Din Tai Fung- 西单店

西城区西单北大街133号君太百货B1楼(近西单大悦城)

Occasion: Dinner our first night in Beijing! On a quest to eat as many Xiao Long Baos as possible. First XLBs in Beijing! A ride that would normally take 10 minutes took nearly 40 minutes with the Beijing traffic.  By the time we found the place and got seated, we were pretty hungry. 12.08.11 

Din Tai Fung: Location # 2 on our vacay.  First one was in Arcadia, California.

Shredded beancurd with seaweed and bean sprouts

We saw a lot of people who ordered this appetizer back in Arcadia, but because we were on a food adventure that day with really no time to rest and digest our food, we passed and promised to order it when we got to Asia. And so here you have it, the appetizer we've been waiting to try.  It was definitely very refreshing and quite flavorful.  The textures were incredible with the crunchy/ cartilidge-y seaweed and the crunchy bean sprouts.  I thought it was a great play in not only texture, but also flavors.  Excellent way to start our meal.

Black Truffle with pork dumplings

We definitely did not notice this on the menu in Arcadia.  Perhaps we missed it.  Once we saw it, we both knew we wanted to try it.

Black truffle dumpling (up close)

The black truffle taste was pretty mild.  What I love about their XLBs is that they're soupy and never disappoints me.  I've had dry XLBs before and that's not the same.  I'm pretty simple and I think I would have enjoyed the regular pork better, but I'm glad I got to try this.

Sauteed snow pea shoot with minced garlic

We felt that we needed to eat something healthier to better digest our food.  Of course, we'd choose our favorite veggies.  Delicious!

 Braised beef noodle soup

It was not spicy at all and resembled somewhat of the beef noodle soup I've had previously.  I love the chewy texture of the noodles and the warmth of the soup definitely helped with the cold weather.  Beef was braised very tenderly and although it wasn't the best tasting

Spicy wonton

They were so delicious. I can't exactly pinpoint the flavor, but it's mildly spicy and wonderfully flavored.  The spice is not familiar to my taste buds, but it had a smokey taste to it.  It was addicting a super tasty.

Wang Fu Jing- 王府井小吃街

东城区王府井好友世界商场南
Beijing, China

Occasion: Much anticipated lunch. Our first visit to this little snack street. 12.09.11

Stinky Tofu

"What was that smell and where is it coming from?" It was the familiar aromas of stinky tofu for Henry.  He knew instantly what it was.  Though I've never tried it before,  I've heard many horror stories of how they've caused people to want to yack and feel nauseous.  Not for me though, I actually thought it the smell gave it more character.  I was anxious and overly ready to finally give these bad boys a try.  One bite and I fell in love.  I don't think I've ever hated a tofu dish, and this was one more to add to my list of favorite dishes.  It's deep fried and topped with a spicy sauce and cilantro.  Henry was brave enough to have a few pieces and to my surprise he actually didn't mind it.  For once, he actually thought a dish was too salty.  I had to object.  Honestly, this street snack food is not too bad once you overcome the smell and the idea of it.  It's just like deep fried tofu.

 Cuttlefish Ball

Henry really wanted to try these, so we got them.  They were surprisingly very tasty for very very very cheap!   Texture is rubbery, like fishballs in your pho, but the outside is crispy since it's been deep fried.  Something about eating it in China makes this little snack taste very authentic, or the fact that we're eating it in an alley filled with Chinese snack foods.

I'm not sure what these are called and I've definitely never had these before.  But the skin reminded me of potsticker skins and we got some that were filled with a thin layer of ground meat goodies and a few that were just chopped up veggies.  These things were not only good, but super greasy, which is probably what got us full. Not bad at all!

Milk Tea Tapioca

Not as sweet as the ones from the states and there aren't that many tapioca balls in it, but for less than $1, it was well worth it.  I used it as a source of heat for my frozen hands.

We satisfied our hunger with all of these snacks and was happy to find that it didn't not give us stomach problems, considering the fact that the foods we ate were made in an environment that would most likely not pass the health inspections that would be performed in the States.

Bread Talk-面包新语

Located in the Oriental Plaza Mall
东城区东长安街1号东方广场东方新天地B1楼BB08B号
Beijing, China

Occasion: After a 14+ hour flight, 2 hour ride back into Beijing city, tour to the Temple of Heaven and another tour at the Cole Hill Park, we finally stopped for food.  Our tour guide took us to the Oriental Plaza Mall for food, but Henry and I wanted to check out Wang Fu Jin, which was nearby.  Before doing so, I was desperate for food and could not walk another block until I had something in my stomach.  This bakery was the first thing I spotted that had fast food.  It almost reminded me of a smaller version of 85 degree. 12.09.11

Pizza Bread

It was some kind of pizza inspired pastry bread.  It may not have been too good on any regular given day, but because I was food deprived and cold I was desperate for anything that would yield energy to the body.

Chinese donuts

Not exactly sure what it's called, but it reminded me of sugar donut holes on a skewer.  I saw a little girl eating it and I knew I had to have it.  It was freaking delicious!  I needed the extra sugar to pump me up! The dough was fluffy and not too much sugar.  The size of the holes were slightly bigger than those found in the states, but I wasn't complaining.  The more for my tummy the better!

Brodard Restaurant

9892 Westminster Ave
Garden Grove, CA 92844

Occasion: Our last stop before we head back to LA to catch our flight before we head to Beijing! We had to come here for Henry to try their infamous Spring Rolls. 12.07.11

Nem Nuong 

See previous entry here for a better review.

Their spring rolls are definitely memorable.  It's stuffed with a sausage of some sort and fried egg roll skin for extra flavor and an extra crunch.  He liked it, but thought it was over hyped.  We bought an extra order to go to eat on the plane and let me tell you, it wasn't nearly as good because the skin was all dried up.  Next time we'll know not to bring it on the plane and eat it over 6 hours after it's been purchased.  Now I wonder how people buy it and bring it back up to the bay...

Quan Hy

15640 Brookhurst Street
Westminister, CA 92683

Occasion: Early dinner in Westminister before we drive back up to LAX to catch our flight to China! 12.07.11

Banh Beo

steamed rice cakes with shredded shrimp eaten with a special sweet nuc mam (fish) sauce

I must admit these were pretty good.  They're little steamed rice cakes sprinkled with goodness.  Very easy to slurp up once you've loosened it from the plate.  One order comes with 8 and you one person can easily slurp these all up.  Since we've already had quite a bit to eat before, we only got one order of this.  The rice cakes and a jello consistency and was pretty flavorless.  It's the other ingredients you eat it with that makes it so good.  It's definitely a must if you're ever in this Irvine/LA area.

An upclose shot!

Banh Out thit nuong

steamed rice paper stuffed with grilled beef (seemed to have been grilled with lemon grass) filled with basil

The noodles were super soft and you can easily finish one roll in a few bites.  It's almost like cheurng fun from dim sum. Very tasty!

Up close

Goi hit

jack fruit salad mixed with shrimps and pork

I decided to order something else that seemed like a light dish and this appealed to me.  I've never had a jack fruit salad before, so I wanted to give it a try.  To my surprise it was delicious refreshing. The texture of the jackfruit reminded me of the texture of artichoke hearts. Fried onions and fried garlic not only added flavor to the dish but also a nice crunchy texture. Included in the salad were also peanuts, sesame, chopped up basil and mint leaves. You can eat it alone as a salad or on vietnamese rice crackers with black sesame seed for extra flavor and texture. So good and so different!

Porto's Cafe and Bakery

8233 Firestone Blvd
Downey, CA 90241

Occasion: And after Din Tai Fung, we were on our way to another LA hotspot! We came here for some bakery goods! YUM! 12.07.11

Fresh squeezed OJ and Chai Latte

I guess oranges weren't in season, but I needed my vitamin-C so I didn't complain.  Someone apparently thought a drink with the term "latte" meant some kind of coffee drink. Wrong.  Both of us felt our drinks were mediocre.  I had a sip of the Chai and didn't think it was too bad.  My favorite is still the one from Ambrosia Bakery in the city.

 Left: Raspberry and Dulce de Leche kiss cookies.  Right: Guava and cheese roll

Cookies were super sweet and buttery filled with goodness while the guava and cheese roll was more of my kind of sweets.  Flaky crust filled with guava and cheesy (sweet) goodness.  I loved it.  It almost reminded me of a napoleon cake except in a pastry form.  Definitely a fan!

Potato Roll

So amazingly good.  I had no idea what to expect of this thing, but when I cut it open and saw the goodness in it I was ecstatic to try it.  As soon as I tried it, I fell in love.  The potato ball was soft and potatoey while the inside was filled with meaty goodness. I am definitely a fan! Must try when you're down there.

Din Tai Fung

108 S Baldwin Ave
Arcadia, CA 91007

Occasion: On the quest to find the best Xiaolong bao. We came here almost right after brunch so that Henry could try their XLB's. Our second meal of the day. 12. 07.11

 Green Tea Tapioca

Best I've ever had.  Chewy tapioca balls that tasted super fresh and green tea that was made to the perfect amount of sweetness. I think I'm in love.

Noodle with minced pork sauce

The fresh chewy and springy noodles mixed with the minced pork sauce was just perfect.  It wasn't overly done and the portion was a decent size considering the fact that we'd already had a pretty big breakfast.  I was full, but I couldn't stop eating it.  It was just so delicious!

 Pork Xiao Long Baos

I've had the crab one here before and was not a big fan of it, so we decided to order the pork.  I think they make really good XLBs with the perfect skin that's not too thick.  The XLBs are filled with flavorful pork meat that's filled with it's juicy soup.  Henry became a fan!

Jack N Joe

2498 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90007

Occasion: Breakfast after we checked out. David had recommended this place to us to try.  Since brunch is practically my favorite meal that I don't often have the opportunity to have, I had to come here for some good ol' brunch.  We were also starving. 12. 07.11

Red velvet pancakes (their monthly special)

It was topped with cream cheese instead of the usual butter.

The name of the pancakes sounds very appealing and the fact that it was a monthly special definitely helped in deciding to order this as my breakfast entree.  It came in a generous serving and the pancakes were airy and kind of fluffy.  It wasn't as good as I had thought it would be and overhyped.  I've had better.

French toast Combo with hawaiian bread toast, scrambled eggs and Portuguese sausage

So delicious!  The french toast was made with hawaiian bread which was super fluffy and had a natural sweetness.  It's nice to have something sweet and savory on the same plate.  I'm not usually a fan of spice, but the heat on the portuguese sausage was bearable and actually quite tasty! Loved this!

Animal

435 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Occasion: Dinner with Ele! I guess you can call it a pre birthday celebration. 12.06.11

Chicken liver toast

It reminded me of pate in Vietnamese sandwiches, but in a creamier form.  It was topped with what seemed to be caviar and chopped up green onions.  I thought it was pretty tasty!  If you're not a fan of pate, you may not enjoy this.

Pig ear, chili, lime, fried egg

Delicious!! Definitely one of my favorite dishes of the night.  The chili-lime sauce added a nice kick to it that almost reminded me of chicharonnes. The pig ears seemed to be deep fried and were crunchy.  We all enjoyed this dish very much!

Veal sweetbreads, finger lime aioli, cumin and shallot

So good! The veal cheeks were battered and what seemed to have been deep fried creating a slightly crispy skin with a soft and tender inside.  It was so soft, it almost reminded me of fish meat.  I loved dipping it into the lime aioli.  The acid really complemented the meat very well.  Ele on the other hand thought the meat was too gamey. Really? I don't think so.  It's all in the head.  We shouldn't have told her what sweetbreads were.

 Marrow bone, chimichurri, caramelized onions

Another great dish.  I think the chimichurri sauce really helped take away the rich flavor of the bone marrow and can even hide the fatty texture of it.  I've never had bone marrow made like this before and I'm not sure which I like better.  I can usually taste and feel the texture of the bone marrow, where in this case I feel that the chimichurri sauce almost takes over.  I don't mind the fatty texture and rich taste of roasted bone marrow and I guess some people may.  Anyhow, caramelized onions added a touch of delightful sweetness to it, which we also all enjoyed.

Barbeque pork belly sandwiches, slaw

One order came with two.  The pork belly wasn't as tender and more on the dry side, but the flavor was great: sweet and tangy with some crunchy slaw. While everything else seemed to be out of Ele's comfort zone, this stayed true to flavors and ingredients she was a bit more familiar with.

Foie gras loco moco, quail egg, spam, hamburger

Ever since my first loco moco in Hawaii, I was craving for something comparable.  This definitely had a fusion twist to it and not your authentic loco moco, but it was good.  The foie gras was flavorful and seriously melted in your mouth.  This was a very very rich dish that I'm glad was shared between three of us.

Balsamic pork ribs, delicata squash, arugula, pecan

It was just mediocre, but the walnuts squash salad that came on the side was amazing! The squash was sweet and mushy and the walnuts were roasted.  The meat was tender, but not fall of the bone tender and the sour taste of the balsamic sauce didn't work too well for my taste buds.  

WP24- Ritz Carlton

900 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Occasion: Drinks before dinner! Once right after we checked in and once with Ele! 12.06.11

Ginger Crisp and Pearfect Asian

Ginger Crisp, Apple Cloudy and I don't know what Ele ordered!

Drinks with great company and a nice view and a beautiful venue!

Mendocino Farms

4724 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292

*Killing time waiting for our flight at the airport*

Occasion: Right after we got off the plane and got our rental car, we came here to meet my friend David for some lunch! 12.06.11

Pork Belly Banh Mi

Had all the ingredients of a viet sandwich, cucumber, carrots, pickled diakon and big chunks of pork belly that was sweet and tender with some chili aoli on grilled ciabatta bread.  This was Henry's choice and of course he liked his better than mine.

Three little piggies

My choice: with pork belly, carnitas and bacon bits with an avocado spread bits of bacon, pork and carnitas. It's a lot of meat and i'm not usually the one to order such a heavy hearty meaty sandwich, but i must admit it was good. I was really happy that there was avocado spread because it made the sandwich that much better.

Coupa Cafe- Palo Alto

538 Ramona St
Palo Alto, CA 94301

Occasion: Seemed like 3pm was a popular hour for tea, so Tea Time became filled with a lot more people.  We migrated our catch up session over to Coupa Cafe for some desserts.  12.05.11 

Tres Leche

My pledgemom was raving about how great it was.  And it really was amazing.  It was a little bit on the sweet side and a few bites will be good enough, so make sure you share it.  It's some kind of milk based dessert with sponge cake.  It's soaked in  three kinds of milk: evaporated, condensed and heavy cream. (Thanks for the educating me Sandy) It was so creamy, so decadent, but so delicious.  Thanks for introducing it to me.  I'm a big fan!

Tea Time

542 Ramona St
Palo Alto, CA 94301

Occasion: Catch up session with Christine and Sandy with high tea! 12.05.11

Plate of two tea sandwiches and tea

My choice of tea was a pot of the pearl jasmine tea.  I think I'm just really asian and enjoy the more asian flavored tea leaves, less of the fusion types of tea.  As for my two choices of sandwiches I opted for the smoked salmon with cream cheese topped with caviar and the bay shrimp salad topped with avocado.  They were tiny, but delicious.  I liked both sandwiches, but I'd have to say I like the smoked salmon more.  I was actually a bit disappointed with their variety of brunch stuff.  At the tea houses I've been to in the city.  There are choices that include sandwiches, crumpets and scones.  I'm a type of girl who likes trying a variety of things, so knowing that I was limited was disappointing.  At least the food was pretty decent.

Kingdom of Dumpling

1713 Taraval St
San Francisco, CA 94116

Occasion: We stayed in and had an early dinner, but by 8:30pm we were hungry again.  In our sweatfits, we came back here for some northern Chinese food. 12.03.11

 Pork and spinach dumplings

We loved them so much last week, we came back for more.  They come in a plate of 12 and its definitely not enough.  They're juicy, delicious and flavorful made with skin that's not as thin as XLBs but not as thick as potstickers. They're a bite of goodness!

Chow Mein

We were actually trying to order the Chow fun (flat rice noodle), but since they were out of the noodle we decided on the next best thing: chow mein.  This was surprisingly really really good.  Almost reminds me of my favorite chow mein place on stockton and jackson in Chinatown, but better!  The noodles taste a lot more fresh and it's less greasy.  Delicious and satisfied. Yum!

Chives pancake

Last time we had the scallion pancakes, so this time we decided something different.  So glad we did because these little pockets filled with chives, fried egg and clear noodles are freaking delicious.  The dough component of this dish is fried to the perfect crisp, yet still has a chewy consistency.  Next time, I'm definitely getting this again. One of my new favorites.

Xiao Long Baos

Perfect amount for just the two of us.  We liked it so much we ordered it again.

Roam Artisan Burger

1785 Union St
San Francisco, CA 94123

Occasion:  Dinner after grocery shopping at Trader Joe's.  It took us half an hour to find parking, but it was worth it.  Something to compare to Umami Burger about 6 blocks down the street. 12.02.11

Drinks: Cane Sugar Cola and Ginger Lime Soda

Fry Fecta Fries 

Here we have a trifecta of fries:  Russet Fries, Sweet Potato Fries and Zucchini Onion Haystack.

I couldn't decide between the three types, so I decided to try all three.  The russet are just regular fries with what seemed to be parsley sprinkled on top.  I love sweet potato fries, but the highlight in this bowl were the zucchini onion haystack.  Graded zucchini and onion are deep fried and freaking delicious.  It's not starchy like the fries where you get to bite into something mushy.  Since they're grated, it's light and crispy.  We loved the light crisp of it.

The Classic Burger
with Butter Lettuce, Tomato, Onions, House-Made Pickles, House Sauce

The sesame bun was amazing.  Fluffy bun, with a slight crisp from the grill and absolutely flavorful! As it's name specifies, it really is your classic burger with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles.  We selected their beef patty cooked medium rare and their house sauce reminded me of some recreation of thousand island sauce. Yum!

 French and Fries 

Truffle Parmesan Fries, Gruyere, Avocado, Caramelized Onions, Watercress, Dijon Mustard

Everything in this burger appealed to me.  I was a bit disappointed as my burger only had like 1 or 2 truffle parmesan fry, which didn't have too much of the truffle flavor to it.  Caramelized onions were sweet and soft.  The use of watercress instead of lettuce was different, but it worked as it is thinner and easier to fit into the burger.  I love avocado in anything so that definitely added flavor to it.  I though the flavor of the dijon mustard actually took over flavor wise.  It was hard to taste everything in one bite because the taste of dijon mustard was very overpowering.  Between the classic burger and this burger, I would choose this one eventhough not all the flavors were executed well.