Hong Kong Deli

The first time I ate in the nearly empty Hong Kong Deli, I did so thinking I was ignoring my better judgment. Usually a restaurant without patrons is empty for a reason. Maybe it was the dim lighting, so rare for a Chinese restaurant, or maybe the convenient location on Cahuenga Boulevard almost next door to the Hotel Cafe that has kept me coming back. On a recent visit, a large bowl of wonton soup was enough for three of us to share, the fragrant, clear chicken broth and savory wontons a perfect starter course. Kung Pao beef (pictured) wouldn't have been a selection I would have normally chosen but was my favorite on a recent night. The beef was lean and tender, in a spicy sauce with the crunchy peanuts I love. Chicken with broccoli was a hit. Even the sushi which my independent-minded friend Mary insisted on ordering seemed to be first rate. (I admit, I've had the hankering and ordered it before too.) Hong Kong Deli must surely be doing a booming business in take-out or delivery since there are still rarely more than a few tables full of people. But for no-frills American-Chinese standards (and the occasional piece of albacore), it really can't be beat.

Hong Kong Deli
1643 N Cahuenga Blvd
(323) 957-1998

La Taquiza

Confused as to why the Natural History Museum was dark and empty last Friday night when we were looking for a DJ and the Deerhoof show, (apparently they call it First Fridays for a reason; the next event is June 1st), that provided just the opportunity to stop by for a taco or two at an old haunt from my days at USC. Tortillas are patted out fresh by hand and a spit of meat roasts as you order at the counter. We sampled al pastor, grilled shrimp as well as fish tacos. All were great but tasted even better slathered in fresh avacado salsa that you can help yourself to at the bar. La Taquiza may be one of the brighter spot on the culinary map around USC but it's not all that shines on Figueroa--be sure to check out the fantastic Felix the Cat neon sign for the old Chevy dealer across the street, it's something of a local landmark.

La Taquiza
3026 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles
(213) 747-4849

Momofuku Noodle Bar

So it's raining and cold, you're starving, and you've already been waiting half an hour for seats together to open up at Momofuku. Do you continue to press your face against the window or rush straight into the Italian pastry shop on the same corner and gorge on gelato and biscotti? Luckily our patience eventually pays off and we figured out why Momofuku is worth the wait. Marinated baby octopi, tender little things, started us off. I'm generally not a fan of octopus but these were as delicious as any I've ever had. The Momofuku Ramen is served in a huge bowl with a fragrant broth topped off with slices of roasted Berkshire pork belly, shredded pork, fresh English peas, chopped scallions and a soft-poached egg. It's rich and satisfying this night. The chocolate and pistachio gelato next door turned out to be worth the wait too, and a perfect way to top off our meal.

Momofuku
163 1st Ave
New York
(212) 475-7899

Elite Restaurant

Yes, the dim sum at Elite Restaurant is as good as they say. We even saw Jonathan Gold himself there today, photographer and kids in tow. (Will he follow S.Irene's lead on this one and write it up in next week's LA Weekly? Stay tuned.) We were also lucky enough to end up sitting next to a friendly fellow who insisted that we order the savory pancakes. Excellent choice as it turns out, and as the bustling new restaurant's owner, he should know. In fact, everything (minus the hour and a half wait for a table) was excellent--the shrimp har gow, the Macau roasted pork, the buttery and delicate baked scallop dumplings, even the sea cucumber and bamboo pith dim sum. By the time we were seated close to 2:30, the kitchen was out of the famouse shark fin and red clam dumplings which greatly disappointed some at our table. But on a positive note, it's all the more reason to return for dim sum at Elite another day.

Elite Restaurant
700 S. Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park
(626) 282-9998

Yuca's

Saturday is tamale day at Yuca's, as if you needed another reason to stand in the parking lot of a liquor store on Hillhurst waiting for your lunch to be handed to you wrapped in tinfoil and served in a brown paper bag. Having recently sampled the cochinita pibil at Loteria Grill and Chitzen Itza, I confirmed what I had been thinking all along--Yuca's does it best. Of course everyone knows this by now (they won a James Beard award a few years ago for gosh sakes), but sometimes it's nice to have a reminder, especially with a fresh hot cochinita pibil burrito (no beans please). Dora was nowhere to be seen on this particular Saturday afternoon visit. When asked where she was, Socorro said she's been so busy, preparing as they are to appear on the Oprah show on Monday. Set your Tivo, Oprah is coming to Los Feliz.

Yuca's
2056 Hillhurst Ave.
Los Feliz
(323) 662-1214

The Oinkster

In deference to Pulitzer Prize-winning Jonathan Gold, I just had to check out his recommendation last week for The Oinkster. It didn't hurt that the new-ish Colorado Blvd restaurant specializes in slow roasted pulled-pork barbeque and Belgian-style fries and is about 10 minutes from my house. Eastern North Carolina is generally considered the home of pork barbeque in the U.S. and I've eaten my fill of it on summer trips to see family back East. (We typically froze several pounds of it to fly it back with us to our home in Texas where the word barbeque is synonymous with beef.) Oinkster's pork sandwich was absolutely delicious, but didn't exactly remind me of those NC pulled-pork sandwiches of my youth. NC-style sauce is typically redolent of vinegar and black pepper, neither of which was particularly in evidence in the squirt bottles at Oinkster. I thought the meat lacked some of the charred, smoky character that you find at Parker's in Wilson or family favorite King's BBQ (pronounced bah-be-que) up I-95 in Petersburg VA. Come to think of it, Oinkster's has more in common with a simple but fantastic sandwich I had at a stand next to the Borough Market in London a few years back, pulled and assembled fresh for me off a whole roasted pig right there off the street. At any rate, Oinkster is showing a lot of love for the food they serve and that's a huge plus in my book. Both the pork and the crispy Belgian fries were delicious and the scene is very Eagle Rock-hipster-goes-out-for-a-cheap-dinner. (My order with a drink was about $11.) Can't wait to go back.

The Oinkster
2005 Colorado Blvd
Eagle Rock
323-255-oink

Supper

Supper is the type of low-key Italian spot that any neighborhood would love to call its own. Since this particular neighborhood happens to be the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the denizens here are of a particular sort--youngish, a foreign accent here, a tattoo there, hooded sweatshirts all around. There isn't a bad table in the place, even the communal dining table where we sat just inside the door, since proximity to the hip crowd is all part of the fun. (A few tables spill out onto the sidewalk or you can sit inside, or in back or even down a tiny flight of stairs in the basement.) A starter of bruschetta with white beans and pancetta was salty and delicious. I had a special of the night, spaghetti in a tomato and prosciutto sauce, while David tried a tagliatelle with fresh porcini mushrooms. For dessert a hazlenut panna cotta with chocolate sauce was just the ticket. (Thanks to New York magazine for the pic; it was too dark for me to take one.)

Supper Restaurant
156 E 2nd St
New York
212 477-0823

Triumphal Palace

I'd worried that without roving steam carts the sense of discovery at a dim sum house just wouldn't be the same. But along with that sense of discovery can come the stress of getting the attention of the servers only to find they're pushing along yet another selection of chicken feet or various cartilagineous balls not meant for Western palates. In the end, you settle on another order of pork shiu-mai just to sate your hunger and dream of a restaurant with menus.

After finally making it out to Triumphal Palace yesterday, I'm that much more in the menu camp as far as dim sum is concerned. After lingering over the English-language menu while sipping our hot tea, my friend David and I made our selections then sat back and waited for the orders to appear. The kitchen started us with the amazing, crispy-skinned and succulent braised pork belly, then followed shortly thereafter with the shrimp dumplings with pea shoots, triangular chiu-chow style dumplings (stuffed with vegetables and seafood), shrimp har gow, bbq pork bao and the simple but satisfying wide shrimp rice noodles doused with soy sauce that I just love. Lightly golden fried crab cakes have no place on a steam cart at all and here they were perfect, served with pieces of sliced fresh papaya and mango. We waited at least a half an hour for a table when we arrived around noon but by 2 when we left the crowd had diminished considerably. Good to remember for next time since Triumphal Palace is open for dim sum daily till 3.

Triumphal Palace
500 W Main St
Alhambra
626 308-3222

Pasta with fresh fava bean sauce

Fresh fava beans can be quite the challenge to prepare but I try to take advantage of their availability in the local farmers' markets at least once each spring. Tonight I spent a few hours shelling them and then found a recipe for a fresh fava bean pasta sauce that seemed like a great way to use them. I don't really know exact measurements on this one so use it as inspiration if you're going to try the same dish. (I adapted this from a recipe I found on napastyle.com so take a look at that too.)

2 cups or more of fresh fava beans, shelled
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 tsp of dried oregano
olive oil
2 cups chicken stock
pasta of your choice
freshly grated pecorino
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 of a preserved lemon (optional), diced

Remove the fresh fava beans from their pods. In the meantime, put a pot of salted water on to boil. Blanch the favas for about a minute and then remove to a bowl of cool water. Drain. Use your finger to remove the outer membrane from each bean and set them aside.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and cook the garlic on low heat until it just starts to brown. Add the oregano, the chicken stock, preserved lemon and all but about a 1/2 cup of the favas. Cook for a few minutes, then remove the mixture to a blender or food processor to puree. Return the fava bean puree to the saute pan.

Boil water for the pasta. Cook pasta until within a few minutes of being al dente. Add cooked pasta back into the saute pan with the fava bean puree. Add enough water from the pot to continue cooking the pasta and stir to completely coat pasta with fresh fava sauce. When done, add the rest of the whole fava beans and generously grate pecorino over the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Fettucine alla Carbonara

1 lb fettucine or spaghetti
6 oz pancetta, diced
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
4 egg yolks
grated fresh parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Boil salted water and begin cooking the pasta.

Whisk the egg yolks together in a small bowl and set aside.

Saute the pancetta until crisp and then remove to a small plate. Add olive oil to the pan and saute the garlic and shallots. Add the wine and deglaze the pan. Reduce the liquid by half, then return the cooked pancetta back to the pan.

With a few minutes to go before the pasta is al dente, remove it to the pan with the pancetta, garlic and onion. Add enough boiling water from the pot to continue cooking the pasta. Once the pasta is cooked, remove it from the heat into a large bowl. Toss in the egg yolks and parmesan until the pasta is well coated. The eggs will cook quickly from the heat of the pasta and create a thick sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Los Balcones del Peru

I realize I'm not breaking any new ground here as Los Balcones del Peru has been written about by just about everyone by now, but even still, it's walking distance from my office so I tend to end up eating there fairly often and it does deserve a mention here.

Even before I order I find I've eaten practically a whole basket of the warm, crusty bread our waiter brings to the table topped with the tangy, hot aji (Peruvian chili pepper) sauce that's served in a bowl on the side. The menu leads with about half a dozen ceviches and though many find the camarones a la piedra (a warm dish of shrimp in a vibrant yellow aji sauce) to be the most interesting, maybe I need to ask the kitchen to crank up the picante next time as I always find this dish to be colorful and beautifully presented but a bit bland. I absolutely love their basic ceviche de pescado, however. In this ceviche, chunks of firm white fish are marinated in lime and hot pepper and are served with wedges of boiled white and sweet potato and garnished with shredded red onion and ears of the freakishly large Peruvian corn. It's refreshing and delicious, just the way I like my ceviche, and begs to be washed down with a cold cerveza. Maybe next time I'm on my way to a movie at the ArcLight, I'll stop in for dinner and do just that.

Los Balcones Del Peru
1360 Vine St (south of Sunset)
Hollywood
(323) 871-9600

Bruschetta with Peas and Pancetta

I bought some fresh English peas at the Farmer's Market and made a quick appetizer by sauteing them with a little butter, olive oil and some onion and pancetta. I served them on some crusty bread that I toasted in olive oil.

Grilled Halibut with Preserved Lemon

I grilled some fresh halibut and sliced up some of the preserved Meyer lemons I made in January to top off the fish. I drizzled with a bit of extra virgin olive oil to top it off. Simple.

I'll post the recipe for preserved lemons soon too. It's easy and a good way to use up lemons if you're lucky enough to have your own lemon tree.

Crostata di Visciola

This is a pretty simple dessert but looks really impressive when it's done and tastes great.

Pastry

2 1/2 cups flour
5 tbsps butter
5 tbsps shortening
2/3 cups sugar
3 egg yolks
grated zest from 1 lemon
pinch of salt

1 1/3 cups of black cherry jam (or the jam of your choice)
1 egg, beaten
confectioner's sugar (if desired)

Pastry crust: Sift flour into a bowl, rub or cut the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the remaining ingredients and knead quickly to a dough. Add more butter or shortening if needed. Work it as little as possible and form into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Break off three quarters of the dough, roll it out thinly on a floured surface and then gently lift it into a 9-inch tart pan. It doesn't matter if the dough fall apart as you can just reform it in the pan. Roll out the remaining dough into 1/2 inch wide strips enough to create a lattice on the tart.

Fill the dough with jam and cover with the strips, arranged in a lattice pattern. Brush the strips with the beaten egg. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden.

Chichen Itza

When starting a new relationship, it can be tempting to want to change a few things about a new boyfriend (or boyfriends, as the case may be) at first. Is he calling too often or not often enough? Maybe you don't quite approve of his choice in underwear? Such is the case with Chichen Itza, a restaurant we like a lot, but one that could do a few things differently if it really wanted to please us. A full liquor license so I could order a margarita would be a good place to start, though no doubt Chichen Itza would love to have that license too. Beer (Dos X, Modelo Especial, Corona, etc.) will have to do for now and worked just fine with the sampler antojito plate and multiple baskets of chips with black bean sauce and pico de gallo we consumed. Our waiter was extremely helpful in helping us pick from among the wide selection of Yucatan-style entrees. The table favorite was the Cochinita Pibil, the traditional Yucatan dish of slow-roasted pork marinated in achiote and bitter orange juice, wrapped in banana leaves. Pollo pibil (pictured) was also tender and delicious, as was the Tikin-Xic, sauteed sole prepared with the same achiote and orange juice marinade. Perhaps you need to be from Wisconsin to appreciate the Queso Relleno, a hollowed-out ball of fried cheese filled with ground pork, raisins and spices that itself is sliced and served over more pork. Pork anyone? This was the only dish left partially uneaten (and unshared) on the table. All the dishes were well prepared and the ingredients impecably fresh. I guess we'd just like it if Chichen Itza, could, well, lighten up a bit, maybe not take itself so seriously, you know? While I realize they're not trying to appeal to the same local MacArthur Park crowd that may eat at the many pupusa joints in the area for a fraction of the price, the formal aspiriations of Chichen Itza mean that it's not a place I'm likely to go on a regular basis, even though there are other dishes I'd love to try on the menu (in particular the appetizer of Chile Xcatic Relleno de Atun, chiles stuffed with fresh albacore tuna). All in all Chichen Itza is one of those that looks great on paper, but we're just not sure is going to end up as more than a friend. But we're open to hanging out again, and we'll just see how it goes from there.

Chichen Itza
2501 W 6th St
Los Angeles CA
213 380-0051

Rigatoni all'Amatriciana

This is an easy recipe and one I decided to make today since I didn't feel like going to the store and happened to have all the necessary ingredients on hand. Of course you could make this with spaghetti or whatever pasta you want.

1 1/2 pounds rigatoni (I used half a box of Latini brand rigatoni)
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, diced
5 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
28 oz can tomatoes, seeded (I used San Marzanos)
salt & pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino

Heat the oil and saute the shallots over a very low heat until soft. Add the pancetta and fry it for a few minutes. Pour in the white wine and continue cooking until it evaporates a little. Add the tomatoes to the pan and roughly chop up using the back of a spoon or a potato masher. Season with a little salt and pepper and cook down on low heat for no more than 15 minutes.

Separately, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until within a few minutes of being al dente. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta out of the boiling water and add it to the sauce. Add a small amount of the pasta water and continue cooking on low heat until the sauce and pasta are properly married and the rigatoni is done cooking. Sprinkle with the fresh pecorino and serve.

Red Pearl Kitchen

A boccini-toss away from Mozza and a block down from the live/work lofts that housed those hopeful contestants of Bravo's Top Design, Red Pearl Kitchen has transformed the former Meson G into a space that's lively and theatrical, where dangling paper lanterns, reclining buddhas, glossy portraits of Mao and a lively young crowd all bask in a dim, bordello-red glow. There's even a Gong Li DVD playing in the men's room. The food is also beautifully presented. Steamed shrimp dumplings (standard dim sum fare) are served in a bamboo basket with what I think was a chili and ginger-infused soy sauce on the side. The crispy, thimble-sized crab-pork spring rolls were a hit at the table too, though not my favorite. The black noodles with drunken beef and gai lan (Chinese broccoli) was rich and delicious. Udon with bacon, fried egg and smoky miso is a Asian-fusion take on the classic Roman spaghetti alla carbonara. Stir-fried shaking Kobe beef with papaya and mint packs some heat. I loved the salt and pepper shrimp and the green curry chicken satay that topped us off. Our server, Allison, was attentive and helpful. With a separate bar scene and DJ in the back corner of the restaurant it's no surprise the place was packed on a Friday night and the best reservation we could get when calling earlier that afternoon was for 9 pm.

Red Pearl Kitchen
6703 Melrose Ave
323 525 1415

Palms Thai

A dozen wooden Siamese cats peer down at you from along the ceiling while waiters with headsets scurry between tables refilling water glasses and barking commands into their mouthpieces like some sort of restaurant Secret Service. The noise, the crowded tables, the Singha malt liquor going to your head and now, on stage, Thai Elvis is giving you "Fever". True, Palms Thai is no place to go for a quiet meal, but if you're looking for fast, reliable and inexpensive, it's hard to beat. While I've never tried the frogs legs or boar curry, just a couple of the more exotic delicacies they offer, I'm a huge fan of their pad kee mao, the wide, pan-fried rice noodles, served with either chicken or shrimp. Deep-fried trout with cashews and mango sauce is nice too, though I thought the fish was perhaps a bit dry under its flaky, golden crust. With a spicy bowl of tom yum gai to start (the lemongrass, chili and kaffir lime leaf-scented chicken soup with fresh straw mushrooms that Buds and I both love), we were all set to sit back and enjoy Kevin belt out one hit tune after the other. With special thanks to Miss Peggy Lee, what a lovely way to burn indeed.

Palms Thai
5900 Hollywood Blvd (at Bronson Ave)
Hollywood
323 462-5073

Seafood soup

Continuing the fish stock theme, I made up a seafood soup recipe last week that I really liked. It goes a little something like this:

1 carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
6 tomatoes, seeded (I used canned San Marzanos)
1 small red pepper, diced, some seeds removed (I used a Fresno)
1/2 pound monk fish (or any firm white fish), cut into bite-sized pieces
some fresh clams
some fresh shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 qt fish stock (see below)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
fresh shredded basil
fresh parsley, finely chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a deep sauce pan. Add the onion, red pepper and carrots and saute until soft. Add the tomatoes, thyme and oregano and any tomato sauce from the can and cook down for about five minutes. Pour in the fish stock and bring to a boil. Return to a simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add the fish to the broth and cook gently for a few minutes; add the shrimp and clams and cook until the clams open up. (Be sure not to let the fish boil or it will turn tough.) Stir in the parsley and basil. Serve the soup with fresh croutons on the side.

India Sweets & Spices, Atwater Village

One of my favorite places to go within walking distance of my house, India Sweets & Spices offers a vegetarian Indian buffet with Northern and Southern specialties. Typically there are a few vegetable standbys like daal (lentils) and choley (chickpeas) along with specials like squash, eggplant or spinach in some combination or other. Order a combination plate and you'll get your choice of two vegetables, basmati rice, raita, plus a potato samosa, papadam, paratha, some firey hot pickles, and, depending on the combination you choose, a mango lassi to cut the heat. This will cost you six dollars. On other occasions I'll order a masala dosa, which eventually appears on the counter from the kitchen crisp and steaming hot and filled with buttery, spicy potato mixture. Yum.

I've actually never tried the sweets but they look good and the place is always filled with Indians so I assume the chefs know what they're doing. The giant Indian grocery store next door carries all sorts of Indian grocery staples including a nice selection of Cadbury and other British-brand chocolates and confections made for the Indian market. As an added bonus, odds are extremely good that you'll get to enjoy a rousing Bollywood musical on the enourmous flat screen TV in the brightly lit dining room while you eat. And who knows, the smiles on the beaming Indian actors faces may just match your own as you stumble back out onto Los Feliz Blvd delirious on all that ghee.

India Sweets & Spices
3126 Los Feliz Blvd
323 345-0360