not taipei/los angeles: i strongly recommend Animal

"I'm an animal. I'm an animal. I'm an a-a-a-a-a-a-a-animal." The lyrics to Far East Movement's "Animal" echo in my mind when I'm thinking about what to say about the restaurant Animal.

I'd been reading and hearing about Animal for months and after taking an informal poll on Facebook, I decided I had to try it for myself. Animal's menu changes daily and features all sorts of (ahem) animal parts- from the unusual (pig's ears and chicken liver toast) to fusion (kimchi pork belly or scallops with black eyed peas).



I made reservations for dinner a few days before and chose an early 6:30pm dinner over 7:40pm. When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find the restaurant not packed. More elbow room for all the dishes we were going to order.



The waiter we got was exceptionally friendly and enthusiastic- happily making suggestions and answering questions and checking in on our table, without being over the top or fake. It might be some of the memorable and best service I've had in LA.

I hate it when I ask the waiter to recommend something and they say something like "Depends on what you like" or "Everything is good." Obviously, if I knew that, I wouldn't ask. But our waiter was helpful and steered us in the right direction.

We ended up getting mostly appetizers and one main dish and sharing. The more people you come with, the more you can order to share. Unless you can eat a lot like me and my very good friend.

I appreciated that the waiter did a great job pairing the appetizers that we chose and spacing them out so we could enjoy the dishes, rather than crowding up the table with everything we ordered like some restaurants do.

The first two dishes were two dishes I heard a lot about and deservedly so- the pork belly with kimchi, peanuts, chili soy, scallion (US$12) and the melted petite basque, chorizo and garlic bread(US$11).



While I think you could do practically anything with pork belly and it would be delicious (think of the Taiwanese gua bao), I loved how the outside of the meat was crispy and crackly and then the inside fatty pork melts in your mouth.



The toasty garlic bread was perfect for dipping in the cheese, but the chorizo got a little lost in all the gooeyness.

Round one winner: kimchi pork belly!



I don't know what the look was like on my face when the second round of appetizers came out, but I was amazed that the foie gras was so huge!

We decided after asking the waiter to get the foie gras appetizer over the main dish (foie gras loco moco) since he said that there was a lot going on the main (hamburger, egg, spam, rice, sauce) which some foie gras lovers felt that the foie gras flavor got lost in it. And I think it was a good choice.



I've definitely never had foie gras over a country style biscuit and maple sausage gravy,(US$22) but it worked. Kind of like having fried chicken and waffles, I suppose. The sweet mixing with the salty with the fat and the starch. Just enjoy the dish and don't try to think about it too much!

The scallops (US$12) were perfectly seared and I think it was my first time having black eyed peas, sort of a cross between lima beans and edamame.



Round two: very very close, but winner is foie gras.

Next was the huge rack of balsamic pork ribs, blistered corn and zucchini (US$37). I don't know if I was still trying to savor the taste of foie gras and scallops, but the pork ribs just didn't do it for me. They were tender and sauced up, but I only wanted to eat a couple ribs. The corn and zucchini were great though- sweet and fresh- tasting like they were dressed in a heap of butter.



And like true animals, we gnawed and chewed the meat away until only the bones were left.



For dessert, one of their most popular and unusual selection is chocolate covered bacon. But having just sampled it and fulfilled our curiosity at the OC County Fair, we decided to stick to something lighter and get the tres leches cake with dulce de leche sauce (US$7).



Like a spongecake soaked in milk, the tres leches was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. It was a nice end to a memorable meal.

As we walked out of Animal, the twilight sky was a perfect indigo with clouds adrift. I thought about how amazing it was that we had things like food blogs and Yelp to help us discover awesome little places like Animal- which I doubt I would have ever visited otherwise- it's in an older neighborhood aways from my house and there isn't even a sign to capture your attention if you happened to drive by. So I'm glad I didn't miss out and maybe this post will help some of you discover a new favorite restaurant.

ANIMAL
435 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 782-9225

animalrestaurant.com

Hours: Sunday - Thursday. 6pm-11pm. Friday - Saturday. 6pm-2am

not taipei/los angeles: i recommend Westside Tavern

Yum, yum, yum and yum.

I have been enjoying a lot of the new places that have cropped up since the last time I was in town earlier this year. I don't know if I would have found Westside Tavern eventually when watching a movie at the revamped Landmark theaters at Westside Pavilion, but we ended up there when a friend chose a place for dinner.

Westside Tavern has a menu full of appetizers, soups/salads, sandwiches and burgers, mains and desserts served with a modern California flair.

It was my first time eating burrata, which we mistakenly thought was a type of proscuitto for some reason when reading the menu. When the Gioia burrata and heirloom cherry tomatoes (US$14) came, we thought, where's the proscuitto? Oh.... it's cheese!



But a lovely cheese it was, like a softer, creamier buffalo mozzarella. If you like that sort of thing.

My friend got the lamb french dip and I got the Spit Roasted Chicken Cobb Salad (US$16)- which after falling in love with the yummier (and cheaper) Cobb salad at Tender Greens, the Westside Tavern's Cobb Salad just didn't compare.



We did however throughly enjoy the Lemon Meringue Pie, which was like a crown of baked egg whites on the perfectly tart and sweet lemon pie. Something nearly impossible to find in Taipei.



The second time I visited Westside Tavern was about a week later with a couple girlfriends I hadn't seen since middle school. Yes, MIDDLE SCHOOL! Craziness. Westside Tavern was the perfect place to catch up on our lives and split an appetizer and a few desserts.

The baby artichoke and smoked mozzarella flatbread with roasted tomatoes (US$14) was like a fancy pizza- baked to the right crispiness and topped with a dressed arugula.

We couldn't decide between the warm sticky toffee cake (US$8) or the hot fudge pudding cake (US$7) and we ended up with both. It's hard to tell from the photo, but we couldn't finish because one dessert could easily be shared between 3-5 people!



I'd stick with their signature warm sticky toffee cake only next time. The hot fudge pudding cake wasn't particularly decadent or memorable, while you just wanted to keep eating the gooey, moist toffee cake though you knew it was full of sugar.

So the next time you want to eat before a movie, skip the food court across the mall and make a reservation at Westside Tavern.

WESTSIDE TAVERN
10850 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064-2132
(310) 470-1539

westsidetavernla.com

not taipei/dessert: Crumbs

The first time I spotted Crumbs was in Glendale and I delighted in the classic looking storefront and array of oversized, colorful cupcakes. I think I had the red velvet and something else, and it was a bit drier and too sweet than I had hoped for. I love the red velvet from Auntie Em's and I compare every cupcake afterwards to it.

Last week, my sister was raving about Crumbs to my cousin who had yet to try it, so I tagged along hoping the Beverly Hills location would be tastier. Sprinkles still had a line in front when we passed by on a weekday afternoon and a little bit more east on Santa Monica was Crumbs. You can get cakes as well as cookies, brownies and cupcakes (US$3.75) as well as a sampler pack of mini cupcakes.



They were out of red velvet that day, so we quizzed the girl at the counter about the different cupcakes to decide which ones they wanted to get. There isn't any descriptions in sight, so you might end up waiting behind someone like us who doesn't know what they want.

They ended up picking Brownie which was chocolate overload with brownie bites and fudge on top, Hostess, inspired by the original Hostess chocolate cupcake,



Artie Lange which is "vanilla cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting filling, topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting dipped in chocolate fondant and rimmed with chocolate and vanilla sprinkles" and Lemon Meringue which was lemon cake with meringue frosting.



I like how they packed it up in custom cupcake holding plastic containers, so that the frosting is untouched when you transport it home. There's only a few outside patio tables to eat at there, so most likely you'll be taking your cupcakes to go. I noticed a few people eating their cupcakes next door at the gelato place.



After sampling all of them, I had wished there was more whipped cream inside the Hostess cupcake (I barely saw any) and none of the cupcakes made me want to devour the whole thing. Which is probably a good thing in disguise, right? I don't think that the cake itself is as moist as I've had in other cupcakes, but I do like the variations of cream cheese frosting they have.

Crumbs has its fans and shops around LA and NY, as well as ship cupcakes via UPS, so you can decide for yourself if you are set out to give every cupcake eatery a try.

Where are your favorite cupcakes from?

CRUMBS
9465 Little Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90291
(310) 550-9811

crumbs.com

not taipei/san diego: i recommend El Cotixan

The California Burrito.

Diced potatoes hanging out harmoniously with carne asada, guacamole and salsa. Sounds like a weird combination, but ever since my sister introduced me to it, I was weirdly addicted. If you come to San Diego, you'll have to look for it, as well as the carne asada fries. Just sounds so wrong, yet so right, right?

I'm going to do something extremely mean to my loyal Taiwan readers, which is post pictures of So Cal Mexican food- which currently is not really existent in Taipei. So anyone thinking about starting up a business, take notes from these pictures and copy away.

Ingredients needed often missing in Taipei: guacamole (made with Haas avocados), lots of shredded cheese, corn tortillas, pico de gallo, a slice of lime and lots of perfectly seasoned carnitas (pork) and carne asada (steak).

After sampling a bit of everything, my favorites to order are the California Burrito and the rolled tacos which are fried and topped with heap of gucamole and cheese.

You can't really tell, but there's an enchilada also on the left side of the plate underneath all the shredded cheese. Next time I wouldn't get an enchilada here because it wasn't baked- more pan fried with sauce on top- so didn't have that soft melding of flavors that I like about an enchilada.



The soft tacos (about US$3) are regular sized (not mini sized) so you don't need to order as many. I also liked the steak over the pork, and the al pastor, or spicy pork was a bit too spicy for me.



Check out the huge menu the next time you're looking for a quick bite in San Diego- maybe on the way to Comic Con or Sea World- or some carne asada fries. They also have some shrimp specials handwritten on a sign on the wall if you're looking for seafood.



Can you tell I'm loading up on Mexican food before I return to Taipei in a few weeks?

EL COTIXAN
4370 Genessee Ave
San Diego, CA 92117
(858) 571-8843

gotburritos.com

not taipei/california: i strongly recommend the OC County Fair

Taipei has night markets filled with stinky tofu, oyster omelettes, mysterious things on a stick, shaved ice and drinks filled with boba. While there are no night markets on this side of the ocean, we have our county fairs filled with equally fried, equally weird, equally delicious goodness.

I've never been the OC County Fair, but we decided to check it out a few weekends ago after hearing about it from some friends. It seems closer than the LA County Fair out in Pomona and we ended up being there for 8 hours, riding the roller coasters and giant slide, picking up a set of keepeez lids and getting slightly sunburnt wandering the fair.

I was on the hunt for funnel cake.

I love funnel cake and since it's pretty much the combination of being sweet and fried, it's right up my temptation alley. For some reason, I ended up getting it from a vendor with a huge pink sign, and it was the wrong call. The funnel cake with strawberries and whipped cream came out a bit too quickly for being fried-to-order and tasted like it was probably fried awhile ago- lukewarm and not crispy.



It did have a pile of fresh strawberries and addictive whipped cream, but I should have complained and taken it back to ask one be freshly made. Perhaps it was an excuse to try funnel cake somewhere else.

Walking around, I was in awe of all the things that were offered up as fried. It was like a live version of the thisiswhyyourefat.com- fried smores, fried twinkies, fried oreos, fried white castle, fried avocados, krispy creme doughnut burgers, zucchini weenies, fried artichokes, huge turkey legs, and... fried frog legs? Ewww.



When my sister ended up joining us later in the day, she and her friends vowed to sample as many of the crazy fried foods as possible, so of course I had to steal a few bites.

The fried smores tasted pretty much like tempura batter- I couldn't really taste any chocolate inside or marshmallows. It was a big gooey mess.



The zucchini weenie was surprisingly tasty- I guess the vegetable part of it makes it less unhealthy?



I then pointed her toward the vendor that I had thought about trying, but thought was too expensive (I think it was around $10)- Mexican funnel cake. What makes it Mexican? Instead of regular batter, they make it like a super long Möbius strip churro.

And I have to admit, the Mexican funnel cake tasted pretty fantastic.



It was huge enough to share with at least five other people- and this was the regular size- there's a bigger jumbo size.

Make sure to also get the apple fries. I've never had apple fries before, but they were like eating the good stuff straight out of an apple pie, but slightly crispy with powdered sugar.

And if you're curious, you can also pick up some chocolate covered bacon from the vendor bringing you the Mexican funnel cake. There were a few long strips in a chinese take-out box, chilled and looking like regular chocolate. Taking a bite, I tasted the crispy saltiness inside the chocolate and it was a weird savory, sweet mixture of flavors.



I had a lot of fun at the OC County Fair despite paying $6 for a giant ICEE and other hiked up amusement park prices for food and drinks. There was a Dasani flavored water booth near one of the entrances and they were giving out free bottles if you tasted their water and filled out a short survey. They also had a free petting zoo and elephant and pony rides. Lots of rides for adults and kids and lots to eat. I think they have special promos on certain days, you can check their website- otherwise it's a $10 admission fee for adults.



Were there any must eats that I missed? It ends on August 9th, so there's a few weeks left to go back and try some of the other things before I leave the world of funnel cakes and back to the world of stinky tofu.

OC COUNTY FAIR 2009
at the OC Fair & Event Center
88 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

ocfair.com

not Taipei/LA: KOGI TACO and GET SHAVED TRUCKS

Mmmmm. I don't know why there isn't Hawaiian Shaved Ice in Taiwan, but it would be the perfect extension to the already popular top-it-with-anything shaved ice places in Taiwan. Sweet, fruity and colorful, I headed to the trucks at T-Lofts on Olympic after finding about Get Shaved's Shave Ice from twitter.



After looking at the extensive menu, I decided on Root Beer, Strawberry and Dreamsicle (Orange + Vanilla). I loved how the ice was finely shaved (rather than chunky) and the flavors were sweet but distinctive. It started to melt as we were waiting in line, so I had to eat it quickly.



I had already eaten lunch so I was took a tiny bite of my friend's tacos. It was different than I expected- I thought the meat would be sweeter and there would be kimchi, like my own little experiment. Instead there was some spicy shredded lettuce atop of the diced and grilled meat. There was no sweet and savory combo.





I think I'll stick to the carnitas and carne asada with guacamole that I've been craving when I'm not here since that's a lot harder to come by for me. But if you're still curious, you can find out where to line up for the Kogi tacos or Get Shaved by checking out them out on twitter: kogibbq or getshaved

A few days after this, I found out that Diddy Riese in Westwood also has shaved ice- and only for $1!! For $1.50 you can get it topped with ice cream or get an ice cream sandwich with two cookies. Mmmm

Unfortunately, I'm having trouble uploading pics from my camera to my computer... so until then, all pics are from my iPhone.

teppanyaki/fusion: i strongly recommend BEN TEPPANYAKI

BEN TEPPANYAKI
No. 2 Lane 102, An Ho Road, Sec 1
(02) 2703-2296

website: ben-teppanyaki.com.tw

hours: 11:45 AM - 2:30PM; 5:45PM- 10:30PM

$$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available

Visit reviewed: 7/4/2009



Foie gras and warm molten chocolate lava cake. Drool, drool, drool. Both decadent, melt in my mouth dishes that make me happy.

With those two things on the menu, everything else just faded into the background. Not to mention that I'll always remember Ben Teppanyaki for giving me the biggest piece of foie gras I've ever had. EVER. It's hard to tell from the pictures how huge it was, but it was crazy.



With teppanyaki, you watch the chef cook everything in front of you, making it look easy- letting things rest at the grill, putting the right amount of oil and seasoning to bring out the flavors. And in past experience, things are diced and sliced and passed around the table, so often if you see a few lobster tails, the amount that gets back to you is only a portion. That's why when he put the hunk of foie gras on the teppan, I thought it was going to be split amongst the table.



But no, it was ALL for me! No complaints, except from my arteries. It was so good and worth it, as I took each quivering, succulent bite. Definitely needed the sauce and the sweet pear to offset the richness of the foie gras.

Good thing the veggies were next- I needed to balance out the meal with some tender asparagus and mushroom. The juices from the mushroom were hot and as I munched away, I wished there were more.



I arrived late to the huge family dinner at Ben Teppanyaki so I didn't get to see the menu, but there was plenty of seafood and steak around the table (shrimp, fish, lobster). I'm guessing that this meal didn't come cheap, but it was worth it!

Ben Teppanyaki seems to take French dishes and serve it teppanyaki style with an elegant flair, fusing an east west menu. As the four generations laughed and talked, I played catch up with dishes- a pumpkin soup; garlic bread; cubes of steak with crispy, thin slices of garlic, and fried rice that I had to pack to go. I think there were more, I can't remember- all my focus was on the foie gras.



When the dessert arrived, I had mixed emotions. I love chocolate cake, but I was pretty full.



Then warm chocolate sauce broke free from the cake when I sliced it with my fork and made a little pool for the vanilla ice cream to take a dip. I devoured the whole thing- I couldn't resist! If you're planning on coming, make sure to save room for dessert!

CLOSED! middle eastern/turkish: TRUVA

CLOSED a/o 2012

TRUVA
No. 3, Lane 181, An Ho Road, Sec 2
(02) 2737-0037

website: wretch.cc/blog/truvataipei

$$-$$$

Kid friendliness: 5/29/2009

Visit reviewed: high chairs available




What is more important? First impressions or last impressions?

If it's first impressions, Truva gave us great first impressions. The waitress (and owner?) patiently went through the extensive menu with us, explaining different things and making recommendations. The restaurant was smaller than I expected, but elegantly designed with rich colors and a prominent bar. The restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived for dinner, but it gave us a more private feeling.



But if it's last impressions, well, let me know what you think. Some reviews I had read about Truva complained about the bottled water charge (that they serve bottled water without asking and then you are charged for it), so I was prepared for that- it's pretty common in a lot of the nicer restaurants in town (and nothing could be worse than the one time my friends and I ended up paying US$40 for just Fuji bottled water in Vegas when we didn't know we were getting charged by the bottle rather than by the person).

Instead, I happened to catch multiple charges for pita bread on the bill (it was complimentary as part of the appetizer as well as the shrimp dish) and the waitress apologized and looked like she was going to fix it. But then the owner came back and said something along the lines of, "I gave you extra pita bread with your appetizer. It usually comes with 1, but I gave you 3."



Ummm... Wait a second, if he gave it to us (rather than us requesting it) then isn't it a gift aka free of charge? I was a bit annoyed, but we paid the bill rather than debating with him. I had raised the point and he made his. It couldn't have been more than a NT$160 charge, but the more I thought about it, the more it bugged me. As you might remember, I don't like it when the restaurant "upsells" you with a smile without a heads up. Eventually it left a bad "aftertaste" in my experience on the meal and restaurant, which was too bad because there is some decent food at Truva.



The pita bread in question was good. Turkish pita bread is different than pocket pita bread that you might picture from the more familiar Greek pita bread or pita sandwiches. It was soft and chewy and went well with the mixed dip plate that we got with creamy hummus, eggplant (mashed and grilled) and spicy vegetable salad (with tomato, onion and parsley).

If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't order the mixed pita(NT$560) and the baked shrimp casserole(NT$620)- both were overpriced for what you are getting. The mixed pita was the least favorite of the table, a bit dry and bland with an overcooked egg.



And the shrimp in the casserole seemed to be frozen rather than fresh shrimp, and just too expensive for the portion. The sauce was a bit oily and the shrimp themselves didn't seem to have been marinated for long.



Instead, check out the mixed grill (NT$860) with turkish meatballs, lamb shish kebap, chicken shish and adana kebap with sides of rice pilaf and french fries. My favorite from this plate was the grilled chicken- it was the most tender and juicy.



and the beef Iskender (NT$760) with slices of rotisserie grilled beef in a thick, sweet tomato paste sauce and huge portions of yogurt and pilaf on each side. This was a crowd pleaser at the table.



I think at one time maybe people would pay a premium for an "exotic" food like middle eastern or Turkish food. But now with the growth of the casual chains Doner Kebab and Sababa, I can get a filling and equally delicious entire meal and drinks for two or three people for the price of one entree from Truva.

I'd be curious to see how differently priced the lunch menu is- maybe there are some deals to found there? Otherwise, for the value of what we got, it's hard for me to see myself going back, with so many options to eat around town. But if you're looking for new place to romance a date or try something new like Turkish ice cream, the fine dining ambiance can definitely set the mood.

headed to LA: what to eat?

Headed back to LA this week! Very excited about trying out all the places I've been reading about on the LA food blogs, as well as eating at my neighborhood favorites.

I've packed my laptop, business cards and photos so I'll try to do some catchup posts while I'm away.. lots of catching up to do. SIGH!

Flavors Swedish Restaurant
Truva Turkish Restaurant
Anzu Tonkatsu
AO+ private kitchen
Saveurs French Restaurant
Tan Hua Tou
Ben Teppanyaki
Chef Showtime
El Toro Spanish Restaurant
Primo Trattoria
Mcafe
Saffron Indian Restaurant
Sashimiya
Suzette Crepes

Otherwise, I might send some snapshots of what I'm eating in LA.

So LA readers, any places I gotta try this time around? Help a hungry girl out!

my friend's kitchen: july 4th bbq in taipei

Happy 4th of July! This year was the first time I ever celebrated July 4th in Taipei, much less with a full on bbq on a grassy lawn! Much thanks to my friends J and A for inviting me over and making all the rib fingers and grilled pineapple chicken sooo delicious! Grilled bbq corn, potato salad, cornbread and then fruit and brownies (my small contribution) for dessert.

Yum! I'm totally going to start grilling up some pineapples now on my George Foreman grill (he he) and buying the Stubb's bbq sauce from Costco.

What are you guys eating on your 4th? And does anyone know where to get sparklers in Taipei?