house special lobster
brain and victor
fried squid
Once in a while it’s nice to have Vietnamese food that doesn’t consist of pho. Our family really loves this Vietnamese seafood place in Santa Ana, mostly for their house special lobster. You order the lobster by the pound (we ordered an 8 pound lobster for 9 people). It comes stir fried with bits of the lobster egg sacs. I’m not sure if egg sac is the technical term but that’s what it looks like and so that’s what I’m calling it. They’re bright red and have a very dry taste. I tend to like fish eggs of all kinds. Something about the saltiness and the grainy texture.
Tan Cang Newport Seafood
4411 W 1st st
Santa Ana, CA
(714) 531-5146
Vegetarian Shirin Polo
Fried Calamari
Falafel Combo
Tadig
Nancy, Thomas, and I went out for Iranian at Shamshiri in Westwood. The winner of the night was the tadig. I think Thomas wasn’t as thrilled with the food as me and Nancy wasn’t too pleased with her calamari though I think she liked everything else. Thomas is just lame and ordered a boring falafel combo. He later complained about the crispy rice being too crispy. Oh Thomas. I liked my dish quite a bit. The pistachios in the rice were amazing but I could have done with a little less orange peel. I feel full and round, kind of like that girl that becomes a blueberry in Willy Wonka.
My mom is the greatest. We’re complete opposites but the one aspect in which I’ve taken after her is an eagerness to force feed people when we discover something tasty. She’s been trying to imitate a dish we ate in Korea. Fermented soy bean stew (basically a Korean version of miso soup) is a staple in korean cooking but adding noodles makes it something of a trendy food in Korea lately. My mom tried making it and being pleased with the results she’s systematically making every member of our extended family within a 30 mile radius try her version. Like everything she cooks, this was delicious.
Brazilian Ceviche
Vegetarian Combo
Brazilian Quesadilla
ehh…
The shrimp that Nancy ordered last time was a lot better. The Brazilian quesadilla was just a quesadilla. The ceviche was pretty good but will give you onion breath that will last a whole day. Also, the restaurant smells a little funny. But you know what? the rice, plantains, yucca, and pao de queso are pretty delicious. I feel like the sides are better than the entrees.
Tropicalia
1966 Hillhurst Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 644-1798
passionfruit gelee
brioche donut holes
I’ve gone to Lamill 3 times this week. I’m a little embarrassed. Each time I go I keep thinking about how much Saeyoung would like it. The other day I took Grace and she ordered the Coffee and Jelly Donut which is a layer of strawberry jam topped with espresso and donut infused milk. I’m not sure how one infuses milk with a donut and I’m pretty sure we couldn’t taste anything donut-y about the milk but it’s a neat idea in any case. The best thing I’ve had at Lamill was the passionfruit gelee. It has a small amount of yuzu sorbet on top of a passionfruit jelly round in coconut milk. The brioche donut holes are pretty much just donut holes-nothing special.
Tomato Basil Pasta
1 cup of cherry tomatoes (quartered)
a handful of chopped basil leaves
parmesan
angel hair pasta
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
this is one of favorite pastas, partially because it’s ridiculously simple. the only thing you have to do it chop the ingredients and mix together, adding a healthy amount of olive oil. having a basil plants comes in handy.
For 23 years of my life I ignored breakfast. I turned my nose up. Who needs breakfast?Breakfast is for truckers at IHOP and 70 year olds. As it turns out, I need breakfast. I love breakfast.
Menu:
-leftover polenta chili casserole from last night’s dinner
-toast
-sunnyside up egg with runny yolk
-toast
-plain yogurt with mangos, red currants, and blueberries
This was a bit of experimentation. A layer of crumbled polenta. A layer of roasted potatoes with caramelized onions. A layer of roasted corn. A layer of vegetarian chili for Trader Joe’s. A layer of shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Top with sour cream. Excellent with chipotle flavored tabasco.
yucatan seafood stew
vegetarian alegria bowl
guac, salsa, serranos, and chips
This weekend I went down to San Diego to see my friends Felipe and Christina who have recently moved into their first apartment together. It’s been ages since I’ve been to Cantina Mayahuel and going back makes me nostalgic for the days of Wilson Ave (hi prayer, nancy, albert, joseph). Unfortunately their chicken mole (possibly the best mole I’ve ever had) was not available that day but I ordered the Saturday special-Yucatan seafood stew. The stew was made up mostly of shrimp and scallops over rice and beans in a light broth. When I think of stew, I think of something thick and chunky but this was quite light. I like. Still, I think I would have preferred the mole.
Cantina Mayahuel
2934 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 283-6292
http://www.cantinamayahuel.com
