Awkward Eats

Foreign & Domestic [Austin, TX]

2011-11-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

When I moved to New York, I was floored by the prices I was forced to pay at restaurants. Everything was at least $5-10 more than what I was used to paying back home in L.A. A bowl of ramen and Japanese fried rice at, say, Hakata Ramen in L.A. cost around $13. I can't even get a regular bowl of ramen for that price at Ippudo in NYC. So going to Austin this past weekend and spending SO MUCH LESS than I would have in New York was quite a trip.

Happy campers

Joyce and Tim took me to Foreign & Domestic on my last night there. Ned and Jody Elliott, the young, hip couple who opened this place, were both formally trained but one could see that traditions were thrown out of the window after one look at the menu (and at our spread). The prices we paid for our dinner (3 main courses, one appetizer) was almost illegal if the menu was shown in New York. Seriously. A waygu beef dish for under $30. What?!

And without further ado, food photos.

Appetizer: Crispy beef tongue ($8)

So tender and juicy on the inside and only mildly crispy on the outside (that's a good thing!). The arugula and horseradish added some interesting flavors but I could happily have just eaten the beef by itself.

Braised waygu beef with potato butter, tomato jam, and poached veggies ($26)

I mean, seriously. What can I say. All the beef, please.

Vital Farms duck fat fried chicken ($18) On top of collard greens, biscuit, carrot slaw and drizzled with goats heart gravy. I could definitely have done without the collard greens (a bit too salty) and the biscuit was just okay but nothing mattered after the chicken. Even the white meat, as Joyce put it, was too good to pass up (the Chinese in us <3 our dark meat, I guess).

3 Cheese raviolo with poached egg, toasted garlic, bread crumbs ($16). This was a good dish, but nothing compared to the beef and chicken dish. I sort of wish we erred on the side of super unhealthy and ordered another meat dish.

There were SO MANY other things I wanted to try (pork brains with huckleberries as another appetizer?) but I was way too full. I didn't even have room for dessert (WORST EVER!). Definitely would go back if I'm ever in town again.

Foreign & Domestic
306 E.53rd St.
Austin, TX 78751
512.459.1010

Parked: Food Truck Rally

2011-08-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

I don't know if there is a better way of spending your Saturday than going to a food truck festival with a friend who is equally in love with food as you are. You mean, I don't have to track these trucks down using Twitter and Midtown Lunch? You mean, they are all converging in one spot and I can have anything I want all in one place? Sold.

I'm very glad Hilary and I got to South Street Seaport--where the event was located--as early as we did. By the time we left, around 1:30 PM or so, the lines were crazy long and there was obviously no guarantee that the dish you wanted would still be around.

We started our gluttonous day with some meatball sliders courtesy of a stand (not an actual truck) called Mighty Balls.

The three choices they served were beef, pork, and veggie meatballs. You can choose a sauce for each slider (African Onion, Cranberry Horseradish, Not Your Average Brown Sauce, Jalepeno Jelly, and Tempting Tomato) and for a$1 more, a cheese to top it off (Parmesan, spicy Feta, Mozzarella).

Hilary and I ordered the beef meatball with the tomato sauce (top photo) and the pork meatball with the brown sauce (bottom photo). The brown sauce had a hint of sweetness which was great given the general lightly-sweet flavor of pork. We actually didn't know what the brown sauce tasted like before we ordered it, so kudos to us for choosing wisely. The beef meatball had a bit of a spice kick to it which was amplified by the tangy tomato sauce. The highlight of our food tour, for sure.

We also ordered their pomegranate lemonade, which was enticingly displayed in a clear jug beckoning us to try it in the hot weather.

Continuing our food-shaped-like-spheres theme, we decided to try another stand called Teriyaki Ball. For $6, you get 6 dough-y balls with potato, sausage, or shrimp tucked inside. It is then topped with teriyako sauce and mayo, some crispy tempura flakes, and sliced almonds. I was pretty underwhelmed with this mostly because of the price, but also because it was a lot breadier than I had expected. I SEE you sausage, but I can't seem to taste you. It doesn't help that the sausage was reminiscent of sausage that you top on a pizza from Pizza Hut. The girls working the stand were very adorable and nice though, on the other hand.

By now, the lines were getting ridiculously long. I had wanted to try a few more things from some of the trucks like Mexicue (barbequed meats on tacos) and Gorilla Cheese (fancy, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches), but the sun was bearing down on me and I am generally a very impatient person. Neither one of us wanted to get full meals because we wanted to try as many little things as possible, so a lot of the food trucks were out (Ed's Pizza, Two Pitas, a bunch of the burger trucks).

One of the trucks with no line was Rickshaw Dumpling. I had seen this truck idling near Astor Place plenty of times but was always wary of it because dumplings = an Asian thing and I never saw any Asians manning the truck. This time was no different, but I was still hungry and again, no line. For $6, you get six dumplings that come out of this steamer-oven-type thing.

Hilary and I ordered the Thai Basil and Chicken dumplings since we realized we haven't tried anything with chicken yet (and you know that is my favorite protein). Oddly enough, it came with a sauce? As Hilary said over dim sum today, "White people love their sauce." So true. This one came with a peanut satay sauce. The dumpling consisted of minced chicken, Thai basil, glass noodles, sliced carrots. It was...okay. I get why they gave you sauce though. The dumpling skin was so dry, probably because it's been chilling on a tray for a long time. At least they offered you chopsticks to make it SOMEWHAT "authentic."

To end our food truck day: dessert. There were a bunch of trucks and stands serving desserts like waffles (Wafels & Dinges which Hilary and I have gone to a bunch of times so we didn't need to get it that time), ice cream sandwiches (CoolHaus), slushies, cupcakes, cookies, and other baked goods.

I wanted to get some Wooly's Ice again but since there was another shaved ice stand, I decided to give this one a whirl to see how it compares.
For $6, you got shaved ice with a scoop of either green tea ice cream or mango sorbet, and three toppings. The ice is then drizzled with condensed milk. The ice is your run-of-the mill shaved ice (unlike Wooly's, which is like sheets of snow ice, Taiwanese style). For $6, it's a bit more than Wooly's, BUT you do get a lot more toppings. If only I could combine the ice of Wooly's with the generous amount of toppings of Shaved Ice Shop, then it would be the perfect dessert. Regardless, still pretty tasty.

We got mango sorbet with chopped mangoes, strawberries, and matcha mochi. The mochi was a tad bit too chewy for me but I liked the freshness of the sorbet.

Since Hilary and I are both very organized people, we had a list/game plan and had taken notes as to what we both ate. Here she is in action, with her game face on.

And to end, here I am in front of an Ethopian food truck with what had to be the weirdest people working there. A girl was wearing a green wig, which can't be that sanitary around food...

Father's Office can S a million D's [Culver City]

2011-07-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

Because Vivian and I are on opposite coasts most of the time, we don't get to share meals very often. (We do however keep each other updated on our current and upcoming meals to a potentially weird extent.) When Vivian came home for a couple of weeks in June, we were finally able to meet up and share a meal at Father's Office. Unfortunately, that meal was balls.

Frankly, we don't get it. Aside from the overly caramelized onions, the burger was bland. Not only was the patty conspicuously non-beefy, the texture was mushy and unappealing. For us, burgers are all about the beef, and no magical combination of toppings could make up for FO's bland, mushy patty.

Combine a mediocre burger with an unnecessarily adversarial seating situation and a pretentious attitude about condiments, and you get an extremely flattering picture capturing our delight at the experience and a gchat convo full of righteous anger. Check it out after the jump for Vivian's take and for our hourlong fight for a table, won in the end by awkwardness.

Vivian: it seems like we're the only two people who didn't like it

i mean, i wish i could blame it on hype?

Andi: yeah! what is up with that!

Vivian: but i mean, it's a WHATEVER burger

i mean, you're really going to pass that beef off as a decent patty?

REALLY?

Andi: not only do people like it but they're like "it's one of the BEST BURGERS EVER"

and i'm kind of sad, like i don't want to miss out on one of the best burgers ever

Vivian: really? I DON'T GET IT

Andi: but i just wasn't into it

Vivian: i wish i could say that it was one of the better burgers i've had

Andi: it's average yo

Vivian: yeah like i don't want to feel like i'm ~missing out~ either

but...

i mean

that beef

what

was

that

Andi: i would like the beef to be the main source of flavor of a burger.

Vivian: YES

the burger needs to revolve around the beef

and not "and also there's beef in this burger"

Andi: "here is a meat disc to accompany your caramelized onions"

Vivian: seriously

the meat was an afterthought

Andi: i actually didn't hate the toppings as much as you did. i'm ok with it, but it only works if the beef has a strong enough flavor to stand on its own

Vivian: to their overly burnt carmelized onions

Andi: what is this magical sandwich that everyone else ate

i want to eat it

Vivian: i wonder if that's why they serve loads of beer with it

so you are hoodwinked

Andi: also like, i get that when the office burger first came out the caramelized onion, gruyere, arugula combo was new and has since been copied a lot

but that is not so like mindblowingly original that you can be such pretentious fucks about ketchup

Vivian: seriously

it's not like you added foie gras

and you didn't want to destroy the integrity of the foie gras

by adding mediocre ketchup

Andi: or ketchup for the fries

b/c their garlic aioli is just sooooo amazing

Vivian: that garlic aioli was the highlight for me, for sure

Andi: SARCASM

i mean yeah it's good

but wtf it's a burger

and fries

Vivian: DID YOU COOK IT WITH TRUFFLE OIL

IDGI

Andi: it was just very average.

like on a par with some of my worse experiences at the counter, which had the same problem of bland mushy beef.

and not good enough to put up with that whole no-host bullshit

and the douchey vibe

Vivian: I really just can't get over the whole beef thing

and having to pit us with other customers to grab a seat

fight to the (awkward) death

Andi: yeah everyone becomes your adversary

if you don't act like a dick, guess what you're going to be waiting for a table for 45 minutes

or MORE

Vivian: i mean, you were there at 7.15 and i got there 15 minutes later

and then we didn't get a table until...8.30

and that was after outawkwarding a couple

Andi: yeah the only reason we even got a table

is because we sat down and had an awkwardness standoff with that couple on a date

Vivian: hey peeps on a date SORRY THAT WE ALSO WANT THIS TABLE

WE WILL JUST AWKWARDLY AVOID EYE CONTACT UNTIL YOU LEAVE

Andi: that was probably the most awkward experience i've ever had in a restaurant

like both of us sitting down

"so...we're doing this now?"

Vivian: i wanted to die a million soul deaths

Andi: i literally shielded my face from the awkwardness

and the thing is while i felt bad for jacking their table, the competitiveness also made me like "well FUCK THEM and their new love"

this is a table for 6! you are two people! gtfo!

Vivian: AND you're not getting food

Andi: i became a dick and for what purpose, vivian

Vivian: we becamemonsters

for the sake

mediocre beef

all because they won't hire a host

due to pretentiousness

Andi: when i went to close out my tab, the bartender was pretty nice

"hi andrea, how was it?"

"not gonna lie, guy, it's pretty dumb here"

and he was like "...yeah.... it's... very...survival of the fittest"

all apologetically

Vivian: they are so patting themselves on the back

'look what we have made these people do!'

Andi: hahahaha laughing with power

laughing at the poor people mad dogging each other

Vivian: ugh

UGHHH

Andi: and the bread, what.

Vivian: omg

i don't understand the use of french rolls if it isn't 1. homemade-tasting/fresh; 2. doesn't soak up any of the flavors

it just...sits there

Andi: i mean…it's inoffensive i guess

it just doesn't add anything

the bread by itself wasn't good

i had some extra

Vivian: me too

Andi: just blerg all around

BLERG.

Vivian: look on the bright side, andi

we never have ot go back

Andi: yeah that is the only reason i'm glad we ate there instead of leaving is so that i don't have to go back

Vivian: yeah totally.

hey do you want to go to father's office?

NEVER. AGAIN.

Andi: no, that place can suck a million dicks

a MILLION

Vivian: it can keep sucking after a million

and i won't stop it

Andi: hahaha

On a final, less angry note, FO doesn't seem like a bad place to grab a drink. But as far as pricy, fancy-ish burgers you can get in a bar go, I say get The Glutster burger at Biergarten in Koreatown instead.

Bacon fried rice

2011-07-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

My friend Joyce had come upon some homemade bacon. I don't mean the thin strips of bacon. Oh no, we're talking about the fatty slabs of pork, smoked in-house. So Sunday night, we decided to do bacon night. She brought over a delicious portion of the bacon that is apparently Schezwan-style. And what better way to cook this than in a Chinese-style fried rice dish?

And that is what we did. And boy was it delicious.
What you need:
2 eggs, lightly scrambled, seasoned with salt/pepper
green onions (enough for a handful or two when chopped)
half a tomato, chopped
half an onion, diced
bacon (as much as humanly possible)
2 cups of cooked rice (day old rice cool. Mine was a month old--frozen for a month, I mean)
peas, carrots, corn to assuage the guilt of too much bacon fat
soy sauce

What to do:
Dice up your bacon into manageable, bite-size pieces. In a frying pan, cook the bacon. Reserve the fat.

In a wok, lightly scramble/cook the eggs with some of the bacon fat. Remove from heat. Cook the onions with some more of the fat.

Add in the tomatoes, peas, carrots, and corn.
Once the onion is getting translucent, add in the eggs. Now, the bacon! Give it all a good mix.
Now, rice. I recommend you make a little space in the middle so you can slowly drizzle some soy sauce. You don't need much since the bacon will be salty enough.
Now mix, mix mix until the rice is brown, your stomach is grumbling.

Eat right outta the wok.

Tijuana [Part 2]

2011-02-27T11:42:00.000-08:00

Our first day in Tijuana had exceeded my already high expectations. But the second day? It was, to borrow a phrase from Teddy Roosevelt, "just constant epic awesomeness".

We started the day at El Mazateño for seafood tacos. As good a breakfast as I can imagine.

Like the escabeche at Tacos Salceados, this complimentary broth had a lot more depth of flavor than you would expect from something so non-central to the meal.

It was at this stop where I learned, from Bill, to use "taco" as a verb. Here is my taco de camaron enchilado, or chilied shrimp, pre-tacoing. And here are my taco-ing supplies:

Result?

One of my favorite tacos from the trip. Seriously. And this is a trip during which I must have eaten around 20 tacos, all delicious. Spicy, chewy, crunchy (thanks to the lightly fried tortillas), and creamy all in the right ways.

The smoky, creamy marlin taco was no slouch either. I also got to try a little of the fish taco, which had an incredible seasoned batter. Everything I'd eaten so far was ridiculously good, and this was only the first stop of the day.

We headed next to Tacos El Poblano to try some carne asada tacos.

Here they use a blend of different cuts of beef cooked over mesquite, unlike the flat top prepared carne asada in LA.

Ok, you can't see the meat here. But it was delicious. The char on the meat makes all the difference.

I also had a tostada, which had a much smokier flavor than the taco. It was nice to experience the carne asada in two distinct ways.

Our next stop was Tortas Wash Mobile, a shack named after the adjacent car wash that has since closed.

They do one thing at Tortas Wash Mobile, which is make the best damn sandwich I have ever had.

The ingredients are simple: a ciabatta-like house made roll toasted on the grill, butterfly cut steak grilled over mesquite and left to rest in its own juices, a bit of mayonnaise, vinegary tomatoes and purple onions, and creamy guacamole. It may sound simple, and it is. It's also perfect.

Okay, they don't only make amazing tortas. This horchata was ridonkulously good, with a beautiful creaminess and a subtle yet rich flavor. If I could have just one meal from Tijuana available to me in LA, it would be a torta and horchata from Tortas Wash Mobile.

For my companions, this was about the time that belly fatigue began to set in, hard. After a full morning of non-stop taco consumption, finishing this torta proved beyond the limits of a normal human being. What my companions began to realize at this time is that I am not a normal human being. According to Wasima at Tiffin Unboxed, I sat on the trolley enthusiastically eating my torta, totally tuned out to the fact that my companions were watching me in awe. It's an image in which my husband finds endless amusement and about which I waffle between pride and embarrassment.

Bill made a change in plans and instead of another taqueria, we went to El Conchal, a shack across from the Mercado Hidalgo, for some incredible Sinaloan style seafood.

The aguachile, served in a molcajete, was sublime, with spicy yet delicate raw shrimp and scallops. We also had fresh clam on the shell. A delicious respite from the heavier fare earlier in the day.

Aaaaand, sadly, those were the last my pictures for day 2. We stopped by Caesar's, the original birthplace of the Caesar salad, which had been recently reopened by Chef Javier Plascencia, and a brewery for some drinks and snacks.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from our amazing meal with Chef Javier at Erizo Cebicheria. Suffice it to say that if you ever have the chance to eat his food, do not miss out. Our nine course tasting menu included tostaditas with different types of ceviche, a mindblowing octopus carpaccio, scallop ceviche in squid ink, a dreamy sea urchin "cappuccino", tacos with swordfish prepared like cochinita pibil, sopes with abalone chorizo, and seafood risotto. So much deliciousness and creativity. An outstanding experience.

We started day 3 of awesomeness with Tacos Aaron, which specializes in tacos varios or tacos de guisado. As Bill says, this style of taco "represents Mexican home cooking at the taco stand." Bill recommended the milanesa, chorizo español con huevo, and the chile relleno tacos.

I loved these tacos. They practically taste like comfort, and instantly evoked feelings I normally associate with foods I've eaten since childhood.

Tacos Aaron is one of two trucks we visited that day. The other was the legendary Mariscos Ruben.

As Bill likes to say, "Mexican Twitter is parking in the same spot for 20 years."

It is a testament to the quality of Bill's selections that each of them managed to impress despite competing for attention with each other. The marlin taquito was smoky, crunchy, and delicious beyond belief. The almejas gratinadas, or clams au gratin, are good enough to make you weep.

How else to close but to thank Bill, again, for the amazing trip? I came with high expectations and was still surprised at every turn. I cannot wait to do a trip like this again.

Lazy Ox Canteen [Little Tokyo/Downtown LA]

2011-01-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

I went to Lazy Ox Canteen in Little Tokyo for New Year's Eve with a few friends (and friends of friends) after seeing the musical "Next to Normal." I'm a fan of gastropub restaurants/places that serve little gourmet dishes to share so I was pretty into the idea of coming here. The service was good, especially since it definitely sucks to be working on NYE.

The two gripes I had were: since there was no room inside, we had to sit outside at night. We had asked the hostess to let us know if any tables open up inside and she never once came out to give us an update. Kind of not cool. Secondly, the prices are a bit too much for me/the dishes itself. Don't get me wrong, the food was all delicious; if each dish was a few dollars less, then it would be more worth it and warrant a second visit. There were five of us, which meant we could try a whole bunch of dishes (they had a regular menu and a "blackboard" menu of specials). They also had a very nice list of unique beers other restaurants probably wouldn't serve, which was great. Since there are too many dishes to talk about (and I don't want to bore you), I'll let the photos do (most of the) talking.

Bellwether Farms ricotta fritters with saffron honey (7). I'm a huge fan of ricotta, so having them with a bit of honey was fantastic.

Dashi marinated yellowtail with avocado, hash brown and tonburi (15). The hash brown was a bit awkward in the dish, as the yellowtail and avocado has more of that citrus taste. Take away the hash brown, and this was a pretty good dish.

Beef lengua (tongue) and chorizo croquette with harissa. I didn't expect the tongue to be diced up so small but the flavor was still there. Subtle, but there.

Crispy bone marrow with lentil salad. Airy and light, I didn't even know I was tasting bone marrow! Pretty fun to try.

Rose (8) and Proseco (12)to start the festivities!

Marinated anchovies with piquillo pepper. I'm not a fan of anchovies, but I tried this anyway. The marinade was good; so were the peppers. This has a very anchovy taste which overpowered everything else...so if you like that, this is right up your alley.

Squash blossoms with ricotta and prosciutto. Basically a squash tempura filled with ricotta. The batter was very delicate and light, which gave me more of the squash and ricotta flavor. I didn't taste any prosciutto though.

Hand-torn pasta with fried egg and herbs. The pasta was really delicious. I don't know what kind of sauce they used (actually I shouldn't use sauce, more of a drizzle of something but I want to know so I can make it!

I very rarely eat lamb (not a fan of gamey meat in general), but the taste wasn't overwhelmingly gamey. Very moist and tender.

Butterscotch pudding with pine nut cookie (8). I didn't have any of the cookie but the pudding was really delicious. A hint of salt and a slight bitter aftertaste counters the sweetness and richness of butterscotch. I was worried it would be too heavy, but it was a very light pudding.

The first rice pudding (9) I actually enjoyed. Light, airy and subtle, the hazelnut on top of the pudding, as well as the caramel and cream in the other two dishes, really elevated this dish.

Lazy Ox Canteen
241 S San Pedro St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Hironoya [Gardena, CA]

2011-01-01T14:50:00.000-08:00

Let's start the new year off right with an awkward thumbs up photo and proof that I am, indeed, a glutton.

Hironoya just opened up in the Tozai Plaza in Gardena, right next to Lee's Tofu. The restaurant is so new that a huge yellow banner with "GRAND OPENING" still adorns the outside. The place is unassuming--the small restaurant sign is affixed right next to the entrance--with very little decoration. The servers were all friendly and ever smiling, and the main man behind the sashimi counter (who is also the owner) both greeted and bid us adieu.

The clientele is mainly Japanese, which is always a good sign.

Since I went with two other friends, I was able to sample a lot more than I usually could. We went there for lunch, so there were four lunch options, as well as the regular menu, the sushi menu, and a sashimi menu.

We chose the Hironoya Bento Box ($14.95), which comes with an assortment of really fresh sashimi, grilled fish, shrimp and veggie tempura, a sample of simmered summer vegetables and rice. The grilled fish was nicely done--not dry and with enough flavor that it didn't overpower the actual fish. Usually I'm okay with tempura, it's not something I need or crave. The tempura here had a very light batter and it wasn't oily, so I was pretty impressed with that. The sashimi--as well as our a la carte order of the hamachi (yellowtail; $7.95)--was really great. Since it was super fresh, it had a great taste (good descriptions, Vivian).

Close up of the grilled fish.

The sashimi that came with our bento box as well as our side order of hamachi.

We also ordered the tempura udon, which came with a side of eel rice--both good ($12.95). What I like about Hironoya is that the flavors are subtle with a lot of ~depth~ and you're not always going "I wish it was more salty/less salty/more, etc" which is always a great sign. The chicken katsu was also one of the better ones I've had. It wasn't dry, like many I have encountered, and like the tempura, the batter was not heavy. In the battle ratio of batter:chicken, chicken wins!

The place is a bit pricier than normal (although lunch prices are decent), but it's worth it for well made, really fresh Japanese fare. I'm definitely going again.

Hironoya
1745 W Redondo Beach Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247

Tijuana [Part 1]

2010-11-07T16:08:00.000-08:00

I've come to the conclusion that, even though Bill Esparza may think I have "blogger chops" when it comes to eating, I am not so cut out for the actual blogging thing. But it doesn't feel right to bow out without first posting about Tijuana.

I started reading Bill's blog, Street Gourmet LA, early this year. It quickly became my favorite LA food blog, partly because it was about delicious, fast, cheap food, but also because Bill writes about culture as well as food. His posts on restaurants in Mexico and Latin America didn't just make me hungry, they made me want to travel.

So when Abby of Pleasure Palate gave me an opportunity to join her in Tijuana on a weekend food tour organized by Bill, I jumped on that chance like Vivian on Totoro merchandise. It turned out to be an amazing weekend, with so much good food I can hardly believe it. See for yourself!

First stop: Tacos El Franc, home of some freaking delicious pork adobada/al pastor. I'm sorry, did you want to look a little more closely at that?

Yeah. This trip was going to be awesome. I spent whole minutes just staring at the spit. And the pork tasted as good as it looks. Juicy, flavorful, with an amazing char on the outside.

I had three items here: an al pastor taco, a cabeza taco, and a mulita, which is somewhere between a quesadilla and a taco. That is to say, it's awesome.

Before dinner, we stopped at La Diferencia for tamarind margaritas. I'm not much of a mixed drinks person, but these were insanely good. Not overly sweet and perfectly tart.

For dinner, we were headed to Tacos Salceados. I'd read about it on Bill's blog. In fact, that post was likely what convinced me to sign up for the trip in the first place. Let me show you why.

Behold: the quesataco.

Yes, that is a corn tortilla with fried cheese wrapped around the filling of your choice, and topped with fresh avocado, cream, and salsa. If you are anything like me, your reaction to this is that the quesataco sounds like the best idea ever, and you are wondering how soon you will be able to try such a magnificent concoction. It is indeed glorious. I had three of these bad boys: a New York steak and scallop quesataco, a shrimp quesataco, and a sweet quesataco. I do not recommend three quesatacos for the faint-of-belly. They are massive, and also topped with fried cheese, in case you forgot. Only those with unreasonable appetites like me should attempt such a thing.

I was able to snag a seat at the counter, where I could observe both the preparation of the food and the chicas in our group flirting brazenly with the cute taquero in the black shirt. One thing that is immediately evident from watching these guys is the amount of dedication and care that goes into this preparation. That turned out to be a theme at each place we visited, and it really seems to have made a difference. Each filling was paired with two or three excellent salsas. Even the condiments were impressive. I wish every meal came with complimentary plates of grilled pickled onions and fresh cucumber topped with cream.

The escabeche in particular was superb, delicately seasoned with herbs and locally produced olive oil. It could have been an afterthought. With such great tacos, who would blame Tacos Salceados for having mediocre escabeche? But this too was prepared with great care. It's one of many simple things which captures how great the trip was.

Stay tuned for chilied shrimp tacos, aguachile, tortas, and other incredibly delicious things!

Shake Shack [[Flatiron District, NYC]]

2010-09-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

I finally made my way to Shake Shack this past Sunday, after being thwarted twice this past month (mostly, my friends and I decided to meet somewhere else for dinner). I thought the line was long but apparently it sometimes goes around the park and outside, too. While waiting for 45 minutes, I thought about hype versus genuinely good food. The wait is the same (long, very crowded), the reviews are all favorable. So instead of doing school work, I braved the sun and the people for my chance to try this beloved New York burger.

Since the menu is on the side, if you don't already know what you want you'll have to quickly scramble over before placing your order. Luckily for you, I took a photo, complete with prices. These don't include special custards or milkshake flavors, nor does it give descriptions but it's a nice heads up:

I ordered the Shake Stack, which was a beef patty (they didn't ask me how I much I wanted the beef to cook, but thankfully it was medium), a fried portobello mushroom melted together with gruyère cheese, tomato and lettuce and American cheese. The buns were toasted, which I'm always in favor of.

Two things to note: 1. It is quite expensive since it doesn't even come with fries or anything and I will definitely not make this place a habit; 2. It is quite small. It fits in my hand. I mean, I wolfed it down as ladylike as possible (oxymoron) under 5 minutes. Weirdly, the last few bites were super salty, but I think that's because the bun has probably been soaked by the cheeses and oil.

I also ordered a black and white milkshake, which is basically half chocolate and half vanilla. The shake was pretty creamy and SUPER rich. I was actually thirsty afterward, that's how rich it was.

Overall, the patty itself is nothing too special although I did enjoy the fried portobello mushroom and gruyère cheese together. The wait is way too long if I'm hungry (i.e. impatient and cranky) and too expensive to make it any more than a treat.

If you do just want a lemonade or something, there is a "B" line so you can avoid those New Yorkers hankering for the meatier stuff. They also offer hot dogs and crinkle cut fries, but I already spent $14 on lunch and was like...um no, I ain't made of money!

P.S. I don't know why these photos are uploaded blurry. They shouldn't be! But if you click on the photo, it will direct you to the original in all it's SLR glory.

Shake Shack in Madison Square Park
E 23rd St & Madison Ave New York, NY 10010

Yakitori Taisho [East Village, NY]

2010-09-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

I decided on a lark that for dinner, I would walk on St. Marks and find a Japanese place that looked good--on menu at least. My roommate, neighbor, and I decided to enter Yakitori Taisho, a small and narrow little place brimming with people. Lots of people on a Tuesday night? That should already be a good indication, no? Luckily, we didn't have to wait.

The menu has a lot of yakitori options, but nothing will compare to Shin Shen Gumi in terms of diversity. In addition to yakitori, there were ramen and yakisoba dishes, some rice dishes, and a lot of tapas. We decided not to share any of the tapas which is probably a good call because I would have ordered EVERYTHING, running up the bill.

I did have a hankering for some ramen, but decided that I wouldn't try any ramen until I went to Ippudo. So instead, I ordered 1 skewer of: tsukune (chicken meatballs), gyutan (beef tongue), butabara (pork), yakitori (chicken), and 2 orders of tebasaki (chicken wings). They came on a bed of chopped cabbage, which was odd because I was expecting them to come on a plate with marinade. The marinade was at the bottom of the plate, but very watered down.

My favorites were the gyutan and butabara: both were flavorful and very tender. I wish I ordered more of these. The chicken was also good (thigh meat) but I was surprised it didn't come with some chopped scallions or onions. My least favorites had to be the tebasaki chicken wings and the tsukune. The tsukune was not very flavorful and it lacked the depth that I am used to at other yakitori places. The tebasaki was burnt in places, and not very meaty. Usually I see them cooked as fatty chicken wings but these were very lean and offered very little to munch on.

My neighbor, Kurtis, ordered a rice bowl that came with a few skewers and some kimchi. He agreed that the tsukune was average, although he didn't react as strongly as I did to the taste. Since I couldn't even finish the meatballs, I gave him the rest of mine.

He got the memo that this is an awkward eats blog.

My roommate Sadie was hankering for some noodles and although there were a handful of choices, she ordered a staple. Yakisoba with sliced pork and garnished with fish flakes. Judging that she finished the entire dish, I assume she was happy with it.

Overall, I am still on the lookout for a yakitori place that will blow Shin Shen Gumi out of the water. There are some gems at this place, especially ones I want to try next time like the salmon cream yakisoba. The prices are decent ($1.75-2.75/skewer, dishes range from $6-15+) although I wish the tapas were just a tad bit less expensive (a plate of 5 takoyaki for example was $6).

Yakitori Taisho
5 St Marks Pl
NYC, NY 10003
(212) 228-5086

Simple lunch

2010-09-14T11:17:00.001-07:00

I have a few posts brewing about NY eats but I just want to preface/post this entry first to tell you that I rarely go out to eat. It's expensive, I'm lazy and a homebody, and I can control my portions at home.

This is a meal that I make that is very versatile. You can exchange the beef for another protein (I also added tofu for heartier fare), you can add veggies, and you can make do without tomato sauce and eat it with rice (which I will also do).

I cooked three portions: one for lunch today, one for a meal some other time (also with pasta and sauce), and one without sauce to eat with rice.

Ingredients
(note: Since I just eyeball everything, the measurements are definitely not professional)

Olive oil, salt, savory spices (I used Trader Joe's 21 Spice Salute)--to your liking
Half an onion, diced or sliced--depending on your preference
Ground beef--however much you want. I added more than I would eat because I was making three meals!
Chopped tofu
Pasta of your choice (I used fusili)
Store-bought tomato sauce (I used Prego's Roasted garlic and Parmesan sauce to make it more flavorful and fragrant).

Directions:
1. Heat up pan and drizzle olive oil. In the meantime, chop onions and boil water for pasta. When the pan is hot, cook the onions until they are slightly brown (sprinkle some salt and seasoning).

2. While the onion is cooking, make little balls from the beef. Add these to the pan (Again, sprinkle some salt).

3. Add sliced tofu to the pan, mix gently.

4. When everything is cooked, you can either remove from heat and eat as is (with rice, optional) or keep it on the stove and add a little bit of tomato sauce to the pan. Stir until everything is coated.

For another meal!
5. Add cooked pasta and stir until your pasta is completely covered with sauce.

6. Add a side of salad or garlic bread if you choose.

Sloopy's [Manhattan Beach]

2010-08-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

While Andi preps her Tijuana food post, I thought I'd tide you readers over with a short review on this burger/sandwich place called Sloopy's. The name is odd, but considering you're in a beachy city like Manhattan, I suppose it's fitting.

Parking is a chore: there is metered parking but even when I went on a Tuesday (11.30-ish), it took several rounds of circling before Anam and I found a spot 2 blocks away. Don't even try to find residential parking--it's just nonexistent.

The menu is your usual (New) American fare: burgers and sandwiches, wraps, and pasta. There is a great looking breakfast menu (which is what we wanted to try originally), but breakfast ends at 11.30. I hate when people dictate when I can or can't eat breakfast. It should be ANY TIME.

The restaurant is in a half open/half closed area. Only the sides of the restaurant/kitchen is fully roofed off. The rest is only partially, letting plenty of sunshine and fresh air in. The walls are just packed with potted plants and little fountains everywhere. It does feel like you're in some natural environment: it's peaceful and just SO GREEN.

The food, taste-wise, was what you would expect. Not bad but not like I AM CRAVING THIS RIGHT NOW.

Anam ordered the Mahi Mahi burger, which came with fries. She also ordered a mint milk shake but I do know the mint comes from one of those Italian ice syrups. However, it wasn't overly sweet which is usually the problem when you use syrups. The burger came piping hot with a wedge of lemon which would enhance the flavor of the fish. Condiments are the regular burger fare: tomatoes, lettuce, onions. the bread is black poppy seeds, which is a nice twist.

I ordered the BBQ chicken wrap. Slices of chicken drenched in a sweet barbecue sauce, with lettuce, tomatoes, and sliced onions, wrapped in a spinach tortilla. I could have done without like, half of the sauce and it would be even better. It was filling, especially when served with seasoned fries cooked just the way I like it: crispy on the outside, moist on the inside. But you know...it's nothing special.

Overall, it's a great place to just relax with friends and soak in some sun. It's really more about the ambiance and the relaxed feel of the place than the food. And you know what? Sometimes that's all I need.

Sloopy's
3416 Highland Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266-3341
(310) 545-1373

Preview: Tijuana

2010-08-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Get ready. And don't read these posts hungry.

Lemon tart pie

2010-06-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

Summer is all about refreshing baked goods, I believe. Lemon-y things are no exception. For a dinner party last week, I decided to re-appropriate a lemon bar recipe and turn it into a pie. Main reason being I don't have a deep enough baking pan but really, it's easy to gobble up a dessert when it's in slice form!
Adapted from Hostess with the Mostess.
What you need...
Crust:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
6 ounces (12 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

Filling:

6 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup all-purpose flour
About 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar to powder on top.

What you need to do...
to make the crust:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Combine the flour and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl until mixed well.
3. Add the butter and continue to mix. I mixed it by hand so that it would be an even, buttery, dough...sort of like what a butter cookie looks like pre-shaped/baked.
4. Gently press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan (or in my case, a 9" cake pan). Bake until golden brown, 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
to make the filling:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until smooth.
2. Stir in the lemon juice and then add the flour.
3. After checking your crust is at room temperature, pour the filling on top of the crust. Bake until the lemon filling is set, about 50 minutes.
4. Let cool to room temperature. Afterward, you can either put in the refrigerator for 1 hour or keep at room temperature for 3 hours before cutting. Dust the top with confectionery sugar.

Just powdered the pie. About ready to be served!

And voila! A slice of pie!
I would recommend you make the crust just a TEENSY bit thinner than I have in this photo, though.

Susina Bakery and Cafe [[Los Angeles]]

2010-06-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

After our big dinner at Fish Grill, we decided to have dessert to punish our stomachs even more. Susina is a little quaint cafe, brimming with lots of different cakes and pastry items (oh, and policemen for some reason). Dim lighting, French 1920s music, and brick walls...this is my sort of place.

The banana cream pie we ordered (seriously, the four of us could barely finish it!) was light, fluffy, and not too sweet. Lots of sliced bananas (apparently they use two bananas in one little pie!) to make it taste super fresh. However, the crust was crazy tough to break. I think I almost had an aneurysm trying to puncture it with my fork!

Is this photo awkward enough for you?

Susina Bakery and Cafe
7122 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 934-7900

Fish Grill [[Los Angeles]]

2010-06-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Fish Grill is a kosher restaurant specializing in grilled fish dishes. I recently went with Anam, Cecily, and Micah (who actually adheres to a kosher diet) to hang out and not have to worry about Micah not being able to eat anything (there was a pretty disastrous encounter at a recent cafe). Cecily was the lone wolf, ordering the grilled cod. Anam, Micah, and I ordered the fish taco dish, which is served with two large tacos (either grilled or deep fried, or one of each), a side of coleslaw or salad, and another side of baked potato, french fries, or rice.

What I liked about this super casual dining place (you order in the front and pick it up when it's ready) is that they give you A LOT of food for a good price. Our plates were brimming with fries and salad and other stuff for only $9.

The fried fish taco was pretty tasty, although I would have wanted a little more lime or cilantro taste. Although Micah's grilled fish taco looked great, mine was a little too burnt and so I barely touched it. Good thing I ate the fried fish one first because I was already stuffed! The fries were really crunchy, almost reminiscent of the In-n-Out fries in terms of freshness.

Food coma!

Carnage!
Fish Grill (one of four locations)
9618 W Pico Blvd # 508
Los Angeles, CA 90035

(310) 860-1182

Crème de la Crêpe [[Hermosa Beach]]

2010-06-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

I've been coming to this French restaurant for a few years, but always just to have a dessert crêpe and hang out at the beach. However, after a failed attempt at trying something super healthy (the vegan/raw cafe we went into was way too hippy dippy for us!), we decided to actually have dinner at Crème.

Anam ordered the vegetable pasta, which was ratatouille mixed with seasoned flat pasta. A little cheese on the side, as well. I don't think it is too difficult to mess up a simple pasta, and Anam had no complaints.

I ordered the beef bourguignon, which was served with a side of pasta and ratatouille. The pasta wasn't seasoned with anything but a smidge of butter, but adding a little of the wine stew from the beef made it better. The beef left something to be desired though; I wish it was more tender. I also don't think the beef absorbed enough of the red wine broth, which is to say that the broth was excellent. More broth taste, please!

The crêpe, of course, was excellent. I've always just had it with various fruits and Nutella because I have a serious love affair with the chocolate-hazelnut spread. However, we decided to order something different this time. Served with vanilla ice cream and homemade whipped cream on the side, the crêpe had sliced strawberries and honey. The honey was light and complemented the tart/sweetness of the strawberries.

Next time I have a hankering for actual food though, I'll forgo the dishes that are time-intensive to cook and go for something easy, like a quiche or a savory crêpe.

And of course, a picture of me with food because this is what this blog is all about.

Crème de la Crêpe
Three locations:
424 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach - (310) 937-2822
1708 South Catalina Avenue, Redondo Beach - (310) 540-8811
6000 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City -(310) 398-8811

Café Bizou [Pasadena]

2010-06-02T22:46:00.000-07:00

Although I was only a quick hop away from Andi, I didn't want to bother/lure her away from premium grad school studying. Thankfully, I had a few hungry friends who wanted to take advantage of Pasadena Restaurant Week with me. We decided to go to Café Bizou, which has been around for awhile and probably written about a hundred times. But since we can rarely afford luxuries, let alone an ~expensive~ meal, on our pithy budgets, $25 for a 3-course meal was right up our alley.

First up, two types of bread. A nutty raisin bread which was not great, and a sort-of sourdough bread, which was bland. I suppose this is fine since it made it harder for me to be full before our meal.

We all got the lobster bisque to start. It was creamy and not too heavy. However, the lobster bits were really tiny--at least in my portion. Of course, I shouldn't compare it to the best lobster bisque I had ever had over at Craftsteak...but still. Couldn't you have spared a lobster bit bigger than half an inch in diameter?

For the main course, my friend Jessica and I ordered the same thing, steak au poivre, cooked medium rare as it should. The slices were thin enough and cooked just right, but I felt it was over-peppered towards the end. Perhaps I'm not used to this much pepper. It was served with a creamy brandy sauce, which tasted great with the mashed potatoes which were also creamy and fluffy. Usually I eat the veggies given, especially since these ones were dark and obvs good for you. But uh, who decided to cook spinach with NOTHING but pepper? Bland...and peppery. Broccoli was bland as well, but I suppose a dip in the brandy cream sauce would have done the trick.

Queenie ordered the lobster tagallini pasta. I don't think I've ever had black pasta before, so I decided to try one noodle. It does have it's own taste, although subtle. Interesting, and I can imagine, would pair well with the lobster vodka sauce.

Alicyn ordered the Alaskan halibut, served with mashed potatoes and a trio of veggies (carrots, snow peas, and green beans). Alicyn said that the green beans tasted the best. As for the tomato garlic sauce, it was light enough that the halibut really could stand on its own.

My favorite part of any meal: dessert! Everyone but me (because I'm a rebel) ordered the flourless chocolate cake. Alicyn, lover of all chocolate, really liked it and said that it melted in her mouth. I tried it, and I could tell it was flourless, but still tasty. Not my favorite though. The homemade whipped cream was great.

And my dessert, homemade tiramisu. The first bites were very rum-heavy, in a good way. After the initial bites, the rum gave way to the light flavors of coffee, chocolate, and mascarpone cheese. Really airy, and tasted great with the vanilla and raspberry sauces. Probably my favorite part of the meal.

Café Bizou
91 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 792-9923 | www.cafebizou.com/

Egg custard tarts

2010-05-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

Into the oven they go!

Egg tarts is one of my favorite dessert/breakfast/pastry. It's almost a mixture of sweet and salty, using egg, sugar, and butter. I can't share the recipe with you as my aunt gave it to me (sorry!) but hopefully these photos will suffice. And, I even took an awkward photo with my new creations just for you!

Almost done baking!

Cooling down.

First delicious bite!

Custard-eyes

Green Tea cupcakes

2010-05-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

Here's another cupcake post for you because I'm too intimidated to make a real cake and cupcakes are easy and fun to share! Sorry if I'm putting your S'mores cupcakes to shame, Andi but you know what? Yours are more in spirit to this blog though!
I found this recipe from my friend Angela's Tumblr, but I modified it a lot because I don't like following directions. If you're a fan of light and fluffy cupcakes, this is for you. It's not too sweet or heavy, which is a perfect guilt-free snack/treat...even if it's not "healthy."
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs; 2 egg yolks
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk (or soy milk, which is what I used)
2-5 tablespoons green tea matcha (basically green tea powder. I feel that even if you add the 5 tablespoons, it's still not overpowering.)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners...or if you're like me, forgo the cupcake liners because seriously, I don't need to impress anyone.
2. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
3. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each egg. Add egg yolk, one after a time as well.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Add to batter and mix to combine.
6. Whisk 2 tablespoons matcha into the milk until completely dissolved. Add to the batter and mix until combined. Taste and add more if you want a stronger green tea flavor.
7. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way.
8. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely before icing with green tea cream cheese frosting.

Green tea cream cheese frosting
I seriously eye-balled a lot of this so you should experiment with HOW MUCH frosting you want. You'll see in my photos that I don't have a lot because my dad isn't into sweets.
Ingredients:
8 oz Philly cream cheese, room temperature
half a stick of unsalted butter
1 cup confectionery/powdered sugar, sifted
2 tb matcha
2 tb milk, if you want a "runnier" frosting
Directions:
Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add sugar and matcha (and milk if needed), beat till you have a whipped-like consistency. Top it on your cupcakes when the cupcakes are finally cool.

Now photos!
Right out of the oven. Look at that awesome green color!

Adding the frosting:

First bite!

Fusilli Pasta, Veggies, and Prosciutto over an Onion and White Wine glaze & Roasted Potatoes with Mozzarella

2010-05-13T23:14:00.000-07:00

The third and fourth dish of my Mother's Day dinner. The first recipe is adapted (heavily--the pasta) from Epicurious.

Fusilli pasta with broccoli, tomato, bell peppers, mozzarella, and prosciutto, drizzled in an onion and white wine glaze.

What you'll need...

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for drizzling
1/2 pound spring onions or green onions (dark green parts discarded); white parts cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, pale green parts cut into 1/2-inch-thick slice
Coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 head broccoli, cut.
1 tomato (or more, depending on your taste) and half a red bell pepper, chopped
fusilli pasta--enough for 4 people (2-3 handfuls)
1 cup finely grated Mozzarella cheese plus additional for sprinkling
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips

What you'll do...
1. Melt butter with 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Sauté onions until tender (do not brown). Add wine and increase heat to medium-high. Simmer until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to simmer; set aside.
2. Cook broccoli in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Strain and put in onion glaze.
3. Return water in pot to boil (the pot used to cook the broccoli). Cook pasta until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
4. While cooking the pasta, reheat the onion and white wine glaze. Add tomatoes and bell pepper. Stir until heated through.
5. Add pasta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and parsley to skillet with vegetables. Toss, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer pasta to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle prosciutto over; drizzle with olive oil. Serve, with more grated cheese to pass along!

Roasted potatoes with Mozzarella, oregano, and fresh basil.

What you'll need...

3-4 small red potatoes, sliced
1 cup mozzarella (grated)
olive oil
oregano, salt, and pepper to taste
fresh chopped basil

What you'll do...
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Butter baking tray so potatoes don't stick.
2. Mix olive oil and oregano in bowl and mix in with sliced potatoes.
3. Place potatoes on baking tray. Sprinkle potatoes (both sides) with salt, pepper, oregano, and mozzarella.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
5. Garnish with fresh basil.

Chicken in White Wine Sauce

2010-05-12T12:15:00.001-07:00

The second installment of Mother's Day dinner: Chicken with White Wine Sauce! I changed the ingredient list from this recipe over at Epicurious. Also, I added the white wine sauce at the same as I added the chicken broth, resulting in MORE sauce than I needed. SO, follow my directions below so that it's the perfect balance of white wine taste and broth!

Here's what you'll need...

chicken thighs. I used three which was more than enough for 4 people.
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 garlic cloves, halved
2 handfuls of asparagus, chopped.
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth

Here's what you'll do...
1. Wash and pat dry chicken. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Heat oil in heavy 12-inch skillet (medium-high heat) until oil shimmers. Sear chicken until golden brown (only on one side!), then remove from skillet.
3. Keep about 2 tb of fat from skillet and cook garlic and asparagus over medium heat. Stir frequently until veggies are just beginning to soften. Add wine and boil (uncovered) until the liquid is reduced by half. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
4. Return chicken (raw side down) to skillet and simmer (partially covered) until chicken is cooked through. This will take about 25 minutes. Plate.

Classic Sole Meunière

2010-05-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

Each day, I'll post one of the dishes I cooked for Mother's Day since putting all the recipes in one post may be too overwhelming.

This is the fish dish, the classic sole meunière. I slightly adapted it from Epicurious, changing the portion size and cutting out most of the butter.

What you'll need:
Fish:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 sole fillets (which is enough for 4 people when used in a menu and not as a main course)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil

Sauce:

small slice of unsalted butter; enough to cover the sauce pan when melted.
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

What to do:
Fish:
1. Rinse and dry fish. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Then, dredge fish on both sides with flour. Remember to shake off excess.
2. Heat oil on medium-heat until the oil is hot. Add fish and cook until golden brown on bottom (about 2-3 minutes). Turn over fish and cook until the center is opaque.
3. Plate and drizzle with sauce.
Sauce:
1. Place skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and cook until golden.
2. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley and lemon juice. Spoon sauce over fish.

Nutella cupcakes

2010-04-21T17:42:00.001-07:00

Hey remember that time when this blog existed? I should stop being a lazy food blogger and post to the 2 readers who still visit! This was something I made with a few friends about three months ago.

One of my loves is Nutella. And I can eat it in anything. I found this cupcake recipe through my friend Angela, who also shares my love of Nutella.

So here we go, awkward photos (because phone-camera quality is awkward?) and a recipe to follow. Let me tell you now: this is not for the health conscious. However, if you don't care (like I don't care), you won't regret it. It's crispy on the top, super moist and chocolaty in the middle. HEAVEN.

Nutella Swirl Cupcakes (via this tumblr)

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
~9.8 tablespoons butter, softened (the recipe is in the metric system, so I'm converting these. So even the ingredients will be in awkward numbers. Hurrah!)
3/4 cup white sugar
3 medium eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup nutella

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 320°F.
2. Line 12 muffin tins with cupcake or muffin liners.

3. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. Leave aside.
4. Cream together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl till texture is light.

5. Add in the eggs, one at a time.

6. Add in the vanilla extract.

7. Gradually add in the dry ingredients into the wet mix till well-mixed.

8. Fill up each liner with batter till about 3/4 full.
9. Top up each cupcake with approximately 1 tbsp of nutella.

10. Use a toothpick to swirl the nutella into the batter.

11. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. And voilà!

Photos courtesy of my friend Queenie and her Blackberry.

Ortega 120 [[Redondo Beach]]

2009-10-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

My good friend Angela and I decided to try this Mexican restaurant in Redondo Beach called Ortega 120. We found it through the dineLA Restaurant Week and saw that since the week extended to today, we would try one of their set lunch meals.

When we got there, they told us that the Restaurant Week had been over for a few weeks now...Uh, I'm sorry, but no. Your restaurant is clearly listed to the end of this week. BUT, I'm not going to argue with you because you are still a nice server and I am hungry.

Although we didn't get the chance for a set meal, they did have three different $10 lunch specials. One was a three taquito dish (with three different meats), made with corn tortilla. Angela chose the three taco plate, which came with rice, beans, and their Ortega 120 house salad. The tacos were pollo, asada, and short rib, and were served with either corn or flour tortilla (Angela chose flour). The house salad was very summery, even though we're in October...however since we were by the beach and the weather was still nice enough that we could sit outside, it didn't really make a difference. Plus, this place looked like what my grandmother's house would look like if my entire family was hardcore Mexican.

Anyway, I digress. The Ortega 120 salad came with Red Leaf lettuce, roma tomato, red onion, cucumber, carrots, and cotija cheese. It was topped, uniquely enough, with pumpkin seeds, and drizzled with a cilantro vinaigrette.

Angela said that the meat was flavorful, although the asada was her favorite. Tender and juicy, it could be eaten with or without the tortilla. The pumpkin seeds really made a difference in the salad as it was a welcome--and unexpected--addition.

I basically forced Angela to pose with her food, thereby making this entry Awkward Eats-certified!

As for me, I chose the "Ortega 120 Classic," which included either the house salad or the Caesar salad (I chose the latter), which came with Ortega 120's own Caesar dressing, red onion, garlic croutons, and topped with cotija cheese. The dressing was light although it had a bit too much of an anchovy taste (or maybe they were a bit heavy handed with the Worcestershire sauce), but the garlic bread-y croutons were really the highlight of the salad. I could snack on those all day, they were so good. Not overly crunchy, with just the perfect amount of garlic butter. The meal also came with a tortilla soup, with shredded chicken, Oaxaca cheese, cilantro, and tortilla strips. It was advertised that there would be sliced avocados but either they forgot to serve it or I didn't taste it. I'm banking on the former because I would have been able to see the avocados at least. The soup was good, but nothing I haven't eaten before. There was a generous amount of chicken though, which is always good for me as I can live on a diet of chicken and chicken alone.

Before all the fun toppings

After all the fun toppings

Last, but not least, was my half torta (or sandwich for those uninitiated. haha). The choices were like those of the taco and of course I chose chicken. Shredded chicken with lettuce, tomato, and guacamole, sandwiched between two freshly toasted pieces of bread. Some of the soup had spilled over onto the plate, so the bottom of the sandwich was a bit soggy, which made it harder to eat what with the MESS FACTOR. However, the bread soaked up a lot of the soup/chicken broth essence, which actually enhanced the flavor of the bread.

For dessert, we split the churros, which Ortega 120 is well known for. It came with five bite size pieces of churro, flaky and warm with just a touch of cinnamon sugar. On one side was a dark chocolate dip, with a slight mint aftertaste, although it could also be a mint liqueur...I couldn't really put my finger on it. On the other side of the churros was a vanilla bean ice cream swirled with caramel sauce, which was pretty tasty. I'm not as big of a fan of chocolate as Angela is, so I think we both had our favorites.

Dark chocolate, churro log house, Vanilla ice cream swirled with caramel

Overall, lunch was a good time to come since each meal only cost $10 and we left full. Plus, they served fresh tortilla chips and a mild, hearty salsa.

Next time I come, I do want to try their burritos. The chorizo was really callin' my name.

Ortega 120 Restaurant and Cantina
1814 South Pacific Coast Highway
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Monday-Thursday 11:30 am to 10pm Friday and Saturday 11:30 am to 11pm Sunday 10:30 am to 9 pm 310.792.4120 | www.ortega120.com

deliciousness fast and cheap

2009-09-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

Partly due to some mislabeled chicken thighs at Ralphs, I was able to buy our groceries this week for 12 dollars. Awesome. This also allowed me to finally try the Rick Bayless creamy salsa chicken recipe I first saw over at Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations.

The dish is as simple as it gets to make. Brush the bottom of a 9x13ish baking pan with oil and line with one layer of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs, in this case). Mix your choice of chunky salsa and heavy whipping cream and spoon mixture over the chicken. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes on the bottom shelf.

The original recipe calls for one 16oz jar of salsa and 1/2 cup cream to make the salsa mixture, but this resulted in quite a bit of extra sauce. Next time I make it, I'll probably make only two-thirds or one half of the suggested amount.

I used about half Pace spicy chunky salsa and half Trader Joe's chipotle salsa. I loved the smokiness and complexity of the end result, but my husband found the chipotle a bit overpowering. Next time I'll likely use a more traditional salsa, but add jalapeños for kick.

For sides, I sauteed some zucchini with garlic and tomatoes, then topped with a little mozzarella cheese. We also had some mushrooms left over so I cooked them, also with garlic, in a little white wine. Finally, we still had some of that corn salad hanging around, and it was a refreshing and colorful addition to the plate.

My favorite thing about this meal is that it took only about 35 minutes to prepare. Yet it was flavorful and balanced. Yum. I am really starting to like this cooking thing.

Various [Seattle]

2009-09-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to write about my trip to Seattle in April when it happened, but much to Vivian's dismay, I waited until I could develop my film and then...forgot about it.

And yet five months later, I am still thinking about the food I had on that trip. I figure that's enough reason to finally finish this half-written entry.

By far the most memorable restaurant was Thai Tom in the U District. It's a small place set up somewhat like a diner, so you can watch the chef make each dish as you wait for your order. Watching him juggle various curries, noodle, and meat dishes without burning himself was mesmerizing. I ordered the spicy noodles, "very spicy" as I stupidly told my waitress. I forgot that Thai spicy and regular spicy are different things. I also got the fried tofu, because seriously, who likes being healthy?

The tofu was good, but didn't quite have that crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside property of amazing fried tofu. I did however enjoy the peanut sauce that accompanied it, a slight variation from the usual. The spicy noodles, which came second, were fantastic. Every time I have ordered drunken or spicy noodles since then, I half-expect it to taste as this did. It never does. Everywhere else, the sauce provides the flavor, but at Thai Tom, the noodles seemed to carry all the flavors of the dish sans sauce. The only drawback was that I had ordered it "very spicy," and it was physically painful to eat towards the end. My tongue was numb for the next half day, but it was worth it!

The day I flew home, I went back to try another dish and take a terrible picture of it (success!). Based on a recommendation, I ordered the green curry off-menu, this time "medium spicy."And even though I'd had such a good meal there a few days earlier, I was surprised to be served with pretty much the best restaurant meal of my life. The flavors were bold, yet balanced, with a lot of spice and hints of creaminess. The chicken and veggies were delicious on their own; combined with the curry, they were amazing.

I've been on the lookout for a Thai restaurant that good in California with limited success. I'm hesitant to order curries in particular because they have tended to be either too mild or lacking in depth or both. I'm hopeful that I'll find one, or at least a good enough substitute to tide me over until my next trip.

I also stopped by Ivar's, with its delicious fried seafood and terrifying resident seagulls. My cousin and I ordered fish and chips, fried clams, and clam chowder.

The fish was good and the clams excellent. The fries and clam chowder were just alright. I am all about those clams though. Mmm.

For breakfast, I went to The Crumpet Shop, directly across from Pike's Place. What the eff is a crumpet, you ask? It's similar to a biscuit, but less fluffy, and topped with an assortment of sweet or savory toppings.

My crumpet was topped with just Nutella and ricotta cheese. Along with an Earl Grey tea, it made a very delicious breakfast. I would definitely recommend a visit to try one of the many variations of this treat.

Finally, my half sister Christine treated me to a wonderful lunch at Matt's in the Market, of which I have no pictures. I ordered a braised beef brisket sandwich on a brioche bun with arugula and horseradish aioli (weirdly specific ingredient description taken from the website). The beef was tender and flavorful, the bread rich, the aioli perfectly seasoned. It's a bit pricey, but the quality of ingredients and preparation explain the extra cost.

The fact that my few meals in Seattle are among the better ones I have had anywhere says a lot about the food in that city. I barely scraped the surface of what is available and still came away with some amazing finds. It's the kind of place that demands to be visited again and fully explored.

hold on guys i have to tape up the bridge in my glasses

2009-09-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

Graduate school in economics begins with two to three weeks of at the end of summer called "math camp." Yeah. Attending it seems like enough to reserve my seat at the nerd table in the cafeteria, but by bringing my kinda-adorable-but-mostly-dorky bento box lunches, I also stand out as the kid with the most unwieldy rolly backpack of them all.

That said, I can't afford a trip to the dining hall or Ernie's taco truck (post forthcoming!) every day. So I will continue to make my dorky yet affordable and healthy lunches at home.

The bottom tier contains green grapes and cubes of extra sharp cheddar cheese. The top tier holds a corn salad made with red bell pepper, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime, and a lot of salt and pepper. I didn't have any cumin on hand but it would have been a great addition.

We have a lot of that corn salad because for some reason, Jacob and I thought buying twelve ears of corn for two people was a good idea. Another miscalculation turned delicious...the salad is great by itself, as a pizza topping, or as a filling for quesadillas.

Spoon House [[Gardena]]

2009-08-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

So I have been to Spoon House in Gardena a few times now but never thought to write about it for Awkward Eats. However, writing it now gives us (me and you, dear reader) sort of an advantage as now I've tried more than one dish, and can talk with more ~experience.~

Spoon House is a little bistro on a street corner, flanked with an open kitchen and wall to wall windows, framed a primary blue. Basically, a great open and clean area. What's so special about this place is the fusion of Italian (spaghetti) and unconventional Japanese flair. Think, cod roe spaghetti, garnished with squid and seaweed (one of their most popular dishes and if you like your pasta dish to be a bit drier, I recommend it). In addition, their spaghetti is made al dente, which is the best as I feel al dente pasta clings to sauce better.

So whether you come in for lunch or dinner, the waitress will serve you and your guests a fresh quarter loaf of French bread, made inhouse (and also sold by the loaf for only $3!):

It's tempting to just eat this and get full because it's so fluffy and flavorful. I wish I had this every day so I can eat it with some Brie or Camembert cheese...or make the best sandwiches...but alas, great pasta awaits!

A famous dish is actually the salad not only because it's a delicious treat, but because it's only $1. It was and always is $1. Topped with tomatoes and sliced cucumbers, it really hits the spot when it's hot outside (like it has been this entire week). The sauce is Japanese style--a little salty but definitely tasty.

My brother Tim got the Spaghetti Omelette, which was a cheese-based red sauce spaghetti, topped with a thinly fried egg. The spaghetti is mixed with cut bell peppers, mushroom, and chicken (although you can exchange the chicken for bacon).

While the idea of an egg on top of a pasta dish may raise a few eyebrows, it actually tasted great, almost like "Yeah, why WOULDN'T you put an egg on top of this?" If you're not looking for too much sauce, this is for you.

As for me, I ordered the Chicken, Tomato Cream sauce spaghetti, which is exactly what it is...but with the addition of a few broccoli and mushrooms. If you like cream of anything (like me), this is definitely the dish for you. Tender cuts of chicken (mostly from the thigh), sweet tomatoes, and fragrant broccoli, this dish is as hearty as you can get.

What I love about Spoon House, besides the innovative dishes, is how HUGE the servings are. I didn't even finish mine before I was already full (I rarely finish a dish here...but it may be because I eat so much bread beforehand...can't help it!). And again, the pasta made al dente really just grabs that sauce.

So if you're looking for a hearty memorable pasta dish for under $9, go to Spoon House. It's a small place so there may be a wait, but boy is it worth it.

Spoon House Bakery & Restaurant
1601 W Redondo Beach Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247

(310) 538-0376
Mon-Sun.: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

in which even cupcakes are awkward

2009-08-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

I'm starting grad school next week, and living off my stipend means the focus of my posts will shift from eating out to cooking. It should be apparent from this post, though, that you shouldn't expect expert creations captured by some fancy SLR. I mean, just look at these cupcakes.

If those aren't the saddest, most awkward looking cupcakes you have ever seen, then you are lying.

Luckily, they tasted alright. I made them pretty soon after finding them over on Proceed with Caution, because, are you kidding me? S'mores cupcakes? How is that not the greatest idea on the planet?

I did halve the recipe and did all of the math in my head, because as we all know baking and imprecision go hand in hand. I believe this is why they turned out good, but not as epic as I had hoped. The icing, awesomely made of marshmallow creme, butter, and sugar, didn't hold too well but tasted great. If I make these again, I will add more (dark?) chocolate chips to the graham crust and be more precise with the batter measurements.

S'mores Cupcakes

Source: Domestic Pursuits via Proceed with Caution

Yields 30 cupcakes

For the graham crust:
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 - 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

For the cupcakes:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin cups or line with paper liners.
2. Combine 1/4 cup sugar,graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl. Spoon 1 tablespoon of graham cracker mix into the bottom of each muffin cup. Press crumbs firmly, using the bottom of a small glass. Save the remaining mixture for topping. Top graham cracker mix with several bittersweet chocolate chips.
3. Bake graham mixture for about five minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
4. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.
5. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir until well blended.
6. Add flour mixture to large bowl and beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 full with batter (about 1/4 cup). Sprinkle batter with small amount of remaining graham cracker mixture.
7. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely, then frost.

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting
Source: Hello, Cupcake! via Heather Drive / Proceed with Caution

Ingredients:
- 1 container (16 oz.) Marshmallow Fluff

(I used Jet Puffed Marshmallow Creme instead since Fluff wasn't available)
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, plus additional sugar, if necessary

Directions:
1. Spoon the Marshmallow Fluff into a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low.

2. Gradually add the butter pieces, beating well after each addition, until smooth.

3. Add the vanilla extract and the confectioner's sugar. Scrape the bowl well to incorporate. Add more confectioner's sugar, if necessary, to adjust the texture.

ice cream cake is the way to my heart

2009-08-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

It's been deathly hot here in Southern California and I've been tempted to make ice cream. However, I don't have an ice cream maker and the heat has made me too lazy to actually get all SCIENCE (ice + salt, anyone?) to make it that way.

However, looking at other people making their own ice treats has motivated me.

Here are two ways to beat the heat:
The first comes from CRAFT blog, via Élena Nazzaro:

The second comes from the blog Posie Gets Cozy, on how to make your own homemade mint ice cream, for that extra burst of coolness:

2 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups fresh mint leaves, washed and bruised
1 14-oz. can sweetened, condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
About 1 1/2 oz. of chopped dark chocolate

In large saucepan, stir half-and-half together with heavy cream. Add mint leaves and bring just to a simmer. Let simmer for three minutes, then remove from heat. Let mint leaves sit in cream mixture for fifteen or twenty minutes, depending on how minty you like things and how strong your mint is. Strain mixture into a bowl, discarding mint leaves. Stir sweetened, condensed milk into cream mixture until it is dissolved. Add vanilla and chill mixture for at least an hour (most recipes tell you to chill your cream mixture for several hours, but we didn't have that kind of time and it still worked out fine — but if you have the time, do it, since you want this mixture to be very cold).
Freeze ice cream in your ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. When the ice cream is thickened and frozen, add chopped chocolate and stir well. Transfer the soft ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for several hours, until hardened.

Mouthwatering! Tell us your favorite ice cream treats!

Ramen California (Torrance)

2009-08-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

There has been much hype about this little ramen shop in the Torrance Crossroads Plaza. My friend Shazia and I decided to try it out to see, firsthand, if it lived up to its glorious-ness. For fun, I also brought my brother because three dishes is always better than two.

Ramen California boasts an all-organic, all local fare. Their menu tells us that they visit the Torrance farmer's market twice a week for their groceries, which is pretty admirable.

Unfortunately, there were only a handful of different ramen dishes to choose from, as all the fancy small dishes and appetizers were only served during dinner (lobster ravioli, Parmesan bread sticks, etc.). However, I was a little confused as to why a ramen place would serve un-ramen like things...Granted, it is a California "fusion" restaurant...but still. The decor was what you imagined a "California" bougie place to look like: ambient lights, large windows, and wood furniture.

Anyway, each ramen comes in three sizes: a small (which I think only a child could eat and be full: 15 ounce), a regular (20 ounce), and a large (40 ounce). When our waitress showed us the bowls ("A small is really really small. Maybe you should look at the bowl sizes..."), a regular looked like it'd be perfect. However, after a few minutes of finishing, we were still pretty hungry.

We started off with a fresh salad of spinach, garnished with a little flower. The flower was a nice touch and the salad quite refreshing. I did wish they put just a liiiiitttle more salad dressing as I could barely taste it after a few bites. From what I could discern, though, it was a subtly sweet vinaigrette--always welcome.

My brother, Tim, decided to get the restaurant's signature dish, the "Californian." The menu boasted that this dish had more than twenty different "garden fresh" vegetables, no doubt all from the Farmer's market nearby.

Apperance-wise, it looked to be a bounty of vegetables. Each vegetable tasted great, carefully cooked before being placed on a giant spoon on top of the ramen.

I loved the way that the beets and and cauliflower pop out and stain the broth.

Shazia chose the heirloom tomato ramen. The menu described this dish as topped with a "tomato salsa" although it was less salsa and more...tomato. What I mean is, they were whole tomatoes, which actually may be better. The tomatoes were cooked really well, with a hint of spice.

Shazia with her salad and Heirloom tomato ramen.

As for me, I got the Grilled Chicken ramen, supposedly sprinkled with garden vegetables (at least that's what the menu said).

And by vegetables, they really mean mint and spinach.

All ramen dishes have the option of adding chicken for a few dollars more, and I would really recommend it if you're a meat-lover (as this is the only meat offered...at least during lunch). The chicken was quite tender and flavorful but I really wish there was more chicken in my ramen.

All three dishes used the same broth and noodles. Although the noodles were quite good (cooked al dente), the soup left MUCH to be desired. I will be honest and admit that I was expecting a tonkotsu (pork) broth instead of a chicken broth. The chicken broth, when tasted by itself, was a bit jarring as it really just tasted like chicken noodle soup...but with ramen. In addition, the more I ate, the saltier the broth tasted until it was almost like I was just eating salt with hot water.

I will give Ramen California props for being innovative (they had a "Masala" ramen, topped with curry, and Reggiano Cheese Tofu ramen, made in house) and for using locally grown vegetables. Overall, it was an OK experience. Next time I have a hankering for ramen though, I'll just pop over to Hakata Ramen over in Gardena. However, if I do go to Ramen California again, I'd go during dinner time to sample the different innovative dishes.

Ramen California
24231 Crenshaw Blvd. #C
Torrance, CA 90505
(310) 530-2749

Kogi BBQ [everywhere in L.A.]

2009-07-23T00:47:00.000-07:00

We admit, we dropped the ball here. I mean, understandable though, right? Andi sort of has an excuse, what with getting married and all (Congrats!!!)...and well, I guess my graduating and spending most of my days pondering my question mark of a future, we just forgot to update this little blog of ours.

I was supposed to write about the Kogi Korean BBQ/Taco truck a while ago (like, end of May maybe?) but totally slacked off. I am the worst.

But anyway, better late than never! I'm not going to say much about it, as a LOT has already been said about this elusive taco truck/korean bbq hybrid. For those not in the know, the Kogi truck is a roaming taco truck with a twist! Instead of the usual carne asada and whatevs, it's marinated meats (and tofu), Korean style. Um, talk about genius! The most interesting part is, since it's a taco truck, it is not in the same place every day. You can follow it on twitter (ew) or like me, look at their schedule on their website.

Their reputation is HUUGE, though, so expect a really long wait any given moment. I think I waited for an hour just to order.

Anyway, I ordered two different tacos: Korean chicken and beef. Each one is $2, which is a bit pricey. Although novel, the corn tortillas kind of overpower everything else. All I tasted was corn and spicy. I know "spicy" is not a taste, but whatever.

Beef on the left, chicken on the right.

The burrito (Korean Chicken BBQ) was $5 but really huge and surprisingly better than the tiny tacos. The chicken was well represented, and to my delight, the cheese really went well with the chicken. Although also a little spicy, it wasn't as predominant as the tacos. Next time, I'll probably get the burrito again.

They also had a bevy of other things, most notably a Korean BBQ-style quesadilla. This was also $5, and for cheese, meat, and tortilla...I didn't think it was worth the dinero.

All in all, it's a fun thing to try as a roaming taco truck that you have to track down is kind of an adventure in itself (but maybe not awkward?). However, the prices, and the sort of disappointing taste of the tacos makes this meal just OK. Of course, they change their menu all the time--maybe I just have to find my perfect dish.

wurstküche in downtown l.a.

2009-05-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

Andi and I really really wanted to try this fairly new sausage place in downtown L.A. I had heard about it while browsing on-line looking for an adequate sausage place to satisfy my love of Berlin sausages. Although Andi wasn't able to join me in this Awkward Eats adventure, my friend Kyle came along.

The sausages weren't what I ate while I was in Berlin. These were bigger, heartier, and more Americanized. Still good, but different.

The menu of sausages is divided into three categories, each pricier than the next: "Classics" (a few vegetarian options, and of course the bratwurst), "Gourmet" (three different meats: chicken, turkey, and pork in different combinations and flavors), and "Exotic" (duck+bacon, rabbit+veal+pork, alligator+pork, and rattlesnake+rabbit anyone?). Sausage prices range from $6 to $7.75 and are served on fresh rolls with (if you want): caramelized onions, sweet peppers, spicy peppers, or sauerkraut.

And of course, what German sausage place is it without some beer? Wurstküche houses 24 beers on tap, ranging from $8 and above. The cheapest is of course, PBR, which was still $2.

Here, Kyle indulges in some Pabst.
Kyle decided to be adventurous and also tried the Underberg (the tiny bottle on the left), a German digestif bitter made with herbs. Although this bottle is super small, it is 44% abv. Appearances can be deceiving, no?

Even more adventurous was Kyle's choice of sausage. I believe that a sausage place can only be as good as their bratwursts and so for my first time, I decided to eat the OG of sausages. Kyle, on the other hand, got the rattlesnake and rabbit with jalapeno sausage. Although it sounds way crazy, Kyle said that it didn't taste like anything too out of the ordinary. Delicious and filling, but not "weird."

We also tried the Belgian fries with sun dried tomato mayo. There were a lot of different dipping sauces to choose from, but this one sounded tasty at that moment. The mayo was not heavy or too thick and the sun dried tomatoes weren't too salty either. It was the perfect, light complement to the fries.

Obviously, the food is the main focus here.
Kyle's sausage and the Belgian fries with dipping sauce.

And my bratwurst. The roll was very soft and moist. I choose to adorn the sausage with sweet peppers, which added some crunch to the meal. I could taste the spices and herbs of the sausage, but it wasn't overbearing, which was also good.

What's funny about a place like Wurstküche is that it's just so...hip. Not only did we wait in line for a good half hour with a lot of hipper-than-thou Angelenos in their 20s and 30s, but there was a...wait for it. A DJ, spinning tunes from The Bird and the Bee to Radiohead to Hot Chip to M.I.A. It was strange but also entertaining. Hipster sausage place...and only half a mile from The Smell.

Although it is a really delicious place to eat (and filling!), it is sort of pricey for a sausage. I would go there again, just maybe not as often as I would like.

Wurstküche
800 E 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Phone: (213) 687-4444

Hours:
Sunday 12pm -midnight
Monday-Wednesday 11 am-midnight
Thursday-Saturday 11 am-midnight (soon to be expanded to 2 am)

bostonian restaurant (langham place)

2009-05-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

The Bostonian Restaurant in Langham Place - Hong Kong is a really fancy schmancy restaurant serving American fare. This restaurant has been in "The Hong Kong Best Restaurant Guide" since 2000, serving up seafood (like Boston lobster) and an extensive list of very good wine.

If you want a set lunch, you get an appetizer buffet (baked oysters and clams, various pâtés, salad, etc.), an entrée, a dessert, and coffee or tea. They also have different entrées to choose from if you opt out of the set lunch--although it is the better choice, price-wise.

We start off with some home-made fresh bread. Basically they give you a small loaf with marmalade and butter. The crust is crunchy and flakey without being too hard while the actual bread is very soft and moist.
Next, the entrée. I didn't want too heavy of a meal (like the roast of the day or braised lamb shank, or the sage and apricot filled pork fillet), so I chose the baked salmon with Gruyere herb crust.
Although the salmon was baked, it was still very juicy and when you cut it, the salmon just falls into slices. The spinach underneath was also really delicious. A hint of butter without being too salty, and a springy crunch to it too. MY DESCRIPTIONS: SO FULL OF WIN. The spinach underneath, along with the ginger butter sauce, really complemented the salmon.

To end, dessert!
I choose the toffee vanilla timbale with caramelized pineapple. Timbale is usually not a dessert item, but this time, I suppose because of the mold-shaped, it is. The toffee was not as strong as I had expected, so with the vanilla (which wasn't very strong either), it made for a very mild dessert. The caramelized pineapples were too sweet, but the juices of the pineapple, coupled with the dessert itself, was perfect.

My grandmother ordered (well my uncle ordered for her) the baked pear and almond tart with Grand Marnier cream.
She didn't finish it, so I ate half of hers (lulz). I think I liked mine more, but that is because I wasn't in the mood for tarts. It was still pretty delicious, without being too sweet.

And to end, a cappuccino.

Total for my meal: HK$268.00 (which is about $35 USD)
Basically, for a "fancy" meal, it's not too bad.

The Bostonian Restaurant in Langham Place
8 Peking Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Opening hours
Monday to Sunday: 12:00 noon -- 3:00pm & 6:30pm -- 11:00pm
Public Holiday: 6:30pm -- 11:00pm

Reservations: (852) 2375 1133 ext. 2070

50 Forks

2009-04-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some crappy pictures of my recent trip to 50 Forks in Santa Ana. Housed within the Art Institute of California, 50 Forks is almost entirely staffed by culinary students. The entrées run $9 to $11, and this for dishes like pork tenderloin, braised beef short ribs, and scallops using fresh, seasonal ingredients.

As we ordered, our server brought out lemonade appertifs in Pyrex test tubes to cleanse the palette. A little fancy, but who doesn't like drinking stuff out of test tubes?

I ordered the roast duck with blue cheese orecchiette ($9) and my friend George ordered the pork tenderloin entrée ($11). While we waited for our entrées, we enjoyed some strangely salty, yet tasty French bread and a scallop appetizer ($7). The scallops were breaded and baked with mushrooms in a delicious white wine cream sauce, topped again with breadcrumbs. This was my favorite dish of the meal, though I would not recommend it if you don't like wine as a prominent flavor.

My dish was a little more "mac and cheese" than "roast duck" but as a blue cheese fiend, I was fairly happy anyway. George's tender and flavorful pork tenderloin with tiny chive pancakes was, however, a little better. The portions are good for a fancy restaurant and perfect for a day when you want a light lunch.

We both ordered desserts but at $5 each, they were the least cost effective part of the meal.

George's panna cotta with berries and my chocolate cheesecake with espresso cream were both good but also fairly standard. The panna cotta was light and delicious, where the cheesecake was rich and creamy. However if you have an extra five dollars to spend, I'd recommend one of the appetizers over a dessert.

Even if you splurge for all three courses, 50 Forks is a great deal. It offers tasty dishes made with fresh ingredients, great service, and fancy-like beverages you drink out of test tubes(!!) for the same price you would pay at Olive Garden for a much less notable meal.

3601 Sunflower Ave

Santa Ana, CA 92704

(714) 429-0918

Open for Lunch
Monday thru Wednesday 11am-1pm

Open for Dinner Seasonally
Wednesday thru Friday 6:30pm-9pm

asiana airline from lax --> s. korea

2009-04-28T06:35:00.001-07:00

This post isn't really going to be helpful to anyone, but it's still food-related and hopefully interesting? Anyway, I was on the plane from LAX to South Korea the other week and for lunch, they served Bibimbap.

For those not in the know, Bibimbap is an assortment of vegetables (as you can see up there) like mushrooms, carrots, bean sprouts, spinach and such. In addition, there is also chopped beef. It's cold. BUT, you add hot rice into the mix and it's a delicious assortment of flavors in your mouf. The one I ate on the plane also came with oil and hot chili paste.

I was really expecting really crappy blocks of meat and lukewarm rice. This was pretty much awesome forever.

A & J Restaurant

2009-04-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

We decided to fill our bellies with some Taiwanese food at A & J Restaurant, a small-ish place bathed in florescent light and flanked with stark walls. None of the ladies working really spoke any English so I had to use my Cantonese to fake Mandarin...leading to awkward embarrassment. But hey, a little embarrassment is worth deliciousness, AMIRITE?

To share, we chose the bean curd with thousand-year-old egg. For those not in the know, the egg is not really a thousand years old ("That would take a lot of planning, har har har"-Andi). The process of "cooking" the egg does take a while though. The century egg (another name for it) is usually duck, chicken or quail (ours was chicken). It is preserved in a mixture of ash, clay, lime, rice straw, and salt for several weeks to several months.
The bean curd was just the right amount of saltyness, and for less than $3, was quite a steal.

Vivian: I ordered the spicy beef and tendon noodle soup, which also came with baby bok choy--but not enough. The noodles were tender and plentiful but some of the beef was a little too chewy for my taste. However, it was only $6.95 for a small, and it was still a lot of food. I think if I went back, I will order another noodle dish--just maybe not beef.

Andi: Not being familiar with Taiwanese food, I was really glad I asked for a recommendation before sitting down to order. The first page of the menu is filled with delicious sounding but somewhat indistinguishable noodle items. Based on a friend's recommendation, I ordered the noodle with hot and sour sauce and tried not to think about it too much. I can easily spend 15 minutes just second guessing myself when it comes to ordering food. It's serious business.

The dish was simple: a puddle of oil and seasoning at the bottom of the bowl with egg noodles and a handful of scallions heaped on top. Once mixed together, the result was very tasty if a little one note. The sauce was more sweet than hot, and certainly sour. I would definitely order this again, maybe adding a little soy sauce to cut the sweetness, but with so many other tasty-sounding noodle dishes at around 5 dollars a bowl, I may never quite get around to it.

14805 Jeffrey Rd

Irvine, CA 92618

(949) 786-3585

Taco Mesa (Costa Mesa)

2009-04-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our first "official" Awkward Eats post. We know you've been waiting for an actual food post for awhile, instead of a HEY, LOOK AT US. WE ARE AWKWARD. WE LOVE FOOD. post.

OK, so I headed over to Costa Mesa for their Burrito Wednesday. Unlike their $1 tacos on Taco Tuesday (which always attracts A LOT of customers), Burrito Wednesday seemed a more casual deal...at least when I went. Drop $5 and you get a drink and one of three burritos: chicken, carne asada, and "Mesa" burrito. Since I know what both chicken and carne asada burritos taste like for the most part, I opted for the Mesa burrito, which is all vegetarian.

Now let me get something straight: I enjoy the meats. But after a few people recommended this vegetarian burrito, I knew I had to try it.

The Mesa Burrito came with rice, black beans, fresh spinach, mushrooms, guacamole, red onions, tomato, and a blend of cheeses. Then, it is drizzled with caldillo sauce. This was a burrito made for forks and knives, folks. But maybe I just have really weak upper body strength.

Surprisingly, I was really full after the burrito, which is a feat as I usually get hungry in a few hours because there is no meat in my system. I am writing this, 5 hours after I ate lunch, and I am still full. I mean, I'm still thinking of what to eat in an hour, but man. I am still stuffed.

The guacamole was really delicious and fresh. The spinich was a super nice touch in a burrito. I would never have thought of adding that, but it did add some oomph to the dish.

So what have we learned? Not all vegetarian food is: expensive, unappetizing, or makes you hungry in a few hours.

The service was quick and sitting outside on a nice spring day made it all the nicer.

To end this post, here I am in the outdoors patio, giving a thumbs up...because that is how I roll.

Taco Mesa
647 W 19th St
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 642-0629

first

2009-04-01T17:49:00.001-07:00

Having been afflicted with Awkwardness my whole life, I recall so many moments where I thought "This description of a restaurant in Orange County is well-written, entertaining, and informative. But there seems to be a distinct lack of terrible jokes!" Or "This food photography is lovely and appealing. But why are there not people making awkward faces filling up the frame?"

I know that you too, awkward reader, have experienced that same feeling of emptiness, knowing that most food blogs are written for regular folk, with regular social skills. There was no place specifically for you. No longer!

We at awkwardeats understand your plight better than anyone. So sit tight, little ones. We'll be bringing the latest in awkward facial expressions, bad jokes, and cheap, delicious food in OC/LA right to your front door. Shipping and handling may apply.

Intro post, part 1 [[Andi]]

2009-03-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

3:45pm obtain burger
3:46pm commence munching
3:50pm success!

Intro post, part 1 [[Vivian]]

2009-03-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,
Welcome to the first ever Awkward Eats post. This is to serve as the first (of two) introduction posts. The next one will be with Andi as this one is with...me. Ok, that was pretty awkward.

Anyway, I am pretty obsessed with foodz and trying new things. I always have a checklist of things I want to try out whenever I'm in a new city. And then I try to accomplish it. Once I was in Rome, I had (in one day) 2 cups of gelato, 1 cannoli, 1 pizza, tortellini, tiramasu, and i thiiiiink another pastry. my stomach tried to block that from my memory as i had to pay for it. but oh man, was it worth it.

In addition to eating new food, I also really enjoy taking pictures of food for some reason. Or taking pictures with food? I don't know. Whatever, don't judge me.

Here is a small slice of what I mean:

Ok, until next time, keep yer belly happy.