Toshi Sushi (Little Tokyo): Omakase vs "Omakase"

Craving sushi, I remembered that Toshi Sushi in downtown has received a lot of praise from fellow bloggers recently, including Sinosoul, djjewelz, and others.
We came on Easter night and the restaurant was empty. I asked to sit at the sushi bar, and the waitress asked what I was going to order. Sushi? Probably Omakase?

Then she asked what kind of omakase I'm ordering, the set or something-or-other.
Toshi Sushi offers an "Omakase" Sushi set that is printed on the menu. For $44.50 you get:
daily appetizers, asari (clam) miso soup, wagyu tataki, grilled black cod, and "most valuable 10 pieces of sushi assortment of the day", and ice cream. This is the meal that djjewelz reviewed.

OK, understandable if the place was full, but why do they care if the restaurant is empty. Moving on, I said I'll order whatever is needed for me to sit at the sushi bar.
We ended up getting a full-on omakase. Whatever Toshi-san wants.

1. We started with some appetizers: seaweed from Japan, mountain yam, shark fin, and pear.
Some of you may be furious about the sharks fin offered here, but I wasn't. I grew up loving sharkin and stil do ... A nice combination of texture here between the sticky yam and seaweed and the crisper pear and sharkfin.

2. Halibut with marinated seaweed.
This first sushi course is a wonderful introduction of the freshness of the sushi we were about to have and the subtlety of Toshi-san's touch.

3. Bluefin tuna from Spain (that I forgot to take a photo of).
It's smooth and fatty, amazingly so for a non-toro tuna.

4. Snapper from Japan.
Fresh and chewy. The marinade is light and not overwhelming.

5. Deep fried octopus.
Chewy texture. The batter is a bit salty and greasy but the dish overall is good and flavorful.

6. Mackerel with marinated seaweed.
The mackerel has a natural saltiness. Both the flavor and texture are quite nice.

7. Chu-toro bluefin tuna from Spain.
This piece was not too fatty but still melts in your mouth and has that nice oily flavor. And of course, fresh.

8. Here we moved back to a lighter set of appetizers. A trio of dishes:

Sea cucumber
Nice and crunchy, surprisingly so as usually cooked sea cucumber is very fatty and tendon-like. Still, if you're used to sea cucumber you would enjoy this and otherwise it might be too weird.

Kumamoto oysters.
This has a bit too much sauce for my taste.

Baby squids.

Sweet and slimy. Loved it.

9. Now we're back to the fattier and heavier side of the meal, starting with Hamachi belly.
My favorite, always. Fatty but still a bit chewy. Nice flavor

Next came the most memorable and unique dish of the night:
10. Slowly baked bluefin tuna cheek.
This was my first time having cooked bluefin tuna cheek and it was amazing. It was tender but a bit chewy and meaty, had lots of flavor, a lot of oil. Excellent. If Toshi has this when you go, do try it.

11. O-toro (again, forgot to take a photo. Guess I was hungry!)
Melts in your mouth, definitely much fattier than the chu-toro.

12. Seared salmon belly with foie gras.
Fat on fat. Oh yes. The texture and flavor combinations are great, in that fatty melt-in-your-mouth-save-my-heart kind of way.

Because my companion loves his tamagoyaki, he asked for an order. Instead, we were given a tasting of three tamagoyakis:
13. Tamagoyaki with seaweed powder, tamagoyaki with yam, shiso, and plum, and a regular tamagoyaki.
In those Japanese comics or drama people always argue whether or not they like the salty or sweet tamagoyaki. Well, here we have both and more.

14. Aji from Japan.
The sushi here is never overwhelmed by sauces.

15. To finish up, I had an order of really sweet uni (Santa Barbara) while my not-an-uni-lover-companion had some ikura.
16. Followed by an order of unagi.
Nicely seared meaty unagi and again, not doused in too much sauce.

Brown rice tea to cleanse off.

Most people would count uni or unagi as their “dessert” but we have such a sweet tooth interesting so we got a couple:

“Chocolate Souffle”
It’s a perfectly fine dessert but I do not think this is a proper soufflé. This isn’t the first time I encounter “soufflés” at Japanese restaurants (and beyond) though. The vanilla mochi ice cream, though, was quite good and noticeably fresher than ones you get at the grocery stores (prompting us to walk across the street to Mikawaya!)

Panna CottaThis dessert worked better than the soufflé for us.

This meal wasn't $44.50. Obviously, right? That would've been amazing. Still, we got away with ~$80 per person after tax and tips which I still think was a great deal considering what we ate.
I was quite impressed with the quality of the sushi we had, and that baked bluefin tuna cheeks? Incredible.

Toshi Sushi
359 E 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 680-4166
www.sushicateringtoshi.com

Plaisir Opening Party: Launching Guilty Pleasures

Plaisir is the newest hot bakery in town, recently launched by owner Daniel Salva and Frenchman Pastry Chef Philippe Dray (previously at Cafe Flore).
Plaisir has only been open for about a month but have garnered some great reviews on Yelp.

The main attraction at Plaisir is their take on the traditional cream puffs. Colorfully glazed and filled with a creamy mousse, the cream puffs come in many a flavor.
Their namesake creampuffs, which come in 2 sizes, are quite addicting. I was recently invited to their grand opening party where I tasted the vanilla, mint, and peach cream puffs. The peach filling has a nice hint of tartness that makes it even easier to keep popping more in your mouth.

We also tried some of their savory offerings:
Buttery croissant sandwiches include ham & cheese, and lox & cream cheese.

There's a special quiche-of-the-day every day and that night I tried their spinach quiche.
Good and healthier, but I have to say I loved the slightly richer and cheesy Quiche Lorraine even more (regular order $6.95).

You can also order crepes and Belgian waffles made-to-order here. I'll have to try them next time.

Besides the cream puffs, chef Dray also offers a variety of other desserts. A peek inside the display case during this party shows mousse, baba au rum, and various cakes.

During the opening party they had a live DJ and generously flowing cava, because as they say this place is about guilty pleasures.

But it's not ALL about guilty pleasures. You can do your work here too.
What I really loved about this place is not only do they offer FREE WI-FI, but each seat is also set up with an iPod nano and its very own headphones.

With a freshly made crepe or Belgian waffle and a couple of Plaisir creampuffs next to your laptop, it's quite the work set up, don't you think?

Plaisir is located in the same complex as Trader Joe's on Santa Monica Blvd. Parking is available in the back with free 1-hour w/ validation.

Plaisir
8613 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310) 855-7177
www.plaisir-la.com
@PlaisirLA

JTYH: Knife Cut Noodles, Chili Peppers.

JTYH has been one of the foodbloggers' favorite in the past year. A descendant of the much-loved-but-now-defunct Heavy Noodling (I never did make it there), JTYH was first raved about by Sinosoul, and one by one bloggers made their way there. Especially after J. Gold did, too. I came here first with Sinosoul and crew, and then that same week with LA & OC Foodie so I can pick up the crap I left in his car before my travel mug gets moldy. But with everyone else writing it up at the time, I got lazy about it.

It's probably time now. That, and, you know, the photos are already uploaded and all.

The main attraction at JTYH is the Shanxi dao xiao mian (knife cut noodles).
Shaved fresh off a ball of dough with a sharp knife, because I don't think you even can buy it dried.

You shave it like this:
and btw, is that a cute logo or what?

JTYH has a selection of noodle soups, including the spare rib soup (above, $5.95 for a large), or the beef stew noodles below (same price), involving beef briskets.
But for me, the best thing to get is the stir fried noodles in shacha sauce ($6.25). Usually this comes with beef and they have a different stir fry noodles with lamb. On my visit with Sinosoul, we somehow got fried noodles with lamb in shacha sauce.

Stir fried, the noodles had a chewier consistency and it is also a much more flavor forward dish than noodle soups.

Bored with those long noodle strands? Try the Mooshu "Cat Ears" ($5.75)
The cat-ear-shaped "noodles" are thicker and even chewier. It's reminiscent of orecchiette and was perfect tossed with scrambled eggs, wood ear mushrooms, and pork. It's great any time of the day but was perfect for our br/unch outing.

JTYH also offers a variety of non-noodle dishes.
Fried Three Ingredient Dumplings ($6.95)
In this area you can find even better dumplings, but the ones here aren't bad at all.

Pan Fried Onion Cake ($2.95)
A pretty nice rendition that's not too greasy and has a nice crispiness.

The beef roll is also quite good, with a crunchy roll and a generous flavors.

The spice hounds would be happy to know that JTYH also offers some Szechuan dishes, including a great and crunchy pork intestines dish and these ribs:
and fish filet doused in red hot chili sauce.
For some of you these are probably not *that* hot, because I could eat them although I was dying.

Bottom line: go for handmade knife-cut noodles, stay for the rest.

JTYH Restaurant
9425 Valley Boulevard
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 442-8999

Indonesian Street Food: Kue Leker (Surabaya)

Street snacks in Indonesia are everywhere and are as varied as the number of islands in the nation (about 17,000).

The good thing about having out-of-the-country guests? I have an excuse to indulge in many of them. This kue leker cart was set up right in front of the spicy chicken place we went to for lunch, and since my brother said it was good, we got some.

Kue leker guy on wheeled push-cart

Kue leker is almost like a crispy folded crepe, usually filled with chocolate and banana. It is supposedly one of the staple foods of my home town, Surabaya, although apparently people from a neighboring town, Lamongan, claim its theirs also. Surabaya-ers will win by sheer number.

The origin of the name "kue leker" is not certain, but a likely explanation is that the word "leker" came from the Dutch word "lekker" which just means good or tasty. Kue simple means cake in Indonesian, so if the first part is true then the term just means "tasty cake."

The cake/crepe is made to order on a rotating hot pan while the guy pours chocolate syrup and plops banana slices down.
It seems quite likely that this dessert did originate during the Dutch colonization, right? I mean, it's practically a chocolate and banana crepe, rather European. And they did colonize us for 300 years!

As the bottom is getting crispy, it's folded and flattened, distributing the fillings around. Eat it while it's fresh: hot and crispy.

They'll have some already made on display, but you can always ask for a freshly made one.

It's a simple dessert that's quick to make and hits the spot, just as street snacks should be.


in front of:
Ayam Penyet Bu Kris
Kl.Tenggilis Utara no.1
Surabaya, Indonesia

Tijuana (Baja, Mexico)

Tijuana

• Barbacoa de La Ermita - Hidalgo style lamb barbacoa cooked overnight in a pit. Open on weekends only and there ain't no hangover cure like it.
  
• Cebicheria Erizo
• Cheripan -a great Argentinian restaurant with an amazing flank steak and a big martini list, including tamarind martini.
  
• La Querencia - one of the most exciting places in Baja with the Baja Med food movement in the forefront.
  
• La Vuelta -Fun place with some good beer offerings and a great mariachi band. Open late so get your party on here.
  
• Lorca - a great little Spanish place with delicious paella and whole suckling pig.
• Mariscos El Mazateno
• Mariscos Ruben - THE best seafood truck on this coast with THE best marlin taquitos.
  
• Mision 19
• Tacos El Poblano - Their carne asada tacos, made with 3 different meats, blow any carne asada taco in Los Angeles out of the water.
  
• Villa Saverios Restaurant - Both Italian and Baja Med influence the cuisine of Chef Javier Plascencia at this gorgeous restaurant.

Tijuana: Mariscos Ruben and the Best Marlin Taquito

I like going to Mexico with Street Gourmet LA, just blindly following him to the places he's researched and discovered (hey it's a vacation). He has not disappointed yet.

On our last trip to Tijuana for Tequila Expo, he took us to one seafood truck that I can't get my mind off of. Mariscos Ruben.
Husband and wife team Ruben and Mirta Rodriguez have operated this Sonoran seafood truck at this very corner for the past 20 years and they employ quite a few staff working the "kitchen" in the truck.

There's a small tented area where patrons squeeze into plastic chairs and stools. Some of the locals are decked up in suits and fancy dresses, but good food has always brought people together.

Our meal started big.
A plate of Manitas de Jaiba (crab claws).These small crab claws are fresh and sweet and served with citrusy chile marinade.

The crab tostada was equally impressive.
Fresh crab meat topped with onions, salsa, and thick slices of avocado really brought out the sweetness of the crab meat even more.

But it was these babies here that I crave, that makes this place so memorable to me. Marlin Taquitos.
Meaty smoked marlin in chargrilled tortillas are topped with cabbage, homemade thousand island dressing, and another homemade secret sauce. There's the smokiness, the creaminess, and then there's the crunch. To put it simply, they're the best taquitos ever.

Ruben works a small charcoal grill behind the tented area. The wife high recommended we try another dish before leaving: Almejas Gratinadas (Clams au gratin, basically).
We watched as Ruben Rodriquez picked up foil-wrapped Pismo clams from the charcoal. One of the cooks then split them open and prepared the real deal for us.
Like a treasure box, the big clam shell is now topped not just with the tender clam meat swirling in its juice, but with octopus, shrimp, scallops, cream and monterey jack cheese. We can see why Mirta wanted to make sure we try these and we're so glad we listened.

Every now and again I find myself wanting to drive down to Tijuana. The main reason would be this place and their marlin taquitos. I regret everyday not making a pit stop on my way home that time.
If you're ever in Tijuana, make sure you stop by and check this place out.
No, wait, scratch that. If you're not in Tijuana, get in your car and drive to this street corner.

Other reviews for Mariscos Ruben: Street Gourmet LA, Food GPS,

Mariscos Ruben
Corner of 8th & Quintana Roo
Tijuana, B.C., Mexico

Open 7 days a week, 10am-6pm

SF: San Tung Takes on Wings

The end of last year I visited San Francisco to take my aunt from Indonesia around. We were staying my a good friend of my cousin's and on my first night she took us to San Tung, a popular Chinese restaurant in the Inner Sunset district.

She said San Tung is supposed to have really good chicken wings and my aunt likes chicken.
Chinese=cheap. Chicken wings=sound good to me. I hesitated a bit because the friend is actually a vegetarian, so she wouldn't really know if the place was good. It had a good Yelp rating, so I wondered if it would be up to snuff.

A really spicy pickled cabbage that's served at every table.
My aunt and friend both liked it a lot. I didn't try it at all (didn't I just say it was supposedly really spicy?).

Because the friend is vegetarian, we also ordered some eggplant in garlic sauce ($7.50)
Generous portion and it packs a punch of flavor. The eggplants were sweet and tender and the sauce was a little spicy and very flavorful.

What we came for: The Original Dry Fried Chicken Wing ($9)
For my sake, we didn't get the hot ones that night. The wings had a nicely crispy skin, and a sticky sweet sauce. I preferred it to Bonchon/Kyochon in LA since it's not as sweet, the skin is crunchier than Kyochon (tho maybe not Bonchon), but mostly because it is CHEAPER. For $9 we get a whole plate of big chicken wings, not a small basket of tiny wings for $10. The value proposition is much higher.

Noodles in Black Bean Sauce ($8): SKIP.
Seems like a lot of Yelpers liked this dish, but I didn't. I usually really like the Korean-Chinese black bean noodle, jjangmyun, but here the homemade noodles were doughy and mushy, the black bean sauce was bland. The list of beef, shrimp, and calamari on the dish was tempting but I don't think it worked particularly well. It was a big bowl of bland starch to me.

San Tung for the most part serves a solid Chinese meal, but it's really the dry fried wings people come for and it isn't all just hype. The crispy wings were quite good and I'll pay for these over Kyochon any day. But then, would I otherwise drive so far and wait for a table for wings?

San Tung Chinese Restaurant
1031 Irving St
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 242-0828
www.santungrestaurant.com/menu.html

It's a Gal Chat: The Heyday of LA Times Food Section

Did you know there's an organization called the Culinary Historians of Southern California?
No? Interesting, right?

Of course, they don't just study gastronomical history among themselves. Here's what might interest you: This Saturday they are bringing the big name "girls" of the Los Angeles Times Food Section from the 1960's-80's together for a talk, and it's FREE to the public.

In attendance will be Betsy Balsley, Donna Deane, Rose Dosti and Barbara Hansen (whom I've had the pleasure of meeting and she's amazing).

Here's more details:

Saturday, April 10th, 10:30 am
Los Angeles Public Library
Mark Taper Auditorium, Downtown Central Branch
630 W. 5th St.

Free and open to the public

With over 100 work years of combined experience, the team of Betsy Balsley, Donna Deane, Rose Dosti and Barbara Hansen produced the Los Angeles Times Food section in its heyday beginning in the late sixties, into the 1980's. During this era the food section had 40 to 50 pages every week, with popular columns such as Culinary SOS and Borderlines and dozens of original recipes. Recipes were prepared for publication in a magnificent test kitchen. The LA Times Food Gals will reminisce about this extraordinary era of food journalism, the resources they had to produce a great food section.

A reception with themed refreshments will follow the talk at approximately 11:30.

Pal Cabron: Cemitas & Clayudas Cabronas

Pal Cabron is the brainchild of siblings Bricia and Fernando Lopez, whose family own the Guelaguetza restaurants. Pal Cabron is also perhaps the only restaurant in town serving Cemita Poblana, the sandwich that is the street food staple of Puebla.
Pal Cabron generously offered to donate a bunch of gift certificates for Bid and Eat when I was doing a fundraising for Haiti, so one Sunday I drove over to pick them up. And have lunch, of course.

Javier Cabral, aka The Glutster, was an early discovered of Pal Cabron and his blog post brought bloggers' attention to the place. They even added a painting of him on the wall.

Even though it was only lunch time and on a Sunday, I couldn't skip the much-praised Michelada.
Spicy and savory! Worcestershire sauce and a little Piquin chile is topped with Pacifico beer. A strong wake-upper here.

I dragged a friend of mine from East LA here. My friend asked me what he should get, and I recommended the one thing I've had (during Glutster's bday wine tasting trip) which I really enjoyed before: La de Barbacha ($5.95) which is Barbacoa de Borrego Enchilado (Seasoned Lamb)
Cemita Poblana here is made with a freshly baked roll sprinkled with sesame seeds and stuffed with the meat you ordered, avocado, onions, quesillo, milanesa, queso panela ... all that good stuff. When I had it during our lunch picnic, I really enjoyed all the flavors that went in and the tender meat itself.

Since I've had their cemita before, I wanted to try their clayuda this time. I was still full so I avoided meat and went with the basic with black beans and Oaxacan string cheese, Quesillo ($5.95).
It may look like a pizza to you at first, but don't be expecting similar flavors. The large and crispy tortilla is spread with pork fat, black bean paste and topped with cheese. It's crunchy, it's rich and fatty and cheesy. Very satisfying. Next time I'll add some chorizo on top.

Even though I was full, as we were leaving I gave in and got a horchata after all. The horchata here, just like the one at Guelaguetza, is topped with pecan bits, melons, and tuna (cactus) puree.
The perfectly refreshing end.


Cemitas y Clayudas Pal Cabron
2560 E Gage Ave
Huntington Park, CA 90255
(323) 277-9899
@PalCabron