The cross section.

Unwrapping.

And eat!

What I like about Dae Myoung Ok is the banchan (complimentary, refillable side dishes that always accompany a Korean meal); plentiful, well-seasoned (read: not so incredibly spicy or salty that you couldn’t finish more than one plate) and they give you generous portions. We ordered two noodle dishes (the white noodles is a hot seafood broth, the brown noodles is a cold, spicy broth). Again, portions are huge. We liked the cold noodles the best, while the seafood soup noodles lost their charm once the noodles started to get soggy and melted into the soup. We also got a soondobu (hot tofu soup). Standard fare; not great but not bad.

I’d say that Kaya is still my favorite, but Dae Myoung Ok has its charms. It’s definitely got it’s banchan going for it and it has some home-style dishes that the other Korean tofu and bbq places in Irvine don’t have (sujebi and mandoo anyone?). Another plus is that the service is super friendly; the woman who owns the place constantly makes rounds of the tables, asking customers how they are and how their food is; it’s akin to eating at your favorite Korean auntie’s house.

Dae Myoung Ok Korean Restaurant
14250 Culver Dr., Suite B
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 651-1177
Note: It may be a bit tough finding this restaurant; it’s a tiny place tucked in a fairly large plaza. Also, its signage doesn’t read “Dae Myoung Ok”; just look for a place called “Korean Restaurant” with mostly white interiors.

My parents and sister are all ramen lovers; so my sister decided to take us to Yakitori Yakyudori, a recently opened yakitori (skewers) and ramen place on Convoy in Kearny Mesa, a virtual mecca of Asian restaurants.

Note: When we visited, the restaurant had only ramen; they had yet to start doing yakitori. Another reason for going back, I suppose.

Starters: Takoyaki, (dumplings filled with chopped pieces of octopus, topped with mayo, a thick, sweet and sour sauce and bonito flakes, in the foreground) and gyoza (pan-fried pork dumplings, in the background). Both served piping hot and still sizzling (the waitress even warned us that the innards of the takoyaki were extremely hot and we would risk burning ourselves if eating right away). Both are two of my favorite “snack foods” from Japan, and these were delicious.

My order: I wasn’t in the mood for ramen, so I decided to go for a rice-based dish. I originally ordered the shiso-topped rice, but was informed that they were already sold out (sadness). Instead, I opted for the tofu-topped rice.

It sounds quite boring and pedestrian (chopped, mashed tofu on rice?), but its simple, light, subtle flavors were just right. The tofu was lightly seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil (I think?) and when eaten on top of the freshly cooked, chewy Japanese rice, this really hit the spot.

Miso ramen. Sister’s order. A hearty, full-bodied broth. Heady on the miso flavor. I think this is for those who like stronger flavors, or for those who don’t mind being thirsty after their meal. Quite delicious, but I don’t know if I’d be able to eat a lot in one sitting as I prefer lighter brothed soups.

Shio ramen. Mom’s order. Clearer broth, not as hearty or salty as the miso ramen, but full of flavor nonetheless. I preferred this one as the miso broth was a bit too strong for my taste.

For some reason I didn’t have a picture of my dad’s order of Chashu ramen, but he assured me that it was delicious.

Chashu (thin slices of fatty pork) comes in all the ramen varieties, and so often ramen places either skimp on the chashu or serve thick, tough, dry slices. At Yakitori Yakyudori, the chashu is quite soft and almost melts in your mouth. A success in my book.

Yakitori Yakyudori
4898 Convoy St., Suite 101
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 268-2888
Mon-Sun 11:30 a.m. – 3 a.m.

My sister and I decided to hit up a local vegetarian place (Sipz) for dinner:

My “caterpillar” roll: Brown rice, shitake mushrooms, avocado, yam, and some veggies, topped with avocado, teriyaki and sriracha. Isn’t it cute?

It was pretty delicious too. I kind of wish the rice had been seasoned more like sushi rice (vinegar, mirin and sugar, in the Japanese style); it’s the only thing that would have made this roll better than it already was. But it was good nonetheless. And incredibly filling.

My sister ordered their “chicken” chow mein: Eggless noodles stir-fried in a savory brown sauce with vegetables and their faux vegetarian chicken. I normally shy away from vegetarian faux meats (I don’t really agree with the idea and most meat alternatives that try to imitate meat fail miserable in both taste and texture). But this “chicken” was eerily chicken-like; if I didn’t know it was vegetarian I would have thought it was really chicken. It had me wondering what kind of process and ingredients they used (gluten? Too chewy. Soy? Beany tasting and would give you the wrong texture). Amazing. I imagine if you were someone who recently turned vegetarian but were missing meat, Sipz would be your to-go place.

This place was hopping on a Friday night and now I understand why. Their menu is extensive, offering Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and even Italian-inspired dishes. Apparently their vegan desserts are legendary for being super delicious (I glanced around at my fellow diners; most of them ordered some kind of dessert), but after our meal, we were simply too stuffed to eat sweets (what can we say, we’re lightweights!). In any case, it’s a definite reason to go back and try some of Sipz’s other offerings.

Sipz Vegetarian Cafe
5501 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
(858) 279-3747
Mon-Sun 10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

OC Restaurant Week offers diners prix fixe lunches and dinners (lunch can go as low as $10, dinner as low as $20) and it’s a fantastic way to try new restaurants that you normally wouldn’t visit. It took place last week and my family decided to try Cedar Creek Inn, a local restaurant that is literally five minutes from our house (yet we’ve never been there in the 3+ years that it’s been open).

After viewing the menu, all of us opted for the Baby Iceberg Wedge (Blue cheese, vine-ripen tomatoes, chopped egg and Applewood smoked bacon) over the Lobster Cappuccino (creamy lobster bisque with brandy-cream).

This was an excellent rendition of the classic wedge salad: generous portions of iceberg lettuce, lightly dressed with just the right amount of egg, tomatoes and bacon. While the Lobster Cappuccino sounded intriguing, we wanted something light before we dug into our main courses.

My dad and godsister both chose the “Surf & Turf” ($30): Petite Filet Mignon and Maine Lobster Tail (6oz):
Char-grilled bacon-wrapped filet mignon and a roasted cold-water lobster tail with grilled lemon, melted butter and three-cheese potato gratin and summer succotash.

This was a huge plate! I tried a bit of the lobster and I have to say, it was possibly the best lobster tail that I’ve eaten to date; tender, buttery, without the rubbery-ness that plagues too many lobster tails at restaurants nowadays. The three-cheese potato gratin was sumptuous; very-thin slices of potato layered with a mixture of cheeses and broiled until it got a nice, crispy crust. This was delicious, but could have been an entire meal in itself, it was so rich. I didn’t try the filet mignon, but my dad assured me that it was delicious.

My mom ordered the Roasted Rack of Lamb ($30): Herb-roasted rack of New Zealand lamb with a tarragon-Pinot Noir reduction and garlic mashed potatoes, served with summer succotash.

I also tried a bit of the lamb; again, this was really well-done, the lamb was fresh, gamey but not unpleasantly so and very tender.

Being that I’m not a huge meat eater, I opted for the Angel Hair Pasta Pomodoro ($20): Angel hair pasta with extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, tomatoes, garlic, goat cheese and toasted pine nuts.

I wasn’t sure whether getting a vegetarian pasta as my main would be a good idea; my parents expressed concern that my dish would be “one-note” or “boring”, but this pasta was delicious; the angel hair was cooked perfectly; al-dente so that there was a nice bite. The tomatoes were ripe, seasoned just enough so that their natural acidity and sweetness balanced each other nicely. Bbasil and pine nuts added a nice nutty and floral aroma and great textural contrast; and what I loved was that the chef was thoughtful enough to place the goat cheese in a single sphere in the center of the pasta so that I could eat it as I wished, scooping up bits of the soft, tart cheese and swirling it into strands of pasta for every bite.

As if all this food wasn’t enough, we still had our final course to go. Three of us opted for the Chocolate Ganache Tart (Rich chocolate ganache on a pecan crust layered over caramel creme). Beautiful dessert and insanely rich. I love chocolate, but after one bite I was done and ended up packing the rest for some other time.

My mom got their signature dessert: the Coconut Supreme Cake: Cedar Creek’s famous coconut cake, served warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

Ohemgee this was delicious. Warm, fluffy layers of vanilla cake with toasted coconut buttercream frosting, paired with a scoop of quality vanilla bean ice cream = party in my mouth. I’d come back and just order this for my appetizer, entree and dessert. Too bad we only got one for the table! If I had to recommend only one thing from this night’s dinner, this would be it.

All in all, I was very pleasantly surprised by my experience here. Service was attentive and friendly and the quality of the cooking here is excellent; definitely worth a return visit.

Here’s the recipe for the beer bread pictured in the previous post; this is a super easy, quick-to-put-together quick bread. I love how it only takes one bowl and a few ingredients that you probably have in your pantry. After a bake in the oven, you have yourself a crusty, savory and moist bread that you could dunk in a bowl of hot soup or eaten at breakfast with your choice of spread (maybe a sundried-tomato,fig, and caper balsamic jam, perhaps?).

As with most of my baked goods, I opted to use white whole wheat flour. Since this is a quick, not yeasted, bread, I substituted half the portion of white whole wheat with whole wheat pastry flour to avoid a heavy texture. This worked out quite well; the bread was hearty, but not gummy or dense. As for the taste, the whole wheat added a welcome nutty flavor that complimented the yeasty aroma of the beer. As for the beer that I used, I just used a can of Kirin Ichiban, as that was what I had on hand.

Enjoy!

What do you do when you have a bag of sundried-tomatoes, a jar of capers and a bag of dried figs that you don’t know what to do with?

Make jam! What resulted was a melange of Mediterranean-inspired flavors, savory, sweet and tart all at the same time. I’ve been spreading it on top of a slice of homemade cheddar cheese beer bread in the mornings, but I imagine it’d be great on crackers, a grilled slice of crusty artisan bread, or thinned out as a pizza topping.

Sundried-Tomato, Fig and Caper Balsamic Jam
Inspired by Mel at bitchincamero, adapted from Thomas Keller’s Fig Jam from Ad Hoc at Home
Makes approximately 1 cup

What you’ll need:

• 6 dried figs (I used Trader Joe’s organic Calimyrna figs)
• 1/2 C sundried-tomatoes (not packed in oil)
• 1/4 C capers
• 25g brown sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• water to cover

The procedure:
In a bowl, combine the dried figs and sundried-tomatoes and cover with boiling water; allow to soak for at least one hour prior to starting the jam.

Drain the figs/sundried-tomatoes and put into a small saucepan. Add the rest of the ingredients and enough fresh water to cover the mixture by one inch. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover.

Simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until the figs and sundried tomatoes are soft and pulpy and the liquid is reduced. Place the contents into a blender or food processor, and taking care, puree until desired consistency.

If the mixture is still a little too liquidy after pureeing, place the contents back into the saucepan and reduce over low heat, stirring the entire time until your desired consistency is reached. I reduced until it was tacky and slightly sticky.

Spoon the mixture into sterilized glass container, press a piece of plastic wrap over the surface and allow to cool. When cool, place in the refrigerator.

Should keep in the refrigerator for at least a week.

Enjoy!

It’s been too long since I’ve posted a recipe! Autumn is already in full swing and winter’s on it’s way and I have yet to write about something I’ve made. One thing I love most about autumn is all the great winter squash that arrives in the markets. I’ve had great fun just trying all the different varieties (this year, I’ve had delicata, red kuri, spaghetti, and buttercup in addition to my favorite, kabocha). What better way to enjoy autumnal squash than making some sweetened squash bao? These buns are made with half whole wheat flour, giving the bread a sweet, nutty flavor that pairs nicely with the sweet squash puree inside. Enjoy these for breakfast or for an afternoon tea snack!

Spring Natural’s buffet setup consists of several different stations: cold salads, diy salad station, steamed dishes, dim sum, stir-fried vegetable dishes, vegetarian sashimi (What? How? I will get to this later . . .) and sushi, stews and soups, traditional Taiwanese dishes, as well as an extensive sweet dessert soup, pastry and ice cream station. Soda, juices, and teas were also included as well and upon arrival, a special brew of herbal tea is sent to your table straightaway. Touted as having beneficial properties, the light but flavorful tea was a good appetite opener.

I wasn’t able to get photos of the buffet stations (I felt uncomfortable taking photos of it while the waitstaff were milling about), but here are some photos of the plates that my mom and I put together:

My first plate: pan-fried savory turnip cake, sauteed bittermelon, glazed shishito peppers, cold lotus root salad in passionfruit dressing. Everything on this plate was extremely fresh and well prepared; I especially loved the turnip cake (the chef had just finished frying it up when I swung by the dim sum station) as well as the shishito peppers, which were sauteed and tossed in a soy-sesame glaze.

Mom’s first plate: fried cruller, hot and sour soup, sauteed greens, cold seaweed salad, mushroom “steak.” I didn’t try any of the food here; my mom said the “steak” was so-so while the seaweed salad was good.

I also got the vegetarian version of the infamous Taiwanese “stinky tofu.” I’m not sure what makes normal stinky tofu non-vegetarian, but this version was delicious; the soup was a flavorful umami broth; sour, spicy and savory; the tofu didn’t seem to harbor an overly stinky smell. For those who have never tried stinky tofu and are a bit intimidated by it, Spring Natural’s version would probably be a good, gentle introduction to the dish.

My second plate: a random salad I threw together with various sprouts and a ginger-soy vinaigrette, more shishito peppers (I liked it enough to go back for seconds; normally at buffets I try not to get seconds of anything in order to try as many dishes as possible), braised figs.

I also got this at the sushi/sashimi station: two pieces of sweet “sushi”, actually a mochi-type confection that was made so that it resembles a maki roll. I didn’t really detect much of any one flavor in this . . . it was a bit strange to me. It’s no secret that I dislike anything mochi-textured, and this didn’t impress me either. I believe the center of the maki was steamed sweet potato, the middle layer was sweetened azuki bean paste, followed by the mochi outer layer.

At the bottom of the plate you can see the one slice of vegetarian sashimi that I got for kicks, though I have lean towards a vegetarian diet, I’m a die-hard sushi fan (probably the only thing preventing me from becoming a complete vegetarian). I don’t think anything could replace the taste and mouthfeel of real raw fish flesh; and this was no exception. I have to give credit to Spring Natural for being able to replicate the “look” of sashimi, from its color to somewhat slippery texture, but it didn’t taste nor feel like sashimi at all. I’m not really into the idea of creating vegetarian versions of meat as well . . . I couldn’t get into this.

Mom’s second plate: more stinky tofu, seaweed salad, sauteed greens, egg roll, sweetened red bean pastry.

Despite sampling all that food, we still had room to try some dessert:

Sweetened taro paste cake, chocolate covered peanut clusters, vegan custard (made with agar-agar instead of gelatin). Nothing too special here; I usually find dessert bars at any buffet to be so-so to disappointing, due to the fact that desserts like cake and cookies tend to dry out due to being put outside for long periods of time (but maybe I just have really high expectations of dessert).

Red bean pastry innards, peanut-powder covered hakka-style mochi (hidden underneath the vegetarian maki roll).

Spring Natural’s offerings for their afternoon tea are generous; though I’d stick to their savory dishes such as the soups, dim sum, salads and sauteed items. For those who are vegetarian, Spring Natural goes beyond basic tofu and sauteed vegetable dishes; offering a diverse and enticing menu. For those aren’t, it’s a great place to try some tasty Taiwanese-style meat-free cuisine.

春天素食
台中市西屯區大墩十七街88號2樓
(04) 2328-0956
午餐：11:45 ~ 14:00, 每人500、兒童 300
下午茶：14:30 ~ 16:30, 每人350、兒童 250
晚 餐：17:45 ~ 21:00, 每人600、兒童 350

Spring Natural Vegetarian Restaurant
No. 88 (2nd floor), Dadun 17th Street, Xitun District, Taichung City, Taiwan
(04) 2328-0956
Lunch：11:45 ~ 14:00, Adults NT500、Children NT300
Afternoon Tea：14:30 ~ 16:30, Adults NT350、Children NT250
Dinner：17:45 ~ 21:00, Adults NT600、Children NT350

The storefront:

Once you are seated, you’re presented with a small tray of pickled daikon, one of the specialties Sakura offers. Served chilled, the daikon is pleasantly crisp; it’s marinated in soy sauce and vinegar yet still manages to preserve the natural sweetness of the vegetable. Each time I visited Sakura, I couldn’t help but eat the entire plate.

Getting sashimi in Taiwan is hit or miss; the raw fish here is always extremely fresh.

I ordered a Wafu Salad; a refreshing blend of lettuce, sprouts, corn, thinly sliced apples, raisins, cucumber and tomatoes in a light vinegar-based dressing.

Next came something that my grandmother was dying for me to try: these are deep-fried spring rolls, hefty with the addition of both fresh durian and taro root. In addition to the durian and taro, these were stuffed with real crab meat and asparagus. As you might have guessed, these were pretty darn rich but delicious. It was actually my first time eating durian (I have heard stories about its stink before but never got a chance to try it); and while there was a hint of stinkiness, there was none in the taste. Durian is delicious; its texture is creamy and if you can get past its smell, you’ll discover it’s actually very sweet. All in all, this spring roll was a good first introduction to this much maligned fruit.

My grandpa ordered the grilled sanma (秋刀魚, or saury), served with grated daikon and ginger. This was perfectly done; broiled so that the skin was crisp yet the flesh was still juicy and moist. The sanma was not gutted; some people choose not to eat the intestines as they’re pretty bitter, but my grandpa and I find that this is often the most delicious part.

A beef dish; this was also exceptional, tender and served with an addictive garlic sauce. I’m not a meat eater by habit but I’ll admit this was very good.

Fresh greens, stir-fried and topped with deep-fried shallots and a light soy broth; this was on-the-house and was a good break from the protein-heavy dishes.

The last dish to come was the special futomaki and inari. In Taiwan, non-raw futomaki (fat maki rolls) are very popular, with fillings that usually include tamago (a sweetened egg omelet), cucumber and pork floss. However, the sushi chef at Sakura is quite innovative with his version, choosing to fill them with unagi (broiled eel), crabmeat, deep-fried shrimp tempura and asparagus tempura, pickled vegetables, pork floss, and deep-fried yam. Additionally, some of these futomaki were rolled up in a very thin layer of taro root (how he managed to cook the taro root so that it was pliable and creamy without being mushy I’ll never know), which offered an additional level of richness to these “upscale” futomaki. It seems like a crazy amount of food to stuff into a roll, but all the tastes and textures were there: sweet, savory, sour, crunchy, tender, and chewy. They were huge so I could only eat one but if I could, I would have polished off the entire platter.

Omgz deliciousness.

At the end of the meal, freshly cut oranges and sweetened, chilled azuki bean soup were served for dessert. A nice ending to a wonderful meal.

I ended up coming to Sakura four times in the course of two months. There are several reasons why I believe Sakura is an exceptional restaurant:

1. Many Japanese restaurants may have exceptional sushi but horrible cooked offerings or vice versa. Sakura does their sushi/sashimi and their cooked dishes equally well.
2. Their cooked dishes are different and innovative; it’s not your standard run-of-the-mill bentos, teriyaki and donburi. Additionally, you can tell that the food here is artfully crafted and carefully prepared; not only is it delicious, it’s presented in a beautiful way.
3. Exceptional service, the waitstaff is attentive and polite, which is not standard in Taiwan.
4. Good value; one can dine very well without having to spend much cash here.

There you have it; I’ve basically written an online love-letter to this restaurant; if you’re ever in the area, please do go and try it, you won’t be disappointed. I will try to post photos of my later visits if you need more convincing . . .

櫻屋日本料理
台中市西屯區大墩十九街193號
04-2327-2625

Sakura
No. 193, Dadun 19th St., Xitun District, Taichung City, Taiwan
04-2327-2625

One of my favorite places to go in Taichung is Yizhong Street (一中街). Located near National Taichung First Senior High School (considered by Taichung residents to be the top high school in the city), Yizhong Street is a young person’s shopping and food paradise. Within a small space of one to two blocks, Yizhong Street is tightly packed with street vendors of delicious street food and the latest fashions (all for super cheap!). Scattered amongst the street vendors are various restaurants (apparently the (in)famous Modern Toilet Restaurant has a branch here), arcades, internet cafes, beauty salons, as well as a great 24-hour stationary and bookstore. At any time of the day, Yizhong Street is packed with people; since it’s mainly a pedestrian thoroughfare (though you will encounter some scooters here), it’s pretty easy to navigate (as opposed to other markets, where you have to dodge both pedestrians, scooters and cars). I could easily spend a whole day here just sampling the food and buying things for cheap (the trick is to bargain with the vendors!).

On a recent trip to Yizhong Street, my mom and I sampled a few snacks that were recommended on various Taiwanese food blogs. The first thing we bought was a 打餅, from Hit Cookie Home (打餅舖). “打餅” literally translates to “hit cookie”, though it’s more akin to a Chinese scallion pancake or an Indian paratha.

Why is it called a “hit cookie”? After the pancake is cooked on the flat griddle, it’s literally beaten up, breaking it apart slightly so that even more flaky layers are produced. You can actually see a video of it here via Travelpod (not my video).

You could always opt for the original, or try some of the different fillings they offer (ham, bacon, fried egg, cheese). They even have sweet versions, with fillings of butter and condensed milk. My mom and I opted for a savory 打餅 (NT30), filled with dried seaweed flakes and a fried egg.

This 打餅 was pretty good; it was a bit thick (we’re used to regular scallion pancakes that are usually a bit thinner); though when eaten fresh off the flat top, the 打餅 is crispy, flaky and delicious. I would advise eating this right away; after it cools down, it tends to taste more doughy, floury and dense. If you do end up buying one to go I recommend sticking it in the toaster oven to refresh it a bit before digging in.

I also got a 海苔飯捲 (Seaweed Rice Roll) from a nearby vendor at 哇哉海苔飯捲. I am a little reluctant to translate the name of this store as “哇哉” is slang in Taiwanese, meaning something akin to “wow!” or “amazing!”; therefore you get something like Wow! Seafood Rice Roll. But I digress . . .

Costing only NT35 (around $1 USD) and filled with black pepper pork, corn, and pickled vegetables, this was similar to a non-raw version of a sushi hand roll. What’s nice is that when they prepare your order, they insert a piece of plastic between the rice and the seaweed (which you pull out right before you eat) so that your seaweed stays crispy. The black pepper pork was nicely seasoned, with a nice punch from the liberal amount of black pepper. It’s quite a bit of food (the roll itself was as long as my forearm) and all that rice and meat is pretty filling; even eating just half of this, I was stuffed.

They have many other versions (pork, chicken and beef, kimchi as well as vegetarian and vegan versions available too), so there is something for everyone here.

打餅舖
台中市北區一中街83號
04-22251135
Hit Cookie Home
No. 83, Yizhong Street, North District, Taichung City, Taiwan
04-22251135

哇哉海苔飯捲
台中市北區育才街29號
Wow! Seafood Rice Roll
No. 29, Yingcai Road, North District, Taichung City, Taiwan