Mr. Gohan: Good Ol' Bachan's (Bachan's Take-Out, Rosemead)

Monday, June 9, 2008

Good Ol' Bachan's (Bachan's Take-Out, Rosemead)

Good Ol' Bachan's. Not quite my bachan's (Japanese term for Grandmother), but it sure is good! This local joint is located in a non-descript strip mall right next to the cemetery of all places, serves one of the best Kalbi (teriyaki style short rib) around. This little take out restaurant is really small with only a few tables to eat inside, but lives up to it's namesake and caters mainly for take out. Bachan's Take Out pumps out excellent quality take out food. This is not your typical Japanese/Hawaiian local place that serves local food. Along with more typical local food, Chef Shannon Kamimura creates dishes which resembles cuisine that can be found in more of a fine dining establishment rather than a take out joint. His dishes are simply delicious. I've only been here a couple of times and each time I've ordered the short ribs. This time, I ordered the combination plate (chicken & short rib). Not only was it super tasty but it was filling as well! In my opinion this is the best teriyaki around. My wife ordered the Sake Pan-Seared Beef bowl. This dish was also very good. It was thinly sliced beef cooked with sake and what seemed to be some sort of soy and sugar sauce served over rice. The sauce was similar to the teriyaki sauce but not quite as intense in flavor. On another occasion, I decided to give the Chicken Taquitos a try. I've never heard of an Asian inspired takeout serving taquitos. The chicken itself seemed to be the same BBQ chicken as in the combo plate. What makes this dish is the guacamole. It was really good! Another dish that was really good was the special of the day. It was a Rib Eye Pepper Steak. The meat was cooked really well and the sauce was fabulous. Bachan's Take Out has a limited menu but they do have daily specials, so make sure you call ahead. If you are thinking of coming here, make sure it is not on a Tuesday or Wednesday. For some reason, they are closed right smack in the middle of the week. I guess Chef Shannon needs a break too.

Teriyaki Chicken & Short Ribs