November 16, 2008 5

Cha House (San Gabriel)

//// By in 01: San Gabriel

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The Taiwanese cafe at the hearts of Alhambra is a popular hang out spot for Asian kids, as it’s the only late night spot for them to hang out legally. What made the loud and cheesy Chinese pop music being blasted here tolerable is the Snowflakes: shaved condensed milk (iced). The texture is soft like ice cream and not as harsh and icy as regular shaved ice. AMAZING! Usually the mango flavor is the one to get, but it was no longer available because of the winter season.

Edit: This place changed their name from 85C to Cha House because 85C was a Taiwanese bakery chain who has opened one at Irvine.

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November 16, 2008 2

818 JN Kitchen (San Gabriel)

//// By in 01: San Gabriel

We drove out to San Gabriel for some Xinjiang skewers. This place 818 JN Kitchen has a banner outside that saids “LA’s Authentic Xinjiang BBQ Skewers” in chinese.

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The place is very tiny and the front tables are rather close to the skewers grill. There was no AC so it was very hot (try getting the table near the door or sitting outside). We got the Grilled Lamb Chops. It was drizzled with cumin and chilli, so good!

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We balance the BBQ skewers with Cold Cucumber with Sesame Paste (crisp and refreshing). Lamb Clay Pot Stew – light but flavorful, very good.

818 JN Kitchen
818 E Valley Blvd. San Gabriel, CA 91776

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November 13, 2008 2

Vermont with guest chef Laurent Quenioux (ex-Bistro K)

//// By in 04: Los Feliz

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Remember the wonderful Bistro K which Laurent Quenioux used to be the chef (old entries: 1 and 2)? It was a pity he left and since then he doesn’t have a permanent based. The only way to taste his food is when he guest chef at Vermont restaurant from time to time (see old entry). From October on chef Laurent Quenioux is back at Vermont restaurant as guest chef and he offered a 3 course “Autumn dinner menu” for $34 per person. $3 course for $34 is a great deal! So Jon and I immediately made reservation. There were several choices for each courses, and overall the menu consists of simple hearty and traditional dishes which is different from Quenioux ‘s usual creative and fushion menu at Bistro K.

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Joan’s 1st course: Wild Mushroom and Leeks tartlet. Very good! It smells wonderful. The crust were fresh and cripsy. It’s hard to go wrong with mushrooms.

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Joan’s 2nd course: Duck (sautéed breast / confit of leg ) served with mousseline of potatoes, brocolini, and braised plums tossed with green Cardamom. A big hearty dish, I couldn’t finish everything because it’s so rich. I prefer the leg over the breast but both were fantastic. The plum sauce was tasty and works well with duck, reminded of me a little of Canton cuisine which usually pair duck with plum sauce as well.

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Joan’s 3rd course: Panna Cotta with marinated figs in pomegranate syrup and fresh mint. Light and refreshing.

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Jon’s 1st course: Quince salad With Roquefort cheese, and toasted pine nuts. I think this is my first time tasting quince and I like it!

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Jon’s 2nd course: Beef Short Ribs served on a bed of celery root, quinoa infused with citrus zests, and merguez sausage. Very hearty. Jon said it’s good. He especially liked the citrus zest and he’s always a fan of celery root.

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Jon’s 3rd course: Apple tart served with vanilla ice cream and caramel

A very satisfying meal overall, especially with the price of $34 per person we couldn’t ask for more!

This month Chef Laurent Quenioux is having a Cassoulet “Toulousain” Dinner menu for $44 per person and a special to-go Thanksgiving menu for $189 that can serve 6-8 guests. Check them out!

Vermont Restaurant and bar
1714 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 661-6163

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November 7, 2008 3

Otafuku (Gardena)

//// By in 17: South Bay, Favorite Food Entries

Back to LA. We went back to that wonderful Soba/Udon place Otafuku (see old post).

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If they could make common dish like Oyakodon so delicious, I’m willing to give another item a try — the other common Japanese dish that I don’t usually like: cutlet.
Katsudon – Juicy Pork Cutlet Bowl
Thinly pounded pork (Borkshire) breaded and deep-fried. Closed with beaten eggs and topped with Mitusha. Once again, I’m blown away! The pork was so incredibly moist, juicy and flavorful~ The deep-fried breaded surface (which I’m never crazy about) was moist by the runny egg and yummy sauce, making it easier to eat. My biased toward Japanese cutlet is now changed (yes it can be good)!

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Left: Kikouchi $11: Dark brown Noodle made of 100% buckwheat flour
Right: Special Seiro $8: made of a mixture of special white buckwheat flour and only used heart of Soba seeds. I prefer the white one, very good~

We went there at night on another day and found that they have an entirely different and huge Izakaya menu. We could only choose a few to try.
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Flavored Sea Urchin with Wasabi (taste like steamed egg), Crispy Shrimp Egg Roll with Japanese Plum Paste and Perilla (very yummy, though it reminded me a bit of plum flavored shrimp snacks).

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Tendon with Ponzu Sauce (the flavors weren’t completely ‘cooked’ in), Charbroiled Whole Squid (soft and tender but a little bland tasting)

In general the izakaya menu is nothing fancy (in contrast with all those chichi “Asian tapas” places keep popping up in LA cities), but they taste like good solid home cooking. I would come here often if I lived nearby because of the light, simple flavors and casual homey vibe. The price is a little high (average $12 and up for a dish). I’ll have to explore their izakaya menu more.

Otafuku
16525 S Western Ave. Gardena, CA 90247

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November 7, 2008 2

Sketch Ice cream (Berkeley: 4th street)

//// By in 04: SF+Bay Area

DSCN4427Whew! Now that the election is over I feel like I can relax and go back to blogging. This is the last entry on the Bay Area and we’ll be back to LA next.

We stopped by the chichi shopping neighbourhood 4th street for some sweet at Sketch Ice-cream. A very cute place, though I was lucky to get this shot before being told that taking pictures inside is not allowed. There are only few choices of flavors available each day and they are different every day. There’re some interesting toppings like olive oil and sea salt. Besides toppings, you can add “granita” (semi-frozen sugar, water and flavorings, originally from Sicily) which comes in 3-4 flavors.

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Lavender ice cream with coffee granita and Coffee ice cream with grape granita. The server was kinda “ehh” about our choice of combining coffee flavor with grape granita. I see his point but oh well. The ice cream is very smooth and creamy. I love the lavender ice cream very much. The granita gave a crunchy and refreshing balance to the ice cream. If you find yourself in the Bay area and crave for sweets, Sketch definitely worth a stop.

Sketch Ice-cream
1809 4th St, Berkeley, CA 94710

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