Monthly Archives: May 2013

Soban, so good

31 Friday May 2013

Posted by in Food, Korean Food

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sobanFor anyone who knows me well, Korean food is my favorite cuisine. My first encounter with Korean food was back when I was in college. I became friends with a few Korean students, and tried Korean cooking for the very first time. I was really blown away, and happily overwhelmed with the pungent, and complex taste of the food. The best tasting Korean dishes I have ever tried were definitely at one of my friend’s home. Her mother was so welcoming, so happy and proud that I was gobbling up all her cooking as if it was the best food in the world, of which it really was. With immense pride and joy on her face, she would serve me plates and plates of different homemade kimchees, as well as tender strips of marinated meat that I could not get enough of. I have long since lost touch with my friend Jeannie Yoon, I  have hope that one day I will run into her in Koreantown where I do frequent often.

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Back to the present, one of my favorite Korean dish these days is braised black cod(Eun Daegu Jorim). There is nothing that I do not like about this dish. The fish is delicate but flavorful, with just the right seasonings to bring out the fish taste, but not overpowering it. I have tried this dish at Kobawoo, Jun Won, Mapo Kkak Du Gi, and all of them are good. But it is at Soban, that I found the taste of this dish to be of perfect balance.

The black cod at Soban was cooked not just with radishes, but with the addition of rectangular pieces of tofu and thin slices of squash. The taste was more subtle and not as strong(which I prefer) as the other places. The other dish I tried at Soban was Galbijjim. It was the first time trying this particular way of eating beef ribs at a Korean restaurant. The meat was simmered slowly in a pot with different ingredients. The beef was tender, and again the flavor was quite delicate. I liked the red dates and chestnuts inside the pot, but I thought that they can be cooked longer so that the texture may become softer.

A side note, I must say that I prefer to go to restaurants that do not require valet parking, and this restaurant does offer limited parking in the back, and on the streets.

Thoughts and Questions for the Day:  I notice that Korean people usually go mainly to Korean restaurants; I especially don’t see too many Koreans in Chinese restaurants. Why? Is it because Korean food is so tasty already that there is no special desire for other cuisines?

Soban: 4001 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019  Phone: (323) 936-9106

Peruvian food revisited

30 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in Food, Peruvian Food

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The first time that I ever tried Peruvian cuisine was probably over ten years ago, at the El Pollo Inka in Hermosa Beach. I actually did not even realize that it was Peruvian because our friends told us to meet them at this restaurant where they serve really good chicken. And it is not until a couple months ago, more than a decade later, that I suddenly decided that I should try more diverse cuisines, other than the Asian cuisine that I usually end up eating.

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I remember that there is this Peruvian restaurant next to a 99 Ranch Market in Gardena that I have passed by many times, and it was always crowded. Out of curiosity, I went online to look up this restaurant named El Rocoto to see what type of dishes they offer. I was impressed with the restaurant website, and the photos of the food, as well as the very positive comments from the Yelp website.

I arrived at the restaurant around 5:30pm on a Saturday, and the restaurant was about 1/3 full. The bread arrived warm, along with two little container of sauces. The bread by itself was already really good, fresh and very soft inside; but after smothering it with the slightly spicy, flavorful green sauce, it was fantastic! The red sauce, however, did not have as much flavor.

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I ordered the Pescado Macho, which consisted of a variety of seafood and fried fish with a generous amount of ultra creamy, scrumptious, yellow sauce(aji amarillo sauce) covering the entire dish, and served with white rice. It was one of the best overall plate of food I had in a long time. I am now hooked on Peruvian food. My eating companion ordered Arroz con Pollo (rice cooked with cilantro sauce and chicken); I tried the rice, mixed it with the salsa which consisted mainly of marinated raw onions. The rice mixture was extremely tasty, since I love onions and all types of spices. I did not tried the chicken. These days, I am trying to eat mainly organic chicken, and it is hard to find any in restaurants. Not that I am an organic fanatic, but I just tried to limit certain foods such as chicken, strawberries, milk, apples, which are high in antibiotics, pesticides, etc.

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Ever since that first encounter with El Rocoto, I have been back many times. Another favorite is the Oxtail Fettuccine. The oxtails were cooked in tomato wine sauce, served with fettuccine in an very creamy mushroom sauce. The meat was incredibly tender and full of wine flavor, the fettuccine was so rich that I had to not finish the entire portion in order not to raise my cholesterol level any more higher.

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The Trio Causitas, an appetizer consisting of three rounds of whipped potatoes topped individually with shrimp, chicken, and crab meat, with aji amarillo sauce was quite good, but could use a bit less salt.

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Chupa De Camarones, a creamy shrimp chowder with peruvian corn, cheese, eggs and fish was amazingly rich and deep in seafood flavors.

I also tried the Sangria for the first time in my life, and I must say that I really enjoy the fruitiness of the drink, it is so very refreshing after hours of badminton.

El Rocoto: 1356 W. Artesia Blvd., Gardena, Ca 90248  Phone: 310-768-8768

My First Blog

29 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by in Food, Lifestyle, Travel

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me and shoe

My name is Alice, so excited to be blogging after months and months of contemplating whether to start this or not. Friends have been constantly telling me for a long time to start writing and sharing my food (eating) experiences, since I so love to eat, and love to try new foods and restaurants.

Due to the fact that I am currently residing in the Los Angeles area, the majority of my writings on food-related subjects, restaurants, bakeries (my most favorite subject), and other eateries, will be in the vicinity of Los Angeles. Los Angeles is a good place to start my writing because the Chinese food here is one of the best (being Chinese, I have a bit of expertise). Of course, my all around favorite cuisine is Korean. I just love everything about Korean food, from all the varieties of kimchee, to the mixed purple rice, or brown rice with all sorts of beans inside, to of course, the main dishes such as braised black cod, cold noodles, tofu hotpot, steamed pork belly wraps, …Yum!

A bit about myself, born in Hong Kong, grew up in San Francisco, graduated from UCLA a while back, now residing in the Los Angeles area with my son who will reluctantly go out with me from time to time to enjoy some of his favorite foods such as ramen, shrimp rice noodle roll(cheong fun), pork belly with preserved mui choy, and of course Korean food such as bulgogi, galbi, tofu hot pot. I am so glad that he does take after me in regards to really enjoying Korean food.

As I have mentioned earlier, I am passionate about my pastries. After living in France for a year in a study program, I have developed an insatiable appetite and appreciation for not just French pastries, but all pastries, especially the many varieties of traditional and not-so-traditional Chinese pastries (both the Hong Kong and Taiwanese types), and the French-style pastries that are created and owned by Japanese or Koreans entrepreneurs.

I cannot wait to share my present as well as past food adventures and thoughts with someone other than my immediate circle of friends. I hope that in the process,I will learn and educate myself more on the topics of food and eating, as well as sharing ideas on other interesting and perhaps enlightening subject matter.

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