Adventurous family looking for chowhound worthy food maui/oahu

Hi Scott. Wondering if you can share your thoughts on how the Angry Korean Lady compares to the Korean food in K-Town as I believe you are from SoCal?

lileor in Hawaii

Afternoon Tea: Belvedere vs Langham vs Montage vs Huntington Library's Rose Tea

Afternoon tea was moved from the Bazaar to Tres a while back.

I enjoyed tea at the Langham. Food and desserts are outstanding and the atmosphere is elegant, but not stuffy. The lobby lounge looks out into the Horseshoe Garden.

I've seen the tea house at the Huntington Library and it's definitely not on par with the other places on your list in terms of setting. I have friends who've had the tea there before, and they report that the food is very average.

For non-occasions, I usually go to Tea Rose Garden on Raymond in Pasadena.

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Where to get good breakfast AND good coffee

I like the breakfast and french press coffee at BLD.

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Is Shanghai #1 Seafood Village the SGV's Next Great Chinese Restaurant?

Went for lunch today around 11:30. No wait and plenty of parking underground. They sat our party of 3 at one of quasi-booths with the leather sofas and we asked to be moved to a table with chairs since it wasn't very comfortable.

We had the scallop cheung fun, ha gow, fung jow, chiu chow fun gor, XLB, beef tripe, and po tat (my mom says it's called po tat b/c it's the Macau/Portuguese stye). I actually thought the skin on the ha gow and fun gor was nice, maybe they've improved it since dragonanna's visit. Overall, everything was tasty and came out at a good temperature. My favorites were the fun gor (great filling with whole peanuts) and the po tat (super flaky shell and the egginess was right on). The mini pineapple chicken buns (bo lo bao) looked very interesting, will need to have those on my next visit.

Having the separate rooms really does cut down on the noise and it was nice to have a conversation at dim sum using our normal speaking voices :)

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Middle-Brow, Non-Ethnic in Arcadia

There is Matt Denny's further east on Huntington before you hit 2nd Ave. I've only been there once, the food was acceptable and I believe they should have a full bar.

If you are ok with chains, Wood Ranch at the mall has good BBQ and a full bar.

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Caterer or Private Chef recommendation for Sweet 16 party for 20-25 guests in SFV

I used Hummingbird Catering for a small work event recently (60ish people). They specialize in apps/ hors d'oeuvres for smaller parties. My favorites were the smoked salmon sushi balls and mushroom puff pastries.

http://www.hummingbird-catering.com

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Current best sunday brunch buffet?

A mimosa was $16!

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Best pho in Los Angeles proper

I think you're referring to Gigo's Cafe & Deli? It's 1 or 2 doors down from Hop Woo. Their special is filet mignon pho and this is my go-to pho place in Chinatown. I like it better than Pho 87 and it's cheaper too (SGV pricing, not the inflated Chinatown pricing).

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Mooncake Time Again! - SGV recommendations?

My co-worker mentioned that there was some sale this weekend at TSH (on small electrics, etc.), so that's probably what the line was for.

lileor in Los Angeles Area

REVIEW w/pics: The Hidden Burger Gem That's the Market Grill

Love this little spot. We always get a bacon cheeseburger and an Angry Beast. I like that they offer fresh fruit as a side option without an upcharge. Haven't tried the bacon chocolate chip cookies, but the carrot cake is awesome.

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Cooking or reheating mac & cheese in a crock pot?

Thanks for sharing the recipe!

lileor in Home Cooking

Cooking or reheating mac & cheese in a crock pot?

Thanks for the tip! I'll keep in mind that warming in the crock pot will definitely cause some drying out.

lileor in Home Cooking

Cooking or reheating mac & cheese in a crock pot?

I wanted to bring mac & cheese (Ina Garten's recipe) for a potluck lunch at work, but I won't be able to reheat in an oven.

I was thinking about either making it in a crock pot directly (if I can find a good recipe) or keeping it warm by scooping into a crock pot after baking. Does anyone have experience or suggestions? Thanks in advance!

lileor in Home Cooking

Taco Caterer for Kid's birthday party

My BIL/SIL recently had a great taco caterer do their party. I got the recommendation from a co-worker who's had them do 2 birthday parties in the past year. My co-worker paid $300 for 50 people, which included 3 types of meat, beans, rice, quesadillas, chips, salsa, and condiments. They charged my BIL/SIL $350 for the same headcount, but they asked for guacamole (extra) and also they live much further away in the IE. The caterer is based in El Monte.

They arrived half an hour before the service time and have a very professional setup. They also provided plates, napkins, and forks. Service is for 2 hours. They made the tortillas on site with a press and also made the chips on site. They bring everything, but you need to provide a table for their sides/condiments. We had carne asada, al pastor, and chicken. The first 2 were very good; we thought the chicken wasn't very flavorful. They will leave all leftovers, but you need to have your own containers to store them.

Ask for Ramon (he speaks English) or Sofia at 626.475.0662. They are a husband and wife team. I forgot to ask them for their business card, so I'm not sure what their catering service is called.

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Sausages to grill... best in Los Angeles? (East side preferably)

2nd the brats at Schreiners

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Pre-Marinated Korean BBQ - Supermarket Recs in San Gabriel Valley?

I live in Monrovia and usually get my pre-marinated KBBQ meat at HK Market in Glendale. If you're really desperate, there is also a small Korean grocery store on Live Oak in Arcadia that carries marinated meats.

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H K Market
831 N Pacific Ave, Glendale, CA 91203

Arcadia Korean Market
171 E Live Oak Ave, A Arcadia, CA

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Henry & Kristen of the (now defunct) Reyn Pho in Pasadena have found a new home in Monrovia!!

Thanks for heads up! I live in Monrovia and usually go to Golden Deli or Vietnam House for my pho fix. I am looking forward to Golden Deli Express opening in Temple City, and now this!

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Grinder spots in Pasadena....

I will ask next time I am there. There's no mention of the other locations on any of their menus or signage.

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Good farmers market with organics in/around Pasadena??

I subscribe to the Abundant Harvest Organics CSA. Their Pasadena pickup location is the Fuller Seminary parking lot at the corner of Los Robles and Corson. Good variety and usually high quality with a good mix of fruits and veggies. I emailed them once when I got some bad scallions and they replaced them in my next box. You can also add on eggs, meat, etc.

http://www.abundantharvestorganics.com

Haven't been to the Monrovia Farmer's Market yet. It's relatively new, but my mom has gone and she wasn't impressed. She thought the Alhambra one was much better.

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Grinder spots in Pasadena....

I like the meatball grinder at Gene's Grinders in Monrovia. They're open until 2 or 3 every day.

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Gene's Grinders
800 S Myrtle Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Calling Chandavkl ... "House of Mandarin Noodle" opens in Temple City

Are they officially open? Saw your post and drove there last night (Sunday) around 8 p.m. and it was closed up.

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Has Leo's Monrovia Closed or Moved?

Try the pastrami dip at Gene's Grinders on Myrtle across the street from the new Paragon apartments

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Gene's Grinders
800 S Myrtle Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Sam Woo Cafe Closed?

I work in the area and my co-workers frequented this place. They said that the landlord was increasing the rent and they don't do enough dinner business to make up for it. So yes, they are permanently shutting down.

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Macaroni Grill Arcadia (What's moving in?)

Found this: http://www.gemcityimages.com/2010/02/pioneer-point-buffet-and-grill.html

Does NOT sound promising :P

lileor in Los Angeles Area

organic food co-op/ delivery

I second Abundant Harvest Organics. Their fruits and vegetables are always top quality and you get a lot of it at a very reasonable price.

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Good Eats in Escazu, Costa Rica?

I'll be staying 2 nights at the Hotel Beacon in Escazu next week and am looking for lunch and dinner recommendations nearby. Most of us are pretty adventurous and I'm looking for local cuisine.

Thanks in advance!

lileor in South & Central America & the Caribbean

Bashan - Tasting menu or a la carte?

Just wanted to report back. We both had the 5-course and it was wonderful. The service was outstanding. We'll probably go back to try the $40 prix fixe during the week.

We had the following courses. My favorite was the scallop, it was cooked perfectly -- meaty and sweet.

Amuse #1: Shot of cauliflower soup with red pepper

Amuse #2: Squash ravioli with some type of foam (can't remember)

Course #1: New Bedford Scallop with Rice Beans, Piquillo Pepper, Bacon, Squid, Aged Pedro Ximenez Sherry Vinegar

Course #2: Seared Tasmanian Sea Trout with Roasted Pee Wee Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas, Chorizo, Mussels

Course #3: Braised Pork Belly Asian Style with Daikon 2x, Pickled Ginger and Garlic Puree, Charred Shishito Pepper

Course #4: Steak 2 ways -- Grilled Prime Hanger Steak with Mole, Chayote, Marcona Almond, Cipollini Onion, Caramelized Fig and Braised Short Ribs with Chimichurri

Course #5: Duet of desserts -- Chocolate Bread Pudding with Chocolate Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream and Peanut Butter Banana Sticky Toffee Cake

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Bashan - Tasting menu or a la carte?

Thanks for all your input! This will be our first time at Bashan, so I'll go with the 5-course tasting. Good to know that they specifically asked about likes/dislikes.

Stuffycheaks - Great review, I'm really looking forward to our meal.

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Bashan
3459 N Verdugo Rd, Glendale, CA 91208

lileor in Los Angeles Area

Bashan - Tasting menu or a la carte?

Going to Bashan in Glendale for my birthday this coming weekend and would like to get input about the 5-course tasting menu vs ordering a la carte. I read some reviews that indicated that the tasting portions were small (my husband is somewhat of a big eater).

Thanks!

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Bashan
3459 N Verdugo Rd, Glendale, CA 91208

lileor in Los Angeles Area