mmm-yoso!!!

Road Trip - My Thai Cuisine (South Lake Tahoe)

After a nice morning at June Lake we headed north to our next stop; the town of Tahoma on the western shores of Lake Tahoe. We had never been in this area before, driving up the 395 into Nevada, then onto the 756 and then the 207, onto the 50, passing familiar names like Bally's and Harrah's, Casino's right before crossing back into California. It's quite busy, strangely reminding me of a shoreside "downtown Vegas". With all the chains; well, I won't complain too much as we did stop at Whole Foods for a few things, before heading back out. Right before the split of highways called "the Y", where the 50 will split to the 89 was our lunch destination. After dealing with the burgers and such, I had selected a Thai Restaurant named My Thai. To be perfectly honest, based on what I had seen driving thru South Lake Tahoe, I wasn't very confident about lunch.

The place opens at 11am for lunch and we had arrived and found parking in the small lot just after 11. We had made good time from June Lake; just 2-1/2 hours!

We walked in and were warmly greeted and taken to a table. 

The place was decorated in what I would call a very stereotypical Thai way. The location and decor set off all those internal "alarms" and we were worried about how our lunch would turn out. In the end, we had nothing to worry about. The items on the menu had a wide range; everything from Cream Cheese Rangoon to Orange Chicken to Crying Tiger to a Kobe Beef version of Crying Tiger priced at $155! One of those places that seems to be trying to please everyone?

It seems that this was going to be an interesting meal......

We started off with the "Sunny Beef" ($16.95), which I figured would be a version of Neua Dad Deow. This was actually pretty good.

The beef was chewy, but not hard, not overly salty, nice savory fish sauce tones; the dipping sauce was slightly spicy, acidic, with some sweetness. This was decent; and even better the next day!

The weakest dish of the meal was the Larb ($16.95). Yet this still featured a generous amount of roasted rice powder, which added a nice nuttiness.

A bit more mealy then we like, but it wasn't bland by any means. We had gotten everything at a heat level of "7" and I have to say, this had a good amount of spice. Nothing amazing, but still better than what I thought I'd get. 

The flavor of the Basil Duck ($22.95) was quite good.

Even though the portion size wasn't especially generous; the spice, anise tones, savory dish sauce, and sweet tones came thru clearly. The duck was basically skin and fat, which worked just fine for us. This went well with rice.

We had ordered the Lao Style Papaya Salad ($19.95) just out of curiosity, and it was indeed legit.

  From the funky, savory salted crab, to the deeply fermented savory tones, to the pretty hot chilies, this was very spicy and refreshing. Even better than versions we've had here in San Diego! To make things even more fun, this was served with pork rinds!

Overall, a satisfying meal, very friendly and warm service. A nice surprise for us! 

My Thai Cuisine
2108 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

Road Trip - Ji Rong Peking Duck (Rosemead)

After having rather dismal luck with Bei Jing Kao Ya (北京烤鸭), aka Peking Duck at both Happy Duck House and Array 36, we decided to give it one more try. You know, three strikes and you're out? So, we decided to stay in Monterey Park at our usual place; the Courtyard by Marriott on Atlantic.

Things started out pretty good. When I checked in, I found that I had made some kind of elite status with Marriott and to "celebrate" they decided to upgrade us! Well, we got a huge suite. It was two bedrooms with a living room between the bedrooms.

The place had three bathrooms; of course the Missus had to check out each one to see which She liked best! It even had three mini-fridges!

Way more room than we could possibly use. With just the two of us, one bedroom went unused. But, our favorite part was the huge patio!

Yes, the view is of Atlantic.......

And the seats were dirty; but we liked just hanging out after dinner and we used the cover sheets on the sofas.

It was a nice way to start the evening. Would this be an omen????

Courtyard Los Angeles Monterey Park
555 N Atlantic Blvd.
Monterey Park, CA 91754

For dinner, I chose a place that I'd read good things about Ji Rong Peking Duck, located at the Rosemead end of Valley. I had the Missus call and make reservations for a table and a duck. You need to reserve the duck in advance.

We had made reservations for right when they opened. There are two parking lots straddling the building, which houses 888 Seafood and Shin-Sen-Gumi among other businesses. There was ample parking when we arrived, but the lots were pretty full when we left. The restaurant itself looks fairly plain, a far cry from the craziness of Array 36. The staff are very professional.

So, once we were seated, the staff knew we had reserved a Peking Duck which goes for $85. We also ordered the Soup which was an extra $15. Along with several other dishes.

The standard accoutrements were  delivered. Along with some pretty darn good looking duck! After our last few tries we were ready for another "fowl" (sorry, couldn't help it), but this was really good.

 It was quite interesting, the skin was separated; the one's that were fattier were on the upper and left hand side; these were crisp with a creamy finish. The skin on the right were more crisp. The leftover skin with fat heated up super well in the air fryer later! The meat was slightly gamey and earthy. All of this went so well with the perfectly made tender, but up to the task pancakes. Which also heated up well using my microwave tortilla warmer.

   We saved the two legs for home and they crisped up perfectly. This was so delici-yoso once you create your little "roll-up". In fact, the Missus said this was better than what we'd had at Quan Ju De in Beijing!

The duck bone soup arrived soon after. This version was served without carcass parts, with just some napa cabbage and tofu. It was very "ducky" and had a perfect amount of salt and white pepper.

Nice a mildly rich, I might have enjoyed this just as much as the duck!

The Hot & Spicy Pig's Feet ($14.98) wasn't very spicy, but had a nice gelatinous texture and was so tender.

It was more on  the sweeter side of things, but still had some nice soy tones. This was quite good.

We didn't care much for the Hot & Spicy Pig Stomach ($18.98), which was more spicy than the pig's feet, but really tough.

It was also a bit too salty. Overall, think of eating salty rubber-bands.

The Missus was curious about the Black Fungus with Chinese (Yamaimo) Yam ($15.98).

This was okay. The mountain yam was sliced too thick and there was a true lack of seasoning on this. The Missus actually prefers the version I make at home.

The last dish to arrive was another favorite; the House Spicy Oyster Mushroom ($15.98). This was so good, a great meaty texture, perfectly seasoned.

It was even better as leftovers; as the spice and other flavors intensified, but the great texture held.

Overall, I wonderful meal. We were so happy, that we can't wait to return. If you take a close look, you'll find that other than the duck, most of the other dishes are under $19!

Finally, it seems like we found a place for Bei Jing Kao Ya!

Ji Rong Peking Duck
8450 E Valley Blvd.
Rosemead, CA 91770

It seems that we got really lucky on this road trip; from getting the room upgrade, to having a wonderful meal at Ji Rong.

I hope our luck holds out when return!

Road Trip - Whoa Nellie Deli (Lee Vining), Gull Lake and June Lake Brewing (Again), June Lake, and Other "Stuffs"

On the way back from hiking the Gardisky Lake Trail, we decided to make a "pit stop" at the Tioga Gas Mart, which is at the intersection of Tioga Road and the 395 in Lee Vining. No, we didn't need gas, but really needed to "fuel up"....that would be getting some lunch. You see, one of the places that had been recommended to us was in the Tioga Gas Mart; the gas station, gift shop, is home to a stand named "Whoa Nellie Deli". Yep, for reals.....

The menu has quite a few options; everything from Wild Buffalo Meatloaf to Lobster Taquitos to Pizza. The Missus didn't feel like having meat, so She ordered the Grilled Veggie Sandwich ($17). I had heard good things about the "World Famous" Fish Tacos ($18), so I went against my instincts and got that. We got a number and sat at one of the tables outside.

Soon enough our number was called and went to the counter to grab our lunches.

The "veggies" on the Missus's Grilled Veggie Sandwich where barely grilled, that Hollandaise like sauce was gloppy and lacked flavor.

The eggplant was quite bitter. The bun was nicely toasted. The fries were the best item, crisp and well salted.

As for my "world famous" fish tacos......

  Good lord. The fish was supposedly mahi mahi, overfried, not seasoned, and dry as heck. The tortillas were like cardboard. The purple cabbage slaw was flavored with ginger and the other had mango "salsa" which really needed some spice. It was all accompanied by a pool of pasty black beans, which at least was seasoned adequately.

I know this place is kind of a cult favorite, but it wasn't our thing. It's interestng that the deli has it's own entry in Wikipedia which says "The Whoa Nellie Deli is a casual gourmet restaurant located in Lee Vining...."

Whoa Nellie Deli in the Tioga Gas Mart
22 Vista Point Rd.
Lee Vining, CA 93541

After our meal, we headed north on the 395 and took a quick side trip to the Mono Basin Visitors Center.

Where we got some nice views of Mono Basin and learned a bit about the history and geology of the basin.

Maybe next time we'll spend a bit more time here.

We headed back to our room and took a nice post lunch nap. Upon waking, the Missus wanted to head back down to Gull Lake, we took the car incase the Missus wanted to do more paddle boarding. We easily found parking, even though there were some festivities going on.

We took a stroll around the area.

As we walked past the Gull Lake Marina Shop, we saw this terrified pooch hiding by the small pond in front of the shop.

We were wondering what was going on? As we walked to the shop we saw the reason. Remember the "beware of cats they attack dogs" sign? Well guess what, I think that poor pooch found out that the sign was in fact true. Also, guess who was waiting by the sign to make a point?

The Missus decided to get one more session in, so I took a nice walk around the marina.

Since the Missus was going to be a while, I had told Her to go ahead and meet me back at the June Lake Brewery when She was done and I'd go ahead and make dinner.

This time around, since it as only myself, I had a seat at the bar in the enclosed area.

I got the Brown Ale which I really enjoyed. The young lady working the register remembered me from the night before! I also found out that the locals sit in this area and had some nice chats; including one with a gentleman from Maui! 

The Missus arrived a bit later and wanted a Japanese Lager. When I walked up to the counter and ordered, the young lady told me "you already left us a nice tip, so don't worry about it, ok?" Wow, that's a new one for me! Like I said, the folks in June Lake are so nice!

June Lake Brewing
131 S Crawford Ave.
June Lake, CA 93529

Once we were done, I made a quick trip to the General Store for a couple of items.

I then returned to the room and I put together a dinner for the both of us.

After dinner we took a short stroll on Boulder Drive, aka the June Lake Loop.

We really enjoyed our stay at the June Lake Villager.

The next morning we woke early. We'd be headed to Lake Tahoe on this day. But first, the Missus wanted to get one more session in, this time at June Lake. I had read that there are only 98 parking spaces at June Lake Beach and it fills up fast. I had also read that in April a $10 per car fee had been started, which isn't such a big deal to us. The folks at the motel had told us to go early in the morning, before the crowds descend.  So, what we ended up doing is to check out at right before 7am, then head on over to The Lift a coffee-tea-cafe-wine bar that opens at 7.

There was actually a line of people waiting for the place to open. We got in, got our coffees, I got a ham and cheese croissant for my breakfast and we headed off.

The Lift
2587 Hwy 158
June Lake, CA 93529

We then headed off to June Lake Beach. The entrance booth where you now pay to enter wasn't open, we had been told by the folks at the motel that it's ok, just go ahead and park. So, that's what I did. It was a lovely morning.

The Missus inflated Her paddle board and sailed off.

I went and enjoyed the view with my croissant, which was still warm. Not really a croissant per se, the crust was crisp and flaky, but it had cheese melted on it, which wasn't a bad thing.

The interior was kind of doughy, a bit too moist, but this did the trick, at least on this day since I wasn't really expecting a classic croissant aux beurre if you know what I mean.

After my breakfast, I decided to take a walk around the lake. I saw a ton of deer hanging around.

Folks were starting to arrive, many of them with their "furry friends".

This pup really didn't want to get on the paddle board, but was eventually coaxed. It was quite humorous.

I enjoyed walking along the west side of the lake which had wonderful views.

Until I smelled a very unique "fragrance" and saw four dudes enjoying the "cash crop" if you know what I mean?

So, I headed back to the beach and walked to the car. I noticed a ranger putting slips of paper on vehicles windshield. I thought this would mean we'd pay on the way out. But no, it was just a count of cars, so they would know how many cars were in when the booth opened and note vehicles as they left. Remember, there are only 98 spaces.

I returned to a table and opened a book, taking time to watch this happy pooch playing fetch.

It was so relaxing.

Eventually the Missus was done. We cleaned up, packed up, and headed to our next stop.....Lake Tahoe!

Road Trip - Silver Lake, Silver Lake Resort Cafe, and Hiking the Gardisky Lake Trail (June Lake)

After having a little taste of SUP at Gull Lake the previous afternoon, the Missus was up and ready to go at sunrise the next morning. After getting organized, I thought that heading to Silver Lake early in the day might work out well. So, we headed out. We had no problem finding parking near the Silver Lake boat ramp and the Missus was off and ready to go in no time at all!

Like the day before, I took a walk, taking in the beauty of Silver Lake. I loved the light and reflections at this time of the morning.

It was breathtakingly beautiful.

And all you have to do is turn around......

Silver Lake is home to the oldest "resort" in the Eastern Sierra's; formerly known as Carson's Camp which was established in 1916, it is now the Silverlake Resort which has cabins, an RV Park, and most importantly (to me) a store and cafe, which opens at 7am.

There were folks waiting in when the place opened at 7. I decided to take a walk along the lake and returned about 20 minutes later. 

I walked into the shop and over to the entrance of the cafe. I was going to write my name down on the waiting list, but I was waved on in. There were some seats  at the bar, so I lucked out.

I loved the very "old school" look of the place!

The guy expediting behind the counter was super efficient and quite nice. Of course, I had to start with a cup 'o Joe, right?

Be it Folgers, Maxwell House, Kirkland, or whatever, I enjoyed this!

There were lot's of choices on the menu, I started looking over the specials.

Since I sat right across the window, I could see the breakfasts coming out. Some looked pretty hefty and I really wasn't in a position to head back to the motel for a nap. I did want to have a couple of items and I knew what to order when I saw the special.

So, I got the "Fisherman's Breakfast", nicely priced at $9.99.

   With not too much of anything, I could try the biscuits and gravy. The gravy wasn't too salty or greasy, the texture was on the lighter side of things, but it wasn't bad. The egg was perfectly easy over, the yolk having no off flavors. The breakfast potatoes nice and crisp on the exterior, the breakfast sausage routine. This was good enough to bring back memories of old school - diner breakfasts I'd had in my younger days.

It wasn't too much and actually was better than I had thought it would be. No wonder the place is so popular! There were about 8 people waiting in line as I left.

Silver Lake Resort Cafe
6957 Hwy 158
June Lake, CA 93529

As I walked back to the boat ramp I could hear the whistling of air being released.....as I figured, it was the Missus deflating Her paddle board. I had perfect timing! Once squared away, the Missus told me "it's too early, we need to do something else before lunch, and you need to burn off your breakfast!" Luckily, I had something in mind. We headed north on the 158 loop, then turned north on the 395 to Lee Vining. From there we headed west on Tioga Road, which was somewhat familiar to us as we had driven here when we visited Yosemite in 2021. Tioga Road heads to the Tioga Pass entrance to the park. We wouldn't be driving quite that far. We took a right onto Saddleback Lake Road and eventually after driving a bit on a dirt road found some parking and the trailhead to Gardisky Lake.

I believe I mentioned before how the Missus enjoys Her non-switchback straight up and down trails. Well, according to Alltrails, this was but a 1.8 mile out and back, but with a 750 foot elevation gain.

At the beginning it was rather easy. 

Yes, it was a climb, but the views were quite nice.

Walking alongside the river flowing downhill;  it was apparent that the winter snow and ice was still melting. And this was in July!

The portions with all the rocks and boulders were the hardest. You had to be aware not to twist an ankle or fall here.

At the top it really looked like an Alpine Meadow. I guess this is why folks call the area the "Switzerland of California".

The Lake itself is not very large.

But with no one in sight, we did not see anyone else on the trail, it was quite peaceful. Check out the snow still hanging around the lake!

We didn't run into anyone else hiking on the way down either. 

All in all, a steep, but very nice short hike.

Now the big question was; where we were going for lunch?

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip - Lone Star Bistro (Lone Pine), Gull Lake, June Lake Brewing, and the La Parilla Truck (June Lake)

During our trip to the Galapagos back in April-May (yeah, I know, I'm really behind on my travel posts), the Missus really took to doing stuffs in the water. One thing She picked up on was SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) and in fact, we ended up getting one for Her. Several of Her coworkers are really into the kayak and paddleboard thing and will often plan their road trips around camping and those type of activities. So guess what the the Missus wanted?

Yep, She got some recommendations of areas to paddleboard and soon enough we were headed up the 395. Final destination a little town on the west bank of Lake Tahoe named Tahoma. But first, it was recommended that we spend a couple of nights in an area east of the Sierra's named June Lake. My mission as official planner and chauffeur for the Missus? Well, plan things out.

So, it was going to be like a 7 hour drive to where we were staying at in June Lake, which ended up being a comfortable motel/lodge named the June Lake Villager. Of course we needed to stop for lunch. It was early July and super hot, we ended up taking a break in the town of Lone Pine. I had a place picked out for a quick meal; the Lone Star Bistro. Yes, the Alabama Hills Cafe is much loved, but man, it was so busy. So instead we entered this combo ice cream-cafe-coffee-gift-sandwich shop. The place was fairly busy and we even saw some remote workers doing their thing as well. In Lone Pine!

I walked up to the sandwich counter and the friendly young lady filled me in on the "drill".

I basically filled out an "order form" and the Missus handed me two bottles of sparkling water.

I ordered the "signature" sandwich called the "Lone Pine Charmer"; with bacon, turkey, avocado, provolone, it sounded like a single sandwich would be enough for the both of us. I asked that they cut the sandwich in half, paid, and we took a seat in the covered back patio, which wasn't too hot.

The young lady who dropped off our sandwich wasn't quite as friendly....when I thanked her, she went "umph....." Can't win 'em all, right?

 I was pleasantly surprised to see that Marbled Rye was used, which added an interesting yeasty-tangy-sourness to the sandwich. As a whole, a routine sandwich, basic mass produced sliced turkey; we enjoyed the cucumber and sprouts the most. It was enough for our lunch and we walked thru this western theme town to our car and headed off.

Lone Star Bistro
107 North Main St.
Lone Pine, CA 93545

From here it was up the 395. I had wanted to stop at Manzanar, it's one of those places on my "list", but it was over a 110 with crazy winds as we drove by, so that visit will have to wait until the next time.

About two hours later we got to the southern junction of I-395 and I-158. The 158 is a loop road, known as the June Lake Loop and passes four different lakes before reconnecting with the 395 just past SR 120. It was a fairly nice drive up to about 7,600 feet.

We arrived at the charming little village of June Lake and went to the motel to see if our room was ready. It was a bit too early, but I had a plan just in case. Gull Lake, the smallest of the four lakes along the loop is close by. And the Marina and launch area was just a few blocks away.

We easily found parking and the Missus set off on Her adventure.

I took a stroll around the lake a bit and then headed to the Marina Shop, which does boat rentals....I saw families and folks fishing off boats in the lake.

The area is quite charming......

I walked into the shop to get some sparkling water.

And I asked about the sign above, which cracked me up. I was told that the cats here are really tough and territorial; "they don't play around!" But there was a sweet pooch hanging out by the sign? I was told "oh, he knows better....he learned his lesson a long time ago!" I would actually find out that the sign is true a bit later on during our visit.

I had a seat and checked emails and stuff.

Looking over the lake, I felt so relaxed.....

Soon, I got a text from the motel telling me our room was ready. The Missus had the car keys with Her, so I took the short walk up the hill and got the room keys. When I walked back down to the lake, the Missus was packing things up.

Once in the room, which was quite large, it was a one bedroom unit with a kitchen; the Missus freshened up and then we took a short walk . Most of the restaurants, the general store, and businesses were on the main road. But there were some nice shops down driveways and side streets.

We weren't particularly interested in any of the restaurants; so we decided to head on over to the June Lake Brewery which was basically around the corner from where we were staying....but most everything was!

The brewery had a large, welcoming outdoor space, with a food truck at one end of the lot. 

Boy was this place popular! It was the most people we'd see during our time here.

While I went to get our brews, the Missus went to order our food at the truck.

The two gals pouring the beers were so nice and friendly.

We wanted something on the lighter side since it was pretty warm out; so we got the two lagers, both were under 5% ABV.

I found us a table and waited for the Missus. She soon arrived with a buzzer which would go off when our order was ready. The Missus took to the Japanese Lager, which She thought was smoother and easier to drink than the lighter "Lager for Joggers".

There were some pretty interesting "seats" in the place.

Soon enough we got "buzzed" and I went to pick it up and return to our table.

We had gotten the "Boss Nachos" with Carne Asada. The portion size was large and this supposedly was quite spicy, the Missus was warned, but it wasn't overly hot to us. The portion size was quite generous.

The carne asada was nicely grilled, but quite chewy, and mildly seasoned. There was just a small amount of ghost pepper cheese on this, which had some kick, but there wasn't enough to really matter. The chips were routine, there was sour cream and guac added. Overall, just like what you'd get at an Americanized Mexican spot here in San Diego.

I had wanted to try the Al Pastor, so we ordered a taco.

From the bland and brittle tortillas, to the dry and flavorless al pastor, this was not to our taste.

Still, we enjoyed the vibe of the brewery and the service was quite friendly. We'd return for a brew on the following evening.

June Lake Brewing and La Parrilla Grill & Tacos
131 S Crawford Ave.
June Lake, CA 93529

After dinner we walked back down to Gull Lake and took in the view.

It had been a pretty long day; but I'd say the view and vibe was worth it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip - Sushi Yuen (City of Industry)

On the way back from Lancaster we decided to stop in our old neighborhood. We'd spend the night and do some shopping and drop by Mountain House for takeout on the way home the next day. I did have something planned for dinner though. There was a Sushi/Omakase restaurant that opened in a strip mall on Gale, between Fullerton and Nogales a while back named Sushi Yuen. Man, this strip mall wasn't even constructed when we moved away from the area.

Sushi Yuen is an all Omakase shop, according to what I had read they actually got seafood from Toyosu Market in Tokyo. At the time of our visit, dinner was running at $250 per person (drinks not included), with a $150 deposit for each diner.

Anyway, after checking in at the Best Western and taking a short nap, we actually walked on over......now there's not much pedestrian activity on Gale, so we did get some weird looks.

   We checked in and waited until we were walked over to our seats. The restaurant has sushi bar only seating. I counted a total of 15 seats for our dinner.

There's a brief selection of wine and sake available. We did end up having a glass of the Zaku and the Tenbei during our meal.

Speaking of glasses, metal tumblers were brought to the table. Once filled with ice water, a pattern appeared! Kinda neat.

Due to the amount of dishes in this meal, I'll try to be as brief as possible.

There was five staff working behind the counter; the head man, who introduced himself as Ryan was very friendly, as was the young man who would eagerly show us the products being used for our dishes.

And you can see what was going to be part of our first dish.

Notice all the fresh wasabi at the bottom of the screen?

   As you can tell by that photo, hairy crab was going to be in the first dish, which ended up being a wonderful savory chawan mushi.

Decadently smooth and creamy, permeated with the frangrance of sweet-savory-oceany crab, this was a wonderful start to our meal.

Next up, Katsuo (Skipjack) Tataki.

This had a mild smokiness to it; on the firmer side in texture, with that nice, all too familiar umami "punch".

Next up was the Hokkaido Hotate with Kaluga Caviar.

Gently coated, with a wonderful, light, crisp coating. The scallop was perfectly cooked, the slightly firm and wonderfully sweet flesh was so delici-yoso! It really didn't need the caviar, but heck, there it was and I wasn't going to complain about that!

We'd first come across "Tacu" in CDMX, at its most basic it's using nori in place of a tortilla. This was a negi-toro tacu.

The highlight of this was the interplay of the pungent-herbaceous-slightly sweet wasabi, the minty-chlorophllic-anise shiso, and the savory nori.

Next up was the grilled Tachiuo, belt fish.

The flesh was so buttery in texture, it basically melted in your mouth. The flavor was mild, so having the crisp skin on made all the difference.

The Akami-zuke was quite routine.

Perfectly texture maguro, but even more impressive was the rice which cooked to perfection, every grain could be counted, but the texture was soft, the "shari" was nicely balanced.

Aji-Miso was next.

Nice textural contrast, but the nice rich-savory flavor of the Horse Mackerel was kind of overwhelmed by the miso sauce.

I was quite excited to see Nodoguro (Black throat sea perch) as the next item. This is a rarity for us here in the states.

Man, this was so rich and buttery in texture. The flavor was mild and was enhanced by the "tare".

We didn't care much for the Ankimo-Yuzu. It was like they were trying to cover up the natural flavor of the ankimo.

Think of it as being mashed ankimo "potato-ish" salad. We enjoy the texture of ankimo which was not featured in this dish. Too sweet-sour.

The folks must have been reading our minds, because next up was a "shot" of Katsuo Dashi!

Which helped to "reset" our palates.

The Hirame was quite good, great texture!

While having the Hirame, we noticed some items being cooked on the griddle.

This turned out to be charred Saba, made into sort of temaki.

This was very good; the skin crisp, the oil content made the flesh so very creamy and reduced the strong fishy flavor!

Next up was another fairly rare fish for SoCal, Sayori (Half-beak) Nigiri.

So clean and refreshing! The somewhat sweet, delicate flavor wasn't overwhelmed by the tare. This was ono!

Then the Chu-Toro.

Rich and fatty goodness! On perfect rice, the tare did so well on this; adding the savory touches of soy and a hint of sweetness.

Kumamoto Tiger Prawn was up next.

While a tad overcooked, the shrimp was so sweet and oceany. 

 

We were then provided some Ebi Kakiage Udon

And were asked if we were ready for the "best part" of our meal! Whoa, even better than what we'd had? During this time we had a chance to chat with Ryan. We spoke about Japan. Ryan told us he closes Sushi Yuen twice a year to go to Japan, but is busy working with his suppliers there, so isn't able to visit many places.

And just to add an exclamation point to things we were given a preview of what was coming up!

As you can see; the A5 Wagyu came with it's own set of "papers".

As did the Hokkaido Uni!

But first, was the 8 Day Aged O-toro.......O-my!

So melt-in-your mouth tender that it should be illegal! And like all the nigiri, the rice and shari were perfect for our taste.

The sweet and deeply savory Hokkaido Uni, so creamy.

The flavor took me back to a memorable lunch in Sankaku Market in Otaru.

These last two items were so good that it made the Anago and Tamago seem like after thoughts.......I guess we needed to be brought back "down to earth?"

The Tamago was especially good, light, sweet, and fluffy. 

Usually, these two would  be the items that would close the meal. But of course there was one item we had a preview of that was missing.

Torching and smoking was in progress while we had our Anago and Tamago.

And soon enough these two covered bowls were provided.

Which opened up to display......

The A5 Wagyu! Well, in terms of flavor this was beefy heaven! Though I will say for my taste it was overcooked; I prefer mine rare.

And so a nice last dish to an epic meal, right?

But like that television pitch man says; "but wait, there's more"!

Have you ever seen or bought one of those $100 melons at the Japanese market?

The Missus had always been wondering about those and She finally had a chance to taste some.

Needless to say; the Missus thought the price of the melon is worth it!

As for the meal itself; well it was an epic one, with some excellent dishes. Would we have it again? Hmmm.....perhaps if we have an extra $800 lying around (or more as I've read that the price of dinner is now $275 per person). Sushi Yuen also serves an Omaksae lunch which is currently priced at around $150 per person and a $100 deposit for each customer. Please note that there are penalties for cancelling within 48 hours as well.

Boy has our old 'hood changed since we lived here!

 

Sushi Yuen
18558 Gale Ave.
City of Industry, CA 91748

2025 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test #1, breakfast at Portos

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog.  There are reasons to get to the restaurants.  Cathy is writing today about the journey back to Portos.

On January 1, 2024, the 2024 Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game (Go Blue!) occurred and about two weeks later, planning for the 2025 Tournament of Roses began.

 The new president, Ed Morales, was introduced and he introduced the Theme of the 2025 Tournament.  "Best Day Ever! which guides the design theme of the floats which will appear in the Parade.

Designs were submitted, approved and construction began.  On Saturday, July 13, some floats were tested for mechanics and maneuverability at Phoenix Decorating Company in Irwindale.  This was the first of at least three road tests before decorating, which begins the first Saturday in December.  (You can sign up for decorating floats HERE; The Mister and I have already chosen two dates in December).

 The artist rendition for the 2025 Lions Club International float, "Celebrating a Day of Service" is so cute,!
 Even moreso in real life!  See the slot in the front hill? That is where the "Spotter" sits and can view what is in front of the float.  The Spotter speaks to the driver via a headset and has a set of brakes there at the front, in case an emergency type of stopping is necessary.

 Kiwanis International has the theme "Being Together" and is going to be even more beautiful when covered in natural materials and flowers.  The slot for the Spotter to view is at the top of the honeycomb


 The Service organization of Oddfellows and Rebekahs has their 2025 entry depicted on their website. 
 Here it is in real life!  so vibrant and, again, cute.  You can see the rectangular slot in front.  The Driver, who only follows the 'Rose Colored Line' on the street is situated near the middle of the float.

 The drawing of the 2025 Rotary International float, does not di it justice.
 This beauty is surreal and so detailed; everyone (on either side of the parade route) will see  something different.

 The 2025 entry for the Luthern Hour Ministries and Petal Pushers is going to continue with being the only Christian Themed float in the Parade for the 74th year.   There will be 'stained glass' windows on the church, all created with natural materials.  This float will be magnificent with it's theme "Behold! Jesus the Savior is Born".  The Petal Pushers volunteers assist with decorating about eight floats during decorating days.


 The Fraternal Service Organization of Elks will have another float in the 2025 Rose Parade.
 "Cherished Memories" is the theme.  Remember that all floats must 'fit' down the parade route, so the Elk at the back of the float must be able to collapse down to the maximum allowable size.


 Shriners Children's 2025 float will feature a working waterfall!
 So far, in it's basic stages, I can see that the two parrots will be lifted up to go down the parade route, then lowered as it gets to the tight spots along the route.  

 I have not seen any drawings for the City of Alhambra entry, but it was also  tested on July 13. 

Most road tests at Phoenix Decorating are on the last Saturday of each month, beginning at 6:45.   The Mister and I could not make it this last weekend of July.

 

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So, once we finished with viewing and taking photos, The Mister and I headed south six miles to Portos in West Covina.

 A cortadito ($3.39) was a nice alternative to coffee.  The espresso with sweetened condensed milk really hit the spot.  

 A new beverage is an iced passion fruit, yuzu pear lemonade ($5.45) and we just had to try it.  Topped with edible violas and mint, this was a very pleasant, not overly sweet treat.
 A peach target ($4.55) and a matcha raspberry eclair ($3.90) were our choices to try later that day.  Wonderful crust and pastry and fruit and cream.  Very nice indulgences.
 A walnut-raisin batard ($4.65) is a must purchase item.  Crisp crust, an almost sourdough base and walnuts and raisins; a perfect snack or breakfast.
 Two cheese rolls ($1.19 each).  were enjoyed in the car on the way home.  Crisp and flaky and sugar topped with a whipped cream cheese filling.  Another perfect item.

 We ordered Torrejas (Cuban French Toast) ($9.15), a wonderful  breakfast item, especially with the cream cheese and fresh fruit.
 Instead of an eggy sandwich, we shared a lechon sandwich ($8.69) Roasted pork, so tender and topped with pickled onions, served on fresh, pressed bread that was spread with a wonderful house made chimichurri sauce.   This satisfied the cravings I had for about half a year.

Portos Bakery & Cafe 584 S. Sunset Ave West Covina CA 91790 (626)214-3490 Website

Road Trip - Lucky Luke Brewpub (Lancaster, CA)

So, what were we doing in Lancaster? Yesterday, I posed that question. Well, what happened is that the Missus had found out that the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, a state park, resided just to the west of Lancaster. According to what the Missus had heard, the poppies start blooming in Mid-March, and voila! Here we were. We had a light breakfast at the hotel and then headed on out arriving at the park right before 9am. Unfortunately, we were a bit too early for the poppies this year!

Regardless, we ended up hiking both loop trails, and the views were quite nice.

As you can tell, we were the only folks in the park during our entire stay.

We saw a number of gophers and a couple of Bobcats. And even some wildflowers.

The trails were easy to walk and nicely maintained.

And, as if to tease us a bit, near the end of the trail....well, we saw the first poppies starting to bloom!

We did enjoy the solitude and the relaxing peacefulness of the walk. The Missus mentioning returning one day when the poppies are really in bloom.

We walked back to the hotel and had a light lunch, then headed on back out to explore a bit. Lancaster is quite sprawling and we ended up restocking on water, snacks, and stuff at the Target and Vallarta Market on Avenue K. Then it was nap time, one of my favorite parts of the day during road trips!

Upon waking, we headed back out and walked around the BLVD a bit, stopping into shops that were open. We found many places are closed on Mondays here.

And of course, there's all that public art.

Soon enough, it was time for dinner. I had thought that we'd head to Le Papillon, a more upscale restaurant right across from the hotel, but the Missus just wanted something simple and basic. Which was just across the street from where we were standing.

We liked the outdoor seating. The interior looks very "sports bar-ish". Seemed like locals came by to watch sports and grab a brew.

So, of course we had to get a table outside and I decided to get a Brown Ale.

This was light with a slight sweetness, very easy to drink.

The service was interesting; the woman who initially waited on us really didn't seem to want to deal with folks at tables, She mainly wanted to hang with the folks at the bar. The gentleman who came by and took over was very friendly and efficient.

We had a view of West Lancaster Boulevard and there was something going on for young people at the Performing Arts Center next to the Movie Theatres across the street.

Which was showing Kung Foo Panda???? You gotta love it.

The Missus ordered the Lemon Agave Salad.

Which, except for the pepitas was quite routine. At least the dressing wasn't too sweet, but this is totally something you can get out of a bag from your local grocer.

I got the Pub House Burger.

With Tater Tots.

    The tater tots were nicely fried, crisp, not hard, and the interior slightly creamy. 

The burger came in a brioche bun, which was a bit denser than I thought it would be; but it wasn't overly sweet and held up well to all that cheese sauce. The cheese sauce was much saltier than I'm used to. I also enjoy a bit of pungency, which this lacked. And as you can see; there was a lot of cheese sauce. Luckily, the pickled jalapenos added a nice counter balance of pickled spiciness that I enjoyed. While the bacon could have been cooked a bit more; I prefer it more crunchy, it did add that smoky-savory component to the burger.

The burger itself didn't look like much, but it was fairly tender, seasoned quite well, and did the job. Not a bad burger as a whole.

There was one item on the menu that I could not resist. The Fried Wisconsin Cheese Curds. Wisconsin you say? Cue in to a flashback of my favorite cheese curds, served at The Old Fashioned in Madison!

These were a bit over-fried and too gooey, not squeaky-stringy. The batter was crisp though. The flavor was mild, man what I would have given for some horseradish dip with this! 

Still, this was a decent dinner, in Lancaster. We liked the very laid-back small town feel to this area. At least that's what it was like on this Monday.

Lucky Luke Brewpub
735 West Lancaster Blvd.
Lancaster, CA 93534

After dinner we took another stroll up and down the BLVD area. In the end, I thought I'd put in some decent mileage.

We returned to our room, relaxed, and watched the sun go down on Lancaster.

Tomorrow we'd be headed back to Rowland Heights for a night and an Omakase dinner in City of Industry of all places!

Stay Tuned!

Road Trip - Charlie Brown Farms (Littlerock, CA) and Dinner at Cantarito (Lancaster)

So, if I said we'd be going to Littlerock and Lancaster, perhaps you'd think we'd be going Arkansas and Pennsylvania? Well, actually no. You see the Missus had a specific destination in mind for this road trip which started with a sort of "staycation" in Carlsbad and then took us to the SGV for a night. We took our time to our "destination" for this RT; the city of Lancaster in the Northern part of Los Angeles County. Why Lancaster? Well, the Missus had a specific reason which I'll reveal in an upcoming post.

We'd be taking the 210 to the 14 from the SGV to Lancaster. While doing a bit of research, I saw that there's one of those roadside stops like Eddie World and Bravo Farms that I enjoy so much fairly close by. So, we took a short detour on the 138 to Charlie Brown Farms.

While not as large as other places we've been to; I have to say, the amount of "stuffs" here was crazy!

Along with the usual nuts, peanut brittle, and varieties of candies and sodas that will bring a nostalgic smile to your face......

There was a huge variety of other food as well.

We ended up getting a bag of the fried garlic, which I really enjoyed.

And there are some interesting canned and bottled foods available.

Just in case you need some pig's feet, lips, & hocks in your life.

There's much more than food available as well.

All of those novelty items.

And you just knew that Elvis had to make an "appearance", right?

    As I took my bag of peanut brittle and the fried garlic to the register; the guy in front of me bought a $170 worth of bottled sodas! I asked the friendly cashier about this and she told me "it's totally normal"! Whoa!

There's a place that serves minidonuts, and a BBQ restaurant, funnel cakes, ice cream, and shakes.

This was a fun stop!

Charlie Brown Farms
8317 Pearblossom Hwy.
Littlerock, CA 93543

Our room at the Residence Inn Lancaster wasn't quite ready when we arrived, so we decided to head out for a stroll.

First thing we noticed was all the Air Force and Aerospace monuments.

Then I realized that Edwards Air Force Base was just a short distance from here! Duh!

There was also quite a bit of Public Art.

I came to find out that Lancaster is considered one of California's Cultural Districts, like Barrio Logan. There an Museum of Modern Art, but it closes at 4pm on Sunday, and would be closed on Monday so we missed out on visiting.

As we were checking things out on the "BLVD" I received a text message that our room was ready and we checked in.

We had but a small, early lunch, so I looked over my "list" of places in walking distance where we could have an early dinner. Cantarito, a Salvadoran restaurant was just two blocks away. Since it would be closed the next day, a Monday, we thought we'd dine here.

This seemed like a good option so we walked on over. We were the only customers in the place on a warm Sunday in March. The woman working was very friendly.

We ordered three pupusas and the yuca frita o sancochada.

First to arrive was the salsa and the curtido.

The salsa was the typical thin, not overly spicy version tat we're used to at Salvadoran places. But that curtido was awesome, it was fermented, nicely sour-savory-tartness, with hints floral-anise-citrus hints. I'm thinking they use a good amount of Mexican Oregano? We went thru two bowls of the stuff. The woman working got a kick out of the fact that we enjoyed the curtido so much....we could eat it like we would kimchi!

And then my cerveza arrived. It was simply a Modelo; but the Missus saw that frosty mug and immediately took control of it.

It was so refreshing on a rather warm day! Talking about "hitting the spot!"

As for the pupusas? Well, the Loroco version had too much cheese, we didn't care for the texture as it was a bit on the chewy-doughy side. The chicharron was actually ground pork. The best one was the hongos as it provided some earthy-mushroomy goodness, though it was suffering from some "leakage".

As for the Yuca Frita o Sancochada, well, this was an interesting dish.

   This was a huge, but interesting dish. The menu said pork rinds, but this was fried chunks of pork. Man, it was quite porky and full of flavor, but really hard and chewy, like chunks of fried jerky. Make sure your teeth are in good shape if you order this. We enjoyed the yuca. While the exterior was crisp, the interior just melted in your mouth, the texture was amazing! I don't think they do the usual "boil and fry" here. I'd gladly get the yuca again!

Overall, a decent dinner; not impressed by the pupusas, but the curtido and that yuca was so good!

Cantarito Salvadorian Restaurant
730 W Lancaster Blvd. #102
Lancaster, CA 93534

After dinner we took a stroll. It seems that Sunday evenings are pretty quiet in downtown Lancaster.

There was one place that we dropped into that was quite lively.

It seems that this is a Craft Beer - Underground Bowling Alley.

We popped in to take a look, but didn't hang around.

There was one other place that looked pretty lively and we'd end up having dinner there the following evening.

On this evening, we just took a stroll around town and enjoyed the public art.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Road Trip - Array 36 (Temple City)

Way back in March, the Missus had requested a specific road trip. We'd be taking our time to our destination. We first stayed in Carlsbad and had a fine dinner at Jeune et Jolie, after our morning coffee and some breakfast we headed to the SGV. As usual, we stayed the night at the Courtyard at Monterey Park and had made reservations for a restaurant in Temple City. I know what you're thinking, "sigh, is Kirk going to do yet another post on Bistro Na's?" Well FOYs, I'll give you a break from that for now, ok? I had read about a restaurant that opened in Temple City in October of last year. The place had Shanghainese influenced dishes along with an $98 Roast Duck dish carved tableside, which had to be ordered ahead of time. I'd read that the renovation of the restaurant, named Array 36 cost over 3 million dollars, with the goal of setting a new level of fine dining for Chinese cuisine in Los Angeles. So, of course we had to try things out.

I made reservations for 5pm, right when the place opened. 

As we entered, the haunting moodiness of the restaurant engulfed us. 

There's a huge hologram of a whale projected on the wall. It's quite a trippy scene.

We looked over the menu and placed our order. Soon enough, a serving of Kai Wei Cai, those little before meal snacks that are supposed to "open up the stomach" arrived.

The beans were quite nice; but it was the pungent-sour-mildly spicy laba garlic that we enjoyed. This was a great start to the meal.

Of course we needed to try the duck. There as no way we'd be able to finish a whole duck, so no "flaming fowl", the tableside torched and carved duck. No we went with the half roast duck ($68).

 
Which came with all the standard accessories. The fat had been rendered nicely, but the skin was not as crisp and delicate as we like. The flavor was quite mild and the meat tough and dry.

The dan bing, those "pancakes" one enrobes the duck and  accoutrements with were large, thicker then we like and on the chewy side for our taste.

There's a version of Dragon Well Shrimp on the menu, something we really love. We still talk about the wonderful version we had all those years ago at Jiangnan Restaurant in Beijing. It's called Stir Fried River Shrimp on the English menu. We got a small order which was $58.

Man, this was bad. The shrimp was overcooked and tough, was too salty, and lacked depth of flavor. 

We also ordered the House Special Smoked Plank Pork ($28).

The pork was on the chewier side of the scale, a bit too sweet for our taste, but heck, this was Shangainese influenced so that makes sense. Mild smokiness, decent pork tones. Not bad.

The last dish would prove to be a winnah! The Beef Fried Rice with Black Truffle ($22).

This was quite possibly the best fried rice I'd had in a while. While there was just a wisp of black truffle flavor; the rice was perfectly cooked and coated, the seasoning a nice balance of salt and savory. 

At least the meal ended on a high note. The service as excellent, the interior a world of it's own. But in the end, it's about the food, and sorry to say, in spite of watching that hologram whale swimming on the wall across us, I don't think the dinner was worth the $200 price tag.

Array 36
5449 Rosemead Blvd.
San Gabriel, CA 91776