Got Pork? Yucatan-style?

I have always been a huge fan of cochinita pibil -- that fiery, tender signature pork dish from Yucatan, ever since that fateful first bite I took in Merida, the Yucatan's capital. So it was only natural that I ventured out to find the best cochinita pibil in LA that would remind me of those days strolling around the streets of beautiful Merida with a happy stomach. Yuca, the shack in Los Feliz on Hillhurst serves a decent snack-sized burrito version of the dish, and I like it, but it isn't nearly as spicy and sumptuous as the real deal.


I had been to the original Chichen Izta in Mercado La Paloma years ago and with all the hype about the new Chichen Izta (named after the vast Mayan ruin in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico that you should visit if you ever go there) that opened up near McArthur Park, I had to check it out. First of all, the decor is significantly more shi-shi than its original and so are the prices.


I would have been completely satisfied with the plantains with crema I ordered as an appetizer, had it not been for the fact that our waiter neglected to tell us both our dishes already came with plantains. Strictly on taste, consistency and texture, however, the plantains were good and perfectly ripe -- not too hard or soft -- and the crema added a bit more decadence to it.

Minus one point on service. Back to the food and drinks. The blood-red Jamaica drink was very refreshing and not too sweet, which nicely complemented the cochinita pibil taco I ordered.


Now for the star of the show -- the cochinita pibil taco, which came with black beans, "confetti" rice and yes, plantains. The pork was tender enough, but some of the fat was still attached to the meat, which was cumbersome and not something I saw in the Yucatan version. The marinade was not as spicy as I remembered it either, so it made me want to add more salsa -- a standard roasted tomato salsa and an innocuous-looking orange habanero salsa that belied its potency (For the record, I only managed to dab into the habanero salsa and that is all this spice-loving person could muster). The texture of the pork was good enough, but I wanted more flavor. The beans were fine. The rice was a tad dry and bland, but it looked pretty with the red and green veggies that made up the "confetti." My friend who had the stand-alone dish without the taco liked it. I suspect hers was juicier because as you can see, it came in a pool of its own juices, whereas my taco was a bit drier. Maybe I should have known better than to order a taco version.

I also had a minor correction with the bill as I was charged for an extra order of plantains on top of the appetizer I did order. Maybe they needed to unload a surplus supply. They apologized and made the correction immediately. Another minor service issue: I got some leftovers to go, and when I opened the box to eat it for lunch the next day, they had poured everything -- including the beans, rice and plantains -- in one blob without separate containers. It basically became a rice and beans mix, which came off as the management not appreciating the way certain foods should be eaten and a lack of attention to detail. Ok, maybe I need to lighten up, but I notice these details because I know some restaurants that are cheaper and do it better.

All in all, I may consider returning to the original one and trying it out again, but not sure about its fancy cousin. It takes at least five hours of cooking in the oven for all the flavors of the marinade and pork to marry and transform into a divine melt-in-your-mouth concoction bursting with juicy, spicy flavor. Maybe I need to try making it at home if I can't find anywhere that makes it as good as in Yucatan. Stay tuned as the search continues.

Bun Appetit

I was glad to hear that my first review made some mouths water all the way in England as well as in Canada. Well, this one isn't exactly a favorite, but for West L.A., it's all we've got. Pho and Bun, that is. Welcome to Le Saigon, where the Pho is a tad watered-down and Bun (pictured left) is merely acceptable. Although I have only tried the different varieties of beef Pho here, I usually don't venture ordering it unless I am sick and really desperate for some piping hot liquid to soothe me over. What I do go for is the Bun Thit-Tom Nuong, or "rice vermicelli with charbroiled sliced beef (or choice of pork, chicken, tofu, spring rolls or shrimp)," as the menu states. I am a huge fan of Bun because it's so refreshing and reasonably healthy -- a panoply of veggies, meat and spice, all of which I love. Le Saigon's version is good for the area but if I wanted the real deal, I would probably go where the largest concentration of Vietnamese Americans live in the U.S. -- Little Saigon in Orange County -- or a closer alternative where a smaller segment live in San Gabriel Valley toward the east.



Going back to Le Saigon (not Little Saigon) and its Bun, it makes for a decent quick meal at $7.50 a pop. Some critics have expressed outrage at how "overpriced" the Pho and Bun are compared to restaurants not located in West L.A.. They have to pay the rent. Besides, how much are people paying for the fancy grilled cheese sandwich at Campanile? I appreciate a gourmet sandwich just as much as the next gourmand, but $14 for a grilled cheese sandwich? (I will not hesitate, however, to pay $15+ for a mean burger grilled to medium-rare perfection. But as someone said, that's another post.)



What could be better about Le Saigon? The charbroiled sliced beef could be more tender and the marinade more flavorful, but I go back to my trusty old red chili sauce (I don't know what the sauce other than Shiracha is called) to make up for it. Otherwise, it is a good mix of sprouts, shredded lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, mint and thin rice noodles sprinkled with crushed peanuts -- all swimming in a pool of slightly sweet sauce spiced with the red sauce. The menu calls it a "dry noodle salad," but it is neither dry nor a salad (discuss). My friend had the Bun that comes with beef and two tiny imperial rolls, but I think the deep-fried spring rolls are odd because they get slightly soggy once we pour the sauce or "dressing."



I usually order Goi Cuon (pictured above), the fresh spring rolls, as an appetizer. Because the steamed pork is not that great at Le Saigon, I get it with steamed tofu and shrimp instead. Make sure you add plenty of Shiracha to the peanut sauce.

Although I haven't tried all of them, I would not recommend the other things on the menu, like rice dishes and salads, based on what I have tried. Stick to the basics.



Another thing is that the tap water they serve tastes bad, so unless you really don't want to pay for a drink, I would invest in bottled water or Vietnamese coffee (or the curious-sounding Grass Jelly Drink, as the menu states) I usually never buy bottled water at restaurants but I do when I go here. Service is friendly and fast. Decor is nothing to write home about. It's also cash only and has limited seating so avoid peak hours or large parties. It's closed Mondays.

I hope to explore more of San Gabriel Valley and Little Saigon to search for the perfect Bun as well as more complex regional dishes not found in Le Saigon. Stay tuned!

WHY BLOG?

Because I love to cook and eat food and would like to share my fave haunts, recipes and tips with friends and family. Because I was tired of being deleted and censored from food sites and message boards (that will remain unnamed) because my reviews were too critical or overly exuberant. Because sending a blog link is faster than emailing all my restaurant rec's to friends and family whenever they travel anywhere I have been to and ask where they should go eat. Because I see some foods I love being "butchered" in mainstream press and TV, and would like to provide accurate information.



ON THIS BLOG

I will be reviewing restaurants -- mostly in LA where I am based; sharing recipes on everything but particularly on rare, overlooked ingredients I think have enormous potential; and providing general tips on eating well and healthy when you're always on the go -- from planning a dinner party and what are good "potluck-friendly" dishes to what I pack for lunch on a weekday.

Enough about me. Let's talk food!

BOWL OF RAMEN GOODNESS

I will kickoff my blog with my favorite ramen place in the U.S. -- Shinsengumi Hakata Ramen. I love ramen so much that I paid a visit to the Ramen Museum in Shin-Yokohama a few years ago -- hands down the best ramen experience I've had in my life. I sampled ramen from all over Japan from the masters themselves. One clear-broth bowl sprinkled with toasted garlic comes to mind. I recommend it to anyone who has a chance to go to Japan. It's only a quick train ride away from Tokyo and well worth it.



But I digress. Shinsengumi serves one type of ramen and one type only, which is always a good sign. It serves the pork bone-based Kyushu-style ramen that Shinsengumi's Web site claims cooks for more than 15 hours to get that delicious and hearty broth (http://www.shinsengumiusa.com/ramen.php). The standard bowl comes with 2-3 tender slices of pork, bamboo shoots, bright-pink sliced marinated ginger and loads of chopped green onions.

What I love about it is that you can tailor your bowl of ramen just the way you like it. Besides the wide array of toppings you can choose from, you are asked for desired levels of doneness of noodles, soup oil and strength of broth. After having tried different variations, I recommend going with hard noodles, low soup oil and normal broth. For those who like spicy, I recommend adding spicy miso that can be ordered on the side for some kick. Purists may balk but as much as I like the depth of the broth, I like how the spicy miso complements the somewhat overpowering porkiness of the broth.



Shinsengumi is also a good deal if you come hungry. For 95 cents, you can get an extra order of noodles. For less than a dollar more, you can get a combination meal that includes ramen with a side order of gyoza or fried rice. I am particular to the A and C-sets that come with mini gyozas (pan-fried dumplings) and dome-shaped fried rice (with pork and veggies), respectively.

I waver when asked which of the ramen franchises within Shinsengumi is best. I have a soft spot for the first franchise I ran into years ago in Fountain Valley and I frequent the one in Gardena because it's the most convenient. I haven't been to the one in Rosemead, but between FV and Gardena, I would have to go with the broth at FV's shop for its complexity and depth of flavor.



Don't worry about the waiters yelling in Japanese when you enter and leave. It's supposed to make you feel welcome, although I just try to block it out.

I have tried other items on the menu like potato croquette and albacore tuna salad, but none come even close to the divine goodness of the ramen. I have also tried other (but not all) restaurants in the Shinsengumi empire and have one plea and one complaint. 1) Please open a ramen shop in West LA! The shops lining Sawtelle have nothing on Shinsengumi. 2) Its Shabu-Shabu restaurants are no good. I also happen to love Shabu-Shabu but the meat was too thick, the sesame sauce was bland and it plain wasn't worth the drive.