Thanks KK....I guess I'll call off the search. And probably never ask a question of chowhounders again. Just interested to try something I had never seen anywhere around here.

I'm pretty sure these are different, not simply bao. They appear to be constructed like XLB but on a much larger scale. I think it's tang bao.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_bao Do they seriously sell them at 99 Ranch?

ok....so what are they called? I realize they aren't XLB, but since I can't find the info, that's why I asked.

I recently re-watched the Shanghai episode of "No Reservations," and now I can't get the image of that giant XLB with a straw out of my head (the one from Nanxiang). I think it's called tang bao (?). Maybe I'm opening up a can of worms, but can anyone direct me to where I can find one - anywhere in Southern California? http://www.flickr.com/photos/yi/21169... Thanks!

Huckleberry is the perfect call:
"Zoe [the owner], learned to bake at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco"
http://www.huckleberrycafe.com/about....

get yourself more dinner companions! so many great options at animal...and it's best to sample.

the poutine is so amazing/non-traditional that my canadian husband, who has barred me from trying my first poutine anywhere other than montreal, gave in, allowed me to order it and said it was the best non-traditional pout he'd ever eaten. we swooned. the fois gras loco moco is also mind-blowing. heaven in every bite. the pork belly with kim chi is excellent and a big portion considering the price.

we also got the tempura squash blossoms, the asparagus dish, and the hominy - all excellent (but get yourself some meat if you're only doing one dish).

we wanted to try the rabbit but they were out of it (so, i guess it's good enough to be that popular).

for dessert, we got the pudding ....so thick! and such great presentation. yum.

i've heard rave reviews for the foie gras biscuit. but i've also heard the ribs are average.

hope you enjoy your dinner!

alright, we went to amandine. and, of course, my parents were running late because they aren't used to LA traffic. so, we got there just after the 10am threshold....no tables in sight. but it all worked out. while they don't have an extensive bread selection (baguettes, brioche, that's about it), my dad did get a pastry and an entire baguette - which was fresh out of the oven, almost too warm to eat right way. we polished off the entire thing! my croissant was amazing as promised. (we then went to bay cities for dad to get more bread :)

thanks everyone!

crud...time to re-evaluate. i've been to anisette. and while yummy, i feel like we'd get the cold shoulder if dad just wants bread and OJ. hmmm...i'll look into this dolce vita place. city bakery intrigues me, though i find it rather annoying that their website is only for new york. and i've heard it's pricey in relation to what you get. we'll figure something out. thanks for all the suggestions!

I'm pretty sure we'll end up at Amandine. Casual, counter service is fine as long as there are some chairs. And as far as parking, my parents are early risers....so, we'll likely be eating breakfast before most westsiders are awake :)

It seems as though Amandine will have a nice selection of breads.... dad can try a few :) And I get a yummy croissant. I'll report back about the actual bread selection.

Thanks for your help!

yeah, the reviews are disappointing...though, i think my parents will like the combo of a seafood market-cafe. we might hit malibu seafood instead (excellent food + views). thanks again!

huckleyberry is AMAZING. not sure we'll be able to fight off the crowds though. we plan to try santa monica seafood for lunch. so maybe we'll pop in huckleberry for dessert.

thanks cinemaverite1....they've already tried bread bar. (should have mentioned that)

amandine has been on my list forever for the croissants....sadly, their website doesn't list their bread/pastry selection...but if you say they have a good one, that could be a winner --- dad gets his bread and i get a croissant!

I've actually taken them there too. crap!

My parents are coming to town this weekend and my dad LOVES bread. All types, but particularly crusty ones. We're going to Getty Villa on Saturday and would like to have breakfast on the westside beforehand. I live in Culver City...So, anything between CC and Malibu would work. We're looking for a place that has lots of excellent breads. Casual with an area to sit down is preferred --- like 3 Square Bakery (though I've already taken them there).
Thanks for your help!

A few weeks ago, I stopped by a pop up store that was featuring Cake Monkey. I made the trek specifically to purchase treats from Cake Monkey ...could have cared less about the other vendors. Sadly, the seller (no idea if she's the owner or not), couldn't have cared less about me as a customer or that I was REALLY interested in her business. She brushed me off several times, didn't have the appropriate packaging for me to purchase the cookies I really wanted (the chocolate-caramel lockets), and in general, just seemed oblivious to me. Don't get me wrong, I didn't want her to fawn all over me, but I was the only one who ran up to her table and was all excited about her products and she treated me like I was invisible...not rude...just like I wasn't there.
But, that aside, I was able to buy one of the chocolate lockets (never mind that I had to eat it that moment because she had nothing to put it in). And it was great. Not mind blowing in the sense that I could probably make it at home, but still quite good. I also got a 'Nuff Said, which luckily, did have a wrapper. AND OMG IT IS DIVINE!!! The sweet and the salty. The chocolate crunch pieces (which I think are pieces of the chocolate locket cookies) and the marshmallow. WOW. I totally, and without reservations, recommend that cookie!

Just fly to Maine. After surveying the boards during the summer of 2007, we decided that nothing here would do. The trip was TOTALLY worth it.

And I disagree that a lobster roll has to have mayo.... there is a hot variation with just buttered lobster meat chunks in addition to the "lobster salad" type. I prefer the butter :)

we decided to go with the pork roll....heaven! simply heaven! same thing as the beef roll but with pork instead. and not too much hoisin. for dumplings i still prefer noodle house or luscious dumplings. but still worth going for the pork roll!

I've actually had the opposite experience (though I will conceed that they aren't my top cupcake spot). Vanilla Bake Shop catered our wedding back when they were Amy's Baby Cakes. Our wedding cake, the strawberries and creme, was excellent. (And the guests loved the mini cupcakes and icebox desserts). We also just ordered and are in the process of eating the Fleur Del Del Chocolate cake that is featured in this month's Bon Appetit. It is AMAZING. Blows the strawberries and creme out of the water! The salted caramel is the perfect match for the dark chocolate.....I brought several slices into work today, as it is much too rich for my husband and I to polish off while it's still fresh. My co-workers were cooing.

there was a rec for kim tar earlier. and it is on our list. the rec was for one in orange county, though when we got dumplings yesterday in monterey park, there was one right next door. would you guys say the quality is fairly uniform across locations?

u2 bbq was pretty good! we're going to try them all (or try to try them all) before me make the final verdict.

thanks again!

has anyone been to afternoon tea? i'm curious.

definitely get the croissants! i went at 10am and they were already out of the almond one (SAD!), but the butter croissant is also amazing!

my friend got their basic eggs and hashbrown breakfast. the eggs were perfectly fluffy and the hashbrown was crispy perfection.

i got the eggs in purgatory and all that sauce was a bit much for me. but still very good.

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=anise...

definitely going back to try everyone else's recs.

We went to the Sam Woo in Alhambra on Valley. It was pretty good, but nothing that would make that our go-to (unless we try all of these reqs and nothing sticks).

We're headed to the SGV for some dumplings (mmm...dumplings) today and are going to make a stop at U2 BBQ. Very excited to start trying out everyone's reqs. Thank you so much!

i'll vouche for vanilla bake shop. they catered my wedding last year (when the were amy's baby cakes). everyone loved them! we had the mini banana puddings, mini key lime pies, and several varieties of the mini cupcakes.

oh my word! we are there! my husband and i drive anywhere for food. he'll be thrilled. he's back in town this weekend and we hope to put a dent in our new list!

thanks!

thanks ciao bob. i take pictures of almost all food-related outings.
and we are always on the lookout for soup dumplings - xlb or not!

I understand that they are a different shape. That's exactly why I recommended them since there was so much confusion about what Mr. Taster is looking for. Also, whether or not they are XLB, they are soup dumplings. They are not simply steamed. And at most restaurants that serve soup dumplings, they are not translated as such. One often has to ask for the soup dumplings.

I'm sort of stumped by the varying terminology, but I was just at Mama Lu's in Monterey Park and their skins were much thicker than DTF. Also, Luscious Dumplings makes a thicker, different shaped soup dumpling. Pictures to illustrate:

Mama Lu:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=93525156%40N00&q=mama+lu+xlb&m=text
Luscious Dumplings:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=93525...

I'm definitely interested in learning what all these variations are because I LOVE XLB.

wow this is great! keep the replies coming. my husband and i are going to make a list and try them all!

and monkuboy, you may be right about the spelling...it seems that lots of Chinese words have multiple spellings. i think i've seen "shumai" 4 different ways!

thanks!

Hi, I apologize if this question has an answer somewhere buried in the boards. I've been looking for weeks and I can't find much on char siu - BBQ/roasted pork. I assume that's because it is a fairly generic request - and likely on dozens of menus.

I'm looking for nice, crispy, juicy char siu on rice. My husband grew up in Toronto, where like NYC and Vancouver, Chinese BBQ joints line the streets, all hanging their BBQ'd ducks and pigs in the window. But those are Chinatowns...and we have Chinese cities! So much ground to cover! Even as often as we get out to the SGV, we haven't really seen anything comparable. I'm sure we are just in the wrong spots. Can you point me to somewhere we can find char siu on rice with broccoli or bok choi. We've had Sam Woo's and it's alright. We are hoping to find better. Also, I did notice a strand on Unlimited BBQ...but the reviews were mixed at best. Can you steer me in the right direction?

Like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pancakej...

Thank you!
Jess