Taste Buds Fatigue

If you can get over the ever confusing San Vicente Blvd. in the Mid-Wilshire area , you can find a nice Spanish restaurant called La Paella.  Almost everyone in our group had to go around the block at least once to find this place.  Inside, the place gives a very homey vibe, candle-lit tables, lots of hand painted ceramic plates on the wall, very colorful and vibrant.  A woman singing Spanish songs was playing in the background.  

We got a few tapas: Calamares a la Plancha (Grilled Squid with garlic and parsley), Mejillones Costa Brava (Steamed mussles with white wine), Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp sautee with garlic and chili pod), Vieras al Ajillo (Scallops sautee with garlic and chili pod), Callos a la Madrileña (Tripe stew with sausage and garbanzo beans), Boquerones en Vinagre (Marinated anchovy filets), and Jamon Serrano from Spain.  I really enjoyed each and every tapa,  the seafoods were clearly fresh and deliciously cooked lightly, making it soft and savory.  The Mejillones,  steamed mussles, were so good we ordered another one, the wine broth made excellent dipping for the crusty bread.  The Callos had a creamy texture that felt like butter on the tongue and the savory mix of chorizos, garbanzos and tomatoes makes you forget it is tripe.   I expected the Boquerones to be salty and fishy, so I was delightfully surprised to find it fresh, sweet, and tart, reminds me of pickled Herring.  The Jamon Serrano from Spain was also so good we had to order another one.  The paper-thin slices of ham looked deliciously smooth and glossy, the bite is firm not soft, and the taste is unforgettable, nutty and sweet, with a wonderfully floral hint.  

We had two huge pans of paellas, what a magnificent sight,  Paella Valenciana Mixta (lower)  and Paella de Montaña con Chorizo (upper).   

The Paella Valenciana is made with rice, seafood and vegetables with saffron and rosemary.  The dish is pure eye candy.  I think Paellas are the best looking dishes.   In terms of taste, this is sensory overdrive with so much going on in your palate.  Delicious but a little salty.  The Paella de Montaña con Chorizo is made with rice, chicken, in-lieu of the traditional rabbit, pork chorizo, green beans and lima beans with saffron.  Also delicious,  I must have had some form of "taste buds fatigue" because I swear both paellas tasted the same!  Except for the distinct seafood flavor in the Valenciana and the robust flavor of chorizo in the Montaña.  These were still superb dishes that I would come back for.

Unfortunately, they did not have any Txakoli, so I had some Estrella Damm beer to go with my food, a Spanish pilsner beer from Barcelona, light crisp and refreshing, goes very well with Spanish food.   I took this picture with my iPhone before the tapas were served.  I looked at the picture and decided to bring out the camera.  

La Paella

476 S. San Vicente Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90048

The General's Grub

After having a few Belgian beers at Lucky Baldwins we headed off to Thai Town, in the east edge of Hollywood boulevard, to a swarm of late night clubbers out for a quick grub at Sanamluang.  We got seated in under 5 mins.  The place was full and spilled out into the seats outside.  It is a very popular place, maybe because it is open very late until 4 am, or maybe because of it's close proximity to the clubs and bars in Sunset Blvd.  I would like to think it is because of their food.

The General's Noodle Soup  $ 6.50, is rumored to have been named after a Thai general who used to direct traffic in the parking lot on weekends.   The soup base is a clear , light amber, thin in density and rich in flavor.  Loaded with thin egg noodles cooked just the right amount, slices of charsiu pork, ground pork, roasted duck slices, and whole shrimps.  Topped with chopped scallions and wonderfully smokey roasted garlic bits.  Simply delicious.

Sanamluang

5176 Hollywood Boulevard, 

Hollywood, CA

(323) 660-8006

Lucky Lucky Lucky

Located in Old Town Pasadena is simply the best place to sample Belgian beers in Los Angeles, Lucky Baldwins .  Twice a year they have a Belgian Beer Festival where everything on their 50 plus beer taps is Belgian.   Even in Belgium you can't get that much Belgian beers on tap in a single place.  They also have hundreds of Belgian beers in bottles.

My friend and I were lucky enough to snag a couple of spots at the bar.   I like sitting at the bar,  that way I can see what beers I am having next and talk to the bar keep as well.  The food is so-so here, British pub grub, fish and chips, meat pies, hot wings, burgers etc.  During Belgian Beer Festivals they do offer some specialty foods, I was able to go last February and had some Flemish carbonades (Beef Stew) in Maredsous 8, absolutely sublime.

To start I had some Gulden Draak Tripel 10.50% ABV a Belgian style strong ale.  A friend of mine, who has been to many beer tastings with me,  introduced me to this beer.  This is probably the first Belgian beer I tasted and got me hooked for good.  The bottle and even the tap handle for this beer evokes an image of a Golden Dragon when in fact Gulden Draak translates as "Golden Duck".

The beer pours a cloudy deep dark brown with a reddish hue,  the head is thin with little or no lacing.  The nose is hops, malts, sweet and fruity, like mixed dark berry jam.  The aroma carries on with the taste that is sweet caramel and fruity, with raisins, and some chocolate undertones.  It is not sour, but sweet with some bitterness that lingers in your mouth.   The mouthfeel is creamy almost syrupy with little natural carbonation.   Easy to drink despite it's 10.5% ABV, a deadly combination.

Then I had some Scotch Silly 8% ABV a Scotch Ale type of beer.   I never had this before.  The beer pours deep dark copper with a nice foamy head and excellent lacing.  The nose is malty caramel reminiscent of toffee and some dried fruits.  I get the same metallic taste as with Double Enghien Blonde in the beginning which rapidly disappears, then some malty toffee sweetness and tea-like bitterness.  I also get some complex flavors of butterscotch, cherries and dates.  The mouthfeel is medium creamy with good carbonation.  This beer is easily dinkable and might go very well with some nice warm beef stew.

To finish, I had some (maybe a couple) Hoegaarden 4.9% ABV a Belgian Witbier (wheatbeer or white beer).  One of my favorite beers.  It is made with wheat, flavored with coriander seeds and orange peel.  This is the standard to which I hold other Witbiers against.  I would describe this beer poured in a glass as "a light golden cloud of beer under a billowy white head".  The cloudiness is because it is unfiltered and still has some yeast suspended.  The nose is unmistakably distinct,  citrusy, with strong wheatiness and a hint of coriander.  The taste, mirroring the nose, is a masterclass in balance and subtlety,  not too sweet,  not too bitter, not too citrusy, and not too spicy.   The mouthfeel is light with excellent carbonation making it crisp and refreshing.  A very drinkable beer specially during summer, and SoCal weather ;) .   This beer is great with spicy foods.    

Lucky Baldwins Pub

17 S. Raymond Ave.

Pasadena, CA 91105

(626) 795-0652

Lucky Baldwins

DELIRIUM PUB

21 Kersting Ct.

Sierra Madre, CA 91024

(626) 355-114

Tall Ships and Clams

I had time to have lunch on Friday, but had to get back to work.  I knew the Port O'Call was having their annual Lobster Fest,  I didn't want to deal with the crowd, and opted to go to Fisherman's Seafood for lunch.

 

Surrounded by aquariums of live seafood the people working in the place were all busy chopping onions and potatoes.  I managed to distract one of them to order some Steamed Clams.  He took a bunch from the aquariums to cook.   I also got some French fries and a beer.  The whole spread looked delicious.

The Steamed Clams were so fresh and delicious I had to ask for a spoon to get all of that wonderful clam juice.  He added some ginger, when he steamed my clams, which I did not ask for.  I was glad he did.  The clams came with some lime wedges, butter, and chili sauce, which I did not use.  I liked it "as is".  I did use the lime wedge on my Corona.  The fries went really well with the clams, crunchy and buffered the briney saltiness of the clams.

Everything cost me around $ 18 and change.  Kind of pricey.  And here is the view from where I was eating.  I can even see some of the Tall Ships in the distance.  Makes you want to eat more.  Too bad I could not stay longer,  had to get back to work.

Fisherman's Seafood Restaurant

950 Sampson Way 

San Pedro, CA 90731

(310) 519-7333

Full House

Full House Seafood Restaurant in Chinatown, is a place we usually go to for late night hankering because they open until 3 am. There are only a few places in Chinatown that open this late.


Sizzling Rice Seafood Soup $7.95, this is one of my favorite soups, it's your basic clear broth seafood soup then they dump a whole plate of deep fried rice and the dish just sizzles from the heat and popping of the rice. The rice adds a smoky caramelized taste to the soup.. yum.

Fresh Clams with ginger and green onion $ 9.50, we usually get the one with the black bean sauce but opted for this for a change.

Chinese Mushrooms with X.O. sauce $ 10.50, three kinds of mushrooms stir fried with their X.O. sauce. For me, this was the dish I liked the best in the whole meal.


Cantonese Beef Stew with turnips $ 7.95, beef in a hot pot braised to delightful tenderness. Not as tender as I hoped it would be, the tendons were a little rubbery.


Full House Seafood Restaurant
963 N. Hill Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 617-8382

Naja's Place: 88 Beers on the Wall

If you know what cerevisaphile means you probably know about Naja's Place in Redondo Beach. A mecca for beer lovers in LA, the place is located along the International Boardwalk.

There are about 88 beers on tap and more selection in bottles.



To start I had some Green Flash West Coast IPA 7% ABV. When the Brits started sending beer to India as a colony they found that the Pale Ales did not travel very well in the train or ship going there. Even now, the Bass Pale Ales in the US is not as good as in the UK where it is brewed. So they created the IPA's (India Pale Ale) with a generally a higher alcohol and hops content, a brewers weapon against spoilage in lieu of refrigeration.

This is a very good IPA, nice foamy head and dark amber color very lacy; the nose is hoppy, citrusy, floral, with hints of pine; the mouthfeel is medium with low carbonation, the taste is strong on hops with some sweetness that balances the bitterness.

Then I had some Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale 6.2% ABV. My brother intoduced me to this beer when we had a beer tasting at his place.

The beer pours brown with a nice white head and nice lacing. The nose is definitely hazelnut, and tasted of sweet malty caramel with hazelnuts, and a little bitterness. Delicious. The mouthfeel is medium with some carbonation. An easy to drink beer especially with dessert. This is one of my favorite brown ales.

To finish I got some Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier 5.4% ABV.

This is a wheat beer, yeasty and turbid, with medium golden color and foamy white head with very little lacing. The nose is citrusy, with wheat malts and a hint of fruitiness and cloves. The taste is definitely on the sweeter side with doughy yeastiness and lemony tones. The mouthfeel has some good carbonation and some creaminess. A very drinkable beer specially for summer and with spicy foods.




Great bar and great beers to enjoy with some conversation and a nice view of the sunset in the backdrop of the marina.

Naja's Place
154 International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 376-9951

Sumire Miso Ramen: Hokkaido Fair 2008

The Mitsuwa Marketplace in Torrance was hosting the Hokkaido Fair 2008. I called a fellow food and beer enthusiast and we were off. Fellow blogger Exile Kiss already blogged about the event and I couldn't wait to have a taste myself, specially that Miso Butter Corn Ramen from the Sumire Ramen-ya.


When we got there, a sign was posted saying that the Miso Butter Corn Ramen was sold out. Already!? Just the second day? After I got over my disappointment, we ordered some Miso Ramen.


The soup was really literally hot. Really deceiving because it doesn't steam-up like what real hot soups do. A closer look at the soup, there's a definitely thicker than usual film of fat on the surface, hence, preventing some steaming action. As a result, plus a little over-eagerness on my part, I burned the tip of my tongue! I had to let the soup cool down a bit. There's a love hate relationship between me and fats. I love it ,but it hates me.

The soup base is very rich, very fatty and delicious. The bits of Chasu pork cut into tiny cubes was really good, better than any I have tasted. The ramen noodles was thicker and very fresh. There were some bits of ground pork as well in the soup which I haven't seen used in ramens. I finished the whole bowl to the last drop, a very good sign. Now, where do I sign the petition to bring Sumire here permanently?


We also had some Mint Julep Soda we got at the supermarket to drink. My friend chose this. I think it was a good call, nice cool refreshing minty drink after that hot heavy and fatty ramen.


We then moved to the stalls selling all sorts of goodies. There was a whole line of deep fried stuffed pastry and croquettes. Hey, you can't go wrong with anything deep fried.


We got a variety of Maruhiro Ota Croquettes: Spicy Cod Roe Croquette, Scallop Croquette, and Crab Croquette. The casing of mashed potatoes and breadcrumbs was crunchy outside and moist inside. They used a whole scallop, very nice, and I think King Crabs for the crab croquette because of the noticeably stringier texture of the King Crab meat. I could eat a few more of those Scallop Croquettes. We then headed to Naja's Place in Redondo Beach after for some beer.


Hokkaido Fair 2008
Mitsuwa Market
21515 Western Ave.
Torrance, CA 90501
(310) 782-0335

Mien Nghia: Party in a Bowl

I never even knew this place existed, much like a lot of places in Chinatown. I pass by Mien Nghia often to get to Phoenix Inn for their Century Egg and Duck Chok. I first heard about this place from fellow blogger Eatdrinknbmerry in his Noodle Whore blog. Since then, I have been back there numerous times for their awesome Beef Stew with Egg Noodles (Hu Tieu Mi Bo Kho) $ 7.25.

This time I had to try the Seafood with Rice Noodles (Hu Tieu Hai San) $ 6.75. There is a crispy dough with a shrimp in the middle when they serve it. Nice, crunchy, and tasty, a good prelude to the dish. The soup base is light and delicious. The fish cakes, shrimp and squid balls are made in-house. The shrimps were nice and fresh.

The party really doesn't get started until you take a whole spoonful of that amazing chili sauce that they have and "Helloooo!" It takes this soup a few notches up the goodness level. Don't be afraid to put a lot of this stuff into your bowl, it's not that hot. I think they put some ground peanuts with the peppers into the sauce. I don't think I can stop myself from coming back for more for this.

Mien Nghia

304 Ord St

Los Angeles, CA, 90012

(213) 680-2411

Other Branches:

Mien Nghia

7755 Garvey Ave

Rosemead, CA, 91770

(626) 288-0177

Mien Nghia

406 W Valley Blvd

San Gabriel, CA, 91776

(626) 570-1668

Cassell's Burger Buffet

Right smack in the middle of kimchi and bulgogi paradise of Koreatown is an easy to miss place, Cassell's Burger. It's also easy to miss that the "Hamburger" sign painted on the window is missing an "R".



Inside is a cafeteria style line where you order by the number and how you want you burger cooked, where "23 medium" means you'll be getting a 1/3 pounder cheeseburger cooked medium in a monstrous double broiler. 33 is an upgrade to a 2/3 pounder.


You then go through the "buffet" line to add your condiments of choice: ketchup, mayo, mustard, thousand island dressing, Roquefort dressing, pickle relish and slices, onion, beefsteak tomato, and lettuce. There's also some potato salad, cottage cheese, pineapple chunks, and pear halves for sides. It's all about customizing.



Kind of sloppy but I made it stacked and fully dressed. The beef patty is ground fresh daily using Prime USDA beef. The mayonnaise and salad dressings are made in-house. The burger is delicious.


The Cheese burger, fries, and medium drink set me back $11 and change. If I had a Cassell's 23 Medium in my left hand and an In-n-Out Cheeseburger animal-style in my right hand and I could only keep one, I will gladly hand you my left hand even if it's double the price. You can't really compare both, it's a matter of preference.

I guess the whole appeal of Cassell's Burger is that it reminds people of burgers that mom used to make elevated to the nth degree. Simple, straightforward, using great ingredients.

Cassell's Hamburgers
3266 W. Sixth St.
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 480-8668

Chabelita Tacos

Late night hankering takes me to a Mexican food hut called Chabelita on Western just off the 10 freeway. It is located right next to a fire station and is open 24/7.

Al fresco dining on tables and benches outside, where you are constantly looking behind your back for anything/anyone who might creep up specially on really late nights/early morning.


I had two huge Tacos Cabeza (left) and Lengua (right), both deliciously spicy, soaked in salsa, chopped onions, cilantro, and avocado. I spent around $ 5.50 for two tacos and a regular drink. Now why would you go to McDonalds when you can have this?

Chabelita Tacos
2001 S. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90018

LA Greek Fest 2008

I went to the LA Greek Fest, at the Saint Sophia Cathedral in the Byzantine Latino quarter in Los Angeles, for lunch. It was a very festive atmosphere lots of Greek food, wine, music and dancing.


What caught my attention was a line of 10! vertical gyro grills. It's a gotta have one moment.


The gyro with the Tsatsiki sauce was delicous.


I had a Greek beer called Hillas a pilsiner type of beer. This was the highlight of the whole event for me. The aggressive hops seem to hit your whole palate at first gulp, very good beer, ranks up there along Checvar and Pilsner Urquell.


For dessert, there were a lot of Baklava's and Filo dough sweets, I chose to have some Greek doughnuts called Loukomathes almost like beignets but very crispy on the outside, soaked in honey and drizzled with cinnamon and hazelnuts. Very good and very light.


A lot of the food items they have at the festival you can actually buy across the street at Papa Cristo's and much cheaper. I went there to get a few more of that wonderful Hillas beer.

Bocadillos

I blame Anthony Bourdain for my recent quest for Spanish foods. His No Reservation show's recent episode on Spain was so good it makes you wanna pack up and leave the next day for Spain. And since reality hits you on the head going through the door. I digress. Scouring the web for places to go to for anything Spanish I came accross La Española in Harbor City.

The place is not difficult to locate but once you are there the warehouse-look makes you wonder if you are in the right place. See the small door in the picture go in there, at first I thought it was the backdoor or something.

Once in, you are in a treasure trove of anything Española, Bomba rice, Cabrales cheese, Rioja wine, Chorizos, Jamons and even Paella pans. Like a kid in a candy store.




After picking up a few items, I asked if they could make me a Bocadillo $5.49, a Spanish sandwich made with Jamon Serrano, Manchego Cheese (sheep), dry cured sausage, roasted piquillo peppers, drizzled with some olive oil in a toasted bread. And to wash it all down I had some Spanish beer, Estrella Galicia Cerveza $1.75.


The Bocadillo came with a side of preserved olives, garlics, peppers, and what looks to me like slices of gherkins. I took my food to a covered patio on the side of the building with tables and chairs.



The sandwich was absolutely delicious, the crunchy bread, the chewiness and smoky salty goodness of the Jamon Serrano, and the manchego cheese added a wonderful aroma. The preserved olive, garlic, and pepper were soaked in olive oil and pimienton, yum.



The Estrella Galicia beer was a light pilsiner they kept in the freezer next to the cheeses, so it was refreshingly cold for a hot day. There was nothing extraordinary about this beer. It complimented the Bocadillo, the nice light crisp taste cuts through the robustness of the sandwich.

This will easily become one of my favorite sandwiches and guaranteed I'll be back for more.

La Española
25020 Doble Ave.
Harbor City, CA 90710
(310) 539-0455