Good Eats

It is rainy, I am hungry, and it is barely 9am in the morning. Driving back from Irvine after a late night of birthday celebrating, Xiao Long Baos (juicy Shanghainese soup dumplings) sounded divine. I was definitely not about to drive another 50 miles elsewhere, so I resorted to good ol' Yelp for a good place to start off a good, rainy Saturday... and thank goodness for it because Ding's Garden was such a great find.

Ding's Garden is a legit, small-time Shanghainese-Chinese restaurant. Their menu is written only in Chinese (unless you shamefully request for the English version like me - ABC, what what?). There are so many different dishes but most are the familiar classics. The food comes amazingly fast - within 5 minutes - so you won't be kept in much anticipation.

I know I said I came to satiate my craving of Xiao Long Baos but my wondering eyes got the best of me and I feasted like it was Chinese New Year again. Here is the play by play:

APPETIZER / MAIN:
+ Jiao He Jiao He (mixed cold-cut appetizer) - Simple, herby, addictive (not overly sensational to kick off your pallete)

+ XLBs - Excellent! Meaty, soupy, and flavorful. The vinegar and ginger is not even necessary because it's that good. I honestly wished I had ordered 2 crates.
+ Zha Zhang Mian - Tasty with a hint of sweetness. The noodles had a good elasticity and chewiness to it. It still is not comparable to the best-I've-ever-eaten in Hong Kong but I mean, you can't really beat the motherland.+ Pork Chop Fried Rice - Huge pork chop, well crusted, good meat to breading ratio, comforting fried rice
- Spicy Beef Noodles - Great lean cuts of meat without much tendon (my personal preference), but the soup lacked the herbiness that makes this dish - maybe it's the Shanghainese recipe vs. the Taiwanese flavors I am used to, at no fault of the dish if so
- Dan Dan Mian - Very peanuty if you are into that but it tasted too close to a peanut butter sandwich to me; I would have enjoyed more meat flavor in it. As an FYI, I do love PB in every form but this just seemed too much, even for me
- Stir Fried Rice Cakes (Nian Gao) - Ordinary, could have used more salt

DRINKS / DESSERT
+ Winter Melon Drink - Fragrant and sweet
+ Boba Milk Tea - Boba is smaller, which made it easier to swallow without much necessary chew time --> more time to eat everything else! :)
+ Sesame Rice Balls in Sweet Soup - Fantastic! I could not stop eating it for the life of me! You can tell it is freshly made from the delicateness of the rice balls. The sweet soup perfectly complements the balls, and I love the hint of fragrant Osmanthus flowers sprinkled on top. This is definitely worth getting if you can appreciate traditional Chinese desserts, which is especially perfect for a rainy day.
All in all, this meal was excellent - taste, value, and service rocked (the servers are busy folks but they will gladly stop and explain what's what on the menu and what the other table ordered). All the dishes were inexpensive, averaging $6/dish.

My mom said it best in that you know the owners of Ding's Garden are good cooks who care about their food as it clearly shows in the dishes. I can't wait til I come back for my 2 crates of Xiao Long Baos and sesame rice balls!

18922 Gale Ave, Ste A
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

534 E Valley Blvd, Ste 10
San Gabriel, CA 91776

It's DeLuscious with a 'sch

Hi, I am a self-proclaimed cookie monster. I would trade my first born for a box of DeLuscious Cookies - I have never had such an epic dessert experience in my life. Their Chocolate Decadence - half cookie/brownie, half God's gift - is THE epitome of what a cookie should be.

Yes they are a little more expensive at $4-5/cookie. Yes you do have to pre-order and have them delivered or picked up. Finally, yes they will be the BEST cookies you ever eat.

They mastered the chocolate brownie-cookie to a tee. It is large and can probably serve as your desk's paperweight. It is coated in powdered sugar and decorated with natural oven cracks to display the seriousness of it all. On your first bite, the powdered sugar melts and cools into your mouth and then immediately, you are hit with rich, chocolately decadence (har har har). You get the outside crisp of a cookie, the inside satisfactory denseness of a brownie, and surprise pockets of melted chocolate chips (I don't know how they do that after the cookie has been cooled and wrapped!).

There's really no other place I know that bake cookies the way they do. I really hope they start selling them individually so I can satiate my spontaneous cravings and be able to sleep peacefully at night...

829 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038

www.delusciouscookies.com

Internationally Known, Not Just Known to Rock the Microwaaave

I don't know what it is. Maybe it is something about having too many perplex dishes or hitting that quarter life crisis, but there is something beyond appealing about pizza. Piece of dough, tomato sauce, melted cheese, and some meat topping and your day gets better. It is a sure win and it is comforting. Well… knowing me, it can't be that simple!

Korean pizza. I heard about this concept 3 years ago but never acted on it - let's face it, if I am going to K-Town in LA, I am going to grill meat, end of discussion. But recently, my friend had told me about Pizza and Chicken Love Letter in Cerritos. Appealing because it is in the 'burbs where parking is abundant and it is away from the temptation of Korean BBQ. Thanks to Yelp, I found a closer location right in front of my parents' house in a random, janky strip mall. SCORE! Why Korean pizza you ask? It is atypical. Ok more? Rather than your traditional pepperoni (which, don't get me wrong, I LOVE), they have zany toppings like bulgogi. Do I need to say anymore? You can put that meat anywhere and it is delicious! All right, if that has not hooked you. This place also has a potato and sweet potato topping. Ok the former is becoming more main stream so we will let that slide but you still doubt carb on carb? Sounds too heavy? Well, it is not too much if the restaurant does it right. Sliced thin or chopped small and the starchiness will not be overwhelming. Enter Pizza & Chicken Love Letter's sweet potato pizza – WOW!

First of all, if you love (yellow) sweet potato, then this is it. If you are not a fan of this starchy friend, then you will NOT get the point of Pizza & Chicken Love Letter. They take a pan-roasted crust and pile on diced sweet potato, pineapple, sausage, onions, corn, tomato sauce, and cheese. If you're feeling more adventurous (and you should because you've already walked through the door), upgrade to the "gold" crust where they fill the pizza crust with mashed sweet potato. I have never tasted such an amazing combination – all these flavors together work! It is just the right amount of savory remixed with natural sweetness from the sweet potatoes. It might be weird for some people, but again, if you enjoy sweet potatoes, then you will like this pizza.

Did I mention this place was super cute? It made me think I was in a CUE photo booth. It is a little barny because of the brownish wood interior and red & white checkered tables. The place is lined with booths for a more intimate love session… with yo' pizza! The walls are decorated with cartoonish writing along with cheesy chicken mascots that remind you of the Asian authenticity of this place.

They also have a variety of different chicken styles and flavor. One of them is chicken bulgogi that has been baked in cheese – tell me how awesome does that sound? While the sweet chili chicken wings are as addictive as Nutella, I happily optted for the sweet potato gold pizza because it is… just… that… amazing. Between the cute atmosphere and unique combinations, this place is stomach-worthy fo' sho!

These are the location addresses:

18333B Colima Rd.
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

8891 Garden Grove Blvd.
Garden Grove, CA 92884

11752 Garden Grove Blvd.
Garden Grove, CA 92884

You Must Be My Lucky Star

Have you ever paid $45+ for ice cream? I thought fine dining ended at steak or sushi, but somehow I managed to pay that much for one of The Milk Shop's French Macaroon ice cream sandwiches…

Is their ice cream really worth that much? You can say it is debatable. Admittingly, I didn't really pay $45+ for just ice cream – 95% went to the city for illegally parking my vehicle 5 minutes in the residential area to satisfy my sweet tooth. Can you really blame me? I had already driven 15 minutes out from the Westside for their limited edition blueberry French Macaroon ice cream sandwich that I have never ever had. Am I asking too much to just have a parking spot ready for me at 10pm? Seriously, parking on Beverly has become a pain in the a-hole ever since two years ago. On the weekends, El Coyote is nice enough to lend out their lot (for a fee) but good luck on a busy night. If they are full, you are pretty much stuck driving around the neighborhood until you stumble on a meter. And despite all those grade school grammar lessons on double negatives, Milk double-jabs you with their constant price increases. $1 increase in less than a year is pretty horrendous, especially considering how affordable they used to be in 2006 ($2.50 for an ice cream sandwich vs. $4.50 now!). Yet despite all obstacles, I keep coming back. I'm a damn fool in love, and Milk is just magically delicious. This is why:

French Macaroon Ice Cream Sandwiches – Take the best two sweets man ever invented and then twist it with some shi-shi French influence to make it even more mind-blowingly amazing. The French Macaroon part is sweet and chewy, holding its own against the silky ice cream. The textures play off each other well as you get a bit of substance in between a flash freeze of cold. My favorite is the Toffee Coffee –strong overall coffee taste with bits of chocolate covered toffee for an extra bite. I also enjoy their many unpredictable seasonal flavors. It gets me in the store every time! My favorite is the Rose French Macaroon Ice Cream sandwich that is only available on Valentine's Day week. It is quite the treat if you are into fragrant-tasting food.

Blue Velvet Cake – If you believe in puppies and have a ridiculous sweet tooth, then yes. Saay whaat? You will have a new favorite birthday gift after a bite. Unbelievably moist with a tasty cream cheese frosting… Bits of blueberry dancing in between each frosted layer… Just rich, guilty indulgence. And just when you think you have had your way with the cake, it gives you another magical experience. Your very own blue Easter Egg! Ask me after.

Espresso a la Mode – It took me 4 years before I knew this existed. I have spent all my energy on the FMac & Blue Velv that I skip the menu. After going with a new group of people and candidly giving them disgusted looks for ordering items other than the aforementioned, I was exposed to this concoction containing 2 scoops of vanilla + 2 shots of espresso + chocolate syrup + whipped cream + hazelnuts. For someone who loves coffee-flavored things, I was in heaven. Contrast of hot and cold. Bitter and sweet. Creamy and nutty. I became an instant fan – so much that I did not even get a FMac during my latest run. I went straight for this dish with a few minor tweaks because who wants to be boring vanilla: 1 scoop coffee toffee ice cream + 1 scoop peanut ice cream + 2 shots of espresso + light chocolate syrup + hazelnuts. Too much? Nah… I had no problems sleeping that night. I was more than satisfied.

Inventive ice cream sandwiches. Tasty cakes. Bold items. Yeah, I will be back (sans the parking ticket hopefully). There really isn't any dessert place out there that can do what they do.

7290 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046

That'sa Pizza!

Pizzeria Mozza: This place will always have a fond place in my heart. I had this place earlier on in my food career when my boyfriend at the time whisked me away after a stressful day at work to introduce me to the best pizza he ever ate. Not knowing how different gourmet pizza can be from my favorite take out joint, Pizza Hut, I became a new person that night.

While I have not gone very often, I hold Batali’s pizza as the bar for what great pizza should be. Their pizzas are made with the freshest ingredients. The tomato sauce is tangy and rustic. Their cheese is made in-house and sprinkled with just the right amount (not too much, not too little though nobody ever complains about extra cheese!). And… the perfect bubbly crust which makes the pizza. Just to give you a little background, I am not a crusty person. I am that girl that would cut the middle of the pie and eat it if you’d let me. Why waste my stomach space on an area that does not contain cheese, meat, or tomato? Worse of all, it is usually pretty dry and hard to eat. Well that mentality changed after having Mozza’s light, airy crust.

Fast forward a few years, I have yet to find another pizza place as tasty as Pizzeria Mozza. Recently his pizzeria gave me a new reason to come back: Nancy Silverton’s new Wednesday night Italian-rubbed baby back ribs. Boy oh boy were they tasty! Extremely flavorful – tangy, savory, spicy, and moderately saucy. The aromatics on the ribs fill your senses with every new bite. They aren’t bbq so don’t expect smoke or grill marks on this baby. Also, unlike your traditional baby backs, these are much smaller. It’s an interesting cut – only half the size of what you are used to. (They are more like Chinese short ribs if that means anything to you.) Don’t fret though! The volume of flavor truly does make up for the smaller size.

On that night, I also shared two pizzas – the Bacon, salami, fennel sausage, guanciale, tomato & mozzarella and the Egg, bacon, Yukon gold potato & Bermuda onions. The first one was basically a meat lovers-kinda pizza (YEA!!). It was ok. I wished it had a little more tomato sauce on it and more bubbly in the crust. The second pizza was better. I was surprised by how tender the potatos were, and I was more than stoked to have an egg on my pizza. The egg didn’t quite live up to the idea I had of it – maybe if it was bigger? It is tough to get enough of the egg on the pizza when its divvied up into four slices.

Sadly, the pizzas weren’t quite what I remembered. Maybe I did not order the right ones. Their maragherita (mozzarella, tomato & basil) is their best pizza after all, and I previously loved their prosciutto. Maybe it was the ribs. They were just so damn delicious it suppressed every other capable sensation that night. Or maybe it was that treasured first memory – it’sa Amore! Regardless, I will still love this pizzeria and now I have the ribs to look forward to.

641 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036