Clinton's Profile
Where To Buy Raw Peanuts in LA/OC?
Just bought some today at Shun Fat Supermarket on Atlantic and Garvey in Monterey Park. I paid $1.39 a pound for them in the shell. 99 Ranch Markets have them also @$1.99 a pound. I pressure cook them with star anise and salt for 3 hours which turns out perfect.
Hawaii fruit & fish questions/ advice needed
You can also bring back fresh lichee if they have been treated with heat. The drawback is that it turns it brown. I've also brought back plumeria slips and potted orchids which I hand-carried on the airplane. Call and find out what's allowed before you go to the airport where it may be confiscated.
Westside- Westchester, El Segundo, Venice- Burger Craving
26 Beach is good but too fancy for me. The good old traditional burger specials at Islands located at the Manhattan Beach Shopping Center would be my choice. Comes with unlimited fries too.
Meatball Subs
Nah Kevin, it was back in the 80s and early 90s when El Segundo was teaming with aerospace workers as well as military personnel from the AF base nearby. Tony's was like THE PLACE to go for lunch because it was fast, good, and inexpensive. Of course the Wild Goose down the street did a pretty good lunch special too. But I digress. Tony's does a mean meatball sandwich which I'll have once in a while. But remember, it's only open for lunch.
Musubi
You're probably correct in that assumption Kman. I found that the Japanese in Hawaii have their own "slangs" or colloquialisms which is slightly different from the mainland and Japan cultures IMO. For example, "chirashi" was unfamiliar to me when it was served here in SoCal. In Hawaii, it was commonly refered to as "sushi rice" with veggies and kamaboko in it. Normally it is stuffed in cone sushi or inari back home. I guess it's like dialects, different regions have their own peculiarities and identities?
Meatball Subs
Being from the aerospace industry, most of us in the El Segundo area frequented Tony's on Aviation Blvd.. Those were the good old days with the hot meatball sandwiches topped with mozzerella cheese just dripping off a hot French loaf...oh yeah, but don't forget the cold pitcher of beer! Life was good while it lasted!
Musubi
Not a dumb question Kman...traditional musubi as I could recall was always a triangled-shaped riceball, wrapped in nori or pressed dried seaweed over salted rice. It could be plain or stuffed with a small red umeboshi or preserved salted plum. It could also be stuffed with a piece of yellow takuan or sweet Japanese pickled radish. Those were the two most common musubis or "onigiri" as I recall. Onigiri could have been triangled-shaped or rolled like a maki sushi. One thing that differentiates musubis from sushi is that sushi contains vinegar and musubi is salted.
Musubi
Musubi when I was small kid was rice and nori wrapped around a salted ume plum or takuan shaped in a shaped triangle. Side dishes would include a can of vienna sausage or fried hot dogs or if more adventurous, panko deep fried aku or kamaboko. Good memories of days at the beach at Waikiki and Ala Moana.
FRESH SEAFOOD MARKET IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY - SPECIFICALLY CRABS!!!!
Very true statement. 99 Ranch and Shun Fat Markets are way cheaper than at the Redondo Beach Pier or LA Ports of Call and the quality is just as good IMO if you're not looking for outdoor ambience. We were just at Ports of Call last week where already cooked local rock crabs were selling at $5 each with purchase of other seafood products. If you're in Orange County, the large market on Beach and Bolsa (I forgot the name?) has cheap prices also as well as any of the large Asian supermarkets along Bolsa AVenue in Little Saigon.
Best place to gorge on raw oysters in LA?
Had a dozen oysters @$22 a dozen from LA Ports of Call on Saturday. Very fresh and tasty along with stone crab claws, deep fried calamari and oysters plus buttered baby octopi and a loaf of garlic bread. Not cheap but dang good especially with a large pitcher of cold Mexican beer!
Help -- Last minute dim sum in south bay
With three 14 year olds, my suggestion would be to try Grand China Buffet on Hawthorne in Torrance. They could choose whatever they personally like and there is a limited choice of dim sum (not of the best quality) but the variety is endless for other things. Plus, lunch is pretty reasonable.
Help -- Last minute dim sum in south bay
Probably the ONLY places in the southbay area other than Szchewan on PCH that serve hot cart dim sum? Sea Empress would be my personal choice but it is a little bit more expensive and busier.
Dim Sum at Sea Empress in Gardena
Hey Karen, Sea Empress in Gardena is probably the most decent but not necessarily the best the southbay has to offer. The cost is little more per dish than the overall SGV choices but I find it better than Szchewan or PV Palace on PCH. People will either hate it or love it but I find it quite acceptable for the area. Go for it!
Restaurants within 30 minutes of Fullerton?
You might like Katella Bakery/Deli. http://www.katellabakery.com/
Their pastrami and corned beef sandwiches are great. Bread and muffins are complimentary with your meal. I asked for extra pickles which are the bomb...
Gardena - group dining?
Another possible suggestion in Torrance at the Crossroads would be Il Capriccio. It's Japanese/Italian fusion priced modestly. http://www.ilcapriccioonvermont.com/
It's located next to Tony Roma in the same building on Torrance and Crenshaw Blvds. I actually love Eatalian in Gardena but the waiting line to get a table is too crazy in the evenings. Not a real good place to be walking around when the sun goes down.
Gardena - group dining?
China Buffet on PCH and Madison in Torrance is an AYCE place where we had a party once. They have a back room and prices per person are modest. Plus, diners can choose whatever they want whether they be on a diet or not.
Gardena - group dining?
It depends what kind of food and ambience you prefer? We've had informal parties at Cherrystone on Vermont Ave. and Happa on Redondo Beach Blvd. where they both cater and have ample back rooms for parties. Sea Empress on Redondo Beach Blvd. also has ample rooms for parties and special menus for special occasions.
best place for dimsum in southbay
Those seem to be the only game in town? Not too impressive but that's all we have...Sea Empress would be my choice but bring your wallet.
Santa Barbara Wine tasting
Checkout the Los Olivos area where they filmed the movie Sideways and TV series Andy of Mayberry. The Gainey Winery as well Foxen are good to visit. The tours are quite interesting as well as the wine tastings.
Grocery Store Fried Chicken
I'm with you on Ralph's. Especially if the counter person will fry it fresh for you at around dinner time. I get the 8 pieces of drums and thighs for $4.99 which is a deal IMO.
Searching for preserved kolrabi balls (choong choy)
Trying to find what Cantonese call "choong choy" which is preserved salted kolrabi wrapped in little balls stored in small plastic bags. Used to buy them at the 99 Ranch Market in Gardena but they stop carrying them for the past few months. Tried Shun Fat and Wing Hop Fung in Monterey Park with no luck also. Very similar to preserved turnip tops but not the same.
Best dinner buffet in Waikiki/Honolulu area?
Kman did a good job on his review. Been to the Willows a few months ago and wasn't too impressed for the price we paid. Todai in Waikiki has gone down in quality but does offer a wide selection of dishes. Tsukiji in the Ala Moana Center to me was overpriced but OK for their food. I liked their crab legs and made to order steak counter. The Pagoda was probably mediocre for me but still OK for a buffet. The Ala Moana Hotel was pretty good for prime rib buffet but that was a while back and with a discount coupon. I liked it. My best all around buffet hands down would be at the Hale Koa in Waikiki but it's only accessible if one has any military connections. Like Kman said, this is Hawaii not Las Vegas and buffets are not what they are known for. Good luck!
Corned beef in the South Bay?
Fat is good but not in excess. The Von's point cut was much leaner than the Ralph's cut IMO. I made the Von's corned beef a few days ago in a pressure cooker but for me it was quite lean with little fat almost resembling the much costlier flat cut. In my personal opinion, the Ralph's point cut was much tastier but I ended up cutting most of the excess fat off which was a waste. Most of the concentrated fat was at the end with that additional clump of meat on top of the brisket.
Corned beef in the South Bay?
Noticed that in today's ads. Von's point cuts seemed to me a lot leaner without having that big clump of fatty meat at the end which Ralph's brand has. Am very satisfied with the Von's brand which I made last night. Staying away from Ralph's brand this year. They were not sympathetic last year resolving their shortages.
Good News For Goose Lovers--Sham Tseng Opens Up Alhambra Branch
Noticed that the one one on Garvey serves goose but the price was not inexpensive as compared to duck. As far as the food, I found that there was no difference from the old Sam Woo which it replaced IMHO. Lunch time was packed with people on a week day.
Mexican and seafood recommendations in the South Bay/Harbor areas?
The old Burnt Tortilla on Redondo Beach Blvd is probably the best in the area. Only thing is that it is cash only. No credit cards. La Capilla in old Torrance is good too but all the rest are commercial chains or similar. Leo's on Inglewood near Manhattan Beach Blvd is good too.
Corned beef in the South Bay?
Went to Von's in Redondo Beach @10am and they had a bunch of point cuts for $1.27 a pound. Limit was one per person and all subsequent were at regular $1.99 per pound. Was not going to Ralph's again this year to deal with their badly managed shortages even though they offered no apparent sales this Sunday. Got my frozen stash for the rest of the year.
Corned beef in the South Bay?
St Patty's Day is coming up again this year and am wondering if corned beef sales will be a disaster like it was last year @ie. Ralph's Market? Point cuts were very short in supply at most markets and also were back ordered for weeks. Anyone notice any sales at any markets yet? Beef prices are still ridiculously high nowadays.
Giuliano's Question...
I remember when the original Giuliano brothers had a little factory in Gardena on Gramercy Avenue back in 1967 when we first opened our shop next to them. They packed their Ever So Good label on bottles of pickled veggies and gave my dad samples all the time. We all shared the same red brick building back in those days. Later, they opened their deli on Gardena Blvd. and began selling their famous torpedo sandwiches which in my estimation was the best in LA. Just a little personal trivia.
