Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

29 Mar 2013

Hui Tou Xiang Noodles House – San Gabriel

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Have you ever woken up with a killer craving for dumplings? I swear this happens to me every other weekend, and thankfully, I live minutes away from the best dumplings around. Though not particularly known for its dining options, Pasadena is the gateway to Chinese food heaven. I’d snag a summer home here if I were you.

To satisfy the beast this Sunday morning, The Astronomer and I passed over our beloved haunts (Mama’s Lu, Dean Sin World, Din Tai Fung, etc.) and headed to Hui Tou Xiang Noodles House. This newish spot in town came recommended by Louise and Jonathan—two very trusty bellies.

We were seated straightaway and treated to a dish of kimchi. Mostly sweet and a little spicy, the fermented cabbage offered a fine diversion as we perused the menu and placed our orders.

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Restaurant Review

27 Mar 2013

Sushi Gen – Los Angeles (Downtown)

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Considering my general adoration of raw fishes, I’m surprised that it’s taken me so long to make my way to Sushi Gen. With my mom in town for business and my birthday just around the corner, I had the perfect reasons to finally sit down for dinner at Little Tokyo’s premier sushi destination.

Mom and I had a choice between a table in the dining room or a seat at the sushi bar. We went with the latter and were seated in front of Kazu-san.

What’s notable about Sushi Gen’s sushi bar is its shear size. Whereas most sushi bars in L.A. are staffed by two or three chefs, this one had five or so men behind the counter serving the restaurant’s perpetually packed dining room. The energy level here was also more vibrant than most due to the number of people in the house. The vibe wasn’t exactly zen, but I quite liked the high spirits.

To start was a marinated seaweed salad topped with a goopy dollop of mountain yam that tasted refreshing and tangy, but not exactly delicious.

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Now Closed

25 Mar 2013

Soba Sojibo – West Los Angeles

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Feeling hungry after attending a talk by Michael Dukakis ’55 at a rare gathering of Los Angeles-based Swarthmore grads, The Astronomer and I sought out proper sustenance nearby. Our first choice, Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle, wasn’t serving their signature ramen or tsukemen at this hour, and our second choice, Seoul Sausage Company, was closed on Mondays. Thus we meandered down Sawtelle into Soba Sojibo, one of the neighborhood’s newest additions.

Serving cold and hot house-made buckwheat noodles, as well as a slew of classic izakaya bites, Soba Sojibo is the second outpost of the Japanese chain in Los Angeles. A branch in Torrance popped up a few months before.

While The Astronomer perused the hot soba selections, I had my heart set on the cold stuff this evening.

We nibbled on deep-fried soba bits as we waited for our respective chilled and steaming bowls of noodles.

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