Noodle House

Noodle House
958 E. Garvey Ave
Monterey Park
626-280-0831

While I was searching for good dumpling places, Dumpling House and Noodle House both came with raving reviews. I already went to Dumpling House so I decided to try Noodle House.

I ordered the:

Steamed dumpling with pork and leeks, made in a pot sticker style. $5.99. The first thing I notice was only one side of the dumplings were fried, so that gave two different textures when taking a bite. I didn't like that at all. The other thing I didn't like was the filling. The pork wasn't flavorful and they were a bit small, especially compared to the dumplings from Dumpling House.

Steamed shrimp with leeks dumpling, $5.99. There was so much leek, you can see the filling through the skin. Not good. The shrimp was just one small sized shrimp cut in half. The leeks just overpower the flavor of this dumpling because there is just so much of it.

Combination seafood bun, $6.99. The good: Nice texture of the bun. The bad, the filling. Not much of it and just bland and lacking any flavor. The seafood combination was pork, shrimp, and green onions. Not good and not worth the price.

Service was good. Nothing outstanding but nothing bad either. This is a cash only restaurant.

I was very disappointed with Noodle House. It did not live up to the hype and can't hold a steam tray to Dumpling House.

Sushi Central-Closed

Sushi Central
3500 Overland Ave
#100
Los Angeles
310-202-6866

I first heard of Sushi Central after the owner beat that douchebag, Bobby Flay, in a sushi contest on a Food Network show. To be honest, I wasn't impressed he beat the douchebag, Bobby Flay, since that last thing that douchebag would know is how to make sushi. The douchebag is one of the most overrated celebrity chefs ever. His food and style of cooking sucks. And really, when it comes to sushi, it takes a long time to become a good sushi chef, I mean come on, almost any sushi chef worth a damn can beat that douchebag, Bobby Flay.

But I found some very good reviews of Sushi Central, so I decide to try it. The one thing about Sushi Central is that there is already sauce on the sushi. Don't make the mistake of dipping it into soy sauce or wasbi, there is enough of both. I got the:

Tuna sushi, $5.50. This was so fresh and so good. They use very good quality sushi here. The tuna had a wonderful color, flavor and texture. I could tell right away it was the best quality sushi I have had.

Jumbo Scallop, $7.00. I was impressed with the presentation. Again top quality sushi that was very fresh. This had a sweet sauce that just added to the flavor. A much better texture than any other scallop I've ever had.

Yellowtail, $6.50. Very fresh, great texture and great flavor. WOW. Just wow.

Bluecrab handroll, $10. WOW am I back in Maryland? There was at least a pound of bluecrab in here, the crab was filled all the way down the roll and packed high. The bluecrab was amazingly fresh and tasty. A steal at $10.

The sushi portions may seem a bit small but the quality is well worth the price. There is no question that top quality sushi is pricey but when done right, like at Sushi Central, it is worth it.

Service at the sushi bar was very good. The owner was serving us and was helpful and very nice and friendly.

I would go back to Sushi Central anytime. What a great dining experience.

Sanamluang Cafe-Moved

Sanamluang Cafe
1648 Indian Hill Blvd # C
Pomona
909-621-0904

Hype and reality. Many restaurants are all hype and don't live up to that hype. In terms of Thai food, Thai Nakorn is suppose to be the best Thai place in the LA/OC area. But I wasn't impressed with Thai Nakorn and much prefer Ocha.

I haven't heard much hype about Sanamluang Cafe but damn if it wasn't among the best Thai places I have ever been. When I go to Thai places, I try the chicken satae and the Tom Yum Goong soup. If those are good, I'll try other things on the menu. After having both at Sanamluang Cafe, I can't wait to try the rest of their menu.

Chicken satae, $5.95. This was great. They had more seasoning than any other Thai place I have been to. Tender, pretty juicy, not dry at all and a very big portion. Who wouldn't like this. I was a little surprised by the toast given with the satae, never had that before but I'm not complaining about extra food.

Tom Yum Goong soup, $7.95. WOW, was this good. Not that spicy and the server didn't ask how spicy I wanted the soup. But man, lots of rich flavor, tons of medium sized shrimp and just wonderful.

What wasn't wonderful was the service. Very slow, we only saw the server three times, once to take the order, once when the food was ready, and to drop off the check. Never got refills, never was asked how is everything. Friendly people but service needs a lot of work.

I would go back to Sanamluang Cafe to try some of their other dishes. All are good sized portions and most dishes are under $10.

New England Fish & Chips & Chinese Food

New England Fish & Chips & Chinese Food
1705 W Main St
Alhambra
626-576-2082

Just east of Fosselman's Ice Cream Co is England Fish and Chips & Chinese Food, a very interesting combination.

Now I compare every fish and chips place to England Fish and Chips in Long Beach, since England Fish and Chips is awesome.

New England Fish & Chips & Chinese Food comes pretty close to England Fish and Chips' quality and price but still falls short.

I got the 2 piece fish and chips, $4.15, and a jumbo shrimp, $1.60. All fried items are cooked to order. The fish is pollock. The fish isn't crunchy, either the oil isn't hot enough or the batter is terrible. The fish was nice and flakey but I think cod is still better. This isn't bad but it's not as great as England Fish and Chips.

The shrimp was big, still didn't have much of a crunch, and was flavorful.

The fries are better than England's but I barely touch the fries.

One thing though, they give you thimble sized tartar sauce containers. They are so small, after eating half of the fish, you're completely empty of tartar sauce.

Service is good. The old man doesn't smile but he is nice and very polite. This isn't the fault of New England, but there was this family who allowed their two kids to yell, scream, and run around the entire restaurant. Hey stupid people, a restaurant isn't your baby sitting service. Take care of your kids and teach them how to behave in publc.

If I was in the area, I would go back to New England Fish & Chips & Chinese Food but I wouldn't make an extra trip out. If I had to choose, I would drive down to Long Beach and get England Fish and Chips. I may try their Chinese food and judging from the prices and portion, it maybe worth a trip soon.

Hutch's BBQ-Closed

Hutch's BBQ
390 E Walnut St
Pasadena
626-449-8095

Pasadena not the first place I would think of for good BBQ. You have Robin's and Gus's. Now I found Hutch's, which has been in Pasadena since 1947. They also serve Jamacian food. But the name is Hutch's BBQ, so I tried the BBQ.

I got the baby back ribs, $13 with fries and cole slaw. I wasn't expecting much and Hutch's met up to my low expectations. The ribs were cooked in an oven and was heavily seasoned with pepper. The ribs were fairly meaty and didn't have much fat but they are baby backs.

I got my order to go and the server was ok. But the manager or maybe the owner was very nice. Giving me a quick history of the house that became Hutch's.

I wouldn't go back to Hutch's but if you like oven cooked ribs, this is the place for you.

Itacho

Itacho
7311 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles
323-938-9009

Overpriced, small portioned sushi- that describes Itacho to a T. I know it is in the Mid-City area and more restaurants in that area are overpriced but come on now.

I got the California roll with real crab meat, $8, and yellowtail sushi, $6. Then a filet migon sushi, $7. The California roll might have been 6oz, it was so small. They crab meat was fresh, the rice was good but come on, $8 for such a small portion? The yellowtail sushi was fresh but again, very small and thin. I mean almost paper thin.

The filet mignon sushi was something that sounded interested so I decided to try it. The filet was seared for about a minute each side so it was very rare. It was a bit chewy, not tender as filet should be. But an interesting mix of flavors and texture. I'm not sure if I would order this again.

One thing I'm sure of, the service was very slow. I couldn't believe how long we had to wait to order food and how long it took for the food to arrive. I understand the restaurant had to serve 40-50 people, but it's can't be that tough and slow.

I would not go back to Itacho again. While the food is pretty good, the portions are so small and the service is terrible. Why is there any need to go back?

Dumpling House-Temple City-Closed

Dumpling House-Temple City
5612 Rosemead Blvd
Temple City
626-309-9918

Dumpling House in Temple City is a very popular Northern Chinese restaurant. They have been in business for 19 years and with the explosion of the internet, they are more popular than ever.

They serve other Chinese dishes but they are known for their dumplings. So I got the steamed pork dumplings, $5.95. Eight huge pieces of pork dumplings came to my table and wow, what a treat. A nice firm, chewy dough and filled with pork and chives.

Steamed shrimp and vegetable dumplings, $7.95. Each of the eight dumplings had two pieces of shrimp and Chinese chives filling. They were huge as you can see. Same firm chewy dough.

Fried pork dumplings, $5.75. The same firm dough and pork filling but fried. And wow, WOW. This is wonderful. The firm texture of the dough and the pork filling was just awesome. Fried to perfection and it held up so well for my Monday morning breakfast.

Service is very good. Nice people and helpful. I asked what is the difference between steamed and boiled. The server explained the difference to me and even showed me an order of boiled dumplings. Boiled dumplings have a different texture as they are in water. Whiled steamed dumplings are cooked with the steam of the water.

I would come back here anytime. But I have heard it gets very busy on weekends from 10am-1pm. But this is the best example of dumplings I have ever had. Huge portions, filled with good quality meats and veggies, and cooked to perfection. And the price is right!!! How can you beat it?

Don Chow Taco Truck

Don Chow Taco Truck

Much like Kogi Taco Truck, Don Chow Taco Truco is an Asian-Mexican fusion that is sweeping the tastebuds of LA. While Kogi is Korean and Mexican, Don Chow is Chinese and Mexican fusion. Don Chow seems to serve mostly the pretentious Westside but I found them in Chinatown.

I ordered the Chinese BBQ pork taco and Kung Pao Chicken taco, $2 both with a mild sauce. The first thing I noticed about the Chinese BBQ pork, was the large amount of meat in the taco. Much more than Kogi. The BBQ pork was pretty tender and flavorful. A bit different than the Chinese BBQ pork you get from Chinese restaurants with the red coloring. But still good.

The Kung Pao chicken taco, even with a mild sauce, was spicy. Again a huge amount of meat in these tacos. Flavorful though very spicy chicken and fresh onions combined with a mild sauce. The one thing about these tacos, they are HOT, right off the grill.

Since Don Chow and Kogi are two different Asian foods, comparing them to each other is like comparing apples and oranges. But Don Chow has much more meat in the tacos and I think the overall quality, price and taste is better. When I say taste, Don Chow makes a very good kung pao chicken taco. While the Korean short rib taco from Kogi is just OK.

Service is good. Plus the guy taking the money can add and isn't a clueless idiot like at Kogi. The last time I went to Kogi, the line was moving so slow because the guy taking the money couldn't add $2 + $2. What an idiot. You don't face that problem with Don Chow.

Don Chow is starting to get more popular but there still aren't the long lines that make Kogi a pain. Plus the lines move faster since the cashier has a clue. Of course if you want Korean-Mexican fusion you go to Kogi. If you want Chinese-Mexican fusion, you go to Don Chow. If you just want to try any type of Asian-Mexican fusion, go to Don Chow.

Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant

Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant
811 Wilshire Blvd
Ste 2100
Los Angeles
213-236-9600

Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant is on the 21st floor of a downtown LA office building. An awesome view to the east awaits you after you get off the elevator and damn good food awaits you when you are seated. If you're like me and didn't know what robata is, the server said robata is grilled meats Japanese style. I was really impressed with the quality of the food at Takami.



I got the Takami edamame, $6, sauteed soy beans in garlic, butter, and soy sauce. WOW was this awesome. Worth the extra $2 from the regular edamame. A wonderful sweet, robust sauce to go with the soy beans. I would come back here just for the Takami edamame.



Yellowtail sushi, $6. Very fresh yellowtail, nice flavor and texture. The yellowtail is sliced very thin and long. A bit pricey but I still enjoyed it.



Japanese tacos, $15. Gyoka skin filled with spicy tuna, crab, shrimp, avocado and in a spicy mango sauce. I didn't find the mango sauce to be spicy but the tacos were filled with tons of spicy tuna, crab, a huge piece of shrimp and fresh avocado. A crispy skin made this a nice mixture of flavors and textures.



Baked king crab roll, $10, king crab with dynamite sauce in a soy paper. Very fresh king crab with lots of sweet flavorful king crab. The dynamite sauce was a mildly sweet flavor.

Service was very good. From the server to the bartender, I met my friend at the bar, to the host/hostess, very professional friendly service.

I would go back to Takami anytime. Part of Takami is an open air restaurant on the 21st floor. If you are scared of heights, not the place to go. But very good service, great food, and a wonderful view. You can't beat that.

Puerto Barrios-Closed

Puerto Barrios
2830 N. Fletcher Dr.
Los Angeles
323-664-7700

Puerto Barrios is a Guatemalan restaurant in the Atwater Village area of LA. I have no experience with Guatemalan food but I was willing to give it a try.

I got the Pechuga A La Plancha, $12.50, which is grilled chicken that came with rice and salad. The chicken was topped with lots of onions and peppers and tasted just like any chicken from any Latino restaurant. Same spices and flavors. The chicken was tender and the portion was big. The rice was white rice with some peas and carrots. The salad was your everyday bagged salad.

Service is good but the server doesn't speak much English, but she was friendly.

I'm not sure what I ordered was Guatemalan or Mexican but I did enjoy the food. I will come back to try something that is more Guatemalan.

Clark's BBQ-Closed

Clark's BBQ
11748 Central Ave
Chino
909-210-3030

Clark's BBQ is located in a strip mall behind the EZ Takeout Burger in Chino. I can't believe that a BBQ restaurant has been open for almost three years and I didn't know about it.

Clark's smokes their meats with oak. As I have mentioned before, smoking with oak wouldn't be my choice but if the pitmaster is good, he can make some real good BBQ using oak.

I got the half rack of ribs, $11.50. The ribs were smoked and had some of that smoke ring, but it was clear the ribs had been in the warmer too long. The meat was a bit dry, chewy, a little too much fat, and lacked flavor. The BBQ sauce was much needed because it added some flavor. I did like the sauce, about a medium spice with a good kick. The ribs were meaty and if they were right out of the smoker, they might have been very good. But like I said, the ribs had been in the warmer for too long.

Service is OK.

I wouldn't go back to Clark's BBQ because BBQ smoked with oak has to be done to perfection, otherwise it is just bad BBQ. Clark's does a decent job but there is no need for me to go back.

Aladdin Jr-Closed

Aladdin Jr
296 W 2nd St
Pomona
909-623-4333

Aladdin Jr. has opened a second location in Pomona, in the Antique District. The only other Middle Eastern restaurant in the area is Grapevine. Some interesting history about this location.  This used to be a fine dining restaurant called Lela's.  Lela's was featured on the first season of Kitchen Nightmares-the Gordon Ramsey reality TV show, that tries to fix restaurants that are doing badly. David Allen wrote a story about Lela's being on Kitchen Nightmares.  They closed before the episode was aired.  If you search You Tube, sometimes the episode is there until it's deleted for violating their terms of service.

I went for lunch and ordered the beef shish kebob, $9.99. The manager was really trying to push their lunch buffet, $9.99, if you ordered a drink. But I'm not a fan of the kafta kebobs, which is a ground beef, kebobs and I wanted to try their shish kebob. For about $10, there were a lot of meat. I was impressed with the shish kebob, cooked about medium rare, fairly tender filet mignon, with some good seasoning and flavor.

The rice was nicely seasoned and fluffy. I didn't like the salad because they had balsamic vinegar as a dressing and I hate balsamic vinegar.

Service was pretty good. Nothing outstanding and nothing bad.

I came away impressed with Aladdin Jr. but I wasn't overwhelmed, like this is the best Middle Eastern restaurant I have been to. But it is the best Middle Eastern Restaurant in the area but that is like being the tallest midget.

Big John's Cafe-Closed

Big John's Cafe
2302 Artesia Blvd
Redondo Beach
310-376-4881

WOW what a surprise. Normally I do not reply to emails from restaurants owners to come try their food. But Big John's Cafe emailed me and told me they are serving BBQ, so I did some searching and found that they do not have BBQ on their regular menu. It is only served on weekends. Last weekend they had pulled pork and sliced beef. This week for July 4th, they had ribs!!!! So I made the drive out to Redondo Beach.

I got the St. Louis ribs, $16.95 with cole slaw and creamed corn. The ribs came out and honestly I wasn't expecting much. After all this is Redondo Beach, lily white and their idea of BBQ is Tony Roma's. But I was surprised, these ribs were great. Nice smoked flavor, I belive hickory and maybe apple wood, (I found out Big John's uses hickory and pecans to smoke his meats.) not overpowering at all, just right. Tender meat with a very nice smoke ring, they use hickory and maybe apple wood. The meat was reheated in either a microwave or a warmer, they were very hot to the touch but they weren't finished on a damn grill. Real BBQ should NEVER touch a damn grill. But the meat wasn't dried out at all. Just tender, flavorful meat with almost no fat at all. I would bet that even most ardent baby back ribs fan, wouldn't be able to tell the difference when eating the ribs from Big John's Cafe.

Now two things about the ribs:

BBQ is comfort food. Real knifes and forks and BBQ don't really belong together. Big John's maybe a little too fancy for the BBQ purist. But I'm certainly not going to give Big John's a bad review because the BBQ was served on a real plate with real knives and forks.

The ribs were a bit too sweet, I like some kick on the bark. But otherwise a damn fine example of what real BBQ ribs should be. I would bet Big John's would finish in the top 3 for ribs at any BBQ competition.

Service was good. I hope service was good because that is how they normally treat their customers. But I called to make sure they had ribs, I wasn't driving all the way down to Redondo Beach and they didn't have any ribs. I tried to play it off as though I went last week and had their pulled pork, so I asked 'You do you the pulled pork tonight right? After they said yes, I aske 'What other BBQ meats do you have?" Once they said ribs I was going for sure. I'm not sure if they knew it was me, after I took a picture of the ribs, I didn't take a picture of the outside until after dinner. But service was indeed good. Best of all the server said "I'll bring your change, right away." Very good since it is rude for any server to ask "Do you need change?" It is the server's job to bring change. Though saying I'll being your change right away, is a great way to remind the customer to tell the server to keep the change.

Big John's was pretty slow when I got there. They are not a BBQ restaurant, they have everything from burgers to fish to chicken fried steak. They should make BBQ part of their regular menu, because people will love their ribs.

Make sure to call Big John's to make sure they are serving BBQ but otherwise make sure to stop in at Big John's Cafe, by far the best real BBQ ribs in the South Bay and very high up on the list of best BBQ ribs in LA.