What's an Authentic Chinese New Year Meal?

Chinese people are very superstitious people. Depending on where you may be from, the New Year traditions can vary immensely. Certain fruits and foods are seen as auspicious in certain Chinese cultures are seen as a sign of bad luck in others. But let’s be serious, many of the so-called “Chinese New Year” meals you read about aren’t really special. Chinese people make up nice-sounding names for all the dishes and tell you that it’s a “unique” New Year dish. So, here’s your look into what’s in a real, authentic Chinese New Year dinner. This is what I had for my New Year Dinner.

(Here's my poon choy. Don't let the picture fool you, the pot is very deep.)

Poon Choy, which translates to Big Bowl Feast, is a traditional type of dish originating from Hong Kong. According to legend, it was said the dish was invented during the Song Dynsasty when Mongol troops invaded China. The locals apparently tried to aid the Emperor and his army which fled to Hong Kong and Guangdong, by collected whatever foods they had and threw it all into a big bowl.

(I was really full so I picked out just a few of my favorite things-abalone, fish maw, and sea cucumber.)

Today’s moden poon choy has ingredients such as abalone, ginseng, shark’s fin, duck, fish maw, crab, radish, shrimp, lamb, beef, chicken, mushroom, eel, squid, goose feet  tofu, to name a few. The dish is eaten with everyone using their chopsticks and mixing the food to bring good fortune in the coming year. 

 Another dish with similar meaning eaten for the New Year is “lo hay”.  “Lo hay” is particularly a South East Asian custom very popular in certain regions of China as well. Lo hay is, is a dish filled with vegetables, crackers, nuts, sweet and sour sauce, spices, raw salmon, and fruit. Each of the ingredients symbolizes some form of prosperity.

 (Some mixing in action!)

Everyone then raises their chopsticks and mixes the platter by picking up the items with their chopsticks. This action is to signify good luck by mixing all these symbolic forms of prosperity.

Happy Lunar New Year!

Need Valentine's Day Plans?

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. I'm currently on a short trip to Hong Kong, but for my L.A. readers, here are some ideas for your V-Day or Single Awareness Day out with Friends! DineLA may be over, but here is your next chance! 

For lovebirds who are true foodies at heart, the Downtown Center Business Improvement District  has put together a few “Romance in the City” dinners, including:

• Four-course Valentine’s Day Dinner – For fun and flirty Mexican food, Border Grill is offering its V-day package for $65/person excluding tax and gratuity. MentionDowntownLA.com when making a Valentine’s Day reservation and get a Free Border Guacamole with purchase of a prix-fixe dinner.
• Fine Dining on Historic Bunker Hill – At the Omni Hotel, couples can celebrate Valentine’s Day at its romantic Noé Restaurant & Bar. Executive Chef Glen Ishii has prepared a special four-course menu for $75/person (excluding tax and gratuity) that includes entrée choices of Maple Leaf Duck Breast, Petite Filet or Butternut Squash Risotto. Receive a free glass of champagne by mentioning DowntownLA.com.
• Downtown’s “Most Romantic” Dinner – Try the best in al fresco dining at Café Pinot, which offers a contemporary California menu all in a setting situated in Maguire Gardens with landscaped lawns shaded by olive and jacaranda trees and underneath the grand Central Library.
• The Edison’s Valentine’s Celebration – Go back in time for a night of romance and entertainment in this world-class lounge with the Francesca Vannucci band. Complete Lover’s Dinner for two, complimented by Perrier Champagne, is $115 excluding tax and gratuity.
• Chaya’s Love at First Bite – Chaya Downtown is offering a three-course selection of Chef Kenjo’s favorite romance-inspired menu for two topped of with a Valentine’s dessert medley that includes peanut butter soufflé glace with chocolate sauce; chocolate-dipped strawberries and a heart- shaped strawberry shortcake for $65/person excluding tax and gratuity. 

For the full list of love-ly Valentine’s Day dining, hotel packages and activities in the heart of the city, visit DowntownLA.com/valentines. 

Happy Eatings! 

The Start of DineLA 2013!

Anyone that loves food, knows that eating well is quite an expensive hobby. Fortunately and unfortunately, Los Angeles is one of the most unique and dynamic cities for food. Luckily for us, twice a year, many restaurants participate in a two-week period known as DineLA.

For those unfamiliar, DineLA is when a number restaurants in L.A. have a special discount prixe fixe menu for patrons. The menu includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert. What makes DineLA great is that it allows foodies that normally wouldn’t eat at high-end resturant to experience a taste of their food without blowing their budget. Lunches are priced at $15, $20, and $25, and dinners at $25, $35, and $45.

 Complimentary Meat Balls from the Waiting Room. For me, Lawry’s Prime rib is the best DineLA deal. Typically at Lawry’s, the cheapest prime rib is approximately $40. Everything is a la carte-sides, dessert, etc. If you add in a drink, a side order, and dessert your typical cost would be about $70.

The Lawry’s DineLA meal is $45 and includes complimentary bread, salad, 8 ounce prime rib, lobster tail, and dessert! What a steal!

 Lawry’s famous spinning bowl salad.

 Here is the bulk of my dinner. You have the prime rib, the Yorkshire Pudding, and the lobster tail!

English Trifle for dessert!

DineLA runs from January 21 to February 1^st. You can find the entire list of restaurants participating here. I’ll probably be going to a few more DineLA resturants before it ends.

Do you have a favorite? Have you been taking advantage of the deals?

Dongbu Live Fish

 Dongbu Live Fish is a small, family-run restaurant located in a small Rowland Heights strip mall. The specialty at Dongbu is hwal uh, which refers to the Korean-style sashimi.

Upon entering the small restaurant, you see live fish and other sea creatures swimming in saltwater tanks. Although Dongbu’s menu is filled sushi and other items, the star of the show is the live halibut sashimi. It comes in four sizes from x-small to large. The XS is $65. Don’t trust the size! It is a lot of food since it comes with multiple other dishes. An XS could probably feed three people.

 Our meal started with quail eggs, edamame, and an array of Korean condiments to accompany our appetizers. Next came soup and salad. The salad was like a cole slaw with a sweet vinaigrette sauce. It also had roe and halibut and tossed inside as well. The star of the show of course is the freshly caught halibut. It is served on an ice platter. The sashimi tastes extremely fresh. We also wrapped the halibut in the lettuce leaves provided.  Accompanying the halibut platter were eight additional dishes. The raw abalone was a bit chewy. The naengmyeon aka cold noodle was one of my faveorites. It had salmon, halibut, fruits, and cabbage all mixed in with a kick of spice! 

Next they brought out baked mussels with imitation crab. We also had shrimp and fried sardines as well. The macakrel was grilled really nicely. The skin was perfectly crispy. The meal ended up another bowl of soup. This soup to end the meal was a spicy fish soup.

The service was exceptional. The entire family was so nice and accomdating. Despite the small parking lot, there are a few spaces reserved for Dongbu customers so make sure to check before you go parking across the street. Enjoy!

18785 Colima Rd.

Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Pissing Shrimp & Squid Ink Noodles

Hey all! I just got back from Hong Kong and am currently back in Los Angeles for the time being. So let’s recap another one of my meals then. Shall we? 

 Let me introduce you to mantis shrimp. In Cantonese cooking, it’s nicknamed the “pissing shrimp". Literally translated into Chinese as 攋尿蝦, (lài niào xiā ) due of their tendency to shoot water when picked up.

 I personally refer to the shrimp as the shrimp on steroids. Them babies look huge! After it’s cooked, its meat tastes more like lobster than shrimp. That was a lot of fun!

Next up is my do-it-yourself squid ink noodles that I had during hot pot/shabu shabu! (Please note I’m not engaged. Those are my Aunt’s hands.) 

 We got to squirt the ink into the shabu shabu pot and make our own noodles. I love playing with my food! In retrospect, we shouldn’t have made one long set of noodles. We should have stopped and given it a break because once the noodles cooked, it was hard to separate it and divvy it up later.

 Squid ink is high in cholesterol so I wouldn’t recommend having it too frequently. I love squid ink anything. One of the best ramens I’ve ever had was a squid ink ramen from Japan. This was more of a novelty thing just so we could play with our food.

Happy New Year! May your stomaches be filled with delicious foods this upcoming year!

Happy Eatings!

Hairy Crab Crossandwich, Anyone? Hong Kong Edition

Let me introduce you to one of my new favorite places in Hong Kong: Hysan Place. Sure it has floors and floors of shopping that exceeds the Times Square nearby, but I love it for its bakery!

 Urban Bakery has tons of tasty breads, cakes, and pastries like any other Asian bakery. Sure, their cranberry cheese bread is good, but the best part of Urban is their… croissants! I’ve never been a fan of eating croissants. Why, you ask? The crust has to be perfect for me. It should be toasted and flake off as you take each bite. Damn skippy, it should!

 How can you not love a bakery with a sign like this? Bonus points! Well, Urban’s croissants are amazing. They are so good and in demand that they sell out everyday. Their usual flavors include Ham & Brie and Langoustine. If you’re a foodie though, you know that it’s currently Hairy Crab season, which is the best of the seasons we have each year! Ha!

 Well Urban Bakery has added a new, seasonal “crossandwich”! Ha! Aren’t they clever with the name? Love it! Feast your eyes on the amazing Hairy Crab with Caviar and Chives! As the sign says the crossandwich is “handpicked seasonal hairy crab crossandwich tailor made for foodies searching for the extreme”. *Raises hand*

  Review: The crossiant in itself was absolutely delightful. I could eat it all day. I have to admit that although I love Hairy Crab, it didn’t make for the best flavor croissant. I would go with the Ham and Brie if you have a choice. I’ve had that multiple times and that remains my favorite flavor. The Hairy Crab is in demand because it’s special right now. I think it’s worth trying just because it’s kind of gimmicky? Is that a word?

 Well, Urban Bakery is still a win! Here are the other croissant choices available currently.

Put them on your to-visit list whilst in Hong Kong!

Address: Jasons‧Food & Living, B2/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway

Happy Eatings! 

New Favorite Themed Restaurant in HK!

Hello, Readers! I’m currently in Hong Kong, again. I’ll be returning to Los Angeles soon. Until then,  I’d like to share a new restaurant that I’ve been enjoying.

 I may have found my new faveorite themed-resturant in Hong Kong. Am I a bit biased because of my family’s Singaporean roots? Maybe, from the menus to the detail in the paper placemats, Shiok! is at the top of list.

So how do you even pronounce that? You’ll have to ask a Singaporean but according to Urban Dictionary, shiok is “used to convey a feeling of sheer pleasure and happiness”. Shiok! is located in the new Hysan Place on the 11^th floor of the Food Court. What makes this place memorable is really the branding and thought put into everything.

 Everything had a Pop Art Comic on it. Even down to their placemats! I loved it!

 Onto the food! The food is pretty good. Certain items could have been more authentic, but how could you not love their Pop Art style comics? And bottomless refillable garlic/ginger sauce? Yes, please.

 This was their Bak Kut Teh aka Pork Bone Tea Soup. The color of the soup is supposed to be dark, dark brown. In many Singaporean and Malaysian customs and traditions, women who had just given birth are encouraged to drink this herbal, medicinal soup to restore their nutrients from childbearing. True, authentic Bak Kut Teh can be hard to stomach. It can taste like Traditional Chinese Medicine. Although not the most authentic, this Bak Kut Teh was tasty.

 And of course what kind of meal would be complete without the quintessential Singaporean drink, Milo? This is a Milo Godzilla drink. For those that don’t know Milo is essentially many Asian countries’ version of Ovaltine of Nesquik. Very popular in Singapore, Milo Dinosaur is a cup of milo with an extra spoonful of powdered undissolved Milo added to it and  Milo Godzilla is a cup of Milo with ice cream or topped with whipped cream. Both can be ordered hot or cold.

 Back to the food at Shiok!…Here was my order of Chai Tow Kway aka fried radish cake. I was sad to find that they only had the black kind. This traditionally comes in black and white.

 Here was my order of Hainan Chicken Rice. It was pretty good. Again, not the most authentic, but the bottomless sauces made up for it. Many places are stingy with their chicken and chili sauces!

Shiok! only had one kind of laksa. Their seafood laksa was on point. I enjoyed that you could choose what type of noodle you wanted. Laksa is a spicy noodle dish that is popular in Malaysia and Singapore. The soup base is made with curry.

All in all, I enjoyed my experience at Shiok! The booth was well thought out and executed. The location was convient. You can’t get to the 11th floor directly so I suggest taking the elevator from the ground floor to the 10th floor, which is a joy to walk through anyways. The 10th floor is the famous Eslite Bookstore, formerly only available in Taipei, Taiwan. From that, take one flight of escalators to the 11th floor. Also, there’s a Honeymoon Dessert Booth close by to end your meal! It’s perfect!

Many of the better Singaporean restaurants I have frequented in Hong Kong are very far away and expensive. For me, true Singaporean food should be hawker-style. It’s hard to justify spending the big bucks when you know an old lady roasting a satay in the middle of the street is one of the most savory things you can ever have!

And with that considered, I quite enjoy Shiok! It’s cute, modern, and fast. Of course it can’t come close to being in Singapore, but for being in HK it’s A-OK in my book!

11/F,Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay