Whaaaaaat?? I was THIS close to hitting Roberta’s for lunch yesterday. Can’t believe I missed the Rucker pie popup!!!
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@A5KOBE Yeah, it’s a struggle to keep up with social media, especially IG. May you be prosperous in your quest for a slice of buttermilk pie at CoFax.
I’m so sorry, @Bigmouth. I’ll let you guys know the next time I hear about one of her pop-ups.
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Onegai shimasu! 
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I would recommend a second order of the turnip & egg, it’s that good. you can’t go wrong with any of their other dishes, bbq pork, raw shrimp salad, papaya salad, pad prik king, morning glory if you want something green. But their turnip and egg is definitely their most unique and delicious item.
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I gotta try that Ruen Pair Turnip and Egg dish.
Salty/preserved turnip is something I used to eat with plain watery rice porridge (not creamy grain bursted canto style) with a half dozen other things (pork floss, eel, pickles…)
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Little Jewel
We hadn’t been back to Little Jewel in awhile, having mixed feelings on their menu offerings, but we were in the area and one of our friends felt like Jambalaya.
Crescent City Fried Oyster Po’ Boy:
If you like the ocean funk and pure cooked Oyster flavors, this Po’ Boy is for you. 
Deep ocean brininess, tender Oysters inside the Cornmeal crust, it was fine, but maybe too pungent for me.
Soft Shell Crab Po’ Boy:
Their Soft Shell Crab is perfectly fried; not greasy-tasting, having a nice crunch and the taste of great Soft-Shell Crab meat. 
However, the bread-to-filling ratio is way off: I understand that there’s a cost challenge, but the 2 small Soft-Shell Crabs (one for each side of the Bread loaf) with no other filling (no veggies, etc.) resulted in a big bite of Bread with a bit of Soft-Shell Crab. 
Cochon de Lait Parish Fair Sandwich (Creole Slaw, Cabbage, Pickle & Mayo):
Described to us as a “New Orleans Pulled Pork Sandwich” from the server, it was sort of like a Pulled Pork Sandwich, except instead of BBQ Sauce, it was more savory, tasting of Salt & Pepper, Cayenne, Paprika, and other seasonings. It would’ve been fine, except the Pork was partially dried out (like it was leftovers reheated, or they gave us the edges that were really dense).
Spicy Creole Jambalaya (Shrimp, Chicken, Andouille, and House Corn Bread):
I’m no expert on Jambalaya, but this was better than the Sandwiches we had before this. The Shrimp, Chicken and Andouille were in ample amounts, mixed with the Rice, and it had a nice kick to each bite. This was pretty tasty.
Their House Corn Bread was so-so. It had a strange aftertaste and was sort of gummy.
Crescent City Fried Shrimp Po’ Boy:
They still fly their Bread in from New Orleans, and while our earlier visits’ reaction was underwhelming, for the Shrimp Po’ Boy the New Orleans Bread finally felt like it “clicked” and made this Po’ Boy stand out: The Bread was lightly crunchy on the outside (just barely), and light and airy on the inside (although dry).
But it matched the Cornmeal Crusted Fried Shrimp along with the Cabbage, Tomatoes, Pickles, Red Onions and Mayo. And they gave a massive amount of Butterflied / Cleaned Fried Shrimp, compared to the 2 small Soft-Shell Crabs earlier. Adding a little of the Crystal Hot Sauce (recommended by the server), and it made this the most enjoyable Sandwich we’ve had to date at Little Jewel.
Overall, it doesn’t deliver that transcending amazement like you get at places like Gjusta with their various Sandwich creations, but it was solid.
But their Oyster Po’ Boy, Cochon de Lait and Soft Shell Crab Po’ Boy (the Crab was great, just as a Sandwich it was disappointing) were misses and things we wouldn’t order again.
The Little Jewel of New Orleans
207 Ord Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Tel: (213) 620-0461
J Zhou
With a rather outdated-sounding subtitle, J Zhou has been much-lauded by many respected FTC’ers. We’ve been meaning to try it since @Porthos recommended it so many times in the past, but we never got a chance to until this weekend.
First, walking in, this place feels this close to being Shanghai No. 1 Seafood’s distant cousin in terms of decor, LOL. 
It’s gaudy, but thankfully not as horrendous as Shanghai No. 1 and it’s shock factor.
What do those Flames represent? LOL. 
The back left corner had hanging Brown Earth-looking plastic. I was desperately hoping to see Wind ornaments somewhere to see if this was a homage to Earth, Wind and Fire?
Their Tea Selection had the standard offerings, but also a new one we hadn’t tried before: Shoumei Tea, which had a strong flavor almost like Oolong.
Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumplings (Siu Mai):
We had to start with the Dim Sum classic, Siu Mai. The photo taken was exactly as it looked set down on our table: It didn’t seem like they cared much for presentation. Still the flavor was most important.
The Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumplings tasted pretty good in terms of seasoning, however the outer wrapper was overcooked and mushy!
House Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow):
The other favorite order for us is the House Shrimp Dumplings. The Shrimp inside were plump and cooked just through (great), but like the Siu Mai, the outer wrapper was way overcooked. It was mushy as well! 
Sea Harbour and Elite are far better in this regards.
Sticky Rice Wrapped with Lotus Leaf:
This fared much better. The Sticky Rice was nicely infused with the Lotus Leaf flavors and the Chicken and Mushrooms were delicious.
Chicken Feet in Black Bean Sauce:
Overcooked and really mushy. Also a bit too salty.
Snow Pea Leaves with Bean Curd Skin:
The flavors were excellent here as well, but the portion was really sparse. For a $10 Dim Sum dish (pretty pricey), the 3 of us had 2 bites of this and it was gone.
Chicken Knee with Spicy Salt & Pepper:
The Chicken Cartilage was perfectly fried: Crispy, crunchy and it tasted fresh. Some of the best Salt & Pepper Chicken Cartilage we’ve had.
Taro Pumpkin Cake with Preserved Meat:
This feels like J Zhou was trying something new and unique, sort of like Sea Harbour’s French Style Taro Bun, but this was a disaster: First, visually it looked rather unappetizing, but each bite was this gross slippery, strange consistency “Steamed Custard”(?) dish. 
It tasted nothing like Taro, nor Pumpkin, and it had a bad aftertaste. We all stopped eating after 1 bite.
Steamed Preserved Salty Egg Yolk Buns:
We first had this dish at Sea Harbour (and then at other Dim Sum places); it’s quickly become one of our favorites. J Zhou’s version is too watery, and lacks the nuance of flavors that makes Sea Harbour’s our favorite. There’s some Salty Egg flavor, but it’s mainly Sugar Water that we taste.
It should be noted service at J Zhou was some of the worst we’ve had at any Dim Sum restaurant, and it was only 60 - 70% full during the weekend (at prime lunch hour). Waiters were standing around, and we had to wave down the waiters every single time we needed refills on Hot Tea, and our plates were never changed for most of the meal. It was almost as bad as Lunasia.
J Zhou is probably the most expensive Dim Sum restaurant in the L.A. / O.C. area. It has some great dishes and flavors and some really disappointing offerings as well. Their Har Gow and Siu Mai, Salted Egg Yolk Bun were noticeably worse than Sea Harbour’s offerings, as well as Elite’s (at least as of the last time we went).
Given the poor service and too many mediocre dishes, we wouldn’t drive down to J Zhou, but if we were in the area and felt like Dim Sum, we’d be fine returning. We do want to go back and try dinner, which is a completely different menu.
J Zhou
2601 Park Ave.
Tustin, CA 92782
Tel: (714) 258-8833
http://jzhouorientalcuisine.net/
HP Pho Ga Bac Ninh (Revisit)
(Posted in the Pho thread as well.)
With the weather plummeting to chilly lows, it felt like the perfect time for a nice, piping hot bowl of Chicken Pho.
Bi Cuon (Shredded Pork Skin & Vegetables in Rice Paper Rolls):
The Rice Paper wrapper was nice and thin, giving a good chew. The Shredded Pork Skin was funky and delectable. It was balanced by a nice amount of Romaine Lettuce. A nice dab in the Fish Sauce and it was a good way to start the meal.
Pho Ga (Chicken Pho Noodles) (Small):
But the reason we made the drive out to HP Pho was this: Their glorious, piping hot bowl of Free-Range Chicken Pho Noodles! The Free-Range Chicken Broth is light, delicate, perfectly seasoned (not too salty), tasting of a down-to-earth, warming Chicken Soup!
Then you take a bite of the Poached Free-Range Chicken (make sure to dab it in their Ginger Dipping Sauce), and a slurp of the Noodles and the warming Chicken Broth: Just perfect for this weather! I love this Chicken Pho. 
I still can’t believe this huge bowl of Chicken Pho (the “Small” order) is only $7! 
Such a bargain for such greatness.
(Cash Only)
HP Pho Ga Bac Ninh
8930 Mission Dr., Suite 102
Rosemead, CA 91770
Tel: (626) 288-9999
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Gjusta Gjusta Gjusta
Perfect fucking meal.
Cauliflower antipasto salad…perfect 
Prime fuckin reeeeeeeb…extra horseradish
Falafel sandwich…you already know
Carrot cake
Potzol Del Cano
Chicken pozole Really good as usual.
Enfrijolada choriceras with chicken, panela and pork This was really great, bean sauce was fantastic
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Is that…romanesco?!
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Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh
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Gotta get the extra horseradish
My goodness, that last dish–I didn’t even know they make stuff like that! Was it on the menu?
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Gots to.
Mr Lett was in the house today and he recommended the pastrami. I didn’t trust that hipster at his own restaurant. 
But food was extra fuckin spot on. 
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Dayum!!
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Had a bit of a mixed experience at La Azteca today–mostly positive though. Went in to buy some tortillas, but couldn’t resist a breakfast burrito. The whole thing was great except for the carne asada, which was gristle city and disappointing–never had the asada there before and never will again. However, there was one big, yellow surprise in this burrito.
As I’m eating my way through the top, I’m noticing a lack of eggs. I figured they forgot. Then I see white. It doesn’t register. My next bite in results in a gush of yolk all over my hands and plate–rather than scramble eggs, they put a perfectly fried, big egg in the middle of it. The runny yolk was delicious with the rest of the burrito.
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Yeah, I believe it is under the “mas grande antojitos” or something section of the menu.
Yeah, there asada is not good. The chorizo is good but they don’t have a runny yolk as you describe. The fried egg sounds great though and will need to “investigate” more.
Did you notice any holiday hours? I may want to make Christmas breakfast burritos.
I’m wondering if you can get the chorizo and just ask them for the fried egg–they seem very accommodating there. Come to think of it, I believe the window said they are closed on Christmas.
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attran, the gingerbread house is great, but you fail to mention your kids are in their 30s!!!
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They have specials on a blackboard by where you pick up your drinks. Once they had cabbage rolls. I was sooo happy.
