Archive for the 'Asian Fusion' Category

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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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Ahn Joo – Los Angeles

Published by Gastronomer on June 25, 2010 in Asian Fusion, Korean, Los Angeles, Meals on Wheels, Pub Grub and Restaurant Review. 19 Comments

July 23, 2009—that’s the exact date when I fell in love with Korean rice cakes (duk). Since that deliciously chewy day at Cham Korean Bistro in Pasadena, I’ve eaten pounds upon pounds of the stuff and even successfully prepared an authentic version at home. Recently, an unofficial duk truck rolled into town. Chef Debbie Lee’s Ahn-Joo brings modern Korean pub grub to the streets of Los Angeles, including some bold renditions of my favorite rice cylinders.

The Astronomer and I chased down the truck yesterday afternoon at the CNN building on Sunset. Chef Lee was on the scene to greet us with a smile and to tell us more about why she decided to take her culinary act on the road.

Following an appearance on season five of The Next Food Network Star, Chef Lee consulted at Culver City’s Gyenari and served “SeoulTown Tapas” at Breadbar. Although both engagements allowed her to introduce her unique style of fusion cooking to the public, the price point was ultimately too high to reach the masses. With Ahn Joo, Chef Lee hopes to spread her “Seoul-to-soul” dishes across the city and to provide an alternative to fast food.

The menu is divided into four parts: Small Grub ($3), Medium Grub ($5), Large Grub ($7), and Sweet Grub ($5). We began with an order of bacon-wrapped duk with jalapeño ponzu ($3). Bacon has a way of making just about everything better, and this was no exception. The smoky bacon and the citrus-laced ponzu provided the oomph that the simple rice cakes needed to shine.

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Starry Kitchen – Los Angeles (Downtown)

Published by Gastronomer on March 4, 2010 in Asian Fusion, Downtown, Los Angeles and Restaurant Review. 17 Comments

I, like countless others, intended to eat at Starry Kitchen when it was an underground supper club in North Hollywood. I, like countless others, kept procrastinating until it was too late. I, like countless others, now must lunch downtown in order to experience the culinary magic.

Walking through the doors of the new Starry Kitchen late last week, the first thing I noticed was Nguyen Tran’s smiling face. The line of worker bees was stretched almost out the door, and in the midst of it all was a cool, calm, and collected Nguyen explaining the drill and moving the crowd along. It’s this kind of genuine interaction and customer care that makes Starry Kitchen really special. That, and the interesting and fresh food that Nguyen’s wife Thi whips up in the kitchen.

Starry Kitchen, which is named after Thi’s favorite Hong Kong soap opera, is located in the courtyard of the California Plaza building. The place is only open for lunch at the moment, but Thi and Nguyen hope to extend service through dinner on Thursdays and Fridays in the future.

Whereas the NoHo crowd was mostly comprised of media-savvy mavens, the one downtown is made up of business-minded professionals. It’s been years since I’ve been a part of the rat race, so it was a treat to people gawk watch.

“Pick your protein, then pick your vessel,” stated the adorable chalkboard menu. Most lunch combos also include a side of something carb-related. The menu rotates each week, so I was stoked to drop in when both the beloved crispy tofu balls and the Vietnamese braised coconut pork were on offer.

The Astronomer ordered the Vietnamese braised coconut pork in a banh mi sandwich with a side of Korean japchae noodles ($7.50). The pork was shredded, moist, and heavy on ginger, while the bread was soft yet sturdy. The bevy of veggies inside were snappy and lightly pickled. The Astronomer thought that the sandwich was very tasty, but wouldn’t call it a proper banh mi due to the mild veggies. We both agreed that the pork could’ve used a heavy dose of fish sauce and plenty more chunks of blubbery fat—two essential components of the classic Vietnamese dish thit kho. The noodles were more than competent.

I ordered the crispy tofu balls in a wrap with a side of pineapple fried rice ($7.50). I wasn’t sure what to expect as I bit into the fluorescent green orb, but the flavors and textures were totally to my liking. Little kernels of corn provided a touch of sweetness and texture to the balls. The wrap and its various fresh and healthy components reminded me of the macrobiotic fare I downed at M Cafe de Chaya not too long ago. I loved the curry flavor of the pineapple fried rice.

I usually brown-bagged it during my days running in the Philadelphia rat race, but then again, my choices included the yawn-inducing Au Bon Pain and a local chain called Marathon Grill. If Starry Kitchen moved in or around my building, I’d jump on it.

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Starry Kitchen
350 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Phone: 213-617-3474

BBC Asian Bar and Cafe – St. Louis

Published by Gastronomer on February 12, 2010 in Asian Fusion, Banh Mi, Restaurant Review, St. Louis and Vietnamese. 17 Comments

As curious as I am about Vietnamese restaurants located outside of major ethnic enclaves, I rarely visit them out of fear of being disappointed. Even though St. Louis is home to a large refugee community, I’ve avoided exploring the Vietnamese establishments in the city during my last couple of visits due to my big city leanings and Midwest prejudices. Growing up on my ba ngoai‘s fabulous home cooking and living abroad in Vietnam, I’ve developed an admittedly snotty attitude toward the cuisine. In my mind, there’s a right way to do things in the Vietnamese kitchen, and as a result, I have avoided eating in places that might compromise my notions of properness.

A mouthwatering spread on banh mi sandwiches in the January issue of Sauce Magazine, St. Louis’ monthly food-focused publication, convinced me to reconsider my policy. The vivid photos and sharp writing painted an exciting picture. As far as I could tell, the humble banh mi was taking over the city and I had to have a taste—authenticity be damned.

The majority of the banh mi shops featured in the article were located on or near Grand Avenue in South City. However, due to time constraints and lack of wheels, The Astronomer and I visited BBC Asian Bar and Cafe in the Central West End. The Korean-owned restaurant was formerly called BBC Banh Mi, Boba Tea & Crêperie.

Both of our sandwiches were served with snack-sized bags of Doritos. I thought the side item was a bit strange, but somehow fitting of our environs.

Based on Sauce‘s recommendation, we ordered the lamb banh mi ($5.50).

One of the more noteworthy local variants of the banh mi graces the menu at BBC Asian Cafe & Bar in the Central West End. There, lamb inspires wolfish gusto over an exceptionally well-balanced, if amusingly messy, sandwich.

I was initially weary of fusing Greek gyro meat with traditional banh mi fixins, but the combination turned out to be a treat of Zeus-like proportions! I was most impressed with the baguette, which was light, warm, crispy, and the ideal thickness. Additionally, the chili infused mayo gave the sandwich an edge unlike any banh mi I have ever tasted.

We also ordered a good ‘ol banh mi dac biet ($4.95) to see how it stacked up. The sandwich contained slices of head cheese, ham, and cha lua (pork loaf), along with the usual mayonnaise, pate, pickled vegetables, cucumbers, chilies, and cilantro. I appreciated that the pate, cha lua, and head cheese were served in all their funky glory, not watered down one bit. The sandwich’s ingredients melded together impressively, save for the deli counter ham.

After such a positive Midwestern banh mi experience, I am convinced that it’s only a matter of time before the-little-Vietnamese-sandwich-that-could goes totally global.

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BBC Asian Bar and Cafe
#241-43 North Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63108
Phone: 314-361-7770