Asia's Sweet and Savory

I just got back from a quick trip to Japan and Korea. I had a lingering cold and I was coming from North America which meant I was stopped, questioned and had a thermometer stuck into me at every port of entry.

But once that was over I got to see my family and friends and enjoy all the food I so dearly missed. Bacon-wrapped mochi was a new one for me, but it works. Juicy, crispy, chewy.... more yakitori shops need to put it on the menu.

This honey toast was a homemade collaboration:



They charged a whopping $6 at the mall food-court, so we instead bought a 1/2 loaf at the next-door bakery, gutted and toasted it, then doused it with honey and ice cream. Results were pretty similar. It's really about how fresh of a loaf you can find.

Soy sauce-flavored Kit Kats, anyone? I've decided to start a Kit Kat collection. There's just way too many random flavors to pass up.



This is actually Cold Stone Creamery. I guess "MARVELOUS CREAM!" does sound better. I wonder what the nickname is...."Maba-kuri"?:



And now to the savory. This is a warm cup of chawan-mushi -- steamed egg-whites and dashi broth mixed with bits of chicken and vegetables. I thought it was quite pretty:



In Los Angeles, a 3-pack of natto will set you back $1.99. At this Japanese market it's 65 cents. Sigh:




Ever wanted to know where bamboo shoots come from? The GROUND!:



This was my first meal in Korea. My brother and I slipped into a random corner shop. The menu was completely in Korean, but that didn't deter me. The place was packed so I knew it either had to be good or cheap; It was both. I hand-signaled the waitress to give us of what the other guy was having. Out came a hot bowl of somen noodles in a very simple broth. I kept adding hot sauce and sweated out my cold:



Some street vendors may have fooled me with bland, meatless potstickers, but this cart was a gold mine for one of the tastiest desserts I've ever had. Hotteok is a fried pancake-donut filled with melted brown-sugar and chopped walnuts. Fluffy, golden, crispy. They can cook it upon order and it's less than a dollar:



This was in the middle of a busy shopping arcade. They're eating the same sort of somen soup I had earlier. Gotta love Asia. Down with sanitation codes! :



The sights and sounds of the Pusan's fish market:

VIDEO: Fun with Eggs

Click here, if you use Internet Explorer.

Yes, it's been awhile since I last posted. Truth is, I just started a new job. In the TV business. It's all new territory for me, so I've been busy, studying up on the industry and showing my colleagues what a hard of a worker I am (Blood, sweat, tears, etc.). Thus, blogging has been moved to the back-burner.

But I love pouring out my thoughts, especially on the topic of gastronomy, and so as long as I have fingers and tastebuds I'm going to blog whenever I can. Just not as frequently as before. =(

A few weeks back, I got this cool gadget from Japan. It helps boil eggs into different shapes: hearts, diamonds, purple horseshoes... er, I mean, stars. It took a few tries to get the egg into shape, and it'd probably take a few months to really master it. It ain't no joke.

The theme song is by Chara, one of my favorite Japanese singers. =)

In other news...

Anyone interested in FREE KOGI BBQ??! They'll be at a powersliding (!!) event next week, April 15 from 3 to 5 pm at Santa Monica Pier. Check out the flyer here.

Umami Burger (Miracle Mile)

Triple Pork Burger with Hand-Cut Fries

"Umami." The word is like a mythical creature -- a unicorn -- that came about after some guy with bad eyesight saw a horse being chucked from a two-story building. Was that for real? Does it truly exist?!

The word does exist in Japanese, but I think we food purveyors Stateside have managed to blow the description into Loch Ness-size proportions. The fifth taste? For reals?

Real or not, the owners of Bottle Rock have done well melding this hip concept with a satisfyingly gourmet burger: a juicy patty layered with high-brow selections of cob-smoked bacon and aged manchego (Triple Pork Burger); Italian truffle cheese and truffle glaze (Truffle Burger); and grated artisan cheddar (Hi-End chili Burger). Embraced with fresh vegetables and a blissfully soft bun, it's a bargain at $8-$11 (Most are $8).

What you see both above and below is the Triple Pork Burger, highly recommended by the waiter who rushed to clear off a table for Mikey and I after a feet-numbing 45 minute wait. The place is tiny, probably fitting no more than two-dozen. My recommendation: Get there before 6 pm.

There's a selection of sides -- hand-cut fries, sweet potato chips, roasted garlic potato salad -- each presented in petite Japanese lady-size portions ($2-$3). The ketchup is homemade with hints of unique spices throughout, just like the burger.

I didn't have a mind-blowing epiphany after digging into this so-called fifth taste. Though I caused my left eyebrow to twitch a little, forgetting to breathe as I inhaled my dinner in record time. Umami, unicorns, leprechauns, I dunno. But it's definitely a tasty burger.




Triple Pork Burger with onion rings


relish, on the house

Umami Burger
850 S La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 931-3000

Shin Okinawa Izakaya (Torrance)

Considering the number of Okinawans living among the Japanese American population, you'd think a platter of sauted bitter-melon (aka, goya) would be served alongside teriyaki bowls here in Southern California. Yet only recently has Shin-Okinawa Izakaya hit Torrance's dining scene, dishing out a bountiful selection of crave-worthy comfort food like tempura-fried sweet potato, juicy chops of pork belly (rafutei), and a hot bowl of soba with sliced kamaboko (fish cakes).

Soki-soba

rafutei


tofu tsukune

I might've said this before and if I did then I really mean it this time: It's like you're in Japan when you're here, whether it be the flavor of the broth, the brush-stroked wall menu, or the bar-snack offerings of sliced pig's ear and monkfish liver (an kimo). I associate pickled squid and grilled innards with smelly-drunk businessmen, which is probably why I never touch the stuff, but every other Japanese person I know can't seem to get enough of it.

So for the rest of us there's all kinds of carb-heavy treats like Okinawa Soba, somen champuru (stir-fried vermicelli and vegetables), and for dessert, everyone's favorite Okinawan donut, sata andagi -- a fist-sized ball of sugary dough deep-fried until golden.


sata andagi


Arabiki pork sausages


Red Sweet Potato sticky balls

Like most izakayas, each plate runs between $5 to $8 at portions meant to accompany a mug of beer. Though it's also worth trying their selection of cocktails mixed with awamori, the island's poison of choice. Few places outside Japan serve stuff like this, so get it while you can.


Hiraya Chi (savory pancake)


Grilled pork sausages




Shin Okinawa Izakaya
1880 W. Carson Street Suite #A
Torrance, California, 90501
(310) 618-8357

VIDEO: Adventures with Takoyaki

I found this candy pack at Mitsuwa market the other day. It's really weird.
It's made to look like a tray of takoyaki (panfried octopus balls), but is actually a gummy candy you make yourself. There's one glitch in this video. Can you find it?


In Other News...

• Bento-ist AnnaTheRed is featured on Wired!
• I'll have what she's having!: Japan approves cloned pigs and cattle for consumption.

Casa de Tree (Palms/Culver City)

Finally! You can have you vegan and enjoy it too.

I'm one of those types who detest vegan joints that make a livelihood out of plopping wakame onto an uninspiring bed of lettuce and sprouts. Unbeknownst to their customers, wakame -- a seaweed high in calcium and healthy fatty acids -- is dumbfoundingly affordable; certainly not worth a $10 charge if all they do is give you a corn fork for it.

That's why I applaud Case de Tree for opening a quaint Westside branch for their Japanese-inspired vegan dishes. They offer a handful of sandwiches, pastries (An pan and curry bread!) and soy drinks, but their pay-by-the-pound buffet is really the main event. Tofu and tempeh are substitutes in meat dishes like panfried gyoza and 'chili'. Gingerly salted and peppered, they stave off that carnal urge to run to the nearest In-N-Out. Temporarily at least. =P

The pasta salad conjured up the good 'ol days living in Japan. Though I'm sure they substituted Kewpie mayo for something else. And the daikon fries were excellent. Definitely one of those, "What the heck? I can easily make this at home!" dishes, but then again do you really want to deal with the oily mess?

By nature, Japanese food is prepared without dairy products, or at least with ingredients which can easily be substituted for vegan products without subtracting from taste. I really hope more health-conscious people find this place so that they'll know that vegan really can be an enjoyable experience.

Casa de Tree
3741 Motor Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
http://www.casadetree.com/

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In Other News

There's other ways to eat wakame.

Bento: My Second Attempt

My friend built me a new computer so in gratitude I made him a bento. AnnatheRed inspired my modest creations. Her blog goes into detail on how to make each component, though instead of cheese I stuck with white kamaboko.

I learned how to make the chickadees from her, as well as the makkurokurosuke (dust bunny), and the mini-totoro. Oh, and the big Totoro, too. =P

The chickens are mourning the loss of the poached egg. Underneath is a mound of oyakodon mixture.

AnnatheRed is an amazingly prolific blogger. She makes bento-making look easy, but believe me it'll suck your life away if you let it. These two boxes alone took 3 hours from start to finish. Totoro's mouth refused to cooperate, and the meatballs I cooked had mysterious slipped off the stove and onto the ground. By the end, I was deliriously gnawing on a sheet of roasted seaweed.

If I should ever make you a bento, consider yourself special.

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In Other News:

Did anyone check out the going-out-of-business sale at Famima's WehHo branch?

My first attempt at a bento.

And now a word from Evan Kleiman...

Subscribe: KCRW.com/join
Or Call: 1-800-600-KCRW

Phoenix (San Gabriel Valley)

(taro, warm coconut milk, and black rice)

It's getting chilly again in Los Angeles. The last time it felt like winter, I began frequenting a lil dessert shop called Phoenix where they sell hot, soupy desserts with bits of soft taro, red bean and an intriguing 'forbidden black rice' ($2.50). It's mildly sweet and soothes the tummy nicely after a greasy Chinese dinner. Frankly, I've turned into an addict. Dare I say, it's my new Pinkberry. Though I'll probably get flack from people who'll claim their Chinatown grandma makes better. Unfortunately, my grandma only bakes tofu pie, so soupy dessert is new territory for me.

Phoenix carries an arsenal of other Asian desserts including mango-soy custard, mochi balls, almond jello, milk tea -- each for only a couple dollars. When economic times calls for a strict tightening of the belt I'll be happy to do my part with these unassuming edibles.

Phoenix

31 E. Valley Blvd.

Alhambra, CA 91801

(626) 284-2388

and

712 W. Las Tunas Dr.
San Gabriel, CA 91776

626-289-9888

Final Sale @ Mitsuwa Little Tokyo

It's been a buying frenzy this week at Little Tokyo's Mitsuwa market with modest markdowns on selected items like candy, fruits and instant ramen. They're closing for good on Jan. 25 -- or maybe not?? One thing for sure, the three-floor shopping center has a new owner and many of the long-empty storefronts are now displaying brightly colored "LEASED" signs.

Starting Monday, Jan. 19, Mitsuwa's sale jumps to 50% on all items storewide. (It's gonna get crazy.) Walking up and down the aisles this week, I couldn't help but notice all the unfamiliar faces. Not that I'm a regular, but whenever I'm there -- once a month or so -- I see only Japanese ex-pat moms, packs of anime geeks or feeble grandmas. Seeing all the new people made me think, "Where've you been all this time?" I mean, maybe they really didn't know this place existed until they read about its closing in the LA Times ...ya think?

Happy New Year!

Japanese people aren't religious folks but come New Years we put our faith in the auspicious snapper fish, also known as tai. Reason being, "O-me-de-tai" means "happy occasion," and since the tai is in there you're supposed celebrate happy days with a snapper. Umm yeah, it's a stretch; undoubtedly some Tsukiji fishermonger was looking to make a sale.


So there's the real fish and then there's the red bean cake shaped like a fish. It's called a tai-yaki and I found them grilling on a hot plate in San Francisco's J-town over my New Years vacation. It being the first time I'd been to the Norcal neighborhood I found the area charmingly old school with bits of nouveau Japanese flair. Next door was a crepe shop run by husky Japanese men I could've sworn I saw in a yakuza movie. Across the way was a store that sold nothing but car air fresheners.

On New Years eve, Mifune was my best option for carrying out those other deeply ingrained traditions. I had a hot bowl of soba (eat it and you'll live forever, I swear) topped with chicken and egg flower.
I sped back home on New Years day because my grannies were preparing a feast. Without me, it would've been just them and enough food to feed an entire nursing home, so I got there as fast as I could. Here was the menu:

The auspicious inari sushi...

the auspicious seki-han...

the questionably auspicious oden...

the somewhat auspicious but very obligatory plate of kamaboko,
sweet egg cake, yokan, shrimp and boiled vegetables...

a hot pot of healthy goodness...

...and the Super highly auspicious and very delicious snapper fish.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!


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In other news...

Mitsuwa in Little Tokyo is closing Jan. 25 ;;

Merry Christmas Cake!

I bought this one at Nijiya for $21. Even though they take pre-orders, there's always a bunch still sitting in the fridge come Christmas day. It wasn't bad, but I know I can bake a cake far more moist. So I removed the decorations and stashed them into my kitchen drawer. Next year: homemade Christmas cake!!!! *\(~^o^~)/

Harry's Cafe (Gardena)

All this can be yours for $7.50. It's the whopping Jr.-size version of Harry's Mixed Plate: fried chicken, char siu pork, tender spare ribs and fried wonton over a bed of white rice and accompanied by a scoop of macaroni salad; flavorful, juicy and not too greasy like your some of your other Hawaiian food chains.

Seems this hole-in-the-wall joint recently opened. Before it was The Loft. Before that it was the beloved Harry's Aloha Chop Suey Cafe. I can only assume it's the same Harry, coming out of retirement.

~~Comfort food at its best~~


Harry's Cafe
1721 W. Redondo Beach Blvd.
Gardena, CA 90247
(310) 324-4231

Open daily 11 am to 8 pm

Osteria Mozza (Los Angeles)

Ricotta cheese, tampenade and basil on a crostini - complements of the chef

Thankfully, this is as decadent as it gets for me; a late-night supper with my three girlfriends at Osteria Mozza. A few appetizers, salad, pasta and dessert came out to just over 40 bucks. Not bad for a Michelin-approved hot spot.

For each of our birthdays we have a tradition of getting dolled up and having a fancy dinner at a restaurant of the lucky girl's choice. Though somehow this year we forgot we had aged and before we knew it December had arrived without a celebration on record. So what to do? Pummel ourselves further into debt with a whirlwind round of high-dining? Naw. We decided on the most practical thing; choose one place and go dutch.

Butter Lettuce with hazelnuts, bacon, gorgonzola dolce & concord grapes $14

Our reservation was on a Friday night at 9:45 pm. It was either that or at 6 pm when two of us would still be in rush-hour traffic (The other would be in naptime). Once we arrived it took another 15 minutes for a table to open up. Even at 10:30 pm the place was still packed as our humble waiter kept scurrying to each party, apologizing for every minor delay. These past few months I've seen bustling LA eateries transform into post-apocalyptic backdrops. Osteria Mozza is a testament that if you cater to the right crowd you'll be just fine.

(Above) The gorgonzola was mild and sinfully creamy. Along with the crisp hazelnuts and lettuce, it was a nice way to start off our meal.

Burrata with bacon & grilled asparagus $15

A friend of mine says that burrata is the poor man's mozarella. If that's the case, I'll take it any day.

Garganelli with ragú Bolognese $18

This pasta is similar to penne, only a little bigger and thinner. In this town, it's a treat to come across homemade pasta -- kinda like finding a quarter in the backseat of your car. The bolognese sauce was good but I've had better in New York. If anyone can point me to the best bolognese in LA, please let me know.

Maccheroni alla Chitarra with guanciale, tomato & spicy pickled peppers $17

Fresh Ricotta & Egg Raviolo with browned butter $18

If you like things on the slightly heavy, get this. It won't disappoint.

Rosemary Olive Oil Cakes
with olive oil gelato & rosemary brittle $11

Good things come in dainty packages.

Osteria Mozza

6602 Melrose Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90038

(323) 297-0100

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In Other News...

For one month two California teachers decided to eat off just a dollar a day, just for the heck of it.

Read how they did it.

(hint: lots of oatmeal)

6x6x6 photo tag

Okay, I was just tagged by my friend and an AMAZING MUSICIAN Paul Dateh, whose first album comes out next month. I was told to post the 6th photo on the 6th page of my flickr account. I only have three pages so I've decided to just post my 6th photo. It's of my nephew in Japan (the non-breaded side of the family). Isn't he cute~~!?

I'll personally inform the people I tag.

Over and out.

Kogi BBQ taco truck (Westwood, Hollywood and beyond)

I heard something interesting today from an entrepreneurial guru. He said that although the national economy may be in shambles, Silicon Valley isn't going down with it. That's because innovation is the entrepreneur's strong suit. They roll with the punches far better than the big three in Michigan, and besides that, they're attuned to what people want.

So when I caught word that a taco truck was going around the town packing Korean BBQ meat into tortillas and keeping customers in tow via Twitter, I thought, cool. That's entrepreneurship for you. It's a brilliant use of new media; letting people know things like your exact location ("Running a bit late. Be at UCLA by 8:30"), what the day's specials are ("sesame leaf vegan taco with asian pear and pomegranite"), and simply maintaining an open flow of communication with customers ("Thanks for waiting, The line was crazy last night!") Check out their Twitters here.


I tried each of the five tacos a la Korea available tonight: 1) short rib, 2) spicy pork, 3) chicken, 4) tofu, and 5) their special vegan mix wrapped in a sesame leaf the size of a large man's hand. At $2 a pop, they made for a tasty and unbelievably filling meal. My favorite was the spicy pork which got me a little sniffly (though I'm weak-sauce). They all run on the tangy-saucy side with the chicken being a tad sweet, but on a cold night out of a Hollywood club I can't imagine anything better than this.

special of the day: Vegan taco

One thing not listed on the menu is their Korean BBQ slider. Didn't try it but it's definitely on my list for next time.

In the News:

Jonathan Gold's take on the Kogi craze here.