chowchow12345678's Profile
100% grass fed dairy products
Organic Valley's milk may be grass-fed but it doesn't seem to be raw milk; I think it's pasteurized, right?
SOTTO - BEST PORK CHOP IN TOWN
Have you ever tried The Standard Hotel's pork chop? I haven't but I heard someone absolutely raving about it before.
Best gourmet ice cream and patisserie?
Some of the best pastries aren't in bakeries but in restaurants: check out Bottega Louie for their beautiful bakery and Artisan House for THE GREATEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE, both in downtown L.A.
Standard Hotel downtown -- is it worth eating at?
Am curious to try having dinner there, is it any good?
Any excellent upscale bakeries near Wilshire / Western / Normandie?
Anything around a 1-mile radius?
Where can I find just plain chicken stock?
I'm wondering if anyone sells chicken stock without ANY other ingredients like onions, etc. -- just the water that's been boiled with chicken bones, nothing else?
french chocolate silk pie.
Marie Callendar's makes a good one with an Oreo crust! I guess I don't care that it's a chain, as long as it's yummy.
What's your fav ramen shop and why?
#1: Santouka -- their broth seems to have a hint of sake or wine or something that gives it a special flavor.
#2: Kosuke -- love their Kuro ramen with black oil, quite unusual!
Where can I find just plain chicken stock?
No one seems to sell chicken stock or broth without several other ingredients. I'd rather not have to make it.
Where can I find flavored sliced wheat bread?
I love Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Honey Bread but they just discontinued it!! I liked the way it was dense and was slightly sweet which really helped make a tastier and more interesting sandwich.
Best Cantonese restaurant right now in SGV?
Which is the best one right now for a full-blown fancy fixed menu for a dozen people?
Kosuke for ramen in Alhambra?
Well, I didn't really care for Ton Chan's ramen so I didn't go back after the first try. Kosuke's ramen is WAY better; it's the next best ramen to Santouka's.
Kosuke for ramen in Alhambra?
You're right, their tonkotsu ramen did remind me of Santouka, which made me so happy to have ramen of that caliber in the San Gabriel Valley! To me it's the best ramen on this side of town. The only thing missing in Kosuke's broth as compared to Santouka's is that hint of wine or sake, and Santouka's is a bit saltier.
We also tried the ramen with the black oil -- excellent flavor! Kinda like sesame oil. Sorry, forgot what they named this ramen dish.
Odub, you're not crazy for comparing it to Santouka -- your mention of Santouka is what led us to try Kosuke, thanks!
Plate 38: First Visit, New #1 Burger!
I forgot to mention that their fries are one of the best I've ever had, they're awesome!
Plate 38: First Visit, New #1 Burger!
I asked the owner, and yes, it's grass-fed beef and it's delicious!! I've tried their classic burger and the smoked one, both are really flavorful.
I've also tried their lemon pancakes -- one of the best pancakes I've ever had -- moist!!! My only complaint is that they only gave 4 small pancakes for $9 -- pancakes are so dirt cheap to make!
Chocolate Chip Cookie
My recent favorite chocolate chip cookies are from:
1) Technique (the corner cafe by Le Cordon Bleu) in Pasadena -- it's big, delicious and only 85 cents!
2) Paradise Cookies food truck -- chewy and crisp! Just tried it for the first time last week at the South Pasadena Farmers Market.
3) Trader Joe's Highbrow Chocolate Chip Cookies -- not chewy, just crisp. Upscale flavor and addicting.
I don't like cookies that are too sweet either.
Ruben's Kitchen, Malaysian food
Been to Ruben's Kitchen in Rosemead twice now and really liked it. The name doesn't sound Asian, but it's Malaysian cuisine.
We liked the stir-fried noodle dish that had thick udon-like noodles, shiitake mushrooms and cha-siu that they make themselves. Sorry that I don't remember the name of the dish but the owner recommended it and said it's not on the menu. It was tasty, we'd order that again. We also had a whole steamed tilapia that had a delectable light sauce. Their Roti Canai (the Malaysian equivalent of a Chinese pancake) is so nice and flaky, and the curry sauce that came with it was just yummy. Their food overall tastes like it was made with pride and care.
We also had their iced tea mixed with a variety of fresh fruit, it was so good, like a virgin sangria.
Not too many people seem to know about this place; they're never crowded. Hope they'll be able to stick around, it's now one of our favorite places.
Downtown Sunday Brunch
Bottega Louie!! Love their food, fabulous pastries, and the interior decor -- classical architecture, soaring ceilings with lots of marble and brass, yet the vibe is definitely modern. Feels very New York. Hope you don't mind noise.
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Bottega Louie
700 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Best dim sum in San Gabriel Valley LATELY?
I did try Lunasia for dim sum about a month ago and thought it was pretty terrible. I miss Triumphal Palace's dim sum. I haven't tried Mission 261 for dim sum in years, maybe I should go back. Glad to hear that Sea Harbour is still really good, will definitely go back there!
Best dim sum in San Gabriel Valley LATELY?
Just need an update on who's got the best dim sum nowadays in SGV?
Does Sea Harbour Seafood in Rosemead still have excellent dim sum? I haven't been there in about 2 years so I'm just checking before I go there. Do they still have a long wait?
One of the best chocolate chip cookies I ever had
Trader Joe's Highbrow Chocolate Chip Cookies -- soooooooooooooooo goooooooooooooood. It tastes so simple and innocent. These are crispy, usually I prefer my chocolate chip cookies to be chewy, but there's something about these that make me melt. I don't like Trader Joe's Charmingly Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, they just don't taste that great. I just had 4 of these cookies cuz they're small and light.
I Have Found the Perfect Bun for Burgers
I'm skeptical that there's such a thing as a good burger bun because they tend to be dry and flavorless, and I think the bread of any sandwich or burger is the most important ingredient; it sets the tone. The best bread for a burger I've had is grilled La Brea Bakery bread, which you can ask for at Green Street Restaurant in Pasadena. The way they grill it is so delicious I can eat that bread by itself -- the bread of any sandwich or burger needs to stand on its own.
Luggage Room Pizzaria, Pasadena
I can see why you're not too crazy about the place, you did give it two chances. I've eaten at LGO twice before trying the Luggage Room and they were both good experiences.
Luggage Room Pizzaria, Pasadena
I'm not trying to defend it, just curious as to what you don't like about La Grande Orange?
Luggage Room Pizzaria, Pasadena
Just tried it and really liked it. Their thin crust is delicately crisp AND chewy at the same time, it was wonderful! I don't like crusts that are too wafer thin and crunchy, so this was exactly how I like it. I liked the Mushroom Party pizza but I felt that it needed an extra ingredient to add a bit of punch to it, like olives, so I'll have to pay extra for that next time. The size is 10" and it was just right for 2 people, I was stuffed.
We also had their Green Day Salad, which had arugula, thin apple slices, pomegranate seeds, shaved parmesan and a perfectly light and yummy vinaigrette -- great salad, but I thought it was too small for $8.
Then we ended with a slice of their own red velvet cake with vanilla ice cream. I've had more distinctly flavored red velvet elsewhere, and I didn't care for the texture of this one -- I like my cakes to be moist, but this was just wet.
Ambiance: casual and dark interiors with a bar in the middle. I'm noticing more restaurants in Pasadena with dark interiors lately.
Even though they just opened, service was very good. We'll be back.
New French Bakery Opens in Monterey Park
Maybe they should relocate to the westside where the demographic there are more able and willing to spend on luxuries like fancy pastries.
New French Bakery Opens in Monterey Park
I'm SO SAD to hear this, they were my one of my favorite bakeries!!! I loved their pastries and hanging out there! It's heartbreaking to see a real gem disappear, while many bad to mediocre places survive or even have great success.
Violet's Cupcakes - Pasadena
I found their cupcakes to be SICKLY sweet, their shop has no charm as compared to other cupcake stores and bakeries, and the salesgirl wasn't very friendly or welcoming, so I never went back after that one time. Cupcake competition is so fierce, yet I didn't feel that they were trying very hard.
Seafood Grill in Pasadena
Sorry, forgot to mention where it is exactly. Yep, it's exactly where ipsedixit said it is, on SW corner of Colorado Blvd. and Arroyo Parkway in Old Town Pasadena.
Seafood Grill in Pasadena
Just tried Seafood Grill, it was pretty good! It's almost like a fast food type of place where you place your order at the counter then someone brings it to you, so the prices were very reasonable. We had the entrees: charbroiled catfish ($8) and large shrimp (I think it was about $12 or so) -- they were seasoned well and cooked to perfection! It included a side order so I had grilled zucchini.
We'll definitely be back to try the other things on the menu. They also have non seafood items like exotic sausages such as crocodile, etc.
