Tag Archives: Mochi

Tous Les Jours – Take a Small Break

08 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by in Bakery, Food, Korean Food

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When I want to get together with a friend for a chat, or to just to take a small break from our sometimes frazzled lives, my place of choice would be Tous Les Jours.  This  French-Asian café pastry shop comes to my mind first because it provides an extremely relaxing and comfortable atmosphere for one to sit down, unwind and have some good French style pastries, as well as some traditional Korean ones, with a good selection of coffees and teas.

 

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The interior is very open and modern, with ample spaces in between tables for some private conversations. The employees are young and friendly.

One can choose freely from the many assortment of traditional and not-so-traditional bakery items. One of my favorite here is the very Thick French Toast. The toast is way over an inch thick with a golden yellow top crust, sprinkled with slivers of almond and powder sugar. It is only mildly sweet, and goes exceptionally well with a good hot cup of cappuccino.

 

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I have also tried some of the Korean style donuts here such as the Sweet Rice Doughnut – a round ball made with sweet rice deep fried to a golden brown that is chewy and just a tad sweet. Sweet Corn Cream Doughnut is a twisted version rolled in a faintly sweet yellow corn powder.

For something a bit more sweeter, the Sweet Potato Pie and Apple Pie will fill that craving, along with the Chocolate Croissant and the Red Bean Pastry. If something non-sweet is desired, the Mochi Roll –  a baked mochi bread roll with some sesame seeds and a chewy crust, or the Garlic Baguette will satisfy nicely.

The shop is opened from 7am to 9pm, which makes it convenient to stop by before work or after an early dinner.

Tous Les Jours – 2814 Sepulveda Blvd. Torrance, CA 90505  Phone: 310-257-6848

See Website for other locations:

http://www.touslesjoursusa.com/store.asp?smnu=02

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/

Snacks and Beyond – TJ

25 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by in American Food, Food, Lifestyle, Markets, Uncategorized

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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”.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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/

Hamada-ya Bakery: Bread and Pastries

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in Bakery, Food, Japanese Food

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Although I have been buying different varieties of bread and pastries here for years now, I have never really given much thought as to how good this bakery really is until the more I tried other bakeries in the Los Angeles area. To clarify, I am mainly comparing this place to the other Asian owned bakeries such as JJ Bakery, 85°c, Paris Baguette, Simply Splendid Bakery, etc.  I would just say that the items here are consistently delicious and of high quality.

What I find is that most bakeries usually offer a few items that are unique and outstanding to that particular shop. I would often end up going to different shops to purchase favorite items from that individual store. Perhaps I will share with you which pastries I find to be the best from each bakery at a later date.

The Raisin bread rolls and Mochi bread rolls, as well as the Green tea bread loaf are my favorites. The raisins in the bread are plump and juicy with just the right amount of sweetness in the bread. The mochi roll has a soft center with an outer crust that is chewy and slightly crunchy. If available, the green tea bread is exceptional, with its strong and fragrant tea flavor.

The Choco Ring Donut is the best chocolate donut I have tried so far. Perhaps it is not fair to compare it to a traditional donut since it is quite different. The description says that it is dipped in thick, dark french chocolate. The result is that I feel like I am eating a thin crispy layer of a delicious semi sweet chocolate with a donut.

One of their most popular item is the Cream Cornet, which consists of a flaky, slightly chewy outer shell, and filled with a blend of fresh heavy cream and custard cream.  While I like the outside texture and the creamy consistency inside,  I do find it to be just a tiny bit sweet for my taste. The Cherry Tart is dense but moist with the right balance of sweetness and tartness from the cherries.

Thoughts and Question of the Day: While in France, my favorite pastry was “chausson aux pommes”, I have not been able to find that here in LA yet. Why is it so hard to find this particular pastry?

Hamada-ya: 21515 S. Western Ave. Torrance, CA 90501 Phone: (310) 787-1778 (inside Mitsuwa Marketplace)