copacetic's Profile
My first durian
Yeah I miss those days. Durian was pretty cheap in Kota Kinabalu back then. I can only imagine what the price per pound is nowadays in NYC...yikes!
Maybe the room temperature thing is similar to eating sweets at warmer temperatures. I find that eating desserts after they've been heated usually make them taste sweeter than if I just ate them straight out of the refrigerator.
Perhaps there's a scientific explanation for this? It would make a great feature on a Good Eats show.
Best green papaya salad
The temple's version is decent but their price is even better. When in greater LA try my old stand by at Renu Nakorn.
Zankou... ???
To be fair, I'll admit I've had both ridiculously good and embarrassingly worse experiences at Zankou.
At best, they're inconsistent with their chicken but you need to experience their garlic sauce at least once in your lifetime.
That scrumptious paste is the only thing they've got going for them.
What does "healthy" mean to you?
Eating healthy to me means consuming things which CONTRIBUTE to, as opposed to taking away from, the quality of my life. These include:
- Produce that has not been genetically modified or sprayed with chemical pesticides.
- Food that has not been overly processed. IE: brown rice, whole grain, steel cut oats. (Not white bread, white rice, rolled oats, etc.) Carbs which fall into this category naturally fall into the lower ranks of the Glycemic Scale.
- Animals which have not been injected with antibiotics. If I were to eat meat soaked with said antibiotics I develop an immunity to the antibiotics. This doesn't really mean much until there comes a time when I need antibiotics and my body has already developed an immunity to the meds since I've been dosing myself with the antibiotic soaked fried chicken and ham I've been ingesting every year.
- Animals which have not been fed hormones. When you're a corporate farmer, fat animals yield fatter bottom lines. Funny thing is, when you ingest the hormones along with their flesh - the hormones in turn make you fat.
- Food free of evil trans fats. Partially hydrogenated anything didn't exist a 100 years ago. This is a man made substance that our bodies simply can't handle. The not-so-stupid folks in NYC banned it....for good reason. Why hasn't your city followed suit?
Please ask questions.
If there's one thing I've learned in my young life, it's this: No one has me and my family's best interest at heart except for me. The industry's out there to make a buck, even if it's at the expense of me or my family's health.
Find out exactly what it is you're putting in your mouth and on your family's table. Before it's too late.
My first durian
Oh my...reading your account brings a smile to my face. Having been raised in SE Asia on a respectable amount of durian, I'd have to say your experience sounds dangerously close if not comparable to the real thing.
Custardy? Yes. Garlicky? Yes. Personally I would add Butterscotchy to the mix, but that's just me I guess.
Maybe nostalgia's got the best of me but I like durian anything. I'll happily consume it in whatever shape it takes, be it shakes, candy, cake...whateva!
My fiance can't stand the smell of it but even when I have some of it in the house he somehow finds it in himself to sample some of my share. Hmph.
Cold or room? Well, maybe I'm a purist but I like it at room. I find I can best taste the flavors that way.
Sugar in food
Thank you for bringing this up. I've been consciously attempting to cut sugar out of my diet after I found my frail 88 year old grandfather has just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
I went through my pantry and found that sugar (or its cheap filler cousin high fructose corn syrup) had infiltrated so many innocuous items in my pantry like:
ketchup,
mayo,
oyster sauce,
seasoned rice vinegar,
relish,
bread,
tortillas,
jam,
chicken soup stock,
peanut butter,
pickled radish,
barbecue sauce,
and the list goes on.
I threw out the offending items and vowed to never buy them again. My grandpa NEVER ate sweets but he got so much sugar from all the sneaky processed product he ate. I don't wanna end up like him.
Unfortunate foreign food names or brands
Oh yeah..it's available here. Just go to any of the Monterey Park/SGV cafes...they'll have it.
Unfortunate foreign food names or brands
In asia...there's a drink mix much like Ovaltine called Horlick.
Char Kway Teow in LA?
Here's their contact info:
Phone: 626-401-3188
Address: 3944 Peck Rd # 8 El Monte, CA 91732
Cash only.
Their version is pretty authentic. The only thing you'll miss is the fried crunchy bits of garlic.
and a review I just posted for them:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/349365
Little Malaysia Review
I've been a loyal Little Malaysia customer for quite some time now so I thought I'd never get around to writing that review for them...til now.
Having grown up in Malaysia, we Malaysian transplants are hard pressed to find a suitable LA eatery that serves authentic fare.
I'm almost a little hesitant to talk about it...this place is already crowded enough as it is. But sharing is caring and since it is my favourite malaysian joint here so far (it kicks Nonya's ass any day) I probably owe it to them to share.
Favorite Dishes:
Kankung belacan: It's kankung (veggie) with fermented shrimp paste. Maybe it's an acquired taste. My SO hated it the first time he tried it but over time it's grown on him to become one of his favorites.
Beef rendang: Comes complete with cloves. The better version is at Penang Malaysia but this one still brings a smile to my face.
Char kway teow: Get it hawker style by asking for it EXTRA spicy with some chopped chili in soy sauce on the side.
Clear soup with fish balls. Reminds me of simple cooking from the island provinces.
Seafood in garlic sauce: Delicious and healthy.
Satay beef: BBQ skewered on bamboo sticks accompanied with chopped red onions swimming in a syrupy sweet sauce.
Sambal sotong: Squid in a tangy spicy sambal sauce.
Phone: 626-401-3188
Address: 3944 Peck Rd # 8 El Monte, CA 91732
Cash only.
Korean BBQ in San Gabriel Valley
ka hwa on golden springs and lemon in diamond bar is really good. it's in the space that soot bull jeep's sgv branch used to occupy.
What are some favorite restaurants that a lot of people seem to like?
my favorite place for coctel de camarones is linda's mariscos in east la.
it's a bit secluded so i don't think many folks have been lucky enough to try it but the few on this board that have seem to agree.
Golden Deli Fire? Sister Restaurant Saigon Flavor
for saigon flavor pics:
http://thatcopacetic.blogspot.com/2006/08/golden-deli-fire-saigon-flavor.html
Anyone been to Pho Pasteur?
yeah, i agree. i think their pho relies too much on msg and doesn't have quality broth. for pho in the sgv, it's saigon flavor for me.
Golden Deli Fire? Sister Restaurant Saigon Flavor
hmm, i actually asked one of their staff back in june when they were closing this summer and they said they weren't.
Golden Deli Fire? Sister Restaurant Saigon Flavor
yesterday i was looking forward to scratching my weekly pho itch at golden deli. as i pull up to the strip mall i'm greeted by an awkward chainlink fence jutting out into the parking lot like a makeshift corral around the 7-11 and the stores beside it.
looks like there was a fire at the convenience store and although golden deli was the furthest away of the affected area, it was closed down. hungry and dismayed i drive by the restaurant to have a peer inside and i notice a sign taped to the door. on it is scrawled:
CLOSED - Visit our other location
Saigon Flavor
On Valley 1 block east of Del Mar.
near Hawaii supermarket
aha! a sister restaurant? all these years i thought their other joint was Vietnam House across the street. anyway, i excitedly turn the car around and head over to Saigon Flavor.
on my way there i wondered...would the pho be just as good? do they also serve cha gio? all my qualms were put at ease as we were sat and given menus...the same exact menus with the same exact pictures from golden deli. they even have the same ginormous poster of a waterfall on the wall.
i had the house special pho #1 and an order of cha gio. the cha gio was thankfully just as savory as golden deli's and the pho? hmph..well its broth was even better!
so consider me a saigon flavor convert. the lack of crowds, tons of empty parking in the back, a much prettier room and their superior broth have won this hound over.
Anyone been to Pho Pasteur?
their pho is just 'ok'. though they're generous with the meat.
Lucky Boy in Pasadena: Can it be? Too much bacon?
yup that burrito's killer. i can never finish it although my bf sometimes does. i don't like bacon so luckily you can substitute it with ham or chorizo.
i like lucky boy's monstrosity of a gyro. so freakin huge with a generous tub of tzatziki sauce which is thankfully served on the side. just be sure to order it "without lettuce".
Uni is the nectar of the gods. (Ikura on the other hand...)
mmmmm..i love love love uni. i also like mine straight up and i get it shipped by the tray from a processor in san diego: http://www.catalinaop.com/uni.htm
Korean BBQ in LA
my all time ktown fave is dae sung oak on olympic and hoover. go upstairs to the 2nd floor past the first floor soup area.
their marinated galbi is tender and flavorful. the galbi is served with a unique dipping sauce with wasabi that goes really well with it.
i also have never seen bulgogi prepared the way they do it there. it comes to your table in its own special gold grill surrounded by a moat of undiscernable liquid. as the bulgogi cooks its juices run into the moat mixing with the mystery sauce. once the meat's right for the picking, you take it and dip it into the saucy moat and enjoy.
i think they have pork which i haven't gotten around to trying but the panchan's pretty good.
Capital Seafood (at Atlantic and Garvey) for Dim Sum - Really Good!
oh yes, it's our new standby. love those little saucers. love not having to brave crowds. probably the best service i've ever had for dim sum. and the food is really good. can't wait to try that tapioca pudding.
mascarpone?
OMG thanks for all the great suggestions. at this rate that tub ain't gonna last =)
West Covina dining options?
i second the penang rec. their rendang beef is really good.
krua thai's pad thai is even better if you ask for it extra spicy.
there's also salo salo on amar & nogales for good filipino food. this place is known for their grilled meats. i like their pork bbq. try their lumpiang sariwa...like a sweet and garlicky vietnamese fresh spring roll but bigger and warmer. kare kare for stewed ox tail in a peanut butter sauce (tastes a lot better than it sounds =). and maybe halo halo for dessert.
depending on which side of west covina you're on, you could be very close to covina where hayakawa on citrus north of the 10 does great sushi. townsent on san bernardino between azusa and vincent does decent cantonese. these 2 are relatively near the border.
or if you're closer to the 60 there are tons of chinese, japanese and korean places in rowland heights to hit up.
healthy AND tasty grub?
ok it's summer and as much as i love food i'm also watching the waistline. (we'll ignore that tub of mascarpone sitting in my fridge for now =)
i don't wanna sacrifice taste for healthiness so what are your top 5 favorite dishes you allow yourself when battling the bulge?
mascarpone?
i got a tub in the fridge and i dunno what to do with it. i'd like to pair it with something simple. any suggestions?
Frenchy's Long Beach
i've had similar experiences with frenchy's. not exactly worth a trip but if you live in long beach, there's sadly nothing like it in the hood.
sushi in sgv
ooh yeah...i second the hayakawa rec. reasonably priced omakase. fresh fish. if you bring friends who are scared of the raw stuff the broiled miso cod should knock their socks off.
