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Spanish tapas dinner at Tertulia. We had tortilla -Spanish omelette, radish salad, roasted potatoes, iberico ham, sardines, and a large chicken paella. Sorry for the washes out photos. . . . . .
Dinner with an old friend from Shanghai. Got a same day reservation at Babbo. Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s Italian restaurant. We started off by sharing a baby wild arugula salad. Then I had the linguine with clams, pancetta, and hot chilies. Wife had the black spaghetti with rock shrimp, spicy salami, calabrese, and green chilies. And our friend got the cavatelli with Costolettr di maiale. Unfortunately I can re-pronounce, nor remember what some of these dishes are unless I look at the picture. But I know they tasted good and had great texture. We also shared a whole grilled branzino - light flakey and just right. Might have been too much food. But it was good. I wasn’t really looking for anything high end on this trip, but Babbo’s availability opened up - and I couldn’t refuse. Pricey, but well worth it. . . .
A return to Gammeeok. Had the Sogogi, fried chicken wings, and the galbi tang. The wings were better than expected. . . .
Back NYC for Having just landed we had French breakfast at Buvette. Cr’q Madame, smoked salmon and avocado on toast, and almond croissants. This little French diner filled up fast. . . . .
Family Din Din at Lao Xi Noodle House 老西儿 in Arcadia. Knife Cut noodle with chicken ，刀削麵, chinese pasta in soup, meat balls 貓耳朵, cold dishes with tofu, pig ear, and sliced beef. . . .
Dinner at Bonchon. We had spicy and soy-garlic fried chicken, ttokboki, udon, bbimbop, japchae, fried, and chicken katsu. . . .
A thick block of toasted bread slathered with peanut butter on top, with one corner pulled away to show the soft interior.
Ramen for dinner at Tatsunoya in Old Town Pasadena. Wife’s favorite ramen joint. I thought it was pretty good this time. I also added the cheese, which she thought was overkill, with the rich fatty broth. Maybe it was. . . .
Dim Sum brunch at Grand Harbour Restaurant in Temple City.
A plate of white rice topped with sliced char siu barbecue pork and crispy roast pork, with broccoli on the side.
Lunch at Pine & Crane. Taiwanese fare in Silver Lake, minutes from DTLA. Couldn’t order in Taiwanese, was skeptical. But was slightly surprised. Shrimp dumplings had good sauce. Noodle texture was right on the Jia Jiang Mian and Dan Dan mian, but wasn’t the right noodle for me - but that’s just me. The luo ruo fan (braised pork over rice) was ok - preferred diced pork belly instead of ground pork. Sausage, cold sides, and drinks is good for the authentic experience, especially the Taiwan Apple Sidra. And enjoyed the scallion pancake 蔥油餅. Yes, I am Taiwanese and I have set a high bar and should. I’m glad to see so many non-Asians discovering, trying, and accepting Taiwanese food. I dig it. . .
Wonderful dinner at Bavel, sister restaurant of Bestia. Unexpectedly refreshing Middle Eastern cuisine that we usually don’t have. We had foie gras halva and olives to start. Then we had my favorite - the Malawach flat bread. The grilled oyster mushrooms and grilled octopus was yummy. I want to reproduce the mushrooms at home, seriously. And finished off with the grilled lamb saddle chop - never had that before. Yum! Can’t wait to visit again. . .