond jello for dessert.

The Dim Sum Truck

2010-02-02T08:05:00.003Z

LA is known for its diverse cuisine and ever-changing trends. Those of us living in Socal are so spoiled; we’re exposed to international fare from every culture and locale. One fashionable food trend is the taco truck. It seems like we’ve always had the traditional Mexican taco truck, but the trend really picked up when Kogi Truck–selling Korean BBQ tacos–showed up on the scene.

It’s brilliant marketing if you think about it. Hungry Twitter users can follow the Kogi Truck on their phones so they know where to get in line. Of course, LA eaters are all about the latest trend, so they’re happy to join the almost cult-like community of Kogi fans. Soon after, imitator trucks began popping up everywhere.

If it works for Korean BBQ, one might reason, then the business model should also work for any other “exotic” food–say, dim sum. Hence, the Dim Sum Truck. Their menu boasts all the traditional goodies: siu mai (dumplings), har gau (shrimp dumplings), char siu bao (BBQ pork buns), lo mai gai (lotus leaf rice), cheong fun (rice noodle rolls), and daan taat (egg tarts).

The Dim Sum Truck also offers some special items, like “mushu pork tacos” and “peking duck wraps.” Some items will be available daily while others will be offered as specials. From the looks of it, you’ll never know for sure what yummy goodies they’ll be offering. It doesn’t look like they’ve launched yet, but I’d definitely be interested in trying out their dim sum.

To me, dim sum just isn’t the same without the round tables and hot carts and loud Chinese families trying to talk over each other. But sometimes, you just crave a good char siu bao; maybe it’ll remind people of Hong Kong–you can get your fix right on the street. To find out more, you can follow them through Twitter and on Facebook, or check out their website.

Tranquil Tea Lounge (Fullerton, CA)

2010-01-15T06:38:00.010Z

Katie and I wanted to meet somewhere in between our houses--a place where we could sit and chat for awhile. I'd been to Tranquil Tea Lounge once or twice, but I'd only had tea. We got there at 3:30 and were surprised at how crowded it was. A large group of Asian high schoolers had the corner lounge couches, but we were able to get a small table, though we were uncomfortably close to the table next to us.

The cafe is run by a brother and sister, so when things got busy, the service was slow. I actually had to go ask for menus, and then the food and drinks took a long time. Fortunately, we weren't really in a rush. And they're both really friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable (and attentive when it's not crowded), especially when it comes to the different teas.

Located near Wilshire and Harbor in the middle of Fullerton's trendy downtown, Tranquil tea lounge is very comfortable and chic. There's usually plenty of seating, convenient power plugs, and they encourage you to hang out and use Downtown Fullerton's free wi-fi.

I hadn't eaten anything all day, so I ordered the "Tranquil Tea Trio": half of a prosciutto sandwich, a caesar salad, and the "Juicy Watermelon" herbal tea. The sandwich had prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula, and sun-dried tomato pesto; it wasn't the best I've had, but it was still satisfying.

Katie got the macaroons (Earl Grey, green tea, and chocolate) and the Mauna Loa, a strange combination of white chocolate, almonds, macadamias, pistachios, and tea--a little too nutty for my tastes. It was my first time trying macaroons, and Katie's too.

They told us that they actually make the macaroons themselves, but we didn't really know what to expect. Their texture is similar to that of the meringue cookies that Katie made; the texture is a little bit sticky. Inside, there's a little bit of creamy filling too. I liked the subtle Earl Grey, and Katie favored the chocolate (which I didn't try). The green tea was nice too, but a little stronger flavored.

As far as teas go, I love loose leaf tea, and the option to smell all of their different options. They have a massive tea list, so it's a little bit of a challenge to decide which tea you want to try. I've had the Geisha's Kiss and the Lotus Blossom, which were both really good. The tea is a little pricier than a drink at a boba shop, but they give you a tall glass and another small carafe. Overall, Katie and I enjoyed our time together, and I always love good tea.

Tranquil Tea Lounge

106 W. Wilshire Ave.

Fullerton, CA 92832

(714) 869-3577

www.tranquiltealounge.com

M-Sat: 9am-9pm

Sun: 11am-6pm

Shin Sen Gumi (Fountain Valley, CA)

2010-01-13T05:34:00.008Z

Shin Sen Gumi is one of my favorite ramen joints, but their restaurant has very limited seating so I don't go there very often. But Diana and I had time to kill after our women's fellowship meeting at church. Diana hadn't been there since 2006 (or something ridiculous like that), so we were both really excited to go for lunch.

We got there at 1, meaning we missed the crazy long wait that happens around the lunch rush. Usually you sign your name on their list and then wait outside, but we only waited a minute or two. They seated us at the counter on the yakitori side of the restaurant. I love how they yell at you when you come in and leave the restaurant, and I love that they only really serve ramen (as opposed to most Japanese restaurants in the U.S., where they serve a little bit of everything).

Anyways, I don't like their broth quite as much as some other ramen places, but their noodles are definitely my favorite. You can order the hakata ramen with soft, regular, or hard noodles, and they have the best consistency out of all the ramen noodles I've had. I'm never disappointed when I go to Shin Sen Gumi.

Shin Sen Gumi Ramen

18315 Brookhurst St
Fountain Valley, CA 92708

(714) 962-8952

Pasta de Waraku (Rowland Heights, CA)

2010-01-05T04:52:00.006Z

One of my favorite restaurants in California is a Japanese yoshoku restaurant that serves things like mushroom spaghetti, hayashi rice, curry rice, hamburger steak, and other Japanese western dishes. So when I heard about the new Japanese pasta restaurant opening in our area, I was really excited to try it.

Pasta de Waraku is actually a Singaporean restaurant popular in Asia, but they've opened their first U.S. restaurant in Rowland Heights, in the Four Seasons plaza off Gale--the same plaza as J.J. Bakery and Cafe, Red Mango, and Tea Station. After much pestering, I was able to drag my parents with me to try it.

The restaurant itself is very stylish and modern-looking. We were originally seated at a table right in the middle, but the sun was directly in my eyes, and the waiters didn't argue when we requested another table, even though they were moderately busy. The service is excellent--a staff of mostly young 20-somethings, diverse (meaning not all Asian, and not all Chinese-speaking), and eager to please. They are very intentional about asking for customer feedback, which is a good sign.

The menu is huge, so we had a really difficult time deciding what to order. I think from the beginning, my parents were uncomfortable because it was a lot pricier for lunch than we're used to. Since we were trying a new restaurant though, we decided to go ahead an order a few different things.

Dad got the baked scallop rice (I can't remember the exact name at the moment). They only gave him two or three really small scallops, and he said they were undercooked. Usually my dad really likes the au gratin-type dishes, so he seemed really disappointed.

On the other hand, I was really pleased with the chicken and mushroom soup spaghetti that I ordered. I wasn't sure if I'd like having the soup, but I was surprised at how good it was. The noodles are kind of like ramen noodles, and the soup is not too thick, not too thin. It's actually similar consistency to the creamy nanchatte ramen soup at Foo Foo Tei. It was a little bit spicy, which means it was very spicy for my mom and not very spicy for me, but had a really nice flavor. My only gripe is that I would have liked more mushrooms. Mom ordered the bruschetta and stole a little from Dad and me. The bruschetta was good but nothing special.

Two out of our three dishes were pretty good, but I think the thing what's really prevented us from going back is that it's quite pricey. I think it'll be a good place to go back with some of my girlfriends, and we can split a dish or two. They have some unusual offerings, like their unagi teriyaki or potato mentai pizza, which I might be interested in trying.

Overall, a rather disappointing experience (for my dad especially) in light of my prior excitement. I hope they improve so that I can continue to try their different Japanese pasta dishes.

Pasta de Waraku

18508 Gale Ave Unit A

City of Industry, CA 91748

Little Malaysia Restaurant (El Monte, CA)

2010-01-05T04:15:00.006Z

This post should have been done long ago, but the photos were tricky to get off my dad's blackberry. For some reason, my mac hates Dad's phone; they cannot communicate. So I have to bluetooth the photos from his phone to mine, THEN to my computer. It was way too much work.

Anyways, I work in Koreatown LA, and I always see the signs for El Monte on my way there and back. I've been searching for Malaysian restaurants in Southern California for a long time, and I'd been wanting to try this place. Little Malaysia Restaurant is located just north of the 10 freeway, a few blocks past the El Monte Shopping Center. My parents sometimes like to come to LA with me, so they were with me when I decided to try out this restaurant.

We had a little trouble finding it because it was tucked away in the back corner of a dark, small, sketchy-looking strip mall with stores, a dim sum restaurant, and a few little sleepy to-go joints. Little Malaysia Restaurant, on the other hand, has colorful, tropical-themed decor, Asian artwork, and wooden folding chairs--you can tell they're trying to re-create a typical, small town Malaysian cafe.

There was only one pair of customers when we arrived, so we had our pick of the tables. I already know that nothing in Southern California will be comparable to what I had in Penang, but I still crave anything I can get that's close. I think I surprised the waitress because I knew pretty quickly what I wanted to eat.

We ordered roti canai, char kway teow, and seafood noodle soup. I also asked for a teh ice, which it basically cold teh tarik (sweetened, pulled tea). The roti canai was the best I've had so far State-side; it has a nice crispy texture and has the savory sauce on the side.

Mom ate the noodle soup, which was spicy even by my standards. It had really good flavor (not too fishy), and they didn't skimp on the shrimp, fish, and other seafood. The char kway teow was pretty good, too, and definitely better than what we had at the Penang Malaysian Cuisine (see my post on that here). It's such a standard Malaysian dish. The flat noodles are my favorite; it's like a more flavorful, colorful pad see ew at Thai restaurants. The rest of their dishes we couldn't really compare, since we didn't order the same things. But Dad and I can't stand bland food, so we enjoyed everything we ate here.

They give large portions, so we were thankful we didn't order too much. Even with just two dishes and an appetizer, we had way more than enough for three people. The service is friendly, albeit a little slow, especially considering that there were only two tables of customers. I can't wait until I get the chance to go back to Penang to eat my fill of Malaysian food, but this will have to do for now. It was quite awhile ago, but I do remember leaving the restaurant pretty satisfied. Or at least my stomach was.

Little Malaysia Restaurant

3944 Peck Road, Ste 8

El Monte, CA 91732

(626) 401-3188

Eclipse Chocolat (San Diego, CA)

2010-01-04T03:18:00.013Z

Every year after Christmas, our church high school and college groups head down to Pine Valley for a few short days of rest, relaxation, and reflection (eww, alliteration). On the way home, my fellow counsellor--and also our driver--Diana suggested that we stop in San Diego to try the dessert platter at Eclipse Chocolat.The cafe is a little difficult to spot; we passed it the first time and had to turn around to find street meter parking. When we walked in, we were impressed with the decor--sea foam green walls, comfy couches, stylish menu signs. The smell made us want to order EVERYTHING. In an attempt to exercise some self-control, we tried to limit how much we ordered.

My friend Emily ordered a vanilla bean latte (I think) that tasted pretty much like melted vanilla ice cream. I bought my younger brother an azeteca cinnamon roll and got an iced tahitan tangerine tea for myself. And Diana ordered a chocolate Kentucky bourbon caramel cupcake and a seasonal dessert tasting platter (we chose grilled masala chai banana bread, azteca cinnamon roll bread pudding, grilled white chocolate fig bar, and grilled white chocolate apple-cinnamon cake).

We each had our favorites; I really loved the azteca cinnamon roll bread pudding and the Kentucky bourbon caramel cupcake. The bread pudding was not too heavy, and it was sweet with a nice kick to it--cayenne pepper maybe. The cupcake was yellow cake, and had a layer of bourbon-flavored caramel underneath a coat of chocolate icing, topped off with a couple pecans. By the end, I had gone far above and beyond my sugar quota for the week (or maybe the month).

The cafe is a little pricy for dessert, especially compared to your average yogurt shop, but if you're a chocolate fan in the San Diego area, then you should definitely drop by Eclipse Chocolat. The cafe takes an unusual, creative approach to chocolate, and even boasts special events, such as their once-a-month course meals where they cook each dish with some sort of chocolate. If you're not interested in dinner, you can always come in and read or do work; they offer free wi-fi for their customers. The service is prompt, attentive, and helpful in explaining each of the chocolate offerings.

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but this place is perfect for chocolate lovers or anyone craving something sweet and sophisticated.

Eclipse Chocolat

2121 El Cajon Blvd.

San Diego, CA 92104

(619) 578-2984

www.eclipsechocolat.com

Sugar Rush Cafe (Walnut, CA)

2009-10-29T22:44:00.014Z

One of my earliest childhood memories is from visiting my grandma in Sacramento. I remember walking hand-in-hand with Dad down the street and around the corner from Grandma's house, to the old-fashioned diner (with the counter top facing the grill) that doubled as a Chinese bakery. I'd get a bao or daan taat and Dad would order coffee and breakfast. I guess those memories made a lasting impression on me. Even now, I always associate breakfast foods with Dad. So when I read about the Sugar Rush Cafe, I told Dad we had to go try it.

The cafe is on Valley Blvd., between Temple and Grand Ave., near where the 57 and 60 freeways intersect. It's right in the middle of an entirely industrial area; if you aren't looking for it, you'll probably drive right by it. From the outside, it really does look like a hole in the wall.

Sugar Rush Cafe, despite the strange location, is actually very cute and trendy, with a coffee barista area, a couch/lounge area, and normal tables for dining. It's quite small, but the yellow walls and fun paintings make it a very friendly, cheerful atmosphere.

The barista/waiter told us that we came at the very end of the lunch rush (usually between 11-2), so when we sat down there was only one other table of customers. Apparently they get quite a lot of patrons from Cal Poly Pomona--students, professors, even the dean. But Dad doesn't like crowds, so we were glad that it was quiet.

Dad ordered the three-egg omelet with sausage, spinach, mushrooms and cheese, which came with hash browns and wheat toast. I asked for my caramelized onions on the side, so Dad got to put them into his omelet as well. It was really tasty; they didn't skimp on their ingredients. It didn't seem too eggy or too cheesy, and there was plenty of sausage, spinach, and mushrooms. Between the three of us, we finished the entire omelet (which was a pretty good size).

I ordered the hot roast beef sandwich with provolone, and that came with homemade Yukon Gold french fries (you get to choose between fries and chips). Mom and I split the sandwich, which was plenty for both of us. It was almost like a french dip sandwich; I love the combination of roast beef, provolone, and my favorite horseradish.

Because Mom had read that they're known for their coffee, Dad asked the waitress for her recommendation: Otoño--a stronger (and direct trade) blend. I'm not a coffee drinker, but Dad said that it was good. Usually people add cream and sugar to get rid of the acidity, but people drink it straight because it isn't necessary if the coffee is good.

My dad asked the waiter for future recommendations. He told us that their signature breakfast item is Cinnamon Raisin French Toast. The most popular sandwiches are the Chicken Spinach Melt, the Hot Roast Beef and Provolone Sandwich, and the BLT with Avocado (in that order). And his personal favorite is the Bacon Avocado Cheeseburger

We were wondering if the Yelp reviews (4.5 out of 5) were accurate or not, but we were pleasantly surprised. The food was good, the menu reasonably priced, the cafe nicely decorated, and the staff was friendly and attentive (without being obnoxious). Probably the only downside is that they close pretty early*. I think we'll definitely be going back to Cafe Sugar Rush soon.

Sugar Rush Cafe

3900 Valley Blvd, Ste A

Walnut, California

(909) 869 - 7969

http://cafesugarrush.com/

*check webpage for hours

Penang Malaysian Cuisine (West Covina, CA)

2009-10-21T04:57:00.002+01:00

Dad was kind enough to finish his rounds and drive me to Koreatown today. On the way, we discussed the possibility of stopping off in El Monte--directly off the 60 freeway--to try Little Malaysia Restaurant. I haven't had good Malaysian food in a while (since London, strangely enough), so I've really been craving something, anything related to Malaysian cuisine.

After a productive meeting in LA, we headed back towards home. Using Dad's trusty Blackberry, we Yelp'd the location of the restaurant. Fortunately, Dad thought to call ahead and find out whether or not they close for the afternoon. And sure enough, they were just about to close. So we changed plans (and freeways) and headed towards West Covina. Dad is something of a human compass; so despite my faulty sense of direction (I'm completely lost without a GPS), we made it to Penang Malaysian Cuisine.

The restaurant is tucked into the corner of the very randomly-located Hong Kong plaza (South Glendora and Vine). Since it was already almost three in the afternoon, the place was pretty much deserted. Not that we minded--Dad doesn't like crowds, and as long as the food's good, I don't care either way. Needless to say, Dad and I were the only patrons in the restaurant.

Penang Malaysian Cuisine is definitely a far cry from the usual humidity, dustiness, and buzz of the open-air hawker restaurants. But I don't expect a southern California restaurant to exactly replicate my travel experiences. It was clean, quiet, and nicely decorated; the ambience was somewhere between a modern Thai restaurant and a Mexican cantina (if you can imagine such a place).

I think I surprised the waitress because I ordered without a menu: teh ice, roti canai, satay, and char kway teow. She actually asked me if I was Malaysian. I suspect most people just look at the pictures and point at what they want, or "point and click" as my dad calls it. Weirdly enough, the waitress is Thai, the cooks are Chinese and Mexican, and the owners are Burmese.

I don't think exported cuisines will ever be as good or authentic as the original, but the roti was still pretty good. It was flaky and thin and the sauce tasted almost exactly like what they served us in Penang. Dad had never had real roti before, so I was pleased that he finally got to try it (I'm dying to take him to Penang myself).

The satay came out shortly after; we ordered combination chicken and beef. Dad couldn't help saying over and over, "it's the best satay I've ever had." And he's tried a lot of different satay. It brought back very fond memories of trying satay from the vendor off the side of the road on the way to Tesco in Penang. The meat has a nice sweet glaze and a smoky flavor, and the sauce that came with it was great. Those who know my dad know that he's a sauce person; I suspect the sauce is what won him over.

Finally, we split the char kway teow. The noodles were actually the kind normally used in pad thai, so that was a little disappointing, and it wasn't as flavorful as I was hoping. It did have a spicy after-kick. I think it's probably pretty hard to match the char kway teow I've had in Malaysia, but it was still edible.

I was telling Dad about how people in Penang are fiercely proud of their food. Although I was only there for three weeks, by the end of the trip, even I was ready to defend Penang's cuisine against anyone from KL or elsewhere. It's been over a year now, and I still miss all of the food and all of my friends in Malaysia. I wasn't blown away by this restaurant, but it was still really fun to go adventuring with Dad and re-eat some good memories.

Penang Malaysian Cuisine

971 South Glendora Ave.

West Covina, CA 91790

(626) 338-6138

Sun-Th 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

Fri-Sat 11:00 am - 10:30 pm

For those who might be interested, they also give you a 10% discount, a song, and a free ice kacang (think shaved ice) for your birthday.

Four Seasons (London Chinatown)

2008-12-16T01:16:00.017Z

"Come on Jon, decide where to eat," I grumbled. I get grumpy when I'm hungry. A full day of classes meant I hadn't had anything to eat all day. Jon listed out nearly every restaurant in Chinatown before settling on Four Seasons. I've already eaten there once, but I never say no to Chinese food. Especially since self-catering at uni means poor eating, at least for someone of my culinary skills. I'm great at eating, but I can't cook to save my life.

Anyways, they seated our party of three downstairs in the corner, where the ceiling is so low they had to post a sign that says "Mind Your Head." Fortunately for them, I'm only 5'0''. You know that Four Seasons is one of the more authentic Chinese restaurants situated in the heart of London Chinatown--they have an adequate number of Chinese locals dining there. I'm always wary of the restaurants that have a lot of touristy customers; I don't mean to be discriminatory, but it's a fairly accurate rule of thumb.

My Cantonese is barely good enough to order food, but it limits me to what I can remember how to pronounce. I assume that the non-Chinese customers were able to order in English, so I guess language really shouldn't be an issue. But since Jon is fluent in Chinese, he did all the ordering for us. We originally ordered four dishes, but somehow, the spare ribs failed to materialize. The other three dishes were ma po tofu, garlic ong choy, and 3 meat combination dish.

First, the ong choy. I thought this dish was really nice. It wasn't available at the last Chinese restaurant we ate at, so it was a real treat to be able to order it here. I don't like eating any kind of choy if it feels wilted or if it's too bland. Jon mentioned that some places make it too salty, but the ong choy was just the right amount of crunchy and garlic.

The second dish was the 3 combination meat dish--duck, pork belly*, and char siu. I don't understand why restaurants in London list it as "belly pork". It just doesn't make sense to me. From what I've read online, Four Seasons is supposed to be famous for their duck. Jon complained that the duck and char siu tasted dry because they weren't fresh. They tried to make the meat moist by covering it with sauce. That made it too sweet for my taste, but it was still edible. Everything tastes all right when you're hungry like I was.

Our last dish was the ma po tofu. I've seen this dish in many forms. My favorite is the red hot Taiwanese version. The ma po tofu at Four Seasons was a more meaty dish. The tofu was really smooth, the sauce had a nice kick (though not as spicy as I usually like), and overall, I thought it was very flavorful. Ma po tofu can sometimes be too heavy, but I liked the consistency of this dish. I definitely had multiple helpings.

All three dishes, along with tea and white rice, came out to about 35 GBP. For those visiting London, eating out is generally quite expensive, Chinese food in particular. It was a bit pricey, even splitting the tab three ways, but not wholly unreasonable. I have my own opinions about the state of customer service in England, but the waiters were efficient (if not friendly) and I appreciated that they didn't rush us out after all of our fellow customers had gone. In the end, I was pretty content and very full. Review by Lynnette

*Note: I'm not sure exactly how to describe it, but pork belly has both fat and meat, and the skin is salty and crunchy. It's been described to me as deep fried pork skin...

The Verdict: 3.5 out of 5 starfishes

- 2/3 good dishes

- a little more expensive than I like
- decent service

Four Seasons Restaurant
12 Gerrard Street
China Town, London W1D 5PR
+44 20 74940870

Inaugural Post

2008-12-16T00:54:00.003Z

This blog came about because Tim and I were discussing my future as an aspiring writer and traveler. We started talking about our shared passion for food (doing what we do best); one thing led to another and voila!--Tim and Lynnette's Food Exploits. Our culinary reviews will be quite international: London, California, and wherever else our stomachs may take us. In any case, this blog is for our fellow foodies and other curious eaters. We'll try to keep it as interesting and tasty as possible. Enjoy!

-Lynnette