jschyun

For the meal ExtraMSG described, $74 sounds too good to be true, and $260 for 2 is still within reasonable range. Hmm, perhaps it's time to pay a visit.

Are you talking about the one on Durant and Telegraph in Berkeley? I ate there a couple times during the early to mid 90's and I remember getting a good lox on bagel because they loaded it with lots of lox and cream cheese, capers, thin red onion slices, tomato, all for $4.50 I think. It was a decent meal for a starving student, but they don't do it anymore. It wasn't Russ & Daughters belly lox, with a real bagel, but good for California. Noah's bagels were always steamed. But I admit to liking them once upon a time.

How many of those 1800 firms did the USDA actually check, or was it just a spot check here and there? Or was it self reported? On a related note, in the NY Times article, the author mentions in the third paragraph that "United States inspectors have tested fewer than 30,000 of the roughly 300 million animals slaughtered in the last nine years (for BSE), and they get results days or weeks later". This also doesn't sound like a very thorough check to me.

For those of you that used Alton Brown's recipe, did you actually put it in a terra cotta planter, or did a clean oven suffice?

That's reassuring! No I had heard that the kids were ruining the business and Totonno's in general has gone downhill. But yeah, I also heard the Manhattan location was pretty bad.

Renu Nakorn In the words of Keanu Reaves as Neo in the Matrix, "Whoah" Wasn't as nice as Tad's pics though. Funny, not too long ago, I was happy with South OC Thai food. Then you guys caused me to remember past awesome Thai food that has been lying too long in the dust of my memory.

Date shakes have been around for a long time. Most are miserable because they don't have enough dates or ice cream. My favorite are the Barhis, as they are the sweetest and have the best texture, IMHO. I like to eat them frozen. They are extra chewy that way.

Probable: Peter Luger Katz's (to see how it compares with Langer's) Totonno's (to see how far downhill it's gone. haven't been there in a while) Patsy's Russ & Daughters Maison du chocolat All or most of the Monterey Park/Rosemead dim sum. Din Tae Fung Maybe An okinomiyaki restaurant. I wish: Tre Scalini for the tartufo (I didn't go there last time, kicking myself) Per Se Alain Ducasse Almost any Paris chocolate shop Chocolats Rohr in Geneva (return for fabulous work of art praline) Brennan's or Commander's Palace lobster roll shack in Maine clambake anywhere --edit also oh-toro in japan and hong kong dim sum

Well, that's awesome and I'm glad. Hopefully people will be able to make it to L.A next time, because I'm going to lobby hard for an L.A. restaurant. Despite mongo_jones' attack on Chosun, it's actually a very good restaurant. In fact, I would rank it higher than Shik Do Rak for better panchan and service. However, I think they have tried to make meats blander, to accommodate American tastes. I'll have to go there again to be sure. They have good kimchi. but korean food isn't all bbq and kimchi... I'm also a big fan of YongSuSan, a "Kaesong" style restaurant. It's a change of pace from the usual soft tofu, noodle and bbq restaurant. It's a little precious and expensive, but I still like it. It reminds me of some of the food I had in Seoul, in that it's less heavy on the garlic and hot pepper, and more on the lighter, sophisticated side. I like their bosam kimchi and their delicate version of ttuk guk (rice cake soup) is my favorite. I tried to get my mom to make it but it didn't turn out like theirs. Yongsusan is the only restaurant of its kind in the United States that I am aware of. There's a Korean teashop called Hwa Sun Ji, that serves all sorts of Korean teas and snacks. You can make reservations for the hour long tea ceremony, where they show you how to pour, steep, and drink the tea, ancient korean style. It's almost like you're in a Korean museum, but there's food. I think this would be really fun if we had time. It's definitely an experience. Then there's Ma Dang Gook Soo, which is basically a small noodle place where you can get noodles in soy milk. You can probably make it at home, but why bother? People seem to think that Korean food is all about garlic, onions and hot pepper, but it just ain't so. In fact, some of it is quite bland, er, delicate. It makes sense that the NY Times chose to write about L.A. Korean restaurants instead of their own. I think it would be awesome if we got to explore even a little of that range. --edited to add links

Just came back from the new branch of Thai Nakorn in Garden Grove. thai restaurants have a reputation for being inconsistent, so i should go a couple more times to make sure, but I'm quite sure it's the best Thai restaurant I've been to in OC. Thanks grandcru! I got the shrimp curry, pad thai, mango and sticky rice, thai iced tea. The sticky rice and mango was pretty darn good, I would say almost as good as the awesome version I had at Lotus of Siam, in Las Vegas. At Lotus of Siam, the coconut milk taste and saltiness were held in balance, so the rice tasted a little coconutty, and a little salty, but neither predominated. unfortunately, they wouldn't let me have a second helping. thai Nakorn used a little more salt today. still, pretty good. Shrimp curry was a small dish of sweetish red curry with overcooked shrimp, and about 20 hot peppers floating in the sauce. the pad thai was quite good, but it had the same overcooked shrimp and some pork. I ate quite a bit of the large portion they brought out. I would eat here again. It's kind of in a dingy neighborhood, next to a taco place and a urology center. the parking is great here, totally empty. The price was reasonable, $23 before tip.

Has anyone tried Isan Classic in Anaheim? It's supposed to be good Thai in Orange County. --edit. Also, I was reading about how Rambutan Thai in Silver lake has those small dishes so that you can sample a little of everything. I wonder how good the quality is though. Hehe, I just found Thai Porn

The reason why the waitress changed out the grills was because she didn't want things to burn. I think we had more of a problem burning things than you guys did. Well, I have to say I like the premarinated galbi and pork better than the plain grilled meat too. I could kick myself for not making sure that was still on the order. Next time, we won't just do regular grilled meat, we should do some of the marinated stuff too. --I guess this is going to go down as one of our less successful trips.

Prime Rib for breakfast! I hope my boyfriend doesn't find out about this place.

This reminds me of an article cooks illustrated did in their Nov/Dec 1995 issue. I just bought a couple of the bound books from the friends of the library bookstore, and happened on this recipe. the author tried a bunch of different roasting styles: high heat first then low heat, all high heat, all low heat, etc. they found that they liked best the roast done at 200 deg for the entire cooking time (30 mins per pound, they used a 3 rib, 7 pound roast). the roast looked virtually raw after cooking, but inside, the slices were rosy pink, juicy, and evenly cooked. also the internal temp only rose a couple of degrees after resting, while the roasts done at higher temps increased a lot more. i guess this is bad. To solve the raw looking roast, they seared it before roasting, but it looks like alton solved the problem by raising the temp at the last 15 mins. They also found that salt brining/packing didn't do anything for the texture or flavor of the beef inside. A little salt and pepper is all they rubbed on their roast.

It's so sad to see the Farmer's Market engulfed by the Grove thingy behind it. At least the Gilmore Adobe is still standing (the oldest house in L.A., house of Earl Gilmore, founder of the Farmer's Market). That said, i do like the new theater and the trolley that takes you only a couple of hundred feet, if that, at a pace you could probably beat, if you're not disadvantaged by crutches or high heels. I also like the fact that the new parking structure has lots more parking than the old, constantly full Farmer's Market parking lot ever did. The Farmer's Market is such a great place. I like getting crepes at the French Crepe Company. I like the little candy shop that makes fudge before your very eyes. I like how the celebrity pictures that cover the walls of that one deli (Phil's?) are comfortingly tacky. I like that cajun place, the Gumbo Pot, for their blackened catfish sandwiches and beignets. I've never been to New Orleans, so I'm sure there are better places there. I was very impressed when i saw this one lady give they Gumbo Pot guy a big wad of cash for her sandwich. I turned to look at her. It was Jeanetta Arnette (the mom) from Boys Don't Cry. I know I'm a rube, because I was really impressed. The main charm of the Farmer's Market is something you won't be able to take back on the plane with you: that old time Hollywood nostalgia. Maybe you can get that in a Dupar's pie. Maybe not. I remember going to the Farmer's Market, on a field trip to Los Angeles. That was 20 years ago. I remember getting some chocolate covered cherries at the Farmer's Market that were, in my unshaped, juvenile mind, the best chocolate covered cherries in the world. I will miss the Farmer's Market if it ever folds.

Wow, those pictures look better than the actual food did! They also have a playroom for little kids, one of the few Korean BBQ places that do. I always thought that waterfall was tacky, but your pic makes it look...kinda cool.

I would say that Shik Do Rak's panchan is definitely their weakest link. mongo_jones thought they were really good, but I would disagree. They only have about 5 dishes and they never change them. However, they do have the fish cake which is one of my faves. I'm going to someplace in L.A. tonight, Korean BBQ. Don't know where, but it should be fun to compare. Next time, even if there are only a few people, we'll do BBQ in L.A.

Oh no, by the time we go to Korean bbq in the South Bay, I will be well prepared with the best ones I can find. I don't do things cold. It's not my style.

bottomlesspit is right. Ango Tei is much better than I Love Sushi. Thanks! Also, I finally found Mitsuwa, after hearing about it for 5 years. By the way, I had a typo. If you want to go to Wasabi sushi, in Tustin, it's $100 per 2 pple, not $70. My bad. --edit I usually go here when I can't get to L.A. for extremely fresh sushi. However, I've been here a lot and he (the guy behind the counter) generally does the same things, every time. I guess this is more of an issue with regulars. For very well made, classic sushi, in OC, this is the place. Also, the guy will ask you what you don't like (tuna, mackerel), or requests, and after you tell him, he will proceed to ignore whatever it is you said. At least he did that to me the last couple of times I have gone. Maybe it's my Engrish. --end edit

Yeah, it was pretty fun, and the service was better than I normally get. Our waitress actually had a decent English vocabulary, compared to the other waitresses. I was kind of shocked. She must be a student or something. I kind of wish we could have gotten seats together, but I guess with such a large group, it was not possible. (Note to self: make sure we get a place with large tables next time we have Korean BBQ.) I have to say, the company, as usual, was a main highlight of my evening. Next stop: The Thai Parade Hey, if you want help, er, sampling some more Thai stuff in L.A., let me know. I'd be happy to try out some places for you guys. It's been a while since I had decent Thai food. As I have mentioned before, there is no Thai food worth eating, in Orange County. I would love to have someone prove me wrong, but thus far, no winners. --FoodZealot: sorry about not ordering galbi and pork, as I said I would. There was a mixup in the ordering and I thought we were going to get it as well as the group order of beef. Next time, there will be no mixup.

Most likely, yes. We're planning a Thai dinner (well, more like all day marathon) soon, so if you're interested you can join that as well.

The problem with L.A. is everything is so spread out that it's hard for a visitor to get to the good stuff. NYC has the subway and you don't need a car, which is so great for visitors. I wish we could get a subway system going here, but it would have to be huge.

Alright it's set then. I'm making reservations for 10 Just as a reminder Saturday December 13th Dinner 6pm Shik Do Rak 9691 Garden Grove Blvd (cross street Galway) Garden Grove 92844 If you need directions, you can either go to www.mapquest.com or ask me. I will be happy to help you. Shik Do Rak is visible from the street.

Excellent point, fresco. Apparently vegetarians are not popular on these boards, yet I can't help but say that thanks to their pressure, McDonald's finally has a decent, if somewhat dry, veggie burger that is reasonably priced. Also, they now have a line of pretty decent salads, which are great esp when you're at the airport and need to grab something quick. Businesses have no choice but to cave into consumer demands. Frankly, I don't understand where you guys are coming from because in my eyes, we have more choice than ever before.

I will probably be flamed for saying this, but I am a staunch supporter of Walmart. If it weren't for Walmart, I couldn't support my family. If I'm going to get the same exact box of cereal at Walmart for $2 as opposed to $5 at the local supermarket, I don't have a moral dilemma about it. I buy the Walmart box, along with some other stuff and save for stuff like dental work or maybe a new dryer. Walmart was once a small store too. The difference is, Sam Walton busted his balls to beat the competition in price, instead of keeping the price high like his competitors. He figured that the increased volume would cover the difference. He was right. He also worked with American manufacturers to increase efficiency and keep costs down. Unfortunately American manufacturers can't keep up with the competition and so it's off to China we go. Is that a bad thing? It really depends on your perspective. I have very little patience for that little Italian store that overcharges for milk. If it's premium milk, where the milk is handsqueezed from the teats of alfalfa fed, massaged cows, then fine. But very basic economics tells us that they shouldn't expect a lot of customers for said expensive milk if it's the same as what you can get at any other store. If the price is high enough, they will drive themselves out of business. There are a lot of little stores that do it right. These will probably become part of the "big business" that you guys rail against next. I go to a video store that has most of the popular videos for $1 a night. They are near a Blockbuster, yet they have expanded in recent years. Also, a chain that I think does it right is Trader Joe's. However, they are almost as ruthless about prices as Walmart. My Korean supermarket keeps prices really, really low, and they offer superior service and products.