Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

03 Aug 2017

Viet Huong Restaurant – El Monte

Filed Under:

On a recent Press Play segment on KCRW, I chatted with Madeleine Brand about where to find the best Vietnamese food in the city of El Monte, the littler Saigon in Los Angeles County. Viet Huong, one of the spots I mentioned on the show, is lighting up Garvey Avenue with its homey Vietnamese cooking.

Opened in 2004 by the Tran family, longtime El Monte residents, Viet Huong’s menu is written in three languages—Vietnamese, English, and Spanish—as a nod to the diversity found in the neighborhood, as well as the restaurant’s clientele.

Four dishes were selected and shared between my lunch-mate and me. First up was the Cha Gio ($5.95), three crisp-golden rolls stuffed with ground pork and served with lettuce, herbs, and nuoc cham. The blistery wrappers, fried to perfection, were literally, shatteringly good.

(more…)

Now Closed

24 Jul 2017

Weekend Brunch at A-Frame – Los Angeles (Culver City)

Filed Under:

2 Comments

The Astronomer, June, and I are spending the week on Maui, so it feels like the perfect time to write about the weekend brunch at A-Frame, where Hawaiian grindz rein supreme.

After spending the morning on Venice beach building sand castles, burying feet in the sand, and splashing in the waves, we headed to A-Frame for brunch. I was initially concerned that the scene would be too boisterous for our gal, but I needn’t have worried—June loved the music and vibe.

We placed our order soon after our behinds hit the seats, as parents of toddlers tend to do, and the food arrived quickly. An order of the Musubi Meal ($12) was a must. The protein changes from day to day; today’s trio included Spam, Mochiko Fried Chicken, and Spicy Tuna.

(more…)

Restaurant Review

18 Jul 2017

Best Noodle House – Rosemead

Filed Under:

2 Comments

A thumb-stopping snap on @eater_la’s Instagram feed inspired a noodle run to Rosemead with Louise. I’m a sucker for carbs of all stripes, and she’s always down to test-drive a new spot; we were both hoping Best Noodle House would live up to its name.

The dining room at this simply appointed Sichuan noodle shop was mostly empty when we arrived, but filled up a bit soon after.

To start, a trio of cold apps. From left to right: “Spicy Combination Platter” with beef, pork tripe, and bean curd ($7.95), Tiger Skin Peppers, and “Black Fungus with Chili” ($2.95).

The combo platter and wood ear mushrooms were perfectly fine, but it was the marinated peppers that stood out. Removing each one’s seeds and membranes was a must before popping these peppers.

(more…)