Zen Buffet - San Gabriel

Two of my cousins just graduated from high school. So with 15 people at 9 p.m., my uncle chose Zen Buffet in San Gabriel. Buffets are kind of hit or miss. Depends on if you're in the mood for quantity over quality. That being said, $9.99 for a dinner buffet that includes crab legs and sushi is a pretty good deal in my book. The only problem is you have to hover near the kitchen for when the king crab legs come out because they disappear in about two seconds. My plates below included crawfish (obviously frozen and reheated), chicken wings, salmon and tuna sashimi, sesame ball with red bean, kim chi, peking duck in steamed bread, crab rangoon, shrimp cocktail, unagi, Korean short ribs, tripe, deep fried green beans, sweet and sour chicken, clams, hot and sour soup, fresh apple pie, tapioca pudding, chocolate pudding, and ice cream. *Burp* BTW, the lovely peach-looking dumpling was filled with red bean. Zen Buffet 5449 N. Rosemead Blvd. San Gabriel, CA 91776 626-285-9595 Monday to Friday Lunch 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $8.99 Monday to Thursday Dinner 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. $12.99 Friday Dinner, Saturday and Sunday $14.99

Baccali Cafe and Rotisserie - Alhambra

So I'm new to this whole blogging thing and haven't gotten used to taking my digicam with me everywhere I go. That and my food recommendations usually consist of taking my friends to my favorite restaurants and having them oooh and aaah over whatever I order. That being said, I do have some favorites for various dishes. Alhambra is a suburban Chinatown. And Valley Blvd. stretching down to San Gabriel is filled with hundreds of Chinese restaurants.

One of them is Baccali Cafe and Rotisserie. I'm not sure how it's pronounced but I say it as if it's Vietnamese. (Bac as in North and Cali as in California.) But the restaurant is purely Chinese/Chinese fusion. The menu lists several hundred items with Chinese-Malaysian, Chinese-Singaporean, and Hong Kong Chinese dishes. The restaurant looks like it's trying to be a cafe and sports bar in one. Whole chickens are spinning on the rotisserie.

The menu lists several hundred items ranging from two dozen kinds of fried rice to lobster newberg and New York steak. I go for the beef chow fun in dry soy sauce, deep fried chicken wings in spicy salt, and Korean short ribs and chicken fried steak with black pepper sauce with sides of rice or pasta and vegetables. All that and two Thai iced tea with bobas were $26.

The beef chow fun had nice large slices of meat, the dry soy sauce imparts a mellow saltiness to balance out the blandness of the noodles. The chicken wings were crispy-skinned and still juicy. The black pepper sauce on the ribs and steak had a slight kick and was so flavorful with the plain white rice. I don't much care for their pasta as it's a sweet tomato sauce that I've been told tastes like Filipino spaghetti so if that's your thing... I've tried their deep fried frog legs, lobster newberg and sambal dishes. But I go back for those three favorites.

It's a Hong Kong cafe in the style of OK Cafe and Alhambra Garden and other places -- a fusion of diasporic Chinese cuisine and American offerings.  

Update January 11, 2007: Went back for dinner and finally brought my camera. Baked Pork Chop Rice $7.95, beef chow fun with dry soy sauce $6.50, deep fried chicken wings $6.


Update June 14, 2007: How funny that I went back here almost the week before my anniversary post. Of course, I remembered my camera this time. So my recent meal included a Hong Kong milk tea. Basically like English tea but with condensed milk. Free refills. Mmm.


Black pepper beef with crispy chow mein for $7.95.


Look at how crispy the chow mein noodles are. So delicious.


And the triple crown - steak, chicken steak, and pork chop in mushroom sauce with pasta and veggies for $11.95. Lunch prices are slightly less.


Update October 2, 2007: Another revisit for lunch and this time I ordered the aforementioned Korean short ribs, chicken steak with pasta for $8.50.


Malaysian roasted chicken with curry rice for $6.50.


Other Hong Kong cafes:
Garden Cafe - Alhambra
Sika's - Alhambra (Closed)
Sunday Bistro - Alhambra
Tasty Garden - Alhambra

Baccali Cafe and Rotisserie
245 West Valley Blvd.
Alhambra, CA 91801
626-293-3300
Open 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Claro's Italian Market - Upland

Stopped off at Claro's Italian Market today to buy fresh pizza dough. Only $3. The dough was so light and springy. Baked up soooo nicely.

We Wok!

***** Rules for Weekend Wokking Weekend Wokking Round-Up Who's Hosting Weekend Wokking? Weekend Wokking Host Duties We Wok! ***** Even though a wok isn't required for Weekend Wokking, I think woks are awesome. This is a round-up of some of the love bloggers have for their woks. If you have a wok and would like to be added to the list, write a post about your wok and send the link to me at wanderingchopsticks (at) gmail (dot) com. Wok photos are property of the respective bloggers. Arranged in alphabetical order by name of the blog.

*****

Darlene of Blazing Hot Wok in Portland, Oregon, says of her cast iron wok, "If there’s one possession I’d want to take with me to the Afterlife, it would be my wok. It’s my pride and joy and has immense sentimental value. Weighing in at a whopping 10 1/2 pounds, it’s a real cast iron monster. Countless stir-fries and deep-fries have left it beautifully seasoned. I could probably go on and on about how wonderful it is, but I'm afraid you'll think I'm a weirdo."

*****

Ning of Heart and Hearth in Manila, the Philippines says of her induction wok, "But in induction cooking, the pot or pan itself becomes the generator of heat! The surface of the cooker remains cool to the touch! How does it work? Through electromagnets that the cooking pots or pans have. Thus, iron skillets and woks are ideal for induction cooking...I am hooked! Wow! It is so easy to use. Things get cooked faster than the regular gas stove. Therefore it is energy-efficient. It is so easy to clean. No more grills and coils to scrub....I do most of my cooking in my wok. (translate: I use my wok everyday.) I cook eggs in it. I do stir-fries, I do deep fry, I steam, I braise and make stews in it. It is an all-in-one versatile pan and pot!"

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Christine of Kits Chow of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada says, "Most people think the wok is for cooking stir fried Chinese food. Yes, it is generally used for Chinese food but the wok is more versatile than that. It is a multi-purpose vessel..." She uses her wok to stir-fry, brown meat, saute, steam, and boil.

*****

Nikki Polani, in SoCal, inaugurated her wok by making pad see ew. She says of her wok, "I remember my mother cooking with her wok — trying out the new Chinese recipes she was learning from the adult education center not far from home. Perhaps it was the extra step of keeping her wok seasoned or storage issues, but somewhere along the years, she packed up her wok. A few weeks (months?) ago, I finally decided I wanted a wok and would find some way to store it...But it was only last week that I finally seasoned it and inaugurated it by cooking pad see ew. Mmmm! I love those charred edges that’s hard to come by with anything but a wok."

*****

Unable to locate a hammered steel wok, Sis of Rain Down on Me, in Louisiana, was told by a lady at the grocery store to buy a Martha Stewart wok from Kmart. She says, "She must have sensed that I was disappointed because it wasn't "the real thing" and quickly reassured me..."she read a lot about them before making hers" - so I thanked her and went to Kmart - immediately fell in love with it and bought it. I have already used it for supper tonight, and it was perfect...Look at it! It's so pretty! And look, it's so shiny! ...I just couldn't help myself, I had to just caress it sensuously...(teehee!)"

*****

Wandering Chopsticks says, "I own two woks... It's great for making fried rice and stir-fries. The huge lip makes it perfect for frying anything since oil splatters stay within the range of the wok."

*****

Weekend Wokking Host Duties

***** Rules for Weekend Wokking Weekend Wokking Round-Up Who's Hosting Weekend Wokking? Weekend Wokking Host Duties We Wok! ***** This page is in case you're hosting Weekend Wokking and are unclear how to go about it, or in case you're interested and don't know what it entails. If you'd like to host, email me at wanderingchopsticks (at) gmail (dot) com. As Weekend Wokking host, people should be emailing you links to their entries. If you'd like to double-check, you can find stray entries by looking at the links at the bottom of the post for Rules for Weekend Wokking or by following your blog reactions on http://technorati.com/. If you don't know what Technorati is, just type in your blog URL into the searchbar and you'll find your blog ranking and all the blogs that link to you. Check and make sure the entry has linked to you and to Rules for Weekend Wokking. Just send a gentle reminder if they didn't. It's up to your discretion whether you'd like to accept late submissions for the round-up. Post by any time the first Wednesday of the month at your convenience. Late in the evening is fine. Everyone has stuff going on so there's no hard deadline. Format is up to you since you're the host. Personally, I do everything in alphabetical order since it's easier for people to find things. You can go alphabetically by recipe name or by blog name. Or do it by the order the recipe came in. Please include a summary or highlight of each recipe, a photo, and a mention of where in the world the entry is coming from. See Weekend Wokking Round-Up for how past entries were done if you need some guidelines. At the end of your round up post, since you're the host, you get to pick and announce next month's "secret ingredient." Also, please announce next month's host and link to them. And if you wish, link also to Who's Hosting Weekend Wokking?, in case anyone else would like to host, and Rules for Weekend Wokking if anyone else would like to participate. Thanks for hosting! And let me know if you have any questions.

Who's Hosting Weekend Wokking?

***** Rules for Weekend Wokking Weekend Wokking Round-Up Who's Hosting Weekend Wokking? Weekend Wokking Host Duties We Wok! *****Please check Rules for Weekend Wokking if you have any questions. If you're hosting, please see Weekend Wokking Host Duties. You may host more than once if you wish. Priority is given to frequent contributors to Weekend Wokking. For entries, please put Weekend Wokking in the subject line of the email to make it easy for the host to identify entries. Also, include what name you would prefer to be called, the name of your blog, what part of the world you want identified as your residence, the title of the recipe, and a link to the recipe. One entry per person please. Remember to send entries to the host by 11:59 p.m. on the Sunday prior to the round-up date. If you'd like to host, send me an email at wanderingchopsticks (at) gmail (dot) com . Also, please remember to thank the host(ess). The round-ups take quite a bit of work to compile so it's nice to show some appreciation.

2010

June Roundup on Wednesday, June 2. Hosted by Wandering Chopsticks. Please send entries by 11:59 p.m., Sunday, May 30 to wanderingchopsticks (at) gmail (dot) com . The secret ingredient challenge is SPINACH.

Weekend Wokking Round-Up

*****
Rules for Weekend Wokking
Weekend Wokking Round-Up
Who's Hosting Weekend Wokking?
Weekend Wokking Host Duties
We Wok!
*****Round-ups are listed in chronological order. Click on the name of the secret ingredient, not the picture, to get to the round-up.

*****

2008

*****

#1 June (ASPARAGUS) hosted by Wandering Chopsticks.
#2 July (POTATO) hosted by Todd & Diane of White on Rice Couple.
#3 August (TOMATO) hosted by Darlene of Blazing Hot Wok.
#4 September (EGGPLANT) hosted by Marija of Palachinka.
#5 October (COCONUT) hosted by Ivy of Precious Pea.
#6 November (PUMPKIN) hosted by Ning of Heart and Hearth.
#7 December (BROCCOLI) hosted by Wiffy of Noob Cook.

*****

2009

*****

#8 January (MUSHROOM) hosted by Marija of Palachinka.
#9 February (ORANGE) hosted by TS and JS of Eating Club Vancouver.
#10 March (ALMOND) hosted by Darlene of Blazing Hot Wok.
#11 April (BEEF) hosted by Marija of Palachinka.
#12 May (SPROUTS) hosted by Christine of Kits Chow.
#13 June (LEMON) hosted by Wandering Chopsticks.
#14 July (CILANTRO) hosted by Darlene of Blazing Hot Wok.
#15 August (CHEESE) hosted by Yasmeen of Health Nut.
#16 September (GINGER) hosted by MomGateway.
#17 October (VINEGAR) hosted by Darlene of Blazing Hot Wok.
#18 November (CABBAGE) hosted by Graziana of Erbe in Cucina (Cooking with Herbs).
#19 December (APPLE) hosted by MomGateway.

*****

2010

*****

#20 January (TAMARIND) hosted by Marija of Palachinka.
#21 February (CHILI PEPPER) hosted by Wandering Chopsticks.
#22 March (ONION) hosted by Christine of Kits Chow.
#23 April (GARLIC) hosted by Sijeleng of Javaholic.
#24 May (TOFU) hosted by Sweatha of Tasty Curry Leaf.

Index of Weekend Wokking

***** Rules for Weekend Wokking Weekend Wokking Round-Up Who's Hosting Weekend Wokking? Weekend Wokking Host Duties We Wok! *****

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Restaurants Outside California

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2015 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****

For convenience, the restaurants list also includes farmers' markets, grocery stores, and specialty stores. But don't worry, everything on the list is where you can find food.

Chefs move, prices change, restaurants may close down. Please let me know of any broken links or if I need to update any information. Thanks!

*****

This list only has a few listings of the places I've eaten outside California. Very few. I don't travel much anymore. For Southern California restaurants, see the categories sorted by restaurants by city, county, and cuisine. Other things to do out of state or eating abroad with some restaurant recommendations may be found in Travel Musings.

Restaurants in Northern California

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2013 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****

For convenience, the restaurants list also includes farmers' markets, grocery stores, and specialty stores. But don't worry, everything on the list is where you can find food.

Chefs move, prices change, restaurants may close down. I can only guarantee accuracy at the time the post went live. Please let me know of any broken links or if I need to update any information. Thanks!

If you're looking for my favorite or recommended restaurants, they're listed on my sidebar over there ==>.

*****

This list only includes Northern California restaurants. Southern California restaurants are listed in the regular restaurants categories, sorted by city, county, and cuisine. Eating abroad with some restaurant recommendations can be found in Travel Musings.

*****
Restaurants by City
Restaurants by County
Restaurants by Cuisine
Restaurants in Northern California
Restaurants Outside California

Restaurants: Picture Indexes

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2013 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****

For convenience, the restaurants list also includes grocery stores and specialty stores. But don't worry, everything on the list is where you can find food. Chefs move, prices change, restaurants may close down. I can only guarantee accuracy at the time the post went live. Please let me know of any broken links or if I need to update any information. Thanks! If you're looking for my favorite or recommended restaurants, they're listed on my sidebar over there ==>.

*****

Restaurants: Best of...

Restaurants by City
Restaurants by County
Restaurants by Cuisine
Restaurants in Northern California
Restaurants Outside California

*****

Restaurant Picture Indexes by Year

Restaurants by Cuisine

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2015 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****

For convenience, the restaurants list also includes grocery stores, specialty stores, and farmers' markets. But don't worry, everything on the list is where you can find food.

Chefs move, prices change, restaurants may close down. I can only guarantee accuracy at the time of my last visit. Please let me know of any broken links or if I need to update any information. Thanks!

*****
Restaurants: Best of...

Restaurants by City
Restaurants by County
Restaurants by Cuisine
Restaurants in Northern California
Restaurants Outside California

*****

Restaurants by County

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2016 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****

For convenience, the restaurants list also includes grocery stores, specialty stores, and farmers' markets. But don't worry, everything on the list is where you can find food.

Chefs move, prices change, restaurants may close down. I can only guarantee accuracy at the time of my last visit. Please let me know of any broken links or if I need to update any information. Thanks!

*****
Restaurants: Best of...

Restaurants by City
Restaurants by County
Restaurants by Cuisine
Restaurants in Northern California
Restaurants Outside California

*****

Restaurants by City

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2016 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****

For convenience, the restaurants list also includes grocery stores, specialty stores, and farmers' markets. But don't worry, everything on the list is where you can find food.

Chefs move, prices change, restaurants may close down. I can only guarantee accuracy at the time of my last visit. Please let me know of any broken links or if I need to update any information. Thanks!

*****

This list is sorted by city in alphabetical order with Los Angeles County first, followed by Orange County, San Bernardino County, and San Diego County. Restaurants in Northern California and Restaurants Outside California have their own pages. Eating abroad with some restaurant recommendations may be found in Travel Musings.

*****
Restaurants: Best of...

Restaurants by City
Restaurants by County
Restaurants by Cuisine
Restaurants in Northern California
Restaurants Outside California

*****

Restaurants: Best of...

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2013 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****

For convenience, the restaurants list also includes grocery stores and specialty stores. But don't worry, everything on the list is where you can find food. Chefs move, prices change, restaurants may close down. Please let me know of any broken links or if I need to update any information. Thanks! If you're looking for my favorite or recommended restaurants, they're listed on my sidebar over there ==>.

*****

Restaurants by City
Restaurants by County
Restaurants by Cuisine
Restaurants in Northern California
Restaurants Outside California

*****

Squid lips at Indian Restaurant - San Gabriel.

Index of Restaurants

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2013 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****

For convenience, the restaurants list also includes grocery stores and specialty stores. But don't worry, everything on the list is where you can find food. Chefs move, prices change, restaurants may close down. Please let me know of any broken links or if I need to update any information. Thanks! If you're looking for my favorite or recommended restaurants, they're listed on my sidebar over there ==>.

*****

Restaurants: Best of...

Restaurants by City
Restaurants by County
Restaurants by Cuisine
Restaurants in Northern California
Restaurants Outside California

*****

Recipes: Picture Indexes

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2013 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****
Peek in My Kitchen: Guides, How Tos, & Ingredients
Recipes: Best of...
Recipes by Category
Recipes by Cuisine
Vietnamese Recipes by Category
Most Popular Restaurant Posts 2009. *****

Vietnamese Recipes with Pictures, by Category

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2016 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****

This page lists only my Vietnamese recipes, arranged by category. The category names are in English for consistency and easier searching for non-Vietnamese readers. The recipes remain listed with their Vietnamese names first so that non-Vietnamese can become familiar with the names of dishes. If you'd like to scroll through an alphabetical listing of Vietnamese recipes, those are still located in Recipes by Cuisine.

Please click on the name, not the photo, to get to the recipe post.

*****

Peek in My Kitchen: Guides, How Tos, & Ingredients
Recipes: Best of...
Recipes: Picture Indexes
Recipes by Category
Recipes by Cuisine
100 Vietnamese Foods to Try

*****

Recipes by Cuisine

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2016 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****
Peek in My Kitchen: Guides, How Tos, & Ingredients
Recipes: Best of...
Recipes: Picture Indexes
Recipes by Category
Vietnamese Recipes by Category

*****

Recipes by Category

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2016 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****

Peek in My Kitchen: Guides, How Tos, & Ingredients
Recipes: Best of...
Recipes: Picture Indexes
Recipes by Cuisine
Vietnamese Recipes by Category

*****

Recipes: Best of...

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2012 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****
 Peek in My Kitchen: Guides, How Tos, & Ingredients
Recipes: Picture Indexes
Recipes by Category
Recipes by Cuisine
Vietnamese Recipes by Category
*****

Best of: Top 10 Recipes of 2009
Best of: Top 11 to 20 Recipes of 2009
Best of: Top 10 Recipes of 2008

Best of: Top 11 to 20 Recipes of 2008
Best of: Top 10 Recipes of 2007
Best of: Top 11 to 20 Recipes of 2007
Best of: Top 10 Recipes of 2006

*****

These lists below were created arbitrarily in early 2008 based upon what I liked and thought were popular, not on any data.

Best of 2006
Best of 2007 From: Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Chili Sauce) to Butter  
Ca Phe Sua Da (Vietnamese Milk Coffee Iced) to Cuban Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken  
Fessenjan (Persian Pomegranate-Walnut Marinade) Roast Duck to Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup Scallops and Pea Shoots to Tra Atiso (Vietnamese Artichoke Tea)

*****

Index of Recipes

All text and photos Copyright © 2006-2012 by Wandering Chopsticks. All rights reserved. You may not copy my photos or text without my permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes. If you wish to reprint any part of this blog, you must observe the following Copyright and Attribution Requirements. Thank you!

*****

Five Years - Top 9 Wandering Chopsticks Recipes

*****
Peek in My Kitchen: Guides, How Tos, & Ingredients
Recipes: Best of...
Recipes: Picture Indexes
Recipes by Category
Recipes by Cuisine
Vietnamese Recipes by Category

*****