Monthly Archives: August 2013

Ten Ren – More Than Just Good Tea

29 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by in Chinese dessert, Chinese food, Food, Lifestyle, Uncategorized

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One of my best friend way back from elementary school came to Los Angeles a while ago with the husband and her daughter.

After stuffing ourselves to the maximum at El Rocoto, we headed over to Phoenix Dessert for some delectable Chinese dessert soups, fresh Durian Roll, and Strawberry Mochi. We were already really full by then, but we wanted to catch up some more, and her daughter wanted to try the Matcha Ice Cream Milk at this place called Ten Ren Tea Time.

So we decided to take a walk around the large strip mall in order to digest a bit so we could fit more food into our systems.

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There are a number of Ten Ren throughout the city. This particular one is one of the larger ones, with a good number of the patrons being students from the nearby college. Aside from a large selection of different teas, the menu offers a variety of savory dishes as well as sweet desserts and many choices of drinks.

This evening was all about drinks.

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I decided on the Hot Grass Jelly, which consisted of a rather large round container of mildly sweetened thick black grass jelly with some red beans and boba(tapioca balls) inside. Grass jelly is thought to have cooling properties, and is usually consumed in hot weather.

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My friend’s daughter had her Matcha Ice Cream Milk, which looked thick and foamy. She commented that it tasted pretty good, and not too sweet.  The Taro Milk Drink, a light purplish thick concoction that my friend decided on was rather delicious according to her. Her husband was absolutely stuffed, so he ordered the Pu-erh Hot Tea to aid him in digestion.

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We had a wonderful time enjoying each others’ companies, chatting about old times, about food, while leisurely savoring our flavorful drinks.

Ten Ren Tea Station: 1610 W. Redondo blvd. Gardena, CA 90247  Phone:310-515-2989

http://teastationusa.com/gardena/

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Snacks and Beyond – TJ

25 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by in Food, Lifestyle, Markets

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A friend and I, whenever we are in the mood for something good to snack on that are both delicious and not too junky, we would head over to our trusty spot – Trader Joe’s.

Aside from being a fun place to shop for foods, I like the fact that the store is not too big, which makes it easier and more efficient to find items that I would like to buy. Of course, another big reason for my friend and I to go is the “free coffee” and “free samples”.

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In my opinion, the coffee, with a choice of fresh cream that is served there tastes much better than some of the famous coffee houses.

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Let’s start with the decadent “snacks”. My son’s favorite is the super delicious “Crispy Crunchy Chocolate chip Cookies”, mini cookies that not only are filled with loads of tiny chocolate chips but has a exquisite fragrant coconut taste that is not to found elsewhere. Then there are the divine frozen treats such as the “Mini Mint Ice Cream Mouthfuls”, tiny size “Ice Cream cones”, and Ice Cream Mochi, all of which are flavorful, in addition to the sweetness.

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My favorite is the selections of organic fruits and vegetables. They are reliable and consistently fresh. I especially enjoy the organic cherry tomatoes that are pop-in-your-mouth fresh and perfectly sweet. The last time I was there, there were the most beautiful figs, firm and luscious. The organic apples, bananas, pears are my staples there.

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The organic Oatmeal here tastes better that the famous Quaker Oats. My son and I prefer the Trader Joe’s O’s cereal over the Cheerios brand. The O’s are puffier and not as brown and hard.

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I use the Organic Chicken Drumstick to make “Soy Sauce Chicken” for my son which he kindly says is one of the best. The price is relatively non-expensive for $1.99 per lb.

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The different selections of nuts are quite extensive here with various varieties in either salted, or non-salted. I also found an instant noodle that has no MSG nor any artificial ingredients that my son actually likes.

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The fresh flowers and plants are always colorful and plentiful. The mini orchid is comparatively cheaper than most places and usually come in a pretty ceramic pot. One can also get different varieties of herbs in a pot.

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My favorite sparkling water so far is the “Blu Italy Sparkling Natural Mineral Water” with a lemon and lime taste, so refreshing with ice.

See Trader Joe’s Website for various locations in your area.

http://www.traderjoes.com/

Mountain

22 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by in Food, Korean Food, Uncategorized

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“Please come in and try our food”, with the assured enthusiasm of someone who knew whatever he was offering was worthy, the young man urged us to go inside. This was about two years ago while we were walking by the newly opened restaurant inside a strip mall in Gardena. My companion and I were on our way to another restaurant in the same mall when we were intercepted.

At the time, there was nobody inside this seemingly spacious and clean restaurant. We were a bit reluctant to try, but did not have the heart to turn down this young fellow with the hopeful smile. “OK, we will try, you said it is good, right?”, I wanted to have his affirmation. “Yes”, excitedly he said.

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The menu was very clear with photos of all the dishes. He proceeded to recommend the Abalone porridge, DolSot Bibimbap (Rice with meat and vegetables on Hot Stone Bowl), and Galbi-Tang(short-rib based soup). I finally settled on the Abalone Porridge, while my companion ordered the combination of Galbi and DolSot-Bibimbap.

There was a rectangular box on each table that held the stainless steel spoons and chopsticks that one could help themselves to. The banchan (side dishes) here were much bigger in portion size than most of the other Korean restaurants. I especially liked the cube sized soy sauce beef, it was so tender and tasty. The potato salad was moist, mushy, a bit tangy, I asked for two more refills later on.

The porridge was served in elongated oval shape shallow bowl with a raw egg yolk on top. I gave the raw yolk to my companion, and dug into my porridge. The flavor of abalone was mild but I did find tiny pieces of abalone inside. It was not enough food for me, so I had some of my friend’s bibimbap and galbi. The galbi was cooked just right, with a slight sweet flavor.  While the mixed rice on hot stone bowl would be good on a cold evening, I preferred the regular version with the rice not burnt.

 

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After not having been there for quite some time, I decided to have lunch at Mountain this past weekend. I ordered the Soon Tofu with seafood, while my son had the combo of bulgogi and soon tofu with beef. The amount of tofu had decreased substantially, as well as the portion size of the bulgogi. I was quite disappointed. The only constant was the banchan, the selections were still enjoyable, so I filled myself up with the soy sauce beef and potato salad. While this restaurant cannot compared to some of the best ones in Koreatown, it does offer a relaxing atmosphere, comfortable seatings because of the spacious booths, a shorter drive from home, and ample parking spaces.

Mountain Restaurant: 15460 S. Western Ave. Ste 101, Gardena, CA 90247  Phone: (310) 327-8494

More Than Just Teppanyaki – Benihana

18 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by in Food, Japanese Food

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When one thinks of Benihana, the image that comes to mind is a chef expertly chopping up vegetables, meat, or seafood, and cooking up a storm in front of an excited audience who is hungry not just for the food but for a bit of entertainment.

Teppanyaki is the style of cooking at this famous restaurant. The restaurant was started in 1964 in New York by Hiroaki Aoki, also a wrestler who qualified but did not attend the 1960 Summer Olympics. The name of the first restaurant, Benihana of Tokyo, was named after the “red safflower” which was the name of the coffee shop owned by his parents in Tokyo.

Aoki’s idea was for the meal to be theatrically prepared by trained staff at a communal table. Teppan meaning “steel grill”, and yaki meaning “grilled” or “broiled”. Guest would place their order at the table, and be able to watch with amazement as the food items were sliced and diced and flipped into the air.

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I, like most other patrons of this restaurant, started enjoying the food here at these Teppanyaki tables. Then one day, a friend mentioned that she has been taking her son to Benihana for the Sushi Boat special.

“What is that?” I asked. She explained that for lunch only, the restaurant serves a combination of Chicken, or Beef Julienne, or Salmon, with half of a California roll, Shrimp and vegetable tempura, sashimi, soup, salad, edamame, steamed rice and fruit, served inside a huge bamboo “boat”, and all that for around ten dollars.

I was not sold right away, but one day, tired of the long wait for the teppanyaki side, we decided to just eat at the sushi side of the restaurant, since we were told that we would be able to order anything from the hibachi menu. It was actually nice to be away from the crowd and the noise and fumes. We proceeded to order the sushi boat with Beef Julienne, and an order of the Hibachi Scallops.

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I was surprised by the large size of  the boat, and how lovely the overall presentation of the food was. The beef was surprisingly good quality, tender and flavorful, and was enhanced by the slight sweetness of the teriyaki sauce.  The batter on the tempura was light and not greasy. Sashimi came with slices of tuna and white fish, though not the top of grades, they were nevertheless, enjoyable with the rest of the offerings. I especially like the tangy dressing on the very fresh and generous portion size of the salad.

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My Hibachi Scallops was every bit as good as it would be, even though it was not cooked on the teppanaki side. The scallops tasted fresh, mildly sweet, and not chewy. The hibachi vegetable rice was savory and satisfying.

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I had tried various sushi and rolls on other occasions, and I was pleasantly surprised by how strikingly fresh tasting they all were.  My favorite, the uni (sea urchin) was consistently creamy and smooth, with a nutty sweet taste, even better than some of the best sushi restaurants in town. The Caterpillar Roll, a huge roll made with eel, cucumber, avocado was exquisite. The eel was firm, yet delicate and moist, with a generous amount of sensuous, buttery avocado slices wrapped all around the roll.

One can receive a $30 Birthday Gift Certificate during the month of the birthday after joining “The Chef’s Table” at the Benihana website, which I think is one of the best deal in town.

Benihana: 21327 Hawthrone Blvd. Torrance, CA 90503  Phone: 310-316

http://www.benihana.com/

Hot Bubbly Tofu at Cho Dang

14 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by in Food, Korean Food

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There are quite a few places in the South Bay area that serve this soul warming, tongue burning tofu stew called Soondubu jjigae.

The one we prefer to go to is Cho Dang Tofu. The wonderfully velvety texture of the tofu and the substantial amount that are served are reasons enough to eat there, but the more decisive element here is the banchan (side dishes).

The fact that the tofu is silky, smooth, soft should be expected from these tofu houses, but I like that the tofu here comes in bigger blocks, and the amount served seems to be a bit more than other tofu places. I prefer my tofu in larger chunks rather than in small broken pieces.

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As I mentioned earlier, the key reason why we come here is the banchan. The well-balanced and distinct flavors and consistencies of the side dishes make up for the not-so-plentiful varieties. My son just loves the rectangular nori (dry lavar seaweed), and the mildly marinated bean sprouts. I enjoy the spicy pickled cucumber, and the slightly acidic pickled wakame. We always ask for seconds or thirds of these particular ones, despite the waitresses looking solemn and stoic at times.

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On this occasion, I ordered the Mushroom Tofu – White (no spiciness whatsoever), while my son had the Beef Tofu – Medium spicy. I enjoy the pleasantly soft crunch of the Enoki mushroom floating on top of the tofu. My son, who used to order his tofu white, said that he much prefers the overall taste of the tofu with some spiciness.

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The white rice here is served also in a stone pot like the one with the tofu, so it comes out burning hot. One definitely needs to wait a bit before digging into the piping hot rice. While most of the patrons here scoop the rice out from the hot stone pot to another bowl,  I, however, actually prefer to put some of the tofu directly onto the rice in the pot, and eat the rice straight out from the hot pot (very carefully of course). With this method, the hard, crunchy rice next to the metal eventually gets soften up, and I can then scrape it off easily and eat it all without having to put liquid into it at the end.

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Cho Dang Tofu: 22549 Hawthrone Blvd. Torrance, CA 90505  Phone: 310-373-7055

King of Hainan Chicken Rice

11 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by in Chinese food, Food

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The reason I decided to go to Tasty Choice for lunch was mainly for the Hainan Chicken Rice. If Savoy is the reigning Queen of Hainan Chicken Rice in the San Gabriel Valley area, then Tasty Choice could well be the King.

What is this simple and humble dish called Hainan Chicken?

Though the origin of this dish is Chinese, it is often associated with Singaporean, Malaysian, and Hainanese cuisines. The chicken is usually prepared in traditional Hainanese methods which involved steeping the entire chicken at sub-boiling temperature in a pork and chicken bone stock. The stock is not used for rice preparation, but instead a chicken stock is created specifically for that purpose, thus producing an oily, flavorful rice known as “oily rice”.

The chicken rice dish was actually not for myself. My son is a big fan of Hainan Chicken Rice, and had been yearning for some, so I decided I would have lunch there and bring back a take-out order for him. I had been getting him the one from Savoy until I tasted the one from Tasty Choice a while back. For about a dollar more, I ordered all dark meat. The chicken was lusciously tender, moist, and full of natural chicken flavor. The color of the rice was darker than most places and very fragrant.  I like the pickled vegetables on the side to balance out the dish. My son enjoyed the half boiled egg, and did admit that if he was forced to choose, he would favor the chicken rice here.

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As for myself, I enjoyed the Sole Fillet with Preserved Vegetable. A pan fried sole fillet smothered entirely and generously with dark green mustard green and small slices of shiitake mushrooms in a clear gravy. The mustard green is not too salty, and complimented the fish well. The fact that I can order mixed vegetables instead of rice to go with my dish is definitely a bonus.

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My eating companion ordered the simple but satisfying Tomato Beef Rice. After trying a bit, I thought it had a more intense, deeper and a more robust tomato flavor than other places, with the beef slices being tender and smooth.

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The lunch comes with a choice of hot or cold Lemon tea, Milk tea or Coffee and soup of the day, which was a extra thick creamy vegetable soup that I thought was rather excellent.

Tasty Choice: 200 S. San Gabriel Blvd. San Gabriel, CA 91776  Phone: 626-286-3338

Jim’s Po Tarts – Perfection

07 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by in Bakery, Chinese Bakery, Chinese dessert, Chinese food, Food

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“When will the Po Tart be ready?”

“In about five minutes”, the lady behind the counter replied. I was relieved that it was only five minutes, I was fearing that it would be much longer, and I would not be able to wait. I took the time to really look around at all the selections this time, since I was always in a hurry all the previous times I was there.

Po Tart is a Portuguese Egg Tart which consists of custard in a créme brûlée-like consistency caramelized in a puff pastry shell. The custard portion is much more softer, fluffier, and smoother than a regular Egg Tart.

“It is ready, how many would you like?

“Just one, I just have a craving for it, and I want to eat it right now”, I said to her in Chinese. I gathered that she thought I was going to buy quite a few since I had waited so patiently.

Boy, was I glad that I waited – the Po Tart could not have been any more more fresh. The gal had to go into the kitchen to get one for me. It literally came right out from the oven. It was super, intensely hot, I almost burned my tongue with the first bite. I had to keep blowing at it continuously in order to get it to be less than burning temperature so that I could put it in my mouth. Only one word can describe it – perfection. Being that the Po Tart was still so scaldingly hot, the texture of the custard was extraordinarily creamy, delicate and jiggly. With the prick of the plastic fork, the tart was starting to fall apart. The puff pastry crust was incredibly light and airy, and complemented the custard flawlessly.

The other favorite here is the Coffee Milk Powder Bun. The moist, yet faintingly crusty, ever so slight crunchy topping has the strongest and best coffee flavor out of all the various coffee buns that I have tasted so far. The milk powder filling has a hint of savory and sweet taste, and a fine granular, gritty texture that I personally find very addictive together with the softness of the bread.

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The purple Taro Pastry is worth mentioning. The not-so-sweet, dense taro filling is wrapped inside layers of ultra-thin marbled pastry dough. It is a heavier type of pastry that I definitely cannot finish the entire in one sitting.

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Jim’s has a special, for $2, one can choose from either the coffee, or hot chocolate and a choice of Egg Tart, Po Tart, or Pineapple Bun. Too bad I don’t live closer.

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Jim’s Bakery:  400 S. Atlantic Blvd. Monterey Park, CA 91754  Phone: 626-573-5757

Fish Dumplings and more – Moo’s

04 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by in Chinese food, Food

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“Let’s go to Moo’s”, I said to my son the other day. He was a bit reluctant, but accepted the offer since the restaurant was rather close to our home, and he doesn’t like long car rides.

Not a stranger to this restaurant at all, I have been going there and getting take-outs for over ten years already. However, I have not been back for quite some time with my son, so he has forgotten what the food was like.

I must admit that the restaurant itself looks a bit run down, and the setting and decor inside leave much to be desired. The owners are Chinese, but had lived in Korea, so the food is Chinese but Korean influenced.

The dish that I have been getting over and over again for so many years is the “Steamed Fish Dumplings”. The lady owner once told me that they would buy the fish fresh and make the dumplings each day. I like the fact that there are twelve dumplings to an order. The fish taste is delicate and fresh, and the texture of the whole dumpling is very soft, smooth and light. With some vinegar and the addition of the kimchee that came with the meal, I can probably finish the entire portion if I had wanted to. I cannot even count how many times I had ordered the dish as takeout when I wanted some comfort food that is not greasy nor oily.

The other favorite here is the Jajangmyeon, a thick handmade noodle smothered with a dark soybean paste, with diced pork and onions. When I tried this noodle for the first time, I had expected a very strong, salty taste because of the very dark color of the sauce. I was surprised to find that the taste was actually relatively mild and not at all overpowering. With the pleasant chewiness of the noodle, the dish is delightful and can be rather addictive.

Chow Ma Mien or Chow Ma Mien with Seafood are large bowls of soup noodle served either with pork, onions and vegetables or with various seafood over the handmade noodles. The heartiness of the pork or seafood mixtures with the hot soup and noodle can be so satisfying and comforting on a cold evening.

As we were leaving the restaurant that day, my son agreed that food was actually “pretty good”.

Moo’s Restaurant: 4817 Torrance Blvd. Torrance, CA 90503  Phone: 310-542-5270

LA Market – What a surprise

01 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by in American Food, Food

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If it wasn’t for the fact that my friend had gotten a special deal through Travelzoo, I probably would not have tried this particular restaurant.

To tell the truth, I was a bit hesitant and anxious about the food not being as good as the deal sounded, since just the Prime Filet on the regular the menu cost $45 already, and the deal was $69 for two people, with choices of two appetizers and two entrées, and a dessert.

The restaurant is located in the lobby area inside the JW Marriotts in downtown Los Angeles, just a few steps from the Staples Center.  I was concerned about the parking, but being that it was a Sunday, l decided that I should just circle the surrounding blocks for street parking. Reluctantly, I gave up after three times around the blocks, and pulled into the hotel driveway for the valet.

We were seated right at the corner with huge windows all around, which provided a busy view of passersby. I did not realize that this area was so popular with so many tourists.

The décor of the restaurant, being a part of the hotel lobby, was comfortably modern, with very airy and open spaces, which enabled me to truly relax. I almost felt like I was on vacation elsewhere.

Out of the three varieties of bread that were served, I thought the Pretzel roll had the most flavor and was still warm and soft.

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The Tuna Dynamite – raw tuna sandwiched between two layers of sushi rice, with a generous amount of real crab meat on top was a good size appetizer. The real crab meat tasted fresh and was especially welcoming with the little bit of tobiko (flying fish roe). It virtually seemed as if I was eating a gigantic sushi.

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The Prime Filet arrived with slices of cepes mushroom, and the sweetest sugar snap peas. I asked for medium, and it was perfectly so. The meat surprised me. It was amazingly and remarkably tender and juicy. It rivalled, if not exceeded some of the best steakhouses in LA.

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The dessert “The Junk Food Platter”, indisputably lived up to its name. It was a giant platter filled with “Junk Food” such as baby churros, red velvet whoopie pies, snickers cake, banana Nutella macaroons, brownies, cookies, and a humongous, jaw-dropping blue color cotton candy sitting in a jar of caramel popcorn.

The other patrons around us were staring and marvelling at this “Unnatural Wonder”. Needless to say we could not and did not want to finish the masterpiece. We were only too happy to give away the cotton candy and the caramel corn to the table next to us, and to watch with contentment as they blissfully finished every morsel.

LA Market by Kerry Simon: 900 West Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90015  Phone: 213-765-8630