Tag Archives: Noodle

Baccali Café and Rotisserie

26 Thursday Sep 2013

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Just within the same block on Valley Blvd, there are the three restaurants that I think are consistently excellent and probably are some of the best in the San Gabriel Valley. The other two includes my favorite Tasty Garden and Garden Café, of which I had already wrote about.

Baccali Café is just right across the street from these two restaurants. The menu is huge with over 200 items to choose from. This place, being a rotisserie, does specialize in a good selection of mouth-watering, succulent grilled meat dishes including chicken, ribs, steaks, and fishes. The portion sizes are quite huge served with either pasta or rice.

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On this visit, being not a big meat eater myself, I ordered the Braised E-Fu Noodle w/Fish Fillet, which was a gigantic plate of soft noodle with chunks of codfish and some mustard green, slices of black mushrooms, in a light brown gravy. The fish slices were tender, moist, and the long thin flat noodles were really soft and flavorful after soaking up the sauce.

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My friend ordered the Grilled Salmon Fillet, with steamed vegetables and rice. I was told that the salmon was one of the best that he had from a restaurant.

We also ordered a plate of Garlic Stir Fried Choy Sum. The vegetables were bright green, firm and fresh. It was such a huge platter that we were not able to finish the whole plate.

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I did, of course, ordered my favorite drink, Red Bean Ice, which was nicely thick and filled with sweet soft red beans and crushed ice. It went really well with all the food.

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Baccali Café and Rotisserie – 245 w. Valley Blvd. Alhambra, CA 91801  Phone: 626-293-3300

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Sue’s Kitchen – like an old friend

01 Sunday Sep 2013

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After not having been to Sue’s Kitchen for about a year, the feeling was like seeing an old friend again. There was a new waiter that I had not seen before, some of the cold side dishes at the counter had changed.

I don’t really know why it took so long to come back here, I used to eat here at least a couple times a week, this was like my regular go-to-place for a casual meal.

The restaurant is small, around ten tables, so the place is usually packed during meal hours.

Most of the patrons here order the Stew Beef Noodle Soup, which is what this restaurant is known for. Thick chunks of tender beef and tendon atop a bed of chewy noodles in a dark red robust spicy broth. I, however, not being a big meat eater, usually opt for either the Minced Pork Noodle, or Vegetables with Noodle.

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This evening, a friend and I ordered the Xiao Long Bao (Steamed pork dumpling), which came only four to an order for around $3. I actually prefer the smaller portion size of the XLB here rather than the usual eight that most places offer. The skin was medium thickness, not too thin, the way I like it. The pork filling was moist and juicy.

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We also had the Minced Pork Noodle, long chewy noodles with a mixture of minced tofu and pork, julienne cucumber and 2 halves of an soy sauce egg. The Onion Pancakes that my friend ordered was soft, yet a tad crispy at the same time. She had no problem finishing most of the pancakes.

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One of the reason that patrons like me come here is probably because of the very fresh selections of cold side dishes that one can pick and choose from at the counter area. There are usually around ten items to pick from. We chose the Pickled Cucumbers, Spicy Sliced Beef Stomach, and the Bean Curd Skin. Each selection had its own distinct flavor and complimented our meal well.

Sue’s Kitchen: 23918 Crenshaw Blvd. Torrance, CA 90505  Phone: 310-539-1992

Fish Dumplings and more – Moo’s

04 Sunday Aug 2013

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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

Pho So 1 – Simple and Fast

12 Friday Jul 2013

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With so many diverse types and varieties of soup noodles to choose from, whether it be from the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, I would sometimes go for months without having a bowl of Pho. Not that I don’t enjoy it as much as the other type of noodles, in fact, I find the rice noodles used in the Pho to be among my favorite type of noodle due to its smooth consistency and delicate quality.

The Special Combo with rare slices of steak, well-done brisket, flank, tendon and tripe  is a popular choice here at Pho So 1, since it offers such an assortment of meats in one bowl, and is huge. However, I tend to request for a special order of just Pho with tendon. I adore beef tendon, because of its gelatinous quality and spongy mouth feel. Here, the tendons are cut into rectangular chunks, and there is usually a generous amount.

Immediately when the hot Pho arrives, I would put the raw bean sprouts in the soup while it is still hot, so that the sprouts get cooked a bit. Sometimes, I would request the bean sprouts be boiled briefly first before bringing it to the table. After the sprouts are in, I would put in 2 to 3 slices of the jalapeño pepper, a few squeezes of the lime, a dab of Sriracha hot sauce, and I would be all set.

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Occasionally, I would order the Spring Rolls which comes three to an order. The rice paper skin is soft and pleasurably chewy at the same time. The shrimp, the meat, the rice vermicelli, and the herb inside the roll are all notably fresh, When dipped with the rich, thick, savory and slightly sweet peanut sauce, the roll provides a delectable and exceptionally appetizing side dish to my delightful and soul comforting bowl of soup noodle.

Pho So 1 – 1749 Redondo Beach Blvd. Gardena, CA 90247  Phone: 310-329-7365

Soba Sojibo – Simple and Good

21 Friday Jun 2013

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The first visit to Soba Sojibo was soon after the opening in 2012. The main dining area of the restaurant is not huge, but there are tatami sections on the side. The décor is simple –  minimalist; but the overall feeling is spacious, clean, comfortable. That first time we were there, some representatives from Japan came to do some sort of taste test/survey for these various pastries from Japan, so we got an extra treat in addition to our appetizing meal.

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The soba (buckwheat noodle) here is handmade, and the texture and taste reflect the freshness of the noodle. I usually order the Cold Sansai Tororo Soba which is a soba topped with a variety of mountain vegetables and grated mountain yam, and perhaps order a side of the Takikomi Gohan (rice cooked with dashi and soy sauce with small bits of vegetables) , or the Onigiri (rice balls). The soba is distinctly one of the best I’ve had.  The texture is slightly chewy, and along with the graininess of the buckwheat, one can almost picture the soba chef methodically making the noodles.

The soba-tsuyu (dipping sauce) is not overly salty and comes in a little ceramic container that one can pour with.  The assorted mountain vegetables are mildly flavored, and the grated mountain yam is extra foamy and slimy. I would mix all the delicate ingredients together with the noodles, add a big glob of wasabi, pour in ample amount of the sauce, and once inside the mouth, it becomes a gentle explosion of intriguing flavors and textures.

I like the slight stickiness of the grains and the light taste of the mixed rice in the small bowl of Takikomi Gohan. The Onigiri is soft, simple and fresh. I don’t particularly enjoy the small complimentary dish of fried soba noodle pieces, it was too dry and bland, even for my palate.

Soba Sojibo: 1757 West Carson St. Torrance, CA 90501  Phone: (310) 782-7356

Umenoya – Ramen Anyone?

04 Tuesday Jun 2013

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ramenEven though I am not a huge fan of ramen, I do enjoy a bowl of good noodles from time to time. I decided that my son would take me there for lunch this past Mother’s Day. Being a teenager and not working, his budget was limited. I also figured that I would avoid any crowds by going to a ramen place on such a busy restaurant day.

This place was highly recommended by my friend’s own teenage sons, so I figured it was at least cool to go. The menu was easy, with pictures. We were the only ones there. I was wondering if the cook and the waitress were feeling sorry for me for being there on “M” day. My son ordered the Tonkatsu ramen, while I opted for the Jiro ramen. I loved my bowl of ramen. It came with an humongous amount of cabbage on top of the noodles, with lots of onions, bean sprouts, and minced garlic (I especially enjoy eating garlic and onions). It was my dream come true, ramen with tons of veggies! There were also small rounds of fat floating atop the soup. As unhealthy as it seems, I enjoyed that . The chasyu was tender, and the soup was rich and flavorful.

The Tonkotsu ramen came with around four pieces of chaysu, half-boiled egg, and chopped green onions. I like the fact that there were more meat served with the ramen at this restaurant than most of the other ramen places in town. Upon finishing the bowl, the ramen expert, my son, declared that he still thinks Santouka has the best ramen. I argued with him about the soup being exceedingly salty at Santouka, and that there are only two slices of pork with the noodle; although I must give them credit for the consistently meticulous execution of the ramen.

Thoughts and Questions of the Day:  Why is the broth served with ramen usually so intensely salty? Why is there so very little amount of vegetables served in Japanese restaurant food? Do Japanese eat a lot of sushi or raw fish at home?

Back to Umenoya, the cook came over after we finished the ramen, and presented us with a complimentary plate of gyoza. How great, It was exactly what I wanted to try. The gyoza was not as flavorful as the ramen, but I really appreciated the very kind gesture. It was a comforting, cozy and warm “M” day lunch.

Umenoya: 24222 Crenshaw Blvd. Torrance, CA 90505   Phone: (310) 530-3177

Kam Hong Garden – Good Food

02 Sunday Jun 2013

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Some time ago, a friend had been telling me for months about how good this  “hot and sour soup noodle” was at some restaurant I have never heard of in Monterey Park. Inside my brain, I tried to visualize adding some noodles inside a bowl of “hot ‘n sour” soup, and then tried to imagine how that would taste. Yeah, it would taste good, but since I can already imagine how it would taste, I didn’t need to try it.

When the LA Magazine published a list of top ten Chinese restaurants in Los Angeles quite a while back, I realized that one of the them was this “hot ‘n sour soup noodle” restaurant that my friend had been relating to me. Now I was interested. We arrived at the restaurant on a weekday around noon, the restaurant was relatively empty. The restaurant is small with about eight tables; the appearance of the place, both inside and out, is so nondescript that I would probably never go inside if not because of the recommendations.

We ordered, of course, the hot-and-sour soup noodle, the pan fried bun(Sheng jian bao), the boiled dumplings with pork and leek(Shui jiao). The soup noodle was every bit as good as my friend had depicted; the soup had the most appropriate balance of sour and spicy, without either one being stronger than the other. The liquid was not overly thickened with corn starch. For most of the noodle dishes, one can choose from the homemade hand-kneaded, knife cut, or hand-pulled varieties. I had the hand-kneaded one, not too thick, not too thin. I probably should try the knife cut version one of these days, since I like my noodle more chewy.

The pan fried buns were perfect. The bottom of the bun had the exact light, crisp, golden crust that I totally adore. I think the mark of great pan fried dumplings(guo tie), and the pan fried buns lies in the outer crust not being burned, or overly charred. The pork inside was juicy, and the flavor was not overpowering. The boiled dumplings come in different varieties of meat. The pork and leek dumpling tasted exactly how I wanted it to taste, light and delicate.

On subsequent visits, I tried the beef pancakes, and different versions of boiled dumplings; all were good, but my favorites still were the original three dishes I tried that very first time.

Thoughts of the Day:  I find that Chinese food is such a good value for the money when compared to other cuisines. One is able to get such wide varieties of tasty, well-made dishes for sometimes a fraction of what one has to pay for other types of cuisines. My friends and I often comment on how it is cheaper to eat or buy Chinese food from outside than to cook.

Kam Hong Garden: 848 E. Garvey Ave. Monterey Park, CA 91755  Phone: (626) 280-9318