bulavinaka's Profile
Last Meal in LA? Leaving after 20 Years
I've always given your posts the highest degree of regard. I've guessed over the years that you are from France and fortified with a deep knowledge of so many things good. Our loss will hopefully be the gain of another CH board...
Durian <-- King of Fruits!
$300+ for a durian? Fruit insanity flooding over from Japan! I doubt my in-laws or friends in Singapore have been eating those...
Where to purchase coconut oil that has no flavor
We like Tropical Traditions organic, but it's definitely announcing to everyone that it is coconut when using it.
We use it as an after-shower moisturizer as well. It's kinda strange when I have to go to the bathroom to get something that I'm going to use as an ingredient in the kitchen. :)
LA's Oldest Still-Thriving Restaurants
Funny you mention the Golden Bull. I just drove by there on Saturday, mentioning to my wife that it already seemed a little old when I saw it as a kid back in the '60s and '70s.
NYT: "A Mathematical Challenge to Obesity"
Chowhound poster here (many would debate my validity) - burp - setting down beer and chips. :)
Video games are the light bulb and gamers are the moths. I am the folded newspaper.
edit: I did drag my kids with me for a nice early bike ride along the beach and to the park.
Cork or screw cap ?
I've been running across glass "corks" as well. Very easy to remove, recyclable, and hopefully wonks won't hem and haw over it too much.
http://the-wine-rack.blogspot.com/2006/08/glass-cork.html
NYT: "A Mathematical Challenge to Obesity"
He started out riding his bike to school. When I found out how little activity he was getting there, the bike is no longer an option. He walks about .6 miles each way, and another two laps around the elementary school right by our house before coming home.
Another big social change relative to school is how so many parents send their kids to schools other than the public one intended for their kids, which wanders into another bee hive of issues. How it affects my kids relative to this thread is that while the density of kids living in our neighborhood isn't nearly as high as when I was a kid, the number and ages are still sufficient to create a "kid's play" environment. However, because all of the other kids go to different schools in other parts of town, they are all on different schedules and also have developed different groups of friends. Thus, the other kids do a lot of play-dating. The term, "play date," is relatively new to me. What ever happened to, "Knock-knock. Hi Mrs. Garcia, can Richard come out to play?" "Okay - be home for dinner, Richard. You can bring your friends too." That's such a foreign scenario to the current generation of kids around here...
Why should I buy tilapia?
So I guess the general consensus on tilapia is:
- Its intended qualities are very mild and flakey - potentially a bit fishy (in a good way) and sweet.
- At its worst, no flavor, muddy, spongy.
- Great entry level fish for the fish-averse.
- Economical source of protein
- Nutritional value can be somewhat controversial, even when raised properly.
- Can be a platform for other flavors, a la piscine tofu.
- Like fish/H2O protein in general, fresh is by far the best.
- Frozen/processed is okay, as long as it's from the Western Hemisphere.
- When farmed properly, it's a good thing all the way around
- When farmed with disregard to health, safety, the environment, etc., it's the opposite of the previous statement - Red Flag.
- You're either gonna love it or hate it. Such is the world.
Handsome Coffee Roasters -I really liked it.
The Donut Man? Famous for their strawberry-filled donut.
Durian <-- King of Fruits!
Malaysia seems to have a rep for the best durian, but my relatives in Malaysia give Thailand a big nod as well. Some acquaintances in Singapore who go to Thailand have said the same.
NYT: "A Mathematical Challenge to Obesity"
Larger serving/portion sizes and/or larger quantities in packaging (think Costco, Sam's Club), lower cost of certain types of food relative to one's buying power and increases in avenues of accessibility to food somehow play into this as well (7-Eleven, McD's drive thrus, Starbucks, etc.). Social changes like longer working hours and women entering the work force count as well. My son goes to the same schools that I went to. The emphasis on P.E. and after school athletics has plummeted from my time. This is huge for my son and his peers. The number of factors that play into our nation's weight gain are so numerous that It the items mentioned by you and me are probably the beginning?
Why Yelp Sucks!
The issues that I've had going down to the OC is the number of places that are or at least feel like chains. Much of the food hasn't been bad, but not exceptional either. To be fair, I don't spend much time in OC either. Also, many parts of the OC sprung up very recently, so areas haven't had a chance to build that social patina that I feel is a necessary piece in the foundation of building a food culture, unless bedroom community culture counts. But I sense that OC is slowly building up its stock of non-chainy places, and I think many already exist - but more in the areas where solid enclaves are established. The most obvious is the Westminster/Garden Grove area. But even places around Anaheim and Santa Ana have their share as well. Two folks I'd be following if I lived in the OC would be CH poster Das Ubergeek, who now writes for the OC Weekly, and Gustavo Arellano, editor and house wisecrack of the OC Weekly as well. They strongly focus on ethnic eats, but their recs are solid.
chinese in los angeles robertson-olympic area
Went to Cheng Du once years ago on a Saturday afternoon. It was horrible - never went back again. To top it off, their fish tank was a mess. Is it worth giving a second chance?
A Trader Joe's Care Package
Try blending it with carmelized onions, a can or two of coconut milk, and a teaspoon of green curry, some salt and pepper. Get some good shrimp (TJ's frozen will do in a pinch), blend half of it in with the soup, save the other half to serve with the soup. Garnish with their fried onions in a can.
Why Yelp Sucks!
imho, yelp vs chow is quantity vs quality. I don't have an issue with that though. If I find a place on yelp that is new, I cross-ref with chow and get the true lowdown. yelp is very democratic in terms of numbers. The problem is there is no back and forth dialog, no vetting, no one to call out a troll, liar or shill. Hounds tend to be far more knowledgable - they can be gruff or even sarcastic at times, but still - the info is just so much more reliable and detailed. Reading yelp (at least for LA) is like reading parts of a diary belonging to some disenchanted hipster who's just move into my otherwise fair town from some other town that booted him or her out.
Too much smoked fish
Maybe I've missed it already being mentioned, but why not have your buds over for breakfast/brunch/whatever? I'd kinda pot-luck it or assign stuff to be brought - your stuff will be the main attraction - at least it would be for me. I'm thinking a nice sparkling wine would go great with what you have - hint-hint for the wish list to your buddies.
Early Lobster Molting in Maine - NPR Story
I heard the article today as well. Seems a bumper crop for the lobster roll industry but I have to wonder what the long term ripple will be for lobsters and anything else being affected by the warmer waters...
A Trader Joe's Care Package
TJ's carries a fair amount of nut butters. Don't know what your friend's tastes are, but you might look over this section, particularly since she's a vegetarian. We regularly eat the almond butters. The salted roasted has the most flavor, the raw unsalted seems healthier. I can't remember if they still carry cashew butter, but that was very good. But the Valencia peanut butter with flaxseeds has a nice roasted peanut flavor and the roasted flaxseeds add another nice nutty dimension in flavor and texture.
TJ's carries at least three different dark chocolate almond products that I get regularly. The one with sea salt is very nice and even vegan friendly. But if you think you package will be going to an area with a lot of heat, reconsider these products or any others with melty things...
Why Yelp Sucks!
I think for the most part, you're right. But I have come across some reviews that are thoughtful and concise. I don't read the reviews nearly enough to build a sense of which posters to follow - by and large, yelp is a directory to me. But I have also come across reviews that posters from Chowhound - hounds that I feel are legit and follow-worthy - who have also posted similar if not the same reviews on both CH and yelp.
The CH poster, PeterCC, posts here on CH, and on yelp as PeterC:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/848518
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kiriko-los-angeles
PeterCC is a recent addition to the LA board and a very avid, detailed and valid poster. If more yelp posts were of this quality, I'd be using yelp for more than a directory.
CH poster Tony C is a pretty long time regular on the LA board and has a really good grip on food, particularly on the food scene in the San Gabriel Valley:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/840137
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sweethome-grill-san-gabriel
Again, if more yelp posts were like this, it would be a far more valuable source of info. I'm hoping our posters who also post on yelp are helping to raise the bar to raise the bar - but the bad still far outweighs the good.
plan check on sawtelle is now open!
>>...and the pastrami pountine .<<
That I did not have. It must have been wondrous. I was surprised how good service was as well. Much of the staff was on lunch break when we arrived, but the remaining crew kept covering each other - it was seamless.
plan check on sawtelle is now open!
I think Plan Check can create a spin-off just based on the pastrami.
plan check on sawtelle is now open!
I flipped the bun/egg over before eating it - without asking. Hope I didn't show any disrespect to the chef. :) What did you think of their pastrami in general?
"Why Pork Chop Over Rice Isn’t Classically Taiwanese"
Been to Simbala a couple of times. Even there - the number of Asians far outnumber non-Asians. But most of the Asians seem to be younger first- or second-generation, or young families.
plan check on sawtelle is now open!
Dropped but yesterday at slack tide (3PM) and walked in no prob. We tried two different pickled cucs, egg in pickle juice, Plan Check burger, Pastrami Nosh, fries, yuzu soda, Golden Road hefe, and the Rocky Road ice cream bar. We found everything enjoyable, particularly the Pastrami Nosh. The thick-cut slabs of smokey peppery pastrami are excellent. I'd like to try their pastrami in a simpler sandwich to better appreciate the flavors - the pepper notes are very strong, which may or may not work for some.
"Why Pork Chop Over Rice Isn’t Classically Taiwanese"
Completely agree on the evolution of food and all, but from Clarissa's perspective, I think her point seems to be to dig her heals into the sand and sort of resist the tide.
I've briefly referred above to the issue about things like offal in traditional Taiwanese cuisine. I normally don't purchase those cuts so prices are ? to me. But I'd think that per unit, offal in general would be some of the more economical cuts? If this is so, I would think it might bode well for many of the more traditional homey dishes in the long run, at least from the supply side. The demand side is obviously at issue.
I'm familiar with a trend in Japan is not far off - maybe not dissimilar in some ways as to how offal became integrated into Taiwanese cuisine. Consumption of land proteins in Japan was very limited until more recent times (Post Meiji Restoration) relative to other parts of east Asia. I think eating products from pork and beef has been limited to the non-offal cuts for the most part. A third uncle saw an opportunity with beef offal since it was for the most part being disregarded in general. He grew up eating pork and beef offal as poor post-WWII teenager. He personally liked the various "undesirable" parts and thought others would if given a chance - called horumono. So he opened up a night stand serving these parts grilled or in various stews and soups that were Japonified versions of Korean cuisine. It eventually caught on, he opened up more stands, which eventually evolved into brick & mortars. Horumono is probably most popular in places doing yakiniku, but I don't know if this type of food will ever be as popular as some of the other more popular dishes found in traditional or contemporary Japanese cuisine. Regardless, he has carved out a solid niche.
"Why Pork Chop Over Rice Isn’t Classically Taiwanese"
From Clarissa's response to PeterCC:
>>But rarely are the chefs and owners given a voice and rarely do people figure out the motivation behind the menu. People are on the outside looking in. But the experts on Chinese cuisine aren't the journalists or the writer. It's the chefs. That's what is lacking in Chinese food coverage.<<
Thus, my question...
"Why Pork Chop Over Rice Isn’t Classically Taiwanese"
I've never had the honor of meeting the chefs who prepare the Chinese (Chinese as in cultural not politcal) dishes I've eaten, nor have I had the luck to step into the kitchen to experience the (what I assume to be) amazing skills that even the typical Chinese (again as in cultural not political) line cook must have to make our meals. But what I also don't get is, as de facto foodies as many seem to be in the Chinese cultures, these amazing athletes who are blessed with both talent and artistry - why aren't they on cable, have their own shows, lauded in books, magazines, etc., like their counterparts in Japan, America and Europe? Are their culinary talents somewhat taken for granted?
Shot and Beer - Change off or Stay the Course
Venezuelan rum with a good hefeweizen hits the spot for me.
Edit: Wow, feel like I've been hiding in the closet until now on this one.
Why oh why would Steven Tyler shill for Burger King
Clicked on the link and Andy Warhol eating a Whopper?
Why would Steven Tyler shill for Burger King? It's a hell of a lot safer than falling off the stage. :)
Why should I buy tilapia?
Talapia are primarily herbivores, but like you, I remember spending summers in Hawaii with my cousins "feeding" talapia that lived in the flood control ditches and ponds. They would eat ANYTHING that roughly fell in the organic category. I remember my cousin telling me that the talapia would even eat dog poop. I didn't believe him. He picked some up with a leaf, threw it in the water, and the talapia swarmed on it. They are what they are - hopefully kids aren't allowed around talapia ponds today.
