Din Tai Fung

April 7, 2008.



Dumplings, dumplings, dumplings. What a gift from the Lord above. Pop them in your mouth and let them fill and expand in your stomach. I've had them fried, boiled, steamed, overcooked, greasy, rubbery, you name it. Even after living in China, I have to say the ones at Din Tai Fung on South Baldwin in Arcadia take the cake. Din Tai Fung originated in mainland China in 1969 then moved to Taiwan and then they began opening chains all over Asia before coming to Los Angeles. Currently the one in Arcadia is the only location in the US. Their pork dumplings rest at the bottom of the dumpling and are surrounded by a small collection of soup and juices . So when you pop it in your mouth the noodle bubble bursts and your mouth fills with that wonderful soupy goodness. The noodle part is so fresh and the texture is perfect. The dumplings are made right on the spot and you can watch them shaping and forming them to dumpling perfection through a glass window. We usually order the classic pork dumplings and an order of shaomai, which are also dumplings but are shaped a little differently. See pic above, the pork dumplings are on the right and the shaomai is on the left. The shaomai we ordered were topped with shrimp. Along with their signature dumplings they have amazing noodle soups, steamed buns and fried rice that is light and fluffy and not greasy! They also have a vegetable of the day plate that changes with the season. This last time we went with Adam and Vince and ordered the red bean buns for dessert. I use to eat these all the time in China, so they brought back a taste I had forgotten I loved. The red bean paste inside the steamed bun was so light and fresh and not too sweet. If you do go, which you should, try and go early before the dinner rush. Weekends you should always expect a wait. Even if you do have to wait just step into the gift store just kiddie corner. All your Sanrio friends are there and you can pick up some great Chinese and Korean bowls and place settings. So head on down to Din Tai Fung for the quintessential dumpling experience. GRADE: A

Yuca's

April 6, 2008.


Yuca's is a trendy little family owned and family operated burrito shack on Hillhurst in Los Feliz. This place was really hyped up for me before I actually went... You know the drill... you are so hip and cool if you eat at the humble little neighborhood dive on the corner block. After all the ranting and raving we had heard we thought we'd better give it a go. And yes...I have to say we have become regulars ourselves. My mouth waters for one particular item and that is the cochinita pibil taco. It is Yucatan inspired slow-roasted shredded pork rolled in a velvety smooth tortilla. Need I say more? Delicious. I usually order about 3 of the tacos since they are on the small side. My kids like them too although Ella usually goes for the classic bean and cheese. This place is hands down for the meat lover. In fact, I think even their beans are cooked in pork grease. GRADE B+

The Bucket

Here is burger joint that we went to this passed Saturday in Eagle Rock called The Bucket. We heard about this place through the grapevine and decided to try it out. Burgers and beer. This place has been around for over 50 years. It has been through many an owner and they pass down their special sauces and recipes. Judging by the outside it was your typical hole in the wall burger joint. The building was falling apart and the front door was new with a shiny brass handle, but cheap, a quick fix kind of a door. Walking in I was expecting the grill to be nasty, to my surprise it was incredibly clean. In fact, everything behind the counter looked spiffy clean. The bar was tiny but charming and it opened out to a patio. It was covered with frat house decor. mix matched tables and chairs a true modge podge kind of a place.
Here's my burger... I can't remember the name of it, but it had a mustard garlic sauce, all the fixings and it was a whopping 1/2 lb burger. It was delicious. When we left my fingernails were stained yellow from this puppy.Okay, so the service was definelty lacking. It took about a half hour to get our food and once they brought our burgers out they didn't bring our fries. Who really wants their fries at the end of a burger? Not me. We had specifically asked for no mustard on Ella's burger and it was smothered in it. Wade was not a happy customer. I was willing to overlook these defieciencies because my burger was a beautiful piece of work. Wade vowed he was never going to come back again but then changed his mind at the end when the manager came out and gave is our fries and told us it was on the house. He told us they had recently changed owners and they were short one person.


Growing up my dad, a professor of political science would give my mother's meals a letter grade. It was usually sunday dinner..."Carolyn, that pepper steak was a C+." "Oh, Ray, that's all?!" It was all in good fun but I always remember his evaluations were usually dead on. So following my dad's expertise, I, Kathryn, give The Bucket an overall B+.

Loteria

Dec 24, 2007.

Wade and I love to eat out. There is nothing I like more then discovering and loving a restaurant, a fast food joint, a hole in the wall, a street vendor or what have you. I love being able to tell people about food and how good it is and how they just have to drive that extra 50 miles to the strip mall in San Gabriel to have it. Wade and I are always analyzing what we eat and since I love to talk about it so much I decided to blog about it too. The above pic is from a year ago. Here I am eating my favorite breakfast in LA. That being Huevos Rancheros from Loteria at the Grove's Farmer's Market. It is perfection. I've ordered other things on the menu, but nothing compares to the Huevos Racheros. Their red sauce is to die for.