the spice table, the last connection

missed connection ads are usually written in this manner:

"i saw you standing there in the bread aisle at ralphs looking smoking hot in a short leopard print skirt. we made eye contact several times as my hand hovered over the wonderbread. call me maybe?"

in about 2 days, after december 31st to be exact, another missed connection ad will probably be sent out, but this time, dedicated to bryant ng's eatery, the spice table. i can imagine it sounding a bit like this:

"i kept running across you at little tokyo. your sexy interior and your old fashion brick exterior really intrigued me. i sat down for a bite, but now you're leaving? where ya going? tell me baby?"

oh those feisty southeast asian bites, best paired with beer since the offerings leans a bit salty and a tad spicy.

grilled bone marrow ($10)

sambal fried potatoes ($8)

char kway teow ($16)

beef rendang ($19)

crispy quail ($18)

the spice table cheeseburger ($13)

final dinner service at the spice table will be december 31st and for $75 per person, you can indulge in a final ayce meal of sorts from 8pm to 12:30am. if you can't catch them on new year's eve because of some popping plans you've already made, perhaps drop by within the day or two before this particular dining experience becomes a missed connection for you.

Spice Table
114 S Central Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 620-1840
http://www.thespicetable.com/

price:  $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

hog it up at black hogg

don't let the innocent facade fool ya. black hogg in silverlake is capable of serving you a gazillion calories at one sitting. open wide, loosen your belt, prepare to gorge, it's a good thing.

in preparation for the fat-a-thon, do get yourself some darjeeling republic of tea ($4). the tea is fragrant and lacks sweetness which won't add too many calories to your gut busting meal there...i think.

or a ginger beer ($4), another non alcoholic option for those who want to order beer without the requisite buzz...but why? :(

 

the uni toast ($8) was tasty though the delicate flavors of this dear sweet uni competed mightly with the scallions. a uni purist enamored with the delicate sea flavors of this creature may find that it lacked an uni presence, but since i will order anything uni, then i had to try it. what? uni on a hobo's shoe? sure, one order please.

 

the spicy chicken liver toast ($8) with a chicken skin cracklin' on its cap. or how about raise the chicken cracklin' sail because this little liver toast ship is about to sail into yo' mouth! yes, i was really thinking that. i really did.

the infamous popcorn bacon ($8) were little fatty pork nuggets encased in a crust with a side of maple crema for your dipping pleasure. you will either clap your hands or clutch your heart after you take your first bite.

 

roasted bone marrow with corn tortillas ($10). never had marrow wrapped in a tortilla, but why not? 

  

the lamb burger ($17) was juicy. the fries were perfectly thin and crunchy. match made in heaven? definitely. a fat angel totally made this one happen.

the meal ended with a carby bread pudding ($8). sticky and decadent.

 

my dogs also had a bite of black hogg. the sweet little sighs and grunts we heard while they worked the bone marrow bone like a crunchy lollipop probably meant they plan to write a good review for black hogg on yelp after they are done.

bronx going to town.

lucy working the bone luge.

overall, black hogg is a nice addition to silverlake. they reopened with a wine and beer menu which makes a whole lotta good when you're fisting fried things left and right. corkage is $19, but if you eat there tuesday-thursday, wines bought from silver lake wine means no corkage fees! so don't forget to have that silver lake wine sticker on your bottle and pop some of that popcorn bacon in yo mouf.

Black Hogg
2852 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA  90026
(323) 953-2820
blackhogg.com

price:  $$
verdict:  tasty, try it!

sqirl kitchen is da jam

my dogs like to chase squirrels. their mother (me), like to eat AT sqirl. sqirl kitchen that is. it's just a hop, skip, and a jump away from where i live and jessica koslow, owner and jammin' jam maker makes some darn good food...and it doesn't suck that G & B coffee is there as well. nope.

space is limited so we went early and snagged a little spot to the side. although it was cold, a nice hot cup of latte ($4.50) made us feel real toasty inside.

the hubs ordered an old skool breakfast ($9). it's a basic egg, bacon, and toast plate.

he also got the chicken, vegetable, and rice soup ($7) which was soul warming and hearty. not a bad way to combat l.a. cold weather...and yes, i'm freezing at 53 degrees.

i ordered the B4 santa rosa plum chutney, baserri sheeps cheese, with an egg ($8). OMG. if you enjoy savory sweet flavors, you should really get this. i would totally order this again, and again, and again.... *sigh*

and of course, i had to bring home a jar of freshly made wild blueberries and tarragon jam ($12). nothing like a little sweetness to slather on some boring toast when you're home.

great job jessica! i've been a fan of your food since your guest appearance at canele. much congratulations to your successes!

Sqirl Kitchen
720 North Virgil Ave #4 
Los Angeles 90029
(213)-394-6526
sqirlla.com

price:  $$
verdict:  tasty, try it!

Ración in pasadena for some sweet lovin'

dating can be an exhilarating experience for some and just plain awkward for others. i mean seriously, trying to decode the signs given by the opposite sex and their level of interest in you without a manual can be difficult...unless you're one of those panty droppers of course and dating is as simple to you as breathing fresh air.

but if you're anything like 99% of the population, dating brings about butterflies and lots of questions. will we hit it off? what should i wear? too much or not enough boobage? and if you're the dude, you definitely want to conceal that beer gut and manscape a little just in case you get lucky. with all the questions and worries swirling around your noggin as you get ready for your date, here's one worry you can eliminate if you schedule your date at Ración in pasadena...the eats are solid and the ambiance is sexy. there. go make reservations now.

their basque inspired menu is divided into four sections: pintxos (served on bread), manos (bar snacks), tenedor (tapas), and cuchillo (larger entrees). everything is shareable of course and when you're on a date, it is best to share and let's face it, you're trying to create an intimate moment here over a tiny table sans ripping off each other's clothes.

to set the mood for your date, don't forget the libations. the sangria had a nice sweetness to it but won't get you buzzed at all so if you want liquid courage, order something else.

the meal started out with a complimentary amuse bouche. shhhh...it kinda tasted like crispy wanton skins to me :0

house-made bread with dots of raisins. a perfect platform to swipe up juices from various plates coming your way.

the escabeche ($9) marinated mussels, shrimp, and calamari with peppers was a zingy tangy bite. soft in the right places, chewy in others. i'm soooooo not talking about your date right now.

soldaditos de pavia ($6) salt cod fritters with lemon cream. quite a hit these balls were with our group (hopefully a theme that will extend to the rest of your date). the light batter encrusting a savory soft fish flesh is a must order.

lengua on bread ($7) braised beef tongue, pickled spring onions, and honey aioli. you can never go wrong with some good tongue action and this was some good action.

calamar a la plancha ($7) caramelized calamari, melted onions, and lemon aioli. really tender pieces of calamari on bread. messy to eat as the calamari starts flopping all over the place, but the flavors are strong and savory.

arroz con gambas ($18) crispy whole prawns, lobster rice, bouillabaisse was hands down MY FAVORITE bite of the night. great flavors, prawns were cooked well, but the over the top detail for me was the crispy, crusty rice scattered intermittently in the dish reminding me of the hard, crusty rice you find adhered to the bottom of old school rice cookers. get this.

fideua negra ($9) spanish pasta, mussels, poached quail egg.

calamares rellenos ($15) duck sausage stuffed squid with brava sauce. let me tell ya, one step short of being a dainty version of a turducken. all kidding aside, it's very, very tasty and another favorite of the night.

almejas con chorizo ($10) littleneck clams, green garlic, and vino blanco.

pulpo a la gallega ($10) beer-braised octopus, fingerling potatoes, pimenton.

cochinillo ($16) the daily pork prep which turned out to be dry as hell. not the best savory dish to end the night, but the other fine dishes more than made up for it. lesson to self: pork should not always have an automatic green light.

sweet cubes of marshmallows to round out the night.

so there you have it. zone in on a potential date, make reservations at Ración, eat lots, drink lots, and have yourself a jolly good time. dating can sometimes be awkward and uncomfortable but if you find the right match...boy is it worth it. and if you're a great husband who's planning out a date for his lovely wife to celebrate a special occasion, i suggest Ración for dinner and then a short walk over to tiffany & co....which reminds me i have to send the link to this blog post to my darling husband. :P

Ración
119 W. Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 396-3090
http://racionrestaurant.com/

price: $$$
verdict: tasty, try it!

dragon beard candy 龍鬚糖 cuz i like my candy wispy

i love awkward translations of things. especially the asian ones into english...or how about this one?! not asian, but still awkward, right??

it's a real disservice to the original language because the wording probably sounded pretty rad before its massacre into english (literally). take this 龍鬚糖 (lóng​ xū​ táng) or dragon beard/whisker candy. in chinese, the wording connotes images of strong, majestic dragons with long flowy beards....in candy form. so purty, so delicate. but in english, you just think, wtf?? candy whiskers?! candy beards?! what is this edible hair follicle that you speak of? can it even be tasty?

when i saw edythe's tweet about dragon whiskers/ beard candy at the hawaii supermarket in the sgv, i got so excited that i almost peed in my pants. my last taste of this unique chinese candy was about 20+ years ago and never once did i run across it again till now.

not only is this a tasty concoction, it is also steeped in ancient chinese traditions, a confection served only to the chinese emperor and his court back in the days. the fine hair-like strands are created by constant pulling, stretching, folding of a sugary "dough" made of maltose, sugar, corn syrup, or in this case, honey. i liken it to savory hand pulled noodles, but of course this is a more delicate, sweet version. normally, the strands harden after a day, but the addition of honey keeps this candy soft.

alex goh practiced the art of dragon beard/whiskers candy making for over 20+ years. he might even look familiar to you if went to that night market fiasco in pasadena not too long ago.

stretching.

twisting.

pulling.

the strands double up in minutes.

a sweet beard indeed.

then he pulled off sections of the dragon beard and filled each piece with loose chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, and/or toasted coconut.

he carefully folds the "beard" over its peanut innards.

a sweet, silky looking cocoon is the result of all that labor!

for $5, you get a box of 8. although they are on the "smaller" side and not as sweet as i remembered, i do appreciate rediscovering them again. it is just a unique candy with an interesting history and totally worth a try especially due to its rarity. if you want your fix of some sweet hair follicles, alex is at the hawaii supermarket in san gabriel during the weekends. thanks again edythe for the lead!

Alex Goh
Dragon Whiskers Candy
(919) 597-9325

Hawaii Supermarket
120 E. Valley Blvd.
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 307-0062

price: $
verdict: tasty, try it!