Benley

Benley is not really suggestive of a Vietnamese restaurant.  Neither is the food strictly Vietnamese, more of a fusion type, so I guess the name is suitable.   It is located near the right corner of a strip mall in Long Beach.  I did not have a hard time finding the place, eventhough I missed the turn going into the stip mall and had to go around.  The place is small and cozy but not cramped.  I like the decor, minimal sharp and clean.  When I got there the owner got my drink and ran next door to get her cook who was playing cards next door.  I found it amusing.   The menu was interesting.  Their Pho was expensive and I was not in the mood for it.   The entrees did not really appeal to me, but the appetizers did so I just got three appetizers.

Lemongrass Charred Pork Spring Rolls  $ 6.95,  this was really good,  the pork was smoky-charred, salty-sweet with .  Wrapped in fresh crunchy greens and some vemicelli.   It holds up on it's own without the peanut dipping sauce.

Battered Salted Cuttlefish $ 7.95,  nice and crunchy,  very fresh and well salted.  Delicious calamari.

Braised Short Rib with Avocado puree $ 6.95,  I like braised short ribs, this one was really good and served in a bed of avocado puree.  The beef is so tender it almost feels like melting in your mouth with the avocado puree.  I would have preferred to have the ribs well seasoned.  This was a good though to off-set the the salty cuttlefish that preceeded.  There are no salt and pepper shakers on the table.  I know guacamole is good on my beef tacos, but I never would have thought of serving it this way.  Yummy.

Creme Brulee $ 6.95, I have said it before and I'll say it again, "If it's on the menu I'll order it." At least for the first time ;-)   This was delicious with a nice candied ginger juliennes surprise on top.  The bottom part of the creme was cold though.

Benley

8191 E Wardlow Rd

Long Beach, CA 90808

(562) 596-8130

Bleu Morning

Located along San Pedro's main thoroughfare, Gaffey street,  is a really nice restaurant called Omelette and Waffle Shop.   The staff is great really friendly.  The crowd is diverse,  from high school kids to retirees.  And the menu is excellent.  

I got the first one on the list, Bleu Cheese Burger Patty and Eggs.  The burger patty is topped with melted bleu cheese and sauteed spinach.   I like ketchup on my eggs, as you can see.   The dish is simply amazing, blew me away.   I'm coming back to try other stuff on their menu.

Omelette and Waffle Shop

1103 S. Gaffey St.,

San Pedro, CA 90731

(310) 831-3277

*Open only until 2 pm

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

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

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

Chicken and Waffles

I had always been wanting to go to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles for quite some time now, never really had the chance. Last week, I was in Long Beach on my way to San Pedro. It was already past 12 pm and I was hungry with Fried Chicken in my mind. I remembered there is a Roscoe's branch near Atlantic and Broadway which was perfectly along the way to San Pedro. So target was set and I was off. The sign was huge so you really can't miss it, parking was across the street with lots of space. There was some kind of Jazz club on the right side when you go in and the main dining area is on the left.





I got the Scoes #2 Fried Chicken 2 pcs and 2 Waffles $ 10.40 and requested the gravy on the side, I wanted to try the chicken with out the gravy first. The waffles were crunchy outside and soft inside, there was really nothing special about it a bit bland for my taste.




The chicken was very good really crunchy skin and moist meat inside. The gravy added more dimension to the chicken almost like a feeling that the chicken is melting in your mouth. The whole dish made sense the sweetness of the waffles and maple syrup, contrasting with the saltiness of the chicken and gravy. I found myself going back and forth. For days, was thinking about how much I liked the food there that I came back a second time.




This time I tried the Lord Harvey $ 11.90, Half a chicken smothered in gravy and onions, grits and biscuit. I have never had grits before so I wanted to try it and I know biscuits are great with gravy. I didn't ask for the gravy on the side this time.




The grits came with a small cup of butter, I assumed you pour this on the grits which I opted not to. The grits was kind of mushy and bland there was no "corn" taste that I expected. I suppose this was something you eat to fill you up. The biscuits were great when I mixed some with the gravy. After I finished a couple of pieces of chicken the rest were already soggy which was what I was avoiding the first time. Next time I'll keep it on the side.

Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles
730 E Broadway,
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562)-437-8355