Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Now Closed

24 Jan 2011

Xoia Vietnamese Eats – Los Angeles (Echo Park)

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If The Astronomer and I were to combine our culinary heritages, we might come up with dishes like toasted ravioli filled with lemongrass pork and collard greens braised in fish sauce. Sounds intriguing and even a little tempting, wouldn’t you say? This sort of whimsical marrying of cuisines is exactly what the husband and wife team of Jose Sarinana and Thien Ho are doing at Xoia Vietnamese Eats in Echo Park.

Opened last summer, Xoia serves a mostly Vietnamese menu with a handful of inspired dishes that bring together elements from both Vietnamese and Mexican cuisine. The cultures collide most successfully under the “Taco” section of the menu. I really enjoyed the anise and cinnamon spiced phở tacos that I sampled at the restaurant’s soft opening and couldn’t wait to try another mash-up during my subsequent lunchtime visit.

My easygoing dining mate Nastassia was game for just about anything, so I ordered the mì quảng-inspired tacos ($5.75). The three tacos were served on warm corn tortillas with fresh cilantro, diced red onions, and a side of house-made red salsa. The tender pork was richly spiced with paprika and shallots; I added a squiggle of Sriracha for good measure.

The tacos’ flavors were brighter and more robust than a bowl of mì quảng. Concentrating the spices and upping the oomph allowed the protein to work terrifically as a taco filling. Next time, I’m going to sample the chicken curry tacos.

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Restaurant Review

21 Jan 2011

Beijing Pie House – Monterey Park

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Under normal circumstances, I would have followed up the five-course bacon feast aboard the Lardon Truck with a healthful dinner of vegetables and grains. However, since it was the first day of the new year, and my mom was in town to celebrate, I thought it would be more festive and delicious to continue the greasy streak into dinner.

So instead of digging into wholesome greens and fibrous barley this evening, our party of three followed Linda Burum‘s footsteps to Monterey Park to dine at Beijing Pie House—a shop specializing in the bready cuisine of Northern China.

Located across the plaza from Kam Hong Garden, the Pie House lacks proper signage announcing its place in the neighborhood. In fact, the store’s facade still reads “Canton Gourmet Bakery.” Don’t be fooled though—there’s plenty of pie to go around.

The restaurant was mostly empty when we arrived, so we were seated promptly and presented with laminated menus typed in both English and Chinese.

After perusing the offerings, my mom decided that the shrimp wonton soup had to be hers ($5.99). The dozen or so plump little parcels arrived floating in a steaming hot broth. My mom really liked the delicate wrappers and meaty filling, but had to doctor up the mild broth with a few shakes of soy sauce and chili oil to suit her taste.

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Now Closed

19 Jan 2011

Lardon Truck – Los Angeles

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As luck would have it, on the very first day of the new year, the Lardon Truck parked its wheels a short drive from my home in Pasadena. The Astronomer and I had spent the morning hours stalking Paula Deen and gawking at floats at the Rose Parade, so when lunch time rolled around, we were more than ready for a big hit of bacon-inspired fare. Never one to miss out on good food finds, my mother arrived in town just in time to join us on our first truck chase of 2011. Party of three, please.

Launched last fall, the Lardon Truck is the city’s first mobile venture showcasing the versatility and deliciousness of bacon. Jeremiah Crowley, one of Lardon’s co-owners, was on board the truck when we visited. What I really liked about Jerry was how he interacted with diners beyond just taking orders. He playfully bantered with the crowd and even asked bacon-related trivia questions during our meal. To increase audience participation, Jerry handed out bacon-scented car fresheners for prizes! This was certainly the best customer service I’d ever encountered at a truck.

The first item served up were the bacon pancakes with bacon bourbon maple syrup ($5.50). Embedded into the pancakes was a generous sprinkling of smoky bacon confetti—just the right amount to assure that each bite was both fluffy and meaty. The syrup’s sweetness tied everything together into one tasty package.

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