chinese comfort food @ supreme dragon

Supreme Dragon

18406 Colima Rd Ste E

Rowland Heights, CA 91748

(626) 810-0396

i know i have talked about supreme dragon on facebook but never here on my blog so i wanted to share this with you.  supreme dragon is always an old standard for our family, well...maybe not for everyone in my family.  my dad gets sick of eating here because every time any of us girls come home, we always want to eat something familiar and comforting, and this is where we want to go.  so while my sister, susan, was in town, yes, during that same weekend of the tragic incident at rowland garden cafe.  we came here for lunch the very next day.  all of us girls just love foods that remind of us our childhood...potstickers, buns, and noodley things that remind us of our mom.  she would always make all of these dishes for us because she knew how much we loved eating them!  alright, enough about us...let's get to the food.

one of my favorites...thousand year old duck egg with tofu, special sauce and a special request for a side of fresh cilantro and green onions. 

when we were growing up, we couldn't just buy clean thousand year old duck eggs in the market where they kept all the other eggs.  we'd go to a market in chinatown and walk to the back of the store where there was this huge earthen vase filled with these black ovals covered in some type of mud.  my mom and dad would go through this vase and pick out the eggs.  when we'd get home, we'd gently crack off the outer layer of mud and then get to the shell, then crack and peel of the shell, revealing that beautiful opaquish black egg.

yes, the eggs really are black and the yolk has this green/bluish hue to it.  personally, i like the yolk to be kind of creamy and runny...(no big surprise since i like my regular eggs runny.  haha)  i really just love that texture and i personally feel like the flavor of the yolk tastes better.  the taste of this egg is acquired...it has a very pungent, ammonia aroma...and some people think its disgusting...but I LOVE IT!!

does anyone remember the show fear factor?  remember when they had pureed it and made the contestants eat it?  it was so hilarious because all them were so grossed out by the thought that it was "a thousand years old" and also from the black/blue color.  i was thinking...OMG!  YUM!  even better if they added some shoyu, sesame seed oil and a sprinkling of green onions and cilantro!  i could've easily won that challenge if i had a chance to eat it!  but if it were cow balls or goat eyeballs, i would've barfed. 

anyhow...with the right ingredients...this dish is soooooo delicious. 

here's my daddy-o mixing it all up so every bite has a bit of sauced tofu with some of the eggs.  i swear, there is never enough egg!  there should be at least two whole eggs on there.  oh well.

i like the fresh scallions and cilantro...

not only does it give you the herb and oniony flavor, it also adds a bit of texture to a very "soft" dish.

potstickers!  my nephew brandon loves eating potsickers too! 

i wish that it was left in the pan just a hint longer to give the bottom a bit more golden, crunchy texture.  but it was still good.  i always make my own spicy dipping sauce to eat with my potstickers.

mustard greens, soy beans and tofu sheets...

this was my mom's favorite dish...and has since become a favorite for my sisters and i.  its a very simple dish, i always have to add salt to this because i think its always under seasoned.  no matter, i will always get it...one, because i like it and two, because its good for me.  =)  (remember...its good for your colon!)

my other nephew, justin, is predominantly vegetarian and loves eating tofu.  this is his favorite dish here, tofu with mushrooms in brown sauce. 

it's really cute because justin actually requests eating here because he loves this dish so much.  he's a pretty picky eater, so it makes me happy to know that he enjoys eating here and he even knows how to say the name of the restaurant in mandarin!  when his dish comes out, he'll sit there, spoon out the tofu onto his plate, then he'll go back and get the gravy and let it drip slowly over his rice.  smart boy!  i love gravy on my rice!!!

xiao long bao...

so far, of all the places i have been to and tried xiao long bao, i still love eating it here.  i think the meat is tender and has good flavor, while the texture of the skins have a nice bite and chewiness to it.  i am really liking the ginger with it, which i was never super crazy about when i was younger,  but i feel like my tastes are constantly changing and evolving as i get older.  

rice ovals with pork and veggies...

this is one of my dad's favorite dishes, but he always requests that they use as little oil as possible.  the rice ovals are very sticky so typically they use a lot of oil so they don't stick in the pan and to each other.  its very chewy and takes on the flavor of whatever sauce you use, this is more soy/brown sauce based.  i like the little bits of crunchy veggies in here that contrast with the chewy ovals.

we ALWAYS get green onion pancakes...

theirs is a little thicker than many other restaurants, but i like the doughyness and the crispy texture together.  this is another dish that i always think needs more salt too...so before it even comes out, i always grab the salt shaker from the condiment cart, because salt isn't readily available on every table.  so as soon as it hits the table i salt it so that it has a chance to melt while the pancake is still super hot. 

kung pao chicken...

my other sister, robin, was in the mood for some kung pao chicken.  i remember my parents always ordering this dish when we were kids...and it was a staple dish whenever we went out.  this was fine...tender pieces of chicken, lots of peanuts and onions.  this is not something i crave and would normally order, it's a good basic dish. 

pan fried pork buns...

this is one of susan's favorites...basically its a little pork bao that is pan fried.  i love the crispy texture on the bottom and the soft bao.  the pork is also tender and i think that it's the same pork they use in the potstickers and xiao long bao.  though i never asked them, so i can't be certain, but it sure tastes pretty similar to me. 

i told you we love doughy things!  after all that food, can we say carb coma?!  hahaha  whenever i'm in the mood for some good comfort chinese food, this is where i go.  i'm sure there are other places out there that are better that i have still yet to try, and would love to find and go to one day.  but for now, this is the place that fulfills not only my cravings for comfort food, but that of my family (and its so close to my house!!).  i hope that if you try it too, you'll enjoy some of the things that bring back such fond memories for me about growing up chinese and most importantly, my mom.  miss you momma! 

one of my loves...burrata cheese

Pizzeria Mozza

641 N Highland Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 297-0101

i have been craving to eat here for quite some time now and there is one thing that i want to talk about and only this.  i did not have my camera with me....blasphemy! but i did have my phone, so i took the best pictures i possibly could. 

its their burrata, roasted cherry tomatoes on the vine with pesto.

i love how the tomatoes were still on the vine!  doesn't this look so mouth watering?!  oh my God...just looking at it makes me wish i could reach out and just take a forkful of it and pluck one of the tomatoes off and pop it in my mouth!  before i give my full review on this dish i will need to show you the accompaniment.

our waiter suggested we order the side of garlic bread to eat with the burrata...so of course, i got it.

i feel like this picture just does not do it justice.  i swear, when this bread came out it really looked like a giant hunk of italian bread that was just slathered in oil, butter and lots of garlic and just toasted off! 

ok...so, if you have never had burrata cheese, its basically fresh mozzarella with cream inside of it.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrata here's the link in case you want to read more about it.  i love cheese and if you do too and haven't had burrata yet...you must go try it.

i am so excited to talk about this dish i'm not quite sure where to start!!  i have so many different emotions running through my body and brain just thinking about this dish.  first of all, the bread was THE perfect compliment to the burrata appetizer, you MUST order the bread to go along with it.  this is something i could eat everyday and i'd be happy and content.  the burrata was so soft, creamy, and oh so decadently buttery...with a lovely sprinkling of salt to season it.  but the pesto added another element of freshness that brought in more herbiness while the cute little roasted cherry tomato popped in my mouth and gave the dish the perfect amount of acidity, so it never felt too rich.  and no, i didn't forget, the bread...it was super garlicky, almost a little salty which was perfect with the mellow burrata, chewy and sometimes a bit of crustiness from the toasted edge...whoa!  EVERY BITE was one foodgasm after another in my mouth!!!  i could die a happy woman...

all i can tell each of you is that...this was hands down one of the most delicious things i have eaten in a very long time.  each component of the dish was THE perfect element, balancing out one another.  and what i love is that they are just simple things but put together perfectly.  i will say, i wish i had more of those little tomatoes, but isn't that what is so genius about what they did?  give just enough to make you wish there was more, but because there is only so much, it makes you truly appreciate what you had.  seriously...i couldn't get over how excited this dish made me...for weeks!!!  i kept thinking about ripping off a piece of the garlic bread dipped in that buttery burrata with pesto, then shoving it in my mouth...followed up quickly with a tomato so that i could get that perfect bite all at once.  good Lord...i wish i could snack on that now!  what's totally disgusting is that i'm completely full right now too!  but that's how much i love it!!  

if you ever get the chance, please please PLEASE!  do yourself a favor and stop by pizzeria mozza and get this burrata appetizer...and don't forget the side of garlic bread.   

mario's peruvian cuisine

Mario's Peruvian & Seafood

5786 Melrose Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 466-4181

Neighborhood: Mid Wilshire

Hours:
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

so this is a restaurant that my friend j and i had tried to eat at awhile back...do you remember the post on los balcones peruvian food?  well, i believe i mentioned that we had tried to eat at mario's and as we pulled up and parked it was 8:00 pm.  the "open" sign was still lit and by the time we got out of the car and walked to the door, it was 8:01pm and the sign was off and the door was locked!!  the shades were pulled down so we couldn't even peak in and look jealously at the patrons who made it in before the doors were locked! 

because of our mistake, i am now giving you the hours of this extremely popular restaurant.  so, you cannot get mad if you don't get there in time.  and seriously, you need to arrive early, because i went on a weekday, i think it was a monday, and because i didn't want to get locked out two times in a row, i made for damn sure i went early!  i made my friend "A" go with me at 5:30 pm!  (i am sometimes viewed as having the eating habits of senior citizens because i like to eat early.  i like to eat early because it allows the food to digest properly before i go to bed!  but most of you know i have insomnia so truly, it makes no difference because i get hungry again late at night and always have another snack!  haha)  anyhow...sufficed to say, we got there early and luckily got the last two top! 

this table of course was way too small for us, because i knew we were going to order at least four items.  but i was just thankful we got a table right away...

first up!  they brought us our rolls, butter and that oh so deliciously spicy green sauce, ají de huacatay. 

the rolls they serve are not some fancy schmancy rolls, they are just basic white dinner rolls...and i love eating the warm rolls with the melted butter dipped in that super spicy green sauce! i have to eat it with the butter because it adds that element of creaminess that i like to think helps cut that spicyness. but honestly, that stuff is HOT! so perhaps...i think i just try to convince myself that the butter helps because i have freaking love eating butter on my bread! if i couldn't eat butter anymore, i seriously think i'd die. butter makes me so happy! i could not begin to imagine having a piece of bread without sweet, creamy butter!!! ok, back to the aji sauce...great flavor with a terrific amount heat!

ceviche mixto...

raw fish, shrimp, squid and octopus cooked in lemon juice with onions and spices and served with boiled potatoes.  simple, light and refreshing.  a nice way to start the meal...besides the rolls of course.

bisteck apanado...

a special breaded steak served with lightly seasoned rice or fries.  this was A's dish...sadly it was a bit dry and tough, not my favorite.  i doubt i would order this in the future.

bisteck a la chorrillana...

a juicy pan fried steak smothered with onions and tomatoes.  served with lightly seasoned rice.  this was my dish...the steak is hidden underneath, but it was really juicy and was great with the onions and tomatoes.  there was also the option of having this with pasta noodles...which i actually wish i got.  i would see tables around us who ordered it with the noodles and it looked so good.  it reminded me of chow mein, which i absolutely LOVE!  but this was really delicious...again, just good simple flavors and it was well cooked.  i would get this again.

milanesa de pollo...

a special breaded chicken steak, served with lightly seasoned rice or fries.  my friend A chose this dish...it was nicely breaded, crunchy and moist inside.  as much as i enjoy eating things like chicken tenders, i really preferred my steak with the sauteed onions and juicy tomatoes.  

overall, i really liked the simplicity of the food and thought that it was well seasoned.  i never picked up the salt shaker once...that says a lot to me.  i would definitely go back again, but next time i'm going to get the pasta with whatever meat dish i'm going to order.  i want to make note of many of the patrons that were there as well.  it was a very diverse group, but i noticed a very large number of asian people eating there as well.  hmmm, i'd say the restaurant was about 50% asian.  i never knew how popular peruvian food was amongst the asian community...i learned something new! 

so, remember, if you plan on checking out mario's, go early or at least make sure you give yourself plenty of time to wait, or get there before the doors get locked! 

sugarFISH - bomb @ss sushi!

sugarFISH
11640 W San Vicente Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 820-4477
Neighborhood: Brentwood
 
i still have yet to visit japan (which has been a life long dream) and eat all the amazing food japan has to offer, but even more importantly, i hope to one day eat the freshest fish possible in the world famous Tsukiji Fish Market.  i won't pretend that i have been eating sushi/sashimi (anything raw) forever, because in the past, it would cause me severe g.i. distress, (i'm not kidding when i say severe) but after my friend ed said what kind of chef was i if i didn't eat sushi/sashimi, it got me thinking and i decided, i am going to eat it as much as i can so i could make my stomach stronger and build up my immunity so that it would no longer give me the b.g.'s and have me running home after a meal of any type raw fish. 
 
ok, enough about my internal organs...let's talk about one of THE best, wait...let me re-phrase that...let's talk about THE best sushi meal i have ever eaten...EVER!  (isn't this post already so much more positive and happy than the last one?!)  haha  the menu is simplistic and to the point...i decided to just go with the nozawa and let them prepare the fish as they see fit.  i will say that i have been to enough sushi restaurants, which can cost a pretty penny, but i feel sugarFISH is so reasonable and the quality is amazing.
 

edamame starter...i actually would've like a little sprinkling of kosher salt...but i'm sure the less sodium i take in, the less bloated i'll be.

tuna with a housemade ponzu and chopped scallions...

the tuna was fresh and i loved the housemade ponzu sauce!  the little bits of scallions are the perfect compliment to the fish and sauce.  i loved this sauce so much that i took my extra edamame and tossed it in the sauce!  hmmm...i would love this as a light dressing on salad too. 

albacore with house ponzu and scallions...

the first bite, oh my Lord!  i will preface this by saying how much i love butter and the texture in my mouth, smooth and creamy.  THAT is the feeling that i got when i ate this.  there was the perfect amount of ponzu to enhance the flavor of the fish, but not overpowering it.  the warm loosely packed rice was the perfect compliment to the fish!  i loved that it was all about the fish and the rice...there wasn't a big dab of wasabi to mask any possible odors of older fish.  i didn't need to, nor did i want to dip this in shoyu.  i was blown away by the freshness and texture of the fish and rice.  could it get any better?  can i say foodgasm?!  i savored these two bites before i moved on...

salmon with roasted sesame seeds...

 
i have never been a big fan of cooked salmon because i think its kind of fishy smelling and i'm just not crazy about it, but last year i really started to eat it raw and completely fell in love with it!  after the albacore, i didn't think it could get any better...but holy mary mother of God!  this was even MORE incredible in my mouth!!  talk about multiple foodgasms!!!!!!!  this had no sauce at all, so i had mixed a small mixture of shoyu and wasabi and just dipped it lightly.  remember, the rice is warm and loosely packed, so i had to be quick about it so the rice didn't fall apart.  just the faintest hint of wasabi and shoyu was perfect with the silky, smooth, super duper buttery salmon. 
 
DAMN!!  just looking at the picture and thinking about that moment i brought the chopsticks up to my mouth and put that piece of salmon sushi in and started chewing...i swear i can remember how it tasted and felt in my mouth.  it was like heaven in my mouth...i loved it.  LOVED IT I TELL YOU!!!  oh Lord...ok...i need a moment and maybe a cigarette!  crazy thing is...i don't even smoke!  there are only a few times in my life where i have felt like i needed a cigarette, once was when i took a ride in my friend darrin's porsche 911 turbo, damn that car was beyond incredible, and we didn't even get to go on the fwy to fully open it up, and some other choice moments in my life *wink wink* and now, the albacore and salmon!  *whew*  good times!  (i am smiling like a cheshire cat)
 
i know, i could talk about it for days, but i will continue on.  i do not have a picture of the snapper with chili ponzu, but it was also very good but didn't shatter my world quite like the albacore and salmon.  but still incredibly fresh and everytime i get that warm rice...it really is the perfect way to eat with the fish.  
 
yellow tail with a hint of lemon juice... 

the amount of lemon juice was so subtle, but it was the perfect amount of acidity with the fatty fish.  i actually came here on two separate occasions, the first time i think i was so overcome with joy about the salmon and albacore that i didn't give this little gem enough attention. but the second time around, the yellow tail gave me that same euphoric feeling!  if you are still not quite sure what i'm talking about...think about the most amazing piece of food you have ever eaten and how it made you close your eyes as you chewed and savored every single bite before you swallowed it.  the flavor, the way it felt on your tongue, each texture...  i never could've imagined how little rectangular pieces of raw fish on warm, medium grain rice could ever bring me this much eating pleasure.  this just shows you how something could be so incredibly simple, but when done right and served fresh, it can blow your mind. 

i'm not even done writing this post, but i am going to already say it, i am a huge chef nozawa fan and will always "trust" him.  his tag line is, "trust me", and honey...I DO!  i trust this man KNOWS fish and what he is doing with it and how to do it!  the warm rice is genius...this is my first experience with warm rice, perhaps it isn't for many of you out there...but i do see the light now!  and i am walkin' towards it! 

let me talk about the rice for a moment...like i mentioned earlier, warm medium grain rice with the perfect amount of seasoned vinegar, still a nice little bite to each grain and not at all mushy!!  i completely understand why it can take a sushi chef five years of training just on how to make sushi rice!! (so i've heard)  i wish that 99% of the sushi restaurants out there would/could at least cook and season the rice correctly! 

halibut with yuzu ponzu...

i'm going to sound like a broken record, but the fish was very fresh.  the yuzu ponzu went really nicely with the halibut...the thing about yuzu if you've never had it is that along with the citrusy notes, it also has a hint of pineyness, which can be a bit pungent, at least that is what i get.  i enjoyed this, but still had my previous favorites.

toro handroll... 

i haven't mentioned this yet, but all the sushi comes out to each person immediately after its been prepared, so the entire table will not get their food at the exact same time.  why is that?  well, remember the warm rice...they prepare everything basicially "to order" so that each patron will experience that dish as they want each person to.  this is even more true when it comes to the rolls.  you MUST eat the roll as soon as it arrives or the else the warm rice will soften the crisp seaweed and make it chewy.  so they encourage each person to start eating immediately when it is set on the table. 

so don't be polite and wait for each person to get their roll, pick it up and go for it...or else you'll be eating some chewy seaweed and trying to rip it with your teeth and while you struggle, the rice and toro or any other fish inside will start to fall out the other end.  its like eating a burrito that isn't closed at the bottom and everything is squirting out.  you all know how much that sucks!! 

crab roll...

funny thing, this was a little rich for me...i think it was the mayo, which Lord knows, i LOVE mayonnaise...but it was a little much for me, i think i needed a touch of acid to help cut some of the richness.  it was tasty but i felt like i was struggling to finish it.  perhaps it was also because i was starting to get full.

yellow tail roll...

on my second visit, they had a special for the roll that day, so instead of the crab or toro, they made me a yellow tail roll with scallions. THIS was my favorite of all of the rolls and i just loved how fresh it was in combination with the chopped scallions! so delicious. my only struggle was not eating it fast enough while the seaweed stayed crisp. but overall, i really enjoyed this.

unagi...

unagi is fresh water eel that's been broiled and topped with a sweet sauce.  i love eating unagi...but not everyone is into it.  if you've never had it, beware that there can be tiny edible bones, so don't freak out...that's normal for them to be in there. this was sweet, tender and delicious.  notice that the eel looks perfectly cooked. 

i have been to many sushi restaurants and some places have actually completely burned the eel where it looks like charcoal and still had the audacity to serve it!  one time it was so ridiculously burnt that when i tried to eat a piece it tasted like i licked the bottom of a charcoal weber grill (after its cooled of course!).  i was so disgusted by the taste i just had to say something to the waiter because it was basically unedible.  what really upset me was their response..."that's how it should be!"  and i said, "burnt?"   which of course, they did not like.  needless to say, i politely requested they remake it, which they did unhappily, but i believe as a responsible chef, you would never want to serve food if its not cooked properly.  especially if its so burnt that it has a white sheen to it!!!

my overall feeling about sugarFISH!  HOLY MOLEY!!!  this is THE BEST sushi restaurant i have been to to date!!  i loved it so much that i couldn't stop thinking or talking about it...PLUS...i went back a week later because i enjoyed it so much and couldn't wait to have it again.  superb quality, simplistic and clean presentation, letting the fish speak for itself and/or having the good sense of knowing how to dress and compliment it just perfectly.  i just feel like the warm, loosely packed rice is the best way to eat sushi and i know that i will most likely compare every other place i eat at to sugarFISH.  i am definitely going to try sushi nozawa in studio city and see if chef nozawa will continue to amaze me with his understanding of how to serve fresh seafood.

if i could talk to chef nozawa, i would like to tell him thank you for bringing such joy to my palette.  what i find so incredible is that it is such simple things, but served with so much thought and love.  i truly appreciate the fact that each plate is served immediately to each person so they can enjoy it as he intended.  he serves what he wants to and how he believes it should be and i have a tremendous amount of respect for that. 

there are two locations, one in brentwood and the other in marina del rey.  for those of you who love and enjoy eating sushi, you have got to check it out.  sugarFISH is definitely my sushi restaurant of choice, it has the freshest fish i have ever had, and i will continue to come back here...over and over again. 

rowland garden cafe

Rowland Garden Cafe
18406 Colima Rd Ste H
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 913-1188

i wasn't even planning on writing a post about my dinner tonight because i have talked about garden cafe in the past, so i didn't bother bringing my camera with me and only got a few snap shots from my phone. when i have talked about garden cafe before it was always in regards to the arcadia location.  my experience at the rowland heights location was so incredibly annoying, i feel beyond compelled to write.  what a perfect way to get back into my blog huh?!  haha  so i'll tell you what happened...

my sister susan is visiting from san francisco because my godnephew grant and godniece summer just turned one and they had a big party today!  which by the way was great, i haven't seen them in quite some time, and they are both just so adorable!  i know, what kind of godmother am i?!  well, i suppose just a busy one, but i will try to be better!  anyhow, back to my story...typically we would go somewhere like supreme dragon so susan could get her chinese comfort food fix, but my dad gets sick of eating there so we decided to eat at garden cafe, which is actually right next door to supreme dragon.   

i have only been to this location a handful of times, and on one occasion i ordered the spaghetti, which i have had many times at other locations, but this one in particular had put tons of rosemary in the sauce, which i cannot stand!  rosemary is one of my least favorite herbs to eat because it is so strong that it overpowers everything!  but there are times when i've had it and its just a subtle hint of rosemary, i don't mind it at all and can enjoy the food.

so of course, i thought, i'm totally going to avoid the spaghetti and i'll get my other favorite dish from garden, oxtail stew in red wine sauce...its usually  simple and to the point, tender, rich and perfectly seasoned with large chunks of carrots.  the perfect comfort food on rice...nothing crazy. 

my order arrives and it had tons of large black flecks all over the carrots and in the sauce...i wondered, did something burn on the bottom of the pot and then get scraped up and mixed up in the sauce?  i didn't bother looking closer at the sauce and thought to myself, just try it and see what it tastes like.  as soon as i put the first baby piece of oxtail in my mouth, the flavor that hit my tongue first was...yup...you guessed it!  ROSEMARY! wtf!?!  i couldn't believe it!!!! 

there is something to be said about going to chain restaurants that has a certain element of comfort.  why is that you ask?  well, many times i go to them because i know exactly what i am going to get, the recipes are usually the same at each location, so i know that i am going to get fairly consistent tasting food.  so when i got the rosemary oxtail stew, i was besides myself. 

i haven't even told you about the fact that it took them at least 10 minutes before our server came to out table to take our order or even acknowledge us.  then it took them at least another 15 minutes before we even got our drinks!  my dad ordered water, i requested hot water with lemon and honey and my sister had ginseng tea.  these aren't even hard requests for crying out loud!  so you can understand how this was already becoming a bit frustrating.  we didn't say much, just waited patiently.  ok, back to the food.

i had to take a break from writing about my rosemary stew or i'd get too heated about it!  haha  so, i was so annoyed that it tasted only of rosemary i just had to ask our server why the flavors here are different from the other locations.  and she looks at me and totally has attitude and says, well, its different chefs.  and of course my eyes got bigger and i said, yes, i know its different chefs, but you are a chain restaurant and there should be one main recipe that everyone uses and we basically went back and forth for a bit about the rosemary and she finally says, "i've never eaten any of the food here."  i knew, it was totally pointless to even have this discussion with her anymore.  she obviously didn't care that the food wasn't good and didn't even bother to ask me if i liked it or not.  i guess i will never ask her for any recommendations!  lol 

i feel like this is incredibly long, but i'm not even done with the rest of our meal.  i will quickly add, my dad was very satisfied with his beef chow fun. 

continuing on...susan ordered shabu shabu, mind you...all of you who have eaten shabu shabu before know that everything is raw and you have to cook it yourself.  how hard is it to assemble a bunch of raw vegetables and meat?  i kid you not, we had our meal, my nasty rosemary stew and my dad's satisfying beef chow fun.  the pot of soup had come out earlier when our food came out, but the raw stuff hadn't.  so we waited...i had my discussion with our waitress...continued to wait.  she walked back and forth, never once asking us how we were, if we needed anything or that the rest of the shabu shabu stuff was coming out.  my dad and i finished eating...about 15-20 minutes later, still nothing.  finally i stopped on of the workers and told her that we were still waiting, about 5 more minutes passed and finally another server said it was coming. 

at this point, susan just wanted to cancel her order, finally at least 30 minutes later, all of her raw components come out.  the meat is totally frozen, with freezer burn, the udon noodles (advertised as fresh handmade japanese noodles) frozen solid in a block, and she felt that the tofu was frozen at one point too. 
*sigh* honestly, how freaking long does it take to assemble, tofu, enoki mushrooms, kabocha squash, whole shiitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, a frozen block of udon and frozen beef rolls, which were all stuck together. 

you can see the frost bite on the noodles and the meat!  and i didn't get a picture of it afterwards, but i made my dad put that whole block of rolled meat in the hot pot, and when it finished cooking, it was STILL stuck together, all four of them like little pigs in a blanket!  no one roll (piggy) wanting to break away from each other!  my sister actually ate a couple of the rolls and was so disgusted by it because it tasted funky she had to stop.  the texture was weird (these are her words) and she did not have a good feeling about eating it. 

our server NEVER came back to our table once to check on us...wow!  talk about the CRAPPIEST service EVER!!!!!!!  i don't even know if i have completely articulated how bad our experience was here tonight!  well, believe me, it was crappy and the chef takes such basic foods that are usually so simple and delicious and puts his own very disgusting and unappetizing spin on it.  the service was beyond ridiculous even my dad said he would NEVER come back to this location either.  and truly, that says a lot, because my dad usually doesn't care.  what a disappointment...i will NEVER recommend this Garden Cafe location in rowland heights to anyone.  i'd rather drive all the way to arcadia just to eat at garden. 

so, if any of you enjoy being ignored at a restaurant, this could be the restaurant for you.  but i highly doubt it...so save your money and your time and when you're in the mood for some terrific oxtail stew in red wine sauce go to the arcadia garden cafe. 

=)

i have returned...

to my readers,

first of all, my deepest apologies for being away for such a long and not posting anything new for the past couple of months.  i had some personal things that needed my attention thus taking me away from my blog.  rest assured, all is fine...so without further delay, i am going to write as many posts as possible!

thank you all for your patience and tonight i shall begin to share more of my eating adventures with all of you! 

much love and appreciation to all of you!

doreen =)

arizona continued...pane bianco

Pane Bianco
4404 N Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85012
(602) 234-2100

so, i hope you all had a fantastic holiday!! and of course...a happy new year to you all! i am getting back on track and am determined to get out all my posts!!! so, i must back track to some of my more memorable restaurants i visited while in phoenix.

so, i hope you all had a fantastic holiday!! and of course...a happy new year to you all! i am getting back on track and am determined to get out all my posts!!! so, i must back track to some of my more memorable restaurants i visited while in phoenix.

pane bianco...is one of three of chef chris bianco's restaurants. chris bianco won the james beard award back in 2003 for his restaurant he co-owns, pizzeria bianco. (which will be in the next post) what makes him unique is that no other chef has ever won a james beard award for pizza. 

pane bianco is just a little sandwich shop with gourmet sandwiches on freshly baked bread.  the outdoor seating is all there is, and if you plan on eating there, you might have to share a table with other patrons because it does get really busy here and its all family style seating on large wooden picnic tables.  this place seems to be a hot spot for many local diners here in phoenix.

the ovens are working non-stop baking fresh breads for the sandwiches.

remember adi?  she was so sweet, she just waited patiently as we got our food.

all of our goodies were neatly packed up in white butcher paper and just waiting for us to tear into them!!!   i know i didn't say this earlier, but i freaking love sandwiches.  there is something about having my entire meal in my hand.  great bread, delicious and fresh ingredients...i couldn't ask for more. 

our first sandwich we started on...just a really terrific fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato sandwich on the fresh baked bread, hot out of the oven and very well seasoned with salt and pepper.  the fresh homemade mozzarella was buttery and creamy in taste but with just the right amount of chewy texture.  this was delicious...simple and tasty. 

sandwich number two was that day's special...was filled with smoked bacon, fontina cheese and tomatoes.  it was incredibly smokey, but had great flavor...it was a nice mix of soft and crispy bacon.  

adi aka bean bean was so good, she just sat quietly and waited for us to eat...and she didn't even beg for one delicious morsel of food!

sandwich number three was filled with soppressata, wood roasted red bells and aged provelone.  first off, i am not a big fan of bell peppers, the flavor is always incredible overwhelming to me and makes my tummy upset, but i know many people love red bells.  its just a matter of preference.  even though i love sopressata, this wasn't my favorite sandwich.  it was alright.

last but not least, our last sandwich was tuna with baby arugula.  the tuna wasn't overly mayonnaisey.  it tasted really clean and almost kind of sweet.  i found the flavor to just be simple and good, with just the right amount of citric acid.  nicely balanced and the fresh baby arugula had just the perfect touch of bitterness to go with the sweet tuna.  my only complaint would be that i wanted a bit more tuna to have a better tuna to bread ratio.  besides that...i really liked this sandwich.

i had also picked up a fresh mixed greens salad, it was ok, nothing special.  i had to go back in to get some dressing because they forgot to pack it.  it was a basic balsamic which lacked very little flavor, so that was pretty disappointing.  nothing to write home about...

in our bag, they gave us five coffee caramels...

they were soft, buttery and chewy. all freshly made...the flavor of the coffee and caramel was perfectly balanced.

beanie is indicating how much we enjoyed our sandwiches...my favorites were the fresh mozzarella and tuna. 

if you're ever out in phoenix and are looking for just some great sandwiches, i would definitely recommend checking out pane bianco.  love the fresh baked breads and of course the very fresh ingredients.  stick with the sandwiches, the basic salad was just that. 

up next...pizza!!!  hmmmmmmmmm