ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
One of the best—if not the best—reasons for eating in Los Angeles' sizable Koreatown is the opportunity to taste specialties not on standard Korean menus. For instance, take kalgooksoo (or kalguksu), a noodle soup similar to Japanese udon with its thick wheat-based noodles in a rich broth. Hangari Bajirak Kalgooksoo specializes in it, so highly regarded that a wait... Continue Reading →
I love staring at jellyfish at aquariums. So do a lot of other people. They are among the most beautiful and hypnotic of creatures. The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA, has a terrific collection, among them these splendid sea nettles. The aquarium may not compete with some of the nation's more well-known and larger ones,... Continue Reading →
Could the lure of The Oinkster's house-cured pastrami, house-made ketchup, chipotle sauce and garlic aioli, hand-cut Kennebec fries that are double-fried, indications that Chef Andre Guerrero is serious about food, be enough to give me satisfaction that I could find the ideal pastrami sandwich? It's been a long, dry spell since I've had a great... Continue Reading →
The Mainland corporation that owns Shanghai No. 1 Seafood Village reportedly spent big bucks on possibly the fanciest Chinese restaurant ever to open in the LA basin. Chefs would be brought in directly from Shanghai, the ambience would appeal to the fussiest diners and menu to match. The debut was such a big deal that... Continue Reading →
I've been grocery shopping at the Alhambra Ralphs countless times when I've visited my wife's family in the San Gabriel Valley. (As a sign of the times, this Ralphs has officially closed and construction has begun on another 99 Ranch Market in the Valley.) Across the street is Dog Haus, which I'd never patronized. Maybe... Continue Reading →
While in San Jose (CA) at a Vietnamese restaurant, friends KirkJ and his wife ordered and loved a specialty that I had never heard of—bánh khọt, that he points out is difficult to find in the Seattle area. It's apparently equally scarce elsewhere, not as common as its cousin, bánh xèo, whose batter is made from the... Continue Reading →
Friends of mine recently lamented that their dining experience at Dalian House in Bellevue (Washington) was forgettable. They wondered if they'd ordered the right things at a restaurant that presumably serves Dalian food. This got us to exchanging emails about the cuisine of the second largest city in the Chinese northeast province of Liaoning. Dalian's proximity to... Continue Reading →
At roughly 250 years old, the much-photographed Lone Cypress sits on top of a granite rock that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. You can see it along the 17 Mile Drive that circles the Monterey Peninsula.
For the past several years, it was a goal of mine to sample barbecued beef in the Santa Maria Valley along California's Central Coast. But, the opportunity never came for one reason or another during the long drives between Seattle and Los Angeles. Either the timing was not right or we were in a hurry to get... Continue Reading →
Prompted by a list that appeared on fivethirtyeight.com, my daughter and her fiancé decided to go on a burrito quest (with me in tow). And why not, since Southern California has one of the highest concentrations of the best burritos in America. One of the restaurants that made the list was La Azteca, which technically is... Continue Reading →
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