kimcheesoup's Profile
How does one make really good fried rice?
do not ONLY add just shoyu (soy sauce for you "mainland" guys...)..... you can also add a little oyster sauce to taste. my mother taught me this, and fried rice comes out DELICIOUS with a bit of oyster sauce. don't get heavy handed though - you do not want mushy or overly salty fried rice... taste as you go.
i also recommend Wadakan shoyu - its tasty, and its REAL, not like La Choy... stay away from that La Choy stuff - its chemically made shoyu = gross.
Swedish Rosette Irons - how to season?
i just got a set of swedish rosette irons to make chinese pretzels (which i dont think are chinese, and they're not pretzels either, but not the point)... and the package said to "season the irons before you use them" - does anyone know how to do this? i was thinking it might be the same way you season a cast iron skillet, but i wasnt sure...... anyone have tips or suggestions? thanks!
The 2nd 2011 CHOW Challenge
http://www.chow.com/recipes/11857-teri-glazed-fried-chicken
sorry, no pix, but its good :D
The CHOW Recipe Challenge
here's my link to on-the-go Hummus wraps :)
http://www.chow.com/recipes/29292-hummus-wraps
non-food website advertisements
ha... 5 days since i posted that original message.... and STILL i see that ad. c'mon CHOW.COM.... how about shaping up??? throw out this sleazy rubbish already!
non-food website advertisements
i recently logged on to Chow.com and saw a non-food advertisement for collegehumor.com. specifically for the "Cute college girl of the day".
i feel advertisements like this are SLEAZY and have no reason to be on a website about food.
i log on fairly often and i dont like seeing this pointless ad.
every link i click on has this ad pop up on the side and i'm tired of seeing this sleazy rubbish on a site like this one.
i'm actually pretty surprised that its on here - i THOUGHT this was a reputable site?
who controls what gets advertised on this site and why isnt it being filtered?
really - it makes me NOT want to visit this site anymore.
Saimin for Dummies
since my above reply - i have found this article today in the advertiser.
Wanda Adams, i find, is a reliable source. if you want to get "specific", according to her, "Saimin" is a local hybrid - "Sai Mien" is Chinese and "Ramen" is Japanese. either way, good article - read on.....
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090318/COLUMNISTS18/903180359
Best hole-in-the-wall (Honolulu)
well, after a long weekend, i finally got a chance to try TWO new places (to me anyway). i went to Buk Chang Dong on Makaloa street (next door to Green Papaya) - the restaurant is small, but after all this string IS about hole-in-the-walls. they are supposed to be known for their soon do bu, so that is exactly what i tried. i had the soon do bu and kalbi combination with a side of dukboki. the tofu in the soon do bu was nicely soft and the soup seasoned well. the kalbi was ok, but not great and a little too fatty for my liking, but edible. the dukboki was very good. cooked perfect and not too much filler like vegetables and such. i also tried some bulgogi from my friend, and much like the kalbi, it was ok, but not great. the next day i went to So Gong Dong, upstairs in McCully shopping center. they are also known for their soon do bu, so i tried theirs as well. i liked the flavor of theirs better, and they give you a raw egg with the dish, unlike Buk Chang Dong, which adds so much more to the soon do bu. their dukboki was good as well, but they had too much filler in the dish and there was a lot of fishcake left over when we were done. the sausage fried rice was a basic fried rice, but not with sausage - it looked and tasted more like a plain ol' hot dog. the sang chu mu chim was good and fresh, and the seafood pancake was my favorite part of the meal. tasty and not skimpy on the seafood. the tofu chigge was very very sour b/c of the sour kim chee - so its good if you like sour kim chee, but can be overwhelming if you're not used to it. the yakiniku part was nice as well b/c they use charcoal in their grill, so it adds more smoky flavor. both place served barley water, which i like very much. over all - i would go back to so gong dong, but i'd probably only go to buk chang dong if i was hungry and it was near by.
hope this helped a little - i'll probably visit more restaurants soon.... if you visit any good ones - keep me posted as well! thanks!!
Best hole-in-the-wall (Honolulu)
honestly, right now, i don't have any that i can suggest... there are a few restaurants i'm am waiting to try out though. i hear many good things about a lot of good korean restaurants, but haven't had time lately to go b/c of work. i will definitely keep you posted once i get a chance to go. the last place i went to was Choi's Garden near Ala Moana. the only thing i liked there was the pumpkin rice. i also had the kalbi, which was good, but i didnt think was anything special, the pancake which was very very plain, the spring onion salad, which had good flavor, but you really need to like green onions to like this dish, the chigge, which really, could have been better - not enough flavor for my liking and the mandoo, which was o.k. the spicy pork was not spicy at all, and looks were deceiving for that dish. also, pretty much ALL of the portions (except for the pumpkin rice) were horribly small for the price you pay. this place, for me anyway, was over priced and not really worth it. the only thing i MIGHT go back for is the pumpkin rice, but thats it. i havent found a dish there i actually really like and i've been there three times now.....
i will keep searching....
Best hole-in-the-wall (Honolulu)
actually, i recently found out they changed owners, as well as cooks at Jang Su - so the food is NOT the same..... i went to eat there recently and was a little disappointed to find that the dishes i previous liked (and mentioned) have changed not only in taste, but in price. the kimchee pancake USED TO be very good.... but now..... you're right - it is not the same. so i correct myself - the OLD Jang Su was good...... the new one.... not so great :(
Best hole-in-the-wall (Honolulu)
you should try the Okinawan restaurant in that same City Square - Utage.
the Soki Soba, champuru and shoyu pork are great.
Saimin for Dummies
i understand all of these replies - the people commenting on here are trying to make a distinction between ramen and saimin - i get that. so far the general consensus from what i am reading is that what separates ramen and saimin are what the noodles are made of, and possibly the type of broth, correct?
so i ask - why is it (as i've said twice before) i've seen packaged "ramen" with egg ingredients and varying types of broth?
i'm just working with what i've experienced, so in my opinion (not fact, but my personal opinion) they are the same.
and another question - i know where the word ramen comes from, but where did "saimin" come from? maybe that will help clear things up a bit.
use for one old vanilla bean?
vanilla sugar is good, the extract is good too - but i thought you're supposed to soak it in vodka? not bourbon or rum to make extract.
vodka can be "tasteless" compared to the flavors of rum or bourbon, so it wouldnt interfere with the vanilla flavor you're trying to get out of it. but you're probably going to need more than one vanilla pod for it
Best hole-in-the-wall (Honolulu)
my family actually knows the owners of Jin Joo.......
i'm korean, and really, no other korean food compares to my grandmothers, BUT, i'm sorry to say, i really think they're great people at Jin Joo, but honestly the food isnt that good. i much prefer the food at Jang Su Jang in Waimalu Shopping center (next to City Mill in the same shopping complex as Safeway). its 1000 times better than Jin Joo. sorry!
try it - i'm sure you'll like it. the kalbi (the one with the big bone, not the small bone that everyone is used to - i mean the REAL kine kalbi) is great and so is the kimchee chige. the banchan (the small side dishes such as kimchee, bean sprouts, etc.) are home made, fresh and really good. the seaweed soup is made from scratch and made daily. and the beef tongue is great.
seriously - its very good korean food.
Saimin for Dummies
as i said before in a previous reply (see above, Oct. 17th, 08) i've always just known "saimin" as another way of saying "ramen".
the only people i ever hear using the term "ramen" are native Japanese or from the mainland. anyone who is local to Hawaii usually uses "saimin" as the term to refer to the same dish known as "ramen" - thus making the term "saimin" probably some slang that started years ago, whereas "ramen" is a Japanese term addressing the same dish.
its like saying "jumpers" or "cover-alls" vs saying "over-alls" its different terminology for the same thing.
i was trying to express this "local terminology" through my past reply (Oct. 17th) when i was talking about how McDonald's puts regional dishes to increase sales in different places; appealing to different customers.
as i recall in this string - you should have already read what i have previously written b/c you replied to me on Oct. 18th - see above.
keep in mind - this is just how i happen to know it..... if I am wrong, please inform ME. and maybe we shouldnt take this so personal..... like i said before, i have SEEN packaged "ramen" with different types of noodles and broths - so obviously "ramen" and "saimin" are probably the same thing b/c there is NO clear distinction of any particular broth OR noodles.
Saimin for Dummies
i've seen packaged "ramen" that is chicken flavored, miso flavored, etc..... same goes for the type of noodles - the type of noodles (egg or other wise) and the type of broth, or shiro as my mother calls it (dashi, pork, or otherwise) does not make the dish "ramen" or "saimin" - whoever told you that information must have been mis-informed.
Saimin for Dummies
personally, the saimin at McDonalds isnt great - but its eddible. unfortunately, it was your very first time eating it from a mediocre source.
and its not unusual that McDonalds in Hawaii has saimin on the menu - McDonalds is a large and smart company that goes with the food that does well regionally. for example, in Inida they sell curried and vegetarian products - in japan they sell a shrimp type burger. so really, its not weird at all for McDonalds to have such things as saimin, taro pie, spam and eggs breakfast or anything like that.
ALSO, i do not think that saimin is like ramen and pho's love child..... i've always known saimin as just another name for ramen. and pho? completely different dish altogether. just b/c they both have noodles and broth, doesnt make them the same - that is like saying chicken noodle soup is like saimin.... when its not.
and i think we all rely on wikipedia a little too much - afterall, the info on there isnt the most reputable.....
Best hole-in-the-wall (Honolulu)
if you like Okinawan food, check out Utage - its an Okianwan restaurant (808) 843-8109
1286 Kalani St
they have really great Okinawan food (oxtail soup, soki soba, etc.) and they have Japanese and Local food as well. so good!
Fake Henckles?
i just recieved some "Henckles" knives - but taking a closer look at them i noticed that they do not have the signature "Twins" symbol on them. does this mean they're fakes? anybody know? thanks!
CPK Thai Crunch Salad
i love that salad too - sorry no recipe but heres something to start with:: you're gonna have to figure out the dressings on your own, but that shouldnt be too hard - the internet is great.....
Shredded Napa cabbage
Chilled-grilled chicken breast
Julienne cucumbers
Edamame
Crispy wontons
Peanuts
Cilantro
Julienne carrots
Red cabbage
Green onions
Lime-cilantro dressing
Crispy rice sticks
Thai peanut dressing
Fresh avocado
Best hole-in-the-wall (Honolulu)
i like Teddy's, but they're too much of a "chain" restaurant - personally, i like W&M burger the best - local, been around for years, definately hole in the wall, and good.....
Best hole-in-the-wall (Honolulu)
i heard Sunrise is good, but i've never been there... have you tried Utage? they also have Okinawan food - its GREAT!
Crab salad and endive boat recipes needed--Please!
you know they have an endive recipe here on CHOW......
http://www.chow.com/recipes/10447
Chicken feet at a Chinese restaurant -- I don't get it
i thought tripe was stomach....???
Filtering REAL recipe submissions from junk
Thanks CHOW..... i really enjoy your site, its just people that post things like that irk me.... you're doing a great job
Filtering REAL recipe submissions from junk
when i first came to the "new" chow site, i saw how they added a feature where it enables users to submit their own recipes.... my very first thought was "i wonder if they're going to filter the submissions"
i got my answer today:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/11235
this "recipe" is an example of crap that got submitted b/c there is no way of reviewing the submissions before they get posted.
so tell me CHOW - you all gonna fix this? or is there a way of preventing rubbish like this http://www.chow.com/recipes/11235 from showing up?
thanks
Debate: tea at your workstation?
the product that you talk about sounds great - i havent seen it where i am, but i'll keep a look out.... the hand grinder link you posted should probably work, BUT those hand grinders are usually for spices, and i'm not sure you'd get the fine powder from those that would get with the grinder i posted - i have that grinder: http://www.itohealth.com/pro_gt_greenteagrinder.html
and it works great.... AND coarseness of the grind is adjustable - if you want a fine grind or kinda gritty one, this tea grinder is GREAT.... sounds like the one you're talking about is more portable though?
Debate: tea at your workstation?
I FOUND A LINK FOR THE TEA GRINDER....
after some digging and research, i found a link for you all who were asking:
http://www.itohealth.com/pro_gt_greenteagrinder.html
there you go...... ENJOY!
Korean seaweed
honestly, i think they're tasty - i'm korean, i've had kim bap with AND without the type of seaweed (nori) you describe, and they've both been great. if not for maki, try just using the korean salted seaweed for hand rolls - then you dont have to cut them into pieces and such.
