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Is this the one that has no window outside and has a 2 big front doors with semi-circles on the top (golden dots on red color door)? And a fish tank (aquarium tank) right at the front door? If so, I agree that it has very good Chinese food (with some Vietnamese touch). I used to go there for lunches when I worked in that area. ← It was Seafood Cove. I just went back to visit during my recent trip. Seafood Cove Restaurant, Garden Grove, Chinese seafood w/ Vietnamese/Thai touch ← I haven't been back there since my last post there. Its' still good I hope?

Anyone have experience with cooking a turkey using a turkey bag? What were the results? I'm curious to know how the skin turns out. I might consider using one rather than brining.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=14537 Here is the chinese food in LA thread.

NYC is a 3 star restaurant kind of a town and egullet is a 3 star restaurant kind of a forum. I don't think Californians eat out any less, but the restaurants that are popular in California are very different from the types in NYC, where there is a strong european tradition. In CA, the popular restaurants are more likely to be asian or hispanic, cultures that don't conform well to a star system. CHowhound is probably a better example of the culinary fabric of LA, a vibrant forum of adventurous eaters but very different from the crowd here at egullet. WIth SB, it think it has to do with more than whether the locals will support a 3 star restaurant. I don't think they have a strong local media that can build much excitement on a level with the media's influence in NYC.

This was posted over at chowhound. The food episode of Charlie Rose. http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=charlie+rose+robuchon

Nevermind. Strike everything I said. It's the frappes that are heaven sent. NOT the iced blended.

Here are my recent favorites. Din Tai Fung in Los Angeles. I don't care what the LA chowhounds say about the dough, or the controversy over the xiaolongbao, this restaurant is a stand-out. And the dough is excellent. Seafood Cove in OC. Because it's OC and not in LA, you probably have never heard of it. But I find it comparable to even the best restaurants in San Gabriel Valley.

cheese roll..and a dish of butter? Can you explain that to me?

Agreed. Kind of a shame. ← Very shameful, but understandable as the spectrum crowd is pretty young, and Chuao is pretty expensive. But moreover, the location is awful. It's at the very far and very deserted end of the entertainment complex.

Has anyone been down to the Chuao Chocolatier in Irvine or San Diego? I just had an ice blended chocolate drink at the Irvine Spectrum that was so freaking good. It was maybe the best I've ever had. Good quality chocolate as expected, but I think they use true vanilla beans as well. A full chocolate-y experience that's better than any mocha or chocolate drink I've tasted. I'm not into the hard chocolate though. I've a couple of their pieces with very unique spicy flavors. Unfortunately, I don't think the Irvine location is doing so well from my impression from looking at the bored cashier and the one other customer.

The knives look as if they don't work. I don't think the items are ugly, but it all depends on context. I could imagine them working in a modernist or post-modernist setting.

How is the dress code at Spago? was it formal, casual..?

Hi..Thank you for sharing your experience...we had the same feeling that you did that a lot of restaurants are indeed overpriced and their food does not measure up to the cost...so that is why I posted my query...Will look into both places that you mention... ← LA may be too far away from SD. But Orange County isn't. Stonehill Tavern in Dana Point is getting some good reviews from forumers. Got 3 stars from LA Times. Supposedly the "classiest" restaurant in OC. In case you change your mind about trying a "star" restaurant. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...34&hl=stonehill

1st - Regarding the In-N-Out, the recommended secret menu request is to order it "Animal Style" where the onions are grilled, the patties are grilled with the sauce, and it is served with pickles. 2nd - Thank you for reminding of Zankou Chicken!!! I forgot how amazing it was... <snif> ← With the animal style, they grill the patties in mustard. But for me, the secret sauce is perfect by itself for that vinegar-y taste that gives it a kick, without the pickles and mustard.

From my knowledge of foodie recommendations, but not necessarily my personal experience: For a roadfood experience, try a double-double at In-N-Out. Remember to ask for grilled onions. It makes a huge difference. (LA/SF), Langer's for pastrami, Pink's for a hot dog and Phillippe's for French dip (the inventor). Din Tai Fung in arcadia (LA) has the best dumpling I've ever had. The skin is like no other dumpling place. Many people prefer Mei Long Village. For dim sum, San Gabriel Valley is the real Chinatown in LA. Capital Seafood for dim sum. If you don't want to travel that far east, Ocean Seafood and Empress Pavilion are very good in Chinatown. I've also heard but have never tried Papa Beard Cream Puffs (Hollywood/SF). They have that in NYC as well. Persian ice cream at Mashti Malone (LA) Persian food in SoCal is excellect. I've only tried Darya in Costa Mesa OC (which I love), but in LA there is Shiraz, Javan, and Shamshiri which all I've never tried but have heard good things about. For Sushi, Urasawa (if you splurging $250 a person), Katsu-ya, Shibucho. Zankou Chicken for Armenian roasted chicken. Yongsusan for korean food. Personally, if I had to pic just 3 of LA's strengths and unique experiences, I'd go Korean, Persian and Mexican.

Supplement my diet with lots of fruit for the heat. Cantalope, mangos, papayas. Otherwise, eating habits are the same.

i've pretty much boycotted Whole Foods because of this issue. As if the lobster issue wasn't enough.

I'm always shocked when I hear stories of people using Ketchup as a sauce. I'm very curious about their senes of logic? No bad cooks in my family. Just those who cook and those who don't. And a mother, an Asian Marie Barone, who always tries to upstage me, and occasionally sabotages my dishes when she thinks I'm not looking and then badmouths it to my dad.

When exactly is lobster season? And how much cheaper are they as opposed to off season?

Lobsters and crabs "have some degree of awareness, feeling pain and having the ability to learn," Whole Foods said in a statement. http://www.nydailynews.com/business/story/...8p-360374c.html The CEO of Whole Foods is a vegan by the way.

I had Sweet Lady Jane yesterday for the first time. A chocolate cake. Whoa! Way too decadent for my taste. I like my cakes light and fluffy, but I thought they packed the cake way too tight. I also thought there was overload on the buttercream. Nearly a third of the cake was buttercream. That's just too much.

You can use it to baste a roast chicken, pork roast or turkey.

Not close enough to the ocean for seaweed, but I wonder, have you ever tried it with ocean water?

I make a LOT of lobsters (check out my website in my signature) and I use the Julia Child/Jasper White traditional steaming times of 13 or 14 minutes for the first pound, and 3 minutes per additional pound. Max. This works for lobsters as big as 8 pounds. ← I steamed it for 26 minutes, so 14min/1st pound. 3 minutes per extra pound. I had three 5 pounders and 2 inches of salted water. I meant to use an upside down colander at the bottom of the pot, but there weren't many holes in it, so I didn't think the steam could get through. So instead, I just put the lobsters directly in. I had a huge 2 foot stock pot, so I didn't know if it would get hot enough. It was fine. Perfect timing. Not overcooked, not undercooked. And for some lobster humour, check out this video:

Why the seawood?