Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

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28 Jul 2010

Yatta-! Truck – Los Angeles

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I was initially frightened by the thought of cheeseburger sushi. Both dishes are delicious in their own right, but combining them seemed like a terrible, half-baked idea. As positive reports rolled in from Serious Eats, Grub Street, and Squid Ink, my fear transitioned to intrigue. I eventually succumbed to my curiosity and tasted Yatta-! Truck‘s headline-grabbing roll at this month’s Downtown Art Walk.

Owned and operated by Jun Hua and chef Hiro Igarashi, Yatta-! is L.A.’s first fusion sushi bar on wheels. The truck offers a small menu of inspired rolls, as well as a “creation station” that allows customers to dream up a customized roll. Yatta-!, which means “I did it!” in Japanese, is what one is supposed to proclaim when “u get ur own favorite rolls.” Or something like that…

Yatta-! is far and away the silliest nouveau food truck that I have ever encountered. There’s a sign posted on the truck claiming that “no Pokemon were harmed during the making of your roll” and a mysterious ninja sneaks in and out of the truck during service. Not to mention, Yatta-! is staffed by some really funny dudes. I must say that it’s pretty refreshing to be around an establishment that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

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Restaurant Review

26 Jul 2010

Chocolate Afternoon Tea at The Langham – Pasadena

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Many moons ago, The Astronomer and I won a Blogger Prom raffle prize for chocolate afternoon tea for two at The Langham. We were thrilled to take home such fine swag, but for reasons inconceivable at the moment, the voucher sat unused for almost a year. A week before our prized prize was set to expire, The Astronomer and I finally made a proper reservation and cleared our calendars. When Sunday rolled around, we drove down the street, handed off our wheels to valet, sauntered over to the Lobby Lounge, and readied ourselves for a parade of dainty delights.

The Langham offers a special chocolate afternoon tea service every Sunday from noon to 4 PM. The price is $59 for adults and $29.50 for children. Our midday indulgence began with chilled glasses of Krug champagne. I love how bubbly has the power to transform any old occasion into a celebratory one. Cheers to that!

For my tea, I selected the pear caramel, which was made with Washington State pears blended with black teas from Ceylon and China. It was a touch sweet with hints of vanilla and caramel. The Astronomer’s chocolate mint truffle tea made with rooibos was legitimately chocolatey, while the mint gave it a soothing quality.

As we sipped and chatted, a three-tiered tower arrived at the table. There are many reasons to adore afternoon tea, but my personal favorite are these imposing presentation pieces.

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Now Closed

25 Jul 2010

Phở Nguyễn Hoàng – San Gabriel

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When The Astronomer and I go out for Vietnamese food, it’s almost always bun (rice noodles) or com tam (broken rice) that graces our table. Slightly tired of our standbys, on the past few occasions we’ve ordered com gia dinh instead. Com gia dinh is a set menu comprised of traditional dishes that Vietnamese families eat for lunch and dinner. It’s the kind of cuisine that I grew up on and find myself craving from time to time. The menu usually includes a braised meat, a soup (canh), a vegetable, and lots of steamed Jasmine rice. A restaurant’s version of com dia dinh is rarely as good as the real thing, but it’ll do when a sudden craving hits and grandma’s house is a hundred miles away.

The Astronomer ate at Phở Nguyễn Hoàng in San Gabriel a few months back with a group of friends and found it solid enough to bring me in for a taste. We arrived at the restaurant on the later side of dinner and found the place still humming on a Saturday night. After perusing the com dia dinh offerings (located in the very back of the menu), we chose the four-course ($18) dinner for two. The three-course ($14) menu would’ve provided more than enough food for us, but we desired leftovers for the following day.

The first course was goi tom thit, a simply dressed salad with shrimp, beef, cabbage, onions, herbs, and crushed peanuts. The ingredients were very fresh, but the dressing was too mild and too lightly applied to penetrate through the mass of greenery. If it had been given adequate time to soak, mingle, and settle, the goi would’ve been much tastier.

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