verdict on angler?
Slightly off-topic: I love that show! The French version is also very good.
On-topic: looks delicious.
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The Mexico one is hillarious and so sweet! Many people in Mexico don’t even have ovens in their kitchen… LOL!!
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Few spots from the last couple weeks:
Noodle Harmony
Got spicy beef noodle soup, which was great and rich and almost a little gamy - it reminded me of the broth from some of the better Paomo I’ve had. The Sichuan Dry Noodles were good and nutty, though I think they could have been a bit punchier. The cold tofu, though, was really the star, super spicy and savory with a great chili crisp and green onion.
Kitchen Mouse
This has become a go-to brunch spot for me, especially when family is in town (with all of their complicated dietary stuff). It’s right in the neighborhood, it’s healthy-ish and light, and it’s pretty damn good. Really like the huevos rancheros, the morning glory bowl, and the Moros cakes. The Socca (pictured) was new for me, a really interesting savory chickpea pancake with tons of herbs and pickled onions. Pretty fun.
Tacos El Viejon
I’ve mentioned this place before, and it’s just really damn good TJ style tacos. It may not quite be on Tire Shop’s level every time, but it’s close. And they’re more convenient, they’re super nice people, the tortillas are fresh and great, they do a good adobada now, and the chorizo is really out of this world.
Mariscos El Paradero
Finally made it down there and was pretty impressed by their mariscos. Need to go back with a bigger group to run through more of the menu. Couldn’t quite justify the tower because I wanted to try a couple other things and it’s $35.
The Raymond / Bar 1886 Happy Hour
Solid happy hour. The food is fine and fairly affordable at HH, but the drinks are the reason to go. $7 at HH and really excellent, plus it’s a nice environment, especially around the holidays.
Anayas Pasadena
Made the mistake of going when I wasn’t very hungry so I only had a couple tacos, which were pretty solid but not exactly the thing to get there. Friends had shrimp enchiladas, which were excellent with an almost tikka masala-like creamy tomato sauce, and a mole burrito, which was also nice but I think would be better served at a specialist. Interesting to note - their menu advertises cocktails, but they’re all made with Sabe brand spirits. Seemed a little odd, so did some research - they appear to be underproof knockoff spirits used so that places with only a beer-and-wine license can make ‘cocktails.’ Weird choice, and I don’t love that they’re charging real cocktail prices with fake cocktails, with no mention of the substitution. And not just because of the ABV. Food was pretty good tho.
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Sorry, too distracted by the hot host of the Mexico one to pay attention to the contestants… 
Forgive my ignorance, but how do the people w/o ovens cook? Are there communal ovens (or do they do it over fire in cast iron)?
delicious food corner in monterey park - excellent QPR ($8.5 before t&t)
@beefnoguy @JeetKuneBao
yuenyeung (half milk tea and half coffee)
soy sauce pan-fried noodles & jook with century egg and salted pork
good caramelized soy sauce flavor but it’s a little dry and need more wok hei
good flavor and quite silky
turns watery after stirring vigorously so it needs to be cooked for longer
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PIBS! And yes, communal ovens. That is why Mexican Bakeries are often open up late… (later than most bakeries anyway) because very often, people from the neighborhood would come by with their meats to braise and the baker would do them the favor of putting it in an already burning oven and then you pick it up for dinner!
Most Mexican homes have ranges now (If you wanna see how my grandma cooked, all you have to see if the Youtube channel, De Mi Rancho a Tu Cocina, which is a completely different type of delight) but the ovens are seldom used because of the strong Panaderia culture leads to extravagant cakes that are easy enough to buy even day of (I went to a wonderful shop in Mexico City that just churned out Tarte Tatins all day!) You probably can go to almost any Mexican’s house… open the oven and find it’s used for storage… not baking… It drove P. INSANE when he saw my mother do this…
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Pho So 1 in Van Nuys. Charbroiled pork with rice, and egg rolls.
Senor Sol in Northridge. Beef flauta and carne asada plate.
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I often get the exact same thing there. FYI, if you ever go alone and feel that 6 egg rolls are too much, you can get a half order. Leaves more space for other dishes. 
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You can also get bun with charbroiled pork and egg roll and ask for rice instead. I get that sometimes when I’m not as hungry.
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Nice place, great service. Raw stuff was better than the cooked dishes which were done to varying degrees. Not my style, but I loved that sundae!!
Seoul Do Soon Yi Kimchi Company (Garden Grove)
Dropped by to pick up a gallon of kimchi to make kimchi fried rice. The kimchi is fantastic and is so much better than much of the generic stuff being sold at H-Mart. This kimchi is less sweet and a bit more heat focused. I’m now interested in the radish and the white kimchi…but keeping 3 gallon-sized jars in my fridge is a big ask.
Hu Tieu Thanh Xuan (Garden Grove)
Stop #2 to satisfy my dry hu tieu craving. The parking lot is a zoo with the Tet festival market across the street at the Asian Garden Mall. Park behind the A Dong Market rather than looking for close parking.
I still can’t believe a solid bowl of my favorite hu tieu glass noodles is only $7. My friends really enjoyed taking this side adventure with me. They had never had these chewy tapioca noodles before. We all had drinks from their menu and with 3 bowls, the tab was only $25. The uncles that run this place are so cool and very kind…I think they liked that I had brought my friends in…especially since the only people who were dining were old school Vietnamese folks. This place is a true treasure.
I wanted a Ngu Binh stop, but we were short on time. Next week…looking to expose my friends to more Vietnamese eats.
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Nice visit!
I like that area of Little Saigon…so many good eats! Than further north you have Korean and Middle Eastern. Than Mexican in Santa Ana.
I have no allegiance, as I grew up in both LA and OC, I feel like I know both pretty well but whenever someone says shit that OC sucks I remind them of that area of OC is filled with Korean, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, and Mexican food.
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Right?!? We are so lucky to be in the greater LA/OC area with so much amazing food. I like being 20 minutes to DTLA and the OC (in no traffic). I get the best of both worlds.
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You really need to stop by Phin Smith if you’re already in GG
Cafe sua da late in the afternoon is not wise for me. Perhaps during a morning trip…I need to assure myself some proper sleep on Sunday nights.
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Hi @Haeldaur
I haven’t been (3rd Bev-Grove) since they’ve expanded to more than a couple locales, but that Jalapeño Margarita was delicious and they had the best Guacamole (avocado, serranos, cilantro, red onions, yxta salsa brava, spicy pepitas). A lot of new places are gussying up guac but it’s all about proportions & texture and their’s was spot on.
I’ll say. Mercado has a different vibe, aesthetic and better food than Javier’s high-end, overpriced mall situation. I definitely recommend Mercado for group dining or a solo dinner at the bar.
I didn’t realize I had that much to say about Mercado.
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In the SGV this weekend. Originally went to Yang’s Kitchen, which was a crowded disaster (I mean, like, Huckleberry or Republique crowded). Not a great environment for my parents, so we went to Northern Cafe (Monterey Park instead). Seated right away.
Didn’t take a close look at the menu b/c my dad did most of the ordering, but it appears that you can select from various noodles (which they list as “ramen,” interestingly enough) from for each of the noodle soups. Lamb noodle soup did not have a lot of funk or gamey-ness. Pretty refined, although I wouldn’t have minded a stronger flavor. Had the thicker noodles in the spicy (not really) beef noodle soup, and I preferred the thicker (although both the thin and thick are very good).
Squid was excellent (very tender) and seemed to have been basted w/ a tiny amount of some sort of chili sauce. Green onion pancakes were wonderfully thin and crispy. The place had had chive pockets (pictured), which my parents said were rather unusual to find on a menu.
Beef rolls were fine, although too much gristle for my taste (and they certainly don’t hit the highs of 101 Noodle Express).
Not sure why my dad ordered XLB here (other than knowing I love them). They were fine but certainly not as good as DTF.
Would happily return.
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Dishwasher too.
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