Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Now Closed

24 Jan 2009

Chinese Gourmet Express – Pasadena

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I don’t believe in the idea of a “guilty pleasure” because one should never feel guilty about anything that’s pleasurable. I’m not afraid to admit that I love watching train wrecks on television, reading advanced celebrity gossip, and eating Chinese fast food.

While I could go on (and on) about my appreciation of the former two, this post is a homage to the latter. Admittedly, Chinese-American fare is oftentimes strangely sweet, extremely greasy, and hardly authentic. But in spite of these unsavory characteristics, The Astronomer and I have a soft spot for the stuff.

My penchant for Chinese-style fast food started during high school. Whenever my mom was too tired to cook on a Friday night, she forked over ten bucks and the car keys. That’s when Panda Express’ orange chicken came into my life. The Astronomer was initiated during his high school years as well. His first encounter was at the Galleria Mall in Birmingham. When college rolled around, we both had Cheng Hing on speed dial. Mmm, plum sauce.

Our outing to Chinese Gourmet Express was completely impulsive. I tell you, once the munchies hit, they cannot be denied. Between the two of us, we shared the two item combo with orange chicken, black pepper beef and a heap of chow mein. Is it just me or does this type of food taste best when it’s packed up in Styrofoam and eaten with plastic ware?

Even though it was kind of eerie how each of the items tasted exactly like its counterpart in distant lands like Alabama and Pennsylvania, we enjoyed it all immensely. We left Chinese Gourmet Express satisfied and greasy lipped.

What’s your not-so-guilty pleasure?

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Chinese Gourmet Express
330 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91101
Phone: 626-568-3559

Restaurant Review

21 Jan 2009

Ernie’s Al Fresco – Pasadena

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For over twenty years, Ernie Mercado has been serving up good eats to the Caltech community from his lunch truck. The Astronomer and I first learned about Ernie from our phở-loving friends—Bao, Hung and Kunwoo. For three fairly quiet gents, they spoke animatedly and highly of Ernie’s food.

The Astronomer and I finally tried the goods on a rainy day in December when I happened to be working on a freelance piece from the Caltech library. Whenever I have an extreme case of writer’s block, I head to Caltech for a change of scenery. It seems that I focus better when I’m surrounded by geniuses.

During prime lunch hours, Ernie’s truck is conveniently parked outside The Astronomer’s physics lab. Even though it was cold and wet on our visit, there was still a good-size crowd huddling around Ernie’s truck.

Mexican fare is the name of the game at Ernie’s, and most items are priced around $3 to $4. All food is assembled to order by either Ernie or his helper. I went with the Tijuana Trio—three tacos filled with pork, chicken and beef. Since chicken is my least favorite animal to eat, I asked Ernie to substitute an additional pork taco instead. He kindly obliged and agreed that chicken was lame. The tacos were sprinkled with chopped onions and cilantro, and served with a lime wedge and two mild salsas (pico de gallo and tomatillo) on the side.

All three tacos were solid in the taste department, but a little chilly temperature-wise. Luke-warm food could be avoided if everything was cooked fresh to order, which isn’t the case at Ernie’s truck. This was my first lunch truck experience, so I’m curious to see how other vendors approach food preparation on wheels.

I added a side of beans and rice to my order. Both items were good, but could have used a few more minutes on the stove or a quick nuke in the microwave. Eating cold food on a rainy day is sad.

The Astronomer ordered a carne asada burrito, which came with a side of tortilla chips and salsa.

The Astronomer enjoyed his burrito very much. I didn’t steal a bite because I like my burritos San Diego-style with all meat and no rice.

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Ernie’s Al Fresco
Multiple locations in and around Caltech
Pasadena, CA 91106
Phone: 310-367-4291

Restaurant Review

20 Jan 2009

Arde’s Bistro – Los Angeles (Burbank)

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In this 498.3 square mile metropolis with notoriously bad traffic, meeting a friend for a meal can mean an hour-long commute. When my Valley-dwelling friend Sam and I wanted to meet up for lunch, it made sense to dine somewhere in the middle to save a little time and gas.What city is halfway in between Pasadena and Sherman Oaks? Why Burbank, of course.

Eating out in an area that neither party is familiar with can be a bit of a crapshoot. To avoid a dining disaster, I called upon my sometimes trusty, but oftentimes flaky friendYelp. Since Arde’s Bistro was the number one rated restaurant in Burbank, I figured it would be a good enough spot to hit up.

Mother and daughter duo Arde and Nina opened up Arde’s Bistro in 2000. The restaurant is smallish in size and laid back in attitude. The menu reflects Arde’s previous training as a Greek, Armenian and Lebanese cook, but with a couple of California-inspired additions like wraps and salads thrown in.

We started off our late lunch with an Appetite Teaser Platter ($10.95), which included hummus, baba ghanouge, stuffed grape leaves, a feta turnover, falafel, a small Greek salad and a side of Tahini sauce. Sam’s favorite of the bunch was the flaky and salty feta turnover. I was especially mad about the pleasantly tart stuffed grape leaves, with the smoky baba ghanouge coming in a close second. The falafel were decent, but paled in comparison to the one’sMama made back in Philly. I like my falafel spicy and rustic.

The generous Appetite Teaser Platter was served with warm pita and lavash—a soft, thin flatbread. Both were excellent vehicles for scooping up the hummus and baba ghanouge.

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