April 2018 Weekend Rundown

Random weekend notes:

Pizza from Cafe Bambino’s in Pasadena on Hill; veggie and Florentine - both good.

http://www.eatbambino.com/

But…
They’re in the same mall-let as Namaste Spiceland, so in we went and out we came with 10 (yes, we’re gluttons!) samosas, some dessert things, and a bunch of Indian meals for the pantry.

Also tried King of Ramen: very good vegetable curry and vegetable ramen (with the essential caveat that I have zilch non-from-a-package-experience with ramen); spring rolls were a bust (very limp and greasy - think the oil temp was too low). Service was warm and friendly but a bit scattered.

http://www.kingoframen.com/menu---pasadena.html

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JON & VINNY’S

artichoke

salad

cacio e pepe

fusilli vodka

swirlie

DISNEYLAND
matterhorn mountain macaroon

carthay circle cocktail

(not pictured: dat corndawg)

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How was Jon & Vinny’s? The artichoke dish looks interesting. I can’t find it on their menu. Was it a special?

Yumm to the Matterhorn Mountain Macaroon.

Teochew mie, Ramayani (Westwood)…

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Hello!

I secretly desire to double fist 2 Disneyland Corndogs

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Hi @J_L -

I’ve been obsessing over Ramayani since this post. Wondering why I had not heard of or been there. Seeing a picture of the storefront made me realize I have been there - back when I actually left my desk for lunch.

We are planning a revisit in the near future!

Gotta’ :heart: FTC.

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Hi Ms. @ElsieDee -

I sent this post to my vegetarian eating, Altadena living, Satsangi sister. She was thrilled.

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I am thrilled she was thrilled (please tell her that Namaste Spiceland is FILLED with vegetarian and vegan “stuffs”) - and would be thrilled to know her regular veg-friendly haunts in the area.

I am also thrilled that the word “Satsangi” sent me down a delightful Wiki rabbit hole and I’m now a wee bit more enlightened. :wink:

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Ramayani has been around for a long time. Indonesian food would have been non-existent to a great extent in much of LA if not for them.

We used to go often. They have a pretty extensive menu and the food in general is pretty good. Parking is tough though.

Once Simpang Asia opened in nearby Palms, we started going there. Parking is easier, there’s an attached Indonesian market and we prefer their renditions of dishes from their shorter menu. Their curries kill it.

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:laughing: I’m thrilled you’re thrilled she’s thrilled. Okay I’m ending this now. Yah, she’s been a Satsangi for many years.

I will ask about her fave spots. TBC…

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Oh wow, okay.

This has been a topic of conversation, albeit a short one. Lack of Indonesian or solid S.E. Asian restaurants. I got excited by J_L’s tasty post, only to find what he, you and others already know - Ramayani, is not new, right under our noses AND the torch bearer of Indonesian food in L.A.

Westwood Blvd really is an unlikely, but interesting cross-section of cultures and food.

Happy Seaking and Weekend Eating!

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Good birria at Birrieria Tepechi in Long Beach. The goat meat was very tender and the broth was nice and hearty.

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Triple Beam slabs of the pepperoni and the asparagus with mozzarella, fontina, and ricotta.

Great bread, the crust is fantastic, crispy and chewy. Still not what I had in Rome but this place was excellent. The salami or pepperoni, was OK. The other was fantastic just a little touch of heat. They did not have the potato pizza that I was really looking forward to trying.

Someone complained theirs was cold. Mine they gently warmed and then called my name to pick it up.

The other thing I like is they have a tap that dispenses free water either still or carbonated.

imageimageimage

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Cold Noodle Bowl at The Getty Center. Not bad.

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Check out Toko Rame in Long Beach. Try the rice combos and lontong.

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Thanks @Sgee!

Little Jewel

Their fun, hand-written menu on the wall:

Spicy Creole Jambalaya (Chicken, Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, and House Corn Bread):

This was zesty, a bit spicy, but not overwhelmingly so, with plenty of chunks of Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille Sausage.

Little Jewel Fish ‘N Shrimp Po’ Boy (Golden Fried Catfish, Shrimp and House Remoulade Sauce):

Their Fried Catfish had a nice subtle crunch, and their Bread was sturdy enough to stand up to all of the Remoulade, Catfish and Shrimp without disintegrating.

Their Fried Shrimp also had a bit of a crunch to it, and was pretty well seasoned. Overall a tasty Po’ Boy. :slight_smile:

I still need to go back and try their Red Beans and Rice next time.

The Little Jewel of New Orleans
207 Ord St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Tel: (213) 620-0461

Boston Lobster

I remember @Sgee @Ns1 @chandavkl @J_L talking about Boston Lobster a while back and we’ve been meaning to try it once to see how it compared to Newport Seafood. As @chandavkl mentioned (and 2 different friends of ours from the SGV (one who knew some of the staff at Newport)), Boston Lobster is made up of some former Newport Seafood staff (chef and servers) that left and opened up this place.

As Newport’s wait time is still ridiculously long at most times of the day, we took a chance here. First, luckily we had reservations because when we showed up there was a line out the door (maybe 10 - 15 people waiting around).

Walking inside, it is as @Ns1 said: It’s a hole-in-the-wall, very simple white walls, and the overall decor is definitely below that of Newport Seafood.

Glancing at the menu, it looked really similar to Newport Seafood.

Braided Crab Meat and Fish Maw Soup:

This was fine, a slightly thicker Fish Maw Soup, and the Fish Maw and Crab Meat went well with a bit of the Red Vinegar they served with it. :slight_smile:

French Style Beef Cubes (Bo Luc Lac):

One of the most popular dishes from Newport Seafood, Boston Lobster’s version of Bo Luc Lac (French Style Beef Cubes) is tender, peppery and delicious. :slight_smile: This was definitely better than our last visit to Newport Seafood (which was so awful, we no longer want to return).

Boston House Special Lobster:

And here was Boston Lobster’s version of the famous Newport Seafood Live Lobster. They also have the ridiculously large Live Lobsters and will ask you how many pounds you want.

It looked just like Newport Seafood’s version. But there was something off about the taste: There was a strange mineral-y, weird aftertaste. :frowning: The meat itself tasted fresh, but perhaps this was due to their fish tank / water condition? Or that this Lobster might’ve been too old? Just guessing at this point.

The actual Sauce and flavors outside of that were pretty close to Newport, but Newport Seafood’s Lobster is definitely better on this night (even with our downhill / bad last experience there).

They give you an option for Noodles to soak up the Lobster Sauce, which sounded great, but ultimately it felt like an unnecessary addition for us.

Steamed Whole Fish:

This was fine. It was better than Newport Seafood’s version from our last visit, but nowhere near as good as the best HK / Cantonese versions at Sea Harbour (or Elite).

Sea Cucumber with Black Mushrooms:

This was also OK. Nothing too special, but the Sea Cucumbers were sufficiently soft while still having some body, with tender Bamboo Shoots and Mushrooms.

Sauteed Pea Shoots with Garlic:

This was nicely sauteed and delicious. I loved the Garlic and Spring-like flavors of these Pea Shoots. :slight_smile:

Yang Chow Fried Rice:

This was pretty mediocre. Especially in comparison to the strong breath of the wok from places like Dragon Beaux, and even our recent visit to Sam Woo BBQ.

Boston House Special Crab:

This was delicious! :slight_smile: The Live Crab had a natural sweetness to the meat, and the additional wok-fired flavors came through in each bite, nicely seasoned with Green Onions and Salt, without being too salty. This was better than our last visit to Newport Seafood.

One huge difference between the current iteration of Newport Seafood and Boston Lobster is that Boston Lobster’s staff (our SGV friends recognized a couple of the servers from Newport) is much more friendly. Our last visit to Newport Seafood was a major disappointment: The food was worse, the staff was almost all changed out (a few of our SGV friends pointed that out) and the new staff was downright rude to us, refusing even the most basic Tea refills or coming over when we needed something.

Boston Lobster really does seem like a toss-up in terms of food when compared to Newport Seafood, although we all thought Boston Lobster’s French Style Beef Cubes, House Special Live Crab and Steamed Fish were better than Newport Seafood’s version (from our last visit). Newport Seafood’s Lobster was better though, but perhaps it was a fluke (a bad Lobster) that we got on this visit.

But Newport Seafood still has the decor and ambiance (although with the new staff it was filthy in the dining room (floor was oily / slippery(!), chopsticks and napkins on the floor, etc.).

Also with 626 Lobster opened up (one of our friends said they also have former Newport Seafood staff), I’m curious if that’s even better?

At this point, if we’re in the mood for this type of food, we’d rather go visit the OC location of Newport Seafood, or try 626 Lobster once, or just go to Sea Harbour and enjoy HK / Cantonese style with much better execution.

Boston Lobster Seafood Restaurant
727 E. Valley Blvd.
San Gabriel, CA 91776
Tel: (626) 288-4388

Jopok Topokki

Thanks to @selfish_shellfish for pointing out that Jopok Topokki served the Korean dish known as Jumeokbap, which is a “make your own Korean Rice Ball” dish.

Ever since having Jumeokbap at Majordomo (one of our favorite dishes there!), we’ve been obsessed with finding out where they might serve it around L.A. (it must’ve existed before Majordomo obviously). :wink: So off we went to try Jopok.

Topokki:

The restaurant is named after this Korean dish, made up of cylindrical Rice Cakes cooked in a very spicy stew! This thing was spicy! Wow. :open_mouth: The heat grows on you and after a few bites, I couldn’t stop sweating and my mouth was on fire. :frowning: :laughing: It had a bit of sweetness to the savory, super spicy Soup.

Jumeokbap (Hand-Crafted Rice Balls):

And then the dish we came here for: Jopok’s Jumeokbap arrives in a metal bowl just like what we experienced at Majordomo, except here it was much more simple, with it mainly being Steamed Rice, Seaweed, Sesame Seeds and Yellow Pickled Radishes.

You mix it all up with your hands(!) (they provide a plastic glove for you) and…

You form your own Rice Balls out of the mixture. It’s very tasty and fun. :slight_smile: I really liked the crunch from the Yellow Pickled Radishes and the Nori (Seaweed) provided a nice umami flavor as well.

But now that we’ve experienced a “normal” version at a place in K-Town, the version at Majordomo was much better. The ingredients, subtleties in flavor and the elevated execution helped (whereas it failed for Majordomo’s other offerings like their Galbijjim (Short Rib Stew) or their Bossam).

Jopok Topokki
3407 W. 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90020
Tel: (213) 908-5500

Quan De 7 Mon

Thanks to @ipsedixit for mentioning this place that served Vietnamese Goat dishes(!), we were curious and wanted to see what it was like.

If you’re craving Balut (:face_vomiting:) there’s a store selling it in the same plaza:

Glancing over this menu, it definitely had some exotic menu items that would make Andrew Zimmern feel right at home with his “Bizarre Eats” TV show. There were items like Goat Testicle and Chinese Herbs and Goat Chitterlings, and Rooster Testicles. :nauseated_face: :grimacing:

De Xao Lan (Stir-Fried Goat Meat):

While the menu said “Stir Fried Goat Meat,” this was actually Goat in Curry Sauce. This tasted… OK. The Yellow Curry reminded us of a very basic Chinese Yellow Curry (mild, even, simple), which is OK. The Goat was very tender, but tasted a bit lukewarm for some reason.

Oc Huong Nuong Bo Toi (Grlled Snails with Butter and Garlic):

These were rather bland. They arrived on a sizzling metal plate and the Grilled Snails were lightly chewy, but really underseasoned. The bit of Garlic and Butter Crumbs on top helped, but there was no Salt.

Suon De Nuong (Grilled Goat Ribs):

This sounded great. Unfortunately the Grilled Goat Ribs were really chewy, with lots of sinew / connective tissue and they were just gristly. :cry:

They were very well seasoned though, and if the Goat Ribs were more tender / the connective tissue cleaned / removed, this might’ve been very good.

I had no idea there was a whole sub-cuisine for Vietnamese Goat dishes. :sweat_smile: @Ns1 @attran99 do you have any recommendations on places?

Quan De 7 Mon
9663 Garvey Ave., Suite 209
El Monte, CA 91733
Tel: (626) 401-9999

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Did J & L Produce have any sushi?

See what I did there?

Topokki lol ever since a Korean friend told me the hidden slang of Topokki I can’t look at it the same

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I was at Little Jewel, on Sunday, I didn’t want to admit to a bang bang with Triple Beam Pizza.

The only thing I’ve had there that I didn’t really care for was the crawfish mac & cheese. Mine was an absolute pool of soup.

The roast beef Po Boy is killer. It’s like pot roast meat.

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