puppychao's Profile
Umami Burgers....Worth the price ??
I've been to several Umami locations, including the new Thousand Oaks one. I think the price is fair when comparing gourmet burgers. I've had all the burgers and the Umami Burger and the Truffle Burger stand out. The Thousand Oaks locations has a special Trattoria Burger, as well as a kids menu.
Gold Standard 2012
I thought this years Gold Standard was comparable to last years. Unfortunately the weather might have influenced my food choices. The highlights for me were ink's Tongue and Tendon Tacos with Horseradish Snow, Mushroom Angoloti with Black Truffles, Baco Mercat Pork Baco, Sotto's Porchetta with Mustard Greens and Mozza Butterscotch Budino.
One of my favorite from last year was also the BBQ Oyster from Dom's. But this year the one I had was good not great. Last year I did VIP, this year I didn't. I still think that's the way to go.
Serious Burger Find in Agoura (of all places?)
Wow! You really thought that highly of The Ranch? I've been there once and thought it was mediocre at best. I was hoping to like it, they advertise it as this incredible burger. But mine was dry and flavorless.
I also order some fries and onion rings, not only were they finally served after I had finished my burger. But they were overcooked and seemed like they had been sitting under a heat lamp for awhile. The only highlight of the burger was the bun, it was warm and soft. But the meat to bun ratio was terribly off.
There are options out here in the Conejo Valley that are better. In n Out, Five Guys, Ladyface and even Willies BBQ has a better burger than The Ranch.
San Gabriel Valley self-guided food tour … suggestions please.
I second Huge Tree Pastry, Mei Long Village and JTYH. I also recommend Hunan Chili King and Shaanxi Gourmet.
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Mei Long Village
301 W Valley Blvd Ste 112, San Gabriel, CA 91776
JTYH Restaurant
9425 Valley Blvd, Rosemead, CA 91770
Huge Tree Pastry
423 N Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, CA 91754
Shaanxi Gourmet
8518 Valley Blvd, Rosemead, CA 91770
ink Restaurant - Berkshire Pork Tenderloin with Charcoal Crust
I recently had this dish at ink and really enjoyed it. The sous vide pork was so tender, but I'm trying to figure out how the "charcoal" crust was done. Anybody have any ideas?
The mac and cheese part of the dish was also amazing.
SF chowhound headed South to Westlake Village - critique requested
I second Kanda for sushi
Char Fas for Persian
Blue Table for sandwiches and salads, lunch only
Grill on the Alley or Mastros for steaks, etc...
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Mastros Restaurant
2087 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
Top Chef Misses the Mark
Black Market Liquor Bar was surprisingly good, Chef Antonia has an eclectic menu, but most of the items are executed well.
Alternative to Earthen - New Golden City in Rowland Heights - Review With Photos
I agree with Ipse, the house special chicken and scallion pancakes are the signature items. Do they have a version of the chicken dish? The scallion pancakes look similiar.
What's the best banh mi in the SFV?
I've heard about Saigon Sandwiches. I may have to try that place out, do you have a favorite sandwich there?
What's the best banh mi in the SFV?
Looking for the best bahn mi sandwiches in the San Fernando Valley. I have only tried Sandwich Express in Reseda, but I looking for another option. I do love the Saigon Bakery in SGV and Banh Mi Cho Cu in Westminster.
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Sandwich Express
18575 Sherman Way, Reseda, CA 91335
Banh Mi Che Cali - overrated! Buu Dien - underrated!
I had my first experience with BMCC today. I was very disappointed. The sandwich fillings were not good at all. We ordered #5 and #25, the BBQ pork was dry and very bland. I'm not sure if they normally use cilantro, but that would have helped a bit.
I definitely prefer Saigon Bakery.
best al pastor tacos on the west side?
An older review of Leo's Taco Truck
http://www.greattacohunt.com/2010/07/leos-tacos-la-brea-and-venice-blvd.html
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Leo's Taco Truck
Venice Blvd S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Best places in SGV to bring a pescatarian
Thanks for the info Bradbury. I did not know about the dumpling wrappers, that's interesting. Not how strict they are, but we'll find out.
Best places in SGV to bring a pescatarian
Bringing some friends to try out the great Chinese food in the San Gabriel Valley. This is going to be a lunch visit, so I've thought about dim sum at Sea Harbor. Any other suggestions for places that might have a great seafood noodle dish or dumplings?
Thanks in advance.
More Dongbei For You And Me-Thousand Tasty in San Gabriel
Thanks for the update! What your thoughts on LA Mags Chinese food issue?
Agoura Hills help..
Welcome to the Conejo Valley. Unfortunately cheap delivery is not really a great option here in Agoura. The following restaurants are decent, but I'm not sure about delivery options. Bollywood is a good option for Indian food, Pookies Thai food is also decent, Char Fasl is good Persian food, Hot Wok has some decent Northern Chinese food and try Fresh Brothers for pizza.
Good Luck.
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Char Fasl
5843 Kanan Rd, Agoura Hills, CA 91301
Gold Standard 2011: What say you?
I think what impressed me with Providence, was the creativity and the ability and confidence to serve something so clean tasting.
I agree the Slaw dogs concept must be served immediately after it's prepared, otherwise the "wrapper" around the hot dog becomes leather. Not to mention it was impossible to get one bite of everything.
Gold Standard 2011: What say you?
This was my first time attending the event and VIP was definitely worth it. Highlights for me, were:
Little Dom - Grilled Oyster
Waterloo and City - Chicken Liver and Foie Mousse
Chichen Itza - Tripe soup
Mozza - Burrata pesto and roasted cherry tomato
Palate - Pig ears, lardon and kumquat banh mi
Providence - raw scallop with rice cracker wrapped is some type of leaf (best single bite)
Gorbals - Chicken gizzards with romesco sauce (biggest surprise)
The absolute worst dish of the day was Slaw Dogs, not sure what they were trying to do.
Looking forward to next year.
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Chichen Itza
3655 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Little Dom's
2128 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
The Slaw Dogs
720 N Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104
Waterloo and City
12517 W Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90066
The Gorbals
501 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Looking for SGV (Chinese) recs before leaving LA
I'm a big fan of Kam Hong Garden. Great hand cut noodles and dumplings.
848 E Garvey Ave #A
Monterey Park, CA 91755
(626) 280-9318
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Kam Hong Garden
848 E Garvey Ave, Monterey Park, CA
Anything good to eat in Thousand Oaks?
Thanks for the update Liu. I actually had a chance to eat there last night. I sat at the bar facing the kitchen. And you're right-on about all the aspects of the front of the house. I think it's going to be a challenge for them to succeed out here.
I ordered the Pho Bo with beef tendon and a beer. The pho was not bad and I was happily surprised that they don't use any MSG in their broth. The noodles seemed a bit overcooked and the meats were also a little overcooked for my taste. But the broth was good. Can't really compare the food here with any of the Vietnamese places in the valley or LA, but it's a nice option in WLV.
Sitting at the bar I noticed all of the kitchen cooks were Chinese and I had a chance to talk to them, including Kimmy. It seemed like most of them were learning on the job. Kimmy was doing her best to assist in the kitchen and front of the house. Some of the cooked items seemed interesting and may be what helps the restaurant survive. Definitely has prices that match the WLV area and that is another reason it's tough for me to be a regular, knowing that the other places in the valley are so much cheaper.
I hope they get the issues ironed out, Kimmy is a very passionate and friendly owner.
Anything good to eat in Thousand Oaks?
For more a authentic and great selection of fish, Kanda Sushi is the best in Conejo Valley.
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Kanda Sushi
3637 E Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
Anything good to eat in Thousand Oaks?
A new Vietnamese restaurant just opened in Westlake Village, 9021pho. It's right next to the Counter.
Restaurants open for Christmas Dinner - Besides Chinese
Any recommendations for dinner on Christmas Day? I know places in SGV will be open, but there any other options?
Any rec from Bottega Louie
I really enjoyed the Mache Salad, but the pizza looked decent also.
Here's my original review...http://experiencetaste.blogspot.com/2010/06/bottega-louie.html
A question for the ramen experts...
Thanks ns1. What about places like Santouka, Jinya, and Daikokuya? Would you say the majority do use MSG? Whether in the broth or noodles.
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Daikokuya
327 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Santouka
3760 S Centinela Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90066
A question for the ramen experts...
Another question, I had about quality ramen places. Is there such thing as ramen with no MSG?
giant XLB somewhere in SoCal?
I just got back from visiting Shanghai and visited The Nanjing Dumpling Restaurant. The Tang Bao are filled with a nice stock, but the dough on the outside is not really meant to be eaten.
To be honest the tang bao is nothing special. Definitely stick with XLB.
Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/puppychao/5112615156/in/set-72157625109390323/
Lamb Hot Pot - Shuàn yáng ròu
Just got back from Beijing and enjoyed a great version of lamb hot pot, aka Shuàn yáng ròu. The dipping sauce was a delicious blend of sesame paste, scallions, garlic, sesame oil, chili paste and some other ingredients I could not identify.
Are there any places in SGV that serve this?
