Birthday Celebration Part 2 (Chaya Downtown, Los Angeles)

We've always been a fan of the Chaya restaurants. So when we heard that they were opening up in Downtown we were very excited that Chaya was going to be closer to home. To celebrate "Mrs. Gohan's" birthday, I decided to take her to Chaya Downtown. We went from not going out to eat often, to eating at two nice restaurants in 3 nights :) A couple of days prior we went to Comme Ca with "Mrs. Gohan's" sister and brother in law to celebrate her birthday. So in essence, this was birthday celebration part 2. This time it was just me and the Mrs. We really enjoyed the atmosphere. It was a nice mix of clean contemporary lines with traditional Japanese decor. While most of the clientele that evening were the business crowd enjoying happy hour and delaying their time to get home, we were the opposite.... I made reservations early so that we could get home in time to put "baby gohan" to sleep :)

Pork and Duck Rillette with Toasted Baguette

I've never tasted nor have I even heard of a Rillette before this occasion. Frankly, I think I would've been quite happy if it remained that way. Maybe that's being a little harsh. The flavors were not bad, I just thought it was extremely chewy and I didn't like the texture. Although, the sweetness of the figs balanced very nicely with the saltiness of the Rillette.

Miso Marinated White Sea Bass

This dish is absolutely delicious! The miso marinated white sea bass is delicately flavored to let the delicate flavor of the fish shine. The miso doesn't over power the moist fish. The wasabi soy broth adds a nice bite to the dish without being overpowering as well. I really enjoyed the nasubi (Japanese Eggplants) as well. This was a very well though out harmonious dish. Oh, Oh.....I can't forget. This dish had gohan (rice) too! Got to love that :)

Grilled Kobe New York Steak & Braised Kobe Short Rib

People who know me, know that I love my beef. And two of my favorites are steak and short ribs. I couldn't have been happier....oh wait, If there was only a bowl of gohan (rice) with the dish :) Although my steak was a tad over cooked, both of these were very flavorful, delicious, and succulent.

Warm Milk Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Oh My Freaking God!!!!!!!!!! This was kick ass! This was soo good! Usually, I'm such a chocolate dessert person that nothing can compare to chocolate desserts. Wait a minute... this does have a little chocolate in it :) But the breading pudding portion was incredible! The croissant adds a real lightness and butteriness to the pudding. I think I just made up a word....butteriness :) I love it, I love it, I love it!!!

Fallen Chocolate Cake

How can you go wrong with a chocolate fallen cake? On any other occasion this would have been a stand out dessert, but I just couldn't get over the bread pudding. A funny thing about this night was that "Mrs. Gohan" got carded that night :) It was a nice touch that the waiter remembered that it was "Mrs. Gohan's" birthday.


Happy Birthday "Mrs. Gohan"!!!


Chaya Downtown
525 Flower Street
Los Angeles, CA. 90071
213-236-9577

It's been a long time (Comme Ca, West Hollywood)

Wow! It's been so long since we've gone out to eat at a decent restaurant. We almost didn't know what to do or how to act :) In all seriousness, it truly was a treat to get away for an evening and to leave behind our parental responsibilities for at least a couple of hours. "Mrs. Gohan's" sister and brother in law took us out to dinner to celebrate "Mrs. Gohan's" birthday. After a brief deliberation on which restaurant to go to, we decided to make a reservation at Comme Ca in West Hollywood. Since we're still relatively new to this parent hood thing and it's our first child, we still cater our outings around our daughter. We made dinner reservations as earliest as possible so that we wouldn't get home too late. I'm sure if we have another baby in the future we would jump at the chance to stay out late and leave the baby behind :)

Blooming Daisy

"Mrs. Gohan" started the evening off with a Blooming Daisy Cocktail. I wasn't feeling particularly well that evening so I didn't order any drinks, but I tasted hers and it was DANGEROUS :) It resembled a shaved ice dessert. It was very good!

Salmon Tartare

To be honest...I don't remember much of this dish. Not to say that it was not good nor memorable, it's just that I only had a small bite. I'm not much of a fish person. But I do remember that I enjoyed the flavor profiles.

Roasted Beef Marrow & Oxtail Jam

Now this appetizer I remember vividly :) This was just indulgent and rich! I just love marrow in all of it's glory. It's soo tasty and yummy.....oh yeah and probably bad for me :) When combined with the oxtail jam, toast, and fleur de sel, this appetizer was a slam dunk for me. I'd order this again and again.

Steak Frites

A typical a menu item at "French" restaurant. Steak and French fries. This was "Mrs. Gohan's" entree. I took a few bites and was not overly impressed. It definitely was not bad, but it definitely can not compare to other top restaurant's steaks.

Beef Stroganoff

This was the dish I ordered. Sorry for the crappy picture! It was really dark and plus I forgot my camera again. I enjoyed the flavors of my dish and particularly the texture of the egg noodles. I nearly licked my plate clean :)

Crispy Skate Grenobloise

My only prior experience with skate is eating it in Japanese cuisine. Particularly, eating it sliced thin and broiled. Although I always enjoyed the flavor, I really never cared for the texture. My experience has always shown me that skate tends to be a little tough and chewy. This was on the contrary. This dish was both crispy and moist. I enjoyed it very much. Thanks sister in law for letting me take a bite. It changed my perception forever.

Although we did order several desserts, it was soo dark in the restaurant and without a proper camera, I did not even attempt to capture the images. We ordered a rice pudding, creme brulee, and pot du creme. They were all very delicious and a good way to end the night. I enjoyed our dinner very much!



Comme Ca
8479 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA. 90069
323-782-1104

What a name! (Silver & Gold Amazing, Monterey Park)

One day someone showed me an article in the LA Times about a restaurant in Monterey Park which grabbed my attention. Naturally my eyes and ears perk up when anything is written about Monterey Park because I was born and raised here. Not too many people can say they were actually born in the city of Monterey Park. Anyways, back to the food. The LA Times article went on to describe this tiny restaurant which turned out excellent noodle dishes, although their name is something left to be desired. WTF is the meaning of Silver & Gold Amazing. There has to be something lost in translation on this one. One thing that wasn't lost in translation are their tasty dishes. Now that me and Mrs. Gohan have a Baby Gohan, we don't get the chance to go out to eat. The only exceptions are places that are relatively close to home and quick. Silver & Gold Amazing is both. The first time we walked in we were pleasantly surprised. We were expecting a hole in the wall, but what we found was a very clean and bright little restaurant which has become of my favorite local places.

Minced Beef Fried Rice

The minced beef fried rice was one of the dishes that was mentioned in the article in the food section of the Times, so we had to give it a try. I don't think that the minced beef was what made this dish good. You could have substituted it with anything and it would have been just as good. Although this was very delicious, I wouldn't say it's my favorite fried rice.

Chow Mein with Shredded Pork & Bean Sprouts

This now has become my favorite chow mein ever! The noodles are super crispy and very tasty. The gravy on top of the chow mein is the icing on the cake. Did I just do that?



I know I've said this before about Chinese restaurants and other type of foods that are better served family style, but it's always better to go in a big group. Otherwise you have to make repeat trips to try everything you want. On this occasion, it was just me, Mrs. Gohan & Baby Gohan. Well, Baby Gohan doesn't really count because she can't eat yet. So we only had room for these two dishes. Although we only got to try these two, it left a very big impression on us. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera and had to make due with my phone.



Silver & Gold Amazing
728 S. Atlantic Blvd #108
Monterey Park, CA. 91754
626-282-8108

Sure beats hospital food (El Taquito Taco Truck, Pasadena)

I've heard about this place for years, but I never had the time to go or it never crossed my mind to go. It took me the birth of my daughter to finally go and eat here. "Baby Gohan" was born at the Huntington Hospital in Pasadena which was about a block away from El Taquito's taco truck. After the long and excitement filled day of "Baby Gohan's" birth, the whole family was hungry for some good food. Unfortunately, "Mrs. Gohan" didn't get to eat any. She had C-Section and was only limited to a liquid diet :( So on that note, the whole family picked up and went to go eat some tacos leaving behind baby and mamma. Sorry "Mrs. Gohan" :) Some of us walked while others drove, but we all met up there the night that"Baby Gohan" was born and grubbed down. The tacos were absolutely delicious. It sure beat the cafeteria food at the hospital.

My plate of tacos

This was my plate of different tacos that I ordered. I got the carne asada, carnitas, al pastor, and not pictured was the chicharron ( I ordered seconds :) I have to say that my favorite was probably the carne asada. They were oh so delicious!

El Taquito Taco Truck
510 S. Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105
626-577-3918

Exciting lunch (Saladang, Pasadena)

Many moons ago, Chan Dara was one of the few popular Thai restaurants that people used to frequent. But unfortunately for people who lived on the East Side, it was not very convenient. Not until the mid to late 90's when Saladang in Pasadena opened, did us East Side people have something to get excited about. In my opinion, Saladang has gone down hill. Perhaps my opinion is a little harsh. Perhaps it might be that many other Thai restaurants have since gone on to show case Thai food. Back in the day, people's palate towards Thai food was relatively in the infant stage and therefore everybody thought places like this were the greatest ever. So I must rescind my previous statement that Saladang has gone down hill. Actually their food is still very good. Damn, I'm flip flopping like a fish on land right now :) But in all honesty, I can't say that their food is bad. I still like this place, but the only thing is that I compare it to a place like Lotus of Siam in Vegas. And really, that's not a fair thing to do.

Singha Beer

This beer was refreshing! I've really grown to like the different Asian beers. To me, they are similar to Mexican beers. Really refreshing on warm sunny days. Ahhhh!

Garlic/Black Pepper Chicken

This dish is consistently delicious. Although it says Garlic Chicken, in my opinion it is not overly garlicky. Maybe, that's because my taste buds are permanently nuked from eating so much garlic. I love garlic!

Pad See Ew

This dish was a little disappointing. Usually the noodle dishes here at Saladang are pretty good, but on this occasion it was not. The beef in this dish was tough as nails too. I was surprisingly disappointed :( But I'll forgive them this time.

Chocolate Ice Cream

The complimentary ice cream was a real nice treat. I just wish they gave me a bigger scoop :)



When dining at places like Chinese or Thai restaurants, it's best to go with a lot of friends and family that way you can order a myriad of dishes. Variety is the spice of life. But on this particular occasion, it was just me and "Mrs. Gohan". We were in the neighborhood seeing the doctor. This was before "Baby Gohan" was born. So we decided to stop in and enjoy some lunch and to talk about the excitement of having a baby.


Saladang
363 S Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105
626-793-8123

Everyone's Favorite Gyoza (Mom's house, Monterey Park)

There are somethings in life that brings such joy to people and sometimes it is a particular food. Such is a gift that is my mom's gyoza (Japanese dumpling). Anyone who has had the privilege of tasting her gyoza will tell you that it is absolutely fantastic. Everybody craves her gyoza and can barely wait until she makes it again. It's like a food orgy in your mouth. "Momma Gohan's" gyoza are delicious and perfect. So perfect, that I find it very difficult to order gyoza from any restaurant or eat anyone else's home made gyoza. They pale in comparison to my mother's. Some may say that my opinion of her gyoza is a bit over exaggerated or biased, I say you're crazy. They are that good! We always joke, that one of us better learn to make her gyoza before she passes away and takes her secrets with her. Sadly that was the case with my father's sukiyaki. Since he passed away 7 years ago, no one can come close to replicating his sukiyaki :( You always hear a question posed when it comes to eating....What would be your last meal? I recently asked my wife to narrow down her list of a last meal. My mother's gyoza was a top of that short list. And I would have to say, most of my family would agree!

Uncooked Gyoza

Gyoza

Unfortunately the picture I took of my mom's gyoza doesn't do it any justice. Believe me, it is to die for. When they are cooked right, they are crispy on one side, but yet nice and moist. After each batch is made, my whole family begins to eye them before they even hit the table, so that they can lay claim to the one they want. It didn't take long for "Mrs. Gohan" to get in the act too :) Before long, her hashis (chopsticks) were moving pretty quickly too. Sometimes even my nephew and niece eat any where from 15-20 pieces.


Mom's House
Address: Top Secret :)
Monterey Park, CA.

Delicious Katsudon! (Ducks Restaurant, San Gabriel)

Rewind about ten years or so.... my mother's friend told us about a new restaurant that serves really good katsudon (Japanese rice bowl dish with pork cutlet). Having just returned from a short stint of living in Japan, I was in the mood for some authentic katsudon. But since that time, a decade had past since I returned to eat at Ducks . Not that I was disappointed from my previous experience, on the contrary, it was more out of convenience. Ducks was a little out of the way and soon became....out of sight out of mind. But I'm glad that it's back in my life again!

Katsu Don

The breakdown for the terminology of Katsudon is actually two-fold. The first portion (katsu) comes from tonkatsu (Japanese for pork cutlet), the second half (don) comes from the word donburi (Japanese for rice bowl). So actually this would be a pork cutlet rice bowl with egg and sauce drizzled over a big bowl of rice. What ever you want to call it...it's just plain and simply good! I would have to say that Duck's katsudon is probably one of the best that I've tasted here in the states, although I have not tried many here. It's not that often that you see katsudon on menus.

Udon & Tempura Set

Because Mrs. Gohan doesn't like eggs and therefore doesn't order the katsudon, this is what she usually orders. She orders the Udon & Tempura Set. Since I'm not the biggest fan of Udon, I really shouldn't judge the quality or taste. But for what it's worth....I thought it was pretty decent and the Tempura is pretty good as well, although this combination set is a little bit on the pricey side.

Corn Soup

In my opinion this corn soup is one of the worst corn soups I've ever tasted. If this was the only dish that I had to base my opinion on about Ducks, I would never ever return or recommend them to anyone. But luckily for them everything else that they serve is pretty good. The corn soup seemed like it was warmed up milk with a little corn inside. Absolutely terrible in my opinion. Definitely not like Curry House's corn soup.

Katsu Curry

I've always know that Duck's tonkatsu was delicious, but I never tried their curry before. And on a recommendation from a friend I decided to forgo my usual and try Duck's Katsu Curry. Katsu Curry is one of my all time favorite dishes so I was pretty eager to try it. After having tried it I was not as impressed as I had anticipated. Although the flavors were all good, I think I'll still stick to my usual dish....katsudon



Ducks Restaurant
1381 E. Las Tunas Drive #1
San Gabriel, CA. 91776
626-287-8743