theSauce's Profile
Veggie-friendly nice-ish place for a celebration in SF?
Greens
http://www.greensrestaurant.com/
Guangdong / Tak Lung specialties?
Yep, the more traditional way is use of chicken liver. The pork fat is actually pork fat that has been marinated in sugar and a type of grain alcohol for 3-4days until it has turned into transparent like color of the ice. The Chinese name is called 冰肉 (Ice Meat). Back in the old days when protein was sparse people would use the ice meat in dumplings, steamed buns (BBQ pork buns), and Chinese sticky rice tamales (Zhonzi).
燒鴨腳包 means roast duck feet roll or wrap and is as you've described deboned duck feet, taro, fatty pork, bbq pork, and taro. Here is a recipe from Lovely Foods Everyday in Chinese: http://www.ttmeishi.com/caipu/3b8f732013dbff57.htm
Happy Golden Bowl in El Cerrito - Good Sichuan Eats
They do: http://www.happygoldenbowl.com/wp-content/themes/tritiger/pdf/p08.pdf
H5
It's under the Vegetables section.
Guangdong / Tak Lung specialties?
鴨腳包 is a very traditional old world HK dish. I don't think you will be able to find in the Bay Area. The other dish you're referring to is called "Gold Coin Chicken 金錢雞". It actually doesn't have any chicken in the dish, rather a slice pork neck meat, foie gras, and a slice of BBQ pork sandwiched together and cooked in a charcoal Chinese BBQ oven.
Happy Golden Bowl in El Cerrito - Good Sichuan Eats
Sorry, the name in suggest "Married Couple's Sliced Lung" in Chinese, but it's really just sliced beef and tripe. It was actually tripe and not lungs.
Happy Golden Bowl in El Cerrito - Good Sichuan Eats
Went to Happy Golden Bowl AKA Old Sichuan (in Chinese) in El Cerrito across the street from Safeway and Marshall's last night. Was quite surprised with the food there and it's pretty darn good not to mention uber cheap and authentic. We ordered the following:
1. Green onion pancakes for the kids - Good
2. Water boiled fish - Very good
3. Fuqi Feipian (Couple's sliced lung - sliced beef and beef tripe in spicy sauce) - Very good
4. Sliced beef tendons - Good
5. Chendu plain jello - Meh, it was okay, tasted too much like the previous two dishes
6. Cross the bridge rice noodles - Excellent
7. Sliced lamb in iron pot and hot rocks - Good
8. Pocket tofu - Very good
9. Stir-fried A-chai with garlic- Excellent
10. Five inner stew - Not that good
11. Steam rice for 6 adults and 2 kids
They also had sesame bread, but since we had rice and green onion pancakes we did not partake. The highlights were the Water Boiled Fish which was more like a soup than your usual Water Boiled Beef which is oily and saucy. It had soy bean sprouts with lots of fish slices and peppers. It's enough to serve 10 people. The Cross the Bridge Rice Noodles were also excellent. It's a soupy rice noodle dish with very rich and dense pork bone broth with Chinese chives, thinly sliced Virginia ham, pork, and shrimp. The Pocket Tofu and A-chai with garlic was also good.
The cold dishes: Husband and wife, plain jello, beef tendons all had the same type of Sichuan chili oil sauce, so it was only okay as I've had it so many times now that they all taste the same after awhile - spicy and numbing. The Five Inner Stew pot was my least favorite, a little too gamy and not enough spices. The sliced lamb in iron pot and hot stones was more of a gimmick to me than a really good dish. Sort of like rebirth of sizzling platter 2.0 for ooohs and ahhhs. Also, the dishes were a little too salty, but that's Chengdu cuisine for you. I would ask for less salt next time.
Overall the food was really good and only $120 out the door with tips and tax included which I thought was very cheap for authentic Sichuan cuisine. The service was prompt and portion was good as well. Oh yea, Sichuan pickles and red bean soup dessert included in the meal.
Chinese red dates?
Best dried red dates that I've found is at the Korean market or Koreana Plaza on Telegraph Ave in Oakland. They have some really large ones and they're plump too.
Anyone ever tried Stinky Tofu?
Most of the stinky tofu you find in the bay area are very tamed. The only place that had real pungent stinky tofu is Lucky Star lunch place in SF Chinatown. I once went there for lunch and ordered the stinky tofu, needless to say it was the worst decision I've ever made having to go back to work smelling like stinky tofu.
All of my non-Asian friends will not touch it after one bite. One of my friend said it tasted like fried cavity, lol. I have to give a lot of credits to my friends that are willing to try.
Le Cheval returning to its original (Oakland) location
Yep, they were kicked out of their old location and the owner of the building then sold the building. The new owner wanted LC back to the old location.
R&G Lounge reservation policy
Just show up with half of your relatives. R&G can't make you order certain amount of food. That said, I'm really sorry to hear that R&G would pull something like that to your parents.
I promise my family I would never step in to R&G after my parents left a 17% tip only to have the waiter come back to them demanding a 20% tip. We all laughed and walked out - never again.
Dungeness crab prices for '11
99 Ranch buys local crab when it's in season and when it's not (during summer) they will buy from up north Canada. You will also see the price difference of $2.99 to $8.99 per lb.
Dungeness crab prices for '11
Baron45
Newbie to charter boat question - How many crabs can each person take home from these charter fishing trips? Also, if I go on a crab only trip do I need to purchase a fishing license?
Thanks ahead.
Dungeness crab prices for '11
FoodNet in San Leandro $3.99 lb big and live, two tank fulls of crabs.
2011 Dungeness Crab
FoodNet Chinese market in San Leandro $3.99 lb for live ones and they look pretty big. Safeway will have cooked, cracked and cleaned crabs tomorrow. They currently have B1G1F deal @ $9.99 lb.
pre-made deep-fried turkey --- anyone know where to get one?
I hope it's not too late. I was thinking about getting one. Has anyone tried either the KFC or Popeyes?
Southern Sweet Tea-Brined Turkey - Anyone Tried It?
I've been thinking about doing sweet tea-brined turkey this year, but I am curious to hear from other home cooks that have tried using this southern method of brining. I know with tea it's suppose to give it a more mahogany skin to the turkey, but does it taste any different?
Lai Young, Hayward for Frozen Chinese Dumplings
This place is a hidden gem for you East Bay dumpling lovers. It's been here for over 20+ years and most Taiwanese Chinese have heard of know this place. I think it's $13 a bag now, but still very good deal if you can feed 6 hungry adults for $26.
Personally, Lai Young's dumplings are way better than Shandong in Oakland. The dumpling makers are from Shang Dong, China so the flavors are authentic. Though, their dumpling skin is not as good as the Shandong place in SF, but I'll take Lai Young any day since I live in the Easy Bay.
Dumplings are good, I prefer the Napa cabbage with pork over the chive shrimp
Chive pockets, meh it's only okay
XLB I wouldn't go out of my way for this
Onion pancakes are good too
This is not a restaurant, but rather a frozen dumplings store in middle of a residential neighborhood.
Ranch 99 Roast Turkey
Ranch 99 turkeys are dry and not very good in my opinion. The meal comes with Chinese dishes, salt & pepper shrimp, pork chop, and a veggie dish along with rice and noodles if I remember correctly. If you like their steam table items then you may like their meal, but I personally think their steam table stuff are not very good.
I know there are other Chinese restaurants that offers roasting the turkey for you (BYOT). Cost usually will run $15 - $25. Hong Kong BBQ Restaurant in Castro Valley will roast BYOT for $15.
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Hong Kong BBQ
20918 Redwood Rd, Castro Valley, CA 94546
Li Hing Mui and Crack Seed
You can use it in certain Chinese stews to add a hint of sweetness and as other posters have mentioned mostly on sour fruits to cut the sourness. I personally like to add it to kettle corn to give it an more pronounced saltiness and sweetness. It's the most addicting thing ever for me.
Grocery Outlet 20% off Wine Starting Nov 9 - Opinions?
GO's are independently owned and operated, so prices disparities is normal between one from the other.
Hibiscus - Oakland
yes, love their scotch bonnet pepper hot sauce in old coke bottles.
Cheap but tasty passion fruit puree in the Bay
Why not just put pulp in the blender and purée it?
Li Hing Mui and Crack Seed
You will find Ling Hing Mui powder at 99 Ranch. It is typically located next to the Mexican spices aisle. It is imported from Taiwan and comes in a very small packet and they're about $1.29 for a small bag. BTW, Ling Hing Mui powder added to kettle corn is sooooo good.
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99 Ranch
4299 Rosewood Dr, Pleasanton, CA 94588
How to make salty/salted fish fried rice?
You can substitute the salted fish with shrimp paste which you can easily find at any Asian store. Typically they're pinkish in color and adds a great fishy salted flavor without all the complex salted fish treatment.
Honestly, I rather go out and buy the salted fried rice at a restaurant instead of making it at home. The fragrant of the fish is just as potent as Indian spices when it comes to cooking smell lingering in the house.
Jian Bing at Home
You can find millet flour at 99 Ranch or Pusan market in Oakland. They may be in listed in Chinese or Korean only, but you can definitely find mung bean flour which is also part of the pancake mix. Each vendor uses different cruller, some use Youtiao, but they double fry it so it's nice and crispy. The key thing is having the crispy texture in the middle to go along with the scramble egg, herbs and the sweet hot bean paste.
Pei, Jian Bing is a street vendor breakfast food only found in China, specifically around Beijing area.
Chinese Banquet near San Leandro
Their English name is Chili Palace, but their Chinese name is pronounce is Chi Lin hence Chi Li Palace. We use to go there pretty often and typically we get the Chinese sauerkraut claypot, which is really a thinly sliced salted pork with sauerkraut and thick mung bean thread soup. They also serve northern China dim sum on weekends.
The reason I said use to, so the dishes are often over seasoned and last time we went we found a big ol' fly in our favorite salted pork sauerkraut soup...
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Chi Li Palace
699 Lewelling Blvd Ste 270, San Leandro, CA 94579
Chili Palace
177 W Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas, CA 95035
Marble coated cookware?!?!?
These are used widely in Asia (Taiwan and Korea). They're actually really good non-stick pan. I have a pan which I use similar to teflon pan (medium heat and hand washed) I believe it's similar if not the same process as ceramic coated pan. Here is a blog post that I found which doesn't have any marketing tied to it:
http://lavieverte.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/safety-in-cookware-ptfe-vs-nano-ceramic-coatings/
Where to Find Best Soy Sauce Chicken in East Bay
Thanks KC, yea Cafe 88 seems to be very popular with the Chinese grandma's. I was hoping if there are other places that I may have missed considering the parking issues in Oakland Chinatown especially on weekends.
