Monthly Archive for July, 2010

Great Balls on Tires – Los Angeles

Published by Gastronomer on July 29, 2010 in Asian Fusion, Indian, Italian, Korean, Los Angeles, Meals on Wheels and Restaurant Review. 11 Comments

When I stopped by the Ahn Joo truck a little over a month ago, Debbie Lee tipped me off that a meatball truck would be hitting the streets shortly. Meatballs and I get along quite swimmingly, so this was one launch that I was a wee bit more excited for than the rest.

After polishing off two gut busting deep-fried sushi rolls from Yatta-! Truck at Art Walk, The Astronomer and I moseyed on over to Great Balls on Tires for our second course.

Great Balls on Tires was founded by Clint Peralta and Michael Brombart. According to the truck’s website, the duo chose to focus on meatballs because of their universal popularity and appeal. “They are found in nearly every culture with names like polpette, kofta and frikadel. They are found in dumplings and on top of spaghetti all covered with cheese.”

Inspired by travels abroad, the menu encompasses a wide range of flavors from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. By the time we arrived at the truck, they were sold out of the “IncrediBall” (Kobe Beef ball wrapped in bacon and gruyere) and the “Ballywood” (Garam Masala chicken ball cradled in a coconut curry and set atop saffron basmati rice), two of the most enticing menu items. After a bit of hemming and hawing, we finally settled on the “Ball Gogi” ($5.50).

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Yatta-! Truck – Los Angeles

Published by Gastronomer on July 28, 2010 in Asian Fusion, Japanese, Los Angeles, Meals on Wheels and Restaurant Review. 10 Comments

I was initially frightened by the thought of cheeseburger sushi. Both dishes are delicious in their own right, but combining them seemed like a terrible, half-baked idea. As positive reports rolled in from Serious Eats, Grub Street, and Squid Ink, my fear transitioned to intrigue. I eventually succumbed to my curiosity and tasted Yatta-! Truck‘s headline-grabbing roll at this month’s Downtown Art Walk.

Owned and operated by Jun Hua and chef Hiro Igarashi, Yatta-! is L.A.’s first fusion sushi bar on wheels. The truck offers a small menu of inspired rolls, as well as a “creation station” that allows customers to dream up a customized roll. Yatta-!, which means “I did it!” in Japanese, is what one is supposed to proclaim when “u get ur own favorite rolls.” Or something like that…

Yatta-! is far and away the silliest nouveau food truck that I have ever encountered. There’s a sign posted on the truck claiming that “no Pokemon were harmed during the making of your roll” and a mysterious ninja sneaks in and out of the truck during service. Not to mention, Yatta-! is staffed by some really funny dudes. I must say that it’s pretty refreshing to be around an establishment that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

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Chocolate Afternoon Tea at The Langham – Pasadena

Published by Gastronomer on July 26, 2010 in Afternoon Tea, Pasadena and Restaurant Review. 17 Comments

Many moons ago, The Astronomer and I won a Blogger Prom raffle prize for chocolate afternoon tea for two at The Langham. We were thrilled to take home such fine swag, but for reasons inconceivable at the moment, the voucher sat unused for almost a year. A week before our prized prize was set to expire, The Astronomer and I finally made a proper reservation and cleared our calendars. When Sunday rolled around, we drove down the street, handed off our wheels to valet, sauntered over to the Lobby Lounge, and readied ourselves for a parade of dainty delights.

The Langham offers a special chocolate afternoon tea service every Sunday from noon to 4 PM. The price is $59 for adults and $29.50 for children. Our midday indulgence began with chilled glasses of Krug champagne. I love how bubbly has the power to transform any old occasion into a celebratory one. Cheers to that!

For my tea, I selected the pear caramel, which was made with Washington State pears blended with black teas from Ceylon and China. It was a touch sweet with hints of vanilla and caramel. The Astronomer’s chocolate mint truffle tea made with rooibos was legitimately chocolatey, while the mint gave it a soothing quality.

As we sipped and chatted, a three-tiered tower arrived at the table. There are many reasons to adore afternoon tea, but my personal favorite are these imposing presentation pieces.

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Phở Nguyễn Hoàng – San Gabriel

Published by Gastronomer on July 25, 2010 in Ca Kho, Canh, Goi, Restaurant Review, San Gabriel and Vietnamese. 11 Comments

When The Astronomer and I go out for Vietnamese food, it’s almost always bun (rice noodles) or com tam (broken rice) that graces our table. Slightly tired of our standbys, on the past few occasions we’ve ordered com gia dinh instead. Com gia dinh is a set menu comprised of traditional dishes that Vietnamese families eat for lunch and dinner. It’s the kind of cuisine that I grew up on and find myself craving from time to time. The menu usually includes a braised meat, a soup (canh), a vegetable, and lots of steamed Jasmine rice. A restaurant’s version of com dia dinh is rarely as good as the real thing, but it’ll do when a sudden craving hits and grandma’s house is a hundred miles away.

The Astronomer ate at Phở Nguyễn Hoàng in San Gabriel a few months back with a group of friends and found it solid enough to bring me in for a taste. We arrived at the restaurant on the later side of dinner and found the place still humming on a Saturday night. After perusing the com dia dinh offerings (located in the very back of the menu), we chose the four-course ($18) dinner for two. The three-course ($14) menu would’ve provided more than enough food for us, but we desired leftovers for the following day.

The first course was goi tom thit, a simply dressed salad with shrimp, beef, cabbage, onions, herbs, and crushed peanuts. The ingredients were very fresh, but the dressing was too mild and too lightly applied to penetrate through the mass of greenery. If it had been given adequate time to soak, mingle, and settle, the goi would’ve been much tastier.

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Fortune Cookies – Los Angeles (Hollywood)

Published by Gastronomer on July 22, 2010 in Chinese, Hollywood, Los Angeles and Restaurant Review. 10 Comments

The problem with driving around a city is that the world zooms by at breakneck speed. I’ve probably driven past Fortune Cookies on Santa Monica Boulevard dozens of times over the years, but never really noticed it until congestion forced me to cruise down the street at a snail’s pace twice in two weeks.

Sharing a particularly rundown block with 7 Days Swap Meet, the restaurant looked like a complete disaster from the outside. The sun had clearly taken its toll on both the roof and signage, while the bold promises of chow mein and chop suey seemed dated and out of touch. Honestly, I was a bit frightened by the joint, but also deeply intrigued. Truly, this was the perfect place to take Zach of Midtown Lunch for a “Cheap Chinese Food Challenge.” I prayed we wouldn’t get sick.

Fortune Cookies is like no place I’ve ever eaten at in Los Angeles. With absolutely no press, buzz, or even a single Yelp review to speak of, the restaurant is completely off the radar. Stepping inside, I was surprised that the space and furnishings were not the least bit shoddy. A handful of tables were occupied by regular lunchers, mostly Mexican men taking a break from the grind.

When my lunch date arrived, we headed to the steam tables to scope out the wares. The drill at Fortune Cookies is very much the same as at Panda Express—choose a combo (one, two, or three items) and then select from the available options.

Zach chose a three item combo ($6.47). His flimsy Styrofoam plate was piled high with chow mein, fried rice, fried chicken, fried shrimp, and orange chicken. He found the slew of dishes pleasant and palatable, but his favorite was the “crispy and well seasoned” fried chicken.

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