raytamsgv's Recent Activity
Chowhound Post
Chinese, Monterey Park, Thanksgiving?
Here are some recommendations:
Thursday: Hong Kong-style lunch at Tasty Garden in Arcadia. This is located on the SE corner of Baldwin and Duarte. The parking and entrance are both behind the restaurant.
Friday: Dim sum at Sea Harbour Restaurant in Rosemead. You order the dim sum from a menu. I'm sure they'll give you the English menu. It's located on the west side of Rosemead Blvd. just south of Valley Blvd. You will need to do a U-Turn if you're coming from the 10 (I think it's allowed at the intersection of Rosemead and Valley). I believe they open at 10 AM. There may be a line to get in.
Saturday: Chiu-Chou-style dinner at Seafood Village in Temple City. There's a parking lot behind the restaurant. Enter the restaurant from the parking lot, not from Las Tunas.
These restaurants have fairly good menus in English. Tasty Garden and Seafood Village have many pictures on their menus.
Other possibilities are:
Din Tai Fung (Arcadia): mostly Shanghai-style dumplings
Luscious Dumpling (San Gabriel): really good dumplings. Go there early for lunch, because it's a small place.
Happy eating!
Chowhound Post
Looking for something different on Thanksgiving? How about Pho?
I would guess that most Chinese and Vietnamese places would be open for Thanksgiving.
Chowhound Post
Organic vs. heritage vs. free range turkeys - worth the extra cost?
It really depends on your priorities and taste preferences. I've cooked both free-range and non-free range, store-bought turkeys. I thought the free-range turkey had a superior taste, but some of my family members cannot discern any difference in flavor. Being organic is not important to me, so it does not come into my decision-making process. I usually order a Diestel turkey from my local market for about $2 to $3 per pound.
Chowhound Post
Help! Need Chinese Restaurant with Private Room for 30: Pasadena, Arcadia, Alhambra areas
These are restaurants typically serve dim sum, but you may be able to reserve rooms for lunch if you give advance notice. Normally, they are used for dim sum patrons:
888 in Rosemead
NBC in Monterey Park
Empress Harbor in Monterey Park
Semi private room:
Seafood Village in Temple City: This would be more like a wing adjacent to the main dining area. It's not completely closed. I've never tried reserving just those tables, but it might be workable (the tables are close to the entrance on Las Tunas). The food is very good here.
Newport Seafood in San Gabriel: As exilekiss mentioned, these are actually round tables for 10 separated by carved wood partitions. You can easily see into the next table, but you would need to walk around to go to the other ones. The tables are arranged in a linear fashion, and I believe you may need to pay a little more to reserve them.
Good luck.
Chowhound Post
Oh my Congee...
Silver and Gold Amazing in Monterey Park. The eggs are pronounced: "pay dawn". Quite frequently, they are served with pork. That would be pronouced: "pay dawn suhl yook jook".
Pronunciations are for demonstration purposes only. Use at your own risk.
Chowhound Post
Chinese, Monterey Park, Thanksgiving?
It would be helpful if you could provide some more information. Here are some questions that would help clarify your request:
1. Does anyone in your party speak any dialect of Chinese?
2. What is the price range?
3. Is the decor/ambience important (i.e. a hole-in-the-wall joint versus a nice place)?
4. Are there any dietary restrictions (e.g. vegetarian, no seafood, etc.)?
5. Are you looking for dim sum, noodle dishes, rice dishes, or anything else in particular?
6. Are you looking for seafood, beef, pork, chicken, duck, or other types of meat dishes?
7. How adventurous are the people in your group?
Chowhound Post
Elements Of Americanization?
I'm not sure if corn syrup is used in American-Chinese cooking. I would guess that sugar is used instead--easier to use with stir-fry and deep-fry dishes.
Chowhound Post
Pho. The good, the bad and the ugly.
That's very true especially of the expatriate community. A large portion of Vietnamese surnames are really Chinese surnames.
Chowhound Post
Elements Of Americanization?
I've known Chinese cooks who reduced the amount of salt (because soy sauce is often added prodigiously by the non-Chinese customer). Chinese food relies on texture as well as flavor, but most American palates tend to minimize texture. That's why you won't see something like sea cucumber on an Americanized-Chinese menu.
Finally, removing the skin or bones does change the taste of the food because they are considered part of the original ethnic dish (e.g Beijing duck).
Chowhound Post
Who makes a great ice cream cake?
I agree completely. We always had guests go for seconds and thirds when we served their ice cream cakes. If you put it in a cooler with some blue ice, I'm sure it will last the drive from Alhambra to Hollywood. They don't make them on the weekends, so if you want it on a weekend, make sure you order on a weekday.
Chowhound Post
MOST OUTSTANDING BURRITOS IN LOS ANGELES AREA
Over to the dark side, you have gone. :-) Yes, their burritos are pretty good.
Chowhound Post
My wife buys corn oil. Are we uhm... doing it all wrong? - moved from Home Cooking board
It depends on the purpose of the oil. Corn oil has a higher smoke point, so it's better when you need higher temperatures, such as for stir-frying. Olive oil has a good flavor, but I have found that high temperatures change the flavor of the oil. I have never liked canola oil because of its lower smoke point, but that might be because the oil I had was low quality. Again, it depends on how you want to use the oil. Here's a reference: http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Collec...
Chowhound Post
Citi Cafe - "Asian American Fusion Cafe" in Monterey Park
How the heck do you find all these places? I''m really impressed.
Chowhound Post
Where to find hot peppers?
If he's eating habaneros, it won't be much of a contest. :-)
Chowhound Post
Where should I order my turkey for Thanksgiving?
Diestel turkeys are very good--I've ordered them for years. I usually order them from How's market in Pasadena. I think it's under $3/lb.
Chowhound Post
Dim sum off the cart in Chinatown/downtown LA
I wouldn't quite call them novelties. It's just an evolution in dim sum. Before carts in LA, they had male waiters carry around dim sum on big trays in one hand. In the other hand, they carried a folding stand. When you wanted something, they'd prop open the stand and placed the tray on the stand.
Carts were just easier to use, and they kept the food hotter. That's why they replaced the waiters.
My *guess* is that the concept of ordering from the menu was primarily done to increase the number of tables and seats, because you don't need as much space in between tables. Space is certainly at a premium in Hong Kong. Perhaps someone with a greater historical understanding of dim sum would know the answer.
I personally like ordering from the menu, but nothing beats chasing down a cart and fighting off other patrons for a dish you want.
Chowhound Post
Dim sum off the cart in Chinatown/downtown LA
It is in ipsedixit's nature--resistance to it is futile.
Chowhound Post
Where to find hot peppers?
Habaneros are exceptionally spicy. Cayenne usually have quite a kick. Serranos and jalapenos aren't nearly as spicy, but many consider them to be in the upper limit of acceptable hotness. Anaheims are rather mild. Here's some basic information about peppers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville...
Where are you located? I would guess that any decent-sized Mexican market would have them. I've also been able to find them in places like Ralph's at different times.
Chowhound Post
Servers at ethnic eateries ...
Not really. I was in a Korean-owned Japanese restaurant once, and there was a Mexican-American family at the next table speaking Spanish. And they were all using chopsticks to eat.
Chowhound Post
SGV Cajun Asian -- help me make a list so I can do a comparison
There is another possibility. After the emancipation of the slaves in the American South, Chinese laborers were brought to replace them. It might be possible that those people mixed Chinese and Cajun cuisines if they were in Louisiana. Here's a link for some general background: http://www.oah.org/pubs/magazine/asia...
Chowhound Post
Dim sum- the drill or bad interpretation?
I like to think of dim sum carts experience as a family sporting event--we all try to get the stuff we want.
Chowhound Post
What was this Vietnamese dish?
That's what I was forgetting! Ive made it a number of times but couldn't really remember that missing ingredient. Thanks.
Chowhound Post
Dim sum- the drill or bad interpretation?
Dim sum is actually Cantonese for "loud, organized chaos." :-)
Chowhound Post
Servers at ethnic eateries ...
I think it only matters to the patrons if they are expecting to order in a different language. But yes, it is a little disconcerting at first.
Chowhound Post
What was this Vietnamese dish?
I also think it is bahn xeo. I believe the color comes from a little curry that is mixed in with the batter before cooking, but I'm not certain. The inside typically consists of bean sprouts, leafy veggies, and pork. But realistically, you can put whatever you want in it, including tofu. Diluted fish sauce (nước mắm) often accompanies this dish.
Chowhound Post
Shepherd's Purse Dumplings?
Are we talking about the same plant? Ubergeek wrote that the plant is called ji cai (荠菜), not jiu cai (韭 菜).
Chowhound Post
Help! Term for politically/socially-motivated responsible carnivore?
A carnivore eats only meat. A herbivore eats only plant matter. An omnivore eats meat and plant matter.
A label is a just a name; it does not define who you are. If you must, call yourself an multi-cultural omnivore, and let everyone else sort out what it means to them.
Chowhound Post
Best Chinese downtown?
Who knows what the future may bring. For all we know, in 10 years, Riverside might become the new epicenter of Chinese cuisine. When I was younger, none of my relatives in Chinatown ever thought they would move out to the suburbs. But that's where they are these days.
Chowhound Post
Uncle Chen Replaced By Pig Part Specialist
Sorry to hear about Uncle Chen's. My friends spoke very highly of that place.
