Hannosuke tendon #4 at Mitsuwa SM. Don’t know why I thought this was a good idea. I expected that one would not be super crispy, but I didn’t expect that it would be so greasy and heavy. Assuming that it was fried at the right temperature, I’m thinking perhaps the oil might have been too old.
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Probably so given the dull color of the tempura.
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Hannosuke has been off ever since they stopped using sesame oil to fry the tempura. Have you tried Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior? It’s by the chef who used to run Hannosuke in the US, and tastes just like their glory days.
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I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s on my list now! Thanks 
for the info.
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Here’s Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior’s gofundme, he needs help
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Do they offer take out to be eaten in the car?
I’m not sure, on his IG page it says he cant open but never hurts to call and ask just in case.
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Banh Khot Lady (Fountain Valley)
@Chowseeker1999 @A5KOBE among others have alerted us to legit banh khot. And you can’t tell my mother, but these are better than hers. They do benefit from a reheat in the toaster oven…400 for at least 5 minutes to crisp the little bites up. The greens that come with them are immaculate and fresh. The nuoc cham dipping sauce kind of steals the show because it’s so good. Solid pickled veg, too. I actually ordered 100 and split it with my parents…to provide them a fun lunch that Mom didn’t have to cook. I’d happily order again…and it looks like capacity may be increasing. I saw lots of opportunities last weekend to make a booking. Lots of times available, and I love how Banh Khot Lady has found an entrepreneurial solution to what COVID has reaped on her.
Oliboli Donuts (Tustin)
I finally went on my own. Around lunch time on Saturday, I drove by since I was in the neighborhood. And to my surprise, there was no line. So in I went to try these doughnuts fresh.
The staff was super nice and helpful. I went in for the strawberry-rhubarb cobbler, strawberry, Meyer lemon, pistachio, peach, guava, and some doughnut holes. I love that there’s a window into the kitchen for nerds like me to browse and watch the magic happen. The yeast doughnuts are no joke fried to order. They are then topped and glazed, and I hustled to the car in order to partake.
I had slivers of my order. The pistachio fresh is amazing…the aromas of pistachio are lovely and the pistachio is certainly the star with only mild citrus notes from the glaze. Once cooled, the citrus glaze becomes the star. Both strawberry doughnuts are amazing…because Harry’s Berries! But the yeast dough itself is complex and light all at the same time. The peach was tasty, but I find that I just don’t love cake doughnuts. The guava cream I had much later and it was so good! When fresh, these are the best doughnuts I’ve ever had.
Cream Pan (Tustin)
Required stop for parental treats. Strawberry croissants, azuki buns, and cream pans. I did notice that a few folks were ordering curry here, but I had Tanakaya’s chicken curry the night before so I was good.
Tanakaya (Tustin)
I went back for a supply of fresh uncooked noodles. I found that the chowpups quite enjoyable the chew of the fresh udon…and my secret is that I threw some cold case stuff from Cindy’s Kitchen on top for a fantastic summer lunch.
Cindy’s Kitchen (Hacienda Heights)
Per @Chowseeker1999, Cindy’s is back in business but for takeout only. I got the noodles to go, but even on a short drive back to my house, they didn’t hold up too well. The starch made the noodles clump and it was hard to mix…but it was still delicious. My main goal was cold case items: cucumbers, bamboo, sliced tofu, and tendon. Also picked up some frozen dumplings for my house and my parents. They had run out of scallion pancakes.
Burritos La Palma (Santa Ana)
When I found myself 2 miles away, of course I stopped by. Picked up a mix of birria, deshebrada, tinga, chicharrones, and bean & cheese (the littlest chowpup loves it), and headed on home. Also got 2 packages of tortillas. I think I’ll vacuum seal and freeze one since the weather is starting to heat up.
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Hi @attran99,
Great food journey! 
It’s good to hear your perspective on how Banh Khot Lady compares with Banh Khot you’ve had overall.
Oliboli Donuts: ! They have Guava Donuts now? 
Sounds like a great new flavor they just added. Can’t wait to try it.
Cindy’s Kitchen: Glad you liked most of the items. I definitely agree that noodles to-go don’t sit well traveling. I think it’s almost better to just make a fresh batch at home and just use their (delicious) Beef Shank & Tendon Soup that way. 
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Providence En Voyage #4: Spain…
I’m batting 1.000 with the Providence “En Voyage” series so far! And since my summer vacation this year has been canceled (thanks, ‘rona), I suppose the next best thing these days is to travel culinarily via these expertly prepared take-out dinners. So far, our tastebuds have been taken to Marseilles, the Amalfi Coast, and most recently, a tour of California.
This week, Providence’s Chef Michael Cimarusti and Manager Donato Poto whisk us away to Spain!
Appetizer: Pintxos - The Gilda… This is a very common (and damn tasty!) bite one would encounter while bar crawling in San Sebastian. Green olive, guindilla pepper, and anchovy from the Sea of Cantabria. I love that Providence mentions the ingredient sourcing for many of its dishes. In this case, La Española Meats (Harbor City) provided the goods.
Bread: Pan de Aceite served with En Valle de Almodóvar cheese (sheep, goat and cow’s milk blend), whipped to lightness with garlic and thyme.… The buttery, garlicky cheese is perfect with the olive oil-laden bread.
First course: Pulpo Gallego… A classic Galician tapas, with tender octopus, steamed potatoes, drizzled with olive oil, pimiento (cherry peppers and paprika), garnished with purslane and celery leaf, with a twist of lemon juice. The flavor of this dish was spot-on when compared with my recollection of past visits to Spain. Just fabulous.
Main course: Basque-style Striped Bass Piperrada (pepper sauce)… Line-caught from Massachusetts, with Valdivia Farms tomatoes, onions, shredded lomo, basil, fennel fronds, and seasoned with sea salt. An explosion of seaside flavor rewards my diligent instruction-following in reheating this beautiful dish! #MasterReheater
Dessert: Basque Cheesecake with Harry’s Berries Gaviota Strawberry Preserves… Whoa - Now THIS is Michelin-level desserting! The inside of the cheesecake is perfectly soft and a bit runny, just the way it should be. That heavenly strawberry preserve alone deserves its own course!
Mignardises: Turrón (nougat)!
These take-out meals have been thoughtful, instructive and, of course, delicious. I am eagerly awaiting what destination Providence will take us to next. When I asked, both Chef Michael and Donato simply said, “You’ll see.” #ProvidenceLA
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The guava is a filled yeast doughnut with a delightful guava cream. It’s also rolled in granulated sugar. I think you’ll enjoy it, @Chowseeker1999!
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Looks like an awesome meal. Only things you were missing were some cider or txakoli.
How did the Ribera go with the meal?
That’s a nice haul!!
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Spread over a few days…I just forgot to post.
Any inside shot of the basque cheesecake? @J_L
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Ah, ya got me. That bad boy was so tasty I Pac-Mann’ed it all before I could take the shot. I will endeavor to obtain a sagittal view next time.
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Questing for great eats during weird times…
James Sugishita is a beast.
Bento: Tekkadon with Kyoto maguro (chutoro), binchotan-grilled nodoguro, aji bozushi, okra ohitashi with hamo (daggertooth conger eel), grilled kinpira (lotus root), simmered shiitake mushrooms, ume ninjin (carrots simmered in umeboshi dashi), atsuyaki tamagoyaki (kasutera-style omelette cake)… Absolutely worth it.
Chirashi: Hon-maguro, binchotan-seared nodoguro, ni-anago (simmered sea eel), aji (horse mackerel), ikura, kuruma ebi, simmered shiitake mushrooms, atsuyaki tamagoyaki… Lots of really scrumptious bites in this giant box.
Kiriko 12-piece nigiri omakase set is always welcome.
Fogo de Chao (Beverly Hills) does take-out now. And it’s really nice. For those who still hanker for dining al fresco, a portion of their valet parking has been converted into a large outdoor table section.
Eyes on the prize: I am here for the Picanha, right off the skewer. They sell it by the pound to-go these days. Outstanding! (Not pictured: If you ask nicely, you can also purchase the yummy Fogo de Chao signature papaya mousse to eat at home, with a shot of crème de cassis, no less.)
Quick office lunch #1: Popeye’s chicken sandwich…
Quick office lunch #2: In-N-Out…
Providence is offering their in-house king salmon schmear and seeded brioche. It makes for a choice breakfast the morning after their lavish En Voyage dinners.
Iki Ramen (Koreatown): Uni gohan with ikura, hotate with yuzu truffle, nori… A small portion, yet intense, almost risotto-like, and completely addictive.
Peach donut season is in full swing at The Donut Man (Downtown, at Grand Central Market)!!!
No Lord Mouldemort here…
Tiger tails…
Mariscos Jalisco (Mid-City): Dos tacos de camaron, a mixta and an ice-cold apple cider to enjoy while waiting in the sun for my order… Everything hits the spot.
Sweets by Jenny Lee: Pineapple upside-down cake… This was a special order for delivery. It’s got cake socarrat - and that is exactly what I was looking for.
Neat, because 2020.
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Chef Gary Menes is a huge fan of having you eat your vegetables. In fact, dining at Le Comptoir, his Michelin-starred restaurant in the Normandie Hotel, has often been compared to the American version of L’Arpège, the iconic three-star bastion of haute vegetable-intense cuisine headed by Alain Passard in Paris.
But, with the world upside-down right now during the pandemic, Chef Gary has also decided to refocus his fine-dining training (he has, among other establishments, cooked at Patina and The French Laundry) on what else? Barbecue! Yes, the man can still work wonders with meat - no doubt about that.
LA Bake is Le Comptoir’s version of an haute BBQ, but with a Californian bent. Orders are taken (by phone) during the week for selected upcoming weekends.
The prime brisket is smoked and cooked Central Texas-style, but using local almond wood. It is incredible.
The delectable and tender baby back ribs are also cooked with California almond wood. The sauce is a bit tangy, with a lovely sweet note. Trusting Filipino chefs with pork has pretty much always worked out for me, and these perfect ribs simply reinforce that notion for me. I just had to get my hands on a bottle of Chef Gary’s BBQ sauce as well.
Rustic sourdough bread, baked in-house with 25 year-old starter, sifted organic whole wheat, Rouge de Bordeaux and rye flour, filtered water, sea salt. “This starter is older than my kids,” Chef Gary quips. It’s good, good bread.
Not surprisingly, vegetables get as much love and care as the meats do at a Le Comptoir BBQ. The creamed corn featured at LA Bake undergoes simmering for hours in butter and cream. As for sourcing, the corn itself is from the demigods of corn-raising at Chino Farms in Rancho Santa Fe. This is not your average BBQ side dish - Its stupendous taste stands on the same podium as the meats during this meal.
With ingredients also sourced from Chino Farms, the tomato and green bean salad is dressed with crème fraiche, pine nut red wine vinaigrette. This is an old French Laundry salad Chef Gary used to make to offset all that richness.
Dessert comes in the form of Vahlrona milk chocolate chip cookies (X4). These are a favorite of the family. They are wonderful when paired with milk.
The flavor of that fresh, dreamy creamed corn (which I finished in one sitting) lingers in my memory. Luckily, I still have some of that marvelous brisket to keep me happy for another meal. With LA Bake, Chef Gary Menes has accomplished the feat of meshing the casualness of a backyard family barbecue with the nuanced cooking and professional execution we’d find in a Michelin kitchen. Definitely check it out if it’s available.
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Yes! Gary Menes Le Comptoir BBQ was pretty great, I really enjoyed the baby back ribs, i did not need extra sauce.it was so good on its own. I also had the brisket which I enjoyed but i preferred the ribs this time. His Sourdough is really good, a really great meal that more people should know about
I ordered by DM’ing him on Instagram. I think he announces what’s on the menu in Mondays.
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