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I Made This – Ahi Poke Deluxe on a Crisp

Canela — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:36:56 +0000

There are no words to describe the perfection you see before you. My friends have dubbed it “the best thing ever” after my last dinner party. I really hesitated in posting this one because you know a Gurlz gotta have some secrets but what the heck, I’m feeling generous (lucky for you). Here’s the hook up on my “cheats can be fabulous” version of Ahi Poke Deluxe on a Crisp….. made with a little help from my beloved Fish King.

Fish King sells an amazing already marinated and diced Ahi Tuna Poke. For those geographically challenged, the ingredients according to Fish Kings label are Ahi tuna (raw diced), soy, ginger, and green onion. However, I’m certain there is a bit of sesame oil added in as well and I suspect FK wants to keep a few secrets of their own. At home I add diced avocado and tomato and serve it on a crisp wonton skin. You can either fry the won ton skins lightly (the yummy way) or bake them as I did (the I’m trying to pretend I’m healthy way). I baked mine at 375 degrees on a baking pan lightly sprayed with canola oil. The tricky part here is to keep a close eye on them because they can burn very quickly as I found out. Timing is crucial; you have to pull them out just before you think their done because they continue to cook a bit when you pull them out. I also spray the tops with cooking spray before putting them in and add a touch of salt.

There you have it! Now you too can impress your friends and family. BTW, you’re welcome.

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Banh Mi Baby! – Sandwich Porn

Canela — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:55:19 +0000

Two of my favorite things in one delectable vision… Oh how I swoon! A girl can only dream…

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Banh Mi Baby! – Banh Mi Che Cali (Battle Part 2)

Canela — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 21:44:05 +0000

Next challenger up for Bahn Mi Battle is Banh Mi Che Cali. Sis and I arrive at around 1:30 pm, get in line at the sandwich counter and ponder the possibilities. I had to get the BBQ Pork as that is the standard I use to judge. We also decided to try the Beef Bahn Mi and a wacky new one; Shredded Pork Skin. Now here’s the unbelievable part; with their buy two get one free deal, all three sandwiches cost us $4.50!!

After we order and get a number we notice that they do have table service and that everyone seems to be ordering the Pho. Will have to try that on the next visit. Banh Mi Che Cali also has a crazy Boba selection with a toppings bar you can add to it. We just got the plain Green Tea with no milk, I know boring.

The sandwiches arrive and behold, this is different. The pickles and jalapenos are served on the side and there is NO CILANTRO. Hmmm, at this point I did not have high hopes. We assemble our sandwiches and take a bite. The bread was good, soft chewy on the sweet side. The pickles were perfectly marinated not too vinegary. The mayo was just enough not too much and the fillings were solid. I liked the BBQ Pork the best.

Who wins? I really can’t call it. I think I preferred the meat fillings of Banh Mi My Tho but I didn’t like the lack of mayo, over vinegary pickles and the added peanuts were just too much. On the otherhand, I preferred the bread, pickles and mayo at Banh Mi Che Cali but no cilantro was a total buzz kill. If we had to pick I think Sis and I both lean towards Banh Mi Che Cali , maybe bring some cilantro, but I think I need to continue this battle. Keep you posted!

Bahn Mi Che Cali Counter

Bag of Jalapenos and Pickled Veggies

BBQ Pork

BBQ Pork assembled and enjoyed!

Beef- sort of like a hamburger but spiced with typical Vietnamese spices

Shredded Pork Skin-actually leaner that we thought it would be. I couldn’t get past the massive amounts of raw green and white onion but Sis liked it.

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Banh Mi Baby! – Banh Mi My Tho (Battle Part 1)

Canela — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 22:54:12 +0000

Now that I’ve popped my Bahn Mi cherry, my compulsive nature has lead me to do extensive Yelp and Chowhound research in search of the perfect one. From what I can garner it seems that top ranking in the LA area comes down to two places Banh Mi Che Cali and Banh Mi My Tho. Both places are given high ratings and have loyal followers who defend theirs over the other so I figured I should try them both and see for myself which sandwich reigns supreme. First challenger is Bahn Mi My Tho.

I recruit my ever willing and curious Sis and we load up the kids to grab some sandwiches and have a nice picnic. Finding Banh Mi My Tho was simple enough for us, thanks to our dumpling tour we now know this area pretty well. Banh Mi My Tho is a tiny little place with just a counter and some refrigerator cases. We get there early about 12:00 on a Tuesday and the place is humming but not too busy. I’ve read it can get so busy that it’s confusing to determine who’s in line to order and who’s waiting. I ordered the #8 Grilled Pork, Daughter ordered the #9 Grilled Beef and Sis ordered the #8 Grilled pork with added paté. We also tried the eggrolls and one skewer of pork meatballs. Egg Rolls were good while we waited for sandwiches; crispy, a little oily and perfectly meaty. Meatballs equally delicious.

So how were the Banh Mi’s? I’m starting to understand the many debates on this subject. This sandwich is all about balance of texture and flavors and that is quite subjective. You may like your bread softer or less pickled veggies or more mayo etc etc. Overall I liked this one, it had an added bonus sprinkling of chopped peanuts although I think I prefer mine without it. I wish it had more mayo (they may have used butter instead I’m not sure) and the meat had good flavor but not as flavorful as the filling at Tapioca & Pho. The Pork with Paté was OK. It was kind of light on the paté and the paté itself didn’t have a whole lot of flavor. I think I still like Tapioca & Pho best so far.

Banh Mi #8 Grilled Pork – I give it a 4 out of 5

Banh Mi #9 Grilled Beef – just as good as #8 a 4

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I Made This – Sashimi at home!

Canela — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:40:02 +0000

Do you hear that? It’s the theme to Disney’s Aladdin playing in my head…. A Whole New World!!! Truly the dawning of a new era. No longer will we need to suffer the sushi bar wait and high ticket price for a fresh fish buzz. All thanks to my neighborhood fishmonger Fish King. Fish King oh Fish King how do I love thee let me count the ways. I’m so lucky to live 2 minutes away from this food palace. I’ve been patronizing Fish King for years and had heard that you could order fresh sashimi grade fish cut to order but had never done so. Earlier on this fateful day I had been to Marukai Market and picked up some sweet looking Uni and Shiso Leaf and thought hmmm what about a whole sashimi dinner at home? Fish King to the rescue! I ordered 1/3 lb. Hamachi 1/3 lb. Salmon and 1/3 lb. Ahi (Maguro) sliced and served it with some ponzu sauce. We paired this with a lovely dry Spanish Rosé and it really worked well. Let me add here that I would consider us sushi snobs and I tell you the quality was right up there with the best of the best sushi joints we’ve been to. I have since refined this by adding some of their delicious Poke, succulent Albacore and radish sprouts. Heaven!

Hamachi, Salmon, Ahi and Uni Sashimi with Rosé

Good with Sashimi and very reasonably priced

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I’m Baaaack!

Canela — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:33:17 +0000

How the heck did most of 2010 pass by without a peep from me you may ask. Well, I don’t really have a good answer for that one but rest assured my hungries that I have returned with a backlog of yummy updates to add to the blog and I promise not to keep you waiting for this long again. MORE TO COME SHORTLY.

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Dump Day! – Dumpling House Restaurant (Temple City)

Canela — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:43:21 +0000

Next on the Sister’s tour of San Gabriel Valley is… Dumpling House Restaurant (Temple City) (nice website). Dumpling House Restaurant serves authentic northern style Corten Chinese food. Northern style Chinese cuisine is known for its noodles and dumplings. This is because the cold climate of the north is much more suitable for wheat while rice flourishes in the warm southern climate.

Wow, we loved the big comfortable room and the large menu selection. We were excited to find a place we could bring the dumpling-phobic members of our family; there’s something for everyone here. But the big bonus was… BEER AND WINE! (Next girls night out, yeah)

The food? Great. I can comfortably recommend this spot. We’ll definitely be back and try some more of the non-dumpling options. UPDATE – On our second visit with the kids we must say we were a bit disappointed overall the food seemed a bit greasy so I must amend this by say it can be spotty.

Garlic Vinegar Cucumber Salad- fresh, light, good starter

Kim Chi- solid

Fried Pork Dumpling- OMG! Excellent.

Boiled Fish Dumpling- very good but no one holds a candle to our beloved Kingburgs.

Green Onion Pancake- Soo good I forgot to snap it before we dove in. I think this is my favorite GOP; crispy, flakey, chewy!

Mandarin Style Beef Chow Mein- Lovely; not oily or over sauced, great balance of light and hearty. This made me want to try some of their other options. Can’t wait to bring my noodle obsessed daughter.

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U.F.O. – Unidentified Foodie Object

Canela — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:14:17 +0000

Can you guess?

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It’s Saké O’Clock! – Wakatake Junmai Daiginjo Onikoroshi “Demon Slayer”

Canela — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:56:02 +0000

Saké, it’s the new black! Seriously, saké seems to have come into fashion in the US as of late and rightly so. Once you dive into the world of saké you see that it is as interesting, complex and varied as wine. For a short and concise quick-start guide to saké from the world’s leading non-Japanese saké guru John Gautner, click on the sidebar to the right and get a free download.

The Mr. and I have been afficionados for years and have come to take our love rather seriously. We often get asked by curious friends about our favorite saké. Below is one of our old faithfuls; relatively easy to find, mid priced (retail; price is often doubled in a restaurant) and always delicious. Now remember, premium saké is meant to be enjoyed chilled and this one is very easy to drink; dry, floral bouquet with a hint of melon. Enjoy!

Wakatake Junmai Daiginjo Onikoroshi “Demon Slayer”

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Dump Day! – Michelle’s Pancake

Canela — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:05:30 +0000

Hurray Hurray for Dumplings! Next on our San Gabriel journey for Dumpling Nirvana is Michelle’s Pancake. Now, a chinese pancake is different from what we Americans think of as a pancake. Chinese pancakes can be sweet or savory, they are made of dough not batter and they take many shapes. Michelle’s pancakes offers many different types of pancakes and dumplings and touts itself as being fresher, healthier (no MSG) and less oily than it’s neighboring counterparts. We concur that indeed the overall meal was fresh and less oily. Healthy? Well, I’ll say as healthy as possible…

As with all of our stops we find that each place has it’s shining moment and in the case of Michelle’s Pancake I would say the Smoked Pork Pancake was the highlight. If you go don’t miss this one. I also really enjoyed the shredded tofu salad and am now on the hunt to find a grocer that sells them. UPDATE: I found them @ 99 Ranch Market!

Free Boiled Peanut appetizer

Fermented Garlic Paste- Sis and I were fascinated by this unusual condiment. I’m not sure if it is in fact fermented but it sure packed a punch. Anybody know what this is let me know.

Cold Shredded Tofu Salad- light and refreshing dressed with a bit of garlic, vinegar and sesame oil

Smoked Pork Pancake- Chinese version of a taco. Assemble the goodies, add a touch of, hoisin, vinegar and garlic paste…sooo good. Along with East Dumpling King’s Beef Roll, I CRAVE these things like BAD!

Tomato Egg Handmade Noodle- this was another assemble it dish. These noodles were amazing and the mixture was a perfect compliment to the rest of the meal.

Beef and Carrot Pancake- beware these guys squirt. OK, not my fave but oddly enough they tasted better once they cooled down considerably.

Pan Fried Fish and Pork Dumpling- I think these would have been better if we chose to have them boiled however they don’t hold a candle to our beloved Kingburg’s Sole Dumplings (show and tell soon)

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