Viewing entries tagged
chicken

Boiling Seafood Wok

November 5, 2017

My brother introduced me to Boiling Seafood Wok. Funny that I've never seen this here. I've been to this tiny plaza to buy donuts. Then again, there are tons of hole in the restaurants just like this all over 626. At this point, I recommend you just checking it out without reviewing on Yelp. Most of the reviews are biased anyways. And honestly, it's the places you least expect to be great that comes out on top. My only recommendation is to always bring cash.

This is the boiling Chilean sea bass pot. This was supposed to be spicy, but I found it far from it. If anything, there's a strong dose of white pepper. This was simple, but comforting. You will find bean sprouts, cabbage, tomatoes, pickled cabbage, and leaf celery (aka chinese celery). You can add noodles to this, but I love soaking this into my rice. The pot comes with a butane stove. You can also order this in a larger size as well with the addition of adding more seafood if you want to pay extra.

Chinese green mustard. I wasn't a fan of this growing up because of the slight bitterness this had. I've definitely grown to love this vegetable. In fact, I started to love greens that contained more fiber. This isn't something I would order if I see pea tips or ong choy on the menu, but since we ordered a few fatty dishes that day it felt suited for the occasion.

Steamed chicken is a staple of Chinese cuisine. I don't know what about it makes it for me, but I always like to order steamed chicken. This is served bone-in with a soy-ginger-onion oil. Growing up, this appeared on the table a lot with the usual bowls of rice.

Braised pork belly is something I naturally gravitate towards. It takes a lot of time to perfect this dish. I've had this inconsistently prepared where parts would be dry why certain edges would melt. This was pretty good. I definitely recommend this if you're a pork belly lover like me. This is like the Chinese version of pork kakuni. A dish from heaven for all the rice lovers as well.

Fried large pork intestines. Ok. I get it. Looks gross, because it does. And it takes the right people to share this with. It's not something I get to order. Normally, I am the only one that wants this, so it's not ideal to order this. Luckily, the company I was amongst enabled me to order this. A good fried pork intestine will be cleaned out from any... impurities.. that may still linger within the linings. Should be boiled ahead in a light seasoned broth to tenderize the meat. Must be fried golden and crispy. From time to time, the intestines may be stuffed with green onions. This helps reduce the gamey flavor, but I grew up eating this so I don't mind it. This and some beer is the perfect late night grub.

Life is short, try new things.

7940 Garvey Ave Ste 108 Rosemead, CA 91770

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Wood Ranch - Burbank

June 12, 2016

I attended a media event for Wood Ranch the past week at their newest location in Burbank. If you are familiar with this area, it is where the old Elephant Bar used to be. Shocking to see that they closed, but having Wood Ranch in the area made more sense. The location will officially open for dinner at 4 p.m. on Monday, June 13 and for lunch on Wednesday, June 22. So get ready to mark your calendars.

110 N. 1st Street Burbank CA 91502

Here are a glimpse of the food items we had that evening:

You have your fresh guacamole, salsa and chips. Killer wings (both buffalo and fiery). Their famous shredded onions which you can literally put on everything. There's absolutely no way your hands will be clean after this round.

We had a few salads to try. From their sides, a mountain of original peanut coleslaw. Their Tuscan Kale Salad composed of watermelon radishes, chives, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, golden raisins, toasted pumpkin seeds, shaved Parmesan, and tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Natalie's Salad - mixed greens, candied pecans, avocado, Gorgonzola crumbles, cucumber, balsamic vinaigrette. And their BBQ chopped salad with your choice of chicken or tri tip - Mixed greens, corn, black beans, Tillamook® Monterey jack, tortilla strips, tomato, carrots, scallions, cilantro, ranch, and Original BBQ sauce. Which one would you get? I liked the chopped salad because I'm a meat salad type of girl.

St. Louis Ribs are sweet & spicy, dry-rubbed & smoked. Served with a side of Original or chipotle-cherry BBQ sauce. I loved these ribs the most. I'm a huge fan of dry rubs and these were definitely fall off the bone tender.

These were center cut and hand trimmed, served with the original BBQ sauce. Sweet and tangy. These were also fall off the bone. You can see it by the shreds.

Wood Ranch Tri Tip and Fire Roasted Chicken.

They had some premium sides like grilled asparagus. Also signature sides like sweet potato mash, and Mac & Cheese.

At the Burbank location, there are a few exclusive items you'll find here, and only here.

The Ultimate BBQ Sandwich. A stack of Carolina Pulled Pork w. Carolina Slaw, Double RRanch® Brisket topped with Tillamook Swiss®, wood-grilled premium kielbasa (spicy smoky sausage), charred jalapeño, Famous Shredded Onions on a freshly baked brioche bun. Choose any barbecue sauce on the side. Good luck taking a bite of this. I had no problem... but a warning in case your jaw gets stuck.

Premium, juicy chicken thigh, brined overnight in buttermilk and spices, then coated with their specially-seasoned mix.Fried to order and topped with their Peanut-Cilantro Slaw on a freshly baked brioche bun. A large sandwich. Crispy and delicious. Good luck headed towards the gym after.

Bar Area Special during Happy hour, Momday-Friday 3-6pm. These are their Smoked Pulled Pork Nachos. For $6, this is definitely a steal. Carolina Pulled Pork, Tillamook Monterey jack® and cheddar cheeses, black beans, chopped jalapeño, salsa, house-made guacamole and sour cream.

Save room for dessert:

Graham Cracker crust cheesecake with raspberry sauce and their Oreo Cookie crunch - Vanilla bean ice cream rolled by hand in ground.

Make sure you check them out!

110 N. 1st Street Burbank CA 91502

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Pitchoun Bakery - DTLA

June 5, 2016

Pitchoun is a fairly new bakery located in DTLA on Olive Street. Pitchoun is also a family owned bakery who were originally from South of France. Besides it being a bakery, it is also a cafe that serves up some tasty sandwiches as well as tartines. I'm such a huge fan of french Pâtisserie so it didn't take me any hesitation to say yes to swing by.

some baked goods and sweets.

This smoked salmon tartine was served on a bed of arugula, country bread, and topped off with capers, creamy spread with chives and shallots. The Country bread was nice and thin that allowed easy bites without playing tug of war. The smoked salmon was fresh, with no fishy aftertaste. Just a nice smoked flavor with the brininess of the capers. I loved this and will definitely order it again. For $13.50, you definitely get a great sizeable portion good enough to share.

This tartine was composed of Ciabatta break, topped with fennel, asparagus, sundried tomatoes, pisto, fresh basil, chicken, and cheese. Fresh and light with a yummy bright pesto. Piled high, but not heavy at all with the nice combination of veggies.

Cappuccino - Enjoy this with your lunch or a Pâtisserie

Could not say no to that Fig. This tart was delicious, buttery and flaky. The fruits were also really fresh. There's not much to say about this besides it being great. With a nice cup of cappuccino, I can sit here for a while.

Oh yes. This angry bird eclair exists from time to time. Whether you are getting one for a kid or you just want to feel like one all over again, these are fun to have.

545 S Olive St. Los Angeles, CA 90013

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Rice Box - Los Angeles

April 26, 2016

Rice boxes are a huge staple to the every day Chinese fast food. But calling it fast food is a huge understatement. I watched tons of Hong Kong soap operas as I was growing up and a lot of times these "Fahn Hup" were known as fast food for the working class. When we think about fast food here in America, we are familiar with McDonald's. In Hong Kong, you would find white rice, and proteins like BBQ Pork or Roast Duck with a side of gai lan.

Rice Box is a new up and coming concept coming in the near future to run with the modern approach of Cantonese BBQ. They will be at Unique Markets in Los Angeles this Saturday & Sunday, 04/30 - 05/01 from 11AM - 6PM. They will be featuring a few of their Rice Boxes. We had the pleasure to taste a few of their items before this event. I can't tell you how excited I am about how incredibly delicious the food was. It really reminded me of great comfort rice boxes when my parents would bring some home.

One of the first dishes we had was this Sesame Cold Noodle. It's made with organic noodle, house pickled carrots & cucumbers, organic tofu, sesame dressing, and house made chili oil. This was very fresh and slightly creamy from the sesame dressing.

Growing up, I hated these things. I think I disliked them because it was something my parents always ordered when I wanted egg rolls instead. But once I started getting older, and I start eating less with them, I find myself not having these as much as I used to. And now, I really really love them. The daikon cake is made with daikon, rice flour, bacon (hormone/antibiotic free), dried scallop-shrimp-shiitake, house made chili oil and garlic sweet soy sauce. The cake is normally steamed first before pan fried.

Get it? This is for the absolute mushroom funk lovers. This daikon cake is made with daikon, rice flour, dried wild porcini, oyster mushroom, wood ear, and shiitake served with house made chili oil and garlic sweet soy sauce. I could eat these during any sports game.

One of the ultimate fahn hup's I grew up eating. Rice, BBQ Pork, Gai Lan, and a sunny side up EGG ALWAYS. This organic, hormone & antibiotic free pork shoulder was not shy of any flavor. Their eggs are also organic served with some organic quinoa rice. The best parts are the burnt ends that has been caramelized in the open flame.

Soy sauce chicken is one of my favorite Cantonese dishes. It's hard to find made right. A lot of times, it's extremely dry from staying under the heat lamps for so long. People just don't appreciate this style of chicken anymore. This was perfectly executed. The chicken breast was extremely succulent and I can't say that a lot about chicken breast. The soy sauce was not too salty, but perfectly balanced with the sweet marinade. Served with house ginger scallion sauce, and charred Gai Lan with sesame seeds on organic quinoa rice.

This is for the Vegan/Vegetarian peeps. You get the same marinade as the Cha Siu pork, but with a Cauliflower Steak. Have you ever had a Cauliflower steak? It changes you.

These are for the spicy lovers. Beware because these poppers pack a lot of heat! The organic tofu is deep fried then doused in minced jalapeño, scallion, garlic, salt and pepper. I could take the heat, but I'm not going to lie that I sweated a little.

Roasted Pork belly. It's pretty self explanatory. This might be one of my top favorite ways to eat pork. It's a huge staple in our culture. Something that is served for celebratory events, holidays, or just a Friday night special. The pork belly is the best cut of the whole roasted pig. Rice Box focuses solely on the belly. Yeah, it's good.

To wrap things up, everything we had was phenomenal. To me, this is what Chinese BBQ is all about. If there was a restaurant that made food this great in a rice box, I would be there in a heartbeat almost everyday. This is also something I know a lot of older generations would love.

Don't forget to check them out at Unique Markets. Tickets are sold $10 at the door -Cash Only, but you can always purchase your ticket online by clicking HERE.

Stay tuned as Rice Box is working into becoming a brick and mortar.

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Kareem's Mediterranean Restaurant

December 29, 2015

First of all, save this address:

1208 S Brookhurst St. Anaheim, CA 92804

I got the opportunity to taste some home style Middle Eastern food in Anaheim. What's special about Kareem's, is the history. They've been opened for 20 years with the same owner. The father of the restaurant, named it after his son, Kareem. Over the years, a few other Arab restaurants opened up. About 20. Though some closed, Kareem's still stands as one of the flagships landed on Brookhurst.

I've had plenty of Middle Eastern food, but I never know what to expect. I know there are small regions all over the place that serves the same food, differently. Kind of like Asia. From Chinese dumplings, to Taiwanese, to more Southern, it's all similar but different. What was special about Kareem's was not just their family recipe, but how the mom still cooks in the kitchen. But that will be saved for later. There are a lot of intimidating dishes that I'm sure a lot of people won't be too comfortable eating. Like, lamb liver. I am definitely going to come back to try this.

With that said, I left the choices up to Kareem himself.

Fatoush Salad

This is my favorite salad to order at a Middle Eastern Restaurant. I love the vinegar and the tanginess of the Sumak which was doused pretty liberally, just the way I like it. The pita was nice and crunchy. The greens, tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, were all extremely fresh and crisp. The amount of salad that you get are pretty generous, so I would recommend sharing this.

Falafel Plate with Hummus

These home made bad boys are vegan. And boy OH boy are they bad to the bone in the best way possible. I've had my fair share of falafel, but never quite like the ones here. They are piping hot, and is forgivable even after eating them cold. They were very crispy on the outside. But on the inside? you be the judge:

Super moist and seasoned perfectly. Their falafels is the same original recipe that Kareem's father created 20 years ago. These will even make your forget you are eating something that is vegan. I highly recommend getting these when you arrive. And if you would like to take some home, they are sold in local markets like Super King, Irvine Ranch Market, and a few others.

French Fries

They must know I've been craving fries. These were perfect. Soft and slightly crispy, sprinkled with Sumak. I would order these again, and dip them in whatever I can. I was even eating these with the chicken instead of the rice. And I was also eating these together with the pita, falafel and hummus.

Chicken Kabob

Grilled chicken Kabob was served with hummus and rice. The chicken was very juicy. Goes so well with the charred tomatoes and onions. Don't forget the hummus and pita. Extremely fresh and jaw dropping deliciousness.

You must order their hummus. If it already comes with your plate, fine. But this was one of the best hummus I've had. Creamy and slightly nutty, doused with paprika. The olive oil and paprika just swims in the hummus. It was a beautiful sight.

Going back to Kareem's mother. She was more than a sweetheart, she is exactly what she was, a mom. I felt her energy. The "Hi" to the "thank you for eating my food". I wanted to hold her hand. No I wanted to hug her. And give her a kiss on her cheek. She is the cook in their kitchen. And if this was my last meal, I would be content and happy. Because I know a loving mother made this meal for us. She told us to wait, as she brings us mint tea which was huge in their culture. But for me, I felt like it was my own mom telling me to drink some tea to digest the food. In no time, she comes out with:

Ceylon black tea with fresh mint. Ceylon is a tea from Sri Lanka. It has a very robust flavor and works well with creamers if you love english tea. To some, this is familiar to the Moroccan mint tea. The tea though, is different in a Moroccan mint which is normally used with Gunpowder green tea. This was soothing, and cleansing after eating all that food.

At the end of the meal, we were extremely pleased not just with the food, but the service. We were the only asians in there. To everyone else, it's like going to moms. I am definitely coming back. I'm really tempted to order the same things again, but will try my best to order something else. Everything was too delicious.

This is what it's all about. If you want a hole in the wall, a good one, a restaurant with history, family oriented, this is the place you should definitely check out. I live 17 miles away, and will drive out to have home made Middle Eastern food.

1208 S Brookhurst St. Anaheim, CA 92804

Make sure you say hi to the mom. It doesn't get any better than that.

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Wine & Dine

Boiling Seafood Wok

Wood Ranch - Burbank

Pitchoun Bakery - DTLA

Rice Box - Los Angeles

Kareem's Mediterranean Restaurant