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Tag Archives: Chinese cuisine

Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant for Dim Sum

21 Saturday Dec 2013

Posted by yummcha in Chinese food, Food

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Tags

Chinese, Chinese cuisine, dimsum, Food, Home, Rosemead, Rosemead Blvd, Rosemead California

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Those who are serious about Dim Sum would probably have tried or at least heard of this place in Rosemead that some food critics have rated as top on their lists of Chinese restaurants.

My first encounter was at least ten years ago. A friend and I wanted some top quality Dim Sum and decided to try it out. I remembered being quite impressed by the food. Throughout the years, I might have gone back a couple more times for holiday celebrations. So it seems befitting that I was back yesterday to celebrate my B-day.

It was actually a last minute decision to go there since I was in the area getting a chipped tooth fixed. Dim Sum has always been one of my favorite eating past time because it is so much fun to pick and choose all the varieties of food that are usually available.

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The inside of the restaurant is not exceptionally fancy, but it does feel extremely clean and much more comfortable and upscale than other places. Some friends have complained to me about the waiters being snobbish and not providing the best of service there, but on this occasion, the lady waiter was markedly friendly and helpful.

There is a menu with pictures of all the Dim Sum selections, and one needs to just pick and mark down on the order form how much and which ones. I chose about eight items.

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The food arrived piping hot and fresh and at just the right pace. The Baked  BBQ Pork Buns is the best that I have ever had. The restaurant is so proud of this dish that it was named Sea Harbour No. 1 Bun in Chinese. The meat is lean and wonderfully tasty with a bun that is incredibly soft and perfect in texture.

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The Pan Fried Spinach Bun was ever so lightly fried and delicious with a pork filling and a greenish outer skin. The Steamed Pork Spareribs in Black Bean Sauce was tender. The Steamed Turnip Cake came with four tall cubes that are really moist and soft, and steaming hot.

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The Scallops Dumpling had one good sized scallop on top if each dumpling. The Sticky Rice and Meat Wrapped in Lotus Leaf  was delicate with just the right amount of filling and a quarter of a salty egg yolk.

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Anyone who likes durian would love the Deep Fried Durian Pastry. The skin was light and flaky with ample and satisfying amount of the delicious durian.

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One last note, the tea that I ordered was the Pu’er and Chrysanthemum and was probably one of the better tasting version that I have tried.

Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant: 3939 Rosemead Blvd. Rosemead, CA 91770  Phone: (626) 288-3939

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Green Zone – Organic and Tasty!

13 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by yummcha in Chinese food, Food, Lifestyle, Markets

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Tags

Chinese cuisine, Green Zone, Hainan, List of rice dishes, Restaurant, Rice, San Gabriel California, San Gabriel Valley

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First of all, it is already rather difficult to find a restaurant that serves organic dishes, but to find a Chinese restaurant that provides healthy, organic entrees, it is certainly a rarity.

Green Zone, a small yet very clean and comfortable place in the heart of San Gabriel Valley is a no doubt a needle in a haystack.

I must first clarify that not everything on the menu is organic, only those items specified organic are, and mainly that would be the vegetables, mushrooms, the buckwheat noodles, and the chicken.

I have heard about this restaurant for quite a while, and the reason I finally decided to go there today was so that I could get my son a take-out of the Organic Hainan Chicken Rice, since he does love the Hainan style Chicken Rice dish.

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Though the interior is not big, I did not feel crammed at all, in fact, it felt rather airy and serene. The waiters were efficient and helpful. I decided on an order of the Steamed Chive Gyoza with organic chicken as the appetizer. The ten pieces arrived on a round bamboo platter. Famished from a small breakfast, I immediately stuffed the dumplings into my eager mouth. The taste was light, the texture smooth and moist, just perfect. I gobbled six of them in less than 30 seconds, while my eating companion was slowing savoring his measly four.

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For the entree, I had the Vegetarian Sukiyaki, while my friend ordered the Beef Sukiyaki. The size of the two Sukiyaki pots were not too large, the ingredients inside tasted exceptionally fresh and delicious. All the vegetables were cooked perfectly, not too hard nor too soft, while retaining each of its own individual taste. I forgot to ask what they put into the wild rice, but it was the best rice I have ever had in a restaurant.

Even though I was not totally full, but I was extremely satisfied with the wonderful fresh ingredients and the unique tastes of all the dishes. I will certainly be back to try their curry dishes and the Satay Beef which looked so good from the table next to us.

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My son commented that the rice that came with the Organic Hainan Chicken Rice was exceedingly flavorful, different from all the other rice that he had before, and the chicken was quite terrific as well.

On one side of the restaurant, there are some organic produce, condiments and snacks that one can purchase, but the selection is limited. One would do better going to Whole Foods for more varieties of organic items.

Green Zone: 534 E. Valley Blvd. Ste. 4 &5, San Gabriel, CA 91776  Phone: 626-288-9300

http://www.greenzonerestaurant.com/

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Szechwan Restaurant – Always Enjoyable

18 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by yummcha in Chinese food, Food

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Tags

Chinese cuisine, Cook, Fish and Seafood, Glutinous rice, Home, Jin deui, Moo shu pork, Sichuan

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If ever I cannot decide whether I should go for some good Chinese lunch specials, or whether I should have some dim sum; or perhaps if I want both, then I know that the perfect place for me would be Szechwan. To me, it is the best of both worlds, at least in the South Bay area.

The restaurant is actually quite large, however, because it is divide in sections, and depending on which section one is seated in, the feeling can be cozy and intimate. I usually get to sit in one of their spacious and comfortable light greenish color booths. The tables are always lined with table cloths, whether it is lunch or dinner, which feels rather classy and clean.

There are the nice ladies that push around the dim sum carts with the standard offerings such as har gao (shrimp dumpling), siu mai (pork dumping), char siu bao (barbeque pork bun), Chinese broccoli, chicken feet, etc. My son’s favorite is the cheong fun (shrimp rice noodle roll), so that is a must whenever he goes there with me. I personally enjoy the lotus buns which is a sweet steamed bun with lotus paste inside.

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Personally, I feel that the lunch specials here are better than the dim sum, I would usually order the Fish Fillet with Seasonal Green, and the Ma-Po Tofu. The dishes are often excellent. I remember one time that the fish and vegetables were just so perfect in freshness and taste that I was beyond impressed and amazement that I had to relate that to the lady owner, and of course she agreed wholeheartedly. While the sauce in the Ma-po tofu dish is not incredibly spicy, it is exceptionally flavorful, and along with the silky texture of the tofu, the dish is particularly enticing and gratifying.

The dinner menu is more extensive, with the prices being higher. I tried the Mu-Shu Pork served with thin pancakes. I preferred the mu-shu without the eggs, so I usually asked them to leave out the eggs. The Eggplant with garlic sauce is another favorite, the eggplant is soft but not mushy, with a good balance of sweet and piquant flavor.

There usually is not a whole lot of focus on desserts in most Chinese restaurants, but here, the two desserts I have tried so far are fantastic! My favorites are the Sweet Sticky Rice Pudding (need to order one hour in advance), and the Fried Sesame Balls. I was so shocked the first time the sticky rice pudding arrived at the table – it was huge! The steamed rice pudding was served on a large round platter that would be sufficient for at least 8 people. There were various dried fruits and a sweet red bean paste amidst the massive mound of sticky goodness – so fabulously rich and gooey. The sesame balls are deep fried to golden perfection with the hot sesame paste oozing out when bitten into. I will make an exception to eat this dessert despite the fact that I rarely eat any fried foods.

Everyone who works here seem genuinely nice, maybe because the lady owner is always pleasant and smiling. The push-cart ladies always remember what I like, and would ask me if they could bring me those favorite dim sum items. There are two waiters here who are avid badminton players like me, so now and then, we would strike up a conversation about the sport.

Szechwan Restaurant:  2107 Pacific Coast Highway, CA 90717  Phone: 310-534-2280

 

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My First Blog

29 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by yummcha in Food, Lifestyle, Travel

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Tags

Chinese bakery products, Chinese cuisine, Food, Hong Kong, Korean cuisine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, University of California Los Angeles

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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.

me2

 

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