Emperor Noodles

Craving for some Shanghainese food and found this awesome place called Emperor Noodles. So, last Saturday, we decided to go with a friend to try this place out! From the name of the restaurant, we should have ordered some noodles, but we were in the mood of some rice and dishes.
When I walked into the restaurant, I felt like I was in old China! The decor has such an antique flavor! We ordered a lot of dishes, almost too many! And they are all very tasty and authentic! The order of the dishes listed below is the same order in which the pictures appear afterwards.

Pan-Fried Pork Bun - Crispy with sesame at the bottom, soft bun, tasty filling
Vegetable and Pork Fried Rice - This is a very traditional Shanghainese dish, and probably one of the best I have had.
Assorted Roasted Bran - It is basically a kind of spongy tofu with a special sauce. Also a very traditional Shanghainese dish, and they made it well. 
Pork Ribs - I thought it was the Shanghainese "sugar vinegar pork ribs", but it's not. It was still very delicious though.
Vegetable soup with wood-ear - Fresh and good vegetables with nice soup, this is more like an order to balance all the meat we had. 
Stir-fried Shrimp - Also a famous Shanghainese dish. I love shrimps, so this is something I order every time when I go to a Shanghainese place.
Lamb Stew - It does not have the "sheepy" or "gamey" taste, and that translates to fresh meat and well-prepared.
Marinated Duck - Tender, well seasoned.
Fermented Glutinous Rice Ball - One of my favorite Shanghainese dessert. The down side is that this dessert can be a little filling.

The noodles on the next table looked sooooooo good, and I am definitely coming back to try some noodle dishes next time! 

O' Young's Rock Pot

After a very busy month, finally got some time to myself! And what better way to celebrate than with food!!! We found this place called O' Young's Rock Pot that has only been open for a couple months. The guai lo wanted something soupy and spicy, so this is perfect! They have different pots with fixed ingredients as well as a "make your own pot" option. The waiter was very friendly and introduced us to the menu, and he said that the "make your own pot" is a little larger and can be shared with 2 people, so we decided to do that. You can either pick one kind of meat + 5 sides or if you are a vegetarian, you can pick 8 or 9 sides. The guai lo was in the mood for duck, so we picked duck (I really wanted catfish....), and we picked more than 5 sides (you will have to pay extra obviously). We picked gluten flour, enoki mushroom, napa cabbage, frozen tofu, taro, daikon, cuttlefish ball and noodle. The ingredients I picked for our pot usually do not have a strong taste by themselves, but absorbed the soup taste, and that makes them so great for pots! Next, you pick the kind of spice and spice level. They have fragrant spicy versus numb spicy (they also have not spicy for people who can't eat spicy). We picked fragrant spicy. We were gonna pick medium spicy, but the waiter said we should try the mild first in case it's too spicy, so we took the advice. The mild spicy was spicier than other places, but we could have definitely handled medium! Anyways. it was pretty good. The pot was pipping hot (very important), and not too salty, but flavorful, and the ingredients all taste very good. This place is more like a saucy stew dish, so if you are actually looking for soup (might want to go to boiling point), then this might not be the place to go. I also think it is slightly on the pricier side than other places I have been, but overall a satisfying dining experience. 

Kanpai Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill

I didn't like sushi. WHAT?! I know..... that's crazy! Often times, whether you like certain food depends highly on your first encounter, and my first sushi experience.... not so great. It was at some random cheap sushi place..... so you can imagine..... For sushi, you are basically eating raw fish, and there's not too much seasoning that you can use to hide the flavors. You can definitely tell between high quality fresh fish and some so so stuff..... 
How do I fall in love with sushi? The boyfriend really likes sushi, so we went to another good sushi place called Sugarfish. I wasn't gonna eat anything, but he kept telling me that I was missing out and encouraged me to give it a try, so I did. OMG! Life-changing experience! Raw fish actually can taste good! I guess I was just picky the whole time! I ended up eating half of his food (he probably regretted telling me to try it lol) 
Now that I love sushi, it is hard to find good sushi places even in LA, and this one is definitely one of the best. The fish is imported from all over the oceans, and they are just so fresh. They also have a lot of live items! THEY ARE STILL MOVING ON THE PLATE! The boyfriend thinks it's cruel (which is kinda true), but nothing tastes better than live raw seafood!  

The name of the restaurant is called Kanpai, meaning "cheers". So, we started our dinner with a beer and a glass of plum wine. They also have over 20 premium sakes that are imported from Japan if you are into sake!

Sushi can be expensive, so some filler items! Ramen! This is spicy shio yuzu ramen. This is pretty good ramen! Yuzu is a kind of citrus, and gave the broth a little acidity, which is surprisingly good. The chashu was so good! Seasoned so well, and fatty but not greasy. 

Another yummy filler item, seafood tempura! All the seafood came with 2 pieces (scallop, shrimp and fish). I like the scallop the best, and it is a pretty big scallop. It was good. The tempura was crispy, but not greasy. The breading was just right, and the sauce was good with minced radish.  

Tada! Finally the sushi! From left to right, Meji Maguro (baby bluefin tuna), live octopus, seared sorbet tuna (we actually ordered buri, which is wild Japanese yellowtail, but they are out). Everything was already seasoned, so it is recommended not to add extra soy sauce. Just look at the bluefin tuna, just look at it..... the pattern..... OMG.... it was so good.... the live octopus, one of the best ones I have ever had (another instance would be in Tsukiji market in Tokyo). The seared tuna..... I don't know what the buri would have tasted like, but this is definitely worth ordering. It is hard to describe how good these are. Orgasm in my mouth.

On the left is ika (squid), which is also exceptional. Below is one of the highlights for tonight! Live sweet shrimp sushi! No exaggeration. The shrimp heads were still moving on the plate! For the shrimp heads, you can ask them to deep fried it or put it in soup, and we chose to deep fried them. Honestly, with shrimp this fresh, doesn't matter how you cook it, it is going to taste delicious. So, the white boyfriend goes like "Are we supposed to eat the head? The eyes and everything?" What a cute question. After being deep fried, the shells just become crispy, and there's so much calcium in those shells that it is actually good for you. There is still some meat in the neck area of the shrimp, but the whole shrimp is just so tasty that we ended up finishing the whole head (besides the eyeballs)! Now he gets shrimp head! LOL

One other highlight tonight, king crab w/ summer black truffle. The lady next to us was asking us how was it, because she said she wouldn't have thought black truffle can be on sushi. You know what, this is a bomb! Such a match in heaven! When the black truffle touches your tongue, it slowly releases the aroma. Then, you bite on the crab meat, and the sweetness of the crab merges with the black truffle. Um..... this is just sooooooo delicious. I mean, you've got to try it, then you will understand what I am talking about. 

Dessert time! I wasn't going to order dessert because usually the desserts in sushi places aren't that appealing. But their menu caught my eyes! I do have a sweet tooth, and when I saw this menu...... I was like.... okay, let's give it a try! I was debating between the green tea parfait and the tempura ice cream, and I picked tempura green tea ice cream.

It was a little disappointing. The breading is a little thick, and tempura ice cream is supposed to give you this hot/cold sensation, but it wasn't hot at all.... I only ordered one dessert, so other desserts might be better? 

Anyways, it might not be a perfect ending, but the sushi here was definitely 5 stars! There are not too many good sushi places in LA (I might be a little pickier than others), and this is one of those that has good quality stuff and still affordable. Restaurant.com has a coupon for this place, it's $40 for $100 gift certificate with minimum $200 order. So, it's like $140 for $200 dinner. A pretty good deal! Next time when I come back, I definitely need to try their uni and live octopus carpaccio (suction in your mouth would be interesting)! 

Chengdu Taste - Alhambra

Spicy food! Believe it or not, I used to not be able to eat anything spicy. Not that I don't like it, it's just that my palate cannot stand the heat. One day, I got a few friends that eat things that are only spicy....... so I got trained, and now I LOVE spicy food. This is probably one of the best sichuan places in Los Angeles, Chengdu taste. It is a very popular place, and they do not take reservations, so if you want to avoid a long line, I suggest going there between 11-12 for lunch. 
I have been here a couple times, and here are some of my favorite dishes. Perfect appetizer: mung bean jelly noodle in chili sauce and the cold garlic pork dish. They are both cold dishes, perfect for summer. The jelly noodle helps neutralize the spiciness of the sauce, and it has such great flavor. For the garlic pork, it was served with a bed of sliced cucumber at the bottom, and the sweetness and freshness of the cucumber helps with the heat, and the pork was cooked and sliced perfectly. 
The other two main courses that I love are the boiled fish with green pepper sauce and the toothpick lamb with cumin. The fish dish has a clear broth, but don't get fooled by it! It is numbingly spicy! The fish is cooked really nicely in the broth, and the broth is very tasty, perfectly seasoned. I still remember the first time we ate here, when I got home, my lips were hurting a little in a hot shower. I don't know whether they tuned it down, or we are more used to it, but it doesn't feel as spicy anymore. I didn't have a picture of the toothpick lamb, but as you can imagine, it is pieces of lamb on toothpicks. Very convenient to eat, you just pick it up and put in your mouth. This dish is not too spicy, so for those who cannot eat too spicy, this is a good dish for you. The lamb is well cooked and succulent. Their dishes are generally very big, that's why we weren't able to order too much usually, but it is perfect for a group of 4-6 people. Other dishes (bobo chicken, lion fish, chicken in green pepper sauce, etc) are pretty good too, but the fish is definitely a MUST ORDER. 

Boiling Point - Taiwanese hotpot

This is #3 on the menu - Korean Style

I am always a big fan of Taiwanese food. It is just too good. This is one of my favorite Taiwanese hotpot places "Boiling Point" (There are A LOT OF THEM). It is a very popular place, and they have a couple of locations in Los Angeles (Hacienda Heights, San Gabriel, Arcadia, Monterey Park, Artesia, Gardena, etc) and they are also in northern California, Washington, Irvine and Canada. Tips to avoid a long wait, go when they just open! We often go around 11-12, and there is either no wait or just 15 mins. 

This is #4 on the menu - Spicy Beef

This is different from traditional hotpot in which 10 people are fighting for a spot in the same pot. Basically, it is a mini personal pot that you can enjoy all to yourself! Here's the 10 different flavors they offer in Southern California:

1. House Special - Napa, Fermented Tofu, Sliced Pork, Enoki Mushroom, Kamaboko, Pork Meat Ball, Clam, Quail Egg, Pork Blood Cake, Pork  Intestine, Nira, Preserved Vegetables, Tomato, Cilantro
2. Seafood & Tofu - Bok Choy, Shrimp, Sliced Pork, Enoki Mushroom, Frozen Tofu, Baby Octopus, Clam, Cuttlefish Ring, Fish Fillet, Fuzhou Fish Ball, Vermicelli, Egg, Green Onion
3. Korean Style - Sprouts, Nira, Zucchini, Kimchi, Pork Belly, Fish Tofu, Kamaboko, Tempura, Rice Cake, Enoki Mushroom, Fish Fillet, Wok Noodle, Lobster Fish Ball, Crown Daisy, Seaweed (Big picture above)
4. Spicy Beef - Napa, Vermicelli, Sliced Angus Beef, Enoki Mushroom, Tomato, Firm Tofy, Tempura, Corn, Pork Meat Ball, Kamaboko, Fried Tofu Skin, Imitation Crab Stick, Green Onion, Cilantro (Small picture on the right)
5. Lamb - Napa, Vermicelli, Sliced Lamb, Enoki Mushroom, Imitation Crab Stick, Kamanoko, Pork Blood Rice Cake, Maitake Mushroom, Clam, Pickled Mustard Greens, Firm Tofu, Tempura, Fried Tofu Skin, Egg, Green Onion, Cilantro
6. Pomelo Flavor - Napa, Pork Belly, Shrimp, Seaweed, Fish fillet, Enoki Mushroom, Scallop, Korean Bean Thread, Baby Octopus, Kamaboko, Firm Tofu, Dried Bonito Flakes, Green Onion
7. Organic Veggie - Broccoli, Napa, Carrot, Wide Vermicelli, Zucchini, Beech Mushroom, Maitake Mushroom, Pear, Seaweed, Firm Tofu, Golden Mushroom
8. Taiwanese Spicy - Cabbage, Instant Noodle, Sliced Angus Beef, Tempura, Enoki Mushroom, Clam, Fuzhou Fish Ball, Cuttlefish Ring, Pork Intestine, Pork Blood Rice Cake, Fried Tofu Skin, Maitake Mushroom, Frozen Tofu, Green Onion, Cilantro
9. Japanese Miso - Cabbage, Udon, Sliced Pork, Enoki Mushroom, Clam, Fuzhou Fish Ball, Fish Fillet, Maitake Mushroom, Crab, Fried Tofu Skin, Soft Tofu, Egg, Green Onion
10. Thai Flavor -  Cabbage, Taro Stem, Sliced Pork, Enoki Mushroom, Cuttlefish Ring, Fuzhou Fish Ball, Clam, Crab, Baby Octopus, Maitake Mushroom, Shrimp, Cilantro

I strongly recommend #1 and #8 if you want to try the most authentic taste. I have also tried #2, 3, 4 and 10, and my personally favorite is #8 (It is super spicy, so you are warned!) Honestly, they are all great. You will be surprised how all the seemingly unrelated ingredients can integrate so well to produce such great flavors in one pot, and this is especially good when you go on a cold day. For vegetarian/vegan, #7 would be the only option, but I am sure it tastes great too. For people who do not eat spicy, besides #8 and #10, all the other flavors can be made so that they aren't spicy. You might also notice some ingredients that appear exotic for a lot of non-Asians, but trust me, you won't even know it's there, and they are delicious. I have successfully brought a couple Americans there, and did not tell them what is in the soup until they have finished. They all loved it and changed their opinion about those seemingly weird ingredients afterwards.
Lunch is a dollar cheaper than dinner, and #8, 9 and 10 are more expensive than others, but in general, lunch is 10.99/person includes the hotpot, extra noodles and green/black tea. Pretty good deal! I have never been able to finish one pot by myself, so I always ask for a little more broth and take it home with me. Warm it up and add a little noodle, another delicious meal! 

Korean Barbeque - Kang Hodong Baekjeong

Los Angeles has the largest Korean population outside of Korea, hence all the yummy Korean food!!! There are tones of Korean restaurants in the area close to downtown called Koreatown, and one of the very popular kinds of restaurants is Korean Barbecue. There are a lot of places that do "all-you-can-eat" Korean barbecue, and there are also places that offer higher quality meats with slightly higher prices. 

There are so many Korean barbecue places that I don't think one can try them all. But this one I tried last weekend was one of the best ones. This place is located in a little square, and they have valet parking, as we all know it is crazy hard to find a parking spot during dinner time. In order to avoid long lines (there is always a line), we went there at around 3pm (between meal times), and we got a table in 15 minutes, which is probably the best you can get. 

They have around 5-6 different kinds of pork meat and beef meat, and they also offer pork meat combo and beef meat combo for people who want to try a variety of different meat. Most Korean restaurants have complimentary sides dishes like radish, kimchi, fish cakes, tofu, and others. These taste delicious and add to the meal. (And free refills!!!) However, this place has fewer side dishes than most. But their kimchi is really good (on the spicier side for those who loves spicy). From the pictures, you can see that on the side of the grill, there are three different compartments, one contained seasoned eggs, one contained corn and cheese, and one contain some pepper and onion, which will all be cooked by the end of the meal. This is something I haven't seen in other Korean BBQ places and were a nice addition to the meal.

The waiters/waitresses grilled the meat for you, and all you need to do is eat! The service wasn't great unfortunately (I guess they are all busy?), it would be nice if they can smile a little more and be a little more friendly. Well, for me, when it comes to a restaurant, food is always more important than the service, and the food was great! Look at the meat! Look at the beautiful distribution of fat in the beef! It is to die for! Eating meat alone can be a little overwhelming after a period of time, wrap the meat with the lettuce and sprouts and put them all in your mouth at once... um..... perfecto!

For people who eat a lot, it would be perfect for you to go to all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ, one place I recommend is Hae Jang Chon, it is cheap and good, but with a long line (as usual).