Relaxing Eats Over Labor Day Weekend: Verdugo Bar and Daikokuya (No. 206)

Seems like this Labor Day the blogger brigade is out in full force, whether marching into mini-vacays or assaulting the multi-event extravaganza known collectively as The Taste. As for me, I had a pretty low-key time around town, more by coincidence than anything else, having no idea September and Labor Day weekend would come so soon! In fact, I didn't even know about the extra day off till the Wednesday before when my co-workers started chatting up about their holiday plans.

Since I missed the press pass application deadline for The Taste & not feeling spontaneous enough for a quick trip on the fly (don't even want to imagine all the traffic & lodging nightmares,) I spent most of the three days just lazying around my place. But it wasn't completely without its share of foodventures . . .

On Saturday, I helped out my friend for her design school project. She approached me about doing a cooking demo show so I offered to whip up something that's sophisticated-sounded but oh-so-simple to make: goat cheese-honey truffles, which has only five ingredients and takes about 15 minutes of hands-on prep time.

Of course, it got a little more complicated when we have to do multiple takes (plus cleanup & resetting the kitchen between each take,) and I have to keep talking on-camera to avoid that awkward silence (and I hope they can find & edit in some background music during that dead time.) But it was definitely a fun experience (moreso since I brought a bottle of Prosecco for the occasion.)

Sunday, I decided to make a long overdue re-visit to Verdugo Bar, where The Hot Knives duo has a "Gnosh Pit" vegan BBQ going on -- with $5 BBQ'd Jackfruit Hoagies, Po' Boys with oyster mushrooms, and summer succotash + jalapeno cornbread. I only had stomach space for the two sandwiches, and they were great! I liked the po' boy better, with its crispy, savory mushrooms and an indulgent radish remoulade (or should I say vegmoulade?) -- totally didn't miss the meat! The lightly-dressed kale slaw was also a nice, refreshing change from its cabbage-y cousin.

And as to be expected, Verdugo bar put out an awesome beer list for the occasion -- I loved the numerous fruity brews they had going on (e.g. New Belgium's Kick Cranberry-Pumpkin Ale, Wandering Aengus' Anthem Cherry Cider, Hangar 24's Polycot Apricot-Loaded Summer Wheat,) perfect for an afternoon picnic on their patio. As my friend Andy noted, this definitely filled the void left behind by Pure Luck (and fortunately, Verdugo will be doing a vegan shindig of some sort the first Sundays of each month!)

On Labor Day itself, I actually labored through the day . . . taking care of chores in & around my place, doing a bit of grocery shopping for my office & at-home meals and putting in some extra exercise in anticipation of the coming week's indulgences (starting with Edison's Radio Room Revival tonight!) But I did squeeze in some time to check out Daikokuya's Arcadia outpost . . .

Yay for being much closer than the other locations, and even more bonus points for NO LINES. However, I wasn't feeling so hot about smelling fare from the adjacent food court stalls (namely, stinky tofu) it's in. Also, the food court itself is pretty depressing, bordering on gross (quite a few tables have food trays LONG overdue for a bussing.)

I also felt iffy about the food itself. I got the half-ramen/half-oyakadon combination with extra negi (a perfect portion size, since downtown LA's full-sized ramen & half-rice bowl option is always too much food!) The ramen proved to be as solid as the other Daikokuyas' (which is to say -- decent, tho not super-stoked) but the oyakodon was lackluster with dried out chicken & too little donburi sauce in proportion to the rice. But given its proximity & ease of access, I'll probably go back and give their other half-ramen/half-bowl combos another try . . . maybe to-go this time so I won't be thinking "when did I order this stinky tofu donburi?"

And so went my Labor Day weekend . . . lazy hazy, easy breezy and much-welcomed recharge after an eventful summer. Now I'm ready to tackle Fall and all that it has to offer (maybe something from this crazy list of LA Food & Wine events?)

A few more photos on flickr here

Verdugo Bar
3408 Verdugo Road
Los Angeles, 90065.
(323) 257-3408
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Daikokuya Arcadia
1220 S. Golden West Ave (Inside of President Square Food Court)
Arcadia, 91007
(626) 254-0127
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Facebook

No. 173: Bites & Sips Along Colorado Urban Hike

Overlooking Arroyo Seco & Colorado Street Bridge

Even though July was relatively gloomy, on the Sunday of my 14-mile Colorado Urban Hike the sun was pretty much out in full-force, which made for a beautiful day to get outdoors plus lots of stops to cool down, hydrate and check out some of the local flavors from Glendale to Arcadia.

Starting my excursion at 8 a.m. with Tiny Nancer, we both deemed Porto's Bakery & Café the perfect first stop to get our hike started on the right foot.

Nancy, never having tried their potato balls, got one of those & an oversized blueberry muffin for breakfast. I opted for their guacamole & cheese omelet croissan-wich, and we splitted a cup of their super-sweet, freshly-squeezed OJ.

My sandwich took a while to come out (during which Nancy & I pondered whether they're churning the butter for the croissant or waiting for hens to lay the eggs for the omelet) but it turned out to be worth the wait. The sesame seed-studded croissant was flaky, soft and surprisingly a tad sweet, and it was a nice combo against the rich guac and the gooey cheese omelet. A dash or two of Tapatio or Cholula hot sauce was all that's needed.

After our satisfying breakfast, we hiked and Nancy, a longtime Eagle Rock resident (who's soon moving to the Big Apple,) schooled me on some local eats worth checking out - including Carousel Restaurant ("Every Armenian I know recommends this place!" she said) to Fish King Seafood Market & Deli and... Sasoun Bakery.

Despite still being full from Porto's, I let myself be talked into trying their hot-outta-the-oven cheese beorek (OK, not all that hard considering the smell of baked bread and the aroma of spices)

. . . which I'm glad I did. Essentially quesadilla's Armenian cousin, I love the pita texture of the bread (crispy crust, fluffy interior) and the melty, Monterey Jack like cheese mixed with cooked onions and savory spices. And at $1.50, flavor- and value-wise it definitely beats any of the chain offerings from the Galleria or Americana (though Nancy herself is more partial to even bigger bargain of Taron Bakery.) Alas, having a belly full of breakfast, I only ate one-half of my beorek, and wound up giving the other to Nancy's boyfriend Robbyjazz.

Heading down Glendale, we spotted a few other curious eateries and meaning-to-tries, such as Rocky's Gourmet Pizza and Zankou Chicken (the latter being one I've still yet to check out -- shameful for an Angeleno, I KNOW.) Ultimately, our next eating stop was at Eagle Rock n Roll Sunday Farmer's Market, where we met up with Gourmet Pigs and her boyfriend as they were waiting for their made-to-order pupusas and tamales. Nancy and I, starting to feel dehydrated, got a watermelon agua frescas from the pupusa vendor. Oh-so-refreshing!

After finishing our drinks and sampling some of the market's fresh & prepared foods, Nancy took us to Eagle Rock Mall to its somewhat hidden gem, Seafood City, a Filipino market offering all sorts of cheap produce and Pacific Island specialty foods, including literally an aisle of ube. I definitely thought about buying something to bring along for the rest of the hike, but decided it wouldn't hold very well in my backpack for the rest of the day. And now that I know where it is, I can always come back.

Fiona, Nancy and I contemplated on getting a snack at local casual faves Spitz and Swork, but ultimately decided on a light meal instead at Four Café (I also thought about checking out Dave's Chillin & Grillin but unfortunately it wasn't opened yet.) Having six in our party (Caroline on Crack and Robby joined us) it seemed appropriate to take advantage of their BYOB policy to buy a little brunch bubbly from neighboring Colorado Wine Company.

Cava Barcino Brut, a dry Spanish bubbly that's a little flinty and a little tart (and appropriate for the lighter fare we're about to get) - and apparently LA Times' S. Irene picked this as an affordable New Year's Eve sparkly to pop. We didn't know it at the time, we just snagged the bottle for its decent price & because it's the last one in the fridge and figure it can't be a bad thing if if it almost sold out.

For my brunching, I considered re-doing my recent delicious order but ultimately went lighter and got their haricot verts deli salad with asparagus, shallots and a bit of truffle oil alongside their chilled heirloom tomato gazpacho with a balsamic reduction. The vegetables in the deli salad were nicely cooked, still possessing a satisfying crunch and loads of flavor with every bite and I love how multi-faceted the soup tasted, with its refreshing sweet-and-sour profile and packed with tons of real tomato flavor (nothing like the anemic-tasting slices found in sandwich & burger chains.)

Of course, between our collective sweet tooth we had to grab something sugary to finish off our meal (I mean, we do need carbs for the hike!) so we shared their Mexican hot chocolate and lavender brown sugar cookies. I liked the former cookie more, which was moist and had the fun spiced chocolate combo. The lavender shorbread-like cookie was good too, but proved too buttery and chalky with subsequent bites -- so I'm definitely glad I was sharing that (I will give Four props though for not overdoing the lavender, which happens way too often at other places and makes me feel like I'm eating soap or lotion.)

After Four, Fiona and Nancy and their b/fs took off from the hike, leaving Caroline and I to hike (and eat... and drink) the rest of our way down Colorado. Our first stop was at Little Flower Candy Company, where I might've bought a bag or two of their delicious caramels except they might melt into a massive molten and sticky blob by the end of the hike. So instead, we got seed bombs from a vending machine outside for a little guerilla gardening later.

Upon arrival in Old Town Pasadena, we deliberated a little bit on our next hydration stop and finally settled upon La Grande Orange for a pitcher of their signature white sangria. For $19, we got 7-8 glasses of the thirst-quenching winey, fruity punch -- a definite bargain any time of day. Caroline, who didn't eat at Four, was starting to get a little hungry so she ordered one of my fave dishes there, their tuna burger (and I got to nibble on some of her fries.) Definitely a nice, and much-needed, respite

While at LGO, Caroline mentioned never having been to Eagle Rock Brewery before -- so I said "WHAT?" and opted to take a shortcut (namely, shaving 3-4 miles and an hour's hike) by riding the Metro Gold Line so we can make it there before they close shop at 6 p.m. The timing worked out just fine, even including a detour to Arcadia residential streets after Colorado Blvd. became sidewalkless, some stray peafowl photo-snapping and a quick stop by Phoenix Food Boutique to pick up some milk custard w ginger for Nancy while Caroline got her red bean mochi on.

With our fast-paced hiking and my semi-manic driving, we arrived at Eagle Rock Brewery right at 5:58 p.m. -- thankfully there were other late patrons and co-owners Steve and Jeremy Raub were happy to serve us (Jeremy even said he saw my tweet and meant to reply that they'll hang around a little while after 6 p.m., awww!)

At Eagle Rock, Caroline got their Solidarity, their super popular dark, mild-flavored beer with a good dose of malty notes. I opted for their recently-debuted Limbo, a saison-style beer with citra hops, which was kind of fun being a little hoppy, a little sour and a little yeasty-funky, definitely putting it in a hard-to-pinpoint limbo position of beers.

After downing our brews and snacking on some peanuts & pretzels that they brought out, Caroline got a growler of Solidarity (picking up some tips from Jeremy about how to store and serve in the process) and we left thoroughly hydrated and little bit buzzed. Realizing we still had our seed bombs in our pockets, we planted them on the grounds outside the brewery. Maybe in a couple of weeks, we'll see them bloom into some wicked wildflowers.

And so that's how the July Urban Hike went down -- another satisfying course where I discovered new places while checking out some favorites too. And already, I'm looking forward to the next one criss-crossing downtown LA on August 29, a relatively shorter five-mile route along Spring, Hope & Grand that starts with a Nickel Diner lunch and hopefully ends just in time for happy hour at one of the neighborhood's many popular and tasty watering holes. Here's the route I planned, hope you can join!

View Larger Map

Last but not least, here are Caroline & Nancy's posts on the hike; and the more photos on my flickr set here.

Porto's Bakery
315 North Brand Boulevard
Glendale, CA 91203
(818) 956-5996

Sasoun Bakery
625 E Colorado St.
Glendale, CA 91205
(818) 502-5059

Eagle Rock n Roll Farmers Market (@ Eagle Rock Plaza parking lot near Macy's)
2700 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041

Colorado Wine Company
2114 Colorado Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 478-1985
Twitter

Four Cafe
2122 Colorado Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 550-1988

La Grande Orange Station Cafe
260 S Raymond Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 356-4444
Twitter

Phoenix Food Boutique
1108 South Baldwin Avenue
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 446-7668

Eagle Rock Brewery
3056 Roswell Street
Los Angeles, CA 90065
(323) 257-7866
Twitter

Special Foodventure #150: Wine Detective (Pasadena)

While Pasadena may still have its work cut out as a food destination, it definitely has carved out a nice niche in the wine sector, with a slew of wine tasting rooms, stores, bars and restaurants surrounding Old Town and the Lake Shopping District. Just when I thought the market may be fully saturated, in comes another place to learn, taste and appreciate the millenia old beverage.

The most recent addition to quench Pasadena's seemingly insatiable wine-thirst is the Wine Detective in the Lake Ave Shopping District, and Gourmet Pigs and I were lucky enough to invited by one of the co-owners to check the space out (and taste some of their food and wine.)

When I asked co-owner Lev Gerstik what compelled him to open a wine bar in this (already pretty wine-filled) district, he simply replied "There's nothing else like this place" noting that the other Pasadena wine offerings are more like restaurants than a wine bar, or wine stores with a tasting room. Indeed, based on the offerings it does offer an experience unlike a wine store or a wine-focused restaurant, with wines described in careful details, a pretty knowledgeable staff, a cozy-chic urban vibe (custom woodwork furniture, concrete walls with projected artwork and loungey music) and a rather small-and-tight menu of wine-friendly foods (cheese and charcuterie, mini open-faced sandwiches.)

Another notable aspect of Wine Detective is its Enomatic wine machines, featuring approximately 50 wines available by the taste (1 oz. pours) for $2-9 each (most of the wines in their selection are around $3-4 when I went.) Of course, you can also get the wines by the glass (5 oz. for price of 4) and by the bottle too. It was definitely a fun way to try out and compare different wines, but I imagined it can certainly run up a bill quite fast too, especially for those curious about the pricier options. But hey, it's great to know that I can taste a little bit of the expensive stuff before dropping a serious chunk of change to commit to a bottle.

But for more affordable drinking, I'm digging their Happy Hour (Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.) with house wines for $5 and 25% off entire food menu. Gourmet Pigs and I had the chance to check out a few of their items, extra-special tastes there include the buffalo mozzarella and roasted tomato pintxo and the duck trio plate (duck proscuitto, duck salami and gelee-topped-foie gras mousse,) I'm particularly surprised that the salami and proscuitto from a fowl tasted better than the pork variants, which I attribute to its fattier texture and being less salty than usual. In any case, it definitely leaves me optimistic for the rest of their wine-friendly snacky menu, and for those looking for heartier fare -- there's always The Counter Burger right across the street!

Overall, I had a nice experience at the Wine Detective, and I really think it has appeal for both casual wine sippers and the serious oenophile, without being intimidating for the former or willy-nilly-whatever with the latter. And as someone who likes to comparison shop, it never hurts to have another option so close to home.

What Do Others Say?
- My tasting partner in crime loved it, and "not only could I walk home after drinking wine, they also offer a 10% discount for those with Caltech or JPL ID!"
- Mattatouille liked the "Enomatic system that'll delight everyone from novices to connoisseurs."
- Pasadena Now observed that "a lot of thought and care is put into the choosing of the wine and the food."
- Hometown Pasadena declares it a "fine addition to Pasadena's wine community and café culture"

The Wine Detective
146 S. Lake Ave, #109,
Pasadena CA 91101
(626) 792-9936
Website

Special Foodventures #145: Thankful November Diary Pt 1

Pera Cocktail, made with pear-infused cognac, from Drago Centro

With 2009 coming to an end, I have definitely been thinking about the 11 months that already passed. If I had to distill all those experiences into a single word, it would probably be Thankfulness. I suppose that's not a rare emotion to have this time of year, with Thanksgiving memories still lingering and all the anticipation of the holiday celebrations with close ones afoot. But it is very much a genuine feeling; thus, I dedicate December's posts to all the things I am thankful for in 2009. Starting off the dedication, I'll commemorate last month -- where, despite my announced blog hiatus, I've still been invited to numerous events, meeting wonderful new folks while reconnecting with friends I already know, all over many great meals, snacks and drinks.

November began as a total trip, literally! Thanks to winning PhishFest tickets from a LAist contest, e*starLA and I embarked on a trip to Indio over Halloween weekend for the three-day, eight-set performance by the jammin' rock band.

Not only do I have a whole new sense of appreciation for their music (really only having listened to them in passing before,) I also discovered some tasty treats out in the Inland Empire, including the Beer Hunter Sports Pub & Grill (boasting over 250 beers by the bottle and a sizable tap of ~30 brews.) And, since an A&W was within reach, we got fried cheese curds and root beer floats too (with some fried chicken, since this fast food stop was a hybrid with KFC!) Oh did I mention I got a brownie sundae that wound up pwning my butt? Even with Esther's help we left about half of it untouched!

Immediately following PhishFest (literally - we drove direct from Indio to Venice Beach to make the event), Esther and I headed to a Zeno Supper Club with fellow bloggers Caroline on Crack and Gourmet Pigs. We were invited by Citysearch but there was a $20 suggested donation at the door, but I thought what the hey -- there's an open bar and the foods served looked promising. And grub was certainly worthwhile, a delightful mishmash of gussied-up comfort foods (cassoulet, a "Thanksgiving" sandwich with turkey, cranberry sauce and gravy within and fire-roasted oysters from Carlsbad Aqua Farms!) and nice sips (namely, beers from Stone Brewing Company.) Who would've thought that this food-packed weekend is merely a preview of many more to follow in November?

Two days following, I met up with almost-common-law-spouse Esther again to taste cocktails from the new menu at Drago Centro, followed by the Secret Whisky Society at 7 Grand, which was highlighting Irish whiskys from Cooley Distillery, and then snacks and ANOTHER cocktail from Bottega Louie across the street. Obviously my memories of that night is a bit blurry, but I was definitely in bliss and can ID some of my favorites of the night: the Fumo e Fuoco ("Smoke and Fire") at Drago Centro, the silky-sweet-smelling Port barrel-aged Tyrconnell and Bottega's Manhattan, echoing Caroline's sentiment.

A few days later, I packed my bags and drove up to San Francisco for the first annual Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, celebrating - obviously - foodblogging! The three days were jam-packed with lots of eats and drinks, from casual SF street food to a chic farm-to-table five-course affair inside a produce warehouse, not to mention the numerous "samplings" we had along the way. And once again, I'm just floored by the fresh, seasonally-driven fare that's the soul of SF cuisine.

Of course, I squeezed in a little extra time too between events and took an extra day off to enjoy some of my favorite NorCal food and drinks and to discover new ones too. Of course, the likes of Alembic Bar (chocolate-bourbon pudding OMG!) and Tartine was in the itinerary, but I was also thrilled to discover new places such as Rickhouse and their crazy punch bowls (~$30 and it can easily serve six w refills too), Anchor Oyster Bar's succulent and sweet shucked shellfish and shooters and Ad Hoc's casual but well-prepared four-course meal.

And on the way back, I swung by the Chez Panisse Upstairs Café for simple, sinful farewell-to-NorCal lunch. Their green goddess dressing for the gem lettuce & beet salad was divine, as was the pink lady apple and sour cherry tart with clove ice cream. Finally, the autumn vegetable couscous was just as tasty the day after returning to LA.

Speaking of bringing stuff down, no surprise to anyone who knows me, I brought back a lot of edible (and mostly sweet) souvenirs, along with all the Foodbuzzy schwag!

I also had my share of fun outings with other actively writing blogger pals too, such as a long-anticipated trip with Gourmet Pigs to JTYH (which I'll call Justin Timberlake's forever and ever thanks to Cathy) for their knife-cut noodles, moo shu "cat's ears" and dumplings. It was solid stuff, but I think all the recent blog raves are a tad overhyped. But a great, affordable lunch/dinner option in the SGV.

The following weekend, I met up with some of my Blogger Prom committee pals over a beachside brunch at Casa del Mar, taking advantage of their $29.95 for a three-course brunch with a dessert buffet, and bottomless brunch cocktails if you text them. While the brunch and the service was lackluster, the company was definitely great! You can read Maya's ShopEatSleep blog report for the mishaps, I won't say much asides from the fact that we had to hail the manager at least three times to our table.

And despite my announced hiatus, PR folks were still sending me invites to check out restaurants and events. From a lovely, casual dinner with an amazingly inexpensive wine and cocktail list at Allston Yacht Club in Echo Park (can't wait to check out again) to ten-course meal at Animal paired with assorted Samuel Adams beers along with a tasting of their 27% ABV Utopias (and they weren't skimpy with the portions, the steak was as big as Caroline on Crack's face!) Read her blog for the full lowdown on this beer and food filled fest. And somehow I still managed to talk her into going to Golden State with me to share a float made with Requiem Espresso Stout and Scoops' Salted Caramel gelato.

But Bouchon's grand opening party takes the cake as the glitziess event from that first half of November, between the celeb sightings (Julia Louis-Dreyfus! Gilles Marini and Star Jones! Ryan Seacrest, Pierce Brosnan and Fred Savage too!), the tour through their vast kitchen, and of course, plenty of tastings galore, bottomless alchy, meeting Chef Keller and of course, mingling with Eating LA's Pat, FoodGPS' Josh, Grubstreet LA's Hadley, LAT Daily Dish contributor Krista Simmons, Pleasure Palate's Abby, Juli B contributor Ket, Eater LA contributor Daniela, Tasting Table's Lesley Balla, Choisauce and numerous others. I was thrilled to have a chance to sneak peek the restaurant before opening, and looking forward to a real meal there in 2010 after the typical restaurant opening kinks and dust gets settled.

And this is only half the month of foodventures-in-blogging-absentia, more to come about the rest of November in a future post! In the meantime, enjoy the photos from my flickr!

Mini Foodventure #143: Michelle's Pancakes (San Gabriel)

While I often do my homework before checking out a place, there's just as many times when I pick a place on a whim without any prior knowledge. Such was the case with Michelle's Pancakes last week, when my mom and I got jonesing for dumplings on a rainy day and decided to meet halfway between our homes. Finding nearby Luscious Dumplings already out of several varieties, we decided to cross the parking lot to Michelle's instead, which I suggested only having remembered it as a skipped stop from the running food marathon. Only upon entering did I realize it's a LA Times' profiled restaurant -- thankfully, a few months have past since the write-up and we dine a bit late that night so the floor wasn't really packed.

We decided to split two plates of dumplings (pork/leek and shrimp/egg/leek) and the not-on-official-menu Shandong-style beef roll (spice-marinated beef wrapped with scallions, cilantro and hoisin sauce in a crispy pancake), and as a perk for ordering three dishes we got to choose a side from their fridge. We opted for a Chinese seaweed salad.

The beef roll here is decidedly a bit more elegant and delicate than say, the more robustly-flavored and rustically-presented ones at 101 Noodle Express. Overall, the taste is a bit lighter and less intense, the spices in the marinated beef are more subdue, and the onions in the roll and the pancakes aren't particularly overwhelming -- and I definitely love that I don't have to unravel the roll to pick out excess cilantro leaves (which I often do with other beef rolls.) To draw a Chinese food parallel, I likened Michelle Pancake's beef rolls to Din Tai Fung's xiaolongbaos, both more refined than the typical specimen.

As for the dumplings we ordered, the flavors were also lighter than the norm and bordering on bland for the shrimp/egg/leek one, but the filling was juicy and the wrappers were delightfully tender for being boiled and I totally believe their "No MSG" claim upon eating these. While I don't mind eating mild-flavored dumplings, I did mind that I can't use my requisite condiments to punch it up a notch as the chili oil container was all kinds of gross, lifting the lid yielded slimey strings that reminded me of natto strands. So not acceptable! My mom was wary of trying the other condiments there too, but alas, desperate to inject some extra flavor, we went with a vinegar/soy sauce/sesame oil combo to dip our dumplings in, and my mom asked for a side of raw garlic cloves, which we nibbled on alongside our dumplings to somewhat compensate for the lack of spicy and oniony tastes.

Our three mains and a side wound up to be $22-ish, slightly higher than I expected but not too bad. Despite the price, I'd likely make a return trip from time to time for the beef rolls if only to save my fingers from smelling like the cilantro I have to pick off. And hopefully the condiments' cleaniness improves or I may have to take a cue from mama and BYO Chili Oil.

What Do Others Say?
- The SGVN (Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News) finds it "hard not to order too much" here, but noted that they make great leftovers too.
- It is highlighted as one of Asian Dumpling Tip's favorite SGV dumpling houses
- Eat:LA pits their beef rolls against 101 and Mama's Kitchen, and mentions Michelle's "has the most pleasant atmosphere and service of the three."

Michelle's Pancakes
706 W Las Tunas Dr
San Gabriel, CA 91776-1161
(626) 293-8098

The best banh mi I've ever had . . .

An overnight-chilled, smooshed flat and partly sogged up (from adjacent water bottle) banh mi bo nuong (charbroiled beef Vietnamese sandwich) . . .

. . . but as a disclaimer, this is after in the midst of an intense dayhike/deathmarch up and down the Vivian Creek Trail to the summit of San Gorgonio Mountain. I guess hunger, and high-attitude-induced delirium, does make the best sauce afterall.

Of course, I had the infinitely tastier, fresh version straight out of Banh Mi My Tho (my favorite V-wich shop) too. And it was all kinds of delicious with the peanutty spread, pickled veggies, fresh 'n cool cucumber, slightly sweet BBQ'd beef and the occasion spicy slice of chili pepper smacked between crispy-on-outside, tender/chewy-on-inside baguette.

And at $2.50 per 'wich, it's super recession-friendly too (this sandwich actually lasted me two sittings during the hike!)

Next time I'll just remember to keep it away from the liquids in my backpack . . .

Banh Mi My Tho
304 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91803
(626) 289-4160
Yelp page

Mini Foodventure #140: Roy's (Pasadena)

Yes, Roy's is a longstanding chain, and despite my general reluctance to check those out for my blog, I gave their recently Pasadena location a go because I wanted to see what upscale Hawaiian cuisine is like (OK, technically it's Hawaiian Fusion -- but hey, many dishes we consider "typical Hawaiian cuisine" are fusion fare too, having been influenced by the East Asian immigrants as well as European & American colonization.) And also, they had an offer for their e-newsletter "Ohana" subscribers that discounts the bill by $20 for using their e-reservation system. A definite incentive for me since I always considered Roy's prices a wee bit too high for comfort (but that could be attributable to my Hawaiian food experiences thus far, which are casual fare that never ventured more than $15 a person.)

The restaurant exterior is gorgeous and impressive, with a lovely dining patio and walkway flanked by young palm trees and flaming tiki torches. Since the weather is still warm (and smoky, hazy from the Station Fire) I opted to eat inside instead, whose decor is somewhere between contemporary-fusion and a head-on collision of different themes, though the disarray of different colors and tones seems to mesh well with Roy's own fusion food focus. In any case, the ambience is definitely catchy visually and even conversation provoking (if I had to pick one object to gab about, it'd be their TV above the urinal . . . seriously? do guys really need to be kept entertained for the half a minute to take care of number one?)

While I had planned to get their notable three-course $35 prix-fixe, as soon as I sat I got a huge pang for seafood so I scanned the menu and ordered a seafood trio sampler for $29.95. Also tempting was their foie gras started, which looked interesting in preparation and surprisingy inexpensive for $12.50... which turned out to be free (apparently the chef wasn't pleased with the first lobe and had to do-over this dish, so the general manager apologized and comp'd it even though I didn't think the wait was THAT long -- but still, kudos to the service on both sides of the house.)

After my order, I was served this plate of edamamme -- now normally I'd nibble on only a few pods, but I found myself munching away at half this plate before reluctantly asking the busser to take it away so I don't get full before the actual food comes. These weren't only a little salty but also a little spicy and sweet with citrusy, peppery and even nutty notes as well... and sure enough, my brain just went "A HA!" when the server informed me the edamamme here are tossed in a little sugar and shichimi togarashi as well. What an easy-to-do upgrade that I'll surely do next time I'm serving these up at home!

The miso-glazed seared lobe of foie gras came with a yamamomo and a orange wakame soy butter; at first I wasn't sure if they meant soy butter as in some vegan butter derived from soybean, which sounds like all sorts of wrong since it's served with foie, but upon tasting realized that it's butter flavored with soy sauce along with orange and wakame. And it's really tasty, butter infused with wonderful citrusy-sweet fragrance of orange, the sea-briny taste of the wakame and a wee bit of the soy's umami.

The foie gras itself was a solid, but not spectacular, preparation -- the sear was perfect, but the flavor is very one-dimensional, duck fat w/o a hint of liver-ness. As the yamamomo, it's my first time trying so I can't say much about it (it tasted like a boysenberry to me) though it might be better if served pitted next time... not very modern-upscale upon discovering I have a seed to spit back out with the first bite.

The Roy's classic trio consisted of the (left to right) Hawaiian-style misoyaki butterfish, the Hawaiian blackened island Ahi tuna and hibachi grilled salmon. The butterfish tasted super-similar to its relatives, the black cod and Chilean Sea Bass: soft, moist, buttery and wonderfully complemented by the savory-sweet miso glaze and the bok choy. The rare seared ahi tasted pretty standard (fresh and good but not particularly noteworthy) but I did love the wonderfully spicy nostril-opener of a soy-mustard butter sauce (a wonderful spin off the wasabi & soy sauce). Surprisingly, the most lackluster of the trio was the salmon with citrus-ponzu -- despite taking the server's recommendation of having it cooked to medium, it wound up being overcooked a bit and was too dry for my liking. The accompanying sunomono was alright though. Nonetheless, I appreciated the three different preparations of this trio and it's a great to be able to sample several smaller-sized entrees for the price of one -- also props for their sensible portions!

Even though they are famous for their melting hot chocolate souffle, I already got dessert plans later that evening so I opted out, but it's something I'll consider for the future. And on that note, I'm definitely open to re-visiting Roy's -- overall the food is decent, and their service was superb (even if they didn't comp the foie gras), the price is too high for everyday dining, but for special occasions... or if the right deal floated along... I'd hit it again (though I don't expect to score such a sweet offer anytime soon, combining the $20 discount and the comp'd app, my expected ~$40 bill came out to $12.XX!!)

Ultimately, it's hard to compare this to the other Hawaiian joints I usually frequent since it's so drastically different, I wouldn't come here expecting a plate lunch and spam musubi anymore than I would expect Aloha Food Factory or Shakas to serve foie gras and have an expansive cocktail & wine list, so it's better to appreciate each variety for what it is.

Roy's Restaurant Pasadena
641 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101-2005
(626) 356-4066
Website

Mini Foodventure #133: A touch of sweets and bubbles at POP -- again (Pasadena)

seeking a sugary final note to a weeknight out, not having to worrying about DUIing since I Metro'd my way around town -- I revisited one of my favorite local sparkly-sweet stop: POP Champagne & Dessert Bar, where I'm no stranger of . . .

The menu has evolved a bit since its beginning days, but I still love the variety of desserts and bubblies (particularly the large selection of the latter available by the glass!) This time around I opted for a lighter sweet and a more eccentric glass of sparkling:

Strawberry crepes w rose petal ice cream ($7) - while not particularly photogenic, these certainly tasted refined and elegant - the freshly made crepes were still warm and surprisingly firm and toothy despite sitting in all that caramelly sauce. Round it off with some ripe strawberries and a wonderfully perfumed ice cream (topped with candied rose petals, classy!) and out comes a very sexy, romantic dessert.

Feeling drinkventurous, I simply chose a bubbly that's on the sweeter side to complement the crepes, and my selection was way better than I imagined; the Dezzani Brachetto d'Acqui ($10) an Italian late-harvest sparkling red that had a kiss of sugar but bursting with berry aromas w a tinge of flowers, totally complementing my dessert. Definitely love at first taste.

Even as I stepped out from this session of bites and sips, I'm already looking forward to my return visit here; knowing how often my sweet tooth jaws act up, I have a feeling it won't be too long. And maybe get a group to come along too so we can take advantage of their Thursday special (33% off all bottles.)

POP Champagne & Dessert Bar
33 E. Union St.
Pasadena
(626) 795-1295
Website