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The Amazing Legume and Vegetable Master (and Home of the Most Sublime Stewed...
Ah, the Vegetable. This 9 letter V-word is almost as shunned as the 5 letter and 10 letter V-words related to it. Usually an afterthought on most menus in the U.S., or the butt end of some culinary...
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A Solid Foundation - The Hand Cut Noodles of JTYH Restaurant (Din Tai Mei Shi)
One of the most interesting types of Asian Noodles might very well be the Chinese Dao Xiao Mian, or "Knife Cut Noodles." Taking a large block of dough, the Chef uses a special knife and hand-cuts long...
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Simple Straightforward Shanghai - Southern Mini Town Restaurant (Hsiao Nan Guo)
When going out to a new restaurant, it's always nice to have a solid baseline, a reference point for what a respectable version of a certain cuisine is like. For Shanghai cuisine, I've been lucky...
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Back In Time - The Classic American Dining Room of Jar
Some of the most bewitching restaurants are those that affect you the moment you step inside. Whether it's the interior design, lighting, noise level, ambiance and/or crowd, it's always a pleasure to...
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Economic Equilibrium - Delivering What the Locals Want - Ramen Yukino Ya
When opening a new restaurant, perhaps the biggest defining factor of what that eatery is going to be lies in the initial goals of the chef / owner. Are they trying to be a destination restaurant?...
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Serious Ramen Noodles Hit So Cal... For Four Days - 2010 Mitsuwa Umaimono...
While Southern California awaits the opening of a hardcore Ramen shop helmed by a dedicated master who's been perfecting a potent Noodle Soup for decades upon decades, every once in a while we get a...
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The Best of Both Worlds - Comfortable, Warm, Delicious French Cooking in a...
* Update: Chef Archambault is no longer at RH.Warm sunlight pouring in through the curtains on a lazy weekend. The delightful smell of a homemade stew at Grandma's house. Sometimes, all you want to eat...
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Unusual Minimalism - Dalian Cuisine at Tasty Noodle House (Yi Pin)
With a generic, goofy name like "Tasty Noodle House", it's easy to quickly dismiss it on name alone, instead of delving into the menu. But having learned my lesson with 101 Noodle Express (and their...
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Refining Vietnamese Cuisine - Viet Noodle Bar
When updating a cuisine for a new audience, what makes something "mainstream" or "watered-down" (negative), instead of "modern" (positive)? When is a menu "made for foreigners" vs. "made for the...
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Marching to the Beat of His Own Drum - Orris
In the ultra-competitive dining scene in Southern California, trends are almost a given. When a new dish or ingredient resonates with the populace, you can expect to see something similar at competing...
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A Diamond in the Rough - The Fantastic Croissant Maker Takes on Dinner...
In a matter of months, Bite Bar & Bakery has blossomed from a quiet soft opening with little fanfare, into one of the hottest topics on Chowhound. When soniabegonia first started a thread praising...
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The Fragrant, Numbing, Tantalizing Spices of New Chong Qing
With the surprising decline in quantity and quality of Szechuan restaurants around So Cal, I'm always on the lookout for new eateries that can deliver the delicious dishes of that region. So when I...
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Focus. Dedication. Greatness (In The Making). The Delicious Ramen Noodles of...
"Living the dream."In a region where millions struggle to attain their aspirations, it's always amazing to hear when people achieve their dreams. And for those of us that love to eat, it's even more...
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The Super Stews of Super Cocina
Stews hold a special place in my heart. They embodies so many of the things I love from the world of food: Slow-cooked, long-simmered meats and vegetables combining together after many hours to form...
View ArticleFood Fight! (or, An Exploration of Specific Foods)
This is a running post, collecting the links to various, random food explorations I've participated in over the years. They might be called "Food Fights" or "Throwdowns," but essentially they're fun...
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The Down-To-Earth, Hearty Japanese Dishes of Okan
Over the years, my ~quarterly visits to my friends in San Diego has usually resulted in us ending up at a national chain restaurant when it comes around to lunch or dinner; the result of my dear SD...
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Oceanic Exploration - The Succulent Live Lobster, Crab, Giant Shrimp,...
In delivering some of the best Dim Sum in Southern California, Sea Harbour garners a lot of attention (and rightfully so). But there's been noticeably less consideration for its dinner service over the...
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Jack Of All Trades - Izayoi
Finding success in the restaurant business can be a tough prospect. At the core of the restaurant is the age-old question of culinary viewpoint. What are one's goals? And once you decide on a...
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Smoky, Meaty, Tender Barbecue (or, The Mouth-Watering Beef Brisket, Spare...
In the world of Food, while everyone's taste is subjective, there are certain hot button topics that can spark a non-stop debate for years if not decades. Just mention the word "Burger" or "Pizza" and...
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Perseverance for the Love of Ramen (or, Handmade Wakayama-style Noodles in So...
People open up restaurants for a spectrum of reasons. It could be to seize an opportunity to fill a niche, to make a living, or for the love of cooking whatever it is they're serving. For Chuuka Soba...
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Relaxed, Pleasant, Seasonal Cooking (or, Celebrating California's Vibrant...
"Market-driven menu." "Local ingredients."These catchphrases have been appearing so often in recent years whenever a new restaurant debuts - especially in California where we have an abundance of...
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Neighborhood Italian - Celestino
In a time when so many neighborhoods are dominated by mainstream national chain restaurants, it makes you appreciate the smaller, neighborhood eateries, especially when you're in an area without many...
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Sizzling, Succulent Grilled Pork (or, Enter Park's BBQ's Sister Restaurant) -...
The sizzle of searing meat. The fragrant waft of deliciousness as slabs of various cuts of Beef and Pork start to cook through. Enter any Korean (or Japanese) BBQ restaurant and you'll most likely be...
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Agony and Ecstasy - Life Beyond The Tender, Juicy, Heavenly Pastrami at...
At this point, there's not much more to be said about one of L.A.'s best institutions serving up some of the world's best Pastrami. Their Pastrami is so focused and delicious it's caused followers of...
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Tender, Juicy and Crisp? Roast Chicken Battle - Melisse, Costco, Pollo Ala...
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."(George Santayana, The Life of Reason)As I look back at the events that have transpired that have led me to this point, I can only close...
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