Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

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30 May 2013

{swoon} Peking Duck at Duck House

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Before dropping in at Duck House for lunch or dinner, it is essential to reserve your bird at least an hour beforehand. While this might seem like a fussy thing to do in a thoroughly unfussy neighborhood, it really is very little work to guarantee a pristine Peking-style duck served in a timely fashion. Life offers few promises as satisfying as this one.

If you’ve done your proper due diligence, a generous platter framed with crispy skin shards surrounding a heap of shredded duck meat will arrive at the table soon after you are seated.

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Restaurant Review

28 May 2013

Bernie’s Teriyaki – Los Angeles (Westlake)

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Lunch at Bernie’s Teriyaki marked my first foray into Historic Filipinotown, the business district located in the southwest section of Echo Park. Opened in 1977, Bernie Cruz’s namesake restaurant dishes up Filipino barbecue with a nod to Hawaiian plate lunches. My friend Thien has been a loyal fan of this grillin’ hut since her high school days and highly recommended it for a laid back, no frills, damn satisfying lunch.

Value conscious consumers will feel at ease at Bernie’s, where prices are low and plates are piled high. Most everything on the menu was priced in the neighborhood of $5 and provided enough provisions for two well-portioned meals or one really hefty feast.

The Astronomer and I split one beef, chicken, and pork teriyaki platter ($5.25). After paying at the counter and waiting for a bit, we picked up our food at the front window.

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Restaurant Review

24 May 2013

Southern Mini Town – San Gabriel

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Guess who’s going on holiday to Shanghai this fall? Yep! The Astronomer and I recently booked our flights, which reminded me of this most excellent Shanghainese dinner that we shared with Diep a few months back. Located in the same busy San Gabriel strip mall as Golden Deli and Ton Chan Ramen, Southern Mini Town came highly recommended to me by my friend Tsz.

Seemingly less splashy than its northern, western, and southern Chinese counterparts, Shanghai cuisine satisfies with subtlety and finesse rather than a double punch of sodium and spice. Sometimes, it’s just what I crave.

A ‘lil dish of salty peanuts covered in seaweed, as well as hot tea, arrived with the menus. A classic Shanghainese start.

Next on the scene was a platter of fresh-from-the-fryer “Fried Seaweed Yellow Fish.” The fish, coated in an airy, tempura-like batter flecked with green algae, were crisp-tender and completely addictive sprinkled with a bit of coarse salt. These are the kind of fish sticks that I can really get behind.

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