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Sam Woo Barbecue Shop – Monterey Park

Published

on December 9, 2009

in BBQ, Chain / Multiple Locations, Chinese, Restaurant Review and San Gabriel Valley

. 20 Comments

Not last night but the night before, a group of friends and I dined at Newport Tan Cang Seafood Restaurant, a fancy pants Chinese banquet hall in the city of San Gabriel. Aware of Newport’s reputation for stellar seafood preparations, our party of twelve indulged in a prix fixe menu that included delicacies like sharks’ fin soup, sea cucumber, lobster, and crab. The spread was luxurious, plated neatly, and mostly delicious, but after forking over $32 to cover my portion of the tab, I couldn’t help thinking that we should’ve just gone to a simpler joint like Sam Woo.

I’ve always had an inkling that I preferred hole-in-the-wall Chinese eateries to grand restaurants oozing with ambiance, but wasn’t certain until my recent dabble in high-end Chinese cuisine. Granted, Sam Woo is a dingy chain, but there’s something about taut-skinned ducks glistening under florescent lights and service so indifferent that I feel like I’m doing the restaurant a favor by dining there that captures my heart and satisfies my gullet.

According to the restaurant’s superbly written Wikipedia entry, Sam Woo is not a person, but rather the romanization of the Cantonese pronunciation for “triple harmonies.” “Sam” meaning three and “Woo” meaning harmony. Triple harmonies is a reference to the principles of feng shui: heaven, earth, and humanity.

The first Sam Woo was opened by a Hong Kong immigrant in Los Angeles’ Chinatown in 1979. Since then, the chain has expanded into communities with sizable Chinese populations like Las Vegas, Toronto, and Southern California. There are currently over ten Sam Woo locations in North America.

The Astronomer and I were introduced to Sam Woo by a fellow named Ryan, a classmate of The Astronomer’s. I was excited to learn that Sam Woo specialized in roast fowl, because one of my fondest food memories is of eating roast goose in Hong Kong. I can recall savoring the juicy meat dipped in sweet plum sauce like it was yesterday.

Our group shared half a roast duck ($8.95) that arrived at the table chopped into manageable bits. The quality of the meat and seasonings didn’t match my Hong Kong experience, but the crispy skin, moist meat, and plentiful pockets of fat made everything all right. The plum sauce was worthy of sipping alone; it’s certainly not for everyone, but it definitely is for me.

While I normally frown upon chicken, Sam Woo’s Tung Kong-style salty chicken (half – $7.95) was very enjoyable, especially with a generous pour of scallion oil. The notes of ginger and garlic soaked into the skin, and the boiled texture of the meat reminded me of Hainanese chicken.

For the carbohydrate portion of our meal, we selected a seafood chow mein ($6.75) with scallops, fish, krab, shrimp and squid. For me, chow mein tastes best once the goopy sauce has properly soaked and softened the fried noodles, creating a clumpy delight.

Lastly, we shared a plate of salted and spiced deep-fried bean curd ($6.50). The tofu’s salty crust brought a great deal of flavor and a killer crunch, while the jalapenos and scallions gave the tofu an edge. Sam Woo executes this simple dish very well.

Now, if only it were acceptable to invite wedding guests to a barbecue shop rather than a formal banquet hall.

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Sam Woo Barbecue Shop
634 W. Garvey Avenue
Monterey Park, CA 91754
Phone: 626-289-4858

Zeke’s Smokehouse – Los Angeles (West Hollywood)

Published

Gastronomer

on December 1, 2009

in BBQ, Chain / Multiple Locations, Los Angeles, Media Event (this meal was free), Restaurant Review and Southern

. 14 Comments

I swung by Zeke’s Smokehouse in West Hollywood last week to scope out the space for this Saturday’s Eat My Blog charity bake sale. I was planning on staying only a short while to take care of logistics and details, but the wondrous smells of slow roasting meats lured me into a booth and tied a napkin around my neck. Before I knew it, I was sitting down to big ‘ol plate of pulled pork sliders with tangy sauce dribbling down my chin. Barbecue is kind of magical.

The original Zeke’s Smokehouse was opened in Montrose by chefs Leonard Schwartz (formerly of Maple Drive) and Michael Rosen (formerly of Reign), and their partners Ron and Kirk Gelsinger of Gelsinger Meats in 2002. The West Hollywood location opened in 2004. With Zeke’s Smokehouse, the two fine dining veterans aimed to bring the type of authentic barbecue usually found in ‘cuing capitals like Kansas City, Memphis, and Greensboro to Los Angeles.

The restaurant’s vibe is a casual blend of down home comfort and West Hollywood cool. With its exposed brick walls, vintage aluminum furniture, and homey plaid tabletops, Zeke’s sleeks up classic southern style nicely. The menu features everything under the smoke-able sun, from Texas-style brisket and beef ribs to Kansas City-style spare ribs and Memphis-style baby back ribs.

It is absolutely essential that all southern meals, even those being taken above the Mason Dixon, begin with an array of deep fried foods. The Frito Misto platter ($7.95), which comes with hush puppies, sweet potato fries, and onion rings, really got the Zeke’s party started. The restaurant’s resident fryer did a fantastic job making sure that each item was perfectly crisp and light on the grease factor. I highly recommend dredging the onion rings and fries in plenty of ranch dressing and smothering the hush puppies with a healthy smear of honey butter. If you bat your eyelashes and pull off a sweet smile, fried okra might appear on your Frito Misto platter as well.

For my main course, I went with a trio of sliders ($11.95). From the list of available meats, I chose pulled pork, beef brisket, and ham ham ham ham ham (pronounced like Sisqo’s “thong, thong, thong, thong, thong”) with a side of collard greens.

Since pork is my very best pal, the ham and pulled pork sliders were loved the most. The beef brisket came in a very close third. Unlike the squishy buns on barbecue sandwiches I’ve eaten in Alabama, Zeke’s buns had a bit more oomph and a nice, toasty exterior. Though not a ten on the authenticity scale, it was a fine improvement in my mind.

To accompany my trio of sliders was a trio of made-from-scratch sauces. The reddish-hued one brought slight heat and paired well with the beef brisket, while the Kansas City-style brown sauce was a little sweeter and went fine with the ham. My favorite combination was the Carolina mustard sauce with the pulled pork. The collard greens did their best to sway my meal in a healthy direction, which is all I could have really asked of them.

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Zeke’s Smokehouse
7100 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90046
Phone: 323-850-9353

Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Q – Birmingham

Published

Gastronomer

on November 12, 2009

in BBQ, Birmingham, Restaurant Review and Southern

. 8 Comments

Before departing home to Los Angeles, The Astronomer and I once again consulted the Barbecue Bible for noteworthy lunch options. “Miss Myra’s does many things well, but it’s the mayonnaise and vinegar-based white sauce that keep people talking,” touted the guide. The idea of a white barbecue sauce definitely piqued our interests, but it was Raymond Sokolov’s poetically penned piece, “Where Ribs are an Art Form,” for the Wall Street Journal that really convinced us that Miss Myra’s was a worthy last meal.

The protocol at Miss Myra’s was similar to other casual barbecue restaurants in Birmingham. The bill of fare was posted toward the front of the restaurant and orders were taken from behind the counter. Lunch was delivered upon plastic plates and trays soon after ordering. Miss Myra’s level of customer care was efficient but indifferent. After five visits to Alabama, I’m fairly convinced that Southern hospitality is a myth.

We tucked into an empty dining area adjacent to the restaurant’s main room. Even though The Astronomer and I were the only diners in the section, we didn’t feel alone with the likeness of Bear Bryant staring down at us from every angle. After amassing six national championships and thirteen conference championships for the University of Alabama, the man has become a legend in these here parts. Roll Tide.

Miss Myra also boasts an incredibly vibrant and varied collection of pig statuettes. Mr. Sokolov described it as “a veritable museum of swine art consisting of hundreds of effigies of the genus Sus in all its pink, piggy majesty” in his article. I told you the man was a poet.

The Astronomer ordered beef brisket with green beans and a bag ‘o chips; a steamy roll and limp pickle spear was included with every platter ($7.65). The beef was great on its own, but even better doused in Miss Myra’s peppery and tangy white sauce.

I ordered a pulled pork platter with green beans and deviled eggs ($7.65). The meat was served in small chunks rather than shreds, but I didn’t mind because it still provided a fine vehicle for saucing up. The white barbecue sauce was admittedly intriguing, but I favored the classic red one on my pulled pork.

Miss Myra’s green beans were prepared in typical Southern fashion, overcooked and mushy as can be. When I’m south of the Mason Dixon, it feels so right eating sickly-colored vegetables. The deviled eggs weren’t pretty, but they sure were tasty.

For dessert, The Astronomer dug into a slice of lemon cream pie ($2.75). The graham crust was superb, as was the tart and sweet filling.

I went for a slice of peanut butter cream pie topped with mini chocolate chips ($2.75). Cream pies go down especially easy after consuming heaps of savory meats. Even though the filling was light and airy, I couldn’t manage to finish my slice; into a box and onto the plane it went.

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Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Q
3278 Cahaba Heights Rd
Cahaba Heights, AL 35243
Phone: 205-967-6004