Category Archives: Chinese food

“That little restaurant”- Bistro Na’s

07 Tuesday Mar 2017

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“That little restaurant” was what I originally thought is the English translation of the name of this fairly new Peking restaurant in Temple City. However, I read somewhere  that “Na” is actually a Manchu surname, so therefore, literally, the name translates to “Na’s little restaurant”.

Enough about the name. I stumbled across this place after finishing dessert at “Meet Fresh”, which is just a few doors down. The outside does not reflect what one would expect to find inside. It is actually quite a large restaurant. The decor is very elegant, since the cuisine is focusing on Chinese “Imperial court” cuisine.

I was told that I would need to make a reservation even for lunch. I did some research at home regarding the menu and its prices. The price did not seem too extravagant, so we made a reservation for lunch on a weekday.

I arrived when the restaurant just opened, so I was pretty much the only one there. So I had a chance to inquire about the food with the waitress. The main dining room was open and comfortable, while the decor is classy and not overly opulent.

We ordered the highly recommended “Crispy Shrimp”, the “Stewed Fish Combo”, “Traditional Beijing Noodle”, the “Vegetable in the Box”, “Dry Cooked Stuffed Mushroom”, and “Stuffed Lotus Root”.

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Originally, I did not want to order the shrimp, but it turned out that the shrimp dish was the best overall dish. The flavor was very distinctive, and the shell was fried to perfection, and I ended up eating a lot of it.

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However, all the rest of the dishes did not impress me. I did like the “Stuffed Lotus Root”, it is more like a dessert since it was a bit sweet.

I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. While I really enjoy the atmosphere of this place, I wish the dishes can be as good as one would expect given that it is supposed to be “Imperial Court” cuisine.

Bistro Na’s: 9055 E. Las Tunas Dr. #105, Temple City, CA 91780  Phone: 626-286-1999

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Meet Fresh

20 Monday Feb 2017

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After walking around for a couple of hours at the Lunar New Year Festival in Monterey Park a while back, a friend and I were trying to decide where to go for dinner. However, since it was still quite early, probably around 4pm or so, my friend suggested maybe dessert first before dinner. She mentioned that there is this really popular place in Temple City, and that there is usually a long line of people waiting. Being it was still early in the day, we figured that the line might not be as long. So we decided to head over to check out the place.

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This eatery is located in a fairly new strip mall at the corner of Las Tunas and Rosemead Blvd. The dessert revolves around Taro Balls, Herbal Jelly, Shaved Ice, Tofu Pudding, and Teas. 

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After trying to decipher the menu on the wall, we decided to share one order since it was quite big of a bowl. It was Herbal Jelly with kidney beans, rice balls, boba. It took a long, long time before it was finally ready. I did enjoy what we had ordered, though. Everything tasted fresh and most importantly, the items were not that sweet.

Subsequently, I had gone back one more time a week or so later. I made a special order that was not on the menu. I ordered the Taro ball with taro, barley, beans, and rice balls. For some reason, there was shaved ice at the bottom. It was quite huge, and tasted even better than the one last time. It was not cheap, more than $9 for that bowl.

I do really like this type of dessert, I like the chewiest of the rice balls, taro balls, and slightly bitter taste of the grass jelly. I just wish that it was not so expensive.

Meet Fresh: 9055 E. Las Tunas Dr. #100, Temple City, CA 91780  Phone: 626-537-1715

Din Tai Fung – Chinese Food at its Best

23 Monday Jan 2017

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wp_20161215_004While this is not the first time I have eaten at Din Tai Fung,  it is, however, at this Torrance location, that I finally gave more attention to the food. I was able to truly appreciate how well the food is being executed at this famous eatery.

This particular Din Tai Fung has just recently opened at the Del Amo Mall in Torrance, The decor and atmosphere is outstandingly different than the one that I had been to in Arcadia.

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The interior is modern and airy, which is rather different than the traditional Chinese restaurant. Perhaps somehow that enabled me to appreciate the food even more.

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The dish that started my appreciation for this restaurant was the Sauteed String Beans with Garlic.  I had ordered it because they did not have the Bok Choy that I had wanted on that particular day. I am not a big fan of string beans, but the plate of string beans was perfection at its best. Every single strand of bean was cooked evenly and impeccably. Not one of them was charred, as it is with most of the string beans that one gets in other Chinese restaurants. Not one of them had a black spot on them. To me, that is the mark of attention to details that distinguishes itself as a great restaurant.

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Another detail that I noticed at this particular Din Tai Fung is that the food is not salty, as most restaurant food tends to be. To be honest, the food hinges being a tad blander than what one would expect from a restaurant. However, it is precisely because of this, that I find so appealing about this place.

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The chef has enough confidence, control, and belief in the freshness of his food that he does not feel it necessary to add extra seasoning. It allows people like me to feel that I am eating somewhat healthier, instead of the usual heavy tasting restaurant food.

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I tried the Sticky Rice & Pork Shao Mai for the first time. It was well executed and quite filling. The Fish Dumpling, though good, did not have much fish taste. The Noodles with Sesame Sauce was extremely flavorful, but the serving size was rather small. The Wonton with Spicy Sauce was quite good as well.

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I like anything made with sticky rice, so I ordered the Eight Treasure Sticky Rice. Being that my friend does not care too much for sticky rice, I ended up eating the whole dessert. Fortunately, it was not too sweet.

Din Tai Fung:  21540 Hawthrone Blvd.Unit 519, Torrance, CA 90503  Phone: 310-214-1175

 

 

Wonton Noodle and a Day in Downtown

16 Saturday Jul 2016

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My son had a project in downtown LA, so I got to be the chauffeur and tourist for the day. I thought it would be a good idea to have lunch in Chinatown beforehand since the sights were very closed by.

I remember that there was a Sam Woo BBQ in Chinatown from way back, and I figured that my son might enjoy a nice bowl of Wonton Noodle. We found parking not too far from the restaurant.

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The place was not too busy, and service was brisk. I did not see Wonton Noodle on the menu, so I asked the waiter whether they serve that. He said that the Wonton Noodle is their signature dish. Great!

It must have been less than 3 minutes from ordering to getting the 2 huge bowls of noodles to arrive at our table –  that was the fastest delivery of food that I had ever encountered from a sit down restaurant (probably even faster than any fast food order)!

What was even better was the fact that these wontons were BIG, and there were at least seven of them in the large bowl, with very thin noodles at the bottom. My son commented that the noodle tasted a lot like his favorite place in Milpitas, so he was quite happy about that. And I was delighted that there were ample fresh Chinese vegetables floating on top.

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Afterwards, we visited Olvera Street, the Chinese America Museum, and Union Station. I had never even known about the existence of Union Station – such a grand structure.

I did not realize the amount of walking I was going to be doing after years of minimal walking in Los Angeles. I did not have the right type of shoes and there was a blister at the back of my foot when I got home.

Sam Woo BBQ: 803 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012  Phone: 213-687-7238

 

Sunday Bistro

30 Monday May 2016

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Hong Kong style cafes have always been one of my favorites because one can order both the western style dishes as well as tradition Chinese favorites, in addition to a wide selection of drinks such as the popular Hong Kong Milk Tea, YuanYang (HK style milk tea with coffee), Red Bean Drink, …

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Instead of going to the same ones over and over again, I decided to visit Sunday Bistro, one that I have not been to for years. It is situated in a strip mall on Valley Blvd in Alhambra. The restaurant is fairly roomy inside with comfortable booths on one side.

The menu is quite extensive just like many of the HK cafes. But the one dish that caught my attention was the Braised Sea Cucumber with Mushroom at the price of $10.95. Sea Cucumber has always been one of my favorites, and the dish is usually rather pricey in restaurants. I did not hesitate at all in ordering that.

I was ready to accept a small plate with just a few thinly slices of sea cucumber at that price. Needless to say that I was totally, pleasantly surprised when the plate came with more than 10 good size pieces of sea cucumber and ample mushrooms and very fresh mustard greens at the bottom. Both my companion and I were incredulous as to how they could serve so much of the sea cucumber at such as price, and the dish was executed really well with everything cooked perfectly.

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The other simple dishes that we had ordered such as the Wonton Noodles and Porridge were all fairly decent. Despite some criticism of poor service at Yelp, I thought the staff was quite attentive, and the waitress actually listened to my request of not adding extra salt to the food.

The only complaint for me would be that the patrons are allowed to smoke in the front outdoor patio area, and the smoke can be smelled even inside the restaurant.

Sunday Bistro: 1032 E. Valley Blvd. Alhambra, CA 91801   Phone: 626-282-0238

 

Koi Palace – Dim Sum at its best!

01 Friday Jan 2016

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I was really looking forward to meeting a great friend of mine of whom I have not seen for so many years. I grew up in the Bay Area, and it is always such a warm feeling to go back there and visit and see old friends.

The last time I was at Koi Palace was at least 10 or more years ago. I know it is extremely popular, but I did not realize that it was going to be so busy on a Monday afternoon past 1 pm.  We must have waited ait least 50 minutes or more before we were seated, but it was all so worth the wait the moment I sat down with my dear friend.

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The attention to details in the restaurant is admirable. The tables have Chinese drawings and calligraphy laminated on top. The teapot sat atop a porcelain stand. There were koi swimming in a small pond next to our table.

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The colorful dim sum menu is quite extensive, and I must applaud my friend for picking some of the best  dim sum for me to try.

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The Whole Abalone Minced Chicken Tart stood out as the most outstanding –  there was a whole small abalone that was cooked just right atop a delicious pie crust with chunks of tender chicken inside – easily one of the best dim sum I have ever tried.

There is no doubt that the Xiao Long Bao here is the juiciest, tastiest, and best texture of all, and the presentation of the dumplings in a flower shaped tin made it so much more appetizing and appealing.

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The Shrimp Dumpling Topped with XO Sauce was another excellent selection – the topping must had been dried abalone with XO sauce, which blended well with the perfectly steamed dumpling.

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The Tofu Skin Roll that I chose came inside a soup that tasted like soy milk, of which I found comforting to eat. The Durian Roll had the most(quantity) and flavorful durian filling inside a crispy pastry shell.

The pork filling inside the BBQ pork buns were lean and delicious, unlike some places where the pork can be fatty and of inferior quality.

I had such a marvelous time with my friend and the food that I wish time would stand still for that afternoon. Afterwards, my friend invited me to her newly renovated house to look at the incredible transformation – the tiles and some of the materials used in the bathrooms and kitchen were undeniably some of the most artistically designed. I would love to take a shower there.

I was debating whether I should stay one more day in the bay area so that I could go back to Koi’s for another awesome meal. After much serious contemplation, I opted to leave with a good memory, but Koi will definitely be the top of my list next time I am up there.

Koi Palace: 365 Gellert Blvd. Daly City, CA 94015  Phone: 650-992-9000

 

Luu New Tung Kee Noodle vs TK Noodle

13 Thursday Aug 2015

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Whenever we visit families in Milpitas, my son would never fail to request to go to Luu New Tung Kee Noodle. In fact, it is probably one of only restaurant that he would ever ask for by name, and the only one that he really has a desire to eat at.

After a few years of not having been to Milpitas, he still remembered that it is #6, the combination rice stick and noodle, that he likes. After looking at the menu this time, he decided that he would like to have the #8 instead, the combination with just noodles. I chose the #6.

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The 2 bowls of noodles arrived in no time. The toppings on the noodles included the freshest chicken stripes, slices of tender pork, the crunchiest prawns, and my son’s favorite beef balls. I must say that all the meat looked and tasted even better than some of the finest restaurants, and it was around $6.75 for the large, and $6.25 for the regular size.

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My son and I could not stop marveling at how great everything was inside the bowl. We devoured the entire bowl while praising how good they were the whole time. This was true satisfaction at its best –  delicious and inexpensive.

Upon telling my mom about how much we enjoyed the noodles at Tung Kee, she proceeded to tell us that there was another noodle place called TK Noodle that is much cheaper and the serving size is bigger.

I remembered that we had been to TK a few years earlier. So we decided to visit TK two days later. The place looked a bit dingy, but being that it is past lunch time, at least it was not crowded. We both ordered the combination with just noodles, I think it was #8 as well in this place.

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The size of the bowl was indeed bigger than NewTung Kee, and the textures of the noodles were slightly different as well. Otherwise, all the meat stuff were pretty similar, same freshness – we were relishing every bit. And best of all, the price for each bowl was $1.25 cheaper than the other place!

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On the morning that we were departing for LA, my son asked if we could go and have the noodle one more time. It was 8am, so I looked up the 2 places online to see what time they were opened at. New Tung Kee opens at 8:30am and TK opens 9:00am. So we picked New Tung Kee.

My son was savoring every drop of soup as I hurried him out for our long drive home. He seemed so content as he walked back to the car to embark on our journey.

Luu New Tung Kee Noodle: 481 E. Calaveras Blvd. Milpitas, CA 95035  Phone: 408-263-8288

TK Noodles: 1792 N. Milpitas Blvd. Milpitas, CA 95035  Phone: 408-935-9888

 

 

 

Din Tai Fung – Xiao Long Bao

23 Saturday May 2015

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I think that anyone who enjoys Xiao Long Bao (soup dumpling) will already have known about Din Tai Fung. It is one of the most famous place in Los Angeles where one can get a good varieties of soup and steamed dumplings.

It must have been quite a few years since I was there last. I have often thought about going many times, but being that the location is a bit far from my home, I have procrastinated.

I got there early on a Thursday morning, before noon. I was seated right away as the place was filling up quickly. What I like about this place is the fact that not only does the inside feels very comfortable and clean, the chopsticks, the plates, the teapot, cups were all chosen with care which enhanced the overall experience. I especially appreciated the fact that each person gets his/her small dish of julienned ginger to put the vinegar and soy sauce.

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I was rather hungry, so I might have ordered a bit too much this time around. On the order sheet, I checked the Pork Xiao Long Bao, Vegetable Dumpling, Sauteed Bok Choy, Vegetable and Pork Wonton Soup, Sticky Rice Wrap w/Pork, Sauced Noodles w/Pickles Mustard Greens and Shredded Pork, and the Eight-Treasure Sticky Rice.

I thought the pork XLB was excellent, better than what I remembered from before. The last time I was there, the skin on the XLB hardened rather quickly, to the point where it became like a thin cardboard by the time I put it into my mouth. The skin stayed soft and delicate this time, with the hot soup squirting out as I bit into it. I must say that this XLB was probably the best I had for quite a while.

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The flavor of the noodle was very light and refined. My friend and I both thought it was superb.

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The sauteed bok choy was done perfectly, still a little crunchy but not hard. The wonton was fine, but not special in any way. The steamed veg/pork dumpling was my least favorite of the day, lacking in flavor, and with the filling being a bit hard.

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My friend is not into sticky rice too much, so I was able to blissfully enjoy the whole sticky rice with pork all by myself. Even though it was not too big, but by the time I was finished with it, I was feeling really full. However, as full as I was, I still managed to finished one of my favorite dessert all by myself – the Eight Treasure Sticky Rice. The dessert came out steaming hot, with treasures such as dried plum, raisins, lotus seed, etc. on top of the very soft sticky rice. It was a totally satisfying and sweet treat.

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Though I was beyond stuffed for the whole day, and did not even have dinner that evening, I was still reminiscing about the wonderful XLB, and thinking about when to go back for more.

DIn Tai Fung – 1108 S. Baldwin Ave. Arcadia, CA 91007  Tel: 626-574-7068

 

 

Vege Paradise

01 Friday May 2015

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It has been quite a very long time since I lasted visited a decent Chinese vegetarian restaurant. Not that I am a big meat eater, actually, quite the contrary, I prefer to eat vegetables most of the time if I don’t have to worry about not consuming enough protein and iron.

I know that there are plenty of protein in beans, and food such as the black fungus contain enormous amount of iron, but I still feel that I need an occasion dose of fish, pork, and other meats in order to feel somewhat balanced and that sensation of fullness.

However, I was very much looking forward to eating at the Vege Paradise. I had gone there a few years back, and I remembered the place to be very clean, pleasant, and that the food was quite exceptional.

To my delight, the restaurant did not disappoint this time around. We sat at a large, comfortable booth, and once again, I was rather impressed by how comfortable the place feel.

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I proceeded to order the Pumpkin Bisque Puff Pastry, King Oyster Mushroom and Yam w/Basil, Pumpkin with Soft tofu Hot Pot, Vegetarian Chow Mein. The lunch special came with either steam rice or porridge w/pumpkin, and Hot and Sour Soup.

The Chinese yam stripes were lightly fried, crunchy and delicious, and the oyster mushrooms were smooth and soft.  The pumpkin in the hot pot was slightly sweet and thinly sliced, but the tofu was actually the brown fried type, not the white soft tofu that I was expecting.

The fried noodles here were very different from all the ones I tried in other restaurants. The noodles themselves seemed less sticky and firmer, and the vegetables were finely julienned so the whole plate looked more uniform and refined.

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The Pumpkin Bisque took a while to arrive (I was warned that it would take at least 15 minutes), but it was worth the wait. The pastry was soft and flaky, while the bisque was rich and not overly sweet.

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Being that I was still hungry,  I added an order of Sauteed Turnip Patties. This was perhaps the best dish of all. The patties were very slightly browned, with a crust that was wonderfully crispy and a center that was perfectly moist and delicious. I practically ate most of them by myself.

I had wanted to try their dessert but I was full and satisfied already, so I am already planning my next visit so that I can try their Eight Treasure Taro.

Vege Paradise – 140 W.Valley Blvd. Ste 222, San Gabriel, CA 91776  Phone:626-280-5998

 

 

Chengdu Taste – Numbing Spicy Goodness

03 Friday Apr 2015

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I finally did it – I tried Chengdu Taste, a restaurant known for its numbing spicy (mála) dishes. I have been wanting to try the restaurant since it opened around 2 years ago, but was rather a bit intimidated by all the reviews of how very heated and spicy the food can be.

It was also a bit difficult to find someone to go along since not everyone is into extremely hot Chinese food. Fortunately, a brave friend of mine was bold enough to venture into this relatively unknown territory of taste sensation with me.

The interior of the place was more modern and brighter than we had imagined, and thankfully, much cleaner as well. The server, a tall, young fellow, was efficient. The place was already packed at 12:15pm on a Thursday.

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We ordered the Toothpick lamb with cumin, as most of the patrons in the restaurant did as well. In fact, the whole place smelled of cumin and fragrant spices. We also ordered the Wonton in chili oil, and  Sauteed “A” vegetables.

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The small cubes of lamb were well seasoned, extremely flavorful, aromatic and tender. But after about 6 cubes of the meat, my mouth was getting a bit over heated, so I thought I needed some carbohydrates to neutralize the heat. So we asked the waiter for an extra order of Cold Garlic Noodles. When the bowl of noodles arrived, I realized that this was not going to help me with the cooling of my palate, in fact, that noodle turned out to be the most numbing of all the dishes. But, I ate it just the same since it was addictively good.

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Luckily for me, there was a big heap of “A” vegetables that was not spicy at all. I practically ate most of the greens in order to be able to keep eating the rest of the food. Surprisingly, the wonton in chili oil was not too fiery, and had a good flavor.

I must say that as much as the food was indeed hot and numbing, they were full of distinctive flavors as well. I did enjoy all the plates, although it will be quite a while before I will attempt the other specialties on the menu.

As I was exiting the restaurant, all I could think about is how quickly I can get my hands on a icy cold boba milk tea.

Chengdu Taste – 828 W. Valley Blvd. Alhambra, CA 91803  Phone: 626-588-2284