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yummcha

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yummcha

Tag Archives: Korean cuisine

Yank San Park

17 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by yummcha in Food, Korean Food

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Banchan, Barbecue, Bibimbap, Home, Korean cuisine, Rice, Side dish, Torrance California

DSCN0556

Some friends from my badminton group told me about this restaurant a while ago, and mentioned that the Banchan (side dishes) are very fresh there, as well as the food being quite good.

So I asked a Korean friend to join me in exploring this place. It was Thursday, around noon time, there were not a lot of people, which was good in the sense that it was less smoky, being that it is a BBQ restaurant.

I picked the Spicy Kim-chi Pork and Tofu Stew since it sounded hearty and I was really hungry. My friend ordered her usual Bi Bim Bap, which is a vegetable and beef egg rice bowl.

My meal started with a plain salad in a slightly sweet dressing. The banchan were indeed fresh and had a couple of items that I had not tried before, such as one that was this long, thin strips of what seemed to be burdock root in a piquant red sauce. I sampled each of the side dishes and ordered more of my favorites which included the bean sprouts, the eggplant and small slices of chives pancake.

The pork slices in the stew were not too big and were half fat and half meat. I took out the fatty part, the rest was tender and juicy. The kimchi had a deep aged flavor that was exquisite. The tofu was in long rectangular chunks and medium firmness which absorbed the essence of the soup. I only wish they had the option of brown rice instead of  just white rice.

The Bi Bim Bap looked enticingly fresh and appealing with all the different colors of shredded vegetables arranged neatly inside the big metallic bowl. I would like to try the Spicy Cold Buckwheat Noodle and the Sliced Rice Cake Soup next time I come back.

Yang San Park: 22757 Hawthrone Blvd. Torrance, CA 90505  Phone: 310-373-8340

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Jun Won – Bold Flavors

15 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by yummcha in Food, Korean Food

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Tags

Banchan, Braising, Cook, Kimchi, Korean cuisine, Los Angeles, Pork

Destination: Eun Daegu Jorim (Braised Black Cod). Rumor has it that Jun Won offers one of the best of this beloved dish of mine, surely I cannot bypass this temptation to try.

If I had not done my research and looked up a photo of the restaurant, it would have be easy to miss the place, since the sign is only in Korean. Rarely had I encountered so much available parking spaces for a Korean restaurant in that area, I was thankfully relieved not to have to deal with valet.

The place is small, intimate and felt very welcoming and homey. The waiting staff were exceptionally jovial. Famished from having played for over 2 1/2 hours of badminton, I hurriedly ordered the two dishes I came here for: Spicy Pork with Kimchee, Brasied Black Cod.

spicy pork

After a few bites of the pork with kimchee, I realized that I  have just found my all time 2nd favorite Korean dish after the Braised Black Cod. The flavors of this pork dish were outrageously deep, robust, pungent. The Kimchee was nothing less than remarkable – reminiscent somehow of a full bodied, well-aged wine. One could almost taste the amount of time that the fermentation took to achieve such an unparalleled depth of richness in flavor.

Almost every table had ordered the braised cod. I would say that the dish had met my expectation. Actually, the black cod itself is such a succulent, luscious fish that it would be difficult to mess it up. The velvety, buttery texture of the fish, went well with the mildly piquant, savory sauce – wish there were more than just the three pieces on the plate.

While the presentation of both of the dishes looked similar, piles of nondescript goodness under an abundance of green onions and covered with a dark orangey, brownish sauce, the tastes were distinct from each other.

A small bowl of cold seaweed soup was suddenly presented in front of me. While I had plenty of warm seaweed soup before, this was the first time having a cold one. The faintly vinegary coolness of the broth along with heaps of soft silky seaweed was incredibly refreshing after the aggressive, bold flavors – it was like that of a sea breeze on a humid, muggy afternoon.

Beyond stuffed, after finishing off the outstanding assortment of banchan, and everything else from the plates, with two bowls of rice,  I was ready for my next conquest.

Jun Won: 3100 W. 8th St. Ste 101, Los Angeles, CA 90005  Phone: 213-383-8833

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Kobawoo – Always good

02 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by yummcha in Food, Korean Food

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Tags

Banchan, Bossam, Bulgogi, Kalbi, Korean cuisine, Los Angeles, Pork, Vermont

bossam

I was looking for a pork dish that I had tried at another Korean restaurant that had gone out of business, so I searched the handy internet trying to locate a place that might serve that particular dish. After much efforts, it was to no avail. I did, however, found another dish that sounded somewhat remotely similar, so I decided to give that a try.

Located inside a small strip mall at the corner of Vermont and 7th, Kobawoo was easy to find. There is valet parking for about $1.50 or so, though not too expensive, but if one gets there early enough before the restaurant opens for lunch, sometimes the valet people are not there yet.

The specialty here is Bossam –  steamed pork belly slices that are served with fermented shrimp paste, pickled jalapeños peppers, marinated radishes, and can be wrapped either with the slightly pinkish pickled radish or napa cabbage leaves. The meat, fatty, rich and moist, is cooked to a perfect state of tenderness. Though the pork is not especially flavorful by itself, when wrapped and devoured with all the pungent accompaniments, it transforms into a symphony of spicy, salty, vinegary, and crunchy goodness, and becomes surprisingly and pleasurably addicting.

As good as the bossam is, my favorite here is the Eun dae gu jorim, a braised black cod with daikon. There are about four fillets of fish with big rounds of white radishes. The price for this dish is probably the lowest compared to others in town. The fish has a distinct delicate flavor, and is exceptionally tender and flaky. The daikon can be a tad salty after having soaked up the sauce.

The Kalbi (marinated short ribs) and Bulgogi (marinated beef) are grilled in the kitchen and brought out to the table. For this restaurant, I actually prefer the Kalbi over the bulgogi of which I found to be uncommonly sweet.

Jangban Guksu is a huge platter of  buckwheat noodles with assorted shredded vegetables such as cucumber, lettuce, carrots, onions, red bell peppers. After all the ingredients were mixed together with the reddish sauce, the result is a crisp, refreshing mix of zestiness and chewiness that I would happily slurped down with a cup of tea.

Banchan (small side sides) here is usually limited to about four assortments, but always looked and tasted fresh. There would be a little button at the table to push for service when needed, and the waiters would always respond right away. I really appreciate the attention to details at this restaurant, there would always be a fresh and different pot of miniature orchid on each table every time I go. The beautifully crafted heavy dark wooden tables and benches evoke in me almost a sense of regalness, a sense of tradition, and quality.

Kobawoo House: 698 S. Vermont Ave. Ste 109, Los Angeles, CA 90005  Phone: 213-389-7300

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Soban, so good

31 Friday May 2013

Posted by yummcha in Food, Korean Food

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Asia, Cook, Food, Galbijjim, Korean cuisine, South Korea, UCLA, University of California Los Angeles

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.

bazaar

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

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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

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.

me2

 

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