My Favorite Things

Move over Oprah. I think I want to start highlighting some of my favorite food-related things. These include, restaurants, dishes, cooking utensils, products...you name it.

My Japanese Breakfast at Fukagawa in Gardena

One of my food groups is in the midst of a series, "Ain't Always Eggs and Bacon". Basically, we are exploring various non-American breakfast spots. They previously went to 3 Square Cafe and Bakery in Venice (German breakfast). Due to my schedule, I was unable to join them. However, I can vouch for the great food at 3 Square. I had very yummy corn pancakes, poached egg, smoked salmon, and fruit. Also, after wandering into the bakery, I was able to sample my friend's triberry scone. I was rather annoyed by her going on and on about this scone. I mean, I like scones, but how good can a scone be? Apparently, a scone can be amazing. Seriously, after one taste, I coveted the scone. I actually talked about this scone for a good week.

But, I digress. Back to Fukagawa. Breakfast at Fukagawa consists of four specials.
The basic (Combo A) is a bowl of rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, seaweed, an egg (hard-boiled, raw, or tamago) and a small dish (perhaps a potato croquette, boiled spinach or tofu). Combos B-D just add on to the items in Combo A. See all combos below:

Combo A:
Rice, miso soup, small dish, nori (seaweed), pickles, and an egg.

Combo B:
Combo A + Natto (fermented soy beans)

Combo C:
Combo A + fish (grilled Aji-spanish mackerel, Saba-mackerel, or salmon) or steak

Combo D:
Combo A + Natto + fish or steak


Since, it's not everyday that I have Japanese food for breakfast, I decided to get Combo D. My final order consisted of a bowl of rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, nori, a raw egg, a tofu small dish, a bowl of natto, and grilled salmon with a side of grated daikon radish. It was quite a bit of food.

The miso soup was good. However, there were so many other things to concentrate on, that it became an afterthought. This was also the case for the pickled cabbage. As for the salmon, it wasn't my favorite. I found the grilled salmon a little overcooked and dry. Based on information from our group organizer and yelp.com readers, there is a special way to eat the rice. You mix a raw egg and soy sauce in the rice. The steaming rice partially cooks the egg and you end up with a delicious dish. I love steamed/runny/poached eggs, so I decided to try it. However, as it turned out, my rice was not as hot as I expected. So, I did not have the desired outcome. Still, I enjoyed the taste of the egg, soy, and rice. It was different. The tofu dish was very nice. There were two large pieces of tofu in a very flavorful broth. The dish was accented with shaved bonito flakes and green onion. I really enjoyed it. Oh, let me not forget the natto. Hmmm, what to say. I came to natto with an open mind. Even as one of my Japanese dining mates went on about how much she disliked it. The natto arrived with a raw quail egg in the center and topped with green onion. There was also a little bit of spicy mustard on the side of the bowl. As I attempted to stir in the ingredients, the natto began to foam and spiderweb like strings developed. The more I stirred, the more it bubbled. I finally decided to bite the bullet and just taste it. Remember, I have an open mind. Well, after one taste of natto, it was officially closed. The taste was akin to a teenaged boy's dirty gym sock. It was without a doubt the most unpleasant thing I have ever eaten. I strongly believe in second chances, but I think it's a wrap for me and natto.

Overall, an interesting experience.

Kogi Taco Truck-update

Last weekend, I caught up with the Kogi Taco Truck. It was really nice to see them out in their element. They were located just outside The Brig in Venice. I got the chance to sample a couple of the other items (in addition to my spicy pork and short rib tacos).

The night's special: Mole

It was a little bowl of mole, with a little onion and sesame on top. It was rich and flavorful. Also, it had a real nice heat. I couldn't finish it all, but I wanted to. So, I took it home and enjoyed it the next day. It was even better.



The Kimchee Quesadilla

Apparently, it's a big hit and has become a sort of regular special. It consisted of kimchee, cheddar, and jack cheese. Oh, there was also a very delicious salsa on top. I found myself scooping a little more on with each bite. I will openly admit that I'm not a huge fan of kimchee. However, I don't dislike it. It was nice, however, it was very different. The traditional flavors are so familiar, that I was always a little surprised when I took a bite that included the crunchy kimchee. While it's not something I can eat a lot of, I can appreciate how others would enjoy it.

Taco Truck: Korean Style--Kogi Korean BBQ

One Saturday afternoon, my food blogger group was invited to sample the newest Taco truck in town, Kogi. Don't expect the typical carne asada or carnitas. No, this is Korean BBQ, taco truck style. As someone with a love of Korean food, I was all over this idea.

(l to r: Eric Shin, web administrator.photographer, Chef Roy Choi, Mark Manguera, and Caroline Shin-Manguera)

Kogi was the brainchild of Mark Manguera and his wife, Caroline. It is the fulfillment of an idea Mark threw out after leaving a club at 2am one morning. Mark, who worked many years in the hotel business, decided to team up with Chef Roy Choi (of Rocksugar in Century City) to bring his idea to fruition. After many taste testing sessions, including Mark, his family, and Chef Roy, they arrived at the menu we were presented with.

Their main menu consists of tacos and burritos. You have the choice of four proteins: short rib, spicy pork, chicken, and tofu. The burritos are a breakfast burrito consisting of eggs, hash browns, and your choice of protein. According to Mark and the others, the burrito is a big hit with the late night crowds. However, we sampled the four tacos, along with a special treat.


We were told that each protein has it’s own distinctive marinade and special sauce accompaniment. The tacos came in a small taco shell, along with a little lettuce and sesame seeds as garnish. My first sample was the spicy pork taco. It was served with an orange wedge. I squeezed a liberal amount on the spicy pork and had my first taste. The pork was simply delicious. The pork was tender and flavorful. The orange partnered beautifully with the sweetness of the pork. It added a little something extra that was surprising and very delicious. Next, I tried the short rib taco. It was served with a lemon wedge. Unlike the spicy pork, the short rib did not particularly benefit from the addition of the acid. While, not my favorite, it was very good.
(l to r: short rib taco and spicy pork taco)Next up, was the chicken. It was just ok. I found the chicken a little over-cooked and there was nothing special about it. I finished up my taco sampling with the tofu taco. I love tofu, so I was really looking forward to tasting it. However, while the sauce was flavorful, I found the tofu itself lacking in flavor. Also, the actual pieces of tofu were a little large for my taste. I would have preferred if it were similar in texture/look of tofu scramble. In short, it wasn’t my favorite. Of all of the tacos, I could have eaten the spicy pork all day long. It was outstanding.


As we were preparing to finish up, Chef Roy presented us with a Korean BBQ Slider. WHAT??!? Ok, I was excited at the prospect. The slider consisted of the short rib, lettuce, sesame seeds, and mayo served on a King’s Hawaiian bun. One bite, and I was in heaven. It was incredibly tasty and I enjoyed every single bite.


All in all, it was very good. Many noted that the dishes would benefit from the addition of more Asian elements. Some suggestions included rice based wrapper instead of tortillas. Or, possibly the addition of crunchy cabbage, kimchee, or a little pickled daikon. Still, the Korean taco is an intriguing concept. Again, it was all quite tasty and I anticipate that it will only get better with time. Mark and Chef Roy are really open to feedback and invested in bringing the best food to the hungry late night masses.

Since, it is a taco truck, they are on the move. You can track them down via Twitter http://twitter.com/kogibbq. Also, don't forget to check out their website http://kogibbq.com to see more great pictures and learn about Kogi. After a recent visit to the website, I noticed that they are spicing things up with various specials, like the recent Kimchee Quesadilla. Sounds interesting. They are in Venice tonight, so I might have to make a special trip over there.

Why I'm Mad at Guy Fieri (or My Visit to Chino Bandito)

Every year, during Thanksgiving time, my family travels to Arizona. When traveling to another city, I always look forward to visiting a new restaurant. Usually, that’s not the case when I visit AZ. We have a tradition of sorts. The day before Thanksgiving, we have Ruby Tuesday (mainly because I insist), Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, and pizza the day after. However, that all changed after I saw an episode of Diners, Dives, and Drive-ins. Guy highlighted a little place in Phoenix called Chino Bandito. It’s Mexican/Chinese fusion. Um, hello? WHAT? Anyway, it looked really interesting and I had to taste that food.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was able to visit their new Chandler location. Prior to my visit, I heard a lot about their unique ordering system. Since it was our first visit, we were treated to a tutorial. In short, all of the entrees were available with rice, in a quesadilla, or in a burrito. During our tutorial, we mentioned that we were not in a hurry, so we were able to partake in a tasting.

We started with a sample of their black beans. I really like black beans. However, I found the Chino Bandito version incredibly salty. Frankly, it was inedible. Next, we were offered the emerald chicken. It was sautéed chicken with garlic and ginger. It was simple, but not memorable. The same could be said of the carnitas and jerk chicken. The jerk fried rice was so spicy that it totally killed my taste buds. It took several sips of whatever and a couple of minutes for me to resume tasting. The last sample was jade chicken. They were lightly fried chicken pieces in a delicious, spicy sweet red sauce. Of all of the samples, this was the one standout.

Since I was ordering for a few people, it was my opportunity to sample several items. My final order was chile rellano quesadilla, jade burrito, pork fried rice, refried beans, and jerk fried chicken. The chile rellano quesadilla was extremely disappointing. After two bites, I was done. The fry was both soggy and hard. It was disgusting. The jade burrito, while tasty, was also disappointing. I spent a great deal of time thinking about the possible makeup of a Chino Bandito burrito. No one was more surprised then I to find that a Chino Bandito burrito consisted of the entrée wrapped in a tortilla. No rice, no beans. No lettuce. No tomato.No imagination.

However, I did enjoy the pork fried rice and the refried beans. Overall, I was extremely disappointed by my visit to Chino Bandito. This was clearly a case of the interesting concept and disappointing execution.

I'm Not Going on Another Break...seriously, I'm not

I know my posts have been few and far between. I've been super busy lately. I have several reviews on the horizon. Look forward to posts on the Kogi Korean Taco Truck, early dinner at Comme Ca, Korean food at Beverly Tofu, and a visit to the Chinese/Mexican fusion spot in Arizona, Chino Bandito.

Oh, and comments on Top Chef.