Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

07 Jun 2009

Tacos El Gordo – San Diego (National City)

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I was looking through your website and I have yet to see a write up on TACOS EL GORDO. Check it out. It’s in National City.

My cousin Michael left me this comment on the site back in April. My first thought when I read it was, “Wow! I didn’t know Michael read gas•tron•o•my. Cool beans.” My second thought was, “What is Michael doing eating tacos in National City? Does his mother know?”

While back home in San Diego over Memorial Day weekend, Michael (right) introduced me to the glory of Tacos El Gordo. Michael fired up his mama’s Windstar on Sunday evening, and we drove all the way to National City for dinner. There’s a taquería on practically every corner where we live, so driving across town for some Mexican grub was kind of a big deal. Cousin Jimmy (left) came along for the good eats.

Michael’s first blissful encounter with Tacos El Gordo was in Rosarito, Baja California Mexico during his senior year of high school. Unaware that his favorite south of the border taquería had expanded to California, Michael was pleased to no end when he serendipitously stumbled upon one of their local locations while lost in National City.

The National City branch of Tacos El Gordo is located in a converted Pizza Hut. Trays are grabbed on the way in and all orders are placed at the front counter. After we received our 15+ made-fresh-to-order tacos, we headed to a booth in the back to pay for our loot.

Before settling down to dig in, I made a trip to the condiment bar for some radishes, lime wedges, and salsa. We also got a big ‘ol cup of horchata (cinnamon rice milk) to share.

First up, taco de lengua ($2.10). The cow tongue taco came with fresh onions and cilantro and a mild tomatillo salsa, and was held together by two hot-off-the-griddle corn tortillas. I was surprised by the tongue’s stewed short ribs-like texture. I was expecting a chewier meat like that of a pig’s tongue. Overall, a very hearty and well-rounded taco.

Next up was the taco de cabeza ($1.85). Similar to the tongue taco, the cow head taco contained fresh onions and cilantro, all wrapped in a corn tortilla. The cabeza was the richest tasting taco I’ve ever encountered. I would’ve never guessed that bovine head muscles were so slick.

Michael and Jimmy polished off five tacos de carne asada each ($2). The cubes of beef were smoky and plentiful.

The most amazing tacos of the evening were the tacos de adobada ($2), which were made of thin pork steaks skewered and overlapped on a trompo (vertical rotisserie) and flame-broiled. The collection of pink-hued adobada seasonings were really fabulous—a little spicy and a lot sweet. Although I didn’t get to confirm with the Spanish-speaking trompo master, I swore I tasted some star anise! The complete package of pork, cilantro, onions, sweet white sauce, and warm corn tortilla was fantstic.

A few hours after our Tacos El Gordo feast, Michael departed to San Francisco—The Land of Rice- and Bean-Laden Burritos—to wrap up his sophomore year of college. This meal should keep him going until he returns to the land of Tacos El Gordo for summer vacation.

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Tacos El Gordo
1940 Highland Avenue
National City, CA 91950
Phone: 619-474-5033

Recipe

05 Jun 2009

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts with Caramel Sauce

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In recognition of National Donut Day, The Astronomer and I considered driving out to Glendora to sample The Donut Man‘s famed fare, but traveling eighteen miles for a sugar rush seemed excessive. Instead, we stayed at home and attempted to recreate the stupendous donuts that we devoured at Animal on Fairfax. How can The Donut Man possibly beat homemade donuts drizzled in a warm caramel sauce? He can’t.

For donuts

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup milk
Cinnamon and sugar
Oil

For caramel sauce

1/2 pound of soft caramel candies
1/4 cup milk
Salt

Make donuts

Whisk together the flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside. Whisk together the egg, sugar, butter, and milk in a large-sized bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine thoroughly. The batter will be sticky, so either use a spoon or a pastry bag to extrude the dough for frying.

Pour two inches of oil into a heavy medium saucepan. When the oil is hot, extrude a ball of dough approximately an inch in diameter into the oil. Fry the donuts until they are golden brown, then remove them and place them on a paper towel. If the oil is too hot, the donuts will brown before they are cooked through, so it is a good idea to sample a couple as you go along and adjust the heat accordingly. While the donuts are still hot, drop them into a bowl with half a cup of sugar and a few sprinklings of cinnamon. Move the donuts around until they are well-coated.

Make caramel sauce

Combine the caramels, milk, and a dash of salt in a double boiler or a bowl set over a saucepan filled with an inch of water. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramels have melted to a smooth consistency, about 20 minutes. To serve, drizzle caramel sauce over warm donuts.

Makes approximately 20 donut holes.

Restaurant Review

04 Jun 2009

Đông Nguyên Restaurant – Alhambra

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As much as I love introducing friends and family to new foods and great restaurants, being shown the ropes by a resident eater is oftentimes even better. Every once in a while, it can be a real treat to just sit back, relax, and let someone else assume the role of Gastronomer.

It’s a red letter meal whenever I dine with gas•tron•o•my reader Sharon. She currently resides in Durham, North Carolina, but grew up in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley. Her extensive knowledge of Chinese and Vietnamese gems up and down Valley Boulevard is impressive and inspiring.

The initial plan for our Wednesday night dinner was to meet up at Sharon’s favorite banh cuon restaurant in Alhambra. Unfortunately, it was closed this evening, so we headed next door to Đông Nguyên, a restaurant Sharon’s family has been frequenting since she was a small fry.

Located in a strip mall with an uncanny resemblance to Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A., Đông Nguyên specializes in Chinese-Vietnamese cuisine. The restaurant’s proprietors hail from Vietnam, Chợ Lớn in District 5 to be exact, but are ethnically Chinese. The majority of the dishes served here are traditionally considered to be Chinese. However, some of the offerings contain distinctly Vietnamese touches, like nuoc mam-based marinades and sauces. This is fusion cuisine at its finest.

All of the wonderful ladies who work at Đông Nguyên can speak Cantonese, Vietnamese, and of course, English. While Sharon spouted her order in Cantonese, The Astronomer and I gave ours in Vietnamese. Sharon and I were both impressed by the lack of language barriers.

Before our entrees arrived, we were each served bowls of Chinese medicinal soup. The mildly warm chicken broth-based soup contained barley, lotus seeds, goji berries, and a number of unknown, but surely virtuous, ingredients.

The Astronomer ordered the house special—com ga Hai Nam, also known as Hainanese chicken rice ($6.50). This dish is prepared by boiling a whole chicken in an aromatic broth, and using the resulting liquid in place of water to make the rice. At Đông Nguyên, both the chicken and the rice are prepared splendidly. The rice is delicate and incredibly fragrant, while the meat is tender and infused with notes of garlic, ginger, and onions.

The absolute best part of chicken rice is the ginger and chili dipping sauce served on the side. Poured liberally over the chicken and rice, it makes the entire dish really come together.

Sharon ordered her go-to rice plate, com suon nuong ($6.50), which came with a little dish of nuoc cham on the side. I had never before seen such a mountainous portion of grilled pork chop slabs. The Astronomer commented that this was most definitely an America-sized portion. The Vietnamese are very skimpy with their meats.

I settled on a bowl of mi vit tiem ($6.75)—Chinese duck noodle soup. The large bowl arrived hot and was brimming with tangled egg noodles and big hunks of duck meat, all in an herbal star anise broth. The mi vit tiem was served with pickled green papaya on the side to balance the duck’s fatty nature. Although the noodles were definitely solid, it didn’t match the awesomness of my Lunch Lady’s rendition in Saigon. What can I say? I’ve been spoiled.

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Đông Nguyên Restaurant
1433 East Valley Boulevard
Alhambra, CA 91801
Phone: 626-300-8618