Taiwanese Minced Pork Rice

On days when I'm too lazy to cook much, but I want something comforting, I often turn to a quick rice bowl for dinner. I almost always have ground pork in the freezer for just such instances. Whenever I go to the Asian grocery store, I buy a pound of ground pork, and if I don't have any plans to cook with it immediately, just stick it in the freezer. Ground pork is a staple in my kitchen since I frequently use it for dumplings, egg rolls, stir-fries, noodles, or as a main dish like this Taiwanese Minced Pork Rice.

Though the preparation is quick and easy, the taste is similar to a braised pork dish because of the caramelized slightly sweet soy sauce flavors. I added just a touch of Chinese 5-spice powder to add some nuance. Instead of just ground pork, you could also use finely diced pork belly or shoulder.

Taiwanese minced pork rice is often serve with a hard-boiled egg and some mustard greens, but I made due with a fried egg for a quick dinner.

Snow Monster - Westminster (Little Saigon)

After dinner at Da Nang Com Tam Tran Qui Cap - Westminster (Little Saigon), my friend Ivan and I went across the street for dessert. Actually, I was heading toward TeaZone Lollicup - Westminster (Little Saigon) for their matcha green tea snow bubble when we spied this crowd from across the street.

Ah! So that's where Snow Monster is located! In February 2013, I received an email from someone from Snow Monster who mentioned that she was a fan of the blog "for many years now" and inviting me to try a "fairly new dessert called Taiwanese shaved snow."

"Fairly new"? Really? Because I first blogged about shaved snow back in 2007. She wasn't sure if I had "tried or heard about it." I think I have when I've blogged about shaved snow not once, but twice, thrice, and a fourth time.

Look, I don't expect everyone to remember every blog entry I've ever written, but I do clearly state on my contact page to use my searchbar before emailing me. Don't pretend to be a fan or try to sell your product as something I don't know about when I've blogged about it multiple times and years ago. A simple search before contacting me would have cleared that up. She offered a large shaved snow and a Belgian waffle sundae, and asked that if I had anything negative to say to tell them in person. And to blog within two weeks after my visit. Geez, I can buy my own shaved snow, thank you very much! Pet peeves aside, at least the Snow Monster name was now on my radar?

Anyway, I wasn't going to hold that minor annoyance against them, especially since shaved snow sounded like just the thing on a hot summer evening.

General Tso's Chicken

In May, while waiting for an oil change, I offered my seat to the little old Asian lady coming towards me with a walker. She opted to sit next to me instead. She remarked about the weather (98 degrees that day, 100+ for the next three days) and mentioned that she'd take the heat over the tornadoes she had growing up in the Midwest.

Which led to fascinating stories about her father opening a Chinese restaurant in 1920 (!!!) in Omaha, Nebraska. All the decor was imported from China, which made eating at the restaurant quite an adventure for many people back then. Her family was one of only two Chinese families in town.

She came out to Los Angeles before WWII to work for the Air Force (which was still part of the Army at the time and didn't become a separate service until 1947). She talked about encountering racism when she tried to rent an apartment as a newlywed. A landlord said he decided to rent to his nephew instead and another landlord said the apartments were all taken but if there was an opening he'd call her. She credited Miiko Taka's 1957 appearance on the Ed Sullivan show to promote "Sayonara" that changed one landlord's mind about renting to Asians. Immediately after the show, she got a call saying the spoken-for tenant decided not to take the apartment and it was available after all.

And then my car was ready and I had to go.

Oh My Pan Bakery & Tea - San Gabriel

So, as I was saying, when I went to visit my new nephew, I wanted to bring my sister-in-law something that her parents were unlikely to have brought. Remembering that she likes the black sesame soy milk from VP Tofu - Monterey Park, I figured black sesame cream puffs seemed like just the thing.





My first visit to Oh My Pan Bakery and Tea in San Gabriel was in the late afternoon on New Year's Eve, lil' sis and I went with the oldest '87 and the older '88, since the latter two were skipping out on my brother's party that evening. The oldest '87 said Oh My Pan was her newest favorite tea house, pushing out her previous favorite, Half & Half Tea House - Monterey Park.

Dai Ho Restaurant - Temple City

In August 2007, I joined lil' sis and her best friend for lunch at Dai Ho Restaurant in Temple City. The owner has been dubbed the "Noodle Nazi" for his brief noodle menu and short hours. Which was news to lil' sis's best friend, who's been dining at the restaurant since he was a kid. He said the owner has always been nice to him.

How bad could the owner be? And just how good were his noodles?

Well, on my two visits, the owner wasn't there because he was battling some health issues. As for the latter, apparently the noodles were so good that a Los Angeles Times reporter stole my photo and uploaded it onto his personal Facebook page without acknowledging that the "two thumbs up" in the picture weren't, in fact, his thumbs at all.

On my first visit, we arrived shortly after opening. Dai Ho is only open for three and a half hours a day for lunch.

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken

I've said it before many times that I have so many sets of photos that I could not cook or dine out for an entire year and still have something to blog every day. My photos were alphabetized since I tend to blog thematically, but too many posts got buried that way. Recipes languished and restaurants closed before I ever got around to blogging them. So I recently sorted my photos again, this time by date. And lo and behold, this Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken recipe from February 2008 popped up.

I had made this around the same time that I made and blogged my Taiwanese Popcorn Tofu and Japanese Chicken Karaage recipes, but wasn't quite satisfied with the recipe for some reason. But these photos, even taken with the old point and shoot camera, don't look half bad. The texture was fine, I just couldn't figure out exactly the right spices to make it taste like what I get at the tea houses. But here you go anyway, my almost forgotten Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken recipe.

Le Arbre Tea House - Rosemead

Back in March, Tony of SinoSoul and his missus went to check out the mango shaved ice at Le Arbre Tea House in Rosemead. They invited me to join them since the shaved ice will be too big for the two of them to finish. So off I went, looking to find another tea house to replace my usual spot at Tapioca Express Inc. - San Gabriel.

This next photo is pretty hilarious, but if you're easily offended, just bypass it and go down to the third photo.

Sanbeiji (Chinese Three-Cup Chicken)

Sanbeiji (Chinese 3-Cup Chicken) is a braised chicken recipe that uses equal portions of soy sauce, sesame oil, and Chinese rice wine. Not quite one cup of each though, unless you're making a very large pot.

According to Wikipedia, the dish originated in Jiangxi province in southern China, but has become popular in Taiwanese restaurants, which is where I've encountered it. The chicken is quickly browned on high heat and then simmered on low heat until the sauce is reduced. Ginger and basil round out the flavors of the three cups of sauces. I added some shiitake mushrooms too since they stand well to a long braise and will absorb the sauce.

I used my Chinese Clay Pot to cook the three cup chicken, but any heavy pan, such as a dutch oven, will do.

Happy Sheep Cafe - Rowland Heights (Closed)

Recently, I was contacted by the son of the owners of the Happy Sheep restaurants, which used to be the Little Fat Sheep restaurants in Southern California before they changed the name and sold some of the locations.

He had seen my post on Happy Sheep Cafe Shabu & Grill - San Gabriel and wanted to thank me.

Aww! How nice!

Free meal? Gift certificate?

How 'bout a blogger meal I suggested instead. That way, hopefully it can get the word out to others. So I invited some blogger friends and totally forgot that it was Easter Sunday. Doh! So even though a lot of people couldn't make it, I still got lots of FoWCs (that's Friends of Wandering Chopsticks). ;) Like, Gourmet Pigs, Tony of SinoSoul, Meowmi whom I met on Biggest Menu years ago, Jeannie of The World is My Oyster, Abby of Pleasure Palate, cousin Q's older brother and his wife and baby Pablo, and my friend Don. Thirsty Pig got thrown into the mix since he had blogged about Happy Sheep too.

The Rowland Heights location of Happy Sheep Cafe is to the left side of the HK2 Food District supermarket, all the way in the back of an alley. Look for the Hong Kong Fishball House, the notorious fried pork rectum I remembered from Kirk of Mmm-yoso's post, and keep going. Don't worry, the smell of the stinky tofu will dissipate once you get to Happy Sheep.

Kang Kang Food Court - Alhambra

Remember when Won Ton Time used to be in this strip mall? How about further back when Kang Kang Food Court used to be Shau May? Or even further back when the Chinese movie theater used to be here?

Oh! Oh!

Speaking of the theater, does anyone know the name of the Chinese movie where these two boys were raised like brothers, except one of the boy's fathers was head of a mafia? I think one of them grows up to take over for his dad? And then there was a train and he climbed in through a window and surprised a woman, and they ended up falling in love? Except she was on her way to marry the other one? Or something like that. Mafias, love triangles, love on a speeding train.

C'mon! Does anyone know which movie I'm talking about? My second-cousin took me to see it at the Chinese theater that used to be here and I don't remember the name, but I really, really want to find it again.

Anyway, back to Kang Kang and reminiscing. Remember when shaved ice was only $1.50 for three ingredients? I know! Darn inflation!

Even at $3.25, it's still the best shaved ice deal in town. My cousins and I are here almost every week during the summer.

ID Cha House - San Gabriel

Shortly after 85 Degrees C Tea House - San Gabriel changed its name to ID Cha House, I went with Gourmet Pigs to see if it was still the same.


Same horoscope drinks and hot tea. I can't even remember which tea we got, but they're $4.95 for a pot and can be refilled with hot water upon request.

Class 302 Taiwanese Cuisine - Rowland Heights

After our dinner at Centro Basco - Chino, it was still relatively early. Since it was such a drive out there, I wanted to make it worth my while. We were really too full at this point to eat anything much so I suggested shaved ice at Class 302 Taiwanese Cuisine in Rowland Heights.


Guess everyone else had the same bright idea because Gourmet Pigs, Starchy Marie, and I ended up waiting at least half an hour for a table. So, we went next door to 99 Ranch and I picked up a few groceries.

I have no idea why the restaurant chose a school theme. Beats the toilet-themed restaurant in Taiwan though!

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!



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.

Indian Restaurant - San Gabriel

No, Indian Restaurant in San Gabriel doesn't serve Native American food. It doesn't serve Indian subcontinent food either. It's a Taiwanese beer hall that is Native American-themed. Think kitschy dream catchers on the walls, kachina dolls here and there, and waitresses wearing short skirts, tank tops, and headbands with feathers sticking up.

My eyes were quite offended; my belly was quite pleased.

Because as far as Taiwanese beer halls go, and umm, this is the only one I've been to, the ability to turn unusual ingredients into yummy deliciousness can't be beat. Think stinky tofu, squid lips, and duck tongue. Mmm. :P

Tapioca Express Inc. - San Gabriel (Las Tunas Dr.) (Closed)

Instead of the Tapioca Express Inc. - Alhambra, I go to the location in San Gabriel on Las Tunas Dr.




This location is conveniently across the street from Golden Deli Vietnamese Restaurant - San Gabriel, Luscious Dumplings Inc. - San Gabriel, and Vietnam House Vietnamese Restaurant - San Gabriel.

It's not just about the tea drinks. There are plenty of tables, chairs, and sofas. Even when it's packed, I've always been able to find a spot. And plenty of outlets for my laptop.

Best of all, I never feel rushed.

Tapioca Express Inc. - Alhambra

Did you know this Alhambra Tapioca Express was the original?




It might seem as if Chinese tea shops have always been ubiquitous in Southern California now, but in 1999 when this Tapioca Express opened, I remember the sealed lids were quite a sensation. As was the $1.99 price tag.

Taiwanese Popcorn Tofu

This is my vegetarian take on Taiwanese popcorn chicken, the kind of snack you get at tea houses such as Pa Pa Walk - San Gabriel, Tea Station - Alhambra, and 85 Degrees C Tea House - San Gabriel. After making Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken), I realized that the batter was reminiscent of popcorn chicken and mentally filed it away for future recipe experimentation.

The result, except for the very square shape, looked and tasted pretty good. What do you think?

Jazz Cat Cafe - Alhambra (Closed)

It doesn't take much to make me happy. Travel, of course, is #1. But traveling needs to be saved up for, planned, and if I'm lucky, occurs a few weeks a year, or every other year. So let's talk about tangible happiness. I've really only got two: books and food. I love it when I glom onto a new author. I love getting so involved in a book that I have to finish right there and then, nevermind that the sun has risen and I have to be up early the next day. Then I scour bookstores to buy up their backlist because waiting for Amazon would just take too long. And then I stay up all night again reading the next book. Well, every once in a while, I glom onto restaurants as well. Such was the case with Jazz Cat Cafe in Alhambra. How did this restaurant escape my notice before? I drive along Valley Boulevard all the time. After I first saw the array of hot pot flavors on BiggestMenu, I immediately nudged this restaurant to the top of my neverending "to-eat" list. I've eaten here about half a dozen times in the space of a few months, and at one point, three times in one week! Talk about glomming! And no, I haven't tasted all the hot pot flavors yet (Not for lack of trying, mind you.). Is it the individual hot pots that appeal to me? The squash and bok choy and other veggies that makes me feel like I'm eating healthy? The fusion variety of broths from Japanese curry to Korean kimchee to Thai spicy chili? The somewhat trendy and intimate atmosphere? All of the above? And so it was that on the eve of my birthday, with cousin Q and his brother, who was in town but not free until nearly midnight, that I chose to go here for dinner. I don't always need a menu with 200 choices. Sometimes a restaurant that specializes in one item, with some variations, is just what I need. I know this isn't terribly exciting food, but I've always left with a warm, happy belly. And sometimes, that's all I need. My first visit occurred several weeks before with another cousin, who really loves hot pots, and her husband and baby. Umm, just a bit of advice, rambunctious babies around open flames are not a good idea. :P The individual hot pots start at $10.95 for beef, chicken, pork, or lamb. Add four shrimp and it's $12.95. Add two mussels and one scallop and it's $14.95. The veggies are all the same. And you have a choice of regular rice or a Japanese rice ball - wrapped in seaweed and filled with pork floss. If you've never had Chinese or Taiwanese hot pot before, it's basically flavored broths that you dip meat and veggies into. Japanese hot pot, or shabu shabu, is more likely to be plain water to cook the meat and several different dipping sauces. And of course, there's the Swiss fondue, with cheese. On my first visit, I ordered the kimchee hot pot. Clockwise from the hot pot, there's Japanese rice, a raw egg to crack into the hot pot, dipping sauce, and a plate of beef, veggies, and that long tube is fish paste. I lifted the beef so you can see the various veggies, tofu, and vermicelli bean thread noodles. And my kimchee hot pot merrily bubbling away. The hot pots use sterno can gel for fire so there's no regulating the heat. Don't be greedy and put everything into the pot at once or else you'll get overboiled veggies and a flame that won't die. Now, you don't have to follow my method, but I've managed to portion my veggies so that it lasts until the flames die out. Wait until the hot pot starts boiling and then put in your veggies. Start with the hardest to cook veggies first such as squash and cabbage. Don't use all your cabbage, basically it serves to lower the temperature of the broth when it starts bubbling. Only add a few veggies at a time. The meat is sliced very thin so it only needs a quick dunking to cook. If the broth is boiling, add some cabbage to tone it down. By judiciously portioning your veggies, you should make it last until the flames die out. My cousin had chosen the sukiyaki hot pot with chicken. Blech! This is the second time I've had sukiyaki and both times the broth has been way, way too sweet for my taste. My cousin didn't care for it either. Her husband ordered the Jazz Cat house special, which tasted like Chinese five-spice to me and also looked very much like the Japanese curry hot pot, which had a nice light curry flavor. My favorite though is the Thai spicy hot pot. It actually looks much redder in person than in the picture. It's got pickled chili paste ie. sambal oelek, slightly spicy, sweet, fish sauce savoriness. While the other broths are fine for dipping, I actually slurp this hot pot as soup. And after trying this flavor with cousin Q and his brother, I went back a few days later with lil' sis because I was craving it again. Lil' sis ordered the Taiwanese tossed noodles. Tasted like the house special hot pot, in other words, Chinese five-spice flavoring. You can also add various iced and milk tea drinks for $1.95 to $2.50 if you're ordering a hot pot or entree. As for atmosphere, most of the tables are meant for two people and if you both order hot pots, that takes up the whole table. There are some booths on the other side, and a set of tables that are often pulled together for big groups. Head there for an early dinner and the wait isn't too bad. But any time between 8 to 10 p.m. and it may be upwards of 45 minutes waiting time. And of course, since it is Jazz Cat Cafe, there's a memo board of various cats. A little freaky, but it did keep my cousin's baby entertained while I played with her so her parents could eat. 2007's birthday eats: Uzbekistan - Los Angeles (Closed) Perfectly Sweet - Alhambra Tagine - Beverly Hills Sunday Bistro - Alhambra Elite Restaurant (Dim Sum) - Monterey Park Who else ate at Jazz Cat Cafe? Henry Chan's Food Videos filmed his "bubbling cauldron." December 8, 2008 Update: On a recent visit, Jazz Cat Cafe no longer lets you cook tableside. Everything is cooked in the kitchen and then brought out. There is no longer a Japanese rice option and the egg is hard-boiled. The broth flavors are still good, but the hot pot experience isn't the same. :( A new location is being built on Valley Boulevard and Del Mar Avenue in San Gabriel. Supposedly, the burning hot pots will be available there. August 28, 2009 Update: Hot pots are no longer being served at all at this location. January 21, 2009 Update: This location has closed. See my post Jazz Cat Restaurant - San Gabriel for information on the new location. Jazz Cat Cafe 640 W. Valley Blvd., Ste. #A Alhambra, CA 91803 626-293-8999 Open Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

85 Degrees C Tea House - San Gabriel (Closed)

After our dinner at Kabuki Japanese Restaurant in Pasadena, I wanted some kind of dessert to remove the fishy taste from my mouth. Where to go that wasn't too filling? I had passed 85 Degrees C Tea House many, many times as I drove down Valley Boulevard.


It was on my mental check list of places to try, but nothing urgent pushed me. Until I saw Henry Chan of Henry Chan's Food Videos's pictures of his light and fluffy green bean snowflake dessert on Biggest Menu. And when he mentioned the cafe had free wi-fi, I was so there! The interior was a nice surprise. Very classy for a tea house, no?

A Taiwanese Shaved Ice (Almost) Big Enough to Hide Behind

When I first moved to SoCal nearly a decade ago, the 87s and 88s were in elementary school. My first birthday here, they even drew pictures for me. Awww. I'd take them to the bookstore or the county fair. When I took them out to eat, it was usually something along the lines of Chuck E. Cheese's. Then they hit their teens and all they wanted was for me to take them to the mall. And now they're all in college and way too cool to hang out with their old fogey cousin.

But not too cool to eat with me in the hopes of getting mentioned on the blog! Man! Do I have the heart to tell them the blog's not that famous?

After our dessert first at Vanille de Patisserie in San Marino, I decided to take them to lunch at Pa Pa Walk in San Gabriel. I wanted them to see the coffin bread and the foot-high Taiwanese shaved ice. And if they didn't like that, I knew they'd be happy with popcorn chicken and potstickers.

The coffin bread, listed as fried toast with cream soup on the menu. I think the prices for some menu items went up 50 cents.