[Los Angeles] [Korean] 龍水山 Yongsusan

Yongsusan
龍水山
950 S Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 388-3042
http://www.yongsusan.co.kr/default_en.asp

It was Dr. P's mom's birthday, and Dr. P was thinking about taking Mrs. P out for a nice dinner.  I immediately thought of Yongsusan.  Dr. P and I went there about two years ago.  We really enjoyed the food at this high-end Korean restaurant.  Dr. P thought it was a great idea.  Last night we went with Mrs. P, Dr. P's brother and his girlfriend to Yongsusan for a birthday dinner.


Soft Creamy Porridge

Last time Dr. P and I ordered the $45.99 Royal court Table D’Hote (The price has gone up to $48.99 now).  It was way too much food.  This time we ordered the Special Table D'Hote for $39.99/person.  The dinner set has 16 courses!  The meal started with soft creamy porridge.  I think this was either made with pumpkin or squash.  The creamy porridge was made with sticky rice, and it tasted like slightly sweet warm sticky mochi soup.  I like it!

My Birthday Present

Dr. P bought my birthday present from Amazon, and accidentally sent it to his mom's house. We finally went up to LA yesterday, and I got my belated birthday present!



I am a big Lady Gaga fan.  I've been wanting one of those Lady Gaga Heartbeats In-Ear Headphones ever since it came out.

Chicken, Chorizo, and Hominy Stoup

I have a lot of cookbooks.  I mean... A LOT!  I read cookbooks cover to cover... for fun.  Then I put them on my bookshelves... for decoration.  But what's the point of buying cookbooks if I am not going to cook anything from them?  So yesterday I picked one of the book from my bookshelf, and randomly turned to a page, and that was going to be dinner.  The book I picked was Rachel Ray's Express Lane Meals.  Every recipe in the book can be done under 30 minutes.  I like fast and easy recipes.  The page I turned to was Chicken, Chorizo, and Hominy Stoup.


Chicken, Chorizo, and Hominy Stoup

A "stoup" is a dish between soup and stew.  I used andouille sausage because I couldn't find Chorizo at Sprouts Farmers Market.  I was afraid that the sausage might make the stoup too greasy, but not Sprouts all natural andouille sausage.  It was a very lean sausage and full of flavor.  There were a lot of vegetables in the stoup, onion, celery, kale, and hominy.  Hominy is this giant corn kernel.  I found it at the Mexican aisle in the supermarket.  This stoup was pretty spicy because of the chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.  Dr. P loved the spicy stoup.  I like the flavor of cumin and coriander a lot.

Chinese Wedding Banquet Location?

We have about 6 months to prepare for the big day! @^_^@

We decided to have a Chinese wedding banquet because it's easier, more budget friendly, and guests will have better + more food!

So does anyone have suggestion for Chinese wedding banquet location in San Gabriel Valley?  Did you have experience with wedding banquet in a restaurant?  Or you've been to a Chinese wedding banquet with really good food?  Thank you guys in advance for suggestions and recommendations.  ^^

[Irvine] [Buffet] Souplantation

Souplantation
2825 Main St
Irvine, CA 92614-5901
(949) 474-8682
http://www.souplantation.com

On my way driving http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com after class, I was craving for salad.  Guess I had too much all you can eat Korean BBQ meat during lunch.  I thought about stopping by Corner Bakery Cafe to get a salad and a cup of coffee.  That would cost about $10.  Then I remember I had Souplantation coupons at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com.  All you can eat salad for 2 plus 2 drinks would be about $15 with the coupon.  So I called up Dr. P and asked him out for a salad date.


Salad

I got a big plate of salad.  I read in a book that when eating vegetables, always go for "colors".  So I tried to add all the vegetables with different colors.  Green, red, white, yellow, orange, and black.  I think I got all colors.  Yum!  Love the fresh veggies at Souplantation.

[San Gabriel] [Korean] 火爐 Hwaro Korean BBQ & Tofu

Hwaro Korean BBQ & Tofu
火爐
227 W Valley Blvd #138-A
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 282-6632

Today is my dad's birthday.  During my break between classes yesterday, I went http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com and took him out for a birthday lunch.  Dad wanted to have Korean BBQ, and he said he heard good things about Hwaro Korean BBQ & Tofu from my brother and he would like to try it.



They offered good priced lunch special, range from $6.99 to $12.99 (the more expensive ones are the BBQ + tofu combo).  But dad had his mind set on all you can eat Korean BBQ.  Lunch price is $12.99 per person with 5 choices of meat.

[Walnut] [Japanese] Yama Bowl

Yama Bowl
1225 N Grand Ave
Walnut, CA 91789
(909) 595-3700

Spring semester started this week.  I had my first day of school yesterday.... from 9am to 9pm!  I thought the first day would be short.  Wrong!  My professors from both classes had full lecture.  We even had lab for one of my classes.  By the time I finished my morning class, it was already 2:30pm and I was super hungry.


Chicken Bowl + California Roll + Drink Combo ($5.99)

I went across the street to find a place to eat.  Passed by this restaurant called Yama Bowl and saw the picture on their window for the daily combo special.  I was so hungry.  Chicken bowl + California roll sounded good to me.  Plus they had free wi-fi.

懶惰版八寶辣醬麵 Eight Treasures Spicy Sauce Noodle (Lazy Version)

Last night Dr. P had to work late so it was dinner for one. I made "eight treasures" spicy sauce noodle for myself.


八寶辣醬麵 Eight Treasures Spicy Sauce Noodle

It was good, and only took 5 minutes to make.

大腸麵線 Intestine Thin Noodle

Dr. P has been telling me that he's been craving for Ay-Chung's Oyster & Intestine thin noodle soup.  I never thought I could make something like that at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com.  But I did it!


大腸麵線 Intestine Thin Noodle

I didn't have any oyster, so just made it with intestine.  I was also missing chopped cilantro, bamboo shoot slices, and Chinese black vinegar.  But the flavor was there.  Dr. P and I both still thought it tasted really close to the restaurant version.  So how did I make it?

[Newport Beach] [Mexican] El Torito Mexican Grill

El Torito Mexican Grill
951 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 640-2875
http://www.eltorito.com

We had a Sunday brunch around Christmas time with friends at El Torito and loved it.  We have been thinking about going back ever since.  I wanted to have a little gathering with my blog friends to celebrate my birthday and engagement, and thought El Torito would be a great choice.



I picked the Newport Beach location because (1) it's closer to most of my friends in OC, and (2) it's next to Fashion Island!  The plan is to get all the guys drunk so they can't drive, and us girls can go shopping at Fashion Island afterward.  haha....

[Irvine] [Chinese] Asian Tapas

Asian Tapas
饗
6380 Irvine Blvd
Irvine, CA 92620
(949) 651-8999
http://www.asian-tapas.com

We were in the mood for Chinese noodle soup, but wanted to try something other than A&J.  We drove to the other side of Irvine to try this new restaurant, Asian Tapas.



Asian Tapas is in the same plaza as The Counter.  I didn't know there's one in Irvine.  I love the burger there!  If there weren't that many people waiting outside of The Counter, we might just change my mind to go there instead.

[Tustin] [Greek] Daphne's Greek Cafe

Daphne's Greek Cafe
2360 Park Ave #9H
Tustin, CA 92782
(714) 258-8867
http://www.daphnesgreekcafe.com

I am on a lot of eateries' e-mailing list.  I often get coupon offers from those restaurants, and they ALWAYS send you some kind of special deal for birthday.  I received a free entree offer from Daphne's Greek Cafe for my birthday month.  Last night we took the free offer and had a Greek dinner for two at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com for under $10.


Lemon Chicken Soup ($3.19)
A Greek specialty - Avgolemono Soup with marinated chicken and rice. Served with grilled pita bread and tzatziki sauce.

Dr. P got the Three Course Dinner for $7.00.  For starter, the lady at the counter suggested Dr. P to pick Lemon Chicken Soup because it is the most expensive item out of the choices.  It normally costs $3.  The Lemon Chicken Soup tasted pretty lemony.  It tasted like sour chicken noodle soup.  There were some chicken and rice in the soup.  Dr. P like the sour flavor, but I didn't.

[Tustin] [Coffee] Peet's Coffee & Tea

Peet's Coffee & Tea
2489 Park Ave
Tustin, CA 92782
(714) 689-9048
http://www.peets.com

Peet's has been our favorite coffee shop ever since we tried it for the first time a few years ago.  Lately we've been going to Peet's in The District a lot.



Service is always really good at this location.  I love getting Peet's coffee, then go to Borders to browse books.

[Tustin] [Japanese] Tommy's Sushi & Japanese Restaurant

Tommy's Sushi & Japanese Restaurant
1051 E Main St
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 544-5241

I have been craving for Tommy's Sushi's poki bowl for weeks.  Last night we finally went.  It was Thursday night, and the restaurant was about 90% full.


Poki Bowl ($11.00)

Ahhhh..... THE poki bowl!  I absolutely love the poki bowl at Tommy's Sushi.  Big chunks of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and octopus...  Cucumber, onion, avocado, and scallion....  Also tiny fish roes and crab salad.... I could taste the ponzu and sesame oil in the dressing.... all sitting on top of sushi rice.  It was a bowl of magic!  Love it love it love it!

[Temple City] [Bakery] Cloverleaf Bakery

Cloverleaf Bakery
9475 Las Tunas Dr
Temple City, CA 91780
(626) 285-0100

Mom got me that taro pudding cake, but my sister knows that I don't even like taro.  But since it was my mom's favorite cake, I always pretend that I kinda like it.  I'll eat a little piece, and she'll finish the entire cake by herself.  Seriously!  The entire cake!  So my sister got me more desserts to take http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com.



She went to a new bakery in Temple City called Cloverleaf.  She said the cakes over there looked like Japanese style cake.

[Monterey Park] [Chinese] 避風塘潮粵海鮮酒家 Seafood Village Restaurant

Seafood Village Restaurant
避風塘潮粵海鮮酒家
684 W Garvey Ave
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 289-0088

My little aunt (mom's little sister) came to visit from San Jose for Chinese New Year.  She wanted to take me out to eat for my birthday.  She said I could pick any place I want.  Seafood Village Restaurant was the first place that came to my mind.  I want some yummy garlicky crab for my birthday!


例湯 Pork Ribs Soup

Even with the big red C rating on the door, Seafood Village was still very busy for lunch.  Our lunch started with pork ribs soup.  Their soup is always tasty, and FREE!

[Huntington Beach] [Mediterranean] Zimzala

Zimzala
500 Pacific Coast Highway
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
(714) 960-5050
http://www.restaurantzimzala.com

Yesterday was my 35th birthday.  Woohoooo~~~~  Dr. P wanted to treat me to a nice dinner.  But with a wedding coming (haha I just have to rub that in), we gotta save money.  Since I have so many Groupons and Restaurant.com certificates, we decided to pick a restaurant where we could save some money.  Zimzala seemed like a really nice Mediterranean restaurant, and Dr. P took me there for my birthday dinner with a $50 groupon that I bought for $25.



Zimzala is located inside Shorebreak Hotel.  Valet parking is $7 plus tips, but we opted to self-park for $3.  Don't be lazy = saving money!

[Huntington Beach] [Vegetarian] Good To Go Restaurants

Good To Go Restaurants
5930 Warner Ave
Huntington Beach, CA 92649
(714) 840-6400
http://www.goodtogorestaurants.com

I am loving the website Groupon.  Groupon is a website that (1) Each day featuring something cool to do at an unbeatable price; (2) The deal is on if enough people join that day; and (3) Check back the next day for another awesome Groupon!  My first groupon was for a massage + facial + pedicure at an Aveda salon for $50.  Original price is like $175 or something like that.  Ever since that experience, I am hooked on Groupon.  I bought a lot of restaurant groupons because I love going out to eat and try new places.  Last night we decided to use our Groupon to try Good To Go, a vegetarian/vegan/raw restaurant.



I forgot to bring my camera so all the pictures were taken with Dr. P's cell phone.  The restaurant is located in a strip mall.  It looked like a small fast food place from outside.  On their window, they wrote "Pizza, hamburger & Shakes.  Junk food without the Junk!"  It was kinda funny and cute.  The restaurant was small and clean.

Finally....

On Valentine's Day 2/14/2010 11:50pm....



I went from girlfriend to fiancee....

[Garden Grove] [Seafood] The Boiling Crab

The Boiling Crab
13892 Brookhurst St
Garden Grove, CA 92843
(714) 636-4885
http://www.theboilingcrab.com

Our original Valentine's Day plan was to cook at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com by ourselves.  But I ended up drinking a bit too much wine the night before and wasn't feeling too well.  So plan changed.  We decided to get takeout from Dr. P's current favorite restaurant, The Boiling Crab.  We called them around 6pm to place our order.  It took us 10 minutes to get through the line.  Dr. P went to pick up the order.  He said the restaurant side was crazy packed.  Take-out side had line going out the door.  He had to wait in line for 40 minutes just to pick up the order.  For people who place orders right there, they had to wait for another 45 minutes for the food to be ready.  Crazy!


Oyster ($7.99/6)

They packed the oyster in an ice tray.  It came with horseradish, cocktail sauce, a little bottle of Tabasco, and lemon.  The oysters were so fresh.  Very tasty!  Dr. P said next time he wants to get a dozen!

Happy Chinese New Year!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

新年快樂~~~~

Shen Yun Performing Arts

Last night I took my mom to Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to see Shen Yun Performing Arts (神韻藝術團) show.  We thought it was Chinese traditional dance show, but it was actually not all about arts, and more about the religion Falun Gong (法輪功)....



It was our first time to Music Center in Downtown LA.  This place is beautiful.  Very nice courtyard with artsy statues and water fountains.

[Orange] [American] Orange Hill Restaurant

Orange Hill Restaurant
6410 E Chapman Ave
Orange, CA 92869
(714) 997-2910
http://www.theorangehillrestaurant.com

It's not my birthday yet.  I am still 34!  Just let me be 34 for few more days.... ok?  haha....  My birthday is on the 16th, and that weekend is also Valentine's weekend + Chinese New Year.  So if I invite my friends that weekend, they have to choose between their family, their men, or me.  I know I'd win, but I don't want their family and men to be mad.  So I decide to take myself out of the competition and had my first birthday dinner last Sunday at Orange Hill Restaurant.  Hey, I only needed to compete with Super Bowl that day.  haha....  ^^



I was looking for a restaurant with prix fixe menu with reasonable price, and came across Orange Hill Restaurant.  From my internet research, I found out that they had a $21.95 3 course sunset dinner daily from 4:30pm to 6pm.  Also people said this restaurant has a stunning view.  I made an early dinner reservation for 5pm.

[Tustin] [Indian] Haveli Fine Indian Cuisine

Haveli Fine Indian Cuisine
13882 Newport Ave # G
Tustin, CA 92780-4666
(714) 669-1011
http://www.havelifineindiancuisine.com

I was craving for Indian food big time for some reason.  Flipping through my coupon book, I found a coupon for Haveli Fine Indian Cuisine for $6.99 lunch buffet (original price $8.99/person).  We've been to Haveli a few times before, and really enjoy their food.



It was Saturday, but the restaurant wasn't busy at all.  We have never seen this restaurant with too many customers before.  It doesn't seem like they're doing too well.  But their food is really good.  I wonder why....

[Irvine] [Chinese] Chong Qing Mei Wei Szechwan Restaurant

Chong Qing Mei Wei Szechwan Restaurant
重慶美味川菜
5406 Walnut Ave #C
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 651-8886

We haven't had spicy Chinese food for a while, and we were craving it bad.  Seriously, those Szechuan pepper must have some kind of addictive ingredient in it or something.  We went back to the best Szechuan restaurant in OC, Chong Qing Mei Wei Szechwan Restaurant.


風味冷菜 Cold Appetizer ($5.50)

It was raining outside, and the restaurant was full with a few people waiting.  They quickly put us at a 6 people table.  We also saw a couple sitting at one of those big 10 people table.  I like how they didn't make us wait for a smaller table.  Dr. P went to the cold appetizer counter and picked 3 items.  Those are our favorite 3, spicy beef & tendon, green veggie, and kidney & onion.

[Irvine] [Middle Eastern] House of Kabob

House of Kabob
92 Corporate Park
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 261-8004
http://www.ochouseofkabob.com

I was too lazy to cook dinner, so Dr. P got take out food for dinner.  I was even too lazy to think about what I wanted, and just asked Dr. P to get anything he wanted.  He decided to try some middle eastern food from House of Kabob.  That reminded us how we use to have Sunnin take out all the time back in Dr. P's old apartment in West LA.


Kabob Barg ($16.99)
Charbroiled of filet mignon marinated in our special sauce.

The boxes felt really heavy.  We opened the box and saw the reason.  Man, they gave you a lot of rice here.  Kabob Barg was made with filet mignon, and it was very tender.  It had a nice grilled + middle eastern spices flavor.  Love the grilled tomatoes.

[Santa Ana] [Japanese] Shabu Shabu Bar

Shabu Shabu Bar
1945 E 17th St #108
Santa Ana, CA 92705
(714) 954-0332

It was a casual weekday.  I turned on my computer in the morning, and saw some Shabu Shabu Bar's pictures on wintervalley's Facebook page.  I thought "hmmmm look good."  Then I checked my Plurk, and saw more pictures posted by wintervalley.  I thought "hmmmm I kinda want shabu shabu now."  After that I saw wintervalley's blog post, then I thought "I GOTTA HAVE SHABU SHABU TONIGHT!"



After Dr. P got off work, we followed his navigation lady's commands, and drove around the streets near Shabu Shabu Bar in circles for 30 minutes before finally finding the restaurant.  That lady is going crazy and almost drove me crazy!

Our Anniversary + Valentine's Presents

Our anniversary is only 2 weeks apart from Valentine's Day. So we decided just to get one present for each other for both occasions. One really NICE present, of course.



One day I was watching Lady Gaga on TV, and I mentioned I want the headphones that Lada Gaga designed.  Dr. P remembered it.  He said originally he was going to get the headphones for me.  But then he thought, "wait.... she doesn't even have an iPod!  So is she just going to wear the headphones with no music.... for fun?"

[Costa Mesa] [Mexican] Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle Mexican Grill
2300 Harbor Blvd
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(949) 646-1288
http://www.chipotle.com

I listen to everything Oprah says.  When Oprah said everyone should watch Food Inc, I made Dr. P watched the eye opening documentary about where food comes from with me.  I highly recommend this film to everyone.  It will make you think about what you put in your mouth and start making conscious choices about what you eat.  We also saw the interview with Chipotle Mexican Grill's founder Steve Ells on Oprah.  He said that everything in Chipotle is freshly made in the restaurant.  There is no frozen vegetable except corn.  All of their chicken and pork are natural raised, and 60% of their beef is grass-fed.  There is no machine operation in their restaurant.  Everything is chopped, cooked, grilled, and prepared by their cooks.  After watching the interview, Dr. P stopped by the restaurant to pick up some healthier Mexican fast food from Chipotle for us to try.


Salad With Chicken ($5.70)
Chopped romaine lettuce with choice of beans, meat, salsa and cheese, with freshly made chipotle-honey vinaigrette.  Naturally raised chicken, marinated in our Chipotle adobo, then grilled.

The menu at Chipotle is very simple.  There's salad, burrito, and taco.  Meat choices are chicken, pork, and beef.  There's also vegetarian option.  Dr. P got a Salad with Chicken for us to share.  All the ingredients tasted so fresh, even the frozen corn!  The grilled chicken was tender and very flavorful.  I like the honey vinaigrette, but Dr. P thought it was a bit too sweet for his taste.  He said next time he'll request to have salsa as dressing.

[Pasadena] [Hawaiian] Roy’s Restaurant

Roy’s Restaurant
641 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 356-4066
http://www.roysrestaurant.com

My parents enjoy going out to eat, but most of the time they go to the same Chinese restaurants or noodle & dumpling places over and over.  I like taking them out to try different cuisine.  Most of the time they will say something like "Chinese food is much cheaper and better value... blah blah blah."  But I know they are happy that I am taking them out to eat.  They just don't want me to spend too much money.  That's family love.  ^^



I picked Roy's Restaurant in Pasadena to take my parents for dine LA Restaurant week.  Valet parking was $7.  But we found free parking in the building's parking garage.  The gate was opened and nobody was there.  So we just parked.  Lucky!

[Santa Monica] [Italian] Vito Restaurant

Vito Restaurant
2807 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 450-4999
http://www.vitorestaurant.com

We went up to Santa Monica to have dinner with Dr. P's friend Arthur last weekend.  Santa Monica is far, I mean farrrrrr, from Orange County.  It was 50+ miles from our house to the restaurant!  Dinner was at Arthur's favorite restaurant, Vito.



We got there a little earlier, and sat at the bar to have a drink while waiting for Arthur.  There were quite a few silver haired customers sitting at the bar for early dinner.

[Pasadena] [French] Cafe Bizou

Cafe Bizou
91 N Raymond Ave
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 792-9923
http://www.cafebizou.com

It's dineLA Restaurant Week!  The special is only on Sunday through Thursday.  Dr. P has to work on weekday, and just doesn't have the time to go up to Los Angeles.  Too bad for him!  I took the opportunity to take my parents out  for some bargain deal meal.



I picked Cafe Bizou for lunch.  It was $16 for 3 course lunch.  The original plan was to take my parents, but they had some plumbing problem at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com that morning so dad stayed http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com with the plumber to fix the problem.

[Newport Beach] [American] Sage Restaurant

Sage Restaurant
2531 Eastbluff Dr
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 718-9650
http://www.sagerestaurant.com

It was our 4 year anniversary, and it happened to be Newport Beach Restaurant Week, too.  Nice!  We get to go out for a nice dinner and save money at the same time.  After browsing through menus online, we decided to try a New American restaurant named Sage.



Sage is tucked away in a corner at Ralphs and CVS plaza in the back bay area in Newport Beach.

[Garden Grove] [Korean] Cham Sut Gol Korean BBQ

Cham Sut Gol Korean BBQ
9252 Garden Grove Blvd #10
Garden Grove, CA 92842
(714) 590-9292

We haven't had Korean BBQ ever since moving down to Orange County.  That was 6 months without juicy Korean BBQ meat!  Both Dr. P and I were craving for it.  So he looked up Korean BBQ restaurants around the area on Yelp, and found Cham Sut Gol with the most and highest reviews.



We tried to call the restaurant in the afternoon to make a reservation for 2.  But they told us they only take reservation for larger group, and we should just go in early to avoid the wait.

[Garden Grove] [Seafood] The Boiling Crab

The Boiling Crab
13892 Brookhurst St
Garden Grove, CA 92843
(714) 636-4885
http://www.theboilingcrab.com

It was a rainy night.  Dr. P drove through heavy rain and major traffic to Garden Grove after work because the day before I mentioned that I am craving for The Boiling Crab.  Awww.... That was too nice of him.


The Whole Sha-Bang Shrimp ($8.99/lb) / Corn on the Cob ($0.75/each)

Just like last time, we got a pound of The Whole Sha-Bang Shrimp with medium spicy.

Simple "Weird" Food at Home

There are a lot of us Asian people eat that non-Asian people would consider "weird".  Tofu that smells like stinky feet, intestines that poo poo passed through, blood, brain, snake, turtle.... you name it, we eat it.  But those are the dishes that I grow up eating.  So one night I made "weird" food dinner for Dr. P to try.


鹹蛋蒸肉 Steamed Turkey with Salted Egg

Sorry for the photo of the eaten dish.  haha...  I didn't plan to write about the dish and didn't take a picture after cooking it.  Then I had some, and it was really good so I decided to write about it.  The weird food in this dish was salted duck egg.  You can buy those salted duck egg in any Chinese supermarket.  I made the dish with ground turkey meat because that what I had in my fridge.  You can also make it with pork.  I used about 1 pound of turkey, chopped the egg white from 2 salted egg, saved the yolk, and mixed the egg white with the meat.  Seasoned it with some soy sauce, white pepper, a little cornstarch, and water.  Placed the meat mixture in a bowl or plate, put the yolk on top, and steamed.  It was super easy to make.  The meat pie is great with rice or porridge.

[Irvine] [Chinese] A&J Restaurant

A&J Restaurant
半畝園
14805 Jeffrey Rd #D
Irvine, CA 92620
(949) 786-3585

The day after dinner party at Black Cherry Garden, I woke up with the worst hangover headache.  I didn't know why I had a hangover.  I didn't even get drunk!  Could it be the Claritin I took?  I guess I should never mix alcohol with medication.  Lesson learned.


芽菜海帶 Seaweed & Bean Sprout in Garlic Vinegar Sauce ($1.95)

With the throbbing headache, all I wanted was a bowl of hot soup.  Dr. P took me to A&J for some beef noodle soup to recuperate.  We started the meal with a small plate of Seaweed & Bean Sprout in Garlic Vinegar Sauce.  We tried the cucumber and pickled cabbage before.  The seaweed is the best appetizer we've tried.