suvro's Profile
Define Saudi Arabian cuisine (split from L.A. board)
Came back from a trip to Saudi Arabia at the end of March - early April.
Day 1: KAUST campus - Thuwal - since this is a isolated campus, no options but to eat on campus. Since I arrived on Friday, most things were closed. Had a mediocre lunch on the campus Indian fastfood place called Spices. I can make better biryani at home. For dinner, I went with another of our panelists to the Marina club. While it looked very swanky (with bowling lanes, squash courts, etc.) the food was quite mediocre.
Day 2: Lunch at the KAUST cafeteria - it offers a wide variety of choices. I had a nasi goreng plate, which was decent, but not great.
We went to Jeddah for the night halt in Le Meridien. I had wanted to go to the shisha bar and seafood restaurant on the Corniche, where in 2010 we had a great seafood dinner. But the traffic inside Jeddah was terrible, so we chose to walk to a nearby shisha bar called Titanium. The food was quite pedestrian.
Day 3: Mekkah - we were visiting Umm-al-Qura university, and since they have built a new science, engineering, and medical campus outside the forbidden zone, we were able to go there (big road signs on the way saying non-Muslims cannot go beyond this point). We were surprised by a visit from the Mayor of Mecca, on his way to London. Lunch was fastfood that the hosts ordered from some chain restaurant. We then flew via Riyadh to Dammam, arriving quite late in the night - so dinner was whatever we could grab at Riyadh airport.
Day 4 - Visited KFUPM, and then had the best meal of the trip at the Fusion restaurant inside the Le Meridien in Al-Khobar, where we were staying. It was quite pricey, but the sushi and other dishes were excellent, and very elegantly presented. I would definitely go back here if I have the opportunity.
We asked for a seafood recommendation and were told that Al-Sanbook on the Corniche was the place to go. It is a very nice location on the water. This is also the first restaurant where I saw mixed gender tables in the main dining space - no "family" rooms hidden away. They had great seafood on ice which you could buy by weight and they would cook it to your specifications. However these were very expensive, so we chose to eat off the regular menu. It was good, but not a great value.
Day 5 - Transit to Riyadh. On the way out to the airport, we grabbed lunch at a popular Turkish restaurant. The other panelist, who goes often to Riyadh, ordered. Food was OK - I have had better Turkish food elsewhere.
Red Medicine. Wow.
We were seated against the wall of the open kitchen. On one side was a quiet 2-top with two gents, and on the other side was the entrance to the kitchen. So the noise was not bad.
In contrast, we had a really bad experience at Spice Table - the noise gave both of us headaches.
Red Medicine. Wow.
Went to Red Medicine last night for an OpenTable reservation at 8pm. The place was not full, but the noise level was high. Over the meal it subsided a bit.
We were led to a table just bordering the open kitchen. I did not know it at the time, but chef Jordan Kahn was visible all the time - plucking flowers from the pots to finish the dishes. I did notice his hairstyle and right now when I looked at the LA Magazine's story on him - http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2011/07/jordan_kahn_red_medicine.php - then I realized it was him.
We ordered two cocktails - my wife's was 9.1 - Batavia Arrack van Oosten(did not know what this is - the waiter explained it was Indonesian sugarcane rum), Tamarind, Demerara, Lime - shaken and served up with condensed milk foam and black lime (what is that?) - this tasted OK, but my wife's biggest complaint was for $10 it was not a decent portion.
Mine was #61 - Sombra Mezcal, Zapopan Blanco Tequila, Orgeat (what again is that?), Grapefruit, Lime, Cream Soda, Angostura Orange Bitters - shaken and served in a soda glass over crushed ice with an orange slice. Part of the fun for the evening was trying out things that we normally don't have, and that included ingredients that we had never heard of. While this came in a tall glass, there was too much crushed ice. Our opinion was that the cocktails, while they sound very interesting, were not good values.
We chose two small plates, two hot dishes, and a dessert to share, and that was plenty of food.
Small Plates:
First out was the Chinese Lion Peppers / almond skins, honey, soy, violet basil, dates. This was superb - perhaps 10 or so of these beautiful peppers that were not hot at all, lightly fried (or were they baked?), covered with a light coating of something that tasted nutty - so it must have been the almond skins and soy beans mixed with honey and then made into a coarse textured powder. It came with violet basil crisps, dates that were very yummy. Excellent first dish.
Next out was the Pork Rillette / crispy chicken skin, lychee, clove, pistachio, spicy herbs. It came with several toasted crisps on which to spread. The rillette pit was covered with cilantro flowers - and starting with this, we noticed that a lot of the herbs had a slight whiff of fish sauce. I wonder it that was what was meant by "spicy herbs". This was not one of our favorite dishes - I could not detect lychee, or the clove.
The first Hot plate was Lamb / glazed in tamarind, hibiscus onion, Swiss chard, black currant. This again was a hit. Crisped to perfection because of the thin cut, the glaze was amazing, as were the Swiss chard, which was cooked to a crispy perfection. The hibiscus onion tasted like the pickled onions we get in restaurants in India, and there were also some very nice sliced pickled vegetables.
The next Hot plate was Pork / caramelized black vinegar, goji berry, spring onion, dried almond. This was also very good. The crisped surface was amazing, and the interior fell apart. Not sure about the goji berry - which perhaps were the dots of sauce, but the dried almond could have used a small amount of flavoring to perk up - like in the Lion Peppers dish. Still a fantastic dish.
We were considering the Alaskan Halibut, and I tried to temp my wife with the sweetbreads, but she nixed that idea! :-(
For dessert we were tending towards the Green Gage Plum, till we saw our next table get the Birch Ice and it came with its own ceremony. Sold! Birch Ice / almond praline, red currant, green almond, jasmine - came in a bowl with the almond praline cover. Once you break into it, you get a very nice whiff of jasmine - and then you dig in. The dish was visually nicer than the taste - for me the slight tang of the ice did not mesh with the sweeter currant. My wife loved the green almond and the currants. This dish had Grant Achatz and Alinea written all over its pedigree.
Since Kahn was in the kitchen, I managed to get a signed menu. This is my second after the recent DinePasadena experience in The Terrace.
Overall it was a very nice dinner. Have to go back again with friends.
Any great Thai / Indian restaurants in the Westside?
Bengali as from the state of West Bengal in India? There are none.
Bengali as in Bangladeshi - plenty - most of the Bangladeshi stores cook and sell food.
Little Dhaka in Artesia - http://www.yelp.com/biz/little-dhaka-artesia
Aladin Sweets and Market in Hollywood - http://www.yelp.com/biz/aladin-sweets-and-market-los-angeles
Deshi - http://www.yelp.com/biz/deshi-food-and-groceries-los-angeles#query:bangladeshi
Where can I find Miracle Fruit locally?
At 2 bucks/berry, I would add sugar to the lemons to make it seem like I have had a "miracle" in my mouth!
SetteBello in Pasadena
"Whisper-light" - love that turn of words!
We went last night for our first experience - we had tickets for a late show at Laemmle. At 8:30pm it was crowded - perhaps because it was Saturday. Luckily we met two friends who were waiting for a table, and joined them - that cut down the wait from 20-25 mins to 10.
The four of us ordered 3 Settebello pizzas (the friends, who had been there before, recommended that - so I went with it, and they both got this also), while my wife ordered the Diavolo - because they said it was spicier than others. My Settebello was tasty, but the Diavolo was better flavor for our spice loving Indian palate!
Will go back to try more of there offerings.
Need help! Rehearsal dinner for 30 in Pasadena?
On that score, my experience is better with Celestino - though since we are repeat customers, the head waiter knows us quite well. But even w/o that benefit, it would probably be more intimate, and they would probably customize a menu more readily than Il Fornaio.
Need help! Rehearsal dinner for 30 in Pasadena?
I have had large group events at Il Fornaio and Celestino. In terms of food, I think both are quite decent, though would not be destination restaurants - but large events are not necessarily that.
Curious about Food Scene in Riyadh
See extended discussion, not limited to Riyadh, in http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/690650
I am headed to Jeddah, Dahran, and Riyadh next week. Not sure whether I will have time, but the place I liked on my last visit was the Chinese restaurant called Mirage in Riyadh.
Dine Pasadena - The Terrace - terrific value at $35 for dinner
We took advantage of the Dine Pasadena week to go to The Terrace at the Langham in Pasadena (San Marino actually) for the first time. It was a great value and a memorable experience.
The prix fixe dinner is $35 for appetizer, entree, and dessert. The portions are very large, so it was a bit overwhelming, and we brought back most of our entree portions. The menu reads (I got a signed copy by chef de cuisine Erik Schuster and Sous Chef Tony Tea):
Choice of Appetizer
1. Shrimp Cocktail, Horseradish Tomato Concasse, Lemon
2. Prosciutto Bruschetta, Burrata, Rocket Greens, Sherry Reduction
3. Seasonal Vegetable Tapas, Grilled Artisanal Bread
Choice of Appetizer
4. Duck Confit Cassoulet, White Bean Stew, Garlic Sausage
5. Veal Oss Bucco, Pappardelle Pasta, Tomato Red Wine Sauce
6. Moules Frites, Fennel Tarragon Broth, Pomme Frites
7. White Sea Bass, Sweet Corn Tamale, Romesco, Sea Beans
8. Wild Mushroom Risotto, Truffle Essence
Choice of Dessert
9. Lemongrass Panna Cotta, Pistachio Financier, Raspberry Sorbet
10. Chocolate Banana Napoleon, Chocolate Decadence, Banana Mousse
When we went in at 7:30pm, the restaurant had only two other 2-tops occupied, but by the time we left at 8:45 it was much fuller. We got bread basket immediately with a very nice tapenade of sun-dried tomatoes. We had two glasses of wine - a M. Chapoutier Cote du Rhone ($10) and a Oyster Bay Pinot Noir ($12) - both were excellent.
We shared all the items - so we got the shrimp cocktail - the tomato concasse was really awesome - it came decorated with edible daisy petals. The kick was subtle and yet it enhanced the sweetness of the 5 plump shrimps. The prosciutto bruschetta was also great - three large toasts with creamy buratta and excellent prosciutto. The sherry reduction (which I now realize was not balsamic vinegar as I was thinking while eating) enhanced the flavors.
The mushroom risotto was great, with really nice earthy flavors, enhanced with a hint of truffle oil. It was a HUGE portion - I noticed other tables getting entrees that were also very generously portioned - it seems unusual! The osso bucco was also good - one large veal shank with great caramelized marrow that was easy to scoop out - fall of the bones tender meat, and pappardelle. It came with a shaved cheese which was unusual for me - these were very white in color, and very soft with a buttery texture inside the mouth. I have not had this cheese before.
The desserts were visually superb - the lemongrass flavor in the panna cotta was very mild, but the rest of the dish made for a light dessert. In comparison, the chocolate banana napoleon was heavier, though superb in taste - specially my favorite elements were the spun threads of white chocolate, and the chocolate logs encompassing a banana mousse!
This runs from March 25-30, and if I was not leaving on a foreign trip, I would go again!
Ton Chan Ramen (SGV)
I went back today for lunch, and it was comforting to see that 6 other tables were occupied.
I had the half sized Sapporo Miso and it was quite satisfying.
I also ended up ordering the 6 piece Teppan Gyoza. These were quite unusual and good - the covering seemed like a rough textured wheat dough - I have never had gyozas like these before. The inside also seemed to have a slight soupy component, though not very pronounced like xlb. Came with its own dipping sauce.
Next time I have to try the other noodles category. Portions are too large for my personal preference.
Ton Chan Ramen (SGV)
I am not a Rameniac by any means, but today was my second visit to Ton Chan. The first one was a long time ago, so today when I saw the menu, it seemed like a much more expanded version than the first time.
I had the Hakata Shio broth with bokchoy and kikurage mushrooms as the two additional toppings. I also had the spic tuna roll. The ramen and particularly the broth was very good for my untrained taste buds (vis-a-vis ramen). Their ramen bowl is very large, so now that they have a half ramen bowl, next time I will order that instead.
I like my broth spicy, so I did choose the level 3 spiciness, but perhaps a level 2 would have been sufficient. They offered the free lemony custard at the end and that helped cool down!
It is still very empty - there was only one other table with two diners during the half hour I was there for lunch. I hope they survive!
Singaporean Food in LA Anyone?
I used to go to Litz several years ago, but somehow it got dropped on my radar.
Yazmin used to be in a different location several years ago - in the same mini-mall where Vietnam House is (Mission and Las Tunas) - before it moved to its current location. One of the best things I had was their rojak - but then in the new location we went thrice and had not so great experiences - an expanded menu and none of the dishes we ordered were very good.
We had a rather negative experience recently (December 2011) at Spice Table - see the last post on http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/771328
Brunch at KTCHN105
Our daughter took us to this pop-up place in an industrial section of downtown. It is hard to find the place since it is behind a closed door with a small sign, but we got lucky after we asked a person coming out.
Two of us had the Bloody Mary - which was very good. They had put a habanero along with two olives in the spear, and that lent some additional impact to the drink. My wife had a special with elderberry liquer and champagne. I had a sip and preferred my Bloody Mary.
We shared two appetizers:
1. House Citrus Cured Salmon Lox: with toasted baguette, chopped egg, chives, red onion, honey mustard and pesto remoulade. The lox could have used a spritz of lime juice to brighten its flavors, but otherwise was a healthy serving and tasted good.
2. Brie Grits: Brie grits with berry compote, topped apple julienne, and bourbon cherry granola - this was a bit too sweet for my taste, and I could not taste the brie. But the texture contrast between the sweetened grits and the crunchy ganola and juliennes of green apple was interesting.
I had the bacon sandwich (which I don't see on their menu right now - it changes every 2 weeks) - this was a large heaping of smoked bacon with a poached egg, field greens, and some white sauce, along with very nice crunchy home fries. While the overall combination tasted good, when I could get it on my fork, the bread was too soft and became soggy to lift as a sandwich and eat whole. The bacon was a bit too salty, and I eat more than normal salt. The fries were great, and I could have eaten more of that.
My wife and daughter had their Beet Hash: Beet hash with potatoes, pepper cream with a scallion, arugula scramble and brioche. I had a small bite and it tasted good, though nothing exceptional.
We finished sharing a dessert combo of chocolate semi-freddo and coconut crusted flan. The flan was exceptionally good.
This is a pop-up that does only Sat-Sun brunches, but has been going for 2.5 years now. Weekdays it does other stuff. The space is industrial and with no noise reducing surfaces, became extremely loud. However, the staff was one of the nicest we have encountered in a long time and service was superb!
I would highly recommend this place, if not exactly for the cutting edge food, for the experience.
Pasadena - Tiparos Thai Restaurant
When my former colleague was working with me, we used to go to this place since he liked it very much. I have always gone their for lunch, when it would mostly be crowded. The place is on the small side, so it can get crowded, and there is not a lot happening nearby in that section of Colorado Blvd.
For my personal taste, it was OK, but not something that I would consciously think of when thinking of Thai in Pasadena environs.
Boteco - new Brazilian restaurant in Alhambra
An old friend visiting from Brazil suggested we go to this new restaurant in Alhambra.
http://theboteco.com/
This is near Pho79 at the intersection of Garvey and Main - address is 28 W. Main St.
Alhambra, CA 91801, phone 626.281.1777
There were three of us, and we all had the caipirinha - Brazilian equivalent of the mojito, made with the Brazilian cane sugar rum cachaca. I had remembered drinking this at his house over 20 years ago in Pasadena, so we had to try this, even though it was lunch, and normally I don't drink alcohol with lunch. It was quite good.
One of our party ordered the Picanha off the lunch menu - described as "TOP SIRLOIN CENTER CUT. SERVED WITH RICE, BLACK BEANS, YUCCA FLOUR, VINAIGRETTE, CARAMELIZED PLAINTAINS". The service was a bit shaky, since they brought this out first. It was a pretty decent cut of meat on a sizzling platter with grilled onions, and the sides on a separate dish. We asked that it be consumed while hot, thinking that the other two orders would come soon. But it took a long time. The Brazilian friend knew the host, who came out and apologized, saying that the dish was meant for another table, since our three orders were supposed to come together. He said they would give us a second order of this complimentary, to compensate for the delay and the mixup. Our food actually still took a long time to come out. They have been open for 4 months, and have been refining the menu (fourth change apparently coming next week - where they are changing from the more heavy meat based churrascarria model to more appetizers and a good bar with happy hour) - so I am chalking the service snafu to growing pains.
I had ordered the Moqueca de Peixe - described as "SEAFOOD STEW MADE WITH COD & SHRIMP, COCONUT MILK, DENDÊ OIL AND CASHEWS. SERVED WITH RICE AND VEGETABLES". It was tasty, but not something I would go back for. I could not taste the cashew and not knowing what Dende oil is, I have no idea if this was present. It felt like a mild Thai red curry with generous portions of shrimp and cod.
Our Brazilian host ordered the Feijoada - which was not on the menu, but we were told it is on their weekend menu. It is a traditional Brazilian/Portuguese stew of black beans with different cuts of meat, though here we were told there was only one type of meat.
Since there was the extra order of the Picanha, I got to try it. The meat was succulent, but nothing that special.
Overall, an interesting new restaurant, but hopefully it will continue to polish its operations in the future.
Can a person get Vada Pav in Los Angeles?
While I will not endorse this restaurant (because of our singular negative experience), Mumbai Ki Galliyon Se has vada pav, and they do it well.
Not sure why you are seeking this out - this is not a destination Mumbai street food - like say magaz curry - see Anthony Bourdain. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=anthony%20bourdain%20mumbai&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDcQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DOlADlfq7F6w&ei=9pQCT52MHOSziQLJzeG0Bw&usg=AFQjCNEip8V2eq_S6ZIBqS3kagXLirRZvg
Plate 38: First Visit, New #1 Burger!
Swung by today evening (Jan 2) but they were closed, so we hopped over to Tops for their Kobe Burger (plenty of Wisconsinites and Oregoneans had found their way to Tops). Have to try again!
The Spice Table - Perceptor's Photo Report
Seduced by the photo report, we went there on Saturday December 30.
Were seated promptly at 7pm for our OpenTable reservation. The back room was almost full, and getting into our seats was a challenge. The room also smelt a bit funky - must be the combination of fish sauce and shrimp paste. It had poor ventilation, and 2/3 through our meal, we had to ask our waitperson to turn down the temperature - it was getting so hot!
The room has hard surfaces which made it impossible to hear even one's own thoughts once a corner table had four very loud women patrons. Our next table also had 4 young couples, and they were loud as well.
The lighting was so dim that at an adjacent table I saw the father using his iPhone 4S flashlight to read the menu!
My wife and I decided we would order a starter, satay, one noodle dish, one meat dish, and a dessert. That was plenty of food to share.
She ordered a glass of the 2008 Rhinegau Reisling - and it turned out a little too sweet and unbalanced. I wanted to try the 2009 Txakolina because I had never had a Txakolina. The waitperson did not also know much about the wine, since she said it was a grenache blend. She also said it was complex. It turned out nonesuch - a rather simply made relatively obscure wine (the varietal is hondarrabi zurri) that is drunk in large proportions in Basque country. While the pricing by the glass seemed a bit steep at $15/16, the pour was large - they came in small carafes.
The curried chicken wings turned out to be quite pedestrian for our Indian palate - the crust was heavy, with hints of curry, the chicken wings were fine. However the temperature was quite hot, and we had to ask for knives at this point, which is not part of their normal table service. Also we were a little puzzled by paper napkins.
The lamb belly satay came pretty quickly, and these were quite tasty by themselves, w/o the satay sauce. I preferred mine plain.
By this time our adjacent table was ready for a group of 4 couples. They, and we, had to maneuver for them to be seated. It reminded me of being back in the crowded public transportation in Calcutta! The seating is uncomfortably close. In a corner behind my seat, there was a group of 4 very loud women, and towards the end of the meal the noise level had risen to splitting headache proportions. Also by this time, the room was so uncomfortably hot that we had to ask our waitperson to turn down the temperature. This back room has hard surfaces making it very noisy, it has poor ventilation - that explained the slightly funky smell and the heat!
Our noodle dish was the Kon loh mee (egg noodles, choy sum, ground pork, pork belly char siu) - I had tried to convince my wife to share the laksa, but she did not want something soupy! My loss. The noodle dish was quite pedestrian. We had brought home some as leftover, and I had this for lunch today - I really could not tell how it was that different from some of the packaged noodles I make at home! Most pedestrian!
Our meat dish was the beef rendang. While it was properly executed, I get better rendang at the Indonesian weekend fair in Duarte or the Chicky Barbeque and Grill in that same minimall.
The kaffir lime custard with lychee was a bit too heavy and acidic on the custard, and not enough of the lychee portion.
While the service was prompt (we were out of that place by 8:15), this is not a place worth a second visit for us. I am sure others experiences will differ.
Pho-Licious - Delicious Pho in Arcadia
Went back a second time with a friend and his Vietnamese wife. Much less crowded, perhaps since we went a little late - around 1pm. We shared the fried spring rolls - 4 to an order. Much less interesting than the ones at Vietnam House!
I tried the rice dish with lemongrass beef. It was OK.
It is too far from my workplace in Pasadena to go visit, but if I am there in the neighborhood, I would go again.
Pho-Licious - Delicious Pho in Arcadia
I also went there, on Friday. I had the fresh spring rolls with barbeque pork - and these were good. I also had the Pho Tai Filet - which was good, but for my personal taste, a tad undersalted.
The one thing I noticed is their service was somewhat sloppy. It took a long time for them to get my spring roll order out, when it was sitting on the service counter. It also took a fairly long time to get attention - it was not superbusy, though most tables were occupied.
I am going back on Wednesday with another friend to get his opinion and also try some of the other dishes.
Define Saudi Arabian cuisine (split from L.A. board)
Just came back from a trip to Riyadh and had some interesting meals.
1. The best meal was in a Chinese restaurant called Mirage - on the second floor of a shopping mall. Fancy restaurant where the family section is built on glass floors on top of a large aquarium. We had the lettuce cup wraps, a fish dish, and a chicken dish - my friend ordered since he had been there several times so I did not get the descriptors, But it was really quite good and way beyond expectations. On my next visit (March or April 2012) I have to try this restaurant more extensively.
2. One night we had dinner at a Moroccan restaurant called Marrakech near the Al Andalus hotel. I thought the meal was so so - there was a soup, a sweet tasting fish dish with raisins and onions, and a major lamb dish - a leg of roasted lamb with some sauce. The best part was a small tray of Moroccan desserts.
3. We went to a very popular Lebanese restaurant where we ordered a mixed mezze appetizer, mixed shawerma (chicken and lamb), and two sandwiches, and fresh fruit juice. Everything was quite good. My Dubai host said that his Lebanese friends say this is the best Lebanese in Riyadh. Sorry I don't have the name.
4. Another we had a similar meal at another Lebanese restaurant near our hotel (Executives Hotel near the Kingdom Tower) and the food quality was lower.
5. I went twice to the food court in the Kingdom Tower and unfortunately both times ended up eating at the lone Indian take out place - food was so so - the tandoori half chicken was good, but other items were nothing to write about. I wish I had explored the Persian restaurant on the second visit instead.
If someone has new recommendations for Riyadh, Jeddah, or Damam, I would love to hear them.
Emirates meal options?
Just traveled business class LAX-DXB-RUH-DXB-LAX. The Indian food served in business class was outstanding. On the LAX-DXB route one of the snack items was lamb kofta with biryani - I will say it was better than most lamb koftas in Indian restaurants in LA, and comparable to some of the best koftas I have had in India. At 36,000' it is not an easy feat. On the DXB-LAX route also the murg dish they served was superb!
Going next month LAX-DXB-CCU-DXB-LAX in economy. Will have to see how those meals compare!
Good Hollywood Bowl baskets
I would like to second this recommendation (thanks to Diana). I have taken their lunch picnic basket for 2 twice to the Bowl and it is very good value - the first was the croissant sandwich with black forest ham and swiss cheese, and this week we had the grilled shrimp club sandwich. These are beautifully packaged with two sides (Waldorf salad and a pesto pasta salad), two small dessert items and ranged in price from $14.99 to $18.99. We have not tried their picnic meals which are more expensive. The gourmet lunch bags are perfect sizing for us before the concerts.
Where to find good chutneys?
Hmmm... as an Indian, we had some home made pickles, but they were necessarily simple - mainly limes, and stuffed chillis. Most of the pickles we ate growing up were bought from stores, or small cottage industries that would sell them door to door, or nowadays through local outlets. Most of the pickles we eat here in SoCal are store bought - there is such a wide variety. We like Bedekar's mixed pickles, and most of their other offerings. Several years ago a friend from Hyderabad (he is a big shipping magnate in India) brought with him 3 homemade pickles - but those were items from his farm and were pickled by his horde of house help!
Indian chutneys are a different proposition - usually freshly made and consumed in 1-2 days - tomato, raw mango, raw papaya, and any sour fruit (starfruit, carambola).
Most of the pickles provided table side in the restaurants in Artesia are not very good. We only eat them if absolutely necessary.
Here is a thread on home made pickles that has some recipes - it is a long discussion thread, where most can be skipped - http://www.anothersubcontinent.com/forums/index.php?s=15f82aa40f692f2bd2508cc858d7a214&showtopic=1327
Best Chaat in Little India?
We had the dahi papri at Jay Bharat two weekends back, and it was absolutely fantastic. Small pani puri puffs, filled with yogurt, sweet tamarind sauce, and topped with boiled potatoes, sev, cilantro, and ground roasted cumin-red pepper combo!
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Jay Bharat
18701 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701
Taste of Chongqing Opens In San Gabriel
We went to NCQ yesterday, but it was closed at lunch on a Friday! I wonder if that is their normal day off, or are they shutting down?
Garam Masala [Split from Los Angeles]
It is a rough measure - something like 1 tbsp worth of each ingredient. It does not have to be very exact.
Garam Masala [Split from Los Angeles]
Garam masala varies quite a bit all over India - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garam_masala.
In Bengal we use cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and black pepper. Many others will leave out the black pepper, and in UP where my wife comes from they add coriander cumin to their garam masala mix! Sometimes I have seen recipes where they add star anise!
I prefer freshly made garam masala at home - which will last for quite a long time. Dry grind in a coffee grinder equal amounts of green cardamom, cinnamon (best to pulverize these into small pieces first in a mortar and pestle), cloves, and black pepper.
