SinBala, Lao Xi Noodle House, Duke Bakery, Taza…all good suggestions for Arcadia.
How was it?
Stopped by Taza yesterday (Saturday) to try the spam musubi croissant, but was told they no longer carry it. Tried a $4 donut (cough), the campfire, and was pretty underwhelmed. There are many places with better donuts that cost a fraction of that price.
It was open?
I was planning to hit up Duke’s, Taza, and Laoxi before the event, but, thanks to an overly long nap, I only made it to Laoxi. 
It was very tasty. Had the noodles w/ sesame sauce (very good, w/ the sauce having a nice light mustardy flavor and not being too thick), mao er’duo soup (very comforting), pork and leek dumpling (quite small; serviceable); and the knife cut noodles stir-fried w/ vegetables (mainly bok chop, I think; tasted almost exactly like the kind of stir-fry you get at shanghai places w/ just the tiniest bit of heat).
All dishes were very good. I wouldn’t drive vast distances to eat at this place, but, if you’re in the area, I think it’s well-worth a visit. From the little I could understand of the owner’s conversations, it seems like he’s got some regulars.
Will try to post some pics later in the weekend run-down thread.
Tried to hit up Taza very close to closing time (7:40PM or so), and it was totally dark. Drat.
Went to Phoenix after the event for dessert and was reminded of why I don’t like Phoenix (whoops). Was surprised (shocked, actually) by how much partner likes synthetic-tasting desserts.
1 Like
I believe the donuts at Taza are from Donut Snob.
And speaking of which, I’m a big fan of their PB donut. Good stuff. After all, it’s only money.
It was fine, not my first choice for dim sum in SGV.
They do a really good chicken bun, as well as the BBQ pork variety.
Snow buns are always fantastic, but their diminishing marginal utility curve is way too steep for me. One is orgasmic. Two is sort of bordering on gross. Three, and I need the sanitary bags you find in your airplane seat pockets.
Shrimp puffs good, har gow not so much, tripe was ok. The fried tofu with winter melon peel was interesting, however.
Macau egg tarts good, but I’m old-school. Just give me regular egg tarts and I’ll call it a day.
wait a second … Do they still happen to carry those fucking barf bags on airplanes these days ???
As you can probably tell, I haven’t been on a fucking plane in ages.
Btw, what’s the difference between a Macau egg tart and a regular one ???
Thanks guys.
I stopped by there as well in order to find the legendary spam kim chi croissant. It is a shame they don’t carry it anymore.
basically, the macau egg tart requires more finesse as the the filling is just barely cooked through so as to be more delicate in texture.
THANK YOU for explaining! I’ve been wondering myself what the heck the difference is!
I’ve been told by the staff at Jim’s bakery that Macau-style egg tarts contain more milk than a regular one, although I’m not sure if a regular one actually has milk. They are certainly not nearly as dense.
1 Like
it’s just basically a custard with a bit less flour but i also forgot to mention the creme brulee type sear on the top.
oooooh, wow.
i’d really like the macau style better in that case.
sounds like they would be more pricey in that case too ???
but i’ll definitely take both. any fucking day of the week.
This is actually a complicated question, and better answered by pointing out how Portuguese or Macau style egg tarts differ from Hong Kong/Cantonese ones.
The Cantonese style egg tart seen in dim sum restaurants and Hong Kong style bakeries, is inspired from the British custard tart, and is a Hong Kong/Canton invention. The Macau style egg tarts come from the original Portuguese Pastéis de Nata recipe (with origins in Coloane) and are quite similar to the bastardized Hong Kong version, but with a twist.
As to the differences?
First, is the crust. Hong Kong egg tarts may be made with either shortcrust or puff pastry but their Portuguese cousins should always be made with puff pastry. Why? Because, to get the hallmark splodges on the custard (the dark brown sun spots), the tarts have to be baked at a very high temperature. How high? About 250°C, which would leave the shortcrust pastry incinerated.
Second, is the milk (or casein) content. Macau egg tarts have more milk than their Hong Kong counterparts. Why? Because indicative of Macau egg tarts, the custard filling has to form a skin (like uncovered pudding left out in the fridge) and it’s that skin that’s burnt when the custard is baked. The milk protein (or casein) will separate when it’s heated, creating the Maillard reaction. And you want/need that skin in making a Macau egg tart. No such thing in a Hong Kong version.
Finally, the sugar. A proper Macau style egg tart will have a glossy, almost shiny, look to its custard. This is from the added sugar in the custard mix. Some of the sugar will rise and separate from the custard mixture when it’s heated at 250°C. It then bubbles up to the top, giving the tart its gloss-like finish. Many folks nowadays just cheat and simply dust a finished egg tart with sugar and take a creme brulee torch to the top. Yes, you get the looks, but no dice.
There you go.
7 Likes
Having read this in its entirety, I want 2 units for completing this course in Tartology 101.
4 Likes
Me too. I’ll take three of each.
In the interests of the proverbial fucking epistemological taste test.
And that ain’t no fucking joke.
Btw the ones served up from Family Pastry in Chinatown are beyond fucking dreadful despite by the grade of “C” imprimatur.
I’ve purchased the Macau-style egg tarts for a little more than a dollar each at Jim’s Bakery in Monterey Park. Sorry, I don’t remember the exact price.
were they pretty fucking good ???
I actually think the best rendition of Macau egg tarts in SoCal is either at 85C Bakery or Shanghai No. 1, with the former generally being better than the latter.
C’mon mang, “C” means authentically Chinese!
3 Likes