Potpourri
14 Nov 2008

Readers’ Poll II

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While Monosodium Glumate (MSG) is frowned upon by the American public, it is embraced by home and professional cooks in a number of Asian countries including Vietnam, Thailand and China. In the Vietnamese language, MSG is referred to as bột ngọt or ‘sweet powder’—a term of affection if you will.

My grandmother continues to sprinkle sweet powder in all of her dishes, while my aunts have chosen to prepare their Vietnamese foods without. Just out of curiosity…

If the provided answers are insufficient, feel free to elaborate in the comments section. Also, check out this hilarious virtual rant—MSG: Slowly Poisoning America—that I stumbled upon while researching America’s relationship with MSG. My favorite part is where she talks about “sit down” restaurants.

Now Closed
13 Nov 2008

Miljip House of Noodles – Los Angeles (Koreatown)

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After a couple bleak months of wondering when I’d be able to afford quality sushi again, I landed a gig at a food and wine website in Los Angeles. On my first day of work, I purposely neglected to pack a lunch so that I could explore my new ‘hood—Koreatown.

Koreatown is packed with so much goodness that it’s hard to know where to start. Do I want DIY barbecue? Bi bim bap? Or a glass of soju to settle my first day of work jitters? After a quick Yelp search courtesy of Wandering Chopsticks, I settled on Miljip House of Noodles, which is located in a strip mall a couple minutes from my office. The B rating on the front door and the smiley woman manning the counter signaled that this place was gonna be good.

The specialty at Miljip is Kalguksu (literally “knife noodles”)—“a Korean noodle dish consisting of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served in a large bowl with broth. It is traditionally considered a seasonal food, consumed most often in summer. Its name comes from the fact that the noodles are not extruded or spun, but cut.”

The consistency of the broth was thick and gelatinous, reminding me of Vietnamese banh canh. Flavor-wise, the broth was much more subtle than any Vietnamese noodle soup. At first bite, the broth’s garlic undertones stood front and center. A few nibbles later, the essence of seaweed and clams made a light but noticeable appearance. The broth seemed to tip-toe around the bowl to avoid overpowering the delicate noodles.

The knife-cut technique yields a thick and slightly uneven noodle with an awesome “bite”—truly, the highlight of the dish. The noodles and broth were accented with a sprinkling of scallions, small clams, zucchini and potatoes. I was sweating up a quiet storm by the time I finished up my lunch.

The kalguksu was served with a side of kimchi, which looked super-spicy, but was actually quite manageable. I dunked the kimchi into the broth to spice it up a bit.

I was also served a banchan of pickled radishes with jalapenos. Once again, not too spicy and a great contrast to the steaming and mild noodle soup. My meal at Miljip was my first foray into Korean noodles; next on my list are cold soy noodles and Sul Lung Tang.

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Miljip House of Noodles
4003 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Phone: 213-389-2818

Restaurant Review
12 Nov 2008

Mako Bowl – Pasadena

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The unknown variables that come with unemployment have robbed me of any desire to splurge on high-quality sushi, which is a shame really, because sushi is one of a few foods that my body and palate actually crave.

There was a time in my life when a boat full of Costco manufactured California Rolls with a few packets of Kikkoman satisfied my sushi fix, but I can’t seem to stomach the stuff these days—I may be down, but I’m hardly out. Money management tips on the search for budget-friendly sushi alternatives, I decided to give Mako Bowl a try.

Mako Bowl is a local chain that specializes in Japanese food served in plastic bowls. The bill of fare includes Teriyaki chicken bowls, tempura bowls, udon noodles, edamame and a plethora of other Japanese and Japanese-American fare. On my visit, I went with a Spicy Tuna Bowl with avocado ($8.25).

The Spicy Tuna Bowl consisted of a good-sized portion of warm and vinegary sushi rice topped with mushy spicy tuna, sesame seeds and avocado. The bowl was garnished with pickled ginger and a wedge of lemon that I had no idea what to do with. I seasoned the whole bowl with a drizzle of soy sauce, and dug right in.

My first bite was quite good—the avocado was nice and ripe, while the fish was well-seasoned and surprisingly spicy. The rice tied all of the flavors together and fooled my taste buds into thinking it was actually eating sushi. Score! However, my second bite was a completely different story. Two words: Frozen. Fish.

I brought my partially eaten bowl to the front counter and reported the frigid news. The cashier’s response was pretty funny, “it’s only a little frozen,” he said. My Spicy Tuna Bowl was replaced with another, but I couldn’t shake the fact that I was eating fish that was once frozen. Ignorance is bliss when it comes to food preparation.

Food critic Frank Bruni wrote about affordable sushi options in New York City a few weeks back in the Times, including a nod for Kanoyama. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for similarly good deals in my corner of Pasadena. Mako Bowl just ain’t cutting it.

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Mako Bowl
950 E. Colorado Blvd. Ste. 101
Pasadena, CA 91106
Phone: 626-564-8524