Restaurant Review
23 Jan 2012

Central (H)eating in the Central Highlands: Quán Bình Dân 07 – Đà Lạt

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Quan Binh Dan 07 - Dalat Vietnam

After spending a week in Saigon visiting family and taking advantage of the city’s unbelievable dining scene, The Astronomer and I hopped a flight to Dalat. Nestled in the mountains of the Central Highlands, Dalat offered a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively, from Saigon’s frenetic pace.

Here, temperatures were markedly cooler, roads were downright spacious, and the terrain was hilly and green. It’s no wonder that newly wedded Vietnamese honeymoon here in droves. Fresh air is romantic!

Quan Binh Dan 07 - Dalat Vietnam

One of the highlights of our side trip was the meals that we shared at Quan Binh Dan 07, a scruffy local restaurant specializing in cac mon nhau (drinking food).

The sounds of boisterous revelers, along with the irresistible scent of meat sizzling on the grill, beckoned to The Astronomer while on his evening run. He was so excited to have stumbled upon such a find that we dined there that very night.

Quan Binh Dan 07 - Dalat Vietnam

The restaurant was mostly packed when we came in, with small groups of friends and families huddled around communal hotpots and tabletop grills. This sort of fare is popular throughout Vietnam, but here in the crisp mountain air, it seemed less out of place.

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Recipe
20 Jan 2012

Meyer Lemon Muffins

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Meyer Lemon Muffins

Winter citrus fruits are flourishing throughout Southern California, and for the first time ever, the season’s bounty is blooming right on our front porch. The Astronomer’s parents gifted us the most adorable dwarf Meyer lemon tree when they visited last spring, and after nurturing it through the summer and into fall, it finally bore fruit that we could pluck and enjoy this winter.

While I’ve tasted Meyer lemons in various dishes at restaurants, I never fully understood the complexity of their flavor until I actually cooked and baked with them. Not only is Meyer lemon juice sweeter, but it also has an indescribable and distinct tang that makes it wholly unique.

Our first harvest inspired The Astronomer to whip up a delectable shrimp puri puri. And several week later, I had to bake these Meyer lemon muffins after spotting the recipe in the Los Angeles Times.

Lemon-flavored muffin recipes usually call for just juice and zest, like these lemon ricotta muffins that I love, but this recipe calls for the whole shebang—juice, zest, pith, and all. The result is a truly moist muffin that’s studded with lemon pieces and laced with a slight bitterness. A sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar on the top of each one successfully mellows the lemon’s astringent notes.

It’s worthwhile to seek out Meyer lemons for this recipe because I find that their flavor, as compared to regular lemons, is different enough that something would be lost by substituting one for the other. Experiencing Meyer lemons in full effect is a must for all citrus lovers.

  • 9 ounces all-purpose flour (2 cups)
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 Meyer lemons, divided
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Meyer Lemon Muffins

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, the baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Meyer Lemon Muffins

Cut two lemons into 1-inch pieces. Put them in a blender and pulse until the lemon is finely chopped. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the milk, butter and chopped lemon. Stir.

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Now Closed
18 Jan 2012

Dinner at The Spice Table – Los Angeles (Downtown)

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The Spice Table - Los Angeles

My first visit to The Spice Table wasn’t a great one. I came to the restaurant with high expectations and left feeling mostly underwhelmed after a lunch of wings, coleslaw, and Vietnamese sandwiches. Although The Spice Table’s dinner menu is a completely different beast, I didn’t have any desire to try it after my initial introduction.

The Spice Table - Los Angeles

Sometime last December, I received a $50 voucher from the Malaysia Kitchen Los Angeles campaign* to dine at one of their partner restaurants. I selected to return to The Spice Table after skimming the list of eateries participating in the program.

While the voucher wasn’t enough to cover the entire cost of dinner there, it provided me with the incentive that I needed to give the restaurant another try. I was hoping for an altogether better experience this time around.

The Spice Table - Los Angeles

The Astronomer and I bypassed the official Malaysia Restaurant Week menu and chose a suite of dishes that sounded delightful to us. The beef tripe ($10) from the “Satays” portion of the menu was the first to arrive.

Marinated in soy, garlic, and palm sugar, the tripe was impressively tender and surprisingly sweet. While I’ve always had a thing for a tripe, The Astronomer has been more hesitant to open his heart. He declared these skewers to be the best preparation of tripe he’s come across.

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