stuffycheaks

Recipe: Date Night Made Easy - Crockpot Beef Stroganoff & Roasted Broccoli

2012-11-13T16:49:00.001-08:00

I'm sure many of you are like me - work full days and rarely have time to cook up a weeknight dinner. To make it more impossible, I travel every week for work too. So whenever I get the rare chance of working from home, I like to take advantage of the opportunity to whip up a homecooked meal for my fiance.

One of his favorite dishes is Beef Stroganoff, and with the help of a crockpot, it takes 15 minutes to prepare this dish and your date will be thoroughly impressed. Make him think you slaved in the kitchen :) I found a recipe on Cooking Light so the meal was more guilt-free. To balance out the heavy dish, I served the stroganoff with a side of roasted garlic broccoli. It was the perfect accompaniment with its slightly charred tips and bits of garlic chips.

To start, throw all your ingredients into the crockpot.

Mix in the wet and dry ingredients and turn on the slow cooker. That's it. You can go back to working or watching TV.

For the side, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, then combine the cut-up broccoli crown with 6 cloves of smashed garlic and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the broccoli on a baking sheet (there is no need to grease the sheet as the oil from the broccoli mixture will suffice) and bake for 20 minutes, or until brown. It's that simple, the texture of the broccoli changes (it's ends are crispy), it tastes great and it's good for you too.

Beef Stroganoff

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

1 (1-pound) top round steak (1 inch thick), trimmed (I used beef chuck)

1 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms (about 2 cups)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup all-purpose flour or 2 tbspn

1 cup beef broth

1 (8-ounce) container low-fat sour cream

2 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 ounces uncooked)

Preparation

1. Cut steak diagonally across grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place steak and next 8 ingredients (though garlic) in a 3-quart electric slow cooker; stir well.

2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a small bowl; gradually add broth, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add broth mixture to slow cooker; stir well. Cover with lid; cook on high-heat setting 1 hour. Reduce to low-heat setting, and cook 7 to 8 hours or until steak is tender. Turn slow cooker off; remove lid. Let stroganoff stand 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Serve stroganoff over noodles.

An Day in Pasadena: Haven Gastropub and 2012 Breeder's Cup

2012-11-06T16:34:00.002-08:00

The Breeder's Cup (horse racing) is held annually, with the venue changing almost every year. In the last two years, it was held at Churchill Downs, home to the Kentucky Derby, but this year and next, it is held in Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Since it is somewhat in our backyard, we made the trek to the San Gabriel area for the race.

The race park sits at the foothill of the San Gabriel mountains, providing a beautiful backdrop.

You can get seats in the Grandstand (where there were attendees wearing dresses and fine hats) or you can get General Admission tickets for only $20 in the Infield (or the cheap seats as they are called). There is beer, wine, liquor and food sold in the infield but the booze quickly sold out. Pretty poor management on the organizers part, I must say.

I am not much of a gambler, but it seemed low risk as you can make bets for as little as $1. The fiance really did the betting for me but out of 6 races that I bet exacta on (based on "cute" horse names), I won half of them, essentially winning around $150 from a total of $36 in bets. Pretty fun stuff.

Before the race started, we stopped by our friend's place in Pasadena for some light snacks.

A selection of cured meat from a Pasadena neighborhood gem, Roma Italian Deli. Beef brescola, prosciutto, Italian salumi and coppa. Also served with gorgonzola, brie, Italian parmigiano and olives. The cured meat was outstanding, fresh. Apparently Roma Deli has been owned by the same Italian gentleman for over half a century, and he is great at giving recommendations if you need any.

My (Bulgarian) friend also introduced us to a interesting combination of Greek-styled caviar spread (caviar and cream) and a spicy Harissa spread. Loved the combination of cream, salty fish roe and the kick from the harissa spread which tasted like a slight relative of sambal chili.

After the races (and finally able to catch a cab after 2 hours), we met up with friends at Haven Gastropub in Old Town Pasadena. The gastropub first opened in Orange County and made its way to Pasadena late last year.

Haven has over 40 craft beers and tap and many in bottle.

Homemade potato chips ~ A nice starter. I really enjoyed the garlic aioli dipping sauce. The chips were supposedly soaked in beer but they didn't taste any different. Not a big deal as they still tasted good as they were not too oily and had just the right amount of seasoning.

Hand twisted pretzel ~ I am a huge pretzel fiend and always have to order it when it's on the menu. Unfortunately, this pretzel did not impress me. Yes it looked very promising, but it was a bit on the doughy side and a bit dense. The bacon fontina cheese had nice chunks of bacon to it but probably needed just a sprinkle of salt. The beer mustard sauce however was the favorite at the table. Sweet, tangy with a spice.

French onion soup ~ we really enjoyed this soup from the flavorful yet on overbearingly salty broth, to the melted gruyere atop a crostini. It just really hit the spot.

Beef tongue poutine ~ I really enjoyed this dish. What's there not to like? French fries (which still had a bit of a crunch under the topping), braised beef tongue which didn't really even taste like tongue or had the tough texture of tongue. In fact, the shredded meat was tender and had good salty flavors to it. The fries and meat were topped with round pieces of port salut which is a mild goat cheese. I liked that it wasn't completely melted and overly gooey, and had a nice caramelization on top.

Homemamde donuts ~ The donuts here were pretty good (fresh, soft and large in size). The nutella sauce was a favorite, however the Jameson caramel sauce was a bit too strong for everyone.

I really enjoyed my meal at Haven. Sometimes it's hard to find a place that satisfies the fiance (BEER, and casual setting) and mine (good food and blogworthy) so I thought Haven did a good job of balancing that out. Unfortunately we were not too hunger and as such, only ordered a couple appetizers to share. However based on what we tried, I can only imagine good things about the other dishes. Some that caught my eye were the porchetta, pork rillette and the whole roasted suckling pig dinner with 3 sides for only $45/person. Sounds like a delicious pork feast.

Haven Gastropub
42 South De Lacey Ave,
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 768-9555
havengastropub.com

Roma Italian Deli
918 N. Lake,
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 979-7748

Bottomless Mimosa Brunch at The Six Restaurant

2012-11-01T09:10:00.002-07:00

Saturday Mimosa brunch is the thing that I look forward to most each week. More so if the mimosas are bottomless and reasonably priced. I had been to The Six restaurant on Pico Blvd by the Westside Pavillion when it first opened in 2010 and enjoyed my dinner thoroughly. The restaurant has been doing well since and even opened up another location in Studio City last year.

$10 bottomless mimosas, or you can opt for blood mary or Great White Brew (from Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, CA). What a great deal, and we got quite a hefty pour.

Waffle Sliders ~ This seemed to be a crowd favorite, in fact I saw a table of 4 ladies who each ordered this dish. I liked that the waffles were not huge (making it easier to eat) and that you got two. The fluffy-in-the- center waffles with a crunchy exterior sandwiched in a fried egg, cheddar and bacon. I liked the sprinkling of powdered sugar on the cutting board. Great presentation too.

The Six burrito ~ The burrito was stuffed with egg, potato, caramelized onions, bell pepper and bacon. Pretty simple but made with good quality, fresh ingredients. It was served with a side of lightly dressed spring salad.

The rest of the menu looks great including the lunch options such as fried chicken & waffles and beets with burrata. If you are starving, the Hay Stack (pile of fries, patty, fried egg) would do the trick. The only issue I saw was that our waitress didn't smile and looked annoyed to be there. Hungover perhaps? In any case, The Six has a solid menu and a great mimosa special.

The Six Restaurant
10668 West Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310)837-6662
the sixrestaurant.com

Chicago: The Purple Pig

2012-10-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

To round up my Chicago trip, we had just enough time to squeeze in dinner at the wildly popular Purple Pig on Michigan Avenue. The restaurant serves up food that I would categorize as gastro-restaurant with lots of shareable dishes, served with a Mediterranean flavor. Unfortunately the restaurant does not take reservations so there was a large crowd waiting outside for a table at 6pm.

The restaurant has seating inside with communal tables, a bar area and the coveted outdoor patio area. Since it was just a friend and myself for dinner, we knew our chances of getting a seat was higher if we chose to sit at the bar. The hostess was nice enough to let us know when a party was closing out, so we really only waited for 10-15 minutes.

There are quite a number of pork dishes on the menu, but The Purple Pig also has a nice selection of cheeses, vegetables and other meats (clams, veal, lamb).

The Purple Pig has a nice selection of charcuterie and spreads.
Pork Neck Bone Rillette and Mostarda ~ I liked that the rillette was spreadable. It was rich and salty, and paired with a tangy-sweet fruit preserve. The only disappointing factor was that the bread was burnt. Even when we asked for more, they came out burnt too. Must be something wrong with the kitchen timer.

Roasted Corn ~ A nice side dish to help balance out all the meat dishes that we ordered. I liked the texture of the roasted corn which had a slight char to it and a bit of caramelization. The corn kernels were mixed with mushrooms, nuts and fried rosemary. I liked the sweet- salty combination, and how fresh this dish was.

Pig's Ear with Crispy Kale ~ Seems to be a one more their more popular dishes. The thinly sliced pigs ear were lightly breaded and crispy on the outside with a crunch from the cartilage. I just love the texture of pigs ear. Also loved the combination of fried kale and pickled cherry peppers. I thought the fried egg did a good job of holding everything together. Once you broke the yolk and mixed everything together, what seemed like a salad quickly because a warm creamy dish.

Octopus with Green Beans ~ The texture of the octopus was firm, but tender, and its flavors were not too oceanic. In fact, when you cut up the octopus to pieces, they could pass off as a firm calamari steak. The octopus was served with fingerling potatoes and a acidic and zesty salsa verde. I was glad to have ordered some lighter dishes to compliment the heavier pork dishes.

Pig's Tails Braised in Balsamic with Grated Egg and Parsley ~ I really enjoyed this dish. The meat from the pig's tail was very tender and fell off the bone. There was also lots of bones to the tail, which made it fun to slurp up all the meat and sauce around the bone. I've had pig's tail before but only in Asian preparation so I found the flavors interesting in the use of the sweet/tangy balsamic vinegar.

Milk Braised Pork Shoulder with Mashed Potatoes ~ Probably the only dish that I was not impressed with as the pork shoulder was not tender. It was tough to cut through and was rather stiff. Also, it was topped with an unsightly yellow mashed potatoes.

The Purple Pig is a fun place to grab a bite if you are relatively new to the city. It's loud and vibrant, and the dishes are unique and fun to share. Granted there were many tourists (you could tell, they were wearing sneakers and toting cameras) but I found the dishes interesting and the food good.

The Purple Pig
500 N. Michigan Ave.,
Chicago, Illinois 60611
(312) 464-1744
Thepurplepigchicago.com

Chicago: Tavernita (River North) - the corn pudding to die for!

2012-10-21T15:37:00.001-07:00

While in Chicago, my friend and I ventured to River North to meet up with friends for a drinks. Even though we bar hopped and nibbled on dishes all night, I was hoping to check out at least one of the recommendations from my colleague. Tavernita was one of them - it is a Latin/Spanish restaurant from the same owners of trendy Mercadito.

They have a great wraparound patio seating area which has kind of a trendy yet casual gastrobar feel to it. The noise level was high and the patio was rather happening. Unfortunately every seat was taken.

We ended up grabbing seats inside, which had a completely different feel to it - it was more sophisticated and uber swank, with modern lightning and flooring. Clientele seemed older compared to the patio outside.

The menu at Tavernita is Spanish inspired, with a variety of small plates for sharing. The dishes are not entirely Spanish flavored, you can find the typical croquettes, patatas and gambas, but also hamachi crudo and lamb sausage.

I ordered a quartino of the refreshing Albarino. I was surprised that the serving was quite large (it felt more than a glass and a half) but it only cost $10.

Because I live in the no-foie state of California, I was so excited to order anything foie.

Foie gras mousse with cherry compote really hit the spot. Thick and smooth with intense livery flavor. Gosh, I really miss the rich and decadent foie gras. It was paired well with freshly grilled baguette.

Corn pudding with shrimp was such a wonderful surprise. I wasn't expecting a large skillet of baked corned pudding that was soft in the center with zing from poblano, and topped with a nice crust. The corn pudding was topped with large pieces of succulent shrimp and a fresh herb salad. Such a unique dish that I was glad to have ordered.

I was quite pleased with what we ordered. If we weren't so full, I would have loved to order more from their menu such as pork belly bocadillo and braised short ribs with crispy potato puree. But the foie mousse and corn pudding was enough to whet my appetite. It's definitely a place that I would recommend for a fun night out with some good food.

Tavernita
151 W. Erie
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 274-1111
www.tavernita.com

Chicago: Brunch at The Bongo Room (Bucktown)

2012-10-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

Bongo Room in Wicker Park is a very popular and beloved brunch place in Chicago since opening almost two decades ago. When my friend mentioned that we would have to get there before it opened at 9am on a Saturday, I was deterred a bit. I hate waiting in lines. Thankfully, we managed to get up and out the door in time, and when we arrived at 8.45am, a line was quickly forming. You could tell that they were all locals from the neighborhood in line. That's a good sign.

When the door finally opened at 9am (not a minute earlier), we were seated in a cheerful dining room with Tiffany blue walls and moose heads (not real) mounted on the wall.

The menu comprises of typical brunch fare such as eggs, pancakes and croissant sandwich. They also have a Specials menu that changes seasonally. I do like that they have some interesting dishes such as red velvet hotcakes and vanilla bean brioche french toast

Bloody Mary and Black Raspberry and Grapefruit Mimosa. The mimosas weren't cheap at over $8 a piece (ouch) but I did like some of the flavors such as Orange Mango and Raspberry and Pear.

White chocolate and caramel pretzel pancakes was on the Specials menu so I had to try it. When it came out, I was a bit nervous. It looked uber sweet but thankfully, the caramel and white chocolate sauce was milder than one would expect. The sauce was outstanding - the right amount of creaminess and milkiness. They also did a great job of balancing the flavors with the saltiness from the crunchy crushed pretzels that were embedded in the fluffy pancakes. It was like a little surprise in every bite. The portions are quite large, with three pancakes in each plate. I don't normally order sweet pancakes but was very very glad that I did. A+!

We ordered a side of Thai chicken sausage with ginger which I was hoping would taste like Issan sausage. Not so much. It was a bit dry, and did not have the strong, sour and fragrant Thai flavors that I was hoping for. Definitely more American in flavor than Asian.

Chorizo, potato and avocado omelet was also very tasty. Large portions here as well, with a hearty omelet with spicy and intense chorizo crumbles. The side of potatoes were nicely seasoned.

I can see why Chicagoans flock over to The Bongo Room. I think the sweet dishes are more unique than the savory ones. I really enjoyed the delicious white chocolate and caramel pretzel pancake, although I am not sure if I would be willing to wait in line for it.

The Bongo Room
1470 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL
(773) 489-0690
www.thebongoroom.com

Chicago: Neighborhood Italian dining at Ripasso (Bucktown)

2012-10-16T06:03:00.000-07:00

On the first night I was in Chicago visiting my friend, it was almost 9pm when I arrived at her place - late for a weeknight. So we decided to walk down the street in her neighborhood of Bucktown/Wicker Park to grab a bite. Ripasso is a neighborhood favored Italian restaurant owned by Theo Gilbert, who opened the beloved but now shuttered Terragusto. Gilbert is known for his authentic Italian cuisine, especially his hand-cut pastas. And that was exactly what I was craving after being on the road for 3 hours.

The restaurant was rather empty when we got there, but I attributed it to being late on a weeknight.

The menu is seasonal and comprised of some antipasti, pastas and a few entrees.

The bread wasn't anything special, just regular. Usually I want to devour a whole basket but I did not feel the urge here. I know it's only bread, but I feel that it really just starts an Italian meal off on the right foot if the bread is well seasoned or fresh.

Prosciutto with arugula, crimini and fennel. The prosciutto was soft and buttery, with a lightly salted flavor. Very nice combination of the sharp flavors from the arugula and fennel. The dish was topped with a fragrant black truffle vinaigrette.

Crispy potato and cheese puff was unique and not what I had expected. It had a nice crunchy breading, soft in the center. The puffs were topped with basil pesto and parmigiano cheese.

The pappardelle with creamy four-meat sauce was mouth-watering. I can see how this could be a very addictive dish. The wide flat pasta was fresh and tender. Every strand was covered with a very rich and decadent creamy meat sauce comprising of veal, beef, lamb, pork. I just wanted to slurp up every last drop of the sauce. It was well seasoned and the icing on the top was the white truffle essence and sharp parmigiano cheese.

Overall, the pasta was the winner, everything else was tasty but not memorable. But then, pasta is what Ripasso is known for. I wish we were hungry enough to order more pasta dishes so that we could sample more. There was a squid ink pasta with seafood in tarragon sauce that caught my eye.

Ripasso
1619 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 342-8799
www.ripassochicago.com

Scenes from Chicago: Ravinia (picnic + FOIE) & Wicker Park Fest

2012-10-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

Since June of this year, I have been working at my client's in Central Illinois, so I decided to take the opportunity to visit my BFF in Chicago over the weekend.

My friend lives in Wicker Park, which is supposedly hipsterville. I'm not a hipster but I do appreciate that the neighborhood is lined with bars and restaurants. It is hopping every night. It's also easy to get to - direct train ride on the Blue Line from O'Hare.

During the summer, there are plenty of festivals in the city. Lots of bands, food, booze and people watching. We were there during the Wicker Park Festival, which was super fun. The key (IMHO) is not to get the beer/sangria from the beer stands and stand around drinking. Instead, score seats on the patio at one of the bars right by the festival. That way you get more drink/cocktail & food options, and you get to sit your butt down while still getting in the music and people watching. It wasn't overly crowded at the festival - no nudging your way through the crowd.

A fun thing to do in Chicago is to attend a concert at Ravinia, an outdoor music festival spot in Highland Park (We attended the James Taylor concert and it was sold out). You can hop on the Metra in downtown and it's a short 30 minutes train ride (we drank on the train too!). The trains drops you right at the venue entrance, and when we left, the line to get on the train was much faster and efficient than people trying to take the shuttle back to the parking lot.

We went an hour early and most of the lawn was already packed. Chicagoans really try to enjoy every last second of sunshine before their brutal winter. We Angelenos are so spoilt..

Selection of pasta salads, chicken salad and couscous (from Olivia's Market), cheese, crusty baguette and fruit. I actually really liked the chicken salad - chunks of fresh organic chicken (you could tell) and not too much mayo.

And because we are not in LA, foie gras pate (from The Goddess and the Grocer in Wicker Park). Oh gosh, I miss foie so much. So creamy, so intense livery.

Sometimes it's nice to take a break from the bars & restaurants, and just picnic and listen to some good music

Oktoberfest at Rock & Brews (El Segundo)

2012-10-15T15:49:00.002-07:00

El Segundo is really quite an underrated area. I especially like Main Street, which is a cute little downtown area that has quite a number of bars walking distance from each other (Main Street Tavern, Rock & Brews, Richmond Br & Grill, Second City), in fact, we did a bar crawl in Main Street one night and had a blast. Main Street is also a great place to stop by before/after you pick someone up from the airport - it's actually our airport routine. Since it was October, we decided to hit up our old favorite Rock & Brews for a drink when I flew into LAX.

Through October 28, Rock & Brews is hosting their Oktoberfest from Thursdays to Sundays. They have German beers in addition to their extensive craft beer list.

The place was renovated about 6 months ago, now with a more open concept with an open air beer garden. Owned by Gene Simmons (from Kiss) and Southbay restauranteur Michael Zislis (Rock n Fish, Shade), the bar definitely has a rock and roll theme- rock videos on the TVs, band posters on the wall and rock music playing in the background. It's not overly gimicky though.

They have a nice outdoor space, with a stage where contests are held later in the evening such as the beer stein drinking and stein holding competitions, they will also have you do the chicken dance.

Rock & Brews has a decent selection of draft craft beers (~30) and lots more in bottle. They were serving beers in a big steins but we had to drive home so we decided to go with a regular glass of Mama's Lil Yella Pilsner and a glass of vino.

I love pretzels and am always on the search for the best one - having had my fair share around town, I can honestly say that this is consistently the best pretzel I've had, Some places (like Bru Haus in Brentwood, farmers market) are inconsistent (soft sometimes, but doughy on other occasions). Even Rockenwager's pretzel are sitting in the bakery case and not fresh out of the oven. Rock & Brews has always been fresh and soft. Also, I love when pretzels are served with cheese, in addition to spicy mustard. Bru Haus has a cheese dipping sauce but it is loaded with peppers that give it an overbearing tangy taste that I do not like. I really liked Rock & Brews Beach House Amber biercheese sauce. They used to melt cheddar on top of their pretzel which was fine but a bit messy, but I much prefer the biercheese dipping sauce. It was slightly sweet with a somewhat chalky consistency, and was topped with caramelized onions which added a nice sweetness to the sauce. The Bavarian pretzel was also fresh & soft (as usual), piping hot from the oven.

They currently offer more German beer fare as part of Oktoberfest such as schnitzel and sausage samplers. Unfortunately we were craving their regular fare.

Fish & chips, unfortunately was actually not that impressive. Guess we should not have ordered fish at a burger/brat restaurant. Somehow, the fish tasted rather bland. I would have liked for the Bass Ale batter to be flakier or crunchier.

Thankfully, the slow roasted pulled pork sandwich delivered. I loved the smokey bbq which had a spicy kick to it. There was a lots of pulled pork in the sandwich and the meat was tender. Although I didn't notice at the time, the meat was actually rather salty as I was left parched for the rest of the night. I did enjoy the fresh bun which was lightly toasted with some oil. The spicy BBQ sauce was smattered all over the bun. So delicious.

Rock & Brews is really a fun place to grab a drink, a bite and enjoy the California sun. Love the casual vibe and the fun atmosphere. Definitely get the Bavarian pretzel when you are there, and if you stick with the sandwiches, burgers and pizza, you will be happy.

Rock & Brews
143 Main Street,
El Segundo,CA 90245
(310) 615-9890
www.rockandbrews.com

Plan Check: A great American addition to Sawtelle

2012-10-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

Sawtelle Blvd in West LA, known as Little Osaka, is lined with Japanese restaurants serving up ramen, sushi and izakaya fare, so it was indeed surprisingly when burger joint Plan Check opened up on the street. That's a bold move which proved a smart one - the place was packed on a Friday lunch-time. I think the western fare at Plan Check also attracts a different demographic to the area. For example, even though the SigO likes Japanese food, he had never ventured out to Sawtelle before, until I mentioned burgers..

It was a hot sunny Friday so we grabbed seats outside on their patio seating.

Scrimshaw pilsner and wine to start.

Pastrami fries was on the specials menu. The fries were topped with a corned beef, pickles and a mess of cheese. The presentation was a little sloppy. The corned beef was little tender chunks with a cured flavoring. The sour tangy taste of the pickles permeated all over the fries. I'm not a big pickle fan so this was not my favorite, but the SigO enjoyed it.

Sweet potato waffle fries on the other hand, was very good. I liked the sweetness of the fries, and they were crispy and served with an amazing peach ketchup.

Chef's favorite burger ~ cheese two ways, bacon two ways, ketchup leather, sunny fried egg, hot sauce
This burger had just about every possible awesome ingredient. The burger patty was juicy and nicely seasoned, the bacon was crispy and the runny egg really held everything together. I loved the addition of the parmesan cheese tuille which added a nice crunchy texture and nutty flavor to the burger.

Southern fry ~ smokey fried jidori chicken, spicy green pimento cheese, duck breast ham, pickles
This sandwich was to die for. They really piled in a lot of meat between the buns. The fried chicken had a crispy breading which was well seasoned while the meat itself was still tender I was pleased with the amount of fried chicken they layered on the bun. The large slabs of duck ham with layers of fat was a decadent addition. The burger was served with tangy relish aioli and fiery, gooey pimento cheese.

I really enjoyed lunch at Plan Check. Loved the decor, loved the outdoor seating, their menu is exciting and I was very impressed with the burgers which I thought were not only delicious but also comprised of unique combinations. You can tell that the quality of the meats were good, and their sauces are all made fresh. They definitely served up a mean fried chicken sandwich and there's a short rib roast with bone marrow turnover pie with my name on it!

Plan Check
1800 Sawtelle Blvd.,
Los Angeles, CA
(310) 288-6500
www.plancheckbar.com

The Pikey: Not your everyday English pub in Hollywood.

2012-10-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

The Pikey is the English pub that opened up some 4 months ago, located on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, although surprisingly not really near anything else. In fact, it is located on a street with little foot traffic. However, despite its location, the pub has been garnering some great reviews around town. The pub has been transformed from its prior self Ye Coach & Horses. There are two sections - on one side, brightly lit with restaurant seating, on the other side, a dimly lit bar with red booths. I took my out-of-towners to the bar section. It was a Friday late afternoon and was fairly empty, but apparently this place ramps up on the weekends. Owner Sean MacPherson (who has his hands in numerous Hollywood bars such as Jones, Swingers, El Carmen, Bar Lubtisch) came by a couple times to check up on us.

The Pikey is touted as a gastopub, aka elevated bar food. The menu is really not what you would expect from an English pub. Yes there is the fish & chips and lentil curry, but that is the only dish synonymous with a pub. Instead, there are various salad dishes, and entrees such as a pork belly sandwich and a grilled chicken dish.

The Sloan Ranger (Vanilla Vodka, crushed strawberries, champagne) was refreshing and extremely drinkable. The Stoli vanilla was rather sweet but the champagne helped to temper the sweetness. I liked the fizz from the bubbly.

Ginger Minge was a variation of a moscow mule with ginger beer, lemon juice and scotch.
Caravan with a cocktail made with rum, Baronjager honey liquer, pineapple juice, habanero infused peach bitters. It is not for the faint of heart- not only was the drink strong, but the habanero packed a punch.
The drinks were tasty, presentation lacking a bit though.

Burrata with grilled asparagus was a great starter. Very clean and fresh flavors. The burrata was creamy with a tinge of lemony flavor. It's simple yet kept us wanting more.

Potted chicken liver was a hit with the table. The liver was on the creamy side with a tinge of sweetness, and very spreadable over the toasted crostinis. Not too intense in the liver flavor.

Romaine Salad with Roasted Chicken, Soft Cooked Egg and Green Goddess Dressing was an interesting dish. Much larger than the salad portion we expected. I've never had green goddess dressing before and quite liked it. It had a citrus tang to it with anchovies and tarragon essence. The romaine had various textures, some of the leaves were deep fried and crisp. The chicken was tender with a lemon taste.

Fish and chips ~ I am a big fish & chips fan. The fish here was fresh and the batter was nicely seasoned. I appreciated that the batter wasn't greasy and the coating was crunchy and held its texture after being doused with malt vinegar. The side of romaine leaves were not an oversight, they were appropriately dressed - which is very important thing although many restaurants forget to do so. The fish & chips here is simple - it is not a variation of the real thing, and does not stray from how its prepared traditionally.

Char-Grilled Beef Burger with Bandaged Cheddar, Tomato and Worcestershire Aioli ~ Really enjoyed the patty, cooked medium rare, that was very juicy and tasted extremely fresh - you could tell that it was a good mixture of meat that they used. Coupled with a tangy aioli and brioche bun that was fresh and soft, the burger was quite delicious. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's one of the top in the city, but it was definitely tasty.

I think those searching for a real English pub may be disappointed with The Pikey - you won't find the heart-stopping shepherd's pie or pies here. But you will find some good food here - well prepared, fresh ingredients, clean flavors.

The Pikey
7617 W Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 850-5400
thepikeyla.com

Brunch at The Penthouse @ Huntley Hotel: Great views & MImosas-a-flowing

2012-09-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

Back in February I purchased a GiltCity voucher for brunch at the Penthouse at the Huntley hotel. For $125, you got a brunch for 4 which includes entrees, 2 desserts to share, coffee/tea and most importantly, choice of bottomless mimosas or bloody marys. The voucher expired in May and when I called in April to make a reservation, they were all booked up through May. Fortunately, they planned to honor the voucher after May, with no expiration. A few months later in August, I finally decided to redeem the voucher.

The Huntley Hotel is a luxury boutique hotel in Santa Monica a block off the ocean, and The Penthouse is their restaurant located on the top floor.

The hotel used to be a very dated Radisson Hotel until some 5 years ago and The Penthouse used to be their Mexican restaurant Toppers – which had great happy hours. The Penthouse is definitely a nice upgrade from Toppers – the décor is sleek, chic and bright. The view is still as spectacular. The restaurant has wall-to-wall windows and a gorgeous panoramic view of the ocean, mountains and city.

This is the view from their bathroom!

When we arrived, I saw many mimosas being passed around – I knew right away that this would be my happy place.

The menu is typical upscale American brunch. If you were not fortunate enough to buy the GiltCity voucher, they also offer a $42 brunch on their regular menu that includes bread basket, entrée, dessert and bottomless mimosas or bloody marys. Not bad at all.

Delicious mimosas with fresh orange juice. Our waiter never allowed our glasses to be empty.

Although not included in our GiltCity voucher, we supplemented our brunch with a pastry basket consisting of banana bread loaf, lemon poppy seed muffin, pistachio scone, blueberry muffin, served with berry preserve, honey and butter.

Bananas fosters ~ Huge serving that consisted of soft French toasts with a delicious eggy coating and topped with dark rum and brown sugar. The dish surprisingly had a good balance of sweet and savory - it wasn't as overly sweet as it sounded.

Eggs benedict ~ typical simple brunch dish. Nicely poached eggs, and the potatoes were rather tasty with a bit of crispiness.

Huevos rancheros ~ black beans, queso fresco, corn tortilla, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo. Great combination of fresh tortilla with a crisp, and topped with a semi runny fried egg. You could tell how fresh the other ingredients were.

Even though everyone was so impressed with their dish, I think I ordered the best one on the menu!
Corned beef hash ~ poached eggs with chive hollandaise. What a gorgeous presentation -it looked like a steak tartare. The potatoes were well seasoned and cooked well (firm yet cooked through). The chunks of meat were tender, salty and had a slight cured taste to it, yet not overpowering. Loved the half poached eggs on top which added creaminess to the meat and potato mixture when you mixed them all up together.

For dessert~ we shared two between us four, both of which were outstanding.

Chocolate and peanut butter truffle with toasted marshmellow ice cream and toffee pretzel. The chocolate block was very rich and decadent. I really enjoyed the salty pretzel sticks.

Profiteroles were filled with vanilla bean ice cream and served with a side of hot fudge. The choux pastry was fresh and airy. I liked that they filled the profiteroles with ice cream instead of the usual pastry cream.

The Penthouse is a great place for a nice brunch. Our waiter was very attentive and really kept the mimosas pouring. The SO and I recently discussed that when we have guests in town, we will definitely take them to The Penthouse for a nice brunch. The $42 mimosa brunch on their regular menu is still a good deal especially with the good food, excellent views and the very constant pours of mimosa. In what turned out to be perfect coincidence, I received an email yesterday from Travelzoo regarding the same brunch special so I purchased another one today!

Scenes from Shanghai ~ a 24h layover

2012-09-06T16:48:00.001-07:00

Even though I grew up in Asia and am Chinese by race, I have never travelled to China or even had the desire to visit. It was really through the nudging of the SO that I started to gain more interest in the country - he did a semester abroad in Beijing for law school and really enjoyed his time there. As such, when we booked our Asia flights, we made it a point to plan for a 24h layover in Shanghai. By the way, if you fly into Shanghai (Shanghai only, not Beijing etc), you can enter the country with a visa-on-arrival. Just go to the immigration guy and he will direct you to another window. This is important information as we were getting inconsistent information from the Visa website and airline representative (the latter being wrong!). Of course, always check back on the Visa website before you travel as requirements may change.

Unfortunately our stay in the city was short but thankfully we had some expat friends who just moved to Shanghai and were excited to show us around around time for just one night.

Nanjing Road is a long pedestrian road packed with lots of shops. Some compare it to a mini Times Square because of all the lights and action.

Across the river is a great view of the Pudong, just east of the Huangpu River. I guess you could call it the new city, as opposed to the historical part on the opposite side of the river – In any case, this is a great spot for a photo op.

Yuu Garden is a large garden in the middle of the city, with ponds, rockery, and my personal favorite, the cute little bazaar of narrow corridors that houses shops and food stalls such as the famous soup dumplings/XLB. The quail on a stick caught my eye, unfortunately I wished we hadn’t eaten at Din Tai Fung as I would have preferred to get this type of food instead of dining in a (chain) restaurant.

The next day, we took a walk around the hotel area in the French Concession area.

We stumbled upon a small local restaurant. Actually, it was the only dining place open at 9am, and we were desperate so we decided to give it a shot.

It’s a real small and non-fancy restaurant (Yi Jiayi (伊加伊)) with only locals inside. Thankfully they had English menus for us.

Condiments of chili, sesame oil and soy sauce - my favorite trio in Chinese cuisine.

Spring roll (I was craving them) were large sized, freshly fried and crunchy, and filled with meat and shredded cabbage. I’m such a sucker for good spring rolls & I thought these were pretty fresh.

Char siew pastry was a disappointment. I liked the flakey crust but the pastry needed some seasoning as it was terribly bland. Plus the barbeque pork was rather dry and not moist as I would expect.

Leek dumplings were tiny but there were a lot of them. There was definitely a higher wrapper to stuffing ratio, but I appreciated that the dumpling skin was moist and fairly tender.

Since we were in Shanghai, I had to test their XLB. It was disappointing as the skin was tough. But I didn't want to dwell too much on it as it was still better than not having had any.

Wonton soup with flat noodles was rather tasty. I liked the slippery flat noodles and the tiny wontons with a small ball of minced pork, but the best part was actually the flavorful broth.

This was by far the dish I was most excited and pleased about. Fried intestines! It was so tasty especially since the intestines were chewy (but not rubbery) and had that intense offal flavor and a fattiness to it. I ate the whole plate on my own. The intestines were stir fried with vegetables and a spicy black bean sauce.

This most definitely is considered a good Taiwanese restaurant in town by any means (in fact, I think it might be considered fast food) but I am glad I got to sample a local joint and got my fill of intestines before we flew back to LA.

Scenes from Laos

2012-09-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

The main purpose of our Asia trip was to visit Laos. Since we only took 6 days off from work and was already planning to spend half our trip in Singapore, we could only visit one Lao city. Vientiane is the capital of Laos and was our pick. It's a really laid back city, none of the hoards of motorcycles of HCM City or the upscale touristy beach resorts in Thailand. The prices here were great!

There aren’t much touristy sites in Vientiane- you mainly go there to chill out, relax and soak in a lovely country that is still fairly untouched by tourism and less commercialized than to its neighboring countries.

I recommend that you just walk around the night market, hop on a tuk tuk for a tour around the city or grab some seats at rooftop restaurant/bars such as Bor Pen Nang or Salana Hotel.

We also got a tuk tuk to drive 45 minutes away to floating restaurant on the river. I recommend it if you find that you would like to do and see more apart from the city.

Our hotel in Vientiane was the Salana Boutique Hotel, which I believe is one of the best hotels in the city as it is new and also centrally located just a few blocks from the river.

Now, on to the FOOD! I really enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the Salana, that was inclusive in the room price.

Pork porridge with spicy chili, fried anchovies, pickled radishes. This was my favorite part of the breakfast and some mornings, I had two servings. Love the crunch of the anchovies and the sour/spicy combination of the radishes.

Small selection of dim sum and some western picks including croissants.
They also had made to order eggs, pancakes, waffles and French toast.

After breakfast, we ventured out for more food!

Khop Chai Deu is a a fairly popular place, located in the Inthira Hotel, and has a courtyard and balcony seatingarea.

Mok pa ~ Chicken wrapped in banana leaf, with traditional Lao spice combination of lemongrass, shallots, garlic, fish sauce and fragrant kaffir lime leaves. Very good flavors despite the chicken looking so bland. It was served with a very very spicy sauce but also with cucumber slices to help lessen the heat.

Sticky rice is a popular staple, and was a good pairing for the mok pa.

Grilled liver was served with a very spicy grounded chili mixture - you can see those sneaky chili seeds. The waiter advised us to use it sparingly but even a little bit packed a lot of heat. I really enjoyed the well seasoned, simply grilled liver with the sticky rice and a smattering of chili.

Apart from restaurants, there was also abundant street food. On many streets, you can find vendors grilling up skewers, preparing noodles and local fried river fish.

Grilled gizzards skewers and some cold Beer Lao

Assortment of grilled Lao sausages and fish balls, served with a spicy sauce.

We stumbled upon Full Moon Cafe because it has A/C and I was dying from the sweltering heat and humidity. We ordered a traditional Lao dish - Spicy laarb with vermicelli noodles, ground meat and vegetables. We have been all over Asia but this was by far the spiciest dish we have had in years.

One of our favorite spots (which we went to twice a day) was Ban Lao, a beer garden.

We ordered the spareribs with deep fried spinach hen we were at Ban Lao. Not what I had hoped. I thought it would be deep fried spare riblets but it was actually pan fried.

Even though the SO is very adventurous and loves trying different cuisines, he was dying for some western food so we compromised- Beer Lao battered Fish & Chips from a restaurant called Sticky Fingers (love the name!). I liked the crispy yet fine texture of the breading, which had good seasoning to it too.

Overall, I feel that the Lao cuisine is a blend of flavors from its neighbors Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Vientiane is fairly small so we found ourselves hitting up some of the same restaurants/bar when we were there. Additionally, there is not an obvious restaurant/bar row so essentially, you will have to walk up and down various streets in search of food/drinks. But that's actually a good thing - it only means that Laos is still such a hidden gem.

Scenes from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2012-08-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

I was excited to spend a day/night in Malaysia. Even though my dad is Malaysian and we used to spend Chinese New Years in Klang, a town just 20 miles from Kuala Lumpur where my dad grew up, I haven’t been back in 20 years and was curious to see how much the city has changed. When we landed in Malaysia, we dropped our bags off at the Grand Millennium Hotel located in Bukit Bintang area and went for a stroll around the neighborhood.

Bukit Bintang is a great place to stay because there is something for everyone in the area - there are shops nearby (good for tourists) but there are also a lot of bars and restaurants.

Some of the food that we ate in our short time there:

Chicken rice ~ This is the traditional chicken rice - plain boiled chicken (instead of the soy sauce version that I had in Singapore), served with a bowl of chicken broth, fragrant rice infused with chicken bones, and an array of condiments including dark soy sauce, chili and ginger garlic sauce.

Laksa is also another traditional dish that you can find in Singapore or Malaysia. A spicy coconut curry soup is filled with noodles, fish balls, fried tofu, fish cakes, shrimp, bean sprouts, and if you are lucky, cockles.

After our meal, we headed to my favorite street Changkat Bukit Bintang that was lined with bars. So many to choose from. Mainly westernized bars but they seem to attract tourists, expats as well as locals.

Post bar street food is the best thing ever, especially when you only need to walk over to the next street, Jalan Alor.

On our way to Jalan Alor, we stopped by a street food vendor that was grilling up corn on the sidewalk.

The corn smelt amazing and was dipped in a a savory spicy coconut sauce.

Over at Jalan Alor, the street is lined with many food stalls. Because it was 2am, I chose not to scarf down a big plate of food - just a little bite.

Soy sauce chicken wings

Satay ~ chicken and pork, with spicy peanut dipping sauce and served with cucumbers and raw onions. There is something about the chicken in Asia because their satay is always so juicy while the skewers sold in the States tend to be dry (even the dark meat).

Even though we were only in KL for a night, it definitely whet our appetite for the city and can't wait to come back again.

Singapore isn't just all about food - Hitting up the Nightlife

2012-08-18T12:14:00.001-07:00

Truth is, the SO and I spend every weekend at the bars when we are home in LA. Santa Monica, Hermosa, Huntington, you name it. We’re that kind of a couple. Singapore has changed so much since I moved to LA 20 years ago so it was fun to discover all the nightlife areas that have flourished in the last couple decades. Here is a quick guide (for my alchi readers) of some of the spots that I enjoyed during my trip:

Clarke Quay

Clarke Quay is a vibrant riverside establishment. Yes, this is still a very touristy area, but it’s touristy for a reason – there are so many bar options either outside along the river or inside as well. In the day, there are lots of tourist but at night, it caters to the younger crowd. It is mellower on a weeknight but Saturdays are a zoo.

Picks: Crazy Elephant, Beer Market, Alegro Spanish Bar, Octopas (riverside seating)

Emerald Hill

Met up with an old school friend. There are only a few bars on this short street but I love the feel of it, it’s a short tiny lane of historical colorful shophouses that is lined with trees, you would not even have guessed you were in the center of the bustling shopping district. It is quite an expat spot. Grab a seat outside and people watch.

Picks: Que Pasa (tapas wine bar), Ice Cold Beer, No. 5 Emerald Hill (get the chicken wings)

Ann Siang Hill

A relatively new area in Chinatown that came about in the last 5 years. We walked around and turned into a hidden street and was faced with a vast selection of shophouses with bars along a narrow street. I love love love this area! It's so charming and has lots of character. There are so many good bar options, many of them rooftops. We hung out there for one night only and barely scratched the surface. Super trendy spot.

Picks: Screening Room (rooftop cinema), Ying Yang, Beaujolais Wine Bar, Gem

Holland Village

I use to party here in this area in my teens. Holland V is a short street lined with bars and restaurants and attracts lots of expats and young local folks. Gosh, memories – I had my first date here. In the early days, the village only had a handful of bars, now there are too many to keep track of. It’s good to know that the oldies such as Wala Wala (where I worked one summer) and Cha Cha Cha have survived the years and are still as packed as ever.

Picks: Wala Wala, Barosa, Siem Reap, Tango's, Three Crowns Booze & Grub

Sentosa Island

Sentosa is an island just off the main island of Singapore. You can either walk over on foot, take a shuttle or ride the cable car from Mount Faber or Vivo City.

We shelled out SGD$29pp for a cable car ride so that we could enjoy the view

Sentosa is pretty family friendly in the day but at night, some of their bars kick up. I remember back in the days, we went to the full moon beach parties at Sentosa, when foam parties weren’t even all that popular yet. There aren’t a plethora of bars but the few bars that we hung out at sufficed. They were all beach bars so it was super casual, but fun to sit by the beach with a cocktail.

Picks: Bikini bar, Coastes, Tanjong Beach Club

Dempsey Hill

Home to the popular local Jumbo Seafood (think chili crab!!!) and Samy's Curry House, this renovated old lush green British army barracks is is now a popular dining scene, on the pricier side. All the restaurants are standalone and perched on top of a hill and you have to drive through windy narrow streets to get to them.

Picks: PS Cafe (great desserts and awesome patio), Bacchus German restaurant, Tippling Club (molecular gastronomy cuisine), The Disgruntled Chef, The White Rabbit

Chimjes

This was probably the “mellowest” area we hit during our trip, but I wanted to show the SO the architecture. Chimjes is a restored catholic high school and church, which now houses restaurants. I love the restoration, this is definitely more of a restaurant than bar scene, but it’s great to just grab drinks at their outdoor patios in the courtyard amidst the skyscrapers. Popular with the young professionals.

Picks: Bobby’s, Harry's Bar

Don’t be shocked, we hit all these spots in 4 days (while also being able to carve out some time for my dad and our old family friends). Singapore isn’t just all about food, we like to party too.

Singapore ~ Imperial Treasure

2012-08-18T11:01:00.001-07:00

On our last day in Singapore, we met up with my dad’s friends who took us out to dinner at a Cantonese restaurant called Imperial Treasure located at Great World City. A. We were led into a private room where we proceeded to have a sort of tasting menu with a variety of dishes but that were served in small portions instead of the huge platter of food that you normally get at most Chinese restaurants.

First course ~ Appetizers that included shrimp toast, char siu/barbeque pork, crispy suckling pig and some unidentified fried vegetable. I really enjoyed the deep fried crispy shrimp toast which comprised of minced shrimp on top of a crispy toast that melted in your mouth.

Second course ~ braised fried tofu
Delicious morsel that was bursting with flavor when you bit into it- the SO was shocked that this was actually tofu because it was anything but bland.

Third course ~ razor clams

The clams were so fresh and went down your throat smoothly. They had a sweetness to it, and was cooked so simply in soy sauce and lots of garlic - so tasty!

Fourth course ~ Peking duck
Many locals say that Imperial Treasure has the best peking duck in the city, and I kindda agree. The duck looks so elegant on the plate with its long neck. The duck was presented to the table and carved tableside.

The duck skin was perfectly crispy & crackling, with a thin layer of fat - we sprinkled a bit of sugar on it which was such a nice combination. The meat that the server carved out was lean yet very juicy. I appreciated that the duck was served in a thin crepe instead of a thick bun - when you are eating peking duck, you definitely don't want to fill up on carbs - it's all about that crispy skin.

Fifth course ~ dessert was mango pudding with sago/tapioca pearls. Not overly sweet.

Cantonese cuisine to me is typically rather heavy - usually I walk out of a Cantonese restaurant feeling stuffed and ODing on MSG. I liked that the food here was served in smaller portions and elegantly prepared. I enjoyed the peking duck - with the skin and meat served separately, it was like getting two dishes from one. Imperial Treasure apparently has a good dim sum luncheon as well.

Imperial Treasure

Great World City

1 Kim Seng Promenade

Singapore 237994

+65 6738 1238

Singapore ~ Amazing spread of Penang food at Copthorne Hotel's buffet

2012-08-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

Singapore cuisine is heavily influenced by all the countries around the tiny island country and Penang food is wildly popular and one of my favorites. When I was in Singapore last year, my mom and her friends took me to a buffet lunch at Penang Place which was outstanding. Unfortunately the restaurant is closed on Sundays so we went to the next best option at the Copthorne Kings Hotel which has been serving their buffet since the 70’s. The restaurant is nothing fancy, in fact it’s a little dated in decor, but the buffet has kept many Singaporeans coming back.

The impressive thing about this buffet is that in addition to the pre-made array of dishes, there are many cooked-to-order and do-it-yourself stations. They had a section that served freshly prepared local dishes such as kway teow, penang laksa, hae mee (prawn noodles), ak twee mee sua (duck leg noodle soup) - this is definitely where you want to spend most of your stomach space on.

The rojak station offers all the ingredients you need (boiled potatoes, cucumbers, fried been curd, boiled eggs, jicama, pineapples) and a mixing bowl for you to combine the fruits & vegetables with the crushed peanuts and a spicy dressing of chili, lime, and prawn paste.

Satay with peanut dipping sauce (chicken, mutton, beef) and the staple sides of cucumber and raw sliced onions. The meats were very juicy and flavorful.

Porridge with deep fried onions for crunch and fried fish and fried you tiao (deep fried crullers).

Popiah is fresh spring roll with lots of vegetables. The popiah wrapper is a thin crepe that bundles in lettuce, carrots, bean sprouts,cucumbers, shrimp and grated steamed turnip. Popiah is served with a sweet hoisin sauce mixed with sambal.

I definitely overdid it on this plate- fried chicken, char kway teow (fried noodles with shrimp, Chinese sausage, cockles and bean sprouts), braised pork knuckle (in a vinegar soy sauce), otak (steamed fish cake mixed with shrimp paste, coconut milk, lemongrass and shallots), chicken satay topped with spicy peanut sauce.

Another serving of char kway teow (cuz it's that good), chicken curry with diced potatoes (soooo good) and Kueh Pie tee (crispy mini pastry shell stuffed with a mixture of sauteed jijama, carrot, diced shrimp and shredded omelet).

Deep fried shrimp, chee cheong fun, sambal squid (which was very spicy).

Pigs stomach soup with ginko nut. Even though I was stuffed by then, I discovered this Hokkien soup hiding in the corner and had to grab some. This soup is commonly fed to women post-birth in order to help replenish nutrients- don't worry, not me! The broth was loaded with lots of flavors and the large pieces of pigs stomach gave off that distinct intense ofally flavor - so pungent yet so delicious.

I definitely filled up on my fair share of savory items, but do remember to save room for their comprehensive dessert selections.

Ice kachang is a Singaporean dessert of shaved ice with red beans, palm seed, corn and topped with carnation milk and syrup. There were also other local desserts including a DIY chendol (green grass jelly infused with pandan with creamed corn, red beans and in coconut milk).

There was also an assortment of handmade Nonya kueh, apom bokwa (rice pancake with banana sauce, pulut tai tai (glutinous rice cake with kaya sauce).

The Penang buffet at the Copthorne Hotel is such a great way to sample all the local dishes in one meal. The food is authentic as evidenced by the hoards of local people dining there. Singaporeans take their food seriously so you know it's a good thing when they all flock over.

Princess Terrance Cafe at Copthorne Kings Hotel

403 Havelock Road

Singapore, 169632

Singapore

+65 6733 0011

Singapore ~ Dining Out and About

2012-08-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

For the next 4 days, we roamed around Singapore. Here are some random shots of the delectable Singapore food that I sampled over the course of 4 days.
Chinatown was a cool spot that we checked out, with lots of casual food stands and shops.

We had buckets of beer for the hot humid days at an outdoor restaurant in Chinatown. Alcohol is generally quite expensive here (because the Govt levies a large tax), compared to the neighboring countries.

Singapore is known for its chili crab but since we had dinner plans, we opted for a snack.

Chili sauce with roti (bread). Freshly toasted bread is dipped into the sauce which is thick and had a glutinous nature to it. It’s called chili sauce but it is not overly spicy and in fact has a sweetness to it.

One of my favorite streetside items is the roti ice cream. There are guys with a refrigerated cart on sidewalks who will make up your ice cream sandwich to your preference (kind of like CoolHaus truck).

The key is to always get the multi-colored pandan roti although you can also opt for the wafer. My all time favorite is the yam ice cream on roti. The fresh soft bread was slightly sweet with a coconutty flavoring, and soaked in all the ice cream – great snack in the humid city. My other favorite flavors are the sweet corn and durian. At SGD$1 (US$0.80) a piece, you can definitely afford a couple.

Pigs feet with wonton noodles We had this dish for breakfast which is more of a Chinese dish than traditional Singaporean. It's definitely puzzling to my Caucasian travel partners when they see us eat full-on meals of noodles or rice for breakfast. The pigs feet was fatty, gelatinous and had lots of bones. The fiancé watched as I sucked off every last fat and cartilage off the bone. He’s definitely a keeper for wanting to still get married to me!

Not only is Singapore clean, but they put a lot of effort into building the flora and fauna aspect of the environment. For example, the Singapore Changi Airport has a cactus garden which is lush and gorgeous.

The food in Singapore is amazing, even airport food is top notch. Nasi lemak is a Malay dish and was served in a sturdy to-go box with a huge fried chicken leg (ayam goreng) that was marinated in spices, deep fried fish, hard boiled egg, cucumbers, a large dollop of spicy sambal sauce and rice infused with coconut.

Singapore: Some key homecooked dishes

2012-08-03T11:36:00.002-07:00

This summer, I spent 10 days vacationing around Southeast Asia. Growing up in Singapore, I have had the opportunity to visit many countries in the area (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia) but two countries are still left on my to-do list. Laos and Myanmar. Seeing that the latter only just recently opened up its borders, we decided it was best to wait a year until things settle down and for infrastructure to be developed before visiting Myanmar, so Laos it was. As part of our trip, we decided to spend a couple days in Singapore to visit my dad & get my fill of all the old familiar Singaporean foods that I enjoyed as a kid.

Most people have heard about how amazing Singaporean cuisine is: diverse, spicy & flavorful. There are so many must-have dishes that I was unable to sample all of them over the 4 days that I spent in the city. Singaporeans really take our food seriously. It's all we think and talk about.

Some of the best food that I had was homecooked food - I was spoiled with some great local food, made by our awesome Indonesian housekeeper:

Laksa is one of my favorite Singapore dishes. Thick noodles are served in a spicy coconut soup with shrimp, fish cakes, boiled eggs, fried tofu, bean sprouts.. and if you want an authentic version you have to add cockles.

Chicken rice is a Singapore staple. Boiled chicken is served with fragrant rice and condiments. This is the soy sauce version.

Chicken feet, marinated in the same soy sauce as the chicken rice.

Gado gado is an Indonesian salad with loads of boiled veggies. The typical ingredients include cubed boiled potatoes, fried tofu, water spinach (kang kong), bean sprouts, hard boiled eggs, but you can also add cabbage and young jackfruit. The best part of the salad is the spicy peanut sauce. This sauce makes any vegetable taste good.

Chee cheong fun / rice noodle roll

In Cantonese cuisine, this is typically stuffed with bbq pork or shrimp and doused with soy sauce. This Singaporean version is cooked with caramelized onions and topped with dark soy sauce and sesame seeds. The shrimp is served on top of the rice noodles instead of embedded inside the roll.

Chwee kueh is a great breakfast dish which comprises of steamed rice cake, topped with pickled radishes and spicy sambal. So good - love the savory and sour radish topping.

Indonesian chicken is marinated with lemongrass, garlic, honey, chili and baked in the oven. Served with a spicy sambal sauce. The chicken turned out real juicy and flavorful.

Recipe: Healthy Chicken Marsala (great for date night!)

2012-05-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite dishes to order at an Italian restaurant is the Chicken Marsala. I love the thinly pounded chicken breast which is usually juicy and tender. I love the rich marsala wine sauce soaked mushrooms. I love the side of pasta that is typically served with the dish.

I am always trying to make healthier versions of restaurant favorites so I decided to make this healthy chicken marsala (only 224 calories), and substituted the pasta for cauliflower mashed potatoes and a side of sauteed kale. The dish was so easy to prepare, the flavors were still there but at half the calories. I didn't miss the pasta (ok fine, just a little!) because the cauliflower mashed potatoes were quite filling and added starchiness to the dish.

I usually prefer dark over white meat, but if you pound the chicken breasts, they come out thin and tender. After pounding the chicken breasts, I coated them in a mixture of regular and whole wheat flour. Coating the chicken will allow it to brown in the pan.

I only used cooking spray to brown the chicken, and it did the trick.

Added loads of porcini mushrooms, low sodium chicken broth and sweet marsala wine. The wine made this dish so aromatic. Mmmm wine soaked mushrooms.

Cauliflower mashed potatoes is one of my favorite recipes. It is a great healthy substitute for high starchy-carb mashed potatoes.

Sauteed kale is such a quick side to prepare. A huge bunch cooked down into a saucepan. A sprinkle of crushed red pepper added a firey flavor.

Three pots later, dinner was served.

The dish is so simple, easy to prepare (great for a weeknight dinner), delicious and healthy!

Chicken Marsala Recipe
From Women's Health Magazine
Makes 4 servings

3 Tbsp whole-wheat flour
3 Tbsp white flour
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 - 1 1/2 lb chicken cutlets or 2 breasts, halved and pounded thin
3 c sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp thinly sliced shallots
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaf

1. In a shallow bowl, combine flours and pepper. Dredge chicken in mixture and set aside.
2. Lightly coat a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Add chicken and sauté until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove cutlets to a plate and keep warm.
3. Add mushrooms and shallots to pan; stir for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add wine to pan. Reduce to a glaze, scraping any loose brown bits from bottom of pan.
5. Reduce heat and add broth, parsley, and thyme. Stir; cook until broth reduces by half.
6. Return chicken to pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Per serving: 224 cal, 2 g fat (1 g sat), 400 g sodium, 20 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 27 g protein

Braised Kale Recipe
4 servings

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1 1/2 pounds kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium heat and stir in garlic for a minute.
2. Add kale and cook for about a minute.
3. Add chicken broth, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Add crushed red pepper and salt to taste.
5. Remove from heat and serve.

Sharing dishes at West LA's neighborhood Freddy Smalls

2012-05-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

Freddy Smalls Bar & Kitchen opened up in West LA a few months ago, and boy what a treat it is to have another restaurant bar in the area. The space was previously home to El Sarape, a Mexican restaurant, but you would not be able to find much similarities. The restaurant has tiled walls and a sort of classic old fashioned feel to it.

It's no surprise that the place was bustling at 7.30pm. The restaurant doesn't take reservations and the space is cozy - there is seating at the bar, some high tables and booths.

After standing around for about 15 minutes, a spot opened up at the bar and we swooped in. The bartenders were real friendly and chatty.

The menu comprises of small plates which are great for sharing, and some larger entrees. They also have a couple specials on the board.

Chicken liver mousse is sold per piece at $4 each. Each crostini was slathered with silky liver and topped with caper berry marmalade, frisee and pickled radish. The marmalade added a fruity sweetness to the intense liver. Rather tasty but I think $4 is kind of pricey for each crostini.

Fried brussels sprouts with smoked goat cheese and apple cider glaze

It seems that many restaurants are currently featuring brussels sprouts on their menu. I liked Freddy Small's version as the vegetables were crispy and caramelized, unlike some other restaurants that have more of a sauteed preparation. The brussels sprouts are served with a creamy goat cheese which we asked for it to be served on the side. The goat cheese was mild in flavor but sufficient to temper the sweetness of cider.

Beef tongue with potatoes, turnips with sherry vinaigrette mustard
This dish was listed on the specials board. The tongue was tender and had a fatty texture that kind of dissolved in my mouth. It had a smokey taste, almost like cured ham, and texture similar to mortadella. The sprinkle of pepper gave the tongue slices a bite. I enjoyed this dish and thought it was unique.

Freddy Smalls is just the type of place that I can't wait to return to. I like the small neighborhood feel to it - it's lively and trendy yet feels like the kind of place that you could just stop in for a drink or share a bite with friends. The menu looks great with other items I'd like to try, such as the charcuterie, pork belly & abalone and corned beef with bone marrow.

Freddy Smalls Bar & Kitchen
11520 W Pico Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 479-3000

www.freddysmalls.com

Lunching at Westwood's sandwich shop Fundamental LA

2012-05-10T15:43:00.001-07:00

Westwood has been booming with new restaurants of late - 800 Degrees, Ramen Yamadaya, Five Guys, Skylight Gardens, Casa Azul Cantina, Fundamental LA. So much to choose from. On one of my days off, I decided to meet the Sig O for lunch at the sandwich shop Fundamental LA.

The shop is simple, the decor basic. I thought it would be packed but we were able to grab seats at one of their communal tables.

The menu is short and concise, with just a few sandwich and salad options. They also serve beer and wine! The SO cringed a little when he first looked at the menu. This wasn't his type of sandwich shop. Guess he was hoping for a good ole sub for $5. But he was quickly won over after he took a bite of the food. This is why we leave the restaurant selections to moi.

The side of potato chips sounds normal but they were worth the additional $2. The fresh homemade chips were crisp and had a kick to it from the pepper.

He ordered the Cold Roast Beef sandwich. The pink tender thin slices of beef were topped with muenster cheese, tangy pickled red onions and spinach. The bread was nicely toasted and spread with spicy horseradish.

The beef sandwich was tasty but hard to match up to the fried chicken sandwich which was hands down the winner. We were both impressed with the sandwich. We liked the nice-sized portion, fresh fluffy brioche and the well seasoned LARGE fried chicken which had a crispy skin but was not greasy. The meat was tender and juicy too. The sandwich had a unique combination of mild tarragon aioli, sweet apple and spicy crunchy nuts.

Fundamental LA is such a great lunch spot. The sandwiches were served quickly and were reasonably priced. The ingredients are fresh, sandwiches are unique and the restaurant has a comfortable, non-pretentious feel to it - making it a great spot for both work professionals and UCLA students alike.

Fundamental LA
1303 Westwood Blvd.
Los angeles, CA 90024
(310) 444-7581
www.fundamental-la.com

Springfest 2012 CicLAvia, Rib Eating Competition

2012-04-19T15:52:00.011-07:00

The first Springfest was held in Chinatown this past weekend in conjunction with CicLAvia, the LA event that closes streets across town to promote a car-free environment. To kick off the festival, Chinatown closed off select streets and set up a stage for live music and a rib eating competition hosted by Spring Street Smokehouse. My friend was emceeing the event and knows the owner of the restaurant so we made our way to downtown for the festivities. Since we anticipated a parking mess in the downtown area, we took a train from my friend's place in the valley. First time taking a train in the city and I have to say I was quite impressed with the cleanliness of the stations and trains.

After a 30 min train ride, we arrive at Union Station. The smokehouse is only a short walk from the train station.

If you're going to feast on some BBQ, alcoholic beverages are necessary. Even though we got the giant PBRs, note that the restaurant actually offers a nice selection of craft brews.

We started off with one of our favorites - the pork rinds. Fresh from the fryer, the pork skins were still warm and crunchy. The cracklings were seasoned with sugar and spice - great combination.

Cup of chili was filled with chunks of meat as well as ground meat.

Our sides included baked beans and sweet potato fries. I've also tried their collard greens and corn bread.

Burnt ends are the ends of smoked brisket. Looked dense but was actually rather tender.

The Cajun Stuffed Chicken comprised of chicken thighs which were stuffed with jalapeno, onions & cheese, and wrapped with bacon. It had just the right amount of cheese, not over gooey or dripping out of the chicken. The choice of juicy dark meat over white was a good one.

The star of the meal was the baby back ribs. The slab had 12 large ribs and were tender with nice chunks of crunchy cartilage and slathered in smokey tangy BBQ sauce. Good BBQ sauce is really all about preference. When I first tried this sauce, I wasn't too keen on it - I was more a fan of the sweet tomato based BBQ sauces. But I have really come to enjoy Spring Street's version. It's vinegary and spicy, akin to the Carolina style

After lunch, we headed over to the stage area where the bands were playing. Have to say I was quite impressed with the selection of rock music. To the side of the stage was the "biergarten" which was essentially a parking lot with a couple stands offering kegs of beer from Karl Strauss, Stone & Lagunitas.

When the rib eating competition started, everyone gathered to the front of the stage. It was quite a sight to see contestant of all sizes participating. The winner actually ate over 3 slabs of pork spare ribs (smaller than the baby back ribs but still a lot nonetheless).

The Springfest wasn't crowded at all, it seemed more like a neighborhood street party. Perhaps they could have done more advertising or set up the stage facing Cesar Chavez road instead of away from the main street in order to draw a larger crowd. Still a fun time especially when there are beer and ribs involved.

Springstreet Smokehouse
640 N. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-0535
www.sssmokehouse.com

Recipe: Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Tart

2012-04-11T17:02:00.002-07:00

Recently, I decided to have some friends over for a cocktail/appetizer party but I did not have too much time to slave in the kitchen so I decided to prepare a rustic tart. I found a recipe online from Closet Cooking but I replaced the gorgonzola cheese with gruyere and parmesan. I can't believe how great it turned out - the guests really enjoyed every last bite. It's a really simple recipe, and this tart is flatter and thinner than a heavier crusted pie. I went simple with the mushrooms and onions, but this versatile recipe can also be changed up a little by adding some meats or veggies.

Saute the mushrooms and onions.

The end product is simple and quick to prepare.

Serve the tart with an array of cheeses and salami from Trader Joe's. My favorite is the cheddar with caramelized onions.

Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Tart Recipe

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion (sliced)
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon thyme (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup white wine
1 sheet puff pastry (thawed as directed on package) 1/2 of a 17.3- (1 sheet)
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon oil
1 handful parsley (chopped)

Directions
Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the onion and cook until it starts to caramelize, about 20 minutes.
3. Add the butter and let it melt.
4. Add the mushrooms and saute until they start to caramelize, about 20 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Add the wine, deglazed the pan and cook until it has evaporated.
8. Roll the puff pastry out to a 16x10 inch rectangle.
9. Score a line around the puff pastry 1 inch from the edge and brush the edges of the pastry with water. Prick the center of the pastry thoroughly with a fork.

10. Spread the mushrooms and sprinkle cheese over the middle of the puff pastry.
11. Brush the outside inch of the pastry with the oil.
12. Bake in a preheated 400F oven until the a the pastry is golden brown, about 15-25 minutes. Let the pastry cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Cut into 24 (3x2-inch) rectangles. Serve warm.
13. Garnish with the chopped parsley.