The Most Important Meal of the Day

If there's one thing "very L.A." about me, it's that I love to go to brunch and I love breakfast foods. Not actually the idea of waking up to breakfast itself (because I am by no means a morning person), but foods that one would have for breakfast. I have different go-to places for the different moods I'm in. Fred 62, if the night before was VERY long and I wake up hungover, needing a greasy breakfast sandwich. Toast, if my desire for their food (and banana pudding) is overwhelming enough to endure the long lines and scene. BLD, if I want a really great cup of French press coffee to go with an exquisite breakfast.

But this isn't the type of brunch I'm referring to. This is the type of brunch my parents would actually join me for. One that has been a timeless tradition for my family, as well as many Asian families -- Dim Sum.

Dim Sum is essentially Chinese tapas, if you will. Small portions of steamed and fried foods, served in carts pushed around by ladies yelling out what they have to offer. Traditional dim sum foods include barbeque pork buns, har-gaow (a shrimp dumpling), Shu Mai (a shrimp or pork wonton skin dumpling), and steamed and stewed animal parts -- duck feet, chicken feet, tripe, spare ribs. Other goodies, such as sticky rice wrapped in taro leaves, steamed stuffed tofu skin, steamed and stir fried vegetables, are also offered.

Los Angeles and its surrounding areas house a great number of Dim Sum restaurants, the best bustling with people pouring out from every corner of the restaurant, waiting for a table. Sea Harbour is slowly becoming one of my favorite places for Dim Sum. Located in Rosemead, it's not too far from the Alhambra-Monterey Park area, where we also find great Dim Sum and other Chinese foods. Before, we'd go to Empress Pavilion in Chinatown for a quick fix, but the quality has since dropped drastically. I'd rather make the trek for something I know will be good.

They do things differently here. The wait is still the same -- long and a bit painful when you're ravenous with hunger. But at Sea Harbour, you order your Dim Sum off a menu. There's still ladies walking around with trays of food that you can choose at will, but once seated, you're given a menu to write down your order (albeit all in Chinese), and a menu with photos and explanations in English and Chinese. I find this process to be much more efficient. Not only are you not trying to ask the ladies what they're offering (cuz they're usually yelling in Chinese), but you can also see what's in each dish. The service is faster, and unlike other places I've seen that offer this ordering method for Dim Sum, it's actually really good.

One of the best things they make here are these pork buns. The filling is a mixture of minced pork and vegetables, and the bread is so soft and glazed with honey. Sticky goodness that I can never get enough of.


Coming in at a close second are these salted egg cream buns that literally ooze goodness. It's neither too sweet or too salty and there is the perfect amount of egg in the bun. The outside is steamed soft, with a hint of sweetness.


A staple dish in Dim Sum restaurants is the Shu Mai. Usually filled with either Shrimp or Pork (or both!), Sea Harbour's version also offers a garnish of shrimp roe.


Another favorite of mine is offered on the dinner menu of this restaurant -- pigeon. Yes, I loathe them when they're alive, but when deep fried (and what isn't good deep fried??), they're delicious. Come in a large group and order a few of them and the heads, considered the most delicious part, are served on their own plate.

Sea Harbour Restaurant - 3939 Rosemead Blvd. in Rosemead (on the corner of Valley and Rosemead)

Time to hang up the spurs?

Two foods I love -- Mexican food and Indian food, converge on one glorious plate in a joint connected to the El Rey dubbed Cowboys and Indians. Sounds great, right? I've heard about this place for quite some time from former co-workers, since it's in the Miracle Mile area, blocks away from my old office. Tonight, I decided to give it a try for myself.

The menu -- and the concept -- looked interesting enough. You take the most well-known dishes from each country's cuisine and pair them together -- quesadillas filled with chicken tikka masala, basmati rice in a burrito filled with more masala items, fries. Indian street food, they call it. But perhaps it was the rowdy concert-going crowd that made this place lack its taste tonight. Or maybe it's the fact that it's fusion (and I'm not a big fan of fusion to begin with) that makes neither of the flavors I love in both Mexican and Indian cuisine pop in the foods I've tasted.

My friend got a chicken tikka masala naanwich (a sandwich made with Indian naan bread), with options of wheat, regular or garlic naan. I got some masala cheese fries for us to share, along with chicken tikka masala tacos. When asked what type of cheese was being put on the fries, I was told it was a monterey jack blend. I was hoping it'd be some interesting homemade Indian cheese they'd top with the tangy masala. While waiting for my food, I saw samosas and masalas being reheated in the microwave. Big turn off for me, but I guess I get it, as this place really defines "hole in the wall."

Chicken tikka masala taco, topped with some sour cream and tamarind sauce.

The naanwich was spicy, according to my friend, but I found my dishes to be quite bland for Indian food. I kept dipping the fries and my taco in the tamarind sauce from the makeshift sauce bar (located in the drink cooler). Oh, and did I mention there was one of those metal/plastic baggie ties in my fries, pretending to be a sliver of cheese? Right. Coming from a country where street food is literally consumed from hawker stands on the sidewalk, I picked it out and continued with my meal, but found it a bit off-putting.

Masala cheese fries, sans baggie tie

I'll give them the benefit of a doubt -- it was super busy because there was a concert tonight, and you make do with what you can for such a small place. But the prices were a bit astronomical for being street food. And to discover that the online menu has lower prices than the menu I ordered from today. $10 for their special -- chicken nuggets and fries. $10 for a quesadilla (when it says $7 on the online menu) and the same for a naanwich (when it says less AND with fries online). Is this because there was an event going on tonight? That's almost what I call airport/amusement park/movie theatre robbery.

If there wasn't a huge scrambling crowd, if no baggie tie were in my fries, if they offered a bigger selection of drinks (like maybe non-bottled water gratis) would I try it again? Perhaps....

Cowboys & Turbans - 5515 Wilshire Blvd., next to the El Rey

The Holidays = more stationery!!

One thing I love about the holidays, and post-holiday is buying holiday cards and thinking of fun and creative things to send to friends who I haven't seen in a long time. E-mail is great, but who doesn't love a hand-written note in the mail, even if it's only a few short, sweet lines. And if you know me, you know I am obsessed with stationery. ;)

Last year, I raided the Paper Source in Santana Row (San Jose, CA) and stocked up on great holiday cards for this year. I'm so excited to go through my stash and pick out which one best fits each friend/ family member on my card list. This is great because since they're not boxed, I 1) won't have leftovers for the next year (so I can buy more cards!) and 2) I won't have to try to remember which card I sent to who. Even an organization system can confuse me once I haven't looked at those cards for almost a year.

Paper Source is one of the few chain stationery stores I truly love. They have a massive selection of loose papers for wrapping, including beautiful Japanese papers and mulberry paper. They also have a great collection of do-it-yourself items, from place cards to invitations and thank you cards. It allows you to be creative, even when you don't really have the skills. What I really like about Paper Source, though, is their own collection of cards that are letterpressed. To me, the feel of letterpress stationery = quality and simplicity without being too frilly. I'd take a simple letterpress card with three words on it over a Hallmark card any day.

Best of all, the staff at every Paper Source store I've been to is superbly friendly and helpful (I've been to three - San Jose, Berkeley and Beverly Hills. Yes, I'm obsessed.)

ANYWAY, I went to Paper Source recently, searching for these Kolo paper albums, only to realize that they are being discontinued (sad face!)

Vineyard Original Paper Album

I was planning on making one of these scrapbooks in lieu of a birthday card -- I like to make them from time to time (when I've compiled enough photos and my creative bug actually kicks in). Sad to see that they are being discontinued -- I was hoping for a more masculine color, but the pink ones are on sale on the Kolo site if anyone's interested. In the meantime, does anyone know where I can get a scrapbook of this size (and not too many pages) that I could make as a birthday card? :)

Stay Tuned....

Just organizing my life a little....I will be back shortly, with more regular posts :)

Last long weekend of the summer...

Labor Day marks the quintessential end of summer, and the beginning of fall. No more wearing white (not that I did much of that to begin with...). This summer has been anything but breezy, but I must say, I've had some great food adventures that I can't wait to share. Spent this weekend in the Bay area, a great place to be when LA is a scorching 100+ degrees, depending where in the area you are.

Finally going to try the Alibi Room this week with a new friend (thank you, Elliot for the tip! :)

And if you are in LA this weekend, check out the Contemporary Korean art exhibit tomorrow at LACMA. It's the last free holiday Monday, so don't miss it! :)

So Bad It's Good

MALO is muy bueno...

No really. It's so good it's bad, it's so bad it's good. I was introduced to Malo by co-workers who were Silverlake habitants. I love the mix of quality, fresh ingredients, a giant tequila and drink list (that's actually more pages than the actual food menu), and the vibe that makes the place. Actually, that's the feel of Silverlake in general. The street vibe of art and culture is more reminiscent of parts of San Francisco than LA, and maybe that's why I dig it.

Most recently, the restaurant has added 2 excellent specials: Monday taco night and brunch on the weekends. Why is Monday taco night so exciting? Because one of my favorite dishes here is the ground beef and pickle taco. Yes, you read correctly. It's a crunchy deep fried taco, filled with ground beef, cheddar cheese, and pickles. The antithesis of Taco Bell - a hamburger in your taco.

And whoever thought chewy chips could be so delicious and addictive? Pair them with fiery habanero and creme dip sacue and you're set. And make sure you cool it down with their famous organic margarita. Or if you want to kick up the heat, order a shrimp diablo for your entree. It's more than a kick of heat - it's diabolically spicy!

Another reason I look forward to Malo is for its side dishes. My favorite, the Mexican corn on the cob is sprinkled with cheese and pico de gallo and creme for an excellent blend of sweetness of the corn, saltiness from the cheese and a mild tap of heat.

My love: ground beef and pickle tacos from Malo

Malo Restaurant - 4326 W. Sunset Blvd. in Silverlake

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND!

Happy Fourth of July Weekend!

Hope everyone is enjoying the fun and festivities of the holiday :) I've escaped Los Angeles for the weekend to the Bay Area - update on that next week. In the meantime, I am so excited about the opening of Mozza 2 Go!!! Good-bye, Dominoes. Hello, yummy deliciousness :)

I can't wait to go sample it myself, but you can read about it in today's Daily Candy Los Angeles.

Have a great weekend!! :)

LA Food Tour Weekend

Every weekend I'm in LA can be a food tour weekend, but this weekend seemed to be pivotal. I was catching up with so many friends, who lived in different parts of town, craving a variety of things.

Friday night, the girls from grad school and I hung out in downtown Culver City. This little area by the Sony studios has become one of the little corners that I look forward to stopping by. One of my favorite lunch spots there is a southern fried chicken joint called Honey's Kettle, where the chicken and biscuits are to die for. But Friday night, we headed to Ford's Filling station for some good wine, cheese plates, and delicious dishes. The restaurant is so named for its executive chef and owner, Benjamin Ford, son of none other than Harrison Ford. I love this place not because it was owned by Indy's son, but because Ben Ford used to be the chef at one of my favorite breakfast spots, The Farm of Beverly Hills. And because his polenta cakes at his restaurant are my absolute favorite. I have cravings for them. And that's exactly what I dove into on Friday night. ;)

Saturday, I was meeting a girlfriend for brunch, and wanted her to try one of my favorite quaint cafes in Los Angeles. La Provence is one of those places where you can't help but feel happy when you walk in. This euphoria may be a result of the smell of the delicious baked goods (home of my favorite French macarons) or the aroma of the great coffee they serve. Or it may be because the cafe itself just bursts with happiness. The chandeliers and decorations exhibit a European air that takes me away everytime I go there. I often stop for an iced mocha on my way to work (and sneak in a lavender macaron), but I love going to brunch there as well. You may be sitting in the middle of a Beverly Hills strip mall, but one sip of your latte and one bite of the French bread with real homemade raspberry jam, and you're sitting on the sidewalks of Paris.

Lovely macarons at La Provence. Orange, lavender and rose flavoured :)

For dinner on Saturday night, I met another girlfriend to catch up over one of our favorite authentic charcoal Korean bbq joints in Koreatown. We were very lucky to get a table right away, because usually the line at Soot Bull Jeep is completely out the door. I was yearning for my favorite marinated squid there, as well as their beef tongue (don't knock it til you try it!). If you are a fan of grilled calimari, you will be in heaven once you taste this squid. Something about grilling your meat/seafood over charcoal makes it doubly as delicious. Coupled with their dipping sauce, the scallion and lettuce salad, and the array of kimchi, its actually a pretty healthy meal. The down side? Coming out of the restaurant smelling like you've emerged from an LA wildfire. But it was worth it :)

Marinated squid and beef tongue at Soot Bull Jeep

The culmination of my LA food tour weekend could not have ended at a better place. One of the reasons I am still happy to be an Angeleno if for the opportunity to drop by Pizzeria Mozza. It's not your typical pizza joint, as you may think. Nor can you really "drop in" (reservations are accepted one calendar month in advance only - nothing before that, and you can try for later than that, but you may have a 5pm or 9pm dinner). However, the times I cherish being an Angeleno are the times I know I have a reservation to Mozza upcoming OR a friend calls me up to join their long-planned reservation, where there is an extra spot at the table.

I can go on forever about my undying love for this place. How the cured meats are as good as I've had in Italy (because Mario Batali gets his meats from his dad's Seattle shop, and because his dad learned how to cure meats in Italy), how the buzzing atmosphere reminds me so much of Italian hospitality, how the pizza is good from the first til last bite, and how the servers remember what my favorite pizza is. But why elaborate? Go try it!!My favorite dishes at Pizzeria Mozza, from Antipasti to Dolci:

Appetizers and salads:

-Fried squash blossoms with ricotta

-Nancy's chopped salad - Named after Nancy Silverton, the best chopped salad you will ever have, hands down. The freshest meats, the most quality vegetables. Absolutely delicious.

-Mozza caprese - melts.in.your.mouth!!!

Pizzas:

-The "meat lover's" - a combination of Mozza's delicious meats, including their homemade fennel sausage

-Speck, bufala mozzarella, olive tapanade & oregano - I am guilty of ordering this pizza way too often. It's light, and nothing like a traditional pizza, but everything like the ones I've had in Rome.

-White anchovy, tomato & hot chiles - Americans' least favorite pizza topping, but so delicious with hot chiles. Gives a sweet and spicy light flavour.

Desserts:

-Butterscotch budino - a combination of light, but rich butterscotch pudding, the bottom of the cup is lined with sea salt crystals to give a burst of salty flavour. Served with rosemary cookies that blend so well with the richness of the butterscotch. In the words of a dear friend, I would lick the cup if I could.

-Olive Oil gelato - Who would ever think olive oil would make a great dessert? But it does! The richness of the oil leaves a subtle flavour in gelato form, with crystals of sea salt that blend so well with the rich texture of the gelato. I've put in requests on their comment cards to bring the flavour back when it wasn't on the menu.

To me, Pizzeria Mozza demonstrates that gourmet food doesn't have to always be an arm and a leg. The place is still reasonably priced (hence my all-too-often visits), the ingredients taste of quality, and the atmosphere is great.

The famous Nancy's chopped salad at Pizzeria Mozza

To taste for yourself:

Ford's Filling Station - 9531 Culver Blvd. in Culver City

La Provence Cafe - 8950 W. Olympic Blvd. in Beverly Hills

Soot Bull Jeep - 3136 W. 8th St. in Koreatown

Pizzeria Mozza - 641 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood

HAPPY EATING! :)

A sad week in Hollywood

This week, Hollywood and the world faced the loss of one of its best talent and two major contributors -- all three of which shaped the entertainment world in the last century.

R.I.P. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Thank you for being a key figure in late night TV and for the ultimate original talent search, Ed; for being an iconic sex symbol, Farrah; and for changing the face of and defining pop music forever, Michael.

Comfort Food - Take One

What is your favorite comfort food?

I'm a big noodle person (aside from Pho, sorry folks), and one of my favorites is ramen, the staple Japanese noodle soup. And I'm not talking about that dehydrated Nissin pack that you pick up in the supermarket. After visiting so many great ramen places in the San Francisco Bay area (more on that later), I've re-discovered my obsession for ramen. The perfect bowl of ramen welcomes you with the fragrant, hot broth that has the perfect combination of flavors. The noodles, my favorite, are so unique, depending on where you go and what type of ramen you order. It should also include the most tender, melt in your mouth chasu pork, and for ultimate authenticity, the most perfectly timed tamago (egg) that you've ever had. It is neither soft-boiled nor hard boiled, but perfectly...yolky :)

One of my favorite places in L.A. isn't in Little Tokyo or Torrance, but it's in the food court of the Mitsuwa Marketplace, on the corner of Venice Blvd. and Centinela Ave. in the Venice/Santa Monica area.

Small miso ramen with side of rice with leek

While Santouka lacks in my favorite egg, the chasu is definitely tender, the broth is extremely flavorful and the noodles are perfectly textured. Slurping this makes me happy. :)

Resurrection of a Blog

I'M BAAAACK!!!

It's been an insanely long time since I've last updated my blog, so I've decided to resurrect it, and revamp it. It will be a process that will be a constant work-in-progress for awhile, but I'm excited to be writing about the things I love most again. Some highlights of posts for the weeks to come:

Pizzeria Mozza (finally! And the new take-out location next door! )

My trip to Italy (breathtaking, specatular!)

The View from Above (up North, in the Bay Area, that is)

Coffee obsession and the best places in L.A.

KyoChon! My new Korean fast food obsession

KoGi? Come again? The newest craze - tweeting to catch the Korean BBQ taco

See you soon!