Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Cheng Can Cook: Creamy Pesto Pasta Reimagined ★★★

Reimagined Pesto without Food Processor. Nice and not too oily, similar to Alfredo sauce. Add topping of your choice: Chicken, Oven Roasted Eggplant, Sausage, Bacon, etc. Grocery at Trader Joe's has better pricing. Recipe below.


Recipe based on: thekitchn.com
Ingredients:
1/3 cup raw Pine Nuts
2/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 bunches Basil
2 cloves Garlic
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
Dry Pasta (about 1 lb.)

Directions:
1. Toss Pine Nuts in frying pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until brown.
2. Coarsely chop Pine Nuts. Finely chop Basil and Garlic.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine Pine Nuts, Parmesan Cheese, Basil, Garlic, Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Heavy Cream.
3. Cook Pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta & return to pot. Add in Pesto sauce. Toss to combine until pasta is coated with sauce.

Monday, February 19, 2024

Xi'an@Beverly Hills

Decent Chinese Food in Beverly Hills. Love the Brussels Sprouts. Crispy Shrimp was nice. Large variety of food. Selection of sake available. Server John from Hong Kong was nice. White rice $2/bowl. Metered street parking or free 2 hours parking at lot next to Wally's if entering before 6pm.

Kung Pao Chicken $26

Crispy Brussels Sprouts $12
almonds, cilantro, citrus vinaigrette

Toasted Shrimp & Leek Wrap $13

Szechuan Wontons $14
steamed chicken wontons in a fiery Szechuan sauce

Royal Crispy Shrimp $31
lightly battered in creamy glaze w/ glazed walnuts on a bed of crispy spinach

Pineapple Sorbet $9

Xi'an Beverly Hills
362 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 275-3345
http://xianbeverlyhills.com

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Half & Half Good Old Time Cafe@San Gabriel ★

Cozy Authentic Taiwanese Cafe. Fast food restaurant with good pricing. Affordable Boba. $6.58 for Minced Pork Rice is a good deal, but you may want to order some sides. Chicken Nuggets (Popcorn Chicken) were delicious. Communal condiments in the back. Boba Milk Tea is usually on the sweet side, so I recommend requesting 50% sweetness instead. Seating is not that comfortable, but the cafés in Taiwan are like that. Mark on their menu to order. Pay with cash or 3.5% fee with credit card. Same plaza and Katsu Sando. Free very limited parking in lot or street parking.

Minced Pork Pickle Rice $6.58

Chicken Nuggets $9.98

Milk w/ Honey Boba $4.88, Osmanthus Black Tea w/ Grass Jelly $4.38

Satay Udon Soup $12.08

Half & Half Good Old Time Cafe
704 W Las Tunas Dr, Ste E2
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 576-8010
www.halfandhalfteaexpress.com

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Sakurako@Little Tokyo ★★

Valentine's Week Special. Omakase by Sushi Enya. Former 小政 Komasa location. Nice presentation. $300 per person. Complimentary hot tea. Corkage fee $80. Parking at lot $16. No parking validation.

Amuse
Komatsuna & Shrimp w/ Japanese mustard sauce, Hotaruika w/ sumiso, Slow-Cooked Octopus, Sweet Simmered Black Beans



Abe Junmai $100



Sashimi
Red Snapper, Chutoro from Japan & Spain

Soup Dish
Minced Blue Fin Tuna Fishball Soup
dashi w/ 3 kinds of fish

Grouper Fish from Japan


Ika from Japan

Akami (Blue Fin Tuna)

Zuke Akami from Spain w/ Egg Yolk Sauce

Toro from Spain


Butterfish w/ Lily Bulb Sauce grilled w/ Binchotan Charcoal from Japan

Kohada

Otoro from Japan


Otoro from Spain grilled w/ Binchotan charcoal

Palette Cleanser
Scallop w/ Tosa Vinegar Jelly

Palette Cleanser
Scallop w/ Tosa Vinegar Jelly


Valentine's Special




Toro Roll w/ Takuan, Uni, & Gold Leaf Seaweed


Anago

Akira-san




Valentine's Gifts

Sakurako
351 E 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 400-6264
omakasesakurako.com

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

The Steak Library@Lomita ★★★

High-End Japanese Steakhouse by Tamaen. Specializes in steak. Great variety of amazing steak with different kinds of sauces to choose from. Kansas Steak was the best. Since we already had Kansas Steak last time, we had the 22oz Bone-In Ribeye this time. The Steak itself was already cooked w/ butter, so we had the nice Garlic Sauce ($3). Bone Marrow was great. Would like to try their Cotton Candy A5 Wagyu next time. Great pricing on wine bottles. General Manager Makoto-san always gives us great recommendations. Very busy on Valentine's Day. Complimentary chocolate on Valentine's Day. Corkage $35. Reservations via OpenTable. Free parking in lot.

Bone Marrow $24
garlic oil, brûlée, bread

Complimentary Garlic Bread

Varichon & Cleac, France $37


Seafood Chowder $9

Varichon & Cleac, France $37

Seafood Stairway Celebrity $85
lobster/ king crab/ shrimp/ oysters/ sashimi of tuna, snapper, salmon



Bone-In Ribeye 22 oz $80


Coffee Crème Brûlée

General Manager Makoto-san

The Steak Library
1937 Pacific Coast Hwy,
Lomita, CA 90717
(424) 263-5373
www.steakslibrary.com