Korean Tapas at Cham Korean Bistro

When it comes to Cham Korean Bistro, even though I had been there a couple of times and thoroughly enjoyed my meals, I just hadn't been able to actually blog about it. In each instance, I had been with friends who I haven't seen in awhile so the focus was on the company and not taking pictures, as is my usual practice. However, when Cham Korean Bistro offered to host me and a guest, this was my chance to finally write about it.

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For those of you unfamiliar with Cham Korean Bistro, the focus is on a modern take on Korean Cuisine with some fusion mixed in.  I wouldn't say that a Korean fusion influence was really seen in the first dish we tried which was the Cham Salad.  It was, however, a delicious blend of spring mix, carrots, jicama, sesame brittle and soy-balsamic vinaigrette. One small thing though? I loved that sesame brittle and there just wasn't enough of it for my liking.

One of the things that I really like about Cham is their Korean Tapas menu, which features share-able small plates. Between this visit and my other two visits, I've tried all but two of items on that tapas menu. My favorite is the Crispy Pork Belly with Fingerling Potatoes and not just any fingerling potatoes, but Peruvian potatoes.  You really can't go wrong with crispy pork belly and I really enjoyed the soft earthiness of the potatoes.

Fusion definitely shows up in the form of the Calamari Mini Tacos with Sautéed Kimchi Topping. The taco itself was a little difficult to eat since the proportion of filling to tortilla was higher, but hey, it's hard not to appreciate that there was no skimping. While I enjoyed the battered outside and the slight chew of the calamari itself, I would have preferred just a little more heat from the kimchi for a complete thumbs up.

My guest had raved about the Cham Onion Rings, which she had really enjoyed at previous visits. That night, however, while the onions rings had a nice crunch to it, they were a little too oily. Perhaps, an off night for the onion rings?

That night, we also had the Korean Rice Cake aka Toppoki.  While the name "Rice Cake" may bring up visions of round shapes, the rice cakes in this dish are more like rounded cylinders made from glutinous rice and/or rice flour. Sauteed in some kind of chili sauce that definitely brought on the heat, these rice cakes made my taste buds happy.

The last item from the Korean Tapas menu were the Crispy Spicy Tuna Balls. I think the coating was fried rice, but I'm not sure. Regardless, I really enjoyed the texture of the tuna balls. Crispy on the outside and soft in the inside and with a spice level that was just right.  Also from this menu, though not pictured, you should try the Ahi Tuna with a Chimichuri Sauce, but the Sweet Potato Fries aren't anything that exciting.

Not on the Korean Tapas menu, but just as delicious were the last two items we tried.  One was the Blue Crab Tofu Pocket: seasoned rice and marinated blue crab topping.  I liked the freshness of the crab but overall, this particular tofu pocket was a little forgettable for me. I actually prefer the Spicy Tuna Tofu Pocket and the Pickled Seaweed Tofu Pockets that I had at previous visits.

The second item was the Spicy Yuzu Pork Bulgogi + Cilantro Bun Steamed Bun with sautéed spicy yuzu pork bulgogi and fresh cilantro. This was my second favorite dish of the night. Is it obvious that I love pork?  There was a really nice caramelization on the pork and I liked the peppery flavors that the cilantro added to this sandwich.  You can also a Beef Bulgogi or Spicy Chicken Steamed Bun, but I can't seem to not order this particular steamed bun.

Other dishes that that I've also tried and enjoyed in the past include their Kimchi Rice (no longer on the menu) and their BBQ + Garden Platter with Beef Short Rib. One dish that I wouldn't order again is their Sauteed Sweet Potato Noodles, which tasted was too bland for me.

Overall, Cham Korean Bistro is a good eatery.  For the most part, I've enjoyed almost everything I tried so far and now I'm just happy to finally blog about it and hopefully encourage some of you to check it for yourself.

Cham Korean Bistro
851 Cordova Street
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 792-2474


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Old Pasadena Restaurant Week: Dinner at Pop Champagne

Except for occasional forays, Pasadena hasn't been a regular dining destination for me for awhile now, but after seeing Gourmet Pig's blog post about the June Old Town Pasadena Restaurant Week, I thought this would be a great chance to check out a couple new-to-me restaurants. With the prices running $25 to $35 for 3 course meals in selected restaurants, I would have been a fool not to. The second restaurant I took my dining group to was Pop Champagne and Dessert Bar. Our first visit was earlier in the week to Vertical Wine Bistro.

Our meal started with shared appetizers. First, there was the Parma Proscuitto with Medjool Dates, Figs and Fresh Melon. Nothing fancy, but I enjoyed the fresh figs and dates.

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The Brie Toast with Chardonnay Soaked Raisins was our second appetizer, which seemed more like a dessert than an appetizer. It was a little sweet of a starter for my taste.

What I enjoyed the most was the Housemade Tapenade with Crostini, with three different tapenades on the plate, olive, tomato and wild mushroom. The tapenade wasn't too salty and the flavors of each of the focal ingredients really shown through, with the mushroom tapenade being my favorite.

As for the entrees, everyone choose either the lamb chops or the pasta for their main course. Although I'm not normally a pasta person, I went for the Spring Pasta with roasted garlic chicken, caramelized spring onions, pancetta, English peas, Roma tomatoes, parmesan and olive oil. It wasn't bad, but just a bit bland at times. It reminded me that usually the best place to order pasta is at an Italian restaurant.

I did have a couple of the lamb chops, which had a dijon herb crust, a port rosemary reduction and was served with roasted garlic and an Anaheim chili hummus and pita bread. One bite of the lamb chop and it made me happy that one of my dining partners was sharing it with me. The meat was juicy and I really liked the cheesy crust, something I've never had on a lamb chop before.

When it was time for dessert, two different ones from their tasting menu hit our table. Mine was the Chocolate Beignets with a Strawberry Sauce and Caramel. Considering that this restaurant is called Pop Champagne and Dessert Bar, I had high hopes for their dessert. I wouldn't say that these beignets were the best I've ever had, but they had a rich chocolateness to them that I liked.

What I ended up enjoying more was the Seasonal Pavlova, a French meringue topped with Chantilly cream and seasonal fresh fruit. It was nice and light and the fresh fruit were a nice end to the meal.

To end, considering that the name of the restaurant is all about dessert, I didn't know what to expect from having an actual meal there. Although there were a few minor bumps, I enjoyed what I had and while Pop Champagne isn't a destination a restaurant for me, I wouldn't turn down an invitation to return.

Pop Champagne and Dessert Bar
33 East Union Street
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 795-1295


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Old Pasadena Restaurant Week: Dinner at Vertical Bistro

Except for occasional forays, Pasadena hasn't been a regular dining destination for me for awhile now, but after seeing Gourmet Pig's blog post about the June Old Town Pasadena Restaurant Week, I thought this would be a great chance to check out a couple new-to-me restaurants. With the prices running $25 to $35 for 3 course meals in selected restaurants, I would have been a fool not to. On the first day of this promotion, I took my dining group to Vertical Wine Bistro.

I really liked the ambiance of the space, but what really caught my eye was this ceiling structure that was like an art piece. It brought in natural light to the dining room, but I also enjoyed watching the colors change from white to blues and grays as the afternoon sun made way for evening.

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Anyway, all poetry aside, our meal started with bread that came with this very addicting red pepper dip that was creamy and had a kick to it.

When it came to our appetizers, our table ordered all three that were available and I actually shared all my food with a friend so that we could both try twice as much. My particular appetizer was the Golden Baby Beet Salad with Laura Chenel's Chevre and a cumin vinaigrette. Since I love beets, it was a foregone conclusion that this was the appetizer that I was going to order, but what really interested me was the cumin vinaigrette dressing. That dressing was awesome. It was a bit nutty, a little peppery and just absolutely delicious. I wouldn't have minded taking a bottle home of that salad dressing.

I also enjoyed the Green Market Salad with watermelon radish, sunflower sprouts and the Meyer lemon vinaigrette. This is the first time I've ever had watermelon radish and was expecting it to have a little bite, but it was actually mild. I found out later on that it's related to the daikon radish as opposed to the red radishes. Overall, the salad was very fresh and the dressing added a nice hit of tartness.

Although I didn't try the Tomato Fennel Soup, it was apparently well liked and below you can see a photo of it.

As for the entrees, everyone in our group opted for either the cod or the short ribs. I went straight for the Black Cod which was oven roasted and served with salsify, haricot vert, corn, tomato and a lobster peppercorn jus. As soon as I saw my fish, I already saw one thing that was spot on. Simply, the skin looked crispy and it also tasted crispy. I've been to too many a restaurant where the fish skin is just wasted. The fish itself was absolutely lovely. It was moist and delicate and how can you go wrong with a lobster peppercorn jus?

I also got to sample the Braised Short Ribs with sautéed swiss chard, heirloom carrots and tatziki. Those short ribs were meltingly tender. No knife was needed or wanted. My fork did all the work and every bite was delicious.

Finally, it was dessert time and again, the table opted for 2 of the 3 available desserts. I went for the Panna Cotta with Kumquats and Kaffir and I'm glad I did. The panna cotta was rich and creamy and I really the tart flavors the kumquats added to this dessert.

The other dessert was the Decadent Cake with Hazelnut Gelato. This dessert was the only disappointing part of the meal. Maybe, my idea of decadence is on a different plane, but I didn't get what was so decadent about this cake. It actually tasted like a brownie that was a bit on the dry side, with the gelato adding the needed moisture.

Overall, this first visit to Vertical Wine Bistro was a hit. Although the service was a bit on the slow side at times and the music seemed a little too rock and roll for the ambiance, the food was very good and I look forward to a return visit to check out more of the menu.

Vertical Wine Bistro
70 N Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 795-3999


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