Fluff Ice is Not Your Typical Shaved Ice

 

Last September, I paid a first visit to Fluff Ice, a shop in Monterey Park that specializes in something that isn't ice cream, isn't yogurt and is not your typical shaved ice.  Instead, it's a dessert that's more on the creamy side and will remind you of fresh, newly fallen, fluffy snow; hence, Fluff Ice.  You don't believe me? That's what I got from the sign below.

Before I even saw the sign, I walked into a space that was dominated by the company's signature colors of blue, green and white.
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On the counter, you can check out the various cup sizes for your fluff ice. At the register, you can take a look at the Fluff Ice Menu. Basically, how it works is that you choose 1 of 8 flavors to start with. However, between you and me, sometimes there's a secret flavor or two that is off menu. Just ask the guy or gal behind the counter to see if you can score whatever Owner, Matthew Hui, has been experimenting with in the kitchen.

Once you choose your flavor and size, you can choose two toppings that are included in the original price; however, you'll have to pay extra for the premium toppers.  Don't feel that you miss much by opting out of the premium toppers because some of the regular toppings include things like red bean, egg pudding, lychee jelly ~ all of which are just as good. After that, your choice of either condensed milk or chocolate syrup is poured on your Fluff Ice, also included in the price, and you're ready to go.

If you can't make up your mind, check out the Favorite Combos board to get some ideas. Perhaps, the Peach Me! Combo with peach fluff ice, lychee jelly and condensed milk is your thing.  If not, how about the Mango Madness Combo with mango fluff ice, mangoes, mango pudding, mango jelly and condensed milk. There are four other combos to choose from so I'm sure you'll be able to find something to your liking.

Unlike typical shaved ice that is usually made by putting ice into a machine, fluff ice is done a little bit differently. I don't really know the details, but the ingredients for all the various fluff ice flavors are frozen into cylinders and then there's a machine where that ice cylinder is pushed down and in the process "fluff ice" comes out the other end into the waiting cup.  You can get an idea of what I mean by taking a look at the photos below.

At the time of my visit, Matthew was able to give me small samples of all the flavors he had on hand which included Thai Iced Tea, Taro, Strawberry, Chocolate, Peach, Kiwi and Original.  Unfortunately, he didn't have any Green Tea, which apparently is a favorite among his customers. I pretty much liked everything I tasted, except I didn't really taste that much kiwi in the kiwi flavor.

My favorite was the Thai Iced Tea and with the addition of the condensed milk, it tasted even more like I was eating a Thai Iced Tea instead of actually drinking it.

I was also able to try a couple of their Premium Toppers, which you can actually just order by themselves if you were so inclined. First, there was the Pink Honey Boba, which is actually just boba soaking in honey. Then there was their Popping Strawberry and Passionfruit Boba, which I just tried for the first time a few weeks before at a yogurt shop.  If you've never had them, once you take a bite, you'll know why they are called Popping Boba.

After all that sampling, I was ready for my own full size Fluff Ice. I was feeling a bit lazy, so I decided to pick a combo. I went for the Pretty in Pink Combo that had Strawberry Fluff topped with Strawberry Pink Boba and Condensed Milk. Matthew personally put mine together.  Thanks, Matthew!

Overall, Fluff Ice has made me a fan. In fact, I've been back a few times and even brought friends specifically to try Fluff Ice. What I like is the creamy texture that isn't ice cream or yogurt. I don't know how that creamy texture has come about, but all I know is that it works for me. I also love the variety of Fluff Ice flavors that are available and know that there are still more to come ~ something to look forward to. While I'm normally an ice cream fan(atic), Fluff Ice has definitely given my favorite dessert a run for its money.

Fluff Ice
500 N Atlantic Blvd
Ste 153
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 872-2123
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GIVEAWAY: Food and Wine Festival in Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo + Enter for a Chance to Win Autographed Rick Bayless Cookbook

This Giveaway is Now Closed! Congratulations to Paula F!

Last Month, I was invited to attend a cocktail party at the Red O to meet some of the chefs who would be present at the Inaugural Food and Wine Festival in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Mexico, including the featured chef, Chef Rick Bayless. Part of the evening was comprised of Chef Bayless talking a little about Mexico's diverse cuisine followed by Chefs Victor Teran Torres and Edgar Navarro Vazquez, both from Ixtapa, sharing with us info about the flavors and ingredients unique to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. Of course, we also were able to sample some delicious appetizers representing the food from this region of Mexico.

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The theme of this 3 day festival is all about honoring the philosophy of "32 tastes, 1 history, 1 soul" by showcasing the authentic cuisine of the region and of Mexico as a whole. During these three days, from March 26 through March 28, 2011, local and international chefs will be presenting cooking demonstrations like Market to Table with Rick Bayless where attendees will be able to learn about local flavors, cooking techniques and discover all that the Zihuatanejo market has to offer. Spirits and wine seminars include a Tequila Tasting and one focusing on the Wines of Mexico. Click here to see all participating chefs.

Across all three evenings, there will be opportunities to really really pleasure your palate with some of Mexico's finest food whether it's Saturday's 32 Tastes of Mexico where you'll get to try food from multiple tasting stations from renowned Mexican chefs and wines from both Mexico and the U.S. The night will also include a cookbook signing with Chef Bayless and several of our guest chefs. Then there's Sunday's evening to Celebrate Modern Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo where you'll get to sample dishes from local restaurants, sip artisanal cocktails, see a fashion show from local designers and so much more. Click here to see the complete schedule of events.

This definitely sounds like a fun food festival and it looks like Food and Wine is pulling all the stops, so if you'd like to get more information, please see all the links below.

Food and Wine Festival in Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo Website
Ticket Purchasing Information
Hotel Information
Airline Info

PRIZE GIVEAWAY!

Now that you've learned a little more about Food and Wine Festival at Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, it's time to enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of Rick Bayless' Cookbook, Fiesta at Rick's!

Here are the ways to enter!

Mandatory 1: First, check out the event schedule. Then leave a comment and tell me what's the one thing you'd like to attend at this festival if you were able to go. (Please leave your email or some kind of information on how I can contact you. Spell your email address like abby at pleasurepalate dot com). If I can't find a way to get a hold of you, I'll choose another winner.

Optional 2: Tweet: Win an autographed cookbook by @Rick_Bayless via @pleasurepalate at http://bit.ly/hzXRtP

Optional 3: Follow Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo on Twitter

Optional 4: Join Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo on Facebook

You can have up to 4 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them. This is especially true for 2 through 4. If you don’t let me know which actions you took, then I won’t count them as entries.

Contest ends Friday, February 11 at 11:59 AM, PST and one winner will be randomly chosen from all entries. Good Luck!

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GIVEAWAY: Filipino Food Love and Upcoming Events

CONTEST CLOSED: Congrats to Chris G and trixtersme who will be joining me for The Manila Machine Truck Tasting!

Being a Filipino Blogger, I always try to support Filipino food efforts in Los Angeles, primarily through meals in Filipino restaurant hosted through my dining group, as a way to introduce people to what Filipino food is all about. Filipino food is still very much an untapped cuisine and is usually the most associated with just lumpia (egg rolls) and pansit (noodles). Those dishes are usually the ones that show up the most at potlucks or at Filipino parties, but our cuisine definitely goes beyond just lumpia. In fact, I did a posting a while back that I had hoped would open the reader's eyes to Filipino food. Click the link below to read that post.

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Filipino Food Beyond Lumpia

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Below are some reviews of Filipino restaurants I've visited, which you may want to check out for yourself. You may notice mixed reviews of the various dishes at the individual restaurant posts. Growing up with my Mom's cooking, which I consider to be the best Filipino cooking around, I'm definitely very critical about the Filipino food I eat that isn't hers. The one exception is the wonderful Park's Finest BBQ, a Filipino-owned bbq catering company that makes the best bbq ever as far as I'm concerned.

Barrio Fiesta in Eagle Rock
Gerry's Grill in Cerritos
Magic Wok in Artesia
Pondahan in West Covina
The Park's Finest BBQ in Echo Park

Unfortunately, my favorite Filipino restaurant closed, but you can read why Alejandro's did it for me here and here. Of course, there are Filipino restaurants that I have never visited or have visited, but just never blogged about. There will definitely be postings in the future as I visit or re-visit Filipino restaurants around town, so keep an eye out for them.

Interested in looking at Filipino Food Porn? Check out the links below.

Flickr Filipino Food Group
My Flickr Filipino Food Pics

Interested in cooking Filipino Food? Take a look at the Filipino Food blogs below.

Burnt Lumpia
Crispy Waffle
Inuyaki
Kulinarya Cooking Club
Market Manila
One Filipino Dish a Week
Panlasang Pinoy
Pinoy Cook
Pinoy Food Blog
Skip to Malou
When Adobo Met Feijoada

Interested in Upcoming Filipino Food Events? Here are some to look into.

07/17 - Tasting with Manila Machine

07/23 - Filipino Food and Wine Pairing with Six Taste

07/31 - Tuesday Night Project's Annual Fundraiser: Please support one of LA's longest running public art series featuring Asian Americans performing everything from sketch comedy and poetry to singing and dancing. This is also the only opportunity in July to try out Filipino-owned Park's Finest BBQ!

09/13 - 18th Annual Festival of Arts & Culture, includes Filipino Food Stands

PRIZE GIVEAWAY!

Hopefully, you've gotten a better idea of what Filipino food is about and on that note, I'd like to treat two of my readers to the Manila Machine Food Truck Tasting this Saturday, 07/17.

There are two ways to enter:

Mandatory 1: Leave a comment and tell me why you'd like to try out Filipino food. (Please leave your email so that I can contact you. Spell it out like abby at pleasurepalate dot com)

Optional 2: Win a tasting with @manilamachine via @pleasurepalate http://bit.ly/alF08H

Optional 3: Follow Pleasure Palate on Twitter

Optional 4: Join Pleasure Palate on Facebook

You can have up to 4 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them. This is especially true for 2 through 4. If you don’t let me know which actions you took, then I won’t count them as entries.

Contest ends Thursday, July 15 at 11:59 AM, PST and two winners will be randomly chosen from all entries. Good Luck!

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GIVEAWAY: Ice Cream Maker + Electric Ice Cream Scoop from CSN Stores

This Contest is Closed! Congrats to Susan of cravingthesavings.com for winning!

Awhile back, I was contacted by CSN Stores to do either a product review or a product giveaway. If you've never heard of CSN Stores, it's basically a website where you have access to 200+ sites that offer a large selection of home and office goods, from TV stands to bedding to cookware to diaper bags and more! Leading brands on CSN Stores' sites include: La-Z-Boy, Herman Miller, iittala, Kartell, LG, Rachael Ray, Sanyo, Diaper Dude and many, many others. Click here to visit the CSN Stores to learn more!

After some consideration, which took me all of 1 minute, I decided to do a giveaway and with summer coming and ice cream being one of my favorite desserts, why not a giveaway for a Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker and a Deni Electric Ice Scream Scoop?



PRIZE GIVEAWAY

Ways to Enter:

Mandatory Entry - Leave a comment and tell me the first thing you'd make if you won the ice cream maker. (Please leave your email so that I can contact you. Spell it out like abby at pleasurepalate dot com)

Optional Entry 1 - Follow CSN Stores on Twitter

Optional Entry 2 - Fan CSN Stores on Facebook

Optional Entry 3 - Tweet: Enter to Win an Ice Cream Maker and Scoop from @CSNStores via @pleasurepalate: http://bit.ly/aKJRAA

You can have up to 4 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them. This is especially true for 2 through 4. If you don’t let me know which actions you took, then I won’t count them as entries.

Contest ends Sunday, May 23 at 11:59 AM, PST and a winner will be randomly chosen from all entries. Open only to US Residents. Good Luck!

Libra Brazilian Eatery + GIVEAWAY & Coupon

Using Random.org, Congrats go to Moonbeam's Auntie for Winning Dinner for Two at Libra Brazilian Eatery!

Thanks to Libra for supplying me with photos for this blog post. Unfortunately, I lost my Libra photos when my external hard drive crashed. :(

Last month, I received an invitation from Kathy Kwon who does PR for Libra Brazilian Eatery in Culver City to check out the restaurant. When I first read the email, the word "Libra" was the only thing that stuck in my mind and honestly, I was scratching my head over it. What does astrology have to do with Brazilian food, I wondered. I soon found out from Street Gourmet LA blogger, Bill Esparza.

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First, libra is Portuguese for pound. Second, kilo restaurants, as they are known in Brazil, are quite prevalent in that country. In short, both at Libra and kilo restaurants, the cost of the food is based on its weight. Now I get it. Thanks, Bill. In the case of Libra, the food cost is calculated by the pound and not kilo, since our American sensibilities aren't quite geared towards the metric system. Specifically, Salads + Hot Sides are $8.45/lb, Salads + Hot Sides + BBQ are $9.75/lb while BBQ only is $12.95/lb.

Libra is owned by Marcelo Ahn, who also owns M Grill, a churrascaria in Koreatown and Libra's executive chef is Marcelo's sister, Carol Ahn, who creates and oversees the revolving 40+ menu items at the restaurant. Other than the food by the weight aspect, Libra is different from the other Brazilian restaurants because it's a buffet that also has a grilling station for a variety of barbecued meats.

This is no ordinary buffet. It starts off with a hand washing station and then goes into a really long salad bar featuring fresh and flavorful foods that reflects a global influence on Brazilian cuisine. All the food is made from scratch and if you're vegetarian/vegan, there are 30+ items for you to choose from like hearts-of-palm salad, grilled eggplant, snow pea salad, pickled vegetables and more. Hot items can include anything from an oxtail stew to various pasta dishes. Carnivores don't despair. As mentioned, there is also a grilling station where you can order Portuguese sausages, one of the best chicken thighs I've ever eaten as well as other cuts of beef.
As mentioned, I lost my Libra photos or else I'd be showing you that for around $21, I was able to get one very full plate of various veggie items, a plate of each bbq meat they had, dessert and a mineral water. Paying by the pound may seem a lot, but it's not as much as you would think. I didn't go home hungry. What you get in exchange is delicious food, prepared well and that will satisfy both carnivore and vegetarian alike. I think Libra is truly a welcome addition to the Culver City dining scene.

Libra Brazilian Eatery
3833 Main Street
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 202-1300


To see what other bloggers have to say about Libra and more photos, check out:

harb knock life
starchy marie

PRIZE GIVEAWAY!

Now that you've read and seen some pictures of my experience at Libra Brazilian Eatery, you can enter for a chance to win Dinner for 2.

There are two ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment and tell me why you'd like to you'd like to this free dinner for 2. (Please leave your email so that I can contact you. Spell it out like abby at pleasurepalate dot com)

2. Tweet: Win Dinner for 2 at Libra Brazilian Eatery via @pleasurepalate http://bit.ly/9QGX39

Please note that if you do tweet the contest, you have to comment back and let me know that you did so, so that I can keep track of it. If you don’t let me know that you tweeted then I won’t count it as an entry.

Contest ends Monday, May 10 at 11:59 AM, PST and a winner will be randomly chosen from all entries. Good Luck!

COUPON

If you just can't wait and would like to check out Libra for yourself, print out the coupon below to get 15% off your meal. Good until May 31, 2010



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Chef Debbie Lee's Seoul Town Tapas at Breadbar + GIVEAWAY

Congrats to Dina Leigh for Winning the $50 Gift Card to Seoul Town Tapas from the Breadbar!

Ever since I saw Debbie Lee compete on the America's Next Food Network Star Show, I was really interested in her cooking style that fused both her Korean and Southern background. Unfortunately, I had missed her first stint at BreadBar as a part of their Hatchi series, but I wasn't about to miss her second one. This time, her second appearance was going to serve as an introduction to the type of food she plans to serve at her own restaurant opening later this year. Simply, her concept is all about Seoul Town Tapas, where the food is a take on Korean pub food, but with a modern flair.

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Since tapas are fun to share with a good-size group, 9 of my dining club members, joined me one Saturday evening where we shared a total of 17 dishes plus a couple of kimchi dishes in place of bread and butter. Being a kimchi fan, I'd take it over bread and butter anytime. Besides, it's less filling so that over indulging in it means you still have room for your meal.

Both the daikon and the cabbage kimchi were very light in the sense that you get a taste of the chili and also some vinegary-sour flavor notes, but the vegetables still shined through. While I still love my kimchi very heavily fermented to the point that the vegetables take on a deep orange red, this lighter style of kimchi is good starter for the novice kimchi eater.

Although our group ordered all 4 skewers, I actually only tried two of them. First, there was the Bacon Wrapped Rice Cylinders with Jalapeno Ponzu. You can never go wrong with bacon and of all 4 skewers, this one was the absolute favorite of the group. The rice absorbed the smoky saltiness of the bacon and dipping it into the jalapeno ponzu gave it nice little hit of citrus heat.

I also tried the Kimchi Roast Pork and Fuji Apple Skewers. Apples and pork usually pair really well together and in this case, the apple did its job and was crunchy and juicy. However, the roast pork was a little dry and wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked. If you're going to use kimchi as a way to describe an ingredient, you really have to mean it.

As mentioned, I didn't try the other two skewers, but you can take a look at them below. The first is the Grilled Eggplant and Tofu Skewer with Pimento Scallion Glaze and the second is the Salmon and Scallion Skewer with Korean Miso Honey.

Next up was the Sesame Flatbread with Perillo Pesto, Soy Braised Pork and Chile Tomatoes. Other than wishing that the pesto was spread out a little more towards the edges of the flat bread so I could get more of it, I enjoyed this dish. The herbiness of the pesto sauce went nicely with the salt-sweet of the soy sauce braised pork with the tomatoes adding a nice acidity and since I love thin crust pizza, I appreciated the crispiness of the flatbread itself.

Since I enjoy bold flavors, the stir-fried kimchi, pork, rice cakes with a gochujang splash made my taste buds happy. The gochujang is a Korean red pepper paste and it definitely added an extra oomph to this dish, which I truly appreciated.

When it comes to Korean dumplings aka mandu, I've had my share and there's only been two I've liked so far and one of them is Chef Lee's Modern Mandu with Pork Rilette and King Oyster Ju. At first, I wasn't quite sure of the whole oyster ju thing. Pork and oysters? Huh? However, the subtle brininess of the oyster jus actually paired well with this dumpling. In fact, many of us were spooning it into our dumpling as we took bites out of it.

One of my almost favorite dishes of the meal was the Chicken Meatballs with Magnolia Pepper Sauce and let me tell you why. I absolutely loved the crispy texture of the meatball and the sauce it was cooked in was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, the chicken meat itself seemed under seasoned. Maybe, just a little salt and/or pepper and hand's down, this would have been tops on my list.

Following the chicken meatballs was Mama Lee's Meatloaf made with ground rib eye, soy onion demi and crispy shitake mushrooms. We weren't initially going to order this particular dish, but after Chef Lee came out to tell us about some of the dishes on the menu, her description of this one sounded so scrumptious, we had to have it. I'm so glad I did. That meatloaf was so juicy and flavorful, I almost wish that we ordered another 2 or 3 plates, just so I could have seconds, maybe, even thirds.

Up next was the Shrimp and Scallion Cakes with Ginger Soy Vinegar. To tell you the truth, although I know that liked this dish, I don't remember any specifics about it at the moment; however, if you order it, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Ok, three more dishes before dessert and next to hit our table was the Halibut Jeon Style, Egg Battered with Kimchi Stir Fry and Seoul-Style Chimichurri. I liked the kimchi stir fry and the chimichurri. Unfortunately, the fish itself was a little too dry. Perhaps, it was overcooked? I'm not quite sure. Of everything we had that night, this was my least favorite dish.

Seeing Korean Fried Chicken on the menu, I knew we had to order it. The chicken itself was moist and tender, but the garlic glaze needed to be more garlicky than it was, but that could also just be a personal preference.

Our last savory dish was the Spicy Chilled Buckwheat Noodles, Sashimi Trio, Scallion and Crisp Apples. I really like cold noodle dishes and this version was quite good. I could have easily just eaten the whole bowl by myself if I hadn't already been getting full.

Of course, I'm never too full for dessert and we decided to sample 3 of the desserts on the menu. Although we only ordered 3, all 4 actually came out, but when we had mentioned that we hadn't actually ordered that fourth dessert, they let us have it anyway and took it off our check. Now that's good service. That fourth dessert was a Nutella and Blueberry Sandwich on a Pan di Mie Bread. Usually, nutella could be really sweet, but the addition of the blueberry cut into that sweet and gave the sandwich more of a tartness, which I thought was genius.

Next was the Fuji Apple Egg Rolls with Ginger Mascarpone. I enjoyed the crispy egg roll wrappers and the sweet apples. The ginger mascarpone could have been more gingery, but I still enjoyed slathering it on my egg roll and even just eating small spoonfuls of it.

With bacon being one of my favorite food groups, I absolutely loved the Bacon Coffee Sponge Cake Roll with Coffee Cream and Almond Butterscotch. I liked how the soft, mild sponge cake was the foundation for all the other stronger flavored ingredients around it. I could even seeing myself eating this for breakfast. After all, doesn't bacon, coffee and eggs (albeit in the sponge cake) say breakfast to you? It does to me.

Of our four desserts, my least favorite was the Sesame Buttermilk Beignets with Chocolate Drizzle. When I think of beignets, I'm thinking light and airy and these beignets were too dense for my liking. Even the chocolate syrup didn't add much to it. Maybe, if it was filled with cream, but then I don't know if that's a typical ingredient for beignets.

Overall, while there some minor misses, this meal was one I enjoyed a lot and I'm looking forward to seeing what else Chef Debbie Lee comes up with when she finally does open up her own restaurant.

Seoul Town Tapas with Chef Debbie Lee
Breadbar
717 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles CA, 90048
(310) 205-0124
Seoul Town Tapas Ends May 1st!


PRIZE GIVEAWAY!

Now that you've read and seen pictures of my experience with Debbie Lee's Seoul Town Tapas, now you're chance to win a $50 Gift Card that will give you a chance to check out Debbie Lee's food at Breadbar for yourself. Please note that this gift card will only be good for Seoul Town Tapas and you should only enter if you can make reservations between April 22 and May 1st.

There are multiple ways to enter, so check them all out below.

1. Leave a comment and tell me why you'd like to you'd like to try Chef Debbie Lee's Seoul Town Tapas. (Please leave your email so that I can contact you. Spell it out like abby at pleasurepalate dot com)

2. Follow Debbie Lee on Twitter (if you aren’t already doing so)

3. Follow Breadbar on Twitter (if you aren't already doing so).

4. Fan Breadbar on Facebook (if you aren’t already doing so)

5. Tweet: Win a $50 gift card for @seoultosoul Seoul Town Tapas from @breadbar_la via @pleasurepalate http://bit.ly/95gp06

You can have up to 5 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them. This is especially true for 2 through 4. If you don’t let me know which actions you took, then I won’t count them as entries.

Contest ends Wednesday, April 21 at 11:59 AM, PST and a winner will be randomly chosen from all entries. Good Luck!

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