While teaching about the arrival of Buddhism to China, it would be interesting to introduce students to the concept of religion and vegetarianism, discussing why some monks and other followers decide to become vegetarians and the long tradition of vegetarian cooking in China. There is a delicious Chinese restaurant in Monterey Park named Happy Family Vegetarian Restaurant (111 N. Atlantic Blvd., #351 on third floor, Monterey Park, CA 91754) that specializes in this tradition, cooking up all sorts of mock or imitation meats, including duck, chicken, squid, fish, beef, and shrimp (among many others I have yet to try). I would love to bring a couple of dishes of various "meats" for my students to sample so they can see how creating these imitation meats truly is an art form.
The 11 Feb San fernando Valley Edition of the Daily News had an article about a 10-course meal dinner parry in Bangkok, Thailand. For $25,000 a person, you got treated to some nice grub from internation chefs. While the proceeds are for charity, I can tell you that the food stalls on the streets of Thailand re probably much tastier (and cheaper) than whatever the hotle patrons were served!
Being raised eating nori, like it was candy: I find it hard to believe when others don't feel the same why I do. Nori comes in different flavors, but it is seaweed. There is the nori that is just dry with no flavoring: this nori is used tradionally for sushi, one needs to prepar the tsu(mixture of vinegar and sugar) or sushi rice vinegar and wet the nori with this before rolling the rice, nori that is lightly season and roasted, nori that is salted (Korean: delicious when wrapped around hot rice, what we Japanese in Hawaii refer to as musubi or rice ball), nori season with shoyu and sugar: so it is sweet, and of course many people in Hawaii love the spam musubi, with the nori wrapped around fried season spam and rice. As a little girl, my grandmother would put the dry nori over the range to make it crispy. Nori is very good for the hair and complexion, that is why Japanese women have beautiful, strong black hair.[Edit by="cori on Mar 19, 10:04:23 PM"][/Edit]
The sixth graders at my school go to Chinatown for a fieldtrip. I think that a fieldtrip that involves eating at an authentic restuarant would be okay with the school district. It is useful to scout out the area and the menus beforehand. You might even ask the restuarant if you can preorder so that waiting time is minimal. Students might also do a little research on some of the ethnic foods that are offered at the restuarant beforehand.
This is in response to Leticia Garcia's excellent post on the Happy Family Restaurant in Monterey Park. I've never eaten at Happy Family, although I've talked to people who have and they invariably give it a rave review. However, I am quite familiar with Vegetable Delight, a vegan Chinese restaurant that seems to be an exact San Fernando Valley counterpart to Happy Family. It is close to where I live in the unfashionably unhip North Valley community of Granada Hills and my wife and I eat there on a regular basis and often get take-out when we're too busy to dine properly. (In fact, after every Tuesday-night East Asia seminar I have come home to take-out from Vegetable Delight, a ritual I will miss now that the seminar meetings are officially over.)
Vegetable Delight is at 17823 Chatsworth Street in Granada Hills, near the intersection of Chatsworth and Zelzah Avenue, about a block north of Granada Hills High School and not that many blocks north of the CSUN campus. There is limited parking in back but always plenty of street parking in front, as Granada Hills is never quite Beverly Hills, not even on Friday and Saturday nights. You see CSUN students dining at Vegetable Delight, along with dedicated vegans who drive in from all over the Valley and even points distant as Hollywood, and no wonder. The food is astonishingly delicious and creative, with all the ingenious mock-meat variations described by Leticia in her post on Happy Valley, and then some. One of our favorites is a type of Chinese hot-pot called saquo, a thick soup of Chnese black mushrooms (aka shiitake), vegetables and roast duck (vegan-duck, of course). It comes in a flame-heated bowl, or not, as you choose. We eschew the flame, a choice recommended strongly for those teachers dining with students. (A member of my Academic Decathlon team, a senior no less, spilled a bit of hot soup on his finger while goofing off with the revolving service platform at our traditional post-Super-Quiz dinner.) Note to browsers of Vegetable Delight's extensive multiple-page menu: saquo appears under the misleading heading of "Casseroles," where a number of types are available, including a vegan version of shark fin soup! Peking Duck is also a recommended dish (Beijing Duck in pinyin), along with roast duck and kung pao duck. The vegan shrimp, in an amazing triumph of trompe gout, tastes incredibly like the real shellfishy thing. You can get it kung pao or stir-fried or in a sweet-and-sour version called sweet pungent shrimp (actually "sweet pageant shrimp," an even better name, as it is spelled in the delightful menu). The appetizers are varied and marvelous, including everything from cold squid and Szechuan wontons to chicken drumsticks and ham salad. Traditional favorites such as beef and broccoli and sweet-and-sour pork are expertly done, and the orange chicken is so good that my sixteen-year-old niece, who eats the real thing at Panda Express all the time, says she can't really tell the difference. Indeed, Vegetable Delight is one place you can take your most carnivorous friends and never hear any complaints about "vegetarian rabbit food." And while brown rice is abundantly available and ordered by the discerning, white rice is availabe as well for die-hard polished-grain fanatics. You can even get Tsingpao beer, although it's much inferior to the excellent jasmine tea poured from bottomless pots. The desert menu is limited but delectable, including soy ice cream and a large variety of raw "ice-cream" pies made from cashews, almonds, etc. (The coconut and key-lime versions are especially esculent.)
Vegetable Delight has been around since 1993, owned and operated by a delightful Taiwanese couple, Bill and his wife Li, who will cook your food and serve it to you with grace and charm (sometimes, on busy nights, assisted by their son and daughter, the latter a UCLA grad and now a medical student). The ambience is wonderful, with spacious booths and tables placed so that you don't have to dine with other guests crowding your elbow, and soothing Chinese music to set the mood. Bill and Li are very accomodating when it comes to large groups, making it a great place to take students. And the inexpensive prices make it affordable for most students and even for some teachers who want to go crazy and pick up the tab. In addition to taking Academic Decathlon teams to Vegetable Delight after the televised UCLA Super Quiz, I have hosted post-production parties for the Monroe Drama Club. Students love Vegetable Delight. One of my favorite memories is of a Decathlete who was born and raised in China, Zhou Qingan (or Quin Zhou, as she calls herself), reading the Mandarin characters as she got out of the car, letting us all know that the real name of Vegetable Delight is "Heavenly Aromatic Vegetarian Restaurant"--not a bad name for the best vegan Chinese place in the Valley.
Leigh Clark Monroe High School[Edit by="lclark on Jun 11, 10:39:54 PM"][/Edit]
Several posts have dealt with nori, the Japanese form of dried laver that is encountered most commonly by most Californians in the form of the dark green-black strips wrapped around sushi cut rolls (Californnia roll, spicy tuna et al.) or shaped into small cornucopia-type horns for holding the rice and other ingredients of hand rolls. Virtually all the nori used in sushi bars is toasted first. You can can toast your own nori by holding a sheet about three to four inches above a gas flame for a few seconds. It will turn from black to a dark emerald color as it toasts. (It can catch fire easily; so watch out.) You can also buy it already toasted, usually in packages labeled Sushi Nori. (Eden, the macrobiotic foods company out of Michigan, makes an especially declicious brand.) Toasted nori is light, crispy and crunchy, nothing like the "vegetarian beef jerky" several posters wrote about. You can use toasted nori to make your own sushi cut rolls at home or wrap several sheets around a small handful of rice to make a rice ball or crumble the nori over rice, soup or salad. But nori is only one of several delectable seaweeds available in certain local restaurants and Asian markets and specialty markets like Whole Foods, Erewhon, Follow Your Heart and, in South Orange County, Mother's.
wakame Wakame is the second most commonly encountered Japanese seaweed in Southhern California, although many diners may not be especially conscious of the fact that they're eating it. Wakame is in virtually every bowl of miso soup you order at a sushi bar or Japanese restaurant (and in many Chinese, Thai and Korean restaurants that now also serve miso soup on a regular basis). To prepare wakame at home you must soak it first for five to ten minutes then drop it into boiling water, reduce the heat and simmer for about fifteen minutes. It adds a subtly distinctive flavor to any soup, not just miso, and chilled and mixed with sliced satsuma tangerines and diced scallions and dressed with sesame oil and brown rice vinegar, it makes a delightful salad.
kombu Kombu is a dried form of kelp, the plant you see growing up from the ocean floor on the glass-bottom boat ride at Catalina (or swim through, if you're a certified scuba diver). Kombu does not have to be soaked before cooking, but, as it is the saltiest of these seaweeds in packaged form, the excess salt should be rinsed off before adding it to soups And if you're one of those old-fashioned types who still cooks dried beans at home, kombu is far superior to bay leaf in subduing the hard-to-digest (i.e., gaseous) aspect of beans. Just drop a strip of kombu into a pot of simmering beans and the finished product will turn out smooth and digestible. The kombu itself becomes thick and gelatinous and can be eaten along with the beans or fished out and served with shoyu (soy sauce) as a side dish.
hijiki Hijiki (also spelled hiziki) is the king of the seaweeds, unbelievably tasty, with a soft-firm texture unique unto itself. This is one seaweed that is hard to find at restaurants, Japanese or otherwise. I first tried it at Gen-mai, of blessed memory, the macrobiotic sushi bar and restaurant named for brown rice that used to be several blocks north of Ventura Boulevard on Van Nuys Boulevard in a Sherman Oaks pod mall, right next to the Pineapple Hill Saloon. Affter becoming hooked at first bite, I tried to find hijiki at other Japanese restaurants. I even asked the old man who used to serve noodle dishes at Tokyo House in the pre-Grove Farmer's Market if he had any hijiki. He threw his head back and laughed and said that if I wanted to eat hijiki, I would have to come to his house. You can find hijiki at Inaka, the spectacular Japanese macrobiotic restaurant (and subject of a forthcoming post in this thread), at E and E Restaurant at the corner of Reseda Boulevard and Nordhoff Street near the CSUN campus, at Oiwake, an all-you-can-eat restaurant in the Japanese Village in Little Tokyo, and, or so am I told, at a very few select sushi bars catering to a mostly Japanese clientele. Otherwise, you have to make it at home. Start with a good brand of hijiki, pre-cut fine (Ohsawa is the best, Eden a good substitute). Soak the hijiki at least ten minutes (fifteen to twenty is better), then drain the soaking water and simmer the hijiki for fifteen to twenty minutes in a small amount of water with shoyu (soy sauce) and mirin (Japanese rice cooking wine) for seasoning. After cooking, chill it and serve it plain or seasoned with gomasio (a Japanese condimennt of mixed salt and toasted sesame seeds). You can eat hijiki with a fork, but that is really a desecration. It needs and deserves wooden chopsticks (plain, not lacquered).
arame Arame looks a lot like hijiki when cooked, but, at least to my taste, it is definitely inferior to its look-alike cousin. Arame has a heavier, slightly more bitter taste, too much yang, compared with the light yin touches of hijiki. However, it's still very good, if you like seaweed, although even harder to find at restaurants than hijiki. Real Foods Daily in West LA on La Cienega near the Beverly Center makes a very good arame side dish. (There are two other RFD locations, one in Beverly Hills and one in Santa Monica, but I have no eaten in either one, although I imagine that they, too, serve arame.) If you decide to make Arame at home, prepare and serve it as you would hijiki.
Seaweeds are rich in iodine, of course, but also other important minerals. Hijiki, for example, contains more calcium than milk! (Got hijiki?) But most importantly, seaweeds just taste great.
Leigh Clark Monroe High School [Edit by="lclark on Jun 13, 5:31:19 PM"][/Edit] [Edit by="lclark on Jun 13, 5:33:17 PM"][/Edit] [Edit by="lclark on Jun 19, 3:49:37 PM"][/Edit]
Los Angeles and San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival
This year I attended the LA Chinese New Year festival for the first time. It was an amazing celebration! The main attraction was definitely the parade. It was filled with marching bands, martial arts demonstrations, lion dancers, and best of all the dragon dancers. The LA Parade also featured some local Chinese Celebrities. One of the celebrities was from the show CSI. What really surprised me about this celebration was seeing the streets lined with spectators from all cultural backgrounds. I used to think that this was a just a Chinese cultural event but now I realize it is a celebration for all. Toward the grandstand area there were many carnival booths selling all sorts of Chinese cuisine and merchandise. It seemed as if everyone enjoyed the festivities that day. My most favorite part of the day was browsing the many shops in Chinatown. The town is filled with herb, tea, and trinket shops. It also has live poultry shops! A couple weeks later I was fortunate enough to experience the San Francisco New Year Festival as well. I heard some where that the SF Chinese New Year celebration was the largest outside of China. I believe it! The SF celebration was much larger than the one in LA. The Chinatown in San Francisco is much larger than the one in LA. This parade was filled with many more lion and dragon dancers, marching bands, dancers, and floats, and fireworks galore! The parade lasted over 4 hours and the finale dragon was over 100 people long! After the parade my family and I had a late dinner at Sam Wo Chinese restaurant. This 100 year old restaurant is in a narrow, character filled building. It is 3 stories tall and you have to walk through the kitchen to be seated. This fun filled, affordable restaurant has become a family tradition. If you ever get a chance to experience the San Francisco New Years parade I recommend Sam Wo’s.
John Yamazaki
[Edit by="jyamazaki on Jul 12, 9:32:05 AM"][/Edit]
If you want great sushi made in a family-owned restaurant, and don't want to go far I would recommend Honda's (next to Best Buy on PCH). Mr. Honda is so sweet and takes the time to get to know each client. I went with people who have been going there for 10 years. The food is delicious as well. The only problem is that it is located in a strip mall, but once you go there, you will be so into the food and ambiance that it won't bother you!
Another great sushi place is Bonsai Beach on Hermosa Avenue and about 8th street in Hermosa Beach. The sushi is so fresh! The selection is great, but they don't always have everything on the menu. I would rather have it that way, though, because it tells you they don't order a ton and then use it the following day. Also, I would recommend going on a weekday. That way you can sit at the bar and talk to the sushi chefs. It is not crowded. They also have a Benihana-type room if you prefer.
As a high school teacher today I am so amazed to find that sushi is one of the favorite foods among students! I am surprised because sushi has become the cool/ hip food. Everyone seems to have some kind of exposure to it. Times have surely changed. I remember in elementary school when my mom would pack me sushi. My friends would point and stare at my ethnic cuisine. They would think I was strange for eating anything wrapped in seaweed. Seems like now students would love to have a sushi lunch. There are so many assignment possibilities associated with ethnic cuisine. Students can research a culture and with it bring in a food from the culture they research. This is great for classes such as history, geography, language, etc. For sushi I recommend the restaurant KABUKI. It is a hip sushi chain with real affordable prices. I went out with a group of 4 and we all ate well for about $60. We really enjoyed ourselves.
When I was student teaching in a rural Northern California farm town, I covered a unit on China with my third grade class. The unit came about as an adjunct course of study as the students were reading Mulan in the District adopted reading text. Over the course of the unit, I really wanted to expose my students to aspects of Chinese culture other than those they saw at the on local Chinese restaurant or in the popular media. So I gave all kinds of zany things a try. We worked on Caligraphy, made clay soldier statues, disected a silk worm chrysali, and even managed to make some Chinese food--I mean I couln't study China and not let them know that there was more to Chinese food that half-and-half with orange or lemon chicken, broccoli beef, roast pork, and egg rolls. The kids really enjoyed this, and what was more I made the food as part of a math lesson on multipication.
For statrters, I choose something simple--noodles in seasame sauce with green snow peas. The recipe was right there in the literature text, so I figured why not. As printed the recipe served four. I presented the class with the recipe, and told them we'd make it together if they could figure out how to expand the recipe to feed the entire class. As part of the assignment, they were to develop a strategy to expand the recipe, check to see if their stategy produced reasonable results, and then create a poster that explained the strategy they used to expand the recipe. I reminded them to try and think of a way of using patterns to help them in their task. For the most part the class simply added the ingredients several times until they got the desired result, but one of the five groups of four used a skip counting approach. Building from the two strategies we had a nice discussion on the benefits of each strategy. I then gave a brief introduction of multiplication--then we meassured our ingradients, made the dish, and ate together as a class. The lesson was a hit, and students saw first hand the practical application of being able to multiply.
Asian food as part of your curiculum is a good way to increase student motivation and interest. The kids loved working on the problem, and in their stuggle to accomplish their task, they learned not only to appreciate a bit of Asian culure, but also to appreciate the wonders of multiplication
Brothers Sushi in Woodland Hills is also very highly regarded. It is located on Ventura Blvd., close to De Soto, on the South side of the street. Reasonably priced, with an awesome array of fresh sushi that is expertly prepared. The place is not much to look at from the outside, but it is a local favorite. Has a great selection of sake and imported Asian beers, and if you happen to be there at the right time you will witness the wild fighting between the owner/chef and his wife/hostess. Great fun for the entire family. One night he threatened to throw his knife at her...you had to be there.
PHO: (Faa) a delicious Vietnamese Noodle Dish that is available widely in US. But, did you know the history of Pho. Check out the article below for more info...
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The Evolution of Pho Soup Rooted in Vietnam Becomes Americanized
By Andrea Q. Nguyen Special to the Mercury News
Ask someone to name a Vietnamese dish, and he or she will most likely say pho (rhymes with "duh''). Twenty-nine years ago, who would have dreamed that the national soup of Vietnam would be so well embraced in America?
Perhaps it's because Vietnamese emigrants decided to settle all over the United States, and wherever we are, there's sure to be pho. The heady broth, chewy rice noodles, sweet spices and scintillating herbs provide comfort in a bowl.
Long confined to Vietnam and immigrant communities, pho is becoming the most popular Asian noodle soup in the United States. Check the phone book for pho in Santa Clara and San Jose and you'll find more than 25 listings, including mom-and-pop operations and the prolific Pho Hoa franchises. One Southern California chain, Pho 2000, caters specifically to beef-loving Korean-Americans.
Pho has changed much during its nearly 100-year history. At its birth, pho was basically just boiled beef, noodles and broth. Inventive cooks then developed the raw beef version (pho bo tai) and chicken pho (pho ga), and during wartime when beef was scarce, they made pork pho (pho lon). Though these and other variations exist, most people define pho as a beefy affair.
American bowls of pho are about 30 percent bigger than what's found at a street-side joint in Vietnam. Also, American pho restaurants regularly offer diners myriad options to personalize their bowls: raw beef, cooked beef (such as brisket, flap or outside flank), tendon, tripe and meatballs.
This fanciful display is a reflection of America's wealth. That is, we have options here -- an uncommon luxury in Vietnam; in fact, if you're low on money in Vietnam you may order a less-expensive bowl without meat.
On a 2003 trip to Vietnam, I didn't get many choices. At a stall in Ho Chi Minh City's famous Cho Ben Thanh market, I ordered a bowl with chewy beef tendon and was told there was none that day -- just cooked and raw beef. All one extremely busy spot in Hanoi offered was pho with cooked beef. True to the purist northern tradition, the pho was steamy hot, and no leafy garnish plate appeared. But it was one of the best I'd ever eaten. Like the locals, I sat crouched on a tiny stool and slurped up every bit. When the bowl was empty, I happily paid 11,000 dong (about 60 cents) and departed with a beefiness that lingered on my lips all afternoon.
What makes pho universally loved? Sacramento restaurateur, chef and cookbook author Mai Pham points out that Vietnamese food offers an appealing flavor profile to the U.S. palate: "Most of the ingredients are very familiar. It's fresh and not so spicy. Visually it's easy to see. It's not mysterious.'' A smart businesswoman with foresight, Pham partnered with StockPot, a Campbell Soup Co. subsidiary in Seattle, to develop a commercial pho broth. Though made of chicken, the broth contains the bold spice notes and sweet-salty flavors found in typical beef pho. At San Jose State University, Executive Chef Jay Marshall uses the StockPot product at an Asian noodle soup bar where diners get to pick and choose from an array of rice noodles, vegetables, herbs and protein. Because there are plenty of pho shops near campus, the chef decided to use the product to offer a more non-traditional bowl of pho. "Our students love it,'' Marshall says. "People across the board eat it. It's not tied to any nationality.'' How pho came to be is a murky issue. While scholars, cooks and diners agree that pho was invented in the early part of the 20th century in northern Vietnam, no one is certain of the specifics.
Pham recalls that in the late 1990s, when she first returned to Vietnam to do research, she found that there wasn't much written or documented on pho. In gathering oral histories from elders, she concluded that the noodle soup came from Hanoi and was influenced by both Chinese and French traditions.
Last year pho's mysterious beginnings were debated and investigated at several events in Hanoi. At one seminar, the discussion focused on the word itself. Some proposed that "pho'' was a Vietnamese corruption of the French feu (fire), as in the classic boiled dinner pot-au-feu, which the French colonialists introduced to Vietnam.
In a follow-up publication, seminar organizer Didier Corlou, executive chef of the Sofitel Métropole hotel in Hanoi, noted that charring the onion and ginger for pho broth is similar to the French method of adding roasted onion to pot-au-feu for extra brown coloring. This use of charred ingredients is one thing that sets pho apart from other Asian noodle soups. As for the birthplace of pho, a couple of theories point to Nam Dinh province, southwest of Hanoi. One argument is that ingenious cooks in Nam Dinh City (once a major textile center) satisfied the gastronomic desires of Vietnamese and French residents by inventing the dish using local ingredients (e.g., rice noodles) and adding du boeuf for a bit of foreign extravagance. (Before the French occupation, cows in Vietnam were cherished work animals, not food sources.)
Another theory attempted to trace pho to the small impoverished village of Van Cu in Nam Dinh province. During the 20th century, as a means of survival, nearly all Van Cu villagers turned to making and peddling pho 50 miles away in Hanoi. Consequently, many pho vendors in the capital today are from that village.
In 1954, under the Geneva Accords, Vietnam was split in two. To avoid communism, many northerners migrated southward, bringing their pho culture with them. In democratic South Vietnam, pho made a brash turn away from its conservative northern traditions. It was embellished with more of everything -- meat, noodles and broth. The practice of garnishing pho with bean sprouts, ngo gai (thorny cilantro), hung que (Thai/Asian basil) and lime was introduced. Diners also started adding tuong (bean sauce/hoisin sauce) directly to their bowls. This freewheeling, adulterated incarnation reflected the southern Vietnamese penchant for eating wildly complicated food and lots of it. Then, as now, northern pho purists reacted with horror, decrying the loss of authenticity. Though philosophically liberating, tinkering with the sacred broth was an affront to strict northern cooks, whose pride and reputation rested in crafting a well-balanced bowl. Even today, what many Americans identify as the requisite pho garnish plate is hard to find in Hanoi. For purists like my northern-born mom, only "pho bac'' (northern pho) will do. Whether you enjoy your next bowl of pho at home, in a restaurant or at a noodle bar, you'll be part of a special culinary and cultural transformation. Like many ethnic foods introduced to this country, part of pho will forever remain rooted in Vietnam while its future unfolds at the American table.
Posted Wed, June 9, 2004, copyright San Jose Mercury News
I was out with my sister, her husband, and their Japanese friend a couple weeks ago and we were in China town eating dinner. I asked Tomoko about takoyaki and mentioned that I liked these deep-fried balls. Then we got off to talking about Japanese restaurants...That's when I found out...[horrified, blood-curdling scream playing in the background] that teriyaki dishes were considered 'fake' Japanese food!, at least considered fake by Tomoko, the Japanese friend. Wha?
She invited the three of us to go to her house so that we'll get to eat Japanese cuisine. Little did I know that Japanese food does not end with curry, tempura, and sashimi. There's more out there![Edit by="ssamel on Jul 22, 4:49:59 PM"][/Edit]
Well every food that is brought by Immigrant Groups go through some what of an adaptation to an American Taste. Are the Chinese Food (or any ethnic food) that you get in the US, really authentic? I am sure that you can find some authetic restaurant but its hard to find the original version of anything....
Absolutely. Some adapt and some are tailored for acceptance in the new culture. Some dishes never quite make the jump and are found exclusively in the homeland. One of my fondest memories is watching my fellow Canadian teacher "explore the cuisine" on the streets of Seoul after a few hours of revelry. He noticed people eating cartons of what looked like miniature onion rings (very tiny). He stumbled over and paid for a bag of "warmed rings". He started munching on them- "Hey, these aren't bad! Want some?" I shook my head vigorously. The next question was inevitable: "Do you know what these are?" "Oh yeah", I replied. "It is called Tak Rangi." He looked at me with utter incomprehension. "Fried chicken rectums". Boy was he sick! I have yet to see that particular dish make it over to Koreatown.
Just a few days ago I went to Ma's Islamic restaurant with some friends. It was pretty good. All agreed that there was a distinct taste that separated it from regular Chinese fare. The orange chicken was much more spicier and had a curry feel to it. The pot stickers were large, but beef. And the lamb was great. The decor of the restaurant is very nice too. Everyone who went with me, even the two who live in that area were surprised this type of restaurant existed. we all would come again
Recently I went to NBC Seafood Resturant for some Chinese Dim Sum. Although I have been to dim sum often, I was amazed at the variety and food selection. Dim Sum is a very common breakfast or brunch for many Chinese. Translated, the term Dim Sum means :" it touches a bit of the heart." Dim sum consists of a variety of dumplings and sweet buns and pastries. Dim Sum is a great way for the people to get together and talk. That is why it is always so nosy at a chinese restaurant. Dim sum is usually served from 10 am to 1 or 2 pm depending on the Restaurant.
I love food myself. To promote Asian foods in the classroom, last year, I gave an extra credit assignment around the lunar new year where the students had to make a homemade asian themed food item to bring to class for a potluck. I used the largest online contemplation of recipes The students can find most major types of food to make.
I'm chinese and live in the westside of LA. Where is there good "authentic" chinese food without having to drive all the way to SGV? With LA traffic, I can never get out there and am trying to find something good and local. Thanks
Cho-un (I think it's called Evergreen in English) in the big Korean complex on Sherman Way and White Oak. It sells all types of Korean food, but the best is their suhl-lung-tang, which is a soup made of beef broth that has been slow cooked. It's pretty cheap--about $7 for the soup, which includes endless ban-chan (side dishes).
BCD Tofuhouse-This is a chain that has several locations. The one in the Valley is located on Saticoy and Rindley. Their specialty is soon dubu, or soft tofu casserole. Don't let tofu scare you! It's so yummy!
Thanks Judi! I'll keep those in mind the next time I feel like having some Korean food. Anyone have suggestions for Chinese Food in the westside? I personally like Hop Li's on Pico. There's another on San Monica in west LA. Anyone know of others?
Nori (or "Gim" as the Koreans call it) is the paper-like laver that is utilized in making sushi or Gimbap. If you've never had it, it might taste a bit' fishy. But if you like fish, the taste would take on a different tone. Some people have said it tasted like sea-water and others have said it tasted like nothing. It is hard to say whose palate is accurate. There are a varieties of packaged nori--there are salty/sesame oiled nori to sweet nori you can eat like a snack. Many kids at my school love to bring it to school to have it during recess. There are other nori you use strictly for making sushi. These nori do not have any seasoning so the taste can be somewhat like eating a paper that tasted like sea and fish. I recommend trying it for the sake of a cultural experience. When some of my kids tried it for the first time, they could not believe how tasty it was and kept begging me to bring some for them as a regular classroom treats. It all depends on your tastebuds.
For most of my teaching career, food has been an integral part of our classroom experience. I find it amazing that even living in a place such as Los Angeles, with its diverse food selection, many students have not tried a variety of foods. Exposure is the key and for many students, the classroom may be the first time for such an introduction. True, medical conditions prevent some students from ingesting certain types. However, food is universal and a natural diplomat between two "dissimilar" cultures: I recently celebrated the Korean New Year and to share my experience with the students, I brought them some Dduk (a dough pastry many Koreans eat for a long, prosperous life). I gave them the background for the food and had students make some connections about what foods they might think will bring them long life. I told them that the stickiness in the Dduk was somewhat equivalent to having a long stretchy life. When they tried it, most of them liked the taste and were complimentary about it. But what impressed me were the students who tried it and realized that they did not like it--that willingness to try is what make these experiences worthwhile.
During my second year as a District Intern with the LAUSD, I got the opportunity to teach for a week at Le Conte Middle School in North Hollywood. I was to co-teach a regular or general education class of sixth grader. I picked the wsubject on History and Social Studies and I gave a series of lesson on culture, customs and traditions about different countries. I focused on food, traditions and celebrations. I use countries like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, the US, China and the Philippines. Interestingly, while most of the students in that class were born and raised in Los Angeles, they could only name burger, fries and turkey as American staple; they knew burritos and tacos, enchilada for the Hispanics, even the pupusas for the El Salvadorans. For Chinese, the students could only remember noodles. I was lucky that there were three Filipinos in the class and gave the more Filipino popular dishes like adobo, lumpia and pansit. When Friday came, which was my last day with the class, I planned a cultural food presentation. I communicated with the parents of each students and asked them to bring their favorite food from their respective countries. I brought lumpia shanghai (fried Filipino egg roll) and pansit (Filipino noodle). Most of the Hispanics brought dishes I mentioned here. That was my first time to see and eat pupusas. It was an interesting lesson activity which you can try with your History class.
I like many Korean dishes, e.g. beef spare ribs barbecue, tofu dishes and the Kim Chi. My wife and I often go to Tofu Houses to eat Korean dishes. I really like Tofu dishes but I normally stay away from them because of my chronic gouty arthritis. But I like Kim Chi so much that I often stock a jar of it in our fridge. I have a question though on why most Koreans patronize mostly Korean restaurants. I have actually asked this question once to a Korean owner of a Korean restaurant in Westminster Little Saigon. The reply I got had something to do with language. The owner said that Koreans prefer to patronize their own because they can identify the Korean dishes by speaking their language. Is this true, or just the view of one Korean from that part of the Southland? As a Filipino, I also go to Filipino restaurants. But I prefer mostly Vietnamese Pho and Thai dishes as they are less oily. I love Korean dishes for reasons stated above. I used to be a Chinese restaurant habitue until my doctor found out about my hypertension and advised me to stay away from oily foods. I still visit Chinese restaurants occasionally, but when there I often order steamed fish or steamed chicken.
Personal observation: I find that most of the restaurant rated B or C usually have more flavorful food than the A version. I'm not sure what the standards are in stringency -- however, qualifying for A looses something. From talking to friends, we are in a common agreement that if you really want Vietnamese food, goto the B variety for the great price and flavor? Has anyone made that observation?
I read an article a few years ago in the LA times about how health and safety inspectors that give restaurants their "A-F" ratings sometimes do give some ethnic restaurants a little slack when it comes to the preparation of certain dishes. I couldn't find the article online anymore, but the summary of it is that some dishes in Chinese cooking require the meat to start cool or close to room temperature in it's preparation. The requirements for food safety laws is that meat must be kept under a certain temperature at all time before cooking and must remain a minimum of a certain temperature when served. The cooks who want to keep the tradition and have the food taste like it is supposed to be may ignore the health inspectors "demands" of keeping the meat cooler until cooking - giving them a "B" or "C." This may account for the lower health ratings of your favorite restaurants. I know for myself, when I cook at home, I may cook with meat that I left on the counter to warm up before I handle it. It's easier, the spices and sauces you mix in meld better, and I think taste better. Of course a health inspector has never come to my house - I might fail. Yet, I've never been sick from food poisoning from my cooking either.
I've heard a lot about this, too. For Korean places, gim-bab, or duri rolls (I guess you could call it Korean sushi), have been a huge problem. You're not supposed to put it in the refrigerator because the rice will get too hard. However, the health inspectors say that this is unsafe. So I think the compromise has been that Korean places must throw away the duri rolls at the end of the day, which of course is extremely wasteful.
I don't have statistics on how Asian restaurants that serve sushi and sashimi are rated by the State health inspectors. I know that the only two major Asian restaurants that serve these exotic dishes are Japanese and Koreans. Sushi, I think is just sashimi on rice so the fridging of the sashimi hardens the rice but still preserves the raw fish or whatever seafood is on top of the rice. I think people are used to visiting Japanese eateries whenever they look for sushi and/or sashimi. Since this type of dish may not be served for more than a day, is that why they're so expensive? Which has more wastage, Japanese restaurants or Korean restaurants? On the issue of maintaining a certain temperature for meats and other food stuff before cooking them, I know it's not good to cook a frozen meat that is not fully thawed. I came from a family of cooks and I have learned that frozen meat needs full thawing before cooking to achieve the desired taste.
The funny thing is that it is only good for a day, anyway. I've had the unfortunate luck of eating the Korean sushi the day after I purchased it w/o refrigeration--I got a severe stomachache plus, the sushi did not taste right. But I do agree that it is a lot of sushi to waste if they are not sold on the day that it is made.
I understand the safety is important; however, certain foods just don't taste the same if they are prepared to the American standards of grading. I remember going to an A quality restaurant and had a Japanese dish. It didn't have that certain kick -- but then again, I'm not sure if it's the preparation or the ingredients that made the difference in the taste. Someone told me that the inspection for grading is not stringent as they make it out to be. In certain places, the restaurant owner told me that the inspection took less than 10 minutes! Now how does one assess quality in that short of time?
I know that many of you are familiar with cup-o-noodle or instant Ramen. But if you ever have the desire or the curiosity to try a real ramen of Japan, I recommend the noodles houses in Little Tokyo. There are several of them around there and the texture of the noodles are quite different. I did not love noodles until I lived in Japan. Now, I can eat them any time. Let me know if any one has tried them!
I recently had my first Little Tokyo Ramen Experience. I went to Daikokuya, which I guess is well known among ramen fans, especially Jonathan Gold. I didn't really know what to expect. I've only ever eaten instant ramen, so I was a little surprised by the texture of the noodle--it was very chewy. However, once I got used to that, I really started to enjoy it. My one mistake was that I ordered a combo meal, and I was really, really full towards the end. As I was eating it, I couldn't help thinking, I wish I had some kimchi. I need that kick of spiciness whenever I eat something that's even vaguely Asian. So I think I'm going to try Orochon, where apparently you can get spicy ramen.
I've never tried ramen other than the kind you buy at the grocery store. I guess I feel strange ordering a bowl of ramen for $X when I consider it cheap college food. I know the noodles are different and of course what you put on the noodles would change the whole experience, but I still consider it "what I eat when I feel cheap at home." Anyone else?
But Ramen at a Ramen shop is a totally different experience. I'm telling you--it's a different world in the Ramen Haven. Maybe we can arrange a group of us to meet at Little Tokyo for the experience: Kevin, Judi, Amanda, Betsy or anyone interested in going on a Ramen excursion? Then we can even stop by the Japanese Book store to stock on mini-erasers or interesting reads. Any takers?
Oh, this is a fun discussion! I recently went to Daikokuya for the first time, Judi, and waited for 45 minutes for a table on a Friday night. And the noodles were... OK. The shredded cabbage salad was great, though, but probably because it was drenched in dressing.
I'll need to try Orochon, too! Thanks for the recommendation!
I had the same thought when I was eating the Ramen: Kimchi or even some Daikon (Da-Kwang). Daikokuya serves a variety of dishes and you have to try all the different kinds, which I have. As you can tell, I am a noodle affecionado. No, I'm a real foodie. My only complaint about that place is the lack of seating space when you come at night. I like to eat there when it is crowded for the hussle and bussle activity.
I did try Orochonn and it is a great place! What I like there is now you can choose your level of spiciness in the soup base. There's even an atomic spicy level! I have not ventured to that place yet--I think normal or slight spicy is fine. The noodles are great: Complaint, no Kimchi or even Kkakttugi. You end up ordering extra dishes but compensate, like Gyoza, but it is not quite the same. However, it is a great place. (take a small tupperware of kimchi? You know, the white Kimchi so that it does not permeate the smell as much?)
There is another noodle place right below Orochon that I have not tried--I'm a bit' hesitant because there's hardily anyone there. Maybe I'll try it for the sake of trying it.
A thought --Anyone interested in going to Orochon sometime soon for a great experience of noodle sensation? You can choose your spicy meter. Be prepared to sweat. Maybe, we can have a delicious Japanese dessert treat afterwards. Thoughts?
I get a bit perturbed when people call Sushi raw fish (sashimi) and Kimbab, sushi. There are differences. First of all, Sushi is Japanese and it is seaweed and rice rolled up with tuna or various kinds of fish. Sashimi does not have any seaweed and it is fresh fish cut into meticulous slices to be dipped in soy-sauce mixed with horseradish. Kimbab, looks like sushi at first, but the ingredients are different. Unlike sushi, where the rice is prepared with rice vinegar, Kimbab is rolled up rice dish (with no vinegar) with condiments such as spinich, kimchi, meat, o-den, carrots...basically, lots of vegetable and sometimes meat. The taste is quite different and here is the real difference from sushi: It is Korean.
I'd love to go do a Japantown adventure and try out real ramen places. Maybe I'll like something there and it wont make me think of cheap college days again.
Thanks for the info about Japanese Sushi and the Korean form. I've had both and when I first ate the Korean version I immediately knew "something is missing." Other than what was inside mixed with the nori and rice - it's the vinegar. Thanks.
What day would be a good day for this festivity? I'm thinking that with the upcoming Chinese New Year, it would be a perfect time to go for an Asian adventure. I'm sure there will be all kinds of festivities and vendors out there during that time. I've been to the Tofu Festival and it was a blast--I'm sure the New Year's festival will be a fun one as well. Thoughts?
The new years would be a good time for me too. I went to the Tofu Festival for the first time this past summer. It was ok to me. I would have enjoyed it more if it just werent 100 degrees the day I went.
Tell me about the Hot weather. However, the Tofu Festival was special in that I bumped into a friend I have not seen in 10 years! The last time I saw her, we were both living in Japan, probably eating ramen (I'm sure). I thought it was fun--the only thing about these festivals is the mass marketing of products that have nothing to do with food. There were clothing from Nepal and woodcarvings from Khatmandu. I loved the tofu but was a bit' disappointed with the Korean Food section. But maybe this year might be different! I'm hoping. Let's all try to get together for Chinese New Year's Time. Sounds like a blast.
You're right in that there was a lot of food that did not have tofu in it at a Tofu festival. I personally have so many different ways I use tofu in my cooking. Everything from plain old stir fried tofu to tofu enchiladas (which are really yummy). I think the food vendors could have been more creative with using tofu there - or even trying to incorporate it into the food.
Do you have some creative tofu recipes that I can try? I'm always on the hunt for new ideas when it comes to that food -- the Enchiladas sounds yummy. How do you make it, if you don't mind sharing?
While teaching about the arrival of Buddhism to China, it would be interesting to introduce students to the concept of religion and vegetarianism, discussing why some monks and other followers decide to become vegetarians and the long tradition of vegetarian cooking in China.
There is a delicious Chinese restaurant in Monterey Park named Happy Family Vegetarian Restaurant (111 N. Atlantic Blvd., #351 on third floor, Monterey Park, CA 91754) that specializes in this tradition, cooking up all sorts of mock or imitation meats, including duck, chicken, squid, fish, beef, and shrimp (among many others I have yet to try).
I would love to bring a couple of dishes of various "meats" for my students to sample so they can see how creating these imitation meats truly is an art form.
The 11 Feb San fernando Valley Edition of the Daily News had an article about a 10-course meal dinner parry in Bangkok, Thailand. For $25,000 a person, you got treated to some nice grub from internation chefs. While the proceeds are for charity, I can tell you that the food stalls on the streets of Thailand re probably much tastier (and cheaper) than whatever the hotle patrons were served!
Being raised eating nori, like it was candy: I find it hard to believe when others don't feel the same why I do. Nori comes in different flavors, but it is seaweed. There is the nori that is just dry with no flavoring: this nori is used tradionally for sushi, one needs to prepar the tsu(mixture of vinegar and sugar) or sushi rice vinegar and wet the nori with this before rolling the rice, nori that is lightly season and roasted, nori that is salted (Korean: delicious when wrapped around hot rice, what we Japanese in Hawaii refer to as musubi or rice ball), nori season with shoyu and sugar: so it is sweet, and of course many people in Hawaii love the spam musubi, with the nori wrapped around fried season spam and rice.
As a little girl, my grandmother would put the dry nori over the range to make it crispy. Nori is very good for the hair and complexion, that is why Japanese women have beautiful, strong black hair.[Edit by="cori on Mar 19, 10:04:23 PM"][/Edit]
The sixth graders at my school go to Chinatown for a fieldtrip. I think that a fieldtrip that involves eating at an authentic restuarant would be okay with the school district. It is useful to scout out the area and the menus beforehand. You might even ask the restuarant if you can preorder so that waiting time is minimal. Students might also do a little research on some of the ethnic foods that are offered at the restuarant beforehand.
Dim-Sum:
888 Seafood Restaurant is a great place for Dim Sum. I love to go there on the weekends with my parents. Caution: Do get there EARLY!!!
My favorite dish is "Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce.” It’s very fresh, crunchy, and light.
888 Seafood Restaurant
(626) 573-3483
8450 Valley Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770
This is in response to Leticia Garcia's excellent post on the Happy Family Restaurant in Monterey Park. I've never eaten at Happy Family, although I've talked to people who have and they invariably give it a rave review. However, I am quite familiar with Vegetable Delight, a vegan Chinese restaurant that seems to be an exact San Fernando Valley counterpart to Happy Family. It is close to where I live in the unfashionably unhip North Valley community of Granada Hills and my wife and I eat there on a regular basis and often get take-out when we're too busy to dine properly. (In fact, after every Tuesday-night East Asia seminar I have come home to take-out from Vegetable Delight, a ritual I will miss now that the seminar meetings are officially over.)
Vegetable Delight is at 17823 Chatsworth Street in Granada Hills, near the intersection of Chatsworth and Zelzah Avenue, about a block north of Granada Hills High School and not that many blocks north of the CSUN campus. There is limited parking in back but always plenty of street parking in front, as Granada Hills is never quite Beverly Hills, not even on Friday and Saturday nights. You see CSUN students dining at Vegetable Delight, along with dedicated vegans who drive in from all over the Valley and even points distant as Hollywood, and no wonder. The food is astonishingly delicious and creative, with all the ingenious mock-meat variations described by Leticia in her post on Happy Valley, and then some. One of our favorites is a type of Chinese hot-pot called saquo, a thick soup of Chnese black mushrooms (aka shiitake), vegetables and roast duck (vegan-duck, of course). It comes in a flame-heated bowl, or not, as you choose. We eschew the flame, a choice recommended strongly for those teachers dining with students. (A member of my Academic Decathlon team, a senior no less, spilled a bit of hot soup on his finger while goofing off with the revolving service platform at our traditional post-Super-Quiz dinner.) Note to browsers of Vegetable Delight's extensive multiple-page menu: saquo appears under the misleading heading of "Casseroles," where a number of types are available, including a vegan version of shark fin soup! Peking Duck is also a recommended dish (Beijing Duck in pinyin), along with roast duck and kung pao duck. The vegan shrimp, in an amazing triumph of trompe gout, tastes incredibly like the real shellfishy thing. You can get it kung pao or stir-fried or in a sweet-and-sour version called sweet pungent shrimp (actually "sweet pageant shrimp," an even better name, as it is spelled in the delightful menu). The appetizers are varied and marvelous, including everything from cold squid and Szechuan wontons to chicken drumsticks and ham salad. Traditional favorites such as beef and broccoli and sweet-and-sour pork are expertly done, and the orange chicken is so good that my sixteen-year-old niece, who eats the real thing at Panda Express all the time, says she can't really tell the difference. Indeed, Vegetable Delight is one place you can take your most carnivorous friends and never hear any complaints about "vegetarian rabbit food." And while brown rice is abundantly available and ordered by the discerning, white rice is availabe as well for die-hard polished-grain fanatics. You can even get Tsingpao beer, although it's much inferior to the excellent jasmine tea poured from bottomless pots. The desert menu is limited but delectable, including soy ice cream and a large variety of raw "ice-cream" pies made from cashews, almonds, etc. (The coconut and key-lime versions are especially esculent.)
Vegetable Delight has been around since 1993, owned and operated by a delightful Taiwanese couple, Bill and his wife Li, who will cook your food and serve it to you with grace and charm (sometimes, on busy nights, assisted by their son and daughter, the latter a UCLA grad and now a medical student). The ambience is wonderful, with spacious booths and tables placed so that you don't have to dine with other guests crowding your elbow, and soothing Chinese music to set the mood. Bill and Li are very accomodating when it comes to large groups, making it a great place to take students. And the inexpensive prices make it affordable for most students and even for some teachers who want to go crazy and pick up the tab. In addition to taking Academic Decathlon teams to Vegetable Delight after the televised UCLA Super Quiz, I have hosted post-production parties for the Monroe Drama Club. Students love Vegetable Delight. One of my favorite memories is of a Decathlete who was born and raised in China, Zhou Qingan (or Quin Zhou, as she calls herself), reading the Mandarin characters as she got out of the car, letting us all know that the real name of Vegetable Delight is "Heavenly Aromatic Vegetarian Restaurant"--not a bad name for the best vegan Chinese place in the Valley.
Leigh Clark
Monroe High School[Edit by="lclark on Jun 11, 10:39:54 PM"][/Edit]
Several posts have dealt with nori, the Japanese form of dried laver that is encountered most commonly by most Californians in the form of the dark green-black strips wrapped around sushi cut rolls (Californnia roll, spicy tuna et al.) or shaped into small cornucopia-type horns for holding the rice and other ingredients of hand rolls. Virtually all the nori used in sushi bars is toasted first. You can can toast your own nori by holding a sheet about three to four inches above a gas flame for a few seconds. It will turn from black to a dark emerald color as it toasts. (It can catch fire easily; so watch out.) You can also buy it already toasted, usually in packages labeled Sushi Nori. (Eden, the macrobiotic foods company out of Michigan, makes an especially declicious brand.) Toasted nori is light, crispy and crunchy, nothing like the "vegetarian beef jerky" several posters wrote about. You can use toasted nori to make your own sushi cut rolls at home or wrap several sheets around a small handful of rice to make a rice ball or crumble the nori over rice, soup or salad. But nori is only one of several delectable seaweeds available in certain local restaurants and Asian markets and specialty markets like Whole Foods, Erewhon, Follow Your Heart and, in South Orange County, Mother's.
wakame Wakame is the second most commonly encountered Japanese seaweed in Southhern California, although many diners may not be especially conscious of the fact that they're eating it. Wakame is in virtually every bowl of miso soup you order at a sushi bar or Japanese restaurant (and in many Chinese, Thai and Korean restaurants that now also serve miso soup on a regular basis). To prepare wakame at home you must soak it first for five to ten minutes then drop it into boiling water, reduce the heat and simmer for about fifteen minutes. It adds a subtly distinctive flavor to any soup, not just miso, and chilled and mixed with sliced satsuma tangerines and diced scallions and dressed with sesame oil and brown rice vinegar, it makes a delightful salad.
kombu Kombu is a dried form of kelp, the plant you see growing up from the ocean floor on the glass-bottom boat ride at Catalina (or swim through, if you're a certified scuba diver). Kombu does not have to be soaked before cooking, but, as it is the saltiest of these seaweeds in packaged form, the excess salt should be rinsed off before adding it to soups And if you're one of those old-fashioned types who still cooks dried beans at home, kombu is far superior to bay leaf in subduing the hard-to-digest (i.e., gaseous) aspect of beans. Just drop a strip of kombu into a pot of simmering beans and the finished product will turn out smooth and digestible. The kombu itself becomes thick and gelatinous and can be eaten along with the beans or fished out and served with shoyu (soy sauce) as a side dish.
hijiki Hijiki (also spelled hiziki) is the king of the seaweeds, unbelievably tasty, with a soft-firm texture unique unto itself. This is one seaweed that is hard to find at restaurants, Japanese or otherwise. I first tried it at Gen-mai, of blessed memory, the macrobiotic sushi bar and restaurant named for brown rice that used to be several blocks north of Ventura Boulevard on Van Nuys Boulevard in a Sherman Oaks pod mall, right next to the Pineapple Hill Saloon. Affter becoming hooked at first bite, I tried to find hijiki at other Japanese restaurants. I even asked the old man who used to serve noodle dishes at Tokyo House in the pre-Grove Farmer's Market if he had any hijiki. He threw his head back and laughed and said that if I wanted to eat hijiki, I would have to come to his house. You can find hijiki at Inaka, the spectacular Japanese macrobiotic restaurant (and subject of a forthcoming post in this thread), at E and E Restaurant at the corner of Reseda Boulevard and Nordhoff Street near the CSUN campus, at Oiwake, an all-you-can-eat restaurant in the Japanese Village in Little Tokyo, and, or so am I told, at a very few select sushi bars catering to a mostly Japanese clientele. Otherwise, you have to make it at home. Start with a good brand of hijiki, pre-cut fine (Ohsawa is the best, Eden a good substitute). Soak the hijiki at least ten minutes (fifteen to twenty is better), then drain the soaking water and simmer the hijiki for fifteen to twenty minutes in a small amount of water with shoyu (soy sauce) and mirin (Japanese rice cooking wine) for seasoning. After cooking, chill it and serve it plain or seasoned with gomasio (a Japanese condimennt of mixed salt and toasted sesame seeds). You can eat hijiki with a fork, but that is really a desecration. It needs and deserves wooden chopsticks (plain, not lacquered).
arame Arame looks a lot like hijiki when cooked, but, at least to my taste, it is definitely inferior to its look-alike cousin. Arame has a heavier, slightly more bitter taste, too much yang, compared with the light yin touches of hijiki. However, it's still very good, if you like seaweed, although even harder to find at restaurants than hijiki. Real Foods Daily in West LA on La Cienega near the Beverly Center makes a very good arame side dish. (There are two other RFD locations, one in Beverly Hills and one in Santa Monica, but I have no eaten in either one, although I imagine that they, too, serve arame.) If you decide to make Arame at home, prepare and serve it as you would hijiki.
Seaweeds are rich in iodine, of course, but also other important minerals. Hijiki, for example, contains more calcium than milk! (Got hijiki?) But most importantly, seaweeds just taste great.
Leigh Clark
Monroe High School
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Los Angeles and San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival
This year I attended the LA Chinese New Year festival for the first time. It was an amazing celebration! The main attraction was definitely the parade. It was filled with marching bands, martial arts demonstrations, lion dancers, and best of all the dragon dancers. The LA Parade also featured some local Chinese Celebrities. One of the celebrities was from the show CSI. What really surprised me about this celebration was seeing the streets lined with spectators from all cultural backgrounds. I used to think that this was a just a Chinese cultural event but now I realize it is a celebration for all. Toward the grandstand area there were many carnival booths selling all sorts of Chinese cuisine and merchandise. It seemed as if everyone enjoyed the festivities that day. My most favorite part of the day was browsing the many shops in Chinatown. The town is filled with herb, tea, and trinket shops. It also has live poultry shops! A couple weeks later I was fortunate enough to experience the San Francisco New Year Festival as well. I heard some where that the SF Chinese New Year celebration was the largest outside of China. I believe it! The SF celebration was much larger than the one in LA. The Chinatown in San Francisco is much larger than the one in LA. This parade was filled with many more lion and dragon dancers, marching bands, dancers, and floats, and fireworks galore! The parade lasted over 4 hours and the finale dragon was over 100 people long! After the parade my family and I had a late dinner at Sam Wo Chinese restaurant. This 100 year old restaurant is in a narrow, character filled building. It is 3 stories tall and you have to walk through the kitchen to be seated. This fun filled, affordable restaurant has become a family tradition. If you ever get a chance to experience the San Francisco New Years parade I recommend Sam Wo’s.
John Yamazaki
[Edit by="jyamazaki on Jul 12, 9:32:05 AM"][/Edit]
If you want great sushi made in a family-owned restaurant, and don't want to go far I would recommend Honda's (next to Best Buy on PCH). Mr. Honda is so sweet and takes the time to get to know each client. I went with people who have been going there for 10 years. The food is delicious as well. The only problem is that it is located in a strip mall, but once you go there, you will be so into the food and ambiance that it won't bother you!
Another great sushi place is Bonsai Beach on Hermosa Avenue and about 8th street in Hermosa Beach. The sushi is so fresh! The selection is great, but they don't always have everything on the menu. I would rather have it that way, though, because it tells you they don't order a ton and then use it the following day. Also, I would recommend going on a weekday. That way you can sit at the bar and talk to the sushi chefs. It is not crowded. They also have a Benihana-type room if you prefer.
As a high school teacher today I am so amazed to find that sushi is one of the favorite foods among students! I am surprised because sushi has become the cool/ hip food. Everyone seems to have some kind of exposure to it. Times have surely changed. I remember in elementary school when my mom would pack me sushi. My friends would point and stare at my ethnic cuisine. They would think I was strange for eating anything wrapped in seaweed. Seems like now students would love to have a sushi lunch. There are so many assignment possibilities associated with ethnic cuisine. Students can research a culture and with it bring in a food from the culture they research. This is great for classes such as history, geography, language, etc. For sushi I recommend the restaurant KABUKI. It is a hip sushi chain with real affordable prices. I went out with a group of 4 and we all ate well for about $60. We really enjoyed ourselves.
John Yamazaki
When I was student teaching in a rural Northern California farm town, I covered a unit on China with my third grade class. The unit came about as an adjunct course of study as the students were reading Mulan in the District adopted reading text. Over the course of the unit, I really wanted to expose my students to aspects of Chinese culture other than those they saw at the on local Chinese restaurant or in the popular media. So I gave all kinds of zany things a try. We worked on Caligraphy, made clay soldier statues, disected a silk worm chrysali, and even managed to make some Chinese food--I mean I couln't study China and not let them know that there was more to Chinese food that half-and-half with orange or lemon chicken, broccoli beef, roast pork, and egg rolls. The kids really enjoyed this, and what was more I made the food as part of a math lesson on multipication.
For statrters, I choose something simple--noodles in seasame sauce with green snow peas. The recipe was right there in the literature text, so I figured why not. As printed the recipe served four. I presented the class with the recipe, and told them we'd make it together if they could figure out how to expand the recipe to feed the entire class. As part of the assignment, they were to develop a strategy to expand the recipe, check to see if their stategy produced reasonable results, and then create a poster that explained the strategy they used to expand the recipe. I reminded them to try and think of a way of using patterns to help them in their task. For the most part the class simply added the ingredients several times until they got the desired result, but one of the five groups of four used a skip counting approach. Building from the two strategies we had a nice discussion on the benefits of each strategy. I then gave a brief introduction of multiplication--then we meassured our ingradients, made the dish, and ate together as a class. The lesson was a hit, and students saw first hand the practical application of being able to multiply.
Asian food as part of your curiculum is a good way to increase student motivation and interest. The kids loved working on the problem, and in their stuggle to accomplish their task, they learned not only to appreciate a bit of Asian culure, but also to appreciate the wonders of multiplication
the islam workshop we took mentioned muslim/chinese food. that got me very interested so i looked around:
Mas' Islamic Restaurant
601 e. orangethrope ave
aneheim, ca 92801
http://www.ocweekly.com/food/feature-review/moo-shoo-muslim/24593/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/zrh5BDGmPo9UkL4a3CGeoA
Brothers Sushi in Woodland Hills is also very highly regarded. It is located on Ventura Blvd., close to De Soto, on the South side of the street. Reasonably priced, with an awesome array of fresh sushi that is expertly prepared. The place is not much to look at from the outside, but it is a local favorite. Has a great selection of sake and imported Asian beers, and if you happen to be there at the right time you will witness the wild fighting between the owner/chef and his wife/hostess. Great fun for the entire family. One night he threatened to throw his knife at her...you had to be there.
PHO: (Faa) a delicious Vietnamese Noodle Dish that is available widely in US. But, did you know the history of Pho. Check out the article below for more info...
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The Evolution of Pho
Soup Rooted in Vietnam Becomes Americanized
By Andrea Q. Nguyen
Special to the Mercury News
Ask someone to name a Vietnamese dish, and he or she will most likely say pho (rhymes with "duh''). Twenty-nine years ago, who would have dreamed that the national soup of Vietnam would be so well embraced in America?
Perhaps it's because Vietnamese emigrants decided to settle all over the United States, and wherever we are, there's sure to be pho. The heady broth, chewy rice noodles, sweet spices and scintillating herbs provide comfort in a bowl.
Long confined to Vietnam and immigrant communities, pho is becoming the most popular Asian noodle soup in the United States. Check the phone book for pho in Santa Clara and San Jose and you'll find more than 25 listings, including mom-and-pop operations and the prolific Pho Hoa franchises. One Southern California chain, Pho 2000, caters specifically to beef-loving Korean-Americans.
Pho has changed much during its nearly 100-year history. At its birth, pho was basically just boiled beef, noodles and broth. Inventive cooks then developed the raw beef version (pho bo tai) and chicken pho (pho ga), and during wartime when beef was scarce, they made pork pho (pho lon). Though these and other variations exist, most people define pho as a beefy affair.
American bowls of pho are about 30 percent bigger than what's found at a street-side joint in Vietnam. Also, American pho restaurants regularly offer diners myriad options to personalize their bowls: raw beef, cooked beef (such as brisket, flap or outside flank), tendon, tripe and meatballs.
This fanciful display is a reflection of America's wealth. That is, we have options here -- an uncommon luxury in Vietnam; in fact, if you're low on money in Vietnam you may order a less-expensive bowl without meat.
On a 2003 trip to Vietnam, I didn't get many choices. At a stall in Ho Chi Minh City's famous Cho Ben Thanh market, I ordered a bowl with chewy beef tendon and was told there was none that day -- just cooked and raw beef. All one extremely busy spot in Hanoi offered was pho with cooked beef. True to the purist northern tradition, the pho was steamy hot, and no leafy garnish plate appeared. But it was one of the best I'd ever eaten. Like the locals, I sat crouched on a tiny stool and slurped up every bit. When the bowl was empty, I happily paid 11,000 dong (about 60 cents) and departed with a beefiness that lingered on my lips all afternoon.
What makes pho universally loved?
Sacramento restaurateur, chef and cookbook author Mai Pham points out that Vietnamese food offers an appealing flavor profile to the U.S. palate: "Most of the ingredients are very familiar. It's fresh and not so spicy. Visually it's easy to see. It's not mysterious.''
A smart businesswoman with foresight, Pham partnered with StockPot, a Campbell Soup Co. subsidiary in Seattle, to develop a commercial pho broth. Though made of chicken, the broth contains the bold spice notes and sweet-salty flavors found in typical beef pho.
At San Jose State University, Executive Chef Jay Marshall uses the StockPot product at an Asian noodle soup bar where diners get to pick and choose from an array of rice noodles, vegetables, herbs and protein. Because there are plenty of pho shops near campus, the chef decided to use the product to offer a more non-traditional bowl of pho. "Our students love it,'' Marshall says. "People across the board eat it. It's not tied to any nationality.''
How pho came to be is a murky issue. While scholars, cooks and diners agree that pho was invented in the early part of the 20th century in northern Vietnam, no one is certain of the specifics.
Pham recalls that in the late 1990s, when she first returned to Vietnam to do research, she found that there wasn't much written or documented on pho. In gathering oral histories from elders, she concluded that the noodle soup came from Hanoi and was influenced by both Chinese and French traditions.
Last year pho's mysterious beginnings were debated and investigated at several events in Hanoi. At one seminar, the discussion focused on the word itself. Some proposed that "pho'' was a Vietnamese corruption of the French feu (fire), as in the classic boiled dinner pot-au-feu, which the French colonialists introduced to Vietnam.
In a follow-up publication, seminar organizer Didier Corlou, executive chef of the Sofitel Métropole hotel in Hanoi, noted that charring the onion and ginger for pho broth is similar to the French method of adding roasted onion to pot-au-feu for extra brown coloring. This use of charred ingredients is one thing that sets pho apart from other Asian noodle soups.
As for the birthplace of pho, a couple of theories point to Nam Dinh province, southwest of Hanoi. One argument is that ingenious cooks in Nam Dinh City (once a major textile center) satisfied the gastronomic desires of Vietnamese and French residents by inventing the dish using local ingredients (e.g., rice noodles) and adding du boeuf for a bit of foreign extravagance. (Before the French occupation, cows in Vietnam were cherished work animals, not food sources.)
Another theory attempted to trace pho to the small impoverished village of Van Cu in Nam Dinh province. During the 20th century, as a means of survival, nearly all Van Cu villagers turned to making and peddling pho 50 miles away in Hanoi. Consequently, many pho
vendors in the capital today are from that village.
In 1954, under the Geneva Accords, Vietnam was split in two. To avoid communism, many northerners migrated southward, bringing their pho culture with them. In democratic South Vietnam, pho made a brash turn away from its conservative northern traditions.
It was embellished with more of everything -- meat, noodles and broth. The practice of garnishing pho with bean sprouts, ngo gai (thorny cilantro), hung que (Thai/Asian basil) and lime was introduced. Diners also started adding tuong (bean sauce/hoisin sauce) directly to their bowls. This freewheeling, adulterated incarnation reflected the southern Vietnamese penchant for eating wildly complicated food and lots of it.
Then, as now, northern pho purists reacted with horror, decrying the loss of authenticity. Though philosophically liberating, tinkering with the sacred broth was an affront to strict northern cooks, whose pride and reputation rested in crafting a well-balanced bowl.
Even today, what many Americans identify as the requisite pho garnish plate is hard to find in Hanoi. For purists like my northern-born mom, only "pho bac'' (northern pho) will do.
Whether you enjoy your next bowl of pho at home, in a restaurant or at a noodle bar, you'll be part of a special culinary and cultural transformation. Like many ethnic foods introduced to this country, part of pho will forever remain rooted in Vietnam while its future unfolds at the American table.
Posted Wed, June 9, 2004, copyright San Jose Mercury News
I was out with my sister, her husband, and their Japanese friend a couple weeks ago and we were in China town eating dinner. I asked Tomoko about takoyaki and mentioned that I liked these deep-fried balls. Then we got off to talking about Japanese restaurants...That's when I found out...[horrified, blood-curdling scream playing in the background] that teriyaki dishes were considered 'fake' Japanese food!, at least considered fake by Tomoko, the Japanese friend. Wha?
She invited the three of us to go to her house so that we'll get to eat Japanese cuisine. Little did I know that Japanese food does not end with curry, tempura, and sashimi. There's more out there![Edit by="ssamel on Jul 22, 4:49:59 PM"][/Edit]
Cheated????
Well every food that is brought by Immigrant Groups go through some what of an adaptation to an American Taste. Are the Chinese Food (or any ethnic food) that you get in the US, really authentic? I am sure that you can find some authetic restaurant but its hard to find the original version of anything....
Absolutely. Some adapt and some are tailored for acceptance in the new culture. Some dishes never quite make the jump and are found exclusively in the homeland. One of my fondest memories is watching my fellow Canadian teacher "explore the cuisine" on the streets of Seoul after a few hours of revelry. He noticed people eating cartons of what looked like miniature onion rings (very tiny). He stumbled over and paid for a bag of "warmed rings". He started munching on them- "Hey, these aren't bad! Want some?" I shook my head vigorously. The next question was inevitable: "Do you know what these are?" "Oh yeah", I replied. "It is called Tak Rangi." He looked at me with utter incomprehension. "Fried chicken rectums". Boy was he sick! I have yet to see that particular dish make it over to Koreatown.
Just a few days ago I went to Ma's Islamic restaurant with some friends. It was pretty good. All agreed that there was a distinct taste that separated it from regular Chinese fare. The orange chicken was much more spicier and had a curry feel to it. The pot stickers were large, but beef. And the lamb was great. The decor of the restaurant is very nice too. Everyone who went with me, even the two who live in that area were surprised this type of restaurant existed. we all would come again
Recently I went to NBC Seafood Resturant for some Chinese Dim Sum. Although I have been to dim sum often, I was amazed at the variety and food selection. Dim Sum is a very common breakfast or brunch for many Chinese. Translated, the term Dim Sum means :" it touches a bit of the heart." Dim sum consists of a variety of dumplings and sweet buns and pastries. Dim Sum is a great way for the people to get together and talk. That is why it is always so nosy at a chinese restaurant. Dim sum is usually served from 10 am to 1 or 2 pm depending on the Restaurant.
I love food myself. To promote Asian foods in the classroom, last year, I gave an extra credit assignment around the lunar new year where the students had to make a homemade asian themed food item to bring to class for a potluck. I used the largest online contemplation of recipes The students can find most major types of food to make.
I'm chinese and live in the westside of LA. Where is there good "authentic" chinese food without having to drive all the way to SGV? With LA traffic, I can never get out there and am trying to find something good and local. Thanks
Cho-un (I think it's called Evergreen in English) in the big Korean complex on Sherman Way and White Oak. It sells all types of Korean food, but the best is their suhl-lung-tang, which is a soup made of beef broth that has been slow cooked. It's pretty cheap--about $7 for the soup, which includes endless ban-chan (side dishes).
BCD Tofuhouse-This is a chain that has several locations. The one in the Valley is located on Saticoy and Rindley. Their specialty is soon dubu, or soft tofu casserole. Don't let tofu scare you! It's so yummy!
Thanks Judi! I'll keep those in mind the next time I feel like having some Korean food. Anyone have suggestions for Chinese Food in the westside? I personally like Hop Li's on Pico. There's another on San Monica in west LA. Anyone know of others?
Nori (or "Gim" as the Koreans call it) is the paper-like laver that is utilized in making sushi or Gimbap. If you've never had it, it might taste a bit' fishy. But if you like fish, the taste would take on a different tone. Some people have said it tasted like sea-water and others have said it tasted like nothing. It is hard to say whose palate is accurate. There are a varieties of packaged nori--there are salty/sesame oiled nori to sweet nori you can eat like a snack. Many kids at my school love to bring it to school to have it during recess. There are other nori you use strictly for making sushi. These nori do not have any seasoning so the taste can be somewhat like eating a paper that tasted like sea and fish. I recommend trying it for the sake of a cultural experience. When some of my kids tried it for the first time, they could not believe how tasty it was and kept begging me to bring some for them as a regular classroom treats. It all depends on your tastebuds.
For most of my teaching career, food has been an integral part of our classroom experience. I find it amazing that even living in a place such as Los Angeles, with its diverse food selection, many students have not tried a variety of foods. Exposure is the key and for many students, the classroom may be the first time for such an introduction. True, medical conditions prevent some students from ingesting certain types. However, food is universal and a natural diplomat between two "dissimilar" cultures: I recently celebrated the Korean New Year and to share my experience with the students, I brought them some Dduk (a dough pastry many Koreans eat for a long, prosperous life). I gave them the background for the food and had students make some connections about what foods they might think will bring them long life. I told them that the stickiness in the Dduk was somewhat equivalent to having a long stretchy life. When they tried it, most of them liked the taste and were complimentary about it. But what impressed me were the students who tried it and realized that they did not like it--that willingness to try is what make these experiences worthwhile.
During my second year as a District Intern with the LAUSD, I got the opportunity to teach for a week at Le Conte Middle School in North Hollywood. I was to co-teach a regular or general education class of sixth grader. I picked the wsubject on History and Social Studies and I gave a series of lesson on culture, customs and traditions about different countries. I focused on food, traditions and celebrations. I use countries like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, the US, China and the Philippines. Interestingly, while most of the students in that class were born and raised in Los Angeles, they could only name burger, fries and turkey as American staple; they knew burritos and tacos, enchilada for the Hispanics, even the pupusas for the El Salvadorans. For Chinese, the students could only remember noodles. I was lucky that there were three Filipinos in the class and gave the more Filipino popular dishes like adobo, lumpia and pansit. When Friday came, which was my last day with the class, I planned a cultural food presentation. I communicated with the parents of each students and asked them to bring their favorite food from their respective countries. I brought lumpia shanghai (fried Filipino egg roll) and pansit (Filipino noodle). Most of the Hispanics brought dishes I mentioned here. That was my first time to see and eat pupusas. It was an interesting lesson activity which you can try with your History class.
I like many Korean dishes, e.g. beef spare ribs barbecue, tofu dishes and the Kim Chi. My wife and I often go to Tofu Houses to eat Korean dishes. I really like Tofu dishes but I normally stay away from them because of my chronic gouty arthritis. But I like Kim Chi so much that I often stock a jar of it in our fridge. I have a question though on why most Koreans patronize mostly Korean restaurants. I have actually asked this question once to a Korean owner of a Korean restaurant in Westminster Little Saigon. The reply I got had something to do with language. The owner said that Koreans prefer to patronize their own because they can identify the Korean dishes by speaking their language. Is this true, or just the view of one Korean from that part of the Southland? As a Filipino, I also go to Filipino restaurants. But I prefer mostly Vietnamese Pho and Thai dishes as they are less oily. I love Korean dishes for reasons stated above. I used to be a Chinese restaurant habitue until my doctor found out about my hypertension and advised me to stay away from oily foods. I still visit Chinese restaurants occasionally, but when there I often order steamed fish or steamed chicken.
Personal observation: I find that most of the restaurant rated B or C usually have more flavorful food than the A version. I'm not sure what the standards are in stringency -- however, qualifying for A looses something. From talking to friends, we are in a common agreement that if you really want Vietnamese food, goto the B variety for the great price and flavor? Has anyone made that observation?
I read an article a few years ago in the LA times about how health and safety inspectors that give restaurants their "A-F" ratings sometimes do give some ethnic restaurants a little slack when it comes to the preparation of certain dishes. I couldn't find the article online anymore, but the summary of it is that some dishes in Chinese cooking require the meat to start cool or close to room temperature in it's preparation. The requirements for food safety laws is that meat must be kept under a certain temperature at all time before cooking and must remain a minimum of a certain temperature when served. The cooks who want to keep the tradition and have the food taste like it is supposed to be may ignore the health inspectors "demands" of keeping the meat cooler until cooking - giving them a "B" or "C." This may account for the lower health ratings of your favorite restaurants. I know for myself, when I cook at home, I may cook with meat that I left on the counter to warm up before I handle it. It's easier, the spices and sauces you mix in meld better, and I think taste better. Of course a health inspector has never come to my house - I might fail. Yet, I've never been sick from food poisoning from my cooking either.
Kevin,
I've heard a lot about this, too. For Korean places, gim-bab, or duri rolls (I guess you could call it Korean sushi), have been a huge problem. You're not supposed to put it in the refrigerator because the rice will get too hard. However, the health inspectors say that this is unsafe. So I think the compromise has been that Korean places must throw away the duri rolls at the end of the day, which of course is extremely wasteful.
I don't have statistics on how Asian restaurants that serve sushi and sashimi are rated by the State health inspectors. I know that the only two major Asian restaurants that serve these exotic dishes are Japanese and Koreans. Sushi, I think is just sashimi on rice so the fridging of the sashimi hardens the rice but still preserves the raw fish or whatever seafood is on top of the rice. I think people are used to visiting Japanese eateries whenever they look for sushi and/or sashimi. Since this type of dish may not be served for more than a day, is that why they're so expensive? Which has more wastage, Japanese restaurants or Korean restaurants? On the issue of maintaining a certain temperature for meats and other food stuff before cooking them, I know it's not good to cook a frozen meat that is not fully thawed. I came from a family of cooks and I have learned that frozen meat needs full thawing before cooking to achieve the desired taste.
The funny thing is that it is only good for a day, anyway. I've had the unfortunate luck of eating the Korean sushi the day after I purchased it w/o refrigeration--I got a severe stomachache plus, the sushi did not taste right. But I do agree that it is a lot of sushi to waste if they are not sold on the day that it is made.
I understand the safety is important; however, certain foods just don't taste the same if they are prepared to the American standards of grading. I remember going to an A quality restaurant and had a Japanese dish. It didn't have that certain kick -- but then again, I'm not sure if it's the preparation or the ingredients that made the difference in the taste. Someone told me that the inspection for grading is not stringent as they make it out to be. In certain places, the restaurant owner told me that the inspection took less than 10 minutes! Now how does one assess quality in that short of time?
I know that many of you are familiar with cup-o-noodle or instant Ramen. But if you ever have the desire or the curiosity to try a real ramen of Japan, I recommend the noodles houses in Little Tokyo. There are several of them around there and the texture of the noodles are quite different. I did not love noodles until I lived in Japan. Now, I can eat them any time. Let me know if any one has tried them!
Hey Sarah,
I recently had my first Little Tokyo Ramen Experience. I went to Daikokuya, which I guess is well known among ramen fans, especially Jonathan Gold. I didn't really know what to expect. I've only ever eaten instant ramen, so I was a little surprised by the texture of the noodle--it was very chewy. However, once I got used to that, I really started to enjoy it. My one mistake was that I ordered a combo meal, and I was really, really full towards the end. As I was eating it, I couldn't help thinking, I wish I had some kimchi. I need that kick of spiciness whenever I eat something that's even vaguely Asian. So I think I'm going to try Orochon, where apparently you can get spicy ramen.
Do you have any suggestions?
Sarah,
I've never tried ramen other than the kind you buy at the grocery store. I guess I feel strange ordering a bowl of ramen for $X when I consider it cheap college food. I know the noodles are different and of course what you put on the noodles would change the whole experience, but I still consider it "what I eat when I feel cheap at home." Anyone else?
Kevin
But Ramen at a Ramen shop is a totally different experience. I'm telling you--it's a different world in the Ramen Haven. Maybe we can arrange a group of us to meet at Little Tokyo for the experience: Kevin, Judi, Amanda, Betsy or anyone interested in going on a Ramen excursion? Then we can even stop by the Japanese Book store to stock on mini-erasers or interesting reads. Any takers?
Sarah,
That sounds like fun. You could be our Little Tokyo guide.
Oh, this is a fun discussion! I recently went to Daikokuya for the first time, Judi, and waited for 45 minutes for a table on a Friday night. And the noodles were... OK. The shredded cabbage salad was great, though, but probably because it was drenched in dressing.
I'll need to try Orochon, too! Thanks for the recommendation!
Judi,
I had the same thought when I was eating the Ramen: Kimchi or even some Daikon (Da-Kwang). Daikokuya serves a variety of dishes and you have to try all the different kinds, which I have. As you can tell, I am a noodle affecionado. No, I'm a real foodie. My only complaint about that place is the lack of seating space when you come at night. I like to eat there when it is crowded for the hussle and bussle activity.
I did try Orochonn and it is a great place! What I like there is now you can choose your level of spiciness in the soup base. There's even an atomic spicy level! I have not ventured to that place yet--I think normal or slight spicy is fine. The noodles are great: Complaint, no Kimchi or even Kkakttugi. You end up ordering extra dishes but compensate, like Gyoza, but it is not quite the same. However, it is a great place. (take a small tupperware of kimchi? You know, the white Kimchi so that it does not permeate the smell as much?)
There is another noodle place right below Orochon that I have not tried--I'm a bit' hesitant because there's hardily anyone there. Maybe I'll try it for the sake of trying it.
[Edit by="seun on Jan 27, 9:36:04 AM"][/Edit]
A thought --Anyone interested in going to Orochon sometime soon for a great experience of noodle sensation? You can choose your spicy meter. Be prepared to sweat. Maybe, we can have a delicious Japanese dessert treat afterwards. Thoughts?
I get a bit perturbed when people call Sushi raw fish (sashimi) and Kimbab, sushi. There are differences. First of all, Sushi is Japanese and it is seaweed and rice rolled up with tuna or various kinds of fish. Sashimi does not have any seaweed and it is fresh fish cut into meticulous slices to be dipped in soy-sauce mixed with horseradish. Kimbab, looks like sushi at first, but the ingredients are different. Unlike sushi, where the rice is prepared with rice vinegar, Kimbab is rolled up rice dish (with no vinegar) with condiments such as spinich, kimchi, meat, o-den, carrots...basically, lots of vegetable and sometimes meat. The taste is quite different and here is the real difference from sushi: It is Korean.
I'd love to go do a Japantown adventure and try out real ramen places. Maybe I'll like something there and it wont make me think of cheap college days again.
Thanks for the info about Japanese Sushi and the Korean form. I've had both and when I first ate the Korean version I immediately knew "something is missing." Other than what was inside mixed with the nori and rice - it's the vinegar. Thanks.
Dear Judi, Kevin, Amanda, or anyone,
What day would be a good day for this festivity? I'm thinking that with the upcoming Chinese New Year, it would be a perfect time to go for an Asian adventure. I'm sure there will be all kinds of festivities and vendors out there during that time. I've been to the Tofu Festival and it was a blast--I'm sure the New Year's festival will be a fun one as well. Thoughts?
The new years would be a good time for me too. I went to the Tofu Festival for the first time this past summer. It was ok to me. I would have enjoyed it more if it just werent 100 degrees the day I went.
Tell me about the Hot weather. However, the Tofu Festival was special in that I bumped into a friend I have not seen in 10 years! The last time I saw her, we were both living in Japan, probably eating ramen (I'm sure). I thought it was fun--the only thing about these festivals is the mass marketing of products that have nothing to do with food. There were clothing from Nepal and woodcarvings from Khatmandu. I loved the tofu but was a bit' disappointed with the Korean Food section. But maybe this year might be different! I'm hoping. Let's all try to get together for Chinese New Year's Time. Sounds like a blast.
You're right in that there was a lot of food that did not have tofu in it at a Tofu festival. I personally have so many different ways I use tofu in my cooking. Everything from plain old stir fried tofu to tofu enchiladas (which are really yummy). I think the food vendors could have been more creative with using tofu there - or even trying to incorporate it into the food.
Do you have some creative tofu recipes that I can try? I'm always on the hunt for new ideas when it comes to that food -- the Enchiladas sounds yummy. How do you make it, if you don't mind sharing?
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