Noodles

Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle – Tsukemen for the Soul

by Franklin on July 15, 2017

We are bangin’ out the new year with ramen. Noodles are a representation of long life, and is a perfect way to start off the new year. Ramen shops are expected to boom in Los Angeles for the year 2015 and Tsujita is leading them all. The shop is small, modern and quite relaxing. It’s easy to get in for a quick bite and get out. This is the year of the ramen.

What better way to start if off the new year with ramen, Tsukemen to be specific. Tsujita’s Tsukemen is touted as being somewhat of perfect. Honestly, the bowl was quite delicious. The noodles were nice and tender, thick, and perfectly cooked. Dipping the noodles in the thick broth, the noodles did a good job of soaking in the flavors. The char siu though was quite thick and juicy. It wasn’t dry or flavorless. The bite of the pork was perfectly fatty and porky — probably some of the best char siu I’ve ever had.

The broth was mild, not as salty as I’d like, and not as hot as I’d like. It was warm, but not really hot. The flavors of the dashi was prevalent but not overpowering. It was fatty and had a nice mouth feel to the soup. I just wish it was a bit hotter — that would have made the noodles and the char siu and noodles warmer when eaten. Other than that, the broth was quite flavorful.

My experience at Tsujita was great, and I’d come again and again for a bowl of Tsukemen. The broth was pretty good, but the noodles and char siu still managed to overshadow it. That’s how good quality this stuff is. They take pride in having the perfect noodles. Long noodles are a sign of long life. This 2015 and on, I want to wish everyone a nice long healthy life. Ramen may not be “healthy,” but its good for the soul. And anything good for the soul is a good thing.

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Noodles (Bellagio) – A Little Bit of the SGV in Vegas

by Franklin on March 4, 2014

As someone who fancies authentic Chinese cuisine form the SGV, I don’t know how I ended up here. Maybe it was the intrigue, or the feeling of homesickness. Ultimately, I just wanted something completely different. I really don’t remember the last time I ate Chinese food or even a bowl of noodles in Vegas, if ever even. It’s always burger this or pizza that, and don’t even get me stated on the number of steakhouses. I took a chance on Noodles at the Bellagio, and I was pleasantly surprised. The prices were definitely not SGV cheap — the “Vegas Tax” essay evident. In the end, I was happy for my changing up the system.

After the Raku agedashi experience, I find myself ordering more and more. As an appetizer, and to be somewhat earthy, we decided to order the agedashi tofu. Theirs were fired in little nugget forms. The texture was quite nice. The warm pockets of hot tofu were silky smooth. Dipping it in the light soy sauce blend was all I needed. Nothing beats the agedashi at Raku, but this little appetizer did just fine.

Comfort food for me is either something really fatty and cheesy, like mac and cheese or a nice loaded quesadilla. Otherwise, comfort food comes in soup form. It has to have meat inside of course. The wanton soup at Noodles was surprisingly delicious. The broth was the star. I wasn’t sure if it had MSG in it or not, but the deliciousness of the broth indicates that it indeed did. The broth was warm, umamic (yes, there’s that word again), and quite savory. It wasn’t necessarily salty, but it had a nice quality to it. The wontons were nothing short of spectacular. Fatty and meaty, the shui mai like dumplings gave this soup bowl some substance. Even the noodles had a nice bite to them. This bowl of wantons and noodles was surprisingly the real deal.

We were on a protein frenzy, so we ordered the BBQ pork and duck. This to me was a mistake. The pork was overly sweet and jerky like. Too much crust and not enough actual tender meat made it difficult to enjoy. The duck, though nicely tender was a bit of a miss. It didn’t have that fatty/salty characteristic I’m familiar with duck. It was mild and a bit boring.

We ordered a bowl of congee to go with our meat. The congee itself was good on it own. The bland taste and blank canvas made it go well with everything. This was indeed a comforting bowl. For dessert, we ordered Thai tea. Milky, and somewhat strong, it was enjoyable — nothing worth mentioning further though.

All this Asian food and I started to wonder why we ate here. I mean, I could have this back home in the SGV, and it would be legit — it would be the good stuff. Why did I just spend almost double the amount for something that wouldn’t even hold a candle to the good stuff? Maybe I was feeling a little home sick. Or maybe I just needed to give it a try to see if I can really find SGV in the heart of Vegas. For a second though, I did forget I was even seconds away from the casino floor. That’s gotta count for something. Basically, I went to Vegas to step away from the SGV, and went to Bellagio’s Noodle to step away from Vegas.

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Santouka Ramen (Costa Mesa) – Mitsuwa Marketplace with some Japanese Ramen

by Franklin on February 18, 2014

It has been a while since I wrote a blog post on Orange County eats. Not that I don’t have love for the OC, its just not exciting to eat here anymore. All of the restaurants are too chain like. Except for a small few, all of the eateries are just average. To me, the most exciting thing is when restaurants far away make it close by to me. One such restaurant, a chain nonetheless is Santouka Ramen. With restaurants all around the world, I am happy to have them in LA and Orange County. I don’t have to travel to Japan to have good ramen.

The bowl of ramen was better than most. I appreciated the al dente noodles and the texture of the alkaline noodles at Santouka was perfect. It had a nice bounce and bite feel. The broth was a bit lukewarm, but still tasted amazing. My favorite of course was the char sui pork. It was fatty and deliciously tender. The vegetables were fresh and the bowl of ramen as a whole was balanced. This was a great bowl of ramen and competes with the best of them.

To some, ramen at a restaurant is foreign to them. All they know is the stuff that comes in a package or a cup. Ramen to me is comfort food. The warm broth and the fried noodles turned half pliable is all that I need on a cold winter night. Ramen broth and noodles is such a hard thing to perfect, especially from scratch. I wouldn’t know the first thing about creating the broth. Yes, having ramen from a bag or cup is quite satisfying and delicious. Just pop in a soft boiled egg and you are golden. Once you experience good ramen with legitimate broth, it makes all the difference.

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Ciao Deli – Clams on my Pizza Please

by Franklin on February 19, 2013

I came across Ciao Deli when I was in Newport Beach / Costa Mesa. It was late, I was hungry, and nothing was around. I found Ciao Deli online and noticed they had garlic knots, just like the ones at C & O in LA. For the time being, Ciao Deli had to do. Entering the restaurant, the ambiance was relaxed and casual. Pictures and memorabilia plastered the walls of this small joint.

We started off with the cheese knots. Though they were not as good as the ones in C & O, they were still tasty. The blanket of melted cheese was well received. More like cheesy bread than anything else, it had a nice flavor. Dipping it in the marinara sauce helped bring everything together. The acidity helped balance out the fatty cheese. These were a good start, but the cheese knots were easily forgettable.

I normally don’t order spaghetti at restaurants, of course unless its Spaghetti Factory. I was surprised at myself for ordering this dish. For the most part, I was quite pleased with this dish. The noodles were cooked perfectly and the spaghetti sauce was better than most. The meatballs in this dish made this a perfect pasta dish. It was meaty and delicious, just like a home style spaghetti should be — Simple and delicious.

My favorite of the night was the clam pizza. The picture really doesn’t display the clams, and the picture isn’t lying. There really wasn’t a lot of clams on it. I was expecting the clams to be plenty and meaty, enough to have a good bite to it. Though there wasn’t much, the flavor was all there. It was salty and cheesy, and the crust was thin — a perfect recipe for a pizza. I think clams should always go on pizza.

Writing about this meal, I realize how vegetables and fruits are lacking from my diet. Good think I am juicing here and there. That way I can have more meals like this that consist of bready, cheese, and pasta. I guess the tomatoes in the spaghetti sauce counts as vegetables. Right? In all honesty, this Orange County restaurant made me happy. The food was down to earth and tasted great. They even deliver if you are in the vicinity. Places like this keep food humble — nothing fancy here. It is just good food the way it is supposed to be.

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SimBaLa – Sausage on Rice with a Side of Stinky Feet

by Franklin on July 15, 2012

How often do I eat Taiwanese food? Not often. When I heard of SimBaLa in Rowland Heights, I made it my duty to give it a try. Looking at the picture of the sausage and rice online, I was looking forward to trying this place. Sometimes, going into foreign restaurants scare me, but this time around was more exciting. I actually tried going one day, but sadly it was closed. For some reason, they are closed on Tuesdays. The second time around, we were successful. Walking in already knowing what to order, we were ready to eat!

Of course, I ordered the sausage and rice. I saw it all over yelp and for all I knew, Simbala was the sausage and rice place. Their sausage, though sweeter than I though, was great with the rice. Sometimes, sausage and rice is all I need. The sausage and rice mix was great together, and the corn slurry mix just added to the texture. This is what I came for, and it was almost exactly what I expected.

I ordered the beef soup because it seemed like everyone was ordering it. Honestly, most people will not like this. At first sniff, it smelled terrible. Food does not smell like this. The spices they use for the base was strong and spicy. It had a sour smell that I could not quite get used to — think of hot smelly feet. Being brave, and knowing that it was actually tastier than it smelled, I took a bite. The noodles inside were normal, but the beef was the star. The beef cooked in that broth made is so tender and beefy. If you get over the smell, the taste is quite unique and spectacular.

When you think of pancakes, the thought of oysters don’t really come into play. Interestingly, Simbala serves up a mean oyster pancake, but it isn’t quite what you think. Their oyster pancake is a large circular fried egg mixture with whole oysters inside. The make it a little under cooked so that its runny on the inside. The oysters are somewhat cooked, but somewhat in its raw state. The flavor of eggs, onions, and oysters was an interesting mix, but it worked! Oysters are such a delicate flavor, but this dish would have been perfect with some hot sauce.

We ended the meal with some milk pudding iced tea. I mean, it wasn’t as good as Half & Half, but still good. Simbala was an interesting and new experience. The sausage and rice is what I came for, but I got so much more than what I expected. Some of the flavors were bold, some were familiar. At any rate, Simbala was a perfect spot to give Taiwanese cuisine a try.

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Daikokuya (Little Tokyo) – A Quick Bite Turns Into Tradition

by Franklin on June 22, 2012

It’s Friday, the work week is done, and you just a bit to eat with your coworkers. That is how it usually goes down, and I have to say, Happy Hour isn’t in our best interest. Some how, some way, we always end up at Daikokuya. That is officially our go to spot. Someone suggests that we grab some dinner after work and ideas start floating in the air — happy hour, burgers, a new restaurant, a quick bite in Koreatown. After a nice hour of indecisiveness, we decided! And no, it wasn’t Daikokuya. We were headed to our destination, which was actually in Little Tokyo. We found parking instantly right in front of Daikokuya (by fate), and we noticed that there was no line. The one time we decide not to go to Daikokuya, we found parking without hassle and there wasn’t a wait. We took this as a sign and went to our usual spot — Daikokuya.

As usual, I ordered the ramen combo, and it was filling. After finishing it, I was stuffed. Comparing it to the one in Monterey Park, the original one in Little Tokyo just tastes better. Maybe it is because its the original, or it feels more authentic, but the ramen just tasted better. One thing I did notice was the egg. The Monterey Park location has the egg over easy on the inside, but the egg temperature on was cold. The egg from the Little Tokyo location was warm. This may sound like nitpicking, but it makes a huge difference. Eating cold egg yolk is not a good feeling.

One new thing I tried here was the gyoza. The gyoza were nice and fried on one side, steamed on the other. The skin was nice and thin, yet tender, and the filling was filled with meaty, oniony goodness. Dipping it in the soy sauce, the bite I had was delicious. The contrast from the fried side and steamed side is what pleasured me. You have a crunch of something crispy, and the mouth feel of something chewy. This combines into a perfect bite with the succulent meaty filling. This was my first time trying the gyozas, and am now a fan.

Daikokuya in Little Tokyo is our go to spot. Sit at the bar with no wait, and you are transported to Tokyo. Chefs rigorously cook the noodles, fry the rice, and cook everything else in between — all in front of you. This fairy tiny ramen shop is popular amongst the Los Angeles community. Lines start forming at dinner time, so it is best to go early or man up and sit at the bar. Either way, get ready for some good/authentic ramen. For more reviews on Daikokuya including other items, check the post on the Monterey Park Location.

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Palm’s Thai Restaurant – Asian Elvis is in the House, but not Today

by Franklin on June 1, 2012

Palm’s Thai restaurant wasn’t what I expected at all. Their infatuation with Elivs itself is weird to me. No they are not in Thai Town, but yes they are in Hollywood. Maybe the Hollywood in them gives them the urge and need to be a little out there. Hollywood is full of surprises, and this is clearly one of them. A Thai Elvis in Hollywood I guess shouldn’t surprise me, but it does. Aside from the wacky, their food is what is most important. This is a food blog after all.

I ordered the Kee Mau Noodle. It is a rice noodle pan fried in chili, bell peppers, basil leaves, tomato, and beef slices. It is similar to pad see ew but spicier, and in my opinion better. The spicy taste really popped in this dish and the flavors worked perfectly. Pouring some of the vinegary pepper juice from the condiments tray helped cut the greasiness and added some tang. It’s the only way to eat this stuff if you ask me.

I was feeling like curry and rice so I ordered the green curry. I already had the spice from the noodles, so this mellow and sweet curry was perfect to tame the spiciness. Made with coconut milk, the curry was really sweet, maybe too sweet. It had bamboo shoots, bell peppers, basil leaves, and chicken. The best part were the bamboo shoots. They were fresh and crisp and some of the best bamboo shoots I ever had — I’m not even a bamboo shoots loving kind of guy, but these were great. I would have liked less bell peppers and more basil, but this still was a great green curry. The taste is so complex and flavorful. Eating this with rice, I always think to myself that this is all I need to survive.

Palm’s Thai Restaurant was an interesting experience. Coming here late at night, it was fun to be here. I was sad to not have experienced the live performances by Asian Elvis himself, but it was still a fun vibe. The dining area is large and I can only imagine how crazy it gets with a full house with live Elvis music playing. Valet parking is 2 bucks, and is indoors — not bad for Hollywood and a little convenience. All in all, it was a good Thai restaurant — next time, I’m coming for the show.

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Dim Sum Express – Get Your Shui Mai and Pork Buns Really Fast

by Franklin on May 4, 2012

Where have you been to where the food comes out quickly, and is tastier for that? Never. It is safe to say that the speedier the service, the crappier the food. Dim Sum Express is exactly what it is, and is exactly what you expect. Quick food, which is more convenient than fast, brought to you by a fairly small food stand with a pick up window. The food is alright, nothing great.

Shui mai is what everyone gets for dim sum. Theirs was nothing special, and to tell you the truth, I expected better. Their bbq pork bun was along the same caliber as well. Maybe it was the “hole-in-the-wall syndrome” where I thought it would be great because of that, but it was mediocre. Their combo chow mein was good and plenty but not memorable. Even the fried pork chops were a miss. Though tasty and spicy, the crispy factor of these deep fried slabs was not there. Maybe I ordered everything wrong here, but for whatever it was, my lunch was just not what I expected.

I can go to an actual dim sum restaurant and get the same stuff for a similar price. The only difference is, it would be more pleasurable. What we have here is exactly what I mentioned in the beginning. We are paying for the “express”, and not the food. The convenience of just walking up to the window, ordering, and eating is just too much of a sacrifice. I wouldn’t mind waiting a little longer for something much superior to this.

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No. 1 Noodle House – A Trip to a Noodle Shop

by Franklin on March 19, 2012

I was scared to eat at this joint. Hidden between some chicken place and corner store, I was a bit intrigued. Once I entered the place, I was transported into a new world. The small front counter to my front and a dark alley way to my right leading to the dining area was all unexpected. The restaurant dining area, which seemed to have been shared with others was scattered with random stuffed animal claw machines. I put all the weird behind me as I was excited to try the noodle, the “#1” noodle. I proceeded to order.

I ordered the dan dan noodle, their most popular item on the menu. The sauce was similar to a peanut sauce. The minced meat on top was delicious as it was tender and flavorful. The green onions gave it a nice robustness and the peanutes gave it a nice crunch. This dish was new to me, and I liked it. The noodles were nicely cooked, not over done. The bowl was a bit small though, so I ordered a meat dish.

The sliced pork was interesting. The pork meat, which I assume was boiled, was cut waffer thin. Sitting atop a mound of sprouts, it was topped with chili oil, hoisin, scallions, and peanuts. The whole dish was tasty, but I couldn’t get over hot cold the pork was, as it was intended to be served that way. Nonetheless, it was still tasty with my noodle dish.

Their beef noodle soup was very hearty and delicious. The beef was amazing — eating it off the bone was a great experience. The broth was a bit spicy and a little sour. It was perfect for a cold day with a sore throat. Fatty from the beef, a nice layer of bright red grease sat atop the bowl. The noodles were cooked nicely in this dish and the addition of spinach finished it off perfectly. This was a great soup based noodle dish.

Yeah, I was scared of this place for a bit, and probably still might be. The cooking is old school and the spot is very grungy. The dining area, though remodeled some what, seemed out of place. Oddly, all that didn’t matter. The food was as authentic as it could be. That’s all that matters I guess from a Number 1 noodle restaurant.

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Yang Chow – Chinatown’s Very Own Madarin & Szechuan Cuisine

by Franklin on January 20, 2012

When Chinatown comes into a conversation, and the topic of lunch or dinner pops up, you can’t help but thing of Yang Chow. And when you think of Yang Chow, you can’t help but think of Slippery Shrimp. Chinatown can be a scary place to some, but smack dab in the middle of Chinatown on Broadway, is Yang Chow. Inside, it seems like a typical Chinese restaurant, and it is. The furniture and layout is very old school as it should. It’s a classic. The walls are scattered with pictures of local government icons and famous people. The restaurant opened in 1977 and has been a popular Chinese hotspot since.

Of course I ordered the Slippery Shrimp — It’s what they are known for. The shrimp was kind of smaller than you think, but the flavor was massive. The batter was light and crispy. It was a bit on the sweet side, but the hot sauce that they had there balanced out the flavors nicely. Eating it with the white rice was simple and delicious — It was all I really needed. Slippery shrimp and rice was like comfort food for me.

We ordered the Chicken Lo Mein as compliment to our shrimp, though I would have been happy with just white rice. The noodles were thick and the chicken was plenty. Again, I put some hot sauce chili oil over the noodles to give it some spice. Most times, noodle dishes can get greasy and oily. It was a great noodle dish.

Yang Chow is a Chinatown icon. The place is a popular spot for locals and visitors. It all started with five brothers who wanted to start a restaurant. Yang Chow was the name of their home town. How fortunate of us to have them bring their home town into Los Angeles.

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Thai Patio – Night Time Chow At Thai Town

by Franklin on December 13, 2011

Where else can you get authentic Thai cuisine other than in Thai Town. Located near Hollywood, Thai Town in Los Angeles offers some great food. Thai Patio had some really well prepared Thai food. Something about the spices in Thai food keeps me wanting more. This restaurant does it perfectly. The live music and open dining area is very inviting. Those in seek of a hip night life and good Thai food can appreciate this place.

We ordered the crab fried rice. I am absolutely in love with crab fried rice, especially this one restuarant near CSUF. Thai Patio’s, though good wasn’t as good as the one in Fullerton. It wasn’t seafood like enough for me.

Though the crab fried rice was just normal, the grilled beef was amazing. The taste was like no other. It was a bit sweet and so very tender. At first, I thought it would be on the tough side. However they prepared it, it was a perfect texture. I liked the bbq marks that was on the beef. It gave it a nice char flavor. and whatever spices they use on these, it was delicious.

Their chicken Pad see Ew was by far my favorite. It is quite possible that they have the best. The noodles were thick and chewy — al dente. It wasn’t mushy at all. The sauce and fresh vegetables brought the whole dish together. Definately, the texture of the noodles is what makes this dish. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think they made their noodles in house from scratch.

Thai Patio was authentic. Maybe it was all in the name, or the fact that it was in Thai Town. All of the food in Koreatown isn’t always good, so it can’t be the location. It must be the food. Everything was delicious, and they give you a lot of it. Asking for to go boxes is a must after your meal, because you will have left overs. Next time, I would like to try more of the exotic (heavily spiced) dishes.

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Daikokuya – Japanese Ramen In My Own Backyard

by Franklin on May 6, 2011

Ever since I was a little boy, I made simple things at home. My first dish would have been ramen. Boil that water, put the packet in, crack an egg, and you got yourself “oodles of noodles”. That’s not really cooking is it. I surely thought that it was home cookin’ — but I was sadly mistaken.

My cousin from Oregon was visiting and we always try to share good meals together whenever possible. My brother, my visiting cousin, and I were trying to think of place to eat. I had the idea of taking them to eat ramen — neither of them have had ramen at a restaurant before.

Making ramen from scratch is actually really difficult. A lot of ingredients come into play as well as time to make the broth. Daikokuya makes theirs perfectly. Why go to a restaurant for ramen when you can just make it at home for about 25 cents? It’s all about the broth my friends.

Entering Daikokuya, one can’t help but feel like they entered a tiny ramen shop in Japan. The decorative wall pin ups and accents really give this illusion. They serve everything from sushi to fried rice, but ramen is their specialty.

Each bowl of ramen can be a combo. Each combo comes with a side salad and rice bowl. I had the egg and chicken bowl, my brother had the unagi bowl, and my cousin had the pork bowl. Each side dish was amazing. My favorite was the pork bowl. The pork was so juicy and tender, no signs of dryness. The unagi was perfect with that sweet teriyaki sauce. I love seafood so this bite was surely a treat. My egg and chicken bowl was my least favorite of the three, but it was still good. Maybe it needed some of that tasty teriyaki sauce the other bowls had. My favorite is their side cabage salad. They put this dressing on that is a mixture of something like 1000 island and smelt roe. It gave it a seafood taste that was so delicious.

The ramen at Daikokuya is something I yearn for every so often, sometimes all the time. All these years eating ramen out of the package, this surely was an eye opener for me. Their noodles didn’t taste stale and actually had some bite to it. The best was the slices of pork they add in the ramen. I think it’s the same pork they use for the pork bowl. It was so juicy — the flavor and fattiness went well with the saltiness of the broth. Oh, and here is the kicker. They added a hard boiled egg inside, and the yolk was slightly medium, but not runny. That truly takes talent, and you know how much I like runny eggs. I always have the perfect bowl of ramen at Daikokuya.

Me and my family know how to eat, so we ordered some appetizers too. My brother ordered the spicy tuna roll, and my cousin ordered the Chicken Karage. The sushi was pretty decent, considering it’s from a ramen shop. I did not have the chicken Karage, but the fried chicken filets looked good dipped in one of the many sauces they offered.

Come to think of it, we had already eaten the salad, the prok bowl, unagi bowl, and the chicken bowl. My family and I were already full, and this was before the ramen came out. In the end of it all, overly stuffed, I knew my family was satisfied. To think we almost skipped this place because we were scared of a long wait.

If I want ramen, this is my spot. To get away from it all, get away from Los Angeles in Los Angeles, I just step into Daikokya. I can sit at the bar, order some authentic ramen, and enjoy it in “Japan”. The packaged, dried, ramen squares just won’t do anymore.

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Cafe Xpress – A Vegetarian Meal for a Carnivore

by Franklin on April 18, 2011

This cafe was a new addition to the Atlantic Times Square shopping center. The food here is very casual, as is the atmosphere. The inside was very clean (something you don’t see everyday in Chinese restaurants in Monterey Park). They had flat screens everywhere which was good for days my Los Angeles Lakers play. Prices for entrees are really affordable and it is always a relaxing time here. The icing on top is that they offer a free drink with every entree. That is a great deal!

My favorite thing here is their chow mein. Do you like chow mein? Do you prefer the thick kind or thin kind? I prefer the thin kind and Cafe Express does it wonderfully. Something simple as chow mein was so delicious here. It didn’t even have meat in it — just soy sauce chow mein. Grabbing some with my chopsticks and eating it plain was a treat. This dish is simple as it gets, and as good as it gets.

I also tried the squash casserole. It was a great vegetarian dish, as it had nicely cooked squash and mushrooms. Squash is something I don’t eat often, but this time around seemed like a good time. It was very hearty, though not my favorite of the bunch. This vegetarian meal calls for some meat, thought I didn’t get any this time. As you know, I am a carnivore at heart.

My go to meat dish would be their calamari. It is so good, and the best there is. It seems to me that restaurants take on the calamari differently. Some fry the rings, some fry calamari nuggets, but this place uses real squid. The batter is very light. My favorite is the spicy salt they sprinkle on these fried morsels. The dish was so flavorful.

Eating at Cafe Xpress is always great. Clean environment, good cheap food, and lots to choose from makes this place stand out from the rest. I guess that’s the beauty about eating at cafe’s because they offer so much variety. Despite having lots to choose from, I will stick with my chow mein and calamari. Eating good food, watching the Los Angeles Dodgers, cheering for my Lakers, all in the comfort of Cafe Xpress. That is the good life.

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Noodle Planet – Easy Noodles, Easy

by Franklin on March 3, 2011

Everyone has their go to sushi restaurant or Chinese restaurant — I certainly have a go to Pho restaurant whether I am in Los Angeles, or Orange County. Sometimes, choosing a place to eat isn’t that easy. We all do the “narrowing down” game, and realize we are in the mood for Asian food, but can never narrow it down to one. This is where Noodle Planet comes in. They offer a variety of Asian dishes, ranging from Vietnamese, Chinese, to Japan and Korean.

I am so fortunate to have one nearby. My family and I ordered a lot of stuff we haven’t tried — We already know the spicy spaghetti and pad see ew were good. We ordered chicken wings, crispy chow mein, and fried rice. Yes, they do have rice dishes at Noodle Planet. We also threw in an order of pad see ew and egg rolls just in case our new trials failed. Luckily, everything tasted great. The crispy chow mein was kind of difficult to eat at first, but once the seafood mixture softened up the noodles a bit, it was delicious — the texture was something I have never had before. The egg rolls we ordered were like no other. Normally, the egg rolls at restaurants are filled with cabbage, or heavily ground beef based — these, on the other hand had a meaty texture, but also had some sort of seafood taste to them — this was a good thing. As usual, the chicken wings were great, especially with the addition of the fried rice — I must say, I am a sucker for marinated fried chicken and rice.

My conclusion? This place is good for groups — you can choose from almost any Asian noodle dish. Its cheap (cash only) and they have big portions. The quality of the food is great for the price and you are always left satisfied. They have locations in Monterey Park and West Los Angeles. Looks like they got Eastern and Western Angelinos covered.

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Earthen Restaurant – Down to Earth Chinese Cuisine

February 24, 2011

Los Angeles is full of Chinese restaurants. You got your bottom of the barrel $1.99 combo plate in Chinatown. You also got your “broke after dinner” places like Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills. Regardless, Chinese food is good. It’s salty and oily (usually a good indication of something yummy. Earthen Restaurant located in Hacienda Heights, […]

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Noodles

Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle – Tsukemen for the Soul

Noodles (Bellagio) – A Little Bit of the SGV in Vegas

Santouka Ramen (Costa Mesa) – Mitsuwa Marketplace with some Japanese Ramen

Ciao Deli – Clams on my Pizza Please

SimBaLa – Sausage on Rice with a Side of Stinky Feet

Daikokuya (Little Tokyo) – A Quick Bite Turns Into Tradition

Palm’s Thai Restaurant – Asian Elvis is in the House, but not Today

Dim Sum Express – Get Your Shui Mai and Pork Buns Really Fast

No. 1 Noodle House – A Trip to a Noodle Shop

Yang Chow – Chinatown’s Very Own Madarin & Szechuan Cuisine

Thai Patio – Night Time Chow At Thai Town

Daikokuya – Japanese Ramen In My Own Backyard

Cafe Xpress – A Vegetarian Meal for a Carnivore

Noodle Planet – Easy Noodles, Easy

Earthen Restaurant – Down to Earth Chinese Cuisine

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