Aug 28, 2010

Valhalla Table

After reading about Valhalla Table via other OC food blogs, I had to try it. Homemade, all natural and organic sausages... how can I not?
Menu.
Very simple and casual interior.
Went at a weird time so we had the place all to ourselves.
My order: Bratwurst with Caramelized Onions
Bratwurst is my favorite, and this was definitely a tasty one.
My sister's order: Turkey with Sundried Tomato & Romano Cheese with Sweet Peppers
I thought this sasusage was a little salty...
Nice, cold pint of Allagash White.
Love Belgain White Beers!

Off to:
Seattle tomorrow.. can't wait to eat there!

Aug 23, 2010

Din Tai Fung (鼎泰豐)

Din Tai Fung in Arcadia probably has the best steamed pork dumplings (小籠包) in this area. I wish they would open a store closer to home.
Exterior.
There's two Din Tai Fungs back to back, this one is the new store.
(Just noticed the girl in the middle... what is she doing?!)
Steamed Pork Dumplings
Shrimp Fried Rice
Steamed Vegetable & Pork Bun
Steamed Red Bean Buns
Inside of the Red Bean dumpling... love this.
Steamed Black Sesame Paste Bun

Aug 22, 2010

Silk Road

Brunch at Silk Road inside Vdara.
Silk Road is a breakfast/lunch/brunch place so they close early, at 3PM.
Exterior.
Futuristic Entrance.
While sipping on fresh French Pressed Coffee, we couldn't decide between a savory or sweet dish so we each chose one and shared.
Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes
It seemed like the pancakes were 'baked' because the outside was crispy and the inside was fluffy. It also went really well with the lemon curd on the side.The side dish of honeycomb butter, candied rose petal and orange blossom syrup was an added bonus.
Eggs Benedict
The Poached Eggs, Spinach and Bacon were placed on a crisp potato cake (thick hash brown) instead of on bread, which I thought was interesting.
Eggs Benedict is my favorite breakfast dish. This one didn't disappoint.

Aug 19, 2010

Enoteca San Marco

After coming back to California, my sister and I took a short trip to Las Vegas. When we got there, we had dinner at Enoteca San Marco (Venetian) which is owned by Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich. I've always wanted to try a restaurant by Mario Batali, because my sister and friends had been raving about Mozza (both Osteria & Pizzeria) in LA.
We sat on the 'patio'.
Menu.
Getting along in Italian, complete with hand gestures.
We started off with 3 choices from the Verdure, or Vegetable menu.
From the left; Farro, Corn and Tomatoes, Eggplant Caponata
All of the dishes were really flavorful and delicious. My favorite was definitely the Eggplant Caponata... this is a MUST for Eggplant lovers like myself. The flavor is hard to describe, but its savory and a little sweet with balsamic vinegar and a hint of cinnamon.
Gemelli with House Sausage & Broccoli Rabe
This pasta dish was prepared so perfectly. The pasta was al-dente so the texture was chewy and the flavor was delicate and subtle so you can taste the sausage and rabe. After sharing the appetizer and this pasta, we were so full! Their dishes had pretty large portions.
We finished off our meal by sharing their housemade Gelato: Pistachio, Espresso and Mint & Chip

Aug 18, 2010

My Summer Dish

I made Ratatouille for the first time this year. Because its so easy and healthy, it appeared often over the past couple of months. My sister took these shots of our Chicken & Ratatouille dinner.
For the Ratatouille, I lightly infuse the flavor of minced garlic in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and then add in whatever Veggies that I have. Add some wine (white or red, either works), a can of organic crushed tomatoes and let it simmer. The leftover is delicious the next day, especially if its chilled.
I also think I am REALLY close to perfecting Grilled Chicken: Crispy skin and juicy, tender meat. I marinate the chicken with salt, black pepper, minced garlic and white wine for at least 20 minutes. Grill the chicken skin-side first and add weight on it to make the skin crispy. So simple.
Zion watching my sister shoot.

Aug 16, 2010

Souryu (蒼龍唐玉堂)

This summer, we often had lunches at Souryu (蒼龍唐玉堂) in Meguro. They are famous for Dan-Dan Noodles (担担麺), which is a Chinese Sichuan-style noodle soup.
Exterior.
White Sesame Dan-Dan Noodles (白胡麻担々麺)
This is what I ordered the very first time I ate here, about two years ago. The sesame broth is very rich and creamy.
Pan-fried Dumplings (餃子)
Broiled Dumplings (水餃子)
I prefer the broiled dumplings here.
Recently, we had been ordering the same thing...
His order: Dan-Dan Noddles without Soup (あえ担々麺)
My order: Black Sesame Cold Dan-Dan Noodles (冷やし黒胡麻担々麺)
I was so hooked on this noodle! Too bad it is only served during the summer. This is a great casual place for a quick and hearty meal.

Aug 14, 2010

Wasa

After our attempt to eat at Wasa failed a couple of months ago, I learned my lesson and booked ahead. WAY ahead. So glad I did!
This tiny restaurant is owned and operated by the chef and his wife (with one helper in the kitchen) and is about a 10 minute walk from Toritsu-Daigaku Station off of the Toyoko Line.
Started the meal with: Fried Scallop & Uni Dumplings (帆立とウニの揚げ餃子)
which looks like...
 this inside.
It was surprisingly buttery, which I felt kind of took away from the flavor of the Uni. But everyone seems to order this according to Tabelog.
Eggplant Schezwan-style (茄子の四川風)
Eggplant was the seasonal vegetable. We chose Schezwan-style out of the 3 styles they offered. I love eggplants and spicy food so this dish hit the spot. I also liked the interesting texture of the flash-fried Yama-Imo the chef added.
Sweet & Sour Pork with Black Rice Vinegar (黒酢豚)
Many Chinese places in Japan offers Sweet & Sour Pork with Black Rice Vinegar, which is similar to Balsamic Vinegar in that it is more mild in acidity and has more depth. Really enjoyed the sauce of this dish.
Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)
Its hard to explain how delicious this Mapo Tofu was! It was THE perfect combination of the amount of spiciness (he added a homemade Chili Sauce), the numbing sensation of the Sichuan Pepper (山椒) and the creamy tofu coming together in one sizzling hot pot. 
Green Onion Fried Rice (葱炒飯)
I was sold when the chef told us that this is his most recommended dish and that he can not perfect fried rice anymore than what it is now... and it was indeed, a fried rice masterpiece.
We finished the meal off sharing a Mango Pudding which was the seasonal dessert. It had so much Mango fruit which was a refreshing finish to a fabulously satisfying meal!

Aug 13, 2010

Haagen-Dazs La Maison Ginza

Last week, I came back to California.
When I left the airport at Narita, it was 32C (plus humidity) and when I landed in LAX, it was 16C (minus humidity). The weather here is just amazing and it has been so cool, it doesn't feel like summer.
The last month in Tokyo was a bit hectic so I had been so behind on blog updates.
Back to food in Tokyo...

I had walked by Haagen-Dazs La Maison Ginza many times and there would always be a line, so I just kept post-poning to try this place. Haagen-Dazs is my favorite ice cream so I assumed their desserts would be divine. I was SO right.
Menu.
Luxurious interior.
This day was surprisingly quiet.
My friend's order: Seasonal Soup (Stawberry)
My order: Rich Milk Ice Cream in Chilled Orange Gelee Soup with Yogurt Mousse
This picture does not do this dessert justice (you must go and check out their website photo!). It was refreshingly light with the perfect amount of fruitiness, tartness from the yogurt and the richness from the icre cream.

Aug 12, 2010

Oxymoron

Grabbed lunch at Oxymoron before heading back to Tokyo.
We noticed a lot of curry restaurants in Kamakura so I looked it up on tabelog and this place caught my eye.
Exterior.
Located on the 2nd floor of an area full of trendy restaurants.
Interior.
Menu.
His order: Ethnic Soboro Curry (エスニックそぼろカリー)
Cilantro, Shiso, Pinenuts... this curry was certainly ethnic. You can choose the level of spiciness of your curry. He ordered one of the spiciest ones so the add on of the Onsen-Tamago (Poached Egg) mellowed the flavor... yum!
My order: Chicken Curry (チキンカリー)
You could taste all the spices of the curry and it was so simple and delicious.
Everything at this restaurant was made from scratch and I loved the homemade feel of everything they served (including their drinks and desserts). Too bad we were too full to try their desserts. Next time!