Behgo Behgo

Mike's Pastry : South End Boston

2011-01-10T21:19:00.000-08:00

Below: Plain Ricotta Cheese-stuffed cannoli : I can somewhat confidently say that these are the best cannoli's in America... Every time I make the trip to South End I leave with 6 of these babies and a whole ricotta cheese pie.
Below: Pistachio-dipped cannoli
below: vanilla custard cannoli
Below: A box of miscellaneous desserts/pastries from Mike's

Red Velvet cake was SOOO sweet! I have a sweet tooth but this was just... over the top! delicious but too sweet for my tastebuds- if you love red velvet... this is a MUST get

--> Super rich cream cheese frosting and moist sponge cake with a hint of dark chocolate...

below--> a peanut butter swirl brownie... SO good! I love peanut butter ... as moist and decadent as it was... I certainly felt they could have used a little more peanut butter inside and on top!

A&J Restaurant: Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

2010-05-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

A&J Restaurant : specializes in whipping up a delicious Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

KoreanTown revisited

2010-05-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

Paris Baguette:

Below: entranced by the fresh fruits and fluffy white cream

Suhrabal:

below: spicy mackerel and kimchi bowl- cooked slow- wonderfully spicy
below: panchan (Side dishes)
--> Galbi Tang: a slow-cooked beef rib soup- great comfort dish!
--> wonderful strips of cooked egg and green onions floating on top
address/contact info:

Winter Escapades~

2010-01-30T12:15:00.000-08:00

I must admit, my winter break wasn't exactly the most exciting but it sure was filled with memorable moments that truly capture the warmth of my home, family and food.

My dad actually had a little surprise waiting for me when I got home from our last week of school and finals. I was delighted to find a box full of mochi-cake! I call it this because there really is no other name for this. Dad told me he tried a little at some small Korean bakery awhile ago and figured it would fit my tastes since I not only love rice cakes, but I also love cake! I was not disappointed! the soft mochi was absolutely delish and was finished off by a soft outer coating of subtly sweet cake crumbs (i'm thinking something along the lines of a castella or sweeter sponge cake). There is nothing inside the rice cakes which make it seem less sinful, although I think it if there were filling... it would be overwhelming and probably mask the flavor of the cake crumbs.

--> Below: Vietnamese noodles to start off the break (not sure what this bowl was called)

-->freshly cut noodles... fat, slippery, and tender!
--> The occasional rain showers in Socal gave me the great opportunity to take pictures in my backyard... the grass was glowing green and every flower seemed to pop out from the normally dull landscape.

--> below: not surprising to see that the only fruitful tree happens to be our lemon and orange tree...
---> Below: Nevertheless.. there will always be a part of socal's dry and hot remains wherever I go... this broken and abandoned shell I gladly captured with my camera held a sense of melancholic remorse and yet... a great reminder of the New Year 2010! Let's leave our mess, burdens, and regrets behind and start off anew!!

--> Below: an extremely common flower found in parks, front lawns etc. yet.. when you isolate one little bud... it becomes so much more beautiful :D

-->below: this gazebo seen below was actually designed by my father and built by him with the help of my brother and I. We spent a good half a month during a hot summer break to get this finished... looking at it now.. I have now come to appreciate the art of landscaping and design. My dad's goal was to make a fairly large gazebo with a clean, simple and somewhat modern design that complemented our contemporary-esque theme ... hopefully it has been achieved .. I think so!

PaPa Walk: Taiwanese Cafe

2009-12-19T15:29:00.000-08:00

With Southern California's heat seemingly never ceasing until late December, Shaved Ice is definitely not limited and exclusive to the scorching mid-months of the year. I was perusing through Socal's middle to high rated Taiwanese cafe's on Yelp.com and came across PaPa walk whose "Coffin Bread" or 棺材板 guān cái bǎn, was far more intriguing than their shaved ice. A fan of deep fried goodies and selections loaded with carbs, I took note of Papa Walk and stopped by while visiting some friends in the San Gabriel area. For those of you who do not like feet, the place is a bit terrifying due to the cafe's feet-decorated walls, floors and menu. I must say however, after I had the shaved ice I completely forgot about it!

--> Below: The Coffin Bread- deepfried chunk of toast, hollowed out and laden with creamy corn/seafood chowder

--> Below: ALthough this dish looks incredibly tempting, I have to say... it was far more anticlimactic than expected. It was not terribly bad .... just wasn't as exciting as the "concept" of the dish. The soup inside was probably the killer for me since it was a bit too bland, sweet and... well there was seafood. Most people would be delighted to find shrimp in their soup but I like my corn chowders ... well without crustaceans. I wouldn't complain however to be eating this on a really cold day after playing in the snow or rain. I am glad to have tried this dish, considering I will most likely get it again when I am to be "in the mood" for it!
--> On the other hand their Brown Sugar Shaved Ice was to-die-for... apparently from friends, it usually does not taste as good.. I guess the person who made it that day I was there is apparently the the "guy who knew what he was doing" because I could not stop eating! I believe I had five choices/toppings--mine were : condensed milk, pudding, red bean, mung bean, and rice balls.

--> Inside this fortified mountain of ice lies the generous filling of azuki beans, and chewy yet delicate rice balls.
--> Below: The pudding was pleasing - definitely not a rich creamy type but definitely had that custardy taste I was craving for!

Pa Pa Walk:

227 W Valley Blvd
Ste 148-B
San Gabriel, CA 91776

(626) 281-3889

~Bella Trattoria~ Italian Bistro

2009-11-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

Bella Trattoria : Riverside's hidden jewel

Enjoy sidewalk dining at it’s best!
The new Bella Trattoria will tempt the palate with delicious Southern Italian Cuisine including brick oven baked pizzas, build your own pasta and pressed Panini sandwiches. Experience the flavors of Italy right here at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa.-- Mission Inn Hotel (Missioninn.com)

--> Below: I bet festive lights would look even more romantic at night

--> Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast: Lightly Breaded Sliced Breast of Chicken served with Fettuccini Pasta and Alfredo Sauce--> below: Brick oven

--> Margherita Pizza: fresh basil, mozzarella cheese, roma tomatoes, garlic and olive Oil
Although this pizza is not the best of the selection I can guarantee you The Athena pizza on the Dinner menu only is absolutely delicious! definitely recommended

--> It was still pretty warm in Riverside when I went here for the second time, but my favorite thing to do now is going to Bella Trattoria in the middle of winter, dining outside under whimsical light deco, heat lamps and enjoying the joyous Italian music. A MUST DO if you're ever in town and already ate out somewhere and feel like getting a small snack or drink i HIGHLY recommend Bella's :

Nose Warmer : Brewed Coffee in a Mugwith Tia Maria, Frangelico, Venetian Cream and Grand Marnier
and the
Chocolate Milano:Chocolate Milano, Brewed Coffee with Chocolate Milano Syrup,Whipped Cream and Chocolate Shavings with Venetian Cream

Address:
3649 Mission Inn Ave.,
Riverside, CA 92501

Phone: (951)784-0300

Happy Hour @ Yardhouse

2009-11-07T13:05:00.000-08:00

Yardhouse Happy Hour!~

--> Calamari- lots of tentacles !

--> Eggrolls topped with deepfried strips of carrot
-->Jamaican Jerk Wings
--> Pizza: half mushroom, half pepperoni

Mandalay Bay Buffet : Desserts

2009-10-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

--> Below: Fruit tart w/ chocolate cup: presentation-wise, I thought I'd fall in love with this since I love fruit tarts, but it was probably the most disappointing of the entire selection of desserts! fruits were definitely not in season nor remotely ripe! Although sometimes this can pass off, the cream or custard inside usually makes up for the lack of ripened fruits on top... the custard in this tart was beyond bland! tasted like cheap diluted jello packets of vanilla pudding!!! Now I must revive my love for fruit tarts and make a stop at Porto's Bakery!!

--> below: Tiramisu w/ chocolate cup : very very creamy! but nonetheless yummy
--> Blueberry Cheesecake: extremely light and fluffy- very very small hint of cheesecake- reminded me of the cheesecake I get at Korean and Japanese bakeries!

--> Mini Lemon Meringue Pie/tart
--> innards- probably my favorite one of the entire bunch: extrmely fluffy and pleasing meringue- reminding me of marshmellows by the campfire! then underneath this sticky yet delicious cloud hides a delicate balance between sweet and sour lemon custard! Although the custard may have solidified because of the refrigerated conditions, it was nonetheless delliiiciousss!

Although there were MANY desserts at the Mandalay Bay Buffet, I was only able to pull out my camera for the biggest and smallest highlights of the afternoon! Perhaps next time I can find some self control and take my time with picture-taking :)

San Francisco ~ continued..

2009-09-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

Zachary's : Chicago Pizza - Berkeley

2009-09-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

I know a good group of friends and family who go to UC Berkeley and ALL of them just keep talking about this place called Zachary's... with high expectations and rumbling tummy, I discovered the first chicago-style pizza I have absolutely fallen in love with! Coming from Southern California... well rather specifically the San Fernando Valley, it's actually pretty hard to find local joints that serve specialized food. Quite honestly, the only chicago-style pizza I've eaten was from BJ's... a chain!! Not that I have anything against chain-restaurants.. I just really like supporting the mom and pop diners with inspirational and truly food-loving advocates who cook to make people happy!
Although Zachary's has another location, it's only served locally, meaning you.. and I will not find one down in Southern California :( ... unfortunate. I have searched high and low for great pizza so I can list all the "pizza" places that are praised for the pizza they make: all the delivery brands (you know.. dominoes, etc), BJ's Brewery, California Pizza Kitchen aka CPK, AMeci's, etc. etc. the list goes on and on! Although some of their pizza's are actually pretty good (ameci's chicken ranch yumm), you just can't find a truly great pizza place that makes you feel like you've eaten a wholesome, warm, home-cooked meal! My friend was initially a bit upset eating here because she wanted a true "meal" ... in her definition pizza ain't a meal!! she left satisfied and truly surprised by Zachary's pizza!

--> Below: While taking a trip to the restroom you can see an entire wall filled with Zachary's pride, framed, posted and glowing in all its glory! impressive yes..!!

-->We ordered Zachary's Special- which fed three easily! : sausage, green peppers, onions, and mushrooms
--> I have to say.. my absolute favorite part of the pizza is definitely the tomato sauce on top!!! i LOVED it!! I'm a huge cheese person so I hesitated a little while eating it but quickly fell for the wholesome chunks of tomatoes scattered throughout a truly rich tomato sauce filled with the right spices and herbs!
--> This is the best shot I could get of the great layers of crust, cheese, fillings and great tomato dressing on top! Let me tell you... the tomato sauce and crust is truly what sets this pizza apart from all the others! the crust is the complete opposite of Bj's semi doughy-raw-yeasty pizza dough! Zachs' crust and bottom (very important that the bottom isn't gooey and soggy) was crispy, bready and baked to perfection. I loved how the semi-crispy dough was constructed so that it could withstand all the gooey toppings weighing it down!
--> A messy but delicious slice! note those beautiful chunks of tomatoes that just melt in your mouth - bursting with naturally sweet tomatoey goodness!!

Gregoire~ Oakland

2009-08-19T22:00:00.001-07:00

Gregoire....
the amazing... most wonderful little place to eat... I could probably live next door and eat there every single freaking day!!!! This place is just such a great spot! its romantic, cute, casual with a flair of European essence and cute countryside-like vibes all in one little.. tiny tiny food joint!
THe great thing about Greogoire is probably their menu.. it changes EVERY MONTH which is great because you can definitely feel that the chef's/owners are creative and active in picking out ingredients that go with the seasons!

--> below: i'm telling you.. whoever lives in norcal just HAS to eat here at LEAST once!! the place is tiny.. but oh so great!
--> when you walk in.. you're seriously going to feel like you're walking into someone's kitchen..waiting in line for food that's being freshly cooked right in front of you!
-->definitely not a sit-in restaurant type of place but I would definitely get takeout and go to the nearest park and have a great little picnic eating off of their delicious menu!
--> below: The highlight of the menu .. at least in my opinion was the Spicy Tuna & Wakame salad with Potato Chips on Sliced Bread $7.50 so light, fresh and delicious all at the same time .. i could eat it all over again right now!

--> Below: Grilled chicken with tomato, anchovies, & garlic mayonnaise on pantofolina. $7.00 This is what I ordered and at first.. the anchovies really scared me a little but I went with it anyways and did not regret it at all! the anchovies .. which I actually couldn't physically find in the sandwich was definitely in there.. the flavor of the anchovies gave the sandwich a great kick .. ESPECIALLY the garlic mayonnaise which I must remind myself to try making sometime !
--> Below: a side order of Scalloped potatoes with garlic & parsley. $4.50 - for those of you who love creamy, hot potatoes!! this is definitely it! If you ever go here I highly HIGHLY recommend their fried potato balls! unfortunate that I did not get to taste one but I am 99.5% sure that they're out of this world

--> Below: Warm curried potato with smoked salmon in grilled lavash
--> This one was definitely the most unique sounding on their menu! I never would have thought of putting salmon and curry together since the flavors, you would think, would clash.. the strong smokey salmon and the pungent yet creamy curry! wow... definitely a smeller haha!

Indoor Farmer's Market @ The Metreon - SF

2009-08-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

Shocking news to many of us who don't really know San Francisco very well.. but.. they closed the metreon's playstation store and replaced it with an indoor Farmers market!!!! I suppose I can say that the change isn't TOO bad considering i'm a huge farmers' market fan but... honestly.. I really REALLY was looking forward to the playstation store!! a bit disappointing but other than that, I got to try a lot of great food for free!!

--> below: the dips were really amazing, I would've bought a couple to take home.. but with all this organic and fresh food... I doubt it'll last the plane ride and drive back home :(
--> Below: Stuffing pitas with falafels, hummus and various fresh goodies!
--> Below: I believe this was from a South African cuisine booth... very interesting considering the smells drifting from this booth dominated the entire section!
--> below: Fugazetta - stuffed with aged Cheddar Cheese, shredded organic chicken & Oregano! at $3 a piece and it's considerable size.. I wouldn't mind at all!!

San Francisco Markets!

2009-08-09T14:41:00.001-07:00

I went to a variety of markets around San Francisco and Berkeley/campus area and was amazed by the healthy and unique selections!! I can never say this enough .. but I truly have fallen in love with NorCal!

I am sure you can tell that all the delectable items I have chosen to take pictures of are baked goods and pastries :D! but what else can you expect from a carb-o-maniac~~!

-> below: pretty much the Whole Foods of norcal i'm guessing... however! their baked goods section and deli is far more impressive!

--> below: pretty pink -white chocolate and yellow cake cupcakes!! the second I saw these I thought to myself - wedding shower/wedding/babyshower inspiration!!!

--> below: I should have put my hands next to one of these babies because they were HUGE and the cream inside is definitely more than enough! at the very LEAST 2 inches thick and most likely more!! i had to fight my inner love for cream to not buy one of these!!! tears**
--> these little kitties were so cute! on the right there were a couple of dark chocolate puppies! I just found it a little strange eating a molding of a cute animal... i'm sure it tastes delicious, but some things are literally just too cute to eat!! this just happened to be one of them!
--> you bet I got one of these! I absolutely love Bailey's Irish Cream!!
--> These yellow tarts reminded me strongly of the super addictive Chinese Egg Tarts you find at Chinese bakeries and DimSum restaurants! Quite unsurprisingly, these were a lot sweeter than their Chinese counterparts , nonetheless delicious, light and not TOO sweet!

Summer Break

2009-07-28T20:11:00.001-07:00

I know I haven't posted in so long . . . even longer than the previous post below! but I have plenty more foodie adventures to post up soon enough! I'm in San Francisco visiting friends and checking out some Grad School programs around the Bay Area and I truly have fallen in love with the place! the weather, the people, the food, the energy... is AMAZING!

--> below: airplane shot... SF was completely covered with thick clouds... the first day I was there was a little disappointing only because there was absolutely no sun and did not prepare the right attire .... seriously it's hard imagining how 65 degrees feels like when you're from the valley where it easily hits 100 every day!

--> furry friend!

--> A great little concert while walking around
--> the city can be beautiful as well..

May Mei - Return

2009-05-08T23:29:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in so long , I almost forgot my password!!! - can't be a good thing! I will have to start out my May post with a great Chinese restaurant called May Mei which specializes in the Chinese rice-claypot dish. I found this to be a GREAT alternative to Hainan chicken in the way the rice is so packed with flavor! There really is something special about the aroma and subtle flavors hidden away in claypots that bring out the greatness in rice. I have never appreciated rice so much before! Of course Hainan Chicken and this rice pot dish use different rice grains - and it would be too difficult to pick which one I like better... But summer-wise i'm leaning towards Hainan Chicken and winter-wise definitely going for the claypot.

--> Below: Ordred a Hot Pot Rice with two different types of smoked pork and Gai-Lan or Chinese kale. The Chinese sausage and teh smoked pork belly was AMAZING.. They only topped the rice with it but the smell and flavor just completely wrapped itself around every single grain of rice! - I only slightly exaggerate- but really.. the taste was not so much overpowering but delicate and had a slightly, salty, nutty, smokey, and sweet taste all at the same time!

--> A close up on the two smoked porks : Left the chinese sausage ( like from sim bala) and smoked pork belly (this i'm not too familiar with... reminds me a little bit of char siu meat without the bbq flavorings)

--> If you order this, the waiter/waitress will remove all the toppings on a side plate and pour a sauce infused with black bean sauce and soy sauce... I may be wrong.. but i'm just going with my tongue's intuition here :D

--> Below: A side order of deepfried tofu ... which I have been CRAVING for too long! when it's fresh... its really hard to beat... sigh* I love those slices of jalapenos too.. great with just plain rice!

--> Bite test!: you know it's fresh when its 1. burning your tongue from the heat and 2. steam, oil and tofu juice-ness fills your mouth when biting in!

--> and Just because I love gai-Lan so much... Ordered another plate of it on the side with Oyster sauce

Great Carrot Loaf

2009-04-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

I have yet to test the waters on the various and very innovative carrot loaf/cake recipes out there and found that the most popular ones' include crushed pineapples in the recipe! However .. . I lacked in various specialty ingredients and found a recipe that stuck with the more traditional ways of making carrot loaf. The recipe, from my point of view, had wayyy too much sugar... 2 1/2 cups!?!? I'm trying to feed a group of elderly Asian women and men!! (they aren't a big fan of super sweets) so I toned it down to 1 1/2 cups and added another cup of ground carrots! turned out to be a perfect blend of earthy, nutty and carroty flavors- the sugar brought out just the right amount of sweetness from the carrots ! lovely :)

--> I sampled a slice of the cake.. just to make sure I don't overload my elderly tasters with sugar :)... sugar was quite subtle and the raisins made up for the load of sugar I opted out ... A definite success.. will make again !
--> I took a side shot just to show the nice specks of actual REAL carrot chunks! I love to see actual carrots inside my carrotcake/loaf .. makes me feel .. healthy.. hehehe

Goodbye Garden

2009-03-31T18:01:00.001-07:00

Spring has finally come to an end and the painful school year must start again! Although I love the idea of moving forward - soon to be graduating and hopefully moving towards my masters... there are just times when I wish time would stop...

The day before I left and I realized I was leaving home again, I couldn't help but walk around the backyard- camera in hand. I was surprised by the little things that would normally bore me to be delightful. For instance:

--> Below: a cute little mushroom... matured with its splendorous soft white curves and ridges

--> Below: A voluptuous lemon... packed with sweet yet sour citrus-exploding flavors --our lemon tree- our only fruit tree that bears fruit year-round... in fact our only fruit tree that really bear fruits

-->Not sure what these flowers are called.... but they sure are cute! .. the strong violet center that gradually finds itself lost on a white canvas... so pretty
--> Never realized until now... our garden has lots of white and purples.....

--> When I was a kid.. I used to take these tiny flower bunches like below- and pluck out each flower, making mini bouquets of flowers for my imaginary earthworm castles.... strange- yes i know

Rainy Day Scones

2009-03-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

Approaching the end of March, there really is nothing like a semi rainy afternoon with freshly baked scones, the smell of sweet butter drifting in a warm house, and hearing the rain tap on the windows. I picked up this scone from allrecipes.com and if I remember correctly it was called "Grandma Johnson's scones". . . However, I believe I , once again, changed the recipe. I had completely ran out of all-purpose flour, leaving me with cake flour .. I wasn't quite sure what would happen since cake flour is very different to the ordinary bag of flour... Willing to take risks, I ended up with these little doughy triangles below:

--> Below: Instead of using blueberries etc. I chose dried cranberries and raisins- having boiled them and soaked them in some orange-flavored liquor

--> Brushed the tops with some heavy cream (didn't have buttermilk) and topped them off with a little orange zest
--> Baked till golden brown :D
--> From the picture above, it is too difficult to tell the differences the cake flour made, but the picture below: shows the much more finer texture in the scones rather than the scones we normally eat - after trying a little, the bread just seemed to melt in my mouth- definitely a result of the cake flour ... Since I like my scones quite bland, I decided to be a little bit more flavorful and sifted some powdered sugar on top.... delicious

Final Aftermath~

2009-03-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

Today , I have officially completed all my final exams and am ready to do some cooking therapy !! To start my spring break off... while most will probably making scandalous trips to Cancun etc., I will be going back home to get some much needed mental rest :) I'm actually looking forward to staying at home with my dad.. swinging some golf clubs...watching TV...eating some good Asian foodz... quite therapeutic actually- just doing nothing .

I thought it would be appropriate to show my dad's Kung Pao chicken attempt #1 as a welcome-back-home symbol ! He didn't stick to the traditional Chinese methods of cooking and pretty much made it according to American methods/taste/ and style. By using low-fat chicken breast as primary meat and opting out peanuts (apparently we're not a big peanut family) my dad with very little advice from me... made this creation below -->

While it definitely tasted edible- much better than the fastfood I get back on/near campus- it still was missing a certain flavor.. tang.. or perhaps key ingredient?... we both recognized it.. the dish was ALMOST there.. but something small but key was absent!? Perhaps a certain bean paste??

~~~~~

Meanwhile, I was mixing up a batch of brownies- lazy from just coming back - I grabbed an emergency brownie mix (always have a couple laying around for guests/events) and pretty much pulled a SandraLee (for those of you who watch FoodNetwork you'll know what i'm talking about). By adding a 1/4 of a cup approx. of shaved dark chocolate in the batter and adding a little cake flour, my brownies became.. well completely different!! I absolutey loved them! For all of you fudgey-gooey brownie lovers this will not be your thing, but the cakey/bread/puffy type brownie lovers!! this is it!! i'm a huge fan of fudge but my brownies... well what can i say? I want it lighter so I can eat more of it without feeling that super sweet chocolateness gunking down my throat, making my saliva ooze and stick to the back of my mouth! A lighter, fluffier brownie with the same powerful and distinct chocolate flavor is definitely my thing :D You could almost call this so-called brownie a chunk of extra moist chocolate cake... but for me..... its still a brownie :)

--> below: although I find this picture beautiful, the picture does not do the brownie justice i'm afraid.. well alot of my pictures don't do the food justice ! haha well I was pleased with the crackled top that i'm quite fond of and the thickness of the brownies ... this is a great way to start out my spring break :)

--> below: although its not as clear as the picture above, this side view of the brownie proves to show that even with the cakey/fluffy texture, there are still strong brownie-like features you could easily point out. Probably because of my amateur baking skills/knowledge, the bottom is fluffier than the top , which i'm guessing is because of the concentrated heat at the bottom of the pan... either way.. the top was definitely gooey-er than the bottom ... yum... want more :(

~Hacienda Heights~

2009-03-05T23:15:00.001-08:00

So two weekends before finals week hits, I decided to go out and treat myself to Curry House in Hacienda Heights-ish area and gawwwdd, I didn't realize I was in such a deep need of menchi-katsu (or ground beef patty deep fried with panko crust). There's just something about the menchi-katsu from Curry House that makes me feel like i'm biting into a little bit of Japan. When I was in Japan for awhile, I had many-a-hamburger steaks at restaurants and specialty stores (of course the experience and tastes never exactly duplicated in America). The menchi-katsu here just brings back those juicy, succulent and beefy memories. It's great to bring back some nostalgic moments; I believe the tongue truly needs moments like these every so and then.. .very neccessary!

--> Some of you have probably gone to Curry House before- for those of you who haven't, it's quite decent for a chain curry restaurant. They have japanese-style pastas, omelete rice, etc. They servea little salad on the side, a good amount of rice and meat... for some reason however.. I feel like I never seem to have enough curry sauce :( I get mine very spicy.. which is like.. a slight pepper-spicy tinge on your tongue.. not very strong at all :) so don't be afraid to go for the "very spicy".. TRUST me :]

--> Dessert: I took a quick dessert grab at the Nijiya market next to Curry House and picked up a small little to-go strawberry parfait! yummers!

--> very light, creamy and of course.. the beautiful display of fresh fruits with whipped cream !
--> examine here, the various layers : top strawberry reduced gelatin, the mousse which was very light, creamy and the right amount of strawberry sweetness, with the last layer of soft sponge cake!

Taiyaki Paradisio

2009-02-13T18:55:00.000-08:00

No joke, lately, with the cold rainy days, I've been having serious cravings for some roasted asian sweet potatoes and taikyaki!! this might be too much information but I crave carbs on a daily basis, but when the time of the month arrives... by the end of it I'm pretty much a walking ball of carb sugars. I can't help it, some people need pizza, others ice cream, mine is bread... good bread and bread with fillings is a huge plus ... I suppose I could always work off the fat but I think i'll just cut down on the carbs from now on... i'll manage somehow...
Anyways, it just so happened to be that I was around Hacienda-ish area and found a Genki Living in diamond plaza! Genki Living is just a small cute litttle japanese snack place with crepes, drinks, and other japanese snacks. THeir taiyaki is especially great just because of the variety of fillings!
-The first filling I bought was the traditional all red bean filling, then the cream filling yum!, and then a red bean with mochi :) the mochi was nice and gooey right off the taiyaki molds! I truly wish I had bought a good dozen but my pocket couldn't afford it :(

--> Near Diamond plaza is a small Japanese market where I picked up a cream pan or Cream filled bun - yummers
--> can someone say food porn? .. . you can use your imagination :]
--> not as much cream filling as some of the cream pans I get at korean bakeries, but it wasn't too bad... though I would realy like more cream please :D

Wat Thai of Los Angeles : Thai Temple

2009-02-01T11:21:00.001-08:00

Wat Thai Temple : Food Court

I have been waiting FOREVER to go here! I saw a blog post on the Wat Thai temple food booths awhile back but they closed the food section for awhile because of parking/traffic. Although there weren't as many booth selections set up when I went, it was still an experience I will crave for again! The thai tea is only a dollar!! ughhh a deal I would never turn down! Since i'm too lazy to go buy and make it myself a dollar is totally worth it! I ended up buying three!! and yes I felt the bladder-deafening affects afterwards hahaha--

--> below: a nice layout of coconut type snacks - smelled wonderful- too bad my throat itches like hell when I eat coconut :(

--> Below: the ladies here were super nice! Here you can see some ladies making some coconut rice balls and etc. - After going here, I totally realized I needed to do some update/research on Thai food! I obviously don't know enough and should know more!!
--> THe ladies above were assembling a couple of these suckers below: if only they had non-coconut ones!! but seriousy.. everything had coconut in it anyways! if only if only..

--> and Oh My Goodnesss -> below is a nice flaky almost buttery fragrant roti with CONDENSED MILK!! richly spread to cover every beautiful roti-landscape- then rolled into this heavenly $1? or was it $2 beauty!! so good... and the lady was making them fresh!!! i noticed a lot of little kids running up with wrinkled bills buying these hotcakes! kids always know what the guilty pleasures of food are ":)
--> Below: probably one of the biggest highlights of going here is this amazing spicy pork noodle soup with meatballs!!! i added some extra dried chili flakes and let me tell you... if you like spicy this is definitely it!!! I absolutely loved it! the soup has a little sour tang that matches well with the rich broth! it was kind of cold since I was there around 10/11 am. and the soup just fired me up head to toe! definitely going to come back for more!

--> the soup was spicy... those little red chili flakes seem harmless from here.. but ohhh would you like to know .. they're like packed in spicy-bombs ready to burst in your mouth! I love spicy Thai food :) it hits in a certain type of way that no other spicy-food can hit :D
--> below : here is a different booth specializing in mainly deep-fried goods- I couldn't stomach any of this after the spicy pork noodle soup -

--> below: HOWEVER.. I couldn't leave without some of their yummy looking satay- as thin as these skewered meats look.. they were certainly filling and super meaty!
--> From the deep-fried stall I got a bag of fried plantains and sweet potatoes! I have to say however, these were obviously sitting out there for awhile.. and were cold/dry?? next time I will definitely make sure to get them fresh!

--> The address and phone number: the temple is located in North Hollywood and when you drive down Coldwater... its quite a while so don't feel awkward when you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere :D

Cream n' Creme

2009-01-20T17:42:00.000-08:00

Oyster Mushroom Cream pasta:

With the weather warming up in mid-january, I felt it has been quite a while since i've made a pasta dish. I had a nice collection of oyster mushrooms from Nijiya blooming in my fridge and decided to make a somewhat japanese-style pasta. With the Oyster mushrooms, I pan-fried some extra virgin-olive oil and garlic. Having done so, I cooked the mushrooms quickly with a dash of soysauce, salt and pepper. With a quick dash of herbes de provence, I finished the dish with some creme fraiche and heavy cream. Quickly adding the boiled pasta, al dente of course, and mixed it all to meld the flavors. For me, it's important to sprinkle some parmesan cheese and let it melt in order to add a soft, nutty, salty n' savory note.

---> Below: One cannot tell from the pictures, but, after I took this picture below I added some aonori (the small little green laver). I really loved this pasta, the flavor was amazingly light and delicate and not too overwhelming like many American-style Italian restaurants. However, I would probably not use this exact style of pasta again (the rolled little 2 inch sticks of pasta). This would taste best with linguine, angel hair, or even the most available spaghetti pasta.

Dessert:

--> Below: This amazing little mountain of meringue is the tres leches cake I was talking about from Portos. This individual-sized cup of fluffy, sweet, and milky heaven is just the right thing after a pasta dinner! the lingering garlic from the pasta vanished as soon as I had one small scoop! A definite buy if you go to Porto's after a somewhat unsatisfactory dinner!

My Dung : Vietnamese Restaurant

2009-01-11T22:55:00.000-08:00

If you're from SoCal, I think you would understand the sudden warmth that took over after the really cold weather just 1-2 weeks ago. I usually don't go for vietnamese hot/noodle soups unless its pretty cold outside but even with the warm weather... it gets pretty cold here in Riverside (which deserts tend to be at night).

My Dung ( I know...dung.. but it certainly doesn't have anything to do with their food and the taste/smell) is located in Rosemead, Yelp's ratings for the restaurant aren't horrible or amazing, but if you're in the area you could always try it out. Most of the pho places in riverside don't have a huge selection of Vietnamese dishes, but My Dung has a pretty broad menu.

For the first time, I ordered pho noodles... different pho noodles where the rice noodles were probably four times thicker than the usual. They were cut about the size of the typical Japanese udon noodles but with a very different texture and color. Being rice noodles, I was surprised by the slight "ricey" flavor they had.

---> Below: The soup at this restaurant was really nice in my opinion. It wasn't heavy and super beefy, but it had this great light, clean feeling. I finished it to the very bottom of the bowl. (note the not-so-cloudy soup, and the very few oil colonies floating on top :) )

--> below: My friend got a broken rice plate with eggrolls, egg meat/cake, shredded pork and pickled vegetables. I would have to say it was pretty darn good, but unfortunately the taste and texture of the shredded pork, even though i've tried eating this multiple times, cannot find myself enjoying it. The sand-y and dry feeling it leaves my tongue with the somewhat bland flavors don't seem too attractive to me. But the rest of the dish was great!
Don't know the exact address but My Dung ( I know...dung.. but it certainly doesn't have anything to do with their food and the taste/smell) is located

Three Meat Paella

2009-01-08T21:37:00.000-08:00

Paella - with Chicken, Louisiana hotlinks, and chorizo

Just looking at the picture above.. there are MANY problems with this so-called paella that I made and named. First of all... I had no short grain or medium grain rice!! I know... and I was trying to use up the leftover opened bag of long grain rice from a previous Cajun-style rice made the week before! Sorry to disappoint avid and passionate paella fans out there.. but I really did take leftovers and sort of... well... threw it together to see what I would get in the end... To be quite honest.. the only thing that makes this paella is the pan and the way it was cooked (including the crushed tomatoes, saffron and tomato paste). I can list a dozen of problems with this dish ex) chorizo... was bought from Ralphs... that says something right there... you have to get chorizo from mexican markets!! its just the way it is!! they have the best brands and most authentic varieties available! the chorizo flavor and smell... not so strong compared to the real thing!! well anyways this was pretty good ! a meat lovers delight in a way.. pork, chicken, and some more pork! .. if you actually wanted to make this yourself don't even bother with the paella-style pan. A nice big pan with higher edges should do the job just as well or better!

--> below: Step by step- I followed , with some leniency, the steps of paella, with the sofrito etc.
some of the ingredients included: crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, saffron, chicken stock and lots of crushed garlic.

--> below: after taking the pictures ... I realized the sliced hotlinks... REALLY made this dish look like a pepperoni pizza... with rice... depending on who you are.. that could be really good or really bad :D .. I'm not a big fan of pepperoni pizza so this didn't work out too well for me :(
the taste however is the direct opposite: spiciness from the hotlinks, that really unique and somewhat dominating smell but lingering taste of chorizo, and the rice absorping all that chicken stock, saffron, and tomatoes... this dish truly was a festival of flavors... I can't wait to make the real thing properly :)

The Bye-Bye Pie

2009-01-03T22:59:00.001-08:00

Schu's Last Day:

--> I am going to miss having a little furball around :( - grown quite fond of her too! Schu likes to lay around like above, and sleep, eat and .. well.. that's pretty much it :)

My Mini Sweet Potato-Apple Pie (recipe #4) :

--> below: I have been experimenting on a sweet potato-apple pie recipe for... about 3 years now? I haven't had much time to experiment in the summer (lack of nice sweet potatoes) so winter seems to be the only best time to do it :) The picture below is how the pie looked before I baked it- some chopped fuji apples simmered in a pot with some honey, cinnamon, brown sugar and a little corn starch for thickness ---
the sweet potato crust around and beneath this is pretty much roasted sweet potatoes, mashed then mixed with egg, some flour, honey and heavy cream. ... I always got the bottom bready crust totally TOTALLy wrong so this time... I actually used a slice of jelly roll, brushed a little simple syrup on it to keep it moist and used it as a bottom base!

--> Below: After baking for a little less than an hour
--> the approximate size of this cute little pie... more like a tart now that I think about it ...
-->below: here you can see the layers- bottom left is the jelly roll crust to give it a solid foundation and a little breadiness to the pie, then the sweet potato crust surrounding the jelly roll and on top in it's own little crater is the soft gooey yummy and not-too-sweet apple filling
-->a little mini slice I gave to my mom, dad and brother :) the slices were so petite we used those little fruit forks to eat it... my mom loved it since she can't handle the very sweet type of desserts and my dad told me it was pretty good (he's hard to please)

hopefully I can test this recipe out another time! .. till then... stay warm!!! cuz i'm freezing my butt off here!!!

Happy New Years!! ~ 2009 ~

2009-01-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!

Usually I have a lot of resolutions for the new years that come and go... however... I honestly did not have that many this year.. maybe three at most? Maybe it's because i'm getting older and resolutions are pretty much the same as the things on my everyday-To-Do lists... Either way New Years is definitely a day people can feel like they can start anew.. a fresh new start and way of looking at life again. Some people who felt like they needed to change have the opportunity to do so and others just want to do and be better. No matter how you look at it... New Years is truly a great day and is celebrated by many cultures :) I spent New Years at my Dad's side of the family and ate the traditional Korean Duk-Gook dish that has been eaten years and years ago on this very day! actually... I'm not a big fan of Duk-Gook... but.. it still feels great to eat Grandma's food!

Below: Duk Gook- Rice cake soup- with salted shredded beef, sliced fried eggs/omelet and dumplings! (I needed a little more soup...but still tasted great- the little sprinkle of pepper on top of the soup was a great touch!)

Below: Some of you may know this- It's a korean glass noodle dish with the wood-ear mushrooms, sesame oil and an assortment of veggies

--> Below: Some of you may be staring at this thinking "what the hell is this?" or.. just simply wondering if its actually something edible... the jelly-like slices are actually called Muk- the link takes you to a wiki definition of it and covers a pretty good selection of the different kinds of muk (my favorite happens to be the brown acorn muk) the one below is a simpler kind seasoned with a little salt, bean sprouts and dry/salted seaweed
--> Finally.. below: although the picture may not look the most appetizing, the morning New Years meal also had a side selection of variously fried dishes- the close up is of a korean pancake or Mung Bean Pancake : aka bin-dae-tteok - also behind them .. quite blurry were various meat patties fried in egg.. nothing too special but a great side to the rice cake soup!

I really hope everyone had a great New Years! I am going to try really hard to carry out my few 2-3 resolutions for 2009 and I wish the best of luck to everyone in trying to do so as well!
I hope 2009 will bring much more foodie adventures and amazing dishes :)

<3 Behgo Behgo's - Momo

Baking DoggyTreats

2008-12-31T18:03:00.000-08:00

I remember in high school , my friend and I sold homemade doggy treats during our school's Earth Day festival on campus. Having Schu over to dogsit brought those memories back and I attempted to make a healthy treat with the few ingredients I had at home.
BELOW---> Schu concentrated on the treats...

--> Below: the cookies were made of pretty simple ingredients : egg, multi-grain flour, flax oil, oats, and beef bouillon
--> Schu loved the treats- and the I noticed her fur started to look a bit shinier? .. who knows :)

doggy, presents, and windy days . . .

2008-12-27T23:01:00.000-08:00

I forgot the mention the new guest I have had for 4 days now in my home :)
Schu - Schu is my aunt's 6yr old (human yrs) female mini schnauzer that I am currently dog-sitting for the holiday/christmas week . . . i'm actually not quite sure when she's going to pick her up..

Well just an after-christmas after-thought, I found myself trapped in my house almost all day since we had a bit of cold and windy/rainy christmas here in the valley. I took this opportunity to bond with Schu and feel all the perks of having a dog! ex) a live furry heater sitting on your lap or sleeping next to your buttocks at night! thumbs up to that my friends :)

I was lucky enough to get a couple presents from close family like below even during these hard times : I received this gorgeous little ruffle dress with 3-d flowery embroidery/spirals from Zara very very cute

--> below: is my 2009 school bag I'll be using when going back to Riverside- perfect, since i've been looking for a new bag to use.. I understand totes are "in" right now.. used around 4 of them in less than 2 years.. they get dirty and ... torn really easily.. maybe it's just me.. but trust me.. it's not like i'm running marathons and delivering newspapers in those totes!! ... they just don't work with me...?
- well beside the point i'm super glad to have a new bag to use.. much more "mature" if you will call it and definitely looking durable! after this bag i'm definitely looking forward to buying a new leather Salvatore Ferragamo bag! my principle follows as is: splurge on one really nice (most likely expensive) high quality bag you trust and use it for a long looong time... that's just me :)

--> below : My mom bought this Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner set for me as a mini xmas gift! she also bought a set for herself since she usually uses liquid eyeliner - all i have to say about this is that when they said water proof... I totally underestimated the statement! - this stuff is pretty difficult to remove- and I was using a heavy duty make-up remover - the brush itself is more expensive than the eyeliner ... ... ...

~ Merry Christmas ! ~

2008-12-26T21:20:00.000-08:00

*~Merry Christmas/Hanukkah & Happy Holidays!~*

This is a little selection of my small (for 4) but filling Christmas meal. During these hard economic times of course, my mom worked throughout Christmas week, we felt that this Christmas was best served conservatively and not tooooo extravagant as we usually do :)

I wish the best for everyone and my heart goes out to those struggling during the economic hardships - Food is one of the best ways to capture that Christmas essence (in my opinion)!

My dad made his signature garlic mashed potatoes, and we experimented with the beer-can chicken method for roasting chicken (we used a game hen to kick it up a notch), and the pork ribs that I experimented a couple days earlier came into play beautifully!

--> Above: Tres Leches Cake : yellow sponge cake soaked in three milk sauces (14 bucks?) from PORTO'S Bakery & Cafe - I went to Porto's around 7 times in two weeks !.. mainly to buy cakes as gifts for a couple people... love that place - We chose the tres leches for Christmas since we've tried everything else a couple times- very rich , moist and sweet, especially the meringue- talk about the meringue it was like... marshmellows on top of the already sweet cake! I would deflinitely say that this cake is one of those where buying the small individual-sized slices is best :)

I Want My Baby Back!

2008-12-23T21:38:00.001-08:00

In preparation for Christmas Dinner I practiced a rack of baby back ribs just to test if a recipe I found on the internet would work out as planned. Being it my first time bbq-ing.. with an oven... I had to make sure that these quite expensive ribs would turn out close-to-perfect! I bought these ribs at Cosco ... just because I had to buy a bundle for the christmad night.. I truly felt a bit guilty rubbing these ribs down... :( For all those vegetarians out there, the descriptions below may be outright heresy... but.. the inner beast in me took over!! It is quite true.. I do try very hard to avoid beef, pork (not a big fan of lamb), and chicken... but I realized after two years in college that I absolutely cannot live without eggs... I .. love... eggs

--> Below: The recipe was simply the method of cooking and called for an approximate 8hrs of marinating in simply bbq sauce of choice- I felt like I needed to try something a lil different; so I decided to do a little dry rub on the ribs... - I did not marinate for approx. 8 hrs before baking-

--> a little dry rub on the fatty ribs

--> Below: The bbq sauce I used was Tony Roma's original - not exactly my favorite since it's a bit too sweet for me but my mom really likes sweet bbq sauces -
--> below: the method of cooking follows as is: smother the ribs with bbq sauce (marinate with bbq sauce around 8 hrs which I didn't have time for) and oil the aluminum foil - wrap the ribs with bbq sauce tightly and bake in oven 300 deg. for 2 hrs and 30 minutes
--> Below: when I took the ribs out.. they did NOT look like the picture below.. they actually looked like pale-burgandy ribs- the meat was very very tender, and while trying to cut off a piece three sections of the ribs just fell off and the juicy succulent meat fell off... as if calling me to eat !! I tried it and wow.. the method really worked! juicy fall-off-the-bone ribs without the smokey grill! HOwever.. I really needed that crusty top , slightly burned, and infused bbq sauce on the ribs.. so I brushed a little more bbq sauce on top.. left the aluminum foil open and put the oven on broil to create that nice thick layer on top of the ribs!
-->Here you can see the nice crusty layer of bbq sauce on top with the juicy meat underneath
--> below: the layers of tender but juicy meat on top, with the soft fatty tissues beneath made my night! a definite thumbs up for christmas dinner!

Korean-dumpling Soup -- the Korean Matzo ball soup ?

2008-12-16T11:13:00.000-08:00

su-jae-bi : (soo-jeh-bee)

Since I've come back home for winter break, I have been lucky enough to taste the warmth of home. Especially with this really cold weather lately, my dad cooked up a big batch of a soup/dumpling thing called su-jae-bi. In Korea, this would be considered the "poor man's food" because, the ingredients are simple and cheap. I tried to find some recipes to post since my dad just made it without measuring anything (it's all dependent on your tastebuds).

This site actually had someone who visited Korea talk about this dish and it's downright comforting aspects. The soup is basically flour dumplings kneaded and boiled in anchovy stock (my dad who isn't a big fan of anchovies actually put very little anchovy and substituted the soup with beef stock). Then there are hearty chunks of potatoes boiled to add substance and texture, zuchinni slices if desired, garlic, green onions, regular onions, a little pepper, and egg.

--> below: there really is nothing like the slightly chewy bites of the floury dough, surrounded by a pool of warm soup, with just the right amount of thickness so that it slides down your throat but settles in your tummy - all the while radiating heat! You can see in the picture below the flour dumplings (nothing inside) aren't supposed to be folded, shaped or cut, for pure traditional purposes, these dumplings are meant to be "rustic"- simply kneaded, ripped apart and cooked.

==> below: and of course, this soup in Korean terms would not be complete without a good side of kimchi !

MI PIACE : Restaurant Bakery & Lounge

2008-12-12T21:17:00.000-08:00

MI PIACE : Restaurant Bakery & Lounge

Mi Piace is probably one of the very few restaurants I have been to that somewhat mimicked the outdoor cafe/dining experience shown in travel magazines... I loved it. The weather was perfect and the elderly man next to me with his small cappuccino porcelain cup, small pastry and propped and folded newspaper literally set "the mood".

Below: across the street from where I was sitting

--> completely determined to make this meal a great experience I just HAD to order their root beer... may seem random but I love trying out different root beer brands and a glass bottle is a huuge thumbs up for me! the Henry Weinhard's Gourmet Root Beer was a nice 3-4 bucks if I can remember correctly.. it's really your choice if you think it's worth it or not!
--> below: bread basket of course- amazingly toasted parmesan crusted ciabatta-type bread!! I am quite sure that their bread basket is the same dough used for their pizza?.. correct me if wrong of course... I just thought the similarity between their pizza crust and the bread was quiiiite strong

--> Dont know about you but I thought this picture was pretty awesome!! :]
Extra virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar!! yum

below: PANINO CON COTTO E BRIE - "black forest ham and Brie cheese with a butter and honey mustard spread" - the ham actually completely threw me off.. since i'm not a big fan of it but the "butter and honey mustard spread"?!?!?! oh yes... we met eyes and fell in love :D - came with seasoned fries - extra yum?
--> below: a nice close up of the ooey gooey lovely and exquisite Brie cheese next to the thin slices of sweet and tender black forest ham!! I'm melting as I type!
--> below: they sure didn't skimp out on the seasoned salt .. althoug I barely touched the fries after the parmesan bread and panini ~
Below: PANINO ALLE POLPETTE - " house-made beef and veal meatballs covered in marinara sauce topped with mozzarella cheese served on a French roll"
--> below: meatball... yum- I tried a bit! very soft with that melt-in-your-mouth quality

Thanksgiving Dinner !!!

2008-11-29T14:12:00.001-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!:

above: a great display of the main dishes laid out buffet-style... too bad we didn't have a table that could fit 16+ ppl :[ would've been amazing!

So just as a sideliner, I really want to signify that we're not TRULY celebrating thanksgiving , because that would mean we were celebrating the times when the pilgrims committed mass genocide, wiping out almost entirely the native population in the U.S. Including the point that the Native Americans truly saved their lives since they really could not do much on their own in the first place. Despite the negative hardfacts Americans (including me) and schools do not include in their curriculum, who can't resist a holiday or day off that promotes stuffing yourselves to the point of bursting! Corn and pumpkins are just 2 examples of Native American influenced foods that are essential in the whole "Thanksgiving" dinner. I have to say however, since I was helping out my parents cook almost the entire meal.. I have been smelling, test tasting and literally bathing myself in the aroma's and tastes of the food for the golden moment. THe food just did not taste the same... a true plus side for going to someone else's house to eat... I mean.. I barely finished 2 plates!!! I ALWAYS eat 4+!!! ..... Christmas will HAVE to change :]

Below: This is the centerpeice... the TURKEY!! Probably one of my least favorite meats to eat... I mean when most people think turkey its = dry, tasteless, chewy and only forces you to eat it drenched in gravy! My dad was about to change all of that when he actually roasted an over 20 pounder turkey for the first time!! He researched online and decided to pick a brine ... a very expensive one in fact.. usually it's the salt water for 24hrs... but my dad picked the brine consisting of : dry white wine, chicken broth, orange juice, and apple juice!... wow.. strange brine.. haven't heard of it :] ... anyways he pretty much soaked that huge sucker in this pricely concoction for a whole day and stuffed the turkey with some citrus (lemons, oranges), onions, celery, and carrots. What can I say?... a m a z i n g..

Below: look for yourself.. the leg just melted right off... juices running and everything!

below: This picture is quite misleading.. considering the breast meat looks a bit dry.. HOWEVER it was far from dry.. the light colored monotony is playing tricks on your eyes my friends! tender, juicy turkey breast ready for consumption!! despite the juiciness.. there is only so much flavor a turkey breast can have... excellent with my cornbread stuffing and turkey gravy!
--> below: My generous aunt brought over the roast beef.. after all there's only so much we can make in one day with one oven! I am SOO disappointed in myself for forgetting to take a picture of the ham my dad baked!!! it was a definite hit too!! the roast beef was delicious, tender, perfectly cooked in my opinion and packed with subtle flavors!

--> below: My mother's creation.. a strong influence from her trip to Europe two weeks before this week! I'm not quite sure what to call this.. perhaps a Sicilian inspired type of salad with italian vinagrette, sliced cucumbers, shrimp, artichoke hearts, olives, onions, bell peppers, freshly ground pepper, horseradish, and lots and lots of fresh extra virgin olive oil! .. this was super good!
--> Below: a close up of the yummy salad- after mixing the ingredients you just let it sit there for a good 2-4 hours. . . not sure why but the women just inhaled this!

--> and of course.. another European-inspired dish my mother brought back from her trip to Spain... PAELLA.. seafood paella!
-->below: Traditionally, in Spain, they would eat the rice like pasta as in they would eat it 'al dente', however, being the typical Asians we are.. my mom felt that grandma and pa wouldn't eat ... not fully cooked rice?... so of course.. below here we are making paella and TECHNICALLY this would be a finished dish.. but we continued cooking until the rice was cooked all the way.

---> below: The seafood paella consisted of calamari rings and mussels.. this was surprisingly really good .. knowing I really cant stand mussels at all ! I just really wanted a spicier kick but we needed to keep the paella "universal". this pan below is actually pretty big.. and we kind of made too much for the pan?? :]

--> below: cream of corn.. the usual- cant really go wrong with cream of corn can you?
--> below: my Dad's absolute favorite.. and a lot of the guys' favorites.. this mountain of mashed potatoes, flavored with some roasted garlic, fresh ground peppers, milk, salt and butta! seroiusly... ... I didn't even need gravy :P
--> Some store bought dinner rolls- jus stick em in the oven for 7 minutes or so
-->My mom's Green Bean Casserole : topped with fried french onions- also an American classic dish
--> below: THis is the dish I made myself- the corn bread stuffing... you can see my older post when I made this dish as well.. .. maybe last thanksgiving??... a classic now :D

--> quite unfortunately ... I was so excited about dessert since my aunt brought it... i couldn't resist eating and dug in.. being soo lazy taking the picture!.. this horrible blurriness is my fault! ...
below: Pumpkin Cheesecake: yummmmm the top orange glaze.. being as mysterious as it is.. was quite sweet... and I didn't know what to do with it !

Fosselman's - Best Icecream in California!!!

2008-11-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

Fosselman's - Since 1924 : I actually saw this on the homepage of yahoo!. where they randomly put charts up with stuff like "The best burgers in America" ... MOST of these places are sadly not in southern california HOWEVER!!!...... "The Best Ice Cream in America.. I think maybe number 2 or 3 on the list was FOSSELMANS!!! ... I had NO idea that one of America's best icecream parlors was right here... about 30-40 minutes away from me!! Thrilled, I decided to go on a nice warm day.... and I was truly charmed by the late 20's design and oldies candyshop/icecream parlor vibes! If you live in Socal this is a MUST!! go before winter hits!!

--> below: a picture of the cute little store!

--> below: I got Strawberry Chip- which is pretty much like chocolate chip except instead of vanilla icecream speckled with chocolate chips it was strawberry icecream... SO GOOD.. omg.. the icecream is truly delicious and won me over completely!

--> below: I absolutely love this shot- you can see the creaminess of the strawberry icecream and the natural color of the strawberry cream... a subtle rosy glow :P and there was just the right amount of chocolate chips... yum yum! PLEASE feel free to click on this picture below and gaze at the delicious details up close -that will literally make you drool!!

--> My friend got strawberry sorbet.. although I must say... sorbet isn't exactly their specialty.. it was a bit gooey and needed to be chilled a little more... not to mention super sweet. ... I tried to get him to get iceCREAM but oh wells... his stomach wasn't in for the lactose :D
--> below: the 56 flavors of famous Fosselman icecream you can take hom in tubs!! I was trying SO VERY hard to not buy one!!! aghhh I totally regret it right now!!
-->On the other side, near the entrance was a wall of delicious old-fashioned candies lined up near the window pane for little kids to gaze and salivate at!! very very cute
--> below: some saltwater taffy in huge barrels
--> below: I was actually super super close to buying these icecream cookie sandwiches,, but knowing the ride back home was 40 minutes with traffic.. I was forced to resist

--> below: cute little icecream cups .. for kids of course :D
NEXT time I go ,. I will undoubtedly try their infamous malt/shake :D can't wait!!!

Fosselmans:

1824 W. Main St.

Alhambra, CA 91801

626-282-6533

Spicy Dried Anchovy : the korean side dish

2008-10-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

Spicy-Sweet-Savory Dried Anchovies:

Many Asian cuisines, knowingly Japanese and Korean, have this sort of small dried anchovy dish, not truly a dish in itself but more like a side... something to eat with some rice and maybe seaweed. This one happens to be Korean, and if you have eaten at a Korean restaurant, you have probably seen this before. These small anchovies are still babies so when they are dried,their bones are still soft and so... they can be eaten whole. Don't think that these little ones are completely empty! they are PACKED with iron! good for osteoporosis-prone asian women like my mother!! :P

Well anyways... the bag featured below is an example of what the small dried anchovies come in.. you can purchase it at any Korean market - By the WAYy.. I totally completely and absolutely understand those of you who aren't exactly comfortable eating tiny little fishes whole, including the eyes, tail, bones and all. I mean I couldn't eat them for about 15-16 years of my life! Its only since about 4 years ago that I decided to eat them when I was starving at my parents' house and the only thing in the fridge happened to be kimchi and these dried anchovies. It's not exactly a side dish that requires an acquired taste, but more of like an acquired ... eye?... Well all-in-all, I am doing my duty of being completely open to culinary delicacies around the world. Sooner or later I know I will encounter something I will absolutely refuse to eat! until then.... BRING ON THE FOOD!!! :D
-->Below: you can use several peppers here: Green peppers or jalepenos -- I actually used a little bit of both, the green peppers aren't spicy at all.. they just give it good color and some nice peppery flavors

--> First in a wok or pan you want to start out with with some oil, then toss in a tablespoon or so of crushed garlic, the dried anchovies, and the green peppers -- stir in medium/high heat until you see the anchovies gaining color! Then while stirring add in some corn syrup, a pinch of salt and 2-3 tablespoons of dried red chili flakes... finally depending on if you like your dried anchovies more savory than sweet, you could add half a tablespoon of sugar to sweeten it up to counter the smokey and tingly spiciness sensations from the red chili and green peppers.

--> Below: the Final product..... a glistening hill of savory, spicy, sweet anchovies slightly sticky like caramel and crunchy!

Village Tandoor : Lunch Buffet

2008-09-24T22:35:00.000-07:00

Village Tandoor:

Once entering.. you are greeted by Bob, the friendly statue who urges you to take a seat in this warm and somewhat classy interior. My friend treated me here so we both could try some of the Indian food around our neighborhood. Tired of the fastfood joints and boring franchises, we decided to try something a little different.

--> Below: gotta love Bollywood! it was really nice watching the beautiful women dancing and singing! it really helped me get into the mood of the atmosphere and the food!

--> You can see the place was getting pretty crowded for a weekday lunch buffet :P! the service was great, I never had my water glass more than 3/4's empty!!

--> Below: the Lunch buffet--- I actually expected like rows and rows of food but to my surprise and pleasure I was presented with about 10-13 different main dishes and unfortunately, I was unable to name all the different types of food below. However I can say with confidence that the food was pretty darn good. Not as good as my friend's mother's food but still very very good!

-->below: I got a somewhat close up of the serving closest to the camera. the Orange carrot-looking chunks with an rich warm sauce. This actually happened to be chicken and oh.. my.. god was it good!! I didn't even bother to take pictures of my next 3 plates because it was literally white rice with this stuff on top.... sooo goood!

--> of course while eating they give you a nice basket of naan-- quite honestly i've had alot better ones.. but still this naan was good (best eaten right when they give it to you... they got super hard for some reason around 5 minutes later!)

--> this soup was served near the salads ... and well.. I wanted to try EVERYTHING so... I gave this a go and honestly... there was something in this soup that I definitely wasn't accustomed to because the strong herb-like taste was just so overwhelming. not a bad tasting soup.. just something I need to get used to :D
--> Below: a nice pan shot the beginning meal plus a nice window seat!

--> below: finally although there weren't too many dessert selections I took pictures of my favorite two: these sweet little balls soaked in sweet thin-syrup like liquid were sooo cute and yummy, one was literally enough to satisfy my sweet tooth!
--> I also got a good amount of this- its pretty much strawberries with whipped cream - although it may not seem like much, the strawberrys were perfectly ripe and the whipped cream added the perfect amount of creaminess and sweetness !!
Village Tandoor
Address:
18530 Devonshire St
Northridge, CA 91324
(818) 366-2820

Lil' Egg n' Cheesy Bites : frozen - just bake!

2008-09-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

After visiting Cosco, I decided to give these little egg n' cheese bites a try since they looked pretty classy and yummy. Originally used as petite little appetizers, I honestly just wanted to snack on :P and I bought extras so my mom could take it to work. I opened the package and was surprised to find them in little plastic containers AND.. they already looked completely cooked, the only thing that gave it away is the icy frost on around the edges!
--> Frozen package
--> There are actually 2 kinds I bought, one with spinach n' herbs and the other is bacon n' cheese-- I have to be quite honest that baking these little suckers wasn't exactly the best thing.. while baking them they gave off this incredibly pungent and unusual fishy smell ... literally smelled like fish ...

--> This below, is a close up of the bacon and cheese ... as you can see nicely browned- they were bubbling right when I took them out of the oven.. didn't want to burn my mouth so I let them cool a bit.. to bad they deflated a bit :(

--> Below: Inside I found a nice layer of fluffy egg mixture and nice chewy and salty bits of bacon.. although i'm pretty sure these cubes were closer to being a type of ham than bacon.. either way the taste was so-so... might have been because I smelled that fishy odor while baking.. 0_o

--> here is the SPinach and Herb: Now that I think of it.. the smell really truly reminded me of the smell of airplane food.. especially when they heat them up (eughh... hate airplane food , something about it makes me just want to barf) -- ANyways... the spinach and herb , in my opinion had a lot more flavor compared to the former and the herbs kicked up the taste by a lot!
--> Below: Sliced the baby in half --- lotsa gooey cheese and fluffy egg :)

Korean Spicy Shredded Beef Soup (yu-geh-jahng)

2008-09-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Korean Spicy Beef Soup (Yu-geh-jahng)

Not sure if many non-korean people know of this dish, but I fell in love with it the first time my mom made it when I was a kid. Its pretty much a spicy or semi spicy soup, depending on how spicy you want it, with lots and lots of green onions, bean sprouts and shredded beef. I've seen the glass noodles in this soup a couple times, but decided to leave them out since I didn't have them on hand. I usually won't eat this in the middle of summer ... but I had the craving :P
---> below : You'll first want to start out with a nice handful of green onions, a bag of bean sprouts (younger the better) and a good amount of beef flank.

--> heres the thing with the bean sprouts... these were young so cooking them wont' release a fishy smell, but most of the time you'll see these babies bean-less, as in... they won't have the yellow tips... Wash them and break off the thin roots :) - I tend to use a lot of these because like any vegetable.. or most.. they decrease in volume after being cooked !
---> Below: Next - the green onions, cut off the rooty ends and wash ( these aren't washed yet, just in case you mite see some specks of dirt) so yummy, versatile and nutritious! cut into about 4 inch pieces. they'll shrink after cooking ..
--> below: then wash the beef flanks with water.. you don't want excess blood when you boil/cook these because that nasty foam will gather on top. and when it does... REMOVE! most of us don't like seeing that brown foam in our soup anyways :D
--> Below: This is a picture of a about 20 minutes of boiling the meat and adding some dried red hot chili flakes (available at any korean or asian market)
--> below: then I took out the meet, after being cooked thoroughly - has some chili flakes stuck on it.. thats fine :P .. then cook and start shredding away :D big chunks or small its all up to you!

--> below: while letting the beef cool down, shove all of the bean sprout and green onion package down the bit boiling pot ! give it a good time to cook down and shred that beef while waiting! my piece happened to be super tough!
--> below: after the veggies look like they've cooked , add one whole package of either liquid form or powder form anchovy dashi (stock), good amount of sesame oil and more red chili flakes if you want it to be hotter - dont forget some salt and asian pepper if desirable !
--> the soup should look something like this... I like my soup less soupy and more meatiness or chunkiness !
--> Finally add that shredded beef and heat for another 5-10 minutes and serve with HOT STEAMING white rice :D! I cant get enough spiciness so I eat this with kimchi too!

Mandu/Gyoza/Jiaozi?

2008-09-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

--> Lots and LOTS of juicy meaty insides - although i'm not a big fan of these types of dumplings (much rather eat the bread itself)- However, I still eat them .. they're a meal in itself! filling and pretty tasty :D

Citrus City Grille!

2008-08-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday!!

So I turned 20 on the 18th and my friends and I went out to get some food .... but I was in school.. considering there isn't much to eat within a driveable distance, we decided to go to Citrus City Grille because their food has such great quality! I must say that the main reason I go here is the bread basket and balsamic vinegar/olive oil dip! SOOoo good! I can eat 2 baskets worth of this stuff! its amazing :D --

Fellow Bloggers NOte**: I really am thinking about buying a new camera.. and I really want something that will give me some extremely high quality pictures! BUT I must note that I'm not very camera-worthy. I need something like a nooby-camera.... easy to work, simple but has all the main components and functions I will need to take some awesome pictures !!

Kobe Cheeseburger- House-made bun, thin-cut fries $12
--> Seafood Linguini- Calamari, Shrimp, Mussels, Salmon, white Fish,
Roma tomatoes, Feta, garlic-butter sauce $19
--> Pesto Linguini- Alfredo sauce, tomatoes, artichokes, basil, Parmesan $13

-->Wild Mushroom Penne- Marsala-cream, garlic, thyme, basil, Parmesan $13
--> Six Cheese Ravioli- tomato sauce, artichokes, spinach, Gorgonzola $14

3555 Riverside Plaza
Riverside Ca 92506
951) 274-9099

also available in Coronoa! :D

Random Groceries

2008-07-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

2 Steps Closer to Eating Healthy... Momo's way :P --->
What I've been TRYING to survive off of as a College student ... I've desperately tried my best to change my eating habits and eat a bit more healthier, just some things I bought at the Galleria in Ktown:

--> Some Fish Cutlets- they looked so yummy in the pics .. a must have- Dont worry, I wasnt planning to deep fry these at all, just bake 'em in the oven with a 'lil drizzle of olive oil :D

--> yummo!

-->Fresh Little Plums: I actually didn't buy these at the market, these are from my parents' house, our little plum tree is finally growing!!!

--> Oranges: bought a box of these naval oranges?... well SO GOOD juicy, sweet, super yummy- kind of annoying to peel because the skin is so smooth and tightly attached.. but still YUM

--> I've been buying these suckers produced by Ito En for almost 3 months straight... yes.. here's the thing.. i RARELY eat vegetables, in fact, I almost never eat anything GREEN when i'm back in school so I find these bottles of veggie goodness to be convenient... although there really is no substitute for a real bowl of healthy veggies, I find some comfort in these expensive 5 buck bottles :)
--> List of all the veggies and all sorts of crazy healthy goodness and a convenient measuring bar!

--> Now here's where my market shopping kind of went downhill, I had to buy a new bottle of kewpie... how else would i eat my okonomiyaki!! i mean really.. or my hamburg steaks and omelette rice!! i just can't imagine them without this!! so yeah.... trust me .. it gets worse

--> ok.. these chips alled KaRaMell Corn DangKong are ADDICTING ... The market actually JUST restocked on these suckers so I ended up leaving with 6 bags... yah... i mean seriously. these chips melt in your mouth in this order: crunch, hmmm, sweeeeet, oh!, melt, yummm

yep... addicting... i'll probably be back soon for more!

Paris Baguette

2008-06-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

Paris Baguette: Bakery

Wow - this place had so many beautiful cakes drool*
-->below: this strawberry n' cream bun was SOOoo GOOD! these and the berry pastries were flying off the trays and I saw another fifty or so coming fresh out of the back of the bakery! yum! the cream wasn't too heavy or sweet... just perfect!

--> Even the donuts looked really really good!

Surah: Korean BBQ/Sushi

2008-06-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

SURAH : Korean BBQ & Sushi

So I went down to La Habra to visit my grandparents :) and before going, we stopped by this restaurant my uncle/aunt raved about for Father's Day... so we went... and let me say... EXPENSIVE.. wow.. everything is 20 and up.. expensive for a korean restaurant :[... so.. we just decided to go with it and order... nothing special.. some typical korean foods- ALthough the interior is really nice- contemporary/modern/korean designs and the waitresses wear these traditional korean dresses! let's just see how the food went ... :P
--> Menu-->The side dishes usually served at Korean restaurants : lots of different kinds. the Kimchi was pretty good, fresh and perfectly fermented- theres some salted soy marinated beef, cooked squash, spicy deepfried tofu etc.

--> My dish: my plate was actually in the appetizer section... $17 for spicy noodles with lettuce: usually this dish has a couple slices of korean pears on it.. but this one had oranges and kiwi !! o_O.. my dad called it fusion :) although everything else seemed traditional - nothing special, the noodles were a little over cooked , too much lettuce and not enough noodles, and the oranges didn't seem to work well with this dish :[.. oh well
--> My mom got the Sushi Bowl- you pretty much mix it with rice like the korean version of bibimbap but with slices of sashimi: and my god, the sashimi was definitely not fresh, considering the fact that a small slice of raw tuna the size of my pinky nail let off the smell of a bag-full of dead fish sitting for hours o_O!!! ehhh --> mixing with spicy korean chili sauce

--> I really loved this steamed egg bowl that came as a sidedish : the bowl was so small and cute and ... I looove egg!
--> After tasting it, I should've known it wouldn't be TOO good since the color was a bit drab .. not enough egg :[ .. but at least it was warm!
--> My dad's Beef Soup- We actually mistook this for Dukgook- a rice cake soup .. but it's actually a typical korean beef soup- my father told me that the traditional version of this dish is supposed to look like this : the soup was really really good- I just couldn't handle the heat on a hot day!
--> My brother got the Kimchi Bibimbap: not spicy at all!! wow, talk about anticlimactic haha, it was still pretty good though, my mom couldn't help but say she could make the same... I usually like this dish because of the stone pot! it keeps everything warm inside and creates this delicious crispy rice crust on the bottom that everyone usually wants :)
-->close up of the kimchi bibimbap: bits of cooked egg, some of the bottom crust , nice and crispy and warmm... not spicy though .. if it were, it'd probably be a lot better
--> when we finished they brought a sort of.. refresher to clean the palate- A sort of pomegranate/cinnamon tea- My dad and I liked it a lot but my mom and brother thought it tasted like medicine :P

~ Cactus Cantina ~

2008-06-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

Cactus Cantina!!~ So a couple friends and I ate here to watch the Lakers game with the Celtics (yes i know.. they lost T . T) anyways, the food is here is pretty good and the price doesn't make me squeemish :P

Cactus Cantina is pretty much a TexMex-type restaurant with some Mexican-Texan fusion - lots of variety from Chicken Alfredo to Chile Rellenos and the prices vary from 7.99 to about 13-14 bucks, not too bad considering a lot of the dinner plates include two hefty amounts of sides!

-> Firstly - some Baby Back Ribs with 2 sides : Baked Potato & Rice Pilaf
these ribs were succulent! meat was just fallin off the bones :P
-->Chicken Quesadilla with 2 sides: rice... and rice (this person obviously likes his rice)
---> My plate: the Skirt Steak- medium- with 2 sides: Mashed sweet potatoes and Corn bread (below)- the meat was juicy and tender! pretty surprising for skirt steak :) Not to mention the sweet potatoes- yummmm a bit too sweet but altogether delicious!

--> let me just say, I was looking forward to the cornbread .... to much of my disappointment the cornbread was ROCK SOLID! i mean... they must have microwaved it or left it in the oven too long because the bread was dry, hard and .... bland -_- ... I totally expected more.. oh well, next time i'll get a different side :[
-->Chicken Enchilada with Spanish Rice and Refried beans :) - the meat was absolutely tender, juicy and flavorful!

--> a bad picture - but its' pretty much a Carnitas Enchilada (pork)... heard it was quite good.. definitely give it a try next time :)

CACTUS CANTINA:
(951) 789-0211
151 East Alessandro Blvd
Riverside Ca 92508

Magical Strawberry Cupcakes

2008-05-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

*~Magical Strawberry Cupcakes!!~*

Since it was Memorial Day weekend, I was able to go back home for 3 days and whipped up these strawberry cupcakes in an instant. It has been too long since I've baked anything sweet so I was really excited about this! HOWEVER I must say I did use a boxed cake batter that my mother bought at Vallarta a Mexican market (they have GREAT chorizo by the way). So pairing off the soft, delicate and subtle hints of strawberry from the cake mix I topped the cupcakes off with a rich and creamy .. get this... tofutti creamcheese frosting! my parents apparently don't believe in normal philadelphia cream cheese anymore and get the tofu version - It tasted just as good anyways! I topped the cupcakes with a light teal sugar sprinkle to give it a magical shine- I only wished I had different colors! Yellow would have been super nice-- Anyways, the cupcakes turned out yummy - a tad on the sweet side for Asian peoples but thats fine with me.
--> Below: Swirly white mountain of tofu creamcheese sprinkled with sugar :P

-->Cupcakes bathing in the cool and fresh morning light ! I didn't have cupcake cups but my nonstick silicone?... baking tray did the job!

--> These babies were ready to go to a friend of mine! The swirls are kind of messy since I used a ziploc bag- oh wellz- as long as they're edible right? :D

Pho Ga

2008-05-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

Pho Ga: Chicken pho
I know this doesn't look anything like chicken soup with noodles , but this small little restaurant was having a special for a plate of Hainan Chicken and a free soda :)! I just HAD to get it ... Hainan Chicken has become an addiction for me! I completely regret not getting their special.. after all .. the place was named for their number one dish! - anyways, the Hainan chicken was okay... nothing exceptional or horribly bad - i loved the sauce however; this strong garlicy and ginger flavor- I totally soaked the chicken in that sauce and even asked for extra!
--> Below: my Hainan Chicken Plate: crispy onions on top- rice didn't have as much flavor as I wanted.. and I dont know about you.. but I love it when restaurants put their chicken on TOP of the rice- so the rice soaks even more of the great flavor sigh* oh well-- i'll have to find another place with Hainan Chicken :)

--> Before they gave me their plate, I received a little bowl of soup- the same soup they used for their PhoGa- and yes it was great! no wonder the restaurant only has like five items on their menu! they specialize in this great great soup with thick noodles- definitely will try sometime!

-->Close up on the chicken- skin wasn't as tender as I wanted- lots of bones.. haha not really used to that either :P

Korean BBQ Buffet

2008-04-27T10:32:00.001-07:00

Korean bbQ Buffet!! - eat! eat! eat!! till you drop >:D
*Bill --> :D

Korean Barbeque Buffet Garden

10051 Magnolia Ave, #A1,
Riverside, CA 92503
(951) 688-9000

The Buffet serves various foods like (lowgrade) sushi, chinese fast food dishes like chow mein, fried rice, tempura, etc. and a whole raw meat section to bbq with including beef, chicken, pork and even seafood! the place isn't an A+ quality or taste but its incredibly decent for the price you pay! definitely not something you'd regret paying for if you like your korean bbq :P!

--> below: beautifully slightly frozen/chilled plain thinly sliced beef ( no marinade) this happens to be my favorite! packed with beefy flavor!

--> spacious and welcoming interior- nothing fancy shmancy
-->Some pork bellies, brisket. . .. I love the marbleized meat as it cooks!! the wonderful design of red and white squiggles! deliiiiicious!
--> the real korean bbq hahaha--> something i've eaten my entire life so I didn't eat tooo much of this- other than that it was pretty good- juicy-sweet but savory :D- got the burn marks going on there too!
--> the best way to eat the meat "For me"- is the wrap the beef with some watercress salad in sesame/redpepper dressing! - fresh cut onions, lettuce, etc. -- talk about healthy!
-->the Wrapping... if you can , i'd highly recommend trying your korean bbq like this- might taste better with the non-marinated meats :D
--> the buffet has all sorts of kimchi's - my fav happens to be the cucumber ones-
--> dessert for me !=> definitely kabocha porridge- something I grew up with and LOVE- there were even little bits of red beans inside! even better!!!
--> everyone else( and I), got a little vanilla yogurt ice cream- reminiscent of the icecream at McD's :P - same creamy flavor- and melts super fast!

~Fresh Look~

2008-04-19T23:36:00.000-07:00

Soba Noodles:

-->Mushroom Gohan--> Ginger Chicken

TouChiang- Chinese Breakfast

2008-04-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

Tou Chiang- Alhambra

Ever since I had touchiang- Chinese breakfast- i've been hooked!! can't get enough of this stuff literally!! I'm sure I'll get the occasional dimsum but I think touchiang might beat dimsum mainly because it has its share of variety and the price is soooo much better! My bill never goes over 20 (with 3 people together) whereas in dimsum I would have to pay 20 for myself - the difference is huge!
--> Below: soy milk soup- sweet yummers, nice and hot!

--> xiao long bao: (little dragon buns) freshly steamed xiao long bao with a side of soysauce and freshly sliced ginger!, these babies were filled with meaty juices with a lingering hint of the herby greens inside!
-->You can see here the fresh ginger placed on top of the dumpling and the juicy meat inside! too bad when I bit in... all the soup escaped into my mouth so you don't get to see it in this picture
--> Fried Green Onion Pancake with Egg: My friend ALWAYS gets this.. not sure why because I personally like it without the egg- AND it super oily- but yummy and filling either way :D
--> Nyo Lo Shaou Ping ? (sorry that was the best I could do to spell out the name of this dish after hearing a friend say it) Beef Pancake : the outer shell of this is dryer but has a really nice texture with the beef and greens! the taste is simple but still delish
--> The meat used in this is sliced thin with some of the fats outlining the edges of the textured meat- I actually like chewing on this meat!--> Nyolo Dao Ping (sorry again@!) - this meat is softer than the previous beef plate and has a hint of bbq-ness and spiciness, all rolled into a floury wrap

--> the meat in this dish is a juicier and more savory version of the beef plate before
--> Turnip Cake- the turnip cake here was the best turnip cake I have ever had so far! I have eaten at many dimsum places and this was superrrb (although I 'm not quite sure how to classify a GOOD turnip cake.. but in my opinion, this turnip cake had the right amount of turnipy flavor and fried to perfection with bits of soft turnip inside)
--> Stinky Tofu (side of kimchi)!: There's always someone who has to order this haha! stinky of course- but for some people its good- perhaps an acquired taste- I actually tried to eat this again... and failed at my attempt! maybe the third time is a charm?

Cheesecake Factory

2008-04-09T21:46:00.000-07:00

~Cheesecake Factory~

Now this isn't my first time at Cheesecake Factory, but it IS my first time going for a birthday and was definitely the first time when I the only one NOT ordering pasta ! I'd have to say that this place is the usual: food pretty good (omelette's are nasty), big portions, iffy prices but oo-la-la.. their cheesecakes are pretty much the only reason people go here for! deeelicious, rich, sweet and sinfully creamy!
--> Below: I knew when I saw this cheesecake that night, I was gonna go home with at least a slice!!

--> Below: meal's always start out with bread- of course the whole wheat here is delicious! bit of sweetness (perhaps honey) and sooo soft!

--> Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta (or ) Louisiana Chicken Pasta: (not sure which one...)
-->Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic:
--> Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta:
--> Tons of Fun Burger: Double Patties, Double Cheese, Triple Sesame-Seed Bun
with Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Pickles and Secret Sauce.
Served with Fries
This was my dish : a gourmet BigMac.. (but honestly.. I think the actual bigmac tastes better! ahha I knoww... I ordered it and I finished it... and trust me it didn't taste BAD at all - it was pretty good but I think expected a little more from the meat- the meat patty was dry and for some reason.. when I bit in.. all I could taste was the bread (which didn't have that much taste ..even for a bread-lover like me)

-->yum?

--> chocolate icecream and whipped cream for the Birthday Girl!!--> Since I didn't want to take up anymore time - I just to-goed the sucker and ate it blissfully at home- uber sweet, uber creamy and yes... I went to the Gym the day after :D

Yard House : beer, Beer & BEER!

2008-04-05T01:20:00.000-07:00

Yard House

Too bad i still haven't reached the big 21 :(.. apparently Yard House has the World's LARGEST Selection of Draft Beer! their last two pages of the menu is literally a page stuffed with the available beers and mixed drinks they have available. You'll see later how I made up for my inability to order a mug of beer but for now... I would just like to sit back and remember the delicious food.. and the star of the night.. the Onion Ring Tower!!

I want to point out the interior of the restaurant just because its SOOo coool! this was the first time i've seen a beer ... transporting.. thing? hahaha if anyone knows the name of this device/s please tell me ! :D Anyways, behind the simple but modern/contemporary design of the restaurant, there is actually an elaborate system that connects a beer storage-room to the actual bar and out the nozzles of the beer containers! Here are some pictures to make up for my horrible and incredibly vague descriptions:

--> Here's the storage room that I got to sit next to :D .. tons and tons of huge barrels of beers with tubes linking all the way across the room....
--> below: ... to the bar that serves the drinks! so cool! apparently these are common so I kind of looked stupid in front of my friends. btw there are PLENTY of flat screens here.. so bball games are never-to-be-missed at this restaurant. --> Now.. back to the Onion Ring Tower: look at that !! a golden Leaning Tower of Pisa.. but in this case a leaning tower of yummy perfectly deepfried onion rings :D! came with two sauces: chipotle and ranch- chipotle was SOo good!
--> I actually really love this picture below... I figured it had that food magazine 'look', I'm sure other bloggers do a better job .. but i'm afraid this is probably the best i can do! :P!

Well anyways, Yard House is pretty much priced like any other restaurant that serves a good steak and alcoholic beverages. The plates range anywhere from 10-40 buck so be prepared to spend a good healthy amount of cash. I have to say though.. their menu makes it incredibly hard to choose a dish. THere's the typical burger/sandwich section, a pizza selection and a variety of "specialties" (i usually end up getting one of those), all sorts of appetizers, bbq, steak and fish. I really wanted their tilapia/halibut.. but I since it was my first time at Yard House and wasn't feeling too committed I went for some good ol' fashioned fish n' chips and the Chicken Enchilada on their Yard House Specialties section.

--> Beer Battered Fish n' Chips: a nice dark goldie brown- which I happen to like a lot. and wow.... I haven't tasted fries this good in awhile!! they're really thin but super fresh. you can tell they cut the potatoes fresh and deepfried them before serving! yummm!!!

-->Decorated with some chives!! always a plus- just reminds me I did not eat ANY veggies that afternoon o_O!!
-->Below: oh goodness!! fish was fresh, juicy and had that buttery factor you can only achieve in freshly bought fish! I was hoping to get some good fish n' chips that day and this plate was prettyyy expensive .. 16 bucks? exactly.. those fish n' chips better knock my socks off!!

--> below: Kadunk*!! btw thats not my thumb! only a male would stick his fishn'chip into that creamy delicious tartar sauce that deep!! hahah yah rite! even though its not my thumb I would do the same! and i did! - I can definitely see myself ordering this again!
--> Chicken Enchilada : this was a really "pretty" plate. I tend to get scared of pretty plates because they usually don't taste as good as they look... maybe from a personal bad experience??
--> Below: came with a tomatillo- the skin rising up like a shiny hat!- shows they used real tomatillo's in their enchilada sauce!! another plus!!
-->the Insides: Honestly.. I guess I should've expected nothing other than chicken in my enchilada but for the first time ... I really did think that there was "too much" chicken! amazing!! I cut in and all you see and taste is chicken, chicken and oh! some sauce :D = great dish.. but I most likely wouldn't get it again- I suppose it's my fault :( - you go to an authentic Mexican restaurant for real good authentic Mexican food :). ... nonetheless tasty

~Porto's~

2008-04-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

Porto's Cafe & Bakery:
Ah yes.. Of course as Queen of Carbs I must uphold my name by physically taking in ridiculous amounts of carbohydrates .. but I must sadly say that I have to cut down on my whites (flour,sugar etc) .. I don't want to end up with diabetes (like my grandma n' grandpa) and not be able to eat my most beloved passion :D BUT... this sure didn't stop me from eating 2-3 days worth of carbs in one sitting :)!! (just for that day... i'll make up for it later)

I'm sure some Socal people have heard of Porto's (2 locations). Its this amazing Cuban-style Family bakery with the greatest service, coffees, cakes, and breads for prices that compliment your wallet :D! A lot of the cakes here are absolutely rich (in a good way) .. for example.. a strawberry shortcake at the usual delicious Korean bakery I go to would be anywhere from 3.25 and up.. Porto's on the other hand.. pretty much all of their individual cakes are 2.75 a piece and trust me.. I haven't found another cake-seller that can beat their price and quality.. dont even MAKE me mention their Chocolate Grand Marnier and Mango Mousse!!!
--> Below: Porto's Cafe/Bakery entrance

--> I happened to go to the Glendale Porto's since i've already been to the Burbank one.. this one happens to be the original anyways!! The parking was hell by the way...trust me.. I didn't get a spot where those cars are.. I walked about 2 blocks to get there!!
-->Cute outside patio for eating outside in the BEAUTIFUL weather that day :D
-->Waiting in a medium-length line I got a glimpse of these beautiful cakes ! It's a bit blurry cuz I didn't want to snap my camera in everyone's faces (quite a lot of ppl there). -->Below: A clearer view of some Porto's friendly employees, fresh baked breads in the background and some pastry breads in display behind the clear glass - i hear their Guava and Cheese Strudels aka "Refugiado" are really really good.. definitely gotta try one of those next time!

--> Porto's Potato balls: I really wanted to get one of these but I felt guilty buying one since I already had a good amount of food in my hands :( ... I shall see you again my dear potato ball- Dont they look adorable!! just wanna squeeze one!!!
--> Porto's Meat pies and Chorizo Pies.. not sure which one is which.. BUT you can tell the one on the right must be pretty good since they're almost out !

Porto's Cafe & Bakery:
315 North Brand Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91203
tel. (818) 956-5996

~Curry Croquette~

2008-03-31T22:33:00.000-07:00

OooooOoo my favorite!! curry korrokke!! - perfectly fried - golden and crispy!! ahhh soo good!!
I ate these fresh outta the fryer... droools* .. those steamy insides are just crazy delish!

--> curry potato filling with bits of meat and carrots

A&W Seafood Restaurant

2008-03-29T18:10:00.000-07:00

Yayy I love Chinese restaurants with the swivel platforms :D!! unfortunately when you eat with my family that thing just never stops moving.. so yah.. that pretty much explains the really blurry photos and food on the go :) ... I also couldn't take pictures of the rest of the 6 other plates (they were really yummy too!!) :(

A&W Seafood - I've been going to this place for years! I won't claim that this is the best Chinese restaurant in the Valley but the food sure is yummy. I'd probably say the food here is less authentic and caters to the American tastebud .. either way the food here seems to be consistent, besides the fact that some of their dishes just come out wayy too salty!

--> Below: deepfried Porkchop- deliciously juicy inside and has a nice breaded outer-crust that befittingly complements the chewy but tender pork meat :D one of my favorites..

--> Deep Fried Squid: not a big seafood person but yah! these suckers disappeared in seconds!

-->Fried Noodle with Gravy Sauce (that's what they called it on the menu)- i'm not quite sure what the actual Chinese name for this dish is.. but its okay.. not my favorite, but the sauce and the crunchy noodles are pretty good together
--> Below: some greens in the background and Peppered Steak in the front- I looove this plate! pricey but delicious- every cube of meat is packed with peppery flavor and juiciness that is hard to find in normal steaks- when meat is already cut up for you and tastes damn good .. gosh I dont know what else to say- Personally, I have a really difficult time cutting my steaks up ... i'm really lazy :)

Address:
A&W Seafood Restaurant
9306 Reseda Blvd.
Northridge, Ca 91326
Phone: (818) 882-6668

Cookies n' Chips

2008-03-25T22:09:00.001-07:00

Santana's ~Carne Asada Nachos~
WoW!!! talk about the unhealthy.. this to-goed package is a walking timebomb of fattness!! yummy huh?
So, let's get down to business here: yes.. Santana's IS a chain.. didn't think it was.. but whatever! still pretty damn good :D , let's get to the meat - loaded on top of the freshly deep fried tortilla chips, a more than enough dollop of sour cream(more like an entire tub of it), a just bearable section of guacamole, surprisingly good amount of lower quality meat (we're not talking about steak here.. more like a flank etc), sprinkles of mozzarella and cheddar cheese and finally a decorative touch of salsa on top (gotta make it look a LITTLE healthy). The beauty of Santana's is the OPEN 24/7 sign sigh* a college student always has to have a designated junk station.. this happens to be ONE of mine :D - price is descent and the grease factor is just about right (kinda sounds gross but hey! .. what would America do without their junkfoods?!

--> Below: A panoramic view of Carne Asada Republic- you can see the beautiful snow formations in the middle surrounded by sturdy Carne Mountains, and further north are the very green pastures of Guacamole Ranch... ... well i'm done... let's eat the sucker

-->Below: a close up on the Beef - cooked thoroughly - melted cheese bits- i must be honest and say the meat isn't the greatest quality in the world but hey... for the price ( 6 bucks) I think its perfectly fine!- (better than the ground beef from deltaco o_O)
--> Below: Close up on the Guacamole, Sour Cream and Cheese! for you sourcream lovers.. this is probably killing you!!! i'm not a big fan of guacamole but this was actually pretty goodButter Cookies!

--> Above: the box was just TOOO cute! very victorian and that little cherub! gosh.. it was asking me to buy it!
--> Below: came with four various butter cookies- three of each- So small! i finished this in one go... i'm used to eating those circle tins in like a day... nothing to be proud of ... well anyways, my absolute fav is the pretzel shaped cookie! maybe its the fact that it looks like a mini pretzel .. but yeah.. they all taste the same except the last two on the left- they're a lot more crumbly than the first two on the right - gosh I love these cookies.. so many calories though!!

Panera ~ Bread ~

2008-03-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

~Panera Bread~
Wow... talk about franchised bakery.. this is probably the only franchised bakery/cafe I will ever go to and have no shame in going :)!! sandwiches are eh.. nothing amazing, salads are okay... fresh tasting .. but wow.. the bread? the bread is amazing here! i'm a huge panera original frenchbread fan and a lover of their blueberry muffins. sigh* those muffins.. wow ... so good.. I actually usually struggle to finish the bottom half of most muffins but their blueberry muffins were just as good on the ends as on the top!! yum yum!! I seriously have to control myself whenever I go here! so much bread!!! I cant just cant .. .control.. myself...
Panera carries so many different pastries and breads! everything from Caramel Pecan Brownies to Mini Bundt Cakes and Wild Blueberry Scones (i'll have to get next time), Bear Claws, Cinnamon Rolls, Hot Cross Buns, Sesame Semolina Breads ... the list goes on and on (including their seasonal breads .. definitely a highlight for me.. shows that they use the ingredients in peak season!)

--> Below: this is the You Pick Two combo with half sandwich and half serving of salad - theres quite a lot of combinations for this special- about 11 different sandwiches to pick from and 8 different salads - you can see the side of french bread here.. omg... so good! from the inside.. the texture sure doesnt look like the typical french bread but... either way I absolutely love it! the outside is crunchy and chewy, the inside is soft but firm... i dont need butter for this sucker!

--> Below: The Smoked Turkey Breast Sandwich (99% fat free smoked turkey) ... I dont know about you.. but the bread seems to outshine everything else in this sandwich! its just so hard to capture the essence of this seemingly bland (actually it is bland) sandwich!

--> Seasonal Special Harvest Salad topped with apple chips (Yummy!!!)- now this is much better! those apple chips are addicting! I used to buy like 10 bags of these chips in the fruit section near the apples at the market (Ralphs, Vons) healthy and addicting!

--> **** BLUEBERRY MUFFIN... look..!! see those sparkling bits of course sugar ?! agh!! The top of the muffin was absolutely perfect, SOFT.. but mainly has this chewy/slightly crunch.. but not really CRUNCHY texture... browned to perfection and let me just say.. they did NOT skimp out on the blueberries! these are 1.25 a piece .. and definitely worth it!

-->the inside.. after I devoured the top of the muffin-- look at those blueberries! definitely fresh blueberries inside of there!

-->Citrus Tart: I bought this just to try it out.. that huuge yellow gooey thing is actually a healthy dollop of strong citrus goo- packed with lemons, oranges, and limes! wow.. really sweet and sour! on the left are some freshly sliced strawberries, all finally topped with powdered sugar!
--> How i judge a good pastry- the dough/pastry bread: you can see here... the flakiness of the bread is there.. but just.. not that strong.. the first thing when you bite in is this sort of moist / stale feeling pastry bread. I think the problem is that this tart was sitting out for awhile and the air bubbles collapsed - the butter factor also wasnt here.. i'll try something else next time :)

Mochi Madness!!!

2008-03-20T02:41:00.001-07:00

MOCHI!!!: this is probably one of the most insane mochi's i've had .. I mean.. I grew up with mochi (filled with red bean of course) and being a red bean fanatic- I found all the other type of mochi's fake (like icecream filled etc.. nonetheless still delicious). THen.. I came across this mochi.. I call it Cake Mochi: this queen-of-a-mochi is literally a cake surrounded by a delicate layer of mochi-rice! sooo absolutely delicious!! the mochi is freshly made and wrapped around the cake-ish sphere :)... why didn't i think of something like this?! hahah
--> Below: Strawberry Mochi Cake- this beautiful sphere is the size of an adult-sized fist! droools* i wish I could replay myself eating this !! Inside this mochi is a layer of sponge cake, LOTS of cream and one HUGE.. i mean HUGE strawberry (JUST ONE)... o_O i didn't take a picture of the middle because it looked completely ravaged after i attempted a clean bite ... i can guarantee satisfaction with this mochi though!
--> Below:The Mango Mochi-Cake: same size of course but filled with peices of mango unlike the strawberry mochi-cake!

--> Below: Insides of the mochi-cake.. YOu can see the layer of sponge cake and the heavenly thick fluffs of cream with juicy fresh chunks of mangoes inside! very tropical :)

--> Woah.. here's the mango! bigggg chunk right there :D.. i would have to say though.. i prefer the strawberry one better just because the mango sweetness overpowered the cream that I could live off of hehehhee

bleh

2008-03-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

A fresh easter-colored cake donut!! yummmm this little cutie was fresh from the donut shop and was still a bit steamy when the man packed it in the baggie. Unfortunately , by the time I got back to my apartment it coooled down and the glaze hardened a bit :(,.. HOWEVER.. it was still soooo very good!!!
--> As you can see below, the pretty donuts' insides are freshly "baked" - I love the airbubbles that make the donut fluffy and light. For some reason though.. I feel like the other typical glaze/krispykreme -like donuts are less fatty/heavy. I'm not quite sure which one carries more calories.. but I like both of them equally :)
--> BELOW: Beef Gyudon Bowl: of course with some of that delish beni shoga (pickled ginger)! yummerz! I love making this dish just because its so.... yah... o_O not exactly sure how to say it but i grew off of this stuff since I was small so .. definitely an asian comfort dish for me :) by the way.. the rice HAS and MUST be freshly cooked- steaming with all that rice-y goodness and moisture
--> Close up: beni shoga- I actually use A LOT of this.. so what the picture shows is literally like one bite for me! and the lovely layers of fat from the beef and softly cooked onions that absorbed all the beefy juices!

Junky Fridays

2008-03-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

JUNKY FRIDAYS!!! >:D

YES.... everyone in America must fulfill their deed as an American and eat a gooey, greasy, and fatty burger with fries and ketchup on the side. Today, I tried for the first time ever... a Farmer Boys hamburger- also known as "World's Greatest Hamburgers"- thats quite a saying !...Ah yes.. the burger! I was about to get their Legendar half-pound flame broiled burger aka "The Farmer's Burger" .. but ... I was thinking.. I was making this entire day a Junk food day... why not go all out and get something REALLY unhealthy... what can make you feel more unhealthy than a Chili Cheeseburger and a side of their huuuuge Onion Rings!
--> Below: my absolutely delicious Chilli Cheeseburger that went down my vacuum-like mouth in less than five minutes... I wouldn't say this chilicheeseburger was the best.. it was good though.. nothing FANTASMIC .. but still... quite satisfying :)

-->My friends' Double Cheeseburger- lookin juicy!!!

-->**CINNABON** oh my gosh.... I had the craziest cinnabon crave ... seriously.. this one was so bad I had my friend drive me for almost an hour during a school day just so I could get one of these babies! soo worth it too!! I never really like to buy these boxed cinnabons , they tend to get dry on the outside - besides... if you buy it there, you're almost guaranteed to have a moist cinnabon roll and not to mention free extra frosting ;P!!-->below: some freshly baked cinnabons, cinnastix in the left corner and their new pecan cinnabon on the bottom right... once you step in... you feel like you've walked into an cinnamon haven!!

-->Below: Cinnabon's new Caramel Pecanbon ... loaded with sweetness.. I dont know about you.. but the frosting on the original classic cinnabon is enough sugar for a month!... adding caramel and sweetened pecans will probably overload me with sugar to last me another 3 months with a sideorder of stomach rolls!!
--> Ahhh yes.. the classic cinnabon cinnamon roll- filled with their infamous Makara cinnamon and drizzled with a rich and delightfully sweet creamcheese frosting! I have yet to meet a person who can eat three of these in one sitting... I can barely finish one.. BRING ON THE MILK!

~Tasty Choice~

2008-03-01T10:48:00.000-08:00

Tasty Choice : Chinese Cafe/Restaurant

I have to say that this is my first Chinese cafe and I LOVED it! the food isn't something to gawk over but the atmosphere the drink is wonderful! The moment you step in, you're welcomed by the owner of the cafe, a small busy man with a black apron . The cafe is half indoors and half outdoors with the sides draped with clear plastic to achieve the outdoor feel but keep the bugs and dust to a minimum (huge plus). The menu (at least for me) made it hard for me to pick a dish, just because there wasn't anything I really truly craved for so I did the usual and asked the waitress/waiter what was really good and she suggested the fish fillet with seafood sauce .. so I went for it. The service was great and the food was filling so I would definitely make more visits if only I lived closer :(! Most chinese Cafe's are known for their attractive prices in exchange for less gourmet meals and Tasty Choice is one of the more pricey venues when it comes to Chinese cafes and I must say... the price definitely shows with the amount of food they give (f.y.i FREE REFILLS)
-->Below: Swiss Chicken Wings (sweeten & soy infused Chicken wings)with ranch sauce (yummy?) wouldn't know since I didn't try it.. but apparently it's really good
-->Below: omg I can't remember the name of this dish... Something Garlic Chicken.. but that sucker is huge! lots and lots of food.. dont forget the mountain of rice you get for each lunch special you order! (rice is that white hill in the back :P) --> Below: Each Lunch special - you receive the daily soup- Today happened to be Cream of Corn with bits of chicken meat... nothing special but its' nice to have these little perks.. makes you feel better about spending the money :)

--> now THIS is the probably the main star of the event- **Tasty Choice's Iced Lemon Tea**- It's sweet with an unusual but yummy bit of sourness swarming throughout the drink. '( apparently theres a secret juice that is put into this drink to make it so popular. Everyone in the cafe had one of these suckers.. free-refills not to mention ;P .. beautiful slices of lemon and a wonderful soft glare of the sun pretty much perfects this meal already for me !
-->My Fried Fish Fillet with Seafood Sauce: this piece of fish may be deceivingly small but lemme tell you.. it's pretty damn huge considering the hefty mountain of rice that came along with it. Now from experience... I decided to take the safe route and not immediately pour the sauce all over my fish and instead sampled a small piece of fish with the sauce.... ehhh the sauce was okay but it just doesnt seem to fit the fish meat itself.. the sauce is typically found in steamed whole fishes in Chinese restaurants and for crab/shrimp etc. I ended up eating it with some salt and pepper .. but nonetheless good. Every corner of the fish was moist and the outside panko was deepfried perfectly, leaving the interior sealed with its juices while successfully creating a crispy and delicious shell.
--> Below: Beef Roast w/ Veggies: you can imagine that this was ordered by a guy.. yes..OBVIOUSLY.. haha I couldn't eat this for lunch just because of my College-student-budget. I guess guys just need their meet ! This thing was huge.. I tried very hard to capture the roast's heartiness but as you can see, it looks pretty small. . . not to mention those broccoli heads were HUGE ... oh well.. but this was definitely worth it.. DELICIOUS, cooked to perfection with the right amount of gravy/sauce mmmmmm goood- i'll have to order this next time for dinner :)

~Rincome Thai Restaurant ~

2008-02-22T22:15:00.001-08:00

Rincome Thai-Chinese Restaurant :
Yep- I was in the mood for something spicy, nutty and sweet :), the main reason I crave for Thai food sometimes is that special Thai "kick" of spiciness, which I happen to get addicted to while eating the dishes. Since there were several advertisements for about 3 months already, we decided to give Rincome a try and left, deciding that we probably won't be coming back again. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would be glad to return to Rincome, but for the amount and the price, I just dont see the worth and I, most importantly, do not see the quality/taste outweighing the price (even though the prices aren't TOO bad compared to other restaurants). I expected a pretty well-priced and slightly bargained menu at a thai/chinese restaurant, considering the food is fused and the portions were quite small... Let's begin with the appetizers:
--> Below: Beef Satay with peanut sauce and cucumber/onion sauce- I actually liked both sauces, the beef was nicely cooked.. but I must say for $7... I just dont find this worth it at all :(.. don't think you can really find REALLY delicious satay (minus the sauce) but some meat to chew on is always a plus for me :)..
-->Thai-Eggrolls: filled with pretty much just some ground pork/beef and glass noodles.. thats it... these were actually quite tasty- with a nice crunch outside but let me just warn you.. these suckers are TINY... i'm talking smaller than cigars and just a bit bigger than your average Marlboro cigarette. these teeny tiny meat-tubules cost, painfully, a little over 6bucks! cmon! thats like a dollar an eggroll !!
--> Pad Thai: ehhh what can I say... its pad thai? the sweet-factor seemed to overpower a little too much of the pad-thai flavor... it has that taste where its missing something.. but you just cant point out exactly what it is! and quite honestly... dont like the huuuge pile of peanuts on the side :(... not a peanut person... (LUV macadamia nuts and pistachios though!)
--> House Special Chicken : (asked for it to be SPICY)- this was spicy... no doubt about it, probably one of the more spicier dishes on the menu- but what was with the green jalepenos?i've been to quite a lot of authentic Thai restaurants and i've NEVER seen jalapenos in dishes like this... USUALLy I see those really small tiny red peppers that give it a spicy but smoky flavor that I absolutely love.. but this wasn't quite hitting me well... besides the chicken being dry and the plate being around 10-12 bucks.. well yah.. i guess i'll just have to leave it there :D -->Spicy Thai Fried Rice: Ooooo I just absolutely LOVE spicy thai-fried rice... I just love the special spiciness, nuttiness, smokiness and pretty much every other adjective that describes an ideal spicy thai fried rice dish! Rincome's did a pretty good job but I kept reminding myself that this is Thai/Chinese and not totally Thai so I complimented on this dish and ate quite a lot :) I must say that even though i've had spicier, this fried rice was prettyyy spicy (of course having asked the owner to make it SPICY SPICY)
-> Overall I suppose it all depends on the person- While eating there I saw a couple of people who were regulars so it all truly depends on what you want in your thai food :) I guess, having eaten a little more Thai-Thai dishes since i was young has made me a little bit more picky- doesn't hurt to try out places you've never been to!

Address:
Rincome Restaurant
17050 Devonshire St
Northridge, CA 91325-1617
Phone: (818) 366-5805

Sisley Italian Kitchen

2008-02-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

Sisley Italian Kitchen :
--> above: the bar near the entrance- nice/comfortable and neat interior
Despite it's beautiful, contemporary and dark interior, I must say Sisley felt like a darker and a more expensive version of Olive Garden :[. If you know me... there is only one Italian "restaurant" I will gladly praise and that's Bucca De Beppo (omg so good). Anyways, besides Italian REstaurants I love small Italian bistros, fastfood (like Ameci's) etc. so Sisley really didn't catch my tongue at all. Although the deserts look tempting, their menu is thoroughly predictable and fails to capture true Sicily-style cooking - not to mention that the music they played included Elvis, and typical burger-diner tunes and even an occasional western tune! (not that I dont like this type of music.. just not in an Italian restaurant) its just.. I expect and truly WANT to hear something leaning towards Dean Martin,Frank Sinatra... please!! I know i'm being totally unfair, especially since i'm comparing Sisley to Bucca De Beppo (who plays italian music) .. i just can't help it. I know i'm being totally American, expecting Italian-sounding music in Italian restaurants, and i'm sure the Italians at home don't blast Dean Martin while eating spaghetti, but.. its the ambiance I love and crave!! The dishes weren't spectacular , but they did give a lot!
--> Below: some desserts displayed in the entrance
-->Chocolate covered strawberries.. these were puny compared to rocky mtn's valentines day strawberries :P .. although the chocolate cake and strawberry tart looked yummy
-->Lemon Meringue Cheesecake, Strawberry tarts, Creme Brulee (wheres the caramelized sugar?!) , and some chocolate tarts with creme and shaved chocolates
--> New York Cheesecake: gahhh cheesecake! too bad i already had enough cheese through my meal
-->Bread sticks- these were exceptionally better than olive gardens :), incredibly fresh and soft with bits of herbs inside-served with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
--> Since everyone pretty much got the same thing.. (unique huh? haha) .. This is the "New" dish on the menu : Butternut Squash Rollatini in Cream Sauce- with caramelized onions, bits of (dry) chicken and chunks of butternut squash (a little TOO undercooked , especially when I can feel the raw fibery-ness in the majority of the squash pieces hahah - :(. I dont know about you.. but when I think of butternut squash in my pasta , i think of a really creamy/nutty flavors and a mixture of butternut flavor.. but sadly there was only butternut flavor in the squash pieces itself ...
-->Close-up of the squash, chicken and onions- At least the pasta was cooked al dente!
-->Chicken Linguine with Goat Cheese and Sun-dried Tomatoes: When immediately receiving this I recommended my friends to quickly "smash" the goat cheese around the noodles to incorporate it into the pasta and let it slightly melt to assist the dispersal. They thanked me for the advice, because the goat cheese chunks would have been difficult to eat with the noodles without crumbling it around :)- this dish was okay... but the butternut squash rollatini was favored more- especially since the sundried tomatoes left a sour-tasting juice in the bottom of the plate .. nevertheless a great idea I will have to try sometime later :)
--> Close -Up: You can see the HUGE chunks of goat cheese, delicate slices of mushrooms, bright-red sun-dried tomatoes and some fresh parsley--> very pretty dish Address: (there are several other locations)
2505 N Mainstreet Suite 200
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739

Tae Kook Dang Bakery

2008-02-17T14:04:00.001-08:00

Tae Kook Dang Bakery : Korean Bakery (:P)
Bread Time!!!! i believe I bought a little over 13 buns/breads today!! stepping into the bakery, I just knew I wouldn't be able to hold back today :) .. Some of the buns were fresh out of the oven and packaged , So i just HAD to take advantage of this opportunity and went berserk. I got all the usuals I normally would buy, and some interesting ones, considering i've never heard of tasted them before.
-->Below: the usual custard bread I just HAVE to get every time I go here - the outside is soft and doesn't get soggy from the rich creamy custard inside!

--> The insides of the custard bread !! a nice thick layer (but not TOO thick of course) of custard with a lingering scent of vanilla and smooth texture ...--> This is my all-time favorite bread to buy at korean bakeries ! two slices of THICK , extremely SOFT toast with a hint of sweetness sandwiched with a semi-thick spread of butter-cream-ish filling! DROOL* if you have the luxury of toasting this.... i guarantee satisfaction!! the whipped insides just melt right into the bread while keeping the bread nice and crispy outside but soft inside :)!!!

--> Below: the insides of the cream toast :) kinda reminds me of the whipped frosting a lot of Asian bakeries use on and inside of their cakes

-->Walnut/Sesame Bread: this was extremely moist- reminds me of carrot cake a little- has a strong nutty flavor - really good with coffee!!--> Sweet Whitebean-filled bun: beautifully molded into a flower! - a lot of bean paste filled breads tend to dry in the inside , but this never fails in the moisture department... absolutely delicious fresh
--> AnPan/RedBeanBun: the traditional/generic Redbean-Paste bun- although I have to say I like Tous Les Jour's Bakery - red bean bun better , just because the bread surrounds the paste nicely- this one had lots of airpockets that made me feel like they skimped out on the bean paste :( - still satisfying though

~Happy Valentines Day!! ~

2008-02-15T16:13:00.000-08:00

*~Happy Valentines Day!~* <3

I know i'm a day late... BUT its never too late to post on my blog :)!!
I'm afraid I didn't do much this year but I have delicious pictures from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory - and I must say they were QUITE busy (including SEE's).
-->below: these were sooo cute - fittingly pink for valentines day - although i would love to see some other colored stripes on normal days :)
--> below:some people busily working away - by the way- the shop was FILLED - looong lines too! i can smell the chocolate from outside!
-->LOOK !!! caramel apples galore!!! tears* it's like a tower of heaven- not to mention these are (At least in my book) "healthy" - an apple a day keeps the doctor away! hahaha

Sushi @ it's low & Franchised Italian Food

2008-01-24T21:06:00.000-08:00

So I was on school campus since 8am and didn't have time to go back to my apartment to eat lunch so I ended up buying campus food -__- and trust me.. campus food isn't exactly even near GOOD. We have a panda express (which I just can't seem to ever finish and digest), a wanna-be subway and chipotle... and some fastfood pasta... we need better food!! but it's college.. can't expect too much anyways!
--> I decided to go for the sushi because I obviously wasn't thinking straight from the 3 hours of starvation I went through!! with the HUGE amount of rice and lack of flavor from the inside, including the pathetic amount of wasabi given.. I must slap myself and ask myself why the hell I spent 3.25 on this crap!!! The imitation crab inside was SO gross... besides the fact that it didn't have any taste (not even mayo taste) the texture was literally like plastic! I mean.. i've made california rolls before and the imitation crab was NEVER semi-rubbery!
--> not sure if you can tell.. but the inside is SO small- imagine a pencil width of cucumber and some crazy rubber-imitation crab meat.... (and... the sushi is made by students!!) I have learned my lesson....

-->It was my friend's 20th Birthday and location was Olive Garden... (note: i've eaten here twice and one time I threw up and the second time I felt gross) NO offense to Olive Garden.. I just don't think my stomach likes their food -__-
Below: I ordered the Lasagna Rollatini with Sausage .. i think around $9.50 ish? The lasagna pasta that wrapped the cheesy insides was kinda rubbery...? well either way the sausages were pretty good... (shhh... i've tasted lots of sausages like this) The cheese inside was pretty okay though.

-->Chicken Marsala- my friend told me the chicken was a bit on the dry side and had a bitter aftertaste... can't really rate the dish myself since I didn't try it. Came with roasted peppers and potatoes

-->Steak Gorgonzola Tortellini : I hear this dish is pretty good... for some reason the picture doesn't look to appetizing- probably due to the low lighting :)

--> cute chocolate frosted cake for the Birhtday Girl!!

Sam Woo BBQ

2008-01-16T22:55:00.000-08:00

SAM WOO BBQ- San Gabriel

--> above: inside - you know it's a Chinese bbq place when there are ducks hanging in front of a window :)
--> above: seriously.. those sausages looked so juicy... should've gotten a zoom-in on these babies cuz they were packed with all that meaty loveliness !

--> yep.. duck heads- I think most people actually eat these for the neck meat/ skin- haven't tried it yet though :)
--> above: definitely not something I would order/buy hahah give me a whole pig in a luau but ordering just the head just doesn't feel the same :D
--> above- roast duck- the clear/sour/sweet sauce was really good with this!- meat was juicy but the skin wasn't as crispy as I wanted it to be- but nonetheless yummy yummy yummy!
--> walnut shrimp- LOOK at the HUGE dollop of mayo on that one area !! ... intense o_O!
--> mao-po tofu- u know.. the typical thing.. nothing especially unique - but still delish
--> deep fried tofu :) this was gooood - you bite in and the first sensation you feel is this gush of warm oil and moisture from the tofu just oozing into your mouth! reminder:work out
--> BBQ pork- yummy of course- I would love to go with an even bigger party next time and get the whole rack!!

Sam Woo BBQ Restaurant
140 W Valley Blvd Ste 107
San Gabriel, CA 91776-3784
(626) 572-8418

Dim Sum @ FULL HOUSE Seafood Restaurant

2008-01-14T15:54:00.000-08:00

Eating at FULL HOUSE Seafood Restaurant

Although, I must say that Dimsum usually never has the greatest bill results, it's just one of those things I have to eat once in a while. This entire weekend i've been eating Chinese food.. and let me say.. the experience was definitely a great one :)! BUT the only drawback is something that is not only blood-related but I suppose time related. Quite honestly, my stomach is pretty much adapted to Korean/Japanese food and eating Chinese food for almost three days straight has made me realize that I am not Chinese and there is an extent to how much I can have ( bummers right?) . I"m so glad to have eaten all this ! opening up my tastebuds to cultural food is definitely a MUST on my checklist. .. sooo here we go-->

-->check pleeeaaaase!!!!
-->pork rib pieces
-->yah !!! this is wat u think it is... chicken feet
-->shumai
-->cow stomach
-->shrimp balls covered in sticky rice
--> char siau bao - bbq pork buns
--> mushrooms wrapped in tofu skin
--> beef n' spinach dumplings
--> mien bao filled with sweet bean paste stuff (yellow-ish tone)
--> pork belly with really crispy skin and the meat... sooo tender anddefinitely has the melt-in-ur-mouth factor!
--> typical shrimp thingies

Truffles: The Beginning

2008-01-12T15:17:00.000-08:00

TRUFFLES: BEGINNING

-->The begin this truffle-astic adventure :) I will begin with my inspiration --> Godiva!!!
Godiva is probably one of my favorite vendors of every main type of truffle out there ! the box I got for as a New Years gift were personally selected and contained: Deeply Dark Chocolate Ganache, Strawberry Truffle, Extra Dark Chocolate Truffle (my all-time fav!), Dark Ganache Bliss, and some other custom truffle containing brandy-flavored insides:P
--> So it became time for me to experiment for the very first time in making these delicate chocolate fantasies ...
--> above: Using both a mix of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate- I wanted to mimic a strong dark chocolate truffle flavor but at the same time not make it TOO bitter :)

--> above: a nice tray-full of truffles rolled in slightly toasted , crushed walnuts - they don't stick as well as you think they would =__=

-->Above: close up of three prettiful - melt in your mouth truffles- lemme tell you... its all about technique :) gotta roll those suckers perfectly in a constant motion :D!!
--> these are a different group of truffles with milk chocolate toppings swirled on top- these, I must say were pretttyyyy sweet!

now the question is... would I make these again? .... most likely not .. nothing beats a true Godiva truffle sigh* ... i guess some of the best things in life really do hurt the wallet... well until next time! I have a hefty amount of Chinese food waiting to bask in all it's glory!

Yung Ho Tou Chiang : Chinese Breakfast!

2008-01-05T14:13:00.001-08:00

Restaurant: Yung Ho Tou Chiang Restaurant
Tou Chiang or.. how I would say it "Dou-jiang" : Chinese Breakfast at GoldWorld plaza? ... something along those lines with golden/world... stuff! anyways!! this is probably one of those places / things I just HAVE to eat once a month or so! If I lived closer I would definitely have it once a week or at least three times a month :( but sadly.. I live quite far from this area (San-Gabrielish) . tip:the restaurant is located right across a dimsum place where you have to go up a nice escalator :) This place has proudly found its way in LA Weekly - award winning coverage for its great food and family-restaurant feel and the price by the way is AWESOME :)! perfect for my college student wallet :D!!
--> the simple interior/decorated restaurant-- if you see way in the back of this picture- a fridge containing white thingies those are bags containing 10 nicely sized mein-bao dumplings with pork,duck or beef fillings :) I bought one -- 10 for 9 bucks

--> first MAIN part of the menu: I ordered the first one- sweet soy bean milk, a twisted cruller, sweet pancake (not shown on menu), Beef Tray cake and, and finally Green Onion cake with egg
-->THis is the super yummy warm sweet soybean milk- everyone I know tends to put a good amount of sugar in here while its piping hot :P i put just a little to soften the natural bitter taste of soy milk :) - once this gets kinda warm/cold it doesn't taste as good so eat it fast when its hot
-->Here are 2 TWisted Crullers and the Sweet Pancake - and OMG the twisted crullers are soooo oily! i swear... eating one will make you feel like you just swallowed a cup of oil :P! naturally, you're supposed to dip this in the soybean milk - couldn't eat too much of the crullers :[
--> Here is a close up of the Sweet pancake !! MY FAVORITE- the inside is pretty much sweet bean paste type of thing and the outside is so flaky and yummers! no grease, oil or butter marks while eating this baby :)!! i'll definitely order 3-4 of these next time! I believe it is called Tien Bing- or just on the menu "Special Cake"
--> This is the Beef Tray Cake--> sort of tortilla-ish rolled outside- i'd probably say this is a savory version of a chinese pastry dish

--> The inside is a juicy and tender collection of thinly sliced beef with a spicy chili sauce/bbq sauce - Although this was pretty good, I probably wont order this in the morning because I just can't digest bbq in the morning... but other than that another yummy plate!--> This is the Green Onion Cake with Egg- similar to the typical green onion/scallion pancakes you find at some chinese restaurants but this just has a layer of scrambled eggs on top
-
-->this is pretty much a deep-fried pancake o_O yeppp with eggs :) wanna higher your blood pressure? this is it ppl - get the crullers , this, and whatever else you can get your hands on and you can make it happen! :) soo goood hahaha
YUNG HO TOU CHIANG RESTAURANT:
1045 E Valley Blvd. Ste A105
San Gabriel, CA 91776

~Chang's Garden~

2008-01-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

Ahhh the asian food-filled area of Arcadia :P ! This time I stopped by a Shanghai restaurant: Chang's Garden:

-->Below is the BokChoy with Black Mushrooms- the plates here arent' that expensive and are prettyyyy good- although the bokchoy here was a little too overcooked and a bit on the salty side- other than that I pretty much ate all of it!

-->Shanghai Spareribs: So GOOD! these little things are tricky.. there are bones in a lot of these pieces so its kind of fun just eating the small pieces of meat not knowing if theres a bone inside or not :D! the sauce is perfect and tastes good cold too (from leftovers of course).

--> OMG!! this was my all time favorite deepfried fish plate so far :P this is the Seaweed-flavored Fried Fish soooooooooo good! I could not stop eating this! they're like chips I just pop into my mouth with soft juicy meat inside :D!!! makes you feel less guilty about eating something fried in oil!

--> This dish definitely deserves a second close-up photo :) -> u can see the little bits of nori/seaweed melted into the batter and coating the fish- i should have taken a picture of the fish meat inside :( -- it was so piping hot and juicy !!!! I WANT MORE !!

-- well until next time... check this place out!!! there's this other plate that this restaurant is known for and you will see a lot of people ordering.. not sure what it was called but it's pretty much a rolled looking pastry with meat and vegetables inside- i'll probably try that next time

Information:
Chang's Garden
627 W Duarte Rd
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 445-0606

J.J. Bakery : bring on the bread !

2008-01-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

JJ Bakery- was probably another one of those packed small asian bakeries that win customers over with simple things like their bread rolls (which i couldn't get a picture of or stupidly decided not to buy) - Definitely stop by here cuz I know I will :P- get ready to wait in some long lines though and go in the morning! the breads run out pretty fast!

J.J. Bakery : Pineapple Bread
-->Raisin Bread- pretty good for just a plainbread roll with raisins inside!
-->BBQ pork Bun - Inside filled with a thick layer of very creamy, clear mayo o_O!
-->you can see the layer of mayo they spread inside the middle.- definite win for mayo lovers!
-->Green Onion Savory Bun- nothing inside

--> Custard Bread

--> Sponge cake !- always can tell a good bakery with their sponge cakes

--> so fluffy but dense at the same time!- not dry at all and soft, bouncy and moist!

Lunch at Savoy Kitchen

2008-01-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

My reallly good friend of mine took me out for lunch . . and she's been raving about this place called Savoy Kitchen- or just Savoy in Alhambra. So we arrived at this really small but quaint cafe-vibe feeling restaurant with a little patio on the side for outside eating- and we got there around 11ish. . . literally when 12 hit- there was a huge wave of people just coming in and out.. soo busy! they're known for their Hainan chicken so my friend and I decided to try the chicken dish and their Malaysian Beef Curry. I wanted to take pictures of their other signature dishes like their escargot, savoy traditional pasta, and spring rolls, but all 5 of my other friends ordered the chicken as well! !
I must say however, the waitress there was SO SICK! her nose was cherry red from blowing it so much and she kept sniffling and pretty much looked like crap. Honestly, she should've just gone home- definitely felt sorry for her :[... she never even cracked a smile once to anyone she served while we were there and my friend was paranoid that she would wipe her nose and touch our plates.. But after eating the chicken I think she forgot about the possibly contaminated molecules attached to her plate/drinks etc.
--> Hainan Chicken plate - i think it was 6.50... somewhere around there! I must say the chicken was juicy! but honestly... the rice was probably more satisfying than the chicken itself.!

--> The rice was packed with so much chicken flavor and some other flavorings used to cook the chicken. I'd say the rice was a perfect agent to absorb all those flavors that cant be achieved by eating the chicken alone :) The dish came with 2 dipping sauces- chili type and ginger/ soysauce on the side.

--> their Chrysanthemum Tea is sooo good too! a definite winner- i'll probably order this drink a lot more from now on :D!! - only problem was no free refills ... quite a small drink too !
-->Malaysian Beef Curry- good.. but i probably won't order it again because It had a lot of strong and perhaps too ethnic flavor for me! hahaha but truly this was a good curry,, i just don't think i'm quite used to this type of curry- i'm more accustomed to the Japanese, Indian and Hawaiian Curry i've eaten since I was little- Not sure what the taste in this curry was but it was really herby/flowery tasting- maybe the coconut milk? - overall a good dish though :D this curry is for hardcore curry lovers- :( apparently I'm not at that level yet hahah!

Information:
Savoy Kitchen
138 E Valley Blvd.
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 308-9535

~New Years Pre-Dinner~

2007-12-31T17:38:00.000-08:00

~Cornbread Stuffing & Honey-Preserved Tangerines~

So the day before new years is supposed to be a lot more exciting than the actual day of new years. . and my mom's friends actually came by for a little potluck. My mom assigned me her task of making cornbread stuffing ... so naturally... I slaved away in the kitchen :] Honestly, the cornbread stuffing was extremely simple and an extremely trusted recipe I got off allrecipes.com - The cornbread stuffing is basically some cubed cornbread, italian sausage, eggs, celery, onions, and butter. Bake it in an oven and it comes out sooo good! for some reason, a lot of people liked the stuffing with the white gravy I made on the side for mashed potatoes o_O!

--> Yes... I know :(.... I couldnt' get a picture of the cornbread stuffing AFTER I baked it.. my bad... but I trust you it looked pretty damn good ;D!- I recommend sprinkling some cornbread crumbs on top and putting little dabs of butter to make it golden brown and crunchy on top! I also made a Chinese Chicken Salad/ Mandarin Salad.. whichever you want to call it :)

I believe I have tested out a really good way of making tangerines extremely juicy and slightly sweeter than they already are! I pretty much took some ripe tangerines, peeled off as much of the white veiny stuff as possible and preserved them in an airtight container with a mix of orange juice, apple juice and a little bit of pineapple juice. Then.. . my favorite part :D... drizzled in a good amount of good quality honey! I actually warmed up the honey a little bit so it could mix in with the juice better.
--> Isn't that sooo pretty!?- I mean those preserved mandarin tangerines at the market are pretty freaking good... but this totally beats it. After eating one container of the storebought stuff.. i just get sick of it- but I couldn't stop eating these tangerines and I ended up not having any left for the salad! sigh* I know... so sad... but OMG... this was sooo good! I left it like this for about two days and the tangerines seemed to taste even more "tangerine-ey" after the honey preservation! I'm definitely going to try this with plums and some lemons for desserts etc. next time! I really have to start testing this out because I dont want too much honey overwhelming the natural taste of the fruit- but just enough to bring out the fruity flavors :D until next time guys ... HAPPY NEW YEARS!!

Uncle Mori's Dinner

2007-12-30T12:32:00.000-08:00

~A Light and Simple Meal~ not like me at all hehehe..

My uncle, who works with a Japanese food trading company, recently visited and dropped off some really good Japanese food goodies :P
First was an already prepared salted Mackerel that required almost no prep work at all. I just took it out of its package, dredged it in some corn starch and pan fried with a teaspoon of oil. The mackerel was so good! not too salty and not too fishy smelling either- I really liked how the pieces of meat were just falling off so I didn't have to fish for the meat :P

-->aim. . .lock-on...and infiltrate a nice juicy piece of meat from the fish. . ..
--> grab a little rice with it and wah-lah! yummers!

I prepared this with some konnyaku (devil's tongue) that my uncle brought over and made my version of Furofuki Daikon by adding some roughly chopped carrots, daikon radishes and konnyaku. You pretty much simmer these ingredients in some good dashi, shoyu, and mirin. Toss in some roasted sesame seeds and there you go :) this is a good side dish considering the mackerel is salted generously and the furofuki daikon sidedish balances out the saltiness by giving you sweet and light flavors at the same time.
--> Furofuki Daikon w/ Carrots and Konnyaku