Overall, Noodle House was pretty disappointing. Their food wasn’t bad at all, but I just expected a lot more flavor for a place that specializes in dumplings. It’s strange that there are no vegetarian dumplings on the menu and they refused to make any when I asked them about it. Considering they’re a “made to order” restaurant, I would have thought it’d be easy for them to just stick the filling they use for the veggie buns into some dumpling wrappers.

I’m also considering not patronizing this place anymore because we asked if they could make one of our orders of dumplings pan-fried (as in pot-stickers) and they lady said no. That would have been fine, but after all our food came and the restaurant filled up, I saw that the table next to us had pot-stickers! I don’t think it’s a timing issue because when we asked, the restaurant was only half full. I think it’s pretty rude to give some customers the “right” to potstickers while denying it to others.

If the food had been better, I could have excused that rudeness, but since it was so disappointing, I don’t think I’ll be returning.

Noodle House (Mian Hsiang Yuan)
958 E. Garvey Ave.
Monterey Park, CA 91755
Tel: (626) 280-0831

It’s worth mentioning that Mei Lin’s you tiao is different that that of Yi Mei’s and Four Seas’; they have more of a Shanghai-style you tiao where it’s more dense and flaky than airy and crunchy. I like both types, so it’s nice to have the choice.

The owners who were working behind the counter were accommodating and patient with my questions about which items were vegan and which were not. They didn’t even flinch when I asked if the buns could be made vegan. I didn’t get a chance to try out their fan tuan (rice rolls) at Mei Lin, but of the breakfast foods I did try, I prefer the ones at Yi Mei and Four Seas more. What I will come back for though, are the shui jian baos.

Mei Lin Tou Chiang
1257 E Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 284-1868
They’re in the same plaza as Lee’s Sandwiches, but all the way down, almost to the Valley market in the back.

For previous Chinese Breakfast Showdowns:

• Part 1: Yi Mei vs. Four Sea
• Part 2: Yi Mei vs. Yung Ho

I don’t know if it’s because they’ve only started branching out into non-dessert food, but I thought both of our noodle soups were mediocre. Next time, I’ll go somewhere else to get my noodle soup fix and go to Benser for dessert.

I was extremely happy when we were seated right next to the window. Although it has been unbearably hot, if you’re sitting inside a nicely air-conditioned restaurant, it does seem like a nice day outside. We really liked the ambiance of the restaurant, and since we were right by the window, we enjoyed the natural brightness of the sunlight at our table. A server came over right away and greeted us and spoke a little French to me. I love him dearly for not laughing in my face as I completely butchered the French language. Since he was kind enough not do that, my friends were fairly impressed with me. Oh yes, he made me look good.

When it came to ordering, we were so hungry that everything looked good. We were also getting distracted by some of the other diners who were just served. We came really close to saying, “We want what she’s having.” I happened to remember that birthday girl #1 enjoys escargots ($7.50), so this became the first dish we decided on. The escargots here are really excellent. We all agreed that they were cooked just right, not rubbery which some restaurants make the mistake of doing. We also enjoyed all the garlic with the butter. Some French restaurants make escargots with a creamier sauce, which is fine. I believe, however, if you can cook escargots properly, you don’t need to create a sauce for it because diners will enjoy it with just butter, garlic, and perhaps a bit of parsley. The only thing we needed while enjoying this appetizer was some bread so soak up all that lovely garlic, which we got upon request at no additional charge. This really was a great way to start our meal.

For our entrees, we decided to order one dish we knew was a favorite here, the Quiche Lorraine ($8.50). I am incredibly picky about quiches. There is nothing worse than hard, dry quiches. The quiche at Bistro de la Gare is just the opposite. My friends and I kept saying how the Quiche Lorraine was surprisingly creamy and fluffy. At first bite, I thought it was going to be too salty for my liking. We suspect that my first bite had a huge chunk of ham and possibly some bacon because the rest of the quiche was absolutely perfect. Our other savory entree was the Panino au Poulet ($8.50). This sandwich caught me a little off-guard. When served, at first glance, I thought it was just chicken in a French roll. Upon closer inspection, I realized that I didn’t actually see the chicken or anything else for that matter because the French roll had no opening. Once you bite into it (or cut it into 4 parts the way my friends and I did it), all the great filling is indeed inside. The grilled chicken was moist, the onion was nicely caramelized, and the pesto was a lovely touch.

We also ordered the “Frenchy” Toast ($7.95). We wanted something to contrast the savory entrees. In addition, we definitely wanted to order something from the Petit Dejeuner menu, which is available only on Saturdays and Sundays between 10am and 2:30pm. The French toast was crisp on the outside and soft inside. It was sweet enough without the maple syrup, but how can one say no to maple syrup, especially when it’s staring at you in the little container on the side? Also, the fruit on the side makes you feel good that you’re having a balanced meal. Personally, I would have loved a little more pecan, but seeing how I was the only person at the table who felt that way, maybe Bistro de la Gare shouldn’t change a thing. We were pretty full at this point, and while the “Frenchy” Toast would have made a nice dessert for us… We had to have a peek at the real dessert menu.

Everything on the dessert menu looked tempting and was priced at either $5.95 or $6.95. I knew we would definitely be ordering the Creme Caramel (Flan), as that is one of the favorite desserts here. I couldn’t recall if it was the Chocolate Mousse or the Chocolate Tart that the locals loved. Our server quickly jumped in and said it was the tart. We were on the fence about the Profiteroles, which is basically cream puffs filled with vanilla ice cream instead of cream, topped with some chocolate sauce. Birthdays only come once a year, so we went for it. Our server also understood my really, really bad French and got the fact that we were celebrating two birthdays. He brought over candles for our guests of honor. After lots of photo taking, we finally dug in. The flan really was very well done. The texture was firm enough to retain the right shape, but overall very soft, which is my favorite consistency for flan. The chocolate tart was very fudgey, which explains why so many people enjoy it. It’s a very simple dessert, but a bite goes a long way. The profiteroles were also good, but truthfully, I’ve had better. The trick to profiteroles lies in the pasty puff. There was nothing wrong with how Bistro de la Gare made it, but it just lacked that “je ne sais quoi” that was present in everything else we ordered.

At the end of our meal, I looked over the bill and thought there might have been a mistake. Considering how much food we had and how good everything was, I expected our meal to cost more. It was very affordable, and each of us was happy with our dining experience. Birthday girl #2 told me that she still trusts me for now when it comes to trying new restaurants since I’m the foodblogger. Apparently, writing for lafb has given me some credibility. She says she will continue to take my word on restaurants until I lead her to a bad one. Thank you, Bistro de la Gare, for making me look good and helping me keep my title as foodie/foodblogger for another day.

Bistro de la Gare
921 Meridian Avenue
South Pasadena, CA 91030
Phone: (626) 799-8828

Hours:
Wed-Fri Lunch 11:30am – 2:30pm, Dinner 5pm – 10pm
Saturday Breakfast & Lunch 10am – 2:30pm, Dinner 5pm – 10:30pm
Sunday Breakfast & Lunch 10am – 2:30pm, Dinner 5pm – 9pm

251 W. Bencamp Street
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 289-4889
Roughly $20 per person to gorge yourself

It’s all about the condiments. A trio of fish paste, peanut sauce, and red berry glaze stand guard at each table, the only things other than porcelain and bamboo that hold prominence. The boisterous sounds of Mandarin, Cantonese, and even, occasionally, English permeate the room while a witches’ brew of stock and spices starts to simmer away.

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble

Half of the ingredients are hardly recognizable by western standards: small, tan Kubocha squash-looking peppercorns, shriveled peanut-like objects (dried jujube), and something that looks like a twig? Surely, some things are best left a mystery. A red broth gurgles to the right, bespeckled with Szechuan peppers and hot chili oil, its caustic aroma attacking anyone unlucky enough to sit downwind — unlucky, that is, unless you like that sort of thing (I know I do). But a yang without a yin to keep it company would be oh so lonely…so a traditional white broth is included on the left, reserved, perhaps, for timid first-timers and the burn-averse.

Hopefully, none of this sends you running for the hills, oh thou intrepid diners, because it’s really very simple:

Cook things in boiling water. Eat them. Try not to burn your mouth.

Usually, only two of the three goals are met, which is why hot pot is a communal activity; it is only fair that others share your scalded misery. Everyone, in turn, feels a bit better about themselves. You certainly can’t say the same about chicken soup in the wintertime.

In my family, I suppose it was my mother’s way of introducing my brother and me to the joys of cooking. Fresh Napa cabbage, meats, tofu, mushrooms and a host of other fresh ingredients are dumped in to cook and commingle, not just absorbing some of the soup’s flavor, but also giving some back. What might start as a neutral medium boils down and is concentrated as the night progresses, finally leaving a potent elixir to be mixed with vermicelli and slurped ceremoniously in recognition of the evening’s efforts.

Then ,for a moment, your face turns flush, you let your guard down, and you forget your troubles — not because you feel good, but because you’ve just inhaled a whole red pepper and the only thing on your mind is mortified panic. Your lungs burn only in that place you can’t ignore as reflex usurps good judgment. All is well, though, because as you cough yourself to tears, the laughs and smiles all around remind you that things are going to be just fine.

Over the weekend, I was meeting up with a few friends for dinner, and I suggested we go there. First of all, parking in front of the restaurant is very limited (about 6 spaces) and tight. I was running incredibly late and was ever so grateful that I was able to just pull right up to the front of the restaurant and park literally 7 feet from the door. Although it’s impossible to not notice the yellowness of the building, but if you missed it, let me reassure you that it’s just as yellow inside. We were immediately seated and figured out rather quickly what we wanted to order.

I find that I am very picky when it comes to pad thai. I like pad thai, but I rarely order it because most Thai restaurants can’t make it the way I like it. (I do go along with ordering it when I’m with friends if we are all sharing. It is, afterall, a favorite.) So here’s what Spice Basil did right. The flavor in general was right on. There was enough crushed peanuts and the lime juice really brought out a nice tang to each bite. There was also a good amount of chicken throughout the noodles. So what was wrong? Definitely not enough shrimp. I think there were only 3 pieces at most. While every Thai restaurant I have ever gone tend to be stingy when it comes to shrimp in the pad thai, usually there is still about 6-piece minimum. The worst offense, however, was the texture of the noodles. I understand that Pad Thai noodles are supposed to be soft, but theirs was a little too much so. For me personally, this is a huge no-no. Nevertheless, if I had to choose between the right noodle texture or the right flavor, I will choose flavor every time.

We also ordered a couple of Spice Basil’s specialty dishes, the garlic clams and the spicy fish. Some time between the cooking and plating process, some of the clams escaped from their shells. I scooped up three clams to my plate and as I eagerly picked up my fork to taste them, I found out that only one of the three on my plate had clam meat in them. This didn’t happen to any of my friends. I did eventually get to taste more of this dish. Even though I enjoyed the garlic clams, I tasted more garlic than clams. I couldn’t really tell the quality of the clams because the garlic and sauce were very strong, but I thought it was delicious. Also, it wasn’t really spicy, but there was a slight kick to it. The fish was also a very good dish. It was deep fried first, so the outside was nice and crispy while the inside was soft and moist. The pineapples went very well with the sweet and sour sauce. I did not find this dish to be spicy at all, but it was still enjoyable. As this is a whole fish, be forewarned that there are fishbones. People who are not used to eating fish that has not been deboned should proceed slowly.

While you can order steamed rice with your dinner, I recommend skipping that and going for one of their garlic rice in clay pot dishes. There are only three choices: pork ribs, beef, or shrimp. We chose beef. (We had ruled out shrimp because there was shrimp included in the pad thai, but had we known that we would only get 3 shrimps in our pad thai, maybe we would have ordered that one instead.) I was not too impressed with this one at first. Overall it was good, but I didn’t feel like there was much garlic flavor with the rice, despite the fact that I could see some minced garlic on top of the rice. As we ate more of the rice, I found the garlic flavor to be quite potent. I suspect that since I had the garlic clams right before my first bowl of the rice, the garlic taste in the rice was just more subtle in comparison. After a while, I came to really appreciate the flavor of the garlic rice with beef and was reaching for a second bowl.

I usually give exact prices for what I order, but unfortunately, I left the receipt back at the restaurant, so I don’t recall exactly how much each dish is. Roughly, the pad thai and rice were $7 each, and the fish and clams were $14 each. Thai iced tea is $1.75, and a smoothie is $2.50. Spice Basil is not the best Thai restaurant in L.A., and definitely not my favorite Thai restaurant in town. It is, however, good food at a reasonable price. You can’t miss it. It’s the yellow building.

Spice Basil
25 W. Valley Blvd.
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 282-3200
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-midnight, Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-1 a.m.

The place that makes the boxed meals is called å?¯æ¨‚美 (pronounced Ka Le May). I have no clue what the English name is, if there even is one. It does say “TAIWAN GOURMET DELI” in front of the store though. I was surprised by just how tiny the store is. There is a menu posted on the wall that lists the regular items - such as the vegetable baos, sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves (zong ze), and scallion pancakes, just to name a few. At the counter, there are a number of additional things to buy - such as the shredded daikon pastries and stir-fried sticky rice (mee gaw), though these can only be purchased on Saturdays. In addition, the train box meal varies every day.

Each day, �樂美 makes two types of boxed meals ($5 each). What varies is usually the meat dish and how the egg is prepared. This time, the box on the left is curry and scrambled egg with chives. The box on the right is BBQ pork and a half a marinated hard-boiled egg. The only things constant are the greens, glass noodles, and the rice at the bottom of the box.

So here’s a mental picture of a Saturday visit to å?¯æ¨‚美 - walk in empty handed; walk out with 2 train box meals, a Ziploc bag of 50 frozen pork and vegetable wontons, 1 container of mee gaw, 6 zong ze, 1 pack of frozen scallion pancakes (which is actually tastes better than the ones I make from scratch and requires less of my time), and 4 shredded daikon radish pastries. In addition, with the Chinese Moon Festival coming up, å?¯æ¨‚美 is currently making some green bean moon cakes. These are extremely fresh and much better than the ones you buy in cases at the Chinese supermarkets. The moon cakes at å?¯æ¨‚美 are so good that between August 27th and October 4th, they will make nothing but moon cakes. So, if you want to try any of the Taiwanese foods I’ve described, you’ve got to go soon, or else you’ll have to wait until October.

Miscellaneous Notes:

1) �樂美 is located in a plaza, and there is plenty of underground parking.

2) If you have your heart set on something in particular, I recommend calling ahead first to find out what they are carrying that day - e.g., what the two train box meals are for the day, what pastries are available, etc.

3) å?¯æ¨‚美 is really a take out place. There is no place to eat right there on the spot, so if you’re driving far to give this place a try, you might want to bring a cooler for the frozen foods while we’re in this summer heat wave.

4) If you get the baos - pass on the meat ones. Get the vegetable ones instead.

�樂美 - TAIWAN GOURMET DELI
1300 E. Main Street, #102
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 282-5436