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*

85ºC bakery cafe for a carb high

if you can't say no to carbs, then i suggest you think twice before you head off to 85ºC bakery cafe lest you want to trade your skinny jeans for fat pants just.like.me.

85ºC bakery cafe is a taiwanese owned bakery with over 300 storefronts in taiwan, china, australia, and two in the u.s., conveniently located in irvine and hacienda heights for your grubbing pleasure. this wildly popular bakery, named after the prime temperature in which coffee holds its best flavor, is known for its baked goods as well as its drinks and is the hot spot for carbolicious clusterfuck situations. if you don't believe me, just go during the morning hours when the lines resemble hungry curled pythons.

once inside, you will see rows upon rows of pastries encased in acrylic boxes to protect the buns from bruising as eager patrons jostle for their carbs. sometimes there's a label identifying the baked goods...sometimes not. sometimes you find what you want, sometimes not. sometimes, you just grab what you can.

en route to vegas, we picked up a box of goodies to occupy our mouths. the super affordable price points and rather pleasing flavors to the pie hole is a direct link to its popularity.

one of my favorites from the bunch was the calamari corn ($1.30) which was rather airy and had some cheesy corn bits for a wonderful savory touch. definitely a "must get" item when you are there.

the 85ºC rose cheese bread ($2.50) was the size of a newborn's head and just as soft. the creamy middle can be overwhelming unless you have an equal portion of bread to balance your bite.

unfortunately, the infamous iced sea salt coffee ($3.25) was just not my cup of joe. i found the salty foam on top to be much too thick and creamy, which reminded me of a buttery rim that i did not want to sip through to get to the coffee.

overall, i understand the 85ºC hype and will gladly go there again to partake in a carb high. HOWEVER, i will not go during peak hours to face those monster lines because no matter how you wrap your head around it, it really makes no good sense to wait a long time just to buy things that will turn you into a fatass.

85ºC Bakery Cafe
17170 Colima Rd.
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745

(626) 839-7889

http://www.85cafe.us/

price: $
verdict: tasty, try it!

class 302 demystifies yellow snow!

i was always warned never to eat yellow colored snow. that makes sense. i have dogs and i know a thing or two about drunk dudes wandering around during cold, snowy nights.

BUT, i did not heed this well known advice as a friend suggested class 302 for dessert. although i was not expecting it, i was just a few moments away from eating some yellow snow myself.....

class 302 is a taiwanese classroom themed eatery that specializes in shaved snow, taiwanese style lunch box eats, and a small selection of savory bites, stinky tofu being one of them. this place was first brought to my attention on gastronomy blog and boy was i excited when our friends and i went during one hot, sunny so. cal day.

as expected, class 302 was a popular hangout. after a long wait, we were then seated behind little wooden desks in a tight little space. the close proximity to other diners induced an urge in me to pass a note to one of the cute ones, preferably one that states "do you like me? check yes or no." since i didn't want to be caught by the teacher, i amused myself with looking at the huge chalkboard and colorful school uniforms which adorned the walls instead.

but if you require a little more space when you heif, you may want to take advantage of their outdoor space to soak in some sun while you put something incredibly cold in your mouth.

ahhh yes, yellow snow. here's a heaping bowl of yellow snow (mango snow $6.50) with pieces of mango, mochi, and a generous dumpage of condensed milk. yummy!

the shaved snow is difficult to describe. the edges look sharp and jagged when you start digging into it, but in fact, once it's spooned in your mouth, you are met with the most wonderfully soft flavored snow. it is quite a playful bowlful for your eyes and your mouth. wow, yellow colored snow ain't so bad after all!

the fresh strawberry and mango shaved snow ($6.50) was just as delicious. the strawberries were a tad tart which eased the sweetness after a constant barrage of sweetened snow and condensed milk.

if you can brave the crowd that gathers outside its doors during a hot day, class 302 is a class act when you want to cool down. when the sun blisters again, you bet i will be heading down there...even if it's in rowland heights which is faaaaaaarrr. :(

Class 302
1015 S. Nogales St.
Ste 125
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 965-5809

price: $
verdicte: tasty, try it!