Dinner a few nights ago...unprompted...L and I asking each immediately previous about something that required "any ideas":
Z: "I am full of ideas. I have lots of good ideas."
L: "Like what?"
Z: "We should go to a food store, and buy cookies, and paint things on paper."
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Zagat Dim Sum Listings
Almost All Los Angeles Dim Sum Rated 20 Or Better, Listed by Declining Food Rating:
Sea Harbour
3939 N. Rosemead Blvd. (Valley Blvd.)
Rosemead, CA
626-288-3939
NEXT STOP?
Empress Pavilion
988 N. Hill St. (Bernard St.)
Los Angeles, CA
213-617-9898
Ocean Star
145 N. Atlantic Blvd. (bet. Emerson & Garvey Aves.)
Monterey Park, CA
626-308-2128
VISITED
New Concept - NAME CHANGE: Now called "Elite"
700 S. Atlantic Blvd. (El Portal Pl.)
Monterey Park, CA
626-282-6800
VISITED
NBC Seafood
404 S. Atlantic Blvd. (bet. Harding & Newmark Aves.)
Monterey Park, CA
626-282-2323
VISITED
Ocean Seafood
750 N. Hill St.(bet. Alpine & Ord Sts.)
Los Angeles, CA
213-687-3088
Empress Harbor
111 N. Atlantic Blvd. (Garvey Ave.)
Monterey Park, CA
626-300-8833
Sea Empress
1636 W. Redondo Beach Blvd.(bet. Normandie & Western Aves.)
Gardena, CA
310-538-6868
Triumphal Palace
500 W. Main St.(5th St.)
Alhambra, CA
626-308-3222
And two more local non Dim Sum highly rated:
Lake Spring Shanghai
219 E. Garvey Ave.(Lincoln Ave.)
Monterey Park, CA 91755
626-280-3571
Devotees of this Monterey Park Chinese, “one of the best for Shanghainese cuisine”, advise you to “order the pork pump” (a derivation of ‘rump’) house specialty – a “gravy-drenched” delight that’s “tender, delicious” and “like nothing [you’ve] ever eaten” before; it’s so “excellent” that most overlook the “ok” decor and service that “could stand some improvement.”
Mandarin Deli
701 W. Garvey Ave. (Atlantic Blvd.)
Monterey Park, CA 91754
626-570-9795
Boosters boast “you can’t get a better value than” this “affordable” Chinese triad, a “delightful change from the ordinary” serving “delightful” dumplings, “excellent” noodles and other selections from a “limited” menu in “no-frills”, “casual” settings; the service is “attentive” but the decor could “use an update.”
Sea Harbour
3939 N. Rosemead Blvd. (Valley Blvd.)
Rosemead, CA
626-288-3939
NEXT STOP?
Empress Pavilion
988 N. Hill St. (Bernard St.)
Los Angeles, CA
213-617-9898
Ocean Star
145 N. Atlantic Blvd. (bet. Emerson & Garvey Aves.)
Monterey Park, CA
626-308-2128
VISITED
New Concept - NAME CHANGE: Now called "Elite"
700 S. Atlantic Blvd. (El Portal Pl.)
Monterey Park, CA
626-282-6800
VISITED
NBC Seafood
404 S. Atlantic Blvd. (bet. Harding & Newmark Aves.)
Monterey Park, CA
626-282-2323
VISITED
Ocean Seafood
750 N. Hill St.(bet. Alpine & Ord Sts.)
Los Angeles, CA
213-687-3088
Empress Harbor
111 N. Atlantic Blvd. (Garvey Ave.)
Monterey Park, CA
626-300-8833
Sea Empress
1636 W. Redondo Beach Blvd.(bet. Normandie & Western Aves.)
Gardena, CA
310-538-6868
Triumphal Palace
500 W. Main St.(5th St.)
Alhambra, CA
626-308-3222
And two more local non Dim Sum highly rated:
Lake Spring Shanghai
219 E. Garvey Ave.(Lincoln Ave.)
Monterey Park, CA 91755
626-280-3571
Devotees of this Monterey Park Chinese, “one of the best for Shanghainese cuisine”, advise you to “order the pork pump” (a derivation of ‘rump’) house specialty – a “gravy-drenched” delight that’s “tender, delicious” and “like nothing [you’ve] ever eaten” before; it’s so “excellent” that most overlook the “ok” decor and service that “could stand some improvement.”
Mandarin Deli
701 W. Garvey Ave. (Atlantic Blvd.)
Monterey Park, CA 91754
626-570-9795
Boosters boast “you can’t get a better value than” this “affordable” Chinese triad, a “delightful change from the ordinary” serving “delightful” dumplings, “excellent” noodles and other selections from a “limited” menu in “no-frills”, “casual” settings; the service is “attentive” but the decor could “use an update.”
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Los Angeles Dim Sum
New Mission: Try out all the well known LA County dim sum places.
First effort: NBC Seafood, Monterey Park.
Rating: 1 Tray out of 5
Summary: Cold, greasy, "ran out" of bbq pork buns, way too much MSG, good tea. Big disappointment.
Second effort: Ocean Star Seafood, Monterey Park.
Rating: 3 Trays out of 5, but considered 4.
REVISION AFTER THIRD EFFORT: 2.5 Trays
Summary: Big step up from first effort, and only about 1 mile down the same street. Enormous place, even less English speaking than NBC. Great curry broth with fish balls and pork skin (tried but then let go of the pork skin, focusing on broth). Slippery (word stolen from Jonathan Gold) beef noodles were good. Shrimp balls were good. Cold roast duck; think I need to get away from that. No pork buns, but chicken buns were good. Beef ribs pretty good. Definitely had more things available I did not know about than items I did (did not see shumai, for example, or fried dumplings).
Third effort: The Kitchen, Alhambra
Rating: 4 Trays out of 5; but briefly contemplated 5 in the after-meal delight; however not every dish inspiring enough to warrant more than 4.
Summary: Inspiring dim sum. Ordered mostly a la carte, delivered in even spacings. Incredible value at $35 all-in for a lot of food for 3. Superb dishes included baked bbq buns (the steamed bbq buns being slightly above average, but the baked being among the best ever had); normal but fresh green seaweed; shrimp shumai; scallop rice noodles; crab dumpling in soup. Also had beef balls, green tea dumplings (somewhat disappointing, though very different; a sweet sticky concotion inside that tasted somewhat like honey peanut butter); egg rolls; country style tofu with shrimp/fish balls; may be missing 1 or 2 last dishes. Not much English spoken, but not much need when everything is written in English. And not many English speakers eating; I think we were the only ones today. I did notice that eating dim sum with 3 people was much more pleasant than by myself. For next time, which I suspect will be soon, hope to order more specifically from the review by Gold in LA Weekly, including salt and pepper tofu and the pork back something.
Fourth Effort: Elite Restaurant, Monterey Park (formerly New Concept)
Rating: Three trays
Summary: Just changed ownership and name two weeks ago according to the girl upfront. Excellent tea. Very reasonable prices. Ordering off the menu rather than carts. Experience better than the food. Macau Roasted Pork the highlight; thin slices served room temperature with near-perfect marbling of fat and meat and a touch of skin, salt and plum sauce on the side.
First effort: NBC Seafood, Monterey Park.
Rating: 1 Tray out of 5
Summary: Cold, greasy, "ran out" of bbq pork buns, way too much MSG, good tea. Big disappointment.
Second effort: Ocean Star Seafood, Monterey Park.
Rating: 3 Trays out of 5, but considered 4.
REVISION AFTER THIRD EFFORT: 2.5 Trays
Summary: Big step up from first effort, and only about 1 mile down the same street. Enormous place, even less English speaking than NBC. Great curry broth with fish balls and pork skin (tried but then let go of the pork skin, focusing on broth). Slippery (word stolen from Jonathan Gold) beef noodles were good. Shrimp balls were good. Cold roast duck; think I need to get away from that. No pork buns, but chicken buns were good. Beef ribs pretty good. Definitely had more things available I did not know about than items I did (did not see shumai, for example, or fried dumplings).
Third effort: The Kitchen, Alhambra
Rating: 4 Trays out of 5; but briefly contemplated 5 in the after-meal delight; however not every dish inspiring enough to warrant more than 4.
Summary: Inspiring dim sum. Ordered mostly a la carte, delivered in even spacings. Incredible value at $35 all-in for a lot of food for 3. Superb dishes included baked bbq buns (the steamed bbq buns being slightly above average, but the baked being among the best ever had); normal but fresh green seaweed; shrimp shumai; scallop rice noodles; crab dumpling in soup. Also had beef balls, green tea dumplings (somewhat disappointing, though very different; a sweet sticky concotion inside that tasted somewhat like honey peanut butter); egg rolls; country style tofu with shrimp/fish balls; may be missing 1 or 2 last dishes. Not much English spoken, but not much need when everything is written in English. And not many English speakers eating; I think we were the only ones today. I did notice that eating dim sum with 3 people was much more pleasant than by myself. For next time, which I suspect will be soon, hope to order more specifically from the review by Gold in LA Weekly, including salt and pepper tofu and the pork back something.
Fourth Effort: Elite Restaurant, Monterey Park (formerly New Concept)
Rating: Three trays
Summary: Just changed ownership and name two weeks ago according to the girl upfront. Excellent tea. Very reasonable prices. Ordering off the menu rather than carts. Experience better than the food. Macau Roasted Pork the highlight; thin slices served room temperature with near-perfect marbling of fat and meat and a touch of skin, salt and plum sauce on the side.
Monday, January 8, 2007
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