Thursday, December 31, 2009

Xanh Bistro - Fountain Valley (Little Saigon) (Closed)

After dinner at Nhu Y Ca 8 Mon (8 Courses of Fish) Restaurant - Fountain Valley, I pulled the group nearby for dessert at Xanh Bistro.

But let's backtrack to August 2008, shortly after it opened, when my friend DP took me to dine here. Xanh Bistro is opened by Haley Nguyen, who teaches at the food and nutrition department at Saddleback Community College and before at the Art Institute of California. She's often quoted in the Orange County Register for her knowledge of Vietnamese cuisine and culinary tours of Little Saigon.

Xanh Bistro - Fountain Valley (Little Saigon) 1

I loved the decor and the little details -- the cupboard in the back, the artful chairs, the flowers in bud vases, and the green and blue pottery. After all, xanh is the Vietnamese word for both green and blue.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Nhu Y Ca 8 Mon (8 Courses of Fish) Restaurant - Fountain Valley (Little Saigon)

There are restaurants that I used to dine at when I lived and worked in Orange County that I just don't get to much any more. In part, it's because so many Vietnamese restaurants have opened in the San Gabriel Valley in the past decade that I don't need to go so far to get Vietnamese food any more, but I do miss some of the more novel restaurants such as Nhu Y Ca 8 Mon (8 Courses of Fish) Restaurant in Fountain Valley.

Nhu Y Ca 8 Mon (8 Courses of Fish) Restaurant - Fountain Valley (Little Saigon) 1

I've done Vietnamese 7 courses of beef a time or two, and even Vietnamese 7 courses of goat. So let's add another multi-course, single meat meal into the mix with 8 courses of fish, a decidedly healthier option.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Pagolac Restaurant Bo 7 Mon (7 Courses of Beef) - Westminster (Little Saigon)

Shortly after I posted about Vietnam Restaurant's 7 courses of beef, Clara of I Heart Food 4 Thought and I Heart Cuppycakes offered to take me to her family's favorite, Pagolac Restaurant in Westminster. While I didn't need an introduction to Pagolac, it's been a Little Saigon staple for years, I welcomed the chance to meet up with her anyway. I invited Gourmet Pigs and Ila of I Nom Things to join us.

Pagolac Restaurant Bo 7 Mon (7 Courses of Beef) - Westminster (Little Saigon) 1

Monday, December 28, 2009

Thach Che Hien Khanh - Garden Grove (Little Saigon)

Thach Che Hien Khanh - Garden Grove (Little Saigon) 1


I've been getting my che (Vietnamese pudding) at Thach Che Hien Khanh for a long time. Well before they expanded the restaurant. Well before they opened a second Thach Che Hien Khanh in Westminster on Bolsa Avenue. Well before they even had a rope to make people form some semblance of a line.

Two people were needed in order to get any che. Back then, I usually went with my friend DP, who introduced me to the restaurant and to a lot of other Little Saigon eats. One of us would wait in the car (because there were never any parking spaces), while the other fought through the crowd to score some dessert. Then we had to do a fast getaway because the cars still kept coming.

This was, and still is, the place to go in Little Saigon for che.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Potato Champion (Food Cart) - Portland - Oregon

After ordering our pies at Whiffies Fried Pies (Food Cart) - Portland - Oregon I couldn't help but notice the crowd in front of Potato Champion. I had to go see why it was so popular.

16 Potato Champion (Food Cart) - Portland - Oregon 1

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Whiffies Fried Pies (Food Cart) - Portland - Oregon (Closed)

15 Whiffies Fried Pies (Food Cart) - Portland - Oregon 1

One late night, we're talking around 11 p.m., I asked youngest Argentinian cousin if he wanted to join my siblings and me on the corner of SE 12th Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard.

Umm. What are we doing hanging around street corners, he asked?

Whiffies!

There's a food cart there with fried pies that I've been meaning to try, I said.

Mmm. Pie. You know how I feel about pie.

At that hour, most of the businesses in the area are closed. So it's a little weird to see this food cart pod so happening. But, most of the food carts here look like they're open until 3 a.m. so I guess that works for them.


Friday, December 25, 2009

Ask Wandering Chopsticks 4

After Christmas eve happy hour at Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen for pastrami cheeseburgers, pastrami on rye, and Reuben sandwiches, lil' sis, my four nephews, three of their friends, and I trekked over to Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Oregon for some photos.

Christmas at Pioneer Courthouse Square - Portland - Oregon

A Christmas tree had been installed in the center of the square and was all lit up for the holidays. As I snapped photos of the kids doing one goofy pose after another, I couldn't help but think of when they were little and how quickly time has gone by.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Sauteed Bok Choy with Garlic

Right after lil' sis's best friend finished making the Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage, Eggs, and Lettuce, I decided we might as well cook the bok choy since it was already on the counter.

Quick and easy.

As if you really needed a recipe!

Bok Choy Sauteed with Garlic 1


Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage, Eggs, and Lettuce

Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage, Eggs, and Lettuce 1

Don't be put off by the lettuce in this fried rice recipe. The crisp, coolness of iceberg lettuce is a perfect contrast to the fatty Chinese sausage. Other than that, it's a pretty basic fried rice recipe.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Chinese Tomato Egg Shrimp Stir-Fry

Chinese Tomato Egg Shrimp Stir-Fry 1

The peeled and deveined shrimp were part of a Chinese tomato egg shrimp stir-fry dish. This simple, slightly sweet dish is best enjoyed during the summer when tomatoes are at their peak. Nonetheless, the tomatoes are cooked enough in this dish that, even in the middle of winter, they provide a nice burst of freshness.

Chinese tomato egg can be as simple or as complicated as you'd like. Here, lil' sis's best friend adds shrimp for natural sweetness. The tomatoes do release quite a bit of liquid, but that's OK. The extra sauce was perfect spooned over white rice. It was even good eaten cold as leftovers.

Monday, December 21, 2009

How to Devein Shrimp With a Toothpick

How to Devein Shrimp With a Toothpick 1

While lil' sis's best friend was occupied cooking Chinese Spare Ribs with Coke and Soy Sauce, he put her other friend to work peeling and deveining shrimp.

It was too "eww" and "squicky" a chore for lil' sis's fastidious other friend, he of the Alexander McQueen scarf incident.

So I showed him my ba noi (Vietnamese paternal grandmother)'s trick to devein shrimp quickly with a toothpick. After peeling the shrimp, just slide the point of a toothpick in the middle part of the shrimp (I do it after the third "section") underneath the vein. Then gently pull the vein out.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Chinese Spare Ribs with Coca Cola and Soy Sauce

Photos updated from the archives, October 2, 2014:

Chinese Spare Ribs with Coke and Soy Sauce 8

"Honey, I'm home!" I quipped as I walked in the door.

The best sight for a woman to come home to after work?

Not one, but TWO men in her kitchen cooking dinner. Ooh, yeah! :P

Shortly after my Crock Pot Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup) dinner, lil' sis's best friend asked if he could make dinner for both of us.

Someone wanting to cook for me?

Like he had to ask!

He said he wanted to make up for all the times I cooked for him. Hey, I don't need any justifications. Lil' sis's other friend joined him in the kitchen too. The boys were cooking us a four-course meal of Chinese spare ribs with Coke and soy sauce, Chinese tomato egg stir-fry, fried rice with Chinese sausage, eggs, and lettuce, and sauteed bok choy with garlic.

The spare ribs with Coke and soy sauce was a quick and easy recipe that lil' sis's best friend got from his mom. The only difficult part was that my stove is so old that it literally doesn't boil water. Poor guy. He got so frustrated waiting for the sauce to reduce. What should've taken 20 minutes took nearly an hour. Meanwhile, the boys were busy slicing and sauteing. Lil' sis eventually joined in to help. I just sat back and snapped lots of photos. :)

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Star Trek: The Exhibition (Hollywood & Highland Center) - Los Angeles

Star Trek The Exhibition (Hollywood & Highland Center) - Los Angeles 1

I won a pair of tickets to see Star Trek: The Exhibition on Twitter from @HandHCenter, the Hollywood and Highland Center, when I correctly answered that the USS Enterprise 1701-D had 42 decks. No, I'm not nearly that nerdy. I had to Google the answer. Still! I won tickets! Worth about $16 each.

Of course I had to take my brother with me. Only he would truly appreciate the experience. Speaking of the experience, long ago, I got a hotel package from the Las Vegas Hilton that included two tickets to Star Trek: The Experience. Can you believe no one else in the family wanted to duke it out with us for them? :P

Anyway, The Exhibition was chock full of memorabilia that would satisfy any Trekkie.

C'mon, I'll show you.

Friday, December 18, 2009

LudoBites 3.0 at Royal/T (In Bed Together) - Culver City

Since I had such a great time when Gourmet Pigs took me to Ado Ristorante - Venice for my birthday, I wanted to take her out for a nice dinner for hers. As luck would have it, LudoBites 3.0 at Royal/T was extended for several weeks and I managed to snag a reservation. While LudoBites is really quite a bit more than I would spend on a meal, I was very curious about this pop-up restaurant that had been hyped so much, especially the way Ludo Lefebvre, who was on "Top Chef: Masters Seasons 1 and 2" in case you didn't know, is reported to combine unusual ingredients. Since reservations are nearly impossible to get, I didn't want to pass it up.

LudoBites 3.0 at Royal T (In Bed Together) - Culver City 1

I experienced literally two bites of Ludo's food at Hello Kitty's 35th Birthday celebration in collaboration with the "In Bed Together" exhibit that would replace it, so this was all new to me.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Bun Rieu Cua Tom Oc (Vietnamese Crab and Shrimp Paste Rice Vermicelli Noodle Soup with Snails)

Bun Rieu Cua Tom Oc (Vietnamese Crab and Shrimp Rice Vermicelli Noodle Soup with Snails) 2

As I said, Bun Rieu Cua Tom Oc (Vietnamese Crab and Shrimp Paste Rice Vermicelli Noodle Soup with Snails) was the beginning of a furious week of cooking. Bun rieu is one of my favorite Vietnamese soups. It's also the most laborious on account of shelling the crab. It's also one of the most expensive meals I've made as I spent about $30 on ingredients. Ironically, it wasn't the fresh crab that was so expensive as I went with the cheaper rock crab that are usually $1.99/lb at the San Gabriel Superstore. The tomatoes, especially out of season, were almost the same price as the crab. But a proper bowl of bun rieu cua tom oc also includes a pound of shrimp, periwinkles, curled rau muong (Vietnamese water spinach) stems, sliced banana blossoms, pork spare ribs, fried tofu, and more. Yes, there are a lot of components to bun rieu, but made properly, it will also be one of the most satisfying of Vietnamese soups.

As with a lot of my cooking, I had a craaaaving. A craving in which I knew I would not be satisfied with a restaurant version of bun rieu. This is not a recipe I would have attempted until now. One of the benefits of blogging is that I recall flavors of dishes much better than I have in the past. Before, I would have been satisfied thinking something was "good" or "good enough." These days, I find myself picking apart the flavors and textures and ingredients of favored dishes. Am I turning into my momma? Ack!

Unfortunately, bun rieu is one of those soups with which people often take short cuts. Every recipe I stumbled across online used canned crab paste. I used to think my second-youngest uncle's wife's bun rieu was great. And while it still is, I was disilllusioned when I saw her open a can of bun rieu crab paste. *Sniffle.* Even a consultation with my favored "Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Vietnamese Recipes from the Heart" cookbook turned up the use of canned crab paste. Nooo!!!

No canned crab paste for me! I was on my own with this one.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Peruvian Roast Chicken

Peruvian Roast Chicken 1

I had been craving Peruvian roast chicken like crazy lately. I wavered between going to my favorite Pollo Mania - El Monte or trying to make my own.

Buy?

Make?

Buy?

Make?

Argh!

So I did both!

Bought, so I could dissect the marinade and made, since I had a lot of Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Chili Sauce) leftover from Thanksgiving. I ate it with Guamanian red rice before I re-cooked it with annatto seed powder to make it redder.


Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Guamanian Red Rice

Guamanian Red Rice 1

The Crock Pot Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup) was just the tail end of a week of furious cooking. So I'll just blog backwards.

A while back, Canine Cologne of Pink Candles at Ridgemont High had posted a recipe for Guamanian red rice. I've never eaten Guamanian food before and was intrigued by the use of annatto seed powder to color the rice, rather than tomato paste like my Com Do Ca Chua (Vietnamese Tomato Paste Rice). Her secret ingredient, that she learned from an older Guamanian woman, was the use of roasted chicken base paste. Since I couldn't find the chicken paste, I had forgotten all about the recipe until Canine Cologne mailed me a tub. So nice and so unexpected! She had earlier generously sent me gourmet chocolates and handmade earrings!

Canine Cologne used celery leaves and chicken paste in her version. I didn't have any celery on hand, but, since I knew Santos of The Scent of Green Bananas lived in Guam, I checked her blog to see if she had another version. Sauteed bacon and onions, no celery. I had that. So I combined a bit of both recipes for my version. Since the chicken paste can be hard to find, I'd say it's optional. Or you could just roast a chicken and take a spoonful of the congealed juices, which is what it seems like to me. I bet the paste would be great with rice pilaf too.

When I originally made this, I added 2 tblsps of annatto seed to water and microwaved it to get the liquid red like I did with my Crock Pot Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew). Unfortunately, the rice turned out golden, and not red. So I added 2 tblsps of annatto seed powder and cooked it again and it came out reeeed! Use less if you don't want such a vibrant color.


Monday, December 14, 2009

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Crock Pot Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

While dining at Little Fat Sheep - Monterey Park recently, lil' sis' best friend whined, "Chi (older sister in Vietnamese), when are you going to make me pho?"

Crock Pot Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup) 1

Feeling guilty since they've been friends for more than four years, and since he's pretty much a fixture, I agreed to cook pho for him and a few friends. Then, right afterward, I remembered I had made pho for him more than two years ago, when I originally blogged my pho recipe. And made Sinh To Bo (Vietnamese Avocado Shake) afterward since he had never had any before.

Lil' sis said I was such a sucker, but I figured it would give me a chance to revamp the recipe.

My Crock Pot philosophy (not that anyone necessarily needs one for the Crock Pot) is that when I cook with it, I want a recipe in which I can dump in ingredients and then forget about it until it's time to eat.

While I normally use beef marrow bones, parboil the bones to remove excess impurities, simmer for hours, refrigerate to remove excess fat, and then simmer again, I wanted to cut out all those steps. So I used less fatty, but more expensive oxtails. I also skipped charring any of the spices. I dumped everything into the Crock Pot and went to work. When I walked in the door later that evening, the best beefy, spicy scent filled the air. Now, I understood the appeal of Crock Pot cooking!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Banh Pho (Vietnamese Flat Thin Rice Noodles)

Banh Pho (Vietnamese Flat Thin Rice Noodles) 1

While most non-Vietnamese associate the word pho with Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup), banh pho actually refers to the flat, thin rice noodles. There are two types of banh pho noodles, which are sometimes called rice sticks (I have no idea why.).

Friday, December 11, 2009

San Ya Restaurant Korean BBQ & Noodle - Los Angeles (Koreatown)

Before our dinner at Little Fat Sheep - Monterey Park, the boys had asked me to take them out for Korean barbecue.


Restaurant San Ya Korean BBQ & Noodle - Los Angeles (Koreatown) 1


Yup. That sign was the dinner price.

A while back, Tony of SinoSoul told me he stuffed himself on $9.99 all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue with a choice of eight meats. Whoa! That beats the $9.99 all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue with a choice of four meats offered at Hwang Hae Do Korean BBQ - Artesia.

So I mentioned it to my trusty Korean barbecue sidekick, the oldest '87, and off we went to check it out.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Little Fat Sheep - Monterey Park (Closed)

After I told lil' sis's best friend and her other friend about how much I liked the new Jazz Cat Restaurant - San Gabriel, they immediately went that evening. As typical, it was at least a 45 minute wait. So I suggested Little Fat Sheep in Monterey Park.

Little Fat Sheep - Monterey Park 1

This time, I remembered to bring along my camera, I just forgot to put the memory card back inside.

Doh!

So lil' sis's other friend and their friend, Nick (who reads my blog and has been in suspense waiting to see himself mentioned (Hi, Nick!)), offered to take photos for me with their cell phones. Lil' sis's other friend won out since I see him more often and it was less of an imposition. I must say, his iPhone photos came out pretty nice!

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Jazz Cat Restaurant - San Gabriel

I was sad when the original Jazz Cat Cafe - Alhambra stopped letting us cook hot pots table side. Then, they stopped serving hot pots at all. Then, they closed down completely.

Because they had opened a new location in San Gabriel.

Yippee!


Jazz Cat Cafe - San Gabriel 1

The grand opening was in late October. I tipped off Tony of SinoSoul so he could be my guinea pig since he likes to be first. Ha! He complained about the long wait and disproportionately high counter to chair difference at the bar.

But for lunch time with Gourmet Pigs, we only had a slight wait and were seated in a booth. That makes all the difference in my enjoyment of Jazz Cat.

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Happy Sheep Cafe Shabu & Grill - San Gabriel

Since Larkin's wasn't open the day we ended up at The Oinkster, we went back the next day. And it was closed again!

*Ahem.*

I just wanted to point out that I make a pretty good Southern fried chicken and cream gravy and I am not driving out to Eagle Rock unless it's really worth it.


Happy Sheep Cafe Shabu & Grill - San Gabriel 1

Mrs. SinoSoul and I were craving hot pot, so we ended up at Happy Sheep Cafe Shabu & Grill in San Gabriel. This used to be Little Fat Sheep, but I guess they've split from the main branch in China?

Monday, December 07, 2009

The Oinkster - Eagle Rock

When I first started blogging, I was sad if a restaurant didn't live up to expectations or felt I had to justify if I didn't like a popular restaurant. I guess I still feel that way because I really don't enjoy lambasting non-chain restaurants. When I like something, it's fairly obvious. There are few places that are so awful that there's nothing to recommend them. Rather, I think most of my dining falls in a huge gray area -- not horrible but not great either.


Oinkster - Eagle Rock 1

And yet, even with all the delays in posting, my blog has been a way for me to document where and what I've eaten. So although nothing compels me to blog the lackluster meals, I do so anyway. Or maybe I'm jinxed with restaurants I eat at right before Thanksgiving? I felt that way last year when I revisited and still felt "meh" about Charlie's Trio Cafe - Alhambra.

And I felt that way about The Oinkster.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Lil' Sis' Pumpkin Marbled Cheesecake

Lil' sis doesn't cook very often when she comes home.

"Do you really want to eat my cooking?" she says.

Sure! Why not? Especially if she makes pumpkin marbled cheesecakes. :)

Lil' Sis' Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake

Saturday, December 05, 2009

Pate Chinois (Canadian "Chinese" Cottage Pie)

Pate Chinois (Canadian Chinese Shepherd's Pie) 1

I've always loved English Cottage Pie. Who doesn't love baked mashed potatoes on a bed of ground beef and vegetables? I've usually stuck with peas and carrots, so when I saw Miss.Adventure @Home's variation of pate Chinois with corn, I was intrigued with the French Chinese name.

According to Wikipedia, the French Canadian dish may have originated with Chinese cooks during building of the North American railroads in the late 19th century. The Chinese cooks probably made it for their English railway bosses, substituting creamed corn for the gravy in a shepherd's/cottage pie. French Canadian railway workers brought the recipe back home and it spread throughout Quebec and the Northeast U.S.

Another possible explanation for the origins gives credit to Lionel Guimont, a linguistics student at Laval University. Guimont met someone from Maine, who was visiting Canada, and referred to the dish as "China pie." "China pie" could have been a popular dish in lumber camps and mills kitchens in China and South China, two towns in Maine with a large population of Quebecois forestry workers. Workers returning to Quebec translated it into French as pate Chinois, instead of pate de China.

Either way, I find both explanations give an intriguing glimpse into how food and its name have been adapted from its origins.

Friday, December 04, 2009

Triple-Deviled Eggs with Black Pepper, Paprika, and Sriracha

Triple-Deviled Eggs with Black Pepper, Paprika, and Sriracha 1

This recipe was inspired by a recipe I saw in the Oregonian's FoodDay years and years ago. I've long lost the original recipe, but remembered the addition of Sriracha and the "triple-deviled" part. Unfortunately, the original recipe was not available online. Not that it matters since I probably would have made my own variation anyway, but I do try to give proper credit where I can.

Anyway, I haven't made this recipe for years. Not because there was any reason to or not to make it, but sometimes I need a little incentive.

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Homemade Turkey Gravy

Homemade Gravy 1

I thought everyone knew how to make gravy? Just add milk and flour to meat drippings and whisk.

Lil' sis had three Thanksgiving dinners and during one of them, she text messaged me to ask how to make gravy.

Add milk and flour.

I guess she figured it out because she didn't ask me more questions.

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Crock Pot Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew)

Crock Pot Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) 1

With a turkey in the oven and space on the stove needed for cooking other dishes, I turned to my Crock Pot to free up some room. I had resisted buying a large Crock Pot for a while. I was perfectly content to let my stews simmer on the stove top for hours. I didn't need yet another appliance clogging up my limited kitchen space. And yet, the bright red pot went on sale again and again. It was calling to me, I tell you.

So I finally gave in.

My attitude with the Crock Pot, and hopefully some adaptations of my usual recipes with it, is the same as most of my cooking -- to wash as few dishes afterward as possible. While I could have browned the beef on the stove and added it to the Crock Pot, that really wouldn't have done much to adapt the recipe. Instead of frying the annatto seeds to release their color, I decided to try heating it in water in the microwave with good results. Colors were released without the use of oil. After simmering all day, I didn't really think skipping the browning made much difference to the beef, in the end.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Turkey Liver Pate

Normally, I toss out the liver when making my turkey for Thanksgiving. But this year, when I was about to do so, I saw how nice the liver looked. (Well, as nice as liver can look anyway.) And because I had baguettes on hand for my Crock Pot Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew), why not some pate to go with it?

Quick and simple recipe that yields about two ramekins. After all, how much pate do you really want anyway?

Turkey Liver Pate 1