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Tag Archives: Race and ethnicity in the United States Census

Hot Bubbly Tofu at Cho Dang

14 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by yummcha in Food, Korean Food

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

Banchan, Cook, Fruits and Vegetables, Home, Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, Rice, Soy, Tofu

tofu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are quite a few places in the South Bay area that serve this soul warming, tongue burning tofu stew called Soondubu jjigae.

The one we prefer to go to is Cho Dang Tofu. The wonderfully velvety texture of the tofu and the substantial amount that are served are reasons enough to eat there, but the more decisive element here is the banchan (side dishes).

The fact that the tofu is silky, smooth, soft should be expected from these tofu houses, but I like that the tofu here comes in bigger blocks, and the amount served seems to be a bit more than other tofu places. I prefer my tofu in larger chunks rather than in small broken pieces.

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banchan

As I mentioned earlier, the key reason why we come here is the banchan. The well-balanced and distinct flavors and consistencies of the side dishes make up for the not-so-plentiful varieties. My son just loves the rectangular nori (dry lavar seaweed), and the mildly marinated bean sprouts. I enjoy the spicy pickled cucumber, and the slightly acidic pickled wakame. We always ask for seconds or thirds of these particular ones, despite the waitresses looking solemn and stoic at times.

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On this occasion, I ordered the Mushroom Tofu – White (no spiciness whatsoever), while my son had the Beef Tofu – Medium spicy. I enjoy the pleasantly soft crunch of the Enoki mushroom floating on top of the tofu. My son, who used to order his tofu white, said that he much prefers the overall taste of the tofu with some spiciness.

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The white rice here is served also in a stone pot like the one with the tofu, so it comes out burning hot. One definitely needs to wait a bit before digging into the piping hot rice. While most of the patrons here scoop the rice out from the hot stone pot to another bowl,  I, however, actually prefer to put some of the tofu directly onto the rice in the pot, and eat the rice straight out from the hot pot (very carefully of course). With this method, the hard, crunchy rice next to the metal eventually gets soften up, and I can then scrape it off easily and eat it all without having to put liquid into it at the end.

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Cho Dang Tofu: 22549 Hawthrone Blvd. Torrance, CA 90505  Phone: 310-373-7055

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Melisse – Finally

06 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by yummcha in Food, French Food

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Tags

Fourme d'Ambert, French cuisine, Greater Los Angeles Area, Melisse, Michelin Guide, Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, Santa Monica California, Tasting Menu

melisse

For years, during the month of my birthday which is also around Christmas time, I would begin to wishfully indulge in the idea of a friend offering to take me to Melisse, a highly acclaimed restaurant specializing in contemporary french cuisine with 2 Michelin stars. Needless to say, that did not happen.

Not one to give up easily, I finally had an opportunity to try this restaurant that had been on my mind for so long. I did all my research on the various menu selections, checked the reviews and recommendations, and was ready to go.

We arrived before 6pm. A young looking Asian couple was already standing in the lobby. While waiting, I took the chance to check out the bathroom. It was small, and not the fancy bathroom that I had somehow imagined. In fact, the whole restaurant seemed smaller, less elegant and grand than the images that I had conjured up in my mind based on photos I have seen online.  The lobby/hallway area gave me the impression of some Santa Monica art gallery.

melisse

My eating companion and I both ordered the “Ten” menu. A server came with a tray of breads, I chose the bacon and the pesto ones. I was surprised by the fact that the breads were not warm, a bit hard actually, and lacking in flavor; surprised because the French is known for having good breads. The waiter came with a complimentary amuse-bouche of a thinly sliced piece of a marinated scallop; it was really just a sliver, the taste was exquisite and fresh. The portion size sort of set the tone for the rest of the meal. Most of the dishes were really one bite or less. Later on during the evening, it did sink into me that this was a “Tasting Menu”.

The second amuse-bouche, grape served 2 ways, one coated with goat cheese and pistachio, and the other on a spoon, was fun to eat. The grape popped inside the mouth, and the flavor was a perfect balance of the sweetness of the grape and the mild creaminess of the cheese. The signature dish, Egg Caviar, soft poached egg with American caviar and crème fraîche was cooked perfectly, but could use a bit more caviar to enhance the flavor even more. Next came a raw Wild Japanese Mackerel with Chrysanthemum, pistachio, black mustard. With mackerel being one of my favorite fish, I wholeheartedly enjoyed the fishy taste of the dish; however, I was thinking that the dish was not very french. The Spring Onion Veloute, and the Green Asparagus in Perigold Reduction were both excellently executed, the asparagus was perfect in form and freshness.

At one point, I had to ask our waitress if the plates can come out faster after each course, since there was about a 10 to 20 minutes interval between each taste. I was getting really hungry after consuming just bits of food for over an hour’s time.

I enjoyed the Santa Barbara Spot Prawn even though I usually don’t eat much prawns nor shrimp. The prawn was crisp and fresh. The Scottish Salmon with fava beans, stinging nettle, nantua sauce was a fish perfectly cooked, tender with subtle flavors. I must say that because of the rather small portions of the previous dishes, I was, blissfully and genuinely, enjoying the Liberty Duck Breast with roasted carrots, white beans. The duck was impeccably prepared, cooked to perfection, and there were more than one piece of duck! Now my stomach was beginning to feel more satisfied.

With cheese being one of my favorite food, especially that of french cheeses, the next course, Fourme d’Ambert was exactly what I needed. The cheese was sublime, creamy and smooth, I wished there were more. As for dessert, I asked the waitress if I could have the Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate, instead of the choices listed on the “Ten” menu. She was nice enough to check for me and told me it was possible. The dessert consisted of a Chocolate mousse, Chocolate soufflé, and Chocolate salted caramel tart. Because all three desserts were of chocolates, I soon found it hard to distinguish among each of the individual taste, but the textures were different enough for me to appreciate each one; and I found myself scoffing up all the creamy soft mousse, and leaving behind a bit of the tart and soufflé. The meal was finished off with a small tray of macarons, canelés, and cookies. The little treats looked delicate and appealing, but I found the textures to be too hard, and the taste lacking in any flavor; this was another surprise to me much like the bread earlier.

Perhaps after so many years of yearning to try this restaurant, perhaps there was too much expectations, perhaps I wanted more than just a small taste of some of the offerings, I left the restaurant feeling a bit sad that I was not completely smitten by the whole experience.

Melisse:  1104 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90401  Phone: (310) 395-0881

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