the jeremy lin of taiwanese breakfasts at huge tree pastry

my obsessions take many odd forms. sometimes they are material, sometimes it's a thought, and lately it's been about jeremy lin, during and after LINsanity. although he is currently not playing and is recovering from knee surgery, I DON'T CARE. i am still LINsane in the membrane and i eagerly await his return. first off, let's give this brotha a big hand for being a bone fide asian american basketball player in the nba. woot! he was a breath of fresh air in a sport that i deemed as a Nothing But Assholes league. come on, how many baby momma collecting, racial slurring, overpaid, egotistical thug mugs do i want to watch? zilch, that's what. if i'm going to root for anyone, it will be a player with integrity and modesty just like lin who is just 100% awesome and fun to watch.

in fact, you might say jeremy lin is to the nba as a fan tuan is to taiwanese breakfasts. omg, the fan tuan.....

can i count the ways that i adore thee? perhaps it's the sticky rice, the crunchy youtiao (chinese cruller) hidden inside, or the slightly sweet yet savory flavors from the pork floss (not the kind of floss for your teeth yo), or possibly the pickled veggies...but something, SOMETHING about this combo just dribbles pure flavor across my tongue leaving me clamoring for more....and at huge tree pastry in monterey park, there's a lot more. for a mere $2.75, you too, can taste the jeremy lin of taiwanese breakfasts (that sounded dirty).

or perhaps you'd prefer black sticky rice fan tuan for $3. if you've never had black sticky rice before, it is UNBELIEVABLE. sweet and chewy, but unfortunately, not suitable for those with dentures. consider you toothless people, warned.

and by all means, do order their cold soy bean milk ($2.25) to wash down all that sticky rice. the hint of sweetness in this styrofoam cup is a must order for me when the weather heats up.

or perhaps you prefer the salty hot version of the soy bean milk with floating pieces of youtiao? personally, since i prefer the youtiao to be crispy, dunking it into hot soy bean milk and making it a soggy mess was not a slam dunk for me.

did you say beef? no, i think i did. here's a baked wheat cake with beef and pickled mustard ($3.25). it's slightly dry, but that's why you douse your thirst with that soy bean milk yo.

the bun with pork and pickled mustard was a hearty bite for breakfast. a tad salty, but AGAIN, nothing that a cold cup of soy bean milk won't cure.

another taiwanese breakfast starter of note is this green onion pancake with egg ($2.95) and should be ordered hand in hand with the fan tuan...a slam dunk combo in my book.

so basically, while i wait for jeremy lin to recover from his knee surgery, i'm going to eat copious amounts of fan tuans and drink gallons of cold soy bean milk at huge tree pastry because as i wait for one obsession to reappear, i'll have to feed my appetite by consuming another.

Huge Tree Pastry
423 N. Atlantic Blvd.
Ste 106
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 458-8689

price: $
verdict: tasty, try it!
*cash only*

happy family restaurant for good faux meats

after watching too many kung-fu movies back in the days, i've always associated vegetarian food with tofu, rice, and bland veggies....well, that's what the shaolin monks were eating before they kicked some serious ass in defensive righteousness. cool, but not tasty.

needless to say, the belief that vegetarian food was flavorless (thank you monks) pervaded my thoughts whenever i came across vegetarian options. why eat bland when i can eat cow? yes, that is a question i ask myself on a daily basis....that is until a few years ago when my practicing buddhist friend took me to happy family restaurant and swore up and down atlantic blvd that it was the best vegetarian eats ever. she was definitely 85% in the right with this one.

i came back a few days ago to their brand new location in the shopping center right off the 10 freeway (the one with the 24 hour fitness). they pretty much packed all their tables and chairs and moved shop, but the food was still as tasty and as righteous as it ever was.

their sweet and sour soup was tart and tangy. this bowl packed as much of a punch as one might expect from the flying fists of a shaolin monk. on a cold day, it immediately warmed my soul and spirit.

the minced squab in lettuce ($7.95) is probably their best selling appetizer and a must order for all. each lettuce cup contained finely minced jicama, marinated tofu, and slivers of fried wonton skins. each ingredient contributed to quite a flavorful explosion of flavors for your mouth.

i.like.this.a.lot.give.me.your.share.please?

since we caught them at their "happy hour" prices which occurs between the hours of 2:45 to 5:00, we ordered two additional dishes at recession friendly prices. this vegetarian fish with spicy sauce ($5.95) has a spongy texture, a fishy taste, and will confound your tastebuds because during certain bites, it REALLY did taste like fish even though it's not. weirdness.

without a doubt, my absolute FAVORITE dish is their vegetarian deep fried house chicken ($5.95) which is battered white button mushrooms slathered in orange sauce. hold the presses, this tastes EXACTLY like panda express orange chicken. and if you flirt with the ghetto fast food side of life like me upon occasion because you hanker after eats like mcdonald's french fries or panda express orange chicken, then this will not disappoint. the only disappointment you will feel is when your dining partner robs you of the last piece.

i really love this place because it's flavorful, reasonable, down to earth, and best of all, i spared a few animals from heading towards the great green pasture in the sky. FURTHERMORE, places like these remind me that explosively delicious flavors need not come from michelin stars or celebrity chefs. tasty is tasty. ok, now i need to go meditate whilst i rub my belly.

Happy Family Restaurant
608 N Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 282-8986

price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!

new lucky eats and duck tongue wonderings

the sad state of our economy inspired a lot of deals for our belly as of late. "affordable" pre fixe menus at fine dining establishments, kid eats free deals....and even freakin' "happy hour" prices at baskin robbins. oh man i would be so fat if i wasn't already er....so fat.

anyways, new lucky was recommended to us because of the lobster deal. as you can see, $5.99 for a lobster AND you get one for free...so that's like $2.995 for one! unfortunately, there is a quantity limit per table and you have to order other dishes with your meal. but still a deal? YES.

the place was rather crowded with other deal seekers so our party of six had to wiggle in. we started off with the conch soup ($19.99) which had a strong musky seafood smell that rose to my nose and tickled my nose hairs when i sipped it. the chicken feet floating about reminded me of amputated chickens and a much needed trip to get dimsum. i liked this soup and thought it was a great way to start off our meal.

the pork rib and spicy salt ($9.99) which always makes an appearance during our family meals, but is not a favorite of mine. i'm not fond of breaded, fried pork that becomes tough and chewy during mastication. this one at new lucky was no different.

the lobster x 2 based on the $5.99 deal was newportesque, but definitely not the same. still tasty though and worth every penny of the $5.99 price tag. oh come on now, it's only $5.99!

duck tongue marinated in maggi sauce ($16.99). i've never had duck tongue before so i had to order it when i saw it on the menu. when the plate came to us, i thought i had ordered fried penises. seriously, look at it. then when i ate it, i was suprised to find a bone in each tongue (yes, laugh) which was another shocker. apparently, ducks have boney tongues. man, who would have quacked. the tongues are also quite fatty.

steamed red cod ($33.23) which mitigated any savings we might have had with the lobster. the flavors on this one was ok but most steamed fish pales in comparison with my dad's version. and yes, i deliberately turn the fish head away from me when i eat. i don't mind stealing a fish cheek or two if i'm anywhere near the fish head, but a gaping mouth turned to me when i eat makes me want to go vegetarian. :(

dried salty fish with gailan a.k.a chinese broccoli ($11.99). this dish is usually slick with a thin layer of cooking oil. but you forget that when you take a bite of the crispy gailan stems and taste a burst of saltiness from the dried salty fish. one of my faves and a must order for me. this version was quite good.

stir-fried pea sprout leaves ($14.99) was tender and delicious. nothing beats a good plate of these greens at any chinese dinner. yum.

our dinner ended with bowls of their complimentary dessert soup. instead of orange wedges, you get this, spoonfuls of warm, lightly sweetened syrup with small chunks of sweet yams, taro, and teeny weenie tapioca balls. yum.

by sgv standards, the initial deal didn't become much of a deal once we saw our check for $124.16 (tax and tip not included) for the 6 of us. but it's priceless to get tongued by a duck and i would totally order those quacky tongues again.

New Lucky Restaurant
415 W. Garvey Ave.
Monterey Park, CA 91754

price: $$
verdict: it's aight

diamond bakery for baked goods on the go

i need baked goods like a mole needs a long ass hair growing out of it. ugh, carbs be my poison and i find myself intoxicated with a carb high every time i wander through the sgv. depending on my gps, i typically find myself at diamond bakery. no ooohs and ahhs here, but it will do its job in padding your ass with some unforgiving fat.

most things are individually packaged which makes eating on the go that much easier. so rather than stuffing face with pathetic stale crackers during my break times, i can instead, stuff face with things 3x as fattening and 5x as filling like all these baked goods that you find here.

my beloved "triple nipples." these hawaiian sweet bread-like buns are sealed together but can be easily pulled apart to reveal three different types of filling in each bun; custard, taro, and red bean. three for one packages like razor blades, bar soaps, and sweet dessert buns rock my world.

the pineapple bun. there's a flakey crust to the top and a coconutty filling inside. it's a bit heavy but tasty.

coffee cake. nothing spectacular but it will cure a sweet tooth even though it's not too sweet which is why i like it.

curry meat pie. too much flakey crust. one bite will land a lot of crust on your shirt. one really big bite might actually get you some meat that's in the middle. unless you enjoy a lot of crust and not enough filling, this is not a product worth getting.

shredded meat bun. there's this lardlike shlack that goes on top and the middle of the bun and the shredded dried meat sticks to it. diamond bakery probably has one of the worst renditions of this bun because of the lard they use. seriously, it's nasty. here's the bun, looking like a bald head with new curly hair growth and pimples to boot.

so in general, i find this bakery to be a good place to pick up the triple nipples, the coffee cake, and the pineapple bun when i have a sweet tooth. although there's a plethora of other things to try here, i usually limit myself to those three aforementioned items because everything else is just aight or has technical issues...like fruits that aren't always the freshest when topped on their tarts. besides, i need extra carbs like a fat man needs a speedo. enough said!

Diamond Bakery
744 W Garvey Ave
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 289-5172

price: $
verdict: it's aight

the hot pot formally known as little fat sheep...baaaa

a cold rainy day is the perfect setting for bubbly hot pot! and how serendipitious it was that marie suggested a foodie outing and i counter-suggested with a lunch visit to little fat sheep....that is, until i found out that little fat sheep turned into hot pot, hot pot! which made me do a double take in the rain. when one does a double take as heaven pours down its cats and dogs, it meant getting face whipped with wet hair. *ouch*

the dining area was rather empty since only a few brave souls ventured out to eat during such a tempermentally rainy day. one minute, the skies would open up and a ray of light would touch your face, and the next minute, you get doused with cold water like a cat in heat. man, how happy was i to finally run for cover and settle myself in little mongolia, as the atmosphere suggested with the sheep and yurt wall pictures.

a "yurt" (mongolian shelter).

some "sheeps" (those fluffy things that go baaaa).

the "complimentary appetizer" (cuz you're damn hungry).

while i waited for marie to make her grand entrance, i eavesdropped on a cantonese conversation that was occurring at the next table. it went something like this:

woman: "wasn't this place called little fat sheep?"
man: "yeah it was. now it's called four seasons hot pot."
very old woman: "i think it sounds a lot better now."
woman: "yeah, little fat sheep, little fat sheep...it sounds like you're eating a baby sheep. that's not good."
very old woman: "besides, who wants to be fat by eating a fat sheep? hahahaha...."

so yes, little fat sheep has renamed itself as "hot pot, hot pot!," but the literal translation of the chinese characters is four seasons hot pot. anyways, everything is still the same, but different.

once marie arrived, we massively ordered more than our bellies could hold. big eyes, small stomaches, fat ass (mine that is)...there's always some over-ordering i suppose. we started off with a ying yang pot that held a regular broth base (for wimps like me) while marie got the "medium" spicy one. i advise you to go moderate with the spice level of your broth. although there's 10 levels to choose from, marie's broth, which was a medium, was quite red with all the dried red chillis floating in it. besides, for a korean gal, she mentioned that her lips stung a bit at the end of the meal. so imagine if you're not korean...whoa...no thanks. hot cheetos be my spice limit.

if you look closely, both broth bases have herbs floating in it which flavored it deliciously well. there's also a medicinal quality that's emmitted, a smell most familiar to those that grew up drinking eastern style medicine. though traumatic to my nose because of all those icky medicinal brews that i was forced to drink during my childhood, i found the broth to be quite flavorful and pleasant.

we ordered the scallion pancake appetizer which was done quite well here. flakey and crispy rather than soft and soggy. i really liked it a lot...mmm....

we also ordered a ton of things: squid, hand cut noodles, shitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, fish balls, bamboo shoots, beef, and pork kidneys. the massive amount of food we ordered meant it was placed on a push cart which was then set to the side of your table. marie pointed out to me that they reminded her of the carts you see at morgues. ewwww.....

the kidneys were good, but like most delicate innards to be consumed, overcooking them makes them tough/hard/elasticky to eat so you have to be vigilant while cooking them. alas, i was not too vigilant since there was so much going on. it's like korean bbq but with a lot of water and these poor kidneys turned into kidney stones on my side. aigh.

remember, you dump in as much or as little of the items as you can manage cooking because anything boiling in broth too long becomes overcooked or disintegrates to mush. the slow paced nature of this meal allowed the gorge fest to last for two hours. we were done when our hair smelled like broth and our bellies were bursting from overeating.

anyways, whether you're called "prince" or "the artist formally known as prince," or "little fat sheep" or "hot pot, hot pot!" (with the exclamation point), it is still a wonderfully delicious place to stay warm inside and out while you stuff face. thank you marie for your lovely company!

Hot Pot, Hot Pot!
120 S Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 282-1089
http://www.hotpothotpot.com/

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

belly bites a banh mi at mr. baguette

when the banh mi crave hits hard, even if you're in kansas, you try to catch the first twister that will take you to the nearest banh mi shop to break some crusty bread smeared with pate. if you live in silverlake, you get on the 10 east and exit atlantic to head over to mr. baguette. why mr. baguette you might wonder? mr. baguette is quite yummy and touts itself as a "house of quality" so who am i to ignore what people say about themselves.

the shop is engrish friendly with a lot of pictures and descriptions posted (thought i'd mention that especially if you're a banh mi newb). it's a super clean place and i believe they have wi-fi because i always see people there with their laptops. if not, it's still a good place to catch a breather or to use as a study area while you munch. they don't care if you sit there forever...not that i would recommend that since you're probably important and busy.

their banh mis are not THE cheapest by far, but it's still rather cheap hovering around the $3+ mark. i'm also a big fan of their crusty bread which is soft in the middle and super flakey on the outside. you literally hear your bite resonate in your being as little crust pieces cling to the corners of your mouth after the destruction caused by your pearly whites. and if you're a sesame lova as well, then holla, you can get your preferred banh mi fillings in a long crusty sesame bread.

i don't stray too far from the banh mi dac biet which in my opinion is the best banh mi in the universe. the savory harmony of zaw, vietnamese head cheese, and pate creates the most robust bite in your mouth, making it difficult for me to choose anything else. THAT'S WHY you get two, one dac biet and something else and save whatever that's left over for later. the good thing about mr. baguette is the conscious decision to separate the pickled carrots and daikon from the sandwich to prevent soggy bread action. you put the rest of the contents in when you're ready...and baby, shouldn't you always be ready for some banh mi lovin'?

i find it funny that they layer the meats like shingles.

i sometimes pick up a box of their "garlic croustillant" which is tasty if you like snacking on croutons like i do. and i admire their efforts in making a profit with days old bread.

but if you just want to pick up a tasty banh mi, then mr. baguette won't disappoint. it is, after all, made in a house of quality and it will shoot your tastebuds to the moon.

Mr. Baguette

400 S Atlantic Blvd

Monterey Park, CA 91754

(626) 282-9966
http://www.mrbaguettesandwiches.com/

price: $

verdict: tasty, try it!