"Dim Sum of the Month Club" at Mission 261

In April, Mission 261 was the fourth place I visited as a part of my 12 month odyssey checking out a different Dim Sum restaurant a month all over LA County. Previous visits were to Triumphal Palace, Capital Seafood and Sea Harbour.

At Mission 261, there are no carts. Instead, you order from a picture menu that offers a pretty good variety of steamed and pan-fried items as well as congee and more specialty items that can only be ordered after 10:30 am.

Our meal included 12 different items. 9 were savory dishes and 3 were desserts. Of the 9 savory dishes, 3 really stood out for me. First, there was the Steamed Sticky Rice Sui Mui. Wrapped in a tofu skin, the filling included the sticky rice, bits of Chinese sausage and green onion. It was a delicious combination of flavors and textures.

The second item is something that many may find a bit too glutinous, but I enjoyed the fact that it was a bit gooey anyway. It's referred to as an Imperial Dumpling and it's wrapped in a banana leaf with a pork filling.

Then out came one of the more unique dumplings on the menu which were the Steamed Abalone Mushroom Dumplings. By the way, these dumplings were green. Don't ask me why because I don't know why, but I just don't want you to be surprised if you decide to order them yourself and you really should order them. Not only is the filling substantial, it was was moist and tasty as well.

As for the other 6 savory items, while 2 of them were fine as they were, I was disappointed in varying degrees with the rest of them. Both the Shrimp Har Gow and the Pan Fried Shrimp and Chives Sten Cakes that we ordered were on the dry side. The Fried Rice Noodles with Greens and Beef was really greasy and the Steamed Rice Pancakes with Dried Shrimp and Scallion was really bland. All the dishes were beautifully presented, but if they aren't tasty, what's the point?

What I found interesting about this whole dim sum experience was that it was really the desserts that were the stars of the show. Those desserts were the Sweetened Sago Pudding with Green Tea Flavor, the Sweetened Chrysanthemum and Red Bean Pudding and the Rabbit Dumpling.

What I like about the Sago Pudding was that it was light, delicate and cool, perfect for warm weather. As for the Chrysanthemum and Red Bean Pudding, I liked that the red bean filling wasn't overly sweet and I also enjoyed the eating texture of the chrysanthemum leaves that were embedded in the top layer of this dessert.

As for the rabbit dumplings, they were almost too cute to eat. The presentation of these shaped dumplings definitely made an impression. Once you take a bite though, be prepared for a little mini explosion of custard in your mouth. It's that substantial custard filling that gives the rabbit dumpling its shape, after all.

To end, I wouldn't say that I'd go out of my way to come back to Mission 261 nor would I go out of my way to avoid it either. I really like the elegant setting and appreciated the lovely presentation of the food. Taste-wise; however, I know that there are other better options for me and Mission 261 wouldn't even be in my top 3.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157601978095784/

Mission 261
261 S Mission Dr
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 588-1666

Off Citrus

For those of us who live in the Eastside, there aren't many alternatives when it comes to "nicer" restaurants where one can take business colleagues or clients to, other than the ubiquitous chain restaurants or fast food joints that dot the landscape around my part of town. Last year, I discovered Off Citrus and a what a great find it was.

Walking into a dining area with colors reflecting browns and creams as well as having exposed wooden beams up in the ceiling, you already can tell that this restaurant is certainly no neighborhood Apple Bee's or like the kitschy Elephant Bar. The menu reflects California cuisine and as such, is seasonal. Dishes are swapped out periodically to take advantage of ingredients at its peak.

I've visited Off Citrus a total of three times and for the most part, I enjoyed my meals. The first time I had lunch there, I had their House Roasted Turkey Sandwich with Mango Chutney Sauce. Yummy! Other ingredients included spring mix greens and tomato. The slight bitterness of the greens really complemented the sweetness of the mango chutney.

For my second visit there, I had a stuffed pasta dish which was a special that day. Unfortunately, I don't remember the ingredients, but at the time, I enjoyed every bite. The last time I ate there, I did enjoy my meal, but there were definitely some things I'd change about some of my dishes.

First, I started off with their Yuca Frita. When the dish was placed in front of me, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. There was a lot going on. The yuca was on a bed of dressed spring mix greens and topped with pickled cabbage and carrots as well as Parmesan cheese. It also came with a spicy chipotle sour cream.

The yuca itself was pretty good. The outer part had a nice crispness to it while the inside retained a bit of moisture so that it wasn't too dry. I've had fried yuca in the past that tasted like chalk, so I was quite happy with the Off Citrus version.

I also liked the kick of that sour cream. I do think that less is more though and for that particular appetizer, the spring mix wasn't really necessary. I didn't even eat it. I was happy enough just dipping pieces of my yuca in the chipotle sour cream and eating a bit of the pickled veggies on the side. I didn't even think that the Parmesan cheese added much value and would have been fine without it.

My second course was a Warm Goat Cheese Salad. The salad, by the way, was dressed perfectly. There wasn't so much dressing that the leaves were drowning nor so little that the salad was dry. As for the breaded goat cheese, while I enjoyed its pungent flavor, I felt that it could have been fried to a more golden crispiness to give it more visual appeal. As it was, the breading on the cheese looked really pale.

Soon, my main entree came out which was a Persian Style Chicken Salad Sandwich. Since sandwiches are a la carte, I also ordered a side of sweet potato fries, which came with my sandwich. Considering that this chicken salad contained ingredients like lemon juice, paprika, oregano, garlic, olive oil, etc., I really expected bolder flavors. I tasted hints of the lemon and the garlic, but overall, this sandwich was much blander than I expected. The chicken itself was also a little dryer than I would have liked. The sweet potato fries; however, were stellar.

The highlight of my meal was dessert, specifically, Aunt Rose's Old Fashioned Spice Cake. Oh...My....You Know What! This cake was absolutely divine. You cut into it with your fork and steam actually was coming out. The cake itself was moist and flavorful and I fell in love with the walnut crackle that topped it. Apparently, there really is an Aunt Rose and thankfully, she was willing to share her recipe with Off Citrus.

Overall, it was a pretty good lunch. While my last meal there wasn't as good as my first two visits (except for that dessert), Off Citrus is still tops in my book and I would definitely go back and just make different choices.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157601907661900/

Off Citrus
114 E Italia St
Covina, CA 91723
(626) 732-2834
http://offcitrus.net/

Bollini's Pizzeria Napolitana

Usually when I venture into Monterey Park, it's all about the dim sum; however, on the last day of the recent Labor Day holiday weekend, I found myself experiencing a wonderful tasting menu set up by a friend at the newly opened Bollini's Pizzeria Napolitana.

Before I talk about the food itself, let me tell you briefly about what makes this pizza joint different from some of the other pie places in town. In the restaurant name, you'll see the words "Pizzeria Napolitana." What that means is that the type of pizza served at Bollini's is Neapolitan pizza, which has specific guidelines a pizza maker must follow before they can claim that their pizzas are truly Neapolitan.

For example, the specification clearly states that a pizza must have a 0.1" thick base, (a little more than a credit card), must use fresh mozzarella, must be thrown by hand, must use Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and must be cooked in an 800F (or higher) wood-fired oven for no more than 90 seconds. These guidelines are governed by The Verace Pizza Napoletana Association in Italy. Look below for some links you may find interesting.

American Chapter of VPNA
http://www.verapizzanapoletana.org/vpn/vpn_frames-index.htm

Original Italian VPNA
http://www.pizzanapoletana.org/

Detailed English Translation of Specifications
http://www.fornobravo.com/vera_pizza_napoletana/VPN_spec.html

Now that we've got some learning out of the way, let's get on the topic of the food itself. First off, our tasting menu was pretty extensive. It included an appetizer, 3 salads, 2 pizzas, 3 pastas, an entre and a dessert and that didn't include the additional 3 pizzas our table ordered. Safe to say, we had to be rolled out the door, but wow, it was worth it.

We started off with fire roasted mushrooms stuffed with crab and Parmesan, which I enjoyed. It was a great starter for the extravaganza to follow. Of the three salads that came our way, my favorite was the Arugula Salad. The bite of the arugula was a wonderful backdrop to the sweet corn, the smoked bacon, goat cheese and the other ingredients that made up this salad.

Being a thin crust pizza lover, all the pizzas rocked my world in that respect. As you bit into the pizza, you'd notice a slight chewiness, but then you'd get to the cracker thin crispness of the crust which I liked a lot. When it came to the pizzas I liked the best, they were all absolutely delicious, but I was really drawn to the Lu-Lu, the Nonna and the Sardinia.

Usually when you think of pineapple on pizza, Canadian bacon is normally the accompaniment, but the ingredients for the Lu-Lu are comprised of a red sauce, cheese, bacon, pineapple, garlic, and basil. The bacon on the Lu-Lu was crispy pieces of appled smoked bacon as opposed to the more ham-like Canadian bacon. I also really enjoyed the addition of the garlic and basil leaves which added a wonderfully different flavor dimension to this classic pineapple pizza.

If you're a sausage and cheese lover, than you should definitely check out the Nonna. With mozzarella, fontina and Parmesan as part of the ingredients, this pizza is a cheese lover's delight and when you taste the sweet fennel sausage, which is Chef Bollini's recipe, this pizza is simply a must try.

From land to ocean, the last pizza I wanted to mention was the Sardinia. Yummy! If you think seafood on pizza is the way to go, you'll enjoy biting into this one with ingredients that include olive oil, calamari, anchovy, capers, onions, olives, tomatoes, mozzarella and black pepper. The flavors were bold and I just loved the savory saltiness that the anchovies and capers added to this pizza.

When it came to pasta dishes, what I liked about all of them was that the actual pasta itself was cooked al dente, more on the firm side. There's nothing more unappealing than mushy overcooked pasta. Of the three we tried, my favorite was the Pasta Del Postino, which was farfalle pasta with chicken, wild mushrooms, asparagus, shallots, peas, herbs, garlic and a gorgonzola cream sauce. I was already getting quite full, but I still finished my helping and even went for seconds.

As for the last 2 dishes, both are not currently on the menu but were made specifically for our group. One dish was a Branzino with peperonata and chard. The fish was cooked perfectly. It was light, moist and delicate. Our dessert, also off the menu, was a pastry crust with cinnamon and sugar stuffed with apples topped with ice cream. This dessert was actually cooked in their 800-degree wood-fire oven, which gave this dessert a wonderful carmelization.

Overall, this was an amazing meal and the pizzas were truly heavenly. This tiny restaurant may not look very fancy, but wow, the food is definitely fine dining all the way.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157601865192751/

Bollini's Pizzeria Napolitana
2315 S Garfield Ave
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(323) 722-7600

http://www.bollinispizzeria.com/

Chocolate Tasting at Edelweiss Chocolates

The event started with owner, Madlen Zahir, giving us a short talk about Edelweiss' history and about chocolate itself. For those of you who didn't know, Edelweiss has been a Beverly Hills landmark for over 60 years.

First, some history. The original owner, seen in a black and white picture on the shop wall, came up with the idea of chocolate covered marshmallows in the first place, which currently are Edelweiss' top sellers. In fact, she actually would make the marshmallow herself after hours, just to ensure the secrecy of the recipe.

After her retirement, the business was sold to a Swiss chocolatier, whose chocolate recipes comprises the majority of chocolates sold in the shop today. For 5 years, Shirley Jones took over but for the past few years, Edelweiss has been in the hands of the Zahir family.

Madlen also gave us a brief talk about how chocolate is made, which I elaborated on in the next few paragraphs to give additional information. First, the cacao beans have to be roasted so that their shells become brittle. Then they go through a machine that will remove the shells and remove the seeds which are now called cacao nibs. Now the cacao nibs have to be ground into a paste called "chocolate liquor."

Some "chocolate liquor" is pressed to remove cocoa butter, which is used to make white chocolate. Further processing turns it into cocoa powder, but it's the unpressed "chocolate liquor" that is used to make chocolate. To make chocolate, the manufacturer blends unpressed chocolate with condensed milk, sugar and extra cocoa butter.

This raw mixture becomes a coarse, brown dough called "crumb." The "crumb" needs now needs to be refined to make the chocolate silkier so it's pressed through giant steel rollers to do the job. You now have a creamier batter of chocolate; yet, it still needs to undergo still another process before it's ready to use. Finally, the chocolate can be tempered (heated) to give it a glossy sheen and smoothness and than used to hand dip various items in or poured into different kinds of chocolate molds.

After Madlen's introduction, we went into the chocolate factory and as she talked more about their chocolate making process and showed us the various "tools of the trade" so to speak, we started our tasting of 8 different chocolates which were:

- Dark Chocolate Caramallow (with an inside layer of marshmallow and caramel) - loved the thick layer of caramel and the sponginess of the marshmallow.

- Milk Chocolate Toffeemallow (with an inside layer of marshmallow mixed with toffee pieces) - a little too sweet for my taste, but I appreciated the toffee pieces.

- Geraldine (ground apricot with caramel) - My favorite of the bunch and with a great story. Apparently, this chocolate had caramel added to the ground apricot by mistake and it was such a delicious accident that they named this new chocolate after that employee who made that error, Geraldine. I really liked the combined flavors of tart and sweet.

- Dark Honeycomb Sponge Chocolate (burnt sugar and honey) - I liked the flavor, but burnt sugar makes for a harder candy interior so be prepared to take a hardier bite.

- Milk Chocolate Coconut Snocap (with moist coconut) - That coconut was definitely moist and better than any Almond Joy or Mounds out there.

- Alpine Snow White Chocolate Truffle (rolled in cocoa powder) - What was nice was that the white chocolate wasn't overly sweet.

- Dark Chocolate Turtle (caramel & pecans) - Apparently a fav of Katherine Hepburn and even mentioned in her autobiography. I really liked the sweet-slight saltiness of this chocolate

- Milk Chocolate Maple Pecan Cream - A favorite of Frank Sinatra and members of the Sinatra family to this day will send out boxes of these chocolates to family & friends. This was my least favorite just because it was just too sweet and sugary for my palate.

...but we weren't done yet....Madlen's husband, Steve surprised as with a 9th chocolate which was dark chocolate with a brandy liquer inside along with a cherry that has been soaking in brandy for 3 months. I normally don't like these types of chocolates, because I find them overally sweet, but this particular chocolate I wouldn't mind having a second piece of.

Some of the equipment we saw were over 50 years and almost as old as the shop itself. Madlen also showed us some of the various molds used to make their molded chocolates. One last bit of Hollywood history I'll mention before ending is that Lucille Ball, a faithful Edelweiss Chocolates customer actually used the chocolate conveyor belt that's part of the Edelweiss' factory as the inspiration for an "I Love Lucy" episode and I'm sure you know which one.

Overall, it was both a learning and tasty experience!

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157601764686605

Edelweiss Chocolates
444 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 275-6003

http://www.edelweisschocolates.com/

Gelato and Sorbet Tasting at Bulgarini Gelato

This summer has been scorching, which is why, I was more than happy to be at Bulgarini Gelato last August to experience delicious gelatos and sorbets at a tasting I set up with the shop. The tasting started off with owner, Leo Bulgarini, giving us some history about how Bulgarini Gelato came to be. What many may or may not know is that he and his wife, Elizabeth spent two years back and forth in Italy trying to someone who could teach them the art of making gelato from scratch. This was actually quite a difficult task since the majority of the gelaterias are industrial. Finally, they met a third-generation retired gelato maker and spent two months with him learning the craft.

Afterwards, they came back to the US and started small with Leo selling his gelato from carts at a local movie theater in Pasadena as well as at the courtyard of the Pacific Asian Museum. Eventually, they were able to open a small courtyard shop in hilly Altadena, which is where we all were that day.

After the talk, we were shown this amazing gelato maker that sits in the corner of the shop. It's over 50 years old and built to last. In fact, that old-timer actually made one of the sorbets that were part of our tasting. As we crowded around that machine, Leo let us peek in as it was mixing and then we watched as he scooped some out with a large white paddle into a container. Then he showed us a large plastic container of fresh kiwi juice that he poured back into the maker to make another batch. Leo mentioned earlier about only using only fresh ingredients in his recipes. You can't get any fresher than fresh kiwi juice. You could even see the seeds in the liquid.

Finally, we sat outside in the shade to start our tasting. The first one up was the pistachio gelato. Before we dug in, Leo told us that the pistachios are directly from Italy and while he could have gone the less expensive route and used California pistachios, he felt that the Italian pistachios were better quality. He even mentioned that to save costs that there were some gelaterias in Italy that would actually use California pistachios as opposed to locally grown nuts. Now that's what I call nutty.

If you love pistachios than the pistachio gelato is a dream come true. The nuts are actually ground before being mixed into the recipe and with every lick; you get a taste of nutty goodness. After consuming this first gelato, Leo actually had us taste the pistachio paste and while giving out a sample, he told us that when the pistachio quality is where it should be, the paste should have the consistency of peanut butter and it certainly did that.

Next was the Kiwi Sorbet, which had a smooth and creamy texture and knowing that it was just made that day was actually cool. As for the flavor, I really liked its hint of tartness. By the way, the difference between a gelato and sorbet is that gelato tends to contain egg yolks and contains less air, which makes it less dense than regular ice creams. Sorbets contain no dairy and are like a creamy ice because it's churned until it's smooth.

Soon after came the Crema de Caffe Gelato. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but I could see myself starting off the day with a scoop of this as opposed to the liquid version. After the coffee gelato, we were hit with a gelato and sorbet whammy, all in one cup. On the top was a Chocolate-Orange Gelato and it topped a Golden Plum Sorbet. Let me tell you that plum sorbet was so tart; it felt like I was eating a lemon. I actually thought that it was too tart even for me who tends to like that flavor profile, but when eaten with that chocolate-orange gelato, it was a pretty good pairing. The combined tart-sweet-citrus flavors that came as a result of this duo were actually fun to eat.

There were two more to go and the next on the rotation was the mango sorbet. It was sweet, fruity and it really did taste like a fresh mango. It was definitely quite refreshing. Last, but not least, was the Zabaglione Gelato, which was made up of custard cream and Marsala wine. This was the first time I've ever had gelato or any kind of ice cream where wine was one of the ingredients and I have to say that this Zabaglione was a hit with me. With each spoonful, you could taste that wine, but instead of the "bitterness" I was expecting, it added a softer, more rounded fruit flavor to the custard cream.

Overall, this was a great tasting and Leo was a great host and gave us lots of information. I was already a fan of Bulgarini Gelato, but even more so after this tasting.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157601672651941/

Bulgarini Gelato
749 E Altadena Dr.
Altadena, CA 91001
(626) 441-2319
http://www.bulgarinigelato.com/

Indian Ice Cream and Shaved Ice Tasting at Saffron Spot

On a warm July afternoon, I had set up a unique tasting at Saffron Spot, an Indian ice cream shop in Artesia. For those of you who don't know anything about Saffron Spot, first, here's some background.

In April 2001, Mumbai native Smita Salgaonkar started Neemo’s Exotic Ice Creams in her adopted home, northern Orange County, naming her operation for an amalgam of her daughters' names. With the success of Neemo's behind her, she also opened Saffron Spot, in Little India. She named her shop Saffron Spot in honor of the valuable spice that seasons several of her flavors.

Some of the flavors you'll see at Saffron Spot are unlike anything you'll ever see at your local Baskins Robbins or Cold Stone Creamery. Sure, you'll see ice creams like mango and lychee, but chikoo and kulfi are words that may not be in your vocabulary. Chikoo or Sapodilla, by the way, is a fruit similar to a well-ripened pear and Kulfi is made with boiled milk and amazingly enough, no eggs. Kulfi can be flavored with pistachio, cardammon, saffron and other ingredient ingredients.

Other items on the Saffron Spot menu include golas (Indian version of shaved ice), falooda ice cream drinks (flavored milk mixed with rice or wheat noodles, basil seeds and topped with ice cream) as well falooda "sundaes" (ice cream topped with the noodles, basil seeds and syrup) and so much more.

The event started with Owner, Smita Salgaonkar, talking about some of the things I mentioned above. She also talked about how with the heat in India reaching record temperatures, everything we sampled as a part of our tasting would be considered street food because at every corner, you'll see carts selling a variety of these frozen treats to help cool down the populace. Another cultural aspect of the ice cream she mentioned is that it's a very popular dessert at Indian weddings.

For our tasting, we sampled:

- 4 different types of Indian ice cream - Saffron Silk, Kulfi, Mango and Banana Cardamon

**All the ice creams had a rich, creamy consistency. I found the Banana Cardamon a little too sweet for my taste, but I really enjoyed the fruitiness of the Mango.

- Rose Falooda Ice Cream Drink - rose milk with noodles and takmaria (basil seeds) topped with rose ice cream

**This ice cream drink reminded of me Halo Halo (a Filipino shaved ice dessert), without the ice. In Halo-Halo, you have things like sweetened fruits and beans and when the condensed milk is poured into it, you're both drinking and eating your dessert. That's what I did with this Falooda drink, at times sipping and other times slurping the noodles and chewing on the basil seeds.
I think there were a couple of people who were put off by the work into consuming this ice cream drink, but I personally enjoyed it. It was a very refreshing drink, more so than the ice cream on its own.
- Malai Gola (Shaved ice served with Malai(cream), rose syrup and nuts)

**The Gola is something you can get without the Malai cream, but we got the version with the cream. It's funny how many desserts are so similar to each other across different cultures. The Malai Gola also reminded me of Halo-Halo because of the shaved ice and cream aspect, but without any of the additional ingredients other than the nuts that topped the ice. Of everything we sampled, this was my favorite treat. It was just sweet enough without being too rich.

- 4 different types of Kulfi (a popular dessert made with boiled milk): mango, pistachio, malai cream and malai cream with peanuts

**By the time we got to the Kulfi, I was actually pretty full, which surprised me, because it wasn't if we ate large helpings of anything, but I think it did have to do with the richness of the ice creams. The Kulfi was very dense. When ordering the Kulfi, you normally would get a slice as opposed to a scoop. Of all the flavors, I'd have to go with the mango again, just like the mango ice cream earlier that I found so appealing. Even though mango kulfi was hardened, when I ate a piece and it melted in my mouth a bit, I could taste the mango juice and it was delicious.

Overall, this event really gave me even more of an appreciation of Indian ice creams and I really wish that there was a Saffron Spot closer to me, but have car, will travel. Considering all the tasty dining options in Little India, it's not that much of a hardship to go there for a meal, followed by something cold and sweet at Saffron Spot.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157601665367002/

Saffron Spot
18744 Pioneer Boulevard
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 809-4554
http://www.saffronspot.com/

Jitlada Thai Cuisine

For the past couple of months, the buzz around all the foodie blogs and message boards has been about the spicy Southern Thai dishes at Jitlada. So one night, a friend and I decided to have dinner at Jitlada. Like everyone else, I brought a printout of the write-up that Eric, a Chicago blogger, did about this restaurant which included his recommendations and translations of all the dishes. See link below:

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=13933

Thankfully, with the newfound boom in clientele, we saw that since Eric's visit, the owners had that section of the menu translated. Yay us.

So on to our meal! Between my friend and me, we chose 6 dishes from the Southern Thai menu. We started off with their rice salad, Khâo Yam "Songkhla", which was a mound of steamed rice topped with either finely crushed dried shrimp or shrimp crackers and fried coconut and surrounded by a veggie assortment. Along with the dish came a tamarind sauce. This was a nice starter with lots of great flavors and textures. How can you go wrong with fresh, crisp veggies, the salty-sweetness of the two toppings plus the sweet heat of the sauce? You really can't.

Following the rice salad was an entrée that definitely left a fiery impression, more so than any of the other items we ate that night. On the menu, you'll see this dish as Khanõm Jiin “Meuang Khon” 5 Náam 3 Dâng. The ingredients of rice vermicelli and fish balls seem innocent enough, but it was the very hot curry sauce that made my taste buds sit up, sing and take notice. Wow! I can almost feel my mouth burning again, just thinking about it.

Accompanying this noodle dish were both fresh and pickled vegetables. The addition of the veggies to the noodles actually helped cut down on the heat. On their own, the noodles and the sauce may be too much of an overload for the non-spicy eater, so the vegetables may actually be your lifesaver if you still want to take a chance on this dish.

From the fiery depths, we "cooled" down a bit with the arrival of our Néua Tàet Dìaw / Néua Sũwan or dried/fried beef jerky. The meat was definitely chewy as beef jerky should be; yet, it still retained some tenderness as well. Try taking a bite of the meat topped with both the red onion and the cilantro that comes with this dish. The beef jerky already has great flavor, but the onion and cilantro just makes it that much better.

Spicy comes back to town with the appearance of the two wet curries we ordered. The first one up was Kaeng Kûng Wùa Thùa, a spicy, turmeric-seasoned curry with shrimp and jicama. I was surprised to see jicama as an ingredient since I tend to associate that ingredient with Latin cuisine or fusion cooking, but it added a little juicy crunch to the dish, which I liked. Between the shrimp and red bell peppers, this curry dish was more on the sweet side, but still packed a delicious punch.

The second curry dish we tried was Kaeng Tay Poh Plaa Châwn Hâeng or a Southern Thai-style curry with dried mudfish and water spinach. What I found the most unappealing about this dish was the dried mudfish, which had a weirdly gummy texture to it. I would have preferred if the fish was just fried. Of everything we tried, this was my least favorite dish. That's not to say that it was bad. While the sauce had the heat, the flavor wasn't there for me, especially in comparison to the previous dishes we already tried.

After what was already a 5 entrée marathon, our Plaa Thâwt Râat Phrík, which is a deep-fried fish “smothered” in sweet chile sauce arrived. You have your choice of fish and we opted for the sea bass. The little bit I sampled before we just had it wrapped up to go was amazingly tasty and although the sauce described itself as being chile sauce, I didn't find it to be spicy at all, just packed with lots of flavor. If I wasn't so full, I would have poured the sauce over my rice and went to town.

In fact, I enjoyed the food so much that I went back a couple of days later and tried a couple other menu items, although not on the Southern Thai menu. I had their Coco Mango Salad which is sliced mango, shrimp, lime juice, onion and chili with also a bit of coconut water. Wow, what a great salad. You get tart, sweet, and a little bit heat all in one bite. Since I was too full for dessert the first time I visited, this time I didn't pass it up and had their mango with sticky rice. Double Wow! This was the best mango and sticky rice I've ever had. I don't even have words. Just try it! You won't regret it.

Overall, our meal that night was fantastic and I can see why this new Southern Thai menu of Jitlada's is getting all the raves. If you haven't already, don't pass up a meal from this unique menu. You will definitely be a faithful convert.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157601644786108/

Jitlada Thai Cuisine
5233 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 663-3104

Cafe Verde

I'm not normally much of a sandwich person, so when I have one that is tasty, I have to tell people about it. Thanks to Wendy T for taking me to this little treasure for lunch and by little, I'm not kidding. The interior of Cafe Verde is small and can probably fit about 16 to 20 people and that's pretty much it.

As for lunch, I started off with a non-alcoholic cranberry mixed drink, which was nicely tart and quite refreshing. For my meal, I opted for their chicken salad with pico gallo. First off, I have to say that I love that the bread was toasted. Also, they were nice to let me switch out the housemade potato chips that normally comes with their sandwich with a salad.

When I finally took a bite of my sandwich, I was just over the moon over that chicken salad. The addition of the pico de gallo was absolutely wonderful. I really enjoyed the fresh juicy bite of the tomatoes and the small bits of cilantro added a nice flavor dimension. The chicken was tender and moist and considering that it was white meat, that's a pretty good accomplishment.

Having worked in the produce industry for 11 years, I also really appreciate it when the greens in my salad look and taste fresh and thank goodness there wasn't a heavy hand with the dressing in the kitchen. Limp leaves are just a waste of dressing and not appealing at all.

Overall, it was a good lunch. The service was spot on. Our food arrived promptly and our water glasses were always filled. What more can you ask for? I definitely look forward to checking out more of their menu at another time, perhaps dinner one night.

To see pics, go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157601652634533/

Cafe Verde

961 E Green St

Pasadena, CA 91106

(626) 356-9811

Wraps 360

With everyone always in a hurry, drive thru eating/beverage establishments are now the norm, from McDonald's, In-N-Out, Starbucks, Baskin-Robbins and even Krispy Kreme. In the little town of Monrovia, you can now add Wraps 360 to the mix where the dining options are definitely much more healthy than what you would get at your local burger joint.

As the name of this food stand suggests, the menu consists primarily of different wraps, but there also sandwich and salad options as well. If you have a thirst, the beverage choices include soft drinks, teas, juices, smoothies and various coffee concoctions.

For my first time lunch there, I went for the Mango Smoothie and their Club Wrap. When I ordered the Mango Smoothie, I was asked if I preferred it blended with milk or juice. I thought it was cool that you had a choice and that way, those of you who are lactose intolerant can still enjoy a fruit smoothie without any problems.

When my Club Wrap arrived, it was a thing of beauty. Everything looked really fresh. The lettuce was crisp. There was no "browning" on the avocado. The tomatoes looked beautifully red and juicy. Other ingredients included grilled chicken, a house cream dressing, swiss cheese and turkey bacon wrapped in a tomato basil tortilla. You can choose either fruit or salad as your side and I chose fruit.

What was also interesting is the way the ingredients were wrapped in the tortilla. It was almost like a funnel shape where the food was "fanned out" on one end and the other end was narrow. This funnel shape made it easier to hold the wrap and I noticed that less food fell out when I bit into it.


As for how it tasted, I really enjoyed every bite. Fresh ingredients mean better flavor; however, there are two things that I didn't like. First, while the grilled chicken was moist and tender, it was a little salty, not so salty that I stopped eating it, but enough that it bugged me.

Second, after I came home and looked at the menu, I noticed that in the Club Wrap description, there were two ingredients listed that were missing in my wrap and those were pineapple and sprouts. I honestly didn't miss either of those ingredients because what I had was filling enough, but if you're going list ingredients for a dish, you should follow through with all of them.

To end, except for those two things I mentioned above, I'd say that my meal was there was pretty good. I'm actually not normally a sandwich/wrap kind of person, but whenever I'm in the mood, I'd give Wraps 360 another try.

Wraps 360
127 West Foothill Blvd.
Monrovia, CA 91016
(626) 358-4540
http://www.wraps360.com/

To see pics, go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157601461421190/

The Enchanted Rose Tea Parlour

Last Month, I had tea at a quaint tea room called The Enchanted Rose Tea Parlour in San Dimas, CA. Walking into this space, you'll see hats, boas, teapots, tea cups and of course tea tins fill the shelves that line up against the walls and pastels are definitely the color palette of choice.

For about $20, including tax and gratuity, we did the The Enchanted Tea. First off, we selected 4 different teas, 3 hot and 1 iced, to share. Once the teas started arriving, we also got our first course which was a little cup of fresh fruit.

Following the fruit came the blueberry scones along with cream and preserves. Those scones were absolutely wonderful. Soft, moist and cake-like, I savored every bite and I liked the fact that with every bite, I had a taste of blueberries.

For our third course, you had a choice of soup or salad and I opted for the salad which was a spring mix blend with apples and topped with a raspberry-Vidalia onion vinaigrette. I liked the tart-sweet flavors of the dressing, but felt like they drowned my salad with too much of it. Limp greens are not too apealing, so you may want to ask that they give you the dressing on the side.

Now out comes the sandwiches and each of us gets 4 and they were:
- chicken salad with almonds on a mini croissant

- ham and swiss cheese on 3 seed oat bread

- pineapple and pecans on Hawaiian bread

- carrots, celery and cheddar on wheat bread

All the sandwiches were quite tasty. The filings were just great. I especially liked the pineapple and pecans as well as the chicken salad with almonds. The one negative I will mention is that the bread for the last two sandwiches weren't as soft as they could have been. They were a little hard, almost as if they were toasted, but I don't think they were. Chocolate dipped strawberries also came out with the sandwiches.

I actually thought that the chocolate dipped strawberries were the dessert, but out came what the owner referred to as Fluff and in this case, Peach Fluff. It was a very light, airy and refreshing sweet treat, perfect for a hot day. The ingredients were fresh peaches mixed with angel food cake, cool whip and jello. This is definitely one of my new dessert favorites.

As the tea started winding down, we were eventually presented with the bill, but along with the bill came pink chocolate roses. They certainly didn't want us to leave hungry.

Overall, this is nice little tea parlour and to get everything we did just for $20, I'd say that this was definitely one of the more affordable teas I've ever been to and one hopefully, you'll check out yourself if you happen to be in the Eastside.

The Enchanted Tea Rose Parlour
120 W Bonita Ave Ste G
San Dimas, CA 91773
(909) 394-4588